cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measurements of the viscosities of suspensions of oriented rods using falling ball rheometry

Abstract Using falling ball rheometry, we measured the viscosities of suspensions of oriented rods ( average aspect ratio = 19.83 ). The rods were neutrally buoyant in the suspending fluid and were sufficiently large so that Brownian and colloidal forces were negligible. The rods were oriented hydrodynamically by passing a fixture through the suspension which produced a local flow-that tended to align the particles along the axis of the glass column containing the suspension. Balls were dropped along the axis of the cylinder and the average terminal velocity was measured using an eddy current detector. We find that the apparent viscosity for a suspension of rods that are approximately aligned is less than that for a suspension having the same volume fraction of rods that are randomly oriented. For example, at a volume fraction of 0.05, the relative viscosity of an oriented suspension is 1.52, whereas a randomly oriented suspension has a relative viscosity of 2.37. In addition, we find that the viscosity measured for the aligned rods closely correlates with the viscosities of suspensions of short fibers (having similar aspect ratios and concentrations) measured in shearing flows.
Effects of long-term ozone fumigations on growth and gas exchange of fraser fir seedlings

Abstract Fraser fir seedlings from two seed sources in the Southern Appalachians (Mt Mitchell, North Carolina, a declining population; and Mt Rogers, Virginia, a relatively healthy population) were subjected to long-term (2·5 years) intermittent ozone fumigations (0·025, 0·070, and 0·150 ppm) while being grown through five growth cycles in an accelerated-growing regime. Fumigations took place during bud break, stem elongation and bud set. Following each growing cycle, gas exchange parameters and dry weights were determined. The ozone fumigations did not produce any effect on seedling growth. The ozone fumigation effects on gas exchange parameters were inconsistent, and generally not statistically different, with no differences occurring between seed sources. There was no correlation between photosynthetic rates and seedling growth. These results provide no evidence that ozone may be contributing to the differences in decline noted between the Mt Rogers and Mt Mitchell populations of Fraser fir.
The logic of proofs, semantically

Abstract A new semantics is presented for the logic of proofs (LP), (Technical Report MSI 95-29, Cornell University (1995), Bull. Symbolic Logic 7 (2001) 1) based on the intuition that it is a logic of explicit knowledge. This semantics is used to give new proofs of several basic results concerning LP. In particular, the realization of S4 into LP is established in a way that carefully examines and explicates the role of the + operator. Finally connections are made with the conventional approach, via soundness and completeness results.
Testing Measurement Invariance: A Comparison of Multiple-Group Categorical CFA and IRT

This study investigated two major approaches in testing measurement invariance for ordinal measures: multiple-group categorical confirmatory factor analysis (MCCFA) and item response theory (IRT). Unlike the ordinary linear factor analysis, MCCFA can appropriately model the ordered-categorical measures with a threshold structure. A simulation study under various conditions was conducted for the comparison of MCCFA and IRT with respect to the power to detect the lack of invariance across groups. Both MCCFA and IRT showed reasonable power to identify the noninvariant item when differential item functioning (DIF) was large. The false positive rates were relatively high in both methods, however. The adjustment of critical values improved the performance of MCCFA by reducing false positive rates substantially and yet yielding adequate power. Alternative model fit indexes of MCCFA were also examined and they were found to be reliable to detect DIF, in general.
Annotated Bibliography on the Teaching of Psychology: 2001

This bibliography is a continuation of those previously published in Teaching of Psychology (e.g., Berry & Daniel, 1984; Fulkerson & Wise, 1987; Johnson & Schroder, 1997; Wise & Fulkerson, 1996). We maintained similar search methods and criteria for inclusion that were used in previous bibliographies. We also continued the cumulative numbering of the items. To help the reader locate relevant articles we arranged items into a small number of subject categories. Generally, if fewer than three items fell into a specific subject category they were relegated to a category labeled miscellaneous.
Prediction and measurement of the post-critical behavior of fiber-reinforced composite columns

Experimental measurements on axially loaded columns made of fiber-reinforced composite materials are presented. Experimental load/deflection plots at twelve flange points and three web points allow for an accurate description of the deformations, including the post-critical behavior. Data processing by two methods is described and a comparison is made between the two methods. In one method, the incipient buckling data are used, while in the second method, the post buckling data are used. The effect of damage accumulation is illustrated. The behavior, including the curvature of the post-critical path, is predicted by using stability theory. Comparisons between predicted and measured values of critical load and post-critical path curvature are presented.
Citrate synthase expression and enzyme activity after endurance training in cardiac and skeletal muscles

The present study was designed to examine the acute and chronic effects of endurance treadmill training on citrate synthase (CS) gene expression and enzymatic activity in rat skeletal and cardiac m...
Necessary Laws and Chemical Kinds

