cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chemical dynamics in slash-and-burn agriculture

Abstract The stability of the slash-and-burn system is more a function of the total nutrient stock of the entire ecosystem than the net gain of the soil after slash-and-burn. During the first cycle of land exploitation, slash-and-burn releases a large portion of nutrients stored in the above-ground biomass into the soil. Therefore, the gain of nutrient stock in the soil is at the expense of the plant biomass. Published data on slash-and-burn systems are mostly concerned with the changes in soil nutrient status during cropping. Studies dealing with the dynamics of total nutrient stock in the primary forest ecosystem and the subsequent cropping and fallow cycles are scarce. Conservation of the total mineral nutrient stock of the slash-and-burn system, starting from the clearing of a primary forest followed by burning, cropping and secondary forest fallow, is possible only in an ideal case of shifting cultivation — the equilibrium model. A significant portion of mineral nutrients released from burning may be lost either through erosion and runoff or through leaching (i.e. K, Mg, Ca, nitrate, and sulfate). A portion of the plant nutrients will be removed in harvested crops. Thus, the total mineral nutrient stock in the whole ecosystem gradually declines during the subsequent cycles of fallow and cropping — the depletion model. For various social and economic reasons, slash-and-burn agriculture is being rapidly replaced by new or modified crop production systems throughout the tropics. In strongly weathered soils, external inputs of mineral nutrients are required, particularly, those aiming at sustaining high levels of crop or pasture productivity. Although nitrogen can be replenished through biological N-fixation, other nutrients, especially P and K, must be supplied by external sources. Therefore, a sustainable alternative to the slash-and-burn system should be judged not only by the stability of crop yield but also by the efficiency of the agroecosystem to recycle mineral nutrients as a function of time.
Yak Burgers and Black Tea: Consumption, Deprivation, and the Literature of Himalayan Adventure Travel

Prominent in the accounts of trekking, mountaineering, and exploration that make up the literature of Himalayan adventure travel are complex descriptions of food consumption: the shock of new foods or no food or the wrong food, different practices of cultivation and food preparation, climbers’ rations, menus designed to optimize performance, and changes in appetite. Focusing on two recent works, Jon Krakauer's well-known Into Thin Air (1997) and Wade Brackenbury's Yak Butter and Black Tea (1997), but also looking more briefly at the historical record, this article makes three important points. First, descriptions of food consumption in these works signify within a broader discourse about a (Western) culture of consumption and consumerism. Second, these accounts are “orientalist”: the writings of Western adventurers register, in Edward Said's terms, a “flexible positional superiority” to the foodways of high Asia. Third, these accounts are organized within a discourse of deprivation as they constantly draw...
Oral delivery of salmon calcitonin.

Calcitonin plays a crucial role in both calcium homeostasis and bone remodeling. Establishing an oral delivery system for CT is of great importance since CT is currently administered only parenterally or nasally. Poor absorption and rapid proteolytic degradation have impeded the clinical development of an orally administered sCT drug product. Potential approaches to enhance sCT absorption include the use of formulation additives in the drug product to transiently modulate the intestinal environment or targeting specific intestinal regions that may have favorable peptide delivery properties (e.g., low residual volume, high absorptive surface area or reduced enzymatic activity). Potential approaches to limit the activity of intestinal enzymes include adjusting the pH of the intestinal contents to the pH minima of specific enzymes or maintaining high local drug concentrations in order to saturate enzyme systems. In this review, pharmacokinetic studies elucidating the rate-limiting steps for achieving adequate sCT oral bioavailability are detailed. Further, several approaches for enhancing the oral absorption of sCT are presented. Specific emphasis is placed on regio-specific targeting (e.g., intestinal regional differences in dilution and spreading, etc.) and modulation of the intestinal environment (e.g., changing pH, etc.). The approaches are evaluated in in vitro and in vivo models. Finally, this paper closes with a brief section of concluding remarks.
A Forgotten Classic

The "forgotten" part is easy to explain. Begin with the title: Sickness and Society suggests a broad discussion of the relationship between social structure and health. But Sickness and Society is nothing of the sort. It is a study of a single hospital, organized around a sample (by one count) of a scant 161 patients, and is more about hospitals and hospital care, in particular and fairly narrowly, than about anything else. Then there are the authors: Although an eminent physician, Duff was not a sociologist. Hollingshead was a sociologist. But he was also as well known for his now utterly archaic seeming study of social class (Elmtown's Youth) as for his pioneering contributions to medical sociology. He was the William Graham Sumner Professor of Sociology at Yale, one of the weakest departments in an otherwise great university and a department that, at the time, in a heavily Jewish discipline, suffered from a lingering reputation for anti-Semitism. Most importantly, there was the timing: Sickness and Society was published in 1968, apparently written in 1966-1967, and based on research conducted in 1965 and before-just at the time that the passage of Medicaid and Medicare was about to affect a fundamental transformation in the social organization of American medicine, a particularly critical issue for a book much of which is devoted to documenting the sources of inequality in hospital care. In short, the research was outdated before the book was even published. Add to this a few unfortunate arguments (on nurses: "Can women be wives and mothers and at the same time provide all the manpower, leadership, and stability in a vital sector of a growing health industry? We must
Electronic Resource Expenditure and the Decline in Reference Transaction Statistics in Academic Libraries

