cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Informal Reading-Thinking Inventory: Twenty-First-Century Assessment Formats for Discovering Reading and Writing Needs—and Strengths

In this article, we discuss the Informal Reading-ThinkingInventory (IR-TI), an informal reading inventory built on an easily recognized legacy model that also branches out into new realms. The IR-TI provides tools for assessing reading the lines, reading between the lines, and reading beyond the lines. This is a 21st-century assessment instrument that reaches out to track critical aspects of social and cognitive development. The IR-TI includes innovative prompts for gathering data on schema activation, personal-emotional responding, elaborative thinking, engagement, metacognition, and response to text writing. The optional IR-TI tasks shed light on overlooked student strengths as well as student needs. The instrument urges fresh thinking as it points out unexpected strengths in weaker readers and weakness in seemingly proficient readers. Seeming outlier findings such as these stimulate new knowledge as they challenge popular but ambiguous theories and practices.
Catching a protein in the act

Seeing is believing. This old saying sums up one of the main goals in biology and biophysics: to watch and ultimately understand the molecular processes that sustain life. Thanks to advances in both experimentation and simulation, we are rapidly gaining a molecular-level understanding of key biomolecular processes. Nevertheless, experiments remain largely limited to the identification and characterization of intermediates along a reaction path, requiring significant populations and sufficiently long lifetimes to be detectable. Ultimately, a full understanding of the molecular mechanisms will also require the characterization of the transitions between the intermediates. One might even argue that the molecular mechanism is contained in the transition state separating the intermediates. But despite much recent progress [e.g., with an upper bound determined for the transition time in protein folding from fluorescence spectroscopy (1)], our mechanistic understanding of biomolecular transitions is derived primarily from indirect measurements, such as phi-value analysis (2), leaving the transitions themselves largely in the dark. In this issue of the PNAS, Vreede et al. (3) show how modern molecular simulation techniques can be used to shed light on molecular transitions, even those occurring on a millisecond timescale far beyond that of standard molecular dynamics calculations.
Cuba's First Venture in Africa: Algeria, 1961–1965

It was in Algeria that Cuba's involvement in Africa began. Until the overthrow of President Ben Bella in 1965, Algeria was Cuba's closest friend on the continent. Cuba provided both military and civilian assistance not only to the Algerian republic but also, before their victory, to the rebels of the Algerian National Liberation Front. Using Cuban documents, as well as US documents and interviews with protagonists, this article examines Cuba's relationship with Algeria in 1961–5. It is a relationship that clashes with the image of Cuban foreign policy – cynical ploys of a client state – that prevails not only in the United States but also in many European capitals.
Vulvar vestibulitis: response to hypocontactant vulvar therapy.

OBJECTIVES: To determine clinical response of women with vulvar vestibulitis syndrome (VVS) to a hypocontactant vulvar skin regimen. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A clinical trial was conducted with 85 patients who met Friedrich's criteria for VVS. Pretreatment average duration of vulvar pain was 24 months. Of the 53 sexually active patients, 62% had Level II to III and 38% had Level I dyspareunia. All patients were treated with a hypocontactant vulvar skin regimen for a minimum of four months. Follow-up ranged 6 to 36 months. Follow-up clinical visits and questionnaires were used to determine the clinical effects. RESULTS: Six months following initiation of therapy, the response rate for reduction in vulvar pain was 77%-20% complete response, 57% partial response-and 23% no response. Additionally, 60% reported greater than or equal to one level of dyspareunia improvement. CONCLUSIONS: Contact irritants may be a factor causing vestibular pain in VVS patients.
Evaluation of the D3 dopamine receptor selective agonist/partial agonist PG01042 on l-dopa dependent animal involuntary movements in rats

The substituted 4-phenylpiperazine D3 dopamine receptor selective antagonist PG01037 ((E)-N-(4-(4-(2,3-dichlorophenyl)piperazin-1-yl)but-2-enyl)-4-(pyridin-2-yl)benzamide) was reported to attenuate L-dopa-associated abnormal involuntary movements (AIMs) in unilaterally lesioned rats, a model of L-dopa-dependent dyskinesia in patients with Parkinson's Disease (Kumar et al., 2009a). We now report that PG01042 (N-(4-(4-(2,3-dichlorophenyl)piperazin-1-yl)butyl)-4-(pyridin-3-yl)benzamide), which is a D3 dopamine receptor selective agonist for adenylyl cyclase inhibition and a partial agonist for mitogenesis, is also capable of attenuating AIMs scores. The intrinsic activity of PG01037 and PG01042 were determined using a) a forskolin-dependent adenylyl cyclase inhibition assay and b) an assay for agonist-associated mitogenesis. It was observed that the in vivo efficacy of PG01042 increased when administered by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection simultaneously with L-dopa/benserazide (8 mg/kg each), as compared to a 60 min or 30 min pretreatment. PG01042 was found to attenuate AIM scores in these animals in a dose dependent manner. While PG01042 did not effectively inhibit SKF 81297-dependent AIMs, it inhibited apomorphine-dependent AIM scores. Rotarod studies indicate that PG01042 at a dose of 10 mg/kg did not adversely affect motor coordination of the unilaterally lesioned rats. Evaluation of lesioned rats using a cylinder test behavioral paradigm indicated that PG01042 did not dramatically attenuate the beneficial effects of L-dopa. These studies and previously published studies suggest that both D3 dopamine receptor selective antagonists, partial agonists and agonists, as defined by an adenylyl cyclase inhibition assay and a mitogenic assay, are pharmacotherapeutic candidates for the treatment of L-dopa-associated dyskinesia in patients with Parkinson's Disease.
A Micro Heat Engine for MEMS Power (Keynote Paper)

