cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Production of Plant Secondary Metabolites from High Density Perfusion Cultures

In batch plant cell cultures, the maximum biomass concentration is usually limited by nutrient depletion and/or accumulation of growth inhibitors. As an alternative, perfusion culture can be operated for a prolonged period with continuous supply of fresh nutrient and removal of spent medium containing the inhibitory materials. In our previous investigation [1], a semi-continuous perfusion fermentation of Anchusa officinalis was conducted in shake flask cultures with manual medium exchange, and we were able to obtain more than a two-fold increase in cell density and rosmarinic acid concentration, compared to batch cultures. Automation of semi-continuous perfusion culture in a perfusion bioreactor will be described in this paper.
Modeling the Shifting Face of the Discourse Mediator

This paper proposes a discourse model of translation activity with the mediator (translator/interpreter) as its agent. It captures both oral and written translation, as well as professional and lay translation, and provides a universal explanatory mechanism for shifts in the theories and benchmarks of translation practices over time. The model rests upon the basic claim of the underlying cognitive unity of oral and written discourse, whether monolingual or multilingual and whether mediated or unmediated. The differences between these discourse types, as well as differences in the product of translation activities, follow from differences in the discourse situations, which in turn include the cognitive features (including linguistic and cultural competence, norms, intentions, and identities) of given discourse participants.
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY OF CHOROIDAL EPITHELIUM, EPENDYMAL SURFACES AND SUPRAEPENDYMAL STRUCTURES OF THE LATERAL AND FOURTH VENTRICLES OF THE MAMMALIAN BRAIN

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses scanning electron microscopy of choroidal epithelium, ependymal surfaces, and supraependymal structures of the lateral and fourth ventricles of the mammalian brain. The ventricular cavities of the brain are lined by ependymal epithelium, and in specific locations, this ependymal layer is evaginated by a vascular fold of pia mater, the choroid plexus. Prior to this new era of three-dimensional microscopy of the inner surfaces of the brain, the ventricles were thought of as being comprised of a rather passive layer of ependymal cells and a specialized choroid epithelium of ependymal derivation that was concerned with the production of cerebrospinal fluid, which circulated throughout the ventricular cavities and subarachnoid space. This chapter describes and illustrates, using SEM, the ultrastructural variations that are observed on the luminal surface of normal ventricular ependyma in seven different mammalian species, with emphasis on the choroid epithelium and its morphological expression of evidence for apical secretory activity.
A decision support system for prescriptive academic advising

A decision support system (DSS) was constructed to assist the academic advising staff of a college of business. The microcomputer-based system identifies any remaining unsatisfied degree program requirements, selects courses in which the student can enroll and then prioritizes them. Advisors are then able to spend time on more substantive or developmental advising issues, such as choice of electives, career options and life career goals. Using this system, a student with a minimum of computer knowledge can obtain an optimized course listing without the assistance of a human advisor in less than five minutes.A high-end spreadsheet (i.e., DSS generator) permits a workable and effective academic advising DSS. The database is the most significant part of this DSS. And, since the modeling component is difficult to separate from the structure of the data itself, a database management system might be a better choice as the DSS generator. This platform would provide a more flexible user interface as well as superior data handling capability but at some sacrifice in cost and implementation time.A recent development in the management of university and college organizations is the integrated software system, known also as enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. This integrated administrative software for higher education (e.g., CMDS [Computer Management Development Services]), operating on various hardware platforms, provides student advising data for a variety of prototyping and application development tools, such as Powersoft's Infomaker and Microsoft's Access.
Implementation Strategies Used by States to Support Physical Activity Licensing Standards for Toddlers in Early Care and Education Settings: An Exploratory Qualitative Study

Abstract Background: Child care settings have been a target for childhood obesity prevention efforts; changing licensing standards to require physical activity (PA)-related best practices is one st...
MAXIMUM LIKELIHOOD ESTIMATION OF GAUSSIAN COPULA MODELS FOR GEOSTATISTICAL COUNT DATA.

This work investigates the computation of maximum likelihood estimators in Gaussian copula models for geostatistical count data. This is a computationally challenging task because the likelihood fu...
The impact of terrain on lower limb bone structure

