cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Architectural Production of Nature, Dendur/New York

I. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s numerous New York City museums engaged in technically sophisticated expansions and renovations of their interiors. The upgrades of interior space combined new architectural strategies for dis play with advanced atmospheric systems for the preservation of objects. Such spaces provided more exhibition area and enhanced museum real estate for capital leverage, but they also advanced the museum as a locus of cultural maintenance. Among museum rebuilding projects—which included the Museum of Modern Art’s expansion and residential tower and the Guggenheim Museum’s North Annex—the expansion of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (1974‐1988) most vividly illustrates the power relations embedded within these new spaces where museums produce a specific form of “nature” devoted to display and conservation. When completed, the Museum’s Sackler, Rockefeller, Lehman, and American wings housed spec tacular, historically significant artifacts protected from urban air pollution and the exterior climate in performatively engineered spaces. The ensemble of new spaces is one of the largest continuous volumes of climate-controlled public space in the city and one of the largest amalgamations of “hygrographmonitored” space in the world—a climatic system that calibrates atmos pheric engineering with sensitive instruments that monitor humidity and temperature. In developing the expansions, the museum argued for the role of specially engineered museum environments to enhance its acquisition and movement of cultural relics from distant places, the absorption of neighbor ing public spaces, and the consolidation of its already significant cultural power. The new spaces enhance the role of the museum as a sanctuary from the physically corrosive environment of cities, a role that has always been an aspect of urban museums but that now suggests new consequences. By visi bly engineering specific biophysical environments for cultural material, the museum presented a new means by which emerging global cities might expand their authority over the collection of important, foreign cultural
Hazardous Use of Car Seats Outside the Car in the United States, 2003–2007

PURPOSE: Car seats should be used to prevent injury or death in children during motor vehicle crashes. When used improperly or for unintended purposes, car seats can place children at risk for injury or death. The objective of this article is to describe patterns of hazardous use of car seats outside the car for infants ( METHODS: The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission database was accessed to obtain information regarding car seat–related injuries treated in emergency departments from 2003 to 2007. Injuries sustained during motor vehicle crashes were excluded. Demographic data, type of injury, body location, disposition, injury circumstances, and other pertinent information were extracted and analyzed. RESULTS: An estimated 43 562 car seat–related injuries were treated in emergency departments from 2003 to 2007. This national estimate was based on a weighted sample of 1898 infants. The average age of these infants was 4.07 ± 2.73 months, 62.4% of the injuries occurred in infants younger than 4 months, and 54.4% occurred in boys. Of these injuries, 49.1% occurred at home, 8.4% of the infants had to be hospitalized, and 84.3% of the infants suffered a head injury. The most common mechanisms of injury were infants falling from car seats, car seats falling from elevated surfaces, and car seats overturning on soft surfaces. CONCLUSIONS: Injury-prevention efforts should be focused on eliminating hazardous use of car seats outside the car. Caregivers should be cautioned against the placement of car seats on elevated or soft surfaces.
Electronic transport properties of single-crystal bismuth nanowire arrays

We present here a detailed study of the electrical transport properties of single-crystal bismuth nanowire arrays embedded in a dielectric matrix. Measurements of the resistance of Bi nanowire arrays with different wire diameters (60\char21{}110 nm) have been carried out over a wide range of temperatures (2.0\char21{}300 K) and magnetic fields (0\char21{}5.4 T). The transport properties of a heavily Te-doped Bi nanowire array have also been studied. At low temperatures, we show that the wire boundary scattering is the dominant scattering process for carriers in the undoped single-crystal Bi nanowires, while boundary scattering is less important for a heavily Te-doped sample, consistent with general theoretical considerations. The temperature dependences of the zero-field resistivity and of the longitudinal magneto-coefficient of the Bi nanowires were also studied and were found to be sensitive to the wire diameter. The quantum confinement of carriers is believed to play an important role in determining the overall temperature dependence of the zero-field resistivity. Theoretical considerations of the quantum confinement effects on the electronic band structure and on the transport properties of Bi nanowires are discussed. Despite the evidence for localization effects and diffusive electron interactions at low temperatures $(Tl~4.0\mathrm{K}),$ localization effects are not the dominant mechanisms affecting the resistivity or the magnetoresistance in the temperature range of this study.
PERFECT SIMULATION FOR IMAGE RESTORATION

The coupling method has been an enormously useful tool for studying the mixing time of Markov chains and as the basis of perfect sampling algorithms such as Coupling From the Past. Several methods such as Wilson's layered multishift coupling and Breyer and Robert' catalytic coupling have been introduced to use the coupling approach on continuous state spaces. This work builds upon these approaches by using a simple coupling for small Metropolis moves together with catalytic coupling. As an application, the analysis of a Markov chain for the autonormal distribution in the Wasserstein metric of A. Gibbs is extended to an analysis in total variation distance. Moreover, a perfect sampling algorithm is constructed that has mean running time O (N ln N) time for fixed values of the parameters of the model.
Design of IIR/FIR filters using a frequency domain bootstrapping technique and LPC methods