Progress in the development of a micro heat engine is presented. The prototype micro heat engine is an external combustion engine, in which thermal power is converted to mechanical power through the use of a novel thermodynamic cycle. Mechanical power is converted into electrical power through the use of a thin-film piezoelectric membrane generator. The design, well suited to photolithography-based batch fabrication methods, is unlike any conventionally manufactured macro-scale engine. In this paper, the design, fabrication and preliminary testing of a working prototype are discussed. The operation of the engine and its key component, the piezoelectric membrane generator is presented. For the first time, the production of electrical power by a dynamic micro heat engine is demonstrated.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Integrating relational databases and constraint languages

Abstract A new structure of application programs is suggested, which separates the algorithmic parts from factual information (data and rules). The latter is to be stored in a repository that can be shared among multiple applications. It is argued that rules stating pure relations are better suited for sharing among different applications than procedural or functional rules because these latter rules always determine inputs and outputs. To support such a repository, an extended relational algebra is explored. This algebra serves as the semantic model for a proposed rules language and is the basis for a seamless integration of data and rules. The paper focuses on equational rules. A number of potentially useful algebraic laws are stated. Examples will demonstrate the use of these algebraic laws in query evaluation and optimization. The paper elaborates the Rules/Database system from a programming language point of view. There are two language aspects: the rules language and the application programming interface. The concepts of data types and modules are incorporated into the rules language. The implementation is envisioned as a subsystem with an application programming interface. The interface is outlined. The relation of this approach to PROLOG and expert systems technology (production rules) is discussed.
Epidemiology of Rotaviral Infection in Adults

Although classic rotaviral gastroenteritis occurs in children between the ages of six and 24 months, infection with rotavirus is common in all age groups, including adults. Virtually all adults have been infected, as is demonstrated by the presence of serum antibodies, but previous infection does not protect against new infection with the same or a different serotype. Rotaviral infection of adults is seen in five settings: secondary contacts from pediatric cases, with variable attack rates in adults; waterborne outbreaks, which are often characterized by higher attack rates in adults than in children; travelers' diarrhea; epidemic spread in isolated or closed populations, often in the absence of contact with children; and endemic infections, which may account for 5%-10% of sporadic cases of diarrhea in adults. Frequent asymptomatic infections with rotavirus occur, and they may be important in the epidemiology of the disease. Although rotaviral infections in adults tend to be milder than those in children, death due to rotaviral infection in adults have been reported.
Partial widths of resonances by analytic continuation from real eigenvalues

Abstract An analytic continuation method for obtaining resonance widths from real eigenvalues in stabilization graphs has been extended to the case of multiple decay channels. An approximate procedure for decoupling the exit channels permits calculation of partial widths in reasonable agreement with exact values, especially for narrow resonances. Results are reported for a simple model scattering system introduced by Fels and Hazi.
Factors Predictive of Poor Functional Outcome after Chemoradiation for Advanced Laryngeal Cancer

Abstract Objective: The study goal was to determine whether pretreatment parameters can be used to predict poor outcomes related to laryngeal function among survivors after organ preservation therapy for advanced laryngeal cancer. Design: A retrospective analysis of patients treated in an ongoing chemoradiation trial. Setting: Academic tertiary care referral medical center. Patients and Methods: Among the 65 patients receiving concomitant intra-arterial cisplatin and radiation therapy for stage III and IV laryngeal cancer between 1993 and 1999, we identified 45 who were available for follow-up and were disease free 6 months after the completion of therapy. A nominal logistic regression analysis was performed to study the effect of age, gender, T and N classification, vocal cord fixation, massive cartilage destruction, and neck dissection on the likelihood of requiring a tracheostomy tube for breathing and/or a gastrostomy tube for feeding at 6 months after the completion of therapy. Main Outcome Measure: Persistent use of gastrostomy tube feedings and/or tracheostomy at 6 months after the completion of therapy. Results: Sixteen patients (36%) required a feeding tube and/or a tracheostomy (tracheostomy 13, gastrostomy 13, both 10). Regression analysis of all pretreatment factors indicated vocal cord fixation as being the strongest predictor of a poor functional outcome (defined as the persistent need for a feeding tube and/or tracheostomy at 6 months after therapy). Among the 27 patients in this subset, 15 (56%) had a poor functional outcome. In contrast, only 1 (6%) of 18 patients without vocal cord fixation had poor laryngeal function. Although the history of pulmonary disease was not a significant parameter by itself, when combined with vocal cord fixation, 6 of 8 patients had a poor functional outcome. Conclusion: Pretreatment parameters may be used to predict a poor functional outcome after chemoradiation. Because of the high likelihood of poor function, laryngeal cancer patients seeking organ preservation therapy with chemoradiation should be cautioned if they present with a fixed vocal cord. (Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2002;127:43-47.)
Aqueous flows carved the outflow channels on Mars

