cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Die Unabhängigkeitsdebatte frisst ihre Kinder (1995 – 2014)

Die Niederlage im Referendum von 1995 war bitter fur die Anhanger der Unabhangigkeit, welche in den letzten Wochen vor der Abstimmung mit einem knappen Sieg gerechnet hatten. Ein derart enges Ergebnis konnte jedoch keine der beiden Seiten zufriedenstellen. Das Referendum zeigte auf, wie sehr sich die politische und gesellschaftliche Landschaft innerhalb Quebecs verandert hatte.
Debating Europe’s future

ABSTRACTThe European Union – including its precursors, the European Communities – has had many ups and downs since the beginning of institutionalized integration, in the 1950s. Yet the state of the...
Chromatin regulation at the intersection of estrogen receptor and PI3K pathways in breast cancer

Estrogen Receptor (ER) and the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathways participate in regulatory crosstalk in breast cancer. We identified that chromatin regulation is at the intersection of oncogenic PI3K and ER. The PI3K effectors AKT, also known as protein kinase B (PKB), and SGK (serum/glucocorticoid-regulated kinase) play a redundant role by phosphorylating the chromatin regulator KMT2D and modulating ER activity and therapy resistance.
Intensivists' Religiosity and Perceived Conflict During a Simulated ICU Family Meeting

Abstract Context Conflict is frequently reported by both clinicians and surrogate decision makers for adult patients in intensive care units. Because religious clinicians view religion as an important dimension of end-of-life care, we hypothesized that religious critical care attendings (intensivists) would be more comfortable and perceive less conflict when discussing a patient's critical illness with a religious surrogate. Objectives The objective of this study was to assess if religious intensivists are more or less likely to perceive conflict during a simulated family meeting than secular colleagues. Methods Intensivists were recruited to participate in a standardized, simulated family meeting with an actor portraying a family member of a critically ill patient. Intensivists provided demographic information including their current religion and the importance of religion in their lives. After the simulation, intensivists rated the amount of conflict they perceived during the simulation. The association between intensivist's self-reported religiosity and perceived conflict was estimated using both univariate analysis and multivariable logistic regression. Results Among 112 participating intensivists, 43 (38%) perceived conflict during the simulation. Among intensivists who perceived conflict, 49% were religious, and among those who did not perceive conflict, 35% were religious. After adjusting for physician race, gender, years in practice, intensive care unit weeks worked per year and actor, physician religiosity was associated with greater odds of perceiving conflict during the simulated family meeting (adjusted prevalence ratio = 2.77, [95% CI 1.12–7.16], P = 0.03). Conclusion Religious intensivists were more likely to perceive conflict during a simulated family meeting.
Spatially explicit reconstruction of post-megafire forest recovery through landscape modeling

Abstract Megafires are large wildfires that occur under extreme weather conditions and produce mixed burn severities across diverse environmental gradients. Assessing megafire effects requires data covering large spatiotemporal extents, which are difficult to collect from field inventories. Remote sensing provides an alternative but is limited in revealing post-fire recovery trajectories and the underlying processes that drive the recovery. We developed a novel framework to spatially reconstruct the post-fire time-series of forest conditions after the 1987 Black Dragon fire of China by integrating a forest landscape model (LANDIS) with remote sensing and inventory data. We derived pre-fire (1985) forest composition and the megafire perimeter and severity using remote sensing and inventory data. We simulated the megafire and the post-megafire forest recovery from 1985 to 2015 using the LANDIS model. We demonstrated that the framework was effective in reconstructing the post-fire stand dynamics and that it is applicable to other types of disturbances.
Gut Microbiota-targeted Interventions for Reducing the Incidence, Duration, and Severity of Respiratory Tract Infections in Healthy Non-elderly Adults.

Introduction Respiratory tract infections (RTI), such as those caused by influenza viruses and, more recently, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2, pose a significant burden to military health care systems and force readiness. The gut microbiota influences immune function, is malleable, and may provide a target for interventions aiming to reduce RTI burden. This narrative review summarizes existing evidence regarding the effectiveness of probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics, all of which are gut microbiota-targeted interventions, for reducing the burden of RTI in military-relevant populations (i.e., healthy non-elderly adults). Materials and methods A systematic search strategy was used to identify recent meta-analyses and systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials conducted in healthy non-elderly adults which examined effects of probiotics, prebiotics, or synbiotics on the incidence, duration, and/or severity of RTI, or on immune responses to vaccinations against viruses that cause RTI. Relevant randomized controlled clinical trials not included in those reports were also identified. Results Meta-analyses and multiple randomized controlled trials have demonstrated that certain probiotic strains may reduce the incidence, duration, and/or severity of RTI and improve immune responses to vaccination against RTI-causing pathogens in various populations including healthy non-elderly adults. Fewer randomized controlled trials have examined the effects of prebiotics or synbiotics on RTI-related outcomes in healthy non-elderly adults. Nevertheless, some studies conducted within that population and other populations have observed that certain prebiotics and synbiotics reduce the incidence, duration, and/or severity of RTI or improve immune responses to vaccinations against RTI-causing viruses. However, across all product classes, not all product formulations have shown benefit, and most have not been tested in multiple randomized controlled trials in military-relevant populations. Conclusion Dietary supplementation with certain gut microbiota-targeted interventions, and certain probiotics in particular, may provide viable strategies for reducing RTI-related illness in military personnel. Research in military populations is warranted to fully understand the magnitude of any military health and cost benefits, and to establish definitive recommendations for use.
Attenuation of doubly charged ion interferences on arsenic and selenium by ICP-MS under low kinetic energy collision cell conditions with hydrogen cell gas

