cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Manganese silicate based redox catalysts for greener ethylene production via chemical looping – oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane

Abstract The current study investigates manganese silicate based redox catalysts for ethane to ethylene conversion in a chemical looping oxidative dehydrogenation (CL-ODH) process. Facilitated by a two-step cyclic redox scheme, CL-ODH has the potential to overcome the drawbacks of traditional steam cracking including high energy consumption, coke formation, and significant CO2 and NOx emissions. In CL-ODH, lattice oxygen in manganese silicate based redox catalysts is used to combust the hydrogen formed from ethane dehydrogenation, enhancing ethylene formation and suppressing coke formation. The oxygen-deprived redox catalyst is subsequently regenerated with air, releasing heat to balance the overall heat requirement. The key to this process is an efficient redox catalyst with high selectivity and facile oxygen transport. In this study, redox catalysts with combined manganese and silica phases were tested. We report that redox catalysts with high manganese content are more effective for CL-ODH due to their higher oxygen capacity at reaction temperatures. Sodium tungstate was used as a promoter due to its effectiveness to suppress COx formation. Among the redox catalysts investigated, sodium tungstate promoted (1.7 wt.% Na) manganese silicate (Mn:Si molar ratio = 70:30) was the most effective, showing an ethylene selectivity of 82.6% and yield of 63.3%. Temperature programmed reaction (TPR) experiments indicate that the sodium tungstate promoter inhibits ethane activation on the surface of the redox catalyst and is selective towards hydrogen combustion. XPS analysis indicates that the manganese silicate redox catalysts have a smaller amount of near surface Mn4+ than previously studied manganese containing redox catalysts, leading to higher ethylene selectivity on the un-promoted redox catalysts. XPS also indicates that the reduction of the un-promoted redox catalysts leads to the consumption of silica and formation of inosilicate species. ASPEN Plus® simulations of the CL-ODH scheme using manganese silicate based redox catalysts indicate significant energy and emissions savings compared to traditional steam cracking: the overall energy consumption for ethylene production can potentially be reduced by 89% using the manganese silicate based redox catalyst in the CL-ODH process. Resulting from the significant energy savings, CO2/NOx emissions can be reduced by nearly one order of magnitude when compared to traditional steam cracking.
Constructing Action: An Analysis of the Roles of Third Sector Actors During the Implementation of the Dominican Republic’s Regularization Plan

This article explores the experiences of third sector development actors and the actions that they took during the Dominican Republic’s National Regularization Plan for Foreigners until its expiration in the summer of 2015. The study employs an interpretivist approach that assumes that third sector development actors construct their roles through an interactive process based on their co-created interpretations and negotiated meanings ascribed to factors, conditions, and situations related to the regularization plan. Data were gathered from December 2015 to July 2016 from 19 semi-structured interviews with third sector development actors, who work with members of the Haitian immigrant community. Using constructivist grounded theory methods, the analysis identifies four key roles of third sector actors in the documentation process that incorporate guidance, support, collaboration, and accompaniment. This research elevates the importance of third sector organizations in responding to immigrant documentation issues.
Predictors of Breast Cancer Screening Among Korean American Women: Is Having an Annual Checkup Critical?

Objective: Korean American (KA) immigrant women underutilize breast cancer screening. This study examined factors predicting breast cancer screening behavior among KA women in the United States. Methods: 233 KA women aged 19 to 85 were recruited in the metro area of Atlanta, Georgia. Andersen’s behavioral model theoretically guided the study. Result: Of the predisposing factors, age (OR=1.043, p<.01, 95% CI [1.017, 1.069]) and marital status (OR=2.154, p<.05, 95% CI [1.022, 4.539]) were significantly associated with clinical breast exam (CBE), while income (OR=2.289, p<.05, 95% CI [1.060, 4.945]) and annual checkup (OR=2.725, p<.01, 95% CI [1.342, 5.533]) were linked to CBE as enabling factors. For the receipt of mammographic screening, annual checkup was only significantly associated among enabling factors (OR=4.509, p<.05, 95% CI [1.263, 16.102]), while family cancer history was identified as the only significant need factor (OR=.112, p<.01, 95% CI [.023, .552]). Conclusion: Differing factors explained the receipt of CBEs and mammographic use among KA women. Specifically, the findings shed light on the importance of having an annual checkup for the uptake of both CBEs and mammographic use. Intervention strategies should focus on promoting health accessibility for KA women to adhere to recommended breast cancer screening.
THE SCALENUS ANTERIOR MUSCLE IN RELATION TO SHOULDER AND ARM PAIN