Abstract The current study investigates factors influencing increase in reference transactions in a typical week in academic libraries across the United States of America. Employing multiple regression analysis and general linear modeling, variables of interest from the Academic Library Survey (ALS) 2006 survey (sample size 3960 academic libraries) were analyzed. Findings indicated that spending more on electronic resource in academic libraries leads to an increase rather than a decrease in numbers of reference transactions in a typical week recorded. Additionally, the effect of having low, medium or high gate counts is different for high, medium and low spenders on electronic resources within academic library groups surveyed on the outcome variable.
A cloud-free, satellite-derived, sea surface temperature analysis for the West Florida Shelf

[1] Clouds are problematic in using Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) imagery for describing sea surface temperature (SST). The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission Microwave Imager (TMI) observes SST through clouds, providing daily, 1/4° maps under all weather conditions excepting rain. A TMI limitation, however, is coarse resolution. Optimal interpolation (OI) is used to generate a cloud-free, 5-km, daily SST analysis for the West Florida Shelf (WFS) by merging the high-resolution (cloud-covered) AVHRR with the coarse-resolution (cloud-free) TMI SST products. Comparisons with in-situ data show good agreements. Given large spatial gradients by coastal ocean processes, this regional analysis has advantage over the global, weekly, 1° Reynolds SST. A 5-year (1998–2002) OI SST analysis is diagnosed using Empirical Orthogonal Functions. The first two modes represent annual cycles, one by surface heat flux and another by shelf circulation dynamics.
Black mobility in white corporations : Up the corporate ladder but out on a limb

More than 30 years of social and political pressure to diversify corporate personnel and management teams has resulted in more black managers but neglible gain for African American men in powerful decision-making jobs in corporate America. Against this backdrop, this paper asks if constraints on blacks' corporate progress are manufactured in the work process. Using in-depth career interviews with 76 black executives, I argue that the ability to achieve top jobs is shaped by a link between opportunity structure and human capital. The structure of black managerial achievement erodes black skills over time because of role constraints.
Predicted energy band gaps of (AIIIBV)1-xX2xIV metastable, substitutional, crystalline alloys.

Predictions of the energy band gaps as functions of alloy composition are given for the Greene alloys, which are metastable, crystalline, substitutional alloys of III-V compounds and group-IV elemental materials. All possible combinations of these alloys involving Al, Ga, In, P, As, Sb, Si, Ge, and Sn are considered. The \ensuremath{\Gamma} and L conduction-band minima, relative to the valence-band maxima, exhibit characteristic V-shaped bowing and kinks as functions of composition x; the band edges at point X bifurcate at critical compositions corresponding to the order-disorder transition of Newman et al. The V-shaped bowing due to the transition offers the possibility of band gaps significantly smaller than expected on the basis of the conventional virtual-crystal approximation. Alloys with modest lattice mismatches that are predicted to have especially interesting band gaps include (InP${)}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{x}}$${\mathrm{Ge}}_{2\mathrm{x}}$, (AlSb${)}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{x}}$${\mathrm{Sn}}_{2\mathrm{x}}$, (GaSb${)}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{x}}$${\mathrm{Sn}}_{2\mathrm{x}}$, and (InAs${)}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{x}}$${\mathrm{Sn}}_{2\mathrm{x}}$, which are alloys with potentially small band gaps, and (AlAs${)}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{x}}$${\mathrm{Ge}}_{2\mathrm{x}}$ and (GaAs${)}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{x}}$${\mathrm{Si}}_{2\mathrm{x}}$, which are alloys with larger gaps and several interesting band-edge crossings as functions of composition.
Effect of Eudragit ® RS 30D and Talc Powder on Verapamil Hydrochloride Release from Beads Coated with Drug Layered Matrices

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Eudragit® RS 30D, talc, and verapamil hydrochloride on dissolution and mechanical properties of beads coated with “drug-layered matrices”. This was accomplished with the aid of a three-factor multiple-level factorial design using percent drug release in 1 and 2 h, T 50, tensile strength, brittleness, stiffness and toughness as the responses. Beads were coated in a fluidized-bed coating unit. Surface morphology and mechanical properties were evaluated by surface profilometry and texture analysis, respectively. No cracks, flaws and fissures were observed on the surfaces. The mechanical properties were dependent on the talc/polymer ratio. The release of verapamil from the beads was influenced by matrix components. Increasing the level of both talc and Eudragit decreased the percent drug released from 67% to 4.8% and from 80.7% to 6.7% in 1 and 2 h, respectively, and increased T 50 from 0.8 to 25.7 h. It was concluded that beads could be efficiently coated with “drug-layered matrices”. The release of drug, however, depends on a balance between the levels of drug, talc, and polymer, whereby desired dissolution and mechanical properties could be controlled by the talc/polymer ratio and the level of drug loading.
Aluminum-based composites reinforced with SiC particles and NiTi fibers: influence of fiber dimensions and aging time on mechanical properties

