cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interacting micro-cracks near the tip in the process zone of a macro-crack

Abstract F or a linearly elastic and isotropic solid containing two or more cracks, cavities and other interacting defects of complex geometries, a method called “the method of pseudo-tractions” has been recently proposed by H ori and N emat -N asser (1983, 1985a), which can effectively solve two-dimensional problems of this kind, when cracks or cavities with sharp corners are suitably far apart. The method, however, breaks down when a crack or cavity is situated very close to the tip of another crack, which is the case when the process zone at the tip of a crack contains many micro-cracks. In this work, modifications of the method of pseudo-tractions are introduced, which will permit effective calculation of the stress intensity factors when a large crack interacts with small cracks which are situated very close to its tip in its process zone. Explicit asymptotic expressions are obtained for the stress intensity factors of the macro-crack, as well as those of the micro-cracks. It is shown that the presence of the microcracks in the process zone of a macro-crack may induce out-of-plane crack growth even under far-field hydrostatic tension. Several illustrative examples are worked out, including two collinear cracks for which an exact solution exists, arriving at an excellent correlation.
A new approach to the oral administration of insulin and other peptide drugs

The oral administration of peptide drugs is well known to be precluded by their digestion in the stomach and small intestine. As a new approach to oral delivery, peptide drugs were coated with polymers cross-linked with azoaromatic groups to form an impervious film to protect orally administered drugs from digestion in the stomach and small intestine. When the azopolymer-coated drug reached the large intestine, the indigenous microflora reduced the azo bonds, broke the cross-links, and degraded the polymer film, thereby releasing the drug into the lumen of the colon for local action or for absorption. The ability of the azopolymer coating to protect and deliver orally administered peptide drugs was demonstrated in rats with the peptide hormones vasopressin and insulin.
Unpacking grit: Motivational correlates of perseverance and passion for long-term goals

In two cross-sectional studies, we explored the motivational orientations correlates of the character strength of grit and its two component facets: perseverance of effort and consistency of interests over time. Specifically, we examined how individual differences in grit are explained by distinct approaches to pursuing happiness in life: pleasure in immediately hedonically positive activities, meaning in activities that serve a higher, altruistic purpose, and engagement in attention-absorbing activities. In both samples, grit demonstrated medium-sized associations with an orientation toward engagement, small-to-medium associations with an orientation toward meaning, and small-to-medium (inverse) associations with an orientation toward pleasure. These motivational orientations differentially related to the two facets of grit: pursuing engagement was more strongly associated with perseverance of effort, whereas pursuing pleasure was more strongly (inversely) associated with consistency of interests over time. Collectively, findings suggest that individual differences in grit may derive in part from differences in what makes people happy.
Effect of an Ankle Stabilizing Orthosis on Selected Ankle Kinematics During Walking

This study evaluated the stability effects of an ankle stabilizing orthosis on unstable ankles on selected three-dimensional ankle kinematics during two speeds (2.5 and 4.5 mph) of treadmill walking. Eleven subjects with one unstable ankle walked at these two treadmill speeds with and without the ankle stabilizing orthosis. The angular excursions and velocities of the ankle in the sagittal and frontal planes were recorded with a three-dimensional ProReflex Imaging System and analyzed with two-way repeated-measure ANOVA and paired t test. It was found that the ankle stabilizing orthosis provided significant stability control in the angular excursions of plantarflexion, and it did not affect the maximum velocity of plantarflexion and the walking speed during the treadmill walking. As the speed increased, the angular excursions and the maximum angular velocities in the sagittal and frontal planes increased significantly.
Oxidation studies of carbided nickel surfaces

Abstract The oxidation sequence of a carbided nickel surface can be described by rapid dissociative adsorption followed by nucleation and growth of NiO. The quality of the NiO overlayer with respect to coalescence is degraded by the presence of carbidic carbon. The reaction between chemisorbed oxygen and carbidic carbon to produce CO is surface reaction limited with an estimated activation energy of 32 kcal/mol. The reaction is retarded by the development of NiO. NiO can decompose and act as a source of chemisorbed oxygen which is reactive toward carbidic carbon.
Synthesis of deep-red-emitting cdse quantum dots and general non-inverse-square behavior of quantum confinement in CdSe quantum dots

High-quality red-emitting CdSe quantum dots were synthesized by a microwave-assisted heating method in which the particle size was controlled mainly by changing reaction temperatures from 190 to 27...
Two-Dimensional Discontinous Galerkin Simulations of Crypto-Steady Supersonic Pressure Exchange

This paper reports the development of a third-order discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method for supersonic inviscid flow on a moving grid, as well as simulations of a simple model of crypto-steady supersonic pressure exchange (CSSPE) by solving 2D inviscid Euler equations. A total variation bounded (TVB) limiter is implemented for shock capturing. The third-order DG method is firstly validated using a case of supersonic vortex flow. Subsequently, the method is successfully employed to predict the crypto-steady supersonic flat-plate flow under various pressure ratios. In particular, at high pressure ratios between primary gas and secondary gas, a detached shock away from the trailing edge of the flat plate is accurately predicted. This study is our first step in approaching to developing a 3D numerical tool and modeling a novel pressure-exchange ejector.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Microbial growth in a steady-state model of ethylene glycol- contaminated soil

