cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
“We are only looking for the right answers”: the challenges of controversial issue instruction in South Korea

This study explores the perceptions of South Korean moral and social studies education teachers, teacher educators, and students on the promises and challenges of introducing and discussing controversial issues within their classrooms. The findings suggest that college entrance exams, textbooks, didacticism, dualism, administrators, textbooks, standards, fear of bias, scant instructional time, and reticent classroom climates collectively undermine controversial instruction in South Korea The few pathways that counter these challenges include student-generated curriculum topics and tying lessons to current events. Similar to other democratic societies, South Korea's paucity of reflective thinking on controversial issues represents a clear hazard to the development of citizens who make informed and reasoned decisions for the common good.
Esotericism and the Critique of Historicism

“The relation of history to reason,” observes Jurgen Habermas, “remains constitutive for the discourse of modernity—for better or worse” (1987, 392). The worse of it is: the modern premise of reason's imbeddedness in history means that unless we can demonstrate—through an increasingly suspect “grand narrative” of “reason in history”—that history is fundamentally rational, we must accept that reason is fundamentally historical and that all our “knowledge” is merely temporary, local, and arbitrary.To avoid this collapse into historical relativism, we must reassess the crucial premise: reason's historicity. Why is the modern mind so utterly captivated by the idea that every mind is a prisoner of its times? This question receives its most probing treatment in the work of Leo Strauss. His rediscovery of the theory of esotericism—which is the premodern understanding of the relation of reason to history—poses important new challenges to the whole historicist paradigm. It points the way to a “posthistoricist” relegitimation of reason through a return to Socratic rationalism.
Fibro-osseous and Cartilaginous Tumors and Tumor-like Conditions

Orbital bone and cartilage tumors often develop in neighboring paranasal and nasal bones and involve the orbit secondarily; the primary lesions of the orbit are rare.
A facile thermolysis route to monodisperse ferrite nanocrystals.

Monodisperse ternary ferrite (MFe2O4, M = Co, Ni, Mn, and Fe) nanocrystals have been synthesized through a facile and general route involving thermolysis of an intimately mixed binary metal−oleate complex with similar decomposition temperature of the constituents.
Flat liquid crystal diffractive lenses with variable focus and magnification

Non-mechanical variable lenses are important for creating compact imaging devices. Various methods employing dielectrically actuated lenses, membrane lenses, and/or liquid crystal lenses were previously proposed1-4. Here we present tunable-focus flat liquid crystal diffractive lenses (LCDL) employing binary Fresnel zone electrodes fabricated on Indium-Tin-Oxide using conventional micro-photolithography. The phase levels can be adjusted by varying the effective refractive index of a nematic liquid crystal sandwiched between the electrodes and a reference substrate. Using a proper voltage distribution across various electrodes the focal length can be changed. Electrodes are shunted such that the correct phase retardation step sequence is achieved. If the number of 2π zone boundaries is increased by a factor of m the focal length is changed from f to f/m based on the digitized Fresnel zone equation: f = rm 2/2mλ, where rm is mth zone radius, and λ is the wavelength. The lenses operate at very low voltage levels (±2.5V ac input), exhibit fast switching times (20-150 ms), can have large apertures (>10 mm), and small form factor, and are robust and insensitive to vibrations, gravity, and capillary effects that limit membrane and dielectrically actuated lenses. Several tests were performed on the LCDL including diffraction efficiency measurement, switching dynamics, and hybrid imaging with a refractive lens. Negative focal lengths are achieved by adjusting the voltages across electrodes. Using these lenses in combination, magnification can be changed and zoom lenses can be formed. The promising results make LCDL a good candidate for non-mechanical auto-focus and zoom lenses.
A Probabilistic Approach to Power System Stability Analysis

Power system stability analysis is usually performed in a deterministic framework in which the time domain response of the power system is studied for certain specific disturbances to determine the adequacy of the system. However, the occurrence of disturbances and their attendant protective switching sequences are random processes and it would be more meaningful to determine the probability of stability for a power system. An approach for such a determination is presented in this paper. The probability of steady state stability is relatively easier to determine because of the linearization of the system equations. The probability of transient stability, on the other hand, is much more difficult to obtain analytically because of the nonlinear transformations required. However, a Monte Carlo simulation method to determine transient stability probability is shown to be feasible.
Response to Letter by Samuelson et al

Response: Dr Samuelson and colleagues raise the important issue of cost in stroke prevention. The American Stroke Association (ASA) guidelines are written on the basis of the evidence for potential benefit or harm to an individual at risk and for use by individual physicians in discussions with patients and families. Although cost is important to all of us in medicine, it is beyond the scope of the guidelines as currently charged to attempt to weigh in a comprehensive and scientific …
The Small Group and Participatory Democracy: Comment on Graebner

