cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Auditors' ability to discern the presence of ethical problems

Recently, society and the accounting profession have become increasingly concerned with ethics. Accounting researchers have responded by attempting to investigate and analyze the ethical behavior of accountants. While the current state of ethical behavior among practitioners is important, the ability of accountants to detect ethical problems that may not be obvious should also be studied and understood. This study addresses three questions: (1) are auditors alert to ethical issues; (2) if so, how important do they perceive them to be; and (3) what factors affect their sensitivity threshold and their perceptions of the importance of the issues? Most of the prior research in accounting ethics presents subjects with scenarios that contain an obvious ethical issue, and subjects realize that they are participating in an ethics study. In the present study, the ethical problems are integrated into general accounting situations in order to discover the sensitivity of accounting professionals to them. This study defines ethical sensitivity as the ability to interpret a given situation and to realize that a moral problem exists. CPAs responded to an experimental instrument comprised of three auditing scenarios taken from the 1989 Trueblood cases, adapted to deal with different ethical problems — tax evasion by a client, auditor independence, and a client's ethical problem which does not directly affect the audit. The accounting and/or auditing problems presented in the three cases were also different with the information relating to the possible ethical problem embedded in the situation. Multiway contingency tables were used to analyze the data. Factors useful in predicting whether a subject will mention an ethical issue include the nature of the ethical issue, the issue's severity, and the subject's age. Employment position, expertise (measured by two proxies), prior exposure to a similar ethical issue and education level (undergraduate versus graduate) were not significant. The ethical issue itself was also a significant factor in determining the absolute importance given to the ethical issue.
Rethinking Post-Fordism: The Meaning of Workplace Flexibility

Social scientists increasingly claim that work structures based on the mass production or “Fordist” paradigm have grown obsolete, giving way to a more flexible, “post-Fordist” structure of work. These claims have been much disputed, however, giving rise to a sharply polarized debate over the outcome of workplace restructuring. I seek to reorient the debate by subjecting the post-Fordist approach to theoretical and empirical critique. Several theoretical weaknesses internal to the post-Fordist approach are identified, including its uncertain handling of “power” and “efficiency” as factors that shape work organizations; its failure to acknowledge multiple responses to the crisis of Fordism, several of which seem at odds with the post-Fordist paradigm; and its tendency to neglect the resurgence of economic dualism and disparity within organizations and industries. Review of the empirical literature suggests that, despite scattered support for the post-Fordist approach, important anomalies exist (such as the growing authority of “mental” over manual labor) that post-Fordism seems powerless to explain. In spite of its ample contributions, post-Fordist theory provides a seriously distorted guide to the nature of workplace change in the United States. Two alternative perspectives toward the restructuring of work organizations are sketched—neoinstitutionalist and “flexible accumulation” models—which seem likely to inspire more fruitful lines of research on the disparate patterns currently unfolding within American work organizations.
Double-faced TFT-LCD having one LC panel and one lighting system

— We have developed a novel liquid-crystal-display (LCD) system referred to as a “Double-Faced LCD.” It has only one LC panel and one lighting system, but it works not only as a transmissive-type LCD from one side but also as a reflective-type LCD from the other side. Therefore, the thickness and the weight of the Double-Faced LCD can be reduced compared to those of conventional LC modules that have two LC panels and two lighting systems.
Toxic effects of intraperitoneal juglone in rats.

SummaryJuglone, administered ip, was found to produce an accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity of rats. That the fluid from the circulatory system was accompanied by proteins was suggested by soft clots that formed in the fluid. Changes in hematocrit, plasma proteins, lung weights, and electrolytes suggested that increased capillary permeability resulted from the irritative properties of juglone.
Echelle spectrograph software design aid

A method for mapping, to first order, the spectrograms that result from echelle spectrographic systems is discussed. An in-depth description of the principles behind the method are given so that software may be generated. Such software is an invaluable echelle spectrograph design aid. Results from two applications are discussed.
The sources of convergence between measures of apathy and depression

Apathy and depression are discriminable but related dimensions of behavior. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the source of the overlap between measures of apathy and depression. We evaluated the intercorrelations between the Apathy Evaluation Scale (AES) and the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HamD) in 107 subjects, aged 53-85, who met research criteria for normal aging, left or right cerebral hemisphere stroke, probable Alzheimer's disease, or major depression. We determined the correlation between the individual items on the HamD and the total scores on the AES and the HamD. The HamD items having the strongest correlations with AES total score were diminished work/interest, psychomotor retardation, anergy, and lack of insight. The correlation between AES and HamD total scores was nonsignificant when major depression subjects and these variables most closely related to apathy were excluded from consideration. These findings indicate that the convergence between HamD and AES is attributable to (i) a subset of HamD items which are consistent with the syndrome of apathy and (ii) the fact that major depression is associated with both apathy and depression. Clinical and research applications of these results are discussed.
Voices from stakeholders: What makes an academic English test ‘international’?