A technique is described for designing IIR/FIR digital filters which are specified by the number of poles and zeros, the sampling frequency, and a magnitude response versus frequency. The iterative technique to carry out the design bootstraps back and forth between the IIR (all pole) section and FIR (all zero) section, updating the design each time in the frequency domain using the data from the previous IIR or FIR section and the desired filter response. Coefficient calculations at each iteration are based upon standard LPC (linear prediction coefficient) and inverse LPC methods. An efficient computer program has been written to implement the technique using Levinson and FFT pruning algorithms. The combination of the efficiency from LPC and pruning methods, and the ease of iteration and interpretation in the frequency domain creates a straightforward and workable computer program for general digital filter design based upon spectral magnitude specifications. Examples of the filter design program illustrate how well the technique works as a function of the number of iterations.
The Domain Management Model: Organizing Care for Stroke Survivors and Other Persons with Chronic Diseases

The US health care system is poorly designed to help patients with stroke and chronic health conditions and their functional consequences. These patients face multiple clinical problems. The Domain Management Model (DMM), based on the biopsychosocial model, describes four domains into which all patient and family problems can be classified. These problems are then managed over time through attention to care processes and outcomes. The use of the DMM in health care may help relieve patient and family suffering, guide resource use more efficiently, and improve satisfaction of health care providers (clinical, administrative, and financial) in treating complex patients with chronic health conditions.
“Are Strawson’s Persons immortal?” A reply

MR. GUSTAFSON gives an affirmative answer to the question "Are Strawson's persons immortal?"1 Strawson's persons may be immortal, but the two arguments advanced by Mr. Gustafson do not show that they are. He further argues that if Strawsonian persons are not immortal, then Strawson's analysis is incoherent. This final argument is also invalid. The First Argument "Because it is a requirement for something's being a person that predicates ascribing states of consciousness should be applicable to it, and since some65
Laser guide stars for daytime thermal IR observations

In connection with the planning for Extremely Large Telescopes, I revisit a 2001 paper in which Cacciani and I describe the use of Sodium Laser Guide Stars (LGSs) for diffraction limited daytime astronomical observations. The enabling technology for seeing LGSs in broad daylight is the availability of very narrow band magneto-optical filters. Considering the dominance of the atmospheric scattering of sunlight at wavelengths below 3.5 μm, daytime use is only indicated for mid- and thermal IR observations. The launch of the 6.5 meter aperture James Web Space Telescope (JWST) appears to be assured and planned for 2013, preceding the most optimistic projections for the completion date of the first ELT. The projected thermal background of the JWST is very much less than that of ground-based telescopes so that any competing ground-based observations are limited to those parameters not covered by the JWST: angular resolution (requiring apertures > 6.5 meter) and spectral resolution (R>3000). I compare the benefits of daytime observations with Na-LGS equipped telescopes and interferometers at moderate latitudes and in the Antarctic (specifically Dome C). In both cases daytime observations extend the amount of observing time available for TIR observations. Antarctic observations have the advantage of having very good seeing during the daytime, significantly better than nighttime seeing. In contrast the seeing at moderate latitude sites significantly deteriorates during daytime resulting in lower quality observations than during nighttime. In addition Antarctic sites are less hostile to maintenance and operations during daytime (summer) observations as compared to nighttime (winter) observations.
Context and distance-to-disambiguation effects in ambiguity resolution: Evidence from grammaticality judgments of garden path sentences

Abstract This study investigated whether single or multiple structures are constructed at the level of syntactic analysis for ambiguous strings. To this end, three experiments were conducted to determine the effects of various types of snytactic and nonsyntactic information on grammaticality judgments for garden path sentences. The results of Experiment 1, using a speeded grammaticality judgment task, were that context and length of the ambiguous region influenced the probability of calling a garden path sentence grammatical. In Experiment 2, even when given unlimited time to make grammaticality judgments, 40% of all long garden path sentences that required a less preferred analysis were called ungrammatical. Experiment 3 extended the length effects found in Experiments 1 and 2 to some additional types of garden path sentences. The results support a parsing model that is influenced by context and that constructs only a single interpretation of an ambiguous string at a time.
Neutral Gas Expansion in a Cylindrical Helicon Discharge Chamber

