cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of body mass index on hippocampal morphology and memory performance in late childhood and adolescence

Childhood obesity is associated with negative physiological and cognitive health outcomes. The hippocampus is a diverse subcortical structure involved in learned feeding behaviors and energy regulation, and research has shown that the hippocampus is vulnerable to the effects of excess adiposity. Previous studies have demonstrated reduced hippocampal volume in overweight and obese children; however, it is unclear if certain subregions are selectively affected. The purpose of this study was to determine how excess body weight influences regional hippocampal surface morphology and memory performance in a large cross-sectional cohort of 588 children and adolescents between 8.33 and 19.92 years of age using body mass index expressed as a percentage of the 95th percentile cutoff (%BMIp95). We demonstrate %BMIp95 is associated with reduced radial thickness in the superior anterior region of the left hippocampus, and this relationship is predominantly driven by children younger than 14 years. We also found %BMIp95 was associated with worse performance on a spatial episodic memory task and this relationship was partially mediated by the radial thickness of the significant shape cluster. These results demonstrate the differential influence of excess body weight on regional hippocampal structure and hippocampal-dependent behavior in children and adolescents.
Does Child Marriage Matter for Growth

Global attention to ending child marriage and its socio-economic consequences is gaining momentum. Ending child marriage is not only critical from a development perspective but it also has important economic implications. This paper is the first to quantify the relationship between child marriage and economic growth. Applying a simultaneous equations model, the analysis shows that eliminating child marriage would significantly improve economic growth-if child marriage were ended today, long-term annual per capita real GDP growth in emerging and developing countries would increase by 1.05 percentage points. The results also provide insights on policy prioritization in developing comprehensive strategies to end child marriage. For example, the strong interdependent relationship between education and child marriage suggests that education policies and the budgets that support them should place greater emphasis on reducing child marriage.
Analyzing Inbreeding and Estimating Its Related Deficiencies in Northeastern Brazil

This cross-sectional study aimed to observe number of marriages between relatives in Sao Francisco Valley municipalities and correlations between degrees of kinship and susceptibility to genetic diseases. Three hundred and nine (309) consanguineous couples were interviewed in five municipalities. The data were analyzed using SPSS (version 22), Chi-square testing, and the generalized estimating equation (GEE). In Pariconha-AL for first cousins, the results revealed significantly higher numbers of disabled children than for third cousins (p
Incremental Cash Flow Method

The incremental cash flow method, also referred to as the “with or without method”, determines the value of an asset by comparing cash flow streams of an entity or the business holding the asset under review with what the cash flow streams of the same entity or business would be without the asset. The difference between these two cash flows is attributed to the asset under review and this provides a basis for determining its value. As the value of a specific asset is based on future income streams, the incremental cash flow method is classified as an income approach.
Regulation of the Cerebral Circulation During Development.

The cerebral microcirculation undergoes dynamic changes in parallel with the development of neurons, glia, and their energy metabolism throughout gestation and postnatally. Cerebral blood flow (CBF), oxygen consumption, and glucose consumption are as low as 20% of adult levels in humans born prematurely but eventually exceed adult levels at ages 3 to 11 years, which coincide with the period of continued brain growth, synapse formation, synapse pruning, and myelination. Neurovascular coupling to sensory activation is present but attenuated at birth. By 2 postnatal months, the increase in CBF often is disproportionately smaller than the increase in oxygen consumption, in contrast to the relative hyperemia seen in adults. Vascular smooth muscle myogenic tone increases in parallel with developmental increases in arterial pressure. CBF autoregulatory response to increased arterial pressure is intact at birth but has a more limited range with arterial hypotension. Hypoxia-induced vasodilation in preterm fetal sheep with low oxygen consumption does not sustain cerebral oxygen transport, but the response becomes better developed for sustaining oxygen transport by term. Nitric oxide tonically inhibits vasomotor tone, and glutamate receptor activation can evoke its release in lambs and piglets. In piglets, astrocyte-derived carbon monoxide plays a central role in vasodilation evoked by glutamate, ADP, and seizures, and prostanoids play a large role in endothelial-dependent and hypercapnic vasodilation. Overall, homeostatic mechanisms of CBF regulation in response to arterial pressure, neuronal activity, carbon dioxide, and oxygenation are present at birth but continue to develop postnatally as neurovascular signaling pathways are dynamically altered and integrated. © 2021 American Physiological Society. Compr Physiol 11:1-62, 2021.
Disinfection Potential of Fire Retardant Foams

AbstractThe spread of aquatic invasive species during wildland firefighting activities is a concern when water sources and equipment are transported across watersheds or into pristine areas. In the present study, we investigated the capability of wildland firefighting foams to inactivate organisms in bench-scale laboratory experiments. Specifically, Escherichia coli and coliphage ΦX174 were used to test the disinfection potential of foams against bacteria and virus species as an indicator of their efficacy against more resistant organisms. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service firefighting foams tested in this study did not inactivate E. coli or coliphage during maximum exposure conditions that are feasible during firefighting activities, i.e., 10% (v:v) mix ratio and a 60-min contact time. We did not examine whether firefighting foams were effective at displacing bacterial and viral organisms when used solely as a surfactant on solid surfaces. We conclude that fire retardant foams are not eff...
East Asian Studies: Economics

