cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A desktop apparatus for studying interactions between microorganisms and small-scale fluid motion

Low levels of kinetic energy dissipation were successfully generated in a reactor using two submersible speakers. A software programme controlled the amplitude and frequency of the signal fed to each speaker and achieved good repeatability of flow conditions. The flow reactor had a near isotropic flow regime with a low mean flow, values were calculated from particle image velocimetry measurements. The flow characteristics compared well with grid turbulence reactors, though as no moving parts are present in this reactor design the strain rates were lower compared to oscillating grid set-ups. The low range of Reynolds numbers based on Taylor microscales (Reλ~0.5–5.9) covered both turbulent and non-turbulent flow regimes. The small-scale fluid motion produced over the entire volume of this reactor makes it suitable for experiments examining the physiological responses of fluid motion on microorganisms.
Electrical resistivities of diamond-like carbon

Abstract Electrical resistivities of diamond-like carbon films deposited by d.c. plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition have been investigated in electric fields up to 3 × 106 V cm−1. The films displayed a non-ohmic behavior, with the resistivities decreasing with increasing electric field. Differences of several orders of magnitude have been observed between the resistivities of films deposited from different precursors at identical plasma conditions, with the largest resistivities in excess of 1016 Ω·cm obtained for films deposited from cyclohexane. The breakdown fields have been found to be larger than 3 × 106 V cm−1 for all films studied.
Evaluating U.S. judicial district prosecutor performance using DEA: are disadvantaged counties more inefficient?

In this paper, we evaluate the efficiency of prosecutor office efficiency in the United States. Using multiple inputs and multiple outputs to characterize prosecutor office production, technical and scale efficiency are calculated for U.S. counties. Given the complex nature of service provision and potential heterogeneity based on judicial district size, we restrict our sample to those counties with populations between 100 and 500 thousand. Given the efficiency results, we also test whether efficiency is statistically related to median income and the percentage of minority population. The results suggest that prosecutor offices in more socio-economically disadvantages counties are more inefficient.
Multi‐generational carcinogenesis from diethylstilbestrol investigated by blastocyst transfers in mice

Previous studies have shown that a carcinogenic effect can be transmitted from female mice exposed prenatally to diethylstil-bestrol (DES) to their female offspring. Furthermore, male mice exposed pre-natally to DES can transmit a carcinogenic effect to their offspring through their germ cells. To study how multi-generational carcinogenesis is transmitted through females exposed pre-natally to DES. the technique of blastocyst transfer was utilized. Blastocysts from strain CD-1 mice exposed pre-natally to vehicle were transferred to mice exposed pre-natally to DES. Among 143 offspring from these transfers, there were 10 ovarian adenomas and 10 uterine adenocarcino-mas. Among 92 offspring from blastocyst transfers between mice exposed pre-natally to vehicle only, there was 1 ovarian adenoma and 1 uterine adenocarcinoma. Thus the pre-natal exposure of the host to DES produced a maternal environment which increased the incidence of ovarian and uterine tumors. The reverse type of transfer was also performed, in which blastocysts from female mice exposed pre-natally to DES were transferered into mice exposed to vehicle only pre-natally. Among 99 offspring derived from DES-exposed germ cells, 6 developed ovarian adenomas and 16 developed uterine adeno-carcinomas. Thus DES also has a multi-generational effect transmitted through the blastocyst, which is consistent with fetal germ cell mutation from DES. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Flash and continuous photolysis studies of the thionitrosyl complex Cr(CH3CN)5(NS)2+ and the nitric oxide analogs: reactions of nitrogen monosulfide in solution.

Photolysis of the thionitrosyl complex Cr(CH3CN)5(NS)2+ (1) in acetonitrile solution leads to the dissociation of nitrogen monosulfide (NS). In deaerated solution, this reaction is reversible, and flash photolysis studies demonstrate that NS reacts with Cr(CH3CN)62+ according to the rate law d[1]/dt = kon[Cr(CH3CN)62+][NS] (kon = 2.3 × 108 M−1 s−1 at 298 K). The photolysis of 1 in deaerated acetonitrile with added Fe(S2CNEt2)2 leads to the transfer of NS and the formation of a species concluded to be Fe(S2CNEt2)2(NS) based on its electron paramagnetic resonance spectrum. Analogous photolysis of 1 in the presence of added NO leads to clean formation of the nitrosyl complex Cr(CH3CN)5(NO)2+ (2) presumably by NO capture of the photoproduct Cr(CH3CN)62+ (3). When 1 was photolyzed in aerated acetonitrile solution, the reactive species 3 was trapped, thus leading to net photochemical transformations with excitation-wavelength-dependent quantum yields of 0.3−1.0 mol/Einstein. Mass spectroscopic studies of the pr...
GABA-Induced Synaptic Facilitation at Type B to A Photoreceptor Connections in Hermissenda

