cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Structure of charged dendrimer solutions as seen by small-angle neutron scattering

We present results of small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) investigations into the characteristics of charged poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimer solutions in deuterium oxide. The study shows that ionic strength, surface charge density, and concentration are the crucial parameters controlling the degree of structural organization of the solution. Upon the addition of acid, HCl, we observe a peak in the scattering intensity. The results indicate that increasing ionization of terminal amines results in interparticle interactions giving rise to local, liquidlike ordering. These interactions can be screened by adding monovalent salt (NaCl) in large quantities. The short-range interactions were studied by systematically varying dendrimer and salt concentration (up to 2 M). Contrary to most weak polyelectrolyte systems, we did not observe a negative second virial coefficient, even for the highest salt concentrations.
Analysis of some substantial collimating lens functions in fiber optic confocal microscopy

Some substantial functions of collimating lens in two-lens confocal microscope configuration were studied using raytracing software and experiments. Also, basic advantages of using a high-numerical-aperture optical fiber for a confocal microscope configuration were investigated. It provides higher confocality without reducing the coupling efficiency between light signal and fiber. We performed comparative experiments using two optical fibers with different numerical apertures and the results from axial confocal response tests agreed with the theoretical prediction.
CMOS IMPLEMENTATION OF A VOLTAGE-MODE FUZZY MIN-MAX CONTROLLER

In this paper, a general-purpose fuzzy min-max network using a Gaussian-type membership function fuzzifier is proposed. Particularly, CMOS implementations of the Gaussian-type membership function fuzzifier circuits, min-max operators, and the defuzzifier circuit are analyzed. Programmability of the proposed Gaussian-type function fuzzifier can be achieved by changing the gate voltages and the sizes of transistors in the differential pairs. A closed-loop control scheme is used between the fuzzifier and defuzzifier blocks to compensate the global normalization of the denominator in the division of a centroid calculation in the defuzzifier block.
Deep Sub-Wavelength Photolithography Using Metal-Dielectric Multilayer

Using a metal-dielectric multilayer and diffraction-limited masks, we numerically demonstrate a fast and cheap photolithography scheme that can fabricate deep sub-wavelength nanometer scale one- and two-dimensional periodic gratings at wavelength 405nm.
Zooming in on cortical maps.

In a technical tour de force, Okhi et al. image the activity of thousands of visual cortical neurons in vivo at a single-cell resolution, and examine their orientation and direction selectivity. Their results show that cortical maps can be built with single-cell precision.
What we should know before using tissue engineering techniques to repair injured tendons: a developmental biology perspective.

Tendons connect muscles to bones, and serve as the transmitters of force that allow all the movements of the body. Tenocytes are the basic cellular units of tendons, and produce the collagens that form the hierarchical fiber system of the tendon. Tendon injuries are common, and difficult to repair, particularly in the case of the insertion of tendon into bone. Successful attempts at cell-based repair therapies will require an understanding of the normal development of tendon tissues, including their differentiated regions such as the fibrous mid-section and fibrocartilaginous insertion site. Many genes are known to be involved in the formation of tendon. However, their functional roles in tendon development have not been fully characterized. Tissue engineers have attempted to generate functional tendon tissue in vitro. However, a lack of knowledge of normal tendon development has hampered these efforts. Here we review studies focusing on the developmental mechanisms of tendon development, and discuss the ...
The fetal environment: a critical phase that determines future renal outcomes in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease

Orskov and colleagues demonstrate the impact of birth weight on the mean age of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in a large Danish ADPKD cohort. Each kilogram of birth weight extended the mean age of ESRD onset by 1.7 years. Placental insufficiency, activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, increased fetal vasopressin levels, compensatory increases in insulin like growth factor-I, and a reduction in total nephron number may all contribute to this observation. Collectively, these changes result in an accelerated pace of cyst formation and expansion, and an inability to maintain glomerular hyperfiltration during kidney expansion which results in a more rapid progression to ESRD. Therefore the intrauterine environment may play a critical role in disease severity in ADPKD.
A proposed perfectly matched stratified medium FDTD TFSF sourced by inhomogeneous plane waves

This paper addresses both uniform and stratified medium problems. It provides an extension of 1D-MAP methodology which deals only with homogeneous plane waves to include inhomogeneous plane waves. Inhomogeneous waves do not share the same geometrical simplicity as that of the homogeneous plane waves. As a result, directly extending the 1D-MAP to include inhomogeneous plane waves is numerically very inefficient.
The Role of Museums in American Anthropology

American museum anthropology began to assume its modern character in the 1890s under the aegis of Frederick Ward Putnam and Franz Boas. Field Museum curator Donald Collier and American Museum curator Harry Tschopik, Jr., writing from the perspective of half a century later, identify foundational personalities and events in the creation of the discipline and raise questions about the future of museum anthropology that remain very much alive today. This work takes stock at a critical juncture for American museum anthropology.?Eds.
Kinetic analysis of a Golgi UDP-GlcNAc:polypeptide-Thr/Ser N-acetyl-α-glucosaminyltransferase from Dictyostelium

