cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Highly Specific Inhibition of C1q Globular-Head Binding to Human IgG: A Novel Approach to Control and Regulate the Classical Complement Pathway Using an Engineered Single Chain Antibody Variable Fragment

We sought to specifically regulate the binding of human C1q, and thus the activation of the first complement component, via the construction of a single chain antibody variable binding region fragment (scFv) targeting the C1q globular heads. Here we describe details of the construction, expression and evaluation of this scFv, which was derived from a high-affinity hybridoma (Qu) specific for the C1q globular heads. The scFv was comprised of the Qu variable heavy chain domain (VH) linked to the Qu variable light chain domain (VL) and was termed scFv-QuVHVL. When mixed with either purified C1q or with human serum as a source of C1, scFv-QuVHVL bound to C1q and competitively restricted the interaction of C1q or C1 with immobilized IgG or with IgG1 antibody-coated cells, and prevented the activation of native C1 in human serum as determined by analyses of C1-mediated C4 deposition and fluid-phase C4 conversion. However scFv-QuVHVL could be manipulated to become a C1 activator when it was irreversibly immobilized onto microtiter ELISA plates, prior to contact with human serum complement. This functional dichotomy can be a useful tool in selectively elucidating, differentiating, inducing or inhibiting specific roles of human C1q and the classical complement pathway in complement-mediated physiological processes. We project that once fully humanized, fluid-phase scFv-QuVHVL could become a useful therapeutic in limiting inadvertent host tissue damage elicited by the classical complement pathway.
The Influence of the Stage of Gestation on the Composition and Properties of Milk

Summary Gestation of itself exerts no influence on the composition of either cows’ milk or human milk, but it may indirectly affect it by hastening the close of lactation, which itself exerts marked changes on the composition of milk. The characteristics of the milk as the end of the lactation approaches are high concentration of protein and fat, and frequently a lower concentration of lactose. The fat of cows’ milk is characterized by great depression of the saponification value and Reichert-Meissl number, and great increase in iodin value and melting point.Disturbances in the health of the child being nursed by a pregnant mother were not observed in the two cases reported in this paper. The marked decrease in the percentage of all the solid constituents of the milk reported by another investigator as accompanying gestation in the case of human milk was not confirmed by our data.
Trajectory Regression for Travel-Time Prediction

We propose a new method for predicting the travel-time along an arbitrary path between two locations on a map. Unlike traditional approaches, which focus only on particular links with heavy traffic, our method allows probabilistic prediction for arbitrary paths including links having no traffic sensors. We introduce two new ideas: to use string kernels for the similarity between paths, and to use Gaussian process regression for probabilistic prediction. We test our approach using traffic data generated by an agent-based traffic simulator.
Community Colleges in Alabama: 1925 to the Present.

(1996). COMMUNITY COLLEGES IN ALABAMA: 1925 TO THE PRESENT. Community College Journal of Research and Practice: Vol. 20, No. 6, pp. 499-507.
THE USE OF SYNTAX IN UNDERSTANDING SENTENCES

An English speaker appears to understand a sentence while he is hearing it. This observation, taken naively, suggests that people process a sentence for its semantic information in a strict left-to-right order. Recent linguistic work on generative grammars (Chomsky, 1957, 1965), however, implies quite a different process. People must process a sentence for its deep structure-its underlying functional relationsin order to understand it, and this processing is necessarily hierarchical in character. The present paper describes two experiments which uncover some of the psychological properties of this hierarchical processing, and another two experiments which show that this hierarchical processing is independent of a distinct, but real, left-to-right processing of semantic content. In the spirit of generative grammars, speakers must, at some point, understand sentences in terms of elementary functional relations. These relations, extracted by speakers from the sentences they hear, are contained in the kernel strings (as yet unformed basic sentences) which underlie the sentences. Consider The clown amused the children. This sentence contains the functional relations of: subject of the sentence (the clown), predicate of the sentence (amused the children), main verb (amuse), object of the verb (children), and so on (Chomsky, 1965). For the present study we singled out kernel strings with transitive verbs, choosing sentences like The clown amused the children and The umpire was hit by the bat. The functional relations of interest in such sentences were named, for brevity, subject (clown, bat), verb (amuse, hit) and object (children, umpire). The main question we asked was: How do people process sentences for understanding in terms of these relations? To answer it, we gave participants of Expt. I partly anomalous active sentences to judge for sensibleness. This confirmed that people do process sentences hierarchically. In Expt. II we asked other students to alter the sentences so that they made more sense. These students, while reflecting the hierarchical structure of Expt. I, also seemed to show a left-to-right process. In Expt. III, therefore, we required other students to judge the sensibleness of both actives and passives. Here it was found that the subject, verb and object were pro
Metastatic choriocarcinoma to the lung coexistent with a viable pregnancy.

