cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Collective Worldviews and Health of Pacific American Elders.

The community as part of the social environment is a key social determinant of health and is a central organizing feature of Pacific culture. A collective worldview informs the way social support is conceived in Pacific cultures, and it is core to Samoan and Tongan elders’ perceptions of the influence of community on health and well-being. In turn, inability to fulfill community responsibilities may be an indication of poor health and well-being and may be distressful because of this collective worldview. Using principles of grounded theory that informed the data collection and analysis, in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 Samoan and 10 Tongan elders in Hawai'i, the port of entry for most Pacific Americans migrating to the U.S. and the location where the majority of Samoans and Tongans reside. Four main themes—community norms, social functions of community, community capacity, and negative community influences—were identified as community factors affecting the health and well-being of Samoan and To...
AGE-DEPENDENT CHANGES IN RECEPTOR-STIMULATED PHOSPHOINOSITIDE TURNOVER IN THE RAT HIPPOCAMPUS

To study the changes in the hippocampal cholinergic system of chronologically old and behaviorally impaired animals, old (21 months of age) and young (3 months of age) male, Fischer-344 rats were used. The aged animals were tested on a reference memory task (Morris water maze) and found to be functionally impaired as compared to the young controls. Carbachol-stimulated phosphoinositide metabolism was measured in hippocampal slices from young and old rats. Slices were prelabeled with 3H-inositol for 120 min and subjected to muscarinic stimulation in the presence of lithium. Following extraction of the slices with acidified solvent mixture, the inositolphosphates present in the aqueous fraction were isolated by ion exchange chromatography. Receptor-stimulated release of inositolphosphates (IPs) was found to be increased in the hippocampus of older animals. This age-related enhancement of IP release was in contrast to the decrease in choline acetyltransferase (CHAT) activity in the hippocampus. We postulate that alterations in the G-protein coupling with the muscarinic receptor leads to an increase in the phosphoinositide turnover in part as a compensatory mechanism for neuronal cell death and reduced transmitter levels.
Estimating parameters of generalized integrate-and-fire neurons from the maximum likelihood of spike trains

When a neuronal spike train is observed, what can we deduce from it about the properties of the neuron that generated it? A natural way to answer this question is to make an assumption about the type of neuron, select an appropriate model for this type, and then choose the model parameters as those that are most likely to generate the observed spike train. This is the maximum likelihood method. If the neuron obeys simple integrate-and-fire dynamics, Paninski, Pillow, and Simoncelli (2004) showed that its negative log-likelihood function is convex and that, at least in principle, its unique global minimum can thus be found by gradient descent techniques. Many biological neurons are, however, known to generate a richer repertoire of spiking behaviors than can be explained in a simple integrate-and-fire model. For instance, such a model retains only an implicit (through spike-induced currents), not an explicit, memory of its input; an example of a physiological situation that cannot be explained is the absence of firing if the input current is increased very slowly. Therefore, we use an expanded model (Mihalas & Niebur, 2009), which is capable of generating a large number of complex firing patterns while still being linear. Linearity is important because it maintains the distribution of the random variables and still allows maximum likelihood methods to be used. In this study, we show that although convexity of the negative log-likelihood function is not guaranteed for this model, the minimum of this function yields a good estimate for the model parameters, in particular if the noise level is treated as a free parameter. Furthermore, we show that a nonlinear function minimization method (r-algorithm with space dilation) usually reaches the global minimum.
Robots and Special Education: The Robot as Extension of Self1

While robotics as a technology is modern, we can look to science fiction and mythology for inspirations for today's and tomorrow's products. Indeed, one of the earliest references to robots describes what is now at the frontier of modern technology-the golden maidens of Vulcan (Durant, 1939). These servants, according to myth, were built by Vulcan to assist him after he became crippled. With specialized robots finding ready use in industry, we are finding a rise in the attention received by the personal robot.
B-cell deficiency does not abrogate development of cutaneous hyperplasia in mice inheriting the defective fibrillin-1 gene

Tight-skin (TSK) mouse, the experimental model for scleroderma, develops cutaneous hyperplasia, cardiac hypertrophy, pulmonary emphysema and autoimmunity against scleroderma target autoantigens. The cutaneous hyperplasia is associated with the accumulation of microfibrils and elastic fibers in the middle and deep dermis. Fibrillin-1 (Fbn-1) is a major component of the 10‐12 nm microfibrils found in the extracellular matrix. In this study we report the identification of a genetic marker in the Fbn-1 gene that can distinguish the mutant phenotype. TSK mice exhibit an unique polymorphism in the Fbn-1 gene. RNA analysis, PCR analysis and sequence determination of the mutant gene showed that the Fbn-1 gene polymorphism is due to intragenic duplication of a segment of the gene coding for 3.0 Kb of mRNA sequence (10 Kb of the genome). Histological analysis of skin samples from F1 progeny obtained by crossing TSK mice with JH˛/˛, RAG2˛/˛ orvit/vit showed a significant correlation between the inheritance of the defective Fbn-1 gene and the development of cutaneous hyperplasia. Further, our results also show that in mice deficient in mature B cells inheriting the defective Fbn-1 gene, development of cutaneous hyperplasia is not abrogated. Thus, production of autoantibodies or the presence of mature B lymphocytes do not play an integral role in the pathogenesis of cutaneous hyperplasia. © 1997 Academic Press Limited
PKB: a program system and data base for analysis of protein structure.