Contingentism, generally contrasted with law necessitarianism, is the view that the laws of nature are contingent. It is often coupled with the claim that their contingency is knowable a priori. This paper considers Bird's [2001, 2002, 2005, 2007] arguments for the thesis that, necessarily, salt dissolves in water; and it defends his view against Beebee's [2001] and Psillos's [2002] contingentist objections. A new contingentist objection is offered and several reasons for scepticism about its success are raised. It is concluded that certain higher-level laws describing the behaviours of molecular compounds may be necessary due to their dependence on underlying physical laws, and that the modal status of laws of nature cannot be determined a priori, as the structural features of the substances and properties they govern must first be investigated.
Parametric cubic splines and geologic shape descriptions

Parametric cubic splines provide a versatile means of describing and sampling shapes and curves commonly found in geology. These splines allow the researcher to treat easily curves which are not single-valued in Cartesian or polar coordinates. In addition, they simultaneously provide approximations to positions, slopes, and curvatures of the curve being considered. In conjunction with simple digitizing equipment and a small computer, the method of parametric cubic spline approximation allows the researcher to analyze curves or outlines in cases where the more rapid technique involving video imaging equipment is either not applicable or not available.
Knowledge and information management: is it possible to do interesting and important research, get funded, be useful and appreciated?

The survey of the CIKM Call for Papers for the period 1998 - 2002 demonstrates that the CIKM organizers very accurately "identify challenging problems facing the development of future knowledge and information systems [in] applied and theoretical research" [1998] and also play an important role fostering "bridging traditionally separated areas such as databases and information retrieval, or those that apply techniques from one area to another" [2001, 2002]. The presented CIKM papers also indicate that researchers work on interesting problems. This talk will discuss some additional research topics for future consideration by the CIKM community.In most cases, to achieve important results, research needs to be well supported. If you are not getting the funding you need, this talk may provide some pointers where you can look for finding. If you are well supported, I will try to convince you that you can be instrumental in improving the funding scenario for everybody, by mentoring the junior members of the CIKM community, by forming collaborative (international, interdisciplinary) teams and by letting the funders know what you find conducive to your research and what you consider a hindrance. Regardless if you are well funded or not, it is most helpful if you are active in identifying new research directions and also assist in evaluating the priorities.The most frequent problem for inadequate funding is lack of funds. However, researchers can help! This can be achieved in many different ways: thinking about long-term applications of fundamental research to societal needs; working with communities that can directly benefit from research; sharing the research results not only with the research colleagues, but also wider constituencies - at their appropriate levels; and informing your funders about your spectacular achievements, i.e., providing good reasons for increasing the research funding.CIKM strives to bring together research communities that traditionally do not work together. Providing a forum for interdisciplinary research is laudable and very important, as very often interdisciplinary or international research is not "appreciated". This talk will discuss how we could gradually change the discipline- and country-based "appraisal" cultures. We will also attempt to answer the question: "What is the ultimate appreciation?" (Nobel Prize? ...successful .com?... ???).
Using Rituals and Traditions to Create Classroom Community for Children, Teachers, and Parents

This article addresses the value of teachers establishing rituals and traditions in early childhood classrooms. Using the lens of a particular preschool classroom, where one of the co-authors taught for many years, the article describes specific traditions that have been established over the years and how these rituals, activities, and events helped to create community among the teachers, parents, and children. The article concludes with questions designed to encourage teachers to reflect on their own memories, values, and interests to create their own rituals and traditions within their classrooms.
Valid Knowledge and the Problem of Practical Arts Curricula

ABSTRACTThis article argues that the meager existence of practical arts subjects in the curriculum comes about as a result of the persistence of the Platonic ideal of what constitutes valid knowledge. To illustrate this basic argument, the article first reflects upon Plato's conception of valid knowledge, as set forth in the The Republic, then it examines the ebb and flow of discourse on the nature and worth of knowledge. In particular, the article examines the hesitancy of response of formal education to industrial culture, even though this has been an important source of the expansion of human knowledge. Using illustrations from both sides of the Atlantic, the article shows that the curricular controversies (whether that attending prevocationalism in the United Kingdom, or education for “A Nation at Risk” in the United States) are traceable to the ancient conception of what knowledge is valid. The article concludes by arguing for dispassionate consideration of the curriculum—for a stance that views the ...
Blending functions for interpolation of networks of curves

In order to interpolate a large network of curves, the Lagrange, cardinal spline, and sinc blending functions are introduced in the present paper.© (1990) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Venous thromboembolism risk factor assessment and prophylaxis.

Venous thromboembolism is a common and potentially preventable disease in hospitalized patients. Risk assessment and prophylaxis is also an important quality of care measure. Herein, we discuss the negative impact of VTE on surgical patients, review the risk factors for VTE, the risk assessment tools, available prophylaxis, and then summarize the use of biomarkers for VTE diagnosis.
Comparison of an oil-miscible ionic liquid and ZDDP as a lubricant anti-wear additive

Abstract This paper reports the anti-scuffing/anti-wear behavior and mechanism of an oil-miscible ionic liquid (IL), trihexyltetradecylphosphonium bis(2-ethylhexyl)phosphate, in a base oil at 1.0 wt% concentration under both room and elevated temperatures. Results are benchmarked against those for a conventional anti-wear additive, zinc dialkyl-dithiophosphate (ZDDP). Reciprocating sliding, boundary lubrication tests were conducted using a piston ring segment against a cylinder liner piece cut from actual automotive engine components. Although the IL and ZDDP worked equally well to prevent scuffing and reduce wear in the room-temperature tests, the IL significantly outperformed ZDDP in the 100 °C tests. The top surfaces and cross sections of the worn surfaces were characterized to reveal the morphology, thickness, nanostructure, and chemical composition of the IL-induced tribo-films.
The aortic homograft: evolution of indications, techniques, and results in 107 patients.

