cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vertical Integration in Agricultural and Food Marketing

Vertical integration (VI) is defined as the ownership of the production of a previously purchased input used in the manufacture of an output or the ownership of a production unit that previously had purchased the output from a particular firm. The act of ownership internalizes the exchange process. Use of the external market to obtain an input or to exchange an output may have been through the use of a contract or a spot market. The failure of the external market creates profit and risk incentives for the firm to integrate vertically. The traditional vertical market channel in the agricultural and food marketing system starts with the farm and goes to the manufacturer (first handler), who may be a processor, packing house/elevator, broker, or manufacturer, and then goes to a wholesaler and a retailer. The manufacturing level collects the product and transforms it in form, space, and/ or time. Some of the product may be sold to producers for manufacture into other goods. The remaining manufactured product will go to the consumer and be consumed in an untransformed state (e.g., tomatoes, oranges) or a transformed state (e.g., tomato sauce, concentrated orange juice). The objective of this article is to project the extent of backward and forward VI at the manufacturer level and the extent of backward integration at the retail level. The first section of the article provides a perspective on the extent of VI at each level. The second section summarizes the theoretical models of VI and identifies the variables and the impact of the variables on the extent of VI. The final section uses the variables identified in section 2 to project the change expected in VI over the next decade. The Extent of Vertical Integration
Renal cell carcinoma metastatic to gallbladder: a survival advantage to simultaneous nephrectomy and cholecystectomy

Renal cell carcinoma is a relatively uncommon cancer. Patients presenting with a renal adenocarcinoma are often found to have evidence of metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis. Herein, we describe the case of a 39-year-old male with renal cell carcinoma and a synchronous metastatic focus to the gallbladder. The patient underwent a successful simultaneous nephrectomy and cholecystectomy and is doing well 30 months after surgery without evidence of disease recurrence. A thorough metastatic work-up along with aggressive surgical intervention in patients with renal cell carcinoma and unusual metastatic foci can provide a long-term favorable outcome.
Counting Fence of Netting

Abstract A two-way fence of netting is described. It has been used for counting ascending adult salmon (Salmo salar) and descending salmon smolts in Newfoundland rivers near the mouth where depths have ranged from 1 to 9 feet. The traps and barriers are constructed in sections which can be easily dismantled and transported to another river. Also sections of netting in the barriers which become clogged with debris during flood conditions can be readily replaced with clean sections.
Exhaustible resource models and predictions of crude oil prices—some preliminary results

Abstract Despite rapid growth in the theoretical and empirical literature on OPEC following the 1973–1974 oil price explosion, few systematic attempts have been made to test OPEC structure from an industrial organization point of view. This paper presents some preliminary results on the construction of the framework of such tests and their applications. Each hypothesis about OPEC structure will have testable implications on the price path and the derivation of these implications from a simple intertemporal maximization model of exhaustible resources and the comparison of the implied price time paths with the actual ones will present a preliminary test for the structure of this organization. The model compares four structures: pure competition; pure monopoly; dominant firm (Saudi Arabia) and dominant core (Iran and Saudi Arabia); of which the dominant core structure is selected as the most likely.
MIMO radar detection and adaptive design in compound-Gaussian clutter

Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radars with widely separated transmitters and receivers are useful to discriminate a target from clutter using the spatial diversity of the scatterers in the illuminated scene. We consider the detection of targets in compound-Gaussian clutter. Compound-Gaussian clutter describes heavy-tailed distributions fitting high-resolution and/or low-grazing-angle radars in the presence of sea or foliage clutter. First, we introduce a data model using the inverse gamma distribution to represent the clutter texture. Then, we apply the parameter-expanded expectation-maximization (PX-EM) algorithm to estimate the clutter texture and speckle as well as the target parameters. We develop a statistical decision test using these estimates and approximate its statistical characteristics. Based on the approximation of the statistical characteristics of this test, we propose an algorithm to adaptively distribute the total transmitted energy among the transmitters. We demonstrate the advantages of MIMO and adaptive energy allocation using Monte Carlo simulations.
Desorption and Reaction of Water on MgO(100) Studied as a Function of Surface Preparation

Temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) is used in conjunction with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to probe the surface reactivity of water with MgO surfaces prepared by mechanical polishing/acid etching, vacuum annealing in partial pressures of oxygen, high-temperature annealing in an oxygen ambient, and ion sputtering. The structure and morphology of surfaces prepared by these procedures have been previously characterized on the atomic scale with atomic force microscopy. Surfaces prepared using etching procedures and etch and annealing in partial pressures of oxygen demonstrate an atomically rough surface morphology and broad desorption features indicative of an inhomogeneous surface. Surfaces annealed in an oxygen ambient exhibit atomically flat terraces and sharp desorption features. Ar+ bombardment at 500 eV of atomically flat MgO surfaces results in broad features appearing in the water desorption spectra. These are attributed to surface vacancies created by the sputtering process, which act...
Regional Intravenous Infusion of Calcium Gluconate for Hydrofluoric Acid Burns of the Upper Extremity

