cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Farmers’ perception of climate change and adaptation decisions: A micro-level evidence from Bundelkhand Region, India

Abstract This paper aims at identifying the key determinants, which influence and motivate farmers to adopt a rational, cost-effective, climate-smart adaptation strategy. Macro data encompasses review of studies using “Scopus database” and Micro data from field survey in dry region of Bundelkhand (Uttar Pradesh), India. Multi-stage sampling technique was adopted to select study sites and respondents. A total of 200 sample households of various land size categories were contacted for collecting data using a well-structured and pre-tested schedule. Study findings revealed that variability in temperature and rainfall has affected adversely to the livelihoods of farmers. Low level of livelihood status, fewer non-farm employment opportunities and low cropped area under irrigation were the main barriers to climate change adaptation. Insurance and credit were the main positive determinants that motivated farmers to adjust farm practices. Early maturing seed varieties and less water consuming crop varieties were the most profitable adaptation strategies. Policy intervention should prioritize eliminating asymmetry in information and communication. Enhancing institutional capacities to forecast weather in small geographic regions accurately and warranting accountability of meteorological department is imperative.
Revisiting Lorent and Szymberski: Evaluating how research in prevention through design is interpreted and cited

Abstract This paper examines the evidence behind two widely accepted theories in Prevention through Design (PtD) research. The concept of mitigating/removing construction hazards during design, is relatively new considering the history of construction work. Within this domain, two heavily cited theories serve as a foundation of a substantial portion of the existing knowledge base and are cited as being supported by objective evidence. The first theory, stemming from Lorent’s 1987 report for the Belgian National Action Committee for Safety and Health in Construction and his subsequent reports for EuroFound, is that construction accidents result from attributes of facility design. The second theory, originating from the Szymberski’s 1997 Time-Safety Influence Curve, is that the ability to positively influence safety exponentially decreases as a project proceeds from concept to completion. This paper aims to illustrate how these theories have evolved from ideas into perceived truths, despite the absence of scientific evidence. Linguistic rules surrounding English syntax were developed to differentiate how researchers have cited these works, either as being a fact or an expert opinion. Numerous researchers have referenced these two works as being factual, but the review of both works showed a lack of empirical evidence. As the construction safety research community matures in scientific rigor, it is of utmost importance that all work is carefully interpreted and cited, especially as it relates to distinguishing theory from empirical evidence. Such care will help to advance safety as a scientific discipline and will improve epistemological positioning, theoretical underpinning, and interpretation of results.
Description of novel instrumented analysis of the Four Square Step Test with clinical application: A pilot study.

Abstract Background Falls are a common problem for adults in the United States raising concerns about injuries and the resulting economic burden. As a result, it is critical to develop objective measures to assess dynamic balance and the track progress related to interventions or disease progression over time. Research Question Are there differences in balance between individuals in the community, individuals post-stroke, persons with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and individuals living with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) as measured with a new instrumented Four Square Step Test (i-FSST)? Methods The i-FSST was utilized to assess dynamic balance in 41 individuals (11 community dwelling adults and 10 individuals in each group of persons post stroke, with PD, and with MS). Outcome data including the overall duration of the FSST as well unique temporal-spatial stepping patterns through the test, timing of transitions between each quadrant, and the time in each quadrant prior to transitioning. Results One-way ANOVAs were conducted to determine whether i-FSST duration, Over Double Support (ODS), and Changes in Main Support (CMS) differed by participants’ groups. There was a significant difference between groups in test Duration (F = 9.56, P = .000), ODS (F = 15.71, P = .001), and CMS (F = 7.03, P = .001). Further differences in these variables were found between various groups using Bonferroni post-hoc testing. Significance The i-FSST is an innovative and potentially beneficial tool for quantitatively measuring the dynamics that occur in the traditional FSST including a general measure of dynamic balance as well as transition times and stability during the test. This technology can provide objective data on stability, weight shifting, and weight acceptance that may guide interventions and further assessment.
The Importance of Bıologıcal Dıversıty in Economıc Terms

The environmental movement, which started in the 1970s, had been changed to the view of biological resources. It is understood that Biological resources are not enough resources as economical, which is perceived as inexhaustible goods till this period. Therefore it has come into question the conservation and sustainability of these resources. When to be included in the economical politics, biological diversity started to be taken measures about ensuring sustainable use is a guarantee of continuity of human life's continuity and biosphere. Protection measures can be taken as an essential condition of success is the possible loss of biodiversity and biodiversity of the economic importance, and it is possible to know the value. The potential loss of biological diversity, as it is ecological processes, can cause loss of power that is immendable and in economic and socio-cultural processes. In this context, primarily the goods and services provided by these services' biological diversity to identify and ecological, economic and socio-cultural processes need to display the possible values. This is possible by combining ecological functions of the financial position in sustainable economic policies under the same roof. However, in this case, efficient resource use can be assured of effective policies. Especially in some countries, which have rich biodiversity, in making a rational choice, in developing countries' resources, it needs to display the economic importance that goods and services provider of biological diversity. In this study, it has determined that goods and services provided of biological diversity and have been trying to put the biodiversity and loss of biodiversity of the economic importance were assessed with the ecological processes.
PELP1/SRC-3-dependent regulation of metabolic PFKFB kinases drives therapy resistant ER+ breast cancer