Abstract Recent years have witnessed a growing number of speakers of all varieties of English in English-medium higher education. It has also become increasingly common for an academic English test to be used and accepted in multiple countries for admissions purposes. Both trends have implications for the definition of the target language use domain for tests of English for academic purposes, and have brought challenges to traditional test development practices based on one of the Standard varieties of English. In this study we investigated what properties a global academic English test should include from the perspectives of multiple stakeholder groups, including test takers, English teachers, score users, and language testing professionals. Survey responses from the participants indicated both willingness to embrace diversity and reservations about accommodating differences. Further analysis by stakeholder indicated that perceptions varied to a certain extent across stakeholder groups. The results also indicated that various factors were recognized as contributing to an academic test's global perception. The findings contribute to our understanding of assessing academic English in the global context. The results can also inform the alignment of testing practices with the reality of English language use globally, which suggests implications for test development and delivery.
DEFECTS IN IRRADIATED SILICON. II. INFRARED ABSORPTION OF THE Si-A CENTER

S>The silicon--A center is a major radiation-damage defect produced in "pulled" silicon by room-temperature irradiation. The infrared measurements are presented which, in conjunction with spin resonance measurements, establish the identity of the silicon-A center. A new infrared ahsorption band is observed st 12 mu in electron-irradiated silicon. This band is shown to be a vibrational hand of impurity oxygen in the lattice. Macroscopic and microscopic correlations between the 12- mu hand and the spin resonance of the silicon-A center are presented. The macroscopic correlations are of production rate, recovery, etc. The microscopic correlations derive from the absorption of polarized infrared radiation by samples of various crystallographic orientations, subjected to a uniaxial, compressive stress. Partial alignment of the defects is induced by the stress and is detected as a dichroism in the 12- mu band. This alignment is compared to alignment studies in spin resonance measurements. It is shown that the kinetics and magnitude of the response to the stress are the same for the defects observed in both types of measurements. This shows that the 12- mu band arises from the silicon-A center and establishes the configurstion of the oxygen in the defect. These results allow a conclusion to bemore » made that the silicon-A center is a lattice vacancy with an oxygen atom bridging two of the four broken bonds associated with the vacancy. The remaining two bonds can trap an electron, giving rise to the spin-resonance spectrum of the defect. The identification of the silicon-A center indicates that the vacancy is mobile in a room-temperature irradiation. (auth)« less
STATE INTERVENTION IN LANDSCAPE PRODUCTION: THE WHEATLAND RIOT AND THE CALIFORNIA COMMISSION OF IMMIGRATION AND HOUSING*

The role of the state in landscape production has been little theorized in geography. In this paper, I examine the role played by state institutions in determining landscape morphology by focusing on the activities of the California Commission of Immigration and Housing as it attempted to mitigate the conditions that led to the violent Wheatland “riot” of 1913. This rebellion by radicalized migratory workers was central to the creation of the abundant agricultural landscape of California in the years before the United States entered World War I. By telling the story of Wheatland and the state responses it induced, I hope to move discussions of landscape geography beyond both traditional concerns with landscape as a reflection of “culture” and contemporary concerns with metaphors of landscape as text.
Intestinal Dysbiosis and Potential Consequences of Microbiome-altering Antibiotic Use in the Pathogenesis of Human Rheumatic Disease

The etiopathogenesis of chronic, rheumatic autoimmune disorders has been the focus of intense research since their initial literary description. Despite much scientific iteration, the current hypothesis postulates that the natural history of most such diseases is complex and multifactorial. Ultimately, it is thought that both genetic factors (including epigenetic) and environmental influences determine the fate of predisposed subjects, who then develop clinically evident disease. The modern notion that autoimmune arthritides are the result of polygenic interactions dates back to the mid-1970s when it was shown that HLA-B27 conferred a high risk for classic ankylosing spondylitis (AS)1, followed by the description of the shared epitope hypothesis in 1987, which posited that HLA class II alleles, particularly DR-β1, conferred higher risk for the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA)2. This, along with the advent of the Human Genome Project and the upsurge of genome-wide association studies, had led to an overly optimistic and, arguably, reductionist understanding of the etiology of inflammatory arthropathies. The last 3 decades have seen an ever-expanding use of high-throughput DNA sequencing by multiple groups in a quest to ascribe risk-alleles to the various autoimmune and rheumatic syndromes. This effort has resulted in, among other advances, the identification of many HLA and non-HLA risk alleles associated with disease and the emergence of a functional genomics approach to discovery and validation of immune pathways and molecular mechanisms implicated in the pathogenesis …
Bilattices and the theory of truth

