cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Influence of sex hormones and genetic predisposition in Sjögren's syndrome: a new clue to the immunopathogenesis of dry eye disease.

Abstract Sjogren’s syndrome (SS) is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by lymphocytic infiltration, destruction of lacrimal and salivary glands and the presence of serum autoantibodies. Most women that suffer from SS are post-menopausal however, not all post-menopausal women develop SS, suggesting that other factors, in addition to the decrease in ovarian hormones, are necessary for the development of SS. The purposes of this study were to investigate a) the time course of lymphocytic infiltration and apoptosis in the lacrimal gland after ovariectomy, b) if a predisposed genetic background for SS aggravates the effects of decreasing levels of sex hormones in the lacrimal glands and c) if physiological doses of estrogen or androgen prevent the effects observed after ovariectomy. Six weeks old mice that are genetically predisposed to SS (NOD.B10.H2 b ) and control (C57BL/10) mice were either sham operated, ovariectomized (OVX), OVX + 17β estradiol (E 2 ) or OVX + Dihydrotestosterone (DHT). Lacrimal glands were collected at 3, 7, 21 or 30 days after surgery and processed for immunohistochemistry to measure CD4 + , CD8 + T cells, B220 + B cells, nuclear DNA degradation and cleaved caspase-3 activity. Quantification of the staining was done by light microscopy and Image Pro Plus software. The results of our study show that lymphocytic infiltration preceded lacrimal gland apoptosis after ovariectomy. Moreover, removal of ovarian sex hormones accelerated these effects in the genetically predisposed animal and these effects were more severe and persistent compared to control animals. In addition, sex hormone replacement at physiological levels prevented these symptoms. The mechanisms by which decreased levels of sex hormones caused lymphocytic infiltration and apoptosis and the interaction of lack of sex hormones with the genetic elements remain to be elucidated.
Adrenomedullin and adrenomedullin binding protein-1: their role in the septic response

Adrenomedullin (AM) is a recently discovered, potent vasodilatory peptide with activities including maintenance of cardiovascular and renal homeostasis. Studies have indicated that AM is important in initiating the hyperdynamic response during the early stage of sepsis, and reduction of the vascular effects of AM marks the transition from the initial hyperdynamic phase to the late hypodynamic phase in experimental sepsis. The decreased AM responsiveness in late sepsis may be related to alterations in the AM receptor binding characteristics and/or signaling pathways. Genetic experiments have provided useful information by enhancing AM gene expression. Moreover, a plasma protein which binds AM, adrenomedullin binding protein-1 (AMBP-1), was reported very recently and is just beginning to be investigated as an important modulator in the biphasic septic response. In this regard, our recent results have demonstrated that AMBP-1 synergistically enhanced AM-induced vascular relaxation in both sham and septic animals. It appears that decreased levels of AMBP-1 play a critical role in producing vascular AM hyporesponsiveness during the late stage of sepsis. Furthermore, administration of AM and AMBP-1 in combination prevented the transition from the hyperdynamic to hypodynamic response during the progression of polymicrobial sepsis. Thus, modulation of vascular responsiveness to AM by AMBP-1 may provide a novel approach for the management of sepsis.
Quantitative Relationships between Taste Bud Development and Gustatory Ganglion Cellsa

: To determine whether patterns of taste bud innervation change during postnatal rat development, the number of geniculate ganglion cells that innervate single taste buds were quantified in adult and developing rats. While there was a large variation in numbers of ganglion cells that innervate individual taste buds, there was a high degree of organization in the system. Namely, the number of labeled geniculate ganglion cells innervating a taste bud was highly correlated with the size of the taste bud. This relationship between taste bud size and number of innervating ganglion cells develops over a prolonged postnatal period and is not established until postnatal day 40 (P40), when taste buds reach their adult size. In a second series of experiments, we sought to determine whether neural rearrangement of chorda tympani neurons is responsible for the development of this relationship by double-labeling single taste buds at different ages. We found that the number of ganglion cells innervating individual taste buds on P10 predicts the size that taste buds become by P40. This finding suggests that neural rearrangement is not responsible for establishing the relationship between taste bud size and the number of innervating ganglion cells during development. More importantly, it strongly suggests that the 'neural template' for the mature innervation pattern is determined during early postnatal development.
MATRIX ENLARGING METHODS AND THEIR APPLICATION

This paper explores several methods for matrix enlarging, where an enlarged matrixA is constructed from a given matrixA. The methods explored include matrix primitization, stretching and node splitting. Graph interpretations of these methods are provided. Solving linear problems using enlarged matrices yields the answer to the originalAx=b problem.A can exhibit several desirable properties. For example,A can be constructed so that the valence of any row and/or column is smaller than some desired number (≥4). This is beneficial for algorithms that depend on the square of the number of entries of a row or column. Most particularly, matrix enlarging can results in a reduction of the fill-in in theR matrix which occurs during orthogonal factorization as a result of dense rows. Numerical experiments support these conjectures.
Linear systems with Lévy fluctuations

Abstract We have examined the response of multivariable linear systems to Levy fluctuations. The characteristic function of the response is obtained explicitly as a function of time. Using the characteristic function, the fractional moments of the process are determined. The nature of the product rule obeyed by the characteristic function of a general linear dynamical system is elucidated.
Long-term effects of fire severity on oak-conifer dynamics in the southern Cascades.