This article provides a comparative analysis of the dynamics and challenges of East Asian economies. These economies have undergone a radical transformation since the early 1970s that have shifted the balance of power both within the region and in the global economy more broadly. The first major change that characterizes this period is the rise of the newly industrial economies of Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong. The second major change has been the transformation of China's planned economy. The successes in various development projects in these economies have been tempered by economic challenges in the region, namely that of Japan in the 1990s, the Asian financial crisis of 1997, and the considerable challenges still facing the Chinese reform effort, all of which have shown the vulnerabilities of this regional economy.
Chemical Shift Tensors

The sections in this article are 1 Introduction 2 The Chemical Shift 3 The Chemical Shift Tensor in a Variety of Reference Frames and Representations 4 Tensor Powder Patterns in Solids 5 Chemical Shift Tensors from Single Crystals 6 Molecular Origins of the Chemical Shift Tensor 7 Conclusions 8 Biographical Sketch Related Articles
Individual RD1-region genes are required for export of ESAT-6/CFP-10 and for virulence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

The RD1 genomic region is present in virulent strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), missing from the vaccine strain M. bovis BCG, and its importance to virulence has been established experimentally. Based on in silico analysis, it has been suggested that RD1 may encode a novel secretion system, but the mechanism by which this region affects virulence is unknown. Here we examined mutants disrupted in five individual RD1 genes. Both in vitro and in vivo, each mutant displayed an attenuated phenotype very similar to a mutant missing the entire RD1 region. Genetic complementation of individual genes restored virulence. Attenuated mutants could multiply within THP-1 cells, but they were unable to spread to uninfected macrophages. We also examined export of two immunodominant RD1 proteins, CFP-10 and ESAT-6. Export of these proteins was greatly reduced or abolished in each attenuated mutant. Again, genetic complementation restored a wild-type phenotype. Our results indicate that RD1 genes work together to form a single virulence determinant, and argue that RD1 encodes a novel specialized secretion system that is required for pathogenesis of MTB.
Assembly oriented design: a new approach to designing assemblies

This paper presents a new approach to conceptualizing the design of complex assemblies. In the past designing individual parts and assembly planning have been treated as two separate activities. This paper presents an integrated design approach where assembly planning becomes an essential part of the conceptual design activity. A concept called datum flow chain (DFC) is introduced to represent the underlying logic of an assembly at an abstract level. The paper introduces an approach that integrates a way to relate the DFC to the key characteristics (KCs) of a product, identify the most promising assembly sequences, and the use of DFC and three-dimensional tolerance analysis to assess the most promising sequences and part features. A case study performed on assembly of a family of aircraft skin panels is used to illustrate the method.
Mutations Synthetically Lethal with cep1 Target S. cerevisiae Kinetochore Components

CP1 (encoded by CEP1 ) is a Saccharomyces cerevisiae chromatin protein that binds a DNA element conserved in centromeres and in the 5′-flanking DNA of methionine biosynthetic ( MET ) genes. Strains lacking CP1 are defective in chromosome segregation and MET gene transcription, leading to the hypothesis that CP1 plays a general role in assembling higher order chromatin structures at genomic sites where it is bound. A screen for mutations synthetically lethal with a cep1 null allele yielded five recessive csl ( cep1 synthetic lethal) mutations, each defining a unique complementation group. Four of the five mutations synergistically increased the loss rate of marker chromosomes carrying a centromere lacking the CP1 binding site, suggesting that the cep1 synthetic lethality was due to chromosome segregation defects. Three of these four CSL genes were subsequently found to be known or imputed kinetochore genes: CEP3, NDC10 , and CSE4 . The fourth, CSL4 , corresponded to ORF YNL232w on chromosome XIV , and was found to be essential. A human cDNA was identified that encoded a protein homologous to Csl4 and that complemented the csl4-1 mutation. The results are consistent with the view that the major cellular role of CP1 is to safeguard the biochemical integrity of the kinetochore.
Emerging Roles of Canonical TRP Channels in Neuronal Function

