cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Urban Studies and the Teaching of Values: A Paired Course Experiment

Abstract A major problem in teaching urban politics, urban history or other urban studies courses is the anti-city and parochial attitudes many students cany into the classroom. As a pedagogical goal, instructors may wish students to examine the source of their attitudes toward cities and may even wish to cultivate a greater appreciation of cities. However, instructors must always be cautious about using the classroom as a forum to proselytize their values. As part of a Hamline University program to stimulate the study of values in a cross-disciplinary context, the authors of this article found that they were able to achieve this goal by pairing or coupling the History of London course with the American Urban Politics course. This pairing did not constitute a team-taught course. Rather, the two courses were taught separately and were paired together through collaboration on syllabi, readings and tests, and also by the systematic use of guest lectures, common films and joint seminars. A number of classroom...
Driving after stroke: Driving exposure, advice, and evaluations☆☆☆

Abstract Objective: Little is known about the extent to which stroke survivors return to driving and the advice and/or evaluations they receive about driving. This study sought to estimate the prevalence of driving after stroke and to determine whether stroke survivors receive advice and evaluation about driving. Design: A convenience sample of stroke survivors was surveyed regarding driving status following stroke, driving exposure, advice received about driving, and evaluation of driving performance. Participants: Two hundred ninety stroke survivors who were between 3 months to 6 years poststroke. Results: Thirty percent of stroke survivors who drove before the stroke resumed driving after the stroke. Stroke survivors are often poorly informed by health care professionals about driving, with 48% reporting that they did not receive advice about driving and 87% reporting that they did not receive any type of driving evaluation. Almost one third of poststroke drivers had high exposure, driving 6 to 7 days per week and/or 100 to 200 miles per week. Conclusions: These findings suggest that many stroke survivors are making decisions about their driving capabilities without professional advice and/or evaluation. The results also suggest that rehabilitation professionals need to devote more attention and resources to driving issues when working with stroke survivors and their families.
The structure of choice

An unsolved fundamental problem in decision science concerns the extent to which the nature of the perceived relationships among items in a set of alternatives influences how they are chosen. More specifically, given a choice set with n items, how does human choice behavior differ as a function of the perceived relationships between the items of the set? In what follows, we study this problem empirically and theoretically from the standpoint of the dimensional structure of the choice set. In particular, we use generalized invariance structure theory (GIST; Vigo, 2013, 2014) to propose an inverse relationship between the degree of concept learning difficulty of a choice set (as determined by its degree of invariance or internal coherence) and choice response times on its members. To our knowledge, this is the first model that precisely unifies these two fundamental constructs. On average, the model, without free parameters, accounts for nearly 90% of the variance in the data from our two response-time experiments.
Damping cylinders for aircraft gyroscopes

The operation of air-damping cylinders in restraining oscillation of a pendulum system is studied by experimental and analytical methods. On account of fundamental differences which are shown to exist between such cylinders and other damping devices the design of cylinders must follow certain dimensional requirements which are dictated by the dynamics of the whole oscillating system. These considerations determine the minimum size of cylinder which can be used in a given application and also the piston clearance which gives maximum damping effect.
Why memory's work on journalism does not reflect journalism's work on memory

This article discusses the symbiotic, though uneven, relationship linking scholarship on journalism and memory. Though work on collective memory has yet to recognize the centrality of journalism as an institution of mnemonic record, memory creeps into journalistic relay so often that it renders journalism's memory work both widespread and multi-faceted. This renders journalism a key agent of memory work, even if journalists themselves are averse to admitting it as part of what they do and even if memory scholars have not yet given journalism its due.
ELEVATIONAL VARIATION IN FOLIAR FLAVONOIDS OF QUERCUS RUBRA L. (FAGACEAE)

A B S T R A C T Foliar extracts of high elevation Quercus rubra contain 20 major flavonol-3-0-glycosides based primarily on the aglycones myricetin, quercetin, and kaempferol. These compounds display an altitudinal cline in the Appalachian mountains, with quercetin-rich low elevation chemotypes intergrading into myricetin-rich high elevation forms. These chemotypes appear to be correlated with previously documented variation in foliar morphology. The degree of interpopulation variation also differs with elevation. At higher elevations flavonoids differ only quantitatively between sites, while below 3,000 ft there is site-to-site variability in the hydroxylation level of the aglycones.
Nuclear mechanisms of hypoxic cerebral injury in the newborn

In early studies, we demonstrated that cerebral tissue hypoxia leads to N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor modification and results in increased intracellular Ca 2+ . Our subsequent studies have demonstrated an alteration in nuclear Ca 2+ influx mechanisms and an increase in the nuclear Ca 2+ influx after hypoxia. The hypoxia-induced nuclear Ca 2+ influx increase correlated in a curvilinear function with the increase in the degree of cerebral tissue hypoxia. The activity of nuclear membrane high-affinity Ca 2+ -ATPase also increased with the increase in cerebral hypoxia. The expression of the proapototic protein Bax increased as an inverse function with cerebral tissue ATP and phosphocreatine concentrations. However, the expression of the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 did not increase after hypoxia. Cerebral tissue hypoxia also led to the activation of caspases 3, 8, and 9. Furthermore, our studies demonstrated that the fragmentation of neuronal genomic DNA increased with increase in degree of cerebral tissue hypoxia. Studies presented in this article elucidate nuclear Ca 2+ influx and nuclear Ca 2+ -mediated mechanisms, including signal transduction, apoptotic gene transcription, caspase activation, and nuclear DNA fragmentation, that result in hypoxic neuronal injury in the newborn brain.
A Remark on a problem of Mrówka