OBJECTIVES Lower limb diaphyseal geometry is often used to evaluate mobility in past populations. Diaphyseal dimensions such as high shape (IX /IY ) indices generally thought to reflect high mobility may also result from walking over rough terrain. This study investigates the possible effects of terrain on lower limb diaphyseal cross-sectional geometric dimensions. MATERIALS The sample (N = 3,195) comprises adult skeletons from Europe, Africa, North America, and Asia, spanning from around 30,000 BP to mid-twentieth century. METHODS Femoral and tibial shape and bending/torsional strength dimensions were gathered either as part of a previous project or were generously provided by researchers. Local terrain for each site was quantified with ArcGIS mapping software using geographic coordinates and USGS elevation data, and characterized as flat, hilly, or mountainous. RESULTS Analysis of variance shows significant differences (p < .05) in midshaft femoral and tibial shape ratio and relative bending/torsional strength among the three terrain categories, with more AP oriented diaphyseal shapes and greater relative strength in hilly and mountainous groups, even after correcting for the effect of subsistence. As expected, the impact of terrain is much more marked for hunter-gatherers and agriculturalists than for more mechanized recent populations. Interestingly, the effect of terrain is confounded in higher latitude individuals that exhibit increased ML bending strength, probably reflecting larger body breadth. DISCUSSION This study underscores the mechanical significance of traveling over rough terrain and highlights the complex interactions of mobility, terrain, and body shape that contribute to shaping lower limb bone diaphyseal structure.
Spatial variations in Chlorophyll a , C, N, and P in a Louisiana estuary from 1994 to 2016

Intense sampling of an estuary can reveal relative spatial changes that are significant irrespective of whether or not the estuary is eutrophic, micro- or meso-tidal, disturbed, or restored. This ‘waterscape’ perspective is analogous to a landscape perspective. We collected monthly water samples in the Barataria Basin watershed from 1994 to 2016 at 37 stations along a 129 km transect from 1 km offshore to a freshwater stream. The average Chlorophyll a (Chl) concentration from 267 trips was supported from both nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria in a freshwater lake and partially from nutrients in seaward sources. Estuarine salinity was correlated with the discharge of the nearby Mississippi River. The main form of N was as organic nitrogen, not inorganic forms that recycle quickly, making changes in inorganic nitrogen concentration an unreliable indicator of net denitrification or uptake. The total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations declined with dilution towards the coast, but not because of denitrification. The phytoplankton standing biomass reflected the TN:TP ratio in the water column and there was a significant rise in the variability of Chl concentration at 2–6 psu, which was otherwise unremarkably constant. These waterscape patterns and cautionary interpretations may be common to other estuaries.
How and When Is Role Modeling Effective? The Influence of Mentee Professional Identity on Mentoring Dynamics and Personal Learning Outcomes:

In this conceptual document, I present a critical model of mentoring that suggests that mentee professional identity influences how role modeling occurs and, as a consequence, shapes mentoring lear...
Joint modelling of competing risks and current status data: an application to a spontaneous labour study

The second stage of labour begins when the cervix is fully dilated and pushing begins until the fetus is delivered. A Caesarean delivery (CD) or operative vaginal delivery (OVD) is typically encouraged after the recommended time set by ‘expert consensus’. This recommended time has been set out of concern for an increased chance of maternal and neonatal morbidities due to a prolonged second stage of labour, but without thorough consideration of heterogeneous risks for spontaneous vaginal delivery (SVD) and morbidities among women. To provide quantitative evidence for the recommendation, the first step is to compare the risks for SVD, CD or OVD, and the risks of maternal or neonatal morbidities simultaneously across the duration of the second stage of labour. To address such risk comparisons statistically, one needs to study the joint distribution for the time to delivery due to each mode and time to maternal or neonatal morbidity given information provided for each individual. We introduce a joint model which combines the competing risks data for delivery time and current status data for any type of maternal or neonatal morbidity given each woman's baseline characteristics. These two processes are assumed dependent through individual‐specific frailty under the joint model. Our numerical studies include a simulation that reflects the structure of observed real data and a detailed real data analysis based on nearly 12000 spontaneous labours. Our finding indicates the necessity to incorporate maternal characteristic such as age or body mass index in assessing the probability for delivery due to SVD, CD or OVD and the onset of morbidities across the second stage of labour.
High life satisfaction: exploring the role of health, social integration and perceived safety among Mexican midlife and older adults

We sought to investigate the relationship of high life satisfaction with important physical health, mental health, social integration and perceived safety factors among midlife and older Mexican adults. We examined 2,200 midlife and older adults (aged 50-101 years) from the Mexican arm of the Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE) and used binary logistic regression models to identify key factors associated with high LSA. Our final logistic regression model revealed self-rated health, affect, interpersonal activities and perceived safety on street to be significantly associated with high life satisfaction. Results from this study add to the nascent literature on subjective well-being of midlife and older Mexicans. Although social work with older adults is not well established in Mexico, researchers and practitioners should collaborate on the development and implementation of social worker-led strategies for prevention and intervention to enhance well-being among midlife and older Mexicans.
Social Justice Applications and the African American Liberation Tradition

Social justice is amiable formal, informal interaction and the impartial distribution of resources for a community. Nondiscriminatory social practices and equitable resource distribution may minimi...
HRD and the Emergence of Social Finance as a Driver for Social Change

