cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Representation and the Work‐Performance Relation

The force of the clich6 that music is the most abstract of the arts rests in part on its apparently nonrepresentational character. Neither a piece of music, nor a performance of one, is generally thought to be a representation of something in the way that, for example, a portrait is a representation of its subject; "program music" is the exception, not the rule. Similarly, music does not appear to represent propositionally structured items, even false ones, as may utterances or thoughts. Perhaps music can represent in any of these ways; but our interest, aesthetic or otherwise, in music need not be predicated on its doing so. All this is commonplace, and reflects something true. Even so, the present article argues that many musical performances are representational in an important respect; namely, they represent the works of which they are performances. As developed below, this claim is compatible with a broadly Platonist account of musical works, on which works exist independently of their performances. It is, however, incompatible with standard views of the relation between works and their performances (henceforth "the work-performance relation"), on which the latter exemplify, instantiate, or token the former. Though these terms are not synonymous, such exemplificationist views have enough in common to be argued against together. One feature of what follows should be noted immediately. Many philosophers of music take "musical work" to refer paradigmatically, or even exclusively, to "the fully notated 'classical' composition of Western culture, for example, Beethoven's Quintet for piano and winds in E-flat, Opus 16."1 Whether such a proviso is motivated by theoretical caution or judgments about musical value, it is misplaced in the present context. In the following section, I argue that a Platonist account should count entities relevant to some other musical practices as musical works; important cases include popular songs and jazz compositions. If this is correct, then a general account of the work-performance relation ought to apply to these practices as well as those governing class cal performance.
A domain-driven approach to improving search effectiveness in traditional online catalogs

Search performance can be greatly improved by using domain knowledge to assist users in developing a problem specification tailored to the information contained in the system. A methodology is presented for utilizing intelligent information retrieval techniques and domain-specific knowledge to improve user searching. For databases involving a relatively narrow domain, a "system thesaurus" combined with expert systems technology can be used to create an intelligent front end to assist the user in retrieving information with greater precision and recall Evaluation of the prototype showed greatly improved search effectiveness and satisfaction over the traditional catalog system.
Humeral head replacement for acute, four-part proximal humerus fractures.

Twenty-eight patients with acute, four-part proximal humerus fractures and fracture dislocations were treated with humeral head replacement. At an average follow-up of 37 months (range 12 to 96 months) one author examined 24 patients and evaluated them according to the criteria of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons. There were no infections. One patient had subsequent surgery for joint contracture. Nine (38%) patients had no pain, eight (33%) had occasional slight pain, three (13%) had pain with unusual activity, and four (17%) had moderate pain. No patient had marked pain or pain at rest. Average active forward elevation was 110°, average passive forward elevation was 139°, average active external rotation was 31°, and average passive internal rotation was to the L1 level. Active forward elevation of patients younger than 60 years old was significantly greater than that of older patients. Functional outcome was variable. Although most patients could perform activities below the shoulder, only about one half could perform activities at or above the shoulder level. Eighty-nine percent of patients were satisfied with their treatment. Humeral head replacement for acute, four-part fractures reliably prevented the development of shoulder pain. Functional outcome varied and was dependent on patient age, individual functional requirements, and rotator cuff integrity.
Demonstration designs for optical-field-ionized plasma x-ray lasers

We propose a demonstration experiment of optical-field-ionized plasma x-ray lasing at 247 angstroms in Nitrogen which can tolerate strong refractive defocussing. The relatively low ionization potential energy of approximately equals 98 eV in Nitrogen should result in correspondingly low residual electron temperature Te which, in turn, allows large gain at lower values of electron density. The use of low electron density provides less collisional heating as well as reduced refractive defocussing. In addition to using low electron density to mitigate refraction, we also propose the use of a wide UV laser-driver focus to give reduced transverse intensity gradients near the laser axis. Milder transverse intensity gradients lead to longer refraction lengths which effectively define the volume of x-ray lasing. These two techniques for avoiding excessive refraction are used in tandem to identify an experimental regime where x-ray lasing dominates spontaneous noise by an unambiguous margin associated with a gain-length product of five.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The ionophore X537A (Lasolocid) transiently increases acetylcholine release from rat brain invitro

Abstract The effect of X537A on acetylcholine (ACh) release was examined in vitro in superfused slices of rat cerebrum and striatum. The ionophore (30 μM) induced a transient release of ACh which was not dependent on calcium in the medium. Also in contrast to K + -stimulated release, X537A-induced release was not sustained by 10 −5 M choline in the superfusion medium and not inhibited by 5 × 10 −4 M pentobarbital. The ionophore did not transport ACh or choline from an aqueous to an organic phase. Both K + and X537A inhibited 1 μM ( 3 H) choline uptake into striatal synaptosomes but this effect of X537A was more extensive and less reversible than that caused by K + . X537A did not inhibit choline acetyltransferase activity.
Socioeconomic status and body size among women in Honduran Miskito communities

