cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Discrimination and Coping in the Lives of Black Women: Analyses of Oral History Data

The present study was designed to explore the multiple effects of institutional discrimination on individuals by examining the distinctive and interactive effects of racial and sexual prejudice and/or institutional discrimination on the coping styles of a small sample of older black women. The existence of the Black Women Oral History Project provided a unique opportunity to examine the perceptions and experiences of discrimination among a set of American black women 70 years of age and older who have made a significant contribution to the improvement of the lives of black people, especially in the 1940s and the 1950s. Examples from these accounts are presented and analyses discussed which suggest that direct instrumental coping may not be the strategy of choice in coping with experiences of discrimination. Rather, selected situational variables (the racial composition of the workplace and the type of discrimination identified) and personal factors (perceptions of the control of the outcome and of the source of the problem) interact and differentially predict either direct instrumental coping or flexibility in coping styles. The findings suggest further that in some contexts a less direct coping strategy may be more effective than a direct instrumental strategy in creatively confronting discrimination.
Do mixed electoral systems matter?: a cross-national analysis of their effects in Eastern Europe

Abstract The effects of majoritarian and proportional electoral rules on politics have been broadly examined in the literature but cross-national studies have failed to appropriately include mixed systems in institutional analyses. This paper develops a theoretical argument about the consequences of the new type of electoral rules as compared to the two older “pure” systems. Multivariate regression analysis of data from sixteen East European countries is used to test the main hypotheses about the relative effect of mixed systems and the importance of their specific design. The results suggest that the East European mixed systems have contributed to the election of fewer bigger winners which could stimulate the evolution of moderately fragmented party systems. The findings show that there are effective mechanisms available to electoral engineers to shape parliamentary majorities under mixed rules.
Streamlined LCA of Soy-Based Ink Printing

This study provides a benchmark of the life cycle environmental impact characteristics associated with a typical soybased ink used for sheetfed lithographic printing. The scope ineluded a streamlined Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) and Impact Assessment (LCIA). Materials, processes, and life cycle stages that are the same between different printing inks, or were less than one percent by mass of the printing system input materials, were excluded. The LCIA included identification of specific processes in the life cycle of soy-based ink printing that make the greatest contribution to the overall environmental hazard potential in 13 impact categories for the baseline printing system selected. The LCIA approach included both regional scaling for areas that differ in sensitivity to certain impact indicators and normalization against a reference value. Reduction in the use of tall oil rosin and switching from conventional to low or no-till farming appear to be promising opportunities for reducing the environmental hazard potential.
Social networking and education: emerging research within CSCL

In this paper I introduce a youth-initiated practice: online social networking that is transforming our society in important ways and has vast implications for learning research and education. I introduce the social and technical features that characterize social networking systems and outline results from emerging research that suggests the social and intellectual practices in which participants naturally engage and how these relate to the competencies increasingly valued in formal education. Next, I discuss one research projects which I am currently pursuing that build on early work and suggest how educational programs might employ such practices to advantage. Finally, I discuss what I see as the educative value of this technology in certain contexts and suggest a course for future research and development. My overall goals are to inform other researchers interested in pursuing similar projects and to stimulate interdisciplinary conversation about where such agendas fit within and advance the aims of CSCL.
Reuse facts and myths

This paper on software reuse is the view of a practitioner rather than of a scientist. Myth 1: OO technology eats up reuse. Fact 1: OO does not automatically yield high reuse rates-both OO and reuse can complement each other. Myth 2: Incentives are key to reuse success. Fact 2: Incentives create awareness, are cheap but don't change much. Myth 3: Reuse is for free. Fact 3: Reuse is a mid-term investment impacting the entire software development process. It must be based on a product strategy which spans several releases or a family of products. >
Photosensitive copolycarbonates for use as sacrificial materials in the fabrication of microfluidic and microelectromechanical devices