Recently Mrowka [7] defined nearly-Lindelof spaces (see Definition 2.1) and asked the following question: Is every nearly-Lindelof space a Lindelof space? We will answer this question positively (see Corollary 2.5). However we will first prove some results concerning the related concepts of [a, b]-compactness (see Definitions 3.1 and 3.2) of topological spaces, from which the answer to Mrowka’s question will immediately follow.
LIGHTING CONTROLS: SURVEY OF MARKET POTENTIAL

Abstract This study describes the impact of lighting management systems that dynamically control lights in accordance with the needs of occupants. Various control strategies are described: scheduling, tuning, lumen depreciation, and daylighting. From initial experimental results, the energy savings provided by each of the above strategies are estimated to be 26, 12, 14, and 15%, respectively. Based upon a cost of $0.05–0.10 per kWh for electric energy and a 2-, 3-, or 4-yr payback, target costs for a simple and a sophisticated lighting management system are found to be $0.24 and 1.89 per ft 2 , respectively, for a cost-effective investment. A growth model, based upon an extrapolation of the increase in building stock since 1975, indicates that the commercial and industrial (C & I) building stock will grow from 40 × 10 9 ft 2 in 1980 to about 67 × 10 9 ft 2 by the year 2000. Even with the use of more efficient lighting components, the energy required for this additional C & I stock will be 307 × 10 9 kWh compared to the 230 × 10 9 kWh used today. Adopting controls would reduce this requirement to 243 × 10 9 kWh, an increase of only 13 × 10 9 kWh above current use. The specified information is used to analyze the economic impacts that using these systems will have on the lighting industry, end users, utility companies, and the nation's economy. A $1–4 × 10 9 annual lighting control industry can be generated, creating many jobs. The estimated return on investment (ROI) for controls for end users would be between 19 and 38%. Utilities will be able to make smaller additions to capacity and invest less captial at 7–10% ROI. Finally, the annual energy savings, up to $3.4 × 10 9 for end users and about $5 × 10 9 for utilities, representing unneeded generating capacity, will be available to capitalize other areas of our economy.
A new sulfate‐mediated reaction: Conversion of acetone to trimethylbenzene in the presence of liquid sulfuric acid

A new heterogeneous reaction, namely the sulfate-mediated conversion of acetone to 4-methyl-3-penten-2-one and trimethylbenzene, is reported. The reaction products were observed in their absorbed states by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and in the gas phase by mass spectrometry. In addition, protonated, absorbed acetone was observed under certain conditions. The reaction exhibits a strong concentration and / or temperature dependence, with non-reactive uptake as protonated acetone dominating at low temperatures and sulfate concentrations and reactive uptake occurring above 200 K and 75 wt. % H2SO4. Under conditions where reactive uptake occurs, the steady-state acetone loss probability is roughly 40%. It was not possible in this study to assess the relative effects of temperature and concentration on the reactivity of sulfate toward acetone.
Social Dominance Orientation, Authoritarianism, and Support for Intergroup Violence Between the Middle East and America

Social dominance theory has generally posited that terror and intergroup violence can be explained in terms of social dominance struggles. Social dominance theorists have described terror mostly as a tool for maintaining intergroup hierarchies in society (Sidanius & Pratto, 1999). Although implications of the theory suggest that terror may also be used by lower status groups as a tool for the resistance of domination by higher status groups, this prediction heretofore has not been empirically demonstrated. Data from two samples, one in the United States and one in Lebanon, were collected regarding attitudes toward terrorism and intergroup violence. The results show that the American sample demonstrates the typical patterns of social dominance such that those who are higher in social dominance orientation tend to support greater violence toward the Middle East. However, the Lebanese sample shows the opposite pattern, such that those who are lower in social dominance orientation tend to support violence toward the West. These results suggest that (1) support for terrorism among Middle East citizens is a project of counterdominance, and, more broadly, that (2) the relationship between social dominance orientation and support for violence depends on the dynamics of the conflict and the status of the perpetrators.
Partitioning of 14C-Photosynthate and Biomass in Relation to Senescene Characteristics of Sorghum

The stems remaining after harvest of sorghum grain are a low-cost source of biomass. Semidwarf hybrids exhibiting nonsenescent characteristics may yiels more stem biomass than senescent hybrids. This study compared a nonsenescent to a senescent hybrid of semidwarf sorghum using dry wt. and partitioning of 14 C-photosynthate and 14 C-starch at three stages. A leaf was exposel to 14 CO 2 or 14 C-starch was injected into the middle internode of each hybrid during grain filling and at or after (post) black layer of the grain
Overview: The Changing Nature of Esophageal Cancer

