cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On Implicit Constitutive Theories

In classical constitutive models such as the Navier-Stokes fluid model, and the Hookean or neo-Hookean solid models, the stress is given explicitly in terms of kinematical quantities. Models for viscoelastic and inelastic responses on the other hand are usually implicit relationships between the stress and the kinematical quantities. Another class of problems wherein it would be natural to develop implicit constitutive theories, though seldom resorted to, are models for bodies that are constrained. In general, for such materials the material moduli that characterize the extra stress could depend on the constraint reaction. (E.g., in an incompressible fluid, the viscosity could depend on the constraint reaction associated with the constraint of incompressibility. In the linear case, this would be the pressure.) Here we discuss such implicit constitutive theories. We also discuss a class of bodies described by an implicit constitutive relation for the specific Helmholtz potential that depends on both the stress and strain, and which does not dissipate in any admissible process. The stress in such a material is not derivable from a potential, i.e., the body is not hyperelastic (Green elastic).
Name Robbers: Privacy, Blackmail, and Assorted Matters in Legal History

Shakespeare, as usual, was on to something. Reputation—a good name—is worth a great deal to people. It deserves, and gets, legal protection. Defamation is the most obvious legal tool for doing this; and a most significant one. For businesses, trademark law is another important legal tool, which can be used to protect the name and good will of a company. But these are not the only ways in which law protects reputation. This Article is about some of the less obvious aspects in which the law dealt with, and guarded, reputation, in the nineteenth
The Relationship Between Pre-operative Left Ventricular Longitudinal Strain and Post-operative Length of Stay in Patients Undergoing Arterial Switch Operation Is Age Dependent

Post-operative length of stay (LOS) after the arterial switch operation (ASO) is variable. The association between pre-operative non-invasive measures of ventricular function and post-operative course has not been well established. The aims of this study were to (1) evaluate the relationship between pre-operative non-invasive measures of ventricular function and post-operative LOS and (2) evaluate the change in ventricular function after ASO. Data were reviewed in consecutive ASO patients between 2010 and 2016. The primary outcome was post-operative LOS. Echocardiograms obtained during the pre-operative period and at the time of discharge were retrospectively analyzed using speckle-tracking echocardiography. Pearson’s correlation between patient-specific, pre-operative, and echocardiographic data versus post-operative LOS was assessed. Fifty-two patients were included in analyses, 39 neonates and 13 infants. Left ventricular (LV) longitudinal strain correlated with post-operative LOS for infants age > 28 days (r = 0.62, p = 0.03), but not for neonates (r = 0.14, p = 0.40). Operative age (r = − 0.42, p = 0.003), weight at surgery (r = − 0.48, p ≤ 0.001), and cardiopulmonary bypass time (r = 0.30, p = 0.045) also correlated with post-operative LOS. Standard 2D measures of ventricular function did not correlate with post-operative LOS. LV ejection fraction and longitudinal strain worsened post-operatively. Higher pre-operative LV longitudinal strain (representing worse LV function) is associated with increased post-operative LOS after ASO in infants > 28 days, but not in neonates. LV ejection fraction and longitudinal strain worsened after ASO. Future studies should assess the utility of performing STE in risk stratifying patients prior to ASO.
The Mañana Complex: A Revelatory Narrative of Teachers’ White Innocence and Racial Disgust Toward Mexican–American Children

This paper presents selected findings from an ethnographic case study of at a public junior high school. Analysis of White teachers’ discourse implicated a perspective of Mexican–American children that we describe as a manana complex, a perceived association between Mexican–Americans and the term “manana” (Spanish: “tomorrow”). We outline how this manana complex among White teachers is indicative of historical racial tropes of Mexicans in the United States while also reflecting current anti-Mexican discourse emboldened and made more fervent by the current US presidential administration. Ultimately, the manana complex is an example of both racial disgust toward Mexican–American children (Matias and Zembylas in Crit Stud Educ 55(3):319–337, 2014) and presumptions of White innocence and neutrality (Orozco in Crit Stud Educ 1–17, 2017. http://doi.org/10.1080/17508487.2017.1285335 ) among White teachers. Such narratives have profound implications for the education of Mexican and non-White children in US schools that are herein discussed.
Nonlinear Device Conversion

A Nonlinear Device Converter is introduced that can be used to create useful new nonlinear devices whose characteristics differ significantly from those of the small number of basic devices that are currently available. The Nonlinear Device Converter is similar in concept to the generalized impedance converter but operates on nonlinear rather than linear devices. One example, supported by both analytical formulation and computer simulations in a 130nm CMOS process, converts a diode to a different one-port device that has a reduced voltage dependence and a reduced temperature dependence. A second example implemented in a 65nm CMOS process converts a MOS transistor to a different three-terminal device with different I-V characteristics.
Intimate Partner Violence around the Time of Pregnancy and Postpartum Contraceptive Use.

