cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Toward a More Complete Understanding of Bystander Willingness to Help: What Role Does Critical Consciousness Play?

Sexual assault is a common phenomenon on university campuses with about one in five women victimized while in college. Consequently, bystander intervention programs have been gaining momentum. To improve such programs, research has begun to identify factors that may facilitate or impede individuals’ willingness to help a potential victim of sexual assault. The current study adds to this literature by: (a) examining potential differences in rape myth acceptance, critical consciousness, and willingness to help based on types of self-reported exposure to sexual assault; (b) exploring the previously unexamined mediating role of critical consciousness in the relationship between exposure to sexual assault and willingness to help; and (c) clarifying how the extent of rape myth acceptance impacts the relationship between exposure to sexual assault and willingness to help. Using a sample of 511 U.S. undergraduate students, results generally demonstrated that those with multiple types of exposure to sexual assault victimization demonstrated the highest levels of critical consciousness and greater willingness to help. Additionally, there was both a significant indirect effect of exposure to sexual assault on willingness to help via critical consciousness and a conditional effect of exposure to sexual assault on willingness to help that was stronger at lower levels of rape myth acceptance. Results highlight the importance of programming targeted at increasing critical consciousness.
Synthesis and Biophysical Characterization of RNAs Containing 2′-Fluorinated Northern Methanocarbacyclic Nucleotides

2'-Fluorinated Northern methanocarbacyclic (2'-F-NMC) nucleosides and phosphoramidites, based on a bicyclo[3.1.0]hexane scaffold bearing all four natural nucleobases (U, C, A, and G), were synthesized to enable exploration of this novel nucleotide modification related to the clinically validated 2'-deoxy-2'-fluororibonucleotides (2'-F-RNA). Biophysical properties of the 2'-F-NMC-containing oligonucleotides were evaluated. A duplex of 2'-F-NMC-modified oligonucleotide with RNA exhibited thermal stability similar to that of the parent RNA duplex, 2'-F-NMC-modified oligonucleotides had higher stability against 5'- and 3'-exonucleolytic degradation than the corresponding oligonucleotides modified with 2'-F-RNA, and 2'-F-NMC-modified oligonucleotides exhibited higher lipophilicity than the corresponding RNA oligonucleotides as well as those modified with 2'-F-RNA.
Variations of the Sliding Ladder Problem.

Stelios Kapranidis (steliok@usca.edu) has a Ph.D. and an M.S. in astronomy/astrophysics from the University of Washington, an M.S. in computer science from the University of Kansas, and a B.S. in mathematics from the University of Athens, Greece. He is an Associate Professor in the Chemistry and Physics Department of the University of South Carolina Aiken. Among his research interests are late stages of stellar evolution and also the application of technology in teaching physics and calculus.
Effect of Fatigue Protocols on Upper Extremity Neuromuscular Function and Implications for Ulnar Collateral Ligament Injury Prevention

Background:As the incidence of overuse injuries to the medial elbow in overhead athletes continues to rise, recent evidence suggests a link between these injuries and alterations in biomechanics pr...
Does Desire to Pursue Pleasurable Activities Matter? The Impact of Pretransplantation Anhedonia on Quality of Life and Fatigue in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.

ABSTRACT Anhedonia, the loss of the capacity to experience pleasure, is subjectively and biologically distinct from depressed mood. Few studies have specifically examined the association of pretransplantation anhedonia with key functional outcomes (eg, health-related quality of life [QOL]) in patients with hematologic malignancies who have undergone hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Among 248 HSCT recipients enrolled in 2 intervention trials, we examined the associations between pretransplantation anhedonia and both QOL and fatigue at 2 weeks and 6 months post-transplantation. Across time points, patients completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Bone Marrow Transplant, and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Fatigue subscale, which we used to measure depressive symptoms, QOL and fatigue, respectively. Pretransplantation anhedonia was assessed using the corresponding item in the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Bone Marrow Transplant and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Fatigue subscales were used to measure QOL and fatigue. Associations between pretransplantation anhedonia and outcomes were assessed using regression analyses, adjusting for age, sex, transplant type, and intervention group. Ninety-eight patients (39.5%) reported pretransplantation anhedonia, of whom 60 (61%) did not meet the criteria for elevated depressive symptoms. Pretransplantation anhedonia was negatively associated with QOL at 2 weeks (B = -17.21; 95% confidence interval [CI], -23.05 to -11.30; P Pretransplantation anhedonia is negatively and significantly associated with QOL and fatigue in HSCT recipients. These findings underscore the need to incorporate anhedonia assessment in the evaluation and management of psychological distress in these patients.
Adoption of computerized information management systems (CIMS) functions: Urban versus rural primary healthcare providers

This study examined whether there are differences in the adoption of specific Computerized Information Management Systems (CIMS) functionalities between urban and rural primary healthcare providers...
Binding affinities of oxytocin, vasopressin and Manning compound at oxytocin and V1a receptors in male Syrian hamster brains.