1. The scalenus anterior syndrome, a lesion of combined vascular and neurological signs and symptoms in the shoulder, the arm, and the hand, may be dependent upon an anatomical type plus a lesser trauma or strain of the shoulder girdle. 2. Lesions of the cervical spine may induce spasm of the scalenus anterior muscle with the resultant syndrome. 3. Traumatic and infectious lesions of the shoulder girdle may induce or be associated with the scalenus anterior syndrome. 4. When cervical or shoulder-girdle lesions are amenable to therapy, the scalenus anterior syndrome may subside without specific therapy. 5. In the anatomical type, or in the long-standing scalenus anterior syndrome from other causes, with hypertrophy or contracture of the scalenus anterior muscle, scaleniotomy is indicated. 6. Indiscriminate scaleniotomy in all cases of the scalenus anterior syndrome is not indicated, as conservative therapy has resulted in the cure of cases in the past and will continue to do so in the future if the etiological factor is removed in a reasonable period of time.
Comparison of Biomechanical Properties and Microstructure of Trabeculae Carneae, Papillary Muscles, and Myocardium in the Human Heart

Trabeculae carneae account for a significant portion of human ventricular mass, despite being considered embryologic remnants. Recent studies have found trabeculae hypertrophy and fibrosis in hypertrophied left ventricles with various pathological conditions. The objective of this study was to investigate the passive mechanical properties and microstructural characteristics of trabeculae carneae and papillary muscles compared to the myocardium in human hearts. Uniaxial tensile tests were performed on samples of trabeculae carneae and myocardium strips, while biaxial tensile tests were performed on samples of papillary muscles and myocardium sheets. The experimental data were fit to a Fung-type strain energy function and material coefficients were determined. The secant moduli at given diastolic stress and strain levels were determined and compared among the tissues. Following the mechanical testing, histology examinations were performed to investigate the microstructural characteristics of the tissues. Our results demonstrated that the trabeculae carneae were significantly stiffer (Secant modulus SM2=80.06±10.04 KPa) and had higher collagen content (16.10±3.80%) than the myocardium (SM2=55.14±20.49 KPa, collagen content=10.06±4.15%) in the left ventricle. The results of the present study improve our understanding of the contribution of trabeculae carneae to left ventricular compliance and will be useful for building accurate computational models of human hearts.
Overcoming Blind Spots in the Real World: Leveraging Complementary Abilities for Joint Execution.

Simulators are being increasingly used to train agents before deploying them in real-world environments. While training in simulation provides a cost-effective way to learn, poorly modeled aspects of the simulator can lead to costly mistakes, or blind spots. While humans can help guide an agent towards identifying these error regions, humans themselves have blind spots and noise in execution. We study how learning about blind spots of both can be used to manage hand-off decisions when humans and agents jointly act in the real-world in which neither of them are trained or evaluated fully. The formulation assumes that agent blind spots result from representational limitations in the simulation world, which leads the agent to ignore important features that are relevant for acting in the open world. Our approach for blind spot discovery combines experiences collected in simulation with limited human demonstrations. The first step applies imitation learning to demonstration data to identify important features that the human is using but that the agent is missing. The second step uses noisy labels extracted from action mismatches between the agent and the human across simulation and demonstration data to train blind spot models. We show through experiments on two domains that our approach is able to learn a succinct representation that accurately captures blind spot regions and avoids dangerous errors in the real world through transfer of control between the agent and the human.
A Sine-Summation Algorithm for the Prediction of Ship Deck Motion

Landing a fixed-wing aircraft on a moving aircraft carrier is a risky and inefficient process. Having an accurate prediction of ship deck motion decreases the risk posed to both the pilot and the aircraft and increases the efficiency of landing maneuvers. The present work proposes the use of a sine-summation algorithm to predict future ship motion. The algorithm decomposes recorded ship acceleration data into its characteristic harmonic parameters using a fast Fourier transform. The harmonic parameters are then used in a summation of sine waves to create a fit for the acceleration data, which is projected into future time intervals to predict ship motion. An aircraft carrier can supply the prediction made by the algorithm to an autopilot, which then decides to land or make another attempt. Included in this work is a brief overview of ship motion with six degrees of freedom and a description of the method. The results generated by the algorithm are presented for a specific ship motion dataset to provide a point of comparison between the proposed method and other common methods used. The proposed method appears to be accurate in comparison to similar prediction methods, while reducing the computational cost required to make a prediction.
Advancing the science of self and identity with evolutionary theory

Evolutionary theory has revolutionized our understanding of the physical world. With the advent of such journals as Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences and Evolutionary Psychology, evolutionary framew...
The content and construct development of the PACT survey

Abstract The authors created a psychometrically sound instrument that could be used to examine K-12 teachers’ perceptions of arts integration. Ten content experts reviewed the initial survey items for construct-fit and readability. Scores from 354 K-12 teachers were examined for the survey’s initial factor structure through exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Then, scores from 1,072 K-12 teachers were analyzed to complete a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of the Putting the Arts and the Classroom Together (PACT) data. EFA results indicated a three-factor structure (i.e., value, willingness, and barriers), and CFA results produced model indices showing good fit of the three-factor model. For purposes of examining teachers’ practices in integrating the arts, establishing teacher receptiveness to arts integrated curriculum is important in designing and implementing any professional development program. This survey could be used to establish baseline participant perceptions for staging targeted professional development to support educators in creating appropriate arts integrated curricula.
Clock (Time’s Pre-sequels)

