cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Non-State Armed Groups and the Role of Transnational Criminal Law During Armed Conflict

With the ascendance of the terrorist group known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the international community has struggled to adapt to the new international security context. Among the challenges that are currently being confronted are questions relating to how states may effectively facilitate international cooperation to counter ISIS (especially among countries in the Middle East and North Africa). Within this context, guidance from the United Nations on international cooperation posits that “[t]he universal counter-terrorism conventions and protocols do not apply in situations of armed conflict” – a legal position that would serve to stymie important cooperative efforts throughout the Middle East and which, if accepted as accurate, would prevent those states and others from addressing terrorism and many problems associated with non-state armed groups within a rule of law framework.This article, therefore, examines that U.N. legal position and, concomitantly, the unfrequented legal realm that lies at the crossroads of transnational criminal law and the law of armed conflict – providing an analysis of the emerging field of transnational criminal law and exploring how this burgeoning area of international law interacts with the law of armed conflict. This, in turn, permits an illuminative discussion of how various areas of international law interact with one another and how conflicts between competing areas of law may be resolved. Drawing on international legal sources, comparative law, and relevant civil law scholarship, the analysis demonstrates that the terrorism suppression conventions as well as other similar conventions – both multilateral and bilateral – remain operative and are not muted by the fact of an armed conflict. The United Nations should, therefore, correct its analysis so that governments in the Middle East, North Africa, and elsewhere have clear and accurate legal guidance with regard to the applicability of the terrorism suppression conventions during a time of armed conflict. Such conventions, after all, are what provide the legal bases which permit states to adopt hybrid approaches to hybrid threats such as ISIS – enabling all elements of state power (including both military and law enforcement capabilities) to address an increasingly complex and malevolent phenomenon within a rule of law framework.
Resonant harmonic filters: their optimization and limits of effectiveness

Resonant harmonic filters (RHFs) are effective devices for reducing supply current harmonics when only those load generated current harmonics to which they are tuned are present and there are no distribution voltage harmonics. Other current harmonics, as well as the supply voltage harmonics may deteriorate the effectiveness of RHFs. This is because of resonances of the RHF with the distribution system inductance. The filter performance can be improved if parameters are selected using an optimization procedure that takes into account the presence of both the voltage and current minor harmonics and the filter resonance with the distribution system reactance. Unfortunately, at some level of current and voltage distortion, even filter optimization is not capable of increasing filter effectiveness. There are some limits of effectiveness in such conditions. This paper presents a method for finding the limits of RHF effectiveness by analyzing the effectiveness of optimized RHFs at increasing distortion level.
Addressing the need for access to culturally and linguistically appropriate HIV/AIDS prevention for Latinos.

This article reports a comprehensive national needs assessment of Latinos’ access to HIV/AIDS prevention and education services in 14 cities throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with Latinos who were HIV-positive and at risk for HIV infection. The study explored risk behaviors, access to health care services, and exposure to HIV prevention messages. Differences in predictors of risk behaviors were noted by sex. For women, increased age, being married, foreign-born, and a U.S. resident, and having tested for HIV previously, were associated with reduced HIV/AIDS risk. Thematic analysis of qualitative findings revealed limited awareness of risk factors, and a need for culturally and linguistically appropriate, family-centered HIV/AIDS education incorporating Latino values. Findings were incorporated into culturally relevant brochures featuring vignettes and quotes. Brochures were distributed and evaluated by 71 community-based organizations (CBOs) in the U.S. and Latin America. Evaluators responded positively to the brochures, and Latino-serving organizations in 48 states now use them for HIV/AIDS prevention outreach and education.
Inhibition of Human Polymorphonuclear Cell Oxidative Burst by 17‐β‐estradiol and 2,3,7,8‐tetrachlorodibenzo‐p‐dioxin

Problem: Polymorphonuclear cell (PMN) function may be directly influenced by 17-β-estradiol and the endocrine disruptor, 2,3,7,8-tetrachloro-dibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). This may have significant consequences on PMN function within the female reproductive tract. This study evaluated the effects of 17-β-estradiol and TCDD on PMN oxidative burst. Method of study: Peripheral blood PMN were isolated from normal male donors. Following treatment with 17-β-estradiol, TCDD or both, PMN were stimulated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate. Superoxide production was measured by lucigenin-enhanced chemiluminescence. Results: Following 24-hr culture with either 17-β-estradiol or TCDD, PMN superoxide production was significantly reduced, however, no such inhibition was observed when PMN were cultured with both estradiol and TCDD. Using antagonists, the estradiol and TCDD effects on PMN superoxide production was shown to be estrogen and aryl hydrocarbon receptor mediated. Conclusions: Estradiol and TCDD influence PMN oxidative burst through receptor mediated events. Such altered PMN function may have profound effects upon the normal endometrial cycle.
LEVEL, TREND AND VARIABILITY OF BLOOD PRESSURE DURING CHILDHOOD: THE MUSCATINE STUDY