Oxytocin (OT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP), as well as synthetic ligands targeting their receptors (OTR, V1aR), are used in a wide variety of research contexts, although their pharmacological properties are determined in only a few species. Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) have a long history of use as a behavioural and biomedical model for the study of OT and AVP and, more recently, hamsters have been used to investigate behavioural consequences of OT-mediated activation of V1aR. We aimed to determine the binding affinities of OT, AVP and the selective V1aR antagonist, Manning compound, for OTR and V1aR in hamster brains. We performed saturation binding assays to determine the Kd values for the selective OTR and V1aR radioligands, [125 I]ornithine vasotocin analogue and [125 I]linear vasopressin antagonist. We then performed competition binding assays to determine Ki values for OT, AVP and Manning compound at both the OTR and V1aR. We found that OT and AVP each had the highest affinity for their canonical receptors (OT-OTR Ki = 4.28 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.9-6.3] nmol L-1 ; AVP-V1ar Ki = 4.70 [95% CI = 1.5-14.1] nmol L-1 ) and had the lowest affinity for their non-canonical ligands (OT-V1aR = 495.2 [95% CI = 198.5-1276] nmol L-1 ; AVP-OTR Ki = 36.1 [95% CI = 12.4-97.0] nmol L-1 ). Manning compound had the highest affinity for the V1aR (MC-V1aR Ki = 6.87 [95% CI = 4.0-11.9] nmol L-1 ; MC-OTR Ki = 213.8 [95% CI = 117.3-392.7] nmol L-1 ), although Manning compound was not as selective for the V1aR in hamsters as has been reported for the receptor in rats. When comparing these data with previously published work, we found that the promiscuity of the V1aR in hamsters with respect to OT and AVP binding is more similar to the promiscuity of the human V1aR than to the rat V1aR receptor. Moreover, the selectivity of OT at hamster receptors is more similar to the selectivity of OT at human receptors than the selectivity of OT at rat receptors. These data highlight the importance of determining the pharmacological properties of behaviourally relevant compounds in diverse model species.
Colorimetric and spectroscopic cobalt(II) sensing by a simple Schiff base

Abstract A Schiff base ligand assembled on 2,6-bis(iminomethyl)pyridine L has been synthesized, showing visual sensing of cobalt(II) ions over a wide range of transition metal ions including chromium (II), manganese(II), iron(III), nickel(II), copper(II) and zinc((II) in aqueous solution. The addition of cobalt(II) ions to the ligand induced a remarkable visible color change from colorless to yellow in solution, while other cations do not show any apparent color change. The ability of the ligand to detect cobalt(II) ions has been confirmed by UV–Vis studies, displaying new absorption bands at 370 and 570 nm, and supporting the colorimetric results. Structural analysis of the complex of L with nickel(II) reveals that the metal ion is chelated in an octahedral environment by six N atoms from two ligands.
Ground states for the nonlinear Schrödinger equation under a general trapping potential

The classical Schrodinger equation with a harmonic trap potential $$V(x)=|x|^2$$ , describing the quantum harmonic oscillator, has been studied quite extensively in the last 20 years. Its ground states are bell-shaped and unique, among localized positive solutions. In addition, they have been shown to be non-degenerate and (strongly) orbitally stable. All of these results, produced over the course of many publications and multiple authors, rely on ODE methods specifically designed for the Laplacian and the power function potential. In this article, we provide a wide generalization of these results. More specifically, we assume sub-Laplacian fractional dispersion and a very general form of the trapping potential V, with the driving linear operator in the form $${{\mathscr {H}}}=(-\Delta )^s+V, 0<s\le 1$$ . We show that the normalized waves of such semilinear fractional Schrodinger equation exist, and they are bell-shaped, provided that the nonlinearity is of the form $$|u|^{p-1} u, p<1+\frac{4 s}{n}$$ . In addition, we show that such waves are non-degenerate and strongly orbitally stable. Most of these results are new even in the classical case $${{\mathscr {H}}}=-\Delta +V$$ , where V is a general trapping potential considered herein.
Development of a Risk Indicator Score Card for a Large, Flight Training Department

Abstract The purpose of the research was to create and validate a single, quantitative indicator of flight risk for a Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 141 flight training department to increase the accuracy of the Risk Management and Safety Assurance components of the department’s Safety Management System (SMS). The researchers created and validated, via expert elicitation, a non-statistical model composed of twelve Safety Performance Indicators (SPIs) from both flight and maintenance operations and their relevant formulas. These were based on two years of flight-performance data from a 14 CFR Part 141 flight training department in the Southeast United States. Once the SPIs had been quantified, standardized, and assigned a weighted value, they were used to create a Risk Indicator Score Card capable of portraying the risk associated with flight operations; maintenance operations; and overall, combined operations on a monthly basis.
Effect of Varying Amplitude Cycling on SAC-Bi Solder Joint Fatigue

