cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Perturbing the System: "Hard Science," "Soft Science," and Social Science, the Anxiety and Madness of Method

"Objective" research is ill-equipped to deal with emotion-laden topics such as terminal illness, dying, and death. I am confronted daily with these issues during my current fieldwork in a hospital intensive care unit (ICU). Physicians are biased toward methods claiming to be "scientific," and many medical sociologists conspire to satisfy this predilection. When unable to conduct hypothesis-driven research, they strive to be value-neutral and "objective" in the field, thus avoiding the Hawthorne effect. But why bother, when the Heisenberg Effect still holds? A phallic metaphor valorizes "hard" science as masculine, while denigrating "soft" science as feminine. This paper examines and critiques the notion of value-neutral social research, where "objectivity" is equated with scientific legitimacy. A fieldworker can learn more from perturbing the system than from pretending to be an invisible fly on the wall.
Strategic advocacy and maternal mortality: moving targets and the millennium development goals.

The UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are the latest international development strategy. The debates around the choice of MDGs, and the first steps of implementation, have threatened to push many women's health concerns off the policy map. But I argue in this article that there is space for feminist action around the remaining MDG on reducing maternal mortality. I discuss strategies to address maternal mortality and emphasise the importance of all women having access to EmOC (emergency obstetric care) in the event of birth complications. Using this MDG, we have an important opening for strategic advocacy focused on accountable health systems that can deliver the care necessary to save women's lives and improve their health. That focus will enable us to demand that attention be given to the globalisation policies that have contributed to the devastation of health systems in many parts of the world.
CLUSTER SIZE EFFECT OBSERVED FOR GOLD NANOPARTICLES SYNTHESIZED BY SOL-GEL TECHNIQUE AS STUDIED BY X-RAY PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROSCOPY

Abstract Gold nanoparticles have been synthesized by sol-gel technique. AFM analysis shows the presence of ≤ 12–14 nm and 40–60 nm sized particles for H 2 S/not heated and H 2 S/heated samples respectively. XPS analysis of H 2 S/not heated sample reveals that the core-level Au 4f7/2 B.E. is shifted by +0.3 eV with increase in the FWHM by 0.2 eV relative to the respective bulk values of 84.0 eV and 1.1 eV. The results are interpreted in terms of the changes in the electronic structure due to finite cluster size and creation of +ve charge over the surface of cluster during the photoemission process itself. The electronic structure of Au nanoparticles (or clusters) produced by present sol-gel technique is compared with that of Au clusters deposited by evaporation method described in the literature.
Undergraduate hands-on senior capstone project experience on emerging mobile IPV6 technology

In this paper, we detail how a senior student's desire to pursue a challenging Senior Capstone project in networking and mobility paved the way to the development of a networking environment where hands-on research at the undergraduate level on topics, such as, Mobile Internet Protocol version 6 (MIPv6) is readily feasible. Undergraduate students face many obstacles when pursuing hands-on projects requiring laboratory equipment not readily available in undergraduate laboratories. We describe how Open Source Software and Virtualization platforms were configured and deployed by a student and his advisor to successfully complete a MIPv6 hands-on project. The environment was developed using Linux, VMware, and GNS3. In addition to the technical aspects of this project a second unintended, but important, outcome is described. At the onset, the student and his advisor assumed that the student had the prerequisite Linux knowledge and skills necessary to create the technical environment required to complete this project. When it became clear, despite the student's best efforts, that his Linux knowledge and skills were insufficient to complete the project, the advisor, with no prior Linux Kernel related experience, had to learn it and provide guidance to the student. The student saw firsthand how his advisor, an experienced researcher, had to overcome a problem in a domain outside his core expertise as a normal part of the research process.
Complications of androgen-deprivation therapy for prostate cancer.

Abstract With the increasing indications for the use of androgen-deprivation therapy in the treatment of men with prostate cancer, side effects of the therapy deserve greater attention. Side effects such as hot flashes, decreased libido, decreased sexual function, and fatigue primarily affect the patient's quality of life. Other side effects such as osteoporosis and changes in lipid profiles may also affect the patient's overall health. Treatments such as estrogen, megestrol acetate, antidepressants, and bisphosphonates are useful in the management of many of the deleterious side effects of androgen deprivation. In addition, alternative management strategies such as intermittent androgen ablation and antiandrogen monotherapy may be useful in minimizing side effects caused by androgen ablation. Patients and physicians should be well aware of the potential side effects of androgen-deprivation therapy as well as the preventive and treatment strategies for these side effects in order to improve patients' quality of life and health.
Comparison of the Axial Correlation Lengths and Paracrystalline Distortion for Technora and Kevlar Aromatic Polyamide Fibers

