cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reading Advocacy: What Matters in Students', Parents', and Teachers' Lives.

About the Michigan Alliance of Reading Professors Reading Advocacy: What Matters in Students', Parents', and Teachers' Lives Karen F. Thomas Editor In December of 2006 and again in February of 2007, fifty Literacy Professors representing almost every college and university in Michigan met in a collegial forum to discuss and advocate for all students involved in reading instruction/education. This advocacy spans students from prekindergarten through college undergraduates and graduates. The many and varied issues and voices in the reading mix have become overwhelming for both the public at large and educators involved in reading instruction. In an attempt to reach out to the families of Michigan whose lives are directly affected by all literacy instruction, the Michigan Alliance of Reading Professors (MARP) pledges to help make sense of the varied and numerous voices in the reading arena in a positive advocacy role. We support the following: As the Michigan Alliance of Reading Professors, we dedicate ourselves to supporting and improving the lives of Michigan's families through effective literacy instruction. OUR MISSION: o To ensure that every student in Michigan receives reading instruction that is based on rigorous research; 202 ReadingHorizons Journa4 2007, 47, (3) 9 To promote teacher expertise and professional decision making in literacy assessment and instruction; * To communicate with families, educators, policymakers, and others about literacy issues; e To advocate for the rights of literacy professionals to identify and implement effective reading instruction, assessment, and research; and o To collaborate with other professional organizations who share our goals. With an eye to the reading and literacy instruction for the 21st century, MARP looks forward to the challenges posited in our mission statement. Reading instruction that matters and keeps curiosity alive can only take place in the classrooms of knowledgeable, prepared teachers who plan based on the needs of each learner. This teacher/student relationship is crucial to effective reading instruction and MARP's role is critical in forging these positive relationships. For more information, MARP's contacts are: Mark Conley, Ph.D. James Cipielewski, Ph.D. Nancy Patterson, Ph.D. Michigan State University Oakland University Grand Valley State University Lansing, MI Rochester, MI Grand Rapids, MI conleym,msu.edu cipielewA(ioakland.edu patterna(6evsu.edu
Sodium/Bicarbonate Cotransporter NBCn1/Slc4a7 Inhibits NH4Cl-mediated Inward Current in Xenopus Oocytes

The electroneutral Na+–HCO3− cotransporter NBCn1 (SLC4A7) contributes to intracellular pH maintenance and transepithelial HCO3− movement. In this study, we expressed NBCn1 in Xenopus oocytes and examined the effect of NBCn1 on oocyte NH4+ transport by analysing changes in membrane potential, current and intracellular pH mediated by NH4Cl. In the presence of HCO3−/CO2, applying NH4Cl (20 mm) produced intracellular acidification of oocytes. The acidification was faster in oocytes expressing NBCn1 than in control oocytes injected with water; however, NH4Cl-mediated membrane depolarization was smaller in oocytes expressing NBCn1. In HCO3−/CO2-free solution, NH4Cl produced a smaller inward current in NBCn1-expressing oocytes (56% inhibition by 20 mm NH4Cl, measured at −60 mV), while minimally affecting intracellular acidification. The inhibition of the current by NBCn1 was unaffected when BaCl2 replaced KCl. Current–voltage relationships showed a positive and nearly linear relationship between NH4Cl-mediated current and voltage, which was markedly reduced by NBCn1. Large basal currents (before NH4Cl exposure) were produced in NBCn1-expressing oocytes owing to the previously characterized channel-like activity of NBCn1. Inhibiting this channel-like activity by Na+ removal abolished the inhibitory effect of NBCn1 on NH4Cl-mediated currents. The currents were progressively reduced over 72–120 h after NBCn1 cRNA injection, during which the channel-like activity was high. These results indicate that NBCn1 stimulates NH4+ transport by its Na+–HCO3− cotransport activity, while reducing NH4+ conductance by its channel-like activity.
Activity: “I Now Pronounce You … Wife and Wife?”

ABSTRACT On October 25, 2006, New Jersey's Supreme Court announced that the state must legally recognize same-sex couples. The high court gave the legislature the responsibility to provide a name to this legal recognition. This issue, though, is not specific to New Jersey, but a national one in which 27 states have amended their constitution to restrict marriage to one woman and one man since 2000, and five states have broadened the legal rights granted to same-sex couples. This activity is designed to enable instructors to help students reflect on their attitudes about legally recognizing same-sex couples by participating in a forced-choice group activity.
Mantle Viscosity: A Comparison of Models from Postglacial Rebound and from the Geoid, Plate Driving Forces, and Advected Heat Flux

