cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
It's Critical: Legal Participatory Action Research

The ongoing community-based research project that we describe in this article will contribute, we hope, to an understanding of the fringe economy by offering insights into what remains "unexplained" in the current existing literature, namely the gender and race disparities relating to who uses "alternative financial service" (AFS) products. This article likewise contributes to a growing body of literature within Critical Race Theory and Critical Race Feminism that deals with economic inequalities and how they are inextricably and structurally linked to race and gender subordination. By explicitly incorporating "participatory action research" (PAR) values and methods into our work as critical race/feminist scholars and researchers, we offer in this article a "new" way of doing critical race/feminist work that is designed specifically to enable likeminded legal scholars to "get out of [the ivory tower]...and hear from people firsthand." Our PAR intervention puts the voices and concerns of community stakeholders and research partners at the center of the work itself. Thus, our approach, which we call legal PAR, makes its most significant and original contribution to the existing legal scholarship by not only "looking to the bottom" in a theoretical sense, but also by treating those "at the bottom" as equal research partners who are presumptively best situated to identify, analyze, and solve problems that directly affect them.The article presents an overview of some recent empirical studies on those most likely to use "alternative financial services," also known as the "unbanked" and "underbanked." It also discusses and critiques the relevant legal literature on fringe banking and the unbanked and underbanked, and highlights some organizational efforts that aim not only to protect the unbanked and underbanked from predatory lending practices, but also seek to encourage and facilitate more responsible lending practices and innovations. The article introduces PAR, including its origins and critical developments, specifically highlighting the ways in which feminism, intersectionality, and CRT have and are continuing to impact the field. Finally, the article makes the case that PAR has much to offer legal scholars and scholarship while also setting forth some challenges — and resulting benefits — of doing legal PAR.
A tactile sensing system for dexterous manipulation

One factor that limits the range of tasks that robots can perform robustly is the scarcity of useful sensors available to provide feedback to the robot control system. While much progress has been made with vision sensors and force/torque sensors, tactile sensing systems have fallen behind, and so general-purpose tactile sensing systems are not commercially available. The aim of this work is therefore to produce a tactile sensing system that could be manufactured inexpensively, could be used on a wide variety of robotic systems, and would provide the kind of output typically required in dexterous manipulation applications. Such a tactile sensing system will be presented in this paper. The tactile transducers used in this system are based on semiconductive ink technology that allows transducers of any size, shape, and resistance range to be produced merely by altering the ink printing process and substrate geometry. Each sensor outputs three pieces of information that are useful in robotic manipulation-two parameters indicating the location of a contact point on the transducer and one parameter specifying the amount of force being exerted at the contact point. So that the sensing system could support transducers of different shapes and sizes, the analog interface circuitry of this system has been designed to be fully programmable, and also includes circuitry to enable self-calibration with appropriate software. >
Intentional Transfer: The Four-Year Institutional Role in Community College Transfer Success.

Four-year institutions, as the recipients of community college transfers seeking their baccalaureate degrees, must become more proactive participants in the transfer process and conversation. Currently, enrollment management models and data reporting requirements allow four-year institutions to take a passive approach to the issue of transfer. As an issue that affects nearly half of the nation's undergraduates, to the detriment of the vast majority of them, and the effects of which are visited disproportionally both on underrepresented minority and on low-income students, this passivity is increasingly problematic on a national level. A recent study shows that where a specific and intentional program of community college outreach, scholarship support, and advisement are applied at a highly-selective four-year institution, there are sharp and significant effects on the enrollment and demographic numbers of transfer students, while maintaining high levels of student success and institutional standards.
Teaching ESL Writing in Higher Education

This study investigates teaching ESL (English as a Second Language) writing in higher education and outlines instructional techniques required to facilitate ESL students' writing proficiency. Since college and university students are primarily assessed according to their writing ability and academic conventions, teaching ELLs (English Language Learners) necessitates understanding not only teaching strategies but also students' backgrounds and perceptions on learning. Through comparison of various academic literature on pedagogical methodology, the paper analyses key areas and provides recommendations to instructional approaches on adult ESL classroom concepts. The conclusions showed that when learners identify with their needs, they can improve writing within an empowered and harmonized environment. The study draws on the importance of creating appropriate strategies for motivation to facilitate ESL writing.
Biosocial criminology and its discontents: a critical realist philosophical analysis

Biosocial criminology has been subjected to criticism from its beginning as ‘biological determinism’ and ‘positivist.’ Having lost that argument and being confronted with the ever-growing biosocial literature, criticism now tends to be more normative, ideological, and philosophical and revolves around such issues as the reality of crime, reductionism, and essentialism. Recent attacks have also noted the use of natural science technology (genotyping, brain scanning, and so on) by biosocial criminologists that have led them to believe that they work with ‘immaculate data.’ We counter these arguments from the perspective of a philosophical school known as critical realism.
Procedure for the Evaluation of the Virucidal Effectiveness of an Ethylene Oxide Gas Sterilizer

