cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Monkeys, aliens, and women: Love, science, and politics at the intersection of feminist theory and colonial discourse

Synopsis This paper explores two U.S. white women's field studies of wild primates in Africa since 1960 and Octavia Butler's science fiction novel about an alien primatoid species enforcing a gene exchange with humanity in order to recolonize a devastated earth. Shirley Strum studied baboons in Kenya, intending to test hypotheses about male dominance that made sense in her own political and scientific cultures. In interaction with the people and land of her study site, she was forced to come to terms with different ways of seeing the animals and asking questions about their lives. Transforming her ideas of human social relationship with each other and with land and animals, Alison Jolly studied Madagascar lemurs before and after decolonization in the Malagasy Republic. Consumed with questions about human siblingship with aliens and the failure of sibling-ship within humanity, Butler uses the conventions of science fiction to fashion speculative pasts and futures for the species from the implicit perspectives of black and feminist inquiry. The three narratives are linked by the argument that race, gender, and nature are complexly renegotiated in post-colonial conditions and that new—but not innocent — forms of love and knowledge emerge. Knowing about the terrain on which love and knowledge of animal, nature, self, and other have been constructed within western culture at particular historical moments is prerequisite for remapping the possible ground for new stories. The paper emphasizes the need to see women's relations to the animals they study and love and the monsters they imagine in the intersecting contexts of science fiction, fictions of science, feminist theory, and the critique of colonial discourse.
Development of a laparoscopic approach to neurolytic celiac plexus block in a porcine model

Background: Neurolytic celiac plexus block (NCPB) is an effective method of palliative pain control in cases of inoperable pancreatic cancer. This study was undertaken to evaluate the feasibility of a laparoscopic approach to NCPB in an experimental animal model.
CLASSIFICATION OF RESONANCES IN THE ELECTRON SCATTERING CROSS SECTION OF Ne AND He

Resonances in the differentiai cross section for electron scattering at 72 deg by He and Ne were investigated. Measurements were made of the electron- beam current transmitted through He or Ne as a function of the incident electron energy. In He the resonance at 19.3 ev appears as a sharp increase in transmission. The transmission in Ne shows a doublet structure consisting of two sharp decreases in transmission. The resonance in He is at 16.0 plus or minus 0.1 ev. (C.E.S.)
Academic medicine. Facing change.

The 103rd Congress resisted the best opportunity this country has yet had to restructure its health care delivery system and establish universal coverage for basic health care services for all Americans. The stakes were high in the debate, particularly for academic medicine. We strongly endorsed universal coverage for a number of reasons. Universal access to health insurance would alleviate our institutions' uncompensated care burden. Moreover, a system of universal coverage would provide a structure on which to secure permanent federal support (eg, an all-payer surcharge) for our missions to educate the nation's physicians, provide high-quality care to the sickest patients, and conduct biomedical and behavioral research to prevent disease and improve the quality of life. Academic medicine must continue its fight for a broad-based, all-payer system that explicitly supports graduate medical education, teaching hospitals, medical schools, biomedical and behavioral research, and advanced nursing education. Currently, academic missions are being financed
Technology, Professional Development and Innovations: assessing change

ABSTRACT A telecommunications and multimedia inservice project, called Telecommunications, Environmental Education, and Multimedia (TEEM), in Arizona USA, includes the study of an evolving professional development venture that connected university‐based preparation with the ongoing education of teachers that was school based, teacher determined, and aligned to K‐12 content. This paper describes that project, its components and its intent to pro‐actively move beyond traditional forms of inservice efforts through a number of innovations which create change. Within the context of this project, the authors describe a “circling” process that accompanies the continuously evolving professional development efforts to remain teacher and school focused.
Interactions between 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine and σ1 Receptors

Abstract Methamphetamine and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) are structurally similar and represent a serious and growing health threat. Earlier studies in our laboratory have shown that methamphetamine interacts with σ receptors and that antagonism of these receptors can attenuate methamphetamine-induced locomotor stimulation and neurotoxicity. However, no research exists which characterizes the interaction between σ receptors and MDMA. Therefore, the goal of the present study was to determine whether σ receptors are involved in the actions of MDMA. In the first part of the study, competition and saturation binding assays were performed to measure the interaction of MDMA with σ receptors. The receptor binding assays revealed that MDMA interacts preferentially with the σ1 subtype, as compared to the σ2 subtype, and that this interaction occurs in a competitive manner. The second part of the study focused on behavioral measurements in male, Swiss Webster mice to determine whether a selective σ1 receptor antagonist, BD1063 (1-[2-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)ethyl]-4-methylpiperazine, 0–30 mg/kg, i.p.) could attenuate the locomotor stimulant actions of MDMA (0–50 mg/kg, i.p.). BD1063 alone had no effect on locomotor activity, but dose-dependently attenuated the locomotor stimulant effects of MDMA and produced a significant shift to the right in the MDMA dose response curve. Together, the data support the functional relevance of the interaction of MDMA with σ1 receptors, and suggest that these receptors are involved in the stimulant actions of MDMA.
Effect of weaning regimen on energy profiles and reproductive performance of beef cows.

