cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The influence of intra-arterial infusion of arginine vasopressin on cochlear blood flow in the rat.

Intra-arterially infused arginine vasopressin (AVP) elevated systemic blood pressure (BP) in the Sprague-Dawley rat according to a dose-response pattern while cochlear blood flow (CoBF), as measured by laser Doppler flowmetry, was elevated only at the highest dose. Skin blood flow (SBFJ decreased significantly with AVP infusion. The local infusion of AVP into the anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA), which supplies the common cochlear artery, produced significant dose-dependent reductions in CoBF with no changes in systemic blood pressure. Pretreatment of the local cochlear supplying vessels with an AVP-specific V, receptor antagonist attenuated subsequent AVP-induced decreases in CoBF, thereby demonstrating specificity of the response. These results suggest that CoBF is reasonably stable in response to systemic AVP infusion until blood pressure exceeds an elevation from base level of approximately +60 mm Hg. One of the mechanisms responsible for this autoregulatory response may be vasoconstriction mediated by the interaction of vasoactive peptides such as AVP and its receptors located in the vasculature of the inner ear or in the more peripheral vessels directly supplying the cochlea. Cochlear blood flow; Cochlea; Blood pressure; Arginine vasopressin; Autoregulation; Laser doppler flowmeter
THYROID FUNCTION IN GUINEA PIGS AFTER REPEATED TREATMENT WITH THIOUREA.

In order to evaluate the effects on thyroid function of an antithyroid material given over an extended period, guinea pigs were treated with injections of thiourea for 45 consecutive days. Following this, the control group and the thiourea-treated group each received single large “blocking” doses of thiourea before the administration of radioiodine, after which the thyroid glands were removed and analyzed for their iodine content. The thyroid radioiodine uptake was greater in the thiourea-treated animals although the total iodine (I-127) concentration was significantly decreased. Chromatography of the thyroid hydrolysatcs revealed that in the control group the radioiodine was divided approximately equally between inorganic I-131 and iodinated tyrosyl groups, whereas more than 75 per cent of the I-131 in the thiourea-treated group was present as monoiodotyrosine plus diiodotyrosine and the remainder as inorganic I-131. These results indicate that continuous treatment with antithyroid substances may lead to a relative diminution in their effect and suggest the possibility that the persistent thyroid radioiodine uptake seen in some hyperthyroid patients receiving antithyroid medication may be related to the formation of iodinated monoiodotyrosine and diiodotyrosine.
Cytoskeleton-associated Pr65gag and retrovirus assembly

Our studies have shown a rapid and specific association of Rauscher murine leukemia virus (R-MuLV) precursor polyprotein Pr65gag with cytoskeletal elements in infected mouse fibroblasts. The Pr65gag associated with Nonidet P-40 (NP-40)-insoluble cytoskeletal structures appears to be subphosphorylated in comparison to NP-40-soluble Pr65gag. The association of Pr65gag with skeletal elements can be disrupted by extraction of the cytoskeleton with sodium deoxycholate, an ionic detergent, or with buffers of high ionic strength. Both the skeleton-associated Pr65gag and its NP-40-soluble counterpart can be labeled with [3H]palmitate, indicating their probable association with lipids presumably in the plasma membrane. Pr65gag molecules bound to skeletal elements in the infected cell appear to be more stable to proteolytic processing than NP-40-soluble Pr65gag. While the association of Pr65gag with cytoskeleton elements in the cell is neither increased nor decreased by blocking virus assembly and release with interferon, Pr65gag appears to accumulate in the cytoskeleton-enriched fraction of cells chronically infected with a temperature sensitive mutant of R-MuLV (ts 17) when such cells are grown at the nonpermissive temperature. Based on these and other results, we have proposed a model for the active role of cytoskeleton associated Pr65gag in retrovirus assembly.
Effects of uniaxial stress on the optical properties of gaas and gaas/ga1-xalxas single quantum wells grown on si(001) substrates

Abstract The effects of a large external uniaxial stress ([sgrave]) along [100] on the optical features associated with biaxially strained bulk GaAs and two GaAs/Ga1−xAl x As single quantum wells (SQWs), with widths of 52 and 200 A, grown on Si(001) have been studied using photoreflectance at 77 and 300 K. Measurements were made with incident light polarized parallel and perpendicular to [sgrave]. This stress configuration makes it possible to externally alter the light-hole (LH) and heavy-hole (HH) splitting in both the bulk material and the SQWs. In the SQW of width 200 A, the ground-state valence band was continually tuned from HLs to HHs. In the bulk material, a stress-induced anticrossing of the LH and HH features of the fundamental gap was observed with an interesting polarization effect.
Directed assembly of carbon nanotube electronic circuits