Most spectral interferences that arise in ICP-MS are caused by matrix or plasma-based ion overlaps on an analyte ion. These interferences can be effectively controlled using collision/reaction cell (CRC) technology operating in helium (He) collision cell mode, improving the data quality of trace elements in a variety of matrices. However, spectral interferences caused by doubly charged ions (M++), such as rare-earth element (REE++) ion interferences on arsenic (As) and selenium (Se), are difficult to resolve using single quadrupole ICP-MS operating in He collision cell mode. Therefore, a new method was investigated using hydrogen (H2) as a collision cell gas and kinetic energy discrimination (KED) to separate the ions. For KED to be successful there needs to be a difference in the collisional cross-section of the analyte ion and interfering ion. The collisional cross-section of a doubly charged ion is greater with H2 molecules than He (the traditional ICP-MS collision cell gas) due to the higher polarizability of H2. Utilizing these physical characteristics, the reduction of M++ interferences by KED was investigated both theoretically and experimentally. The developed low kinetic energy H2 collision cell method correctly measured 1 μg L−1 of As and Se in the presence of 0.5 mg L−1 each of 16 REEs. No mathematical interference correction equations were needed. A conventional He collision cell method provided a false positive result for As and Se of more than 10 μg L−1.
Cancer Cells Upregulate NRF2 Signaling to Adapt to Autophagy Inhibition

While autophagy is thought to be an essential process in some cancer cells, it is unknown if or how such cancer cells can circumvent autophagy inhibition. To address this, we developed a CRISPR/Cas9 assay with dynamic live-cell imaging to measure acute effects of knockout (KO) of autophagy genes compared to known essential and non-essential genes. In some cancer cells, autophagy is as essential for cancer cell growth as mRNA transcription or translation or DNA replication. However, even these highly autophagy-dependent cancer cells evolve to circumvent loss of autophagy by upregulating NRF2, which is necessary and sufficient for autophagy dependent cells to circumvent ATG7 KO and maintain protein homeostasis but this increases susceptibly to proteasome inhibitors. These studies identify a common mechanism of acquired resistance to autophagy inhibition and show that selection to avoid tumor cell dependency on autophagy creates new, potentially-actionable, cancer cell susceptibilities.
Abstract P002: Associations Of Bone Fracture Outcomes With Body Compositions Measurements In A Fragility Fracture Clinic Population

Introduction: While preoperative bone health optimization is typical in the fragile population, objective assessment is limited. Among the aged, localized discordance in bone loss is prevalent and ...
Does condition of adult male cervids reflect condition of adult females? A test with mule deer

Body condition integrates the effects of habitat on individuals and consequently population performance of cervids. However, most condition data is likely to come from harvested males, which may not reflect absolute condition of, or habitat quality for, adult females because of basic ecological differences. To test whether condition of males reflected condition of females, we compared three indices of nutritional condition (rump body condition score, maximum subcutaneous fat thickness, and percent body fat) of adult male, lactating adult female, and dry adult female mule deer over multiple years in 2 sites in New Mexico, USA. Males consistently achieved significantly higher levels of condition than females for all indices of condition, regardless of whether indices for males were scaled for metabolic size or not. Because population productivity and rate-of-increase is driven by condition and consequent performance of females, population monitoring strategies that assess only condition of males may not reflect absolute condition of females and thus habitat quality as it fundamentally relates to population dynamics of cervids. Condition of males, however, can likely index relative habitat quality if not absolute.
Status of Submillimeter-Wave Thomson Scattering Ion Temperature Diagnostic Implementation in Alcator C

The M.I.T. submillimeter-wave (SMM) Thomson scattering ion temperature diagnostic for the Alcator C tokamak is the first such implementation on a major plasma fusion machine. Successful measurement of the ion temperature using this technique will represent a major breakthrough for the determination of this critical parameter in present machines and planned demonstration reactors. The present implementation of this diagnostic makes use of state of the art high power, narrow linewidth SMM lasers [1] (like the 385 Jim D 2 O laser reported at this conference), a low noise Shottky barrier diode heterodyne receiver [2], and signal processing equipment. The simultaneous availability of this equipment will make possible, for the first time, the experimental test of the physical concepts involved in this diagnostic.
Rapoport effects are inconsistently demonstrated through time