The expansion of neutral gas in an open-ended cylindrical chamber into a large vacuum facility is investigated to understand neutral particle density distribution. The cylindrical chamber geometry with a single on-axis gas injection port is representative of a helicon plasma source discharge chamber. The neutral gas pressure profile along the cylinder wall is experimentally measured for argon and xenon mass flow rates of 0–200 sccm, at facility pressures up to 3×10−5 and 3.8×10−5 torr Ar and torr Xe, respectively. The average relative error between the experimentally measured pressure profiles and the numerical results obtained with a direct simulation Monte Carlo code is less than 10%, with the maximum relative error below 30%. The single on-axis injection port into the cylindrical discharge chamber results in a nonuniform neutral particle density distribution in the source due to the recirculation zone generated in the rear of the discharge chamber. This highlights the potential impact of the propellan...
ATP and calmodulin dependent actomyosin aggregates induced by cytochalasin D in goldfish retinal ganglion cell axons in vitro

Growing retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axons of the goldfish have mobile varicosities, which play a role in rapid bulk redistribution of axoplasm (Koenig, Kinsman, Repasky, and Sultz, 1985; Edmonds and Koenig, 1987). Varicosities contain a tubulo-vesicular SER embedded in an actin-containing cytomatrix (Koenig et al., 1985). Cytochalasin D (CD) induces the formation of focal cytoskeletal aggregates throughout preterminal axons and especially in varicosities. The aggregates are visible when labelled with fluoroscein isothiocyanate (FITC)-conjugated phalloidin. Double-labelling experiments show that Texas red-myosin or rhodamine isothiocyanate (RITC)-calmodulin immunofluorescence co-localizes with FITC-phalloidin-labelled aggregates. Formation of aggregates is blocked by calmidazolium, a calmodulin antagonist. Axon models permeabilized with digitonin retain the capacity to form focal aggregates in response to CD, when ATP or adenosine-5'-O(3-thiotriphosphate) (ATP-gamma S) is present in the permeabilization buffer, but not when 5'-adenylylimidodiphosphate (AMP-PNP) is present. The latter result indicates that formation of focal aggregates depends on ATP. The findings suggest that the formation of focal aggregates in immature axons is a manifestation of actomyosin interactions after free actin-filament ends are generated by CD treatment.
Presence of 18-A long hydrogen bond track in the active site of Escherichia coli DNA polymerase I (Klenow fragment). Its requirement in the stabilization of enzyme-template-primer complex.

The analysis of the active site region in the crystal structures of template-primer-bound KlenTaq (Klenow fragment equivalent of Thermus aquaticus polymerase I) shows the presence of an approximately 18-A long H-bonding track contributed by the Klenow fragment equivalent of Asn(845), Gln(849), Arg(668), His(881), and Gln(677). Its location is nearly diagonal to the helical axis of the template-primer. Four base pairs in the double stranded region proximal to 3' OH end of the primer terminus appear to interact with individual amino acid components of the track through either the bases or sugar moieties. To understand the functional significance of this H-bonding network in the catalytic function of Klenow fragment (KF), we generated N845A, N845Q, Q849A, Q849N, R668A, H881A, H881V, Q677A, and Q677N mutant species by site-directed mutagenesis. All of the mutant enzymes showed low catalytic activity. The kinetic analysis of mutant enzymes indicated that K(m)(.dNTP) was not significantly altered, but K(D)(.DNA) was significantly increased. Thus the mutant enzymes of the H-bonding track residues had decreased affinity for template-primer, although the extent of decrease was variable. Most interestingly, even the reduced binding of TP by the mutant enzymes occurs in the nonproductive mode. These results demonstrate that an H-bonding track is necessary for the binding of template-primer in the catalytically competent orientation in the pol I family of enzymes. The examination of the interactive environment of individual residues of this track further clarifies the mode of cooperation in various functional domains of pol I.
Sustainability check: Five-year annual sustainability audits of the water supply and open defecation free status in the ‘One Million initiative’, Mozambique

UNICEF, the Government of Mozambique and the Government of the Netherlands co-financed a USD 48 million rural water supply and sanitation intervention termed the One Million Initiative between 2007 and 2013 . This paper presents the methods applied and the results obtained from the annual audits carried out in the programme using a Sustainability Check (SC) tool. The SC was applied by external audit company and was designed to ensure ongoing sustainability of investments beyond the programme lifespan. It grades the status of rural water supplies and ‘open defecation free’ (ODF) communities based on a multivariate composite index comprising institutional, social, technical and financial indicators. The SC uses three data collection instruments: a semi-structured focus group with the district authorities, a facility audit of water points, and an audit of ODF villages with a semi-structured household survey. The paper notes a trend towards increased sustainability of both ODF communities and rural water supplies during the course of the five-year period. The study concluded that an 80% sustainability score provides the greatest statistical probability of achieving >90% of functioning water supplies. The paper notes that when the sustainability score is <80%, the probability of the water supply functioning drastically reduces to 50%.
The Scapuloiliac Dysostosis (Kosenow Syndrome) Spectrum – Two Additional Cases

