cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Myth of Linguistic Homogeneity in U.S. College Composition.

In "English Only and U.S. College Composition," Bruce Horner and John Trimbur identify the tacit policy of unidirectional English monolingualism, which makes moving students toward the dominant variety of English the only conceivable way of dealing with language issues in composition instruc tion. This policy of unidirectional monolingualism is an important concept to cri tique because it accounts for the relative lack of attention to multilingualism in com position scholarship. Yet it does not seem to explain why second-language issues have not become a central concern in composition studies. After all, if U.S. compo sition had accepted the policy of unidirectional monolingualism, all composition teachers would have been expected to learn how to teach the dominant variety of English to students who come from different language backgrounds. This has not been the case. While Geneva Smitherman and Victor Villanueva argue that coursework on language issues (though certainly not a monolingualist approach) should be part of every English teacher's professional preparation (4), relatively few graduate programs in composition studies offer courses on those issues, and even fewer require such courses. As a result, the vast majority of U.S. college composition programs remain unprepared for second-language writers who enroll in the main stream composition courses. To account for this situation, I want to take Horner and Trimbur's argument a step further and suggest that the dominant discourse of U.S. college composition not only has accepted English Only as an ideal but it al ready assumes the state of English-only, in which students are native English speak ers by default.
Elite Religion in Seventeenth-Century Ireland

As the institutional church in Ireland consolidated its position during the seventeenth century, the impact of Tridentine reforms began to permeate the Irish population. During the sixteenth century, the Irish people, like some of their clergy, grew accustomed to an ad hoc style of religious observance. The basic Catholic teachings and outlook had remained essentially intact, but actual religious practice had of course been affected during the long years of religious persecution. As we have seen, though, in spite of periodic interruptions, the general trend of the seventeenth century was towards the entrenchment of the institutional Catholic Church in Ireland, complete with a functioning diocesan episcopate and clergy, who were eager to implement Tridentine reforms concerning catechesis and lay observance.
Association Between High Serum Total Cholesterol and Periodontitis: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011 to 2012 Study of American Adults

Background: Clinical studies have suggested that lipids increase activity of white blood cells. The objective of this study is to examine whether high serum total cholesterol (STC) is associated with periodontitis.Methods: A total of 1,061 participants from the 2011 to 2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey who underwent both periodontal examination and laboratory test for STC was included. To examine effects of high STC on periodontitis, odds ratios were calculated, adjusting for age, sex, education, income, smoking status, diabetes, body mass index, and calcium levels.Results: Statistically significant associations were observed between borderline as well as high STC and periodontitis. Study participants with STC between 200 and 239 mg/dL (borderline) were 1.67 times (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.13 to 2.47) as likely to have periodontitis as those with normal levels (≤199 mg/dL), and those with STC ≥240 mg/dL (high) were 2.22 times (95% CI: 1.27 to 3.87) as likely to have periodontiti...
How Much? Prostitution and Its Social Repercussions

This chapter explores the controversy over prostitution in our society today, regarding semantics and the public opinion, split between those who are against and those who are for it. Furthermore, among the latter, there are often disagreements over the conditions under which prostitution should exist. The case of Spain is interesting because although prostitution is not illegal per se, it is not considered a legitimate job either, which means it is not regulated. The author analyzes the social repercussions of prostitution in Spanish society today from an ethical point of view through the lens of post-Franco Spanish films such as Leon de Aranoa’s Princesas (2005), Guillermo del Toro’s El espinazo del diablo (2001), and Santiago Segura’s Torrente, el brazo tonto de la ley (1998), among others.
Sequence learning by backward chaining in synthetic characters

Many learning algorithms concern themselves with learning from large amounts of data without human interaction. Synthetic characters that interact with human beings present a wholly different problem: they must learn quickly from few examples provided by a non-expert teacher. Training must be intuitive, provide feedback, and still allow training of non-trivial new behaviours. We present a learning mechanism that allows an autonomous synthetic character to learn sequences of actions from natural interaction with a human trainer. The synthetic character learns from only a handful of training examples, in a realtime and complex environment. Building on an existing framework for training a virtual dog to perform single actions on command and explore its action and state space, we give the dog the ability to notice consistent reward patterns that follow sequences of actions. Using an approximate online algorithm to check the Markov property for an action, the dog can discover action sequences that reliably predict rewards and turn these sequences into actions, allowing them to be associated with speech commands. This framework leads to a natural and easy training procedure that is a version of Backward Chaining, a technique commonly used by animal trainers to teach sequences of actions.
Secure degrees of freedom in cooperative K-helper MIMO cognitive radio systems

