cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regulation of lipoprotein receptors on rat hepatomas in vivo.

Abstract It has been shown previously that the rat hepatoma no. 7288C grown in vivo or in vitro expresses fewer receptors which recognize chylomicron remnants than does normal rat liver, and it was suggested that this may contribute to the deletion of dietary cholesterol-induced regulation of cholesterol synthesis in hepatomas (Barnard G., Erickson S. and Cooper A. (1984) J. Clin. Invest. 74, 173–184). To investigate this further, Buffalo rats bearing hepatomas (HTC no. 7288C) were made hypercholesterolemic by feeding an atherogenic diet and hypocholesterolemic by ethinyl estradiol injections. Under all circumstances, tumor membranes had fewer receptors than liver membranes as measured by specific binding of [ 125 I]chylomicron remnants. Ethinyl estradiol treatment increased the number of lipoprotein receptors 1.7-fold in liver membranes and 1.2–1.6-fold in tumor membranes, but hypercholesterolemia did not produce any significant changes in remnant binding to either liver or hepatoma membranes. Feeding an atherogenic diet induced a 2.4-fold increase in total cholesterol content in the liver, primarily as cholesterol ester; however, there was no change in total, free or ester cholesterol in the hepatomas. Acyl coenzyme A: cholesterol acyltransferase activity was low in this hepatoma line and neither treatment significantly affected its activity. One explanation for the lack of effect of the atherogenic diet on hepatoma cholesterol metabolism in addition to the decreased number of lipoprotein receptors might be the failure of access of lipoproteins to the tumor cell. To assess this, radioiodinated apo E-rich lipoproteins of various sizes were injected intravenously into rats with hepatomas. Their disappearance from the circulation was followed, and the uptake of each lipoprotein into a variety of tissues was determined. Chylomicron remnants were the most avidly removed particles. VLDL H , IDL H and HDL C were removed more slowly and less completely. None of the lipoproteins accumulated substantially in the tumors suggesting a limited access to the hepatoma tissue. Thus, in addition to the observed reduction in lipoprotein receptor number, limited lipoprotein access to the hepatoma tissue may be a significant factor in contributing to the apparent lack of feedback regulation of cholesterol synthesis by hepatoma tissue in vivo.
Spectral lineshape determination by self-deconvolution

A data-processing method is described for the determination of spectral lineshapes using deconvolution of the data with an initial estimate of the same spectrum, referred to as self-deconvolution. The method is demonstrated using computer-simulation studies and experimental data, and is shown to accurately determine amplitude and phase lineshape distortions which may be caused by field inhomogeneity and gradient eddy-current effects. The results indicate that the method is robust in the presence of noise and errors in the initial spectral estimate. Once the spectral lineshape is determined it can be incorporated into a parametric spectral-analysis procedure, thereby reducing the number of parameters to be determined and improving the accuracy of the fit. A proposed application of the method is for spatially resolved in vivo NMR studies where local susceptibility effects and gradient eddy-current effects cause significant deviation of the spectral lineshape from a Lorentzian lineshape.
The Association between Declines in Pulmonary Function Tests and the Development of Systematic Radiation Pneumonitis following Thoracic Radiation: Results from a Prospective Critical Study

prescribed radiation dose was 60 Gy delivered in 3 fractions (range, 24–72 Gy in 3–5 fractions) to the 80% isodose line to cover the PTV. Tumor location was 29% RUL, 6% RML, 18% RLL, 32% LUL, and 15% LLL. The AJCC-stages were 54% IA, 44% IB, and 2% IIB. Patients were coded based on the presence of at least grade (G) 2 RP using the RTOG/EORTC late radiation morbidity criteria. Radiation doses, V10, V20, and mean lung dose (MLD) data points were extracted from the dose–volume histogram (DVH). Mann-Whitney and Fisher exact tests were used the data analysis.
Potential of Opal Phytoliths for use in Paleoecological Reconstruction

Opal phytoliths, inorganic biogenetic plant particles of microscopic size, were investigated to determine the level at which their varied morphology is taxonomically significant. Extraction methods for the isolation of these particles from living plants and from soils were developed to provide maximum preservation of morphological features while remaining simple, rapid, and inexpensive. Extracts were made and microscopically viewed from 30 live specimens, of which 16 were systematically typed in order to develop taxonomic guidelines for their identification in soils. Clear taxonomic differentiation was noted between and within major plant groups with considerable indication that more detailed investigation will yield finer subdivisions. Since opal phytoliths are reported to be a particularly durable fossil found in deposits as far back as Tertiary Age, it appears that opal phytolith analysis can provide paleobotanical information comparable to palynological data in many areas where pollen is absent. When used in conjunction with pollen where present, they should serve to confirm pollen data as well as provide additional botanical data not available in pollen studies.
Gender and Mathematics Achievement in China and the United States