We studied vegetation composition and structure in a mixed conifer–oak ecosystem across a range of fire severity 10 years following wildfire. Sample plots centered on focal California black oaks (Quercus kelloggii) were established to evaluate oak and neighboring tree and shrub recovery across a gradient of fire severity in the southern Cascade Range, USA. Shrub and oak resprouting was strongest around focal oaks where conifer mortality was greatest. Linear modeling revealed negative relationships between California black oak sprout height or basal area and residual overstory tree survival, primarily white fir (Abies concolor). The two dominant competing species, California black oak and white fir, showed opposite responses to fire severity. Sprouting California black oak and associated shrubs dominated in severely burned areas, while surviving, non-sprouting white fir maintained dominance by its height advantage and shading effects in areas that burned with low fire severity. Our results indicate that high-severity fire promotes persistence and restoration of ecosystems containing resprouting species, such as California black oak, that are increasingly rare due to widespread fire exclusion in landscapes that historically experienced more frequent fire. We present a conceptual model based on our results and supported by a synthesis of postfire resprouting dynamics literature. Our results and conceptual model help illuminate long-term postfire vegetation responses and the potential ability of fire to catalyze formation of alternate vegetation community structures that may not be apparent in studies that evaluate postfire effects at shorter time-since-fire intervals or at coarser scales.
Machines Made of Words: The Influence of Engineering Metaphor on Marketing Thought and Practice, 1900 to 1929:

This article examines how marketing thought and practice from 1900 to 1929 were affected by the ideas and language of engineering. Content-analysis data revealed a significant use of engineering metaphors in both marketing texts and advertisements of the period, suggesting a strong connection between the prevalent societal valuation of engineering activities and the evolution of marketing activities.
A method of correlating local and average friction coefficients for both laminar and turbulent flow of gases through a smooth tube with surface to fluid bulk temperature ratios from 0.35 to 7.35.

Correlation method for local and average friction coefficients of laminar and turbulent gas flow through smooth tubes
LuxS quorum sensing: more than just a numbers game.

Abstract Quorum sensing is a process of bacterial cell-to-cell communication involving the production and detection of extracellular signaling molecules called autoinducers. Quorum sensing allows populations of bacteria to collectively control gene expression, and thus synchronize group behavior. Processes controlled by quorum sensing are typically ones that are unproductive unless many bacteria act together. Most autoinducers enable intraspecies communication; however, a recently discovered autoinducer AI-2 has been proposed to serve as a ‘universal signal’ for interspecies communication. Studies suggest that AI-2 encodes information in addition to specifics about cell number.
A Comparison of Incident-based and Scale Measures of Work Stressors

Abstract Occupational stress researchers have often questioned whether scale measures of work-related stressors accurately reflect the day-to-day experiences of employees. As an alternative to such measures, some have suggested the use of qualitative measures. Unfortunately, however, there have been no direct comparisons of these two measurement methods. In the present study, female employees (n = 151) were asked to complete scale measures of three common work stressors, strains, and self-esteem. Stressors were also measured using a qualitative methodology based on critical incidents. Results indicated good convergence between stressors measured by these two methods, although there was some indication that order effects may have led to method bias in the qualitative procedure. Both sets of measures explained a significant amount of variance in strains, although the scale measures explained more. Only the stressors measured by scales were related to self-esteem, suggesting that these may be more influenced...
The Effect of Valve Type and Drive Line dP/dt on Hemolysis in the Pneumatic Ventricular Assist Device

: The objective of this experiment was to investigate the relationship between blood damage and drive line dP/dt and valve type in the pneumatic ventricular assist device. Two mock circulatory loops were assembled using 70–ml Penn State pneumatic ventricular assist devices, one fitted with convexoconcave (CC) valves and one fitted with monostrut (MS) valves. Use of a compliance chamber established three ranges of drive line dP/dt values. Using bovine blood and the methods of generalized estimating equations, it was found that drive line dP/dt was significantly associated with the index of hemolysis (p = 0.00): the lower drive line dP/dt values yielded lower indices of hemolysis. In addition, this association differed between MS and CC valves (p = 0.01); the MS valves consistently yielded a higher index of hemolysis than the CC valves across all drive line dP/dt ranges. However, the relative hemolytic potential of each valve type became much closer at low drive line dP/dt values (2,000–3,000 mm Hg).
Antiparkinsonian Agents : Clinically Significant Drug Interactions and Adverse Effects, and Their Management.