X-ray fiber diagrams of the aromatic copolyamide Technora, prepared from terephthaloyl chloride and equimolar proportions of p-phenylenediamine and 3,4'-diaminodiphenyl ether, contain a series of nonperiodic layer lines that point to a structure consisting of parallel chains of random comonomer sequence. The meridional peak positions are predicted accurately for fully extended, infinite chains, and the observed and calculated peak intensities are also in reasonably good agreement. However, there is a less adequate match between the observed and calculated peak profiles, which are predicted to be very much sharper than those observed. The latter agreement is improved by using a model consisting of finite chain segments with a slightly nonlinear (sinuous) conformation. The best agreement for unannealed Technora is obtained with an ordered segment length of 300 ( 15 A and sinuosity of g ) 1.52 ( 0.05%, where g is analogous to the index of paracrystalline distortion in a homopolymer structure. Very similar results are obtained for fibers that have been thermally annealed. These data are strikingly similar to those for Kevlar fibers (poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide)), for which the crystallite size along the fiber axis direction is 350 ( 10 A with a paracrystalline distortion of 2.32 ( 0.08% for Kevlar 29, increasing to 400 ( 12 A with a paracrystalline distortion of 1.71 ( 0.06% for Kevlar 149. Consequently, although Technora is a random copolymer and the presence of the random diaminodiphenyl ether leads to a more distorted lateral packing of the chains than occurs in Kevlar, the fibers produced by the dry-jet wet-spinning process have extended conformations that are very similar in linearity to those for Kevlar, which probably account for the analogous high tensile strengths and moduli.
Defence Policy: Objectives, Weapons and Ethics

This article is primarily concerned with nuclear armament and its relationship to the social economy. Nuclear armament is only a part, though clearly an important part, of the defence issue. The article begins with an introduction to the defence problem. It then moves on to the issue of ethical conduct and defence policy. The article then concludes with an analysis of the problems created by the relationship of defence decision makers to the anti‐nuclear arms movement.
Cultural differences in investing in others and in the future: why measuring trust is not enough.

Standard measures of generalized trust in others are often taken to provide reliable indicators of economic attitudes in different countries. Here we compared three highly distinct groups, in Kenya, China and the US, in terms of more specific attitudes, [a] people’s willingness to invest in the future, [b] their willingness to invest in others, and [c] their trust in institutions. Results suggest that these measures capture deep differences in economic attitudes that are not detected by standard measures of generalized trust.
Fracture initiation and propagation in a cylindrical shell containing an initial surface flaw

An attempt is made to provide the necessary analytical tools for the application of two different types of fracture criteria to shell structures. Of particular interest is the problem of fracture propagation and arrest in a cylindrical pressure vessel containing an initial surface flaw. It is assumed that the flaw has the most unfavorable geometry and orientation, namely, it is a crack lying on a meridional plane. Stress intensity factor for a part-through crack, and a surface or internal crack with a fully yielded net ligament are considered. Attention is given to constant delta curves for depressurization studies and to depressurization and crack arrest in pressure vessels.
Accumulation, dynamic annealing and thermal recovery of ion-beam-induced disorder in silicon carbide

Ion-beam-induced disordering in single crystals of 6H–SiC has been investigated for a wide range of ion species (from H+ to Au2+) using in situ ion-channeling methods. Silicon carbide is readily amorphized below room temperature with all ions. The rate of ion-beam-induced disordering decreases with decreasing ion mass and with increasing temperature. Analysis of limited data suggests that the activation energy for dynamic recovery during irradiation below 300 K is of the order of 0.1 eV. Thermal annealing indicates similar three-stage recovery on both the Si and C sublattices, which suggests similar recovery processes and activation energies. The activation energies for thermal recovery on the Si sublattice are estimated to be 0.3±0.15 eV (Stage I), 1.3±0.25 eV (Stage II) and 1.5±0.3 eV (Stage III).
Long-term intensity oscillations in a pulsed inductively coupled plasma

Abstract Long-term variations in the light intensity emitted from a pulsed inductively coupled plasma (ICP) in the first 10 ms following the resumption of the r.f. field are investigated. The spatial and temporal distributions of both the spectral line intensity and the excitational temperature are given. A simple model is developed which confirms that the oscillations in emission intensity are due to bulk plasma oscillations.
A Survey of Types of Articles Published in the Science Education Literature

AbstractScientists value certain practices—theory construction, systematic data collection, and public scrutiny of one’s work—because these have carried science far. Do these values of science transfer toward solving educational problems? This paper reports the results of a survey of the science education literature for 1988 conducted to determine the types of papers that were published. Most articles were instructional in nature (47%), followed by research articles (24%), news stories (14%), curricular articles (12%), and literature reviews (3%). In addition, areas that could have practiced scientific practices did not (e.g., many of the instructional articles). The paper concludes by calling for a greater use of scientific practices while solving problems in science education.
Freezing and microphase separation in random copolymers