Abstract Objectives We sought to examine postpartum contraceptive use among women who reported physical intimate partner violence (IPV) during or within 12 months before pregnancy compared with women who did not report physical IPV and to identify factors associated with nonuse of contraception among women who reported physical IPV. Methods Data were obtained from women with a recent live birth from 2012 to 2015 who participated in the Pregnancy Risk Assessment and Monitoring System. We described characteristics of women and postpartum contraceptive use by method effectiveness (most effective [female sterilization, male sterilization, intrauterine device, implant], moderately effective [injectable, pill, patch, ring], less effective [condoms, natural family planning, withdrawal, other]) or no method, stratified by reported physical IPV. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine characteristics associated with nonuse of contraception among women who reported physical IPV. Results The proportion of women using most or moderately effective contraception was similar for women reporting and not reporting physical IPV. Less effective contraceptive use was lower among women who reported physical IPV (13.9%) than those who did not report physical IPV (25.1%) (p Conclusions The higher proportion of contraception nonuse among women who reported physical IPV indicates a potential unmet need for contraception among this vulnerable population. Recommended screening for IPV and counseling about the full range of contraceptive methods should begin during pregnancy and continue through the postpartum period.
GMM identification and estimation of peer effects in a system of simultaneous equations

This paper considers the identification and estimation of network models with agents interacting in multiple activities. We establish the model identification using both linear and quadratic moment conditions. The quadratic moment conditions exploit the correlation of individual decisions within and across different activities, and provide an additional channel to identify peer effects. Combining linear and quadratic moment conditions, we propose a general GMM framework for the estimation of simultaneous equations network models. The GMM estimator improves the asymptotic efficiency of the existing IV-based linear estimators in the literature. Simulation experiments show that the GMM estimator performs well in finite samples.
Comparison of the mechanical performance of architected three-dimensional intertwined lattices at the macro/microscale

Abstract The design of lattice structures with exceptional mechanical performance has been accentuated by recent advances in both additive manufacturing and mechanical modeling. Although there is a plethora of different lattice structures with intriguing properties, such as auxeticity and reciprocity, an exceptional class of lattice geometries is that of intertwined lattices, designed by the tactical coalition of polyhedral structures. Although the superior mechanical performance of the latter structures has been demonstrated at the microscale, their mechanical analysis is still incipient. In this study, the design principles and mechanical performance of such three-dimensional structures were examined at the macroscale and juxtaposed with their microscale counterparts. As a proof of concept, the first stellation of the rhombic dodecahedron, an ultralight/ultrastiff architected structure with superior stiffness and strain hardening characteristics, was examined both numerically and experimentally. Finite element analysis showed that intertwining greatly enhances both the stiffness and isotropic behavior of the structure. In addition, mechanical testing of both microscale and macroscale structures revealed that lattice intertwining leads to commensurate stiffness and strain energy density compared to that of the bulk material, even for 20% relative density. The findings of this study pave the way for a systematic and rigorous approach to design and modeling of macroscopic intertwined geometries, for comparing them with their microscopic equivalents, and for providing insight into scale effects on the mechanical performance of architected materials with intertwined lattices.
Cardiopulmonary Exercise Metrics Demonstrate that CF-LVAD Patients Suffer from Residual Heart Failure

Background Continuous flow left ventricular assist devices (CF-LVADs) improve survival and quality-of-life for patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), but exercise capacity remains reduced. While resting and exertional cardiovascular performance is described in the setting of CF-LVAD support, data on pulmonary performance are limited. The primary objective of this study was to describe changes in metrics of cardiopulmonary performance during exercise among HFrEF patients before and after CF-LVAD implantation. Methods 11 HFrEF patients completed submaximal and symptom-limited cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) on three separate visits. Visit 1 involved CPET testing ∼2-4 weeks prior to CF-LVAD implantation. Visit 2 involved CPET testing ∼3 months post-LVAD at a constant pump speed. Visit 3 involved CPET testing ∼4-5 months post-LVAD with progressive increases in LVAD pump speed during exercise. Exercise involved two levels of submaximal exercise below the ventilatory threshold (steady-states 1-2) and peak exercise on an upright cycle ergometer. Breath-by-breath gas exchange parameters (oxygen uptake [VO2], carbon dioxide production [VCO2], minute ventilation [VE]) were recorded by indirect calorimetry. Results Clinical characteristics are summarized in table 1. There was no improvement in submaximal or peak VO2 following LVAD implantation (figure 1) regardless of whether individuals exercised at constant speed (visit 2) or exercised with progressive pump speed increases (visit 3). Ventilatory efficiency improved modestly on visits 2 and 3, but remained severely impaired. Oxygen uptake efficiency slope (OUES) was largely unchanged post-LVAD. Changes in end-tidal carbon dioxide during exercise were similar on all three visits. Conclusions HFrEF patients suffer from severe impairments in functional capacity as measured by oxygen uptake following CF-LVAD implantation, which does not improve with modulations in pump speed. CF-LVAD patients also suffer from severe impairments in ventilatory efficiency. These data suggest that CF-LVAD patients suffer from residual heart failure that is precipitated by submaximal exercise and not alleviated by modulations in pump speed.
Randomized pilot trial of ipratropium versus placebo in children with critical asthma.

