cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of Morphine on the Motility of the Human Ileum

The opportunities for direct study of intestinal peristalsis in the living human are necessarily limited. The usual methods of investigation have consisted of radiographic procedures or of the introduction of various mechanisms into the bowel, the very presence of which in the bowel may create abnormal reactions. Advantage was taken of a case of intestinal prolapse or bowel externalization (involving lower portion of the ileum) in an otherwise healthy male to record daily the activity of circular and longitudinal muscle. The loop of bowel was approximately 12 inches in length with an artificial anus at its summit so that the lower limb of the loop was constantly empty.The method of recording described by Alvarez1 was adapted in the following manner: Two Wiggers myocardiographs were fastened to permanent non-absorbable sutures loosely encircling a common mass of circular or longitudinal muscle. Lines joining points of attachment of the myographs to either circular or longitudinal muscle crossed each other ...
Functional impact of ZEB1 mutations associated with posterior polymorphous and Fuchs' endothelial corneal dystrophies.

Purpose. To assess the impact of zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1) gene mutations associated with posterior polymorphous corneal dystrophy 3 (PPCD3) and Fuchs' endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD).
Epiphyseal osteochondromas of the upper limb: a report of 7 cases.

Background Originally described as osteochondromatous lesions arising from the tarsal bones, osteochondromas arising from the epiphysis or carpal/tarsal bones are less common than those arising from the metaphysis. Histologically, all osteochondromas are indistinguishable regardless of the location from which they arise. Few case reports and case series exist describing these lesions in the upper limb. Methods We review 7 cases of osteochondromas arising from epiphyses and ossicles in the upper limb treated at 3 institutions. Patients were followed for an average of 5.7 years. The average patient age at the presentation was 7.8 years. Results We identified 25 lesions: 5 distal radial epiphyseal, 3 distal radial metaphyseal, 4 scaphoid, 4 lunate, 4 trapezial, 2 accessory ossicles adjacent to the trapezium, 2 trapezoid, and 1 metacarpal lesion. Three patients presented with pain, 5 with decreased motion, and 3 with angular deformity. In 1 case, the lesion presented as an incidental finding. Four patients underwent a total of 7 procedures: 2 open biopsies, 2 distal radial epiphyseal lesion excisions, 2 revisions, and 1 excision of all lesions with a scaphoid osteotomy. Conclusions Intra-articular and transosseous lesions are more likely to result in angular deformities and loss of motion at the joints, whereas juxtaphyseal and transphyseal lesions are more likely to result in growth disturbances and angular deformities at the physis. Level of evidence Case series, level IV.
Effects of β-Amylolysis on the Resistant Starch Formation of Debranched Corn Starches

Retrograded amylose is resistant to digestion by amylolytic enzymes, which is known as resistant starch type III (RS3). In this study we investigated the effect of β-amylase hydrolysis on the formation and physicochemical properties of RS3 from debranched corn starches. Three types of corn starch (Hylon VII, Hylon V, and common corn) were first gelatinized and then hydrolyzed using β-amylase to varying degrees. The resultant hydrolyzed starch was debranched with isoamylase and then exposed to temperature cycling to promote RS formation. A broad endotherm from approximately 45 to 120 °C and a small endotherm above 150 °C were noted for all retrograded starches. All three corn starches had increased RS contents after moderate β-amylolysis, with Hylon V having the highest RS content at 70.7% after 4 h of β-amylolysis. The results suggest that RS3 formation is affected by the starch composition as well as the starch structure and can be increased by moderate β-amylolysis.
Abstract 3: Site-Specific Chlorination of ApoA-I, the Major HDL Protein, Is Associated with Impaired Sterol Efflux and Is Markedly Increased in Subjects with Coronary Artery Disease

3-Chlorotyrosine is a specific product of myeloperoxidase (MPO), a heme protein expressed by macrophages in human atherosclerotic lesions. We have previously shown in vitro that chlorination of Tyr192 (3-chloroTyr192) together with methionine oxidation of lipid-free apoA-I impairs the apolipoprotein’s ability to promote cholesterol efflux from macrophages by the ABCA1 pathway. Using a sensitive and quantitative LC-MS/MS approach with selected reaction monitoring (SRM), we have recently demonstrated that Tyr192 is the major site of chlorination in apoA-I of HDL isolated from human atherosclerotic lesions. In a prospective study, we determined if: i) MPO contributes to the chlorination of apoA-I in circulating HDL; and ii) 3-chloroTyr192 serves as a marker for clinically significant cardiovascular disease. We quantified HDL oxidation and sterol efflux in three groups: i) stable CAD subjects, ii) acute coronary syndrome (ACS) subjects, and iii) healthy control subjects (N=20 per group). SRM analysis demonstrated that levels of 3-chloroTyr192 were markedly elevated in HDL isolated from subjects with CAD or ACS (p=0.009 and p=0.01 vs. control subjects, respectively). A key cardioprotective effect of HDL is its ability to promote cholesterol efflux from macrophages by the ABCA1 pathway. We found that the ABCA1-dependent sterol efflux capacity of HDL isolated from CAD and ACS subjects was significantly impaired. Importantly, sterol efflux capacity associated inversely with levels of 3-chloroTyr192 (R=-0.30, p=0.02), suggesting that oxidation of HDL by MPO contributes to the impaired cholesterol efflux capacity of HDL. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that levels of 3-chloroTyr192 distinguished between CAD or ACS subjects and control subjects (AUC 0.76, p=0.0008 and AUC 0.73, p=0.004, respectively). These observations strongly suggest that MPO contributes to the generation of dysfunctional HDL in subjects with clinically significant atherosclerosis. They further indicate that quantification of 3-chloroTyr192 levels in HDL may provide a new approach to the diagnosis and treatment of CAD and ACS.
Gentamicin-Konzentrationen im Liquorraum bei Patienten mit entzündeten und nicht entzündeten Meningen