Background: This study investigates evidence of the nutrition transition among women in Miskito communities on the northeastern coast of Honduras.Aim: The hypothesis that socioeconomic status (SES) is positively associated with body size and fatness is tested; and dietary and physical activity patterns are examined among SES groups.Subjects and methods: An anthropometric survey was conducted with 200 non-pregnant women following standard procedures. Dietary intake and physical activity data were collected using 24-hour recall methods. Women were categorized into three SES groups (high, medium and low) based on economic and social attributes. Differences in anthropometric measures, diet and physical activity among SES groups were analysed.Results: More than 70% (n = 142) of women in the sample were overweight or obese. Mean height, weight, skin-fold thicknesses, arm and calf circumferences, percentage body fat and upper-arm fat area were significantly greater among high SES women than low SES women. Women ...
Configuração glótica em tocadores de instrumento de sopro

O conhecimento dos problemas de saude relacionados a voz ocupacional torna-se cada vez mais importante a medida que mais individuos usam a voz como instrumento de trabalho. Os musicos tocadores de instrumento de sopro sao um grupo bastante especifico de individuos que usa o trato vocal intensamente no exercicio de suas atividades profissionais. Curiosamente, pouco ou nada temos relatado sobre a atuacao direta da laringe nesta modalidade profissional. OBJETIVO: O objetivo do atual estudo foi avaliar o comportamento da laringe e do trato vocal de musicos tocadores de instrumento de sopro. MATERIAL E METODO: Foram estudados 10 individuos tocadores profissionais de instrumento de sopro atraves de videonasofibrolaringoscopia, sendo observados o comportamento da laringe, faringe e lingua durante o tocar do instrumento. RESULTADOS: Em todos os participantes deste estudo observamos que os tons musicais foram produzidos durante a aducao das pregas vocais. O relato de maior dificuldade tecnica de tocar determinada peca musical estava relacionado a uma maior tensao glotica (constriccao latero-lateral) e supraglotica. CONCLUSOES: A glote participa ativamente da producao sonora do instrumento de sopro e que alteracoes na configuracao glotica podem interferir na producao sonora musical final. Estes conhecimentos sugerem a necessidade de incluir os musicos tocadores de instrumento de sopro no grupo dos chamados profissionais da voz.
Estimating Criminal Justice System Costs and Cost-Savings Benefits of Day Reporting Centers.

Abstract This paper reports on the net cost-savings benefits (loss) to the criminal justice system of one rural and one urban day reporting center, both of which serve high risk/high need probationers. It also discusses issues of conducting criminal justice system cost studies of community corrections programs. The average DRC participant in the rural program produced a potential cost-savings benefit to the criminal justice system during the 12-month follow-up period. In the urban county, probation officers primarily referred probationers to the DRC as an alternative to revocation. This program yields a potential net loss to the system. Without access to the DRC, however, most of these individuals would have been incarcerated and costs to the system would have been much higher.
A technique for the measurement of diffusion coefficients in molten salts

A diffusion method is described in which two columns of molten salt to be interdiffused, initially separated by a gas bubble at reduced pressure, are joined by breaking a capillary and allowing external pressure to eliminate the bubble. After a period of diffusion, the salt distribution is preserved by causing the glass diffusion tube to break at the point of initial junction while the tube is still in position in the high temperature zone of the furnace. The method has been tested with a 1: 1 CdCl2-KCl mixture. The self-diffusion coefficient of cadmium is found to be 1.40 cm.2sec-1 at 470? C, with a probable error of 2.5%. The method is applicable up to temperatures of the order of 1000? C.
Effect of short-term energy intake level and exercise on oxygen consumption in men.

The influence of short-term energy intake and cycle exercise on oxygen consumption in response to a 1.5 MJ test meal was investigated in ten young, adult men. On the morning after a previous day's "low-energy" intake (LE regimen) of 4.5 MJ, the mean resting oxygen consumption increased by 0.7 ml X kg-1 X min-1 after the test meal (P less than 0.025). After a "high-energy" intake (HE regimen) of 18.1 MJ, the resting measurement was unchanged (+0.4 ml X kg-1 X min-1) after the meal (n.s.). These trends are the reverse of what would be expected if oxygen consumption in response to feeding is a factor in the acute control of body weight. The mean fasting oxygen consumption during cycle exercise at 56% of VO2max (constant work) for both LE and HE prior intakes was not different at 31.1 ml X kg-1 X min-1. Oxygen consumption during exercise increased after feeding by 0.5 ml X kg-1 X min-1 on the LE regimen (n.s.) and decreased by 1.2 ml X kg-1 X min-1 on the HE regimen (n.s.). These results are also the reverse of what would be expected if oxygen consumption in response to exercise is related to short-term energy intake.
Characterization of Multidrug Resistance P-Glycoprotein Transport Function with an Organotechnetium Cation

