cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of Rare Earths on Austenite Grain Growth Behavior in X80 Pipeline Steel

Accorded with the criteria the X80 pipeline steels with RE additions have been prepared with a vacuum induction furnace. The effect of rare earths (RE) on austenite grain growth behavior in pipeline steel has been discussed in this work. After hot rolled, the effect of RE on austenite grain growth behavior have been studied by the thermal simulator, scanning electron microscopy and metallographic microscope. The results indicate that RE additions inhibit the abnormal growth of austenite grain, trace RE could significantly influence the austenite grain growth behavior, and obtain fine grain size in X80 pipeline steel. For instance, the activation energy of grain growth reduced from 475 kJ/mol to 425 kJ/mol with addition of 0.0220 wt.% RE according with no deliberate RE additions, but the grain growth index increased from 3.5 to 4.5.
The emergence of monotheism in Ancient Israel : A survey of recent scholarship

Contemporary biblical scholars envision the emergence of monotheism in ancient Israel to be a later, more gradual phenomenon than heretofore has been assumed. This new view has emerged as a result of recent archaeological discoveries and a reassessment of the testimony of the biblical text. Only a small minority of pre-exilic Israelites were developing monotheistic ideas, and they probably went through several stages of evolution until they became consistent monotheists in the Babylonian Exile. Some critical scholars suspect that this evolution may have been a totally post-exilic phenomenon. This essay attempts to review the positions of various scholars in this debate.
Ultrastructural Localization of Vesicle-associated Membrane Protein(s) to Specialized Membrane Structures in Human Pericytes, Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells, Endothelial Cells, Neutrophils, and Eosinophils

Vesicle-associated membrane proteins (VAMPs) are important to the trafficking of vesicles between membrane-bound intracytoplasmic organelles, in the facilitation of neurosecretion, and in constitut...
Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions Via Telehealth: Applications to Pediatric Functional Abdominal Pain

This integrative literature review explores the utility of telehealth, specifically videoconferencing, for the delivery of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to youth with functional abdominal pain (FAP). Children with FAP and their families encounter a number of barriers to treatment that hinder access to traditional in-clinic treatments, such as CBT. Videoconferencing may be a feasible and effective alternative to traditional services and may hold benefits such as high rates of patient satisfaction, improved access to care, improved attendance rates, and cost reductions to the family. This article concludes that videoconferencing provides a good “fit” with the delivery of CBT to children and adolescents with FAP.
Kinetic modeling for the catalytic oxidation of benzo(a)pyrene

Abstract A microcatalytic flow reactor system was used to elucidate the kinetics of benzo( a )pyrene (BAP) oxidation over a mixed vanadium pentoxide-molybdenum oxide catalyst. Experimental conditions covered the following ranges: reaction temperature 275–345 °C; BAP concentration 0.002-0.05 g mol/m 3 ; and oxygen concentration 4.0–26.0 g mol/m 3 . Current statistical methodology was utilized in conjunction with the data obtained to discriminate among rival kinetic models, as well as to provide model parameter estimates. Results show that the oxidation reaction follows a classical redox mechanism.
Changes in Crystallinity of Cellulose During Dehydration

SUMMARY— Samples of onions and bell peppers were taken during various stages of high- and low-temperature dehydration and lyophilization to ascertain the step-wise changes that occur in the crystallinity of cellulose. Cellulose crystallizes mainly during the later stages of drying in all three processes, and freezing produces only a minor amount of crystallization. Most of the water loss and loss of rehydration capacity occurs at the start of dehydration. The latter is ascribed to cell death and loss of differential permeability in protoplasmic membranes. Rehydration volume is related to crystallinity of cellulose in these materials within each method of dehydration.
The NF-κB Inhibitory Proteins IκBα and IκBβ Mediate Disparate Responses to Inflammation in Fetal Pulmonary Endothelial Cells

Exposure to intrauterine inflammation impairs lung growth but paradoxically protects the neonatal pulmonary vasculature from hyperoxic injury. The mechanisms mediating these contradictory effects are unknown. The objective is to identify the role of NF-κB in mediating cytoprotective and proinflammatory responses to inflammation in the fetal pulmonary endothelium. In newborn rats exposed to intra-amniotic LPS, we found increased expression of the NF-κB target gene manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) in the pulmonary endothelium. Supporting these in vivo findings, LPS induced NF-κB activation and MnSOD expression in isolated fetal pulmonary arterial endothelial cells. In addition, LPS exposure caused apoptosis and suppressed cellular growth and induced P-selectin expression. LPS-induced NF-κB activation that proceeded through specific isoforms of the inhibitory protein IκB mediated these diverse responses; NF-κB signaling through IκBα degradation resulted in MnSOD upregulation and preserved cell growth, whereas NF-κB signaling through IκBβ degradation mediated apoptosis and P-selectin expression. These findings suggest that selective inhibition of NF-κB activation that results from IκBβ degradation preserves the enhanced antioxidant defense and protects the developing pulmonary vascular endothelium from ongoing inflammatory injury.
A flip-chip-packaged and fully integrated 60 GHz CMOS micro-radar sensor for heartbeat and mechanical vibration detections

