cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Two-Dimensional Model of Teacher Retention and Mobility Classroom Teachers and Their University Partners Take a Closer Look at a Vexing Problem

This mixed-methods study is a teacher-initiated, collaborative inquiry involving a professional development school (PDS) and a university. The investigation focused on teachers' perceptions of teacher retention and mobility at their PDS. Participants were 134 teachers at a high-needs elementary school with data sources including surveys, interviews, and open-ended questionnaires. The findings clustered around two primary dimensions: (a) congruency of teachers' beliefs and practices with organizational norms and (b) teachers' relational needs and administrators' willingness and ability to meet such needs. Although this study affirmed many of the findings in the extant literature, it also challenged others—namely, the links between teacher turnover and workplace conditions, student body characteristics, and student achievement. The recursive research design enabled the researchers to make accommodations in methodology in response to teachers' and administrators' concerns. The researchers documented these mo...
Effect of particle size distribution upon specific surface area and ultrasonic velocity in sintered ceramic powders

The changes in ultrasonic sound wave velocity and specific surface area which occur as a result of sintering have been correlated for several zinc oxide and alumina powder systems. Particle size distribution is shown to have a significant effect upon the nature of this correlation. Powders with narrow particle size distributions exhibit a nearly linear relationship between the surface area reduction and the longitudinal wave velocity over much of the initial and intermediate stages of sintering. In contrast, powders with broad particle size distributions exhibit a significant reduction in the specific surface area, with little increase in the ultrasonic velocity, during the early stages of sintering. This behavior is attributed to the differences in the thermodynamic driving forces for sintering of the different sized particles. These data also indicate that in powder compacts containing broad particle size distributions, the apparent elastic moduli, as manifested in the ultrasonic velocity, are dominated by the larger particles. The present work contributes to the understanding of the dynamic behavior of sintering powder compacts in terms of the ultrasonic velocity, which may be determined non-intrusively during processing. This understanding may facilitate the use of ultrasonic techniques for real-time monitoring and controlling of the sintering process in ceramic power compacts.
From synthesis to analysis and back again

Abstract This is a retrospective view of experiences and events centered around participation in the geography Ph.D program at Clark University in the early 1970s. It traces my career from that of a landscape architect practitioner-teacher to involvement as a graduate student with the Clark resources management group and to current research interests and activities. Two themes are highlighted, the effects of the Clark experience and the continuity of my interest in values, issues and problems related to landscapes.
Effects of mild forelimb lameness on exercise performance.

Summary Mild lameness is considered a performance-limiting problem that may escape detection until it worsens, and is considered the primary reason for reduced racing performance. The kinematics changes associated with a lame horse at the trot have been demonstrated previously, but the metabolic cost of these alterations in their gait have not been demonstrated. Six fit Thoroughbred horses with an established VO2max participated in 4 trials using a randomised cross-over design study, separated by 10–14 days. The horses were tested with one of 4 trial conditions: lead forelimb lameness (LL); off-lead forelimb lameness (OL); bilateral forelimb lameness (BL) or no lameness (NL). Lameness was induced by sole pressure from a modified shoe that resulted in a consistent slight head nod at a trot in a straight line while jogging in hand. Lameness was adjusted to provide a lameness that would be quantified as a 1–2/5 on the grading system recommended by the AAEP. Each trial consisted of 4 different levels of exercise intensity at speeds equivalent to 30, 60, 80 and 110% of an individual's speed required to elicit VO2max. Stride parameters, oxygen consumption (VO2), carbon dioxide production (VCO2), electrolytes, plasma lactate, glucose and PCV/TP were measured prior to exercise, at each exercise level and after exercise. A multiway ANOVA with repeated measures was utilised to examine possible effects of individual horse, lameness, and exercise intensity on measured parameters. Significance was set at α = 0.05. For horses exercising at the maximum intensity, VO2 was significantly lower for both of the single-leg lamenesses (LL or OL) when compared to NL or BL (mean ± s.e. 165.6 ± 2.5, 164.7 ± 3.0, 175.8 ± 2.4 and 170.9 ± 2.1 ml O2/min/kg bwt, respectively). Blood lactate concentrations were not significantly different among the treatment groups. However, lactate accumulation rates computed as the change with time in lactate concentration at the highest exercise intensity were significantly higher for LL and OL than for NL and BL (7.8 ± 0.3, 8.3 ± 0.2, 4.1 ± 0.2 and 4.7 ± 0.3 mmol/min, respectively). Exercise intensity had significant effects on all of the measured parameters, but there were no other significant differences due to treatment. These results suggest that metabolic energy transduction is affected by even mild unilateral forelimb lamenesses.
Uniqueness in the nonlinear dynamic bending of elastic plates

A uniqueness theorem for the solution of a nonlinear initial-boundary value problem for a time dependent form of von Karman's equations is proven. These equations are two coupled nonlinear fourth order partial differential equations which describe the bending of an elastic plate. The result is proved by the method of energy integrals.
Effects of Ciprofloxacin‐Dexamethasone on Myringotomy Wound Healing