Abstract We study the achievable secure degrees of freedom (DoF) in a cooperative MIMO cognitive radio system comprised of one primary source–destination pair, multiple secondary source–destination pairs and an eavesdropper against whom the primary user intends to secure its data. In this system, multiple secondary user pairs help to secure primary user’s data against eavesdropping. In return, these secondary users are allowed to access primary user’s spectrum. All users, including primary user pair, K ≥ 2 secondary user pairs and the eavesdropper are equipped with M antennas. We investigate the secure DoF without the knowledge of eavesdropper’s channel state information (CSI), using the interference alignment concept combined with a zero inter-user interference constraint. A beamforming design is proposed to achieve secure DoF d for the primary user and DoF d for all secondary users if K d ≤ M . The case of untrusted secondary users is also investigated where the secondary users may potentially eavesdrop. Simulation examples corroborating the theoretical results are presented.
Toward a queer psychology of affect: restarting from shameful places

The affective turn that has emerged in academia problematizes the previous dichotomous conceptualization of essentialism and social constructionism. It also points toward a new direction for the study of human—and beyond human—experience. Situating this paradigm shift within broader social scientific inquiry, this paper engages with psychologist Silvan Tomkins’s and queer theorist Eve Sedgwick’s theories of affect. In doing so, it employs shame as a critical concept for queer psychology that is distinct from the sexual minority framework dominating North American LGBTQ psychology. The author proposes moving toward a concept of shame that identifies it as a curious engagement beyond disciplinary boundaries and movement that circulates through different sexualized and racialized bodies. In moving toward this concept and away from one of shame as a problem and an undesirable object to be rid of, we can work toward a queer psychology of affect that breaks open the binarism of pride and shame.
Free to Be: Developing a Mindfulness-Based Eating Disorder Prevention Program for Preteens

Concerns with body image and disordered eating behaviors are pervasive in today’s society. Recent cohorts of preteen girls are at increased risk for the development of an eating disorder (ED) due to changes in pubertal development and the widespread impact of social media. This article describes a mindfulness-based eating disorder prevention program for preteens that integrates wellness practices such as mindful eating and noncompetitive exercise with awareness-building conversations about the messages society sends to girls and women about their bodies. Implications and strategies for incorporating the program into the practice of child and adolescent counseling are discussed.
The Persistence of Entrepreneurship and Innovative Immigrants: Evidence from Stanford University

Ethnic and immigration status may play a role in entrepreneurship and innovation, yet the impact of university entrepreneurship education on this relationship is under-explored. This paper examines the persistence and differences in entrepreneurship of Stanford Alumni by ethnicity and nationality. We find that among Stanford alumni, Asian Americans have a higher rate of entrepreneurship than white Americans. However, non-American Asians have a substantially lower, about 12 percentage point, start-up rate than Asian Americans. Such discrepancy not only holds for entrepreneurial choice but also for investing as an angel investor or VC, or utilizing Stanford networks to find funding sources or partners. Participation in Stanford University’s entrepreneurship program as a student does little to reduce this gap. The low level of parental entrepreneurship and the high degree of intergenerational correlation in entrepreneurship likely result in the lower level of entrepreneurship and participation in university entrepreneurship programs among Asians relative to their Asian American counterparts. Our findings highlight the value of immigration in terms of breaking the persistence in entrepreneurship among certain ethnic groups and promoting potential high-growth entrepreneurship in the United States. In addition, our findings may have important implications for programs to incorporate immigrant entrepreneurs within their home countries to promote entrepreneurship and help break the persistence of entrepreneurship across generations.
Adfluvial salmonids have engineering but not fertilization impacts in tributaries of a central Utah reservoir

Migratory fishes can affect tributary ecosystem properties given their potential to introduce nutrients (fertilize) and physically modify habitat (engineer) during spawning. Nonetheless, migrant ef...
Multiple System Atrophy : Clues from Inclusions

Multiple system atrophy (MSA) was added to the list of neurodegenerative diseases defined by cytoplasmic inclusions when Papp et al 1 demonstrated specific oligodendroglial inclusions, referred to as glial cytoplasmic inclusions (GCIs), in brains of patients affected by MSA. Their observation has since allowed more accurate interpretation of the pathological differential diagnosis of parkinsonian, cerebellar, and autonomic disorders and has further supported the concept of MSA as an entity. Moreover, MSA appears unique among neurodegenerative diseases in that its hallmark inclusion affects oligodendrocytes, suggesting that glial changes and glial-neuronal interactions may be early events in neurodegeneration, and emphasizing the potential importance of myelin metabolism in disease pathogenesis. In the current issue of this journal, Matsuo and colleagues 2 expand on this finding by providing evidence that myelin degeneration in patients with MSA is more widespread than previously recognized.
Development and Performance Characterization of a Polyimine Covalent Organic Framework Thin-Film Composite Nanofiltration Membrane

