cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Anion Bohr effect of human hemoglobin

The pH dependence of oxygen affinity of hemoglobin (Bohr effect) is due to ligand-linked pK shifts of ionizable groups. Attempt to identify these groups has produced controversial data and interpretations. In a further attempt to clarify the situation, we noticed that hemoglobin alkylated in its liganded form lost the Bohr effect while hemoglobin alkylated in its unliganded form showed the presence of a practically unmodified Bohr effect. In spite of this difference, analyses of the extent of alkylation of the two compounds failed to identify the presence of specific preferential alkylations. In particular, the alpha 1 valines and beta 146 histidines appeared to be alkylated to the same extent in the two proteins. Focusing our attention on the effect of the anions on the functional properties of hemoglobin, we measured the Bohr effect of untreated hemoglobin in buffers made with HEPES [N-(2-hydroxyethyl)piperazine-N'-2-ethanesulfonic acid], MES [2-(N-morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid], and MOPS [3-(N-morpholino)propanesulfonic acid], which being zwitterions do not need addition of chlorides or other anions for reaching the desired pH. The shape acquired by the Bohr effect curves, either as pH dependence of oxygen affinity or as pH dependence of protons exchanged with the solution, was irreconcilable with that of the Bohr effect curves in usual buffers. This indicated the relevance of solvent components in determining the functional properties of hemoglobin. A new thermodynamic model is proposed for the Bohr effect that includes the interaction of hemoglobin with solvent components. The classic proton Bohr effect is a special case of the new theory.
Can HIV be cured with stem cell therapy

Transplantation of human hematopoietic stem cells engineered to lack the viral coreceptor CCR5 confers resistance to HIV infection in mice.
Liver xanthine dehydrogenase and iron mobilization

Abstract Administration of a tungsten-supplemented diet to young rats for 10 weeks resulted in an 80% – 90% reduction in the liver xanthine dehydrogenase activity and a 100% increase in the liver non-heme iron content as compared to control animals. A time course study of the effect of dietary tungsten in adult rats demonstrated that an increase in the non-heme iron content of liver was not observed until the liver xanthine dehydrogenase activity was reduced by 50% of that of control animals. Reduction of the liver xanthine dehydrogenase activity beyond 50% of the control value was accompanied by a progressive and continual increase in the non-heme iron content of liver. Removal of the tungsten from the diet of the remaining rats resulted in a rapid increase of the liver xanthine dehydrogenase activity which was accompanied by a decrease in the liver non-heme iron content. These results would support the hypothesis that liver xanthine dehydrogenase participates in the liberation of iron from liver ferritin stores.
Direct Imaging of Ordering in Si-Ge Alloys, Ultrathin Superlattices, and Buried Ge Layers

We review recent Z-contrast imaging studies of Si--Ge ultrathin superlattices, alloys, and buried Ge layers. It is found that whenever Si is deposited onto a Ge (2 {times} 1) surface, Ge is pumped into the growing Si layer, and this is accompanied by interfacial ordering. This is explained by a novel Ge atom pump mechanism which occurs during MBE growth. Codeposition and alloy growth results in long range {l angle}111{r angle} ordering as a consequence of lateral segregation during nonequilibrium growth. 18 refs., 4 figs.
Using an intelligent agent to classify competitor behavior and develop an effective E-market counterstrategy

Internet markets allow online sellers to rapidly update prices. By employing intelligent software agents known as pricebots, the re-pricing process can be streamlined and automated. Developing the pricebot re-pricing logic requires an understanding of the optimal pricing strategy in relation to competitors' strategies. We use simulation to construct a decision table of the most effective counterstrategy for several competitor strategy combinations. We then design a neural network for classifying the strategies of the competition, which allows us to look up the optimal counterstrategy in the decision table. Our findings indicate that a pricebot armed with the decision table and neural network classifier can recognize when the market is such that no entrant can gain a profit advantage beyond the profit achieved at a common price floor, and in other cases where higher profits are possible, the agent is able to achieve statistically significant profit improvements over the no-pricebot case.
Risk and Protective Profiles Among Never Exposed, Single Form, and Multiple Form Violence Exposed Youth.