Different modalities of time in books, music and science fiction, action, and Western films. The use of time-to-space ratio as a way of constructing character and mise-en-scene. Fictional characters struggle with Heidegger’s “problematic of temporality.” The anxiety of death as a being-toward-ness is overwritten with an always already presencing of the future. The attempt to counter our thrownness into existence with a deeper understanding of taking care in Dasein (the Being of beings in Heidegger). Pre-cognition presents along with the sense not merely of being too late but of, “were we too late?” Heidegger sharpens mise-en-scene to the point of mise-en-temps, making our way toward what he called “the possibility of a pure problematic of being.”
Gastrointestinal, Pancreas, and Bile Ducts Cytology

In this chapter, we are focusing on gastrointestinal tract, pancreas, and bile ducts cytology. The conventional cytology sampling methods in GI and pancreaticobiliary tract are brushing, which is an easy and quick way to diagnose most of the mucosal-based disease. With the advent of new diagnostic tools, such as endoscopic ultrasound-directed fine-needle aspirates (EUS-FNA), submucosal-based mass lesions and regional lymph nodes are readily accessible by minimal invasive cytology method nowadays. Pancreatic cancer is one of the leading causes of death in Western Country. The cytological samples for pancreatic lesions include CT or EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA) and pancreatic or common bile duct brushing. However, EUS-FNA is more commonly performed now. Here we discuss commonly encountered questions in GI and pancreaticobiliary cytology practice and encompass the whole spectrum of morphologic findings from normal elements, reactive conditions, infectious lesions, and neoplasms. Common differential diagnoses, immunohistochemistry applications, and diagnostic pitfalls are emphasized. The updated knowledge on biomarker testing in pancreatic cancer is reviewed. Six illustrative cases are presented with take-home messages from each case.
Unmanned Aerial Systems for Energy Infrastructure Assessment

As access to remotely sensed imagery increases, researchers and practitioners continue to leverage these data for improving models of the built environment. Recent work illustrates the benefits of remotely sensed data, including their flexibility for extracting urban features such as buildings, vegetation, critical infrastructure, and their use in creating digital surface models. This combination of data and modeling provides important geospatial intelligence to urban planners, engineers, and other stakeholders who are looking to build smarter, more efficient, and sustainable cities. As calls for the use of clean, renewable energy increases, the ability to locate, build, maintain, and evaluate energy infrastructure grows. The purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of how small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) provide a low-cost and flexible way to collect high-resolution data for energy planning applications. A case study for residential solar energy audits in Phoenix, Arizona highlights the benefits of using sUAS in energy planning, infrastructure development, and maintenance.
Examining young children’s multiplication understanding through problem posing

In the present study, researchers used problem-posing instruction to examine elementary students’ understanding of multiplication. Students in fourth and fifth grade classrooms (n = 24) from a rura...
Chapter 2 – Logic

The second chapter on logic covers statements and their truth values, outlines the symbolism used to express statements in the short hand language of math (including logical operators, i.e., conjunction, disjunction, negation, and implication) and how to construct truth tables and determine equivalent statements. This chapter helps student understand logical reasoning by interpreting logical symbolism and by giving the symbols’ English translations. Properties of logic covered include tautologies, self-contradictions, paradox, equivalence, and algebra of statements, as well as variations on the conditional statement, quantified statements, testing the validity of an argument, and applications of logic.
Aspiration-assisted bioprinting of co-cultured osteogenic spheroids for bone tissue engineering.

Conventional top-down approaches in tissue engineering involving cell seeding on scaffolds have been widely used in bone engineering applications. However, scaffold-based bone tissue constructs have had limited clinical translation due to constrains in supporting scaffolds, minimal flexibility in tuning scaffold degradation, and low achievable cell seeding density as compared with native bone tissue. Here, we demonstrate a pragmatic and scalable bottom-up method, inspired from embryonic developmental biology, to build three-dimensional (3D) scaffold-free constructs using spheroids as building blocks. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were introduced to human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) (hMSC/HUVEC) and spheroids were fabricated by an aggregate culture system. Bone tissue was generated by induction of osteogenic differentiation in hMSC/HUVEC spheroids for 10 days, with enhanced osteogenic differentiation and cell viability in the core of the spheroids compared to hMSC-only spheroids. Aspiration-assisted bioprinting (AAB) is a new bioprinting technique which allows precise positioning of spheroids (11% with respect to the spheroid diameter) by employing aspiration to lift individual spheroids and bioprint them onto a hydrogel. AAB facilitated bioprinting of scaffold-free bone tissue constructs using the pre-differentiated hMSC/HUVEC spheroids. These constructs demonstrated negligible changes in their shape for two days after bioprinting owing to the reduced proliferative potential of differentiated stem cells. Bioprinted bone tissues showed interconnectivity with actin-filament formation and high expression of osteogenic and endothelial-specific gene factors. This study thus presents a viable approach for 3D bioprinting of complex-shaped geometries using spheroids as building blocks, which can be used for various applications including but not limited to, tissue engineering, organ-on-a-chip and microfluidic devices, drug screening and, disease modeling.
Comparison study on surface and thermo-chemical properties of PFPE lubricants on DLC film through MD simulations