The effect of shifting calf-weaning age on profiles of energy status (BW, BCS, and rib and rump fat) and reproductive performance of beef cows was evaluated in a 3-yr study. Pregnant and lactating crossbred beef cows (n = 408), mainly of Angus and Hereford breeding, were stratified by age and by sex and BW of their calves and assigned randomly into 2 treatments: weaning at approximately 180 d (early weaning) and normal weaning 45 d later (control). Cows were managed together on native range pastures and supplemented with harvested forage during the winter months. Cow BW, BCS, rib fat, and rump fat were measured periodically from early weaning through the next breeding. Reproductive performance was eval- uated by calving intervals (CI), days from initiation of breeding to calving (BCI), retention in the herd, and adjusted 205-d weaning BW of the subsequent calf. Early weaned cows had greater (P 0.05) among treat- ments. Peak and nadir BCS occurred at precalving and postcalving periods, respectively and were greater (P < 0.001) at each period in early weaned than in con- trol cows and in cows ≥5-yr-old than in younger cows. Patterns for rib fat and rump fat were nearly identical to those of BCS except for the 3-way interaction (P < 0.001) of treatment, age, and period on rump fat. Mean CI (372.4 ± 2.1 d) and BCI (299.7 ± 1.9 d) were not affected (P = 0.42) by treatment but varied (P < 0.001) with age of the cow. Age of cow accounted for 16% of total variation in CI and 12% of total varia- tion in gestation length (P < 0.001). The intervals were longer (P < 0.001) in primiparous cows than in older cows. Early weaning decreased risk of culling in cows and thereby increased (P < 0.05) overall persistence by 11% over control cows. Earlier weaning of cows in the previous year increased (P < 0.001) weaning weight of the subsequent calf by 8.6 kg per cow per yr. Shifting weaning time increased storage of consumed energy as evidenced by increased rump fat, for use later during high-energy demand, ultimately improving overall pro- ductivity of the cow-calf system.
Beamforming With Uncertain Weights

In this letter, we show that worst-case robust beamforming, with uncertain weights subject to multiplicative variations, can be cast as a convex optimization problem. We interpret this problem as a weighted complex l1-regularization of the nominal beamforming problem, and show that it can be solved with the same computational complexity as nominal beamforming, ignoring the variations. We derive a simple lower bound on how much worse the robust beamformer will be compared to the nominal beamformer solution with no weight uncertainty. We demonstrate the robust approach with a simple narrowband beamformer
Iridium-catalyzed H/D exchange into organic compounds in water.

The air-stable complex Cp*(PMe3)IrCl2 efficiently catalyzes the exchange of deuterium from D2O into both activated and unactivated C−H bonds of organic molecules without added acid or stabilizers. ...
ENTROPIC ATTRACTION AND REPULSION IN BINARY COLLOIDS PROBED WITH A LINE OPTICAL TWEEZER

The long-range entropic forces that arise between two micrometer-sized colloidal spheres in a fluid of much smaller colloidal spheres were directly measured using a line-scanned optical tweezer. This new technique allowed us to measure the functional form of the potential with sub- ${k}_{B}T$ energy and $15\mathrm{nm}$ spatial resolution. At the lowest small sphere concentrations, the potential was monotonically attractive, while at higher concentrations an oscillatory potential was observed, due to the liquid structure of the small spheres. Surprisingly, the large spheres came together only rarely at the higher concentrations, suggesting a new means for stabilizing suspensions using entropy alone.
MOLECULAR CLONING AND SEQUENCING OF 25 DIFFERENT RHESUS MACAQUE CHEMOKINE cDNAS REVEALS EVOLUTIONARY CONSERVATION AMONG C, CC, CXC, AND CX3C FAMILIES OF CHEMOKINES

Chemokines are small chemoattractant cytokines involved in normal and pathological immune processes. Although extensive nucleotide sequence data are available for human and murine chemokine cDNA sequences, very few data are currently available regarding rhesus macaque sequences. To increase our understanding of immune function in nonhuman primates, we have used reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to clone and sequence rhesus macaque cDNAs from each of the C, CC, CXC, and CX3C groups of chemokines. Relative to the respective human chemokines, these 25 chemokine cDNA sequences were from 77% to 98% identical. Of the amino acid differences between the rhesus macaque and human chemokines, 51% were species-specific when compared together with the respective murine chemokine sequences. These studies of rhesus macaque chemokine sequences demonstrate that chemokine genes are highly conserved across species, and provide a large foundation for the study of chemokine biology and genetics in nonhuman primates.
Initial test results from the Palomar 200-in. adaptive optics system

We present laboratory subsystem test results obtained during integration of the Palomar 200” Adaptive Optics System at Jet Propulsion Laboratory. These results pertain to the 241 actively controlled actuator, Shack-Hartmann sensed, initial delivery of a system optimized for near infrared observation with the 5 meter diameter telescope at Palomar Mountain. This system initially exploits natural guide stars. Our intention is to provide a wide-ranging summary of subsystem performance measurements and several lessons learned. Noteworthy among these results is our measurement of 6.3 ± 0.2 electron read noise performance of our initial WFS camera, based upon a 64 x 64 pixel MIT/LL CCD detector, running at 600 kilopixel per sec per output amplifier. This camera was constructed by SciMeasure Analytical Systems, Inc. of Decatur, GA.
A battery-powered minisodar for rapid, short-term deployment or long-term operations