A 60 GHz micro-radar in 90 nm CMOS for non-contact vital sign and small vibration detections was designed and tested. A quadrature receiver embedded in the indirect up- and down-conversion architechture solves the null detection point issue and increases the robustness of the millimeter wave system. In the 60 GHz core, lumped-element-modeled passive components are extensively used to achieve a compact layout (0.73 mm2), and a 36 dB down-conversion gain at 55 GHz. Using low-cost single-patch PCB antennas, flip-chip packaging of the CMOS chip demonstrates high level of system integration. First pass success is achieved as the human heartbeat and a small mechanical vibration with a displacement of 20 µm can be detected at 0.3 m away. With a roughly one-tenth patch antenna size compared to previously reported works, the 60 GHz CMOS integrated micro-radar can be readily embedded in various portable devices to detect vary small vibrations and used for many applications.
Anthropometric measures and fasting insulin levels in children before and after cure of Cushing syndrome.

Summary Background & aims Children with Cushing syndrome present with growth delay and excess adiposity that tends to be generalized rather than centripetal. There are no prospective studies of this phenotype as it evolves before and after treatment in children. The aims of this study were to evaluate children prior to and one-year after surgical cure compared to controls and to determine fasting insulin levels and their possible association with waist circumference and waist-height ratio, pre- and post-cure of Cushing syndrome. Methods 30 children with Cushing syndrome were evaluated prior to and one-year post-treatment and compared to 14 age and body mass index-matched controls. Results Only triceps skin fold z- score showed a significant difference between patients with active Cushing syndrome and controls. A positive correlation between fasting insulin levels and waist circumference z- score was found for children with Cushing syndrome; this association persisted one-year following cure. Conclusions Unlike adults affected with Cushing syndrome, upper arm muscle area of children with Cushing syndrome did not differ from obese children without Cushing syndrome. The persistence of a positive correlation between waist circumference and fasting insulin despite remission of Cushing syndrome suggests that children with a history of Cushing syndrome may have an increased risk for adverse long-term effects of increased abdominal fat mass. Clinical Trial numbers: NCT00001595, NCT00001452, NCT00005927.
The Use of Decision Analytic Models to Inform Clinical Decision Making in the Management of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Decision analysis helps evaluate competing strategies under conditions of uncertainty in a wide variety of clinical settings. Despite some limitations, decision trees and Markov models remain essential tools for medical decision analysts. These techniques allow comparison of competing management strategies in a quantitative fashion. Sensitivity analysis is an important feature of decision analytic models that identify important factors that affect the outcome of decisions under considerations. Judiciously used, decision analytic models allow a quantitative evaluation of existing data as they relate to strategies ranging from optimizing clinical management at the patient level to allocating health care resources at the societal level.
Severe burn and disuse in the rat independently adversely impact body composition and adipokines

Severe trauma is accompanied by a period of hypermetabolism and disuse. In this study, a rat model was used to determine the effects of burn and disuse independently and in combination on body composition, food intake and adipokines. Male rats were assigned to four groups 1) sham ambulatory (SA), 2) sham hindlimb unloaded (SH), 3) 40% total body surface area full thickness scald burn ambulatory (BA) and 4) burn and hindlimb unloaded (BH). Animals designated to the SH and BH groups were placed in a tail traction system and their hindlimbs unloaded. Animals were followed for 14 days. Plasma, urine, fecal and tissue samples were analyzed. SA had a progressive increase in body mass (BM), SH and BA no change and BH a reduction. Compared to SA, BM was reduced by 10% in both SH and BA and by 17% when combined in BH. Compared to SA, all groups had reductions in lean and fat body mass with BH being greater. The decrease in lean mass was associated with the rate of urinary corticosterone excretion. The loss in fat mass was associated with decreases in plasma leptin and adiponectin and an increase in ghrelin. Following the acute response to injury, BH had a greater food intake per 100 g BM. Food intake was associated with the levels of leptin, adiponectin and ghrelin. The effects of the combination of burn and disuse in this animal model were additive, therefore in assessing metabolic changes with severe trauma both injury and disuse should be considered. Furthermore, the observed changes in adipokines, corticosterone and ghrelin provide insights for interventions to attenuate the hypermetabolic state following injury, possibly reducing catabolism and muscle loss and subsequent adverse effects on recovery and function.
Fluid-rock interaction in crustal shear zones: A directed percolation approach