Abstract Background. Homograft aortic valve replacement has been performed in 107 patients during the past 7 years. Two primary methods of implantation were used (intraaortic and root replacement). Results of both methods are presented. Methods. Intraaortic implantation (subcoronary or cylinder technique) was performed in 36 patients (mean age, 54 years) for aortic stenosis or regurgitation (31 patients) and endocarditis (5 patients). Aortic root replacement was performed in 71 patients (mean age, 62 years). The majority (58 patients) had complex root pathologies such as ascending aneurysm, dissection, or prosthetic endocarditis with annular destruction. Early results were assessed with intraoperative or predischarge echocardiography; annual echocardiograms provided long-term follow-up. Left ventricular mass was calculated in patients with long-standing pathology for whom preoperative and postoperative data were available. Results. Early valvular insufficiency was documented in 16 of the 36 intraaortic implants (44%); 9 of these have had progression of the insufficiency. Of the 20 patients who had trivial or no early insufficiency, significant insufficiency has developed in 7 and mild insufficiency has developed in 5. Calculation of left ventricular mass revealed a mean reduction of 11% at 1 year. There has been no mortality, endocarditis, or homograft-related reoperation in the intraaortic group with a mean follow-up of 50 months. The root replacement group had a hospital mortality of 17%. The cardiac pathology was limited to the aortic valve in 12 patients; mortality in this subset was zero. There has been no significant early or late postoperative valvular insufficiency in the 59 surviving patients. More rapid left ventricular mass reduction was seen in this group with a 26% mean reduction within 1 year. A mean follow-up of 32 months in the root replacement group has seen no homograft-related reoperations. Conclusions. Although the lack of early mortality in the intraaortic group makes this technique appealing, the high incidence of early insufficiency with the realistic expectation of progression has led to our abandonment of the intraaortic technique. Homograft aortic root replacement confers a higher mortality based on the severity of aortic pathology, but offers excellent long-term hemodynamics in any patient. We have expanded our indication for homograft root replacement to include patients with isolated valvular disease rather than reserving it for those patients with extensive root pathology.
Activation of PPARδ prevents endothelial dysfunction induced by overexpression of amyloid-β precursor protein

Aims Existing evidence suggests that amyloid-β precursor protein (APP) causes endothelial dysfunction and contributes to pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. In the present study, experiments were designed to: (1) determine the mechanisms underlying endothelial dysfunction and (2) define the effects of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta (PPARδ) ligand on endothelial function in transgenic Tg2576 mice overexpressing mutated human APP. Methods and results Confocal microscopy and western blot analyses of wild-type mice aortas provided evidence that APP protein is mainly present in endothelial cells. Overexpression of APP significantly impaired endothelium-dependent relaxations to acetylcholine and phosphorylation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase at Ser1177 in aortas. HPLC analysis revealed that tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) levels were reduced in Tg2576 mice aortas. This was caused by increased oxidation of BH4 and reduced expression and activity of GTP-cyclohydrolase I. Furthermore, gp91phox protein expression and superoxide anion production were increased in aortas of Tg2576 mice. This augmented superoxide formation was completely prevented by the NADPH oxidase inhibitor VAS2870. Expression of copper-/zinc-superoxide dismutase (Cu/ZnSOD) and extracellular SOD was downregulated. Treatment with PPARδ ligand GW501516 (2 mg/kg/day) for 14 days significantly increased BH4 bioavailability and improved endothelium-dependent relaxations in Tg2576 mice aortas. GW501516 also normalized protein expression of gp91phox and SODs, thereby reducing production of superoxide anion in the aortas. Conclusion Our results suggest that in APP transgenic mice loss of nitric oxide and increased oxidative stress are the major causes of endothelial dysfunction. The vascular protective effects of GW501516 in Tg2576 mice appear to be critically dependent on prevention of superoxide anion production.
Low energy ion irradiation of H-terminated Si(001): hydrogen sputtering, beam-induced (2 × 1) reconstruction, and Si epitaxy

