cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fixing History: Narratives of World War I in France

For nearly a century, the French have entertained an unshakable conviction that their bility to recognize themselves—to know and transmit the essence of Frenchness—depended on the teaching of the history of France. In effect, history was a discourse on France, and the teaching of history—“la pedagogie centrale du citoyen”—the means by which children were constituted as heirs and carriers of a common collective memory that made them not only citizens, but family. In this essay, I examine the rhetorical and conceptual effects on history writing that emerge out of this preoccupation with the elaboration of a continuous, coherent national identity. Focusing on schoolbooks, I begin by looking at the dominant, nearly hegemonic model of French history created by Ernest Lavisse in the 1890s—a model informed by the dream of a unified, unitary French nation, embodied in and articulated through the history of France—and at the disruption of this paradigm in the aftermath of the Great War. I then consider a text written in the 1990s specifically to repudiate the kind of nationalist narratives that prevailed for most of this century—a new supranational history of Europe. I argue that, in their different experiments with fixing history, both Lavisse and the contemporary textbook authors did not so much repair a deficient history as produce a historical fixation, creating mythicized histories that are complete, closed, predictable, and at bottom ahistorical. Finally, I turn to a recent World War I novel, A Very Long Engagement by SebastienJaprisot, in order to suggest ways in which the narrative strategies of a fiction writer may be useful to historians in thinking about a different kind of historical project.
Simultaneous determination of uric acid metabolites allantoin, 6-aminouracil, and triuret in human urine using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry

Uric acid (UA) can be directly converted to allantoin enzymatically by uricase in most mammals except humans or by reaction with superoxide. UA can react directly with nitric oxide to generate 6-aminouracil and with peroxynitrite to yield triuret; both of these metabolites have been identified in biological samples. We now report a validated high-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry method for the determination of these urinary UA metabolites. Urine samples were diluted 10-fold, filtered and directly injected onto HPLC for LC-MS/MS analysis. The urinary metabolites of UA were separated using gradient HPLC. Identification and quantification of UA urinary metabolites was performed with electrospray in positive ion mode by selected-reaction monitoring (SRM). Correlation coefficients were 0.991-0.999 from the calibration curve. The intra- and inter-day precision (R.S.D., %) of the metabolites ranged from 0.5% to 13.4% and 2.5-12.2%, respectively. In normal individuals (n=21), urinary allantoin, 6-aminouracil and triuret, were 15.30 (+/-8.96), 0.22 (+/-0.12), and 0.12 (+/-0.10) microg/mg of urinary creatinine (mean (+/-S.D.)), respectively. The new method was used to show that smoking, which can induce oxidative stress, is associated with elevated triuret levels in urine. Thus, the method may be helpful in identifying pathways of oxidative stress in biological samples.
Application of Power Capacitors to Electrochemical Rectifier Systems

The increasing awareness of the value of energy has caused an increase in the usage of power capacitors on electric power systems serving electrochemical rectifiers. An understanding of the characteristics of large rectifier systems is essential to the successful application of capacitors. The influence of rectifier harmonic currents on capacitor duty and how the interaction of the capacitor and the supply system can amplify this duty are discussed.
Are clinical endpoint benefits of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors independent of their blood pressure effects

Both basic and experimental data indicate that the reninangiotensin system through angiotensin II mediates its classic hemodynamic role, but also has a significant deleterious role in a number of cardiac, vascular, and renal disorders. Indeed, evidence indicates that angiotensin II negatively impacts endothelial function, cardiac remodeling, vessel wall hypertrophy, atherosclerosis, and progressive renal disease. Newer data point to a significant role for angiotensin II in inflammation and in inducing plasminogen activator inhibitor. This widespread negative effect can be countered by newer antihypertensive drugs, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, and angiotensin receptor blockers. Both small and large clinical trials suggest a large benefit of such drugs on not only organ-specific endpoints such as renal disease or proteinuria, but on global cardiovascular events. It does appear that when blood pressure is significantly elevated, lowering blood pressure does indeed provide protection for larger endpoints such as stroke. However, at lower blood pressure levels, a hemodynamically independent effect is likely to be contributing to the positive effects. We should embrace these effects and champion them for our patients.
The biogeography, ecology, and taxonomy of Lophophora (Cactaceae)

Lophophora, commonly called peyote, has an extensive range within the Chihuahuan Desert of Texas and Mexico. Selected sites were studied and growth characteristics, soils, associated plants, and climate are described. The genus consists of two species,L. williamsii andL. diffusa. The former is both wide-ranging and highly variable morphologically, whereas the latter consists of a single, fairly small population restricted to an area in the state of Queretaro. Synonymy and types are discussed, and a key to the species is included with the descriptions.
Igneous petrogenesis of magnesian metavolcanic rocks from the central Klamath Mountains, northern California

