cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Conformation and aggregation of poly-L-proline in solution

Abstract Although a large number of physical techniques have been successfully used to investigate many of the properties of poly-L-proline, the work reported here has used a combination of osmometry, light scattering, viscometry, and sedimentation studies to reveal a new aspect of this model biopolymer. Experiments were made both on solutions (propionic acid) of poly-L-proline Form I and Form II and on solutions (propionic acid with a threefold dilution of n-propanol) in which Form II was in the process of converting to Form I. The results indicate that an increase in the measured molecular weight accompanies known optical activity and intrinsic viscosity changes which occur as Form II becomes Form I. It appears that the molecular weight determined at infinite dilution for poly-L-proline I is approximately twice that found for poly-L-proline II, and evidence for concentration-promoted aggregation beyond the level of a dimer has been noted in these Form I solutions. Based on these facts and on the informa...
What has senescence got to do with cancer

Cancer therapeutics are primarily thought to work by inducing apoptosis in tumor cells. However, various tumor suppressors and oncogenes have been shown to regulate senescence in normal cells, and senescence bypass appears to be an important step in the development of cancer. Cellular senescence limits the replicative capacity of cells, thus preventing the proliferation of cells that are at different stages of malignancy. A recent body of evidence suggests that induction of senescence can be exploited as a basis for cancer therapy.
MS/MS of protonated polyproline peptides: The influence of N-terminal protonation on dissociation

A unique collision-induced dissociation pattern was observed for protonated polyproline peptides of length n in which yn−2 and/or yn−4 ions were formed in much higher abundance than any other product ions. Cleavage occurs only at every other amide bond, such that product ions are formed only from the losses of even numbers of proline residues. Exclusive losses of even numbers of proline residues were not observed from sodiated peptides. Further study of the tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) patterns of protonated proline-rich peptides showed that the substitution of alanine in the second position of polyproline peptides did not prevent the dominant formation of yn−2 and yn−4 ions. The loss of ProAla to form the y8 ion from (ProAlaPro8NH2+H)+ was as abundant as the loss of ProPro from (Pro10NH2+H)+. However, modification of the peptides that presumably affected the location of the proton on the peptide did alter the MS/MS spectra. Pro10 and Pro5 with blocked N-termini or with arginine substituted for the first proline residue did not form abundant yn−2 or yn−4 ions. MS3 and double resonance experiments showed that dissociation of intermediate yn product ions can produce yn−2 ions, but are not necessary dissociation pathway intermediates. This analysis suggests that the ionizing proton must be located at the N-terminus for the peptide ion to dissociate in this manner.
Cerebral intravascular oxygenation correlates with mean arterial pressure in critically ill premature infants.

Objectives. Premature infants experience brain injury, ie, germinal matrix–intraventricular hemorrhage (GMH-IVH) and periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), in considerable part because of disturbances in cerebral blood flow (CBF). Because such infants are susceptible to major fluctuations in mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), impaired cerebrovascular autoregulation would increase the likelihood for the changes in CBF that could result in GMH-IVH and PVL. The objectives of this study were to determine whether a state of impaired cerebrovascular autoregulation could be identified reliably and conveniently at the bedside, the frequency of any such impairment, and the relation of the impairment to the subsequent occurrence of severe GMH-IVH and PVL. Patients and Methods. To monitor the cerebral circulation continuously and noninvasively, we used near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to determine quantitative changes in cerebral concentrations of oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO2) and deoxygenated hemoglobin (Hb) from the first hours of life. Our previous experimental study showed a strong correlation between a measure of cerebral intravascular oxygenation (HbD), ie, HbD = HbO2 − Hb, determined by NIRS, and volemic CBF, determined by radioactive microspheres. We studied 32 very low birth weight premature infants (gestational age: 23–31 weeks; birth weight: 605-1870 g) requiring mechanical ventilation, supplemental oxygen, and invasive blood pressure monitoring by NIRS from 1 to 3 days of age. MAP measured by arterial catheter pressure transducer and arterial oxygen saturation measured by pulse oximetry were recorded simultaneously. The relationship of MAP to HbD was quantitated by coherence analysis. Results. Concordant changes (coherence scores >.5) in HbD and MAP, consistent with impaired cerebrovascular autoregulation, were observed in 17 of the 32 infants (53%). Eight of the 17 infants (47%) developed severe GMH-IVH or PVL or both. Of the 15 infants with apparently intact autoregulation, ie, coherence scores .5. Conclusions. We conclude that NIRS can be used in a noninvasive manner at the bedside to identify premature infants with impaired cerebrovascular autoregulation, that this impairment is relatively common in such infants, and that the presence of this impairment is associated with a high likelihood of occurrence of severe GMH-IVH/PVL.
Patients mobilizing large numbers of CD34+ cells ('super mobilizers') have improved survival in autologous stem cell transplantation for lymphoid malignancies

