cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SIGNS AND SYMBOLS IN DERSU UZALA

Dersu Uzala (1975), directed by Akira Kurosawa, the renowned Japanese filmmaker, in conjunction with Russia’s Mosfilm Studios, presents a seemingly simple human drama played out in an uncharted area of Siberia. With a screenplay based on Vladimir Arseniev’s 1941 nonfiction account of his experience with a nomadic trapper, Dersu Uzala was Kurosawa’s second color movie and his first movie outside Japan with non-Japanese actors. The narrating voice we hear is that of Captain Vladimir Arseniev, a Russian geographer and cartographer, as he writes a memoir of two surveying expeditions in the rugged Siberian wilderness, the Ussurian taiga. Arseniev tells the story in a series of flashbacks of his days with Dersu Uzala, a man who lived in this remote region and with whom he formed an uncommon friendship. The movie traces this friendship and its effects on both men—one a cultured, well- educated scientist and military officer, the other a mountain man living alone in the forest in one of the world’s harshest environments. The story of these two men and the complex emotional bond they form is told against a backdrop of spectacular natural beauty, with the changes of seasons in Siberia echoing the changes in their relationship. The film is a panoramic vision— like a series of beautiful photographs, each capturing the colors and textures of nature untouched by humankind. The camera focuses steadily on expansive scenes so that they appear to be still shots, moving only enough to capture the global movements of the characters. Because there are few close-ups of the characters, the human drama seems insignificant in relation to the eternal cycles of the natural world. Indeed, nature is one of the characters in the film: the powerful beauty of the Siberian landscape
The influence of oscillating dietary protein concentrations on finishing cattle. II. Nutrient retention and ammonia emissions

We hypothesized that oscillation of the dietary CP concentrations would improve efficiency of N use and reduce N loss to the environment. Charolais-cross steers (n = 8; 315 +/- 21 kg of BW) were used in a replicated 4 x 4 Latin square design. The steers were allowed ad libitum access to the following diets: 1) 9.1% CP (low), 2) 11.8% CP (medium), 3) 13.9% CP (high), or 4) low and high oscillated on a 48-h interval on each diet (oscillating). Dry matter intake did not differ among treatments (P = 0.46), but N intake differed (P < 0.01) from 94 (low) to 131 (medium), 142 (high), and 133 g/d (oscillating), as designed. Dry matter digestibility increased (P < 0.01) from 71.8% (low) to 75.8% (medium), 77.7% (high), and 77.5% (oscillating). Nitrogen digestibility increased (P < 0.01) from 62.2% (low) to 67.2% (medium) to 70.1% (high) and 70.9% (oscillating). Nitrogen retention was greater (P < 0.01) in steers fed oscillating (55.0 g/d) than in the steers fed low (34.8 g/ d) or high (40.2 g/d), but N retention of steers fed medium (49.8 g/d) differed (P = 0.02) only from that of steers fed low. Urinary urea N did not differ between steers fed medium (19.5 g/d) or oscillating (21.3 g/d) but was lowest (P < 0.01) for those fed low (8.2 g/d) and greatest for those fed high (39.2 g/d). Daily heat production (kcal/BW(0.75)) tended (P = 0.09) to be less for the steers fed low (177) than those fed medium (189), high (188), or oscillating (182). Cumulative in vitro ammonia volatilization from the manure of steers fed oscillating was lower (P < 0.01) for the initial 5 d of incubation than from manure of those fed medium, but there was no difference after 11 d of incubation. Additionally, there was a decrease (P < 0.01) in in vitro ammonia volatilization as protein concentration in the diet decreased from high to medium to low. These data indicate that oscillation of the dietary protein improved N retention of finishing steers compared with those in high and low N diets and that these changes were great enough to correspondingly alter ammonia volatilization from manure.
Glass transition behavior of alumina/polymethylmethacrylate nanocomposites

Abstract Alumina/polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) nanocomposites were synthesized using 39-nm nanoparticles and in situ free-radical polymerization. At filler concentrations greater than 0.5 wt.%, the glass transition temperature, Tg, was observed to decrease precipitously by 25 °C compared to the neat polymer. At smaller weight fractions, there were no changes in the composite Tg. The abrupt changes seem to indicate a threshold at which a significant volume fraction of polymer has higher mobility that brings about the decrease in Tg. Consistent with this behavior, the Tg depression was suppressed by coating the nanoparticles to make them compatible with the matrix.
The Motion of a Compliantly Suspended Rigid Body Constrained by Multi-Point Frictionless Contact

In this paper, the motion of an elastically suspended rigid body unilaterally constrained by contact at multiple locations is studied. In this problem, each individual contact may or may not constrain the body’s motion. Whether a contact provides an active constraint or not is determined by: 1) the commanded motion of the body’s compliant support, 2) the direction of the constraining surface normal, 3) the number and direction of other potentially constraining surfaces, and 4) the elastic properties of the support. Here, the investigated problem is restricted to quasistatic motion and frictionless contact. We show that the set of possible constraints that are active for a given set of contacts, elastic behavior, and commanded motion is unique. We also develop a procedure to determine the set of active constraints. This procedure is then used as part of a larger procedure to determine the compliant motion of the rigid body.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Servocontrol of the GS16 Turbine Gas Metering Valve by Physics-Based Robust Controller Synthesis