Abstract Scapuloiliac dysostosis (also known as Kosenow syndrome, Pelvis-Shoulder Dysplasia)(MIM 169550) is a rare skeletal dysplasia which usually demonstrates extreme hypoplasia of the scapulae and ilia. The clavicles are also often affected (hypoplastic or elongated). Other radiological findings which have been reported include: lordosis of the lumbosacral spine, rounded appearance of the vertebral bodies (in infancy), rib anomalies and overconstriction of the femora. Dysmorphic features can include eye and ear abnormalities. We present two unrelated patients with Scapuloiliac Dysostosis, each of whom has additional abnormalities not previously reported in the literature. Patient #1 was an adult female with primary amenhorrea, features of Turner syndrome and a normal female karyotype. She also had partial hearing loss and hydronephrosis. In addition to her hypoplastic scapulae and ilia, she had lumbar lordosis and severe spinal dysraphism in the (lower lumbar) sacral region. The femoral heads were small with severe coxa vara. Patient #2 was a stillborn male with multiple skeletal abnormalities and malformations. Clinically, he had microphthalmia, short palpebral fissures, ambiguous genitalia and clubbed feet. Chromosomes were normal male. Radiologically, apart from the hypoplastic scapulae and ilia, he had a bell-shaped chest with thin ribs. There were radial head dislocations of the elbows, bilaterally. The proximal femoral area did not articulate with any ossified structure and the fibulae were absent. Kosenow syndrome seems to represent a spectrum of disorders including patients with only pelvic involvement to patients with multiple malformations in addition to the hypoplastic scapulae and ilia. This entity appears to exhibit genetic heterogeneity, as both autosomal dominant and recessive inheritance have been suggested.
Measurement of the Preston coefficient of resin and bronze bond tools for deterministic microgrinding of glass

Abstract Deterministic microgrinding technology applies a bound diamond abrasive tool positioned by a Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) machine to generate precision optical components. The ease of work material removal during the grinding process is often characterized by the specific energy or the Preston coefficient. For a given part and process, these two parameters also indicate the tool/abrasive performance. The Preston coefficient of a resin bond tool with 2–4 μm diamond abrasives under different process parameter combinations has been measured with BK7 as the test glass. The Preston coefficient of a similar bronze bond tool was also measured for comparison. Experimental measurements show the resin tool behaves qualitatively differently than the bronze tool in a multiple pass grinding process. The measured Preston coefficient of the resin tool was two to three times smaller than that of the bronze tool and decreased rapidly as pass number increased. A plot of the Preston coefficient versus resin tool bond wear suggests that excessive tool wear reduces the tool's cutting efficiency, resulting in a rapid decrease in the Preston coefficient.
Alterations in islet cell ultrastructure following streptozotocin-induced diabetes in the rat.

The response of islet cells to streptozotocin-induced diabetes was investigated by transmission electron microscopy. Rats were given streptozotocin i.p. (100 mg/kg followed by another dose of 25 mg/kg 24 h later) and sacrificed after 10 days. Pancreata from rats with high serum glucose values (381–553 mg/100 ml) were selected for ultrastructural examination. Islets in these animals were smaller and much less frequent than those of control animals. Cell types were not always easily identifiable in diabetic animals: distinction between A and B cells was often difficult. Cells of some islets displayed diminished electron density and less structured cytoplasm, yet nuclei were not pyknotic. Such cells were usually deficient in secretion granules. A cells were least affected. Cells in the centers of some islets possessed multivesicular bodies, prominent dilated Golgi cisternae and secretory granules which were often pleomorphic. Nuclear envelopes of some peripheral islet cells were swollen and distended; mitochondria were enlarged and the rough endoplasmic reticulum prominent. Some islet cells retained features of B cells in spite of marked ultrastructural alterations. This diversity of morphological findings contrasts with the homogeneity of the population of streptozotocin-diabetic rats with respect to metabolic responses.
Should children under treatment for juvenile idiopathic arthritis receive flu vaccination

A 12-year-old girl with rheumatoid factor negative polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) attends an outpatient appointment with her mother. Her disease has been controlled by subcutaneous methotrexate, but over the past month, she has stopped taking medication because of adverse effects—in particular, nausea and vomiting after administration of methotrexate injection. On examination, she is found to have a flare of her disease with 10 swollen inflamed joints and early morning stiffness for 2 h/day. You apply for funding for anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF) treatment and, in the meantime, plan to treat her disease flare with a course of prednisolone. On discussion during the consultation, her mother tells you that she has had a letter from the general practitioner asking her child to attend for a flu vaccination and asks your advice. Structured clinical questions Do children with JIA [patient] who become infected with influenza [intervention] have a more prolonged illness [outcome] than healthy children [comparison]? In children with JIA [patient], should flu vaccinations be given [intervention] to prevent flu [outcome]? Do children with JIA respond to flu vaccination [does the vaccination have the required effect]? Does flu vaccination [intervention] cause a flare of JIA [adverse event]? Search strategy and outcomes Search terms used for all searches (search date 13 September 2006) were: {vaccine OR vaccination} AND {arthritis}, AND {child OR childhood OR children or juvenile} AND {influenza}. Primary sources: Medline via Pubmed; 20 papers identified, 3 relevant. Embase: 58 …
The role of partial mediated slip during quasi-static deformation of 3D nanocrystalline metals