The interplay among mechnical, chemical, hydrological, and thermal processes in the evolution of crustal shear zones makes an analytical approach to their study difficult. As an alternative, a stochastic description (using percolation theory) is used to gain insight into reaction softening and volume loss in ductfle deformation zones. Directed percolation is preferred to ordinary percolation as a model because, in common with natural shear zones, directed percolation clusters have high length/width ratios and anisotropic permeability. In addition, transport along the cluster length (for p > p c is linear with time (modeling fluid advection). The process of strain softening is modeled by subjecting a critical cluster to variable amounts of simple shear, resulting in a geometry similar to that of natural shear zones. A stochastic model for the evolution of porosity with time on a directed lattice displays fixed-point behavior for a range of pore-collapse rates. The observation that natural shear zones from a variety of tectonic settings display mean volume losses of 60%-70%; suggests that the system naturally evolves toward a critical state. This can be explained by assuming that pore collapse is regulated by the tendency for fluid pressure to remain close to lithostatic. Volume loss in crustal shear zones appears to be an example of hydromechanical-chemical self-organized critical behavior.
Transformation Zone Shape, Size, and Crack-Growth-Resistance [R-Curve] Behavior of Ceria-Partially-Stabilized Zirconia Polycrystals

Transformation zone shape, size, and crack-growth-resistance (R-curve) behavior were studied in precracked and annealed single-edge notch bend specimens of commercial-grade ceriapartially-stabilized zirconia polycrystals as a function of applied load. Well-defined transformation zones with a characteristic elongated shape in the plane of the crack were observed. It is shown that the observed zone shape is significantly different from the shape predicted by a combined shear/dilatation yield criterion and the stress field of the crack prior to the transformation. The length of the transformation zone directly ahead of the crack tip is in better agreement with the prediction of the Dugdale plastic strip zone model. The fracture toughness increment showed the characteristic square root dependence on the transformation zone width, but the magnitude of the toughness increment was not consistent with the predictions of the theoretical models of transformation toughening.
Procedural and Methodological Issues in Telepsychiatry Research and Program Development

OBJECTIVE: The authors reviewed the literature related to telepsychiatry—applications of videoconferencing technology for mental health care—which offers hope for an affordable means of solving long-standing workforce problems, particularly in geographical areas where specialist providers are not readily available. METHODS: To conduct a comprehensive review of the telepsychiatry literature, the authors searched the MEDLINE database (1970 to February 2000), using the keywords telepsychiatry, telemedicine, and videoconferencing. Studies were selected that included the use of videoconferencing technology for the provision of any form of mental health care services. Results and conclusions: Psychiatric interviews conducted by telepsychiatry appear to be generally reliable, and patients and clinicians generally report high levels of satisfaction with telepsychiatry. A significant limitation of the literature is the lack of empirical research on telepsychiatry, especially cost analyses and clinical outcome stud...
Immediate post-doxorubicin drug-eluting beads chemoembolization Mr Apparent diffusion coefficient quantification predicts response in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: A pilot study

Purpose To investigate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) immediately post-doxorubicin drug-eluting beads transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE) therapy as an early imaging biomarker of therapy response. Materials and Methods In a single-center prospective correlative study, 12 consecutive patients, median age 64 years, underwent DEB-TACE and dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) and DWI (b = 50,400,800 s/mm2) MRI at baseline with respect to first DEB-TACE, within 3 hours, and at 1 and 3 months posttherapy. DCE imaging response was evaluated according to target mRECIST and EASL. Relative change (RC) in apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of treated lesions was measured on follow-ups. Correlation between ADC RC in tumors and anatomical response were evaluated with paired t-test and receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve. Survival from first DEB-TACE was estimated using Kaplan–Meier and log-rank analysis. Results Compared to baseline, mean ADC increased significantly for responders within 3 hours post-DEB-TACE (0.73 ± 0.20 mm2/s vs. 0.99 ± 0.28 mm2/s × 10−3 (P = 0.001)). There was no significant change in ADC within 3 hours for nonresponders. ADC RC threshold of 20% immediately post-DEB-TACE showed 100% sensitivity and specificity in predicting anatomical response at 1 and 3 months with patients with ≥20% ADC increase demonstrated significantly prolonged mean overall survival compared to others (25.4 vs. 13.3 months (P = 0.017)). Conclusion ADC relative change of ≥20% immediately post-DEB-TACE is an accurate predictor of objective and quantitative treatment response and prolonged survival in unresectable HCC. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2015;42:981–989.
Acute procedural results in the treatment of 30 coronary artery bifurcation lesions with a double-wire atherectomy technique for side-branch protection

Percutaneous treatment of bifurcation lesions has been consistently shown to be associated with lower acute success rates, higher initial complication rates, and an increased rate of restenosis when compared with findings in nonbifurcation lesions. Recent analysis of data from a CAVEAT subgroup suggests that directional atherectomy of bifurcation lesions can improve initial success rates and lower restenosis rates but at the cost of high complication rates. Reports from several angioplasty series document improved success rates and lower complication rates with the use of a two-wire technique to protect side branches when treating bifurcation lesions. Our experience with a two-wire atherectomy technique that uses a nitinol wire to protect important side branches is presented.
Classroom Management in Diverse Classrooms