A two-letter random copolymer with attraction between similar monomers and repulsion between different ones is investigated using the replica method. This type of interactions favors microphase separation (MPS) in a compact state of a polymer or in a melt. Frustrations between interactions and polymeric bonds may lead to freezing transition in a phase where only a few conformations dominate and replica symmetry is broken. Our analysis reveals that stiff polymers have a frozen phase and do not undergo transition to a phase with microdomain structure. In flexible polymers the microphase transition may occur before freezing. A complete phase diagram showing the interplay between the two phase transitions is constructed for the two-letter random copolymer.
Gender, Race, and the Self in Mental Health and Crime

Strong and consistent gender differences exist in mental health problems and crime. Females suffer more from internalizing problems, including depression and anxiety, while males predominate in externalizing problems, which include delinquency, aggression, and substance abuse. These gender differences vary by race, however. Although gender differences in externalizing problems remain considerable across race, gender differences in internalizing problems are far greater for whites than African Americans. In explaining these patterns, our perspective differs from prior theories in both mental health and criminology by focusing on the intersection of gender and race in relation to both internalizing and externalizing problems. We propose that gender and race affect internalizing and externalizing problems through their impact on schemas about self-salience, which refer to beliefs about the importance of the self versus the collective in social relations. In testing this perspective, we examine a sample of white and African American males and females in adolescence, the point at which these patterns arise. We find that gender and race interact to shape schemas about self-salience. Further, these differences in self-salience help to explain the disparities by gender and race in internalizing and externalizing problems.
Enhancing the effectiveness of juvenile drug courts by integrating evidence-based practices.

Objective: The primary purpose of this study was to test a relatively efficient strategy for enhancing the capacity of juvenile drug courts (JDC) to reduce youth substance use and criminal behavior by incorporating components of evidence-based treatments into their existing services. Method: Six JDCs were randomized to a condition in which therapists were trained to deliver contingency management in combination with family engagement strategies (CM-FAM) or to continue their usual services (US). Participants included 104 juvenile offenders (average age = 15.4 years; 83% male; 57% White, 40% African American, 3% Biracial). Eighty-six percent of the youths met criteria for at least 1 substance use disorder, and co-occurring psychiatric diagnoses were highly prevalent. Biological and self-report measures of substance use and self-reported delinquency were assessed from baseline through 9 months postrecruitment. Results: CM-FAM was significantly more effective than US at reducing marijuana use, based on urine drug screens, and at reducing both crimes against persons and property offenses. Such favorable outcomes, however, were not observed for the self-report measure of substance use. Although some variation in outcomes was observed between courts, the outcomes were not moderated by demographic characteristics or co-occurring psychiatric disorders. Conclusions: The findings suggest that JDC practices can be enhanced to improve outcomes for participating juvenile offenders. A vehicle for promoting such enhancements might pertain to the development and implementation of program certification standards that support the use of evidence-based interventions by JDCs. Such standards have been fundamental to the successful transport of evidence-based treatments of juvenile offenders. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved). Language: en
Unilateral retinitis pigmentosa and cone-rod dystrophy

PURPOSE The purpose of this paper is to report 14 new cases of unilateral retinitis pigmentosa and three new cases of cone-rod dystrophy and to compare the similarities and dissimilarities to those found in the bilateral forms of these disorders. METHODS A total of 272 cases of retinitis pigmentosa and 167 cases of cone-rod dystrophy were studied by corneal full field electroretinograms and electrooculograms. The student t-test was used to compare categories. RESULTS The percentage of familial and nonfamilial cases was the same for the bilateral and unilateral forms of the disease. In our series, unilateral retinitis pigmentosa makes up approximately 5% of the total population of retinitis pigmentosa, while unilateral cone-rod dystrophy makes up only about 2% of the total. In the familial forms of unilateral retinitis pigmentosa the most common inheritance pattern was autosomal dominant and all affected relatives had bilateral disease. CONCLUSION Unilateral retinitis pigmentosa and cone-rod dystrophy appear to be directly related to the more common bilateral forms of these disorders. The genetic mechanisms which account for asymmetric disorders are not currently understood. It may be a different unidentified mutation at a single loci or it is possible that nonlinked mutations in multiple loci account for this unusual disorder.
Tension pneumocephalus following craniofacial resection

Background. The craniofacial approach is a reliable method for excising tumors involving the anterior skull base, Advances in technique have minimized complications. Although cerebrospinal fluid leaks and meningitis are well-known complications, tension pneumocephalus is not well described. We review two cases and discuss the pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, radiographic features, and treatment of tension pneumocephalus, Methods. Case study. We reviewed the records of all patients who underwent anterior craniofacial resection at our institution, a tertiary care center, from 1976 to 1993. Among 45 patients identified, 2 had tension pneumocephalus, Results. Neurologic deterioration after anterior craniofacial resection occurred in both patients in the immediate postoperative period. Both patients had extradural intracranial air under pressure and were diagnosed with tension pneumocephalus. In one patient, this was treated by needle aspiration followed by catheter drainage, and the second patient was treated with needle aspiration followed by airway diversion. The first patient recovered fully and was discharged on postoperative day 14; the second patient's mental status did not return to the preoperative level, and he was discharged on postoperative day 23 to a rehabilitative facility, Approximately 3 months later, his level of mentation returned to baseline. Conclusions. Tension pneumocephalus is a potentially devastating complication that may occur after craniofacial resection. It requires prompt recognition and treatment to minimize morbidity
Consonant and sign phoneme acquisition in signing children following cochlear implantation