This investigation integrated violence exposure with critical risk and protective factors linked to healthy adolescent adaptation and transition into early adulthood. A racially diverse sample of 848 adolescents identified as at-risk for school drop-out were assessed for no, single, or multiple forms of violence exposure. MANOVA tests revealed that youth with single form victimization fared more poorly than neverexposed youth, and that multiple-form victimization held the greatest jeopardy to development. Youth with multiple-form victimization reported significantly elevated risk factors (emotional distress, life stress, suicide risk, risky behaviors) and lower protective factors (social support, school engagement, family structure) than both single-form and never-exposed youth. Implications are discussed for preventive and early intervention programming and for examining the transition of at-risk youth into young adulthood.
Distortion in bipolar transistor variable-gain amplifiers

Wide-band variable-gain amplifiers consisting of bipolar junction transistors and exhibiting maximum gain larger than unity are considered. The mechanisms of distortion are analyzed at low and high frequencies. Approximate expressions for distortion are derived and give good agreement with computational results and measurements. The most common high-performance variable-gain circuit realizations are discussed and compared for distortion performance.
Noradrenergic depression of synaptic responses in hippocampus of rat: Evidence for mediation by alpha1-receptors

Abstract Norepinephrine (NE) has been shown to have a biphasic effect on evoked potentials in the CA1 region of the hippocampus of the rat in vitro, with a beta receptor mediating an increase and an alpha receptor eliciting a decrease in the amplitude of the population spike. The purpose of this study was to use selective alpha-adrenergic agonists and antagonists to determine the subtype of receptor mediating the depressant response of NE. The present investigations demonstrated that the selective alpha1 agonist, phenylephrine (2–50 μ M) elicited a dose-dependent depression of the amplitude of the population spike. Clonidine, a relatively selective alpha2-agonist, also depressed the amplitude of the population spike, but only at concentrations (10 μ M) that were inconsistent with a selective action upon alpha2-receptors. Another alpha2-agonist, alpha-methylnorepinephrine (100–400 nM) did not depress the amplitude of the population spike. The depressant effect of NE was antagonized by the nonselective alpha antagonist, phentolamine (0.5–50 μ M) and the alpha1-selective antagonist, prazosin (1 μ M), but not by the alpha2-selective antagonist, idazoxan (1–10 μ M). Phentolamine and prazosin antagonized the response to phenylephrine but not to clonidine. The depressant effect of NE was not antagonized by the antagonist of serotonin and dopamine, spiperone (100 nM); conversely, the effect of 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamine) tetralin (50 μ M), a 5-HTA receptor-selective agonist, which also depresses the amplitude of the population spike, was not antagonized by phentolamine (5 μ M). These data indicate that, in the in vitro slice preparation, NE acts upon an alpha1-adrenergic receptor to depress the amplitude of the population spike, and not an alpha2-adrenergic receptor, a 5-HT1A receptor or a dopamine receptor. The data also support the conclusion that serotonin acts independently to reduce the response of the hippocampal population spike.
Human umbilical vein endothelial cells express P450 2C8 mRNA : cloning of endothelial P450 epoxygenase

Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (EC) metabolize arachidonic acid (AA) through three major pathways—cyclooxygenase, lipoxygenase and cytochrome P450 (P450) isozymes. Previously, we have shown that pathophysiological concentrations of native low density lipoprotein (n-LDL) increase EC P450-dependent epoxyeicosatrienoic acid (EET) production. The present study was designed to identify putative P450 isozymes involved in EC epoxidation of AA. Reverse transcription—polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) were employed to detect P450 2 family cDNA from EC mRNA. Degenerate primers complimenting 2 homologous regions from 6 different P450 2 families were designed to capture a 440 bp cDNA fragment corresponding to the heme binding region of P450 2 isozymes. RT-PCR of EC total RNA with these primers amplified a 440 bp fragment. After gel purification, the fragment was cloned, sequenced and found to share a high degree of identity with human liver P450 2C8 and 2C9. New pri...
Formulations of the Basic Vector Network Analyzer Error Model including Switch-Terms

This paper explores details of the relationship between two expressions of the basic error model describing a two-port vector network analyzer (VNA). One of these formulations is the conventional twelve-term formulation; the other is in terms of error boxes. The paper focuses on the role of the switch terms. By fully detailing the relationship between the two formulations, the paper arrives at several significant new results, including an explicit constraint on the parameters of the twelve-term model.
Familiarity with Basic Song Repertoire: Music Education/Therapy Majors versus Elementary Education Majors.

An audiotape of the tunes of 25 standard songs assumed to be known by everyone who has finished Grade 6 was played for 273 undergraduate music therapy and music education students and 306 elementary education students who were beginning a music skills class. Music majors identified significantly more tunes than did elementary education majors, but the means for both groups indicated that neither had developed a strong repertoire of standard songs outside the college classroom. Several songs that music educators have stated are very important for children to learn could not be identified by even half the students in either group. It is recommended that those preparing elementary education students emphasize building a song repertoire and that those teaching music therapy and education students consider adding this goal to appropriate courses.
Diamela Eltit: Clearing space for critical performance

(1995). Diamela Eltit: Clearing space for critical performance. Women & Performance: a journal of feminist theory: Vol. 7, No. 2, pp. 219-239.
PARADIGM SHIFTS IN FISHERIES STOCK ASSESSMENT: FROM INTEGRATED ANALYSIS TO BAYESIAN ANALYSIS AND BACK AGAIN

