cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Writing the Self-Study Report

Accreditation managers will find that nearly all accrediting associations provide instructive handbooks and assistance for postsecondary institutions that are seeking accreditation to support the self-study preparation and the crafting of required reports and other necessary materials. In examining the objectives of various accreditation associations, they typically seek to connect the self-study to the standards of the agency, internal expectations, and external requirements. Regardless of whether the college or university is conducting a traditional comprehensive-type, special-emphasis, or collaborative self-evaluation study, the self-study report should be managed properly by implanting the managerial elements that have been discussed earlier. Lately, the accreditation association criteria for accreditation of many associations has strongly emphasized the utilization of student- learning assessment and development as a primary measure of institutional condition and value, along with faculty performance and related features of the learning environment, such as the academic curricula, student extracurricular activities, and campus facilities that promote the physical, community, spiritual, and intellectual advancement of the students (Braskamp and Braskamp 1997). Several researchers, such as Barr and Tagg (1995) and others, have recognized this development as a recent update from viewing the postsecondary institution as not merely a place of instruction, but also as a center for producing learning (Barr and Tagg 1995).
Plants and Prehistory

In this book we shall stress the point that civilization would have been impossible without agriculture. Consequently, we must begin by explaining our use of the latter term, which for our purposes means the tilling of land and the deliberate sowing or planting of crop plants. It may or may not be accompanied by the domestication of herdable animals. Clearly, such a complicated process as the practice of agriculture could not have arisen suddenly — it evolved. Before agriculture, man and his ancestors were dependent for food upon their activities as gatherers and hunters. During this earliest and longest period of human history, often called the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age, which began between one and two million years ago, there were at least four major advances of glacial ice over large parts of the Northern Hemisphere, and a purely food-gathering economy certainly lasted for several thousands of years after the ice had retreated. (In Europe this way of life persisted less than 10,000 years ago.) A state comparable with Paleolithic development in Europe continued in some regions of the world almost (or even) until the present day. For example, until the twentieth century there was enormous diversity to be seen in the way of life of North American Indians. Although many Indian tribes had relatively highly developed agricultural systems, making use of quite highly selected plants, others had practically none.
Virtually Enhanced Fluid Laboratories for Teaching Meteorology

AbstractThe “Weather in a Tank” project offers instructors a repertoire of rotating tank experiments and a curriculum in fluid dynamics to better assist students in learning how to move between phenomena in the real world and basic principles of rotating fluid dynamics that play a central role in determining the climate of the planet. Despite the increasing use of laboratory experiments in teaching meteorology, many teachers and students do not have access to suitable apparatuses and so cannot benefit from them. This article describes a “virtually enhanced” laboratory that could be very effective in getting across a flavor of the experiments and bring them to a wider audience. In the pedagogical spirit of Weather in a Tank, the focus is on how simple underlying principles, illustrated through laboratory experiments, shape the observed structure of the large-scale atmospheric circulation.
The Authority of Conscience in Early Modern England and New England: A Reconsideration

Turn over a stone, and surprises unfold. The stone I turn over in this essay concerns the word “conscience” and how it was employed in Tudor-Stuart England and early America. Underneath this initial stone lies another, the rethinking in recent historical scholarship of a powerful figure of speech, early modern societies as “persecuting” in their relationship to religious dissent or nonconformity. Taking stock of each of these topics, I begin by reflecting on a cluster of studies that replace the duality of persecution/liberty with a much more contextualized narrative of persecution and liberty as conditional or circumstantial. For the most part, I rely on Alexandra Walsham’s CharitableHatred: Tolerance and Intolerance in England, 1500–1700 (2006), supplementing her narrative with a brief review of the “two kingdom” theory of church and state as it was practiced among the colonists in New England. Thereafter, I describe one of the meanings of “conscience” within Anglo-American Puritanism, an interpretation focused on its role as an instrument of ordained truth or, as writers in the early modern period would have said, conscience as “well-ordered.” The point of view I describe may be contrasted with Enlightenment or liberal theorizing about the rights of the free individual. Not that liberty but something quite different—in effect, a liberty to acknowledge duly constituted authority—is how conscience was supposed to function: conscience as “con scientia,” “with wisdom,” i.e., aligned with a wisdom that was collectively maintained.
Access to Tobacco Among California High School Students: The Role of Family Members, Peers, and Retail Venues.

