cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Communications programs in higher education

There has been a steady growth of communications programs in higher education. These programs are interdisciplinary approaches to the study of the mass media. Even though there continues to be active concern and questioning regarding the spread of these programs, they continue to be established and will continue to grow, if experience is any indication.
Collaborative control theory for e-Work, e-Production, and e-Service

Abstract Recent developments in collaborative control theory and e-Work influence the emergence of e-Production and e-Service. The influence includes impacts of e-Work on enterprises, and proliferation of applications of robotics and agents’ services. Our concern is the effective design and implementation of such e-systems. The purpose of this article is to review design principles and collaborative control theory guiding these new developments. The “four wheels” of e-Work, their 15 e-dimensions and their role in e-Production and e-Service are explained and illustrated. Network models and their bio-inspired redesign counterparts are explained with implications to the future of production and service systems.
Size of outbreaks near the epidemic threshold.

The spread of infectious diseases near the epidemic threshold is investigated. Scaling laws for the size and the duration of outbreaks originating from a single infected individual in a large susceptible population are obtained. The maximal size of an outbreak ${n}_{\ensuremath{\ast}}$ scales as ${N}^{2∕3}$ with $N$ the population size. This scaling law implies that the average outbreak size $⟨n⟩$ scales as ${N}^{1∕3}$. Moreover, the maximal and the average duration of an outbreak grow as ${t}_{\ensuremath{\ast}}\ensuremath{\sim}{N}^{1∕3}$ and $⟨t⟩\ensuremath{\sim}\text{ln}\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}N$, respectively.
Earth science: How plate tectonics clicked

Fifty years after a paper linked sea-floor magnetic stripes with continental drift, Naomi Oreskes explains its legacy as a lesson in achieving scientific consensus.
Bioequivalence Approaches for Highly Variable Drugs and Drug Products

Over the past decade, concerns have been expressed increasingly regarding the difficulty for highly variable drugs and drug products (%CV greater than 30) to meet the standard bioequivalence (BE) criteria using a reasonable number of study subjects. The topic has been discussed on numerous occasions at national and international meetings. Despite the lack of a universally accepted solution for the issue, regulatory agencies generally agree that an adjustment of the traditional BE limits for these drugs or products may be warranted to alleviate the resource burden of studying relatively large numbers of subjects in bioequivalence trials. This report summarizes a careful examination of all the statistical methods available and extensive simulations for BE assessment of highly variable drugs/products. Herein, the authors present an approach of scaling an average BE criterion to the within-subject variability of the reference product in a crossover BE study, together with a point-estimate constraint imposed on the geometric mean ratio between the test and reference products. The use of a reference-scaling approach involves the determination of variability of the reference product, which requires replication of the reference treatment in each individual. A partial replicated-treatment design with this new data analysis methodology will thus provide a more efficient design for BE studies with highly variable drugs and drug products.
The association between stress, coping, and sexual risk behaviors over 24 months among African-American female adolescents

Heightened psychosocial stress coupled with maladaptive coping may be associated with greater sexual risk engagement. This study examined the association between stress levels and coping strategy use as predictors of sexual risk behavior engagement over 24 months among African-American adolescent females (N = 701; M = 17.6 years) enrolled in an STI/HIV risk-reduction intervention program. Participants completed audio computer assisted self-interview (ACASI) measures of global stress, interpersonal stress, coping strategy use, and sexual behaviors prior to intervention participation. Follow-up ACASI assessments were conducted at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months post-intervention. Generalized estimated equation models examined associations between baseline stress levels and coping strategy use as predictors of condom use (past 90 days, last sex) and multiple partners during follow-up. Global stress and individual coping strategy usage were not associated with differences in condom use. Higher interpersonal stress w...
Effect of Prior Hepatitis B Infection on Serum IgE Levels in Patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection

Background Advanced HIV infection is associated with increased serum IgE levels, which in turn have been associated with a poor prognosis. Our preliminary data revealed that serum IgE levels were significantly elevated in HIV seropositive injection drug users compared with HIV seropositive non-injection drug users. Since viral hepatitis is common among injection drug users and is itself associated with elevated serum IgE levels, we studied whether there was an association between increased serum IgE levels and positive hepatitis serology in HIV-seropositive patients. Methods A retrospective cross-sectional analysis was performed. The medical records of ambulatory HIV-infected patients in an ongoing study were reviewed. Forty-five patients had hepatitis A, B, and C serology performed. The associations between serum IgE levels and hepatitis A, B, and C antibodies, CD4 and CD8 lymphocyte percentages, injection drug use, and sex were analyzed by univariate and multiple regression analyses. Results On univariate analyses, hepatitis B antibody was significantly associated with increased serum IgE levels in HIV-infected subjects (P = .013), especially in those with AIDS ( P = .015). Multiple regression analyses controlling for CD4 lymphocyte percentages, sex, and drug use, confirmed that hepatitis B antibody status remained significantly associated with increased serum IgE levels (P = .05). There was no association of serum IgE levels with hepatitis A or C serology. Conclusion Prior hepatitis B infection is significantly associated with increased serum IgE levels in advanced HIV infection. The clinical implications of this finding deserve further study.
Stereotactic radiosurgical treatment of cranial and spinal hemangioblastomas.