Multidrug resistance (MDR) in mammalian cells and tumors is associated with overexpression of an approximately 170 kDa integral membrane efflux transporter, the MDR1 P-glycoprotein. Hexakis (2-methoxyisobutyl isonitrile)technetium(I) (Tc-SESTAMIBI), a gamma-emitting lipophilic cationic metallopharmaceutical, has recently been shown to be a P-glycoprotein transport substrate. Exploiting the negligible lipid membrane adsorption properties of this organometallic substrate, we studied the transport kinetics, pharmacology, drug binding, and modulation of P-glycoprotein in cell preparations derived from a variety of species and selection strategies, including SW-1573, V79, Alex, and CHO drug-sensitive cells and in 77A, LZ-8, and Alex/A.5 MDR cells. Rapid cell accumulation (t1/2 approximately 6 min) of the agent to a steady state was observed which was inversely proportional to immunodetectable levels of P-glycoprotein. Many MDR cytotoxic agents inhibited P-glycoprotein-mediated Tc-SESTAMIBI efflux, thereby enhancing organometallic cation accumulation. Median effective concentrations (EC50; microM) were as follows: vinblastine, 13; daunomycin, 55; idarubicin, 65; actinomycin D, 235; colchicine, minimal inhibition; adriamycin, no effect. P-glycoprotein modulators generally demonstrated significantly greater potency (EC50; microM): SDZ PSC 833, 0.08; cyclosporin A, 1.3; verapamil, 4.1; quinidine, 6.4; prazosin, > 300. Modulator-induced enhancement up to 100-fold was observed with Hill coefficients approximately 1, consistent with simple Michaelis-Menten kinetics. Vanadate was an efficacious transport inhibitor, while agents usually not included in the MDR phenotype were without effect. Scatchard analysis showed quinidine to be a noncompetitive inhibitor of P-glycoprotein-mediated Tc-SESTAMIBI transport, indicating allosteric effector sites on P-glycoprotein. The lipid bilayer adsorbing agents tetraphenyl borate and phloretin induced large increases in final Tc-SESTAMIBI accumulation, showing maximal accumulations 2-fold greater than classic MDR modulators and Hill coefficients >> 2. In V79 and 77A cells, modulators of PKC activity altered Tc-SESTAMIBI accumulation, while there was no indication of modulation of P-glycoprotein-mediated Tc-SESTAMIBI transport by hypotonic buffer, extracellular ATP, Cl-, or K+ (membrane potential). While recognized and avidly transported by the P-glycoprotein at buffer concentrations as low as 7 pM, Tc-SESTAMIBI at up to 100 microM only minimally modulated the cytotoxic action of colchicine, doxorubicin, or vinblastine in MDR cells. In conclusion, transport analysis with Tc-SESTAMIBI is a sensitive assay for detecting functional expression of low levels of P-glycoprotein and for the quantitative characterization of transporter modulation and regulation. The biochemical data favor a high Km, high capacity allosterically modulated translocation mechanism for P-glycoprotein-mediated transport of this organometallic cation.
Regulation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate levels in yeast

Abstract The steady-state levels and redox states of pyridine nucleotide pools have been studied in yeast as a function of external growth conditions. Yeast grown aerobically on 0.8% glucose show two distinct phases of logarithmic growth, a first phase utilizing glucose with ethanol accumulation, and a second phase utilizing ethanol. During growth on glucose, the size of the NADP pool (NADP + + NADPH) is maintained at approximately 12% the size of the NAD pool (NAD + + NADH). Upon exhaustion of glucose, the mechanism(s) that maintain the levels of NADP relative to NAD are altered, resulting in a rapid 2- to 2.5-fold decrease in the size of the NADP pool relative to the size of the NAD pool. The lower levels of NADP are maintained during growth on ethanol. The NAD pool is approximately 50% NADH during both the glucose and ethanol phases of growth, while the NADP pool is approximately 67 and 48% NADPH during the glucose and ethanol phases of growth, respectively. Rapid media transfer experiments show that the decrease in NADP is reversible, that it does not require the net synthesis of pyridine nucleotide or protein, and that changes in the size of the NADP pool relative to the total pyridine nucleotide pool are correlated with changes in the redox state of the NADP pool.
Adatom concentration on GaAs(0 0 1) during annealing

Abstract We present a study of the concentration of adatoms on GaAs(0 0 1) during MBE annealing. By rapidly cooling the sample from typical growth temperatures and typical As overpressures, the thermal concentration of adatoms can be frozen into small islands on the terraces. The area of the resulting islands which are far from terrace steps is measured with STM giving an estimate of the concentration of adatoms during equilibrium. We find a large concentration of adatoms (0.18 monolayer at 600°C) is present for typical growth temperatures. Interestingly, Monte-Carlo simulations which are successful at predicting growth dynamics show less than 1 20 of the adatom concentration as measured with STM. Possible consequences for current growth models are discussed.
Physicians' and patients' attitudes toward manual medicine: implications for continuing medical education.