We report on a method for directed assembly of integrated carbon nanotube circuits using selective area chemical vapor deposition on prepatterned catalyst electrodes. The circuits consist of a multiwall carbon nanotube bridging a pair of electrodes, forming a metal/carbon nanotube/metal structure. Electron-beam lithography was used to define electrode sets separated by a desired distance on a SiO2/Si substrate. Following metal evaporation and lift-off, molecular jet chemical vapor deposition was used for selective growth of carbon nanotubes on the catalyst electrodes. The carbon nanotubes eventually form a bridge between nearby electrodes consisting of one, or in some cases more than one multiwall nanotubes. The room temperature resistance of the carbon nanotube circuits measured at the electrode leads is typically less than 100 kΩ. The carbon nanotube circuits were characterized by electronic transport measurements in the temperature range from room temperature to 2 K.
Introduction to Geomagnetic Fields

Coincidentally, as I sat down in late October 2003 to read and review the second edition of Wallace H. Campbell's text, Introduction to Geomagnetic Fields, we received warnings from the news media of a massive solar flare and its possible effect on power supply systems and satellite communications. News programs briefly explained the source of Sun-Earth interactions. If you are interested in learning more about the physics of the connection between Sun spots and power supply systems and their impact on orbiting satellites, I urge you to become acquainted with Campbell's book. It presents an interesting and informative explanation of the geomagnetic field and its applications to a wide variety of topics, including oil exploration, climate change, and fraudulent claims of the utility of magnetic fields for alleviating human pain.
Experimental Simulation of the Zones Preceding the Combustion Front of an In-Situ Combustion Process

A linear Berea sand pack initially containing 3 phases, oil, water and air, was used to simulate experimentally the processes in the zones from the water bank through the evaporation and visbreaking region. Simulations using such process parameters as oil composition, system pressure, and gas-injection rate were conducted. Every simulation followed programed ascending temperature steps with each step being approx. isothermal. The relative importance of each mechanism causing nonisothermal liquid movement was quantitatively determined and liquid saturation distributions were obtained. Results of the experiments showed that gas stripping was one of the main mechanisms responsible for oil flow in the hot water bank and that steam distillation was the chief mechanism for the oil movement in the steam plateau. Both mechanisms were primarily controlled by oil composition, system pressure, and gas injection rate. The oil and water saturation distributions were reconstructed from the experimental results. A first-order equation approximated the oil saturation in the regions simulated and a second-order equation approximated the water saturation distribution. (24 refs.)
Impacts of Radio Access Protocols on the Performance of DSRC based ITS Applications

This paper presents a performance comparison between the DSRC-recommended 802.11 medium access control (MAC) and a novel vehicular self-organizing MAC (VeSOMAC) protocol in the context intelligent transportation system applications. VeSOMAC is a distributed TDMA MAC protocol that relies on in-band control exchange for autonomous and self-configurable TDMA slot allocation. Detailed network and vehicular traffic models have been developed in this paper for a cooperative collision avoidance (CCA) application in highway and urban traffic intersection scenarios. Simulation results demonstrate that unlike the 802.11 style contention based protocols, VeSOMAC can offer better vehicle safety in both highway and urban intersection scenarios through smaller and bounded inter-vehicle packet latency.
A mutation that impairs the ability of lipoprotein receptors to localise in coated pits on the cell surface of human fibroblasts

Low density lipoprotein is taken up by cultured human fibroblasts through an endocytic process that requires the binding of the lipoprotein to specific receptors located in coated pits on the cell surface. The coated pits are discrete segments of the plasms membrane that can undergo rapid invagination to form coated endocytic vesicles. In one form of the human genetic disorder familial hypercholesterolaemia, the responsible mutation produces altered lipoprotein receptors that lack the ability to become incorporated into coated pits. Instead, these mutant receptors are scattered at random over the entire plasma membrane. Becuase of their mislocation on the cell surface, the mutant lipoprotein receptors are unable to carry their bound lipoprotein into the cell. The occurrence of this 'receptor mislocation mutation' provides strong evidence for the role of the coated pit in the receptor-mediated uptake of lipoproteins. The data also have implications for the structure and assembly of plasma membranes in mammalian cells.
Lander imaging as a detector of life on Mars

Biological goals were among the important science objectives of the Viking lander camera. The camera performance characteristics relevant to these goals are discussed. They include the ability to observe (1) morphological detail, (2) color and reflectance spectra, and (3) motion and change. The scenes obtained by the cameras were scrutinized in many ways: monoscopically, stereoscopically, in color, and by computerized differencing of camera events. At the lander sites and during the times that observations were carried out on the surface of Mars, no evidence, direct or indirect, has been obtained for macroscopic biology on Mars. No obvious examples of geometric distortion that might have been motion induced have been observed. Using the repeated line scanning mode of the camera has revealed no changes or motion suggesting life. These negative results may be due to limitations in sampling, in camera design, or in our understanding of Martian biology, but they are certainly consistent with the hypothesis that macroscopic life is absent on Mars.
A noncoherent radar system approach for through-the-wall imaging

A noncoherent through-the-wall radar system approach, based on trilateration technique, is presented. This approach involves multiple independent monostatic radar units and as such, provides flexibility in positioning the units with various stand-off distances and inter-element spacing. We demonstrate the proposed noncoherent system approach in an indoor environment using both simulated and real data. The results show that the radar is able to detect and locate multiple targets behind walls.
Amalgamation in small varieties of lattices

