cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dimethonium, a divalent cation that exerts only a screening effect on the electrostatic potential adjacent to negatively charged phospholipid bilayer membranes

Calcium and other alkaline earth cations change the electrostatic potential adjacent to negatively charged bilayer membranes both by accumulating in the aqueous diffuse double layer adjacent to the membrane and by adsorbing to the phospholipids. The effects of these cations on the electrostatic potential are described adequately by the Gouy-Chapman-Stern theory. We report the results of experiments with ethane-bis-trimethylammonium, a cation that has been termed “dimethonium” or “ethamethonium” in analogy with hexamethonium (hexane-1,6-bis-trimethylammonium) and decamethonium (decane-1,10-bis-trimethylammonium). We examined the effect of dimethonium on the zeta potential of multilamellar vesicles formed from the negative lipid phosphatidylserine (PS) and from 5 ∶ 1 phosphatidylcholine/phosphatidylserine mixtures in solutions containing 0.1, 0.01 and 0.001m sodium, cesium, or tetramethylammonium chloride. We also examined the effect of dimethonium on the conductance of planar PS bilayer membranes and the31P NMR signal from sonicated PS vesicles formed in 0.1m NaCl. We found no evidence that dimethonium adsorbs specifically to bilayer membranes. All the results, except for those obtained with vesicles of low charge density formed in a solution with a high salt concentration, are consistent with the predictions of the Gouy-Chapman theory. We conclude that dimethonium, which does not have the pharmacological effects of hexamethonium and decamethonium, is a useful divalent cation for physiologists interested in investigating electrostatic potentials adjacent to biological membranes.
Maternal Hyperglycemia and its Effect on the Placental Transport of Ascorbic acid

Summary: This report explored the possibility that maternal hyperglycemia during pregnancy might produce a competition between glucose (G) and ascorbic acid (AA) and reduce the transfer of AA to the fetus using an in vivo single-pass placental perfusion technique in the guinea pig. Levels of G in maternal plasma increased from 104 ± 4 mg/dl (x ± S.E.) before AA + G infusion to 370 ± 19 mg/dl at the end of each study (P < 0.001). Preinfusion levels of AA in maternal and fetal plasma were 0.29 ± 0.02 mg/dl and 0.46 ± 0.03 mg/dl, respectively. Maternal infusion of AA or AA + G produced significant increases in maternal plasma AA (P < 0.025) and fetal plasma AA (P < 0.001); however, fetal plasma AA from dams infused with AA + G were significantly below fetal plasma values obtained when only AA was infused (P < 0.005) suggesting that when maternal plasma G is increased, the placental transport of AA to the fetus is reduced. Preinfusion levels of AA in placental tissue were 10.8 ± 0.5 mg/dl and infusion of AA or AA + G produced significant increases in AA in this organ (P < 0.001). Comparison of the AA in placental tissue from fetuses of dams infused with either solution demonstrates that significantly less AA was present after AA + G infusion (P < 0.005). Additionally, when AA + G was infused a significant decrease in AA transferred across the placenta was found (P < 0.001) as maternal plasma G increased beyond 200 mg/dl. The data suggest that in the guinea pig glucose may compete with ascorbic acid transfer across the placenta and that maternal hyperglycemia may reduce the bioavailability of AA to the fetus. Speculation: An acute episode of maternal hyperglycemia interferes with the placental transfer of ascorbic acid. Therefore, maternal hyperglycemia during gestational diabetes may result in a decreased supply of ascorbic acid to the fetus.
Citizen Involvement Efforts and Bureaucratic Responsiveness: Participatory Values, Stakeholder Pressures, and Administrative Practicality

This article addresses the efforts of local governments to involve citizens in administrative processes. In particular, we explore the following questions: What social and political groups in the community promote citizen involvement? Which groups awre likely to succeed? What barriers obstruct citizen involvement efforts? Do administrative attitudes make a difference in undertaking citizen involvement? Using survey data, this study tests a framework that assumes the decision to involve citizens in administrative processes reflects administrative responsiveness to salient community stakeholders, normative values associated with citizen involvement, and administrative practicality. The statistical results confirm the bureaucratic responsiveness framework and point to future directions for citizen involvement research and practice.
Nociceptin/orphanin FQ binding increases in superficial laminae of the rat spinal cord during persistent peripheral inflammation

Abstract Regulation of nociceptin/orphanin FQ neurotransmission in conjunction with peripheral inflammation and hyperalgesia was explored, using receptor autoradiography. Binding of [ 3 H]nociceptin was quantified in spinal segment L4 of rats at 2, 4 and 8 days following injection of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) into one hind-paw. Densitometric analysis of autoradiograms showed that [ 3 H]nociceptin binding increased in medial and lateral laminae I–II bilaterally 4 days following injection of CFA compared to untreated rats; no change in binding occurred in lamina X at the times examined. Biochemical studies confirmed that the specific binding of [ 3 H]nociceptin to sections of rat brain was consistent with the binding characteristics of the nociceptin receptor. These results suggest that spinal nociceptin receptors are upregulated during hyperalgesia. This response may enhance endogenous mechanisms of antinociception to attenuate the hyperalgesia induced by CFA.
The Fate of Career Dreams: A Test of Levinson's Theory:

The ‘dream’, as defined by Levinson et al. (1979), is an individual's vision about his/her important future accomplishment or special role in life. In this study, several predictions derived from L...
Regulation of an IMP Dehydrogenase Gene and Its Overexpression in Drug-sensitive Transcription Elongation Mutants of Yeast

IMP dehydrogenase is a rate-limiting enzyme involved in the synthesis of GTP. In mammalian cells it is regulated with respect to growth rate and is the target of numerous therapeutic agents. Mutations in the RNA polymerase II elongation machinery render yeast sensitive to inhibitors of IMP dehydrogenase and defective in inducing transcription of one of the IMP dehydrogenase-encoding genes,IMD2. Here we show that loss of IMD2, but notIMD1, IMD3, or IMD4, conferred upon yeast the same drug sensitivity found in elongation mutants. We tested whether the drug sensitivity of elongation mutants is due to their inability to induce IMD2 by providing them with exogenous copies of the gene. In some elongation mutants, overexpression reversed drug sensitivity and a transcriptional defect. Overexpression in mutants with a more severe phenotype partially suppressed drug sensitivity but was inconsequential in reversing a defect in transcription. These findings suggest that the drug sensitivity of elongation mutants is largely but not solely attributable to defects in the ability to induce IMD2, because transcription is compromised even when IMD2 mRNA levels are adequate. We describe two DNA sequence elements in the promoter of the gene that regulate it. We also found that IMD2 mRNA abundance is coupled to cell growth rate. These findings show that yeast possess a conserved system that gauges nucleotide pools and cell growth rate and responds through a uniquely regulated member of the IMD gene family.
Dissociation of adsorbed diatomic molecules: Combined effects of the surface magnetic field, a laser and the phonon continuum

Abstract Effects of the surface magnetic field (SMF), a laser and admolecule-phonon coupling on the dissociation of adsorbed diatomic molecules are studied theoretically. It is observed that the laser photon-dressing and the SMF-splitting of the molecular states give rise to a multiwell configuration, and the dissociation rate of a particular vibrational state in this configuration is altered as compared to the gas-phase laser-induced process. The presence of the phonon continuum also affects dissociation by dampening local transition probabilities at avoided crossings. Dissociation rates as function of laser power densities for a few specific systems are derived with a phonon-free situation and also with the presence of the phonon continuum, and the extent of phonon effects are analyzed.
Binding of meso-tetra (4-N-methylpyridyl) porphine to DNA

The porphyrin photosensitizer, meso-Tetra (4-N-methyl-pyridyl) porphine tetraperchlorate is shown to unwind supercoiled ColEI DNA at a somewhat lower concentration than ethidium bromide. In contrast to this, the Fe(III) chelate of T4MPyP cannot unwind supercoiled DNA. It is concluded that these results corroborate our previous findings that, despite its large bulk, T4MPyP is fully capable of intercalating in DNA.
Endoplasmic reticulum stress controls M2 macrophage differentiation and foam cell formation

Macrophages are essential in atherosclerosis progression, but regulation of the M1 versus M2 phenotype and their role in cholesterol deposition are unclear. We demonstrate that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is a key regulator of macrophage differentiation and cholesterol deposition. Macrophages from diabetic patients were classically or alternatively stimulated and then exposed to oxidized LDL. Alternative stimulation into M2 macrophages lead to increased foam cell formation by inducing scavenger receptor CD36 and SR-A1 expression. ER stress induced by alternative stimulation was necessary to generate the M2 phenotype through JNK activation and increased PPARγ expression. The absence of CD36 or SR-A1 signaling independently of modified cholesterol uptake decreased ER stress and prevented the M2 differentiation typically induced by alternative stimulation. Moreover, suppression of ER stress shifted differentiated M2 macrophages toward an M1 phenotype and subsequently suppressed foam cell formation by increasing HDL- and apoA-1-induced cholesterol efflux indicating suppression of macrophage ER stress as a potential therapy for atherosclerosis.
Direct observation of reaction intermediates in catalytic synthesis of ammonia

Abstract Reaction intermediates in ammonia synthesis on metal surfaces are observed directly in the pulsed-laser stimulated field desorption mass spectrum to be N, NH, and NH 2 . The dominant mechanism of ammonia formation on metal surfaces at low temperature and gas pressure is therefore by dissociative mechanism.
Intracytoplasmic glutathione concentration and the role of β-mercaptoethanol in preimplantation development of bovine embryos

In vitro-matured/in vitro-fertilized bovine oocytes were cultured on cumulus cell layers in a serum-free medium (bovine embryo culture medium; BECM) supplemented with 3 mg/ml fatty acid-free BSA. The intracytoplasmic glutathione concentration of embryos was found to change significantly (P 0.9) increased. When the combined effects of 2-ME and/or cumulus cells were compared in a 2 x 2 factorial design, there was a significant (P 0.11) interaction between 2-ME and cumulus cells. In conclusion, intracytoplasmic glutathione concentration of bovine embryos derived from in vitro-culture increases during preimplantation development. The glutathione synthesis promoter 2-ME exerts its embryotropic role on the development before the fourth cleavage, thus yielding an improvement in blastocyst formation.
Children with anogenital symptoms and signs referred for sexual abuse evaluations.