Low energy (15–50 eV) noble gas ion irradiation at low temperatures (< 300°C) enables formation of a Si(001)-2 × 1 surface reconstruction that has been hydrogen-terminated by a hydrofluoric acid dip prior to irradiation. Using 15 eV He+ irradiation, a (2 × 1) reconstruction can be formed at temperatures as low as 50°C, the lowest temperature ever reported for formation of this reconstruction. The (2 × 1) reconstruction occurs as a result of surface hydrogen removal by sputtering and recoil implantation into the silicon substrate. Molecular dynamics simulations of low energy irradiation of a hydrogen-terminated silicon surface indicate that chemically-enhanced physical sputtering of silicon occurs in addition to physical sputtering of hydrogen. The hydrogen sputtering yield is found to be strongly dependent on surface hydrogen coverage. The results suggest that low energy ion irradiation can be used to tailor the hydrogen coverage, and thus also the chemical reactivity of the silicon surface.
Resonant Raman, Hot, and Cold Luminescence of Iodine in Rare Gas Matrixes †

Spontaneous light emission (SLE) spectra induced by continuous wave excitation of iodine in rare gas matrixes is analyzed from the perspective of semiclassical molecular dynamics. The three-time correlation functions that describe the process are interpreted in terms of time circuits, where the reversibility of mechanics along specified paths establishes the distinction between resonant Raman (RR) and fluorescence. The observed hot luminescence (fluorescence from the vibrationally over-damped period of dynamics) is simulated, and the underlying dynamics analyzed to describe vibrational dephasing, formation of stationary states, and predissociation of I2(B) in matrixes. The extracted predissociation time of 3-5 ps in matrixes agrees with time-domain measurements. The analysis allows the interpretation of liquid phase spectra which contain both structured and unstructured SLE as strictly RR, suggesting that the unstructured component is due to linear complexes. The spectra also contain vibrationally relaxed emissions from the cage-bound, doubly spin-orbit excited I*I* states, which are prepared via sequential two-photon excitation with an intermediate state lifetime of 2 ms, assigned to A( 3 P1u). The two main emission bands, which shift by 300 cm -1 in proceeding from Ar to Kr to Xe, are assigned to I*I*(1u) f I2(a(1g)), and I*I*(0g + ) f I2(B′′(1u)) transitions, and analyzed.
Constraint Based Automated Synthesis of Nonmasking and Stabilizing Fault-Tolerance

We focus on constraint-based automated addition of nonmasking and stabilizing fault-tolerance to hierarchical programs. We specify legitimate states of the program in terms of constraints that should be satisfied in those states. To deal with faults that may violate these constraints, we add recovery actions while ensuring interference freedom among the recovery actions added for satisfying different constraints. Since the constraint-based{\em manual} design of fault-tolerance is well-known to be applicable in the manual design of nonmasking fault-tolerance, we expect our approach to have a significant benefit in automation of fault-tolerant programs. We illustrate our algorithms with three case studies:stabilizing mutual exclusion, stabilizing diffusing computation, and a data dissemination problem in sensor networks. With experimental results,we show that the complexity of synthesis is reasonable and that it can be reduced using the {\em structure} of the hierarchical systems. To our knowledge, this is the first instance where automated synthesis has been successfully used in synthesizing programs that are correct under fairness assumptions. Moreover, in two of the case studies considered in this paper, the structure of the recovery paths is too complex to permit existing heuristic based approaches for adding recovery.
Prognostic Significance of Between-Arm Blood Pressure Differences

Blood pressure (BP) recordings often differ between arms, but the extent to which these differences are reproducible and whether the differences have prognostic importance is unknown. We enrolled 421 consecutive patients from a medicine and a renal clinic at a veterans’ hospital. Three BP recordings were obtained in each arm using an oscillometric device in a sequential manner and repeated in 1 week. Patients were followed for all-cause mortality ≤7 years. The right arm had 5.1-mm Hg higher systolic BP that attenuated by ≈2.2 mm Hg a week later. Systolic BP dropped 6.9 mm Hg over 1 week and by an additional 5.3 mm Hg in patients with chronic kidney disease. Accounting for the visit and arm effect improved the reproducibility of the BP measurements. The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.74, which improved to 0.88 after accounting for visit and 0.93 after accounting for arm. The crude mortality rate was 6.33 per 100 patient-years. Every 10-mm Hg difference in systolic BP between the arms conferred a mortality hazard of 1.24 (95% CI: 1.01 to 1.52) after adjusting for average systolic BP and chronic kidney disease. BP differences between arms are reproducible and carry prognostic information. Patients should have evaluation of BP in both arms at the screening visit.
Evidence-Based Behavioral Treatment of Dog Phobia With Young Children: Two Case Examples

Specific phobias are among the most common anxiety disorders, especially in children. Unfortunately, a paucity of literature exists regarding the treatment of specific phobia in young children, despite the knowledge that traditional techniques (i.e., cognitive-behavioral therapy [CBT]) may not be practical. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to present two case studies that provide empirical support for the evidence-based behavioral treatment of specific phobia with young children (ages 4 and 5 years). Results indicated that following 10 to 13 sessions of graduated exposure therapy using reinforced practice and participant modeling, the children no longer met criteria for clinically significant phobias of dogs. Treatment effects were maintained at 7-month follow-up despite reported lack of practice and/or regular exposure to dogs in the children's daily lives.
Task Prediction in Cooking Activities Using Hierarchical State Space Markov Chain and Object Based Task Grouping