Abstract A Rapoport effect is a pattern in which species' geographic range sizes increase toward the poles. Previous work suggested that Pleistocene glaciation caused the extinction of small-ranging species at higher latitudes, resulting in a Rapoport effect among North American mammals. If caused by glaciation, Rapoport effects should be apparent in Pleistocene Europe, where glaciers advanced relatively far south, but not in Asia, where glacial advance was much more limited. Variation in geographic range size in the fossil record of Cenozoic mammals of Europe was quantified, binning fossils into European land mammal ages. Next, the same was done for Cenozoic mammals of Asia, binning by Asian land mammal ages and China faunal ages. By requiring a minimum sample size of ten points to estimate range size, most time bins on either continent were too insufficiently sampled to assess Rapoport effects. A Rapoport effect was found for four of twelve European land mammal ages, but cooling was associated with only one Rapoport effect. A Rapoport effect was never recovered in Asia. After scrutinizing the evidence for North American Rapoport effects among fossil mammals, the overall evidence for glaciation driving Rapoport effects is scant. Support for glaciation causing Rapoport effects is questioned.
Lyapunov Revisited: Variations on a Matrix Theme

In this expository note it is shown that a cone version of the Perron-Frobenius theorem implies various generalizations of a matrix form of Lyapunov’s famous theorem:
Tolerance Region: Definition

In a sample from a multivariate distribution, a tolerance region is a region for which there is a specified high probability (the confidence) that at least a specified proportion of the distribution (the coverage) is included. It is thus a generalization of the univariate tolerance interval. The construction using statistically equivalent blocks is described briefly. Keywords: confidence; coverage; equivalent blocks; ordering function; nonparametric
Effects of Native and Non‐Native Vertebrate Mutualists on Plants

Extinctions can leave species without mutualist partners and thus potentially reduce their fitness. In cases where non-native species function as mutualists, mutualism disruption associated with species' extinction may be mitigated. To assess the effectiveness of mutualist species with different origins, we conducted a meta-analysis in which we compared the effectiveness of pollination and seed-dispersal functions of native and non-native vertebrates. We used data from 40 studies in which a total of 34 non-native vertebrate mutualists in 20 geographic locations were examined. For each plant species, opportunistic non-native vertebrate pollinators were generally less effective mutualists than native pollinators. When native mutualists had been extirpated, however, plant seed set and seedling performance appeared elevated in the presence of non-native mutualists, although non-native mutualists had a negative overall effect on seed germination. These results suggest native mutualists may not be easily replaced. In some systems researchers propose taxon substitution or the deliberate introduction of non-native vertebrate mutualists to reestablish mutualist functions such as pollination and seed dispersal and to rescue native species from extinction. Our results also suggest that in places where all native mutualists are extinct, careful taxon substitution may benefit native plants at some life stages.
Choosing Indicators of Natural Resource Condition: A Case Study in Arches National Park, Utah, USA

/ Heavy visitor use in many areas of the world have necessitated development of ways to assess visitation impacts. Arches National Park recently completed a Visitor Experience and Resource Protection (VERP) plan. Integral to this plan was developing a method to identify biological indicators that would both measure visitor impacts and response to management actions. The process used in Arches for indicator selection is outlined here as a model applicableto many areas facing similar challenges. The steps were: (1) Vegetation types most used by visitors were identified. Impacted and unimpacted areas in these types were sampled, comparing vegetation and soil factors. (2) Variables found to differ significantly between compared sites were used as potential indicators. (3) Site-specific criteria for indicators were developed, and potential indicators evaluated using these criteria. (4) Chosen indicators were further researched for ecological relevancy. (5) Final indicators were chosen, field tested, and monitoring sites designated. In Arches, indicators were chosen for monitoring annually (soil crust index, soil compaction, number of used social trails and soil aggregate stability) and every five years (vegetation cover and frequency; ground cover; soil chemistry; and plant tissue chemistry).KEY WORDS: Biological indicators; Recreation impacts; Recreation management; Desert soils; Trampling
The effect of initial placement into kinship foster care on reunification from foster care: A bivariate probit analysis

ABSTRACT Recent child welfare research using administrative child welfare data has discovered that children who are placed in kinship foster care are re uni fied more slowly with their biological parents than children who are placed in foster care with nonrelatives. However, no research has examined the question of whether this effeet of placement into kinship foster care on re unification rates is due to selection bias. This research addresses this question by using a bivariate probit model and finds evidence that some of the effect of placement in kinship care on re unification rates can be attributed to selection bias.
The Earth Resources Technology Satellites (ERTS) System

Earth Resources Technology Satellites /ERTS/ providing high resolution image data regarding agriculture, geology, hydrology, geography, etc
Wages of Violence: Naming and Identity in Postcolonial Bombay.

