cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Mobilization of Core Supporters: Campaigns, Turnout, and Electoral Composition in United States Presidential Elections

Our objective is to investigate the relationship between presidential campaign activities and political mobilization in the states, with specific focus on the mobilization of core constituents. Using data on presidential campaign visits, presidential campaign media purchases, and party transfers to the states, we highlight some interesting mobilization patterns. First, voter turnout is positively influenced by presidential campaigns, though not by all campaign activities. Second, there is some evidence that campaigns have direct effects on the participation of core partisan groups. Finally, the ability of parties to mobilize their core groups has a strong effect on state electoral success that exists over and above the direct effect of campaign activity on electoral outcomes. All in all, we see the results as strong evidence that political mobilization in general and party transfers to the states in particular are an important component for understanding campaign effects in presidential elections.
Survival and synapse formation of transplanted rat rods.

Isolated rods enzymatically removed from normal adult rat retina have been transplanted to the subretinal space of adult rats with a retinal dystrophy winich has destroyed almost all the photoreceptors. These transplanted rods survive for months after transplantation during which time they form synapses with other retinal cells. Rod spherules with large amounts of synaptic vesicles and synaptic ribbons are found forming discreet contacts with pre- and postsynaptic densities in arrangements closely resembling those seen in the normal retina.
Simplification of the chrome-cobalt partial denture casting procedure.

Abstract A rapid gelling shell casting investment has been developed. Monoammonium phosphate and magnesium oxide are used as gelling and hardening agents for the sodium silicate. This allows rapid formation of shell layers. Chrome-cobalt partial denture frameworks may be cast in 1 hour when casting high-heat alloys, and in 2 hours when casting low-heat alloys. Castings produced by means of this investment and technique are as accurate as those obtained by conventional methods. This technique has the following advantages: (1) a shortening of the time required for the fabrication of a partial denture casting; (2) approximately a 90 per cent reduction in the quantity of investment needed per casting; (3) a reduction in storage and shipment costs of large quantities of investment; (4) a lower operational cost for the burnout ovens, due to the shorter burnout cycle and more constant burnout temperature; and (5) the elimination of additional equipment (flasking rings or casting rings) used in other techniques.
The family formation process among U.S. marriage cohorts.

The family formation process is viewed as the progression of women through first marriage, first, subsequent, and last births and is examined for differential patterns of timing in 1930–1969 marriage cohorts. Based on the childbearing histories of approximately 17,000 white women once and still married, extracted from the June 1975 Current Population Survey, the study uses a dynamic model to show the varying importance across cohorts of the first birth interval as an important indicator of the total time spent in childbearing, social background effects in differentiating the timing of the first two births, and of prior birth transitions as affecting subsequent ones.
Artificial intelligence for waste minimization in the process industry

Abstract One of the most effective means of minimizing the generation of wastes in the process industry is through process design/modification and process control. It is very difficult to resort to conventional algorithmic methods to design and control a process with waste minimization in mind when the available information pertaining to a process is imprecise, incomplete, and uncertain, and the accessible knowledge is in symbolic form. In contrast, artificial intelligence (AI) techniques are viable alternatives for dealing with the information and knowledge of these types. In the present work, the basic characteristics of waste minimization are described, and the applicability of AI techniques to waste minimization is delineated. Three AI-based design and control systems developed specifically for waste minimization are described.
A Hybrid Phonon Gas Model for Transient Ballistic-Diffusive Heat Transport

We present a continuum hybrid phonon gas model to describe transient ballistic-diffusive heat transport. In this model, heat energy is carried by a mixture of longitudinal and transverse phonon gases so that the distinction between longitudinal and transverse phonon excitations is taken into account. This new model is validated by the successful reconstruction of benchmark cases of heat-pulse experiments in NaF, which have never been completely reconstructed before. It is elucidated how thermal pulses are transmitted by longitudinal and transverse phonon gases. This model not only helps us yield new insight in transient ballistic-diffusive heat conduction mechanisms but also provides numerical tools to study transient ballistic-diffusive heat conduction in nanoelectronic and modern optoelectronics.
Refractive state, ocular anatomy, and accommodative range of the sea otter (Enhydra lutris)

Sea otters are carnivorous, amphibious mammals that are active both above and under water. Accordingly, it might be expected that their eyes are adapted for both aerial and aqueous vision. We examined the anatomy and physiological optics of the sea otter eye with a view towards describing and explaining its amphibious visual characteristics. We employed photokeratoscopy to measure the refractive power of the sea otter cornea, which we found to be 59 D. Using video dynamic photorefraction, we found that sea otters can focus targets clearly both in air and water, relying on accommodation to compensate for the refractive loss of their corneas upon immersion in water. Our anatomical investigations revealed that the anterior epithelium of the cornea is extensively developed, as is the iris musculature, meridional ciliary muscle, and the corneoscleral venous plexus. The first feature is most likely an adaptation to the salinity of the marine environment. We believe the latter features are part of a novel, well-developed lenticular accommodative mechanism.
Desorption induced by electronic transitions of Na from SiO2: relevance to tenuous planetary atmospheres