[1] The role of water in carving the Martian outflow channels has recently been challenged by the hypothesis known as “White Mars.” This hypothesis claims that the channels were cut by CO2 gas-supported debris flows that also resurfaced the northern plains. However, proposed analogs of “cryoclastic” flows are either inappropriate (i.e., submarine density flows) or are primarily depositional rather than erosional (i.e., pyroclastic flows). Subaerial mass movements on Earth do not carve long deep channels like those on Mars. I review runout efficiencies for mass movements on Earth and Mars. The efficiencies required for “cryoclastic” flows to resurface the northern plains of Mars are so large that they appear unattainable. White Mars seeks to resolve carbonate and floodwater “paradoxes” that probably do not exist. It is also doubtful whether reservoirs of CO2 could persist over geologic time in the crust. Overall, the CO2 hypothesis fails key tests and should be abandoned as a means to carve outflow channels. I present a new interpretation of the fluid source that created Aromatum Chaos and Ravi Vallis. Water, not liquid or gaseous CO2, was the causative fluid, and the source was an ice-covered impoundment in ancestral Ganges Chasma. At that time the canyon had no eastern outlet, and groundwater flowed northward to discharge at Aromatum Chaos and Shalbatana Vallis. The presence of ice-covered water bodies can help to calibrate models of volcanic-hydrologic climaxes during Hesperian time. The outflow channels, like the spectacular landforms of the Channeled Scabland, are monuments to the erosive power of catastrophic aqueous floods.
Distribution analysis of intrauterine pressure in nonpregnant dysmenorrheic women

Abstract Very few attempts to describe, codify, and implement analysis of intrauterine pressure data have occurred in the past. With a growing interest in intrauterine pressure during dysmenorrhea, the need for new ways of evaluating pressure data have become more acute. The availability of fast, compact microcomputers to process these data provides a tool which may make this goal attainable. In addition to purely mathematical analysis, graphic representations of the changing relationships of pressure and time are also possible. This type of graphic display of data may convey information more rapidly and allow subtle relations to be appreciated more easily. One such display technique, pressure distribution analysis, has been developed and appears to be useful in monitoring dysmenorrhea therapy. The method of the display's development along with examples of its use are presented.
Cooperation among Depository Libraries in the Southwestern United States.

Abstract This paper presents the results of a questionnaire survey mailed to 174 U.S. depository libraries in the Southwestern United States. It provides previously unknown statistical data on depository libraries, or more specifically, the demographics of the documents librarian, percentage of depositories with collection development policies, number of libraries with telefacsimile (fax) machines, percentage of depositories with consortial involvements, and satisfaction of depositories with their corresponding regional libraries. Finally, this paper cites possible reasons for successful consortial development and speculates why the growth of consortia has been so slow.
Modified composite Banyan network with an enhanced terminal reliability

The composite Banyan network orginally proposed earlier^1 can be constructed by adopting the characteristics of both the Banyan and the reverse Banyan networks. It has many interesting properties, such as a regular structure, tag-routing scheme, easy manipulation of alternate tags, etc. However, when n(=log"2N) is even (where N is the number of terminals), the links between the two centre stages are duplicated. This is not desirable from the standpoint of switch faults. To overcome this problem we propose a modification of the original network. The modification scheme has been simplified to maintain most of the novel characteristics of the composite Banyan network. We show that the modified network has more internal paths between some source and destination pairs than the original network. These internal paths help to improve the network's terminal reliability. Using simulation, we verify that the modified network enhances terminal reliability.
Europe's freshwater fish threatened

Two hundred of Europe's 522 freshwater fish species are threatened with extinction and 12 are already extinct, according to the Handbook of European Freshwater Fishes, published in collaboration with the World Conservation Union (IUCN) and released on 1 November 2007. IUCN notes that the main threats to fish species stem from development and population growth and include water withdrawals, large dams, and inappropriate fisheries management that has led to overfishing and the introduction of alien species. Authors Maurice Kottelat, former president of the European Ichthyological Society, and Jorg Freyhof, scientist from Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology, noted that fish conservation should be managed by agencies in charge of conservation, and not as a crop by agencies in charge of agriculture. William Darwall, senior program officer with IUCN's Species Program, said the species “are critical to the freshwater ecosystems upon which we do depend, such as for water purification and flood control.”
Risk and Return in the World's Major Stock Markets