Biodegradation of ethylene glycol was tested in a laboratory-scale, steady-state infiltration system of two arid region soil types by monitoring indigenous microbial growth after the infiltration of three concentrations of ethylene glycol. Microorganisms in the soils were able to adapt to the ethylene glycol in several cases, resulting in higher numbers of microorganisms and lower pHs in the effluents. These microorganisms were identified and were able to use ethylene glycol as a sole carbon source. The adaptation was seen best with high-moisture-content soils when the ethylene glycol concentrations were 1% or 10%. However, acclimation to 0.1% and 10% ethylene glycol did not occur in low-moisture-content clay soil, but did occur in low-moisture-content silt soil, indicating that soil type and moisture content are important factors. In all cases, microbial diversity decreased over time.
Chronic exposure to stress levels of corticosterone alters GABAA receptor subunit mRNA levels in rat hippocampus

Abstract Chronic exposure to stress levels of corticosteroids alters many aspects of hippocampal function and may lead to neurodegeneration. Male rats were treated for 10 days with corticosterone (CORT) or vehicle pellets, and mRNA levels for six γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA A ) receptor subunits were measured. Effects of castration on subunit mRNA levels in CORT- and vehicle-treated animals were also examined. In situ hybridization studies demonstrated that mRNA levels for hippocampal GABA A receptor α1, α2, β1, β2, β3, and γ2 subunits were differentially altered by CORT treatment. Levels of α1 and α2 mRNA decreased in the dentate gyrus, and β1 mRNA levels decreased in CA1 and dentate gyrus of CORT-, compared to vehicle-treated, animals. In contrast, β2 subunit levels increased in all hippocampal regions examined, β3 levels increased in the dentate gyrus, and γ2 levels increased in CA1-CA3. The α1, β1, and β2 mRNA levels all increased in the cingulate cortex of CORT-treated animals. There was no significant effect of gonadal state on any of the subunits examined, but there was a significant negative correlation between testosterone levels and mRNA levels of α1, α2, and β3 in specific regions. These data demonstrate that chronic exposure to stress levels of CORT produces complex changes in the mRNA levels of multiple GABA A receptor subunits, independently of the CORT-induced suppression of circulating testosterone.
Polyamines stimulate natural RNA-directed DNA synthesis by Rauscher murine leukemia virus DNA polymerase.

Abstract In the presence of optimal concentrations of Mg 2+ , spermine and spermidine were found to stimulate rabbit globin mRNA-directed cDNA synthesis by Rauscher murine leukemia virus (R-MuLV) DNA polymerase. Stimulation of DNA synthesis did not occur with the polyamines putrescine or cadaverine, nor could exogenously provided salt or ammonium ions duplicate the stimulation. Analysis of the mechanism of stimulation showed that inclusion of spermine in reaction mixtures a) increased Vmax and decreased apparent Km with respect to the globin mRNA-oligo(dT) temṕlate-primer complex, and b) decreased the quantity of oligo (dT) required for optimal rates of cDNA synthesis on a fixed quantity of mRNA template. Genomic 70S RNA-directed cDNA synthesis was also stimulated by spermine addition to reaction mixtures, but only at supra-optimal RNA concentrations. Our results suggest that stimulation of R-MuLV DNA polymerase activity by polyamines is primarily due to stabilization of the enzyme-templateprimer initiation complex resulting in increased efficiency of initiation of cDNA synthesis.
AMELIORATION OF UV-B DAMAGE UNDER HIGH IRRADIANCE. II: ROLE OF BLUE LIGHT PHOTORECEPTORS

Sensitivity of plants to UV-B radiation (280–315 nm) is often reduced at high background irradiance. Interpretation of plant responses to potential increases in solar UV-B requires improved understanding of interactions between UV-B and other environmental parameters. In this study, photosynthetically active radiation (PAR, 400–700 nm) was kept approximately constant (38 mol m-2 per day) while the daily blue light fluence (BL, 400–500 nm) was varied between 0.23 and 2.68 mol m-2. Two lines of cucumber (cvs Ashley and Poinsett) with differential sensitivity to UV-B were compared. At low BL, 3 days of UV-B treatment (21 kJ m-2 biologically effective radiation per 10 h per day) caused severe inhibition of growth in a developing leaf in both cultivars. Growth effects were detectable sooner and were accompanied by chlorotic lesions in the sensitive cultivar (cv Poinsett). Supplemental BL progressively reduced symptoms, consistent with an important role for BL photoreceptor(s) in prevention or repair of UV-B damage. Ultraviolet-induced increases in UV-absorbing compounds on an area basis were significant within 24 h of the start of the treatment but were independent of BL fluence over the range tested, suggesting that bulk accumulation of screening pigments did not contribute to BL-dependent amelioration of UV damage. However, BL did stimulate net increases in extractable UV-absorbing compounds on a total leaf busis, while high-performance liquid chromatography analysis indicated that BL and UV-B acted synergistically to increase specific components. Thus, the data do not necessarily exclude UV-absorbing compounds from an important role in overall UV-B protection nor do they rule out some more specific function for these compounds (e.g. antioxidants). Finally, BL effects on UV-B alteration of leaf growth and accumulation of UV-absorbing compounds were not saturated under the conditions used here, suggesting that BL may contribute to interactions between UV-B and natural levels of background irradiance. Caution is urged in the interpretation of data on UV-B effects obtained under conditions of low BL irradiance.
An Enantioselective Synthesis of Cis Perhydroisoquinoline LY235959

