cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Methylamine-treated low density lipoproteins elicit different responses in HepG2 cells and macrophages.

Recent results from this laboratory have demonstrated the existence of labile thiolester bonds in apolipoprotein B (ApoB). Thiolester bonds can be cleaved with nucleophiles such as methylamine, resulting in conformational change. The purpose of this study was to explore whether the cellular interactions would be altered after methylamine treatment of low density lipoproteins (LDL). Human hepatoma cells, HepG2, and human monocyte derived macrophages were used for these studies. Fresh LDL were incubated with methylamine under mild alkaline conditions under N2 and with preservatives for 24 h. The methylamine-treated LDL showed particle size and net charge identical to fresh native LDL. In addition, no oxidative modification of LDL occurred under the experimental conditions. The methylamine-treated LDL were indistinguishable from native LDL in HepG2 cells as judged by binding, degradation, cholesterol accumulation andde novo sterol synthesis. However, methylamine-treated LDL caused an increased accumulation of cholesteryl esters in macrophages which was comparable to the accumulation caused by acetylated LDL. Dual color digital imaging fluorescence microscopy revealed no competition between acetylated and methylamine-treated LDL, suggesting that the excessive uptake of methylamine-treated LDL was not mediated by the ‘scavenger’ receptor. The increased accumulation of cholesteryl ester in macrophages also did not appear to stem from the classical LDL receptor. These results suggest that a new receptor binding domain is exposed due to the conformational change upon treatment of LDL with methylamine. (Mol Cell Biochem124: 67–79, 1993)
Higher order parabolic approximations of the reduced wave equation

Asymptotic solutions of order k to the nth are developed for the reduced wave equation. Here k is a dimensionless wave number and n is the arbitrary order of the approximation. These approximations are an extension of geometric acoustics theory, and provide corrections to that theory in the form of multiplicative functions which satisfy parabolic partial differential equations. These corrections account for the diffraction effects caused by variation of the field normal to the ray path and the interaction of these transverse variations with the variation of the field along the ray. The theory is applied to the example of radiation from a piston, and it is demonstrated that the higher order approximations are more accurate for decreasing values of k.
Genetic instability as a consequence of inappropriate entry into and Progression through S-phase

The stability of the mammalian genome depends on the proper function of G1 and G2 cell cycle control mechanisms. Two tumor suppressors, p53 and retinoblastoma (Rb), play key roles in progression from G1 into S-phase. We address the mechanisms by which these proteins mediate a G1 arrest in response to DNA damage and limiting metabolic conditions. Gamma-irradiation induced a prolonged, p53-dependent G1 arrest associated with a long-term increase in the levels of the cdk-inhibitor p21WAFl/Cipl (p21). Microinjection of linear plasmid DNA also caused a G1 arrest. The p53-dependent arrest induced by inhibitors of UMP biosynthesis was reversible and occurred in the absence of detectable DNA damage. Both arrest mechanisms contribute to limiting the formation and propagation of damaged genomes. Cells containing mutant p53 but wild-type Rb do not generate methotrexate (Mtx) resistant variants. However, pre-treatment with DNA damaging agents prior to drug selection resulted in resistant clones containing amplified dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) genes, suggesting that DNA breakage is a rate limiting step for gene amplification. The Mtx-induced arrest did not occur in cells with non-functional Rb. Rb acts as a negative regulator of the E2F transcription factors, and Rb-deficient primary mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEFs) produced elevated levels of mRNA and protein for key E2F target genes. Failure to prevent entry into S-phase in Rb-/- MEFs exposed to DNA-damaging or nutrient limiting conditions caused apoptosis and correlated with p53 induction. Taken together, these findings indicate a link between p53 and Rb function and suggest that their coordination insures correct entry into S-phase, minimizing the emergence of genetic variants.
Coulomb energy and correlations of inversion-layer electrons in metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor devices.

The effective Coulomb potential between inversion layer electrons in metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor devices is computed, including the screening due to induced charges on the metal plate of the gate capacitor. Significant deviations from the usual Coulomb energy appear when the electron spacing is equal to or larger than the distance between the inversion layer and the metal plate. The energy of a Wigner crystal in this model is calculated. The hexagonal lattice has a lower energy than the square lattice. The upper bound of the free energy associated with the screened potential in a magnetic field is estimated.
(Un)Intended Consequences?: The Impact of the Brown v. Board of Education Decision on the Employment Status of Black Educators

The displacement of Black educators after the Brown v. Board of Education decision was an extraordinary social injustice. The wholesale firing of Black educators threatened the economic, social, and cultural structure of the Black community, and ultimately the social, emotional, and academic success of Black children. The author presents a historical perspective of the work of Black educators in the pre-Brown era; discusses the impact of Brown on the professional careers of Black teachers, principals, and superintendents; describes some of methods used to fire Black educators; and concludes with a discussion of the impact of these losses on the Black community and an agenda for Black education.
Plastic Forest, Mutek 2005 Valparaíso, Chile: Taller avanzado Spaces of / for Performance

