cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
AN INTERORCANIZATIONAL PERSPECTIVE ON LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

Using an open-systems model, this article discusses performance in civil defense agencies as a function of crucial environmental variables. These, in turn, are conceptualized in predicting uncertainty and dependency. Such analysis helps managers and scholars pinpoint the constraints on goal achievement. Case studies illustrate the uncertainties and dependencies induced. The model and examples, in turn, facilitate discussion of conditions affecting organizational effectiveness.
Removing parallax-induced changes in Hyperspectral Change Detection

Hyperspectral-based change detection is often inadvertently affected by image artifacts, reducing the accuracy of the change detector. We present a Hyperspectral Change Detection (HSCD) process to distinguish parallax-induced change from legitimate change. Image parallax decreases the accuracy of change detection results. The approach introduced in this paper utilizes a combination of a spectral change detector and stereo geometry to reduce parallax-induced false alarms. Image parallax is determined by considering the error in the epipolar constraint, meaning the corresponding points between two images must lie on epipolar lines. Experimental analysis shows a false alarm reduction by nearly one order of magnitude on synthetic hyperspectral imagery and nearly two orders of magnitude on real hyperspectral imagery.
Equilibrated Adsorption of CO on Silica-Supported Pt Catalysts

Microcalorimetric and infrared spectroscopic studies of CO adsorption on Pt/SiO2 were conducted at temperatures from 298 to 673 K. The adsorption of CO on silica-supported Pt is equilibrated at 673 K, and the microcalorimetric and spectroscopic results obtained at this elevated temperature are in agreement with results reported for Pt(111) at 300 K. The heat of CO adsorption decreases with coverage from the initial value of 190−180 kJ/mol to 75 kJ/mol at the saturation CO coverage of 0.7 ML. In addition, the IR band for CO adsorbed on atop sites shifts to higher wavenumbers, and the ratio of integral absorbances of bridge-bonded and atop-bonded species changes with CO coverage. At temperatures lower than 673 K, the adsorption of CO on Pt/SiO2 is not equilibrated, and the microcalorimetric and IR spectroscopic data are essentially independent of the apparent CO coverage. A Monte Carlo simulation model was used to consolidate data for CO adsorption on Pt/SiO2 and Pt(111). The simulation was based on a set o...
Electron Impact Detachment of Weakly Bound Negative Ions

A method is presented for accurately calculating the total electron impact detachment cross section for weakly bound negative ions. The results are compared to recent experiments for electron impact detachment of H 2 and B 2 . Cross sections differential in energy are presented which elucidate some of the dynamics of the detachment process. A scaling law for the cross section is proposed. [S0031-9007(98)08313-6] PACS numbers: 34.80.Kw, 34.10. + x There have been several recent experiments measuring the electron impact detachment of atomic and molecular negative ions [1‐8]. These experiments exemplify one of the more important processes in physics: the breaking of a target by a projectile giving at least three distinct bodies in the final state. This process is especially difficult to describe theoretically due to the necessity for describing two continua. In this paper, I describe an accurate method for calculating cross sections that takes advantage of the nature of the double continua for electron detachment of negative ions. The calculated cross sections have been dissected in order to gain an understanding of the dynamics governing the detachment process. The insight thus obtained leads to scaling rules for detachment from weakly bound negative ions (ions for which the weakly bound electron is most likely found outside of the region that contains the atomic electrons). There have been four previous methods used to describe electron impact detachment of negative ions. A brief description of these calculations may give some insight into the difficulties that must be overcome. The first method [9] used what is now called an R-matrix pseudostate method to calculate the detachment as an excitation to a positive energy pseudostate. This method did not achieve converged cross sections due to the slow decrease of cross section with increasing total angular momentum. The second method [5] utilized a classical, phenomenological technique. The total detachment cross section is estimated to be the cross section for a classical electron moving in a repulsive Coulomb potential to be absorbed by a partially absorbing sphere of radius r0. This radius and the absorbing fraction are fitted to the experimentally measured detachment cross section. The third method [10] used a fully quantum first order distorted wave theory. Electron wave functions separable in $ r1 and $ r2 (the two outgoing electron’s coordinates) are used for both the initial and the final states. The initial state is nearly separable in $ r1 and $
Gastric Evacuation Rates of Piscivorous Young-of-the-Year Bluefish

Abstract Estimates of gastric evacuation rates (GER) are needed to calculate consumption rates of fish from field-collected data on stomach contents. The results of 16 GER experiments designed to determine the effects of body size, prey type, and temperature on the GER in young-of-the-year (age-0) bluefish Pomatomus saltatrix are presented. The linear, square-root, and exponential GER models similarly fit the data. Temperature had a highly significant effect on age-0 bluefish GER. However, there was no significant difference in GER between small (5.14 g wet weight) and large (35.99 g wet weight) age-0 bluefish. Among the three different prey types tested (age-0 striped bass Morone saxatilis, bay anchovy Anchoa mitchilli, and age-0 Atlantic menhaden Brevoortia tyrannus) there was no significant difference in GER. The exponential relation between bluefish GER and temperature can be used in estimating age-0 bluefish consumption rates in the field.
Method for the identification of saxitoxin in rat urine