The purpose of this research is to determine the role of Human Resource Development (HRD) in this emerging field of Social Finance. HRD researchers must move beyond the boundaries of performance and include voices that are missing from the discourse on Social Finance. The main research question this study seeks to answer is: What role should and can Human Resource Development play in the brave new world of Social Finance. Through financial technology disruption, and emerging technologies like Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, among others, and the urgent need to fill 2.5 trillion USD gap to achieve the SDGs, the pace of change is likely to accelerate. HRD has a vital role to play in this Brave New World of Social Finance. Attending to the human and developmental aspects of social finance organizations should be a critical issue for HRD.
Assessment of Lung Biomechanics in COPD Using Image Registration

Lung biomechanical properties can be used to detect disease, assess abnormal lung function, and track disease progression. In this work, we used computed tomography (CT) imaging to measure three biomechanical properties in the lungs of subjects with varying degrees of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): the Jacobian determinant (J), a measure of volumetric expansion or contraction; the anisotropic deformation index (ADI), a measure of the magnitude of anisotropic deformation; and the the slab-rod index (SRI), a measure of the nature of anisotropy (i.e., whether the volume is deformed to a rod-like or slab-like shape). We analyzed CT data from 247 subjects collected as part of the Subpopulations and Intermediate Outcome Measures in COPD Study (SPIROMICS). The results show that mean $J$ and mean ADI decrease as disease severity increases, indicating less volumetric expansion and more isotropic expansion with increased disease. No differences in average SRI index were observed across the different levels of disease. The methods and analysis described in this study may provide new insights into our understanding of the biomechanical behavior of the lung for COPD patients with various Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) stages.
European Americans' intentions to confront racial bias: Considering who, what (kind), and why

Abstract Confrontation research has primarily focused on what drives individuals' intentions to confront strangers who express prejudicial attitudes (i.e., interpersonal bias; for reviews see Ashburn-Nardo & Karim, 2019; Kawakami, Karmali, & Vaccarino, 2019). However, bias manifests in multiple forms, including biased policies and institutional practices (i.e., structural bias) or bias perpetrated by close others (e.g., friends), and little is known about what factors impede (or facilitate) intentions to confront these different manifestations of bias. Across three experiments, European Americans reported wanting to confront instances of structural racial bias more than interpersonal racial bias. This was driven by perceptions that the examples of structural bias were more harmful and that confronting would be more effective in changing the perpetrator's behavior, compared with examples of interpersonal bias. Additionally, participants expressed greater intentions to confront friends over strangers (Studies 1–2), due to participants' perceptions that they personally would be effective confronters and that friends would be more receptive. This work provides insight into people's intentions to confront varying manifestations of bias, namely biased structures and close others.
AL Amyloidosis Presenting With Crescentic Glomerulonephritis.

Kidney amyloidosis typically presents with nephrotic-range proteinuria. Rare cases of crescentic glomerulonephritis have been reported in patients with kidney amyloidosis but most cases were in the setting of patients with AA amyloidosis from long-standing inflammation and malignancy. We present a case of a previously healthy man in his 70s who was admitted with severe acute kidney injury, nephrotic-range proteinuria, and nephritic urinary sediment. Initial serologic testing for causes of rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis were negative. Kidney biopsy demonstrated the presence of active cellular and fibrocellular crescents with Congo red–positive staining in glomeruli and microvasculature on light microscopy and amyloid fibrils in glomerular basement membrane on electron microscopy. Urinary protein electrophoresis revealed monoclonal λ light chains, leading to a diagnosis of kidney AL amyloidosis, which was confirmed with bone marrow biopsy. Our case illustrates that AL amyloidosis can present with findings suspicious for rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis and crescent formation on kidney biopsy specimens.
Injector Effects on Hybrid Polymethylmethacrylate Combustion Assessed by Thermochemical Tomography

In this work, two representative hybrid rocket injector designs, a single-port and an axial showerhead design, were examined experimentally to determine the comparative influence on the development...
Warming impact on crops exacerbated by water

Projected decreases in maize and soy yields due to global warming are compounded by changing co-variability between surface water fluxes and temperature. Precipitation and evapotranspiration need to be accounted for when adapting agriculture and agricultural practices for climate change.
The Effect of Sentiment on Information Diffusion in Social Media.