Ca2+ signaling in neurons is intimately associated with the regulation of vital physiological processes including growth, survival and differentiation. In neurons, Ca2+ elicits two major functions. First as a charge carrier, Ca2+ reveals an indispensable role in information relay via membrane depolarization, exocytosis, and the release of neurotransmitters. Second on a global basis, Ca2+ acts as a ubiquitous intracellular messenger to modulate neuronal function. Thus, to mediate Ca2+-dependent physiological events, neurons engage multiple mode of Ca2+ entry through a variety of Ca2+ permeable plasma membrane channels. Here we discuss a subset of specialized Ca2+-permeable non-selective TRPC channels and summarize their physiological and pathological role in the context of excitable cells. TRPC channels are predominately expressed in neuronal cells and are activated through complex mechanisms, including second messengers and store depletion. A growing body of evidence suggests a prime contribution of TRPC channels in regulating fundamental neuronal functions. TRPC channels have been shown to be associated with neuronal development, proliferation and differentiation. In addition, TRPC channels have also been suggested to have a potential role in regulating neurosecretion, long term potentiation, and synaptic plasticity. During the past years, numerous seminal discoveries relating TRPC channels to neurons have constantly emphasized on the significant contribution of this group of ion channels in regulating neuronal function. Here we review the major groundbreaking work that has uniquely placed TRPC channels in a pivotal position for governing neuronal Ca2+ signaling and associated physiological responses.
Shape Operator Metric for Surface Normal Approximation

This work deals with the problem of practical mesh generation for surface normal approximation. Part of its contribution is in presenting previous work in a unified framework. A new algorithm for surface normal approximation is then introduced which improves upon existing ones in a number of aspects. In particular, it produces better approximations of surfaces both in practice and in the theoretical limit regime. Additionally, it resolves in a simple way some of the problems that previous methods for surface approximation suffered from.
Europe and Central Asia's great post-communist social health insurance experiment : impacts on health sector and labor market outcomes

The post-communist transition to social health insurance in many of the Central and Eastern European and Central Asian countries provides a unique opportunity to try to answer some of the unresolved issues in the debate over the relative merits of social health insurance and tax-financed health systems. This paper employs a regression-based generalization of the difference-in-differences method and instrumental variables on panel data from 28 countries for the period 1990-2004. The authors find that, controlling for any concurrent provider payment reforms, adoption of social health insurance increased national health spending and hospital activity rates, but did not lead to better health outcomes. The authors also find that adoption of social health insurance reduced employment in the economy as a whole and increased unemployment, although it did not apparently increase the size of the informal economy.
The Uses and Implications of the Term “Retarded” on YouTube

In this article, we provide a historical glimpse into the changing use of terminology for people with intellectual disabilities. In order to determine how the word retarded is currently used in popular culture in the United States, we analyzed one hundred randomly selected YouTube videos with the word retarded in the title. Five themes emerged: (a) the traditional use of the term retarded, (b) the use of retarded in humorous context, (c) the use of retarded to insult or criticize, (d) the term retarded as a substitute for other words, and (e) the slang use of retarded in a hip hop context. The coexistence of these multiple definitions is an unprecedented situation in the history of disability terminology. While advocates in the US are pushing for abandonment of the “R” word, establishing rules about language use is clearly a simplistic solution to a complex problem.
Effect of Mts1 on the Structure and Activity of Nonmuscle Myosin II

The mts1 gene codes for a 9 kDa protein belonging to the S100 subfamily of Ca2+-binding proteins and is known to play a role in metastasis. Its role in metastasis may be through cellular locomotion, as transfection of mts1 into mouse mammary adenocarcinoma cells increases cellular motility in modified Boyden chemotaxis chambers. The Mts1 protein interacts with nonmuscle myosin II in the presence of Ca2+ with an affinity of approximately 7.9 × 104 M-1 and an approximate stoichiometry of 3 mol of Mts1/mol of myosin heavy chain. No interaction was found with myosin I or myosin V. The binding site of Mts1 on myosin is in the rod region, particularly to the light meromyosin portion of the rod. To understand the mechanism by which Mts1 alters cellular motility, we examined its effect on myosin structure and activity. Cosedimentation analysis and electron microscopy suggest that Mts1 destabilizes myosin filaments. In the presence of Ca2+, Mts1 inhibits the actin-activated MgATPase activity of myosin in vitro. Th...
Quantitative strontium isotope models for weathering, pedogenesis and biogeochemical cycling

Abstract Isotopes of strontium (Sr) are a useful tracer for weathering, atmospheric fluxes, cation biocycling, and pedogenesis. We present basic models for application of strontium isotopes to the soil–vegetation–atmosphere system. The mathematical formulations fall into the general categories of: (1) steady-state models, in which isotopic ratios remain constant over the time scale of interest; and (2) time-dependent models, in which isotope ratios change through time. In the steady-state models, fluxes of Sr and other elements to the system are constant. Steady-state models can be used to infer short-term weathering rates from river and stream isotope compositions, to determine fluxes to a single- or multiple-layer soil exchange/solution system, and to quantify nutrient fluxes to vegetation. Time-dependent models involve a change in isotopic ratio from some initial value to a new value over the time period of interest; in some cases, the change may represent a shift from one steady-state situation to a new one after a shift in one or more of the fluxes feeding the system. Examples of applications of time-dependent models include identifying the dominant cation sources to an evolving soil exchange/solution system, and calculating weathering rates by measuring the isotopic compositions of primary soil minerals. We use time-dependent models to explain differences in the isotopic ratios of labile and carbonate Sr from arid sites in Hawaii (with a basalt parent material isotopic signature) and New Mexico (with an atmospheric isotopic signature). These models suggest that the difference is due to a combination of low atmospheric strontium fluxes and high weathering rates in the Hawaiian profile compared to the New Mexico calcrete profile.
Heliconia cut flower production - a 2 year study in Hawaii