A battery-powered minisodar is described. Operation either with solar cells as a power source (for long-term deployment) or with a single 12-V battery (for short-term use) is possible. Use of the system in two contrasting situations is described: (1) through winter deployment in the central United States, and (2) in a short, intensive field study of surface heat fluxes over contrasting surfaces
An Algorithm for Data Reduction in Learning from Examples

ABSTRACTThe input data for machine learning from examples are usually presented in a decision table. In such a table, examples are described by values of variables: attributes and a decision. A red...
A simple analytical method for calculating temperature perturbations in a basin caused by the flow of water through thin, shallow-dipping aquifers

Abstract Fluid flow in sedimentary basins can be driven by a variety of mechanisms. Commonly, flow is localized in relatively thin aquifers or structures and often these permeable units may be approximated by a series of straight planar segments with shallow dip. A simple formula is derived that describes temperature perturbations in a straight aquifer segment with shallow dip. The temperature is determined everywhere along the segment if the flow rate and temperature at one point is known. “Daisy chaining” the solutions allows easy calculation of the temperature perturbation in a basin caused by fluid flow through a shallow-dipping network of linear fault and aquifer segments. The approach may find many applications but is here illustrated the a number of examples related to the origin of Mississippi Valley-type Pb Zn deposits. The cases considered emphasize the “salinity problem” encountered by models that hypothesize these deposits formed as the result of cross-basin hydrological flow.
Modeling of the CSU heating/cooling system

Abstract This paper resents a thermal simulation of the Colorado State University solar house. A computer model of the solar energy system was developed and computer runs were made using one year of meteorological data to determine the important design features. The system consists of a flat plate solar collector, main storage tank, service hot water storage tank, auxiliary heater, absorption air conditioner with cooling tower and heat exchangers between the collector and storage, storage and service hot water tank and storage and residence. This system very closely models the CSU house in operating mode one. The results are in the form of monthly integrated values for the pertinent energy quantities. In addition, results are presented which show the effect on the system performance of the collector tilt, collector area and number of covers.
Aqueous Ion Transport Studies in Stainless Steel Membranes

Aqueous ion transport through unmodified, acid/base resistant, stainless steel membrane material was investigated to determine the feasibility of using the material as a basis for an actinide separation unit operation. The Mott Metal Corporation membrane material used for testing was a sintered 316L stainless steel membrane having a particle size cutoff rating of 0.5 μm and an average pore size of 2.2 ± 0.5 μm. Radiotracer transport experimentation was conducted with 45Ca, 137Cs, 241Am, 152Eu, and 239Pu cations at varying pH and at dilute cation concentrations. Infinite-dilution diffusion coefficients for the cations were measured and had the same order of magnitude (10-6 cm2 s-1). The infinite-dilution diffusivities compared well with values found in the cited literature. These results confirmed bulk diffusion as the controlling mechanism for cation transport through the water-saturated stainless steel membrane pores and support the hypothesis that the membrane, in the unmodified form, does not add any c...
Structure of Uncertainty and Decision Making: An Experimental Investigation*

Decisions in the real world usually involve imprecise information or uncertainty about the precesses by which outcomes may be determined. This research reports the results of a laboratory experiment which examined whether the structure of uncertainty, namely, both the center and the range of the probability distribution describing the uncertainty, is an important determinant of choice. Specifically, it examines how the uncertainty of audit by the Internal Revenue Service of income tax returns affects taxpayers' decisions about intentional noncompliance. The context is relevant as almost nothing is known about how taxpayers assess detection risks using the probability information they have. The study focuses on intentional noncompliance. The factors affecting it are distinct and separate from those affecting unintentional noncompliance. Other factors that affect intentional tax noncompliance, such as risk, tax rates, and penalty rates, were controlled in the experiment. It was hypothesized that the lower the mean and the lesser the range (ambiguity) of the perceived audit probability, the greater the international noncompliance. As hypothesized, the analysis indicates that both the mean and the range of the perceived audit probability rate affect intentional noncompliance, though the effect of ambiguity is greater at a relatively higher level of mean. This result suggests that the strength of the information describing an uncertain event is captured better by both the mean and the range of the uncertainty than either of those components singly.
A Permutation Procedure to Correct for Confounders in Case-Control Studies, Including Tests of Rare Variation