I believe Professor Graebner (1986) has made a well-designed intervention to manipulate us readers into a rather one-sided understanding of some of the blends of Deweyian education, social group work, Lewinian applied group dynamics, and industrial personnel work that lived side-by-side and were intermeshed in the practices of many professional and “amateur” (e.g., parents) practitioners. Although some of this mixture that he calls “democratic social engineering” includes the ideas of “objects of control” and group decision with a predetermined influence objective, for many others it includes the idea of coparticipants in a problem-solving process in which, as Douglas MacGregor formulated it, “the member will be open to influence from the leader to the degree he perceives the leader is open to influence from him.” In other words, it assumes reciprocity of influence, with an emphasis on listening, seeking, and using feedback from each other as peers and member-leader relations. Mary Follett, Edward Lindeman, John Dewey, and Kurt Lewin all subscribed to this basic assumption about the meaning of interpersonal democracy. And the National Training Laboratory (NTL) was founded on these tenets. Accordingly, I believe several issues of social influence dynamics are somewhat confused in Graebner's paper.
Toll-like receptor 2-mediated expression of β-defensin-2 in human corneal epithelial cells

We previously showed that human corneal epithelial cells (HCECs) express Toll-like receptors (TLRs), which recognize gram-positive bacteria and respond to Staphylococcus aureus infection by the expression and secretion of proinflammatory cytokines and beta-defensin-2 (hBD2). In this study, we further elucidated the underlying mechanisms regulating hBD-2 expression and its role in innate defense in HCECs in response to S. aureus challenge. Exposure of HUCL cells, a telomerase-immortalized HCEC line, to S. aureus, its exoproducts (1:10 dilution), or synthetic lipopeptide Pam3Cys (10 microg/ml) resulted in the up-regulation of hBD-2, but not hBD1 and hBD3. Similar to HUCL cells, primary HCECs responded to S. aureus-exoproducts and Pam3Cys challenge by expressing hBD2 mRNA and secreting hBD2 into the culture media. Furthermore, these stimuli induced the expression of TLR2 at both mRNA and protein levels. Consistently with its role as a major pattern-recognizing receptor, TLR2 was located at the cell surface by cell surface biotinylation. The treatment of HUCL cells with TLR2 neutralizing antibody resulted in a significant decrease in Pam3Cys-induced hBD2 production as well as IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-alpha secretion. The Pam3Cys-induced hBD2 expression was completely blocked by NF-kappaB inhibitors and partially inhibited by p38 MAP kinase and the JNK inhibitors. Conditioned media derived from HCECs challenged with S. aureus-exoproducts or Pam3Cys exhibited antibacterial activity against S. aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli. These findings suggest that S. aureus induces hBD2 production through TLR2-mediated pathways in HCECs and that pathogen-challenged, TLR-activated HCECs possess antimicrobial activity. Thus, the epithelium might play a role in innate defense against bacterial infection by directly killing bacteria in the cornea.
Evidence for an androgen receptor in the seminiferous tubules of the human testis

Androgen receptors (AR) were studied in seminiferous tubule cytosol and testicular nuclear extracts prepared from testes of previously untreated elderly men undergoing orchiectomy as therapy for prostatic carcinoma. Cytosol exhibited high affinity (Kd = 0.8 nM), saturable binding of [3H]methyltrienolone; however, the synthetic progestin, promegestone was a stronger competitor for MT binding sites than were 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) or testosterone (T), suggesting the presence of progesterone-like binding sites. Addition of triamcinolone acetonide (TA) produced the usual relative steroid specificity for AR binding and reduced the measured AR binding capacity by 19 +/- 8% (Mean +/- SD, n = 3). The umber of MT binding sites was 30-40 fmol/mg protein, or an average of 65 fmol/g testis, and the equilibrium dissociation constant at 0 degrees C was 0.6-1.4 nM. In the presence of sodium molybdate, binding was stable for 40 h at 0 degrees C and the half-time of dissociation of the MT-AR complex was 12-16 h. The binding of salt extractable (600 mM KCl) nuclear sites to MT was saturable and was specific for androgens. The number of binding sites in nuclear extracts was 170 fmol/g testis and the apparent equilibrium dissociation constant was 4.2 nM. Thus, the binding of MT to human seminiferous tubule cytosol and testicular nuclear extract exhibits properties which are nearly identical to those of the prostate AR. Further study of this androphilic protein may provide insight into the role of androgen in normal and abnormal spermatogenesis in man.
Simplification of a model for ion adsorption on oxide surfaces

Summary The adsorption equation of Bowden et al. (I 977) was modified so that adsorption at a constant pH could be described by three parameters. One of these parameters represents the maximum adsorption. The second is the product of three characteristics. These are the binding constant for the adsorbing ion; the proportion of the adsorbate present as that ion; and the electrostatic potential in the plane of adsorption before adsorption had started. The third parameter indicates the rate at which the electrostatic potential in the plane of adsorption changes as adsorption increases. With these modifications, the adsorption equation may be linearized and graphs used to estimate the parameters. This simplification may be of value either when there is no data for the charge characteristics of the surface, or when there is insufficient computer expertise to fit more complex models.
Iron depletion: a defense against intracellular infection and neoplasia.

