cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Saved by the Saint: Refusing and Reversing Partition in Muslim North India

Although Punjab experienced serious violence during the 1947 partition, no one died in Malerkotla. This peace at partition is central to the collective identity of the town, founded in 1454 by a Sufi saint. Focusing on the power of the saint, his tomb shrine, and his multireligious cult, this study demonstrates how Malerkotla's idealized reputation is produced and perpetuated. Through ritual exchanges and oral and written accounts, residents and pilgrims integrate the partition experience into the history of the saint and his town, so that this moment comes to symbolize Malerkotla's pacific civic identity.
The bird's nest filter: A new percutaneous transcatheter inferior vena cava filter

Abstract The bird's nest filter is a new transvenous stainless steel inferior vena cava filter designed for percutaneous introduction. The filter design eliminates the technical problems associated with other transvenous filters and produces an effective nonthrombogenic barrier to potential pulmonary emboli. (J VASC SURG 1984;1:498-501.)
Consequences of No Child Left Behind on evaluation purpose, design, and impact

As an outgrowth of No Child Left Behind's narrow definition of scientifically based research, the priority given to certain quantitative evaluation designs has sparked debate among those in the evaluation community. Federal mandates for particular evaluation methodologies run counter to evaluation practice and to the direction of most evaluation theorists, who advocate for flexibility and adaptability in methods choices. The impact of this mandate for randomized clinical trials as the sine qua non of evaluation methods is not yet discernible, but the potential impact is explored through an analogous example involving the World Bank. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Synthesis of poly(iminocarbonates): degradable polymers with potential applications as disposable plastics and as biomaterials

Etude des conditions optimales de la polycondensation en solution du bisphenol A avec le di-cyanato du bisphenol A (catalyseur, solvant, concentration catalyseur). Polycondensation interfaciale egalement possible, conduisant en presence de bromure de tetrabutylammonium a des poly(iminocarbonates) de masse superieure a 100000. Polycondensation interfaciale du bisphenol A avec le bromure de cyanogene egalement possible
SSL technology development and commercialization in the global context

Multi-national patents and applications data, based on filings in patent authorities worldwide, are used as a means to probe corporate and national R&D roles in the emerging LED and SSL industries. The data are counts of patents, applications, or applications filed in at least two patent authorities, and do not have means to control for the importance of individual patents. Nonetheless they provide a helpful way to assess the companies and nations involved in LED and SSL research in general and in specific technological sub-domains. Some of the leading companies and nations are reported on. The data show Samsung's rapid rise to prominence in these technologies. They indicate a greater role of nations other than the U.S. than has been noted in previous patent analyses, since the tendency of applicants to file predominantly in their home countries has meant that counts based solely on U.S. patents have missed large numbers of non-U.S. applicants active in this technology while still counting U.S. applicants that filed solely in the U.S. They reveal growing activity in Asia, partly in Korea because of Samsung's role, and partly in Taiwan and mainland China.
Transfer matrix representation of flexible airplanes in gust response study

The method of transfer matrices is used in the study of the response of flexible airplanes to random vertical gusts. Both nonhomogeneous and homogeneous gust fields can be treated within the present framework. A detailed formulation is carried out in the case of a slender wing with a nonuniform sweep angle, which is a possible configuration for large supersonic transports. Since the bending moment, torsional moment, and the shear are treated directly as unknowns rather than indirectly obtained from differentiating the deflections, this method is expected to yield a more accurate assessment of random stress levels.
Biosurveillance Data Stream Framework: A Novel Approach to Characterization and Evaluation

The Biosurveillance Data Stream Framework and associated definitions are proposed as a starting point to facilitate the development of a standardized lexicon for biosurveillance and characterization of currently used and newly emerging data streams. Criteria for building the data stream framework were developed from an examination of the literature, analysis of information on operational infectious disease biosurveillance systems, and consultation with experts in the area of biosurveillance. To demonstrate utility, the framework and definitions were used as the basis for a schema of a relational database for biosurveillance resources and in the development and use of a decision support tool for data stream evaluation.
T-cell-antigen recognition and the immunological synapse.

Much excitement of the past five years in the area of T-cell-antigen recognition has centred around the immunological synapse — a complex cellular structure that forms at the interface of a T cell and a cell that expresses the appropriate peptide–MHC complexes. Thanks to new imaging technologies, we are now beginning to understand the role of cell-surface molecules and some of their attendant signalling modules in the context of cell-to-cell communication. Progress has been so rapid that T-cell-antigen recognition might be the first system in which the molecular basis of cell–cell recognition is understood.
Traces des femmes: Présence féminine dans le journalisme français du 18e siècle

(1990). Traces des femmes: Presence feminine dans le journalisme francais du 18e siecle. History of European Ideas: Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 136-137.
Primary Ectopic Breast Cancer Presenting as a Vulvar Mass

