cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Expression of new antigens on tumor cells by inhibiting nonsense-mediated mRNA decay

The main reason why tumors are not controlled by the immune system of the cancer patient is that tumors do not express potent tumor antigens that can be recognized by the immune system as "foreign." The current focus in developing immune-based modalities is to potentiate an immune response against the existing, albeit weak, antigens expressed in the tumor. An alternative approach is to express new, and hence potent, antigens in tumor cells in situ. To this end, we have developed an approach to generate new antigenic determinants in tumor cells using siRNA technology to inhibit nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD), a surveillance mechanism which prevents the expression of mRNAs containing a premature termination codon. Targeting siRNA inhibition to tumor cells--an essential requisite because of the constitutive nature and physiological roles of the NMD process--is accomplished by using a novel targeting technology based on using oligonucleotide aptamer ligands. Aptamers or aptamer-targeted siRNA conjugates, unlike antibodies, can be synthesized in a chemical process providing a more straightforward and cost-effective manufacturing and regulatory approval process to generate clinical-grade reagents. In murine tumor models, the aptamer-targeted siRNA-mediated NMD inhibition in tumor cells led to significant inhibition of tumor growth, which was superior to best-in-class "conventional" cancer vaccination protocols. Tumor-targeted NMD inhibition forms the basis of a simple, broadly useful, and clinically feasible approach to enhance the antigenicity of disseminated tumors leading to their immune recognition and rejection. The cell-free chemically synthesized oligonucleotide backbone of aptamer-siRNAs reduces the risk of immunogenicity and enhances the feasibility of generating reagents suitable for clinical use.
PEPPERMINT AND SPEARMINT TISSUE CULTURE. II. DUAL-CARBOY CULTURE OF SPEARMINT TISSUES.

A 5-day old, 15 per cent (v/v) spearmint cell inoculum in a dual-carboy system containing modified T-medium with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (0.5 p.p.m.), Dow Corning-B antifoam (500 p.p.m.), and bacitracin (5 p.p.m.) is suggested for good cell suspension growth.
Limited English Proficiency and Socioemotional Well-Being Among Asian and Hispanic Children From Immigrant Families

Research Findings: Previous research has suggested that children from immigrant families face multiple stressors associated with acculturation. One component of acculturation that has not been widely explored in relation to children's socioemotional development is limited English proficiency (LEP). Given that English is the main language used in American schools, it is important to understand how LEP can affect the socioemotional development of children from immigrant families whose 1st language is not English. This study explores the effects of LEP on the socioemotional development of 5,268 Hispanic and 2,088 Asian American children from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study data set (first 3 waves of data). Results from generalized estimating equation analyses revealed significant interactions between ethnicity and language status. English-proficient Asian American children fared better than Hispanic children, but Asian American children with LEP lagged behind their Hispanic counterparts in their appro...
Predicting unstable modes in power systems: theory and computations

Prediction of the (critical) unstable mode of a power system due to a fault cleared immediately after the critical clearing time is useful, for example, in transient stability analysis and in relay setting. However, the existing methods of predicting (critical) unstable modes were derived mostly on heuristics and simulations; these methods were derived for the classical power system model. In this paper, theoretical results for predicting unstable modes for general power system models are presented. It is shown that the unstable manifold of the controlling u.e.p. (instead of the coordinate of the controlling u.e.p.) determines the unstable mode. It is also shown that the unstable modes due to different fault-on trajectories with the same type-one controlling u.e.p. are the same. A computational scheme is developed to predict unstable modes for general power system models. To confirm the theoretical results developed in this paper, the scheme has been tested on a 50-generator, 145-bus system with promising results. Also, one application of the unstable mode predictions to transient stability analysis is illustrated. >
Semicontinuous pH Parametric Pumping: Process Characteristics and Protein Separations

Abstract A semicontinuous pH parametric pump was experimentally and theoretically investigated using the model system of hemoglobin-albumin-CM Sepharose. A mathematical model with finite mass transfer was developed, and agrees quite well with experimental data. Various factors affecting separations were examined. It is shown that under certain operating conditions, the continuous process can be operated with large feed throughput and with high separation factors.
Centric relation records-historical review.

M any prosthodontists feel that recording centric relation is the most difficult, yet the most important, step in treating edentulous patients with complete dentures.‘-3 However, a review of dental literature reveals that the philosophies and methods vary greatly on how to make the actual registration. Centric relation is generally defined as “the most retruded relation of the mandible to the maxillae when the condyles are in their most posterior unstrained positions in the glenoid fossa from which lateral movements can be made, at any given degree of jaw separation.“’ This definition is open to various interpretations, and many prosthodontists disagree with it in part or entirely. It is generally agreed that centric relation records can be grouped into four categories-direct checkbite (interocclusal) tecordings, graphic recordings (intraoral and extraoral), functional recordings,’ and cephalometrics.
Three-Dimensional Molecular Modeling of Bovine Caseins: An Energy-Minimized β-Casein Structure