Prediction of hypertension occurring in adult life from pressures measured at one point in time in childhood is difficult because BP in children tracks in different ways. From BP and body size measures in 4313 children (initial age 5-13 years) examined longitudinally at two-year intervals for a decade, the following were calculated: mean of age-sex-survey specific percentiles as a measure of level (L); slope of percentiles over time as a measure of trend (T); average difference from the regression line as a measure of variability (V). L,T,V of BP were divided into quintiles with the first and fifth quintiles used to define low and high limits: 5% appear to be tracking towards high SBP with either high L, flat T, and low V, or high L, high T, and low V; 7.5% had labile high SBP with high L and high V. Correlations (p<0.001) between L of SBP with L of height, weight, relative weight were 0.31, 0.47, and 0.35 respectively; and correlations between T of SBP with T of body size measures were 0.16, 0.26, and 0.17 respectively. The direct relationship of L T of BP to body size indicates that higher BP occurs in tall, obese children or those with accelerated growth. Thus although final rank of BP may not be established until growth is complete, there are groups of children that can be identified who appear to be tracking towards future high blood pressure.
Dry Matter Loss During Nixtamalization of a White Corn Hybrid: Impact of Processing Parameters

ABSTRACT Nixtamalization is the primary step in the production of products such as corn chips, tortilla chips, tacos, and corn tortillas. The process involves cooking and steeping of corn in lime and excess water to produce nixtamal. Commercial nixtamalization results in 5–14% corn solids loss in the liquid generated during cooking-steeping and washing. Loss of corn solids not only causes economic loss to corn processors but also creates costly waste and wastewater disposal problems. Empirical results show that, besides corn kernel characteristics, processing parameters are critical variables influencing corn solids loss and effluent pH during nixtamalization. This work was designed to systematically study the impact of processing parameters on corn dry matter loss and effluent pH generated during nixtamalization by using response surface methodology. Corn cooking temperature and lime concentration were more critical factors influencing corn solid loss than were cooking and steeping time. In the ranges st...
Opioid-induced linear running in obese (ob/ob) and lean mice.

Earlier research has shown that opioids stimulate behavioral activation in mice whereas opioid antagonists attenuate this activation. We conducted an experiment to determine the dose-response curve of FK33824, a potent Met-enkephalin analogue. FK33824 produced an unusual form of behavioral activation we called “linear running” in which the mice ran continuously in one direction and were nearly oblivious to environmental stimuli. This may be the kind of running that occurs naturally during migration. Wheel running activity of genetically obese (ob/ob) and lean (C57BL/6J?/+) mice was measured following the intracerebroventricular infusion of 0.1, 1.0, 10.0 and 100.0 ng of FK33824. The lowest dose did not alter baseline running, whereas the 1.0 and 10.0 ng doses significantly increased running in both genotypes. We found a genotype difference with the highest dose tested, the lean mice ran at baseline levles and displayed ataxia whereas the obese mice continued to show increased running without ataxia. We hypothesize that genetic differences in the enkephalin mechanisms of C57 lean and obese mice are responsible for linear running.
Hybrid Ribosome Formation from Escherichia coli and Chloroplast Ribosome Subunits

A 70S ribosome was prepared from a 30S ribosome subunit from Euglena gracilis chloroplasts and a 50S ribosome subunit from Escherichia coli. This hybrid ribosome was active in polyuridylic acid-directed polyphenylalanine synthesis.
Designing Serious Game Interventions for Individuals with Autism

The design of "Serious games" that use game components (e.g., storyline, long-term goals, rewards) to create engaging learning experiences has increased in recent years. We examine of the core principles of serious game design and examine the current use of these principles in computer-based interventions for individuals with autism. Participants who undergo these computer-based interventions often show little evidence of the ability to generalize such learning to novel, everyday social communicative interactions. This lack of generalized learning may result, in part, from the limited use of fundamental elements of serious game design that are known to maximize learning. We suggest that future computer-based interventions should consider the full range of serious game design principles that promote generalization of learning.
The efferent connections of the cerebellar nuclei in the pangolin.

The connections of the cerebellar nuclei were traced in a primitive and specialized eutherian mammal, the pangolin, by placing varied unilateral lesions in the basal cerebellar nuclei and staining the ensuing fiber degeneration with the selective staining techniques of Marchi and Nauta. The results showed a cerebellifugal system that is basically similar to the pattern described for other mammals. The brachium conjunctivum arises primarily from the interpositus and dentate nuclei and follows the typical mammalian course and termination in the red nucleus and thalamus. In addition, a rather extensive termination in the dorsal mesencephalic tegmentum is present. A variation was observed in the descending limb of the brachium conjunctivum which divides into two tracts, medial and lateral. The fastigial projections are directed mainly to caudal rather than rostral areas with extensive terminations in vestibular and reticular areas. The present study establishes further the constancy of the general organization of cerebellar efferents in mammals and the primitive position of the cerebellifugal system in phylogeny. An assumption is made that the efferent connections of the cerebellum are present in one form in all therian mammals.
Vectorcardiographic defelections obtained with various reference systems in cadavers