Mafic meta-igneous supracrustal rocks in the east-central part of the western Triassic and Paleozoic belt are interlayered with and appear to predominantly overlie fine-grained clastic and cherty metasedimentary strata. This complex constitutes a lithostratigraphic terrane exposed in the vicinity of Sawyers Bar, California. Basaltic flows, dikes, and sills are informally referred to as the "Yellow Dog greenstones." Dark-colored, amygdaloidal flow breccias rich in titanium, iron, phosphorus, and light rare-earth elements (LREE9s) constitute the lowest, mildly alkalic members of the mafic flow series, intimately interlayered with fine-grained terrigenous detritus. Element proportions suggest that the dark, Ti + Fe* + P-rich basaltic lavas may have been extruded in an oceanic intraplate setting. Interstratification with distal turbiditic strata indicates concurrent submarine volcanism and deep-sea sedimentary deposition. The main mass of the stratigraphically higher extrusive sequence is a light-colored, massive tholeiite series, poorer in Ti + Fe* + P + LREE9s. Hypabyssal rocks belong exclusively to this second igneous suite. Compositions of the pale-colored, overlying basaltic/diabasic mass of the Yellow Dog greenstone section are consistent with eruption in an immature magmatic arc. Dikes presumably comagmatic with terminal-stage Yellow Dog volcanism cut the overlying, more eastern Stuart Fork terrane. The Yellow Dog greenstones contain relict magmatic clinopyroxene and/or pargasitic hornblende. Both melt series include Mg-rich units (ave 17 : MgO = 14.4 ± 1.9 wt. %; Cr = 650 ± 200 ppm; Ni = 270 ± 100 ppm). Sea-floor alteration apparently affected these mafic rocks in the marine environment following eruption, as reflected by δ 18 O, MgO, and CaO/Al 2 O 3 values and by minor alkali and silica metasomatism. Yellow Dog igneous activity was extinguished during mid-Jurassic suturing of the oceanward Sawyers Bar terrane against and beneath the pre-existing landward Stuart Fork blueschist complex of Late Triassic metamorphic age. Subsequently, the terrane amalgam was invaded by Middle/ Late Jurassic granitoids. Minor chemical alteration, including 18 O enrichment, also probably accompanied later regional, and especially contact, metamorphism. Nevertheless, many major-, minor-, and rare-earth-element variations in the Yellow Dog greenstones are compatible with igneous fractional crystallization trends but exclude the assimilation of significant amounts of sialic crust.
Self-passivated GaAs/W mixer diode

Abstract GaAs/tungsten Schottky barrier mixer diodes have been fabricated in a self-passivated, grown guard layer configuration. These devices have exhibited 0.64 eV barrier voltages together with the ability to withstand nanosecond RF pulses in excess of 8 ergs with no resulting deterioration in noise figure performance. Such high burnout resistance properties are attributed to the absence of any significant metallurgical interaction between the GaAs and tungsten at temperatures as high as 600°C. The somewhat high noise figures exhibited by these devices are attributed to interface states, possibly arising from strain.
INTERRECEPTOR CONTACTS IN THE RETINA OF THE FROG (RANA PIPIENS).

Interreceptor contacts, defined as direct relationships between synaptic bodies over large areas without any interposition of glial cell processes, were mapped in an area containing 215 receptor cells taken from the posterior pole of the frog retina. For the purpose of positive identification, the receptor cells were followed in serial cross sections from the inner segment level to the synaptic level. The average contact pattern was found to be the following: A red rod made three contacts, one with a single cone, one with a principal member of a double cone, and one with another red rod. A single cone made contact with three red rods. A principal member of a double cone also made contact with three red rods. The green rods and the accessory members of the double cones did not make any contacts of this kind. The possible functional significance of interreceptor contacts is discussed.
Postnatal changes in pyridine nucleotides in rat hepatocytes: composition and O2 dependence.

Postnatal changes in pyridine nucleotide con- centration, composition, and oxidation-reduction character- istics were studied in liver cells from neonatal (newborn, d 4 and d 8) and adult rats to determine the development of hepatic pyridine nucleotide status and O2 dependence of oxidation of reducing equivalents. The results show that the total pyridine nucleotide concentrations in newborn and 4-d-old rat liver were low (30%) but increased to near adult values (80%) by d 8 postpartum. Analyses of the cellular distribution of NAD+, NADH, NADP", and NADPH re- veal that the reduced forms (NADH plus NADPH) ac- counted for over 50% of the total in the newborn and 4-d- old rats compared to 30% in adult animals. This relatively higher reductive capacity in hepatocytes of younger rats was largely the result of a significantly higher proportion of NADPH in these cells. Examination of the NADPH/ NADP+ and NADH/NAD+ ratios show that they occur in an inverse relationship with postnatal age; the NADPH/ NADPC ratio was high at birth and decreased with age, whereas the reverse pattern was found for the NADH/ NAD+ ratio. The result, that NADPH represents a signif- icant percentage of the total pyridine nucleotides in neo- natal cells in the early postnatal period, is consistent with a higher demand for NADPh for biosynthetic activities in association with tissue growth. A high NADPH concentra- tion coupled with a low NADH concentration in these cells is further consistent with the finding that succinate is a preferred substrate for newborn respiratory function so as to spare NADH for transhydrogenation to NADPH. The half-maximal oxidation of pyridine nucleotides in cells from newborn rats occurred at 0.49 pM 02, as compared to 1.2 and 4.0 pM O2 in cells from 4-d-old and adult rats, respectively. Direct comparison of the Oz dependencies of pyridine nucleotides at different ages with those of cyto- chrome c + el demonstrates that the oxidation of pyridine nucleotides occurs in concert with the expression of mito- chondrial respiratory components during development. (Pediatr Res 30: 11 2-1 17, 1991)
Information processing in the auditory brainstem

