cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Asymmetry in Party Influence: Reply

Groseclose and Snyder’s revised method (2003) for assessing relative party influence deserves high praise for its creativity and explicitness. Two limitations should also be noted, however. First, the method seems likely to overstate majority-party influence. Second, even if taken at face value, the finding of asymmetric party influence is weak when compared with a baseline model. The critical supplement to the earlier paper is Snyder and Groseclose’s seminal completeinformation vote-buying model, which plays the role of a maintained hypothesis. To illustrate its power, consider a well-known case. In 1993, budget politics was intensely partisan. Eventually, President Bill Clinton won congressional acceptance of a diluted reconciliation bill by a one-vote margin in the House and a vice-presidential tiebreaker in the Senate. House passage was secured 218–216 when Marjorie Margolis-Mezvinsky voted with her party (and sealed her electoral doom). Meanwhile, 41 other Democrats defected to the Republicans, whereas all Republicans voted No. In spite of 100% minority unity and substantial majority defections, the revised method considers this case to be one of 100% majority-party influence. The vote-buying theoretic defense for this coding is that Republican leaders, knowing they would lose anyway, must have chosen not to expend resources to try to achieve party discipline. Thus, the vote-buying assumption makes resolving the acknowledged indeterminacy of the coefficient a snap. By assuming that only the winner exerted pressure and by coding influence accordingly, there no longer is any indeterminacy to resolve. Although the 1993 anecdote is an outlier in terms of the drama and coverage, its qualitative properties regarding defections appear to be common. In 56% of the votes tabulated as majority victories, the proportion of majority defections exceeded the proportion of minority defections.1 In other words, a coded instance of majority-party influence is more likely than not to be a vote on which the majority party lost a greater proportion of its members to the opposition than the opposition lost to the majority party.2 To the extent that comparative defection rates are indicative of party influence, the final 80%–20% majority–minority victory rates reflect a majority-party bias.
Abstract 4502: Synthesis and evaluation of curcumin-like compounds as inhibitors of the JAK/STAT pathway in cancer

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC Curcumin is an attractive lead compound for drug discovery and development. It displays a range of remarkable and diverse biological activities due to its interaction with numerous biological targets including the receptor tyrosine kinase Janus Kinase 2 (JAK2) which transduces cytokine and growth factor mediated signals by activating signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). The significant role of JAK-STAT pathway activation in the development, progression, and survival of cancer has been widely recognized since the 1980s. Based on our interest in developing more potent curcumin analogs which act as inhibitors of the JAK-STAT pathway we synthesized a series of monoketone curcumin analogs that bear a strong structural resemblance to AG490 and WP1066; known synthetic small molecule inhibitors of JAK2. A thorough investigation of the SAR of these compounds was pursued to elucidate which parts of the molecules are essential for the anti-proliferative activity. Thus hybrid molecules containing structural motifs found in all three classes of compounds were synthesized and screened using breast, prostate and colon cancer cell lines. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) measuring the relative amount of STAT3 phosphorylation was utilized to determine whether the anti-proliferative activity of these compounds was directly related to inhibition of the JAK-STAT pathway, and therefore whether these three classes of compounds exhibit similar cytotoxic mechanisms of action. Our results showed that although the monoketone curcumin analogs displayed potent cytotoxicity; they failed to inhibit STAT3 phosphorylation. The WP1066 analogs also showed potent cytotoxicity correlating directly to STAT3 inhibition. The pyridine and the halogen at the C3 position of the pyridine ring are essential for activity and appear to have a synergistic effect. Longer aliphatic chains at the benzylic position enhanced the cytotoxic activity and aromatic substitution usually led to a decrease in activity. Different structural modifications of the AG490 analogs by protection of the catechol moiety and/or changing the relative position of the substituents did not result in remarkable change in cytotoxic activity. We concluded that although the monoketone curcumin analogs bear remarkable structural resemblance to WP1066 and AG490, they do not inhibit the JAK-STAT pathway and may have a different anti-proliferative mechanism of action. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4502.
THE INFLUENCE OF STATE MONOPOLY OF ALCOHOL DISTRIBUTION AND THE FREQUENCY OF PACKAGE STORES ON SINGLE MOTOR VEHICLE FATALITIES

Two elements of alcohol availability, the frequency of packaged-liquor outlets and state monopoly of distribution, were assessed in terms of their impact on fatal single motor vehicle accidents. A cross-sectional analysis of the United States employed a multiple regression analysis which statistically controlled for average mileage driven, the degree of urbanization, and the proportion of male drivers. State monopoly of distribution was not associated with single vehicle fatalities while a significant and positive association was obtained for the frequency of outlets. A point of diminishing returns in single vehicle fatalities was found when the outlet density was less than one outlet per million of the drinking age population. This reversal of the relationship appears to reflect the additional driving required to make purchases in areas where outlets are sparse. The social policy implications of the findings are discussed.
Experimental Frequency Response Analysis of Flexible Mechanisms