Deaf children from signing programs provide new opportunities to investigate changes in sign and speech acquisition following cochlear implantation. We describe the acquisition of sign phonemes (location, movement, and handshapes) and speech phonemes (consonants) in 22 implanted children with diverse demographic backgrounds. New consonants and new sign phonemes emerged in developmentally expected sequences and with statistically significant correlation coefficients between cumulative number of new consonants and new sign phonemes over time. Regression slopes from plotted z scores revealed a burst in consonant and sign growth in early months post-implant, with continuous but plateauing growth over time. These results and documentation of developmental levels of sign and speech phoneme trajectories should be helpful to other researchers and to clinicians working with signing children who have cochlear implants.
The tree of science and original sin: Do christian religious beliefs constrain the supply of scientists?

Abstract This paper considers the effects of religion and religiosity on the supply of scientists. Parameters of a random utility model are estimated from General Social Survey (GSS) data where the decision to earn a graduate degree in a quantitative science depends upon ability, and conditional on religious beliefs, the post-temporal afterlife costs. We find that the individual decision to pursue a graduate degree in science is sensitive to beliefs about the literal truth of the Bible and an afterlife. Our results also suggest that the underrepresentation of black Americans among graduate science degree holders is explained by their overrepresentation in the population of individuals raised in fundamentalist religious denominations.
Beginning Secondary Science Teachers in Different Induction Programmes: The first year of teaching

While it is generally acknowledged that the first years of teaching are the most difficult, little is known about the development of subject matter specialists during this period. In order to add to the knowledge in this area, the present study explores the first year of 114 secondary science teachers as they participate in one of four different induction programmes. The data collected in this study consist of observations of practice, and of interviews about beliefs, pedagogical content knowledge and experiences throughout the year. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of the data revealed that, as a group, the beginning teachers held teacher‐centred practices, beliefs, and pedagogical content knowledge. Analysis by induction programme, however, revealed that teachers who participated in science‐specific induction programmes significantly changed their beliefs and used more investigations in their classroom lessons than did their peers in the other induction programmes. Moreover, the physical proximity ...
A new nanoconstruct for epidermal growth factor receptor-targeted photo-immunotherapy of ovarian cancer

Abstract Targeted photodynamic therapy (TPDT) involves the administration of a photosensitizer (PS) conjugated with a targeting moiety followed by light activation. The systemic toxicity associated with conventional therapy may thus be significantly reduced in TPDT due to the dual selectivity provided by the spatial localization of the illumination as well as the target-localizing ability of the conjugate. Herein, a photo-immuno-conjugate-associating-liposome (PICAL) for TPDT has been developed in which the FDA approved benzoporphyrin derivative monoacid A (BPD) and the Cetuximab antibody for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) were associated into a stable Preformed Plain Liposome (PPL) by passive physical adsorption. Results have shown that the BPD molecules adsorbed into PICAL have stable optical behavior and a higher fluorescence quantum yield than free-BPD. The Cetuximab adsorbed into PPL selectively binds to cells that overexpress EGFR. The inhibition of EGFR signaling by PICAL has enhanced PDT-mediated ovarian cancer cell death. From the Clinical Editor In this basic science study, a photo-immuno-conjugate-associating-liposome for targeted photodynamic therapy is investigated. The FDA-approved benzoporphyrin derivative monoacid A and an epidermal growth factor receptor antibody were assembed into a stable Preformed Plain Liposome (PPL) by passive physical adsorption. The authors demonstrate therapeutic efficacy of the above construct in an ovarian tumor system.
Investigation of oxygen transfer to slime as a surface reaction

Abstract Trickling filters are essentially contacting devices which facilitate the adsorption of oxygen and organic material in waste water by a slime layer consisting of a gelatinous matrix interspersed with microorganisms. From a mechanistic viewpoint, therefore, the trickling filter is analogous to a fixed bed catalytic reactor. The characteristics of the catalytic surface, namely, the slime layer, are the major differences. Most of the previous studies on trickling filter analysis based on the above viewpoint have utilized a simple vertical wall or an inclined plane as the physical model. In this study, a circular tube containing flowing liquid forms the basis of the mathematical model permitting the determination, by use of experimental macroscopic data, of the reaction rate between dissolved oxygen and a thin layer of microorganisms attached to the wall within the system. The mathematical analysis assumes that both mass transfer and chemical reaction are important in the overall oxygen consumption process. The experimental data, based on the mathematical model, show that in a continuous flow, steady state system the reaction kinetics between dissolved oxygen and the attached thin layer of microorganisms does not depend on the dissolved oxygen concentration, and thus is kinetically zero order. This has been experimentally shown previously only for suspended cultures of bacteria and for the first time has been verified for slime beds.
[3H]-Nitrendipine binding in developing dissociated fetal mouse spinal cord neurons.

