cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Androgen administration induces lipopolysaccharide tolerance and increased mononuclear cell sensitivity in normal reproductive-age women

OBJECTIVE: In PCOS, mononuclear cells (MNC) are pre-activated as evidenced by increased lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated TNFa release in the fasting state. We have shown that this proinflammatory phenomenon directly correlates with circulating androgens. We examined the effect of oral androgen administration on LPS-stimulated TNFa release from MNC in the fasting state, and in response to glucose ingestion in normal ovulatory women. DESIGN: Prospective, controlled study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifteen lean ovulatory women between ages 18-40 without evidence of androgen excess were selected for study. All subjects underwent a 2-hour glucose tolerance test before and after orally ingesting 130 mg of DHEA (n1⁄48) or placebo (n1⁄47) for 5 days, in a randomized double-blind fashion. LPS-stimulated TNFa release was measured by ELISA in supernatants of cultured MNC isolated from blood samples drawn fasting and 2 hours after glucose ingestion. RESULTS: Before treatment, subjects receiving DHEA or placebo exhibited no significant differences in body composition, androgens, and the incremental change in LPS-stimulated TNFa release before and after glucose ingestion. Compared to the placebo group, the DHEA group exhibited higher post-treatment levels of testosterone (123 9 vs. 45 5 ng/dl, p<0.0001) and androstenedione (2.3 0.1 vs. 1.4 0.2 ng/ml, p<0.0009). After DHEA treatment, LPS-stimulated TNFa release from MNC decreased compared to placebo in the fasting state (-133 67 vs. 50 43 pg/ml, p<0.04), and increased in response to glucose ingestion (9 26 vs, -119 19 pg/ml, p<0.002). CONCLUSION: These preliminary data indicate that LPS-stimulated TNFa release from MNC of normal reproductive-age women is suppressed in the fasting state, but increased following glucose ingestion after raising circulating androgen to levels observed in PCOS. Thus, hyperandrogenemia is proinflammatory in this population due to its ability to induce LPS tolerance, and activate MNC to increase their sensitivity to hyperglycemia. Supported by: NIH grant HD048535.
Vascular imaging: changing the face of cardiovascular research.

Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are at significant risk for premature cardiovascular disease, now a leading cause of death in this population. Most previous studies have used an ov...
Commitment, choice and self-control

When offered a choice (Choice Y) between a small immediate reward (2-sec exposure to grain) and a large reward (4-sec exposure to grain) delayed by 4 sec, pigeons invariably preferred the small, immediate reward. However, when offered a choice (Choice X) between a delay of T seconds followed by Choice Y and a delay of T seconds followed by restriction to the large delayed reward only, the pigeon's choice depended on T. When T was small, the pigeons chose the alternative leading to Choice Y (and then chose the small, immediate reward). When T was large, the pigeons chose the alternative leading to the large delayed reward only. The reversal of preference as T increases is predicted by several recent models for choice between various amounts and delays of reward. The preference for the large delayed alternative with long durations of T parallels everyday instances of advance commitment to a given course of action. Such commitment may be seen as a prototype for self-control.
Readback channel model for an optical tape system

We develop a readback channel model and analysis-based simulator of an optical tape system. A novel oversampled detection scheme is also described and results are presented.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Cascade transformations involving thiocarbonyls: photoassisted access to bicyclic thiiranes and oxapentalenes

Phenyl(thio)glyoxal, generated via the Norrish type II fragmentation of phenacyl sulfide, undergoes known [4+2] cycloaddition with dienes and the photoactive product is further converted via the interrupted Paterno–Buchi reaction channel into a dihydrofuran derivative possessing the oxapentalene core. The reaction can be carried out in one step as the chromophores are nearly identical and the extended cascade is initiated with the same UV LED source.
The Colorado Outward Bound School: Biographical and Personality Factors Contributing to the Leadership Effectiveness of Instructors

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine the leadership characteristics of effective Colorado Outward Bound school instructors and develop criteria which might be useful in their selection. A biographical inventory questionnaire was developed and administered, along with the FIRO-B personality test, to 130 instructors and assistant instructors at the Colorado Outward Bound school. Profiles of instructors and assistant instructors rated “most effective” and “least effective” were compared to determine if statistically significant differences between the two groups existed. Statistical evidence was found relating a limited number of biographical characteristics to leadership effectiveness. There was no statistical evidence linking personality characteristics and leadership effectiveness.
Human Corneal Endothelial Wound Repair: In Vitro and In Vivo