Abstract This paper presents some experimental results of the frequency analysis of flexible mechanisms. The objective is to help understand the general trend of vibration characteristics of the flexible mechanisms, and to clarify some debatable phenomena in the kineto-elasto-dynamics (KED) area from the frequency domain view point. Both single link and assembled linkage analyses have been conducted to compare the single link natural frequency with the system natural frequency. Some of the experimental results are quite different from the predictions of the current analytical models.
Fundamental properties of spatial light modulators for the approximate optical computation of Fourier transforms: a review

The performance of optical computers that include program- mable Fourier optics depends intimately both on the physical character- istics of the particular spatial light modulator (SLM) and on the particular algorithms that map the ideal signal into the available modulation range of the SLM. Since practical affordable SLMs represent only a limited range of values in the complex plane (e.g., phase-only or quantized phase), numerous approaches have been reported to represent, ap- proximate, encode or map complex values onto the available SLM states. The best approach depends on the space-bandwidth product (SBWP) of the signal, number of SLM pixels, computation time of encod- ing, the required response time of the application, and the resulting per- formance of the optical computer. My review of various methods, as applied to most current SLMs, which have a relatively low number of high cost pixels, leads me to recommend encoding algorithms that address the entire usable frequency plane and that emphasize the fidelity of the approximated Fourier transform over maximization of diffraction effi- ciency and minimization of approximation error. Frequency-dependent diffraction efficiency (due to pixel fill factor of discrete SLMs or resolution of spatially continuous SLMs) is also evaluated as a factor that can limit usable SBWP and possibly modify the choice of encoding method. © 2001 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. (DOI: 10.1117/1.1409336) Subject terms: spatial light modulators, computer generated holography, complex-valued encoding, statistical optics.
Catalog of infrared and cryo-optical properties for selected materials

This report will describe the status of an effort to catalog the refractive index, absorption, reflectance and transmittance of selected IR transmitting materials over the wavelength range from 1 to 1000 microns, and at temperatures from 300 to about 2 K. Data are presented for LiF, CaF2, BaF2, KBr, and TlBr, as well as for KRS-5 (TlBr-I) and KRS-6 (TlBr-Cl). A cryooptical measurements facility at NASA-Goddard, which has been used to generate some of the cataloged data, is also described.
Peer-review practices of psychological journals: The fate of published articles, submitted again

A growing interest in and concern about the adequacy and fairness of modern peer-review practices in publication and funding are apparent across a wide range of scientific disciplines. Although questions about reliability, accountability, reviewer bias, and competence have been raised, there has been very little direct research on these variables.The present investigation was an attempt to study the peer-review process directly, in the natural setting of actual journal referee evaluations of submitted manuscripts. As test materials we selected 12 already published research articles by investigators from prestigious and highly productive American psychology departments, one article from each of 12 highly regarded and widely read American psychology journals with high rejection rates (80%) and nonblind refereeing practices.With fictitious names and institutions substituted for the original ones (e.g., Tri-Valley Center for Human Potential), the altered manuscripts were formally resubmitted to the journals that had originally refereed and published them 18 to 32 months earlier. Of the sample of 38 editors and reviewers, only three (8%) detected the resubmissions. This result allowed nine of the 12 articles to continue through the review process to receive an actual evaluation: eight of the nine were rejected. Sixteen of the 18 referees (89%) recommended against publication and the editors concurred. The grounds for rejection were in many cases described as “serious methodological flaws.” A number of possible interpretations of these data are reviewed and evaluated.
A methodology for assessing departure of current plant communities from historical conditions over large landscapes

Fire frequency and severity, and vegetation composition and structure have been altered across much of North America during the past century because of fire exclusion and other land management practices. The cumulative results are now recognized to be partly responsible for dramatic increases in wildland fire severity and declines in ecosystem health. In response, the Departments of Agriculture and Interior are developing a strategy for reducing fire hazard and restoring forest health. A key component of this strategy is the assessment of the departure of current plant communities from historical conditions. Assessing departure is difficult because of limited spatial coverage of data on successional class distribution prior to European settlement (historical) conditions. This article discusses a two-step approach to the problem that first generates data on historical vegetation composition and structure by simulating succession and disturbance processes under historical conditions, and then measures departure by comparing these simulated data to an observation on current conditions. The data are observations on high-dimensional multinomial categorical variables, and pose several problems that limit the usefulness of conventional statistical methods. We propose a method that constructs a linear approximation of the current observation vector from the simulated historic data, and measures the departure of the current observation vector by the length of the residual error vector. A simulation study indicates that this departure measure is substantially more sensitive than conventional outlier detection methods. Our methodology is demonstrated using a pilot region encompassing lands in Utah.
Comorbidities and continuities as ontogenic processes: Toward a developmental spectrum model of externalizing psychopathology