. I describe integrated analysis and Bayesian analysis, which have been two of the most influential paradigms in fisheries stock assessment during the last two decades of the twentieth century. These two paradigms have generally been considered complementary, rather than competing. However, recent advances in integrated analysis, including the special case of meta-analysis, have made Bayesian analysis somewhat redundant. I describe how data used to create priors for use in Bayesian analysis can be integrated directly into the analyses. This provides a much more convenient way of accurately including the information and associated uncertainty into the analyses. I discuss how there is still a need to describe the uncertainty and suggest that research should focus on the most appropriate methods for doing this.
Left thoracotomy surgical approach for chronic instrumentation in dogs and monkeys providing high-quality electrocardiogram signals

Abstract Introduction Assessment of cardiovascular parameters, including the electrocardiogram (ECG) is required by the regulatory guidelines. In safety pharmacology studies, this is typically done using chronically implanted radiotelemetry devices in non-rodent species. Methods We compared ECG signal quality from ten male beagle dogs and 10 male cynomolgus monkeys with telemetry transmitters implanted using two surgical approaches: i) epicardial ECG lead placement via single incision, left side thoracotomy or ii) subcutaneous ECG lead placement via laparotomy. In addition, epicardial leads and semi-automated scoring were used in combination to detect changes in ECG values caused by moxifloxacin. Telemetry-instrumented male beagle dogs (n = 8) and male cynomolgus monkeys (n = 8) were given moxifloxacin at 10, 30, or 100 mg/kg (dogs) and 10, 50, or 175 mg/kg (monkeys) as a single dose by oral gavage. Results ECG signals were of excellent quality with epicardial lead placement, and human activity in the room did not significantly alter signal quality. Administration of moxifloxacin was associated with prolongation of QTc interval, in both dogs and monkeys in a dose-dependant pattern. Dogs given 30 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg, the maximum QTcf interval prolongations were 22 ms (+ 9%, 8 h postdose) and 60 ms (+ 24%, 15 h postdose). In monkeys given 50 and 175 mg/kg, the QTcb interval was significantly prolonged from 1 to 6 h postdose, and QTcb interval prolongation persisted in monkeys given 175 mg/kg through 19 h postdose. In monkeys given 175 mg/kg, the maximum QTcb interval prolongation was 43 ms (+ 12.9%, 16 h postdose). Discussion The present study demonstrated that placing leads directly on the epicardium drastically diminishes signal disruption due to room disturbances and subsequent animal excitement. This novel surgical model demonstrated adequate sensitivity to detect changes in ECG parameters, specifically QTc interval prolongation in both the dog and monkey.
Thar she blows... and dives, and feeds, and talks, and hears, and thinks: the anatomical adaptations of aquatic mammals.

research meeting session in St. Petersburg Beach— when I hear my colleague, Dr. Reidenberg call. ‘‘Wait,’’ she shouts, ‘‘I want to tell you about some of the local wildlife I saw before sunrise.’’ (OK. Animal stories are neat, and I’ll never be up before sunrise anyway, so I’m all ears). ‘‘Early this morning, I saw a number of sharks swimming near shore. Magnificent!’’ (Sharks? Did she say Sharks?!) ‘‘Now, it is very, very, very important that you know how to distinguish a shark from a dolphin when you are in the water,’’ she continued. ‘‘A key anatomical difference that you can see at close range rests in the dorsal fins. The shark’s is usually triangular, whereas a dolphin has the characteristic sickle or curved shape. Of course, with many sharks you can also see the smaller tail fin piercing the water, whereas the dolphin’s fluke is horizontal and submerged unless it is arching out of the water. So it’s imperative that you look at these differences.’’ (Why is she telling me this? If anything large and dark approaches me in the water, I’ll be gone from a heart attack in seconds.) ‘‘Oh, in addition, you can also tell the size of the shark or dolphin .. .hey, why you going into the pool?’’ (That was 1998, the last time I
Metabolic studies of 14C-labeled propham and chlorpropham in the female rat

Abstract The tissue distribution and excretion of 14C-labeled propham and chlorpropham were investigated in the adult female rat after a single oral dosage. The average 3-day urinary excretions of radioactivity were 55.9%, 82.6%, 79.5%, and 85.4% of an oral dose of chain [14C] chlorpropham, ring [14C] chlorpropham, chain [14C] propham, and ring [14C] propham, respectively. With chain [14C] chlorpropham 35.4 ± 7.5% of the administered radioactivity appeared in the respired air, whereas only 5.0 ± 0.8% was found in CO2 from chain [14C] propham. There was no significant difference in the rate of excretion or the route of elimination among rats receiving different oral dosages, ranging from less than 4 mg/kg to 200 mg/kg. The radioactivity was distributed in all tissues with highest concentration found in the kidney. The average biological half-life of 14C from chlorpropham and propham in most organs was short, ranging between 3 and 8 hr; however, in brain, fat, and muscle, the half-life was about twice the value for other organs. Both compounds were metabolized by hydrolytic and oxidative mechanisms and the resulting metabolites were excreted either as free forms or as conjugates. Subcellular distribution of 14C in the rat liver and kidney after an oral administration of chlorpropham and propham was investigated. The percentage distribution of 14C in the particulate and soluble fractions was dependent on the elapsed time after dosing.
Multilateral Approaches to Deliberating Internet Governance