Two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks (COFs) were used to create the first asymmetric, thin-film composite (TFC) nanofiltration (NF) membrane with a COF active layer. NF membrane active layers of polyimine COF were synthesized via the interfacial polymerization (IP) of terephthalaldehyde and tris(4-aminophenyl)benzene monomers on top of a poly(ether sulfone) (PES) ultrafiltration membrane support. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analyses confirmed the presence of an imine-linked film with a thickness of ∼10 nm that was formed reproducibly. The rejection efficiencies of the COF NF membrane for a model organic compound, Rhodamine-WT, and a background electrolyte, NaCl, were higher than those of the PES support without the COF film. This enhanced solute rejection is the first successful demonstration of a TFC membrane with a thin COF active layer. However, this work also demonstrates the need for COF NF membranes with smaller active layer pores and alt...
A 12-wavelength NIR spectral tomography (NIRST) system for monitoring breast tumor response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy

The total data acquisition time of simultaneous acquisition involving six FD and six CW wavelengths are less than 100 seconds. 10 patients who undergoing Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy have been imaged by this system.
The Trump Administration’s assault on health and social programs: potential consequences for older Hispanics

Health and social welfare policy proposals put forth by the Trump administration and Republican-controlled Congress could have huge impacts on low-income groups. This paper focuses on older Hispanics, with an emphasis on the Mexican-origin population who form the largest Hispanic subgroup. A demographic portrait is presented that indicates that Mexican-origin individuals have less wealth and lower incomes than do non-Hispanic Whites. Given rising health care costs, lower use of nursing homes, and greater propensity to live with grown children, prevailing economic disadvantage has serious consequences for this population. More restrictive immigration policies aimed at limiting family reunification could have intergenerational caregiving consequences. In addition, because of labor-force disadvantages, low-income Mexican-origin adults are less likely to have private insurance compared to non-Hispanic Whites as they approach retirement. Consequently, Mexican-origin older adults tend to rely on Medicaid when eligible; in contrast, late-life migrants-who do not qualify for federally funded benefits for at least five years-and unauthorized migrants-who are excluded from federally funded benefits-have extremely limited access to safety net provisions. The potential effects of proposed cutbacks in health care financing on older Hispanics are discussed.
Advanced modeling of the behavior of bonded composite joints in aerospace applications

Abstract: Adhesively bonded structural components are increasingly being considered for lightweight aerospace structures. This chapter provides a state-of-the-art description of how contemporary advances in computational mechanics, based on the finite element method, can be used to obtain a basic understanding of the deformation response of adhesive joints in aerospace composite structures. Engineering approaches that can be used to design bonded structural joints are also described, with particular attention being given to bonded joint analysis using cohesive zone modeling. As an example for a real-life design implementation of cohesive zone based bonded joint analysis, an integrated computational analysis approach is presented.
TSA Analysis of Vertically- and Incline-loaded Plates containing Neighboring Holes

This paper presents an effective way to determine the individual stresses in arbitrarily-loaded multiply-perforated finite plates whose various size cutouts are randomly distributed. Thermoelastic stress analysis (TSA) is used such that the recorded temperature data are processed utilizing an Airy’s stress function. Advantages of TSA include full-field, non-contacting, nondestructive, no surface preparation other than a paint is needed, unnecessary to differentiate the measured information and has a resolution comparable to that of commercial foil strain gages. The present analysis was inspired by previous studies involving the TSA stress analysis of an incline-loaded clamped plate containing a single cutout [1] and a tensile plate containing multiple holes which were located collinearly to the external load [2]. The individual stresses in vertically- and incline-loaded aluminum plates containing two side-by-side circular holes are determined here. The holes are sufficiently close together that their stress fields interact with each other. The absence of any universal loading fixturing causes the inclineloaded plate to be subjected to some unknown in-plane bending as well as the tension. This unknown loading of the inclined plate hampers stress analyzing the plate numerically, and theoretical solutions to finite geometries are extremely difficult. Notwithstanding the aforementioned statement, TSA results agree well with those from commercial strain gages and ANSYS. Load equilibrium is also satisfied.
SELLING A LEMON UNDER DEMAND UNCERTAINTY

We consider a seller who has private information about the quality of her good but is uncertain about buyer arrivals. Assuming that the high‐quality seller insists on a price, we show that the low‐quality seller's surplus and pricing strategy crucially depend on buyers' knowledge about the demand state. If they are also uncertain about demand, then demand uncertainty increases the low‐quality seller's expected payoff, and her optimal strategy is to lower the price after some time. If buyers know the demand state, then demand uncertainty does not affect the low‐quality seller's payoff, but she must employ a sophisticated pricing strategy.
Automatic Optical Coherence Tomography Imaging of Stationary and Moving Eyes with a Robotically-Aligned Scanner

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has found great success in ophthalmology where it plays a key role in screening and diagnostics. Clinical ophthalmic OCT systems are typically deployed as tabletop instruments that require chinrest stabilization and trained ophthalmic photographers to operate. These requirements preclude OCT diagnostics in bedbound or unconscious patients who cannot use a chinrest, and restrict OCT screening to ophthalmology offices. We present a robotically-aligned OCT scanner capable of automatic eye imaging without chinrests. The scanner features eye tracking from fixed-base RGB-D cameras for coarse and stereo pupil cameras for fine alignment, as well as galvanometer aiming for fast lateral tracking, reference arm adjustment for fast axial tracking, and a commercial robot arm for slow lateral and axial tracking. We demonstrate the system’s performance autonomously aligning with stationary eyes, pursuing moving eyes, and tracking eyes undergoing physiologic motion. The system demonstrates sub-millimeter eye tracking accuracy, 12 μm lateral pupil tracking accuracy, 83.2 ms stabilization time following step disturbance, and 9.7 Hz tracking bandwidth.
Expression and Characterization of a Bright Far-red Fluorescent Protein from the Pink-Pigmented Tissues of Porites lobata