Abstract Purpose The purpose of the study was to determine from whom and where adolescents obtained tobacco, including cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and hookah. Methods California adolescents (N = 772; 63.19% female; mean age = 16.13 years, SD = 1.61; 26.44% white, 22.12% Asian/Pacific Islander, 36.65% Hispanic, and 14.79% other) were surveyed about their access to different tobacco products. Results Adolescents were significantly more likely to obtain tobacco from friends (54.9%) than family members or direct purchasing ( p p Conclusions The effective characterization of tobacco access patterns is critical to the development of comprehensive tobacco control. By demonstrating peers and smoke shops as the primary social and retail outlets, this study identifies targets for the optimization of regulation and messaging aimed at reducing adolescents' access to tobacco.
Prenatal Protein and Zinc Malnutrition in the Rhesus Monkey, Macaca mulatta

Many nutrition researchers have increasingly followed the supposition that malnutrition may cause morphological and biochemical damage to the brain (for reviews see Birch and Gussow, 1970; Cravioto and DeLicardie, 1973; Latham, 1974; Read, 1973). This concern has centered on a period of vulnerability in human brain development roughly 3 months before and 6 months after birth, which is generally thought to be the period of maximal brain growth.
Eight Genome Sequences of Cluster BE1 Phages That Infect Streptomyces Species

ABSTRACT Cluster BE1 Streptomyces bacteriophages belong to the Siphoviridae, with genome sizes over 130 kbp, and they contain direct terminal repeats of approximately 11 kbp. Eight newly isolated closely related cluster BE1 phages contain 43 to 48 tRNAs, one transfer-messenger RNA (tmRNA), and 216 to 236 predicted open reading frames (ORFs), but few of their genes are shared with other phages, including those infecting Streptomyces species.
Quality of Life and African American Women Who are Family Caregivers: A Literature Review with Implications for Psychiatric Mental Health Advanced Practice Registered Nurses.

ABSTRACTPurpose: To identify factors affecting the quality of life (QOL) of African American women (AAW) family caregivers of individuals with kidney failure. Methods: Ferrans' Conceptual Model of QOL provided the framework for this literature review. Included studies were (a) peer- reviewed, (b) published within the last ten years, (c) written in English, and (d) examined QOL of AAW family caregivers. Using CINAHL© and PubMed©, we found 14 studies that described factors associated with these caregivers' QOL. Scope: Few studies document the QOL of AAW who are family caregivers, especially in the context of kidney failure. Psychiatric Mental Health Advanced Practice Registered Nurses need to learn about the factors influencing the QOL of these caregivers. Results: No studies were found within the last ten years that explored the QOL of AAW family caregivers of individuals with kidney failure. Findings reflected the QOL of AAW family caregivers in the context of other chronic conditions. Various factors suc...
A Stair Ascent and Descent Controller for a Powered Ankle Prosthesis

This paper presents a control system for a powered transtibial prosthesis that provides stair ascent and descent capability, as well as ability for user-controlled transitions between walking, standing, stair ascent, and stair descent. The control system was implemented on a powered prosthesis and evaluated on a single unilateral transtibial amputee subject. The ability of the prosthesis to provide appropriate functionality during stair ascent and descent was assessed by comparing gait kinematics and kinetics of the prosthesis to those of a passive dynamic elastic response prosthesis and those of a set of non-amputee subjects. Data from the assessment indicates that the powered prosthesis is able to provide some desirable stair ascent and stair descent characteristics, relative to the passive prosthesis.
Retrieval activates related words more than presentation.

Retrieving information enhances learning more than restudying. One explanation of this effect is based on the role of mediators (e.g., sand-castle can be mediated by beach). Retrieval is hypothesised to activate mediators more than restudying, but existing tests of this hypothesis have had mixed results [Carpenter, S. K. (2011). Semantic information activated during retrieval contributes to later retention: Support for the mediator effectiveness hypothesis of the testing effect. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 37(6), 1547-1552. doi: 10.1037/a0024140 ; Lehman, M., & Karpicke, J. D. (2016). Elaborative retrieval: Do semantic mediators improve memory? Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 42(10), 1573-1591. doi: 10.1037/xlm0000267 ]. The present experiments explored an explanation of the conflicting results, testing whether mediator activation during a retrieval attempt depends on the accessibility of the target information. A target was considered less versus more accessible when fewer versus more cues were given during retrieval practice (Experiments 1 and 2), when the target had been studied once versus three times initially (Experiment 3), or when the target could not be recalled versus could be recalled during retrieval practice (Experiments 1-3). A mini meta-analysis of all three experiments revealed a small effect such that retrieval activated mediators more than presentation, but mediator activation was not reliably related to target accessibility. Thus, retrieval may enhance learning by activating mediators, in part, but these results suggest the role of other processes, too.
Previously characterized Caenorhabditis elegans RNA interference-resistant mutants retain substantial silencing capacity