As plantas de 20 cultivares ou especies comerciais do heliconia foram plantadas na Fazenda Experimental de Waimanalo (Oahu) da Universidade de Havai como parte de um estudo da pesquisa no crescimento e na producao da flor. Neste trabalho sao relatados os resultados da produtividade e da periodicidade de 18 especies e cultivares de heliconia. em julho 1999, cinco plantas de cada genotipo foram plantadas em vasos de 7,6 litros dispostos em afastamentos de 2,5 m na fileira e 3 m entre fileiras. Um mes mais tarde, as brotacoes foram etiquetadas e observadas a cada
HISTORY AND SCIENCE IN ANTHROPOLOGY

American Anthropologist NEW SERIES Vol. 37 OCTOBER-DECEMBER, 1935 No.4 HISTORY AND SCIENCE IN ANTHROPOLOGY A RECENT presidential address by Mrs HoernIe1 deals largely and By A. L. KROEBER interestingly with the old question of laws and history in anthro­ pology, but seems to rest on an incomplete conception of certain currents of recent anthropological thought. Particularly is this true of the attitudes imputed to Boas; and this misunderstanding, if real, is certainly of im­ portance because of the outstanding position of Boas in contemporary anthropology. During the last forty years he has not only trained many of the American and some European ethnologists or social anthropologists active today, but certainly influenced all of them, at least in the United States. The question of his methodology is therefore much more than a personal one in its significance. On the other hand, individual elements in­ evitably do playa part; in fact it is probably ignorance of some of these that has led Mrs HoernIe to fail to realize the Boasian position in its entirety. If therefore the following remarks seem at times to savor of the personal, it is because I believe it to be necessary for full understanding. And if I take on myself the presumption to act as spokesman or interpreter for another, it is for three reasons. The first is that as the leading public character of anthropology Boas is in a position where even his individual attitudes are of public concern. Second, I have been trained and influenced by him. On the other hand, and third, my methodological views do not wholly coincide with his, and I have been criticized by him for them, and have replied; so that I believe I can speak at least with a certain detach­ ment. To begin with, it is of indubitable significance that Boas' educational training was in the physical laboratory sciences-in physics, in fact. This led him into psychophysics and physical geography: his doctoral disserta­ tion was on the color of sea water. 2 This in turn led to a one-man, two-year, I New Aims and Methods in Social Anthropology (South African Journal 01 Science, Vol. 1 Beitrlige zur Erkenntniss der Farbe <les Wassers (Kie1, 1887).
Approximate Bayesian robust speech processing

We present a comparison of two variational Bayesian algorithms for joint speech enhancement and speaker identification. In both algorithms we make use of speaker dependent speech priors which allows us to perform speech enhancement and speaker identification jointly. For the first algorithm we work in the time domain and in the second we work in the log spectral domain. Our work is built on the intuition that speaker dependent priors would work better than priors that attempt to capture global speech properties. Experimental results using the TIMIT data set are presented to demonstrate the speech enhancement and speaker identification performance of the algorithms. We also measure perceptual quality improvement via the PESQ score.
Radiometric time scale for the upper Eocene and Oligocene based on K/Ar and Rb/Sr dating of volcanic biotites from the pelagic sequence of Gubbio, Italy

Several samples of unaltered volcanic biotite were recovered from five biostratigraphically and magnetostratigaphically controlled bentonite horizons in the continuous upper Eocene–Oligocene pelagic carbonate sequence of Gubbio, northern Italy. K/Ar and Rb/Sr dates on these samples offer a unique opportunity to calibrate with closely spaced points the late Paleogene biostratigraphic and magnetostratigraphic time scales. Until now, time scales have been constructed by interpolating between less certain and more widely spaced data points. Our combined K/Ar and Rb/Sr dates are here used to calibrate the following five stratigraphic levels, from top to bottom: Level 5—upper part of Globorotalia opima opima planktonic foraminiferal zone, upper part of indistinct NP23-NP24 nannoplankton zone and CP18 nannoplankton zone, bottom of magnetic anomaly 9N: 28.0 ± 0.3 Ma. Level 4— Globigerina ampliapertura and Cassigerinella chipolensis zone, lower part of NP23 zone and bottom of CP18 zone, upper part of anomaly 12R: 32.0 ± 0.8 Ma. Level 3— Pseudohastigerina micra zone, upper part of NP21 and CP16b zones, top of anomaly 13N: 35.4 ± 0.4 Ma. Level 2—upper part of Globigerinatheka semiinvoluta zone, upper part of NP18 and CP15a zones, top of magnetic anomaly 16N: 36.0 ± 0.4 Ma. Level 1—lower part of G. semiinvoluta zone, between zones NP18 and NP19, middle part of zone CP15a, upper part of anomaly 17N: 36.4 ± 0.3 Ma. From these data, the interpolated age for the much-debated Eocene-Oligocene boundary is 35.7 Ma with a 2-standard-deviation uncertainty of 0.4 Ma.
An elementary proof of CLT for signed rank statistics with regression constants under hypothesis of symmetry