Mucin-type O-glycosylation in Dictyostelium is initiated in the Golgi by a UDP-GlcNAc:polypeptide-Thr/Ser N-acetyl-alpha-glucosaminyltransferase (Dd-pp alphaGlcNAcT2) whose sequence is distantly related to the sequences of animal polypeptide-Thr/Ser N-acetyl-alpha-galactosaminyltransferases, such as murine Mm-pp alphaGalNAcT1. To evaluate the significance of this similarity, highly purified Dd-pp alphaGlcNAcT2 was assayed using synthetic peptides derived from known substrates. Dd-pp alphaGlcNAcT2 strongly prefers UDP-GlcNAc over UDP-GalNAc, preferentially modifies the central region of the peptide, and modifies Ser in addition to Thr residues. Initial velocity measurements performed over a matrix of UDP-GlcNAc donor and peptide acceptor concentrations indicate that the substrates bind to the enzyme in ordered fashion before the chemical conversion. Substrate inhibition exerted by a second peptide, and the pattern of product inhibition exerted by UDP, suggest that UDP-GlcNAc binds first and the peptide binds second, consistent with data reported for Mm-pp alphaGalNAcT1. Two selective competitive inhibitors of Mm-pp alphaGalNAcT1, retrieved from a screen of neutral-charge uridine derivatives, also inhibit Dd-pp alphaGlcNAcT1 competitively with only slightly less efficacy. Inhibition is specific for Dd-pp alphaGlcNAcT2 relative to two other Dictyostelium retaining glycosyltransferases. These data support a phylogenetic model in which the alphaGlcNAcT function in unicellular eukaryotes converted to an alphaGalNAcT function in the metazoan ortholog while conserving a similar reaction mechanism and active site architecture.
A METHOD OF ESTIMATING THE PARAMETERS OF TUNED MASS DAMPERS FOR SEISMIC APPLICATIONS

The optimum parameters of tuned mass dampers (TMD) that result in considerable reduction in the response of structures to seismic loading are presented. The criterion used to obtain the optimum parameters is to select, for a given mass ratio, the frequency (tuning) and damping ratios that would result in equal and large modal damping in the first two modes of vibration. The parameters are used to compute the response of several single and multi-degree-of-freedom structures with TMDs to different earthquake excitations. The results indicate that the use of the proposed parameters reduces the displacement and acceleration responses significantly. The method can also be used in vibration control of tall buildings using the so-called ‘mega-substructure configuration’, where substructures serve as vibration absorbers for the main structure. It is shown that by selecting the optimum TMD parameters as proposed in this paper, significant reduction in the response of tall buildings can be achieved. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Realistic Distributions of Infectious Periods in Epidemic Models: Changing Patterns of Persistence and Dynamics

Most mathematical models used to study the epidemiology of childhood viral diseases, such as measles, describe the period of infectiousness by an exponential distribution. The effects of including more realistic descriptions of the infectious period within SIR (susceptible/infectious/recovered) models are studied. Less dispersed distributions are seen to have two important epidemiological consequences. First, less stable behaviour is seen within the model: incidence patterns become more complex. Second, disease persistence is diminished: in models with a finite population, the minimum population size needed to allow disease persistence increases. The assumption made concerning the infectious period distribution is of a kind routinely made in the formulation of mathematical models in population biology. Since it has a major effect on the central issues of population persistence and dynamics, the results of this study have broad implications for mathematical modellers of a wide range of biological systems.
Analyses of ampC gene expression in Serratia marcescens reveal new regulatory properties

Serratia marcescens encodes an inducible, chromosomal beta-lactamase, ampC. Studies addressing the regulation of inducible ampC genes have focused primarily on Enterobacter cloacae and Citrobacter freundii. The purpose of this study was to clone and sequence the ampC, ampR and intergenic region of S. marcescens and examine both inducible and basal level ampC expression. Sequence analysis of the S. marcescens ampC gene identified an extended 5' untranslated region (UTR) of 126 nucleotides, which formed a prominent stem-loop structure. Induction of ampC expression required AmpR, and the start of transcription was determined using primer extension analysis. In vivo half-life analysis revealed that the half-life of the S. marcescens ampC transcript was 7 min. Confirmation of the in vivo half-life and the role of the stem-loop structure in the 5' UTR was demonstrated by comparing transcript half-life and luciferase expression between a wild-type (WT) and a 5' UTR stem-loop deletion mutant. These data demonstrated that the stem-loop structure was involved in transcript stability. Taken together, these findings indicate that constitutive expression of S. marcescens ampC is regulated by both transcriptional initiation and post-transcriptional events.
Microwave plasma reactions of imidazole on poly(vinyl chloride) surfaces: A spectroscopic study