PKB is a computer program system that combines a data base of three-dimensional protein structures with a series of algorithms for pattern recognition, data analysis, and graphics. By typing relatively simple commands the user may search the data base for instances of a structural motif and analyze in detail the set of individual structures that are found. The application of PKB to the study of protein folding is illustrated in three examples. The first analysis compares the conformations observed for a short sequential motif, sequences similar to the cell-attachment signal Arg-Gly-Asp. The second compares sequences observed for a conformational motif, a 16-residue βαβ unit. The third analysis considers a population of substructures containing ion-pair interaction, examining the relationship offrequency of occurrence to calculated electrostatic energy.
Fine structure of an unidentified protozoon in the epithelium of rainbow trout exposed to water with Myxosoma cerebralis.

SYNOPSIS. An intracellular protozoon was discovered in the epithelium of young rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) exposed for as short a time as 1 hr to water known to contain infective stages of Myxosoma cerebralis. Light- and electron-microscopic examination of this tissue revealed what appeared to be a proliferative stage (presumptive schizont) of a sporozoon; other possible stages in the life cycle were also observed. The relationship of this unidentified protozoon to M. cerebralis remains unresolved.
SU‐FF‐T‐305: Is It Necessary to Adjust the Prescription Dose to Compensate for Cobalt Source Decay of Gamma Knife Radiosurgery?

Purpose: To investigate whether it is necessary to adjust the prescription dose to compensate for Cobaltsource decay of Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS) for trigeminal neuralgia. Methods and Materials: A radiobiological model for GKRS was utilized to estimate the radiation response of the braintissue to the radiosurgerydose distributions expressed in the form of dose volume histogram (DVH). For each bin of the DVH, a linear‐quadratic equation was constructed to calculate the Extrapolated Response Dose (ERD) given the specific dose rate and dose. The relationship between ERD and clinical outcome, i.e., pain relief of trigeminal neuralgia, was evaluated using the data from 343 patients who received trigeminal neuralgia GKRS during a period of 6 years. This model is validated by published clinical data. Necessary dose adjustment to compensate for source decay was obtained during a period of 10 years (two half‐lives). Results: Between the first (5/98–5/99) and last (11/01–11/03) quartile of the patients, complete or nearly complete (⩾90%) pain relief rate was 54.2% verse 50.6%, respectively, at the 12 month follow‐up. Dose rate was not a factor influencing pain relief (p=0.755). Meanwhile, our model predicts that pain relief rate drops 3%, and the necessary dose adjustment for the trigeminal neuralgia GKRS should increase 3–5% for the typical prescription dose of 70–90Gy at the end of two half‐lives. The model also suggests that when the radiosurgery prescription dose is low (e.g. cases such as acoustic neuroma or brain metastases) dose adjustment is not necessary because the change of ERD is negligible. Conclusions: Prolonged treatment due to radiationsource decay has little effect on clinical outcome for trigeminal neuralgia GKRS with up to 10 years of service.
Genetic and biochemical evidence for multiple forms of acetolactate synthase in Nicotiana tabacum

Mutations conferring resistance to sulfonylurea herbicides have been identified at two unlinked genetic loci (SuRA and SuRB) in Nicotiana tabacum. A mutation (S4) residing at the SuRB locus causes production of an altered form of acetolactate synthase (ALS) that is insensitive to inhibition by sulfonylurea herbicides and that constitutes approximately 50% of total ALS activity. Another mutation (C3) at the SuRA locus similarly results in herbicide resistance of approximately half of the total ALS activity. These results suggest that N. tabacum possesses at least two isozymic forms of ALS. The relative and absolute amounts of the isozymes are affected by a mutation that segregates independently of C3.
Comparison of two nonverbal intelligence tests among children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.

Abstract The primary goal of the current study is to evaluate the concurrent validity of the Leiter International Performance Scale-Revised (Leiter-R Brief IQ) and Differential Ability Scales – Second Edition (DAS-II Nonverbal Reasoning Index) in a group of children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. Knowing the breadth of cognitive tools appropriate for use in children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing is highly beneficial, given that clinical and school psychologists are often challenged to reliably assess cognitive functions in the context of hearing loss. Participants included 54 children between three and six years of age with permanent bilateral hearing loss. As part of the study, neurocognitive assessments were conducted by a pediatric neuropsychologist or licensed clinical psychologist with extensive experience administering assessments to children with developmental disabilities, including children with hearing loss. The Leiter-R Brief IQ score was similar to the DAS-II nonverbal reasoning index, with no significant difference in the mean scores across the two assessments. The severity of hearing loss was not correlated to either the Leiter-R or the DAS-II nonverbal IQ. Nearly a quarter of the children evaluated had meaningful intra-individual differences between scores on the Leiter-R and DAS-II that were more than one standard deviation from one another. Conducting accurate intellectual assessments in children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing is fundamental in determining and designing interventions and educational services. More comprehensive neuropsychological test batteries utilizing several tasks to assess a single domain (such as nonverbal reasoning) may be warranted for children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing.
Partnerships and promises: the history and future of library and US Government information