The cellular composition of an autologous graft may influence autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) outcome. Etoposide (VP) plus filgrastim (G) frequently mobilizes high numbers of CD34+ cells for autologous transplantation. We investigated whether patients collecting high numbers of CD34+ cells ('super mobilizers') have a better outcome than other patients. We reviewed 350 consecutive adult patients with NHL or Hodgkin's lymphoma receiving an ASCT from January 1994 to December 2005, mobilized with VP+G. Super mobilizers were defined as collecting a minimum of 8 x 10(6) CD34+ cells/kg. Two hundred and three patients were super mobilizers, while 147 collected between 2.0 and 7.95 CD34+ cells/kg. Super mobilizers were younger and more likely to have received two or fewer prior chemotherapy regimens (80 versus 63%, P<0.001). Median CD34+ cell dose for the super mobilizing group was 13.7 x 10(6) versus 4.4 x 10(6)/kg in the standard collecting group. The super mobilizer group had a superior overall survival (P=0.006). In multivariable analysis, favorable disease status and younger age at transplant, and super mobilization were associated with improved survival. We conclude that patients had an improved ASCT outcome if large numbers of CD34+ cells were mobilized and infused. The explanation for this observation is unknown.
Optimal constraint projection for hyperbolic evolution systems

Techniques are developed for projecting the solutions of symmetric-hyperbolic evolution systems onto the constraint submanifold (the constraint-satisfying subset of the dynamical field space). These optimal projections map a field configuration to the nearest configuration in the constraint submanifold, where distances between configurations are measured with the natural metric on the space of dynamical fields. The construction and use of these projections are illustrated for a new representation of the scalar field equation that exhibits both bulk and boundary generated constraint violations. Numerical simulations on a black hole background show that bulk constraint violations cannot be controlled by constraint-preserving boundary conditions alone, but are effectively controlled by constraint projection. Simulations also show that constraint violations entering through boundaries cannot be controlled by constraint projection alone, but are controlled by constraint-preserving boundary conditions. Numerical solutions to the pathological scalar field system are shown to converge to solutions of a standard representation of the scalar field equation when constraint projection and constraint-preserving boundary conditions are used together.
Electron Spin Dynamics as a Controlling Factor for Spin-Selective Charge Recombination in Donor−Bridge−Acceptor Molecules†

Photoinitiated charge separation and thermal charge recombination (CR) in a covalent donor−bridge−acceptor (D-B-A) system consisting of a perylene-3,4:9,10-bis(dicarboximide) (PDI) acceptor, 2,7-oligofluorene bridge (FLn), and phenothiazine donor (PTZ) (PTZ−FLn−PDI) have been shown to transition from superexchange to charge hopping mechanisms as the D−A distance increases. In work presented here, the spin-selective multiple CR pathways in PTZ−FLn−PDI are studied by a detailed analysis of the magnetic field effect (MFE) on the radical ion pair (RP) lifetime and triplet yield. A kinetic analysis of the MFE gives the spin-selective CR rates and the RP singlet−triplet (S-T) relaxation rates for n = 2−4. When n = 2 and 3, where the S-T splitting (2J) of the RP is large, slow S-T relaxation results in a kinetic bottleneck slowing the observed total CR rate at zero magnetic field. These results show that spin state mixing is an important controlling factor for CR reaction rates in these systems. The CR rate cons...
The Constitution's Forgotten Religion Clause: Reflections on the Article VI Religious Test Ban

A striking feature of virtually all popular and scholarly discussions of the constitutional provisions governing church-state relations is the near exclusive attention devoted to the First Amendment religion clauses.1 The First Amendment, however, is neither the only nor the first constitutional measure that addressed matters of religion and poli tics. Article VI, clause 3 of the original Constitution drafted by the Philadelphia Convention of 1787 and ratified by the states in 1788 in cluded a clause that provided: "no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States."2 This provision followed language instructing all state and fed eral officeholders to take an oath or affirmation to support the Consti tution. Among the mountains of literature on church and state, only a handful of book chapters and articles focus on the Article VI, clause 3 prohibition.3 Indeed, the attention given the First Amendment has
Providing academic support through peer education

Peer educators play a variety of roles in the academic support of other students and have significant positive effects on student learners.
Planetary science: Traces of ancient lunar water

The presence of water in lunar volcanic rocks has been attributed to delivery after the Moon formed. Water detected in rocks from the ancient lunar highlands suggests that the Moon already contained water early in its history, and poses more challenges for the giant impact theory of Moon formation.
On the design and implementation of an automated astronomical image analyzer

Sponsored by the National Aeronautical Space Association (NASA), the Synergetic Education and Research in Enabling NASA-centered Academic Development of Engineers and Space Scientists (SERENADES) Laboratory was established at California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA). An important on-going research activity in this lab is to develop an easy-to-use image analysis software with the capability of automated object detection to facilitate astronomical research. This paper presents the design and implementation of an automated astronomical image analyzer. The core of this software is the automated object detection algorithm developed in our previous research, which is capable of detecting objects in near galaxy images, including objects located within clouds. In addition to the functionality, human factor is considered in system design and tremendous efforts have been devoted to enhance the user friendliness. Instead of using command line or static menus, graphical methods are enabled in our software system to allow the user to directly manipulate the objects that he/she wants to investigate. Comprehensive tests are conducted by users with and without astronomical backgrounds. Compared to current software tools such as IRAF and Skyview, our developed software has the following advantages: 1) No pre-training is required; 2) The amount of human supervision is significantly reduced by automated object detection; 3) Batch processing capability is supported for fast operation; and 4) A high degree of human computer interaction is realized for better usability.
Expression of neuron‐specific markers by the vomeronasal neuroepithelium in six species of primates