Abstract Macrophages and other host cells activated by interferon-γ (IFN-γ) can be induced to form a flavoprotein that converts L-arginine to nitric oxide + L-citrulline. Nitric oxide causes efflux of non-heme iron from neoplastic and infected host cells. In the absence of L-arginine, IFN-γ-induced infected cells can lower their net uptake of iron. Cellular depletion of the metal via either mechanism suppresses DNA synthesis as well as the functioning of aerobic respiratory enzymes. Macrophage regulation of growth of other host cells during embryogenesis, immune responses, or immunosurveillance might involve iron depletion.
Understanding the complex nature of self-regulatory processes in learning with computer-based learning environments: an introduction

Learning about complex and challenging topics and domains with computer-based learning environments (CBLEs) typically involves the use of numerous self-regulatory processes such as planning, knowledge activation, metacognitive monitoring and regulation, strategy deployment, and reflection (Aleven and Koedinger 2002; Azevedo 2002, 2005; 2007; Azevedo and Hadwin 2005; de Jong 2005; Graesser et al. 2005; Lajoie and Azevedo 2006; Lepper 1988; Rouet 2006; Vye et al. 1998; White and Frederiksen 2005; Winne 2005). According to Pintrich (2000), self-regulated learning (SRL) is an active, constructive process whereby students set goals for their learning and then attempt to monitor, regulate, and control their cognition, motivation, and behavior; guided and constrained by their goals and the contextual features in the environment. Most models of SRL propose a general timeordered sequence that students follow as they perform a task, but there is no strong assumption that the phases (including forethought, planning, monitoring, control, and reaction/reflection) are hierarchically or linearly structured such that earlier phases must occur before later phases (see Boekaerts et al. 2000; Butler and Winne 1995; Corno 2006; Flavell 1979; Greene and Azevedo 2007; Hacker et al. 1998, 2007; Pintrich 2000; Schraw 2006; Schraw and Moshman 1995; Schunk 2001, 2005; Winne 2001; Winne and Hadwin 1998; Zimmerman 1986, 2001, 2006; Zimmerman and Schunk 2001). For example, prior to learning with CBLEs, self-regulating students typically analyze the learning situation, set meaningful learning goals, and determine which strategies to use given the task conditions. In addition, they generate motivational beliefs based on their prior experience with the topic, success with the task, and situational demands. During learning, self-regulating students assess whether the strategies are effective in meeting their learning goals, evaluate their Metacognition Learning (2007) 2:57–65 DOI 10.1007/s11409-007-9018-5
Optimization hardness as transient chaos in an analog approach to constraint satisfaction

Constraint-satisfaction problems are among the computationally hardest tasks: solutions are efficiently checkable, but no efficient algorithms are known to compute those solutions. Fresh insight might come from physics. A study mapping optimization hardness onto the phenomena of turbulence and chaos suggests that constraint-satisfaction problems can be tackled using analog devices. Boolean satisfiability1 (k-SAT) is one of the most studied optimization problems, as an efficient (that is, polynomial-time) solution to k-SAT (for k≥3) implies efficient solutions to a large number of hard optimization problems2,3. Here we propose a mapping of k-SAT into a deterministic continuous-time dynamical system with a unique correspondence between its attractors and the k-SAT solution clusters. We show that beyond a constraint density threshold, the analog trajectories become transiently chaotic4,5,6,7, and the boundaries between the basins of attraction8 of the solution clusters become fractal7,8,9, signalling the appearance of optimization hardness10. Analytical arguments and simulations indicate that the system always finds solutions for satisfiable formulae even in the frozen regimes of random 3-SAT (ref. 11) and of locked occupation problems12 (considered among the hardest algorithmic benchmarks), a property partly due to the system’s hyperbolic4,13 character. The system finds solutions in polynomial continuous time, however, at the expense of exponential fluctuations in its energy function.
Anomalous interaction of 2-thiopyridone with proteins during thiol-disulfide interchange reactions.

Abstract Unpredictable results were observed for the formation of 2-thiopyridone during the reaction of protein-thiol groups with 2,2′-dipyridyl disulfide. Spectrophotometric analyses revealed that 2-thiopyridone associated noncovalently with reduced or unreduced proteins to cause a hypsochromic shift from 343 to 302 nm. Such complex formation compromises quantification of the thiol-disulfide exchange reaction.
Negotiating international norms : The Inter-American Commission of Women and the Convention on Violence Against Women