Librarians involved with the US Federal Depository Library system need to seriously reconsider their roles and economic arguments, as more federal agencies bypass the Government Printing Office and publish government information directly through the World Wide Web. If “ownership” and “collections” were the watchwords under the earlier model, “service” and “partnerships” will dominate the practice of government information librarians in the next century.
Adaptive Multi-Criteria Routing for Shared Sensor-Actuator Networks

In this paper, we present Adaptive Multi-Criteria Routing (AMCR), a novel routing approach for large-scale shared Sensor-Actuator NETworks (SANETs). Although many routing protocols have been proposed for wireless sensor networks, most of these protocols are designed with a specific application class or load pattern in mind. Furthermore, disparate concerns are usually woven within these protocols for optimization purposes. This limits the ability of these protocols to efficiently handle all the routing needs of shared SANET environments that may have different applications with different communication requirements. A novelty of the AMCR design is that it provides a truly generic routing protocol capable of exploiting the message semantics and adapting itself to the observed application characteristics in order to support the efficient operation of shared SANET platforms. AMCR provides descriptive criteria-based addressing of resources, and allows applications to publish their own resource criteria. It also provides seamless support for unicast/multicast/anycast/broadcast communication patterns. AMCR supports multi-criteria indexes to efficiently route complex queries. AMCR exploits the application-specific message semantics in routing, by allowing applications to create routing indexes for the most frequently targeted criteria. We also propose a mechanism for automatic adaptation of AMCR criteria indexes according to observed traffic patterns. The scalability and efficiency of AMCR is shown using analytical evaluation.
Differential transcriptional activity of plant- pathogenic begomoviruses in their whitefly vector (Bemisia tabaci, Gennadius: Hemiptera Aleyrodidae)

Plant-pathogenic begomoviruses have a complex association with their whitefly vector and aspects concerning virus genetic activity (genome replication and gene transcription) within the insect remain highly controversial. Virus transcript abundance was assessed by quantifying selected gene transcripts of Tomato mottle virus (ToMoV, a New World bipartite begomovirus) and Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV, an Old World monopartite begomovirus) in whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci biotype B) after feeding on virus-infected tomato plants and after subsequent transfer to cotton, a plant that is immune to the selected begomoviruses. Real-time RT-PCR was performed using specific primers for three ToMoV genes (AV1, BC1 and BV1) and three TYLCV genes (V1, V2 and C3). The ToMoV gene transcripts rapidly became undetectable in whiteflies following transfer from tomato to cotton, probably because degradation was not accompanied by new synthesis. On the other hand, TYLCV transcripts increased after transfer of whiteflies to cotton, indicating active TYLCV transcription. Interestingly, the difference observed in ToMoV and TYLCV transcripts in the vector parallel observations on the different biological effects of these viruses on whiteflies, i.e. TYLCV, but not ToMoV, reduces whitefly fitness.
Impact of shuttle environment on prelaunch handling of nickel-hydrogen batteries

Deployment of the American Satellite Company 1 spacecraft for the Space Shuttle Discovery in August 1985 set a new milestone in nickel-hydrogen battery technology. This communications satellite is equipped with two 35 Ah nickel-hydrogen batteries and it is the first such satellite launched into orbit via the Space Shuttle. The prelaunch activities, combined with the environmental constraints onboard the Shuttle, led to the development of a new battery handling procedure. An outline of the prelaunch activities, with particular attention to battery charging, is presented.
Slow oscillations of KATP conductance in mouse pancreatic islets provide support for electrical bursting driven by metabolic oscillations.

We used the patch clamp technique in situ to test the hypothesis that slow oscillations in metabolism mediate slow electrical oscillations in mouse pancreatic islets by causing oscillations in KATP...
Cationic amino acid transport in the renal medulla and blood pressure regulation