A quantitative, reproducible method was developed for the evaluation of the virucidal activity of test gases. Using this method, we determined the virucidal effectiveness of a Steri-Vac ethylene oxide gas sterilizer. Wool gabardine material was exposed to high concentrations of herpes simplex, vaccinia, parainfluenza, or polio viruses and was processed through the sterilizer. Two time-temperature cycles of the machine, 29 C for 180 min and 60 C for 48 min, were used in separate experiments. The viruses were exposed to the gas when freshly pipetted onto the fabric or when pipetted on the material and allowed to dry 16 to 24 hr. In two experiments carried out under each condition, the virus titers were reduced by the sterilization process to less than detectable limits. These titer reductions were for the herpes virus ≥ 2.7 to 5.0 log, for vaccinia virus ≥ 4.0 to 6.1 log, for parainfluenza virus ≥ 1.8 to 4.9 log, and for poliovirus ≥ 4.9 to 7.7 log. The observed reductions in virus titers were the same whether the virus-contaminated fabrics were sealed in polyethylene packages or held in open petri dishes during exposure to ethylene oxide.
What They Don't Teach You in Library School. Doucett, Elisabeth

What They Don't Teach You in Library School, part of the ALA Guides for the Busy Librarian series, attempts to compile into an easily readable book many of the things that librarians learn on the j...
On the zeros of a polynomial and its derivatives

If p(z) is univariate polynomial with complex coefficients having all its zeros inside the closed unit disk, then the Gauss-Lucas theorem states that all zeros of p'(z) lie in the same disk. We study the following question: what is the maximum distance from the arithmetic mean of all zeros of p(z) to a nearest zero of p'(z)? We obtain bounds for this distance depending on degree. We also show that this distance is equal to 1 for polynomials of degree 3 and polynomials with real zeros.
Proteinases of the mammary gland: developmental regulation in vivo and vectorial secretion in culture

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is an important regulator of mammary epithelial cell function both in vivo and in culture. Substantial remodeling of ECM accompanies the structural changes in the mammary gland during gestation, lactation and involution. However, little is known about the nature of the enzymes and the processes involved. We have characterized and studied the regulation of cell-associated and secreted mammary gland proteinases active at neutral pH that may be involved in degradation of the ECM during the different stages of mammary development. Mammary tissue extracts from virgin and pregnant CD-1 mice resolved by zymography contained three major proteinases of 60K (K = 10(3) Mr), 68K and 70K that degraded denatured collagen. These three gelatinases were completely inhibited by the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases. Proteolytic activity was lowest during lactation especially for the 60K gelatinase which was shown to be the activated form of the 68K gelatinase. The activated 60K form decreased prior to parturition but increased markedly after the first two days of involution. An additional gelatin-degrading proteinase of 130K was expressed during the first three days of involution and differed from the other gelatinases by its lack of inhibition by the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases. The activity of the casein-degrading proteinases was lowest during lactation. Three caseinolytic activities were detected in mammary tissue extracts. A novel 26K cell-associated caseinase--a serine arginine-esterase--was modulated at different stages of mammary development. The other caseinases, at 92K and a larger than 100K, were not developmentally regulated. To find out which cell type produced the proteinases in the mammary gland, we isolated and cultured mouse mammary epithelial cells. Cells cultured on different substrata produced the full spectrum of gelatinases and caseinases seen in the whole gland thus implicating the epithelial cells as a major source of these enzymes. Analysis of proteinases secreted by cells grown on a reconstituted basement membrane showed that gelatinases were secreted preferentially in the direction of the basement membrane. The temporal pattern of expression of these proteinases and the basal secretion of gelatinases by epithelial cells suggest their involvement in the remodelling of the extracellular matrix during the different stages of mammary development and thus modulation of mammary cell function.
Dental School Faculty Teaching the Periodontal‐Systemic Connection to Medical Students: A Pilot Mini‐Elective

Given the growing appreciation of systemic health, it is more important than ever that both medical and dental school graduates thoroughly understand the whole-body implications of infection and inflammation. In a 2007 survey of academic deans at North American dental schools, the majority reported being confident about their students’ knowledge regarding periodontal-systemic disease connections, but perceived that most nurses and physicians in their university/health science center, geographic location, and in general were not knowledgeable about oral health and its relationship to systemic disease. Though the respondents in this study reported their schools could be doing more to educate their students on this topic, their general confidence in their faculties’ knowledge and teaching abilities regarding oral-systemic associations suggests that dental faculty members may be well positioned to educate medical students in this area. In January 2009, faculty members of the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine and School of Medicine explored this possibility by pilot testing a mini-elective in which several dental school faculty members team-taught medical students about conducting oral exams and the systemic effects of oral diseases. This article gives an overview of this elective and its outcomes.
Redesigning a large and complex website: how to begin, and a method for success