Abstract A study of artificially applied dipoles in the heart of fresh cadavers clearly showed that some systems of electrode placement employed for spatial vectorcardiography are far from perfect.
First-order transition to a novel metallic state in [Nay+(CH)−y]x: In situ electron spin resonance during chemical and electrochemical doping

Abstract The onset of the temperature-independent Pauli spin susceptibility takes place in [Na y + (CH) − y ] x as a sharp first-order phase transition at a dopant concentration of approximately 6 mole%. Using either chemical or electrochemical doping techniques, a single symmetric Lorentzian ESR line was observed for the full range of doping and at all temperatures, thereby ruling out the formation of metallic islands. Although the abrupt transition is easily smeared by disorder and/or non-uniform doping, the sharp onset of Pauli susceptibility is an intrinsic feature of the ordered system. The results are interpreted in terms of a first-order phase transition (at y c ∼= 0.06) from a soliton lattice (or a highly correlated soliton liquid) to a novel metallic state in which the finite density of states arises from a lattice of polaron-like distortions with half-filled polaron sub-band in the Peierls gap.
Electromagnetic fields in biological studies

For biological or cellular experiments using electromagnetic fields, it is essential that the parameters defining the field be carefully specified if the results are to be meaningful and are to be compared with the same experiment conducted in a different laboratory. The interaction of living systems with electric and magnetic fields can come only through forces exerted on the charges on the system. If the charges are stationary, the only origin of the force is the electric field. This electric field may be established by charge distributions, as in "capacitive plate" experiments, or by time-varying magnetic fields. A geometry commonly used to produce time-varying magnetic fields consists of a pair of coaxial coils, each of equal radius and separated by a distance often equal to the radius. The electric field induced by a varying current in such a pair of coils varies both in space and in time. The electric field strength is zero on the axis of symmetry, and increases to a maximum near the radius of the coils. The strength is proportional to the time rate of change of the current in the coil, which depends not only on the amplitude and shape of the voltage pulse applied to the coil but also on the resistance and inductance of the coil. The purpose of this article is to describe how these important physical parameters may be determined for both geometries.
Educational Adequacy Litigation in the American South: 1973-2009

For a decade prior and two following the United States Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education (1954), educational finance litigation focused almost entirely on the equitable distri...
A simplified approach for evaluating plastic axial and moment capacity curves for beam–columns with non-uniform thermal gradients

Abstract Restrained steel members, when exposed to fire develop significant forces and this transforms the behavior of a beam (or column) into that of a beam–column. The load carrying capacity of such beam–columns is determined through axial and moment capacity curves ( P – M curves). Codes and standards recommend the use of uniform average temperature for establishing the P – M curves at elevated temperatures. This assumption, though adequate for cases where temperature in steel is uniform, such as a column exposed to fire from four sides, may not be valid for columns or beams exposed to fire from 1, 2, or 3 sides since significant thermal gradients develop across the section. These thermal gradients can cause severe distortion in the P – M curves and render the capacity curves based on uniform temperature inadequate for evaluating the strength of such beam–columns. In this paper, a simplified approach is proposed for adjusting the uniform temperature plastic P – M curves to account for the shape distortion resulting from fire-induced thermal gradients. The proposed method employs a two-step process in which the cross-sectional steel temperatures are calculated first, and then the distorted P – M diagram is computed by adjusting the P – M diagrams based on a uniform “averaged” temperature. The applicability of the proposed method to a design situation is illustrated through a numerical example. It is demonstrated that the proposed approach is well suited for predicting the capacity of beam–columns that develop thermal gradient under fire.
Nuisance phytoplankton blooms in coastal, estuarine, and inland waters1

Multiple interacting physical, chemical, and biotic factors, in proper combination, lead to the development and persistence of nuisance algal blooms. Upon examining combinations of environmental conditions most likely to elicit nuisance blooms, commonalities and analog situations become more apparent among coastal marine (dinoflagellate-dominated), estuarine (dinoflagellate- and cyanobacteria-dominated), and freshwater (cyanobacteria-dominated) ecosystems. A combination of the following hydrological, chemical, and biotic factors will most likely lead to bloom-sensitive waters: a horizontally distinct water mass; a vertically stratified water column; warm weather conditions, as typified by dry monsoon tropical climates and summer seasons in temperate zones; high incident photosynthetically active radiation (PAR); enhanced allochthonous organic matter loading (both as DOC and POC); enhanced allochthonous inorganic nutrient loading (nitrogen and/or phosphorus); adequate availability of essential metals, supplied by terrigenous inputs or upwelling; underlying sediments physically and nutritionally suitable as “seed beds” for resting cysts and akinetes; algal-bacterial synergism, which exhibits positive impacts on phycosphere nutrient cycling; algal-micrograzer (protists and rotifers) synergism, which also enhances nutrient cycling without consumption of filamentous and colonial nuisance taxa; and selective (for non-nuisance taxa) activities of macrograzers (crustacean zooplankton, larval fish). Nuisance bloom taxa share numerous additional physiological and ecological characteristics, including limited heterotrophic capabilities, high degrees of motility, and toxicity. Given such a set of commonalities, it would appear useful and timely to identify and address generally applicable criteria for deeming a water body “bloom sensitive” and to incorporate such criteria into the design of water quality management strategies applicable to both coastal marine and freshwater habitats.
User Profiles and Personas in Consumer Health Technologies