Wages of Violence: Naming and Identity in Postcolonial Bombay. Thomas Blom Hansen. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2001. 280 pp.
RNA-Seq of single prostate CTCs implicates noncanonical Wnt signaling in antiandrogen resistance

Prostate cancer is initially responsive to androgen deprivation, but the effectiveness of androgen receptor (AR) inhibitors in recurrent disease is variable. Biopsy of bone metastases is challenging; hence, sampling circulating tumor cells (CTCs) may reveal drug-resistance mechanisms. We established single-cell RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) profiles of 77 intact CTCs isolated from 13 patients (mean six CTCs per patient), by using microfluidic enrichment. Single CTCs from each individual display considerable heterogeneity, including expression of AR gene mutations and splicing variants. Retrospective analysis of CTCs from patients progressing under treatment with an AR inhibitor, compared with untreated cases, indicates activation of noncanonical Wnt signaling (P = 0.0064). Ectopic expression of Wnt5a in prostate cancer cells attenuates the antiproliferative effect of AR inhibition, whereas its suppression in drug-resistant cells restores partial sensitivity, a correlation also evident in an established mouse model. Thus, single-cell analysis of prostate CTCs reveals heterogeneity in signaling pathways that could contribute to treatment failure.
Structural Determinants of Interinstitutional Cooperation in Higher Education.

Five interorganizational relationships among higher educational institutions, representing major structural and functional variations, were studied intensively using field research procedures to elucidate determinants of successful cooperative activities. Among the factors to be taken into account relative to the operational success of voluntary consortia are member institutional prestige, strength, developmental level, and climate. Further, problem solving and resource distribution, as two major benefits of cooperation, result in different interorganizational patterns.
GLC Microdetermination of Plasma Anticonvulsant Levels

abstract The treatment of infants from birth for convulsive disorders is hindered by the lack of a rapid method for monitoring anticonvulsant blood levels using a small volume of plasma. The method of Berlin et al. (1) for diphenylhydantoin was modified by Solow [1] for the simultaneous determination of multiple drug levels. However, this method has a fairly low extraction efficiency for primidone, a primary anticonvulsant. Kallberg et al. (2) reported a rapid method for phenobarbital which we found also yielded almost total recovery of diphenylhydantoin. However, the recovery of primidone again was extremely low (16%), and the aqueous solution of trhnethylphenylanilinium hydroxide, which was used for the final extraction, degraded phenobarbital to phenylethylmalonamide even at low injector temperatures (230°).
Enhancing slow sand filter performance with an acid-soluble seston extract.

Abstract An acid-soluble extract was obtained from Cayuga Lake (Ithaca, NY) seston and applied to slow sand filters at different application rates. Biological activity in the filters was inhibited with 3 mM sodium azide. The filters were challenged with a synthetic raw water containing Escherichia coli . The Cayuga Lake seston extract (CLSE) fed filters removed up to 99.9999% of the influent coliforms while the control filter (no CLSE) removed 50%. Filter performance was correlated with the amount of CLSE applied to the filters.
Central nervous system effects of althesin (CT 1341): a new steroid anaesthetic agent.

ALTItESlN, formerly called CT 1341, is a new non-barbiturate intravenous anaesthetic with a rapid onset and short duration of action. It is a mixture of two pregnandione derivatives and in clinical reports is frequently compared with another steroid, hydroxydione (Viadril). The pharmacologic properties of CT 1341 were investigated and reported in experimental animals by Child e t a l . 1 and subsequently in several clinical trials. 2-12 Only one of these reports 9 included a brief description of its effects on the EEG of patients during surgery. Since we know of no other neurophysiologieal studies the present study was done to supply these data. As in previous investigations, Ia spontaneous activity of various structures representative of the three principal systems considered of importance to the anaesthetic state was observed in chronic preparations and evoked potentials elicited by peripheral somatic stimulation were recorded in acute experiments. The techniques used will be summarized briefly since they have been described in detail in previous reports) T M
Effect of oil on foam stability: Aqueous foams stabilized by emulsions

Abstract The interactions between oil drops and the foam lamella were investigated by following the aging phenomena (i.e., drainage, bubble disproportionation, and rupture) of foams containing emulsified oils. It was found that the stability of the film (“pseudoemulsion film”) between an oil drop and an air/water surface was an important factor for the stability of foams containing emulsified oils. The mechanism of foam stability in the presence of stable emulsions was investigated for the case where the pseudoemulsion film was stable. It was found that these emulsions accumulated within the Plateau borders of the draining foam, thus inhibiting foam drainage. As a result, the foams were found to be stabilized by emulsified oil. Important parameters which affect foam stability, such as oil volume fraction, drop size, and oil phase density, were identified and the effect of these parameters on foam stability was experimentally verified. It was found that the stability increased with the oil fraction in the foam. The foam stability was found to go through a minimum as a function of drop size, due to competing effects of emulsion viscosity at smaller drop sizes and the higher accumulation of oil at larger drop sizes. The density of the oil phase directly influenced the oil accumulation and thus the foam stability.
Variability in Respiratory Protection and the Assigned Protection Factor