Objective To determine whether children referred to a sexual abuse clinic because of anogenital symptoms or signs have examination findings that are suggestive of or probable or definitive for sexual abuse. Design Case series of 157 patients. Setting Child and adolescent ambulatory care sexual abuse clinic. Results A medical records review of 3660 cases was done; 157 cases were identified for study. Most (75%) referrals were from medical clinics. Of 184 complaints, the most common presenting symptom or sign was anogenital bleeding or bruising (29.3%), followed by irritation or redness (21.7%), abnormal anogenital anatomy (20.7%), vaginal discharge (18.4%), lesions (6.5%), and "other" symptoms or signs (3.3%). We used a standardized classification system and determined that 25 patients (15%) had examination findings in the sexual abuse clinic that were suggestive of or probable or definitive for sexual abuse. Although 85 patients had examination findings that corroborated the presenting symptom(s), 70 had nonspecific examination findings or a diagnosis other than sexual abuse. Seventy-two patients had normal examination findings. Only patients with the presenting symptom of lesions had an increased likelihood of a sexual abuse diagnosis. Common examination findings included anogenital erythema, enhanced vascularity of the hymen or vestibule in prepubertal girls, labial adhesions, and culture-negative vaginitis. Conclusions Few children are referred for sexual abuse evaluations based on physical signs or symptoms alone. Children with anogenital symptoms but without a disclosure or suspicion of sexual abuse are unlikely to have examination findings suggestive of abuse. The evaluation of children with anogenital symptoms and signs should include a consideration of alternative conditions and causes not directly related to sexual abuse.
Tornado Formation from Downdraft Interaction In the FACE Mesonetwork

Abstract A tornado observed on 15 June 1973 in the FACE surface mesonetwork was studied on the mesoscale and cloud scale. Downdrafts from two preexisting cumulonimbi, initially 80 km apart, met along a north-south line in the center of the mesonet 30 min before tornado formation. Fed by the convergence of flow from the outflows of the predecessor cumulonimbi, a line of deep cumuli formed and developed rapidly. A tornado was observed as it dropped from this cumulus line. When the tornado dissipated 10 min later, heavy precipitation was reaching the surface and new outflow began to spread from the now vigorous cumulonimbus that had spawned the tornado. The life cycle of the tornado and a period of 90 rain surrounding its occurrence studied in detail from observed surface winds, radar reflectivity and surface rain gage data. The evolution of the parent cloud and tornado in a tropical thermodynamic environment with local forcing, weak shear and winds, and a potentially unstable sounding contrasts with the con...
EFFECT OF CUE INCONGRUENCE AND SOCIAL NORMATIVE INFLUENCES ON INDIVIDUAL JUDGMENTS OF HONESTY AND DECEIT

Abstract This study investigated the relative importance of verbal, nonverbal, and social normative information in judgments of honesty and deceit. Under conditions of verbal and nonverbal cue incongruence, respondents were expected to rely on normative information to make their decisions. A specific effect coded model was developed to test this hypothesis. Although the data were generally consistent with this hypothesized model, judgments in two of the six critical conditions were inconsistent with predictions. As a whole, the data offer strong support for the nonverbal cue primacy explanation and no support for the social‐normative explanation. Suggestions for future research are offered.
A comparison of 6.14.endoetheno-7-(1-hydroxy-1-cyclohexylethyl)-tetrahydro-oripavine (A potent analgesic derived from thebaine) with morphine

Abstract The biological activities of M125 (6.14.endoetheno-7-(1-hydroxy-1-cyclohexylethyl)-tetrahydro-oripavine) and morphine have been compared by studying the changes produced by their repeated administration to rats in (1) the in vitro N- demethylating activity of the liver microsomal enzymes and (b) the pharmacological response to the drugs. M125 is N- demethylated by liver microsomal preparations under the same conditions required for the N- demethylation of morphine. After the repeated administration of M125 rats became tolerant to M125 itself and also to morphine. Similarly, morphine tolerant rats were tolerant to M125. The in vitro N- demethylation of both compounds was depressed in liver microsomal preparations from both M125 and morphine tolerant rats. After withdrawal of M125 from tolerant rats the pharmacological response of the animals to the drug and the liver microsomal N- demethylating activity returned to normal within twenty-five days. N- allyl normorphine inhibited the N- demethylation of morphine more strongly than that of M125 but the nature of the inhibition was the same in each case. It is suggested that M125 produces its biochemical and pharmacological effects by similar mechanisms to morphine.
Liquid Chromatographic Analysis of Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbons with Diode Array Detection