Realistic service conditions of electronics involve varying loading scenarios. The fatigue behavior of lead-free solder alloys under varying stress amplitude cycling is still not well understood. Service life predictions based on the common linear damage accumulation rules such as Miner’s rule, ignore the effect of varying stress amplitude cycling. This can result in a large error and misunderstanding of solder alloys’ fatigue performance. No research work has investigated the Bi-doped solder alloys under varying stress amplitude cycling. In this study, individual solder joints of three different types of Sn-Ag-Cu based solder alloys (SAC305, SAC-Q, and SAC-R) are cycled at room temperature under single and varying stress amplitude. The results indicate that the linear damage accumulation rules overestimate the fatigue life (cycles) of solder alloys under varying stress amplitude cycling. There is a significant effect of varying stress amplitude cycling on Bi-doped solder joints. SAC-Q shows more fatigue resistance than SAC305 and SAC-R in both single and varying stress amplitude cases. Also, the result shows that the average inelastic work of mild stress cycling is increased after every switch from mild to harsh stress amplitude. After the crack initiation, it will dramatically increase after each switch under varying amplitude cycling.
Preparing Your Team

Your patient needs a definitive airway and you have prepared your patient and yourself. Now it is time to prepare your team. Intubation is a team sport with a playbook that changes depending on the situation. Any team member not on board with the plan could lead the team to a loss. And, once the tube is in, and verified, do not forget to thank your team. Everyone’s role is equally important and the best team leaders make sure their team members know that.
Nostalgic for the unfamiliar: Korean Americans’ ‘imagined affective connection’ to the ancestral homeland:

This article addresses and attempts to reconcile the epistemological divide in recent return migration scholarship (e.g. diasporic return vs. ancestral homeland migration). Relying on interviews co...
Afterword: Between Self and Other

In the thought-provoking papers that constitute ‘Stranger Races: Reflections on Alterity in Constructions of the Self’, the authors make clear that our always already social confrontation with alte...
A Vision for Sustainable Energy: The Center for Hybrid Approaches in Solar Energy to Liquid Fuels (CHASE)

A new Solar Hub entitled the Center for Hybrid Approaches in Solar Energy to Liquid Fuels (CHASE) has been created to advance fundamental research on the production of liquid fuels from sunlight, water, nitrogen, and/or carbon dioxide. The Hub will undertake the construction and mechanistic study of hybrid photoelectrodes based on molecular catalysts integrated within solid state semiconductors in tailored microenvironments in order to achieve liquid solar fuel production. CHASE is centered at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with partner institutions at Brookhaven National Laboratory, Emory University, North Carolina State University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University.
Teaching Toward Decoloniality: A Mental Health Approach for Guatemala

This chapter focuses on the mental health system of Guatemala through interviews with the directors that run this system. In Guatemala, the majority of the public mental health system is composed of one psychiatric hospital—the National Mental Health Hospital Carlos Federico Mora, known as Federico Mora. Based on liberation psychology (Martin-Baro, 1989), I situate mental health within the relational, and in a historical perspective. Eight directors give insight into how the mental health system operates in the country. Findings reveal a high demand for mental health services that is unattended. An effort to avoid the services at the Federico Mora by organizations requiring psychiatric referrals. Finally, a history that ties the creation of the Federico Mora to the internal armed conflict. I argue that in a country where psychological violence was used against the civilian population by the state, mental health is a political issue. In addition, an unresponsive mental health system that uses violence in their care practices is a political strategy that through action and inaction normalizes state terror. In other words, the Federico Mora oppresses Guatemalans receiving services through violence (action) and those requiring services and not able to access them (inaction). This pattern is consistent with that of feminicide. Feminicide implicates the state in the killing of women by men as an act of gendered violence, and as such is a political term (Sanford, 2008; Carney & Torres, 2010; Menjivar, 2011). Because of this context, I propose teaching toward decoloniality as a paradigm centering the mental health needs of Guatemalans.
Allometric extrapolation of factors VII, VIII and IX clearance in children from adults

Summary. Background: There are situations where a pharmacokinetic (PK) study may not be possible in children, especially in neonates and infants. Under these circumstances, one would like to extrapolate PK parameters from adults or older children to neonates and infants. Allometric scaling is a method which can be used for PK extrapolation from adults to children. Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the predictive performance of an allometric model for the prediction of clearance of three coagulation factors in children from adult clearance. Methods: Clearance values for three coagulation factors (rVIIa, rVIII and rIX) for adults and children were obtained from the literature. The allometric model was developed from adult data and then the model was used to predict clearance of the coagulation factors in individual child. The predicted clearance value was then compared with the observed clearance value in that child. Results: The results of the study indicated that the CL of the three coagulation factors tested in this study could be predicted with accuracy (≤ 30% prediction error) in most of the children from the allometric model developed from adults. Conclusions: The study indicated that allometric scaling could be applied to predict the CL of coagulation factors in children from adults with accuracy. The predicted clearance can then be used to select a dose to initiate a clinical trial (pharmacokinetics, safety and efficacy) in children.
Membrane-type matrix metalloproteinases (MT-MMP)s: expression and function during glioma invasion

