cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthesis of DNA after partial hepatectomy without changes in the lipid and glycogen contents of the liver

Abstract Partial hepatectomy is not immediately followed by a rise in liver DNA synthesis. Rather there is an initial preparative period (13 h in the rats used in these studies) during which many alterations in liver chemistry occur. To study the mechanisms that control hepatic DNA synthesis, it is essential to distinguish between the changes that are and are not requisite for the entry of the liver cell into the replicative period. This report shows that two prereplicative changes that have received a good deal of attention, the accumulation of neutral lipid ( Ludewig et al. , 1939 ) and the fall in glycogen ( Stone, 1935 ), may be blocked without preventing the subsequent synthesis of DNA.
Entorhinal cortex atrophy differentiates Parkinson's disease patients with and without dementia

Volumetric measures of mesial temporal lobe structures on MRI scans recently have been explored as potential biomarkers of dementia in patients with PD, with investigations primarily focused on hippocampal volume. Both in vivo MRI and postmortem tissue studies in Alzheimer's disease, however, demonstrate that the entorhinal cortex (ERC) is involved earlier in disease-related pathology than the hippocampus. The ERC, a region integral in declarative memory function, projects multimodal sensory information to the hippocampus through the perforant path. In PD, ERC atrophy, as measured on MRI, however, has received less attention, compared to hippocampal atrophy. We compared ERC and hippocampal atrophy in 12 subjects with PD dementia including memory impairment, 14 PD subjects with normal cognition, and 14 healthy controls with normal cognition using manual segmentation methods on MRI scans. Though hippocampal volumes were similar in the two PD cognitive groups, ERC volumes were substantially smaller in the demented PD subjects, compared to cognitively normal PD subjects (P < 0.05). In addition, normalized ERC and hippocampal volumes for right and left hemispheres were significantly lower in the demented PD group, compared to healthy controls. Our findings suggest that ERC atrophy differentiates demented and cognitively normal PD subjects, in contrast to hippocampal atrophy. Thus, ERC atrophy on MRI may be a potential biomarker for dementia in PD, particularly in the setting of memory impairment.
SV40 large tumor antigen can regulate some cellular transcripts in a positive fashion

Eleven cDNA clones identified from a cDNA library prepared from the mRNA fraction of SV40 transformed cells detected, by hybridization, higher levels of cellular mRNA in SV40-transformed cells than in nontransformed cells. Three of these cDNA clones detected levels of cellular mRNA that were more than 100-fold greater in SV40tsA transformed cell lines grown at the permissive temperature than in those grown at the nonpermissive temperature. Northern blot hybridizations confirmed these results and in some cases detected RNA species of multiple sizes that were regulated in a temperature-dependent fashion in SV40tsA transformed cell lines. Infection of 3T3 cells with SV40 stimulated the levels of RNAs complementary to these cDNA clones. The results demonstrate that the SV40 large T antigen can regulate the steady state levels of some cellular RNA species.
Linkages between Citizens and Politicians in Democratic Polities

Research on democratic party competition in the formal spatial tradition of Downs and the comparative-historical tradition of Lipset and Rokkan assumes that linkages of accountability and responsiveness between voters and political elites work through politicians’ programmatic appeals and policy achievements. This ignores, however, alternative voter-elite linkages through the personal charisma of political leaders and, more important, selective material incentives in networks of direct exchange (clientelism). In light of the diversity of linkage mechanisms appearing in new democracies and changing linkages in established democracies, this article explores theories of linkage choice. It first develops conceptual definitions of charismatic, clientelist, and programmatic linkages between politicians and electoral constituencies. It then asks whether politicians face a trade-off or mutual reinforcement in employing linkage mechanisms. The core section of the article details developmentalist, statist, institut...
Use of capillary electrophoresis for monitoring citrus juice composition.

Abstract New trends in adulterator monitoring, favor the development of methods analyzing simultaneously as many compounds as possible. Capillary electrophoresis has been applied to the examination of a broad spectrum of citrus juice molecules that absorb in the UV and in the visible light. Depending on the conditions up to thirty compounds could be separated. The identified molecules included phenolic amines, amino acids, flavonoids, polyphenols and vitamin C. Samples can be analyzed without specific preparation and the best separations were obtained with diluted solutions due to a stacking effect. This method has been applied to the comparison of pure orange juice and pulpwash, a major adulterant of orange juice. Several significant quantitative differences were seen and it is hoped that this procedure will provide a more precise way of estimating pulpwash in orange juice.
Combination chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, vincristine, adriamycin, and dexamethasone (CVAD) plus oral quinine and verapamil in patients with advanced breast cancer

