cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cutaneous respiration in a fetal incubator.

Abstract The potentials of a fetal incubator utilizing cutaneous respiration have been discussed, and the use of a simple pressure chamber with controlled temperature, suitable for small newborn mammals and human fetuses, has been described. Newborn mice, immersed in water for 60 minutes, showed the greatest tendency to survive at temperatures ranging from 7° to 22° C. The composition of the immersion solution and its oxygen tension appeared not to influence the survival rate under normal atmospheric conditions. Fetal mice appeared to be intolerant of temperatures below 30° C. Newborn mice, immersed in Hank's basic salt solution for 6 hours under varying temperatures and oxygen pressures, demonstrated peak survival in the temperature range of 21° to 29° C. and under oxygen pressures of 200 to 300 pounds per square inch. Decapitation of the mice prior to immersion did not alter their ability to maintain cardiac action in the chamber. Eifteen human fetuses, varying in age between 9 and 24 weeks, were immersed in Hank's solution at a temperature of 35° C. and an oxygen pressure of 250 pounds per square inch. The longest survival at 35° C. was 23 hours, which represents a significant increase over times previously noted. Cutaneous respiration appears to be a promising mechanism to maintain the oxygen supply of an extrauterine fetus.
The use of pressure dilatometry for studying phase separation in polymer mixtures

It has been shown that it is possible to use pressure dilatometry (also known as pressure-volume-temperature (PVT) techniques) to follow the phase separation of a polymer blend. PVT data have been obtained for polyether sulfone, poly(ethylene oxide) and blends of the two over a range of compositions. For the pure polymers one can observe the glass transition and melting transitions, respectively. In the case of the blends the volume expansion accompanying phase separation on heating can be seen along with the different thermal expansion coefficients of the generated two phase structures. One can also observe the effect of pressure in elevating the temperature of phase separation.
Rashomon and the Roberts Court

The first election law decisions of the Roberts Court confirm that the Supreme Court remains trapped in a doctrinal interregnum. Due to the vagaries of politics and the timing of retirement decisions, no one knows precisely who will be in the majority after the next few appointments. For this reason, the Court is trapped in a holding pattern. Aware of the imminence of a paradigm shift but unsure where the next analytic road will lead, it is content with going through the motions, patching the holes in the existing foundation, holding the doctrinal edifice together a little while longer. Further evidence that the doctrinal interregnum continues is provided by essays written by four major election law scholars (Guy Charles, Pam Karlan, Ellen Katz, and Richard Pildes) on the Court's most recent Voting Rights Act decision. The authors' interpretations of LULAC are so different that at times one wonders whether they were reading the same opinion. This Rashomon effect is just what one would expect from a court in an inchoate state. This commentary compares and contrasts those four essays and offers some extended reflections on the dilemma a doctrinal interregnum poses for scholars writing in the field of election law. Building on a description of Brandeis as the master of the microscope and telescope, it suggests that there are three potentially productive paths scholars might follow. The first is to focus on the granular view - on the story being told in each case. Second, academics might focus on the telescopic view, trying to figure out the broader intuitions and impulses that run across cases. Finally, an alternative to both the microscope and the telescope is to stop looking at the Court through either instrument. Election law scholarship has recently taken an institutional turn. Scholars have begun to turn away from the courts, looking to other administrative mechanisms for improving our electoral system. These academic debates might move us way from a court-centered approach and suggest more interesting paths for us to follow going forward.
65-kDa protein binds to destabilizing sequences in the IFN-beta mRNA coding and 3' UTR.