Although there are various forms of energy available for conducting surface and interfacial reactions, microwave plasma energy is an attractive means for surface modifications because it is fast and it usually does not alter bulk properties. In this study, a closed-system microwave plasma reactor was used to react imidazole molecules to poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) surfaces. Newly created surfaces were analyzed using attenuated total reflectance (ATR) Fourier-transformed infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. These studies show that surface reactions on PVC are heavily dependent upon a prior thermal history of the PVC substrate. It appears that the plasma reactions on hot-pressed PVC not only result in the development of CH2 linkages, but a significant increase of crystallinity in the hot-pressed PVC inhibits the reactivity of imidazole to the PVC surface. On the other hand, for a solvent-cast PVC with a significantly lower surface crystalline phase content, imidazole reacts to the PVC surface through CC bond opening. The amount of imidazole reacted to the PVC surface changes with the depth from the surface. Using quantitative ATR FTIR spectroscopy, imidazole content can be quantified, and its concentrations are in the 10−6 mol/cm2 range at about 0.8–1.2 μm for the PVC surface. A mechanism of the PVC–imidazole reactions is also proposed. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 71: 1–6, 1999
Morphology and growth of extended chain crystals of polyethylene

Abstract : The morphology and growth of extended chain crystals of polyethylene is discussed on the basis of optical and electron microscopy. The spherulitic habit is shown to be caused by nucleation of new lamellae on the (001) surface of lamellae, branching of lamellae on their growth face, and thickening of lamellae. Spherulite centers have been identified down to the primary lamella. Analysis of intersections of lamellae during crystallization allowed the identification of intermediate stages of crystal growth. Fracture surfaces parallel to the growth face and the (001) face are discussed. 'Ripple decoration' by surface recrystallization is developed as a tool for fracture surface study. Kink bands are described as growth defects. Bending of lamellae is shown to go by slip parallel to the polymer chains. Ripple and drawn out fiber annealing is analyzed. All observations on extended chain crystals are used to propose a mechanism of extended chain crystal growth of polyethylene under elevated pressure. (Author)
Delamination onset in polymeric composite laminates under thermal and mechanical loads

A fracture mechanics damage methodology to predict edge delamination is described. The methodology accounts for residual thermal stresses, cyclic thermal stresses, and cyclic mechanical stresses. The modeling is based on the classical lamination theory and a sublaminate theory. The prediction methodology determines the strain energy release rate, G, at the edge of a laminate and compares it with the fatigue and fracture toughness of the composite. To verify the methodology, isothermal static tests at 23, 125, and 175 C and tension-tension fatigue tests at 23 and 175 C were conducted on laminates. The material system used was a carbon/bismaleimide, IM7/5260. Two quasi-isotropic layups were used. Also, 24 ply unidirectional double cantilever beam specimens were tested to determine the fatigue and fracture toughness of the composite at different temperatures. Raising the temperature had the effect of increasing the value of G at the edge for these layups and also to lower the fatigue and fracture toughness of the composite. The static stress to edge delamination was not affected by temperature but the number of cycles to edge delamination decreased.
Two-dimensional metal-semiconductor field effect transistor for ultra low power circuit applications

We describe a novel 2-dimensional metal-semiconductor field effect transistor (2-D MESFET) in which opposing Schottky side gates formed on the sidewall of a modulation-doped AlGaAs-InGaAs heterostructure modulate the channel width and the drain current. The drain current ranged from 0 to 210 /spl mu/A and the maximum measured transconductance was 212 /spl mu/S (212 mS/mm) at room temperature for a 1/spl times/1 micron channel. The threshold voltage was -0.45 V and the subthreshold ideality factor was 1.30. The estimated gate capacitance was 0.8 fF//spl mu/m, or about half the equivalent capacitance of conventional HFET's. The cutoff frequency f/sub T/ was estimated to be 21 GHz. The narrow channel effect, which limits the minimum power consumption in conventional FET's, is practically eliminated in this device. >
Oscillations in continuum molecular spectra of alkali-metal—noble-gas molecules

Abstract Regular intensity undulations in the continuum spectra of heavy diatomic molecules are reported. In particular, the AΠ-XΣ transition of the Rb—noble-gas and Cs—noble-gas molecules has been studied. Calculations as well as experimental observation of absorption and emission spectra are reported.
Why Do SGLT2 Inhibitors Inhibit Only 30–50% of Renal Glucose Reabsorption in Humans?

Sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibition is a novel and promising treatment for diabetes under late-stage clinical development. It generally is accepted that SGLT2 mediates 90% of renal glucose reabsorption. However, SGLT2 inhibitors in clinical development inhibit only 30–50% of the filtered glucose load. Why are they unable to inhibit 90% of glucose reabsorption in humans? We will try to provide an explanation to this puzzle in this perspective analysis of the unique pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles of SGLT2 inhibitors in clinical trials and examine possible mechanisms and molecular properties that may be responsible.
Health effects of indoor fungi

Objectives To review the nontoxic harmful effects that poor indoor air quality caused by fungi can have on health. Data Sources We searched PubMed for publications related to the various topics discussed in this review, and we relied on our knowledge of the field. Study Selection Where more than one publication was relevant, we attempted to identify a consensus of the reports and cited the most relevant articles. Priority was given to randomized controlled trials and expert reports when available, although much of the information herein relates to laboratory research. Results Actively growing fungal colonies can release volatile substances that have an unpleasant smell, leading to psychological responses in the occupants such as fatigue and nausea. Symptoms that are likely caused by indoor fungi include respiratory complaints that involve the nose and lungs, eye symptoms, and mucous membrane irritation. These adverse effects can occur by a variety of mechanisms, including IgE-mediated hypersensitivity, fungal infection, irritant reaction to spores or fungal metabolites, and possibly toxic reaction to mycotoxins. Conclusions Reduced fungal exposure can reasonably be expected to improve health. Removal of moisture from the indoors and proper maintenance of air filters can aid in prevention and elimination of fungi from the home environment. Small areas of present contamination can be cleaned with a dilute bleach solution, which kills viable colonies and removes their mycelia. If fungal contamination is not addressed early, substantial damage can occur, requiring professional remediation. Above all, the individual should not panic at the first sight of fungi growing in the home. Regular inspection and cleaning can prevent many fungus-related problems.
Laser Driven Plasma Accelerators

Linear particle accelerators can be made 100-1000 times shorter than conventional ones if the electric field of an electron plasma wave is used instead of that of a microwave cavity. Intense plasma waves can be excited by particle beams or laser beams. The most advanced concept, the Beat-wave Accelerator, has been studied extensively in theory, simulation, and experiment. Small-scale experiments have already demonstrated fields of order 1GeV/m, the existence of accelerated electrons, the effects of com-peting processes, and the nature of wave saturation. A proof-of-principle experiment employing a subnanosecond CO 2 laser is in progress.
Bridging parallel and reconfigurable computing with multilevel PGAS and SHMEM

Reconfigurable computing (RC) systems based on FPGAs are becoming an increasingly attractive solution to building parallel systems of the future. Applications targeting such systems have demonstrated superior performance and reduced energy consumption versus their traditional counterparts based on microprocessors. However, most of such work has been limited to small system sizes. Unlike traditional HPC systems, lack of integrated, system-wide, parallel-programming models and languages presents a significant design challenge for creating applications targeting scalable, reconfigurable HPC systems. In this paper, we introduce and investigate a novel programming model based on Partitioned Global Address Space (PGAS), which simplifies development of parallel applications for such systems. The new multilevel PGAS programming model captures the unique characteristics of these systems, such as the existence of multiple levels of memory hierarchy and heterogeneous computation resources. To evaluate this multilevel PGAS model, we extend and adapt the SHMEM programming language to become what we call SHMEM+, the first known SHMEM library enabling coordination between FPGAs and CPUs in a reconfigurable, heterogeneous HPC system. Our design of SHMEM+ is highly portable and provides peak communication bandwidth comparable to vendor-proprietary versions of SHMEM. In addition, applications designed with SHMEM+ yield improved developer productivity compared to current methods of multi-device RC design and achieve a high degree of portability.
Cell cycle attenuation by p120E4F is accompanied by increased mitotic dysfunction.

In addition to their well-established roles at the G1-S checkpoint, recent reports support a role for universal cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors in the control of G2-M and suggest that their induction may stimulate the occurrence of endomitosis or polyploidy in a number of physiological settings. In this report, the stable expression of the p120E4F transcription factor, which attenuates G1-S progression by elevating p21 WAF1 and p27 KIP1 protein levels, was shown to also interfere with the regulation of G2-M and cytokinesis. Exponentially growing cultures of p120E4F-expressing fibroblast cell lines had reduced levels of CDC2 kinase activity, elevated levels of Cyclin B1 protein, and continuously generated a subpopulation of tetraploid cells and elevated numbers of multinucleated cells. Coexpression of activated Ras, which stimulates Cyclin D1 expression and G1-S-specific cyclin-CDK kinase activities, alleviated these effects without reducing p21 WAF1 or p27 KIP1 protein levels; p120E4F/rasexpressing cell lines contained reduced levels of Cyclin B1 protein, a restoration of Cyclin B-CDC2 kinase activity to control levels, and exhibited no increase of tetraploid or multinucleated cells. Interestingly, changes in the expression of Cyclin B1 and, to a lesser extent, CDC2 were primarily regulated by posttranscriptional mechanisms. The results indicate that mechanisms which moderately elevate CDK inhibitor levels can reduce CDC2 kinase activity to the point of impeding normal G2-M function and suggest that two molecular determinants commonly associated with the induction of polyploidy in a number of tissues, i.e., elevated levels of universal CDK inhibitors and sustained CDK2 kinase activity, may be solely sufficient to initiate endomitosis.
Is Humidification Always Necessary During Noninvasive Ventilation in the Hospital

Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) is a standard of care for the treatment of exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, to prevent intubation and reduce morbidity and mortality. The need for humidification of NIV gas is controversial. Some unique aspects of NIV conspire to alter the delivered humidity and airway function. In the presence of air leaks, unidirectional air flow dries the airways and increases airway resistance. Patient comfort is also a critical issue, as tolerance of NIV is often tied to patient comfort. This paper provides the arguments for and against routine humidification during NIV in the hospital setting. Data from clinical research demonstrate the effects of delivered humidification on relevant physiologic variables. The impact of humidification on NIV success/failure remains speculative.
Addressing the spin question in gravitational-wave searches: Waveform templates for inspiralling compact binaries with nonprecessing spins

This paper presents a post-Newtonian (PN) template family of gravitational waveforms from inspiralling compact binaries with nonprecessing spins, where the spin effects are described by a single “reduced-spin” parameter. This template family, which reparametrizes all the spin-dependent PN terms in terms of the leading-order (1.5PN) spin-orbit coupling term in an approximate way, has very high overlaps (fitting factor >0.99) with nonprecessing binaries with arbitrary mass ratios and spins. We also show that this template family is “effectual” for the detection of a significant fraction of generic spinning binaries in the comparable-mass regime (m_2/m_1≲10), providing an attractive and feasible way of searching for gravitational waves from spinning low-mass binaries. We also show that the secular (nonoscillatory) spin-dependent effects in the phase evolution (which are taken into account by the nonprecessing templates) are more important than the oscillatory effects of precession in the comparable-mass (m_1≃m_2) regime. Hence the effectualness of nonspinning templates is particularly poor in this case, as compared to non-precessing-spin templates. For the case of binary neutron stars observable by Advanced LIGO, even moderate spins (L_N·S/m^2≃0.015–0.1) will cause considerable mismatches (~3%–25%) with nonspinning templates. This is contrary to the expectation that neutron-star spins may not be relevant for gravitational wave detection.
Aging and Bone

Bones provide mechanical and protective function, while also serving as housing for marrow and a site for regulation of calcium ion homeostasis. The properties of bones do not remain constant with age; rather, they change throughout life, in some cases improving in function, but in others, function deteriorates. Here we review the modifications in the mechanical function and shape of bones, the bone cells, the matrix they produce, and the mineral that is deposited on this matrix, while presenting recent theories about the factors leading to these changes.
The rise of negative partisanship and the nationalization of U.S. elections in the 21st century

One of the most important developments affecting electoral competition in the United States has been the increasingly partisan behavior of the American electorate. Yet more voters than ever claim to be independents. We argue that the explanation for these seemingly contradictory trends is the rise of negative partisanship. Using data from the American National Election Studies, we show that as partisan identities have become more closely aligned with social, cultural and ideological divisions in American society, party supporters including leaning independents have developed increasingly negative feelings about the opposing party and its candidates. This has led to dramatic increases in party loyalty and straight-ticket voting, a steep decline in the advantage of incumbency and growing consistency between the results of presidential elections and the results of House, Senate and even state legislative elections. The rise of negative partisanship has had profound consequences for electoral competition, democratic representation and governance.
Analytical Applications of a New Spectroscopic Tool: Oherent Anti-Stokes Raman Spectroscopy (CARS)

Conventional, spontaneous Raman spectroscopy has been an extremely useful technique for analytical applications (1–5). It is used for both qualitative and quantitative analysis in cases which complement infrared methods. For example, homonuclear diatomic molecules, H2 D2, O2 N2, Cl2, etc. cannot be detected by infrared spectroscopy. Moreover, certain “symmetrical” vibrational modes are often only weakly allowed in the infrared spectrum, but such vibrations are frequently very intense in the Raman effect. An example is the vibrational spectrum of Thiokol rubber (6). The ir spectrum of this material shows the presence of C-O-C linkage but no indication of C-S or S-S bonds. The Raman spectrum exhibits no suggestion of ether-like moieties but very strongly displays the intense C-S and S-S vibrations. Hence, both spectra are necessary to identify the material. Raman spectroscopy has certain advantages over infrared spectroscopy, especially with respect to sample handling. With Raman spectroscopy, one can obtain results from samples in sealed tubes, whereas careful sample preparation is often required for infrared spectroscopy. Raman spectra of aqueous solutions are much easier to obtain since Raman scattering in water is relatively weak, whereas infrared absorption in water is nearly ubiquitous. Thus, Raman spectroscopy is a potent tool for the bio-related sciences. Raman spectroscopy is also becoming a very useful technique as a diagnostic tool for combustion and aerodynamic applications (7–12).
Can We Ascertain the Falsity of a Scientific Hypothesis