A 31-year-old G4P2 at 33weeks gestation was transferred from a local hospital for persistent cough and a right hemothorax. Her obstetric history was significant for two uncomplicated vaginal deliveries at term, followed by a spontaneous abortion 6months prior to the current pregnancy. Significant labs included an elevated BHCG of 118,946. A CTscan of the chest showedmultiple lung nodules without hilar adenopathy. The pulmonary service performed a diagnostic bronchoscopy, which was unsuccessful in making a diagnosis secondary to the peripheral location of the pulmonary nodules. Approximately 12days after initial presentation, the patient underwent cervical mediastinoscopy, revealing negative mediastinal lymph nodes. Right
Norepinephrine infusions in congestive heart failure

Norepinephrine (NE) levels are frequently increased in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF).l12 The significance of high circulating NE levels in patients with CHF is unknown. To provide data concerning the effects of an increase in plasma NE on hemodynamic function and plasma renin activity in CHF, we measured these variables in responseto an infusion of exogenous NE in a group of 8 patients with CHF. Overall, the results do not suggest an important effect of circulating NE on either hemodynamic variables or plasma renin activity in CHF.
Early necrosis following concurrent Temodar and radiotherapy in patients with glioblastoma

Concurrent temozolomide (TMZ) and radiotherapy is the new standard of care for patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma. In 51 consecutive patients treated according to this regimen, 7 patients (14%) manifested surgically confirmed early necrosis without evidence of recurrent tumor. This observation suggests that daily TMZ may represent a potent radiosensitizing regimen.
Charged vector mesons and ξ formalism

We discuss a finite-$\ensuremath{\xi}$ formalism for the electromagnetic interaction of a massive charged vector meson with an arbitrary magnetic moment $\ensuremath{\kappa}$. The theory is Lorentz-covariant, renormalizable, and gauge-invariant. We consider the case $\ensuremath{\xi}=\ensuremath{\kappa}=1$ to show that the theory is unitary after introducing a fictitious particle and two new vertices in the theory.
Novel therapies and new targets of treatment for familial hypercholesterolemia

Abstract Patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) are not always able to achieve target levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol with currently available medications. A number of novel pharmaceutical approaches to LDL cholesterol-lowering have been in development. Antisense oligonucleotides are molecules that are injected subcutaneously and cause decreased release of apolipoprotein B-containing lipoproteins from the liver. Microsomal transfer protein inhibitors block the accumulation of triglyceride into apolipoprotein B precursors. Squalene synthase inhibitors partially block a late step in cholesterol biosynthesis. Proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin type 9 inhibitors can lead to increased LDL cholesterol receptor functioning and thereby decrease LDL cholesterol levels. Thyroid hormone analogues lower LDL cholesterol and other lipoproteins by a selective effect on certain thyroid hormone receptors, avoiding the adverse effects of excessive thyroid hormone levels. Several of these classes of lipid-modifying agents are currently in clinical trials. Long-term safety data will be needed before any are available to be used clinically, but some hold significant potential for improving treatment options for patients with FH.
EFFECTS OF N-METHYLAMINOETHANOL, AND N,N-DIMETHYL-AMINOETHANOL IN THE DIET OF PREGNANT RATS ON NEONATAL RAT BRAIN CHOLINERGIC AND PHOSPHOLIPID PROFILE

— Pregnant rats were fed for 15 days predelivery until 15 days postpartum a choline (Ch)-deficient diet (CD diet) or a CD diet supplemented with 0.8% Ch-CI (CS), 1%N-methylaminoethanol (MME) or 1%N,N-dimethylaminoethanol (DME). Gestation and parturition of the pregnant rats proceeded normally. However, all the pups born of dams fed the MME diet, and most of those born of dams fed the DME diet, died within 36 h of birth. No histological or cytological alterations were detected in the brain of the pups. Levels of Ch and acetylcholine (ACh) were elevated in the brain of pups born of dams fed the MME and DME diets, but not the CS diet. The content of total phospholipids in the brain of the pups was not altered by the diet fed to the dams. However, the phosphatidyl-Ch and phosphatidylaminoethanol (PAE) contents in the brain of the MME- and DME-exposed pups were markedly reduced. At the same time, significant amounts of DME, phosphatidyl-N-monomethylaminoethanol (PMME) and of phosphatidyl-N,N-dimethylaminoethanol (PDME) were present in the same brain areas. These results are evaluated and discussed in terms of providing a cause for the death of the MME- and DME-exposed neonatal rats.
Amphotericin B fever in rabbits.

