cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Molecular Phylogenetics of the New World Bat Genus Phyllostomus Based on Cytochrome b DNA Sequence Variation

A 402 bp fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome-b gene was amplified by the polymerase chain reaction and directly sequenced for all five recognized species of the New World bat genus Phyllostomus as well as three additional representatives of the tribe Phyllostomini ( Macrophyllum , Lonchorhina , Tonatia ) to evaluate: a) whether the genus Phyllostomus , with the inclusion of P. stenops , comprises a monophyletic group; b) the phylogenetic relationships within this genus; c) the hypothesis that these five species diverged at approximately the same evolutionary time. Within Phyllostomus , percent-sequence divergence ranged from 7.0% ( P. latifolious compared with P. discolor ) to 13.4% ( P. elongatus compared with P. stenops ) with a mean of 10.6%. It is concluded that the five species of Phyllostomus (including P. stenops ) comprise a natural assemblage and that the sister-group relationship of P. elongatus and P. hastatus is in agreement with immunologic data. The possibility that P. stenops, P. latifolious, P. discolor , and the lineage giving rise to the P. elongatus / P. hastatus clade diverged at the same approximate geologic time cannot be ruled out by the available data.
Diffusion-reaction modeling of silicon oxide interlayer growth during thermal annealing of high dielectric constant materials on silicon

We present the quantitative physicochemical modeling of the thermal annealing of high dielectric constant $(k)$ thin films on silicon in oxygen and/or inert ambient. In particular, we study the kinetics of the ${\text{SiO}}_{2}$ interfacial layer growth at the high-$k$ material structure/Si interface. Upon annealing, the transport of oxygen species in the high-$k$ film to the silicon interface is quantitatively evaluated. One-dimensional unsteady-state diffusion-reaction equations are used to model the time evolution of the interfacial ${\text{SiO}}_{2}$ layer thickness. Because of the continuously increasing interfacial ${\text{SiO}}_{2}$ layer, the proposed model incorporates the moving interface that alters the diffusion length of the oxygen species. The numerical solution of the resulting modeling equations is based on the finite volume analysis method and it results in ${\text{SiO}}_{2}$ thickness profiles that comprise of an early fast growth stage followed by pseudosaturation into a self-limited regime. Our model predictions are found to satisfactorily agree with published experimental results. We also study the use of alumina as a potential oxygen diffusion barrier. Alumina is predicted to be an efficient barrier to oxygen diffusion, which is in agreement with published experimental data.
Religion Out Loud: Religious Sound, Public Space, and American Pluralism

For several decades now, the historiography of American religion has moved away from grand narratives that privilege the experience of intellectuals and the religious elite in favour of ‘lived reli...
Scalar vs. vector Lyapunov functions in stability analysis of large scale systems: Raprochement

Analysis methods of large scale systems by scalar Lyapunov functions and vector Lyapunov functions are contrasted. It is shown that for most systems considered in the literature (a) the vector Lyapunov function approach reduces to the scalar Lyapunov function approach, and (b) the scalar Lyapunov function approach, when applied to these systems, can yield less conservative results than the vector Lyapunov function approach.
Using Trading Firms to Export: What Can the French Experience Teach Us?

The article reports on a study relating to export intermediation by trading firms in France. Researchers found that trading firms handled a greater percentage of French exports going to countries within the Latin European cluster than exports bound for countries in the Germanic and Anglo clusters. The percentage of French exports handled by intermediaries was three times as high as when exports were bound for non-French-speaking countries. The results indicated that the higher the commodity content of their products the more likely French companies were to use export intermediaries.
Mobile interactive region-of-interest video streaming with crowd-driven prefetching

Small screen sizes, limited bandwidth, and low computational power often prohibit streaming of high-resolution videos to mobile devices over a wireless network. Recent advances in interactive region-of-interest (IRoI) video streaming technology allow users to interactively control pan/tilt/zoom, while providing bit-rate and complexity savings. In this paper, we present a mobile IRoI video streaming system that delivers high-quality interactive video to smartphones and tablets with multi-touch screens. One of the challenges in IRoI video streaming is to enable low-latency interaction when a user switches between different RoIs. We propose a crowd-driven RoI prediction scheme to prefetch future selected regions. Different from previous approaches that extrapolate past user inputs or perform video semantic analysis, our proposed scheme exploits user viewing statistics collected at the server to make RoI predictions. Our experiments show that a crowd-driven prefetching scheme can substantially reduce average RoI switching delays compared to a system without prefetching.
Comparative properties of 2,3-oxidosqualene-lanosterol cyclase from yeast and liver

Abstract In yeast the enzyme 2,3-oxidosqualene-lanosterol cyclase (cyclase) is found in the soluble fraction of cell homogenates. The corresponding enzyme from liver is associated with the microsomes. The soluble yeast cyclase is optimally active in solutions of low ionic strength and stimulated by Triton X-100. By contrast, the detergent-solubilized liver cyclase requires deoxycholate and high ionic strength media for optimal activity. After acetone precipitation yeast cyclase is no longer soluble though it still responds to Triton X-100. Acetone-precipitated liver cyclase is rendered soluble by deoxycholate.
Paris to the Past: Traveling through French History by Train. By Ina Caro. (New York, NY: W. W. Norton, 2011. Pp. xvi, 381. $27.95.)