Abstract Molecular dynamics simulations are performed using four types of PFPE lubricants (Zdol, Ztetraol, TA-30, and ZTMD) to investigate their spreadability, airshear behavior, surface contamination, and friction. The more functional end groups in PFPE lubricants the less spreadability on DLC surface, which agrees with the experimental results. The airshear simulation shows that the tangential shear movement of lubricants reduces as the number and the polar strength of functional end group increases. The higher temperature, the more shear displacement due to the increasing mobility. In HDI contact simulations, the PFPE lubricant with more and stronger functional end groups results in higher friction force and less head contamination by lubricant transfer. The higher temperature, the more head contamination but lower friction force.
Parliamentary Opposition Under Hybrid Regimes: Evidence from Egypt

Why do opposition political parties choose to run for parliament in semi-authoritarian systems? Existing literature emphasizes the benefits these parties derive from campaigning and running for elections, while paying little attention to the political activity that occurs within legislative institutions under these regimes. Supplementing election-centric theories, we argue that opposition actors in semi-authoritarian systems can also benefit from serving in weak parliaments, and that this can in turn explain their participation in biased elections. We offer evidence for this by examining the Muslim Brotherhood’s legislative performance in Mubarak’s Egypt, highlighting the mechanisms through which the group was able to use its minority presence in parliament to its advantage. We conclude by linking the group’s political strategy under Mubarak with its political behavior in post-Arab Spring Egypt.
Neurodevelopmental outcome of preterm infants enrolled in myo-inositol randomized controlled trial

This study evaluates the 24-month follow-up for the NICHD Neonatal Research Network (NRN) Inositol for Retinopathy Trial. Bayley Scales of Infants Development-III and a standardized neurosensory examination were performed in infants enrolled in the main trial. Moderate/severe NDI was defined as BSID-III Cognitive or Motor composite score <85, moderate or severe cerebral palsy, blindness, or hearing loss that prevents communication despite amplification were assessed. Primary outcome was determined for 605/638 (95%). The mean gestational age was 25.8 ± 1.3 weeks and mean birthweight was 805 ± 192 g. Treatment group did not affect the risk for the composite outcome of death or survival with moderate/severe NDI (60% vs 56%, p = 0.40). Treatment group did not affect the risk of death or survival with moderate/severe NDI. Despite early termination, this study represents the largest RCT of extremely preterm infants treated with myo-inositol with neurodevelopmental outcome data.
Multi-agent scavenging patterns in Hawai‘i: A forensic archaeological and skeletal case study

Abstract Knowledge of the behavior of local fauna can aid forensic investigators in developing awareness of site formation processes. In Hawai‘i, little has been published on the effects of feral domestic pig (Sus scrofa) and feral domestic dog (Canis familiaris) scavenging and bone dispersal on field recovery and laboratory observations. In this Pacific tropical setting, the most consequential terrestrial taphonomic agents are pigs and dogs, both in terms of hard tissue modification and dispersal of remains across the landscape. In 2017, an archaeologist discovered the remains of an unidentified decedent on the island of Kauaʻi, State of Hawai‘i during a cultural resource management survey. Subsequently, a forensic recovery team in conjunction with Kaua‘i police and crime scene investigators used archaeological techniques, including pedestrian survey, tape-and-compass, and GPS mapping, to map and recover the remains. A feral pig trail transected various areas of the recovery site and corresponded with the distribution pattern of recovered skeletal material, including both the main concentration more broadly dispersed skeletal elements. While much of the skeleton was present, missing or unrecovered skeletal elements are consistent with expectations based on existing literature. Much of the postmortem bone deformations were characteristic of marks related to feral dog and/or feral pig scavenging. These results assisted local investigators in deciding the manner of death, as well as providing the family with an accounting of the decedent’s remains for burial. Thus, forensic anthropologists and archaeologists need to understand and develop knowledge of local animal behavior to recover and interpret human remains of medicolegal significance.
From Inter-Racial Solidarity to Action: Minority Linked Fate and African American, Latina/o, and Asian American Political Participation.