This study examines the relationship between gender and mathematics achievement among students in China and the United States, with an emphasis on the gender gap among mathematically talented students. The results show that in neither the US nor China are there gender differences in eighth grade math-achievement test scores. In China, there are no gender differences in mean college entrance examination math scores among high-school seniors, while in America, the mean SAT-Math score among male high-school seniors has been consistently higher than those of their female counterparts. In both the US and China, there are gender differences among the top math performers on college entrance examinations; boys are over-represented. The Chinese national mathematics curriculum, well-trained teachers, beliefs by students and their parents that academic achievement is more a product of effort than of natural ability, a gender-neutral parental expectation for children’s education, and generous family spending on the education of girls are suggested as possible factors underlying the comparable performance of the Chinese female and male students. The sorting system at Chinese secondary school level and a cultural stereotype favoring boys in mathematics are suggested as possible contributors to the math-achievement gender gap found among the top Chinese high school seniors.
Appropriating Resources: Land Claims, Law, and Illicit Business

Business ethicists should examine ethical issues that impinge on the perimeters of their specialized studies (Byrne 2011). This article addresses one peripheral issue that cries out for such consideration: the international resource privilege (IRP). After explaining briefly what the IRP involves I argue that it is unethical and should not be supported in international law. My argument is based on others’ findings as to the consequences of current IRP transactions and of their ethically indefensible historical precedents. In particular I examine arguments from political philosophy for more equitable distribution of resources and appeals to property rights as a means of achieving this; business ethicists’ critiques of contemporary resource appropriations; and legal historians’ accounts of despoliation of aboriginal peoples, especially in what is now the United States, involving acquisition via conquest, asserted jurisdiction, and religious and racial preeminence. I also consider relevant human rights’ standards; supportive views of some theorists, especially early modern realists and current supporters of group rights and multidimensional rectification; some de facto incidences of substantive restitution; and proposals for effecting further rectification.
Relationship between nuclear and cytoplasmic ribonucleic acid.

RECENTLY, Harris and Watts1 reported on the incorporation of radiocarbon derived from [8-14C]-adenine into adenine and guanine bases of nuclear and cytoplasmic RNA in logarithmically growing HeLa cells. The complex nature of curves of specific activity versus time under varying experimental conditions was interpreted by these authors as primarily due to synthesis of cytoplasmic RNA in the cytoplasm from acid-soluble precursors. Similar work carried out in our laboratory led to an entirely different conclusion. Our results were consistent with a ‘partial’ precursor–product relationship, in which the nuclear RNA acted as a precursor to a major fraction of the cytoplasmic RNA (unpublished results). The arguments put forth by Harris and Watts are based on qualitative evidence. This led us to evaluate their results on a more rigorous quantitative basis. The following analysis shows them to be compatible with a precursor–product relationship between the nuclear and cytoplasmic RNA.
Oyster reefs and nutrient retention in tidal creeks

The role of oyster reefs in nutrient cycling and grazing within an estuarine ecosystem was observed by experimentally manipulating six tidal creeks. Reactive nutrient concentrations were significantly different in creeks with oysters when compared to creeks from which oysters had been removed. This evidence supports the hypothesis that oyster reefs function as nutrient retention mechanisms in these systems. There were no significant differences in Chlorophyll a concentrations among the creeks. This suggests that despite the increased grazing pressure exerted by these filter feeders plankton productivity may be enhanced in creeks with oysters.
Molecular-Mechanical Switching at the Nanoparticle−Solvent Interface: Practice and Theory

A range (Au, Pt, Pd) of metal nanoparticles (MNPs) has been prepared and functionalized with (a) redox-active stalks containing tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) units, (b) [2]pseudorotaxanes formed between these stalks and cyclobis(paraquat-p-phenylene) (CBPQT4+) rings, and (c) bistable [2]rotaxane molecules where the dumbbell component contains a 1,5-dioxynaphthalene (DNP) unit, as well as a TTF unit, encircled by a CBPQT4+ ring. It transpires that the molecules present in (a) and (c) and the supermolecules described in (b) retain their switching characteristics, previously observed in solution, when they are immobilized onto MNPs. Moreover, their oxidation potentials depend on the fraction, χ, of the molecules or supermolecules on the surface of the nanoparticles. A variation in χ affects the oxidation potentials of the TTF units to the extent that switching can be subjected to fine tuning as a result. Specifically, increasing χ results in positive shifts (i) in the oxidation potentials of the TTF unit in (a)−(...
Identifying a School's Real Agenda: Nine Steps.