Abstract The slow intravenous infusion of amphotericin B (amB) induced a moderate, partially dose-dependent fever in male adult rabbits, whereas the iv bolus injection of the drug was less pyrogenic and only at higher doses. Higher, more sustained fevers occured with doses of 2.5 and 5.0 mg of amB. The threshold pyrogenic dose of amB in the rabbits tested approached 0.16 mg per Kg (ΔT greater than 0.4°C). Endotoxin-tolerant rabbits had a lower increase in rectal temperature when challenged with amB. No fever occured in mice treated with amB.
The role of culture in the perception of service recovery

Abstract In international service settings, customers' evaluations of service encounters are influenced by their evaluations of the service failure and recovery contexts, which are shaped by their cultural orientation. Knowledge of how critical service factors are perceived by customers from different cultural background is important in the design and implementation of global service strategy. Service recovery, in the form of compensation or apology, is tested in three cross-national samples. Compensation is found to improve customers' assessment of the service encounter in all three countries, but positive effects on repurchase intention and word of mouth (WOM) are only found for the American sample and not for the Singaporean and Australian samples. Apology is found to improve satisfaction in Singapore and Australia but not in the United States. Culture's influence on the evaluation process is examined to account for the differential impact of apology and compensation on customer perception about service failure and recovery.
Some correlates of language intensity

(1964). Some correlates of language intensity. Quarterly Journal of Speech: Vol. 50, No. 4, pp. 415-420.
Second person verb forms in Tibeto-Burman

Since the beginning of research on the PTB verb agreement, 2nd person marking has posed a persistent problem. Every scholar who has dealt with the problem reconstructs a set of person/number suffixes including 2sg #-n(a). But there is also strong evidence for a #t‑ prefix which also indexes 2nd person. My purpose in this paper is to summarize the results of a number of descriptions and analyses which have appeared over the last decade or so, which provide new evidence concerning the #t‑ prefix, and resolve some of the problems which had previously impeded our understanding of this form. I will show that there were two distinct verb forms used for 2nd person reference in PTB. In the final section of the paper I will speculate about the implications of this fact.
Navier-Stokes computations of symmetric and asymmetric vortex shedding around slender bodies

The unsteady, compressible Reynolds-averaged thin-layer Navier-Stokes equations are used to solve for symmetric and asymmetric vortical flows around slender pointed bodies of revolution. The modified Baldwin and Lomax algebraic two-layer turbulent model is used for the eddy viscosity calculation in prescribed turbulent regions. The implicit, upwind flux-difference splitting finite-volume scheme is used to obtain the solutions. Computational results are presented for a low-speed symmetrical vortical flow around a 3.5-caliber tangent-ogive cylinder for fully laminar flow. Computed results are presented for a high-speed asymmetric vortex-shedding flow around a cone at 3.286 relative incidence, using a fine computational grid. The asymmetric vortex-shedding flow has been produced through a small asymmetric transitional perturbation in the cross-flow plane.
Hepatic and extrahepatic microsomal oxidation of phorate by the cytochrome P-450 and FAD-containing monooxygenase systems in the mouse

The relative contribution of the cytochrome P-450-dependent monooxygenase system (P-450) and the FAD-containing monooxygenase (FMO) in the oxidation of phorate (O,O-diethyl S-((ethylthio)methyl)phosphorodithioate) was investigated in liver, lung, and kidney microsomes isolated from male and female Dub:ICR mice. Selective inhibition was used to define the role of each enzyme system independent of the other system. Liver microsomes exhibited the greatest sulfoxidase activity, with P-450 responsible for greater than 75% of the activity. Although overall rates of sulfoxidation were much lower in lung and kidney microsomes, the FMO activity, relative to P-450, was greater. In all three organs, FMO activity appeared higher in microsomes isolated from female mice than microsomes from male mice. Phorate sulfoxide was the only metabolite detected during the linear range of the time course incubations. Extended time incubations yielded metabolites in addition to phorate sulfoxide in liver microsomes (phorate sulfone and phorate oxon sulfoxide) and lung microsomes (phorate oxon and phorate oxon sulfoxide), but not in kidney microsomes.
A direct determination of fractal dimension of fracture surfaces using scanning electron microscopy and stereoscopy

A rapid and accurate method of measuring fractal dimension of a fractured surface is described. The method uses a stereo pair of photomicrographs taken in a scanning electron microscope and digitized for computer analysis. The computer can automatically compare the offset at many places in the two images and calculate their height on the basis of the parallax angle. The sum of the area of all planes formed by an array of three-dimensional points is an approximation of the true surface area. The scale can be varied both in the microscope and in the computer; therefore, a fractal dimension can be calculated. Unlike previous methods, this one is direct and gave results intermediate between two prior indirect measurements.
MEASUREMENTS OF TRANSIENT NATURAL CONVECTION ON FLAT VERTICAL SURFACES

Experimental measurements of natural convection transients in air and in water are compared with the results of the integral analysis presented by the first author. An application of infrared techniques to the measurement of transient surface temperatures is described. The measurements, over a wide range of thermal capacity, are reduced to the variables which arose in the analysis and the measured responses are in essentially complete agreement with the results of that analysis for the case of a step in input flux. None of the measurements of natural convection transients on vertical plates has indicated temperature overshoot for the step condition.
Measurements of absorption lineshapes in the A3Πi← X3Σ-(0, 0) band of NH in the presence of Ar broadening