The workplace protection factor (WPF) for a given respirator wearer shows substantial variability from wearing to wearing; this variability is commonly assumed to be lognormal in nature. Further, when multiple WPFs are measured for each of multiple wearers, the aggregated WPFs appear to follow a lognormal distribution. However, the analysis typically applied to WPF data does not apportion variability within versus between wearers. We present an analytical framework based on a normal random effects model of log-transformed penetration P values (P = 1/WPF). Data from seven studies of negative-pressure air-purifying half-mask respirators, and from two studies of hemlet-and-visor type powered air-purifying respirators were analyzed by the method of maximum likelihood in the context of the model. More specifically, analyses were performed for log-transformed P values and for logit-transformed P values. Parameter estimates included within-wearer and between-wearer variance components. In general, the within-wea...
Optomechanical actuator in the form of graphite

ABSTRACTOptomechanical actuation was achieved reversibly using highly oriented pyrolytic graphite intercalated with bromine (1.9 mol% Bra). White light from a 150 W tungsten-halogen iamp was usedfor optomechanical switching. The displacement was 4 p.m and occurred only along the c-axis of the graphite. The rise and fall times were 15 s. The origin of the optomechanical effect is the reversible exfoliation of the near surface region of the intercalated graphite. Keywords: actuator, optomechanical, graphite, intercalate, switching, optical, exfoliation, light. 1 . INTRODUCTION Smartmaterials comprisematerials that have one or both ofthe following functions -- sensing andactuation. Sensing refers to the sensing of strain or stress, while actuation refers to providing strain orstress. The signal sensed and the signal that actuates can be electrical, magnetic or optical. For example,the piezoelectric effect, the piezoresistive effect, the electrostrictive effect and the electrorheological effectinvolve an electrical signal; the magnetostrictive and magnetorheological effects involve a magnetic signal;the optical fibers and the photoelastic effect involve an optical signal.
Low-energy electron-induced chemistry of CF2Cl2: Implications for the ozone hole?

We report on the first direct investigation of the low-energy electron-induced production of neutral species from the chlorofluorocarbon CF 2 Cl 2 , commonly known as Freon-12 or CFC-12. Our experiments were motivated by a newly proposed hypothesis, which suggests that low-energy electrons produced by cosmic rays, in addition to UV-vis photons from the sun, interact with chlorofluorocarbons to produce chlorine atoms that subsequently destroy ozone in the Antarctic. Our experimental procedure involves low-energy (5-100 eV) electron irradiation of nanoscale thin films (∼10 A thickness) of CF 2 Cl 2 grown at 100 K on a molybdenum single crystal in an ultrahigh vacuum chamber (p ∼ 1 × 10 - 1 0 Torr). Post-irradiation temperature-programmed desorption experiments were used to identify C 2 F 4 Cl 2 , C 2 F 3 Cl 3 , C 2 F 2 Cl 4 , C 2 F 3 Cl, C 2 F 2 Cl 2 , and C 2 F 4 as electron-induced radiolysis products of CF 2 Cl 2 . In contrast to previous studies of photon-induced dissociation, our studies of electron-induced dissociation demonstrate facile C-F bond cleavage in CF 2 Cl 2 . This finding may have implications for understanding the partitioning of Cl and F among source, sink, and reservoir gases in the stratosphere.
Processing of titanium net shapes by SLS/HIP

Abstract SLS/HIP is a hybrid direct laser fabrication method that combines the strengths of selective laser sintering (SLS) and hot isostatic pressing (HIP). SLS can produce complex shaped metal components with an integral, gas impermeable skin. These components can then be directly post-processed to full density by containerless HIP. SLS/HIP is envisioned as a rapid, low-cost replacement for conventional metal can HIP processing. The advantages of freeform fabrication combined with in situ HIP encapsulation include the ability to perform containerless HIP, no adverse container–powder interactions, reduced pre-processing time, and fewer post-processing steps compared to conventional HIP of canned parts. SLS/HIP is currently being developed for Inconel® 625 superalloy and Ti-6Al-4V. This paper focuses on microstructure and mechanical properties of SLS processed and HIP post-processed Ti-6Al-4V. SLS/HIP technology for Ti-6Al-4V was demonstrated by fabricating a subscale AIM-9 missile guidance section housing to specification. This work is funded jointly by DARPA and ONR under contract N00014-95-C-0139 titled `Low Cost Metal Processing Using SLS/HIP'.
Reading and spelling difficulties in high school students: Causes and consequences