In the rapidly growing field of microfluidics, there is a tremendous need for alternative fabrication processes and for simple methods to integrate higher levels of functionality into microfluidic systems (i.e., fully-integrated, multi-level fluidic systems with functional valves, pumping systems, and other MEMS components). A fabrication technique recently developed at Georgia Tech involving thermally sacrificial polymeric materials allows for these innovations. In this method, which is completely compatible with traditional IC fabrication processes, thermally sacrificial polymers are coated onto a substrate and patterned into the shape of the desired channels and devices. These polymeric structures are then overcoated with a permanent structural material such as an inorganic glass or polymer. These steps can be repeated to produce complex, three-dimensional systems. Finally, the completed device structure is heated to the decomposition temperature of the sacrificial polymer which volatilizes to leave behind the desired open-channeled structures. These same materials and techniques can also be applied to the fabrication of a variety of microelectromechanical system components, including suspended membrane structures and cantilevers, that are integrated directly with IC devices on a common substrate. This process was first developed using functionalized polynorbornenes that decompose at temperatures near 425°C. In order to make this approach compatible with a wider range of substrates and structural materials, polymers with lower decomposition temperatures were desired, and polycarbonates were identified as a class of polymers with decomposition temperatures in the desired range (200-300°C). In addition, utilizing a polymer that can be patterned directly by conventional lithography greatly simplifies the fabrication process. By exploiting the acid-catalyzed thermolysis of polycarbonates, low decomposition temperature, photosensitive sacrificial polymers can be developed using mixtures of photoacid generators [PAG] and polycarbonates. Preliminary studies of several different polycarbonates, both photosensitive and non-photosensitive, have shown promising results, but optimization of these materials will be required to realize their full potential as sacrificial materials for use in microsystems manufacturing. The imaging characteristics of these polycarbonates vary greatly with the differing polymer thermal properties and polymer crystallinity, which are directly related to the polymer structure. A comparison of several new secondary and tertiary co-polycarbonates and their ability to maintain feature integrity during photolithography are presented.
The Organization of American States and legal protection to political refugees in Central America.

Since 1978 massive influxes of asylum seekers have placed great strain upon recipient states in Central America. At the global level protection and assistance to refugees is entrusted to the United National High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). At the regional level one would expect involvement by the Organization of American States with Central America refugees; either to supplement UNHCR activities or to enforce independent inter-American standards. This article reviews inter-American standards and agencies of concern for asylum seekers and refugees. Special attention is given to the inter-American human rights regime as the mechanism best suited to supplement or complement UNHCR activities in Central America. (authors)
Amiodarone effects on thyrotropin receptors and responses stimulated by thyrotropin and carbachol in cultured dog thyroid cells.

Amiodarone is an antiarrhythmic drug that often induces thyroid disorders. Its effects on several aspects of thyroid function were studied using cultured dog thyroid cells. Within 5–60 min of incubation of cell membranes with amiodarone, there were profound changes in adenylate cyclase activity and TSH receptor binding. Amiodarone specifically decreased TSH-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity, but not the basal or forskolin-stimulated activities, while it increased the binding of 125I-labeled TSH to its receptors. Significant effects were seen with 5–10 μM amiodarone, with maximal effects at 50–100 μM, when TSH-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity was completely blocked and the labeled TSH binding increased 4- to 5-fold over control. These effects of amiodarone were reversible, since membranes exposed to 50 MM amiodarone for 1 h exhibited normal binding and cyclase activities, when amiodarone was removed by washing before the assay. The above effects of amiodarone were also observed when cells, instead...
Inducing zone lines and melanin formation for decorative purposes on North American western wood species, with emphasis on conifers

AbstractTwenty-one wood species native to the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, including conifers, were tested to determine if any of the commonly utilised melanin producing spalting fungi could generate sufficient spalting coverage to compete within the decorative woods market. Zone lines were readily produced by Xylaria polymorpha on Douglas fir, redwood, myrtle, and cottonwood. Blue stain from Scytalidium lignicola was prolific on myrtle and ash. These results indicate that a number of Pacific Northwest native wood species are suitable for controlled spalting, including two conifers. The prevalence of spalting on these wood species should lead to their increased value, and allow the Pacific Northwest to compete within the spalted woods market.
Estimating Moments of Subjectively Assessed Distributions

Moment-matching discrete distributions were developed by Miller and Rice (1983) as a method to translate continuous probability distributions into discrete distributions for use in decision and risk analysis. Using gaussian quadrature, they showed that an n-point discrete distribution can be constructed that exactly matches the first 2n - 1 moments of the underlying distribution. These moment-matching discrete distributions offer several theoretical advantages over the typical discrete approximations as shown in Smith (1993), but they also pose practical problems. In particular, how does the analyst estimate the moments given only the subjective assessments of the continuous probability distribution? Smith suggests that the moments can be estimated by fitting a distribution to the assessments. This research note shows that the quality of the moment estimates cannot be judged solely by how close the fitted distribution is to the true distribution. Examples are used to show that the relative errors in higher order moment estimates can be greater than 100%, even though the cumulative distribution function is estimated within a Kolmogorov-Smirnov distance less than 1%.
Practical static race detection for Java parallel loops

Despite significant progress in recent years, the important problem of static race detection remains open. Previous techniques took a general approach and looked for races by analyzing the effects induced by low-level concurrency constructs (e.g., java.lang.Thread). But constructs and libraries for expressing parallelism at a higher level (e.g., fork-join, futures, parallel loops) are becoming available in all major programming languages. We claim that specializing an analysis to take advantage of the extra semantic information provided by the use of these constructs and libraries improves precision and scalability. We present IteRace, a set of techniques that are specialized to use the intrinsic thread, safety, and data-flow structure of collections and of the new loop-parallelism mechanism to be introduced in Java 8. Our evaluation shows that IteRace is fast and precise enough to be practical. It scales to programs of hundreds of thousands of lines of code and it reports few race warnings, thus avoiding a common pitfall of static analyses. The tool revealed six bugs in real-world applications. We reported four of them, one had already been fixed, and three were new and the developers confirmed and fixed them.
Hexachlorobenzene‐induced effects on the lymphocyte blastogenic response to concanavalin a in the mink and European ferret

Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) was found to depress the lymphocyte blastogenic response of mink (Mustela vison) and European ferrets (Mustek putorius furo) to the plant lectin Concanavalin A (Con-A). A significant reduction in the incorporation of [3H]thymidine was seen in the lymphocytes from adult animals consuming 25 ppm dietary HCB for 8 months. This effect was observed in animals showing no physical signs of distress or toxicity. The in utero and early postnatal exposure of young mink to HCB also resulted in a significant depression of lymphocyte responsiveness. Exposure levels as low as 1 ppm in the dam's diet caused an impaired T-cell response. In the young ferrets exposed to HCB in utero and during nursing, no change in the stimulation index was seen. The monitoring of immunocompetence in animals exposed to toxicants, either through the diet or indirectly via their dam, provides a sensitive indicator of toxicity. Effects were seen in activation of lymphocytes from the mink and ferrets used in this study without grossly observable clinical signs being present.
Computer networks resilience challenges: Routing protocols

Computer networks are the core of the cyberinfrastucture and are endangered by malicious activities and natural disasters. These threats stress the need for a resilient computer networks to ensure business operational continuity and optimum performance. Several aspects affect computer network resilience level such as network topology, routing protocols, and others. This paper demonstrates Redundancy, Fault Tolerance and Resilience concepts within the computer network domain to illustrate the computer networks resilience goals. It also proposes a set of parameters to evaluate routing protocols' resilience. Results showed that the compounded use of throughput rate, convergence time, and routing protocol table size can be used as to evaluate the routing protocols behavior towards the computer networks resilience.
Free Calcium in Serum. II. Rigor of Homeostatic Control, Correlations with Total Serum Calcium, and Review of Data on Patients with Disturbed Calcium Metabolism

Two hundred and fifteen measurements of free (ionic) and total calcium were performed on sera from 184 patients in whom some disturbance in calcium metabolism was suspected. The correlation coefficient between free and total calcium was 0.94, but a scattergram indicated that free calcium concentration cannot be predicted from knowledge of total calcium concentration. In "normal" individuals the correlation coefficient was only 0.45. Homeostasis of free and total calcium was examined by making periodic measurements in seven normal individuals over a period of eight months; the variability around the individual’s mean value was 1.2% for free calcium and 1.9% for total calcium. Free calcium, as properly measured by the ion-specific electrode, is a better measure of calcium status than is total calcium in the disease states studied, which were mostly hyperparathyroidism, multiple myeloma, and renal failure.
Cross-Group Comparisons: A Cautionary Note

This article alerts researchers to the importance of factorial invariance in comparative studies. Cross-group or cross-national comparisons, without a clear understanding of factorial structures, can result in misleading conclusions regarding compared groups. The types and process of invariance test are discussed. Then, as an empirical illustration, American consumer ethnocentrism toward Japanese products is examined across gender and age. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Rural Leadership Development: A Synthesis of Research

With millions of dollars being invested in adult rural leadership development, it is essential that research be conducted to determine the effectiveness of this investment. Such research can validate the investment and provide guidance for future programming. However, an extensive review of literature in Cambridge Scientific Abstracts yielded only 15 relevant research articles over a decade of publication. Among these articles, sub-topic areas identified included Partnerships, Political Shifts, Safety & Health, Gender Equity, Public Discourse, Statewide Program Impact, and Continuing Education. All of these areas lacked adequate saturation of research. The effectiveness of rural leadership development is severely threatened by this lack of published research. With increasingly limited resources, those engaged in rural leadership development programming must address significant deficiencies in the research and share findings for the betterment of all.
Language, Intensive Versus Extensive Reading

Author's Summary.— The educational value of language study is comprehension. This article tends to show that, owing to man's process of learning, the channel that leads to real understanding and brings permanent results, is the intensive method. To be prepared to read extensively, let us prepare intensively.
Exploring the Atomic Nucleus

A review of recent developments of investigations on nuclear structure, prepared at the request of the A.I.E.E. committee on education, is presented here.
The use of pergolide, a potent dopamine agonist, in Parkinson's disease.