Abstract Endothelial wound repair was studied in 85 organ-cultured human corneas classed in Groups I-IV by means of a combined silver stain, nuclear stain, and autoradiography after denuding the endothelium from a circular area in the center of the cornea. Endothelial migration into the defect occurred first, but by 48 hours (before the wound was completely covered), incorporation of tritiated thymidine showed synthesis of DNA had occurred. Cell division, shown by the presence of mitotic figures, was greatest at 72 hours. In Group V, the endothelial wound repair was studied in vivo in two patients (a 65-year-old and a 67-year-old). The wound was created by a central transcorneal freeze. After removing the cornea from the enucleated eye, the wound was exposed for one hour to tritiated thymidine at 37 C in vitro. The results of.Group V were similar to those of Groups I-IV. Both migration and proliferation were found.
Plasma-Based Flow-Control Strategies for Transitional Highly Loaded Low-Pressure Turbines

Recent numerical simulations have indicated the potential of plasma-based active flow control for improving the efficiency of highly loaded low-pressure turbines. The configuration considered in the current and earlier simulations correspond to previous experiments and computations for the flow at a Reynolds number of 25,000 based on axial chord and inlet conditions. In this situation, massive separation occurs on the suction surface of each blade due to uncovered turning, causing blockage in the flow passage. It was numerically demonstrated that asymmetric dielectric-barrier-discharge actuators were able to mitigate separation, thereby decreasing turbine wake losses. The present investigation extends this work by investigating a number of plasma-based flow control strategies. These include the chordwise location of actuation, spanwise periodic arrays of actuators, multiple actuation in the streamwise direction, and spanwise-direct actuation. The effect of alternate plasma-force models is also considered. Solutions were obtained to the Navier-Stokes equations, which were augmented by source terms used to represent plasma-induced body forces imparted by an actuator on the fluid. The numerical method utilized a high-fidelity time-implicit scheme, employing domain decomposition to carry out calculations on a parallel computing platform. A high-order overset grid approach preserved spatial accuracy in locally refined embedded regions. Features ofthe flowfields are described, and resultant solutions are compared to each other, with a previously obtained control case, and with the base line situation where no control was enforced.
The Portfolio Forum: Power in Reflection

Many electronic portfolios become shining but superficial collections instead of environments for nurturing insight. Instructors must balance instructional time between perfecting the technical expertise of the student and fully developing the critical expertise needed for the student to become a thoughtful scholar. In a deliberate move, I have developed a portfolio forum in a higher education venue to capitalize on the benefits of the reflective factor, and I have been amazed by the results. During the process, I uncovered some surprising discoveries while developing guidelines for expediting the electronic portfolio process, crafting a methodology for exploiting the reflective factor, and compiling essential portfolio forum principles. By utilizing the portfolio forum, each step in the reflection process is deliberately developed to create an orchestrated discussion arena for stimulating intellectual maturity, professionalism, and growth in all students and it can be adapted to any level of instruction.
Linewidth measurement intercomparison on a BESOI sample

The effect of the instrument on the measurement must be known in order to generate an accurate linewidth measurement. Although instrument models exist for a variety of techniques, how does one assess the accuracy of these models? Intercomparisons between techniques which rely upon fundamentally different measurement physics can play an important role in model verification. We report here such an intercomparison. The average linewidth of a test pattern on a BESOI (Bonded and Etched-back Silicon on Insulator) sample, which is single crystal silicon with a buried insulating oxide, was measured using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electrical critical dimension (ECD) techniques. The higher conductivity of the BESOI sample compared to a previously measured SIMOX (another silicon on insulator technology) sample reduced the ECD uncertainty. Unexpected features in the SEM image were fit by modeling the cross sectional geometry of the line as a skewed trapezoid with deviations of a few tenths of a degree from the expected 90° angles. The SEM and ECD results differed by 0.67 % of the electrical tap spacing, a nominal difference of 55 nm. This is larger than can be accounted for by known sources of measurement uncertainty.
Assessment of primary vs. secondary toxicity of Aroclor 1254 to mink.

Dietary tests were conducted, using mink as a surrogate mammalian wildlife carnivore, to develop and evaluate procedures for the assessment of primary vs secondary toxicity of potentially hazardous chemicals to mammalian carnivores. Test methods included comparison of mortality, body weight change, feed consumption and calculated LC50 values in mink fed diets that contained polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs),i.e., Aroclor® 1254 (primary toxicity) with mink fed diets that contained the same concentrations of the metabolized xenobiotic (secondary toxicity). Mean feed consumption and body weight gains were lower for the mink fed the metabolized Aroclor 1254 (secondary toxicity) than for mink that received the same concentrations of Aroclor 1254. The tests yielded 28- and 35-day LC50 values of 79.0 and 48.5 ppm (mg/kg) for the primary toxicity test and 47.0 and 31.5 ppm (mg/kg) for the secondary toxicity test, respectively. The results indicated that mink were a suitable carnivorous species for secondary toxicity testing and showed the necessity of using a withdrawal period of appropriate duration.
Carbohydrate analysis of glycoprotein hormones.

