cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Plate tectonics and offshore boundary delimitation: Tunisia-Libya case at the International Court of Justice

Advances in the technology for exploiting resources of the oceans, particularly recovery of hydrocarbons and minerals in deep water, is benefiting a growing number of nations. At the End_Page 551------------------------------ same time, however, economic and political pressures have induced concern and there is now a much increased emphasis on jurisdiction to divide the offshore areas between the 132 coastal nations. Negotiations affect research operations at sea and, in consequence, marine scientists have been made aware of offshore problems as highlighted by the Law of the Sea Treaty (UNCLOS III) and complications arising from the legal versus scientific definitions of continental shelves and margins. Most scientists, however, are not familiar with juridical considerations in the delimitations of offshore state boundaries. As to prevailing trends, many jurists contend that existing state practice and decisional law pertaining to maritime delimitation problems are presently adequate to provide a legal framework for negotiation and third-party adjudications. It also has been suggested that in delimiting maritime boundaries primacy must be accorded to geographic factors, and that support be given to the equidistance-proportionality method as a means of giving effect to geographic factors. But what about geology? The first major offshore boundary case of international scope where plate tectonics has constituted a significant argument is the one recently brought before the International Court of Justice by Libya and Tunisia concerning the delimitation of their continental shelves. Of the two parties, Libya placed the greatest emphasis on this concept as a means to determine natural prolongation of its land territory into and under the sea. Tunisia contested Libya's use of the whole of the African continental landmass as a reference unit; in Tunisia's view, considerations of geography, geomorphology, and bathymetry are at least as relevant as are those of geology. In its landmark judgement (February 1982)--which almost certainly will have far-reaching consequences in future such boundary delimit tion cases--the court pronounced that "It is the outcome, not the evolution in the long-distant past, which is of importance," and that it is the present-day configuration of the coasts and sea bed which are the main factors to be considered, not geology. End_of_Article - Last_Page 552------------
13C nuclear magnetic resonance in graphite intercalation compounds

The C-13 NMR chemical shifts of graphite intercalation compounds have been calculated. For acceptor types, the shifts come mainly from the paramagnetic (Ramsey) intra-atomic terms. They are related to the gross features of the two-dimensional band structures. The calculated anisotropy is about - 140 ppm and is independent of the finer details such as charge transfer. For donor types, the carbon 2p pi orbitals are spin-polarized because of mixing with metal-conduction electrons, thus there is an additional dipolar contribution which may be correlated with the electronic specific heat. The general agreement with experimental data is satisfactory.
Perinatal Nitric Oxide Synthase Inhibition Retards Neonatal Growth by Inducing Hypertrophic Pyloric Stenosis in Rats

Administration of the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor, NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) during pregnancy has been shown to compromise fetal growth. This study was designed to determine whether aminoguanidine, a predominate inhibitor of inducible NOS, affects fetal outcome. In addition, we extended the prenatal administration of L-NAME into the postnatal period (14 d) to determine whether neonatal growth and maturation were also affected. L-NAME, but not aminoguanidine, compromises fetal and placental growth. When compared with control 14-d-old pups, postnatal L-NAME compromised neonatal growth, whether it was given directly (intraperitoneally) (39.7 +/- 1.1 versus 24.1 +/- 1.0 g) or indirectly (38.6 +/- 0.5 versus 22.2 +/- 1.2 g) via maternal breast milk. Neonatal growth retardation was asymmetric, with brain sparing, suggesting a nutritional origin. L-NAME administration resulted in growth retardation that extended into adulthood, without evidence of catch-up growth. Treated neonates displayed the hallmarks of hypertrophic pyloric stenosis. Significant increases in stomach weight/pup weight (9.9 +/- 0.3 versus 8.2 +/- 0.4 x 10(3)) and stomach volume/pup weight (12.0 +/- 0.6 versus 9.4 +/- 0.6 mL/100 g) with a concomitant decrease in small intestine weight/length (2.10 +/- 0.08 versus 3.18 +/- 0.13 g/100 cm) was noted in treated versus control pups (p < 0.05). Muscularis hypertrophy at the pyloric sphincter in the L-NAME-treated pups was noted by histology. Blood pressure was elevated in the L-NAME-treated pups (93 +/- 6 versus 60 +/- 5 mm Hg in control pups, p < 0.05). These findings are consistent with inhibition of neuronal and endothelial NOS activity. We conclude that NO, formed via the constitutive isoforms of NOS, is a critical determinant of fetal and neonatal growth and maturation.
PARANORMAL SHORT INVENTORY

A short, 13–item supernatural belief scale was created from an established longer version. The new scale showed good reliability. Validation was provided with a correlation of .86 with an independe...
Mechanical Behavior of Filament-Wound Composite Tubes.

