cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Patterns of Adolescents’ Appraisals of Responses to Problem Situations: Associations with Aggression, Victimization, and Contextual Factors

Although considerable research has examined factors that influence social-cognitive processes related to aggression, few studies have examined the factors that influence adolescents’ appraisal of the effectiveness of responses, particularly nonviolent alternatives to aggression. This study addressed that gap by examining patterns of adolescents’ perceived effectiveness of nonviolent and aggressive responses to hypothetical problem situations and their relations with aggression, victimization, and individual and contextual risk factors. The participants were a predominantly African American (90%) sample of 1469 students (55% female; mean age = 12.7 years; age range = 11–16) from three middle schools who completed measures of perceived effectiveness, self-efficacy, aggression and victimization, and contextual factors. Ratings of adolescents’ physical, relational, and verbal aggression and victimization, nonviolent and prosocial behavior were also obtained from their teachers. Latent class analysis identified four subgroups of adolescents including distinguishes effective, mixed support, everything works, and nothing works. Subgroups differed on measures of aggression, victimization, prosocial and nonviolent behavior, self-efficacy for nonviolence, witnessing community violence, and parents’ and peers’ support for nonviolence and aggression. The findings underscore the importance of designing violence prevention programs to target the unique needs of subgroups of adolescents.
UNLOC: Optimal Unfolding Localization from Noisy Distance Data

Target localization is an important problem in signal processing and sensor networks, with many application areas including security, consumer electronics, and health monitoring. In this paper, we formulate target localization as an inverse problem: given the locations of a set of anchors and noisy distance measures to a target, the localization problem is to estimate the unknown location of the target. We propose to solve the localization problem using an unfolding-based optimization. We show that the corresponding stress optimization, despite being a nonlinear problem, yields a global optimum that can be approximated using an efficient iterative algorithm. We term our computational approach as UNLOC, unfolding-based localization, and benchmark its effectiveness on both synthetic data and lab-generated experimental data. The proposed localization technique generally produces accurate target location, and the quality of localization can be further improved by an appropriate choice of weights in the objective function of the optimization problem.
A Review of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Management and Treatment.

BACKGROUND: Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) was first described in 1967, but its definition has evolved considerably since then. ARDS is defined as the onset of hypoxemia, tachypnea, and loss of lung compliance due to some stimulus. In the United States, the incidence of ARDS has been growing because it is being increasingly recognized. The incidence of ARDS has also gone up recently due to the COVID-19 pandemic. AREAS OF UNCERTAINTY: To date, there is no known one treatment for ARDS. Multiple studies have looked into various causes of ARDS, pathophysiology, and ventilation and management strategies. However, there is still considerable variability in the treatment and management of these patients from institution to institution. DATA SOURCES: A literature search was conducted through PubMed and Google Scholar. Publications describing the epidemiology, diagnostic criteria, pathophysiology, and treatment were included in this review. RESULTS: The definition of ARDS has evolved over the years. The most recent and agreed upon diagnostic criteria are based on the Berlin criteria for ARDS. Management of patients with ARDS includes low tidal volume ventilation, prone ventilation, paralysis in certain patient populations, and perhaps extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). This also applies to patients with ARDS due to COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with ARDS have a high mortality due to the incredibly complex disease process. Because of the complexity of ARDS, the management and treatment is equally as difficult. This article reviews some of the strategies used to date, including the role of ECMO, and includes some society recommendations. Further research must be done into which methods best guide lung ventilation in severe ARDS and patients on ECMO.
Multimodality Intraoperative Neuromonitoring in Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion: A Review of Alerts in 628 Patients.

Study Design:Retrospective review of private neuromonitoring databases.Objectives:To review neuromonitoring alerts in a large series of patients undergoing lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) an...
Pedimos Posada: Local Mediators and Guatemalan Refugees in Mexico, 1978-1984❧

Este articulo investiga como los campesinos indigenas guatemaltecos que se refugiaron en Chiapas, Mexico, confiaron en los mediadores mexicanos y la solidaridad comunitaria para garantizar su seguridad durante la campana genocida del ejercito guatemalteco (1979-1983) contra los campesinos mayas. El objetivo es identificar por que diferentes grupos de mediadores satisfacen exitosamente las necesidades de los refugiados. Metodologia: utilizando el marco de estudios de migracion forzada, el articulo examina fuentes de archivo e historias orales para analizar los patrones de migracion laboral y movimiento de los refugiados. Originalidad: el articulo utiliza colecciones de archivo previamente no catalogadas, incluido el Fondo Refugiados Guatemaltecos en el Archivo Historico Diocesano de San Cristobal de Las Casas, documentos locales del Instituto Nacional de los Pueblos Indigenas (anteriormente Instituto Nacional Indigena, ini) e historias orales recopiladas en comunidades de ex refugiados. Conclusiones: los refugiados dependian de los mediadores locales, principalmente campesinos y pequenos agricultores, para conseguir alimentos, refugio y trabajo. Aunque los mediadores formales (organizaciones gubernamentales e intergubernamentales) potencialmente podian ofrecer mas servicios a los asentamientos de refugiados, los campamentos de refugiados tambien requerian un registro formal y restringian los derechos de las personas para trabajar y moverse libremente. Los aldeanos indigenas mayas de ambos lados de la frontera compartian una larga historia de migracion laboral, ademas de lazos sociales, religiosos y familiares. Estos vinculos sentaron las bases de nuevas comunidades y proporcionaron a los refugiados la flexibilidad que necesitaban. En terminos mas generales, esta investigacion muestra como la formacion de comunidades de base protegio y, en ocasiones, abuso de los derechos humanos de los refugia
Stress-inducible Arabidopsis thaliana RD29A promoter constitutively drives Citrus sinensis APETALA1 and LEAFY expression and precocious flowering in transgenic Citrus spp.