Abstract To obtain a molecular basis for the similarities and dissimilarities in the functional, chemical, and biochemical properties between β -casein and the other caseins, a predicted three-dimensional model is presented. The predicted structure was assembled using molecular modeling techniques, as well as secondary structural prediction algorithms, in conjunction with global secondary structural information from Raman spectroscopy. To add validity to this model, the structure was refined using energy minimization techniques to diminish the likelihood of structural overlaps and energetically unfavorable van der Waals contacts arising from the large number of proline residues present in the β -casein sequence. The refined model overall showed a loosely packed, asymmetrical structure with an axial ratio of 2:1. Hydrophobic side chains were uniformly dispersed over one end (C terminal) and the center surface of the structure; the other end (N terminal) was hydrophilic. The hydrophobic section also possessed a large loop through which water could easily travel. Such a suprasurfactant structure could account for the micellar type of hydrophobically driven self-association exhibited by β -casein. Other chemical and biochemical data are in good agreement with the refined structure.
Post-Conditioning and Reperfusion Injury in the Treatment of Stroke:

Endogenous mechanisms of protection against ischemia can be demonstrated in brain and other organs. The induction of such protection is via a response to sub lethal stress which induces "preconditioning". The preconditioned organ is then "tolerant" to injury from subsequent severe stress of the same or different etiology. Protection is substantial (70% reduction) but delayed in onset and is transient. Gene expression is unique between brains preconditioned, injured (stroke) or made tolerant. Thus, preconditioning reprograms the response to lethal ischemic stress (stroke), reprogrammed from an injury induction response to a neuroprotective processes. Postconditioning refers to attenuation of injurious processes occurring during reperfusion of ischemic brain. Transient mechanical interruption of reperfusion induces post-conditioning which can attenuate reperfusion injury. Post-conditioning protects ischemic brain by decreasing reperfusion induced oxygen free radical formation. The free radicals produce injury via mitochondrial damage which can be repaired experimentally. Post-conditioning produces neuroprotection as potent as experimental preconditioning. The recognition of broad based gene silencing (suppression of thousands of genes) as the phenotype of the preconditioned, ischemic tolerant brain, may explain failure of all single target drugs for stroke. As risks of reperfusion injury accompany treatment for acute stroke, endogenous neuroprotective and repair mechanisms offer translational stroke therapy.
Parental Child-Rearing Strategies Influence Self-Regulation, Socio-Emotional Adjustment, and Psychopathology in Early Adulthood: Evidence from a Retrospective Cohort Study

This study examined the association between recollected parental child-rearing strategies and individual differences in self-regulation, socio-emotional adjustment, and psychopathology in early adulthood. Undergraduate participants (N = 286) completed the EMBU - a measure of retrospective accounts of their parents' child-rearing behaviors - as well as self-report measures of self-regulation and socio-emotional adjustment across the domains of eating disorder symptoms, physically risky behavior, interpersonal problems, personal financial problems, and academic maladjustment. A subset of participants also completed the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF). Parental warmth was found to be related to overall better self-regulation and improved interpersonal and academic adjustment. In contrast, both parental rejection and overcontrol were found to be related to general deficits in self-regulation as well as adjustment difficulties and psychopathology. Parental rejection was most closely related to internalizing clinical presentations like anxiety, depression, and somatization, whereas overcontrol was most aligned with increased hypomanic activation and psychoticism. Mediation analyses demonstrated that the relationships between parental child-rearing strategies and socio-emotional adjustment and psychopathology were partially mediated by self-regulation. Future directions are suggested, including basic and translational research related to better understanding the roles of parental child-rearing and self-regulation in the development of internalizing symptoms, activation, and psychotic symptoms.
Sedimentation on Antarctic Sea Floor: ABSTRACT

The most common sediment type cored on the continental shelf is relict diamicton. Sediments were deposited by grounded ice (basal tills) through lodgement processes or from floating ice. The seaward limit of basal tills is the shelf edge. Glacial marine sediments derived from floating ice are probably deposited near the grounding line of ice shelves. Several criteria distinguish basal tills from glacial marine sediments. Sedimentation on exposed Antarctic continental shelf is predominantly marine rather than glacial. Antarctica generally lacks a wave dominated coastal zone and the continental shelf is unusually deep (average 500 m). Therefore, waves and wind-generated currents have little influence on bottom sediments. Tidal and thermohaline currents are apparently too weak to erode the cohesive basal tills and glacial marine sediments. Mass-flow processes are the important factors in shelf sedimentation today. Turbidites, consisting of well sorted quartz sands, are widespread on the continental margin and abyssal floor. These sands are commonly interbedded with poorly sorted glacial marine sediments. Calcareous turbidites have also been cored in the Ross Sea. Laminated siliceous oozes, which are almo t devoid of ice-rafted debris, fill many shelf depressions. At the shelf edge and upper slope, geostrophic currents erode the bottom and transport sands by traction, while silts and clays are suspended and transported parallel to the slope. These currents are disrupted only in areas where shelf waters are sufficiently dense to displace and mix with circumpolar waters (thermohaline mixing). This mixed bottom water flows downslope at velocities of only a few centimeters per second, depositing laminated silts along the flow path. Ice-rafting diminishes sharply seaward of the present ice front, and ice-rafted debris comprises a minor component of slope and rise deposits. End_of_Article - Last_Page 890------------
The estimation of vertical diffusion over medium distances of travel

