cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Paradox of Peer Review: Admitting too Much or Allowing too Little?

Peer review – the means by which one's equals assess the quality of one's scholarly work – has been used to determine academic merit for more than three centuries. Although the results of academic peer reviews are frequently challenged, peer review continues to be a commonplace of academic life. In the present scholarship climate, challenges to peer review come primarily from two sides. On one side there are those who believe that high academic standards are not being upheld by peer review panels, thus admitting weak proposals, people, programs, and articles. On the other side there are those who believe that review panels uphold conventional standards, thus disqualifying innovative projects and worthy people with diverse perspectives. In this article, I take up these two challenges. Together, they reveal a paradox of the current system of peer review: Both sides are right. And, the paradox has led to increased fragmentation within the field of educational research. Yet, despite the limitations of peer review, no viable alternatives exist. Thus, I will argue that the best we can do is to re-consider what we mean by “merit” in educational research, and to train new educational researchers in ways that expand their ability to judge merit broadly.
Poultry offal ensiled with lactobacillus acidophilus for growing and finishing swine diets.

Poultry offal (heads, feet, viscera) from a broiler processing plant was ground and mixed with corn, dried molasses and a Lactobacillus acidophilus culture. Fermentation was shown to be effective in batch sizes of 3.8, 75.7 and 208.1 liters, as well as a 1,360-kg silo. It was generally complete at 72 h. In trial 1, rats were fed silage mixtures of 60:30:5:5, 45:45:5:5 and 30:60:5:5, offal, corn, molasses and inoculant, respectively. Rats did not gain as well when fed the silage diets (P less than .05) as when fed the basal diet; however, the ranking of silages was 45:45, 60:30 and 30:60, offal-to-corn ratio for rat daily gains and feed conversions. In trial 2, growing-finishing pigs were fed the 60:30:5:5 silage at rates of 0, 10, 20 and 30% of the diet. Average daily gains and feed-to-gain ratios were not affected by including offal silage at up to 20% of the diet, but 30% offal silage in diets resulted in depressed gains (P less than .05) and increased feed-to-gain ratios. Carcasses were not different among treatments for dressing percentage, length, average backfat and percentage of ham, loin, shoulder, lean cuts and primal cuts. Carcasses from pigs fed 20 and 30% offal silage had significantly darker and firmer loin-eyes than those from control fed pigs. Marbling was higher (P less than .05) in loin-eyes from pigs fed 30% offal silage as compared with those from pigs fed 0% offal silage.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Voronoi Diagrams of Line Segments in 3D, with Application to Automatic Rigging

We present a novel solution to the open problem of computing a Voronoi diagram of line segments in 3D, with application to automatic rigging. As part of this solution, we present a generalized equation for all Voronoi diagrams of line segments in 3D via a game theoretic formulation, and follow it up with a presentation of an alternative method involving the specification of a system of linear equations. We show that our Voronoi diagram method can be used to create a Voronoi partitioning of an input model, and how such a segmentation process can be used for automatic rigging.
Exploring the Validity of Standards for School Administrator Preparation.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the validity of the Idaho Foundation Standards for School Administrators, an adaptation of the ISLLC standards, as the basis of Idaho administrator prep...
Perspective for Research on Neuropsychological Assessment of Medical Disease

Research in neuropsychology begins with an understanding of the factors underlying normal cognitive capacities. The specific mission of medical neuropsychology is to determine how diseases of organs or systems induce impairment in cognitive functioning. By conventional standards, impairment is defined as a score on a cognitive test that ranks the individual in the lower fifth to tenth percentile of the population.
Detecting Topical Divides and Topical “Bridges” Across National Sociologies

The purpose of this paper is to describe the topical structure across national sociologies and detect the topic clusters contributing to the intellectual divide of the discipline. I employed a hybrid methodological style consisting of latent semantic analysis, topic polarization index and simple correspondence analysis to extract and map the topical divides across American and British sociological journals. The textual data were drawn from 11,793 abstracts published in 4 American, and 4 British journals in a 40-year period. My analysis revealed divisive publication preferences across the American and British journals. Topics associated with theory, methods, race, health, social class, crime, income inequality, aging, suicide, social networks, social movements and social status, appeared to contribute the most to the intellectual divides across American and British sociologies. The polarizing publication preferences on the core topics of theory and methods support former findings claiming that there is a fundamental epistemological divide across the two national sociological traditions. American journals tend to publish papers with an emphasis of methodology, while British journals show preference on papers with a theoretical focus. Finally, my findings revealed that core sociological topics relevant to social institutions such as marriage and family, labor, education, and stratification such as gender, immigration and occupational mobility contribute to the intellectual fusion of American and British sociologies.
Flexible GaAs Single-Junction Solar Cells Based on Single-Crystal-Like Thin-Film Materials Directly Grown on Metal Tapes

