cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Children, AIDS and the Politics of Orphan Care in Ethiopia: the Extended Family Revisited

The astounding rise in the number of orphans due to the HIV/AIDS epidemic has left many Ethiopian families and communities with enormous childcare problems. Available studies on the capacity and sustainability of the extended family system, which culturally performs the role of care for children in need, suggest two competing theories. The first is grounded in the social rupture thesis and assumes that the traditional system of orphan care is stretched by the impact of the epidemic, and is actually collapsing. By contrast, the second theory counter-suggests that the flexibility and strength of the informal childcare practise, if supported by appropriate interventions, can still support a large number of orphans. Based on a seven-month period of child-focused, qualitative research fieldwork in Ethiopia involving observations; in-depth interviews with orphans (42), social workers (12) and heads of households (18); focus group discussions with orphans (8), elderly people and community leaders (6); and story-writing by children in school contexts, this article explores the trade-offs and social dynamics of orphan care within extended family structures in Ethiopia. It argues that there is a rural-urban divide in the capacity to cater for orphans that emanates from structural differences as well as the socio-cultural and economic values associated with children. The care of orphans within extended family households is also characterised by multiple and reciprocal relationships in care-giving and care-receiving practices. By calling for a contextual understanding of the 'orphan burden', the paper concludes that interventions for orphans may consider care as a continuum in the light of four profiles of extended families, namely rupturing, transient, adaptive, and capable families.
Mechanisms of Aminoglycoside Ototoxicity and Targets of Hair Cell Protection

Aminoglycosides are commonly prescribed antibiotics with deleterious side effects to the inner ear. Due to their popular application as a result of their potent antimicrobial activities, many efforts have been undertaken to prevent aminoglycoside ototoxicity. Over the years, understanding of the antimicrobial as well as ototoxic mechanisms of aminoglycosides has increased. These mechanisms are reviewed in regard to established and potential future targets of hair cell protection.
Erosion on Titan: Past and Present

Abstract We examine various mechanisms of erosion on Titan and their likely effect on Titan's geomorphology. Specifically we evaluate the solubility of likely crustal ices (water and ammonia) in liquid methane and ethane, and compare these with the solubility of rocks on Earth. Aeolian and diurnal weathering can be neglected, and glacial erosion is unlikely unless the atmosphere has frozen out in the past. Erosion due to rainfall is at most comparable to periglacial environments on Earth. We find that additional laboratory experiments are required if Cassini observations are to be adequately interpreted.
What caused the rise of conservatism: a French view

Conservatism Daniel Cohen Existing theories of political cycles fail to provide an adequate explanation for the widespread shift to conservative economic policies. On one view, political parties merely court the ‘median voter’; but this theory is incomplete because it fails to explain why the median voter has become conservative. Other theories differentiate parties by their ideologies, but they wholly fail to explain where changes of ideology come from. This author proposes an explanation that does not need to rely on changes in the underlying preferences of voters or parties, but in which changing economic conditions lead to different policy choices. Thus, while ends remain unchanged, the means to achieve these ends may vary over time. The distinction between right and left is still portrayed by the classical trade-off between economic efficiency and equity. In order to promote equity, the government can always redistribute wealth. But in order to preserve economic efficiency, wealth redistribution should not be expected to be repeated systematically. Hence, the median voter will prefer a laissez-faire to an interventionist government when the economy is understood to be affected by a persistent disturbance, and the converse when disturbances are temporary. Thus, the shift to conservatism is seen as the result of the (sometimes belated) realization by the electorate that the shocks of the 1970s were long-lasting. Current forecasts that unemployment in Europe is unlikely to fall suggest the continuation of conservative policies, irrespective of whether they are implemented by the right or the left.
Studies on the mechanism of implant-induced supernumerary limb formation in Urodeles. I. The histology of supernumerary limb formation in the adult newt, Triturus viridescens.

Supernumerary structures were formed in adult Triturus forelimbs following subcutaneous implantation of pieces of frog kidney. The gross and microscopic events in supernumerary limb formation were described in this paper. The first few days after implantation comprise a stage of wound healing and phagocytosis, the latter by both the epidermis and inflammatory cells of the host. Following this the tubular portions of the implant degenerate. During the height of this degeneration, the first dedifferentiated cells of the host are seen. These cells increase in number and gather around a central focus to form a blastema. From the blastema, first cartilage and then muscle differentiate, and elongation proceeds concomitantly with this differentiation. The final result of the kidney implant may be no growth at all, periosteal chondrification not preceded by a blastema or a true supernumerary structure ranging in complexity from a cartilaginous nodule to a fully developed supernumerary limb. The results of this experiment indicate that aside from the initial stimulus and the ultimate degree of morphogenetic complexity attained, the development of a supernumerary structure is very similar to the regeneration of an amputated limb.
Fatty acid composition of sterol esters from Citrus sinensis, C. paradisi, C. limon aurantifolia and C. limettioides sacs