Recent literature in race, ethnicity, and politics has assessed how minority linked fate, defined as “the idea that ethnoracial minorities might share a sense of commonality that extends beyond their particular ethnoracial group to other ethnoracial groups (Gershon et al., in Politics Groups Identities 7(3):642–653, 2019),” shapes attitudes toward descriptive representation and support for coalition building. However, scholarship has yet to examine the influence of minority linked fate on political participation. We argue that similar to those who view the interests of co-ethnics as a proxy for their individual interests, Latina/os, Asian Americans, and African Americans who express linked fate with a more expansive minority community are more likely to take political action. This political participation results from senses of obligation to and solidarity with other racial minorities outside of their own. Results from the 2016 Collaborative Multiracial Post-Election Survey show that controlling for conventional measures of linked fate, minority linked fate is associated primarily with more system-challenging modes of political activity for Latina/os, Asian Americans, and African Americans. We conclude by positioning minority linked fate as a complementary heuristic to traditional notions of intra-racial linked fate and note how shared inter-racial linked fate informs our understanding of recent political activism among people of color.
Perceived and actual sex differences in attributional style for affiliative behavior

The objectives of this thesis were threefold: (1) to review the concept of attributional style, (2) to demonstrate its applicability to affiliative behavior, and (3) to document the existence of actual and perceived sex differences in attributional style for affiliative behavior. To fulfill the first two objectives the development of attributional theory was traced from the Abramson, Seligman, and Teasdale (1978) presentation of the reformulated learned helplessness model through Weiner's (1979) examination of attributional style as a motivational feature of achievement behavior to the application of attribution theory to affiliative behavior. To fulfill the third objective the evidence detailing the sex differences in achievement and affiliative attributional styles was reviewed within the framework of perceptions of sex appropriate behavior. A study was then designed to assess both actual and perceived affiliative attributional sex differences. The Escovar, Brown, and Rodriguez Attributional Style Questionnaire for Affiliative Behavior was administered to 107 male and female University of Miami and Florida International University students. Each subject answered the questionnaire twice, once for themselves and once as if they were a member of the opposite sex. The results indicated that the EBR-ASQ maintained previous levels of internal consistency and reliability. Analyses performed on the covariate of the order of perspective presentation
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor diversity: agonist binding and functional potency.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor diversity. [ 3 H]Ach and 86 Rb + are binding assays and efflux assays respectively. These assays of acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) channel function take advantage of this receptor's permeability to monovalent cations as large as glucosamine and the cellular Na + -K + -ATPase's ability to concentrate 86 Rb + in TE671 and PC12 cells, and permits the assessment of nAChR-channel function by the measurement of 86 Rb + release during incubation of isotope-loaded cells in medium containing the appropriate cholinergic ligands. Membrane preparations from torpedo electroplax, TE671 cells and rat brain express highaffinity [ 3 H]ACh binding sites with apparent macroscopic dissociation constants of about 10 nM and Hill coefficients of about 1.0 .The utility of clonal cell line models that express different nAChR isotypes in the studies of the properties of those receptors has been demonstrated. Further use of those cell lines promises to illuminate the relationships between ligand binding sites and sites that regulate activation and inactivation of nAChR functional responses, and to provide insight into the effects of nicotine at neuronal synapses.
Investigating thin film passivations for IGZO dual gate pH sensors fabricated at low temperature

Dual-gate IGZO TFTs fabricated using high-k dielectrics deposited via ALD at low temperature ( 2 offers a sensitivity of 76 mV/pH, which is beyond the Nernst limit found in traditional ISFET sensors.
Economic critique of U.S. prime farmland preservation policies: Towards state policies that influence productive, consumptive, and speculative value components of the farmland market to prevent urban sprawl and foster agricultural production in the United States

Abstract All states comprising the United States of America attempt to preserve prime agricultural farmland. An economic critique of the effectiveness of those policies is offered. It first creates a theoretical framework for evaluation. Farmland value has three components: productive use value which is the value of land for agricultural use, consumptive use value which is the value of the site as a single-family homesite to the owner whether the owner farms or not, and speculative use value which is that value over and above the first two for non-farm uses including urban development. Speculative use value and to a lesser extent consumptive use value stimulate urban sprawl. Special taxation, right-to-farm, development right acquisition, and agricultural zoning policies are critiqued using the theoretical framework. A set of policies is offered as having the greatest potential for achieving preferred results.
Gammatone Wavelet features for sound classification in surveillance applications

Sound can deliver highly informative data about the environment, which can be of particular interest for hometeleassistance and surveillance purposes. In the sound event recognition process, the signal parameterisation is a crucial aspect. In this work, we propose Gammatone-Wavelet features (GTW) by merging Wavelet analysis, which is well-suited to represent the characteristics of surveillance-related sounds, and Gammatone functions, which model the human auditory system. An experimental evaluation that consists of classifying a set of surveillance-related sounds employing Support Vector Machines has been conducted at different SNR conditions. When compared to typical Wavelet analysis with Daubechies mother function (DWC), the GTW features show superior classification accuracy both in noiseless conditions and noisy conditions for almost any SNR level. Finally, it is observed that the combination of DWC and GTW yields the highest classification accuracies.
Maintenance process and product evaluation using reliability, risk, and test metrics