Gentamicin-Konzentrationen im Serum und Liquor cerebrospinalis wurden in 11 Tests von acht Patienten mit Meningitis und in 18 Tests von acht Patienten einer neurochirurgischen Abteilung gemessen, deren neurochirurgischer Eingriff mindestens 4 Tage zurucklag. Die Liquorkonzentrationen von Gentamicin lagen in der Gruppe der neurochirurgischen Patienten nur viermal uber dem unteren Grenzwert der mesbaren Konzentration von 0,4 µg/ml bei einer Serumkonzentration von unter 0,4 µg/ml bis maximal 5 µg/ml. Alle Liquorkonzentrationen in dieser Gruppe lagen unter 1,5 µg/ml. Gentamicin-Konzentrationen im Liquor von Patienten mit Meningitis betrugen von unter 0,4 µg/ml bis zu 5,66 µg/ml, entsprechend einem prozentualen Anteil des gleichzeitigen Serumwertes von 7,4 – 57,6%, im Mittel 25,8%.
The Effect of Ouabain on Renal Tubular Reabsorption and Cortical Concentrations of Several Cations and on Their Association with Subcellular Particles

Ouabain was infused into one renal artery at 5 or 10 µg/kg/min for 5 or 20 min, in dogs receiving a constant infusion of 137Cs and 85Sr. Plasma K and Cs rose at 20 min, but plasma Na, Mg, Ca, and Sr were unaffected. Renal cortical K became partially replaced with Na and Mg with Ca, even in the uninfused kidneys. Cortical Cs, however, rose at first and later fell. At the smaller dose, tubular reabsorption of all six cations was simultaneously inhibited in the infused kidney and stimulated in the uninfused kidney. At the larger dose, a disproportionate inhibition of Cs reabsorption occurred, while alkaline earth reabsorption was inhibited relatively little, when compared with Na and K. The extent of association of these cations with four particulate fractions obtained by differential centrifugation of homogenized cortex was measured in the same animals. Changes were seen which could be tentatively correlated with the changes in transport. Addition of comparable amounts of ouabain to normal kidneys during homogenization in the cold had no such effects on subcellular binding. The results suggest that ouabain in small doses may stimulate tubular transport by increasing cation binding by particles found in the fourth ("light microsomal") sediment; inhibition of cellular accumulation of cations and later of transport may be a result of altered selectivity of particles found in the third ("heavy microsomal") sediment for ions in relation to their size.
Real-time sensor fault detection and isolation in power system with hardware implementation

In large scale power systems, the integration of intelligent sensor fault detection and isolation system increases the system resiliency and the control robustness. It allows to monitor the health of sensors without relying on hardware redundancy. This paper investigates a real-time sensor failure detection and isolation algorithm with hardware implementation based on the standard IEEE 14-bus System. The results indicate that this method is effective and could be utilized into real-world application for resilient control in power system.
Hypermethylation of DNA and Increased Expression of DNMT1 May Represent a Protective Mechanism from Oxidative Stress and DNA Damage in MDS.

Epigenetic changes including altered cytosine methylation have been hypothesized to play a pathogenic role in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and other myeloid malignancies. While the specific functional consequences of CpG island methylation depend on the pattern of silenced promoters, the triggers for changes in the methylation program are unknown. DNA damage is likely to interfere with faithful heritability of cytosine methylation patterns during cell division. For example, formation of 8-oxoguanine (8-OG) in CpG islands may result in hypomethylation through inhibition of methylation-sensitive human maintenance methyltransferase DNMT1. Alternatively, hypermethylation may be a part of cellular response to oxidative damage e.g., through stimulation of DNMT1 activity. When we investigated expression of various DNA repair genes in highly purified CD34+ progenitor and stem cells of patients with MDS (19 RARS/RA, 16RAEB1/2/sAML, 2 CMML) using expression arrays, we found a significant and concordant up-regulation of N -methylpurine DNA glycosylase MPG; this finding was confirmed by TaqMan PCR in 21/37 MDS patients tested. Over-expression of MPG may be in response to increased DNA alkylation, but MPG has been described to co-localize in methylated CpG islands and could reflect their increased methylation. We have stipulated that up-regulation of MPG is a consequence of ongoing DNA damage and chose to study other parameters that could support this theory. For example, incorporation of 8-oxoguanine can be measured by flow cytometry and when we used this method, we determined that an increased oxidative DNA load/stress was found in 67% of all MDS cases studied (n=24) and correlated with advanced stage of MDS ( p p p global methylation using an ELISA-based colorimetric assay specific for methylcytosine and expression of DNMT1 using TaqMan PCR. We determined that patients with over-expression of OGG1 were characterized by lower expression of DNMT1 (>2x control levels) and inversely correlated with global methylation levels. In contrast, those patients with over-expression of DNMT1, a corresponding increase in global methylation was observed. In sum, our results are consistent with the inverse relationship between hypermethylation and oxidative stress or alternatively that hypermethylation may be a protective response to an ongoing DNA damage in a subset of MDS patients.
Developing a lean data management system for an emerging social enterprise