Basic skills in reading and spelling and supporting metalinguistic abilities were assessed in ninth and tenth grade students in two school settings. Students attending a private high school for the learning disabled comprised one group and the other comprised low to middle range students from a public high school. Both the LD students and the regular high school students displayed deficiencies in spelling and in decoding, a factor in reading difficulty that is commonly supposed to dwindle in importance after the elementary school years. Treating the overlapping groups as a single sample, multiple regression analysis was used to investigate the contribution of nonword decoding skill and phonological and morphological awareness to spelling ability. The analysis revealed that decoding was the major component, predicting about half of the variance in spelling. The effect of phonological awareness was largely hidden by its high correlation with decoding, but was a significant predictor of spelling in its own right. Morphological awareness predicted spelling skill when the words to be spelled were morphologically complex. An additional study showed that differences in decoding and spelling ability were associated with differences in comprehension after controlling for reading experience and vocabulary. Even among experienced readers individual differences in comprehension of text reflect efficiency of phonological processing at the word level.
Large Scale Oceanic Drogue Diffusion

OCEANIC turbulent diffusion is not well understood. Dye diffusion techniques are usually used to estimate diffusivity, but Lagrangian (particle) techniques are also useful, especially on a large scale. The most successful empirical method of organizing measurements of diffusing particles stems from Richardson's neighbour-diffusion theory1. Briefly, the probability q(l, t) of two particles being a distance l apart is governed by the equation where F(l) is the neighbour diffusivity and t is time. It follows2 that F is given by where l0 is the initial separation, Δl is the change in separation in time Δt, and the bar indicates an average over a class interval of value l0 + 0.5 Δl. Data are relatively plentiful for l<100 m, but sparse for greater values of l (ref. 3). The data available indicate a power law where n≈4/3, and k ranges (for different experiments) from 0.005 to 0.073 cm2/3 s−1.
1,25-(OH)2D receptors are decreased in parathyroid glands from chronically uremic dogs.

1,25-(OH) 2 D receptors are decreased in parathyroid glands from chronically uremic dogs. 1,25-(OH) 2 D has been shown to suppress the synthesis and secretion of parathyroid hormone in vivo and in dispersed parathyroid cell cultures. Control of transcription by 1,25-(OH) 2 D is believed to be mediated by interaction of this hormone with a specific receptor within target cells. We have examined the 1,25-(OH) 2 D receptor in parathyroid glands from normal dogs and chronic renal failure dogs. The levels of receptor were fourfold lower in parathyroid extracts from these uremic dogs than in those from normal dogs (109 ± 11 vs. 446 ± 61 fmol/mg protein). No differences were observed in the binding affinity for 1,25-(OH) 2 D or in the sedimentation in sucrose density gradients. Since this receptor has been shown to be upregulated by 1,25-(OH) 2 D, our findings of lower levels of receptor could be attribed to decreased serum concentrations of 1,25-(OH) 2 D in chronically uremic animals. Regression analysis of log serum 1,25-(OH) 2 D versus log receptor content yielded a correlation coefficient of 0.62 with P 2 D receptor number in the parathyroid glands of chronically uremic animals renders the glands less responsive to the inhibitory action of 1,25-(OH) 2 D on the synthesis and secretion of PTH, and may contribute to the hyperparathyroidism associated with chronic renal failure.
Sound and the city: noise in restaurant critics' reviews.

AbstractAre expert aesthetic judgments of restaurants shaped by sound and music? Although sound is an important design element in built spaces devoted to consumerism, such as restaurants, it is a typically overlooked aesthetic structure. This project analyzes how widely read and influential food writing help the general public define the acceptable repertoire of music and sound in restaurants. I draw on a sample of restaurant reviews that appear in the LexisNexis archives of the San Francisco Chronicle and the New York Times from January 1, 1998, until December 31, 2010. Specifically, I examine 1,208 reviews written by thirteen reviewers in the San Francisco Chronicle and 598 reviews written by four reviewers in the New York Times. I connect critics' evaluations of sound in fine-dining establishments to the emplacement of those practices within New York City and San Francisco. By doing so, this project explores how place-based background aesthetics mediate expert opinion and facilitate consumption in the ...
Intervention Psychometrics Using Norm-Referenced Methods for Treatment Planning and Monitoring

This article reviews issues involved with using norm-referenced measures within an intervention validity model. Methodological examination of intervention validity has become more important as inte...
The use and usefulness of placebo controls.

Considerable debate has focused on the effects of placebos and whether control groups that receive placebo should be required in clinical trials ([1][1], [2][2]). Two issues are at the heart of these discussions: (i) whether assignment to a placebo condition deprives or delays access to beneficial
Heat Exchange Effectiveness and Pressure Drop for Air Flow Through Perforated Plates With and Without Crosswind

Low-porosity perforated plates are being used as absorbers for heating ambient air in a new type of unglazed solar collector. This paper investigates the convective heat transfer effectiveness for low-speed air flow through thin, isothermal perforated plates with and without a crosswind on the upstream face. The objective of this work is to provide information that will allow designers to optimize hole size and spacing. In order to obtain performance data, a wind tunnel and small lamp array were designed and built. Experimental data were taken for a range of plate porosities from 0.1 to 5 percent, hole Reynolds numbers from 100 to 2000, and wind speeds from 0 to 4 m/s. Correlations were developed for heat exchange effectiveness and also for pressure drop. Infrared thermography was used to visualize the heat transfer taking place at the surface. 7 refs., 13 figs.
Moving beyond the Rhetoric: Charter School Reform and Accountability.