Can we ascertain the falsity of a given scientific hypothesis H? Alternatively, could we ascertain the truth of H? One tradition answers these questions asymmetrically as follows: Alas, unfavorable results furnished by just one kind of experiment suffice to guarantee the falsity of an otherwise highly successful hypothesis. And would that favorable experimental findings had a comparable capability of establishing the truth of a hypothesis! Thus, the scientist is held to be laboring under a discouraging handicap in his quest to glean nature’s secrets. His most triumphant theories are never safe from refutation by potential contrary evidence. Hence, none of his hypotheses can ever be known to be true with certainty. But if even a small amount of contrary evidence does materialize, then the most celebrated of hypotheses is indeed known to be false.
Big-Box Benefits: The Targeting of Giants in a National Campaign to Raise Work Conditions

Wal-Mart matters to the form and substance of law and social reform in several distinct ways. This article describes Wal-Mart as serving three key purposes - as target, symbol, and model - in the contemporary social reform landscape. First, Wal-Mart, the largest employer in the United States is an effective target, serving as a deep, large pocket which impacts huge numbers of stakeholders. Second, Wal-Mart as a familiar, visible, and brazen corporation serves as a compelling symbol of the dilemmas about the costs and distribution of benefits of for-profit enterprises. And third, Wal-Mart serves as an experimental model for strategically exploring the efficacy of alternatives in legislation, litigation, and political struggles for social reform. Describing these three key purposes, the article demonstrates how recent confrontations between Wal-Mart and the environments within which it operates are shaping contemporary forms of political deliberation, legal strategies and social reform activism. In particular, the article links these three ways in which Wal-Mart has been shaping legal debates by examining developments in Wal-Mart anti-discrimination suits, including the Dukes v. Wal-Mart Stores recently certified class action, ADA suits, and wage and hour claims against the superstore. The article further focuses on efforts by local governments and state legislature to target, and use big-box retailers as a symbol of record wealth gaps and a model for welfare reform, in the areas of health care provision and living wage ordinances.
Sexual Hazing or Harassment Is a Title IX Violation

Although teachers, coaches and administrators may dismiss hazing behaviors as harmless antics and pranks, this article demonstrates the importance of addressing cases of hazing promptly and effectively.
AN ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC RISK SCORE FOR PREDICTION OF MORTALITY IN PATIENTS WITH PULMONARY HYPERTENSION

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a progressive disease with variable prognosis and expanding treatment options. Guidelines have supported individual echocardiographic prognostic markers, but their ability to predict mortality remain unclear. The aim was to assess the prognostic significance of
Analysis and characterization of package resonance: Research Articles

This article presents FDTD analysis and prediction of the overall effects of the resonance in ceramic and plastic packages. Practical structures that result in strong resonance effects are investigated, such as coupled cross lines with a via transition and multiple via transitions on a single line. A detailed study of the mutual coupling, including resonance effects, is also performed and presented. The results of the analysis indicate that the package performance can be very sensitive to the resonance effects. A broadband equivalent-circuit model for multiple transition discontinuities (two via holes) on a single line has been developed and presented. Good agreement between the frequency response of the FDTD and the circuit models has been achieved over a broad band of frequencies. The analysis presented in this article provides insight about the limits at which coupling effects on the overall package performance can be neglected. The equivalent-circuit model presented in this article can greatly simplify the analysis and simulation of a complex package, including several transition discontinuities, assuming that the coupling is small. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE, 2005.
Campanian Paleoseismites of the Elk Basin Anticline, Northern Bighorn Basin, U.S.A.: A Record of Initial Laramide Deformation

Abstract Paleoseismites, in the form of clastic dikes and sills and convolute bedding record syndepositional tectonism prior to lithification, fold growth, and onset of major orogenic events. The Elk Basin anticline, located in the northern portion of the Bighorn Basin, contains paleoseismites in Campanian strata along its eastern (forelimb) and western (back limb) margins. In the shallow-marine Telegraph Creek and Claggett formations, convolute bedding typically involves individual sandstone beds with vertical to overturned strata on either side of a nearly vertical vent, whereas the nonmarine Eagle Formation contains planar clastic dikes and sills, derived from liquefied sand-source beds, and convoluted bedding involving distorted laminae. Planar clastic dikes and sills were injected upward and laterally across overlying strata, and along pre-existing, nearly vertical, near-surface joints. Geographically, clastic dikes and sills are present only in the central portion of the anticline, while convoluted-bedding is present in the central and southern portions. Comparison of 145 clastic-dike measurements with 61 previously reported Laramide joint-set orientations for the Elk Basin demonstrate trends to be similar. Clastic dikes preferentially fill cross joints oriented normal to the axial trace of the anticline, while strike joints illustrate a dominant later Laramide joint set oriented subparallel to the axial trace. Paleoseismite formation is consistent with ∼ M 5.5 earthquakes during earliest Laramide deformation associated with development of the Elk Basin thrust fault, whereas strike joints formed during subsequent Laramide deformation after burial and cementation of Campanian strata.
Application of Peer Health Education in the Prevention of Tuberculosis among Students