Consumer health technologies (CHT) are considered important catalysts for what some are calling the "dawn of a new era - the age of the empowered health consumer" [1]. To develop effective systems, we must reach the level of personal connection to capture the essence of user groups and their issues. User profiles and personas can be used to help the development team to mentally visualize and communicate how intended users of CHT's will interact with the proposed design in a meaningful way. We use an action research approach to call attention to important health related characteristics for CHT user profiles and personas, provide persona and profile artifacts for chronic diabetics, and illustrate the process and benefit of these tools in requirements generation, design, and implementation planning.
Ionic thiocyanate (SCN-) production from 4-hydroxybenzyl glucosinolate contained in Sinapis alba seed meal.

Meal produced from Sinapis alba seed by crushing to remove oil contains a glucosinolate that when hydrolyzed produces phytotoxic allelochemicals; however, the responsible compounds and pathways for their production have not been elucidated. S. alba seed meal and partially purified extracts containing 4-hydroxybenzyl glucosinolate were included in experiments to identify and monitor enzymatically released products using GC−MS and HPLC−MS. The initial product, 4-hydroxybenzyl isothiocyanate, was unstable in aqueous media, showing a half-life of 321 min at pH 3.0, decreasing to 6 min at pH 6.5. More alkaline pH values decrease the stability of 4-hydroxybenzyl isothiocyanate by promoting the formation of a proposed quinone that hydrolyzes to SCN-. Measurement of SCN- showed stoichiometric release from S. alba meal at 48 h when buffered at pH values as low as 4.0, demonstrating that SCN- production in soil is not only probable but likely responsible for observed phytoxicity of the meal. Keywords: Glucosinolate...
The rapid reaction of benzhydryl sulfones with CCl4-KOH. A new route to 1,1-diarylalkenes

Benzhydrylsulfone (I) reagieren mit KOH, tert.-Butanol und Tetrachlorkohlenstoff uber die Zwischenstufen (II), (III) und (IV) zu den Olefinen (V).
The influence of temperature on chromosome aberrations in tissue culture: relation to thermal aging.

Chromosome aberrations were scored in V-79 strain Chinese hamster cells grown in vitro. The percent of aberrant mitoses observed in anaphase and early telophase increased significantly with temperature over the range of values between 35° and 40°C. No significant increase in aberration percentage was observed when the culture growth time was extended from 2 to 3 days. The progressive increase in chromosome damage with temperature supports the concept that genetic information is thermally degraded even at temperatures in the normal physiological range. Since an increase in chromosome aberration frequency is correlated with aging, it may be that thermally induced information loss is an important factor in the aging process. However, the dependence of the aberration percentage on temperature is not sufficiently strong to fully explain the thermal loss of proliferative capacity of cells in culture. Additional temperature-dependent processes must occur and may further contribute to the thermal destruction of cellular information.
Membrane specializations in mammalian lens fiber cells: distribution of square arrays.

Fragments of intact rat, pig and bovine lenses and isolated membranes from bovine lenses were examined by freeze-fracture-etch electron microscopy employing samples ultra-rapidly frozen in the absence of fixatives or cryoprotectants. Complementary replicas of the bovine outer cortex clearly display small patches of square arrays (6.6 nm repeat) as structures distinct from gap junctions in the same membranes. In the outer cortex square arrays appear in single membranes where the extracellular space is not thinned, whereas gap junctions, as in other tissues, only occur where the extracellular space is greatly attenuated. Square arrays in the middle cortex appear as patches of varying size surrounded by smooth membrane fracture faces. Within the undulating membranes of tongue-and-groove interdigitations in the inner cortex and nucleus, the square arrays are extensive and are located specifically on the regions which have convex curvature toward the cytoplasm. Square crystalline regions alternate with non-cry...
Erosion of Learned Sexual Controls in Geriatric Care

Aging Americans have created a demand for geriatric care that takes into account interpersonal and sexual boundaries. Boundary erosion of learned sexual controls must be addressed to preserve safety and individual rights. Case examples and potential solutions are explored.
Women's studies and men's careers: How the ‘social problem’ of women in education maintained the academic status of men in the 1970s

Abstract This paper investigates the changing status of research of women and education during the 1970s. All articles published in the American Educational Research Journal, the Journal of Educational Psychology, Child Development, Sociology of Education, and the Journal of Educational Measurement from 1973 through 1978 are included in this study. A total of 2239 research articles are identified and examined for article content and authorship. Of these articles, 13.5 per cent deal with women and education, 15.9 per cent are authored by women solely and 28.0 per cent are co-authored by women and men. There is a significant increase in the number of articles on women and education, and it appears that proportionately more of these articles are written by women; however, there is no proportional change in women's authorship of (1) total articles written by women, (2) articles on women and education, or (3) articles on topics other than women and education. It is concluded that women and education became a legitimate topic for scholarly inquiry during the 1970s, but that this increased legitimacy did not benefit women specifically.
Effect of Neutron Bombardment on a Zinc Sulfide Phosphor