Abstract A property used by G. Gratzer and H. Lakser to describe the amalgamation class of a finitely generated variety of pseudo-complemented distributive lattices, and a property used by C. Bergman in his investigations of the amalgamation classes of varieties that are finitely generated, congruence distributive and semi-simple, are here applied to arbitrary finitely generated, con- gruence distributive varieties. The Gratzer-Lakser property is shown to characterize the amalgamation class of a finitely generated variety V of lattices. For finite lattices, this gives an effective test for membership in the amalgamation class of V . For V = N , the variety generated by the pentagon, an even simpler test is found.
Star–disc interactions and binary star formation

The possibility of a large, massive protostellar accretion disc playing a role in the formation of binary stars by enabling the capture of a passing star within a dense star-forming region is analyzed. It is found that capture rates are too low to play a major role in all known star-forming environments, particularly when the probability of prior disc dispersal by the more frequent high-velocity interactions is taken into account
The sintering of amorphous selenium-arsenic powders

Abstract The sintering behavior of an 80 at% Se-20 at% As glass was studied at 90, 100, 110, and 120°C. Results of shrinkage measurements of powder compacts indicated that viscous flow is the controlling mechanism in the sintering of this material. Furthermore, the activation energy for this process was calculated to be 52 kcal/mole. In agreement with previous observations, no evidence of crystallization in any of the samples during the relatively long sintering times could be detected.
Visuomotor Coordination: Schemas, Layers, And Neural Networks

Many articles on neural networks focus on learning, and restrict themselves to a limited class of simple neurons. The present paper is a tutorial designed, by contrast, to emphasize the "domain-specific" structure of neural networks, as well as to emphasize that technologists have much to learn from the study of neurobiological systems. The paper does not discuss optical implementations the author would appreciate comments on the feasibility of such implementations for the neural (and schema) networks described here.
Variations in the retention of taste aversions: Evidence for retrieval competition

In six experiments, we examined taste and compound taste/taste aversions at different retention intervals. In Experiment 1, saccharin aversions were significantly weaker 1 day after conditioning than 21 days after conditioning. This effect was determined not to be caused by the aftereffects of illness or differential hydration. With the use of a saccharin/denatonium compound, Experiment 2 demonstrated overshadowing of a denatonium aversion at 21- and 1-day retention intervals, Experiment 4 showed a potentiated saccharin aversion only at the 21-day retention interval, and both Experiments 2 and 4 revealed that the aversion of the taste-only controls was stronger at the later retention interval. Experiments 3 and 5 demonstrated that the differences at the two retention intervals were not caused by unconditioned changes in taste preference. Finally, Experiment 6 showed that extinction of the conditioning environment prior to testing results in stronger saccharin aversions than occur in nonextinguished controls. Collectively, these experiments suggest that testing within a 24-h period after conditioning will result in significantly weaker taste aversions. Also, these results support a retrieval-competition explanation that may account for the weakened aversions at the 1-day testing interval of both groups conditioned to single elements and those conditioned to compounds.
The Stakeholder Imperative

On a national level, U.S. healthcare costs of more than $2.7 trillion/year consume nearly 18% of our gross domestic product (GDP) and challenge our economic viability, international competitiveness, and evenour national security. Yet they continue to grow. The average employer spends nearly $12,000 per employee on healthcare coverage, an economic burden the employer struggles to pass on to customers. In addition, the average family spends $1115 on insurance premiums and $235 on out-of-pocket healthcare expenses eachmonth. A recent projection estimates that, by 2030, the combined cost of family insurance premiums and out-of-pocket expenses will exceed average family income. Clearly, change in both healthcare delivery and ayment systems are imminent and inevitable, and every takeholder has a separate but vital role to play in this oming transformation. One element common to all stakeholders is the need or data—what we term “actionable information.” The ecent mandate for electronic health records (EHRs) is upporting increased access to medical data that some takeholders can use to address healthcare challenges. xpectations are increasing for Learning Health Systems, omparative-effectiveness research (CER), and price ransparency, all of which can provide not just unfettered ccess to data but unassailable cues for actions that can referentially impact today’s unsustainable cost trajecory. We echo the guidance given by the recent IOM eport that: “Developing a continuously learning healthare system is critical for the future of health care, as well s for the future physical and financial health of the naion. There is no simple path forward; rather, actions eed to be taken by every stakeholder if this vision is to ecome a reality. Such concerted action will enable the ation’s healthcare system to evolve to one that continuusly learns and improves, finally providing Americans ith best care at lower cost.” In this context, wireless technology provides a nearerm opportunity. This ubiquitous, low-cost telecommuications infrastructure, which has proven instrumental
A genome-wide linkage scan for genes controlling variation in urinary albumin excretion in type II diabetes