We demonstrate flexible single-junction III-V solar cells based on single-crystal-like GaAs thin films directly grown on a metal tape. The epitaxial (Al)GaAs thin-film structures are developed on flexible polycrystalline Hastelloy tapes using crystallinity-transformational buffer layers for photovoltaic devices with front illumination geometry. The GaAs solar cell shows promising photovoltaic characteristics under AM 1.5G 1-Sun illumination. An open-circuit voltage of 330mV, a short circuit current of 21mA/cm2, and a fill factor of 73 result in a conversion efficiency of ~5%. Further improvement in semiconductor thin films quality, device design and fabrication process optimization would improve the device performance characteristics. This new technology has the potential for next-generation low-cost and high efficiency flexible photovoltaic devices.
Weight-related shame and guilt, intuitive eating, and binge eating in female college students

Shame and guilt are associated with greater eating disorder symptomatology, including binge eating. These emotional states may be related to binge eating as a result of one's attempt to use food as a means of coping. Little research has examined associations between weight-specific negative emotions and eating behaviors. Even less research has examined the role of intuitive eating as a mitigating factor of these associations. This study examined the relationships among weight-related shame and guilt and binge eating symptomatology in a sample of 196 undergraduate women. Further, we assessed the role of intuitive eating as a moderator of these relationships. Female college students completed an online questionnaire assessing demographics, weight-related shame and guilt, intuitive eating, and binge eating. After accounting for covariates, including body mass index, multiple regression analyses revealed that weight-related shame and guilt were related to increased binge eating symptomatology. Further, intuitive eating attenuated the relationship between weight-related shame and binge eating, but not between weight-related guilt and binge eating. Intuitive eating may be a protective factor for women experiencing weight-related shame.
Design issues in clinical studies of the in vivo volumetric wear rate of polyethylene bearing components.

The issue of wear of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene bearing surfaces in total hip and knee replacements is, without doubt, one of the dominant themes in contemporary orthopaedics. Thus, an array of relevant facets of this topic have been extensively and intensively researched, spawning, in the process, a very large volume of literature. The main topics that have been studied are the place of wear in the hierarchy of degradation modes of polyethylene bearing surfaces, the role of polyethylene wear particles in the in vivo longevity of the prosthesis, the methods of determining the extent of wear of polyethylene bearing components (for example, the acetabular cup, acetabular cup liner, or tibial insert), the magnitude of the volumetric wear rate, the relationship between the results of in vitro wear-testing of polyethylene specimens or components and the clinical performance of polyethylene components, and the key factors influencing the clinical wear of polyethylene components. It is widely acknowledged that wear is one of many degradation modes that affect polyethylene bearing surfaces in vivo (other modes include creep, delamination, and burnishing) and that, under certain circumstances, it is not the predominant one. For example, polyethylene creep of the liner predominates during the initial stages of penetration of the femoral head into the acetabular cup, but additional penetration after the first twelve to eighteen months in situ is due to wear24. A consensus has emerged that wear of polyethylene bearing components is implicated in the aseptic loosening of hip and knee implants, and in the development of osteolysis around those implants, through resorption of the periprosthetic bone initiated by a foreign-body-giant-cell granulomatous tissue reaction. This biological reaction arises in response to the polyethylene and other wear particles (such as acrylic cement and metal) that are released into the periprosthetic bone. Furthermore, in the …
Outcomes associated with peripherally inserted central catheters in hospitalised children: a retrospective 7-year single-centre experience.

Objectives The use of peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) are an integral part of caring for hospitalised children. We sought to estimate the incidence of and identify the risk factors for complications associated with PICCs in an advanced registered nurse practitioners (ARNP)-driven programme. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Single-centre, large quaternary children9s hospital. Participants Hospitalised children who had PICC inserted from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2016. Interventions None. Measurement and main results A total of 2558 PICCs were placed during the study period. Mean age at PICC insertion was 8.7 years, mean dwell time was 17.7 days. The majority of PICCs (97.8%) were placed by ARNP. Most were placed in a single attempt (79.6%). Mean PICC residual external length outside was 2.1±2.7 cm. The rate of central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI), thrombosis and significant bleeding were 1.9%, 1% and 0.2%, respectively. The CLABSI rate in infants and early childhood was higher than those aged ≥5 years (2.8%, 3.1%, respectively vs 1.3%). In a multivariate analysis after adjustment of confounding effects of race and gender, infants (OR= 2.24, CI=1.14 to 4.39, p=0.02) and early childhood cohort (OR=2.37, CI=1.12 to 5.01, p=0.02) were associated with significantly higher odds of developing CLABSI compared with ≥5 years old. In the early childhood cohort, PICCs with longer residual external catheter length (OR=1.30, 95% CI=1.07 to 1.57, p=0.008) and those placed in the operating room (OR=5.49, 95% CI=1.03 to 29.19, p=0.04), were associated with significantly greater risk of developing CLABSI. Conclusions The majority of PICCs were successfully placed by ARNPs on the first attempt and had a low incidence of complications. Infants required more attempts for successful PICC placement than older children. The presence of residual external catheter length and placement in the operating room were independent predictors of CLABSI in younger children.
Fault diagnosis optimization algorithm based on k nearest neighbor