Members of the anthozoan green fluorescent protein (GFP) family display a diversity of photo-physical properties that can be associated with normal and damaged coral tissues. Poritid coral species often exhibit localized pink pigmentation in diseased or damaged tissues. Our spectral and histological analyses of pink-pigmented Porites lobata lesions show co-localization of bright red fluorescence with putative amoebocytes concentrating in the epidermis, suggesting an activated innate immune response. Here we report the cloning, expression, and characterization of a novel red fluorescent protein (plobRFP) from the pink-pigmented tissues associated with lesions on Porites lobata. In vitro, the recombinant plobRFP exhibits a distinct red emission signal of 614 nm (excitation maximum: 578 nm), making plobRFP the furthest red-shifted natural fluorescent protein isolated from a scleractinian coral. The recombinant protein has a high molar extinction coefficient (84,000 M-1 cm-1) and quantum yield (0.74), conferring a notable brightness to plobRFP. Sequence analysis suggests the distinct brightness and marked red shift may be inherent features of plobRFP's chromophore conformation. While plobRFP displays a tendency to aggregate, its high pH stability, photostability, and spectral properties make it a candidate for cell imaging applications and a potential template for engineering optimized RFPs. The association of plobRFP with a possible immune response furthers its potential use as a visual diagnostic and molecular biomarker for monitoring coral health.
Art is Key to the Success of a Modern Game

With the development of technology, video games' graphics and effects have drastically improved. An increasing number of art elements have been incorporated into games, which not only enhance the playing experience, but it also make the whole game more artistic. There are even some games directly presented as a form of art, like interactive movie games, music games, etc. These types of games are often very successful, acquiring favorable reviews from both players and critics. In many game development competitions, games which have more art elements score higher. In this article, a few games are analysed and statistics are conducted to determine why more “artistic” games are more likely to be successful. It is hoped that this research could help inspire game developers to produce games with a higher artistic focus. We tested our algorithm using xxxxx, and we got results with high accuracy
A Multihazard Assessment of Age-Related Weather Vulnerabilities

AbstractWeather fatalities for all age groups were examined for the period 1996–2018 using NOAA Storm Data. Vulnerabilities due to limited mobility that inhibited evacuation from a hazardous enviro...
Self-Efficacy of Providers of Early Intervention Services to Young Children with Visual Impairments and Their Families:

Introduction:Anthony cautions that the training of teachers of students with visual impairments (i.e., blindness and low vision) and orientation and mobility (O&M) specialists covers a broad age ra...
HPV Vaccine and Latino Immigrant Parents: If They Offer It, We Will Get It

HPV vaccination rates remain low in the fast growing Latino children population while we continue to observe large HPV-associated cancer disparities in the Latino population. In this study, we sought to elucidate Latino immigrant parents’ barriers to obtaining the HPV vaccine for their children. Five focus groups were conducted with Latino immigrant parents of minors (i.e., 9–17 year old) who had not yet initiated the HPV vaccine series. Three major findings were identified from the focus groups: (1) low levels of awareness and knowledge of HPV and the HPV vaccine, (2) high confidence that parent can get the vaccine for their eligible child and (3) lack of provider recommendation as the main barrier to vaccination. Children of Latino immigrant parents could benefit from increased provider recommendation for the HPV vaccine while providing tailored HPV information to parents.
Postoperative Complications in Medicare Beneficiaries Following Endothelial Keratoplasty Surgery