OBJECTIVE: Stereotactic radiosurgery has been used for nearly 2 decades to treat hemangioblastomas, particularly those that are in surgically inaccessible locations or that are multiple, as is common in von Hippel-Lindau disease. There is a paucity of long-term published radiosurgical treatment outcomes, particularly for spinal lesions, in a large patient population. The purpose of this study was to provide a long-term retrospective evaluation of radiosurgical hemangioblastoma treatment effectiveness, with a special emphasis on the relatively recent use of frameless, image-guided radiosurgery in the treatment of spinal lesions. METHODS: From 1991 to 2007, 92 hemangioblastomas in 31 patients, 26 with von Hippel-Lindau disease, were treated with radiosurgery (27 tumors treated with framebased linear accelerator radiosurgery, and 67 tumors were treated with CyberKnife radiosurgery). The mean patient age was 41 years (range, 18―81 years). The radiation dose to the tumor periphery averaged 23.4 Gy (range, 12―40 Gy). The mean tumor volume was 1.8 cm 3 (range, 0.058―65.4 cm 3 ). Tumor response was evaluated in serial, contrast-enhanced, computed tomographic, and magnetic resonance imaging scans. RESULTS: Clinical and radiographic follow-up data were available for 82 hemangioblastoma tumors. Only 13 (16%) of the treated hemangioblastomas progressed, whereas 18 tumors (22%) showed radiographic regression, and 51 tumors (62%) remained unchanged in size. With median follow-up of 69 months (range, 5―164 months), the actuarial local control rates at 36 and 60 months were 85% and 82%, respectively. Radiosurgery improved lesion-associated symptoms in 36 of 41 tumors. During the follow-up period, 9 patients died of causes unrelated to the progression of their treated hemangioblastomas, and 5 patients developed radiation necrosis. CONCLUSION: Stereotactic radiosurgery is safe and effective in the treatment of hemagioblastomas and is an attractive alternative to surgery for patients, including those with von Hippel-Lindau disease.
Auger spectroscopy of rare earth-transition metal-boron magnets in relation to the mechanism of correctivity

Magnets of composition Nd/sub 15/Fe/sub 78/B/sub 7/ were examined by SEM (scanning electron microscopy) and Auger spectroscopy. The sample was fractured in the ultra-high-vacuum chamber of the spectrometer, and examination of the fracture surfaces provided information which is taken to be representative of the internal structure and composition of Nd-Fe-B magnets. The grains were found to be coated with an Nd-rich film that was presumably generated by the high reactivity between oxygen and Nd. The technique provided information as to the changes occurring during postsintering. The two main effects are reduction in grain size by about a factor of two and the development of a more homogeneous (Nd-rich) film. Prior to postsintering, a small amount of Nd was observed on the grain surface. Afterward, the Nd content had risen sharply (a factor of three or more). The results are used to provide fresh insight into the mechanism of coercivity. The Nd-rich film is thought to be a magnetic dead layer which insulates the particles and makes the system behave as an assemblage of weakly interacting fine particles. Nucleation, which is a rare event, is isolated by the dead layer in the grain of origin, giving rise to the large observed coercivity. >
The frequency, fluence, and pressure dependence of the absorption of pulsed CO2-laser radiation by SF6 at 140 K☆

Abstract We report measurements of absorption of pulsed CO 2 laser radiation by SF 6 at 140 K. These measurements cover a broad range of fluence (10 −6 to 0.8 J/cm 2 ), SF 6 gas density (2 × 10 15 to 6 × 10 16 cm −3 ), and frequency (six CO 2 -laser frequencies within the SF 6 v 3 band). We employ two methods of data reduction including one that gives a simple phenomenological function of the three principal independent variables. We conclude that at low fluence a small fraction of the SF 6 molecules absorb the laser radiation and that collisions and higher fluence both increase that fraction. At higher fluence absorption by vibrationally excited molecules becomes increasingly important.
Efficacy of a latency- and productive infection-deficient Gammaherpesvirus as a vaccine strategy

Author(s): Kim, Yong; Tong, Leming; Hsu, Tiffany; Shih, Evan; Leang, Ronika; Hwang, Seungmin; Sun, Ren; Wu, Ting-Ting
Alcohol consumption and inflammatory markers in older adults: the Cardiovascular Health Study.