Transgenic ‘Duncan’ grapefruit (Citrus paradisi Macf.) and ‘Valencia’ sweet orange (Citrus sinensis [L.] Osbeck) plants ectopically expressing C. sinensis (cv. Washington navel orange) APETALA1 (CsAP1) or LEAFY (CsLFY) genes under control of the Arabidopsis thaliana stress-inducible promoter AtRD29A flowered under non-inductive (warm temperature, well-watered) greenhouse conditions, whereas their wild-type (WT) counterparts did not. The transgenic plants that flowered exhibited no altered morphological features, except the lack of thorns characteristic of juvenile WT plants. The most precocious T0 line, ‘Duncan’ grapefruit (Dun134-3) expressing the CsAP1 gene, flowered and fruited when it was 4.5 years old and the T1 siblings from this line flowered and fruited when they were just over 18 months old. In contrast, T1 seedlings from three lines of ‘Duncan’ grapefruit expressing the CsLFY gene flowered within 3 months after germination, but were unable to support fruit development. Transcript levels of corresponding transgenes in leaves were not correlated with earliness of flowering. To further study the activity of AtRD29A, leaves from three ‘Carrizo’ citrange (C. sinensis × Poncirus trifoliata) rootstock seedlings transformed with the green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene under regulation of the AtRD29A promoter were subjected to drought stress or well-watered conditions. Expression of GFP was not stress-dependent, consistent with the observation of flowering of CsAP1 and CsLFY transgenic plants under non-inductive conditions. Taken together, the results suggest that AtRD29A is constitutively expressed in a citrus background. Despite the loss of control over flowering time, transgenic citrus lines ectopically expressing C. sinensis AP1 or LFY genes under control of the A. thaliana RD29A promoter exhibit precocious flowering, fruit development and viable transgenic seed formation. These transformed lines can be useful tools to reduce the time between generations to accelerate breeding.
SIRPα sequesters SHP-2 to promote IL-4/13 signaling and alternative activation of macrophages

The Th2 cytokines IL-4 and IL-13 through activation of their shared receptor IL-4Rα direct macrophage alternative activation to promote immunosuppression and wound healing. However, the mechanisms that control macrophage responses to IL-4/13 are not fully understood. Apart from driving JAK-STAT and PI3K-Akt pathways to polarize macrophages toward the alternative phenotype, the activated IL-4/13 receptors recruit negative regulators SHP-1 and SHP-2, which dephosphorylate IL-4Rα and decrease its signaling. Here we report that SIRPα spatially restricts SHP-2 and, by such, promotes IL-4/13 signaling and macrophage alternative activation. SIRPα executes this regulation via its cytoplasmic ITIMs/ITSMs that undergo phosphorylation by IL-4/13-induced, Src kinase-activated Brutons tyrosine kinase (Btk), resulting in recruitment of SHP-2 and preclusion of SHP-2 from binding to and inhibiting IL-4/13 receptors. Despite that this regulation occurs independent of CD47, extracellular CD47 ligation of SIRPα facilitates its cytoplasmic phosphorylation and SHP-2 sequestration, leading to stronger IL-4/13 signaling and enhanced macrophage expression of IL-10, TGFβ, CD206, arginase-1, etc. Conversely, deficiency of SIRPα allows SHP-2 to freely bind to γC or IL-13Rα1 and through which dephosphorylate IL-4Rα, dampening its signaling. Consistent with these findings, impaired wound healing in Sirpα-/- mice under experimental colitis correlated with a deficit of immunosuppressive macrophages in the colon, a condition that was corrected by transfusion of ex vivo-produced SIRPαhigh alternatively activated macrophages.
Fast On-Chip Data Transfer Using Sinusoid Signals

In Chapter 2, we demonstrate that resonant clocking can be used as an ultra high-speed, low-jitter, low-power, stable on-chip clock generation and distribution scheme. In Chapter 3, we use such a clock to design a high speed source-synchronous ring-based NoC architecture. This helped us achieve inter-processor communication with minimal latency. In this chapter, we investigate an alternate design for high speed on-chip data transfer, which utilizes resonant oscillators. Traditional (pulse-based) on-chip data transfer achieves a maximum data transfer rate of one bit per wire per clock cycle. In this work, we explore the use of sinusoidal signals (generated using SWOs) of different frequencies as information carriers for on-chip data transfer. The advantage of our method is the ability to superimpose such sinusoids and thereby effectively send multiple logic values along the same wire in a clock cycle. Initial experimental results show that for the same throughput as a traditional scheme, we require 50 % fewer wires. This technique can be employed for off-chip data transfer as well.
A natural rice rhizospheric bacterium abates arsenic accumulation in rice (Oryza sativa L.).