Vomeronasal organ (VNO) morphology varies markedly across primate taxa. Old World monkeys display no postnatal VNO. Humans and at least some apes retain a vestigial VNO during postnatal life, whereas the strepsirrhines and New World Monkeys present a morphologically well-defined VNO that, in many species, is presumed to function as an olfactory organ. Available microanatomical and behavioral studies suggest that VNO function in these species does not precisely duplicate that described in other mammalian taxa. The questions of which species retain a functional VNO and what functions they serve require inquiry along diverse lines but, to be functional, the vomeronasal epithelium must be neuronal and olfactory. We used immunohistochemistry to establish these criteria in six primate species. We compared the expression of two neuronal markers, neuron-specific beta-tubulin (BT) and protein gene product 9.5, and olfactory marker protein (OMP), a marker of mature olfactory sensory neurons, in paraffin-embedded VNO sections from two strepsirrhine and four haplorhine species, all of which retain morphologically well-defined VNOs during postnatal life. The infant Eulemur mongoz, adult Otolemur crassicaudatus, neonatal Leontopithicus rosalia, and adult Callithrix jacchus express all three proteins in their well-defined vomeronasal neuroepithelia. The infant Tarsius syrichta showed some BT and OMP immunoreactivity. We establish that two strepsirrhine species and at least some New World haplorhines have mature sensory neurons in the VNO. In contrast, at all ages examined, Saguinus geoffroyi VNO expresses these markers in only a few cells.
Infants' Responses to Facial and Vocal Emotional Signals in a Social Referencing Paradigm

The independent effects of facial and vocal emotional signals and of positive and negative signals on infant behavior were investigated in a novel toy social referencing paradigm. 90 12-month-old infants and their mothers were assigned to an expression condition (neutral, happy, or fear) nested within a modality condition (face-only or voice-only). Each infant participated in 3 trials: a baseline trial, an expression trial, and a final positive trial. We found that fearful vocal emotional signals, when presented without facial signals, were sufficient to elicit appropriate behavior regulation. Infants in the fear-voice condition looked at their mothers longer, showed less toy proximity, and tended to show more negative affect than infants in the neutral-voice condition. Happy vocal signals did not elicit differential responding. The infants' sex was a factor in the few effects that were found for infants' responses to facial emotional signals.
Normal frog gastrula extracellular materials serve as a substratum for normal and hybrid cell adhesion when covalently coupled with CNBr-activated Sepharose beads.

Abstract Gastrula stage Rana pipiens or arrested hybrid R. pipiens ♀ × R. catesbeiana ♂ embryos, when dissociated in EDTA, release a high molecular weight glycoconjugate into the dissociation medium. This extracellular material (ECM) can be covalently coupled with CNBr-activated Sepharose 4B beads. Normal and hybrid cells from gastrula stage embryos adhere to beads coupled with normal ECM but fail to attach to beads coupled with hybrid ECM. Cells do not attach to a variety of other proteins and do not attach to blank beads.
Carotid plaque: comparison between visual and grey-scale median analysis

Plaque morphology plays an important prognostic role in the occurrence of cerebrovascular events. Echolucent and heterogeneous plaques, in particular, carry an increased risk of subsequent stroke. Most of the trials emphasizing the relationship between plaque echo structure and stroke risk are based on high-resolution ultrasound (US) using a visual method of classification. More recently, several studies have suggested that the computerized measurement of the grey-scale median (GSM) may evaluate carotid plaque echogenicity more objectively and accurately. We sought to compare these two types of evaluations. We studied 68 consecutive patients, with 86 carotid bifurcation plaques causing 30% to 99% stenosis on duplex scanning. We assessed the GSM of these plaques and compared it to the visually evaluated echogenicity using the five-type classification system with vessel lumen and adventitia as reference structures. Plaque heterogeneity was also studied in a subgroup of 47 patients with 60 carotid stenoses by comparing visual analysis with the GSM method. The mean GSM value of the plaques increased with the plaque type. The difference of echogenicity between the five types of plaques was statistically significant (p < 0.02). We found a good concordance between visual analysis and the GSM method regarding plaque heterogeneity. Our results suggest that the visual evaluation of plaque echogenicity and heterogeneity based on the five-type classification correlates well with the computerized measurement of the GSM. The visual evaluation of carotid plaque remains, therefore, a valuable method in daily clinical practice.
Effect of Treadmill Exercise on Tibial Cortical Bone in Aged Female Rats: A Histomorphometry and Dual . Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry Study