Abstract Objective: We sought to determine the relation of alcohol intake and systemic inflammation in a population-based sample of older adults. Methods and results: As part of the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS), 5865 adults aged 65 years and older reported their intake of beer, wine, and liquor. We determined white blood cell count (WBC), factor VIII coagulant activity (factor VIIIc), and levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen, and albumin as markers of systemic inflammation. Among participants without confirmed cardiovascular disease, alcohol consumption was inversely associated with WBC, factor VIIIc, and fibrinogen level, and positively associated with albumin concentration in multivariate analyses. We found no consistent modification of these results by sex, obesity, or beverage type. The relation of alcohol use and CRP levels was significantly modified by apoE genotype (P interaction 0.03), with a positive association among participants with an apoE4 allele ( P =0.05), but a trend toward an inverse association among those without an apoE4 allele ( P =0.15). Conclusions: Alcohol intake is associated with lower levels of inflammatory markers in older adults free of cardiovascular disease.
Proposal for a University-Community-Hospice Partnership to Address Organizational Barriers to Cultural Competence:

Models of culturally competent hospice services have been developed, but they are not generally being used. This article describes a participatory action research project which is addressing organizational barriers to cultural competence through a university-community-hospice partnership. The intervention plan is to develop a connection with the African American community, increasing community knowledge, and hospice staff cultural competence through a social work student field placement. It is hoped that, if successful, this model will be replicated to address the problem of African American utilization and access to hospice.
Metropolitan Governance Structure and Income Growth

There has long been debate on the extent to which the structure of government in metropolitan areas helps or hinders income growth. Polycentrists contend that numerous local governments lead to com...
Transport and Entrapment of Particles in Steel Continuous Casting

A particle-capture model based on local force balances has been developed, implemented into computational models of turbulent fluid flow and particle transport, and applied to simulate the entrapment of slag inclusions and bubbles during the continuous casting of steel slabs. Turbulent flow of molten steel is computed in the nozzle and mold using transient computational fluid flow models, both with and without the effects of argon gas injection. Next, the transport and capture of many particles are simulated using a Lagrangian approach. Particles touching the dendritic interface may be pushed away, dragged away by the transverse flow, or captured into the solidifying shell according to the results of a local balance of ten different forces. This criterion was validated by reproducing experimental results in two different systems. The implications of this criterion are discussed quantitatively. Finally, the fluid flow/particle transport model results and capture criterion are applied together to predict the entrapment distributions of different sized particles in a typical slab caster. More large particles are safely removed than small ones, but the entrapment rate into the solidifying shell as defects is still very high.
A comparison of the marriage-role expectations of college women enrolled in a functional marriage course in 1961, 1972, and 1978

The Dunn Marriage Role Expectation Inventory was used to compare the marriage-role expectations of female university students enrolled in an introductory marriage and family course in 1961 (N=72), 1972 (N=58), and 1978 (N=115). The 1978 group was significantly more egalitarian than the 1961 group in overall marriage-role expectations and on each of the seven subcategories of authority, homemaking, child care, personal characteristics, social participation, education, and employment and support. The 1972 group was also found to be significantly more egalitarian than the 1961 group in overall marriage-role expectations and on all subcategories except authority. The 1978 group was significantly more egalitarian than the 1972 group only on authority and homemaking, with no significant differences on overall marriage-role expectations or on the other five subscales. The significant move toward more egalitarian attitudes toward authority and homemaking is accentuated by the fact that only 6 years separate the 1972 and 1978 groups, while there is an 11-year difference between the 1961 and 1972 groups.
Physiological and medical monitoring for en route care of combat casualties.

Background: Most prehospital medical interventions during civilian and military trauma casualty transport fail to utilize advanced decision-support systems for treatment and delivery of medical interventions, particularly intravenous fluids and oxygen. Current treatment protocols are usually based on standard vital signs (eg, blood pressure, arterial oxygen saturation) which have proven to be of limited value in detecting the need to implement an intervention before cardiovascular collapse. A primary objective of the US Army combat casualty care research program is to reduce mortality and morbidity during casualty transport from the battlefield through advanced development of a semiautomated decision-support capability for closed-loop resuscitation and oxygen delivery. Methods: To accomplish this goal, the Trauma Informatics Research Team at the US Army Institute of Surgical Research has developed two models for evidence-based decision support 1) a trauma patient database for capture and analysis of prehospital vital signs for identification of early, novel physiologic measurements that could improve the control of closed-loop systems in trauma patients; and, 2) a human experimental model of central hypovolemia using lower body negative pressure to improve the understanding and identification of physiologic signals for advancing closedloop capabilities with simulated hemodynamic responses to hemorrhage. Results: In the trauma patient database and lower body negative pressure studies, traditional vital sign measurements such as systolic blood pressure and oxygen saturation fail to predict mortality or indicate the need for life saving interventions or reductions in central blood volume until after the onset of cardiovascular collapse. We have evidence from preliminary analyses, however, that indicators of reduced central blood volume in the presence of stable vital signs include 1) reductions in pulse pressure; 2) changes in indices of autonomic balance derived from calculation of heart period variability (ie, linear and non-linear analyses of R-R intervals); and 3) reductions in tissue oxygenation. Conclusions: We propose that derived indices based on currently available technology for continuous monitoring of specific hemodynamic, autonomic, and/or metabolic responses could provide earlier recognition of hemorrhage than current standard vital signs and allow intervention before the onset of circulatory shock. Because of this, such indices could provide improved feedback for closedloop control of patient resuscitation and oxygen delivery. These technological advances could prove instrumental in advancing decision-support capabilities for prehospital trauma care during transport to higher levels of care in both the military and civilian environments.
Kinetic studies of the reactions CH2I2 + HI⇄CH3I + I2 and 2 CH3I⇄CH4 + CH2I2 the heat of formation of the iodomethyl radical