Summary The development of [ 3 H]-nitrendipine binding was investigated in spinal cord neurons. Kinetic studies indicated two classes of binding sites which were present throughout development and the dissociation constants (K d ) and B max increased during development. [ 3 H]-nitrendipine binding during development was characterized by a plateau on days 3–5 with maximal binding observed on day 19 after plating.
The effect of elevated subway train noise over time on black children's visual vigilance performance

This study investigated the effect of exposure to subway noise over time on young children's visual vigilance performance. 102 kindergarteners attending day care centers near and far from elevated subways were presented tachistoscopically (100 msec) one-, two-, three-, and four-item pictorial arrays of geometric shapes, objects and fruit. Children reported verbally or by pressing a telegraph key the presence and absence of a critical stimulus. Factorial analyses revealed that only girls' performance under verbal response mode conditions manifested adverse effects of exposure to subway noise over time (P < 0·05). The findings suggest that subway noise had no universal cumulative effect upon young children's visual performance; rather, such an effect varied as a function of the nature of the task (response mode), length of exposure and sex.
Modified internal calibration lamp source for ETM+ on Landsat 7

THe general configuration of the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus that will fly on Landsat 7 closely follows that of the whiskbroom Thematic Mapper scanners on Landsats 5 and 7. Design modification include changes to the on-board calibration system. The addition of solar calibrators reduces the need to rely on the internal calibrator for long-term calibration of the reflective bands, but miniature incandescent lamps are still used to monitor short-term variations in system response. Internal calibration is accomplished by means of an oscillating shutter than passe immediately ahead of the prime focal plane each time the scan mirror reverse direction. Mounted on the shutter is a miniature projection system fed by a system of sapphire light rods that transit light from stationary, redundant tungsten lamps mounted at the center of oscillation of the moving assembly. The area of the shutter adjacent to the optics is painted flat black. Its temperature is continuously monitored, and it provides the reference radiance level for DC-restoration of all bands. A mirror on the shutter reflects light from a blackbody to provide an additional reference level for the thermal band.
Setting Standards for Complex Performances: An Iterative, Judgmental Policy capturing Strategy

What is judgmental policy capturing? How can it be applied to standard setting with performance assessments? Do judges value some exercises more in setting standards?
"We are not alone": ion channel mutations in a long QT syndrome cohort.

i u o a o p The long QT syndromes (LQTS) were the first genetially defined arrhythmia-prone phenotype, and they still ave much to teach arrhythmia doctors. At one time, paients with LQTS apparently were so rare that even an alert ardiologist might never see such a patient in a lifetime of ractice. The LQTS were just the sort of malady that medcal schools favor: they were exceedingly uncommon, geetically defined, and nearly irrelevant to the clinician. uch has changed since the initial report of a patient with QTS in the medical literature and since the successful apping of the first LQTS to an ion channel encoding ene. LQTS is rare but is sufficiently common that most ardiologists and all clinical cardiac electrophysiologists ill be confronted with these patients. The findings preented by Tester et al in the current issue of Heart Rhythm how that LQTS patients are not alone. Collectively, the LQTS result from dysfunction of ion hannel proteins that belong in the cell membrane and are ctivated by changes in cell membrane potential, as occur uring the action potential. We now know that a wide ariety of mutations in ion channel and other proteins can roduce a phenotype of prolonged repolarization and an nhanced susceptibility to arrhythmias. In general, these utations cause a defect in cardiac repolarization by one of hree pathways: (1) by altering ion channel opening or nactivation in response to cell membrane voltage (i.e., ating defects); (2) reducing the number of ion channels at he cell membrane (i.e., trafficking defects); or (3) disruptng the highly organized localization of ion channel proteins ithout reducing the number of channels (i.e., patients with nkyrin B mutations). It recently has become clear that mutations in biology’s argest ion channel, the ryanodine receptor (RyR), can also ause arrhythmias and sudden death. In the study reported n this issue of Heart Rhythm, Ackerman’s group dissected
Morphological and morphometric changes in the gills of mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) after exposure to mercury (II)