Abstract A rapid-scanning ring-dye laser was used to measure fully-resolved absorption lineshapes in the R 1 branch of the A 3 Π i ← X 3 Σ - (0, 0) band of NH in a shock tube. Measurements were performed in a background gas of Ar over a temperature range of 2000–2600 K, with corresponding pressures of 4.7–3.9 atm. No rotational quantum-number dependence of the collision broadening coefficient 2γ was discernable. The magnitude and temperature dependence of the broadening coefficient are in good agreement with previous measurements of OH in this laboratory, namely, 2γ = 0.0320 (2000/ T ) 0.94 cm -1 atm -1 . Using these data, calculated results are presented for the absorption coefficient of the NH Q 1 bandhead.
Comment: post-war settlements and the production of new illegalities

Anthropologists examining gender violence and migration in post-conflict societies have grappled with a variety of analytical and methodological issues. While much of this work has provided some vivid ethnographic accounts of the local context and complexities of conflict, at the same time, research in this area has often raised challenging questions about the conditions, causes and consequences of human harm and how best to go about analyzing them. Andrew Dawson’s exploration into the landscape of human trafficking in Bosnia and Herzegovina brings us similarly rich and problematic conclusions and is timely and useful both for what the data show as well as for what Dawson is not able to tell us about the exploitation of women and children in post-conflict areas. Dawson has three important stories to tell. First, he seeks to understand the process and outcomes of the scaling back of international assistance in BiH and its effects on both the local community and on criminal activity. In doing so Dawson moves us off the well-traveled paths of post-conflict studies and into the less understood (and still poorly documented) account of the dismantling of the development machine. Second, Dawson engages the dynamics of human trafficking, beginning with a summary of the problem as it is conventionally known to have emerged and thrived in BiH, and then with a consideration of how the post-post conflict environment may contribute to what scholars suggest is the transforming nature of the practice. As the international community pulls back from the frontline of rebuilding a war-torn area, and after installing what appears to be a solid, wellstructured anti-trafficking response in cooperation with state authorities and international expertise, trafficking goes ‘‘underground’’ essentially turning into a ‘‘cottage industry.’’ Tracing the details of this trend is of particular interest to scholars of gender violence and international criminal justice. Third, and perhaps most intriguing (and frustrating), is the ethnography of rebuilt communities after
Tsunami bore forces on a compliant residential building model

Abstract The forces exerted on light-frame wood buildings as a result of surge and waves are not fully understood. With a better understanding of these types of forces, it may eventually be possible to build coastal structures to better withstand the loads. In this paper, a recent two part experimental study that focused on determining the forces induced in a structurally compliant model of a typical Gulf Coast residential building is summarized. The one-sixth scale building was designed to approximately behave as the full scale building would under wave loading using rules of energy-based similitude. The compliant model was subjected to solitary wave loading in the Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES) tsunami wave basin (TWB) at Oregon State University with wave heights ranging from 0.1 m to 0.6 m. Then, at Colorado State University, lateral force–deformation tests on a nominally identical model were performed in order to determine the force–deformation relationship for the building. The structural deformation produced by solitary waves in the wave basin was combined with the experimentally measured deformation in the structural laboratory to determine the force induced by the waves between 0.2m and 0.6 m. Finally, a simplified force equation constant similar to the existing design code formats was found to be 0.31.
Polynomial psychophysics of risk for selected business faculty

The distributive model for perceived risk of Coombs and Huang (1970) is tested using business faculty as subjects. The basic hypothesis tested predicts interaction between levels of expected value and the number of repeated plays of a gamble. Using a complete 3 × 3 × 3 design, the distributive model is clearly rejected, due to failure of single factor independence of the number of plays factor. A concordance test indicates apparent similarity of risk rankings (x2 (26) > 258, p << 0.001) although 12 of 13 subjects fail to satisfy the distributive model.
A Note on the Relation between Étienne Souriau's L'Instauration philosophique and Deleuze and Guattari's What is Philosophy?

From the beginning of his career, Deleuze always denounces confusions. This is especially evident in his 1968 study Expressionism in Philosophy: Spinoza (Deleuze 1990: 46, 47, 48; 1968: 37, 38, 39). Thus it should not be surprising to see this theme reappear in his last great work (with Guattari), the 1991 What is Philosophy?: ‘It is essential not to confuse the plane of immanence and the concepts that occupy it’ (Deleuze and Guattari 1994: 39; 1991: 42; emphasis added).1 It is perhaps impossible to understand What is Philosophy? if one confuses the plane of immanence with concepts. To help us understand this difference, Deleuze and Guattari use different words to indicate what thought does in relation to the plane of immanence and in relation to concepts. In relation to the plane of immanence, thought ‘institutes’, while in relation to concepts it ‘creates’: ‘Philosophy is at once concept creation and instituting of the plane’ (Deleuze and Guattari 1994: 41/43–4; emphasis added). Note the different French nouns used here: ‘creation’ and ‘instauration’. Now, as we can see, the English language translation of What is Philosophy? uses the word ‘instituting’ to render the French ‘instauration’. There is no question that ‘institution’ correctly translates ‘instauration’, and one can only ever feel sympathy for any translator since their task requires making the most difficult choices among words and their nuances. Here however, the translation of the French ‘instauration’ by the English ‘institution’ perhaps covers over an important difference. Later in What is Philosophy? (in Chapter 4, ‘Geophilosophy’), when
Onset of Illness and Developmental Factors in Social Anxiety Disorder: Preliminary Findings from a Retrospective Interview