Objective: To evaluate the effects of the ciprofloxacin-dexamethasone (CDX) combination ototopical treatment after myringotomy on tympanic membrane (TM) healing in ears with eustachian tube obstruction (ETO) and unobstructed ears. Study Design: Prospective, randomized, masked, controlled. Methods: ETO was created in the left ear of 30 rats to induce a model of otitis media with effusion (OME). After 3 weeks, bilateral myringotomy was performed (day 0). Animals were randomized into three groups to receive no treatment or bilateral once daily ototopical treatment with balanced salt solution (BSS, vehicle) or CDX for 13 days. Bilateral otomicroscopy was performed on days 7, 14, and 28. On day 14, five randomly selected animals per group were humanely euthanized and the TM harvested for histology. Three additional rats provided normal negative control ears for histologic comparisons. Results: On day 14, TM perforation healing rates were 100% in all ears of untreated and BSS-treated animals, 89% (8/9) in CDX-treated obstructed ears, and 30% (3/10) in CDX-treated unobstructed ears (P < .05 vs. BSS). On day 28, 100% (5/5) of the CDX-treated unobstructed ears and 80% (4/5) of the CDX-treated obstructed ears were healed. Histology showed initial TM thickening postmyringotomy in all ears but no significant qualitative differences between groups on day 28. Conclusion: Myringotomy healing was transiently modulated by treatment with CDX but proceeded normally after CDX discontinuation. This early modulation might enhance middle ear drainage and middle ear concentrations of CDX when tympanostomy tube surgery is performed in patients with active OME and ETO, thus potentially reducing otorrhea and preventing or treating infection. It would not be expected to increase the risk of premature tube extrusion or adversely affect normal healing of the TM after usual spontaneous extrusion.
Longitudinal changes in growth hormone response to growth hormone-releasing hormone in neonatal rhesus monkeys.

ABSTRACT: To determine whether differential response to growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) could cause the developmental changes seen in growth hormone (GH) secretion, we administered 10 µg/kg GHRH (1-44 NH2) to a group of four unanesthetized, fasted, rhesus monkeys via acutely placed venous catheters at 1, 7, 14, and 28 d postnatal age. Serum GH was assayed by hGH RIA in sera collected at -60, -30, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, and 90 min relative to the GHRH bolus. Serum cortisol was measured by ELISA in the 0-, 30-, and 60-min samples. Differences between age groups were analyzed by repeated measures analysis of variance and paired t tests. Mean basal GH levels were higher at 1 d (9.4 ± 1.2 µg/L, mean ± SEM) than at 7 (5.5 ± 0.4), 14 (5.6 ± 0.5), and 28 d (5.3 ± 0.5) of age. There were no other significant differences in mean basal δGH values between the age groups. Mean post-GHRH GH concentrations decreased significantly with each age after 1 d (22.6 ± 1.6): 7 d (16.4 ± 1.3); 14 d (11.3 ± 1.0); and 28 d (7.9 ± 0.9). Similarly, mean δ GH values decreased with each increase in age from 1 d (15.0 ± 1.9): 7 d (10.9 ± 1.6); 14 d (5.9 ± 1.1); and 28 d (2.7 ± 0.8). Serum cortisol was not correlated with serum GH at any age. Our study demonstrates decreasing basal GH concentration and GH responses to GHRH with advancing age from 1 to 28 d in the rhesus monkey. The spontaneous decline in GH concentration observed during the first few days of life may reflect a decrease in pituitary gland response to GHRH stimulation.
Hemin-activated macrophages home to the pancreas and protect from acute pancreatitis via heme oxygenase-1 induction

Hemin upregulates heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), a stress-induced enzyme implicated in protection from a variety of injuries while its related isoform HO-2 is constitutively expressed. The role of hemin or HO-1 in the pancreas and their potential modulation of pancreatic injury are unknown. We show that HO-1 is induced in pancreatitis caused by caerulein and more prominently in severe pancreatitis caused by feeding a choline-deficient diet (CDD). Intraperitoneal hemin administration dramatically increases peritoneal and pancreas macrophages that overexpress HO-1 in association with pancreatic induction of the chemoattractants monocyte chemotactic protein-1 and macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha but not RANTES or macrophage inflammatory protein-2. Hemin administration before CDD feeding protected 8 of 8 mice from lethality while 7 of 16 controls died. Protection is mediated by HO-1-overexpressing macrophages since hemin-primed macrophages home to the pancreas after transfer to naive mice and protect from CDD-induced pancreatitis. Suppression of hemin-primed peritoneal cell HO-1 using HO-1-specific small interfering RNA prior to cell transfer abolishes protection from CDD-induced pancreatitis. Similarly, hemin pretreatment in caerulein-induced pancreatitis reduces serum amylase and lipase, decreases pancreatic trypsin generation, and protects from lung injury. Therefore, hemin-like compounds or hemin-activated macrophages may offer novel therapeutic approaches for preventing acute pancreatitis and its pulmonary complication via upregulation of HO-1.
Do businesses comply with a no-smoking law? Assessing the self-enforcement approach.