Purpose To determine national-level incidence rates of major postoperative complications following endothelial keratoplasty (EK) procedures and to stratify these rates based on EK indications over an 8-year period using Medicare claims data. Design Retrospective, cohort study. Methods Setting: population-based; study population: Medicare beneficiaries aged ≥65 years who underwent EK procedures; main outcome measurements: 1) occurrence of major postoperative complications (i.e., endophthalmitis, choroidal hemorrhage, infectious keratitis, cystoid macular edema [CME], retinal detachment [RD], or RD surgery) following EK surgery; 2) time-to-event analysis for glaucoma surgery; and 3) occurrence of graft complications. Results A total of 94,829 EK procedures (n = 71,040 unique patients) were included in the analysis. Of the total, 29% of patients had pre-existing glaucoma. The overall 90-day cumulative incidence of postoperative endophthalmitis and choroidal hemorrhage following EK was 0.03% and 0.05%, respectively. The overall 1-year cumulative rates of RD or RD surgery, infectious keratitis, and CME were 1.0%, 0.8%, and 4.1%, respectively. Approximately 7.6%, 12.2%, and 13.8% of all eyes in this study needed glaucoma surgery at 1-, 5-, and 8-years of follow-up, respectively. The probability of glaucoma surgery among patients with pre-existing glaucoma was 29% vs. 8% among those without pre-existing glaucoma at 8 years. The cumulative probabilities of developing any graft complications were 13%, 23.2%, and 27.1% at 1, 5, and 8 years, respectively, of follow-up. On average, patients undergoing EK procedures for a prior failed graft had the highest rate of complications, whereas those with Fuchs' corneal endothelial dystrophy had the lowest. Conclusions The incidence of major postoperative complications including endophthalmitis, retinal detachment, and choroidal hemorrhage following EK procedures is low. A high proportion of eyes undergoing EK eventually require glaucoma surgery and experience graft-related complications. Postoperative outcomes are typically worse for patients undergoing EK for prior failed grafts than for those undergoing EK for Fuchs' corneal endothelial dystrophy.
One Faith, Two Authorities: Tension between Female Religious and Male Clergy in the American Catholic Church: by Jeanine E. Kraybill, Philadelphia, PA, Temple University Press, 2019, 174 pp., $27.95 (paperback), ISBN: 978-1-4399-1382-6

For those interested in the role of religion in American politics, the images of the Nuns on the Bus tour are some of the defining images of the 2009 debate over the Affordable Care Act, commonly k...
How Liberal Protestant Church Historians Helped Turn “Christianity” into a Good White Protestant American Religion in the Twentieth Century

From the three historians of early Christianity whose lives and careers Elizabeth Clark discusses in The Fathers Refounded—Arthur Cushman McGiffert of Union Theological Seminary in New York, George LaPiana at Harvard Divinity School, and Shirley Jackson Case from the University of Chicago Divinity School—there breathes a palpable air of white, upper-middle-class liberal Protestant complacency and intellectual superiority. Modernists all, they know they are on the winning side of truth because they are confident that they are on the winning side of time. Summarizing McGiffert's distinction between ancient and contemporary Christianity, Clark writes: “Only in modernity, when God's immanence was championed, was the dualism between human and divine in Christ overcome.” “Christ, if he was human,” McGiffert believed, “must be divine, as all men are.” McGiffert's historiography shimmers with Emersonian confidence and ebullience. In his assumption—his assertion—of “only in,” we hear the ringing sound of modernity's triumphant temporality.
Integration bounds for the regular simplex in n-dimensional space

The purpose of this article is to provide an explicit formula for the bounds of integration of the regular simplex centred at the origin. Furthermore, this article rigorously proves that these inte...
Preparing for SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines in US Immigrant Communities: Strategies for Allocation, Distribution, and Communication.

Widely administered efficacious severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines are the safest and most efficient way to achieve individual- and population-level immunity, making SARS-CoV-2 vaccination the most viable strategy for controlling the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in the United States. To this end, the US government has invested more than $10 billion in "Operation Warp Speed," a public-private partnership including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the US Department of Defense. Operation Warp Speed funded the development of several SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and aimed to deliver 300 million doses of a vaccine by the ambitious date of January 2021. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print December 22, 2020: e1-e5. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2020.306047).
Warning: Contraceptive Drugs May Cause Political Headaches

The Obama Administration's contraceptive mandate implicates issues of complicity that run through many aspects of civil society, whether it is the police officer told to protect an abortion clinic or the tax exemption granted even to misogynist, homophobic, anti-semitic and racist religious groups such as the Westboro Baptist Church. How should the contraceptive mandate be framed, as a public health measure or as a turf dispute over the public space?
The ironic effects of dietary restraint in situations that undermine self-regulation.

Dietary restraint, defined as the cognitive effort to restrict eating, can paradoxically make individuals more susceptible to unhealthy eating when their ability to self-regulate is threatened. Past experiments have found that, in situations that elicit low self-control and/or unhealthy cravings, participants with higher dietary restraint eat more than those with lower restraint. However, these relationships have never been examined in a free-living environment. The current daily diary study examined if dietary restraint would exacerbate the associations between poor self-control and unhealthy cravings with overconsumption, namely, eating more than usual and binge eating. College women (N = 121, M age = 19) reported their restrained eating behavior and completed seven daily surveys. Multilevel analyses showed a significant interaction between dietary restraint and daily self-control on eating more than usual (b = -0.13, p = .001) and binge eating (b = -0.22, p < .001). Lower daily self-control was associated with eating more than usual and with more binge eating that day, but only among women with higher dietary restraint. Dietary restraint also moderated the effect of cravings on eating more than usual (b = 0.10, p = .007); this relationship was stronger for women with higher restraint. Stronger cravings were associated with more binge eating regardless of restraint. Results suggest that situations that undermine self-control are more strongly associated with overeating among those with higher dietary restraint. Findings can inform strategies to reduce overconsumption among restrained eaters.
Organometallic chemical vapor deposition of copper oxide thin films