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a prevalent neurotransmitter in both vertebrate and invertebrate systems. Here we report that, in addition to its usual inhibitory actions, GABA induced synaptic facilitation at type B to A photoreceptor connections of the marine mollusk Hermissenda when applied transiently to the isolated nervous system. Synaptic facilitation also occurred in response to mechanical stimulation of the GABAergic hair cells, which are normally activated by rotational unconditioned stimuli during behavioral training of the intact animal. This synaptic facilitation represents a novel form of GABA-induced neuromodulation which may contribute to learning-dependent suppression of phototaxis in Hermissenda.
“How Would I Like to Read a Mawlawna EBook?”: Children’s Interests and Concerns When Reading EBooks

This article focuses on research that explored Iranian children’s design ideas in conceptualizing and making their own Mawlawna eBooks. The participants include 34 children between the ages 7 to 15 years from two Iranian nonprofit organizations: the Children’s Book Council of Iran and the Librarian’s House. In an effort to incorporate children into the process of designing technology, the researcher asked the participants to imagine themselves not only as the recipients of technology but as co-designers of Mawlawna eBooks and share their suggestions. The results of this study show that the participants like to customize Mawlawna eBooks based on their personal interests and needs.
Viscosity of Porous Glasses

Viscosity of porous glasses has been derived from the elastic stress analysis, using the viscous analogy. Viscosity as a function of porosity has been estimated for spherical as well as for arbitrary pore geometry. Since the pore geometry changes during sintering, a shape factor that varies with pore geometry has been considered to predict the viscosity–porosity relationship. Viscosity as a function of porosity was measured on cordierite-type glass by isothermal sinter-forging experiments and data showed good agreement with the analysis. Experimental data from literature on viscosity as a function of porosity on two other glasses also show good agreement with the analysis.
Individual domains of connective tissue growth factor regulate fibroblast proliferation and myofibroblast differentiation

All members of the Ctgf, Cyr61, and Nov (CCN) family share a high degree of sequence homology and conservation of structural motifs and domains. Here, we present data about a structure function analysis of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), a prototypic member of the CCN family, which has been shown to be a downstream mediator of transforming growth factor-beta activities on fibroblasts. Our findings demonstrate the two domains of CTGF function to mediate two distinct biological effects. The N-terminal domain of CTGF mediates myofibroblast differentiation and collagen synthesis. The C-terminal domain of CTGF mediates fibroblast proliferation. These data provide a molecular basis for the divergence of CTGF actions on connective tissue cell types and suggest a model for functional analysis of all of the CCN family gene products.
Are constant asymptotic total cross sections ruled out by high-energy measurements?

It is a common belief that the conventional contributions of the Pomeron pole and the two-Pomeron cut in the Gribov Reggeon calculus cannot give enough rise of the $pp$ total cross section at CERN ISR energies. However, we find from a detailed analysis of $\frac{d\ensuremath{\sigma}}{dt}$ at small $t$ that one can, in fact, get a reasonable rise of the $pp$ total cross section at CERN ISR energies. The ${K}^{+}p$ total cross sections are also fitted; however, their consistency with $\frac{d\ensuremath{\sigma}}{dt}$ has to be checked out when the data are available.
The Travails of Balance of Power Theory: The United States in the Middle East

Balance of power is a ubiquitous concept in theory and practice, but it is rarely tested. This study tests balance of power and balance of threat theories in the case of U.S. intervention in the Persian Gulf. Propositions are derived from the theories and from a conceptualization that treats external states as facing potentially competing and contradictory pressures to balance at the global and regional levels as well as against power and threat. Evidence strongly disconfirms balance of power theory, while balance of threat theory is partly confirmed. Conditions are identified that make balance of threat theory more robust against the historical period explored and possibly in other cases.
Autocatalysis and bistability in the reaction between nitric acid and thiocyanate

The reaction between nitric acid and thiocyanate has been studied both in batch and flow configurations. The batch reaction is autocatalytic with an induction period which is decreased by the addition of HNO2. At the nitric acid concentrations employed (1–10 M), a red NOSCNH+ intermediate is formed. The reaction in a flow reactor exhibits bistability. A model involving competitive reactions of SCN− and NOSCNH+ with NO2 is suggested, and computer simulations with this model give good agreement with both the batch and flow experiments.
Sward Height and a Capacitance Probe for Estimating Herbage Mass

Estimation of herbage mass is essential in pasture research and in making practical grazing management decisions. Sward height and a capacitance probe were evaluated as non-destructive measures of herbage mass at seven dates from April 16 to July 30 on continuously grazed predominantly Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) pasture. Paddocks were 1 ha in size and were stocked at 3, 4 or 5 steers ha−1 (average initial weight 312 kg). Four to six, sampling points were located randomly in each paddock at each date. Sward height was measured with a ruler, the vegetation in a 0.2 nr area visually designated “high” or “low” according to legume percentage, ten readings using a single capacitance probe were made and the herbage clipped. Paired data with clipped dry weight as dependent variable and height and/or the average corrected probe reading as covariates were analyzed statistically. The relationship between clipped dry weight and nondestructive measures of herbage mass was found to be linear. There was a small effect of sampling date in Spring on the relationship between destructive and non-destructive measures of herbage mass, but each of the measures, including herbage mass predicted from probe and height measurements, resulted in the same inferences being made about differences between treatments. Neither stocking rate nor small differences in percentage legume affected the relationship. Thus, sward height and capacitance probe show promise as nondestructive measures of pasture herbage mass.
U.S. Immigrants in Dispersed and Traditional Settlements: National Origin Heterogeneity†