We evaluated the question of whether the chemosensitizers verapamil and quinine given orally to breast cancer patients failing combination chemotherapy alone would result in additional clinical responses. In vitro studies reported here showed verapamil sensitization of Adriamycin resistance in 18.8% of fresh human breast cancer specimens tested. Patients (27) were first treated with cyclophosphamide, vincristine, Adriamycin and dexamethasone (CVAD) alone. Verapamil and quinine were added in patients with tumors failing to respond or progressing on CVAD alone. Following treatment with CVAD alone there were no complete remissions and 3 patients (11%) developed partial remissions lasting 5.5, 8, 10.5 months. With the addition of verapamil and quinine to the CVAD regimen, one patient (4%) developed a complete remission of 11.8 months duration and 4 additional patients (15%) developed partial remissions lasting 2.8, 17.3, 19 and > 40 months. Thus, the overall rate of CVAD sensitization by verapamil and quinine was 19%. Treatment with CVAD plus verapamil and quinine was generally well tolerated with observed toxicities including: myelosuppression, neuropathy, Cushingoid symptoms and tinnitus and/or dizziness due to quinine. We conclude that addition of the non-cytotoxic chemosensitizers verapamil and quinine to CVAD in patients failing CVAD alone results in additional clinical responses in a small percentage of patients, some with long term durations. The results of this study lend credence to the notion that non-cytotoxic chemosensitizers can enhance the clinical activity of combination chemotherapy and the search for more effective and less toxic chemosensitizers continues.
Keynote speaker III: Information embedding: From theory to practice

Watermarking, fingerprinting, and steganography applications require the secure embedding of information bits into a cover signal (such as audio, video, still images, etc.) This talk will present the fundamental concepts and outline practical approaches to such problems. First an overview of applications is given, ranging from Digital rights management to content authentication, transaction tracking, and database annotation. Then the fundamental notions pertaining to information embedding into cover signals are presented, namely signal fidelity, robustness against an adversary, and payload. An information-theoretic model is presented for a generic data hiding problem. Analysis of this model yields the notion of data-hiding capacity and sheds light into what is the structure of good data-hiding codes. Spread-spectrum and binning codes are discussed in this context. The final part of the talk shows an application of the theory to a problem of hiding data in an image.
Translinear circuits in subthreshold MOS

In this paper we provide an overview of translinear circuit design using MOS transistors operating in subthreshold region. We contrast the bipolar and MOS subthreshold characteristics and extend the translinear principle to the subthreshold MOS ohmic region through a drain/source current decomposition. A front/back-gate current decomposition is adopted; this facilitates the analysis of translinear loops, including multiple input floating gate MOS transistors. Circuit examples drawn from working systems designed and fabricated in standard digital CMOS oriented process are used as vehicles to illustrate key design considerations, systematic analysis procedures, and limitations imposed by the structure and physics of MOS transistors. Finally, we present the design of an analog VLSI “translinear system” with over 590,000 transistors in subthreshold CMOS. This performs phototransduction, amplification, edge enhancement and local gain control at the pixel level.
Controls on the ratio of mesozooplankton production to primary production in marine ecosystems

Abstract An ecosystem model was used to (1) determine the extent to which global trends in the ratio of mesozooplankton production to primary production (referred to herein as the “ z -ratio”) can be explained by nutrient enrichment, temperature, and euphotic zone depth, and (2) quantitatively diagnose the mechanisms driving these trends. Equilibrium model solutions were calibrated to observed and empirically derived patterns in phytoplankton biomass and growth rates, mesozooplankton biomass and growth rates, and the fraction of phytoplankton that are large (>5 μm ESD). This constrained several otherwise highly uncertain model parameters. Most notably, half-saturation constants for zooplankton feeding were constrained by the biomass and growth rates of their prey populations, and low zooplankton basal metabolic rates were required to match observations from oligotrophic ecosystems. Calibrated model solutions had no major biases and produced median z -ratios and ranges consistent with estimates. However, much of the variability around the median values in the calibration dataset (72 points) could not be explained. Model results were then compared with an extended global compilation of z -ratio estimates (>10 000 points). This revealed a modest yet significant ( r =0.40) increasing trend in z -ratios from values ∼0.01–0.04 to ∼0.1–0.2 with increasing primary productivity, with the transition from low to high z -ratios occurring at lower primary productivity in cold-water ecosystems. Two mechanisms, both linked to increasing phytoplankton biomass, were responsible: (1) zooplankton gross growth efficiencies increased as their ingestion rates became much greater than basal metabolic rates and (2) the trophic distance between primary producers and mesozooplankton shortened as primary production shifted toward large phytoplankton. Mechanism (1) was most important during the transition from low to moderate productivity ecosystems and mechanism (2) was responsible for a relatively abrupt transition to values >0.1 in high productivity ecosystems. Substantial z -ratio variations overlying these mean trends remained unexplained by these mechanisms. Potential sources of this variability include zooplankton patchiness, unresolved effects of advection and unsteady dynamics, unresolved shifts in mesozooplankton sizes and species, and unresolved aspects of zooplankton bioenergetics. Comparison of the modeled z -ratio patterns and mechanisms diagnosed herein with those obtained using models with expanded biological dynamics embedded in global circulation models will help further elucidate the causes of this variation.
The effects of ethacrynic acid diuresis on renal hemodynamics and Hg203 chlormerodrin excretion.