CU2O, CuO and Cu films were prepared by metal organic chemical vapor deposi­ tion (MOCVD) technique using copper acetylacetonate (Cu(acac)2) as the precursor. Depositions were performed at atmospheric pressure in an oxygen-rich environment. The films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS), Auger electron spectroscopy!AES), Fourier transform infrared spec­ troscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy(SEM). With a deposition temper­ ature of 360^C, CU2O films could be deposited at an oxygen partial pressure of 150 torr and a copper precursor partial pressure of 0.2 torr. XRD results indicate that the CugO films are polycrystalline, with a preferential [111] orientation. CuO films were deposited at 420*^0 with an oxygen partial pressure of 190 torr and a copper pressure of 0.2 torr. The CuO films have crystal grains randomly oriented at [111] and [111] planes. By using water vapor as a co-reactant, copper metal films could be deposited at temperatures above 380^C, with a water vapor pressure of 15 torr and a copper precursor pressure of 0.20 torr. XRD patterns indicated that most Cu films were polycrystalline and had a preferential orientation at [111] plane. Spec­ troscopic characterization results indicated the phase distribution in these MOCVD films was determined by the deposition temperature, precursor partial pressures, and co-reactants used (HgO or O2).
The Effect of Doxorubicin on Mitochondrial Fusion and Fission Markers in the Kidney

Doxorubicin (DOX) is an effective chemotherapeutic agent, but is known to cause significant cardiac and hepatic toxicity. However, there has not been significant research into the effects of DOX on the kidneys. The purpose of this study was to determine if acute DOX treatment affected the content of the primary regulators of mitochondrial fusion and fission. Six-week old F344 rats were randomly divided into two groups and injected with 20 mg/kg of DOX or saline. Once treated, the animals were fasted with no food or water until sacrifice 24 hours later. Upon sacrifice, kidneys were harvested and stored at -80°C for future analysis. MFN-1, MFN-2, Fis-1, OPA-1 and DRP-1 were analyzed by Standard Western protocol. Results showed no significant difference in the content of these mitochondrial morphology regulators between the animals treated with DOX and those treated with saline. The results suggest that acute Dox treatment may not affect renal mitochondrial morphology, however further studies including micro...
Isolation and Characterization of ApoLp-Gln-II (ApoA-II), a Plasma High Density Apolipoprotein Containing Two Identical Polypeptide Chains

Abstract ApoLp-Gln-II (or apoA-II), one of the two major apolipoproteins of human plasma high density lipoprotein, was isolated from a single female volunteer by DEAE-cellulose chromatography. The purified apoprotein was shown to be homogeneous by immunoelectrophoresis, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and amino acid analysis. Distinctive features of the amino acid composition were the absence of histidine, arginine, and tryptophan. Reduction and carboxymethylation yielded 2 moles of S-carboxymethylcysteine per mole of intact apoLp-Gln-II. Few carboxymethyl groups could be added to apoLp-Gln-II prior to its reduction, indicating that cystine rather than cysteine was present in the intact apoprotein. This was confirmed by identification of cystine on enzymatic digestion of the intact apoprotein. Following reduction and S-carboxymethylation of apoLp-Gln-II, its molecular weight, as determined by gel filtration in 6 m guanidine hydrochloride, decreased from 16,700 ± 300 S.E.M. to 8,950 ± 150 S.E.M., indicating that apoLp-Gln-II is composed of two polypeptide chains of similar molecular weight. The two chains appeared to be identical by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in urea (pH 2.9 and 9.4), immunoelectrophoresis, and DEAE-cellulose chromatography. No NH2-terminal amino acid could be demonstrated by the dansyl chloride or phenylisothiocyanate methods, but digestion of apoLp-Gln-II with pyrrolidonecarboxylyl peptidase released pyrrolidonecarboxylic acid. Carboxypeptidase A digestion released glutamine and threonine. The kinetics of release as well as the inability to demonstrate threonine on hydrazinolysis indicated that glutamine was the COOH-terminal amino acid and threonine was the penultimate residue. These studies indicate that apoLp-Gln-II is composed of two identical polypeptide chains connected by a single disulfide bridge. Each chain has NH2-terminal pyrrolidonecarboxylic acid and COOH-terminal glutamine. The composition of the reduced and S-carboxymethylated chains is: Cys(Cm)1, PCA1, Asp2, Asn1, Thr6, Glu8, Gln7, Pro4, Gly3, Ala5, Val6, Met1, Ile1, Leu8, Tyr4, Phe4, and Lys9. Each polypeptide chain contains 77 residues and has a molecular weight of 8690.
Circuit-level characterization and loss modeling of SiC-based power electronic converters