This essay tackles the question of how increased interactions among multiple actors facilitated by the Internet shape patterns of global governance, especially for the Internet itself. The paper argues that in global governance the types of actors, along with their collective understandings and deliberations, shape two different types of multilateral global orders: statist multilateralism and networked multilateralism. This paper employs the language of global governance rather than that of international regimes to distinguish three keys terms for understanding governance: global order, legitimacy and deliberations. These concepts are applied to the case of Internet governance, to the Internet Corporation on Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) which is characterized as statist multilateralism, the networked scenarios of the World Summit for the Information Society (WSIS), and the Internet Governance Forum (IGF). The conclusion does not predict the demise of statist multilateralism (as do many analysts examining WSIS and IGF processes) but argues that these newer arrangements are analytically useful for understanding alternative governance arrangements likely to emerge in the future. As such, the concept of networked multilateralism could usefully be applied to cases other than the Internet.
The basic helix-loop-helix factor Hand2 regulates autonomic nervous system development

Mammalian autonomic nervous system (ANS) development requires the combinatorial action of a number of transcription factors, which include Mash 1, Phox 2b, and GATA 3. Here we show that the bHLH transcription factor, Hand 2 (dHAND), is expressed concurrently with Mash 1 during sympathetic nervous system (SNS) development and that the expression of Hand 2 is not dependent on Mash 1. This suggests that these two bHLH factors work in parallel during SNS development. We also show that ectopic expression of Hand 2 activates the neuronal program and promotes the acquisition of a phenotype corresponding to peripheral neurons including neurons of the SNS lineage in P19 embryonic carcinoma cells. We propose that Hand 2 works in parallel with other members of the transcriptional network to regulate ANS developmental but can ectopically activate the program by a cross-regulatory mechanism that includes the activation of Mash 1. We show that this function is dependent on its interaction with the histone acetyltransferase p300/CBP, indicating that Hand 2 functions to promote ANS development as part of a larger transcriptional complex.
A Continuum of Mental Health Care for Children and Adolescents

As an alternative to the confusing patchwork that often characterizes child and adolescent mental health care, the mental health program of a children's social welfare agency offers a continuum of inpatient and outpatient services on one campus. The program operates a 36-bed psychiatric hospital, a 38-bed residential treatment program, a partial hospital for ten children and adolescents, and a large outpatient service, and it can draw on the agency's foster care, emergency shelter, and home-based therapy services. Treatment in all the services is provided by multidisciplinary treatment teams, which have primary responsibility for coordinating a patient's transfer with other elements of the continuum and for initiating a patient's discharge. A case study illustrates some of the practical considerations that influence treatment decisions in the continuum.
A New Method for Quantitative Regional Cerebral Blood Volume Measurements Using Computed Tomography

Background and Purpose Knowledge of cerebral blood volume (CBV) is invaluable in identifying the primary cause of brain swelling in patients with stroke or severe head injury, and it might also help in clinical decision making in patients thought to have hemodynamic transient ischemic attacks (TIAs). This investigation is concerned with the development and clinical application of a new method for quantitative regional CBV measurements. Methods The technique is based on consecutive measurements of cerebral blood flow (CBF) by xenon/CT and tissue mean transit time (MTT) by dynamic CT after a rapid iodinated contrast bolus injection. CBV maps are produced by multiplication of the CBF and MTT maps in accordance with the Central Volume Principle: CBV=CBF×MTT. The method is rapid and easily implemented on CT scanners with the xenon/CBF capability. It yields CBV values expressed in milliliters of blood per 100 grams of tissue. Results The method was validated under controlled physiological conditions causing cha...
How to make friends with end-users and influence management: what mother never told you about being a technical professional

Current trends indicate that corporate management is rapidly becoming aware that the information stored in the computer system is really a corporate asset and not just data. This placed an increased importance and responsibility on the information services department, and with this increased importance and responsibility comes increased visibility. It is emphasized that it is incumbent upon data processing professionals to change the way they are perceived and to communicate more effectively with management and the user community in terms that are important to the latter, not to the data processing professionals themselves. >
Bone marrow-derived cells and hypertension