Abstract Nine steps are described which enable a school psychologist to determine the real agenda of a school system. The “real” agenda of a school is defined as those behaviors that are encouraged and discouraged by each school's culture on a daily basis. These steps include (a) community expectations, (b) grading system, (c) testing program, (d) school achievement level, (e) curricular options, (f) changes in personnel, (g) organizational changes, (h) budget implications, and (i) walking the halls.
Maintenance of Acetylcholine Receptor Number by Neuregulins at the Neuromuscular Junction in Vivo

ARIA (for acetylcholine receptor-inducing activity), a protein purified on the basis of its ability to stimulate acetylcholine receptor (AChR) synthesis in cultured myotubes, is a member of the neuregulin family and is present at motor endplates. This suggests an important role for neuregulins in mediating the nerve-dependent accumulation of AChRs in the postsynaptic membrane. Nerve-muscle synapses have now been analyzed in neuregulin-deficient animals. Mice that are heterozygous for the deletion of neuregulin isoforms containing an immunoglobulin-like domain are myasthenic. Postsynaptic AChR density is significantly reduced, as judged by the decrease in the mean amplitude of spontaneous miniature endplate potentials and bungarotoxin binding. On the other hand, the mean amplitude of evoked endplate potentials was not decreased, due to an increase in the number of quanta released per impulse, a compensation that has been observed in other myasthenic states. Thus, the density of AChRs in the postsynaptic membrane depends on immunoglobulin-containing neuregulin isoforms throughout the life of the animal.
A War of One's Own: Mercenaries and the Theme of Arma Aliena in Machiavelli's Il Principe

Treatments of the status of mercenary arms in Machiavelli typically concentrate on Machiavelli's discussions of the theme of the ‘arms of others’ in Chapters XII and XIII of the Principe, headed re...
Attention and cognitive control as emergent properties of information representation in working memory.

A hallmark of primate, and particularly human, behavior is cognitive control, the ability to integrate information from a multitude of sources and use that information to flexibly guide behavior in order to achieve an infinite number of goals. The neural mechanisms of cognitive control have yet to be fully elucidated, although the prefrontal cortex is known to play a critical role. Here, I review evidence suggesting that a unifying principle regarding the role of various portions of the prefrontal cortex in a wide range of cognitive tasks is the active maintenance in working memory of different types of currently relevant information—from specific stimulus features, to instructional cues, to motivational goals and contexts. I argue that the key to demonstrating the existence of this domain-dependent organization lies in a better understanding of the nature of the representation of this information and the ways in which this information itself controls cognition and behavior.
Temperature dependence of muscarinic acetylcholine receptor activation, desensitization, and resensitization.

: The effects of temperature on muscarinic acetylcholine receptor activation, desensitization, and resensitization were studied with the use of intact mouse neuroblastoma cells (clone N1E-115), which have muscarinic receptors that mediate cyclic GMP synthesis. Below 15-20°C, activation or desensitization of muscarinic receptors by carbamylcholine and recovery from desensitization (caused by carbamylcholine at 37°C) did not occur. Above these temperatures, the apparent rates of receptor-mediated cyclic GMP synthesis, desensitization, and recovery of sensitivity increased as the incubation temperature was increased. Arrhenius plots of the data yielded activation energies of 25, 14, and 23 kcal.mol−1 for activation, desensitization, and resensitization, respectively. These data suggest that a certain degree of membrane phospholipid fluidity is required for these processes to occur.
Antibody staining reveals novel aspects of segmentation within the leech central nervous system.

Abstract The leech is a segmented annelid with a well characterized central nervous system. In this report, we use antibodies to map the distribution of neurons confined to selected segmental ganglia in the mud leech Haemopis marmorata . The distribution patterns of these neurons suggest 3 novel aspects of segmentation in the leech nervous system: (1) neurons are assigned to even-numbered ganglia through a mechanism which effectively counts through the leech segmental body plan by units of 2, (2) neurons are assigned to ganglia 7 and 14 through a mechanism which effectively counts in units of 7 and (3) neurons are assigned to the 2nd of 4 fused head ganglia and to the 2nd of 21 unfused midbody ganglia through a mechanism which effectively counts units from the origin of these 2 ganglia ic series. These 3 hypothetical counting mechanisms divide the central nervous system (CNS) into supersegmental units. Neurons used to define these supersegmental units have been injected with tracer and identified as interganglionic interneurons. Competitive interactions among embryonic precursors of these neurons may directly eliminate their homologs from intervening ganglia, and thus sculpture supersegmental patterns into the mature nervous system.
SELECTIVE TOXICITY OF 1,2-DICHLORO-4,5-DIAMINOBENZENE: ITS RELATION TO REQUIREMENTS FOR RIBOFLAVIN AND VITAMIN B12

In a series of 26 species selected from widely differing classes, 1,2-dichloro-4,5-diaminobenzene was toxic to those which did not exhibit a nutritional need for riboflavin plus vitamin B12. It failed to retard the growth of those which needed both of these vitamins. The compound was conceived as an antimetabolite of 1,2-dimethyl-4,5-diaminobenzene. This latter, which is contained within the structures of the two vitamins, was pictured as a metabolic precursor of them. It was found to have very slight activity as either riboflavin or as vitamin B12 for lactic acid bacteria and algae. The growth-inhibiting action of the dichlorodiaminobenzene was overcome competitively by the dimethyidiaminobenzene, and also, to a lesser extent, by o-phenylenediamine. The toxicity was not influenced by additions of riboflavin plus vitamin B12, except in the cases of two species, where the influence was slight. These facts were considered to support the idea that properly constructed analogs of a precursor of two or more essential participants in cell division may be able to circumvent the counteraction which the vitamin has been found to exert on an antimetabolite of its precursor. Alternate explanations of the observed data were likewise considered.
Psychosocial adjustment in children with hemifacial microsomia and other craniofacial deformities.