In the actual industrial process, it is the key to recognize the fault variables accurately as soon as possible after the fault is detected. Recently, a fault variable recognition method based on k-nearest neighbor reconstruction (FVR-kNN) has been proposed. However, dealing with fault problem caused by multiple variables, the algorithm needs to exhaustive the arrangement of all variables, resulting in high complex computation. And the multivariate estimation in FVR-KNN is not accurate. Thus, this paper proposes a variable recognition optimization algorithm based on FVR-kNN (OFVR-kNN). It optimizes the estimation steps of FVR-kNN in reconstructing multivariate, guaranteeing that the estimations of these potential fault variables have no mutual influence. According to the fault magnitude in corresponding direction, the fault variables are selected in turn. OFVR-kNN does not need to exhaustive all the combinations, greatly reducing the number of reconstructions in fault sample. In this paper, the validity of the optimization method is proved in Tennessee Eastman process.
Association Between Perceived Workload and Adverse Body Posture

Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs) can be a result of complex interactions between physical, psychosocial, biological, and individual characteristics. However, the evidence on specific ...
Food Insecurity and Age at Menarche in Tampa Bay, Florida

The aim of this study was to assess whether household food insecurity is associated with delayed or early menarche among girls in the United States. Thirty-six dyadic household interviews were cond...
Inference of sexual selection from pairwise contests

Abstract Sexual selection, whether mediated by male-male competition, female choice, or male choice, is often realized through a series of pairwise contests. Experimental evolutionists have long applied male-choice and female-choice experiments to quantify the relative mating abilities of genotypes, an important component of fitness. Here, we consider Drosophila mate-choice experiments and apply two mathematical models, the Bradley-Terry and the Elő models, which have been explicitly designed to quantify the merits of contestants and establish a ranking based on results from pairwise contests. Methods such as the Bradley-Terry model and Elő ratings also provide a way to predict the outcome of contests that have not yet taken place. Leave-one-out validation approaches allow us to assess the utility of these models to quantify relative fitnesses, how well the models fit the data, and how well they perform at prediction. After applying these methods to Drosophila mate-choice experiments, we interpret the results in terms of sexual selection, and discuss the implications of departures of the data from good fits to the models.
Transthoracic Robotic First Rib Resection: Technique Crystallized

The advantages of transthoracic robotic first rib resection are uncontested exposure of the anatomy of the thoracic outlet and freedom from any neurovascular retraction. The technique of robotic first rib resection is distilled here in a patient with neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome.
Technical notes for laboratory activities

Abstract This section is for instructors and laboratory support personnel. It includes practical information for setting up and carrying out the lab activities presented in the text including safety precautions. Alternate lab activities that meet the same mathematical modeling goals are also presented including some “dry labs.” These guidelines are meant to help those adapting this text to adjust course activities in ways that can easily be supported at their institutions. It is also meant to catalyze new ideas and new projects that might be done independently by students or simply be added to the repertoire of supporting activities.
Asteroids as Propulsion Systems of Space Ships

Currently, rockets are used to change the trajectory of space ships and probes. This method is very expensive and requires a lot of fuel, which limits the feasibility of space stations, interplanetary space ships, and probes. Sometimes space probes use the gravity field of a planet However, there am only nine planets in the Solar System, all separated by great distances. There are tons of millions of asteroids in outer space. This paper offers a revolutionary method for changing the trajectory of space probes. The method uses the kinetic or rotary energy of asteroids, comet nuclei, meteorites or other space bodies (small planets, natural planetary satellites, space debris, etc.) to increase (to decrease) ship (probe) speed up to 1000 m/sec (or more) and to achieve any new direction in outer space. The flight possibilities of space ships and probes are increased by a factor of millions.
1174-P: Reducing Lost to Follow-Up Rates in the T1D Exchange Quality Improvement Collaborative (T1DX-QI)

The ADA recommends quarterly follow-up for routine diabetes care, however, this is not consistently achieved. This gap represents an opportunity to improve care. The T1D Exchange Quality Improvement Collaborative (T1DX-QI) aims to improve T1D care in the U.S. through structured sharing of best practices. To reduce the lost to follow-up (LTFU) rate, five pediatric centers identified key change concepts, designed iterative testing cycles, and used data visualization to inform future interventions. Patients Disclosure R. McDonough: None. S. Thomas: None. N. Rioles: None. O. Ebekozien: None. M.A. Clements: Consultant; Self; Glooko, Inc. Other Relationship; Self; Glooko, Inc. S. Corathers: None. J.M. Lee: Advisory Panel; Self; Goodrx. Consultant; Self; T1D Exchange. Research Support; Self; Lenovo. A. Garrity: None. P. Prahalad: None. M.K. Kamboj: Research Support; Self; Type 1 Diabetes TrialNet, Unitio, Inc. D.A. Buckingham: None. G.T. Alonso: None.
Speech-Language Pathologist and Parent Perspectives on Speech-Language Pathology Services for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders:

