cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Habitual 'sleep credit' is associated with greater grey matter volume of the medial prefrontal cortex, higher emotional intelligence and better mental health.

SUMMARY In modern society, people often fail to obtain the amount of sleep that experts recommend for good health and performance. Insufficient sleep can lead to degraded cognitive performance and alterations in emotional functioning. However, most people also acknowledge that on a regular basis they obtain more sleep than they subjectively perceive they need at a minimum to stave off performance decrements, a construct we describe as subjective ‘sleep credit’. Few people would contest the notion that getting more sleep is better, but data on both behavioural and neuroanatomical correlates of ‘sleep credit’ are surprisingly limited. We conducted a voxel-based morphometric study to assess cerebral grey matter correlates of habitually sleeping more than one’s subjective requirements. We further tested whether these structural correlates are associated with perceived emotional intelligence and indices of psychopathology while controlling for age, gender, and total intracranial volume. In a sample of 55 healthy adults aged 18–45 years (28 males, 27 females), whole-brain multiple regression showed that habitual subjective ‘sleep credit’ was correlated positively with grey matter volume within regions of the left medial prefrontal cortex and right orbitofrontal gyrus. Volumes were extracted and regressed against self-report emotion and psychopathology indices. Only grey matter volume of the medial prefrontal cortex cluster correlated with greater emotional intelligence and lower scores on several indices of psychopathology. Findings converge with previous evidence of the role of the medial prefrontal cortex in the relationship between sleep and emotional functioning, and suggest that behaviour and brain structure vary with habitual ‘sleep credit’.
War, Genocide, and Justice: Cambodian American Memory Work Cathy J. Schlund-Vials. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2012.

War, Genocide, and Justice: Cambodian American Memory Work Cathy J. Schlund-Vials. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2012.In more capacious histories of the American 1970s, US involvement in the Cambodian genocide of 1975-1979 is usually mentioned only in passing. Cathy J. Schlund-Vials's new book, War, Genocide, and Justice: Cambodian American Memory Work, operates partially as a rebuttal to this historical lacuna. Its larger and more important project, however, is to examine the ways in which the cultural production of Cambodian Americans works to "rearticulate and reimagine the Killing Fields era" (11) in the absence of more official channels for healing. In doing so, Schlund-Vials argues that this Cambodian American "memory work" (3) is a distinct and powerful mode of "justice-oriented" (25) critique that interrogates nation-spaces, juridical failure, cultural rupture, and Cambodian state-mandated orders to forget the past.In a fascinating and generative move, Schlund-Vials focuses on cultural producers of the 1.5 generationthose who were born during the genocide, often in refugee camps outside of Cambodia, and who soon after received asylum in the United States with their parents. What coheres the various cultural producers of Schlund-Vials's study-filmmaker Socheata Poeuv, memoirists Loung Ung and Chanrithy Him, rapper praCh Ly, and artist Anida Yoeu Ali-is a temporally and spatially-specific "generational impulse" (194) to grapple with a past whose haunting remnants have supposedly been left behind in Cambodia. The works of Poeuv and Ly, in particular, are prompted by an incomplete knowledge of the genocide; both note that their parents rarely spoke of the trauma, preferring to focus their energies on building new lives in America. Thus, Schlund-Vials reads Cambodian American cultural work as a mode of fashioning a distinct "refugee personhood" in light of "historical amnesia, cultural rupture, and unstable identity formation" (153).As Schlund-Vials explains in her excellent introduction, the brutality of the Khmer Rouge was in part instigated by a desire to completely reconstruct Cambodian society, destroying all forms of culture and knowledge that they deemed to be feudal. This policy of erasure continued even after the overthrow of the Khmer Rouge's Democratic Kampuchea; as SchlundVials notes, "genocidal commemoration and concomitant juridical practice in Cambodia is marked not by coherence and standardized public recognition but rather by contestation, disruption, and (most troublingly) silence" (9). Indeed, there are no national memorials for the nearly two million victims (34), and only a single Khmer Rouge official has been convicted of war crimes by an international court since the regime fell in 1979 (7). …
Determination of accurate critical-point energies, linewidths and line shapes from spectroscopic ellipsometry data

Abstract The usual procedure for obtaining critical-point energies and linewidths from spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) data is numerically to smooth and differentiate those data and then to fit them to parametrized theoretical functional forms. That procedure introduces systematic distortion and broadening of the differentiated line shape, which affects the line shape and the values found for critical-point energies and linewidths. In this paper we present a simple new procedure which does not introduce such systematic errors. We present several examples which show the accuracy of this new procedure and we present arguments for the use of SE rather than the electroreflectance or photoreflectance for the determination of critical-point energies, linewidths and line shapes.
Transfer requirements for target radiance simulation in optical projection simulators.