Data collection is essential for organizations operating in developing countries and other low-resource environments. Whether for traditional monitoring and evaluation, efficiency improvements, or research purposes, data collection is an essential part of the scaling process of any venture. Despite the necessity of data collection, creating an efficient system that captures key information is no easy task. Choosing the proper tools, designing comprehensive protocols, and integrating data collection into organization workflows are essential components of any data management system. To accomplish this, organizations are turning to a Lean approach of reducing all possible inefficiencies, which despite its origins in the manufacturing field, is becoming popular among entrepreneurs and researchers alike. From a data collection perspective, eliminating waste, such as inefficient forms or collection of un-needed data, allows organizations to create efficient systems that serve their purposes and provide needed information in a timely fashion. This article will describe the data collection system being implemented by GRO Greenhouses, a social enterprise that sells greenhouses in several countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Using off-the-shelf tools like Google Docs, GRO was able to create an easy-to-use system that addressed the organization's needs as it expanded from its start as a university-based research project into a full-fledged venture operating with external funding. Collecting relevant data is the next step in GRO evolution as long-term sustainability becomes more important. Lessons learned by GRO about data collection and scaling are relevant to other similar ventures as they seek to evolve and expand.
Estimating Desired Sample Size for Simple Random Sampling of a Skewed Population

A simulation study was conducted to assess how well the necessary sample size to achieve a stipulated margin of error can be estimated prior to sampling. Our concern was particularly focused on per...
Dietary carcinogens and anticarcinogens Oxygen radicals and degenerative diseases

The human diet contains a great variety of natural mutagens and carcinogens, as well as many natural antimutagens and anticarcinogens. Many of these mutagens and carcinogens may act through the generation of oxygen radicals. Oxygen radicals may also play a major role as endogenous initiators of degenerative processes, such as DNA damage and mutation (and promotion), that may be related to cancer, heart disease, and aging. Dietary intake of natural antioxidants could be an important aspect of the body’s defense mechanism against these agents. Many antioxidants are being identified as anticarcinogens. Characterizing and optimizing such defense systems may be an important part of a strategy of minimizing cancer and other age-related diseases.
"You need to do your research": vaccines, contestable science, and maternal epistemology.

Individuals who refuse vaccines are often painted as anti-science or ill-informed. However, drawing from interviews with 50 mothers who refused one or more vaccines (n = 50), results from this stud...
How do Polish immigrants in London reinforce local communities and influence the local economy

After the European Union expansion of 2004 the United Kingdom was a recipient of a significant number of Polish migrants. The goal of this paper is to evaluate the impact that Polish migrants have ...
A Look at the Past, Present, and Future of Rural Secondary Transition:

Depending on which date is attributed to the birth of secondary transition, it can be considered anywhere from 27 to 57 years old. No matter which date is used, it has been a while since the field ...
Text categorization using distributed NoSQL databases

As the number of news articles, emails, web pages, social media posts and other text-oriented documents continue to grow, tools which facilitate automatic text categorization have grown in prominence largely due to the increased need for greater organization of this newly generated content. Spam detection, email sorting, sentiment analysis, and online shopping represent a few successful applications of text categorization. As machine learning algorithms learn how to classify to which category a document belongs, the assignment of one or more categories can become automated. Large volumes of data may be required for text categorization tasks involving greater accuracy requirements, increased category options, and multiple category assignments.
Seasoned Equity Issues With \Soft" Information: Theory and Empirical Evidence

We develop a model of seasoned equity issues (SEOs) under asymmetric information where, in addition to observing the firm's issue/no issue decision, outsiders obtain "soft information" signals about firms through noisy voluntary disclosures made by firms or information production by outsiders. We show that, if sufficiently precise soft information is available to outsiders, firms' equity issue behavior is significantly altered in equilibrium relative to that in existing models of SEOs. In particular, while existing models predict that the announcement effect to a public offering of equity will always be negative, our model predicts that the announcement effect will be positive for a significant fraction of SEOs. We predict that the announcement effect will be positive or negative depending on the realization of outsiders' soft information, the value of the firm's assets-in-place, and the net present value of its growth opportunities, with firms about which outsiders have more favorable soft information receiving algebraically larger (more positive or less negative) SEO announcement effects. We also have predictions for the relationship between the precision of outsiders' soft information and the amount of underinvestment in that firm, and for a firm's debt to equity ratio. Finally our model provides a rationale for the existence of "investor relations" departments in many firms. We test two of the predictions of our model using stock price data of a sample of firms making equity issues, and using revisions in analyst recommendations and earnings forecasts as proxies for the realizations of outsiders' soft information signals about these firms. The evidence is consistent with the predictions of our model..
Industry Concentration, Analysts' Earnings Forecasts, and Bid-Ask Spread