Abstract The potential of using a high-sensitivity diode array detector for analysis of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is examined. Separation of 16 priority pollutant PAHs is accomplished in 13 minutes with a 5-um polymeric C18 column. Detection limits of about 1 ng are demonstrated for most PAHs. Wavelength programming enhances the detection specificity while spectral overlay confirms the presence of trace levels of PAHs in complex environmental samples. The sensitivity of this diode array detector is compared to that of a programmable fluorescence detector. The analysis of an urban particulate extract and a contaminated soil sample demonstrates the utility and versatility of this detection approach.
On the status of the pomacentrid fish Stegastes lividus (Forster)

published in 1792 on ten fishes from Cooks’ first two world voyages). The Broussonet specimens eventually made their way to the Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle in Paris. In 1792, Banks passed about half of his Forster collection of specimens to the British Museum and the remainder to John Hunter, a surgeon and anatomist. Most of the latter material finally reached the British Museum in 1845, but some specimens are missing. Also, some specimens at the British Museum have badly deteriorated or lost their labels. George Forster made 629 drawings and paintings of plants and animals (95 of fishes) collected during the expedition on the Resolution. Sir Joseph Banks purchased these from J.R. Forster in 1776. In 1827, 7 years after Banks’ death, the Forster illustrations and Banks’ very valuable library were presented to the British Museum. J.R. Forster was unable to publish his four-volume manuscript, Descriptiones Animalium, of the animals of Cook’s second voyage in England. He and his son went to Germany in 1780, but most of the specimens and the son’s illustrations remained in London. In Germany, he also failed to publish his tome and died in 1798. Marcus Eliezer Bloch’s manuscript entitled Systema Ichthyologiae was planned as a complete survey of all the fishes known to science, but he died in 1791 before it could be published. His editor, Johan Gottlob Schneider, continued the survey, added published and unpublished information, including the accounts of fishes in J.R. Forster’s manuscript, and published in 1801. Those species that were based on Forster’s descriptions were correctly attributed to him. The acknowlegment for C. lividus was cited as “Ch. liv. J.R. Forsteri MS III.17.” In 1844, the German zoologist Martin Heinrich Carl Lichtenstein published Forster’s entire Descriptiones Animalium in his role as an editor, adding notes to refer to species described after 1801. Wheeler (1981) wrote a chapter entitled Forster’s Fishes in Captain Cook’s The Journal of H.M.S. Resolution 1772– 1775 to update the names of the fishes taken during the expedition, indicating which were illustrated by George Forster, the location of type specimens, and when available, Forster’s notes on the habitat of the fishes. On the status of the pomacentrid fish Stegastes lividus (Forster)
Pediatric insecticide chalk exposures reported to Texas poison centers.

The pesticide Miraculous Insecticide Chalk® (typically containing deltamethrin and cypermethrin) is illegal in the United States but can be obtained through a variety of sources. Because it is a stick similar in appearance to common blackboard chalk, children might play with it and put it in their mouths. All Miraculous Insecticide Chalk exposures involving children 5 years or younger reported to Texas poison centers during 2000-2010 were identified. The distribution by selected demographic and clinical factors was calculated. Of the total 188 exposures, the mean age was 1.5 years (range 6 months-5 years) and 60.6% were male. Ingestions were reported in 97.3% of the exposures, and these were reported to involve at most one stick of the chalk. The lowest exposure rates per 100,000 population of 5 years or younger were reported in the Public Health Regions in northern and eastern Texas (0.00-2.30) and the highest rates in the Public Health Regions in southern and western Texas (19.08-39.50). Of the 187 exposures not involving other substances, 96.8% were known or expected to result in at most minor effects, and 71.1% were managed on site (at residence). Language: en
Considering the community influence for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth experience typical tasks of adolescence, but may also face heterosexist and homophobic environments and LGBT-related victimization that can lead to greater risk of poor psychological outcomes compared to non-LGBT youth. LGBT youth who are supported by peers, parents, and school personnel may be protected from these negative outcomes. One oft-cited recommendation to increase beneficial outcomes for LGBT students is the creation of a gay–straight alliance (GSA) in the school. Beneficial outcomes have been documented for LGBT students who attend schools with GSAs, but there seems to be a significant lapse in the literature with regard to community factors. The likelihood that acceptance and support at the community level leads to similar amounts of acceptance and support at the school level (in terms of supportive peers, faculty, and parents) and thus significantly affects student outcomes is discussed. Acknowledging the benefits of GSAs, this article sugge...
Power and the Celebration of the Self: Michel Foucault's Epideictic Rhetoric

I argue that Michel Foucault can be read as practicing a kind of epideictic rhetoric. Foucault's work is epideictic because it tells a history of the present, is concerned with aesthetics, and is involved in uncovering and displaying common cultural values or ideals. Through an analysis of the epideictic dimensions of Foucault's work I link his conception of power to his concern with the self and demonstrate that self-creation is connected to a display of the history of the present. Such a move implies that epideictic is a critical practice for contemporary rhetorical theorists and critics, the significance of which can be extended and developed in the light of Foucault's position on power and human agency.
The cholesterol saturation index of human bile