Abstract Psychosocial adjustment was evaluated in different groups of children with craniofacial deformities in order to examine the relationships between symmetry, functional impairments, and social adaptation. Thirty patients, ages 6 through 16 years, were assessed using a battery of standard psychologic measures including Human Figure Drawing, Tasks of Emotional Adjustment, and Children's Depression Inventory. Parents and teachers also provided ratings of the children's functioning using the Child Behavior Checklist (parent and teacher forms). Scores on the outcome measures were summarized with descriptive statistics and then multivariate analyses of variance were conducted to determine the differences in psychosocial development between children with symmetric versus asymmetric craniofacial deformities and between the presence or absence of a functional impairment in children with craniofacial deformities. The results indicate that children with symmetric craniofacial deformities score poorer on measu...
Optimal search algorithm for a minimum of a discrete periodic bimodal function

Abstract This paper describes an optimal algorithm for searching for a minimum of a discrete periodic bimodal function of period P. Recursive computing is used to prove the optimality of the search algorithm. An application of the algorithm for a partition analysis of a communication network is provided.
Sorption of ionizable organic solutes by surfactant-modified zeolite.

We determined the sorption of ionizable organic solutes on a natural zeolite modified with hexadecyltrimethylammonium (HDTMA), a cationic surfactant. The sorption of benzene and its ionizable analogues phenol and aniline by surfactant-modified zeolite (SMZ), prepared at different HDTMA surface coverages, was affected by solution pH. All of the sorption isotherms were linear and could be described by a distribution coefficient (Kd). At neutral pH, the Kd values of benzene, phenol, and aniline on SMZ increased with HDTMA loading up to monolayer coverage of 100 mmol/kg. Beyond monolayer coverage, further increases in HDTMA loading did not increase the Kd values of the solutes at pH 7.0, where all species exist primarily in their neutral forms. The Kd values were consistent with the relative octanol−water partition coefficients of the three compounds, indicating that sorption of the neutral species was primarily by partitioning into the bound HDTMA organic pseudophase. Phenol sorption by SMZ treated to bilaye...
Consumer Control of Salt Marshes Driven by Human Disturbance

Salt marsh ecosystems are widely considered to be controlled exclusively by bottom-up forces, but there is mounting evidence that human disturbances are triggering consumer control in western Atlantic salt marshes, often with catastrophic consequences. In other marine ecosystems, human disturbances routinely dampen (e.g., coral reefs, sea grass beds) and strengthen (e.g., kelps) consumer control, but current marsh theory predicts little potential interaction between humans and marsh consumers. Thus, human modifica- tion of top-down control in salt marshes was not anticipated and was even discounted in current marsh theory, despite loud warnings about the potential for cascading human impacts from work in other marine ecosystems. In spite of recent experiments that have challenged established marsh dogma and demonstrated consumer-driven die-off of salt marsh ecosystems, government agencies and nongovernmental organizations continue to manage marsh die-offs under the old theoretical framework and only consider bottom-up forces as causal agents. This intellectual dependency of many coastal ecologists and managers on system-specific theory (i.e., marsh bottom-up theory) has the potential to have grave repercussions for coastal ecosystem management and conservation in the face of increasing human threats. We stress that marine vascular plant communities (salt marshes, sea grass beds, mangroves) are likely more vulnerable to runaway grazing and consumer-driven collapse than is currently recognized by theory, particularly in low-diversity ecosystems like Atlantic salt marshes.
Primary sclerosing cholangitis patients with serial polysomy fluorescence in situ hybridization results are at increased risk of cholangiocarcinoma.

Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis Patients With Serial Polysomy Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization Results Are at Increased Risk of Cholangiocarcinoma
Experimental cryoprobe production of intrahepatic portocaval shunt.

Abstract Experiments have been performed on 25 pigs creating a shunt through the liver substance between the portal vein and the vena cava. The technique involves passage of a small caliber (5 mm) probe via an incision in the portal vein to a major branch of the left hepatic vein. Directed toward a finger on the middle hepatic vein, a 9-mm diameter tunnel is created through 3 cm of liver tissue to the hepatic venous outflow tract. A rigid cryoprobe (−70°C) created a 9-mm diameter tunnel between the portal and hepatic veins through the substance of the liver. Six of 11 animals sacrificed between 5 and 56 days postoperatively had patent shunts; these unheparinized animals had normal portal pressures. The technique is designed ultimately to provide a relatively atraumatic method for creating an emergency portocaval shunt in patients with bleeding esophageal varices.
Wireless H.264 Video Quality Enhancement Through Optimal Prioritized Packet Fragmentation