AbstractIntroduction:Manual medicine (MM) is a physical modality infrequently used in primary care clinics. This study examines primary care physicians' experience with and attitudes toward the use of MM in the primary care setting, as well as patients' experience with and attitudes toward MM.Method
Unpowered wireless generation and sensing of ultrasound

ABSTRACT This paper presents a wireless ultrasound pitch-catch system that demonstrates the wireless generation and sensing of ultrasounds based on the principle of frequency conversion. The wireless ultrasound pitch-catch system consists of a wireless interrogator and two wireless ultrasound transducers. The wireless interrogator generates an ultrasound-modulated signal and a carrier signal, both at the microwave frequency, and transmits these two signals to the wireless ultrasound actuator using a pair of antennas. Upon receiving these two signa ls, the wireless ultras ound actuator recovers the ultrasound excitation signal using a passive mixer and then supplies it to a piezoelectri c wafer sensor for ultrasound generation in the structure. For wireless ultrasound sensing, the frequency conversion process is reversed. The ultrasound sensing signal is up-converted to a microwave signal by the wireless ultrasound sensor and is recovered at the wireless interrogator using a homodyne receiver. To differentiate the wireless actuator from the wireless sensor, each wireless transducer is equipped with a na rrowband microwave filter so that it only responds to the carrier frequency that matches the filters operation bandwidth. The principle of operation of the wireless pitch-catch system, the hardware implementation, and the associated data processing algorithm to recover the ultrasound signal from the wirelessly received signal are described. The wirelessly acquired ultrasound signal is compared with those acquired using wired connection in both time and frequency domain. Keywords: Wireless ultrasound generation, wireless ultrasound sensing, frequency conversion, ultrasound pitch-catch inspection, structural health monitoring, unpowered wireless sensor
The tobacco Cel7 gene promoter is auxin-responsive and locally induced in nematode feeding sites of heterologous plants

SUMMARY Emerging evidence suggests that plant cell-wall-modifying enzymes induced by root-parasitic nematodes play important roles in feeding cell formation. We previously identified a tobacco endo-beta-1,4-glucanase (cellulase) gene, NtCel7, that was strongly induced in both root-knot and cyst nematode feeding cells. To characterize further the developmental and nematode-responsive regulation of NtCel7, we isolated the NtCel7 promoter and analysed its expression over a time course of nematode infection and in response to auxin, gibberellin, ethylene and sucrose in soybean and tomato hairy roots and in Arabidopsis containing the NtCel7 promoter fused to the beta-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene. Histochemical analyses of transgenic plant materials revealed that the NtCel7 promoter exhibited a unique organ-specific expression pattern during plant development suggestive of important roles for NtCel7 in both vegetative and reproductive growth. In all plant species tested, strong GUS expression was observed in root tips and lateral root primordia of uninfected roots with weaker expression in the root vasculature. Further analyses of transgenic Arabidopsis plants revealed expression in shoot and root meristems and the vasculature of most organs during plant development. We also determined that the NtCel7 promoter was induced by auxin, but not gibberellin, ethylene or sucrose. Moreover, strong GUS activity was observed in both cyst and root-knot nematode-induced feeding sites in transgenic roots of soybean, tomato and Arabidopsis. The conserved developmental and nematode-responsive expression of the NtCel7 promoter in heterologous plants indicates that motifs of this regulatory element play a fundamental role in regulating NtCel7 gene expression within nematode feeding sites and that this regulation may be mediated by auxin.
Improved acquisition in operational gaming models

This paper describes the model incorporated into the COMO simulation to measure radar acquisition more accurately in a hostile (electromagnetic) environment. The models permit the analyst to set up realistic scenarios using standoff, escort, and self-screening jammers and to measure dynamically their impact on the acquisition radar sidelobes.
The Changing Political Economy of Federalism in India: A Historical Institutionalist Approach

In July 1991 India's central government initiated economic policy reforms amounting to a quiet economic revolution—or, as noted by a commentator, “reform by stealth.” 1 Policy regimes in the indust...
SIMULATION OF CART PUSHING AND PULLING.

A dynamic biomechanical model is formulated for cart pushing and pulling. The model is used to simulate different task and human parameters to determine the potential effects of handle height, cart speed, body weight and the cart load that minimize slip potential during cart pushing or pulling. In addition, predicted vertebral column loadings as a function of task and subject parameters were also studied. Low handles were found to be better for pulling while high handles were better for pushing to reduce slip potential. As expected, a heavy person, combined with a light task force and a slow speed of movement proved to reduce the slip potential.
Alcohol content variation in the assessment of alcohol consumption

Abstract Most investigators have not adequately accounted for the alcohol content of different beverages when assessing alcohol consumption. Considerable research has assesed consumption in terms of the number of standard drinks. A problem with standard drink measures is that different distilled spirits, wines, and malt beverages vary considerably in alcohol content. State-to-state and brand-to-brand variations in the strength of different malt beverage brands are provided, as malt beverage alcohol contents are not contained on labels due to federal and state regulations. Ignoring alcohol content variation when estimating consumption can produce a large amount of error. Alcohol consumption should be assessed in terms of the number, size, and alcohol content of beverages.
Time-resolved materials science opportunities using synchrotron x-ray sources