Background. Many states and cities have adopted laws restricting smoking in public places. Health departments generally regard the laws as self-enforcing, implying little need for monitoring or enforcement. Whether this achieves good compliance at the workplace, a major site of passive smoke exposure, is not known. Methods. We assessed workplace compliance with a no-smoking ordinance in Cambridge, Massachusetts, by conducting telephone surveys of two stratified random samples of city businesses, 3 and 24 months after the law took effect. Response rates were 76% at 3 months (n = 312) and 79% at 24 months (n = 317). Results. Employers′ awareness and approval of the law were initially high. Approval remained high, but awareness declined over 2 years, from 92 to 73% (P < 0.0001), and employers′ knowledge of the law′s requirements was incomplete, Eighty percent of companies restricted smoking 3 and 24 months after the law, but only half of businesses fully complied with the law at either time. On multivariate analysis, compliance was significantly better in businesses that were aware of the law, in favor of it, and whose owners were nonsmokers. One fifth of firms with smoking policies cited the law as a reason for policy adoption. Conclusion. A self-enforcement approach to implementing a no-smoking law achieved high levels of awareness and intermediate levels of compliance in a city′s businesses. Awareness of the law declined over 2 years without reinforcement. The law was popular with employers and was associated with a high level of smoking restrictions in city businesses, but further efforts are needed to maximize compliance with a no-smoking law and reduce workplace smoke exposure.
Supervised learning in the wild: Text classification for critical technologies

We explore the problem of locating documents pertaining to critical technologies (e.g., restricted, proprietary, or sensitive technical information) from among a massive and highly heterogeneous collection of largely unimportant files. We present a system that employs the use of supervised machine learning (i.e., pattern recognition) to detect such critical documents. To address difficult or ambiguous instances, we supplement the text classifier with an automated keyword search. That is, we extract, in an automated fashion, discriminative terms (i.e., keywords) from the training set and match them against documents during the classification process. We demonstrate the effectiveness of this hybrid approach through a series of validation tests and case studies.
Francophone voices of the ‘new’ Morocco in film and print: (re)presenting a society in transition

Francophone voices of the ‘new’ Morocco in film and print: (re)presenting a society in transition, by Valerie K. Orlando, New York, NY, Palgrave Macmillan, 2009, xxii and 262 pp., 4 illustrations, ...
tDP: An Optimal-Latency Budget Allocation Strategy for Crowdsourced MAXIMUM Operations

Latency is a critical factor when using a crowdsourcing platform to solve a problem like entity resolution or sorting. In practice, most frameworks attempt to reduce latency by heuristically splitting a budget of questions into rounds, so that after each round the answers are analyzed and new questions are selected. We focus on one of the most extensively studied crowdsourcing operations, the MAX operation (finding the best element in a collection under human criteria), and we study the problem of budget allocation into rounds for this operation. We provide a polynomial-time dynamic-programming budget allocation algorithm that minimizes the latency when questions form tournaments in each round. Furthermore, we study the general case where questions can be asked in any arbitrary way in each round. Our theoretical results for the general case indicate that our approach is also optimal under certain worst and average-case scenarios. We compare our approach to alternatives on Amazon Mechanical Turk, where many of our theory assumptions do not necessarily hold. We find that our approach is also optimal in practice and achieves a notable improvement over alternatives in most cases.
Collective modes in Ising lattices

The effect of collective modes on the otherwise local structure of Ising lattices is investigated by studying a number of exactly solvable models. First, the open one-dimensional Ising model serves to define sharp locality. This feature then remains upon extension to a Bethe lattice, despite the existence of a phase transition. But insertion of periodic boundary conditions creates a collective mode which breaks locality in a very specific fashion. A model interface is analyzed to show that even when locality is not broken, local uniformity can become untenable.
Reproducibility and simplification of 13C-octanoic acid breath test for gastric emptying of solids.

Reproducibility and Simplification of 13 C-Octanoic Acid Breath Test for Gastric Emptying of Solids
A Mathematical Model for Heat and Mass Transfer in Methane-Air Boundary Layers With Catalytic Surface Reactions