Resumen es: ?De cuantas maneras puede la arquitectura comunicar una idea? ?Como los recursos digitales pueden intervenir en la claridad de esa interaccion con el hab...
Pole-By-Pole Model of a Linear Induction Machine Using Conformal Mapping Coefficients

The d,q pole-by-pole model extends the notion of rotating coupled circuits to the analysis of linear induction machines (LIMs). The initial derivation of this model required a lengthening of the primary iron as leading and trailing end effects were better modeled by additional rail poles. This paper shows this lengthening of the primary can have detrimental effects on simulation results, and develops a conformal mapping analysis which uses the actual primary length as leading and trailing effects are modeled. Comparisons to test data show the model with a nonlengthened primary must be used to accurately simulate certain types of LIMs.
On collectionwise hausdorffness in countably paracompact, locally compact spaces

Abstract We obtain various results related to the question whether countably paracompact, locally compact, metacompact (or screenable) spaces are CWH, and hence (as we show) paracompact.
Identity and Transplant-University Education in the Gulf: The American University of Kuwait

High youth unemployment in the Gulf Cooperation Council states coexists with a shortage of educated young people prepared to work in a modern economy, despite the high level of investment in education at all levels in these countries. Consequently, policy makers have embarked on ambitious programs to improve public education at all levels, including supplementing national universities with new institutions working in partnership with colleges and universities abroad. The strategies for deploying these “transplants” varies across the GCC states. Kuwait's program relies on private, for-profit institutions that work with overseas partners but do not offer the same curricula as partner institutions or employ faculty members from partner institution(s). The American University of Kuwait (AUK), which counts Dartmouth College among its partners, has adopted an American-style curriculum that emphasizes English-language proficiency, critical discourse and writing, and a hands-on approach to classroom organization ...
Sports health benefits of vitamin d.

Context:Vitamin D is a potent secosteroid hormone that provides many skeletal and extraskeletal health benefits. Musculoskeletal injury prevention and recovery are potentially affected by sufficient circulating levels of the storage form of vitamin D: 25-hydroxyvitamin D3, or 25(OH)D. Vitamin D deficiency can exist among young, active, and healthy people, which may put them at increased risk for injury and prolonged recovery.Evidence Aquisition:PubMed was searched using vitamin D and skeletal muscle, vitamin D and athletic performance, and vitamin D review articles. Studies from the 1930s to 2012 were used for the review.Results:There is strong correlation between vitamin D sufficiency and optimal muscle function. Increasing levels of vitamin D reduce inflammation, pain, and myopathy while increasing muscle protein synthesis, ATP concentration, strength, jump height, jump velocity, jump power, exercise capacity, and physical performance. 25(OH)D levels above 40 ng/mL are required for fracture prevention, ...
Expression Of FcγRl On Polymorphonuclear Leukocytes In A Primate Model Of Sepsis. † 1277

The type I Fc receptor for immunoglobulin G (FcγRl, CD64) is a membrane glycoprotein expressed by polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs). While constitutive expression of FcγRl is minimal, rapid upregulation under the influence of inflammatory mediators (IFNg, G-CSF, GM-CSF) has been demonstrated. Early studies suggest that increased expression of FcγRl may occur during states of acute infection. To better characterize the pattem of expression of FcγRl during the PMN response to infection, we used flow cytometry to quantitate FcγRl expression in a primate model of sepsis. Under a separate protocol at the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research, eight healthy adult male baboons (Papio cynocephalus) received intravenous infusions of Escherichia coli. Ventilator, fluid, and pressor support were provided as needed. Blood samples for flow cytometry and complete blood count were collected pre-infusion (0 hours) and at 6, 12, 18, 24, 48, and 72 hours post-infusion. All eight animals survived to 6 hours. Two animals survived to 72 hours; the remaining six died from septic shock prior to the end of the experiment. Flow cytometry data from two animals could not be used due to lab error. Mean FcγRl expression at baseline was 7.2 ± 4.7 percent (N = 6). Six hours after starting the E coli infusion, the mean expression was 26.1 ± 8.99 percent(N = 6, p =.006 vs. 0 hrs). Mean FcγRl expression increased at each time interval in the surviving animals, to a maximum of 96.2 ± 2.0 percent(N= 2). Regression analysis demonstrated that FcγRl increased linearly with the log of time (r2 =.89, p = <.0001). Total white blood cell count, absolute neutrophil count, and immature to total neutrophil ratio did not have a linear relationship with time, but rather tended to follow a biphasic pattern. When compared to traditional clinical markers for infection, FcγRl expression was unique in its rapid and consistent response. Further studies are needed to determine the clinical usefulness of this assay.Figure
Variable risk preferences and adaptive aspirations

Abstract Observations of human decision making indicate that risk preferences depend on the values of possible outcomes relative to levels of aspiration. A model of such variable risk preference is specified. It suggests that some risk averse behavior may result from a human tendency to focus on targets and from the adaptation of those targets to experience rather than from a fixed trait of risk aversion. In addition, the model shows how risk preferences varying around adaptive aspirations produce both a greater long-run likelihood of survival and a higher average return for survivors than do fixed risk preferences.
Absolute gravity measurements in California, 1984–1989