Valid simulation of target scenes requires spatial, dynamic, and radiance simulation fidelity. In this paper, only the target radiance (radiant sterance) and radiance contrast simulation are analyzed, the spatial and dynamic aspects considered as being separate image transfer problems. Furthermore, only projection simulation techniques are investigated. The functional relationship between real-target radiant sterance (radiance) and required simulator source-sterance is derived from the knowledge of the radiant sterance of the real target, the transfer function and throughput factors of the optics, and the spectral responsivity of the transfer medium recording the target image. Logarithmic and linear exposure-density mechanisms are considered. It turns out that the required simulator source sterance is essentially a function of the target sterance, and the gamma and exposure in the target image recording mechanism. It is independent of target sterance for the logarithmic exposure-density mechanism if the product of the two gamma values assumed is equal to unity.
Characterization of gold nanoparticles modified with single-stranded DNA using analytical ultracentrifugation and dynamic light scattering.

We report the characterization of gold nanoparticles modified with thiol-terminated single stranded DNA (ssDNA) using analytical ultracentrifugation. Dynamic light scattering was used to measure th...
Research in tunnel emission

The tunnel cathode is a promising development in the search for a cold emitter. Ideally, it should operate at high current densities, low cathode power, low noise, and at low temperatures. High-frequency modulation of emission is also possible A research effort has been under way in various countries in recent years, with regard to the development of electron emission from cold, solid-state devices into vacuum, an insulator, or a semiconductor. The term “cold” in this connection is used to describe devices that emit electrons at operating temperatures of approximately 300°K and below. This is in contrast to the emission of electrons from a heated material in which the electrons receive the excess energy necessary for their emission exclusively from their equilibrium with the thermal vibrations of the heated host body.
Ultrastructure and protein synthesis of bovine amnion

Abstract Morphology of the bovine amnion was studied by light microscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy throughout pregnancy. Early in gestation, amniotic epithelial cells were squamous with few microvilli and numerous cytoplasmic organelles. Late in gestation, cells were cuboidal with numerous microvilli, wide intercellular spaces, and few cytoplasmic organelles. Amnion contained many plaque-like projections. Amniotic plaques appeared to be formed by mitosis of normal epithelial cells. The ultrastructure of plaques was similar to mammalian epidermis. In addition, protein synthesis and secretion in vitro by amniotic tissues from Days 40, 70, 90 and 160 of pregnancy was characterized. Metabolically labeled proteins released into culture medium were analyzed by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and fluorography. Patterns of protein production by the amnion remained relatively unchanged from Days 40 through 160. A low molecular mass protein (23 kDa; pI 5.3–6.1) produced by amnion and present in amniotic fluid was identified as retinol-binding protein (RBP) by immune precipitation with antiserum to bovine placental RBP. Immunocytochemical analysis localized the protein in amniotic epithelial cells and cells of amniotic plaques. Results of the study suggest that morphological changes of bovine amnion during the course of pregnancy may reflect functional changes in the amnion. Moreover, proteins synthesized by bovine amnion, such as RBP, may function in embryonic development.
Independent component analysis for three-dimensional optical imaging and localization of a fluorescent contrast agent target embedded in a slab of ex vivo human breast tissue

An innovative approach for three-dimensional localization and characterization of a fluorescent target embedded in a turbid medium is presented. The target was a ~4-mm diameter glass sphere with a solution of indocyanine green placed within a 50-mm thick tissuelike phantom with mean free path of ~1-mm at 784-nm and a ~ 26-mm thick ex vivo breast tissue slab. The experimental approach uses a multi-source illumination, and a multi-detector signal acquisition scheme. An analysis scheme based on the independent component analysis from information theory is used for target localization and characterization. Independent component analysis of the perturbation in the spatial intensity distribution of the fluorescent signal measured on the exit plane of the turbid medium locates the embedded objects. The location and size, of the embedded objects are obtained from a Green's function analysis and back-projection Fourier transform of the retrieved independent components.
Use of the Carbon Dioxide Laser in Retarding Epithelial Migration: A Pilot Histological Human Study Utilizing Case Reports

Predictable regeneration of tooth-supporting tissues lost to periodontal disease is the aim of periodontal therapy. Often the result of conventional treatment is healing with a long junctional epithelium along the root surface and little regeneration of the complete attachment apparatus. The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate whether de-epithelialization with a CO2 laser at the time of flap surgery and at 10-day intervals over the first 30 days of healing has the potential to enhance the formation of a connective tissue attachment. Six mandibular incisors in two patients were selected for the study. Each patient received oral hygiene instruction and initial therapy prior to surgery. The teeth were splinted together, open flap debridement was performed on all teeth, a notch was placed on the roots at the height of the crest of the alveolar bone, and the flaps were sutured in place. The test side received controlled de-epithelialization of the outer (oral) gingiva with the carbon dioxide laser, and...
Continuously tunable optoelectronic millimetre-wave transmitter using monolithic mode-locked semiconductor laser

The authors demonstrate a continuously tunable optoelectronic transmitter which uses a monolithic mode-locked semiconductor laser. Millimetre-wave subcarrier frequencies up to 300 GHz can be generated by photomixing a microwave subcarrier frequency with the selected harmonics of the mode-locked frequency, using an electro-optic modulator. A subcarrier frequency which can be tuned continuously from DC to 43 GHz is achieved experimentally.
Cognitive science and socio-cognitive theory for the HRI practitioner