Objective To test the effects of inhaled ipratropium on clinical outcomes of critical asthma in the first randomized trial of this adjunctive therapy in critically ill children. Design Pilot, placebo-controlled, double-blinded, and randomized-controlled trial PATIENTS: Thirty children (15 per group) with critical asthma receiving high-intensity albuterol per a standardized pathway utilizing objective assessments to wean patients to less frequent albuterol administration. Interventions Subjects were randomized to receive either nebulized ipratropium bromide (500 µg in 0.9% saline per dose) or an equivalent volume of nebulized 0.9% saline every 6 h until the patient was successfully weaned to albuterol doses every 2 h ("q2 albuterol"). Measurements and main results Demographics, initial clinical severity score, and asthma histories were similar between groups. There was no significant difference in the median duration of high-intensity albuterol between the treatment group (17.5 [10.3-22.1] h) and placebo group (14.6 [12.7-24.5] days; p = .56). Similarly, there was no significant difference in pediatric intensive care unit length of stay (22.6 [21.1-33.6] vs. 21.4 [16.1-35.8] h; p = .74) or hospital length of stay (48.0 [41.8-59.8] vs. 47.3 [37.2-63.1] h; p = .67). In multivariate linear regression adjusting for identified confounders, treatment with ipratropium was not significantly associated with any of the three outcomes. Side effects were rare and occurred with equally between both groups CONCLUSIONS: Adjunctive therapy with ipratropium was not associated with decreased duration of high-intensity albuterol or shortened length of stay when compared to placebo. A larger, multicenter trial is warranted to confirm that ipratropium does not improve clinical outcomes.
Classification of beams carrying orbital angular momentum propagating through underwater turbulence

There has been an ever-increasing demand for high data rates and security in underwater communication networks as well as sensor applications; the use of lasers has proven to be a realistic option given its inherently high bandwidth as well as low probability of intercept and detection by opponents. That said, laser light experiences degradation when propagated through random media, such as experienced underwater due to optical turbulence, absorption, and scattering. We are motivated to investigate the encoding, propagation, and performance of beams carrying orbital angular momentum through underwater turbulence as a mechanism for utilization in a high-performance communication system. Additionally, we seek to explore and quantify the performance characteristics of neural network techniques to classify and decode the received beams.
Alterations in Functional Connectomics Associated With Neurocognitive Changes Following Glioma Resection.

BACKGROUND Decline in neurocognitive functioning (NCF) often occurs following brain tumor resection. Functional connectomics have shown how neurologic insults disrupt cerebral networks underlying NCF, though studies involving patients with brain tumors are lacking. OBJECTIVE To investigate the impact of brain tumor resection upon the connectome and relationships with NCF outcome in the early postoperative period. METHODS A total of 15 right-handed adults with left perisylvian glioma underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and neuropsychological assessment before and after awake tumor resection. Graph theoretical analysis was applied to rs-fMRI connectivity matrices to calculate network properties. Network properties and NCF measures were compared across the pre- to postoperative periods with matched pairs Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Associations between pre- to postoperative change in network and NCF measures were determined with Spearman rank-order correlations (ρ). RESULTS A majority of the sample showed postoperative decline on 1 or more NCF measures. Significant postoperative NCF decline was found across measures of verbal memory, processing speed, executive functioning, receptive language, and a composite index. Regarding connectomic properties, betweenness centrality and assortativity were significantly smaller postoperatively, and reductions in these measures were associated with better NCF outcomes. Significant inverse associations (ρ = -.51 to -.78, all P < .05) were observed between change in language, executive functioning, and learning and memory, and alterations in segregation, centrality, and resilience network properties. CONCLUSION Decline in NCF was common shortly following resection of glioma involving eloquent brain regions, most frequently in verbal learning/memory and executive functioning. Better postoperative outcomes accompanied reductions in centrality and resilience connectomic measures.
Supergravity duals of gauge field theories from SU(2) × U(1) gauged supergravity in five dimensions