Models of the radial variation of effective viscosity inferred from the Earth’s response to surface loads associated with Pleistocene deglaciation are compared to structures inferred from models of geodynamic phenomena associated with convection - the geoid, plate driving forces, and advected heat flux. While observations of the Earth’s response to surface loads do not have sufficient resolution to justify more than two viscous layers, adequately matching the observed long-wavelength geoid anomalies associated with density contrasts in the lower mantle (inferred from seismic tomography) and in the upper mantle (inferred from a model of subducted slabs) requires more structure. It is possible to explain the geoid, observed plate velocities, the advected heat flux in the lower mantle, and relative sea level variations in oceanic regions, all with a mantle with a high-viscosity/elastic lid, an asthenospheric channel of 2 x 1019 Pa s from 100 to 400 km depth, a 6 x 1020 Pa s transition zone, and a lower mantle of 6 x 1021 Pa s. The uplift history of Australia, Fennoscandia, and Laurentia can be explained with an asthenospheric viscosity less than a factor of 10 higher. Lateral variations in lower mantle viscosity are not required. Transient creep appears to be unimportant for the recent response to surface loads from Pleistocene deglaciation.
On the Computational Economics of Reinforcement Learning

Abstract Following terminology used in adaptive control, we distinguish between indirect learning methods, which learn explicit models of the dynamic structure of the system to be controlled, and direct learning methods, which do not. We compare an existing indirect method, which uses a conventional dynamic programming algorithm, with a closely related direct reinforcement learning method by applying both methods to an infinite horizon Markov decision problem with unknown state-transition probabilities. The simulations show that although the direct method requires much less space and dramatically less computation per control action, its learning ability in this task is superior to, or compares favorably with, that of the more complex indirect method. Although these results do not address how the methods’ performances compare as problems become more difficult, they suggest that given a fixed amount of computational power available per control action, it may be better to use a direct reinforcement learning method augmented with indirect techniques than to devote all available resources to a computationally costly indirect method. Comprehensive answers to the questions raised by this study depend on many factors making up the economic context of the computation.
Software Process Improvement: Practical Guidelines for Business Success

This book will help you to manage and control the quality of your organization's software products. Continually dealing with the problems caused by software defects can be both time-consuming and demanding but Sami Zahran's pragmatic approach will take you from reactive fire-fighting to a preventative culture of disciplined and continuous process improvement. This book will help you: establish a process-focused software development organizatio design and implement procedures for developing quality software in time and within budge benchmark your organization against the industry standards for the software process, including the Capability Maturity Model (CMM), ISO 9001, the new standard ISO/IEC 15504 (originally known as SPICE) and Bootstrap.
Higher Childhood Peer Reports of Social Preference Mediates the Impact of the Good Behavior Game on Suicide Attempt

The Good Behavior Game (GBG) is a universal classroom-based preventive intervention directed at reducing early aggressive, disruptive behavior and improving children's social adaptation into the classroom. The GBG is one of the few universal preventive interventions delivered in early elementary school that has been shown to reduce the risk for future suicide attempts. This paper addresses one potential mechanism by which the GBG lowers the risk of later suicide attempt. In this study, we tested whether the GBG, by facilitating social adaptation into the classroom early on, including the level of social preference by classmates, thereby lowers future risk of suicide attempts. The measure of social adaptation is based on first and second grade peer reports of social preference ("which children do you like best?"; "which children don't you like?"). As part of the hypothesized meditational model, we examined the longitudinal association between childhood peer social preference and the risk of future suicide attempt, which has not previously been examined. Data were from an epidemiologically based randomized prevention trial, which tested the GBG among two consecutive cohorts of first grade children in 19 public schools and 41 classrooms. Results indicated that peer social preference partially mediated the relationship between the GBG and the associated reduction of risk for later suicide attempts by adulthood, specifically among children characterized by their first grade teacher as highly aggressive, disruptive. These results suggest that positive childhood peer relations may partially explain the GBG-associated reduction of risk for suicide attempts and may be an important and malleable protective factor for future suicide attempt.
Perioperative rates of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism in normal weight vs obese and morbidly obese surgical patients in the era post venous thromboembolism prophylaxis guidelines

Abstract Background The increasing prevalence of obesity translates into a greater number of obese patients undergoing general surgery procedures. We questioned if increased awareness and recent prophylaxis guidelines impacted the incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in the obese patients. Methods A total of 33,325 patients who underwent 4 common general surgery procedures from 2005 to 2009 were identified from the American College of Surgeons' National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. Rates of VTE between 5 body mass index cohorts were compared with univariable analysis. Results No significant difference existed between rates of deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism (PE) across the body mass index categories ( P = .32 and P = .06, respectively). With the exception of the positive linear trend in the rate of PE for patients undergoing abdominal wall hernia repair ( P Conclusion VTE rates in the obese patients are similar to that of the general population with the exception of PE in those undergoing abdominal wall hernia repair.
Arachidonic acid closes innexin/pannexin channels and thereby inhibits microglia cell movement to a nerve injury.

