cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Enseñar y aprender evolución con y sin genética: una primera aproximación al cambio curricular

La ensenanza de la evolucion ha sido un tema de gran controversia a lo largo de los anos, con un bajo entendimiento, tanto a nivel nacional como a nivel mundial. Debido al reciente cambio curricular en Chile (Mineduc 2015), donde se cambian los contenidos de evolucion, ecologia y ecosistemas de tercero medio hacia primero medio, tenemos el escenario que debemos revisar evolucion antes de las clases de genetica. En base a esta problematica es que se realiza esta investigacion para explorar si existen diferencias entre los conocimientos de evolucion y genetica en ambos grados. Para esto tomamos cursos de primero y tercero medio de dos colegios, uno particular subvencionado y otro particular pagado (n=107), a quienes se les aplico un instrumento sobre conocimiento de seleccion natural (ACORN) y una prueba sobre Genetica. A traves de los resultados obtenidos, damos cuenta que los estudiantes tienen conocimientos deficientes de genetica para ambos cursos de ambos colegios, siendo los estudiantes de tercero medios quienes obtienen mayor puntaje en promedio. Ademas, se registra un alto grado de razonamiento teleologico en sus respuestas, con diferencia significativa entre los cursos, siendo los terceros medios quienes obtienen mayor puntaje en promedio en ambos establecimientos, sin embargo, en el colegio particular pagado razonan con mayor numero de conceptos darwinianos que los estudiantes del subvencionado. Esta primera evidencia de diferencia en la comprension de evolucion entre tercero medio y primero medio se discute en el contexto de la literatura y del curriculum nacional.
Lipid domain coarsening and fluidity in multicomponent lipid vesicles: A continuum based model and its experimental validation.

Liposomes that achieve a heterogeneous and spatially organized surface through phase separation have been recognized to be a promising platform for delivery purposes. However, their design and optimization through experimentation can be expensive and time-consuming. To assist with the design and reduce the associated cost, we propose a computational platform for modeling membrane coarsening dynamics based on the principles of continuum mechanics and thermodynamics. This model couples phase separation to lateral flow and accounts for different membrane fluidity within the different phases, which is known to affect the coarsening dynamics on lipid membranes. The simulation results are in agreement with the experimental data in terms of liquid ordered domains area fraction, total domains perimeter over time and total number of domains over time for two different membrane compositions (DOPC:DPPC with a 1:1 molar ratio with 15% Chol and DOPC:DPPC with a 1:2 molar ratio with 25% Chol) that yield opposite and nearly inverse phase behavior. This quantitative validation shows that the developed platform can be a valuable tool in complementing experimental practice. Keywords: Multicomponent Membranes; Membrane fluidity; Membrane Phase Separation; Computational Modeling; Fluorescence Microscopy; Liposomes
The Impact of Environmental Liabilities on Privatization in Central and Eastern Europe: A Case Study of Poland

The Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) countries are breaking up their centrally planned economies at a record pace by selling formerly state-owned industrial enterprises to private sector investors. Privatization is expected to create more profit-oriented and efficient industries, a predicate for sustained long term economic growth. This transformation from public to private ownership presents tremendous challenges to these new democracies as they struggle to create market economies and democtratic institutions.
Manpower Modeling and Sensitivity Analysis for Afghan Education Policy

This paper provides a demand based balance of flow manpower model premised in mathematical programming to provide insight into the potential futures of the Afghan Education System. Over the previous three decades, torn from multiple wars and an intolerant governing regime, the education system in Afghanistan has been decimated. Over the past 10 years Afghanistan and the international community have dedicated a substantial amount of resources to educate the youth of Afghanistan. By forecasting student demand we are able to determine points of friction in the teacher production policy regarding grade level, gender, and province across a medium-term time horizon. We modify the model to provide sensitivity analysis to inform policies. Examples of such policies are accounting for the length of teacher training programs and encouragement of inter-provincial teacher moves. By later applying a stochastic optimization model potential outcomes regarding changes in teacher retention attributed to policy decisions, incentives to teach, or security concerns are highlighted. This model was developed in support of the validation of a large scale simulation regarding the same subject.
The Berkeley Automated Supernova Search

The Berkeley automated supernova search employs a computer controlled 36-inch telescope and charge coupled device (CCD) detector to image 2500 galaxies per night. A dedicated minicomputer compares each galaxy image with stored reference data to identify supernovae in real time. The threshold for detection is mv=18.8. We plan to monitor roughly 500 galaxies in Virgo and closer every night, and an additional 6000 galaxies out to 70 Mpc on a three night cycle. This should yield very early detection of several supernovae per year for detailed study, and reliable pre-maximum detection of roughly 100 supernovae per year for statistical studies. The search should be operational in mid-1982.
INFLUENCE OF DOSAGE INTERVAL ON THE IN VITRO ACTIVITY OF CHLORAMPHENICOL AGAINST H. INFLUENZAE(HI)

INFLUENCE OF DOSAGE INTERVAL ON THE IN VITRO ACTIVITY OF CHLORAMPHENICOL AGAINST H. INFLUENZAE(HI)
Code lab: nifty tools and assignments

What should a Computer Science professor be doing? a) Teaching b) Research c) Outreach d) Summer Camps e) All of the above
The impact of marital status and gender on leisure values of older adults.