A novel synthesis of NMDA receptor antagonist LY235959 (1) has been achieved in 13% overall yield and 17 steps from (R)-pantolactone (7). Highlights of the synthesis include (a) use of a chiral auxiliary controlled asymmetric Diels−Alder reaction to provide the desired absolute and relative stereochemistry at C-4a, C-6, and C-8a, (b) an efficient alkylation of hindered iodide 13 using a novel amide benzophenone imine, (c) oxidative ring opening of the [2.2.2] bicyclic system to simultaneously functionalize the molecule for intramolecular cyclization and phosphonate introduction, and (d) an increased understanding of how the C-3 stereochemistry may be controlled by thermodynamic equilibration. Synthesis of epimer 20 in high overall yield makes this synthetic route attractive for future development efforts.
Interleukin (IL)-1 and Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide stimulation of IL-6 production by fibroblasts derived from healthy or periodontally diseased human gingival tissue.

Background: Human gingival fibroblasts (HGF) play a key role in tissue repair and destruction. These cells express low levels of interleukin (IL)-6 constitutively and increased levels after stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or the cytokines IL-1 and tumor necrosis factor- α (TNF-α ). However, little information is available on IL-6 production by fibroblasts derived from diseased tissue. The present study compared constitutive and induced IL-6 production by human gingival fibroblasts (HGF) derived from healthy and diseased periodontal tissue. We also evaluated whether IL-1 acted in a synergistic manner with LPS in inducing IL-6 production by HGF and whether LPS acted via CD14. Methods: HGF derived from healthy and diseased tissue and foreskin fibroblasts were grown to confluency, photographed, and counted, and their constitutive IL-6 production was quantitated by ELISA. Healthy and diseased HGF were also pretreated with IL-1α , followed by incubation with Porphyromonas gingivalis or Escherichia col...
Antigenic assessment of coronaviruses isolated from patients with multiple sclerosis.

• Many studies have either supported or discounted the role of coronaviruses as etiologic agents in multiple sclerosis (MS). Two new approaches were applied to investigate this controversy. First, monoclonal antibodies specific for either murine coronaviruses (mouse hepatitis viruses) or human coronaviruses were used to characterize the antigenic features of MS-derived coronaviruses SK and SD. Both isolates were found to have a mouse hepatitis virus-type profile. Second, serum and cerebrospinal fluid antibodies to different coronaviruses, including SD, were measured in MS and control groups. No significant difference in antibody level to coronaviruses was found between MS and control samples. The results of these antigenic studies do not support a specific association between MS and coronaviruses.
A prospective trial of primary inguinal hernia repair by surgical trainees.

The main hypotheses were that the Lichtenstein inguinal hernia repair has a lower recurrence rate and similar incidence of chronic groin pain compared to sutured repairs when performed by surgical trainees. In a U.S. Veterans Administration Hospital, 150 primary hernia repairs were randomized to a Lichtenstein, McVay, or Shouldice repair. The Shouldice repair included a routine relaxing incision. First- and second-year residents, under the supervision of an experienced general surgeon, performed the procedure. Long-term follow-up was obtained in 81% of patients. Hernia recurrence rate was Lichtenstein 8%, McVay 10%, Shouldice 5% (P>0.1) at 6–9 years follow-up. More patients had chronic groin pain following Lichtenstein repair (38%) than after Shouldice repair (7%) (P<0.05). More information is needed on long-term groin pain following anterior mesh repair. The Shouldice inguinal hernia repair may have a role in open primary herniorrhaphy to decrease the risk of chronic groin pain.
Effects of Crucible Wetting During Solidification of Immiscible Pb-Zn Alloys

Many industrial uses for liquid phase miscibility gap alloys are proposed. However, the commercial production of these alloys into useful ingots with a reasonable amount of homogeneity is arduous because of their immiscibility in the liquid state. In the low-g environment of space gravitational settling forces are abated, thus solidification of an immiscible alloy with a uniform distribution of phases becomes feasible. Elimination of gravitational settling and coalescence processes in low-g also makes possible the study of other separation and coarsening mechanisms. Even with gravitational separation forces reduced, many low-g experiments have resulted in severely segregated structures. The segregation in many cases was due to preferential wetting of the crucible by one of the immiscible liquids. The objective was to analyze the wetting behavior of Pb-Zn alloys on various crucible materials in an effort to identify a crucible in which the fluid flow induced by preferential wetting is minimized. It is proposed that by choosing the crucible for a particular alloy so that the difference in surface energy between the solid and two liquid phases is minimized, the effects of preferential wetting can be diminished and possibly avoided. Qualitative experiments were conducted and have shown the competitive wetting behavior of the immiscible Pb-Zn system and 13 different crucible materials.
Group Averaged Linear Transforms that Detect Corners and Edges