This tutorial provides a synopsis of key findings and theoretical advances from cognitive science and socio-cognitive theory, with examples of how the results of this research can be applied to the design of human-robotic systems. Topics covered will run the gamut from basic cognitive science (e.g., perception, attention, learning and memory, information processing, multi-tasking, conscious awareness, individual differences) to socio-cognitive issues (e.g., theories of social interaction, dynamic functional allocation, mixed-initiative interaction, human-agent-robot teamwork, coactive design, theory of organizations). Additionally, the tutorial will address new technologies that attempt to leverage the current state of theory (e.g., neuroergonomics, brain-machine interfaces, detection of cognitive states, robotic prostheses and orthotics, cognitive and sensory prostheses). Throughout the tutorial, the presenters will give descriptions and demonstrations of working systems that exemplify the principles being taught. Separately, the presenters have given highly-successful tutorials on relevant subjects at workshops and conferences such as CHI and HCI International, as well as in a variety of industrial and government settings. In this tutorial, they propose to bring together their experience to bear on issues of specific interest to the HRI community.
An Assessment of the Change in the Incidence of Earnings Management Around the Enron‐Andersen Episode

In 2001 Enron filed amended financial statements setting off a chain of events starting with its bankruptcy filing and including the conviction of Arthur Andersen for obstruction of justice. The end of 2001 and the first half of 2002 included a heightened level of publicity for the accounting practices of listed companies. This paper addresses whether there was a detectable change in the incidence of earnings management around this time period. Earnings reports released in 2001 and 2002 were analyzed. The results showed that revenue numbers were subject to upwards management. Benford's Law was used to detect such manipulations. Earnings Per Share (EPS) numbers showed a marked discontinuity in the distribution around zero which is consistent with upwards management. The results also showed a tendency towards neat round EPS numbers such as 0.10, 0.20, etc. The overall results are consistent with a small but noticeable increase in earnings management in 2002. Enron's reported numbers are reviewed and these show a strong tendency towards making financial thresholds.
Symmetry of fellow-eye intraocular pressure responses to topical glaucoma medications.

Purpose One assumption of the uniocular drug trial in glaucoma management is that fellow-eye pairs exhibit symmetric intraocular pressure (IOP) responses when both eyes are treated with the same topical IOP-lowering medication. The purpose of this study was to determine if this assumption is true. Design Observational case series. Participants and Controls Forty-three patients with bilateral glaucoma or ocular hypertension who underwent bilateral treatment with a topical IOP-lowering medication. Methods Patients were on 0 (81%) or 1 (19%) IOP-lowering medication at the time the medication was added in this study. Baseline IOP was the IOP at the treatment initiation visit, and IOP on treatment was assessed in both eyes on the first visit after addition of the medication. Linear regression of right-eye versus left-eye IOP reductions was performed. Main Outcome Measure Correlation of right-eye and left-eye IOP responses to therapy. Results Right eyes demonstrated a 5.0-mmHg (26.9%) reduction, and left eyes demonstrated a 4.3-mmHg (23.7%) reduction. Linear regression of right-eye IOP reduction against left-eye IOP reduction gave a slope of 0.77 (Pearson correlation coefficient, r = 0.84; r 2 = 0.70; P Conclusions Fellow-eye pairs exhibited marked symmetry in IOP responses to IOP-lowering medications.
A transportation network evacuation model

This paper describes NETVACl, a model for simulating the traffic pattern during an emergency evacuation. The development of the model has been motivated by the need to estimate network clearance time for areas surrounding nuclear power plant sites, and the model has been applied in this context. NETVACl is a macro traffic simulation model sensitive to network topology, intersection design and control, and a wide array of evacuation management strategies. The model can handle large networks at modest computational costs and includes many reporting options. The paper includes a review of other approaches used to model evacuations and estimate network clearance times, a description of the structure and logic of the model and some computational experience.
The Cys-Xaa-His metal-binding motif: [N] versus [S] coordination and nickel-mediated formation of cysteinyl sulfinic acid.

A series of peptide ligands containing the sequence -Cys-Xaa-His- (CXH; Xaa=Gly or Lys) has been prepared and the coordination chemistry of these peptides with nickel(II) investigated. Selective protection of either the N-terminal cysteine thiol or amine group gave complexes with amino or thiolato coordination, respectively, to nickel(II). Insertion of CGH into a pentapeptide, N-acetyl-Ala-Cys-Gly-His-Ala-CONH2, allowed the formation of a square-planar thiolato Cys-Gly-His complex with nickel(II) in an internal position of the peptide. Inclusion of an N-terminal cysteine residue with a free amino terminus gave rise to pH- and dioxygen-dependent coordination behavior. Solutions of CGH-CONH2 with nickel(II) at neutral pH yielded a red nickel-thiolate complex, but at higher pH (8.5 or above) or with exposure to dioxygen, yellow nickel complexes with N-terminal amino coordination were observed. The disulfide-bridged dimers formed from Ni(CGH-CONH2) in the presence of air were characterized and found to have the typical coordination found in the amino-terminal binding motif of the serum albumins. Nickel(II) coordination and thiol reactivity were also studied by determination of rates of thiol alkylation and by monitoring air oxidation in the presence of various metals. Zinc(II) effectively inhibits thiol alkylation and oxidation (disulfide formation) in all the peptides studied. Nickel(II) inhibits aerobic oxidation and alkylation of N-terminal protected peptides such as N-acetyl-Cys-Gly-His, but does not inhibit air oxidation of free amino terminal peptides such as Cys-Gly-His. Instead, nickel(II) mediates the formation an additional product under aerobic conditions, a cysteinesulfinic acid.
Nanostructured Graphene-Titanium Dioxide Composites Synthesized by a Single-Step Aerosol Process for Photoreduction of Carbon Dioxide

Photocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) to hydrocarbons by using nanostructured materials activated by solar energy is a promising approach to recycling CO2 as a fuel feedstock. CO2 photoreduction, however, suffers from low efficiency mainly due to the inherent drawback of fast electron-hole recombination in photocatalysts. This work reports the synthesis of nanostructured composites of titania (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs) encapsulated by reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets via an aerosol approach. The role of synthesis temperature and TiO2/GO ratio in CO2 photoreduction was investigated. As-prepared nanocomposites demonstrated enhanced CO2 conversion performance as compared with that of pristine TiO2 NPs due to the strong electron trapping capability of the rGO nanosheets.
Genetic variation in Arabidopsis thaliana for night-time leaf conductance

Night-time leaf conductance (g night ) and transpiration may have several adaptive benefits related to plant water, nutrient and carbon relations. Little is known, however, about genetic variation in g night and whether this variation correlates with other gas exchange traits related to water use and/or native habitat climate. We investigated g night in 12 natural accessions and three near isogenic lines (NILs) of Arabidopsis thaliana. Genetic variation in g night was found for the natural accessions, and g night was negatively correlated with native habitat atmospheric vapour pressure deficit (VPD air ), suggesting lower g night may be favoured by natural selection in drier habitats. However, there were also significant genetic correlations of g night with daytime gas exchange traits expected to affect plant fitness [i.e. daytime leaf conductance, photosynthesis and intrinsic water-use efficiency (WUE i )], indicating that selection on daytime gas exchange traits may result in indirect selection on g night . The comparison of three NILs to their parental genotypes identified one quantitative trait locus (QTL) contributing to variation in g night . Further characterization of genetic variation in g night within and among populations and species, and of associations with other traits and native habitats will be needed to understand g night as a putatively adaptive trait.
Posttransplantation hypertension related to calcineurin inhibitors

Calcineurin inhibitors are a mainstay of transplant immunosuppression and commonly induce hypertension. They are highly lipid soluble and penetrate vascular smooth muscle cell membranes readily. Changes in vascular tone are universally observed during administration of these agents, particularly within the kidney, leading to diminished glomerular filtration and enhanced sodium retention. Disturbances of endothelial function are prevalent in many tissues, including stimulation of endothelin and impaired nitric oxide synthesis. Multiple additional pathways produce increased vasoconstriction, leading to an increase in arterial pressure. Clinical manifestations include disturbances in circadian blood pressure patterns, left ventricular hypertrophy, and acceleration of atherosclerotic and renal injury. Rapid increases in pressure occasionally produce accelerated hypertension and microangiopathic tissue damage. Principles of therapy require recognition of hazards of changing arterial pressures during calcineurin use and preferential use of vasodilating drugs, particularly dihydropyridine calcium channel blocking agents. Attention must be paid to interactions between antihypertensive agents and calcineurin inhibitor blood levels.
Electrocatalytic properties of metal adatoms in a potential range negative to Nernstian bulk deposition

Abstract The formation of submonolayers of Cu adatoms on polycrystalline Au in 0.1 M HClO4 solutions containing only perchlorate anions has been found to proceed at unusually slow rates. This has made it possible to examine the electrocatalytic activity of submonolayer coverages of Cu adatoms exhibiting UPD like properties at potentials more negative than Cu bulk deposition. Rotating ring disk measurements have provided evidence that such layers show electrocatalytic properties for the reduction of nitrate. This process proceeds by a parallel mechanism yielding nitrite as one of the intermediates.
Pornography and pollution

Abstract There are fundamental connections between pornography and pollution. Like pollution, eroticizing the humiliation of and violence against women is a failure of respect and equity, and a consequence of male dominance. Concurrently, there are increasingly critical differences between the conditions of women under patriarchy and nature under patriarchy. This difference makes men want to be known as environmentalists, even when they are not. This difference makes women not want to be called feminists, even when they are. Seven principles and points of controversy from the environmental movement are applied to the feminist antipornography movement in order to illumine our analysis and advance our activism.
Effect of 5-fluoroorotic acid administration on the 32P base composition, DNA-RNA hybridization properties, and labeling of polyadenylate-rich RNA in the cytoplasm of rat liver cells

