cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Prolonged hyperglycemia in three patients with type 2 diabetes after COVID-19 infection: a case series

Three independent cases of adult patients are described who had relative control of their type 2 diabetes prior to infection with COVID-19. Each of the described patients had different levels of severity of COVID-19 but all experienced significant and prolonged hyperglycemia for at least 1-2 months after resolution of their COVID-19 infection. Two of the three patients required intensifying insulin regimens for two months after COVID-19 infection. The case study helps to inform primary care providers about the possible need for the intensification of antihyperglycemic medications for several weeks to months after the resolution of COVID-19 infection to minimize prolonged hyperglycemia.
Who Wants to Forgive and Forget? Transitional Justice Preferences in Post-War Burundi

While transitional justice interventions are common in current post-conflict transitions, recent surveys in such settings suggest that public opinions often vary in their levels of support for such policies. Understanding such opinion is crucial for designing post-conflict policies that properly reflect the public interests. This study uses original survey data from Burundi to interpret public opinions toward transitional justice policies in a post-civil war context. The data reveal a great deal of wariness among Burundians toward punishing human rights offenders or seeking the truth about the past. Why would large numbers of those entitled to accountability and truth express a preference to “forgive and forget”? This question is addressed by focusing on two important features of post-conflict settings — namely (1) uncertainty about the potential for renewed violence and (2) intense competition over how the postwar balance of power should be institutionalized. Findings suggest that the latter feature is indeed crucial: deep partisan motivations associated primarily with ethnicity, and to a lesser extent region, are key determinants of expressed desires to forgive and forget. A reasonable interpretation is that a sense of political gain may compensate for debts owed due to past abuses and induce a preference to avoid the pursuit of truth or punishment lest the political gains somehow be threatened. The conclusion draws out implications for policy and further research.
A Narrative Jag: The Living Legacy of Bud Goodall

In this essay, I trace the work of H. L. Goodall, Jr. across the trajectory of his career, and attempt to show the impact Goodall has had on me, my work, the work of other ethnographers, and the wr...
Glueballs - Some Selected Theoretical Topics

The topics selected for this talk are elementary considerations of how glueballs may be found, the identity of the candidate glue-ball states1 found at SLAC, and admonitory remarks concerning mixing of glueballs and quarkonia. Discussion of the first topic follows in this introduction. The second topic (section II) is chosen because discovery of an actual glueball is the most important possible happening in glueball science. From this viewpoint, our discussion will be unwelcome in that it appears that one candidate, the ≀(1440), can be accommodated as a radially excited pseudo-scalar and cannot be simply accommodated as a glueball. The other candidate, θ(1640), has decay properties uncharacteristic of a glue-ball but characteristic of a state made from quarks. Much of the thinking about glueball properties is for states that are “pure” glueballs, but mixing with neutral, isoscalar quarkonia with the same JPC is possible and some remarks about the extent and effects of such mixing are made in section III.
Differentiation Between Mycobacterium kansasii and Mycobacterium marinum by Gas-Liquid Chromatographic Analysis of Cellular Fatty Acids

Comparison of the cellular fatty acids of 10 strains of Mycobacterium marinum and 35 strains of Mycobacterium kansasii revealed similarities within each species but differences between these two photochromogenic mycobacteria. A branched-chain fatty acid characteristic of M. kansasii was found in trace amounts in 2 of the 10 strains of M. marinum.
The Interaction and Relationship Between Prosecutors and Police Officers in the U.S., and How This Affects Police Reform Efforts

This chapter, part of a larger effort to examine the prosecutorial role in different legal systems, examines the interaction and relationship between American prosecutors and police departments, and the consequences of these arrangements for police misconduct and efforts to reform police agencies. It begins with a description of how these disparate but interlocking parts of the American criminal justice system function together, with particular emphasis on two signal characteristics of the American prosecutorial function: the two-tiered (national and state) nature of prosecution in the U.S., and the popular election of the vast majority of American prosecutors at the state level. With these characteristics in mind, the chapter then describes their implications for the issue of police misconduct and suggests possibilities for reforming deficient police practices. The potential for police reform through the efforts of prosecutors may appear bleak, but a relatively new federal statute has begun to make a difference. This new law, known as the, “pattern or practice,” statute, holds the key to making progress in American police practices.
Technical note: Self-overlapping curves: Analysis and applications

When a disk in 2D is stretched arbitrarily with possible self-overlaps, without twisting it, its boundary forms a complex curve known as a self-overlapping curve. The mapping between the disk and its deformed self, also called an immersion of the disk, is useful in many applications like shape morphing and curve interpretation. Given a self-overlapping curve, an algorithm for computing its immersion is presented, which has an average time complexity quadratic in the number of points on the curve.
Nonlinear programing in design of control systems with specified handling qualities