Squamous cell carcinomas of the esophagus, while still frequent in many locations throughout the world, now comprise a smaller percentage of esophageal cancers in the United States than was previously believed. Such tumors occur most often in black men and in association with tobacco and alcohol abuse. Adenocarcinomas of the distal esophagus represent an increasing proportion of esophageal tumors. These neoplasms arise in columnar epithelium (ie, Barrett's esophagus) or extend into the esophagus from their site of origin in the proximal stomach. Esophageal adenocarcinomas appear more often in white than black subjects and in men more than women. The clinical features and diagnostic approaches to squamous cell tumors and adenocarcinomas of the esophagus are similar.
Failure to regulate : Counterproductive recruitment of top-down prefrontal-subcortical circuitry in major depression

Although depressed mood is a normal occurrence in response to adversity in all individuals, what distinguishes those who are vulnerable to major depressive disorder (MDD) is their inability to effectively regulate negative mood when it arises. Investigating the neural underpinnings of adaptive emotion regulation and the extent to which such processes are compromised in MDD may be helpful in understanding the pathophysiology of depression. We report results from a functional magnetic resonance imaging study demonstrating left-lateralized activation in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) when downregulating negative affect in nondepressed individuals, whereas depressed individuals showed bilateral PFC activation. Furthermore, during an effortful affective reappraisal task, nondepressed individuals showed an inverse relationship between activation in left ventrolateral PFC and the amygdala that is mediated by the ventromedial PFC (VMPFC). No such relationship was found for depressed individuals, who instead show a positive association between VMPFC and amygdala. Pupil dilation data suggest that those depressed patients who expend more effort to reappraise negative stimuli are characterized by accentuated activation in the amygdala, insula, and thalamus, whereas nondepressed individuals exhibit the opposite pattern. These findings indicate that a key feature underlying the pathophysiology of major depression is the counterproductive engagement of right prefrontal cortex and the lack of engagement of left lateral-ventromedial prefrontal circuitry important for the downregulation of amygdala responses to negative stimuli.
Paediatric NEWS & NOTES from the 50th annual ASH meeting

The report summarizes several lectures that proved particularly notable for paediatric haematologists at the ASH meeting 2008. Neal S. Young (NIH, Bethesda, U.S.A.) illustrated his findings about the frequent impact of telomere shortening caused by mutations in the telomerase complex in the pathogenesis of severe aplastic anaemia (SAA). The presence of these mutations also has therapeutic implications, as carriers are at risk to respond poorly to immunosuppressive treatment regimens. The relevance of genome wide analysis of DNA copy number alterations (CNA) for the risk stratification in paediatric B-precursor ALL was demonstrated by Charles G. Mullighan (St. Judes Hospital, Memphis, U.S.A.). Mutations occurring in a number of genes that regulate lymphoid development (like IKZF-1) were identified as predictors of poor outcome. Furthermore, the evaluation of CNA in diagnostic and relapse samples of ALL patients allows to retrace the clonal evolution of the disease. Lyndal Kearney (Institute of Cancer Research, London, U.K.) reported on new insights into leukaemogenesis gained by comparing several identical twin-pairs with concordant TEL-AML1 positive B-precursor ALL. The results of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays illustrate how pre-leukaemic, TEL-AML1 positive clones convert into overt ALL by acquiring secondary functional mutations. Defective apoptosis accounts for abnormal lymphocyte survival and autoimmune processes in autoimmune lymphoproliferative disease (ALPS). Stephan Grupp and David T. Teachey (Children’s Hospital, Philadelphia, U.S.A.) successfully applied the signal transduction inhibitor rapamycin to induce lymphocyte apoptosis in ALPS patients. Considerable clinical improvements were achieved in each of the patients treated in a phase I/II trial.
Comment on "Legal Gambling as a Strategy for Economic Development":

Gross's arguments are representative of the gambling literature. Unfortunately, many of the accepted arguments against gambling come from incomplete or biased economic analysis. This comment addres...
A Smalltalk system for algebraic manipulation

This paper describes the design of an algebra system Views implemented in Smalltalk. Views contains facilities for dynamic creation and manipulation of computational domains, for viewing these domains as various categories such as groups, rings, or fields, and for expressing algorithms generically at the level of categories. The design of Views has resulted in the addition of some new abstractions to Smalltalk that are quite useful in their own right. Parameterized classes provide a means for run-time creation of new classes that exhibit generally very similar behavior, differing only in minor ways that can be described by different instantiations of certain parameters. Categories allow the abstraction of the common behavior of classes that derives from the class objects and operations satisfying certain laws independently of the implementation of those objects and operations. Views allow the run-time association of classes with categories (and of categories with other categories), facilitating the use of code written for categories with quite different interpretations of operations. Together, categories and views provide an additional mechanism for code sharing that is richer than both single and multiple inheritance. The paper gives algebraic as well as non-algebraic examples of the above-mentioned features.
The effect of granulocyte colony stimulating factor on regional and global myocardial function in the porcine infarct model.

