Various stories

A RITE OF SUMMER The car came slowly down the dirt road and now as it approached the cabin its lights winked off. Darkly, quietly, it found the weedy driveway and crept into it. The two men got out. Each had an overnight bag, and the driver also carried a flat leather case. Gently the two men pushed the car doors shut and went into the cabin without speaking. The driver closed the door. "What time is it?" he said. "Two-fifteen," said the other, switching on the light, "We never made it much before this." The driver tossed his bag onto a cot and put the leather case on the large, black-painted dining table. He looked over at his friend who was checking the drawn curtains. "You want a drink first?" "No, I think I'll wait 'till after. You go ahead though." "I think I'll wait myself," said the driver, unsnapping the case. Mow he paused. "Bob?" "Yeah." "How about you taking the .22 tonight? The trip made my eyes tired." "Sure, man, you know it doesn't matter. You 0. K. for the concussion gun?

Roark Bradford and John Henry

Roark Bradford was not a great writer; this much is fact. He did write some quaint things, some quaintly funny things, and even several first-rate things. But he never approached greatness, primarily because his characters circumscribed him. Their appeal ebbed too, obviously; few seem interested in old-time southern blacks these days. Bradford wrote ninety-six percent of his fiction about old-time southern blacks. It is therefore not surprising that few people seem interested in him either. The academic and literary communities have ignored Bradford with dedication. Five previous Master of Arts theses have been written about him, as well as the usual number of current reviews accorded any publishing author. There are some reminiscences about him in The Saturday Review, and there are a few brief obituaries. That is about all. In critical works there is precious little, and in scholarly journals there is nothing. This is unfortunate, because Bradford happened to be a very good writer. He was limited in scope, but he was quite impressive in other ways. He was even a bit important if the truth be known

Oxidative reactions of peanut hulls

This study investigates how a variety of oxidants can be used to chemically modify ground peanut hulls. Low density and high density hulls were modified using three different oxidizing environments: an alkaline peroxide oxidation system (APOS), potassium permanganate, and a selective oxidizing system containing (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-yl)oxyl (TEMPO). Reactions with cellulose were also carried out as a control. Temperature, oxidation-reduction potential and pH were monitored for the duration of the modifications. Infrared (IR) spectra were acquired of unmodified and modified samples to probe chemical changes in the hulls. The selective TEMPO and non-selective permanganate oxidation systems show that an oxidizing environment is not responsible for the modification of the peanut hulls observed in the APOS. IR spectra reveal that oxidation in not occurring between the hulls and the APOS reaction, or any other modification. Rather, something that is alkaline soluble within the hulls dissolves into solution effecting the adsorption capacity of them

Sex differences in the development of spatial behavior in montane voles : experiential and hormonal influences

In animals with polygamous mating systems, in which males' territories overlap the territories of two or more females, males perform spatial tasks with fewer errors than do females. While it has been suggested that these differences persist due to natural selection, this does not explain how they develop. In this study, I investigated the development of sex differences in spatial abilities of montane voles (Microtus montanus), a polygamous species, as influenced by environmental and hormonal factors. Litters were culled to three same-sex pups and raised in clear plastic cages, either small (21x20x23cm = Restricted) or large with objects for exploration (21x38x48cm = Expanded) . The pups were weaned at 21 days of age and remained in their natal environment

Stretching the spines of gymnasts: a review

Gymnastics is noted for involving highly specialized strength, power, agility and flexibility. Flexibility is perhaps the single greatest discriminator of gymnastics from other sports. The extreme ranges of motion achieved by gymnasts require long periods of training, often occupying more than a decade. Gymnasts also start training at an early age (particularly female gymnasts), and the effect of gymnastics training on these young athletes is poorly understood. One of the concerns of many gymnastics professionals is the training of the spine in hyperextension-the ubiquitous 'arch' seen in many gymnastics positions and movements. Training in spine hyperextension usually begins in early childhood through performance of a skill known as a back-bend. Does practising a back-bend and other hyperextension exercises harm young gymnasts? Current information on spine stretching among gymnasts indicates that, within reason, spine stretching does not appear to be an unusual threat to gymnasts' health. However, the paucity of information demands that further study be undertaken

Infrastructural support to promote farmer adoption of improved technologies.

The paper considers the factors responsible for technology adoption and suggests the infrastructures needed to hasten adoption. Case studies from Bangladesh are used to illustrate the beneficial effects of some of the infrastructural support systems on technology adoption

Expanding the Paradigms of Plant Pathogen Life History and Evolution of Parasitic Fitness beyond Agricultural Boundaries

International audienc

Albumin and multiple sclerosis

A grant from the One-University Open Access Fund at the University of Kansas was used to defray the author's publication fees in this Open Access journal. The Open Access Fund, administered by librarians from the KU, KU Law, and KUMC libraries, is made possible by contributions from the offices of KU Provost, KU Vice Chancellor for Research & Graduate Studies, and KUMC Vice Chancellor for Research. For more information about the Open Access Fund, please see http://library.kumc.edu/authors-fund.xml.Leakage of the blood–brain barrier (BBB) is a common pathological feature in multiple sclerosis (MS). Following a breach of the BBB, albumin, the most abundant protein in plasma, gains access to CNS tissue where it is exposed to an inflammatory milieu and tissue damage, e.g., demyelination. Once in the CNS, albumin can participate in protective mechanisms. For example, due to its high concentration and molecular properties, albumin becomes a target for oxidation and nitration reactions. Furthermore, albumin binds metals and heme thereby limiting their ability to produce reactive oxygen and reactive nitrogen species. Albumin also has the potential to worsen disease. Similar to pathogenic processes that occur during epilepsy, extravasated albumin could induce the expression of proinflammatory cytokines and affect the ability of astrocytes to maintain potassium homeostasis thereby possibly making neurons more vulnerable to glutamate exicitotoxicity, which is thought to be a pathogenic mechanism in MS. The albumin quotient, albumin in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)/albumin in serum, is used as a measure of blood-CSF barrier dysfunction in MS, but it may be inaccurate since albumin levels in the CSF can be influenced by multiple factors including: 1) albumin becomes proteolytically cleaved during disease, 2) extravasated albumin is taken up by macrophages, microglia, and astrocytes, and 3) the location of BBB damage affects the entry of extravasated albumin into ventricular CSF. A discussion of the roles that albumin performs during MS is put forth