The main hallmark of diabetic nephropathy is elevation in urinary albumin excretion. We performed a genome-wide linkage scan in 63 extended families with multiple members with type II diabetes. Urinary albumin excretion, measured as the albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR), was determined in 426 diabetic and 431 nondiabetic relatives who were genotyped for 383 markers. The data were analyzed using variance components linkage analysis. Heritability (h2) of ACR was significant in diabetic (h2=0.23, P=0.0007), and nondiabetic (h2=0.39, P=0.0001) relatives. There was no significant difference in genetic variance of ACR between diabetic and nondiabetic relatives (P=0.16), and the genetic correlation (rG=0.64) for ACR between these two groups was not different from 1 (P=0.12). These results suggested that similar genes contribute to variation in ACR in diabetic and nondiabetic relatives. This hypothesis was supported further by the linkage results. Support for linkage to ACR was suggestive in diabetic relatives and became significant in all relatives for chromosome 22q (logarithm of odds, LOD=3.7) and chromosome 7q (LOD=3.1). When analyses were restricted to 59 Caucasian families, support for linkage in all relatives increased and became significant for 5q (LOD=3.4). In conclusion, genes on chromosomes 22q, 5q and 7q may contribute to variation in urinary albumin excretion in diabetic and nondiabetic individuals.
Drug release kinetics and transport mechanisms from semi-interpenetrating networks of gelatin and poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate.

Purpose To elucidate the key parameters affecting solute transport from semi-interpenetrating networks (sIPNs) comprised of poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGdA) and gelatin that are partially crosslinked, water-swellable and biodegradable. Effects of material compositions, solute size, solubility, and loading density have been investigated.
Transcriptomic changes due to water deficit define a general soybean response and accession-specific pathways for drought avoidance.

Among abiotic stresses, drought is the most common reducer of crop yields. The slow-wilting soybean genotype PI 416937 is somewhat robust to water deficit and has been used previously to map the trait in a bi-parental population. Since drought stress response is a complex biological process, whole genome transcriptome analysis was performed to obtain a deeper understanding of the drought response in soybean. Contrasting data from PI 416937 and the cultivar ‘Benning’, we developed a classification system to identify genes that were either responding to water-deficit in both genotypes or that had a genotype x environment (GxE) response. In spite of very different wilting phenotypes, 90% of classifiable genes had either constant expression in both genotypes (33%) or very similar response profiles (E genes, 57%). By further classifying E genes based on expression profiles, we were able to discern the functional specificity of transcriptional responses at particular stages of water-deficit, noting both the well-known reduction in photosynthesis genes as well as the less understood up-regulation of the protein transport pathway. Two percent of classifiable genes had a well-defined GxE response, many of which are located within slow-wilting QTLs. We consider these strong candidates for possible causal genes underlying PI 416937’s unique drought avoidance strategy. There is a general and functionally significant transcriptional response to water deficit that involves not only known pathways, such as down-regulation of photosynthesis, but also up-regulation of protein transport and chromatin remodeling. Genes that show a genotypic difference are more likely to show an environmental response than genes that are constant between genotypes. In this study, at least five genes that clearly exhibited a genotype x environment response fell within known QTL and are very good candidates for further research into slow-wilting.
Amplitude-Dependent Spike-Broadening and Enhanced Ca2+ Signaling in GnRH-Secreting Neurons

In GnRH-secreting (GT1) neurons, activation of Ca(2+)-mobilizing receptors induces a sustained membrane depolarization that shifts the profile of the action potential (AP) waveform from sharp, high-amplitude to broad, low-amplitude spikes. Here we characterize this shift in the firing pattern and its impact on Ca(2+) influx experimentally by using prerecorded sharp and broad APs as the voltage-clamp command pulse. As a quantitative test of the experimental data, a mathematical model based on the membrane and ionic current properties of GT1 neurons was also used. Both experimental and modeling results indicated that inactivation of the tetrodotoxin-sensitive Na(+) channels by sustained depolarization accounted for a reduction in the amplitude of the spike upstroke. The ensuing decrease in tetraethylammonium-sensitive K(+) current activation slowed membrane repolarization, leading to AP broadening. This change in firing pattern increased the total L-type Ca(2+) current and facilitated AP-driven Ca(2+) entry. The leftward shift in the current-voltage relation of the L-type Ca(2+) channels expressed in GT1 cells allowed the depolarization-induced AP broadening to facilitate Ca(2+) entry despite a decrease in spike amplitude. Thus the gating properties of the L-type Ca(2+) channels expressed in GT1 neurons are suitable for promoting AP-driven Ca(2+) influx in receptor- and non-receptor-depolarized cells.
Kinesin-5 is essential for growth-cone turning.