Abstract Motivated by controversy concerning the origins of Na vapor in the atmospheres of Mercury and the Moon, we have studied the desorption induced by electronic transitions (DIET) of Na adsorbed on model mineral surfaces, i.e. amorphous, stoichiometric SiO2 films. We find that electron stimulated desorption (ESD) of atomic Na occurs for electron energy thresholds as low as ∼4 eV, that desorption cross-sections are high (∼1×10−19 cm2 at 11 eV), and that desorbing atoms are ‘hot’, with suprathermal velocities. Photon stimulated desorption (PSD) of atomic Na is observed to have a threshold energy of ∼4 eV, and the desorption cross-section for hν≈5 eV is ∼3×10−20 cm2. The data are interpreted in terms of charge transfer to adsorbed Na+ to form neutral Na0, which desorbs from the surface. Desorption of Na+ is observed with a threshold energy of ∼25 eV in ESD, associated with excitation of the O 2s energy level. The estimated Na desorption rate from the lunar surface via ESD by solar wind electrons is a small fraction (a few per cent) of the rate needed to sustain the Na atmosphere. However, the solar photon flux at energies ≥5 eV exceeds the solar wind electron flux by orders of magnitude; there are sufficient ultraviolet photons incident on the lunar surface to contribute substantially to the lunar Na atmosphere via PSD of Na from the surface.
Annealing effects on (0 0 1) Ni films grown on MgO

Abstract Metal–ceramic interfaces are important in applications as diverse as magnetic storage media and supported catalysts. It is very important to understand how the crystallography and microstructure of metallic films deposited onto ceramic substrates depend on growth and/or annealing conditions so that their physical properties (e.g. magnetic, electronic, etc.) can be tailored for specific applications. To this end, we have studied the epitaxial growth and annealing of (0 0 1) Ni films molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) grown on MgO substrates, where we have observed the evolution of the surface using correlated in situ reflection high-energy-electron diffraction (RHEED) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) measurements. We have compared our data with that of (1 1 1) Ni films similarly grown on MgO.
Leibniz, creation and the best of all possible worlds

Leibniz argued that God would not create a world unless it was the best possible world. I defend Leibniz's argument. I then consider whether God could refrain from creating if there were no best possible world. I argue that God, on pain of contradiction, could not refrain from creating in such a situation. I conclude that either this is the best possible world or God is not our creator.
Ethanol inhibits release of excitatory amino acids from slices of hippocampal area CA1.

Abstract Slices of hippocampal area CA1 were employed to test the hypothesis that release of excitatory amino acids glutamate and aspartate is regulated by ethanol. K + -evoked release of glutamate and aspartate was inhibited by ethanol (25–100 mM) in a dose-dependent manner. Ethanol (100 mM) also inhibited K + -evoked γ-aminobutyric acid release. This selective inhibition of excitatory amino acid release by ethanol may contribute to some of the learning and memory deficits associated with ethanol abuse, since excitatory amino acid receptors play an important role in synaptic plasticity processes.
Bleomycin-induced mutagenesis in repackaged lambda phage: base substitution hotspots at the sequence C-G-C-C

DNA isolated from lambda phage was treated with bleomycin A2 plus Fe2+. The bleomycin-damaged DNA was added to lambda packaging extracts and the resulting phage were grown in SOS-induced E. coli. Under these conditions, treatment of the DNA with 0.8 microM bleomycin reduced the viability of the repackaged phage to 3% and increased the frequency of clear-plaque mutants in the progeny by a factor of 16. Bleomycin-induced mutations which mapped to the DNA-binding domain of the cI gene were subjected to DNA-sequence analysis. The most frequent events were single-base substitutions at G:C base pairs, nearly all of which occurred at cytosines in the sequence Py-G-C. Cytosines in the third position of the sequence C-G-C-C were particularly susceptible to mutation. At A:T base pairs, mutations were less frequent and were a mixture of single-base substitutions and -1 frameshifts, occurring primarily at G-T and A-T sequences. Thus, the overall specificity of bleomycin-induced mutations matches that of bleomycin-induced DNA lesions (strand breaks and apyrimidinic sites), which are formed at G-C (particularly Py-G-C), G-T and, to a lesser extent, A-T sequences. Furthermore, the frequency of various types of substitutions was consistent with selective incorporation of A and T residues opposite apyrimidinic sites at these sequences. The highly selective nature of bleomycin-induced mutations may explain the lack of mutagenesis by this compound in a number of reversion assays.
Evidence for the protonation of basal plane sites on carbon