Violence against women is a global phenomenon linked to patriarchal cultural values and social structures that subordinate women. In Latin America, grass roots women's organizations and the Inter-American Commission of Women have recently turned their attention to pressing the governments of the Americas to address the endemic problem of violence against women. The work of the Inter-American Commission of Women has been particularly important but widely ignored in this area. As a specialized commission of the Organization of American States, the Inter-American Commission of Women has long worked to improve the rights and status of women throughout the Americas and has recently succeeded in negotiating an important international convention, the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence Against Women. This convention breaks new ground by defining violence against women as a violation of women's human rights and by identifying the duties of states to address the problem. This article traces the historical and contemporary role of the Inter-American Commission of Women in negotiating international norms aimed at defining and securing women's rights in the Americas. It outlines the specific work the commission carried out in negotiating the Convention on Violence Against Women, which has been in force since 1995, and it examines the innovative international norms found in the convention. It shows that, despite problems of public obscurity and state resistances to change, the commission has pressed governments from the international level to address and improve women's rights. Combined with a growing women's movement at the grass roots level in the Americas, the governments of the region are now having to take real steps to combat violence against women.
Multi-armed cationic cyclodextrin:poly(ethylene glycol) polyrotaxanes as efficient gene silencing vectors

A family of branched polyrotaxanes (bPRTx+), threaded with multiple cationic α-cyclodextrins (α-CDs) onto a multi-armed poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) core, were synthesized and studied as gene silencing vectors. These bPRTx+ formed stable, positively charged complexes with diameters of 150–250 nm at N/P ratios as low as 2.5. The bPRTx+ materials were shown to have gene-silencing efficiencies comparable to those of Lipofectamine 2000 (L2k) and bPEI, while displaying similar toxicity profiles. The unique structure of these polyrotaxanes allows them to effectively condense and complex siRNA into nanoparticles at much lower N/P ratios than L2k or bPEI. These findings suggest that bPRTx+ may be useful materials for gene therapy applications.
Relation of the Orogranulocytic Migratory Rate to Periodontal Disease and Blood Leukocyte Count: A Clinical Study:

Number and types of oral leukocytes counted in concatenated samples of saliva were related to the severity and extent of periodontal disease in 50 individuals between 19 and 65 years of age. The oral polymorphonuclear leukocyte level was independent of leukocyte levels in peripheral blood, and was correlated best with degrees of gingivitis.
Isospin splitting of giant resonances in C 13 and O 17

The two-particle, one-hole shell model with a harmonic oscillator basis is employed for a calculation of isospin-split giant resonance states in $^{13}\mathrm{C}$ and $^{17}\mathrm{O}$ that can be reached from the ground state by $\ensuremath{\Delta}T=0,1$ transitions of type $E1$ or $M2$. Residual forces used were a zero-range Soper mixture as well as the separable Tabakin potential. We calculate photoabsorption strengths which for $^{13}\mathrm{C}$ agree with the available data and with a previous calculation of Easlea using the Soper force; for the Tabakin force, this agreement is achieved without Easlea's ad hoc modification of the interaction. We also evaluate the inelastic form factors for electroexcitation of the $^{13}\mathrm{C}$ resonance levels, thereby identifying isospin and spin-isospin collective states.NUCLEAR REACTIONS $^{13}\mathrm{C}$ calculated photonuclear cross sections, electron scattering form factors of giant and pygmy resonances (${T}_{g},{T}_{l}$); $^{17}\mathrm{O}$ calculated photonuclear cross sections. Used two-particle, one-hole shell model.
Laser dusting of delicate objects

Since the inception of the laser-divestment process, emphasis has focused on the treatment of reasonably durable materials. Marble, limestone, sandstone, and bronze are foremost among these. In most situations the objective of laser divestment is the removal of superficial corrosion or chemical-decomposition products. To a lesser extent laser ablation is also used to treat diverse surface problems for a spectrum of other historic and artistic substrates such as paper, vellum, ivory, paint, and plaster. Although materials of this sort are not particularly strong, their optical, thermodynamical, and mechanical properties are sufficiently propitious to enable successful laser treatment (with the exercise of precise control). There is another, quite different, cleaning problem encountered in the maintenance of museum collections. This is often referred to as "dusting" (in contrast to "divestment" or "conservation"). Vacuuming, wiping, blowing, and feather dusting are used most often to improve the cosmetic appearance of museum objects after dust and aerosols have accumulated on exposed surfaces. However, many collections include extremely friable pieces composed of feathers, fir, hair, plant fibers, or mummified skin. Conventional dusting may be impossible in such instances. From experimental observations and theoretical analyses we speculate that at very low fluxes laser-induced acoustic and electrostatic forces are responsible for the ejection of debris. Laboratory experiments demonstrated that laser dusting was effective on feathers and textiles, The practical viability of laser dusting was demonstrated by laser-cleaning two very large sand sculptures by San Diego artist C.R. Faust. In contrast, all conventional cleaning techniques damaged the surface by dislodging sand grains.
Virtual Seminars and Digital Filing Cabinets.