We study the SO(4)-symmetric solution of the five-dimensional SU(2) × U(1) gauged = 4 supergravity theory obtained in [hep-th/0101202]. This solution contains purely magnetic non-abelian and electric abelian fields. It can be interpreted as a reduction of seven-dimensional gauged supergravity on a torus, which comes from type-IIB supergravity on S3. We also show how to obtain that solution from six-dimensional Romans' theory on a circle. We then up-lift the solution to massless type-IIA supergravity. The dual gauge field theory is twisted and is defined on the worldvolume of a NS-fivebrane wrapped on S3. Two other spatial directions of the NS-fivebrane are on a torus. In the IR limit it corresponds to a three-dimensional gauge field theory with two supercharges.
Paved With Good Intentions?: Civil-Military Norms, Breaches, and Why Mindset Matters

This essay argues that a complete scrutiny of norm-breaking and “crises” within strategic-level American civil-military relationships ought to consider more than the impact of the breach or the value of the actor’s apparent justification for transgression. Rather, considering how an actor understood the norm, and whether he or she accepted it before breaching it, uncovers two important factors that have been left under-examined in civil-military norms and relations literature: whether that norm ought to be considered the norm any longer, and whether there is a more nuanced way to determine an actor’s culpability or blameworthiness for the violation. Exploring the willfulness and mindset of the individual parties, who seem to breach norms or fail to establish a baseline of workable mutual expectations, is a step in the direction of understanding the peculiar character of that choice beyond its effect and the actor’s reasoning. This essay proposes that we borrow the scalable legal concept of “intent” from criminal law—described as “the degree of informed intentionality” of a civil-military relationship actor. Informing this proposal is a look at some recent norm-busting events “ripped from the headlines.”
Historic and Contemporary Environmental Justice Issues among Native Americans in the Gulf Coast Region of the United States

Settler-colonialism is founded in environmental racism, and environmental justice is foundational to all forms of decolonialization. Native American groups located in the Gulf Coast Region of the United States are particularly vulnerable to environmental justice issues such as climate change and oil spills due to their geographic location and reliance on the coastal region for economic and social resources. This study used the framework of historical oppression, resilience, and transcendence (FHORT) to explore the historic and contemporary forms of environmental injustice experienced by a Native American tribe in the Gulf Coast region of the United States. This critical ethnography analyzeda series of individual, family, and focus group semi-structured qualitative interviews with a total of 208 participants. Following the critical ethnographic method, data were interpreted through reconstructive analysis using NVivo. Findings of this study reveal the continuing impact of the BP oil spill and difficulty accessing resources following the spill, complicated by the tribe’s lack of federal recognition. Additional themes include the continuing impact of coastal erosion, historical and contemporary land loss, geographic marginalization, and concerns about a loss of tribal identity when tribal members are forced to relocate. Lack of federal tribal recognition has exacerbated all of these issues for this tribe. This study supports national findings that Native American groups experience extensive historic and contemporary environmental injustices and contextualizes these findings for a Native American tribe in the Gulf Coast region of the United States. Recognizing Native American sovereignty is key to addressing the environmental justice issues described.
Visualizing a user model for educational adaptive information retrieval

We will visualize a user model to achieve adaptive information retrieval in a learning environment. User profile components such as user interests and user knowledge are visualized in WebVIBE with the purpose of helping the student in identifying relevant documents for study. We will be able to find out whether this visualization will change the students' access patterns to the study material and whether they will be able to find relevant documents faster.
A Neuroimage is Worth a Thousand Transformations: The Deceptive Epistemic Value of Neuroimagery

The similarity of neuroimages to photographs connotes a false inferential proximity that obscures the highly correlational nature of the data it represents. As neuroimaging data plays an increasingly salient role in our lives – spurring ethical debates, informing diagnostic criteria, etc. – communicating neuroscientific findings clearly to the public becomes ever more critical. By exploring the multilayered analysis embedded within neuroimages, this paper comments on how the dissemination of findings is as critical as methodology in knowledge creation. A society that is spoon-fed results, without understanding the underlying structure and assumptions, will be ill-prepared to navigate the corresponding complexity of neuroscientific findings.
Binding energy of four neutrons

The binding energy of four neutrons is estimated to be less than zero by using the hyperspherical expansion inK-minimum approximation. The potential used was parametrized to fit the binding energy of4He,6He and16O and the r.m.s. size of16O. A possible resonance exists at an energy less than 1.84 MeV in the four-neutron system.
Hairsplitting and Complexity in Conflict of Laws: The Paradox of Formalism