Experiments have been carried out in which the vertical diffusion of a tracer has been measured after several kilometres travel. Simultaneous measurements of atmospheric turbulence provided an opportunity to use the treatment described by Thompson (1965) to estimate the ratio of the Lagrangian and Eulerian scales of turbulence. The scale ratio was again found to increase with an increase in stability, with a variation in magnitude from near unity in unstable conditions to around 15 in moderate stabilities.
Do you have a question for me? How children with Williams syndrome respond to ambiguous referential communication during a joint activity

Research on language in individuals with Williams syndrome (WS) has been fueled by persistent theoretical controversies for two decades. These shifted from initial focus on dissociations between language and cognition functions, to examining the paradox of socio-communicative impairments despite high sociability and relatively proficient expressive language. We investigated possible sources of communicative difficulties in WS in a collaborative referential communication game. Five- to thirteen-year-old children with WS were compared to verbal mental age- and to chronological age-matched typically developing children in their ability to consider different types of information to select a speaker's intended referent from an array of items. Significant group differences in attention deployment to object locations, and in the number and types of clarification requests, indicated the use of less efficient and less mature strategies for reference resolution in WS than expected based on mental age, despite learning effects similar to those of the comparison groups, shown as the game progressed.
Effects of feed form on growth performance and processing yields of broiler chickens during a 42-day production period

SUMMARY Meat birds fed high-quality pellets exhibit advantages in rate and efficiency of growth over birds fed poorer quality pellets. However, the associated feed manufacturing cost and reduced production rates to obtain high-quality pellets are viewed by the industry as offsetting the benefits in broiler performance provided by high-quality pellets. With the combination of increased costs for utilities in the feed mill and for feed ingredients, strategies are needed to conserve milling costs while optimizing the efficiency of broiler growth. In this study, we evaluated the effects of feed form on live performance and meat yield of broiler chickens during a 42-d production period. Four treatments were provided from 18 to 42 d of age: 1) high-quality pellets (88% pellet durability index), 2) low-quality pellets (66% pellet durability index), 3) a proportion of the formulated corn added post-pellet (89% pellet durability index), and 4) mash (corn was ground via a roller mill). Broilers fed the high-quality pellets had higher cumulative BW gain and consumed more feed than birds fed low-quality pellets. Mash-fed broilers had poorer growth performance and less meat recovery than birds in the other treatments. Adding corn post-pellet resulted in broilers having similar performance and meat yields compared with those fed high-quality pellets. In this study, we confirm that adding corn post-pellet does not negatively affect growth performance and meat yield. Feeding broilers high-quality pellets provides a benefit in growth rate over feeding low-quality pellets by increasing feed consumption.
Effects of Oxidation on the Flaw‐Limited Strengths of Brittle Materials

The weakest-link statistical model is used to derive an approximate relation describing the influence of oxidation or corrosion on the fracture strengths of brittle materials. Differences in strength under comparable short-term oxidizing and nonoxidizing exposures are found to be proportional to δm/m 2 where m is the Weibull modulus.
Effects of ammonium on intracellular pH in rat medullary thick ascending limb: mechanisms of apical membrane NH4+ transport.

A B S T R A C T The renal medullary thick ascending limb (MTAL) actively reabsorbs ammonium ions. To examine the effects of NH~" transport on intracellular pH (pHi) and the mechanisms of apical membrane NH~" transport, MTALs from rats were isolated and perfused in vitro with 25 mM HCO~-buffered solutions (pH 7.4). pHi was monitored using the fluorescent dye BCECF. In the absence of NH~', the mean phi was 7.16. Luminal addition of 20 mM NH~ caused a rapid intracellular acidification (dpHi/dt = 11.1 U/min) and reduced the steady state pHi to 6.67 (ApHi = 0.5 U), indicating that apical NH~" entry was more rapid than entry of NH3. Luminal furosemide (10 -4 M) reduced the initial rate of cell acidification by 70% and the fall in steady state pHi by 35%. The residual acidification observed with furosemide was inhibited by luminal barium (12 mM), indicating that apical NH~" entry occurred via both furosemide (Na+-NH~-2CI - cotransport) and bariumsensitive pathways. The role of these pathways in NH~ absorption was assessed under symmetric ammonium conditions. With 4 mM NH~" in perfusate and bath, mean steady state phi was 6.fil and net ammonium absorption was 12 pmol/min/ mm. Addition of furosemide to the lumen abolished net ammonium absorption and caused pHi to increase abruptly (dpHi/dt = 0.8 U/min) to 7.0. Increasing luminal [K +] from 4 to 25 mM caused a similar, rapid cell alkalinization. The pronounced cell alkalinization observed with furosemide or increasing [K +] was not observed in the absence of NH~'. In symmetric 4 mM NH~ solutions, addition of barium to the lumen caused a slow intracellular alkalinization and reduced net ammonium absorption only by 14%. Conclusions: (a) ammonium transport is a critical determinant of pHi in the MTAL, with NH~ absorption markedly acidifying the cells and maneuvers that inhibit apical NH~ uptake (furosemide or elevation of luminal [K+]) causing intracellular alkalinization; (b) most or all of transcellular ammonium absorption is mediated by apical membrane Na+-NH~'-2CI - cotransport; (c) NH~ also permeates a barium-sensitive apical membrane transport pathway (presumably apical membrane K + channels) but this pathway does not contribute significantly to ammonium absorption under physiologic (symmetric ammonium) conditions.
Simulation and Debriefing: Helping the Pediatric Nurse Thrive