Many case-control tests of rare variation are implemented in statistical frameworks that make correction for confounders like population stratification difficult. Simple permutation of disease status is unacceptable for resolving this issue because the replicate data sets do not have the same confounding as the original data set. These limitations make it difficult to apply rare-variant tests to samples in which confounding most likely exists, e.g., samples collected from admixed populations. To enable the use of such rare-variant methods in structured samples, as well as to facilitate permutation tests for any situation in which case-control tests require adjustment for confounding covariates, we propose to establish the significance of a rare-variant test via a modified permutation procedure. Our procedure uses Fisher's noncentral hypergeometric distribution to generate permuted data sets with the same structure present in the actual data set such that inference is valid in the presence of confounding factors. We use simulated sequence data based on coalescent models to show that our permutation strategy corrects for confounding due to population stratification that, if ignored, would otherwise inflate the size of a rare-variant test. We further illustrate the approach by using sequence data from the Dallas Heart Study of energy metabolism traits. Researchers can implement our permutation approach by using the R package BiasedUrn.
Twins, families, and the psychology of individual differences: The legacy of Steven G. Vandenberg

To honor the retirement of Steven G. Vandenberg, his contributions to multivariate behavioral genetics are reviewed. During Professor Vandenberg's prolific career, he made substantial contributions to three general areas: twin research, family studies, and research on individual differences. In the area of twin research, two large-scale studies, the Hereditary Abilities Study and the Louisville Twin Study, are reviewed. His contributions to the analysis of twin data, with particular reference to the canonical generalization of Bartlett'sF ratio, are also noted. In the area of family studies, Professor Vandenberg was principal or coprincipal investigator of the Boulder Family Study, the Hawaii Family Study of Cognition, the Colorado Adoption Project, and a twin-family study of smoking behavior; his papers on ethnic comparisons, assortative marriage, and kinship analyses are reviewed. In his research on individual differences, Professor Vandenberg conducted studies of the cross-ethnic factorial invariance of primary mental abilities in Chinese and South American students and took an early interest in automated methods for factor analysis. Over the course of his career, Professor Vandenberg has made a variety of tangible and intangible contributions to behavioral genetics, and his personal humility and scientific outlook have provided an important role model for his colleagues and students.
Variation in attraction of individual male gypsy moths to (+)- and (±)-disparlure

Gyspy moth (Lymantria dispar L.) males atttracted to either (+)-cis-7,8-epoxy-2-methyloctadecane [(+)-disparlure] or its racemate [(±)-disparlure] do not represent distinct behavioral classes of individuals. Males attracted to within 2 cm of either (+)- or (+-)-disparlure dispensers on a tree trunk were caught, marked as to the lure visited, and then released into a 5×5 grid at ca. 20-m spacing of traps baited alternately with (+)-or (±)-disparlure. Males then reattracted to these lures showed no evident preference for the lures at which they were first captured, indicating that males attracted to either of these lures are not behavioral phenotypes.
Band removal and conversion to sleeve or bypass: are they equally safe?

Introduction Patients who require laparoscopic adjustable gastric band (LAGB) removal are often converted to sleeve gastrectomy (SG) or roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). The relative safety of these salvage bariatric procedures is unclear. We hypothesized that LAGB removal with conversion to SG (BSG) or RYGB (BRYGB) would be associated with higher morbidity and mortality compared to primary SG or RYGB.
Creating a Progress-Monitoring System in Reading for Middle-School Students: Tracking Progress toward Meeting High-Stakes Standards.

In this study, we examined the reliability and validity of curriculum-based measures (CBM) in reading for indexing the performance of secondary-school students. Participants were 236 eighth-grade students (134 females and 102 males) in the classrooms of 17 English teachers. Students completed 1-, 2-, and 3-minute reading aloud and 2-, 3-, and 4-minute maze selection tasks. The relation between performance on the CBMs and the state reading test were examined. Results revealed that both reading aloud and maze selection were reliable and valid predictors of performance on the state standards tests, with validity coefficients above .70. An exploratory follow-up study was conducted in which the growth curves produced by the reading-aloud and maze-selection measures were compared for a subset of 31 students from the original study. For these 31 students, maze selection reflected change over time whereas reading aloud did not. This pattern of results was found for both lower- and higher-performing students. Results suggest that it is important to consider both performance and progress when examining the technical adequacy of CBMs. Implications for the use of measures with secondary-level students for progress monitoring are discussed.
Prevention of systolic anterior motion after repair of the severely myxomatous mitral valve with an anterior leaflet valvuloplasty

Background Systolic anterior motion after mitral valve repair of severely myxomatous valves is due to excess tissue or anterior displacement, or both, of the leaflet coaptation point. Our series of anterior leaflet valvuloplasty, an alternative to the sliding leaflet technique to prevent systolic anterior motion, is presented. Methods Between January 1, 1996 and January 6, 2003, we performed elliptical excisions of the base of the anterior leaflet in 47 patients with a mean age of 66 years (range, 29 to 86). All patients had an anterior leaflet height of 3.0 cm or more and an annular diameter of 4.0 cm or more. Repairs included posterior leaflet (37; 80%), and anterior leaflet (28; 61%) resections, with occasional transposition flaps (9; 19%). All 47 (100%) had an annuloplasty ring (9, Physio; 37, Seguin). Four (8%) included tricuspid repair, 6 (13%) aortic valve replacement, and 9 (19%) coronary artery bypass. Follow-up was between 2 months and 8 years. Results There was no systolic anterior motion or in-hospital (30-day) mortality. Postoperative echocardiography revealed an average anterior leaflet height of 2.2 ± 0.3 cm, with an annular diameter of 3 ± 0.2 cm. The anterior/posterior leaflet ratio decreased from 1.6 ± 0.2 to 1.4 ± 0.1 cm while the coaptation point–annular plane distance decreased from 1.2 ± 0.2 to 0.9 ± 0.1 cm. There were 4 late noncardiac deaths. Two patients have required mitral valve replacement owing to progressive disease and 6 patients were lost to follow-up. The 35 patients remaining have trace-mild mitral regurgitation. Conclusions Our anterior mitral valve leaflet valvuloplasty, regardless of the ring, results in a decrease in surface area and excursion of the anterior leaflet without systolic anterior motion.
Exploring GPU architectures to accelerate semantic comparison for intention-based search