Abstract Study objective: To describe regional intravenous infusion of calcium gluconate as a therapy for hydrofluoric acid (HF) burns of the forearm, hand, or digits. Methods: This study describes seven patients with HF burns. Calcium gluconate, 10 mL of 10% solution with 30 to 40 mL normal saline solution, was injected intravenously into the affected limb using a Bier block technique. Ischemia was maintained for 20 to 25 minutes. Therapy was considered successful if significant reduction of pain and tenderness was noted after tourniquet release. Results: Seven patients were treated. HF concentration varied from 5% to 49%. Exposure sites included the forearm (two cases), thenar eminence and digits (two cases), or digits only (three cases). Complete pain resolution occurred on tourniquet release in four patients (two with burns to the forearm, two with burns to digits only). One patient had partial relief (thenar but not digital exposure site), and two had no relief of symptoms. Intraarterial calcium gluconate perfusion was subsequently administered to the three patients with persistent subungual and pulp, or thenar pain. Recovery was complete in all cases. No adverse effects were noted. Conclusion: Regional intravenous infusion of calcium gluconate should be considered a therapeutic option in HF burns of the forearm, hand, or digits when topical therapy fails. [Graudins A, Burns MJ, Aaron CK, Regional intravenous infusion of calcium gluconate for hydrofluoric acid burns of the upper extremity. Ann Emerg Med November 1997;30:604-607.]
■ FEATURED ABSTRACT Midterm results of percutaneous microwave ablation of liver tumors using a 2.4GHz gas - cooled probe: single center evaluation of safety and efficacy

Purpose To evaluate the local efficacy, safety, and survival at midterm follow up using percutaneous microwave ablation (MWA)in the treatment of liver tumors. Materials and Methods Over an 18 month period, 64 patients with unresectable liver tumors (18 women, 46 men; mean age 65) underwent 68 percutaneous CT guided MWA procedures using the Certus 140 2.45GHz gas cooled probe (Neuwave Medical, Madison, WI). A retrospective analysis was performed using medical records to review tumor size and location as well as technical and clinical outcomes. Follow-up consisted of a clinic visit and CT or MRI at 1 month and every 3-4 months thereafter. Complete response was defined as disappearance of arterial enhancement. Primary endpoints included: rate of complete ablation, local tumor progression within 1cm from ablated site, and 30 and 90 day major and minor adverse events (AEs). Results A total of 68 tumors were treated (median size 1.9 cm; range 0.7-5.0). Lesion size included: 5cm - 0/68 (0%). Tumor pathology included: 59/68 (86.8%) hepatocellular carcinoma and 9/68 (13.2%) liver metastases. Technical success was 100% using a standard MWA protocol. Repeat intervention was performed in 3/56 (5.4%) patients because of residual enhancement on follow up imaging suggesting viable tumor. Mean time to repeat intervention was 177 days (range, 49-277). All repeat interventions were technically successful. Complete ablation was achieved at 1-,3-,6- and 9-month follow up in 54/56(96.4%), 39/41(95.1%), 21/24 (87.5%), 17/18 (94.5%) patients, respectively. Local tumor progression rates at the ablated site at 1-, 3-,6- and 9-month follow up were 3.6%, 4.9%, 12.5%, and 5.5%, respectively. Mortality was 0% at 30 and 90 days. Length of hospital stay was 1 day in 54/64 (84.3%) patients. Pneumothorax requiring chest tube occurred in 3/68 (4.4%) ablations. Minor AEs included: postprocedural pain and transient low grade fever occurring in 43/64 (67.2%) and 6/64 (9.4%) patients, respectively. Conclusion Percutaneous MWA of hepatic tumors is a safe and locally effective treatment for unresectable hepatic tumors as evidenced by high rates of complete ablations and low rates of major AEs.
Performance evaluation of multiple time scale TCP under self-similar traffic conditions

Measurements of network traffic have shown that self-similarity is a ubiquitous phenomenon spanning across diverse network environments. In previous work, we have explored the feasibility of exploiting long-range correlation structure in self-similar traffic for congestion control. We have advanced the framework of multiple time scale congestion control and shown its effectiveness at enhancing performance for rate-based feedback control. In this article, we extend the multiple time scale control framework to window-based congestion control, in particular, TCP. This is performed by interfacing TCP with a large time scale module that adjusts the aggressiveness of bandwidth consumpton behavior exhibited by TCP as a function of large time scale network state, that is, information that exceeds the time horizon of the feedback loop as determined by RTT. How to effectively utilize such information—due to its probabilistic nature, dispersion over multiple time scales, and realization on top of existing window-based congestion controls—is a nontrivial problem. First, we define a modular extension of TCP (a function call with a simple interface that applies to various flavors of TCP, e.g., Tahoe, Reno, and Vegas) and show that it significantly improves performance. Second, we show that multiple time scale TCP endows the underlying feedback control with proacativity by bridging the uncertainty gap associated with reactive controls which is exacerbated by the high delay-bandwidth product in broadband wide area networks. Third, we investigate the influence of three traffic control dimensions—tracking ability, connection duration, and fairness—on performance. Performance evaluation of multiple time scale TCP is facilitated by a simulation benchmark environment based on physical modeling of self-similar traffic. We explicate our methodology for disc
Age Differences in the Dimensions of Perceived Control during Middle Childhood: Implications for Developmental Conceptualizations and Research