We examine the economic consequences of corporate disclosure using industry concentration as a proxy for disclosure. The use of this proxy allows us to circumvent problems inherent in such examinations carried out by prior studies using analysts' ratings as a proxy for disclosure. Specifically, analysts' ratings are based on analysts' perceptions and are therefore susceptible to a halo effect (Kerlinger [1986]), which may lead to a spurious association between analysts' ratings and the economic consequence variables. Furthermore, firm performance can simultaneously affect disclosure and analyst behavior/market liquidity, making it difficult to isolate the impact of disclosure on analyst behavior/market liquidity (Healy and Palepu [2001]). We document that firms in more concentrated industries have a smaller analyst following, higher dispersion in analysts' earnings forecasts, higher forecast errors, higher volatility in forecast revisions, and higher bid-ask spreads. These results help alleviate Healy and Palepu's [2001] concern that because of the limitations of the analysts' ratings measure, conclusions of prior studies on the economic consequences of disclosure may not be valid. Our results also contribute to the literature on industry concentration by suggesting that disclosure quality is not responsible for Hou and Robinson's [2003] finding that concentrated industries have low cost of equity capital. Finally, based on ours and Hou and Robinson's results we provide an explanation for the weak association between disclosure and the cost of equity capital that has been reported in recent accounting studies.
Pulmonary Hypertension Due to Valvular Heart Disease: Aortic and Mitral

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) can be due to a primary pulmonary vasculature abnormality, but is more often secondary to lung, cardiac, or environmental insults, and is frequently multifactorial. Most...
Co-assembly of nisin and zein in microfluidics for enhanced antilisterial activity in Queso Fresco

Abstract Nisin-loaded zein microcapsules were prepared in a microfluidic chip using an internal phase separation method. The release profiles of nisin from the microcapsules were modified by varying nisin loading and flow rate during the microfluidic process. Rapid release of nisin was achieved with low flow rate in dispersed phase (0.2 ml/h) and high loading (9.67–12.64 μg/mg) of nisin in the microcapsule, while slow release of nisin was achieved with high flow rate in dispersed phase (0.3 ml/h) and low loading of nisin (5.94 μg/mg) in the microcapsule. When tested in fresh cheese, all treatments with the nisin loaded zein microcapsules achieved overall lower viable Listeria cell counts relative to the treatment with free nisin, notably at early cheese storage. After 3 days of cold storage, the microcapsules with high flow rate and low nisin load reduced the initial viable population of L. monocytogenes by approximately 1 Log CFU/g, and the high nisin load capsules exhibited a reduction of approximately 0.5 Log CFU/g of the pathogen. Although subsequent regrowth of L. monocytogenes was observed after 7 days of cold storage for all the encapsulated nisin treatments, the high flow rate and low load microcapsules maintained the greatest difference in L. monocytogenes counts, approximately 2 Log CFU/g, compared to the untreated cheese. The cheese with the high flow rate and high load microcapsules was least effective on controlling L. monocytogenes. Nano-FTIR spectrum suggested that the distribution of nisin in the zein microcapsule was homogeneous, which indicates that a co-assembly of zein and nisin occurred during the internal phase separation process.
Artificial intelligence and communication: A Human–Machine Communication research agenda:

Artificial intelligence (AI) and people’s interactions with it—through virtual agents, socialbots, and language-generation software—do not fit neatly into paradigms of communication theory that hav...
Cardiovascular Exosomes and MicroRNAs in Cardiovascular Physiology and Pathophysiology

Cardiac exosomes mediate cell-to-cell communication, stimulate or inhibit the activities of target cells, and affect myocardial hypertrophy, injury and infarction, ventricular remodeling, angiogenesis, and atherosclerosis. The exosomes that are released in the heart from cardiomyocytes, vascular cells, fibroblasts, and resident stem cells are hypoimmunogenic, are physiologically more stable than cardiac cells, can circulate in the body, and are able to cross the blood-brain barrier. Exosomes utilize three mechanisms for cellular communication: (1) internalization by cells, (2) direct fusion to the cell membrane, and (3) receptor-ligand interactions. Cardiac exosomes transmit proteins, mRNA, and microRNAs to other cells during both physiological and pathological process. Cardiac-specific exosome miRNAs can regulate the expression of sarcomeric genes, ion channel genes, autophagy, anti-apoptotic and anti-fibrotic activity, and angiogenesis. This review discusses the role of exosomes and microRNAs in normal myocardium, myocardial injury and infarction, atherosclerosis, and the importance of circulating microRNAs as biomarkers of cardiac disease. Graphical Abstract.
The independent living scale in amnestic mild cognitive impairment: Relationships to demographic variables and cognitive performance.