The past year has seen significant advances in our understanding of the structural (circuitry and chemistry of synaptic connections) and functional characteristics of the auditory brainstem. Some of the findings that shed light on the mechanisms underlying complex auditory information processing are highlighted.
The long-run relation between black market and official exchange rates: evidence from panel cointegration

Abstract Due to the lack of long time series data on black market exchange rates, previous research investigated the relation between black market and official exchange rates only for a couple of countries. In this paper, we employ time-series annual data over the 1973–1990 period from 49 countries as well as panel cointegration techniques to show that the black market and official exchange rates do have a long-run relationship. The implication is that any foreign exchange or direct controls will have only short-run effects on the official rate. In the long-run, the official rate will adjust toward the black market rate.
Assessment of thoracic paraspinal muscles in the diagnosis of ALS

The distribution of muscle involvement, assessed clinically and electromyographically, was analyzed prospectively in 55 consecutive amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients and in 54 patients with other predominantly motor syndromes, some of whom were referred with suspected ALS. In ALS patients, distal limb muscles and thoracic paraspinal muscles were affected most frequently, more so than proximal limb and cranial muscles. The incidence of bulbar symptoms in ALS was greater in women than in men. These patterns suggest selective vulnerability of specific neuronal populations. The vulnerability of truncal muscles, illustrated by thoracic paraspinal wasting or head and shoulder drooping, was a helpful differential sign in diagnosing ALS. Thoracic paraspinal electromyography was especially valuable in distinguishing ALS from other disorders, such as combined cervical and lumbar spondylotic amyotrophy or polymyositis, which may masquerade as ALS. The finding of denervation atrophy on biopsy of thoracic paraspinal muscles was diagnostic in difficult cases. Because the thoracic paraspinal muscles are frequently affected in ALS and spared in spondylotic amyotrophy, their assessment provides a practical strategy in differentiating ALS from other motor syndromes.
HEAT TRANSFER AND TEMPERATURE FIELD EXPERIMENTS IN A CAVITY WITH ROTATION, RECIRCULATION, AND COOLANT THROUGHFLOW.

Local wall heat transfer coefficients and fluid temperature distributions were measured in a cavity consisting of a pair of parallel disks and a cylindrical shroud. One of the disks was rotating, whereas the other disk and the shroud were stationary. Coolant air entered the cavity through a central aperture in the rotating disk and exited through an annular gap at the rim of the rotating disk. The coolant flow rate, the disk rotational speed, and the cavity aspect ratio (disk separation distance to radius) were varied throughout the course of the experiments. The latter parameter took on values as large as two. The heat transfer results and the fluid isotherm maps suggested that the flow pattern within the cavity was markedly different depending upon whether the coolant stream or the pumping action of the rotating disk was predominant. The surface distributions of the heat transfer coefficients reversed the direction of their spatial variation over the range from no rotation to high rotation. However, the maximum values of the Nusselt number curves for no rotation were as high as the maximum values of the curves for corresponding cases with high rotation. The isotherm maps for the no-rotation cases revealed that the major portion of the cavity was filled with nearly isothermal fluid. On the other hand, in the presence of strong rotation, there were substantial fluid temperature variations throughout the cavity.
V2G Parking Lot With PV Rooftop for Capacity Enhancement of a Distribution System

Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) units are gaining prominence and may dominate the auto-market in the near future. The V2G batteries require corporate parking lots for charging and discharging operations. The electric power capacity of an existing parking lot can be increased by the installation of photovoltaic (PV) rooftops. This paper describes mathematical models for estimating the electric power capacity of a V2G parking lot (VPL) system with PV canopy. The electric vehicle (EV) demand/supply model was formulated as a queuing theory problem, exhibiting stochastic characteristics. New formulae were developed to address the impacts of battery charger efficiency on the amount of power demand during battery charging, and also how the latter is effected by inverter efficiency during discharging. Mathematical models for grid gain factor were developed. The proposed models were tested using Tesla Roadster EV and Nissan leaf EV. Promising simulation results are gained leading to a conclusion that vehicle parking lots with PV facilities can potentially relieve and enhance the grid capacity. Results show that 60% gain factor is possible. The effect of weather uncertainties and energy market price were studied. The study could be useful in battery-charger control studies.
Quality control design for a single product manufacturing system subject to inspection error