A method is described for using nonlinear programing in the computer-aided design of airplane control systems. It is assumed that the quality of such systems depends on many criteria. These criteria are included in the constraints vector (instead of attempting to combine them into a single scalar criterion, as is usually done), and the design proceeds through a sequence of nonlinear programing solutions in which the designer varies the specification of sets of requirements levels. The method is applied to design of a lateral stability augmentation system (SAS) for a fighter airplane, in which the requirements vector is chosen from the official handling-qualities specifications. Results are shown for several simple SAS configurations designed to obtain desirable handling qualities over all design flight conditions with minimum feedback gains. The choice of the final design for each case is not unique but depends on the designer's decision as to which achievable set of requirements levels represents the best for that system. Results indicate that constant gain systems can substantially exceed the highest required levels of handling qualities in all design flight conditions of the example considered. The role of the designer as a decision maker, interacting with the computer program, is discussed. Advantages of this type of designer-computer interaction are emphasized. Desirable extensions of the method are indicated.
The isomorphism property for nonstandard universes

The κ -isomorphism property (IP κ ) for nonstandard universes was introduced by Henson in [4]. There has been some recent effort aimed at more fully understanding this property. Jin and Shelah in [7] have shown that for κ ω , IP κ is equivalent to what we will refer to as the κ -resplendence property. Earlier, in [6], Jin asked if IP κ is equivalent to IP ℵ0 plus κ -saturation. He answered this question positively for κ = ℵ 1 . In this note we extend this answer to all κ . We also extend the result of Jin and Shelah to all κ . (Jin also observed this could be done.) In order to strike a balance between the generalities of model theory and the specifics of nonstandard analysis, we will consider models of Zermelo set theory with the Axiom of Choice; we denote this theory by ZC. The axioms of ZC are just those of ZFC but without the replacement scheme. Thus, among the axioms of ZC are the power set axiom, the infinity axiom, the separation axioms and the axiom of choice. Let( V, E ) ⊨ ZC. If a ∈ V , we let * a = { x ∈ V : ( V,E ) ⊨ x ∈ a }. In particular, i ∈ * ω iff i ∈ V and ( V,E ) ⊨ ( i is a natural number). A subset A ⊆ V is internal if A = * a for some a ∈ V . The standard model of ZC consists of those sets of rank at most ω + ω . In other words, if we let V 0 be the set of hereditarily finite sets and for n ω , then ( V ω , ∈) is the standard model of ZC, where V ω = ⋃ n . V n .
Long-term animal impact modifies potential production of N2O from pasture soil

At cattle overwintering areas, inputs of nutrients in animal excrements create conditions favourable for intensive microbial activity in soil. During nitrogen transformations, significant amounts of N2O are released, which makes overwintering areas important sources of N2O emission. In previous studies, however, increasing intensity of long-term cattle impact did not always increase emissions of N2O from the soil: in some cases, N2O emissions from the soil were lower at the most impacted area than at the moderately impacted one. Thus, the relationships between the level of long-term animal impact and potential production of N2O from soil by denitrification were investigated in field and laboratory experiments. Field measurements indicated that the production of N2O after glucose and nitrate amendments was greater in severely and moderately impacted locations than in an unimpacted location, while differences between the severely and moderately impacted locations were not significant. In laboratory experiments, the potential production of N2O (measured as anaerobic production of N2O after addition of glucose and nitrate) was highest in the moderately impacted soil. Surprisingly, potential N2O production was lower in the most impacted than in the moderately impacted soil, and the net N2O production in the highly impacted soil was further decreased by a significant reduction of N2O to N2. The expected stimulating effect of an increasing ratio of glucose C to nitrate N on the reduction of N2O to N2 during denitrification was not confirmed. The results show that cattle increase the denitrification potential of the soil but suggest that the denitrification potential does not increase indefinitely with increasing cattle impact.
Pyrocatechol violet: an inhibitor of initiation of protein synthesis.

Abstract Pyrocatechol violet inhibits synthesis of globin in reticulocyte lysates at concentrations between 0.01 – 1 mM. After adding the dye, there is a delay of two minutes before inhibition is observed. Pyrocatechol violet induces sequential breakdown of polyribosomes to single ribosomes and ribosomal subunits; concomitantly, nascent peptides are released from the ribosomes as completed chains of globin. These observations suggest that the principal inhibitory effect of the dye is on initiation of protein synthesis. Pyrocatechol violet is as active as aurintricar☐ylic acid in this respect but is more selective in its inhibitory action. The dye also prevents binding of 3H-poly U to reticulocyte ribosomes but does not affect binding of uncharged transfer RNA to the ribosome.
Policing and Psychopathy: The Case of Robert Phillip Hansen