Recurrence of metastatic breast cancer stemming from acquired endocrine and chemotherapy resistance remains a health burden for women with luminal (ER+) breast cancer. Disseminated ER+ tumor cells can remain viable but quiescent for years to decades. Contributing factors to metastatic spread include the maintenance and expansion of breast cancer stem cells (CSCs). Breast CSCs frequently exist as a minority population in therapy resistant tumors. In this study, we show that cytoplasmic complexes composed of steroid receptor (SR) co-activators, PELP1 and SRC-3, modulate breast CSC expansion through upregulation of the HIF-activated metabolic target genes PFKFB3 and PFKFB4. Seahorse metabolic assays demonstrated that cytoplasmic PELP1 influences cellular metabolism by increasing both glycolysis and mitochondrial respiration. PELP1 interacts with PFKFB3 and PFKFB4 proteins, and inhibition of PFKFB3 and PFKFB4 kinase activity blocks PELP1-induced tumorspheres and protein-protein interactions with SRC-3. PFKFB4 knockdown inhibited in vivo emergence of circulating tumor cell (CTC) populations in mammary intraductal (MIND) models. Application of PFKFB inhibitors in combination with ER targeted therapies blocked tumorsphere formation in multiple models of advanced breast cancer including tamoxifen (TamR) and paclitaxel (TaxR) resistant models, murine tumor cells, and ER+ patient-derived organoids (PDxO). Together, our data suggest that PELP1, SRC-3, and PFKFBs cooperate to drive ER+ tumor cell populations that include CSCs and CTCs. Identifying non-ER pharmacological targets offers a useful approach to blocking metastatic escape from standard of care ER/estrogen (E2)-targeted strategies to overcome endocrine and chemotherapy resistance.
Visual Impairment in the Virtual Workplace: Exploration, Experience, and Interpretation:

Introduction: This study utilizes interpretive phenomenology to understand the experiences of people with visual impairments in the virtual workplace. As virtual work is becoming increasingly commo...
Heat stability of chlorophyll as an index of adaptation for overwintering.

Summary The difference between the percentages of transmission of chlorophyll extracts from the heated and unheated samples of green tissues, recorded at 640 m µ , constitutes the “chlorophyll index”. The relative stability (or the lack of it) of this index over a period of time appears to be a dependable criterion of adaptation for over-wintering. This paper includes a comparative study of chlorophyll indices in four phylogenetically diverse plants: Allegheny-spurge (Pachysandra procumbens M ichx .); red maple ( Acer rubrum L.); white pine ( Pinus strobus L.); maidenhair tree ( Gingko biloba L.). Different profiles of changes in the chlorophyll index characterize the plants under investigation. These changes are manifest irrespective of the changes in the atmospheric temperature. The stability of chlorophyll in Pachysandra and white pine contrasts with the lack of it in both Gingko and red maple. A parallel betwen the drought resistance and frost hardiness is discussed.
I will never eat another strawberry again: the biopolitics of consumer-citizenship in the fight against methyl iodide in California

In March of 2012, following a robust activist campaign, Arysta LifeScience withdrew the soil fumigant methyl iodide from the US market, just a little over a year after it had finally been registered for use in California. As a major part of the campaign against registration of the chemical, over 53,000 people, ostensibly acting as citizens rather than consumers, wrote public comments contesting the use of the chemical for its high toxicity. Although these comments had marginal impact on the outcome of the case, these comments are of interest for what they say about public action at a time when efforts to address food and agricultural issues have been dominated by “voting with your fork.” Based on a qualitative textual analysis of approximately 3500 representative comments made available to us, we show that many of those taking action did not abandon consumer subjectivities associated with neoliberal governmentality. By threatening “personal boycotts,” some were acting in their capacity as individual consumers; in invoking their own and their children’s health many more were also acting on behalf of consumers, despite that the chemical in question is applied before strawberries are planted and thus leaves no residues. The emphasis that letter writers gave to their own bodies reinforces the idea that some bodies count more than others and thus reveals a biopolitical sorting. Having consumer lives matter is consequential in light of evidence that consumer concern about pesticides has historically led to formulations and regulations more protective of consumers than workers and neighbors.
A survey of MAPK pathway signature activation in tumors and association with sensitivity to targeted therapies