The rate of the reaction CH2I2 + HI ⇆ CH3I + I2 has been followed spectrophotometrically from 201.0 to 311.2°. The rate constant for the reaction fits the equation, log (k1/M−1 sec−1) = 11.45 ± 0.18 - (15.11 ± 0.44)/θ. This value, combined with the assumption that E2 = 0 ± 1 kcal/mole, leads to ΔH (CH2I, g) = 55.0 ± 1.6 kcal/mole and DH (HCH2I) = 103.8 ± 1.6 kcal/mole. The kinetics of the disproportionation, 2 CH3I ⇆ CH4 + CH2I2 were studied at 331° and are compatible with the above values.
Severity and natural history of acute pancreatitis in diabetic patients

Abstract Background There is limited data on the prevalence of coexistent diabetes in acute pancreatitis and subsequent natural history in these patients. Methods Using Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council data set, we identified 7399 unique White and Black Allegheny County, PA residents with first hospitalization for acute pancreatitis from 1996 to 2005. We evaluated the prevalence of coexistent diabetes, demographic and etiologic profile, severity of index hospitalization, and risk of readmission for acute or chronic pancreatitis during follow up (median 39 months) in this cohort. Results The prevalence of coexisting diabetes was 18% (1349/7399). When compared with non-diabetics, diabetics were significantly more likely to be older (63 vs. 56 yrs), male (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.2–1.6), black (OR 2.4, 95% CI 2.1–2.7) and have non-alcoholic etiologies (biliary, OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.2–1.9; idiopathic, OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.7–2.5; metabolic, OR 5.2, 95% CI 4.0–6.7). While diabetic patients had a significantly longer length of stay (median 5 vs. 4 days, p Conclusion About 20% patients with acute pancreatitis have coexistent diabetes. Demographic and etiologic profile of diabetic patients with acute pancreatitis differs from non-diabetics. Diabetic status has limited effect on the severity of and natural history following acute pancreatitis.
Portable thin layer chromatography for field detection of explosives and propellants

A field deployable detection kit for explosives and propellants using thin layer chromatography (TLC) has been developed at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). The chemistry of the kit has been modified to allow for field detection of propellants (through propellant stabilizers), military explosives, peroxide explosives, nitrates and inorganic oxidizer precursors. For many of these target analytes, the detection limit is in the μg to pg range. A new miniaturized, bench prototype, field portable TLC (Micro TLC) kit has also been developed for the detection and identification of common military explosives. It has been demonstrated in a laboratory environment and is ready for field-testing. The kit is comprised of a low cost set of commercially available components specifically assembled for rapid identification needed in the field and identifies the common military explosives: HMX, RDX, Tetryl, Explosive D or picric acid, and TNT all on one plate. Additional modifications of the Micro TLC system have been made with fluorescent organosilicon co-polymer coatings to detect a large suite of explosives.
Unravelling the mysterious roles of melanocortin-3 receptors in metabolic homeostasis and obesity using mouse genetics

The central nervous melanocortin system maintains body mass and adiposity within a 'healthy' range by regulating satiety and metabolic homeostasis. Neural melanocortin-4 receptors (MC4R) modulate satiety signals and regulate autonomic outputs governing glucose and lipid metabolism in the periphery. The functions of melanocortin-3 receptors (MC3R) have been less well defined. We have observed that food anticipatory activity (FAA) is attenuated in Mc3r-/- mice housed in light:dark or constant dark conditions. Mc3r-/- mice subjected to the restricted feeding protocol that was used to induce FAA also developed insulin resistance, dyslipidaemia, impaired glucose tolerance and evidence of a cellular stress response in the liver. MC3Rs may thus function as modulators of oscillator systems that govern circadian rhythms, integrating signals from nutrient sensors to facilitate synchronizing peak foraging behaviour and metabolic efficiency with nutrient availability. To dissect the functions of MC3Rs expressed in hypothalamic and extra-hypothalamic structures, we inserted a 'lox-stop-lox' (TB) sequence into the Mc3r gene. Mc3r (TB/TB) mice recapitulate the phenotype reported for Mc3r-/- mice: increased adiposity, accelerated diet-induced obesity and attenuated FAA. The ventromedial hypothalamus exhibits high levels of Mc3r expression; however, restoring the expression of the LoxTB Mc3r allele in this nucleus did not restore FAA. However, a surprising outcome came from studies using Nestin-Cre to restore the expression of the LoxTB Mc3r allele in the nervous system. These data suggest that 'non-neural' MC3Rs have a role in the defence of body weight. Future studies examining the homeostatic functions of MC3Rs should therefore consider actions outside the central nervous system.
A green prison: The Santa Rita Jail campus microgrid