0882 doi:1 a car while riding his bike 5 hours ago. The child had a mild concussion and a fractured femur. You are to prepare for his admission. This brief introduction begins your simulated learning experience. Learning through simulation provides pediatric nurses with the opportunity to practice clinical skills in a safe environment. Simulated scenarios are useful as teaching methods within academic and clinical settings. Today's technology of highfidelity simulation offers alternatives to the traditional clinical teaching approach of “see one, do one.” Simulation offers a safe setting for health care professionals to practice clinical and team-building skills without endangering patients (Ruldolph, 2008). Simulated learning is “bridging the gap between experiencing an event and making sense of it” (Fanning & Gaba, 2007, p. 115). Some believe the most important feature of simulation is debriefing (Fanning & Gaba). Kolb's (1984) work on experiential learning is fundamental to understanding the role of debriefing. His theory supports the model that reflection coupled with experience can capture a learning opportunity. The primary focus of this article is how to effectively debrief after a simulation-based learning experience.
Direct metalation of poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether)

Poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether) (I) was metalated with butyllithium in tetrahydrofuran and with the N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylethylenediamine complex of butyllithium in a variety of solvents. In these cases, metalation occurred at both the ring and side chain positions, the former being preferred initially. Subsequently, there was an isomerization in favor of the side chain. At 25°C, there is no significant amount of polymer scission or crosslinking during metalation, but some crosslinking occurs on derivatizing with dimethyl sulfate and trimethylchlorosilane for high extents of ring metalation. With sodium and potassium alkyls, only side-chain metalation was observed. The metalated polymer reacts as a typical organometallic, allowing polymer modification by a wide variety of reactions.
Novel functional testing technique for asynchronous nanowire crossbar system

The recently proposed asynchronous nanowire clock-free crossbar architecture is envisioned to enhance the manufacturability and to improve the robustness of digital circuits by removing various timing-related failure modes. Even though the proposed clock-free architecture has numerous merits over its clocked counterpart, it is still not free from high defect rates inherently induced by nondeterministic nanoscale assembly. In order to address this issue, a novel functional test scheme for validating threshold gates on programmable gate macro blocks (PGMB) has been proposed. The main aim of this paper is to present a test algorithm that can be used to identify manufacturing defects at programmable locations on a PGMB. In addition, this paper also presents several replacement and re-arrangement schemes to enable true realization of threshold gates. Specific figures of merits have also been coined to quantify the performance of the algorithm. This is a very significant step towards efficient defect testing since the earlier existing test scheme failed to provide any significant breakthrough as far as testing mechanisms were concerned. The proposed approach tests only the crosspoints programmed as ON state using input patterns unique to the given threshold gate macro. The proposed scheme helps achieve correct programmability with minimal test overhead. This test scheme can be used to assure the true functionality of any threshold gate on a given PGMB. The proposed scheme is anticipated to provide high fault coverage and excellent fault tolerance. These findings have been backed by parametric simulation results using MATLAB.
Instructional Makeover: Supporting the Reading Comprehension of Students With Learning Disabilities in a Discussion-Based Format

Comprehension instruction for students with learning disabilities (LD) is explored from three perspectives, all within the framework of engaging students in meaningful conversations about text with their general education peers. First, excerpts from lesson transcripts are provided to illustrate one special educator’s emphasis on student-generated questions about text, a comprehension strategy highlighted by the National Reading Panel. This same instruction is next considered from the viewpoint of the research base in special education to integrate principles of explicit instruction. Finally, student-generated questioning is presented from a third perspective not typically seen in special and general education: making transparent the relationships between comprehension strategies and active reading. Guided practice with tasks such as developing questions is unlikely to build the comprehension skills of struggling readers without explicit connections to the task of making meaning while reading text.
A Unified Approach to Streamline Selection and Viewpoint Selection for 3D Flow Visualization