Summary Current electronic journal efforts are concentrated on building new types of journals or converting printed journals to digital ones. Less attention is paid to designing environments where researchers and students can virtually interact in familiar ways with journal articles both new and old. This article details the desired features and needed capabilities of such an interactive environment and reports on preliminary work in this area done at the Yale University Sterling Chemistry Library.
Isolation and Characterization of a Murine P388 Leukemia Line Resistant to Clofarabine

A murine P388 leukemia line fully resistant to thiarabine was obtained after five courses of intraperitoneal treatment (daily for nine consecutive days). The subline was sensitive as was the parental P388/0 line to 5-fluorouracil, gemcitabine, cyclophosphamide, cisplatin, melphalan, BCNU, mitomycin C, doxorubicin, mitoxantrone, etoposide, irinotecan, vincristine, and paclitaxel, but was cross resistant (at least marginally) to three antimetabolites: palmO-ara-C, fludarabine phosphate, and methotrexate. The deoxycytidine kinase activity in the subline was comparable to that for P388/0, whereas the dCMP deaminase activity was 43% of that for P388/0. No deoxycytidine deaminase activity was detected in either of the leukemias. There appeared to be little, if any, difference in the metabolism of deoxycytidine, cytidine, or thiarabine in the two leukemias.
GABA transport by nerve ending fractions of cat brain.

— Nerve ending and mitochondrial fractions were prepared from cat cerebral cortex by differential and sucrose density gradient centrifugation. The isolated fractions were characterized morphologically and enzymatically and the nerve-ending fraction was shown to be particularly rich in glutamate decarboxylase activity. The uptake of [3H] γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) was studied by trapping the particles on a Millipore filter. GABA uptake was not saturable over the concentration range studied (0.018 to 8000 μM. Tissue/medium ratios were consistently greater than 2·5, and uptake was significantly reduced by ouabain and iodoacetate, or by replacing sodium with lithium or choline chloride. GABA uptake was significantly inhibited by desmethylimipramine (DMI) with an IC50 of approx. 10–20 μM. GABA uptake was reduced by structurally similar amino acids lacking an α-amino group, and also by methionine and phenylalanine, but not by short chain neutral amino acids.
Weaning of free-ranging infant baboons (Papio cynocephalus) as indicated by one-zero and instantaneous sampling of feeding

Weaning from the nipple and the use of solid foods were studied by one-zero and instantaneous sampling during the first year of life for 46 baboon infants. By the end of 1 year, infant baboons were nearing independence from the mother for nourishment and transportation and were competently foraging for insects and several plant foods. Using on-nipple as an index of waning dependence and the transition from riding on the mother to walking as a validity criterion, the two sampling methods yielded comparable scores which were valid indicants of developing independence.
Relationship Among Neonatal Risk Factors, Neonatal Otoacoustic Emissions(OAE) Hearing Screen Results and Seven Month Outcome in VLBW (<1250) Infants. ♦ 1363

Specific risk factors are associated with permanent hearing loss (HL). VLBW infants are known to be at ↑ risk of both permanent HL and neurodevelopmental sequelae. We hypothesized that hypoxemia would be associated with not passing a neonatal OAE hearing screen for VLBW infants and, furthermore, OAE screen results would be associated with neurodevelopmental outcome at 7 mo of age. 166 VLBW infants born 1-1-95 to 12-31-96 were evaluated with OAE and 117 had a neurodevelopmental assessment at 7 mo. 28 infants failed their neonatal OAE in one or both ears. Table
Serum insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP)-4 and IGFBP-5 levels in aging and age-associated diseases

Because impaired bone formation is a major contributor to the pathogenesis of senile (type II) osteoporosis, and because insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) have been shown to be important stimulators of bone formation in vitro and in vivo, studies have been focused towards clarifying the role of IGF system in the age-related impairment in bone formation. To evaluate if changes in circulating and bone cell production of IGF binding protein (IGFBP)-4 and IGFBP-5 could contribute to age-related impairment in bone formation, the authors measured serum and skeletal levels of IGFBP05, and serum levels of IGFBP-4 during aging. Circulating levels of IGFBP-4 increased with age, whereas that of IGFBP-5 declined with age. Serum IGFBP-4 and IGFBP-5 levels showed significant positive correlations with serum levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH) and IGFs, respectively. In addition, skeletal content of IGFBP-5 declined with age. The age-related changes in IGFBP-4 and IGFBP-5 production could contribute, in part, to the decrease in osteoblast cell proliferation and deficiency in bone formation.
In Situ Assembled Mass-Transport Controlling Micromembranes and Their Application in Implanted Amperometric Glucose Sensors

Micromembranes were assembled by sequentially chemisorbing polyanions and polycations on miniature (5 × 10-4 cm2) enzyme electrodes. The sequential chemisorption process allowed the simultaneous tailoring of their sensitivity, dynamic range, drift, and selectivity. When assembled on tips of 250-μm-diameter gold wires coated with redox polymer-“wired” glucose oxidase, they allowed tailoring of the glucose electrodes for >2 nA/mM sensitivity; 0−30 mM dynamic range; drift of ≤5% per 24 h at 37 °C at 15 mM glucose concentration; and ≤5% current increment by the combination of 0.1 mM ascorbate, 0.2 mM acetaminophen, and 0.5 mM urate. The membranes also retained transition metal ions that bound to and damaged the redox polymer “wiring” the enzyme. The electrodes were tested in the jugular veins and in the intrascapular subcutaneous region of anaesthetized and heparinized nondiabetic Sprague−Dawley rats, in which rapid changes of glycemia were forced by intravenous injections of glucose and insulin. After one-po...
Cryoelectron microscopy of low density lipoprotein in vitreous ice