Many speech-language pathologists (SLPs) are underprepared to serve children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), despite a growing need and increased expectation for ASD expertise. To understand...
Cell-Type-Specific Decrease of the Intrinsic Excitability of Motor Cortical Pyramidal Neurons in Parkinsonian Mice

The hypokinetic motor symptoms of Parkinsons disease (PD) are closely linked with a decreased motor cortical output as a consequence of elevated basal ganglia inhibition. However, whether and how the loss of dopamine alters the cellular properties of motor cortical neurons in PD remains undefined. We induced experimental parkinsonism in adult C57BL6 mice of both sexes by injecting neurotoxin, 6-hydroxydopamine, into the medial forebrain bundle. By using ex vivo patch-clamp recording and retrograde tracing approach, we found that the intrinsic excitability of pyramidal tract neurons (PTNs) in the motor cortical layer 5b was greatly decreased following the degeneration of midbrain dopaminergic neurons; but the intratelencephalic neurons (ITNs) were not affected. The cell-type-specific intrinsic adaptations were associated with a significant broadening of the action potentials in PTNs but not in ITNs. Moreover, the loss of midbrain dopaminergic neurons impaired the capability of M1 PTNs to sustain high-frequency firing, which could underlie their abnormal pattern of activity in the parkinsonian state. We also showed that the decreased excitability and broadened action potentials were largely caused by a disrupted function of the large conductance, Ca2+-activated K+ channels. The restoration of dopaminergic neuromodulation failed to rescue the impaired intrinsic excitability of M1 PTNs in parkinsonian mice. Altogether, our data show cell-type-specific decreases of the excitability of M1 pyramidal neurons following the loss of midbrain dopaminergic neurons. Thus, intrinsic adaptations in the motor cortex, together with pathological basal ganglia inhibition, underlie the decreased motor cortical output in parkinsonian state and exacerbate parkinsonian motor deficits
Scarcity, Rural Consumers and COVID-19: Challenges and Opportunities

While the entire world is under constant observation and lock down caused by the Coronavirus COVID-19, the most suffered are being neglected. As the press says “The rich brought this virus in to the country and the one paying for it are the poor and marginalized population”. The virus has not only challenged the entire health and immune system, it has also taken a toll on the already damaged economy of our country. Every sector has been through loss, be it is production, transportation or supply chain. The major trouble is the larger the population density is, the bigger the threat it is going to be. As the same has been observed in Italy, India also is dreading for that nightmare to turn into reality. But the recipient of all these hassle and negligence comes down to the bottom of the pyramid. The nation and the GoI sure are trying to support every individual. Yet the question lies: Is this sufficient?
Poverty, Irrationality, and the Value of Cash Transfers

It has been demonstrated that irrationality reduces the efficiency of individuals’ allocations, as measured by their “true” or rational preferences. There is also evidence that poverty increases irrationality of different sorts. As a result, the net benefit to society of a cash transfer from taxpayers to welfare recipients may not be zero. The fact that the transfer will be allocated less efficiently by the recipients than by the taxpayers will reduce the value of the transfer, while if the transfer increases recipients’ rationality, it will increase the efficiency of the allocation of their pretransfer budgets, thus increasing the value of the transfer. The net effect on society will be positive or negative, depending in large part on the degree to which the transfer increases rationality. I model these effects in the context of present-biased preferences and explore the effect of irrationality, income, and the size of transfer on the value of transfers. I conclude that under a plausible range of conditions, transfers can generate a substantial positive net benefit. I also model the choices of a fully rational paternalist and find little support for paternalistic in-kind transfers.
Environmental Engineering Education in the Modern Era

Environmental engineering education is enhanced by the internet with web pages full of information, instructions, photos, and videos of installations and equipment, and with means of communication that facilitate alerts to new developments. Students who have grown up with years of using the internet have different expectations and computer sophistication that are yet to be exploited fully at our colleges and universities. Some reasonable modifications of the undergraduate curriculum can improve matters.
Examining the Social Validity of a Universal Intervention for Reducing Exclusionary Discipline through Stakeholder Voice

Exclusionary disciplinary practices are utilized in schools despite limited benefits and associated negative student outcomes. Alternative strategies, such as Positive Behavioral Interventions and ...
Torsade de pointes: A nested case-control study in an integrated healthcare delivery system.