Ectopic breast tissue is found along the primitive embryonic milk lines, which extend from the axilla to the groin. Rarely, its occurrence has been described in the vulva. We report a patient who developed primary adenocarcinoma of ectopic breast tissue in such a location and present a review of the pertinent medical literature. The predominant pathology is that of invasive ductal carcinoma; however, other tumor types have also been reported in accessory breast tissue. Its treatment usually entails surgical resection with lymph node dissection. Adjuvant therapy should be guided by the same principles as in orthotopic breast carcinoma.
Open source hardware for instrumentation and measurement

The term "open source" originally applied to software projects with publicly available source code for others to modify, improve, and compile. Modified software projects were then often required to release their source code under the terms of the "open source" agreement. Currently, "open source" is also available for hardware projects and includes printed circuit board designs, photomask layouts and mechanical assemblies. While the scientific community requests journal authors to provide enough information for other groups to replicate their work, and patent examiners hold inventors to the same test, the OSH community requires even more details and prefers that they be available online. For example, downloadable electronic design files for printed circuit boards and 3-D printable enclosures make it possible for an engineer to modify an instrument design from the desktop, order the parts from several different manufacturers, and receive a customized kit for assembly - or even have the parts assembled and shipped. The original designers may remain completely unaware of the development or may receive credit or a royalty for their work depending on the terms under which they released the design.
On the interaction of cleavage cracks with second phase particles

Abstract The interaction of {100} cleavage cracks with hard and soft second phase particles is described in LiF and MgO single crystals. The principal effect of the second phase particles is to change the cleavage step density. The apparent fracture surface energy, γ i , of MgO is increased by one hundred per cent by the presence of cube shaped 10 μm on a side and spaced at 50 μm. The measured increase in γ i is consistent with the increased work done in forming cleavage steps by shearing at a stress equal to the theoretical shear strength.
Species Composition of Neotropical Understory Bird Communities: Local Versus Regional Perspectives Based on Capture Data

Species richness and composition of bird assemblages found in the understory of undisturbed Neotropical forests vary at local and regional scales but the extent of that variation has not been well documented. Yet, such variation can be important for understanding patterns of diversity and for conservation. Here, we use capture data from two ca 100-ha study plots (sampled from March 2001 through March 2005) to compare understory assemblages at a local scale; nets on the plots were separated by approximately 1.7 km at the closest point. A total of 157 species (133 per plot) was represented in 6023 captures of 4001 individuals. After eliminating species not likely to be well-sampled with nets, there were 122 species total with 110 and 113 on the two plots, respectively. Species-accumulation curves and abundance-rank relationships were almost identical on both plots. Capture rates were high (53 and 56 birds captured per 100 mist-net-hours, mnh) on both plots. Distributions of species and individuals among families and genera were similar on the two plots but numbers of captures of some common species differed between plots in response to small-scale variation in environmental features. Indicator-species analyses selected seven species as more characteristic of one plot and nine as more characteristic of the other. At the regional level, understory assemblages were most similar to a site in Peru but differed from sites in Brazil, Venezuela, and, especially, Costa Rica. Dissimilarity in species richness per family was related to geographic distance only when Costa Rica was included in the analysis.
Factors controlling temporal and spatial distribution of total mercury and methylmercury in hyporheic sediments of the Allequash Creek wetland, northern Wisconsin

[1] Hyporheic pore water samples were collected from two sites within the Allequash Creek wetland, in Vilas County, northern Wisconsin, from August 2003 to October 2004. Samples were collected simultaneously at the surface and at 2, 5, 7, 10, and 15 cm below the sediment-water interface. Concentration ranges were 3.7 to 58 pM for inorganic mercury, <0.5 to 16 pM for methylmercury, 3.02 to 152 μM and 0.38 to 96.6 μM for oxidized and reduced iron, respectively, 1.28 to 48.2 μM and< 0.05 to 9.76 μM for oxidized and reduced sulfur, respectively, and 109 to 689 μM for dissolved organic carbon. These concentrations are typical of anoxic environments such as wetlands and lake sediments. These data were used to gain a better understanding of the processes controlling spatial and temporal variability of inorganic mercury and methylmercury. Findings show that conditions conducive to mercury methylation exist in the hyporheic zone, especially in late summer, when accumulation of reduced iron and sulfide are indicative of microbial iron and sulfate reduction. Methylmercury concentrations also peak in late summer, with the highest concentrations appearing 2 to 10 cm below the sediment-water interface. While there is a general covariance of total mercury and methylmercury over the depth profile, poor correlation was observed over time, highlighting the dynamic nature of hyporheic zone conditions and suggesting changes in mercury speciation and partitioning.
The Somatic and Oral Infraciliature of the Enigmatic Giliate Cyathodinium piriforme