Abstract In analyzing the stability of a maintenance process, it is important that it not be treated in isolation from the reliability and risk of deploying the software that result from applying the process. Furthermore, we need to consider the efficiency of the test effort that is a part of the process and a determinate of reliability and risk of deployment. The relationship between product quality and process capability and maturity has been recognized as a major issue in software engineering based on the premise that improvements in process will lead to higher-quality products. To this end, we have been investigating an important facet of process capability—stability—as defined and evaluated by trend, change, and shape metrics, across releases and within a release. Our integration of product and process measurement serves the dual purpose of using metrics to assess and predict reliability and risk and to evaluate process stability. We use the NASA Space Shuttle flight software and the United States Air Force Global Awareness program to illustrate our approach.
TREE-GROWTH RESPONSE TO ENSO EVENTS IN THE CENTRAL COLORADO FRONT RANGE

The influence of climate associated with El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events on tree growth in the central Colorado Front Range is investigated through the analysis of two high altitude tree-ring chronologies. Dendrochronological techniques are used to determine if ENSO-related climatic effects are detectable in tree-ring width patterns in the central Colorado Front Range. The form of the tree-growth response is identified and the variability of the influence of these events on tree growth over time is investigated. Results indicate that tree growth in this area does respond to ENSO events, but the response varies with species and type of event. El Nino-influenced climate tends to result in larger tree rings the year of or year following the event, while La Nina-influenced climate tends to result in smaller rings the year after the event, reflecting spring moisture conditions. Trees have a more consistent response to La Nina events, but El Nino events seem to have a greater effect on extremes in gr...
Scattering Studies of the Structure of Colloid-Polymer Suspensions and Gels

Depletion-driven changes in the structure of hard-sphere particles (radius R) mixed with a nonadsorbing polymer (radius of gyration Rg) dissolved in good (athermal) and ideal (theta) solvents are systematically studied. Colloidal structure factors, S(q), are determined using slit-smeared and pinhole-collimated ultra-small-angle X-ray scattering and small-angle neutron scattering. A comparison of the structure factors extracted from the three methods demonstrates the validity of the available desmearing algorithms. Polymer additives alter the colloidal structure more for larger particle volume fractions (φc) and smaller size asymmetry ratios Rg/R. At fixed φc ∼ 0.40 and Rg/R = 0.06, increasing the reduced polymer concentration (cp/cp*) results in a monotonic shift to higher wavevectors of the location of the first peak in the structure factor, q*, and a nonmonotonic variation of the cage order parameter, S(q*), in a nearly solvent quality independent manner. Local structural correlations arrest as the gel ...
Soft pions in large boxes

Abstract In this paper we deal with the linear O( N ) σ -model in four dimensions in the broken phase. It is argued that the zero-momentum two-point function in a finite box obeys a soft-pion finite-size theorem which holds if the boundary conditions are periodic. The theorem's validity depends only on the structure of the would-be massless sector of the model.
Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Geminal Disulfones as HIV-1 Integrase Inhibitors

Integration of HIV-1 viral DNA into the host genome is carried out by HIV-integrase (IN) and is a critical step in viral replication. Although several classes of compounds have been reported to inhibit IN in enzymatic assays, inhibition is not always correlated with antiviral activity. Moreover, potent antiviral IN inhibitors such as the chicoric acids do not act upon the intended enzymatic target but behave as entry inhibitors instead. The charged nature of the chicoric acids contributes to poor cellular uptake, and these compounds are further plagued by rapid ester hydrolysis in vivo. To address these critical deficiencies, we designed neutral, nonhydrolyzable analogues of the chicoric acids. Herein, we report the synthesis, enzyme inhibition studies, and cellular antiviral data for a series of geminal disulfones. Of the 10 compounds evaluated, 8 showed moderate to high inhibition of IN in purified enzyme assays. The purified enzyme data correlated with antiviral assays for all but two compounds, suggesting alternative modes of inhibition. Time-of-addition studies were performed on these analogues, and the results indicate that they inhibit an early stage in the replication process, perhaps entry. In contrast, the most potent member of the correlative group shows behavior consistent with IN being the cellular target.
Salmonine Consumption as a Source of Mirex in Human Breast Milk near Rochester, New York

Fifty-seven pre-natal classes were attended to recruit 30 donors of human milk samples in the vicinity of Rochester, NY. Donors were categorized into two groups of 15 Lake Ontario fish eaters (LOFE) and non-Lake Ontario fish eaters (NLOFE). A comparison of mirex concentrations in breast milk of Lake Ontario fish eaters with non-Lake Ontario fish eaters indicated no significant difference in median mirex concentrations (0.09 vs 0.06 ng/g milk). When the Lake Ontario fish eaters were divided into panfish and salmonine consumers, significant differences in mirex concentration in breast milk were observed. Women eating Lake Ontario salmonines have significantly higher concentrations of mirex (median = 0.21 ng/g milk) in their breast milk than Lake Ontario panfish consumers (median = 0.03 ng/g milk) and the NLOFE group (median = 0.06 ng/g milk). Photomirex concentrations were consistently higher in both donor groups than mirex and were significantly higher in the breast milk of salmonine consumers than in both the panfish consumers and the NLOFE group. The relatively high concentrations of photomirex in the breast milk of all donors (LOFE and NLOFE) suggest volatilization and an atmospheric transport of this contaminant. The child of a woman salmonine consumer, breast feeding daily at the median concentration level observed for a month, has a loading of mirex (816 ng mirex/kg) that is equivalent to consuming three Lake Ontario salmon meals at the FDA action level and that represents 2.9 times more mirex than an adult male should consume per month according to the NYS Department of Health advisory.
The ultrastructure of myocardial hypertrophy: Why does the compensated heart fail?