Abstract Complete carbohydrate composition analysis of glycoprotein hormones, their subunits, and oligosaccharides isolated from individual glycosylation sites can be accomplished using high-pH anion-exchange chromatography combined with pulsed amperometric detection. Neutral and amino sugars are analyzed from the same hydrolyzate by isocratic chromatography on a Dionex CarboPAC PA1 column in 16 mM NaOH. Sialic acid is quantified following mild hydrolysis conditions on the same column in 150 mM sodium acetate in 150 mM NaOH. Ion chromatography on a Dionex AS4A column in 1.8 mM Na2CO3/1.7 mM NaHCO3; postcolumn, in-line anion micromembrane suppression; and conductivity detection can be used to quantify sulfate, a common component of pituitary glycoprotein hormone oligosaccharides. Mass spectrometric analysis before and after elimination of oligosaccharides from a single glycosylation site can provide an estimate of the average oligosaccharide mass, which facilitates interpretation of oligosaccharide composition data. Following release by peptide N-glycanase (PNGase) digestion and purification by ultrafiltration, oligosaccharides can be characterized by a high-resolution oligosaccharide mapping technique using the same equipment employed for composition analysis. Oligosaccharide mapping can be applied to the entire hormone, individual subunits, or individual glycosylation sites by varying PNGase digestion conditions or substrates. Oligosaccharide release by PNGase is readily monitored by SDS–PAGE. Site-specific deglycosylation can be confirmed by amino acid sequence analysis. For routine isolation of oligosaccharides, addition of 2-aminobenzamide at the reducing terminus facilitates detection; however, the oligosaccharide retention times are altered. Composition analysis is also affected as the 2-aminobenzamide-modified GlcNAc peak overlaps the fucose peak.
Vibrations of a mass-loaded clamped-free Timoshenko beam

The purpose of this study is to determine the influence of rotary inertia and shear deformation on the motion of a flexible robot arm modelled as a cantilevered Timoshenko beam with a lumped moment of inertia at the free end. The first five natural frequencies and modal shapes of this Timoshenko beam are determined. The frequency results are presented graphically in three-dimensional plots as a function of the (tip mass)/(beam mass) ratio and the (radius of gyration of the tip mass)/(beam length) ratio.
Thermophilic ethanol production investigation of ethanol yield and tolerance in continuous culture

Ethanol yield and ethanol tolerance, the two factors that most constrain the utilization of thermophilic bacteria for ethanol production, were investigated in continuous xylose-grown cultures ofClostridium thermosaccharolyticum. Under xylose-limiting conditions, including varying dilution rates and feed concentrations, the ethanol selectivity (Se, mol/mol) relative to acetic acid, lactic acid, and propane diol remained relatively constant at about 2. Product addition and removal experiments indicate that mass action effects related to the concentrations of organic fermentation products play a relatively minor role in determining the ratios of products made. Of much greater apparent importance were as yet uncharacterized regulatory mechanisms that appear to be correlated with nonlimiting concentrations of the carbon and energy-source. Substrate-plentiful transients were found to accompany Se values > 11. Such transients provide a useful model system for the study of end product control, as well as a cultivation mode with considerable applied potential. No apparent ethanol inhibition was observed, as indicated by no decrease in the maximum rate of growth allowing complete substrate utilization (0.22 h-1) for endogenously-produced ethanol concentrations up to 11.4 g/L, and total endogenously-produced + exogenously-added ethanol concentrations up to 21.3 g/L. Higher concentrations of ethanol are tolerated atµ= 0.11 h-1, although the onset of inhibition was not characterized at this growth rate. Results suggest that the ethanol tolerance of C.thermosaccharolyticum grown in continuous culture may be greater than that typically observed previously for thermophiles grown in batch culture.
Identification of variable region differences in Neisseria meningitidis class 3 protein sequences among five group B serotypes.

Summary Strains of Neisseria meningitidis express one of two porin proteins. These porins have been identified as the class 2 and class 3 proteins, and express serotype-specific epitopes. The gene for the class 3 protein was amplified by the polymerase chain reaction from the DNA of a serotype 4 strain as a 1025bp fragment. The nucleotide sequence of this gene was determined and compared with two recently published sequences. On the basis of this comparison we have identified two major variable regions in the translated protein sequence, VR1 and VR2, that may be associated with serotype specificity. Three other variable regions were also identified. The sequences in the VR1 and VR2 regions from five additional group B N. meningitidis strains of serotypes 1, 4, 8,12, and 15, all expressing class 3 proteins, were determined. The VR1 and VR2 regions were variable and were flanked by highly conserved regions among eight different class 3 sequences. These two variable regions of 15 and 9 amino acids are predicted to be in surface-exposed loops.
The Operating Room of the Future: Observations and Commentary

The Operating Room of the Future is a construct upon which to develop the next generation of operating environments for the patient, surgeon, and operating team. Analysis of the suite of visions for the Operating Room of the Future reveals a broad set of goals, with a clear overall solution to create a safe environment for high-quality healthcare. The vision, although planned for the future, is based upon iteratively improving and integrating current systems, both technology and process. This must become the Operating Room of Today, which will require the enormous efforts described. An alternative future of the operating room, based upon emergence of disruptive technologies, is also presented.
Effect of cigarette smoking on high density lipoprotein phospholipids