Classroom management continues to be a serious concern for teachers and especially in urban and diverse learning environments. The authors present the culturally responsive classroom management practices of two teachers from an urban and diverse middle school to extend the construct, culturally responsive classroom management. The principles that emerged in this study included the importance and centrality of teachers’ (a) understanding equity and equality, (b) understanding power structures among students, (c) immersion into students’ life worlds, (d) understanding the Self in relation to Others, (e) granting students entry into their worlds, and (f) conceiving school as a community with family members. The authors conclude the discussion with implications for teachers and researchers.
Roadway-Vehicle Interaction, Physical Indexes, and Human Judgment of Ride Quality

Present serviceability index (PSI) modeling has been an important subject for decades. Other dynamic indexes characterizing a roadway such as the international roughness index (IRI), averaged rectified slope (ARS), and averaged rectified speed (ARV) have been proposed and studied. However, the roles played by these indexes in the interaction between road, vehicle, and human ratings have not been made clear. A unified physical model linking the static profile of a roadway and the dynamic response of a vehicle to the profile to the serviceability index of the roadway is presented here. Analytical expressions for jerk index, acceleration index, ARV, ARS, and IRI are derived from the developed model in terms of the physical parameters for roadways and the dynamic characteristics of a vehicle. Then a linear relation between the PSI and the logarithm of the jerk index is proposed. Using the jerk index computed from field profile data, the linear functional form for the PSI is verified, and regression R2 values ...
The impact of formal communication on the engineering design process

Reports the results of a study examining the impact of formal communication on the engineering design process. The data include self-reports of student engineers working on a specific design project and audio recordings of one teams' meetings. The analysis focuses on how team members' writing and other activities varied with the time frame of formal communications requirements imposed by supervisors and clients. This preliminary analysis of self-reports indicates that time spent on writing peaked with due dates for formal oral and written reports. Analysis of students' talk in team meetings suggests that, although engineering students do focus on their design task, they do not discuss the written text and the design concepts as interdependent. Instead they work carefully to keep talk about text separate from talk about the design. >
Timing Verification and the Timing Analysis Program

Timing Verification consists of validating the path delays (primary input or storage element to primary output or storage element) to be sure they are not too long or too short and checking the clock pulses to be sure they are not too wide or too narrow. The programs addressing these problems neither produce input patterns like test pattern generators nor require input patterns like traditional simulators. Several programs (described here) operate by tracing paths [P173][WO78][SA81][KA81]. One program [MC80] extends simulation into a pessimistic analyzer not dependent on test patterns. Timing Analysis, a program described recently in [HI82a], is designed to analyze the timing of large digital computers and is based, in part, on the concepts disclosed in a patented method [DO81] for determining the extreme characteristics of logic block diagrams. The output of Timing Analysis includes "slack" at each block to provide a measure of the severity of the timing problem. The program also generates standard deviations for the times so that a statistical timing design can be produced rather than a worst case approach.
Dynamics-based decentralized control of robotic couch and multi-leaf collimators for tracking tumor motion

Tumors in thorax region incur significant amount of motion and deformation due to respiratory and cardiac cycles. To accommodate this undesired movement, physicians incorporate a large standard margin around the tumor to delineate a planning target volume (PTV), so that the clinical target volume (CTV) receives the prescribed dose under any scenario. Consequently, a large volume of healthy tissue might be irradiated and sometimes it is difficult to spare critical organs adjacent to the tumor. For compensating this tumor motion, techniques such as breath-hold, gating, and active tracking and dynamic delivery (ATDD) are used. Although, ATDD is the most effective technique, it is the most challenging one. The ATDD can be accomplished in three different ways: adjusting the multi-leaf collimator (MLC), adjusting the couch, and adjusting the MLC and couch simultaneously. The first two techniques have been explored and/or implemented in practice. However, the third approach has not been investigated extensively. In this study, we have proposed a novel approach for ATDD that exploits the advantages of both the MLC (or MLC-bank) and the HexaPODtrade robotic couch. In our proposed new approach, we have decomposed and allocated the tumor motion trajectory to the subsystems (MLC or MLC-bank and HexaPOD robotic couch) based on their natural frequency domains using wavelet technique. The efficacy of the proposed method has been investigated by extensive computer simulation and the results are presented in this paper.
Water Treatment Residuals and Biosolids Long-Term Co-Applications Effects to Semi-Arid Grassland Soils and Vegetation