Pannexons are membrane channels formed by pannexins and are permeable to ATP. They have been implicated in various physiological and pathophysiological processes. Innexins, the invertebrate homologues of the pannexins, form innexons. Nerve injury induces calcium waves in glial cells, releasing ATP through glial pannexon/innexon channels. The ATP then activates microglia. More slowly, injury releases arachidonic acid (ArA). The present experiments show that ArA itself reduced the macroscopic membrane currents of innexin- and of pannexin-injected oocytes; ArA also blocked K+-induced release of ATP. In leeches, whose large glial cells have been favorable for studying control of microglia migration, ArA blocked glial dye-release and, evidently, ATP-release. A physiological consequence in the leech was block of microglial migration to nerve injuries. Exogenous ATP (100 µM) reversed the effect, for ATP causes activation and movement of microglia after nerve injury, but nitric oxide directs microglia to the lesion. It was not excluded that metabolites of ArA may also inhibit the channels. But for all these effects, ArA and its non-metabolizable analog eicosatetraynoic acid (ETYA) were indistinguishable. Therefore, ArA itself is an endogenous regulator of pannexons and innexons. ArA thus blocks release of ATP from glia after nerve injury and thereby, at least in leeches, stops microglia at lesions. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 73: 621–631, 2013
Estimating Effects of Herd Characteristics on Milk Production in Minnesota Dairy Farms

Abstract The objectives of this study were to estimate influence of genetic and environmental measures on herd milk production and to determine the relationship between these effects. Genetic evaluations were assessed by weighted herd PTA dollars. Environmental factors were categorized by nutrition, reproduction, and lactational health. Variables selected to represent these categories were, respectively, grain and forage DMI, days open, and percentage of herd scoring less than five on linear SCC test. A total of 3967 Holstein herds on Minnesota DHIA in December 1989 that had been on DHIA for at least 1 yr and had complete data for all selected variables were used to explain rolling herd 4% FCM. Results indicated that expected difference among herds attributable to any individual herd characteristic was dependent on levels of other herd characteristics. Both largest and smallest expected differences in herd FCM were associated with high levels of grain feeding. Largest FCM difference due to days open occurred with low genetics and lactational health. Greatest FCM differences due to genetics occurred with high days open in healthy herds. Greatest FCM differences between herds due to mastitis were with long days open and high genetics. At $.30/kg of FCM and selected management levels, ranges for the effect of a decrease in days open by 1 were –.57 to $1.05 per cow, an increase by 1 PTA dollar from 2.28 to $4.17 per cow, 1 kg increase in grain DMI .13 to $.17 per cow, and a decrease by 1 in percentage of cows infected with mastitis 6.72 to $8.97 per cow.
Information seeking behaviour of library users at Metropolitan College of New York

Purpose – This paper seeks to comment on the information seeking behaviour of Metropolitan College of New York (MCNY) library users.Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on studying database usage patterns from January 2007 to December 2010, as well as a literature review.Findings – The results of the study suggest the position that database usage statistics can give insight into information behaviour and help inform collection management decisions, but on their own are not sufficient to give the complete picture.Practical implications – The outcomes may be useful in the design of library instruction sessions in future student groups in the College as well as in postsecondary settings, in addition to informing collection management decisions.Originality/value – A study of library database use patterns by library users brought out relevant information relating to the tailoring and enhancement of library service.
On the Stability of Insecticide-Resistance in Mosquitoes

Laboratory tests on the stability of insecticide resistance in mosquito larvae indicate that some colonies experience a reduction from their initial level of resistance to both chlorinated hydrocarbons and organophosphorus compounds when selection pressure is not maintained. The rapid decline in resistance to organophosphorus insecticides parallels observations made on laboratory colonies of the adult house fly, Musca domestica L. Laboratory tests conducted on a malathion-resistant strain of Culex tarsalis Coq. and a parathion-resistant strain of Aedes nigromaculis (Ludlow) indicated that resistance levels in field populations of both strains has declined from the previous year. Field tests in 1958 Oil the parathion-resistant strain of A. nigromaculis indicated that formulation difficulties were not responsible for the number of surviving larvae observed after application of o.1 l lb./acre of parathion. These findings substantiate earlier laboratory tests reported elsewhere that physiological resistance to parathion existed in this strain. Field tests conducted in 1959 indicated a lower level of resistance to malathion and parathion than for 1958. Fewer treatments and, in the case of parathion-resistance, the substitution of a different insecticide may have been responsible for the decline in resistance. Rotation of organophosphorous insecticides where cross tolerances do not exist, as well as compounds with differing modes of action, are suggested as a possible means of averting the development of resistance. Prolonged and frequent use of anyone type of insecticide on house flies or mosquitoes should be discouraged.
Wall Shear Stress in Intracranial Self-Expanding Stents Studied Using Ultra-High-Resolution 3D Reconstructions

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Imaging of intracranial stents is constrained by resolution limits of current clinical imaging techniques providing insufficient visualization of deployment details and impeding its use for computational hemodynamic (CHD) simulations. The purpose of our study was to evaluate whether ultra-high-resolution MicroCT scans can illuminate detailed aspects of realistic in vitro stent deployment and serve as a reliable basis for CHD simulations of blood flow through self-expanding intracranial stents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A Neuroform Treo (NF) stent and an Enterprise (ENT) stent were deployed in identical straight polytetrafluoroethylene tubes filled with contrast agent. MicroCT scans were obtained at a spatial resolution of 14 μm and used for ultra-high-resolution 3D reconstructions. CHD simulations were performed, with particular emphasis on local flow behavior near the wall and struts. Flow differences between the geometrically different stents were studied. RESULTS: MicroCT data revealed strut prolapse near the markers for the closed-cell design (ENT) stent and at some of the unconnected vertices of the open-cell design (NF) stent, which also showed some misalignments. CHD simulations showed that reverse wall shear stress occurred near some of the strut vertices and markers for the NF but only near the markers for the ENT. CONCLUSIONS: This work demonstrates the feasibility of ultra-high-resolution MicroCT imaging in elucidating important details of intracranial stent deployment as a basis for accurate CHD simulations and in enabling a structural and hemodynamic study of realistically deployed stents with different geometry and design.
Follow-up of Patients with Chronic Pulmonary Histoplasmosis Treated with Amphotericin B