Abstract The nature of the surface basicity of two series of highly pure, chemically and/or thermally pretreated carbons has been investigated by 1. (a) HCl adsorption, 2. (b) stepped temperature-programmed desorption, 3. (c) electrophoresis and 4. (d) mass titration. Following a comprehensive review of the pertinent literature, it is concluded that two mechanisms are necessary and sufficient to account for the basic properties of carbons. For carbons having low oxygen contents, molar HCl/O adsorption ratios exceeding two indicate that an oxygen-free type of site is involved in the adsorption process. Evidence favoring electron donor-acceptor (EDA) interactions of the type Cπ + H3O+ → Cπ-H3O+ is presented. The postulated Cπ site and its interaction with adsorbed H3O+ ions is described in detail. As the oxygen content of the carbon increases, the molar HCl O ratios decrease sharply and level off at nonzero values, which are small due to the presence of nonbasic surface oxides. When these are removed by heat treatment (at 1073 K), the molar HCl/O adsorption ratio is again found to exceed two at low oxygen coverages, but levels off at ca. 1 for higher oxygen coverages. Of all the basic surface oxides proposed in the literature, only the pyronetype groups can account for this HCl O ratio. Therefore, it is proposed that the basicity of carbon surfaces arises from a combination of EDA and pyrone-type interactions. The predominance of either will be dictated by the oxygen content of the carbon in question.
Interaction of N-alkylanthracyclines with lipid bilayers: correlations between partition coefficients, lipid phase distributions and thermotropic behavior.

Abstract The thermotropic behavior of multilamellar vesicles of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC), or of DPPC in admixture with cardiolipin or cholesterol, in the presence of various N -alkyl derivatives of both adriamycin-14-valerate has been investigated by high sensitivity differential scanning calorimetry. The analogues, particularly the 14-valerate derivatives, which were most lipophilic as judged by their lipid/buffer, and to a lesser extent by their octanol/buffer, partition coefficients, were the most effective in depressing the t m of the investigated lipids; correlations, however, were not absolute. Other factors, such as the distribution of the drugs between the solid and liquid-crystalline phases of the bilayer, were also important to the observed membrane perturbations. With all anthracyclines, however, no major changes in the transition enthalpy were observed. In the case of vesicles prepared from pure DPPC, curve fitting analysis based on ideal solution theory (J.M. Sturtevant (1984) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 81, 1398–1400) applied at relatively low drug concentrations where single peak transitions were produced, adequately described the differential scanning calorimetric results. At high drug concentrations, however, the presence of multipeak transitions were indicative of non-ideality.
The estimation of stratum means vector with random sample sizes

Abstract We will show that an ancillary paradox, which is similar to Brown (Ann. Statist. 18, 1990), can occur in the estimation of the means vector in a situation involving random sample sizes. Suppose that some population has been partitioned into k strata. The mi observations will be drawn independently from the ith stratum. Assume that the vector of sample means has a k-variate normal distribution with mean vector θ. If mi is fixed, δ0, the admissible and minimax estimator of θ under ordinary squared error loss function, is given in Berger (Ann. Statist. 4, 1976). If mi is an ancillary statistic, we prove that δ0 is not admissible. Two new estimators for k⩾4 are investigated where one of them was proposed by Baranchik (Ann. Statist. 1, 1973). Some comparisons among all these estimators are performed.
Test of a single volume Cherenkov counter and drift chamber detector

Abstract A prototype detector which utilizes a single gas volume for both a Cherenkov counter radiator and a drift chamber has been built and tested. Such a detector has practical use in high energy physics experiments which require both charged particle momentum measurement and particle identification. The advantage in using such a system is the reduction in size and cost of such a system as compared to the cost of a similar system which uses two distinct gas volumes for the Cherenkov radiator and the drift chamber.
Segmentation of materials images using 3D electron interaction modeling

In this paper, we propose the scanning electron microscope (SEM) image blurring model and apply this model to the joint deconvolution and segmentation method which performs deconvolution and segmentation simultaneously. In the field of materials science and engineering, automated image segmentation techniques are critical and getting exact boundary shape is especially important. However, there are still some difficulty in getting good segmentation results when the images have blurring degradation. SEM images have blurring due in part to complex electron interactions during acquisition. To improve segmentation results at object boundaries, we incorporate prior knowledge of this blurring degradation into the existing EM/MPM segmentation algorithm. Experimental results are presented to demonstrate that the proposed method can be used to improve the segmentation of microscope images of materials.
Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of Trinitrobenzyl Halides as an Alternative Approach to Hexanitrostilbene