Abstract : The main component of a lightweight missile launcher is a cylindrical tube which is formed by a helical winding of glass filaments embedded in epoxy resin. In service, the tube is subjected to extreme internal pressure. Consequently, knowledge concerning the mechanisms of failure under pressure is vital to the analysis and design of these tubes. This report identifies the mechanisms of failure and offers appropriate methods to compute the ultimate pressure. (Author)
A Comparison by QSAR, Crystallography, and Computer Graphics of the Inhibition of Various Dihydrofolate Reductases by 5‐(X‐Benzyl)‐2,4‐diamino‐pyrimidines

The QSAR for forty 2,4-diamino-5-(X-benzyl)-pyrimidines inhibiting human lymphoblastoid dihydrofolate reductase is reported and compared with the QSAR for inhibition of dihydrofolate reductase from E. coli, L. casei, chicken, and bovine liver sources by the same inhibitors. A preliminary attempt to integrate the experimental QSAR results with the three-dimensional X-ray structures of E. coli and chicken dihydrofolate reductase, using interactive computer three-dimensional color graphics molecular modeling methods, is described.
Thinking beyond sickling to better understand pain in sickle cell disease

Painful vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs) are the hallmark of sickle cell disease (SCD); however, many patients experience frequent daily pain that does not follow the pattern of typical VOCs. This pain of variable severity, also referred as persistent pain in the SCD literature, contributes to significant morbidity and poor quality of life and often fails to respond adequately to standard SCD therapies. In this article, we briefly describe types of pain encountered in SCD with a special emphasis on persistent pain. We discuss altered pain processing as a potential contributing mechanism, which may lead to development and maintenance of persistent pain. We describe the advances in the non-SCD pain field that may help improve the understanding of SCD pain. We highlight the need for further investigation in this area because some of these patients with persistent pain may benefit from receiving adjuvant mechanism-based therapies used successfully in other non-SCD chronic pain conditions.
Economic and Sociological Approaches to Professionalism

Comparing sociological and economic approaches to professionalism yields some insights into a more general theory of the origins and consequences of professionalism. In both sociology and economics, a similar debate distinguishes two competing theoretical approaches. The free market approach in economics is analogous to the power theory in sociology, and the free market approach contributes to explaining which occupations are successful in the political movement accompanying professionalization and to specifying the economic costs of professionalism. Analogous to the structural-functional approach in sociology is the “market failure” perspective in economics, which is rooted in the recognition that some services are delivered under conditions of informational asymmetry between producer and consumer. A general theory of professionalism in sociology should incorporate both the structural-functional and power approaches and should be informed by findings from economics.
Site-specific inactivation of the photophosphorylation reactions of Anabaena variabilis

Abstract The photophosphorylation activities of chlorophyll-containing particles from Anabaena variabilis reflect the method of cell disruption. Lysozyme treatment followed by osmotic shock and differential centrifugation yields particle preparations active in both stoichiometric and cyclic phosphorylation. Sonic or mechanical disruption of the cells in 0.4 M sucrose gives particle preparations which are active only in cyclic phosphorylation. Further sonication of these particles in absence of sucrose removes protein essential for cyclic phosphorylation. Cyclic phosphorylation activity can be restored to the depleted particles by readdition of the extracted protein. The depleted particles can catalyze the light-dependent transfer of electrons from reduced indophenol dye to NADP + only when supplemented with either plastocyanin or cytochrome C 554 , and the protein required for cyclic photophosphorylation has no effect on this activity. Conversely, plastocyanin and cytochrome C 554 have no effect on the restoration of cyclic photophosphorylation.
Optimization of Droplet Generation by Controlling PDMS Surface Hydrophobicity

This paper presents an optimized method for droplet generation in PDMS microchannels. With controllable PDMS surface hydrophobicity and hydrophobicity recovery, alternative component droplets can be generated as anticipated. Different surface hydrophobicity results in different droplet generation patterns. Monodispersed water-in-oil and oil-in-water droplets are generated from hydrophilic and hydrophobic surface respectively. Nearly hydrophilic surface (30°<θ<50°) results in long-tailed droplets and less hydrophilic surface (70°<θ<80°) results in stream mixing. Discussion of methods to loss and recovery hydrophobicity of PDMS also included.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Farm Crisis and Suicide: Dying on the Vine?.

The relationship between the farm economic crisis and farmer suicide rates was examined using data from fifteen states in the United States from 1980 to 1985. Suicide frequencies for farmers and two control occupations (forestry and transportation workers) were obtained, and the 1980 U.S. Census occupational population data were used to convert these frequencies into suicide rates. Suicide rates for farmers were found to be greater than rates for transportation workers (truck drivers), but no different from rates for forestry workers. A significant positive correlation between the “declining farm economy” and “increasing state suicide rates” was also found.
Social Dimensions of Genetic Disorders

Each of us carries between 4-8 recessive genes for serious genetic defects, and, hence, stands a statistical chance of passing on a serious or lethal condition to each child… 12 million Americans carry true genetic disease due wholly or partly to defective genes or chromosomes…40 percent or more of all infant mortality results from genetic factors…4.8 to 5 percent of all live births have genetic defects. (U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. "What are the Facts About Genetic Disease?" National Inst. of Gen. Med. Scs., P.H.S., N.I.H. DHEW Pub. No. (NIH), 75-370, 1975.)
Causes and control of spinal cord injury in automotive crashes

This paper provides a history of automotive safety and a review of biomedical research on human tolerance and occupant protection. It discusses current understanding of body kinematics and impact biomechanics that result in neck injury. Perspective is given on the linkage between mechanical forces that are the cause and physiologic disruptions that are the consequence of spinal cord injury. The public health aspects of injury and disability are discussed as well as the need for injury prevention.
Dynamic patterns of gene expression in the developing pronephros of Xenopus laevis.