Repeated absolute gravity measurements have been made at 12 sites in California between 1984.3 and 1989.7. As determined in laboratory tests, the instrument used has an estimated accuracy of 10 microgal (approximately 10 to the -8th g). The repeatability of the measurements is consistent with this accuracy assessment. No gravity changes above the limits set by instrumental uncertainty and environmental noise are observed during this period; the field observations provide upper limits on the rates of secular gravity changes which could be attributed to crustal deformation with a resolution corresponding to vertical displacement rates of 1-2 cm/yr.
BAYTHORNE HALL, A RAISED-AISLED HALL IN BIRDBROOK, ESSEX, AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER RAISED-AISLED HALLS

AbstractBaythorne Hall is an isolated raised-aisled hall in north-west Essex, tree-ring dated to 1341, making it the earliest of the three raised-aisled halls that have been dated so far. Raised-aisled halls are buildings where the arcade posts are raised up on to a dropped tiebeam on the centre truss of the open hall, thus clearing the open hall of arcade posts. They are not the same as roof types that look like aisled structures raised up on to normal assembly tiebeams, a number of which were constructed considerably earlier than Baythorne Hall. Baythorne was originally published as a conventional aisled hall, long before it was realised that it was a raised-aisled hall. Although this fact is well known in East Anglia, the purpose of this article is to provide a printed correction of its status, to compare it with the other two dated raised-aisled halls, and to consider the purpose of the raised-aisle truss in the centre of the open hall.
Mismeasurement of market returns

Abstract Virtually all empirical tests of the Capital Asset Pricing Model have assumed (usually implicitly) that returns of some New York Stock Exchange index measure the returns of the “market factor” without error. However, recent theoretical developments suggest that this assumption may be inappropriate. In this effort, an obverse tack is adopted — the asset pricing model is assumed correct and attention is focused on the impacts of incorrect specification of market returns. A simple errors-in-variables econometric technique is used to reevaluate the oft-cited study of Black, Jensen, and Scholes. The conclusion is reached that incorrect measurement of the market is itself an onerous and unreconciled problem which adds marked bias to tests of asset pricing mechanisms.
Fabrication of 3D photonic crystals by two-step dry etching of layered media

Photonic crystals have received growing interest over the past decade on account of their excellent functionality to guiding and manipulating electromagnetic radiation and their diverse applications. Our approach to fabricate crystals is by a two step etching process in a semiconductor hetero-structure of gallium arsenide (GaAs) and aluminum gallium arsenide (AlGaAs) grown using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). An array of holes was dry etched in Cl 2 /Ar inductively coupled plasma. Etching selectivity between the mask and the substrate was 10:1.2 By using SF 6 in addition to the boron-tri-chloride (BCl 3 ) chemistry, the GaAs is etched selectively over the AlGaAs with selectivities over 5:1. Thus a robust two-step etching process has been developed based entirely on dry etching
Test Results of a Schott HCE Using a LS-2 Collector

Sandia National Laboratories has completed thermal performance testing on the Schott parabolic trough receiver using the LS-2 collector on the Sandia rotating platform at the National Solar Thermal Test Facility in Albuquerque, NM. This testing was funded as part of the US DOE Sun-Lab USA-Trough program. The receiver tested was a new Schott receiver, known as H eat C ollector E lements (HCEs). Schott is a new manufacturer of trough HCEs. The Schott HCEs are 4m long; therefore, two were joined and mounted on the LS-2 collector module for the test. The Schott HCE design consists of a 70mm diameter high solar absorptance coated stainless steel (SS) tube encapsulated within a 125mm diameter Pyrex® glass tube with vacuum in the annulus formed between the SS and glass tube to minimize convection heat losses. The Schott HCE design is unique in two regards. First, the bellows used to compensate for the difference in thermal expansion between the metal and glass tube are inside the glass envelope rather than outside. Second, the composition of materials at the glass-to-metal seal has very similar thermal expansion coefficients making the joint less prone to breakage from thermal shock. Sandia National Laboratories provided both the azimuth and elevation collector module tracking systems used during the tests. The test results showed the efficiency of the Schott HCE to be very similar to current HCEs being manufactured by Solel. This testing provided performance verification for the use of Schott tubes with Solargenix trough collector assemblies at currently planned trough power plant projects in Arizona and Nevada.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
On the Shallow Motion Approximations