Pergolide, a semisynthetic ergoline and a potent long-acting adenylcyclase-linked dopamine agonist, was given to 40 patients with advanced Parkinson s disease whose response to levodopa had diminished considerably. The group included 31 patients with marked diurnal oscillations in performance (“wearing off” and/or “on-off” phenomena). Pergolide alone (7 patients) or combined with levodopa (33 patients), resulted in a reduction in disability (P ≤ 0.01) as assessed in both the patients' “on” and “off” periods. Pergolide also resulted in an increase (P ≤ 0.001) in the number of hours in which patients were on from 3.8 (±0.4) to 11.9 (±0.9). The mean daily dose of pergolide was 2.4 mg (range 0.1 to 10.0). The mean duration of the study was 12 mo (range 1 to 24). Pergolide is effective in Parkinson's disease and will change the management of patients whose response to levodopa has diminished. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (1982) 32, 70–75; doi:10.1038/clpt.1982.128
Streaming surface reconstruction using wavelets

We present a streaming method for reconstructing surfaces from large data sets generated by a laser range scanner using wavelets. Wavelets provide a localized, multiresolution representation of functions and this makes them ideal candidates for streaming surface reconstruction algorithms. We show how wavelets can be used to reconstruct the indicator function of a shape from a cloud of points with associated normals. Our method proceeds in several steps. We first compute a low-resolution approximation of the indicator function using an octree followed by a second pass that incrementally adds fine resolution details. The indicator function is then smoothed using a modified octree convolution step and contoured to produce the final surface. Due to the local, multiresolution nature of wavelets, our approach results in an algorithm over 10 times faster than previous methods and can process extremely large data sets in the order of several hundred million points in only an hour.
Hematological indices of turkey embryos incubated at high altitude as affected by oxygen and shell permeability.

Abstract Turkey eggs (Meleagris gallopavo) were incubated at altitude of 1,707 m to test the effects of oxygen supplementation and increased eggshell permeability by removal of shell cuticle on embryonic hematology. Turkey embryo hematological indices measured were red blood cell count (RBC), hemoglobin concentration, packed cell volume, mean cellular volume, mean cellular hemoglobin, and percentage of reticulocytes. Although hemoglobin concentration measured during pipping increased as expected by increasing RBC, no significant differences were observed between oxygenation, or permeability treatments, or their interaction. Under the high altitude conditions of the present experiment, increased hemoglobin concentrations in all treatments corresponded to increased numbers of erythrocytes with constant mean cellular hemoglobin. None of the remaining hematological indices examined was affected by oxygen or permeability treatments. It was concluded that turkey embryos incubating at 1,707-m elevation make no additional changes in hemoglobin concentrations during the plateau stage in oxygen consumption (25, 26, and 27 days of incubation) when exposed to increased oxygen tension (151 mm Hg versus 135 mm Hg) or increased eggshell permeability (19.9 mg H2 O/day per mm Hg versus 23.2 mg H2 O/day per mm Hg).
Photonic crystal band edge diode light emitters

We report electrically injected photonic crystal band edge light emitting diodes. The InP-based membrane light emitters utilize a transverse junction that is created using selective ion implantation. Spectral properties showing the influence of the photonic crystal are reported.
A machine learning approach to the automatic synthesis of mechanistic knowledge for engineering decision-making

Inductive learning is proposed as a tool for synthesizing domain knowledge from data generated from a model-based simulator. To use an inductive engine to generate decision rules, a preclassification process is necessary in the presence of multiple competing objectives. Instead of relying on a domain expert to perform this preclassification, a clustering algorithm is used to eliminate the human bias involved in the selection of a classification function for the preclassification. It is shown that the use of a clustering algorithm for preclassification not only further automates the process of knowledge synthesizing, but also improves the quality of the rules generated by the inductive engine. >
Fat infiltration of muscle, diabetes, and clinical fracture risk in older adults.

Context: Older adults with type 2 diabetes are at higher risk for fracture compared with nondiabetic adults after adjustment for their higher bone mineral density. Infiltration of muscle by fat predicts increased risk of hip fracture. Objective: We investigated whether fat infiltration of muscle, which is greater in diabetic adults, is associated with all clinical fracture and whether it accounts for the increased fracture risk in those with diabetes. Design, Setting, and Participants: Data were analyzed from the Health, Aging, and Body Composition Study, a cohort of community-dwelling adults aged 70–79 yr. Glucose metabolism status and x-ray attenuation of thigh muscle were determined at baseline for 2762 participants. Main Outcome Measures: During a mean 8.2 ± 2.3 yr follow-up, 331 participants reported at least one clinical fracture. Results: Fat infiltration of muscle was higher in those with diabetes or impaired glucose metabolism than in those with normal glucose metabolism (P < 0.001). Fat infiltra...
The postural sway test: A historical note