[Objective] To understand the effect of peer health education in the prevention of tuberculosis among students and provide reference for the health education work on disease prevention and control in schools.[Methods] 960 primary school students were randomly collected from 7 primary schools in Jiaxing City and divided into the intervention group and the control;peer health education was applied in the intervention and questionnaire investigation was carried out after 6 months.[Results] The students' witting rate of TB knowledge in the intervention group(95.4%) was higher than that of the control(51.7%);no significant difference was found in the students' behaviors towards TB between the two groups.[Conclusion] Health education about tuberculosis in school can effectively improve the knowledge level about tuberculosis prevention among the students,but can not change the students' behaviors and attitude toward tuberculosis.
Analysis of Signal Intelligence for Wireless Communication Systems

This paper deals about developing things that could be done with signal intelligence of wireless communication systems. It is mainly focused on connection drop problems. Most of people in this generation are using different types of mobile devices for various purposes. Here mobile means anything in motion. Now-a-days we experience lot of increase in data traffic during signal transmission between networks. The drop-connection problems and data losses are common. The situation has been improved from this decade. We still facing big problems in network hardware & managing traffic. Hence, we need to smartly manage traffic, data load and rectify errors in hardware systems in transmitter, receiver. Keywords: MSC - Mobile Switching Center; BTS - Base Transceiver Station; LTE - Long Term Evolution
Diffusible Factors Secreted by Glioblastoma and Medulloblastoma Cells Induce Oxidative Stress in Bystander Neural Stem Progenitors

Harmful effects that alter the homeostasis of neural stem or progenitor cells (NSPs) can affect regenerative processes in the central nervous system. We investigated the effect of soluble factors secreted by control or 137Cs-γ-irradiated glioblastoma or medulloblastoma cells on redox-modulated endpoints in recipient human NSPs. Growth medium harvested from the nonirradiated brain tumor cells, following 24 h of growth, induced prominent oxidative stress in recipient NSPs as judged by overall increases in mitochondrial superoxide radical levels (p < .001), activation of c-jun N-terminal kinase, and decrease in the active form of FoxO3a. The induced oxidative stress was associated with phosphorylation of p53 on serine 15, a marker of DNA damage, induction of the cyclin-cyclin dependent kinase inhibitors p21Waf1 and p27Kip1, and perturbations in cell cycle progression (p < .001). These changes were also associated with increased apoptosis as determined by enhanced annexin V staining (p < .001) and caspase 8 a...
Perceptions of Environmental Change and Climate Concern Among Idaho’s Farmers

ABSTRACTClimate change public opinion research has identified conservative political ideology as the primary predictor of skepticism about climate change’s anthropogenic causes. Most farmers in Idaho are politically conservative, but they are also a unique group for whom observing their environment is part of daily life and work. We use data from in-depth interviews with 30 Idaho farmers to examine the relationship between observations of specific environmental changes and climate concern. We find that while most farmers report noticing changes in precipitation patterns, growing season length, and winter temperatures, few farmers connect these with long-term global climate change. These findings have two important implications: 1) direct experience, even in the form of disruption to an individual’s economic security, is not enough to overcome the influence of political ideology on climate change beliefs, and 2) acknowledging climate variation is not sufficient to convince individuals that the changes are ...
Morbid obesity and functional status as predictors of surgical complication after renal transplantation

Abstract Background This study evaluated the impact of body mass index (BMI) and patient functional status on the risk for surgical complications after kidney transplant. Methods This retrospective cohort study of adult kidney transplant recipients grouped patients by baseline Karnofsky status (low function ≤ 70%) and further stratified by morbid obesity (BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2) to assess surgical complication risk. Results 736 patients were included with surgical complications occurring in 25%. Logistic regression analysis with interaction terms demonstrated that morbid obesity and low functional status conditionally impact risk with an OR of 2.8 [95% CI (1.1–7.3)]. Within the functional status cohort, BMI ≥35 kg/m2 was associated with increased risk of surgical complication, superficial wound infection, and DGF. Independent predictors for surgical complications included diabetes and morbid obesity with low functional status. There was no significant difference in graft loss or death across the cohorts. Conclusions While neither morbid obesity nor poor functional status alone predicts increased complications, the combined presence is associated with significant increase in risk for surgical complications after renal transplantation.
Evolution of Siliciclastic Provenance Inquiries: A Critical Appraisal