SYNOPSIS. The unusual patterns of infraciliary kinetosomes on the body and in the large anterior depression of the trophont stage of this difficult-to-classify ciliate have been examined by use of the Chatton-Lwoff silver impregnation technique. In our material there are nine rows of somatic cilia, arranged more or less concentrically around the oral cavity at the anterior end of the pyriform-shaped body; in the cavity itself there are eight quite separate rows of “vestibular” ciliature. Erratically distributed on posterior areas of the body are argentophilic “granules” which may be non-cilia-bearing kinetosomes. A contractile vacuole pore, described for the first time, is located on the ventral surface in the posterior third of the body to the right of the midline. Still more information is needed to be able to establish the most appropriate taxonomic allocation for Cyathodinium. It is suggested that a combination of fine structural (electron microscopical) and morphogenetic (fission, stomatogenesis, reorganization) studies is required to elucidate both the form and the function of the several unique features of Cyathodinium and that a new understanding of these will permit resolution of the problem of the systematic status of the ciliate.
The Pedicled Latissimus Dorsi Flap for Shoulder Reconstruction After Sarcoma Resection

Tumor extirpation around the shoulder can result in large defects requiring coverage of allograft-alloprosthetic constructs and vital neurovascular structures. This study examined a single institution’s experience with the pedicled latissimus dorsi flap in reconstructing large shoulder defects after oncologic resection. Using a prospectively maintained database, 33 consecutive patients were reviewed who had undergone a pedicled latissimus dorsi flap to reconstruct oncologic shoulder defects between 1994 and 2004. Wide excision or radical en-bloc resection of shoulder tissues was performed with defects often extending intra-articularly and to the level of the mid-arm. Patient demographics, comorbid conditions, pathology, adjuvant treatment, defect characteristics, skin paddle dimensions and operative records were evaluated. Outcome variables included major and minor complications, patient survival, and limb viability. Adjuvant therapy included chemotherapy in 18 patients, radiation therapy in 12 patients, and brachytherapy in 2 patients. Defects averaged 280.1 cm2 (range 18–1,225 cm2). Mean skin paddle surface area was 118.9 cm2 (range 21–350 cm2). There were 28 myocutaneous flaps and 5 muscle flaps. Materials for bony reconstruction included 13 allograft and alloprosthetic composites, 6 metallic prostheses, and 3 reconstructions using allograft alone. Two patients experienced partial skin flap necrosis. One patient developed local recurrence. Two patients required combined flaps. Use of the pedicled latissimus dorsi flap in complex shoulder reconstructions provided ample well-vascularized soft tissue, minimized risk of infection, and maximized limb salvage. In our experience, the pedicled latissimus dorsi flap is an excellent choice for reconstruction of defects around the shoulder after tumor extirpation.
Banach Envelopes of Monogenic Hardy Spaces

We identify the Banach envelope of Hardy type spaces \(\mathcal{H}^{p}(\Omega)\), \(\frac{m-1}{m} < p < 1\), of monogenic functions in an arbitrary Lipschitz domain \(\Omega\, \subset\,\mathbb{R}^{m}\) in the form of a suitable Bergman type space of monogenic functions.
Constancy of Interstress Intervals in the Fluent Speech of People Who Stutter During Adaptation Trials

The constancy of interstress intervals (ISIs) was studied in the fluent speech of 2 people who stutter during five adaptation trials. Counter to prediction, ISI constancy did not improve as an acco...
Child's Play: A Multidisciplinary Perspective

Competition obscures the realities and significance of play, in particular, the bodily play originating in infancy and typical of young children. A multidisciplinary perspective on child's play elucidates the nature of child's play and validates the distinction between competition and play. The article begins with a consideration of ethological research on play in young human and nonhuman animals, proceeds to a consideration of psychological research on laughter as a primary kinetic marker of play, and ends with a philosophical examination of the foundational moral significances of child's play.
Effects of phenol, 2,4-dimethylphenol, 2,4-dichlorophenol, and pentachlorophenol on embryo, larval, and early-juvenile fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas).

Embryos of fathead minnows were more resistant to phenol, 2,4-dimethylphenol (2,4-DMP), 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP), and pentachloro-phenol (PCP) than were larval or juvenile life stages. Growth of 28-day-old fish was the most sensitive indicator of stress during exposures to phenol, 2,4-DMP, and PCP, whereas survival was the most sensitive indicator of toxic effects from 2,4-DCP exposure. Based on these effects, the estimated maximum acceptable toxicant concentration for fathead minnows in Lake Superior water lies between 1,830 and 3,570μg/L for phenol; 1,970 and 3,110μg/L for 2,4-DMP; 290 and 460μg/L for 2,4-DCP; and 44.9 and 73.0μg/L for PCP.
Norwood Office Supplies, Inc.: A Teaching Case to Integrate Computer‐Assisted uditing Techniques into the Auditing Course

This case presents an introduction to using computer‐assisted auditing techniques (CAATs). Specifically, this case integrates ACL audit software into the financial‐statement auditing class. The case has three assignments. In assignment #1, you will walk through an interactive exercise that introduces the basics of the ACL software package. Assignment #2 introduces you to the audit context. The client, Norwood Office Supplies, Inc., operates in the highly competitive retail office supplies industry. In this assignment, you will be required to first identify business/operational and financial‐reporting audit risks and then recommend audit procedures that can address such risks using the ACL software. You will then be asked to identify issues that may lead to opportunities for providing the client with different types of assurance and consulting services. In assignment #3, you are required to execute the audit procedures using ACL. While the authors created the data for the case, the audit context is a reali...
Characteristics of mothers with depressive symptoms outside the postpartum period.