The fatty acid compositions of sterol esters from 4 citrus species, viz, orange. grapefruit, lemon and lime, were determined by GLC. Each species possessed its own intrinsic fatty acid pattern which could be used to differentiate it from the other species. In most cases varieties within a species had fatty acid patterns which could be used for varietal differentiation. In all citrus tested except Columbia lime, the major acid was linoleic acid; this acid varied from 10 to 56% of the total acid content. The ratios of 16/16:1 were distinct for each citrus species. The C22-C29 fatty acids were prevalent in citrus sterol esters ranging from 6·5% for some orange and grapefruit varieties to over 41% for two lime varieties. In all varieties C24 was the most prominent of these longer chain fatty acids. Argentation TLC indicated that these longer chain fatty acids primarily were esterified to dimethyl sterols. ft*|One of the laboratories of the Southern Region, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The avoidance of osteoradionecrosis of the mandible after extraction of a number of teeth in a patient given radiotherapy for oral carcinoma

0 steoradionecrosis of the jaws can be a distressing complication of otherwise successful radiotherapy for malignant tumors of the oral cavity. Since there is no definitive treatment for osteoradionecrosis, preventive measures are an absolute necessity. The most important preventive measure is the extraction of all teeth in the planned path of radiation.4, g, l2 The present report deals with a patient in whom massive radiotherapy was carried out without prior extraction of the remaining teeth. Some time after completion of the radiotherapy, it became necessary to extract these teeth, and we now report the use of a technique which, in this patient, was not followed by the complication of osteoradionecrosis.
Design of Window Glass for Lateral Pressures

ASTM Standard E 1300-04 ("Standard practice for determining load resistance of glass in buildings") outlines procedures for determining the strength of window glass products when the glass is subjected to uniform lateral pressure. This standard practice addresses each of the commonly used window glass products (monolithic glass, laminated glass, and insulating glass) that are fabricated from annealed, heat strengthened, and fully tempered glass plates, used singly or in combination. The procedures are based on principles of structural mechanics, are thorough, and are presented in clear and concise terms. Analyses of the basis for and the scope of these procedures lead to two interesting observations. First, the procedures are based on a very conservative definition of glass strength, and, second, the procedures encompass certain technical refinements, design conditions, and product configurations that are outside of practical application, thus making the procedures appear overly complex to the user. Recommendations are offered for taking advantage of the inherent conservatism and discerning perspectives to make the procedures simpler and more practical.
Direct imaging of CdTe(001) surface reconstructions by high-resolution electron microscopy

Abstract Novel reconstructions of the CdTe(001) surface have been directly observed using high-resolution electron microscopy in the profile-imaging geometry. The CdTe(001) surface, obtained by in situ annealing under ultrahigh vacuum conditions, is found to have a (2 × 1) structure at temperatures of less than about 200° C, but it transforms reversibly into a (3 × 1) structure at temperatures above 200 °C. Structural models for the reconstructions have been proposed and confirmed by extensive computer simulations. The (2 × 1) reconstruction, stabilized by Cd atoms, consists of a 1 2 monolayer of Cd vacancies and a large inward relaxation of the remaining surface Cd atoms, similar to the (2 × 1) reconstruction previously proposed for the GaAs(001) surface. The (3 × 1) reconstruction, stabilized by Te atoms, involves formation of surface dimers and the presence of vacancies. In both reconstructions, atomic displacements are observed that extend a few layers into the bulk and serve to reduce the strain energy.
A B.S. degree in informatics: contextualizing software engineering education

Software engineering (SE) is very different in focus from traditional computer science: it is not just about computers and software, but as much about the context in which they are used. This means we must teach about software and information, development and design, technical and social issues, while creating solutions as well as understanding and analyzing them. In effect, we must teach a discipline broader than SE or CS alone for SE education to be effective. At UC Irvine, we designed and now offer a program doing just this -- a four-year B.S. degree in Informatics. The major brings topics in SE together with human-computer interaction, computer-supported collaborative work, social analysis, and management, along with other application disciplines. Here, we discuss the philosophy behind the major, its structure, and the questions concerning SE education that the new major raises.
Keeping a Low Profile – Austrian Historiography and the Fischer Controversy

The article focuses on the Austrian reaction to Fischer’s Griff nach der Weltmacht in the media and in academia. Although Vienna was host to the International Congress of Historical Sciences in 1965, one of the most prominent events in the unfolding of the Fischer controversy, Austrian historians by and large ignored the questions raised by Fischer. That Germany, not the Habsburg monarchy took centre stage in the new consensus on the outbreak of the First World War, slowly emerging in German historiography, was rather convenient. Only Fritz Fellner, an outsider to Austria's conservative scholarly community, asked for further analysis of Austria-Hungary’s role in 1914.
Fight AIDS as well as the brain drain