The treatment of Parkinson's disease for most patients entails long term exposure to multiple agents, including anticholinergics, levodopa, amantadine, dopamine receptor agonists, catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitors, selegiline (deprenyl) and clozapine. Patients with Parkinson's disease require medication for the control of the motor symptoms of their condition, for related medical or psychiatric symptoms of the disorder, and for concurrent medical problems, such as hypertension or cardiac disease.All these agents may cause adverse effects. There is a potential for drug-drug interactions between different antiparkinsonian agents and between antiparkinsonian medication and the other drugs a patient may be taking. Clinicians caring for patients with Parkinson's disease must be knowledgable about the potential adverse effects and drug interactions of an expanding array of medications for this condition.
Control of Haemonchus contortus in goats with a sustained-release multi-trace element/vitamin ruminal bolus containing copper.

The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a sustained-release multi-trace element/vitamin ruminal bolus (TEB) containing copper administered to mature does for control of gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) during summer months and during late gestation. Haemonchus contortus was the predominant nematode during these trials. In Experiment 1, yearling Spanish does were untreated or administered TEB (n = 11/group) on Day 0 (August 2005) prior to breeding. In Experiment 2, Spanish and Boer does were untreated or administered TEB 6 weeks before kidding. Fecal egg counts (FEC) and blood packed cell volume (PCV) were determined weekly between Days 0 and 42. In both experiments, FEC were reduced within 7 days in TEB-treated compared with untreated does. PCV was similar between treatment groups (Experiment 1) or tended to be lower in the TEB group (Experiment 2). GIN control did not persist more than 28 days. These studies suggest that TEB may be an effective means of GIN control in mature goats, but additional control measures may be necessary. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Reducing Mitochondrial ROS Improves Disease-related Pathology in a Mouse Model of Ataxia-telangiectasia

The disease ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) has no cure and few treatment options. It is caused by mutations in the ATM kinase, which functions in the DNA-damage response and redox sensing. In addition to severe cerebellar degeneration, A-T pathology includes cancer predisposition, sterility, immune system dysfunction, and bone marrow abnormalities. These latter phenotypes are recapitulated in the ATM null (ATM−/−) mouse model of the disease. Since oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction are implicated in A-T, we determined whether reducing mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) via overexpression of catalase targeted to mitochondria (mCAT) alleviates A-T–related pathology in ATM−/− mice. We found that mCAT has many beneficial effects in this context, including reduced propensity to develop thymic lymphoma, improved bone marrow hematopoiesis and macrophage differentiation in vitro, and partial rescue of memory T-cell developmental defects. Our results suggest that positive effects observed on cancer development may be linked to mCAT reducing mitochondrial ROS, lactate production, and TORC1 signaling in transforming double-positive cells, whereas beneficial effects in memory T cells appear to be TORC1-independent. Altogether, this study provides proof-of-principle that reducing mitochondrial ROS production per se may be therapeutic for the disease, which may have advantages compared with more general antioxidant strategies.
Conditioned turning behavior: A Pavlovian fear response expressed during the post-encounter period following aversive stimulation

Rats were trained to fear an auditory conditioned stimulus (CS) by pairing it with a mild electric shock (the unconditioned stimulus, or US) delivered to one eyelid. After training, the CS elicited two different conditioned fear responses from rats: a passive freezing response, and an active turning response. The balance between these two modes of conditioned responding depended upon the rat's recent history of encounters with the US. If rats had not recently encountered the US, then they responded to the CS by freezing. But after recently encountering the US, rats exhibited CS-evoked turning responses that were always directed away from the trained eyelid, even if the US had recently been delivered to the opposite (untrained) eyelid. This post-encounter turning behavior was not observed in rats that had been trained with unpaired presentations of the CS and US, indicating that even though CS-evoked turning was selectively expressed after recent encounters with the US, it was nonetheless a conditioned Pavlovian fear response that depended upon a learned association between the CS and US. Further supporting this conclusion, pharmacological inactivation experiments showed that expression of both freezing and turning behaviors depended upon lateralized circuits in the amygdala and periaqueductal gray (PAG) that are known to support expression of Pavlovian fear responses. These findings indicate that even though the ability of a CS to elicit Pavlovian fear responses depend upon the long-term history of CS-US pairings, the mode of conditioned responding (freezing versus turning in the present experiments) can be modulated by short-term factors, such as the recent history of US encounters. We discuss neural mechanisms that might mediate such short-term transitions between different modes of defensive responding, and consider how dysregulation of such mechanisms might contribute to clinical anxiety disorders.
Radiofrequency volumetric reduction of the palate: An extended follow-up study.