Previous studies have indicated that NO synthesis in isolated inner medullary collecting duct cells is reduced by cationic amino acids that compete with L-arginine for cellular uptake. In the present study, we investigated the effects of chronic renal medullary infusion of cationic amino acids on renal NO concentration and mean arterial pressure (MAP) in Sprague-Dawley rats. Renal medullary infusion of L-ornithine (50 microg/kg per min) or L-lysine (50 microg/kg per min) markedly decreased NO in the medulla (vehicle, 124 +/- 11 nmol/L; L-ornithine, 45 +/- 4 nmol/L; L-lysine, 42 +/- 6 nmol/L) and increased MAP (vehicle, 111 +/- 7 mm Hg; L-ornithine, 143 +/- 6 mm Hg; L-lysine, 148 +/- 3 mm Hg) after 5 days of infusion. In contrast, intravenous infusion of the same dose of L-ornithine or L-lysine for 5 days increased plasma concentration to levels similar to those observed with intramedullary infusion but did not change NO in the medulla or alter MAP. Furthermore, the NO-suppressing and hypertensive effects of medullary interstitial infusion of L-ornithine (50 microg/kg per min) were attenuated by simultaneous infusion of L-arginine (500 microg/kg per min; NO, 97 +/- 10 nmol/L; MAP, 124 +/- 3 mm Hg). A 5-day infusion of an antisense oligonucleotide against CAT-1 (18-mer, 8.3 nmol/h) significantly decreased CAT-1 protein in the medulla, decreased NO in the medulla (scrambled oligo, 124 +/- 10 nmol/L; antisense oligo, 67 +/- 11 nmol/L), and increased MAP (scrambled oligo, 113 +/- 2 mm Hg; antisense oligo, 130 +/- 2 mm Hg). These results suggest that uptake of L-arginine by cationic amino acid transport systems in the renal medulla plays an important role in the regulation of medullary NO and MAP in rats.
Sublethal mitochondrial stress with an attendant stoichiometric augmentation of reactive oxygen species may precipitate many of the beneficial alterations in cellular physiology produced by caloric restriction, intermittent fasting, exercise and dietary phytonutrients: “Mitohormesis” for health and vitality

The precise mechanistic sequence producing the beneficial effects on health and lifespan seen with interventions as diverse as caloric restriction, intermittent fasting, exercise, and consumption of dietary phytonutrients is still under active characterization, with large swaths of the research community kept in relative isolation from one another. Among the explanatory models capable of assisting in the identification of precipitating elements responsible for beneficial influences on physiology seen in these states, the hormesis perspective on biological systems under stress has yielded considerable insight into likely evolutionarily consistent organizing principles functioning in all four conditions. Recent experimental findings provide the tantalizing initial lodestones for an entirely new research front examining molecular substrates of stress resistance. In this novel body of research, a surprising new twist has emerged: Reactive oxygen species, derived from the mitochondrial electron transport system, may be necessary triggering elements for a sequence of events that result in benefits ranging from the transiently cytoprotective to organismal-level longevity. With the recent appreciation that reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species function as signaling elements in a interconnected matrix of signal transduction, the entire basis of many widely accepted theories of aging that predominated in the past may need to be reconsidered to facilitate the formulation of an new perspective more correctly informed by the most contemporaneous experimental findings. This perspective, the mitohormesis theory, can be used in many disparate domains of inquiry to potentially explain previous findings, as well as point to new targets of research. The utility of this perspective for research on aging is significant, but beyond that this perspective emphasizes the pressing need to rigorously characterize the specific contribution of the stoichiometry of reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species in the various compartments of the cell to cytoprotection and vitality. Previous findings regarding the influences of free radical chemistry on cellular physiology may have represented assessments examining the consequences of isolated elevation of signaling elements within a larger signal transductive apparatus, rather than definitive characterizations of the only modality of reactive oxygen species (and reactive nitrogen species) influence. In applying this perspective, it may be necessary for the research community, as well as the practicing clinician, to engender a more sanguine perspective on organelle level physiology, as it is now plausible that such entities have an evolutionarily orchestrated capacity to self-regulate that may be pathologically disturbed by overzealous use of antioxidants, particularly in the healthy.
Amaurosis fugax caused by heritable thrombophilia-hypofibrinolysis in cases without carotid atherosclerosis: thromboprophylaxis prevents subsequent transient monocular partial blindness.

Nineteen patients (age 60 ± 14) with amaurosis fugax associated with heritable thrombophilia-hypofibrinolysis without ipsilateral atherosclerotic carotid plaque or other causes of amaurosis fugax were studied. Our hypothesis was that case-specific thromboprophylaxis would prevent subsequent amaurosis fugax episodes. Prospective treatment data were available for 13 cases. Thrombophilic disorders included high Factors VIII and XI, G20210A prothrombin heterozygosity, low proteins C and S, MTHFR mutations, and the PL A1/A2 mutation. Hypofibrinolytic disorders included plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 4G4G, and high lipoprotein (a). Treatments included Coumadin; Lovenox, folic acid-vitamin B6-vitamin B12, discontinuation of estrogens-selective estrogen receptor modulators, Glucophage, and aspirin, as appropriate. Usually within 1 month on therapy, patients became asymptomatic and have remained asymptomatic for ≥ 1 year on therapy, without adverse treatment side effects. When amaurosis fugax occurs without car...
Transporter-Mediated Absorption Is the Primary Route of Entry and Is Required for Passive Absorption of Intestinal Glucose into the Blood of Conscious Dogs