A natural rice rhizospheric isolate abates arsenic uptake in rice by increasing Fe plaque formation on rice roots. Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is the staple food for over half of the world’s population, but its quality and yield are impacted by arsenic (As) in some regions of the world. Bacterial inoculants may be able to mitigate the negative impacts of arsenic assimilation in rice, and we identified a nonpathogenic, naturally occurring rice rhizospheric bacterium that decreases As accumulation in rice shoots in laboratory experiments. We isolated several proteobacterial strains from a rice rhizosphere that promote rice growth and enhance the oxidizing environment surrounding rice root. One Pantoea sp. strain (EA106) also demonstrated increased iron (Fe)-siderophore in culture. We evaluated EA106’s ability to impact rice growth in the presence of arsenic, by inoculation of plants with EA106 (or control), subsequently grew the plants in As-supplemented medium, and quantified the resulting plant biomass, Fe and As concentrations, localization of Fe and As, and Fe plaque formation in EA106-treated and control plants. These results show that both arsenic and iron concentrations in rice can be altered by inoculation with the soil microbe EA106. The enhanced accumulation of Fe in the roots and in root plaques suggests that EA106 inoculation improves Fe uptake by the root and promotes the formation of a more oxidative environment in the rhizosphere, thereby allowing more expansive plaque formation. Therefore, this microbe may have the potential to increase food quality through a reduction in accumulation of toxic As species within the aerial portions of the plant.
The Role of Attachment Insecurity in Intrinsic Interests in IT

Much IS adoption research has examined factors related to one’s intrinsic interests in IT, such as computer playfulness and personal innovativeness, and their various implications for adoption and use. But why are certain people more playful and innovative with technology than others in the first place? Prior IS research provides few answers as to the origins of these intrinsic motivators. Building on psychology literature, this study takes an attachment theory perspective and explores how attachment insecurity can lead to intrinsic interests in technological objects. Expected contributions to research and practice are discussed.
TCP over Multi-Hop Wireless Networks: The Impact of MAC Level Interactions

In Multi Hop Wireless Networks (MHWNs), nodes act both as end-hosts as well as intermediate routers. When communication occurs, these nodes form chains between different sources and destinations. Researchers have studied how these chains behave, discovering that MAC level interactions play a major role in determining their performance. In this paper, we extend this analysis to study how TCP connections, which involve bidirectional flows, behave over wireless chains. First, we break down and examine the types of chains that occur most frequently in TCP configurations and classify them by the nature of the MAC level interactions that arise in each. We then show that the throughput of TCP over a wireless chain is greatly affected by the type of interactions within the chain. Finally, we show the implications of the MAC level interactions on network performance: specifically, route instability and number of retransmissions.
Industry and the Family: Two Engines of Growth ∗

We generalize the class of endogenous growth models in which the scale of the economy has level rather than growth effects, and study the implications of different demographic and technological factors when both fertility choice and research effort are endogenous. The model incorporates two dimensions of technological progress: vertical (quality of goods) and horizontal (variety of goods). Both dimensions contribute to productivity growth but are driven by different processes and hence respond differently to changes in fundamentals. Specifically, while unbounded vertical progress is feasible, the scale of the economy limits the variety of goods. Incorporating a linearity in reproduction generates steady-state population growth and variety expansion. We thus have two engines of growth generating dynamics that we compare with observed changes in demographics, market structure, and patterns of growth. Numerical solutions yield the important insight that, while endogenous, fertility responds very little to industrial policies. Demographic shocks, in contrast, have substantial effects on growth.
Setting the loading level of a wind power plant in power system planning stability studies

In a planning stability study focusing on a specific wind power plant (WPP), it is dispatched at full output. Its dynamic response is not expected to be noticeably affected by the loading of WPPs in close electrical proximity. To investigate the validity of this approach and better understand the mutual effect of the loading levels of nearby WPPs on their dynamic responses to power system faults, four case studies with different local areas and wind turbine generator (WTG) devices are performed. Fault simulations are carried out on real large power system databases. While most numerical experiments confirm the approach, some others suggest that it does not necessarily lead to the severest stability conditions. Further EMTP-type analysis is needed. Meanwhile, and especially when a planning study identifies concerns about the stability of a WPP and/or its fault ride through capability, more combinations of WPP loading levels should be evaluated.
Robotically assisted minimally invasive mitral valve surgery