In a technology-oriented, information-intense world, one of the largest challenges facing higher education is the organization, communication, and presentation of information in a coherent and usable fashion via the world wide web. The Learning Team, a part of Information Technology at the College of William and Mary, offers vision and a solution for developing a robust web-based information architecture to centrally administer customized learning modules and services as well as promote web-based training initiatives.This paper focuses on the redesign of the large and complex technology-related Learning Team website, contrasting the design and structure of the old 3,000+ page Learning Team web architecture with the newly-developed site-- from conception in November 2001 to completion in June 2002. Directing the web redesign process, we took a team-oriented approach consisting of several staff and student employees. In this session, I will guide attendees through our product workflow processes from website conception, content presentation, storyboarding, navigational and schematic design, as well as delivery of content to well-conceived webpage layout and usability techniques. I will provide hands-on exercises of our content inventory process, task analysis, "card sorting" techniques as well as "paper prototype" testing.Web designers, developers, trainers, and those interested in creating an effective web presence may find this discussion particularly useful. Participants delivering services over the web, evaluating student employment, assessing the changing needs for services, or interested in providing preventive technical solutions and support to faculty and staff may also find this paper helpful.At its completion, readers will gain: (1) practical knowledge of how to redesign a large and complex website, (2) an understanding of usability practices and some core usability techniques, and (3) exposure to user-centered design. I will share tips and lessons learned as well as practical issues and solutions for developing a solid information architecture and for implementing web standards.
Possible correlation of Precambrian rocks of Newport, Rhode Island, with those of Anglesey, Wales

The bedded succession in Newport, Rhode Island, consists of the metavolcanic Price9s Neck formation and the older metasedimentary Newport formation. The Newport formation consists of turbidites, sandstone and conglomerate, slate, phyllite, bedded ash, and olistostromes. The Price9s Neck formation consists of agglomeratic breccia, conglomerate, coarse to fine tuff, and graded tuffite merging into tuffaceous sedimentary rock. Both sequences have been affected by two principal fold-generating deformations. The Price9s Neck formation was first folded into upright to overturned folds (F 1 ), whereas the Newport formation was folded into overturned to recumbent folds. In the Price9s Neck formation, the F 1 folds trend east-west to north-northeast-south-southwest, Whereas the F 2 folds trend approximately east-west. In the main outcrop area the F 1 folds in the Newport formation are dominantly north-south trending, are strongly overturned toward the east, and in the west are recumbent and subisoclinal to isoclinal. The second deformation produced a low-lying cleavage and relatively small folds that verge toward the east. The difference in the style of folding is attributed to ductility contrast between the rocks of the two stratigraphic sequences. The Newport granite, which intrudes the Price9s Neck and Newport formations, has a metamorphic aureole. The granite was emplaced prior to the F 2 movements but after the F 1 movements. The succession therefore is late Precambrian in age, because the granite is about 600 m.y. old. The deformation of the sediments may be attributed to the “Avalonian orogeny” that is manifested in Anglesey, Wales, and northern France as the Cadomian. There are strong similarities between Anglesey and Newport in lithologies, stratigraphic succession, and plutonic history.
On the role of nuclear motions in electron and excitation transfer rates: Importance of transfer-integral dependence upon nuclear coordinate

Abstract The role of nuclear degrees of freedom in modifying the electron or exciton transfer rates between molecules is investigated. In addition to the usual Franck-Condon overlap factors which arise from the overlaps of initial and final vibrational states, we discuss a dependence of the transfer integral upon nuclear motions, a dependence which has been often cited, but nearly always ignored, in the usual dynamical theories of transfer processes. We show, within a Bom-Oppenheimer treatment, that the transfer integral dependence upon librational, rotational and vibrational modes can profoundly change both the rate itself and its functional dependences (upon temperature, upon orientation, etc.). Using a simple cosine form for the dependence of the transfer integral upon the modifying nuclear mode and a simple displaced-oscillator transformation, we obtain a closed-form solution for the transfer rate, which includes a new overlap factor arising from the dependence of the transfer integral upon nuclear coordinates. Some general remarks about the role of this dependence are made, and applications to particular transfer systems are briefly discussed.
Apical tuft input efficacy in layer 5 pyramidal cells from rat visual cortex