Semantic comparison is the basic computational task behind meaningful search techniques being deployed by most of the new search engines. This report presents performance comparison among three GPU architectures implementing semantic comparison. We have used both linear and binary search approaches along with Bloom filter while implementing semantic comparison. The Kepler, Fermi and Tesla show 250, 200 and 100 times speedup respectively compared to an Intel's i7 processor with varying workloads. We determine that binary search based Bloom filter approach reduces semantic comparison time by factor up to 100 compared to linear search based Bloom filter on real dataset.
What, if anything, will France's reintegration imply for the alliance debate on nuclear weapons?

Abstract This article asks whether France's return to North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)'s integrated military command could translate into a bigger role on nuclear issues within NATO. As NATO prepares its new strategic concept, its nuclear doctrine is bound to change as several allies have expressed their dissatisfaction with the status quo. The presence of American theater nuclear weapons in five NATO countries remains controversial. First, I argue that the removal of NATO's nuclear weapons does not mean the end of extended nuclear deterrence, by making a distinction between extended deterrence and collective-actor deterrence. Second, I compare the nuclear postures of NATO, France and the USA to show that harmonization is possible. Finally, I outline several options for a new nuclear doctrine under NATO and formulate some policy recommendations.
Multichannel Sampling of Parametric Signals with a Successive Approximation Property

Recently the sampling theory for certain parametric signals based on rate of innovation has been extended to all sampling kernels that satisfy the Strang-Fix conditions, thus including many attractive choices with finite support. We propose a new sampling scheme in which samples are taken simultaneously at the outputs of multiple channels. This new scheme is closely related to previously known cases, but provides a successive approximation property that can be used for detecting undermodeling. We also draw connections to splines and multi-scale sampling of signals.
Effect of Steroid Hormones, Ovariectomy, Estrogen Pretreatment, Sex and Immaturity on the Distribution of 3H-Estradiol

Binding sites of limited capacity for 3H-estradiol have been demonstrated in the anterior pituitary, uterus, vagina and hypothalamus. Administration of estrone or estriol decreased the accumulation of 3H-estradiol in the anterior pituitary, uterus, vagina and hypothalamus, whereas the concentration of 3Hestradiol in the heart, cerebrum and plasma was not reduced. High doses of progesterone, testosterone, or hydrocortisone did not reduce the concentration of 3H-estradiol in tissues. These observations indicate a high specificity for attachment to the estradiol binding sites. The distribution of 3H-estradiol was similar in intact and ovariectomized rats except for a lower concentration but higher content in the uterus of the animals with ovaries. Treatment of ovariectomized rats with estrogen increased the capacity of the uterus to bind estradiol. The accumulation of 3H-estradiol in peripheral organs and, probably, in the central nervous system was similar in mature and immature female rats. The central ner...
Chemical characterization of direct-acting airborne mutagens: the functional group.

Abstract Durham NC air was sampled, extracted, and bioassayed for mutagenic activity in Salmonella typhimurium TA98. Portions of the extracts were treated with sodium borohydride over copper(II) acetylacetonate to reduce any nitroaromatic substances to their corresponding amines. All of the reduced extracts were not directly mutagenic, but the 2 that were derived from cold-weather air samplings did contain substances that could be activated oxidatively. These “indirect-acting” mutagens were present in the same 2 reduced extracts that contained detectable concentrations of aromatic amines. These results suggest that a major portion of the total mutagenic activity in air-pollution particles is contributed by nitro-substituted compounds that are detectable as their corresponding amines. They also suggest that the atmospheric concentrations of these substances may be high in the colder months of Durham's year.
Determination of Caffeine in Plasma by Gas Chromatography

A gas chromatographic method has been developed for the rapid, precise, and specific determination of caffeine in plasma. The method overcomes the major drawbacks of previous methods for the determination of caffeine in body fluids, which were: difficult isolation from interfering materials, a substantial blank error and low sensitivity. A standard response curve relating the signal-height ratio of caffeine to that of an internal standard, hexobarbital, permits quantitation of the amount of caffeine present. The method involves extraction of caffeine from plasma with chloroform, after the aqueous phase was adjusted to pH 11.5–12.0. The chloroform extract was evaporated to dryness and the sample was redissolved in carbon disulfide. Two milliliters of plasma was used and caffeine was determined at a concentration of 0.25 mcg./ml.
Vickers microhardness indentation and fracture mechanics of chalcogenide arsenic-selenium glasses