Cooking activities are complex activities consisting of multiple steps or tasks. These tasks can be associated with one another based on two properties - the temporal structure that defines the sequence of occurrence of tasks and the objects that are used in the activity. This paper develops cooking activity models for the purpose of task prediction based on these two properties. The temporal structure of the sequence of tasks is captured by the novel hierarchical state space markov chain (HMC) and the object usage is represented using the object based task group (OTG) models. A probabilistic task prediction algorithm that fuses the HMC and OTG models has been developed to predict the next most probable task, given that a sequence of tasks has been completed. The proposed models and algorithms have been evaluated on two complex cooking activities - making brownies and making eggs, achieving a subject independent accuracy of 68.5% for predicting tasks, which is an improvement by an average of 6% in comparison to a Markov chain. The work done in the paper is first of its kind as it focuses on task prediction rather than task recognition. The task prediction framework described in the paper can be easily adapted to any complex activity supporting various annotation schemes and activity models.
Sonothrombolysis: a universally applicable and better way to treat acute myocardial infarction and stroke? Who is going to fund the research?

The treatment approaches for both AMI and strokeare becoming more and more similar. Only a small fraction ofthese patients will receive timely percutaneous intervention(PI), which is currently the best available therapy for achiev-ing successful reperfusion. Most Americans do not haveaccess to PI, and except for a few wealthy individuals livingin urban areas, most people in the developing world, wheremost of humanity resides, do not have access to PI. If AMIand stroke patients are lucky enough to receive timelytreatment, it is likely to be thrombolytic therapy, which has asignificantly lower reperfusion rate than PI. Therefore, anoninvasive approach that could improve on thrombolytictherapy and achieve the success rates of PI even in relativelyremote locations would have a major impact on public health.Sonothrombolysis is 1 such potential approach.
Fiber optical parametric amplifiers with linearly or circularly polarized waves

We introduce a formalism that provides a unified solution for the gain spectrum of fiber optical parametric amplifiers (OPAs) using either linearly or circularly polarized waves. There are 12 basic types, including five that have not been previously investigated to our knowledge. We provide a simple method for calculating the maximum gain and nonlinear phase mismatch for such OPAs. All these OPAs have similar elliptical graphs for parametric gain versus propagation constant mismatch, with a width equal to four times the height. This implies that, when fiber dispersion is taken into account, any two-pump OPA can be used to obtain the same gain spectrum as any other OPA in the same fiber, provided that the pump power is adjusted for equal maximum gain and that real solutions exist for the resulting equation for the required pump spacing. In that sense, all these fiber OPAs form an equivalence class.
Arabidopsis lyrata Small RNAs: Transient MIRNA and Small Interfering RNA Loci within the Arabidopsis Genus

Twenty-one-nucleotide microRNAs (miRNAs) and 24-nucleotide Pol IV-dependent small interfering RNAs (p4-siRNAs) are the most abundant types of small RNAs in angiosperms. Some miRNAs are well conserved among different plant lineages, whereas others are less conserved, and it is not clear whether less-conserved miRNAs have the same functionality as the well conserved ones. p4-siRNAs are broadly produced in the Arabidopsis genome, sometimes from active hot spot loci, but it is unknown whether individual p4-siRNA hot spots are retained as hot spots between plant species. In this study, we compare small RNAs in two closely related species (Arabidopsis thaliana and Arabidopsis lyrata) and find that less-conserved miRNAs have high rates of divergence in MIRNA hairpin structures, mature miRNA sequences, and target-complementary sites in the other species. The fidelity of miRNA biogenesis from many less-conserved MIRNA hairpins frequently deteriorates in the sister species relative to the species of first discovery. We also observe that p4-siRNA occupied loci have a slight tendency to be retained as p4-siRNA loci between species, but the most active A. lyrata p4-siRNA hot spots are generally not syntenic to the most active p4-siRNA hot spots of A. thaliana. Altogether, our findings indicate that many MIRNAs and most p4-siRNA hot spots are rapidly changing and evolutionarily transient within the Arabidopsis genus.
Activation of the Neutrophil Respiratory Burst Requires Both Intracellular and Extracellular Calcium