Abstract 5-Fluoroorotic acid treatment lowered the (Guanine + Cytosine)/(Adenine + Uracil) base ratio of 32P-labeled microsomal RNA from a control value of 1.36 to 1.00. Low doses of actinomycin D, which are effective in inhibiting ribosomal RNA synthesis without significantly affecting messenger RNA synthesis, caused a similar decrease in the base ratio. Microsomal RNA labeled by [3H]orotate in the presence of 5-fluoroorotic acid had approximately 1 2 the specific radioactivity but twice the hybridization efficiency of RNA labeled in its absence. Evidence is presented that this RNA (1) has a different structure from that of ribosomal RNA, (2) hybridizes to DNA with an efficiency consistent with that of other published studies of polysome-associated messenger RNA, and (3) possesses sequences which are present in other samples of liver microsomal RNA but not in kidney microsomal RNA. These properties differ from those known to be exhibited by 18 S and 28 S ribosomal RNA. Electrophoretic analysis of this [3H]orotate-labeled microsomal RNA indicated that the analogue greatly inhibited precursor incorporation into ribosomal RNA but had little or no effect on incorporation into messenger RNA. Ribosomal RNA and polyadenylate-rich nonribosomal RNA were prepared from total polyribosomes by phenol extraction at pH 7.6 and pH 9.0, respectively. 5-Fluoroorotic acid inhibited [3H]orotate or 32Pi incorporation into the pH 7.6 fraction much more effectively than incorporation into the pH 9.0 fraction. A subfraction of the pH 9.0 RNA which was retained by a polythymidylate-cellulose column had a greatly increased adenylate content.
New perspectives on central and peripheral immune responses to acute traumatic brain injury

Traumatic injury to the brain (TBI) results in a complex set of responses involving various symptoms and long-term consequences. TBI of any form can cause cognitive, behavioral and immunologic changes in later life, which underscores the problem of underdiagnosis of mild TBI that can cause long-term neurological deficits. TBI disrupts the blood–brain barrier (BBB) leading to infiltration of immune cells into the brain and subsequent inflammation and neurodegeneration. TBI-induced peripheral immune responses can also result in multiorgan damage. Despite worldwide research efforts, the methods of diagnosis, monitoring and treatment for TBI are still relatively ineffective. In this review, we delve into the mechanism of how TBI-induced central and peripheral immune responses affect the disease outcome and discuss recent developments in the continuing effort to combat the consequences of TBI and new ways to enhance repair of the damaged brain.
A multiple imputation strategy for incomplete longitudinal data.

Longitudinal studies are commonly used to study processes of change. Because data are collected over time, missing data are pervasive in longitudinal studies, and complete ascertainment of all variables is rare. In this paper a new imputation strategy for completing longitudinal data sets is proposed. The proposed methodology makes use of shrinkage estimators for pooling information across geographic entities, and of model averaging for pooling predictions across different statistical models. Bayes factors are used to compute weights (probabilities) for a set of models considered to be reasonable for at least some of the units for which imputations must be produced, imputations are produced by draws from the predictive distributions of the missing data, and multiple imputations are used to better reflect selected sources of uncertainty in the imputation process. The imputation strategy is developed within the context of an application to completing incomplete longitudinal variables in the so-called Area Resource File. The proposed procedure is compared with several other imputation procedures in terms of inferences derived with the imputations, and the proposed methodology is demonstrated to provide valid estimates of model parameters when the completed data are analysed. Extensions to other missing data problems in longitudinal studies are straightforward so long as the missing data mechanism can be assumed to be ignorable.
Ethics, risk, and safety culture: reflections on Fukushima and beyond

Most of the postmortem investigations and published reports concerning the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant accident have focused on the design, operation, and regulation of the ‘machine’ itself, i.e. the four nuclear power plants. This paper focuses on an aspect of the accident that has received much less attention: ethics, risk, and safety culture with respect to the individuals and organizations responsible for the design, operation, and regulation of the machines, namely the people. More specifically, this paper discusses the relationship between safety culture and societal culture, and how it may have influenced the accident at Fukushima. The paper argues that when safety culture, which is explicit and is ‘designed’ to fulfill a task in present time, and societal culture, which is implicit and evolves ‘organically’ over millennia, are incongruent with each other, the latter can undermine the former. To rectify this situation, the paper concludes that a cultural risk assessment be carried out to help mit...
The lesser curvature fold: a new plain film finding for diagnosing a paraesophageal hernia

This case report describes a new plain film X-ray finding for a paraesophageal hernia. A plain film of the chest containing a new finding for a paraesophageal hernia was later confirmed by barium study. This new finding was a horizontal fold traversing the air-filled diaphragmatic hernia sac, with the fold representing the opposed sides of the stomach's lesser curvature. Recognition of this finding can hasten the diagnosis of this potentially life-threatening type of hiatal hernia.
Food Insecurity Among Community College Students: Prevalence and Association With Grade Point Average