ABSTRACT The psychological construct of psychopathy has received considerable attention in the extant research. This is especially the case with respect to explaining the behavioral and personality dynamics of various offenders and criminal groups. Recently, the efficacy of the psychopathy concept has been extended outside the correctional context and applied to individuals and collectives in various organizational settings. One such environment, not yet subjected to scrutiny, is the occupation of policing where corruption and other integrity-based violations occur. This article examines the utility of the psychopathy construct for explaining the violently extreme behavior and personality structure of Robert P. Hanssen. Hanssen was a former FBI agent convicted of 15 counts of espionage. He exchanged highly classified government information (including nuclear war plans) to the former Soviet Union and Russia in return for money and diamonds. As a federal law enforcement agent, his wrongful acts were conside...
Environmental Effects on Oleic Acid in Soybean Seed Oil of Plant Introductions with Elevated Oleic Concentration

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] oil with oleic acid (18:1) content >500 g kg –1 is desirable for a broader role in food and industrial uses. Seed oil in commercially grown soybean genotypes averages about 230 g kg –1 oleic acid. Some maturity group (MG) II to V plant introductions (PIs) have elevated oleic concentrations of 300 to 500 g kg –1 . Temperature of the growing environment during the reproductive growth stage affects oleic concentration in soybean oil. The objective of this study was to evaluate stability of oleic acid content among 15 PIs with elevated 18:1 and three checks grown in 16 environments. Oleic acid concentration of the high 18:1 checks N98-4445A and M23 ranged from 383 to 694 g kg –1 and 428 to 572 g kg –1 with averages of 575 g kg –1 and 508 g kg –1 , respectively. The PIs with the highest 18:1 were MG II to III, with most lines averaging >400 g kg –1 oleic acid concentration over 16 environments. Generally, PIs in MG II to III were less stable across environments than those in MG V. However, MG III PI 379559D ranged from 381 to 513 g kg –1 with an average 439 g kg –1 oleic acid concentration and was the most stable in oleic acid content of the 15 PIs studied. PI379559D was more stable than N98-4445A or M23. PI417360 and PI506852 averaged highest in 18:1 (>330 g kg –1 ) among MG V PIs studied. Combining genes from these PIs and other sources with elevated 18:1 may be useful in developing higher oleic acid soybean genotypes.
Prevention and Management of Complications of Left Atrial Appendage Closure Devices

Atrial fibrillation is associated with an ongoing risk of thromboembolic stroke and systemic embolism due to stasis and thrombus formation within the left atrial appendage (LAA). Transcatheter occlusion or ligation of the LAA represents a potential paradigm shift in the management of stroke prevention in at-risk patients with atrial fibrillation. This review summarizes the types and rates of procedural complications that have been observed with LAA occlusion and ligation; describes strategies that can be implemented to minimize these complications; and discusses management approaches that may limit the impact of these complications on long-term morbidity.
Assessing carbon dioxide emissions from energy use at a university

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess the carbon dioxide emissions associated with electric, HVAC, and hot water use from a US university.Design/methodology/approach – First, the total on‐campus electrical, natural gas and oil consumption for an entire year was assessed. For each category of energy use, the carbon associated with consumption of a single unit was calculated. Using this, the total carbon dioxide emissions for the entire university were estimated.Findings – It was found that the university's activities resulted in approximately 4 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per student per year. In total, the university emitted nearly 38,000 tons of carbon dioxide during the 2007 fiscal year. In addition, it was found that emissions from on‐campus steam production, which account for roughly 57 per cent of total CO2 emissions, would be improved with the addition of two proposed cogeneration facilities.Originality/value – The originality and value of this paper is attributed to: the recent inte...
Valuing place/placing value: the elusive normativity of landscape in rural Tuscany

Rural Tuscany has become both a paragon of harmonious beauty and a terrain of legal conflict and recrimination. When they do not resort to essentialist notions of taste, many commentators are prone to explain the ‘preservation’ of Tuscany's countryside as the outcome of locally rooted legislative interventions meant to prevent ‘speculation’ and ‘debasement’ (scempio). Tuscany is indeed the site of layers of normative constraints and guidelines, ranging from local zoning regulations to the expectations associated with UNESCO's World Heritage Site status. Far from being self-evident, however, these normative constructs have been debated in Tuscan society over decades of rapid and often chaotic change. The reinvention of rural Tuscany as a paragon of beauty emerged from the search for an elusive form of coherence and meaning, whose features generated both conflict and accommodations. By focusing on a valley in southern Tuscany which obtained the status of World Heritage Site in 2004 (the Orcia valley), the a...
Response of BF3 counters to neutrons in moderate gamma fields

Abstract It is found that discrimination against gamma rays while counting neutrons using a BF 3 tube, is not affected even at gamma exposure rates upto about 12 R/h.
Dax Toolkit: A proposed framework for data analysis and visualization at Extreme Scale

Experts agree that the exascale machine will comprise processors that contain many cores, which in turn will necessitate a much higher degree of concurrency. Software will require a minimum of a 1,000 times more concurrency. Most parallel analysis and visualization algorithms today work by partitioning data and running mostly serial algorithms concurrently on each data partition. Although this approach lends itself well to the concurrency of current high-performance computing, it does not exhibit the appropriate pervasive parallelism required for exascale computing. The data partitions are too small and the overhead of the threads is too large to make effective use of all the cores in an extreme-scale machine. This paper introduces a new visualization framework designed to exhibit the pervasive parallelism necessary for extreme scale machines. We demonstrate the use of this system on a GPU processor, which we feel is the best analog to an exascale node that we have available today.
Purification of Uridine Phosphorylase from Crude Extracts of Escherichia Coli Employing High-Speed Countercurrent Chromatography With an Aqueous Two-Phase Solvent System