AACR Centennial Conference: Translational Cancer Medicine-- July 20-23, 2008; Monterey, CA A6 Gene expression signatures have been demonstrated to predict pathway activity in tumors and sensitivity to targeted therapies. Here, we generated MAPK pathway activation signatures from in vitro gene expression data and studied their association with a wide spectrum of cancer subtypes and drug sensitivity phenotypes. Our analysis utilized the Oncomine Concepts Map, a molecular signatures database that includes more than 25,000 microarray experiments and more than 2,000 highly curated differential expression analyses. As expected, when considering other in vitro pathway activation signatures, the MAPK pathway activation signature was most strongly associated with an independent H-Ras activation signature. Furthermore, the MAPK signature was significantly associated with a number of tumor types that are known to have MAPK pathway activation, including pancreatic tumors, which typically harbor K-Ras activating mutations and glioblastoma, which often harbor EGFR amplifications, suggesting that novel associations may indicate additional tumor types with MAPK pathway activation. Several tumor subtypes were also found to have increased MAPK pathway activity including: estrogen receptor negative breast cancer, BCR/ABL acute lymphoblastic leukemia, IgH/FGFR3 multiple myeloma, K-Ras mutant lung adenocarcinoma and PDGFRa mutant gastrointestinal stromal tumors. MAPK pathway activation also showed a striking correlation with poor outcome across a variety of solid tumor types including bladder, brain, breast, ovarian and kidney. When considering drug sensitivity phenotypes, we found a near universal association between MAPK pathway activation and resistance to conventional chemotherapeutic agents in cancer cell lines. In contrast, MAPK pathway activation was significantly associated with sensitivity to both dasatinib and gefitinib, in breast and lung cancer cell lines, respectively. In summary, our study suggests that hyper-activation of the MAPK pathway is evident in specific tumor types and subtypes and may be a driver of poor prognosis and chemotherapy resistance, providing an opportunity for new pathway-specific targeted therapies.
Effects of locus of control and task complexity on prospective remembering.

High school students were divided into two groups (internals and externals) by a median split of scores on the personality dimension, locus of control. While performing an intensive intervening activity, participants were required to remember to perform a planned action at specified times. In addition, two situational variables were manipulated. One variable was difficulty of intervening task-either simple or complex. The other variable was type of memory activity-either habitual (structured) or episodic (unstructured). ANOVA main effects showed better performance for simple tasks and habitual memory structure. However, all two-way interactions were significant, thus qualifying the main effects as a consequence of the interaction of the two situational variables with the personality variable and with each other.
Protein kinase C changes in diabetes: is the concept relevant to neuropathy?

Abstract Protein kinase C (PKC) comprises a superfamily of isoenzymes, many of which are activated by 1,2-diacylglycerol (DAG) in the presence of phosphatidylserine. In order to be capable of DAG activation, PKC must first undergo a series of phosphorylations at three conserved sites. PKC isoforms phosphorylate a wide variety of intracellular target proteins and have multiple functions in signal transduction-mediated cellular regulation. An elevation in DAG levels and an increase in composite PKC activity and/or certain isoforms occurs in several nonneural tissues from diabetic animals, including the vasculature. The ability of isoform-specific PKC inhibitors to antagonize diabetes-induced abnormalities has implicated altered PKCβ activity in the onset of several diabetic complications. In contrast to many other tissues, DAG levels fall in diabetic nerve and a consistent pattern of change in PKC activity has not been observed. Treatments that alter PKC activity affect nerve Na + ,K + -ATPase activity, but the mechanism involved is not well understood. Inhibition of PKCβ in diabetic rats appears to correct reduced nerve blood flow and decreased nerve conduction velocity. These and other findings indicate that changes in the neurovasculature exert adverse effects during the pathogenesis of diabetic neuropathy. Still unresolved is a clear-cut role of PKC in the development of abnormalities in neural cell metabolism. Further progress will depend on a more complete understanding of the functions of individual PKC isoforms in nerve. Future investigation could focus profitably on biochemical processes in nerve cells that modulate PKC activity and that are altered in diabetes, such as vascular endothelial growth factor levels and production of reactive oxygen species arising from oxidative stress.
Threat Assessment: School

Threat assessment is a form of violence prevention that can be applied to school settings. This review covers the reasons why threat assessment is preferable to profiling approaches; research findings that counter misperceptions regarding risk of school violence; and the Virginia model for student threat assessment. Keywords: juvenile homicide; school violence; school shootings; threat assessment; student profiling; violence prevention; youth violence
Distributed problem solving in social insects

In a social insect colony, large numbers of individuals all follow the same set of behavioral rules. Without centralized control, these individuals' interactions with each other and with their environment result in the allocation of individuals to various tasks, and in the distribution of foragers among available food sources. We review this highly parallel and distributed form of information processing, discussing its potential sophistication, its actual performance in various groups of social insects, its general strengths and liabilities, and finally, the adaptations that compensate for these liabilities.
Process/structure/property relations of barium strontium titanate thin films deposited by multi-ion-beam sputtering technique