1. The integration of synaptic inputs to the apical dendrite of layer 5 neocortical pyramidal cells was studied using compartment model simulations. The goal was to characterize the generation of regenerative responses to synaptic inputs under two conditions: (a) where there was an absence of background synaptic input, and (b) when the entire cell surface was subjected to a uniform blanket of synaptic background conductance such that somatic input resistance was reduced 5-fold. 2. Dendritic morphology corresponded to a layer 5 thick-trunked pyramidal cell from rat primary visual cortex at postnatal day 28 (P28), with distribution of dendritic active currents guided by the electrophysiological characteristics of the apical trunk reported in this cell type. Response characteristics for two dendritic channel distributions were compared, one of which supported Ca(2+) spikes in the apical dendrite. 3. In the absence of background, synaptic input to the apical tuft was surprisingly effective in eliciting somatic firing when compared with input to apical oblique branches. This result obtained even when the tuft membrane was the least excitable in the dendritic tree. 4. The special efficacy of tuft input arose because its electrotonic characteristics favour development of a sustained depolarization which charged the apex of the apical trunk to its firing threshold; once initiated in the distal trunk, firing propagated inward to the soma. This mechanism did not depend upon the presence of depolarizing channels in tuft membrane, but did require an excitable apical trunk. 5. Rather than disconnect the tuft, background synaptic conductance enhanced the efficacy advantage enjoyed by input arriving there. This counterintuitive result arose because background reduced the subthreshold spread of voltage, and so diminished the ability of the excitation of various individual oblique branches to combine to charge the relatively thick adjacent trunk. In contrast, drive from the depolarized tuft is exerted at a single critical point, the apex of the distal trunk, and so was relatively undiminished by the background. Further, once initiation at the apex occurred, background had little effect on inward propagation along the trunk. 6. We conclude that synaptic input to the apical tuft of layer 5 cells may be unexpectedly effective in triggering cell firing in vivo. The advantage in efficacy was not dependent upon the characteristics of tuft membrane excitability, but rather stemmed from the geometry of the tuft and its junction with the distal apical trunk. The efficacy of tuft input was, however, critically dependent upon inward propagation, suggesting that modulation of membrane currents which affect propagation in the apical trunk might sensitively control the efficacy of tuft input.
On modeling and control of advanced aircraft electric power systems: System stability and bifurcation analysis

Abstract This paper presents a comprehensive dynamic bifurcation model and stability study of advanced aircraft electric power system (AAEPS). The proposed bifurcation model is utilized to investigate the aircraft electric power system stability under various system configurations and loading conditions. Further investigations are performed to verify the sustainability and robustness of the aircraft electric power system and subsystems to time-dependent changes occurring in the system dynamics due to variations in control loop parameters and changes in the loading conditions and power demand. Moreover, stability analysis for changes in operating frequency of the aircraft electric power system’s AC channel is reported. It has been demonstrated that equilibrium points corresponding to the differential equations of the aircraft electric power systems undergo different bifurcation behaviors when the system’s operating parameters are subjected to variations. Finally, several case-study models are developed and implemented and the corresponding two-dimensional bifurcation diagrams were obtained with results verified using available experimental measurements. The AAEPS stability study and bifurcation analysis can assist engineers in identifying preferred regions of operation and safe margin design based on the variation of the system’s loading and parameters.
Transformational practice: critical teacher research in pre-service teacher education

This article traces the experiences of three pre-service teachers as they engaged in teacher research as part of their teacher education program and considers how teacher research might disrupt dominant paradigms that aim to de-contextualize teaching and offer one-size-fits-all solutions to address inequities. In particular, the article examines: the role of the teacher’s personal and academic history in the design of their teacher research projects; how their research worked to disrupt and complicate classroom cultures and practices; and the ways in which the pre-service teachers interpreted their research in light of new contexts during their first year of teaching. This work has critical implications in an era when teacher education programs are under attack, including: the value of drawing on pre-service teachers' lived experiences as an entry point into inquiry; creating highly localized inquiries; and positioning novice teachers as knowledgeable practitioners who are able to share research with coll...
SPATIAL PLANNING OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS

The development of several plans based on linear programming and geographic methodology will permit school administrators to make better decisions concerning the planning of school districts: where to locate boundaries, how to eliminate overcrowding, where to locate new classrooms, and how to overcome de facto segregation. The primal and dual solutions of five linear programs are analyzed and mapped. Two plans transfer students between schools, and three plans assign students to schools based on their residence. By analyzing several plans, an administrator will have a better understanding for organizing his facilities to serve his educational goals better.
Heparitin sulfates (heparan sulfates) of atherosclerosis-susceptible and atherosclerosis-resistant pigeon aortas