Research on child and adolescent mental health problems has burgeoned since the inaugural issue of Development and Psychopathology was published in 1989. In the quarter century since, static models of psychopathology have been abandoned in favor of transactional models, following the agenda set by editor Dante Cicchetti and other proponents of the discipline. The transactional approach, which has been applied to autism, depression, self-injury, and delinquency, (a) specifies vulnerabilities and risk factors across multiple levels of analysis spanning genes to cultures, (b) identifies multifinal and equifinal pathways to psychopathology, and (c) transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries. However, as noted by Rutter and Sroufe (2000), specific mechanisms of continuity, discontinuity, and comorbidity of psychopathology must be identified if we wish to understand etiology fully. In this article, we present a model of early-onset externalizing behavior in which comorbidities and continuities are viewed as ontogenic processes: products of complex longitudinal transactions between interdependent individual-level vulnerabilities (e.g., genetic, epigenetic, allostatic) and equally interdependent contextual risk factors (e.g., coercive parenting, deviant peer group affiliations, neighborhood criminality). Through interactions across levels of analysis, some individuals traverse along the externalizing spectrum, beginning with heritable trait impulsivity in preschool and ending in antisociality in adulthood. In describing our model, we note that (a) the approach outlined in the DSM to subtyping externalizing disorders continues to obscure developmental pathways to antisociality, (b) molecular genetics studies will likely not identify meaningful subtypes of externalizing disorder, and (c) ontogenic trait approaches to psychopathology are much more likely to advance the discipline in upcoming years.
Mental health and marital stability.

Mental illness has a variety of medical, social, and economic sequelae. For example, economists have estimated the direct and indirect social costs stemming from mental disorders to be on the order of $43 billion in 1980. Others have linked mental illness to homelessness (Fisher & Breakey, 1986) and reduced earnings (Frank & Gertler, 1991). In this research we are concerned with the impact of diagnosable mental illness on marriage and divorce patterns. We focus on marriage because marital instability has been linked to the “feminization of poverty” (Garfinkel & McLanahan, 1985), to mental health problems in children, and to the economic welfare of families (Frank & Gertler, 1989). Moreover, divorce itself is a major economic burden on the legal system directly and indirectly through litigation for continuation of support payments. Our analysis is presented in the spirit of an exploratory examination of a complex and methodologically difficult issue to understand. The point of departure for the analysis is the economic theory of marriage which has been most closely associated with Becker (1974, 1981). The model weighs the expected benefits and costs of marriage, and if the benefits outweigh the costs a marriage occurs. Similarly, if the marriage partners view the costs of continuing a marriage greater than the benefits a divorce occurs. Many of the costs and benefits are determined by the legal structure that governs personal relationships. An obvious example is the tax disadvantage in marriage in that married couples are in higher tax brackets than are two single individuals. States that have common property laws raise the cost of divorce to the higher income earner and raise the benefits to the lower income earner. States that strictly enforce child and spousal support after divorce raise the cost of divorce. A particularly large form of support after divorce can be the cost of caring for a mentally ill former spouse. Our empirical focus is on effect of mental distress on divorce. The analysis uses a unique set of data drawn from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) sponsored Epidemiological Catchment Area (ECA) study. The data provide detailed information on the social, economic, and mental health characteristics of a probability sample of the population in the eastern part of Baltimore City (Eaton et al., 1986). The analysis presented below offers an
Inverse vibrational distributions of photofragments

Abstract The matrix element describing the transition from a bound to an unbound state in photodissociation of a linear triatomic molecule is found to yield an inverse vibrational distribution when the recoil energy of the photofragment is less than or comparable to the internal energy.
Emotive qualities in robot speech

This paper explores the expression of emotion in synthesized speech for an anthropomorphic robot. We adapted several key emotional correlates of human speech to the robot speech synthesizer to allow the robot to speak in either an angry, calm, disgusted, fearful, happy, sad, or surprised manner. We evaluated our approach thorough an acoustic analysis of the speech patterns for each vocal affect and studied how well human subjects perceive the intended affect.
A Direct Comparison of Anterior Prefrontal Cortex Involvement in Episodic Retrieval and Integration