Numerous studies have investigated the deleterious effects of maternal depression on child outcomes. Knowledge of characteristics of these mothers is incomplete, as most studies utilize small samples or limit investigation to the postpartum period. Utilizing data from a nationally representative sample of 7,211 fathers and mothers living in households with children aged 5–17 years who participated in the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) 2004–2006, the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) was used to assess parental depressive symptoms, the Short Form-12 (SF-12) was used to examine paternal and maternal physical health, and the Columbia Impairment Scale was used to measure child behavioral or emotional problems. In multivariate analyses, maternal unemployment (AOR 1.76, 95 % CI 1.31–2.35); living with smokers (AOR 1.82, 95 % CI 1.12–2.94); poor maternal physical health (AOR 2.31; 95 % CI 1.81–2.94); living with children with behavioral or emotional problems (AOR 2.95, 95 % CI 2.30–3.96); and paternal depressive symptoms (AOR 5.11, 95 % CI 1.97–13.25) each were independently associated with increased rates of maternal depressive symptoms. This paper is the first we are aware of to use a nationally representative sample to investigate characteristics associated with maternal depressive symptoms and found that maternal unemployment, living with smokers, poor maternal physical health, having children with behavioral or emotional problems, and paternal depressive symptoms are each independently associated with maternal depressive symptoms. In these data, paternal depressive symptoms are associated with the greatest risk of mothers exhibiting depressive symptoms, a finding that we believe has never before been shown.
Identification Of Substitutional Acceptors In Bridgman-Grown (Cd,Mn)Te

D. KaiserIBM T.J. Watson Research CenterYorktown Heights, NY 10598AbstractIntentionally doped Cd, Mn Te crystals with composition 0.1 < x < 0.3 were grown bythe vertical Bridgman technique X Systematic studies were made of: (a) interaction of nativedefects with foreign impurities; (b) the mechanisms for substitutional doping of the accep-tors Cu, Au, P and As; and (c) the binding energies of various defects. The measurementsinvolve a combination of crystallographic, electrical and optical studies. The resultsdemonstrated that P and As play the role of effective acceptors. In Cu and Au dopedsamples, a high compensation mechanism was observed.Introduction
Amino acid concentrations in blood of patients with an acute myocardial infarction.

Levels of essential and nonessential amino acids in blood of patients with an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) were found in general not to differ from values obtained from non-AMI patients. This is in contrast to blood taurine levels which are elevated in the AMI patients.
Bevacizumab in glioblastoma--still much to learn.

Glioblastoma, which remains one of the most lethal tumors, is associated with a median survival of only approximately 15 months, despite aggressive combination therapy. Interest in therapeutic targeting of the florid angiogenesis characteristic of glioblastoma led to several phase 2 trials of bevacizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody targeted against vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), in patients with recurrent glioblastoma.1–3 These early trials showed dramatic and unprecedented responses on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (and, occasionally, clinical responses) among patients with a recurrent tumor for which no effective treatment existed, thereby leading to approval of bevacizumab by the Food and Drug . . .
Estimating sampling completeness of lidar datasets using voxel-based geometry

Advances in LIDAR technology have made sub-meter resolutions from airborne instruments possible, enabling quick capture of fine 3D details over large areas. During collection, occluding objects may prevent a laser pulse from reaching regions where overlapping geometry is present, such as under tree canopies. This is particularly true given the near-nadir angles typically used by airborne LIDAR, since the limited number of unique angles does not ensure that all surfaces can be sensed. These missed surface detections decrease the overall quality of a dataset, but are not normally quantified due to a lack of ground-truth. Using information that is normally discarded about the LIDAR instrument position, we show how these unsampled regions can be identified by tracing the path of each laser pulse. A voxel representation provides the framework for computing the necessary statistics, and also allows for correct representations of overlapping geometry in complex environments. Based on this novel unsampled information we show how the fraction of total surfaces sensed and not sensed by the LIDAR can be estimated, giving a measurement of how completely all surfaces are sampled. Results are demonstrated for a real-world dataset, including the effects of voxel resolution and data density on the sampling completeness metric.
A neural model of cortico-cerebellar interactions during attentive imitation and predictive learning of sequential handwriting movements