We present a design approach for robust controller synthesis using a μ-synthesis procedure, which returns a controller in an observor/state-feedback form with physically meaningful states. We are also able to (approximately) retain this physical meaning when using balanced truncation to (significantly) reduce the controller order, as is often necessary in practice. The advantages of this physics-based approach are illustrated by a detailed outline of the controller design for Woodward Governor's GS16 Turbine Gas Metering Valve.
Brain Mechanisms, Intrapsychic Processes and Behavior: A Theory of Hypnosis and Psychopathology

(1964). Brain Mechanisms, Intrapsychic Processes and Behavior: A Theory of Hypnosis and Psychopathology. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis: Vol. 7, No. 2, pp. 107-119.
Right ventricular assist device in end-stage pulmonary arterial hypertension: insights from a computational model of the cardiovascular system

Abstract Background The high mortality rate of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) mainly relates to progressive right ventricular (RV) failure. With limited efficacy of medical therapies, mechanical circulatory support for the RV has been considered. However, there is lack of understanding of the hemodynamic effects of mechanical support in this setting. Methods We modeled the cardiovascular system, simulated cases of PAH and RV dysfunction and assessed the theoretical effects of a continuous flow micro-pump as an RV assist device (RVAD). RVAD inflow was sourced either from the RV or RA and outflow was to the pulmonary artery. RVAD support was set at various flow rates and additional simulations were carried out in the presence of atrial septostomy (ASD) and tricuspid regurgitation (TR). Results RVAD support increased LV filling, thus improving cardiac output and arterial pressure, unloading the RA and RV, while raising pulmonary arterial and capillary pressures in an RVAD flow-dependent manner. These effects diminished with increasing disease severity. The presence of TR did not significantly impact the hemodynamic effects of RVAD support. ASD reduced the efficacy of RVAD support, since right-to-left shunting decreased and ultimately reversed with increasing RVAD support due to the progressive drop in RA pressure. Conclusions The results of this theoretical analysis suggest that RVAD support can effectively increase cardiac output and decreases RA pressure with the consequence of increasing pulmonary artery and capillary pressures. Especially in advanced PAH, low RVAD flow rates may mitigate these potentially detrimental effects while effectively increasing systemic hemodynamics.
Automatic construction of accurate application call graph with library call abstraction for Java

Call graphs are widely used to represent calling relationships among methods. However, there is not much interest in calling relationships among library methods in many software engineering applications, such as program understanding and testing, especially when the library is very big and the calling relationships are not trivial. This paper explores approaches for generating more accurate application call graphs for Java. A new data reachability algorithm is proposed and fine tuned to resolve library callbacks accurately. Compared with an algorithm that resolves library callbacks by traversing the whole-program call graph, the fine-tuned data reachability algorithm results in fewer spurious callback edges. In empirical studies, the new algorithm shows a significant reduction in the number of spurious callback edges. On the basis of the new algorithm, a library abstraction can be calculated automatically and applied in amortized slicing and dataflow testing. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Mathematical Model for Ligand/Receptor/G-Protein Dynamics and Actin Polymerization in Human Neutrophils

A mathematical model is proposed for describing the dynamics of the chemotactic peptide-stimulated actin polymerization response in human neutrophils. The response pathway utilizes the guanine nucleotide binding protein (G-protein) signal transduction cascade common to many receptor systems and allows adaptation in the continued presence of ligand. The development of such a model is an important first step toward understanding, predicting, and ultimately manipulating neutrophil responses. The model is divided into two parts, ligand/receptor/G-protein dynamics and the actin polymerization mechanism. Fast (receptor precoupled to G-protein) and slow (free receptor) signaling pathways involving ligand/receptor/G-protein interactions produce an activated signaling molecule. The actin polymerization mechanisms utilizes an actin binding protein which complexes with actin monomer and inhibits polymerization in an unstimulated cell. During stimulation, the activated signaling molecule enhances the dissociation of monomer/binding protein complexes, allowing the actin polymerization response to occur. The fast and slow signaling pathways are predicted to have different roles in controlling the time course of this actin polymerization. Additionally, precoupled receptors are predicted to have a larger ligand association rate constant than non-precoupled (free) receptors. Model simulations agree with many of the experimentally observed characteristics of both the stimulated F-actin response and ligand/receptor binding kinetics for both the fluorescent peptide ligand CHO-norleucyl-leucyl-phenylalanyl-norleucyl-tyrosyl-lysine-fluorescein (CHO-NLFNTK-fl) and the non-fluorescent peptide ligand CHO-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (CHO-MLF).
Kloppenborg on Crop-Share Leases in Jewish Palestine