The Independent Living Scales (ILS) is an objective measure of day-to-day functioning, which can be used to aid in diagnosing dementia in older adults with cognitive impairments. However, no studie...
Intraoperative navigation during atresiaplasty for congenital aural atresia.

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of intraoperative navigation (ION) using adhesive fiducials and high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) of the temporal bone in pediatric patients undergoing atresiaplasty for congenital aural atresia (CAA). Methods From June 2018 to August 2019, a retrospective review was performed on pediatric patients with unilateral or bilateral CAA who underwent atresiaplasty with or without concurrent bone anchored implant (BAI) placement. Single stage atresiaplasty was performed at a tertiary referral center with ION linked to image-guidance compatible HRCT non-contrast temporal bone images. Up to six adhesive fiducials were placed for navigation. Patient demographics were collected including Schuknecht classification type and Jahrsdoerfer score. Main outcome measures included the number of useable adhesive fiducials for navigation, navigation system registration accuracy, operative time, intraoperative complications, and postoperative outcomes including facial nerve function, surgical site infection rate, restenosis rate, and audiometric data. Results Five patients (3 male, 1 AU atresia, 2 AS atresia, all Schuknecht type C) with an average age of 9.2 years (range 6.8–11.8 years) underwent single sided atresiaplasty with ION. Two patients underwent concurrent BAI placement. Average Jahrsdoerfer score was 8.6 (range 7–10). Preoperative audiogram demonstrated a mean air-bone gap (ABG) of 45 dB (range 35–54 dB). The navigation system registration accuracy ranged from 0.08 to 1.80 mm (mean 1.00 mm). Mean operative time was 268 min (range 217–307 min). There were no intraoperative complications. At an average follow up of 7.2 months (range 2–15 months), postoperative facial nerve function was normal in all patients and no patients developed postoperative stenosis or surgical site infections. Four patients underwent postoperative audiogram at an average of 4 months after surgery (range 2–5 months) and all demonstrated an ABG of less than 30 dB (mean 20 dB, range 15–26 dB) with an average improvement in ABG of 23 dB (range 11–39 dB). The one patient who did not undergo postoperative pure tone audiometry underwent AzBio speech perception testing and demonstrated an improvement from 81% to 89%. Conclusions The use of ION in otologic surgery is uncommon. Inherent aberrant temporal bone anatomy in CAA makes this a unique population to study the value of this technology. The use of adhesive fiducials is feasible, with navigation registration accuracy and surgical outcomes comparable to those in the literature. More data is necessary regarding the impact of ION on long-term surgical and audiometric outcomes.
Biomechanical analysis of single-incision anatomic repair technique for distal biceps tendon rupture using tunneling device

HypothesisSingle-incision biceps tendon repair with an arthrotunneling device has previously been shown to be a safe and effective technique that provides the anatomic restoration of a two-incision...
Coexpression of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) fusion (F) protein and attachment glycoprotein (G) in a vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) vector system provides synergistic effects against RSV infection in a cotton rat model

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is one of the most important causes of respiratory disease in infants, immunocompromised individuals, and the elderly. Natural infection does not result in long-term immunity, and there is no licensed vaccine. Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) is a commonly used vaccine vector platform against infectious diseases, and has been used as a vector for a licensed Ebola vaccine. In this study, we expressed the RSV fusion (F) protein, the RSV F protein stabilized in either a pre-fusion or a post-fusion configuration, the attachment glycoprotein (G), or the G and F proteins of RSV in combination in a VSV vector. Cotton rats were immunized with these recombinants intranasally or subcutaneously to test immunogenicity. RSV F stabilized in either a pre-fusion or a post-fusion configuration proved to be poorly immunogenic and protective when compared to unmodified F. RSV G provided partial protection and moderate levels of neutralizing antibody production, both of which improved with intranasal administration compared to subcutaneous inoculation. The most successful vaccine vector was VSV expressing both the G and F proteins after intranasal inoculation. Immunization with this recombinant induced neutralizing antibodies and provided protection from RSV challenge in the upper and lower respiratory tract for at least 80 days. Our results demonstrate that co-expression of F and G proteins in a VSV vector provides synergistic effects in inducing RSV-specific neutralizing antibodies and protection against RSV infection.
Cultural Evolution: Theory and Models