This paper uses confidential ACS data to compare the characteristics of immigrants from ten Asian and Latino origins and the total foreign born in traditional, emerging, and dispersed areas. The correlates of dispersed settlement were estimated for each group and the total foreign born using multinomial logistic regression. The findings show that the characteristics of immigrants in dispersed settlements differ both within and across national origin groups and also between national groups and the total foreign born. Several relationships, particularly those for education and occupation measures, differ significantly and call into question the homogeneity assumption commonly made by studies of the total foreign born or pan-ethnic groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
An x-ray single crystal investigation of iron-rich alloys of iron and aluminum-II. Diffuse scattering measurements of short-range order in alloys containing 14.0 and 18.3 at.% aluminum

Fe rich Fe-Al alloys single crystals, determining three dimensional order and atomic displacements coefficients by X ray diffuse scattering
Can treating depression reduce mortality after an acute myocardial infarction

Major depression affects about one in five patients in the weeks after an acute myocardial infarction and is associated with an increased risk of cardiac morbidity and mortality. Consequently, there is considerable interest in the question of whether treating depression will improve medical prognosis in these patients. Safe, effective treatments for depression are available, but unless they also improve the underlying pathophysiological or behavioral mechanisms that contribute to cardiac morbidity and mortality, they may not have beneficial effects on prognosis. Altered cardiac autonomic tone is one of the leading candidate mechanisms. Unfortunately, a review of the available research reveals that cardiac autonomic tone often fails to normalize in patients treated for depression, and the research suggests that currently available treatments for depression will not necessarily improve cardiac event-free survival in patients who have had an acute myocardial infarction. Until there is convincing evidence that treatment can reduce the risk of cardiac morbidity and mortality, the principal reason to treat depression should continue to be to improve the quality of life of the patient who has had an acute myocardial infarction. Key words: depression, coronary heart disease, mortality.
The V1a Vasopressin Receptor Is Necessary and Sufficient for Normal Social Recognition: A Gene Replacement Study

Vasopressin modulates many social and nonsocial behaviors, including emotionality. We have previously reported that male mice with a null mutation in the V1a receptor (V1aR) exhibit a profound impairment in social recognition and changes in anxiety-like behavior. Using site-specific injections of a V1aR-specific antagonist, we demonstrate that the lateral septum, but not the medial amygdala, is critical for social recognition. Reexpressing V1aR in the lateral septum of V1aR knockout mice (V1aRKO) using a viral vector resulted in a complete rescue of social recognition. Furthermore, overexpression of the V1aR in the lateral septum of wild-type (wt) mice resulted in a potentiation of social recognition behavior and a mild increase in anxiety-related behavior. These results demonstrate that the V1aR in the lateral septum plays a critical role in the neural processing of social stimuli required for complex social behavior.
Adults' attitudes about assignments of household chores to male and female children

Data from a 1979 national sample of 3944 adults in the United States were analyzed for the purpose of identifying traditional and nontraditional sex role assignments of household chores. Among the eight chores observed, the proportion of the sample making nontraditional assignments ranged from a high of 90% to a low of 67%. With respect to explanations of traditional/nontraditional sex roles, observations included relationships between adults' age, sex, marital, family, and economic statuses, their assignments of chores to male and female children, and their attitudes about adults' sex roles. Males, older persons, and poor persons were more traditional in assigning chores than were females, the young, and the middle class. No differences were observed in chores assigned by married and single persons, or by married persons with and without children.
Geologic surface effects of underground nuclear testing, Yucca Flat, Nevada Test Site, Nevada

This report presents a new Geographic Information System composite map of the geologic surface effects caused by underground nuclear testing in the Yucca Flat Physiographic Area of the Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada. The Nevada Test Site (NTS) was established in 1951 as a continental location for testing nuclear devices (Allen and others, 1997, p.3). Originally known as the ''Nevada Proving Ground'', the NTS hosted a total of 928 nuclear detonations, of which 828 were conducted underground (U.S. Department of Energy, 1994). Three principal testing areas of the NTS were used: (1) Yucca Flat, (2) Pahute Mesa, and (3) Rainier Mesa including Aqueduct Mesa. Underground detonations at Yucca Flat and Pahute Mesa were typically emplaced in vertical drill holes, while others were tunnel emplacements. Of the three testing areas, Yucca Flat was the most extensively used, hosting 658 underground tests (747 detonations) located at 719 individual sites (Allen and others, 1997, p.3-4). Figure 1 shows the location of Yucca Flat and other testing areas of the NTS. Figure 2 shows the locations of underground nuclear detonation sites at Yucca Flat. Table 1 lists the number of underground nuclear detonations conducted, the number of borehole sites utilized, and the number more » of detonations mapped for surface effects at Yucca Flat by NTS Operational Area. « less
Exercise hemodynamics in aortic regurgitation