The high brightness, high intensity, and pulsed time-structure of synchrotron sources provide new opportunities for time-resolved x-ray diffraction investigations. With third generation synchrotron sources coming on line, high brilliance and high brightness are now available in x-ray beams with the highest flux. In addition to the high average flux, the instantaneous flux available in synchrotron beams is greatly enhanced by the pulsed time structure, which consists of short bursts of x-rays that are separated by {approximately}tens to hundreds of nanoseconds. Time-resolved one- and two-dimensional position sensitive detection techniques that take advantage of synchrotron radiation for materials science x-ray diffraction investigations are presented, and time resolved materials science applications are discussed in terms of recent diffraction and spectroscopy results and materials research opportunities.
Impact of excess gestational and post-weaning energy intake on vascular function of swine offspring

The development of long-term vascular disease can be linked to the intrauterine environment, and maternal nutrition during gestation plays a critical role in the future vascular health of offspring. The purpose of this investigation was to test the hypothesis that a high-energy (HE) gestational diet, HE post-weaning diet, or their combination will lead to endothelial dysfunction in offspring. Duroc × Landrace gilts (n = 16) were assigned to either a HE (10,144 Kcal/day, n = 8) or normal energy (NE: 6721 Kcal/day, n = 8) diet throughout pregnancy. Piglets were placed on either a NE or HE diet during the growth phase. At 3 months of age femoral arteries were harvested from offspring (n = 47). Endothelial-dependent and -independent vasorelaxation was measured utilizing wire-myography and increasing concentrations of bradykinin (BK) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP), respectively. BK and SNP induced vasorelaxation were significantly reduced in the femoral arteries of gestational HE offspring. However, no effect for the post-weaning diet on BK and SNP induced vasorelaxation was seen. This investigation demonstrates that a HE diet prenatally diminishes both BK and SNP induced vasorelaxation in swine. These findings suggest that a HE gestational diet can play a critical role in the development of offspring’s vascular function, predisposing them to endothelial dysfunction. This dysfunction may lead to atherosclerotic disease development later in life.
Critical and Subcritical Adhesion Measurements of a Model Epoxy Coating Exposed to Moisture Using the Shaft-Loaded Blister Test

The shaft-loaded blister test (SLBT) was used to investigate the adhesion between a model epoxy coating and a silicon oxide surface as a function of relative humidity. Critical and subcritical strain energy release rates were measured using specimens that incorporate reinforcing layers of Kapton® film. A simplified procedure that eliminates the need for video imaging to measure the blister radius and fracture energy was developed. A critical relative humidity level for adhesion loss was observed, in agreement with measurements that have been made previously in a number of polymeric systems. The SLBT was confirmed to be particularly attractive for fracture energy measurements on thin, strongly adhered coatings and films which otherwise tend to be problematic.
Cardiotoxic effects of cocaine and anabolic-androgenic steroids in the athlete

Cocaine and anabolic-androgenic steroid abuse have become major drug problems in the United States. Cocaine has been designated as "the drug of greatest national health concern" while as many as 1 million Americans have used or are currently using anabolic-androgenic steroids to promote athletic performance and/or improve physical appearance. Unfavorable cardiovascular events have been linked to both cocaine and anabolic-androgenic steroid abuse in healthy, physically active individuals. Deaths of several United States athletes in 1986 focused attention on the life-threatening cardiovascular consequences of cocaine abuse. Reports of myocardial injury with anabolic-androgenic steroid abuse are anecdotal. Nevertheless, case reports have illustrated the alarming cardiotoxic potential of these steroids in athletes. Anabolic-androgenic steroids were correlated to myocardial infarction in weight lifters and cardiomyopathy in a former professional football player. From the total emergency room episodes where cocaine was mentioned in 1990, approximately 66% of these episodes occurred in young individuals 18-29 years of age. Over 500,000 of the individuals currently taking anabolic-androgenic steroids for nonmedical purposes are high-school children. Because cocaine and anabolic-androgenic steroids are used improperly, more focus needs to be paid to the toxic mechanisms of their adverse effects. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to discuss mechanisms whereby exercise and/or exercise training may alter the cardiovascular responses to these drugs. Furthermore, we would like to illustrate that contrary to the popular belief, acute and chronic abuse of cocaine and anabolic-androgenic steroids have a negative impact on exercise performance.
Association between Amylin and Amyloid-β Peptides in Plasma in the Context of Apolipoprotein E4 Allele