Abstract Physiological measurements suggest that mercury (Hg) affects ion regulation in aquatic organisms. This implies that Hg should cause morphological changes in gills, the major ionoregulatory organ of fish. Previous studies have shown severe Hg-induced gill damage at acutely lethal Hg concentrations, but in soft fresh waters, where ionoregulatory disturbances should be most pronounced, there have been no quantitative studies to date of the effects of dissolved Hg at sublethal concentrations. We exposed mosquitofish ( Gambusia holbrooki ) to nominal concentrations of 75, 150 and 300 nM Hg (II) in natural stream water of low ionic strength (Ca = 4.8 μ M) in a static-renewal experiment. Mercury concentrations dropped rapidly after Hg additions, and most dissolved Hg was probably complexed with humic substances. Gills were sampled after 7 and 14 days exposure. Examination with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), indicated that Hg caused progressive loss of secondary lamellae and loss of cell surface microridges. Effects became more severe at higher Hg concentrations. Using light microscopy and morphometric techniques, the percent of gill filament occupied by chloride cells (volume density) was significantly greater in all Hg treatments than in controls, and thickness of the primary lamellar epithelium increased with Hg exposure. Thickening of the primary lamellar epithelium filled some interlamellar spaces, obliterating secondary lamellae. However, width of the exposed portions of secondary lamellae was not affected by Hg, suggesting that blood-to-water diffusion distances did not increase in response to Hg exposure. Autometallographic staining for Hg showed that the metal was distributed throughout the gill epithelium, and not concentrated inside chloride cells.
The plain truth

Anti-smoking advocates will be delighted. MPs have today voted in favor of introducing uniform packaging for cigarettes in the UK. That plain wrappers will undoubtedly further reduce smoking, especially among young people, is best confirmed by the tobacco industry's vast opposition to this government measure and positive evidence from Australia, the first country to adopt it. Along with lobbying and appeals to the World Trade Organization, the tobacco industry, when under attack, inevitably wheels out well-worn arguments about the nanny state, personal freedom, lack of scientific substantiation, and losses in jobs and tax revenues. Here, Nestle discusses how the tobacco industry is fighting moves to sell cigarettes in plain packs by claiming food manufacturers will be hit next.
Fetal genotypes and pregnancy outcomes in 35 families with mitochondrial trifunctional protein mutations.

Abstract Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of fetal genotype on maternal and fetal outcomes in families with mitochondrial trifunctional protein mutations in the United States. Trifunctional protein has 3 enzymatic activities that include long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase, which catalyzes long-chain fatty acid β-oxidation. Study Design: We analyzed pregnancy history and offspring genotypes in 35 families with heterogeneous mutations. The fetal genotype was determined in utero in 11 pregnancies and after birth in 50 pregnancies. Results: Forty-nine percent of the women who carried affected fetuses had acute fatty liver of pregnancy. Another 11% of the women had the syndrome of hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets, or preeclampsia. All women who had the maternal illness carried fetuses with isolated long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency. Sixty-eight percent and 43% of the affected pregnancies also were associated with premature delivery and intrauterine growth retardation, respectively. No maternal or fetal complications were associated with heterozygous or wild-type fetal genotypes. Conclusion: Fetal mitochondrial trifunctional protein defects should be considered a cause for maternal liver disease, preterm labor, and intrauterine growth retardation. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2002;187:715-20.)
Should Great Lakes City Build a New Power Plant? How Youth Navigate Socioscientific Issues

There is a growing consensus that simply learning enough science to decipher public debates on socioscientific issues will not make citizens better equipped to handle the complex and ill- structured problems these controversial issues present. This study highlights the interaction and complex interplay between youth authored and appropriated frames for making sense of socioscientific issues. To do so, we analyze how two middle-school aged youth, in an after-school program focused on green energy technologies, made sense of and took a stance on whether their city should build a new hybrid power plant over the course of a 13-week unit. Using critical sociocultural perspectives on learning and qualitative case study, we examined how the two youth navigated the issue and the resources, scientific and otherwise, they leveraged in defining the problem spaces involved in whether their city should build a new power plant. Our findings indicate that the scientific knowledge youth brought with them and acquired over the course of the investigation influenced how they made sense of the issue, but their knowledge was deeply connected to a range of personal and public discourses that influenced how they defined the issue and why it mattered to them. In particular, it was through how they framed their range of knowledge and experiences that they were able to recognize the multi-dimensional nature of the problem and propose complex solutions resonant with the science they understood. Our study offers conceptual tools for teaching and learning socioscientific issues. 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res
Phospholipid Scramblase Expression in the Pregnant Mouse Uterus in LPS-Induced Preterm Delivery

Phospholipid scramblases (PLSCR), stimulated by proinflammatory cytokines, are thought to mediate the loss of lipid asymmetry in cell membranes, allowing for specific reactions in the coagulation cascade. The PLSCR may therefore provide a link between inflammation, coagulation, and, because thrombin is a uterotonic, preterm birth (PTB). To explore the relationship between PLSCR expression and inflammation-related PTB, we utilized reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction and Western blot studies to quantify messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expression for the 4 PLSCR homologues (PLSCR 1-4). Uteri from day 15 pregnant mice were harvested at several time points after intrauterine lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection (or normal saline, for controls). Expression of mRNA in all 4 Plscr isoforms was demonstrated. Lipopolysaccharide treatment resulted in increased expression of PLSCR-1 and a decrease in Plscr4 mRNA, thereby demonstrating modulation of PLSCR-1 and PLSCR-4 in LPS-induced PTB. Additionally, protein expression was confirmed for all except PLSCR-4, with increased expression of PLSCR-1 after LPS treatment.
On sufficient conditions for the stability of interval matrices

Abstract We investigate the Hurwitz and Schur stability of interval matrices using Lyapunov's second method and interval analysis techniques. Previous results require a check of the definiteness of 2 n(n − 1)/2 concerns of a certain interval matrix. The present results require a check of the definiteness of only 2 n − 1 corners.
Isolation and analysis of embryonic expression of Hox-4.9, a member of the murine labial-like gene family.