Much sensory-motor behavior develops through imitation, as during the learning of handwriting by children. Such complex sequential acts are broken down into distinct motor control synergies, or muscle groups, whose activities overlap in time to generate continuous, curved movements that obey an inverse relation between curvature and speed. How are such complex movements learned through attentive imitation? Novel movements may be made as a series of distinct segments, but a practiced movement can be made smoothly, with a continuous, often bell-shaped, velocity profile. How does learning of complex movements transform reactive imitation into predictive, automatic performance? A neural model is developed which suggests how parietal and motor cortical mechanisms, such as difference vector encoding, interact with adaptively timed, predictive cerebellar learning during movement imitation and predictive performance. To initiate movement, visual attention shifts along the shape to be imitated and generates vector movement using motor cortical cells. During such an imitative movement, cerebellar Purkinje cells with a spectrum of delayed response profiles sample and learn the changing directional information and, in turn, send that learned information back to the cortex and eventually to the muscle synergies involved. If the imitative movement deviates from an attentional focus around a shape to be imitated, the visual system shifts attention, and may make an eye movement, back to the shape, thereby providing corrective directional information to the arm movement system. This imitative movement cycle repeats until the cortico-cerebellar system can accurately drive the movement based on memory alone. A cortical working memory buffer transiently stores the cerebellar output and releases it at a variable rate, allowing speed scaling of learned movements which is limited by the rate of cerebellar memory readout. Movements can be learned at variable speeds if the density of the spectrum of delayed cellular responses in the cerebellum varies with speed. Learning at slower speeds facilitates learning at faster speeds. Size can be varied after learning while keeping the movement duration constant (isochrony). Context-effects arise from the overlap of cerebellar memory outputs. The model is used to simulate key psychophysical and neural data about learning to make curved movements, including a decrease in writing time as learning progresses; generation of unimodal, bell-shaped velocity profiles for each movement synergy; size and speed scaling with preservation of the letter shape and the shapes of the velocity profiles; an inverse relation between curvature and tangential velocity; and a Two-Thirds Power Law relation between angular velocity and curvature.
Microwave digestion of fertilizers and soil amendments

Abstract The trace element pollution hazard of the continuous and large scale application of fertilizers and other amendments to soils depends in part on the chemical composition of these materials. Complete sample dissolution is generally required prior to total elemental analyses. The objectives of this study were to evaluate closed vessel microwave digestion procedures, using HNO3, HF, H2O2, and H3BO3, for the total dissolution of fertilizers and soil amendments and to develop a general digestion guide for individual samples. Twenty‐six materials, including commercial fertilizers, rock phosphate, liming materials, organic sources, and a soil sample were studied. More than 99.5% of each of these materials could be dissolved. Commercial nitrogen (N) fertilizers, most of the ammonium phosphates, and a potassium chloride sample could be completely dissolved using exclusively HNO3. The other samples required HNO3 and HF, used either in mixtures or consecutively in a stepwise procedure. The sewage sludge mat...
Exciting Prospects for Precise Engineering of Caenorhabditis elegans Genomes with CRISPR/Cas9

With remarkable speed, the CRISPR-Cas9 nuclease has become the genome-editing tool of choice for essentially all genetically tractable organisms. Targeting specific DNA sequences is conceptually simple because the Cas9 nuclease can be guided by a single, short RNA (sgRNA) to introduce double-strand DNA breaks (DSBs) at precise locations. Here I contrast and highlight protocols recently developed by eight different research groups, six of which are published in GENETICS, to modify the Caenorhabditis elegans genome using CRISPR/Cas9. This reverse engineering tool levels the playing field for experimental geneticists.
Preparing for the New Anticoagulants

New anticoagulant agents with differing properties, risks, and potential economic consequences are becoming available. Two subcutaneously injected synthetic pentasaccharide anticoagulants, fondaparinux and idraparinux, employ the minimal chain length required to bind to antithrombin and confer a conformational change, increasing its ability to catalyze inactivation of activated factor X (Xa). Melagatran has also been developed as an injectable drug for markets outside the United States. Recently synthesized oral anticoagulants other than VKAs have proven effective in clinical trials. These drugs do not act by enhancing antithrombin activity, but rather act directly to inhibit the active site of thrombin (melagatran and its orally absorbed derivative, ximelagatran) or factor Xa (razaxaban [DPC-906]). Several studies have been performed with ximelagatran, an oral synthesized pro-drug developed by AstraZeneca, which is rapidly metabolized into the active agent, melagatran.
“The Trust is Over! We Want to Plough!”: Social Differentiation and the Reversal of Resettlement in South Africa

In the early 1980s residents of Hobeni, in South Africa’s Eastern Cape, were subjected to forced resettlement, under “betterment” policy ostensibly aimed at soil conservation. They were moved into a spatially contiguous but socially differentiated village. South Africa’s political transition ended this policy, and in the early 1990s, some people, mainly from part of the resettlement area (Kunene) characterized by dense kinship networks who had faced pressure to leave, and began to return voluntarily to their former sites, opting to live in dispersed, flexible settlements. Few people resettled in Mhlanganisweni, a part of the village more diverse in its social composition, returned to their former sites. This research highlights the ways exclusion within “socially-embedded” land tenure systems, together with the layout of resettlement areas and other forms of social and economic differentiation, caused patterns of resettlement to diverge from planners’ intentions.
On the variance stabilizing properties of certain transformations-II