As a subject for writers, Paris is almost as common as the American Civil War. In the last decade alone, dozens of books have appeared on the “Capital of the World.” This new book by Ina Caro, wife...
Course Assessment Plan: A Tool for Integrated Curriculum Management

As we enter the 21st Century in engineering education, a common desire exists to improve curriculum structure, integration and assessment. Much has been written and discussed concerning the process for assessing and/or revising a program curriculum. Studies are beginning to show the positive effects of well-integrated curricula where assessment methods are applied consistently. There has also been much written to support individual course assessment and revision. What is missing in many instances is a credible link between program-level curriculum management and course assessment. At the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, an integrating tool within the academy's assessment model, called a Course Assessment Plan, has been developed and refined. The course assessment process and the resulting written documentation provide an essential link between a program curriculum and its constituent courses. The plan's process, content, and an example outcome are the major focus of this paper.
Computing Gamma Calculus on Computer Cluster

Gamma Calculus is an inherently parallel, high-level programming model, which allows simple programming molecules to interact, creating a complex system with minimum of coding. Gamma calculus modeled programs were written on top of IBM's TSpaces middleware, which is Java-based and uses a "Tuple Space" based model for communication, similar to that in Gamma. A parser was written in C++ to translate the Gamma syntax. This was implemented on UHD's grid cluster grid.uhd.edu, and in an effort to increase performance and scalability, existing Gamma programs are being transferred to Nvidia's CUDA architecture. General Purpose GPU computing is well suited to run Gamma programs, as GPU's excel at running the same operation on a large data set, potentially offering a large speedup.
On Modeling the Composition Dependence of the Bulk Viscosity of Immiscible Polymer Blends

The purpose of this article is to clear the confusion in the literature on the following two issues: (1) determination of the bulk viscosity of immiscible polymer blends using a plunger-type capillary viscometer and (2) modeling the composition dependence of the bulk viscosity of immiscible polymer blends. Related to the first issue, it is pointed out that measurement of the total pressure drop across the entire length of a capillary die, while using a plunger-type viscometer, to determine the bulk viscosity of an immiscible polymer blend is not justified. This is because the morphology (the state of dispersion) of an immiscible polymer blend varies along the axis of a capillary die. Related to the second issue, it is pointed out that the use of such empirical expressions as inverse additivity or logarithmic additivity relationships is of no rheological significance to determine the composition dependence of the bulk viscosity of immiscible polymer blends. This is because such empirical expressions do not contain terms describing the state of dispersion of an immiscible polymer blend. A computational approach is suggested, though formidable but not insurmountable, which will lead to establishing rheology–morphology–processing relationships in immiscible polymer blends. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2009. © 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers
Theoretical Considerations of “Resistant Families”:

The terminology “red zone,” originally published in schoolwide behavioral support literature, is used to conceptualize a population of families that are traditionally labeled resistant in family co...
The cryptic life style of adeno-associated virus

Although 80-90% of adults are seropositive for antibodies against the human parvovirus adeno-associated virus (AAV), infection has not been associated with either symptoms or disease. In cell culture, AAV infection is not productive unless there is a coinfection with a helper virus, either adenovirus or any type of herpes virus; in the absence of a helper virus coinfection the viral genome is integrated into the genome, usually at a specific site on chromosome 19q13.3-qter. The integrated genome can be activated and rescued by subsequent super infection by a helper virus. The high frequency of site-specific integration by AAV and the lack of associated disease have encouraged the use of AAV as a vector for gene therapy. This review will focus on the molecular mechanisms involved in the establishment of, and rescue from, the latent state and their relevance to use of AAV as a vector.
The Role of Li2CO3 and PbO in the Low‐Temperature Sintering of Sr, K, Nb (SKN)‐Doped PZT

It is demonstrated that the use of ∼0.9 mol% Li2CO3 (LC) as a sintering aid for Sr, K, Nb modified Pb(Zr1−x,Tix)O3 (PZT) ceramics is effective only in the presence of excess PbO (∼2 mol%). It is shown that LC and PbO react to form the compound, Li2PbO3 (LPO) which has a melting temperature of ∼836°C. Using dilatometry, we were able to correlate shrinkage during heating of a green ceramic to the melting of the LPO. Consequently, complete densification and sizeable grain growth are achieved by solution-precipitation of the ceramic through the liquid phase. Importantly, sintering is not particularly effective with such small additions of either LC or PbO alone. In confirmation of this model, the LPO compound was presynthesized and used as the only sintering aid in the same PZT composition. The densification behavior of this mixture compared well with the case of separate additions.
Spatiotemporal Confinement of GLUT4 in Plasma Membrane Domains