Abstract The effect of acute inhalation of cigarette smoke on high density lipoprotein (HDL) phospholipid composition in White Carneau pigeons was examined. Four treatments included: 1) Shelf Control birds fed a chow diet and retained in their cages; 2) Sham pigeons fed a cholesterol-saturated fat diet and exposed to fresh air by a smoking machine; 3) Low nicotine-low carbon monoxide (LoLo) animals also fed the cholesterol diet and exposed to low concentrations of these cigarette smoke products; and 4) High nicotine-high carbon monoxide (HiHi) birds fed the cholesterol diet and subjected to high concentrations of these inhalants. The cholesterol-fat diet caused an increase in the concentration of most HDL phospholipid classes. Exposure to the HiHi regimen resulted in an increase in the HDL cholesterol/phospholipid ratio and a reduction in the concentration of HDL phosphatidyl ethanolamine, phosphatidyl serine/inositol, sphingomyelin and lysophosphatidyl choline. Cigarette smoking may thus attenuate HDL's anti-atherogenic properties by altering surface phospholipid components.
Role of Transisthmus Conduction Intervals in Predicting Bidirectional Block after Ablation of Typical Atrial Flutter

Isthmus Block During Atrial Flutter Ablation.Introduction: Complete bidirectional cavotricuspid isthmus block is the endpoint for ablation of typical atrial flutter. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the extent of prolongation of the transisthmus interval after ablation predicts complete bidirectional block. Methods and Results: Fifty-seven consecutive patients underwent 60 ablation procedures for isthmus-dependent atrial flutter. The clockwise and counterclockwise transisthmus intervals were determined before and after ablation during pacing from the low lateral right atrium and the coronary sinus. Bidirectional block was achieved with ablation in 55 (96%) of 57 patients. The transisthmus intervals before ablation and after complete transisthmus block were 100.3 ± 21.1 msec and 195.8 ± 30.1 msec, respectively, in the clockwise direction (P < 0.0001), and 98.2 ± 24.7 msec and 185.7 ± 33.9 msec, respectively, in the counterclockwise direction (P < 0.0001). An increase in the transisthmus interval by ≥ 50% in both directions after ablation predicted complete bidirectional block with 100% sensitivity and 80% specificity. The positive and negative predictive values were 89% and 100%, respectively. The diagnostic accuracy of ≥ 50% prolongation in the a transisthmus interval was 92%. Conclusion: Prolongation of the transisthmus interval by ≥ 50% in the clockwise and counte clockwise directions is associated with a high degree of diagnostic accuracy and an excellent negative predictive value in determining complete bidirectional transisthmus block. This may be a useful and simple adjunctive criterion for assessment of complete transisthmus conduction block.
Women as industrial sales representatives

Abstract The incidence of women in industrial sales is rising, and females can now be found frequently in traditional all-male type industries such as steel, lumber, and heavy machinery. A strong consensus exists among sales managers that women are effective in industrial selling, and the representatives' records sustain this opinion. Women are proving themselves as worthy, capable, and competent, although they do face special problems in this type of work, some of which are role reversal, production pressures, sexual overtures, and loneliness during travel.
Dynamics of split-pulsing in a two-section passively mode locked quantum dot laser

The measured dynamics of split-pulsing in a mode-locked quantum dot laser have been studied using a numerical model. This is important to understand the origin of such parasitic dynamical effects, and to minimize their occurrence in practical devices.
Groundwater vulnerability mapping: A GIS and fuzzy rule based integrated tool

Contamination of groundwater has become a major concern in recent years. Since testing of water quality of all domestic and irrigation wells within large watersheds is not economically feasible, one frequently used monitoring strategy is to develop contamination potential maps of groundwater, and then prioritize those wells located in the potentially highly contaminated areas for testing of contaminants. However, generation of contamination potential maps based on groundwater sensitivity and vulnerability is not an easy task due inherent uncertainty. Therefore, the overall goal of this research is to improve the methodology for the generation of contamination potential maps by using detailed landuse/pesticide and soil structure information in conjunction with selected parameters from the DRASTIC model. The specific objectives of this study are (i) to incorporate GIS, GPS, remote sensing and the fuzzy rule-based model to generate groundwater sensitivity maps, and (ii) compare the results of our new methodologies with the modified DRASTIC Index (DI) and field water quality data. In this study, three different models were developed (viz. DIfuzz, VIfuzz and VIfuzz_ped) and were compared to the DI. Once the preliminary fuzzy logic-based (DIfuzz) was generated using selected parameters from DI, the methodology was further refined through VIfuzz and VIfuzz_ped models that incorporated landuse/pesticide application and soil structure information, respectively. This study was conducted in Woodruff County of the Mississippi Delta region of Arkansas. Water quality data for 55 wells were used to evaluate the contamination potential maps. The sensitivity map generated by VIfuzz_ped with soil structure showed significantly better coincidence results when compared with the field data.
Tutorial on telecommunications and security

Telecommunications, although around for many years, is finally beginning to get the attention it deserves. There are more applications utilizing telecommunication principles than ever before and many of these applications are facing security problems much like those faced by batch applications of a few years ago. Although this paper is not a definitive work about telecommunication security, it is a tutorial which will help ''jog'' the minds of the reader to remember key elements and components of telecommunication systems. By remembering these elements and components, system designers will be better able to utilize existing security functions to make current and planned telecommunication systems more secure. This paper describes general security issues in telecommunications and then uses those generalities to discuss two specific areas of concern: access and authorization.
p63 and the epithelial stem cell: more than status quo?