The late results of chronic pulmonary histoplasmosis treated with amphotericin B are of interest because of the chronic relapsing character of the disease. A total of 89 cases from four hospitals were reviewed according to a uniform plan. Of 56 cases that were observed repeatedly for an average of four years and four months, 48 (86 percent) were either well or died of causes other than histoplasmosis. Eighteen were well and working. Nineteen had inactive histoplasmosis and were not working. Six patients relapsed, but responded to a second course of treatment. Five cases died and had no active histoplasmosis at autopsy. The remaining eight patients (14 percent) had unsatisfactory results. These chronic pulmonary histoplasmosis cases treated with amphotericin B supply data covering longer time periods than those derived from controlled observations of early results reported elsewhere.
Using solid-state 31P{19F} REDOR NMR to measure distances between a trifluoromethyl group and a phosphodiester in nucleic acids

Abstract REDOR is a solid-state NMR technique frequently applied to biological structure problems. Through incorporation of phosphorothioate groups in the nucleic acid backbone and mono-fluorinated nucleotides, 31 P{ 19 F} REDOR has been used to study the binding of DNA to drugs and RNA to proteins through the detection of internuclear distances as large as 13–14 A. In this work, 31 P{ 19 F} REDOR is further refined for use in nucleic acids by the combined use of selective placement of phosphorothioate groups and the introduction of nucleotides containing trifluoromethyl (–CF 3 ) groups. To ascertain the REDOR-detectable distance limit between an unique phosphorous spin and a trifluoromethyl group and to assess interference from intermolecular couplings, a series of model compounds and DNA dodecamers were synthesized each containing a unique phosphorous label and trifluoromethyl group or a single 19 F nucleus. The dipolar coupling constants of the various 31 P and 19 F or –CF 3 containing compounds were compared using experimental and theoretical dephasing curves involving several models for intermolecular interactions.
Implicit memory bias for threat in posttraumatic stress disorder

We employed a noise judgment task to investigate implicit memory bias for threat in Vietnam veterans with and without posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Subjects first heard neutral (e.g., “THE SHINY APPLE SAT ON THE TABLE”) and combat-relevant (e.g., “THE CHOPPER LANDED IN HOT LZ”) sentences. Implicit memory for these sentences was tested by having subjects rate the volume of noise accompanying the presentation of these “old” sentences intermixed with “new” sentences. Implicit memory for old sentences is revealed when subjects rate the noise accompanying old sentences as less loud than the noise accompanying new sentences. Results revealed that under high noise volume PTSD patients demonstrated an implicit memory bias for combat-relevant sentences, whereas control subjects did not. This differential priming effect suggests that information about threat may be automatically accessed in PTSD.
Transmittance of Tin Films in the Far Ultraviolet

The transmission spectra of tin films ranging in thickness from 680 to 1690 A have been studied in detail in the spectral range 1000–80 A, utilizing both photoelectric and photographic detection. The photoelectric results, using a multiline source, give measured values of transmittance, while the photographic results, using the pure continuum radiated by the NBS 180-MeV electron synchrotron, show the behavior of the transmittance curves between measured data points. These new measurements, giving continuous and extended information, allow an interpretation of the transmission characteristics of tin in terms of atomic and solid-state parameters. In particular, the photographic data locate the NIV,V x-ray edges with increased accuracy [NV = 23.8(±0.1) eV; NIV = 24.9(±0.1) eV]. Of practical importance, a film of thickness 680 A has a transmittance of over 20% from 700 to 525 A. Of theoretical significance is a broad absorption feature centered near 190 A, due to the high oscillator strength for transition of the 4d electron to continuum states of f symmetry.
Effect of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) on gut glutathione metabolism.

Abstract Background. One mechanism of the mammary carcinogenesis of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) is thought to be the generation of reactive oxygen species known to play an important role in initiation and progression. We hypothesized that DMBA would disrupt gut glutathione (GSH) metabolism and this disruption would correlate with mammary cell carcinogenesis. Methods. Sixty-four Sprague–Dawley rats were randomized to the DMBA versus control groups. At age 50 days, rats were gavaged with a one-time dose of 20 mg DMBA or sesame oil. Rats from each group were sacrificed at 1 week (n = 16), 2 weeks (n = 16), 4 weeks (n = 16), and 11 weeks (n = 16). Tumor appearance, arterial and gut GSH concentration, and gut GSH extraction were measured over time. Results. Gut GSH extraction (normally negative; production) was significantly depressed over the time points, even showing uptake (positive extraction) at Weeks 1 and 2. Tumors developed in all animals in the DMBA group by Week 11. Conclusions. A one-time oral administration of DMBA has a significant and prolonged depressive effect on gut GSH production that has not previously been described. These data support the hypothesis that the carcinogenic effect of DMBA is mediated, at least in part, by oxidative damage and that the disruption of gut GSH metabolism may play a greater role in carcinogenesis than previously realized.
Bioethanol and biodiesel: alternative liquid fuels for future generations.