Water treatment residuals (WTRs) and biosolids are byproducts from municipal water treatment processes. Both byproducts have been studied separately for land application benefi ts. Th ere are possible environmental benefi ts of WTRs and biosolids co-application but these studies are limited. Our objectives were to determine relative long-term (13-15 yr) eff ects of a single and short-term (2-4 yr) eff ects of repeated WTR-biosolids co-applications on soil chemistry, microbiology, and plant community structure in a Colorado semiarid grassland. Only relative changes associated between co-applications were studied, as we assumed WTR application would only occur if used as a management practice. Th ree WTR rates (5, 10, and 21 Mg ha -1 ) were surface co-applied (no incorporation) with a single biosolids rate (10 Mg ha -1 ) once in 1991 (long-term plots) and again in 2002 (short-term plots). Soil 0- to 8-, 8- to 15-, and 15- to 30-cm depth pH, electrical conductivity (EC), NO 3 -N, NH 4 -N, total C, and total N were not aff ected by WTR application in 2004, 2005, or 2006. Ammonium-bicarbonate diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (AB-DTPA)- extractable soil Al was unaff ected by WTR application, but extractable P and Mo decreased with increasing WTR rate because of WTR adsorption. Plant tissue P and Mo content decreased with specifi c plant species and years due to adsorption to WTR; no defi ciency symptoms were observed. Plant community composition and cover were largely unaff ected by WTR application. Soil microbial community structure was unaff ected by WTR co-application rate (total ester-linked fatty acid methyl ester (EL-FAME) concentrations ranged from 33.4 to 54.8 nmol g -1 soil), although time since biosolids-WTR application aff ected a subset of microbial community fatty acids including markers for Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Overall, WTR-biosolids co-applications did not adversely aff ect semiarid grassland ecosystem dynamics. Abbreviations: AB-DTPA, ammonium-bicarbonate diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid; EC, electrical conductivity; EL-FAME, ester-linked fatty acid methyl ester; PCA, principal component analysis; WTR, water treatment residual.
Sentinel lymph node micrometastasis and other histologic factors that predict outcome in patients with thicker melanomas

Abstract Background: In patients with melanoma, lymph node staging information is obtainable by the surgical techniques of lymphatic mapping and sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy. Although no survival benefit has been proven for the procedure, the staging information is useful in identifying patients who may benefit from further surgery or adjuvant therapy. Currently, however, it is not being recommended for patients with thick melanomas (>3-4 mm). The risk of hematogenous dissemination is considered too great in these patients. Recent studies indicate, however, that a surprising number of patients with thick melanomas become long-term survivors, and the lymph node status may be predictive. None of the conventional microscopic features used to gauge prognosis in patients with melanoma have proven helpful in distinguishing the survivors with thick melanoma from those who will die of their disease. Objective: Our purpose was to evaluate the influence of SLN histology and other microscopic parameters on survival of patients with thick melanomas. Methods: A computerized patient database at the Cutaneous Oncology Clinic at H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center was accessed to obtain records on patients with melanomas thicker than 3.0 mm (AJCC T3b). A retrospective analysis was conducted with attention paid to histologic variables, sentinel node status, and survival. Survival curves were constructed with the Kaplan-Meier method, and a Cox-Mantel rank testing was used to establish statistical significance. Results: Between 1991 and 1999, 201 patients were diagnosed with melanoma thicker than 3.0 mm, and 180 were alive at an average follow-up of 51 months. Of these, 166 were alive without disease. The mean overall and disease-free survival rates were 78% and 66%, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in disease-free survival (3-year) between SLN-positive and SLN-negative patients (37% vs 73%, respectively; P = .02). The overall survival (3-year) for the SLN-positive patients was less than the node-negative patients (70% vs 82%), but it was not statistically significant ( P = .08). The disease-free survival for patients with ulcerated lesions was less than for nonulcerated lesions (77% vs 93%, P = .05). None of the other histologic parameters studied, including Breslow thickness, Clark level, mitotic rate, or regression, had an influence on the overall or disease-free survival in this group of patients with thick tumors. Conclusions: The results indicate that the SLN node status is predictive of disease-free survival for patients with thick melanomas. A surprising number of patients in the study were free of disease after prolonged follow-up. None of the histologic features of the primary tumor were helpful in predicting outcome, except for ulceration. SLN biopsy appears to be justified for prognostic purposes in patients with thick melanomas. (J Am Acad Dermatol 2001;44:762-6.)
Regulation of Calcium/Calmodulin-dependent Protein Kinase II Docking toN-Methyl-d-aspartate Receptors by Calcium/Calmodulin and α-Actinin

Ca(2+) influx through the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA)-type glutamate receptor leads to activation and postsynaptic accumulation of Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) and ultimately to long term potentiation, which is thought to be the physiological correlate of learning and memory. The NMDA receptor also serves as a CaMKII docking site in dendritic spines with high affinity binding sites located on its NR1 and NR2B subunits. We demonstrate that high affinity binding of CaMKII to NR1 requires autophosphorylation of Thr(286). This autophosphorylation reduces the off rate to a level (t(12) = approximately 23 min) that is similar to that observed for dissociation of the T286D mutant CaMKII (t(12) = approximately 30 min) from spines after its glutamate-induced accumulation (Shen, K., Teruel, M. N., Connor, J. H., Shenolikar, S., and Meyer, T. (2000) Nat. Neurosci. 3, 881-886). CaMKII as well as the previously identified NR1 binding partners calmodulin and alpha-actinin bind to the short C-terminal portion of the C0 region of NR1. Like Ca(2+)/calmodulin, autophosphorylated CaMKII competes with alpha-actinin-2 for binding to NR1. We conclude that the NR1 C0 region is a key site for recruiting CaMKII to the postsynaptic site, where it may act in concert with calmodulin to modulate the stimulatory role of alpha-actinin interaction with the NMDA receptor.
Isolation of a Bacillus subtilis 168 Derivative Sensitive to Defective Bacteriophage PBSX