Increased recognition of advantages, over the last decade, of minimizing surgical trauma by operating through smaller incisions and its direct impact on reduced postoperative pain, quicker recovery, improved cosmesis and earlier return to work has spurred the minimally invasive cardiac surgical revolution. This transition began in the early 1990s with advancements in endoscopic instruments, video & fiberoptic technology and improvements in perfusion systems for establishing cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) via peripheral cannulation. Society of Thoracic Surgeons data documents that 20% of all mitral valve surgeries are performed using minimally invasive techniques, with half being robotically assisted. This article reviews the current status of robotically assisted mitral valve surgery, its advantages and technical modifications for optimizing clinical outcomes.
Natural remanent magnetization of Portland cement paste and mortar

The presence of magnetic constituents in Porland cement-based materials permits acquisition of a weak magnetization of such materials under the influence of earth's magnetic field. This magnetization is caused by the alignment of individual magnetic grains during the casting process and can be measured readily using paleomagnetic techniques.
Synthesis and Characterization of Linear Luminescent Schiff-Base Polyelectrolytes with Europium(III) in the Backbone1a

The first luminescent linear europium(III) Schiff-base polyelectrolytes with europium in the polymer backbone have been synthesized and characterized. Europium-containing polyelectrolytes with ligand triplet states at or above the 5D0 state of europium luminesce with high quantum yields, consistent with the intramolecular energy-transfer mechanism established for europium(III) complexes. New [NaY(tstm)]n polyelectrolytes, where tstm4- is the anionic ligand derived from N,N‘,N‘‘,N‘‘‘-tetrasalicylidene-3,4,3‘,4‘-tetraaminodiphenylmethane, were synthesized with n values (up to 21 600) based on NMR end-group analysis. Intrinsic viscosities provide Mark−Houwink constants of a = 0.52 and K = 0.066 cm3/g for [NaY(tstm)]n. Mixed-metal [NaYxEu1-x(tstm)]n polyelectrolytes provide enhanced emission over [NaEu(tstm)]n. The intensity is most enhanced for polyelectrolytes with Y:Eu ratios between 1:2.5 and 1:9, probably by intrachain energy transfer from the yttrium units of the polyelectrolytes to the EuIII ions. [NaY...
Perioperative risk factors for surgical complications in pediatric urology: a pilot study in preoperative risk assessment in children.

Objectives To elucidate which perioperative patient characteristics are associated with an increased risk of complications in pediatric urological surgery. There are numerous published studies that have correlated comorbidities, preoperative, and intraoperative parameters with postoperative outcomes in adults. However, there is a paucity of similar data in the pediatric population. Methods Between July 2003 and September 2006, a total of 93 children had an adverse or unexpected event within 35 days of urologic surgery. Thirty-eight preoperative patient characteristics and 20 perioperative parameters were evaluated. The severity of the complications was graded based on the Clavien classification. A total of 163 controls were randomly selected. Statistical significance was assessed by univariate and multivariate analysis. Results The overall complication rate was 1.1%. Most complications were technical in nature, occurred within 3 days after surgery, and classified as Clavien's grade 3 B. On multivariate analysis, weight less than fifth percentile, pulmonary or hematologic comorbidity, surgery duration >2 hours, first operation, low intraoperative heart rate, and the use of intravenous anesthesia were determined to be independent risk factors, whereas "other" medication was the only independent protective factor. Conclusions We observed that some of the parameters conventionally thought to be risk factors for surgical complications such as multiple medical comorbidities, repeat operation, and American Society of Anesthesiologists' Classification of Physical Status score were not significant predictors of postoperative complications, whereas others were unexpectedly significant. Future prospective studies will be needed to fully stratify risk and guide risk interventions to improve postoperative outcomes.
Striatal cholinergic cell ablation attenuates L-DOPA induced dyskinesia in Parkinsonian mice

3,4-Dihydroxyphenyl-l-alanine (l-DOPA)-induced dyskinesia (LID) is a debilitating side effect of long-term dopamine replacement therapy in Parkinson's Disease. At present, there are few therapeutic options for treatment of LID and mechanisms contributing to the development and maintenance of these drug-induced motor complications are not well understood. We have previously shown that pharmacological reduction of cholinergic tone attenuates the expression of LID in parkinsonian mice with established dyskinesia after chronic l-DOPA treatment. The present study was undertaken to provide anatomically specific evidence for the role of striatal cholinergic interneurons by ablating them before initiation of l-DOPA treatment and determining whether it decreases LID. We used a novel approach to ablate striatal cholinergic interneurons (ChIs) via Cre-dependent viral expression of the diphtheria toxin A subunit (DT-A) in hemiparkinsonian transgenic mice expressing Cre recombinase under control of the choline acetyltransferase promoter. We show that Cre recombinase-mediated DT-A ablation selectively eliminated ChIs when injected into striatum. The depletion of ChIs markedly attenuated LID without compromising the therapeutic efficacy of l-DOPA. These results provide evidence that ChIs play a key and selective role in LID and that strategies to reduce striatal cholinergic tone may represent a promising approach to decreasing l-DOPA-induced motor complications in Parkinson's disease.
Effect of annealing and initial temperature on mechanical response of a Ni–Ti–Cr shape-memory alloy