Abstract This note gives a short proof, based on the conditioning arguments, of the well-known asymptotic normality of the signed rank statistics with regression constants under the hypothesis of symmetry.
How bad is good enough?: exploring mobile video quality trade-offs for bandwidth-constrained consumers

In developing countries, many would-be mobile internet users perceive downloadable video content as too expensive. Aggressively degrading this video could reduce its file size and therefore its cost. The studies presented here explore extreme cases of this quality/cost trade-off for mobile phone users in urban India. A series of online studies tested the effects of manipulating a video's content, bit rate, frame rate, and audio quality on quality ratings and enjoyment. Results show that video quality and thus file size can be greatly reduced with relatively little decrease in these outcomes. A field experiment with low-income users in urban India explored consumers' choices when presented with a trade-off between video quantity and quality and found that nearly one-third selected a lower quality video for the benefit of more video content. Results suggest that offering lower-quality videos to bandwidth-constrained users could provide monetary savings with only minimal reduction in consumer satisfaction.
Rules of the Game for Emerging Market Multinational Companies from China and India

Abstract The prominence of Emerging Market Multinational Companies (EMNCs) in the global marketplace has challenged our assumptions about the nature of global competition and corresponding strategy. We use an inductive approach to conduct historical analysis of eight companies that originated from key emerging markets viz China and India. We examine the various strategies that EMNCs devise to circumvent the resource challenges faced in their home markets and develop routines and key capabilities that lead to their competitive advantage in developed nations. Our results suggest that EMNCs' foreign expansion is, on the one hand, based on their capability to acquire resources and absorb them to build their own advantage (supply-side-argument). On the other hand, it is also based on EMNCs' capability to find some market niches, i.e., entering into markets untapped by traditional MNCs (demand-side-argument). Finally, based on our analysis we propose a dynamic stages model suggesting that EMNCs' foreign expansion can be explained in three stages — licking the dirt to carve out the way; taking off with speed and strength; and around the world with excellence.
Stability and shape evolution of voids and channels due to surface misfit

This paper investigates the stability and shape evolution of voids and channels under the combined effects of surface misfit, surface energy and surface diffusion. A dynamic model that incorporates the competition among these energetic forces is developed. Our approach integrates a novel local semi-implicit level set method to capture interface movement and an iterative spectral method to calculate the elastic field, which allows simulating very large shape evolution such as void breakup or coalescence in a wide range of materials systems. Our study reveals the important effect of surface misfit and remarkably rich dynamics during shape evolution. It is shown that surface misfit can lead to instabilities of voids, break-up of channels and ordering of voids.
Photonic generation of high-power pulsed microwave signals with peak powers up to 7.2 watt

Using a modified uni-traveling carrier photodiode we demonstrate photonic generation of pulsed 1 GHz and 10 GHz signals with peak power levels as high as 38.6 dBm (7.2 W) and 36.4 dBm (4.4 W), respectively.
A review of the genus Homopholis Boulenger (Reptilia: Squamata: Gekkonidae) in southern Africa

On the basis of molecular data, the gekkonid lizard Homopholis arnoldi Loveridge is revived as a full species. Morphologically it is usually distinguishable from H. wahlbergii on the basis of its striped dorsal colour pattern. Homopholis arnoldi has a wide distribution from south-eastern Botswana through Zimbabwe to central Mozambique, and the southern margin of its range covers the western and northern parts of Limpopo Province, South Africa north of the Soutpansberg (where it is at least parapatric, and possibly sympatric with both H. wahlbergii and H. mulleri), extending east to the Mozambique coast north of the Limpopo. A key is provided for the four currently recognised species of Homopholis and a neotype from KwaZulu-Natal is designated for H. wahlbergii, helping to stabilise the use of this name in light of the resurrection of H. arnoldi.
Chemical Changes in the Juice Vesicles of Granulated Valencia Oranges

SUMMARY Granulation is a disorder of the Valencia orange in which the juice vesicles go through certain definite morphological and chemical changes. The larger the fruit, the more likely are granulated juice vesicles. The juice vesicles increase in volume with the subsequent hydration of the cell contents, followed by the gel formation of the pectic substances. The pectic substances and their respective methoxyl contents increased with the severity of granulation. The soluble carbohydrates and organic acids decreased as the mineral constituents and pH of the juice increased. The alcohol-insoluble fraction of the juice vesicles increased with the severity of granulation, and a highly significant correlation existed between the hardness of the juice vesicles and the alcohol-insoluble solids content.
Effects of chronic fenfluramine administration on hypothalamic neuropeptide mRNA expression.