Translocation of glucose transporter-4 (GLUT4) to the plasma membrane (PM) is the hallmark of insulin regulation of glucose metabolism. However, GLUT4 translocation to PM proceeds through two distinct exocytotic mechanisms: classical fusion with dispersal and fusion with retention in specialized GLUT4 domains (clusters). In this study we examined the properties of GLUT4 domains and investigated insulin effect on spatiotemporal organization of GLUT4 in PM of live adipose cells by direct microscopic observation of single monomers tagged with photoswitchable fluorescent protein.Using live cell fluorescent Photo-Activation Localization Microscopy (fPALM), we tracked diffusion of GLUT4-EOS in PM, and measured lifetime of GLUT4 molecules trapped inside the domains. While dispersed GLUT4 monomers followed Brownian motion with diffusion coefficient of ∼0.09 μm2/s, GLUT4 associated with domains exhibited constrained diffusion limited by the boundaries of the elongated domains (sized 60-240 nm). We next analyzed the rates of GLUT4 monomer association with and dissociation from the domains, and found that insulin stimulated the latter by ∼3-fold, but did not influence the former. Interestingly, outside the domains GLUT4 monomers appeared to frequently collide, but did not form new domains. Rather, GLUT4 domain formation was observed exclusively upon GLUT4 exocytosis. Consistent with previous findings, insulin increased the probability of fusion with dispersal (bypassing domain formation), and decreased the rate of GLUT4 internalization from domains, thus further augmenting the total amount of GLUT4 in PM and increasing the relative fraction of dispersed GLUT4.All together these three effects of insulin act synergistically to shift the distribution of PM GLUT4 from clustered to dispersed states and concomitantly increase the residency time of GLUT4 monomers at the cell surface. Thus, we propose that spatiotemporal confinement of GLUT4 in PM domains represents a novel kinetic mechanism for insulin regulation of glucose homeostasis.
The Cr52(d, pγ)Cr53 reaction

Abstract Energy levels and gamma decay schemes for the nucleus Cr53 have been observed in the reaction Cr52(d, pγ)Cr53 using particle-gamma coincidence techniques. Levels have been observed at 0.56, 1.01, 1.29, 1.54, 1.97, 2.32, 2.69, 3.19, 3.60 and 3.70 MeV. Tentative spin and parity assignments have been made for a number of these levels by combining the gamma decay results with the results of other experiments, particularly stripping analysis.
Quantification of Expert Judgment in Maintenance Design Decisions

Generalized findings, based on work carried out in the development of the Index of Electronic Maintainability for the U. S. Army Signal Corps, are reported on the quantification of expert judgment in the area of maintenance and maintainability. Results of this study indicated that judgments of maintenance consequences can be reliably obtained from field-maintenance personnel if proper precautions are observed in the development and utilization of the rating instruments. Further, these results revealed considerable consistency of ratings across various types of equipment, thus implying that this generality may be extended to new equipments. This generality also eases the problem of obtaining adequate numbers of raters, since the type of experience that the rater bases his judgments on does not appear to be highly specific. No evidence was presented concerning the amount or degree of experience required for competent raters. Finally, three suggested applications of the techniques described are presented, and some of the benefits to be derived from these applications are briefly discussed.
Alarm substance of the marine mud snail,Nassarius obsoletus: Biological characterization and possible evolution

The gastropod snailNassarius obsoletus shows a dramatic self-burial response to the presence of crushed conspecifics. After it was shown that this burial alarm response could be reliably replicated in laboratory tests, a further characterization of the alarm substance was undertaken. Dilution experiments showed a very high response threshold resulting in a short effective radius of the substance in agreement with earlier field reports. Longevity experiments showed that the substance had lost some activity after 16 hr standing over marsh mud in sea water at room temperature; it became inactive after 24 hr. Superthreshold concentration in sea water was not necessary to keep the snails buried: Mud apparently provides an adsorption surface which can remain a stimulus source for previously unalarmed snails, and snails tend to remain buried after a short exposure to alarm substance, even when given a fresh environment. The substance is present in the snail's blood and tissues and is passively released. A potential natural predator capable of such release isCarcinus maenas, the green crab. Predator odor alone did not cause burial alarm responses. Preliminary chemical analysis indicates that the substance is water soluble, heat stable, and of high apparent molecular weight (over 100,000). A comparison with fish alarm substance and response is made in a discussion of the possible evolution of chemically triggered alarm responses. It is argued thatN. obsoletus may have developed an alarm response to an existing nonspecific substance rather than a true alarm pheromone.
Viewing the Financial Crisis from 20,000 Feet Up

The U.S. economic crisis is systemic but the system is so complicated that commentators, policy makers, and the general public are focusing on details rather than on the big picture. This article offers a different perspective: An overview of the whole system, as if from 20,000 feet above it, that allows us to see the systemic nature of the crisis without being distracted by its complex details. The primary focus is on the problems with subprime mortgages, and I suggest a general approach to defuse that major driver of the crisis. But conditions have worsened so quickly since September 2008 that actions, which might have arrested the decline at that time, are now inadequate. However, one central message—that it will be hard to get the financial system back on its feet without resolving the problems in the mortgage market—still holds, and our general approach of government intervention at the point where the real-economy risk connects to the financial system still offers a way to do that. And while real estate remains the largest and most disrupted sector of the economy, the principles outlined in this article are potentially applicable to other areas, as well.
Intergrowth compounds in the Zn-Rich Zn-Pd system : Toward 1d quasicrystal approximants