Amylin, a pancreatic peptide that readily crosses the blood brain barrier (BBB), and amyloid-beta peptide (Aβ), the main component of amyloid plaques and a major component of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology in the brain, share several features. These include having similar β-sheet secondary structures, binding to the same receptor, and being degraded by the same protease. Thus, amylin may be associated with Aβ, but the nature of their relationship remains unclear. In this study, we used human samples to study the relationship between plasma amylin and Aβ in the context of the apolipoprotein E alleles (ApoE). We found that concentrations of Aβ1-42 (P<0.0001) and Aβ1-40 (P<0.0001) increased with each quartile increase of amylin. Using multivariate regression analysis, the study sample showed that plasma amylin was associated with Aβ1-42 (β = +0.149, SE = 0.025, P<0.0001) and Aβ1-40 (β = +0.034, SE = 0.016, P = 0.04) as an outcome after adjusting for age, gender, ethnicity, ApoE4, BMI, diabetes, stroke, kidney function and lipid profile. This positive association between amylin and Aβ1-42 in plasma was found regardless of the ApoE genotype. In contrast, the relationship between amylin and Aβ1-40 in plasma seen in ApoE4 non-carriers disappeared in the presence of ApoE4. Using AD mouse models, our recent study demonstrates that intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of synthetic amylin enhances the removal of Aβ from the brain into blood, thus resulting in increased blood levels of both amylin and Aβ. The positive association between amylin and Aβ, especially Aβ1-42, in human blood samples is probably relevant to the findings in the AD mouse models. The presence of ApoE4 may attenuate amylin's capacity to remove Aβ, especially Aβ1-40, from the AD brain.
The Molecular Motor Toolbox for Intracellular Transport

Eukaryotic cells create internal order by using protein motors to transport molecules and organelles along cytoskeletal tracks. Recent genomic and functional studies suggest that five cargo-carrying motors emerged in primitive eukaryotes and have been widely used throughout evolution. The complexity of these "Toolbox" motors expanded in higher eukaryotes through gene duplication, alternative splicing, and the addition of associated subunits, which enabled new cargoes to be transported. Remarkably, fungi, parasites, plants, and animals have distinct subsets of Toolbox motors in their genomes, suggesting an underlying diversity of strategies for intracellular transport.
Lattice Minimum Bayes-Risk Decoding for Statistical Machine Translation

We present Minimum Bayes-Risk (MBR) decoding over translation lattices that compactly encode a huge number of translation hypotheses. We describe conditions on the loss function that will enable efficient implementation of MBR decoders on lattices. We introduce an approximation to the BLEU score (Papineni et al., 2001) that satisfies these conditions. The MBR decoding under this approximate BLEU is realized using Weighted Finite State Automata. Our experiments show that the Lattice MBR decoder yields moderate, consistent gains in translation performance over N-best MBR decoding on Arabic-to-English, Chinese-to-English and English-to-Chinese translation tasks. We conduct a range of experiments to understand why Lattice MBR improves upon N-best MBR and study the impact of various parameters on MBR performance.
Autonomic cardiac control. II: Noninvasive indices and basal response as revealed by autonomic blockades

Heart period, systolic time intervals, low and high frequency heart period variability, blood pressure, and respiration were measured in female subjects under three drug conditions (saline, atropine sulfate, metoprolol) while sitting and standing on three consecutive days. Following preinfusion baseline recordings, saline, metoprolol (14 mg), or atropine sulfate (2 mg) was infused for 15 min (by using a double-blind procedure). Recordings were taken during a postinfusion baseline and in response to an orthostatic stressor (standing versus sitting postures). At the end of the metoprolol session, atropine sulfate was infused and responses were monitored during the postinfusion (i.e., double blockade) baseline and during orthostatic stressor. Analyses of the blockade data revealed that the preejection period (PEP) reflected sympathetic but not vagal influences on the heart, and high frequency (HF, 0.12-0.40 Hz) heart rate variability (respiratory sinus arrhythmia) reflected vagal but not sympathetic influences on the heart. No other measure provided a specific index of the tonic sympathetic or vagal activation of the heart. Postinfusion PEP under saline predicted individual differences in postinfusion cardiac sympathetic activation, whereas postinfusion heart period (but not HF variability) under saline predicted individual differences in postinfusion cardiac vagal activation.
The luminosity function of the hot and cold Kuiper belt populations

We have performed an ecliptic survey of the Kuiper belt, with an areal coverage of 8.9 square degrees to a 50% limiting magnitude of r'_(Sloan) = 24.7, and have detected 88 Kuiper belt objects, roughly half of which received follow-up 1–2 months after detection. Using this survey data alone, we have measured the luminosity function of the Kuiper belt, thus avoiding any biases that might come from the inclusion of other observations. We have found that the Cold population defined as having inclinations less than 5° has a luminosity function slope α_(Cold) = 0.82 ± 0.23, and is different from the Hot population, which has inclinations greater than 5° and a luminosity function slope α_(Hot) = 0.35 ± 0.21. As well, we have found that those objects closer than 38 AU have virtually the same luminosity function slope as the Hot population. This result, along with similar findings of past surveys demonstrates that the dynamically Cold Kuiper belt objects likely have a steep size distribution, and are unique from all of the excited populations which have much shallower distributions. This suggests that the dynamically excited population underwent a different accretion history and achieved a more evolved state of accretion than the Cold population. As well, we discuss the similarities of the Cold and Hot populations with the size distributions of other planetesimal populations. We find that while the Jupiter family comets and the scattered disk exhibit similar size distributions, a power-law extrapolation to small sizes for the scattered disk cannot account for the observed influx of comets. As well, we have found that the Jupiter Trojan and Hot populations cannot have originated from the same parent population, a result that is difficult to reconcile with scattering models similar to the NICE model. We conclude that the similarity between the size distributions of the Cold population and the Jupiter Trojan population is a striking coincidence.
Use of satellite-based sensing in land surface climatology