While Kripke's original paper on the theory of truth used a three-valued logic, we believe a four-valued version is more natural. Its use allows for possible inconsistencies in information about the world, yet contains Kripke's development within it. Moreover, using a four-valued logic makes it possible to work with complete lattices rather than complete semi-lattices, and thus the mathematics is somewhat simplified. But more strikingly, the four-valued version has a wide, natural generalization to the family of interlaced bilattices. Thus, with little more work, the theory is extended to a broad class of settings. Indeed, a result like Theorem 6.2 would not even be possible to state without the interlaced bilattice machinery. We hope the notion of interlaced bilattice will make apparent further such connections.
Structure and regulated expression of the SpoC1 gene cluster from Aspergillus nidulans

We have previously described the organization of a 13.3 kb region of the Aspergillus nidulans genome, designated SpoC1, coding for multiple poly(A)+ RNAs that accumulate in asexual spores but not in somatic cells. We have determined the limits of the SpoC1 gene cluster by investigating the transcriptional features of 53 kb of chromosomal DNA. This segment of the genome codes for at least 19 poly(A)+ RNAs, some of which are transcribed from overlapping regions. The area of developmental regulation is approximately 38 kb in length and is delimited by 1.1-kb direct repeats. With one exception, RNAs transcribed from the central part of the cluster appear late during conidiophore development and accumulate specifically in spores. The exceptional transcript appears earlier during development and accumulates specifically in cells of the conidiophore. In contrast, RNAs encoded at the borders of the cluster occur in both somatic cells and spores. The results indicate that if a chromatin-level control mechanism operates to regulate expression of the SpoC1 gene cluster, as previously suggested by us, additional levels of regulation must also exist.
A direct approach to the massive Thirring model thermodynamics for rational coupling constants

Abstract The thermodynamics of the massive Thirring model for rational coupling constants is investigated by a direct approach and the physical meaning of the Korepin excitation is discussed.
Focal Thalamic and Cortical Magnetic Resonance Changes Associated With Partial Status Epilepticus

Status epilepticus (SE) is a commonly occurring life-threatening neurological emergency. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may provide insight into the pathophysiological processes implicated in SE and unique MRI patterns associated with partial SE have recently been reported. We describe transient signal changes on MRI in the areas of cortex and thalamus both ipsilateral to the ictal discharges on electroencephalogram (EEG) in a selected group of five patients with partial SE. We believe this pattern is specific to the peri-ictal state and its recognition is important in those cases where the diagnosis of SE is uncertain. We discuss other common MRI findings seen in SE and possible reasons for similar patterns of corticothalamic signal changes in patients with varying etiologies for SE. The determination of the sensitivity and specificity of such an imaging finding for partial SE still requires further large-scale studies, but a correct recognition of these often reversible imaging abnormalities may help to avoid unnecessary diagnostic tests and invasive procedures. doi:10.4021/jnr69w
How to talk to strangers: facilitating knowledge sharing within translational health teams with the Toolbox dialogue method

Translational behavioral medicine involves experts from different disciplines and professions interacting to solve complex problems. Coordinating this expertise can be frustrated by the partially tacit nature of expertise and by the various ways in which it manifests in different communities. We describe a method—the Toolbox dialogue method—for addressing these challenges by means of a structured dialogue among team members concerning their respective approaches to complex problems. The Toolbox dialogue method consists of a philosophically grounded questionnaire—the “Toolbox”—deployed in workshops by collaborators from different disciplines and professions. The Health Science Toolbox was modified from an extensively utilized questionnaire designed for Science–Technology–Engineering–Mathematics (STEM) research and has been piloted with translational medicine teams. Eighty-five percent of participants in STEM workshops indicated a positive impact on awareness of the knowledge, opinions, or scientific approach of teammates. In the Health Science Toolbox, 35 % of questionnaire responses changed substantially from pre- to post-workshop, demonstrating impact of the workshops. The Toolbox dialogue method is a relatively brief workshop encounter that can have a positive impact on mutual understanding within translational medicine teams.
Techniques to monitor the UV curing of potential solvent-free film-coating polymers

A methodology has been established for systematically evaluating polymer films produced by UV curing. Cast films of 1,3-bis[(p-acryloxymethyl)phenethyl] tetramethyldisiloxane (I) and norborenylpolydimethylsiloxane (II) were cured by UV irradiation. The films were evaluated from real-time FTIR studies, a non-rheologically destructive method for determining microviscosity, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) and leaching and swelling studies. Real-time FTIR indicated that while conversion from prepolymer to network was complete for II, conversion was only 80% for I with 0.05% benzoin methyl ether (BME), an initiator, and only 60% with 0.5% BME. Results of DMTA show the glass transition temperatures (Tg values) of the films to have an inverse rank order correlation with conversion. Along with microviscosity results, this is indicative of a diffusion rate-limited curing reaction. Results of leaching and swelling studies demonstrated greater rates and extents of leaching and swelling from films prepared with a lower concentration of initiator (0.05% BME). These observations were in good agreement with the results from the microviscosity and DMTA studies which showed larger free volumes and lower Tg values as well as slightly lower crosslinking densities in films prepared with less initiator. The methods presented in this paper have been shown to be useful in quantifying the reaction of this new class of film formers and in identifying the mechanisms of film formation.
Stress-dependent solute energetics in W–Re alloys from first-principles calculations