To determine the contributions of transporter-mediated and passive absorption during an intraduodenal glucose infusion in a large animal model, six mongrel dogs had sampling catheters (portal vein, femoral artery, duodenum), infusion catheters (vena cava, duodenum) and a portal vein flow probe implanted 17 d before an experiment. Protocols consisted of a basal (-30 to 0 min) and an experimental (0-90 min) period. An intraduodenal glucose infusion of 44 micromol/(kg. min) was initiated at t = 0 min. At t = 20 and 80 min, 3-O-[3H]methylglucose and L-[14C]glucose (L-Glc) were injected intraduodenally. Phloridzin, an inhibitor of the Na+/K+ ATP-dependent transporter (SGLT1), was infused from t = 60 to 90 min in the presence of a peripheral isoglycemic clamp. Net gut glucose output was 21.1 +/- 3.0 micromol/(kg. min) from t = 0 to 60 min. Transporter-mediated glucose absorption was calculated using three approaches, which involved either direct measurements or indirect estimates of duodenal glucose analog radioactivities, to account for the assumptions and difficulties inherent to duodenal sampling. Values were essentially the same regardless of calculations used because transporter-mediated absorption was 89 +/- 1%, 90 +/- 2% and 91 +/- 2% of net gut glucose output. Phloridzin-induced inhibition of transporter-mediated absorption completely abolished passive absorption of L-Glc. We conclude that in dogs, transporter-mediated glucose absorption constitutes the vast majority of glucose absorbed from the gut and is required for passive glucose absorption. The method described here is applicable to investigation of the mechanisms of gut glucose absorption under a variety of nutritional, physiologic and pathophysiologic conditions.
GRP bridge decks and superstructures in the USA

Jerome S. O'Connor of the University of Buffalo, USA, reviews the use of composite materials for bridge decks and superstructures in the USA. A review of this information should be useful to a civil engineer or bridge owner who wants to assesses the state-of-the-practice and make a judgment about using FRP for bridge decks or superstructures.
Evidence for alternate splicing within the mRNA transcript encoding the DNA damage response kinase ATR

Proper cellular response to genotoxic insult often requires the activity of one or more members of a family of high-molecular weight protein kinases referred to as phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PIK)-like proteins. While catalytic activity is an indispensable part of PIK-like protein function, little is currently known about factors that control their activity and/or functions. This deficiency stems, in large part, from our lack of knowledge concerning functionally significant subdomains within the large non-catalytic domain of these proteins. We have determined that the transcript encoding the PIK-like protein ATR undergoes alternate splicing within the region of the mRNA encoding its non-catalytic domain. This conclusion is based on the sequencing of a human expressed sequence tag clone encoding a portion of the ATR cDNA, and is supported by the results of reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays conducted on total and polyA+ RNA, as well as sequencing of cloned RT-PCR products. Cloning and sequencing of a segment of human genomic DNA indicated that this event arises from splicing of a single 192 bp exon within the ATR gene. Analysis of several human tissues indicated that alternate ATR transcripts are differentially expressed, suggesting that this region of the ATR protein may be of functional importance.
Preventing Substance Abuse Among African American Children and Youth: Race Differences in Risk Factor Exposure and Vulnerability

The accurate identification of risk factors is central to the development of effective efforts to prevent young people from using alcohol, tobacco and other substances. To date, a key limitation of the prevention literature has been the paucity of research that examines the extent to which substance use risk factors identified in studies of white adolescents generalize to African American (and other non-white) youth. In the absence of research on race differences in risk factor exposure and vulnerability, current preventive interventions are based on the implicit assumptions that 1) the risk factors for African American and white adolescents' substance use are identical; and 2) that African American and white adolescents are equally exposed and equally vulnerable to these risk factors. The purpose of the present study was to begin to examine empirically the equal exposure and vulnerability” assumption. Specifically, the paper used Hawkins, Catalano and Millers' widely cited 1992 article on risk and protective factors for adolescent and young adult substance use as a framework within which to review past risk factor research and as a guide to identify risk factors to examine for race differences in exposure and/or vulnerability. Based upon our review of the existing literature and our analysis of data from the University of Michigan's Monitoring the Future study, we conclude that the simple assumption that African American and white youth are equally exposed and vulnerable to the same risk factors is not correct. In fact, we found that African American and white seniors' differed significantly in their exposure to more than half of the 55 risk factors examined. Similarly, nearly one third of the 165 tests for race differences in vulnerability were highly significant (i.e., p < .01). While it is possible that some of the differences we identified resulted from chance, their consistency across variables, within the same risk factor domain, and across drug categories, makes the likelihood that our findings are primarily statistical artifacts unlikely. Based upon the results of this study it is clear that additional theoretically and empirically rigorous race-specific research is needed to better understand the etiology of substance use among African American adolescents. Further research is also needed to identify those risk factors that are most salient for African American adolescents and most amenable to change through well designed, and perhaps, culturally tailored preventive interventions.
Nanoscale craters in poly(methyl methacrylate) formed by exposure to condensing solvent vapor