A large microgrid project is nearing completion at Alameda County's twenty-two-year-old 45 ha 4,000-inmate Santa Rita Jail, about 70 km east of San Francisco. Often described as a green prison, it has a considerable installed base of distributed energy resources (DER) including an eight-year old 1.2 MW PV array, a five-year old 1 MW fuel cell with heat recovery, and considerable efficiency investments. Fig. 1 is an aerial depiction of the Jail with the PV rooftop modules clearly visible.
Nuclear envelope protein MAN1 regulates clock through BMAL1

Circadian clocks serve as internal pacemakers that influence many basic homeostatic processes; consequently, the expression and function of their components are tightly regulated by intricate networks of feedback loops that fine-tune circadian processes. Our knowledge of these components and pathways is far from exhaustive. In recent decades, the nuclear envelope has emerged as a global gene regulatory machine, although its role in circadian regulation has not been explored. We report that transcription of the core clock component BMAL1 is positively modulated by the inner nuclear membrane protein MAN1, which directly binds the BMAL1 promoter and enhances its transcription. Our results establish a novel connection between the nuclear periphery and circadian rhythmicity, therefore bridging two global regulatory systems that modulate all aspects of bodily functions. DOI: 10.7554/eLife.02981.001
Jody Williams: Nobel Laureate’s Insights on Activism and Social Work:

Jody Williams was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work with the International Campaign to Ban Landmines in 1997. She is the chairwoman of the Nobel Women’s Initiative, which was established b...
MIMO Power Control for High-Density Servers in an Enclosure

Power control is becoming a key challenge for effectively operating a modern data center. In addition to reducing operating costs, precisely controlling power consumption is an essential way to avoid system failures caused by power capacity overload or overheating due to increasing high server density. Control-theoretic techniques have recently shown a lot of promise for power management because of their better control performance and theoretical guarantees on control accuracy and system stability. However, existing work oversimplifies the problem by controlling a single server independently from others. As a result, at the enclosure level where multiple high-density servers are correlated by common workloads and share common power supplies, power cannot be shared to improve application performance. In this paper, we propose an enclosure-level power controller that shifts power among servers based on their performance needs, while controlling the total power of the enclosure to be lower than a constraint. Our controller features a rigorous design based on an optimal Multi-Input-Multi-Output (MIMO) control theory. We present detailed control problem formulation and transformation to a standard constrained least-squares problem, as well as stability analysis in the face of significant workload variations. We then conduct extensive experiments on a physical testbed to compare our controller with three state-of-the-art controllers: a heuristic-based MIMO control solution, a Single-Input-Single-Output (SISO) control solution, and an improved SISO controller with simple power shifting among servers. Our empirical results demonstrate that our controller outperforms all the three baselines by having more accurate power control and up to 11.8 percent better benchmark performance.
Multi-Tb/s optical transmission based on polarization-multiplexed LDPC-coded multi-band OFDM

Low-density parity-check (LDPC) coded multi-band orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) is one of the promising pathways to achieve ultra-high speed long-haul optical transmission. In this paper, we study multi-Tb/s serial optical transport with efficient channel estimation. By using 16-ary QAM-based polarization-multiplexing with five frequency-locked lasers, used to carry coded-OFDM signal of aggregate data rate 400-Gb/s, we are able to achieve the total aggregate rate of 2 Tb/s. When the pilot-based channel estimation is used based on either LS or LMMSE criteria, together with channel interpolation based on piece-wise linear interpolation or piece-wise second-order interpolation, we can compensate for the accumulated chromatic dispersion over 6500 km of SMF and differential group delay of 500 ps simultaneously with small penalty (within 0.23 dB) dB, when LDPC codes of rate 0.8 are employed.
Using megasonic development of SU-8 to yield ultra-high aspect ratio microstructures with UV lithography

SU-8 resist is commonly used to produce high aspect ratio microstructures in MEMS field. The resist is patterned using either ultraviolet (UV) or X-ray lithography and developed to produce structures ranging from 20 microns to 1.5 millimeters in height. Three processes are currently used to develop SU-8 resist: dip development with or without stirring and dip development with ultrasonic agitation. One difficulty associated with producing high aspect ratio microstructures lies in the development of open and closed fields evenly on the same substrate. To overcome this obstacle, we have applied megasonic agitation to the developer bath, which resulted in faster development rates, uniformed development, and the ability to produce structures with higher aspect ratios. To date, this process has been used to achieve 100:1 aspect ratio open field features and 45:1 intact cylinder arrays using a broadband optical contact aligner.
The Structure of Racism in Color-Blind, “Post-Racial” America:

In this article, I describe the racial order of America in the post–Civil Rights era. First, I discuss what racism is all about and emphasize the centrality of conceiving the phenomenon in a structural way. Second, I argue that the “new racism,” or the set of mostly subtle, institutional, and seemingly nonracial mechanisms and practices that comprise the racial regime of “post-racial” America, has all but replaced the old Jim Crow order. Third, I describe the racial ideology of color-blind racism and its component parts (i.e., frames, style, and racial stories) and contend that, like the racial order, this new ideology is slippery and has a “beyond race” character. Fourth, I explain that the Obama moment is part of the new racism, color-blind period and justify my claim empirically. I conclude this essay pondering if people of color will wake up and realize that the new, more “civil” way of maintaining and justifying racial things is a more formidable way of maintaining racial domination.
EFFECT OF THYROID STATUS ON β‐ADRENORECEPTORS AND MUSCARINIC RECEPTORS IN THE RAT LUNG