RNA interference is a powerful tool for dissecting gene function. In Caenorhabditis elegans, ingestion of double stranded RNA causes strong, systemic knockdown of target genes. Further insight into gene function can be revealed by tissue-specific RNAi techniques. Currently available tissue-specific C. elegans strains rely on rescue of RNAi function in a desired tissue or cell in an otherwise RNAi deficient genetic background. In a classroom setting, we attempted to assess the contribution of specific tissues to polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) synthesis using currently available tissue-specific RNAi strains. We discovered that rde-1 (ne219), a commonly used RNAi-resistant mutant strain, retains considerable RNAi capacity against RNAi directed at PUFA synthesis genes. Using GC/MS, we measured changes in the fatty acid products of the desaturase enzymes that synthesize PUFAs in a gene dosage sensitive manner. With this method, we tested a panel of previously described RNAi-deficient mutant strains, and found that almost all of them retained a certain degree of RNAi capacity. Importantly, we found that the before mentioned strain, rde-1 (ne219) and the reported germline only RNAi strain, rrf-1 (pk1417) are not appropriate genetic backgrounds for tissue-specific RNAi experiments. However, the knockout mutant rde-1 (ne300) was strongly resistant to dsRNA induced RNAi, and may be appropriate for construction of robust tissue-specific RNAi strains.
Interview by Tor Nørretranders — How to be a Mathematician

[Copenhagen, 1996, and my second TV interview. Tor Norretranders is a Danish science journalist and intellectual who is extremely well-known in Denmark. Only one of his many books, the Danish best-seller Mark Verden, on information theory and consciousness, is available in English, as The User Illusion. This interview was part of Tor’s fabulous Mindship institute, an entire summer of intense dialogue between artists and scientists, held in spectacular abandoned waterfront Navy buildings, including a boiler factory (kettle smithy) and a submarine assembly hall.]
Precessions and Gyroscopes

Let \(\{\mathcal{M};d\mu \}\)be a rigid system in precession abouta pole O. Introduce a fixed inertial triad Σ and a moving triad S, both with originat O, so that S is in rigid motion with respect to Σ with angular characteristic ω. The latter is the unknown of the motion.The system is acted upon by external forcesthat generate a resultant moment M (e)with respect to the pole O. The constraint that keeps O fixed and other possible constraintsgive rise to reactions of resultant moment \(\mathcal{M}\)with respect to O. It is assumed that the moment M (e) and \(\mathcal{M}\)are known functions of ω, or equivalently of the Euler angles.
A Numerical Grid Generation Scheme for Thermal Simulations in Laminated Structures

Significant efforts are being made to improve the safety of the solid rocket motor (SRM) for the shuttle. The SRM is a laminated structure consisting of four layers of materials: a steel casing, bonded to NBR insulation, the liner, and the propellant. One of the candidate inspection techniques is a thermal technique which analyzes the response of the SRM to an external heat source for detection of disbonds at the interfaces between the steel, NBR and fuel. Computational simulations of experimental measurements can provide limits of the effectiveness of the technique and easily assume a variety of different defect geometries to determine their detectability without the expense of making many different samples. Simulations can also provide useful information for the experimenter including the heating protocol that will provide the greatest contrast and the typical flaw size that can be detected.
Effects of vitamin A deficiency on ultimobranchial cysts in the thyroid gland: an electron microscopic study.

Ultimobranchial cysts in the thyroid glands of rats receiving a diet adequate in vitamin A are lined with stratified squamous epithelium and contain non-keratinized cellular debris. The epithelium of these cysts in vitamin A deficient animals is keratinized, and their lumina contain keratinized cellular strands surrounding a core of cellular debris. Upon return to a diet adequate in vitamin A the epithelium returns to a non-keratinized state, and the lumina contain keratinized strands surrounded by cell fragments and desquamated whole cells. Occasionally these cysts have an epithelium that is highly irregular in appearance. The relationship of alterations in this tisssue to possible subsequent development of neoplasias is discussed.
Case 37: Zone I/II/III open globe injury with orbital fractures

Concomitant open globe injuries with facial fractures usually occur in the setting of high velocity, blunt trauma to the eye. In most cases, the visual prognosis is poor compared to other open globes without facial fractures. Here, a case is presented in which a young man sustained a Zone I/II/III open globe injury with associated facial fractures after being hit with a softball. He ultimately decided against secondary corneal and vitreoretinal surgery and retained light perception vision. Repair of the facial fractures was deemed unnecessary.
Solving Stochastic Shortest Distance Path Problem by Using Genetic Algorithms

Abstract Shortest Distance Path problem has been studied extensively in the literature. This is an important problem with a wide range of applications in the world particularly, transportation, trip planning, etc. Various mathematical models have been proposed in the literature to solve the basic problem and its variations. In this study, we incorporate weather forecast into trip planning. Due to adverse weather conditions, shortest distance path to follow may vary. Furthermore, travel times also become less predictable. Various weather forecast scenarios are generated following a given distribution. Furthermore, stochastic travel times are also considered as part of the analysis. In this study, GA will produce multiple acceptable solutions where fitness function values for each acceptable solution can vary. The average value of arriving time will be considered as the fitness function for a chromosome after simulating the chromosome under different conditions randomly 100 times.
Bronchoscopy in neonates with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia in the NICU