Although it is clear that inadequate perfusion underlies most of the organ dysfunction accounting for hypertension-related adverse outcomes, our understanding of the pathophysiologic mechanisms is still evolving. The most important approaches to improving vascular health include reducing injury to the vessel wall and enhancing mechanisms to repair/restore vessel wall function. The main factors responsible for repairing cardiovascular function include vascular progenitor cells and angiogenesis. The purpose of this article is to bring together recent findings indicating that limitations in vascular progenitor cell function seen in hypertension underlie the increased risks for coronary artery disease and other vascular-related adverse outcomes. Improved understanding of systems for vascular repair holds promise for new therapeutic applications in the future, although this subject will not be dealt with in this article. We will focus on a pivotal defense mechanism – bone marrow-derived progenitor cells and th...
Sensor data fusion within a regional architecture for ITS applications

This paper presents an overview of data fusion issues in a regional architecture setting to support a major operational test. It describes an Intelligent Transportation Society (ITS) regional architecture that will be used to implement data acquisition and data fusion in the Seattle Wide Area Information for Traveler (SWIFT) project.
Enhanced Collection Methodology for Distributed Wireless Antenna Systems

In this paper, the unique nature of power management in a wireless distributed antenna system is presented. The primary objective is to create a power efficient methodology to steer the beam to the target in order to enhance collection. This paper will present two competing methods of power management. Both methods use a least mean squares (LMS) adaptive beamforming algorithm to allow for beam steering. The first method selects a subset of sensors from afield of randomly placed sensor elements and uses data exclusively from these elements. The second method selects a new subset of sensors from the sensor field for each iteration. The second method is observed to provide better power management across the sensor network. Additionally, it will be shown that the latter technique also yields a substantially better antenna beamwidth with reduced sidelobes for all of the frequencies tested in the simulation.
GRAFT-VERSUS-HOST REACTION ACROSS DIFFERENT REGIONS OF THE H-2 COMPLEX OF THE MOUSE

H-2 crossovers and their parental strains were arranged into 35 combinations in which the adult donor of spleen cells differed from the newborn recipient in the whole H-2 complex, or in three, two, or one region of the complex. A Simonsen splenomegaly assay was then used to test the contribution of the individual H-2 regions to the graft-versus-host reaction (GVHR). It was shown that the strongest GVHR was associated with the Ir region. Differences in the Ir region caused significant splenomegaly in spite of the fact that no antigens detectable by conventional serological methods have thus far been associated with this region. Differences in the K and D regions showed only a borderline effect on GVHR in spite of the fact that these regions code for most, if not all, of the antigens detectable by conventional serological and transplantation methods. The K region alone caused no stronger GVHR than the D legion alone; however, K + Ir region differences led to much stronger GVHR than D region differences. The Ss-Slp region also showed only a borderline effect on GVHR. Differences in two or more H-2 regions usually caused greater splenomegaly than differences in each of the regions separately. On the basis of these findings it is concluded that the strongest GVHR is caused by genes distinct from the known histocompatibility genes of the H-2 complex. It is speculated that the GVHR genes are identical with the mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) and Ir genes and that the product of these genes are receptors on the surface of the thymus-derived lymphocytes (T cells).
Reflector shaping by optimization of wavefront shapes

The shaping of reflector antennas has generally been done by solving a system of partial differential equations (PDEs) which describe the ray tracking system. The technique has been very successful in many cases but has some difficulties with existence and uniqueness questions due to the PDE formulation. The author describes a technique which is based on direct optimization of the wavefronts in the system. The technique is very adaptable and has worked well in designing reflector systems for the Green Bank Telescope and dual reflector feeds for the spherical primaries at the Nancay and Arecibo Observatories. >
Facilitating Knowledge Building in Teams: Can a New Team Training Strategy Help?

Problem-solving teams composed of members possessing unique knowledge tend to be ineffective because of impediments that limit information sharing, including the sampling advantage of common information and differential schema structures among team members. Teams using a team training strategy aimed at ameliorating these impediments were expected to experience knowledge building and high performance. Data were collected from 40 teams of three co-located members, which were randomly assigned to a training or control condition. All teams completed a realistic military-based hidden profile problem-solving task. Teams in the training condition were trained to build knowledge using an information board (which served as a knowledge object) accompanied with schema-enriched communication. Teams in the control condition operated as typical co-located problem-solving teams and did not use an information board or receive the training. All hypotheses were supported. Teams experiencing the training strategy had higher...
Chondrolipoma of head and neck: Case report and review of literature

Background. Chondrolipoma is a rare form of a benign mesenchymal tumor containing mature cartilage and fatty tissue. Chondrolipomas may be found in almost any part of the body, particularly in the connective tissue of the breast, head and neck area, and in the skeletal muscle. Methods. We present the case of a 51-year-old woman complaining of 8 to 9 months of intermittent right cheek swelling. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and CT scans showed a 4.0-cm fat-containing mass involving the right masseter muscle. Results. The patient was taken to the operating room for excision of the mass. The final pathologic diagnosis was chondrolipoma. Conclusions. We describe a case of a chondrolipoma in the masseter muscle. V C 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 35: E18-E20, 2013
Deep mantle plumes and convective upwelling beneath the Pacific Ocean