Abstract The modern literature on hypnotic and related phenomena generally credits Hull as the originator, around 1929, of the Postural or Body Sway test. However, at least 4 descriptions and discussions of this type of test can be found in the French scientific literature published between 1887 and 1914. The account given by the French physician, Lucien Moutin, of how he serendipitously came to develop a Postural Sway test in 1878 and 2 later articles crediting him as its originator leave little doubt that, while Hull may have independently developed his version of the test in honest ignorance of Moutin's work, Moutin should be considered the first, if not the true, originator of the Postural Sway test as a type of test of suggestibility and/or hypnotizability. Moutin can probably also be credited as antedating Hull in the discovery of homoaction and heteroaction with further credit going to Berillon for the first true quantification of the Postural Sway test.
Modeling of frictional gas flow effects in a piezoelectrically actuated low leak-rate microvalve under high-pressure conditions

One-dimensional modeling of steady frictional radial flow of a perfect gas through a high-pressure piezoelectrically actuated microvalve under low leak-rate conditions is studied. Focusing on the micro-scale gap between the boss and seat plates, a model was developed for axisymmetric flow between two thermally insulated, parallel disks flowing radially toward an outlet hole at the center of the bottom disk. The fourth-order Runge–Kutta algorithm was utilized to integrate a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations that govern the variations of flow properties. The most notable observation is that of a drastic increase in density and static pressure in contrast to a rather small increase in the Mach number (or velocity). The total pressure drop was also shown to be significant across the seat rings. A 2D Stokes flow model was also derived for incompressible, axisymmetric, radial flow between two concentric parallel disks in order to verify the trends of the flow property variations from the compressible radial flow model. The Stokes flow model trends for both static and total pressure concurred with the predictions of the radial compressible flow model. In addition, a comparison of Stokes flow values for both the static pressure rise and the total pressure drop to that of the numerical results demonstrates the necessity of accounting for compressibility effects. (Some figures in this article are in colour only in the electronic version)
Differential Effects of Abnormal Tactile Experience on Shaping Representation Patterns in Developing and Adult Motor Cortex

This study investigates the influence of early somatosensory experience on shaping movement representation patterns in motor cortex. Electrical microstimulation was used to map bilaterally the motor cortices of adult rats subjected to altered tactile experience by unilateral vibrissa trimming from birth (birth-trimmed group) or for comparable periods that began in adulthood (adult-trimmed group). Findings demonstrated that (1) vibrissa trimming from birth, but not when initiated in adulthood, led to a significantly smaller-sized primary motor cortex (M1) vibrissa representation in the hemisphere contralateral to the trimmed vibrissae, with no evidence for concomitant changes in size of the adjacent forelimb representation or the representation of the intact vibrissae in the opposite (ipsilateral) hemisphere; (2) in the contralateral hemispheres of the birth-trimmed group, an abnormal pattern of evoked vibrissa movement was evident in which bilateral or ipsilateral (intact) vibrissa movement predominated; (3) in both hemispheres of the birth-trimmed group, current thresholds for eliciting movement of the trimmed vibrissa were significantly lower than normal; and (4) in the adult-trimmed group, but not in the birth-trimmed group, there was a decrease bilaterally in the relative frequency of dual forelimb-vibrissa sites that form the common border between these representations. These results show that sensory experience early in life exerts a significant influence in sculpting motor representation patterns in M1. The mature motor cortex is more resistant to the type and magnitude of influence that tactile experience has on developing M1, which may indicate that such an influence is constrained by a developmentally regulated critical period.
Postnatal development attunes olfactory bulb mitral cells to high-frequency signaling.

Mitral cells (MCs) are a major class of principal neurons in the vertebrate olfactory bulb, conveying odor-evoked activity from the peripheral sensory neurons to olfactory cortex. Previous work has...
Group A Streptococcal Rapid Test Antigen Detection After 18-24 Hours of Penicillin Therapy

We studied 29 children, aged 19 months to 16 years, prior to and after 18-24 hours of oral penicillin therapy to confirm the rapid disappearance of detectable pharyngeal antigen and to determine whether the antigen detectable by commercially available kits was excreted into the urine. Patients were recruited based on the presence of pharyngitis, no antibiotic therapy in the preceding 2 weeks, and a positive latex agglutination (LA) for group A beta hemolytic streptococci (GABHS) antigen on pharyngeal swab. Diagnosis was confirmed by positive GABHS culture on blood agar plates. Twenty-five of these children were also tested for GABHS antigen by enzyme-linked immunoassay (EIA).After 18-24 hours of oral antibiotic therapy, only 10 patients had a positive test for GABHS on throat swab. Five of 29 subjects (17%) remained positive by blood agar plate (BAP) culture, eight of 29 (29%) by LA, and four of 23 (17%) by EIA. GABHS antigen was undetectable by LA or EIA in the urines of any of these patients, either pri...
Component and instrument failures detection using continuous mapping neural network