My wife is not my wife. Such a sentence may seem self-contradictory and meaningless. However, as Professor Laura Little points out, such a statement in the context of conflict of laws could be entirely accurate because of differing approaches within and among state laws regarding the definition of a "spouse." In this article, Professor Little explores why such complexities abound in conflict of law cases, identifies sources of this complexity, and analyzes the role of formalist (rule-based) decision-making processes in this area of law.In the first part of the article, Professor Little discusses the rhetorical ambiguities that abound in conflict of laws jurisprudence. She focuses on three interconnected categories of qualities often found in the case law: multiple meaning, characterization, and "hairsplitting." Next, Professor Little addresses sources of complexity, including the United States federalist system of government, the fact that conflict of laws is mostly a common law discipline, judges' concerns about appearing impartial when making choice of law decisions, and the influence of American legal culture's preference for explicit rules and precedential authority in deciding courses of action.In the final part of the article, Professor Little discusses the important role of formalism in conflict of law jurisprudence, explaining the "three paradoxes" of formalism that make this decision-making approach both a cause of and potential cure for complexity in this area of law. The first paradox of formalism, which Professor Little calls "the bulging balloon," results from the way rigidly rule-based approaches invite the creation of numerous exceptions and other attempts to "game" the rules, ironically leading to more complexity. This leads to the second paradox, which is that once the decisionmaker decides to make an end run around the rules, he has even more incentive to avoid candor in explaining his decision. Finally, despite the seeming failure of formalism to reduce complexity, attempts at creating more functionalist, discretionary approaches to conflict of laws decision-making usually result in an evolution back toward more formalistic approaches. Professor Little suggests that the enduring emotional and cognitive appeal of formalism lies in the very elusiveness of its goal, which allows adjudicators to continue believing in the possibility of a simple, rule-based decision-making system. She concludes by arguing that it is the delusion of believing that such a system is possible that may actually improve decision-making, leading adjudicators to enact a kind of self-fulfilling prophecy by trusting that rules will, in fact, simplify their decision-making process.
Sharp Right Turn: Globalization and Gender Equity

Research on trends in globalization, particularly its neoliberal variant, has exploded but sources linking these trends to gender equity are difficult to uncover. Discussed mainly in the context of...
Modular Ontology Design Using Canonical Building Blocks in the Biochemistry Domain

The field of BioInformatics has become a major venue for the development and application of computational ontologies. Ranging from controlled vocabularies to annotation of experimental data to reasoning tasks, BioOntologies are advancing to form a comprehensive knowledge foundation in this field. With the Glycomics Ontology (GlycO), we are aiming at providing both a sufficiently large knowledge base and a schema that allows classification of and reasoning about the concepts we expect to encounter in the glycoproteomics field. The schema exploits the expressiveness of OWL-DL to place restrictions on relationships, thus making it suitable to be used as a means to classify new instance data. On the instance level, the knowledge is modularized to address granularity issues regularly found in ontology design. Larger structures are semantically composed from smaller canonical building blocks. The information needed to populate the knowledge base is automatically extracted from several partially overlapping sources. In order to avoid multiple entries, transformation and disambiguation techniques are applied. An intelligent search is then used to identify the individual building blocks that model the larger chemical structures. To ensure ontological soundness, GlycO has been annotated with OntoClean properties and evaluated with respect to those. In order to facilitate its use in conjunction with other biomedical Ontologies, GlycO has been checked for NCBO compliance and has been submitted to the OBO website.
Observations on a trip to Russia.

In May of 1958 I visited Russia for the purpose of learning about child care and child rearing practices. Although up to that time about 25 scientists had visited Russia in order to make various studies, no pediatrician had been there with the specific purpose that I had in mind. Some of the visitors had been social scientists, and there had been a few social workers. These persons were interested in the behavior of the Russian people, particularly the family life and the manner of educating and rearing children. My purpose was also to visit Professor Nicholas Krasnogorski in Leningrad, who is an honorary member of the American Pediatric Society. I will begin this account with the story of my visit to his laboratory and apartment. I had met Professor Krasnogorski in 1932 when the American Pediatric Society met at the Mayo Clinic. At that time he presented a paper on the treatment of enuresis by feeding children salty foods at bedtime. I remember him very well, and before leaving for Russia I had written him of my plan to visit Leningrad, with the date set at about May 12. I arrived in Leningrad a day late, but after checking in at the Ministry of Health of that city, I was given a message from Professor Krasnogorski saying that he was expecting me. The following day I arrived at his laboratory at 11:00 A.M., as he had suggested. This was housed in a building of two or three stories, a plain stucco exterior badly in need of paint, and approached by a road which was deeply rutted and worn, and which had never been paved. At the doorway of this institute I was greeted by a woman member of the staff and taken at once to Professor Krasnogorski9s laboratory. He greeted me cordially. He is now 76 years old, frail in appearance, but clear in mind. He spoke English very well and understood me perfectly. I was impressed with the smallness of the rooms of his laboratory and with their overcrowding. There was much electronic apparatus as well as kymographs and conditioning apparatus. He showed me graphs that he had made of infants beginning to speak, and told me that his great interest now was in trying to learn more about the development of human speech, and by use of pavlovian methods to try to understand the workings of the higher nervous centers. He spoke with great enthusiasm, and believed that he had finally overcome some of the obstacles in our understanding of speaking processes. He credited his success to the pavlovian method, which he had first learned from the master, and whose colleague he had been for 26 years.
An Evaluation of Maternal Nullihaploidy for Nicotiana tabacum L. Nullisomic Production. II. A Pollen Irradiation and Ovule Culture Approach