Data from gene ablation studies in mice have indicated critical roles for Lim-1, Wnt4, WT-1, and Pax-2 in the coordination and execution of kidney patterning and differentiation. However, the precise roles of these molecules, their ordering within a genetic hierarchy, and the manner in which they contribute to establishing the fates of cells of each of the components of the nephron have yet to be elucidated in any system. In this report, the temporal and spatial expression patterns of these genes within the Xenopus pronephric system were examined in detail by single- and double-probe in situ hybridization. We describe restrictions of these gene expression patterns within the pronephros which indicate a model for the partitioning of the common pronephric anlage into its three component parts — the tubules, the glomus, and the duct. Dev. Genet. 24:199–207, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Energy and Power Requirements of the Global Thermosphere During the Magnetic Storm of November 10, 2004

Abstract : We used Poynting fluxes and densities rho to investigate the stormtime thermosphere on November 10, 2004. Thermospheric energy E(sub th), which is derived from rho, consists of two sources, solar ultraviolet radiation (E(sub rh uv)) and the solar wind (E(sub th sw)). Responses of E(sub th) to interplanetary driving suggest that the thermosphere can be described by the equation dE(sub th sw/dt = alpha epsilon - (E(sub th sw/tau)), where epsilon (sub vs( represents the electric field; alpha and Tau are constants. We show that: (1) E(sub th sw) is three times the ring-current energy; (2) alpha epsilon is comparable with model predictions; (3) signatures of equatorward propagating disturbances were detected in neutral density profiles.
Spiral hexatrienes. The hindered cis isomer of mini-carotene-3 and hexakis-(2,2′,4,4′,6,6′-trifluoromethyl)stilbene

Abstract Steric crowding in the cis isomer of “Mini-3”, a chain shortened triene analog of β-carotene, and hexakis-(2,2′,4,4′,6,6′-trifluoromethyl)stilbene forces the polyene chromophores to adopt a spiral conformation. Some of the associated unusual spectroscopic properties (UV-VIS and NMR) of these compounds and a rare 1,7-H shift process are described.
OXYGEN RELATIONS OF THE ROOT NODULES OF ALNUS RUBRA BONG.

Summary The acetylene reducing activity of Alnus rubra nodules is maximal in 15 to 30% oxygen. Within the nodule, the large number and size of many of the intercellular spaces between the uninfected cells in the outer cortex facilitates the diffusion of air through the lenticeb to the infected cells in the mid-cortex. Access of air to the infected cells, which are arranged in longitudinal bundles separated by one or more lines of starch-containing uninfected cells and which run at an angle away from the stele towards the nodule apex, is restricted by the reduced number and size of air spaces in this region. The cytoplasm of the infected cells shows high activity of peroxidase and o-diphenol oxidase, but the lack of correlation between the activity of these enzymes and nitrogenase activity suggests that they are not involved in the control of access of oxygen to the endophyte. It is suggested that one role of nodule peroxidase is the ignification of the infected cells associated with cellular senescence.
A coiled-coil mimetic intercepts BCR-ABL1 dimerization in native and kinase-mutant chronic myeloid leukemia.

Targeted therapy of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is currently based on small-molecule inhibitors that directly bind the tyrosine kinase domain of BCR-ABL1. This strategy has generally been successful, but is subject to drug resistance because of point mutations in the kinase domain. Kinase activity requires transactivation of BCR-ABL1 following an oligomerization event, which is mediated by the coiled-coil (CC) domain at the N terminus of the protein. Here, we describe a rationally engineered mutant version of the CC domain, called CCmut3, which interferes with BCR-ABL1 oligomerization and promotes apoptosis in BCR-ABL1-expressing cells, regardless of kinase domain mutation status. CCmut3 exhibits strong proapoptotic and antiproliferative activity in cell lines expressing native BCR-ABL1, single kinase domain mutant BCR-ABL1 (E255V and T315I) or compound-mutant BCR-ABL1 (E255V/T315I). Moreover, CCmut3 inhibits colony formation by primary CML CD34+ cells ex vivo, including a sample expressing the T315I mutant. These data suggest that targeting BCR-ABL1 with CC mutants may provide a novel alternative strategy for treating patients with resistance to current targeted therapies.
Comparison of the antiepileptic properties of transmeningeally delivered muscimol, lidocaine, midazolam, pentobarbital and GABA, in rats