We introduce a cross-layer priority-aware packet fragmentation scheme at the MAC layer to enhance the quality of pre-encoded H.264/AVC compressed bitstreams over bit-rate limited error-prone links in wireless networks. The H.264 slices are classified in four priorities at the encoder based on their cumulative mean square error (CMSE) contribution towards the received video quality. The slices of a priority class in each frame are aggregated into video packets of corresponding priority. We derive the optimal fragment size for each priority class which achieves the maximum expected weighted goodput at different encoded video bit rates, slice sizes and bit error rates. Priority-aware packet fragmentation invokes slice discard in the buffer due to channel bit rate constraints on allocating fragment header bits. We propose a slice discard scheme using frame importance and slice CMSE contribution to control error propagation effects. Packet fragmentation is extended to slice fragmentation by modifying the conventional H.264 decoder to handle partial slice decoding. Priority-aware slice fragmentation combined with the proposed slice discard scheme provides considerable PSNR and VQM gains as compared to priority-agnostic fragmentation.
Deconstructing the nucleus: global architecture from local interactions

Recent advances in fluorescence in situ hybridization and three-dimensional microscopy have revealed a high degree of large-scale order in the nucleus, indicating that the position of each gene within the nucleus is not random. As with any other biological phenomenon, this large-scale organization must ultimately be specified by molecular interactions. Biochemical and molecular investigations have revealed a small set of local molecular-scale interactions that can be used together in a combinatorial fashion to establish a global large-scale nuclear architecture.
Buprenorphine maintenance and mu-opioid receptor availability in the treatment of opioid use disorder: Implications for clinical use and policy

Background Sublingual formulations of buprenorphine (BUP) and BUP/naloxone have well-established pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles, and are safe and effective for treating opioid use disorder. Since approvals of these formulations, their clinical use has increased. Yet, questions have arisen as to how BUP binding to mu-opioid receptors (μORs), the neurobiological target for this medication, relate to its clinical application. BUP produces dose- and time-related alterations of μOR availability but some clinicians express concern about whether doses higher than those needed to prevent opioid withdrawal symptoms are warranted, and policymakers consider limiting reimbursement for certain BUP dosing regimens.
Incremental development of chiral selectors for underivatized profens

Abstract Using a previously advanced mechanistic hypothesis, a conformationally rigid, [2.2.2]-bicyclooctane-based, selector intended to differentiate between the enantiomers of underivatized profens, an important group of non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs, was designed, synthesized, resolved, and immobilized on silica. The resulting chiral stationary phase effectively discriminates between the enantiomers of the various profens. The discriminating ability of this selector is ascribed to a ‘preorganized’ cleft which provides an active site in which but one enantiomer of a profen can undergo simultaneous hydrogen bonding, π-π face-to-face stacking, and π-π face-to-edge interaction while in a relatively low energy conformation. The multi-step synthesis of the racemic selector is relatively efficient and employs inexpensive starting materials. The racemic selector is easily resolved on a preparative chiral column derived from the diallyl amide of ( S )-naproxen.
Phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of extracellular, yeast O-phosphono-hexoglycans

Abstract 31 P nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of a number of purified yeast O -phosphonohexoglycans were recorded. The data therefrom were correlated with established chemical aspects of individual and collective polymer structures, permitting ( a ) conclusions to be drawn regarding the chemical environment of the phosphate groups of these polymers, and ( b ) assignment of anomeric configuration to the hexosyl phosphate residues.
Presence and distribution of immunoreactive and bioactive FMRFamide-like peptides in the nervous system of the horseshoe crab, limulus polyphemus

Abstract FMRFamide immunoreactivity was detected in all regions of the Limulus nervous system, including the brain (6.5±0.6 pg FMRFamide/mg), cardiac ganglion (2.06±0.67 pg FMRFamide/mg), and ventral nerve cord (5.8±0.7 pg FMRFamide/mg). The distribution of immunoreactive FMRFamide (irFMRFamide) was mapped by immunofluorescence and the distribution corresponded to regional RIA data. A good proportion of the CNS and cardiac ganglion neuropile contained irFMRFamide, and fluorescent cell bodies were observed in several areas. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was employed to separate and characterize the FMRFamide-like peptides from extracts of Limulus brains. HPLC fractions were analyzed using coincidental radioimmunoassay and bioassay (the radula protractor muscle of Busycon contrarium ). There appear to be at least three FMRFamide-like peptides in the Limulus brain, including one similar to clam FMRFamide. FMRFamide acts on Limulus heart in a biphasic manner at relatively high concentrations (10 −5 M), but has no effect on the activity of the isolated ventral nerve cord. These data suggest that in Limulus FMRFamide-like peptides are acting as neurotransmitters, or neuromodulators.
Phoenix Out of the Ashes: Convergence of Disaster and Heritage Tourism in Jina Qiang Village, Sichuan Province, China

In China, development of ethnic heritage tourism in previously remote areas with concentrations of ethnic minorities has brought visibility, profit, and potential conflict to often culturally and economically marginalized communities (Cable 2008. Tan et al. 2001). This article offers an ethnographic account of the transition from the once "disappearing" to the newly "thriving" status of the Qiang, a Chinese ethnic minority, as portrayed through the state-sponsored disaster and heritage tourism in Jina Qiang Village. Highlighting the drastic transformation of this previously unknown village, disaster tourism has brought Qiang culture and people to public attention for the first time after a devastating earthquake. Most strikingly, not only was the impoverished village restored with material "modernity," but Qiang cultural traditions are apparently rejuvenated with the emerging heritage tourism. Ironically, in the process. Jina Qiang Village, a Han-Qiang hybrid village, has been re-interpreted and re-invent...
[1,3]-Metal Shifts in Rhenium Alkynyl Carbene Complexes