Abstract The model consists of Single-Product Multi-Component Multi-Stage System (SPMCMS) in which either Lot-by-Lot (LBL) Sampling; or Continuous Sampling (CSP-1) may be used. The system represents a typical situation in industry where several components or raw materials enter a manufacturing system and the final output is one product. Semi-economic sampling plans (LBL and CSP-1), average incoming quality levels, manufacturing and assembly quality levels are derived for an interrelated system using dynamic programming. The effects of type one and type two inspection error are addressed in both types of sampling plans.
Excited-state photophysics and barrier crossing dynamics of 9,9′-bifluorene☆

Abstract The fluorescence lifetime of bifluorene was found to be ≈ 40 times shorter than that of fluorene and it is viscosity dependent in alkane and alcohol solvents. The lifetime is also temperature dependent with Arrhenius energies in the range 3.5 to 4.2 kcal/mol, suggesting that a barrier crossing process is occurring in the excited state. The viscosity data do not fit a Kramers equation with hydrodynamic variables. The barrier crossing rates in alkanes increase slightly with increasing viscosity at the lower viscosities.
Urinary Albumin Excretion After Donor Nephrectomy

Surgical ablation of renal tissue in animals leads to compensatory hyperfiltration, hypertension, and focal glomerular sclerosis in remnant nephrons, in association with albuminuria; the detection of slightly elevated urinary albumin (microalbuminuria) has been shown to predict later, more severe renal disease in diabetics. To determine whether unilateral nephrectomy in humans initiates a similar pathogenetic sequence, we measured urinary albumin excretion (U alb V), total protein excretion (U prot V), creatinine clearance (C creat ) and blood pressure in 22 transplant donors before and at intervals up to 3 years after donor nephrectomy. Urinary albumin was determined using a sensitive enzyme immunoassay (ELISA). Mean C creat fell on average to 68% of prenephrectomy values at all times after nephrectomy, indicating a rise of 339 in average single nephron filtration rate. Mean absolute and fractional albumin excretion rates and U prot V values were transiently elevated one week postnephrectomy, but returned thereafter to values not significantly different from prenephrectomy values. Blood pressure rose slightly, but significantly, with time after nephrectomy. Average increases of 10 mm and 5 mm in systolic and diastolic pressures, respectively, were noted by 2 years after surgery. In this study, there was no evidence of glomerular injury from hyperfiltration in the 3 years following donor nephrectomy.
A modified Burton-Miller algorithm for treating the uniqueness of representation problem for exterior acoustic radiation and scattering problems

Abstract A modification to the Burton-Miller algorithm is formulated for exterior acoustic radiation and scattering problems which resolves the uniqueness of representation problem associated with the Helmholtz integral equation method (HIEM) at the interior eigenvalues. In particular, this modification reduces the required number of integral equation evaluations and allows for the continued use of the popular higher-order Lagrangian shape functions. Several example problems are considered to demonstrate the difficulties and subtleties of the uniqueness of representation problems associated with the Helmholtz integral equation method and to demonstrate the effectiveness of the modified Burton-Miller algorithm in overcoming these problems.
The effects of 48 weeks of rosiglitazone on hepatocyte mitochondria in human nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

Rosiglitazone, a thiazolidinedione peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma ligand, reduces disease activity in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a disease associated with hepatocyte mitochondrial crystalline inclusions that are not seen in animal models of NASH. In human and animal studies of adipose tissue, thiazolidinediones may induce mitochondrial biogenesis and associated morphological changes. To determine if rosiglitazone alters the hepatocyte mitochondrial morphology in human NASH, we prospectively and systematically examined liver biopsies from human subjects with NASH before and after 48 weeks of rosiglitazone by transmission electron microscopy. Twenty patients (body mass index = 34 ± 7) were studied. Four coded sections from each of 20 pretherapy biopsies and each of 20 posttherapy biopsies were examined by transmission electron microscopy. The total hepatocyte mitochondria and crystal-containing mitochondria were counted, and semiquantitative scoring was performed for macrosteatosis, microsteatosis, dilated endoplasmic reticulum, apoptosis, Mallory bodies, and hepatocyte enlargement. The total mitochondria count was unchanged after therapy, but there was a significant increase in crystal-containing mitochondria from 4.0% (95% confidence interval = 1.8-8.8) to 7.2% (95% confidence interval = 3.9-12.6; odds ratio = 1.80; P = 0.04) after the treatment with rosiglitazone. Macrosteatosis (P < 0.001) and Mallory bodies (P = 0.05) significantly decreased, but no change was evident in microsteatosis, cellular enlargement, dilated endoplasmic reticulum, or apoptosis. Conclusion: Rosiglitazone therapy of NASH is associated with increased crystalline inclusions in hepatocyte mitochondria. Whether these are adaptive or pathological remains unknown, and further studies are warranted to assess hepatic mitochondrial function during thiazolidinedione therapy for NASH. (HEPATOLOGY 2007.)
Distribution of nitroimidazoles and L-phenylalanine mustard in mammary adenocarcinoma 16/C tumors