In this report, images of low density lipoprotein (LDL) in vitreous ice at approximately 30 A resolution are presented. These images show that LDL is a quasi-spherical particle, approximately 220-240 A in diameter, with a region of low density (lipid) surrounded by a ring (in projection) of high density believed to represent apolipoprotein B-100. This ring is seen to be composed of four or five (depending on view) large regions of high density material that may represent protein superdomains. Analysis of LDL images obtained at slightly higher magnification reveals that areas of somewhat lower density connect these regions, in some cases crossing the projectional interiors of the LDL particles. Preliminary image analysis of LDL covalently labeled at Cys3734 and Cys4190 with 1.4-nm Nanogold clusters demonstrates that this methodology will provide an important site-specific marker in studies designed to map the organization of apoB at the surface of LDL.
Vibronic activity in the laser jet spectra of phenanthrene

Abstract Photoexcitation and dispersed fluorescence spectra of phenanthrene and phenanthrene-d10 in supersonic expansions of helium are presented. Mirror symmetry breakdown (MSB) between excitation and S1 origin excited fluorescence is quantified for transitions involving planar vibrational modes. For modes which are totally symmetric, model calculations are performed based on the formalism of Craig and Small for the interference of Condon and Herzberg-Teller derived transition moments. It is shown that for a1 transitions displaying drastic absorption/fluorescence asymmetries, observed intensities can be reproduced by use of simple first-order formulae. The breakdown of the model in predicting the 2010 (632 cm−1 in S1) and 2001 (679 cm−1 in S0) transitions in phenanthrene-d10 is discussed. Mode mixing is observed in several b2 levels and in a1 levels near 1380 cm−1 in S1 and are described in terms of normal coordinate (Duschinsky) rotation and Fermi resonance, respectively.
Blood pressure discrimination.

This research concerns the ability of humans to discriminate variations in their own blood pressure in comparing two successive 5-s periods, and the effects of discrimination training (knowledge of results) on their performance. The subjects were 72 healthy male volunteers studied under various conditions. Continuous recordings were made of blood pressure, heart rate, and respiration. Without knowledge of results, discrimination of systolic blood pressure occurred at chance levels, but performance improved significantly over two sessions of discrimination training. This improvement was not maintained in a subsequent session in which no feedback was provided. Discrimination of diastolic blood pressure achieved significant levels when subjects were given knowledge of results. In general, the larger the difference to be discriminated in pressure, the better the performance. The paper also discusses relationships between blood pressure discrimination performance and simultaneous variations in heart rate and respiration, post-session subjective reports, and the role of cuff pressure changes in performance.
Radiating dipoles near curved interfaces

The local electric field enhancement generated by radiating fluorophores near a metallic surface results in lifetime variations observable at the single molecule level. Image theory, for dipoles located above flat surfaces, accounts for the results of ensemble experiments and is extensively used to interpret single molecule results. Nonetheless, smooth local surface inhomogeneities give rise to deviations of the single fluorophore properties from the image theory predictions. For this reason, we compute the effects of leading order corrections to the reflected fields of vertical dipoles located above locally curved perfectly conducting surfaces by invoking a small slope approximation.
Linear Stark Effect of the R' Center in LiF

A resolved linear Stark splitting is observed for the R' zero-phenon line in absorption in good agreement with the predictions for an A E transition at a center of C3v symmetry. Die lineare Stark-Aufspaltung an der R'-Nullphononen-Linie in LiF wird in Absorption beobachtet, in guter Ubereinstimmung mit den Vorhersagen fur einen A E-Ubergang an einem Zentrum mit C3v-Symmetrie.
Effect of knee flexion on the in situ force distribution in the human anterior cruciate ligament

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of applied load on the magnitude, direction, and point of tibial intersection of the in situ forces of the anteromedial (AM) and posterolateral (PL) bands of the human anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) at 30 degrees and 90 degrees of knee flexion. An Instron was used to apply a 100 N anterior shear force to 11 human cadaver knees, 6 at 30 degrees of knee flexion and 5 at 90 degrees of knee flexion. A Universal Force Sensor (UFS) recorded the resultant 6 degree-of freedom (DOF) forces/moments. Each specimen then underwent serial removal of the AM and PL bands. With the knee limited to 1 DOF (anteroposterior), tests were performed before and after each structure was removed. Because the path was identical in each test, the principle of superposition was applied. Thus, the difference between the resultant forces could be attributed to the force carried by the structure just removed. The magnitudes of force in the ACL at 30 degrees and 90 degrees of knee flexion were 114.1 +/- 7.4 N and 90.8 +/- 8.3 N, respectively (P < 0.05). At 30 degrees, the AM and PL bundles carried 95% and 4% of the total ACL force, respectively. At 90 degrees, the AM and PL bands carried 85% and 13%, respectively (P < 0.05). The direction of the in situ force in the whole ACL as well as its two bands correlated with the anatomic orientation of the ligament.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Data collection in fiber optics: strengths and weaknesses