2 studies investigated developmental differentiation of children's causal beliefs across middle childhood. Grounded in meta-theories suggesting that development is characterized by progressive differentiation, hypotheses were derived from theory and research on the multiple dimensions of children's perceived control and on developmental changes in children's concepts of causal constructs. Age differences in the organization of children's causal perceptions were explored and replicated (N's = 294 and 240, ages 7–12). Analyses of factor structure of children's beliefs about the effectiveness of 5 causes for school success and failure (effort, ability, powerful others, luck, and unknown factors) revealed that beliefs became more differentiated with age. At ages 7–8, 2 dimensions were found, 1 marked by unknown and 1 by the remaining causes. At ages 9–10, 3 factors were present, marked by “internal,”“external,” and unknown means. By ages 11–12, 4 factors were indicated, marked by effort, ability, “external,” and unknown causes. Findings suggested that different theories of perceived control may provide more useful accounts of the dimensions of causal beliefs at different ages. Implications were derived for measurement of perceived control and investigation of developmental change in its effects on children's motivation and behavior.
Electrostatic energies of the {CoNO}8 group in ligand fields

The qualitative features of the electronic states of the {CoNO}8 group are investigated by calculating the electrostatic energies of the (dz2, dxz, dyz)2, (dxz, dyz)2, and (dz2)2 electron configurations in D′4 symmetry. The geometries of the {CoNO}8 group are correlated with the behavior of the singlet electronic states in the D′4 ligand field.
Why I initiate therapy with two insulin sensitizers in patients with type 2 diabetes.

When I encounter an adult patient with new-onset diabetes, I always obtain a measurement of a C-peptide level. This information not only helps me distinguish between latent autoimmune diabetes of the adult and type 2 diabetes but also guides my choice of therapy (1). If the C-peptide level is low, I assess anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies to rule out latent autoimmune diabetes of the adult. If this antibody study yields positive results, I initiate therapy with insulin; if results are negative, treatment with an insulin secretagogue is begun. If the C-peptide level is high, as usually is found at the onset of type 2 diabetes, I institute therapy with an insulin sensitizer. The only exception to this approach would be in patients with high blood glucose levels causing symptoms, in whom I begin treatment with an insulin secretagogue or insulin to relieve symptoms and correct glucotoxicity promptly. To choose between metformin and a thiazolidinedione (TZD) as initial sensitizer therapy is difficult because of the many benefits of both drugs. In most cases, I currently begin therapy with a combination of metformin and a TZD, and this commentary describes the rationale for this decision. The basic principle of combination therapy is that smaller doses of two drugs yield greater efficacy and fewer side effects in comparison with a large dose of either drug used as monotherapy. In this case, the addition of metformin to a TZD or vice versa, because of their different sites of action, will result in a decrease in the hemoglobin A1c value that will be greater than that achieved by monotherapy with a larger dose of either drug. Perhaps of more importance is that the side effects associated with metformin (anorexia, nausea, and diarrhea) and TZDs (weight gain, edema, congestive heart failure, and dilutional anemia) are considerably less at lower doses than at higher doses. Approximately 30% of patients in whom metformin therapy is initiated will experience gastrointestinal symptoms, and 3% will have to discontinue metformin treatment. Of the remaining 27% of patients, most will tolerate metformin only at less than the maximal dose of 2,500 mg daily. Both metformin and TZDs decrease cardiac events,
Correlation of neuroendocrine and anti-edema activities of alanine-corticotropin-releasing factor analogs

Abstract Thirty-three ovine corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) analogs, systematically substituted with alamine (Ala) residues, were tested for inhibitory activity on edema induced in the pentobarbital-anesthetized rat paw by heat (immersion in 58°C water for 1 min). The activity of each analog, administered 0.1 mg/kg i.v. 10 min before heat, was compared to the rank order of the analog's potency in stimulating adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) release from cultured rat pituicytes. A strong positive rank correlation was found between the anti-edema and neuroendocrine activities of these analogs.
Synthesis and study of olefin metathesis catalysts supported by redox-switchable diaminocarbene[3]ferrocenophanes