Linear transforms of the characteristic functions of plane figures are averaged over the one parameter continuous group of dilatations (homothetic scale changes) to obtain new dilatation-invariant transforms. For a large class of kernel functions, the group averaged transforms act as corner detectors or edge detectors.
Is BRCA1 associated with familial breast cancer in India

No Abstract AvailableCommentary to: Title: Germline BRCA1 Mutation Analysis in Indian Breast/Ovarian Cancer Families Authors: B. Vinod Kumar, Smita Lakhotia, Ravindran Ankathil, Jayaprakash Madhavan, P.G. Jayaprakash, M. Krishnan Nair and Kumaravel Somasundaram Page Numbers: 18-21
Rethinking Knowledge and Power: The Local and the Global

Earthly Politics: Local and Global in Environmental Governance. Edited by Sheila Jasanoff, Marybeth Long Martello. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2004. 376 pp., $67.00 cloth (ISBN: 0-262-10103-3), $27.00 paper (ISBN: 0-262-60059-5). As the watchword for the new millennium, globalization is both valorized and vilified (Mander and Goldsmith 1996; Friedman 2000). In either case, it is rarely denaturalized and recognized for the plethora of socially constructed processes that it is. The contributors to Earthly Politics: Local and Global in Environmental Governance seek to address this omission—and much more—in the context of environmental governance. Rather than dichotomizing the local and the global, this book demonstrates that both are essentially contested, dialectically constituting each other, and deployable in multiple arenas as rhetorical strategies. Most important, the authors of the thirteen case studies contained in the volume generate surprising insights from their unifying premise: that the generation, communication, and diffusion of knowledge is an eminently political project. Thus, Earthly Politics stands as an important antidote to two trends in international studies: the polarization that has occurred around the phenomenon of globalization, and the epistemological bias that privileges the supposedly objective neutrality of science over other ways of knowing. The book accomplishes this by importing significant insights and methodologies from other fields. International relations has been referred to as “the borrowing discipline.” Historically, international relations borrowed much from economics; more recently, the constructivist turn has been inspired by imports from sociology and philosophy of science. Earthly Politics advances the constructivist research agenda by drawing from the interdisciplinary field of science and technology studies. How we understand environmental problems, the editors and contributors believe, shapes how we manage these problems. Yet, our understandings can never be divorced from discursive and cultural influences, an insight that is key to both the constructivist turn and postmodern influences in international relations theory (Katzenstein 1996; Lapid and Kratochwil 1996). The interdisciplinary orientation of Earthly Politics comes not only from an epistemological commitment of editors …
Coevolution as a Research Framework for Organizations and the Natural Environment

Coevolution is an established research framework in the biological and evolutionary sciences, and though a new entrant to organization studies, it holds potential to transform the field (Lewin et al., 2003). Its fundamental premise is that entities or organizations evolve in relation to their environments while at the same time these environments evolve in relation to them. This paper argues that a coevolutionary approach is particularly well suited for research on organizations and the natural environment (O&NE), and that O&NE scholars may make significant contributions to organization theory from this perspective. However, this potential depends upon developing and maintaining a clear distinction between coevolution as a verb, or broad logic (a.k.a. macro coevolution), and coevolution as a noun, or specific mechanism (a.k.a. micro coevolution). In building these arguments the paper develops a definition and research framework for coevolutionary research and discusses theoretical and practical implicatio...
George Feher: a pioneer in reaction center research.

Our understanding of photosynthesis has been greatly advanced by the elucidation of the structure and function of the reaction center (RC), the membrane protein responsible for the initial light-induced charge separation in photosynthetic bacteria and green plants. Although today we know a great deal about the details of the primary processes in photosynthesis, little was known in the early days. George Feher made pioneering contributions to photosynthesis research in characterizing RCs from photosynthetic bacteria following the ground-breaking work of Lou Duysens and Rod Clayton (see articles in this issue by van Gorkom and Wraight). The work in his laboratory at the University of California, San Diego, started in the late 1960s and continued for over 30 years. He isolated a pure RC protein and used magnetic resonance spectroscopy to study the primary reactants. Following this pioneering work, Feher studied the detailed structure of the RC and the basic electron and proton transfer functions that it performs using a wide variety of biophysical and biochemical techniques. These studies, together with work from many other researchers, have led to our present detailed understanding of these proteins and their function in photosynthesis. The present article is a brief historical account of his pioneering contributions to photosynthesis research. A more detailed description of his work can be found in an earlier biographical paper (Feher in Photosynth Res 55:1–40, 1998a).
Characterization of the State of Order of Octadecylsilane Chains on Fumed Silica