An investigation has been made of the effect of neutron irradiation on the following properties of a copper-activated zinc sulfide phosphor: luminescence efficiency under ultraviolet and x-ray excitation, infrared quenching of luminescence, temperature dependence of luminescence efficiency, thermoluminescence, rise time of luminescence, decay of luminescence, and dependence of the rise time of luminescence on the previous history of the sample. In addition, the analogous changes in the dielectric constant of the phosphor on illumination were measured for samples damaged to varying degree by neutrons. It was shown that neutron damage can be removed by annealing at high temperature.
On Bessel Distributions forGL2over ap-Adic Field☆

Abstract We show that the Bessel distribution attached by Gelfand and Kazhdan to an infinite-dimensional irreducible admissible representation of G = GL 2 ( F ), where F is a non-Archimedean local field, is given by a locally integrable function which is locally constant on an open and dense set of G .
How brinkmanship saved Chadbourne: Credibility and the International Sugar Agreement of 1931☆

Abstract Theories of cartel stability assume detection is uncertain, but also unambiguous. Recent empirical studies find that cartel agreements are contractually incomplete. If so, whether an action constitutes violation may be ambiguous. While theory emphasizes the ineffectiveness of agreements that are not fully specified ex ante, recent research shows that stable cartels may often renegotiate terms to eliminate loopholes caused by incompleteness. Naturally, renegotiations can lead to breakdowns, but sometimes threats of breakdown are resolved. This paper examines the strategy adopted by Cuban negotiators to resolve a near breakdown in the International Sugar Agreement of 1931. Cuba made a threat of retaliation credible by using a strategy of brinkmanship. The paper contributes to recent empirical work, such as Levenstein [Explorations in Economic History 33 (1996) 107; Journal of Industrial Economics 45 (2) (1997) 117] and Genesove and Mullin [American Economic Review 91 (3) (2001) 379], which uses the economics of organization to interpret cartel behavior.
Results of Superior Vena Cava-to-Pulmonary Artery Shunt in the Treatment of Cyanotic Heart Disease

Abstract Since 1961, superior vena cava-to-pulmonary artery (SVC-PA) shunts have been performed in 31 patients with cyanotic heart disease. Of the 11 operative deaths, 8 were due to superior vena caval syndrome and 3 to pulmonary insufficiency. Superior vena caval syndrome was prevented in 8 consecutive patients by adjusting the degree of venous obstruction to keep superior vena caval pressure below 30 cm. H 2 O. There were 3 late deaths among 17 patients who were followed for from one to nine years. All survivors experienced initial palliation, but only 4 of 13 patients followed for more than three years continued to do well. The other 9 patients developed more polycythemia and cyanosis, and 5 required reoperation with ligation of the left superior vena cava and collateral venous channels, together with creation of a systemic pulmonary artery shunt in 4. Late failure of the SVC-PA shunt appears to be the result of "venous steal" through the left superior vena cava and collateral venous channels together with progression of pulmonary stenosis.
Update on Disparities in Oral Health and Access to Dental Care for America's Children

This contribution updates federal survey findings on children's oral health and dental care since release of Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General in 2000. Dental caries experience continued at high levels, impacting 40% of all children aged 2 to 11 years, with greater disease and untreated disease burden borne by poor and low-income children and racial/ethnic minorities. Caries rates increased for young children (to 28% of 2- to 5-year-olds in the period 1999–2004) and remained flat for most other ages. The total volume of caries and untreated caries increased as the numbers of children increased. The proportion of US children with a dental visit increased modestly (from 42% to 45% between 1996 and 2004), with the greatest increases occurring among children newly covered by the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Disparities in dental visits continued to be evidenced by age, family income, race/ethnicity, and caregiver education. Parental reports of children's oral health and dental care parallel these findings and also reveal higher unmet dental needs among children with special health care needs. Racial- and income-based disparities in both oral health and dental care continue into adolescence and young adulthood. These disparities can, as in the past, be expected to exacerbate under the forces of growing income disparities and demographic trends.
Electro-Osteograms of Long Bones of Immature Rabbits

Direct current potentials in the humerus, femur, and tibia of the growing rabbit showed a consistent pattern of change: the diaphysis was electropositive in relation to the metaphysis. The growing epiphysis and epiphyseal line were identified electrically. Variations in bone contour, ridges, tuberosities, and points of muscle attachments did not alter the polarity of the bone.
The synaptic A|[beta]| hypothesis of Alzheimer disease

Aβ peptide is linked to Alzheimer pathology, but its toxic mechanism remains unclear. New work shows that Aβ leads to internalization of NMDA receptors, reducing their availability at synapses. The authors also suggest a molecular mechanism for this endocytosis.
Introduction of a Temperature-Sensitive Phenotype into Influenza A/WSN/33 Virus by Altering the Basic Amino Acid Domain of Influenza Virus Matrix Protein