Abstract Saxitoxin (STX) is one of several related toxins that cause paralytic shellfish poisoning. We used solid-phase extraction (SPE) and prechromatographic oxidation/HPLC with fluorescence detection to isolate, identify, and quantify STX in rat urine. STX recovery from urine with the SPE procedure was approximately 76 ± 6.5%. The standard curve was linear between 2 and 50 ng/ml. The lower limit of quantification with the method was 2 ng STX/ml of rat urine. Preliminary results with i.v. administration of STX to rats demonstrated that this method can detect and quantify STX in urine.
Differential synthesis and cytoskeletal deposition of neurofilament subunits before and during axonal outgrowth in NB2a/d1 cells: Evidence that segregation of phosphorylated subunits within the axonal cytoskeleton involves selective deposition

NB2a/d1 cells constitutively express and extensively phosphorylate neurofilament (NF) triplet proteins. However, only hypophosphorylated NFs are observed within the Triton-insoluble perikaryal cytoskeletons of undifferentiated and differentiated cells, while phosphorylated NF isoforms accumulate exclusively within the axonal neurites elaborated following treatment with dbcAMP. We examined NF synthesis and distribution of newly synthesized subunits by immunoprecipitation from 35S-methionine-radiolabeled undifferentiated and dbcAMP-treated differentiated cells. Following a 15 min pulse radiolabeling, NF-H isoforms migrating from approximately 160-200 kDa, NF-M isoforms migrating from approximately 97 k-145 Da, and a single 70 kDa NF-L isoform were readily detectable within Triton-soluble fractions from both undifferentiated and differentiated cells. During chase analyses in the absence of radiolabel, the entire spectrum of isoforms was present in Triton-soluble and -insoluble fractions from both undifferentiated and differentiated cells. However, differentiated cells displayed a significant increase in radiolabel associated with each subunit and isoform. Normalization of their NF synthesis levels to those of undifferentiated cells revealed that differentiated cells deposited 10-fold more radiolabeled subunits into the Triton-insoluble cytoskeleton as compared to undifferentiated cells. Similar levels of radiolabeled subunits were observed throughout the 2 hr period in dbcAMP-treated cells. By contrast, radiolabeled subunits and isoforms increased in undifferentiated cytoskeletons during the chase period, although final levels remained substantially lower than those observed in cytoskeletons of dbcAMP-treated cells. These data were considered with respect to potential mechanisms by which the phosphorylated NFs are normally excluded from perikaryal cytoskeletons. The presence of extensively phosphorylated subunits within perikarya indicates the presence of necessary NF kinases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Union membership, market structure, and the innovation output of large and small firms

The determinants of the extent of union membership, industry concentration, and the innovation output of large firms and small firms are examined in a simultaneous-equations model. Data for 246 U.S. manufacturing industries are used to determine: (1) that there are significant interdependencies among these endogenous variables; (2) that contrary to recent findings, unionization is significantly lower in industries with high concentration and high innovation output; and (3) that although high unionization modestly reduces small-firm innovation output (as compared with large-firm innovation output), there is not a large difference in the effects of small-firm and large-firm innovation output on the extent of union membership across industries.
Leadership quality and follower affect: A study of U.S. presidential candidates

Using the tripartite model of attitude structure as a conceptual basis, this article investigates voter attitudes toward presidential candidates, including cognitive and affective assessments of these leaders as well as behavioral intentions and voting behavior. Data collected from the seven most recent U.S. presidential elections were used to compare Democratic and Republican Party candidates who were successful in securing votes to those who were unsuccessful. Here, follower perceptions of leader intelligence, feelings of pride and hope, as well as feelings of fear and anger were found to be statistically different between the two groups. Additionally, regression analysis using follower assessments of candidates' leadership quality, as dependent upon certain perceptual traits of that leader, are presented. Candidates perceived to be higher in intelligence, considered to possess stronger degrees of inspirational quality, and judged more “likeable,” in terms of generating stronger degrees of positive follower affect and lower degrees of negative follower affect, are considered better quality leaders. Followers' perceptions of these traits are found to be key predictors of whether that follower will consider a leader to be of high quality.
Cyclonic eddies formed at the Pacific tropical instability wave fronts

[1] Sea surface temperature images and surface drifter observations are compared to the results from a high-resolution numerical simulation to study the properties of cyclonic eddies generated at the density front of the tropical instability waves in the tropical Pacific Ocean. These cyclonic eddies, of which the diameter is about 30–100 km and the vertical extent is limited to the upper 100 m in depth, have physical characteristics similar to those of smaller submesoscale eddies at the midlatitudes according to the model. They have highly coherent structures below the surface, carrying cold and salty upwelled equatorial water probably rich in marine life. The stretching and tilting of the upper layer of the ocean provides the main mechanism responsible for the intense cyclonic vorticity of the eddies, involving complex evolution of the density field into occluded fronts.
Studies in the Ripening of Limburger Cheese. I.