Abstract The renal functional effects of ethacrynic acid in varying doses have been tested in the dog during normotension, hemorrhagic hypotension, and renal artery stenosis. A transient increase has been observed in renal blood flow at the largest dose given. Alterations were produced in the intrarenal concentration and the urinary excretion of Hg 203 chlormerodrin by changing the dosage and route of administration of ethacrynic acid. This has been discussed in the light of the present knowledge of the renal tubular activity of specific organic mercurials and of ethacrynic acid.
Interpretation of particle pinches and diffusion coefficients in the edge pedestal of DIII-D H-mode plasmas

A procedure is described for evaluating particle pinches to be used in interpreting particle diffusion coefficients from measured density and temperature profiles in the edge pedestal of tokamak plasmas. Application to the interpretation of two DIII-D [J. Luxon, Nucl. Fusion 42, 614 (2002)]. discharges yields new information about particle pinches and particle diffusion coefficient profiles in the edge pedestal.
The Sri Lanka tsunami experience

The Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 killed 31,000 people in Sri Lanka and produced morbidity primarily resulting from near-drownings and traumatic injuries. In the immediate aftermath, the survivors brought bodies to the hospitals, which hampered the hospitals' operations. The fear of epidemics led to mass burials. Infectious diseases were prevented through the provision of clean water and through vector control. Months after the tsunami, little rebuilding of permanent housing was evident, and many tsunami victims continued to reside in transit camps without means of generating their own income. The lack of an incident command system, limited funding, and political conflicts were identified as barriers to optimal relief efforts. Despite these barriers, Sri Lanka was fortunate in drawing upon a well-developed community health infrastructure as well as local and international resources. The need continues for education and training in clinical skills for mass rescue and emergency treatment, as well as participation in a multidisciplinary response.
Deconstructing an assemblage of “turtle” barnacles: species assignments and fickle fidelity in Chelonibia

Barnacles in the genus Chelonibia are commensal with a variety of motile marine animals including sea turtles, crustaceans, and sirenians. We conducted a worldwide molecular phylogenetic survey of Chelonibia collected from nearly all known hosts to assess species relationships, host-fidelity, and phylogeographic structure. Using DNA sequences from a protein-coding mitochondrial gene (COI), a mitochondrial rRNA gene (12S), and one nuclear rRNA gene (28S), we found that of four species, three (C. testudinaria, C. patula, and C. manati) are genetically indistinguishable. In addition, we show each utilizes a rare androdioecious mode of reproduction involving complemental males. In contrast, the fourth species (C. caretta), which is hermaphroditic and specializes on turtles, is genetically distinct—leading to the conclusion that the three former taxa are morphotypes of the same species and should be synonymized under C. testudinaria. Phylogenetic analysis resulted in three geographic clades (Atlantic, Indian Ocean/western Pacific, and eastern Pacific) with haplotype parsimony networks revealing no shared haplotypes among geographic regions. Analysis of molecular variance detected significant differences among sequences by region (p < 0.005); conversely, there were no significant differences among sequences when grouped by host or taxonomic designation. Average pairwise genetic distances were lower between the eastern Pacific and Atlantic clades (0.053 ± 0.006) than between the eastern Pacific and Indian Ocean/western Pacific clades (0.073 ± 0.008), suggesting Atlantic and eastern Pacific populations were connected more recently, perhaps until the rise of the Isthmus of Panama. Host use by Chelonibia morphotypes is discussed along with speculation on possible ancestral hosts and support for a “turtle-first” hypothesis.
The Effect of Temperature on Oxygen Consumption in Aedes aegypti Pupae

The O2 consumption of pupae of Aedes aegypti (L.) was measured at 10 temperatures ranging from 12–45°C. The O2 consumption-temperature curve and Q10 values for these aquatic pupae were similar to those obtained in other insects. From 12–25°C, the Q10 was approximately 3, then decreased with increasing temperature.
The Man Who Came to Dinner, or Hooray for Mr Spaulding: A Peek at Historical Imagination Running Rampant

Dorothy Pond (nee Long, 1900-1987) married anthropologist Alonzo W Pond (1894-1986) in July of 1926, little more than a month after they met. In the early years of their marriage she accompanied him into the field on excavations and helped him with his archaeological manuscripts (Pond 1930, Pond et al. 1928, 1937). Lonnie, after participating in the Rainbow Bridge-Monument Valley Expedition of 1933, and working at Jamestown and Mammoth Cave, left archaeology, as a liveli­hood, in 1935 for a series of other jobs. The Ponds retired to northern Wisconsin in 1958. There, Alonzo, with Dorothy's help, turned out several popular natural history books (Pond 1962, 1965, 1969b, 1969b, 1972).
Patient-specific total knee arthroplasty required frequent surgeon-directed changes.