A series of γ-brass related structures in the Zn-rich portion of the Zn−Pd phase diagram (ca. 80 at % Zn) is investigated using single-crystal diffraction and tight-binding electronic-structure calculations. Earlier research identified regular arrays of inversion antiphase domains (IAPDs) over a narrow composition range but did not report any characteristic superstructure(s) over the same range. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction allowed for the identification of lattice constants for six “phases” in Zn1-xPdx (0.15 < x < 0.25), and refinements of two crystal structures indicate two important potential building blocks for the intermediate compositions, one of these being the cubic γ-brass structure. A Farey tree construction is described that accounts for the observed long-period superlattice and provides a possible algorithm for targeting one-dimensional, quasiperiodic phases in this and related systems. Tight-binding electronic-structure calculations on the two limiting structures for this region of the Zn...
Prehension synergies and hand function in early-stage Parkinson's disease

We explored the multi-digit synergies and hand performance in object manipulations and pressing tasks in patients with early-stage Parkinson's disease (PD) and healthy controls. Synergies were defined as inter-trials co-variation patterns among forces/moments produced by individual digits that stabilized a resultant mechanical variable. The subjects performed three main tasks: pressing (steady-state force production followed by a force pulse into the target), prehension (manipulation of a handheld instrumented handle imitating the action of taking a sip from a glass), and functional object manipulation (moving a glass with water as quickly and accurately as possible along a chain of targets). The PD patients were slower compared to controls in all three tasks. Patients showed smaller synergy indices in the pressing and prehension tasks. In the prehension tasks, patients showed elevated grip force at steady states with smaller grip force modulation during the handle motion. PD patients showed smaller feed-forward synergy adjustments in preparation to the quick action in the pressing and (to a smaller degree) prehension tasks. Synergy indices correlated with the time index of performance in the functional glass-with-water task, whereas none of the indices correlated with the Unified PD Rating Scale part III-motor scores. We interpret the results as pointing at an important role of subcortical structures in motor synergies and their feed-forward adjustments to action.
Increased corticotropin-releasing hormone immunoreactivity in monoamine-containing pontine nuclei of depressed suicide men.

A number of clinical investigations and postmortem brain studies have provided evidence that excessive corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) secretion and neurotransmission is involved in the pathophysiology of depressive illness, and several studies have suggested that the hyperactivity in CRH neurotransmission extends beyond the hypothalamus involving several extra-hypothalamic brain regions. The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that CRH levels are increased in specific brainstem regions of suicide victims with a diagnosis of major depression. Frozen tissue sections of the pons containing the locus coeruleus and caudal raphe nuclei from 11 matched pairs of depressed suicide and control male subjects were processed for radioimmunocytochemistry using a primary antiserum to CRH and a [125]I-IgG secondary antibody. The optical density corresponding to the level of CRH-immunoreactivity (IR) was quantified in specific pontine regions from the film autoradiographic images. The level of CRH-IR was increased by 30% in the locus coeruleus, 39% in the median raphe and 45% in the caudal dorsal raphe in the depressed suicide subjects compared to controls. No difference in CRH-IR was found in the dorsal tegmentum or medial parabrachial nucleus between the subject groups. These findings reveal that CRH-IR levels are specifically increased in norepinephrine- and serotonin-containing pontine nuclei of depressed suicide men, and thus they are consistent with the hypothesis that CRH neurotransmission is elevated in extra-hypothalamic brain regions of depressed subjects.
Postnatal neural ontogeny: environment-dependent and-or environment-expectant?

Recent advances in the study of postnatal neural development, an adaptive process dependent on an intimate interplay of both genetic and environmental factors, are reviewed in mouse, rat, cat, and man. Since developmental neuroanatomical studies provide a useful and relevant way of approaching the much belabored and controversial nature-nurture issue, behaviorally oriented workers should be made aware of the heuristic value of the field as both an impetus and a guide for future research, and as a means for providing explanations for observations unexplainable at the ethological or behavioral descriptive level. The conclusion reached in this review is that postnatal neural ontogeny is both environment-dependent and environment-expectant. To divide the process into mutually exclusive halves is indefensible.
In Vitro Biosynthesis and Comparative Posttranslational Processing of Immunoreactive Precursor Corticotropin/β-Endorphin by Human Placental and Pituitary Cells*

Normal human pituitary cells and human placental cells derived from the trophoblastic shell and adhering decidua incorporate [3H]lysine and [35S]methionine during a 30- min incubation period into high molecular weight glycoproteins containing the antigenic determinants of both ACTH and β- endorphin, demonstrating for the first time actual placental synthesis of such material and synthesis by the human pituitary. Such high molecular weight ACTH/β-endorphin was resolved into at least two molecular species upon sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, with apparent molecular weights of 34,000 ± 2,600 and 46,000 ± 3,900. These high molecular weight glycoproteins were retained on a Concanavalin-A column and were eluted with excess D-mannose but not with synthetic ACTH or β-endorphin. Partial tryptic mapping of high molecular weight material revealed two fragments physicochemically similar to ACTH-(9-15) and β-endorphin-(l–9) [Mipotropin-(61–69)]. Additional immunoreactive species of lower mol...
Competing roles for the subfactors of need for closure in committing the fundamental attribution error