Abstract This is a preliminary report on a novel liquid-liquid parti tioning chromatography method for the purification of recombinant protein, uridine phosphorylase (UrdPase). This system utilizes an aqueous two-phase solvent system, consisting of polyethylene glycol and phosphate buffer, with a newly developed high-speed countercurrent centrifuge (X-axis, XLL type). The system is capable of purifying crude recombinant UrdPase in an efficient manner.
From ion currents to genomic analysis: Recent advances in GABAA receptor research

The gamma-aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptor represents an elementary switching mechanism integral to the functioning of the central nervous system and a locus for the action of many mood- and emotion-altering agents such as benzodiazepines, barbiturates, steroids, and alcohol. Anxiety, sleep disorders, and convulsive disorders have been effectively treated with therapeutic agents that enhance the action of GABA at the GABAA receptor or increase the concentration of GABA in nervous tissue. The GABAA receptor is a multimeric membrane-spanning ligand-gated ion channel that admits chloride upon binding of the neurotransmitter GABA and is modulated by many endogenous and therapeutically important agents. Since GABA is the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the CNS, modulation of its response has profound implications for brain functioning. The GABAA receptor is virtually the only site of action for the centrally acting benzodiazepines, the most widely prescribed of the anti-anxiety medications. Increasing evidence points to an important role for GABA in epilepsy and various neuropsychiatric disorders. Recent advances in molecular biology and complementary information derived from pharmacology, biochemistry, electrophysiology, anatomy and cell biology, and behavior have led to a phenomenal growth in our understanding of the structure, function, regulation, and evolution of the GABAA receptor. Benzodiazepines, barbiturates, steroids, polyvalent cations, and ethanol act as positive or negative modulators of receptor function. The description of a receptor gene superfamily comprising the subunits of the GABAA, nicotinic acetylcholine, and glycine receptors has led to a new way of thinking about gene expression and receptor assembly in the nervous system. Seventeen genetically distinct subunit subtypes (alpha 1-alpha 6, beta 1-beta 4, gamma 1-gamma 4, delta, p1-p2) and alternatively spliced variants contribute to the molecular architecture of the GABAA receptor. Mysteriously, certain preferred combinations of subunits, most notably the alpha 1 beta 2 gamma 2 arrangement, are widely codistributed, while the expression of other subunits, such as beta 1 or alpha 6, is severely restricted to specific neurons in the hippocampal formation or cerebellar cortex. Nervous tissue has the capacity to exert control over receptor number, allosteric uncoupling, subunit mRNA levels, and posttranslational modifications through cellular signal transduction mechanisms under active investigation. The genomic organization of the GABAA receptor genes suggests that the present abundance of subtypes arose during evolution through the duplication and translocations of a primordial alpha-beta-gamma gene cluster. This review describes these varied aspects of GABAA receptor research with special emphasis on contemporary cellular and molecular discoveries.
Synthesis at high pressure and lattice constants of normal cupric carbonate

In Anwesenheit von Malachit wurde kristallines CuCO3 durch Behandlung des basischen Karbonates unter 450 bar CO2-Druck und bei 180°C gewonnen. Die rhomboedrische Einheitszelle (Raumgruppe\(R\bar 3c\)) besitzt die folgenden Dimensionen: $$a_{rh} = 5,856 {\AA};\alpha = 48^\circ 11'.$$
Equating Inverse Probabilities in Implicit Personality Judgments

Meehl and Rosen (1955) observed that their colleagues tended to equate the sensitivity of a sign (its probability given a diagnostic category) with its predictive accuracy (the probability of the diagnostic category given the sign). Such equating of inverse probabilities implies ignoring base rates. Later, many researchers demonstrated such neglect in a number of experimental contexts involving hypothetical judgments; others have found some use of base rates—but only when base rates were supplied by the experimenter, in which case even irrelevant base rates influenced judgment. The present study tested for equating conditional probabilities in a context similar to the contexts involved in the initial observations—that is, subjects strove for accuracy rather than attempted to make good judgments about hypothetical problems, and the base rates were generated by the subjects themselves. Neglect of base rates was revealed by within-individual comparisons showing subjects equated inverse probabilities without ...
Flume studies using 1:1 scale models of Series 2 and basal Series 3 Cambrian gogiid eocrinoids from Guizhou Province, China to determine feeding posture and mode of attachment