Leaders in international health have begun to address the critical shortage of professionals in the poor regions of the world with the highest disease burden. The report Human Resources for Health: Overcoming the Crisis was issued by the Joint Learning Initiative in 2004. The 2006 World Health Report: Working Together for Health emphasised the need to expand the supply of health workers in poor countries. But many articles on the loss of health professionals in sub-Saharan Africa highlight migration to higher paying jobs in wealthier countries as a major cause of the shortage of health professionals. In fact emigration is not the greatest drain on the supply of health professionals in some countries severely affected by AIDS. Death is depleting the ranks of health professionals more rapidly than recruitment abroad. (excerpt)
Modulation of the audiogenic seizure network by noradrenergic and glutamatergic receptors of the deep layers of superior colliculus

Abstract Recent studies suggest that the deep layers of superior colliculus (DLSC) play a role in the network for audiogenic seizures (AGS) in genetically epilepsy-prone rats (GEPR-9s). The present study examined the role of glutamatergic and noradrenergic receptors in DLSC in modulation of AGS susceptibility. The study examined effects of a competitive NMDA receptor antagonist [ dl -2-amino-7-phosphonoheptanoic acid (AP7)] or an α 1 noradrenergic agonist (phenylephrine) focally microinjected into DLSC as compared to effects in the inferior colliculus (IC) and pontine reticular formation (PRF), which are major established components of the AGS network. The results demonstrated that blockade of NMDA receptors in DLSC suppressed AGS susceptibility. AP7 microinjection was effective at relatively low doses in IC, but required higher doses in DLSC and PRF. The DLSC was relatively more sensitive to seizure reduction by the α 1 noradrenergic agonist as compared to the IC and PRF. The anticonvulsant effect of AP7 was longer-lasting than phenylephrine in the DLSC and IC but not in the PRF. These data suggest that neurons in the DLSC are a requisite component for the neuronal network for AGS in GEPR-9s and that NMDA and α 1 adrenoreceptors in this site may play important roles in the modulation of AGS propagation. The relatively greater sensitivity of DLSC to phenylephrine as compared to IC and PRF indicates that norepinephrine may be more important in the modulation of AGS in DLSC, which contrasts to the role of glutamate modulation. These data support recent neuronal recording data, which indicate that DLSC neurons play a critical role in AGS.
Effects of Depressive Disorders on Coronary Artery Disease: A Review

Evidence suggests that major depression and ischemic heart disease commonly co-occur and that depressive symptoms have a negative impact on cardiovascular prognosis. A Medline search was conducted ...
Effective-action approach to strongly correlated fermion systems

We construct a functional for the single-particle Green's function, which is a variant of the standard Baym-Kadanoff functional. The stability of the stationary solutions to the functional is directly related to aspects of the irreducible particle hole interaction through the Bethe-Salpeter equation. A startling aspect of this functional is that it allows a simple and rigorous derivation of both the standard and extended dynamical mean-field (DMFT) equations as stationary conditions. Though the DMFT equations were formerly obtained only in the limit of infinite lattice coordination, the functional described in the work presents a way of directly extending DMFT to finite-dimensional systems, both on a lattice and in a continuum. Instabilities of the stationary solution at the bifurcation point of the functional signal the appearance of a zero mode at the Mott transition which then couples to physical quantities resulting in divergences at the transition.
Detecting differentially methylated loci for multiple treatments based on high-throughput methylation data

Because of its important effects, as an epigenetic factor, on gene expression and disease development, DNA methylation has drawn much attention from researchers. Detecting differentially methylated loci is an important but challenging step in studying the regulatory roles of DNA methylation in a broad range of biological processes and diseases. Several statistical approaches have been proposed to detect significant methylated loci; however, most of them were designed specifically for case-control studies. Noticing that the age is associated with methylation level and the methylation data are not normally distributed, in this paper, we propose a nonparametric method to detect differentially methylated loci under multiple conditions with trend for Illumina Array Methylation data. The nonparametric method, Cuzick test is used to detect the differences among treatment groups with trend for each age group; then an overall p-value is calculated based on the method of combining those independent p-values each from one age group. We compare the new approach with other methods using simulated and real data. Our study shows that the proposed method outperforms other methods considered in this paper in term of power: it detected more biological meaningful differentially methylated loci than others.
PediTrack: Blackberry—A Program for Storage and Display of Genealogical and Historical Blackberry Information

PediTrack: Blackberry stores historical data and generates reports and pedigrees in an easily understandable format. Other database programs are available commercially, but are often expensive, broadly-based, or unadaptable for use in specific situations. PediTrack: Blackberry allows a PC user with Microsoft Access® version 2000 or higher to use the simple program without charge. Microsoft Access® is widely available and easily adaptable to a variety of breeding program functions. PediTrack: Blackberry is a genus specific database for blackberry cultivars names and parental information, historical production data, and pedigree output.
Introduction to regenerative simulation