Abstract The effect of the annealing conditions and the initial temperature on the compressive response of a ternary Ni–Ti–Cr shape-memory alloy is investigated at a strain rate of 10 −3 /s, using an Instron hydraulic testing machine. The annealing temperature and duration considerably influence the forward, from austenite to the stress-induced martensite, and the reverse phase transformation. The transition stress and the yield stress of the resulting stress-induced martensite increase with the increasing annealing temperature. The transition stress reaches its maximum value for an annealing temperature of 573 K, and the yield stress for 673 K. Thereafter, both stresses decrease with further increase in the annealing temperature. The highest transition stress is attained for the smallest precipitates. In addition, the phase transformation upon cooling and heating changes from a single-step to a multiple-step with the decreasing annealing temperature. The transition stress for the stress-induced martensite formation increases with increasing initial temperature at a rate of about 8.5 MPa/K. The optimum annealing condition that produces the highest transition and yield stresses without an accompanying residual strain is 573 K for 60 min.
Multiple Media, Convergent Processes, and Divergent Products: Organizational Innovation in Digital Media Production at a European Firm

This article addresses the intersection of two underexplored themes in studies of cultural production in traditional and digital media: the role of technology in news work and the processes that shape media convergence. The authors analyze organizational innovation in digital media production at GMS, a European firm that operates print and broadcast outlets in several specialized news markets. Between 1994 and 2003, GMS went from a phase of digital media experimentation under-taken by teams located within each existing newsroom, to the creation of a separate unit handling the online content of all print and broadcast newsrooms, to the ongoing integration of news production into a single newsroom per specialized market that generates different products for the various outlets in each market. This analysis illuminates how adopting online technologies has involved shifts in the locus of content creation in a path of increasing convergence in production processes but continued divergence of media products.
“Doctor, How Certain Are We That This Diabetes Medication Is Best for Me?”

Uncertainty about oral antiglycemic agents affects informed decision making. We cannot be sure about the long-term safety of these medications when data are not available. We are obligated to provi...
Translocation of Cationic Amphipathic Peptides Across the Membranes of Pure Phospholipid Giant Vesicles

The ability of amphipathic polypeptides with substantial net positive charges to translocate across lipid membranes is a fundamental problem in physical biochemistry. These peptides should not passively cross the bilayer nonpolar region, but they do. Here we present a method to measure peptide translocation, and test it on three representative membrane-active peptides. In samples of giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) prepared by electroformation, some GUVs enclose inner vesicles. When these GUVs are added to a peptide solution containing a membrane-impermeant fluorescent dye (carboxyfluorescein), the peptide permeabilizes the outer membrane, and dye enters the outer GUV, which then exhibits green fluorescence. The inner vesicles remain dark if the peptide does not cross the outer membrane. But if the peptide translocates, it permeabilizes the inner vesicles as well, which then show fluorescence. We also measure translocation, simultaneously on the same GUV, by the appearance of fluorescently-labeled peptides on the inner vesicle membranes. All three peptides examined are able to translocate, but to different extents. Peptides with smaller Gibbs energy of insertion into the membrane translocate more easily. Further, translocation and influx occur broadly over the same period but with very different kinetics. Translocation across the outer membrane follows approximately an exponential rise, with a characteristic time of 10 minutes. Influx occurs more abruptly. In the outer vesicle, influx happens before most of the translocation. But some peptides cross the membrane before any influx is observed. In the inner vesicles, influx occurs abruptly sometime during peptide translocation across the membrane of the outer vesicle.(Supported by NIH grant GM072507)
Attributed intentions and informational selectivity

Abstract Three experiments tested the hypothesis that ascribing a specific intention to an actor prior to witnessing his behavior leads an observer to preferentially recall action bearing on the intention. In each case, subjects were exposed to an action sequence which mixed elements appropriate to more than one intention. Recall of action was compared among different observers who were led to attribute different intentions to the same actors. Selective remembering favoring intent-relevant action is demonstrated in all three studies. The second experiment offers evidence that selectivity operates during observation of an actor rather than retrospectively. The third experiment suggests that attributions about intentions are more potent determiners of such selectivity than are characteristics of an actor related to his behavior but not bearing on his intention and indicates that observer characteristics interact with attributed intentions to determine recall. Interpretation of the findings suggests that accurate attribution of intentions can facilitate social exchange by attuning partners to the planned aspects of each other's behavior, while misapprehension of intentions can preclude coordinated interaction by misdirecting attention to irrelevant action or to responses coerced by the observer.
Phospholipid orientation in sarcoplasmic membranes: spin-label ESR and proton MNR studies.