Measurements of Vickers microhardness have been carried out on As x Se1−x glass (0.28 <x < 0.60). The diamond pyramid hardness number as a function of composition revealed a maximum at 40% As, the stoichiometric composition, indicating that this composition is the most ordered and strongest of the alloys. Deviation from stoichiometry was found to increase the disorder and introduce weaker bonds. An attempt was made to use the indentation approach to determine the fracture toughness of the investigated glasses. Therefore, the extent of surface traces of well-developed penny-like (conchoidal) cracks extending from the corners of Vickers indents were measured and found to obey Lawn's relationP/C 3/2 = constant (whereP is the indenter load andC is the characteristic crack dimension). An approximate value of the fracture toughness was inferred from these measurements.
Regulation of IGF -1 signaling by microRNAs

The insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) signaling pathway regulates critical biological processes including development, homeostasis, and aging. Dysregulation of this pathway has been implicated in a myriad of diseases such as cancers, neurodegenerative diseases, and metabolic disorders, making the IGF-1 signaling pathway a prime target to develop therapeutic and intervention strategies. Recently, small non-coding RNA molecules in ~22 nucleotide length, microRNAs (miRNAs), have emerged as a new regulator of biological processes in virtually all organ systems and increasing studies are linking altered miRNA function to disease mechanisms. A miRNA binds to 3’UTRs of multiple target genes and coordinately down-regulates their expression, thereby exerting a profound influence on gene regulatory networks. Here we review the components of the IGF-1 signaling pathway that are known targets of miRNA regulation, and highlight recent studies that suggest therapeutic potential of these miRNAs against various diseases.
The Role of Community Context in Immigrant Elderly Living Arrangements: Korean American Elderly

Previous studies of the determinants of living arrangements for immigrant elderly have focused on cultural tradition or individual characteristics, without addressing community-level structural factors. This study examined the living arrangements of Korean American elderly. The authors hypothesized that the probability of Korean American elderly living independently is associated with community characteristics, specifically the availability of subsidized housing near Korean ethnic communities. Using the U.S. Census Bureau 1990 Public Use Microdata Sample, the authors compared the living arrangements of Korean Americans aged 60 and over in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York City. After adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic, cultural, and health factors, Korean American elderly in New York City are less likely to live independently compared to those in Los Angeles or Chicago. Using Korean business directories and public housing lists, the authors found that the availability of subsidized housing and the ...
The linearized buckling analysis of a composite beam with multiple delaminations

Abstract A simple model is described for predicting the linearized buckling load of a composite beam with multiple delaminations. The model employs an energy method and arbitrary assumed displacements. Lagrange multipliers are used to enforce the kinematic constraints and boundary conditions, enabling a variety of support conditions to be studied. The accuracy of the approach is verified by comparing results with previously published data and a series of finite element analyses. The effects of delamination depth and length on the buckling load are investigated in detail for beams with one and two delaminations. Euler or thin film buckling is observed in most cases. However, for a beam with two delaminations located so that there are two laminae of equal thickness, antisymmetric S-shaped buckling modes are observed for certain delamination lengths.
National Study on Emergency Department Visits for Transient Ischemic Attack, 1992–2001

Objectives: To describe the epidemiology of U.S. emergency department (ED) visits for transient ischemic attack (TIA) and to measure rates of antiplatelet medication use, neuroimaging, and hospitalization during a ten-year time period. Methods: The authors obtained data from the 1992–2001 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. TIA cases were identified by having ICD-9 code 435. Results: From 1992 to 2001, there were 769 cases, representing 2,969,000 ED visits for TIA. The population rate of 1.1 ED visits per 1,000 U.S. population (95% CI = 0.92 to 1.30) was stable over time. TIA was diagnosed in 0.3% of all ED visits. Physicians administered aspirin and other antiplatelet agents to a small percentage of patients, and 42% of TIA patients (95% CI = 29% to 55%) received no medications at all in the ED. Too few data points existed to measure a statistically valid trend over time. Physicians performed computed tomography scanning in 56% (95% CI = 45% to 66%) of cases and performed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in < 5% of cases, and there was a trend toward increased imaging over time. Admission rates did not increase during the ten-year period, with 54% (95% CI = 42% to 67%) admitted. Regional differences were noted, however, with the highest admission rate found in the Northeast (68%). Conclusions: Between 1992 and 2001, the population rate of ED visits for TIA was stable, as were admission rates (54%). Antiplatelet medications appear to be underutilized and to be discordant with published guidelines. Neuroimaging increased significantly. These findings may reflect the limited evidence base for the guidelines, educational deficits, or other barriers to guideline implementation.
Ring-substituted amphetamine interactions with neurotransmitter receptor binding sites in human cortex