Background Patient-specific instrumentation potentially improves surgical precision and decreases operative time in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) but there is little supporting data to confirm this presumption.
Chemopreventive Properties of Dietary Rice Bran: Current Status and Future Prospects

Emerging evidence suggests that dietary rice bran may exert beneficial effects against several types of cancer, such as breast, lung, liver, and colorectal cancer. The chemopreventive potential has been related to the bioactive phytochemicals present in the bran portion of the rice such as ferulic acid, tricin, b-sitosterol, g-oryzanol, tocotrienols/tocopherols, and phytic acid. Studies have shown that the anticancer effects of the rice bran–derived bioactive components are mediated through their ability to induce apoptosis, inhibit cell proliferation, and alter cell cycle progression in malignant cells. Rice bran bioactive components protect against tissue damage through the scavenging of free radicals and the blocking of chronic inflammatory responses. Rice bran phytochemicals have also been shown to activate anticancer immune responses as well as affecting the colonic tumor microenvironment in favor of enhanced colorectal cancer chemoprevention. This is accomplished through the modulation of gut microflora communities and the regulation of carcinogen-metabolizing enzymes. In addition, the low cost of rice production and the accessibility of rice bran make it an appealing candidate for global dietary chemoprevention. Therefore, the establishment of dietary rice bran as a practical food-derived chemopreventive agent has the potential to have a significant impact on cancer prevention for the global population. Adv. Nutr. 3: 643–653, 2012.
Leslie Stein. The Hope Fulfilled: The Rise of Modern Israel . Westport, CT: Praeger, 2002. xiv, 299 pp.

In the preface to The Hope Fulfilled, a history of the Zionist movement from the 1880s to 1948, Leslie Stein writes that, unlike other voluminous publications that have dealt with the history of modern Israel, he has attempted to provide a concise description of the events that led to the founding of the State of Israel. Focusing primarily on the political, military, and diplomatic aspects of Zionist history, this 275-page (sans glossary and index) volume is indeed a succinct yet thorough description that gives the student of Zionist history a sound introduction to the origins and history of the movement.
Estimation of genetic parameters for milk, fat, protein and mozzarella cheese production for the Italian river buffalo Bubalus bubalis population

The objective of this work was to estimate genetic parameters for the Italian population of river buffaloes. Lactation records (10,663) for milk, fat, protein and mozzarella cheese production of river buffalo cows were analyzed by fitting a multiple trait animal model using restricted maximum likelihood. The number of cows with records was 3873 with 6842 animals in the relationship matrix. mozzarella cheese production per lactation was computed by considering milk yield, and fat and protein percentages. The average lactational yields of milk, fat, protein and calculated mozzarella (kg) and fat and protein percentages were 2286.86492.1, 196.9645.6, 104.7621.7, 589.16125.4, 8.5960.85 and 4.5560.28, respectively. Heritability estimates for milk, fat, protein and mozzarella yields and fat and protein percentages were 0.14, 0.11, 0.14, 0.13, 0.17 and 0.10, respectively. Though estimates of heritability are lower than for the same traits in dairy cattle, estimates of phenotypic and genetic correlations between all traits show the possibility of developing a selection scheme to improve characteristics of milk for production of mozzarella cheese, the most important product of Italian buffaloes. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
A novel evidence accumulation framework for robust multi-camera person detection

We propose a novel evidence accumulation framework that accurately estimates the positions of humans in a 3D environment. The framework consists of a network of distributed agents having different functionalities. The modular structure of the network allows scalability to large surveillance areas and robust operation. The framework does not assume reliable measurements in single cameras (referred to as dasiasensing agentspsila in our framework) or reliable communication between different agents. There is a position uncertainty associated with single camera measurements and it is reduced through an uncertainty reducing transform that performs evidence accumulation using multiple camera measurements. Our framework has the advantage that single camera measurements do not need to be temporally synchronized to perform evidence accumulation. The system has been tested for detecting single and multiple humans in the environment. We conducted experiments to evaluate the localization accuracy of the position estimates obtained from the system by comparing them with the ground truth. Also, two different configurations of the agents were tested to compare their detection performance.
Primary presacral neuroendocrine tumor associated with imperforate anus

Presacral masses are unusual growths that have a limited differential diagnosis, typically not including neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). Classically, NETs are well-differentiated gastroenteropancreatic tumors of probable benign behavior. These tumors are associated with a typical morphologic pattern and involve the distal colon, rectum, and genitourinary tract; they are considered less aggressive, frequently asymptomatic, and rarely cause carcinoid syndrome, even when metastatic. Neuroendocrine tumors of the presacral region are extremely rare and few have been described in the literature. They have not been previously reported as being associated with imperforate anus. We present an interesting case of a woman with a history of imperforate anus that was found to have a primary neuroendocrine tumor of the presacral region with no rectal wall involvement. We argue that this is a primary gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumor which likely originated from cells of hindgut origin that underwent an abnormal migration during embryonic development.
Hypersensitivity of Abscisic Acid–Induced Cytosolic Calcium Increases in the Arabidopsis Farnesyltransferase Mutant era1-2