Catalytic combustion of hydrocarbon mixtures involves the adsorption of the fuel and oxidant into a platinum surface, chemical reactions of the adsorbed species, and the desorption of the resulting products. Re-adsorption of some produced gases is also possible. The catalytic reactions can be beneficial in porous burners that use low equivalence ratios. In this case, the porous burner flame can be stabilized at low temperatures to prevent any substantial gas emissions, such as nitric oxide. The present paper is concerned with the numerical computation of heat transfer and chemical reactions in flowing methane-air mixtures over a platinum coated hot plate. Chemical reactions are included in the gas phase and in the solid platinum surface. In the gas phase, 16 species are involved in 49 elementary reactions. On the platinum hot surface, additional surface species are included that are involved in 24 additional surface chemical reactions. The platinum surface temperature is fixed, while the properties of the reacting flow are computed. The flow configuration investigated here is the parallel boundary layer reacting flow. Finite-volume equations are obtained by formal integration over control volumes surrounding each grid node. Up-wind differencing is used to ensure that the influence coefficients are always positive to reflect the physical effect of neighboring nodes on a typical central node. The finite-volume equations are solved iteratively for the reacting gas flow properties. On the platinum surface, surface species balance equations, under steady-state conditions, are solved numerically by an under-relaxed linear algorithm. A non-uniform computational grid is used, concentrating most of the nodes near the catalytic surface. Surface temperatures, 1150 K and 1300 K, caused fast reactions on the catalytic surface, with very slow chemical reactions in the flowing gas. These slow reactions produce mainly intermediate hydrocarbons and unstable species. The computational results for the chemical reaction boundary layer thickness and mass transfer at the gas-surface interface are correlated by non-dimensional relations, taking the Reynolds number as the independent variable. Chemical kinetic relations for the reaction rate are obtained which are dependent on reactants' concentrations and surface temperature.
Fibers and other aggregates of ω-substituted surfactants

The aggregation in dilute aqueous solutions of several ω-substituted single-chain quaternary ammonium surfactants has been studied by Krafft temperature and critical aggregation/micelle concentration measurements and by cryo-transmission electron microscopy: (16-carboxyhexadecyl)trimethylammonium bromide (1a); (16-methoxycarbonylhexadecyl)trimethylammonium bromide (1b); (17,18-dihydroxyoctadecyl)trimethylammonium bromide (1c). Octadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (2) was included for comparison. The aggregation of 1a was also studied by Raman spectroscopy. Surfactant 1a at pH 6.8 forms ribbonlike fibers with lengths of up to 1.2 μm and cross sections of 3−4 nm × 12−16 nm; at pH 2.2, ribbon to rodlike fibers; and at pH 11.5, wormlike aggregates. Surfactants 1b and 1c at pH 6.8 form rod-shaped aggregates. The Raman spectroscopy results indicated that 1a is not in a fully extended conformation within its fibers at pH 6.8. Tentative structural models have been proposed for the aggregates of surfactants 1.
Negative Affective Responses to a Speech Task Predict Changes in Interleukin(IL)-6

Laboratory studies show that individuals differ appreciably in the magnitude of their inflammatory responses to acute psychological stress. These individual differences are poorly understood, yet may contribute to variation in stress-associated disease vulnerability. The present study examined the possibility that affective responses to acute stress contribute to these differences. For this purpose, 102 relatively-healthy community volunteers (mean age 50 years; 60% female; 91.2% white) performed an acute stress protocol and measures of affective state and serum levels of the proinflammatory cytokine, interleukin (IL)-6 were collected at the end of a 30-min resting baseline, a 5-min evaluative public speaking task, and a 30-min recovery period. Results of regression analyses, controlling for age, race, gender, menopausal status, and body mass index, revealed a positive association of task-related increases in anger and anxiety with increases in IL-6 (R2 change = .08, p = .004; R2 change = .08, p = .005, respectively). Further examination showed that these affective responses to the task were independent predictors of change in IL-6. Cardiovascular reactivity to the task did not explain the association. These results suggest that individuals who exhibit angry or anxious responses to acute challenge are more vulnerable to stress-related increases in markers of systemic inflammation, possibly rendering them more susceptible to inflammatory disease.
Doing Literary Business: American Women Writers in the Nineteenth Century

Coultrap-McQuin investigates the reasons for women's unprecedented literary professionalism in the nineteenth century, highlighting the experiences of E.D.E.N. Southworth, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Gail Hamilton, Helen Hunt Jackson, and Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Ward. She examines the cultural milieu of women writers, the ideals and practices of the literary marketplace, and the characteristics of women's literary activities that brought them success. Originally published in 1990. A UNC Press Enduring Edition -- UNC Press Enduring Editions use the latest in digital technology to make available again books from our distinguished backlist that were previously out of print. These editions are published unaltered from the original, and are presented in affordable paperback formats, bringing readers both historical and cultural value.
Electro-optic effect of organic molecule doped silica film prepared by sol-gel method

New nonlinear-optical materials for electro-optic and all-optical signal processing applications have been investigated. Inorganic glassy materials are good candidates because of their high transparency and high chemical and thermal stabilities.1 In general, the optical nonlinearity of glasses are small. However, glass is potentially useful as a matrix for organic compounds with high optical nonlinearities. Recent developments of the sol-gel process in glass preparation have made it possible to introduce thermally dissociative compounds into a glassy matrix.2 This is the first report of experimental results on nonlinear-optical phenomena for the organic-inorganic materials prepared by the sol-gel method.
Baicalein induces tumor suppression in triple negative breast cancer by mTOR inhibition mediated through DDIT4 expression