The discovery of p63, the most ancient member of the p53 family (for review, see Yang et al. 2002), was soon followed by back-to-back reports of a remarkable phenotype of mice lacking this gene: They die perinatally due to the absence of a large number of epithelial structures including skin, breast, prostate, and urothelia, among others (Mills et al. 1999; Yang et al. 1999). Despite the contemporaneous nature of these publications, they expressed profound disagreement regarding the function of p63, as reflected in the mouse mutants. Mills et al. (1999) argued that p63 was essential for the commitment of a simple ectoderm to epidermal lineages, whereas Yang et al. (1999) argued that commitment and differentiation of the ectoderm were essentially intact in these mice, and that what was defective was the “proliferative potential” of the epithelial stem cells (Fig. 1). Principals from the first group have now addressed this problem from fundamentally different angles and have proposed new and unexpected functions of the p63 gene in epithelial commitment, maintenance, and differentiation (Koster et al. 2004).
Reliability of Consecutive-k-out-of-n:F System

A reliability diagram with n components in sequence is called consecutive-k-out-of-n:F system if the system fails whenever k consecutive components are failed. This paper presents a recursive formula to compute the exact system reliability, and gives sharp upper and lower bounds for it.
Discrimination between Appropriate and Inappropriate Classroom Behaviors by Well Behaved and Poorly Behaved Students.

Summry.-14 well behaved elementary boys were compared with 16 poorly behaved students in ability to p i n t out inappropriate behaviors on a video tape. Ss' responses were compared to responses made by four teachers who saw the same video tape. Well behaved and poorly behaved student groups were defined by two different categorization methods: teachers' judgment and behavioral rating by independent observers. A group x categories analysis of variance with repeated measures on categories yielded no significant differences berween groups with either definition of groups. A point-biserial correlation of -.22 was found between the grouping of Ss by teachers' judgments and the behavioral ratings.
Female freshmen view their future: Career salience and its correlates.

This is a study of a random sample (n=232) of freshmen entering an eastern private women's college in fall 1979. Replicating research instruments used in some past and recent studies, the study presents comparative data on the extent of career salience. The changes in lifestyle preferences are especially striking since the 1943 survey done at the college, which is also the site of the current study. The theoretical focus of this article, however, centers less on the extent of career salience, significant as it is, than on its correlates. The study reports on the degree of ideological consistency among career salience, perception of psychological sex differences, attitudes towards sex roles, ideals of femininity and masculinity, and some other components of gender orientation. Apart from the issue of ideological consistency, the study investigates a number of social and psychological background factors which may have contributed to the professed career commitment of some students and its absence in others.
Outcomes Analysis for 280 Patients with Cholangiocarcinoma Treated with Liver Transplantation Over an 18-year Period

Cholangiocarcinoma is an aggressive malignancy with 5-year survival rates <15%. Selected patients present with localized but unresectable disease and are candidates for orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). The purpose of this study was to evaluate a multi-institutional experience with liver transplantation for this malignancy. Two hundred eighty patients with cholangiocarcinoma treated with OLT from 1987 to 2005 were identified in The United Network for Organ Sharing database. Patient and allograft survivals were calculated and the potential prognostic value of multiple clinicopathologic variables was assessed. At a median follow-up interval of 452 days (range: 0–6,166 days), 1- and 5-year patient survivals were 74 and 38%, respectively, with 49 actual 5-year survivors and 21 actual 10-year survivors. Posttransplant 1- and 5-year allograft survivals were 69 and 36%, respectively. Study variables associated with improved survivals included diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma pre-OLT [5-year overall survival (OS): 68 vs. 20% for patients with incidental diagnoses at the time of OLT, p < 0.001] and OLT after 1993 (5-year OS: 45 vs. 30% pre-1994, p < 0.01). In contrast, the diagnosis of concomitant primary sclerosing cholangitis did not impact survivals (5-year OS: 41 vs. 50% without primary sclerosing cholangitis, p = 0.402). Selected cholangiocarcinoma patients treated with OLT experience a survival benefit. Diagnosis of cancer prior to OLT allows for better staging and pre-OLT therapy that may translate into improved outcomes. These data support the continued development of multimodality cholangiocarcinoma treatment protocols that include OLT.
Habermas' Theory of Communication: A Critical Explication.