A line of maximum cholesterol solubility was obtained by plotting the ratios of bile salt to cholesterolversus bile salt to phospholipid from model solutions simulating bile containing human biliary lecithin, human bile salts, and cholesterol. The sole factor responsible for the solubility of cholesterol (above the 3% total solid content) was found to be the proportion of bile salts to lecithin. This relationship could be expressed mathematically by a polynomial equation and the bile-salt-to-cholesterol ratio at maximum cholesterol holding capacity for a bile ascertained. From this information the percent cholesterol saturation of human bile could be determined. This method was applied to the bile obtained from 139 patients. The biles from 49 of 53 patients with known cholesterol gallstones had a cholesterol saturation index of 100% or greater, while 53 of 77 patients without evidence of cholesterol gallstones had a cholesterol-unsaturated bile. This method quantitates the exact degree of cholesterol saturation in human bile (cholesterol saturation index-CSI), and the availability of this index should be useful for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.
The Space of Epistemology in Marie de France's 'Yonec'

AbstractMarie de France's twelfth-century lai 'Yonec' offers a model of epistemology in which knowledge entails acts of forgetting over space. Through the course of its narrative, 'Yonec' exposes the limitations inherent in deriving knowledge from static memorials. It chooses instead an expansive and dynamic epistemology in which forgetting — experienced in the movement across space — leads to deeper forms of memory and knowledge than are possible in static memorials alone. The lai's understanding of knowledge relies not only upon the symbolic space of the mind, but also upon the material and political space of its Celtic world. 'Yonec' responds to Henri Lefebvre's caution to consider the material exigencies of space when attempting to use it conceptually or metaphorically. In acknowledging the role of space's materiality in its symbolic meanings, 'Yonec' also offers a suggestive perspective on forgetting and knowing as spatial, rather than temporal, processes.
Laryngeal adductor reflex and pharyngeal squeeze as predictors of laryngeal penetration and aspiration.

Objectives The contribution of laryngopharyngeal (LP) sensory deficits to the outcome of swallowing and the relationship between sensory and motor deficits in the laryngopharynx is unclear. The study purpose is to determine if patients with LP sensory and motor deficits are at increased risk for laryngeal penetration and aspiration during swallowing, and to determine the relationship between pharyngeal motor weakness and LP sensory deficits. Materials and Methods Endoscopic evaluation of swallowing with sensory testing was performed on 122 dysphagic patients who were prospectively divided into two groups. The control group was 76 patients with normal sensitivity, determined by an intact laryngeal adductor reflex (LAR) on air pulse stimulation of the mucosa innervated by the superior laryngeal nerve. The study group was 46 patients with severe sensory deficits, determined by an absent LAR. Each group was given puree followed by thin liquid, noting presence or absence of laryngeal penetration and aspiration. Pharyngeal muscle strength was assessed by noting presence or absence of pharyngeal contraction during voluntary adduction of the vocal folds (pharyngeal squeeze). Results In control subjects, with purees, 6 of 76 (7.90%) penetrated and 3 of 76 (3.94%) aspirated; with thins, 26 of 76 (34.2%) penetrated and 13 of 76 (17.1%) aspirated. In the absent LAR group, with purees, 39 of 46 (84.8%) penetrated and 32 and 46 (69.6%) aspirated; with thins, 46 of 46 (100%) penetrated and 43 of 46 (93.5%) aspirated. For both consistencies, the differences in prevalence of penetration and aspiration between groups was significant (P <.0001, χ2). In control subjects, pharyngeal squeeze was impaired in 17 of 76 (22.4%), with penetration of puree in 6 of 17 (35.3%) and aspiration in 3 of 17 (17.6%). In the absent LAR group, squeeze was impaired in 41 of 46 (89.1%), with penetration of puree in 39 of 41 (95.1%) and aspiration in 32 of 41 (78.0%). The difference in the prevalence of pharyngeal weakness between groups was significant (P <.0001). The difference in the prevalence of penetration and aspiration was higher in the absent LAR/impaired contraction cohort than in the normal sensation/impaired contraction cohort (P <.0001). Conclusion Absence of the LAR and impaired pharyngeal squeeze puts patients with dysphagia at high risk for laryngeal penetration and aspiration compared with patients with an intact LAR and intact pharyngeal squeeze. There is a strong association between motor and sensory deficits in the laryngopharynx.
The role of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species in cartilage matrix destruction