The electron-withdrawing SO2CF3 substituent of Cp(CO)2ReC(Tol)(C⋮CC6H4-p-SO2CF3) (1d) greatly accelerates rearrangement via a [1,3]-rhenium shift. The [1,3]-rhenium shift is proposed to proceed via an 18-electron dehydrometallacyclobutadiene intermediate formed by alkyne coordination concerted with an η5−η3 Cp ring slip.
The medical-legal aspects of informed consent in orthopaedic surgery

Background: Orthopaedic surgeons routinely obtain informed consent prior to surgery. Legally adequate informed consent requires a thorough discussion of treatment options and risks and proper documentation; however, there is little data to guide orthopaedic surgeons regarding effective methods of obtaining informed consent. Methods: We performed a closed claims analysis on malpractice claims involving an allegation of inadequate informed consent brought during a twenty-four-year period with two malpractice insurers. Relevant malpractice claims were reviewed, and data were abstracted. We then performed statistical analyses to identify factors that positively correlated with a successful defense. Results: We identified twenty-eight lawsuits that included a claim of inadequate informed consent. All of the cases involved elective orthopaedic surgical procedures; there were no emergent cases. Three cases involved a disputed surgical site; all three cases involved foot and ankle surgery and resulted in an indemnity payment. Documentation of appropriate informed consent in the office notes of the surgeon was associated with a decreased indemnity risk (p < 0.005). Obtaining the informed consent on the hospital ward or in the preoperative holding area was associated with an increased indemnity risk (p < 0.004). When informed consent was obtained in the office by the operating surgeon, the risk of malpractice payment was significantly decreased (p < 0.004). Conclusions: Surgeons may be able to decrease the risk of a malpractice claim by obtaining informed consent in their offices, rather than in the preoperative holding area, and by documenting the informed consent discussion within their dictated office or operative notes.
Simulation and Reliability Analysis of Laser-Welded Blanks after Metal Surface Finishing Process

Currently there is a huge competition amongst the OEMs and manufacturers in the auto industry to reduce the weight of the car. A few design modifications or use of different size and grades of materials solves this problem greatly. This paper focuses upon the metal finishing process of Laser Welded Blanks (LWB) with simulation and reliability as well as new process development. These blanks are of same gauge-same gauge or different gauge-different gauge materials. The main aim of this process was to remove the visible portion of the weld on the blank, so that it can be used as a body-outer. A new process was developed using expert knowledge and automated machinery tools. A simulation model was developed to compare with the actual developed method and to detect the bottlenecks and optimize the process. Reliability was a major concern during laser-welded blank operations. The paper addresses prediction of the amount of material removed based on the failed parts and visibility of the weld. This approach could provide competitiveness in the weight of the car which is directly related to fuel efficient and long term survival.
Political Ecology and Cultural Change: Impacts on Swidden-fallow Agroforestry Practices among the Mopan Maya in Southern Belize

Little agroecological research examines indigenous agroforestry practices that appear to be unsustainable, and how such practices devolved from more environmentally sound land use strategies that have been documented by geographers and others. This paper discusses the political ecological factors that led the Mopan Maya to reject a diverse swidden-fallow management strategy for a system where an abandoned milpa provides few forest products. In doing so, this paper explains the process whereby cultural change, in this case rejection of certain agricultural traditions, leads to a less diverse agricultural landscape and ultimately a less diverse biological landscape.
Bond angles for O-H defects in SnO 2 from polarization properties of their vibrational modes

Infrared absorption experiments made with polarized light yield significant insights into the possible structures of one- and two-O-H defects in SnO${}_{2}$ that are produced by thermal annealing treatments. These polarized absorption results reveal that a two-O-H defect must involve symmetry-equivalent O-H sites and that the axes of both one- and two-O-H defects are 63${}^{\ensuremath{\circ}}$--68${}^{\ensuremath{\circ}}$ from the $c$ axis of the rutile structure. These O-H bond angles found by experiment restrict the microscopic defect structures that are possible and suggest structures associated with either a metal atom substituting for Sn or an interstitial metal atom (such as Sn).
Centriole Engagement: It’s Not Just Cohesin Any More

The belief that cohesin complexes link mother to daughter centrioles has received substantial experimental support. New studies challenge the primacy of cohesin in centriole engagement and provide a more nuanced view into the mechanisms for centriole disengagement in anaphase.
Comparative morphology of the epidermis of seven species of polyclad flatworms (Platyhelminthes: Rhabditophora)