NiTi short fiber and SiC particle reinforced 6061 Al alloy composites have been prepared by pressure-assisted induction heating method in ambient atmosphere. Two different composites with significant difference in NiTi fiber diameter (127 and 51 μm) have been prepared. It is found that 51-μm NiTi fibers are better bonded with the Al matrix; de-bonding has seldom been observed. There is better microstructural compatibility, i.e., fiber diameter is of the same order as the Al matrix grain size for this case. However, when 127-μm NiTi fibers are used, de-bonding and “pull-out” mechanism can be frequently observed. Aging effect on the properties of the composite has also been investigated. TEM and EDS experiments indicate that there is no evidence that the bonding of NiTi/Al is affected by either aging or size of NiTi fiber.
What is a Trilogy? Editor’s Introduction

This essay introduces the reader to the special issue commemorating Michael Hardt and Toni Negri’s trilogy (Empire, Multitude, Commonwealth).
Modified Endotoxin Responses in Rats Pretreated with 1→3-β-Glucan (Zymosan A)

Abstract The present study investigates whether 1→3-β-glucans (zymosan particles) modify the pulmonary response of rats to endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS). Initial experiments were conducted to establish appropriate doses of LPS and regimens for exposure to zymosan and LPS. Interaction between zymosan and LPS exposures was determined to be the deviation from the sum of the individual effects of these agents. Treatment with zymosan on Day 1 and LPS on Day 2 modified several indices of pulmonary responsiveness, including tumor necrosis factor-α, albumin, and lactate dehydrogenase activity (LDH) in first acellular lavage fluid as well as the levels of chemiluminescence (CL), NO-dependent CL, and nitric oxide production in cultured lavaged alveolar macrophage cells determined 1 day after exposure. No significant deviation from additivity was found for breathing rate increase and polymorphonuclear leukocytes infiltration. Simultaneous administration of zymosan and LPS or administration of LPS before zymosan did not change these indices of pulmonary responsiveness. These data suggest that the inhibitory effect of 1→3-β-glucans on pulmonary responsiveness to endotoxin exposure was apparent only when rats were pretreated with 1→3-β-glucan. These results suggest that complex interaction of components may exist in exposure to organic dusts. Therefore, hazard may not be defined by measuring endotoxin or 1→3-β-glucans alone.
Differential response to chemotherapy in metastatic breast cancer in relation to estrogen receptor level. Results of a prospective randomized study.

The predictive value of estrogen receptor (ER) level for response to chemotherapy was studied in 182 patients with metastatic breast cancer in a prospective study. Patients were stratified according to ER status and dominant site of disease and randomized to one of three regimens: cyclophosphamide, 5-Fluorouracil, and prednisone (CFP) versus CFP, methotrexate, and vincristine (CFPMV) versus doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (AC). There was no significant differences in all response categories (P = 0.21), duration of remission (P = 0.07), and survival (P = 0.17) among the three regimens. When ER status was taken as a predictor for response to chemotherapy, there was no significant difference in overall response (P = 0.61) between ER+ (62/108, 57%) and ER-patients (31/49, 63%). However, there was a significant trend toward a higher degree of response in ER-patients (more complete response [CR] nine of 49, 18%, and fewer failures six of 49, 12%) than in ER+ (less CR seven of 108, 7%, and more failures 37/108, 34%) (P = 0.006). Patients with higher measured levels of ER showed worse response (Kendall's tau C, P = 0.026). This trend for ER– patients to have better response than ER+ patients was generally consistent, regardless of the predominant site of metastases or chemotherapy regimen (P = 0.04 for CFP; P = 0.08 for CFPMV; and P = 0.20 for AC). The advantage of a better response for ER– patients was nullified by an earlier relapse which was reflected in longer duration of remission, time to treatment failure, and survival in favor of ER+ patients (12.3 months versus 7.3 months remission duration, 18.7 months versus 13.6 months survival in partial responders). These data suggest that ER– patients respond to a higher extent to chemotherapy but relapse sooner than ER+ patients, suggesting a more rapid growth for ER– tumors. In patients with ER– tumors and poorer prognosis on conventional chemotherapy, new trials of intensive consolidation after response should be considered.
Early life precursors, epigenetics, and the development of food allergy.

Food allergy (FA), a major clinical and public health concern worldwide, is caused by a complex interplay of environmental exposures, genetic variants, gene–environment interactions, and epigenetic alterations. This review summarizes recent advances surrounding these key factors, with a particular focus on the potential role of epigenetics in the development of FA. Epidemiologic studies have reported a number of nongenetic factors that may influence the risk of FA, such as timing of food introduction and feeding pattern, diet/nutrition, exposure to environmental tobacco smoking, prematurity and low birth weight, microbial exposure, and race/ethnicity. Current studies on the genetics of FA are mainly conducted using candidate gene approaches, which have linked more than 10 genes to the genetic susceptibility of FA. Studies on gene–environment interactions of FA are very limited. Epigenetic alteration has been proposed as one of the mechanisms to mediate the influence of early life environmental exposures and gene–environment interactions on the development of diseases later in life. The role of epigenetics in the regulation of the immune system and the epigenetic effects of some FA-associated environmental exposures are discussed in this review. There is a particular lack of large-scale prospective birth cohort studies that simultaneously assess the interrelationships of early life exposures, genetic susceptibility, epigenomic alterations, and the development of FA. The identification of these key factors and their independent and joint contributions to FA will allow us to gain important insight into the biological mechanisms by which environmental exposures and genetic susceptibility affect the risk of FA and will provide essential information to develop more effective new paradigms in the diagnosis, prevention, and management of FA.
Stark components of lower-lying manifolds and emission cross sections of principal intermanifold and inter-Stark transitions of trivalent neodymium in strontium fluorovanadate