1. The effects of thyroid status on the specific binding of the muscarinic ligand (-)-[3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate (QNB) and of the beta-adrenoreceptor ligand (-)-[3H]dihydroalprenolol (DHA) in the adult rat lung were investigated. 2. The specific binding of (-)-[3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate (QNB) to lung membranes was saturable and the equilibrium dissociation constant (KD) determined from Scatchard analysis was 54 pM. Kinetic analysis of the binding of [3H]QNB yielded a KD of 42 pM. [3H]QNB binding was inhibited by muscarinic agonists and antagonists, the order of their potency was l-hyoscyamine greater than atropine greater than scopolamine greater than oxotremorine greater than carbachol. These data were consistent with [3H]QNB binding to the muscarine receptor. 3. Adult male rats treated for 2 weeks with the antithyroid agent 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (ATZ) showed a 52% and 80% reduction in the serum concentration of triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) respectively. These hypothyroid rats also had a 39% decrease in the concentration of lung beta-adrenoreceptors and a 37% decrease in the concentration of lung muscarinic receptors as compared to euthyroid controls. Concurrent treatment of rats with ATZ and T4 for 2 weeks resulted in a reduction of 15% and 20% in the concentration of lung beta-adrenoreceptors and muscarinic receptors respectively. The KD values for [3H]DHA and [3H]QNB binding did not change with the ATZ or ATZ+T4 treated groups. 4. Administration of T4 (500 micrograms/kg/day) to male rats for 12 days did not result in any significant change in the concentration of either beta-adrenoreceptors or muscarinic receptors compared to euthyroid controls. No change in the KD values for [3H]DHA or [3H]QNB binding were detected. 5. The results show that hypothyroid rats have a reduced lung concentration of both beta-adrenoreceptors and muscarinic receptors whereas in hyperthyroid rats these receptors do not significantly change from euthyroid controls.
Cyclooxygenase-2 expression influences the growth of human large and small cell lung carcinoma lines in athymic mice: Impact of an organoselenium compound on growth regulation

Increased expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) significantly enhances carcinogenesis and inflammatory reactions. Regulation of COX-2 overexpression may be a reasonable target for cancer chemoprevention. We have tested the hypothesis that levels of COX-2 expression determine the growth of human lung cancer cells in nude mice. Two cell lines, NCI-H460 (non-small cell lung cancer) and NCI-H69 (small cell lung cancer) were selected because the former expresses high levels of COX-2 protein and the latter has no detectable levels. We also examined the effects of 1,4-phenylenebis(methylene)selenocyanate (p-XSC), a highly effective chemopreventive organoselenium compound and known inhibitor of COX-2 expression, in vivo, on cell growth and COX-2 expression in vitro in the NCI-H460 cancer cell line. Cells were exposed to p-XSC at levels between 10 and 100 microM for six days and showed toxicity at approximately 50 microM. Pre-exposure of NCI-H460 to non-toxic levels of p-XSC suppressed COX-2 protein expression in a dose-dependent manner. At 40 microM, p-XSC suppressed phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)-induced COX-2 expression in NCI-H460 cells by more than 66%. In vivo studies in athymic mice showed a significant difference in tumor volume between cell lines. Pre-treatment of NCI-H460 cells with a non-toxic dose of p-XSC, prior to their injection into nude mice, significantly suppressed tumor growth when compared to untreated cells. Collectively, the outcome of our in vitro and in vivo studies supports the hypothesis that levels of COX-2 expression determine the extent of human lung tumor growth in athymic mice. Therefore, inhibition of COX-2 expression by agents such as p-XSC provides a strong rationale for the development of future clinical prevention trials.
Panic reactions to terrorist attacks and probable posttraumatic stress disorder in adolescents

A number of factors, including subjective reactions and appraisal of danger, influence one's reaction to a traumatic event. This study used telephone survey methodology to examine adolescent and parent reactions to the 2001 World Trade Center attacks 6 to 9 months after they occurred. The prevalence of probable posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adolescents was 12.6%; 26.2% met study criteria for probable subthreshold PTSD. A probable peri-event panic attack in adolescents was strongly associated with subsequent probable PTSD and probable subthreshold PTSD. This study suggests that the early identification of peri-event panic attacks following mass traumatic events may provide an important gateway to intervention in the subsequent development of PTSD. Future studies should use longitudinal designs to examine the course and pathogenic pathways for the development of panic, PTSD, and other anxiety disorders after exposure to disasters.
Temporal and spatial variations of surf-zone currents and suspended sediment concentration