Electrophoretic mobilities of heparitin sulfates (HS) from the thoracic aorta and the celiac bifurcation of atherosclerosis-susceptible White Carneau and atherosclerosis-resistant Show Racer pigeons at four ages were examined. Atherosclerosis-susceptible White Carneau aortas contain, in addition to their normal HS component, a variant type of HS (HS') in pre, early- and moderately-atherosclerotic celiac foci which is not found in the thoracic regions of either breed or in Show Racer celiac foci at any age. These findings are interpreted to suggest a role of HS' in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and to propose an explanation for atherosclerotic susceptibility and resistance in pigeons.
SU-E-T-357: Semi-Automated Knowledge-Based Radiation Therapy (KBRT) Planning for Head-And-Neck Cancer (HNC): Can KBRT Plans Achieve Better Results Than Manual Planning?

Purpose: Knowledge Based Radiation Therapy Treatment (KBRT) planning can be used to semi-automatically generate IMRT plans for new patients using constraints derived from previously manually-planned, geometrically similar patients. We investigate whether KBRT plans can achieve greater dose sparing than manual plans using optimized, organspecific constraint weighting factors. Methods: KBRT planning of HNC radiotherapy cases geometrically matched each new (query) case to one of the 105 clinically approved plans in our database. The dose distribution of the planned match was morphed to fit the querys geometry. Dose-volume constraints extracted from the morphed dose distribution were used to run the IMRT optimization with no user input. In the first version, all constraints were multiplied by a weighting factor of 0.7. The weighting factors were then systematically optimized (in order of OARs with increasing separation from the target) to maximize sparing to each OAR without compromising other OARs. The optimized, second version plans were compared against the first version plans and the clinically approved plans for 45 unilateral/bilateral target cases using the dose metrics: mean, median and maximum (brainstem and cord) doses. Results: Compared to the first version, the second version significantly reduced mean/median contralateral parotid doses (>2Gy) for bilateral cases. Other changes between the two versions were not clinically meaningful. Compared to the original clinical plans, both bilateral and unilateral plans in the second version had lower average dose metrics for 5 of the 6 OARs. Compared to the original plans, the second version achieved dose sparing that was at least as good for all OARs and better for the ipsilateral parotid (bilateral) and oral cavity (bilateral/unilateral). Differences in planning target volume coverage metrics were not clinically significant. Conclusion: HNC-KBRT planning generated IMRT plans with at least equivalent dose sparing to manually generated plans; greater dose sparing was achieved in selected OARs.
Relationship between Sterol/Steroid Structure and Participation in Ordered Lipid Domains (Lipid Rafts): Implications for Lipid Raft Structure and Function

The formation and stability of ordered lipid domains (rafts) in model membrane vesicles were studied using a series of sterols and steroids structurally similar to cholesterol. In one assay, insolubility in Triton X-100 was assessed in bilayers composed of sterol/steroid mixed with dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), dioleoylphosphatidylcholine, or a 1:1 mixture of these phospholipids. In a second assay fluorescence quenching was used to determine the degree of ordered domain formation in bilayers containing sterol/steroid and a 1:1 mixture of DPPC and a quencher-carrying phosphatidylcholine. Both methods showed that several single modifications of the cholesterol structure weaken, but do not fully abolish, the ability of sterols and steroids to promote ordered domain formation when mixed with DPPC. Some of these modifications included a shift of the double bond from the 5-6 carbons (cholesterol) to 4-5 carbons (allocholesterol), derivatization of the 3-OH (cholesterol methyl ether, cholesteryl formate), and alteration of the 3-hydroxy to a keto group (cholestanone). An oxysterol involved in atherosclerosis, 7-ketocholesterol, formed domains with DPPC that were as thermally stable as those with cholesterol although not as tightly packed as judged by fluorescence anisotropy. It was also found that 7-ketocholesterol has fluorescence quenching properties making it a useful spectroscopic probe. Lathosterol, which has a 7-8 carbon double bond in place of the 5-6 double bond of cholesterol, formed rafts with DPPC that were at least as detergent-resistant as, and even more thermally stable than, rafts containing cholesterol. Because lathosterol is an intermediate in cholesterol biosynthesis, we conclude it is unlikely that sterol biosynthesis continues past lathosterol in order to create a raft-favoring lipid.
Differential Reporting of Adolescent Stress as a Function of Maternal Depression History.