Kloppenborg (K. 44, 48, 61) suggests that crop-share leases began to become popular in viticulture beginning in the third century BCE in Jew ish Palestine in the Hellenistic period.1 The aim of this communication is to correct a fundamental misconception in K s discussion of the economics of crop-share leases. This misconception causes K to lose control over some rather interesting evidence. A consideration of the relevant economic the ory is necessary and appropriate in a Journal whose central focus is eco nomic history. After discussing the economic attractions of crop-share agreements I consider K s argument that crop-share leases operate to max imize the tenant s labor input. For most/many small Palestinian farmers the uncertainties of producing for new wine export markets (K. 47, 61) would be a decisive consideration against independent farm operation. Sharecropping and wage labor were the realistic alternatives. A major feature of crop-share leases is a more even sharing of risk and reward between contracting parties. In what follows, I refer to the contracting parties as farmer (or tenant) and entrepreneur, not "landlord" because the latter contractors did not always own land. K appears to see the matter differently. He speaks of (not really) "free" smallholders being "forced" from their land (48, 60, 61) or as being "dis possessed" (39). K presents no evidence of the use of force against small holders. Indeed, by "force." he has in mind standard market transactions,
Discs in complex manifolds with no bounded plurisubharmonic functions

Roughly speaking: In a complex manifold on which all bounded plurisubharmonic functions are constant, the center of a holomorphic disc and its boundary can be prescribed somewhat arbitrarily.
Effects of quantization on feedback systems with stochastic inputs

An approximate analysis of the effects of quantization in a feedback system is made. The system input is a Gaussian random signal. The error autocorrelation as a function of the quantizer box size is the goal of the analysis. The approximation lies in the assumption that certain error joint distributions are Gaussian. In the limit as the quantizer box size approaches zero, these distributions do become Gaussian. On the basis of the approximation, a nonlinear integral equation relating the error autocorrelation to the system parameters is developed. An iteration procedure for successive approximations to the solution is outlined, and several examples are presented. Finally, experimental results obtained on a digital computer are shown.
Experimental and theoretical studies of reactions between H atoms and nitrogen-containing carbanions

Nitrogen-containing organic compounds are important in the interstellar medium (ISM). The detection of some corresponding anions, C n N– (n = 1, 3, 5), highlights the importance of laboratory studies of their chemistry, especially with the most abundant atomic species in the ISM, hydrogen atom. This work is a combined experimental and computational study of a series of nitrogen-containing carbanions reacting with H atoms. The anions include C n N– (n = 1-6), C n N2 – (n = 1, 3-5), and C n N3 – (n = 2, 4), and reactions mainly proceed through associative detachment (A– + H → AH + e –) or fragmentation pathways. Experimental measurements of the reaction rate constants were made with the flowing afterglow-selected ion flow tube technique. Ab initio theoretical calculations were carried out to explore the reaction mechanisms and investigate the factors determining reactivities. Reaction is mainly determined by the characteristics of the potential energy surfaces along the approach of the reactants. In addition, angular momentum conservation of the anion-H atom collision may have the universal effect of decreasing the reaction efficiencies. Our results indicate that C n N– (n = 1-6) and C n N2 – (n = 1, 3-5) can be destroyed in reactions with H atoms by either forming the corresponding neutral monohydride compound or fragmenting into smaller anionic and neutral species. However, C n N3 – (n = 2, 4) anions are unreactive, such that they may exist in H atom rich regions in the ISM.
Inflation Cycles and Metals Prices

A leading index of inflation, developed and published monthly by the Center for International Business Cycle Research at Columbia University, has been designed to anticipate swings in broad measures of inflation such as the consumer price index. It generates signals indicating when the rate of inflation is likely to move up or down. Since metals prices are sensitive to the same types of economic factors that influence the overall inflation rate, we have examined the behavior of metals prices during intervals marked off by the signal dates. Between 1949 and 1986 the producer price index for metals and metal products moved up at an average annual rate of 6.7% when the leading index signaled an upswing, compared to a 1.7% rate during the remaining intervals. Aluminum scrap prices rose at a 15% average rate during the upswing signals but declined at an 11% rate otherwise. Copper scrap and zinc prices behaved similarly. The leading index of inflation appears to be a promising tool for forecasting short-run tre...
Neuroprotective Effect of Ketamine Administered After Status Epilepticus Onset

We investigated the neuroprotective effect of the noncompetitive N-methyl-D-asparatate (NMDA) antagonist ketamine when administered after onset of lithium-pilocarpine-induced status epilepticus (SE). Seizures were induced in Wistar rats with lithium chloride (3 mEq/kg) and pilocarpine (PC) (30-60 mg/kg intraperitoneally, i.p.). Fifteen minutes after SE onset, either ketamine 100 mg/kg or normal saline was injected i.p., and 3 h after SE onset atropine, diazepam (DZP), and phenobarbital (PB) were administered i.p. to terminate the seizures. Twenty-four hours later, rats underwent brain perfusion-fixation, with subsequent brain processing for light-microscopic examination. Rats adminstered saline (n = 5) had neuronal damage in 24 of 25 brain regions examined. Rats administered ketamine (n = 7) had significant neuroprotection in 22 of 24 damaged regions. Ketamine reduced the amplitude of seizure discharges, and in 3 rats EEG seizure activity ceased in 30 min; none of these rats had neuronal damage. In the other 4 rats, EEG seizure discharges persisted > 90 min; in these animals, 21 of 24 damaged regions were protected. In contrast, rats with 1-h high-dose PC-induced SE (400 mg/kg i.p. without lithium chloride preadministration) had 14 damaged regions, of which 7 were significantly different from the undamaged regions of the ketamine subgroup with persistent electrographic seizures. Thus, ketamine is remarkably neuroprotective when administered after onset of SE, whether or not seizure discharges are eliminated.
Effect of cow milk on pulmonary function in atopic asthmatic patients