We treat streamline selection and viewpoint selection as symmetric problems which are formulated into a unified information-theoretic framework. This is achieved by building two interrelated information channels between a pool of candidate streamlines and a set of sample viewpoints. We define the streamline information to select best streamlines and in a similar manner, define the viewpoint information to select best viewpoints. Furthermore, we propose solutions to streamline clustering and viewpoint partitioning based on the representativeness of streamlines and viewpoints, respectively. Finally, we define a camera path that passes through all selected viewpoints for automatic flow field exploration. We demonstrate the robustness of our approach by showing experimental results with different flow data sets, and conducting rigorous comparisons between our algorithm and other seed placement or streamline selection algorithms based on information theory.
Inversion of seismic attributes for velocity and attenuation structure

SUMMARY We have developed an inversion formulation for velocity and attenuation structure using seismic attributes, including envelope amplitude, instantaneous frequency and arrival times of selected seismic phases. We refer to this approach as AFT inversion for amplitude, (instantaneous) frequency and time. Complex trace analysis is used to extract the different seismic attributes. The instantaneous frequency data are converted to t* using a matching procedure that approximately removes the effects of the source spectra. To invert for structure, ray-perturbation methods are used to compute the sensitivity of the seismic attributes to variations in the model. An iterative inversion procedure is then performed from smooth to less smooth models that progressively incorporates the shorter-wavelength components of the model. To illustrate the method, seismic attributes are extracted from seismic-refraction data of the Ouachita PASSCAL experiment and used to invert for shallow crustal velocity and attenuation structure. Although amplitude data are sensitive to model roughness, the inverted velocity and attenuation models were required by the data to maintain a relatively smooth character. The amplitude and t* data were needed, along with the traveltimes, at each step of the inversion in order to fit all the seismic attributes at the final iteration.
Automated controlled imagery capture in urban environments

We describe the design considerations underlying a system for fully automated capture of precisely controlled imagery in urban scenes. The system operates for architectural scenes in which, from every camera position, some two vanishing points are visible. It has been used to capture thousands of controlled images in outdoor environments spanning hundreds of meters. The proposed system architecture forms the foundation for a future, fully robotic outdoor mapping capability for urban areas,. analogous to existing, satellite-based robotic mapping systems which acquire images and models of natural terrain. Four key ideas distinguish our approach from other methods. First, our sensor acquires georeferencing metadata with every image, enabling related images to be efficiently identified and registered. Second, the sensor acquires omnidirectional images; we show strong experimental evidence that such images are fundamentally more powerful observations than conventional (narrow-FOV) images. Third, the system uses a probabilistic, projective-error formulation to account for uncertainty. By treating measurement error in an appropriate depth-free framework, and by deferring decisions about camera calibration and scene structure until many noisy observations can be fused, the system achieves superior robustness and accuracy. Fourth, the system's computational requirements scale linearly in the input size, the area of the acquisition region and the size of the output model. This is in contrast to many previous methods, which either assume constant-size inputs or exhibit quadratic running time (or worse) asymptotically.
Massive acetylcysteine overdose associated with cerebral edema and seizures

Context. Acetylcysteine is a safe and effective treatment for the prevention of hepatic injury due to acetaminophen poisoning. While dosing errors are common, in most cases, overdoses produce minimal clinical effects. Case report. We describe a patient who received 150 g of IV acetylcysteine over 32 h when the clinician ordered the infusion doses be administered as an hourly dose (100 mg/kg/h) rather than administered over the infusion duration (100 mg/kg over 16 h). After approximately 28 h of receiving 100 mg/kg/h, the patient developed delirium, and seizures that progressed to cerebral edema, uncal herniation, and ultimately severe brain injury. No other cause for her symptoms was identified during an extensive workup. Discussion. This case suggests that massive IV acetylcysteine overdose can cause cerebral dysfunction and life-threatening effects.
Telling stories: the health benefits of narrative.

Pennebaker summarizes and highlights the work he and his colleagues from around the world have done over more than ten years in their studies of the health-promoting qualities of writing. His essay focuses primarily on the physical health benefits of writing about traumatic or difficult experience.
Proteasome inhibitors block Ikaros degradation by lenalidomide in multiple myeloma.