The depression–distortion hypothesis posits that depressed mothers report child characteristics in a negatively-biased manner, motivating research on discrepant reporting between depressed mothers and their children. However, the literature has predominately focused on report discrepancies of youth psychopathological and behavioral outcomes, with limited focus on youth stress despite the marked increase of stressful events during adolescence. The current study investigated whether the presence versus absence of a maternal history of major depressive disorder differentially influenced reporting of adolescent stress when compared to her child’s report, utilizing a community sample of diverse adolescents. As hypothesized, mothers with a history of depression were more likely to report more youth stress than their children reported. Specifically, mothers with a history of depression were more likely than nondepressed mothers to report more familial, social, and youth-dependent stressors relative to their children; nondepressed mothers were more likely to report less independent stressors than their children.
Effect of physician recommendation and patient adherence on rates of colorectal cancer testing

Abstract This study explored: (1) patient characteristics associated with physician recommendation for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening and patient adherence to recommendation, and (2) the combined effect of recommendation and adherence on CRC testing, broadly defined. Data were from the 1999 MA BRFSS and a call-back survey of 869 BRFSS participants, age 50 and older. Logistic regression was used to identify correlates of recommendation, adherence, and testing. Patient–physician factors were positively associated with recommendation, adherence and testing. Inadequate health insurance was negatively associated with recommendation (OR = 0.45, 95% CI=0.27–0.78) and testing (OR = 0.64, 95% CI=0.38–1.1). Men were not more likely to be recommended (OR = 1.1, 95% CI=0.78–1.5), but were more likely to adhere (OR = 1.9, 95% CI=1.2–2.0) and to be tested (OR = 1.4, 95% CI=1.0–1.9). There were gender differences in recommendation when considering health and risk factor measures. Research is needed to understand differences in recommendation and adherence. Greater encouragement and follow-through may be needed for groups less likely to adhere.
Epigenetic pre‐patterning and dynamics during initial stages of mammalian preimplantation development

Mammals, like all multicellular organisms, develop from a single cell—the totipotent zygote. During preimplantation development and subsequent development in utero, over 200 distinct cell types are established and integrated into the organ systems and tissues of the developing organism. Much of the field of mammalian developmental biology is devoted to investigation of mechanisms that govern the formation of complete organs and tissues. In contrast to later development, which consumes the vast majority of time associated with development in utero, preimplantation development and germ layer specification occur rapidly. Yet knowledge is limited regarding the regulatory mechanisms that specify the transient, but pluripotent, cellular lineages that form during the initial stages of mammalian development. Gametogenesis and preimplantation development are marked by dramatic and pervasive epigenetic changes rooted in chromatin dynamics. The fundamental mechanisms that specify subsequent cellular lineages of the conceptus are only now becoming understood, and tend to rely relatively heavily upon broad epigenetic mechanisms in addition to master transcription factors. This review considers epigenetic regulation in the very earliest stages of preimplantation development. In addition, recent advances which indicate that some epigenetic coding is imposed during gametogenesis and maintained during preimplantation development are considered. J. Cell. Physiol. 225: 333–336, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Mathematical modeling of fetal growth: V. Fetal weight changes at term

Fetal growth after 37 weeks menstrual age was investigated by comparing ultrasound estimates of fetal weight with corresponding weights of newborns. Using a weight estimation equation with minimal systematic error, evidence was found that fetuses delivered at term do not increase in weight the last two weeks before delivery. This change in fetal growth is regarded as a biological process that is needed to prepare the fetus for its life after birth. Only one of three subsets, that of estimated weights below 3000 g, showed significant weight increase after 37 weeks. This subset had, however, on average the longest scan-delivery interval. We conclude that conventional birthweight standards are influenced both by a cessation of fetal growth approximately two weeks before delivery and by an association between fetal size and the duration of gestation.
Structured polymer electrolyte blends based on sulfonated polyetherketoneketone (SPEKK) and a poly (ether imide) (PEI)

The performance and economics of proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells are highly dependent on the membranes used to separate the fuel and oxidant. While maintaining reasonable cost, the membrane must feature a number of desirable properties including high proton conductivity. Blends of polymers are one approach to tailoring PEM properties; however, blending to achieve mechanically and chemically robust membranes has generally resulted in reduced conductivity. The objective of this work was to demonstrate the use of field alignment of the proton-conducting domains to increase the conductivity in a polymer blend PEM. A blend of sulfonated poly(etherketoneketone) (SPEKK) and a polyether imide (PEI) was used to illustrate this method. Blends of SPEKK/PEI with a 3:7 mass ratio were aligned using electric field strengths varying from 0 to 30 V/mm and frequencies varying from 0 to 10 kHz. In general, the degree of alignment agreed with theoretical predictions for the alignment of drops or particles suspended in a fluid with a different dielectric constant, e.g., when the frequency of the applied ac field was increased, the threshold field for phase alignment increased and the diameter of the oriented columnar structures decreased. Alignment resulted in up to three orders of magnitude increase in conductivity at low humidity. By careful selection of temperature and residual solvent content, alignment was shown to be possible in the melt state, which is essential for an economic process for producing alignment-enhanced membranes.
Early Elephantidae of Africa and a tentative correlation of African plio-pleistocene deposits.