A detailed characterization of the Stark components of the $^{4}\mathrm{I}_{9\mathrm{/}2}$ and $^{4}\mathrm{I}_{11\mathrm{/}2}$ manifolds have been performed using the room-temperature fluorescence spectra for the $^{4}\mathrm{F}_{3\mathrm{/}2}$${\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}^{4}$${\mathrm{I}}_{9\mathrm{/}2}$ and $^{4}\mathrm{F}_{3\mathrm{/}2}$${\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}^{4}$${\mathrm{I}}_{11\mathrm{/}2}$ transitions of ${\mathrm{Nd}}^{3+}$ in strontium fluorovanadate, ${\mathrm{Sr}}_{5}$(${\mathrm{VO}}_{4}$${)}_{3}$F, crystals. The emission cross sections of the lower-lying intermanifold transitions as well as the major inter-Stark transitions, ${\mathrm{R}}_{1}$\ensuremath{\rightarrow}${\mathrm{X}}_{1}$(886.2 nm), ${\mathrm{R}}_{1}$\ensuremath{\rightarrow}${\mathrm{X}}_{5}$(942.8 nm), and ${\mathrm{R}}_{1}$\ensuremath{\rightarrow}${\mathrm{Y}}_{1}$(1065.2 nm) of ${\mathrm{Nd}}^{3+}$:${\mathrm{Sr}}_{5}$(${\mathrm{VO}}_{4}$${)}_{3}$F, have been also determined and compared with those of ${\mathrm{Nd}}^{3+}$:YAG.
The Joint Effect of Poor Physical Function and Childcare on Psychological Distress Among Elderly Latinos

Abstract This study is based on the double jeopardy hypothesis that elderly people who have poor physical function and who provide childcare for their families are more likely to experience a greater sense of psychological distress than those with poor physical function who have no childcare responsibilities. We used a sample of 2160 elderly (age 65 or over) Latinos (including Puerto Ricans and those of Mexican, Cuban, or other Latin American origin or descent) from the National Survey of Hispanic Elderly People to test this hypothesis. Regression analysis was used, and the findings confirm that after controlling for age, gender, marital status, and education, the joint effect of physical function and childcare on psychological distress remains statistically significant. We further performed a sub-group analysis, also using regression analysis, to clarify the effect of poor physicalfunction on psychological distress in the sample of those who did provide and those who did not provide childcare. The findin...
Raman study of the anomalous behavior of the 340-cm -1 CuO 2 planar-oxygen phonon in Ni-doped YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ superconducting films

The unusual softening of the ${\mathit{B}}_{1\mathit{g}}$-like phonon of ${\mathrm{YBa}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{7}$ is studied as a function of ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$ by substituting up to 6% nickel for Cu. The abrupt onset and small temperature range over which the softening occurs in undoped ${\mathrm{YBa}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{7}$ are modified upon doping with the softening occurring well above ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$ and continuing smoothly to 10 K when ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$ is reduced to 71 K. The phonon linewidth in the doped films shows no anomalies, regardless of Ni concentration. In contrast, the self-energies of the ${\mathit{A}}_{\mathit{g}}$ modes associated with the plane copper [Cu(2)] and bridging oxygen (${\mathrm{O}}_{4}$) atoms reveal normal thermal behavior for all films. We conclude that an additional mechanism, besides strong coupling of phonons to superconducting electrons, contributes to the ${\mathit{B}}_{1\mathit{g}}$-phonon anomalies.
A phase II evaluation of pemetrexed (Alimta, LY231514, IND #40061) in the treatment of recurrent or persistent endometrial carcinoma: a phase II study of the Gynecologic Oncology.

Abstract Objective To estimate the anti-tumor activity of pemetrexed in patients with advanced or recurrent carcinoma of the endometrium and to determine the nature and degree of toxicity. Methods A multicenter phase II trial was conducted by the Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG). Patients must have had advanced or recurrent measurable carcinoma of the endometrium and failed one prior chemotherapy regimen. Pemetrexed at a dose of 900 mg/m 2 was administered as an IV infusion over 10 min every 21 days. Results From May 1, 2006 to July 31, 2007, 27 patients were entered by 10 member institutions of the GOG with two patients being deemed ineligible. A total of 101 cycles were administered with 28% of patients receiving five or more cycles. Overall, the treatment was well tolerated. More serious toxicities (grade 3 and 4) included anemia in 20%, leukopenia in 40%, neutropenia in 48%, and constitutional in 16%. No treatment-related deaths were reported. One patient (4%) had a partial response. Eleven patients (44%) had stable disease and eleven (44%) patients had increasing disease. Response could not be assessed in two patients (7%). Median progression-free survival was 2.7 months and overall survival was 9.4 months. Conclusion Pemetrexed has minimal activity in the treatment of recurrent or persistent endometrial carcinoma at the dose and schedule tested.
Correspondence between in vivo (11)C-PiB-PET amyloid imaging and postmortem, region-matched assessment of plaques.