Survival in multiple myeloma (MM) has improved remarkably since the introduction of the proteasome inhibitors, (PI), bortezomib (BOR), carfilzomib (CAR), and the immune modulating cereblon-binding molecules (CBMs) thalidomide (THAL), lenalidomide (LEN), and pomalidomide (POM). BOR reversibly, and CAR irreversibly, inhibit proteasome function, thus inducing apoptosis in MM cells.1 CBMs bind to a specific pocket in the protein cereblon (CRBN)2–4 an interaction which enhances the E3-ubiquitin-ligase activity of the CRBN/Cul4A/Cul4B/DDB1/Roc1 complex. As a result, the downstream substrates of CRBN, Ikaros (IKZF1) and Aiolos (IKZF3), important regulators in T- and B-cell development, are more efficiently ubiquitinated and degradated.5,6 As a consequence specific downstream targets of IKZF1/3 including IRF4 and subsequently MYC are down-regulated and MM cell death is induced, while simultaneously transcription of Interleukin-2 is enhanced and the immune compartment activated.5
Developing Corporate Reporting in the Public Interest: The Question of Mandatory CSR Reporting and the Potential for Its Integration with Financial Reporting

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting is emerging in response to demand from a broad range of stakeholders. Comparability and reliability of information would be enhanced if CSR reporting becomes mandatory. If CSR reporting is mandated, which we believe is desirable, the content and form of the disclosure needs to be determined. We examine the underlying conceptual frameworks for both CSR and financial reporting to determine whether it is feasible or desirable for CSR reporting to be integrated with financial reporting. We discuss whether a regulatory body or a participative entity should be responsible for developing an appropriate framework. We also discuss the potential for assurance if CSR reporting were to be integrated with financial reporting as well as specific problems that would be associated with the audit of integrated reports.
Machines of the Body in the Seventeenth Century

This essay discusses the role of new mechanical devices put forward in the seventeenth century in anatomy and pathology, showing how several of those devices were promptly deployed in anatomical investigations. I also discuss the role of dead bodies as boundary objects between living bodies and machines, highlighting their problematic status in experimentation and vivisection.
N -Nitrosamine formation kinetics in wastewater effluents and surface waters

N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) is a chloramination disinfection by-product (DBP) with an uncertain regulatory future. While extensive literature exists on NDMA formation potentials (FP) for natural waters and for model compounds considered as NDMA precursors, less data exists on the kinetics of NDMA formation in surface and wastewaters. NDMA formation kinetics experiments were conducted in seven source waters at two monochloramine doses. NDMA formation was modeled by a simple, second-order model, using the measured NDMAmax and monitored monochloramine concentrations at selected reaction times. The model fits NDMA formation well (R2 > 0.88) in all source waters. While the extent of NDMA formation was highly variable, the rate constant (kapp) values from different waters fell in a narrow range (0.01–0.09 M−1 s−1). This suggests that a common precursor or rate limiting step for NDMA formation likely exists despite the differences in matrices. Although further studies are needed to validate the model over a wider range of water conditions such as pH and N : Cl2 ratios, the model could help water utilities to predict NDMA formation in distribution systems.
Free Enterprise, Sympathy and Virtue

The essay is about the foundational values of free enterprise as defended by Adam Smith, among others. My ultimate argument, however, is adapted from Aristotle, that good business like the good life depends on the appreciation and cultivation of the virtues (such as courage, temperance, and justice). Both philosophers argue, though separated by two thousand years and very different cultures, that our sense of "fellow feeling" is "natural," and we are born with it. Both philosophers also agree that we are not selfish beings but have a natural sense of justice. Smith adds that we are also endowed with sympathy (which Aristotle nowhere denies but simply takes more or less for granted). In this essay, I want to explore what this means, that fellow feeling, justice, and sympathy are in some sense natural and whether this view stands up to scrutiny in contemporary psychology and biology. I am especially interested in Smith's view of sympathy, but I finish up with Aristotle, who (despite his prejudices against commerce) has an even better way of dealing with the problem of self-interest.
Summary Judgment and the Progressive Constitution

This symposium article is a response to Professor Suja Thomas's article Why Summary Judgment Is Unconstitutional, in large part agreeing with her historical findings but arguing that the Constitution must not be mired to the past but must capable of change to facilitate progress.
Destabilizing Speculation and Exchange Rate Volatility

A simple two period, two country model is used to show that profit seeking speculation can destabilize exchange rates, a fact that has important implications toward international financial policy. Stable exchange rates may require use of government regulation and/or taxation to prevent the destabilizing effect of speculation.
Killing Them Softly: Dietary Deficiencies and Food Insecurity in 20th Century Egypt

Pellagra was a significant disease in late 19th century and early 20th century Egypt caused by dietary deficiencies due to the way maize was processed in the Old World after the Columbian Exchange. Understanding the interaction of given food technologies and social structures helps us to understand the origins of government policies based on subsidizing wheat consumption through imports. Utilizing work on famines including Amartya Sen's work on India and our understanding of the Great Hunger in Ireland indicates we should think of foodstuffs as envelopes for food technologies rather than simple natural items.
Left ventricular function and rapid release of creatine kinase MB in acute myocardial infarction. Evidence for spontaneous reperfusion.