Background There is a perception by some asthmatic patients that stimulation of respiratory mucous production by cow milk may worsen airway obstruction. Objective To determine whether cow milk ingestion reduces bronchial airflow in asthmatic patients as measured by standard spirometry. Methods Twenty-five atopic adults with mild asthma but no history of cow milk allergy or lactose intolerance participated in a prospective, randomized, double-bind, placebo-controlled crossover study. Subjects were randomly assigned to ingest either a solution containing cow milk powder or a placebo solution, received neither during a 14-day washout period, then ingested the alternate solution. Forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 second (s) (FEV 1 ), and FEV 1 /FVC were measured at 30 minutes, 1 hour (h), and 7 hours after challenge. A >/= 20% decrease decrease in FEV 1 or FEV 1 /FVC was considered clinically significant. Results FEV 1 was slightly lower at 30 minutes than the baseline value (mean change, .6% to 3.3%) for both challenges. None of the subjects experienced any adverse symptoms, acute or delayed, after cow milk or placebo challenges. Statistically significant changes in FEV 1 were reached 30 minutes after cow milk challenge ( P = .0007) and at one hour after placebo ( P = .0027). These changes are not clinically significant. Conclusion Although this study disclosed no acute or delayed asthmatic symptoms or deterioration of pulmonary function detected by using conventional spirometry, methacholine inhalation before and after cow milk challenge may be more sensitive for evaluation of cow milk-induced bronchial hyperreactivity.
Formation of 2,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxy-3(2H)-furanone through methylglyoxal: a Maillard reaction intermediate.

The caramel-like aroma compound, 2,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxy-3(2H)-furanone (DMHF) was quantified and verified by HPLC and GC-MS in the Maillard reaction based on methylglyoxal (MG). The reaction was performed in the 0.5 M phosphate buffer by heating MG with or without either glycine or cysteine at 120 °C for 1 h. MG alone or MG with cysteine could produce increased level of DMHF with pH increased, whereas MG with glycine had contrary trend. Experiments using a 1:1 mixture of [13C6]glucose and [12C6]glucose indicate that in the presence of glycine or cysteine, glucose skeleton kept intact during DMHF formation since a 1:1 mixture of [13C6]DMHF and [12C6]DMHF was formed. Acetylformoin was detected in the glucose with amino acid reaction system as a precursor of DMHF, while in the MG reaction systems, acetylformoin could not be identified. It is suggested different pathways of DMHF formation via MG and glucose.
Intravascular Ultrasound: State of the Art and Future Directions

A variety of new devices in the field of intravascular ultrasound imaging are being designed and tested. Mechanical intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) devices with rotating transducers have been developed that allow transducer pullback with integrated longitudinal 2-dimensional displays. Recent advances in the area of imaging include (1) solid-state systems that combine ultrasound with balloon and stent placement; (2) combined imaging atherectomy devices; (3) imaging cores or guidewires; (4) forward-looking devices; (5) 3-dimensional reconstruction techniques; (6) high-frequency imaging; and (7) improved methods for characterizing tissue. Other promising approaches include magnetic resonance imaging, thermography, and optical coherence tomography. An important goal for long-term technologic improvement is visualization of lipid accumulations and fibrous caps during their early stages of development.
Prevention of Autoimmune Diabetes in the DRBB Rat by CD40/154 Blockade

Abstract The autoimmune diabetes of the DRBB rat shares important similarities with autoimmune diabetes in humans. We have tested the ability of CD40/154 blockade using an anti-CD154 antibody (AH.F5) to prevent autoimmune diabetes in DRBB rats. The rats were treated with two intravenous doses/wk of AH.F5 (15 mg/kg/dose) starting at 2–6 wks of age. RT6.1 T-cell depletion and poly I/C was started at 4 wks of age. Control rats developed diabetes within 25 days after start of depletion therapy. Six of 7, 11 of 13, 7 of 12, and 4 of 11 rats treated with AH.F5 did not develop diabetes when treatment was started at 2–3, 4, 5, and 6 wks of age, respectively. The rats that did not develop diabetes were maintained for a minimum of 72 days to >150 days following the last dose of AH.F5. Eleven rats maintained for >150 days underwent an additional depletion and 5/11 developed diabetes within 8–19 days following start of depletion. Histological examination indicated that AH.F5 prevented and possibly reversed insulitis. Islets in about 50% of the treated rats remained free of inflammation following a second course of RT 6.1 T-cell depletion after the serum concentration of AH.F5 was negligible. In summary, CD40/154 blockade with AH.F5 prevents development of autoimmune diabetes if treatment is started prior to overt signs of beta cell destruction. The results indicate that the CD40/154 blockade can prevent diabetes by modifying the expansion or effector phase of the autoimmune diabetes.
The evolving role of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) in the normophysiology of hematopoiesis