Abstract Background Stem cell therapy has been shown to attenuate the reduction of left ventricular function following myocardial infarction. Most studies have utilized either a direct injection or intra-coronary infusion of cells, but cytokine mobilization of stem cells in the murine model of acute myocardial infarction has been reported to induce similar improvement in cardiac function. Methods An antero-apical infarction was induced in swine by balloon occlusion, followed by the daily administration of granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) or placebo for 5 days. We used left ventricular angiograms and 2D echocardiograms to assess global function, and 3D echocardiograms to assess regional function prior to infarction, immediately following infarction, and at 8 weeks. Histologic evaluation was performed after sacrifice at 8 weeks. Results There was no significant difference in early or late post-infarction left ventricular ejection fraction or in myocardial histology between the two groups. Following G-CSF therapy, however, 3D echocardiography demonstrated that the regional ejection fractions of the infarcted segments showed a 50.3% improvement in the G-CSF pigs compared to a 7.4% deterioration in the untreated pigs ( p =0.005). Conclusions Global left ventricular ejection fraction remained unchanged, and there is no histologic evidence for infarct attenuation following G-CSF infusion in the porcine infarct–reperfusion model. There was recovery of regional function in the infarcted segment in the G-CSF pigs. These data suggest that bone marrow mobilization in larger species has limited potential as a therapy designed to replace infarcted myocardium or to improve overall cardiac function, although further studies are needed to examine regional effect in the infarct area.
Group Formation in Captive Lesser Galagos (Galago senegalensis)

A group of captiveGalago senegalensis, two males and two females housed under semi-natural conditions, were observed throughout their active periods for 10 days. An additional 100 hours of observation was undertaken during a subsequent 25-day period. The course of group formation was similar to that reported forG. crassicaudatus but in contrast to reports for monkeys. Aggressive interactions occurred primarily between individuals of the same sex and friendly interactions occurred primarily between individuals of the opposite sex.
A dynamic two-dimensional heterogeneous model for water gas shift reactors

A dynamic, heterogeneous, two-dimensional model for packed-bed water gas shift reactors is presented. It can be applied to both high and low temperature shifts, and at scales ranging from industrial (for power plant applications) to small (such as automotive fuel cell applications). The model is suitable for any catalyst for which kinetic data are available, and shows excellent agreement with available experimental data for non-equilibrium conditions. The model is applied to an IGCC-TIGAS polygeneration plant to examine the dynamic behavior of the WGS units. The development of catalyst hot-spots is predicted during start-up or transition between steady states under certain conditions.
Chord length sampling method for analyzing stochastic distribution of fuel particles in continuous energy simulations

Abstract The Chord Length Sampling method (CLS) is studied in continuous energy simulations by analyzing two types of Very High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor (VHTR) unit cells: the fuel compact cell in the prismatic type VHTR and the fuel pebble cell in the pebble-bed type VHTR. Infinite multiplication factors of the unit cells are calculated by the CLS and compared to benchmark simulations at different volume packing fractions from 5% to 30%. It is shown that the accuracy of the CLS is affected by the boundary effect, which is induced by the CLS procedure itself and results in a reduction in the total volume packing fraction of the fuel particles. To mitigate the boundary effect, three correction schemes based on the research of (1) Murata et al., (2) Ji and Martin and (3) Griesheimer et al. are used to improve the accuracy by applying a corrected value of the volume packing fraction to the CLS. These corrected values are calculated based on (1) a simple linear relationship, (2) an iterative self-consistent simulation correction method and (3) a theoretically derived non-linear relationship, respectively. The CLS simulation using the corrected volume packing fraction shows excellent improvements in the infinite multiplication factors for the VHTR unit cells. Ji and Martin’s self-consistent correction method shows the best improvement.
Using the quantum capacitance in graphene to enable varactors for passive wireless sensing applications

A wireless sensor concept based upon the quantum capacitance effect in graphene is described. By utilizing thin gate dielectrics (EOT &#60; 2 nm), the capacitance in a metal-insulator-graphene structure varies with charge concentration through the quantum capacitance effect. The high capacitance per unit area allows orders of magnitude improvement in scalability compared to MEMS-based sensors, while the high mobility in graphene allows high quality factors, Q, to be obtained. When operated away from the Dirac point, simulations using realistic structural and transport parameters predict capacitance tuning ratios of > 4 and Q values > 30 at 1 GHz. When operated at the Dirac point, the capacitance shows a strong temperature sensitivity, suggesting potential applications as a wireless temperature sensor.
ATP-Binding Cassette Transporter A1: A Cell Cholesterol Exporter That Protects Against Cardiovascular Disease