To describe the findings, resulting changes in management, and safety profile of flexible bronchoscopy in the neonates with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia. This was a retrospective case series of twenty-seven neonates with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia who underwent flexible bronchoscopy in the neonatal intensive care unit. Flexible bronchoscopy revealed airway pathology in 20/27 (74%) patients. Tracheomalacia 13/27 (48%), bronchomalacia 11/27 (40.7%), and airway edema 13/27 (48%) were the most common findings. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed in 17 patients. BAL culture revealed a microorganism in 12/17 (70.5%) cases. Findings from bronchoscopy resulted in change in clinical management in 17/27 (63%) patients. Common interventions included initiation of antibiotics (37%) and treatment of tracheobronchomalacia with bethanechol (22.2%), atrovent (18.5%), and PEEP titration (18.5%). Bronchoscopy was performed without significant complication in 26/27 (97%) patients. Flexible bronchoscopy can be a safe and useful tool for the management of neonates with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
The Slow Start of Fast Spice: A Brief History of Timing

The list of Professor Alberto Sangiovanni-Vincentelli's research contributions is astounding in length and breadth, yet does not entirely capture what this author believes is his true genius. In so many areas of computer-aided design, Sangiovanni-Vincentelli provided the intellectual framework, often nucleating a research community in the process. Of personal familiarity is the area of transistor-level timing simulation, now better known as "Fast SPICE". In the decades since Sangiovanni-Vincentelli's papers on circuit simulation, relaxation, and third generation techniques, simulation sizes have grown from thousands to millions of transistors, vectorized main frames have given way to GPUs and multicores and clouds, yet his papers are still the defining taxonomy for the field.
Looking for Age Differences in Self-Driving Vehicles: Examining the Effects of Automation Reliability, Driving Risk, and Physical Impairment on Trust.

[Purpose] Self-driving cars are an extremely high level of autonomous technology and represent a promising technology that may help older adults safely maintain independence. However, human behavior with automation is complex and not straightforward (Parasuraman & Riley, 1997; Parasuraman, 2000; Parasuraman & Wickens, 2008; Parasuraman & Manzey, 2010; Parasuraman, de Visser, Lin, & Greenwood, 2012; Rovira, McGarry, & Parasuraman, 2007). In addition, because no fully self-driving vehicles are yet available to the public, most research has been limited to subjective survey-based assessments that depend on the respondents’ limited knowledge based on second-hand reports and do not reflect the complex situational and dispositional factors known to affect trust and technology adoption. [Method] To address these issues, the current study examined the specific factors that affect younger and older adults’ trust in self-driving vehicles. [Results] The results showed that trust in self-driving vehicles depended on multiple interacting variables, such as the age of the respondent, risk during travel, impairment level of the hypothesized driver, and whether the self-driving car was reliable. [Conclusion] The primary contribution of this work is that, contrary to existing opinion surveys which suggest broad distrust in self driving cars, the ratings of trust in self-driving cars varied with situational characteristics (reliability, driver impairment, risk level). Specifically, individuals reported less trust in the self-driving car when there was a failure with the car technology; and more trust in the technology in a low risk driving situation with an unimpaired driver when the automation was unreliable.
Fitness of unregulated human Ras mutants modeled by implementing computational mutagenesis and machine learning techniques.

Abstract Ras proteins play a pivotal role as oncogenes by participating in diverse signaling events, including those linked to cell growth, differentiation, and proliferation. Using experimental fitness data and implementing artificial intelligence and a computational mutagenesis technique, we developed models that reliably predict fitness for all single residue mutants of H-ras proto-oncogene protein p21. The computational mutagenesis generated a feature vector of protein structural changes for each variant, and these data correlated well with fitness. Random forest classification and tree regression machine learning algorithms were implemented for training predictive models. Cross-validations were used to evaluate model performance, and control experiments were performed to assess statistical significance. Classification models revealed a balanced accuracy rate as high as 82%, with a Matthew's correlation of 0.63, and an area under ROC curve of 0.90. Similarly, regression models displayed Pearson's correlation reaching 0.79. On the other hand, control data sets led to performance values consistent with random guessing. Comparisons with several related state-of-the-art methods reflected favorably on our trained models. This H-Ras proof-of-principle study suggests a complementary approach for understanding mechanisms with which other proteins are involved in oncogenesis, including related Ras isoforms, and for providing useful insights into designing future diagnostic and treatment modalities.
Facilitating Zippering Skills in Preschoolers: An Interprofessional Pilot Study Using a Pretest-Posttest Design

Date Presented 04/05/19 Primary Author and Speaker: Fern Silverman Contributing Authors: Carrie Knight
Evaluation of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Early Detection via Mammography Screening and Outcomes in African American and White American Patients

This cohort study examines triple-negative breast cancer detection via mammography screening, treatment, and survival rates in African American and white American women.
Supplemental nutrition assistance program and school readiness skills