We present a systematic study of Re solute transport energetics in W using density functional theory calculations. The study focuses on substitutional solute diffusion in the presence of dislocation strain fields as a first step toward capturing the essential physics of solid solution hardening/softening in W–Re alloys. We calculate the heat of solution, the vacancy formation energy and the solute migration energy as functions of both hydrostatic and shear strains. Our results show that the vacancy formation energy scales with hydrostatic deformation, whereas it decreases with increasing shear strain. The migration energy decreases with hydrostatic deformation, whereas it displays path-length-dependent behavior under shear deformation. In addition, we compute the binding energies of an Re solute atom to the cores of 1/2〈111〉 screw and edge dislocations, and find the binding energy to be highest in the tensile lobe of the edge core. Finally, we obtain the dilatational stress due to a solute atom as a function of distance. Our calculations are then used to parameterize the jump rate of Re atoms in W as a function of the underlying stress state.
Use of Intravenous Immunoglobulin in the Treatment of Neonatal Sepsis

The mortality and morbidity associated with neonatal sepsis and meningitis remain significant despite advances in antimicrobial chemotherapy and supportive care. Recent studies have shown that administration of a specific antibody in conjunction with antibiotics may improve the outcome of neonates with sepsis. For example, Shigeoka et al 1 showed that infants infected with group B streptococci and transfused with whole blood containing specific opsonic antibody had significantly improved survival compared with infants receiving blood lacking antibody to the infected strains. The feasibility of this combined immunotherapy and antimicrobial chemotherapy has been aided by the availability of safe preparations of human intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG). In contrast to conventional intramuscular immune serum globulin, IVIG can be given in large quantities to patients, regardless of body size or muscle mass, thereby providing immediate high levels of specific antibody that may be of therapeutic benefit. Two prospective control studies have been published concerning the
Authoritarianism and Sentencing Strategies for Low and High Severity Crimes

This study focused on differences in the penal philosophies of high and low authoritarian subjects in sentencing offenders who had committed low or high severity crimes. Contrary to a major prediction based on Adorno, Frenkel-Brunswick, Levinson, and Sanford's psychodynamic theory of the authoritarian personality, the data indicated that high authoritarians relied more heavily on harsher sentencing strategies like general and specific deterrence than low authoritarians, but only when judging offenders who had committed high severity crimes such as murder, rape, and manslaughter. For the most part, high and low authoritarians did not differ when judging lawbreakers who committed low severity crimes such as shoplifting, car theft, and forgery. Discussion focused on the deficiencies inherent in traditional psychodynamic theories which limit their predictive utility.
Halide control of color of the chicken cone pigment iodopsin.

The chicken retina contains rhodopsin, a rod cell visual pigment and iodopsin, which is believed to be a cone pigment. The spectrum of iodopsin is controlled by the binding of a halide ion. At physiological salt concentrations iodopsin is in the long wavelength form (562 nm); if chloride is removed rigorously the spectrum shifts to 520 nm. At intermediate chloride concentrations the two forms exist in equilibrium. the chloride-depleted form can be titrated back to the original long wavelength species with half saturation at 1·7 mm-chloride. The spectral shift is observed either in detergent solubilized preparations or in the native membrane, sonicated to reduce light scattering. Bromide can replace chloride, titrating iodopsin to a very similar long wavelength form with a very similar apparent binding constant. Fluoride and iodide cannot shift iodopsin to the long wavelength form. Changes of cation seem to have no effect. In the same system there are no changes of the rhodopsin spectrum with changes of halide concentration. Both the long wavelength form and the short wavelength form of iodopsin regenerate rapidly after bleaching and subsequent addition of 11-cis retinal. Chloride binding protects the iodopsin chromophore from hydroxylamine; while both forms are attacked by hydroxylamine, the chloride-free form is attacked much more rapidly. This fact and the large spectral shift are consistent with but do not prove an anion binding site very close to the retinal chromophore.
Mechanisms involved in the evolution of progestin resistance in human endometrial hyperplasia—precursor of endometrial cancer