Summary Ripening of Limburger cheese was studied by determining the quantity of individual amino acids liberated throughout the aging period. Results of the study show that: Ripening proceeds more rapidly in the rind portion than in the interior, but not exclusively in this area. The difference in amino acids in the rind and in the center represents a quantitative rather than a qualitative relationship, for the same amino acids were present in both areas at essentially the same time, but in a higher concentration in the rind. Bacterium linens was able to hydrolyze milk proteins more rapidly than other agents used in the manufacture and ripening of Limburger cheese. The surface of the cheese was heavily inoculated, with a culture of these organisms and, therefore, B. linens was probably responsible for the rapid ripening of the exterior. In the lots of Brick and Limburger cheese studied, there was a quantitative and a qualitative difference in the amino acid patterns at the end of ten weeks of aging. After Limburger cheese was wrapped, the free amino acids continued to increase in concentration; whereas, after the Brick cheese was waxed, the rate of liberation of amino acids was reduced as compared with Limburger. Hydroxyproline was markedly higher in concentration in the Brick cheese than in the Limburger. No correlation between the presence of any single amino acid and characteristic flavor development in Limburger or Brick cheese was established during the aging period by organoleptic judging of the samples.
The stability and transitions of tryptic-digested clathrin

Abstract The pH-dependence of dissociation of trypsin-digested baskets has been determined by light scattering and compared with that of undigested baskets. Essentially no difference was found between the two types of baskets. The molecular transitions of clathrin derived from digested baskets have been studied by fluorescence spectra and polarization measurements and compared with those of undigested baskets. The transitions in both forms of clathrin were very similar. It is clear, therefore, that removal of about 1 3 of the mass from the distal portions of the arms of the clathrin triskelion does not affect its structural transitions. The interactions between clathrin molecules in the basket structure and those within the molecule appear, therefore, to remain intact in the smaller clathrin chains remaining after tryptic digestion. The function of the distal portion of the clathrin chain still awaits elucidation.
Reactive Ion Etching of Light Emitting MEH-PPV and Conducting PEDOT:PSS Polymer Materials

In this paper the selective patterning of poly [2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethylhexyloxy)-1, 4-phenylenevinylene] (MEH-PPV) and poly (3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene) poly (styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT: PSS) based on reactive ion etching for device fabrication is examined. These polymers were anisotropically etched using RIE in a helium plasma. Results show clearly that RIE using helium gas is effective at etching the polymers from the selected areas without physical damage to the working device. Further results show the electroluminescence spectra of etched and unetched devices have almost identical emission spectra, when these devices are operated as an LED. The external quantum efficiency (EQE) for these photodetectors was calculated and EQE peak values reached at 580nm are consistent between etched devices and unetched controls. Test devices show no decrease in EQE performance from RIE.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Activity of liver tyrosine aminotransferase upon 3-iodotyrosine

Abstract Evidence is presented showing that 3-iodotyrosine is transaminated by tyrosine aminotransferase of rat liver. This substance competitively inhibits tyrosine transamination with similar K i values for each reactant in the system. This result, together with previous work, suggests that there is a single active site on the enzyme and that 3-iodotyrosine attaches to the same site as tyrosine. The nature of the product, 3-iodo-4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate was established by chromatographic studies following the use of 3- 131 I-tyrosine or 3-iodotyrosine-U- 14 C as substrates in the enzyme system. The activity with monoiodotyrosine as substrate compared to tyrosine increases with the degree of enzyme purification. Three types of experiments indicate that dehalogenase activity is absent from the enzyme preparations. The action of the inhibitor, p -hydroxymercuribenzoate, is similar when monoiodotyrosine or when tyrosine is used as substrate. α-Ketoglutarate is active with tyrosine or with monoiodotyrosine; pyruvate and oxaloacetate are inactive as cosubstrates. The iodinated hydroxyphenylpyruvate derivative is a reversible inhibitor of tyrosine transamination with respect to enzyme.
Hydromagnetic flow around the magnetosphere

MHD equations applied to hypersonic flow of solar plasma around magnetosphere and approximation with simpler equations of gas dynamics
Synthesis of semifluorinated block copolymers by atom transfer radical polymerization

Two sets of styrene-based semifluorinated block copolymers, one with a perfluoroether pendant group and another with a perfluoroalkyl group, were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization. Microphase separation of the block copolymers was established by small-angle X-ray scattering and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). DSC measurements also showed that the perfluoroether-based polymer had a low glass-transition temperature (-44 °C Contact-angle measurements indicated that the semifluorinated block copolymers had low surface energies (ca. 13 mJ/m 2 ). These materials hold promise as low-surface-energy additives or surfactants for supercritical CO 2 applications.
Second time around radar return suppression using PRI modulation