Abstract This analysis examines the relationship between participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and school readiness skills, specifically in early reading, early math, and approaches to learning skills, among low-income children in their preschool to kindergarten-entry years. We also investigate whether this relationship differs depending on depth of household poverty. By using wave 3 and kindergarten-entry wave from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) data and the child fixed-effects approach as its main empirical strategy, we find strong evidence that SNAP is positively related to children's early math skills (0.22 standard deviation increase) and that this relationship is stronger for children who were in deep poverty and/or poverty prior to their receipt of SNAP. For early reading skills, although we find no significant main effect, the relationship between SNAP and early reading is stronger for children who lived in deep poverty before their SNAP receipt, compared to children who were not as poor. We also find suggestive evidence that SNAP is related to approaches to learning skills (0.3 standard deviation increase), though marginally significant, and that the relationship is much stronger among children who were in deep poverty than those who were not. Through these results, we provide strong support for the role of SNAP, especially for the most economically disadvantaged families, in advancing key school readiness skills that are important to children’s developmental outcomes.
Cognitive Demand and Cognitive Effort in Post-Editing

The pause to word ratio, the number of pauses per word in a post-edited MT segment, is an indicator of cognitive effort in post-editing (Lacruz and Shreve, 2014). We investigate how low the pause threshold can reasonably be taken, and we propose that 300 ms is a good choice, as pioneered by Schilperoord (1996). We then seek to identify a good measure of the cognitive demand imposed by MT output on the post-editor, as opposed to the cognitive effort actually exerted by the post-editor during post-editing. Measuring cognitive demand is closely related to measuring MT utility, the MT quality as perceived by the post-editor. HTER, an extrinsic edit to word ratio that does not necessarily correspond to actual edits per word performed by the post-editor, is a well-established measure of MT quality, but it does not comprehensively capture cognitive demand (Koponen, 2012). We investigate intrinsic measures of MT quality, and so of cognitive demand, through edited-error to word metrics. We find that the transfer-error to word ratio predicts cognitive effort better than mechanical-error to word ratio (Koby and Champe, 2013). We identify specific categories of cognitively challenging MT errors whose error to word ratios correlate well with cognitive effort.
Initial Evidence for the Efficacy of an Everyday Memory and Metacognitive Intervention.

Background and objectives The objective of this paper is to demonstrate the efficacy of an Everyday Memory and Metacognitive Intervention (EMMI) designed to improve everyday functioning of older adults. The EMMI emphasizes self-regulation as a behavioral approach to take priority over habitual behaviors that often impede everyday functioning. Research design and methods This study used a quasi-experimental design (intervention vs waitlist control) to test whether the EMMI improved several aspects of everyday cognition. Thirty-three EMMI participants (M age = 70.24) were compared to 20 control participants (M age = 71.70 years). The 2 groups were compared on everyday memory failures and successes, measures of well-being, subjective memory, and a prospective memory task. Results Participants who received the EMMI reported more memory successes and fewer memory failures over a 10-day measurement period postintervention. In addition, EMMI participants reported significantly higher life satisfaction and better subjective memory at posttest than the control group. Critically, the EMMI participants performed better on a laboratory contact prospective memory task. Discussion and implications The results from this study suggest that the EMMI is a promising approach that has potential to improve everyday memory functioning and perhaps help extend functional independence. Future studies will include randomized controlled trials as well as electronic measurement of memory incidents.
Liaison Theory in Codimension Two

As we have mentioned before, the strongest results to date on liaison theory are for the case where the schemes have codimension two. We have seen that in this situation, the arithmetically Gorenstein ideals are precisely the complete intersections. Until recently, it was also necessary to restrict to schemes that are locally Cohen-Macaulay and equidimensional. However, Nollet [167] has modified the original proofs of these theorems to remove the hypothesis of locally Cohen-Macaulay, now assuming only that all components have the same dimension. Similar generalizations were obtained by Nagel [163]. This is an important contribution, but for simplicity in this chapter we maintain this hypothesis. The main results which are known in codimension two, but which are missing in the case of arbitrary codimension, are a sufficient condition for two subschemes to be linked (or evenly linked), and a structure theorem describing an even liaison class. These will be discussed in this chapter. See also [146] for an expository description of some of the main results in codimension two.
Isolation and Assay of Eukaryotic DNA-Dependent RNA Polymerases

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the most recent and general procedures used in the purification of eukaryotic nuclear RNA polymerases,with special emphasis on those enzymes that have been extensively purified. Detailed methods are presented for the purification of yeast RNA polymerases that have been selected because of the convenience of their source, the authors' interest and experience, and the possible general applicability of this procedure for the purification of polymerases from other sources. Eukaryotic cells contain multiple RNA polymerases. The polymerase content in higher cells is quite low and unlike the bacterial polymerase the enzymes are difficult to extract as they occur tightly bound to chromosomal components, such as DNA, RNA, histones, and acidic proteins. Eukaryotic RNA polymerases are complex structures composed of multiple subunits, and losses of activity are usually encountered owing to the apparently delicate nature of these molecules.
Culture and the Environment in the Himalaya