Retrieval of information from episodic memory reliably engages regions within the anterior prefrontal cortex (aPFC). This observation has led researchers to suggest that these regions may subserve processes intimately tied to episodic retrieval. However, the aPFC is also recruited by other complex tasks not requiring episodic retrieval. One hypothesis concerning these results is that episodic retrieval recruits a general cognitive process that is subserved by the aPFC. The current study tested a specific version of this hypothesis--namely, that the integration of internally represented information is this process. Event-related fMRI was employed in a 2 (memory task: encoding versus retrieval) x 2 (level of integration: low versus high) factorial within-subjects design. A functional dissociation was observed, with one aPFC subregion uniquely sensitive to level of integration and another jointly sensitive to level of integration and memory task. Analysis of event-related activation latencies indicated that level of integration and memory task effects occurred with significantly different timing. The results provide the first direct evidence regarding the functional specialization within lateral aPFC and the nature of its recruitment during complex cognitive tasks. Moreover, the study highlights the benefits of activation latency analysis for understanding functional contributions and dissociations between closely linked brain regions.
Evaluation of Fluid Absorption During Laser Prostatectomy by Breath Ethanol Techniques

AbstractPurpose: Laser prostatectomy has evolved as a less invasive method of relieving bladder outlet obstruction due to prostatic enlargement. The elimination of adenomatous tissue by laser induced coagulation necrosis theoretically avoids the sequelae of fluid absorption noted during traditional transurethral resection of the prostate. However, to our knowledge no accurate determination of fluid absorption during laser prostatectomy has been performed to date.Materials and Methods: A technique previously described to determine the amount of irrigant absorbed during transurethral resection of the prostate measures breath ethanol levels using a standard alcohol breath analyzer during the procedure after a predetermined amount of ethanol is added to the irrigant fluid. This method was used in 4 men undergoing laser prostatectomy.Results: All 4 subjects had ethanol levels of 0 throughout the operation, indicating that little or no irrigant fluid was absorbed.Conclusions: We demonstrated in a quantitative m...
Condition-dependent calibration of men’s uncommitted mating orientation: evidence from multiple samples

Abstract Physical strength and physical attractiveness are both hypothesized as indicators of overall phenotypic condition in humans. Strategic Pluralism Theory (Gangestad & Simpson, 2000) predicts that men's orientation toward uncommitted mating is facultatively calibrated (i.e. contingently adjusted over ontogeny) in response to condition-dependent physical features, such as strength and attractiveness. Herein, we suggest that previous research bearing on this hypothesis has been limited because (a) researchers have often neglected to distinguish between mating orientations and past sexual behavior and (b) sample sizes have not always been large enough to reliably detect correlations of moderate magnitude. To address these issues and extend previous findings, we present aggregated data from three independent samples of young adults that permit us to examine multiple measures of physical strength and attractiveness in relation to uncommitted mating orientation, committed mating orientation, and past sexual behavior. As predicted, meta-analyses across samples demonstrated that strength and attractiveness were positively correlated with men's (but not women's) uncommitted mating orientation (but not committed mating orientation). In addition, strength (in men only) and attractiveness (in both sexes) positively predicted participants' number of past sex partners. Moreover, path analyses demonstrated that the association of men's physical features with their number of sex partners was mediated via uncommitted mating orientation. These results (a) provide the most extensive support to date for the hypothesis that men's uncommitted mating orientation is calibrated to condition-dependent features and (b) clarify the sex-specific functional links among physical features, mating orientations and sexual behavior.
On the wave propagation in isotropic fractal media

In this paper, we explore the wave propagation phenomenon in three-dimensional (3D) isotropic fractal media through analytical and computational means. We present the governing scalar wave equation, perform its eigenvalue decomposition, and discuss its corresponding modal solutions. The homogenization through which this fractal wave equation is derived makes its mathematical analysis and consequently the formulation of exact solutions possible if treated in the spherical coordinate system. From the computational perspective, we consider the finite element method and derive the corresponding weak formulation which can be implemented in the numerical scheme. The Newmark time-marching method solves the resulting elastodynamic system and captures the transient response. Two solvers capable of handling problems of arbitrary initial and boundary conditions for arbitrary domains are developed. They are validated in space and time, with particular problems considered on spherical shell domains. The first solver is elementary; it handles problems of purely radial dependence, effectively, 1D. However, the second one deals with general advanced 3D problems of arbitrary spatial dependence.
The distribution of repressive histone modifications on silenced FMR1 alleles provides clues to the mechanism of gene silencing in Fragile X syndrome

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common heritable cause of intellectual disability and the most common known cause of autism. Most cases of FXS result from the expansion of a CGG·CCG repeat in the 5' UTR of the FMR1 gene that leads to gene silencing. It has previously been shown that silenced alleles are associated with histone H3 dimethylated at lysine 9 (H3K9Me2) and H3 trimethylated at lysine 27 (H3K27Me3), modified histones typical of developmentally repressed genes. We show here that these alleles are also associated with elevated levels of histone H3 trimethylated at lysine 9 (H3K9Me3) and histone H4 trimethylated at lysine 20 (H4K20Me3). All four of these modified histones are present on exon 1 of silenced alleles at levels comparable to that seen on pericentric heterochromatin. The two groups of histone modifications show a different distribution on fragile X alleles: H3K9Me2 and H3K27Me3 have a broad distribution, whereas H3K9Me3 and H4K20Me3 have a more focal distribution with the highest level of these marks being present in the vicinity of the repeat. This suggests that the trigger for gene silencing may be local to the repeat itself and perhaps involves a mechanism similar to that involved in the formation of pericentric heterochromatin.
Morbid jealousy from an evolutionary psychological perspective