Abstract Appetite suppressants lose efficacy when given chronically; the mechanisms are unknown. We gave male rats once-daily dl -fenfluramine ( dl -FEN, 5 mg/kg, i.p.) injections for 15 days and measured mRNA expression of corticotropin releasing factor (CRF), neuropeptide Y (NPY) and proopiomelanocortin (POMC) in hypothalamic neurons on days 1, 2 and 15. dl -FEN decreased food intake on days 1–2 but not on day 15. The drug increased CRF mRNA and decreased NPY mRNA on days 1–2; on day 15, NPY mRNA was normal, but CRF mRNA remained elevated. No changes occurred in POMC mRNA. Thus, only the NPY mRNA response to dl -FEN correlated with changes in food intake over time in a manner consistent with the known effects of NPY on food intake.
Source process of the great 1971 Solomon Islands doublet

Abstract Large underthrusting earthquakes in the Solomon Islands tend to occur as multiplets, separated by a few hours to several days in time and 30–100 km in space. The largest sequence, a doublet on July 14, 1971 ( M w = 8.0) and July 26, 1971 ( M w = 8.1), is particularly unusual in that it occured at the junction of two trenches, with the July 14 event in the Solomon Islands Trench preceding the July 26 rupture in the New Britain Trench. The location and large moment release of this doublet as well as an incompatibility of published body wave and surface wave focal mechanisms for the July 14 event, motivated a detailed study of the source process of the 1971 sequence. To satisfy both the surface wave and body wave data, we explored the possibility of a change in the faulting geometry during rupture for the July 14 event. A fault model that changes orientation from a northwest-southeast striking, shallow-dipping plane, similar to the mechanisms of neighboring underthrusting events in the Solomon Islands Trench, to a more north-south striking plane ∼ 70 s after rupture initiation is consistent with the observed Rayleigh and Love wave amplitude patterns. This change in mechanism is suggested by systematic variations in the mechanisms of smaller earthquakes near the cusp in the Solomon Islands plate. A simultaneous inversion of WWSSN P wave seismograms for the time, location, seismic moment and focal mechanism of individual subevents gives results in agreement with the surface wave model, although the precise change in mechanism is not well resolved. The spatiotemporal distribution of subevents reveals two major pulses of moment release. The first occurred on the initial fault near the epicenter at the origin time of the earthquake. The second occurred on the north-south striking fault, 50–70 km northwest of the epicenter ∼ 70 s after the origin time. The change in mechanism appears to reflect contortion of the slab near the trench junction. Inversion of WWSSN P wave seismograms for the rupture history of the July 26 event reveals a westerly propagating rupture extending ∼ 60 km along the New Britain Trench. For both of the 1971 earthquakes, regions of high moment release are located in the vicinity of the Solomon Islands-New Britain Trench junction. Contortion of the subducting lithosphere as it bends around the arc-arc junction may have enhanced the degree of mechanical coupling between the subducting and overriding plates, concentrating stress in this region, and in turn, promoting efficient triggering across the trench junction.
Existence and synthesis of minimal-basis morphological solutions for a restoration-based boundary-value problem

The present paper formulates digital binary filter design for the subtractive-noise restoration problem in terms of the classical boundary-value-problem paradigm. The boundary-value problem involves both operator relations and invariant (fixed-point) boundary conditions. Noise-hole restoration is to be achieved while certain shape-based structures remain invariant, and the boundary-value problem incorporates these conditions. A design approach is formulated that derives an increasing, translation-invariant solution via the morphological basis expansion directly from the statement of the boundary-value problem itself without positing any a priori class of structuring elements over which to search. Existence conditions are analyzed and, when they exist, solutions are found that possess both minimal bases and minimal structuring elements. These solutions are extensive. Owing to duality, antiextensive solutions result for the classical union-noise model and these are discussed.
Gold nanoparticle-PPE constructs as biomolecular material mimics: understanding the electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions

Eleven cationic, monolayer-protected quaternary ammonium-functionalized gold nanoparticles (ANPs) were prepared and investigated for their ability to quench the fluorescence of a poly(p-phenyleneethynylene) (PPE) that features carboxylate groups to enable electrostatic interactions with the ANPs. Depending upon their structures, the ANPs displayed binding constants to the PPE from 8 × 107 to 1010 M−1, with particularly high affinity observed with aromatic functionalized ANPs capable of aromatic stacking. These binding constants were obtained by analyzing the quenching data using a modified Stern–Volmer formalism.
A system architecture for flexible control of downloaded executable content

We present an architecture that enables developers to build applications that can flexibly control downloaded executable content. The architecture includes an access control model for representing security requirements and a browser service for deriving application requirements from signed content messages and executing content in limited domains.
Magnetic susceptibility and crystal field effects of rare-earth orthovanadate compounds