The Sharpe and Treynor indexes measure portfolio return performance in terms of only one risk characteristic, although several risk characteristics of the investment may be important for the investor. Data envelopment analysis (DEA), a new operations research technique, makes it possible to measure investment return performance in terms of a group of various risk characteristics that may be equally important for the investor. The authors use six different risk measures to compare the return performances of the world9s 16 major stock markets during the 1988–1997 and 1995–1997 periods. The U.S. stock market had the best return performance in terms of systematic risk, return volatility, market capitalization, and book value/market equity individual risk characteristics in both periods. The U.S., Dutch, German, and Swiss stock markets had the best overall return performance in terms of all six risk characteristics in both periods. The U.K. stock market had one of the best overall return performances in terms of all six risk characteristics in the 1995-1997 period.
A biogenetically patterned conversion of palmatine into polycarpine

Abstract Oxidation of palmatine ( 1 ) choride with m -chloroperbenzoic acid in methylene chloride in the presence of sodium bicarbonate at near −78° C yields polycarpine ( 2 ). A new biogenetic route to the aporphines is proposed which does not involve phenolic oxidative coupling, and proceeds through the intermediacy of protoberberinium salts.
Kinematic singularities and constraints of helicity amplitudes

The kinematic singularities and constraints of helicity amplitudes are studied in a unified way. Relatively simple and compact formulas are obtained which enable one to read off the singularities and constraints for any particular two-body process. The points studied are the thresholds and pseudothresholds, $s=0$, and the boundary of the physical region. The fundamental assumption which underlies the method used here is that all kinematic singularities result from singular definitions of the helecity states.
Disaster Response After Hurricane Katrina: A Model for an Academic–Community Partnership in Mississippi

Team Reach Out Biloxi is a nursing student-initiated service-learning project with the goal of providing ongoing assistance to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. On 6 different occasions from 2005 to 2008, Purdue nursing students integrated their leadership skills with application of public health knowledge, compassion, and concern as they worked in partnership with the Gulfport region Coastal Family Health Clinics (CFHC). This article reviews the service-learning framework, course planning, and implementation of a 3-year posthurricane disaster project.
Generality and Topic Specificity of Cognitive Styles.

Abstract A multitrait-multimethod strategy was used to assess eight structural properties of cognition applied to several classes of objects by 88 university students in Boulder, Colorado, United States, and 80 university students in Kyoto and Otsu, Japan. Each cognitive style was found to display some degree of generality over object classes and also some degree of class specificity. It is concluded that cognitive style depends on the subject, the class of objects considered, and an interaction between the two.
Long time evolution of structural hierarchy in uniaxially stretched and retracted cross-linked natural rubber

The long time evolution of structural hierarchy in cross-linked natural rubber, i.e., cis-polyisoprene, was investigated in uniaxially stretched and partially retracted state using real time birefringence, optical microscopy, and wide angle X-ray scattering techniques. During the deformation, the needlelike domains that contain highly oriented crystals develop in the stretching direction. The constrained holding of these samples up to 14 days results in the development of additional crystals adjacent to original needlelike domains exhibiting lower orientation. Further holding up to 47 days results in lateral overgrowths of lamellar crystals emanating from these oriented crystals. Growth branching was found to be increasingly suppressed with the long-term crystallization that lead to the formation of two-dimensional crystals that grew the longest. Slight retraction after stretching results in a higher crystalline orientation with lower crystallinity due to retraction-induced melting of crystalline regions with lower orientation. The population of lateral lamellar overgrowths on oriented crystals was found to be larger in these stretched and retracted samples than the samples subjected to stretching only. Temperature dependent WAXS analysis of these crystallites in stretched and stretched-retracted samples indicates that the crystals with differing perfection and tilt angle with respect to the stretching direction melt earlier than their more perfectly aligned counterparts.
An urban parameterization for a global climate model. Part II: Sensitivity to input parameters and the simulated urban heat island in offline simulations