This study compared the potencies of epidurally delivered muscimol, lidocaine, midazolam, pentobarbital and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) to prevent focal neocortical seizures induced by locally applied acetylcholine (Ach), in rats (n=5). An epidural cup was chronically implanted over the right somatosensory cortex in each animal, with epidural EEG electrodes placed posterior to the edge of the cup. After recovery, either artificial cerebrospinal fluid (ACSF; control solution) or one of the five drugs was delivered into epidural cup, followed by Ach administration into the cup to induce seizures. EEG seizure duration ratio was calculated for each drug delivery/seizure induction session to determine the potency of ACSF and the drugs to prevent the focal Ach-seizures. The concentration of all examined drug solutions was 1.0mM. ACSF, lidocaine, midazolam, pentobarbital and GABA all failed to prevent the Ach-induced neocortical EEG seizures, yielding EEG seizure duration ratios ranging from 0.41 to 0.80. In contrast, muscimol pretreatment fully prevented the development of ictal EEG in all animals. These results suggest that when used at low concentration muscimol was the best of the five drugs for transmeningeal pharmacotherapy trials for focal neocortical epilepsy.
Effects of breeder age and dietary fat on subsequent broiler performance. 2. Slaughter yield

The effects of breeder age (35, 51, and 63 wk) and added dietary fat on subsequent broiler slaughter yield were evaluated. Beginning at 22 wk of age, diets included 0, 1.5, or 3.0% added poultry fat (PF), 1.5 or 3.0% added corn oil (CO), or 3.0% added lard (LA). Slaughter yields were greatest in broilers from 63-wk-old breeders. Added CO in broiler breeder diets significantly increased subsequent 43-d live BW and chilled carcass yields compared to LA. Furthermore, CO diets significantly increased relative front-half yields compared to PF diets; and compared to the 3.0% fat level, 1.5% added fat significantly increased 43-d live BW, regardless of fat type. In conclusion, breeder age influenced broiler slaughter yield, and fat added at the 1.5% level to breeder hen diets was an effective energy source. However, less saturated fat improved subsequent slaughter yield.
Dianion-Based Methodology for the Preparation of 2,3-Disubstitutrd Butyrolactones

Abstract Unsymmetricai coupling utilizing the reaction of acylsulfonamide dianions with alpha-iodocarboxylate salts followed by a sequence consisting of selective reduction of the carboxylic acid group, hydrolysis of the acylsulfonamide, and spontaneous ring closure affords 2,3-disubstituted butyrolactones.
In utero detection of cardiac failure from an aneurysm of the vein of Galen

The detection of a vein of Galen aneurysm in a hydrocephalic fetus is presented. The differential diagnosis for the midline cystic structure was made on the basis of the presence of high-velocity flow on Doppler ultrasonographic examination.
Expression and distribution of tuberoinfundibular peptide of 39 residues in the rat central nervous system

Tuberoinfundibular peptide of 39 residues (TIP39) has been recently purified and identified as a selective ligand for the parathyroid hormone 2 receptor. As a next step toward understanding its functions, we report the expression and distribution of TIP39 in the rat central nervous system. In situ hybridization histochemistry and immunocytochemistry revealed TIP39-containing cell bodies in three distinct areas. The major one comprises the subparafascicular area posterior through the intralaminar nucleus of the thalamus; a second is the medial paralemniscal nucleus at the pontomesencephalic junction; and a third is in the dorsal and dorsolateral hypothalamic areas, which contained a few, scattered cell bodies. We found, in contrast to the highly restricted localization of TIP39-containing cell bodies, a much more widespread localization of TIP39-containing fibers. The highest density of fibers was observed in limbic areas such as the septum, the amygdala, and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis; in areas involved in endocrine regulation, such as the hypothalamic dorsomedial, paraventricular, periventricular, and arcuate nuclei; in auditory areas, such as the ectorhinal and temporal cortices, inferior colliculus, medial geniculate body, and some of the nuclei of the superior olivary complex; and in the dorsolateral funiculus of the spinal cord. The localization of TIP39-containing nuclei and fibers provides an anatomical basis for previously demonstrated endocrine and nociceptive effects of TIP39 and suggests additional functions for TIP39, one apparent candidate being the regulation of auditory information processing.
Dual marking and kinship terms in Afitti

Afitti is part of the Eastern Sudanic branch of the Nilo-Saharan language family. It features dual and plural forms as part of its kinship terminology that have not been attested elsewhere in the language family. Kinship terminology in which possessive pronouns have merged with kinship terms is also known for a series of Eastern Sudanic languages. Nyimang, Afitti’s closest linguistic neighbor, features a dual form but it is limited to its verbal system. The dual in Nyimang supports the suggestion that Afitti’s kinship terminology with a dual form has a historical basis, since a regional influence of the Arabic system of duals can be largely ruled out. Morphological data on Afitti should further the analysis of its kinship terms in future studies.
Prickly pear farming in the Santa Clara Valley, California