In addition to its role as a toxicological signal mediator, the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AHR) is also a transcription factor known to regulate cellular responses to oxidative stress and inflammation through transcriptional regulation of molecules involved in the signaling of nucear factor-erythroid 2-related factor-2 (Nrf2), p53 (TRP53), retinoblastoma (RB1), and NFκB. Recent research suggests that AHR activation of these signaling pathways may provide the molecular basis for understanding AHR’s evolving role in endogenous developmental functions during hematopoietic stem-cell maintenance and differentiation. Recent developments into the hematopoietic roles for AHR are reviewed, aiming to reconcile divergent findings as to the endogenous function of AHR in hematopoiesis. Potential mechanistic explanations for AHR’s involvement in hematopoietic differentiation are discussed, focusing on its known role as a cell cycle mediator and its interactions with Hypoxia-inducible transcription factor-1 alpha (HIF1-α). Understanding the physiological mechanisms of AHR activation and signaling have far reaching implications ranging from explaining the action of various toxicological agents to providing novel ways to expand stem cell populations ex vivo for use in transplant therapies.
Augmented Age-associated Innate Immune Responses Contribute to Negative Inotropic and Lusitropic Effects of Lipopolysaccharide and Interferon γ

Abstract Innate immunity not only mediates early host defenses to infection, but also contributes to septic hemodynamic compromise through nitric oxide synthase (NOS2) induction and inhibition of cardiovascular adrenergic responses. Because of increased age-related susceptibility to sepsis, we hypothesized that hearts from old (28–29 months) adult rats would exhibit greater β -adrenergic hyporesponsiveness than young (6–8 months) following lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 6 mg/kg) with and without interferon γ (INF- γ , 5000 units). LPS/INF- γ depressed baseline +d P /d t and isoproterenol-stimulated inotropy in both old and young hearts. β -adrenergic inotropic (+d P /d t ) and lusitropic responses were more depressed in old v young LPS/INF- γ hearts. Additionally isoproterenol-stimulated cAMP elaboration was less in old (1950±160 fmol/min/g) v young (2440±170 fmol/min/g, P =0.05) LPS/INF- γ hearts. LPS alone also depressed basal +d P /d t and prolonged myocardial relaxation in old and young hearts, but suppressed isoproterenol +d P /d t responses only in old hearts. Depressed β -adrenergic inotropic responses were augmented with the selective NOS2 inhibitor N-iminoethyl-L-lysine. To establish biochemical mechanisms for this, we tested whether induction of NOS2 and innate immune system receptors (CD14 and Toll-like receptor 4, TLR4) were enhanced in old v young hearts. Induction of myocardial NOS2 and CD14 (not present in control) by LPS/INF- γ was 2–3-fold greater in old compared to young animals. TLR4 was constitutively expressed in old and young hearts and was unaffected by LPS/INF- γ . These findings indicate that advanced age is associated with augmented cardiac β -adrenergic depression and enhanced CD14-NOS2 signaling in response to cytokines. Upregulation of cardiovascular innate immunity may have clinical implications for increased mortality in older individuals with systemic inflammatory response syndromes.
The Nanotoxicology Research Program in NIOSH

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health through its Nanotechnology Research Center has developed a Strategic Plan for Nanotechnology Safety and Health Research. This Strategic Plan identified knowledge gaps and critical issues, which must be addressed to protect the health and safety of workers producing nanoparticles as well as those incorporating nanoparticles into commercial products or using nanomaterials in novel applications. This manuscript lists the projects that comprise the Nanotoxicology Program in NIOSH and provides a brief description of the goals and accomplishments of these projects.
An ultrastructural and radioautographic study of the migrating neuroblast in hamster neocortex.

Abstract Newborn hamsters were injected with [ 3 H]thymidine and sacrified on postlabel day 2 through 6. Samples of parietal cerebral cortex were fixed and embedded according to conventional electron microscopic techniques. Alternate 1 μm thick sections and 100 nm thin sections were mounted on glass slides and grids, respectively. The glass slides were processed for radioautography and the grids stained for electron microscopy. Labeled neuroblasts were identified with the light microscope on the radioautographs. The same cells were identified with the electron microscope for detailed study of their organelles. Two days after injection, the first cells to arrive in the cortex were found in the deepest laminae of the cortical plate. They were pear-shaped cells with most of the organelles located at the base of the apical or leading process. The nuclei were irregular in shape and had heterogeneous chromatin. The cytoplasm contained free ribosomes, mitochondria, Golgi complexes, vesicles, and microtubules. At later stages, the labeled cells were distributed throughout the cortical plate, but by the 5th day all were situated immediately below the molecular layer. At this time the nuclei were oval to round with homogeneously distributed chromatin. The apical or leading processes had the appearance of dendrites and contained an increasing number and complexity of organelles. Most outstanding was the increase in RER and microtubules during migration. Migrating neuroblasts thus labeled and positively identified were found to differentiate into cortical neurons as they pass through the cortical plate to layers II and III.
An Experimental Comparison of Different Approaches to Determining Weights in Additive Utility Models