We report atomic force microscope observations of small pits formed on thin poly(methyl methacrylate) films after exposure to formic acid vapor, which condenses to form small drops on the surface and then evaporates. This procedure produces large numbers of small pits, 50–5000 nm in diameter, with aspect ratios (depth-to-diameter) as high as 0.5. About 25% of the volume removed from high-aspect-ratio pits has been transported to form a raised ring around the rim of the pit. We attribute the remaining 75% of the volume loss to densification of the surrounding polymer. Nanoindentation measurements show that material inside the pits is harder and stiffer than material outside the pits, consistent with densification. The effects of solvent concentration, exposure time, and exposure to ammonia vapor are described. Similar treatments with volatile solvents have potential applications in large-scale surface patterning, submicron hole formation, and controlled alteration of surface properties.
Electromagnetic wave propagation through a dielectric–chiral interface and through a chiral slab

The reflection from and transmission through a semi-infinite chiral medium are analyzed by obtaining the Fresnel equations in terms of parallel- and perpendicular-polarized modes, and a comparison is made with results reported previously. The chiral medium is described electromagnetically by the constitutive relations D = ∊E + iγB and H = iγE + (1/μ)B. The constants ∊, μ, and γ are real and have values that are fixed by the size, the shape, and the spatial distribution of the elements that collectively compose the medium. The conditions are obtained for the total internal reflection of the incident wave from the interface and for the existence of the Brewster angle. The effects of the chirality on the polarization and the intensity of the reflected wave from the chiral half-space are discussed and illustrated by using the Stokes parameters. The propagation of electromagnetic waves through an infinite slab of chiral medium is formulated for oblique incidence and solved analytically for the case of normal incidence.
African higher education: Challenges for the 21st century

African higher education, atthe beginning of the new millennium, facesunprecedented challenges. Not only is thedemand for access unstoppable, especially inthe context of Africa's traditionally lowpostsecondary attendance levels, but highereducation is recognized as a key force formodernization and development. Africa'sacademic institutions face obstacles inproviding the education, research, and serviceneeded if the continent is to advance.Generalizing about a continent as large anddiverse as Africa is difficult. Yet there aresome common elements – and there are certainlysome common challenges. In our discussion, weare not generally optimistic either inanalyzing the current reality in much of Africaor in pointing to future prospects. The fact isthat African universities currently function invery difficult circumstances, both in terms ofthe social, economic, and political problemsfacing the continent and in the context ofglobalization, and the road to future successwill not be an easy one.
Eliminating Malaria in the American South: An Analysis of the Decline of Malaria in 1930s Alabama

Until the 1930s, malaria was endemic throughout large swaths of the American South. We used a Poisson mixture model to analyze the decline of malaria at the county level in Alabama (an archetypical Deep South cotton state) during the 1930s. Employing a novel data set, we argue that, contrary to a leading theory, the decline of malaria in the American South was not caused by population movement away from malarial areas or the decline of Southern tenant farming. We elaborate and provide evidence for an alternate explanation that emphasizes the role of targeted New Deal–era public health interventions and the development of local-level public health infrastructure. We show that, rather than disappearing as a consequence of social change or economic improvements, malaria was eliminated in the Southern United States in the face of economic dislocation and widespread and deep-seated poverty.
Attenuation of renal reperfusion injury in rats by the 21-aminosteroid U74006F

Abstract Purpose: The 21-aminosteroids represent a new class of compounds that serve as potent inhibitors of iron-dependent lipid peroxidation, the latter being an important component of ischemia-reperfusion tissue injury. It is hypothesized that reperfusion injury accompanies renal ischemia, and postischemic administration of one of these steroids, U74006F, will reduce renal damage in a rodent model, as assessed by renal function (plasma creatinine), histologic evidence of renal injury, and animal survival during a 72-hour interval. Methods: Fifty-one rats subjected to 45 minutes of renal ischemia were treated on clamp release with 3 or 10 mg/kg U74006F intravenously ( n = 5 and 19, respectively), an inactive vehicle ( n = 23), or sham operation ( n = 4). Results: Both doses of U74006F improved morphologic outcome compared with vehicle-treated animals. Statistically significant improvement in renal function was observed with the 10 mg/kg dose of U74006F ( p = 0.029, 0.014, and 0.065 at 24, 48, and 72 hours, respectively) but not with the 3 mg/kg dose. Only one (5.2%) of 19 rats receiving high-dose U74006F (10 mg/kg) died within 72 hours after ischemia, compared with five deaths (29.4%) in 17 rats receiving citrate vehicle alone ( p = 0.060). All sham-operated animals survived 72 hours with normal morphology and plasma creatinine levels. Conclusions: These data suggest that iron-dependent lipid peroxidation is a component of reperfusion injury and indicate that U74006F may be useful in reducing this form of renal ischemic damage. (J V ASC S URG 1993;17:685-9.)
Spike Swapping In Basis Reinversion.