Abstract The approximate equations for shallow motions are derived mainly by following the approach of Spiegel and Veronis and the subsequent development of Dutton and Fichtl. Other derivations are also briefly noted. While each derivation assumes shallow flow, the conditions on the time scale and auxiliary assumptions vary between derivations. In the present study, the shallow motion approximations are found to be valid for a wider range of conditions than included in earlier derivations. The more restrictive Boussinesq or “shallow convection” approximations form a subclass motions. Existing derivations of the full Boussinesq approximations do not apply to near-neutral conditions even though they are often applied to such conditions. The conditions required for the validity of the Boussinesq approximations are reformulated into criteria that are easier to evaluate. Finally; the use of the shallow motion approximations in concert with Reynolds averaging is examined in some detail. Additional necessary con...
Beneficial Associations Between Optimistic Disposition and Emotional Distress in High-Risk Pregnancy

This study was conducted to examine whether optimistic women experience less distress in high-risk pregnancy than non-optimistic women, and if so, whether this difference is explained by differences in coping or perceptions of control over pregnancy. As predicted, optimistic women ( N = 167) were more likely to evaluate their high-risk pregnancy as controllable, which was associated with lower distress. They were also less likely to use avoidant coping, an emotionally deleterious form of coping. Furthermore, optimism had an independent association with emotional distress that was stronger than the associations mediated by perceived control and coping. Results suggest that there are emotional benefits of optimism in high-risk pregnancy which are only partly explained by the way optimists perceive and cope with this stressful life event.
Aliev—Watson maxima—minima criteria for quartic centrifugal distortion constant D J applied to several oblate rotor D6h, D3h and D3d molecules

Abstract These criteria, together with the Kratzer diatomic approximation, are applied to the seven molecules C 6 H 6 , C 6 D 6 , C 6 F 6 , 11 B 3 N 3 H 6 , C 6 H 3 F 3 , C 6 H 12 and C 6 D 12 and compared with reported experimental values. The hope of eliminating one or the other of the different experimental D J results, obtained by separately analyzing the R and S branch spectra for the same molecule, was not realized. The upper bound criterion did allow one pair of experimentally determined D J values for C 6 H 6 and C 6 D 6 to be rejected. In the course of rotational constant calculation it was noted that cyclohexane axial CH bonds tip 2.8° away from the three-fold axis rather than 2.8° toward this axis as reported earlier.
Theoretical and practical considerations for teaching diagnostic electronic-nose technologies to clinical laboratory technicians

Abstract The rapid development of new electronic technologies and instruments, utilized to perform many current clinical operations in the biomedical field, is changing the way medical health care is delivered to patients. The majority of test results from laboratory analyses, performed with these analytical instruments often prior to clinical examinations, are frequently used for management decisions pertaining to patient care rather than as aids to diagnosis. The introduction of novel, improved electronic methods and portable tools for diagnosing diseases and for administering treatments has required continuous retraining of laboratory technicians for routine clinical operations and point-of-care testing. Continuous education and competency of clinical laboratory technicians in the proper use of these new healthcare tools, such as electronic-nose (e-nose) devices, is required to obtain the highest quality information possible for management decisions and to develop efficient treatments for patients. E-nose devices often provide more accurate and timely information than conventional chemical methods. Electronic-nose devices of various types and operational technologies are beginning to be used at increasing frequency in hospitals and clinical settings because of the capability of these instruments to provide rapid, accurate information of a patient's physiological state and health in real-time, eliminating the need for time-consuming chemical tests. E-nose devices are ideal instruments for the detection and diagnosis of disease and for the rapid recognition (sensing) of chemical-bioindicator compounds as indicators of disease within human fluid and tissue samples sent to diagnostic clinical laboratories for analysis. The proper training of technicians in the effective use of e-nose instruments for healthcare applications requires thorough understanding of the theoretical workings of e-nose devices and practical knowledge of operational methodologies that must be followed in order to effectively use e-nose devices to obtain the essential patient information required by medical doctors to make accurate diagnoses and administer rapid effective treatments. This paper provides a review of the most important theoretical and practical considerations to include in the development of training courses to teach clinical laboratory technicians how to properly operate e-nose devices for effective clinical analyses.
THE RED, BLACK, AND GRAY MARKETS OF RELIGION IN CHINA

The economic approach to religion has confined its application to Christendom in spite of the ambition of the core theorists for its universal applicability. Moreover, the supply-side market theory...
Quantitative measurements of humoral immune response in mice to a FANFT induced bladder tumor.

Using unfixed mouse bladder tumor cells (MBT) as target cells and a modified avidin-biotin-complex (ABC) method made it possible to detect a humoral immune response in C3H mice with growing MBT tumors. The rise of the serum levels is significant (p<0.005) when compared to control animals and correlates with the tumor size. Mice with recurrences after surgical removal of the primary tumor had significantly (p<0.05) higher serum values than animals without recurrence. Purulent or granulomatous inflammatory changes, muscle necrosis, growth of a lymphoma or an ovarian carcinoma did not significantly change the results (p<0.05). Injection of myeloma cells from a different strain of mice caused a minimal, but significant increase in the values when compared to controls (p<0.0001). However, the slope of the curve differed significantly (p<0.05) from that in mice with MBT tumors. Irradiated MBT cells or Corynebacterium parvum used as immunomodulators significantly increased the serum values (p<0.001). In the presence of a growing MBT tumor, however, the immunomodulation did not substantially falsify the results. The serum values were related to the corresponding tumor sizes.
λ repressor mutants that are better substrates for RecA-mediated cleavage