Upregulation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) is a hallmark of osteoarthritis progression; along with the role reactive oxygen species (ROS) may play in this process. Moreover, mitochondrial DNA damage and dysfunction are also present in osteoarthritic chondrocytes. However, there are no studies published investigating the direct relationship between mitochondrial ROS, mitochondrial DNA damage, and MMP expression. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to evaluate whether mitochondrial DNA damage and mitochondrial-originated oxidative stress modulates matrix destruction through the upregulation of MMP protein levels. MitoSox red was utilized to observe mitochondrial ROS production while a Quantitative Southern blot technique was conducted to analyze mitochondrial DNA damage. Additionally, Western blot analysis was used to determine MMP protein levels. The results of the present study show that menadione augmented mitochondrial-generated ROS and increased mitochondrial DNA damage. This increase in mitochondrial-generated ROS led to an increase in MMP levels. When a mitochondrial ROS scavenger was added, there was a subsequent reduction in MMP levels. These studies reveal that mitochondrial integrity is essential for maintaining the cartilage matrix by altering MMP levels. This provides new and important insights into the role of mitochondria in chondrocyte function and its potential importance in therapeutic approaches.
Ricci Symmetries of Static Space-Times with Maximal Symmetric Transverse Spaces

In the paper [M. Akbar and R.G. Cai, Commun. Theor. Phys. 45 (2006) 95], a complete classification is provided with at least one component of the vector field V is zero. In this paper, I consider the vector field V with all non-zero components and the static space times with maximal symmetric transverse spaces are classified according to their Ricci collineations. These are investigated for non-degenerate Ricci tensor det R ≠ 0. It turns out that the only collineations admitted by these spaces can be ten, seven, six or four. It also covers our previous results as a spacial case. Some new metrics admitting proper Ricci collineations are also investigated.
The positive face of resistance: nurses relate their stories.

Objective To relate nurses' stories of their experiences of acts of resistance. Background Although resistance is often characterized as negative, it can be seen as a way that the less powerful speak up about workplace concerns. By studying how nurses resist, new perspectives about how some groups exercise power may be understood. Methods For this qualitative study, 19 nurses were interviewed. They were asked to describe an act of resistance in their professional life. The interviews were tape recorded, transcribed, and then analyzed using narrative methods. Results Four major categories emerged from the narratives: definitions of resistance, relationships, core narratives, and creating meaning. This article focuses on 2 of these for space constraints and relevance to this journal: relationships and creating meaning. Conclusion The nurses interviewed described situations in their work lives, where they felt that they performed an act of resistance because of unfair treatment, abuse of power, or ethical concerns. It often took courage to do so, but the acts had mainly positive effects on them and their institutions. It is theorized that resistance may actually be positive for both the staff nurse and the organization.
Rapid, Traditional, and Virtual: Prototypes in the Undergraduate Curriculum

The Mechanical Engineering (ME) faculty at Western Kentucky University (WKU) has developed a curricular plan to balance the strengths and weaknesses of three types of design prototyping: rapid, traditional, and virtual. Rapid prototyping refers to any of the modern 3D printing tools, such as Fused Deposition Modeling. Traditional prototyping has been defined as primarily machined parts, ranging from simple fabricated parts to CNC machined components. Virtual prototyping is used to describe designs that exist only in the digital domain as parts and assemblies in a 3D drawing program. Over the entire four years of the WKU ME curriculum, students work on a range of projects that allow them to utilize all three types of prototypes. The ME Freshman Experience allows students to blend the study of design methodologies with basic instruction in machine tools. Each student designs, builds, and tests their own air-powered steam engine. Sophomore Design finds the students working not only on a virtual design project, but also a more extended design-build-test project focused on experimentation. Junior design blends an externally sponsored virtual design along with the ASME Regional Student Competition (RSC). As with the RSC, Capstone Design in the senior year allows students to use a balance of all three types of prototyping as they judge appropriate and/or requested by their external sponsor. Design projects utilizing rapid and traditional prototyping resources require a large commitment by faculty and staff for support. A balance between time, resources, and level of student effort must be maintained, but careful planning can lead to improved student design performance. Virtual prototyping can appear to be easier to manage, but student expertise in creating fidelity between digital drawings and the desired physical parts varies widely. The deficiencies can show up when creating assemblies, but students can often mask the errors. The most important aspect of all these prototyping activities is the need for continual interaction between students, faculty, and staff. Students do not usually possess an innate project management ability, but experience has shown that strong project management skills are necessary for successful prototyping activities. All persons involved in the efforts must understand the prototyping facilities available, the time and resources necessary to utilize them effectively, and the reasonable expectations of the course effort. Students can gain understanding through repeated course exposure, but faculty must present a consistent voice with respect to the technologies available.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Properties of heat-treated composites after aging in water