Abstract We present dislocation simulations involving the collective behavior of partials and extended full dislocations in nanocrystalline materials. While atomistic simulations have shown the importance of including partial dislocations in high strain rate simulations, the behavior of partial dislocations in complex geometries with lower strain rates has not been explored. To account for the dissociation of dislocations into partials we include the full representation of the gamma surface for two materials: Ni and Al. During loading, dislocation loops are emitted from grain boundaries and expand into the grain interiors to carry the strain. In agreement with high strain rate simulations we find that Al has a higher density of extended full dislocations with smaller stacking fault widths than Ni. We also observe that configurations with smaller average grain size have a higher density of partial dislocations, but contrary to simplified analytical models we do not find a critical grain size below which there is only partial dislocation-mediated deformation. Our results show that the density of partial dislocations is stable in agreement with in situ X-ray experiments that show no increase of the stacking fault density in deformed nanocrystalline Ni ( Budrovic et al., 2004 ). Furthermore, the ratio between partial and extended full dislocation contribution to strain varies with the amount of deformation. The contribution of extended full dislocations to strain grows beyond the contribution of partial dislocations as the deformation proceeds, suggesting that there is no well-defined transition from full dislocation- to partial dislocation-mediated plasticity based uniquely on the grain size.
Placental pathologic aberrations in cases of familial idiopathic spontaneous preterm birth.

Abstract Objective To test the hypothesis that placental histologic characteristics in familial spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) differ by gestational age (GA) and reflect possible mechanisms of pathogenesis. Study design Secondary analysis from prospective cohort study in women with sPTB n = 79) were categorized by maternal and/or fetal inflammatory response (MIR, FIR) and compared among three preterm GA categories. Results Inflammatory changes were common. MIR was most frequent at the earliest GAs, 85% with PTB adj OR 77.5 (95% CI 5, 1213.1)], and 57% at 28–32 weeks [ adj OR 6.1 (0.8, 48.5)] compared to later PTBs occurring at 32–35 weeks (22%). FIR also occurred most frequently in the earliest cases of PTB Conclusions Placental inflammatory responses are common in women with familial sPTB. This data suggests that inflammation plays an important role in the onset of parturition in cases otherwise classified as idiopathic or spontaneous in nature, especially at the earliest GAs when neonatal outcomes are the poorest.
Numerical Determination of Minimum Mass Structures with Specified Natural Frequencies.

Abstract : The problem of the axial vibration of a cantilever beam is investigated numerically. The mass distribution that minimizes the total mass for a given fundamental frequency constraint is determined using both the sequential gradient-restoration algorithm (SGRA) and an ad hoc modification of the modified quasilinearization algorithm (MQA).
Ab initio calculation of the properties of the Gd(0001) surface.

A previous ab initio calculation of the Gd(0001) surface found that the surface plane relaxed outward by 6.3% and is antiferromagnetically oriented with respect to the bulk magnetization. Experiment shows it relaxes inward by 3.5% and is either ferromagnetic or canted with in-plane component ferromagnetic with respect to the bulk. After correcting errors inherent in the local-spin-density approximation for exchange and correlation we find that the surface is ferromagnetically oriented and that it relaxes inward by 3.38%.
Agent-based forward analysis

We propose software agent-based ldquoforward analysisrdquo for efficient information retrieval in a network of sensing devices. In our approach, processing is pushed to the data at the edge of the network via intelligent software agents rather than pulling data to a central facility for processing. The agents are deployed with a specific query and perform varying levels of analysis of the data, communicating with each other and sending only relevant information back across the network. We demonstrate our concept in the context of face recognition using a wireless test bed comprised of PDA cell phones and laptops. We show that agent-based forward analysis can provide a significant increase in retrieval speed while decreasing bandwidth usage and information overload at the central facility.
Apparent HeLa cell contamination of human heteroploid cell lines

INTERSPECIFIC cell culture contamination has been detected several times by karyotypic and immunological procedures1–3. These same measurements are of little value as detectors of intraspecific contamination, but polymorphic variants detectable at the cell culture level can be very useful for this purpose, A survey of twenty heteroploid human cell lines for glucose-6-phosphate de-hydrogenase (G6PD) and phosphoglucomutase (PGM) electrophoretic polymorphisms revealed that all had the same G6PD and PGM phenotypes. These results were interpreted as reflecting widespread contamination of cultures by the first established human cell line HeLa. These findings were presented at the Second Decennial Review Conference on Cell Tissue and Organ Culture4 and have since been extended to include other American Type Culture Collection lines. Further evidence on the stability of these markers in various conditions has been obtained, and in view of the widespread use of cell lines in a variety of investigations it seems important to make these findings readily accessible to other workers.
An Investigation of the Perturbations Imposed upon Radio Waves Penetrating the Ionosphere