The global population is expected to increase by approximately 3 billion people by 2050. With this increase in population, industry, transportation the cost of fossil fuels will grow dramatically. New technologies are needed for fuel extraction using feedstocks that do not threaten food security, cause minimal or no loss of natural habitat and soil carbon. At the same time, waste management has to be improved and environmental pollution should be minimized or eliminated. Liquid biofuels such as lignocellulosic-based ethanol from plant biomass and algal-based biodiesel are sustainable, alternative biofuels that could stabilize national security and provide clean energy for future generations. Ideally, the technology should also foster recycling of agricultural feedstocks and improve soil fertility and human health. This article provides updated information on the energy potential and breadth of liquid biofuel biotechnology.
687. In a Model of Irradiation Retreatment of the Murine Lung, Gene Therapy with Manganese Superoxide Dismutase-Plasmid Liposome (MnSOD-PL) Increases Lung Tolerance

In 30|[ndash]|50% of unresectable non-small cell lung cancer patients treated initially with irradiation, local regional reoccurrence may necessitate a second course of irradiation. The retreatment dose must be reduced to maintain normal tissue tolerance. We have previously demonstrated that intratracheal injection of MnSOD prevents irradiation damage following initial irradiation treatments. We tested administration of MnSOD-PL for effectiveness in maintaining irradiation-induced damage to the lung in a retreatment model. C57BL/6NHsd female mice were divided into two groups. One group was administered MnSOD-PL via intratracheal injection (plus irradiation to 14 Gy 24 hours later) while the second group received 14 Gy irradiation alone. The mice were then followed for the development of irradiation-induced fibrosis. In mice that received 14 Gy irradiation alone there was 50% survival at 180 days. This group was then divided into two groups with the second irradiation dose of 10 Gy to 1 group, while the second group received MnSOD-PL 24 hours before the 10 Gy dose. Mice injected with MnSOD-PL before the first treatment had an 87.5% survival at 180 days after irradiation (p = 0.003). These mice were also divided into two groups that received: 1) a second dose of 10 Gy alone or 2) MnSOD-PL 24 hours before the second dose of 10 Gy. Mice that were irradiated to 14 Gy alone in initial treatment with a second 10 Gy course and given MnSOD-PL 24 hours before the 2nd irradiation had no significant increase in survival following the second dose of irradiation. In contrast, mice given MnSOD-PL before the first dose of 14 Gy but not the second dose of 10 Gy at 180 days had a significant increase in survival compared to the 14 Gy only (no MnSOD-PL) irradiated groups (p=0.0022). Mice that received MnSOD-PL 24 hours before both irradiation courses had the most significantly increased survival compared to control irradiated mice (p < 0.0001). By 300 days after irradiation, mice which received irradiation only or mice that received MnSOD-PL only before the second dose had 11% survival. Mice treated with MnSOD before the first dose of irradiation had a survival of 31.6% while mice that received MnSOD before both irradiation courses had a survival rate of 47.6%. The data indicate that lung irradiation tolerance in a retreatment model is improved by MnSOD-PL gene therapy.
Groups, the Theory of ends, and context-free languages

This is the first of a series of three papers describing some surprising connections between group theory, the theory of ends, the theory of automata and formal languages, and second-order logic. This first paper discusses the interaction of group theory and formal language theory. Using the theory of ends and Rabin’s theorem that the monadic theory of the infinite binary tree is decidable, the second paper will establish the decidability of the monadic second-order theory of a very large class of graphs. The third paper will give give a new proof of Rabin’s theorem. The sketch ]9] is a detailed statement of the reults of the first and second papers. We begin our investigation with a question raised by Anisimov ] 11. A finitely generated group can be described by a presentation G = (X; R) in terms of generators and defining relations. The word problem W(G) is the set of all words on the generators and their inverses which represent the identity element of G. Anisimov asked, “If W(G) is a context-free language in the usual sense of formal language theory, what can one say about the algebraic structure of the group G?” Although the set W(G) depends on the presentation, an easy lemma shows that if W(G) is a context-free language for one presentation of G, then W(G) is a context-free laguage for every finitely generated presentation of G. Thus we shall simply say that a finitely generated group is context-free if the word problem is a context-free language for finitely generated presentations of G. A group is virtually free if it has a free subgroup of finite index. We were led to conjecture that a finitely generated group is
At the Crossroads of Cultures? A Historic and Strategic Examination of Kenya-Somalia Relations

Kenya shares borders with five countries, all of which have been plagued by postcolonial instability. Of those neighboring nations, relations with Somalia have proven to be the most troublesome for Kenya in both the colonial and postcolonial eras. Border disputes, religious tensions, and internal power struggles intensified the strained relationship between the two nations in the postcolonial era. This article explores the relationship between Kenya and Somalia, in both historical and strategic terms. Tracing Kenyan-Somali relations from their pre-independence days, through numerous regime changes, and up to the present day, it illustrates an awkward uneasiness between the two countries and also reveals the many continuities and discontinuities at work in East Africa.
Ultrastructural evidence for the presence of nerve cells in the gastrodermis of Hydra.