The ability to provide leisure programming in senior living environments is critical to older adults’ quality of life and successful aging. In this cross-sectional study, using social behavior theory as a foundation, 128 older adults who reside in a senior living environment completed a survey to identify leisure values with a focus on marital status and gender. An independent t-test found that older men and women of all marital statuses value leisure for physiological and aesthetic reasons. In addition, older women and widows value leisure for social reasons more than men and other marital statuses. Implications for designing leisure programs are discussed.
News or innovations in neonatal surgery

Over the last decades, because of the development of several clinical and technological advances, there has been a revolution in the management of neonatal and pediatric patients. These progresses reported an improvement in the survival rate of extremely ill neonates, who now have the chance to survive into adulthood. The intent of this review is to highlight not only the advances obtained in the neonatal surgery, but also the results of a multidisciplinary work focused on the fetus, preterm and newborn baby with a surgical anomaly or disease. Attention is also paid to the recent tendency to share knowledge, protocols and database out of the single Institution or country and to follow these delicate and fragile neonatal patients to the adulthood, developing the transitional care. Proceedings of the 11 th International Workshop on Neonatology and Satellite Meetings · Cagliari (Italy) · October 26 th -31 st , 2015 · From the womb to the adult Guest Editors: Vassilios Fanos (Cagliari, Italy), Michele Mussap (Genoa, Italy), Antonio Del Vecchio (Bari, Italy), Bo Sun (Shanghai, China), Dorret I. Boomsma (Amsterdam, the Netherlands), Gavino Faa (Cagliari, Italy), Antonio Giordano (Philadelphia, USA)
Design of a high efficiency 30 kW boost composite converter

An experimental 30 kW boost composite converter is described in this paper. The composite converter architecture, which consists of a buck module, a boost module, and a dual active bridge module that operates as a DC transformer (DCX), leads to substantial reductions in losses at partial power points, and to significant improvements in weighted efficiency in applications that require wide variations in power and conversion ratio. A comprehensive loss model is developed, accounting for semiconductor conduction and switching losses, capacitor losses, as well as dc and ac losses in magnetic components. Based on the developed loss model, the module and system designs are optimized to maximize efficiency at a 50% power point. Experimental results for the 30 kW prototype demonstrate 98.5% peak efficiency, very high efficiency over wide ranges of power and voltage conversion ratios, as well as excellent agreements between model predictions and measured efficiency curves.
Randomized controlled trial of EUS-guided fine needle aspiration techniques for the detection of malignant lymphadenopathy

Background: EUS-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) is a highly accurate method of detecting malignant lymphadenopathy. The optimal methods for performing EUS-FNA to maximize sensitivity and to minimize the number of needle passes necessary are unknown. This is a report of the results of a prospective randomized controlled trial to determine the effect of suction, the site of FNA (edge or center of lymph node), and the method of preparation of cytologic specimens on accuracy, number of needle passes needed, and specimen quality. Methods: Consecutive patients with lymphadenopathy detected by EUS underwent FNA. Each lymph node was sampled with or without suction and from the edge or center in a 2 × 2 factorial design. The samples were expressed onto slides for cytology, and the residual material in the needle was analyzed by the cytospin-cellblock technique. Each aspirate was individually characterized for a diagnosis of malignancy, cellularity, and bloodiness. Results: Forty-three patients with a total of 46 lymph nodes were evaluated. The final lymph node diagnosis was benign in 22 (48%), “suspicious for malignancy” in 6 (13%), and malignant in 18 (39%). The use of suction was associated with an increase in the cellularity of the specimen, but did not improve the likelihood of obtaining a correct diagnosis (OR 1.52: 95% CI [0.81, 2.85]). Samples obtained with suction were of worse quality because of excessive bloodiness (OR 4.7: 95% CI [1.99, 11.24]). Aspiration from the edge of the lymph node (compared with the center) did not increase the likelihood of a correct diagnosis (OR 1.16: 95% CI [0.42, 3.21]). For 78% of malignant lymph nodes, the correct diagnosis was obtained on the first needle pass and for 100% by the third pass. Cytospin-cellblock methods did not add any additional diagnostic information compared with direct smear cytology. Conclusions: The traditional method of applying suction during EUS-FNA does not improve diagnostic accuracy and worsens specimen bloodiness compared with FNA without suction. The site of FNA within the lymph node does not affect accuracy. When EUS-FNA is necessary, our recommendation is up to 3 FNAs without suction from the most convenient and safe location within abnormal-appearing lymph nodes. (Gastrointest Endosc 2001;54:441-7.)
Trajectories of maternal depressive symptoms, maternal sensitivity, and children's functioning at school entry