A new method has been devised to measure continuously the phase deviations introduced by the ionosphere into the signals from discrete sources. Sample recordings of measurements at frequencies of 53, 108, and 470 mc are given. An experiment combining this phase measuring technique and standard ionospheric soundings at the point of penetration of the line of sight is in progress and is expected to shed light upon the height of origin of ionospheric scintillations.
Estimating voluntary and involuntary childlessness in the developing countries

This paper analyzes voluntary and involuntary childlessness in the developing countries. The assumption is that little if any childlessness is voluntary. This assumption is empirically examined by setting forth an estimation procedure with which 0-parity married women may be classified by types of childlessness. A decision tree model has been developed. It is based on fecundity time married and contraceptive behavior. Women who are childless now but desire children in the future are classified as temporarily childless. Uncommitted is another classification. The childless separation strategy is applied to 14 developing countries--Bangladesh Colombia Costa Rica Dominican Republic Fiji Guyana Jamaica Kenya Korea Lesotho Mexico Panama Peru and Sri Lanka--using data from the World Fertility Survey. Of the 14 countries Korea has the highest percentage of childless women categorized as voluntary nearly 5%. The majority of childless women in all countries are classified as temporarily childless. The voluntarily and involuntarily childless women may be combined into the permanently childless--those who are neither temporarily childless nor uncommitted to childlessness. The number of permanently childless in each of the developing countries divided into voluntary and involuntary is given as is the percentage rate of completed voluntary and involuntary childlessness for women 40 years and older. The assumption that most of the childlessness in the developing countries is involuntary is supported.
Germline ablation of VGF increases lipolysis in white adipose tissue

Targeted deletion of VGF, a neuronal and endocrine secreted protein and neuropeptide precursor, produces a lean, hypermetabolic mouse that is resistant to diet-, lesion-, and genetically induced obesity and diabetes. We hypothesized that increased sympathetic nervous system activity in Vgf-/Vgf- knockout mice is responsible for increased energy expenditure and decreased fat storage and that increased β-adrenergic receptor stimulation induces lipolysis in white adipose tissue (WAT) of Vgf-/Vgf- mice. We found that fat mass was markedly reduced in Vgf-/Vgf- mice. Within knockout WAT, phosphorylation of protein kinase A substrate increased in males and females, phosphorylation of hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) (ser563) increased in females, and levels of adipose triglyceride lipase, comparative gene identification-58, and phospho-perilipin were higher in male Vgf-/Vgf- WAT compared with wild-type, consistent with increased lipolysis. The phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) (Thr172) and levels of the AMPK kinase, transforming growth factor β-activated kinase 1, were decreased. This was associated with a decrease in HSL ser565 phosphorylation, the site phosphorylated by AMPK, in both male and female Vgf-/Vgf- WAT. No significant differences in phosphorylation of CREB or the p42/44 MAPK were noted. Despite this evidence supporting increased cAMP signaling and lipolysis, lipogenesis as assessed by fatty acid synthase protein expression and phosphorylated acetyl-CoA carboxylase was not decreased. Our data suggest that the VGF precursor or selected VGF-derived peptides dampen sympathetic outflow pathway activity to WAT to regulate fat storage and lipolysis.
Cultural differences in teachers' narrative evaluations of students in non–academic areas: a study of school report cards of students from four ethnic backgrounds

This study explored an important but often neglected area of educational assessment - cultural differences in teachers' evaluations of diverse students. We examined how US teachers applied 13 themes of evaluation criteria in non–academic areas to students of four ethnicities in narrative evaluations in student report cards. Teachers' narrative evaluations of 565 elementary students were examined. Binary logistic regression was used to analyse the presence of teacher references across the 13 themes in their narrative evaluations of students. The effect of ethnicity was examined after controlling for gender, family income, and academic performance. Compared to Caucasian students, significantly more Asian students received positive comments on carefulness; significantly more African American students received negative comments on social development and classroom behaviour. We found no significant differences in teachers' references by ethnicity on majority of the themes. The study calls for awareness of implicit cultural norms and their potential impact on student evaluation.
The Relationship Among Conductors' Rankings of Three Unfamiliar Wind Band Scores:

The twofold purpose of this study was to examine college and university wind band conductors' agreement regarding the relative musical quality of three unfamiliar wind band scores and to collect and synthesize conductor's reported criteria for their rankings. Thirty-three conductors responded to a request to examine, compare, and rank the scores on the basis of relative musical quality, and then list their criteria for their decisions in a free-response format. There was no statistically significant agreement among the conductors' expressed judgments of the relative musical quality of the three unfamiliar scores used in this study. There seemed to be agreement, however, regarding the criteria used as bases for their judgments. Results suggest that individual perception and differing emphases among the criteria may have influenced the conductors' rankings of the three scores.
Biomimetic Synthesis of (−)-Longithorone A