Several qualitative features of the ultrastructure of pressure overload and thyrotoxic myocardium are unique markers of the type and quantity of increased work the heart has been required to perform. Furthermore, they are reminiscent of features of normally growing myocytes, implying that the changes in the hypertrophied cell are the consequence of normally present capacities for adaptation to a demand for increased myocardial work. Thyrotoxic myocardium has two features which distinguish it from normal and pressure overloaded hearts: the mitochondria are large and have a peculiar fragile or lacey appearance. Many myocytes show considerable disorganization of sarcomeric myofilaments. Pressure overloaded hearts have smaller and more numerous mitochondria than the normal myocyte. Their sarcomeres have thicker Z bands than controls. Double intercalated discs are also a feature of these myocytes. Several features of hypertrophied myocytes are seen in both types of hypertrophy: RER and ribosomes on the external nuclear membrane. There are polyribosomes aligned along the long axes of thick filaments, presumably involved in myosin synthesis or transformation within the cell. There are areas of sarcomerogenesis both under the sarcolemma and within the cell at the intercalated disc. These are characterized by fragments of myofilaments, polyribosomes and rough endoplasmic reticulum. Quantitatively, myocyte composition is transiently disturbed but, like that of normally growing hearts, returns to control values as the adaptation to stress is negotiated.
Critical Currents of SNS Junctions with Cu:Mn and Cu:Ni Barriers*

Critical supercurrent densities j c have been measured for Pb-Cu91Ni9-Pb and Pb-Cu99.8Mn0.2-Pb junctions over the temperature range 1.3<T<4.2K. Diffraction patterns for the junctions indicate highly uniform current densities in the non-self-field-limited regime. The data for the Cu:Ni barriers provide some indication of a spin-flip depairing temperature% MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafeart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGqiVu0Je9sqqrpepC0xbbL8F4rqqrFfpeea0xe9Lq-Jc9% vqaqpepm0xbba9pwe9Q8fs0-qqaqpepae9pg0FirpepeKkFr0xfr-x% fr-xHapdbiqaaeGaciGaaiaabeqaamaabaabaaGcbaGaeqySdeMaey% ypa0JaeS4dHGMaai4laiaaikdacqaHapaCcaWGRbWaaSbaaSqaaiaa% dkeadaahaaadbeqaaiabes8a0naaBaaabaGaam4CaaqabaaaaaWcbe% aakiabgIKi7kaaiodacaqGGaacbaGaa83saaaa!4613!\[\alpha = \hbar /2\pi k_{B^{\tau _s } } \approx 3{\rm{ }}K\]and the data for Cu:Mn provide some indication of anα ≈ 15 K; the measured supercurrent densities, however, are only approximately represented by the derived expression % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafeart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGqiVu0Je9sqqrpepC0xbbL8F4rqqrFfpeea0xe9Lq-Jc9% vqaqpepm0xbba9pwe9Q8fs0-qqaqpepae9pg0FirpepeKkFr0xfr-x% fr-xHapdbiqaaeGaciGaaiaabeqaamaabaabaaGcbaacbaGaa8NAam% aaBaaaleaacaWFdbaabeaakiaacIcacaWFubGaaiykaiabg2da9iaa% -jeaieGacaGFLbGaa4hEaiaa+bhacaGF7bGaeyOeI0Iaeq4SdCMaai% ikaiaa-rfacqGHRaWkcqaHXoqycaGGPaGaai4laiaa-rfadaWgaaWc% baGaa83qaaqabaGcdaahaaWcbeqaaiaaigdacaGGVaGaaGOmaaaaki% aac2faaaa!4CEE!\[j_C (T) = Bexp\{ - \gamma (T + \alpha )/T_C ^{1/2} ]\]. The data for Cu:Mn fit the empirically determined % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafeart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGqiVu0Je9sqqrpepC0xbbL8F4rqqrFfpeea0xe9Lq-Jc9% vqaqpepm0xbba9pwe9Q8fs0-qqaqpepae9pg0FirpepeKkFr0xfr-x% fr-xHapdbiqaaeGaciGaaiaabeqaamaabaabaaGcbaacbaGaa8NAam% aaBaaaleaacaWFJbaabeaakiaacIcacaWFubGaaiykaiabg2da9iaa% dQgacaGGOaGaaGimaiaacMcaieGacaGFLbGaa4hEaiaa+bhacaGGBb% GaeyOeI0IaeqOSdiMaaiikaiaa-rfacaGGVaGaa8hvamaaBaaaleaa% caWGJbaabeaakiaacMcadaahaaWcbeqaaiaaiodacaGGVaGaaGOmaa% aakiaac2faaaa!4CD0!\[j_c (T) = j(0)exp[ - \beta (T/T_c )^{3/2} ]\]much better; there is, however, no apparent theoretical basis for this expression. The measured junction resistances are 50% higher than the values implied by the measured resistivity of the barrier material for both the Cu:Ni and the Cu:Mn; this excess resistance is presumably contributed by the two S-N interfaces.
News and the “new spirit” in art: Mass media roots of the temporal aesthetic