The theory of communication proposed by German philosopher Jurgen Habermas has important implications for argumentation scholars, contemporary rhetorical theorists, and students of human interaction processes. This essay explicates and evaluates essential features of Habermas’ theory and indicates ties among Habermas’ concepts and the work of several speech communication scholars.
Make-Her-Spaces as Hybrid Places: Designing and Resisting Self Constructions in Urban Classrooms.

This qualitative study analyzes how an urban schoolteacher guided her 19 tenth grade Latina and African American young women in developing positive self-concepts as expressed through the implementation of design thinking processes. This work examines how young women who had limited access to digital media negotiated their identities as they created projects with a focus on developing positive self-images. Design thinking is a twenty-first century learning approach that suggests that students learn best by designing and making tangible artifacts in locales that are termed “makerspaces.” This research investigates the relationship between design thinking and the development of new and critical literacies. It also examines the ways that young women who lacked access to digital tools in their makerspace (classroom) used design thinking to negotiate their gendered and racialized identities. This study reveals how young women designed and resisted constructions of themselves by participation (and lack thereof) ...
Background to the Liberia and Sierra Leone implosions

Liberia and Sierra Leone are tragic examples of what happens when central authority collapses and warlords emerge as de-facto rulers over large portions of the national territory. Horrors inflicted on non-combatants and the well publicized trading in ‘conflict diamonds’ served to focus world attention on these two small countries sharing a common border. Both countries have experienced mixed success with outside military intervention for peace keeping and nation building purposes. What has happened is all the more distressing when one considers each country’s prospects at birth under the political and economic aegis of arguably two of the most powerful and enlightened countries of the time, Great Britain in the case of Sierra Leone and the United States in Liberia.
Electrical conduction mechanisms in green river oil shale

Abstract Results on the dielectric behavior of Green River oil shale in alternating current fields are reported. Oil shale samples with oil yields in the range 10–40 gallons per ton have been obtained by coring of the rock perpendicular to the bedding planes. Trends in the variation of AC conductivity, dielectric constant and loss factor are studied with frequency and temperature as the variable parameters. Measurements have been carried out in the range of frequencies 1 Hz-1 MHz and temperatures 25–500 °C. Increases in the conductivity of several orders of magnitude are observed for the samples heated from room temperature to 500 °C. The abnormally high values of dielectric constant and loss factor point toward the importance of Maxwell—Wagner interfacial polarization in electrical conduction mechanisms in oil shale. Striking variations in the conductivity—temperature curves are found before and after decomposition of the organic matter in the shale. The results of the present study indicate that measurement of electrical conductivity could be utilized to monitor the progress of retort fronts in oil shale beds.
Influence of source correlations on the spectrum of emitted light: a review

There is an implicit assumption in all of spectroscopy that the relative energy distribution in the spectrum of radiation which propagates in free space is independent of the location of the observer, provided that the observer and the source are at rest relative to each other. That this assumption is not valid, in general, was suggested by the results of an investigation of Mandel111, carried out almost thirty years ago. Mandel showed that when light beams from two small correlated sources which have the same normalized spectra are superposed, the normalized spectrum in the region of superposition will differ, in general, from the normalized spectrum of each source. More recently it was predicted theoretically2 and confirmed experimentally soon therwards3 that the normalized spectrum of light produced by an extended source, will, in general, differ from the normalized source spectrum (assumed to be the same at every source point); and that it will depend on the location of the point of observation. The spectral changes were shown to depend on the correlation properties of the source.
Coordination complexes with cis-TCNE radical anion ligands. models of M[TCNE]2 magnets.

The synthesis and characterization of two manganese(II) complexes formally each featuring two cis-tetracyanoethylenide radical anionic ligands (TCNE•/-) are reported. In each case, tris(pyrazol-1-ylmethyl)amine serves as a capping ligand, blocking three facial coordination sites. Crystal structures show that the two TCNE anions in each molecule exhibit an intramolecular stacking interaction that forms what can be considered a coordinated (TCNE2)2- moiety. These molecules are presumed to be structural models of some of the local bonding in the family of amorphous, ferrimagnetic, M[TCNE]2·y(solvent) coordination polymer magnets. Magnetic measurements indicate that the (TCNE2)2- bridge is diamagnetic and not a good mediator of magnetic exchange, a result that might explain the observed lower ordering temperatures in some of the polymer magnets.
Donald R. Johnson Receives 2010 Excellence in Geophysical Education Award

[1] Donald R. Johnson received the Excellence in Geophysical Education Award at the 2010 AGU Fall Meeting Honors Ceremony, held on 15 December 2010 in San Francisco, Calif. The award honors “a sustained commitment to excellence in geophysical education by a team, individual, or group.”
Comments on the physical mechanism causing the nonlinear behavior in Tonks-Dattner resonance experiments