El articulo investiga las principales propiedades de 'as transformaciones, log (log), arc-sen y logistica mediante sus funciones generatrices de momentos.
Fornix lesions: Effects on active and passive avoidance behavior

Twenty-four fornix-lesioned and 16 sham-operated rats were tested on one-way active avoidance acquisition, subsequent passive avoidance of the previously safe compartment, and acquisition and extinction of the passive avoidance of an electrified foodcup. Rats with lesions of the fornix made significantly more errors than controls in learning the one-way active avoidance acquisition task and had significantly elevated freezing scores on both escape and avoidance trials. Lesioned animals also made significantly more errors in the passive avoidance of the previously safe compartment. There were no significant differences found on either acquisition or extinction of the passive avoidance of an electrified foodcup. The results support the hypothesis that fornix destruction produces impaired performance on tasks which require a spatial discrimination.
Mutation of RNA Pol III Subunit rpc2/polr3b Leads to Deficiency of Subunit Rpc11 and Disrupts Zebrafish Digestive Development

The role of RNA polymerase III (Pol III) in developing vertebrates has not been examined. Here, we identify a causative mutation of the second largest Pol III subunit, polr3b, that disrupts digestive organ development in zebrafish slim jim (slj) mutants. The slj mutation is a splice-site substitution that causes deletion of a conserved tract of 41 amino acids in the Polr3b protein. Structural considerations predict that the slj Pol3rb deletion might impair its interaction with Polr3k, the ortholog of an essential yeast Pol III subunit, Rpc11, which promotes RNA cleavage and Pol III recycling. We engineered Schizosaccharomyces pombe to carry an Rpc2 deletion comparable to the slj mutation and found that the Pol III recovered from this rpc2-Δ yeast had markedly reduced levels of Rpc11p. Remarkably, overexpression of cDNA encoding the zebrafish rpc11 ortholog, polr3k, rescued the exocrine defects in slj mutants, indicating that the slj phenotype is due to deficiency of Rpc11. These data show that functional interactions between Pol III subunits have been conserved during eukaryotic evolution and support the utility of zebrafish as a model vertebrate for analysis of Pol III function.
Exocrine pancreatic secretion of phospholipid, menaquinone-4, and caveolin-1 in vivo

The exocrine pancreas releases secretory products essential for nutrient assimilation. In addition to digestive enzymes, the release of lipoprotein-like particles containing the membrane trafficking protein caveolin-1 from isolated pancreatic explants has been reported. The present study examined: (1) if gastrointestinal hormones induce the apical secretion of phospholipid in vivo and (2) a potential association of caveolin-1 and the lipid-soluble vitamin K analog menaquinone-4 (MK-4) with these structures. Analysis of isolated acinar cells, purified zymogen granules, and pancreatic juice collected in vivo indicated the presence a caveolin-1 immunoreactive protein that was acutely released in response hormone stimulation. Chloroform-extracted fractions of pancreatic juice also contained high concentrations of MK-4 that was secreted in parallel to protein and phospholipid. The presence of caveolin-1 and MK-4 in the phospholipid fraction of pancreatic juice places these molecules in the secretory pathway of exocrine cells and suggests a physiological role in digestive enzyme synthesis and/or processing.
Similarities and Differences in Adolescent Siblings' Alcohol-Related Attitudes, Use, and Delinquency: Evidence for Convergent and Divergent Influence Processes

A growing body of research indicates that siblings influence each other’s risky and deviant behaviors during adolescence. Guided by research and theory on sibling similarities and differences, this study examined the operation and implications of three different influence processes—social learning, shared friends, and sibling differentiation—during adolescence. Participants included one parent and two adolescent siblings (earlier born age: M = 17.17 years, SD = 0.94; later born age: M = 14.52 years, SD = 1.27) from 326 families. Data were collected via telephone interviews. Using reports from both older and younger siblings, two-stage cluster analyses revealed three influence profiles: mutual modeling and shared friends, younger sibling admiration, and differentiation. Additional analyses revealed that mutual modeling and shared friends as well as younger sibling admiration were linked to similarities in brothers’ and sisters’ health-risk behaviors and attitudes, whereas differentiation processes were associated with divergence in siblings’ characteristics. The discussion focuses on refining the study of sibling influence, with particular attention paid to the operation and implications of both convergent and divergent influence processes.
Provenance of Paleozoic mudstones in a contact metamorphic aureole determined by rare earth element, Th, and Sc analyses, Sierra Nevada, California

Rare earth element (REE), Th, and Sc analyses of mudstones from the contact metamorphic aureole of the Middle Jurassic Emigrant Gap composite pluton support the idea that the lower Paleozoic Lang, Black Oak Spring, and Zion Hill sequences are composed of detritus derived from a continental landmass. On REE distribution diagrams, our samples exhibited (1) no systematic change as a result of varying metamorphic grade, (2) light-REE enrichment trends, and (3) Eu anomalies that vary from 0.46 to 0.93 and average 0.66. On a La-Th-Sc ternary diagram, our data cluster within the fields of passive-margin sediment and post-Archean Australian shale (PAAS). These new data—in conjunction with the quartz-rich character of sandstones, the absence of volcanic material, and Precambrian detrital zircon ages—suggest that clastic material in the Lang, Black Oak spring, and Zion Hill sequences was derived from a continental landmass that may have been North America or, alternatively, some continental fragment oceanward of early Paleozoic North America.
Quality and productivity: An examination of some relationships