Abstract Earth's mantle is thought to convect as a whole, with material flow across the upper mantle phase transitions of the mineral olivine at 410 and 660 km depth. However, the details of convection, especially mantle upwelling and plumes, are not well constrained. Here, we study seismic shear wave reflections from the underside of these temperature and composition dependent phase boundaries, which we resolve to be relatively flat beneath most of the Pacific, except under subduction regions and volcanic hotspots. The phase boundaries are closer together beneath the Hawaiian hotspot and also in a larger region of the South Pacific that is flanked by a number of volcanic hotspots. This region overlies the southern part of the large-scale low shear velocity province in the lowermost mantle. A large plume head or cluster of several plumes originating in the lowermost mantle and impinging upon the South Pacific 660 km discontinuity is consistent with observed phase boundary topography and subduction patterns. This feature may be related to large volume volcanic eruptions, such as the Cretaceous Ontong Java Plateau flood basalts, which have been proposed to originate in the South Pacific.
Does headedness affect processing? A new look at the VO–OV contrast

strategies, we conducted a series of comparative corpus studies of SVO and SOV languages. Study 1 examined written texts of various genres and children’s utterances in English and Japanese, while Study 2 examined narrative stories in English, Spanish, Japanese, and Turkish. The results for these studies showed that pro-drop was uniformly more common with two-place predicates than with one-place predicates, regardless of the OV/VO distinction. Thus the Pro-drop bias emerges as a universal economy principle for making utterances shorter. On the other hand, SOV languages showed a much stronger Intransitive bias than SVO languages. This finding suggests that SOV word order with all the constituents explicitly expressed is potentially harder to process; the dominance of one-place predicates is therefore a compensatory strategy in order to reduce the number of preverbal arguments. The overall pattern of results suggests that human languages utilize both general (Pro-drop bias) and headedness-order-specific (Intransitive bias) strategies to facilitate processing. The results on headedness-order-specific strategies are consistent with other researchers’
High-Sensitivity Capacitance Pickup for Heart Sounds and Murmurs

Exploration of heart murmur frequencies requires a pickup and associated electronics having great sensitivity and a wide range. Such a system, employing a capacitance principle, has been applied to reproduction of sounds from the precordium. The pickup is of the direct contact type, is relatively insensitive to extraneous noise, and is capable of recording murmurs of extremely low intensity.
Flowering time control: gene network modelling and the link to quantitative genetics

Flowering is a key stage in plant development that initiates grain production and is vulnerable to stress. The genes controlling flowering time in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana are reviewed. Interactions between these genes have been described previously by qualitative network diagrams. We mathematically relate environmentally dependent transcription, RNA processing, translation, and protein–protein interaction rates to resultant phenotypes. We have developed models (reported elsewhere) based on these concepts that simulate flowering times for novel A. thaliana genotype–environment combinations. Here we draw 12 contrasts between genetic network (GN) models of this type and quantitative genetics (QG), showing that both have equal contributions to make to an ideal theory. Physiological dominance and additivity are examined as emergent properties in the context of feed-forwards networks, an instance of which is the signal-integration portion of the A. thaliana flowering time network. Additivity is seen to be a complex, multi-gene property with contributions from mass balance in transcript production, the feed-forwards structure itself, and downstream promoter reaction thermodynamics. Higher level emergent properties are exemplified by critical short daylength (CSDL), which we relate to gene expression dynamics in rice (Oryza sativa). Next to be discussed are synergies between QG and GN relating to the quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping of model coefficients. This suggests a new verification test useful in GN model development and in identifying needed updates to existing crop models. Finally, the utility of simple models is evinced by 80 years of QG theory and mathematical ecology.
Three-Dimensional Echocardiographic Assessment of the Repaired Mitral Valve

Objective This study examined the geometric changes of the mitral valve (MV) after repair using conventional and three-dimensional echocardiography. Design Prospective evaluation of consecutive patients undergoing mitral valve repair. Type of hospital Tertiary care university hospital. Participants Fifty consecutive patients scheduled for elective repair of the mitral valve for regurgitant disease. Interventions Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography. Measurements Assessments of valve area (MVA) were performed using two-dimensional planimetry (2D-Plan), pressure half-time (PHT), and three-dimensional planimetry (3D-Plan). In addition, the direction of ventricular inflow was assessed from the three-dimensional imaging. Main Results Good correlations (r = 0.83) and agreement (−0.08 +/− 0.43 cm 2 ) were seen between the MVA measured with 3D-Plan and PHT, and were better than either compared to 2D-Plan. MVAs were smaller after repair of functional disease repaired with an annuloplasty ring. After repair, ventricular inflow was directed toward the lateral ventricular wall. Subgroup analysis showed that the change in inflow angle was not different after repair of functional disease (168 to 171 degrees) as compared to those presenting with degenerative disease (168 to 148 degrees; p Conclusions Three-dimensional imaging provides caregivers with a unique ability to assess changes in valve function after mitral valve repair.
An open source phylogenetic search and alignment package