The selective oxidation and halogenation of nitroaromatics is a difficult task both chemically and enzymatically. We have discovered that vanadium chloroand bromoperoxidases from Curvularia inaequalis and Corralina officinalis, respectively, are capable of catalyzing the hydroxylation, halogenation, and demethylation of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) under alkaline conditions. At pH 8, the conversions for hydroxylation and demethylation reached 38 and 45%, respectively, while direct halogenation was minimal. Vanadium chloroperoxidase generated trinitrobenzyl alcohol with initial rates of 0.27 M/h-unit enzyme as compared with 0.11 M/ h-unit enzyme for the vanadium bromoperoxidase. The products of the enzymatic reaction were easily separated and purified and the unreacted substrate recovered. In the presence of PCl5, the trinitrobenzyl alcohol produced by vanadium chloroperoxidase was readily converted to trinitrobenzyl chloride (TNBCl). This chemoenzymatic synthesis may be useful in the environmentally benign synthesis of hexanitrostilbene, a key component of heat-resistant explosive materials.
Modulation (Feminization) of Hepatic Enzymes by an Ectopic Pituitary Tumor

The ontogeny and endocrine regulation of sexdifferentiated hepatic metabolism is mediated via the hypothalamic- pituitary axis. Using in uitro-in vivo systems, we demonstrate alterations in activity levels of six sex-differentiated enzyme systems in male rats bearing ectopic pituitary tumors after the injection of a pituitary cell line, C811RAP. Activity levels of hepatic glutathione S-transferase, UDP-glucuronyltransferase, and aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase are reduced to activity levels of control females, while histidase, 5α-reductase, and serum cholinesterase levels are increased to levels of control females, i.e. feminization of all of these enzymes. RIAs of testosterone, estrogen, FSH, and PRL are similar in tumor-bearing and control animals, but GH levels are significantly higher in tumorbearing animals than in the controls. It is suggested that GH may be the pituitary factor responsible for the expression of sexdifferentiated hepatic metabolism. (Endocrinology 117: 523– 526,1985)
XSEDE-enabled high-throughput lesion activity assessment

Caries lesion activity assessment has been a routine diagnostic procedure in dental caries management, traditionally employing subjective measurements incorporating visual and tactile inspections. Recently, advances in 2D/3D image processing and analysis methods and microfocus x-ray computerized tomography (μ-CT) hardware, together with increased power of high performance computing, have created a synergic effect that is revolutionizing many fields in dental computing. In this paper, we report such an XSEDE-enabled high-throughput lesion activity assessment workflow that exploits 2D/3D image processing, visual analytics, and high performance computing technologies. Our paper starts with a brief introduction of the image dataset in our dental studies. We then proceed to a family of 2D image analysis, ROI segmentation, and 3D geometric construction methods. By combining dental imaging technology and 2D/3D image processing algorithms, we transform the task of lesion activity assessment into a 3D-time series analysis of computer generated lesion models. Building on the computational algorithms and implementation models, we develop a high-throughput dental computing workflow exploiting MapReduce tasks to parallelize the image analysis of dental CT scans, the segmentation of region-of-interest (ROI), and the 3D construction of lesion volumes. We showcase the employment of 3D-time series analysis and several other information representations that are applied to our lesion activity assessment scenario focusing on large scale dental image data.
Curvilinearity in the diversification–performance linkage: an examination of over three decades of research

While an extensive literature examines the diversification-performance relationship, little agreement exists concerning the nature of this relationship. Both theoretical and empirical disagreements abound. This study synthesizes findings from three decades of research to address major theoretical issues that remain open to debate. We derive three competing models from the literature and empirically assess these using meta-analytic data drawn from 55 previously published studies. The results of our tests indicate that moderate levels of diversification yield higher levels of performance than either limited or extensive diversification. Thus, we provide support for the curvilinear model; that is, performance increases as firms shift from single-business strategies to related diversification, but performance decreases as firms change from related diversification to unrelated diversification. The results also indicate major effects from variation in diversification and performance operationalizations. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
On an Obstruction to the Hasse Norm Principle and the Equality of Norm Groups of Algebraic Number Fields

Abstract Let L / k and T / k be finite extensions of algebraic number fields. In the present work we introduce the factor group of k *∩ N L / k J L N T / k J T by ( k *∩ N T / k J T ) N L / k L *, where J L and J T are the idele groups of L and T , respectively. The main theorem shows that the computation of this factor group can be reduced to the computation in finite group theory, and the computation with Galois groups of local extensions at a finite number of primes of the base field k . We then apply the main theorem to establish a number of interesting results on the equality of norm groups as subgroups of the multiplicative group of k . In particular, we obtain new results on solitary non-Galois extensions of algebraic number fields.
Using semiclassical trajectories for the time-evolution of interacting quantum-mechanical systems

We have developed a method that recasts the time-propagation of dynamic, mutually interacting quantum-mechanical wavefunctions principally as the time-evolution of many classical particles. Our approach utilizes an approximation of Feynman path integrals, known as the semiclassical method, to reduce the path integral to only the ''classical'' paths connecting the wavefunction at one time step to the next. In exchange for simplifying the path sampling, each classical path's contribution gains a determinant term dependent on the path and its environment. Like virtual particles in quantum field theory, ''virtual classical particles'' are said to follow these classical paths. Pushing these virtual classical particles provides the necessary data to evolve quantum wavefunctions in time. Particle-based techniques implemented on parallel computers can then be used to propagate quantum systems using this alternative method.
Middle and high school drug testing and student illicit drug use: a national study 1998-2011.