A recently developed method for estimating confidence intervals when simulating stochastic systems having a regenerative structure is reviewed. The paper is basically tutorial, but also considers the pragmatic issue of the simulation duration required to obtain valid estimates. The method is illustrated in terms of simulating the M/G/1 queue. Analytic results for the M/G/1 queue are used to determine the validity of the simulation results.
Constraints as a design pattern

Imperative programming has great merits. As the ubiquitous style, it is familiar, and its linear and step by step nature is favored by the human mind. Experienced programmers, however, are aware of its major flaw: it is easy for meanings to get lost in piles of code, making software hard to understand, extend, and debug. Constraint-based programming as an alternative has been observed to suffer much less from these flaws, where the "what" (the intention) is expressed rather than the "how" (the algorithm) in performing a computation. It is the job of the system to automatically achieve the intention through constraint solving. Sadly, poor performance and expressiveness has prevented this style from seeing widespread adoption. We propose a general programming model as a kind of a sweet spot between imperative and constraint-based programming. Our aim is to leverage many benefits of constraint-based programming such as understandability, behavioral modularity, extensibility, etc., in a practical way and without suffering the breakdown of the approach as with the traditional constraint-based paradigm. This model enforces a certain organization where at the top-level a program is simply composed of a set of constraints. However, the constraints aren't necessarily solved by an external entity, and the programmer uses imperative code to specify (1) how each constraint should be solved in isolation, and (2) how to combine individual solutions. We have implemented a tool called Sketchpad14 that incorporates this model in JavaScript, and built a number of realistic applications in it. In this paper we demonstrate the merits of our approach by comparing it with traditional imperative as well as constraint-based approaches.
Affective and neuropsychological correlates of children's rituals and compulsive-like behaviors: continuities and discontinuities with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Abstract This study explored the relations among ritualistic and compulsive-like behavior, fears, and neuropsychological performance in typically developing children between the ages of four and eight years. Forty-two children were administered a battery of neuropsychological tasks assessing response inhibition and set-shifting. Two parent-report questionnaires assessed the intensity of children’s fears and compulsive-like behaviors (“just right” perceptions and repetitive behaviors). For younger children (⩽72 months), set-shifting and response inhibition accounted for significant variance in their ritualistic, compulsive-like behaviors. For older children (>72 months), a combination of neuropsychological (response inhibition) and affective (animal fears and social anxiety) factors predicted compulsive-like behaviors. These findings suggest that common neuropsychological mechanisms underlie compulsive, ritualistic behavior exhibited in normal development and in obsessive–compulsive disorder.
Implementation and Application of CORAL: An Open Source ERM System

With the rapid increase of electronic databases, e-journals, electronic books, and digital collections in libraries, managing electronic resources is also becoming complex and challenging. It is an absolute necessity to have an effective electronic resources management (ERM). This article discusses our experience in choosing and implementing an open source ERM System (CORAL) at The College of New Jersey Library.
Modeling Criminal Activity in an Area in Economic Decline: Local Economic Conditions Are a Major Factor in Local Property Crimes

. A multi-factor model includes economic, apprehension, seasonal a n d plant closing variables as the explanatory regressors and crimes against property as the dependent variable. Different lag structures were used on the explanatory variables such as an Almon distributed lag of a second degree polynominal nature and the lagging of the dependent variable by one quarter so that the model would more closely approximate the environment being considered. The results suggest a definite seasonal pattern in crimes against property, and the economic variables measuring local, not national, conditions, appear to be more significant regressors than any other explanatory variables.
Earnings, Cash Flows, and Ex Post Intrinsic Value of Equity

We reexamine the relative importance of earnings and operating cash flows in equity valuation. In contrast to previous studies that use stock returns (Dechow 1994) or future operating cash flows (Barth et al. 2001), we use ex post intrinsic value of equity as the criterion for comparison. We determine ex post intrinsic value of equity by discounting future dividends over a three‐year horizon and market price at the end of the horizon by industry cost of equity. The advantage of the ex post intrinsic value measure over stock returns is that it is not contaminated by the stock market's fixation on reported earnings (Sloan 1996). Also, unlike finite horizon future operating cash flows, ex post intrinsic values better reflect the magnitude, timing, and uncertainty of investors' future cash flows (SFAC No. 1, FASB 1978). Our results suggest that accrualbased earnings dominate operating cash flows as a summary indicator of ex post intrinsic value.
Rotavirus Immunoglobulin A Responses Stimulated by Each of 3 Doses of a Quadrivalent Human/ Bovine Reassortant Rotavirus Vaccine

A quadrivalent precursor to the pentavalent rotavirus vaccine candidate RotaTeq was evaluated in a 3-dose, 439-subject study. To determine immunogenicity, the quantity of rotavirus immunoglobulin A (IgA) in stool specimens obtained, at 1 of 10 study sites, from 37 placebo and 37 vaccine recipients was measured. None of the placebo recipients showed a clinically important (>/=3-fold) increase in stool rotavirus IgA, whereas 31 vaccine recipients showed an increase after at least 1 dose of vaccine. In total, 16, 19, and 15 vaccine recipients had increases after 1, 2, and 3 doses, respectively, indicating that a 3-dose regimen increased the immune response elicited by this vaccine.
Melatonin as a sleep inductor for electroencephalogram recordings in children.