Cytosolic calcium increases were analyzed in guard cells of the Arabidopsis farnesyltransferase deletion mutant era1-2 (enhanced response to abscisic acid). At low abscisic acid (ABA) concentrations (0.1 μM), increases of guard cell cytosolic calcium and stomatal closure were activated to a greater extent in the era1-2 mutant compared with the wild type. Patch clamping of era1-2 guard cells showed enhanced ABA sensitivity of plasma membrane calcium channel currents. These data indicate that the ERA1 farnesyltransferase targets a negative regulator of ABA signaling that acts between the points of ABA perception and the activation of plasma membrane calcium influx channels. Experimental increases of cytosolic calcium showed that the activation of S-type anion currents downstream of cytosolic calcium and extracellular calcium-induced stomatal closure were unaffected in era1-2, further supporting the positioning of era1-2 upstream of cytosolic calcium in the guard cell ABA signaling cascade. Moreover, the suppression of ABA-induced calcium increases in guard cells by the dominant protein phosphatase 2C mutant abi2-1 was rescued partially in era1-2 abi2-1 double mutant guard cells, further reinforcing the notion that ERA1 functions upstream of cytosolic calcium and indicating the genetic interaction of these two mutations upstream of ABA-induced calcium increases.
Transforming growth factor beta signaling in adult cardiovascular diseases and repair

The majority of children with congenital heart disease now live into adulthood due to the remarkable surgical and medical advances that have taken place over the past half century. Because of this, adults now represent the largest age group with adult cardiovascular diseases. It includes patients with heart diseases that were not detected or not treated during childhood, those whose defects were surgically corrected but now need revision due to maladaptive responses to the procedure, those with exercise problems and those with age-related degenerative diseases. Because adult cardiovascular diseases in this population are relatively new, they are not well understood. It is therefore necessary to understand the molecular and physiological pathways involved if we are to improve treatments. Since there is a developmental basis to adult cardiovascular disease, transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) signaling pathways that are essential for proper cardiovascular development may also play critical roles in the homeostatic, repair and stress response processes involved in adult cardiovascular diseases. Consequently, we have chosen to summarize the current information on a subset of TGFβ ligand and receptor genes and related effector genes that, when dysregulated, are known to lead to cardiovascular diseases and adult cardiovascular deficiencies and/or pathologies. A better understanding of the TGFβ signaling network in cardiovascular disease and repair will impact genetic and physiologic investigations of cardiovascular diseases in elderly patients and lead to an improvement in clinical interventions.
SPEEDING MELODY SEARCH WITH VANTAGE POINT TREES

Melodic search engines let people find music in online collections by specifying the desired melody. Comparing the query melody to every item in a large database is prohibitively slow. If melodies can be placed in a metric space, search can be sped by comparing the query to a limited number of vantage melodies, rather than the entire database. We describe a simple melody metric that is customizable using a small number of example queries. This metric allows use of a generalized vantage point tree to organize the database. We show on a standard melodic database that the general vantage tree approach achieves superior search results for query-by-humming compared to an existing vantage point tree method. We then show this method can be used as a preprocessor to speed search for non-metric melodic comparison.
Divergent phenological response to hydroclimate variability in forested mountain watersheds.

Mountain watersheds are primary sources of freshwater, carbon sequestration, and other ecosystem services. There is significant interest in the effects of climate change and variability on these processes over short to long time scales. Much of the impact of hydroclimate variability in forest ecosystems is manifested in vegetation dynamics in space and time. In steep terrain, leaf phenology responds to topoclimate in complex ways, and can produce specific and measurable shifts in landscape forest patterns. The onset of spring is usually delayed at a specific rate with increasing elevation (often called Hopkins’ Law; Hopkins, 1918), reflecting the dominant controls of temperature on greenup timing. Contrary with greenup, leaf senescence shows inconsistent trends along elevation gradients. Here, we present mechanisms and an explanation for this variability and its significance for ecosystem patterns and services in response to climate. We use moderate-resolution imaging spectro-radiometer (MODIS) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data to derive landscape-induced phenological patterns over topoclimate gradients in a humid temperate broadleaf forest in southern Appalachians. These phenological patterns are validated with different sets of field observations. Our data demonstrate that divergent behavior of leaf senescence with elevation is closely related to late growing season hydroclimate variability in temperature and water balance patterns. Specifically, a drier late growing season is associated with earlier leaf senescence at low elevation than at middle elevation. The effect of drought stress on vegetation senescence timing also leads to tighter coupling between growing season length and ecosystem water use estimated from observed precipitation and runoff generation. This study indicates increased late growing season drought may be leading to divergent ecosystem response between high and low elevation forests. Landscape-induced phenological patterns are easily observed over wide areas and may be used as a unique diagnostic for sources of ecosystem vulnerability and sensitivity to hydroclimate change.
Analysis and reduction of an infinite dimensional chaotic system

A singularly perturbed nonlinear time delay system is considered. It is shown that as the system becomes more singular, it evolves through a series of bifurcations into chaotic behavior. Describing functions are used to predict when the initial bifurcations occur. Based on the attractor dimension, reduced-order finite-dimensional models are obtained that qualitatively reproduce the system dynamics. >
Identification and characterization of a stachyose synthase gene controlling reduced stachyose content in soybean

Key message We identified and characterized a mutant of soybean stachyose synthase gene controlling reduced stachyose content which benefit the soybean seed composition breeding program in the future.
Method for combined biometric and chemical analysis of human fingerprints.