Abstract Purpose This study uses 14 years of data from nationally representative samples of U.S. middle and high school students in the Monitoring the Future study to examine associations between school student drug testing (SDT), substance use, and participation in extracurricular activities. Methods Analyses use questionnaire data collected from 1998 to 2011 from 89,575 students in 883 middle schools and 157,400 students in 1,463 high schools to examine: (1) the current prevalence of SDT; (2) SDT trends over time; (3) associations between substance use and SDT type, volume, or duration among the general student population or students participating in activities subject to testing; (4) associations between students' beliefs/attitudes about marijuana use and SDT; and (5) associations between extracurricular participation rates and SDT. Results Moderately lower marijuana use was associated with any random testing of the general high school student population and for SDT of middle and high school sub-populations specifically subject to testing (athletes or participants in nonathletic extracurricular activities). However, SDT generally was associated with increased use of illicit drugs other than marijuana. Conclusions Because the study design is observational and the data are cross-sectional, no strong causal conclusions can be drawn. However, there is evidence of lower marijuana use in the presence of SDT, and evidence of higher use of illicit drugs other than marijuana. Until further research can clarify the apparent opposing associations, schools should approach SDT with caution.
Lymphoma: Immune Evasion Strategies

While the cellular origin of lymphoma is often characterized by chromosomal translocations and other genetic aberrations, its growth and development into a malignant neoplasm is highly dependent upon its ability to escape natural host defenses. Neoplastic cells interact with a variety of non-malignant cells in the tumor milieu to create an immunosuppressive microenvironment. The resulting functional impairment and dysregulation of tumor-associated immune cells not only allows for passive growth of the malignancy but may even provide active growth signals upon which the tumor subsequently becomes dependent. In the past decade, the success of immune checkpoint blockade and adoptive cell transfer for relapsed or refractory lymphomas has validated immunotherapy as a possible treatment cornerstone. Here, we review the mechanisms by which lymphomas have been found to evade and even reprogram the immune system, including alterations in surface molecules, recruitment of immunosuppressive subpopulations, and secretion of anti-inflammatory factors. A fundamental understanding of the immune evasion strategies utilized by lymphomas may lead to better prognostic markers and guide the development of targeted interventions that are both safer and more effective than current standards of care.
Endoscopic retrieval of a capsule endoscope from a Zenker's diverticulum.

SUMMARY. We report a case of a capsule endoscope lodged within a Zenker's diverticulum. The capsule was safely removed endoscopically. Safe re-insertion of the capsule was achieved using an overtube placed with a Savary dilator. While capsule endoscopy should be avoided in patients with large esophageal diverticula or dysphagia, this method may be used to deliver the capsule beyond the esophagus, allowing completion of the capsule endoscopy study.
Leader Power, Followers' Conflict Management Strategies, and Propensity to Leave a Job: A Cross-Cultural Study

This study tested a structural equations model of the French and Raven bases of supervisory power (coercive, reward, legitimate, expert, and referent), strategies of managing conflict with supervisor (problem solving and bargaining), and propensity to leave a job. The LISREL 8 analysis of questionnaire data from the U.S., Greece, South Korea, and Bangladesh indicates that coercive power was negatively associated with expert power in the U.S.; reward power was positively associated with expert power in all the four countries and it was associated with referent power in Greece and Bangladesh; legitimate power was positively associated with expert power in all the four countries, but it was positively associated with referent power in the U.S. In all the four countries, expert power was positively associated with referent power; which in turn, was positively associated with problem solving and negatively associated with bargaining. Problem solving was positively associated with propensity to leave a job and bargaining was negatively associated with the same in the U.S. and Greece, but not in South Korea and Bangladesh. The results were similar for the U.S. and Greece and for South Korea and Bangladesh, but the U.S. and Greece were different from South Korea and Bangladesh. These findings can be explained in terms of the individualistic-collectivistic dimension of the national culture. We discuss implications of the findings for organizations, limitations of the study, and directions for future research.
Discussion of "the 'numbers game' in the pre- and post-sarbanes-oxley eras"