Abstract The hemodynamic response to supine exertion was studied by left heart catheterization in 23 Functional Class II and III subjects with isolated aortic regurgitation. The resting cardiac index was normal in most patients but rose insufficiently with exercise in 11. The 12 subjects with a normal cardiac index during exercise usually had elevated left ventricular end-diastolic pressures, while those with a low cardiac index usually had normal pressures. The difference was statistically significant. The explanation for this unusual finding is not clear from the data but might be forthcoming if similar studies employing quantitative angiocardiography were performed.
Effect of high levels of dietary folic acid on folate metabolism in vitamin B12 deficiency.

Abstract The effect of administering high levels of folic acid to vitamin B 12 -deficient animals was studied. In B 12 deficiency histidine oxidation is decreased. This is the result of both decreased liver folate levels and increases in the proportion of methyltetrahydrofolates. The purpose of this study was to determine if the addition of very high levels of folic acid to B 12 -deficient diets could increase liver folates and thereby restore histidine oxidation. Rats were fed a soy protein B 12 -deficient diet containing 10% pectin which has been shown previously to accelerate B 12 depletion. When this diet was supplemented with B 12 and folic acid, histidine oxidation was 5.4% in 2 h and the livers contained 3.49 μg of folate/g. In the absence of B 12 , the histidine oxidation rate was 0.34% and the liver folate level was 1.33 μg/g. When 200 mg/kg of folic acid was added to the B 12 -deficient diet there was no increase in histidine oxidation (0.35%) but the liver folates were increased to 3.68 μg which is about the same as that with B 12 supplementation. The percentage tetrahydrofolate of the total liver folates was the same with and without a high level of dietary folic acid. Thus there was an increase in the absolute level of tetrahydrofolate without any increase in folate function as measured by histidine oxidation. Red cell folate levels were the same with and without B 12 , which is in contrast to the markedly lower liver folate levels in B 12 deficiency. These data suggest a difference between B 12 regulation of folate metabolism in the liver and in the bone marrow.
U1 and U2 small nuclear RNAs are present in nuclear speckles.

Abstract The localization of U1 and U2 small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs) has been examined by in situ hybridization using 2'-O-alkyl oligonucleotide probes. We have found that these snRNAs, which are essential for pre-mRNA splicing, localize in a speckled distribution, in addition to being present in three of four foci, in HeLa cell nuclei. However, in cells of defined passage, such as Detroit 551 and WI-38 fibroblasts, these snRNAs are concentrated in nuclear speckles, and foci are not observed. The speckled distribution of U1 and U2 snRNAs is coincident with the speckled regions enriched in small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particle (snRNP) proteins and the essential non-snRNP splicing factor SC-35. The localization of these key components of the pre-mRNA splicing machinery to speckled nuclear regions suggests that these regions may be involved in pre-mRNA splicing.
Transition Metal Bimetallic Oxycarbides: Synthesis, Characterization, and Activity Studies

A new family of bimetallic oxycarbide compounds MI–MII–O–C (MI=Mo, W; MII=V, Nb, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni) has been synthesized by carburizing bimetallic oxide precursors using a temperature-programmed method. The oxide precursors are prepared by conventional solid-state reaction between two appropriate monometallic oxides. The synthesis involves passing a 20 mol% CH4 in H2 mixture over the oxide precursors while raising the temperature at a linear rate of 8.3×10−2 K s−1 (5 K/min) to a final temperature (Tmax) which is held for a period of time (thold). The synthesis, chemisorption properties, and reactivation of the materials indicate that the compounds can be divided into two groups of different reducibility (high and low). Their surface activity and surface area are evaluated based on CO chemisorption and N2 physisorption measurements. It is found that the CO number density correlates with the reducibility of the compounds. The catalysts were evaluated for hydroprocessing in a three-phase trickle-bed reactor operated at 3.1 MPa and 643 K. The feed was a model liquid mixture containing 3000 ppm sulfur (dibenzothiophene), 2000 ppm nitrogen (quinoline), 500 ppm oxygen (benzofuran), 20 wt% aromatics (tetralin), and balance aliphatics (tetradecane). The bimetallic oxycarbides had moderate activity for HDN of quinoline, with Nb–Mo–O–C showing higher HDN than a commercial sulfided Ni–Mo/Al2O3 catalyst tested at the same conditions. X-ray diffraction of the spent catalysts indicated that the oxycarbides of the early transition metals were tolerant of sulfur, while those involving the late transition metals showed bulk sulfide phases.
Characterization of oxidative aging in asphalt concrete pavements using its complex moduli