(Ba/sub 1-x/Sr/sub x/)TiO/sub 3/ (BST) thin films with various x were deposited at various substrate temperatures by multi-ion-beam sputtering (MIBERS) technique. A strong correlation was found among processes, structures and properties of the films. For thin films grown at substrate temperature of room temperature and subsequently annealed at 700/spl deg/C, the microstructure is polycrystalline through the film thickness with a presence of void layer which results in low dielectric constant (K) and continuous decrease of current in current-time (I-t) behavior. For films deposited at high substrate temperature and annealed at 700/spl deg/C, the columnar structures remained without void layer, and the dielectric constant became much higher. The I-t behavior resembles that of ceramics and single crystals. Nb-dopant in BST thin films lowered the dielectric constant, dissipation factor and leakage current, and improved the time-dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB). Current-voltage (I-V) characteristics can be related to the process and microstructure as well.
Renoprotective effects of nitric oxide in angiotensin II-induced hypertension in the rat

Experiments were performed in anesthetized male Sprague-Dawley rats to determine whether increased nitric oxide (NO) activity during the development of hypertension exerts a protective effect on re...
Crossing the Eastern Divide: Western Civilization and Islam in the Views of Chaadaev and Gokalp

This article approaches the question of what constitutes Western civilization and its relationship with Islam from the vantage point of two thinkers from outside Western Europe, Peter Chaadaev and Ziya Gokalp. Chaadaev was an Orthodox Christian from nineteenth-century Russia and Gokalp was a Muslim from the Ottoman Empire in the early twentieth century. Starting from very different premises and arguing along completely different lines, both men judged Western civilization positively while determining that Islam resided within Western civilization and concluding that Islam and the West belong together. The writings of Chaadaev and Gokalp remind us that the mental boundaries of faiths, cultures, and civilizations need not be imagined as the fault lines of conflict.
Two-step Lax–Friedrichs method

Abstract The usual Lax–Friedrichs (LxF) method is not dissipative, but we show that a simple variant called the two-step LxF method is dissipative.
Two-way traveltime analysis for seismic reservoir characterization

Two-way traveltime (TWT) is one of the most important seismic attributes for reservoir characterization. Erroneous analysis of TWT can lead to incorrect estimates of velocity models resulting in improper structural interpretation of the subsurface. TWT analysis starts with the most fundamental step of seismic data processing, namely, normal moveout (NMO) correction. NMO correction is generally performed in the offset-time (X-t) domain, by fitting a hyperbolic curve to the observed traveltimes corresponding to each reflection event. The commonly used NMO equation is valid for small offsets and does not consider anisotropy — an effect commonly observed in fractured media. The performance of NMO correction depends on the quality of data in the prestack domain and the underlying geology. In the plane wave (τ-p) domain, the estimation of layer parameters can be done using an exact equation for delay-time free from the approximation errors present in the X-t domain. In this domain, a layer stripping approach can also be used to account for the presence of multiple anisotropic and isotropic layers.
"You Scratch My Back, I'll Scratch Yours": Reciprocal Intraprofessional Collaboration for OB Simulation

Childbearing Poster Presentation Purpose for the Program Simulation is a widely used educational strategy that promotes critical thinking and clinical decision‐making skills. It often is integrated into nursing school curricula, but more recently is used by hospitals to train nursing staff. Though intraprofessional simulation is a “hot topic” in education, there is minimal evidence of collaborative simulation efforts within a profession. This program demonstrates how nursing school faculty can collaborate with medical center nurses to provide enhanced simulation experiences through sharing pedagogic and clinical expertise and resources. Proposed Change In this intraprofessional collaborative endeavor, experienced practicing nurses from UNC Hospitals assisted faculty from the UNC School of Nursing to facilitate six simulation cases for over 100 students per semester for three semesters. In a reciprocal manner, faculty assisted these nurses and their nurse manager to run case scenarios for the nurses who were new to obstetrics. Implementation, Outcomes, and Evaluation The UNC School of Nursing has a high‐fidelity simulation learning lab, which includes birthing and newborn simulators. The labor and delivery unit's nurse manager asked to use this lab to ensure that her staff had quality training in recognizing and responding to obstetric emergencies. After visiting the simulation learning lab and observing nursing students participate in simulations, the manager and several experienced nurses collaborated with faculty to enhance the content and flow of the simulation scenarios. The nurse manager arranged for equipment and supplies to be provided to the UNC School of Nursing so that the simulation setting was more realistic. Implications for Nursing Practice Intraprofessional collaboration is a win–win situation for nurse educators and nursing staff. The sharing of resources and expertise provides opportunities for realistic, simulated learning experiences.
Radiation resistance in Schizosaccharomyces pombe

The fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe serves as an excellent alternative and complementary model system for the analysis of genes and gene products involved in DNA repair. This brief review outlines the advantages of S. pombe and describes the radiation-sensitive mutants available for the analysis of DNA repair and recombination mechanisms in this organism. The progress in the cloning and characterization of representative genes is also described.
Modified Prüfer and EFGP Transforms and Deterministic Models with Dense Point Spectrum