Objectives. Post-cure heat treatments have been shown to increase the fracture toughness and elastic modulus of composites. The objective of this study was to determine if the increase remained after the composites were aged in water. Methods. The fracture toughness (KIc), flexural modulus and flexural strength of four experimental and one commercial composite (Z-100, 3M Dental Products) were tested after 1, 7, 30, 60 and 180 d of aging in 37°C water. The four experimental composites were made with a BisGMA/TEGDMA resin and were characterized as follows: Micro = 38 vol% silane-treated silica, Fine = 65 vol% silane-treated quartz of 1–2 μm average size, Hybrid = 65 vol% silane treated quartz of a mixture of 1–2 μm average and 8 μm average size, and Large = 65 vol% quartz of 8 μm average size (of which only 75% were silane-treated). All specimens were light-cured (normal-cured; Triad II-80 s). One set of each composite was further heat-cured at 120°C for 10 min (heat-cured). A third set of the Hybrid was heat-cured with simultaneous light exposure (Elipar, Espe) for the first 3 min. Results. By 30 d, normal-cured and heat-cured specimens showed significant (ANOVA/Tukey's test; p ≤ 0.05) reductions in fracture toughness (avg. 16% and 22%, respectively), flexural modulus (avg. 11% and 11%, respectively) and flexural strength (avg. 25% and 29%, respectively). Further aging had little effect. The use of additional light-curing during heating did not affect the properties more than heat-curing alone. Significance. The improvements in some of the properties of composites produced by heat-treating are of only short-term benefit, and are for the most part negated due to an alteration of the resin matrix as the composite equilibrates with water.
Age Stratification and Value Orientations.

The concept of age stratification provides a useful way of examining social aspects of human aging. This paper reports data on selected value orientations of two age strata in two subcultural systems-one a rural county in the Southern Appalachian Region and the other a metropolitan center adjacent to but outside the Appalachian Region. Comparisons of mean scores revealed significant differences between the younger and older age strata in both geographic areas on such value orientations as authoritarianism, dependency, achievement, religiosity, and anomia. Two hypothesis are suggested to explain the age strata differences-one of aging and the other of social change. Some implications of the social change hypothesis are discussed.
Interaction of Maize Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and Parasitoid Anisopteromalus calandrae (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) in a Small Bulk of Stored Corn

Monthly samples of a stored-corn ecosystem in southeastern Georgia were used to examine interaction between the maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky, and its parasitoid, Anisopteromalus calandrae (Howard). Counts of adults were made when the samples were taken. Counts were made again after the samples had been held at 30C and 60% RH for 1 wk and for 3 wk. Host and parasitoid develop within grain kernels; at any time, their numbers can be divided into interstitial and intrakernel populations. Interstitial populations, estimated by the first count, consisted of adults that were in the interstices of the grain mass when a sample was taken. In these populations, numerical response of the parasitoid to host density was clear and indicated a degree of natural control. The intrakernel populations, estimated by counts 2 and 3 combined, included immature stages and adults that had not yet emerged from grain kernels at the time of sampling. Analysis of these populations showed that the rate of parasitism responded to changes in host density, but lagged behind. This delayed density-dependence allowed enough fluctuation in the weevil population for significant damage to occur during periods of peak population density. Nevertheless, A. calandrae may be an effective biological control agent if it is introduced in sufficient numbers early in the storage period to suppress the initial buildup of weevil populations. For long storage periods, additional introductions would be required to prevent weevil populations from rebounding once the parasite population declined.
Complete intracranial autolysis after thermal injury

A 41-year-old male electrician presented to our Burn Center after being rescued from the bottom of a manhole where a fire broke out as he was laying cables. Investigators did not believe the fire was electrical in origin and may have been related to a flammable gas leak. He had no past medical or surgical history, had no allergies, and took no prescription medications. He had no history of tobacco or illegal drug use, although he did socially use alcohol. Upon arrival at our institution, he was awake, alert, and communicative with a Glasgow Coma Score of 15. There was no loss of consciousness. He was hemodynamically stable, but in respiratory distress. The trauma evaluation revealed no additional injuries other than the burn wounds. Evaluation of his thermal injuries revealed a 51% total body surface area involvement, including the entire anterior torso, face, bilateral arms, and the back of one leg. The majority of these burn wounds were deep partial and full-thickness. The patient was immediately intubated and resuscitated. Over the next several days, the patient underwent escharotomy of his upper extremity near-circumferential wounds, tracheostomy, and tangential excision and splitthickness autografting of his extremity wounds, as well as tangential excision of the thoracic burn.
The Associations of Financial Stress and Parenting Support Factors with Alcohol Behaviors During Young Adulthood

This study examined concurrent and prospective associations of financial stress (financial strain, lack of financial access, public assistance) and parenting support factors (relationship quality, living at home, financial support) with young adults’ alcohol behaviors (alcohol use, heavy drinking, and problematic drinking) over a 5-year period. Analyses of National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) data (N = 7,159) showed that, over the study period, alcohol use and heavy drinking declined while problematic drinking increased. In addition, living at home and parental relationship quality were associated with fewer concurrent and prospective alcohol behaviors whereas financial strain and parents’ financial support were associated with more alcohol behaviors. The implications for minimizing alcohol misuse in young adults amid uncertain economic conditions are discussed.
Altitude variations of middle-latitude topside ionospheric electron-density profiles