The aim of this study was to increase our understanding of the effect of exercise on cortical bone mass and turnover in aged female rats. Female Sprague-Dawley rats, 14 months of age, were divided into four groups: 8 controls and 10 exercised for the 9-week study, and 8 controls and 9 exercised for the 16-week study. Exercise consisted of treadmill running at 17 m/min for one h/day and 5 days/week for 9 and 16 weeks. All animals received double fluorochrome labeling of bone prior to sacrifice. Histomorphometric analysis was performed on 30-μm-thick Villanueva-stained, undecalcified cross-sections of the tibial shaft. Tibial diaphyseal mineral density of each rat in the 16-week study was measured by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry in vivo at 0, 9, and 16 weeks. The diaphyseal mineral density of the exercised group was significantly greater than that of the control group (p < 0.05 by two-way ANOVA) and the individual slopes of the density vs. time was found to be higher in the exercised than in the control animals (mean ± SE of exercised 0.56 ± 0.13 vs. control 0.19 ± 0.07 mg/cm2/week, p < 0.05) by the end of the experiment. The results of the histomorphometric analysis after 9 weeks of exercise showed that the periosteal labeled surface, mineral apposition rate, and bone formation rate were profoundly increased by 192% (p < 0.001), 35%, and 206% (p < 0.01), respectively. These values declined at 16 weeks (only the increase in labeled perimeter was significant, p < 0.05). Bone resorption on the endocortical surface was reduced (nonsignificantly) by 9 or 16 weeks of exercise compared with the control groups. However, the cross-sectional area and cortical bone area increased by 3% and 4%, respectively, after 9 weeks of exercise, reaching 8% (p = 0.053) and 10% (p = 0.057), respectively, at 16 weeks of exercise training. The marrow area of the exercised group did not differ from the aged-matched control group at each tune point. In conclusion, running exercise created an accumulation of tibial cortical bone mass, which was due to stimulated periosteal bone modeling in the formation mode. A trend of reduced resorption (nonsignificant) at the exercised tibial endocortical surface at 9 and 16 weeks may suggest that exercise probably depressed endocortical BMU-based bone remodeling in the resorption mode. The benefit of exercise was not limited in aged female rats. The results were generally in agreement with the mechanostat theory proposed by Frost.
Broadening the parameters of investigation in treating young children's chronic food refusal

We evaluated the relationship of contextual variables and contingent mother-child interactions to feeding behaviors at home for 3 children (ages 18 to 43 months) with chronic food refusal problems. Previous research suggests that contingent attention (i.e., specific prompts, approval) affects feeding, but contextual variables (i.e., mealtime location, seating arrangement, number of meals and snacks offered daily, persons present during meals) have not been systematically examined. Using a nonconcurrent multiple baseline design across mother-child dyads, we assessed the effects of parent training in contingency management skills on maternal contingent attention, child food intake, and contextual variables of mealtimes. Parent training resulted in planned increases in contingent attention and child acceptances of target foods for each dyad. Concomitant with this training, 2 children showed positive changes in contextual variables (e.g., reduced frequency of daily meals and snacks to a recommended level, increased proportion of meals eaten at a table), and 1 child evidenced mild deterioration in contextual variables. A second parent training condition directed at correcting specific ecological parameters with 2 dyads effectively modified these variables, but its impact on child food acceptance was unclear. These findings suggest that some contextual conditions covary with children's feeding patterns and should be monitored in planning and evaluating feeding intervention.
Influence of apparent head position on optokinetic nystagmus and eye posture.

The investigation to be reported illustrates tha t both a physical and a separate perceptual change in head posture can influence the return position of the eyes during optokinetic nystagmus (OKN). Because a perceived change in head posture in the absence of a true physical deviation can Significantly displace the position of the eyes during optokinetic nystagmus, a central reinterpretation of neck proprioceptive signals must occur before neural information about head posture modulates oculomotor control.
Intraoperative radiation (IORT) injury to sciatic nerve in a large animal model

Peripheral nerve appears to be a dose-limiting normal tissue in the clinical application of intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT). To assess IORT injury to peripheral nerve, three groups of five beagle dogs received doses of 12, 20 or 28 Gy to the surgically exposed and isolated right sciatic nerve in the mid-femoral region using 6 MeV electrons. The left sciatic nerve of each dog served as its own control. As a surgical control five dogs received surgical exposure of the nerve only. Monthly neurologic exams, electromyogram and nerve conduction studies were performed following treatment for 12 months. After that dogs were euthanatized and histologic studies of nerves were done to define the degree of axon and myelin loss as well as presence of fibrosis and vascular lesions for different doses of IORT. Results showed that the threshold dose most likely related to expression of severe radiation damage to the nerve in this model is between 20 and 25 Gy. Radiation injury to peripheral nerve appears to be the result of direct radiation effects on Schwann cells and nerve vasculature and secondary effects resulting from damage to regional muscle and vasculature. A theoretical mechanism of radiation injury to peripheral nerve is proposed.
Function of steep cusps in mastication with complete dentures