Although many advances have been made in the treatment of Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), less is known about its onset and factors related to its course and severity. The current study aimed to investigate developmental factors (e.g., onset of illness, behavioral inhibition, socially traumatic experiences) that research has suggested are related to the course and severity of SAD in a sample of adults diagnosed with generalized SAD. Results showed behavioral inhibition to be the only consistent predictor of current severity. Results for age of onset were consistent with previous studies suggesting an early childhood and later adolescent pattern. In addition, an earlier age of onset negatively impacted improvement in cognitive behavior therapy for SAD, but no other developmental factors were related to treatment outcome. Future research using longitudinal designs and multiple informants is needed to confirm findings from retrospective reports.
Large spontaneous emission rate enhancement from an electrically-injected nanoLED coupled to an optical antenna

We experimentally demonstrate 204x spontaneous emission rate enhancement from an electrically-injected nanoLED coupled to a cavity-backed optical slot antenna. This places the spontaneous emission rate on par with the stimulated emission rate.
Oncogenic Ras/Src cooperativity in pancreatic neoplasia

Pancreas cancer is one of the most lethal malignancies and is characterized by activating mutations of Kras, present in 95% of patients. More than 60% of pancreatic cancers also display increased c-Src activity, which is associated with poor prognosis. Although loss of tumor suppressor function (for example, p16, p53, Smad4) combined with oncogenic Kras signaling has been shown to accelerate pancreatic duct carcinogenesis, it is unclear whether elevated Src activity contributes to Kras-dependent tumorigenesis or is simply a biomarker of disease progression. Here, we demonstrate that in the context of oncogenic Kras, activation of c-Src through deletion of C-terminal Src kinase (CSK) results in the development of invasive pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) by 5-8 weeks. In contrast, deletion of CSK alone fails to induce neoplasia, while oncogenic Kras expression yields PDA at low frequency after a latency of 12 months. Analysis of cell lines derived from Ras/Src-induced PDA's indicates that oncogenic Ras/Src cooperativity may lead to genomic instability, yet Ras/Src-driven tumor cells remain dependent on Src signaling and as such, Src inhibition suppresses growth of Ras/Src-driven tumors. These findings demonstrate that oncogenic Ras/Src cooperate to accelerate PDA onset and support further studies of Src-directed therapies in pancreatic cancer.
Functional outcome after thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair

Abstract Objective: Repair of thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms (TAAAs) is performed for the improvement of long-term survival and the preservation of function. The determination of functional outcome and the identification of predictors of survival and functional recovery after TAAA repair are key to proper patient selection. Methods: This retrospective review of clinical data was performed in an academic medical center. The demographics, Crawford aneurysm type (I-18, II-33, III-22, IV-28), preoperative risk factors, operative characteristics, and postoperative complications and outcomes were recorded from the medical records for 101 consecutive patients who underwent TAAA repair (58 elective and 43 urgent/emergent). Functional status and living situation at hospital discharge and 12 months after discharge were determined from follow-up examination records or telephone contact with surviving patients. The patients then were categorized into "good" (survival, home, discharge to rehabilitation center, ambulatory) or "bad" (death, discharge to or residence in a long-term care facility, non-ambulatory) outcomes. Results: The postoperative mortality rate was 17.8% (10% in elective cases and 28% in urgent cases), and significant postoperative complications occurred in 77% of the cases (pulmonary complications in 41%, renal complications in 28%, and cord injury in 12%). The mean length of stay was 22.8 + 23.6 days, and at discharge, 80% of the patients were sent to home or rehabilitation and 20% were sent to long-term care facilities. At 1 year, 15 additional patients had died. All but two patients who had been initially discharged to rehabilitation had returned home, but only two patients who had been discharged to long-term care facilities had returned home and both were nonambulatory. Therefore, the survival rate at 1 year was 67%, and only 52.4% of the patients had a "good" outcome at 1 year (survival rate was 78% and rate of "good" outcome was 63% in patients who underwent elective TAAA repair). Independent predictors of postoperative death and "bad" outcome were age more than 75 years, preoperative heart disease, duration of visceral ischemia, use of left atrial femoral bypass graft, postoperative renal dysfunction, and number of organs failing after surgery. Conclusion: Survival and good functional outcome after TAAA repair is significantly less common than expected and is primarily predicted with intraopertive factors and postoperative complications. Improved operative techniques and limitation of visceral ischemia reperfusion injury may improve outcome after TAAA repair. (J Vasc Surg 2002;35:640-7.)
Boom, Bust, and Regional Growth Rates:

If the primary effect of economic volatility is on consumption—requiring consumers to smooth over the rough spots—recent studies have shown that the business cycle has relatively little effect on consumer welfare. However, the primary effect of volatility may not be on consumption but on investment and productivity. If investors shift their money from volatile cities and times to stable ones, or if productivity depends on predictable demand and a stable work-force, volatility may hinder urban growth. Analysis of annual growth rates in U.S. metropolitan areas shows that short-term volatility reduced growth substantially and that these effects were larger in cities with high long-term volatility. In most metropolitan areas, volatility reduction and growth enhancement efforts would provide roughly equal improvements in consumer utility.
Application of parallel implicit methods to edge-plasma numerical simulations

A description is given of the parallelization algorithms and results for two codes used extensively to model edge plasmas in magnetic fusion energy devices. The codes are UEDGE, which calculates two-dimensional plasma and neutral gas profiles over long equilibrium time scales, and BOUT, which calculates three-dimensional plasma turbulence using experimental or UEDGE profiles. Both codes describe the plasma behavior using fluid equations. A domain decomposition model is used for parallelization by dividing the global spatial simulation region into a set of domains. This approach allows the use of a recently developed Newton-Krylov numerical solver, PVODE. Results show nearly an order of magnitude speedup in execution time for the plasma transport equations with UEDGE when the time-dependent system is integrated to steady state. A limitation that is identified for UEDGE is the inclusion of the (unmagnetized) fluid gas equations on a highly anisotropic mesh. The speedup of BOUT scales nearly linearly up to 64 processors and gets an additional speedup factor of 3-6 by using the fully implicit Newton-Krylov solver compared to an Adams predictor corrector. The turbulent transport coefficients obtained from BOUT guide the use of anomalous transport models within UEDGE, with the eventual goal of a self-consistent coupling.
“Addition” and “multiplication” theorems for the inputs of two neurons converging on a third

The output of a neuron innervated by two other neurons which, in turn, are subjected to two independent Poisson showers of stimuli, is derived as a function of the frequencies of the Poisson showers under two distinct assumptions, 1) where either of the two neurons can fire the third, and 2) where the stimuli from both neurons must impinge within a certain time interval to fire the third. For very small frequencies, the output of the third neuron is very nearly the sum of the input frequencies in the first case and proportional to the product of the input frequencies in the second case. Hence the designation “addition” and “multiplication” theorems. This treatment is a generalization of a previous treatment where the Poisson shower was assumed identical for the two outer neurons.
Conflict Management, Honor, and Organizational Change

How do top managers of a large American corporation manage conflict among themselves? This article investigates intracorporate executive conflict management in a Fortune 500 manufacturer via ethnographic methods. It focuses on the links between executive conflict management and widespread innovations in (1) top managerial formal structure and (2) hostile takeovers and their symbolic imagery. More speciafically, the article focuses on how these innovations disrupted the traditional social structure and "rules of the game" among top managers. The resulting new "culture of honor" suggests several implications for the study of managerial uncertainty, inertia, accountability, and control in contemporary American corporations.
Intermolecular vibrational resonance coupling: Intensity borrowing in polarized Raman spectroscopy

The effects of solvent-solute interactions on polarized and depolarized Raman intensity are investigated using perturbation theory, accounting for correlations in the relative orientations of the interacting transition dipoles. Two mechanisms for intensity borrowing are considered: interaction of the vibrational transition moments in the ground electronic states, and coupling of the electronic transition moments responsible for resonance Raman enhancement. The first type of interaction is shown to lead to measurable frequency shifts and depolarization ratio changes for two coupled vibrations which are infrared active and close in frequency. The second mechanism, not dependent on vibrational resonance, leads to perturbations of the depolarization ratio in resonance Raman, but not to vibrational frequency shifts.
Central shower counter prototype for the fermilab collider detector facility

Abstract The construction of a full scale prototype shower counter for the FNAL Collider Detector Facility central calorimetry is described in detail. Beam tests provide results on performance parameters.
Potentiation of oxycodone antinociception in mice by agmatine and BMS182874 via an imidazoline I2 receptor-mediated mechanism.