Raman spectroscopy was used to investigate the state of conformational and packing order for octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) attached to high surface area fumed silica as a function of the hydration state of the silica. The fumed silica had a surface area of 50 m2/g and a primary particle size of ∼40 nm. Room temperature and temperature-dependent spectra were obtained for OTS attached to the fumed silica and compared with those of polyoctadecyl siloxane (POS). Both the skeletal optical region, between 1000 and 1150 cm-1, and the high-frequency CH2 stretching region, between 2800 and 3000 cm-1, were monitored. The intensity ratios I(1060)/I(1080), which is indicative of the ratio of trans/gauche bonds, and I(2850)/I(2885), which is indicative of lateral packing order, were plotted as a function of temperature. For OTS attached to completely dehydrated and dehydroxylated surfaces, only disordered structures of alkyl chains, similar to those of molten alkane chains, were observed. With increasing hydration of...
EFFECTS OF TOPICAL PROSTAGLANDIN E2 ANALOGUE ON NORMAL HAIRLESS MOUSE EPIDERMAL DNA SYNTHESIS

The in vivo topical effects of a synthetic analogue of prostaglandin E 2 (15(S)-15-methyl PGE 2 METHYL ESTER [PGE 2 analogue]), have been studied on the epidermis of hairless mice. One microgram of the PGE 2 analogue increased DNA synthesis returned to control levels by 24 hr. Twenty micrograms of the PGE 2 analogue reduced epidermal DNA synthesis for 12 hr after application, DNA synthesis was increased at 24 hr, returning to control levels by 48 hr. One hundred micrograms of topical PGE 2 had no significant effect on epidermal DNA synthesis over 48 hr, but 1 μg of intradermal PGE 2 increased DNA synthesis by 160% at 24 hr. These results suggest that topical 15 (S)-15-methyl PGE 2 methyl ester is biologically active compared with PGE 2 .
Growth of Candida utilis on Enzymatically Hydrolyzed Potato Waste

Attempts to grow mixed cultures of Endomycopsis fibuligera and Candida utilis on waste material obtained from a potato processing plant were only partially successful; poor amylase production by Endomycopsis resulted in slow growth of the Candida. There was extensive conversion of starch to glucose when waste, which had been treated with a high speed shear/disintegrator, was hydrolyzed by industrial amylases derived from Aspergillus niger and Bacillus licheniformis. Growth of C. utilis on the separated liquid phase of the hydrolysate, supplemented with inorganic nitrogen, proceeded normally; the yields and growth rates were similar to those obtained with conventional substrates.
The effect of fine-needle aspiration biopsy on the thyroid scan.

Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is the most sensitive and specific procedure in diagnosing benign from malignant thyroid nodular disease. The effects of a FNAB on the thyroid scan, however, have never been studied. This assumes importance because a hot nodule on scan has been advocated as usefu
MDP based optimal policy for collaborative processing using mobile cloud computing

Mobile cloud computing is a powerful technology that integrates cloud computing with modern mobile devices. One of the realized benefits of this methodology is that various computation tasks may be temporarily offloaded to mobile devices that belong to users' who are willing to share their resources. In this process, the problem of optimally and fairly allocating compute tasks to various mobile devices must be solved while considering dynamic conditions such as battery life, response delay, and power consumption. This study presents a new solution to this problem using a combination of Markov Decision Processes (MDPs) and lookup tables in order to help guide mobile devices in accepting or rejecting such requests. To achieve a more perfect collaboration between devices requesting aid and those and providing help, an environment is considered in which persuading cooperation will be achieved through reward calculation and credit exchange.
Wetting of quartz surfaces by Au‐Si eutectic melt

A wetting experiment with a Au‐Si eutectic melt on surfaces of fused and single‐crystal quartz has been performed in an atmosphere of He. The wetting shows that the melt reacts with quartz and the wetting angle is about 10°.
The Grammars of Speech and Language.

Abstract The conversion between phonetic message and acoustic signal, i.e. , speech, is a grammatical code, similar in interesting ways to syntax and phonology. Being more accessible to experiment, speech should, therefore, be an inviting object of study for those interested in the psychology of grammar. Experiments on speech have already provided some information about the psychological processes associated with the use of grammatical codes.
PAN's Labyrinth: Molecular biology of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) PAN RNA, a multifunctional long noncoding RNA.

Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is an oncogenic γ-herpesivrus, the causative agent of Kaposi’s sarcoma and body cavity lymphomas. During infection KSHV produces a highly abundant long non-coding polyadenylated RNA that is retained in the nucleus known as PAN RNA. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA) are key regulators of gene expression and are known to interact with specific chromatin modification complexes, working in cis and trans to regulate gene expression. Data strongly supports a model where PAN RNA is a multifunctional regulatory transcript that controls KSHV gene expression by mediating the modification of chromatin by targeting the KSHV repressed genome.
The integration of the vlasov equation in configuration space

Abstract A convenient, fast, and accurate method of solving the one-dimensional Vlasov equation numerically in configuration space is described. It treats the convective terms in the x and v directions separately and produces a scheme of second order in Δt . The resulting free-streaming and accelerating equations are computed with Fourier interpolation and spline interpolation methods respectively. The numerical method is tested witth linear and nonlinear problems. The method is very accurate and efficient. A new method of smoothing the distribution function is given. It reduces the computational effort by artificially increasing the entropy of the system. As a result, the distribution function is smooth enough to be well represented on a given mesh. The methods can be generalized in a straightforward way to deal with more complicated cases such as problems with nonperiodic spatial boundary conditions, two- and three-dimensional problems with and without external magnetic and/or electric fields.
Correcting the oral reading errors of a beginning reader