PSODA is a comprehensive phylogenetics package, including alignment, phylogenetic search under both parsimony and maximum likelihood, and visualisation and analysis tools. PSODA offers performance comparable to PAUP * in an open source package that aims to provide a foundation for researchers examining new phylogenetic algorithms. A key new feature is PsodaScript, an extension to the nearly ubiquitous NEXUS format, that includes conditional and loop constructs; thereby allowing complex meta-search techniques like the parsimony ratchet to be easily and compactly implemented. PSODA promises to be a valuable tool in the future development of novel phylogenetic techniques. This paper seeks to familiarise researchers with PSODA and its features, in particular the internal scripting language, PsodaScript. PSODA is freely available from the PSODA.
Identification of furan fatty acids in the lipids of common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.)

Fatty acid (FA) composition was analyzed in muscle and gonad tissues of marketed common carp (Cyprinus carpio). The extracted lipids were separated into four fractions: polar lipids (PL), diacylglycerols, free fatty acids and triacylglycerols (TAG) using thin layer chromatography. FA content within the lipid fractions was determined by gas chromatography with flame ionization detector (GC/FID). The muscle lipids consisted primarily of TAG (96.9% of total FA), while PL were the major component of both male (67.6%) and female gonad (58.6%) lipids. Polyunsaturated fatty acids predominated in PL of all tissues (52.2–55.8% of total FA); monounsaturated fatty acids were the most abundant FA group in TAG of muscle (51.8%) and female gonads (47.8%) whereas high proportion of furan fatty acids (F-acids) (38.2%) was detected in TAG of male gonads. Eight F-acids were identified by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC/MS) in male gonad samples, including less common 12,15-epoxy-13,14-dimethylnonadeca-12,14-dienoic acid with even-numbered alkyl moiety.
Is Huntington’s disease a neurodevelopmental disorder?

Huntington’s disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disease that manifests in adulthood, typically between 30 and 50 years of age. Although genetic tests can now predict accurately whether an individual will be affected, currently there is neither a cure for HD nor a treatment to delay its
Magnetostatic effects on switching in small magnetic tunnel junctions

Perpendicular CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB magnetic tunnel junctions with diameters under 100 nm are investigated by conductive atomic force microscopy. Minor loops of the tunnel magnetoresistance as a function of applied magnetic field reveal the hysteresis of the soft layer and an offset due to the magnetostatic field of the hard layer. Within the hysteretic region, telegraph noise is observed in the tunnel current. Simulations show that in this range, the net magnetic field in the soft layer is spatially inhomogeneous, and that antiparallel to parallel switching tends to start near the edge, while parallel to antiparallel reversal favors nucleation in the interior of the soft layer. As the diameter of the tunnel junction is decreased, the average magnitude of the magnetostatic field increases, but the spatial inhomogeneity across the soft layer is reduced.
Valuation of the Small, Closely Held Company

The valuation of the small, closely held company is especially dependent upon the level, timing, and variability of the expected cash flows. This dependence implies the need for a careful assessment of the horizon period of cash flows, the growth rate of cash flow during the horizon period, and the opportunity cost of capital. In addition, the terminal value assumptions and calculations are major components of the total value of the small firm, and as such demand equal care in their assessment. This paper provides an analysis and illustration of how the foregoing factors may be more efficiently defined and measured for the category of firms that make up the largest segment, in terms of number of firms, of small businesses in the United States.
Tunable Nonlinear Optical Pattern Formation and Microstructure in Cross-Linking Acrylate Systems during Free-Radical Polymerization

We report cross-link-tunable, nonlinear optical pattern formation of transmitted light in a photopolymer undergoing free-radical polymerization. Photopolymerization induces microscale filamentation of a uniform, broad transmitted beam, which corresponds to a concurrent spatial evolution in cross-linked morphology in the photopolymer. Because the photopolymerization is permanent, the ensemble of filaments imprint a microstructure comprising a cross-link gradient pattern. Tuning the system’s capability to cross-link and branch changes the magnitude of the refractive index change (Δn), which both induces nonlinear conditions and also changes the strength of the optical nonlinearity. Only a monomer with sufficient functionality shows stable optical pattern formation, and its nonlinear regime exists for a specific range of exposure intensities. A monomer of lower functionality can be pushed into the nonlinear regime by formulating it with higher functional monomers, whereby Δn is increased to provide a stronge...
“Is That What We Fought For?" Japanese Americans and Racism in California: The Impact of World War II