Abstract An approach to determine the dependence of the mid-latitude topside ionospheric electron number density ( N e ) altitude distributions and ion composition changes on long-term solar-cycle variations and short-term solar-wind and magnetic disturbances has been developed. This approach focuses on N e altitude profiles from the height of the ionospheric N e maximum to ∼3000 km as deduced from ISIS (International Satellites for Ionospheric Studies) topside-sounder data. These data, obtained over a two-decade time interval, can be used to investigate secular changes in the topside N e profiles, which reflect altitude changes in plasma temperature and ion composition, over more than a solar cycle. The approach is to determine the locations of mid-latitude O + /H + transition altitudes deduced by fitting the topside N e profiles to modeled H + and O + profiles using the base electron temperatures and constant temperature gradients as variables.
On the Formation of Clusters of Nebulae and the Cosmological Time Scale

A. The Problem of the Short Time Scale in an Expanding Universe. - The red-shift in the spectra of nebulae is most easily interpreted as a Doppler effect caused by the mutual and approximately uniform recession of these nebulae from one another. This hypothesis of an expanding universe leads to an alarmingly short cosmological time scale with the consequence that some two billion years ago intergalactic space must have been practically non-existent and the nebulae were not clearly separable from one another. Nevertheless, the individual objects which constitute these nebulae such as the stars, and the double, triple and multiple systems of stars might well have existed in their present physical condition even in a very contracted universe. The argument that the earth and the stars have existed for periods longer than two billion years, and the fact that perhaps the present statistical distribution of stars could have been achieved only in a very much longer time than two billion years is therefore not sufficient to reject the hypothesis of the expanding universe. In order to show that the time scale demanded by this hypothesis is inacceptable we must endeavor to discuss objects which (a) in a contracted universe clearly could not have existed in their present form and (b) whose formation required intervals of time definitely larger than two billion years. If we succeed in finding any objects which meet these requirements (a) and (b) we shall have demonstrated the impossibility of a time scale which would allow us to interpret the nebular red-shift on the basis of an expanding universe.
Jamaican Food: History, Biology, Culture

Review of Jamaican Food: History, Biology, Culture . B. W. Higman. 2008. University of West Indies Press, Jamaica. Pp. 580. $70.00 (cloth). ISBN (cloth) 9789766402051.
Students' Stress, Distress, and Achievement in an Urban Intermediate School

This study examined relationships between in-school stressor and support events, locus of control distress, and achievement for a sample of 90 eighth-grade students in an inner-city school Events classified as General School Disrupters were rated by students as occurring most frequently, but appraised as least upsetting, whereas assaults and academic troubles were experienced less frequently, but appraised as more upsetting. Frequency of stressor events was correlated with external locus of control self-reported distress, and lower grade point average. Stressor appraisal and locus of control, but not support, mediated the influence of stressor frequency on distress & Girls appraised stressor events as more upsetting than did boys and received higher grades than boys, despite having comparable reading scores and the same locus of control as boys. Further research is recommended particularly to explore gender differences further and to clarify the functions of student appraisal of stressor events in differe...
Finite-size correction in many-body electronic structure calculations.

Finite-size (FS) effects are a major source of error in many-body (MB) electronic structure calculations of extended systems. A method is presented to correct for such errors. We show that MB FS effects can be effectively included in a modified local density approximation calculation. A parametrization for the FS exchange-correlation functional is obtained. The method is simple and gives post-processing corrections that can be applied to any MB results. Applications to a model insulator (${P}_{2}$ in a supercell), to semiconducting Si, and to metallic Na show that the method delivers greatly improved FS corrections.
Using theory to identify beliefs associated with support for policies to raise the price of high-fat and high-sugar foods

Public policies designed to dramatically raise the price of high-fat and high-sugar foods have received substantial attention from researchers and the media. Although econometric studies suggest that these policies could reduce obesity rates, they are likely to face substantial public opposition. This study used the theory of perceived responsibility and social motivation as a framework to analyze data from a politically diverse convenience sample of 500 adults in upstate New York. The authors examined associations between attribution beliefs and policy support to identify what types of scientific evidence and accompanying messages appear most likely to generate public support for price-raising policies. Results suggest that public health advocates and health communicators could benefit from an increased emphasis on advertising for unhealthy foods as a cause of obesity and the food industry's (manufacturers, advertisers, markets, and restaurants) responsibility for addressing the problem.
Stripper configurations for CO2 capture by aqueous monoethanolamine and piperazine

Abstract Absorption/stripping with aqueous amines is a competitive technology for CO 2 capture from coal-fired power plants. A major challenge is reducing the energy requirement in the stripper, which has contributions from the reboiler(s), pumps, and compressors. In this study, the effects of flowsheet complexity and solvent choice were explored. Five flowsheets were stimulated in Aspen Plus ® using 9 m MEA and 8 m PZ. Although the absorber was not modeled, the rich loadings used for the two solvents accounted for the faster CO 2 reaction rate of PZ in the absorber. The simulations demonstrated that increased configuration complexity improved the efficiency of the absorber by 5%–8%, depending on the solvent, operating temperature, and rich loading. The best improvement from the simple stripper was observed with the interheated column. The improvements were attributed to better reversibility of the more complex flowsheets. Furthermore, 8 m PZ consistently had a lower energy requirement than 9 m MEA. Configurations with packed columns exhibited improvements in energy consumption of 9%–11%.