An enantioseletive, biomimetic synthesis of (-)-longithorone A has been achieved using an intermolecular/transannular Diels-Alder sequence which provides some support for the proposed biosynthesis. The cycloaddition precursors were two [12]-paracyclophanes that were constructed with atropisomer control during ene-yne metathesis macrocyclizations.
Ethyl­enedi­ammonium deca­fluoro­dineptunate(IV)

An organically templated neptunium(IV) fluoride compound, {(C2H10N2)[Np2F10]}n, has been synthesized under mild hydro­thermal conditions. The compound crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/c (No. 15). The structure consists of NpF9 tricapped trigonal prisms connected through edge- and corner-sharing to form infinite two-dimensional [Np2F10]2− sheets, that are separated by the ethyl­enedi­ammonium dications. The C2H10N22+ cations form hydrogen-bonding interactions with the [Np2F10]2− layers.
Application of Declarative Programming in Neurobiology

Themain technique in Computational Neuroscience is imperative programming, which is often used to implement simulations of dynamics, and describes how a computation is performed. A complement to this approach is declarative programming. Declarations provide descriptions of relationships between elements, effectively describing what the computation should accomplish. The use of declarative programming for modeling biological processes is still in its infancy (Fisher and Henzinger 2007) yet has shown itself to be a valuable first step for analysis of the seemingly impenetrable complexity of molecular interactomics: the interplay of the myriad proteins and signaling species in the cell. Declarative programming can also be used at the connectomic level of understanding connections among neurons or among brain areas.
Seeking and implementing automated assistance during the search process

Searchers seldom make use of the advanced searching features that could improve the quality of the search process because they do not know these features exist, do not understand how to use them, or do not believe they are effective or efficient. Information retrieval systems offering automated assistance could greatly improve search effectiveness by suggesting or implementing assistance automatically. A critical issue in designing such systems is determining when the system should intervene in the search process. In this paper, we report the results of an empirical study analyzing when during the search process users seek automated searching assistance from the system and when they implement the assistance. We designed a fully functional, automated assistance application and conducted a study with 30 subjects interacting with the system. The study used a 2G TREC document collection and TREC topics. Approximately 50% of the subjects sought assistance, and over 80% of those implemented that assistance. Results from the evaluation indicate that users are willing to accept automated assistance during the search process, especially after viewing results and locating relevant documents. We discuss implications for interactive information retrieval system design and directions for future research.
Flt3 ligand and the Flt3 receptor regulate hematopoietic cell migration by modulating the SDF-1α(CXCL12)/CXCR4 axis

Flt3 ligand (FL) enhances hematopoietic cell proliferation and facilitates hematopoietic stem cell mobilization in vivo, while the stromal-derived factor 1 (SDF1,CXC ligand 12 [CXCL12])/CXC receptor 4 (CXCR4) axis is critical for their homing and trafficking. We investigated if FLand its receptor, Flt3, functionally interact with CXCL12/CXCR4 to regulate hematopoietic cell migration. FL stimulated chemokinetic activity when used alone, but synergistically enhanced short-term migration of CD34 cells, Ba/F3 cells expressing human Flt3 (Ba/F3-Flt3), and human RS4;11 acute leukemia cells, induced by CXCL12. Moreover, overexpression of constitutively activated internal tandem duplication (ITD)‐Flt3 mutants in Ba/F3 cells dramatically enhanced migration toward CXCL12. In Ba/F3-Flt3 cells, synergistic cell migration to FL plus CXCL12 was associated with enhanced phosphorylationofmitogen-activatedprotein kinase p42/p44 (MAPK p42/p44 ), cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element binding protein (CREB), and Akt, and was partially inhibited by pretreatment of cells with selective inhibitors for MAPK p42/p44 , protein kinase A (PKA), or phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (PI3-kinase), implicating these pathways in migration to FL plus CXCL12. In contrast, prolonged exposure of CD34 or Ba/F3Flt3 cells to FL down-regulated CXCR4 expression, inhibited CXCL12-mediated phosphorylation of MAPK p42/p44 , CREB, and Akt, and impaired migration toward CXCL12. These findings suggest that FL/ Flt3 may facilitate hematopoietic cell migration/homing and mobilization by enhancing or inhibiting CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling pathways and that the FL/Flt3 axis participates in trafficking of normal and transformed hematopoietic cells. (Blood. 2005;105:3117-3126)
On the global optimum path planning for redundant space manipulators