This paper describes a method for combining direct chemical analysis of latent fingerprints with subsequent biometric analysis within a single sample. The method described here uses ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) as a chemical detection method for explosives and narcotics trace contamination. A collection swab coated with a high-temperature adhesive has been developed to lift latent fingerprints from various surfaces. The swab is then directly inserted into an IMS instrument for a quick chemical analysis. After the IMS analysis, the lifted print remains intact for subsequent biometric scanning and analysis using matching algorithms. Several samples of explosive-laden fingerprints were successfully lifted and the explosives detected with IMS. Following explosive detection, the lifted fingerprints remained of sufficient quality for positive match scores using a prepared gallery consisting of 60 fingerprints. Based on our results (n = 1200), there was no significant decrease in the quality of the lifted print post IMS analysis. In fact, for a small subset of lifted prints, the quality was improved after IMS analysis. The described method can be readily applied to domestic criminal investigations, transportation security, terrorist and bombing threats, and military in-theatre settings.
Induction of membranous nephropathy in rabbits by administration of an exogenous cationic antigen.

We examined the role of antigenic electrical charge as a determinant of glomerular immune complex localization in the rabbit. Serum sickness nephritis was induced in groups of New Zealand white rabbits by daily 25-mg intravenous injections of bovine serum albumin (BSA) chemically modified to be cationic (pI > 9.5) or more anionic (pI, 3.5-4.6); an additional group received unmodified native BSA (pI, 4.5-5.1). Factors known to influence immune complex localization, e.g., molecular size of the administered antigen and resulting circulating immune complexes, immunogenicity, and disappearance time from the circulation were examined and found to be similar for both anionic and cationic BSA. Charge modification did increase the nonimmune clearance of cationic and anionic BSA compared with native BSA. Injected cationic BSA was shown in paired label experiments to bind directly to glomeruli compared with native BSA. The renal lesion produced by cationic BSA was markedly different from that found in rabbits given anionic or native BSA. Animals receiving cationic BSA uniformly developed generalized diffuse granular capillary wall deposits of IgG, C3, and BSA detected after 2 wk of injections and increasing until death at 6 wk. Qualitatively similar deposits were produced by the administration of low doses of cationic BSA of only 1 or 10 mg/d. In contrast, the injection of both anionic and native BSA resulted in mesangial deposits at 2 and 4 wk with capillary wall deposits appearing by 6 wk. Ultrastructural examination of animals receiving cationic BSA revealed pure, extensive formation of dense deposits along the lamina rara externa of the glomerular basement membrane whereas such deposits were absent or rare in animals injected with the anionic or native BSA. Albuminuria was significantly greater at 6 wk in the groups receiving cationic BSA with a mean of 280 mg/24 h compared with 53 mg/24 h in the combined groups injected with anionic or native BSA. Blood urea nitrogen values were similar in all groups at 2 and 4 wk but higher in the animals receiving cationic BSA at 6 wk. These experiments describe the reproducible induction of epimembranous immune deposits by administration of an exogenous cationic antigen. They suggest that antigenic charge can play an important role in the pathogenesis of membranous nephropathy by permitting direct glomerular binding of an antigen and predisposing to in situ immune complex formation.
Synthetic Apatites: Applications

Previously it has been indicated that a carbonate fluorapatite (phosphorite) is the source of phosphoric acid, or in some cases elemental phosphorus. Some of the phosphorus is reconverted to apatite in its ultimate utilization, particularly as phosphors and as a scouring agent for dentifrices. To be sure, not all phosphors or scouring agents are apatites but these are important applications of synthetic apatites, and valuable information has been generated because of this economic importance.
The molecular biology of dilated cardiomyopathy

Cardiomyopathies are disorders affecting heart muscle which usually result in inadequate pumping of the heart and are the most common cause of heart failure. Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) causes ventricular dilation and dysfunction, primarily of the left ventricle, and has many etiologies. Genetic heterogeneity exists and several of these genes are now known, including dystrophin, cardiac actin, desmin, δ-sarcoglycan, cardiac troponin T, β-myosin heavy chain, α-tropomyosin, titin and metavinculin . Here I will review the identification of genes associated with DCM and data demonstrating that dystrophin may provide a common pathway in the pathogenesis of cardiomyopathies.
Hepatitis A virus antibodies in immunoglobulin preparations