Activation of neutrophil oxidases, including NADPH oxidase, is Ca2+ dependent. The aim of this study was to determine the roles of intra- and extracellular Ca2+, leading to generation of the respiratory burst, as monitored by luminol-dependent chemiluminescence (CL). All results were recorded as integrals (millivolt.min) and compared by a two-tail Student's t test. Preincubation of cells with chelators of intra- or extracellular Ca2+ inhibited N-Formyl-Met-Leu-Phe (FMLP)-stimulated burst activity (p < 0.01). In contrast, stimulation by phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), while inhibited by extracellular Ca2+ chelation with EGTA (p < 0.001), was potentiated by intracellular Ca2+ chelation with BAPTA (p < 0.01). This suggests that the protein kinase C (PKC)-mediated burst may be diminished by intracellular Ca(2+)-dependent phosphatase. A selective inhibitor of tyrosine phosphatase, sodium vanadate, potentiated CL generation by both FMLP and PMA, indicating a dominant phosphatase activation with transiently increased Ca2+, masking the kinase-mediated respiratory burst. The selective inhibitors of PKC or tyrosine kinase prevented PMA and vanadate/PMA stimulation (p < 0.005). Furthermore, the putative Ca2+ channel agonists glutamate (10(-5)M) and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) (10(-5)M) alone failed to influence CL output, but produced marked potentiation following pre-treatment with vanadate. Again this indicates a dominant activation of phosphatase triggered by the glutamate-mediated Ca2+ influx, so masking the kinase-dependent NADPH oxidase activity. A competitive antagonist of NMDA, AP7, significantly decreased vanadate-mediated CL in an EGTA-sensitive manner (p < 0.001). The data confirm a requirement for intra- and extracellular Ca2+ in neutrophil respiratory burst activation via the kinase/phosphatase cycle, and an agonist effect by NMDA within the Ca2+ cascade mechanism.
Cultural criminology and kryptonite: Apocalyptic and retributive constructions of crime and justice in comic books

The current study utilizes a cultural criminological approach to examine paradigms of justice portrayed in American comic books. Based on a review of the literature, we hypothesize that the dominant crimes depicted in comic books are violent street crimes and that the portrayed responses to these crimes are executed outside the rule of law by an avenging protagonist. According to the literature surveyed, comic book protagonists seek to restore public order as a means of returning the community to a constructed, nostalgic ideal. Moreover, the implied policy message in comic books is one of vigilantism, in which moral justice trumps legitimate criminal procedure. Based on a content analysis of 20 contemporary best-selling comic books, themes of organized crime, often involving complex transnational networks, are more prevalent than street crimes, contrary to our hypothesis. However, the response to crime remains focused on vigilante methods and on the restoration of a constructed utopic community that espouses the rule of law. Language: en
Mixtec Landscape Perception and Archaeological Settlement Patterns

We argue that a regional analysis which combines ethnohistoric, ethnographic, and archaeological Information can both discover and employ indigenous cultural ideals in a study of changing settlement Systems. Use of archaeological survey of the valleys of Tilantongo and Jaltepec in conjunction with the historical documentation in the Mixtec codices has allowed us to identify several ways in which ideals of landscape perception were encoded in the codices. This, in turn, allows an enhanced political and social discussion of both the changing patterns of settlement observed archaeologically and the purpose and meaning of the codices. We suggest that the codices, as a form of historical mapping, were produced to recount the common history of several closely interacting elite domains, the Postclassic Mixtec kingdoms of the southern Nochixtlan Valley and their neighbors.
In Vino Veritas Understanding Sustainability With Environmental Certified Management Standards

This article explores differences in the degrees of agreement regarding sustainability among adopters and nonadopters of environmental certified management standards (ECMS). Utilizing a mixed metho...
Interference of Phenaglycodol in Determination of Urinary 17-Ketogenic Steroids and 17-Ketosteroids

Abstract The mechanism by which phenaglycodol causes increased values for urinary 17-ketogenic steroids and 17-ketosteroids has been investigated. On treatment with sodium bismuthate, phenaglycodol yields p-chloroacetophenone; this substance produces a typical blue color in the Zimmermann reaction for 17-ketosteroids. Thus, the presence of phenaglycodol in urine increases the value found for 17-ketogenic steroids. During the acid-catalyzed hydrolysis of conjugated 17-ketosteroids, phenaglycodol undergoes a pinacol rearrangement to form a ketone which gives color when treated with the Zimmermann reagent. The mixture from the Zimmermann reaction, when chromatographed on paper, shows the presence of a pigment which is derived from the ketone. The reaction product of a urinary extract with the Zimmermann reagent contains this pigment if the person whose urine is being tested is ingesting phenaglycodol. Addition of the normal daily dose of phenaglycodol (1,200 mg.) to a 24-hour sample of urine increased the 17-ketogenic steroid value from 4 to 154 mg. and the 17-ketosteroid value from 18 to 30 mg.
Influence of Fusarium-Infected Corn and F-2 on Laying Hens

Abstract Diets containing either Fusarium-infected corn supplying 25 and 100 p.p.m. of F-2 (zearalenone) or of purified F-2 at these levels did not adversely influence the reproductive performance of laying hens. In trial 1, no deleterious effects were observed for 20- and 36-week body weights, age at first egg, egg weight, albumen height, shell deformation, fertility or hatchability when Fusarium-infected corn was fed to 20-week-old pullets for 28 days. Percent hen-day egg production of birds fed Fusarium-infected corn supplying 25 and 100 p.p.m. of F-2 was superior (P ≤ .05) to egg production of nontreated controls. In trial 2, three replications of ten adult Leghorn hens were evaluated under five dietary treatments: (1) 16.7% protein basal; (2) basal plus Fusarium-infected corn (25 p.p.m. of F-2); (3) basal plus 25 p.p.m. of (purified) F-2; (4) basal plus Fusarium-infected corn (100 p.p.m. of F-2); (5) basal plus 100 p.p.m. of (purified) F-2. Difference between dietary treatments for 14-day pre-treatment, treatment and post-treatment periods were nonsignificant for 42- and 44-week body weights, egg production, egg weights, fertility and hatchability. Body weights of chicks from hens fed F-2 diets were not significantly different from those of chicks from hens fed the basal diet.
Autophagy and selective deployment of Atg proteins in antiviral defense