Temporal and spatial variations of surf-zone currents and suspended sediment concentrations were investigated at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center's Large-scale Sediment Transport Facility (LSTF). A longshore-uniform fine-sand beach, 35 m alongshore, 20 m cross-shore, and 25 cm thick was placed in the facility for these experiments. Two unidirectional, long-crested irregular wave conditions were examined, one resulted in predominantly spilling breakers and one in plunging breakers. Waves and currents, and sediment concentrations were measured at 20 and 16 Hz, respectively, at various longshore and cross-shore locations and throughout the water column. Both currents and sediment concentrations exhibit great temporal and spatial variations in the surf zone. The variation patterns, however, of the longshore current, cross-shore current, and sediment concentration are substantially different. Caution should be exercised when averaging these parameters over time and space. For the two wave cases examined, the temporal variations of longshore current, including those at principal incident-wave frequencies, were relatively small across most of the surf zone. Over 70% of the variations are within approximately F60% of the mean value. The wave motion, with a strong peak at principal incident-wave frequencies, dominated the temporal variations of cross-shore current. Temporal variations of suspended sediment concentration under the irregular waves were episodic, characterized by occasional large values induced by suspension events or due to horizontal advection. The variance of the concentration at the peak incident-wave frequency was not significant except very near the bed. Time-averaged longshore-current profiles over the predominantly rippled sand bed were logarithmic in shape below the wave trough. Depth-averaged longshore current (excluding the portion of water column above wave trough) matched well with the current measured at an elevation of 1/3 of the water depth from the bed. Time-averaged cross-shore current profiles were characterized by an onshore mass flux near the surface, and a balancing offshore flow below the wave-trough level (undertow). Sediment concentration decreased very rapidly upward through the water column across most of the surf zone except at the plunging breaker line where relatively homogeneous concentration was measured throughout much of the water column above 4 cm from the bed. Depth-averaged sediment concentration over the range from 1 cm above the bed to the bottom of wave trough roughly equaled the concentration measured at an elevation from the bed equal to 20% of the still- water depth.
Of women men and divorce: not by economics alone.

The authors "present an empirical exploration of the determinants of marital dissolution which begins with variables found in economic models but also incorporates at least one non-economic factor religion. This enables us both to examine to what extent this variable adds to the explanatory power of the model and also how it interacts with some of the economic variables. Such evidence lends credence to the view that norms also influence marital behavior." The geographical focus is on the United States. (EXCERPT)
Ecofeminist Movements— from the North to the South

Ecofeminism grows from the idea that a woman’s ethics are closer to nature than a man’s and it revalue feminine traits. Women are seen in sync with nature, working in union with it, while men have a hierarchical relationship with nature in which their actions try to dominate it. This view poses the idea that men’s control over nature has created an ecological crisis in much of the world today. Ecofeminists look for non-violent solutions to world problems. They consider feminine values necessary for survival in the conditions of the world's patriarchy. And while ecofeminists may subscribe to liberal, radical, or Marxist/socialist thought, their main focus is on ecology—both of nature and human systems.
Using OCL-queries for debugging C++

This demonstration will present a design and preliminary implementation of the OCL query-based debugger, OQBD, which is a tool to debug C++ programs using queries formulated in the object constraint language, OCL. We will illustrate how queries can be formulated to verify constraints such as class invariants and pre and post-conditions for member functions. The queries can be reused after code generation to verify the design contract, as part of the testing process, and to facilitate fault detection.
Effect of Penetrating Momentum Flux over the Surface Boundary/Mixed Layer in a z-Coordinate OGCM of the Tropical Pacific

A simple scheme is proposed for penetrating atmospheric momentum flux over the ocean surface boundary layer or mixed layer (BL/ML) and is tested in the z-coordinate NOAA/Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory Modular Ocean Model (MOM 3) for improving its performance. Analogous to the treatment in layered ocean models, wind stress is applied, as a body force, to the entire BL/ML whose depth is calculated from a nonlocal K-profile parameterization scheme. The penetrating scheme presents an explicit and effective way to distribute a priori momentum flux throughout the BL/ML that has varying depth in space and time, instead of just over the uppermost model level with fixed thickness. This additional procedure introduces an explicit mechanism that directly relates wind stress to the BL/ML formulation, which in turn controls current and thermal structure in the upper ocean and the interaction with the underlying thermocline. Two penetrating runs, one over the BL and the other over the ML, have similar results that differ systematically from those with the penetration over fixed depths (control run). It is demonstrated that, with coherent and systematic improvements, this penetrating scheme can have significant effects on simulated equatorial ocean currents and thermal structure not only in the surface layer, but also in the thermocline. Besides more reasonable ML depth simulation in the equatorial central basin, there is substantial reduction in the mean offset of simulated isotherm depths and warm bias in the thermocline, due to downward shift of the maximum upwelling zone in the equatorial central Pacific. Consistent with observations, the penetrating scheme realistically reproduces the springtime reversal of the South Equatorial Current and the corresponding surface warming in the central equatorial Pacific, with accompanying surfacing of the Equatorial Undercurrent Current in March-May.
Effective Marginal Tax Rates, Part 1: Basic Principles

Alex Brill and Alan Viard examine how tax provisions shape effective marginal tax rates on income, and they offer some basic principles that should govern the provisions that set those rates.
Crème de la crème: Elite contributors in an online community