Two schemes for distinction between component failure detection (CFD) and instrument failure detection (IFD) are suggested. These schemes are based on the use of a dynamic neural network capable of performing continuous mapping between two sets in the real number domain, R/sup n/ to R/sup m/. The first scheme requires only one dynamic neural net which takes both computed input signals and measurable signals provided by sensors and predicts a combination of the plant parameters and inaccessible signals. In the second scheme two dynamic neural nets are connected in a reverse direction. The first neural net is used to detect possible failures in plant components or sensors, while the second net is used for the distinction between the two different kinds of failures. Both nets use only measured signals. One net literally simulates the inverse dynamics of the plant and possesses a physical meaning; therefore, it can be trained online. The other requires a dynamic model of the plant. Simulations based on a robot arm are presented. >
Increasing Understanding and Social Acceptance of Individuals With Disabilities Through Exploration of Comics Literature

Research supports the inclusion of children with disabilities in general education classrooms as a way to boost academic and social development, not only for children with disabilities, but also for typically developing children. A wide variety of perspectives and abilities in the classroom builds empathy, understanding, and creativity—all critical skills for children and adults learning, living, and working in increasingly diverse communities. Instead of deficit thinking about individuals with disabilities (considering them only in terms of what they cannot do), current best practices around the world call for a strengths-based approach. All children have the right to a quality education, and separate facilities do not guarantee equitable treatment. In this article, the authors explore the benefits of a classroom study of comics literature featuring characters with disabilities in terms of classroom behavior, learning, and social skills building. In outlining specific classroom activities and linking the...
Lunelle monthly injectable contraceptive: an effective safe and convenient new birth control option.

LunelleTM, an injectable estrogen/progestin contraceptive, is administered on a monthly basis and is now available as the first monthly injectable in the United States. International and US clinical trials have established its safety and confirmed its contraceptive efficacy. Fertility returns rapidly after discontinuation of injections. Studies have noted a high level of patient satisfaction with Lunelle, suggesting that monthly injectable contraception will become a first-line contraceptive option in the United States.
The Future of Private Engineering Education

A perspective of the current situation of private engineering schools, particularly as regards their financial status and their state of morale, is presented. Some possible causes and some possible solutions are presented. Principally, it is suggested that the private schools concentrate on the education of “problem realizers” who will be at the cutting edge of applications of technology in future societal developments.
Dental problems of alcoholic and nonalcoholic psychiatric patients.

Although both alcoholics and psychiatric patients at a Veterans Administration Hospital exhibited severe oral neglect, the alcoholics had more missing teeth and more nonrestorable teeth than the ps...
A scenario-based, randomized trial of patient values and functional prognosis on intensivist intent to discuss withdrawing life support

Objectives:To evaluate the effect of 1) patient values as expressed by family members and 2) a requirement to document patients’ functional prognosis on intensivists’ intention to discuss withdrawal of life support in a hypothetical family meeting.Design:A three-armed, randomized trial.Setting:One h
Immunology and exercise: Physiology, Pathophysiology, and Implications for HIV Infection

This article covers the latest information on the immunologic changes of exercise as well as the effects of regular exercise on persons infected with HIV and the exercise recommendations for HIV-infected athletes. Included are discussions about psychoneuroimmunology and exercise-associated changes in immunity.
Computational Study of the Hydrolysis Reactions of Small MO2 (M = Zr and Hf) Nanoclusters with Water

Density functional theory (DFT) has been used to study the hydrolysis reaction of (MO2)n (M = Zr, Hf, n = 1–4) nanoclusters in the ground singlet and first triplet states. The reactions for singlet n = 1 were benchmarked at the CCSD(T) level of theory. The reactions of H2O with the metal site having an M═O bond and/or M–O bonds as well as H transfer to both terminal ═O atoms and bridge −O atoms have been studied. The partial charge on M increases as the M═O bonds are replaced with M–OH bonds. The first H2O adsorption (physisorption) energies for these MO2 nanoclusters are calculated to be −20 to −30 kcal/mol for the singlet state and −15 to −48 kcal/mol for the triplet state. These physisorption energies depend on the cluster size and the adsorption site, consistent with existing experimental and computational studies. The first hydrolysis (dissociative chemisorption) reaction energies of the MO2 nanoclusters are calculated to have a much broader range, −30 to −80 kcal/mol for the singlet states and −30 t...
Relative Humidity and Nectar Concentration in Fireweed

The influence of nectar concentration on the behavior of field bees has been studied extensively by Geo. H. Vansell, Associate Apiculturist, U. S. Department of Agriculture, and to a more limited extent by the author throughout Oregon. Through these studies it has been clearly established that bees show a decided preference for the more concentrated nectars when working in the field.
Vegetation of semi-stable rangeland dunes of the Navajo Nation, Southwestern USA