Abstract Background Successful treatment of endometrial hyperplasia with progestins is commonly accompanied by the finding of an inactive or suppressed endometrium after therapy. However, approximately 30% of the endometrial hyperplasia cases do not respond to progestins and hyperplastic glands persist. The Fas/FasL system is known to play a role in tissue remodeling as a result of changes in menstrual hormone levels. The aims of this study are to examine Fas/FasL expression in endometrial hyperplasia of pre- and postprogestin treatment samples and to study the Fas/FasL regulation in vitro with Ishikawa cells after progestin stimulation. Design Pre- and posttreatment paraffin-embedded endometrial hyperplasia tissue samples from 26 women were examined by immunohistochemistry for changes in Fas/FasL expression related to the administration of progestins. Among 26 patients, 18 were successfully treated with progestins and 8 failed treatment. Fas/ FasL positivity was defined by the presence of 10% or more immunoreactive epithelial cells in each specimen. In positive cases, a percentage or an immunoscore of immunoreactive cells was given by counting 500 cells. Cell viability was evaluated by the MTT assay. The in vitro effects of progesterone on Fas/FasL expression and apoptosis in Ishikawa cells were examined by using Western blot and TUNEL assays, respectively. Results Fas immunoreactivity was present in 4/26 (15%) preprogestin cases with an average of 16% of the epithelial cells expressing Fas. FasL was expressed in 21/26 (80%) pretreatment cases with an average of 42% of the hyperplastic glandular cells being positive. In postprogestin cases, an increase of Fas expression (14/18, 77%) with an average of 47% stained cells was seen in responders ( P P = 0.587). In nonresponders, no significant changes in Fas/FasL expression were detected compared to pretreatment samples. With in vitro Ishikawa cells, a slight increase (10–20%) of Fas and FasL protein expression was detected after 24 h of progesterone treatment, but a more significant increase (220–343%) of both Fas and FasL expression was found after 48 h of withdrawing progesterone, which parallels apoptotic activity. Conclusions The Fas/FasL system may be involved in the development of endometrial hyperplasia. Part of the molecular mechanisms of progestin therapy for endometrial hyperplasia is through upregulation of Fas/FasL expression. Dysregulation of Fas/FasL expression in hyperplastic endometrium may be part of the molecular mechanisms for nonresponders to progestin treatment. Intermittent, rather than continuous, progestin treatment may be more effective clinically for the treatment of endometrial hyperplasia.
Nonparametric bispectrum-based time delay estimation for bandlimited signals

Modifications to an existing nonparametric, bispectrum-based approach are presented to handle the estimation of differential time delays for bandlimited non-Gaussian signals given signal measurements at two spatially separated sensors. It is shown that unlike the existing approaches, it is not necessary to consider the measurement auto- and cross-bispectrum over the entire two-dimensional (normalised) frequency domain of 0 to 1; rather, a smaller subset suffices.
The measurement of concern about victims: Empathy, victim advocacy and the Victim Concern Scale (VCS)

Purpose. In a series of studies, the authors developed the Victim Concern Scale (VCS) to assess levels of concern for diverse types of crime victims. The goal was to derive a psychometrically sound instrument and to assess victim concern in relation to other crime-related attitudes and victim advocacy endorsements. Methods. Through several scale iterations, participant responses to the VCS were examined. Participants also completed measures of empathy and provided judgments about specific victim/crime scenarios. In addition, in two large samples (college [N ¼ 276] and community [N ¼ 478]), victim concern was compared with other attitudes, attributions and participant demographics. Results. Participants readily distinguished among different victims. Four factors emerged from the VCS. Raters endorsed the highest levels of concern for victims of violent crimes and the lowest level for ‘culpable’ victims. Women and older respondents showed higher levels of concern across all categories of victims. Both victim concern and emotional empathy influenced advocacy responses to victimization. Victim concern was unrelated to such traits and attitudes as authoritarianism, political ideology or punishment goals; moreover, a high level of concern for victims did not preclude endorsement of rehabilitative goals for offenders. Conclusions. The VCS appears to be a valid instrument for assessing levels of concern for victims. It differs meaningfully from measures of general empathy. The VCS could be used to assess differential attitudes across demographic groups or as a measure of change following exposure to educational or other persuasive intervention.
Convergence analysis of the LDG method applied to singularly perturbed problems

Considering a two-dimensional singularly perturbed convection–diffusion problem with exponential boundary layers, we analyze the local discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method that uses piecewise bilinear polynomials on Shishkin mesh. A convergence rate O(N-1 lnN) in a DG-norm is established under the regularity assumptions, while the total number of mesh points is O(N2). The rate of convergence is uniformly valid with respect to the singular perturbation parameter e. Numerical experiments indicate that the theoretical error estimate is sharp. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 2013
Operational tools for large RTOs: assessment and needs

The present technology for operational tools of modern energy management systems were established in the wake of the 1965 blackout. This technology has served well the industry for quite some time. However, recent trends in the industry and especially the move towards large ISOs and RTOs have generated the need for drastic rethinking of the operational tools. The recent series of system blackouts culminated with the August 2003 northeast blackout and the Italian blackout, poses serious questions on the adequacy of the operational tools. This paper raises the questions: (a) are present operational tools adequate for the proper operation of large RTOs, (b) are the models and techniques meet present day requirements?, and (c) do present day operational tools take advantage of present day available technologies?.
Making a case for double testing