List of Figures and Tables Preface and acknowledgements Note to the Reader Introduction - Arjun Guneratne 1. Downward Spiral? Interrogating Narratives of Environmental Change in the Himalaya - John J. Metz 2. Healing Landscapes: Sacred and Rational Nature in Nepal's Ayurvedic Medicine - Mary Cameron 3. Perceptions of Forests Amongst the Yakkha of East Nepal: Exploring the Social and Cultural Context - Andrew Russell 4. A Forest Community or Community Forestry? Beliefs, Meanings and Nature in North-Western Nepal - Andrea Nightingale 5. Where God's Children Live: Symbolizing Forests in Nepal - Jana Fortier 6. Clear Mountains, Blurred Horizons: Limbu Perceptions of Their Physical World - T. B. Subba 7. The Role of Religion in Conservation and Degradation of Forests: Examples from the Kumaun Himalaya - Safia Aggarwal 8. The Abuse of Religion and Ecology: The Vishva Hindu Parishad and Tehri Dam - Emma Mawdsley 9. Restoration and Revival: Remembering the Bagmati Civilization - Anne M. Rademacher 10. Beyond Cultural Models of the Environment: Linking Subjectivities of Dwelling and Power - Ben Campbell Bibliography List of Contributors
Kisspeptin and puberty in mammals.

Since the discovery of the G-protein coupled receptor 54 (kisspeptin receptor) and its ligand, kisspeptin, our understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms that govern the pituitary-gonadal axis has evolved dramatically. In this chapter, we have reviewed progress regarding the relationship between kisspeptin and puberty, and have proposed a novel hypothesis for the role of kisspeptin signaling in the onset of this crucial developmental event. According to this hypothesis, although kisspeptin neurons in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) are critical for puberty, this is simply because these cells are an integral component of the hypothalamic GnRH pulse generating mechanism that drives intermittent release of the decapeptide, as an increase in GnRH is obligatory for the onset of puberty. In our model, ARC kisspeptin neurons play no “regulatory” role in controlling the timing of puberty. Rather, as a component of the neural network responsible for GnRH pulse generation, they subserve upstream regulatory mechanisms that are responsible for the timing of puberty.
Respiration, worker body size, tempo and activity in whole colonies of ants

Ants are social, and their metabolism should be measured on at least two levels: (i) the individual workers and brood of which the colony is composed and (ii) the colony in its entirety. Whole colony respiration, tempo (size-free running speed in body lengths per second) and whole colony activity were simultaneously measured for 15 species of ants in four subfamilies, and these data are related to average worker and whole-colony weight, activity, percentage brood and percentage fat. Across all 15 species, whole colony respiration rate (μL CO2 h−1) is linearly related to whole colony live weight (log–log slope = 1.0). Colonies composed of large workers respire less than colonies composed of an equal live weight of small workers, and colonies with high tempos respire more than lower tempo colonies of equal weight. The tempos and respiration rates of smaller ants tend to be higher, and a higher tempo exacts a cost in higher respiration independent of the effect of small body size. Individual worker respiration (μL CO2 h−1) scales to worker live weight with an exponent of 0.76. Whole colony specific respiration rate (μL CO2 g−1 h−1) is unrelated to colony live weight. The regressions of respiration rates against colony and worker dry weight, lean weight and metabolic weight have similar slopes to those of live weight but different intercepts. Respiration is not related to worker percentage fat, percentage brood or activity. Ant ecology, tempo, body size, polymorphism and colony size are discussed in relation to respiration.
Intellectual Property and Information Technology Due Diligence in Mergers and Acquisitions: A More Substantive Approach Needed

This paper addresses both theoretical and practical considerations impacting the conduct of intellectual property (IP) and information technology (IT) due diligence in the context of merger/acquisition transactions. Both the author’s own experiences in practice, and major authorities are used to develop not only "nuts and bolts" guidance to practitioners and executives dealing with pending or proposed matters, but also a normative analysis intended to assist judges and commentators with the shaping of standards used in adjudication and possibly, legislation. The discussion of authorities emphasizes recent developments such as the U.S. Supreme Court's decisions in Grokster and KSR and the pending Viacom v. YouTube suit under the DMCA, and touches upon the Bilski case which was decided by the U.S. Federal Circuit as the paper went to press. The discussion also focuses upon evaluation of recently-introduced business practices such as interactive websites inviting public comments, business method patents and commercial use of digital entertainment technology.
Pharmacotherapy Options in Atrial Fibrillation: Focus on Vernakalant

This article reviews the role of vernakalant in the management of atrial fibrillation (AF). Published data in English language were identified from MEDLINE and Current Content database (both 1966 t...
Social and Psychological Aspects