ABSTRACT The author examined how local charter school educators respond to the accountability measures being imposed on them. Encouraged by early indications of increased test scores, state and federal policymakers continue to support accountability as an effective means to improve schools. Surprisingly, there has been little research on local educators’ experiences with and responses to such reforms. This lack of research is striking because teachers, principals, and superintendents are directly responsible for the implementation of accountability mandates, including administering tests, teaching to the state standards, and implementing state-approved curriculum packages. In an effort to understand teachers’ and administrators’ experiences with public school accountability, the author explores how educators in 4 charter schools in Michigan understand recent accountability mandates with respect to school reform.
Environmental consumerism: A process of children's socialization and families' resocialization

The development and impact of children's concern for the environment is addressed. A model is presented that illustrates that such development may be based upon children's cognitive status, their exposure to nature, and their exposure to particular socializing influences. One of the possible outcomes of children's concern for the environment is that they may become catalysts for family environmental consumerism, and thereby influence related family attitudes and decision-making. We propose that environmental consumerism may be moderated by the nature of family communication patterns, which can affect the possibility of family resocialization regarding environmental concerns. In addition, family resources are also expected to moderate the degree of family environmental consumerism. We suggest that environmental consumerism will be reflected in both purchasing and recycling choices and behavior. Consequently, marketing implications are also addressed. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Maltreatment-Related Emergency Department Visits Among Children 0 to 3 Years Old in the United States:

The emergency department (ED) is a vital entry point in the health care system for children who experience maltreatment. This study fills a gap in the maltreatment literature by presenting systematic, national estimates of maltreatment-related ED visits in the United States by children ≤3 years old, from 2006 to 2011, using the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS). Children who experienced and likely experienced maltreatment were identified via International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification diagnostic codes. Maltreatment was classified as physical or sexual abuse, neglect, or poly-victimization. The clinical and demographic profiles of children who experienced maltreatment were described. Approximately 10,095 children who experienced maltreatment (0.1% of total ED visits) and 129,807 children who likely experienced maltreatment (1.2% of total ED visits) were documented each year. Maltreatment was associated with significantly greater risk of injury, hospitalization, and death in the ED setting. Physical abuse was the most common explicit maltreatment diagnosis (33 ED visits per 100,000 children ≤3 years old) and neglect was the most common likely maltreatment diagnosis (436 ED visits per 100,000 children ≤3 years old). This study established the NEDS as a valuable complement to existing surveillance efforts of child maltreatment from a public health perspective.
P‐94: Polymer Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Flakes for Particle Displays

Polymer cholesteric liquid crystal (PCLC) flakes suspended in a moderately conductive host fluid reorient in the presence of an AC electric field within a specific frequency range, causing a dramatic change in flake reflectivity. PCLC flakes reflect light of a specific color and (circular) polarization, thereby eliminating the need for backlighting, color filters, and polarizers to attain unique optical effects. Reorientation can be seen in fields as low as several milli-volts per micron, and reorientation times are on the order of several hundred milliseconds, thereby approaching response times for both nematic liquid crystal displays and other particle displays. Applications for electro-optic devices, decorative commercial and consumer products, and displays, particularly electronic paper, are envisioned.
Characterization of 21 microsatellite loci from the invasive Mediterranean gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus)

It is crucial to understand the dispersal potential of invasive species to predict how biological invasions spread. Molecular data can provide unique insights into sources, routes, and mechanisms of invasion. Twenty-one microsatellite markers were developed for the Mediterranean gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus), a species native to southwest Asia that has successfully invaded much of the southern US. The loci were characterized with geckos collected from two locations at Texas A&M University. Eighteen of the 21 loci exhibited polymorphism (2–8 alleles/locus). Both gecko populations were in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. Our preliminary screen detected significant population structure at a small scale (650 m). Therefore, these markers will be useful to assess dispersal at varying geographic ranges.
GDx-MM: An Imaging Mueller Matrix Retinal Polarimeter

An imaging polarimeter capable of measuring a complete Mueller matrix of the retina has been designed, built, calibrated, validated, and used on human subjects. Retardance, diattenuation, and depolarization images of normal retinas are presented.
Linguistic Minorities in Central and Eastern Europe