Correcting student errors is an important educational concern for teachers. In this study, an alternating treatments design was used to compare the effectiveness of four methods for correcting oral reading errors, including immediate word supply, delayed word supply, sound out (phonics analysis), and directed rehearsal techniques. The subject was a 6-year-old beginning reader with average ability. Results showed that the directed rehearsal procedure was the most effective method. This study demonstrated that teachers can use rigorous research methods in their own classrooms to determine which teaching strategies they should use with their students.
Dimensions of Partisan Conflict in Swiss Cantons

One of the intriguing problems of empirical democratic theory is to explain the stability of Switzerland, a society divided both by language and by religion. Kerr (1974) suggests federalism as an explanation, because it both defuses political conflict and allows different patterns of party conflict to emerge in French and Geman speaking areas. Analysis of split votes (panachage) from the 1975 election of the National Council shows wide variation in party spaces at the cantonal level, but such variation exists within religio-linguistic groups of cantons as well as across groups. Comparison to similar data from 1951 shows the level of panachage to be increasing along with divergence among cantonal party systems. This is consistent with Lijphart's (1969) hypothesis that Switzerland is entering a postconsociational period.
Isolation and identification of sterols from a pleistocene sediment.

Sterols isolation and identification from Pleistocene sediment by gas-liquid chromatography and combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry
Application of Solid-Phase Extraction in Metal Speciation

Solid-phase extraction materials that consist of C 18 and amino (LC-NH 2) functionalities are used to extract metal species in aqueous solutions. The C 18 is employed after the metal species are converted into a neutral complex with dithizone. The complex is then eluted from the C 18 substrate by using an eluent that consists of acetonitrile in nitric acid medium. Although the C 18 material is found to be suitable for the extraction of neutral metal complexes, the LC-NH 2 material is applicable to the direct extraction of free metal species. Moreover, because the NH 2 functionality is amenable to protonation, sample acidity has a significant influence on the nature and effectiveness of the extraction process. In general, solidphase extraction immobilizes metal species on the solid substrate, thereby maintaining its stability. This is found to be particularly true for the neutral metal complexes extracted on the C 18 material. Dithizone metal complexes are generally quite unstable under normal atmospheric conditions. When the complex is extracted and left on the solid substrate, however, its stability is unchanged. Closely related to species stability is sample matrix, the effects of which are completely eliminated by immobilizing the analyte on the solid substrate. The separation of the analyte from the sample matrix also facilitates its preconcentration. Measurement sensitivity is increased several factors by the extraction of several aliquots of dilute solutions of the analyte.
Sex-specific effects of mindfulness on romantic partners’ cortisol responses to conflict and relations with psychological adjustment

Mindfulness is known to improve individuals' and couples' subjective stress regulation, but little is known about how it impacts hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis responses to acute psychosocial stress. The current study tested effects of dispositional mindfulness facets on young adult couples' cortisol responses to a conflict discussion stressor, as well as associations with psychological adjustment. One hundred heterosexual couples completed the five facet mindfulness questionnaire one week before engaging in a conflict discussion task. Each partner provided five saliva samples from pre- to post-conflict, which were assayed for cortisol. Measures of adjustment - depression and anxiety symptoms and global well-being - were also completed at this session. Hierarchical linear modeling of cortisol trajectories revealed sex-specific effects; whereas women's mindfulness (nonreactivity facet) predicted higher conflict stress cortisol levels, men's mindfulness (describing facet) predicted less pronounced cortisol reactivity/recovery curves. These patterns were related to better adjustment-lower depression symptoms for women and greater well-being for men. Implications for sex differences in mindfulness benefits are discussed.
Incorporating an advanced aerosol activation parameterization into WRF‐CAM5: Model evaluation and parameterization intercomparison

Aerosol activation into cloud droplets is an important process that governs aerosol indirect effects. The advanced treatment of aerosol activation by Fountoukis and Nenes (2005) and its recent updates, collectively called the FN series, have been incorporated into a newly developed regional coupled climate-air quality model based on the Weather Research and Forecasting model with the physics package of the Community Atmosphere Model version 5 (WRF-CAM5) to simulate aerosol-cloud interactions in both resolved and convective clouds. The model is applied to East Asia for two full years of 2005 and 2010. A comprehensive model evaluation is performed for model predictions of meteorological, radiative, and cloud variables, chemical concentrations, and column mass abundances against satellite data and surface observations from air quality monitoring sites across East Asia. The model performs overall well for major meteorological variables including near-surface temperature, specific humidity, wind speed, precipitation, cloud fraction, precipitable water, downward shortwave and longwave radiation, and column mass abundances of CO, SO2, NO2, HCHO, and O3 in terms of both magnitudes and spatial distributions. Larger biases exist in the predictions of surface concentrations of CO and NOx at all sites and SO2, O3, PM2.5, and PM10 concentrations at some sites, aerosol optical depth, cloud condensation nuclei over ocean, cloud droplet number concentration (CDNC), cloud liquid and ice water path, and cloud optical thickness. Compared with the default Abdul-Razzack Ghan (2000) parameterization, simulations with the FN series produce ~107–113% higher CDNC, with half of the difference attributable to the higher aerosol activation fraction by the FN series and the remaining half due to feedbacks in subsequent cloud microphysical processes. With the higher CDNC, the FN series are more skillful in simulating cloud water path, cloud optical thickness, downward shortwave radiation, shortwave cloud forcing, and precipitation. The model evaluation identifies several areas of improvements including emissions and their vertical allocation as well as model formulations such as aerosol formation, cloud droplet nucleation, and ice nucleation.
Chronic Inhalation of Nitric Oxide Inhibits Neointimal Formation After Balloon-Induced Arterial Injury