RESULTS: Lymphatic vessels leave the mammary gland at specific sites constituting an external or axillary pedicle (95,33 %), an internal or mediastinal pedicle (36,6 %) and a posterior or retromammary pedicle (17,1%). In addition, there are two main breast skin lymphatic pathways, ipsilateral and contralateral, and three different derivative lymphatic pathways of the upper limb, anterior external superficial pathway, posterior external superficial pathway and anterior internal deep pathway.
CROSSED GRAPHS IN THE FEINBERG-PAIS THEORY OF WEAK INTERACTIONS

A possible damping mechanlsm is suggested to prevent the occurrence of essential singularities, such as that found on the light cone by Bardakci, Bolsterli, and Suura, when finite order expansions of the irreducible BetheSalpeter amplitude are iterated in configuration space without prior regularization. An infinite number of irreducible Feymnan graphs are considered and approximated by a peratization'' method; a simple exmple is found in which the light cone damping, obtained by Feinberg and Pais by summing over the regularized ladder graphs, is reproduced by this crossed graph method. (auth)
Surgery in the obese pregnant patient.

This chapter reviews issues which complicate surgery in obese pregnant patients. Maternal obesity is prevalent in the United States and is associated with numerous adverse health outcomes. When surgery is indicated during pregnancy, the presence of maternal obesity increases surgical risks for both the fetus and mother. Specific risks are identified and strategies to avoid them are evaluated. The prognosis and management of pregnant women who have undergone bariatric surgery is also discussed, and practical guidelines for obstetric management of these patients are presented.
Phenotype feedback genetic algorithm operators for heuristic encoding of snakes within hypercubes

Many complex problems can be solved by a sequence of steps or simple heuristics. In many cases a good solution relies on both good heuristics and proper ordering of their application. Problems such as creating a constrained path through a graph can be solved in this way if we can find a mechanism for ordering the heuristics. We propose using a genetic algorithm (GA) for this purpose to solve the snake-in-the-box problem. However, the additional layer of abstraction created by heuristics weakens the guiding effects of traditional GA operators. We also propose a new set of GA operators that solve this problem by, in the manipulation of the population, applying information from the paths (snakes) produced by the population members. In addition we show the efficacy of this approach by producing a new record length snake of 98 edges in an eight dimensional hypercube. We also compare our new operators with more traditional ones.
Predictors of Hazardous Drinking Behavior in 1,340 Adult Trauma Patients: A Computerized Alcohol Screening and Intervention Study

Background Alcohol screening and brief intervention (SBI) is used to decrease alcohol consumption, health care costs, and injury recidivism in trauma patients. Despite SBI being mandated for trauma centers, various concerns have led many centers to conduct SBI only on patients with a detectable blood alcohol concentration (BAC). We sought to determine the predictive nature of BAC on hazardous drinking behavior. Study Design Adult trauma patients were included if they received an SBI before discharge. SBI was administered using a computerized alcohol screening and intervention (CASI) system with the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT). Data regarding demographics, injuries, and BAC were prospectively collected. Multivariate analyses were performed to identify independent predictors of hazardous drinking behavior. Results Data were complete for 1,340 patients, with a mean age of 43 years (SD 20 years). Sixty-eight percent were male, 33% had detectable BAC, and 19% had hazardous drinking behavior. Multivariate analysis identified age (odds ratio [OR] 0.97 per year), male sex (OR 3.1), BAC (OR 1.009 per mg/dL), detectable BAC (OR 3.9), and legal intoxication (OR 7.8) as independent predictors of hazardous drinking behavior. Asian/Pacific Islander ethnicity was a significant negative predictor (OR 0.53) compared with white. Thirty-eight percent of patients with hazardous drinking behavior had no detectable BAC. Conclusions Younger age, male sex, and higher BAC are early predictors of hazardous drinking behavior in adult trauma patients. Asian/Pacific Islander patients are half as likely to report hazardous drinking behavior compared with white patients. More than one-third of patients with hazardous drinking behavior do not have detectable BAC on admission and are not receiving interventions in centers that screen solely based on BAC.
Magnetic resonance imaging to evaluate patency of aortocoronary bypass grafts

To assess the efficacy of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in evaluating graft patency after coronary bypass surgery, 20 patients who had prior surgery (average 5.5 years, range 1.5 to 14) and recent cardiac catheterization because of chest pain were studied. No patient had surgical intervention or change in symptoms in the time interval between catheterization and MR imaging. These 20 patients had a total of 47 grafts, defined as proximal anastomoses: 20 to the left anterior descending or diagonal artery (LAD), 13 to the left circumflex artery marginal branches (LCX), and 14 to the right coronary artery or posterior descending artery (RCA). The patients underwent cardiac and respiratory gated MR scans in a 0.5 tesla magnet with an echo time of 22 msec and two repetitions in a 128 X 256 matrix. In-plane resolution was 2.7 mm. Every patient had a scan in the transaxial plane and some underwent scanning in the sagittal and coronal planes as well. A graft was considered patent by MR when a signal-free lumen was visualized in an anatomic position consistent with that of a bypass graft, had a lumen larger than the native vessels, was seen on more than one slice, and was seen at a level higher than that of the native vessels. If a known graft was not seen it was considered occluded. The scans were interpreted by consensus of two physicians aware of the operative but not the cardiac catheterization data.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
An Evaluation of Novel Cleaning Techniques for Planetary Protection Applications