A redox-switchable ligand, N,N′-dimethyldiaminocarbene[3]ferrocenophane (5), was synthesized and incorporated into a series of Ir- and Ru-based complexes. Electrochemical and spectroscopic analyses of (5)Ir(CO)2Cl (15) revealed that 5 displayed a Tolman electronic parameter value of 2050 cm−1 in the neutral state and 2061 cm−1 upon oxidation. Moreover, inspection of X-ray crystallography data recorded for (5)Ir(cis,cis-1,5-cyclooctadiene)Cl (13) revealed that 5 was sterically less bulky (%VBur = 28.4) than other known diaminocarbene[3]ferrocenophanes, which facilitated the synthesis of (5)(PPh3)Cl2Ru(3-phenylindenylid-1-ene) (18). Complex 18 exhibited quasi-reversible electrochemical processes at 0.79 and 0.98 V relative to SCE, which were assigned to the Fe and Ru centers in the complex, respectively, based on UV-vis and electron pair resonance spectroscopic measurements. Adding 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyanoquinone over the course of a ring-opening metathesis polymerization of cis,cis-1,5-cyclooctadiene catalyzed by 18 ([monomer]0/[18]0 = 2500) reduced the corresponding rate constant of the reaction by over an order of magnitude (pre-oxidation: kobs = 0.045 s−1; post-oxidation: kobs = 0.0012 s−1). Subsequent reduction of the oxidized species using decamethylferrocene restored catalytic activity (post-reduction: kobs = up to 0.016 s−1, depending on when the reductant was added). The difference in the polymerization rates was attributed to the relative donating ability of the redox-active ligand (i.e., strongly donating 5versus weakly donating 5++++++) which ultimately governed the activity displayed by the corresponding catalyst.
Students research in dynamic VLAN configuration

This paper describes an approach to engage hands-on learners in research activities. The paper provides as an example the research project for IT 6723 Managing Operating and Network Systems course. Projects that combine both hands-on practice and research assignments give students not only knowledge and skills, but also empower students to investigate a topic in-depth. As an example, this paper outlines specifications for dynamic VLAN configuration based on network flow. This type of project encourages research, practice in the development and use of information technology, and promotes student interest in the study of information technology.
Chemically synthesized human survivin does not inhibit caspase‐3

Survivin is a member of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) family that blocks cell death by inhibiting the caspase activation pathways. Overexpressed in all common human neoplasms but undetectable in most normal adult tissues, survivin confers tumor resistance to apoptosis and represents an ideal molecular target for therapeutic intervention. How survivin blocks apoptosis, however, has been a subject of intense debate, as evidenced by conflicting reports regarding whether or not survivin can directly bind and inactivate effector caspases. We chemically synthesized large amounts of highly pure human survivin of 142 amino acid residues using native chemical ligation and functionally compared synthetic survivin and a recombinant XIAP—the most intensively studied member of the IAP family. Inhibition assays showed that, while caspase-3 could be effectively inhibited by XIAP, survivin had no detectable inhibitory activity against the enzyme, even at concentrations several thousand-fold higher than XIAP. Our finding supports the premise that survivin does not directly inhibit effector caspases.
Drug-induced gastric mucosal injury.

Although there is much of anecdotal information about drug injury to the gastric mucosa, only a few agents (e.g., salicylates, nonsteroidal-nonsalicylate antiinflammatory compounds, and alcohol) have been studied in detail. The presence of acid in the gastric lumen is required for an injurious drug to cause clinically significant injury. Injury occurs as a result of the ability of certain drugs to increase the permeability of the mucosa to its own secreted acid lying within the lumen. As the tissue becomes overwhelmed by the diffusing acid, cell death occurs. Drugs that increase the diffusion of acid also interfere with cellular metabolism, an effect that is independent of the ability of the drug to increase diffusion of acid from the lumen into the tissue. However, when metabolic processes of the mucosa are depressed, the ability of the tissue to buffer diffusing acid is impaired. Thus, the quantity of acid diffusing into the tissue is not as important as the buffering capacity of the mucosa. Most instances of drug-induced injury are not clinically apparent, yet significant hemorrhage occurs in some patients. Even though the initial episode of hemorrhage may be severe, aggressive nonoperative treatment usually is sufficient, provided the mucosa is no longer exposed to the injurious agent. Only a few patients require operation, the extent of which is still controversial.
An extremal problem in subconnectivity

On definit la sous-connectivite d'un graphe comme la plus grande des connectivites de tous ses sous-graphes. On donne la solution exacte du probleme extremal relatif a la determination du nombre maximum d'aretes dans un graphe a p points de sous connectivite 2
Challenges experienced by home visitors: A qualitative study of program implementation

While randomized trials that test the effectiveness of different types of home-visitation have increased our understanding of the structural features of programs that promote positive outcomes, we know much less about program processes necessary to achieve success. In spite of increasing emphasis on the importance of adapting programs to suit the needs and characteristics of populations served (Yutrzenka, 1995), little evidence exists about how such adaptations affect the success of program delivery. The purpose of the current work was to examine common challenges faced by home visitors in delivering a program of prenatal and early childhood home visitation while it was studied in a large (N = 1139) randomized trial conducted in Memphis, Tennessee with a primarily African American sample (Olds, 1987). We employed qualitative analyses to explore common challenges identified by the nurses in their implementation of the program. Many of these challenges grew out of the nurses' efforts to address the unique needs of the families that they served, while simultaneously addressing the broad interrelated goals and objectives of the program. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Effects of a restricted unilateral neocortical lesion upon cerebral glucose and oxidative metabolisms in fetal and neonatal cats