Systemic and local intravascular NO administration inhibits neointimal formation after vascular injury in animal models. NO appears to attenuate smooth muscle proliferation both directly and indirectly by preventing the release of growth factors. Inhalation of low concentrations of NO dilates pulmonary vascular smooth muscle but does not cause systemic vasodilatation. Recently, NO inhalation was found to inhibit platelet function in vivo. We studied the effects of NO inhalation on neointimal formation after balloon-induced injury of the adult rat carotid artery. Beginning 60 minutes before carotid injury, rats breathed either air with 0 or 80 ppm NO for 14 days. Rats were killed, carotid arteries were fixed and paraffin-embedded, and neointimal formation was measured by analyzing the ratio of intimal to medial areas (I/M ratio) in carotid artery cross sections. Intimal hyperplasia was evident in both groups of animals, but I/M ratios were 43% less in animals breathing 80 ppm NO for 2 weeks than in animals breathing air alone (0.78 +/- 0.12 and 1.37 +/- 0.11 [mean +/- SE], respectively; P < .02). Similarly, 1 week after carotid injury, neointimal formation was less in rats breathing 80 ppm NO than in rats breathing air alone (I/M ratio, 0.39 +/- 0.11 versus 0.76 +/- 0.06; P < .02). Breathing 20 ppm NO for 2 weeks or 80 ppm NO for 1 week followed by air alone for 1 week did not attenuate neointimal formation measured at 14 days. In anesthetized rats breathing 80 ppm NO or air alone for 1 hour, neither systemic blood pressure nor bleeding time differed. These observations demonstrate that inhaling 80 ppm NO inhibits neointimal formation after balloon-induced carotid artery injury in rats. NO inhalation may represent a safe and novel method of preventing restenosis after percutaneous angioplasty.
Marginal Zinc Deficiency Lowers the Lymphatic Absorption of α-Tocopherol in Rats

The present study was conducted to investigate whether the intestinal absorption of vitamin E is influenced by marginal zinc deficiency. Rats trained to meal feed were divided into two groups and fed a diet containing 3 mg Zn/kg [a low zinc (LZ group)] or pair-fed (PF controls a zinc-adequate diet (30 mg Zn/kg). At 5 wk, the body weight (352 +/- 5 g, mean +/- SD) of LZ rats was 98.5% of that of PF rats (357 +/- 8 g). Rats with lymph cannula were infused at 3 mL/h via a duodenal catheter with a lipid emulsion consisting of 568 micromol triolein, 3.56 micromol alpha-tocopherol (alphaTP) and 396 micromol Na+-taurocholate in 24 mL of phosphate-buffered saline (pH 6.4). Lymph was collected hourly for 8 h. The amounts of alphaTP absorbed into the lymph were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The hourly rate of alphaTP absorption was significantly lower in LZ than in PF rats. A marked difference (P < 0.05) was clearly evident even at 1 h (1.8 +/- 1.2 nmol/h in LZ vs. 8.5 +/- 3.0 nmol/h in PF). The peak rate of absorption was significantly lower in LZ rats (67.1 +/- 16.7 nmol/h at 5 h) than in PF rats (95.9 +/- 7.7 nmol/h at 4 h). The total amounts of alphaTP absorbed in 8 h in LZ and PF rats were 391.1 +/- 54.4 nmol (11.0 +/- 1.5% dose) and 613.9 +/- 105.8 nmol (17.2 +/- 3.0% dose), respectively. The lymphatic absorption of alphaTP was correlated with the amounts of PL (r = 0.77, P < 0.05) released into the mesenteric lymph. The hourly outputs of phospholipid and oleic acid also were significantly lower in LZ rats than in PF rats up to 4 h (P < 0.05). The cumulative lymphatic outputs of phospholipid (PL) were 20.1 +/- 3.7 micromol/8 h in LZ and 27.0 +/- 3.9 micromol/8 h in PF rats (P < 0.05). These results show that the intestinal absorption of vitamin E is affected by the zinc status of rats. This observation along with our earlier finding of a lower intestinal absorption of retinol suggests that zinc nutriture has a profound effect on the intestinal absorption and body status of lipid soluble vitamins.
“Germany Is Our Mission—Christ Is Our Strength!”The Wehrmacht Chaplaincy and the “German Christian” Movement