Several studies this past decade have examined differences between holistic and decomposed approaches to determining weights in additive utility models. Some have argued that it matters little which procedure is used, whereas others strongly favored particular methods. In this paper we address this controversy experimentally by comparing five conceptually different approaches in terms of their weights and predictive ability. The five methods are 1 multiple linear and non-linear regression analyses of ten and fifteen holistic assessments, 2 direct decomposed tradeoffs as proposed by Keeney and Raiffa Keeney, R. L., H. Raiffa. 1977. Decisions with Multiple Objectives. Wiley, New York., 3 a recent eigen-vector technique of Saaty Saaty, T. L. 1977. A scaling method for priorities in hierarchical structures. J. Math. Psych.15 3 234-281. involving redundant pairwise comparisons of attributes, 4 a straightforward allocation of hundred importance points, and 5 unit weighting i.e., equal weighting after standardizing the attributes. The decision task involved college admissions. Subjects were asked to evaluate hypothetical college applicants on the basis of verbal SAT, quantitative SAT, high-school grade point average, and a measure of extra-curricular activity. Linear as well as nonlinear attribute utility functions were used in constructing the additive models. The nonlinear functions were specified graphically by the subjects through selection from five different shapes i.e., one per attribute. To test the predictive ability of the various models, each subject made twenty separate pairwise comparisons of alternatives including direction and strength of preference. The prediction criteria were percentage correct predictions as well as correlations using these twenty pairs. Seventy subjects were tested, using an order-controlled within-subject design, in comparing the different methods of weight determination. Monetary incentives were used to enhance motivation. In terms of findings, the methods generally differed systematically concerning the weights given to the various attributes, as well as the variances of the resulting predictions. On average, however, the methods predicted about equally well, except for unit weighting which was clearly inferior. The findings differ in this regard from the general literature. Furthermore, nonlinear models were found to be inferior to linear ones. Finally, subjects judged the methods to differ significantly in difficulty and trustworthiness, which were found to correlate inversely. The overall results raise various applied and theoretical issues, which are discussed.
Q-value of the 40Ca(α, γ)44Ti reaction

Abstract The Q-value of the 40Ca(α, γ)44Ti reaction has been measured by comparing resonance α-particle and γ-ray energies to those of the prominent T = 3 2 resonance in the 15N(α, γ)19F reaction, for which the Q-value is known with an accuracy of 0.12 keV. The result for the 40Ca(α, γ)44Ti reaction is Q = 5127.1 ± 0.7 keV. It follows that the mass excess of 44Ti is −37549 ± 1 keV.
Detrital zircon analysis of Mesoproterozoic and Neoproterozoic metasedimentary rocks of north-central Idaho: implications for development of the Belt–Purcell basin

The authors analyzed detrital zircon grains from 10 metasedimentary rock samples of the Priest River complex and three other amphibolite-facies metamorphic sequences in north-central Idaho to test ...
Where would you go for your next hospitalization

We examine the effects of diverse dimensions of hospital quality – including consumers’ perceptions of unobserved attributes – on future hospital choice. We utilize consumers’ stated preference weights to obtain hospital-specific estimates of perceptions about unmeasured attributes such as reputation. We report three findings. First, consumers’ perceptions of reputation and medical services contribute substantially to utility for a hospital choice. Second, consumers tend to select hospitals with high clinical quality scores even before the scores are publicized. However, the effect of clinical quality on hospital choice is relatively small. Third, satisfaction with a prior hospital admission has a large impact on future hospital choice. Our findings suggest that including measures of consumers’ experience in report cards may increase their responsiveness to publicized information, but other strategies are needed to overcome the large effects of consumers’ beliefs about other quality attributes.
Growth: Is it a friend or foe to orthodontic treatment?