Using data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, the authors modeled trajectories of maternal depressive symptoms from infant age 1 month to 7 years. The authors identified 6 trajectories of maternal depressive symptoms: high-chronic, moderate-increasing, high-decreasing, intermittent, moderate-stable, and low-stable. Women on these depression trajectories varied in sociodemographic risk and in changes in observed maternal sensitivity over time. Maternal sensitivity was generally higher and increased when depressive symptoms were low; sensitivity was lower and decreased when depressive symptoms were either high or increasing. Child outcomes at 1st grade were examined by trajectory group. The authors discuss the complexity of disentangling maternal symptoms from maternal sensitivity and sociodemographic risk when predicting children's functioning.
Complex cervical spine neoplastic disease: reconstruction after surgery by using a vascularized fibular strut graft: Case report

The authors report a case of an aggressive chordoma in the cervical spine of a 15-year-old girl who underwent radical resection followed by reconstruction using an anterior vascularized fibular strut graft and posterior arthrodesis prior to receiving immediate postoperative radiation therapy. The patient had successful graft incorporation 4 months postoperatively. The authors review the advantages of using vascularized fibular strut grafts for the treatment of multilevel cervical spine neoplastic disease and discuss the theoretical advantages of using vascularized grafts that tolerate therapeutic levels of radiation.
Downward transport and modification of tropospheric ozone through moist convection

This study estimated the largely unstudied downward transport and modification of tropospheric ozone associated with tropical moist convection using a coupled meteorology-chemistry model. High-resolution cloud resolving model simulations were conducted for deep moist convection events over West Africa during August 2006 to estimate vertical transport of ozone due to convection. Model simulations realistically reproduced the characteristics of deep convection as revealed by the estimated spatial distribution of temperature, moisture, cloud reflectivity, and vertical profiles of temperature and moisture. Also, results indicated that vertical transport reduced ozone by 50% (50 parts per billion by volume, ppbv) in the upper atmosphere (12–15 km) and enhanced ozone by 39% (10 ppbv) in the lower atmosphere (<2 km). Field observations confirmed model results and indicated that surface ozone levels abruptly increased by 10–30 ppbv in the area impacted by convection due to transport by downdrafts from the upper troposphere. Once in the lower troposphere, the lifetime of ozone decreased due to enhanced dry deposition and chemical sinks. Ozone removal via dry deposition increased by 100% compared to non-convective conditions. The redistribution of tropospheric ozone substantially changed hydroxyl radical formation in the continental tropical boundary layer. Therefore, an important conclusion of this study is that the redistribution of tropospheric ozone, due to deep convection in non-polluted tropical regions, can simultaneously reduce the atmospheric loading of ozone and substantially impact the oxidation capacity of the lower atmosphere via the enhanced formation of hydroxyl radicals.
An Analysis of the Political Activities of NASW State Chapters

Abstract NASW state chapters provide a mechanism through which members can become involved in formal political and community advocacy practice. However, there is little understanding of the strategies and processes undertaken by NASW to affect legislative and electoral outcomes. Through a mailed survey to state NASW chapters, this paper describes the scope of chapters' political practices, their policy goals and priorities, and their perceived effectiveness in advocacy work.
Buried-channel CCDs with high-charge transfer efficiency and large-charge capacity for low-temperature readout of long-wavelength infrared detectors

Double ion implantation has been used to fabricate buried-channel CCDs that exhibit good charge transfer efficiency at temperatures down to 50 K while retaining large charge storage capacity. Monolithic IR focal plane arrays integrating such CCDs and Ge(x)Si(1-x)/Si heterojunction detectors show good imaging performance in both the 3-5 micron and 8-10 micron IR spectral bands.
Wien’s Displacement Law as a Function of Frequency

Wien’s displacement law has an important part in the development of modern quantum theory, and predicting it was one of the triumphs of Planck’s distribution law. It is usually expressed in terms of wavelength. Less known, however, is its expression in terms of frequency. Here, we derive Wien’s law as a function of frequency and point out its major predictive difference from the more common version. This version of Wien’s law would be a useful demonstration of a change in variables for a physical chemistry lecture course and the differences in predictions upon variable change.
Army Social Work: Helping At-Risk Soldiers Come Home

In 2010, the Department of the Army implemented the Comprehensive Behavioral Health System of Care Campaign Plan designed, in part, to create a seamless system of behavioral health care. To execute the directive's intent to screen deployed soldiers at risk for domestic violence, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and substance abuse, Tripler Army Medical Center deployed a fourperson behavioral health team to Iraq to assist in screening soldiers preparing to redeploy home. This article describes the process employed by the team to conduct the mission and discusses strategies to assist at-risk soldiers to access care after a combat deployment.
935. Anti-PI3K/Akt Cell Survival Pathway Gene Therapy Supplemented with Plant Sterol Diet for Prostate Cancer Treatment