Membrane-type MMPs (MT-MMPs) constitute a growing subclass of recently identified matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). In addition to the highly conserved MMP functional domains, the MT-MMPs have additional insertion sequences (IS) that confer unique functional roles. While most of the MMPs are secreted, the MT-MMPs are membrane associated and a number of these have cytoplasmic domains which may be important in cellular signaling. This membrane localization leads to focal areas of receptor recruitment and subsequent activity, thereby enhancing pericellular proteolysis in specific areas of contact within the brain interstitium. MT1-MMP is the best-characterized MT-MMP, the measure against which subsequently cloned homologues are compared. MT1-MMP activates proMMP2 via its interaction with TIMP2, which serves as an intermolecular bridge for proMMP2 binding to MT-MMPs. In addition to activation of proMMP2, MT-MMPs display intrinsic proteolytic activity towards extracellular matrix molecules (ECM), which is independent of MMP2 activation. The increased expression levels of several members of the MMP family have been shown to correlate with high-grade gliomas, including MT1-MMP. Despite improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with glial tumors, they remain the most common and least curable brain cancer in adults. The ability of glioma cells to infiltrate surrounding brain tissue, and ultimately escape current therapeutic modalities, could potentially be minimized using anti-invasive therapies. Proteolysis is a necessary part of the invasion process, within which the MT-MMPs appear to play a central role. The development of pharmaceutical approaches that target expression and regulation of MT-MMPs may prove beneficial in targeting invading glioma cells.
The Myth of Conventional Implicature

Depuis la distinction que fit Grice entre le dit et l'implicature, on considere generalement que le premier est du ressort de la semantique, tandis que le second appartient au domaine de la pragmatique. Cependant, dans cette distinction, l'implicature conventionnelle pose probleme, derivant plutot du sens d'expressions particulieres que des circonstances conversationnelles. L'A. veut demontrer la non-existence des implicatures conventionnelles
Head and neck trauma in Iraq and Afghanistan: Different war, different surgery, lessons learned

Objectives/Hypothesis The objectives are to compare and contrast the head and neck trauma experience in Iraq and Afghanistan and to identify trauma lessons learned that are applicable to civilian practice. Study Design A retrospective review of one head and neck surgeon's operative experience in Iraq and Afghanistan was performed using operative logs and medical records. Methods The surgeon's daily operative log book with patient demographic data and operative reports was reviewed. Also, patient medical records were examined to identify the preoperative and postoperative course of care. Results The head and neck trauma experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan were very different, with a higher percentage of emergent cases performed in Iraq. In Iraq, only 10% of patients were pretreated at a facility with surgical capabilities. In Afghanistan, 93% of patients were pretreated at such facilities. Emergent neck exploration for penetrating neck trauma and emergent airway surgery were more common in Iraq, which most likely accounted for the increased perioperative mortality also seen in Iraq (5.3% in Iraq vs. 1.3% in Afghanistan). Valuable lessons regarding soft tissue trauma repair, midface fracture repair, and mandible fracture repair were learned. Conclusion The head and neck trauma experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan were very different, and the future training for mass casualty trauma events should reflect these differences. Furthermore, valuable head and neck trauma lessons learned in both war zones are applicable to the civilian practice of trauma. Level of Evidence Level 4. Laryngoscope, 123:2411–2417, 2013
Pectic acid lyases of Bacillus polymyxa.

Abstract Four enzymes were separated from an extracellular preparation of Bacillus polymyxa by carboxymethylcellulose column chromatography. The pH optima were 8.3 to 8.5, 8.7 to 8.9, 9.2 to 9.4, and 9.5 to 9.6. All of the enzymes required calcium ion for maximum activity, whereas strontium ion was only partially effective in stimulating activity. Cobalt was the only other cation tested which was effective in two of the enzymes. The lyases seem to attack a calcium salt-bridged substrate. Km and Vm data of the four enzymes on various oligomers are presented as well as paper chromatographic evidence of preferred sites of attack. All of the enzymes are endo-enzymes which, based upon their characteristics, were classed into two types.
Amnesty Programs and the Labor Market Outcomes of Undocumented Workers

I investigate the effect of the 1997 Nicaraguan Adjustment and Central American Relief Act (NACARA) on employment and earnings of undocumented foreign-born men from Nicaragua, Cuba, Guatemala, and El Salvador who were eligible for amnesty under the Act. I find that NACARA had a modest effect on the employment of these men; raised their real wage by 3 percent and weekly earnings by 4 percent. Estimates show that NACARA raised the wage of the target group without a high school degree by a statistically insignificant 1 percent and of those with high school or higher education by a statistically significant 5 percent.
Hydrodynamic theory of supersolids: Variational principle, effective Lagrangian, and density-density correlation function