A derivative of Bacillus subtilis strain 168 sensitive to defective bacteriophages PBSX and PBSZ has been isolated. This particular strain, RUB824, carries the genetic information for defective bacteriophage PBSX.
From ‘Class’ to ‘Social Strata': grasping the social totality in reform-era China

Abstract Reform era China has witnessed the simultaneous production of a middle class and increasing socioeconomic inequality. The ideological counterpart of this development is a new form of cultural nationalism that stands in striking contrast to Maoist developmentalism and in striking conformity with neoliberal logics. This article explores this shift in Chinese nationalism and national ideology by looking at the rejection of the language of class and the adoption of social strata as the language of social analysis. This shift has produced a new model of citizenship which seeks to manage the newly stratified society by articulating inequality as cultural difference in a hierarchy of national belonging. At the same time this neoliberal ethos is in dialogue with calls for social responsibility by left-liberal intellectuals in the wake of a rising number of popular protests and a growing concern about social inequality. This essay will discuss aspects of middle-class formation in China's economic reforms,...
Is sleep apnea a predisposing factor for tobacco use

We present a plausible and powerful explanation for nicotine addiction that is consistent with recent findings. Sleep apnea, the periodic cessation of breathing during sleep, may be responsible for the addictive nature of nicotine. The main symptoms of sleep apnea are somnolence and obesity. Nicotine has been shown to decrease these two symptoms as well as reduce the frequency and duration of apneas. When an apneic youth uses tobacco, the nicotine may begin to treat the apnea and reduce the symptoms. The response of the human system is, naturally, to continue that which improves life, assuring addiction of the apnea to the nicotine. Many of the illnesses attributed to tobacco use and passive parental smoking may actually be confounded by the inherited influence of sleep apnea. Treating the apnea may be a necessary precondition for a successful tobacco cessation program. Understanding the apnea-tobacco relationship may be an important step in the development of a tobacco prevention program for youth.
Norms, Conformity, and Controls

Research in behavioral economics suggests that in addition to their traditional incentive effects, formal control systems can influence psychological motivations. We extend this literature by demonstrating experimentally that formal controls directly influence people’s sense of what behaviors are appropriate in the setting (personal norms), and indirectly alter people’s tendency to conform to the behavior of those around them (descriptive norms). These effects persist even after the controls are changed, so that the effects of current controls can be strongly influenced by past control strength. Our results support those who are incorporating psychological factors into principal-agent models (such as Fischer and Huddart [2008]), and suggest that those models should be further modified to incorporate correlations between personal norms and conformity to descriptive norms.
The Impact of Elections on Cooperation: Evidence from a Lab-in-the-Field Experiment in Uganda

Communities often rely on sanctioning to induce public goods contributions. Past studies focus on how external agencies or peer sanctioning induce cooperation. In this article, we focus instead on the role played by centralized authorities, internal to the community. Combining “lab-in-the-field” experiments with observational data on 1,541 Ugandan farmers from 50 communities, we demonstrate the positive effect of internal centralized sanctioning authorities on cooperative behavior. We also show that the size of this effect depends on the political process by which authority is granted: subjects electing leaders contribute more to public goods than subjects who were assigned leaders through a lottery. To test the ecological validity of our findings, we relate farmers’ behavior in the experiment to their level of cooperation in their community organization. We show that deference to authority in the controlled setting predicts cooperative behavior in the farmers’ natural environment, in which they face a similar social dilemma.
YOUNG BILINGUAL LEARNERS IN NURSERY SCHOOL . Linda Thompson . Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters, 1999. Pp. viii + 230. $79.00 cloth, $39.95 paper.

This book is a ten-chapter ethnolinguistic study of the language and social behavior of a group of 3-year-old third-generation British children schooled in the northeast of England. Their families are settled migrants who speak languages other than English at home and in their community. The study uses audiotaped recordings of the children's language, together with thick contextual description, to provide insights into ways in which young children learn to be communicatively competent in their new environment.
Body image and sexual function in women after treatment for anal and rectal cancer

Objective Treatment for anal and rectal cancer (ARCa) often results in side effects that directly impact sexual functioning; however, ARCa survivors are an understudied group, and factors contributing to the sexual sequelae are not well understood. Body image problems are distressing and may further exacerbate sexual difficulties, particularly for women. This preliminary study sought to (1) describe body image problems, including sociodemographic and disease/treatment correlates, and (2) examine relations between body image and sexual function. Methods For the baseline assessment of a larger study, 70 women completed the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Core Quality of Life Questionnaire and Colorectal Cancer-specific Module, including the Body Image subscale, and Female Sexual Function Index. Pearson's correlation and multiple regression evaluated correlates of body image. Among sexually active women (n = 41), hierarchical regression examined relations between body image and sexual function domains. Results Women were on average 55 years old (standard deviation = 11.6), non-Hispanic White (79%), married (57%), and employed (47%). The majority (86%) reported at least one body image problem. Younger age, lower global health status, and greater severity of symptoms related to poorer body image (p's < 0.05). Poor body image was inversely related to all aspects of sexual function (β range 0.50–0.70, p's < 0.05), except pain. The strongest association was with Female Sexual Function Index Sexual/Relationship Satisfaction. Conclusion These preliminary findings suggest the importance of assessing body image as a potentially modifiable target to address sexual difficulties in this understudied group. Further longitudinal research is needed to inform the development and implementation of effective interventions to improve the sexual health and well-being of female ARCa survivors. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Home range, core areas and movement in the ‘critically endangered’ kipunji (Rungwecebus kipunji) in southwest Tanzania