ABSTRACTDune destabilization and increased mobility is a worldwide issue causing ecological, economic, and health problems for the inhabitants of areas with extensive dune fields. Dunes cover nearly a third of the Navajo Nation within the Colorado Plateau of southwestern USA. There, higher temperatures and prolonged drought beginning in 1996 have produced significant increases in dune mobility. Vegetation plays an important role in dune stabilization, but there are few studies of the plants of the aeolian surfaces of this region. We examined plant species and their attributes within a moderately vegetated dune field of the Navajo Nation to understand the types and characteristics of plants that stabilize rangeland dunes. These dunes supported a low cover of mixed grass-scrubland with fifty-two perennial and annual species including extensive occurrence of non-native annual Salsola spp. Perennial grass richness and shrub cover were positively associated with increased soil sand composition. Taprooted shrub...
Survey of Occupational Musculoskeletal Disorders among Machinery Manufactures workers

[Objective]To investigate the prevalence of occupational musculoskeletal disorders(OMD) in machinery manufactures workers.[Methods]Cross-sectional survey was adopted to conduct questionnaire survey about OMD on 990 workers from 4 machinery manufacturers in Fengtai District of Beijing City.Multi-factor logistic regression analysis was performed on possible risk factors.[Results]General prevalence of OMD among machinery manufactures workers was 60.9%,the prevalence rates of OMD in different parts of the body were significantly different(χ2=617.466,P0.01),the prevalence of OMD at waist was highest(45.1%).Prevalence rate between different type of work was significantly different(χ2=17.510,P0.01).Six factors of length of service,work fatigue,self-health evaluation,repeated operation,poor posture,trauma history were put into the regression equation.[Conclusion]Serious damage of OMD exist in workers of the surveyed 4 factories.
Research on Early Warning and Quarantine Control of Internet Worm

An internet worms can quickly infects most vulnerable computers.This paper presents a early warning and quarantine system aiming at the fast spreading nature of worms.Using simple epidemic model and observation data from the scan sensor,we warning a worm at it's early stage by detecting the trend of illegitimated scan traffic.Then we use the worm character mining from the scan data on filter and quarantine system to cut off the spreading of worm.
The Cellular Slime Mold as a Paradigm to Study Ribosome Polymorphism in Eukaryotes

The eukaryotic organisms undergo complex life cycles which vary in detail depending on the species. Several of the processes of life cycle, especially cell differentiation, organogenesis, and morphogenesis, lead to distinct types of cells and tissues. Many important changes in protein synthesis, e.g., the translation of specific proteins and induction of differential rates, are characteristic features which occur concomitant with the development of specific cell and tissue types. How is this translational complexity accommodated in multicellular eukaryotes? One plausible mechanism how the cells accomplish this is thought to be through the synthesis of unique ribosomes (Sussman, 1970). This hypothesis, therefore, predicts the existence of subpopulations of ribosomes, i.e., a ribosome polymorphism or heterogeneity, in the same organism.
Total synthesis of honokiol by selective samarium-mediated allylic benzoate reduction

Abstract The total synthesis of the biologically relevant compound honokiol has been completed featuring a samarium-mediated bis-benzoyl ester reduction to simultaneously install both allyl substituents found in the natural product. This reaction was performed after a Suzuki coupling was used to generate the biphenyl core, thereby avoiding problems associated with the acidity of these allyl groups and their propensity to isomerize. In this way, the synthesis of honokiol could be completed in 4 steps and 42% overall yield.
Spontaneous Lung Lesions in Aging Laboratory Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

Spontaneous age-related lesions of laboratory rabbits are not well documented in the contemporary scientific literature. A retrospective study of diagnostic necropsies of 36 rabbits >2 years of age found a number of common lung lesions. Fibromuscular intimal hyperplasia affected medium and to a lesser extent large pulmonary arteries and was present to a variable extent in all 36 rabbits >2 years of age. The lesions were characterized by fragmentation and/or reduplication of the internal elastic lamina (IEL), proliferation of smoothelin+/alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA)+/vimentin- smooth muscle cells and fewer smoothelin-/α-SMA+/vimentin+ myofibroblasts, and intimal deposition of collagen without thrombosis, embolism, or evidence of pulmonary hypertension. Pulmonary emphysema, present in 30/36 rabbits, was characterized by the loss of alveolar septa; most affected rabbits did not have clinical signs of respiratory disease. In 8/13 rabbits of the inbred EIII/JC audiogenic strain, we identified a unique syndrome of granulomatous pneumonia containing hyaline brown to gray, globular to ring-like acellular material that was Alcian blue and periodic acid-Schiff positive. The material was immunoreactive for surfactant protein-A and had the ultrastructural appearance of multilamellar vesicles, suggesting a genetic defect in surfactant metabolism. Additionally, we found small benign primary lung tumors (fibropapillomas, 5 rabbits) not previously described. Other findings included heterotopic bone (5 rabbits), subacute to chronic suppurative bronchopneumonia, pyogranulomatous pneumonia with plant material, and pulmonary artifacts from barbiturate euthanasia solution.
Complete Genome Sequence of Porcine Sapelovirus Strain USA/IA33375/2015 Identified in the United States