Summary Inhibition of kinesin-5, a mitotic motor protein also expressed in neurons [1], causes axons to grow faster as a result of alterations in the forces on microtubules (MTs) in the axonal shaft [2–4]. Here, we investigate whether kinesin-5 plays a role in growth-cone guidance. Growth-cone turning requires that MTs in the central (C-) domain enter the peripheral (P-) domain in the direction of the turn. We found that inhibition of kinesin-5 in cultured neurons prevents MTs from polarizing within growth cones and causes them to grow past cues that would normally cause them to turn. We found that kinesin-5 is enriched in the transition (T-) zone of the growth cone and that kinesin-5 is preferentially phosphorylated on the side opposite the invasion of MTs. Moreover, when a growth cone encounters a turning cue, phospho-kinesin-5 polarizes even before the growth cone turns. Additional studies indicate that kinesin-5 works in part by antagonizing cytoplasmic dynein and that these motor-driven forces function together with the dynamic properties of the MTs to determine whether MTs can enter the P-domain. We propose that kinesin-5 permits MTs to selectively invade one side of the growth cone by opposing their entry into the other side.
German Foreign Trade and the Reparation Payments

I. Germany's economic paradox, 482. — The pre-war trade balance, 483. — Why the London Settlement on reparations broke down, 483. — The two periods of falling exchange since the Armistice, and the different behavior of the foreign trade, 485. — II. The reasons for the paradox: composition of the exports and the imports, 487. — Effect upon imports of the abolition of food price control, 489. — Relation of United States exports to German imports last year, 489. — The system of export control, 490. — Effects of depreciating exchange on home buying, 492. — The export trade has responded more sympathetically to a moderate rise of the mark, 493. — A growth of exports sufficient to pay reparations depends largely upon recovery of the Russian market, 493. — How the imports have been paid for and the reparation charges met, 495. — III. Germany's experiences furnish light on the theory of foreign exchange under paper, 498. — Export and domestic prices compared, 499. — The causal sequence appears to have run as follows: reparation payments, depreciating exchange, rising export and import prices, rising internal prices, budgetary deficits and increased private demand for credit, increased note issue, 501.
Response of young dairy calves with lasalocid delivery varied in feed sources

Growth, age at weaning, fecal scores, and blood metabolites of young dairy calves were measured to determine the most effective method of lasalocid administration. Forty Holstein bull calves were blocked by date of birth and assigned randomly to one of four treatment groups: no lasalocid; lasalocid in starter; lasalocid in prestarter and starter; or lasalocid in milk, prestarter, and starter for a 12-wk period. Calves were fed milk twice daily until they consumed 227 g/d of prestarter, at which time the p.m. milk feeding was discontinued, and starter was offered for ad libitum intake as a mixture with the 227 g/d of prestarter. When total dry feed consumption reached 1.3% of birth weight, the calf was weaned. When the calf was 5 wk of age, the prestarter was discontinued. Daily gain tended to be greatest during the first 6 wk for the calves receiving lasalocid in milk, prestarter, and starter. These calves also were weaned with less variation in days to weaning. By wk 8 through 12, there were no differences in gain among the treatment groups.
Near-Surface Pavement Failure Under Multiaxial Stress State in Thick Asphalt Pavement

The failure of pavement near its surface (rutting and cracking) is a complex phenomenon affected by vehicular loading and pavement structure. This paper documents the investigation of near-surface failure in thick asphalt pavement by using a developed three-dimensional (3-D) finite element (FE) model and Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion. The FE model incorporates measured 3-D tire-pavement contact stresses, hot-mix asphalt (HMA) linear viscoelasticity, continuously moving load, and implicit dynamic analysis. The multiaxial stress states (normal and shear stress) near the pavement surface under measured stresses from tire contact and from moving wheel load are presented. The failure potential of pavement near the surface was evaluated by comparing the multiaxial stress states predicted from the FE model to the Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion. The authors suggest that the cracking could start at the pavement's surface within the area between dual tires. This paper presents several conclusions about surface-ini...
Toward detecting deception in intelligent systems

Contemporary decision makers often must choose a course of action using knowledge from several sources. Knowledge may be provided from many diverse sources including electronic sources such as knowledge-based diagnostic or decision support systems or through data mining techniques. As the decision maker becomes more dependent on these electronic information sources, detecting deceptive information from these sources becomes vital to making a correct, or at least more informed, decision. This applies to unintentional disinformation as well as intentional misinformation. Our ongoing research focuses on employing models of deception and deception detection from the fields of psychology and cognitive science to these systems as well as implementing deception detection algorithms for probabilistic intelligent systems. The deception detection algorithms are used to detect, classify and correct attempts at deception. Algorithms for detecting unexpected information rely upon a prediction algorithm from the collaborative filtering domain to predict agent responses in a multi-agent system.© (2004) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Internet voting in the USA: analysis and commentary

Purpose – The first American internet voting (I‐voting) implementation was in 2000. Since then many attempts and trials have taken place in this field. This paper aims to analyze these various attempts and discuss their benefits and vulnerabilities.Design/methodology/approach – I‐voting can provide ease to elderly citizens and people with disabilities. Some also believe that the convenience that the internet offers will attract young voters, and hence increase voter turnout. I‐voting can also solve the problems of late delivery of absentee ballots “which leads to discarding the votes”.Findings – Election officials believe that I‐voting can be considered a valid voting option if it offers at least the same level of security as traditional remote voting methods. On the other hand, many data security experts doubt that the current internet infrastructure is safe enough to support such an important function. I‐voting is still far from being a voting option for US citizens residing in the States; however, it i...
Foreign Direct Investment and Entrepreneurial Capture in Pre-Conflict Liberia