Abstract Two members of the murine labial (lab) subfamily of Antennapedia-like homeobox-containing genes, Hox-1.6 and Hox-2.9, have been identified previously. Here we describe a third member genetically linked to the Hox-4 cluster on chromosome 2. This gene, designated Hox-4.9, is similar in structure to the other lab subfamily members. However, little coding sequence other than the homeobox and sequences immediately upstream of it have been conserved. By in situ hybridization analysis, Hox-4.9 mRNA is first detected at the end of the late streak stage (E7.75) in presumptive lateral and extraembryonic mesoderm. During early neurogenesis (E8.0–8.5), Hox-4.9 is detected solely in lateral mesoderm; its lack of expression in somitic mesoderm and the neural tube makes it unique among the Hox genes. By late neurogenesis and through mid-gestation (E9.0–E11.5), Hox-4.9 is no longer detected in lateral mesoderm but is found instead in a restricted region of presumed trunk neural crest and in the dermatone. These data are discussed in comparison with what is known about expression of the other members of the lab subfamily.
Metathesis and metallotropy: a versatile combination for the synthesis of oligoenynes.

We have demonstrated that the combined use of enyne metathesis and metallotropic [1,3]-shift of the corresponding alkynyl ruthenium carbenes is a powerful synthetic tool to construct oligoenynes. In this reaction, alkynyl carbene intermediates formed from an initial ring-closing metathesis reaction (RCM) undergo repetitive [1,3]-shifts and RCMs to give the final products. Linear poly-1,3-diynes containing repeating functionality of the type −[XCH2CCCCCH2]n− generated long-chain conjugated oligoenynes up to n = 5.
Challenges and opportunities in lifelong learning: Perspective of pharmacist employers

What changes do pharmacist employers believe will have to occur to make lifelong learning a part of the underlying structure and framework of an individual pharmacist's professional practice? Individual pharmacists should seek to develop a passion for their work and learn what to do with the autonomy granted to members of a profession. The pharmacy profession should develop a concept of pharmacy practice that focuses on what the public expects from a pharmacist rather than one that seeks to change the public's perception of a pharmacist. Mandating certain behaviors on the part of pharmacists will not promote lifelong learning since regulations only prescribe minimums, while lifelong learning stresses maximizing one's potential. Pharmacy educators should try to find ways to capitalize on the experience individual pharmacists have accumulated and move those pharmacists ahead to the next level of practice. This process begins with the perspective that educators should focus on enhancing a pharmacist's proficiency rather than trying to prevent obsolescence. The issue may not be whether pharmacists will participate in the learning process; rather, it is likely to be what they will learn that is directly applicable to their pharmacy practice. Pharmacist employers should create a work environment where pharmacists can fully use what they have learned. Through the proper use of individualized incentives, employers can promote self-directed and lifelong learning among their pharmacists.
Regularity results for a one-dimensional two-phase degenerate Stefan problem

(l.lh) 40) = 30, (l.li) where a,(u) > 0 and ai = 0 for i = 1,2. In the classical Stefan problem, the specific heat E(U) is required to be strictly positive, where a(u) = ml(u) if u is in Q,’ and ~~~(11) if u is in Q;. However, in more general free boundary problems various types of degeneracy in a can occur. In the electro-chemical machining process, the “specific heat” is zero in both phases resulting in elliptic differential equations, but with a Stefan type boundary condition. See [3] for a description of this model. In the study of saturated/unsaturated flow in
A P2P intrusion detection system based on mobile agents

Traditional intrusion detection systems have a central coordinator with a static hierarchical architecture. We propose a peer-to-peer intrusion detection system that has no central coordinator. Our approach is like that of a "neighborhood watch". A virtual neighborhood is created where neighbors take on the task of looking out for each other. When an intrusion occurs they observe this intrusion and inform the residents about this intrusion and collectively take action. We use cooperating, mobile agents for intrusion detection. Each site periodically sends mobile agents to visit and check up on its neighbors and report back. When inconsistent or anomalous behavior is observed, the observer-neighbor initiates a voting process to take action against the compromised site.
Impact of Biopharmaceutics Classification System-based biowaivers.