Objective: The goal was to evaluate the effect of radiofrequency (RF) of the palate on speech, swallowing, taste, sleep, and snoring 12 to 18 months after treatment. Methods: Twenty-two patients were evaluated by clinical examination, questionnaires, and visual analog scales. The patients with relapse of snoring were offered further RF treatment. Results: After a mean follow-up of 14 months, no adverse effect was reported. Subjective snoring scores relapsed by 29% overall. Nine patients (41%) noted relapse of snoring from 2.1 ± 1.1 to 5.7 ± 2.7 (P < 0.001). Eight of the patients underwent further RF treatment with a reduction of snoring from 5.8 ± 2.9 to 3.3 ± 3.1 (P = 0.01). Conclusion: The success of RF volumetric reduction of the palate diminishes with time, as with other surgical procedures of the palate. However, the minimal invasiveness of the RF provided a high patient acceptance for retreatment, and relapse of snoring can be improved. (Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2000;122:410-4.)
Lanthanide- and actinide-based fullerite compounds: potential AxC60 superconductors?

Abstract The stabilities of lanthanide and actinide intercalated fullerites are calculated with a Born—Hess thermodynamic cycle. For example, the calculated formation enthalpies indicate that the most likely superconducting phase of the Yb compound, YB 2+ 2 + C 4− 60 , is metastable and may decompose into the insulating Yb 2+ 3 + C 6− 60 and pristine C 60 phases. Apart from the formation enthalpies, our calculations predict the equilibrium structure and stoichiometry, as well as intercalant valency, which are presently unknown in the Yb and other lanthanide and actinide intercalation compounds. We find some of the compounds, such as La 3+ 3 + C 9− 60 , to be excellent candidates for a new class of C 60 based superconductors.
Seeding of equatorial plasma bubbles with electric fields from an Es-layer instability

[1] Evidence is presented that supports the suggestion by Tsunoda (2006) that a polarization electric field, if generated by a sporadic-E (Es) layer instability (Cosgrove and Tsunoda, 2002), should map to the base of the F layer and seed equatorial plasma bubbles. Seeding, which leads to bubble development, seems to be a four-step process operating in the bottomside F layer: (1) amplification of seed perturbations in a region of westward-drifting plasma, which is found below the velocity-shear node; (2) upward transference of this modulation through a rotational velocity shear to eastward-drifting plasma; (3) further seed amplification, when the F layer begins to descend; and (4) bubble growth from the seed via the Rayleigh-Taylor instability. The time available for interaction between F-region plasma and elongated channels of enhanced polarization electric field (the latter formed by the mentioned instability) appears to be crucial for seed amplification. The need for a descending F layer to increase interaction time with the eastward-drifting plasma is appealing because plasma bubbles display a propensity to appear after, and not during, the postsunset rise of the F layer. Although plausible, the need for Es presence, perhaps low solar activity, and a multistep process suggest that this mechanism may be a more occasional contributor than the collisional-shear instability (Hysell and Kudeki, 2004).
Obstetrician-gynecologists and the public health

I am quite encouraged by the increasing involvement of obstetrician/gynecologists in improving women’s health. After the wake up call by Allan Rosenfield [l] to refocus on the Maternal aspects of Maternal and Child Health and the recent Safe Motherhood initiatives of WHO and FIGO, major emphasis has been turned towards increasing lifesaving skills of medical personnel and preventing maternal mortalities in the developing world. Programs have been implemented which have redirected resources to provide health care professionals with essentials of obstetric care such as access to blood banking, antibiotics, and rapid surgical management of obstetric complications, including incomplete abortion and obstructed labor. In this issue, Dr. Mark Pearlman [2] reviews the problem of maternal and fetal death from auto accidents and trauma. In 1992 in the United States, 1 of every 6 deaths among women aged 15-44 was due to accidents, including 1 out of 8 due to motor vehicle accidents. Not only has the incidence of car accidents and massive trauma been increasing in the reproductive age population but with the decrease in other causes of mortality among women, previously under-recognized issues become increasingly important. Disturbing recent reports [31 suggest that maternal mortality is widely under-reported. Undiagnosed ectopic pregnancy and untreated incomplete septic abortion remain important causes of death among women and new attention on domestic violence, homicide and trauma has emphasized hereto under-recognized causes of death of pregnant and non-pregnant women [3-61. Dr. Pearlman emphasizes the important role
An algorithmic approach to communicating reciprocal altruism in interstellar messages: Drawing analogies between social and astrophysical phenomena

Abstract Altruism has previously been proposed as a topic for interstellar communication, because it begins to describe one important class of human and non-human behaviors, and because it can be modeled in mathematical and physical terms. Prior research has focused on altruism toward close relatives. The current paper explains how we could communicate basic principles of reciprocal altruism, in which one entity undergoes short-term self-sacrifice for the benefit of another, as well as for long-term self-interest. After providing an algorithmic description of the loss of mass involved in the evolution of stars—a phenomenon that should be familiar to extraterrestrial astronomers—an analogous process is described at a human scale, where the maintenance or loss of mass represents the maintenance or loss of health, and ultimately life. An adaptation of the Prisoner's Dilemma game is communicated, showing limitations of both cooperation and defection as strategies for interacting with other agents. For the overall stability of a population, there are significant advantages for entities not always either cooperating or defecting in their responses; we end by modeling a more flexible strategy discussed by game theorists, known as Tit For Tat.
Activation of the vastus medialis oblique and vastus lateralis muscles in asymptomatic subjects during the sit-to-stand procedure