Abstract The ultrastructure of the epidermis of seven species of polyclad flatworms (Phaenocelis medvedica, Phaenocelis peleca, Pleioplana atomata, Boninia divae, Pericelis orbicularis, Enchiridium periommatum, and Cycloporus variegatus) representing six families is described. In all seven species, the epidermis consists of a single layer of columnar cells that rests on a bipartite basement membrane. Epithelial cell surfaces are covered by numerous microvilli and cilia. Cilia contain microtubules arranged in the 9 + 2 pattern, and from their basal bodies two striated rootlets arise, a rostrally directed one running parallel to the apical cell membrane, and a vertical one at a right angle to the first rootlet. Numerous epithelosomes and mitochondria occupy the apical parts of the cells. The basal part of the cells is highly folded, forming a cell web that connects to the basement membrane. The basement membrane consists of a thin basal lamina and a thick, multilayered reticular lamina. The number of layers in the reticular lamina varies among the different species and appears to be correlated with body size. Numerous canals containing either pigment granules or nervous processes perforate the basement membrane. We have identified four different types of glands: rhabdite glands, rhabdoid glands, mucoid glands containing vacuoles filled with flocculent material, and mucoid glands resembling thread cells of hagfish slime glands. The latter have been found only in P. orbicularis. Pigment cells were found in all species examined with the exception of C. variegatus, which takes its coloration from its ascidian prey. Our results further support the unique taxonomic status of Boniniidae.
Ecological valuation in a transportation project: value transfer and spatial decision support systems

The main purpose is to identify the possibility of calculating ecological impact as an opportunity cost to estimate total costs of each alternative and to test the feasibility of the high-speed rail routes designed with different variables. If ecological impact can be accounted for as economic costs are, would it be safe to say a route with the shortest physical (Euclidian) distance is the most economically viable option? If the difference in construction and operation costs, the two most commonly used cost elements in conventional feasibility studies, is compensated by ecological benefits, is it reasonable choose a route that is environmentally beneficial, albeit slightly more circuitous than the shortest route? These are the main questions of this study, and the author answers using the spatial decision support system and ecosystem valuation approaches. The results imply that the saved ecological benefits may compensate for the induced losses in the long run, and thus, choosing a route with more ecological benefits could become a viable solution.
Increase in acetylation of spermidine in rat liver extracts brought about by treatment with carbon tetrachloride

Abstract Within three hours of the administration of hepatotoxic doses of carbon tetrachloride to rats there was a substantial increase in the ability of liver extracts to catalyze the accumulation of monoacetylspermidine when incubated with spermidine and acetyl-CoA. This increase was maximal by six hours and correlated with the period in which there was a pronounced fall in hepatic spermidine and concomitant increase in putrescine. During this time there is a large increase of the conversion of labeled spermidine into putrescine in the liver. These results therefore suggest that this conversion requires the prior acetylation of spermidine.
Membrane skeleton restraint of surface shape change during fusion of erythrocyte membranes: evidence from use of osmotic and dielectrophoretic microforces as probes.

The role of the spectrin-based membrane skeleton in cell fusion was studied by following the condition-dependent diameter versus time expansion signature of the fusion zone in electrofused pairs of erythrocyte ghost membranes. Previous work showed that the presence of the dielectrophoresis-inducing alternating electric field, which is used to bring membranes into contact through pearl chain formation, had a detectable promoting effect on fusion zone expansion. Two new dielectrophoresis protocols were used in the present work to utilize this externally generated and controllable microforce field to probe the forces intrinsic to the system that drives the expansion of the fusion zone. First, fusion zones expanded to a greater diameter in a strong AC field compared to a weak AC field, and they expanded to a greater diameter if erythrocyte ghosts received a prior heat treatment (42 degrees C, 20 min). Furthermore, flat diaphragm fusion zones broke down into open lumen fusion zones sooner (i.e., had shorter lifetimes) when they were expanding more quickly. Second, changing the AC field strength at specific times during the fusion zone expansion led to an immediate visco-elastic response. However, shifting the AC field strength to zero after 5 s of fusion zone expansion resulted in a subsequent decrease in the average fusion zone diameter. This suggests not only that the spectrin-based membrane skeleton actually tends to prevent the rounding up process but that it may be capable of generating an antirounding force, which has broad implications for the role of the membrane skeleton in cell fusion. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that flat diaphragm fusion zones induced in heat-treated membranes were very easily stretched and that membrane-based forces that control or drive the expansion process must originate from membrane area that is outside rather than inside the fusion zone. Lastly, when an outward-directed osmotic pressure-based microforce was present at the time that erythrocyte ghosts were fused, the fusion zone diameter underwent a greater expansion in the 0–1 s interval after fusion. This suggests that an osmotic pressure-based microforce can be used to experimentally calibrate the dielectrophoretic force.
The role of β-catenin stability in mutant PS1-associated apoptosis