A staircase metaphor is used to examine the social and psychological processes underlying terrorist attacks, and the consequences of such attacks on victims. The focus of the discussion is terrorism emanating from Islamic societies, because this constitutes the greatest global threat in the foreseeable future. The ground floor is occupied by about 1.2 billion Muslims, most of whom do not move up the staircase despite the high level of dissatisfaction with despotic regimes. But some individuals move up the staircase, primarily searching for ways to change their perceived situation. As individuals move up the staircase, they become more radicalized, eventually becoming engaged with moralities supportive of terrorism, and on the final floor become psychologically equipped to carry out terrible acts. Deradicalization programs need to be specially designed to impact individuals depending on the particular floor they have reached on the staircase to terrorism. The social psychological consequences of terrorism for society are discussed. Keywords: terrorism; radicalization; deradicalization; Islamic communities; identity
Mass Spectrometry in Protein Characterization

The complete complement of proteins in a cell, the proteome, is highly complex because a single protein can exist in several different forms. Mass spectrometry has emerged as the tool of choice for protein identification as well as for characterization of posttranslational modifications. Keywords: mass spectrometry; ionization; posttranslational; modifications; phosphorylation; quantification; MALDI
Optimum temperature shift for Nitrobacter winogradskyi: Effect of dissolve oxygen and nitrate concentrations

Abstract The temperature that maximizes the rate at which Nitrobacter winogradskyi oxidizes nitrite-nitrogen (i.e. the optimum temperature) was shown to have a complicated dependence on ambient dissolved oxygen and nitrite concentrations. In general, the optimum temperature shifted to lower values as dissolved oxygen and nitrite concentrations fell. A steep, almost linear drop in optimum temperature with decreasing values of the logarithm of nitrite concentration was found at dissolved oxygen concentrations above 0.1 ppm (gm−3 and nitrite-nitrogen concentrations below 10 ppm. A sharp nonlinear drop in optimum temperature with decreasing values of the logarithm of dissolved oxygen concentration occurred at dissolved oxygen concentrations below 1–2 ppm. At higher dissolved oxygen concentrations, the optimum temperature asymptotically approached a maximum value that increased with nitrite concentration. The solubility of oxygen placed an upper bound on the optimum temperature. At the dissolved oxygen and nitrite concentrations usually found in natural waters and domestic wastewaters, the rate of NO2−-N oxidation should have an optimum temperature below 15°C and as a result should be thermally inhibited at higher temperatures. The negative thermal sensitivity of the NO2−-N oxidation rate above 15°C means that nitrite accumulation may be a side-effect of elevated temperatures in some nitrifying systems.
How do high school students get help on their mathematics homework? A study of digital and non-digital resource use

no one is born with all of the answers, and therefore it is not unusual for students of all ages and ability levels to need assistance completing their homework assignments. traditionally, resources for seeking help on homework included class notes, textbooks, teachers, friends, tutors, and parents. now, however, the internet has greatly extended this set of resources. given their exposure to technology, together with an expanded pool of accessible resources, how do students today seek help on their homework? Based on a survey of more than 1,800 high school students, this paper documents how and where students seek help on their mathematics assignments, their perceived need for additional help, and their awareness of free digital resources. Comparisons between students in remedial, core, and advanced courses are made. Findings indicate that students at all levels strongly favor non-digital over digital resources, and that class notes are the predominant resource used by students in core and advanced courses. implications for these findings and for improving homework help are discussed.
An anticipatory governance approach to carbon nanotubes.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are novel materials with remarkable properties; possible beneficial applications include aircraft frames, hydrogen storage, environmental sensors, electrical transmission, and many more. At the same time, precise characterization of their potential toxicity remains elusive, in part because engineered nanostructures pose challenges to existing assays, predictive models, and dosimetry. While these obstacles are surmountable, their presence suggests that scientific uncertainty regarding the hazards of CNTs is likely to persist. Traditional U.S. policy approaches implicitly pose the question: “What level of evidence is necessary and sufficient to justify regulatory action?” In the case of CNTs, such a strategy of risk analysis is of limited immediate utility to both regulators essaying to carry out their mandates, and users of CNTs seeking to provide an appropriate level of protection to employees, customers, and other stakeholders. In contrast, the concept of anticipatory governance suggests an alternative research focus, that is: “Given the conflicted character of the data, how should relevant actors respond?” Adopting the latter theoretical framework, this article argues that currently available data support treating CNTs “as if” they are hazardous, while simultaneously highlighting some systemic uncertainties in many of the experiments carried out to date. Such a conclusion implies limiting exposure throughout product lifecycles, and also points to the possible applicability of various conceptual tools, such as life-cycle and multicriteria decision analysis approaches, in choosing appropriate courses of action in the face of prolonged uncertainty.
Noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus of birds express TrkA, transport NGF, and respond to NGF.