Two types of nerve cells, namely, neurosensory and neurosecretory cells have been identified and described in the gastrodermis of Hydra pseudoligactis. The morphological criteria used for the identification of gastrodermal nerves are based on those presented previously for epidermal nerves. The third type of nerve cell in the epidermis, ganglionic cells, was not observed in these studies. The distribution, function and origin of gastrodermal nerve cells are discussed briefly.
Cryptosporidium muris in a reticulated giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata).

Abstract Cryptosporidium spp. infection in captive exotic mammals was investigated using staining and molecular biological methods. A total of 323 fecal samples from 100 mammalian species (62 Artiodactyla, 33 Rodentia, 3 Perissodactyla, and 2 Paenungultata) in 4 zoological gardens in the Czech Republic was examined. Only in a reticulated giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata) sample was Cryptosporidium sp. infection detected. The partial small subunit rRNA sequence obtained from the isolate was identical to sequences of Cryptosporidium muris in rock hyrax (Procavia capensis) and Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus). Neonatal BALB/c mice inoculated with 1 × 103 fresh oocysts of the C. muris giraffe isolate did not produce a detectable infection.
Enzymatic hydrolysis of indoleacetonitrile.

THAT the growth-promoting action of indole-3-acetonitrile is exerted on some plants but not on others is due to its conversion in the susceptible plants to indoleacetic acid1,2. The bioassays which made possible the original discovery of indoleacetonitrile in Brassica 3,4 were made on Avena coleoptiles, which were found1,2 to carry out the conversion powerfully. Coleoptiles of Zea mays evidently make the conversion weakly, seedlings of Lupinus or Pisum scarcely at all1. These facts suggested the presence in some plants of an enzyme system which carries out the conversion, and preliminary experiments led to the demonstration that a cell-free plant juice from Avena coleoptiles has this ability. For further work a number of plants was studied as possible sources of the enzyme, and leaves of Avena and Hordeum were found very active. Most of the subsequent experiments, including those described here, have been made with barley leaves and stems, Breck's six-row variety. The activity was assayed by incubating the juice with a known quantity of synthetic indoleacetonitrile for 4 hr., then acidifying the solution to pH 2.8 with H3PO4, shaking out with ether, treating the ethereal solution with saturated sodium bicarbonate and acidifying the latter and re-extracting. The ether extract was taken up in water and its indoleacetic acid content determined by the Salkowski reaction5. Earlier experiments had shown good agreement of the Salkowski indoleacetic acid determinations with results obtained from pea curvature and pea straight-growth bioassays, and with estimates from paper chromatograms.
Parenteral Nutrition and Fasting Reduces Mucosal Addressin Cellular Adhesion Molecule-1 (MAdCAM-1) mRNA in Peyer's Patches of Mice

BACKGROUND Mucosal addressin cellular adhesion molecule-1 (MAdCAM-1) in Peyer's patches (PP) is the gateway molecule for cellular migration into the mucosal immune system. Lack of enteral feeding during parenteral nutrition (PN) rapidly decreases PP MAdCAM-1, leading to drops in mucosal T and B cells and intestinal and respiratory IgA. We determined the molecular events associated with MAdCAM-1 mRNA and protein during PN (short and long term) and fasting (1 and 2 days). METHODS Experiment 1: Cannulated mice received PN for 8 hours (short-term PN, n = 6) or chow + saline (chow, n = 6). Experiment 2: Cannulated mice received PN (long-term PN, n = 4) or chow (n = 3) for 5 days. Experiment 3: Noncannulated chow mice were fasted for 1 and 2 days (n = 2/time). Total cellular RNA from the PP was quantified for MAdCAM-1 mRNA by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). MAdCAM-1 protein was measured by Western blot. RESULTS PN rapidly down-regulated MAdCAM-1 gene expression. After 8 hours of PN with lack of enteral feeding, MAdCAM-1 mRNA levels dropped 20% (0.8-fold vs chow, p > .05); 5 days of PN reduced MAd-CAM-1 levels 64% (0.34-fold vs chow, p < .05). PN reduced MAdCAM-1 protein levels by 30% (chow: 329 +/- 14 vs PN: 230 +/- 35, p < .05) after 5 days. Fasting of uncannulated mice decreased MAdCAM-1 mRNA levels by 16% (0.84-fold, p < .05) at day 1 and 30% (0.7-fold, p < .05) by day 2 compared with chow. CONCLUSIONS Both PN with lack of enteral feeding and fasting down-regulate MAdCAM-1 mRNA and protein levels in PP. The MAdCAM-1 changes are due to lack of enteral stimulation rather than toxic effects of PN.
Balloon angioplasty of pulmonary artery stenosis