Abstract This work compares two possible mechanisms which are thought to be responsible for the nonlinear behavior which develops as a function of increasing external electric field in Tonks-Dattner resonance experiments.
Effects of Topography on Baroclinic Instability

AbstractThe importance of bottom topography in the linear baroclinic instability of zonal flows on the β plane is examined by using analytical calculations and a quasigeostrophic eddy-resolving numerical model. The particular focus is on the effects of a zonal topographic slope, compared with the effects of a meridional slope. A zonal slope always destabilizes background zonal flows that are otherwise stable in the absence of topography regardless of the slope magnitude, whereas the meridional slopes stabilize/destabilize zonal flows only through changing the lower-level background potential vorticity gradient beyond a known critical value. Growth rates, phase speeds, and vertical structure of the growing solutions strongly depend on the slope magnitude. In the numerical simulations configured with an isolated meridional ridge, unstable modes develop on both sides of the ridge and propagate eastward of the ridge, in agreement with analytical results.
Clinical evaluation and management of lead-exposed construction workers.

An estimated one million construction workers are currently occupationally exposed to lead. Until 1993, construction workers were not offered the protections of OSHA's 1978 standard for lead exposure in industrial activities. Preventing exposure to lead in the construction setting presents many challenges, given the rapidly and frequently changing work environment. This article reviews the adverse effects of lead on human health and presents an approach to the diagnosis, management, and prevention of lead-related illness. The medical aspects of the 1993 OSHA standard for lead in construction are described.
Substitutional solutes in AlRu—I. Effects of solute on moduli, lattice parameters and vacancy production

Abstract The effect of solute-related defects in AlRu are measured by changes that they produce in lattice parameter, specific gravity and elastic moduli. By comparison with the effects of off-stoichiometry on the same parameters in binary AlRu alloys, the solute-produced defects can be partially characterized. Cell occupancy numbers are calculated and used to infer that vacancies are formed on the Al-rich side of stoichiometry, but possibly on a less than one vacancy per excess Al atom basis. These data are also needed to test the effects on the solutes studied—Co, Fe and Ti—on mechanical hardening to be reported separately in Part II.
Does neoadjuvant chemotherapy decrease the risk of hospital readmission following debulking surgery

Abstract Objective To compare primary debulking surgery (PDS) vs. neoadjuvant chemotherapy with interval debulking surgery (NACT-IDS) among elderly patients with ovarian/fallopian tube/primary peritoneal carcinoma. Methods Medical records of patients ≥ 70 years old with epithelial ovarian/fallopian tube/primary peritoneal carcinoma between January 2000 and December 2010 were reviewed. Patients were separated by PDS or NACT-IDS. Preoperative characteristics, surgical procedures and postoperative and oncologic outcomes were compared. Surgical procedures were given a complexity score based on a previously published method. Results Of 165 patients, 125 (75.8%) underwent PDS and 40 (24.2%) underwent NACT-IDS. Patients undergoing NACT-IDS were more likely to have a pleural effusion (without cytology) and stage 4 disease. Median CA-125 at diagnosis was greater for those undergoing NACT-IDS. The NACT-IDS group was associated with less intraoperative blood loss (250 vs. 400 mL, p = 0.001), a greater chance of achieving no residual disease (40% vs. 16%, p = 0.005) and a shorter hospital length of stay (LOS) (5 vs. 7 days, p Conclusions Elderly patients undergoing PDS have similar oncologic outcomes when compared to patients undergoing NACT-IDS. The risk of readmission within 30 days of surgery is significantly greater among patients undergoing PDS.
Venus nightside ionosphere: A model with KeV electron impact ionization

The impact of keV electrons is proposed as the strongest source of ionization in a full-up Venus nightside ionosphere model for the equatorial midnight region. The electron impacts lead to a peak ion density of 100,000/cu cm, which was observed by the PV-OIMS experiment on several occasions. In addition, the observed altitude profiles of CO2(+), O(+), O2(+), H(+), and H2(+) can be reproduced by the model on condition that the available keV electron flux is approximated by a reasonable extrapolation from fluxes observed at lower energies.
Regulation of aromatase gene expression in the adult rat brain.

Abstract Brain aromatase plays an important role in the regulation of adult reproductive behavior in male rodents. This report focuses on recent experiments from our laboratory that examined the distribution and regulation of aromatase mRNA in the rat brain. Aromatase mRNA was measured by a highly sensitive ribonuclease protection assay using a 32 P-labeled antisense RNA probe that was complimentary to the 5′ coding region of rat aromatase mRNA. This probe protects two RNA fragments in rat brain tissue: a 430-nt length fragment and a shorter 300-nt fragment. The presence of the 300-nt RNA fragment is not associated with enzyme activity in the rat brain and appears to represent an alternative brain-specific aromatase transcript whose function, if any, is unknown. In contrast, the 430-nt RNA fragment represents mRNA, which is thought to encode functional aromatase enzyme because its levels are correlated with aromatase activity concentrations in preoptic area, hypothalamus, amygdala, and ovary. Aromatase activity and mRNA levels in the preoptic area and hypothalamus decreased by 7 days after castration and were maintained at intact levels by treatment with testosterone and dihyhdrotestosterone, but not with estradiol. In contrast, neither aromatase activity nor mRNA levels in the amygdala are affected by castration or hormone replacement. In addition, sex differences in the regulation of aromatase mRNA were apparent in both the preoptic area and hypothalamus. These results demonstrate that androgens regulate the transcription or stability of aromatase mRNA in specific brain areas. Moreover, they suggest that gender differences in androgen responsiveness play an important role in regulating gene expression in the adult rat brain.
Nicked human chorionic gonadotropin in trophoblastic disease.