Prostate cancer is the most frequently diagnosed malignancy and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in American men today. The dietary animal and plant sterols appear to play critical roles in prostate cancer formation/progression, or prevention, respectively. Cholesterol, the animal sterol that is enriched in red meat and dietary fat, is implicated in promoting prostate cancer formation and progression. On the other hand, plant sterols (such as |[beta]|-sitosterol or |[beta]|-SIT) that are enriched in nuts, cereals and soy products, induce cancer cells to apoptosis and inhibit tumor formation and progression. To examine whether dietary sterols have effects on prostate cancer cell proliferation and migration, we treated human prostate cancer PC-3 and DU145 cells with cholesterol and |[beta]|-SIT for 4 days. We found that |[beta]|-SIT effectively inhibited cell proliferation of PC-3 and DU145 cells at 38.3% and 36.3%, respectively, when compared to untreated control cells, whereas cholesterol stimulated proliferation of PC-3 and DU145 cells, at 50% and 62.5%, respectively. Moreover, |[beta]|-SIT also inhibited migration of PC-3 and DU145 cells, at 80.9% and 18.0%, respectively, when compared to the control cells. In contrast, cholesterol stimulated migration of PC-3 and DU145 cells, at 33. 8% and 23.8%, respectively. In an animal study, mice fed with cholesterol-rich diet had a larger implanted xenograft C4-2B prostate tumor and increased tumor progression in terms of metastasis to the bone, by comparing with control mice fed with regular diet, whereas mice fed with plant sterol-rich diet had a smaller C4-2B xenograft tumor and decreased tumor progression. Activation of phosphoinositide 3 kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway protects cancer cells from apoptosis induced by anticancer therapies and chemotherapeutic agents. Activity of PI3K/Akt kinases is often increased in prostate cancer and is associated with poor prognosis. To test whether blocking of PI3K/Akt cell survival pathway would sensitize prostate cancer cells to |[beta]|-SIT mediated apoptosis, a recombinant adenoviral viral vector, Ad-PI3K-DN, which expresses a PI3K dominant-negative mutant, was generated. In vitro assays demonstrated that Ad-PI3K-DN effectively inhibited PC-3 cell growth. To examine the combinative anti-tumor effects by Ad-PI3K- DN and plant sterol diet, we treated mice with implanted C4-2B prostate tumor with both plant sterol diet and Ad-PI3K-DN. An additive inhibitory effect was observed in mouse group treated with both plant sterol diet and Ad-PI3K-DN. In summary, our results showed that plant sterols inhibit prostate cancer proliferation and migration in vitro and tumor progression in vivo. Gene therapy targeting PI3K/Akt cell survival pathway effectively inhibits prostate cancer growth. A novel approach is being investigated for effective treatment of prostate cancer by combining gene therapy in blocking cancer cell survival pathway and diet supplement in prevention of tumor progression.
Design of multivariable variable structure model following control systems

A design procedure for model following control systems is developed by utilizing sliding mode in variable structure systems. It is shown that a variable structure model following control system (VSMFC) possesses an adaption mechanism similar to that in adaptive model following control systems. For some classes of plant parameter variations, shaping of the error transients can be achieved systematically using this design. Two control problems which have been approached via adaptive model following technique are considered and performance comparison with the present design is made.
The influence of combustion liner holes on noise production by ducted burners

The thermoacoustic energy conversion process in a turbulent flame is not yet sufficiently well understood to allow accurate prediction of the sound pressure field of even the simplest of laboratory burners. The present contribution is intended to be a step toward fuller understanding of this process. In particular, the possibility is explored that the source structure, in the form of the thermoacoustic efficiency spectrum, might be influenced by the acoustic response of the burner itself. Experimental results are presented which seem to establish that, at least for the gas-fueled laboratory burner studied, source activity is not affected by the addition of downstream combustion liner holes which otherwise alter the acoustic response of the burner.
Enzymic hydrolysis of plasma proteins for microbiological assays of amino acids.

Abstract In microbiological assays of human plasma for arginine, glycine, histidine, isoleucine, tryptophan, and tyrosine, maximal values were obtained using hydrolysis with pepsin for 2 h at 55° C followed by trypsin for 16 h at 45° C. Prolongation of the trypsin treatment for 48 h or more resulted in greatly decreased values for arginine. With formol titration as an indicator of hydrolysis, maximal values were secured only after treatment with pepsin for 6 or 24 h, followed by trypsin for at least 48 h. Assay values of all amino acids from enzymic hydrolysates were as high as those from acid hydrolysates, and were considerably higher in the case of glycine.
Anti-inflammatory actions of PPAR ligands: new insights on cellular and molecular mechanisms

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARalpha, -gamma, and -beta/delta) are nuclear receptors with distinct patterns of expression in many cell types both within and outside the immune system. PPAR ligands have anti-inflammatory activity in a variety of mouse models for acute and chronic inflammation. In macrophages, PPARgamma ligands repress expression of a subset of Toll-like receptor (TLR) target genes by a molecular mechanism termed ligand-dependent transrepression. In chronic inflammation, ligand-bound PPARalpha represses production of IFNgamma and IL-17 by CD4(+) T cells, and PPARgamma ligands modulate dendritic cell function to elicit the development of anergic CD4(+) T cells. PPAR ligands also repress expression of cell adhesion molecules on endothelial cells and the secretion of chemokines by epithelial and other cells, decreasing the recruitment of leukocytes to the site of inflammation. The anti-inflammatory activity of PPAR ligands in mouse models suggests their possible use for treating human inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.
LBN, a male-sterile cytoplasm of maize, contains two double-stranded RNAs