We develop an effective low-energy, long-wavelength theory of a bulk supersolid---a putative phase of matter with simultaneous crystallinity and Bose condensation. Using conservation laws and general symmetry arguments we derive an effective action that correctly describes the coupling between the Bose condensation and the elasticity of the solid. We use our effective action to calculate the correlation and response functions for the supersolid, and we show that the onset of supersolidity produces peaks in the response function, corresponding to propagating second sound modes in the solid. With a further study on the dissipative hydrodynamics of supersolids we show that the Brillouin peaks of the second sound modes in the response function actually originate from the splitting of the central Rayleigh peak corresponding to the defect diffusion mode under the supersolid transition. Light scattering may provide a direct measure of this splitting.
First do no Harm: The Problem of Spyware

Over the last few years, there has been enormous U.S. interest in legislating rules governing spyware. This Article provides a comprehensive overview of the bills that have been proposed (and passed) in the states and on the federal level. It argues that because spyware is impossible to define, these legislative efforts may do harm to the extent they either are focused on design mandates or are attempts to require notice for electronic interactions. Only a technical approach - and only a particular kind of technical approach at that - will work in addressing spyware. Technical actors need to take an immune system approach to spyware, dividing their efforts and experimenting in the field the same way immunity networks do. If we think of the legal system as a medical expert operating on this difficult disease, our first priority must be to wait to allow these already-emerging immunity networks to take effect, and to do no harm in the interim. This is a time for patience, not for the knife.
FUEL CELLS-I. PROPANE ON PALLADIUM CATALYST*

Abstract For the reaction at low temperatures of a gaseous hydrocarbon as a fuel gas at a negative electrode in a fuel cell, the choice of a suitable catalyst is of the first importance. In the present study, catalysts consisting of palladium reduced by hydrogen and palladium reduced by formate, supported on four types of porous skeleton disks (thin nickel, thick nickel and two types of carbon), were examined. In many cases, the electrodes were given a water-proofing treatment. The specific fuel cell used involved the prepared fuel electrode using gaseous propane, 30% KOH solution, a carbon-black air electrode and a temperature of 5O°C We attempt to distinguish the behaviour of propane from that due to hydrogen contained in the electrode, mainly on the basis of the relationship between (a) electrode preparation and treatment and (b) the open-circuit potential behaviour of the fuel electrode. The repetition of small current discharges resulted in open-circuit potentials reaching steady high potentials and in electrodes exhibiting comparatively good dischargeabilities.
Substance abuse and syphilis in urban adolescents: a new risk factor for an old disease.

Abstract The incidence of syphilis is increasing. To identify the epidemiologic characteristics of adolescents with syphilis in an urban adolescent clinic, we performed a retrospective review and case-control study of 59 patients with syphilis and 111 sex-matched controls seen at our institution between 1985 and 1988. Only 24% of cases occurred in males, in contrast with 61% in a 1977–1981 study. Almost one-half (46%) of cases occurred in asymptomatic individuals, and only 24% were diagnosed at the initial visit. Patients with syphilis were more likely to have a history of substance abuse (odds ratio, 4.94; 95% confidence interval, 1.83, 13.3). This study suggests that the epidemiology of syphilis in adolescents may be changing. The high percentage of asymptomatic syphilis cases underscores the need for a high index of suspicion, particularly in sexually active adolescents who abuse drugs.
Chemical carcinogens increase IL-1α and IL-6 gene transcripts in human keratinocytes

Using reverse transcriptase-linked polymerase chain reaction, the effect of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on IL-1 alpha, IL-1 beta and IL-6 gene expression in cultured human keratinocytes was studied. Exposure to beta-naphthoflavone and benz(a)anthracene resulted in a higher copy number of IL-1 alpha and IL-6 mRNA while lower level of IL-1 beta mRNA was detected in these cells. These data suggest that, like ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation, ubiquitous environmental carcinogenic PAHs are potent inducers of IL-1 alpha and IL-6 cytokines and, unlike UVB, they downregulate IL-1 beta in human keratinocytes.
Does religion constrain the risky sex behaviour associated with HIV/AIDS?

This article examines the likely effectiveness of public health interventions designed to change the risky sexual behaviour associated with Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) by Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs). We utilize data from the General Social Survey (GSS) to estimate an economic model of sexual behaviour. Our theoretical approach proceeds by rationalizing, on evolutionary grounds, the existence of sexual activity in individual preference functions, with unobservable costs imposed by religious beliefs and participation. Given the objective of utility maximization, we justify the existence of demand functions for sexual activity that generate empirically testable hypotheses about the effects of religion and religious participation on risky sexual activity. Our results suggest that, at least in the case of heterosexuals, FBOs can indeed influence the risky sexual behaviour that is associated with the transmission of HIV/AIDS.
The liver X receptor gene team: potential new players in atherosclerosis.