Abstract The present study was designed to measure cerebral glucose and oxidative metabolisms and to assess relationships with previously identified morphological changes in adult cats with a unilateral, restricted neocortical lesion sustained either during fetal life or neonatally. Local cerebral metabolic rates for glucose (LCMRglc) were measured using the [ 14 C ]2-deoxy- d -glucose (2 DG) autoradiography method and oxidative capacity was determined using cytochrome oxidase histochemistry (C.O.). Only glucose metabolism in the fetal-lesioned cats was affected substantially. There was a global decrease (31.0% relative to controls) of the LCMRglc for both cerebral hemispheres while focal decreases were seen mainly in thalamic and neostriatal nuclei (and reaching declines of over 50%). Cats with a neonatal lesion showed only a tendency to such declines (19.5% and 22.0% for the right and left hemispheres, respectively). C.O. values were not affected significantly either globally or locally in any of the age-at-lesion groups. In previous work using fetal animals with similar lesions, morphological evidence of subcortical neuropile degeneration was not observed; instead, a marked decrease in size of the ipsilateral remaining neocortex and a pronounced distortion of gyri and sulci patterns bilaterally were found. In this context, we propose that in the fetal-lesioned cats, there was a widespread lesion-induced decrease in corticofugal (and transcortical) synaptic inputs which was responsible for a decline in functional (synaptic) activities, and that this, in turn, caused a downturn in glucose utilization. In the neonatal cats minor degeneration, coupled with lack of reinnervation, would account for the tendency to 2 DG declines. These results indicate that the long-term metabolic response of the fetal brain to injury is also less adaptive than that of the neonatal brain. Since standard methods are available to measure cerebral metabolism in humans, our studies in animal models may help understanding the long term physiological consequences of developmental focal brain damage in patients as well as to predict the relationships between cerebral metabolism and the underlying long-term morphological effects of such lesions.
Excitation Power Dependence of Photoluminescence in CIB and FIB Implanted Superlattices

Low temperature photoluminescence spectra have been used to characterize conventional ion beam (CIB) and focused ion beam (FIB) implanted superlattices. The excitation dependence of the single scan FIB is found to be significantly different from CIB and multiple scan FIB implantations which are similar. The peak position of the donor-acceptor transition is observed to change to higher energies significantly slower with excitation intensity for the single scan FIB case when compared to the multiple scan FIB and CIB cases. Simple models to describe these effects are briefly discussed.
Solutions to euclidean gravity for infinitely many instantons

Abstract Self-dual solutions to euclidean Einstein equations are obtained by integrating over various configurations of an infinite number of Hawking-Gibbons multi-instantons. The resulting metrics are all stationary and of Bianchi type II (euclidean version). They may be previously unknown solutions. In the weak field approximation one finds related spatially increasing potentials reminiscent of confinement. Following Eguchi and Hanson, self-dual Maxwell fields for the coupled Maxwell-Einstein system are also constructed.
Regeneration of multiple shoots and plants from Mesembryanthemum crystallinum.

Mesembryanthemum crystallinum plants have been regenerated via organogenesis from hypocotyl, cotyledonary node, and leaf expiants with varying frequencies. The highest regeneration frequencies were obtained from either hypocotyls (23–34%) or cotyledonary nodes (21–41%). Leaf expiants yielded very poor regeneration frequencies (0–11%). Expiants were placed on Murashige and Skoog (MS) media supplemented with 3% sucrose, 0.8% bacto-agar and either, 10.8×10−6M NAA and 8.8×10−6M BA (MSmsh), 1×10−5M BA and 1×10−6M IAA, (MS4) or 1×10−6M BA and 1×10−6M IAA (MS5). Shoot formation frequencies were greater on MS4 and MS5 and lower on MSmsh, however, overall differences of regeneration frequency among media tested were not statistically significant. Regenerated plantlets were rooted on MS medium without growth regulators. Mature, regenerated plants were fertile and exhibited DNA content and ploidy profiles that were identical to wild type plants.
Codon usage patterns in chromosomal and retrotransposon genes of the mosquito Anopheles gambiae

Codon usage was compiled for fourteen chromosomal genes and four retrotransposons from the mosquito Anopheles gambiae. Variation exists among chromosomal genes in the degree of bias. The genes showing the highest bias are probably most highly expressed. In these genes, the base composition at the third codon position is much richer in G + C than is the overall coding sequence. Thus, codon usage is biased toward G- or C-ending codons. Codon usage in each retrotransposon is quite different, not only from chromosomal genes but also from the other retrotransposons. Codon usage comparisons among homologous genes from An. gambiae and two other Dipterans, the yellow fever mosquito Aedes aegypti and the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster, show that while there are similarities, particularly between An. gambiae and D. melanogaster in the preference for G- and C-ending codons, each species has evolved a distinct pattern of codon usage.
Aging and Attentional Guidance During Visual Search: Functional Neuroanatomy by Positron Emission Tomography