NASA has an aggressive plan for exploring Mars. Future in situ life detection and sample return missions will rely on clean and effectively sterile spacecraft to ensure reliable, valid science measurements. These spacecraft levy substantial requirements for planetary protection. Here, we report the results of a comparative analysis of the efficacy of three different cleaning approaches to remove bacterial spores from a series of surrogate spacecraft materials, parts, as well as cleaning challenging structures. The purpose of this study is to identify cleaning methods that achieve a minimum of a 4-log reduction of bioburden from inoculated surfaces. We believe that surfaces efficiently cleaned do not transfer biological particles, particularly spores, which when placed in close proximity with other materials become "effectively sterile." Our results indicate that a novel cleaning method, which utilize vacuum cycle nucleation (VCN) enabled technologies, can effectively remove bacterial spores from surrogate spacecraft material coupons, piece parts and structures. This cleaning technology may be a potential candidate for sterilizing Mars Lander systems, reducing the cost, risk, and material constraints encumbered by use of dry heat sterilization and common cleaning practices.
The Ethics of Food for Tomorrow: On the Viability of Agrarianism—How Far can it Go? Comments on Paul Thompson’s Agrarian Vision

I consider Paul Thompson’s Agrarian Vision from the perspective of the philosophy of technology, especially as it relates to certain questions about public engagement and deliberative democracy around food issues. Is it able to promote an attitudinal shift or reorientation in values to overcome the view of “food as device” so that conscientious engagement in the food system by consumers can become more the norm? Next, I consider briefly, some questions to which it must face up in order to move closer in dismantling the barriers that inhibit the capacity for virtuous caretaking of the food system at various levels. Lastly, and more deeply, how successful might agrarianism be in inculcating citizenship values (ones that go beyond food ethics as a private affair), for the democratization of agricultural technologies? Might the Jeffersonian foundation to which the agrarianism (a la) Thompson appeals need something like a contemporary theory of justice in order to facilitate the reconstitution of our politico-moral selves? How can it help guide appropriate ruminations on the intra and intergenerational question, “What do we want the shape of our current and future social and political institutions to look like in relation to food?”
Kinetic measurements of the release of prostaglandins from perfused rat lungs.

Abstract Prostaglandins released from isolated, ventilated and perfused rat lungs were measured by a simple modification of the Vane technique using the rat stomach fundus as a continuous bioassay tissue. Exogeneously supplied arachidonic acid was converted mainly to PGF 2α which was determined by bioassay. A novel method for mixing a stream of inhibitors with the perfusate was used to determine PGF 2α in the presence of substrate amounts of arachidonic acid. Using this system the apparent K m for PGF 2α production with arachidonic acid as the substrate was found to be 1.90 × 10 −4 M, while the K i for aspirin was found to be 2.47 × 10 −4 M. These kinetic parameters are close to those reported for cell free systems and subcellular fractions suggesting that both substrate and inhibitor have ready access to the site of prostaglandin synthesis. The method appears to be generally useful to determine the effect of drugs and environmental factors on the release of prostaglandins by the lung.
Ceruloplasmin copper induces oxidant damage by a redox process utilizing cell-derived superoxide as reductant

Oxidative damage by transition metals bound to proteins may be an important pathogenic mechanism. Ceruloplasmin (Cp) is a Cu-containing plasma protein thought to be involved in oxidative modification of lipoproteins. We have previously shown that Cp increased cell-mediated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation by a process requiring cell-derived superoxide, but the underlying chemical mechanism(s) is (are) unknown. We now show that superoxide reduction of Cp Cu is a critical reaction in cellular LDL oxidation. By bathocuproine disulfonate (BCS) binding and by superoxide utilization, we showed that exogenous superoxide reduces a single Cp Cu atom, the same Cu required for LDL oxidation. The Cu atom remained bound to Cp during the redox cycle. Three avenues of evidence showed that vascular cells reduce Cp Cu by a superoxide-dependent process. The 2-fold higher rate of Cp Cu reduction by smooth muscle cells (SMC) compared to endothelial cells (EC) was consistent with their relative rates of superoxide release. Furthermore, Cp Cu reduction by cells was blocked by Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1). Finally, the level of superoxide produced by EC and SMC was sufficient to cause the amount of Cu reduction observed. An important role of Cp Cu reduction in LDL oxidation was suggested by results showing that SOD1 inhibited Cp Cu reduction and LDL oxidation by SMC with equal potency, while tumor necrosis factor-alpha stimulated both processes. In summary, these results show that superoxide is a critical cellular reductant of divalent transition metals involved in oxidation, and that protein-bound Cu is a substrate for this reaction. The role of these mechanisms in oxidative processes in vivo has yet to be defined.
Mission Reliability Estimation for Multirobot Team Design