Abstract Two hypothetical mathematical relations between quality and productivity are presented, both with intuitive, but opposite, appeal. Net production and cost consequences of the two are examined. An empirically developed relation is also provided as indication that productivity improvement efforts require study by quality assurance personnel. Suggestions for such study efforts are discussed.
A project ‘doomed to succeed’? Informational asymmetries, euroscepticism, and threats to the locomotive of integration

Evidence abounds about the fortunes to be gained in national and European Parliament elections by avowedly eurosceptic political parties. Consequently, a rich literature exists on the broad phenomenon of euroscepticism, in particular its frequent and volatile packaging with nationalism, xenophobia and anti-immigrant welfare chauvinism. This article takes up an ongoing debate about the intervening role of information (sources of information, understanding of the way the EU works, forms of information seeking) in shaping negative attitudes. Eurobarometer data along with original survey responses from elected representatives in subnational assemblies of three countries reveal (1) the significant relationship between euroscepticism and information deficiency, (2) the surprising receptivity of some eurosceptics to gaining new information about the EU, and (3) the potency of information exposure in mitigating anti-EU sentiments.
Design automation to suppress cable discharge event (CDE) induced latchup in 90nm CMOS ASICs

Design automation tools have been developed to suppress CDE-induced latchup in CMOS ASICs. The tools govern the placement of I/Os and cores subject to CDE and automate the insertion of well and substrate contacts with varying periodicities around CDE susceptible cells according to rules derived from an analytical latchup model.
Efalizumab for severe atopic dermatitis: A pilot study in adults

Background Severe atopic dermatitis (AD) often cannot be adequately controlled with topical agents. The continuous use of current systemic therapies for AD is limited by end-organ toxicities. A safe and effective systemic therapy for patients with recalcitrant AD is greatly needed. Objective To evaluate the potential safety and efficacy of efalizumab, an inhibitor of T cell activation and migration, in adults with severe AD. Methods An investigator-initiated, prospective, open-label, pilot study was conducted involving ten subjects with severe AD. Subjects received an initial conditioning subcutaneous dose of efalizumab of 0.7 mg/kg followed by 1.0 mg/kg weekly for another 11 weeks for a total of 12 doses. The primary efficacy outcome was the change in the mean Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) score from baseline as measured at week 12. Monitoring of adverse events continued for 8 weeks after discontinuation of therapy. Results EASI scores improved from a mean baseline score of 37.1 ± 13.5 to 17.6 ± 14.5 at week 12 (52.3% improvement; P P Limitations It is difficult to apply these findings to larger populations of patients with AD because this study lacked a control group and involved a small number of subjects with very severe disease. Long-term efficacy and safety of efalizumab in this population is not known. Conclusions Efalizumab therapy resulted in significant clinical improvements in six of ten subjects with severe AD. Efalizumab may serve as a good alternative to current systemic immunosuppressants used for AD; however, double-blind placebo-controlled studies are needed to test its efficacy and safety.
Alterations in mitochondria membrane potential and oxidative stress in infertile men: a prospective observational study.

Abstract Objective To evaluate the mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) of spermatozoa and its correlation with semen parameters and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in infertile men and healthy donors. Design Controlled prospective study. Setting Male infertility clinic, Glickman Urological Institute, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio. Patient(s) Nineteen infertile men and 7 healthy volunteers. Intervention(s) Standard semen analysis, assessment of MMP and ROS production in spermatozoa. The MMP was assessed by flow cytometry using the probe carbocyanine DiOC 6 (3) and ROS was measured with chemiluminescence assay using luminol. Main outcome measure(s) The results of MMP are reported as the median interquartile range (IQR) number of cells counted in different areas of fluorescence. Results of ROS measurement are expressed as ×10 6 counted photons per minute per 20 million sperm (cpm). Results The patients with abnormal semen parameters had a significantly lower MMP [1337.7 (1066.38, 1879.2)], and higher ROS [1.12 (0.26, 3.86)] than the donors [MMP: 2482.9 (2162.5, 3520.6)] and [ROS: 0.10 (0.01, 0.14)]. The MMP was positively correlated with sperm concentration (r = 0.62) and negatively correlated with the ROS produced (r = −0.45). Conclusion(s) Measuring MMP in spermatozoa provides useful information about a man's fertility potential. Increased ROS production by spermatozoa is associated with a decreased MMP.
Managing eBusiness Continuity: Formulating an Appropriate Strategy to Manage System Scalability