Understanding how threatened forest primates use a heterogeneous landscape is essential to ensuring their survival. Kipunji (Rungwecebus kipunji) are ‘critically endangered’, arboreal monkeys restricted to two sites in Tanzania. Over 90% of the population lives in the degraded Rungwe-Kitulo forests of the Southern Highlands. In this study, we present the first comprehensive investigation into daily path length and home range size of kipunji, based on data from four groups followed simultaneously over 70 consecutive days on Mt. Rungwe. The mean daily distance travelled was 1293 m (SE 150.82), and daily distance was not significantly correlated to group size. Using fixed kernel density estimation, an area enclosing 90% of the home range calculated using the ‘reference’ method as a smoothing parameter, measured a mean of 306.18 ha (SE 67), and the core area (50% use) was 86.55 ha (SE 18.73). Using the ‘least-squares cross validation’ method, the mean home range and core area were 205.45 ha (SE 57.02) and 55.45 ha (SE 14.23) respectively. Home range overlap was extensive, although contact between groups was rare, with >97.30% of all observations within 20 min separated by >250 m. The data strongly suggest that kipunji are not territorial.
Generation of Novel Syncytium-Inducing and Host Range Variants of Ecotropic Moloney Murine Leukemia Virus in Mus spicilegus

Mus spicilegus is an Eastern European wild mouse species that has previously been reported to harbor an unusual infectious ecotropic murine leukemia virus (MLV) and proviral envelope genes of a novel MLV subgroup. In the present study, M. spicilegus neonates were inoculated with Moloney ecotropic MLV (MoMLV). All 17 inoculated mice produced infectious ecotropic virus after 8 to 14 weeks, and two unusual phenotypes distinguished the isolates from MoMLV. First, most of the M. spicilegus isolates grew to equal titers on M. dunni and SC-1 cells, although MoMLV does not efficiently infect M. dunni cells. The deduced amino acid sequence of a representative clone differed from MoMLV by insertion of two serine residues within the VRA of SUenv. Modification of a molecular clone of MoMLV by the addition of these serines produced a virus that grows to high titer in M. dunni cells, establishing a role for these two serine residues in host range. A second unusual phenotype was found in only one of the M. spicilegus isolates, Spl574. Spl574 produces large syncytia of multinucleated giant cells in M. dunni cells, but its replication is restricted in other mouse cell lines. Sequencing and mutagenesis demonstrated that syncytium formation could be attributed to a single amino acid substitution within VRA, S82F. Thus, viruses with altered growth properties are selected during growth in M. spicilegus. The mutations associated with the host range and syncytium-inducing variants map to a key region of VRA known to govern interactions with the cell surface receptor, suggesting that the associated phenotypes may result from altered interactions with the unusual ecotropic virus mCAT1 receptor carried by M. dunni.
IS OMPHALOSAURUS ICHTHYOPTERYGIAN?—A PHYLOGENETIC PERSPECTIVE

The type specimen of the enigmatic marine reptile Omphalosaurus is reexamined to test its postulated affinity with the Ichthyopterygia. Some of the specimens that have been assigned to the genus cannot be linked to the type specimen, and the rest fails to establish any of the basal ichthyopterygian synapomorphies in the genus. The similarities between the genus and some ichthyopterygians are either symplesiomorphies or common convergences; none of them are unique to the two. The genus also possesses characters that do not exist in any ichthyopterygians, such as a splenial jaw symphysis. Although the affinity of Omphalosaurus is inconclusive at this point, there is insufficient reason to prefer ichthyopterygians as its sister group among others.
Reconciling Business Cents With Business Sense: An In-Depth Analysis Of Corporate Social Responsibility Policies On Corporate Dynamics And Organizational Stakeholders

The idea of corporate social responsibility, CSR, has evolved into more than a companys philanthropic pursuits; it has become a meaningful tool to engender organizational goodwill from stakeholders, as well as solidify market share. When implemented correctly, CSR policies align organizational altruistic intentions with strategic planning to better serve society and the bottom line. When implemented incorrectly, CSR policies foster negative connotations with corporate incentives. An effective CSR policy integrates the consumers desire for sustainable business models with the organizations desire to maximize efficiency and return. Based on a myriad of factors, CSR policies also have peripheral advantages that can be explored to determine employee perception, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and consumer advantage.
IMPACTION OF CHARGED PARTICLES IN A BEND