Several phyletic lines of Elephantidae were derived from a common gomphotheriid ancestor in the late Pliocene of Africa. These lines evolved at different rates, passing through similar stages at different times as reflected in the morphology of the molar teeth. Comparisons of the many remains of fossil elephants in sediments of Plio-Pleistocene age in Africa allow a lineage specific identification of the fossils and thus provide a means of stratigraphically correlating these deposits.
Development of High Temperature Gas Sensor Technology

The measurement of engine emissions is important for their monitoring and control. However, the ability to measure these emissions in-situ is limited. We are developing a family of high temperature gas sensors which are intended to operate in harsh environments such as those in an engine. The development of these sensors is based on progress in two types of technology: (1) The development of SiC-based semiconductor technology; and (2) Improvements in micromachining and microfabrication technology. These technologies are being used to develop point-contact sensors to measure gases which are important in emission control especially hydrogen, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, and oxygen. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the development of this point-contact sensor technology. The detection of each type of gas involves its own challenges in the fields of materials science and fabrication technology. Of particular importance is sensor sensitivity, selectivity, and stability in long-term, high temperature operation. An overview is presented of each sensor type with an evaluation of its stage of development. It is concluded that this technology has significant potential for use in engine applications but further development is necessary.
Childhood Fatalities in New Mexico: Medical Examiner-Investigated Cases, 2000–2010†

To better understand risk factors and populations at risk of childhood fatalities, a review of all records of childhood deaths (≤19 years) between 2000 and 2010 from New Mexico's statewide medical examiner was conducted. Annually, 313-383 childhood deaths were investigated (3820 total). Males and American Indians were overrepresented (62% and 20.4% of deaths, respectively). The most common manner of death was natural (44.8%), followed by accidental (31.4%), homicide (8.8%), suicide (8.8%), and undetermined (4.1%). Infants under 1 year of age accounted for 41.4% of deaths. Motor vehicle crashes were responsible for the majority of accidental deaths (69%), followed by unintentional overdoses (6.9%), and drowning (5.3%). Gunshot wounds, either intentional or unintentional, caused 10.7% of childhood deaths. Complete medico-legal investigation of childhood fatalities is needed to provide public health agencies with adequate data to evaluate and prevent childhood deaths.
Possibilities and Limitations of Federal Government Promotion of Capacity Building among State and Local Governments

Capacity-building efforts hare been suggested ax one strategy to deal with what is increasingly considered a “crisis of competence” among American governments. The sense that things are not working...
Disaster vulnerability: Scale, power and daily life

The terms "vulnerable" and "vulnerability" have been turning up more and more frequently beginning in the 1980s in writing about disasters. Overman (1989) identifies literally dozens of authors using the term and related ones such as resilience, marginality, susceptibility, adaptability, fragility, and risk. This development is to be welcomed. It shows that an increasing number of people recognize the importance of distinguishing physical hazards from the disasters that sometimes follow. As Maskrey puts it (1989, P. 1):
Strategy for designing specific antisense oligonucleotide sequences.

Antisense compounds, various forms of nucleotides or their analogs, inhibit gene function both in vitro and in vivo. Although antisense compounds have been used extensively not only as a basic research tool but also as therapeutics for various diseases, one of the major problems is the difficulty of obtaining optimal sequences to inhibit specific gene functions. Although the terms “sequence-specificity” or “sequence-nonspecificity” are often used, there is no consensus as to how to define and quantitate such sequence specificity. In this review, we introduced hybridization simulation for designing optimal antisense sequences. Each candidate antisense oligonucleotide is assessed by calculating its hybridization energy against potential hybridization sites within the specified database (including Genbank) using a realistic nearest-neighbor thermodynamic model, taking into account mismatches. The specificity of each oligonucleotide is then quantitated by the number of potential cross-hybridizable genes and their degree of cross-hybridization. Further-more, if antisense sequences exhibit a high potential for hairpin formation, they are not recommended even if they are highly specific. Therefore, to select antisense sequences, one should calculate all the potential factors for each candidate oligonucleotide such as length, location, specificity, hairpin potential, mRNA secondary structure, and dimer formation.
3-D integration of nanophotonics with CMOS electronics