This study investigated the prevalence of food insecurity among community college students (N = 301) and the relationship between food insecurity and student grade point average (GPA). It employed a cross-sectional intercept survey, utilizing the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Household Food Security Survey Module, student self-reported GPA, and demographic variables. The research setting was two community colleges in Maryland—one located in a low income urban area and one located in an affluent suburban area. Results demonstrate that 56% of the students in the overall sample were classified as food insecure. Students at higher risk of food insecurity included those who reported living alone and those who reported being single parents. Students identifying themselves as African American or as multiracial were also at increased risk for food insecurity. Food insecure students were more likely than food secure students to report a lower GPA (2.0–2.49) versus a higher GPA (3.5–4.0). Data suggest that food ...
An approximate prediction linterval for the mean of future observations from the inverse gaussian distribution

The problem of predicting, on the basis of an observed sample from an inverse Gaussian distribution, the mean of a future random sample from the same distribution is considered. Approximate prediction intervals are proposed, and their accuracy is investigated via extensive Monte Carlo simulations. The results are useful for predicting the mean of future first passage times for a Brownian motion with positive drift or mean failure time of m future items having inverse Gaussian life distribution.
The Hispanic Americans Baseline Alcohol Survey: alcoholic beverage preference across Hispanic national groups

Background: U.S. Hispanics come from many countries in Latin America, which can lead to different beverage preferences in the United States. This paper examines choice for drinking wine, beer, and liquor across 4 Hispanic national groups: Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cuban Americans, and South/Central Americans. Methods: A sample of 5,224 individuals 18 years of age and older was selected using multistage cluster procedures from the household population in 5 metropolitan areas of the United States: Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Houston, and Los Angeles. The survey weighted response rate was 76%. Face-to-face interviews lasting 1 hour on average were conducted in the respondents’ homes either in English or Spanish. Results: Among men, beer drinkers consume the highest mean number of drinks per week in all national groups. Among women, this is true only of Puerto Ricans and Mexican Americans. Among men who drink beer, beer drinking constitutes 52 to 72% of total alcohol consumption. Among women who drink beer, beer consumption is associated with 32 to 64% of total consumption. Beer is the beverage most associated with binge drinking among Puerto Rican and Mexican American women, while among Cuban Americans and South/Central Americans this is seen for wine. Regression analyses showed no significant differences by national group in the likelihood of drinking 2 or fewer drinks (vs. no drinks) of wine, beer, or liquor. Puerto Ricans were more likely (OR = 1.47; 95% CI = 1.00–2.14) than Cuban Americans to drink 3 or more drinks (compared with no drinks) of beer. There was no association between the likelihood of binge drinking and Hispanic national group. Conclusions: Beverage preference across Hispanic national groups is similar. Beer is the preferred beverage. Alcohol control policies such as taxation and control of sales availability should apply equally to beer, liquor, and wine. Prevention interventions directed at different Hispanic national groups in the United States can be relatively uniform in their focus on the dangers associated with drinking different types of alcoholic beverages.
Thermal and fluorescent properties of optical brighteners and their whitening effect for pelletization of cycloolefin copolymers

Abstract The thermal and fluorescent properties of 4,4-bis(5-methyl-2-beazoxoazol)ethylene (Hostalux KS-N), 1,4-bis(benzoxazolyl-2-yl)naphthalene (Hostalux KCB), 2,5-bis-(5-tertbutylbenzoxazole-2-yl) thiophene (Uvitex OB), 2,2′-(4,4′-diphenolvinyl)dibenzoxazol (Uvitex OB-1), and 1,1′-biphenyl-4,4′-bis(2-(methoxyphenyl)ethenyl) (Uvitex 127) have been investigated. All of them exhibit good thermal stability (> 300 °C) and high fluorescent quantum yields (> 0.8). Furthermore, we also have successfully blended these optical brighteners into cycloolefin copolymers with the antioxidant (Irganox HP2921) to improve the discoloration after pelletization based on their whitening effect.
The social networks in the information horizons of college students: a pilot study

The information horizon is an imaginary field that users position their information sources according to their perceived importance (Sonnenwald, 1999), and social network is one of the critical concepts in information horizons. Steffes and Burgee (2008) pointed out that the stronger tie sources are more likely to be use as a preferred or primary information source. Previous research on graduate students' information horizons revealed various interpersonal channels in research contexts (Tsai, 2010). This study aims to examine undergraduates' social networks in their coursework related information horizons. A web survey with 18 responses and 3 brief follow-up interviews were conducted with an undergraduate class at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Preliminary results showed that undergraduate students tend to rely more on colleagues than on professors when facing coursework related issues. While stronger ties may be more frequently consulted for moral support, the tie strength may not necessarily determine the frequency of consultation on program, course, and resources. The context of the interpersonal connection may also play an important role. Overall, this study integrated two theories, information horizons and social network theory, and may contribute to the methodology of information horizon.
Reactivity of propylene oxides towards deoxycytidine and identification of reaction products.