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the impaction of charged particles in a bend. The only forces considered to act on the particles are inertia, Stokesian viscous drag, and either electrical repulsion or a force as a result of the image charge. To simplify the problem, only a two-dimensional cross-section is considered. During calculations, the image force solution involves direct numerical integration of the particle motion equation. When considering space charge, the solution involves a coupled iteration among the motion equation, a mass balance to determine the particle concentration, and the Poisson equation for the potential. For each case, calculations were made of particle paths, total deposition, and the deposition velocity. Calculations indicate that the addition of charge greatly increases the amount of deposition. As curvature increases, the deposition fraction increases greatly. This is chiefly because of the increased tube length; uncharged particle impaction depends only slightly on the curvature.
Impact of specific immunotherapy in acute myelocytic leukemia.

During the last ten years immunotherapy has become an important tool in the treatment of human leukemias. Mathe et al. [1,2] demonstrated the therapeutic value of irradiated allogeneic myeloblasts in combination with BCG in treating childhood lymphoblastic leukemia. Similar studies were conducted by Powles et al. [3] and Gutterman et al. [4] in patients with acute myelocytic leukemia involving chemotherapy with or without irradiated allogeneic myeloblasts plus BCG. These studies consistently show that immunized patients sustain a somewhat longer remission duration than those without immunization. Also, after the first relapse immunized patients are reported to have higher frequency and greater “ease” of reinduction. BCG has been used in conjunction with cultured leukemia cells in the immunization of patients with chronic myelocytic leukemia by Sokol et al. [5]. Under optimal conditions prolongation of median survival of CML patients was attained in patients who were treated with busulfan and immunotherapy as compared to controls who received busulfan alone. In an attempt to find a more standardized immunological adjuvant, Weiss et al. [6] conducted extensive studies with MER, the methanol extraction residue of BCG. They were able to demonstrate therapeutic advantage of MER, especially in murine leukemias.
Using anisotropies in prompt fission neutron coincidences to assess the neutron multiplication of highly multiplying subcritical plutonium assemblies

Abstract There is a significant and well-known anisotropy between the prompt neutrons emitted from a single fission event; these neutrons are most likely to be observed at angles near 0° or 180° relative to each other. However, the propagation of this anisotropy through different generations of a fission chain reaction has not been previously studied. We have measured this anisotropy in neutron–neutron coincidences from a subcritical highly-multiplying assembly of plutonium metal. The assembly was a 4.5 kg α-phase plutonium metal sphere composed of 94% 239Pu and 6% 240Pu by mass. Data were collected using two EJ-309 liquid scintillators and two EJ-299 plastic scintillators. The angular distribution of neutron–neutron coincidences was measured at 90° and 180° and found to be largely isotropic. Simulations were performed using MCNPX-PoliMi of similar plutonium metal spheres of varying sizes and a correlation between the neutron multiplication of the assembly and the anisotropy of neutron–neutron coincidences was observed. In principle, this correlation could be used to assess the neutron multiplication of an unknown assembly.
Effect of Rate of Growth of Bacteria on Action of Penicillin.

SummaryConditions which increase the rate of growth of bacteria increase the rate at which penicillin acts. Conditions which decrease the rate of growth decrease also the rate at which penicillin acts. Penicillin is most effective when active multiplication takes place.
Biasing secondary particle interaction physics and production in MCNP6

Abstract Though MCNP6 will transport elementary charged particles and light ions to low energies (i.e. less than 20 MeV), MCNP6 has historically relied on model physics with suggested minimum energies of ∼20 to 200 MeV. Use of library data for the low energy regime was developed for MCNP6 1.1.Beta to read and use light ion libraries. Thick target yields of neutron production for alphas on fluoride result in 1 production event per roughly million sampled alphas depending on the energy of the alpha (for other isotopes the yield can be even rarer). Calculation times to achieve statistically significant and converged thick target yields are quite laborious, needing over one hundred processor hours. The MUCEND code possess a biasing technique for improving the sampling of secondary particle production by forcing a nuclear interaction to occur per each alpha transported. We present here a different biasing strategy for secondary particle production from charged particles. During each substep, as the charged particle slows down, we bias both a nuclear collision event to occur at each substep and the production of secondary particles at the collision event, while still continuing to progress the charged particle until reaching a region of zero importance or an energy/time cutoff. This biasing strategy is capable of speeding up calculations by a factor of a million or more as compared to the unbiased calculation. Further presented here are both proof that the biasing strategy is capable of producing the same results as the unbiased calculation and the limitations to consider in order to achieve accurate results of secondary particle production. Though this strategy was developed for MCNP6 the technique can be leveraged in any fusion Monte Carlo code using library data with the condensed random walk algorithm.
Fire Safety Strategies for Ancient Buildings

In this paper,the fire risk of ancient buildings was analyzed,and related fire safety strategies were discussed from the aspects of fire protection,fire detection/alarm and fire fighting.