Abstract Webster’s (1993) finding that the need for closure (NFC) trait predicts the fundamental attribution error (FAE) is well-cited but has mixed support. After detailing failed replications and contradictory findings, this article reports an attempt to verify the positive NFC–FAE relation using the questioner–contestant paradigm. Rarely investigated but potentially vital to the field, this research also considered the two orthogonal subfactors of NFC, decisiveness and need for structure (Neuberg, Judice, & West, 1997). Results showed that need for structure predicted, overall NFC partially predicted, but decisiveness attenuated the FAE. Thus, Webster’s finding was both replicated and reversed by different aspects of NFC. Decisiveness adds to a short list of trait moderators of the FAE. Implications are discussed for how to measure NFC.
Tunneling vs. giant magnetoresistance in organic spin valve

We studied magnetoresistance (MR) in La2/3Sr1/3MnO3 (LSMO)/organic semiconductor (OSC)/Fe heterojunction devices using rubrene (C42H28) as an organic semiconductor. Efficient spin polarized tunneling using a hybrid barrier (oxide (1.2 nm)/rubrene (5 nm)) was observed. Devices with a thin layer of rubrene as the barrier may have magnetic clusters and/or pinholes in the barrier, which could explain significant variations of MR among devices. As the thickness of the rubrene layer is increased, device current becomes strongly limited by carrier injection resulting in strong temperature and bias dependent device resistance. The carrier injection in these devices can be described with thermionic field emission at the metal/OSC interface and is analyzed with both empirical and theoretical models. The effect of carrier transport through the spacer on the magnetoresistance for organic-based spin valve is discussed. The observed giant magnetoresistance (GMR) in 20 nm rubrene device demonstrates the spin polarized carrier injection and transport through the rubrene OSC layer.
Universality in a DNA statistical structure.

A DNA autocorrelation function is a slightly and slowly modulated autocorrelationfunction of a random sequence. Its coarse grained root-mean-squared fluctuationsare approximately homogeneous and equal to those of a random sequence. A DNAmay be decomposed into a random sequence of white noise domains, which havedifferent lengths and nucleotide concentrations, but a universal length scale.No long-range correlations are found in any of the studied DNA sequences.
EMBERS: EpheMeral biometrically enhanced real-time location System

In nuclear facilities, having efficient accountability of critical assets, personnel locations, and activities is essential for productive, safe, and secure operations. Such accountability tracked through standard manual procedures is highly inefficient and prone to human error. The ability to actively and autonomously monitor both personnel and critical assets can significantly enhance security and safety operations while removing significant levels of human reliability issues and reducing insider threat concerns. A Real-Time Location System (RTLS) encompasses several technologies that use wireless signals to determine the precise location of tagged critical assets or personnel. RTLS systems include tags that either transmit or receive signals at regular intervals, location sensors/beacons that receive/transmit signals, and a location appliance that collects and correlates the data. Combined with ephemeral biometrics (EB) to validate the live-state of a user, an ephemeral biometrically-enhanced RTLS (EMBERS) can eliminate time-consuming manual searches and audits by providing precise location data. If critical assets or people leave a defined secured area, EMBERS can automatically trigger an alert and function as an access control mechanism and/or ingress/egress monitoring tool. Three different EMBERS application scenarios for safety and security have been analyzed and the heuristic results of this study are outlined in this paper along with areas of technological improvements and innovations that can be made if EMBERS is to be used as safety and security tool.
Peroxovanadate Induces Tyrosine Phosphorylation of Multiple Signaling Proteins in Mouse Liver and Kidney

The intraperitoneal injection of a vanadate/H2O2 mixture (peroxovanadate) into mice resulted within minutes in the appearance of numerous tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins in the liver and kidney. These effects are presumably due to the inhibition of phosphotyrosine phosphatase activity. Three of the tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins have been identified as the receptors for epidermal growth factor, insulin, and hepatocyte growth factor. The injection of peroxovanadate also enhanced the tyrosine phosphorylation of many of the proteins known to function downstream of these receptors, including SHC, signal transducer and activator of transcription (Stat) 1α,β, Stat 3, Stat 5, phospholipase C-γ, insulin receptor substrate 1, GTPase-activating protein, β-catenin, γ-catenin, p120cas, SHP-1, and SHP-2. The administration of peroxovanadate also induced nuclear translocation of a number of tyrosine-phosphorylated Stat proteins. In addition, the global effects on tyrosine phosphorylation permitted the detection of a number of novel intracellular protein interactions, including an association of Tyk2 with β-catenin. The in situ administration of peroxovanadate may prove useful in the search for novel tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins and the identification of new interactions between previously identified tyrosine-phosphorylated substrates.
Normal growth and differentiation in a spontaneously immortalized near-diploid human keratinocyte cell line, NIKS.