In a companion paper, the authors presented a formulation and evaluation of an urban parameterization designed to represent the urban energy balance in the Community Land Model. Here the robustness of the model is tested through sensitivity studies and the model’s ability to simulate urban heat islands in different environments is evaluated. Findings show that heat storage and sensible heat flux are most sensitive to uncertainties in the input parameters within the atmospheric and surface conditions considered here. The sensitivity studies suggest that attention should be paid not only to characterizing accurately the structure of the urban area (e.g., height-to-width ratio) but also to ensuring that the input data reflect the thermal admittance properties of each of the city surfaces. Simulations of the urban heat island show that the urban model is able to capture typical observed characteristics of urban climates qualitatively. In particular, the model produces a significant heat island that increases with height-to-width ratio. In urban areas, daily minimum temperatures increase more than daily maximum temperatures, resulting in a reduced diurnal temperature range relative to equivalent rural environments. The magnitude and timing of the heat island vary tremendously depending on the prevailing meteorological conditions and the characteristics of surrounding rural environments. The model also correctly increases the Bowen ratio and canopy air temperatures of urban systems as impervious fraction increases. In general, these findings are in agreement with those observed for real urban ecosystems. Thus, the model appears to be a useful tool for examining the nature of the urban climate within the framework of global climate models.
FOCAL DESTRUCTION OF NERVOUS TISSUE BY FOCUSED ULTRASOUND: BIOPHYSICAL FACTORS INFLUENCING ITS APPLICATION

Ultrasound at frequencies of 1.0 mcps and 2.5 mcps can be focused by a suitable lens system to produce a small region of high vibrational intensity. The concentrated energy within and around the focal region can be used to destroy structures of the central nervous system. The extent of destruction depends upon: (a) the size of the focal region, which varies inversely with the frequency, (b) the ultrasonic intensity, (c) the duration of exposure, and (d) the physical and physiologic characteristics of the tissue under irradiation. With proper choice of ultrasonic dosage, mice were rendered monoplegic by destruction of one-half of the spinal cord without demonstrable injury to the skin or subcutaneous tissues through which the converging ultrasonic beam had been transmitted. In similar fashion, focal lesions were produced in the basal ganglia of living cats by stereotaxic transdural application of a focused ultrasonic beam delivered through the superior aspect of the cerebral hemispheres. Histologic studies of mouse spinal cords and cat brains offered evidence that the fiber tracts of the central nervous system are more vulnerable to ultrasonic irradiation than aggregates of cell nuclei or vascular structures. The destructive action of the ultrasound is apparently a result of mechanical strain combined with a rise in temperature at the focus of the beam. The heating factor was found to assume greater importance under conditions of high intensity and continuous (rather than pulsed) irradiation. Trypan blue staining and radioautography using P(32) have been employed to identify the lesions 1 hour after irradiation. This has been a valuable adjunct in our attempts to determine the accuracy of placement of the lesions and their size. Perhaps more important, however, is the indication from these studies that ultrasonically produced lesions may offer a useful method for investigation of the nature of the blood-brain barrier. "Target studies" were undertaken to determine the precision with which lesions of predetermined size could be placed at predetermined sites in the basal ganglia of the cat. Results to date have been promising, but it is our opinion that further technical improvement will be necessary before ultrasound can be used as an accurate method for placing discrete lesions within the human brain.
Tobacco Cessation in Acute and Critical Care Nursing Practice: Challenges and Approaches

Recently, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) implemented new national core measures, including tobacco-cessation interventions for patients hospitalized because of pneumonia or other pulmonary-related illnesses, acute myocardial infarction, or heart failure. All interventions performed for such patients must be documented in the patient's chart. Because the JCAHO standards for tobacco cessation are implemented hospital-wide, acute and critical care nurses must take an active role in their execution. This article discusses the challenges to integrating tobacco cessation in daily acute and critical care nursing practice and makes recommendations regarding cessation approaches designed to improve health outcomes for tobacco-dependent patients.
The quantitative study of the lateral region to the lumbar pedicle.

Abstract BACKGROUND An anatomic study of the lumbar nerve lateral to the pedicle was performed on 12 cadavers. Three courses of the lumbar nerve were noted around the pedicle. The direct measurements, including the angle of the lumbar rami with the spinal cord, the axis of the pedicle with the cord in the coronal plane, and the distance between the lateral border of the pedicle to the rami, were made bilaterally. RESULTS The results showed that both angles increased as the lumbar spine descended. The spaces between the lumbar rami and the pedicle were found to be less than 5 mm. CONCLUSION The region latero-superior to the pedicle had a similar relationship with the region medial inferior to the pedicle. Nerve entrapment was observed around the lumbar pedicle.
Flaxseed enriched diet-mediated reduction in ovarian cancer severity is correlated to the reduction of prostaglandin E2 in laying hen ovaries