Abstract Intracoronary thrombolysis during acute myocardial infarction in human beings is associated with rapid release of creatine kinase and improvement of the cardiac ejection fraction. To examine the phenomenon of spontaneous coronary-artery recanalization, we studied the release of creatine kinase MB and sequential radionuclide ventriculograms in 52 patients with transmural myocardial infarction. Patients were divided into two groups according to whether the release of creatine kinase MB (time from base-line to peak serum level) was rapid (n = 24) or slow (n = 28). Patients with slow release had no significant change in global or regional ejection fraction from the time of admission to discharge. However, global ejection fraction in patients with rapid release improved from 0.38±0.09 (mean ±S.D.) to 0.48±0.08 (P<0.001). The regional ejection fraction of Q-wave regions also improved, from 0.33±0.11 to 0.43±0.13 (P<0.001). A negative correlation (r = -0.52, P<0.001) existed between time to peak enzyme ...
Pattern-Integrated Interference Lithography Demonstration

Pattern-integrated interference lithography (PIIL), a new method integrating superposed pattern imaging with interference lithography, is presented. A prototype system is used to demonstrate PIIL potential through the single-exposure fabrication of representative photonic crystal structures.
Articulation Trends in Allied Health Programs

ARTICULATION TRENDS IN ALLIED HEALTH PROGRAMS Felicia M. Toreno Old Dominion University, 2007 Director: John M. Ritz, Ed.D. Members of the Advisory Committee: Dr. J. David Branch Dr. Terry L. Jones The educational environment emphasizes student access to instructional opportunities. Many health programs are located in community colleges or hospitals, and in order to advance educational status, students must be able to transfer credits between multiple educational institutions. Unfortunately, programs are not uniform and many fields of study are guided by strict accreditation regulations. These conflicting requirements often make transfer for students cumbersome. Transfer pathways are often considered by institutions on a program by program basis. This research was designed to analyze the existing pathways present in urban Virginian allied health programs in order to establish trends in articulation. These instructional trends highlight methods proven to work as programs seek to establish pathways for students. This research identifies some of the problems that need to be addressed in order to make articulation pathways more accessible for the students seeking to progress to a higher degree. Issues related to articulation include consistency of or lack of articulation policies, transferability of credits, the time and difficulty in establishing working articulation agreements, and inconsistencies among similar programs.
Characterization of telomeres in Hordeum vulgare chromosomes by in situ hybridization. I, Normal diploid barley

Telomeres are the physical ends of eukaryotic chromosomes. In order to characterize the telomeres of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), in situ hybridization to somatic metaphase chromosomes was conducted, using the cloned telomere sequence from Arabidopsis thaliana. The results showed hybridization signals at both ends of all 14 chromosomes. No hybridization signals at interstitial sites were observed. These results indicate that the telomere sequences of Arabidopsis are also found on the ends of barley chromosomes. The hybridization signals were observed to vary in size between arms of the same chromosomes, indicating differences in copy numbers of the telomeric repeat. With in situ hybridization, the barley telomeres became physically visible under the light microscope.
Inverse Methods in Experimental Mechanics

This paper provides a framework for the active use of experimental mechanics in solving partially specified (or inverse) problems. It is based on a wavelet (or unit load) representation of the unknown applied loading that allows the FEM analyses to be performed as an external process and thus utilize the power and versatility of commercial codes. As a demonstration of the method and its attributes, different structures are studied experimentally using strain gage and whole-field data.
Reactor design and integration into a nuclear electric spacecraft

One of the well-defined applications for nuclear power in space is nuclear electric propulsion (NEP). Mission studies have identified the optimum power level (400 kWe). A single Shuttle launch requirement and science-package integration have added additional constraints to the design. A reactor design which will meet these constraints has been studied. The reactor employs 90 fuel elements, each heat pipe cooled. Reactor control is obtained with BeO/B4C drums in a BeO reflector. The balance of the spacecraft is shielded from the reactor with LiH. Power conditioning and reactor control drum drives are located behind the LiH with the power conditioning. Launch safety, mechanical design and integration with the power conversion subsystem are discussed.
Consolidating Multiple Naïve Forecasts with Monte Carlo

The modeling team compared export market forecasts for the U.S. and Latin America, shown in Figure 6.1. Exports to the U.S. were much more consistent, stable and predictable. The trend accounted for 93% of the variation in U.S. exports, and the margin of error in forecasts was small, .24 ML. However, forecast growth was low, 4 to 5% per year. Exports to Latin America differed. While the trend accounted for 92% of the variation in Latin American exports, the margin of error was larger, .51ML. Yet future growth was higher, 5 to 9% per year.
Poly(ester amine) Composed of Polyethylenimine and Pluronic Enhance Delivery of Antisense Oligonucleotides In Vitro and in Dystrophic mdx Mice