We provide a new proof of the theorem of Simon and Zhu that in the region |E|<λ for a.e. energies, −(d^2/dx^2)+λ cos(x^α), 0<α<1 has Lyapunov behavior with a quasi-classical formula for the Lyapunov exponent. We also prove Lyapunov behavior for a.e.E∈[−2, 2] for the discrete model with V(j^2)=e^j,V(n)=0 if n∉ {1, 4, 9,…}. The arguments depend on a direct analysis of the equations for the norm of a solution.
Photomechanical Analysis Of Composite And Other Materials

Moire, holography, speckle and thermographic (SPATE) stress analysis are used to analyze a variety of engineering problems involving man-made (fiber-reinforced) and natural (wood, paperboard) composites, metals and rubber. The photomechanical techniques are combined with computer-vision (digital-imaging) concepts. Some attention is devoted to hybrid methods for processing and differentiating recorded optical data. Applications involve both small and large (including nonlinear) strains, and hostile environments. Illustrations include those to fracture, stress waves, material behavior, knots in wood and energy storage.
Mesozoic structural and metamorphic history of the central Ruby Mountains metamorphic core complex, Nevada

The central Ruby Mountains experienced relatively little deformation during Tertiary uplift of the Ruby Mountains-East Humboldt Range metamorphic core complex, and so Mesozoic fabrics are well preserved. Three penetrative deformational events and two amphibolite-facies metamorphic events have been identified, all of which are interpreted to have occurred during emplacement of a suite of two-mica granites dated at 153 ± 1 Ma (Late Jurassic). Phase equilibria indicate that there was an increase in both temperature and pressure between M 1 (410-580 °C, 2.6-3.75 kb) and M 2 (540-660 °C, 3.5-4.7 kb). Peak M 2 pressures suggest a Jurassic paleodepth of 13-18 km, 3-8 km more than the known thickness of the overlying stratigraphic column. The Late Jurassic therefore appears to have been a time of major crustal shortening and thickening in northeastern Nevada. In contrast, there are no Cretaceous penetrative fabrics in the central Ruby Mountains, suggesting that the Sevier orogeny was not a significant event in the area. This lack of Cretaceous deformation in the mid-crustal rocks of the Ruby Mountains argues against recent models that link shortening in the Sevier belt to emplacement of the Sierra Nevada batholith via a regional mid-crustal shear zone extending across the hinterland.
Project Safety Net: A Health Screening Outreach and Assessment Program

Although comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) has been conducted in many settings, its use in community-based outreach programs has been limited. We have developed Project Safety Net, a program that identifies low-income urban-dwelling frail elderly persons and provides CGA and appropriate referral. The program uses validated screening instruments and makes extensive use of a custom-designed computer program to provide information to the interdisciplinary team and for research purposes. During an 8 month period, 814 older persons were screened including high proportions who were widowed (51%) and who lived alone (66%). The effectiveness of this program remains to be determined in a randomized clinical trial.
Noradrenergic control of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis in stress and reward

The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is a group of inter-connected subnuclei that play critical roles in stress-reward interactions. An interesting feature of this brain region is the massive noradrenergic input that it receives. Important roles for norepinephrine in this region have been documented in a number of stress and reward related behaviors. This work has been paralleled over the last several years by efforts to understand the actions of norepinephrine on neuronal function in the region. In this review, we will summarize the current state of these research areas.
Software reuse and object-oriented software engineering in the undergraduate curriculum

Software engineering education and practice are currently undergoing extensive re-evaluation and analysis in the light of new object-oriented software development techniques as the complexity of software development is rapidly increasing. There is a growing recognition that software reuse can contribute to increased productivity, and the programming paradigm that best supports software reuse is the object-oriented paradigm. Component-based software engineering is currently best facilitated by the object-oriented approach through reuse of available class libraries and application frameworks. We present a comparative analysis of the procedural and object-oriented paradigm from a pedagogic perspective, and show that object-oriented techniques are a logical progression of the well tested structured methodologies. We show that the object-oriented methodology better addresses the fundamental concepts and processes defined in the ACM/IEEE Computing Curricula '91.
Electromechanics of Precipitated Particulate Layers

A comprehensive analysis is given of the electromechanics of a precipitated particulate layer, modeled as a regular array of resistive spheres, which allows for both volume and surface conduction and takes account of self-compression of the layer. Formulas are derived for the contact radius, the electric field distribution, the compressive stress in the layer, and the apparent electrical resistivity. For typical precipitator conditions the electrical clamping force is found to be remarkably large(10-100 g wt/cm2), and the layer resistivity is found to decrease with increasing current and field as found experimentally. The theory is extended to predict conditions for the onset of back discharge, in the form of intermittent microsparks in the contact regions. Preliminary measurements using glass beads in a resistivity cell show general agreement with the theoretical results.
Computing elastic constants for random polycrystals of orthotropic MgSiO3, related polymorphs, and CaIrO3 analogs