Asphalt concrete mixtures with different levels of oxidative aging, prepared by oven-aging the mixture at 135 °C for different amounts of time, were used to study the effects of oxidative aging upon the ultrasonic phase velocities and attenuation measurements. It was a observed that both the dilatational and shear velocities increase up to approximately 24 hours of aging after which they significantly decease with aging. Also, both the dilatational and shear attenuation decrease up to around 24 hours of aging, after which both attenuations strongly increase. These results are consistent with results obtained using the mechanical Disk-shaped Compact Tension (DC[T]) fracture tests. Based upon these velocity and attenuation measurements, the dynamic moduli were calculated. It was observed that the dynamic moduli increase from 0 hours to 24 hours and decrease from 24 to 36 hours of oven-aging. The modulus obtained using ultrasonic measurements is also compared with the modulus obtained using the AASHTO recommended mechanical testing. The differences are due to scattering effects, which are present in ultrasonic testing. It was also observed that to avoid the uncertainty associated with assuming a suitable value for the Poisson’s ratio, both the dilatational and shear velocities and corresponding attenuation measurements must be carried out. Furthermore, to eliminate the need for traditional mechanical testing during estimation of complex moduli, frequency-dependent ultrasonic measurements must also be carried out.
Alternative Fock quantization of neutrinos in flat space--time

The neutrino equations in flat space-time are studied in static Rindler accelerated coordinates and in the Penrose conformal coordinates. It is found that the definition of a positive frequency solution to the Dirac equation in the Rindler coordinates is not equivalent to that in Minkowski coordinates, implying inequivalent Fock representations in the two coordinate systems. The definition of positive frequency in the Penrose conformal metric is found to be exactly equivalent to that of Minkowski spacetime. A complete set of solutions is found, and the 'energy' spectrum is discrete ($\omega $ = $2n+1$, $n$ > $j$, where $j$ is the total angular momentum of the eigenfunction) and excludes zero frequency.
Mad, Bad, and Beyond: Iago Meets Qü Yuan

This commentary offers an alternative interpretation of Iago's resentment based on clinical psychology and a cross-cultural perspective, thereby revisiting the fundamental question of what is emotion.
Inhibition of growth of androgen-independent DU-145 prostate cancer in vivo by luteinising hormone-releasing hormone antagonist Cetrorelix and Bombesin antagonists RC-3940-II and RC-3950-II

The aim of this study was to test the antagonist of LH-RH (Cetrorelix), agonist [D-Trp6]LH-RH (triptorelin) and new bombesin antagonists RC-3940-II and RC-3950-II for their effect on the growth of an androgen-independent prostate cancer cell line, DU-145, xenografted into nude mice. Xenografts were grown in male nude mice and after 4 weeks, the animals were treated either with saline (control) or with one of the analogues. One group of mice was given a combination of Cetrorelix and RC-3950-II. Treatment was given for 4 weeks. Tumour and body weights and tumour volumes were measured. At sacrifice, tumours were dissected for histological examination and receptor studies. Serum was collected for measurement of hormone levels. The final tumour volume in control animals injected with saline was 577 ± 155 mm3 and that of animals treated with Cetrorelix only 121.4 ± 45 mm3 (P < 0.01). Bombesin antagonists RC-3940-II and RC-3950-II also significantly reduced DU-145 tumour volume in nude mice to 84.9 ± 19.9 and 96.8 ± 28 mm3, respectively. Agonist [D-Trp6]LH-RH did not significantly inhibit tumour growth. Serum levels of LH were decreased to 0.08 ± 0.02 ng/ml (P < 0.05) in the Cetrorelix treated group as compared to 1.02 ± 0.1 ng/ml for the controls and testosterone levels were reduced to castration levels (0.01 ± 0.01 ng/ml). Specific receptors for EGF and LH-RH in DU-145 tumours were significantly downregulated after treatment with Cetrorelix, RC-3940-II and RC-3950-II. Although LH-RH could be a local regulator of growth of prostate cancer, the fall in LH-RH receptors is not fully understood and the inhibitory effects of Cetrorelix and bombesin antagonists on DU-145 tumour growth might be attributed at least in part to a downregulation of EHF receptors. Since Cetrorelix and bombesin antagonists inhibit growth of androgen-independent DU-145 prostate cancers, these compounds could be considered for the therapy of advanced prostate cancer in men, especially after relapse.
The Economic Life of Primary URD Cable

The economic life of polyethylene insulated primary URD cable is defined as the number of years of service such that continued operation of the cable results in greater cost than its replacnt. Formulation of the economic life shows that it is a function of the failure rate of the cable, discount rate, service restoration cost, replacement cost and the value of unserved energy. under simplifying assumptions, the economic life of a given installation is calculated readily.
Legal and Judicial Battles Affecting Runaways

THIS article traces the history and development of the events leading to the current debates on the validity of the juvenile court by examining the "child savers," or those reformers who instituted the first juvenile court; the "constitutionalists" who insist upon due process and other procedural rights for children; the "revisionists" who advocate the adversary system of juvenile justice; and the "abolitionists" whose position is to remove runaways and other status offenders from juvenile court jurisdiction or, at the extreme, to abolish the juvenile court altogether.
A Survey of Educators and Speech-Language Pathologists Regarding Figurative Language Instruction