Abstract Deoxycytidine was reacted with four epoxides of varying alkylating rates: propylene oxide, glycidol, epichlorohydrin and trichloropropylene oxide. Deoxycytidine was chosen to compare the reactivities of these epoxides as all sites of possible alkylation, the oxygen and both nitrogens, are involved in base pairing in DNA. Reaction products were separated on HPLC. Products of the least and most reactive epoxides, propylene oxide and trichloropropylene oxide, were characterized by UV, IR, 360 MHz NMR and MS analysis. For the epichlorohydrin and glycidol reactions and all analytical separations, products were characterized by their HPLC retention times and UV spectra. While differences in reactivity among the epoxides towards specific nitrogen and oxygen sites were found, total reactivity correlated with Taft σ∗-values of the substituent groups.
Radar and Lightning Observations of Deep Moist Convection across Northern Alabama during DC3: 21 May 2012

AbstractThe Deep Convective Clouds and Chemistry (DC3) experiment seeks to understand the kinematic and microphysical controls on the lightning behavior of deep moist convection. This study utilized multiple dual-polarization Doppler radars across northern Alabama to quantify microphysical and kinematic properties and processes that often serve as precursors to lightning, such as the graupel echo volume, graupel mass, and convective updraft volume. The focus here was on one multicellular complex that occurred on 21 May 2012 in northern Alabama during DC3. The graupel echo volume and the graupel mass in the charging region correlated well with the total lightning flash rate (FR), and even better than the updraft volumes and maximum updraft velocities. The flash length scales (LS) and flash areas were generally anticorrelated to the FR, while it was correlated to the nonprecipitation ice volume. More specifically, the presence of smaller flashes was associated with a stronger lower positive charge region ca...
Complex microscopic effective interaction for (p, n) reactions☆

Abstract A simple recipe for generating a complex effective interaction for distorted wave Born approximation calculations from a real, microscopic charge-exchange form factor is investigated. The recipe is tested against angular distribution data for 208 Pb(p, n) and 209 Bi(p, n) from 25 to 50 MeV incident proton energy. The form factor resulting from the recipe is also compared qualitatively to complex effective coupling potentials, resulting from a charge-independent Lane-model formalism and from coupled-channion-channels calculations for a suggested multistep (p, d)—(d, n) reaction mechanism.
Is a small number of charge neutralizations sufficient to bend nucleosome core DNA onto its superhelical ramp

X-ray diffraction structures of the nucleosome core particle along with a variety of experiments are consistent with the idea that an important source of the free energy holding DNA to the superhelical ramp on the histone octamer surface is obtained from a relatively small amount of electrostatic neutralization of the DNA phosphate charge by positively charged histone groups, especially arginine residues. Here we present a theoretical analysis of a simple model that emphasizes the competition between the high degree of bending of the stiff DNA molecule required for its tight curvature on the histone octamer and the neutralization of the DNA phosphate charge by basic histone residues. Our calculation accounts for the strong influence of condensed counterions on the electrostatic interactions. We find that the minimum amount of free energy required to bend DNA into axial conformity with the superhelical ramp at physiological salt concentration can be provided by a scant 6% neutralization of the phosphate charge, in close correspondence to the stoichiometric neutralization of phosphate charge by the arginine side chain that intrudes into the inward-facing minor groove of each DNA double helical turn.
A new magnetothermodynamic method for determining absolute thermodynamic temperatures in the liquid helium region

Abstract A new magnetothermodynamic method for determining absolute temperatures in the liquid helium range has been tested at 0.8, 1.15 and 1.5K. The method utilizes the defining equation for thermodynamic temperature T ≡ Q ΔS = Q R ln n , where n is the number of states in an isolated electronic multiplet. The present measurements yield temperatures that are 0.25–0.27 ± 0.08% higher than T 58 and T 62 , in good agreement with acoustic and other recent thermometer determinations. The magnetothermodynamic method offers the advantage of maintaining high accuracy at temperatures below 1 K.
Possible Allosteric Interaction of 4‐Aminopyridine with Rat Brain Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptors

: The interaction of the potassium channel blocker 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) and its analogs with muscarinic acetylcholine receptors was studied in rat brain homogenate. 4-AP displaced specific [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate ([3H]QNB) binding in a concentration-dependent fashion. Hill coefficient values decreased with increasing the concentration of [3H]QNB and different analogs of 4-AP demonstrated varying potencies. Scatchard analysis of saturation isotherms of specific [3H]QNB binding showed that low concentrations of 4-AP slightly reduced maximum binding without affecting the equilibrium dissociation constant, whereas higher concentrations reduced maximum binding further and significantly increased the equilibrium dissociation constant. Schild plots of these data resulted in curvilinear functions. The results are discussed in terms of possible allosteric interactions between potassium channels and muscarinic receptor binding sites.
Vascular Cytochrome P450 4A Expression and 20-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic Acid Synthesis Contribute to Endothelial Dysfunction in Androgen-Induced Hypertension