Recent advances in methods for computing both Hashin-Shtrikman bounds and related self-consistent (i.e., coherent potential approximation, or CPA) estimates of the geomechanical constants for polycrystals composed of randomly oriented crystals have been successfully applied to orthotropic MgSiO3-perovskite, post-perovskite, and some related CaIrO3 analogs. In particular, Hashin-Shtrikman bounds provide significantly tighter constraints on the average polycrystal behavior than do the traditional Voigt and Reuss bounds. Self-consistent estimates of effective bulk and shear moduli always lie inside the Hashin-Shtrikman (HS) bounds, unlike the Voigt-Reuss-Hill estimates which might lie inside the HS bounds for some examples, but more typically lie outside these same Hashin-Shtrikman bounds. The discrepancies observed between Voigt-Reuss-Hill estimators and the self-consistent, geometric mean, or Hashin-Shtrikman estimates are nevertheless often small in the examples treated here, being on the order of about 1 percent or less - for both the effective bulk and shear moduli. Percentage discrepancies are also observed to be typically less for the effective shear modulus than for the bulk modulus. This result presumably follows from the method's implicit averaging over five distinct shear-like modes, including three true shear modes (due to twisting excitations) and two quasi-shear modes related to shearing action of uniaxially applied stress or strain.
Aqueous Corrosion Behavior of Ce Alloys and an Assessment of Their Adequacy as Surrogates for Pu Alloys

The corrosion behavior of Ce metal and a Ce-1 wt % Ga alloy in aqueous deaerated solutions has been investigated through potentiodynamic and electrochemical impedance experiments. The solutions consist of 1-1000 mM concentrations of HCl, NaCI, H 2 SO 4 , Na 2 SO 4 , HNO 3 , and NaNO 3 . It was found that the addition of Ga is generally detrimental to the corrosion resistance of Ce, resulting in the loss of passivity and a decrease in polarization resistance. Ce metal was found to be susceptible to pitting in chloride environments. Increasing acidity was found to promote the passivity of Ce in chloride and sulfate solutions. The opposite was true in nitrate solutions. Dissolution of the Ce-Ga alloy was ohmically limited in certain solutions. The ohmic limitation was not attributable to the solution resistance. Although the addition of Ga was found to be detrimental to the corrosion resistance of Ce and Pu, Ce and Ce-Ga were found to be poor electrochemical surrogates for Pu and Pu-Ga.
Sexually dimorphic androgen and estrogen receptor mRNA expression in the brain of túngara frogs.

Abstract Sex steroid hormones are potent regulators of behavior and they exert their effects through influences on sensory, motor, and motivational systems. To elucidate where androgens and estrogens can act to regulate sex-typical behaviors in the tungara frog ( Physalaemus pustulosus ), we quantified expression of the androgen receptor ( AR ), estrogen receptor alpha ( ERα ), and estrogen receptor beta ( ERβ ) genes in the brains of male and females. To do so, we cloned tungara-specific sequences for AR, ERα, and ERβ , determined their distribution in the brain, and then quantified their expression in areas that are important in sexual communication. We found that AR , ERα , and ERβ were expressed in the pallium, limbic forebrain (preoptic area, hypothalamus, nucleus accumbens, amygdala, septum, striatum), parts of the thalamus, and the auditory midbrain (torus semicircularis). Males and females had a similar distribution of AR and ER expression, but expression levels differed in some brain regions. In the auditory midbrain, females had higher ERα and ERβ expression than males, whereas males had higher AR expression than females. In the forebrain, females had higher AR expression than males in the ventral hypothalamus and medial pallium (homolog to hippocampus), whereas males had higher ERα expression in the medial pallium. In the preoptic area, striatum, and septum, males and females had similar levels of AR and ER expression. Our results suggest that sex steroid hormones have sexually dimorphic effects on auditory processing, sexual motivation, and possibly memory and, therefore, have important implications for sexual communication in this system.
Case study and review: treatment of tricuspid prosthetic valve thrombosis

Prosthetic valve thrombosis (PVT) is a severe and life-threatening complication of heart valve replacement. Conventional therapy is surgical thrombectomy or valve replacement. Medical thrombolysis is another emerging option. We report the case of a 57 year old woman with a history of Ebstein anomaly who underwent successful treatment of tricuspid prosthetic valve thrombosis with intra-atrial infusion of very low dose recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (tPA). We review the presentation, etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of tricuspid PVT emphasizing a modified medical option as a safe, minimally invasive alternative to surgical intervention or conventional medical therapy for tricuspid valve thrombosis.
Nitrate reductase and its relationship to protein and yield characteristic of triticale

The optimum conditions for extraction and assay for nitrate reductase (NRase) activity in triticale were determined. NRase activity was positively correlated with plant height, grain yield and grain protein. The leaf protein, seed set or kernel weight had no significant correlation with the NRase activity. Data indicated an apparent interrelationship between NRase activity, grain protein, plant height and grain yield.
X-ray diffuse scattering as a probe for thin film and interface structure