A national survey of educators and speech-language pathologists was conducted to determine current perceptions and practices regarding figurative language instruction. The overall survey response rate (N=806)was 69%. Results showed that the majority of respondents provided either formal or informal figurative language instruction to students; fourth grade teachers taught figurative language more often than third grade teachers, special educators, or speech-language pathologists; a variety of instructional methods and materials were used; and there exists a moderate to great need for more instructional materials in this area. The majority of respondents believed that understanding figurative language could benefit students both socially and academically, and that students in special education had more problems understanding and using these forms than regular education students. A discrepency was found between the perceived value of figurative language instruction for certain special education students and ...
Reasoning about Hybrid System of Systems Designs

Constructing a complex system-of-systems (SoS) involves integrating two or more components. When integrations overcome isolating mechanisms inherent to heterogeneous components, a SoS is a software hybrid. SoS designers are challenged to create a viable hybrid that reuses significant value from autonomous, component systems while allowing for new, SoS-wide properties to emerge and be reliably maintained. Thus, a SoS is a super-system integrating many designs, yet not identical to any of them. Formalisms beyond architecture definition languages for mismatch are needed to express SoS designs to terms of the properties and structures that promote the determination of the cause of hybrid failure and its resolution. This paper extends a formal specification language to SoS designs within a paradigm based on software speciation, where software systems experience divergent evolution under various forms of isolation to become incompatible. Examples from security audit are used to illustrate the application of the formalism.
Phonon-mediated magnetic polaritons in the infrared region

Magnetic polaritons that couple electromagnetic waves with magnetic excitation can be used for tailoring the radiative properties of materials in energy-harvesting and other applications. Previous studies used metallic microstructures to induce magnetic responses. With rigorous coupled-wave analysis (RCWA), transmission enhancement with a SiC slit array and coherent thermal emission with a SiC deep grating is theoretically demonstrated in the infrared within the phonon absorption band. The field distributions and the agreement in the resonance frequencies predicted from both RCWA and LC circuit models strongly suggest that magnetic polaritons exist in the SiC microstructures. This type of magnetic polariton is mediated by vibration of atoms in polar materials (i.e., optical phonons), rather than by free electrons in metals. Our results suggest that phonon-mediated magnetic polaritons have promising applications such as filters and selective coherent emitters in the infrared spectral region.
Sintering and Characterization of Nanophase Zinc Oxide

Nanocrystalline, single-phase undoped ZnO was sintered to 95%–98% of theoretical density at 650°–700°C, using pressureless isothermal sintering. The density increased very rapidly at 500°–600°C, remained constant with sintering temperature until ∼900°C, and then decreased slightly. The estimated activation energy for densification at 600°–700°C (275 kJ/mol) was comparable to grain-growth activation energies previously reported for microcrystalline ZnO but much greater than the grain-growth activation energy measured in the present work. A bimodal microstructure, consisting of nanocrystalline grains within larger ensembles (“supergrains”), was observed, and both modes grew as the sintering temperature increased. The grain-growth activation energy for the nanocrystalline grains was extremely low, ∼20 kJ/mol. The activation energy for the growth of the supergrains depended strongly on temperature but was ∼54 kJ/mol at >500°C. The important mechanisms probably are rearrangement of the nanoparticle grains, with simultaneous surface and boundary diffusion, and vapor transport above 900°C.
Inhibition of γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase by cystamine; An approach to a therapy of 5-oxoprolinuria (pyroglutamic aciduria)

Abstract γ-Glutamylcysteine synthetase is strongly inhibited by cystamine; thus, 20 μM cystamine inhibited the activity by 50%. Inhibition is rapid and the inhibited enzyme is reactivated by dithiothreitol suggesting that cystamine reacts with an enzyme sulfhydryl group. Inhibition by cystamine is not prevented by MgATP, L-α-aminobutyrate, or L-glutamate suggesting that cystamine may not interact at the active site. Little or no inhibition was observed with N,N′-diacetyl cystamine, L-cystine, glutathione disulfide, 2-hydroxyethyl disulfide, and thioglycolate disulfide, whereas thiocholine disulfide produced moderate inhibition. Cystamine or an inhibitory analog of cystamine might be useful in the therapy of the disease 5-oxoprolinuria in which there is an overproduction of γ-glutamylcysteine.
Medical decisions for troubled breathing in nursing home residents

This paper aims to gain insight into the medical decision-making processes undergone in a nursing home in response to troubled breathing. Participants were 20 residents of a large, nonprofit nursing home, six of whom died by the time of data collection. The mean age was 88 yr, and 70% were female. Diagnostic tests and medication were the most frequently used treatments. The most important considerations reported were the resident's quality of life, family wishes, and the relative effectiveness of alternative treatment options. In 45% of the cases, the physicians reported family involvement. In 30% of cases, the physicians would have wanted less treatment if they were in the resident's condition. Troubled breathing emerges as an end-of-life symptom for many residents. An analysis of the decision-making process and its evaluation could foster improved care of these symptoms.
Recently discovered Lords' lists and their uses, 1833-42

This note deals with previously unpublished lists which identify the party affiliations, whig, Liberal, and Conservative, of members of the house of lords from 1833 to 1842. They were prepared by the chief whips (or in one case the party leader) of their respective parties, and can thus be considered authoritative. Such information is invaluable in properly understanding the political history of the house of lords, and therefore of the nation.
What Are the Costs of Marital Conflict and Dissolution to Children's Physical Health?