Liver X receptors (LXRs) are sterol-responsive transcription factors that regulate expression of genes involved in cholesterol metabolism and homeostasis. Maintenance of normal cholesterol levels has implicated the involvement of LXR-induced genes in the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis. The modulation of LXRs or their downstream targets may provide alternative therapeutic strategies for the management of this disease.
Evaluation of Fluorobenzoate Tracers in Surface Soils

The availability of several conservative, noninteracting tracers is desirable for the study of water movement in porous media. Recent studies have identified a family of fluorinated benzoic acid derivatives as having transport properties similar to Br. The transport properties of 2,6-difluorobenzoate (2,6-DFBA), 2,5-difluorobenzoate (2,5-DFBA), 3,4-difluorobenzoate (3,4-DFBA), 3,5-difluorobenzoate (3,5-DFBA), o-(trifluoromethyl)benzoate (o-TFMBA), m-(trifluoromethyl)benzoate (m-TFMBA), and pentafluorobenzoate (PFBA) were compared to Br in two neutral pH, high organic soils from Iowa. Batch equilibrium studies and column transport studies showed that 2,6-DFBA, PFBA, and o-TFMBA have transport properties very similar to Br, although their behavior may deviate slightly as the organic carbon and clay fractions of the soil increase. 2,5-DFBA is retarded less and dispersed slightly more than the above tracers in these soils, but may be a useful tracer since it is still conservative. The other fluorobenzoates showed greater degrees of interaction with the soil matrix and were not conservative precluding their use as acceptable tracers. Plant growth studies using corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max [L] Merr.) showed significantly (P = 0.05) decreased growth for treatments using 3,4-DFBA and 3,5-DFBA, precluding their use in agronomic settings. Given the variation shown here and in earlier studies, the transport behavior of any of the fluorobenzoates should be evaluated prior to use in new environments.
Influence of temperature on the growth of bermudagrass selections from the Appalachian region

Abstract The hilly terrain of the Appalachian region creates an environment in which large differences in soil temperature occur over a very short distance on the landscape. The ability of a grass to display adequate growth over a range of temperatures would greatly enhance its adaptability and use as a forage or for soil conservation. A growth chamber experiment was conducted to evaluate the influence of temperature on the growth of six bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] selections from the Appalachian region. Midland, a cold tolerant bermudagrass, was included in the study for comparison purposes. The grasses were grown under a 14 hour day length with three day/night temperature regimes: 18°C/13°C, 27°C/21°C, and 35OC/29°C. Two of the selections had significantly higher dry matter production than Midland over the range of temperatures. This effect was especially pronounced at 35°C where the top growth of Quicksand common and Selection 13 exceeded that of Midland by 206% and 158%, respectively. T...
WE‐E‐BRA‐07: How Could Fixed‐Beam Intensity‐Modulated Radiation‐Therapy Exceed SmartArc?

Purpose: To discover the number of beams required in fixed‐beam IMRT to achieve similar plan quality to SmartArc in prostate cancertreatment.Method and Materials: Previous study showed that IMRT with as many as 24, uniformly‐distributed, beams still could not exceed SmartArc. In this work, we first studied the dose distributions of IMRT and SmartArc plans in a cylindrical water phantom, which provided guidelines for the beam‐angle‐selection in the patient study. Then, IMRT with respectively 8 to 16 beams and a SmartArc plan were generated for each of five prostate‐cancer patients. The 8‐beam plan used our Institution's standard configuration; other IMRT plans applied re‐selected gantry angles for better rectum sparing. All plans were generated using our in‐house developed automatic inverse‐planning algorithm and were optimized to at least similar quality as the clinical plan for each patient. Dose distributions in the OARs from each plan were compared. Results: The phantom study shows that SmartArc produced generally uniform penumbra in dose profile all around the target; in contrast, the fixed‐beam plans resulted in narrower penumbra perpendicular to beam directions whereas wider penumbra at other directions, which indicates that, for IMRT to achieve better sparing of OAR, beams along the tangent direction of the connection between the OAR and PTV should be included. The IMRT plans in the patient study shows obvious dose reduction in the rectum when more beams were selected based on such principle; when the number of beams reaches 16, the rectum starts to receive comparable dose to SmartArc with similar PTV coverage. Conclusion: Fixed‐beam IMRT is capable of exceeding the performance of SmartArc in prostate cancertreatment as long as 16 or more beams with properly selected gantry angles are used. Considering the superior delivery efficiency of SmartArc, however, SmartArc may still be preferable in clinical applications.
Hydraulic Design of a Lazy River