Social media have facilitated information sharing in social networks. Previous research shows that sentiment of text influences its diffusion in social media. Each emotion can be located on a threedimensional space formed by dimensions of valence (positive–negative), arousal (passive/calm– active/excited), and tension (tense–relaxed). While previous research has investigated the effect of emotional valence on information diffusion in social media, the effect of emotional arousal remains unexplored. This study examines how emotional arousal influences information diffusion in social media using a sentiment mining approach. We propose a research model and provide directions for testing it using data collected from Twitter.
Exploring the Efficacy of Distributed Pair Programming

Pair programming is one of the twelve practices of Extreme Programming (XP). Pair programming is usually performed by programmers that are collocated - working in front of the same monitor. But the inevitability of distributed development of software gives rise to important questions: How effective is pair programming if the pairs are not physically next to each other? What if the programmers are geographically distributed? An experiment was conducted at North Carolina State University to compare different working arrangements of student teams developing object-oriented software. Teams were both collocated and in distributed environments; some teams practiced pair programming while others did not. In particular, we compared the software developed by virtual teams using distributed pair programming against collocated teams using pair programming and against virtual teams that did not employ distributed pair programming. The results of the experiment indicate that it is feasible to develop software using distributed pair programming, and that the resulting software is comparable to software developed in collocated or virtual teams (without pair programming) in productivity and quality.
Odontogenesis in vivo and in xenografts on chick chorio-allantois. I. Collagen and hexosamine biosynthesis.

Abstract Rapidly developing 19-day foetal rat maxillary molars were studied in vivo and as xenografts on chick chorio-allantoic membrane for 10 days. Animals were sacrificed at 19, 21, 24, 27, and 29 days post-copulation. The xenografts were sacrificed at 2, 5, 8, and 10 days following transplantation to the CAM. Several morphological and cyto-differentiation aspects of odontogenesis in vivo and in xenografts were examined histologically. The chronological comparison between in vivo and xenografts revealed the xenografts to have delayed chemical and morphologic development. Negligible collagen synthesis was detected in xenografts; however, significant collagen concentrations were observed in vivo. Collagen and hexosamine concentrations were found to reflect differentiation and morphologic changes in mammalian tooth germs developing in situ. These biochemical parameters were found to be useful tools to correlate in vivo and xenograft odontogenesis.
Early procurement of scarlet macaws and the emergence of social complexity in Chaco Canyon, NM

High-precision accelerator mass spectrometer (AMS) (14)C dates of scarlet macaw (Ara macao) skeletal remains provide the first direct evidence from Chaco Canyon in northwestern New Mexico that these Neotropical birds were procured from Mesoamerica by Pueblo people as early as ∼ A.D. 900-975. Chaco was a prominent prehistoric Pueblo center with a dense concentration of multistoried great houses constructed from the 9th through early 12th centuries. At the best known great house of Pueblo Bonito, unusual burial crypts and significant quantities of exotic and symbolically important materials, including scarlet macaws, turquoise, marine shell, and cacao, suggest societal complexity unprecedented elsewhere in the Puebloan world. Scarlet macaws are known markers of social and political status among the Pueblos. New AMS (14)C-dated scarlet macaw remains from Pueblo Bonito demonstrate that these birds were acquired persistently from Mesoamerica between A.D. 900 and 1150. Most of the macaws date before the hypothesized apogeal Chacoan period (A.D. 1040-1110) to which they are commonly attributed. The 10th century acquisition of these birds is consistent with the hypothesis that more formalized status hierarchies developed with significant connections to Mesoamerica before the post-A.D. 1040 architectural florescence in Chaco Canyon.
Radiation Shielding Effectiveness With Correlated Uncertainties

The space radiation environment is composed of energetic particles which can deliver harmful doses of radiation that may lead to acute radiation sickness, cancer, and even death for insufficiently shielded crew members. Spacecraft shielding must provide structural integrity and minimize the risk associated with radiation exposure. The risk of radiation exposure induced death (REID) is a measure of the risk of dying from cancer induced by radiation exposure. Uncertainties in the risk projection model, quality factor, and spectral fluence are folded into the calculation of the REID by sampling from probability distribution functions. Consequently, determining optimal shielding materials that reduce the REID in a statistically significant manner has been found to be difficult. In this work, the difference of the REID distributions for different materials is used to study the effect of composition on shielding effectiveness. It is shown that the use of correlated uncertainties allows for the determination of statistically significant differences between materials despite the large uncertainties in the quality factor. This is in contrast to previous methods where uncertainties have been generally treated as uncorrelated. It is concluded that the use of correlated quality factor uncertainties greatly reduces the uncertainty in the assessment of shielding effectiveness for the mitigation of radiation exposure.
Experimental biofuel governance: Historicizing social certification in Brazilian ethanol production