Abstract 1. (1) The laboratory experimentation was conducted with single teeth. If the posterior occlusion was expanded to two or more teeth on a side, it was also necessary that the penetrating forces be multiplied by a similar factor. 2. (2) The patient's ability to tolerate vertical forces on the denture foundation is to be regarded as the constant for that patient. It determines the patient's functional level which, when correlated to the incline on the graph (Fig. 3), is an invaluable aid in programming a functional occlusion. 3. (3) When the force-tolerance level is subminimal, the judicious use of steep cusps can be effective if opposed by shallow (10 or 20 degree) occlusal surfaces. 4. (4) Steep cusps do penetrate food more easily and thereby produce less vertical trauma.
Rosiglitazone and Gemcitabine in combination reduces immune suppression and modulates T cell populations in pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is a leading cause of cancer mortality with a dismal 2–5 % 5-year survival rate. Monotherapy with Gemcitabine has limited success, highlighting the need for additional therapies that enhance the efficacy of current treatments. We evaluated the combination of Gemcitabine and Rosiglitazone, an FDA-approved drug for the treatment of type II diabetes, in an immunocompetent transplantable mouse model of pancreatic cancer. Tumor progression, survival, and metastases were evaluated in immunocompetent mice with subcutaneous or orthotopic pancreatic tumors treated with Pioglitazone, Rosiglitazone, Gemcitabine, or combinations of these. We characterized the impact of high-dose Rosiglitazone and Gemcitabine therapy on immune suppressive mediators, including MDSC and T regulatory cells, and on modulation of peripheral and intra-tumoral T cell populations. Combinations of Rosiglitazone and Gemcitabine significantly reduced tumor progression and metastases, enhanced apoptosis, and significantly extended overall survival compared to Gemcitabine alone. Rosiglitazone altered tumor-associated immune suppressive mediators by limiting early MDSC accumulation and intra-tumoral T regulatory cells. Combination therapy with Rosiglitazone and Gemcitabine modulated T cell populations by enhancing circulating CD8+ T cells and intra-tumoral CD4+ and CD8+ T cells while limiting T regulatory cells. The results suggest that Rosiglitazone, in combination with Gemcitabine, decreases immune suppressive mechanisms in immunocompetent animals and provides pre-clinical data in support of combining Rosiglitazone and Gemcitabine as a clinical therapy for pancreatic cancer.
Treatment of antibody-mediated accelerated rejection using plasmapheresis

Accelerated antibody-mediated rejection is believed to be due to an anamnestic response of an allograft recipient to donor antigens. Few reports have demonstrated successful reversal of this type of rejection, and no consensus exists for either diagnosis or treatment. Accelerated antibody-mediated rejection was suspected on the basis of clinical findings and confirmed by cytotoxic and flow crossmatches, and leukocyte antibody screens. Serial crossmatches and antibody screens were performed through post-transplant day 112. Plasmapheresis was performed on post-transplant days 1, 2, 4, 6, 12, 14, 20, and 28. The duration of treatment was determined by the cytotoxic crossmatch results. We present a case of successfully treated accelerated antibody-mediated rejection using plasmapheresis and aggressive immunosuppression. Serial crossmatch and leukocyte antibody screen results are presented that confirm the production of anti-donor antibody and demonstrate the effectiveness of the treatment protocol in eliminating detectable levels of the anti-donor antibody. At 6 months post-transplant, the patient has a serum creatinine of 1.1 and has not had any additional rejection episodes or infectious complications. The protocol suggested in this paper allows for rapid diagnosis, institution of treatment, and monitoring the efficacy of treatment, providing the basis for follow-up clinical trials.
Phase diagram and emulsion stability of surfactant–fragrance systems

Synopsis Emulsions containing 95 wt.% water were prepared of a fragrance oil (limonene, the mixture of limonene and phenethyl alcohol in different ratios, and benzaldehyde), using a commercial tetraethyleneglycol lauryl ether (Laureth 4) as the stabilizer. The emulsion stability was observed both visually and with the aid of a microscope. The variation of emulsion stability with the fragrance/surfactant ratio is related to the phase changes in the system. Resume On prepare des emulsions contenant 95% en poids d’eau avec une essence de parfum (limonene, le melange de limonene et d’alcool phenethylique en differentes proportions, et du benzaldehyde), en utilisant un ether laurylique de tetraethylene glycol (Laureth 4) commercial comme stabilisant. On etudie la stabilite de l’emulsion visuellement et avec l’aide d’un microscope. La variation de la stabilite de l’emulsion en fonction de la proportion parfum/tensioactif est liee aux changements de phase du systeme.
The Four Corners of a Circle: Afrocentricity as a Model of Synthesis