Eli Bartov and Daniel Cohen (2009) test whether there has been a decline in the extent to which managers engage in opportunistic activities to meet or beat analyst benchmarks after the passage of the Sar-banes-Oxley Act (SOX) in response to the well-publicized corporate scandals of 2001 and 2002. They document a decline in the proportion of firms just meeting or beating analyst expectations (JMB firms) in the Post-SOX period. Focusing on the specific strategic actions taken by JMB firms, they find evidence of a shift away from expectations management and earnings management via accruals, towards earnings management via real activities. The research setting is intuitively appealing, and the results documented in the paper are very interesting.However, there appear to be multiple inferences that can be drawn from these results. In particular, the patterns documented in the paper raise questions about whether the effects of regulation (in this case, SOX) are indeed beneficial for capital markets, an issue th...
Optimal perturbation control of gene regulatory networks

We formulate the control problem in gene regulatory networks as an inverse perturbation problem, which provides the feasible set of perturbations that force the network to transition from an undesirable steady-state distribution to a desirable one. We derive a general characterization of such perturbations in an appropriate basis representation. We subsequently consider the optimal perturbation, which minimizes the overall energy of change between the original and controlled (perturbed) networks. The “energy” of change is characterized by the Euclidean-norm of the perturbation matrix. We cast the optimal control problem as a semi-definite programming (SDP) problem, thus providing a globally optimal solution which can be efficiently computed using standard SDP solvers. We apply the proposed control to the Human melanoma gene regulatory network and show that the steady-state probability mass is shifted from the undesirable high metastatic states to the chosen steady-state probability mass.
School Libraries Serving Rural Communities in China: The Evergreen Model

This paper presents a case study of Evergreen school libraries in the northwestern region of China, with a focus on their innovative approaches to community services and strategies of reaching out to local town residents and villagers. This case study consists of patron/school librarian interviews, observation of brainstorming by school librarians and principals, and analysis of library usage data gathered from project schools. In view of known issues identified from existing literature, this study attempts to identify factors that potentially contribute to a school library’s success/failure in serving its local community.
Expression of Chemokines and Induction of Rapid Cell Death in Human Blood Neutrophils by Mycobacterium tuberculosis

To elucidate the role of neutrophils in the early inflammatory response to mycobacterial infection, expression of chemokines interleukin (IL)-8 and macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha (MIP-1alpha) was examined in human blood neutrophils in response to the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Escherichia coli, which induces acute inflammation, or to Mycobacterium tuberculosis or purified protein derivative (PPD), which induce chronic mycobacterial inflammation. Neutrophils stimulated with LPS, M. tuberculosis, or PPD expressed both IL-8 and MIP-1alpha. Expression of IL-8 and MIP-1alpha was lower after stimulation with M. tuberculosis or PPD than after stimulation with LPS, but the kinetics of expression did not differ significantly. In contrast, both M. tuberculosis and PPD with tumor necrosis factor-alpha induced neutrophils to undergo rapid cell death, which might remove neutrophils and activate macrophages at sites of mycobacterial inflammation. The findings suggest that neutrophils play important roles in the host defense against mycobacterial infection.
Effect of dietary catechin and vitamin E on aortic fatty streak accumulation in hypercholesterolemic hamsters

Male golden Syrian hamsters were fed for 16 weeks on a hypercholesterolemic diet containing, per kg, 150 g of lipids (90 g butterfat, 35 g vitamin E-stripped corn oil and 25 g fish oil), 2 g cholesterol and either 3 IU vitamin E (3 IU E), 3 IU vitamin E and 200 mg catechin hydrate (3 IU E-200 Cat) or 30 IU vitamin E (30 IU E). More fatty streaks, measured by Oil Red O staining, were deposited in aortas of hamsters fed 3 IU E than in those fed either 3 IU E-200 Cat or 30 IU E. Lipid staining increased with plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in all animals. At the same concentration of LDL-C, animals fed either 3 IU E-200 Cat or 30 IU E developed less fatty streaks than those fed 3 IU E. Plasma LDL-C and total cholesterol were highest in hamsters fed 3 IU E and LDL-C and total cholesterol in animals fed 3 IU-200 Cat were not different from those fed either 3 IU E or 30 IU E. This study showed the importance of circulating plasma LDL-C on atherogenesis and the inhibitory effect on this process of both dietary vitamin E and catechin.
Social Concertation in Democratic and Market Transitions Comparative Lessons from Spain

This essay employs a state-structuralist approach to explain the emergence of social concertation as a policy mechanism to facilitate democratization and economic liberalization in post-Franco Spai...
What might have been-what could be: Working with the grief of children in long-term care