Positron emission tomography (PET) was used to examine adult age differences in neural activation during visual search. Target detection was less accurate for older adults than for younger adults, but both age groups were successful in using color to guide attention to a subset of display items. Increasing perceptual difficulty led to greater activation of occipitotemporal cortex for younger adults than for older adults, apparently as the result of older adults maintaining higher levels of activation within the easier task conditions. The results suggest that compensation for age-related decline in the efficiency of occipitotemporal cortical functioning was implemented by changes in the relative level of activation within this visual processing pathway, rather than by the recruitment of other cortical regions.
The Handbook of Groundwater Engineering

This detailed and meticulous volume should be on the shelf of any consultant, researcher, or professor who has need of a reference book on the ins and outs of groundwater. The book fills out at more than 1000 pages and 37 chapters total. The book covers everything—from the history of groundwater
Action of antimicrobial peptides: two-state model.

The argument and experimental evidence are presented for a two-state model that explains the action of both helical and β-sheet antimicrobial peptides after they bind to the plasma membranes of cells. Each peptide has two distinct physical states of binding to lipid bilayers. At low peptide-to-lipid ratios (P/L), the peptide tends to adsorb in the lipid headgroup region in a functionally inactive state. At a P/L above a threshold value P/L*, the peptide forms a multiple-pore state that is lethal to a cell. The susceptibility of a cell to an antimicrobial peptide depends on the value of P/L* that is determined by the lipid composition of the cell membrane. This model provides plausible explanations for the experimental findings that the susceptibility of different bacteria to a peptide is not directly correlated to its binding affinity, different peptides preferentially kill different pathogens, and peptides exhibit varying levels of lytic activity against different eukaryotic cells.
Density and diversity in relation to the distribution of earthworms in Madras.

Earthworm density and diversity have been studied in a sandy loam site and a clay loam site, each comprising of 50 locations, at Madras.Lampito mauritii is the dominant species in the sandy loam while it isOctochaetona serrata in the clay loam. The indices of dominance, diversity and dissimilarity have been estimated and discussed in relation to the distribution of earthworms.
Hot deformation behavior of as-cast Mg–Zn–Mn–Ce alloy in compression

Abstract ZME200 (Mg–2.3Zn–0.4Mn–0.2Ce 1 ) is a newly-developed magnesium sheet alloy for automobile closure and structure applications. The hot deformation behavior of as-cast ZME200 alloy was investigated by compression tests at temperatures ( T ) ranging from 250 to 450 °C and strain rates ( e ) between 0.001 and 10 s −1 . Most of the stress–strain curves exhibited typical dynamic recrystallization (DRX) behavior with a single peak stress followed by a gradual fall toward a steady-state stress. The flow behavior (hot working characteristics) can be described by the hyperbolic sine function, e = A [ sinh ( α σ ) ] n exp ( − Q / R T ) , where A , α , and n are material constants, σ is the applied stress, Q is the activation energy, R is the gas constant. Light metallography and electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) were conducted to investigate the microstructure evolution under various deformation conditions. The results suggested that dynamic recrystallization was the main softening mechanism during the hot compression process. Both discontinuous and continuous DRX were the operating DRX mechanisms at temperatures between 300 °C and 450 °C. The former predominates mainly at low strains, while the latter dominates at moderate and higher strains. Twinning deformation and twin DRX were operative at relatively high strain rates of (1.0−10 s −1 ).
Constrictive Pericarditis: An Analysis of 17 Cases

Seventeen cases of constrictive pericarditis seen at University of Iowa Hospitals in the past six years have been analyzed. The importance of early diagnosis and prompt surgery cannot be overemphasized in this disease where mechanical factors play a major role and where the passage of time modifies the normal myocardium. Though tuberculosis has long been held as the most common known cause of constrictive pericarditis, its unequivocal association in our series, as in many others, is rare. Other infective agents, particularly viral, seem to play an important role. For a better understanding of the causative factors, better epidemiologic viral studies are necessary. With positive information from such studies, methods to prevent constrictive pericarditis may evolve.
Urea-N retention by Sylvilagus floridanus

Abstract 1. 1. Cottontail rabbits retain a large portion of intravenously injected urea-N as measured by improved nitrogen balances. 2. 2. This retention cannot be accounted for by trapping in either the kidneys or body fluids. 3. 3. A daily urea-N supplement was effectively used to improve nitrogen balances during acute dietary stress.
DNA and RNA content analysis by flow cytometry in the pathobiologic assessment of bone tumors