Abstract The magnetic susceptibilities of the rare-earth orthovanadates RVO4 (where R is a rare-earth ion, Ce-Lu, or Y) have been measured in the temperature range 3.5–300 K. From 100–300 K, the data fit a Curie-Weiss law and the paramagnetic Curie temperatures for all the compounds are negative. A systematic analysis of the susceptibility data in terms of the crystal field model has been carried out, and a smooth set of crystal field parameters has been derived.
Synthesis of mesostructured stishovite from FDU-12/carbon composite

Nanocasting at high pressure has been recently proposed as a novel strategy for the synthesis of periodic mesoporous materials with crystalline walls. In this study we present results on the synthesis of mesostructured stishovite from mesostructured FDU-12/carbon composite precursor using the multi-anvil press. Results from quenched experiments performed at a pressure of 14 GPa indicate that a minimum temperature of 500 C is needed to crystallize stishovite from the amorphous silica precursor with a preserved mesostructure. Transmission electron microscopy combined with small angle X-ray scattering measurements confirmed the mesostructure of synthetic stishovite having carbon-filled pores with a diameter of 19 nm similar to the pore size of the FDU-12 precursor. Calcination of the stishovite/carbon composite at 450 C in air at ambient condition leads to amorphization of the stishovite. Our results show that mesostructure materials can be synthesized at very high pressures without loss or critical modification of the mesostructure.
P01.23. Effects of unilateral facet fixation and facetectomy on muscle spindle responsiveness during simulated spinal manipulation

Purpose There is mounting evidence that identification of spinal joint hypoand hypermobility along with correspondingly tailored manual therapy treatment approaches for these clinical subgroups can lead to more successful therapeutic outcomes. Subjects with spinal joint hypomobility had higher therapeutic success rates with spinal manipulation than subjects with spinal joint hypermobility (Fritz et al. Arch Phys Med Rehab 2005;86:1745-52). We were interested in whether changes in segmental mobility affect proprioceptive signaling from paraspinal muscles during spinal manipulation having thrust durations similar to those delivered clinically (75,100,150, 250ms).
Nonoscillation and disconjugacy of systems of linear differential equations

The differential equations under consideration are of the form dxdt = A(t)x, (1) where A(t) is a piecewise continuous real n × n matrix on a real interval α, and the vector x = (x1,…,xn) is continuous on α. The equation is said to be nonoscillatory on α if every nontrivial real solution vector x has at least one component xk which does not vanish on α. The principal concern of this paper is the derivation of conditions, expressed in terms of various norms of A, which guarantee the nonoscillation of (1) in a given interval.
Drag Reduction by Bacterial Metabolites

IN conditions of turbulent flow, relatively low concentrations of linear, high-molecular weight polymers can greatly reduce the frictional drag of a liquid1–4. By measuring the pressure drop along a finebore tube in these conditions, the drag-reducing potential of such a polymer solution can be estimated by comparing with the pressure drop for the pure solvent. This is the principle on which the turbulent flow rheometer5 is based.
A note on the practical use of the VGA monitor for the display of fractal images

Abstract Practical techniques for obtaining high-quality displays of fractal images from the inexpensive VGA display monitor are discussed.
Pal, a New Inherited Alpha-2-Globulin of Human Serum

Summary The alpha-2-globulin previously reported as 'PAG' has been renamed Pa 1. It appears to be inherited by means of an autosomal gene, possibly recessive. There is no evidence indicating a genetic relation to 16 other independent grouping systems. The appearance of this protein seems to be under hormonal control. Resume L'alpha-2-globuline precedemment appelee »PAG« a ete renommee Pa 1. Il semble que cette alpha-2-globuline soit conditionnee par un gene autosomal, peut-etre recessif. Il n'y a aucune manifestation permettant de deduire qu'il y ait une relation genetique avec 16 autres systemes de groupes independents. Cette proteine semble etre sous controle hormonal. Zusammenfassung Das fruher als »PAG« bezeichnete Alpha-2-Globulin wird in Pa 1 umbenannt. Es handelt sich offensichtlich um ein autosomales, moglicherweise rezessives Erbmerkmal. Es fehlen Hinweise fur eine genetische Beziehung zu 16 anderen gruppen-spezifischen Merkmalen. Das Auftreten dieses Eiweises steht offenbar unter hormonaler Kontrolle.
Strong evidence for gravity wave seeding of an ionospheric plasma instability

[1] Here we present evidence for gravity wave seeding of ionospheric plasma instabilities. On October 2, 2002 a series of magnetic substorms led to a large-scale traveling ionospheric disturbance (LSTID) that was detected by the Arecibo incoherent scatter radar. Several large oscillations of the F layer occurred, including one that lifted the layer to over 450 km. At least two shorter period oscillations were identified in the plasma contours along the bottomside of the layer. The largest amplitude signal exhibited a downward phase velocity, vertical wavelength, and period (∼50 minutes) consistent with the linear theory of gravity waves. A ∼30-minute period oscillation was amplified considerably when the bottomside was lifted to high altitudes near dawn. This amplification was likely due to a gravitational instability with a growth time of about 15 minutes. We believe that the LSTID created conditions conducive to instability, while the shorter period waves created the seed irregularities.
Histochemical assessment of cytochrome oxidase activity for monitoring ischemic muscle injury