One of the more exotic fruit crops in which the Santa Clara Valley leads the nation in production, but one which has received only minor academic attention in recent years,3 is prickly pears, the fruit of Opuntia. There are at present approximately 215 acres of prickly pears (Opuntia ficus-indica) under cultivation in the valley, which embraces the southern extension of the San Francisco Bay, nestled between the southeast trending Coast Ranges, with the Diablo Range on the east, and the Santa Cruz Mountains on the west. Within the valley, there are three commercial plantings of prickly pears. The largest planting, totaling about 160 acres, is located five miles west of the town of Gilroy and has been in full commercial production since 1965. The second and third plantings, located on the east foothills of San Jose, total just under 55 acres combined and have been in production only since 1971. Owing to the historic trend of ever increasing land values in the region, these three sites represent but the current expression in a series of systematic relocations within the valley. The relocation process has involved the movement of plantings from their initial central location within the major urban node of San Jose to more distant, marginal locations in the valley; a process indicative of the overall agricultural picture. The Gilroy plantings are owned and operated by D'Arrigo Brothers of California, who purchased the plantings in 1968 from the Sal
Stabilization of nondiscoid columnar liquid crystals : Studies of unsymmetrical copper bis-β-diketonates

A series of copper(bis-β-diketonate) complexes are reported which display columnar liquid-crystal phases with a hexagonal disordered structure (Dhd). The complexes do not have the disc-shape characteristic of most Dhd materials, but produce a disc shape by forming dimers with 90o rotations between nearest neighbors. In the liquid-crystalline state this dimerized nature produces short-range rotational correlations. Three side-chain copper bis-β-diketonates with a single phenyl substituent, 2, are not liquid crystalline, and it was found that an extension of the mesogenic core is necessary to introduce liquid crystallinity. The simple phenyl analogues, 3a, are monotropic, and the addition of electron-withdrawing substituents to the phenyl moiety, 3b−d, results in a stabilization of the mesophase. These substituents produce favorable dipolar interactions which stabilize the mesophase. Consistent with this explanation, electron-donating substituents are not effective at stabilizing the mesophase. Substitution...
Co-occurring Psychiatric and Substance Dependence Disorders as Predictors of Parolee Time to Rearrest

An estimated 500,000-plus people are on parole each year, many with serious co-occurring psychiatric and substance use disorders. Using cross sectional, self-report data this study examined the relationships between parolee time to rearrest, serious mental illnesses, and substance dependency (n = 1,121). Regression analyses indicated that after controlling for demographic and criminal justice variables, parolees with serious psychiatric and substance dependence disorders were rearrested faster than nondually diagnosed parolees (p < .05). An explanation is that compared with parolees without dual diagnoses, parole violations by dually diagnosed parolees are detected and punished more quickly because of closer parole supervision.
CFTR is a monomer: Biochemical and functional evidence

Although the CFTR protein alone is sufficient to generate a regulated chloride channel, it is unknown how many of the polypeptides form the channel. Using biochemical and functional assays, we demonstrate that the CFTR polypeptide is a monomer. CFTR sediments as a monomer in a linear, continuous sucrose gradient. Cells co-expressing different epitope-tagged CFTR provide no evidence of co-assembly in immunoprecipitation and nickel affinity binding experiments. Co-expressed wild-type and DF508 CFTR are without influence on each other in their ability to progress through the secretory pathway, suggesting they do not associate in the endoplasmic reticulum. No hybrid conducting single channels are seen in planar lipid bilayers with which membrane vesicles from cells co-expressing similar amounts of two different CFTR conduction species have been fused.
Medieval Sicily and Southern Italy in Recent Historiographical Perspective

Sicily and southern Italy during the Middle Ages have been a neglected area of study for many years, primarily due to the general belief that the area fell into decline after the ‘fall’ of Rome. Recently, however, there has been growing interest in the Muslims of medieval Sicily and Italy, as well as the Jewish and Greek populations that lived under Latin Christian rule for many centuries. There has also been a rise in scholarship on the medieval Mediterranean region as a whole, which has caused a re-evaluation not only of the role and importance of the Mediterranean world, but also of how the medieval European system worked, how Latin Christendom related to the Muslim states on its southern borders, and what roles Muslim cultures and settlements played in the development of Italy’s society.
Complete basis set, gaussian and density functional theory study of molecular aggregates of beryllium hydride and boron hydride as a chain terminated in the polymerization of beryllium hydride

Abstract High levels of ab initio and density functional theory studies were performed on the structural isomers of beryllium hydride and beryllium–boron hydride clusters. The suitability of the hybrid density functional theory methods for computational studies of these and similar molecular clusters were discussed. The physical properties of beryllium chloride and beryllium hydride were computed with the target being to elucidate their capability to form molecular associates. Because polymerization of beryllium hydride is energetically favorable, several ways of generating beryllium hydride and its polymerization were explored. For instance, in the case of the BeH2 insertion reaction into B2H6, the reaction appears to have a favorable energy profile that can be controlled, but the formation of the linear isomer is still preferable. Structural patterns in various sizes of these clusters, as well as their energies are discussed.
Phylogenetic placement of the Tasmanian spider Acrobleps hygrophilus (Araneae, Anapidae) with comments on the evolution of the capture web in Araneoidea