Abstract This paper investigates the capture of entrepreneurial activity in pre-conflict Liberia focusing on the distortions introduced by foreign direct investment (FDI), most notably by the Firestone Tire & Rubber Company. The process through which the existing institutions—established by the dominant coastal elite population—responded to this FDI and allocated domestic entrepreneurial talent into (i) monopsony rent-seeking behavior and (ii) the development of small, independent rubber farms encouraged by the foreign concession is discussed. This entrepreneurial capture, while profiting the ruling class, crippled the development of labor market competitiveness and labor market deepening and allowed for the continued disempowerment of the rural, tribal Liberians used as wage labor in the industry. Thus, rather than encouraging innovation and small and medium enterprises, the intersection of entrepreneurship and foreign direct investment in Liberia did little more than allow another channel for the domina...
The effect of dichloroacetic acid and trichloroacetic acid on DNA methylation and cell proliferation in B6C3F1 mice.

The chlorine disinfection by-products, dichloroacetic acid (DCA) and trichloroacetic acid (TCA), are carcinogenic in mouse liver. We have previously reported that DCA and TCA induced DNA hypomethylation in mouse liver. In the present study, we determined the temporal association for DNA hypomethylation and cell proliferation. Female B6C3F1 mice were administered daily doses of 500 mg/kg DCA or TCA by gavage and sacrificed at 24, 36, 48, 72, and 96 hours after the first dose. The proliferating cell nuclear antigen-labeling index in the liver was increased at 72 and 96 hours by both DCA and TCA, that is, at 72 hours the index was 1.00 +/- 0.21, 0.51 +/- 0.11, and 0.095 +/- 0.016 for DCA, TCA, and the vehicle control, respectively. The mitotic index was also significantly increased at 96 hours. The promoter region for the c-myc gene was hypomethylated only at 72 and 96 hours and not at the earlier sacrifices. Similarly, the methylation of the c-myc gene in the kidney and urinary bladder was decreased only at 72 and 96 hours. In summary, enhancement of cell proliferation and decreased methylation of the c-myc gene were first observed simultaneously at 72 hours after the start of exposure. Thus, the results support the hypothesis that DCA and TCA induce DNA hypomethylation by inducing DNA replication and preventing the methylation of the newly synthesized strands of DNA.
INFLUENCE OF THE 17β-HYDROXYL GROUP OF ANDROSTANE COMPOUNDS IN PROMOTION OF GROWTH IN THE HYPOPHYSECTOMIZED FEMALE RAT1

Studies by Huggins and Jensen (1954) on the participation of functional groups of the steroid molecule in growth-promoting processes have shown that androstan-17β-ol, but not androstan-17-one or any of the 3-monosubstituted derivatives, shared the ability of testosterone and certain 3,17-dioxygenated androstane compounds to promote growth of the vaginal epithelium and uterus in the hypophysectomized rat. Although these investigators suggested that the 17β-hydroxyl group of the androstane molecule plays a key role in the promotion of growth, there remains some uncertainty whether the monofunctional steroid (androstan-17β-ol) is biologically active per se, or whether an oxygenated function at position 3 is introduced in vivo, so that it is actually a difunctional steroid which is the growth-promoting agent. Since the fluorine atom at C3 is rather tightly bound and oxj’genation at this site seems unlikely, two 3β-fluorosteroids, 3β-fluorandrostan-17β-ol and 3β-fluorandrostan-17-one, were compared with andros...
Nondestructive evaluation tools and experimental studies for monitoring the health of space propulsion systems

An overview is given of background and information on space propulsion systems on both the programmatic and technical levels. Feasibility experimental studies indicate that nondestructive evaluation tools such as ultrasonic, eddy current and x-ray may be successfully used to monitor the life limiting failure mechanisms of space propulsion systems. Encouraging results were obtained for monitoring the life limiting failure mechanisms for three space propulsion systems; the degradation of tungsten arcjet and magnetoplasmadynamic electrodes; presence and thickness of spallable electrically conducting molybdenum films in ion thrusters; and the degradation of the catalyst in hydrazine thrusters.
THERMODYNAMIC CYCLE AND CFD ANALYSES FOR HYDROGEN FUELED AIR-BREATHING PULSE DETONATION ENGINES

This paper presents the results of a thermodynamic cycle analysis of a pulse detonation engine (PDE) using a hydrogen-air mixture at static conditions. The cycle performance results, namely the specific thrust, fuel consumption and impulse are compared to a single cycle CFD analysis for a detonation tube which considers finite rate chemistry. The differences in the impulse values were indicative of the additional performance potential attainable in a PDE.
Phencyclidine-induced changes in rat cortical gene expression identified by microarray analysis: implications for schizophrenia.