Individuals diagnosed with morbid jealousy have hypersensitive jealousy mechanisms that cause them to have irrational thoughts about their partner's fidelity and to exhibit extreme behaviors. Using a newly constructed database of 398 cases of morbid jealousy reported in the literature from 1940 to 2002, we tested four evolutionarily informed hypotheses about normally functioning jealousy mechanisms and applied them to this novel population of individuals diagnosed with morbid jealousy. We hypothesized that a greater percentage of men than women diagnosed with morbid jealousy would be focused on a partner's sexual infidelity and on indicators of a rival's status and resources and that a greater percentage of women than men diagnosed with morbid jealousy would be focused on a partner's emotional infidelity and on indicators of a rival's youth and physical attractiveness. All four hypotheses were supported. The results suggest continuity between normal jealousy and morbid jealousy and highlight the heuristic value of using archival databases to test evolutionarily informed hypotheses.
Topiary: a tool for prototyping location-enhanced applications

Location-enhanced applications use the location of people, places, and things to augment or streamline interaction. Location-enhanced applications are just starting to emerge in several different domains, and many people believe that this type of application will experience tremendous growth in the near future. However, it currently requires a high level of technical expertise to build location-enhanced applications, making it hard to iterate on designs. To address this problem we introduce Topiary, a tool for rapidly prototyping location-enhanced applications. Topiary lets designers create a map that models the location of people, places, and things; use this active map to demonstrate scenarios depicting location contexts; use these scenarios in creating storyboards that describe interaction sequences; and then run these storyboards on mobile devices, with a wizard updating the location of people and things on a separate device. We performed an informal evaluation with seven researchers and interface designers and found that they reacted positively to the concept.
Identification of novel PPARγ target genes in primary human adipocytes

Adipogenesis is the process by which undifferentiated precursor cells differentiate into fat laden adipocytes. The nuclear proteins peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) play a central role in adipocyte differentiation. The goals of this study were to identify novel PPARgamma responsive genes and to determine their role in regulating human adipocyte differentiation. Affymetrix profiling of gene expression in human adipocytes identified about 1000 genes that were significantly up-regulated subsequent to induction of differentiation. PPARgamma expression was reduced prior to induction of differentiation using a novel, chemically modified antisense oligonucleotide. Affymetrix microarray profiling of these cells identified 278 statistically significantly down-regulated genes. Eight genes were found to contain previously documented PPARgamma recognition element (PPRE) in their upstream nucleotide (promoter) sequence. Four of these genes are novel and have not previously been characterized. Chromatin immuno-precipitation experiments confirmed the binding of PPARgamma to the PPRE of three of these genes. The ortholog of one of these genes, hypothetical protein FLJ 20920, has previously been reported to be involved in the control of body fat composition in Caenorhabditis elegans. Inhibition of expression of this protein was found to also inhibit differentiation of human adipocytes. MAST/MEME algorithm analysis was used to identify novel commonly occurring sequence motifs in the 5' upstream region of transcripts for subset of down-regulated genes, which were grouped according to their sequence similarities. A number of clusters were identified and the largest cluster contained similar motifs from 26 genes with the literature supporting 7 of the 26 genes as being involved in fatty acid metabolism or PPARgamma interaction.
Chinese-American Banking and Community Development in Los Angeles County

Given the rapid increase of immigrant populations and ethnic communities in the U.S., it is surprising that so little attention has been paid to the role of ethnically owned banks in community development. Analyses of banking usually focus on developments such as mergers and consolidations within the mainstream financial sector. The academic literature on financial geography and the ethnic economy has established that the discriminatory and exclusionary practices of mainstream banks and other financial institutions play a significant role in impoverishing urban, low-income ghettos. Research on minority financial services largely focuses on the dynamics of informal financial establishments in ethnic neighborhoods. With the exception of research on African-American banks, there has been remarkably little scholarship on or even acknowledgement of ethnically owned formal financial institutions in minority communities. This article examines the parallel, co-respective growth of Chinese-American residents, busi...
Bouncing-Ball Model of ‘Dry’ Motions of a Tethered Buoy