BACKGROUND: TdP is a form of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia which develops in the setting of a prolonged QT interval. There are limited data describing risk factors, treatment, and outcomes of this potentially fatal arrhythmia. OBJECTIVE: Our goals were as follows: (1) to validate cases presenting with Torsade de Pointes (TdP), (2) to identify modifiable risk factors, and (3) to describe the management strategies used for TdP and its prognosis in a real-world healthcare setting. METHODS: Case-control study (with 2:1 matching on age, sex, and race/ethnicity) nested within the Genetic Epidemiology Research on Aging (GERA) cohort. Follow-up of the cohort for case ascertainment was between January 01, 2005 and December 31, 2018. RESULTS: A total of 56 cases of TdP were confirmed (incidence rate = 3.6 per 100,000 persons/years). The average (SD) age of the TdP cases was 74 (13) years, 55 percent were female, and 16 percent were non-white. The independent predictors of TdP were potassium concentration 480 ms (OR = 4.4) and prior history of coronary artery disease (OR = 2.6). Exposure to furosemide and amiodarone was significantly greater in cases than in controls. The most common treatment for TdP was IV magnesium (78.6%) and IV potassium repletion (73.2%). The in-hospital and 1-year mortality rates for TdP cases were 10.7% and 25.0% percent, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These findings may inform quantitative multivariate risk indices for the prediction of TdP and could guide practitioners on which patients may qualify for continuous ECG monitoring and/or electrolyte replacement therapy.
Simple Tribal Co-Management: Using Existing Authority to Engage Tribal Nations in Co-Management of Federal Public Lands

Each year Native American tribal nations enter hundreds of federal contracts worth billions of dollars to run federal Indian programs. By substituting tribal governments for federal agencies, these “self-determination contracts” have been enormously successful in improving the effective delivery of federal programs in Indian country. However, tribal governments wish to do more. Tribes wish to co-manage federal public lands, including lands that lie outside their reservations, and they have a lot to offer in this area. For example, a tribe might seek to contract with the Fish & Wildlife Service to operate a wildlife refuge, or with the National Park Service to manage a park or monument or even with the Bureau of Reclamation to operate a federal dam. Tribes are natural partners for much of this work. Many federal units are located on lands that are, or were, tribal aboriginal lands. Although the federal government has had the legal authority to enter such contracts since 1994, federal agencies have been slow to enlist tribes in the management of federal public lands. A review of the few existing successful cases suggests that tribes confront dramatically different dynamics when seeking to contract functions with agencies beyond the Bureau of Indian Affairs or Indian Health Service and other agencies providing services to Indian people. At a time when indigenous-led conservation is crucial to addressing climate change and our national conservation goals, this article examines the obstacles to tribal co-management of public lands and proposes solutions.
Diffusion across the digital divide: Assessing use of the Connecticut Digital Library (ICONN) in K-12 schools in Connecticut.

State digital libraries are manifestations of the diffusion of technology that has provided both access to and delivery of digital content. Whether the content is being accessed and used equitably in K-12 schools has not been assessed. Determining patterns of the diffusion of use across socioeconomic groups in K-12 schools may help measure the success of existing efforts to provide equitable access and use of digital content, and help guide policies and implementation to more effectively address remaining disparities. This study examined use of the Connecticut Digital Library (ICONN) in K-12 schools in Connecticut by determining annual patterns of use per school/district over a four-year period, using transaction log search statistics. The data were analyzed in the paradigm that Rogers (2003) describes as the first and second dimensions of the consequences of an innovation - the overall growth and the equality of the diffusion to individuals within an intended audience --- in this case, students in K-12 schools. Data were compared by school district and the established socioeconomic District Reference Groups (DRGs) defined by the Connecticut State Board of Education. At the time of this study, ICONN used aggregate data (total searches) for K-12 schools, but did not have relevant data on diffusion within the public schools in Connecticut related to district or DRGs.
Institutional approach to regulation and competition in South Asian infrastructure sectors

Competition, unlike regulation, is a decentralized process where individual service providers, driven by the profit motive, compete with each other to provide services to consumers. And unlike competition, regulation is a centralized process that makes decisions about tariffs, quality standards, and investments. Where full-fledged competition is not possible, regulation is considered to be a surrogate.
Energy conservation investment Do consumers discount the future correctly

We argue that the apparently high discount rates attributed to investors making energy conservation investments are not irrational or the result of some market failure. Rather they may result from an investor recognizing that many conservation investments entail substantial sunk costs. In the presence of these costs and uncertainty over future conservation savings, consumers should use a higher hurdle rate for investment than if there were no uncertainty. Simulations suggest that the hurdle rate should be about four times greater than the standard rate. An implication of our model is that tax subsidies for the purchase of conservation capital are likely to be ineffective. We discuss alternative policy approaches which are more likely to increase energy-efficient investment, namely mandatory efficiency standards and energy taxes.
Liver and Small Intestinal Mucosa Lysoplasmalogenase and Nutrient Metabolism/Distribution

Lysoplasmalogens, produced from plasmalogens by phospholipase A2, can disrupt cell membranes. Lysoplasmalogenase (Lpnase) catalyzes hydrolysis of the vinyl ether bond of lysoplasmalogen yielding an aldehyde and glycerophosphobase. We purified Lpnase from rat liver microsomes and identified the integral membrane protein as TMEM86B, a member of the YhhN family- conserved from bacteria to humans. In mammals the activity of Lpnase is very high in liver and small intestinal (S.I.) mucosa, low in brain, and undetectable in heart and smooth muscle. We tested the hypothesis that liver and S.I. Lpnase is involved in nutrient metabolism/distribution by examining microsomal enzyme activities in: 1. Adult livers during pregnancy, lactation, and post lactation. 2. Pups' livers and S.I. mucosa during early development. During gestation the units and specific activities (SA) of liver Lpnase were similar to non-pregnant (N-P) controls. During 20 days (d) of lactation (10 pups) the units of Lpnase increased by 90%; the li...
Spin-1/2 ferromagnet via equal coupling between itinerant and localized electrons