A novel approach to three-dimensionally (3-D) integrate nanophotonic and electronic devices in silicon is described. The method is based on the SIMOX (Separation by Implantation of OXygen) process, to realize three-dimensionally (3-D) integrated devices in a monolithic fashion. In this approach, photonic and electronic devices are realized on vertically stacked layers of silicon, separated from each other by a dielectric layer of silicon dioxide formed through the process of oxygen implantation. Opto-electronic integration is demonstrated by realizing photonic circuits in a subterranean silicon layer and Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (MOS) transistors on a surface layer of silicon. Optical and electronic functionalities are thus separated into two different layers of silicon, paving the way towards dense three-dimensional opto-electronic integration. This has the significant advantage that photonic devices do not consume any of the expensive silicon real estate required for CMOS circuitry. The versatility of the technique of SIMOX 3-D sculpting in obtaining complex optical circuitry is also demonstrated by synthesizing a cascaded microdisk structure that may be utilized to tailor the passband characteristics of optical filters.
Stress, Hyperreactivity, and Health

(1994). Stress, Hyperreactivity, and Health. Quest: Vol. 46, The Academy Papers No. 27. Physical Activity and Stress, pp. 78-99.
Two-photon backgrounds for the intermediate mass Higgs boson☆

Abstract One method which has been proposed for detecting a standard model Higgs boson in the intermediate mass region is to search for the decay H 0 →γγ. The background to this signal is usually estimated on the basis of the qq→γγ and gg→γγ subprocesses. We have found that there are significant contributions coming from two-body subprocesses involving photon bremsstrahlung. Estimates are given for the signal to background ratio as a function of the Higgs mass. Possible methods of reducing this background are also discussed.
Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 1 Gene Deficiency Ameliorates Hepatic Injury in a Mouse Model of Chronic Binge Alcohol-Induced Alcoholic Liver Disease

Experimental alcohol-induced liver injury is exacerbated by a high polyunsaturated fat diet rich in linoleic acid. We postulated that bioactive oxidized linoleic acid metabolites (OXLAMs) play a critical role in the development/progression of alcohol-mediated hepatic inflammation and injury. OXLAMs are endogenous ligands for transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1). Herein, we evaluated the role of signaling through TRPV1 in an experimental animal model of alcoholic liver disease (ALD). Chronic binge alcohol administration increased plasma OXLAM levels, specifically 9- and 13-hydroxy-octadecadienoic acids. This effect was associated with up-regulation of hepatic TRPV1. Exposure of hepatocytes to these OXLAMs in vitro resulted in activation of TRPV1 signal transduction with increased intracellular Ca2+ levels. Genetic depletion of TRPV1 did not blunt hepatic steatosis caused by ethanol, but prevented hepatic injury. TRPV1 deficiency protected from hepatocyte death and prevented the increase in proinflammatory cytokine and chemokine expression, including tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-6, macrophage inflammatory protein-2, and monocyte chemotactic protein 1. TRPV1 depletion markedly blunted ethanol-mediated induction of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, an important alcohol-induced hepatic inflammation mediator, via fibrin accumulation. This study indicates, for the first time, that TRPV1 receptor pathway may be involved in hepatic inflammatory response in an experimental animal model of ALD. TRPV1-OXLAM interactions appear to play a significant role in hepatic inflammation/injury, further supporting an important role for dietary lipids in ALD.
Interaction of paraffin wax gels with ethylene/vinyl acetate-co-polymers

The commercial grades of ethylene/vinyl acetate (EVA) co-polymers have found application as “pour point” depressants in refined fuels. This study focuses on their behavior as additives to crude oils, where the intent is to reduce the yield stress of the gels that can form when the oil exits the reservoir. The model crude oils consisted of 4 wt % wax in decane. At EVA dosage levels of ∼200 ppm, the reduction in yield stress is 3 orders of magnitude for the C36 wax, whereas the reduction is 1 order of magnitude for C32 and only 3-fold for the C28 wax. This decrease in efficiency with decreasing wax carbon number indicates that the EVA materials would not provide an adequate reduction in yield stress to ensure against gelation in pipeline transport. Neutron scattering studies, as a function of temperature, of the self-assembly of the EVA co-polymers show dramatically different aggregated structures in decane. The EVA with the lowest ethylene content shows scattering that increases with a power-law exponent o...
The Use of RT-PCR to Distinguish between Plasmid MnSOD Transcripts and Endogenous MnSOD mRNA

We report here a convenient RT-PCR method to distinguish plasmid human MnSOD cDNA transcripts from the endogenous MnSOD gene products without engineering the cDNA insert. When a specific antisense primer for the carrier vector sequence was paired with a sense primer for the human MnSOD cDNA in RT-PCR analysis, a unique amplicon with the expected size was generated in MnSOD cDNA transfected cells but not in the wild type or vector control cells. The same primers were also used in genomic DNA-PCR to demonstrate genomic incorporation of cDNA in stably transfected cells. This method is convenient and specific in determining exogenous cDNA incorporation and expression in transfectants especially when transcripts of cDNA are difficult to separate from the endogenous mRNA by other methods.