We report the isolation and characterization of a spontaneously immortalized human keratinocyte cell line, NIKS. The cell line is not tumorigenic in athymic nude mice and maintains cell-type-specific requirements for growth in vitro. NIKS cells express steady-state levels of transforming growth factor-α, transforming growth factor-β1, epidermal growth factor receptor, c-myc, and keratin 14 mRNAs comparable with the parental BC-1-Ep keratinocyte strain. BC-1-Ep and NIKS keratinocytes produce similar levels of cornified envelopes and nucleosomal fragmentation in response to loss of substrata attachment. DNA fingerprinting results confirm that the NIKS cells originated from the parental BC-1-Ep keratinocytes. NIKS cells contain 47 chromosomes due to an extra isochromosome of the long arm of chromosome 8, and the near-diploid karyotype appears to be stable with repeated passage. A fully stratified squamous epithelium is formed by the NIKS keratinocytes in organotypic culture. Ultrastructural analysis of both the parental and immortalized keratinocytes reveals abundant desmosomes, hemidesmosomes, and the production of a basal lamina. Our findings with the NIKS cells support the observation that spontaneous immortalization is not linked to alterations in squamous differentiation or the ability to undergo apoptosis. The NIKS human keratinocyte cell line is an important new tool for the study of growth and differentiation in stratified squamous epithelia.
Modified Biot-Gassmann Theory for Calculating Elastic Velocities for Unconsolidated and Consolidated Sediments *

The classical Biot-Gassmann theory (BGT) generally overestimates shear-wave velocities of water-saturated sediments. To overcome this problem, a new theory is developed based on BGT and on the velocity ratio as a function of G(1−φ)n, where φ is porosity and n and G are constants. Based on laboratory data measured at ultrasonic frequencies, parameters for the new formulation are derived. This new theory is extended to include the effect of differential pressure and consolidation on the velocity ratio by making na function of differential pressure and the rate of porosity reduction with respect to differential pressure. A scale G is introduced to compensate for discrepancies between measured and predicted velocities, mainly caused by the presence of clay in the matrix. As differential pressure increases and the rate of porosity reduction with respect to differential pressure decreases, the exponent n decreases and elastic velocities increase. Because velocity dispersion is not considered, this new formula is optimum for analyzing velocities measured at ultrasonic frequencies or for sediments having low dispersion characteristics such as clean sandstone with high permeability to predict velocities from porosity or from porosity and P-wave velocity and is in good agreement with laboratory and well log data.
Transumbilical pyloromyotomy with umbilicoplasty provides ease of access and excellent cosmetic results.

Abstract Background/Purpose Cosmesis is considered one of the key reasons to perform pyloromyotomies through the umbilicus. We describe the results of pyloromyotomy using a supraumbilical incision with umbilicoplasty that allows ease of mobilization of the pylorus and excellent cosmetic results. Methods The charts of all patients undergoing transumbilical pyloromyotomy with umbilicoplasty from 2002 to 2006 were retrospectively reviewed. Demographic data as well as operative time, details of surgical technique, and outcome were collected and analyzed. Results Thirty-eight patients underwent a transumbilical pyloromyotomy with umbilicoplasty. The average operative time was 39.2 minutes (range, 11-66 minutes). The time to tolerating feeds was 1.14 days (range, 1-3 days), and the average length of stay was 1.84 days (range, 1-8 days). There were 2 complications: periumbilical cellulitis (n = 1) and incisional hernia (n = 1). There were no perforations and no incomplete pyloromyotomies. The cosmetic results on postoperative follow-up were subjectively excellent. Conclusions Transumbilical pyloromyotomy with umbilicoplasty combines ease of exposure with ease of mobilization of the pylorus. There is minimal morbidity and an excellent cosmetic result. Time to average feeding, length of stay, and complications are similar to published reports of both open and laparoscopic pyloromyotomy.
Leptin levels at birth and infant growth: the EPOCH study.

Objective: To examine the association of cord blood leptin with body mass index (BMI) growth velocity from birth to 12 months of age among infants exposed and not exposed to over-nutrition in utero (defined as maternal overweight/obesity or presence of gestational diabetes). Methods: 185 infants enrolled in the Exploring Perinatal Outcomes among Children study (76 exposed and 109 not exposed) had leptin and insulin measured in cord blood. Longitudinal weight and length measures in the first 12 months of life (average 4 per participant) obtained from medical records were used to compute BMI growth rates. Mixed models were used to examine associations of cord blood leptin with growth. Results: Compared with unexposed infants, those exposed had significantly higher cord blood insulin (8.64 v. 6.97 uU/ml, P<0.01) and leptin levels (8.89 v. 5.92 ng/ml, P=0.05) as well as increased birth weights (3438.04 v. 3306.89 g, P=0.04). There was an inverse relationship between cord leptin levels and BMI growth from birth to 12 months of age (P=0.005); however, exposure to over-nutrition in utero did not significantly modify this association (P=0.59). Conclusion: We provide support of a possible operational feedback mechanism by which lower cord blood leptin levels are associated with faster infant growth in the first year of life. Our data do not tend to support the hypothesis that this mechanism is altered in infants exposed to over-nutrition in utero; however our sample is too small to provide sufficient evidence. Larger epidemiological studies are needed to elucidate the mechanisms responsible for increased propensity for obesity in exposed offspring.
Economics of Integrated Insect Management in Stored Corn

Insects can cause substantial damage to stored grain. In addition, consumers and therefore food processors are increasingly interested in chemical-free products. Integrated pest management (IPM) may increase farmers' profits while reducing their use of pesticides. This study uses a stochastic dynamic programming framework to model the economics of optimal insect control in corn, Zea mays L., stored on-farm with multiple controls conditional on the biophysical conditions of the grain in the bin. We find that for farmers who have a contract with a food processor, where there are quality premiums, the optimal management strategy depends on monitoring the biophysical conditions of the grain and the time period under consideration. For farmers who deliver to the commodity market, their current practices are optimal.
Acetylcholine content of the Schwann cell and axon in the giant nerve fibre of the squid.