Abstract RecA-mediated cleavage of the bacteriophage λ represser results in inactivation of the protein and leads to induction of the λ prophage. Here, we report the identification of three mutations in λ represser that significantly increase the rate of RecA-mediated cleavage. These mutations were isolated as intragenic second-site suppressors of a mutation ( ind − ) which prevents cleavage. Purified represser proteins that contain both the ind − mutation and one of the second-site mutations undergo cleavage at near wild-type rates. Purified repressers that contain the second-site mutations in otherwise wild-type backgrounds undergo RecA-mediated cleavage at significantly faster rates than wild-type, and form dimers more poorly than the wild-type protein. In related experiments, we found that other repressor mutants that dimerize poorly are also better substrates for RecA-mediated cleavage. Conversely, we show that a covalent disulfide-bonded repressor dimer is resistant to cleavage. These results support a model in which represser monomers are the only substrate in the cleavage reaction.
Chemistry in Lasers. XII. Energy Release Considerations with Special Emphasis on Nuclear Fusion of Isotopic Boron Hydrides

A two-step controlled nuclear fusion process utilizing doubly-isotopic boron hydrides (H-2 or H-3 combined with B-11), optionally driven by an e-beam/laser combination, is presented as an optimal approach for energy release via laser driven fusion. Among the large number of possible compounds, B/sub 4/H/sub 10/, B/sub 5/H/sub 11/, B/sub 9/H/sub 15/ are listed as suitable analogs, while it remains feasible to select compounds with varying mass ratios of the desired isotopes. In the process primarily laser driven heavy hydrogen fusion is used as initiator for the more economical boron-11 fusion. The optional auxiliary technique, in itself a noteworthy process due to the combination of the e-beam and laser excitation, is of special significance in this case because of the electron deficient nature of the pellet compounds, whose topological properties are indicative of inertial confinement time improvements. No new experimental data on fusion is presented.
ERYTHEMA GYRATUM REPENS IN ASSOCIATION WITH RENAL CELL CARCINOMA

A 69-year-old Hispanic man had an erythematous skin eruption of the lower extremities. Initially the diagnosis was pityriasis rosea, and oral and topical corticosteroids were initiated. During the next 2 months the skin eruptions spread to the chest and back despite steroid therapy (fig. 1). They developed into raised erythematous bands in a wood grained pattern with a trailing edge of desquamation (fig. 2). Mild pruritus was associated with the lesions. The diagnosis was erythema gyratum repens and a search was initiated for an underlying ma-
Simulation of Ground-Water Flow in a Mined Watershed in Eastern Ohioa

A 43-acre watershed in Muskingum County, Ohio, was studied to determine the hydrologic consequences of strip mining for coal. A quantitative description of the effects on the ground-water flow components of the hydrologic system has been obtained using digital models. The premining watershed was characterized by nearly flat-lying sedimentary rocks of the Pennsylvanian System. Underclay beneath the two major coal beds formed bases for perched zones, creating three separate aquifers. Recharge to the ground-water system occurred mainly by percolation of precipitation. Most of the discharge from the top and middle aquifers occurred by downward leakage to the underlying aquifers. A smaller amount of discharge occurred as springflow or streamflow near the intersections of the underclays and land surface. Mining has destroyed the top aquifer, and has replaced the bedrock by spoil material. Water levels in the spoils are at a much lower altitude than existed in the premining top aquifer because of a combination of (1) a larger hydraulic conductivity, (2) areal variations of the hydraulic characteristics of the confining bed, and (3) a slower rate of recharge from precipitation caused by removal of vegetation and soil compaction. Covering of previously exposed portions of the middle aquifer and a lower hydraulic head in the spoils has allowed less recharge to the middle aquifer. Additional flow is induced across the western boundary of the watershed and has reduced the outflow across the eastern boundary. Discharge from the middle aquifer as downward leakage and streamflow is less than before mining.
Trypanosoma cruzi: Histochemical Characterization of Parasitized Skeletal Muscle Fibers1

C57B1/6 mice were infected with Brasil strain Trypanosoma cruzi trypomastigotes. The leg muscles of the mice were serial-sectioned with a cryostat, and individual fibers were classified histochemically as type I or type II on the basis of succinic dehydrogenase or adenosine triphosphatase activity. Although markedly more type II fibers were present in the leg muscles, the percentage of infected type I fibers was nearly five-fold higher than type II. This is the first demonstration of a preferential in vivo distribution of T. cruzi in muscle fibers based upon muscle type.
Layer-by-Layer Fabrication of Covalently Crosslinked and Reactive Polymer Multilayers Using Azlactone-Functionalized Copolymers: A Platform for the Design of Functional Biointerfaces.