Background Persons with primary immune deficiency receive intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) as antibody replacement therapy. These patients depend on the presence of protective antibody levels against circulating pathogens in IVIG. Objectives The incidence of hepatitis A virus (HAV) infections has been decreasing globally. We investigated whether this decrease in HAV incidence is reflected in human plasma pools and evaluated whether HAV antibody titers in IVIG preparations are still adequate for antibody replacement. Methods By using ELISA, the HAV antibody titer of 3,953 plasma pools sourced from March 2003 through September 2008 in the European Union (EU) or United States (US) and of 169 IVIG lots manufactured from 2005 through 2007 was determined. The functionality of the HAV antibodies contained in IVIG was assessed by using a microneutralization assay. Results The results confirm a decrease in HAV antibody titers in EU (−28%) and US (−41%) plasma. Furthermore, the mean HAV antibody content in EU (1.70 ± 0.12 IU/mL) and US (0.82 ± 0.09 IU/mL [mean ± SEM]) plasma was significantly different ( P = .0001). A significant difference ( P P 50 ) values between IVIG produced from EU-sourced (2,477 ± 265 NT 50 [1:X]) or US-sourced (844 ± 82 NT 50 [1:X]) plasma. Conclusion Although HAV antibody seroprevalence continues to decrease in Europe and the US, HAV antibody titers in IVIG lots appear to remain adequate for antibody replacement therapy.
Free will and the necessity of the past

Recanati, F. 2002. Unarticulated constituents. Linguistics and Philosophy 25: 299-345. Stanley, J. 2000. Context and logical form. Linguistics and Philosophy 23: 391-434. Stanley, J. and Z. Szabo. 2000. On quantifier domain restriction. Mind and Language 15: 219-61. Taylor, K. 2001. Sex, breakfast, and descriptus interruptus. Synthese 128: 45-61. Westertahl, D. 1985. Determiners and context sets. In Natural Language, ed. J. van Benthem and A. ter Meulen, 45-71. Dordrecht: Foris.
Self-Assessment of Com munication Behavior: An Experiential Learning Exercise for Intercultural Business Success

This self-assessment is an experiential learning exercise designed for both corporate training and classroom. With Kolb's experiential learning model as a theoretical base, the self-assessment questionnaire in the exercise was developed on the basis of seven. dimensions of communication compe tence identified and confirmed by various empirical studies as predictors of intercultural business success. After com pleting this exercise, students should be able to (a) identify their communication behavior in intercultural interactions, (b) be aware of their communication competence level in intercultural interactions, and (c) increase their under standing of the relationship between communication behav ior and intercultural business management success.
Patterns and Clinical Impact of Angiographically Visible Distal Emboli During Thrombectomy With Solitaire for Acute Ischemic Stroke.

Background Revascularization rates with stent retrievers after acute ischemic stroke are 69% to 86%, but favorable clinical outcomes occur in just 43% to 58% of cases. New distal emboli may negatively impact clinical outcomes. Objective To determine the prevalence and angiographic pattern of distal emboli associated with mechanical thrombectomy using the Solitaire Flow Restoration device and evaluate their correlation with clinical outcome. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the cerebral angiography of all patients with acute ischemic stroke who underwent mechanical thrombectomy with the use of the Solitaire FR device from 2012 to 2013. Angiographic microcatheter runs prior to Solitaire deployment and after thrombectomy were compared to identify new distal filling defects. Clinical outcome was assessed at discharge and after 90 days. Results Successful revascularization using the Solitaire device occurred in 36 of 39 patients (92%). Three distinct patterns were identified: new distal emboli in the same vascular territory (n = 3), new distal emboli in a new vascular territory (n = 3), and distal emboli that resolved after proximal revascularization (n = 7). Thirteen patients had distal emboli before and after Solitaire runs, and 13 showed no evidence of distal emboli. Favorable outcome (modified Rankin scores 0-2) was seen in 54% of all patients and 83% of patients with new distal emboli; thus, there was no correlation between new emboli and unfavorable clinical outcome (P = .67). Conclusion We report an incidence rate of at least 15% of new emboli associated with use of the Solitaire device during thrombectomy in our series. Filling defects after Solitaire use were not associated with poor outcomes at discharge or 90-day follow-up.
Metabolic Response to Injury and Sepsis

There is a programmed set of neuro-hormonal responses in response to “injury” which results in profound metabolic change.
Testing the bargaining vs. inclusive fitness models of suicidal behavior against the ethnographic record

Abstract Suicide is responsible for more deaths than all wars and homicides combined. Despite over a century of research on this puzzling and tragic behavior, and a recent increase in the number of treatments and intervention programs, it remains a global scourge. There is abundant research on suicidality in Western populations, but research on suicide among non-Western peoples is limited. Most notably, few studies analyze suicidality within small scale, non-industrial societies. Using ethnographic data from 53 cultures, this study tests two evolutionary theories of suicidal behavior: (1) deCatanzaro's inclusive fitness model, which proposes that successful suicide would increase the inclusive fitness of individuals with low reproductive potential who are a burden on kin, and (2) the bargaining model, which proposes that suicide attempts are a costly signal of need, with completed suicides an unfortunate byproduct. These models were operationalized into two sets of variables, which were used to code 474 textual accounts of suicide extracted from the Probability Sample of the Human Relations Area Files. Results indicate limited support for the inclusive fitness model, which might apply primarily to older adults in harsh environments, and widespread support for most elements of the bargaining model, especially among younger healthy adolescents and adults.
DIVERGENCE IN TRIPSACUM AND ZEA CHROMOSOMES