The understanding of facial growth and occlusal development plays an important role in orthodontic diagnosis and treatment planning of problems encountered in dental and skeletal malocclusions. This article reviews the growth of the craniofacial complex, how we can modify growth in the maxilla and mandible, and suggests possible ways to enhance orthopedic changes in our every day orthodontic practice.
Aspartic Acid Synthesis of Crystalline Gold Nanoplates, Nanoribbons, and Nanowires in Aqueous Solutions

A facile, environmentally benign shape-controlled synthesis of anisotropic crystalline gold nanostructures at room temperature has been developed using aspartic acid (Asp) as the reducing, particle-stabilizing, and shape-directing agents. Great latitude in the control of particle size and shape, including formation of hitherto unreported nanoribbons and nanowires, could be accomplished through simple manipulation of the experimental conditions. The gold precursor concentration [HAuCl4] and the concentration ratio of aspartic acid to gold precursor, R ([Asp]/[HAuCl4]), were found to be critical factors in morphosynthesis. Their effects on crystal growth into different final morphologies were examined and correlated with the growth kinetics. The experimental results also suggested a growth mechanism where the difference in rates between reduction of the gold precursor on {111} and {100} family of planes, competition between the reduction and capping functions of Asp, and Asp surface coverage determined the ...
An in-line microfluidic blood sampling interface between patients and saline infusion systems

This work seeks to extend the utility of microfluidics to conventional blood sampling aperati. Daily medical care of hospitalized patients demands repeated needle punctures or interfacing with a catheter to collect blood samples. Large, research grade systems can autonomously sample blood from laboratory animals; however, a disposable aperatus that can be used to repeatedly sample blood from hospitalized patients does not exist. We have designed, fabricated and demonstrated a 3-layered rigid polymer microfluidic blood sampling device with integrated polymer pinch valves for placement in-line between a patient and a saline infusion system. The blood sampler we designed seeks to mitigate sample cross contamination, reduce risks of microbial contamination associated with invasive blood sampling and improve technical ease of blood sampling. Clinical laboratory tests and microfluidic devices for rapid point-of-care-testing (POCT) of patient samples require human sampling procedures for collection of a patient sample at defined time points. The microfluidic sampling device is designed ultimately to be backwards compatible with existing clinical saline infusion protocols and function as a universal front-end blood sampling unit for the variety of microfluidic lab chips and POCT devices.
The Istanbul Protocol: international standards for the effective investigation and documentation of torture and ill treatment

tation methods contained in the manual also apply to other contexts, including human rights investigations and monitoring, assessment of individuals seeking political asylum, the defence of individuals who “confess” to crimes during torture, and assessment of needs for the care of torture victims. In the case of health professionals who are coerced to neglect, misrepresent, or falsify evidence of torture, the manual also provides an international point of reference for health professionals and adjudicators alike. Many procedures for a torture investigation are documented in the manual, such as how to interview the alleged victim and other witnesses, selection of the investigator, safety of witnesses, how to collect statements from alleged perpetrators, how to secure and obtain physical evidence, and detailed guidelines on how to establish a special independent commission of inquiry to investigate alleged torture and ill treatment. The manual also includes comprehensive guidelines for clinical examinations to detect physical and psychological evidence of torture and ill treatment. These guidelines represent a consensus among clinicians working in the fields of human rights documentation and treatment of individuals
A personal account of translating discoveries in an academic lab.

Robert Langer shares the experiences and lessons learned through his involvement with more than two dozen biotech startups.
Compensation effect in an exchange enhanced superconductor: [(La.993Lu.007)1−xGdx]Ru2

Abstract We have measured the upper critical field, Hc2, of alloys of the form [(La.993Lu.007)1−xGdx]Ru2. For large (x⪆0.02) concentrations of Gd, the critical fields are re-entrant. For small (x⪅0.01) concentrations of Gd, the critical fields cross the pure sample critical fields and rise above them due to compensation of the externally applied magnetic field by the negative effective internal field of the magnetic impurity. Compensation occurs at relatively low fields (25 KG) in this system as a result of substantial exchange enhancement. From the concentration and critical field of the most compensated sample, we find a value for the exchange integral, J(0) = −(15+−2) meV, and a susceptibility enhancement factor in excellent agreement with EPR, specific heat and static susceptibility measurements.
THE LANDLESS RURAL WORKERS MOVEMENT AND DEMOCRACY IN BRAZIL

This article takes issue with influential views in Brazil that depict the Movement of Landless Rural Workers (MST), the largest popular movement in this country, as a threat to democracy. Contrary to these assessments, it argues that a sober review of the MST's actual practice shows that it is far from an antistate or antidemocratic organization. Quite to the contrary, the MST demands that the state play an active part in reducing the nation's stark social inequities through the institution of an inclusive model of development. The MST's contentious edge has contributed to Brazil's ongoing democratization process by (1) highlighting the role of public activism in building political capabilities among the poor and catalyzing downward redistribution policies; (2) facilitating the extension of basic citizenship rights, broadening the scope of the public agenda, and strengthening civil society through the inclusion of groups representing the most vulnerable strata of the popu lation; and (3) fostering a sense of hope and utopia through the affirmation of ideals imbued in Brazil's long-term, complex, and open-ended democratization process.
Paleopedology and geochemistry of Late Mississippian (Chesterian) Pennington Formation paleosols at Pound Gap, Kentucky, USA: Implications for high-frequency climate variations