Blood high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels are inversely related to risk for cardiovascular disease, implying that factors associated with HDL metabolism are atheroprotective. One of these factors is ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1), a cell membrane protein that mediates the transport of cholesterol, phospholipids, and other metabolites from cells to lipid-depleted HDL apolipoproteins. ABCA1 transcription is highly induced by sterols, a major substrate for cellular export, and its expression and activity are regulated posttranscriptionally by diverse processes. Liver ABCA1 initiates formation of HDL particles, and macrophage ABCA1 protects arteries from developing atherosclerotic lesions. ABCA1 mutations can cause a severe HDL deficiency syndrome characterized by cholesterol deposition in tissue macrophages and prevalent atherosclerosis. Genetic manipulations of ABCA1 expression in mice also affect plasma HDL levels and atherogenesis. Metabolites elevated in individuals with the metabolic syndrome and diabetes destabilize ABCA1 protein and decrease cholesterol export from macrophages. Moreover, oxidative modifications of HDL found in patients with cardiovascular disease reduce the ability of apolipoproteins to remove cellular cholesterol by the ABCA1 pathway. These observations raise the possibility that an impaired ABCA1 pathway contributes to the enhanced atherogenesis associated with common inflammatory and metabolic disorders. The ABCA1 pathway has therefore become an important new therapeutic target for treating cardiovascular disease.
Unsteady Simulation of a Jet-in-crossflow

The present work represents the first attempt at studying the unsteadiness of jet-in-crossflows using the Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations. In the past, numerical studies of jet-in-crossflows, with the exception of the few attempts of DNS and LES. are always carried out under the assumption that the flowfield is steady and symmetric about the jet center plane. Growing experimental evidence suggests that this flow is unsteady and periodic. The present work verified the existence of periodicity in jet-in-crossflows numerically. The numerically predicted Slrouhal number is in good agreement with experimental observations. In addition, the present simulation of the jet-in-crossflow were able to resolve the details of flow structures such as the oscillating wake structures, the jet shear-layer vortices, and the counter-rotating vortex pairs.
Evaluating condition and storability of sunflower seeds

Abstract The average moisture content of samples of sunflower seeds (achenes) taken from bins at Crookston, Minnesota, was 11·8 per cent as determined by a meter at the bin site, but the moisture content of individual samples, as determined by oven drying, ranged from 9·0 to 15·7 per cent. No increase in storage fungi occurred, even in the seeds of high moisture content, so long as the temperature remained below about 5°C but a combination of moisture content above 11·0 per cent and a temperature of 21°C or above, resulted in fairly rapid invasion by Aspergillus glaucus . Periodic sampling, followed by tests of the individual samples for moisture content and field and storage fungi, provided data for accurate evaluation of condition of the seeds throughout the bins.
Determination of nitrate ion at the part per billion level in environmental samples with a continuous flow immobilized enzyme reaction

A sensitive procedure for the determination of nitrate based upon the enzymatic reduction of nitrate to nitrite is described. The radical cation of 1,1'-dimethyl-4,4'-bipyridinium dichloride (MV./sup +/), which is generated by Na/sub 2/S/sub 2/O/sub 4/ acting upon MV/sup 2 +/, reduces nitrate in the presence of the enzyme nitrate reductase. The production of nitrite is monitored with the sulfanilamide N-(1-naphthyl)ethylenediamine dichloride azo dye reaction. A detection limit of 17 ppB NO/sub 3//sup -/ using a 1-cm cell in a continuous-flow analyzer was achieved. The major contributor to the noise was derived from the flow system when an optical feedback stabilized photometer was employed. The detection limit using a nonflow system should be about 2 ppB NO/sub 3//sup -/ using a 1-cm cell. Use of an immobilized enzyme resulted in quantitative reduction of nitrate and the method is, therefore, relatively free of interferences. Sample concentrations in the range 17 ppB to 7 ppM NO/sub 3//sup -/ can be measured. At a concentration of 0.2 ppM, a precision of 1 percent can be obtained in a continuous flow analyzer. A variety of real samples were analyzed; correlation with the accepted Cu--Cd reductor method was excellent.
Performance enhancement techniques for cyclic A/D converters

Performance enhancement techniques are described for cyclic analog-to-digital converters. Based on the concept of charge redistribution, a ratio-independent conversion algorithm which performs as a bit conversion in two steps is developed. Furthermore, by utilizing an extra operational amplifier circuit and adding an extra step per bit conversion, the error due to the finite operational amplifier gain can also be reduced significantly. The two algorithms have been analyzed and verified through SPICE Simulations. Implementation of these algorithms can be achieved through the use of switched capacitor circuits.
Bartolomé de Las Casas and the Tradition of Medieval Law

As a defender of the Indians and an opponent of the methods used by the Spanish conquistadors, Bartolome de Las Casas was as controversial a figure in the sixteenth century as he has been in the last four hundred years of historiography. Las Casas' fight to preserve the freedom of the Indians has gained for him not only devoted admirers, but also angry detractors.1 Las Casas was not the only Spaniard who defended the Indians, but his efforts are the best known. He labored for fifty years before death finally halted the steady flow of polemics from his pen. However, he was not just a sheltered academician like Vitoria, but he actively championed the rights of the Indians by working and living among them in the New World.
Graphite irradiations 300°–1200°C