A technique for suppressing second-time-around radar returns using pulse-repetition interval (PRI) modulation is presented and analyzed. It is shown that a staggered PRI radar system can offer considerable improvement over a nonstaggered radar system in rejecting second-time-around returns which cause false alarms. This improvement is a function of detector implementation (noncoherent integrator or binary integrator), the number of staggered PRIs, the quiescent false alarm number, the Swerling number of the false return, the transmitted signal power, the second-time-around noise power, and the quiescent noise power of the radar. Small changes in transmitted signal power can be traded off with the quiescent false alarm number to suppress the bogus return significantly. In addition, for a noncoherent integrator, all other parameters being equal, if the second-time-around return is a Swerling case II or IV target, then there is an optimum number of staggered PRIs that can be chosen to minimize the likelihood of its detection. It is also shown that the binary integrator significantly reduces the number of second-time-around return detections when compared with the noncoherent integrator. However, there is an accompanying loss of detection. >
Protein fingerprinting: a novel virus identification system.

Abstract Viral proteins separated by one-dimensional SDS-PAGE produce protein binding patterns (fingerprints) which are unique for different viruses. We have applied this concept successfully for the development of a practical and objective virus identification system which is applicable to most viruses. The method is simple, specific, and, unlike the currently available methods, free from all virus-specific reagents. Interference by host protein bands in SDS-PAGE preparations of virusinfected cell lysates was eliminated consistently by treating virus infected cell cultures with optimum concentration of NaCl for selective inhibition of host protein synthesis. The method utilizes the comparison of protein fingerprints of ‘unknown’ viruses with protein fingerprints of reference viruses stored in a computer data base, using pattern recognition software. All 113 ‘unknown’ virus strains were correctly identified to the genus level by the protein fingerprint method, when compared with the conventional virus identification methods.
Some consideration on the (in)effectiveness of residential energy feedback systems

Energy feedback systems, particularly residential energy feedback systems (REFS), have emerged as a key area for HCI and interaction design. However, we argue that HCI researchers, designers and others concerned with the design and evaluation of interactive systems should more strongly consider the ineffectiveness of such systems, including not only potential limitations of specific types of REFS or REFS in general but also potentially counterproductive or harmful effects of REFS. In this paper we outline research questions and issues for future work based on critical gaps in REFS research identified from (i) a review of REFS literature and (ii) findings from two qualitative studies of commercial home energy monitors.
Effect of Diet and Exercise on Pulse Pressure and Cardiac Function in Morbid Obesity: Analysis of 24-hour Ambulatory Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular events, although the role of pulse pressure, an independent predictor of arterial stiffness, has recently been emphasized. This study examines the baseline relationship between body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure indexes in 215 obese African Americans enrolled in a diet-exercise program. The subject population was 77% female, with a mean +/- SD age of 46.7+/-10.7 years and a mean BMI of 42.5+/-7.5 kg/m2. In addition, the authors prospectively examined the effect of weight loss on cardiovascular parameters in a subset of 25 participants. The results show a closer significant correlation between pulse pressure and BMI (b=1.97 kgm-1; p=0.001) than between systolic blood pressure and BMI (b=1.58 kgm-1; p=0.020). After 3 months of diet and exercise, average reductions were as follows: BMI, 4.2 kg/m2 (p<0.01); systolic blood pressure, 7.2 mm Hg (p<0.01); pulse pressure, 4.8 mm Hg (p<0.01); and cardiac output, 975 mL/min (p<0.01). Compliance index increased by 0.1 mL/mm Hg/m2 (p=0.03). The results highlight the potential value to cardiovascular health of a modest reduction in body weight in obese individuals.
Biochemical and enzymatic modulation of the Fc receptor on a murine lymphoblastoid cell line

Abstract The effect of agents which alter the intracellular levels of cGMP as well as the enzymatic susceptibility of the Fc receptor on a murine lymphoblastoid cell line have been investigated. Incubation with dibutyryl cGMP showed an immediate increase in receptor activity. Imidazole, acetylcholine, and poly(I-C) also enhanced rosette formation but these effects were not evident until 24 hr. The Fc receptor has also been demonstrated to be sensitive to high concentrations of proteases which result in loss of receptor activity. Lower concentrations of proteases, however, as well as neuraminidase, enhanced rosette formation. Incubation with phospholipase A significantly reduced receptor activity while neither phospholipase C nor D had any effect on receptor expression.
Observation of metallic conductivity in liquid carbon.