Most early onset cases of familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD) are caused by mutations in presenilin-1 (PS1) and presenilin-2 (PS2). These mutations lead to increased beta-amyloid formation and induce apoptosis when expressed in vitro. Recently, PS1 has been reported to associate with beta-catenin, an armadillo repeat protein. PS1 may regulate the function of beta-catenin, and mutant PS1 may disrupt this regulation. In the present study, we confirm that PS1-WT, as well as mutant PS1, associates with beta-catenin, and that mutant PS1 expression decreases the stability and/or enhances the degradation of beta-catenin. Most importantly, we correlate beta-catenin's destabilization with mutant PS1-associated apoptosis by administering drugs that alter the stability of beta-catenin. The application of LiCl and a proteasome inhibitor, N-acetyl-leu-leu-norleucinal (ALLN), increased the stability of cytosolic beta-catenin in mutant PS1-expressing cells leading to rescue of these cells from apoptosis. These studies suggest that beta-catenin is a key mediator of mutant PS1-associated apoptosis and FAD pathogenesis.
Vector C: A vector processing language

Abstract The language Vector C is a superset of the conventional (scalar) programming language C with extensions to facilitate vector processing. The design goals and a methodology for performing language extensions and the extended language features of Vector C are presented. The implementation of Vector C on the Cyber 205 is nearing completion. Some empirical data are presented which demonstrate that Vector C can generate a code which executes at speeds that meet or exceed those of equivalent statements from 205 Vector Forum. Readers are assumed to have some knowledge of the C language.
Annotating scientific images: a concept-based approach

Data annotations are an important kind of metadata that occur in the form of externally assigned descriptions of particular features in Web accessible documents. Such metadata are eventually used in data retrieval tasks on heterogeneous, possible distributed Web-accessible documents. In this paper, we present the model and realization of an annotation framework that scientists can employ to semantically enrich different types of documents, primarily scientific images made available through an image repository. Although we employ ontology like structures, called concepts, for metadata schemes used in annotations, our primary focus is on how concepts are actually used to annotate images and regions of interest, respectively, that exhibit features of interest to a researcher. It turns out that the combined consideration of domain specific concepts and annotated regions in images provides interesting means to analyze the usage of metadata regarding certain correctness and plausibility criteria. We detail our annotation management framework in the context of the Human Brain Project in which Neuroscientists record their observations on specific brain structures, and share and exchange information through concept-based annotations associated with images.
Effects of ferromagnetic nanopillars on spin coherence in an InGaAs quantum well

Low-temperature antilocalization measurements are used to investigate the interactions between a two-dimensional electron system in an In0.53Ga0.47As quantum well in an InGaAs/InAlAs heterostructure, and the magnetic moments of CoFe nanopillars located on the heterostructure surface. With CoFe nanopillars, a decrease in spin coherence time is observed, attributed to the spatially varying magnetic field from the local moments. A good agreement between the data and calculations suggests that the CoFe nanopillars also generate an appreciable average magnetic field normal to the surface of value ~35 G at the quantum well. The measurements further show that surface metal coverage increases mobility, and for non-magnetic coverage increases spin coherence time, consistent with the Elliott–Yafet spin-decoherence mechanism. Phase coherence times decrease as the temperature decreases, consistent with phase decoherence via the Nyquist mechanism.
Prescription Opiate Misuse Among Rural Stimulant Users in a Multistate Community-Based Study

Objectives: The purpose of the current analysis was to examine the factors associated with prescription opiate misuse among stimulant users from rural counties in Arkansas, Kentucky, and Ohio (N = 714). Methods: Multiple logistic regression was utilized to determine the independent correlates of recent (prior 6 months) prescription opiate misuse. Results: More than half of participants (53.2%) reported prescription opiate misuse in the previous 6 months. Other drug use (heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana) and anxiety (Adjusted Odds Ratio: 2.04, 95% Confidence Interval: 1.60, 2.59) were independently associated with prescription opiate misuse. Chronic pain and other health indicators were not associated with prescription opiate misuse after adjustment for covariates. Conclusions: Results indicate that illicit drug involvement and psychiatric symptoms may be driving the high rates of prescription opiate misuse among rural stimulant users. These findings have implications for the provision of tr...
Feature handling in learning algorithms

TLU (Threshold Logic Unit) representation and training provides a simplified formal model of neuron-like computation. Based on this abstract model, various formal properties and acceleration techniques are considered, the results of which appear relevant to observed biological phenomina.
Neural mirroring mechanisms and imitation in human infants

Studying human infants will increase our understanding of the nature, origins and function of neural mirroring mechanisms. Human infants are prolific imitators. Infant imitation indicates observation–execution linkages in the brain prior to language and protracted learning. Investigations of neural aspects of these linkages in human infants have focused on the sensorimotor mu rhythm in the electroencephalogram, which occurs in the alpha frequency range over central electrode sites. Recent results show that the infant mu rhythm is desynchronized during action execution as well as action observation. Current work is elucidating properties of the infant mu rhythm and how it may relate to prelinguistic action processing and social understanding. Here, we consider this neuroscience research in relation to developmental psychological theory, particularly the ‘Like-Me’ framework, which holds that one of the chief cognitive tasks of the human infant is to map the similarity between self and other. We elucidate the value of integrating neuroscience findings with behavioural studies of infant imitation, and the reciprocal benefit of examining mirroring mechanisms from an ontogenetic perspective.