One reason given for the use of multirobot systems is that many cheap robots are more reliable than one expensive robot. To date, however, there has been no quantitative analysis to support this assertion. This paper presents the first quantitative support for the argument that larger teams of less-reliable robots can perform certain missions more reliably than smaller teams of more-reliable robots. Our results show that for short missions, in fact, a team of four robots can provide greater mission reliability than a team of two robots, even when the individual robots in the team of four have reliability that is an order of magnitude lower. These results suggest that considerable cost reductions can be achieved for some missions by choosing larger teams of less-reliable robots over smaller teams of more-reliable robots.
Research Note. Adult Non-Singers: The Beginning Stages of Learning to Sing

Three adult poor pitch singers were tested for their ability to hear relatively subtle variations from familiar folk melodies. Their vocal abilities were also assessed and then each singer participated individually in weekly training sessions in which they practised pitch-matching and singing a simple song. All three subjects performed at ceiling on the listening comprehension test. After 8 to 12 weeks, two of the subjects were near mastery on vocal matching of a sustained keyboard tune; none showed significant improvement in free singing. The discrepancy between comprehension and production abilities is noted and an error-analysis of the pitch-matching trials is used to shed some light on the learning process.
I. The labyrinth of Gramscian studies and Femia's contribution∗

(1984). I. The labyrinth of Gramscian studies and Femia's contribution. Inquiry: Vol. 27, No. 1-4, pp. 291-310.
Differences between cytosol receptor complexes with corticosterone and dexamethasone in hippocampal tissue from rat brain.

Abstract The binding of [3H] corticosterone and [3H] dexamethasone to soluble macromolecules in cytosol of the hippocampal region of the brain has been studied in adrenalectomized male rats. Unlabeled dexamethasone appears to be a less effective competitor than corticosterone in the binding of [3H] corticosterone, while both unlabeled steroids compete equally well for the binding of [3H] dexamethasone. Further investigation of macromolecular complexes with [3H] dexamethasone and [3H] corticosterone revealed that they differ from each other in their behavior during ammonium sulfate precipitation, BioRad A-5M gel permeation chromatography, DE-52 anion exchange chromatography, and DNA-cellulose chromatography. 1. (1) After exposure to a 33% ammonium sulfate solution relatively more [3H] dexamethasone complex than [3H] corticosterone complex is precipitated. 2. (2) Treatment of the cytosol with 0.3 M KCl gives disaggregation of the supramolecular 3H-labeled corticoid complexes which are seen eluting with the void volume during gel permeation chromatography on Biorad A-5M at low ionic strength. In 0.3 M KCl, the [3H] dexamethasone complex has an elution volume somewhat smaller than that of bovine serum albumin, while the [3H] corticosterone complex in 0.3 M KCl is to unstable to survive chromatography with A-5M. 3. (3) Chromatography on DE-52 resolved the 3H-labeled corticoid complexes into three binding components. The complex with [3H] dexamethasone contains a higher percentage (85%) of a component less firmly attached (i.e. eluted by 0.15 M KCl) to the anion exchange resin than is observed for the complex with [3H] corticosterone (49%).
Components-first approaches to CS1/CS2: principles and practice

Among the many ways to focus CS1/CS2 content, two have been published that emphasize concepts of component-based software engineering. Courses based on these two instances of a "components-first" approach are remarkably similar in several crucial respects--which is surprising because they were developed independently and with very different objectives. Indeed, the two versions are based on virtually the same principles for content organization, and they share many common features that are unusual for CS1/CS2. Yet, they are notably different in other ways. Detailed analysis of similarities and differences suggests that it might be possible to transfer some of their claimed and documented advantages to other approaches within the programming-first paradigm for CS1/CS2, by rearranging the content of such courses in accord with the underlying principles of the components-first approach.
Allelochemical induced stress: Effects of l-canavanine on the pathogenicity of Bacillus thuringiensis in Manduca sexta

Abstract Increased susceptibility of Manduca sexta to commercial formulations of the microbial insecticide, Bacillus thuringiensis , as evidenced by lower LD 50 and LT 50 values, was observed when M. sexta were reared on an artificial diet supplemented with a sublethal concentration (2.5 m m ) of l -canavanine. At several dosages of B. thuringiensis , which were administered either by diet contamination or by per os forced feeding, a greater than 70% reduction ( P 50 response with canavanine-treated larvae. The LD 50 values also were lowered by canavanine treatment. This constitutes the first report of a plant allelochemical enhancing the effect of B. thuringiensis in vivo. It is suggested that canavanine enhances the effect of B. thuringiensis on gut permeability and active transport.
Mass diffusion from a point source in a neutral turbulent shear layer