Abstract : The temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity of carbon fibers has been measured at atmospheric pressure and for temperatures up to and above the melting point at 4450 Kelvin. Vapor-grown graphite fibers of different crystalline perfection were heated with electrical pulses 28 microseconds in duration. The transient reflectivity of graphite irradiated with picosecond laser pulses was also measured and the results show evidence for nonequilibrium heating. From this work, it is concluded that liquids carbon is metallic with a nearly temperature independent electrical resistivity of 30 micro-ohm centimeters. Keywords: Liquids carbon, High temperature resistivity of carbon fibers, Transient reflectivity of carbon fibers.
Carbon isotope evidence for early life

The Letter by Mojzsis et al. on evidence for life on Earth before 3,800 million years ago was accompanied by a discussion of the effects of prograde thermal metamorphism on carbon isotope ratios. This discussion included an analysis of the effect a Rayleigh distillation process might have in reducing the ^(13)C/^(12)C ratio of organic carbon that is residual to oxidation during diagenesis and metamorphism. The calculations presented in that discussion (including Fig. 3, its caption and text on page 58 of ref. 1) contained errors that contributed to the conclusion that it would have been physically impossible for such a process to produce the observed δ^(13)C values of approximately -35‰ (with respect to the PDB standard) from initial abiotic values of -10‰. Here we correct those errors and discuss the significance of the correct calculation.
Temporal variation in the response of parasitoids to agricultural landscape structure

Abstract Temporal variations in the relationship between agricultural landscape complexity and parasitoid abundance were assessed in Ingham County, MI. The study site consisted of a 3.2 km ×13.9 km area including a complex and a simplified agricultural landscape. Landscape structure was quantified using black and white aerial photographs and digital land-use data. A heterogeneous mixture of crop and non-crop habitats characterized the complex landscape (40.6% of non-crop habitat), while the simple landscape was more uniform and contained less non-crop habitat (28.6%). In the complex landscape fields were 75% smaller, had 63% more perimeter of wooded field edge per hectare of field area, and 81% more field edge in wide hedgerow than in the simple landscape. In June–July 1993, 1996, 1998, 2000, and 2001, a total of 15,786 armyworm (Pseudaletia unipuncta) larvae were released into maize fields. A total of 3752 larvae were recovered and reared in the laboratory with 1410 individuals parasitized by 15 identified species of parasitoids. Two species, Glyptapanteles militaris and Meteorus communis, represented 96.3% of the parasitoids recovered. Agricultural landscape structure influenced the temporal dynamics of P. unipuncta parasitism. While G. militaris was equally present in the simple (48.8% of total recovery) and complex landscape (51.2%), M. communis was found mostly in the complex landscape (78.9%). Overall, percentage parasitism differed between landscapes and among years with different trends in the simple and complex landscapes. These results indicate that effects of landscape structure on parasitism are not adequately characterized by short-term studies.
Computerized body plethysmography: An algorithm for minimizing drift and hysteresis

The use of linear regression for on-line data processing of airway resistance measurements in the body plethysmograph may be difficult. When airflow (V@?) is plotted against plethysmographic pressure (P"B"o"x), the resulting loop exhibits hysteresis and may drift along the P"B"o"x axis. Although the slope of the V@?-P"B"o"x loop can be estimated visually, computer calculations of the slope are difficult if baseline drift is present. Taking the derivatives of V@? and P"B"o"x eliminates the effect of drift and reduces the loops to a series of essentially parallel lines from which the slope can be readily calculated using linear regression. The identical technique can be employed when mouth pressure is plotted against plethysmographic pressure, enabling on-line calculation of thoracic gas volume.
Microscale patchiness leads to large and important intraspecific internal nutrient heterogeneity in phytoplankton

Phytoplankton stoichiometry or nutrient content has been shown to vary in a number of dimensions (species, condition, time, space), but the heterogeneity within a species at a given time and location, and the underlying mechanisms and importance have not been explored. There are a number of mechanisms that can create intraspecific heterogeneity, and theory suggests it can affect the population growth rate. We studied heterogeneity in P content of the freshwater diatom Cyclotella meneghiniana in the Charles River in Boston. Single-cell observations using synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence show that the nutrient status varies from P-starved to P-replete. We simulate individual cells using an agent-based model that accounts for a number of mechanisms that can create heterogeneity, including surface area–based uptake, mortality differentiation, stochastic biological variability in states and behavior, macroscale mixing, and microscale nutrient patch encounter. By performing a number of simulations with various mechanisms turned on/off and comparing to data, we conclude that the heterogeneity is mostly due to microscale patchiness (85%). We explore the importance of accounting for heterogeneity in models by performing a simulation with the growth rate based on the population-average internal nutrient, as is done in conventional population-level models. This shows that ignoring heterogeneity increases the population growth rate by a factor of 1.47. To account for different heterogeneity in the laboratory and field, population-level ecosystem models should reduce maximum growth rates. The magnitude of this correction depends on local conditions, and in our case, it is a factor of 0.72.
A critical clinical study of concentrated and dried infant foods

Summary The results of a critical clinical study of 117 infants fed a modified dried milk are reported. It is shown that this dried milk meets the nutritional requirements of the normal infant, Vitamins A and B are both present in the usual quantities found in fresh milk, and vitamins C and D must necessarily be supplied by antiscorbutic and antirachitic agents. This food is easily digested by the normal infant. Although the general practice is to discontinue a modified dried milk at the usual age of weaning, children do well on it even if continued to a year of age or later. The gain in weight and the physical development in general in our series of cases compare favorably with groups fed various other foods. The excellent average gain in weight in the athreptic group of infants shows the value of this modified dried milk as a concentrated food in the feeding of marantic infants. There was no greater incidence of infection in this group of cases than in a control group. With the administration of a sufficient amount of antiscorbutic agent no manifestation of scurvy occurred. The incidence of rickets was not any higher than in infants fed fresh cow's milk or other types of infant foods. The incidence of rickets in the group given no antirachitic agent was no higher than in groups fed other foods with no antirachitic agent.
CD8+ T cells promote inflammation and apoptosis in the liver after sepsis: role of Fas-FasL.