The motions of a buoy moored to the sea floor by a cable are considered. The buoy is modeled both as a point mass and as a sphere. It is assumed that the mooring line has no effect when it is slack, and that when it becomes taut it exerts an instantaneous impulsive force on the buoy, analogous to the impact of a ball bouncing on a rigid surface. The magnitude of the axial component of the velocity is reduced at this time. Fluid inertia and damping are not included, and the wave forces are assumed to be harmonic. The effects of the coefficient of restitution and the forcing frequency on two types of critical force are examined. Trajectories of the motion are plotted and the impact velocities are computed and analyzed. Knowledge of the number and magnitude of these impacts is useful in assessing fatigue of the mooring line.
No computers? No problem! Active and cooperative learning in an introductory computer science course

This paper describes the use of active and cooperative learning techniques in an introductory computer science (Java) course. During classroom sessions, the instructor had a computer/projector, but students had no computer access. The challenge was to teach programming to students who were not at computers. One technique involved completion of short programming exercises in small heterogeneous teams. A typical two-hour class might consist of several brief periods of instruction interspersed with 10- or 20-minute periods of team work. Teams shared their solutions with classmates using the whiteboard or overhead projector. The instructor demonstrated a working solution using the instructorpsilas computer/projector, and later put it on the class Web site for the studentspsila use. Another active/cooperative learning technique used was a daily quiz, which was completed by the student during class. Students were encouraged to work together on the quiz, or to ask questions about it during class. The quiz was used as an outline and reinforcement of the daypsilas topics, as well as a feedback mechanism for the instructor. Students also found the quizzes helpful as study tools. Both uses of active and cooperative learning served to make the sessions more valuable and enjoyable than in an ordinary lecture-format class.
High School Students: An Assessment of Their Knowledge of Gangs.

The purpose of the research was to assess whether students possess information about gangs that is useful to primary and secondary education providers. Data were collected through 193 questionnaire...
Giant magnetoresistive properties in granular transition metals

The giant magnetoresistance (GMR) in granular Co-Ag, Co-Cu, and Fe-Ag systems, as well as in the metastable alloy state, is studied. The absolute values of the resistivity at zero field ( rho /sub 0/), the magnetic resistivity ( rho /sub m/), and GMR are determined. The resistivity of an alloy is found to be significantly larger than that of a granular solid. As the composition (x) of Co or Fe is increased, rho /sub m/ shows a broad maximum at x=20 to 30%. Among the three systems, Co-Ag has the smallest rho (0), the largest rho /sub m/, and hence the largest GMR. Both rho (0) and rho /sub m/ at 5 K in all three systems show a similar dependence on the annealing temperature (T/sub A/). They decrease with increasing T/sub A/, having the largest values in the as-deposited samples, regardless of the sample being alloy or granular. Because rho /sub 0/ and rho /sub m/ decrease with T/sub A/ at different rates, there may or may not be a peak in the GMR at certain value of T/sub A/. >
Burr Erosion in Rotational Ablation of Metallic Coronary Stent: An Electron Microscopic Study

Background: Rotational atherectomy is used to penetrate resistant coronary lesions from standard balloon dilatation. These lesions may contain heavy calcification or metallic components from previously implanted stents. When the rotablator® device is utilized to ablate an undilatable lesion containing metallic stent component, what happens to the rotablator® burr after grinding through metal? Are there additional technical considerations of rotational atherectomy when used in metallic “ablation”? Methods: A challenging case of rotational ablation of a freshly placed coronary stent is presented requiring 2 burrs to penetrate the undilatable lesion overlaid by the stent. Comparative scanning electron microscopic (SEM) evaluations of 3 rotablator® burrs are presented including the 2 used burrs and 1 brand new burr as control. SEM analyses including gross observations and detailed account of the diamond chips (DC) on the burr-surfaces were performed. Results: The results showed that the 1st used burr received most of the damage and erosion from the high-speed impact with the metallic stent struts. Significant scratch marks were observed on the surface of the 1st used burr. Also, a significant number of the DC on the surface of the 1st used burr were found missing, as compared to the 2nd used burr or the brand new burr. Conclusions: The SEM findings of the rotablator® burrs in this study suggest a mechanism for burr erosion when used in ablating metallic coronary stents. Also based on the SEM results, technical recommendations are discussed when the rotational atherectomy device is used to ablate metallic struts of coronary stents. (J Interven Cardiol 2010;23:233–239)
The Hedonic Method

Heterogeneous or differentiated goods are products whose characteristics vary in such a way that there are distinct product varieties even though the commodity is sold in one market (e.g., cars, computers, houses). The variation in product variety gives rise to variations in product prices within each market. The hedonic method for non-market valuation relies on market transactions for these differentiated goods to determine the value of key underlying characteristics. For instance, by observing the price differential between two product varieties that vary only by one characteristic (e.g., two identical cars, but with one having more horsepower than the other), we indirectly observe the monetary trade-offs individuals are willing to make with respect to the changes in this characteristic. As such, the hedonic method is an “indirect” valuation method in which we do not observe the value consumers have for the characteristic directly, but infer it from observable market transactions.
Influence of matrix-suspended demineralized bone on osseous repair using a critical-sized defect in the rat (Rattus norvegicus) calvarium.