Abstract In Series 2 and 3 Cambrian of Guizhou Province, China, most echinoderms inhabited deeper/quieter water and were attached directly to siliciclastic substrate or biodetritus by biogluing (extrusion of extensible collagen). Feeding postures of abundant long stalked gogiids (e.g., Sinoeocrinus ) from these beds were interpreted to have heeled over in the current from the thin flexible distal end of the stalk, with the brachioles streaming in a loose bundle, down current from the theca. To test these and other feeding posture assumptions, 1:1 scale models (holdfast, stalk, and theca) of three genera were carved from soft rubber and brachioles were modeled from braided fishing line. By varying current velocities long stalked flume models did not significantly heel over. Brachioles, both straight and spiraled, extended vertically from the theca in an (elliptical) cone and distally curved downstream. Disrupted flow around straight brachioles ( Sinoeocrinus ) kept them somewhat evenly spaced. Spiraled brachioles ( Guizhoueocrinus , Globoeocrinus ) are initially straight and angle outwards so that each proximal end defines a sector over the theca; this spacing keeps the brachioles free from tangling distally. Biogluing the animal to the bottom or to biodetritus seems to be correctly interpreted from the morphological evidence. Superglue was used as the proxy gluing agent for the models, success was limited. The dewatered, siliciclastic, non-bioturbated, seafloor could be only partly reconstructed and the somewhat viscous glue did not deeply penetrate the illite substrate. It is probable that bioglue had low viscosity, penetrated the sediment easily, and was able to agglutinate a large three dimensional anchoring body of sediment without (as is commonly observed) disrupting bedding.
The ubiquitin–proteasome pathway in Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases

During the past decade, it has become apparent that a set of ostensibly unrelated neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease, shares striking molecular and cell biology commonalities. Each of the diseases involves protein misfolding and aggregation, resulting in inclusion bodies and other aggregates within cells. These aggregates often contain ubiquitin, which is the signal for proteolysis by the 26S proteasome, and chaperone proteins that are involved in the refolding of misfolded proteins. The link between the ubiquitin–proteasome system and neurodegeneration has been strengthened by the identification of disease-causing mutations in genes coding for several ubiquitin–proteasome pathway proteins in Parkinson's disease. However, the exact molecular connections between these systems and pathogenesis remain uncertain and controversial. In this article, we summarize the state of current knowledge, focusing on important unresolved questions.
Elementary French Computer‐Assisted Instruction

ABSTRACT This article describes FRELEM, a supplemental program of drill and practice in elementary French grammar now being used on the computer at the University of Iowa. Thanks to a powerful natural language processing program called DASHER, students at a terminal can call up written exercises and work at their own pace. The student's answer is compared to the correct answer in the computerized files and then flashed back with errors deleted for correction by the student. With DASHER, setting up a computerized tutorial in foreign languages is quite easy. Any language may be used, within the limitations imposed by the character sets available on the computer. The results of a survey of users indicate in some detail that students react well to the program and use it often.
Electron Transport in Pure and Doped Hematite

Hematite (α-Fe2O3) is a promising candidate for photoelectrochemical splitting of water. However, its intrinsically poor conductivity is a major drawback. Doping hematite to make it either p-type or n-type enhances its measured conductivity. We use quantum mechanics to understand how titanium, zirconium, silicon, or germanium n-type doping affects the electron transport mechanism in hematite. Our results suggest that zirconium, silicon, or germanium doping is superior to titanium doping because the former dopants do not act as electron trapping sites due to the higher instability of Zr(III) compared to Ti(III) and the more covalent interactions between silicon (germanium) and oxygen. This suggests that use of n-type dopants that easily ionize completely or promote covalent bonds to oxygen can provide more charge carriers while not inhibiting transport.
Quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics investigation of the mechanism of phosphate transfer in human uridine-cytidine kinase 2

The mechanisms of enzyme-catalyzed phosphate transfer and hydrolysis reactions are of great interest due to their importance and abundance in biochemistry. The reaction may proceed in a stepwise fashion, with either a pentavalent phosphorane or a metaphosphate anion intermediate, or by a concerted SN2 mechanism. Despite much theoretical work focused on a few key enzymes, a consensus for the mechanism has not been reached, and examples of all three possibilities have been demonstrated. We have investigated the mechanism of human uridine-cytidine kinase 2 (UCK2, EC 2.7.1.48), which catalyzes the transfer of a phosphate group from ATP to the ribose 5′-hydroxyl of cytidine and uridine. UCK2 is normally expressed in human placenta, but is overexpressed in certain cancer cells, where it is responsible for activating a class of antitumor prodrugs. The UCK2 mechanism was investigated by generating a 2D potential energy surface as a function of the P–O bonds forming and breaking, with energies calculated using a quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics potential (B3LYP/6-31G(d):AMBER). The mechanism of phosphate transfer is shown to be concerted, and is accompanied by concerted proton transfer from the 5′-hydroxyl to a conserved active site aspartic acid that serves as a catalytic base. The calculated barrier for this reaction is 15.1 kcal/mol, in relatively good agreement with the experimental barrier of 17.5 kcal/mol. The interactions of the enzyme active site with the reactant, transition state, and product are examined for their implications on the design of anticancer prodrugs or positron emission tomography (PET) reporter probes for this enzyme.
Localization of individual calcium channels at the release face of a presynaptic nerve terminal