Abstract Three stearic acid derivatives, containing an N- oxyl-4′,4′-dimethyloxazolidine ring attached 4, 9, or 12 carbons away from the carboxyl group, were used as spin probes in membrane vesicles obtained from sarcoplasmic reticulum. In nuclear magnetic resonance studies, designed to establish the alignment of the probes relative to the membrane lipids, it was found that the signal originating from the choline methyl protons of the membrane phospholipids is broadened by the spin probes; this effect was found to decrease as the paramagnetic ring is farther removed from the polar end of the fatty acid probe. The influence of the membrane structural organization on the orientation of the spin probes was studied by electron spin resonance spectroscopy. In membrane vesicles oriented by centrifugation into flat pellets, the ESR spectra indicate preferential orientation of the spin probes' long molecular axes in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the pellet. The reported experiments establish that in sacroplasmic reticulum membranes: (1) fatty acid spin labels are aligned parallel to and reflect the orientation of native lipids; (2) native lipids are preferentially oriented with their long axes perpendicular to the plane of the membrane.
Volunteer tourism: evolution, issues and futures

This paper reviews the 30-year evolution of volunteer tourism as phenomenon, industry, and research area, charting changes in the size, breadth, definition, and the perceived positive and negative contributions of the volunteer tourism industry. Discussion then moves on to how research in volunteer tourism has reflected those changes. Studies have focused on the transition from decommodified to commodified volunteer tourism; participant motivation, including the altruism versus self-development discussion; and the paucity of a unified and cohesive theoretical foundation in volunteer tourism. Fresh debates are now emerging that center upon the potential interface of technology and volunteer tourism, including crowd-sourcing for funding, smart phone apps, and GIS; the importance of monitoring and maintaining quality volunteer tourism experiences through certification and/or other indicators; and the role of religion and spirituality in volunteer tourism. These issues, and others, including the role of trans...
The prion protein as a receptor for amyloid-β

Increased levels of brain amyloid-beta, a secreted peptide cleavage product of amyloid precursor protein (APP), is believed to be critical in the aetiology of Alzheimer's disease. Increased amyloid-beta can cause synaptic depression, reduce the number of spine protrusions (that is, sites of synaptic contacts) and block long-term synaptic potentiation (LTP), a form of synaptic plasticity; however, the receptor through which amyloid-beta produces these synaptic perturbations has remained elusive. Lauren et al. suggested that binding between oligomeric amyloid-beta (a form of amyloid-beta thought to be most active) and the cellular prion protein (PrP(C)) is necessary for synaptic perturbations. Here we show that PrP(C) is not required for amyloid-beta-induced synaptic depression, reduction in spine density, or blockade of LTP; our results indicate that amyloid-beta-mediated synaptic defects do not require PrP(c).
Much “I Do” About Nothing? Ascending Mount Maslow With an Oxygenated Marriage

In their target article, The Suffocation of Marriage: Climbing Mount Maslow without Enough Oxygen, Finkel, Hui, Carswell, and Larson (this issue) provide an interesting analysis of historical trend...
The role of chemotherapy and adjuvant therapy in the management of breast cancer in older women.

The management of breast cancer in older women is a major challenge. A metaanalysis of randomized trials of adiuvant therapy in early stage breast cancer has indicated that the use of the antiestrogen tamoxifen improves relapse-free and overall survival for postmenopausal women, including those older than age 70 years. Tamoxifen therapy is of greatest benefit in patients whose primary lesions are estrogen- and progesterone-receptor positive, but lesser yet still significant benefits are seen in receptor-negative patients. Adjuvant chemotherapy has only been minimally studied in older women, because earlier trials tended to exclude women older than age 70 years from protocol entry
Who looks at a baby in public

Abstract In two “field” studies 7,143 passersby in a shopping mall were observed with regard to whether or not they looked for at least 2 sec at an infant in proximity to her parent. Significant differences in looking were found to be a function of sex, with females more likely to look than males, and a function of age, with males under 15 and over 60 and females under 30 and over 60 more likely to look than other age/sex categories.
Preparing the junior high school science teacher, model 1980

The following article calls attention to the plaguing problem of training junior high school science teachers.
Deletion of MAG1 and MRE11 enhances the sensitivity of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae HUG1P-GFP promoter-reporter construct to genotoxicity

Eukaryotic yeast-based DNA damage cellular sensors offer many advantages to traditional prokaryotic-based mutagenicity assays. The HUG1P-GFP promoter-reporter construct has proven to be an effective method to selectively screen for multiple types of DNA damage. To enhance the sensitivity and selectivity of the system to different types of DNA damage, two genes involved in distinct DNA damage responses were deleted. Deletion of MAG1, a gene encoding a DNA glycosylase and member of the base excision repair (BER) pathway, increased the biosensor's sensitivity to the alkylating agents methyl methanesulfonate (MMS) (lowering the sensitivity threshold to 0.0001% (v/v)) and ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS). Deletion of MRE11, part of the highly conserved RMX complex that aids in sensing and repairing double strand breaks in budding yeasts, enhanced sensitivity to gamma radiation (γ-ray) (detection threshold of 50 Gy) and camptothecin. The mre11Δ phenotype dominated in mag1Δ mre11Δ strains. Through the deletions, we were able to engineer increased selectivity to alkylating agents, γ-ray, and camptothecin, since increased sensitivity to one type of damage did not alter the quantitative response to other genotoxins. The enhancements to the HUG1P-GFP system did not affect its ability to detect several other DNA damaging agents, including 1,2-dimethyl hydrazine (SDMH), phleomycin, and hydroxyurea (HU), or affect its lack of response to the potentially non-genotoxic carcinogen formaldehyde.
Encounters between binaries and neutron stars