The structure of thin films and interfaces can be probed by X-ray specular and off-specular (diffuse) scattering. As is well known, the former yields the average density profile across the film or interface. Diffuse scattering as treated here is the analogue for the interface of small angle scattering from bulk materials, but with the ability to probe much larger length-scales. We shall discuss how the diffuse scattering yields information regarding the detailed morphology of the interface roughness, the conformality of the roughness between successive interfaces, the morphology of the erosion or pit-structure at an interface, and various other kinds of defect structures that can exist in the film. We shall illustrate with results on several systems studied using synchrotron radiation at the National Synchrotron Light Source.
Compression and sliding of an elastic rectangle fixed rigidly at the base

Abstract The plane strain compression and sliding of an elastic rectangle is considered whose one edge is in complete adhesion with a rigid base and the opposite edge is simultaneously subjected by another rigid plane to a compressive force P and a sliding force F = μP , where μ is the coefficient of friction. The rigid planes are prevented from rotations and a limiting equilibrium is assumed by taking the contact shear along the sliding plane to be equal to the product of the normal compressive stress with μ. Along the sliding plane the leading edge of the rectangle is compressed most severely whereas separation takes place at the trailing edge. The problem is formulated in terms of a set of three singular integral equations pertaining to the regions of separation, contact and adhesion. Their fundamental solutions are different from each other and, therefore, the solution is obtained by combining three different approaches. It is found that the separation occurs at the slightest trace of the application of load and although the magnitude depends upon the level of loading, the extent of separation depends only on Poisson's ratio, frictional coefficient and the aspect ratio. Numerical results of the quantities of practical interest are reported.
Prevention of postpartum smoking relapse in mothers of infants in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Prevention of postpartum smoking relapse in mothers of infants in the neonatal intensive care unit
Temperament and Teaching Success

A PERSISTENT problem in the field of teacher education is the determination of the per sonal qualities necessary for success in teach ing. Research in this area has been greatly ex tended in recent years. An annotated bibliog raphy of teacher competences lists 1006 studies published since 1890 (15). Barr (4) has compiled a summary of 150 of these studies dealing spec ifically with the measurement and prediction of teaching efficiency. A survey of the research in the field would seem to show that the teacher's personality is frequently thought important in relation to success in teach ing as early as 1910. Ruediger and Strayer (3i) found that personality was among the most sig nificant qualities of the successful teachers. Witty (43) analyzed some twelve thousand letters submitted by pupils from all over the nation. The desirable teacher traits mentioned most frequently were: (1) cooperative democratic at titude; (2) kindliness and consideration for the individual; (3) patience; (4) wide variety of inter ests; (5) general appearance and pleasing man ner.
Studies on the function of the non-primer tRNAs associated with the 70 S RNA of avian myeloblastosis virus.

Abstract Significant amounts of three tRNAs are associated with the 70 S RNA of avian myeloblastosis virus (AMV). The temperatures at which they are half dissociated from the 70 S RNA in 50 mM NaCl and their respective quantities relative to 35 S RNA are: tRNA Arg , 51°C, 1.6; tRNA Lys , 57°C, 0.7 and tRNA Trp , 76°C, 1.0. Possible functions for the non-primer tRNAs (tRNA Arg and tRNA Lys ) were evaluated by determining the effect of their thermal dissociation on: (a) conversion of 70 S to 35 S RNA, (b) capacity of 70 S and/or 35 S RNA to be translated in vitro, and (c) capacity of 70 S and/or 35 S RNA to be reverse transcribed in vitro. Conversion of 70 S to 35 S RNA occurred with a t m of 56°C and is consistent with the hypothesis that tRNA Lys might be involved in joining two 35 S RNA subunits to form the 70 S RNA complex. There was no indication that the association of either tRNA Arg or tRNA Lys influenced the rate or quality of translation of 70 S or 35 S RNA. A decrease in the rate at which 70 S RNA is transcribed occurs in parallel with the dissociation of tRNA Arg and tRNA Lys .
Determination of the minimum number of lymph nodes to examine to maximize survival in patients with esophageal carcinoma: data from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results database.

Objective We used a population-based cancer registry to examine the association between lymph node counts and mortality to determine the minimum number of lymph nodes that should be examined as part of esophageal resection. Methods Using the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results database, we identified patients who had an esophagectomy for invasive esophageal carcinoma from 1988 through 2005 and who had a known number of lymph nodes examined pathologically. After stratifying patients (0, 1–11, 12–29, and 30 or more lymph nodes examined) based on a recursive partitioning analysis, we assessed the association between lymph nodes counts and mortality using the Kaplan-Meier method. To adjust for potential confounding covariates, we used a Cox proportional hazards regression model. Results Of the patients in the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results database with esophageal cancer, 4882 met our inclusion criteria. We noted a significant difference between the lymph node groups with regards to unadjusted all-cause ( P P = .004). After adjusting for cancer registry, patient factors, tumor characteristics, and timing of radiation therapy, we noted a significant difference between the lymph node groups with regards to all-cause and cancer-specific mortality. Compared with patients who had no lymph node evaluation, only patients who had more than 12 lymph nodes examined had a significant improvement in mortality; patients who had 30 or more lymph nodes examined had significantly lower mortality rates than the other groups. Conclusion To maximize all-cause and cancer-specific survival, esophageal cancer patients should have at least 30 lymph nodes examined pathologically as part of esophageal resection.
Polarization diversity measurements at 5.8 GHz for penetration loss and reflectivity of common building materials in an indoor environment