. Kohorn EI, Cole L. Nicked human chorionic gonadotropin in trophoblastic disease. The objectives of this study were to determine: 1) whether high proportions of nicked human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in serum at the time of mole evacuation and during postmolar surveillance is indicative of trophoblastic malignancy and 2) to investigate whether measurement of nicked hCG provides clinically more useful information in the management of patients with trophoblastic disease than does measurement of total hCG alone. “Tumor marker” total hCG, intact hCG, and nicked hCG were measured in serial samples of serum from our serum bank of patients with representative types of trophoblastic disease. “Tumor marker” hCG has been shown to measure all aspects of the hCG molecule. At the time of presentation of all 45 patients, 83.5% of hCG was intact and 16.5% was nicked. These proportions became reversed as hCG declined either spontaneously after hydatidiform mole evacuation or with chemotherapy in patients with postmolar trophoblastic tumor or with metastatic trophoblastic disease. We conclude that the proportion of nicked hCG compared to intact hCG increases with trophoblastic disease resolution. Measurement of nicked hCG adds no useful clinical information to that provided by reliable measurement of total hCG.
THE GRAVITATIONAL CONSTANT, THE CHANDRASEKHAR LIMIT, AND NEUTRON STAR MASSES

The Chandrasekhar mass limit sets the scale for the late evolutionary stages of massive stars, including the formation of neutron stars in core collapse supernovae. Because its value depends on the gravitational constant $G$, the masses of these neutron stars retain a record of past values of $G$. Using Bayesian statistical techniques, I show that measurements of the masses of young and old neutron stars in pulsar binaries limit $\stackrel{\ifmmode \dot{}\else \.{}\fi{}}{G}/G\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}(\ensuremath{-}0.6\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2.0)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}12}\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}{\mathrm{yr}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ (68% confidence limit) or $\stackrel{\ifmmode \dot{}\else \.{}\fi{}}{G}/G\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}=\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}(\ensuremath{-}0.6\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}4.2)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}12}\phantom{\rule{0ex}{0ex}}{\mathrm{yr}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ (95% confidence limit).
Hepatic cryosurgery in treating colorectal metastases.

Background. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of cryosurgery as an adjunct to resection in treating patients with hepatic metastases from colorectal adenocarcinoma. Methods. Forty-seven patients with documented metastases limited to the liver from colorectal adenocarcinoma were treated with cryosurgery with or without resection from Novermber 1987 to February 1992 and were followed until February 1994. Intraoperative ultrasound was used to map the lesions and place the cryoprobes. Each lesion was frozen to – 196° centigrade for 15 minutes, thawed for 10 minutes, and frozen again for 15 minutes. Follow-up computed tomographic scans were obtained before hospital discharg and 6 months and 1 year after cryosurgery. Carcinoembryonic antigen levels were obtained monthly. Results. Thiry-one males and 16 females, with a median age of 63 years, were treated. The median hospital stay was 10 days, and follow-up ranged from 24 to 57 months, with a median follow-up of 26 months. The actual survival at 24 months was 62%. Eleven percent of these patients had no evidence of disease at a median follow-up of 30 months. Complications included myoglobinuria, coagulopathy, pleural effusion, and bile duct injuries. Two patients (4%) died because of multisystem organ failure with irreversible coagulopathies. Conclusions. Crysurgical ablation increases the number of patients with liver metastases who potentially can become disease free. However, the effect on overall survival will require a longer follow-up period. Cancer 1995;76;210–4.
Effects of carbamazepine on acute responses to smoked cocaine-base in human cocaine users.

A double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over study was conducted to determine the effects of carbamazepine on the acute physiological and subjective responses to a single dose of smoked cocaine-base. Male cocaine users (N=6) were given 400 mg carbamazepine or placebo, each for a period of 5 days. At the end of the 5-day period, a 40 mg dose of smoked cocaine was administered. The results showed a significantly higher heart rate, diastolic blood pressure elevation, and blood pressure-heart rate product under the carbamazepine compared to the placebo condition. There were no effects of carbamazepine on the subjective responses from cocaine. The increase in cardiovascular functions indicates a need to be cautious in the use of carbamazepine in the treatment of cocaine abusers.