Studies of simultaneous DNA and RNA contents by flow cytometry in hematologic and some solid neoplasms have been shown to provide information that may be useful in the pathobiological evaluation of these neoplasms. We contend that similar analysis may be equally valuable in assessing bone tumors. Our data revealed significant statistical differences in DNA ploidy and proliferative fraction between benign and malignant bone neoplasms. Benign tumors manifested predominantly DNA diploidy and low proliferative activity, whereas the majority of malignant tumors were DNA aneuploid and showed high proliferation rate. No significant difference in the RNA content between different histopathologic categories was found. We observed, however, a distinct and consistently high RNA content pattern in giant cell tumors, aneurysmal bone cysts, and chondroblastomas that may be useful in their differential diagnosis. Analysis of different prognostic factors in malignant tumors indicated that histologic grade and DNA content are a significant prognostic factors. Further analysis of malignant tumors showed that a correlation between the proliferative activity and the clinical outcome in the low grade category and between RNA content and patients' survival in osteosarcomas. Our study also showed that preoperative treatment significantly impacted on the extent of the proliferative fraction in malignant tumors. We conclude that DNA/RNA analysis of bone tumor may assist in: (1) the differential diagnosis of certain bone tumors, (2) evaluation of treatment response, and (3) the biological assessment of osteosarcomas.
Protein-protein interactions of alpha-synuclein in brain homogenates and transfected cells.

α-Synuclein is a highly conserved presynaptic protein with probable roles in normal synaptic development and plasticity as well as neurodegenerative disease, although its molecular function is not yet clear. To identify potential protein binding partners of α-synuclein, we performed co-immunoprecipitations using a monoclonal antibody (H3C) against its C-terminus. More than 20 detectable proteins were specifically co-immunoprecipitated from zebra finch and mouse forebrain extracts. One of these, with relative mobility of 55 kDa, was identified through microsequencing as a mixture of α- and β-tubulin. Tubulin was specifically recovered from a mouse forebrain cytosolic extract by a GST/α-synuclein fusion protein immobilized on glutathione-Sepharose beads. In the converse experiment, α-synuclein bound to a column prepared from purified bovine brain tubulin immobilized upon CNBr-Sepharose. α-Synuclein does not appear to bind assembled microtubules, however, as α-synuclein did not pellet with polymerized microtubules in a standard assay for microtubule-associated proteins. Likewise, when a fusion construct of α-synuclein and green fluorescent protein (GFP) was expressed in African green monkey kidney epithelial (CV-1) cells, the fusion protein did not colocalize with endogenous microtubules. We conclude that α-synuclein may interact specifically with heterodimeric tubulin, but not microtubules, in the neuronal cytosol.
Variation and grammaticization in progressives Spanish -ndo constructions

This paper presents an account of the variation in Spanish Progressive constructions from the perspective of grammaticization. Retention of features of meaning from the source constructions is reflected in distribution constraints on the different auxiliaries, which, nevertheless, are converging toward continuous meaning. The evidence supports the hypothesis that progressives originate as locative or movement constructions and that the process by which they evolve is semantic generalization (as opposed to metaphor or pragmatic strengthening). An important mechanism in this grammaticization process is frequency of occurrence in certain contexts, in support of the view that frequent repetition plays a role in semantic change (Bybee and Thomspon 1997; Haiman 1994).
Living unlabeled--diagnosis and disorder.

Dr. Lisa Rosenbaum writes that there is little room for diagnostic uncertainty in the hospital systems where physicians train. But diagnosis for the sake of diagnosis can be an ill in its own right.
The Model Penal Code and Three Two (Possibly Only One) Ways Courts Avoid Mens Rea

Alice, a FedEx deliverer, carries a suitcase across town, and has no idea that the suitcase contains heroin. She is arrested, and charged with (knowingly) possessing heroin. Bill knowingly burgles a store, his switchblade visible from his back pocket. The penalty for burglary is three to twenty years; carrying a visible weapon during a burglary requires a mandatory minimum sentence of five years. Charlotte receives a box which she believes to contain five grams of heroin. Instead, there is a kilogram. The penalty for “knowingly” possession five grams is two years; for one kilogram, twenty years. Daniel is recruited to smuggle dope into the country. Daniel believes the drug to be heroin, but in fact it is cocaine. The penalty for smuggling the amount of heroin
Generation of sub-20-femtosecond pulses from mode-locked Ti:Al2O3 lasers with reduced cubic phase

The third-order dispersion of a modelocked Ti:Al2O3 laser can be reduced by using quartz prisms for dispersion control. Two such lasers have been constructed, one which uses a novel sequence of four quartz prisms and a second which uses a pair of quartz prisms. The laser which incorporates four quartz prisms allows transform-limited 13-fs pulses to be generated with a gain crystal 20 mm long. The second laser has four times less third-order dispersion but does not produce pulses shorter than 15 fs. Evidence is presented to show that third-order dispersion is not limiting pulse duration.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
“Wow! Look at That!”: Discourse as a Means to Improve Teachers’ Science Content Learning in Informal Science Institutions