Do parental marital conflict and dissolution influence the risk trajectory of children's physical health risk? This paper reviews evidence addressing this question in the context of understanding how early environmental adversities may trigger a succession of risks that lead to poor health in childhood and greater risk for chronic health problems in adulthood. We first review existing evidence linking marital conflict and dissolution to offspring's physical health outcomes. Next, we provide evidence supporting biopsychosocial pathways that may link marital conflict and dissolution with accelerated health risk trajectories across the lifespan. Specifically, we posit that consequential to the stresses associated with marital conflict and disruption, parenting practices are compromised, leading to offspring deficits in affective, behavioral, and cognitive domains. These deficits, in turn, are hypothesized to increase health risk through poor health behaviors and by altering physiological stress-response systems, including neuroendocrine, cardiovascular, and neurotransmitter functioning. On the basis of the available direct evidence and theoretically plausible pathways, it appears that there is a cost of marital conflict and disruption to children's health; however, more comprehensive investigations are needed to further elucidate this relationship. In the final section, we address limitations in the current literature and identify research that is needed to better evaluate the association between marital conflict and dissolution and children's physical health.
Global Crises, American Public Administration, and the “New Interventionism” Revisited

With global financial, climate, demographic, and terrorist threats challenging nations worldwide, many observers have argued that a return to activist or “neointerventionist” government in the United States and abroad is underway. Incorporating a neo-Weberian perspective on American political development (APD), this article argues that those who see the rise of a new Leviathan in the United States under the Obama administration falsely conflate the “ends” or “how much?” state intervention question with the “means” or “how implemented?” question. When one looks today and historically at the “how implemented” question in the face of domestic and global crises, one repeatedly finds interventionist state policies creating implementation structures which ensure that organized market (or “producer”) interests preserve power, access, and influence in the administration of programs. Thus, the perceived dominance of the state when “ends” shift to meet domestic and global crises is offset in the United States by th...
Thermodynamic analysis of the heterodimerization of leucine zippers of Jun and Fos transcription factors.

Abstract Jun and Fos are components of the AP1 family of transcription factors and bind to the promoters of a diverse multitude of genes involved in critical cellular responses such as cell growth and proliferation, cell cycle regulation, embryonic development and cancer. Here, using the powerful technique of isothermal titration calorimetry, we characterize the thermodynamics of heterodimerization of leucine zippers of Jun and Fos. Our data suggest that the heterodimerization of leucine zippers is driven by enthalpic forces with unfavorable entropy change at physiological temperatures. Furthermore, the basic regions appear to modulate the heterodimerization of leucine zippers and may undergo at least partial folding upon heterodimerization. Large negative heat capacity changes accompanying the heterodimerization of leucine zippers are consistent with the view that leucine zippers do not retain α-helical conformations in isolation and that the formation of the native coiled-coil α-helical dimer is attained through a coupled folding-dimerization mechanism.
Understanding the rural–urban voting patterns in the 1992 Ghanaian presidential election. A closer look at the distributional impact of Ghana's Structural Adjustment Programme

This article attempts to explain the rural–urban voting patterns in the 1992 Ghanaian presidential election. In this election, rural voters voted overwhelmingly for the incumbent and urban voters did the opposite. It is argued that Ghana's Structural Adjustment Programme (1983–92) was distributionally favourable to rural households and unfavourable to urban households. A link is therefore drawn between the distributional impacts of the Structural Adjustment Programme and the voting patterns of rural and urban households.The relationship between the state of the economy and the fortunes of political parties at the polls is one which has generated a lot of debate. This debate has largely taken place within the confines of Western democracies, not least because of the absence of Western-style democracy in many developing countries. We are, however, seeing a movement towards ‘democracy’ in many developing countries, with pressures for economic liberalisation going hand in glove with those for political liberalisation. The increasing democratisation by many African countries undertaking Structural Adjustment Programmes provides us with an opportunity to investigate the relationships between the welfare implications of these programmes and the voting behaviour of the electorate. Is voting behaviour in Africa any different from that in Western democracies?
Optimal Smoothing in Visual Motion Perception