Common types of satellite-derived measurements are reviewed with respect to how they are used to provide information on variables important to land surface climatology. The variables considered include solar radiation, surface albedo, surface temperature, outgoing longwave radiation, cloud cover, net radiation, soil moisture, latent and sensible heat flux, surface cover and leaf area index. A selection of land surface climate modelling schemes is identified and considered with a view to their practicality for use with satellite-derived data. Issues arising from the foregoing considerations include the absence from satellite data of some variables required by land surface climate models, the importance of extreme pixel values in model parameterization, the importance of matching spatial resolution in satellite data and climate model, and the need to have concurrent, independently observed, meteorological data in order to make full use of the satellite data.
Extreme Lamé Compliance in Crystals of Trigonal Symmetry: the Case of α-Quartz

The variation of the Lame compliance with direction is explored for elastic crystals associated with the trigonal class possessing six independent compliances (associated with point groups 32, 3m, 3m). A new decomposition of the compliance tensor is presented that simplifies the Lame compliance by reducing the number of elastic parameters required to analyze how it varies with direction. The common form of quartz referred to as α-quartz falls within this class and is known to possess such interesting elastic properties as negative Poisson ratios. The Lame compliance is a convenient indicator of this negativity and furnishes a sharp connection between its extreme directions and the underlying lattice orientation of the material.
Comparing Public and Private Organizations An Exploratory Analysis of Three Frameworks

Over the past several years, a growing body of research has compared public and private organizations, using a variety of approaches to examine which organizational attributes are shared across sec...
Assessment on the Go: Surveying Students With an iPad

Ongoing assessment in academic libraries, particularly the measurement of student perceptions, preferences, and satisfaction, can be a challenge to schedule and execute. Â This paper describes a pilot project at Georgia State University Library that combined assessment with the portability of the tablet computer.Â A tablet computer--in this case, Appleâs iPad--loaded with survey software became a digital clipboard with the added benefit of automatic data compilation. Â Subjects were surveyed quickly in the library buildings, maximizing convenience for both subjects and researchers alike. Â The result was a model that other libraries, as well as campus student services divisions and classroom instructors, can easily adopt. Â Methodology, benefits, lessons learned, and ideas for future projects are discussed.
Revising transaction concepts for mobile computing

It is expected that in the near future millions of users will have access to on-line distributed databases through mobile computers. The restrictions imposed by the nature of the wireless medium and the resulting mobility of data consumers and data producers make traditional transaction models inadequate. In this paper, we investigate means for providing transaction support appropriate for mobile environments. Specifically, we define a model that ensures a weaker notion of consistency, accounts for mobility, and provides for recovery.
An interview with Mike Losey, Tony Rucci, and Dave Ulrich: Three experts respond to HRMJ's special issue on HR strategy in five leading firms

As a postscript to this HRM Special Issue on HR strategy in five leading firms, three preeminent experts in the field of human resources provide their reactions and comments. Mike Losey is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), Tony Rucci is Dean of the College of Business Administration at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and Dave Ulrich is Professor of Business at the University of Michigan. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Narrative pain and the moral sense: toward an ethics of suffering in the Long Eighteenth Century.

Writers in the eighteenth century encountered a generative impasse in the representation of narrative pain. While they could capitalize on expressions of pain as common cultural currency, as varieties of corporeal experience they had in common with their audience, they could not recapture the idiosyncratic, ineffable qualities of pain, the ways in which suffering occurs differently and indescribably for every individual. By appealing to the elaboration of moral sense theory, a current of philosophy that describes how sensitive beings form impressions and make judgments based on a species of feeling that involves both physical and emotional responsiveness, contemporary readers may observe how writers of fiction during the period developed a series of representational strategies to deal with this impasse, to make pain visible, legible, and useful for a variety of narrative purposes.
Formins and Microtubules

Formins have recently been recognized as prominent regulators of the microtubule (MT) cytoskeleton where they modulate the dynamics of selected MTs in interphase and mitosis. The association of formins with the MT cytoskeleton and their action on MT dynamics are relatively unexplored areas, yet growing evidence supports a direct role in their regulation of MT stability independent of their activity on actin. Formins regulate MT stability alone or in combination with accessory MT binding proteins that have previously been implicated in the stabilization of MTs downstream of polarity cues. As actin and MT arrays are typically remodeled downstream of signaling pathways that orchestrate cell shape and division, formins are emerging as excellent candidates for coordinating the responses of the cytoskeletal in diverse regulated and homeostatic processes.
Population Ecology, Nonlinear Dynamics, and Social Evolution. I. Associations among Nonrelatives