Fiber optics is a comparatively young but maturing industry. In effect, it's about 11 years old, or nearing maturity since it has been used commercially for about that long, give or take a few years. Fiber optics has been vital for the modernization of our long-distance telecommunications networks and promises untold benefits for all of us in the years to come. Further, it has been identified in government and private sector bodies how `critical' this technology is. Why don't we have commonly accepted statistics about this critical industry? The objective of this paper is to describe the situation in fiber optics data collection today, the reasons why, and what we might be able to do about it.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
School Choice Legislation: Impact Assessment and Fiscal Notes

Legislators considering large scale school choice proposals want information on more than likely schooling outcomes. They look to their fiscal bureaus and economic studies to provide that information. The fiscal notes that must accompany all proposals with revenue or expenditure implications are especially important. Often, fiscal notes must be produced on short notice. The article assesses the fiscal notes that have accompanied the major U.S. charter law and tuition voucher proposals, and to highlight key issues and research needs it assesses fiscal and economic impacts of the proposed Texas (2011–HB 33) tuition voucher program. We assess fiscal notes in terms of research basis for predictions, predicted level of participation (# of choosers), and predicted basis for fiscal impacts, including time trend of effects. Finally, we propose how the fiscal notes might be improved; not just what legislative analysts should do, but also what could be done to make doing a better job easier.
Airport surface management strategies to balance throughput, taxi times and predictability in dynamic weather scenarios

New approaches to airport surface management are being developed to support a number of different objectives, ranging from reduced environmental impacts, to increases in throughput during convective weather events, to improved predictability and flexibility for flight operators [1]. To be effective, however, they need to support the coordination of work across the controllers in the airport Tower and traffic managers in the Tower, TRACON and ARTCC, as well as ramp controllers, dispatchers, air traffic control coordinators and pilots working for the flight operators [2, 3]. These new approaches must also support coordination with staff and contractors working for the airport operator [4]. This paper focuses on the need to coordinate across three of these groups, the traffic managers responsible for managing airspace constraints in the ARTCC and/or TRACON, the traffic managers responsible for coordinating airport surface queuing strategies, and the Departure Reservoir Coordinator (DRC), who is responsible for overseeing surface departure metering programs that manage the inventory at the spots.
Kinetics of contraction of drawn nylon 66 in aqueous phenol

The rate of contraction of drawn nylon 66 in aqueous phenol was investigated, and a method is described for correlating this contraction with a series of elementary rate processes. The rate constants so obtained were analyzed by absolute rate theory, and the variations of ΔH† and ΔS† with phenol concentration gave evidence of the nature of the reaction steps.
Spin beats and dynamical magnetization in quantum structures

A femtosecond-resolved Faraday spectroscopy has been developed to directly monitor spin dynamics in magnetically tunable semiconductor quantum wells. Tunable terahertz quantum beating of the optical polarization is observed from coherent excitation of the spin states Zeeman split by a single ultrathin magnetic tunneling barrier. Subsequent spin-flip scattering of a photoinjected spin-polarized excitons deposits a magnetic ``imprint'' in the barrier which is orientation dependent and persists for orders of magnitude longer than the carrier lifetime.
Experimentally and theoretically observed native pH shifts in a nanochannel array

Lab-on-a-chip (LOC) technology provides a powerful platform for simultaneous separation, purification, and identification of low concentration multicomponent mixtures. As the characteristic dimension of LOC devices decreases down to the nanoscale, the possibility of containing an entire lab on a single chip is becoming a reality. This research examines one of the unique physical characteristics of nanochannels, in which native pH shifts occur. As a result of the electrical double layer taking up a significant portion of a 100 nm wide nanochannel, electroneutrality no longer exists in the channel causing a radial pH gradient. This work describes experimentally observed pH shifts as a function of ionic strength using the fluorescent pH indicator 5-(and-6)-carboxy SNARF®-1 and compares it to a model developed using Comsol Multiphysics. At low ionic strengths (∼ 3 mM) the mean pH shift is approximately 1 pH unit whereas at high ionic strengths (∼ 150 mM) the mean pH shift is reduced to 0.1 pH units. An independent analysis using fluorescein pH indicator is also presented supporting these findings. Two independent non-linear simulations coupling the Nernst-Planck equation describing transport in ionic solutions subjected to an electric field and Poisson's equation to describe the electric field as it relates to the charge distribution are solved using a finite element solver. In addition, the effects of chemical activities are considered in the simulations. The first numerical simulation is based on a surface ζ-potential which significantly underestimates the experimental results for most ionic strengths. A modified model assuming that SNARF and fluorescein molecules are able to diffuse into the hydrolyzed SiO2 phase, and in the case of the SNARF molecule, able to bind to neutral regions of the SiO2 phase agrees quantitatively with experimental results.
Modeling the optical properties of combustion-generated fractal aggregates