Abstract Objective : To determine the efficacy of melatonin in obtaining sleep electroencephalograms in children. Methods : Melatonin was used in 68 unselected children referred to the neurophysiology department for sleep electroencephalogram (EEG). A group of 68 children matched for age and sex who underwent EEGs after sleep deprivation in the same period was used as control. Sleep latency, as well as latency from stage 1 to stages 2, 3 and 4 were measured. Results : No difference in the number of children who went to sleep was seen. No significant difference is the macrostructure of sleep was seen, other than a reduced sleep latency for the melatonin group ( P Conclusion : The study suggests that melatonin can reliably be used for obtaining sleep EEGs in children. Its use seems to provide a good alternative to pharmacological sedation and a complementary method to sleep deprivation.
Low temperature photoluminescence in Ag-doped ZnSe

We have studied the low temperature photoluminescence of melt-grown, cubic, Ag-doped ZnSe single crystals. The emission lines of excitons bound to the interstitial Ag donor, the substitutional Ag acceptor on a zinc site, and two acceptor complexes involving Ag, have been identified. The binding energies of the Agi donor and the AgZn acceptor are estimated from the corresponding bound exciton lines to be 33.7 and 240 meV respectively. The two acceptor complexes have binding energies 230 and 560 meV, estimated from the corresponding bound exciton lines. Luminescence of a neutral Ag complex has also been identified and it is found to arise in two ways: (a) from the recombination of a hole bound to the neutral complex with an electron trapped at a distant donor producing a pair spectrum, (b) from the decay of an exciton bound at the complex.
Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF)-alpha Promoter Polymorphisms in Ankylosing Spondylitis: Comment on the Article by Ji et al

TNF-α promoter polymorphisms may be associated with the severity rather than the susceptibility of AS. Further studies with a large sample size and precise methodology are needed. Interactions may already exist between gene and environment. All of these are helpful to determine the exact mechanisms of TNF-α promoter polymorphisms in AS.
An Efficient, Probabilistically Sound Algorithm for Segmentation andWord Discovery

This paper presents a model-based, unsupervised algorithm for recovering word boundaries in a natural-language text from which they have been deleted. The algorithm is derived from a probability model of the source that generated the text. The fundamental structure of the model is specified abstractly so that the detailed component models of phonology, word-order, and word frequency can be replaced in a modular fashion. The model yields a language-independent, prior probability distribution on all possible sequences of all possible words over a given alphabet, based on the assumption that the input was generated by concatenating words from a fixed but unknown lexicon. The model is unusual in that it treats the generation of a complete corpus, regardless of length, as a single event in the probability space. Accordingly, the algorithm does not estimate a probability distribution on wordss instead, it attempts to calculate the prior probabilities of various word sequences that could underlie the observed text. Experiments on phonemic transcripts of spontaneous speech by parents to young children suggest that our algorithm is more effective than other proposed algorithms, at least when utterance boundaries are given and the text includes a substantial number of short utterances.
Arytenoid Adduction Combined with Medialization Thyroplasty: An Evidence-Based Review

Abstract Objective Medialization thyroplasty (MT) and arytenoid adduction (AA) are effective treatments for medializing the paralyzed vocal cord, but indications and benefits of each procedure are controversial. We performed a formal evidence-based review to answer this question: In patients with unilateral vocal cord paralysis, does AA combined with MT significantly improve subjective and objective voice outcomes compared with MT alone? Study design We performed a MEDLINE literature search using specific search terms to identify pertinent articles, which were reviewed and graded according to the evidence quality. Results We identified 219 potentially pertinent articles; detailed review yielded 10 studies for further analysis. Only 3 studies directly compared MT with AA plus MT: overall, there was no clear benefit in subjective or objective outcomes for AA plus MT. Conclusions Very limited grade C evidence indicates no clear benefit, or lack of benefit, in subjective or objective outcomes if AA is added to MT, compared with MT alone.
Spontaneously Formed Unilamellar Vesicles with Path-Dependent Size Distribution

We observe the spontaneous formation of path-dependent monodisperse and polydisperse phospholipid unilamellar vesicles (ULV) from two different equilibrium morphologies specifically, disklike micel...
Encircled energy correction method for raytrace programs.