Lazy rivers are popular attractions at modern aquatic centers and water parks. These recreational water channels carry patrons on floating tubes around a meandering loop. The current is maintained by pumps that withdraw a small fraction of the flow from the channel through large bottom grates and return it to the channel in jets directed downstream. This paper presents the hydraulic relationships needed for lazy-river design. These relationships account for the propulsion of the flow by the water jets and the resistance to flow resulting from friction, bends and drag forces on standing persons. The total pump output power is minimized when the downstream component of the jet velocity equals twice the desired current speed. However, other practical considerations generally favor a higher jet speed. Field tests on three lazy rivers indicate that a Manning n value of 0.015 is sufficient to account for boundary friction, bend losses and other local losses. Persons standing in the flow cause added drag, which can reduce the current speed substantially. A design example illustrates the practical application of the relationships and experimental findings. The investigations presented in this paper were conducted for Water’s Edge Aquatic Design LLC of Lenexa, Kansas. Water’s Edge Aquatic Design is a leading design firm specializing in aquatic centers and water parks. The relationships in this paper have been applied successfully to numerous lazy-river design projects.
Panel — Tales from the field — Cross-college curriculum development

Funded by grants from the National Science (DUE 0817461 and 0817498), the first cohort of engineering and engineering technology colleges gathered in the summer of 2010 to work with Purdue University and Alverno College faculty on curriculum development for student learning outcomes, including Engineer of 2020 attributes. The overarching goals of this panel are to (1) present the progress of the first cohort of cross-college curriculum development projects and (2) provide an environment where audience members can engage with the panelists about the challenges and successes of their project implementation. This project has received multi-year funding, thus audience members will also discover how to become a member of the third cohort.
Detection of ASR in opened fractures of damaged concrete

Abstract Indisputable evidence of alkali-silica reaction (ASR) in field concrete depends on positive identification of alkali-silica gel, the reaction product of ASR. Experimental results are given on the unambiguous detection of gel by microscopic techniques using fractured concrete surfaces.
Pulmonary disease due to Mycobacterium chelonei subspecies abscessus: a report of four cases.

Abstract Four patients with upper and middle lobe pulmonary infiltrates and, in one case, cavities were studied. Their clinical presentation was compatible with mycobacteriosis. Multiple isolates of Mycobacterium chelonei, subspecies abscessus were obtained in high colony counts. The clinical course was variable and did not appear to be substantially affected by chemotherapy. This group represents the largest reported series to date.
Classical trajectory study of rotational relaxation times of molecular hydrogen

Abstract Rotational relaxation times of hydrogen are calculated by a classical trajectory method for five temperatures from 300–1500 K.
Long-term efficacy of percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation for different types of lower urinary tract dysfunction in children.

Purpose: We evaluated the efficacy of percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation for different types of pediatric lower urinary tract dysfunction.Materials and Methods: A total of 14 children with idiopathic overactive bladder, 14 with dysfunctional voiding, 5 with underactive bladder, 4 with underactive valve bladder and 7 with neurogenic bladder resistant to conventional therapy underwent percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation weekly for 12 weeks. The stimulation effect was evaluated by comparing bladder diary, flowmetry and urinalysis before and after treatment. Improved patients were followed by bladder diary and urinalysis. Followup data at 1 and 2 years were compared with those obtained after stimulation. Data were analyzed using Fisher's exact test.Results: Symptom improvement was significantly greater in nonneurogenic than in neurogenic cases (78% vs 14%, p <0.002). Of patients 18% with underactive bladder and 50% with underactive valve bladder were unresponsive. Of 14 overactive bladder cases 12 and al...
Characteristics and impact of fiber gratings in dispersion-based RF beamforming

The use of fiber gratings is dispersion-based RF beamforming systems is reviewed. The relationship between the beamformer and grating parameters is discussed. Measurements on the RF characteristics of fiber gratings are presented, and their impact on beamformer performance is discussed.
Overcoming the nucleosome barrier during transcript elongation

RNA polymerase II (Pol II) must break the nucleosomal barrier to gain access to DNA and transcribe genes efficiently. New single-molecule techniques have elucidated many molecular details of nucleosome disassembly and what happens once Pol II encounters a nucleosome. Our review highlights mechanisms that Pol II utilizes to transcribe through nucleosomes, including the roles of chromatin remodelers, histone chaperones, post-translational modifications of histones, incorporation of histone variants into nucleosomes, and activation of the poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) enzyme. Future studies need to assess the molecular details and the contribution of each of these mechanisms, individually and in combination, to transcription across the genome to understand how cells are able to regulate transcription in response to developmental, environmental and nutritional cues.
Vendor selection with price breaks