Abstract Combustion-generated carbonaceous aerosols are generally in the form of fractal aggregates (FA’s) with shapes that vary from long chain-like structures to much more compact, almost spherical structures, depending upon the mode or stoichiometry of the combustion process. Typically, as combustion moves from fuel-lean to fuel-rich, aggregate morphologies change from the former to the latter. Accompanying this change in morphology is a change in the chemistry of the aggregates as the percent of carbon in the aggregates also decreases. These combined changes produce radically different scattering and absorption signatures that define their radiative transfer properties. To improve our ability to predict how these optical properties change, experiments were conducted to measure both the physical and optical properties of these aggregates for both flaming and non-flaming modes of combustion. Using the aggregate property data from these experiments, numerical calculations were then performed using both the discrete dipole approximation (DDA) and the Rayleigh–Debye–Gans (RDG) approximation to generate their characteristic scattering and absorption signatures. This paper presents the experimental results, the comparison of the modeling results with the experimental results and discusses those parameters most important to obtain agreement between the modeling and the experiments.
Photodynamic therapy for actinic keratoses: survey of patient perceptions of treatment satisfaction and outcomes.

Background: While there are many available treatments for actinic keratoses (AKs), patient‐preferred treatment options remain undefined. Objective: To quantify patient perceptions and preferences in the management of AKs, including comparison of photodynamic therapy (PDT) with other therapies. Methods: A self‐administered questionnaire was mailed to 45 patients who had received PDT for AKs in 2005–2006 in the Henry Ford Health System. A series of indicators for each treatment were surveyed, including: recovery time, cosmetic appearance, patient cost, effectiveness, patient satisfaction, treatment option preference, and perceived burden of treatment. Results: A total of 39 of the 45 patients participated (86.7%). A patient's reported recovery time was significantly more likely to be 1 week or less for PDT when compared with cryotherapy (p = 0.02) and surgical excision (p = 0.02). Borderline significance was found for the improved cosmetic outcome in PDT vs. surgical excision (p = 0.058) and for patient sat...
Differences in Information Seeking Among Organizational Peers Perceptions of Appropriateness, Importance, and Frequency

The purpose of this study was to explore the differences that may exist among employees when they are seeking different types of information (i.e., technical, referent, social, appraisal, normative, organizational, and political) from their peers in the workplace. Specifically, this study examined whether employees differed in the perceived appropriateness, importance, and frequency of seeking information from information, collegial, and special peers. Participants were 229 working adults who completed one of three versions (reporting on an information peer, a collegial peer, or a special peer) of a survey packet containing a series of measures. Results indicate that employees generally report that they seek information from special peers rather than from collegial peers or information peers.
Fine-needle aspiration cytology of ameloblastic carcinoma of the maxilla: A rare tumor

This report describes the cytologic, histologic, and clinical features of an ameloblastic carcinoma of the maxilla occurring in an 83-yr-old white male. A fine-needle aspiration revealed malignant cells with a predominantly small cell type morphology. There were also a few cells of a second type which were more polygonal to spindled with oval to elongate nuclei. A focal amorphous blue-grey matrix was noted in association with these cells. Although the biopsy showed prominent areas of squamous metaplasia, no squamous cells were seen in the cytologic sample.
Phase measurement interferometric microscopy of thin films: Analysis of topography, refractive index, and thickness of solvent swollen polystyrene films

Abstract An analysis of phase measurement interferometric microscopy (PMIM) images of optically transparent films is presented. Multiple reflections of light within thin films produce a non-linear relationship between the measured optical thickness h and the true film thickness d , introducing oscillatory surface features in uncorrected PMIM topographical images. A method for simultaneously determining the microtopography, thickness, and refractive index of thin films using optical maxima and minima observed in PMIM images is described. The analysis is used to characterize 100–200 nm thick polystyrene (PS) films deposited on silicon wafers. The refractive index and degree of swelling of a PS film immersed in a mixed solvent, 27%(by volume) toluene in acetonitrile, are reported.
Semantic Heterogeneity in Multidatabase Systems: A Review and a Proposed Meta-Data Structure

This article reviews current research on the issue of semantic conflict resolution in multidatabase system design. It is observed that in multidatabase systems, semantic conflicts need to be resolved at both schema level and instance level. Based on the literature review, a new taxonomy for differentiating semantic conflicts and a meta-data representation incorporating the taxonomy are proposed. It is argued that the new meta-data representation is effective for summarizing local schemata, and hence it can serve as a common protocol for multidatabase systems that require instance level conflict resolution.
Self-Management of Chronic Disease by Older Adults: A Review and Questions for Research

This article summarizes the literature describing the at-home management of and psychosocial coping with five chronic diseases (heart disease, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, arthritis, and diabetes) by the general population of adults. It also reviews the literature describing self-management of these chronic diseases by older adults. Conclusions drawn subsequent to the review are (a) that there are strong commonalities in the essential nature of tasks that exist across disease entities, (b) that the context for self-management of disease by the ill elderly is likely to differ somewhat from the context for other age groups. Questions for future research are posed.