We define culture as those aspects of thought, speech, behavior, and artifacts that can be learned and transmitted socially. Although the cognitive processes that allow cultural transmission may involve the action of genes, transmission of certain types of information may also be purely cultural and may therefore result in evolutionary dynamics different from those of genetic evolution. Cavalli-Sforza and Feldman and Boyd and Richerson developed a quantitative theory for the cultural transmission and evolution of traits within populations. They sought principles that could explain observed levels of variation or estimated rates of change in cultural traits in a manner analogous to, but different from, those that have proven useful in evolutionary biology. Most models of social learning and cultural evolution have used deterministic approaches. These include models analogous to those of formal population genetics, nonspatial evolutionary game theory, reaction–diffusion systems that assume infinite populations, phylogenetic and cladistic methods, interacting particle systems, network-based models, and cultural demographic models. This article reviews deterministic approaches to cultural evolution and agent-based simulations of social learning strategies. The latter have become increasingly popular and useful as computers became faster and cheaper.
Relative influences of catchment‐ and reach‐scale abiotic factors on freshwater fish communities in rivers of northeastern Mesoamerica

While the abiotic factors important to freshwater fish assemblages at a reach scale are well understood, studies of larger scale constraints have yielded variable conclusions, spurring a need for further studies in new biogeographic contexts. This study investigated the importance of catchment- and reach-scale abiotic factors to variation in freshwater fish assemblages in rivers of northeastern Mesoamerica. Abiotic variables and fish data from 72 sampling sites on main stem rivers of Belize were used with partial constrained ordination to determine the proportion of spatially structured and unstructured variation in fish presence and absence, relative abundance, and community metrics explained by catchment- and reach-scale environmental factors. Results showed that, combined, catchment and reach variables explained a large portion of the total variation in the fish assemblage data (54-75%), and that catchment environment explained a greater portion of variation (42-63%) than reach environment (34-50%). Variables representing landscape position (local elevation, watershed area) and their reach-level correlates (channel width, depth variation, and substrate) correlated strongly to the fish assemblage data. Our results suggest that landscape-scale factors have a stronger relative influence on assemblages than environmental conditions at the reach scale within our study area. These results contrast with past findings that showed greater local scale influence in landscapes with low anthropogenic disturbance levels. Our findings suggest that biodiversity conservation efforts should consider assemblage variation across a longitudinal gradient, and that a multi-catchment region is a biologically relevant scale for fish conservation planning and coordination in northeastern Mesoamerica.
Some Insights into Near-Optimal Plans for Stochastic Manufacturing Systems

We present some insights obtained from the considerable research that has accumulated in proving that a hierarchical decomposition based on the frequencies of occurence of different types of events in the system results in near-optimal decisions as the rates of some events become large compared to those of others. In the simple context of dynamic two-machine flowshops, we observe a capacity loss phenomenon which must be accounted for in any construction of a near-optimal decision. We also show that a threshold-type control known as Kanban control is nearly optimal in some cases and not in others.
Molecular interactions of human Exo1 with DNA

Human Exo1 is a member of the RAD2 nuclease family with roles in replication, repair and recombination. Despite sharing significant amino acid sequence homology, the RAD2 proteins exhibit disparate nuclease properties and biological functions. In order to identify elements that dictate substrate selectivity within the RAD2 family, we sought to identify residues key to Exo1 nuclease activity and to characterize the molecular details of the human Exo1–DNA interaction. Site-specific mutagenesis studies demonstrate that amino acids D78, D173 and D225 are critical for Exo1 nuclease function. In addition, we show that the chemical nature of the 5′-terminus has a major impact on Exo1 nuclease efficiency, with a 5′-phosphate group stimulating degradation 10-fold and a 5′-biotin inhibiting degradation 10-fold (relative to a 5′-hydroxyl moiety). An abasic lesion located within a substrate DNA strand impedes Exo1 nucleolytic degradation, and a 5′-terminal abasic residue reduces nuclease efficiency 2-fold. Hydroxyl radical footprinting indicates that Exo1 binds predominantly along the minor groove of flap DNA, downstream of the junction. As will be discussed, our results favor the notion that the single-stranded DNA structure is pinched by the helical arch of the protein and not threaded through this key recognition loop. Furthermore, our studies indicate that significant, presumably biologically relevant, differences exist between the active site dynamics of Exo1 and Fen1.
Lyapunov Exponents and Invariant Manifolds for Random Dynamical Systems in a Banach Space

LYAPUNOV EXPONENTS AND INVARIANT MANIFOLD FOR RANDOM DYNAMICAL SYSTEMS IN A BANACH SPACE Zeng Lian Department of Mathematics Ph.D of Mathematics Abstract We study the Lyapunov exponents and their associated invariant subspaces for infinite dimensional random dynamical systems in a Banach space, which are generated by, for example, stochastic or random partial differential equations. We prove a multiplicative ergodic theorem. Then, we use this theorem to establish the stable and unstable manifold theorem for nonuniformly hyperbolic random invariant sets.We study the Lyapunov exponents and their associated invariant subspaces for infinite dimensional random dynamical systems in a Banach space, which are generated by, for example, stochastic or random partial differential equations. We prove a multiplicative ergodic theorem. Then, we use this theorem to establish the stable and unstable manifold theorem for nonuniformly hyperbolic random invariant sets.
1085 EFFECT OF PASSIVE IMMUNOPROPHYLAXIS ON THE OUTCOME OF EXPERIMENTALLY INDUCED INFECTION WITH RESPIRATORY SYNCYTIAL VIRUS (RSV)