The Biopharmaceutics Classification System (BCS) is employed to waive in vivo bioequivalence testing (i.e. provide “biowaivers”) for new and generic drugs that are BCS class I. Granting biowaivers under systems such as the BCS eliminates unnecessary drug exposures to healthy subjects and provides economic relief, while maintaining the high public health standard for therapeutic equivalence. International scientific consensus suggests class III drugs are also eligible for biowaivers. The objective of this study was to estimate the economic impact of class I BCS-based biowaivers, along with the economic impact of a potential expansion to BCS class III. Methods consider the distribution of drugs across the four BCS classes, numbers of in vivo bioequivalence studies performed from a five year period, and effects of highly variable drugs (HVDs). Results indicate that 26% of all drugs are class I non-HVDs, 7% are class I HVDs, 27% are class III non-HVDs, and 3% are class III HVDs. An estimated 66 to 76 million ...
Emergent symbolic relations in speakers and nonspeakers.

Abstract Eight adults with developmental disabilities and four typically developing preschool children participated in an experiment studying emergent stimulus–stimulus relations after match-to-sample instruction. Participants were taught to match lexigrams (arbitrary graphic stimuli) to objects. Each object was functionally related to another object in the teaching set. For example, brush and comb were members of the teaching set. Most participants were able to select objects when the objects were named in pretests. Post-teaching probes assessed emergent relations between spoken names and lexigrams. In addition, we included probes to detect emergent relations between related lexigrams. That is, would participants select the lexigram for comb when the experimenter displayed the lexigram for brush (without explicit teaching)? Two preschool children and five adults with developmental disabilities showed emergent relations between lexigrams and spoken words. However, only two preschool children showed the emergent lexigram to related lexigram relations.
Retinal metabolic abnormalities in diabetic mouse: comparison with diabetic rat.

Purpose. Dogs and rats are commonly used to examine the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy, but mouse is sparingly studied as an animal model of diabetic retinopathy. In this study metabolic abnormalities, postulated to contribute to the development of retinopathy in diabetes, are investigated in the retina of mice diabetic or galactose-fed for 2 months, and are compared to those obtained from hyperglycemic rats. Methods. Diabetes was induced in mice (C57BL/6) and rats (Sprague Dawley) by alloxan injection, and experimental galactosemia by feeding normal animals diets supplemented with 30% galactose. After 2 months of hyperglycemia, levels of lipid peroxides, glutathione, nitric oxides and sorbitol, and activities of protein kinase C and (Na-K)-ATPase were measured in the retina. Results. Two months of diabetes or experimental galactosemia in mice increased retinal oxidative stress, PKC activity and nitric oxides by 40–50% and sorbitol levels by 3 folds, and these abnormalities were similar to those obs...
The TNM staging system

The new TNM staging system for cancer has great importance because of its applicability for imaging techniques, particularly clinical staging by EUS. The close correlation between clinical (EUS) and pathologic staging permits clinicians to define the strategy for treatment based on the stage of the cancer. In cases where lymph node metastasis is suspected, EUS-guided FNA can be performed for confirmation of this diagnosis by cytology. In the era of minimally invasive surgery, EUS will become the most important diagnostic modality for defining early stage malignant disease. In such cases endoscopic or surgical resection can be performed. When a tumor is shown by EUS to be nonresectable, it will become important to avoid explorative surgery. Despite some limitations, both the TNM classification and EUS clinical staging will be used with increasing frequency in the clinical management of patients with cancer. Furthermore, refinements in the TNM staging system, such as adoption of subclassifications of early cancers and clarification of the definition of regional lymph node involvement, will be necessary to optimize clinical staging. Technologic improvement of EUS instruments, particularly in miniaturization of the echoprobe, will improve the integration of EUS as a routine procedure for cancer staging.
The echinocandin micafungin: a review of the pharmacology, spectrum of activity, clinical efficacy and safety

Micafungin is a relatively broad-spectrum antifungal agent available for clinical use in the US and Japan. By inhibiting the production of β-1,3-glucan, an essential fungal cell wall component, micafungin has reduced toxicity to mammalian cells while maintaining potent antifungal activity against many pathogenic fungi including polyene- and azole-resistant isolates. Indeed, micafungin has been shown to be efficacious in the treatment of infections caused by Candida and Aspergillus species in clinical trials without the associated toxicities of amphotericin B formulations and drug interactions that occur with the azoles. In this review, the pharmacology, spectrum of activity, clinical efficacy and safety profile of micafungin are discussed.
Spatial coherence measurements of a 13.2 nm transient nickel-like cadmium soft X-ray laser pumped at grazing incidence

We report the experimental confirmation of the production of element 110. In the bombardment of a {sup 208}Pb target with a 309 MeV {sup 64}Ni beam, we have observed two chains of time- and position-correlated events. Each chain consisted of the implantation of an evaporation residue followed by the emission of {alpha}-particles. We attribute these two chains to the decay of {sup 271}110 produced with a cross section of 8.3{sup +11}{sub -5.3} pb.