Summary Studies using biophysical techniques suggest a highly structured organization of calcium channels at the presynaptic transmitter release face (Llinas et al., 1981; Stanley, 1993), but it has not as yet proved possible to localize identified channels at the required nanometer level of resolution. We have used atomic force microscopy on the calyx-type nerve terminal of the chick ciliary ganglion to localize single calcium channels tagged via biotinylated ω-conotoxin GVIA to avidin-coated 30 nm gold particles. Calcium channels were in low (modal value approximately ⩽ 1 per μm 2 ) and high (modal value55 per μm 2 ) density areas and exhibited a prominent interchannel spacing of 40 nm, indicating an intermolecular linkage. Particles were observed in clusters and short linear or parallel linear arrays, groupings that may reflect calcium channel organization at the transmitter release site.
Evidence-Based Preoperative Evaluation of Candidates for Thoracotomy

1. All patients considered for thoracotomy should havepreoperative spirometry. 2. Patients meeting the criteriaoutlined below should also have quantitative radionuclide perfusionscanning. 3. Patients felt to be at high risk on thebasis of predicted postoperative FEV 1 should be consideredfor exercise assessment. 4. If exercise assessment isperformed, an M O 2 of O 2 5. Limited available data support the use ofpreoperative risk indices to identify patients at high risk (See Table 4 ). Table 4 . Studies with “Risk Indices” Author (ref) Patients, No. Index used Conclusions Epstein 17 42 CPRI: Pulmonary Index plus Goldman CRI CPRI > 4: 22× rate of complications Prause 22 845 Goldman CRI, ASA class ASA > III: high risk, CRI not additive information 6. Lung volume reduction surgery may provide newapproaches in selected patients with significant obstructive lungdisease and concomitant lungcancer.
Experimental studies in human tooth wear. II.

The construction of a machine called CANIBAL which is capable of simulating the actions of the human mandible during chewing is reported. Powered by an electric motor, a cam activated rocker arm assembly transmits force by means of wires to each point on the mandible where muscles would be attached. A separately adjustable cam, rocker arm, directional pulley and wire represents each muscle. Models of dental arches cast in dental stone or other materials can be mounted and subjected to extended wear. With different cam settings, wear patterns can be produced which resemble those seen on various fossil and living human dental arches.
Order-Disorder Transformation at the {100} Surface of Cu 3 Au

The long-range order parameter of the {100} surface of ${\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}$Au has been determined as a function of temperature by low-energy electron diffraction. The order parameter of the surface, unlike the bulk order parameters, appears to be a continuous function of temperature, and the disordering process at the surface begins about 60\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K below a common critical temperature. A Monte Carlo calculation of the order parameter in terms of a model incorporating nearest- and next-nearest-neighbor interactions reproduces the experimental results.
Development of a Leaf-Level Canopy Assimilation Model for CERES-Maize

Calculating crop growth rate as the product of intercepted light and radiation use efficiency may yield inaccurate predictions under stress conditions. A more mechanistic simulation of photosynthesis and respiration may be required to improve model accuracy under stresses. We developed a leaf-level photosynthesis and respiration model for maize (Zea mays L.) and linked it to CERES-Maize. The new model has three components that simulate light absorption, instantaneous leaf gross assimilation, and canopy respiration. Daily solar radiation was fractioned into hourly direct and diffuse components, and transformed into hourly photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). Extinction coefficients for direct and diffuse PAR were calculated, and a hedgerow approach followed to restrict the calculation of leaf area index (LAI), light interception, and photosynthesis to the fraction of ground shaded by the canopy. Light absorption was calculated for sunlit and shaded fractions of LAI. Instantaneous gross assimilation per leaf considered the effects of light intensity, leaf age, and air temperature, and was integrated for daylight hours and green leaf area. Maintenance and growth components of respiration are computed separately. The new model was linked to CERES-Maize and provided reasonable estimates of instantaneous leaf gross assimilation as well as daily trends of canopy gross assimilation and respiration. It also conforms to the standards of CERES-Maize, thus requiring only a minimum set of daily weather inputs (solar radiation, maximum and minimum temperature, and rainfall). The model supports the simulation of leaf-level processes such as hail damage, mechanical damage, herbivory, leaf pathologies, detasseling, and others.
Numeral classifiers in Mandarin Chinese

This article uses a multilevel approach to study the Chinese numeral classifiers. It argues that although shape categories constitute a major cognitive base for numeral classification, lexical taxonomy, linguistic convention, and stylistic creativity also play a role in determining the use of Chinese classifiers. It cautions that in general the relationship between noun and classifier is explicable from the semantic/cognitive stance, but the relationship is not always transparent and consistent. At times the choice of a classifier can be entirely arbitrary and subject to linguistic innovation.
Double-blind comparison of intracervical and intravaginal prostaglandin E2 for cervical ripening and induction of labor.