Groups of two to three month old cotton rats seronegative for RSV antibody were administered rabbit anti-RSV serum with RSV antibody titer of 1:1024 as determined by neutralization test or RSV antibody negative normal rabbit serum, via intraperitoneal (IP), subcutaneous (SC) or intranasal (IN) routes. Twenty-four hours after the administration of serum, all animals were challenged IN with 2×105 PFU of Long strain live RSV and sacrificed four days later. Quantitation of RSV replication in the lungs and nasal turbinates was performed in HEp-2 cell cultures. High levels of RSV replication was observed in the lungs (103.5 PFU/gm of tissue) and nasal turbinates (102.5 PFU/gm of tissue) of rats that received normal rabbit serum. However, animals that were treated with rabbit RSV antibody-rich serum exhibited 100 to 1000 fold reduction in the titer of virus recovered. The protective effect observed was more significant in the lungs than in nasal turbinates, regardless of the route of administration of immuneserum. Furthermore, passive administration of RSV antibody was associated with attenuation of pulmonary histopathology, and no immune complexes were demonstrated in the lungs. These results suggest that high levels of passively administered RSV antibody at the mucosal site or in the peripheral circulation may limit the replication of the virus in respiratory tract and thus modify the outcome of subsequent respiratory disease.
Ab initio calculation of the phase stability, mechanical properties and electronic structure of ZrCr2 Laves phase compounds

Ab initio calculations have been used to investigate the phase stability, mechanical properties and electronic structure of ZrCr2 Laves phase compounds, based on the method of augmented plane waves plus local orbitals with the generalized gradient approximation. The calculated lattice constants for the C15, C36 and C14 structures are in good agreement with experimental values. The calculation of heats of formation showed that C15 is a ground-state phase, whereas C36 is an intermediate phase and C14 the high-temperature phase. The elastic constants and elastic moduli for the C15 structure were calculated systematically and compared with experiments and previous theoretical calculations. The intrinsic and extrinsic stacking fault energies are found to be 112 and 98 mJ m−2, respectively. The equilibrium separations between Schockley are also predicted using the calculated elastic moduli and stacking fault energies. Finally, the calculated electronic structures of these Laves phases are discussed based on the...
Export subsidies as an outcome of the management-labor conspiracy

A mercantilistic trade policy is often introduced as a tool to generate more jobs in some key industries. When employment in an export (import) industry is perceived to be low, the government would be tempted to adopt measures of export promotion (import protection) to increase it. By effectively guaranteeing employment, however, these policies would reduce incentives for the private sector to reach efficient labor contracts. For example, the labor union might refuse to sign a profit-sharing contract with management and unilaterally demand high wages, believing that the resulting loss in competitiveness would not affect the well-being of its members, since the government would protect the industry. It is also conceivable that management and the labor union conspire to reach inefficient contracts so as to invite government intervention. In certain cases trade policies only transfer income without any allocative effect. This is not merely a theoretical curiosum. Free trade advocates have often pointed out that protectionist policies would have deleterious effects on the pattern of collective bargaining in the trade-sensitive sectors.' This paper constructs simple models to illustrate this point for export subsidies, and so it can be viewed as an addition to the literature that aims to bring attention to the pitfalls of the new mercantilism, such as Eaton and Grossman [1986], Dixit and Grossman [1986], and Horstman and Markusen [1986]. Unlike these studies, however, the government policies considered here are reactive in the sense that the private sector moves first, anticipating the government's response. Dixit and Kyle [1985], Carmichael
Optimization of angular resolution for air Cherenkov detector arrays for observations of EeV/ZeV cosmic rays

Abstract A recently proposed detector for extremely high energy cosmic rays might exploit the unique properties of air Cherenkov light to optically observe cosmic rays during night, twilight, and possibly during the daytime. We present a method that can be used to accurately reconstruct the direction of the primary cosmic ray. An optimization of the detector station design has been performed via Monte Carlo simulation to maximize angular resolution and minimize cost. Results indicate a configuration consisting of five panels yeidls the best response. These panels are oriented with one panel pointing directly at zenith, while the other four panels are tilted at 60° with respect to the zenith and spaced equally in azimuth. Using this panel configuration we find the original primary shower direction can be reconstructed to an accuracy of 0.3–3°, depending upon the zenith angle of the primary cosmic ray, and the ambient sky background noise. This angular reconstruction accuracy is similar to or better than the traditional angular reconstruction provided by examining the arrival times of charged particles in the extensive air showers.
On the disribution of residuals form fitted parametric models

Results of a simulation study of the fit of data to an estimated parametric model are reported. Three particular models including the two-parameter normal and exponential distributions, and the simple linear regression model are considered. A number of scaled versions of the least squares residuals from the regression model and quantities that we call residuals from the other two models arc seen follow the parent distribution form loo well. i.e., to be supernormal and superexponential. A point of particular interest is that this tendency does not appear to decrease with increasing sample size, at least for the sample sizes considered here.
Tunable optical coupling in regular arrays of gold and silver nanoparticles

We report far-field optical extinction spectra of linear chains of gold and silver nanocylinders with interparticle separations close to the particles' surface plasmon resonance (SPR) wavelength. The spectra reveal a typical pattern of dipole-like and quadrupole SPR peaks and additional non-SPR peaks. We rationalize the extra peaks by constructive interference of the scattered and incident electromagnetic fields.
Thinking in Pictures as a cognitive account of autism.