The transient expression of human interferon (IFN-beta) gene in response to viral induction is regulated both at the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels. The decrease in levels of IFN-beta mRNA, which requires protein synthesis, is due to transcriptional repression as well as a rapid turnover of beta mRNA. Previous studies have shown the presence of two destabilizing sequences, one in the 3' untranslated region (UTR) and the other in the coding region. We have shown in this study that the coding region destabilizing element resides in the 3' end of the coding region (+538 to +637) and that the degradation does not require the translation of IFN-beta mRNA through its coding region. In addition, we have identified three domains of 19, 20, and 29 nucleotides long that specifically bind a 65-kilodalton (kDa) cytoplasmic protein. One of the binding sites is in the 3' end of the coding region and the other two in the 3' UTR. All these regions are AU-rich and show considerable homology to each other. ...
Boundedness of weak solutions of a nondiagonal singular parabolic system of three equations

The L ∞-estimates of weak solutions are established for a quasilinear nondiagonal parabolic system of singular equations whose matrix of coefficients satisfies special structural conditions. A procedure based on the estimation of linear combinations of the unknowns is used.
A life history view of mutualistic viral symbioses: quantity or quality for cooperation?

Mutualistic symbioses between viruses and their hosts do not employ a straightforward rule by viral genome characteristics, transmission mechanisms or host genotypes. In this review we propose that reproduction rates and environmental carrying capacity of hosts may play a major role in maintaining the mutualism. Depending on how host life history shifts following establishment of the symbiosis, a symbiosis can be classified as quality-selected mutualism or quantity-selected mutualism. Quality-selected mutualism is described with modified Lotka–Volterra models. Both our models and previous empirical examples support the hypothesis that quality-selected mutualism can reach stable equilibrium under certain conditions. Quantity-selected mutualism is rare and is not supported by our model. With increasing attention to mutualistic viral ecology, we will have a better understanding of how viruses drive evolution.
Sreyashi Jhumki Basu: Building a more equitable world through science education

Dr. Sreyashi Jhumki Basu was a scholar committed to equity and social justice in science education who passed away in December 2008. In this essay, I describe Jhumki’s research and the call to action her life’s work has laid out for the science education community. In particular, I draw attention to the role of critical science agency in learning and the democratic science pedagogy model that Jhumki developed to support students in crafting such agency.
Les "Spirales de contextes" dans I'interaction homme-machine

Context-sensitive and context-aware interfaces have become increasingly important in human-computer interaction, as we seek to make interfaces more adaptable and personalized. Context can include, for example, time, place, history of interaction, user preferences, and any relevant information external to the application.But fundamental problem remains, just how much context should you use? If you use too little, the application remains inflexible; if you use too much you risk slowing down the application, hurting interactivity.I propose the idea of Spiral Contexts, a dynamic approach that consists of starting out with small, restricted context, and gradually expanding it (in time and space), interleaved with user interaction.
Brief communication: SVM-BALSA: Remote homology detection based on Bayesian sequence alignment

Biopolymer sequence comparison to identify evolutionarily related proteins, or homologs, is one of the most common tasks in bioinformatics. Support vector machines (SVMs) represent a new approach to the problem in which statistical learning theory is employed to classify proteins into families, thus identifying homologous relationships. Current SVM approaches have been shown to outperform iterative profile methods, such as PSI-BLAST, for protein homology classification. In this study, we demonstrate that the utilization of a Bayesian alignment score, which accounts for the uncertainty of all possible alignments, in the SVM construction improves sensitivity compared to the traditional dynamic programming implementation over a benchmark dataset consisting of 54 unique protein families. The SVM-BALSA algorithms returns a higher area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for 37 of the 54 families and achieves an improved overall performance curve at a significance level of 0.07.
A Functional Map of the Nuclear Pore Complex Via High Precision Tracking of Single Molecules