It is not unreasonable to state that no phenomenon since the "end of history," or the end of the cold war, has generated as much discussion and debate or as much anger and excitement as the idea of centeredness. The notion of the end of history is no more in vogue; it was a notion lately propounded by Fukuyama (1992). The idea of centeredness finds perhaps its most dynamic articulation and movement in the theory and praxis of Afrocentricity. Further, the Department of African American Studies at Temple University is perhaps one of the leading institutions at which scholars are actively engaged in the conceptualization and propagation of what Molefi Kete Asante calls the Afrocentric idea. What is an Afrocentric theory? Afrocentric theory is a theory that recognizes the need to look at Africa's cultures and history from their own centers or locations. It is a proposition to validate, regenerate, create, and perpetuate African life and living-whole and unhindered, informed by African perspective or world outlook. In short, as Asante (1990) puts it, the theory posits that African peoples are active, primary, and central agents in the making of their histories (p. 5). This is the guiding principle under which scholars of the Temple School, such as Asante, C. T. Keto, Kariamu Welsh-Asante, Abu Abarry, Ella Forbes, Nilgun Okur, Ama Mazama, Terry Kershaw, and more than 200 graduate students conduct their studies and research. Afrocentricity, as an intellectual enterprise, seems to have become a catalyst in the often heated but lively debate among a wide range of thinkers and scholars with respect to the production and use of knowledge, particularly what Kershaw calls emancipatory knowledge. As one scholar has observed, a low-intensity intellec-
A New Perspective on Maternal Ill-Health and Its Consequences

Not available DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jhpn.v30i2.11293 J HEALTH POPUL NUTR 2012 Jun;30(2):121-123
On the Shareholder Wealth Maximization Objective of Corporate Governance: The Case of Leveraged Recapitalizations

Increases in stockholder wealth around leveraged recapitalization (recap) announcements are related more to reductions in the firm's financial slack than improvements in operating efficiency. Moreover, while recaps significantly reduce the firm's workforce and asset base, they do not improve operating profitability. These results support the argument (often espoused by non‐finance writers) that the market for corporate control is inefficient and, in many cases, outright destructive. Alternative systems of corporate governance should be explored.
A computational study of oscillatory extinction of spherical diffusion flames

The transient behavior of burner-supported spherical diffusion flames was studied in the transport-induced limit of low mass flow rate and the radiation-induced limit of high mass flow rate which characterize the isola response of flame extinction. Oscillatory instability was observed near both steady-state extinction limits. The oscillation typically grows in amplitude until it becomes large enough to extinguish the flame. The oscillatory behavior was numerically observed using detailed chemistry and transport for methane (50%CH4/50%He into 21%O2/79%He) and hydrogen (100% H2 into 21%O2/79%He) diffusion flames where the fuel was issued from a point source, and helium was selected as an inert to increase the Lewis number, facilitating the onset of oscillation. In both methane and hydrogen flames, the oscillation always leads to extinction, and no limit cycle behavior was found. The growth rate of the oscillation was found to be slow enough under certain conditions to allow the flame to oscillate for over 450 s, suggesting that such oscillations can possibly be observed experimentally. For the hydrogen flames, however, the frequency of oscillation near the transport-induced limit is much larger, approximately 60 Hz as compared to 0.35 Hz for the methane flame, and the maximum amplitude of temperature oscillations was about 5 K. The distinctively different structures of the hydrogen and methane flames suggest that while both instabilities are thermal-diffusive in origin, oscillations in the hydrogen flames resemble those of premixed flames, while oscillations in the methane flames are non-premixed in character. © 2003 The Combustion Institute. All rights reserved.
Single Event Effect and Total Ionizing Dose Results of Highly Scaled Flash Memories

SEE measurements and TID response for 25-32 nm Micron Technology NAND flash memories are reported. Radiation results of SLC parts are compared with results from MLC and TLC parts. The TLC device showed a very poor response to TID at low dose levels.
Some aspects of the asymptotic behavior of the solutions of the semilinear heat equation in vanishing time and approximate controllability

Abstract This paper is concerned with sufficient conditions for approximate controllability in L 2 (Ω) of the semilinear heat equation with internal (in general, superlinear) nonlinearity in u and ∇ u . The approach employed focuses on the study of the asymptotic behavior in vanishing time of those solutions to the semilinear equation which are generated by control functions solving the corresponding linear controllability problem. A particular emphasis is given to the study of static distributed and time-dependent lumped controls.
Temperature Dependence of the Electrical Resistivity of Polymerized C60 Thin Films

Highly conducting thin films of C 60 were deposited by thermal evaporation in high vacuum on single crystal silicon substrates. The microstructure of the films was characterized by using Atomic Force Microscopy, and laser Raman spectroscopy. The films were polymerized by uv irradiation. The dc electrical resistivities of the as-deposited and uv-polymerized films were measured as functions of temperature between 295 and 17K by the four-probe technique. We present results on the effects of uv-irradiation on the surface microstructure and the temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity of these films.
Preoperative functional status predicts perioperative outcomes after infrainguinal bypass surgery