When Japanese Americans returned to their California homes from the federal government's concentration camps in 1945, many white Californians greeted them with hostility. Terrorists fired shots into the homes of no fewer than fifteen Japanese American families, and arsonists and vandals destroyed property belonging to at least fifty other families. By late 1946, most of the overt hostility had disappeared. Violence against the returning evacuees had ceased, and in November of 1946, the voters of California defeated a ballot proposition that would have reaffirmed their historic commitment to discrimination against Asian Americans. The proposition would have incorporated the Alien Land Law into the state's constitution. A careful examination of the campaigns for and against this measure reveals a change in the way many Californians thought about race and racism. The wartime anti-Japanese American movement, grounded in pseudo-science, dwelled upon the alleged unassimilability and disloyalty of Japanese Americans. After the war, a more subtle and complex antiAsianism eclipsed the predictable anti-Japanese American campaign. This essay argues that the Second World War altered the character of racism in California.1
Political Gaming and Foreign Policy Making during Crises

This article evaluates one means—political gaming—for coping with the distorted processes and perceptions that are present in foreign policy making during crises. Political games are exercises in which teams representing national governments meet and discuss crisis situations presented in scenarios. American foreign policy makers have engaged in this activity since the late logo's at the RAND Corporation, M.I.T., the Pentagon, and the C.I.A. Several hypotheses are developed on the changes in decisionmaking processes generated through political gaming, and on the nature of international perceptions during crises, as reflected through political gaming. These hypotheses are evaluated by means of data from the only unclassified professional-level games on international crises (those at RAND and M.I.T.), from a series of student games conducted at Yale, and from insights gained by the author's direction of two C.I.A. games. The results show that political gaming is indeed effective in improving decision making during crises, and they introduce some new aspects into accepted wisdom about international perceptions during crises.
The construction of identity and rights: race and gender in Brazil

The recognition of individual identity as multilayered and circumstance based leads to a shift from a theory of general rights to a theory of specific rights connected to structural social change. General rights, such as the right to health and the right to work, must be interpreted according to the circumstance of differently situated women, so that rights are specific enough to ensure that they are actually enforced for different groups, including groups that, due to discrimination, are made invisible to the law. In this sense, the different circumstances that help develop the identity of women, Black women or poor Black women in Brazil will be studied to give specific content to general rights recognised by Brazilian law and by International human rights law.
Polar spaces of arbitrary rank

The incidence systems which satisfy the main axiom of Buekenhout and Shult, other than those related to generalized quadrangles, now have a satisfactory classification. Here the ones of infinite rank with no lines of cardinality 2 are characterized. They are the natural analogues of those of finite rank, and the nondegenerate ones arise from polarities or pseudoquadratic forms in the usual way. The treatment quotes some fundamental theorems of Tits, who handled the finite rank case, but is otherwise self-contained. A full exposition of the relevant concepts, with a new development of some of the elementary theory, is also given.
Maintaining consistency of spatial information in the hippocampal network: A combinatorial geometry model

Place cells in the rat hippocampus play a key role in creating the animal's internal representation of the world. During active navigation, these cells spike only in discrete locations, together encoding a map of the environment. Electrophysiological recordings have shown that the animal can revisit this map mentally during both sleep and awake states, reactivating the place cells that fired during its exploration in the same sequence in which they were originally activated. Although consistency of place cell activity during active navigation is arguably enforced by sensory and proprioceptive inputs, it remains unclear how a consistent representation of space can be maintained during spontaneous replay. We propose a model that can account for this phenomenon and suggest that a spatially consistent replay requires a number of constraints on the hippocampal network that affect its synaptic architecture and the statistics of synaptic connection strengths.
The stress response--a dynamic overview.

It has long been appreciated that the adrenocortical response to stress is mediated via the central nervous system. The isolation of corticotropin releasing hormone in 1981 provided an important “missing link” to the CNS, but many puzzling questions remain. Current areas of interest include the associations between the stress-response and immune-response systems.
Introduction and Objectives

This chapter describes electro-optical sensors as a very powerful tool, which has a wide range of applications in various fieldssuch as military, industries, and scientific field. In the chapter, emphasis is given to the radiometer and the spectrometer. Spatial scanners, imaging systems, and polarimeters are also described. Radiometry or spectroscopy is concerned with the transfer of optical radiation between a target source and its associated background, through the intervening medium, to a receiver or detector of optical radiant energy. The chapter highlights the calibration of the spatial response, or field of view of a sensor, as a problem of spatial purity. It further explains the general objective of the calibration of electro-optical instrumentation, which is to obtain a functional relationship between the incident flux and the instrument output. The functional relationship is generally expressed as a mathematical equation that gives the magnitude of the radiant entity of interest as a function of the instrument output. Calibration of an instrument should make the measurement independent of the instrument and be conducted under conditions that reproduce the conditions under which the measurements are to be made. The calibration of the instrument requires a functional set of data concerning the spectral, spatial, temporal, and polarization characteristics of the instrument for which the linearity and background noise level in the instrument need to be investigated.