Robotic manipulators will play a significant role in the maintenance and repair of space stations and satellites, and other future space missions. Robot path planning and control for the above applications should be optimum, since any inefficiency in the planning may considerably risk the success of the space mission. This paper presents a global optimum path planning scheme for redundant space robotic manipulators to be used in such missions. In this formulation, a variational approach is used to minimize the objective functional. It is assumed that the gravity is zero in space, and the robotic manipulator is mounted on a completely free-flying base (spacecraft) and the attitude control (reaction wheels or thrust jets) is off. Linear and angular momentum conditions for this system lead to a set of mixed holonomic and nonholonomic constraints. These equations are adjoined to the objective functional using a Lagrange multiplier technique. The formulation leads to a system of differential and algebraic equations (DAEs). A numerical scheme for forward integration of this system is presented. A planar redundant space manipulator consisting of three arms and a base is considered to demonstrate the feasibility of the formulation. The approach to optimum path planning of redundant space robots is significant since most robots that have been developed for space applications so far are redundant. The kinematic redundancy of space robots offers efficient control and provides the necessary dexterity for extra-vehicular activity that exceeds human capacity. >
The insulation bag: learning thermoregulation through a "hands-in" activity

the extensive diversity of habitats to which animals have adapted necessitated the evolution of a number of different anatomic and behavioral mechanisms to tolerate the extremes in ambient temperatures to which these animals are exposed. Among these anatomic solutions to the seemingly compromising
Vegetation and Water-Table Relationships in a Hydrologically Restored Riparian Meadow

We examined the relationship between water-table elevations and plant community distributions in a hydrologically restored riparian meadow. The meadow, adjacent to Bear Creek in northeastern California, experienced hydrologic modification due to “pond and plug” stream restoration. Plant species composition and cover were sampled within 128 plots, and a hydrologic model was used to simulate a three-year time series of water-table for each plot. TWINSPAN was used to classify the vegetation into four community types:Eleocharis macrostachya / Eleocharis acicularis, Downingia bacigalupii / Psilocarphus brevissimus, Carex nebrascensis / Juncus balticus, andPoa pratensis / Bromus japonicus. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling was utilized to investigate the relationships between community types and hydrologic variables. Community types were distributed along the hydrologic gradient at reasonably similar positions to those found in previous studies; howeverCarex nebrascensis, a species frequently used as an indicator of shallow water tables, occurred at greater water-table depths than reported in other studies. The range of water-table depths in this meadow was greater than previously observed, presumably due to the higher temporal resolution of water-table measurements, in addition to the intermittent nature of stream flow in Bear Creek. This study provides an increased understanding of the ecology of meadow communities, and can be utilized for improved design and objective setting in future restoration projects.
Questions Regarding the Teaching of Ethics to Today's University Business Student

This paper examines three questions that leadership educators must answer regarding the teaching of ethics:1. What should the objectives of Business Ethics courses be?2. What pedagogical strategies can best accomplish these objectives?3. What are the best ways to assess the outcomes of these strategies both in the short and long term?In addition, the paper explores the problem of how to assess the effectiveness of ethical education.
Overview of the capacity planning process for production data processing

An overview of techniques available to address capacity planning in the production data processing environment is presented. The production data processing system is briefly described and its capacity is quantified. The measurement tools, reports, and data required to implement a capacity planning program are discussed. Modeling and prediction are placed in perspective with the overall objectives of the capacity planning process. Personnel (managerial and technical) and organization considerations are also discussed.
PatchMaker: A Physical Network Patch Manager Tool

PatchMaker is a network management tool that tracks and stores descriptions of physical network patches in a database. Physical patches are cables that connect switches, patch panels, and room ports. PatchMaker allows administrators to manage switch ports from multiple vendors giving them the ability to enable/disable ports, make VLAN changes, and perform other switch port functions through a common web front-end. Finally, PatchMaker aids in host management by tracing network connections, identifying what kinds of devices are connected to the network, and helping to troubleshoot physical network problems.
Conditional decomposition diagnostics for regression analysis of zero-inflated and left-censored data

Health and safety studies that entail both incidence and magnitude of effects produce semi-continuous outcomes, in which the response is either zero or a continuous positive value. Zero-inflated left-censored models typically employ latent mixture constructions to allow different covariate processes to impact the incidence versus the magnitude. Assessment of the model, however, requires a focus on the observable characteristics. We employ a conditional decomposition approach, in which the model assessment is partitioned into two observable components: the adequacy of the marginal probability model for the boundary value and the adequacy of the conditional model for values strictly above the boundary. A conditional likelihood decomposition facilitates the statistical assessment. For corresponding residual and graphical analysis, the conditional mean and quantile functions for events above the boundary and the marginal probabilities of boundary events are investigated. Large sample standard errors for these quantities are derived for enhanced graphical assessment, and simulation is conducted to investigate the finite-sample behaviour. The methods are illustrated with data from two health-related safety studies. In each case, the conditional assessments identify the source for lack of fit of the previously considered model and thus lead to an improved model.