Using the triphenylmethane dye, lissamine green, as an indicator of blood perfusion, we have demonstrated that L-phenylalanine mustard (L-PAM) is differentially distributed in mice bearing mammary adenocarcinoma 16/C tumors. Following i.p. administration, concentrations of L-PAM in various regions of the tumors vary by as much as 10-fold or more between regions of low and high perfusion. Since the nitroimidazoles, metronidazole and misonidazole, increase the cytotoxicity of certain antitumor agents, these compounds were investigated for their ability to increase the distribution of L-PAM into tumor regions of low perfusion. Administration of metronidazole (400 mg/kg) or misonidazole (800 mg/kg) 1 h prior to L-PAM and lissamine green resulted in elevated plasma levels of L-PAM and increased concentrations of L-PAM in tumor regions of high perfusion. A slight increase in the normally low levels of L-PAM in tumor regions of low perfusion was observed but the increase was not statistically significant. In contrast to the uneven distribution of L-PAM, metronidazole and misonidazole were evenly distributed throughout plasma and tumor regions of both high and low perfusion. Bioassay of tumors following in vivo exposure to metronidazole and L-PAM indicated decreased viability in fragments from tumor regions of high perfusion, but not from tumor regions of low perfusion. These studies demonstrate that the nitroimidazoles increased L-PAM levels in plasma and in tumor regions of both high and low perfusion but did not induce a uniform distribution of L-PAM throughout the tumors. The nitroimidazoles may enhance the effectiveness of L-PAM as an antitumor agent by increasing the concentration of drug that reaches a tumor.
Water vapor as an oxidant in BBr 3 open-tube silicon diffusion systems

The use of water vapor as an oxidant in place of oxygen enables a wide range of surface concentrations to be obtained in a single-step process. The concentration of boron at the silicon surface is found not to be constant throughout the diffusion process because, at the temperature used, the oxide growth is not parabolic.
Some aspects of control systems as dynamical systems

Consider the smooth control system $$\dot x = X_0 (x) + \sum\limits_{i = 1}^m {u_i X_i (x)}$$ (C) on a manifold M with admissible controlsu eU={u:R →U, locally integrable} and compact control spaceU ⊂Rm. Associated with (C) is a dynamical system whereθt is the shift byt eR to the right onU, andϕ(t, x, u) is the solution of (C) at timet eR with initial condition ϑ(0,x, u) = x, under the control action of ueU We discuss some connections between control properties of (C) and basic notions for dynamical systems, such as topological mixing, chain recurrence, recurrence, invariant (ergodic) measures, and their support. It turns out that these concepts for (D) are related to the control sets and chain control sets of (C): A setD ⊂M is a control set of (C) iff the liftD=cl{(u, x) eU ×M,ϕ(t, x, u) e D for allt eR} toU×M is a maximal topologically mixing (transitive) component ofφ, similarly for the lifts of chain control sets and the components of the chain recurrent set ofφ. Furthermore, ifμ is an ergodic, invariant measure ofφ, thenπM(suppμ) ⊂=D for some control setD ⊂M, and the pointsx e M that are contained in control sets, are the projections ontoM ofφ-recurrent points.
Staff's perceptions of the use of evidence-based physical activity promotion strategies for promoting girls’ physical activity at afterschool programs: A qualitative study

There is a need to improve girls' physical activity (PA) in afterschool programs as girls' PA levels are consistently lower than boys'. An evidence-based professional development framework, the 5 Ms, has been effective in helping staff to improve PA in both girls and boys but further improvements in girls' PA are needed. Little is known about staff's perceptions of using PA promotion strategies to promote girls' PA. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore staff perceptions of the use of evidence-based PA promotion strategies for promoting PA in girls. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with staff from three community-based afterschool programs located within a school setting (n=18). Data were analyzed using the process of immersion/crystallization. A majority of staff had some knowledge of PA promotion strategies but few staff consistently utilized these strategies and a majority felt several strategies were unnecessary (i.e., having a PA policy). Newer staff reported depending on senior staff to promote PA in girls. Overall, findings suggest that staff's perceptions may impact their use of PA promotions strategies. The results of this study will contribute to the enhancement of an existing staff training framework (the 5 Ms) to improve girls' PA in afterschool programs.
Multi-Track Year-Round Schooling as Cost Saving Reform: Not Just a Matter of Time