The itinerant-localized (i-d) exchange interaction is compared with the localized-localized (d-d) exchange interaction in the spin-1/2 ferromagnet for a simplified but computable model, the equally coupled infinite-range Ising-like Hamiltonian including thei-d interaction. The two-time Green's function equation of motion technique is used with anticommutator Green's function and Tyablikov decoupling. The ratio of thei-d exchange energy tod-d exchange energy was found to be about 100 indicating the dominant nature of thei-d interaction in explaining ferromagnetism of the transition metals. Our theory also indicates that the Fermi energy of itinerant electrons is temperature dependent. This model yields agreement with nickel data over the entire temperature range.
Revisiting an Old Predicament: Primacy of the Individual or the Community?

We live under the assumption that the most important task for us humans is to shape our own lives and take responsibility for them. It is the call for authenticity and self-determining freedom. In this sense, people prioritize what we have come to call the individual — a concept that encapsulates some of the moral goods deemed important for human flourishing: human dignity, self-responsibility, initiative, authenticity, and difference.
Dextran Sulfate Sodium (DSS)-Induced Colitis in Mice

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), mainly comprising ulcerative colitis and Crohn's Disease, are complex and multifactorial diseases with unknown etiology. For the past 20 years, to study human IBD mechanistically, a number of murine models of colitis have been developed. These models are indispensable tools to decipher underlying mechanisms of IBD pathogenesis as well as to evaluate a number of potential therapeutics. Among various chemically induced colitis models, the dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis model is widely used because of its simplicity and many similarities with human ulcerative colitis. This model has both advantages and disadvantages that must be considered when employed. This protocol describes the DSS-induced colitis model, focusing on details and factors that could affect DSS-induced pathology.
Fuzzy approaches to acquiring experimental knowledge in cultural algorithms

Self-adaptation has been widely used in evolutionary computational models. Angeline (1995) defines three distinct adaptive levels, which are: population, individual, and component level. Cultural algorithms have been shown to provide a framework in which to model self-adaptation at all of these levels. Te authors examine the role that different forms of knowledge can play in the self-adaptation process at the population level for evolution-based function optimizers. An acceptance function using a fuzzy inference engine is employed to select acceptable individuals for forming the generalized knowledge in the belief space. Evolutionary programming is used to implement the population space. The results suggest that the use of a cultural framework can produce substantial performance improvements in execution time and accuracy for a given set of function minimization problems.
Organic semiconductors in molecular electronics

In this paper, solid state chemical sensors and molecular electronics utilizing organic semiconductors are discussed in terms of equivalent electrical circuits. This viewpoint exposes the common features of these two important groups of chemical electronic devices. A new experimental platform for investigation of this commonality is described. It should facilitate research in organic semiconductors for the benefit of chemical sensors and molecular electronics alike.
Distribution of vanadium and its influence on chlorophyll formation and iron metabolism in tomato plants

Abstract Distribution of vanadium and its influence on growth, chlorophyll formation and certain aspects of iron metabolism were studied in tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. ‘Walter). Vanadium in the nutrient solution increased plant height, weight, number of leaves, and number of flowers. Vanadium also enhanced chlorophyll formation and Fe metabolism in tomato plants, and increased the Hill reaction activity of isolated chloroplasts.
Structure and Properties of Semicrystalline−Rubbery Multiblock Copolymers

Linear (EP)n multiblock copolymers, with n = 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12, containing semicrystalline poly(ethylene) (E) and rubbery poly(ethylene-alt-propylene) (P) blocks were prepared by catalytic hydrogenation of poly(1,4-butadiene-b-1,4-isoprene)n block copolymers. These materials were investigated by small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS and WAXS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and tensile mechanical testing. Microstructure was created during cooling in two ways: melt state ordering followed by E crystallization and crystallization-induced segregation from the disordered melt. Two categories of mechanical performance were identified. A relatively low true stress at break (σT,B < 85 MPa) always was correlated with crystallization-induced segregation. A high true stress at break (σT,B ≈ 270 MPa) was recorded when crystallization occurred within microphase-separated lamellae or when n ≥ 10 notwithstanding crystallization-induced segregation. These results are interpreted on the basis of the...
Force chains in seismogenic faults visualized with photoelastic granular shear experiments