Objective: Our purpose was to compare the safety and effectiveness of prostaglandin E 2 delivered sequentially as an intracervical (0.5 mg) or intravaginal (2.5 mg) gel. Study Design: Hospitalized patients with an unfavorable cervix (Bishop score ≤54) at ≥ 35 weeks and requiring induction of labor were assigned to receive two 2.5 ml doses of gel intracervically and intravaginally in a double-blind, placebo-controlled manner. Second and third doses were given at 6-hour intervals until there were either regular uterine contractions or a Bishop score change >3 points. Results: The 100 evaluable cases received prostaglandin E 2 either intracervically ( n = 52) or intravaginally ( n = 48). Difficulty with exact gel instillation was present with intracervical gel only, where spillage occurred in 85% of cases. Compared with intracervical therapy prostaglandin E 2 given intravaginally was more likely to significantly change the Bishop score (60.4% vs 40.4%, p = 0.04) and stimulate regular contractions (72.9% vs 48.1 %, p = 0.01). Uterine hyperstimulation was present in one case in each group. Conclusion: Although each was safe, instillation of prostaglandin E 2 gel was better at a higher intravaginal dose than a lower intracervical dose because of its greater ease of administration and higher likelihood of cervical change.
Population Growth and Its Spatial Distribution as Factors in the Deforestation of Nang Rong, Thailand.

Frontiers constitute a major source of global land cover change hot spots, with forests and grasslands being converted into agricultural uses. As such, frontiers provide an opportunity to see how people manipulate the land and their lives in the context of social, cultural and environmental constraints. This paper examines frontier settlement and land cover change in Nang Rong district, Northeast Thailand for the last half century. It uses a Cellular Automata (CA) model to explore the land cover consequences of alternative patterns of settlement in a setting where people establish dwelling units in nucleated villages and work agricultural plots that surround villages. Forested land around the center of a village is converted into agricultural uses in an inverse relationship to the distance from the village center, but frequently modified by biophysical conditions. Land at the center of the village may be reforested after the village is established as a source of shade as well as fruit and other products. Model variation in land cover change is more sensitive to the spatial reach of village households than their temporal reach, suggesting the important role that technology plays in how villagers travel to their fields (walking versus motorized transit).
Norms, vision and violence: Judith Butler on the politics of legibility

Judith Butler’s meditations on precarity have received considerable attention in recent years. This article proposes that an undertheorized strain of her argument offers productive resources for theorizing violence. The question extends beyond material acts, to ask how certain groups are rendered eligible for heightened, regularized violence – and, by extension, how liberal subjects are rendered complicit with policies at odds with their universalist commitments. At stake is a politics of sensibility that complicates and enriches juridico-institutionalist models. That said, when Butler’s account is brought to bear on a wider range of cases, it encounters a set of questions it is not prepared to answer on its own terms. Accordingly, I propose some directions the argument would need to be expanded to do justice to its own normative intuitions.
Battlespace movement prediction for time critical targeting

A system is described for predicting the location and movement of ground vehicles over road networks using a combination of vehicle motion models, context, and network flow analysis. Preliminary results obtained over simulated ground vehicle movement scenarios demonstrate the ability to accurately predict candidate TCT locations under move-stop-move and other typical vehicle behaviors. Limitations of current models are discussed and extensions proposed.
Characterization Of Spray-Deposited Tin Oxide Films

Tin oxide (TO) films were coated by spray-deposition technique using monobutyl tin trichloride (MBTC) and dibutyl tin diacetate (DBDA) solutions. Spectrophotometric transmittance characteristics of samples deposited on Corning 7059 glass were used to evaluate refractive index, and extinction coefficient spectra, n -λ and k-λ respectively of TO films. Samples exhibit a V-shaped absorption spectrum with a minimum of ≈/LieV. Absorption minima of TO films were found to be thickness and starting solution dependent. MBTC-TO films exhibit lower absorption than DBDA-TO films with higher absorption for thicker films. Bond properties and structural investigations of spray-deposited TO films were also studied.
Endocrine responses during acute nicotine withdrawal

Acute administration of nicotine increases cortisol and prolactin but the endocrine effects of tobacco withdrawal are unknown. In a residential, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study, volunteers smoked ad lib for 4 days and underwent monitored tobacco abstinence for 3 days. On no-smoking days, patches delivering 0, 10, 20, or 30 mg nicotine were applied for 16 h. Daily plasma samples were analyzed for ACTH, cortisol, and prolactin. During nicotine abstinence (0 mg patch), circulating levels of ACTH, cortisol, and prolactin did not significantly change from ad lib smoking levels. Over all the patch conditions there was a significant effect of day, with modest but significant elevations of cortisol and ACTH levels on the second no-smoking day (Wed, 37 h abstinent). Prolactin levels increased during nicotine abstinence, but this effect was not significant. The observed endocrine changes did not correlate with physiologic, performance, or subjective measures of tobacco withdrawal. Our data indicate endocrine changes during acute tobacco withdrawal are transient and small. Thus, the present results do not support the use of ACTH as a treatment for tobacco cessation.
Changes in treatment of advanced oropharyngeal cancer, 1985-2001.