Abstract Two nucleic acids species discovered in a male-sterile cytoplasm of maize have been shown to be double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) of apparent mol. wt. 1.9 and 0.5 × 10 6 . This cytoplasm has been designated ‘LBN’ for ‘L cytoplasm in inbred W182BN’. The dsRNAs are associated with mitochondria and are maternally transmitted. Nuclear genotype influences the amount of dsRNA recoverable.
YBa2Cu3O7−x Superconductor powder synthesis by spray pyrolysis of organic acid solutions

Abstract A process based on the spray pyrolysis of an organic acid solution has been developed for the synthesis of spherical YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7− x superconducting powders. Depending on the solution viscosity, which is controlled by the degree of precursor polymerization, ‘solid’ organic YBC precursor particles are formed by spray pyrolysis. During the decomposition stage of spray pyrolysis these organic YBC precursor particles are converted to microporous particles comprised of inorganic nanocrystallites. The desired orthorhombic, superconducting phase is obtained by subsequent calcination at 850°C for 2 h in 10 −2 atm O 2 , followed by annealing at 500°C for 4 h in flowing O 2 . A.C. magnetic susceptibility results on powders and four-point resistance results on sintered pellets clearly show the transition to the superconducting state, confirming the developed process yields powders suitable for the synthesis of superconducting materials and monoliths.
18. Topical 5% 5-flourouracil (t5FU) for treatment of diffuse anal high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (aHSIL)

Background Treatment of anal high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (aHSIL) may prevent anal cancer. Options for treatment of diffuse lesions include staged ablation, often requiring surgery, although in-office treatment is preferable. Topical 5% 5-fluorouracil (t5FU) has been used to treat diffuse female genital HPV-associated disease. We report our experience using t5FU for treatment of diffuse aHSIL considered unsuitable for ablation, to evaluate its tolerability and efficacy. Methods: Patients were given t5FU for treatment of diffuse aHSIL in doses of 0.5 mL self-applied 2× daily for 5 days followed by 9 days off. Patients were assessed on average following 4–8 cycles for complete response (CR), defined as the absence of HSIL on exam, cytology and/or histology, or partial response (PR), defined as a reduction in the amount of disease. Patients with PR then received ablative therapy. Results: 73 patients (55 HIV infected, 18 uninfected) were treated, including 13 women and 60 men. In 69 patients who used t5FU for at least one cycle, CR occurred in 8 (~11%) patients, 53 (~77%) had a partial response indicating reduction of disease, 6 (9%) had no response, and 1 had more widespread disease, 1 chart was not evaluable. Treatment was discontinued after <1 cycle in 4 patients due to side effects. Patients with PR were treated successfully with in-office ablation, except 2 patients referred for surgery. Conclusions: t5FU was well tolerated although side effects occur. Most patients had clinical improvement, suggesting that t5FU may play an important role in aHSIL treatment. Further studies may determine its optimal use.
A Volumetric Inorganic Carbon Analysis System

Measurement of soil organic carbon (OC) is slow and expensive when inorganic carbon (IC) is present. Our objective was to develop an automated volumetric IC analysis system, thus allowing OC to be determined by difference. The system was developed by combining a pressure transducer with a personal computer (PC), data acquisition board, and appropriately developed software. The volumetric system was compared with combustion, neutralization, and sum of Ca + Mg techniques for samples containing up to 60 g kg -1 IC. Correlations between methods showed linear agreement (r 2 ≥ 0.994). The volumetric system was more precise for relatively low IC amounts (2.0 g kg -1 ) and could process 20 samples h -1 .
Object lessons in whiteness: Antiracism and the study of white folks

This paper examines the convergence of antiracist politics and theorizing with the emergent ethnographic attention to cultural constructions of whiteness. The methodological, conceptual, and political crossing points between antiracist scholarship and cultural anthropologists’ burgeoning interest in the construction of white racial identity raise a host of provocative issues about the political stakes involved in studying whiteness. Drawing on my fieldwork on whites in Detroit, Michigan, I offer a critical reflection on the influence that antiracist projects have had on anthropologists’ efforts to analyze whiteness. The core of this discussion involves an evaluation of the centrality of “racism” in the analytical judgments of antiracist and ethnographic studies. Though it is perhaps more politically useful and appealing to develop emphatic assessments of how whites reproduce and imbibe racism, I argue that it is also critical to consider the highly contradictory and ambiguous aspects of white racial ident...
Freedom in organizations

Organizations in competitive markets are often assumed to be voluntary associations, involving free exchange between various participants for mutual benefit. Just how voluntary or free organizational exchanges really are, however, is problematic. Even the criteria for determining whether specific transactions are free or coerced are not clear. In this paper, I review three general approaches to specifying such criteria: consequentialist, descriptive, and normative. I argue that the last is the most reasonable, that freedom is an essentially moral concept, whose meaning is relative to preconceptions of human rights. Implications for freedom of contract are discussed.
MSQ: Migraine-Specific Quality-of-Life Questionnaire. Further investigation of the factor structure.