Abstract We report a method for modulating the physicochemical properties of surfaces that is based on the reactive layer-by-layer fabrication of covalently crosslinked thin films using azlactone-functionalized copolymers. We demonstrate that copolymers containing different molar ratios of methylmethacrylate (MMA) and 2-vinyl-4,4-dimethylazlactone (VDMA) can be alternately deposited with poly(ethyleneimine) to assemble covalently crosslinked thin films. Characterization using ellipsometry demonstrates that, in general, film growth and thickness decrease as the content of reactive, azlactone functionality in the copolymer used to assemble the film decreases. Reflective infrared spectroscopy experiments demonstrate that films fabricated from MMA:VDMA copolymers contain residual azlactone functionality and that these reactive groups can be exploited to modify film-coated surfaces. Fabricating films from MMA:VDMA copolymers containing different compositions permitted modulation of the density of reactive groups within the films and, thus, the extent to which the films are functionalized by exposure to small molecule amines. For example, functionalization of MMA:VDMA copolymer films with the small molecule D-glucamine resulted in films with water contact angles that varied with the composition of the copolymer used to fabricate the film (e.g., as the azlactone content in the film increased, glucamine-modified films became more hydrophilic). We demonstrate further that treatment of copolymer-containing films with glucamine resulted in changes in the numbers of mammalian cells that grow on the surfaces of the films. Our results suggest the basis of methods that could be used to modulate or tune the density of chemical and biological functionality presented on surfaces of interest in a variety of fundamental and applied contexts.
Revisiting Gender and Class in Urban China: Undervalued Work of Migrant Teachers and Their Resistance

Borrowing the critical lenses of social structure analysis to rearticulate the language of struggle, this article focuses on a new social group, migrant teachers in urban Chinese cities. Nevertheless, the formation of this new social body with all of their struggles can no longer be described or politicized as mere class or gender struggles as they experience, make sense of, and react to their life trajectories in contemporary China. The description of them should be grounded in daily experience from below—in the everyday life struggles of these Chinese migrant teachers in confrontation with rapidly shifting state power and social transformation. A better understanding of the politics of migrant teachers’ work requires a fuller account of the mutually constitutive social, cultural, and economic factors. This article aims to illustrate how these factors inform one another to shape the work and identity in the movement of educating children from the migrant communities.
UPDATE ON NUTRITION AND PSORIASIS

Background. It has been established that severe psoriasis may lead to nutrient depletion, especially of protein, folate, and iron. Nutrient loss occurs due to the accelerated loss of nutrients from the hyperproliferation and desquamation of the epidermal layer of skin in psoriasis. We have proposed that nutritional support as a secondary form of therapy may be beneficial in aiding some psoriasis patients return to a state of remission. Methods. To determine how frequently nutritional abnormalities occur in hospitalized psoriasis patients, a retrospective analysis was done of the nutritional status of 50 patients admitted for the treatment of psoriasis. Chart records were analyzed and laboratory data were interpreted in consideration of concurrent medical problems. Protein status and anemia were the primary nutritional indicators studied. Results. We found that of those parameters that may be used as indicators of nutritional status, 18% of the patients had a decreased total protein, 16% of the patients had a decreased serum albumin, 38% had an elevated mean corpuscular volume, and 39% had a decreased hematocrit. Conclusions. Our findings support the concept that widespread psoriasis places the patient at risk to develop minor nutritional abnormalities in protein and folate status even when accounting for confounding medications and coexistent diseases.
Development and Validation of a Child Version of the Obsessive Compulsive Inventory

Surprisingly, only 3 self-report measures that directly assess pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have been developed. In addition, these scales have typically been developed in small samples and fail to provide a quick assessment of symptoms across multiple domains. Therefore, the current paper presents initial psychometric data for a quick assessment of pediatric OCD across multiple symptom domains, a child version of the Obsessive Compulsive Inventory (the OCI-CV). Data from a sample of over 100 youth ages 7 to 17 with a primary DSM-IV diagnosis of OCD support the use of the 21-item OCI-CV. Results support the use of the OCI-CV as a general index of OCD symptom severity and in 6 symptom domains parallel to those assessed by the revised adult version of the scale (OCI-R). The OCI-CV showed strong retest reliability after approximately 1.5 weeks in a subsample of 64 participants and was significantly correlated with clinician-rated OCD symptom severity and parent and child reports of dysfunction related to OCD. Significantly stronger correlations with self-reported anxiety than with depressive symptoms provide initial support for the divergent validity of the measure. Finally, preliminary data with 88 treatment completers suggest that the OCI-CV is sensitive to change.
A paleomagnetic investigation of the Minturn Formation, Colorado: A study in establishing the timing of remanence acquisition