Epidemiological evidence suggests a role for sex-dependent mechanisms in the pathophysiology of hypertension. It has been shown that 5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) administration (56 mg/kg of body weight per day IP for 14 days) increases blood pressure, cytochrome P450 4A expression, and 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid synthesis in rats. We examined whether increased vascular 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid synthesis underlies endothelial dysfunction and hypertension in DHT-treated male Sprague–Dawley rats by using HET0016, a selective cytochrome P450 4A inhibitor. Coadministration of HET0016 (10 mg/kg per day IP for 14 days) to DHT-treated rats markedly reduced DHT-induced interlobar arterial production of 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (14.3±1.5 versus 1.5±0.5 ng/mg of protein per hour; P P P
Fibrinolytic Activation Markers Predict Myocardial Infarction in the Elderly: The Cardiovascular Health Study

Coagulation factor levels predict arterial thrombosis in epidemiological studies, but studies of older persons are needed. We studied 3 plasma antigenic markers of fibrinolysis, viz, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), fibrin fragment D-dimer, and plasmin-antiplasmin complex (PAP) for the prediction of arterial thrombosis in healthy elderly persons over age 65. The study was a nested case-control study in the Cardiovascular Health Study cohort of 5201 men and women >/=65 years of age who were enrolled from 1989 to 1990. Cases were 146 participants without baseline clinical vascular disease who developed myocardial infarction, angina, or coronary death during a follow-up of 2.4 years. Controls remained free of cardiovascular events and were matched 1:1 to cases with respect to sex, duration of follow-up, and baseline subclinical vascular disease status. With increasing quartile of D-dimer and PAP levels but not of PAI-1, there was an independent increased risk of myocardial infarction or coronary death, but not of angina. The relative risk for D-dimer above versus below the median value (>/=120 microg/L) was 2.5 (95% confidence interval, 1.1 to 5.9) and for PAP above the median (>/=5.25 nmol/L), 3.1 (1.3 to 7.7). Risks were independent of C-reactive protein and fibrinogen concentrations. There were no differences in risk by sex or presence of baseline subclinical disease. D-dimer and PAP, but not PAI-1, predicted future myocardial infarction in men and women over age 65. Relationships were independent of other risk factors, including inflammation markers. Results indicate a major role for these markers in identifying a high risk of arterial disease in this age group.
ANTIDIURETIC EFFECT OF β‐ENDORPHIN AND MORPHINE IN BRATTLEBORO RATS: DEVELOPMENT OF TOLERANCE AND PHYSICAL DEPENDENCE AFTER CHRONIC MORPHINE TREATMENT

Abstract 1 beta-Endorphin (2 micrograms injected into the lateral ventricles) produced a significant decrease in the urine outflow and in the excretion of Na+ and K+ in Brattleboro rats, animals suffering from severe diabetes insipidus. Morphine intracerebrally also produced antidiuresis, as compared to saline-treated controls. 2 Morphine injected intraperitoneally caused a dose-dependent decrease in the urine outflow, and in the excretion of Na+ and K+. 3. Rats chronically treated with morphine (72 h of morphine pellet implantation) were less sensitive to the antidiuretic effect of a challenge dose of morphine than control Brattleboro rats implanted with placebo pellets, but otherwise treated similarly. 4 After chronic morphine administration, Brattleboro rats became dependent on morphine. Challenge with 1 mg/kg naloxone (s.c.) precipitated an abrupt opiate withdrawal syndrome characterized, among other symptoms, by increased urination in contrast to the antidiuresis observed before naloxone.
Religious Obedience and Moral Autonomy

It has become fashionable to try to prove the impossibility of there being a God. Findlay's celebrated ontological disproof has in the past quarter century given rise to vigorous controversy. More recently James Rachels has offered a moral argument intended to show that there could not be a being worthy of worship. In this paper I shall examine the position Rachels is arguing for in some detail. I shall endeavor to show that his argument is unsound and, more interestingly, that the genuine philosophical perplexity which motivates it can be dispelled without too much difficulty.
New advances in 3D visualization of the cornea

This paper demonstrates the three-dimensional visualization of the ex vivo rabbit cornea. The cornea is an ideal test specimen to evaluate techniques for 3-D reconstruction and visualization of unstained, unfixed, transparent living tissues from a stack of optical sections. The 0.4 mm thick, transparent, specimen has been optically sectioned into 365 sections using a laser scanning confocal microscope with a water immersion objective. Isometric sampling resulted in near-cubic voxels which compensated for the reduced microscopic resolution in the z axis as compared to x and y resolution. This paper demonstrates the first three-dimensional visualization of the posterior stroma and the basal epithelium of the ex vivo rabbit cornea.
Externalities in the agricultural export sector and economic growth: a developing country perspective

Abstract For years economists have ignored the diversity in agriculture and its potential to increase long run growth rates by enhancing a country’s knowledge base. Non-traditional agriculture requires significant investments in the infrastructure and knowledge; and therefore, has the potential to increase long run growth rates. Policy makers in developing countries have tended to enact macroeconomic policies designed to enhance the manufacturing sector at the expense of the agricultural sector. A theoretical model is developed to explain the dynamics between two non-traditional export sectors and the long run economic growth of the country. The model illustrates that growth in highly perishable agricultural exports, not domestic production of manufactured goods, can potentially lead to higher long run growth rates. The model is applied to the fruit and flower industries in Colombia to bring forth an example with real world relevance.