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to examine the vastus medialis oblique to vastus lateralis ratio in two pelvic tilt positions while performing the sit-to-stand task. [Subjects and Methods] Activation of the vastus medialis oblique and the vastus lateralis muscles of 46 healthy subjects (25 males, 21 females) were recorded by surface electromyography during the STS task with anterior pelvic tilt (sit with thoracolumbar spine extended and pelvis in an anterior tilt) and neutral pelvic tilt (sit with thoracolumbar spine relaxed and pelvis in the neutral tilt position) positions. Changes in vastus medialis oblique, vastus lateralis activation and the vastus medialis oblique/vastus lateralis ratio were analyzed. [Results] Vastus medialis oblique and vastus lateralis muscle activation significantly increased in neutral pelvic tilt position, but the vastus medialis oblique/vastus lateralis ratio was not statistically different. [Conclusion] The sit-to-stand procedure with neutral pelvic tilt position increased activation of the vastus medialis oblique and vastus lateralis, usefully strengthening the quadriceps, but did not selectively activate the vastus medialis oblique muscle.
Decanethiols on gold: The structure of self-assembled monolayers unraveled with computer simulations

Self-assembled monolayers generated by alkanethiols on gold substrates are prototypical systems in today's nanotechnology, but their structure still constitutes an unresolved puzzle. An important step forward is made here by focusing on the long-debated case of decanethiols and using unprecedented large-scale simulations that accurately account for the interplay between the chemistry at the interface and the interchain interactions. It is established that thiolates are thermodynamically favored relative to sulfur-paired chains and that the energy difference decreases linearly with chain length. The nature of the chemical bonding at the interface is understood for both adsorbates. It is also shown that experimental data always reveal the presence of thiolates but that disulfides may coexist in some cases. These results open a new perspective for the molecular-scale characterization of complex self-assembled monolayers on metal supports and for simulations-aided nanotechnology.
The βγ Subunit of Heterotrimeric G Proteins Interacts with RACK1 and Two Other WD Repeat Proteins

A yeast two-hybrid approach was used to discern possible new effectors for the betagamma subunit of heterotrimeric G proteins. Three of the clones isolated are structurally similar to Gbeta, each exhibiting the WD40 repeat motif. Two of these proteins, the receptor for activated C kinase 1 (RACK1) and the dynein intermediate chain, co-immunoprecipitate with Gbetagamma using an anti-Gbeta antibody. The third protein, AAH20044, has no known function; however, sequence analysis indicates that it is a WD40 repeat protein. Further investigation with RACK1 shows that it not only interacts with Gbeta(1)gamma(1) but also unexpectedly with the transducin heterotrimer Galpha(t)beta(1)gamma(1). Galpha(t) alone does not interact, but it must contribute to the interaction because the apparent EC(50) value of RACK1 for Galpha(t)beta(1)gamma(1) is 3-fold greater than that for Gbeta(1)gamma(1) (0.1 versus 0.3 microm). RACK1 is a scaffold that interacts with several proteins, among which are activated betaIIPKC and dynamin-1 (1). betaIIPKC and dynamin-1 compete with Gbeta(1)gamma(1) and Galpha(t)beta(1)gamma(1) for interaction with RACK1. These findings have several implications: 1) that WD40 repeat proteins may interact with each other; 2) that Gbetagamma interacts differently with RACK1 than with its other known effectors; and/or 3) that the G protein-RACK1 complex may constitute a signaling scaffold important for intracellular responses.
Current Political Complexities of the Iraqi Turkmen

The Turkmen population of Iraq is a significant factor in linking the greater Caucasus region to Northern Mesopotamia. However, in the post-Saddam Hussein era, much conventional discourse has identified them as a politically and culturally marginalised group in relation to the Arab and Kurdish majorities. This study presents an alternative assessment of the Turkmen situation based on a survey of changes in the Iraqi political context over the past decade. This is applied in order to determine the precedents for Turkmen democratic activity in northern Iraq, as well as impediments to accommodation between Turkmen and other regional identities. These patterns are analysed at both the domestic level, including geographic distribution, popular mobilisation and party formation, and at the international level, which examines the impact of Turkey's external influence and sponsorship on these internal conditions. Several tentative conclusions are reached. First, the Iraqi Turkmen exhibit both high levels of mobilisation and pluralistic political organisation that contrast with other ethnic and sectarian minorities in Iraq. Second, sectarian and ideological cleavages within the Turkmen population along with sporadic violent attacks have motivated assimilation with the coalition politics that has evolved since the first post-Saddam national elections, rather than armed insurgency. Finally, the role of Turkey as a primary external patron has presented both obstacles and potential advantages for the political welfare of the Iraqi Turkmen community since 2003.
Preparation and controlled crystallization of SiBaA1ON oxynitride glasses