MSQ, the 16-item Migraine—Specific Quality—of—Life Questionnaire (Version 1.0), was developed by Glaxo Wellcome Inc. to assess the effect of migraine and its treatment on patients’ health—related quality of life (HR-QOL). The MSQ was hypothesised to measure 3 meaningful dimensions: (i) Role Function—Restrictive; (ii) Role Function—Preventive; and (iii) Emotional Function. The objective of this research was to further investigate the number of dimensions as well as the items contained in each dimension through principal components factor analysis of clinical trial data. Secondary objectives were to determine whether the factor structure changed in post—treatment visits compared with screening visits, to make recommendations for coding the MSQ when the patient did not have a migraine in the previous 4 weeks, and to modify the MSQ if so indicated by this research. Results supported the existence of 3 distinct factors which agreed strongly with the hypothesised dimensions. The analysis of post—treatment data suggested that the underlying factor structure of the MSQ varies as a result of treatment. Based on evaluations of the ‘did not have a migraine’ response, it was concluded that it be dropped from the MSQ. All these changes have been incorporated into MSQ (Version 2.0) which is being evaluated in studies to determine if its psychometric properties are different than the properties of the previous version.
Precision control moment gyroscope spacecraft control with disturbance

Standard feedback control systems subjected to periodic disturbances often cannot avoid sustained oscillatory responses at the disturbance frequency. Periodic disturbance rejection in a feedback control system via the insertion of an oscillator in the controller (internal model principle) is an effective method and well understood. By proper pole-zero placement, stable, steady-state performance which asymptotically approaches zero is achieved through the application of this type of filter. When the periodic disturbance is variable in frequency, the application of this type of filter is achieved by allowing the oscillator frequency to follow the disturbance. This, however, presents several problems in the actual application. This paper describes two applications of a variable periodic disturbance rejection filter in a spacecraft attitude control system and discusses the problems encountered and areas of further research.
Target Recognition of Infrared Bridge Image Based on Morphological Operator

Abstract A novel infrared bridge target recognition, based on morphological operator, was presented in this paper. Firstly, some operations including contrast stretching transformation, Otsu operator, morphological operators were employed to process the original image. secondly, the bridge-knowledge was defined, and which was applied to find a possible bridge. Finally, some bridge target images were used to make simulation experiment, which results show that the novel algorithm has better performance of accuracy and reliability, which has lower error and higher computational efficiency. Thus it can be used to real-time application
A two-electron shell game: Intermediates of the extradiol-cleaving catechol dioxygenases

Extradiol-cleaving catechol dioxygenases function by binding both the organic substrate and O2 at a divalent metal center in the active site. They have proven to be a particularly versatile group of enzymes with which to study the O2 activation process. Here, recent studies of homoprotocatechuate 2,3-dioxygenase are summarized, showing how nature can utilize the enzyme structure and the properties of the metal and the substrate to select among many possible chemical paths to achieve both specificity and efficiency. Possible intermediates in the mechanism have been trapped by swapping active-site metals, introducing active-site amino acid substituted variants, and using substrates with different electron-donating capacities. Although each of these intermediates could form part of a viable reaction pathway, kinetic measurements significantly limit the likely candidates. Structural, kinetic, spectroscopic, and computational analyses of the various intermediates shed light on how catalytic efficiency can be achieved.
Refuge from Crisis: Refugee Women Build Political Capital.

For women who have escaped political crises, NGOs can provide a healing space. This study explores nonformal and informal educational processes that occur in NGOs founded and staffed by refugee women who have resettled in the United States. Interviews and documents demonstrate that the refugee women gain knowledge and skills through participation in the NGO, find their voices through the supportive environment of the NGO and networking with others, and take opportunities to make social change. The results of this research indicate that women gain political capital through NGO participation and that increased support of NGOs can therefore result in increased democratisation.
Synthesis and Biological Testing of Penicillins: An Investigative Approach to the Undergraduate Teaching Laboratory

The development and implementation of a research-based organic chemistry laboratory experiment is presented. The experiment was designed to simulate a scientific research environment, involve students in critical thinking, and develop the student’s ability to analyze and present research-based data. In this experiment, a laboratory class synthesized a library of penicillins, where each student had the freedom to choose which penicillin he or she wanted to synthesize. After the different penicillins were synthesized, the products were tested for antimicrobial activity. All results from the class were compared and penicillins were grouped according to their ability to inhibit bacterial growth. Finally, students evaluated the structure−function relationship between the penicillin’s structure and its antimicrobial activity.
Deletion Mutations Caused by DNA Strand Slippage in Acinetobacter baylyi