The chicken locus coeruleus contains a population of noradrenergic neurons which express the neurotrophin receptor p75 (von Bartheld and Bothwell, 1992). To determine which neurotrophin may regulate the development of noradrenergic neurons in the chicken locus coeruleus, expression of trk receptors, retrograde transport of neurotrophins, and responses to NGF were examined. P75-expressing noradrenergic neurons were found to project to the basal forebrain. They transport radio- iodinated NGF after injections into this target. The retrograde transport of NGF is specific to the noradrenergic neuronal population as evidenced by double labeling with antibodies against dopamine-beta- hydroxylase. The same neuronal population expresses trkA receptor mRNA. The size of noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus proper, but not in the nucleus subcoeruleus, is significantly increased after injections of NGF into the telencephalon, consistent with the hypothesis that target-derived NGF provides trophic support. Noradrenergic coeruleus neurons are rescued from toxic effects of 6- hydroxydopamine injected into the telencephalon when NGF is injected into the midbrain. NGF has no rescue effect when it is coinjected with 6-hydroxy-dopamine into the telencephalon. In explant or dissociated cultures, noradrenergic coeruleus neurons do not respond to elevated levels of NGF with increased neurite outgrowth. Taken together, these results suggest that NGF plays a role in the development and maintenance of noradrenergic coeruleus neurons in the chick brain. The data also support our previous conclusion that major species differences exist between birds (chicken) and mammals with regard to trophic regulation of presumptive homologous neuronal populations.
Highly sensitive methods for electroanalytical chemistry based on nanotubule membranes.

Two new methods of electroanalysis are described. These methods are based on membranes containing monodisperse Au nanotubules with inside diameters approaching molecular dimensions. In one method, the analyte species is detected by measuring the change in trans-membrane current when the analyte is added to the nanotubule-based cell. The second method entails the use of a concentration cell based on the nanotubule membrane. In this case, the change in membrane potential is used to detect the analyte. Detection limits as low as 10-11 M have been achieved. Hence, these methods compete with even the most sensitive of modern analytical methodologies. In addition, excellent molecular-sized-based selectivity is observed.
Intergenerational Assimilation by Intermarriage: Hispanic and Asian Immigrants

Using multigenerational data, intermarriage rates were examined among non-White, non-European immigrants to test two competing assimilation theories: classic assimilation theory and segmented assimilation theory. Later generations of Asian and Hispanic immigrants were more likely to outmarry than their first-generation relatives, an outcome predicted by both theories. High achieving Asians were not more likely to engage in outmarriage, whereas educational achievement was positively correlated with outmarriage rates among Hispanics. Classic assimilation theory predicts outmarriage only after structural assimilation is achieved; therefore, this study provided more evidence to support segmented assimilation theory. However, low socioeconomic status Hispanics and Asians were not more likely to outmarry non-Whites, as segmented assimilation theory would suggest.
Existence of steady-state solutions to predator-prey equations in a heterogeneous environment

is considered. Here (x, t) E 52 x R +, where 52 is a bounded domain in KY’, u = (u,, u* )..., urn) is an m-tuple of functions, D is a constant positive definite matrix, and the A, are continuous matrix-valued functions. In [4] it is shown that if this system admits a bounded invariant region in R” and a certain quantity 0 is positive, then the solution of the initial-boundary value problem, with initial condition u(x, 0) = u,,(x) and homogeneous Neumann boundary condition, will converge to its own spatial average exponentially in L* or L" as t + co. This result implies that when the diffusion is sufficiently strong, any spatially nonconstant steady-state solution of the parabolic system above is unstable.
The entrance of glucose and other sugars into joints.

Entrance of glucose into joints was determined in calves and in patients with joint disease. In calves under two weeks, entrance was rapid; delayed in older calves. In patients with joint disease there was delay in appearance and slow subsequent entrance, more marked with greater severity of disease. The rate with galactose was the same; that with pentoses and methylated glucoses usually more rapid. The nature of the mechanism of transport is not apparent. Esseva determinate le entrata de glucosa in le articulationes de vitellos e de patientes con morbos articular. In vitellos de minus que duo septimanas de etate, le entrata esseva rapide; in vitellos plus avantiate illo esseva retardate. In patientes con morbo articular un retardate apparition de glucosa e un lente entrata subsequente de illo esseva notate, e isto esseva plus marcate con plus sever formas del morbo. In studios con galactosa le mesme comportamento esseva constatate; con le pentosas e le glucosas methylate le valores esseva generalmente plus rapide. Le natura del mechanismo de transporto non es apparente.
CTD lowering mechanics

Abstract The difficulties encountered in the deployment of CTD instruments, including the loss of an appreciable number of them, has prompted a comprehensive study of CTD lowering mechanics. Conditions causing large cyclic cable tensions, shock loads, or cable slack were to be investigated, modeled, and hopefully, measured in situ . The dynamic behaviour of the instrument package needed to be assessed. Methods to improve the path of the instruments as they travel through the water column and recommendations for safer and more efficient lowering procedures had to be formulated. This paper describes the study and presents salient findings and recommendations. We point out the limits of present CTD lowering systems and advocate that servo-controlled motion-compensating winches be used.