In this paper, we present measurement results of material penetration loss and reflection coefficient as a function of antenna polarization at 5.8 GHz. The measurements were made in a typical building hallway with a variety of test materials. This is a unique measurement campaign because the same antenna apertures were used to create three different types of polarizations: linear, circular polarized, and slant 45°. With the given antenna pair, each having a gain of 6 dBi, and a vector network analyzer; we developed measurements of penetration and reflection for dry wall, wood, door window, and steel door, along with five different combinations of antenna polarizations. For each of the above mentioned materials, we have measured the penetration loss and reflection coefficients for all five polarizations and then compared them. The results show that combinations of vertical-vertical and slant 45° — slant 45° polarizations have relative low penetration losses and high reflectivity, meaning that the signal would be contained within a room or within the hallway in such environment with an in-building base station. Also, it was concluded that co-circular polarized waves would become cross circular polarized when received after a single reflection. Lastly, a generalized comparison is made between the measurement using a slant 45° — vertical polarization pair to the other combinations of antenna polarization.
Two sufficient conditions for supersolvability of finite groups

In this paper two sufficient conditions for supersolvability of finite groups are given considering the maximal subgroups of Sylow subgroups of the group. An example is given to show that the conditions given are not necessary for supersolvability.
The Crohn's disease activity index (CDAI) is similarly elevated in patients with Crohn's disease and in patients with irritable bowel syndrome.

SummaryBackground While the Crohn's disease activity index (CDAI) is the gold standard for defining clinical endpoints in Crohn's disease (Crohn's) clinical trials, its ability to distinguish symptoms due to inflammation from those that are non-inflammatory has been questioned. Aim To compare CDAI scores in patients with Crohn's and those with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Methods This was a prospective, cross-sectional cohort study of 91 patients with either Crohn's (n = 44) or IBS (n = 47). Total CDAI and individual component scores were recorded and comparisons were made between Crohn's and IBS patients. Results Mean CDAI scores were higher in the IBS patients (183 vs. 157, P = 0.1). Sixty-two per cent (n = 29) of IBS patients had CDAI scores greater than 150. Mean CDAI haematocrit score (35.9 vs. 23.0, P = 0.02) and CRP level (6.8 vs. 2.0, P = 0.002) were higher in the Crohn's group. Analysis of CDAI sub-scores demonstrated that IBS patients had significantly higher pain (mean 1.7 vs. 0.8, P = 0.0007) and well-being scores (mean 1.2 vs. 0.8, P = 0.04) relative to patients with Crohn's. Specifically evaluating patients with CDAI greater than 150 (n = 51), IBS patients had higher pain sub-scores (mean 2.4 vs. 1.4, P = 0.002), whereas patients with Crohn's had higher CRP (mean 8.4 vs. 1.8, P = 0.001). Conclusions Our study demonstrates that the CDAI does not discriminate patients with symptoms due to active Crohn's from patients with IBS. Patients with IBS can have CDAI scores in the clinically meaningful range. Objective measures, such as CDAI haematocrit score and CRP, are more specific markers of inflammation.
Patient-derived hepatitis C virus and JFH-1 clones differ in their ability to infect human hepatoma cells and lymphocytes

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a hepatotropic virus that also infects cells of the immune system. HCV clones cultivated in human hepatoma Huh-7.5 cells have significantly advanced our understanding of HCV replication and candidate hepatocyte receptors. However, naturally occurring patient-derived HCV, in contrast to the HCV JFH-1 clone, is unable to infect Huh-7.5 cells, while it can replicate in human primary T-cells and selected T-cell lines. To better understand this incongruity, we examined the susceptibility of primary T-cells, PBMCs and T-cell lines to infection with patient-derived HCV, the classical HCV JFH-1 and a cell culture-adapted JFH1T known to be highly infectious to Huh-7.5 cells. We also tested whether Huh-7.5 cells are prone to virus readily infecting T-lymphocytes. The results revealed that while primary T-cells and Molt4 and Jurkat T-cell lines were susceptible to patient-derived HCV, they were resistant to infection with either JFH1T or JFH-1. However, the JFH1T clone interacted more firmly, although non-productively, with the cells than JFH-1. Further, Huh-7.5 cells robustly supported replication of JFH1T but not patient-derived, wild-type virus, despite using highly sensitive detection assays. In conclusion, JFH-1 and JFH1T clones were unable to establish productive infection in human primary T-cells, PBMCs and T-cell lines known to be prone to infection by patient-derived HCV, while Huh-7.5 cells were resistant to infection with naturally occurring virus infecting immune cells. The data showed that the ability to infect lymphocytes is a characteristic of native virus but not laboratory HCV clones.