This paper studies the family-level phylogenetic placement of the conflicting Tasmanian spider genus Acrobleps using both morphological and behavioral data. We also provide a formal taxonomic revision of Acrobleps, including information on its web architecture and natural history, as well as detailed morphological information for A. hygrophilus, its only species. Acrobleps hygrophilus lacks the typical mysmenid features. Furthermore A. hygrophilus does have all typical and diagnostic characteristics of Anapidae, except for the labral spur. We also discuss two noteworthy morphological features of Acrobleps: the pore bearing depressions of the carapace and the granulated cuticle of the spinnerets. Variation in the latter feature might provide a useful phylogenetic character. Based on the results of cladistic analyses we propose the transfer of Acrobleps from the Mysmenidae to its original placement within the Anapidae. We also propose a new lineage, informally labeled as the “clawless female clade”, which includes synaphrids, cyatholipids and “symphytognathoids.” The secondary absence of the female palpal claw provides support for the “clawless female clade.” We discuss the evolution of the orb web within anapids and other symphytognathoids based on the results of our cladistic analyses. The identical bi-dimensional webs of the anapid Elanapis and of symphytognathids have evolved independently. Finally, we comment on the implications of one of our analyses regarding araneoid web evolution. We conclude that the taxon sample included in the previous orbicularian data matrix (modified and used in this study) is adequate to test the phylogenetic placement of Acrobleps in Anapidae but insufficient to significantly assess web evolution within Araneoidea. © The Willi Hennig Society 2007.
Generalized ensemble techniques and protein folding simulations

Recent years have seen an increased interest in the physics of protein folding. Presenting recent results we demonstrate that the thermodynamics of folding can be studied even for all-atom protein models, when modern simulation techniques such as the generalized-ensemble approach are employed.
Spectroscopy: present achievement and future prospects

The papers at this Meeting have presented a broad perspective of spectroscopy, from the long traditions to the exciting present. Spectroscopy is a fascinating combination of very old and very new science. We still follow Newton in using prisms and Fraunhofer in using gratings. Nevertheless, as David D. Burgess said in Nature recently, spectroscopy has changed technically in the last 15 years more than at any time since Newton. In his words, it now almost constitutes a completely new subject. To a considerable extent, the change in optical spectroscopy has been triggered by the availability of tunable lasers. But spectroscopy did not begin with lasers, nor does it end there. Interference spectrographs, most especially those using Fourier transform methods, are powerful complements to the laser methods. It is intriguing to think of what might be accomplished by combining a laser and a Fourier transform spectrograph, for instance in polarization labelling, to simplify complex spectra. Even in laser spectroscopy, many investigations require the utmost sensitivity in collecting light. There is much to be learned in that regard from the elegant techniques developed for astronomical spectroscopy.
Current peptidomics: Applications, purification, identification, quantification, and functional analysis

Peptidomics is an emerging field branching from proteomics that targets endogenously produced protein fragments. Endogenous peptides are often functional within the body—and can be both beneficial and detrimental. This review covers the use of peptidomics in understanding digestion, and identifying functional peptides and biomarkers. Various techniques for peptide and glycopeptide extraction, both at analytical and preparative scales, and available options for peptide detection with MS are discussed. Current algorithms for peptide sequence determination, and both analytical and computational techniques for quantification are compared. Techniques for statistical analysis, sequence mapping, enzyme prediction, and peptide function, and structure prediction are explored.
Comparison of State Certification and Professional Association Personnel Standards in Early Childhood Special Education.

An item-by-item comparison of states’ certification standards and/or competencies for Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) with those of national professional association standards (i.e., Counc...
An institutional approach to cross-national distance

Cross-national distance is a key concept in the field of management. Previous research has conceptualized and measured cross-national differences mostly in terms of dyadic cultural distance, and has used the Euclidean approach to measuring it. In contrast, our goal is to disaggregate the construct of distance by proposing a set of multidimensional measures, including economic, financial, political, administrative, cultural, demographic, knowledge, and global connectedness as well as geographic distance. We ground our analysis and choice of empirical dimensions on institutional theories of national business, governance, and innovation systems. In order to overcome the methodological limitations of the Euclidean approach, we calculate dyadic distances using the Mahalanobis method, which is scale-invariant and takes into consideration the variance–covariance matrix. We empirically analyze four different foreign expansion choices of US companies to illustrate the importance of disaggregating the distance construct and the usefulness of our distance calculations, which we make freely available to managers and scholars.
Implementation and Evolution of Packet Striping for Media Streaming Over Multiple Burst-Loss Channels

Modern mobile devices are multi-homed with WLAN and WWAN communication interfaces. In a community of nodes with such multi-homed devices?locally inter-connected via high-speed WLAN but each globally connected to larger networks via low-speed WWAN, striping high-volume traffic from remote large networks over a bundle of low speed WWAN links can overcome the bandwidth mismatch problem between WLAN and WWAN. In our previous work, we showed that a packet striping system for such multi-homed device ?? a mapping of delay-sensitive packets by an intermediate gateway to multiple channels using combination of retransmissions (ARQ) and forward error corrections (FEC) ?? can dramatically enhance the overall performance. In this paper, we improve upon a previous algorithm in two respects. First, by introducing two-tier dynamic programming tables to memoize computed solutions, packet striping decisions translate to simple table lookup operations given stationary network statistics. Doing so drastically reduces striping operation complexity. Second, new weighting functions are introduced into the hybrid ARQ/FEC algorithm to drive the long-term striping system evolution away from pathological local minima that are far from the global optimum. Results show the new algorithm performs efficiently and gives improved performance by avoiding local minima compared to the previous algorithm.
Parallel evolution of transcriptome architecture during genome reorganization