Abstract Acute phencyclidine induces schizophrenia-like symptoms in healthy humans and psychotic episodes in schizophrenics. Although phencyclidine is known as a N -methyl d -aspartate receptor antagonist (NMDA-R), the molecular events underlying the behavioral symptoms remain largely unknown. Statistical analysis of oligonucleotide microarray data was used to identify phencyclidine-induced alterations in rat cortical gene expression. Acute phencyclidine produced a statistically significant change in 477 genes in rat prefrontal cortex (PFC), a brain area associated with cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenics. Real-time quantitative PCR (RTQ-PCR) confirmed a subset of these changes ranging from −59% to 255% (smallest confirmation: −19%). Subsequent time-course and dose-response studies using RTQ-PCR confirmed and extended the original microarray results. At the molecular level, genes altered by phencyclidine are related to diverse biological processes including stress, inflammatory response, growth and development, neural plasticity and signal transduction. Further analysis, aimed at assessing the relevance of our results to schizophrenia, revealed dysregulation of genes related to: (i) thalamocortical projections, (ii) neurotransmission and neuromodulation, (iii) thyroid hormone activity, (iv) oligodendrocyte linage, (v) brain lipid metabolism, (vi) sleep architecture and (viii) the velocardiofacial syndrome.
Rate of depression of atrial contractility inducted by citrate, bicarbonate-free medium, hydrochloric acid, and halothane.

SummaryCitrate, bicarbonate-free medium, and halothane all produced rapid depressions of atrial contractility, depression occurring much more quickly than that seen by merely omitting glucose from the bathing medium. This suggests a site of action for these agents which is different from the glucose uptake step or the hexokinase step involving phosphorylation of glucose to glucoses-6-phosphate. The results are consistent with previous reports suggesting the phos-phofructokinase step as the site of action of citrate and bicarbonate-free medium and also suggests the glucose phosphate isomerase step as the site of halothane action. Hydrochloric acid produced a slow decline in contractility, similar to that seen with glucose-free medium. This can be interpreted as either a rapid effect on glucose uptake or phosphorylation or a slowly developing effect at the phosphofructokinase step. Addition of 20 mM glucose partially overcame the depression induced by citrate but had little or no effect on that produced by ...
Diffusion in Random Structures in the Critical Region

We present computer simulation results showing how proximity to the critical point affects transport phenomena in fluids confined in quenched, random porous structures. The simulation approach taken is based upon a relaxation-dynamics method, which we have previously studied in homogeneous systems. The method utilizes an ensemble consisting of two identical isothermal chambers initially separated by an impermeable partition. The fluid configurations in each chamber are initially pre-equilibrated at densities [ptilde] + e and [ptilde] − e, respectively, where [ptilde] reflects an average density of interest and e a small perturbation about this value. After the pre-equilibration step the partition is removed and the entire ensemble is allowed to relax towards an equilibrium state guided by a heat-bath, kinetic Monte Carlo computer simulation algorithm. Fickian transport coefficients are found from quantities calculated during this relaxation process. We illustrate the method's application to transport prop...
The selective leaching of uranium, vanadium and phosphorus from phosphate ore with hydrochloric acid

The selective leaching of uranium, vanadium, and phosphorus from phosphate ore may be useful in by-product recovery. Experimental results have shown that it is possible to preferentially remove uranium from phosphate ore using dilute HCl (0.05 M). 93 pct of the uranium is leached within 90 min, leaving 94 pct of the phosphorus and 82 pct of the vanadium unattacked. Phosphorus may then be removed by increasing the pH. The apparent activation energies and orders for the leaching reactions were found. For uranium, the apparent order with respect to H+ is 1.05 and the apparent activation energy is 7750 J. The apparent order for the leaching of the vanadium minerals with respect to H+ is 1.93 and the apparent activation energy is 12800 J. The phosphorus reaction has an apparent order, with respect to H+, of 1.98 and an apparent activation energy of 10200 J. The uranium readsorbs at longer times. The readsorption reaction is a function of temperature, particle size, and H+ concentration. Two methods of selectivity analysis were used in the analysis of the data-end point analysis and initial rate analysis.
Resonance line radiative transfer for hot atom coronae using Kappa distributions

Abstract Hot atomic populations are an important component of the planetary exospheres. Usually, radiative transfer models describing the scattering of light by moving atoms assume that these populations have a Maxwellian velocity distribution. However, the velocity distributions of the hot populations could actually have some more extended wings. Popular velocity distributions often used in plasma physics and recently proposed to describe neutral planetary environments are Kappa velocity function distributions. In this paper, following the work of Hummer [Non-coherent scattering: I The redistribution functions with Doppler broadening. R Astron. Soc Month Not 1962;125:21] and Cranmer [Non-Maxwellian redistribution in solar coronal Lyα emission. Astrophys J 1998;508:925–39], we calculate the frequency redistribution functions of radiation scattered by moving atoms with Kappa velocity distribution. We also present a detailed study of a radiative transfer model taking into account Kappa velocity distribution functions, for integer and semi-integer values of κ . We apply this theory to a model of Jupiter hydrogen corona containing 0.1% column density of hot hydrogen to quantify the spectroscopic and imaging differences between Kappa velocity distributions and bi-Maxwellian velocity distributions. When assuming a Kappa velocity distribution with κ =2 for the hot population, intensity increases of ∼40% occur at the bright limb and ∼15% on the disk compared with the same calculations done using a Maxwellian velocity distribution. The line profile differs slightly from a Maxwellian distribution on the disk and at the bright limb, but the difference is larger above the limb. Kappa distributions used to study the Jovian atmosphere are speculative and further studies are needed to link the formation of the hot exospheric populations to the Kappa velocity distributions.
Environmental motivations: A classification scheme and its impact on environmental strategies and practices