The complete genome of sapelovirus A, formerly known as porcine sapelovirus (PSV), from a diarrheic pig was sequenced for the first time in the United States (designated PSV USA/IA33375/2015). It shares 87.8% to 83.9% nucleotide identities with other reported PSV strains globally and is most closely related to Asia PSV strains.
Personal Identity Without Too Much Science Fiction

The philosophy literature is rife with thought experiments, and quite recherche thought experiments at that. Derek Parfit’s Reasons and Persons, arguably the most influential work on personal identity in the last 50 years, walks readers through cases of teletransportation, gradual matter reorganizers, brain transplants, fission, and so on. Other famous thought experiments ask us to imagine a man shuffling papers in a room to implement a Chinese-speaking computer program; or “people seeds” that float in past your window screens and lead to a person blooming on your sofa; or a neuroscientist confined to a black and white room who nonetheless learns the complete (and finished) neuroscience of color vision. But while these evocative, rich cases have spawned a huge literature, it is a recurring complaint that we should not settle debates in philosophy using such recherche thought experiments.
Dose: Comparison of 6 and 12 Nutrition and Physical Activity Sessions Targeting Middle School Adolescents

Determining optimal intervention dose to meet time constraints of the teacher while maximizing behavioral impact for students has proven challenging. This study investigated the influence of intervention dose on 7th & 8th grade participants’ dietary and physical activity (PA) behaviors. Participants were assigned randomly to a: 1) 6 week-12 session nutrition intervention [treatment#1], or 2) 3 week-6 session nutrition intervention [treatment#2] with data collected pre/post intervention. Using ANCOVA, measures assessed dietary and PA self-efficacy and behaviors. Ethnically diverse participants (n=107) were included in the analyses (46% male). All students set two goals: one dietary and one PA regardless of dose. Treatment#1 resulted in similar outcomes compared to treatment#2 with no significant differences between groups. As a result, we recommend that teachers using the 12 week intervention give students the option of setting new goals after the 6th lesson to maintain motivation.
Abstract A021: Loss-of-function screen for breast tumor initiating cells reveals PRC1 dependence

Breast tumor-initiating cells (BTICs) are a subset of cells within breast tumors thought to be more tumorigenic than non-BTICs and possess both self-renewal and differentiation potential. Gene expression and functional studies have demonstrated a correlation between BTICs and high-grade tumors, poor patient prognosis, and therapy resistance; however, the mechanisms underlying BTIC regulation remains poorly understood. Because epigenetic alterations play a key role in breast cancer progression and in stem cell regulation, we hypothesized that epigenetic factors mediate BTIC function. Using a mouse MMTV-Myc mammosphere (MS) culture system, which we showed to be enriched in BTICs by in vivo tumorigenicity assays and gene expression studies, we performed a pooled shRNA library screen coupled to next generation sequencing (NGS). Using a library of ~450 shRNAs targeting 60 epigenetic regulators, our screen identified multiple members of the Polycomb Repressive Complex 1 (PRC1) as top candidates, with shRNAs targeting PRC1 members significantly depleted in MS cells, but not in control bulk cells. This strongly suggests that PRC1 is required for MS/BTIC function. We have validated that knockdown of PRC1 members reduces MS formation and BTIC ‘markers’ in MMTV-Myc cells and human MDAMB-231Luc cells in vitro, and are currently performing in vivo tumorigenesis assays. Further, RNA-Seq and ChIP-Seq is underway to decipher the mechanisms by which PRC1 mediates BTIC regulation. In accordance with our screen, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) reports several members of PRC1 to be overexpressed in breast tumors, and we are further exploring the clinical relevance of PRC1 members in breast cancer patient samples. Citation Format: Chi-Yeh Chung, Alexandre Gaspar-Maia, Gavriel Mullokandov, Almudena Bosch-Gutierrez, Eduardo Farias, Brian Brown, Emily Bernstein. Loss-of-function screen for breast tumor initiating cells reveals PRC1 dependence. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Breast Cancer Research: Genetics, Biology, and Clinical Applications; Oct 3-6, 2013; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2013;11(10 Suppl):Abstract nr A021.
Consideration of materials for creating 3D printed space sensors and systems

Three-dimensional printing (also known as additive manufacturing) in space is a practical solution to reducing the mass and volume required for bringing materials into orbit and beyond. Materials can be launched in their raw form and transformed into the requisite parts and structures, as needed. This provides flexibility, allows structures to be designed to only support microgravity and allows sensing systems to be configured (and reconfigured) based on needs identified during the mission. This paper presents work undertaken to identify materials that are well-suited to in-space 3D printing. Materials commonly used for aerospace hardware were examined to assess their suitability.