Decisions, decisions, decisions! Making wise decisions simply must be done. However, to arrive at good decisions, data are needed. The role of testing is to provide important, accurate, and relevant information so wise decisions can be made (Mehrens & Lehmann, 1984). Testing, although one of many ways to evaluate student learning, remains one of the most common, valuable, and reliable tools available to educators (Nilson, 2003). In addition to measuring student acquisition of essential knowledge, skills, and attitudes, testing should also assist in discovering learning deficits and provide insight into correcting these deficits. Although the classic, individual testing approach works well to evaluate information retention, it does not always work best to enlighten students regarding their selection of incorrect answers (Wink, 2004). Using a double-testing approach can be helpful in this process, as well as develop and nurture another vital skill in nursing—collaboration. One of the overriding goals of any professional nursing program is to prepare graduates to participate collaboratively to address clients' needs. Programs foster this skill development through group teaching projects, presentations, case studies, and selected clinical experiences. Collaboration is simply a required competency of every nursing graduate. Why not use testing to help assess both knowledge and collaboration abilities? Double testing not only can yield opportunity for critical thinking, identifying, and understanding information deficits and problem solving but also can offer yet another venue for promoting collaboration.
119Sn NMR chemical shift tensors in anhydrous and hydrated Si8O20(SnMe3)8 crystals

(119)Sn chemical shift tensors of crystalline trialkyltin functionalized octameric spherosilicates, Si(8)O(20)(SnMe(3))(8), have been determined by fitting sideband intensities in solid-state magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR spectra. Tin chemical shift parameters are exquisitely sensitive to the presence of water of crystallization. Both hydrogen bonding and incipient oxygen-tin bonding from molecular water impact the local tin environment. Tin chemical shift tensors in the crystalline derivatives reflect the changes in geometry and coordination number at the tin centers. Chemical shift correlations on the crystalline derivatives, with known x-ray structures, are used to infer the tin coordination environment in an amorphous sample.
On Marcuse: Critique, Liberation, and Reschooling in the Radical Pedagogy of Herbert Marcuse

Philosopher, social theorist, and political activist, Herbert Marcuse gained world renown during the 1960s as a theorist of major transformations within both the structures of social production and reproduction and emergent forms of resistance to domination and repression. His theory of "one-dimensional" society provided critical perspectives on contemporary capitalist and state communist societies, while his notion of the “Great Refusal" won him renown as a theorist of revolutionary change and "liberation from the affluent society." Consequently, he became one of the most influential intellectuals in the United States during the 1960s and into the 1970s. But what is Marcuse’s legacy today? While other critical theorists of his generation have gained a new level of academic cache, Marcuse seems to remain a historical fi gure locked within the dramas of the sixties. As such, a return to Marcuse, as Angela Davis has pointed out, seems to veer dangerously close to “nostalgia” for a past age (MARCUSE, 2005). In this book, we attempt to show that Marcuse continues to have significant relevance and importance to the contemporary situation concerning education in the advanced, industrial world. With the rise of standardization policies in the sphere of schooling, the steady progress of the “affluent society” in the sphere of western, industrialized economies, the waning of critical and dialectical thinking in the field of philosophy and the social sciences, and finally, the immediate degradation of the environment, Marcuse speaks with clarity to academics, teachers, and activists interested in understanding the complexities of “counterrevolution and revolt” occurring today in a variety of locations and across many domains. In this book we demonstrate Marcuse’s sustained concern for education as a sphere for developing radical critique and emancipatory alternatives to the fully administered society. We intend our study to demonstrate not only Marcuse’s relevancy, but also the urgency with which we must evaluate his life and work in light of continuities and transformations within the present system of
Evidence That Gq Family G Proteins Do Not Function in Mouse Egg Activation at Fertilization

Embryonic development is initiated after the fertilizing sperm contacts the egg and triggers a process termed "egg activation," resulting in calcium release, cortical granule exocytosis, recruitment of maternal mRNAs, and cell cycle resumption. Heterotrimeric guanine nucleotide-binding proteins (G proteins) may be involved in mouse egg activation since inhibition of G protein beta gamma subunits partially inhibits sperm-induced cell cycle resumption. In addition, specific events of egg activation can be initiated in the absence of sperm by acetylcholine stimulation of mouse eggs overexpressing the human m1 muscarinic receptor, a G protein-coupled receptor. In somatic cell, G proteins in the Gq family couple ligand stimulation of the m1 muscarinic receptor to activation of phospholipase C, resulting in the production of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) and IP3-mediated release of intracellular calcium. Since IP3-mediated calcium release is involved in egg activation at fertilization, we have examined the role of Gq family G proteins in both sperm-independent (muscarinic receptor-mediated) and sperm-induced egg activation using a function-blocking antibody raised against the common C-terminal region of Gq and G11 proteins. We show that this antibody effectively inhibits Gq family G proteins in mouse eggs by demonstrating that the antibody inhibits egg activation in response to stimulation of the m1 muscarinic receptor. This same antibody, however, does not inhibit sperm-induced egg activation events. These results indicate that although activation of Gq family G proteins can result in egg activation in the mouse, it is unlikely that these proteins are used by the sperm to initiate egg activation at fertilization.
An established numerical method applied to geophysics