Although studies blocking the Fas pathway indicate it can decrease organ damage while improving septic (cecal ligation and puncture, CLP) mouse survival, little is known about how Fas-Fas ligand (FasL) interactions mediate this protection at the tissue level. Here, we report that although Fas expression on splenocytes and hepatocytes is up-regulated by CLP and is inhibited by in vivo short interfering RNA, FasL as well as the frequency of CD8+ T cells are differentially altered by sepsis in the spleen (no change in FasL, decreased percentage of CD8+ and CD4+ T cells) versus the liver (increased FasL expression on CD8+ T cells and increase in percentage/number). Adoptive transfer of CLP FasL+/+ versus FasL−/− mouse liver CD8+ T cells to severe combined immunodeficient or RAG1−/− recipient mice indicated that these cells could induce inflammation. The FasL-mediated cytotoxic capacity of these septic mouse liver CD8+ T cells was shown by their ability to damage directly cultured hepatocytes. Finally, although CD8−/− mice exhibited a reduction in both CLP-induced liver active caspase-3 staining and blood interleukin-6 levels, only FasL−/− (but not CD8−/−) protected the septic mouse spleen from increasing apoptosis. Thus, although truncating Fas-FasL signaling ameliorates many untoward effects of sepsis, the pathological mode of action is distinct at the tissue level.
The Anti-Black Order of No Child Left Behind: Using Lacanian Psychoanalysis and Critical Race Theory to Examine NCLB.

AbstractDuring a period in which institutions have been refashioned to meet the demands of a complex social and political economy, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has helped to alter the public educational system. As scholars and researchers examine the material effects of NCLB, efforts to improve the educational system and its effects must also explore the relationship between policy and racial ideologies including discursive fantasies. This article examines the relationship between NCLB and racial fantasies of Black youth as problematic others in order to help education reform scholarship and advocacy examine the violence of NCLB.
Takeover defenses and wealth effects on securityholders: The case of poison pill adoptions

Abstract This is the first study to examine the valuation effects of any antitakeover amendment on both bondholders and stockholders. We present new evidence documenting that, on average, there is a significant wealth loss experienced by bondholders at poison pill adoption announcement, while stockholders are unaffected. Our finding of significant bondholder losses is consistent with the proposed negative signal hypothesis. We document results which indicate that bondholders correctly anticipate the degree of leverage increase at the time of the announcement. We also show that the proportion of insider ownership is negatively related to bondholder wealth effect at announcement. This supports the notion that higher insider (manager) ownership leads to a greater alignment of manager-stockholder interests while increasing the stockholder-bondholder agency costs. Long-run analysis of leverage and performance measures reveal that pill adopting firms are not under-leveraged as compared to their industry rivals. However, supporting the negative signal hypothesis, the leverage of sample firms rises significantly after the pill adoption. Performance measures reveal that sample firms significantly underperform their industry cohorts. This result suggests that poison pill adoptions are motivated by poor managers attempting to immunize themselves from the disciplinary actions of the corporate control market.
Alcohol affects the late differentiation of progenitor B cells.

Aims: Previous studies show that alcohol exposure can affect the differentiation of progenitor B cells. Before final commitment to a B lineage, progenitor B cells usually undergo several important stages. However, it is still unclear whether alcohol alters B cell differentiation at which stages. The aim of this study was to determine which stage(s) of progenitor cell differentiation are affected by alcohol and to elucidate the mechanism(s) responsible for the effect of alcohol on B cell differentiation. Methods: Oligoclonal-neonatal-progenitor (ONP) cells from bone marrow cells of 2-week-old mice were cultured under different conditions in vitro with or without the exposure of 100 mM alcohol. Phenotype analysis was performed at different time points and expression levels of transcription factors (TFs) and cytokine receptors were measured quantitatively and kinetically. Results: After 3 days in vitro culture, ONP cells differentiated into two populations: B220−CD11b− and B220−CD11b+ cells. B220−CD11b− cells can further differentiate into B lineage cells only with the support of B220−CD11b+ cells. Cells exposed to 100 mM of alcohol during the first 3 days of culture showed no statistically significant difference in B cell formation after 12 days compared with the control group. However, cells exposed to alcohol from Day 4 till the end of culture yield very few B cells. Expression levels of TFs and cytokine receptors were down-regulated kinetically among ONP cells co-cultured with the addition of 100 mM alcohol. Conclusions: Alcohol affects the ONP cell differentiation into B lineage at a late stage. Alcohol also down-regulates the expression level of TFs and cytokine receptors resulting in the impairment of B cell differentiation.
Normal Ultrastructure of the Kidney and Lower Urinary Tract