Abstract SiBaAlON oxynitride glasses containing up to 6.8 atom % analyzed N were prepared by melting mixed powder batches of BaO, Al 2 O 3 , SiO 2 , and Si 3 N 4 in molybdenum crucibles. The glass transition temperatures of the glasses varied from ≈ 935 to 975°C. Glass samples of the SiBaAlON glass with ≈ 5.3 atom % analyzed N were subjected to controlled crystallization heat treatments at temperatures of ≈ 1020°C for various times and to two stage heat treatments up to temperatures of ≈ 1400°C for 14 hours. The identity, microstructure, and microchemistry of phases in the crystallized glass were analyzed by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, scanning auger microprobe and x-ray diffraction. A microstructure of interlocking barium feld spar crystals dispersed in a nitrogen glass matrix (≈ 8 to 10 atoms % N) was observed upon crystallization.
An Innovation Project — Development of P4C and Thinking Skills

This report focuses on the need to develop teaching methods that enable students to become totally immersed in their own education. At an early age, the students whom we teach asked questions. These questions were vast in their nature and persistent; the never-ending ‘Why?’. But at some point in their early schooling experience, we stem the flow of our students' desire to question, providing them, instead, with a teacher designed curriculum. This project looks at how we can involve the students again in designing their own schemes of work and co-constructing their own learning in conjunction with their teachers.
Mixed simulators: Augmented physical simulators with virtual underlays

We introduce a taxonomy for mixed simulation focusing on mixed simulators with physical exteriors augmented with virtual underlays for practicing medical procedures such as central venous access (CVA). We used CT and MRI imaging and 3D printing to develop anatomically authentic mixed simulators, i.e., exact physical and/or virtual replicas of their human models. Embedded 6 DOF magnetic sensors monitor tracked instruments during simulated procedures, facilitating after action review or self-debriefing. We implemented automated scoring algorithms that include tracking and grading of near misses. After 28 anesthesia residents trained with the CVA simulator, incidence of pneumothorax and arterial puncture in the simulated environment dropped from 11 % to 7% and 13% to 7%, respectively.
Synthesis of the higher silanes and germanes

Abstract Detailed procedures are given for the preparation of the higher silanes and germanes by the passage of silane and germane, respectively, through an ozonier-type electric discharge. The gas chromatographic separation of the individual hydrides, including the isomers, is described.
Dolomite depressants in the flotation of apatite and collophane from dolomite

Abstract A number of different chemical substances were evaluated for their ability to depress dolomite in the flotation of apatite and collophane from dolomite. Carboxymethyl cellulose was found to be the best depressant and citric acid and naphthyl anthyl sulfonates were found to be good depressants for dolomite. None of these substances significantly depressed apatite or collophane. EDTA was found to be a dolomite activator rather than depressant. The other chemicals studied had little effect on either dolomite or apatite flotation.
A Comparison of Two Techniques for Nondestructive Measurement of Chlorophyll Content in Grapevine Leaves

Traditional methods for chlorophyll (Chl) measurement include wet chemical extractions and handheld Chl meters. The recent availability of small and affordable radiometers has provided means to estimate Chl from reflectance measurements. This paper compares the performance of a handheld SPAD Chl meter and a recently developed Red Edge Chlorophyll Index (CI red edge ) for Chl estimation in grapevine (Vitis spp.) leaves. Leaves were sampled and Chl was quantified using these two methods. Both techniques were compared against grapevine-leaf Chl as analyzed using standard laboratory procedures. Both SPAD and CI red edge were equally accurate in measuring Chl < 300 mg/m2. However, at higher Chl, SPAD sensitivity declined and the CI red edge accuracy was much higher than that of SPAD. The Chl index was found to be capable of accurately estimating pigment contents across a greater range than the SPAD, thus it can be used for quantitative assessment of early stages of plant stress.
Practical knowledge and politics of encounter along the Lower Falémé River, Senegambia (c. AD 1500–1925)

Beyond the growing entanglement of African and European worlds, the Atlantic era also witnessed transformations in the economic institutions, political regimes, and social identities that inhered between African societies, such as those of the interior of Senegambia. This paper traces how such historical processes both emerged from and shaped the quotidian practices and encounters manifest in the production of earthenware pottery along the eastern frontier of Bundu, an Islamic Fulbe state (almaamate) that arose and grew to incorporate diverse Mande communities from the seventeenth to early twentieth centuries. Drawing upon recent insights from ceramic ethnoarchaeology in Africa, an analysis of pottery production techniques (clay procurement and processing, shaping, decoration and firing) suggests that potters from distinct cultural traditions, but of similar class, began to share technical knowledge in spheres both public and private during Bundu's expansion. At the same time, patterns of pottery consumpt...
Ultraviolet-Induced Cell Death Blocked by a Selenoprotein from a Human Dermatotropic Poxvirus