Scalability has been identified in the information systems literature as one of the most prominent risk factors for discontinuity. In this study we performed experiments on a series of simulated network models to quantitatively evaluate the effectiveness of three infrastructural methods for improving system scalability. Furthermore, we studied the relative effectiveness of the various strategies for managing scalability of an ebusiness network system. The results of the simulations support the common beliefs that (a) system scalability has direct associations with performance quality, and (b) the three infrastructurally based methods are effective in improving the scalability of the networked systems. In addition the simulation results revealed that combinations of the three infrastructurally based methods did not always result in improved system scalability. This information can help managers to invest their effort and resources in an effective scalability strategy
Evaluating Performance and Scalability of Advanced Accelerator Simulations

Advanced accelerator simulations have played a prominent role in the design and analysis of modern accelerators. Given that accelerator simulations are computational intensive and various high-end clusters are available for such simulations, it is imperative to study the performance and scalability of accelerator simulations on different production systems. In this paper, we examine the performance and scaling behavior of a DOE SciDAC funded accelerator simulation package called Synergia on three different TOP500 clusters including an IA32 Linux Cluster, an IA64 Linux Cluster, and a SGI Altix 3700 system. The main objective is to understand the impact of different high-end architectures and message layers on the performance of accelerator simulations. Experiments show that IA32 using single-CPU can provide the best performance and scalability, while SGI Altix and IA32 using dual-CPU do not scale past 128 and 256 CPUs respectively. Our analysis also indicates that the existing accelerator simulations have several performance bottlenecks which prevent accelerator simulations to take full advantage of the capabilities provided by teraflop and beyond systems.
Quadric surface fitting for sparse range data

The authors present a systematic comparison of three commonly used least-squares based methods that describes the relationship between noise levels, patch sizes and reliability of surface classification in computer vision. The different methods were tested on several sets of synthetic and real data. Complete sets of quadric surfaces were tested. In each case the standard deviation of the Gaussian noise ranged from 0 to 0.05. Four different patch sizes were tested in each case representing data from the entire surface, half surface, quarter surface and from a small patch of the surface. Similar tests were made for two different types of real range data, a sphere and a cylinder. Both synthetic and real data showed improvement in the results obtained by using the M-estimate method in the case of gross outlying points. >
Schizophrenia miR-137 locus risk genotype is associated with dorsolateral prefrontal cortex hyperactivation.

Background miR-137 dysregulation has been implicated in the etiology of schizophrenia, but its functional role remains to be determined. Methods Functional magnetic resonance imaging scans were acquired on 48 schizophrenia patients and 63 healthy volunteers (total sample size N = 111 subjects), with similar mean age and sex distribution, while subjects performed a Sternberg Item Response Paradigm with memory loads of one, three, and five numbers. Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) retrieval activation for the working memory load of three numbers, for which hyperactivation had been shown in schizophrenia patients compared with control subjects, was extracted. The genome-wide association study confirmed schizophrenia risk single nucleotide polymorphism rs1625579 (miR-137 locus) was genotyped (schizophrenia: GG n = 0, GT n = 9, TT n = 39; healthy volunteers: GG=2, GT n = 15, and TT n = 46). Fisher's exact test examined the effect of diagnosis on rs1625579 allele frequency distribution ( p = nonsignificant). Mixed model regression analyses examined the effects of diagnosis and genotype on working memory performance measures and DLPFC activation. Results Patients showed significantly higher left DLPFC retrieval activation on working memory load 3, lower working memory performance, and longer response times compared with controls. There was no effect of genotype on working memory performance or response times in either group. However, individuals with the rs1625579 TT genotype had significantly higher left DLPFC activation than those with the GG/GT genotypes. Conclusions Our study suggests that the rs1625579 TT (miR-137 locus) schizophrenia risk genotype is associated with the schizophrenia risk phenotype DLPFC hyperactivation commonly considered a measure of brain inefficiency.
RNAiFold: a web server for RNA inverse folding and molecular design

Synthetic biology and nanotechnology are poised to make revolutionary contributions to the 21st century. In this article, we describe a new web server to support in silico RNA molecular design. Given an input target RNA secondary structure, together with optional constraints, such as requiring GC-content to lie within a certain range, requiring the number of strong (GC), weak (AU) and wobble (GU) base pairs to lie in a certain range, the RNAiFold web server determines one or more RNA sequences, whose minimum free-energy secondary structure is the target structure. RNAiFold provides access to two servers: RNA-CPdesign, which applies constraint programming, and RNA-LNSdesign, which applies the large neighborhood search heuristic; hence, it is suitable for larger input structures. Both servers can also solve the RNA inverse hybridization problem, i.e. given a representation of the desired hybridization structure, RNAiFold returns two sequences, whose minimum free-energy hybridization is the input target structure. The web server is publicly accessible at http://bioinformatics.bc.edu/clotelab/RNAiFold, which provides access to two specialized servers: RNA-CPdesign and RNA-LNSdesign. Source code for the underlying algorithms, implemented in COMET and supported on linux, can be downloaded at the server website.