We simulated encounters between a neutron star and primordial and tidal-capture binaries. In the case of encounters involving a tidal-capture binary, comprising a white dwarf and a main-sequence star, we find that most exchange encounters will produce a single merged object with the white dwarf and neutron star engulfed in a common envelope of gas donated by the main-sequence primary of the original binary. A small fraction of exchanges induce a merger of the white dwarf and main-sequence star, with this object being unbound to the neutron star, and the two objects having a large relative speed at infinity. For encounters involving a primordial binary, fewer encounters require the inclusion of hydrodynamical effects. Those involving collisions or close encounters tend to produce a binary comprised of the two merged stars (now forming one star) and the third star. The binaries produced typically have large enough separations to prevent the formation of a single merged object until subsequent stellar evolution of one of the components causes it to fill its Roche lobe. Clean exchanges produce binaries with large eccentricities; they are typically sufficiently wide to avoid circularization.
The Dispersal of Snails by Birds

I WAS present at a meeting of the Malacological Society last May when Dr. Boycott read a very interesting paper, in which he showed how the small snail Balea perversa occurred on trees, walls, and rocks, but not on the ground. The question arose how it got from tree to tree; and in the resulting discussion the fact was brought out that it had exceptionally tenacious slime. There appears to be no doubt that it is carried by birds, to which it may become attached at night while they are asleep. The Island of Porto Santo possesses a large number of endemic snails, and also a certain number of species, such as Euparypha pisana and Cochlicella acuta (the latter, new to the island, I found abundant locally north of the Villa Baleira), which have been introduced by man. But there is one species, Balea perversa, which was found by Wollaston only on the isolated summit of the highest mountain in the island, the Pico do Facho. This is far from human habitation, and it is nearly certain that the snail was not brought there by man. It is equally improbable that it is a member of the ancient fauna, remaining unchanged while all the other species have diverged in various directions. The strong probability is that it was carried by birds, which could reach the Madeiras in a short time, while the snails remained dormant attached to their legs. Mr. J. Y. Johnson many years ago cited no less than seventy species of birds which had been observed as visitors or stragglers to the Madeira Islands.
Nitrification rates of soil samples from different depths of a silt loam profile 1

Abstract Incubation tests were run to compare nitrification rates of soil from different depths of a Piano silt loam (Typic Arguidoll). Nitrates accumulated most rapidly during the first week of incubation (5 ppm NO3‐N/day) in samples taken from 15 cm of the soil surface. A reduction in rate to 2 to 3 ppm NO3‐N/day after the first week could be due to reduced NH4 substrate. Nitrates did not accumulate during the first three weeks of incubation for subsoil samples taken below 30 cm. After three weeks the accumulation rate was 1.2 ppm No2‐N/day or less. It is concluded that nitrification is largely confined to the Ap horizon in the Piano silt loam.
High‐temperature elastomers: Glass transition–structure correlations for two systematic series of linear poly(carborane–siloxane)s. I

Nine linear poly(carborane–siloxane) high-temperature elastomers which differ systematically in chemical structure were investigated by torsional braid analysis. The structural variations include two different carborane cage structures in the polymer chain (CB10H10C and CB5H5C) and the stepwise increase in the number of Si(CH3)2O linkages associated with each cage in the repeat unit. Poly(dimethylsiloxane) was studied as the compositional limit of both series. The dynamic mechanical relaxations (at about 1 cps) of the materials are reported. These include the melting points of the semicrystalline polymers and the glass transitions and secondary transitions of all the polymers. The glass transition temperatures in each series were systematized using the well-known copolymer composition-versus-glass transition temperature relationship 1/Tg = W1/Tg1 + W2/Tg2.
Plasma fibrinogen recovery rate after administration of Malayan pit viper venom extracts in nonstressed and surgically stressed animals

Abstract A proteolytic enzyme derived from Malayan pit viper venom is a useful agent in removing circulating fibrinogen from the bloodstream. It was postulated that therapeutic hypofibrinogenemia might be useful in protecting the surfaces of foreign bodies implanted in the bloodstream against platelet fibrin deposition and serve as an effective substitute for more conventional anticoagulation agents. However, the results of this present series of experiments demonstrate that platelet fibrin thrombi form even at extremely low levels of plasma fibrinogen and that operative stress causes a marked increase in fibrinogen production necessitating increasing amounts of the venom extract to reduce this fibrinogen level to an acceptable therapeutic range. At these dosages the complication of intraoperative and postoperative hemorrhage becomes significant and makes this overall approach to the problem an unacceptable one.
Effects of staphylococcal enterotoxin B on functional and biochemical changes of the lung in rhesus monkeys.