Objective Infrainguinal surgical bypass (BPG) is a durable method for lower extremity revascularization, but is accompanied by significant 30-day morbidity and mortality (MM). The goal of this study is to relate preoperative functional status, a defined metric in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database, to perioperative MM. Methods Between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2007, all patients who underwent BPG from the NSQIP private sector database were reviewed. The primary end-point was 30-day MM. Patients were stratified by preoperative functional status: independent (IND) vs dependent (DEP). Associated patient demographic/clinical data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate methods. Composite odds ratios were constructed with clusters of high-risk comorbidities. Results There were 5639 BPG patients (4600 [81.6%] IND and 1039 [18.4%]) DEP. DEP patients were significantly older (71.6 ± 11.8 vs 66.8 ± 11.8 years; P 1.8, or rest pain increased the odds of major complications by five, seven, or 11-fold, respectively. The combination of DEP with hemodialysis, emergency surgery, or age ≥80 years increased the odds of death by 13, 38, or 87-fold, respectively. Conclusion Preoperative DEP is significantly correlated with all adverse 30-day outcomes in BPG patients. Furthermore, when combined in high-risk composites with specific preoperative clinical variables, DEP is associated with prohibitive MM, thereby identifying patient cohorts that may be unsuitable for BPG.
Tandem Intramolecular Photocycloaddition−Retro-Mannich Fragmentation as a Route to Spiro[pyrrolidine-3,3′-oxindoles]. Total Synthesis of (±)-Coerulescine, (±)-Horsfiline, (±)-Elacomine, and (±)-6-Deoxyelacomine

Irradiation of a tryptamine linked through its side-chain nitrogen to an alkylidene malonate residue results in an intramolecular [2 + 2] cycloaddition to the indole 2,3-double bond. The resultant cyclobutane undergoes spontaneous retro-Mannich fission to produce a spiro[indoline-3,3′-pyrrolenine] with relative configuration defined by the orientation of substituents in the transient cyclobutane. The tandem intramolecular photocycloaddition−retro-Mannich process, abbreviated as TIPCARM, leads to a spiropyrrolidine which is poised to undergo a second retro-Mannich fragmentation that expels the malonate unit and generates transiently an indolenine. The latter undergoes rearrangement to a β-carboline, which upon brominative oxidation undergoes further rearrangement to an oxindole. With tryptamine as starting material, the entire sequence leads to the alkaloid (±)-coerulescine. Starting from 5-methoxytryptamine, a parallel series affords (±)-horsfiline. Modification of the malonylidene unit to include an isob...
A Web Centered Project Based Learning Environment

The Web has been used in teaching in a number of ways. For example, it can be used as a meeting place for students, where they can share their ideas, questions, answers, and, most importantly, where they can compete. We explore the possibilities offered by the Web in a project based learning environment, where students work on team projects and display them on the Web. In particular, the continuous Web display of work in progress during the semester stimulates the students toward greater competition and toward achieving higher goals. Students also directly participate in the assessment as members of the jury judging the projects. We present our experiences in using this learning environment in several undergraduate mathematics and physics classes.
LORD: A Locality-Based Distributed Data Sharing System for Highly Dense and Dynamic MANETs

The rapid development of mobile communication techniques enables mobile video-on-demand and video sharing applications, which allow the sharing of video data among mobile handset users and vehicles whenever and wherever. These applications have been penetrating into our daily life with dramatic speed. Traditional video sharing systems built on infrastructure wireless networks suffer from the problems of single point of failure, hot spots, and low-scalable transmission. Mobile Ad Hoc Network (MANET) consisting of mobile nodes is a promising alternative structure for flexible and distributed video data sharing without central control. This paper presents a locality-based video sharing system for highly dense and dynamic MANET, namely LORD. LORD provides a series of protocols about region-based video centric storage and retrieval, which can provide highly efficient, scalable and dynamism-resilient video sharing services with low overhead. Simulation results are provided to show the superiority of LORD.
Telescoping Beams for Heavy Ion Fusion

In addition to the strong longitudinal compression and multiple beams now used in all designs for heavy ion fusion drivers, attaining the required beam power could be helped by telescoping bunches of different ion species. Telescoping is here defined as the overtaking and interpenetration of bunches consisting of ions of different species but whose velocity, mass, and charge state have been selected so that the typical ions in the various bunches have the same ratio of momentum to charge, or magnetic rigidity, and, therefore, the same single particle dynamics in transport and focussing lines. With velocities differing by 10% or more, the highest powers would only arise close to the end of the transport lines. Telescoping also increases the total available phase space of the different species. This can be translated to a smaller final momentum spread or a means to accommodate greater phase space dilution.
Gerrymandering or geography? How Democrats won the popular vote but lost the Congress in 2012

This article assesses whether the antimajoritarian outcome in the 2012 US congressional elections was due more to deliberate partisan gerrymandering or asymmetric geographic distribution of partisans. The article first estimates an expected seats–votes slope by fitting past election results to a probit curve, and then measures how well parties performed in 2012 compared to this expectation in each state under various redistricting institutions. I find that while both parties exceeded expectations when controlling the redistricting process, a persistent pro-Republican bias is also present even when maps are drawn by courts or bipartisan agreement. This persistent bias is a greater factor in the nationwide disparity between seats and votes than intentional gerrymandering.
Corporate Lobbying of the International Accounting Standards Committee