Preface - Christina Bratt Paulston - 1. Linguistic Minorities in Central and Eastern Europe: An Introduction - Christina Bratt Paulston (University of Pittsburgh) - 2. Linguistic Minorities in Austraia - Rudolf de Cillia, Florian Menz, Wolfgang W. Dressler and Petra Cech (Institut fur Sprachwissenschaft, Universitat Wien) - 3. Linguistic Minorities in the Balkans (Albania, Greece, and the successor states of former Yugoslavia) - Hugh Poulton (a Consultant for the Minority Rights Group specialising on the Balkans) - 4. Ethnicity and the Nation: The Bulgarian Dilemma - Bonka Boneva (Bulkarian Academy of Sciences) - 5. Linguistic Minorities in the Caucasus - Sergei Arutunov - 6. Linguistic Communities in the Czech Republik - J. Nekvapil and J.V. Neustupny - 7. Linguistic Minorities in Hungary - Anna Fenyvesi - 8. The Republic of Latvia - Ina Druviete - 9. Romania - Peter Jordan - 10. Multilingual Russia and Its Soviet Heritage - Harald Haarman - 11. Linguistic Minorities in Slovakia - Martin Votruba
Age changes in the relationship among endocrine glands of the beagle

Abstract Weight relationships between endocrine glands (hypophysis, thyroid, adrenal, testis and ovary) was studied in 140 purebred beagle dogs ranging in age from 8 hr to 13·6 yr. Weights of the hypophysis, thyroid, adrenal, testis, and ovary were significantly related with one another from birth to 13·6 yr. Size of the hypophysis was not associated with the size of the thyroid, testis, and ovary in sexually mature animals. Between 1–13·6 yr of age, beagles displayed a difference in the weight of the adrenal gland due to the sex of the animals. Female animals had larger adrenal glands than males of the same age and body weight. Size of the adrenal gland was more closely associated with the testis than the ovary. In sexually mature animals, weight of the thyroid and the ovary showed very little growth with age.
Changes in BRCA1 and BRCA2 expression produced by chemotherapeutic agents in human breast cancer cells

Abstract We have investigated the effects of chemotherapeutic agents such as adriamycin (ADR), camptothecin (CPT), mitomycin-C (MYC-C) and methotrexate (MTX) on the regulation of expression of the tumor susceptibility genes (BRCA1 and BRCA2), and the association of cell cycle progression in human breast cancer and normal breast epithelial cells. Results revealed that the mRNA and protein expression levels of BRCA1/2 were reduced by the treatment of chemotherapeutic agents used in the breast cancer cell lines tested, with ADR being the most effective. The regulation of the cell cycle was dose-dependent and low doses of ADR (1.5 μM) induced G2/M phase arrest whereas a late S phase arrest was observed with a higher dose of ADR (15 μM) in both breast cancer cells (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) tested. In addition, a negative correlation was observed between BRCA1/2 mRNA and expressions of the proteins with the cell cycle alterations being regulated by chemotherapeutic agents.
Screening of antibacterial and antifungal activities of ten medicinal plants from Ghana

The screening of African medicinal plants, utilized in traditional herbal remedies in Ghana West Africa for their antibacterial and antifungals activities, is reported in this paper. Of ten plants tested, extracts of five (Phyllanthus niruri, Ageratum conyzoides, Acanthospermum hispidum, Cassia alata, and Sida acuta) had activity against the Gram positive microorganism Staphylococcus aureus including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). None of these ten plants have previously had their anti-MRSA activity or lack of activity documented. Hexane extracts from three plants (Portulaca quadrifida, Ageratum conyzoides, and Newbouldia lavis) show remarkable anti-fungal activity against Aspergillus fumigatus. Four plants (Phyllanthus niruri, Portulaca quadrifida, Ageratum conyzoides, and Newbouldia laevis) have strong anti-Candida activity. This paper may be the first documentation of Portulaca quadrifida in vitro anti-C. albicans and anti-A. fumigatus activity.
Early Archaic Diet in the Tallgrass Prairie and Shortgrass Plains: A Comparison

Faunal assemblages from three Early Archaic sites are compared to evaluate whether or not significant differences in diet can be attributed to geographic variability. The results of this study suggest that geographic variability, specifically that associated with longitude, does not contribute to dietary differences in any significant fashion. Understanding the impact of geographic variability on diet is critical to successfully modeling cultural responses to the Altithermal, a period of unusually warm and dry climate roughly coeval with the Early Archaic.
MIMESIS AND SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION: A Sociocultural Perspective

Donald (2001) argued that mimesis is fundamental to communication and culture. The basic level of mimetic action is mime—as found, for example, in the imaginative, expressive play of children, who typically imitate aspects of the world around them, including the actions of their parents, and pretend to be those they will become. Mimesis has a prominent position in the lives of children in relation to language acquisition as well; for example, Nelson (1996) found that mimetic portrayals of events, such as in play, largely precede language and are key to its development. According to Donald, mimesis is also central to tribal identity (culture), in how emotions are expressed and understood. This article argues that mimesis plays two prominent roles in acquiring another language. The first relates to how people materialize aspects of their second language discourse through gesture as a means of making meaning for themselves as well as for interlocutors. This perspective is grounded in the Vygotskian branch of Soviet psychology, particularly the work of Gal'perin (1989). The so-called tribal aspect of mimesis (identity) in the form of gesture is also taken up in relation to SLA, again from a sociocultural perspective. Overall, it is argued that our material being impacts the way we live and learn and that sound theories of SLA will need to take this into account.