Abstract One hundred sixty-five oriented hand samples were collected from 55 sites in the Minturn Formation located between Wellsville and Howard, Colorado, in an attempt to locate the base of the Permo-Carboniferous Reversed Superchron (PCRS) in western North America. After the samples were demagnetized using thermal and alternating field cleaning techniques, the normal polarity magnetizations (which marks the base of the Permo-Carboniferous Reversed Superchron (PCRS)) were not found in the Minturn Formation. Reversed polarities were consistent throughout the section studied. A conglomerate test was conducted on syndepositional rip-up clasts taken from the formation. The test indicates that a post-depositional, secondary component of magnetization has been acquired by the clasts and remains stable up to temperatures of 610–640°C. However, the high temperature components for three of the four test sites show random directions indicating that a primary remanent magnetization was acquired shortly after deposition. The conglomerate test demonstrates that a secondary Permian direction can be successfully isolated from a primary Pennsylvanian one revealed at blocking temperatures above 650°C. In this study, the two components were isolated using step-wise thermal demagnetization. The results of the study indicate that the base of the PCR superchron lies stratigraphically below the Minturn Formation, probably in Early Atokan or Morrowan age sediments.
Summer plankton production and nutrient consumption patterns in the Mertz Glacier Region of East Antarctica

Abstract We report on a biological and nutrient survey conducted off the eastern Adelie and George V Coasts of East Antarctica in late December 2000 and January 2001. The region was dominated by the Mertz Glacier Tongue (MGT) and its associated polynya that controlled the amount of open water through the season and influenced stratification near forming and melting ice. As in other regions of the Southern Ocean, large concentrations of nitrate, phosphate and silicic acid were found. Chlorophyll levels varied from 0.3 mg m−3 in pack-ice and slope regions to greater than 10 mg m−3 in a Phaeocystis bloom encountered among grounded ice northeast of the MGT. Net utilization rates of nutrients were derived from the deficit between measured concentrations and estimated winter values. Nitrate (N+N) and silicic acid utilization rates ranged from 2 to 12 and 14 to 30 mmol m−2 d−1, respectively, and were greatest in Commonwealth Bay. The ratio of nitrate to phosphate utilization was low ( 10. Lower silicic acid to N+N ratios were found in regions with substantial populations of Phaeocystis sp. in the eastern, grounded ice region. However, there was significant variation in the silicic acid to N+N utilization that may be induced by mixed-layer iron levels that varied from
Special issues related to randomized trials of primary prevention.

Elucidation of the biologic mechanisms of disease by basic researchers, as well as advances in diagnosis and treatment by clinicians, has historically provided, and will continue to provide, enormous benefits to affected individuals. Of equal or greater importance, however, is the evaluation of primary prevention strategies, that is, interventions that may prevent common and serious diseases in “apparently healthy” populations with no known clinical evidence of disease. Such interventions can in theory afford even more benefits to society as a whole. For example, a complete cure for leukemia would clearly be a remarkable breakthrough in medical research, eliminating approximately 20,000 deaths annually in the United States, yet even a modest reduction on the order of 20‐30 percent in the development of epithelial cell cancers due to vitamin supplementation could prevent over five times that number of deaths during the same period (1). Similarly, even a 20 percent reduction in the risk of developing a first myocardial infarction would have a tremendous public health impact, given that coronary heart disease is the leading cause of mortality in the United States and other developed countries (2). Clinical trials are powerful tools for evaluating the efficacy and safety of preventive interventions, although they are neither necessary nor desirable in all circumstances. With respect to cigarette smoking and cardiovascular disease, for example, the totality of evidence from basic research and observational epidemiologic studies was very clear in indicating the large benefits of smoking cessation, even in the absence of clinical trial data. However, the effects of most primary preventive measures are likely to be small to moderate in size—very meaningful from a clinical or public health standpoint but very difficult to detect statistically (3, 4). It is unlikely that the introduction of a new preventive measure will be accompanied by benefits as clear-cut and unequivocal as that of penicillin, which immediately reduced mortality from bronchopneumonia three- to sixfold. For the vast majority of preventive interventions, the most plausible effects will instead be on the order of a 10‐30 percent difference between treatment and control groups. These differences can affect large numbers of people, especially for common and serious disease outcomes,
Gated Electron Sharing Within Dynamic Naphthalene Diimide‐Based Oligorotaxanes

The controlled self-assembly of well-defined and spatially ordered π-systems has attracted considerable interest because of their potential applications in organic electronics. An important contemporary pursuit relates to the investigation of charge transport across noncovalently coupled components in a stepwise fashion. Dynamic oligorotaxanes, prepared by template-directed methods, provide a scaffold for directing the construction of monodisperse one-dimensional assemblies in which the functional units communicate electronically through-space by way of π-orbital interactions. Reported herein is a series of oligorotaxanes containing one, two, three and four naphthalene diimide (NDI) redox-active units, which have been shown by cyclic voltammetry, and by EPR and ENDOR spectroscopies, to share electrons across the NDI stacks. Thermally driven motions between the neighboring NDI units in the oligorotaxanes influence the passage of electrons through the NDI stacks in a manner reminiscent of the conformationally gated charge transfer observed in DNA.
Negotiating GIS and Social Theory in Population Geography