The paper investigates corporate lobbyists of the International Accounting Standards Committee (IASC). This exploratory study was done in order to better understand the characteristics of corporations that lobby the IASC and to empirically test the applicability of U.S.-based lobbying theories in this international context. Corporations that submitted comment letters about 17 Exposure Drafts and three Draft Statements of Position from 1989 to 1994 were analyzed. Overall, the 100 lobbying corporations were quite large. In the U.S. and in 10 of the 12 other countries examined, lobbying corporations were larger than nonlobbying firms in terms of revenue, income, and assets. Eighty-four percent of all lobbying corporations were listed on at least one foreign stock exchange, and 78% of non-U.S. lobbying corporations had equity securities traded in the U.S. Finally, in 10 of the 12 non-U.S. countries, a higher percentage of lobbying firms than nonlobbying firms had their stock traded in the U.S. Overall, corporations lobbying the IASC tend to be very large both globally and in terms of their country of domicile, listed on at least one foreign exchange, and traded in the U.S. Support is found in this international context for ideas originating in the U.S.-based lobbying literature.
Developing a Target Value Design Protocol for Commercial Energy Retrofits - PART 2

Commercial loan underwriting for energy retrofits involves analyzing benefits and risks of energy efficiency (EE) improvement investments. We learned from interviews that current practices in commercial underwriting do not promote detailed collaboration between lenders and borrowers, and consequently erect financial barriers to making such investments. A Target Value Design (TVD) protocol to alleviate such difficulties was developed and is presented in Part 1 of this two-paper sequence. To support application of the TVD protocol, in this paper (Part 2) we focus on Step 4 “borrower-lender coordination,” which is a key part of the protocol. In Step 4, the borrower and lender are encouraged to coordinate early on to collaboratively determine the loan size and loan terms and consider types of uncertainty in a specific EE investment. The objectives of this paper are to show how one can use Monte Carlo simulation in Step 4 to (1) categorize and quantify specific uncertainties in EE investments, (2) determine the target building performance, and (3) set the allowable cost based on the said target. While applying the results of interdisciplinary research funded by the US Department of Energy, this paper uses hypothetical data for the simulation. Future research using a case study is planned to further test the applicability of Step 4 and the TVD protocol in general.
Grain assemblages and strong diagenetic overprinting in siliceous mudrocks, Barnett Shale (Mississippian), Fort Worth Basin, Texas

Porosity, permeability, and total organic carbon (TOC) in a heterogeneous suite of 21 high-maturity samples (vitrinite reflectance 1.52–2.15%) from the Barnett Shale in the eastern Fort Worth Basin display few correlations with parameters of rock texture, fabric, and composition, these factors being mostly obscured by the effects of a protracted history of diagenesis. Diagenesis in these rocks includes mechanical and chemical modifications that occurred across a wide range of burial conditions. Compaction and cementation have mostly destroyed primary intergranular porosity. The porosity (average 5 vol. % by Gas Research Institute helium porosimetry) and pore size (8 nm median pore-throat diameter) are reduced to a degree such that pores are difficult to detect even by imaging Ar ion–milled surfaces with a field-emission scanning electron microscope. The existing porosity that can be imaged is mostly secondary and is localized dominantly within organic particulate debris and solid bitumen. The grain assemblage is highly modified by replacement. A weak pattern of correlation survives between bulk rock properties and the ratio of extrabasinal to intrabasinal sources of siliciclastic debris. Higher porosity, permeability, and TOC are observed in samples representing the extreme end members of mixing between extrabasinal siliciclastic sediment and intrabasinal-derived biosiliceous debris. Reservoir quality in these rocks is neither more strongly nor more simply related to variations in primary texture and composition because the interrelationships between texture and composition are complex and, importantly, the diagenetic overprint is too strong.
Using RMA for evaluating design decisions

Software architecture plays a central role in large, complex software systems with real-time or safety-critical requirements. We are investigating design methods based on software architecture, and techniques to specify, represent, and analyze them. As a practical matter we have decided to focus our architectural research on system structure, communication behavior and specific non-functional properties such as performance, synchronization, architectural integrity, dependency analysis and control. In this paper we show how software architecture can provide support for early performance and schedulability analysis, and how the resulting analysis can also provide feedback to evaluate the design decisions made at the architecture level. >
A full wave analysis of wave propagation in multiregion, cylindrically stratified media

The wave scattering problem for a general multiregion, cylindrically stratified medium is formulated using the numerical mode matching method. The excitation of the wave is assumed to be axially symmetric and, hence, the field in the cylindrical structure will also have axial symmetry. A computer program has been developed for a general multiregion, vertically stratified medium, with arbitrarily many layers in both the vertical and the horizontal directions. Some numerical results are presented to demonstrate the use of this method. The efficiency of this method is about 100 times higher than that of the finite-element method. The computation time is linear in N, where N is the number of regions. >