Cluster model studies of nuclei in the actinide region

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 44-46).Three independent techniques for obtaining core-cluster partitions of nuclei in the actinide region are found to give consistent results. As a by-product the techniques generate theoretical decay constants and energy spectra in good agreement with their experimental counterparts. The relationship implied by the binary cluster model between core-cluster charge products and electric quadrupole transition strengths is confirmed; and a basis from which to extract quantitative information from Casten's correlations is introduced

eLISA Telescope In-field Pointing and Scattered Light Study

The orbital motion of the three spacecraft that make up the eLISA Observatory constellation causes long-arm line of sight variations of approximately one degree over the course of a year. The baseline solution is to package the telescope, the optical bench, and the gravitational reference sensor (GRS) into an optical assembly at each end of the measurement arm, and then to articulate the assembly. An optical phase reference is exchanged between the moving optical benches with a single mode optical fiber (backlink fiber). An alternative solution, referred to as in-field pointing, embeds a steering mirror into the optical design, fixing the optical benches and eliminating the backlink fiber, but requiring the additional complication of a two-stage optical design for the telescope. We examine the impact of an in-field pointing design on the scattered light performance

Vulnerability to bullying in children with a history of specific speech and language difficulties

This is an electronic version of an article published in Lindsay, Geoff and Dockrell, Julie and Mackie, Clare (2008) Vulnerability to bullying in children with a history of specific speech and language difficulties. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 23 (1). pp. 1-16. European Journal of Special Needs Education is available online at: http://www.informaworld.com/10.1080/0885625070179120

Dietary Sodium Restriction Reverses Vascular Endothelial Dysfunction in Middle-Aged/Older Adults With Moderately Elevated Systolic Blood Pressure

ObjectivesThis study sought to determine the efficacy of dietary sodium restriction (DSR) for improving vascular endothelial dysfunction in middle-aged/older adults with moderately elevated systolic blood pressure (SBP) (130–159 mm Hg) and the associated physiological mechanisms.BackgroundVascular endothelial dysfunction develops with advancing age and elevated SBP, contributing to increased cardiovascular risk. DSR lowers BP, but its effect on vascular endothelial function and mechanisms involved are unknown.MethodsSeventeen subjects (11 men and 6 women; mean age, 62 ± 7 years) completed a, randomized crossover study of 4 weeks of both low (DSR) and normal sodium intake. Vascular endothelial function (endothelium-dependent dilation; EDD), nitric oxide (NO)/tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) bioavailability, and oxidative stress-associated mechanisms were assessed following each condition.ResultsUrinary sodium excretion was reduced by ∼50% (to 70 ± 30 mmol/day), and conduit (brachial artery flow-mediated dilation [FMDBA]) and resistance (forearm blood flow responses to acetylcholine [FBFACh]) artery EDD were 68% and 42% (peak FBFACh) higher following DSR (p < 0.005). Low sodium markedly enhanced NO-mediated EDD (greater ΔFBFACh with endothelial NO synthase inhibition) without changing endothelial NO synthase expression/activation (Ser 1177 phosphorylation), restored BH4 bioactivity (less ΔFMDBA with acute BH4), abolished tonic superoxide suppression of EDD (less ΔFMDBA and ΔFBFACh with ascorbic acid infusion), and increased circulating superoxide dismutase activity (all p < 0.05). These effects were independent of ΔSBP. Other subject characteristics/dietary factors and endothelium-independent dilation were unchanged.ConclusionsDSR largely reversed both macro- and microvascular endothelial dysfunction by enhancing NO and BH4 bioavailability and reducing oxidative stress. Our findings support the emerging concept that DSR induces “vascular protection” beyond that attributable to its BP-lowering effects

Collaborative College Leadership

With the collaborative leadership style of a new dean, the Dean’s Executive Council (associate deans, school directors, chair) in the BGSU College of Education and Human Development transformed operations of the team and our work with college faculty. This has reenergized the college and garnered substantial faculty support and engagement

Distracted , Stressed, and Confused: The Effects of Distraction and Stress on Memory Retention

Previous research has tested the effects of test anxiety and memory impairment due to stress, but little research has investigated the interplay of these factors with environmental distraction. Our study aims to fill in this gap by examining the association between distraction, stress and information recall in an effort to identify optimal testing experiences within the academic environment. Professors and administrators can improve academic success based upon the knowledge of how stressful stimuli affects test performance. In this experiment, we seek to establish a connection between stress, distraction, and memory recall within academic testing. By employing distracting stimuli in a controlled environment, we hope to uncover further insight into whether students perform better or worse in stressful environments. Understanding how added stressors influence student performance can help professors and administrators structure effective learning environments. Likewise, our findings might also add to our knowledge of the influence of marginal distractibility on the recall of class content. We speculate that there is an optimal range of distractibility and stress within the academic setting. Understanding how added stressors and distractions influence student performance can help college administrators structure effective learning environments. During the experimental phase, our team examined the effects of stress on material recollection by using a graded versus an ungraded exam. We expected that the combination of stress and distracted conditions will result in a significantly diminished student memory performance, compared to the marginal declines caused by stress or distraction alone. Additionally, we explored the role of environmental distraction on memory performance by measuring how students responded to the sudden announcement of a graded test. We hypothesized that if a sudden stressor is presented, one will respond negatively, unable to recall the desired information. Thus, we expect the student to perform less successfully as one would without the stressor. We suspected that environmental noise and distractions increased, academic anxiety will increase as well, causing memory deficits for the affected students. Findings are under review, but are expected to support the stated hypotheses