When a flash is aligned with a moving object, subjects perceive the flash to lag behind the moving object. Two different models have been proposed to explain this "flash-lag" effect. In the motion extrapolation model, the visual system extrapolates the location of the moving object to counteract neural propagation delays, whereas in the latency difference model, it is hypothesized that moving objects are processed and perceived more quickly than flashed objects. However, recent psychophysical experiments suggest that neither of these interpretations is feasible (Eagleman & Sejnowski, 2000a, 2000b, 2000c), hypothesizing instead that the visual system uses data from the future of an event before committing to an interpretation. We formalize this idea in terms of the statistical framework of optimal smoothing and show that a model based on smoothing accounts for the shape of psychometric curves from a flash-lag experiment involving random reversals of motion direction. The smoothing model demonstrates how the visual system may enhance perceptual accuracy by relying not only on data from the past but also on data collected from the immediate future of an event.
CULTURE AND CULTURAL ANALYSIS AS EXPERIMENTAL SYSTEMS

Arguing that without a differentiated and relational notion of the cultural, the social sciences would be crippled, reducing social action to notions of pure instrumentality, in this article, I trace the growth of cultural analysis from the beginnings of modern anthropology to the present as a layered set of experimental systems whose differential lenses create epistemic objects with increasing precision and differential focus and resolution. Arguing that culture is not a variable—culture is relational, it is elsewhere or in passage, it is where meaning is woven and renewed, often through gaps and silences, and forces beyond the conscious control of individuals, and yet the space where individual and institutional social responsibility and ethical struggle take place—I name culture as a set of central anthropological forms of knowledge grounding human beings' self-understandings. The challenge of cultural analysis is to develop translation and mediation tools for helping make visible the differences of interests, access, power, needs, desires, and philosophical perspective. In particular, as we begin to face new kinds of ethical dilemmas stemming from developments in biotechnologies, expansive information and image databases, and ecological interactions, we are challenged to develop differentiated cultural analyses that can help articulate new social institutions for an evolving civil society.
Risk Perceptions, Race, and Hurricane Katrina

This study examined differences across race and income in responses to warning messages associated with Hurricane Katrina. Surveys were administered to Katrina evacuees who had been relocated throughout the country, investigating perceptions of the seriousness of the crisis, motivation to evacuate, and preparations for the storm. Results suggest differences between Whites and non-Whites along these lines. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications for considering race and poverty in audience responses to crisis messages, and the need to consider marginalized subpopulations in future crisis communication research.
Exosomes as mediators of neuroinflammation.

Exosomes are membrane-bound nanovesicles that are shed by cells of various lineages under normal as well as pathological conditions. Previously thought to be ‘extracellular debris’, exosomes have recently generated immense interest following their discovery as mediators of intercellular communication by delivering functional proteins, mRNA transcripts as well as miRNAs to recipient cells. Although suggested to primarily serve as signaling organelles which also remove unwanted cellular components in the brain, accumulating evidence suggests that exosomes can also significantly contribute to the development of several neuropathologies. Toxic forms of aggregated proteins such as α-synuclein, amyloid β and prions, that are responsible for the development of Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease (CJD) respectively, have been shown to get effectively packaged into exosomes and spread from one cell to another, initiating an inflammatory cascade. In addition, exosomes secreted by resident brain cells in response to pathogenic stimuli such as viral proteins can also influence bystander cells by the transfer of dysregulated miRNAs that suppress the expression of essential genes in the recipient cells. Given the relevance of exosomes in brain communication and neuropathogenesis, novel therapeutic strategies are now being developed that exploit the biology of these vesicles to deliver anti-inflammatory molecules to the CNS. Exosomes may alter the way we think about brain disorders and their treatments.
Ndc10 is a platform for inner kinetochore assembly in budding yeast

Kinetochores assemble on centromeric DNA and link centromeres to spindle microtubules, thus allowing proper segregation during mitosis. The kinetochore subunit Ndc10 makes contacts with centromeric DNA elements, which are now directly observed in a crystal structure. Along with biochemical analyses, the work indicates that Ndc10 functions as a central organizing hub to assemble the inner kinetochore.
Mismatch Characterization and Calibration for Accurate and Automated Analog Design

Device mismatch has long prevented the implementation of accurate high density analog computation. This paper presents the Reconfigurable Analog Signal Processor (RASP) 2.9a, a 350 nm double-poly CMOS chip designed for the implementation of accurate analog computation. The chip is the densest field programmable analog array (FPAA) to date, containing over 130 k programmable floating gate switch elements (SWEs). The paper reviews an algorithm for rapidly programming the charge on floating gate switch elements with 10.2 bit accuracy. An automated algorithm based on the EKV transistor model is developed to rapidly characterize device mismatch, the Early effect, capacitive drain coupling, and temperature dependent behavior. This paper empirically verifies the characterization, using the precise floating gate programming methods to offset the errors and create current sources with 2.2% RMS error over a dynamic range of 25 dB. The current sources are then modified to create current mirrors and vector-matrix multipliers, accurate for currents down to 8 nA. Together with the computational analog blocks, these linear circuits can be synthesized into a wide range of extremely low power linear and nonlinear functions. The calibration routine, in combination with preexisting design tools, allows the automated synthesis, placement, and accurate programming of large classes of circuits on an FPAA.