Abstract Climate during the Late Mississippian (late Chesterian) in the southern Appalachian Basin was characterized by alternating periods of aridity and humidity. Pennington Formation paleosols at Pound Gap record climate and ecological changes for latest Chesterian time, ending at the Mississippian–Pennsylvanian systemic boundary. Forty paleosols were identified, described, and assigned to seven pedotypes. Inferred soil orders considered as analogs include Histosols, Entisols, Inceptisols, Alfisols and Oxisols, but are dominated by Vertisols. Classification of an Oxisol was determined by field and geochemical evidence of intense leaching and kaolinite-dominated clay mineralogy. Field and micromorphologicial evidence suggests a polygenetic character of the Vertisols, resulting from changing soil drainage through time. Variations in soil drainage are quantified using proxy estimates of inferred soil processes such as base loss, leaching, lessivage, and oxidation. Using the CIA-K proxy, mean annual precipitation (MAP) estimates range from 519 to 1361 mm/yr. Changes in MAP correspond with variation in inferred soil processes. The flora of this time period, in response to variations in precipitation and soil drainage, also changes through time as evidenced by changes in abundance and depth of root traces. Reconstructed ecosystems range from sparse vegetative cover with shallow, tabular root systems in early Pennington soil development, to dense, deeply penetrating root systems suggestive of arborescent floral associations at the top of the succession approaching the Mississippian–Pennsylvanian boundary. This study provides greater resolution of changing climate and pedogenic processes than what is provided in previous studies of Late Mississippian climate, and suggests that the documented variability in paleosol types and soil drainage might represent the record of high-frequency climate changes likely associated with expansion and contraction of the paleo-Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ).
GRAPH THEORETICAL PERCEPTION OF MOLECULAR SYMMETRY

Abstract It is shown that the molecular symmetry groups can be obtained as the automorphism groups of edge-weighted Euclidean graphs. Graph theory provides an elegant and natural representation of molecular symmetry. The resulting group expressed in terms of permutations is isomorphic to the permutation-inversion group of Longuet-Higgins or the permutational subgroup in case inversion operations do not generate new permutations.
Liquid gods within cellular landscapes: micro-monuments, ethnic pluralism and the political landscape of Hueda, Bénin, 1650–1727

The polity of Hueda is well known for its rapid appearance on the world stage in the mid-seventeenth century and its spectacular collapse in 1727. Given its central role as a point of trade for captives bound for the Americas, the historiography of the Atlantic world records various glosses of ‘Hueda’ as ethnonyms for both the Gbe-speaking captives embarking from the coast, as well as those living within the political bounds of the polity. This paper investigates the diverse collection of ideas, people and traditions contained within Hueda. It argues that addressing the political processes behind the ties binding members of the polity offers a way of moving beyond static portrayals of Hueda as an internally coherent ethnic designation. In support of this fluid and negotiated view of Hueda, as a polity and identity, it addresses the role that religious ceremonies and related small shrines and monuments played in creating connections between people, places and deities.
The α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor-selective antagonist, methyllycaconitine, partially protects against β-amyloid1–42 toxicity in primary neuron-enriched cultures

Studies have suggested that the neuroprotective actions of alpha7 nicotinic agonists arise from activation of receptors and not from the extensive desensitization which rapidly follows activation. Here, we report that the alpha7-selective nicotinic antagonist, methyllycaconitine (MLA), protects against beta-amyloid-induced neurotoxicity; whereas the alpha4beta2-selective antagonist, dihydro-beta-erythroidine, does not. These findings suggest that neuroprotective actions of alpha7-acting agents arise from receptor inhibition/desensitization and that alpha7 antagonists may be useful neuroprotective agents.
Optimal sensor configuration control applied to a missile launcher control problem

A system and sensor configuration control problem has been formulated for a class of linear stochastic control systems corrupted by Gaussian noise. The criterion function is a weighted trace of the terminal error covariance matrix for the optimal linear estimator of the state of the system. A numerical optimization algorithm for this problem has been based on a parameter optimization approach. This approach is applied to a problem of optimal missile launcher control while estimating the relative alignment of two inertial instrument packages.
Population-Based Prevalence of CDKN2A Mutations in Utah Melanoma Families

Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A ( CDKN2A or p16 ) is the major melanoma predisposition gene. In order to evaluate the candidacy for genetic testing of CDKN2A mutations among melanoma prone families, it is important to identify characteristics that predict a high likelihood of carrying a CDKN2A mutation. We primarily used a unique Utah genealogical resource to identify independent melanoma prone families whom we tested for mutations in CDKN2A , cyclin-dependent kinase 4 , and alternate reading frame . We sampled 60 families which met the inclusion criteria of two or more affected first-degree relatives. We found four different pathogenic CDKN2A mutations in five families, mutations of uncertain significance in two families, and known polymorphisms in three families. One of the mutations of uncertain significance, 5′ untranslated region −25C>T, has not been previously described. Among our population-based set of Utah families, the prevalence of CDKN2A mutations was 8.2% (4/49); the overall prevalence when physician-referred pedigrees were also considered was between 8.3% (5/60) and 10% (6/60). Having four or more first- or second-degree relatives with melanoma, or a family member with ≥3 primary melanomas, correlated strongly with carrying a CDKN2A mutation. We observed a significantly elevated rate of pancreatic cancer in one of four families with a deleterious CDKN2A mutation.