Population researchers are increasingly giving attention to how geographic information systems (GIS)-based analytical techniques can answer questions about the spatial aspects of demographic processes. This broader turn toward spatial demography, however, has occurred concurrently with concerns within population geography about the sub-discipline’s position within human geography as it turns toward critical social theory. These developments create distinct tensions for population geographers who seek to engage with the growing interest in GIS and spatial analysis outside of geography, and remain relevant within an increasingly theoretical human geography. This article evaluates the challenges in incorporating insights from critical social theory into spatial demographic research, with attention to issues such as the social construction of space and scale and the modifiable areal unit problem (MAUP). The article then assesses the potential of qualitative GIS as a methodological resolution to these challenges, and considers the prospects for theoretically informed spatial demographic research in population geography.
Position sensitive radiation detector integrated with an FPGA for radiation tolerant computing

A position sensitive radiation sensor was modeled, developed and fabricated then interfaced with a field programmable gate array (FPGA) to create a radiation hardened computing platform. The system exploits environmental information from the sensor in order to determine regions within the FPGA that may have been affected by radiation. The spatial radiation sensor provides the computer system with the location of radiation strikes. This information is used by the computer system to avoid and repair effected circuits on the programmable fabric. By giving the recovery circuitry insight into the location where a fault may have occurred, the latency between detection of a fault and repair can be reduced. This provides an additional level of reliability by more efficiently detecting and correcting faults in SRAM-based FPGAs faults compared to the traditional voting and sequential search approaches.
A Laboratory Procedure for the Acetylation and Permethylation of Oligopeptides on the Microgram Scale

Abstract The amino acid sequence of oligopeptides can be determined from the mass spectra of their volatile derivatives. A general procedure for the N-acetylation and N,O,S-permethylation of unknown peptides that do not contain arginine is described. The procedure is illustrated by the derivatization of lysyl-tyrosyl-glutamic acid. The mass spectrum of the resulting N a, N' -diacetyl-N a, N'-dimethyllysyl-N a, O-dimethyltyrosyl-Na-methyl glutamic acid α, β dimethyl ester (I)1 is given.
Mn2+ reduces Yz+ in manganese-depleted Photosystem II preparations

Manganese in the oxygen-evolving complex is a physiological electron donor to Photosystem II. PS II depleted of manganese may oxidize exogenous reductants including benzidine and Mn2+. Using flash photolysis with electron spin resonance detection, we examined the room-temperature reaction kinetics of these reductants with Yz+, the tyrosine radical formed in PS II membranes under illumination. Kinetics were measured with membranes that did or did not contain the 33 kDa extrinsic polypeptide of PS II, whose presence had no effect on the reaction kinetics with either reductant. The rate of Yz+ reduction by benzidine was a linear function of benzidine concentration. The rate of Yz+ reduction by Mn2+ at pH 6 increased linearly at low Mn2+ concentrations and reached a maximum at the Mn2+ concentrations equal to several times the reaction center concentration. The rate was inhibited by K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+. These data are described by a model in which negative charge on the membrane causes a local increase in the cation concentration. The rate of Yz+ reduction at pH 7.5 was biphasic with a fast 400 μs phase that suggests binding of Mn2+ near Yz+ at a site that may be one of the native manganese binding sites.
The effect of site quality on growth efficiency of upper crown class Picea rubens and Abies balsamea in Maine, USA.

The influence of site index on growth efficiency was studied for 411 dominant and codominant Abies balsamea (L.) Mill. and Picea rubens Sarg. from 10 sites across Maine, USA. Young A. balsamea (n = 204) were from stands precommercially thinned 15–20 years ago and ranged in site index from 18.4 to 24.3, while the older P. rubens (n = 207) were from stands that were not precommercially thinned and ranged in site index from 13.1 to 17.8. We hypothesized that site index positively influences growth efficiency. The results showed that volume increment – leaf area relationships and growth efficiency increased significantly with site index for A. balsamea but were unaffected by site index for P. rubens. A monotonic decreasing pattern of growth efficiency over increasing leaf area was found for both species. When standardized per unit site index, growth efficiency behaved nonlinearly for both species.
Parallel FFT Algorithms on Network-on-Chips

This paper presents several parallel FFT algorithms with different degree of communication overhead for multiprocessors in network-on-chip (NoC) environment. Three different methods of parallel FFT are presented. One is the reference parallel FFT for comparison, and the other two with well-distributed computation as well as reduced communication overhead. By evenly distributing parallel computation tasks which uses data locality, the execution time for completing each stage of FFT can be reduced. Moreover, by optimizing data exchanges we minimize the communication overhead. Depending on the communication regularity, one can select appropriate parallel FFT algorithm. By using the simulation results of our cycle-accurate SystemC NoC model with a parameterizable 2-D mesh architecture, and the performance analysis in time as well as complexity, our proposed algorithms are shown to outperform other parallel FFT algorithm or high-speed DSP implementations.
Spectral and temperature dependence of nonlinear absorption in InSb

Temperature dependent two-photon and free-carrier absorption spectra of InSb are measured using a tunable picosecond source via temperature controlled Z-scan experiments and show good agreement with theoretical predictions. Three-photon absorption is also observed.