Our previous studies with influenza A viruses indicated that the association of M1 with viral RNA and nucleoprotein (NP) is required for the efficient formation of helical ribonucleoprotein (RNP) and for the nuclear export of RNPs. RNA-binding domains of M1 map to the following two independent regions: a zinc finger motif at amino acid positions 148 to 162 and a series of basic amino acids (RKLKR) at amino acid positions 101 to 105. Altering the zinc finger motif of M1 reduces viral growth slightly. A substitution of Ser for Arg at either position 101 or position 105 of the RKLKR domain partially reduces the nuclear export of RNP and viral replication. To further understand the role of the zinc finger motif and the RKLKR domain in viral assembly and replication, we introduced multiple mutations by using reverse genetics to modify these regions of the M gene of influenza virus A/WSN/33. Of multiple mutants analyzed, a double mutant, R101S-R105S, of RKLKR resulted in a temperature-sensitive phenotype. The R101S-R105S double mutant had a greatly reduced ratio of M1 to NP in viral particles and a weaker binding of M1 to RNPs. These results suggest that mutations can be introduced into the RKLKR domain to control viral replication.
The Role of Parents in Motivating Struggling Readers.

Interest is currently high among researchers and practitioners on the role of the family and the value of home-school collaborations in promoting children's motivation for reading. The purposes of this article are (1) to inform practitioners working with struggling readers of the latest research on home influences on reading motivation, and (2) to provide research-based suggestions to teachers as to how they might enlist the assistance of parents in motivating struggling readers. Research has shown that supportive home environments foster motivation for reading, which leads to more frequent voluntary reading, which improves reading achievement. Many collaborative interventions involving home and school have enhanced the reading motivation of struggling readers as they enhanced comprehension.
Hindbrain glutamatergic control of meal size: Evidence for participation of specific N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) phenotypes on myelinated vagal afferent neurons.

Previously published results from our laboratory indicate that injection of NMDA receptor antagonists into the dorsal hindbrain increase food intake and suggest that capsaicin-resistant (myelinated) vagal afferents terminals that express NMDA-type glutamate receptors participate in control of meal size. NMDA receptors are heteromeric ion channels incorporating distinct subunits, including NR1, NR2A, NR2B, NR2C and NR2D. The NMDA channel's electrical and signaling properties are determined by its NR2 subunit phenotype. In the present study we tested the hypothesis that myelinated vagal afferent neurons express different NMDAR NR2 subunits than non-myelinated neurons. Six-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats received intraperitoneal injections of capsaicin or vehicle. Nodose ganglia were processed for with primary antibodies against the capsaicin receptor (VR1), and NR1, NR2B, NR2C, or NR2D NMDAR subunits. In vehicle-treated rats, at least 60% of all nodose vagal afferents were immunopositive for VR-1 and capsaicin treatment reduced VR1 immunoreactivity to 10%. Furthermore, capsaicin reduced the number of NMDA NR1 and NR2B subunit expressing neurons by at least 50%, while resulting in no detectable loss of NMDA NR2C or NR2D immunopositive neurons. Our results indicate that NMDA NR2C and NR2D subunit immunoreactivity in the nodose ganglia is limited to capsaicin-resistant myelinated vagal afferents. Taken collectively with previous behavioral findings, we hypothesize that NMDA NR2C and/or NR2D expressing vagal afferents may mediate increased food intake evoked by injection of NMDA antagonists into the hindbrain and may contribute to the control of meal size. Supported by NIH Grants DK52849 and NS20561 and Poncin Scholarship 2006.
Globalisation and the university: Myths and realities in an unequal world

Abstract Much has been said about the impact of globalisation on higher education. Some have argued that globalisation, the Internet and the scientific community will level the playing field in the new age of knowledge interdependence. Others claim that globalisation means both worldwide inequality and the McDonaldisation of the university. It is argued that all of the contemporary pressures on higher education, from the pressures of massification to the growth of the private sector, are the results of globalisation. There is a grain of truth in all of these hypotheses ‐ and a good deal of misinterpretation as well. The purpose of this essay is to “unpack” the realities of globalisation and internationalisation in higher education and to highlight some of the ways in which globalisation affects the university. Of special interest here is how globalisation is affecting higher education in developing countries ‐ the nations that will experience the bulk of higher education expansion in the coming decades.
Turnover of lipid components in liver microsomes, mitochondria and plasma membrane of 6-, 12- and 24-month old rats

The turnover of lipid was examined in the livers of 6-, 12- and 24-month old rats. Heterogeneity of turnover was noted for each membrane fraction. The lipid turnover rate was highest in 12-month old rats and was the same in 6- and 24-month old rats. The higher rate of lipid turnover at 12 months was observed in both the neutral and polar lipid components of the liver membranes. In the polar lipid fractions isolated from the microsomal and mitochondrial membranes the increase in lipid turnover rate at 12 months was related to increase in the turnover of phosphatidylethanolamine.
Familial breast and ovarian cancers.