Autophagy is an evolutionarily ancient process eukaryotic cells utilize to remove and recycle intracellular material in order to maintain cellular homeostasis. In metazoans, the autophagy machinery not only functions in this capacity but also has evolved to perform a diverse repertoire of intracellular transport and regulatory functions. In response to virus infections, the autophagy machinery degrades viruses, shuttles viral pathogen-associated molecular patterns to endosomes containing Toll-like receptors, facilitates viral-antigen processing for major histocompatibility complex presentation and transports antiviral proteins to viral replication sites. This is accomplished through canonical autophagy or through processes involving distinct subsets of the autophagy-related genes (Atgs). Herein, we discuss how the variable components of the autophagy machinery contribute to antiviral defense and highlight three emerging themes: first, autophagy delivers viral cytosolic components to several distinct endolysosomal compartments; second, Atg proteins act alone, as subgroups or collectively; and third, the specificity of autophagy and the autophagy machinery is achieved by recognition of triggers and selective targeting by adaptors.
Exposure of embryonic cells to alcohol: Contrasting effects during preimplantation and postimplantation development

Alcohol is a known teratogen that causes a broad variety of developmental anomalies, including fetal growth retardation, craniofacial anomalies, and neurological disorders. The etiology of this multiple defect syndrome, known as the fetal alcohol syndrome, has been studied in animal models that reproduce many of the attributes of the human disease. These studies show that ethanol is most teratogenic during organogenesis and development of the nervous system. The molecular basis of fetal alcohol effects has been further investigated using embryo and cell culture systems. Recent studies show that signal transduction pathways controlling cell proliferation are perturbed during ethanol exposure. Ethanol can induce the release of intracellular calcium stores, which stimulates the cell cycle, and it also up-regulates the expression of myc proteins associated with cell proliferation. Increased proliferation is advantageous during the preimplantation period, but ethanol interference with terminal differentiation events within developing tissues during organogenesis may underlie alcohol teratogenicity.
English Language Learners and the Common Core State Standards: Meeting the Needs of Students With Low Socioeconomic Status and Language Impairment

The new Common Core State Standards (CCSS), adopted by 46 states, are being widely implemented in our schools. A major concern for educators and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) is that English ...
Graphics literacy in a modern engineering/engineering technology curriculum

Aspects of graphics literacy in a modern engineering/engineering technology curriculum are examined. Attention is given to why technical drawing is important. It is pointed out that technical graphics is a real and complete language that serves to (1) teach the language of technical graphics, its terminology, grammar, style, and abbreviations; (2) to improve problem solving ability; and (3) to improve the ability to quickly and accurately visualize objects. >
Acute spinal cord injury

Acute spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating event with high mortality and, among survivors, a high degree of morbidity due to both motor and sensory deficits. The damage that occurs with a SCI is recognized to be pathophysiologically biphasic: the initial insult to neural tissue can be followed by a secondary process of progressive ischemia that may worsen the severity of dysfunction. The extent of this secondary insult is potentially modifiable, and a variety of interventions have been studied in an attempt to improve motor and sensory outcomes. What follows is a brief review of some such procedural and pharmacologic interventions, including early decompressive surgery, use of methylprednisolone, and blood pressure and respiratory management, which have been proposed to improve outcomes after SCI.
The Role of Theory and Anomaly in Social-Scientific Inference

Designing Social Inquiry, by King, Keohane, and Verba (KKV), deserves praise for many reasons. It attempts, seriously and without condescension, to bridge the gap between qualitative and quantitative political science. It reminds a new generation of students, in both traditions, of some main characteristics of good theory (testability, operationalizability, and "leverage," or deductive fertility). It clarifies, even for the profoundly mathematically challenged, some of the central strictures of statistical inference (why one cannot have more variables than cases or select on the dependent variable, or why it biases results if measurement of the independent variable is faulty). It abounds with practical wisdom on research design, case selection, and complementary methodologies. Perhaps most important, it opens a dialogue between previously isolated practitioners of these two forms of analysis and provokes worthwhile discussion. For all of these reasons and more, the book should be, will be, and-indeed, even in its samizdat formsalready has been widely assigned and read. It is, quite simply, the best work of its kind now available; indeed, it is very likely the best yet to have appeared.' At the same time, I think, Designing Social Inquiry falters in its aim of evangelizing qualitative social scientists; and it does so, paradoxically, because it attends insufficiently to the importance of problemation and deductive theorizing in the scientific enterprise. As natural scientists have long understood (see Hempel, 1966), inference proceeds most efficiently by three complementary routes: (1) making clear the essential model, or process, that one hypothesizes to be at work; (2) teasing out the deductive implications of that model, focusing particularly on the implications that seem a priori least plausible; and (3) rigorously testing those least plausible implications against empirical reality.2 The Nobel physicist and polymath Richard Feynman may have put it best:3
An Object-Oriented Framework for Versatile Finite Element Based Simulations of Neurostimulation