In open content communities like Wikipedia and StackOverflow and in open source software projects, a small proportion of users produce a majority of the content and take on much of the required community maintenance work. Understanding this class of users is crucial to creating and sustaining healthy communities. We carried out a mixed-method study of core contributors to the Cyclopath geographic wiki and bicycle routing web site. We present our findings and organize our discussion using concepts from activity theory. We found that the Cyclopath core contributors aren't the dedicated cyclists and that the characteristics of the community shape the site, the rules, and the tools for contributing. Additionally, we found that numerous aspects about the surrounding ecology of related systems and communities may help to shape how the site functions and views itself. We draw implications for future research and design from these findings.
Metaultramafic schists and dismembered ophiolites of the Ashe Metamorphic Suite of northwestern North Carolina, USA

ABSTRACTMetaultramafic rocks (MUR) in the Ashe Metamorphic Suite (AMS) of northwestern North Carolina include quartz ± feldspar-bearing QF-amphibolites and quartz-deficient, locally talc-, chlorite-, and/or Mg-amphibole-bearing TC-amphibolites. Some workers divide TC-amphibolites into Todd and Edmonds types, based on mineral and geochemical differences, and we provisionally add a third type – olivine ± pyroxene-rich, Rich Mountain-type rocks. Regionally, MUR bodies range from equant, Rich Mountain- to highly elongate, Todd-TC-amphibolite-type bodies. The MURs exhibit three to five mineral associations containing assemblages with olivine, anthophyllitic amphibole, Mg-hornblende, Mg-actinolite, cummingtonite, and serpentine representing decreasing eclogite to greenschist facies grades of metamorphism over time. MUR protoliths are difficult to determine. Southwestern MUR bodies have remnant olivine ± pyroxene-rich assemblages representing ultrabasic-basic, dunite-peridotite-pyroxenite protoliths. Northeaster...
Separation and Concentration of Iron-Containing Phases

Iron containing minerals in soils and sediments are often present in low concentrations. Mossbauer spectroscopy can be used to study Fe-containing minerals even at low concentrations. Other techniques such as X-ray diffraction, infrared absorption spectroscopy, or differential thermal analysis usually require higher Fe contents, so separation and concentration techniques are needed. Iron may also be distributed among different mineral phases. The phase of interest must often be isolated and concentrated before further analysis.
Mosquito host preference studies in Hale County, Texas.

The blood meal source for 4,957 engorged mosquitoes collected from 1964 through 1968 was determined by a capillary precipitin technique. Culex tarsalis and Aedes vexans comprised most of the specimens tested; other species tested included Aedes nigromaculis, Anopheles punctipennis, Culex quinquefasciatus, Culiseta inornata, and Psorophora signipennis. The predominant feeding of Aedes, Anopheles, Culiseta, and Psorophora was upon mammals, and of Culex quinquefasciatus upon birds. The C. tarsalis feeding pattern varied widely, and the proportion that had fed upon birds ranged from 42% in 1966 to 83% in 1965. An analysis of forage ratios provided an index of host preference of C. tarsalis in 1966. The data reported further substantiate the role of C. tarsalis as the principal vector of western equine encephalitis and St. Louis encephalities in the western United States.
Evaluation of a Rapid Test Tube Turbidity Test for the Detection of Sickle Cell Hemoglobin

Loh, Wei-Ping: Evaluation of a rapid test tube turbidity test for the detection of sickle cell hemoglobin. Amer. J. Clin. Path. 55: 55-57, 1971. A rapid turbidity test for detection of hemoglobin S is described and compared with the standard metabisulfite sickling test and electrophoresis. On the basis of 2,355 patients studied during an 18-month period, the new rapid test was found to be accurate and easy to perform. The test requires only 5 min. to complete. Routine use of this test for Negro patients before major surgery helped in the selection of anesthesia and prevention of unexpected deaths due to hypoxia. The test is expected to be extremely valuable for mass screening when rapid detection of hemoglobin S is desirable. THREE YEARS AGO I encountered three un­ expected surgical deaths in young Negroes who dietl during or immediately after major abdominal surgery. Postmortem ex­ amination of two of the three patients revealed no clear-cut cause of death. Hemo­ lytic reactions and vascular complications due to prolonged hypoxia in the presence of sickle cell hemoglobin (Hb-S) were sus­ pected to be factors in the fatal outcome. It was clear that rapid detection of such abnormal hemoglobin before major surgery would be helpful in the selection of anes­ thesia anil in prevention of hypoxia in order to avoid unexpected surgical deaths. Deoxygenated (reduced) Hb-S is less solu­ ble than oxygenated Hb-S and less soluble than reduced normal adult hemoglobin
Photoelectron Spectra of C60H36 and C60H60

We have calculated the electronic structure of icosahedrai C60H60 and tetrahedral C60H60 via an all-electron Gaussian-orbital based local-density functional approach. The one-electron wavefunctions and eigenvalues have been used in a first-order time-dependent perturbation theoretic calculation of the spherically averaged X-ray and ultraviolet pho-toemission cross-sections for these molecules.