Program adjustments to increase the accuracy of the diffraction-based encircled energy analysis algorithms of the optical design computer programs ACCOS-V and SYNOPSYS are proposed. It is noted that the erroneous algorithms are based on the incorrect assumption that all the energy in a diffraction point spread function is contained within a circle of finite radius. Using these adjustments, more accurate encircled energy results are obtained for circles of radii less than or equal to the 100 percent boundary.
Packaging paternal chromosomes with protamine

The chromosomes of sperm cells are tightly packaged into a complex of DNA and protamines. Converting the chromatin from a nucleohistone to a nucleoprotamine structure may serve both biophysical and developmental functions. Several recent genetic studies have shown unexpected findings of the dosage requirements for the genes involved in sperm chromatin remodeling.
Investigation of cured hydridopolysilazane-derived ceramic fibers via dynamic nuclear polarization

During the pyrolysis of cured hydridopolysilazane (HPZ) polymer to form Si–C–N ceramic fibers, large quantities of unpaired electrons are produced. For such materials dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) provides a means of enhancing the intensity of the NMR signal, and supplies information on the localization or delocalization of unpaired electrons. 29Si, 1H, and 13C DNP gives enhancements of 250 for 13C and at least 800 for 29Si. 13C and 29Si DNP-DPMAS experiments yield the following results: (i) there are at least two distinct types of carbon, sp2 and sp3; (ii) there is a distribution of sp3 silicon environments; (iii) the unpaired electrons behave as fixed paramagnetic centers; and (iv) the unpaired electrons are distributed homogeneously throughout the sample. Proton DNP spectra can be obtained even though hydrogen is only a trace element in the finished ceramic.
Hemispheric lateralization of event-related potentials in a cued reaction-time task.

Abstract Subjects were tested in a cued reaction-time task wherein warning stimuli (S 1 ) of 5-letter words or dot patterns inter-mixed across trials were briefly presented. After 2 sec a second stimulus (S 2 ) of the same category as the S 1 appeared and the subject pressed a key with the left or right hand. The right key was pressed if S 2 was a synonym of S 1 or if the second dot pattern was the same as the first. The left key was pressed for antonyms or different patterns. It was predicted that CNVs would be larger over the left than right hemisphere on word trials and vice-versa on pattern trials in accordance with speculations concerning hemispheric specialization. The CNV was lateralized as expected, most prominently on pattern trials. In addition a negative transient evoked by S 2 , and a late negative post-imperative slow wave were similarly lateralized. P 300 waves were very large and largest to the S 2 when it differed from S 1 Factor analysis confirmed these results and indicated, in addition, that P 300 was larger in the hemisphere least relevant to the task.
Semaphore primitives and starvation-free mutual exclusion

Precise definitions are given of two varieties of semaphore primitives, here called weak and blocked-set primitives. It is then shown that under certain natural conditions, although it is possible to implement starvation-free mutual exclusion with blocked-set semaphores, it is not possible to do so with weak semaphores. Thus weak semaphores are strictly less powerful than blocked-set semaphores. 21 references.
Intracellular delivery of and sensing with quantum dot bioconjugates

Luminescent semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) possess several unique optical properties that suggest they will be superior reagents compared to traditional organic fluorophores for applications such as the labeling of subcellular structures and the sensing of biological processes within living cells. Chief among these properties are their 1) high quantum yields, 2) broad absorption spectra coupled with narrow symmetric, size-tunable emissions and 3) the ability to excite multiple QD populations at a single wavelength removed from emission. This latter attribute presents the exciting possibility of multiplexed or "multicolor" intracellular imaging and sensing. In order for QDs to reach their full potential as intracellular imaging and sensing reagents, however, facile and robust methodologies for delivering QDs in a controlled manner to specific subcellular locations must be developed. We have investigated a number of strategies to achieve the intracellular delivery of QDs including peptide-mediated, polymer-mediated, and microinjection based methods. In particular, the ability to selectively deliver biofunctionalized QDs to specific intracellular compartments is being targeted. Additionally, long-term QD intracellular QD fate, stability and toxicity are also concomitantly being examined. Cellular delivery experiments utilizing these various schemes will be highlighted and the relative advantages and disadvantages of each approach will be discussed.
Issues in Communication Heterogeneity for Message-Passing Concurrent Computing