Abstract Irradiations of a large variety of graphites have been conducted at temperatures from 300°–1200°C to maximum neutron fluences of 2·7 × 1022 nvt (E > 0·18 MeV). As temperatures and neutron fluences increase, bulk expansion of the graphite becomes the controlling behavior in all orientations. Materials which are well graphitized, highly crystalline, isotropic, and have a high CTE show the lowest contraction at mioderate fluences. The dimensional-change data for all graphite types may be separated into two bands. The first band represents data for samples irradiated in the temperature range 300°–800°C. The second band, which shows a highly accelerated damage rate, represents data for samples irradiated at 900°–1200°C. Thus, the transition from the lower (damage rate to the higher one takes place over a narrow temperature range (~800°–900°C). Within each band the data are grouped closely. These observations are based on relatively small samples, generally less than 0·5 in. dia. by less than 4 in. ling. The behavior of these small samples may not exactly represent the behavior of larger pieces; however, it is felt that expansion will ultimately be the controlling behavior in the larger sizes also.
Effect of low-dose phenobarbital on hepatic microsomal udp-glucuronyl transferase activity

To determine whether hepatic microsomal enzyme induction occurs in rats following administration of phenobarbital at doses similar to those used in humans (0.5 to 7.5 mg/kg), UDP-glucuronyl transferase (UDPGT) and cytochrome P-450 activities were measured in liver homogenate and microsomal preparations from control rats and rats treated for 6 days with phenobarbital at 1 and 3 mg per kg per day. While no significant increases in liver weight and protein content of homogenate and microsomal preparations were observed with either dose of the drug, both UDPGT and P-450 activities were enhanced significantly following administration of phenobarbital at 3 mg per kg per day. The activity of P-450 was increased by approximately 30% and that of UDPGT by 15-24 and 45-66%, respectively, employing bilirubin and p-nitrophenol as the acceptor substrate. The extent of induction of bilirubin or p-nitrophenol UDPGT was similar when measured with "native" enzyme or with enzyme activated by UDP-N-acetyl glucosamine, digitonin or deoxycholate. These data suggest that the discordant effects of phenobarbital on UDPGT and cytochrome P-450 previously reported in humans and rats may not be attributable solely to differences in the drug doses employed.
Lovastatin inhibits diet induced atherosclerosis in F1B Golden Syrian hamsters

3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA (HMG CoA) reductase inhibitors are the drugs most commonly prescribed in the US to lower blood cholesterol. Previous studies have shown their efficacy in reducing plasma low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. However, little is known about their effects on preventing diet induced atherosclerosis. We have investigated the changes in lipoprotein profiles and extent of atherogenesis in hamsters (F1B strain) consuming an atherogenic diet with and without lovastatin. Thirty-six animals were randomized into 3 groups of 12 animals each, with similar plasma cholesterol levels. One group of animals received a basal chow diet, and the other two groups a basal diet plus 10% (w/w) coconut oil and 0.05% cholesterol. After 2.5 weeks, one of the groups received the latter diet supplemented with lovastatin (25 mg/kg/day). A second study was carried out in which animals received the same diets, but lovastatin was given during the 10 week period at a dose of 12.5 mg/kg/day. At the end of the experimental period, animals were sacrificed and lipoprotein cholesterol, liver enzymes, and aortic foam cell development were determined. Animals fed the high fat diet plus lovastatin had significantly lower levels of non-high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol than those fed the unsupplemented high fat diet. No differences were observed in mean levels of this parameter between animals fed the low fat diet and those receiving lovastatin. The amount of aortic lipid staining was significantly less in the lovastatin and low fat groups when compared to the unsupplemented high fat groups. These results indicate that lovastatin can prevent diet induced aortic lipid deposition in this animal model.
The Critical Collaboration between Art and Science: An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump and the Ramifications of Genomics for Society

Inspired by a famous 18th-century painting by Joseph Wright, the author discerns similarities between issues relevant then and the public's current reception of scientific ideas from modern biology in the wake of the Human Genome Project. She proposes educational and scientific initiatives and advocates more positive and balanced portrayals of scientific themes in the arts to help engage the public in a discourse about the ramifications of genomics science and technology for our lives.
Improving quality through software process improvement in Thailand: initial analysis

For almost 10 years there have been attempts in Thailand to improve software quality by adopting western software process improvement models. Only 17 of the 380 companies in Thailand were able to implement software process models that we see here in the US. 14 out of the 17 companies were not able to improve their process to a higher level. Why were companies not successful in implementing these software process models? Did they find other ways to improve quality? The objective of this paper is to analyze the experiences of software developers, project managers and executive managers in implementing these software process models in Thailand. The results will show that cultural differences are a key factor to this problem. Thai people have different cultural values. which we will explore further in this paper.
Memory coherence activity prediction in commercial workloads