Electromagnetic fields and waves play an important role in many geophysical applications. Lightning, sprites, whistler waves, auroras, space weather, geomagnetically induced currents, remote sensing, radar, solar energy harvesting, and satellite communications are all grounded in electromagnetic theory. Maxwell's equations, formulated approximately 150 years ago, represent a fundamental unification of electric and magnetic fields, predicting electromagnetic wave phenomena from ultralow frequencies (ULF) through visible light. But for 130 years after Maxwell formulated his equations, that is until about 1990, solutions of Maxwell's equations for electromagnetic wave interactions with material structures were invariably in the Fourier (frequency) domain, i.e., the sinusoidal steady state. Principal techniques involved closed form and infinite series analytical solutions, high-frequency asymptotic methods, integral equations, and finite elements.
Determination of monosaturated fatty acid double-bond position and geometry for microbial monocultures and complex consortia by capillary GC-MS of their dimethyl disulphide adducts

Abstract Monounsaturated fatty acid double-bond position and geometry have been determined for microbial monocultures and complex microbial consortia by capillary GC-MS of their dimethyl disulphide (DMDS) adducts. The technique has permitted ( i ) chromatographic separation and positive identification of adducts derived from cis/trans isomers, ( ii ) characterization of long-chain monounsaturated components (up to 26:1), and ( iii ) the identification of a wide range of monounsaturated components derived from methanotrophic soil material. The methanotrophic soil sample contained a high relative proportion of the novel phospholipid ester-linked fatty acid 18:1Δ 10c. The DMDS procedure offers a simple and rapid approach that can be routinely applied to microbial fatty acids derived from environmental samples and monocultures.
A general framework for linear periodic systems with applications to H/sup infinity / sampled-data control

The authors present a framework for dealing with continuous-time periodic systems. The main tool is a lifting technique which provides a strong correspondence between continuous-time periodic systems and certain types of discrete-time time-invariant systems with infinite-dimensional input and output spaces. Despite the infinite dimensionality of the input and output spaces, a lifted system has a finite-dimensional state space if the original system does. This fact permits rather constructive methods for analyzing these systems. As a demonstration of the utility of this framework, the authors use it to describe the continuous-time (i.e., intersample) behavior of sampled-data systems, and to obtain a complete solution to the problem of parameterizing all controllers that constrain the L/sup 2/-induced norm of a sampled-data system to within a certain bound. >
Fungal infections in hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients

Fungal infections have historically been, and remain important causes of transplant-related morbidity in recipients of hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). However, there have been notable changes in the epidemiology and outcomes of invasive fungal infections, induced by changes in the transplant procedures as well as supportive care. This review discusses invasive fungal infections in hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients, with a focus on the host and the two most common infections, candidiasis and those caused by moulds.
Mammal-specific, ERK-dependent, caldesmon phosphorylation in smooth muscle. Quantitation using novel anti-phosphopeptide antibodies.

Extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs) phosphorylate the high molecular mass isoform of the actin-binding protein caldesmon (h-CaD) at two sites (Ser759 and Ser789) during smooth muscle stimulation. To investigate the role of phosphorylation at these sites, antibodies were generated against phosphopeptides analogous to the sequences around Ser759 and Ser789. Affinity-purified antibodies were phosho- and sequence-specific. The major site of phosphorylation in h-CaD in porcine carotid arterial muscle strips was at Ser789; however, the amount of phosphate did not vary appreciably with either KCl or phorbol ester stimulation. Phosphorylation at Ser759 of h-CaD was almost undetectable (
Digital Nano-CMOS VLSI Design Courses in Electrical and Computer Engineering through Open-Source/Free Tools

Digital VLSI design courses are a standard component in most electrical and computer engineering curricula. Electronic Design Automation (EDA) or Computer Aided Design (CAD) tools and frameworks are an integral and indispensable part of such courses. In this paper we present our findings during the preparation and setup of such a course, centered around nanoscale CMOS, standard cell based design. Practical issues, such as the choice of licensing model, hardware and software platform selection, point tool identification and deployment as well as the availability of readily useable standard cell libraries are discussed. In addition, a design flow that incorporates the tools in a comprehensive framework is presented. A sample syllabus and a suggested teaching methodology are also given.
Scheduling in the Z-Polyhedral Model