Recent scholarship has exploded the myth that German soldiers had nothing to do with genocidal crimes in World War II. We now know that what Omer Bartov has called the “barbarization of warfare” on the eastern front involved regular military as well as SS units and the Einsatzgruppen. But what about the chaplains, Protestant and Catholic, who accompanied Hitler's forces? Those men, linked into both ecclesiastical and military hierarchies, preached and administered the sacraments. Following established traditions, they also boosted morale, accompanied condemned men to their executions, and supported Germany's war aims.
An Evaluation of Cues, Inducements, and Readability of Information on Drug-Specific Web Sites

ABSTRACTA growing number of consumers are seeking information about medication therapies from drug-specific Web sites. Evidence suggests that visual cues on such sites may influence behavior; thus, it is important to identify the manner in which such cues are framed. The objectives of this study were to: (1) assess the use of models (persons) as visual cues in drug-specific Web sites, categorize them demographically, and determine any identity or relational reward they connote, (2) identify the frequency and types of inducements offered to consumers visiting the sites, (3) describe the framing of messages within tag lines comprising the Web sites' home pages, (4) determine the readability of “safety information” components of the drug Web sites' home pages. A total of 113 Web sites from among the top 200 drugs of 2004 were randomly assigned to 3 of 15 trained judges working independently in a content analysis procedure. Descriptive statistics were tabulated. Results showed that most Web sites make use of ...
Antiherpetic medication use and the risk of gastroschisis: findings from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study, 1997-2007.

Gastroschisis is a birth defect in which abdominal contents are located outside of the body wall and can lead to serious neonatal and long-term morbidity.1,2 The pathogenesis of gastroschisis is not known but the critical susceptibility window occurs during the first trimester.3 The increasing prevalence of gastroschisis within the United States (US) 4-7 suggests environmental factors may be important causes of this disease.3,8 However, the aetiology of gastroschisis remains elusive. Previous studies have found no evidence for an increased risk of birth defects overall due to antiherpetic medication use.9-13 However, in an exploratory analysis, one recent Danish study observed a strong but imprecise association between first trimester antiherpetic medication use and abdominal wall defects in the aggregate (prevalence odds ratio 3.58, 95% confidence interval [0.84, 15.27]).9 Antiherpetic medications are nucleoside analogues that disrupt DNA replication and pharmacokinetic studies have shown that acyclovir crosses the placenta,12,14,15 therefore it is possible that antiherpetic medications could affect embryogenesis, a process that involves rapid mitotic divisions and DNA replication. We examined the association between antiherpetic medication use and the risk of gastroschisis in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (NBDPS), which includes the largest sample of gastroschisis cases with maternal exposure information in the US.
Forecasting Transit Walk Accessibility: Regression Model Alternative to Buffer Method

A description is given of a methodology for estimating transit walk accessibility at the home end of transit trips and for forecasting transit walk accessibility at the home end for a future year, given forecast population and employment data, transit route information, and type of street configuration. The methodology for estimating transit walk accessibility overcomes the problems associated with natural and man-made barriers such as water bodies and community walls and the problem of uneven distribution of population. A comparison of the results with those from the traditional buffer method, as well as with network ratio methods that consider actual walk distance along streets, showed that both the buffer method and network ratio methods tended to overestimate transit walk accessibility. Regression analysis also showed that the new transit walk accessibility measure was a stronger predictor of transit use than that produced using the buffer method. The methodologies may be applied to transit planning, urban design for sustainable development, and long-range transit demand modeling.
Religious Education in the Prophetic Voice: The Pedagogy of Eileen Egan

This article offers an overview of the life and work of Eileen Egan, a contemporary and passionate Christian leader whose values can inform religious education today. Peace educators, social activists, service learning directors, and Catholic political leaders have much to learn from her example and zeal.
Design of system interface modules

Complex digital systems are designed with hardware modules which interact by transferring information and synchronizing their inputs and outputs. The modules can be constructed from a variety of single IC components to subsystems, and typically they have incompatible I10 and communication protocols. A large portion of the integration time is thus devoted to designing the interfaces (also a module) between interacting modules. This paper presents a design methodology and high-level synthesis techniques for integrating hardware modules into a system. The interface between modules, which can obey arbitrary protocols, is generated from a high-level specification developed especially for describing inter-module communication. Central to the design methodology are libraries which contain system-level module generators and a strategy to capture the protocol and timing information necessary for interface synthesis. The main impact of this work is raising the interface design abstraction and reducing the effort required from a designer to produce a system using various IC technologies.
Caustic ingestion in children

Caustic ingestion continues to be a significant problem worldwide especially in developing countries. In 2008 over 200,000 exposures to caustic substances were reported to the National Poison Data System. The presence or absence of symptoms or oral lesions does not predict the existence or severity of lesions. The best predictor of morbidity and mortality is the extent of injury as assessed during initial evaluation. Upper endoscopy remains the mainstay diagnostic modality for the evaluation of patients with caustic ingestion. There is a pressing need for noninvasive diagnostic modalities and effective therapeutic options to evaluate and treat the complications associated with caustic ingestion.