Short nucleotide sequence repetitions in DNA can provide selective benefits and also can be a source of genetic instability arising from deletions guided by pairing between misaligned strands. These findings raise the question of how the frequency of deletion mutations is influenced by the length of sequence repetitions and by the distance between them. An experimental approach to this question was presented by the heat-sensitive phenotype conferred by pcaG1102, a 30-bp deletion in one of the structural genes for Acinetobacter baylyi protocatechuate 3,4-dioxygenase, which is required for growth with quinate. The original pcaG1102 deletion appears to have been guided by pairing between slipped DNA strands from nearby repeated sequences in wild-type pcaG. Placement of an in-phase termination codon between the repeated sequences in pcaG prevents growth with quinate and permits selection of sequence-guided deletions that excise the codon and permit quinate to be used as a growth substrate at room temperature. Natural transformation facilitated introduction of 68 different variants of the wild-type repeat structure within pcaG into the A. baylyi chromosome, and the frequency of deletion between the repetitions was determined with a novel method, precision plating. The deletion frequency increases with repeat length, decreases with the distance between repeats, and requires a minimum amount of similarity to occur at measurable rates. Deletions occurred in a recA-deficient background. Their frequency was unaffected by deficiencies in mutS and was increased by inactivation of recG.
O’Sullivan TA and Albrecht LS. Understanding Pharmacy Calculations, 2nd Edition. Washington, DC: American Pharmacists Association; 2011, 277pp, $44.95 (paperback), ISBN 9781582120959.

Now in its second edition, Understanding Pharmacy Calculations attempts to provide a more simplistic approach to the calculations pharmacists use in daily practice. The authors suggest the book can be used as a self-study, having written it in such a way as to make the material more understandable and approachable to the pharmacy student. The first chapter, entitled “Things You’ll Use Everyday,” is an example of the author’s use of casual phrasing and terminology aimed at communicating a more practical approach to students in this workbook-style text. The content appears to be well presented. Although divided into only 5 chapters, each chapter contains multiple topics and devotes less time to basic math concepts that the student should already understand. All of the critical concepts related to pharmacy calculations are presented: conversions, measurement, prescription reading, expressions of drug concentration, dilution, isotonicity, osmolarity, patient-specific dosing, and parenteral nutrition. The difference is noted in the emphasis on topics. The authors devoted 1 of the only 5 chapters in the text exclusively to parenteral nutrition. Numerous total parenteral nutrition practice worksheets are included, which are practical tools for students and educators alike in effectively understanding this topic. The book also employs a good use of practice problems appropriately placed at the conclusion of each chapter. Problems are provided in either multiple-choice or fill-in-the-blank format, and the answers, complete with a detailed explanation of the solution, are provided immediately following the problem set. The authors also typically use dimensional analysis when solving such problems, with clear units and problem layouts displayed. The authors should be commended for including such detailed answers. This is a useful tool for the student and one that is not provided in all texts on this subject matter. Given the space these answer explanations occupy, a limited but adequate number of problems is provided in each chapter. To supplement those, an additional 100 practice problems are provided in a similar format in practice tests located in the final pages of the text. Overall, the book can be used as a practical textbook or self-study for a pharmacy calculations course as well as for student’s preparation for the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination. The numerous examples and worksheets provided with detailed answers make this workbook style text a welcome addition to the library of any instructor of pharmacy calculations or laboratory based courses that include parenteral nutrition.
Concurrence of fragile X syndrome and 47, XYY in an individual with a Prader-Willi-like phenotype.

We report on a 34-year-old developmentally disabled man referred to our clinic for evaluation of possible Prader-Willi syndrome on the basis of obesity and voracious appetite. Cytogenetic and molecular analysis revealed a 47, XYY karyotype and the presence of a trinucleotide repeat expansion resulting in fragile X syndrome. To our knowledge, this is the first report of concurrence of XYY and fragile X syndrome in the medical literature. Review of sex chromosome abnormalities associated with fragile X syndrome and phenotypic considerations are presented.
The Effect of Riboflavin on Bone-Marrow Toxicity from Chloramphenicol

(1968). The Effect of Riboflavin on Bone-Marrow Toxicity from Chloramphenicol. Clinical Toxicology: Vol. 1, No. 3, pp. 329-339.
Enantiomeric Free Radicals and Enzymatic Control of Stereochemistry in a Radical Mechanism: The Case of Lysine 2,3-Aminomutases†

The product of yjeK in Escherichia coli is a homologue of lysine 2,3-aminomutase (LAM) from Clostridium subterminale SB4, and both enzymes catalyze the isomerization of (S)- but not (R)-α-lysine by radical mechanisms. The turnover number for LAM from E. coli is 5.0 min-1, 0.1% of the value for clostridial LAM. The reaction of E. coli LAM with (S)-α-[3,3,4,4,5,5,6,6-2H8]lysine proceeds with a kinetic isotope effect (kH/kD) of 1.4, suggesting that hydrogen transfer is not rate-limiting. The product of the E. coli enzyme is (R)-β-lysine, the enantiomer of the clostridial product. β-Lysine-related radicals are observed in the reactions of both enzymes by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). The radical in the reaction of clostridial LAM has the (S)-configuration, whereas that in the reaction of E. coli LAM has the (R)-configuration. Moreover, the conformations of the β-lysine-related radicals at the active sites of E. coli and clostridial LAM are different. The nuclear hyperfine splitting between the C3 hyd...
POLARIZATION IN NEUTRON--DEUTERON ELASTIC SCATTERING AT 1.2 MeV.