Abstract Balloon dilation is an established and useful option in the management of patients with branch pulmonary artery stenosis, and it is successful in ~50–60% of cases. Success appears to be associated with the use of balloons with larger balloon-to-stenotic segment ratios and not with patient age. Recent experience suggests a mortality rate of 1% and a risk of aneurysm production of 3%. 11 Patients who undergo PAA in the early postoperative period appear to be at a high risk for vessel rupture. The consequences and clinical effects of the aneurysms remain uncertain. However, preliminary follow-up data suggest that none has ruptured spontaneously and some become smaller. Restenosis after PAA is infrequent. Further improvements in the procedure will involve the use of expandable endovascular stents in selected patients who failed dilations or have evidence of restenosis after PAA.
Explaining engagement in personal activities on company time

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore rationalizations individuals provide for engaging in personal activities on company time.Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from 121 survey respondents working in a variety of organizations and backgrounds. Respondents provided information on the number of times they engage in various personal activities while at work, the amount of time engaged in these activities, and their rationalizations for performing personal activities during work hours.Findings – Results suggest that employees spend nearly five hours in a typical workweek engaged in personal activities. More than 90 per cent of this time is spent using the internet, email, phone, or conversing with co‐workers. Employees use a variety of rationalizations for such behavior, but only two rationalizations (i.e. boredom and convenience) were statistically reliable predictors of the extent to which they engaged in personal activities on company time.Practical implications – The current re...
Expression of neuropilin-1 on in vivo induced regulatory T cells

Meeting abstracts One of the current questions surrounding CD4 T regulatory cells (Tregs) is the role of natural and induced Tregs in tumor tolerance. Natural Tregs are CD4 T cells that leave the thymus expressing FoxP3 and displaying regulatory potential. Induced Tregs leave the thymus as a naive
Effect of acute exposure to 3-nitropropionic acid on activities of endogenous antioxidants in the rat brain

The response of endogenous antioxidants to acute exposure of the mitochondrial inhibitor, 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NPA), was investigated in selected rat brain regions. Rats treated with 3-NPA (30 mg/kg, s.c.) were sacrificed at 30, 60, 90 and 120 min after injection to examine the alterations in reduced glutathione levels (GSH), and activities of antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and catalase (CAT) in the hippocampus (HIP), frontal cortex (FC), and caudate nucleus (CN). CAT activity increased in the HIP 90 min after 3-NPA treatment. While cytosolic copper/zinc SOD (CuZn-SOD) and mitochondrial manganese SOD (Mn-SOD) levels increased in the FC at 120 min, only the Mn-SOD increased in the CN 90 min after treatment. The activity of GPx decreased in the HIP 120 min after 3-NPA injection. When compared with the control, administration of 3-NPA led to GSH depletion in HIP within 120 min. The depletion of GSH and induction of antioxidant enzyme activities after the 3-NPA exposure suggest conditions favorable for oxidative stress.
The geneticization of diagnostics.

“Geneticization” is a term used to describe the ways in which the science of genetics is influencing society at large and medicine in particular; it has important implications for the process of diagnostics. Because genetic diagnostics produces knowledge about genetic disease and predisposition to disease, it is essentially influenced by these innovations in the disease concept. In this paper, I argue that genetic diagnostics presents new ethical challenges not because the diagnostic process or method in genetic diagnostics is ethically different in kind from traditional medical diagnostics, but because it relies on a neo-ontological concept of disease in a context of genetic reductionism. Geneticization has not produced a radically new concept of disease, however, but has introduced innovations into the classical ontological concept of disease. When this new concept of disease is held in tandem with genetic reductionism, we are led to the absurd conclusion that disease is the very essence of the human being. I argue that neither the neo-ontological concept of disease nor genetic reductionism is necessary for a proper understanding of genetic diagnostics.
Transcription in vitro of DNA in isolated bacterial nucleoids.

The in vitro transcription of DNA in isolated nucleoids from Escherichia coli was investigated. The purpose of the study was to determine the effects on DNA transcription of using as template a condensed bacterial chromosome. To compare the template capacity of the DNA in the condensed chromosome with that of the completely unfolded chromosome, very high RNA polymerase/DNA ratios were used during transcription so that the amount of DNA was limiting. The rate of total RNA synthesis was greater on the condensed chromosome. The RNA chain elongation rate and the average size of the RNA transcripts were similar on the condensed and unfolded templates; however, RNA chain initiation rates were greater on the condensed chromosome. The results show that the maximum number of RNA polymerase molecules which can simultaneously synthesize RNA is greater on the condensed chromosome. A preferential synthesis of ribosomal RNA was observed on both the condensed and unfolded chromosomes. Although the absolute rate of rRNA synthesis was greater on the condensed template, the rate of rRNA synthesis relative to the rate of total RNA synthesis was similar on both templates. The results suggest that the genes specifying rRNA do not differ significantly in their availability for transcription relative to the remainder of the genome in folded and unfolded chromosomes. Moderate concentrations of spermidine stabilized the condensed state of the folded chromosome during transcription and the average size of the isolated nucleoids, as estimated from sedimentation studies and direct microscopic visualization, remained unchanged during transcription.
Attractants for Japanese Beetles Screened in the Field 1965-67