ANCER is the second leading cause of death in the United States and will strike one person in four. This means that a clustering of cancers in families will often occur by chance alone. Thus, when multiple cancers are seen in the same family they may be sporadic, familial, or a combination of the two. Two such common types of cancer are breast and ovarian cancers, which have been observed to develop independently of each other and to share some genetic commonality. This article will discuss various aspects of breast and ovarian cancer, including the identification of genetic origin, possible risk factors, and recommendations for prevention and management. FAMILIAL (HEREDITARY) BREAST CANCER Zncidence Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer deaths and morbidity in American women. The estimated number of new cases in the United States for 1992 is 181,000, while the number of deaths is estimated at 46,300.’ The average white woman’s lifetime risk for developing breast cancer from birth to age 85 years is approximately 11%. This risk is lower in both black and Hispanic populations. The risk for developing breast cancer increases with age, and this is especially true in women between the ages of 50 and 70 years, when estimated risk rises 6% to 7% (Fig l).* For all ages, incidence rates have increased approximately 3% per year since 1980. Although some of the age-specific increased rates can be attributed to screening and early detection programs, for younger women, the increased rates have no clear explanation. It is generally thought that for women with an afflicted first-degree relative the risk of breast can
Trace elements as source indicators in cratonic sediments: a case study from the early Proterozoic Libby Creek Group, southeastern Wyoming

To understand how grain size and sorting effect trace element distributions in sediments, we compare the compositions of closely associated quartzites, pelites, and glacial diamictites from the 2-Ga Libby Creek Group in SE Wyoming. We found similar REE distributions (LREE enriched, negative Eu anomalies), and that most compositional differences can be explained by variable quartz dilution. Trace element distributions from mineral separates in a fuchsite quartzite show that fuchsite contains most of the Th, U, REE, Sc, Co, and Ni and controls the whole-rock REE distributions. Zircon contains most of the Zr and Hf, but <5% of the HREE in the pelites and <20% in the quartzites. Other than Zr and Hf, most trace elements in Libby Creek sediments are chiefly in micas and were probably in clays in the original sediments. Increased Eu anomalies in upper Libby Creek sediments signal a sudden increase in Eu-depleted granitoids in sediment sources, which reflects late tectonic uplift. Mixing models favor granite, ba...
Widely spread butyrylcholinesterase can hydrolyze acetylcholine in the normal and Alzheimer brain.

Abstract Background: Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), also known as the “pseudo” or “non-neuronal” cholinesterase, is traditionally thought to have a restricted CNS distribution and to play little, if any, role in cholinergic transmission. Objective: To reanalyze the role of BChE in the human brain with more sensitive methodology. Methods: Three brains were examined with acetylcholinesterase and BChE histochemistry. The sections were examined with bright- and dark-field microscopy. Results: The histochemical parameters used in the present experiments showed that BChE activity was present in all hippocampal and temporal neocortical areas known to receive cholinergic input. At all of these locations, the BChE enzyme could hydrolyze the acetylcholine surrogate acetylthiocholine. A substantial portion of the hippocampal and neocortical BChE appeared to be located within neuroglia and their processes. Conclusions: Butyrylcholinesterase may have a greater role in cholinergic transmission than previously surmised, making BChE inhibition an important therapeutic goal in Alzheimer's disease. The results also suggest that the role of neuroglia in cholinergic transmission may be analogous to their well known role in glutamatergic transmission.
Investigation of Bubble and Fluid Flow Patterns Within a Column Photobioreactor

This research study investigates bubble and liquid circulation patterns in a vertical column photobioreactor (PBR) both experimentally as well as computationally using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Dispersed gas-liquid flow in the rectangular bubble column PBR are modeled using Eulerian-Lagrangian approach. A low Reynolds number k-epsilon CFD model is used to describe the flow pattern near the wall. A flat surface bubble column PBR is used to achieve sufficient light penetration into the system. Bubble size distribution measurements were completed using a high-speed digital camera. Operating parameters, bubble flow patterns, and internal hydrodynamics of a bubble column reactor were studied, and the numerical simulations presented for the hydrodynamics in a bubble column PBR account for bubble phenomena that have not been sufficiently accounted for in previous research. Bubble size and shape affect the hydrodynamics as does bubble interaction with other bubbles (multiple bubbles in a flow versus single bubbles and wall effects on bubble(s) that are not symmetrical or bubbles not centered on the reactor cross-section). Understanding the bubble movement patterns will aid in predicting other design parameters like mass transfer (bubble to liquid and liquid to bubble), heat transfer (within the PBR and between the PBR and environment surrounding the PBR), and interaction forces inside the PBR. The computational results are validated with experimental data and from current literature.
Pharmacokinetics of cephradine administered intravenously and orally to young and elderly subjects.