Prevention of ovarian cancer is the best approach for reducing the impact of this deadly disease. The laying hen is a robust model of spontaneous ovarian cancer that recapitulates the human disease. Dietary intervention with flaxseed, the richest vegetable source of omega-3 fatty acids (OM-3FAs) and phytoestrogen lignans, demonstrate the potential for effective prevention and amelioration of ovarian cancer by targeting inflammatory prostaglandin pathways. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) is the most pro-inflammatory ecoisanoid and one of the downstream products of two isoforms of cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes: COX-1 and COX-2. Our objective was to investigate the effect of flaxseed supplementation for one year on ovarian cancer and correlate its effects to expression of COX enzymes and concentrations of prostaglandins. White Leghorn hens were fed 10% flaxseed-enriched or standard diet for one year. The severity of ovarian cancer was determined by gross pathology and histology. COX-1 and COX-2 localization and protein and mRNA expression and PGE2 and PGE3 concentrations in ovaries were measured by IHC, western blot, quantitative real-time PCR and LC-MS-MS, respectively. The results demonstrated a significant reduction in late stage ovarian tumors in the flaxseed-fed hens compared with the control diet-fed hens. In correlation with decreased ovarian cancer severity, concentrations of PGE2 and expression of COX-2 were diminished in ovaries of flaxseed-fed hens. PGE3 concentrations were below the level of detection. The results demonstrated that in normal ovaries, COX-1 was localized to the granulosa cell layer surrounding the follicles and ovarian surface epithelium (OSE) whereas COX-2 protein was localized to the granulosa cell layer in the follicle. Extensive COX-1 and COX-2 protein expression was found throughout the ovarian carcinoma. Our findings suggest that the flaxseed-mediated reduction in the severity of ovarian cancer in hens is correlated to the reduction in PGE2 in the ovaries of flaxseed-fed hens. These findings may provide the basis for clinical trials of dietary intervention targeting prostaglandin biosynthesis for the prevention and treatment of ovarian cancer.
Modulating repeat protein stability: The effect of individual helix stability on the collective behavior of the ensemble

Repeat proteins are tandem arrays of a small structural motif, in which tertiary structure is stabilized by interactions within a repeat and between neighboring repeats. Several studies have shown that this modular structure is manifest in modular thermodynamic properties. Specifically, the global stability of a repeat protein can be described by simple linear models, considering only two parameters: the stability of the individual repeated units (H) and the coupling interaction between the units (J). If the repeat units are identical, single values of H and J, together with the number of repeated units, is sufficient to completely describe the thermodynamic behavior of any protein within a series. In this work, we demonstrate how the global stability of a repeat protein can be changed, in a predictable fashion, by modifying only the H parameter. Taking a previously characterized series of consensus tetratricopeptide repeats (TPR) (CTPRa) proteins, we introduced mutations into the basic repeating unit, such that the stability of the individual repeat unit was increased, but its interaction with neighboring units was unchanged. In other words, we increased H but kept J constant. We demonstrated that the denaturation curves for a series of such repeat proteins can be fit and additional curves can be predicted by the one-dimensional Ising model in which only H has changed from the original fit for the CTPRa series. Our results show that we can significantly increase the stability of a repeat protein by rationally increasing the stability of the units (H), whereas the interaction between repeats (J) remains unchanged.
Seeing through VEGF: innate and adaptive immunity in pathological angiogenesis in the eye

The central role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling in regulating normal vascular development and pathological angiogenesis has been documented in multiple studies. Ocular anti-VEGF therapy is highly effective for treating a subset of patients with blinding eye disorders such as diabetic retinopathy and neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). However, chronic VEGF suppression can lead to adverse effects associated with poor visual outcomes due to the loss of prosurvival and neurotrophic capacities of VEGF. In this review, we discuss emerging evidence for immune-related mechanisms that regulate ocular angiogenesis in a VEGF-independent manner. These novel molecular and cellular pathways may provide potential therapeutic avenues for a multitarget strategy, preserving the neuroprotective functions of VEGF in those patients whose disease is unresponsive to VEGF neutralization.
Learning Through Experience: What Graduates Gained by Attending Desegregated High Schools

In this article, we discuss one of the central findings from our study of the long-term impact of school desegregation on adult graduates of racially mixed high schools: what graduates said about the impact of their schooling experiences on their current understandings about race, and on their lives in a racially diverse society. Of the 242 graduates we interviewed, nearly all said that their high school experiences left them more prepared for life in a racially diverse society than they otherwise would be. In addition, every one of the graduates interviewed said that their high school experiences left them with a deeper understanding of people of other backgrounds and an increased sense of comfort in interracial settings. Many of these graduates stressed the importance of their daily experiences of negotiating race in high school as one of the most challenging yet rewarding aspects of their education. These lessons, they observed, could not be gained through multicultural curricula or student exchange pr...
THE CULTURE COLLECTION OF ALGAE AT INDIANA UNIVERSITY–ADDITIONS TO THE COLLECTION JULY 1966–JULY 19711

SUMMARY Over 250 new strains of algae have been added to the Collection since the latest supplementary list was published in 1966. The formulae for additional maintenance media and for useful experimental media are included. Reprints of this supplementary list and both previous listings are available without charge from the Collection.
Some remarks on independance of statistics

La presente nota trata de los diferentes conjuntos de condiciones bajo las cuales pares de estadisticos basados sobre muestras procedentes de ciertas poblaciones se distribuiran independientemente. Diferentes clases de distribuciones con particular referencia a estadisticos condicionalmente suficientes estan comprendidas en estas condiciones y su estudio puede ser de interes. Tambien se incluyen otras pruebas de un conocido resultado.
An explicit time integration technique for dynamic analyses