This paper presents the design, characterization, and modeling of a power electronic converter based around Silicon Carbide (SiC) MOSFETs. A practical characterization procedure is proposed which takes a circuit-level approach, as opposed to a device-level approach, using only the power electronic circuit and no additional test circuitry. The converter circuit is general enough that it can represent a dc chopper circuit or an output phase of an inverter. The design of the converter, including the SiC-specific gate drive circuit, is described. The hardware setup was operated at frequencies up to 200 kHz and efficiencies up to approximately 99% were recorded. A model for predicting converter and driver losses at different load currents, dc bus voltages, and operating temperatures was constructed; the predictions from the model were in good agreement with the measurements.
The Liability of Foreignness

The term “liability of foreignness” (LOF) describes the costs that firms operating outside their home countries experience above those incurred by local firms. Keywords: Liability of Foreignness
Neonatal hormone treatment and sexual behavior in male mice

Abstract Male mice were given either testosterone, estrogen, or oil within 2–20 hr of birth. The development of sexual responses, and certain aspects of adult sexual behavior, were then observed. Testosterone-treated males ejaculated at an earlier age than oil- or estrogen-treated males, but testosterone did not affect the adult mating pattern. The estrogen-treated males were significantly older at first ejaculation than either the oil- or testosteronetreated males. When tested in adulthood, the estrogen-treated group showed an increase in the amount of time and genital stimulation preceding ejaculation.
Fatigue Crack Propagation and Load Interaction Effects in a Titanium Alloy

An experimental investigation of load interaction effects in Ti-6Al-2Sn-4Zn-2Mo is presented. Simple variable amplitude loading spectra were applied to test samples, and the crack propagation stress intensity factor, K P R , was subsequently measured. The data were condensed to two equations ("master curves") that describe the influence of an unloading cycle after constant amplitude loading and a single overload cycle, respectively. The results suggest that load interaction effects are caused by residual compressive stresses ahead of the crack front, whereas the influence of crack closure is minor.
Quasilinear poroelasticity: Analysis and hybrid finite element approximation: QUASILINEAR POROELASTICITY

We consider a system of partial differential equations which models flows through elastic porous media. This system consists of an elasticity equation describing the displacement of an elastic porous matrix and a quasilinear elliptic equation describing the pressure of the saturating fluid (flowing through its pores). In this model, the permeability depends nonlinearly on the dilatation (divergence of the displacement) of the medium. We show that the solution has W m 2 regularity. We describe the numerical approximation of solutions using a hybrid finite element-least squares mixed finite element method. Error estimates are obtained through the introduction of an auxiliary linear elasticity equation. Numerical experiments verify the error estimates and validate the proposed poroelasticity model. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 31: 1174–1189, 2015
Redox Stability of SrNb x Ti1 − x O3 – YSZ for Use in SOFC Anodes

The conductive properties of bulk SrNb x Ti 1-x O 3 (SNT) and porous SrNb x Ti 1-x O 3 -yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) composites for x = 0.01, 0.05, and 0.20 have been examined under relevant solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) operating temperatures and redox cycling conditions. The porous composite conductivities were approximately 1 order of magnitude lower than the corresponding bulk material. In order to obtain reasonable conductivity levels for SOFCs, samples were prereduced at 1400°C in H 2 . The conductivity of prereduced samples increased with increasing Nb content when directly measured in humidified H 2 ; however, when considering the conductivities measured after redox cycling, there appears to be no benefit to using higher dopant levels. After redox cycling at 800°C, a composite conductivity of 1 S/cm at 800°C in humidified H 2 (3% H 2 O) was achieved for x = 0.01 and 0.05 and a composite conductivity of 0.5 S/cm was achieved for x = 0.20. Fuel cell power densities of 415 mW/cm 2 at 700°C and 640 mW/cm 2 at 800°C were achieved in humidified H 2 (3% H 2 O) with a porous SNT-YSZ anode infiltrated with 1 wt % Pd and 3 wt % CeO 2 , a 50 μm thick YSZ electrolyte, and an La 0.8 Sr 0.2 FeO 3 (LSF), LSF-YSZ cathode. The implications of these results for the development of redox-stable anodes are discussed.
The 'New' Fatal Conceit: The Errors of Foreign Intervention

The fatal conceit is the assumption the world can be shaped according to human desires. F.A. Hayek argued that socialism suffered from a fatal conceit because it presumed that central planners could engage in rational constructivism to design a superior state of affairs. With the collapse of socialism, central planning has been discredited as a viable means of economic organization. However, the fatal conceit of central planning continues through foreign interventions in the form of foreign aid and foreign military interventions. These foreign interventions rely on central planning and suffer from a fatal conceit in assuming that planners can design desirable global outcomes.
End-to-end throughput capacity in multi-hop wireless networks