[1] Natural faults have many characteristics in common with granular systems, including granular fault rocks, shear localization, and stick-slip dynamics. We present experimental results which provide insight into granular behavior in natural faults. The experiments allow us to directly image force chains within a deforming granular media through the use of photoelastic particles. The experimental apparatus consists of a spring-pulled slider block which deforms the photoelastic granular aggregate at a constant velocity. Particles that carry more of the load appear brighter when viewed through crossed polarizers, making the internal stresses optically accessible. The resulting pattern is a branched, anisotropic force chain network inclined to the shear zone boundaries. Under both constant volume and dilational boundary conditions, deformation occurs predominantly through stick-slip displacements and corresponding force drops. The particle motion and force chain changes associated with the deformation can either be localized to the central slip zone or span the system. The sizes of the experimental slip events are observed to have power law (Gutenberg-Richter-like) distributions; the minimum dimensions of events and the behavior of force chains suggest that a particle scale controls the lower limits of the power law distributions. For large drops in pulling force with slip, the shape of the size distributions is strongly affected by the choice of boundary condition, while for small to moderate drops the probability distributions are approximately independent of boundary condition. These size-dependent variations in stick-slip behavior are associated with different spatial patterns: on average, small events typically correspond to localized force chain or particle rearrangements, whereas large events correspond to system-spanning changes. Such force chain behavior may be responsible for similar size-dependent behaviors of natural faults.
Multi-attribute utility methods in group decision making: Past applications and potential for inclusion in GDSS

This paper reviews a variety of studies in which multi-attribute utility theory (MAU) has been used successfully to aid group decision processes and discusses the incorporation of MAU in Group Decision Support Systems (GDSS). GDSS of various levels of automation have been proposed to aid group decision making. A number of commercial GDSSs are available which are capable of aiding generation of alternatives, their evaluation, and selection. Many authors have promoted the incorporation of quantitative decision making models in GDSS. The most appropriate quantitative tool for GDSS is MAU, but MAU has rarely been utilized. The cases reviewed illustrate that the use of MAU techniques is not prohibitively difficult or complex.
Self-monitoring, pseudo-ductile, hybrid FRP reinforcement rods for concrete applications

Abstract The feasibility of hybrid -fiber-reinforced-polymer rods that demonstrate the important safety features of self-monitoring capability and pseudo-ductility is demonstrated. The rods are intended to be the basis of improved pultruded reinforcements for concrete or other civil applications where safety is of critical importance. The lowest elongation fiber in the seven rods investigated is carbon, which by virtue of its piezoresistivity allows the monitoring of deformation and fracture throughout an entire rod with simple electronic equipment. Resistance measurements obtained during quasi-static tests clearly reveal failure of the carbon fibers. Following this easily detected event, higher loads can be safely sustained by the remaining high-elongation fibers if the carbon tows are dispersed in the cross-section rather than concentrated in one location.
Enhanced blood conservation in primary coronary artery bypass surgery using heparin-bonded circuits with lower anticoagulation.

BACKGROUND Despite many advances in blood conservation techniques, a significant proportion of patients undergoing primary coronary revascularization still require homologous transfusions. A comprehensive strategy to diminish perioperative blood loss was developed by integrating many individual components to create an improved blood conservation environment and was prospectively applied to 557 patients undergoing primary coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) procedures performed in our medical center over a 14-month period. METHODS The first 455 patients were treated with conventional, nonheparinbonded circuits (NHBCs) and full anticoagulation (activated clotting time [ACT] > 480 sec). We wanted to test the hypothesis of whether "tip-to-tip" heparin-bonded circuits (HBCs) used in conjunction with lower anticoagulation (ACT > 280 sec) when added to our current blood conservation environment can further enhance clinical outcomes. We prospectively applied this technique to a consecutive group of patients (n = 102). RESULTS Compared to patients treated with NHBCs, patients treated with HBCs had a significantly lower mediastinal and pleural chest tube output in the first 24 hours (683 +/- 561 mL vs 984 +/- 616 mL, p < 0.00001) were less likely to be transfused (52% vs 68.1%, p < 0.01) and had a lower exposure to different blood donor units (4.1 +/- 8.4 vs 9.3 +/- 10.3, p < 0.000003). There were no complications directly related to HBCs used in conjunction with lower anticoagulation. Morbidity and mortality rates were similar in both treatment groups. CONCLUSION In summary, HBCs in conjunction with lower anticoagulation were safely applied in patients undergoing primary CABG with marked improvement in blood conservation, and should be considered for broader clinical use.
The Impact of Dual-Career Marriage on Occupational Mobility in the Local Government Management Profession

The vast majority of local-government managers are married to spouses who are employed outside the home, and one-fourth of these two-income couples are "dual career," meaning that both spouses are committed to lifelong professional development. A national survey shows that local-government managers from dual-career marriages are more likely than other managers to consider their spouses' employment potential when deciding whether, and where, to relocate. These results confirm other research showing that dual-career couples are often reluctant to be transferred or move to new jobs because it is difficult to accommodate the careers of both spouses. Public administrators need to consider these findings when designing recruitment and retention policies.
Three-dimensional Structure of Human γ-Glutamyl Hydrolase A CLASS I GLUTAMINE AMIDOTRANSFERASE ADAPTED FOR A COMPLEX SUBSTRATE