The definitive Alzheimer’s disease (AD) diagnosis requires postmortem confirmation of neuropathological hallmarks—amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). The advent of radiotracers for amyloid imaging presents an opportunity to investigate amyloid deposition in vivo. The 11C-Pittsburgh compound-B (PiB)-PET ligand remains the most widely studied to date; however, regional variations in 11C-PiB binding and the extent of agreement with neuropathological assessment have not been thoroughly investigated. Sojkova and colleagues [35] reported variable agreement between CERAD-based neuropathologic diagnosis of AD lesions and mean cortical PiB, suggesting the need for a more direct quantification of regional Aβ in relation to in vivo imaging. In the present study, we extend these findings by examining the correspondence among regional 11C-PiB load, region-matched quantitative immunohistological assessments of Aβ and NFTs, and brain atrophy (MRI) in six older Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging participants who came to autopsy (imaging–autopsy interval range 0.2–2.4 years). The total number of Aβ plaques (6E10) and NFTs (PHF1) in paraffin sections from hippocampus, orbito-frontal cortex, anterior and posterior cingulate gyrus, precuneus and cerebellum was quantified using a technique guided by unbiased stereological principles. We report a general agreement between the regional measures of amyloid obtained via stereological assessment and imaging, with significant relationships evident for the anterior (r = 0.83; p = 0.04) and posterior (r = 0.94; p = 0.005) cingulate gyri, and the precuneus (r = 0.94; p = 0.005). No associations were observed between 11C-PiB load and NFT count for any of the regions examined (p > 0.2 in all regions), or between regional Aβ or NFT counts and corresponding brain volumes. The strong associations of PiB retention with region-matched, quantitative analyses of Aβ in postmortem tissue offer support for the validity of 11C-PiB-PET imaging as a method for evaluation of plaque burden in vivo.
Some properties of BLUE in a linear model and canonical correlations associated with linear transformations

Abstract Let ( x , Xβ , V ) be a linear model and let A ′ = ( A ′ 1 , A ′ 2 ) be a p × p nonsingular matrix such that A 2 X = 0, Rank A 2 = p − Rank X . We represent the BLUE and its covariance matrix in alternative forms under the conditions that the number of unit canonical correlations between y 1 ( = A 1 x ) and y 2 ( = A 2 x ) is zero. For the second problem, let x ′ = ( x ′ 1 , x ′ 2 ) and let a g -inverse V − of V be written as ( V − )′ = ( A ′ 1 , A ′ 2 ). We investigate the reations (if any) between the nonzero canonical correlations { 1 ≧ ϱ 1 ≧ … ≧ ϱ 1 > 0 } due to y 1 ( = A 1 x ) and y 2 ( = A 2 x ), and the nonzero canonical correlations { 1 ≧ λ 1 ≧ … ≧ λ v+r > 0 } due to x 1 and x 2 . We answer some of the questions raised by Latour et al. (1987, in Proceedings, 2nd Int. Tampere Conf. Statist. (T. Pukkila and S. Puntanen, Eds.), Univ. of Tampere, Finland) in the case of the Moore-Penrose inverse V + = ( A ′ 1 , A ′ 2 ) of V .
Intensity mappings to linearize display devices

Abstract A method is developed for determining an intensity mapping to linearize the response of a viewed display device. When this mapping is applied to the intensity in a recorded image before the result is used to drive the display device, equal changes in recorded intensity become equally perceivable. Making this mapping part of the display device allows devices to be compared across images and allows the sensible application of intensity mappings meant to improve perception of image information for a particular image or imaging objective.
Anthropology for Wyoming Teachers

Though some anthropologists may argue otherwise, many would probably agree that anthropology belongs in our nation's schools, integrated into both school curriculum and teacher education. Because anthropology provides a broad cross-cultural perspective and a framework within which to study many other subjects, some would even argue that it should be the basic building block for elementary teacher education and a required subject for secondary school science and social studies teachers. Furthermore, as anthropologist Larry Breitborde (this issue) discovered while working with elementary teachers at Beloit College, "there is already a significant amount of anthropology in the curriculum, but at a covert level" By teaching anthropology to teachers, a perspective and a framework are offered within which teachers can better understand many seemingly diverse fragments of their curriculum, enabling them to approach their subjects in a more coherent and less ethnocentric fashion.
Use of a cohesive-zone model to analyze the fracture of a fiber-reinforced polymer-matrix composite

Abstract A cohesive-zone model for a fiber-reinforced polymer–matrix composite is presented. A two-parameter model with a characteristic toughness and a characteristic strength can be used to predict the fracture of notched or cracked specimens. The two parameters can be determined by comparing numerical predictions to experimental observations of a fracture test. It is shown that the engineering behavior, in terms of strength, deformation and energy dissipation is well-described by such a two-parameter model, but when the characteristic dimensions of the composite structure (e.g., the initial crack length or ligament length) are very small, extra details about the cohesive law such as the matrix-cracking strength may be required. Finally, it is shown that a cohesive-zone model provides excellent predictions of transitions between stable and catastrophic crack growth in the composite, and, hence, permits an understanding of the energy dissipation during fracture that occurs in these different regimes.
Medium power Nd(3+): Glass fiber array laser