Electromyographic detection of increased neuromuscular conduction latency that follows electrostimulation of spinal nerves has been used widely as a clinical tool for detection of ischemic muscle injury. We hypothesized that a biochemical marker for stagnant hypoxia provides more direct evidence for evaluating severity and monitoring resolution of ischemic muscle injury than the EMG. To detect intracellular changes in oxygen use during experimental ischemia, ultrathin sections of rat gastrocnemius muscle were treated with reducing agent, 3,3'-diaminobenzidine (DAB), a histochemical marker for intramitochondrial cytochrome oxidase activity. The observed decrease in mitochondrial uptake of DAB suggested that a decrease in cytochrome oxidase activity was associated with experimental ischemia. Neuromuscular conduction latency in rat gastrocnemius muscle was also quantitated after electrostimulation of the sciatic nerve. Ligation of the femoral artery produced ischemic tissue injury, during which recordings of the EMG showed that conduction latency increased [from a mean +/- SEM control value of 3.09 +/- 0.13 to 3.92 +/- 0.22 ms (N = 11, P less than 0.001).] The changes in both histochemically detectable cytochrome oxidase activity and neuromuscular conduction latency were reversed by reperfusion. Response of the rat tissue to arterial occlusion was thereby shown to be a physiologic model for skeletal muscle response to ischemia. In addition, histochemical detection of cytochrome oxidase activity was shown to be a sensitive intracellular marker for decreased oxygen use during ischemic muscle injury.
Conductometric diffusion rate method for determination of microgram quantities of ammonia.

Abstract 1. 1. A microdiffusion rate method applicable to small samples (0.2 ml or less) containing less than 1 μg of ammonia nitrogen is described. 2. 2. The rate of ammonia diffusing into standard acid is monitored by means of conductance changes occurring in a specially designed electrodecell combination. Rate differences are shown to be related to the ammonia nitrogen content of the samples from which the ammonia was diffused. 3. 3. The basis for the method is presented and some advantages and shortcomings are discussed.
Computational Analysis of the Economic Effects of an East Asian Preferential Trading Bloc

Abstract The Michigan CGE trade model is used to analyze the possible economic consequences of the formation of an East Asian trading bloc (EATB) composed of the four major trading countries in the region, namely Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore. We also analyze the effects of an EATB that includes the United States. We find for the most part that economic welfare increases for all bloc members as well as nonmembers, the real returns to both labor and capital rise due to scale effects, and the sectoral employment impacts appear broadly representative of the comparative advantage of the member countries. J. Japan. Int. Econ., March 1996, 10 (1), pp. 37–70. Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155; and University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1220.
Complexity assessment: a design and management tool for information system development

Abstract Information system complexity is related to many software engineering metrics. Design, construction and maintenance difficulty can be associated with their respective complexity metrics. Complexity measurement algorithms for information system schemas are considered. A set of properties is proposed that serve as a basis for complexity assessment throughout the life cycle. Heretofore, an emphasis in system engineering has been the analysis of software program complexity. Current work, as well as new alternative measures, in software complexity are discussed. Complexity measurement is extended to include other major phases of the system life cycle. Benefits include the evaluation of complexity propagation between system development life cycle phases. Complexity projection provides for improved management of the development process. The implementation of the Dynamic Complexity Monitor (DYCOM) is discussed. DYCOM is comprised of analyzers and models useful in both research and industrial environments. DYCOM supports complexity assessment for requirement definitions, logical and physical design schemata, and implementation and maintenance. The system determines complexity projection functions between life cycle phases. Further, projection functions are automatically updated as the system is used. DYCOM “learns” from system development experience. Also, proposed complexity models can easily be added to DYCOM in order to evaluate their utility. DYCOM serves as a laboratory for examination of alternative complexity metrics.
Effect of local yield strength gradients on fatigue crack propagation

Abstract A new crack propagation effect is discussed analytically and demonstrated experimentally. It is shown that local one-dimensional variations in yield strength (strength gradients) can effect a major change in the rate of crack growth under conditions of constant amplitude cycled stress intensity at the crack tip as determined by linear elastic fracture mechanics. Rice's path independent integral is combined with certain fracture mechanics arguments to derive a crack propagation law which predicts that crack extension per cycle is modulated by strength gradients if they are present, in proportion to their slope. Experimental data are developed for two aluminum alloys which demonstrate the effect conclusively. The importance of these results as they apply to real engineering components where strength gradients are known to occur because of casting, forging, rolling, joining, etc. is discussed. The strength gradient effect is shown to be discrete and separate from other effects including the influence of local levels of strength.