A fundamental issue in MWNs is that the end-to-end performance degrades quickly with hop counts and the degree of traffic aggregation at each hop. This disparity problem in MWNs worsens further when client traffic is forwarded via a series of relay nodes towards the destination through a series of tandem contention domains. Owing to the broadcast nature of the wireless medium, the end-to-end throughput is not only limited by the data rate of the individual links along the path, but also inversely affected by the hearing range and level of activity of the participating nodes. In this paper, we approximate node throughputs in MWNs by examining the underlying hop contention graph, along with hop counts and traffic aggregates. We show that node throughputs depend greatly on the location of nodes in relation to their hops away from the gateway and on the number of nodes in its sensing and transmission range.
The role of cyclic GMP in cells with the properties of smooth muscle cultured from the rat myometrium

Cells growing in culture with previously described properties of rat uterine smooth muscle accumulated /sup 45/Ca/sup 2 +/ from the medium. Ca/sup 2 +/ uptake by these cells was stimulated by the addition to the medium of 8-bromo-cGMP but not by 8-bromo-cAMP. Ca/sup 2 +/ uptake was also stimulated by carbachol and by the nitro-vasodilator nitroprusside. Although cholinergic agonists have been shown previously to stimulate contraction but not cGMP synthesis in the rat myometrium, both carbachol and nitroprusside stimulated cGMP production by the cultured cells. These results suggested the cells had cholinergic receptor-medicated functions that reflected some neurotransmitter-sensitive properties of uterine smooth muscle in situ. When determined by a specific radioligand binding assay, subcellular fractions of the cultured cells bound muscarinic cholinergic agonists and antagonists with affinities expected of the muscarinic receptor. The cells were also sensitive to the ..beta..-adrenergic catecholamine agonist isoproterenol, which stimulated cAMP production but not Ca/sup 2 +/ uptake. Carbachol failed to inhibit isoproterenol-dependent cAMP production, which is an important property of the cholinergic receptor in uterine smooth muscle in situ. These results suggest some but not all acetylcholine-sensitive properties of uterine smooth muscle may be retained in cell culture.
Manganese superoxide dismutase expression as a function of genotype and lung cancer pathology.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: The aim of this study was to compare the manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) expression in matched tumor and normal tissue. Methods: One hundred lung cancer specimens and matched normal lung parenchyma from the same patient were evaluated for MnSOD expression. Results: The median normal MnSOD expression was 42% with a range of 10 to 70%, which was significantly greater (p = .001) than the median MnSOD expression in the tumor samples that was 18.8% and ranged from 1.1 to 50%. Conclusion: MnSOD expression is significantly reduced in lung adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma compared to the matched normal lung tissue.
Predictors of 30-Day Readmission and Postdischarge Mortality Following Carotid Endarterectomy in the ACS-NSQIP

of smoking (76%). Other co-morbidities included diabetes (47%), obesity (35%), and CAD (44%). Consistent with previous findings, CAS was associated with higher incidence of microemboli (P 1⁄4 .0005) and with susceptibility to memory decline (P 1⁄4 .0085). Negative univariate associations were found for 5-HTT (serotonin transporter) short alleles with memory decline (P 1⁄4 .016) and brainderived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) polymorphism with incidence of microemboli (P 1⁄4 .018). After adjusting for ApoE risk alleles, incidence of microemboli trended with memory decline (P 1⁄4 .099). Conclusions: Despite a small number of patients, our study showed that genetic polymorphisms such as 5-HTT, BDNF, and ApoE may provide additional insight on postoperative changes in cognition. Further investigation of these polymorphisms is warranted to understand and potentially prevent cognitive deterioration following carotid revascularization procedures.
Analytical Tools for the Analyses of Coal and its Combustion Products

Coal, due to its heterogeneous nature and complex structure; physical, chemical and petrographic properties, introduces two-fold complications during its combustion in power generation. Organic and inorganic constituents in various petrographic states alter chemically and physically. The products of combustion; unburned carbon, deposits, oxides of metals and non-metals, metal and non-metal complexes need to be identified qualitatively and quantitatively to increase the coal combustion efficiency and to optimize the durability of power plant components. This paper describes the usage of various analytical tools like NMR, ESP, IR, Electron Microscopy, X-Ray, Fluorescent Microscopy coupled with Wet Analysis to analyze coal and its derivatives. Each spectroscopy is related to a specific aspect of coal and its derivatives. The limiting conditions and the range of application of each of the tools are provided. The knowledge of these ranges will help in monitoring accurate emission levels of a particulate concentration, NO/sub x/, SO/sub x/, and will control several phenomena such as deposition, corrosion and erosion.
Exploratory Study of a Preventive Intervention with General Population African American Families

The authors report the intervention implementation and outcome evaluation of the Strengthening Families Program: For Parents and Youth 10-14 (SFP 10-14),involving a sample of African American families with young adolescents. Implementation feasibility clearly was demonstrated. A sufficient number of families was recruited successfully, retention rates were strong, and observer ratings showed high adherence to the intervention protocol. Control group comparisons at posttest showed positive results for intervention-targeted child behaviors and for child participation in family meetings but not for other outcome measures. Findings of the investigation are discussed in terms of their relevance to ongoing intervention research with minority populations and considered in light of study limitations.