A simple explicit solution technique for problems in structural dynamics, based on a Modified Trapezoidal rule Method (MTM) approximation of the governing ordinary differential equations, is developed. The resulting conditionally stable explicit method (MTM) can be easily implemented and is extremely simple to use. Particular attention is focused herein on the concept of numerical stability of the proposed method for a free-vibrational response of a linear undamped Single-Degree-Of-Freedom system (SDOF). To examine the effectiveness, strengths, and limitations of MTM, error analyses for the natural period, the displacement, the velocity and the associated phase angle for a free undamped simple mass-spring system are derived and compared with Modified Euler Method (MEM) and the well-known Newmark Beta Method (NBM). Numerical examples for a SDOF system and a Multi-Degree-Of-Freedom (MDOF) system are presented to illustrate the strengths and the limitations of the proposed method.
Energy Efficiency and Choice of Parameters for Linear Colliders

The cost of large high energy facilities is a matter of strong concern. Such facilities use very large amounts of electric power and a sizeable part of the total cost is directly related to that fact. It is therefore important to have a clear understanding of the factors that influence the power efficiency, i.e., the amount of power used per unit product, where product is the luminosity generated at a specified energy. The overall efficiency may be regarded as the product of the effciencies with which the parts of the system perform their functions: the efficiency with which raw grid power is converted to r.f. power, the efficiency with which r.f. power can be transmitted from source to load, the efficiency of conversion of r.f. power into particle beam power and finally the efficiency with which beam power is converted to luminosity.
Energy and protein intakes of breast-fed and formula-fed infants during the first year of life and their association with growth velocity: the DARLING Study.

Intake and growth were compared between matched cohorts of infants either breast-fed (BF) or formula-fed (FF) until > or = 12 mo of age. Total energy intake at 3, 6, 9, and 12 mo averaged 0.36, 0.34, 0.35, and 0.38 MJ.kg-1.d-1 (85.9, 80.1, 83.6, and 89.8 kcal.kg-1.d-1) among BF infants vs 0.41, 0.40, 0.39, and 0.41 MJ.kg-1.d-1 (98.7, 94.7, 93.6, and 98.0 kcal.kg-1.d-1) among FF infants, respectively. Protein intake was 66-70% higher in the FF than in the BF group during the first 6 mo. Differences in energy and protein intakes were significant at 3, 6, and 9 mo. Gains in weight and lean body mass were lower in BF than in FF infants from 3 to 9 mo. BF infants gained more weight and lean body mass per gram protein intake but not per megajoule intake. Although growth differences between groups were related to differences in intake, there is no evidence of any functional advantage to the more rapid growth of FF infants.
What Comes First? The Paradigm or the Approach?

The mixed methods community is awash in discussions about philosophical frameworks or paradigms that provide guidance for mixed methods approaches (B. Johnson & Gray, 2010). Part of the reason for the multiplicity of viewpoints about the role of paradigms in mixed methods research emanates from the different uses of the term paradigm. When Thomas Kuhn (1962) brought this term into the academic community through his book, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, he gave it a particular meaning that characterized a paradigm as a worldview that embodied the beliefs of scientists. He added that different scientists who held different worldviews would be unable to communicate with each other because of the fundamental differences in their definitions of reality and methodology. He argued that the scientific community experienced paradigm shifts when a phenomenon could no longer be understood using past methods and new methods would emerge. Guba and Lincoln’s (1989, 2005) adaptation of the idea of paradigms to the social sciences retained the idea of paradigms as worldviews that reflect researchers’ assumptions about reality and methodology, and they added two other categories of assumptions that constitute a paradigm: assumptions about ethics and epistemology. However, they rejected the idea that researchers would replace one dominating method from the past with a new approach. Rather, they described paradigms in terms of assumptions related to ethics, reality (ontology), and epistemology that lead to different assumptions about the nature of systematic inquiry (Mertens & Wilson, 2012). Hence, Guba and Lincoln set the stage for recognition of different paradigms that start with different philosophical assumptions and that lead to different methodological assumptions and methods choices. This concept of paradigms contrasts with the idea that there are three paradigms: quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods (Biesta, 2010; Freshwater & Cahill, 2012; Greene & Hall, 2010). In this editorial, I argue against the school of thought that paradigms can be methodological in their foundations. I am in agreement with Greene and Hall (2010) who wrote,
Change of Guard