We analyze the hypothesis that some individuals on the autism spectrum may use visual mental representations and processes to perform certain tasks that typically developing individuals perform verbally. We present a framework for interpreting empirical evidence related to this “Thinking in Pictures” hypothesis and then provide comprehensive reviews of data from several different cognitive tasks, including the n-back task, serial recall, dual task studies, Raven’s Progressive Matrices, semantic processing, false belief tasks, visual search, spatial recall, and visual recall. We also discuss the relationships between the Thinking in Pictures hypothesis and other cognitive theories of autism including Mindblindness, Executive Dysfunction, Weak Central Coherence, and Enhanced Perceptual Functioning.
A method to separate spatially the temporal sequence of axon-Schwann cell interaction during nerve regeneration

This paper describes a surgical method of manipulating feline peripheral nerve regeneration to separate spatially the temporal sequence of events of axon-Schwann cell interaction during nerve fibre formation. The method allows regenerating axons from the peroneal nerve to reinnervate the distal stump of an axon- and myelin-free, Schwann cell-enriched, chronically denervated tibial nerve distal stump. Three zones can be morphologically delineated in the tibial nerve stump after three weeks of reinnervation: (1) a proximalmyelinated zone, (2) a more distal, non-myelinated, axon-Schwann cellcontact zone, and (3) a distal axon-free Schwann cellnon-contact zone. The distal limit of the second zone can be determined accurately by the front of an axonally transported label.
Validity of the PAI Interpersonal Scales for Measuring the Dimensions of the Interpersonal Circumplex

Two studies evaluated the validity of the interpersonal scales, Dominance (DOM) and Warmth (WRM), from the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI; Morey, 1991, 2007) to measure the 2 dimensions of the interpersonal circumplex (IPC). In Study 1, 114 college freshmen completed the PAI and the Interpersonal Adjectives Scale (IAS; Wiggins, 1995). In Study 2, 170 college students completed the PAI and the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems-Short Circumplex (IIP-SC; Soldz, Budman, Demby, & Merry, 1995). The results of both studies supported the convergent validity of DOM and WRM, although discriminant validity was stronger using the IIP-SC as the criterion. Circumplex projections placed DOM and WRM in the appropriate segments of both the IAS and IIP-SC. These findings provide additional support for the validity of the PAI interpersonal scales as measures of the primary dimensions of the IPC.
Stabilization of Soybean Oil Bodies Using Protective Pectin Coatings Formed by Electrostatic Deposition

Soybeans contain oil bodies that are naturally coated by a layer of phospholipids and proteins. In nature, this coating protects the oil bodies from environmental stresses and could be utilized by food manufacturers for the same purpose. However, natural oil bodies are physically unstable to aggregation because of the relatively weak electrostatic repulsion between them, which limits their application in many foods. In this study, oil bodies were extracted from soybean using an aqueous extraction method and then coated by a pectin layer using electrostatic deposition. The influence of NaCl (0–500 mM), pH (2–8), and freeze–thaw cycling (−20 °C, 22 h/40 °C, 2 h) on the properties and stability of the oil bodies coated by the pectin layer was analyzed using ζ-potential, particle size, and creaming stability measurements. These results suggest that pectin-coated oil bodies have similar or improved stability compared to uncoated oil bodies and may provide a new way of creating functional soy products for use i...
Depressive Disorders: Treatment with Nonpharmacological Alternatives

The purpose of this article is to provide a review of current social psychology theories explaining depressive disorders and to describe selected nonpharmacological approaches that may be useful in...
Reynolds number effects on supersonic asymmetrical flows over a cone

The supersonic viscous flow over a 5-deg half-angle cone at an angle of attack of four times the cone halfangle is studied computationally using both the conical and the three-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations. The numerical solutions were obtained with an implicit, upwind-biased algorithm. Asymmetrical flowfields of the absolute-instability type are found using the conical-flow equations which agree with published results. However, the absolute instabilities of the originally symmetric flow found with the conical equations do not occur in the three-dimensional simulations, although spurious asymmetric three-dimensional flows for symmetric bodies arise if the grid resolution is insufficient in the nose region. The asymmetric flows computed with the threedimensional equations are convective instabilities and are possible if the local Reynolds number exceeds a critical value and a fixed geometric asymmetry is imposed. A continuous range of asymmetries can be developed, depending on the size of the disturbance and the Reynolds number. As the Reynolds number is increased, the asymmetries demonstrate a bistable behavior at levels of side force consistent with those predicted using the conical equations. Below a certain critical Reynolds number, any flow asymmetries arising from a geometrical asymmetry are damped with increasing distance downstream from the geometrical asymmetry.