Heterogeneity in interconnection network throughput and latency has recently become a major issue for parallel computing applications. With the universal prevalence of multicore processors, large scale clusters and, most critically, cloud platforms, variations in communication characteristics of orders of magnitude are possible within a single execution environment. When applications also exhibit heterogeneity and irregularity in their communication patterns, process placement can make the difference between good and unacceptable performance. We discuss techniques for analyzing and addressing these factors in the context of a computational fluid dynamics application for the study of blood flow, on typical parallel platforms: a local parallel machine, a workstation network, and IaaS cloud-based cluster. Our experiences show problem sizes and platform sizes for which communication variations have significant impact, and suggest methods for process mapping that are likely to alleviate the detrimental effects of communication heterogeneity in different environments.
The effect of contemporary learning approaches on student perceptions in an introductory business course

University administrators and educators continue to explore and implement new approaches for delivering coursework. Ultimately, they are attempting to achieve the same goal; increasing the level of student engagement and retention of knowledge while maintaining educational quality. Various contemporary learning approaches can provide a "launching point" to assess, evaluate and implement creative course pedagogies in many introductory courses. To validate the influence of these approaches, this research offers an assessment of the changes applied to an Introduction to Business course using active, experiential, and cooperative learning approaches. The scope of the data was broadened to include both quantitative and qualitative data. Students registered for the course were surveyed using pretest and posttest instruments. The analysis of the data indicates that the application of the three learning approaches has a mixed impact on pedagogical results. Students perceive that their knowledge of business concepts increased after the course was completed despite a challenging environment requiring the application of theoretical concepts to practice. Students indicate that the knowledge gained from experiential-based deliverables through cooperative learning approaches, creates an opportunity for reinforcing and applying introductory concepts. The results of the research also found that while students perceive that their understanding of the concepts has increased, the variety of pedagogical approaches embedded in the course do not necessarily foster additional interest in the subject matter. However, the integration of student qualitative feedback clearly supports the benefits of each pedagogical approach while also providing insight into which approach students found most influential for learning. The contribution of this paper to the literature is to encourage the redesign of introductory courses by integrating all three pedagogical approaches to successfully foster student engagement and higher quality learning.
Mission Mystique: Strength at the Institutional Center

Despite discussion in the literature of “new governance,” the self-standing government agency continues to constitute the institutional center of American public administration. Drawing on his volu...
Rationality in medical treatment decisions: is there a sunk-cost effect?

Objective: To assess residents’ propensity to display the sunk-cost effect, an irrational decision-making bias, in medical treatment decisions; and to compare residents’ and undergraduates’ susceptibility to the bias in non-medical, everyday behaviors.
The utility of a bimolecular expression to describe the heat generation and temperatures in curing Class HP concrete

For several days after concrete is poured, atmospheric conditions influence the hydration reactions of concrete's binder components and so may influence its long-term durability. Accurate concrete temperature and moisture forecasts would help engineers determine an optimal pour time. Some existing curing concrete models include complicated chemistry and/or microstructure development parameterizations or do not allow for mix design changes. A bimolecular heat generation expression that is simple but sufficiently detailed to account for mix design changes was improved for Class HP concrete. Analysis of published calorimetry data and those determined in this study indicated that a second-order formulation adequately describes the heat generation. Class HP binder has an activation energy of ∼35 kJ mol−1. After 72 h, Class HP pastes evolved 250–280 kJ kg−1. A method to account for the effect of retarders on Stage II length and Stage III hydration rates was developed. A curing concrete bridge model with the bimolecular expression predicted concrete temperatures to within 2 °C of observed temperatures and reasonable 72-h hydration fractions (∼0.6).
Efficient algorithms for multichromosomal genome rearrangements

Hannenhalli and Pevzner (36th Annual Symposium on Foundations of Computer Science, Milwaukee, WI, IEEE Computer Soc. Press, Los Alamitos, CA, 1995, p. 581) gave a polynomial time algorithm for computing the minimum number of reversals, translocations, fissions, and fusions, that would transform one multichromosomal genome to another when both have the same set of genes without repeats. We fixed some problems with the construction: (1) They claim it can exhibit such a sequence of steps, but there was a gap in the construction. (2) Their construction had an asymmetry in the number of chromosomes in the two genomes, whereby forward scenarios could have fissions but not fusions.We also improved the speed by combining the algorithm with the algorithm of Bader et al. (J. Comput. Biol. 8 (5) (2001) 483) that computes reversal distances for permutations in linear time.
Peaceful Resistance. Advancing Human Rights and Democratic Freedoms and The New Transnational Activism

Peaceful Resistance. Advancing Human Rights and Democratic Freedoms. By Robert M. Press. Aldershot, UK: Ashgate Publishing, 2006. 227p. $99.50. The New Transnational Activism. By Sidney Tarrow. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005. 258p. $55 cloth, $19.99 paper. Two new books argue that recent claims asserting the power of transnational activism have overstated the influence of those external forces. Robert Press uses the case of Kenya to show that a domestic culture of resistance, not donor pressure or transnational activism, set the nation on a path toward democratization during the late 1980s and 1990s. Sidney Tarrow takes a more subtle approach by reminding us how exceedingly difficult it is to create and maintain transnational coalitions for social change in the first place. Whereas Press pits domestic against international factors, Tarrow incorporates both, theorizing a set of transnational processes to elaborate the opportunities and challenges of organizing for social and political change across borders.
Ecology of Colorado Tick Fever