Recent research indicates that prediction-based coherence optimizations offer substantial performance improvements for scientific applications in distributed shared memory multiprocessors. Important commercial applications also show sensitivity to coherence latency, which will become more acute in the future as technology scales. Therefore it is important to investigate prediction of memory coherence activity in the context of commercial workloads.This paper studies a trace-based Downgrade Predictor (DGP) for predicting last stores to shared cache blocks, and a pattern-based Consumer Set Predictor (CSP) for predicting subsequent readers. We evaluate this class of predictors for the first time on commercial applications and demonstrate that our DGP correctly predicts 47%-76% of last stores. Memory sharing patterns in commercial workloads are inherently non-repetitive; hence CSP cannot attain high coverage. We perform an opportunity study of a DGP enhanced through competitive underlying predictors, and in commercial and scientific applications, demonstrate potential to increase coverage up to 14%.
Radiated emissions from automotive multiplex bus wiring. The effects of offset voltage

Testing has revealed that a multiplex communication network used in an automotive application is a source of radiated emissions. These emissions were found to cause degradation to reception in the automobile's entertainment radio. Further study revealed that the emissions were the result of common mode current transients brought about by the imbalance in the outputs of the bus differential drivers. The degree of imbalance was found to be affected by a number of parameters including the offset voltage (voltage drop) between modules communicating on the bus. A simple SABER model of the differential driver circuit and load is used to estimate the radiated emissions from the multiplex bus wiring due to voltage offset between two communicating modules. Comparisons of numerical and measured data are presented. >
Rheology and Consolidation of Colloidal Alumina‐Coated Silicon Nitride Suspensions

In an attempt to improve the colloidal processing of Si3N4 ceramics, we studied the rheology and consolidation of colloidal suspensions of Si3N4 particles (average particle size 0.7 μm) with small Al2O3 particles (average particle size 20 nm). It was found that at pH >7, the viscosity of the mixtures increased and then decreased with an increasing concentration of Al2O3. λpotential measurements, optical micrographs, and visible light absorptance measurement suggest that such viscosity behavior is due to clustering of Si3N4 particles bridged by the small Al2O3 particles. This is also supported by the Derjaquin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) potential calculations that show the barrier height in the DLVO potential between Al2O3 and Si3N4 is small. The small barrier height under current experimental conditions stems from the small size of the Al2O3 particles. The small barrier height allows the thermal motion of the two kinds of particles to overcome the barrier and attach to each other. The adsorption of small Al2O3 particles on Si3N4 can occur even when both Al2O3 and Si3N4 carry the same sign of charges. The adsorption of Al2O3 on Si3N4 also increases the density of consolidated compacts.
Characterization of KRAS rearrangements in metastatic prostate cancer

Using an integrative genomics approach called amplification breakpoint ranking and assembly analysis, we nominated KRAS as a gene fusion with the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme UBE2L3 in the DU145 cell line, originally derived from prostate cancer metastasis to the brain. Interestingly, analysis of tissues revealed that 2 of 62 metastatic prostate cancers harbored aberrations at the KRAS locus. In DU145 cells, UBE2L3-KRAS produces a fusion protein, a specific knockdown of which attenuates cell invasion and xenograft growth. Ectopic expression of the UBE2L3-KRAS fusion protein exhibits transforming activity in NIH 3T3 fibroblasts and RWPE prostate epithelial cells in vitro and in vivo . In NIH 3T3 cells, UBE2L3-KRAS attenuates MEK/ERK signaling, commonly engaged by oncogenic mutant KRAS, and instead signals via AKT and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways. This is the first report of a gene fusion involving the Ras family, suggesting that this aberration may drive metastatic progression in a rare subset of prostate cancers. Significance: This is the first description of an oncogenic gene fusion of KRAS , one of the most studied proto-oncogenes. KRAS rearrangement may represent the driving mutation in a rare subset of metastatic prostate cancers, emphasizing the importance of RAS-RAF-MAPK signaling in this disease. Cancer Discovery; 1(1); 35–43. © 2011 AACR. Read the Commentary on this article by Edgren et al., [p. 12][1] This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, [p. 4][2] [1]: /lookup/volpage/1/12?iss=1 [2]: /lookup/volpage/1/4?iss=1
RAS-mediated epigenetic inactivation of OPCML in oncogenic transformation of human ovarian surface epithelial cells

SPECIFIC AIMSOpioid binding protein/cell adhesion molecule-like gene (OPCML), recently identified as a tumor suppressor gene, is often inactivated by allele loss and CpG island promoter methylation in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Since elevated activation of the RAS signaling pathway, including overexpression of HER-2/neu and mutations of RAS and BRAF, is common in human ovarian carcinoma, we asked whether the expression of OPCML in RAS-transformed human ovarian surface epithelial cells is suppressed and whether RAS activation is directly responsible for the epigenetic inactivation of OPCML.PRINCIPAL FINDINGS1. Silencing of OPCML gene in human ovarian surface epithelial cells oncogenically transformed by RASThe expression of OPCML in a genetically defined ovarian cancer cell line transformed by oncogenic HRASV12 (T29H) was completely abolished when probed by RT-PCR using primers specific for the OPCML gene, while an expected 615 bp PCR products was observed in control non-transformed T29 cells (Fig. 1...
Associations Between the Repressive Adaptive Style and Self-Reported Hope in Mexican American and Euro-American Children