The mammalian urinary tract includes the kidneys, ureters, urinary bladder, and urethra. The renal parenchyma is composed of the glomeruli and a heterogeneous array of tubule segments that are specialized in both function and structure and are arranged in a specific spatial distribution. The ultrastructure of the glomeruli and renal tubule epithelia have been well characterized and the relationship between the cellular structure and the function of the various components of the kidney have been the subject of intense study by many investigators. The lower urinary tract, the ureters, urinary bladder, and urethra, which are histologically similar throughout, are composed of a mucosal layer lined by transitional epithelium, a tunica muscularis, and a tunica serosa or adventitia. The present manuscript reviews the normal ultrastructural morphology of the kidney and the lower urinary tract. The normal ultrastructure is illustrated using transmission electron microscopy of normal rat kidney and urinary bladder preserved by in vivo perfusion with glutaraldehyde fixative and processed in epoxy resin.
Generating Cycles Reflected in a Century of Prices

Cycles of approximately eight years in the yield per acre of British crops have probably recurred in a continuous series during the last one hundred and sixty years. In consequence of the law of demand, these crop cycles have generated corresponding cycles in the prices of food and of organic raw materials. In conformity with the law of competitive price, the cycles in the prices of food and of raw materials should have been followed by corresponding cycles in the prices of manufactured commodities. As a matter of fact, the analysis of Sauerbeck's index numbers of general wholesale reveals real cycles of approximately eight years in which the originating, generating crop cycles are reflected throughout the century for which the Sauerbeck index numbers have been computed. The principal results of the investigation appear in the graphs of Figures 5 and 6. I. Data and method, 504. — II. An analysis of a century of prices, 508. — III. Crop cycles as generating cycles, 515.
Effect of adsorbent composition on H2S removal on sewage sludge-based materials enriched with carbonaceous phase

Abstract In order to improve the carbonaceous phase content in sewage sludge derived adsorbents, dewatered sludge was physically mixed with polystyrene sulfonic acid-co maleic acid sodium salt with the following ratios of polymer to sludge: 10:90, 30:70, 50:50 and 70:30. The samples, along with the pure precursors, were carbonized at 950 °C and then washed in water to remove the excess of sodium salt/hydroxide. The performance of materials as H2S adsorbents was tested using a home-developed dynamic breakthrough test. The samples, before and after adsorption process, were characterized by adsorption of nitrogen, potentiometric titration, thermal analysis and SEM. Differences in the performance were linked to the surface properties. It was found that mixing polymer with sludge increases the amount of H2S adsorbed/oxidized in comparison with the adsorbents obtained from pure precursors (sludge or polymer). Sewage sludge provides the catalytic centers for hydrogen sulfide oxidation whereas a carbonaceous phase contributes to an increase in the dispersion of catalytic centers and provides more “storage space” in its micropores. There is an optimal ratio in the composition of the precursors for which the best performance is achieved. When the content of the polymer is too high, the “buffering capacity” of the sludge-derived phase is not enough to neutralize the suppressing effect of acidic surface groups of a carbonaceous phase.
A parallel formulation of informed randomized search for robot motion planning problems

We show how paths for articulated robots with many degrees of freedom can be generated in a few seconds or less using nonsystematic parallel search. We present experimental results obtained on a multicomputer for an accurate model of a 7-jointed manipulator arm operating in realistic 3D workspaces. We then present and discuss a fast method for smoothing the paths delivered by the parallel algorithm.
Toughness decrease of PLA-PHBHHx blend films upon surface-confined photopolymerization

The present research investigates the effect of photoinduced grafting reaction on the bulk properties of melt processed poly(L-lactic acid) (PLA)-poly[(3-hydroxybutyrate)-co-(3-hydroxyhexanoate)] (PHBHHx) blend films. PLA-PHBHHx blend films, comprising 10 wt % PHBHHx showed a remarkable toughness improvement. From dynamic mechanical analysis of melt processed PLA-PHBHHx blend films, the blend appears to be noncompatible. Unfortunately, PLA-PHBHHx blend films underwent rapid physical aging as characterized using differential scanning calorimetry, resulting in a significant toughness loss. Physically aged films regained the original toughness on annealing at 60°C for 30 min. Annealed PLA-PHBHHx blend films also underwent physical aging leading to a significant toughness loss. Hydrophilic monomers like acrylic acid and acrylamide were successfully photopolymerized from the film surface using a sequential, two-step photografting approach. The resultant films were characterized using water contact angle goniometry, ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, and mechanical testing. PLA-PHBHHx blend films lost their toughness significantly on surface modification and this was assigned to UV-assisted solvent induced crystallization as characterized using wide-angle X-ray diffraction analyses. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 2009
Fictional Philanthropy in Elizabeth Gaskell's Mary Barton and North and South