The pharmacokinetics of IV and oral cephradine in healthy young male and female volunteers (ages 19 to 25, n = 10) were compared to those of older individuals (ages 65 to 81, n = 9). Subjects received 1 gram of cephradine by a 5-minute intravenous (IV) infusion followed the next day by a 1-gram oral dose. Serial serum and urine samples collected over a period of 12 hours after the dose were analyzed for cephradine concentration by a microbiologic assay. After IV administration, mean serum cephradine concentrations in the elderly group were significantly higher at both 6 hours (1.52 +/- 0.41 mcg/mL) and 8 hours (0.73 +/- 0.22 mcg/mL) than in the young group at 6 hours (0.43 +/- 0.11 mcg/mL). Total systemic clearance was significantly lower (2.64 +/- 0.34 vs. 4.81 +/- 0.59 ml/min/kg) and the elimination half-life was significantly longer (1.71 +/- 0.20 vs 1.12 +/- 0.13 hours) in the elderly group (P = .0001). Systemic cephradine clearance correlated positively with creatinine clearance (r2 = 0.34, P = .0110) and negatively with age (r2 = 0.79, P = .0052). The mean volume of distribution was not significantly different between the two groups. Mean renal clearance was significantly lower in the elderly group (P = .0001), but more than 80% of the dose was excreted in the urine within 6 hours in both groups. After oral administration, the mean peak concentration and time to peak concentration did not differ between groups. The relative oral bioavailability was approximately 94% in both groups. The mean serum concentrations in the elderly were higher at both 6 and 8 hours than in the young group at 6 hours. There were no differences in pharmacokinetic parameters between male and female subjects. Because of reduced cephradine clearance secondary to an age-related decline in renal function, administration of cephradine every 8 hours, rather than every 6 hours, may be sufficient in elderly patients.
Reaction of 2-Pyridylmethylthiourea Derivatives with [(en)2Co(OSO2CF3)2]+ Induces Hypodentate Coordination of an Ethylenediamine Ligand

Pyridylmethylthiourea derivatives coordinate with [(en)2Co(OSO2CF3)2]+ in a tridentate manner resulting in the formation of a hypodentate ethylenediamine ligand. Four ligands were studied: N-(R)phenyl-N′-2-pyridylmethylthiourea (R = H (1a), CH3 (1b), OCH3 (1c)) and N-benzyl-N′-2-pyridylmethylthiourea (2). These bind through the sulfur, a deprotonated exo nitrogen, and the pyridyl nitrogen atoms forming four and five-membered rings, respectively. The ligand also coordinates in a bidentate manner through the sulfur and deprotonated endo or exo nitrogen atoms, forming two additional coordination isomers. The solid state structure (X-ray) of one of the bidentate isomers of Co-1b2+ (endo isomer) shows that the coordinated thiourea sulfur induces a structural trans effect of 0.035 A on the trans Co–N bond while that of the tridentate isomer of Co-1a3+ confirms the coordination mode of the ligand and the presence of a protonated hypodentate ethylenediamine ligand as suggested by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy.
Local and Global Influences on Islamic NGOs in Kenya

Islamic NGOs are critical to the nexus of humanitarianism and peacebuilding in many parts of the world, even in societies with a non-Muslim majority. An important example is provided by Kenya. However, Islamic groups in most of the Global North and much of the Global South also operate in a context shaped by global trends, especially the discourse of suspicion perpetuated by the global 'war on terror'. In Kenya, this discourse has both constrained and provided opportunities for Islamic NGOs. To understand the resulting constraints and opportunities, the relationship between Islamic organisations and Christian, interfaith and transnational groups needs to be taken into account. This article employs insights from constructivist international relations to analyse: 1) how the goals and programmes of Kenyan Islamic groups are affected by the 'war on terror', and 2) the resulting obstacles and opportunities for peacebuilding, development and interfaith dialogue.
Large deflection analysis of elastic-plastic shells of revolution

A finite element method is developed for the large deflection elastic-plastic analysis of axisymmetric shells of revolution. Results were obtained for a torisphere under internal pressure and also for centrally loaded spheres. These results were in reasonable agreement with experiment. A study was made of the effect of elastic-plastic behavior on the buckling of spheres with axisymmetric imperfections subjected to external pressure. It was found that plastic yielding played a significant role in reducing the buckling pressure of these shells. The influence of plastic yielding increased with increase of the thickness to radius ratio.
Intra-granular alpha precipitation in Ti–Nb–Zr–Ta biomedical alloys

This article investigates the intra-granular precipitation of nanometer-scale α platelets in the β matrix of a complex quaternary β titanium alloy, Ti-35Nb-7Zr-5Ta (all in wt%), for orthopedic implant applications, during β-solutionizing/quenching/aging type heat-treatments. The role of metastable ω precipitates on the nucleation and growth of these α precipitates, has been specifically addressed by coupling transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and 3D atom probe (3DAP) tomography studies on this alloy. Athermal ω precipitates form in this alloy on quenching from above the β-transus temperature. On isothermal annealing at low temperatures (~400 °C), these ω precipitates coarsen, rejecting Zr into the adjacent β matrix as determined by 3DAP studies. Concurrently, the nucleation and growth of α precipitates is initiated at or near the ω/β interfaces, as determined by TEM studies. In addition to coherency strains induced by the ω precipitates, the local enrichment of Zr adjacent to these precipitates appears to play an important role in aiding the nucleation and growth of Zr-rich α precipitates in this alloy.