Abstract “What might have been. what could be'. The stuff dreams are made of. However, the longing, searching, and yearning implied are, each in their own way, activities of anguish which shift the golden romantic dream to torment. Being near a child who is pining in this way is uncomfortable and causes us distress - and all the individual ways of dealing with that distress. We've all been children. We all know what it is to loose something, or to be separated from someone important to us. We know how it can consume us and feel as if it's the end of the world. “A child does not know death - only absence; and in absence, the parent may as well be dead, so overwhelming is the child's sense.of loss (Robertson, 1952);'
Repeated Exposure to Methamphetamine Causes Long-Lasting Presynaptic Corticostriatal Depression that Is Renormalized with Drug Readministration

Addiction-associated behaviors such as drug craving and relapse are hypothesized to result from synaptic changes that persist long after withdrawal and are renormalized by drug reinstatement, although such chronic synaptic effects have not been identified. We report that exposure to the dopamine releaser methamphetamine for 10 days elicits a long-lasting (>4 month) depression at corticostriatal terminals that is reversed by methamphetamine readministration. Both methamphetamine-induced chronic presynaptic depression and the drug's selective renormalization in drug-experienced animals are independent of corresponding long-term changes in synaptic dopamine release but are due to alterations in D1 dopamine and cholinergic receptor systems. These mechanisms might provide a synaptic basis that underlies addiction and habit learning and their long-term maintenance.
Momentum roughness and view-angle dependent heat roughness at a Southern Great Plains test-site

Surface roughness parameters were determined for harvested wheat fields over level terrain at the US Department of Energy’s Cloud and Radiation Testbed (CART) site in north-central Oklahoma. Measurements of wind speed and temperature were made by radiosondes and instruments mounted on 2 and 10 m towers during neutral and unstable atmospheric conditions in the atmospheric surface layer. Surface temperatures were measured radiatively over 750 m trajectories. Roughness heights were calculated for the region using the Monin‐Obukhov similarity theory. The scalar roughness and the local momentum roughness were determined using wind speed measurements at 10 m and temperature measurements at 2 m combined with eddy correlation measurements for up. The scalar roughness z oh was determined to be 0.0021 and 0.0038 m for the nadir and the off-nadir viewing angle, respectively. It was estimated that the displacement height d is negligible. A regional momentum surface roughness of z o = 0.15 m was determined by means of the radiosonde profiles. Good agreement ( = 0.92) between measured and calculated sensible heat flux values was found using an independent data set of radiosonde profiles. q 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Effect of Emission From the Moon on Remote Sensing of Sea Surface Salinity: An Example With the Aquarius Radiometer

This letter describes the effect of thermal emission from the Moon on remote sensing of sea surface salinity from space. In most cases, radiation from the Moon is negligible; however, at several times during the lunar cycle, it is possible for radiation to be reflected from the Earth's surface into the main beam of the radiometer antennas. The signal in such cases can be important because of the high radiometric accuracy required to monitor salinity. Examples are presented using the Aquarius orbit and antennas for both smooth and rough ocean surfaces.
Increased polysedative use in veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder.

BACKGROUND: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment is often complicated in veterans by co-occurring conditions including pain, insomnia, brain injury, and other mental disorders. Pharmacologic approaches to these conditions can produce an accumulation of sedating medications with potential for safety concerns. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to characterize polysedative prescribing among veterans with PTSD over an 8-year period. DESIGN: National Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) data were used to identify veterans with PTSD using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes among regular medication users. Prescribing of benzodiazepines, hypnotics, atypical antipsychotics, opioids, and muscle relaxants was determined annually. Prevalence and incidence rates were determined for each medication class from 2004 through 2011. Polysedative use was determined from longitudinal refill patterns that indicated concurrent use across sedative classes. RESULTS: In 2004, 9.8% of veterans with PTSD concurrently received medications from three or more sedative classes. By 2011, the prevalence of concurrent use involving three or more classes increased to 12.1%. Polysedative use varied across demographic subgroups, with higher rates observed among women, rural residents, younger adults, Native Americans and Whites. The most common combination was an opioid plus a benzodiazepine, taken concurrently by 15.9% of veterans with PTSD. CONCLUSIONS: Important trends in polysedative use among veterans with PTSD illustrate the complexity of treating an intersecting cluster of symptoms managed by sedative medications. As the VA seeks to improve care by focusing on non-pharmacologic options, our findings emphasize the need for a comprehensive approach that encompasses overlapping conditions of relevance to veterans with PTSD. Language: en
A Spatially-Analytical Scheme for Surface Temperatures and Conductive Heat Fluxes in Urban Canopy Models