The polyhedral model is extensively used for analyses and transformations of regular loop programs, one of the most important being automatic parallelization. The model, however, is limited in expressivity and the need for the generalization to more general class of programs has been widely known. Analyses and transformations in the polyhedral model rely on certain closure properties. Recently, these closure properties were extended to programs where variables may be defined over unions of Z-polyhedra which are the intersection of polyhedra and lattices. We present the scheduling analysis for the automatic parallelization of programs in the Z-polyhedral model, and obtain multidimensional schedules through an ILP formulation that minimizes latency. The resultant schedule can then be used to construct a space-time transformation to obtain an equivalent program in the Z-polyhedral model.
Inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes on a polyethylene surface modified by layer-by-layer deposition of the antimicrobial N-halamine

Abstract Modification of food contact surfaces to be antimicrobial represents an approach to address the problem of cross-contamination in the food industry. The effect of increasing levels of surface modification on low density polyethylene (LDPE) through application of N-halamines on the inactivation kinetics of Listeria monocytogenes Scott A was evaluated. Increasing levels of modification were applied through layer by layer deposition on LDPE surface (1–5 double layers of polyethyleneimine and poly(acrylic acid)). Surface modification was achieved and confirmed through Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). From 1 to 5 double layers, the N-halamine content ranged from 3.42 ± 1.2 to 27.30 ± 3.5 nmol cm −2 . More than four logarithmic cycles (>99.99%) reduction was reached against L. monocytogenes Scott A after different contact times depending on the level of modification, that varied from 50 to 110 min (from 5 to 2 double layers). Inactivation kinetics followed a sigmoidal behavior.
Alice Northrop's type specimens for the Bahama flora*

Abstract Kass, L. B. (L. H. Bailey Hortorium, Department of Plant Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-4301, U.S.A; lbk7@cornell.edu.) Alice Northrop's type specimens for the Bahama flora. Brittonia 57: 88–101. 2005.—In 1902 Alice Northrop published an annotated checklist of the plants that she and her husband John had collected in the Bahamas, in 1890. She included 22 new species descriptions and 7 new species published elsewhere. She stated, “the type specimens are in the herbarium of Columbia University [now at NY],” with duplicate sets at other herbaria. William T. Gillis (1933–1979) found a set of the Northrops' specimens, labeled as Types, at the herbarium of the Field Museum (F) in Chicago. When Gillis compared the F specimens with illustrations in Northrop's publications, he concluded that most of the descriptions and illustrations had been made from these specimens, many of which he annotated as holotypes. Recently, I examined and compared both sets of specimens with Northrop's publicati...
GUATEMALA’S INDIGENOUS MATERNAL HEALTH CARE: A SYSTEM IN NEED OF DECOLONIZATION

Las tasas de mortalidad materna guatemalteca son las mas altas de Centroamerica. Dichas tasas varian drasticamente entre grupos etnicos, con las mas altas presentes entre mujeres rurales mayas. Mientras Guatemala se esfuerza para reducir estas cifras, la controversia se centra en comadronas tradicionales. Esta investigacion estudia el papel de dichas comadronas dentro de un marco postcolonialista y descolonialista. Los resultados muestran un pais bajo el legado de la colonizacion, manifestado en el cuerpo femenino colonizado. Un cambio de paradigma es crucial en relacion con las comadronas y sus pacientes. La salud reproductiva de las mujeres indigenas no mejorara hasta que esto suceda y la atencion medica sea descolonizada. Palabras clave: maya, mujer, indigena, salud maternal, mortalidad, colonialism, postcolonialismo, descolonialismo, partera, comadrona. Guatemala’s Indigenous Maternal Health Care: A System in Need of Decolonization Abstract: Guatemala’s Maternal Mortality Ratios are the highest in Central America. T hese ratios vary drastically among ethnic groups, the highest occurring among rural Mayan women. As Guatemala struggles to reduce its MMRs, the controversy centers on Mayan Traditional Birth Attendants. This research investigates the role of Mayan traditional midwives within the framework of Postcolonialism. The results show a country under the legacy of colonization, manifested in the female colonized body. A paradigm shift is crucial in relation to both traditional birth attendants and their patients. Indigenous women’s reproductive health will not improve until health care, a legacy of Colonialism, is decolonized. Key words: Maya, woman, indigenous, maternal health, mortality, Colonialism, Postcolonialism, Decolonialism, midwives.
Recent Advances in Biochemical QSAR

The object of this report is to survey the development of quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSAR) in biochemistry and medicinal chemistry since the reviews by Cammarata and Rogers1 and Kirsch.2 Other recent reviews3–12 have appeared including those in French4, 11 and German.5