All materials entering or exiting the eukaryotic cell nucleus pass through Nuclear Pore Complexes (NPCs), large transport channels embedded in the nuclear envelope. NPCs allow passive diffusion of small molecules, while larger cargos require transport receptors to facilitate passage. How NPCs achieve this exquisite selectivity remains unclear. We have developed a single molecule imaging assay, based on small (18nm diameter) custom protein-coupled Quantum Dots (QDs), to study the motion of cargos as they approach, translocate and exit the NPC. Optical tracking of the QD cargos with a mean spatial precision of 6nm and a temporal resolution of 25ms, allowed us to characterize individual steps involved in the import reaction and characterize NPC selectivity. Single cargo trajectories reveal a size-selective cargo barrier positioned in the cytoplasmic moiety of the central channel and the majority of the QDs are rejected early rather than spending long periods of time partitioned in the channel. Within the channel, cargos move in a non-directional manner, consistent with anomalous subdiffusion in a crowded volume, with dimensions of ∼55 nm in width and ∼68 nm in length. By varying the number of import receptors on the surface of the cargo, we find that the translocation is not governed by simple receptor-NPC binding interactions and that the central channel behaves in accordance with the ‘selective phase’ model. Finally, in the absence of Ran, cargos still explore the entire volume of the NPC, but have a dramatically reduced probability of exit into the nucleus from the pore, suggesting that NPC entry and exit steps are not equivalent and that the pore is functionally asymmetric to importing cargos.
Dynamics of Synaptic Vesicles in Cultured Spinal Cord Neurons in Relationship to Synaptogenesis

The dynamics of synaptic vesicles (SVs) during the development of presynaptic specializations in cultured Xenopus spinal cord neurons was studied with the fluorescent vesicular probe FM1-43. In naive neurons that have not contacted synaptic targets, packets of SVs are distributed along the entire neurite and are quite mobile. The interaction with the synaptic target, such as a muscle cell or a latex bead coated with basic fibroblast growth factor, results in the localization and immobilization of SV packets at the contact site. Depolarization resulted in exocytosis of SVs in both naive and target-contacted neurites. Okadaic acid, a phosphatase inhibitor, caused a dispersal of SV packets in both naive and target-contacted neurites. Thus, prior to target contact, SVs are already organized into packets capable of release and recycling by a phosphorylation-dependent mechanism. Target interaction then recruits and anchors these functional SV packets into forming the presynaptic nerve terminal. With fluorescent phalloidin as a probe, F-actin was found to colocalize with SV clusters at bead-neurite contacts. Although okadaic acid caused a dispersal of SVs at the beads, F-actin localization there was relatively resistant to this drug treatment. This suggests that SVs become localized at the target by interacting with an actin-based cytoskeletal specialization in a phosphorylation-sensitive manner. The induction of this cytoskeletal specialization by the target may be an early event in presynaptic differentiation.
Developing and applying a toolkit from a general neurocomputational framework

Using a general neurocomputational framework, we develop a set of biologically constrained tools for constructing networks which exhibit interesting behavior. We provide an example of the application of these tools to modeling the part of the brain which controls horizontal eye position. This toolkit and its use is an example of the application of the more general framework.
Thermal Conduction Switch for Thermal Management of Chip Scale Atomic Clocks

We report the first use of a bimetallic buckling disk as a thermal conduction switch. The disk is used to passively alter the thermal resistance of the package of a chip scale atomic clock. A vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) and a cesium vapor cell, contained in the clock, must be maintained at 70±0.1°C even under an ambient temperature variation of -40°C to 50°C. A thermal test vehicle has been developed to characterize a sample package with a thermal conduction switch and has been modeled using Finite Element Analysis (FEA). Three cases are presented for the temperature control of the test vehicle under different load placements and environmental conditions: 1) the center resistor in a vacuum package; 2) the center resistor packaged in air; and 3) the side resistor in a vacuum package. At 38°C, the switch snaps upward to reduce the thermal resistance. As a result, the heating power needed to maintain the same temperature is increased from 118 to 200 mW for Case 1. Such a significant change of the thermal resistance demonstrates the effectiveness of the novel thermal switch. However, the switch becomes less effective with air filling the gap, as in Case 2. More interestingly, the switch is not effective at all if the side resistor's temperature is to be controlled as in Case 3.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Fast and optimal decoding for machine translation