In the urban environment, surface temperatures and conductive heat fluxes through solid media (roofs, walls, roads and vegetated surfaces) are of paramount importance for the comfort of residents (indoors) and for microclimatic conditions (outdoors). Fully discrete numerical methods are currently used to model heat transfer in these solid media in parametrisations of built surfaces commonly used in weather prediction models. These discrete methods usually use finite difference schemes in both space and time. We propose a spatially-analytical scheme where the temperature field and conductive heat fluxes are solved analytically in space. Spurious numerical oscillations due to temperature discontinuities at the sublayer interfaces can be avoided since the method does not involve spatial discretisation. The proposed method is compared to the fully discrete method for a test case of one-dimensional heat conduction with sinusoidal forcing. Subsequently, the analytical scheme is incorporated into the offline version of the current urban canopy model (UCM) used in the Weather Research and Forecasting model and the new UCM is validated against field measurements using a wireless sensor network and other supporting measurements over a suburban area under real-world conditions. Results of the comparison clearly show the advantage of the proposed scheme over the fully discrete model, particularly for more complicated cases.
Self-similar solutions to the second-order incompressible boundary-layer equations

Solutions are obtained for the self-similar form of the incompressible boundary-layer equations for all four second-order contributors, i.e. vorticity interaction, displacement speed, longitudinal and transverse curvature. These results are found to contain all previous self-similar solutions as members of the much larger family of solutions presented here. Numerical solutions are presented for a large number of cases, and several closed form solutions, which may have special significance for the separation problem, are also discussed.
B-type natriuretic peptide levels: diagnostic and prognostic in congestive heart failure: what's next?

Although major advances in our understanding of the pathophysiology of congestive heart failure (CHF) have resulted in treatments that lead to symptomatic improvement and longer life, CHF still remains a major clinical challenge, especially in the areas of diagnosis, prognosis, and risk stratification. For the first time since the introduction of echocardiography some 20 years ago, a simple blood test appears to offer a significant advance in these areas. See p 2392 B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) is a neurohormone secreted mainly in the cardiac ventricles in response to volume expansion and pressure overload.1,2⇓ Activation of BNP in patients with left ventricular (LV) dysfunction has generated considerable interest in both its diagnostic and prognostic properties. Although data have shown that BNP levels correlate with the severity and prognosis of heart failure,3,4⇓ it was not until the development of a rapid, inexpensive assay that BNP could be used in the active clinical setting. In fact, present data, including the article in this issue of Circulation by Berger et al,5 suggest that BNP has finally cemented its role in these areas. For diagnostic screening tests to be useful in acute care, a test should have a high negative predictive value by itself and, along with clinical findings, should aid in the identification of patients whose dyspnea is a result of CHF. Davis et al,6 who measured the natriuretic hormones atrial natriuretic peptide and BNP in 52 patients presenting with acute dyspnea, found that admission plasma BNP concentrations more accurately reflected the final diagnosis than did ejection fraction or concentration of plasma atrial natriuretic peptide. Dao et al7 used the newly available point-of-care rapid assay for BNP (Triage Assay, Biosite Inc) in 250 patients presenting to the San Diego VA Healthcare Urgent Care Center. Patients diagnosed with …
No pain and gain!—experiences with Mentat on a biological application

Throughout much of the parallel processing community there is the sense that writing software for distributed-memory parallel processors Is subject to a ‘no pain—no gain’ rule: that In order to reap the benefits of parallel computation one must first suffer the pain of converting the application to run on a parallel machine. We believe this Is the result of Inadequate programming tools and not a problem Inherent to parallel processing. We will show that one can parallelize real scientific applications and obtain good performance with little effort If the right tools are used. Our vehicle for this demonstration is a 6000-line DNA and protein sequence comparison application that we have implemented in Mental, an object-oriented parallel processing system for both parallel and distributed architectures. We briefly describe the application and present performance information for both the Mentat version and a hand-coded parallel version of the application.
Building models explaining student participation behavior in asynchronous online discussion

Previous studies have invested much effort in understanding how participation in asynchronous online discussion affects student learning, and what factors influence student participation behavior. Results of these studies have been inconclusive and these investigations are often conducted from isolated perspectives. Relying on social cognitive theory, this study proposes two dynamic student participation models in online dialogue and particularly highlights understudied factors - collective efficacy, social ability, reading behavior, the time dimension of participation - to examine the mediation and causal relationship among those factors and their influence on learning. The models are tested utilizing data collected from a large US university. Specifically, while the predictive constructs are operationalized through the survey instruments, the outcome measures are modeled using electronic trace data and actual evaluation information. Data is analyzed using the Partial Least Squares modeling method. Results demonstrate the intertwined relationship among constructs and a different influencing mechanism for each construct on participation behavior and learning. By comparing these two built models, the time dimension of participation is shown to be more influential in predicting student learning than posting and reading actions. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of this study. Shows two social cognitive theory informed online student participation models.Applies collective efficacy, social ability, and temporal dimensions to online learning.Computational model shows the relationship between participation behavior and learning.The time dimension of model predicts student learning.