The mass‐circulation daily newspaper may well be the most distinctively “modern” textual form to have emerged in the nineteenth century. The mass daily's coverage of “news"—an ongoing and near synchronous representation of current events—came to distinguish the penny papers of early‐ to‐ mid‐nineteenth‐century New York City from precursor forms of reporting. For the new urban reader, the daily newspaper offered something more immediate and socially constitutive than the mere content of its news reports, something quite beyond “news” qua information. The ongoing representation of current events, rather, evinces a historically unique mode of social knowing, one that articulates and identifies its subject with modernity, with the imagined temporal presence of “the present” itself. This historically unique sense of the temporal present as a condition, a kind of presence available to simultaneous representation, began to manifest itself in textual form at least fifty years prior to the many aesthetic experimen...
Diet and cardiovascular disease prevention: What works?

Diet is routinely recommended as the primary strategy for the prevention and treatment of high blood cholesterol. The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP), the American Heart Association (AHA), and a host of other health and medical organizations have advocated a diet low in total and saturated fat and cholesterol for reducing risk of cardiovascular disease. What is the evidence supporting these guidelines and the expected efficacy of dietary treatment? There is growing awareness that despite well-documented rationale for the dietary approach, many eligible patients are not routinely prescribed dietary treatment, and among those who are, there is limited response. What are the obstacles in implementing effective dietary intervention for prevention of cardiovascular disease? What are both the theoretical and practical limitations to achieving long-term adherence to diet and what strategies have been shown to be most effective? A review of the data surrounding these diet-lipid relationships is presented along with recently tested and promising behavioral approaches to facilitating patient adherence.
Needs Based Negotiation: A Promising Practice in School Collaboration

Theorists and practitioners report that success in school collaboration and team development is based, at least in part, on the personal relationship developed between colleagues and team members. A primary source of tension in working together reported by teachers and educational leaders is developing and sustaining a personal relationship in the school environment. The authors maintain that needs based negotiation, a powerful tool used in business, may bridge the gap between beginning and sustaining a professional relationship among individuals who are asked to collaborate or develop teams in schools. Needs based negotiation is a technique that has the potential for adaptation in educational venues and may hold the answer to developing professional collaboration among school practitioners.
Influence of pH on calcium influx during hypoxia in rat cortical brain slices.

Acidity of brain intracellular and extracellular fluids appears to increase brain injury from stroke, but low extracellular pH decreases the activity of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor ion channels and decreases calcium influx into isolated neurons. To further investigate the role of acid-base balance in hypoxic brain injury, we studied the influences of intracellular and extracellular pH on calcium influx in cortical brain slices during hypoxia.Intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i) and pH (pHi) were measured fluorometrically with the dyes fura-2 and biscarboxyethyl carboxyfluorescein, respectively, during two types of hypoxia: (1) slice perfusate equilibrated with N2/CO2 at pH 6.6 or 6.2 ("gaseous hypoxia") or (2) perfusate equilibrated with 95% O2/5% CO2 plus 100 mumol/L NaCN at pH 7.3, 6.6, or 6.2 ("chemical hypoxia").Changes in perfusate pH under aerobic conditions did not change [Ca2+]i. However, influx of calcium caused by gaseous or chemical hypoxia increased significantly with decreasing perfusate pH. Dur...
Cultural Intelligence: Individual Interactions Across Cultures/Working Across Cultures

The article reviews the books “Cultural Intelligence: Individual Interactions Across Cultures,” by P. Christopher Earley and Soon Ang, and “Working Across Cultures,” by John Hooker.
Human cyclin B1 gene (CCNB1) assigned to chromosome 5 (q13-qter).

Cyclins play an important role in cell cycle regulation. At least five classes of cyclins have been identified—A, B, C, D, and E. B cyclins are generally of two types in most organisms—B1 and B2. We have mapped the gene for human cyclin B1 (CCNB1) to human chromosome 5 (region q13-qter) by Southern blot analysis of human × Chinese hamster somatic cell hybrid panels. Many more cyclin B-related sequences have been identified in the mouse (Cycb-1 to Cycb-10) and have been mapped to chromosomes 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, and 17. Based on our mapping of humanCCNB1 and known evolutionary conservation of chromosomal regions, we propose that the homologous cyclin B1 locus,Cycb-4, on mouse chromosome 13 is a functional gene.