Selenium, an essential trace element, is a component of prokaryotic and eukaryotic antioxidant proteins. A candidate selenoprotein homologous to glutathione peroxidase was deduced from the sequence of molluscum contagiosum, a poxvirus that causes persistent skin neoplasms in children and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients. Selenium was incorporated into this protein during biosynthesis, and a characteristic stem-loop structure near the end of the messenger RNA was required for alternative selenocysteine decoding of a potential UGA stop codon within the open reading frame. The selenoprotein protected human keratinocytes against cytotoxic effects of ultraviolet irradiation and hydrogen peroxide, providing a mechanism for a virus to defend itself against environmental stress.
Two Dismal Sciences Are Better Than One—Economics and the Study of National Security: A Review Essay

Jack Hirshleifer, The Dark Side of the Force: Economic Foundations of Conoict Theory. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2001. War is economics by other means. States may increase their wealth by developing their own resources and through the promotion of foreign trade, or instead by seizing the economies of other nations. As Jack Hirshleifer puts it in The Dark Side of the Force, “There are two main methods of making a living . . . the way of production and exchange versus the way of predation and conoict.”1 Why do states choose one strategy over another? Under what conditions will they threaten other governments, and when will they seek to appease them? Economic theory has played a key role in shaping the way that scholars grapple with these and many other questions in the aeld of security studies. Have economic methods and models proved useful in advancing scholarly understanding of strategic interactions among nations? That question provokes a surprising amount of controversy within the academic community.2 The publication of Hirshleifer’s collected papers on conoict theory provides a fresh opportunity to assess the inouence of economics on the study of national security since World War II.3 TwoDismal Sciences Are Better Than One— Economics and the Study of National Security Ethan B. Kapstein
Effect of prior cold work amount and annealing temperature on subgrain growth in nickel during recovery

Theoretical and experimental studies involving the subgrain growth kinetics during the recovery period of the annealing process have been a subject of research [1-19] for quite some time now. The purpose of this letter is to report additional [16] results of a study involving the determination of the effect of prior cold work amount and annealing temperature on subgrain growth in VP nickel at 200, 250, 300 and 350 °C. The details of composition, wire drawing, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) sample preparation and subgrain diameter measurements for VP nickel have been described elsewhere [16]. Sandstrom's model will be described very briefly here, since the details pertinent to this letter have been outlined in another publication [16]. The model can describe the subgrain growth kinetics during static recovery in metals and alloys as
Brain concentrations of phenobarbital and behavioral activation or depression.

Abstract Brain concentrations of phenobarbital and its effects on locomotor activity and lever responding for food reinforcement were determined at several intervals following injections into C5BL/6J mice. Phenobarbital either elevated or depressed both types of behavior depending on dose and time after injection. Excitation was noted at times and doses when brain concentration was 9 μg–11.5 μg/g tissue. Depression was initially noted at approximately 20 μ/g tissue. Lever responding was altered when brain concentrations of the drug were lower than those associated with corresponding effects on locomotor activity. Excitatory and depressive effects were most extensive when basal response rates were moderate or high respectively. Hence, whether phenobarbital is excitatory or depressive depends on a complex interaction of brain concentration, rate of ongoing behavior and the stimulus conditions maintaining the behavior.
Pressure tuning spectroscopy of the metal-metal quadruple bond

The results obtained from the application of high pressure in optical absorption studies of compounds with metal-metal quadruple bonds are reviewed. The different degrees of balance between intermolecular and intramolecular effects of compression in different cases are highlighted. A consistent effect observed for [Re2Cl8]2−, [Mo2Cl8]4− , and related compounds is a continuous shift to Iower energy (red) in the δ to δ* excitation with increasing pressure. This observation is interpreted in terms of significant van der Waals interactions between the molecular chromophore and its surroundings, leading to relative stabilization of the more polarizable excited state. Changes in the intensity of the δ to δ* peak are not correlated with the changes in position. The intensity changes become consistent only at relatively high pressures, and this falloff is attributed largely to compression and deformation of the cell gasket. In certain cases, such as [Re2I8]2− and Re2(piv)4X2, piv = pivalate, X= CI, Br, rearrangement to a new species is observed upon the application of high pressure. These rearrangements are all reversible upon pressure release, but they involve different degrees of interaction between adjacent molecules.
Pipe Lining Thickness and Thickness Gages

Corrosion and incrustation in carbon steel raw water pipes have been problems at many of TVA's fossil and nuclear power plants. Lining existing carbon steel raw water pipes with cement mortar conforming to AWWA C602 requirements is one way to correct these problems. It is possible to measure the thickness of the cement-mortar lining by drilling a small hole through the lining and after measurement is made, the hole can be filled with cement mortar. A better way is to use an eddy-current thickness gage. The thickness measured is a function of the impedance of the probe-pipe system. Each thickness measurement takes only a few seconds and the results are very accurate and stable.
Identification and purification of a bovine corpora luteal membrane glycoprotein with [3H]prostaglandin F2a binding properties