A series of poly(esteramine)s (PEAs) constructed from low molecular weight polyethyleneimine (LPEI) and Pluronic were evaluated for the delivery of antisense oligonuclotides (AOs), 2′-O-methyl phosphorothioate RNA (2′-OMePS) and phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer (PMO) in cell culture and dystrophic mdx mice. Improved exon-skipping efficiency of both 2′-OMePS and PMO was observed in the C2C12E50 cell line with all PEA polymers compared with PEI 25k or LF-2k. The degree of efficiency was found in the order of PEA 01, PEA 04 > PEA 05 > others. The in vivo study in mdx mice demonstrated enhanced exon-skipping of 2′-OMePS with the order of PEA 06 > PEA 04, PEA 07 > PEA 03 > PEA 01 > others, and much higher than PEI 25k formulated 2′-OMePS. Exon-skipping efficiency of PMO in formulation with the PEAs were significantly enhanced in the order of PEA 02 > PEA 10 > PEA 01, PEA 03 > PEA 05, PEA 07, PEA 08 > others, with PEA 02 reaching fourfold of Endo-porter formulated PMO. PEAs improve PMO delivery more effectively than 2′-OMePS delivery in vivo, and the systemic delivery evaluation further highlight the efficiency of PEA for PMO delivery in all skeletal muscle. The results suggest that the flexibility of PEA polymers could be explored for delivery of different AO chemistries, especially for antisense therapy.
Cuba, the United States, and Cultures of the Transnational Left, 1930-1975

This book examines the ways in which Cuba's revolutions of 1933 and 1959 became touchstones for border-crossing endeavors of radical politics and cultural experimentation over the mid-twentieth century. It argues that new networks of solidarity building between US and Cuban allies also brought with them perils and pitfalls that could not be separated from the longer history of US empire in Cuba. As US and Cuban subjects struggled together towards common aspirations of racial and gender equality, fairer distribution of wealth, and anti-imperialism, they created a unique index of cultural work that widens our understanding of the transition between hemispheric modernism and postmodernism. Canvassing poetry, music, journalism, photographs, and other cultural expressions around themes of revolution, this book seeks new understanding of how race, gender, and nationhood could shift in meaning and materialization when traveling across the Florida Straits.
Implementing a VXIplug&play soft front panel

In the past, traditional "rack-and-stack" instruments have enjoyed a significant advantage over their VXI counterparts-familiarity. Now VXIplug&play soft front panel interfaces add a familiar look and feel to the other advantages of VXI architecture. This paper describes the purpose of a Soft Front Panel (SFP), outlines implementation requirements and required functionality, describes the autoconnect procedure in the soft front panel development process, and discusses the benefits of a well-designed Graphical User Interface (GUI). This paper is based on the authors' work in developing VXIplug&play soft front panel interfaces for Tektronix products. Although, as with any new tool, using SFPs requires an initial investment of time and effort, the resulting product is well worth it.
Connectivity and $$W_v$$Wv-Paths in Polyhedral Maps on Surfaces

The $$W_v$$Wv-path conjecture due to Klee and Wolfe states that any two vertices of a simple polytope can be joined by a path that does not revisit any facet. This is equivalent to the well-known Hirsch conjecture. Klee proved that the $$W_v$$Wv-path conjecture is true for all 3-polytopes (3-connected plane graphs), and conjectured even more, namely that the $$W_v$$Wv-path conjecture is true for all general cell complexes. This general $$W_v$$Wv-path conjecture was verified for polyhedral maps on the projective plane and the torus by Barnette, and on the Klein bottle by Pulapaka and Vince. Let G be a graph polyhedrally embedded in a surface $$\Sigma $$Σ, and x, y be two vertices of G. In this paper, we show that if there are three internally disjoint (x, y)-paths which are homotopic to each other, then there exists a $$W_v$$Wv-path joining x and y. For every surface $$\Sigma $$Σ, define a function $$f(\Sigma )$$f(Σ) such that if for every graph polyhedrally embedded in $$\Sigma $$Σ and for a pair of vertices x and y in V(G), the local connectivity $$\kappa _G(x,y) \ge f(\Sigma )$$źG(x,y)źf(Σ), then there exists a $$W_v$$Wv-path joining x and y. We show that $$f(\Sigma )=3$$f(Σ)=3 if $$\Sigma $$Σ is the sphere, and for all other surfaces $$3-\tau (\Sigma )\le f(\Sigma )\le 9-4\chi (\Sigma )$$3-ź(Σ)≤f(Σ)≤9-4ź(Σ), where $$\chi (\Sigma )$$ź(Σ) is the Euler characteristic of $$\Sigma $$Σ, and $$\tau (\Sigma )=\chi (\Sigma )$$ź(Σ)=ź(Σ) if $$\chi (\Sigma )< -1$$ź(Σ)<-1 and 0 otherwise. Further, if x and y are not cofacial, we prove that G has at least $$\kappa _G(x,y)+4\chi (\Sigma )-8$$źG(x,y)+4ź(Σ)-8 internally disjoint $$W_v$$Wv-paths joining x and y. This bound is sharp for the sphere. Our results indicate that the $$W_v$$Wv-path problem is related to both the local connectivity $$\kappa _G(x,y)$$źG(x,y), and the number of different homotopy classes of internally disjoint (x, y)-paths as well as the number of internally disjoint (x, y)-paths in each homotopy class.