Phenethyl butyrate + eugenol (4-allyl-2-methoxyphcnol), 9:1 by volume, was the most attractive lure for Popillia japonica Newman in field tests made between 1965 and 1967 except for Palmarosa geraniol (trans-3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadien-]-ol) + eugenol, which was 1.4 times as attractive in one test. One part eugenol to 9 parts of most chemicals increased the attractiveness of the chemicals compared with that of the chemical alone. Also, the addition of 75% Deobase® increased the efficiency of phenethyl butyrate + cugenol; Sovasol,® gave less consistent results.
Legislative Proposals for Reversing the Cancer Epidemic and Controlling Run-Away Industrial Technologies

An interlocking legislative complex is proposed for the control of carcinogenic and other adverse impacts of established run-away petrochemical and radio-nuclear technologies with particular reference to winning the losing war against cancer. These proposals are also applicable to the poorly recognised potential adverse public health and environmental hazards of emerging technologies, particularly genetically engineered milk and food production. The proposals, which embody fundamental democratic rights, include: the precautionary principle; toxics use reduction and incentives for the development of safe industrial technologies, the right-to-know; balanced and transparent decision-making; sanctions against white collar industrial crime for suppression or manipulation of information; and the establishment of an independent citizen health and safety agency.
Environmental studies faculty attitudes towards sharing of research data

This research explores the attitudes of Environmental Studies faculty towards sharing research data. The findings are drawn from a broader unpublished study in progress on information behavior of Environmental Studies faculty in e-science and scholarly communications. The author conducted fourteen semi-structured interviews with tenure-track and tenured faculty in various environmental studies and earth science disciplines at two large state universities. Early findings and areas for further analysis are described.
Parylene-C passivation and effects on rectennas' wireless power transfer performance

In this study, the effect of Parylene-C coated as a passivation layer on various rectennas is investigated in terms of their wireless power transfer performance. A passivation has been used for protection of rectenna circuits and their packaging in order for protection of the circuit elements and electrical insulation. Especially, wireless power receiving rectennas attached on sensors or on moving vehicles such as airship needs proper protection while they are exposed to harsh environment. In this research, a layer of Parylene-C thin film is used for passivation on rectennas and electromagnetic coupling by the coating is assessed by the measurement of receiving power levels. In this research, an electrochemical analysis method will also be introduced to measure the degree of water protection by a Parylene-C layer.
Rapid production and trapping of [18F]fluorotrimethylsilane, and its use in nucleophilic fluorine-18 labeling without an aqueous evaporation step.

Abstract A flow-through system is described for rapid purification of [ 18 F]fluoride for nucleophilic substitution reactions. It depends on generation of [ 18 F]fluorotrimethylsilane from aqueous 18 F solutions and subsequent collection of the gas and its hydrolysis by base in near anhydrous acetonitrile. Potassium t-butoxide plus Kryptofix 2.2.2 was found to be a more effective base than K 2 CO 3 plus Kryptofix or than tetraethylammonium hydroxide. The procedure takes 2–3 min and is thus faster than controlled removal of water from [ 18 F]fluoride by evaporation. The trapped and hydrolyzed 18 F was used in several nucleophilic substitution reactions. The flow-through system is also convenient for recovery of fluoride from impure and otherwise unreactive solutions, including residues from large scale 18 F syntheses, and can thus lead to more efficient use of 18 F where production of the radionuclide is limited.
Do Postmarketing Surveillance Studies Represent Real-World Populations? A Comparison of Patient Characteristics and Outcomes After Carotid Artery Stenting

Background—To evaluate outcomes after carotid artery stenting in larger real-world populations, the Food and Drug Administration mandated that companies conduct postmarketing surveillance (PMS) studies of approved stent systems. Whether PMS studies are representative of carotid artery stenting in routine clinical practice has not been established. Methods and Results—Within the National Cardiovascular Database Registry–Carotid Artery Revascularization and Endarterectomy (NCDR CARE) Registry, we compared patient and procedural characteristics, in-hospital outcomes, and subsequent all-cause mortality after carotid artery stenting in PMS study participants and nonparticipants. We conducted both crude and propensity score–adjusted comparisons for all outcomes between groups. Compared with nonparticipants, participants in PMS studies had lower rates of symptomatic carotid artery disease within the preceding 6 months, prior stroke, and acute evolving stroke at baseline. The PMS study participants had lower unad...
Micropropagation procedures for Leontochir ovallei

Leontochir ovallei Phil., an endangered Chilean species in the Alstroemericeae, was micropropagated on Murashige & Skoog medium supplemented with 4 μM benzyladenine, 1 μM indolebutyric acid and 146 mg l-1 glutamine. Over 88% of the shoots rooted in vitro when treated with 10 μM naphthaleneacetic acid and micropropagated plantlets were successfully transplanted into the greenhouse.