Abstract : An important component of a large scale linear programming system is the reinversion routine. This paper addresses an important ancillary technique for implementing a reinversion routine utilizing the well-known P(3) and P(4) pivot agenda algorithms of Hellerman and Rarick. Production of factors during reinversion typically involves a left-to-right pivoting process. Unfortunately, during the left-to-right process, a proposed pivot element of a spike column may be zero, in which case columns are interchanged in an attempt to obtain a pivotable column. In this paper we prove that the only columns In this paper we prove that the only columns which need be considered for the interchange with a nonpivotable spike are other spikes lying to the right within the same external bump. (Author)
Topological aspects of chemically significant polyhedra

This paper considers both static and dynamic properties of chemically significant polyhedra. Static properties of polyhedra consider relationships between the numbers and degrees/sizes of polyhedral vertices, edges, and faces; polyhedral symmetries; and numbers of topologically distinct polyhedra of various types. Dynamic properties of polyhedra involve studies of polyhedral isomerizations from both macroscopic and microscopic points of view. Macroscopic aspects of polyhedral isomerization can be described by graphs called topological representations in which the vertices correspond to different permutational isomers and the edges to single degenerate polyhedral isomerization steps. Such topological representations are presented for isomerizations of polyhedra having five, six, and eight vertices. Microscopic aspects of polyhedral isomerizations arise from consideration of the details of polyhedral topology, such as the topological aspects of diamond-square-diamond processes. In this connection, Gale diagrams are useful for describing isomerizations of five- and six-vertex polyhedra, including the Berry pseudorotation of a trigonal bipyramid through a square pyramid intermediate and the Bailar or Ray and Dutt twists of an octahedron through a trigonal prism intermediate.
Detection and Isolation of Airborne Influenza A H3N2 Virus Using a Sioutas Personal Cascade Impactor Sampler

The air we breathe contains microorganisms that can cause infectious respiratory diseases. After two occupants of an apartment were diagnosed with influenza in February of 2013, efforts were made to detect and isolate airborne influenza virus using two different types of active air samplers: a Sioutas Personal Cascade Impactor Sampler (PCIS) and an SKC BioSampler. The PCIS collects size-fractionated particles by impaction on polytetrafluoroethylene filters, whereas the SKC BioSampler collects airborne particles in liquid media. Influenza H3N2 virus was collected by both types of air samplers. The PCIS collected a range of particle sizes containing influenza virus near one of the sick individuals but only ultrafine particles when the samplers were positioned farther away. Viable virus was present in the liquid collection media of the SKC BioSampler and some PCIS filters. These findings suggest that influenza patients produce ultrafine aerosol particles that contain viable virus.
Development of surface swabbing procedures for a cleaning validation program in a biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility

Validation of direct surface swabbing procedure in conjuction with total organic carbon (TOC) analysis is described for a biopharmaceutical product manufacturing operation. The swabbing technique was found to be very effective in reliably detecting very low levels of residuals for diverse process streams (limit of detection of approximately 0.5microg/cm(2)). However, contaminant recovery was significantly dependent on both the type of contaminant and the processing surface. This study serves as a guide for designing effective cleaning validation protocols based on direct surface swabbing techniques. (c) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A Heton Perspective of Baroclinic Eddy Transfer in Localized Open Ocean Convection

A simple point-vortex “heton” model is used to study localized ocean convection. In particular, the statistically steady state that is established when lateral buoyancy transfer, effected by baroclinic instability, offsets the localized surface buoyancy loss is investigated. Properties of the steady state, such as the statistically steady density anomaly of the convection region, are predicted using the hypothesis of a balance between baroclinic eddy transfer and the localized surface buoyancy loss. These predictions compare favorably with the values obtained through numerical integration of the heton model. The steady state of the heron model can be related to that in other convection scenarios considered in several recent studies by means of a generalized description of the localized convection. This leads to predictions of the equilibrium density anomalies in these scenarios, which concur with those obtained by other authors. Advantages of the heton model include its inviscid nature, emphasizing the independence of the fluxes affected by the baroclinic eddies from molecular processes, and its extreme economy, allowing a very large parameter space to be covered. This economy allows us to examine more complicated forcing scenarios: for example, forcing regions of varying shape. By increasing the ellipticity of the forcing region, the instability is modified by the shape and, as a result, no increase in lateral fluxes occurs despite the increased perimeter length. The parameterization of convective mixing by a redistribution of potential vorticity, implicit in the heton model, is corroborated; the heton model equilibrium state has analogous quantitative scaling behavior to that in models or laboratory experiments that resolve the vertical motions. The simplified dynamics of the heton model therefore allows the adiabatic advection resulting from baroclinic instability to be examined in isolation from vertical mixing and diffusive processes. These results demonstrate the importance of baroclinic instability in controlling the properties of a water mass generated by localized ocean convection. A complete parameterization of this process must therefore account for the fluxes induced by horizontal variations in surface buoyancy loss and affected by baroclinic instability.
The Effect of Microwaves on Tunnel Junctions