Abstract Demineralized freeze-dried bone (DFDB) in matrix form must be rehydrated with a carrier medium which allows for easy manipulation during periodontal surgery. The purpose of this study was ...
Modulation and Coding For Digital Magnetic Recording Systems

A digital magnetic recording system is a form of a communications channel whereby digital information is first represented by a write waveform which is converted to a magnetization pattern on magnetic media by a write head and then at some later time using a read head converted to a read waveform from which the digital information is recovered. In this paper, we consider models which relate the read waveform to the write waveform. We discuss methods by which the digital information is converted to the write waveform and methods by which the digital information is recovered from the read waveform. Additional topics covered are: error correction and modulation codes, equalization and the detection of signals in noise.
GUI efficiency comparison between windows and mac

In present times, it is not uncommon to have a desktop with two or more monitors. How these operating systems perform in a multiple monitor environment is an interesting topic. In this work, we will evaluate the efficiency of and compare how two popular operating systems, Windows and Mac OS, perform in large and multiple monitor environments. In particular, we will evaluate the performance of menu bars in both operating systems as they serve a near identical purpose and have the same functionality while providing their offerings differently. It is well-known that Mac OS uses a menu bar at the top of the screen (global) and Windows uses a menu bar attached to the top of its respective application (local). The conducted user study shows that the overall performance of Windows menu bar was better than that of the Mac menu bar implementation in the conducted tests.
Techniques for Monitoring Intrathoracic Pressure during Overnight Polysomnography

ABSTRACT.The definite recognition of upper airway resistance syndrome (UARS) requires intrathoracic pressure monitoring (IPM). Multiple methods for measuring intrathoracic pressure swings are currently available. In this article, we review esophageal balloon, fluid-filled catheter, and catheter-tip pressure transducer, comparing comfort, ease of use, maintenance, quality of recording, and cost. Each of these techniques has advantages and disadvantages. Despite the additional time and cost, we feel IPM is a clinically valuable technique for evaluating nocturnal respiratory abnormalities.
Effect of recombinant human macrophage colony-stimulating factor in irradiated murine recipients of T-cell-depleted allogeneic or non- depleted syngeneic bone marrow transplants

Recombinant macrophage colony-stimulating factor (rM-CSF), which reacts exclusively with cells of monocyte lineage, was evaluated in the murine bone marrow (BM) transplant setting for in vivo effects on recipient survival, hematologic recovery, and engraftment. Two types of fully allogeneic donors were selected based on the expression (BALB/c), or lack of expression (DBA/1), of hybrid hematopoietic histocompatibility (Hh1) antigens. These antigens are established targets for monocyte and/or natural killer (NK) cell-mediated graft rejection. Irradiated C57BL/6 mice were used as recipients for all experiments. Recipients of T-cell-depleted (TCD) BALB/c BM and a 14-day continuous subcutaneous infusion of 16.8 micrograms/d rM-CSF (n = 30) showed a significant decrease in donor cell engraftment as compared with recipients of donor BM administered pumps delivering saline. These mice administered rM-CSF also displayed significantly reduced levels of circulating leukocytes (predominantly lymphocytes) on day 14 posttransplant (compared with saline controls). Neither engraftment effects nor leukocyte effects were observed when C57BL/6 recipients were administered Hh1 nonexpressing TCD DBA/1 BM cells (n = 30), suggesting that the monocyte/macrophage population is important in long-term alloengraftment in certain donor-recipient strain combinations in which donor Hh1 antigens can serve as target antigens for host effector cells, but are not important in strain combinations in which they are not recognized. Circulating tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) levels measured at two time periods during rM-CSF infusion were not elevated. Thus, the reduction in alloengraftment is not likely to be directly related to TNF alpha. However, in vivo elimination of NK cells in the BALB/c into C57BL/6 model prevented the impairment of engraftment mediated by rM-CSF. Thus, rM-CSF-mediated inhibition of alloengraftment is contingent on the presence of host NK cells with antidonor reactivity. Survival was unaffected when rM-CSF was administered in either allogeneic BM transplant model, but was significantly reduced when rM-CSF was administered to C57BL/6 recipients of syngeneic BM transplants. These data are the first analyzing the effects of rM-CSF in murine allogeneic BM transplantation and extend our previous studies using the BALB/c into C57BL/6 model in which in vivo infusions of recombinant granulocyte-macrophage CSF, but not recombinant granulocyte-CSF, lead to decreases in alloengraftment. These data show that rM-CSF-induced stimulation of monocytes may increase BM graft rejection in instances in which NK cells are involved in the rejection process. These data may have future clinical implications for the use of rM-CSF in allogeneic BM transplantation.
Host Status of Litchi and Rambutan to the West Indian Fruit Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Abstract Fruit of litchi, Litchi chinensis, and rambutan, Nephelium lappaceum, were collected from the field in 2006 and 2007 and monitored for the emergence of West Indian fruit flies, Anastrepha obliqua. Fruit clusters of rambutan and litchi, with a piece of the peel removed to allow access to ovipositing females, were also placed in cages and exposed to 12-d-old post-eclosion male and female West Indian fruit flies for 48 h. These exposed fruit were then monitored for the emergence of A. obliqua. Mango fruit were simultaneously exposed to male and female A. obliqua in separate cages and monitored for the emergence of A. obliqua. Fruit fly traps baited with putrescine and ammonium acetate were placed in orchards of litchi and rambutan, as well as an adjacent orchard of carambola, Averrhoa carambola, to demonstrate the presence of fruit flies while litchi and rambutan were fruiting. Although we collected 3732 ripe litchi fruit (40.34 kg) and 5534 ripe rambutan fruit (166.60 kg), none of these yielded tep...
The difference that transnational and intersectional black feminisms make: a commentary on Tripp