Abstract Amid debates questioning the social sustainability of ethanol, Brazilian industrialists sought an exportable social verification that could accompany sugarcane ethanol technology transfers to global South countries. Despite an effective national anti-slave labor pact and marketing campaigns promoting the sustainability of ethanol, in 2008, members of the federal government orchestrated a series of meetings between representatives from the state, sugarcane industry, and national labor organizations to discuss labor practices. They created “The National Commitment to Labor Conditions in Sugarcane Activity,” a voluntary certification program that they hoped would attest to fair working conditions on plantations and provide acknowledgment for participating businesses. After reports revealed gross violations of labor practices on complying plantations, the certificate was abandoned in 2013. In this paper, I trace the conditions that enabled this certificate to emerge and then fail as a state-sanctioned instrument for governing social justice in the Brazilian ethanol industry. I contend that understanding the emergence of neoliberal governance schemes requires analysis of the historical relationships that intersect with new geopolitical formations. In this case, the state engaged in an experimental form of governance in attempts to export a social certificate alongside technology transfers. This led to the conversion of rights into privileges with no official means for punishing non-complying companies, causing the certificate to lack efficacy and fail. I argue this by connecting the intersecting histories of labor unions, the ethanol industry, and the state to the contemporary factors that led to the need for a mechanism to attest to social sustainability.
Heterogeneous seeding of a prion structure by a generic amyloid form of the fungal prion-forming domain HET-s(218-289)

The fungal prion-forming domain HET-s(218–289) forms infectious amyloid fibrils at physiological pH that were shown by solid-state NMR to be assemblies of a two-rung β-solenoid structure. Under acidic conditions, HET-s(218–289) has been shown to form amyloid fibrils that have very low infectivity in vivo, but structural information about these fibrils has been very limited. We show by x-ray fiber diffraction that the HET-s(218–289) fibrils formed under acidic conditions have a stacked β-sheet architecture commonly found in short amyloidogenic peptides and denatured protein aggregates. At physiological pH, stacked β-sheet fibrils nucleate the formation of the infectious β-solenoid prions in a process of heterogeneous seeding, but do so with kinetic profiles distinct from those of spontaneous or homogeneous (seeded with infectious β-solenoid fibrils) fibrillization. Several serial passages of stacked β-sheet-seeded solutions lead to fibrillization kinetics similar to homogeneously seeded solutions. Our results directly show that structural mutation can occur between substantially different amyloid architectures, lending credence to the suggestion that the processes of strain adaptation and crossing species barriers are facilitated by structural mutation.
Differential effects of galactose-induced cataractogenesis on the soluble crystallins of rat lens

Abstract Soluble lens crystallins from 6–10-week-old, galactose-fed, male Sprague-Dawley rats were analyzed by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis at each of the five Sippel stages of cataractogenesis. Electrophoretograms were compared with similarly analyzed crystallins from comparably aged, chow-fed controls. Polypeptides were assigned to crystallin families and subfamilies on the basis of chromatographic fractionations with Sephadex G-200, superfine. Staining intensities of polypeptides from control lenses remained essentially unchanged throughout the experimental period, while those of the polypeptides from cataractous lenses showed non-uniform changes. Staining of the genomic γ-crystallins increases up to at least stage 3; by stage 4, staining of γ-chains, with perhaps those of γ 5 and γ 6 excepted, diminishes and in the total cataract, staining of all chains is further reduced. With possibly the addition of one chain, the total number of postsynthetically modified γ-crystallins in cataractous lenses does not exceed that in the comparably aged normal lens. The genomic α- and β-crystallin polypeptides are sustained close to normal levels up to stages 3 or 2. respectively, after which their gradually falling levels are accompanied by the generation of new species or elevated levels of existing post-translational species. An exception to this behavior is the rapid and total loss of βB 1a , a genomic subunit implicated in the aggregation of β H -crystallins. Charge heterogeneity and variable pl displayed by βB 1a and other highly cationic β- and γ-crystallin polypeptides can be induced during isoelectric focusing and may be due to thiol group oxidation.
Prevalence and co-occurrence of violence, substance use and disorder, and HIV risk behavior: a comparison of sheltered and low-income housed women in Los Angeles County.

BACKGROUND: Violence against women, substance use and disorder, and HIV represent three significant threats to the health of women, yet little is known about the extent of these epidemics among indigent women. This study investigates and documents differences in the prevalence and co-occurrence of physical and sexual violence, substance use and disorder, and HIV risk behavior in sizable probability samples of sheltered homeless and low-income housed women. METHODS: Retrospective self-reports were obtained through structured interviews with stratified random samples of women residing in shelters (N = 460) and low-income housing (N = 438) in Los Angeles County, California. RESULTS: Sheltered women were more likely than housed women to report experiencing physical and sexual violence, substance use and disorder, HIV risk behavior, and co-occurrence of these problems in the past year. Differences remained when propensity weights were used to equate the groups on demographic and background characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest remarkable need for services among communities of indigent women. Higher rates of problems among women in shelters highlight the importance of differentiating among subgroups of indigent women in community-based prevention and intervention activities and tentatively suggest a protective influence of housing. Language: en
Clenbuterol, a β2-Adrenoceptor Agonist, Improves Locomotor and Histological Outcomes after Spinal Cord Contusion in Rats