Interest in the effects of microwave radiation incident on tunnel junctions first arose nearly twenty years ago in the early 1960’s. Even though research, both theoretical and experimental, has been extensive in this area, it has not been exhaustive. Recent renewed interest has been motivated by theoretical predictions and experimental observations relating to redistribution of quasiparticles and their relationship to the “gap enhancement” phenomenon. In the present paper we will describe the effect of microwaves on tunnel junctions excluding specifically “gap enhancement,” which will be described in Chapter 7 by J. E. Mooij.
Rights Rhetoric in American Politics: A Case Study of American Political Discourse

Rhetoric and democratic politics have a close relationship because democratic politics is grounded in persuasion and lively public spheres. The American political narrative has been constructed as one of rights, and some scholars have argued that there is an inherent tension in the invocation of rights rhetoric as it is used by partisans to frame contemporary issues. Namely, the more rights rhetoric is used for the power that rights carry, the less useful rights rhetoric actually is. Here my inquiry to test these claims is two-fold. First, does framing American public-policy issues in terms of rights stall debate and legislative progress? Second, in what way might rights rhetoric damage the power of rights in the long-term? I follow the logic of Mary Ann Glendon’s work and analyze rights talk in case of the 2010 health care legislation. Specifically, I evaluate rights rhetoric as it has been employed in both committee and floor speeches by members of the House of Representatives. I find that their use of rights language both halts conversation and makes the ambiguous nature of rights in American politics especially apparent.
Fifty years of operating systems

A recent celebration of 50 years of operating system research yields lessons for all professionals in designing offers for their clients.
Trends in US Hospital Stays for Listeriosis in Infants.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Although listeriosis is rare in infants, it is common for young infants with suspected serious bacterial infection to be treated empirically with agents selected, in part, for their activity against Listeria monocytogenes. Our objectives were to describe the recent epidemiology of hospital discharges for listeriosis among infants in the United States and to precisely estimate the incidence of listeriosis according to infant age and meningitis status. METHODS: We generated national estimates for listeriosis discharges in each of the 6 years for which samples were available in the Kids’ Inpatient Database during the period 1997–2012. We used random-effects models to pool descriptive information and population rates across study years. RESULTS: The cumulative number of US hospital discharges for listeriosis in infants was 344 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 290–397) over the 6 study years. The pooled annual incidence rate in infants (per 100 000 births) was 1.41 (95% CI: 1.01–1.80) after accounting for marked fluctuation in annual rates (range: 0.66–1.86; I2 = 79.3%). Discharges for listeriosis without meningitis were particularly rare after the first week of life. Our models predicted only 2.7 (95% CI: 1.1–4.2) and 1.8 (95% CI: 0.0–3.6) such discharges per year in infants admitted at ages 7 to 28 days and 29 to 364 days, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: From the perspective of providing coverage against listeriosis, the routine practice of including ampicillin in the empirical treatment of febrile infants should be reevaluated for those older than 1 week without clinical evidence of meningitis.
Canestriniphis megalodacne N. G., N. Sp. (Acari: Eviphididae) from a Pleasing Fungus Beetle, Megalodacne heros1, 2

Canestriniphis megalodacne , a new genus and species of Eviphididae, is described from adult females found on the erotylid beetle, Megalodacne heros (Say).
The Urban Status of Rural Migrants

shorter period than was anticipated. But as differentials are removed there is left less zest for segregation in all aspects of civic life. Further, as the educational and economic status of Negroes improves there is, paradoxically, more apparent racial solidarity among them, which tends to encourage self-segregation. What conclusions, we might ask, can be drawn from these currents of change? Is it that opportunities for Negroes should be further restricted so that they will not develop self-respect and awareness of their own rights as American citizens? Thinking Southerners do not advocate this, and it is doubtful whether such a policy, even if systematically attempted, could be successfully put into effect. General ameliorative programs designed to develop the economy and social organization of the South as a whole are certainly desirable, and would mitigate many sources of friction. But these again would have the effect of raising the status of the Negro along with that of the southern population as a whole, and of placing him in conflict with the traditional conceptions of caste. It would seem, therefore, that the most fruitful avenue of inquiry, as far as the future of race relations is concerned, is to seek some acceptable methods of revising the racial attitudes and beliefs of the white South, and overcoming the educational and cultural lag in both the Negro groups and certain elements of the white population. We shall probably have in the South for some time yet what Dr. Robert E. Park described as a process which involves the "accommodation of a moving equilibrium of diverse groups." The objective will be that of attaining the most satisfactory and useful ends that are consistent with the interests of the groups in conflict, and with the total welfare of the region and the Nation.
Coterminous and Intersecting Women’s Rights and Women’s Peace Mobilizations in the United States

This article examines the relationship between the National Organization for Women (NOW) and CODEPINK, a women’s peace organization in 2004. NOW and CODEPINK both sought to mobilize women to protes...