Production de nullihaploides chez N. tabacum realisee par la procedure d'haploidie maternelle induite par irradiation du pollen et par culture d'ovule
A model-based framework for fast dynamic image sampling

In many applications, it is critical to be able to sample the most informative pixels of an image first; and then once these pixels are sampled, the highest fidelity image can be reconstructed. Optimized sampling strategies generally fall into two categories: static and dynamic. In dynamic sampling, each new sample is chosen by using information obtained from previous samples. In this way, dynamic sampling offers the potential of much greater fidelity, but at the cost of greater complexity. Existing methods for dynamic non-uniform sampling of images are based on the intuition that sampling rates should be greatest in locations of greatest variation, but recent developments in the theory of optimal experimental design offer a theoretical framework for optimal sampling based on the use of a formal Bayesian prior model. In this paper, we introduce a fast dynamic image sampling framework based on Bayesian experimental design (BED). The method, which we call model-based dynamic sampling (MBDS) allows for the use of a general prior distribution for the image, and it incorporates a pixel-wise sampling constraint in the BED framework. The MBDS works by first generating L stochastic samples (i.e., images) from the posterior distribution given the current measurements, and then selecting the pixel with the greatest posterior variance. We also introduce a computationally efficient method for computing the stochastic samples through a local updating technique.
Comparative morphology of the amphibian opercularis system: I. General design features and functional interpretation

The morphology of the opercularis system of anuran and caudate amphibians suggests that it acts to produce motion of the operculum that in turn produces fluid motion within the inner ear. The operculum and opercularis muscle form a lever system, with a narrow connection between the operculum and otic capsule acting as a fulcrum about which the operculum moves in response to forces applied via the muscle. The opercula of many species possess a muscular process on which the muscle inserts, thereby increasing the moment arm through which the muscle acts. The tonicity of the opercularis muscle allows tensile forces produced by substrate vibration or other mechanical energy applied to the forelimb to be effectively transmitted to the operculum; the elasticity of the connective tissue holding the operculum in place should act to return the operculum to its original position. The opercularis systems of frogs and non-plethodontid salamanders are similar structurally and functionally; that of plethodontid salamanders is structurally distinct but also functions as a lever system. Fluid motion produced by opercular motion could stimulate various end organs of the inner ear; the saccule, lagena, and amphibian papilla are in close approximation and wave energy could directly affect their otoconial or tectorial structures. In those anurans with a tympanic ear, the stapedial footplate and operculum articulate, but this articulation allows both to move independently. The stapes-tympanum complex and opercularis system therefore appear to be independent functional systems, and it is unlikely that the opercularis system modulates middle ear responsiveness. The general design of the opercularis system is consistent with a function in reception of substrate vibrations.
'Black athletes in White men's games': race, sport and American national pastimes.

This essay provides an overview of the efforts made by African Americans to compete with and against their white counterparts on an equal basis in highly organised sport in the USA. These efforts have resulted in a relatively large number of African Americans participating in football, basketball, and track and very small representation in baseball, golf, tennis, stock car racing and a host of other national pastimes. A result of historical context and racism in a capitalist society, this fact has not deterred young African Americans from seeking success in sport because they view it as the only alternative to welfare, crime and life on the streets. Unfortunately, for the largest majority of impoverished young African Americans, success in sport never comes to pass and the American dream is ultimately never fully realised. Even those African Americans who managed to overcome racial barriers and achieve success in sport have done so without any opportunity of gaining some control of an institution that is ...
On strong digraphs with a unique minimally strong subdigraph

Abstract In this paper we determine the maximum number of edges that a strong digraph can have if it has a unique minimally strong subdigraph. We show that this number equals n ( n -1)/2+1. Furthermore we show that there is, up to an isomorphism, a unique strong digraph which attains this maximum.
Genomic organization, expression, and alternate splicing of the mouse fatty aldehyde dehydrogenase gene