Abstract We study the problem of vendor selection where a buyer must choose order quantities to place with vendors in a multiple-sourcing network. The selection process is influenced by the price, delivery, and quality objectives of the buyer, as well as by the production or rationing constraints of the vendors. Vendors are assumed to offer price breaks which depend on the sizes of the order quantities. Each proce break schedule is characterized by two attributes: it represents either quantity discounts or surcharges, and is either cumulative (all-units) or noncumulative (incremental). We present linear and mixed binary integer programming models that provide unifying frameworks for models of vendor performance measures from the purchasing literature and models of price breaks from the Operations Research literature. We argue that our models offer viable approaches to vendor selection with price breaks because of the availability of commercial software packages for personal computers that provide flexible and efficient computational tools for solving the models. This implies that vendor selection with price breaks can be performed at the fingertips of purchasing managers.
In Vitro Activity of Mezlocillin and Its Related Compounds Against Aerobic and Anaerobic Bacteria

A total of 900 clinical isolates of aerobic (462 isolates) and anaerobic (438 isolates) bacteria were tested against mezlocillin in comparison with other penicillins, and the aerobes were also tested against cephalothin, cefoxitin, and cefamandole. Among penicillins, mezlocillin was the most effective against Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Salmonella species, Pseudomonas aeruginosa , and Bacteroides fragilis . Mezlocillin was more effective than cephalothin against Klebsiella pneumoniae .
“Can We Talk?”: Boundary Crossing and Sexual Misconduct in Seminary Teaching

This article explores a variety of personal and professional boundary issues encountered by seminary faculty. The authors contend that boundary crossing is inevitable in contemporary theological education, which is structured such that professors engage in multiple roles with students as they attend to the education of the whole person. Guidelines are reviewed for minimizing risk to students and professors. Topics include life as a community member, student-faculty friendship, and romantic relationships. Attention to work/life balance is seen as critical to the prevention of misconduct. The article ends with a call for continued conversation as well as institutional accountability and change.
The Stage View and Temporary Intrinsics

Four-dimensionalism, as I’ll use the term, is the doctrine that reality is spread out in time as well as space.1 Just as objects that are located at multiple regions of space contain parts con ned to those regions of space, so objects that are located at multiple regions of time contain parts — temporal parts — that are con ned to those regions of time. (Or better: an object that occupies an extended spatiotemporal region R has parts con ned to the various subregions of R; but I’ll ignore this complication henceforth.) Most who accept this ontology of perduring objects, as they are often called, identify the continuants of our everyday ontology with “space-time worms” — mereological sums of stages from different times. Elsewhere (1996) I have proposed a different version of four-dimensionalism, which identi es continuants with the stages themselves, and which analyses de re temporal predication with a temporal version of modal counterpart theory (Lewis, 1968, 1971). On this view, a current assertion of ‘Clinton was indiscreet’ is true iff the (current) referent of ‘Clinton’ — a stage — has an indiscreet temporal counterpart in the past. The temporal counterpart relation is the same “genidentity” or “unity” relation used by the worm theorist to unify the successive stages of continuing space-time worms. In my 1996 I supported this view by appeal to its ability to resolve various philosophical puzzles, including the paradoxes of material constitution and Derek Par t’s (1971) puzzle about identity and what matters; the purpose of the present note is to mention one other line of argument. A widely discussed contemporary argument for temporal parts is David Lewis’s argument from temporary intrinsics, according to which only the fourdimensionalist can explain the phenomenon of intrinsic change.2 I am now straight-shaped, but will fail to be straight-shaped in the future. There is an
Gastric fat content and satiety

Abstract Male rats were fitted with intragastric tubes and pyloric cuffs. Following a 15 hr food deprivation their intake of a 50% oil-water emulsion was observed to be the same whether the pyloric sphincter was occluded or not. Gastric counterinjections of normal saline (50% of the volume voluntarily drunk) did not affect the amount the subjects drank by mouth. However, when 5 ml of the stomach content was siphoned as the rats drank, an accurate compensation for the amount lost occurred. These findings indicate that the rat is capable of metering gastric triglyceride content and that satiety signals, which are not related to stomach volume, are generated by this organ.
Shape Memory Elastic Foundation and Supports for Passive Vibration Control of Composite Plates

The paper presents an approach to passive vibration control of shear deformable and thin plates. The first of two methods of vibration control employs prestressed shape memory alloy (SMA) wires embedded in sleeves attached to the surface of the plate. The spacing between the wires can be arbitrary and variable enabling the development of a SMA support system for maximum control with minimum additional weight. The other method considered in the paper utilizes SMA wires supporting the plate at strategically selected points. The mechanism of passive control includes two components: (1) SMA wires prestressed as a result of constrained phase transformation act as an elastic foundation with a variable stiffness and (2) energy dissipation occurs as a result of hysteresis in superelastic wires vibrating together with the structure. As follows from examples, it is possible to achieve a significant reduction of the vibration amplitude over a broad spectrum of driving frequencies using any of two methods considered in the paper.
A rapid two-way screening procedure for whole blood and urine

Abstract A rapid, simple, and inexpensive method is described for the two-way separation of amino acids, indoles, and imidazoles present in whole, untreated blood and urine of any animal. It is of value for the determination of normal patterns and suitable for comparative biochemical or chemical taxonomic studies.