In contemporary feminist theories, transnational and intersectional feminisms occupy contested territory. Feminist analyses that are situated exclusively within local and national domains and obscure the lived impact of globalizing economic and political forces also stand on shaky ground. In the following commentary, I will address Tripp's nation-centered framing of difference feminisms in specific and relational geopolitical contexts. By resituating the author's analysis within ongoing debates in feminist theory about the effectiveness of transnational and intersectional black feminist analyses, I will unsettle the conceptual tidiness of her argument.
Prevalence of toxin-producing anaerobes in Wisconsin

Wisconsin has not suffered from poisoning by Clostridium botulinum to any appreciable extent. It is possible that the disease has not been generally recognized until within the last few years, but even with the amount of publicity that has been given of late to outbreaks of botulism in man and animals, there have been no cases of botulism reported from any Wisconsin food product. Two cases of botulism occurred in Milwaukee in 1918,1 occasioned by eating summer sausage, but in this case the sausage was prepared in another state. From Wisconsin canneries come more than one half of the canned peas used in the United States. Clostridium botulinum grows well in canned peas, and yet no case of botulism has been reported from the use of Wisconsin peas. It is true that peas are usually heated, but they are also used in salads, and if Clostridium botulinum was even infrequently present, some dire results should have followed the general use of these peas. Forage poisoning seems likewise uncommon among animals in Wisconsin. There have been occasional outbreaks of limberneck or some similar disease in chickens, but no investigations of such outbreaks proving them due to Clostridium botulinum have come to our attention. Thus we have no evidence that botulism has occurred even infrequently in Wisconsin. However, the widely distributed outbreaks of food poisoning of this type in the United States made it seem to us a few years ago that the organism responsible for it was probably present here also and that some investigation as to the frequency of its occurrence should be made. In 1919, one of us (F. B.) isolated an organism from home canned mushrooms which was morphologically and culturally like Clostridium botulinum. This organism when grown in meat produced a toxin which when fed to chickens produced symptoms similar to limberneck. The sterile filtrate from the mushrooms injected intraperitoneally was weakly toxic for guinea-pigs and produced death in one pig after 16 days. The heated filtrate had no effect on the health of the pigs.
STEADY VISCOUS FLOW SOLUTION OF A TURBOMACHINE CASCADE

In this work a compressible, three-dimensional, viscous unsteady turbomachinery computational flow model is used to compute the steady flow in the NASA Transonic Flutter Cascade. In particular, predictions from this Navier-Stokes solver using the k-" turbulence model are correlated with measurements at large mean incidence where the flow separated in the leading edge region and reattached at 40% chord, and also for a low mean incidence angle. The airfoil section is representative of current low aspect ratio fan blade tip sections. Steady airfoil surface pressure measurements are compared with the numerical simulations for a test section Mach number of 0.5 and a Reynolds number of 0.9 Million. The surface pressure coecient was found to exhibit better correlation for the low incidence case. For the separated flow case, the predicted separation originates at the leading edge and reattaches at approximately 42% chord. NOMENCLATURE
The Advent of the Euro: Challenges and Opportunities for Marketers

ABSTRACT While the emergence of the euro has many advantages and drawbacks for enterprises worldwide, it presents a major upheaval for marketers. This article provides marketers with practical illustrations on how the euro could impact their activities and how they should prepare for it. More specifically, the euro has functional implications for the marketing mix, namely pricing policies, product policies, promotion policies and distribution policies.