— Acetylcholine and choline were identified and their concentrations measured, by means of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, in extracts obtained from nerve fibers of the hindmost stellar nerve of the squid Sepioteuthis sepioidea. These compounds were quantitated in samples of stellar nerve devoid of giant fiber, intact giant nerve fiber, extruded axoplasm, and axoplasm-free giant nerve fiber sheaths. In 11 samples of stellar nerve devoid of giant fiber, weighing an average of 20.8 ± 2.3 mg (s.e.m.), 756 ± 91 pmol ACh and 8.65 ± 0.62 nmol of choline were found. The total ACh content of the largest fibre in this group (10 μm in diameter), for a 5 cm length of nerve, is in the order of 0.16 pmol. The average wet weights of a single giant nerve fiber (270-420 μm in diameter) and its separate components (s.e.m.; in mg; number of fibers in parentheses) were: intact fiber, 4.58 ± 0.19 (25); extruded axoplasm, 3.38 ± 0.13 (20); sheaths, 1.21 ± 0.11 (16). The average ACh content per unit weight of sample was about 2-3 times higher in the sheaths (5-13 pmol-mg−1) than in the axoplasm (2-4 pmol mg−1), whereas the ACh concentrations estimated per unit volume of cellular water were about 40 times higher in the Schwann cell (107-222 μm) than in the axon (2-5μm). These experimental findings establish the presence of ACh in the giant nerve fiber of S. sepioidea. They also indicate the Schwann cells themselves as the main source for the release of ACh, responsible for their long-lasting hyperpolarizations following the conduction of nerve impulse trains by the axon.
Not just inductive: a crucial mechanical role for the endoderm during heart tube assembly

The heart is the first functioning organ to form during development. During gastrulation, the cardiac progenitors reside in the lateral plate mesoderm but maintain close contact with the underlying endoderm. In amniotes, these bilateral heart fields are initially organized as a pair of flat epithelia that move towards the embryonic midline and fuse above the anterior intestinal portal (AIP) to form the heart tube. This medial motion is typically attributed to active mesodermal migration over the underlying endoderm. In this model, the role of the endoderm is twofold: to serve as a mechanically passive substrate for the crawling mesoderm and to secrete various growth factors necessary for cardiac specification and differentiation. Here, using computational modeling and experiments on chick embryos, we present evidence supporting an active mechanical role for the endoderm during heart tube assembly. Label-tracking experiments suggest that active endodermal shortening around the AIP accounts for most of the heart field motion towards the midline. Results indicate that this shortening is driven by cytoskeletal contraction, as exposure to the myosin-II inhibitor blebbistatin arrested any shortening and also decreased both tissue stiffness (measured by microindentation) and mechanical tension (measured by cutting experiments). In addition, blebbistatin treatment often resulted in cardia bifida and abnormal foregut morphogenesis. Moreover, finite element simulations of our cutting experiments suggest that the endoderm (not the mesoderm) is the primary contractile tissue layer during this process. Taken together, these results indicate that contraction of the endoderm actively pulls the heart fields towards the embryonic midline, where they fuse to form the heart tube.
How does foreign direct investment affect economic growth in China

How does inward foreign direct investment (FDI) affect a transitional economy? This study attempts to analyze the role of FDI in China’s income growth and market-oriented transition. We first identify possible channels through which FDI may have positive or negative effects on the Chinese economy. Using a growth model and cross-section and panel data for the period 1984-98, we provide an empirical assessment, which suggests that FDI seems to help China’s transition and promote income growth, and that this positive growth effect seems to rise over time and to be stronger in the coastal than the inland regions. JEL classification: F21, F23, O53.
The Relationship between Measures of Motor Educability and the Learning of Specific Motor Skills

(1942). The Relationship between Measures of Motor Educability and the Learning of Specific Motor Skills. Research Quarterly. American Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation: Vol. 13, No. 1, pp. 43-56.
Regulation of serum 1,25(OH)2Vitamin D3 levels by fibroblast growth factor 23 is mediated by FGF receptors 3 and 4

Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) is a phosphaturic hormone implicated in the pathogenesis of several hypophosphatemic disorders. FGF23 causes hypophosphatemia by decreasing the expression of sodium phosphate cotransporters (NaPi-2a and NaPi-2c) and decreasing serum 1,25(OH)2Vitamin D3 levels. We previously showed that FGFR1 is the predominant receptor for the hypophosphatemic actions of FGF23 by decreasing renal NaPi-2a and 2c expression while the receptors regulating 1,25(OH)2Vitamin D3 levels remained elusive. To determine the FGFRs regulating 1,25(OH)2Vitamin D3 levels, we studied FGFR3−/−FGFR4−/− mice as these mice have shortened life span and are growth retarded similar to FGF23−/− and Klotho−/− mice. Baseline serum 1,25(OH)2Vitamin D3 levels were elevated in the FGFR3−/−FGFR4−/− mice compared with wild-type mice (102.2 ± 14.8 vs. 266.0 ± 34.0 pmol/l; P = 0.001) as were the serum levels of FGF23. Administration of recombinant FGF23 had no effect on serum 1,25(OH)2Vitamin D3 in the FGFR3−/−FGFR4−/− mice (173.4 ± 32.7 vs. 219.7 ± 56.5 pmol/l; vehicle vs. FGF23) while it reduced serum 1,25(OH)2Vitamin D3 levels in wild-type mice. Administration of FGF23 to FGFR3−/−FGFR4−/− mice resulted in a decrease in serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels and an increase in serum phosphorus levels mediated by increased renal phosphate reabsorption. These data indicate that FGFR3 and 4 are the receptors that regulate serum 1,25(OH)2Vitamin D3 levels in response to FGF23. In addition, when 1,25(OH)2Vitamin D3 levels are not affected by FGF23, as in FGFR3−/−FGFR4−/− mice, a reduction in PTH can override the effects of FGF23 on renal phosphate transport.
Faraday Effect in High- $Q$ Whispering-Gallery Mode Optical Cavities

The general theory of Faraday rotation in high-Q whispering-gallery (WG) mode optical cavities is investigated. We have derived a matrix equation for the transmitted optical field through a WG mode optical cavity in a time-independent magnetic field. Using the corresponding mathematical framework, we have studied the behavior of the output power spectrum as a function of the magnetic field strength for a typical WG mode optical cavity. The effects of input polarization, optical quality factor, and cavity diameter on the magnetic response are studied.
Relativistic fluid dynamics in a non-vacuum régime

The author obtains the fundamental aspects of relativistic fluid dynamics in a non-vacuum regime. As the basic model is taken the special theory of relativity in the form proposed by Einstein (1907), Fock (1955) and others. The model takes account of the influence of the gravitational field upon the velocity of the propagation of light.
The asymmetric m-traveling salesman problem: A duality based branch-and-bound algorithm

Abstract This paper presents a new model and branch-and-bound algorithm for the asymmetric m-travelling salesmen problem. The algorithm uses a Lagrangean relaxation, a subgradient algorithm to solve the Lagrangean dual, a greedy algorthim for obtaining minimal m-trees, penalties to strengthen the lower bounds on candidate problems, and a new concept known as staged optimization. Computational experience for problems having up to 100 cities is presented.
Induction chemoradiation compared with induction radiation for lung cancer involving the superior sulcus.

Abstract Background . The usual approach of induction radiation therapy (RT) followed by resection of superior sulcus tumors results in many incomplete resections, a high local recurrence rate, and suboptimal survival. Induction chemoradiotherapy (CT/RT) has been shown to reduce local and distant recurrences and improve survival in stage III lung cancer. We investigated the role of induction CT/RT in superior sulcus patients. Methods . This was a single-institution, retrospective study. Results . From 1985 to 2000, 35 consecutive patients underwent induction treatment followed by resection of a superior sulcus tumor. All patients had mediastinoscopy first to exclude N2 disease, and all were N0 at final pathologic examination. Twenty patients had induction RT (mean, 39 Gy), and 15 had induction CT/RT (mean, 51 Gy) with concurrent cisplatin-based chemotherapy. There was no treatment mortality. Complete resection was performed in 16 of 20 (80%) of the RT patients and in 14 of 15 (93%) of the CT/RT patients ( p = 0.15). The pathologic response from the induction treatment was complete or near complete in 7 of 20 (35%) of the RT patients and in 13 of 15 (87%) of the CT/RT patients ( p = 0.001). The median follow-up was 167 months in the RT patients and 51 months in the CT/RT patients. Two-year and 4-year survival was 49% and 49% (95% confidence interval, 26% to 71%) in the RT patients and 93% and 84% (95% confidence interval, 63% to 100%) in the CT/RT patients, respectively ( p = 0.01). The local recurrence rate was 6 of 20 (30%) in the RT patients and 0 in the CT/RT patients ( p = 0.02). Conclusions . Induction CT/RT for superior sulcus tumors appears to offer improved survival compared with induction RT alone.
Christianity in a Social Context: Practical Reasoning and Forgiveness

Practical Reasoning is not a matter of descending from the Olympian heights of impartial, objective, faceless rationality into the sobering valley of reality via the particularities of our lives. The points of departure for practical reasoning are our lived experiences; and the backdrop against which we have all such experiences is a community. Thus, what we take for granted and what we consider to be either reasonable or plausible is determined not in the abstract but in the context of a community. This is so even when community standards themselves are being rejected. For if nothing else, rejected standards serve as the baseline for what is deemed unacceptable. On this much Professor Hauerwas and I are in complete agreement.