Objective: The aim of this study is to describe patterns of care of advanced oropharyngeal cancer during 1985 to 2001. Methods: We extracted oropharyngeal squamous cell cancer cases from the National Cancer Database. Type of initial treatment, type of facility, stage of tumor, payer status, and demographic variables were collected. Fisher exact test was used to compare the patient demographic and clinical characteristics across facility types. Weighted least squares regression analysis was used to analyze treatment trends over time and t-tests were done to test for significance in trends. Results: A total of 54,801 cases were available for analysis. Teaching/research facilities treated a disproportionately higher number of advanced-stage cancers (81%, P <.01). In addition, these facilities treat a higher percentage of uninsured (7%, P <.01) and nonwhite patients (27%, P <.01). The use of organ preservation protocols (chemoradiation) increased from 15% in 1985 to 29% in 2001 (β 1 = 0.0080, P <.05), whereas the use of radiation alone decreased from 42% in 1985 to 27% in 2001 (β 1 = -0.0118, P <.05). The use of cancer-directed surgery remained stable. There was no difference in rates of chemoradiation for advanced oropharyngeal cancer across facility types. Conclusions: Our results suggest that chemoradiation is increasingly becoming more prevalent at all facility types. The use of radiation alone as primary treatment significantly declined during the study period. In view of the complexity and multidisciplinary nature of treatment for oropharyngeal cancer, it is recommended that care of such patients be discussed at institutional tumor boards and that the recommendations be systematically recorded and documented in hospital cancer registries.
Association of fatty-acid synthase polymorphisms and expression with outcomes after radical prostatectomy

Association of fatty-acid synthase polymorphisms and expression with outcomes after radical prostatectomy
Clinical setting and extent of premortem evaluation do not predict autopsy discrepancy rates

Autopsy rates have been affected by a number of factors, including technological advances and clinician beliefs of the diminished value of the autopsy. Such factors have resulted in a cultural shift in medicine away from the autopsy. Despite this shift, a number of studies have shown significant differences between antemortem clinical diagnoses and postmortem findings. Surveys of clinician beliefs about the autopsy have pointed toward antemortem diagnostic advancements as an important factor in declining rates. No study to date has addressed the hypothesis that such perceptions in diagnostic certainty have been matched by an actual decay in the yield of valuable or new information obtained by the autopsy. To address this hypothesis, we retrospectively compared the class I and class II discrepancies identified in 284 patients who died in three clinical settings with differing intensities of antemortem diagnostic workup. Despite a significantly different intensity of antemortem workup for patients in each clinical setting, including patients on a medical intensive care unit, patients on a surgical service and patients in an affiliated nursing home, discrepancy rates were found to be similar. Overall discrepancy rates for the medical intensive care unit, surgery service and nursing home patients were 27.8, 32.7 and 31.3%, respectively (P=0.84). In addition, we found no statistical difference in the complexity of workup in discrepant and nondiscrepant cases in each clinical setting. Our study data refute the hypothesis that the intensity of antemortem diagnostic evaluation correlates with an actual decrease in the rate of major diagnostic discrepancies identified at autopsy.
Kalman-like state tracking and control in POMDPS with applications to body sensing networks

In this paper, the problem of state tracking with controlled observations is considered for a system modeled by a discrete-time, finite-state Markov chain. The system state is `hidden' and observed via conditionally Gaussian measurements that are shaped by the underlying state and an exogenous control input. Following an innovations approach, a Kalman-like filter is derived to estimate the Markov chain system state. To optimize the control strategy, the associated mean-squared error is used as an optimization criterion for a partially observable Markov Decision Process (POMDP). The optimal solution is determined via stochastic dynamic programming. Numerical results are presented for the application of physical activity detection in heterogeneous, wireless body area networks.
Wrestling Magic: National Wrestling in Buryatia, Mongolia and Tuva in the Past and Today

This article presents the historic development of national wrestling styles in three neighbouring Inner Asian countries. In all of them wrestling has been and still is the most popular athletic competitive activity. First, an overview of the general geographic features and history of the area is given. Second, the article outlines the origins of wrestling in these countries. It is shown that wrestling basically has its origins in magic cults with additional roots in hunting and warfare. Evidence for these origins provides ancient petroglyphs, bronze artefacts, myths, folk literature, ancient ritual practices, historiographic literature, ethnographic reports and the rules of the competitions itself. The third part of the article describes how wrestling competitions were functionalised for various purposes – magic, social, military and political – through the course of history. The last part focuses on the post-Soviet period, in which national wrestling has been flourishing in all three countries. In this p...