Abstract In the face of school crowding and fears about inequality-inducing summer learning loss, many schools have started to adopt multi-track year-round school calendars, which keep the same number of school days, but spread them more evenly across the calendar year. This change allows schools to support a larger student population by rotating which students are on break at any point in time. While year-round schooling can save money, the impact on academic achievement is uncertain and only recently have large-scale studies become available for policy makers. This brief examines research on the effects of multi-track year-round schooling, focusing on two rigorously executed case studies. This research gives little support for claims that year-round schooling will boost student achievement. Except as a remedy for highly over-crowded schools, year-round schooling seems to have little impact on achievement, and has even been shown to decrease achievement, especially among the most high-risk student popula...
Speciation of chromium by in-capillary derivatization and electrophoretically mediated microanalysis

Abstract An electrophoretic method for chromium speciation analysis – as Cr(III) and Cr(VI) – based on in-capillary derivatization with 1,5-diphenylcarbazide (DPC) is here proposed. As Cr(III) does not react with DPC, it was oxidized also in-capillary to Cr(VI) by Ce(IV). For this purpose, a capillary electrophoresis (CE) mode called electrophoretically mediated microanalysis (EMMA) based on sequential injection of sample and reagents – namely, DPC, sample and Ce(IV) – was employed. The conditions of both reactions – Cr(III) oxidation and Cr(VI)-DPC derivatization – were optimized in order to quantify separately the Cr(VI)–DPC complex from the original Cr(VI) in the sample and that from oxidation of Cr(III) to Cr(VI). The electrophoretic conditions were independently optimized for variables influencing the resolution and those affecting sensitivity. The method thus developed was applied to the determination of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) in glass material, for which different sample preparation methods – namely, EPA method 3060A, ultrasound-assisted leaching and microwave-assisted digestion – were tested. Microwave-assisted digestion was found to be the best sample preparation alternative in terms of efficiency of the step – 99.6 and 98.3% for Cr(VI) and Cr(III), respectively – and procedure time – 20 min. The complete method was validated with the certified reference material BAM-S004.
Why fuse the mandibular symphysis? A comparative analysis

Fused symphyses, which evolved independently in several mammalian taxa, including anthropoids, are stiffer and stronger than unfused symphyses. This paper tests the hypothesis that orientations of tooth movements during occlusion are the primary basis for variations in symphyseal fusion. Mammals whose teeth have primarily dorsally oriented occlusal trajectories and/or rotate their mandibles during occlusion will not benefit from symphyseal fusion because it prevents independent mandibular movements and because unfused symphyses transfer dorsally oriented forces with equal efficiency; mammals with predominantly transverse power strokes are predicted to benefit from symphyseal fusion or greatly restricted mediolateral movement at the symphysis in order to increase force transfer efficiency across the symphysis in the transverse plane. These hypotheses are tested with comparative data on symphyseal and occlusal morphology in several mammals, and with kinematic and EMG analyses of mastication in opossums (Didelphis virginiana) and goats (Capra hircus) that are compared with published data on chewing in primates. Among mammals, symphyseal fusion or a morphology that greatly restricts movement correlates significantly with occlusal orientation: species with more transversely oriented occlusal planes tend to have fused symphyses. The ratio of working- to balancing-side adductor muscle force in goats and opossums is close to 1:1, as in macaques, but goats and opossums have mandibles that rotate independently during occlusion, and have predominantly vertically oriented tooth movements during the power stroke. Symphyseal fusion is therefore most likely an adaptation for increasing the efficiency of transfer of transversely oriented occlusal forces in mammals whose mandibles do not rotate independently during the power stroke.
Performance bounds for linear stochastic control

We develop computational bounds on performance for causal state feedback stochastic control with linear dynamics, arbitrary noise distribution, and arbitrary input constraint set. This can be very useful as a comparison with the performance of suboptimal control policies, which we can evaluate using Monte Carlo simulation. Our method involves solving a semidefinite program (a linear optimization problem with linear matrix inequality constraints), a convex optimization problem which can be efficiently solved. Numerical experiments show that the lower bound obtained by our method is often close to the performance achieved by several widely-used suboptimal control policies, which shows that both are nearly optimal. As a by-product, our performance bound yields approximate value functions that can be used as control Lyapunov functions for suboptimal control policies.
Byzantine Fault Tolerance for Electric Power Grid Monitoring and Control

The stability of the electric power grid is crucial to every nation's security and well-being. As revealed by a number of large-scale blackout incidents in North America, the data communication infrastructure for power grid is in urgent need of transformation to modern technology. It has been shown by extensive research work that such blackout could have been avoided if there were more prompt information sharing and coordination among the power grid monitoring and control systems. In this paper, we point out the need for Byzantine fault tolerance and investigate the feasibility of applying Byzantine fault tolerance technology to ensure high degree of reliability and security of power grid monitoring and control. Our empirical study demonstrated that Byzantine fault tolerant monitoring and control can easily sustain the 60 Hz sampling rate needed for supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) operations with sub-millisecond response time under the local-area network environment. Byzantine fault tolerant monitoring and control is also feasible under the wide-area network environment for power grid applications that demand sub-second reaction time.
SDS‐Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (SDS‐PAGE) of Proteins