Abstract The potentiation of oxycodone antinociception by BMS182874 (endothelin-A (ETA) receptor antagonist) and agmatine (imidazoline receptor/α2-adrenoceptor agonist) is well-documented. It is also known that imidazoline receptors but not α2-adrenoceptors are involved in potentiation of oxycodone antinociception by agmatine and BMS182874 in mice. However, the involvement of specific imidazoline receptor subtypes (I1, I2, or both) in this interaction is not clearly understood. The present study was conducted to determine the involvement of imidazoline I1 and I2 receptors in agmatine- and BMS182874-induced potentiation of oxycodone antinociception in mice. Antinociceptive (tail flick and hot-plate) latencies were determined in male Swiss Webster mice treated with oxycodone, agmatine, BMS182874, and combined administration of oxycodone with agmatine or BMS182874. Efaroxan (imidazoline I1 receptor antagonist) and BU224 (imidazoline I2 receptor antagonist) were used to determine the involvement of I1 and I2 imidazoline receptors, respectively. Oxycodone produced significant antinociceptive response in mice which was not affected by efaroxan but was blocked by BU224. Agmatine-induced potentiation of oxycodone antinociception was blocked by BU224 but not by efaroxan. Similarly, BMS182874-induced potentiation of oxycodone antinociception was blocked by BU224 but not by efaroxan. This is the first report demonstrating that BMS182874- or agmatine-induced enhancement of oxycodone antinociception is blocked by BU224 but not by efaroxan. We conclude that imidazoline I2 receptors but not imidazoline I1 receptors are involved in BMS182874- and agmatine-induced potentiation of oxycodone antinociception in mice.
Comparison of two methods for the analysis of lignin in marine sediments: CuO oxidation versus tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) thermochemolysis

Abstract A comparison was made between tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) thermochemolysis and CuO oxidation methods for lignin characterization as a means of assessing terrestrial input to marine sediments. Surface marine sediments from the Louisiana shelf just outside the outflow of the Mississippi River were analyzed. The overall lignin yields and the compound ratios used as plant source proxies were found to be considerably different depending on the method used. The CuO technique afforded higher amounts of lignin phenols and in a simpler compound distribution. Additionally, comparison of the molecular source indicators using the liberated syringyl, cinnamyl and vanillyl phenols showed that the two techniques suggest different plant types contributing to the sediments; however, both techniques exhibited similar trends in oxidation state proxies. This source discrepancy is a function of the different chemical mechanisms of lignin chemolysis, with extractable tannins, polyphenols and cinnamyl-based products being emphasized by the TMAH method. Also, source comparison is hampered by a poorly developed database of plant source-to-lignin chemistry relationship for the TMAH method. One important benefit of the CuO technique is that it allows analysis of up to 5 times the sediment mass compared to the TMAH method, which is an important consideration for sediments with low terrestrial organic carbon content where lignin yield may be near detection limits. In general, the CuO technique proved more suited for lignin-based plant source assessment than the conventional (i.e., not 13C-labeled) TMAH thermochemolysis method for those marine sediments containing low plant input.
A dyadic age-replacement policy for a periodically inspected equipment item subject to random deterioration

Abstract : A periodic review replacement system is considered. The amount of deterioration over successive periods form a sequence of i.i.d. random variables. A replacement policy of the dyadic type is in effect whereby the used equipment item is discarded and immediately replaced by a new identical equipment item if at the end of a period the old equipment has service aged by an amount in excess of S or has been in operation for exactly N periods whichever comes first. Expressions for the joint distribution of the service age and the chronological age and for the distribution of the total number N sub t of replacements are derived. The derivation of the distribution function of N sub t relies on the solution to a system of linear Diophantine equations. Finally, using as criterion the minimization of the total steady-state expected cost per period, consisting of a fixed replacement cost and a linear cost of operation, optimal values of S and N are computed for a few numerical examples.
Sire selection using cow traits to improve quadratic merit in progeny.

Abstract Sire selection methods were compared by stochastic simulation for improvement in a three-trait, quadratic merit function. Selection indexes included milk, udder depth, and rear leg set phenotypes recorded on cows and bull progeny. The progeny index predicted progeny total merit from the trait indexes of both sire and mated cow. The sire index predicted progeny total merit from only the trait indexes of the sire. Compared with the sire index, which selects the best sire, the progeny index usually selected a number of different sires. The mean number of sires was 1.2 or 2.0 per 100 cows mated, depending on whether the trait indexes were calculated using normal or unit heritabilities, respectively. Total merit gains were not different using the progeny or sire index methods. Although the gain for improvement in nonlinear merit using the progeny index was expected to exceed that using the sire index, it has errors caused by low accuracy cow trait indexes. The sire index achieved 5% greater milk merit gain than did the progeny index. The progeny index was compared with a two-stage method that first used the sire index for milk merit followed by the progeny index for type merit. The two-stage method produced lower gains: 8% less in total merit and 25% less in milk merit, compared with the progeny index. Methods are needed of constituting portfolios of service sires for mating a cow herd to improve total merit while controlling the risk associated with using one or few sires in a breeding season.
Relationship between residual hindlimb-assisted locomotion and surviving axons after incomplete spinal cord injuries.