Currently, it is not clear whether professional development staff at Informal Science Institutions (ISIs) are considering the way exhibits contribute to the social aspects of learning as described by the contextual model of learning (CML) (Falk & Dierking in The museum experience. Whalesback, Washington, 1992; Learning from museums: visitor experiences and the making of meaning. Altamira Press, New York, 2000) and recommended in the reform documents (see Cox-Peterson et al. in Journal of Research in Science Teaching 40:200–218, 2003). In order to move beyond only preparing science teachers for field trips, while necessary, it is also important to understand the role exhibits play in influencing teachers’ content-related social interactions while engaged in ISI professional development. This study looked at a life science course that was offered at and taught by education staff of a large science and technology museum located in the Midwest, USA. The course was offered to three sections of teachers throughout the school year and met six times for a full day. The courses met approximately once a month from September through the beginning of June and provided 42 contact hours overall. Elementary and middle school teachers (n = 94) were audio- and videotaped while participating in the content courses and interacting with the museum’s exhibits. When considering the two factors within the sociocultural context of CML: within-group sociocultural mediation and facilitated mediation by others, the use of exhibits during both courses generally did not fully take into account these elements. In this study, it seemed that teachers’ talk always had a purpose but it is argued that it did not always have a direction or connection to the desired content or exhibit. When freely exploring the museum, teachers often purely reacted to the display itself or the novelty of it. However, when PD staff made explicit connections between exhibits, content, and activities, participants were more likely to be involved in in-depth, content-related and pedagogical conversations while engaged in the course.
The Stereotypical Computer Scientist: Gendered Media Representations as a Barrier to Inclusion for Women

The present research examines undergraduates’ stereotypes of the people in computer science, and whether changing these stereotypes using the media can influence women’s interest in computer science. In Study 1, college students at two U.S. West Coast universities (N = 293) provided descriptions of computer science majors. Coding these descriptions revealed that computer scientists were perceived as having traits that are incompatible with the female gender role, such as lacking interpersonal skills and being singularly focused on computers. In Study 2, college students at two U.S. West Coast universities (N = 54) read fabricated newspaper articles about computer scientists that either described them as fitting the current stereotypes or no longer fitting these stereotypes. Women who read that computer scientists no longer fit the stereotypes expressed more interest in computer science than those who read that computer scientists fit the stereotypes. In contrast, men’s interest in computer science did not differ across articles. Taken together, these studies suggest that stereotypes of academic fields influence who chooses to participate in these fields, and that recruiting efforts to draw more women into computer science would benefit from media efforts that alter how computer scientists are depicted.
Surfactant Effects on Spray-Congealed Formulations of Sulfaethylthiadiazole—Wax

An investigation was undertaken to examine the effects of selected formulation and production variables on the physical characteristics and dissolution patterns of spray-congealed particles of sulfaethylthiadiazole (SETD)-wax. Melted suspensions of SETD in wax formulations contained various concentrations of the lipophilic surfactant, sorbitan monooleate. Particle size was found to correspond to the size of nozzle used; smaller particles were characterized by faster rates of SETD release. Depending upon the concentration employed, sorbitan monooleate may increase or depress the rate of SETD released from the particles in 0.1 N HCl; the surfactant consistently promoted faster release rates in alkaline pancreatin solution. A log—log dissolution model was used to predict the release patterns of the products, and the model showed good agreement with the experimental data.
Doxycycline sclerosis of benign lymphoepithelial cysts in patients infected with HIV

Benign lymphoepithelial cysts (BLCs) are a widely recognized cause of parotid gland swelling in HIV-infected patients. Although they are neither invasive nor associated with malignant degeneration, BLCs can become large and disfiguring. Multiple modalities have been used to control these cysts, but no ideal treatment has been identified. The current study examines the efficacy of doxycycline as a BLC sclerosant in eight patients, and nine BLCs (bilateral BLC in one patient). Follow-up ranged from 12 to 17 months in all cases. Doxycycline sclerosis controlled further cyst growth in 100% of cases with no serious complications. The BLCs became negligible or unnoticeable in two patients, and in six patients (seven BLCs) the cyst became fibrosed and showed no evidence of further growth over the follow-up period. Although further studies are needed to determine the long-term efficacy of this treatment modality, doxycycline sclerosis appears to offer a simple, safe, cost-effective, office-based therapeutic option for the treatment of BLCs in patients infected with HIV.
Representations and Cognitive Explanations: Assessing the Dynamicist's Challenge in Cognitive Science

Advocates of dynamical systems theory (DST) sometimes employ revolutionary rhetoric. In an attempt to clarify how DST models differ from others in cognitive science, I focus on two issues raised by DST: the role for representations in mental models and the conception of explanation invoked. Two features of representations are their role in standing-in for features external to the system and their format. DST advocates sometimes claim to have repudiated the need for stand-ins in DST models, but I argue that they are mistaken. Nonetheless, DST does offer new ideas as to the format of representations employed in cognitive systems. With respect to explanation, I argue that some DST models are better seen as conforming to the covering-law conception of explanation than to the mechanistic conception of explanation implicit in most cognitive science research. But even here, I argue, DST models are a valuable complement to more mechanistic cognitive explanations.
Thymic control of the polyploidization of hepatocytes during aging

Relative DNA-contents of hepatocyte nuclei have been determined in young, old, and thymus-grafted old mice. There is an age-dependent increase in the occurrence of tetraploid nuclei, which is in agreement with previous data regarding the nuclear volume of hepatocytes. The neonatal thymus grafted into old recipients decreased the percentage of tetraploid cells to a statistically significant extent.