Ecological deterioration has significantly changed the role of businesses in society and the way they are perceived. In fact, consumers are more aware of environmental issues and are demanding that the businesses take appropriate action in preserving the environment. Extant research suggests that stringent regulations had been instrumental to the timing and direction of many firms' responses to environmental preservation. In addition to these legislative requirements, firms also adopt ecologically responsive practices for various other reasons. Therefore, understanding the different motivations of environmental initiatives is pertinent. Additionally, it is also important to determine whether environmental strategies and practices differ significantly across firms with different motivations. With the above ambition in mind, this manuscript addresses the crucial issues related to corporate environmental strategy through the development of an empirical taxonomy of environmental motivations and the subsequent testing of any significant differences in corporate environmental strategy and green practices across the clusters. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
Pluto's interaction with the solar wind

If Pluto‧s atmospheric escape rate is significantly greater than 1.5 × 1027 molecules s−1 then the interaction with the tenuous solar wind at 30 A. U. will be like that of a comet: there will be extensive ion pick-up upstream and the size of the interaction region will vary directly with variations in the solar wind flux. If the escape flux is much less, then one expects that the solar wind will be deflected around Pluto‧s ionosphere in a Venus-like interaction. In either case, the weak interplanetary magnetic field at 30 A. U. results in very large gyroradii for the picked up ions and a thick bow shock, necessitating a kinetic treatment of the interaction. Strong variations in the size of the interaction region are expected on time scales of days due to changes in the solar wind.
Easter Islander palmar dermatoglyphics: Sexual dimorphism, bilateral asymmetry, and family polymorphism

The palmar prints of 297 male and female Easter Islanders were analyzed according to the Penrose and Loesch topological classification system. While the frequencies of most pattern elements were not found to differ significantly between the sexes, the placement of the axial triradius was found to be highly significant (P less than 0.01). Both males and females were found to exhibit considerable bilateral asymmetry in the a-b count and in the atd angle, but there was no significant difference between the sexes in the amount of asymmetry expressed. Family data for a small subset of the sample (51 individuals) were subjected to further statistical analysis, from which significant results (P less than 0.05) were obtained both on chi-square tests for frequency of pattern elements and ANOVA tests for a-b counts, atd angle, and A-line exit. The implications of these results are considered from a developmental perspective. It is suggested that a particular pattern combination (termed a formula) could be used to represent a default value and that other formulae might then be considered as deviations from this default value. Such variation, theoretically at least, might be traced to genetic influences or to the embryological environment present during the time of dermatoglyphic formation.
Postnatal exposure to methyl mercury and neuropsychological development in 7-year-old urban inner-city children exposed to lead in the United States.

Background: The most common route for general population exposure to methyl mercury (MeHg) is fish consumption. Recommendations to pregnant women about consuming fish contaminated with MeHg are also applied to children, but there are few studies available about the effects of low-level postnatal MeHg exposure in them.Objectives: To investigate the association between postnatal methyl mercury exposure and neuropsychological development in a study of children also exposed to lead, both measured at 7 years.Methods: We measured MeHg concentrations in blood samples from the Treatment of Lead-Exposed Children (TLC) trial in which 780 children with elevated concentrations of lead in blood were followed with neuropsychological tests from ages 12–33 months through 7 years. Here we examine blood MeHg concentration and neuropsychological test scores, both measured at age 7 years. We used a maximum likelihood method to estimate geometric mean MeHg concentration and generalized linear regression models to analyze MeHg...
The University as a Community of Learners

Building on classical and recent studies of the learning paradigm of higher education, the author distinguishes between receiving ideas and using them and how universities might educate students to be more open to the world, open to discovery and creativity.
To transplant or not to transplant for adult acute myeloid leukemia: An ever-evolving decision

In 2007, a group of experts charged by the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation critically reviewed the available literature and summarized the indications for allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation versus chemotherapy in adults with acute myeloid leukemia. Much of the resulting position statement was based on studies conducted nearly 2 decades ago, and may not accurately represent current treatment. As a result of advances in both therapeutic regimens and supportive care, a number of recent studies have demonstrated clear and consistent improvements in the outcomes of patients receiving chemotherapy and allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. In addition, prognostic accuracy has improved with the identification of mutations not detected by traditional cytogenetics. With these advancements in prognostic accuracy and treatment, it is now appropriate to revisit the indications for transplantation versus chemotherapy.