Abstract Effects of staphylococcal enterotoxin B were studied in anesthetized rhesus monkeys. During the period from 6 to 11 hr following i.v. injection of the toxin (1·0 mg/kg), respiratory quotient increased, while functional residual capacity, CO 2 output, O 2 consumption and expired CO 2 concentration decreased. By 11·5 hr, the surface tension of lung extracts and total lung water content increased, as shown by simultaneous accumulations of extracellular Na + and water. These results provide evidence to support a hypothesis that pulmonary dysfunction and terminal pulmonary edema contribute to death during enterotoxemia by staphylococcal B in rhesus monkeys.
Phase diagram for the collective behavior of limit-cycle oscillators.

We analyze a large dynamical system of limit-cycle oscillators with mean-field coupling and randomly distributed natural frequencies. Depending on the choice of coupling strength and the spread of natural frequencies, the system exhibits frequency locking, amplitude death, and incoherence, as well as novel unsteady behavior characterized by periodic, quasiperiodic, or chaotic evolution of the system's order parameter. The phase boundaries between several of these states are obtained analytically.
Permeation of Organics through Linear Low Density Polyethylene Geomembranes under Mechanical Deformation

The effect of mechanical deformation on the permeation of methylene chloride (MEC), trichloroethylene (TCE) as well as mixtures thereof through linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) geomembranes was studied using a new experimental technique. A total of fifty experimental conditions involving five different deformations, five different concentrations and two types of LLDPE geomembranes were evaluated following a full factorial experimental design. Mixtures of TCE and MEC (0.66, 0.50, and 0.34 volumetric fraction) were tested through geomembranes elongated uniaxially (10% and 20%) as well as in the biaxial mode (10% × 10% and 20% × 20%). The breakthrough times for the permeation of TCE and MEC decreased with elongation for both types of geomembranes. A reduction in breakthrough times between 38 and 45% was observed for the permeation of MEC and TCE though geomembranes elongated 20% × 20% in the biaxial mode compared to the nonelongated specimens. Evidence of stress-enhanced transport was also observed as the steady-state permeation rates of MEC increased between 200 and 300% where geomembranes were elongated 20% × 20% in the biaxial mode compared to the nonelongated samples. Enhanced transport of MEC was also noted during the permeation of the MEC–TCE mixtures.
Horseradish peroxidase-mediated oxidation of phenol

Abstract The oxidation of phenol by a horseradish peroxidase (HRP) in the presence of hydrogen peroxide has been investigated. The oxidation of phenol by a HRP-H2O2 system yielded o,o′- and p,p′-biphenol. p,p′-Biphenol was further oxidized to p-diphenoquinone by the HRP-H2O2 system.
Classroom Interactive Practices for Developing L2 Literacy: A Microethnographic Study of Two Beginning Adult Learners of English

Using methods from conversation analysis, this microethnographic longitudinal case study traces the development of interactional competence which results from adult learners’ socialization into literacy events in a modified Sustained Silent Reading (mSSR) program. The investigation focuses on two learners who participated in the mSSR program in an ESOL classroom at an adult community college for three terms. The findings show how the two learners (with different first language educational backgrounds) follow different paths in acquiring interactional competence, moving from peripheral to more engaged participation in classroom literacy events through their socialization into three of these events: book selection, opening post-reading re-tellings, and completing and filing reading logs.
Plication for Correction of Excessive Carotid Artery Kinking, Unacceptable Torn End Point, and Perforation from Plaque Erosion: Techniques and Results

The purpose of this study was to introduce carotid plication as a simpler alternative approach to internal carotid resection, reimplantation, graft replacement in the management of symptomatic carotid kink, carotid perforation, and unacceptable end point.Fifty-two carotid plications (internal carotid = 49, common carotid = three) were performed on 50 patients (29 men, 21 women) and followed up for 8-129 months (mean 67). Carotid plications were performed for kink (n: 43), carotid perforation from plaque erosion (n: three), and unacceptable end point of endarterectomy (n: six). The operation was performed with 100% shunting and vein patch angioplasty.There was no death, stroke, aneurysm, pseudoaneurysm, rupture, or stenosis in the 52 carotid plications. Symptomatic relief was successful in amaurosis fugax, transient ischemic attack, global ischemia, and vertebral-basilar symptoms. Only partial relief was achieved in carotid throbbing.Carotid plication is a simple, dependable, and durable procedure for symp...
A dihydroflavonol glucoside from Commiphora africana that mediates DNA strand scission.

A crude CH2Cl2−MeOH extract prepared from Commiphora africana was found to mediate Cu2+-dependent relaxation of supercoiled plasmid DNA. Bioassay-guided fractionation of this extract was carried out and was monitored by the use of an in vitro DNA strand scission assay. The dihydroflavonol glucoside phellamurin (1) was identified as the active principle responsible for the DNA cleavage activity of the crude extract.