Assembly of genes into operons is generally viewed as an important process during the continual adaptation of microbes to changing environmental challenges. However, the genome reorganization events that drive this process are also the roots of instability for existing operons. We have determined that there exists a statistically significant trend that correlates the proportion of genes encoded in operons in archaea to their phylogenetic lineage. We have further characterized how microbes deal with operon instability by mapping and comparing transcriptome architectures of four phylogenetically diverse extremophiles that span the range of operon stabilities observed across archaeal lineages: a photoheterotrophic halophile (Halobacterium salinarum NRC-1), a hydrogenotrophic methanogen (Methanococcus maripaludis S2), an acidophilic and aerobic thermophile (Sulfolobus solfataricus P2), and an anaerobic hyperthermophile (Pyrococcus furiosus DSM 3638). We demonstrate how the evolution of transcriptional elements (promoters and terminators) generates new operons, restores the coordinated regulation of translocated, inverted, and newly acquired genes, and introduces completely novel regulation for even some of the most conserved operonic genes such as those encoding subunits of the ribosome. The inverse correlation (r = –0.92) between the proportion of operons with such internally located transcriptional elements and the fraction of conserved operons in each of the four archaea reveals an unprecedented view into varying stages of operon evolution. Importantly, our integrated analysis has revealed that organisms adapted to higher growth temperatures have lower tolerance for genome reorganization events that disrupt operon structures.
Lower reinforcing strength of the phenyltropane cocaine analogs RTI-336 and RTI-177 compared to cocaine in nonhuman primates

Drugs that inhibit brain dopamine transporters (DAT) have been developed as potential agonist medications for cocaine abuse and dependence. Because the mechanism of action of such drugs is similar to cocaine, one concern regarding their use is the abuse potential of the medications themselves. The present study compared the reinforcing strength of cocaine (0.003-0.3mg/kg) and two 3-phenyltropane analogs of cocaine, RTI-336 (3beta-(4-chlorophenyl)-2beta-[3-(4'-methylphenyl)isoxazol-5-yl]tropane hydrochloride; 0.003-0.1mg/kg) and RTI-177 (3beta-(4-chlorophenyl)-2beta-[3-phenylisoxazol-5-yl]tropane hydrochloride; 0.003-0.1mg/kg), using a progressive-ratio (PR) schedule in rhesus monkeys (n=4). PR schedules of reinforcement are frequently used to measure reinforcing strength of drugs. Earlier research using limited-access conditions reported that cocaine was a stronger reinforcer than either RTI-336 or RTI-177. Because the 3-phenyltropanes have longer durations of action, one purpose of the present study was to examine reinforcing strength using longer experimental sessions. Under these conditions, cocaine functioned as a reinforcer in all monkeys, and RTI-336 and RTI-177 functioned as a reinforcer in three of four subjects. Consistent with their documented slower onset of neurochemical and pharmacological effects, RTI-336 and RTI-177 were weaker reinforcers, resulting in fewer injections than cocaine. On average, the potencies of the two RTI compounds were not different than that of cocaine. These results support the view that slow-onset DA-selective uptake inhibitors have lower abuse liability than cocaine. In addition, the present findings suggest that changes in PR session length can influence potency comparisons between drugs, but not measures of reinforcing strength.
Unmasking of Brugada Syndrome by Lithium

Background— The characteristic ECG pattern of ST-segment elevation in V1 and V2 in the Brugada syndrome is dynamic; it is often intermittently present in affected individuals and can be unmasked by sodium channel blockers, including antiarrhythmic drugs and tricyclic antidepressants. We report here 2 patients who developed the Brugada ECG pattern after administration of lithium, a commonly used drug not previously reported to block cardiac sodium channels. Methods and Results— Lithium induced transient ST-segment elevation (type 1 Brugada pattern) in right precordial leads at therapeutic concentrations in 2 patients with bipolar disorder. Lithium withdrawal in the patients resulted in reversion to type 2 or 3 Brugada patterns or resolution of ST-T abnormalities. In Chinese hamster ovary cells transfected with SCN5A, which encodes the cardiac sodium channel, lithium chloride caused concentration-dependent block of peak INa at levels well below the therapeutic range (IC50 of 6.8±0.4 μmol/L). Conclusions— Th...
Low-Cost 1 X 2 Fiber Optic Coupler Using Plastic Fiber