Nicotinamide mononucleotide supplementation reverses vascular dysfunction and oxidative stress with aging in mice

We tested the hypothesis that supplementation of nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), a key NAD (+) intermediate, increases arterial SIRT1 activity and reverses age‐associated arterial dysfunction and oxidative stress. Old control mice (OC) had impaired carotid artery endothelium‐dependent dilation (EDD) (60 ± 5% vs. 84 ± 2%), a measure of endothelial function, and nitric oxide (NO)‐mediated EDD (37 ± 4% vs. 66 ± 6%), compared with young mice (YC). This age‐associated impairment in EDD was restored in OC by the superoxide ([Formula: see text]) scavenger TEMPOL (82 ± 7%). OC also had increased aortic pulse wave velocity (aPWV, 464 ± 31 cm s(−1) vs. 337 ± 3 cm s(−1)) and elastic modulus (EM, 6407 ± 876 kPa vs. 3119 ± 471 kPa), measures of large elastic artery stiffness, compared with YC. OC had greater aortic [Formula: see text] production (2.0 ± 0.1 vs. 1.0 ± 0.1 AU), nitrotyrosine abundance (a marker of oxidative stress), and collagen‐I, and reduced elastin and vascular SIRT1 activity, measured by the acetylation status of the p65 subunit of NFκB, compared with YC. Supplementation with NMN in old mice restored EDD (86 ± 2%) and NO‐mediated EDD (61 ± 5%), reduced aPWV (359 ± 14 cm s(−1)) and EM (3694 ± 315 kPa), normalized [Formula: see text] production (0.9 ± 0.1 AU), decreased nitrotyrosine, reversed collagen‐I, increased elastin, and restored vascular SIRT1 activity. Acute NMN incubation in isolated aortas increased NAD (+) threefold and manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) by 50%. NMN supplementation may represent a novel therapy to restore SIRT1 activity and reverse age‐related arterial dysfunction by decreasing oxidative stress

Reviewing the review:a qualitative assessment of the peer review process in surgical journals

Abstract Background Despite rapid growth of the scientific literature, no consensus guidelines have emerged to define the optimal criteria for editors to grade submitted manuscripts. The purpose of this project was to assess the peer reviewer metrics currently used in the surgical literature to evaluate original manuscript submissions. Methods Manuscript grading forms for 14 of the highest circulation general surgery-related journals were evaluated for content, including the type and number of quantitative and qualitative questions asked of peer reviewers. Reviewer grading forms for the seven surgical journals with the higher impact factors were compared to the seven surgical journals with lower impact factors using Fisher’s exact tests. Results Impact factors of the studied journals ranged from 1.73 to 8.57, with a median impact factor of 4.26 in the higher group and 2.81 in the lower group. The content of the grading forms was found to vary considerably. Relatively few journals asked reviewers to grade specific components of a manuscript. Higher impact factor journal manuscript grading forms more frequently addressed statistical analysis, ethical considerations, and conflict of interest. In contrast, lower impact factor journals more commonly requested reviewers to make qualitative assessments of novelty/originality, scientific validity, and scientific importance. Conclusion Substantial variation exists in the grading criteria used to evaluate original manuscripts submitted to the surgical literature for peer review, with differential emphasis placed on certain criteria correlated to journal impact factors

System Size, Energy, Pseudorapidity, and Centrality Dependence of Elliptic Flow

This paper presents measurements of the elliptic flow of charged particles as a function of pseudorapidity and centrality from Cu-Cu collisions at 62.4 and 200 GeV using the PHOBOS detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The elliptic flow in Cu-Cu collisions is found to be significant even for the most central events. For comparison with the Au-Au results, it is found that the detailed way in which the collision geometry (eccentricity) is estimated is of critical importance when scaling out system-size effects. A new form of eccentricity, called the participant eccentricity, is introduced which yields a scaled elliptic flow in the Cu-Cu system that has the same relative magnitude and qualitative features as that in the Au-Au system

Latest Results from PHOBOS

This manuscript contains a summary of the latest physics results from PHOBOS, as reported at Quark Matter 2006. Highlights include the first measurement from PHOBOS of dynamical elliptic flow fluctuations as well as an explanation of their possible origin, two-particle correlations, identified particle ratios, identified particle spectra and the latest results in global charged particle production.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, PHOBOS plenary proceedings for Quark Matter 200