Abstract The binding affinities of 3 ring-substituted amphetamine compounds were determined at 9 neurotransmitter binding sites in human cortex. (±)-3,4-Methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), (±)-3,4-methylenedioxyethamphetamine (MDE), and (±)-3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA or ‘Ecstasy’) all display highest affinity (approximately 1 μM) for the recently identified ‘DOB binding site’ labeled by [ 77 Br]R(−)4-bromo-2,5-dimethoxyphenylisopropylamine ([ 77 Br]R(−)DOB). MDA displays moderate affinity (4–5 μM) for the 5-hydroxytryptamine 1A (5-HT 1A ), 5-HT 1D , and α 2 -adrenergic sites in human cortex. MDE and MDMA display lower affinity or are inactive at all other sites tested in the present study. These observations are discussed in relation to the novel psychoactive effects of the ring-substituted amphetamines.
Characterization of bionanocomposite scaffolds comprised of mercaptoethylamine-functionalized gold nanoparticles crosslinked to acellular porcine tissue

Bionanocomposite scaffolds comprised of nanomaterials and the extracellular matrix (ECM) of porcine diaphragm tissue capitalizes on the benefits of utilizing a natural ECM material, while also potentially enhancing physicomechanical properties and biocompatibility through nanomaterials. Gold nanoparticle (AuNP) bionanocomposite scaffolds were subjected to a number of characterization techniques to determine whether the fabrication process negatively impacted the properties of the porcine diaphragm tissue and whether the AuNP improved the properties of the tissue. Tensile testing and differential scanning calorimetry demonstrated that the bionanocomposite possessed improved tensile strength and thermal stability relative to natural tissue. The collagenase assay and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy additionally confirmed that denaturation of the collagen of the ECM did not occur. The novel bionanocomposite scaffold possessed properties similar to commercially available scaffolds and will be further developed for soft tissue applications such as hernia repair through in vivo studies in an animal model.
One-pass 3-D Depth Migration Without Splitting Error Compensation

One-pass 3-D depth migration for poststack seismic data may be implemented by replacing the traditional 45° one-way wave equation (a third-order partial differential equation) with a pair of second and first order partial differential equations. This is a time-space domain algorithm. Except for an extra correction term, the resulting second order equation has a form similar to Claerbout’s 15° one-way wave equation, which is known to have nearly circular depth slices of impulse response even when solved with the splitting method. In this approach, there is no need to compensate for splitting errors. Synthetic examples show that this algorithm obtains the impulse response with almost circular horizontal crosssections without explicit splitting error compensation.
Improving Service Delivery for Information Gatekeepers: Report of a Workshop at the World Bank in Nigeria

Purpose – To present a report on a one‐day workshop entitled “Improving Service Delivery for Information Gatekeepers” held in the World Bank office, 21 December 2004 for participants drawn from selected Ministries and Government parastatals. The World Bank convened the workshop to sensitize the Information Gatekeepers on the expectations of the public; encourage them to sit together, identify knowledge gaps, discuss the issues on ground and map out strategies to meet the challenges.Design/methodology/approach – The paper combines narrative with some analysis and opinions of the discussion.Findings – Presently, the ability of Information Gatekeepers to respond to requests when Nigeria’s Freedom of Information (FOI) bill becomes an act of parliament, is largely uncertain. The writer opines that about 50 percent of Information Gatekeepers in Nigeria’s Judicial system have no direct access to a computer, 65 percent have little direct or indirect interaction with the internet, while nearly 85 percent had not b...
Combination with bortezomib enhances the antitumor effects of nanoparticle-encapsulated thiostrepton

Bortezomib is well-known for inducing cell death in cancer cells, specifically through the mechanism of proteasome inhibition. Thiostrepton, a thiazole antibiotic, has also been described for its proteasome inhibitory action, although differing slightly to bortezomib in the proteasomal site to which it is active. Previously we had shown the synergic effect of bortezomib and thiostrepton in breast cancer cells in vitro, where sub-apoptotic concentrations of both proteasome inhibitors resulted in synergic increase in cell death when combined as a treatment. Here, we administered such a combination to MDA-MB-231 xenograft tumors in vivo, and found that the effect of complementary proteasome inhibitors reduced tumor growth rates more efficiently than compared with when administered alone. Increased induction of apoptotic activity in tumors was found be associated with the growth inhibitory activity of combination treatment. Further examination additionally revealed that combination-treated tumors exhibited reduced proteasome activity, compared with non-treated and single drug-treated tumors. These data suggest that this drug combination may be useful as a therapy for solid tumors.
Capacitive Discharge Graphite Furnace Laser-Excited Atomic Fluorescence of Thallium

Abstract For the first time, an anisotropic graphite furnace heated by capacitive discharge was used for laser-excited atomic fluorescence spectrometry. A detection limit of 5 fg for thallium was obtained with a laser repetition rate of 500 Hz and a peak integration time of 80 ms. The use of a capacitive discharge furnace allows for a shorter integration time, which in turn should allow for integration of less background noise, and improved detection limits. Theoretically, the magnitude of the shot noise should be proportional to the square root of the integration time, and inversely proportional to the square root of the laser repetition rate. Experimental data illustrated the effect of laser repetition rate, but were inconclusive with respect to integration time. The linear dynamic range of the calibration curve was six orders of magnitude, which was comparable to that normally obtained for laser-excited atomic fluorescence in modern commercial graphite furnaces. Thallium was accurately determined in NIST biological samples at levels one to two orders of magnitude below the detection limit of electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry, with an analytical precision between 8 and 20%. The interference effects of calcium, sodium chloride, and potassium chloride on the thallium signal were investigated and shown to be similar to both laser-excited atomic fluorescence in a conventional furnace and capacitive discharge furnace atomic absorption results reported in the literature.
Bone preparation at the KCCAMS laboratory