Abstract γ-Glutamyl hydrolase catalyzes the cleavage of the γ-glutamyl chain of folylpoly-γ-glutamyl substrates and is a central enzyme in folyl and antifolyl poly-γ-glutamate metabolism. The crystal structure of human γ-glutamyl hydrolase, determined at 1.6-A resolution, reveals that the protein is a homodimer. The overall structure of human γ-glutamyl hydrolase contains 11 α-helices and 14 β-strands, with a fold in which a central eight-stranded β-sheet is sandwiched by three and five α-helices on each side. The topology is very similar to that of the class I glutamine amidotransferase domains, with the only major differences consisting of extensions in four loops and at the C terminus. These insertions are important for defining the substrate binding cleft and/or the dimer interface. Two sequence motifs are found in common between human γ-glutamyl hydrolase and the class I glutamine amidotransferase family and include the catalytically essential residues, Cys-110 and His-220. These residues are located in the center of a largel-shaped cleft that is closed at one end and open at the other. Several conserved residues, including Glu-114, His-171, Gln-218, and Lys-223, may be important for substrate binding. Modeling of a methotrexate thioester intermediate, based on the corresponding complex of the glutamate thioester intermediate of Escherichia coli carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase, indicates that the substrate binds in an orientation with the pteroyl group toward the open end of the cleft.
Diffusion of cyclic hydrocarbons in benzene-swollen, divinylbenzene-crosslinked polystyrene beads

Diffusion of cyclic hydrocarbons within benzene-swollen, polystyrene-divinylbenzene gel-type beads were studied at 25°C. Solute concentrations less than 6.3 × 10−2M and volume fractions of polymer less than 0.6 were used. Diffusion coefficients were calculated assuming Fick's law diffusion, and were found to depend upon the volume fraction of polymer. The dependence suggests that the swollen polymer network acts as a physical obstruction to diffusion. Studies indicated that the solute–solvent interactions affecting diffusion were the same in the solvent-swollen polymer as in the pure benzene solvent.
DNA-PKcs at 7Å: Insights for DNA Repair

In this issue of Structure , the Stewart laboratory and their collaborators have provided a markedly improved cryo-EM reconstruction of DNA-PKcs (Williams et al., 2008). The new level of detail heightens interest in integrating the understanding of nonhomologous DNA end joining.
Stable photogenerated carriers in magnetic semiconductor nanocrystals.

We report the preparation and investigation of charged colloidal Co2+:ZnO and Mn2+:ZnO nanocrystals. Although both charged and magnetically doped colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals have been reported previously, colloidal charged and magnetically doped semiconductor nanocrystals as described herein have not. Conduction band electrons were introduced into colloidal ZnO diluted magnetic semiconductor (DMS) nanocrystals photochemically, and the resulting TM2+−e-CB interactions were observed by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (TM2+ = Co2+ or Mn2+). This new motif of colloidal charged magnetic semiconductor nanocrystals reveals attractive new opportunities for studying spin effects in DMS nanostructures relevant to proposed spintronics technologies.
Perturbation Expansion of the Linear Hubbard Model

A linked-diagram perturbation expansion of the linear half-filled-band Hubbard model is developed and carried out through seventh order. The zero-order Hamiltonian is taken to be the intrasite Coulomb repulsion terms, and the perturbation is taken to be the intersite interaction. The degenerate perturbation theory applied here results in an effective Hamiltonian defined on a simple spin space, and is found to consist of terms involving nearest-neighbor, next-nearest-neighbor, and biquadratic spin operators.
Band Spectra and Dissociation of Iodine Monochloride

Thirty-three band heads of ICl were measured in absorption and found to consist of two series, one of them converging at $\ensuremath{\nu}=17410\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}30$ ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ ($\ensuremath{\lambda}=5744\mathrm{A}$). Two heads of a third series were faintly in evidence just beyond the convergence, fading out in the region of continuous absorption. The maximum of continuous absorption is about 4800A. Intensity variations with temperature indicate that all three series come from excited states of normal ICl, the observed convergence coming from the first vibrational level. The vibration frequency of normal ICl is 382 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. Interpreted according to the theory of Franck our results indicate that ICl dissociates in light (1) into unexcited atoms, (2) into an unexcited iodine atom and a chlorine atom in the $2^{2}P_{1}$ state. The convergence corresponding to dissociation into chlorine and excited iodine was not found. Combined with the optical data of Kuhn on ${\mathrm{Cl}}_{2}$ and ${\mathrm{I}}_{2}$ our results require an evolution of 3.8 Cal. for the reaction ICl=\textonehalf{}${\mathrm{I}}_{2}$+\textonehalf{}${\mathrm{Cl}}_{2}$, assuming the observed convergence to correspond to process (1). Thermodynamic data give 3.6 Cal. for the same reaction. The two faint heads of the third series probably correspond to (2). The thermodynamic measurements are susceptible of determination with accuracy sufficient to exclude definitely other possible interpretations.