For the first time, continuous, moderate power operation of a Nd3+:glass fiber bundle laser is reported. The disordered fiber bundle laser consisted of 1450 fibers, each 100 pm in diameter, with 75 pm core, phosphate laser glass doped at 8 wt.% Nd 2 0 3 . The laser fiber bundle was energized by a xenon flashlamp or, a cw argon arc lamp. A maximum energy of 0.8 J at 4.9 kW peak power was obtained in the pulsed flashlamp experiments while the maximum cw power of 25 W was obtained with the arc lamp. The loss coefficient of 0.0266 cm -1 was inferred from the data. Neither the pulsed nor the cw systems were optimized. The beam profile was imaged with low spatial resolution and found to be lobed. Beam structure is indicative of coherence. Calculations for a would be ordered fiber array laser show that the beam far field approximates a Fraunhoffer diffraction pattern for the total aperture as the beamlets fill the apperture area.
How to Be a Khoziain in a Transforming State: State Formation and the Ethics of Governance in Post-Soviet Russia

The rapid and pervasive changes of the past decade and a half have thrown the political field wide open across the former Soviet bloc. An extensive array of actors has laid claim to the mantle of the postsocialist state, seeking to siphon off its resources, to leverage its putative power, and often to do both in the same breath. At the same time, others have fled the institutional and discursive purview of the state, taking advantage of the near disappearance of centralized authority in the early 1990s to stake out powerful non- and quasi-state domains. The density of these strategies, which in practice have been complementary as often as contradictory, has made for nothing short of an ethical thicket for postsocialist citizens and state functionaries alike.
Transition to a semiclosed surgical intensive care unit (SICU) leads to improved resident job satisfaction: a prospective, longitudinal analysis.

Obejctive Patients, family members and ICU nurses have a higher level of satisfaction with the semiclosed ICU model. Whether or not resident physicians have this same reaction has not yet been investigated. We hypothesized that surgical residents would have improved job satisfaction with the transition from a mandatory consultation SICU to a semiclosed SICU model. Design Prospective, longitudinal survey. Setting Tertiary-care University Hospital. Participants Categorical general surgery residents. Interventions Change from mandatory consultation SICU to semiclosed SICU. Measurements and Main Results Categorical surgery residents at a tertiary-care university hospital were surveyed at 3 time points during and after the transition from a mandatory consultation SICU to a semiclosed SICU. The survey consisted of 12 questions designed to gauge the residents' overall job satisfaction as related to the SICU. All questions were on a 5-point Likert scale. Analysis of variance for trend and Fisher exact test were performed to compare the responses. 97 surveys were received. The response rates for the 3 periods were 66, 62 and 72%. Residents were less likely to feel “out of the loop” regarding the care of their ICU patients in the later periods (p = 0.046). There was significant improvement over time in scores for the statement “there is often confusion about placing orders for the care of my patients in the ICU” (p = 0.001). The critical care team's management of all orders in the SICU significantly improved resident job satisfaction over the 3-year period (p = 0.027). There were no significant differences between the responses of junior and senior residents. Conclusions Resident satisfaction improved significantly over time with the transition from a mandatory consultation SICU to a semiclosed SICU.
Calibration of the thd functions of electrical standards

The paper describes a test procedure, the test waveforms, and the reference equipment used to calibrate the voltage and current total harmonic distortion (THD) measuring functions of multi-function electrical standards. It also shows that it is possible to establish traceability to the SI units for the THD measurements by measuring the voltage and power of the test waveforms with voltmeters and wattmeters that are traceable to SI. Results of recent calibrations are discussed.
Treatment of multiple unresectable basal cell carcinomas from Gorlin-Goltz syndrome: a case report.

Background Nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome (NBCCS), which is also known by other names, including Gorlin-Goltz syndrome and multiple basal-cell carcinoma (BCC) syndrome, is a rare multi-systemic disease inherited in a dominant autosomal manner with complete penetrance and variable expressivity. The main clinical manifestations include multiple BCCs, odontogenic keratocysts of the jaw, hyperkeratosis of the palms and soles, skeletal abnormalities, intracranial calcifications and facial deformities. Patients and methods A 31-year-old male diagnosed with Gorlin-Goltz syndrome with multiple unresectable facial BCCs was treated with the Hedgehog inhibitor vismodegib. Results After one month of therapy on vismodegib, there were significant reductions in the size of multiple BCCs on the patient's face. The patient remains on this therapy. Conclusion Hedgehog pathway inhibition is an effective strategy to treat unresectable BCCs from Gorlin-Goltz syndrome. Although vismodegib shows some promising clinical results in the early phase of its use, there are concerns of possible resistance developing within months. Duration of therapy, role of maintenance treatment and drug modification to reduce resistance need to be explored in future case studies.
Noninvasive measurement of body temperature in critically ill patients.