Description du virus et de l'infection humaine. Diagnostic, epidemiologie, repartition geographique du virus, mammiferes-hotes du virus et les tiques en tant que vecteurs de l'infection, facteurs ecologiques
Adsorption and kinetics in a batch heterogeneous catalytic reactor

The utility of a new dynamic experimental technique is illustrated for the specific case of the vapor phase dehydration of ethanol over a hydrogen ion exchange resin. Adsorbed phase composition data are obtained simultaneously with complete vapor phase information, providing new insight into the catalytic behavior. A mathematical model, based upon Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetics, comprises simply five first-order ordinary differential equations. The model describes all of the important transient and equilibrium characteristics of the reacting system qualitatively and most quantitatively. Experimental data alone are used to show that the surface reaction is the rate controlling step.
The COP9 signalosome controls jasmonic acid synthesis and plant responses to herbivory and pathogens

The COP9 signalosome (CSN) is a multi-protein complex that regulates the activities of cullin-RING E3 ubiquitin ligases (CRLs). CRLs ubiquitinate proteins in order to target them for proteasomal degradation. The CSN is required for proper plant development. Here we show that the CSN also has a profound effect on plant defense responses. Silencing of genes for CSN subunits in tomato plants resulted in a mild morphological phenotype and reduced expression of wound-responsive genes in response to mechanical wounding, attack by Manduca sexta larvae, and Prosystemin over-expression. In contrast, expression of pathogenesis-related genes was increased in a stimulus-independent manner in these plants. The reduced wound response in CSN-silenced plants corresponded with reduced synthesis of jasmonic acid (JA), but levels of salicylic acid (SA) were unaltered. As a consequence, these plants exhibited reduced resistance against herbivorous M. sexta larvae and the necrotrophic fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea. In contrast, susceptibility to tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) was not altered in CSN-silenced plants. These data demonstrate that the CSN orchestrates not only plant development but also JA-dependent plant defense responses.
An effective hybrid transactional memory system with strong isolation guarantees

We propose signature-accelerated transactional memory (SigTM), ahybrid TM system that reduces the overhead of software transactions. SigTM uses hardware signatures to track the read-set and write-set forpending transactions and perform conflict detection between concurrent threads. All other transactional functionality, including dataversioning, is implemented in software. Unlike previously proposed hybrid TM systems, SigTM requires no modifications to the hardware caches, which reduces hardware cost and simplifies support for nested transactions and multithreaded processor cores. SigTM is also the first hybrid TM system to provide strong isolation guarantees between transactional blocks and non-transactional accesses without additional read and write barriers in non-transactional code.Using a set of parallel programs that make frequent use of coarse-grain transactions, we show that SigTM accelerates software transactions by 30% to 280%. For certain workloads, SigTM can match the performance of a full-featured hardware TM system, while for workloads with large read-sets it can be up to two times slower. Overall, we show that SigTM combines the performance characteristics and strong isolation guarantees of hardware TM implementations with the low cost and flexibility of software TM systems.
A new perspective on "community" and its implications for computer-mediated communication systems

Scholars have long argued about the nature of "community," and the growth of Internet-based communication and "online communities" has intensified this debate. This paper argues that a new perspective on the concept "community" can shed light on the subject. Ideas from cognitive science, particularly category theory, can help. I suggest that community can be viewed as a prototype-based category. Prototype-based categories are defined not by simple rules of inclusion and exclusion, but instead by their prototypical members--a robin is a better example of a bird than an emu or a penguin. Items in a category are better or worse examples of the category depending on their degree of similarity to the prototypical members. I will argue that these theoretical insights can help resolve debates about the nature of community, and also can help guide designers of computer-mediated communication (CMC) systems.
Team Briefings in the Gynecological Operating Room: A Cognitive Task Analysis

Briefings are suggested to be an important mechanism for establishing and maintaining cohesive teams. However, there is still much to learn about briefings and how best to design and implement them for surgical teams in the operating room. Currently, there are no formally recognized protocols or methodologies for conducting surgical team briefings. This research reports preliminary findings from an effort to develop a model of team briefings for gynecological surgical teams. Semi-structured interviews were conducted using techniques derived from Applied Cognitive Task Analysis (Millitello & Hutton, 1998) with thirteen surgical team members spanning six different roles including surgeon, surgical resident, registered nurse, certified surgical assistant, certified scrub technician, and anesthesia. Findings reveal that informational needs are consistent across the team but also vary by individual role, illustrating the importance of addressing all stakeholders in potential interventions. Implications for the development of a team briefing model are discussed.