Computational simulations of transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) are commonly utilized by the neurostimulation community, and while vastly different TES application areas can be investigated, the mathematical equations and physiological characteristics that govern this research are identical. The goal of this work was to develop a robust software framework for TES that efficiently supports the spectrum of computational simulations routinely utilized by the TES community and in addition easily extends to support alternative neurostimulation research objectives. Using well-established object-oriented software engineering techniques, we have designed a software framework based upon the physical and computational aspects of TES. The framework’s versatility is demonstrated with a set of diverse neurostimulation simulations that (i) reinforce the importance of using anisotropic tissue conductivities, (ii) demonstrate the enhanced precision of high-definition stimulation electrodes, and (iii) highlight the benefits of utilizing multigrid solution algorithms. Our approaches result in a framework that facilitates rapid prototyping of real-world, customized TES administrations and supports virtually any clinical, biomedical, or computational aspect of this treatment. Software reuse and maintainability are optimized, and in addition, the same code can be effortlessly augmented to provide support for alternative neurostimulation research endeavors.
The Demise of Foreign Attachment

This article explains why jurisdiction through foreign attachment is withering away as a major source of state authority to secure jurisdiction over defendants who are nonresident individuals or foreign corporations. The article first explains how the holding of Shaffer v. Heitner, 433 U.S. 186 (1977) limits jurisdictional attachments by mandating that defending parties have sufficient contact with a forum state to meet the minimum requirements of the International Shoe Co. v. Washington, 326 U.S. 310 (1945). The article then explains that procedural due process rules announced in Fuentes v. Shevin, 407 U.S. 67 (1972) necessarily severely limit - and likely entirely foreclose - jurisdictional attachments, which necessarily occur without notice and opportunity to be heard by owners of the items of property being attached.
Six-month changes in ideal cardiovascular health vs. Framingham 10-year coronary heart disease risk among young adults enrolled in a weight loss intervention

The Framingham Risk equation uses sex, age, smoking, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and systolic blood pressure to predict 10-year risk of coronary heart disease (FR-10). The American Heart Association's Ideal Cardiovascular Health (IDEAL) score uses smoking, total cholesterol, fasting glucose, blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), diet, and physical activity to encourage a healthy cardiovascular phenotype. This study aimed to compare 6-month changes in the FR-10 vs. IDEAL score among young adults with BMI ≥25 to <40kg/m(2) enrolled in a behavioral weight loss intervention at the University of Pittsburgh (2010-12). Medians [25th, 75th percentiles] are reported. Weight decreased by 8kg [-12, -4] among 335 participants. Of 7 possible points, IDEAL score was 4 [3, 4] at baseline, improved (i.e., increased) by 1 [0, 2] over 6months, and improved in 64.2% and worsened in 6.6% of participants (p<0.001). IDEAL classification of BMI, physical activity, total cholesterol, blood pressure and glucose improved (all p<0.001), but not of smoking or diet (both p≥0.05). FR-10 was <1% at baseline for 88.1% of participants and changed in few participants (improved, i.e. decreased, in 7.5%, worsened in 1.8%, p<0.001). Among young adults with overweight or obesity enrolled in a weight loss intervention, IDEAL detected positive changes in a majority of participants while the FR-10 did not. These findings suggest that IDEAL score may be more sensitive to positive cardiovascular health changes resulting from a behavioral intervention in this population.
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Renal Disease

An upregulation of arachidonate metabolism often accompanies renal pathophysiologic states. The resulting eicosanoids contribute to, or modify, the underlying process. Recent investigations suggest that platelet-neutrophil interactions, as well as alterations in the expression of the inducible isoform of cyclooxygenase, play a critical role in mediating changes in arachidonate metabolism in renal inflammation. The importance of arachidonate to renal pathophysiology has been highlighted by prior investigations which have demonstrated a beneficial effect of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) modulation in a variety of models of experimental renal disease. More recent work has established that this beneficial effect may depend upon alterations in both lipid mediator generation as well as changes in cell function. In light of the benefits of dietary PUFA modulation in models of experimental renal disease, there have been numerous recent clinical trials of dietary (n-3) PUFA supplementation in patients with a variety of renal disorders. These clinical trials suggest that such therapy may be an important addition to the clinical armamentarium, especially in the treatment of IgA nephropathy.
Utilization of Trap Nests by the Pipe-Organ Mud-Dauber, Trypargilum politum (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae)

The confirmed utilization of trap nests by the organ-pipe mud-dauber, Trypargilum politum (Say), is reported. Five trap nesting records for T. politum were obtained in the Okefenokee Swamp in southeast Georgia during the summer of 1978. The structure, characteristics, and prey of these trap nests are summarized and compared to T. politum's typical mud nests. Possible selective advantages afforded to T. politum by trap nest utilization are hypothesized.