Abstract An important goal of rehabilitation following spinal cord injury is recovery of locomotor function and muscular strength. In the present studies, we determined whether the β2-agonist, clenbuterol, can improve recovery of locomotor function following spinal cord injury. A model of spinal cord injury was examined in which four graded levels of contusion injury were produced in rats at the level of T10 with a weight-drop device. Locomotor recovery was determined with the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) scale, which distinguishes between 22 progressive levels of recovery. As observed previously, recovery during the 6 weeks following injury was inversely related to the severity of injury. However, clenbuterol caused substantial enhancement of recovery of locomotor function at the two most severe levels of injury (BBB scores 10–12 vs 2–4). In addition, the extent of recovery was directly related to sparing of spinal cord tissue at the contusion center in both untreated and clenbuterol-treated spinal cords. Optimization of β2-agonist treatment may lead to a useful therapeutic modality for treatment of spinal cord contusion injury.
Police officer performance appraisal and overall satisfaction

Although the level of dissatisfaction with police officer performance appraisal systems in many agencies is substantial (Hughes, 1990; Lilley, 2002), a recent nationwide survey of six hundred police organizations indicated that overall satisfaction was significantly higher among agencies with greater levels of community policing implementation (Lilley & Hinduja, 2006a). Given that research has suggested that dissatisfaction with the appraisal process may impact future employee performance and retention (Daily & Kirk, 1992; Deming, 1986), the focus of this analysis was to examine differences among police agencies that might explain this variation. Utilizing structural equation models, results indicated that agencies with a high level of community policing implementation were not automatically associated with increased satisfaction. Rather, these organizations differed from their more traditional counterparts with regard to evaluation procedure in that they provided substantially more training to raters, emphasized the use of performance appraisal for officer development, and evaluated a broader range of performance criteria. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Lyophilization of a triply unsaturated phospholipid: Effects of trace metal contaminants

As liquid liposomal formulations are prone to chemical degradation and aggregation, these formulations often require freeze drying (e.g., lyophilization) to achieve sufficient shelf-life. However, liposomal formulations may undergo oxidation during lyophilization and/or during prolonged storage. The goal of the current study was to characterize the degradation of 1,2-dilinolenoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DLPC) during lyophilization and to also probe the influence of metal contaminants in promoting the observed degradation. Aqueous sugar formulations containing DLPC (0.01 mg/ml) were lyophilized, and DLPC degradation was monitored using HPLC/UV and GC/MS methods. The effect of ferrous ion and sucrose concentration, as well as lyophilization stage promoting lipid degradation, was investigated. DLPC degradation increased with higher levels of ferrous ion. After lyophilization, 103.1 ± 1.1%, 66.9 ± 0.8%, and 28.7 ± 0.7% DLPC remained in the sucrose samples spiked with 0.0 ppm, 0.2 ppm, and 1.0 ppm ferrous ion, respectively. Lipid degradation predominantly occurs during the freezing stage of lyophilization. Sugar concentration and buffer ionic strength also influence the extent of lipid degradation, and DLPC loss correlated with degradation product formation. We conclude that DLPC oxidation during the freezing stage of lyophilization dramatically compromises the stability of lipid-based formulations. In addition, we demonstrate that metal contaminants in sugars can become highly active when lyophilized in the presence of a reducing agent.
THE URINARY EXCRETION OF ESTROGENIC SUBSTANCES AFTER THE ADMINISTRATION OF TESTOSTERONE PROPIONATE1

TRANSFORMATION of testosterone, the male sex hormone isolated from bull testis tissue, into a substance possessing estrogenic activity, has been claimed by Steinach and Kun (1) to occur in men. No such transforma-tion was found by Kochakian (2) in the dog, or by Dorfman (3) in the rat. Steinach and Kun were able to increase the urinary excretion of estrogenic material in the urine of men after the injection of testosterone propionate. In one case they report an increase in estrogenic activity from approximately 36 to 1200 R.U. per liter after the injection of 1 gm. of testosterone propionate during a period of 6 weeks. Their assays for estrogenic activity were made on the crude benzene extracts so that it is difficult to say what the nature of the excreted estrogenic substance may be. Further, the possibility exists that this activity may be due to androgens such as androstenediol or de hydroisoandrosterone, which are also capable of producing estrogenic effects.
Abundance and survival of Tabanid larvae in effluent from a dairy barn.

The effluent of fecal debris from a dairy barn collected in a dry creek bed and provided a habitat for large numbers of tabanid larvae. The total tabanid population was estimated to be about 1200 larvae when samples were taken from a 250-ft2 section of the debris. Large numbers of other immature invertebrates in the area were believed to sustain the high density of tabanids by serving as a food source.
Unacceptable kinetic energy operators in effective-mass Hamiltonians for graded mixed crystals.