Abstract The neutron-deuteron polarization function P d ( θ 2 ) has been measured by scattering 1.2 MeV polarized neutrons from a deuterated benzene liquid scintillator at 5° intervals within the angular range 50°–130° lab. The polarization was found to be consistent with zero at most angles in general agreement with other measurements reported for this energy region.
Time to Cut Up Those Debit Cards? Effect of Payment Mode on Willingness to Spend

Financial industry data indicate that consumers increasingly prefer debit cards over credit cards, especially as a means of enforcing financial self-discipline. Given prior research suggesting that credit cards act as spending facilitating stimuli, this move toward reduced credit card use would appear to be in the right direction. Ironically, however, the same logos that were implicated in facilitating spending with credit cards are the logos that appear on debit cards. In what should serve as an eye-opener to consumers, it is found that exposure to debit card logos does result in an increased willingness to spend, similar to credit cards.
Chaperone activity of cytosolic small heat shock proteins from wheat.

Small Hsps (sHsps) and the structurally related eye lens α-crystallins are ubiquitous stress proteins that exhibit ATP-independent molecular chaperone activity. We studied the chaperone activity of dodecameric wheat TaHsp16.9C-I, a class I cytosolic sHsp from plants and the only eukaryotic sHsp for which a high resolution structure is available, along with the related wheat protein TaHsp17.8C-II, which represents the evolutionarily distinct class II plant cytosolic sHsps. Despite the available structural information on TaHsp16.9C-I, there is minimal data on its chaperone activity, and likewise, data on activity of the class II proteins is very limited. We prepared purified, recombinant TaHsp16.9C-I and TaHsp17.8C-II and find that the class II protein comprises a smaller oligomer than the dodecameric TaHsp16.9C-I, suggesting class II proteins have a distinct mode of oligomer assembly as compared to the class I proteins. Using malate dehydrogenase as a substrate, TaHsp16.9C-I was shown to be a more effective chaperone than TaHsp17.8C-II in preventing heat-induced malate dehydrogenase aggregation. As observed by EM, morphology of sHsp/substrate complexes depended on the sHsp used and on the ratio of sHsp to substrate. Surprisingly, heat-denaturing firefly luciferase did not interact significantly with TaHsp16.9C-I, although it was fully protected by TaHsp17.8C-II. In total the data indicate sHsps show substrate specificity and suggest that N-terminal residues contribute to substrate interactions.
The detectability of a tone added to narrow bands of equal-energy noise.

The ability to detect a 2000‐Hz tone added to bands of noise centered at 2000 Hz was measured using a two‐interval, forced‐choice, pulsed‐masker paradigm. The stimuli ranged in duration from 50–200 ms, and the maskers ranged in bandwidth from 5–320 Hz. In one condition, the bands of noise had equal energy across the two intervals of each trial and in a second condition the levels of the stimuli were independently and randomly chosen from a 30‐dB range on a presentation‐by‐presentation basis. The energy model failed to predict the data obtained either in the presence or in the absence of level variation. Control experiments showed that exposure to level variation yielded an overall reduction in sensitivity, suggesting that the presence of level variation leads to changes in the listeners’ detection strategies. Computer simulations indicated that changes in either the fine structure or envelopes of the waveforms were sufficient to account for detection when changes in stimulus energy were not reliable.
Characterization of stochastic resonance

Traditional quantities used to characterize stochastic resonance possess the common feature of low sensitivity to noise variation in the sense that they vary slowly about the optimal noise level. In potential applications of stochastic resonance such as device development, a high sensitivity to noise may be required. Here we show that, when the resonance is understood as a manifestation of phase synchronization, the average synchronization time between the input and output signal has an extremely high sensitivity in that it exhibits a cusp-like behavior about the optimal noise level. Theoretical analysis and numerical evidence are provided to establish the cusp-like behavior and its generality.
Organochlorine pesticide, polychlorobiphenyl, and mercury residues in bald eagle eggs--1969-79--and their relationships to shell thinning and reproduction.

Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) eggs were collected in 14 States in 1969–79 and analyzed for organochlorine pesticides, polychlorobiphenyls, and mercury. Moderate shell thinning occurred in eggs from several areas. Eggs from the Chesapeake Bay area contained the highest residue levels of most organochlorines. DDE was detected in all eggs; other organochlorines were detected less frequently. Mercury levels were highest in eggs from Maine. Eight contaminants were significantly negatively correlated with shell thickness or reproduction at sampled breeding areas; DDE was most closely related to these factors. Production of young was near normal at breeding areas when DDE was ⩽3 ppm (wet weight); reproductive failure approached 100% for those breeding areas where DDE in eggs was >15 ppm. Five ppm DDE was associated with 10% shell thinning. The other contaminants that were associated with these factors were also highly correlated with DDE; their impact appeared minor in relation to those of DDE.