It is generally agreed that Tripsacum and Zea have probably evolved as divergent genera from an ancient common ancestor (Mangelsdorf and Reeves, 1939; Montgomery, 1906; Randolph, 1952; Weatherwax, 1918). The mode of origin of the striking differences between their chromosomes may be elucidated by studies of hybrid backcross progenies in which Tripsacum chromosomes or segments of them are included in a genetic background which is otherwise that of Zea mays L. (Mangelsdorf and Reeves, 1939; Maguire, 1957). The substitution of a large Tripsacum chromosome segment for a portion of the corn genome has made possible a direct comparison of the effects of corresponding corn and Tripsacum segments on the development and reproduction of the corn plant. The results of this study are reported here, with a consideration of the evolutionary processes which might have yielded the differences found between these two chromosome segments. Divergent viewpoints on the relationship of Tripsacum and corn have been reviewed recently by Mangelsdorf and Reeves (1959) and Randolph (1959). The major differences between the two genera and their crossability are of importance to this study and will be outlined briefly below. Diploid Tripsacum has 18 pairs of chromosomes with an average length much shorter than that of the 10 pairs of corn chromosomes, and the chromosomes of Tripsacum differ from those of corn in arm ratio and other features (Longley, 1941; Randolph, 1955). Corn and Tripsacum are phenotypically very different. Tripsacum has well-developed staminate and pistillate spikelets in all inflorescences, with the pis-
An Interconnection and Damping Assignment Passivity-Based Controller for a DC–DC Boost Converter With a Constant Power Load

This paper proposes an adaptive interconnection and damping assignment (IDA) passivity-based controller (PBC) with a complementary proportional integral (PI) controller for dc-dc boost converters with constant power loads (CPLs). The plant is modeled as a port-controlled Hamiltonian system (PCHS). A virtual circuit that interprets the parameters of the PCHS is then derived to determine the parameters of the IDA-PBC for the system to work in the underdamping, critical-damping, and overdamping modes. Moreover, a complementary PI controller is designed to eliminate the steady-state output voltage error of the IDA-PBC caused by the load variation. Simulation studies are carried out in MATLAB/Simulink to validate the proposed control algorithm for a dc-dc boost converter with a CPL; results show that the proposed control algorithm ensures the stability and fast response of the system in different modes when the load changes. Experimental results are provided to further validate the design and simulation of the proposed control algorithm.
Some preliminary considerations concerning concentration of oxygen in tissue

An approximate expression for the average concentration of oxygen in vascular tissue is derived on the basis of certain assumptions. These assumptions are then analyzed, and the inadequacies of the approximate derivation are pointed out; possibilities as to the method and results of more exact derivations are briefly discussed.
An Artificial Neural Network for Capillary Transport Characterization of Fuel Cell Diffusion Media

This study addresses the development of a design algorithm based on artificial neural network (ANN) that can precisely predict the capillary transport characteristics of fuel cell diffusion media (DM). A three-layered ANN architecture processing the feed-forward error back propagation methodology has been constructed. The designed neural network was systematically trained with the novel benchmark data generated from direct measurements of capillary pressure-saturation of differently engineered DMs under a wide range of conditions [8-10]. Once the trained network learned the complex non-linear relationship between the transport properties and measured parameters of the tested DM samples, it was utilized to predict the capillary pressure of the DM as a function of the hydrophobic additive content and assembly compression pressure at the intermediate conditions, in which the experimental data are not available.
The EXAFS of Disordered Systems and the Cumulant Expansion

In the 15 or so years since SAYERS, STERN and LYTLE [1–4] demonstrated the utility of EXAFS spectroscopy for local structure determination, the technique has been successfully applied to a wide variety of materials. EXAFS is especially appropriate for studying liquids and amorphous solids because long range order need not be present in the sample. As the technique has matured, workers have become more aware of its strengths and limitations. Foremost among the latter are the “lack of information at low k” and the complications (“non-gaussian disorder”) that occur when large disorder is present[5]. The main points of this paper are that such limitations are not as severe as has been supposed, and that practical schemes have been developed for analysis of moderately disordered systems.
SUPPORTING OF LAND RESOURCES TO INDUSTRIAL ECONOMY IN BEIJING

Land resource plays an irreplaceable role in supporting the development of industrial economy.But with the development of the industrialization and urbanization,the constraints of land to the industrial economy become increasingly evident.This paper,taking Beijing city as an example,using Cobb-Douglas production function as model, based on a decade of data,studies the supporting of land and other related elements to the development of industries development,according to the analysis of relationship between elements inputs and industrial development.At last,the paper presents that land is the key economic control and the imbalance between shortage of land in Beijing and demand trend of socio-economic development is very clear.The land must be in extensive utilization.
The Influence of Unconventional Structure Line on the Dress Style

The unconventional structure line annotates the dress style in a kind of innovative and opening way,expresses dress's connotation and appearance.The article explores the technique of expression in the dress style according to it's characteristic,and concludes five typical techniques of the unconventional structure line.