As of July 1, 2004, I will be retiring as the Editor of the Journal of Hydrologic Engineering (JHE), and will be giving the baton to the able hands of Professor Vijay P. Singh, a renowned hydrologic engineer. When I was selected by the ASCE Water Resources Engineering Division in 1994 to found JHE, I set out to create an objective forum for all hydrologic engineers to disseminate new information to the hydrologic engineering community. The Journal began its publication life in January 1996 as a quarterly journal. The paper submittal rate during the first 8 years of the Journal’s publication life increased gradually from about 40 papers per year at the beginning to 80 papers per year by the end of 2000. At that point, ASCE decided to increase the publication frequency, and the Journal became a bimonthly publication, starting in January 2002. During this period, JHE was also included into the Science Citation Index. The last 3 years witnessed a drastic increase in the rate of paper submittal to the Journal to the present state of about 160 papers per year. Currently, JHE enjoys a solid reputation as a premier hydrologic engineering journal both nationally and internationally with continually increasing paper submittal rates. It enjoys a reputation of being an objective and fair medium for publishing papers in the
A self-testing ALU using built-in current sensing

A CMOS ALU (arithmetic logic unit) chip containing built-in current (BIC) sensors, which perform self-testing of the ALU, is described. The performance of two ALUs (one with and one without a BIC sensor) is analyzed by using externally applied test vectors and linear feedback shift register for BIC and for stuck-fault testing. The results demonstrate that the BIC testing methodology is well suited for initial die testing of CMOS ICs as well as for concurrent self-testing of highly reliable systems
Predictive Utility of Pulse Pressure and Other Blood Pressure Measures for Cardiovascular Outcomes

Data are sparse regarding the actual predictive utility of pulse pressure and other blood pressure measures for cardiovascular events. We included all of the participants from the Chicago Heart Association Detection Project in Industry who were free of cardiovascular disease and not receiving antihypertensive treatment at baseline (1967-1973). Baseline blood pressure measures were assessed for predictive utility for fatal and nonfatal events over 33 years. Among 36 314 participants (mean age: 39+/-13 years; 43.4% women), there were 11 452 deaths: 745 were attributed to stroke, 2812 to coronary disease, and 599 to heart failure. Of the 16 393 participants who attained Medicare eligibility, 3050, 1367, and 2207 had >or=1 hospitalization for stroke, myocardial infarction, or heart failure, respectively. In univariate analyses, hazards ratios for stroke death per SD of pulse, systolic, and diastolic pressure, respectively, were 1.49, 1.75, and 1.71. Likelihood ratio chi(2) (134.3, 302.0, and 232.6, respectively), Bayes information criteria values (15 142, 14 974, and 15 044, respectively), and areas under receiver-operating characteristic curves (0.59, 0.64, and 0.63, respectively) all indicated better predictive utility for systolic and diastolic compared with pulse pressure. Results for coronary or heart failure death and stroke, myocardial infarction, or heart failure hospitalization were similar. Pulse pressure had weaker predictive utility at all ages but particularly for those <50 years. In this large cohort study, pulse pressure had predictive utility for cardiovascular events that was inferior to systolic or diastolic pressure. These findings support the approach of current guidelines in the use of systolic and diastolic blood pressure to assess risk and the need for treatment.
A Placement Methodology for Robust Clocking

As the VLSI technology scales towards the nanometer regime, circuit performance is increasingly affected by variations. These variations need to be considered at an early stage in performance optimization. This work proposes a new placement methodology that facilitates low cost and robust clock network. It is based on the observation that bringing tightly constrained flip-flops close to each other can reduce the non-common paths between them in clock network. Such a reduction in-turn improves the tolerance of the clock network towards variations in delay/skew. Monte Carlo experiments (based on spatial correlations) indicate that our methodology can reduce the maximum skew violation due to variations by up to 62% with less than 2.7% increase in total wire length
Well-being and family role strains among Cuban American and Puerto Rican mothers of adults with mental retardation

Abstract This article examines predictors of depressive symptoms and caregiving burden in a sample of Cuban American and Puerto Rican caregivers of an adult child with mental retardation. Using a stress process model of caregiving, the focus of this analysis was on family role strains that result from the caregiving process, which were hypothesized to be particularly strong predictors of maternal well-being in Latino families. Findings indicate that Cuban American mothers of adults with mental retardation had higher socioeconomic status than Puerto Rican mothers, yet there was a substantial amount of within-group heterogeneity in family socio-demographic characteristics, linked closely with immigration patterns for the Cuban American mothers. However, taking into account socio-demographic diversity and ethnicity, findings demonstrate that mothers whose family had more problems had higher levels of burden and depressive symptoms, supporting the hypothesized importance of family functioning to Latina mother...
How Military Wives Decide What to Share With Their Deployed Husbands: A Reciprocal Process

For this study, 13 military wives were interviewed about how they decided what to share and what not to share with their deployed husbands. An inductive, line-by-line analysis revealed a reciprocal and dynamic decision-making process that progressively moved through four thematic internal questions that military wives asked themselves: (1) Can I share this information with my deployed husband? (2) How much of this information do I share with my deployed husband? (3) How do I share this information with my deployed husband? and (4) How did my husband respond? Their husbands’ feedback reciprocally influenced how these military wives decided to disclose stressful information in the future.