Abstract We investigated the relationship between the number of axons spared by an incomplete spinal cord injury and the locomotor efficiency of the animal's hindlimbs. We found that residual fiber counts in excess of 5,000 are paralleled by “useful” hindlimb assistance to upward locomotion, and that there is a significant correlation between the two measurements. The significance of this finding is discussed in regards to the concept of a “locomotion command system” and the often-found dissociation between severe cord damage and minimal clinical functional loss.
High-precision localization using visual landmarks fused with range data

Visual landmark matching with a pre-built landmark database is a popular technique for localization. Traditionally, landmark database was built with visual odometry system, and the 3D information of each visual landmark is reconstructed from video. Due to the drift of the visual odometry system, a global consistent landmark database is difficult to build, and the inaccuracy of each 3D landmark limits the performance of landmark matching. In this paper, we demonstrated that with the use of precise 3D Li-dar range data, we are able to build a global consistent database of high precision 3D visual landmarks, which improves the landmark matching accuracy dramatically. In order to further improve the accuracy and robustness, landmark matching is fused with a multi-stereo based visual odometry system to estimate the camera pose in two aspects. First, a local visual odometry trajectory based consistency check is performed to reject some bad landmark matchings or those with large errors, and then a kalman filtering is used to further smooth out some landmark matching errors. Finally, a disk-cache-mechanism is proposed to obtain the real-time performance when the size of the landmark grows for a large-scale area. A week-long real time live marine training experiments have demonstrated the high-precision and robustness of our proposed system.
Risk Factors for Survival Following Surgical Treatment of Traumatic Aortic Rupture

Abstract Linear discriminate analysis was used to determine the effects of age and Injury Severity Score on survival in 37 consecutive patients treated surgically for traumatic rupture of the thoracic aorta. Pearson product moment correlations were calculated between associated injuries and survival. The age of the injured patients was the only variable that correlated statistically with survival: the lower the patient's age, the greater the chance of survival ( r = 0.3535; p = 0.016). The severity of the injury, as represented by the Injury Severity Score, showed a tendency toward decreased survival with increasing Injury Severity Score ( r = −0.2523; p = 0.066). Specific types of associated injuries did not correlate with survival. Survival rates were not statistically different for patients who underwent cardiopulmonary bypass compared with those in whom a temporary plastic shunt was used (chi-square = 1.72; p = 0.19). We conclude that age is the most significant factor in predicting survival in patients who undergo surgical repair of traumatic aortic rupture.
Longevity of reference slides of pollen mounted in silicone oil

Abstract A reference collection of microscope slides of modern pollen grains was established at the University of Minnesota in 1958 and has grown to nearly 10 thousand accessions prepared in our laboratories. The pollen grains are mounted in silicone oil, and the slides have been sealed with a variety of compounds: nail polishes, adhesives, paints, and paraffins. Each has deleterious effects on the contained pollen; these effects increase with time and thus limit the usable lifetimes of the slides. One effect, pollen pox, slowly destroys the shape and structure of the pollen wall until the grain becomes a featureless sphere; it characterizes nail polish and some adhesives. Other sealants, notably paraffin, result in the growth of crystals in the silicone oil that obscure the pollen grains. Of 20 compounds tested, fewer than half made satisfactory seals, and an estimated half-life of slides sealed with most of those is 10 to 20 years. Latex paint has the best performance thus far: fewer than 5% of slides made over the past 20 years have become unusable. Although a bad slide can often be replaced by a new one made from the stored preparation, the restricted longevity of slides requires continued monitoring and imposes a steady drain on the value of a large reference collection.
LIFE‐COURSE TRANSITIONS AND DESISTANCE FROM CRIME*

Sampson and Laub (1993) provided a major contribution to the study of criminal careers by linking criminal behavior to life-course transitions, such as marriage, employment, and entry into the military. To interpret their findings, these investigators relied exclusively on control theory. In a sharp departure from that position, this study offers evidence that life-course transitions affect criminal behavior by altering relations with delinquent peers. Focusing on marriage, the analysis shows that the transition to marriage is followed by a dramatic decline in time spent with piends as well as reduced exposure to delinquent peers, and that these factors largely explain the association between marital status and delinquent behavior. The findings suggest that changing patterns of peer relations over the life course are essential for understanding criminal life-course trajectories. In one of the most influential studies of crime in recent years, Sampson and Laub (1993) embarked on a formidable task: to explain variation in criminal behavior-onset, maintenance, and desistance-over the life course. Arguing that criminologists had narrowly fixated on the teenage years, Sampson and Laub sought to bring "both childhood and adulthood back into the criminological picture of age and crime" (19939). To that end, they adopted the conceptual tools of the life-course perspective (Elder, 1985) and the etiological principles of control theory (Durkheim, 1897; Hirschi, 1969). Strong ties to age-linked institutions of social control-family, school, and peers in childhood and adolescence; higher education, marriage/parenthood, work and community in adulthood-inhibit deviant behavior, they argued, and changing ties to these institutions over the life course produce distinctly different criminal trajectories marked by turning points (a change in the life course) from conventional to criminal behavior or vice versa. To test their thesis, Sampson and Laub revived data from the Gluecks' well-known longitudinal study of delinquents, data that were initially collected in 1939 and that had lain dormant since the 1950s. The Glueck data, as the authors rightly observed, were notable not only for their longitudinal character, but also for the rich variety of variables and sources