Polymer 1 X 2 couplers were fabricated using multimode optical waveguide circuit tech-niques which are amenable to low-cost production strategies. Optical circuit design and basic materials were selected to enable the couplers to be compatible with 250 μm diameter Eska-10(R) plastic fiber. The "all polymer" coupler, with input and output plastic fiber pigtails, had an excess loss of less than 2 dB and a loss uniformity of 0.8 dB at 820 nm. Variations in excess loss were 1 dB over a wavelength range from 420 to 850 nm. Directivity values of 25 ± 5 dB were measured and coupler performance was found to be only minimally affected by temperature over the range of 0 to 70°C.
Looking over Your Shoulder: the Onlookers of Hegel's Phenomenology

The vexed issue of the end of history has again emerged with Fukuyama's celebrated text. But Fukuyama is only the latest in a line of such Hegelian thinkers. How have such philosopher-historians come to know that history has ended? In returning to their source, Hegel's Phenomenology, these theorists are found to ruthlessly fashion the very history that they relate. Using techniques akin to Foucaultian disciplines, the historical onlookers impersonate, disinform and reconfigure unwilling individuals to advance in history. This guidance becomes especially problematic when it is shown that the Hegelian onlookers are ignorant of their profound impact on history. When such influence is combined with ignorance the thinkers of the end of history appear quite harmful.
On cutting a torus

Methods are presented for cutting the surface of a polygonal shape that is homeomorphic to the torus. A number of issues are discussed as to how to find loops of a desired characteristic on the surface of a polyhedrally-defined torus and how to cut the torus into two parts by using the loops discovered. A method for finding a homeomorphism for toroidal surfaces is also described, which is important for shape transformation and texture mapping in graphics.
In Vitro Assays for Phototoxicity

This paper summarizes a few in vitro methods to assess photodamage in cells irradiated with UV of various wavelengths in the presence of a number of photo-sensitizers. A single in vitro assay for phototoxicity (photoirritation) is not likely to be predictive because of different mechanisms of phototoxicity and diverse cellular targets for injury. A number of methods have to be combined to provide a better prediction of these phenomena. Measurement of mechanistically relevant biomarkers also represents a promising area of in vitro testing for phototoxicity, and it is also briefly reviewed in this paper. Photodynamic sensitizers, representing a large class of phototoxic agents, can now be identified by sensitive measurement of photooxidative damage to cellular RNA and DNA. Currently, US government agencies have not identified a single in vitro assay for phototoxicity which would be acceptable for replacing an in vivo assay for regulatory purposes.
Feedback Modal Control of Partial Differential Equations

For hybrid systems in which control consists of selection from a discrete finite set of modes, a somewhat unfamiliar formulation is needed for analysis of the possibility of closed loop (feedback) control. We are here concerned to examine the desiderata for such feedback from the viewpoint of descriptive modeling of implementation in a PDE context. A principal result is global existence, in an appropriate sense, for the implemented closed loop control system. A problem of transport on a graph is then presented to show how the relevant hypotheses might be satisfied in a PDE example.
Advertising academia with sponsored search: an exploratory study examining the effectiveness of Google AdWords at the local and global level

An exploratory study conducted in late autumn and early winter 2006-2007 investigates the purchasing of sponsored search advertising for a major US university's academic department. The ad campaign used Google's AdWord service with the goal of increasing awareness of the academic department and encouraging potential graduate admissions or admissions inquiries. A behavioural model of information seeking is suggested that could be applied for selecting appropriate types of online advertising for awareness and other advertising goals. The study found little overlap between traditional, commerce-oriented online advertising methods and a general awareness campaign, as evidenced by a low click-through rate to the targeted site. Insights for future studies include increased integration with server logs, targeted site query terms and alternative awareness strategies.
Nano-Biohybrid Light-Harvesting Systems for Solar Energy Applications

All photosynthetic organisms contain light-harvesting antenna complexes and electron transfer complexes called reaction centers. Some photosynthetic bacteria contain large (~100 MDa) peripheral antenna complexes known as chlorosomes. Chlorosomes lose their reaction center when they are extracted from organisms. Lead sulfide (PbS) quantum dots (QDs) were used for artificial reaction centers. Successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) allows different sizes of PbS QDs with different cycles to be easily deposited onto the nanostructured columnar titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) film with single crystal. Chlorosomes were sequentially deposited onto the PbS QDs surface by electrospray. Compared to the typical PbS QD sensitized solar cells, overall energy conversion efficiency increased with the Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) effect between PbS QDs and chlorosomes.
SYNTHESIZING FRAMEWORKS OF HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

The public, education, and workforce sectors all have expressed interest regarding the key knowledge, skills, and abilities that enable individuals to be productive members of society. Although past efforts have attempted to create frameworks of student learning outcomes, the results have varied due to different perspectives and goals. Thus, the purpose of this paper was to gather and review relevant higher education frameworks, determine their commonalities and create domains, and identify the assessments that Educational Testing Service (ETS) has developed in each of the domains. After a thorough review of the relevant frameworks, seven key domains were identified: creativity, critical thinking, teamwork, communication, digital and information literacy, citizenship, and life skills. Also discussed were the issues of education versus work contextualization and the assumption of foundational quantitative reasoning and literacy skills informing these seven domains.