Fatty aldehyde dehydrogenase (FALDH) is a microsomal enzyme that catalyzes the oxidation of aliphatic aldehydes to fatty acids. Mutations in the FALDH gene are responsible for the human genetic disorder Sjogren-Larsson syndrome (SLS) which is characterized by ichthyosis, mental retardation, and spasticity. To better understand SLS and the expression of FALDH in mammalian tissues, we investigated the organization and expression of the mouse FALDH gene (recently named ALDH3A2). The mouse gene consists of 11 exons and spans about 25 kb. Primer extension experiments identified the transcription initiation site at nt -121 relative to the translation initiating codon. The major FALDH transcript was 3 kb long and was composed of exons 1-10. A less abundant alternately spliced transcript contained an additional exon (exon 9') inserted between exons 9 and 10 and encodes a protein (FALDHv) with a variant carboxy-terminal domain of unknown function. Northern analysis usingRNA from different tissues showed widespread but variable expression of the gene, which generally correlated with FALDH enzyme activity. Expression of the alternate exon 9' transcript in tissues often differed from that of the major transcript and did not reflect enzyme activity. These results provide a basis for investigating the in vivo expression of FALDH in response to physiologic and pharmacologic manipulation, and are essential for the development of an animal model of SLS.
A Requirement for Local Protein Synthesis in Neurotrophin-Induced Hippocampal Synaptic Plasticity

Two neurotrophic factors, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin-3 (NT-3), are able to produce a long-lasting enhancement of synaptic transmission in the hippocampus. Unlike other forms of plasticity, neurotrophin-induced plasticity exhibited an immediate requirement for protein synthesis. Plasticity in rat hippocampal slices in which the synaptic neuropil was isolated from the principal cell bodies also required early protein synthesis. Thus, the neurotrophins may stimulate the synthesis of proteins in either axonal or dendritic compartments, allowing synapses to exert local control over the complement of proteins expressed at individual synaptic sites.
A critical season approach to Allen's rule: bill size declines with winter temperature in a cold temperate environment

Aim Bill size is positively correlated with average air temperature in several avian taxa. The conventional explanation for this pattern is that the poorly insulated surface area of the bill functions to dissipate excess heat in hot climates or retain heat in cold climates (Allen's rule). We hypothesize that the applicability of Allen's rule depends upon the season of critical thermal stress, which may vary by location and species. We previously found that bill size increases with high summer temperature in song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) of California, supporting the hypothesis that larger bills are an adaptation to release dry heat and minimize evaporative water loss in a hot, dry environment. Song sparrows in eastern North America face a different climatic regime, in which summers are warm but moist, and winters are cold. We predicted that this climate region would select for smaller bills to minimize heat loss. Location From coastal Delaware and Maryland to the Allegheny Plateau of the eastern USA. Methods We measured body size and bill morphology of 274 song sparrow individuals across a climatic gradient and geographical gradient. We used linear regression models to test for effects of geographical location and 30-year means of minimum winter and maximum summer temperatures and annual rainfall on bill size. Results Bill size was best predicted by, and positively correlated with, cold winter temperatures and distance from the Atlantic coast. Body size did not change substantially with distance from the coast, indicating that the pattern of bill size was not a result of allometry. Coastal birds had bills larger than predicted by a linear effect of minimum temperature. Main conclusions Collectively, these results support the hypothesis that variation in bill size reflects selection for winter heat retention rather than for summer heat dissipation. Bill size may be shaped by physiological responses to regional climates, and the season of critical thermal stress may vary geographically, even on relatively small spatial scales.
Effectiveness of Drug Therapy in Hypertension: Present Status

Progress in the development of effective antihypertensive agents is briefly reviewed. Evidence that drug treatment reduces the incidence of major complications is presented. The recently completed controlled trial carried out in Veterans Administration hospitals indicates that in men with diastolic blood pressure levels of 90 through 114 mm Hg the risk of developing a morbid event over a five-year period was reduced from 55% to 18% by treatment. The degree of benefit was proportional to the risk, which in turn was related directly to the level of blood pressure.
Solid-matrix luminescence of heterocyclic aromatic amines in several new sugar-glass systems

Several new sugar glasses were investigated for their potential in solid-matrix luminescence. Both solid-matrix fluorescence (SMF) and solid-matrix phosphorescence (SMP) properties were obtained, and two heterocyclic aromatic amines were employed as model compounds. In addition to glucose glasses, which were investigated previously, fructose, ribose, xylose, galactose, maltose, and glucose with poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) were studied. Detailed experimental conditions were obtained for each sugar-glass system. In addition, NaI was investigated as a heavy-atom salt in the sugar-glass systems to enhance the SMP of the heterocyclic aromatic amines. The SMF intensity was the strongest in maltose and glucose with PAA for 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) and in maltose for 2-amino-9H-pyrido[2,3-b]indole (AalphaC). The largest SMP signals for PhIP with and without NaI were acquired in glucose with PAA. For AalphaC with NaI, the strongest SMP signal was obtained in maltose. Limits of detection were obtained for PhIP in the several sugar-glass systems, and the lowest limit of detection was 0.04pmol/mg of PhIP in maltose with NaI present. An extensive study was carried out using both SMF and SMP to determine if neutral and/or protonated species of PhIP and AalphaC were in the sugar-glass systems. General guidelines such as glass transition temperature and solubility are discussed for selecting a sugar glass as a solid matrix.
The Assay of Red Squill Powder; An Investigation of Possible Chemical Procedures