Elizabeth Bridges is an assistant professor at the University of Washington School of Nursing, a clinical nurse researcher at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle, and is director of Deployed Combat Casualty Research Team CJTF101 in Afghanistan. Karen Thomas, is a professor at the University of Washington School of Nursing. invasive methods (PA, esopha geal, or bladder), the following methods should be used in this order: rectal, oral, and tympanic. Axillary, temporal artery, and chemical dot thermometers are not recommended. In a subsequent series of letters to the editor, the author stated that temporal artery measurements were not recommended because Lawson et al found that 20% of the temporal artery temperature measurements were greater than ±0.5°C different from the concurrent PA temperature. However, as summarized in Table 1, the bias and precision of the oral and temporal artery methods were similar, and 19% of the oral measurements were also greater than ±0.5°C different from the concurrent PA temperature, suggesting that the 2 methods are comparable. Similarly, Fetzer and Lawrence recently compared ear-based and temporal artery temperature measurements and reported that the bias between the 2 methods was -0.4±0.64°C (95% CI, -1.29 to 1.21), which is less accurate and precise than either method compared with PA temperature measurement (Table 1). Unlike the studies outlined in Table 1, the difference between the ear-based and temporal artery methods reflects the error in both measurements, and we cannot say AElizabeth Bridges, RN, PhD, CCNS, and Karen Thomas, RN, PhD, reply:
Lag-burst kinetics of surfactant displacement from the liquid crystal/aqueous interface by bile acids

Abstract Bile acids play an important role in fat digestion by displacing surfactants from the oil–water interface through emulsification. In this paper, we study the time course of the displacement of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) from the liquid crystal (LC)/aqueous interface by four unconjugated bile acids, which differ in the number and position of hydroxyl groups on their steroid backbones. The competitive adsorption of bile acids displaces the SDS from the LC/aqueous interface and consequently triggers a homeotropic-to-tilted anchoring transition of the LC at the interface, which allows the displacement kinetics to be monitored by a polarizing optical microscope. The microscopy image analysis reveals that the displacement exhibits lag-burst kinetics, where a lag phase is followed by a burst phase. We find that the number and position of the hydroxyl groups of bile acids have significant impact on the lag time and burst rate of the displacement kinetics.
The influence of power and solidarity on emotional display rules at work

This study examined the influence of two interpersonal relationship dimensions, relative power and solidarity (closeness), on the emotional display rules that employees report they would adopt in work situations in which they felt happiness or anger. Results demonstrated that display rules involved more control over emotional expressions (i.e., more deamplification and masking of emotion and less expressing and amplification of emotion) when the interaction partner had higher relative power compared to when the interaction partner had equal or lower relative power. This pattern of results was present for both happiness and anger, though the effects were larger for anger. Display rules also involved more control when the interaction partner was low in solidarity compared to when the interaction partner was high in solidarity, with this effect being similar in magnitude for anger and happiness.
Random laser without diffusion

Summary form only given. The sample (scattering Nd/sub 0.5/La/sub 0.5/Al/sub 3/(BO/sub 3/)/sub 4/ ceramic) was excited at 532 nm with a 10 ns laser pulses. The stimulated emission was characterized by a distinctive threshold. The threshold energy E/sub th/ was linearly proportional to the diameter of the pumped spot in a very broad range.
Individualized approach to repair of complete atrioventricular canal: selective use of the traditional single-patch technique versus the Australian technique.

The traditional single-patch technique for repair of complete atrioventricular (AV) canal requires surgical division of the superior and inferior common leaflets. In the neonate and young infant, s...
Demonstration of Pinhole Laser Beam Profiling Using a Digital Micromirror Device

Demonstrated for the first time, to the best of the authors' knowledge, is two-dimensional (2-D) pinhole laser beam profiling using a Texas Instruments visible band digital micromirror device (DMD). Software controlled micromirror digital tilt positions across the DMD plane create a moving pinhole for sampling an arbitrary distribution laser beam power profile. A 532-nm 0.5-W laser coupled to an optically addressed nematic liquid crystal spatial light modulator is used to generate a laser beam black-and-white high-resolution test line pattern having a 62.5-mum linewidth. The test pattern is successfully profiled using a DMD formed 27.36 mum times 27.36 mum pinhole. Demonstrated for the first time is 2-D knife-edge DMD-based profiling of an ultraviolet 337-nm 4-ns pulsewidth 10-Hz pulsed laser beam.
Inoculating against Barbarism? State Medicine and Immigrant Policy in Turn-of-the-Century Argentina

ArgumentThe border in turn-of-the-century Argentina was a place of heightened anxiety. State officials ignored the nation's vast land borders and focused on the port, located in the capital city of Buenos Aires, which attracted nearly six million European immigrants in the decades after 1870. Federal authorities were seeking to attract new immigrants and yet they were terrified that opening their gates would allow entry among the potential citizenry a new category of “toxins” dangerous to the national body. The authorities hired physicians as gatekeepers to identify desirable and undesirable traits that went beyond the definition of communicable disease. Science and medicine appeared to provide a means of legitimating a variety of attempts by the state to control the makeup of the population; in reality, the state's power to inspect immigrants for disease, racial toxins, social upheaval, and political instability was minimized by realistic decisions to open borders and by a weak and limited ability to control the influx of people. Alongside calls for immigrant selection there coexisted a strong trend in political discourse that sought to build a unified, homogenous national culture by accepting and assimilating the foreign masses. Both approaches, however, had similar goals – the material progress of the nation, the advancement of Argentina's “civilization,” and the erasure of traces of “foreignness” among the new population.
Cardiovascular Effects of β-Agonists in Patients With Asthma and COPD: A Meta-Analysis