Abstract Collagen purification by ultrafiltration [1] is becoming widely accepted as a superior 14 C sample preparation method for removing environmental contamination from archaeological bone. We present an overview of bone sample preparation methods used at the KCCAMS laboratory, UC Irvine. Methods development data are also discussed, including results of tests of gelatinization temperature, evaluation of 10 kDa vs. 30 kDa molecular weight (MW) ultrafiltration, improvements to ultrafilter cleaning methods, tests of ultrafilter memory, and ultrafilter glycerin contamination. These tests were not intended to be exhaustive, but rather to show how standard procedures can be validated and improved with relatively little effort.
Regulatory mechanisms of AMPA receptors in synaptic plasticity

Activity-dependent changes in the strength of excitatory synapses are a cellular mechanism for the plasticity of neuronal networks that is widely recognized to underlie cognitive functions such as learning and memory. AMPA (alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid)-type glutamate receptors (AMPARs) are the main transducers of rapid excitatory transmission in the mammalian CNS, and recent discoveries indicate that the mechanisms which regulate AMPARs are more complex than previously thought. This review focuses on recent evidence that alterations to AMPAR functional properties are coupled to their trafficking, cytoskeletal dynamics and local protein synthesis. These relationships offer new insights into the regulation of AMPARs and synaptic strength by cellular signalling.
Two-dimensional conduction-band engineering for performance optimization of quantum cascade lasers

The device core of a conventional quantum cascade laser (QCL) is composed of a superlattice of quantum wells (QWs) and barriers of fixed alloy compositions, which, for 4.5–5.0 μm-emitting QCLs operated at room temperature (RT), results in severe carrier leakage. In turn, the characteristic-temperature values for the threshold-current density J th and the slope efficiency are low: T 0 is in the 130–150 K range 1–3 and T 1 is in the 140–170 K range. 1,3 That is why the maximum wallplug efficiency η wp, max in CW operation at RT, for light emitted from the front facet of conventional devices with high-reflectivity-coated back facets, has typical values4 of only ≈ 13%, and no statistically relevant lifetest data have been reported to date for high-power CW devices. Furthermore, thermally accelerated lifetime studies3 have been limited to low CW powers (≤ 0.2 W); thus, no device-aging model can be deduced for high-CW-power (≥ 0.5 W) QCLs.
Gaussian Basis Sets for Model Anharmonic Oscillator Systems

Basis sets of equally spaced Gaussian functions are used to obtain diatomic Morse and harmonic‐oscillator wavefunctions for CH and CN species. These functions are then used to obtain energy levels and eigen‐functions for model linear HCN and CH2 species with both harmonic and Morse potentials for two internal coordinates.
Atomic-Beam Investigations of Electronic and Nuclear Ground States in the Rare-Earth Region

A number of radioactive isotopes in the rare-earth region have been investigated by using the atomic-beam magnetic-resonance technique. The total electronic angular momentum ($J$) and the atomic $g$ value (${g}_{J}$) have been determined for some low-lying levels in, Pm, Dy, Ho, and Er. These observations are consistent with the following ground-state assignments: Pmi---${(4f)}^{5}{(6s)}^{2}$, $^{6}H_{\frac{5}{2}}$; Dyi---${(4f)}^{10}{(6s)}^{2}$, $^{5}I_{8}$; Hoi---${(4f)}^{11}{(6s)}^{2}$, $^{4}I_{\frac{15}{2}}$; and Eri---${(4f)}^{12}{(6s)}^{2}$, $^{3}H_{6}$. The ground-level assignments agree with the Hund's-rule predictions, and the $g$ values approximate the Land\'e values well. Our present experimental knowledge concerning electronic ground states in the rare-earth region is summarized. The following nuclear spin values have been obtained: ${\mathrm{Pm}}^{149}$, $I=\frac{7}{2}$; ${\mathrm{Pm}}^{151}$, $I=\frac{5}{2}$; ${\mathrm{Gd}}^{159}$, $I=\frac{3}{2}$; ${\mathrm{Tb}}^{160}$, $I=3$; ${\mathrm{Dy}}^{165}$, $I=\frac{7}{2}$; ${\mathrm{Dy}}^{166}$, $I=0$; 27-hr ${\mathrm{Ho}}^{166}$, $I=0$; ${\mathrm{Er}}^{169}$, $I=\frac{1}{2}$; ${\mathrm{Er}}^{171}$, $I=\frac{5}{2}$; and ${\mathrm{Tm}}^{171}$, $I=\frac{1}{2}$. These values are compared with available beta-decay results. Most of these isotopes have large nuclear deformations, and the spin values are discussed in relation to the single-particle energy-level diagrams given by Nilsson. A few results are explained with the shell model.