An investigation of the diffusion of pollutants in neutral surface layer of atmosphere is analyzed here based on a simple phenomenological differential field theory of turbulent shear flows. The variation of the effective turbulent viscosity is governed by a rate equation. The analytical model studied in this work consists of mass diffusion from a continuous crosswind point source at ground level in a turbulent shear layer. The system of governing equations is solved by finite-differences giving the pollutant distributions, eddy diffusivities, and velocity profiles at various downstream locations for various initial and boundary conditions. The computed diffusion data are presented and compared favorably with the available experimental results.
Overview of EPA Superfund human health research program

This paper presents major research needs for the Superfund program, and provides an overview of the EPA Office of Research and Development's (ORDs) current human health research program designed to fill some of those data gaps. Research is presented in terms of the risk paradigm and covers exposure, effects, and assessment activities directly funded by Superfund, as well as research not funded by Superfund but directly applicable to Superfund research needs. Research on risk management is not covered. Current research activities conducted by the Superfund program office are also included to provide a full picture of Superfund human health research activities being conducted by EPA.
SIR Prediction for Downlink Packet Access

In cellular systems, with frequency reuse of one, basestations strongly interfere with each other on downlink. Typically more than forty percent of the cell area faces a signal to interference ratio of 0 dB or less. To improve system throughput, packet transmissions are scheduled by the base when signal to interference ratio is higher than each mobile's average. Downlink pilots are measured and the SIR is fed back as a measure of the achievable rate. We examine prediction of the channel signal to interference ratio by the mobile. Both powers are modeled as auto-regressive stochastic processes. We derive the probability distribution function of the prediction error to determine the backoff margin required for a percentage of packets to be decoded successfully. The performance improvement due to prediction for a proportional fair scheduled system is shown through simulation.
Applying Systems Engineering to Survey Research

Abstract As systems engineering research matures, empirical data collection methods, such as surveys, are expected to be increasingly applied. Survey research has the potential to advance the maturity of systems engineering research. Applying systems engineering to survey research also has the potential to enhance survey research by offering a perspective that can improve the performance of various survey related activities. The authors’ experiences with a case study survey are examined in the context of systems engineering technical and management processes, methods and tools. The current state of survey research literature is examined, and recommendations for how systems engineering can improve survey research are discussed. These recommendations include: (1) perform an in-depth analysis of the requirements of all of the stakeholders of the survey and (2) leverage the framework of risk and opportunity management offered by systems engineering to address survey data threats to validity. Researchers from all fields who use surveys to collect data can benefit from this complementary perspective and the unique recommendations presented in this paper.
Genomic DNA Hybridizes with the same Rate Constant on the QCM Biosensor as in Homogeneous Solution

Hybridization rates of sheared, genomic E. coli DNA in 0.14 M, pH 6.7 phosphate buffer at 65 degrees C were determined by: (1) observing the rate of absorbance decrease at 260 nm due to self-hybridization in solution; and (2) measurement of the rate of mass increase caused by hybridization between DNA in solution and DNA photografted to polystyrene. The latter measurement was done using a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). In both the spectrophotometric and QCM experiments the probe was identical to the target, as both were taken from the same sample of sheared E. coli DNA. In the QCM measurements, viscoelastic effects were made negligible by drying the biopolymer layer on the QCM's surface before taking the frequency readings. Our purpose was to explore the effect of immobilizing DNA on its hybridization rate constant. A second-order constant of 2.32 +/- 0.09 x 10(-6) ml microg(-1) s(-1), n = 14, for hybridization in solution was obtained spectrophotometrically, while the QCM experiment gave a constant of 2.2 +/- 0.3 x 10(-6) ml microg(-1) s(-1), n = 6. These values are not statistically different. The reaction half-lives for the spectrophotometric and QCM experiments were 6.5 h and 13 min, respectively. The shorter half-life on the QCM can be explained solely by the much greater reactant concentration in the QCM experiment. About 25% of the DNA was inactivated by the attachment reaction. After correcting for this, the surface-attached DNA hybridized with the same rate constant as DNA free in solution. Therefore, it is concluded that, in these specific experiments with genomic DNA, the immobilized regions must have been short compared to the length of the molecules. The data demonstrate the high hybridization rate obtainable when nucleic acids are hybridized in a thin-film, micro-volume reaction on a non-porous surface.
Effects of colchicine on carrot callus — growth and energy status

Colchicine effects on growth, oxygen uptake, and adenosine phosphates level of carrot (Daucus carota L.) callus tissue were determined over a period of 18 days after subculture. Colchicine at 10−3 and 10−4 M inhibited the increase in oxygen consumption which was observed with the initiation of callus tissue. Initially the same levels of colchicine stimulated AMP and ADP levels above those of the control, but later the levels returned to those of the control. Colchicine at 10−4 and 10−6 M reduced ATP levels; however, at 10−3 M there was no effect. Growth was not severely affected by the same concentrations during the same treatment period. Oxygen consumption and nucleotide metabolism were more sensitive to colchicine than was growth. Energy charge was calculated to be 0.7–0.8 in both treated and control tissue during 3–15 days in culture.