Background β-Adrenergic agonists exert physiologic effects that are the opposite of those of β-blockers. β-Blockers are known to reduce morbidity and mortality in patients with cardiac disease. β2-Agonist use in patients with obstructive airway disease has been associated with an increased risk for myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, cardiac arrest, and acute cardiac death. Objectives To assess the cardiovascular safety of β2-agonist use in patients with obstructive airway disease, defined as asthma or COPD. Methods A meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials of β2-agonist treatment in patients with obstructive airway disease was performed, to evaluate the short-term effect on heart rate and potassium concentrations, and the long-term effect on adverse cardiovascular events. Longer duration trials were included in the analysis if they reported at least one adverse event. Adverse events included sinus and ventricular tachycardia, syncope, atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure, myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest, or sudden death. Results Thirteen single-dose trials and 20 longer duration trials were included in the study. A single dose of β2-agonist increased the heart rate by 9.12 beats/min (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.32 to 12.92) and reduced the potassium concentration by 0.36 mmol/L (95% CI, 0.18 to 0.54), compared to placebo. For trials lasting from 3 days to 1 year, β2-agonist treatment significantly increased the risk for a cardiovascular event (relative risk [RR], 2.54; 95% CI, 1.59 to 4.05) compared to placebo. The RR for sinus tachycardia alone was 3.06 (95% CI, 1.70 to 5.50), and for all other events it was 1.66 (95% CI, 0.76 to 3.6). Conclusion β2-Agonist use in patients with obstructive airway disease increases the risk for adverse cardiovascular events. The initiation of treatment increases heart rate and reduces potassium concentrations compared to placebo. It could be through these mechanisms, and other effects of β-adrenergic stimulation, that β2-agonists may precipitate ischemia, congestive heart failure, arrhythmias, and sudden death.
Molecular Mechanisms Responsible for the Selective and Low-Grade Induction of Proinflammatory Mediators in Murine Macrophages by Lipopolysaccharide

Low-dose endotoxemia is prevalent in humans with adverse health conditions, and it correlates with the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory diseases such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, and neurologic inflammation. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrate that subclinical low-dose LPS skews macrophages into a mild proinflammatory state, through cell surface TLR4, IL-1R–associated kinase-1, and the Toll-interacting protein. Unlike high-dose LPS, low-dose LPS does not induce robust activation of NF-κB, MAPKs, PI3K, or anti-inflammatory mediators. Instead, low-dose LPS induces activating transcription factor 2 through Toll-interacting protein–mediated generation of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species, allowing mild induction of proinflammatory mediators. Low-dose LPS also suppresses PI3K and related negative regulators of inflammatory genes. Our data reveal novel mechanisms responsible for skewed and persistent low-grade inflammation, a cardinal feature of chronic inflammatory diseases.
Overview of the plasma environment of Mars as seen by the radar sounder on Mars Express Spacecraft

The Mars Express Spacecraft carries a radar sounder that is in its 6th year of operation in orbit around Mars. The sounder provides both local and remote measurements of electron densities and in some cases the magnitude of the magnetic field in the Martian ionosphere. Here, we give an overview of the plasma environment of Mars as seen by the radar. Both local and remote electron density profiles are reported, including density fluctuations and gradients, magnetically controlled structures, interaction between the ionosphere and the solar wind, and holes and other structures in the nightside ionosphere.
Facilitating Innovation Adoption and Diffusion: The Case of Telework

Despite many potential benefits for both the employer and the employee resulting from telework arrangements, this innovation has not been adopted and diffused as expected. This study uses innovation theory as a foundation to study the growth of telework by empirically testing the strength of the relationship between facilitator variables and the adoption and diffusion of telework. Strong relationships were found for both general innovation facilitator variables, such as top management support and a champion, and innovation-specific facilitator variables as suggested by the telework literature. These results suggest that to obtain a more complete model of the relevant factors in the adoption and diffusion of innovations, characteristics of the specific innovation must be considered. Also, these findings have implications for the future growth of telework and can guide those wishing to champion telework in their organization
Sound Propagation in Cdw and Sdw

We present a microscopic theory of the sound propagation in quasi one dimensional charge density wave (CDW), spin density wave (SDW) and field induced spin density wave (FISDW). First, we consider the ideal situation that the phase correlation length in the CDW or the SDW is infinite. In this limit due to the diffusion pole at iω = Dq2 in a variety of correlation functions the sound propagation depends on a) what is the ratio ω/Dq2 and b) if the CDW (or the SDW) is pinned or unpinned where D is the diffusion constant. Second, when the CDW (or the SDW) is unpinned, the phason starts to participate in the screening of the ionic potential. However, since the unpinned part is strongly inhomogeneous, the contribution of the phason term depends on the wave vector of q of the sound wave like (1 + (Lq2−1 where L is the Fukuyama-Lee-Rice coherence length. The present theory accounts for a variety of features observed in sound propagation in quasi-one dimensional CDW systems like NbSe3 and TaS3