The modern quest for siliciclastic provenance began about 170 years ago with an optical petrographic microscope. In these years, six conceptual leaps have deepened and broadened our understanding: (1) Identification of feldspar diagenesis and in situ production of clay in sandstones (1859); (2) quantification of relative input of different parent rocks to a body of sand (1897); (3) arrested weathering of feldspar in short transport and rapid deposition (1935); (4) paleogeographic reconstruction (1965); (5) plate tectonic associations of modal and chemical compositions of sandstones (1979, 1986); and (6) continental growth and mantle evolution inferred from U-Pb and Hf isotopes in single mineral grains (2000). Details of all have been contested and modified; methodologies have been refined and added; and some inferences, such as plate tectonic reconstructions, have been curtailed. Yet the legacy of these six giant advances drives contemporary approaches to siliciclastic provenance.
Bilingual exposure enhances left IFG specialization for language in children.

Language acquisition is characterized by progressive use of inflectional morphology marking verb tense and agreement. Linguistic milestones are also linked to left-brain lateralization for language specialization. We used neuroimaging (fNIRS) to investigate how bilingual exposure influences children's cortical organization for processing morpho-syntax. In Study 1, monolinguals and bilinguals (n = 39) completed a grammaticality judgment task that included English sentences with violations in earlier-acquired (verb agreement) and later-acquired (verb tense/agreement) structures. Groups showed similar performance and greater activation in left inferior frontal region (IFG) for later- than earlier-acquired conditions. Bilinguals showed stronger and more restricted left IFG activation. In Study 2, bilinguals completed a comparable Spanish task revealing patterns of left IFG activation similar to English. Taken together, the findings suggest that bilinguals with linguistic competence at parity with monolingual counterparts have a higher degree of cortical specialization for language, likely a result of enriched linguistic experiences.
Subsurface oxidation of boron nitride coatings on silicon carbide fibers in SiC/SiC ceramic matrix composites

Abstract In a SiC/SiC ceramic matrix composite, oxygen penetrates through unprotected ends of boron nitride coated silicon carbide fibers by ends-on oxidation in ambient air at 1200–1285 °C. For oxidation times and temperatures that cause only a few microns of oxide to form on the matrix, the boron nitride coatings can be oxidized to a depth of several hundred microns. Sub-surface oxide penetration is deeper for thicker coatings.
Does the sodium level in drinking water affect blood pressure levels

Abstract Sodium consumed in excess may make a significant contribution to the causes of many diseases, especially for those who suffer from hypertension. More than 90% of hypertension is essential hypertension. Drinking water may contribute 10% to one's total sodium intake; for patients on sodium restricted regimens, drinking water may account for 64% of total intake. At present, insufficient evidence is available to conclude whether sodium in drinking water causes elevation of blood pressure. It is possible that reducing sodium intake early in life may minimize the risk of hypertension in the later years. Dietitians play a key role in the control of hypertension. Many communities in the U.S. exceed the recommended 20 mg/L or less sodium in drinking water; this may present a hazard to some members of our population. J Am Diet Assoc 88:1432, 1988.
Biochemical Contents of Granules and Lipid Bodies—Two Distinctive Organelles Found in Basophils and Mast Cells

Granules and lipid bodies (Figure 1), although in large part the most distinctive cytoplasmic organelles of basophils and mast cells, are by no means unique to these cells. For example, all secretory cells capable of regulated secretion store their unique secretory products in membrane-bound secretory granules (Palade, 1975), and non-membranebound lipid bodies are present in a large variety of mammalian cells including adipocytes (Galli et al., 1985). Although secretory granules have been known for years to function as storage organelles for the unique secretory products of the cells, much less is known regarding the potential role(s) of lipid bodies or of their contents in cell biology (Fawcett, 1981). Since secretory granules and/or their contents diminish in the course of secretion, their role in the storage and secretion of preformed mediators is certain. We have noted an increase in the number of cytoplasmic lipid bodies in a wide variety of nondamaged, activated cells participating in a variety of pathobiologic processes in numerous organ sites for years (A. M. Dvorak and Monahan-Earley, 1986; Galli et al., 1985). Because lipid bodies were particularly prominent in isolated, purified human lung mast cells (A. M. Dvorak et al., 1984a), we initiated studies that led to the recognition that these structures served as a significant storage site for arachidonic acid, an important precursor for the newly synthesized mediators derived from the cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase metabolic pathways for the production of various eicosanoids (Brocklehurst, 1962; A. M. Dvorak et al., 1983b, 1984a; Hammarstrom 1983; MacGlashan et al., 1982b; Needleman et al., 1986; Orange and Austen, 1969; Peters et al., 1984; Samuelsson, 1983; Samuelsson et al., 1975; Von Euler, 1936). Human mast cell cytoplasmic secretory granules, by contrast, did not serve this purpose, thereby establishing the biochemical distinctiveness as well as morphologic distinctiveness of these two cytoplasmic organelles in human mast cells.