A previous study of a class of Hermitian Hamiltonians with position-dependent effective mass for graded mixed crystals is generalized. Before, we considered only abrupt heterojunctions. Now, we relax that restriction and suggest a criterion for rejecting certain kinetic energy operators in one, two, and three spatial dimensions for any form of grading.
The Ethics of Mechanical Restraints in Prisons and Jails: A Preliminary Inquiry from Psychological Jurisprudence

According to the American Correctional Association (ACA, 2008), mechanical restraint use is to be limited, preventing injury to self and/or to others when administered and certainly not applied to inmates as a punitive or protracted intervention. Regrettably, however, the ongoing use of control devices raises a number of thorny questions when deployed in prisons and jails. This article systematically reviews these concerns. Specifically, the health and mental health consequences for incarcerates are delineated, and the race, gender, class, and mental disability disparities that correspondingly attach are examined. Given these myriad concerns, the ethical justifications that serve as support for or opposition to this correctional practice are described. The article concludes by provisionally recommending how the philosophy of psychological jurisprudence, informed by insights derived from restorative justice and therapeutic jurisprudence, functions as a type of virtue ethics that re-conceives the problems p...
Assessing the quality of water of the Araks basin rivers in Armenia

This article deals with the quality of water of tributaries of transboundary River Araks. The performed river water research was underpinned by monthly monitoring data for 2004–2007. As a result of the research, a general characteristic of water quality by basic quality indices and the contents of common ions were given. The impact sources and water quality formation-determining factors were indicated. Geochemical series of heavy metals streams were made up and studied, and dominating elements indicated. As a result of statistical data analysis, correlation dependence between concentrations of a different parameters was indicated.
Plasmid-Mediated Carbapenem-Hydrolyzing Enzyme KPC-2 in an Enterobacter sp.

A strain of an Enterobacter sp. with reduced susceptibility to imipenem, which produced a plasmid-mediated class A carbapenem-hydrolyzing enzyme, KPC-2 β-lactamase, was isolated from a patient with sepsis at a Boston hospital. This is the first report of the production of a plasmid-encoded KPC-2 β-lactamase by an Enterobacter sp.
Do Unmet Needs Differ Geographically for Children with Special Health Care Needs

The purpose of this study was to identify geographic differences in health indicators for children with special health care needs (CSHCN). It was hypothesized that geographic differences in unmet health care needs exist among CSHCN by region in the United States. Data were obtained from the National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs, 2005-2006. Nine variables representing unmet needs were analyzed by geographic region. The region with the highest percent of unmet needs was identified for each service. Logistic regression was utilized to determine differences by region after controlling for age, gender, ethnicity, race, federal poverty level, relationship of responder to child, insurance status, severity of condition, and size of household. A total of 40,723 CSHCN were represented. Crude analysis demonstrated that the greatest unmet need for routine preventive care, specialist care, prescription medications, physical/occupational/speech therapy, mental health care, and genetic counseling occurred in the West. The greatest unmet need for preventive dental care, respite care, and vision care occurred in the South. Significant differences between regions remained for six of the nine services after controlling for potential confounders. Geographic differences in unmet health care needs exist for CSHCN. Further delving into these differences provides valuable information for program and policy planning and development. Meeting the needs of CSHCN is important to reduce cost burden and improve quality of life for the affected child and care providers.
Involvement of Calcineurin/STAT3 Pathways in Heart Hypertrophy during Pregnancy

Previously we have characterized the physiological heart hypertrophy which occurs during pregnancy. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of pregnancy-induced hypertrophy are still not elucidated. Here we performed Western Blot analysis together with high resolution confocal microscopy to identify the key signaling molecules involved in the pregnancy-induced heart hypertrophy in non-pregnant in diestrus stage (NP), late pregnant (LP), 24 hours post partum (PP1) and 7 days post partum (PP7) mice. Western Blot analysis of heart lysates showed that phospho-AKT protein levels were decreased ∼ 7 fold at the end of pregnancy (N=4 NP and N=4 LP mice). Interestingly, AKT activity was restored one day post-partum to levels comparable to NP. There were no significant changes in total or phosphorylated levels of ERK1/2 with pregnancy. The calcium/calmodulin-dependent serine-threonine phosphatase Calcineurin, which has been shown to be upregulated in pathological cardiac hypertrophy, was significantly downregulated at the end of pregnancy, and this downregulation was reversed 1 day after partum. The phosphorylation of the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), but not its total protein levels, was also significantly lower at the end of pregnancy and was restored completely one day post-partum. Although there was a tendency in reduction of phospho-GSK protein levels in the LP group, this reduction was not statistically significant. High resolution confocal microscopy demonstrated that pregnancy is associated with relocalization of AKT and pAKT to the nucleus, which is partially reversed 24 hours post-partum. While the subcellular distribution of ERK1 and pERK was not regulated by pregnancy, the nuclear labeling of P38, JNK1 and pJNK was significantly upregulated at the end of pregnancy. Although pJNK localization disappeared completely from the nucleus in the PP1 group, P38 and JNK1 nuclear labeling remained high 24 hours PP.
A log-robust optimization approach to portfolio management