Electrophoresis is a method by which a complex mixture of proteins can be separated. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) is a technique used to move charged molecules through a gel matrix by means of an electric current. This procedure is used to determine protein subunit composition, verify homogeneity of the protein sample, and purify proteins for use in other applications. The migration rate of the proteins during SDS-PAGE is determined by the pore size of the gel matrix and charge, size, and shape of the protein. In this unit, the protocol covers the casting of gels, preparation of the protein samples, staining and drying of the gels, and calculation of molecular mass of the proteins based on electrophoretic mobility. Curr. Protoc. Microbiol. 22:A.3M.1-A.3M.13. © 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Keywords: protein; electrophoresis; separation; SDS-PAGE; polyacrylamide
Predicting distress and life satisfaction of in-home spouse dementia caregivers: Implications for intervention

The study of potentially changeable predictors of distress in help seeking dementia caregivers can help to inform the search for effective interventions. A model is presented which argues that typical interventions with dementia caregivers focus on increasing resources (information about the disease and social support) or the modification of mediating cognitive coping strategies. This investigation examined the prediction of emotional distress, life satisfaction, and burden in a group of 72 in-home spouse caregivers who were seeking help in alleviating their distress. In order to test the specificity of these strategies to caregiving, a comparison group of 35 older people seeking help in changing their moods was used. Distress among in-home spouse caregivers was predicted by cognitive coping strategies. Symptom-atic distress among the noncaregiver older adults was predicted by qualitative social support only. These results are interpreted as supporting a stress reduction model for understanding and helpin...
Evidence-based criteria for adequacy in thyroid fine-needle aspiration.

To determine whether some thyroid fine-needle aspirates classified as nondiagnostic correlate with benign thyroid nodules and can be distinguished from other nondiagnostic aspirates, I reviewed (from a total of 1,581) 80 nondiagnostic cases, all of which were hypocellular and lacked colloid, and correlated the cytologic findings with the results of pathologic follow-up. Of the 80, 16 had carcinoma at follow-up and 64 were benign. The cellularity of the carcinoma cases ranged from 0 to 100 cells (mean, 20 cells), but every case with epithelial cells had Hurthle cell change or atypia suggestive of papillary carcinoma. The cellularity of the 64 benign cases ranged from 0 to 120 cells (mean, 40 cells), 17 of which had Hurthle cell change. There were 25 cases with at least 10 benignappearing follicular cells without atypia or Hurthle cell change; all 25 cases were associated with benign follow-up. While these results need to be confirmed by others, the evidence suggests that a proportion of thyroid aspirates that do not meet traditional criteria for adequacy still may be associated strongly with a benign thyroid nodule and can be distinguished from other nondiagnostic aspirates.
Dual-Level Key Management for secure grid communication in dynamic and hierarchical groups

Grid computing is a newly developed technology for complex systems with large-scale resource sharing and multi-institutional collaboration. The prominent feature of grid computing is the collaboration of multiple entities to perform collaborative tasks that rely on two fundamental functions: communication and resource sharing. Since the Internet is not security-oriented by design, there exist various attacks, in particular malicious internal and external users. Securing grid communication and controlling access to shared resources in a fine-tuned manner are important issues for grid services. This paper proposes an elegant Dual-Level Key Management (DLKM) mechanism using an innovative concept/construction of Access Control Polynomial (ACP) and one-way functions. The first level provides a flexible and secure group communication technology while the second level offers hierarchical access control. Complexity analysis and Simulation demonstrate the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed DLKM in both computational grid and data grid. An example is illustrated.
Oligomerization of methane via microwave heating using Raney nickel catalyst

Raney nickel has been used for the catalytic activation of methane using microwave radiation as a heating source. The effects of irradiation time, power level, and pretreatment of the catalyst have been studied. Compared to previous studies, higher catalytic activity was observed for Raney nickel than for regular nickel powder. The maximum conversion obtained was 24% at 400 W and 10 min of irradiation time. For regular nickel powder that conversion can be achieved only after 700 W of power and more than 20 min of reaction. BET surface area, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and temperature-programmed desorption and reduction analysis were performed to characterize the catalyst before and after reaction. Oligomers such as ethylene, benzene, and ethane have been prepared selectively under different conditions. Ethylene, with a selectivity of 70%, was the major product at 530 W and 5 min of irradiation time. Deactivation of Raney nickel by fouling and sintering was observed after 500 W and/or 15 min of reaction.
Positioning Urban Teachers as Effective: Their Discourse on Students

This article focuses on the accounts by teachers who are positioned and who position themselves as “effective.” It draws on the relational aspects of positioning theory with respect to a determination of how the “effective teacher” position necessarily positions students. Findings suggest that students are positioned as (a) individuals within a sociocultural context, (b) fully capable of academic achievement, and (c) responsible for their school success. The third position of students suggests the presence of a seemingly disjointed belief and understanding of students. This work moves beyond simplistic explanations of how this belief may reinforce a competitive and individualistic ideology, suggesting that the presence of seemingly disjointed beliefs and understandings are important to consider in relation to who holds those views, the purpose of such views, and the social context in which those views are advanced.
Teratoid Carcinosarcoma of the Nasal and Paranasal Cavities: A Case Report:

We report on a patient with a teratoid carcinosarcoma of the lateral nasal wall with extension into the paranasal sinuses. This exceedingly rare tumor is characterized by a combination of malignant epithelial and atypical mesenchymal cells showing aggressive features with invasion of soft tissue and bone. The patient in this report was treated with a neurosurgical and midface approach combined with postoperative radiation.
Strain analysis of silicon-on-insulator films produced by zone melting recrystallization

Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) wafers produced by the Zone-Melting-Recrystallization (ZMR) method were evaluated to determine the level of built-in strain. Micromechanical strain measurement structures were produced by surface micromachining the thin film silicon epitaxial layer. A variety of test structures and a new tensile strain measurement device were used to determine the level of strain in the material. Results indicated that the maximum strain in the ZMR material is less than 2/spl times/10/sup -4/ and that there is a significant orientation dependence. >
Greedy growing of tree-structured classification rules using a composite splitting criterion

We establish the Bayes risk consistency of an unsupervised greedy-growing algorithm that produces tree-structured classifiers from labeled training vectors. The algorithm employs a composite splitting criterion equal to a weighted sum of Bayes risk and Euclidean distortion.
Quality-of-information aware networking for tactical military networks

In tactical military networks, decisions must often be made quickly based on information at hand. It is a challenge to provide decision makers with a notion of the quality of the information they have, or to provide a method by which decision makers can specify a required quality of information. It is a further challenge to honor requests for a required quality of information when selecting information sources, transporting information through a highly-dynamic network, and perhaps performing processing on that information. In this paper we motivate the need for a general, but formal, definition of quality-of-information so that this metric may be specified and potentially optimized by algorithms that operate a tactical network. Furthermore, we define a new notion, the operational information content capacity, to capture the amount and quality of information that a network can deliver.
A Framework for Responsible Nanotechnology

Environmental Defense, an environmental advocacy organization, and DuPont, a science-based products and services company, have developed a comprehensive, practical, and flexible Framework for evaluating and addressing the potential risks of nanoscale materials. The Framework is available at www.nanorisk-framework.com. The intent of this Framework is to define a systematic and disciplined process for identifying, managing, and reducing any environmental, health, and safety risks of engineered nanomaterials across all stages of a product’s lifecycle. Our Framework offers guidance on the key questions an organization should consider in developing applications of such materials, and on the key information needed to make sound risk-evaluation and risk-management decisions. The Framework allows users to move ahead despite areas of incomplete or uncertain information, by using reasonable assumptions and by compensating for knowledge gaps with appropriate risk-management practices. Further, the Framework describes a system to guide information generation and update assumptions, decisions, and practices with new information as it becomes available. And the Framework offers guidance on how to communicate information and decisions to key stakeholders.
Cultural and cognitive predictors of academic motivation among Mexican American adolescents: Caution against discounting the impact of cultural processes.

This study examined the role of cognitive (i.e., grit, hope, and academic skepticism) and cultural variables (i.e., generational status, familismo, ethnic identity, and bicultural stress) on academic motivation among 181 Mexican American adolescents. Results indicated that hope, grit, and familismo positively predicted academic motivation. Conversely, academic skepticism and bicultural stress negatively predicted academic motivation. This study demonstrates that culture is important to consider above and beyond cognitive variables. Implications for practice and research are discussed. Este estudio examino la influencia que ejercen las variables cognitivas (determinacion, esperanza y escepticismo academico) y culturales (estatus generacional, familismo, identidad etnica y estres bicultural) sobre la motivacion academica en 181 adolescentes mexicano-americanos. Los resultados indicaron que la esperanza, la determinacion y el familismo pronosticaron positivamente la motivacion academica. Y a la inversa, el escepticismo academico y el estres bicultural pronosticaron negativamente la motivacion academica. Este estudio demuestra que es importante considerar la cultura ademas de las variables cognitivas. Se discuten las implicaciones para la practica y la investigacion.
Teacher Self-Ratings as a Validity Criterion for Student Evaluations

Student ratings were validated against instructor self-ratings by assessing student-faculty agreement concerning day-to-day variability within courses. For 15 days, students and instructors in each of four courses made daily evaluations, Analysis showed that student ratings and instructor self-ratings were significantly correlated in three areas: material cowered, instructor performance, and overall impressions of the success of the class. These results are consistent with those of other studies that have argued for the ability of students to provide valid course evaluations. In addition, they avoid some of the interpretive problems of other criterion measures that have been used to validate student evaluations.
Information with light in random media from spatial speckle correlations over excitation position

We demonstrate that the spatial correlation of speckle intensity patterns over the source excitation position is sensitive to polarization, scatter, and source arrangement. This should prove important for sensing in the presence of scatter.