Abstract: Using an individual‐based and genetically explicit simulation model, we explore the evolution of sociality within a population‐ecology and nonlinear‐dynamics framework. Assuming that individual fitness is a unimodal function of group size and that cooperation may carry a relative fitness cost, we consider the evolution of one‐generation breeding associations among nonrelatives. We explore how parameters such as the intrinsic rate of growth and group and global carrying capacities may influence social evolution and how social evolution may, in turn, influence and be influenced by emerging group‐level and population‐wide dynamics. We find that group living and cooperation evolve under a wide range of parameter values, even when cooperation is costly and the interactions can be defined as altruistic. Greater levels of cooperation, however, did evolve when cooperation carried a low or no relative fitness cost. Larger group carrying capacities allowed the evolution of larger groups but also resulted ...
The One-Year Attributable Cost of Poststroke Aphasia

Background and Purpose—Little is known about the contribution of aphasia to the cost of care for patients who experience stroke. Methods—We retrospectively examined a cohort of South Carolina Medicare beneficiaries who experienced ischemic stroke in 2004 to determine the attributable cost of aphasia. Univariate analyses were used to compare demographic, comorbidity, and severity differences between individuals with poststroke aphasia and those without aphasia. Differences in payments by Medicare because of stroke were examined using a gamma-distributed generalized linear multivariate model. Results—Three thousand, two hundred Medicare beneficiaries experienced ischemic stroke in South Carolina in 2004, and 398 beneficiaries had poststroke aphasia. Patients with aphasia experienced longer length of stays, greater morbidity, and greater mortality than did those without aphasia. In adjusted models that controlled for relevant covariates, the attributable 1-year cost of aphasia was estimated at $1703. Conclus...
A Hybrid Approach to Nonlinear Macromodel Generation for Time-Varying Analog Circuits

Modeling frequency-dependent nonlinear characteristics of complex analog blocks and subsystems is critical for enabling efficient verification of mixed-signal system designs. Recent progress has been made for constructing such macromodels, however, their accuracy and/or efficiency can break down for certain problems, particularly those with high-Q filtering. In this paper we explore a novel hybrid approach for generating accurate analog macromodels for time-varying weakly nonlinear circuits. The combined benefits of nonlinear Pade approximations and pruning by exploitation of the system's internal structure allows us to construct nonlinear circuit models that are accurate for wide input frequency ranges, and thereby capable of modeling systems with sharp frequency selectivity. Such components are widely encountered in analog signal processing and RF applications. The efficacy of the proposed approach is demonstrated by the modeling of large time-varying nonlinear circuits that are commonly found in these application areas.
INDUCTION OF APOPTOTIC PROGRAM IN CELL-FREE EXTRACTS : REQUIREMENT FOR DATP AND CYTOCHROME C

A cell-free system based on cytosols of normally growing cells is established that reproduces aspects of the apoptotic program in vitro. The apoptotic program is initiated by addition of dATP. Fractionation of cytosol yielded a 15 kDa protein that is required for in vitro apoptosis. The absorption spectrum and protein sequence revealed that this protein is cytochrome c. Elimination of cytochrome c from cytosol by immunodepletion, or inclusion of sucrose to stabilize mitochondria during cytosol preparation, diminished the apoptotic activity. Adding back cytochrome c to the cytochrome c-depleted extracts restored their apoptotic activity. Cells undergoing apoptosis in vivo showed increased release of cytochrome c to their cytosol, suggesting that mitochondria may function in apoptosis by releasing cytochrome c.
Sorbent Extraction and Analysis of Volatile Metabolites Synthesized by Lactic Acid Bacteria in a Synthetic Medium

Volatile metabolites synthesized by strains of Lactobacillus breve, L. fructivorans, L. hilgardii, L. plantarum, Pediococcus parvulus, and Leuconostoc oenos, originally isolated from commercial wines, were extracted from a synthetic medium using C 18 sorbent cartridges and analyzed using gas-liquid chromatography. All organisms synthesized isoamyl alcohol, 1-hexanol, 3-(methylthio)-1-propanol, and 2-phenyl ethanol in varying concentrations. Several other alcohols, acids, aldehydes, and esters were produced or utilized by some species or strains and enabled differentiation of the organisms. Recoveries of metabolites were dependent on the compounds, matrix, and presence of ethanol
Mortality in eating disorders: A descriptive study.

Objective We report rates and causes of death for a cohort of 246 eating-disordered women and provide descriptive information on their eating disorder and comorbid diagnoses. Method Data on mortality were collected as part of a longitudinal study of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, now in its 11th year. Other data sources included death certificates, autopsy reports, relative interviews, and a National Death Index search. Results Seven deaths have occurred during the study, all among anorexic subjects with a history of binging and purging and with comorbid Axis I disorders. The crude mortality rate was 5.1%. The standardized mortality ratios for death (9.6) and suicide (58.1) were significantly elevated (p < .001). Conclusions Anorexia nervosa is associated with a substantial risk of death and suicide. Features correlated with fatal outcome are longer duration of illness, binging and purging, comorbid substance abuse, and comorbid affective disorders. © 2000 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 28: 20–26, 2000.