We present a robust optimization approach to portfolio management under uncertainty that builds upon insights gained from the well-known Lognormal model for stock prices, while addressing the model's limitations, in particular, the issue of fat tails being underestimated in the Gaussian framework and the active debate on the correct distribution to use. Our approach, which we call Log-robust in the spirit of the Lognormal model, does not require any probabilistic assumption, and incorporates the randomness on the continuously compounded rates of return by using range forecasts and a budget of uncertainty, thus capturing the decision-maker's degree of risk aversion through a single, intuitive parameter. Our objective is to maximize the worst-case portfolio value (over a set of allowable deviations of the uncertain parameters from their nominal values) at the end of the time horizon in a one-period setting; short sales are not allowed. We formulate the robust problem as a linear programming problem and derive theoretical insights into the worst-case uncertainty and the optimal allocation. We then compare in numerical experiments the Log-robust approach with the traditional robust approach, where range forecasts are applied directly to the stock returns. Our results indicate that the Log-robust approach significantly outperforms the benchmark with respect to 95 or 99% Value-at-Risk. This is because the traditional robust approach leads to portfolios that are far less diversified.
Effects of amount of reinforcement on the concurrent performance of retardates.

Stmmary.-The effect of amount of reinforcement on the performance of 20 mildly and moderately mentally retarded children during acquisition and exunction was studied. In Phase I Ss were trained to operate under a concurrent performance schedule with two manipulanda and tokens were established as reinforcers by pairing them with pennies. In Phase I1 rhe initial baseline for an equal amount of reinforcement (three tokens) in both manipulanda was established. During Phase 111 the amount of reinforcement was shifted to live tokens per reinforcement on one manipulandum and to one roken on the other manipulandum. Phase IV provided extinction. A significant relationship was obtained between the amount of reinforcement and performance during both acquisition and extinction. The concurrent performance procedure was a sensitive measure of the'effects of amount of reinforcement in maintaining Ss' performance. Thus, a change in the amount of reinforcement will exercise a differential effect on over-all response rate when an alternative incompatible response is available.
Surface and interfacial dissociation constants : apparent vs. absolute

Abstract Numerous amphipathic compounds — acids, bases and ampholytes — whose surface and interfacial behaviour is highly dependent on the pH of the aqueous subphase can be characterized quantitatively in terms of acid—base reactions, the activities of species arising as a result of these reactions, and their apparent surface/interfacial dissociation constants. While these parameters are orders of magnitude smaller than their bulk counterparts (and there is no little concern about this phenomenon) an adequate explanation to account for this — until now — has been lacking. In the paragraphs which follow, it will be shown that apparent dissociation constants are a composite of two other thermodynamic functions: the distribution coefficient describing the partitioning of hydrogen ions between the bulk and surface phases, and the absolute surface/interfacial dissociation constants. It will also be shown that the absolute dissociation constant, a hitherto unknown and unavailable property, may now be determined: it requires only a knowledge of the apparent surface dissociation constant (which can be obtained from Langmuir—Blodgett surface pressure—area (II—A) data), the apparent interfacial dissociation constant (deduced from interfacial tension measurements), and the surface potential (as given by M. Gouy, J. Phys. Radium, 9 (1910) 457).
Mistrust and hegemony: Regional institutional design, the FSU-CIS, and Russia:

Power inequalities and mistrust have characterized many relationships between states over the centuries. One approach that states can take to deal with these two, often interrelated, problems is to...
Numerical Simulations of Timing Belt Camshaft Layout: Local and Global Behavior

Mechanical behaviors of power transmission systems have to be defined during preliminary design. Today, numerical simulations replace classical tests. General experimental validation of numerical results obtained with computer softwares was performed before. The design of timing belt camshaft layouts follows the same way. Meshing of timing belt on pulleys is related to local behavior of load transmission while dynamic response of a whole camshaft drive layout is related to global behavior. Because of the complex nature of phenomena that take place in such mechanical systems and due to practical requirements in Design Office concerning limitation of computer times for example, local and global analyses are made separately but results of the local analysis serve as inputs for the second analysis. The purpose of the local analysis is to optimize pulley groove profiles of pulleys in order to insure both smaller dynamic excitations and a larger timing belt fatigue life. Simulations of tooth meshing are made under non-linear FEM study. Tooth meshing is described step by step and both bending of inner timing belt cords and transmission error effects are defined in relation to specific shapes of pulley groove profiles. The quasi-static transmission error constitutes one of input data for global dynamic simulations through specific in-house software DSTD (Dynamic Simulation of Timing Drive). Dynamic loads and dynamic transmission error are obtained in relation with inertia, stiffness and damping of mechanical elements and with timing belt characteristics. Results are discussed in relation with design parameters of camshaft drive layout.Copyright © 2003 by ASME