A bovine corpora luteal membrane glycoprotein which coelutes from multiple chromatographic procedures with bound tritiated prostaglandin F2a ([3H]PGF2α) has been identified and purified to homogeneity. The properties of this molecule include: an apparent molecular mass by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) of 135 kD; glycosylation which resists endoglycosidases D and H but is susceptible to cleavage by the exoglycosidase sialidase; binding of the molecule to Wheat Germ Agglutinin Sepharose but not to Concanavalin A Sepharose or Soybean Agglutinin Sepharose; migration on O'Farrell 2-D PAGE (pI 3–10) to the acidic side of the gel; binding to DEAE-Cellulose at pH 7.5 which can be displaced with NaCl at concentrations above approximately 100 mM; and, when solubilized with Triton X-100, binding to Phenyl-Sepharose or Octyl-Sepharose columns. Lastly, a rabbit polyclonal antibody against this [3H]PGF2α binding protein has been made which allows both Western blotting of the 135 kD protein as well as immunohistochemical staining of ovarian tissue in a manner expected from previous binding studies. Problems associated with membrane solubilization of the receptor and receptor renaturation are discussed.
Pharmacology of human spontaneous monocyte‐mediated cytotoxicity

The effect of various antiinflammatory agents on the spontaneous cytotoxicity of human mononuclear cells in vitro was assessed. Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) and hydrocortisone enhanced spontaneous monocyte-mediated cytotoxicity compared to control values. This enhancement could not be mediated through inhibition of prostaglandin biosynthesis since indomethacin had no effect on cytotoxic function and since the direct addition of PGE2 to the cell cultures did not inhibit the expression of cytotoxicity. Likewise, salicylic acid (SA), which had no effect on prostaglandin biosynthesis, also enhanced monocyte cytotoxicity. Stimulation of monocyte-mediated cytotoxicity resulting in more efficient antigen removal and thus decreasing antigen persistence may be an additional mechanism by which ASA, SA, and hydrocortisone modulate the destructive inflammatory response in rheumatoid arthritis.
Naturalized Orchid Bee Pollinates Resin‐reward Flowers in Florida: Novel and Known Mutualisms

Females of an orchid bee, Euglossa viridissima, recently naturalized in southern Florida, routinely collect resin to construct their brood cells from the flowers of two Clusia (Clusiaceae) and two Dalechampia (Euphorbiaceae) species. We demonstrated that the bee pollinates three of these species including: (1) the newly naturalized D. scandens, which it pollinates in Mexico; (2) the ornamental D. aristolochiifolia native to Peru; and (3) the ornamental C. lanceolata native to Brazil, but not the apomictic Clusia rosea native to Florida. Field observations indicated that the bee promotes outcrossing in a naturalized D. scandens population. Comparisons of fruit set between unmanipulated control flowers and flowers supplemented with additional pollen indicated that the presence of bee eliminates pollen limitation for cultivated C lanceolata. The orchid bee's pollination of ornamental resin-reward plants may promote their naturalization.
Building a Culture of Evidence in Student Affairs.

Student affairs practitioners often rely on anecdotal evidence when asked to demonstrate their contributions to the community college, but their future may depend on their ability to become more data-based and outcomes-oriented. This chapter discusses the need for a culture of evidence in student affairs, describes how to build such a culture, and provides examples of effectiveness studies and program evaluation cycles.
Array designs for amplitude and phase control of millimeter-wave beams

New array design concepts are described for the phase and amplitude control of millimeter and submillimeter-wave beams. Phase shifter array designs providing increased phase range and wider bandwidth are described. Techniques involving the integration of gain-producing elements as well as tuning elements on a single array are proposed for application to high-performance beam control and beam shaping. These concepts should facilitate the further development of quasi-optical solid state device-based arrays for application to millimeter-wave electronic systems.
Molecular imaging agents: impact on diagnosis and therapeutics in oncology

Imaging has become a crucial tool in oncology throughout the course of disease detection and management, and is an integral part of clinical trials. Anatomical and functional imaging led the way, providing valuable information used in the diagnosis of disease, including data regarding the size and location of the tumour and on physiological processes such as blood flow and perfusion. As understanding of cancer pathogenesis has advanced through the identification of genetic, biochemical and cellular alterations in evolving tumours, emphasis has been put on developing methods to detect and serially monitor such alterations. This class of approaches is referred to as molecular imaging. Molecular imaging offers the potential for increasingly sensitive and specific visualisation and quantification of biological processes at the cellular and molecular level. These approaches have become established as essential tools for cancer research, early cancer detection and staging, and monitoring and predicting response to targeted therapies. Here, we discuss recent advances in the development of molecular imaging agents and their implementation in basic cancer research as well as in more rationalised approaches to cancer care.