Among the many anecdotes explaining Elizabeth Gaskell's entrance into the literary marketplace is one circulated by Travers Madge, a leading Manchester philanthropist. Gaskell allegedly told him that “the one strong impulse” to write Mary Barton came after visiting one particularly destitute laborer's cottage:She was trying hard to speak comfort, and to allay those bitter feelings against the rich which were so common with the poor, when the head of the family took hold of her arm, and grasping it tightly said, with tears in his eyes, “Ay, ma'am, but have ye ever seen a child clemmed to death?” (Hompes 131)While this anecdote ostensibly explains Gaskell's literary calling as a sacred duty and illustrates her expansive feminine sympathy, it also positions her work within the larger project of nineteenth-century philanthropy. As a lady visitor, she attempts to “speak comfort” and assuage working-class hostility toward the rich, but she finds herself in a discursive struggle with the workman, whose rough vernacular and even rougher hand threaten violence both to the lady and the narrative. Like the Ancient Mariner of Coleridge's poem, the nameless workman compels her to listen and accord him the authority that great suffering demands. He wrests the reader's attention away from the main figure of the anecdote, the benevolent “Mrs. Gaskell,” and renders her speechless — at least for a while. For it is his domestic tragedy which authorizes her literary vocation and enables her to present her work as a form of fictional philanthropy.
Morphology-based symbolic image modeling, multi-scale nonlinear smoothing, and pattern spectrum

The author develops a symbolic modeling of images based on their shape-size information. First, multiscale multishape structural distributions in the image are modeled by morphological openings, and a related shape-size descriptor, the pattern spectrum, is developed that can detect critical scales. Then the image is modeled as a nonlinear superposition of simpler parts (the symbols), which are translated and scaled shape patterns drawn from a finite collection. The model parameters are found by using the information from openings and pattern spectrum, and by local searches at points of generalized skeletons. The results appear promising for multiscale image analysis and shape recognition. >
Heat Shock Transcription Factors: Structure and Regulation

Organisms respond to elevated temperatures and to chemical and physiological stresses by an increase in the synthesis of heat shock proteins. The regulation of heat shock gene expression in eukaryotes is mediated by the conserved heat shock transcription factor (HSF). HSF is present in a latent state under normal conditions; it is activated upon heat stress by induction of trimerization and high-affinity binding to DNA and by exposure of domains for transcriptional activity. Analysis of HSF cDNA clones from many species has defined structural and regulatory regions responsible for the inducible activities. The heat stress signal is thought to be transduced to HSF by changes in the physical environment, in the activity of HSF-modifying enzymes, or by changes in the intracellular level of heat shock proteins.
Vitamin E: Or Why We Don't Go Rancid†

The authors' chemical studies on vitamin E are summarized. These studies provide very strong support for the view that vitamin E owes its biological activity solely to the fact that it acts as a general purpose, lipid-soluble, peroxyl-radical-trapping antioxidant.
Identification of aroma compounds in Chinese ‘Yanghe Daqu’ liquor by normal phase chromatography fractionation followed by gas chromatography[sol ]olfactometry

Aroma compounds in Chinese ‘Yanghe Daqu’ liquor were investigated with normal phase chromatography fractionation followed by gas chromatography–olfactometry (GC–O). Yanghe Daqu liquor was extracted with Freon 11, and then separated into acidic and neutral[sol ]basic fractions. The neutral[sol ]basic fraction was further separated into four fractions, using silica gel normal phase chromatography. Aroma compounds in each fraction were analysed by GC–O and GC–MS. The results showed that Yanghe Daqu liquor aroma was mainly contributed by esters and fatty acids. Among them, ethyl hexanoate (Osme value =15), ethyl butanoate (Osme value ≥14) were probably the most important esters, based on their Osme values. In addition, ethyl octanoate, 3-methylbutyl hexanoate and ethyl pentanoate could be important (Osme values ≥10). Acids with high Osme value included hexanoic, butanoic, 3-methylbutanoic and pentanoic acids. They contributed to sour, acid, cheesy and sweaty aromas. 1-Hexanol and 3-methylbutanol also had high Osme values. In addition, 4-ethylguaiacol, 4-methylguaiacol and 4-ethylphenol were identified in Yanghe Daqu liquor and they contributed to clove, sweet, smoky and goaty aromas. 1,1-Diethoxy ethane, 1,1-diethoxy-2-methylpropane and 1,1-diethoxy-3-methylbutane were identified and they gave fruity and floral aromas. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Highly-scalable novel access device based on Mixed Ionic Electronic conduction (MIEC) materials for high density phase change memory (PCM) arrays

Phase change memory (PCM) could potentially achieve high density with large, 3Dstacked crosspoint arrays, but not without a BEOL-friendly access device (AD) that can provide high current densities and large ON/OFF ratios. We demonstrate a novel AD based on Cu-ion motion in novel Cu-containing Mixed Ionic Electronic Conduction (MIEC) materials[1, 2]. Experimental results on various device structures show that these ADs provide the ultra-high current densities needed for PCM, exhibit high ON/OFF ratios with excellent uniformity, are highly scalable, and are compatible with <400°C Back-End-Of-the-Line (BEOL) fabrication.