Ultraviolet absorption, acetyl content, lead tetraacetate oxidation, and the Liebermann reaction have been investigated in an attempt to correlate the chemical behavior of red squill extracts with toxicity to rats. The Liebermann reaction, when applied to a partially concentrated fraction appears to be useful in estimating the toxicity of red squill powders.
On the nucleation and propagation of phase transformation fronts in a NiTi alloy

In this paper we present an experimental methodology for simultaneous full field monitoring of the deformation and thermal changes in NiTi during mechanically unstable regimes associated with the pseudoelastic material response. The deformation history is established by photographically recording surface changes of a brittle coating as austenite-martensite phase transition fronts traverse the specimen. Temperature changes are monitored by infrared thermal imaging. Synchronized sets of optical and thermal images and the corresponding stress histories are presented for uniaxial experiments conducted at two relatively slow end-displacement rates. The results help clarify the interactions among the prevailing heat transfer conditions, the loading rate and the fundamental sensitivity of transformation stress to temperature. It is shown that, during loading, nucleation of martensite in an austenitic region is a distinct event requiring a higher stress than the stress required subsequently to continue the transformation. By contrast, the nucleation stress of austenite in a martensitic region during unloading is lower than the stress required to continue the transformation. This distinction between the nucleation and propagation stresses, coupled with the local temperature change caused by the latent heats of the two transformations, govern the number of nucleations of a new phase. It is also shown that coexisting transition fronts tend to propagate at the same speed which is inversely proportional to the number of fronts in the specimen.
Laparoscopic approach to the management of intraabdominal unicentric Castleman’s disease

Castleman’s disease, or angiofollicular lymphoid hyperplasia, is a rare lymphoproliferative disorder of unknown etiology. We present the case of an 18-year-old woman who was admitted with symptoms of fatigue, weakness, early satiety, and weight gain. A subhepatic mass anterior to the pancreas was discovered on ultrasound. After being treated via the laproscopic approach with complete surgical resection she recovered well. This case thus represents a new application for laparoscopy and expands the indications for its use.
Cyclic growth of strain-relaxed islands.

Growth of Ge islands on Si(001) is observed in real time with high spatial resolution, using UHV transmission electron microscopy. We are able to monitor the formation of successive strain-relieving dislocations. The shape of the island oscillates as it grows, with each cycle corresponding to the introduction of one dislocation. Such growth cycles are shown to be a general feature of the growth of strain-relaxed islands, occurring even in equilibrium.
THE DOCTRINE OF STRICT LIABILITY: AN ALTERNATIVE APPROACH TO CONSUMER PROTECTION REGULATION

Using a legal system of strict liability allowing contributory negligence as a valid defense provides an alternative to consumer protection regulation. In addition, the strict liability system allows rapid and responsive compensation to injured individuals. Corporate uncertainty as to future costs and business environment are substantially reduced, thus allowing firms to make accurate and rational long-term, strategic plans. This paper presents the basic functional constructs required for developing a viable regulatory framework using strict liability and then looks at an example where it could be employed. The scenario deals with an environmental pollution and protection problem. In the example, a strict liability system allowing for a defense of contributory negligence is shown to be conceptually more efficient and desirable than the existing regulatory system and negligence liability procedures.
The Effect of Corrosion by Steam at 1100–1500 F Upon the Heat Transfer Through Superheater Tube Alloys

Heat-transfer tests were made on tubular specimens of ferritic and austenitic types of superheater alloys which had been exposed to high-temperature steam for periods of 6. 12, or 18 months, for the purpose of determining the effect of corrosion by steam. Specimens of scaled tubes and new tubes of the same alloy were machined externally to the same dimensions and surfaces, mounted in similar heat exchangers, and tested in series under such conditions that the only difference was in the scaled inner surface of the corroded tube and the bright, smooth. honed inner surface of the clean tube. The heat transfer through feiritic tubes was reduced by as much as fifteen per cent for the temperatures and exposure periods reported upon. The thin, dense scale on the austenitic alloys increased the head transfer over that of the clean tube by as much as eight per cent, probably because of the increased roughness of the corroded surface.