A large literature has examined the associations between Weinberger, Schwartz, and Davidson's (1979) repressive adaptive style (RAS) construct and various self-report measures of distress or unpleasant emotional states in adults and children. Fewer investigations have examined the role of RAS in self-reported positive psychology constructs. In this investigation, we used Weinberger et al.'s (1979) categorical typology to examine the associations between adaptive style and hope in Euro-American (n = 60) and Mexican American (n = 49) children (M age = 11.4 years) who were students at 1 of 3 parochial schools in a large Midwestern city. Partially supporting the hypotheses, a univariate 2 (ethnic group) x 2 (repressor group) analysis of variance indicated a significant main effect for adaptive style group but no significant main effect for ethnic group and no significant interaction effect. Results extend the literature on the associations between adaptive style and self-report instruments and indicate that (similar to self-reported measures of distress) self-reported hope may be subject to social desirability bias.
Changes in Nursing Home Staffing Levels, 1997 to 2007

A positive relationship has been demonstrated between the quality of care delivered in nursing homes and the quality of nursing staff providing the care. The general perception, however, is that there is a decline in registered nurses' staff hours in nursing homes. The primary objective of this study is to investigate whether the levels of registered nurses (RNs), licensed practical nurses (LPNs), and nursing assistants (NAs) as well as skill mix has changed in nursing homes between the years 1997 and 2007. A descriptive research design was employed on data derived from Online Survey Certification and Reporting System database. After accounting for facility size and ownership, it was found that more nursing homes have increased-rather than decreased-LPN and NA hours per resident day between 1997 and 2007. On the other hand, more nursing homes have decreased-rather than increased-RN hours per resident day and skill mix during the same time period.
Computer simulation of bend propagation by axoplasmic microtubules

The generation of bending waves by microtubules in squid nerve axoplasm has been modelled using appropriately modified versions of computer programs developed previously for simulation of flagellar bending waves. The results confirm that a constant longitudinal force directed along the axis of the microtubule is sufficient to cause the generation of regular oscillations and propagated bending waves when the forward gliding movement of the microtubule is obstructed. No control mechanism is required to modulate the active force-generating system. In order to obtain bending waves similar to those observed experimentally, it was necessary to use a model for the force-generating system in which the active force decreases with increasing sliding velocity. If the elastic bending resistance of axoplasmic microtubules is similar to that of microtubules in sperm terminal filaments, the longitudinal force per unit length generated by the axoplasmic microtubules must be of the same order of magnitude as the force generated by dynein arms along the doublet microtubules of eukaryotic flagella.
Implications of Sexuality Counseling With Women Who Have a History of Prostitution

Prostitution is a dangerous and illegal occupation that has far reaching consequences on the individual. In this article, reasons in which women become involved in prostitution and the effects of p...
Vulnerable Populations with Diabetes Mellitus

This review of the literature on vulnerable populations with diabetes identifies trends, summarizes major findings, and recommends strategies to fill gaps in the state of the science. For the purposes of this article "vulnerable populations" refers to members of diverse racial and ethnic groups, people of low-income, and those who live in rural and medically underserved areas.
Will climate change reduce the effects of a pesticide on amphibians?: partitioning effects on exposure and susceptibility to contaminants

Several studies suggest that global climate change could increase the toxicity of contaminants, but none of these studies explicitly integrate the effects of climate change on both susceptibility and duration of exposure to pollution. For many amphibian and aquatic insect species, exposure to contaminants is probably greatest during their fully aquatic embryonic and larval stages because these stages cannot readily escape water bodies where many contaminants accumulate and concentrate. Hence, by accelerating embryonic and larval development, global warming might reduce the duration of contaminant exposure for these taxa. To test this hypothesis, we isolated the effects of a temperature gradient (13-25°C) on susceptibility (toxicity at a controlled exposure duration) and exposure of the streamside salamander, Ambystoma barbouri, to the herbicide atrazine (0, 4, 40, and 400 μg L -1 ) by quantifying growth, survival, hatching, and metamorphosis under an atrazine exposure duration that was either constant or that depended on time to metamorphosis (and thus temperature). Increasing atrazine concentrations reduced growth, delayed hatching and metamorphosis, and decreased embryonic and larval survival. Increasing temperatures enhanced growth, accelerated development, and reduced survival for embryos but not larvae. With the exception of growth, increasing temperatures generally did not enhance the toxicity of atrazine, but they did generally ameliorate the adverse effects of atrazine by accelerating development and reducing the duration of atrazine exposure. The actual effects of climate change on contaminants remains difficult to predict because temperature changes can affect chemical use, uptake, excretion, biotransformation, fate, transport, and bioavailability. However, this work highlights the importance of explicitly considering how climate change will affect both exposure and toxicity to contaminants to accurately assess risk.