A good decoding algorithm is critical to the success of any statistical machine translation system. The decoder's job is to find the translation that is most likely according to a set of previously learned parameters (and a formula for combining them). Since the space of possible translations is extremely large, typical decoding algorithms are only able to examine a portion of it, thus risking to miss good solutions. Unfortunately, examining more of the space leads to unacceptably slow decodings.In this paper, we compare the speed and output quality of a traditional stack-based decoding algorithm with two new decoders: a fast but non-optimal greedy decoder and a slow but optimal decoder that treats decoding as an integer-programming optimization problem.
Creep and intergranular cracking of Ni-Cr-Fe-C in 360 °C argon

The influence of carbon and chromium on the creep and intergranular (IG) cracking behavior of controlled-purity Ni-xCr-9Fe-yC alloys in 360 °C argon was investigated using constant extension rate tension (CERT) and constant load tension (CLT) testing. The CERT test results at 360 °C show that the degree of IG cracking increases with decreasing bulk chromium or carbon content. The CLT test results at 360 °C and 430 °C reveal that, as the amounts of chromium and carbon in solution decrease, the steady-state creep rate increases. The occurrence of severe IG cracking correlates with a high steady-state creep rate, suggesting that creep plays a role in the IG cracking behavior in argon at 360 °C. The failure mode of IG cracking and the deformation mode of creep are coupled through the formation of grain boundary voids that interlink to form grain boundary cavities, resulting in eventual failure by IG cavitation and ductile overload of the remaining ligaments. Grain boundary sliding may be enhancing grain boundary cavitation by redistributing the stress from inclined to more perpendicular boundaries and concentrating stress at discontinuities for the boundaries oriented 45 deg with respect to the tensile axis. Additions of carbon or chromium, which reduce the creep rate over all stress levels, also reduce the amount of IG fracture in CERT experiments. A damage accumulation model was formulated and applied to CERT tests to determine whether creep damage during a CERT test controls failure. Results show that, while creep plays a significant role in CERT experiments, failure is likely controlled by ductile overload caused by reduction in area resulting from grain boundary void formation and interlinkage.
Sites of photosensitization by derivatives of hematoporphyrin.

Leukemia L1210 cells were incubated in vitro with the tumor-localizing product HPD (hem-atoporphyrin derivative) for 0.5. 4 and 18 h. Effects of subsequent irradiation on viability, membrane transport and integrity, DNA synthesis and intracellular ATP concentration were assessed. Intracellular porphyrin pools were analyzed by HPLC. A 30 min incubation led to concentration of a readily-exchangeable pool of monomeric HPD components at plasma membrane loci; irradiation resulted in photodamage to membrane transport and a loss in capacity for dye exclusion. In contrast, increasing the incubation time led to a corresponding increase in the size of a non-exchangeable intracellular pool of other HPD components. Subsequent irradiation led to depletion of intracellular ATP and loss of capacity for biosynthesis of DNA, but little plasma membrane damage.
Discrete weighted residual methods applied to polymerization reactions

Abstract A number of systems of interest in chemical engineering involve variables that can assume only discrete values, such as the stages of a separator or the number of monomers in a polymer chain. The simulation of these systems leads quite frequently to large sets of equations, sometimes mixed algebraic and differential, one for each discrete value of the states. Efficient algorithms are needed in order to use detailed models in general simulators. Here is a discussion of the advantages of the discrete weighted residuals method (DWRM) and an application to polymerization reactions.
Testing Dependent Correlations With Nonoverlapping Variables: A Monte Carlo Simulation

The authors conducted a Monte Carlo simulation of 4 test statistics for comparing dependent correlations with no variables in common. Empirical Type I error rates and power estimates were determined for K. Pearson and L. N. G. Filon's (1898) z, O. J. Dunn and V. A. Clark's (1969) z, J. H. Steiger's (1980) original modification of Dunn and Clark's z, and Steiger's modification of Dunn and Clark's z using a backtransformed average z procedure for sample sizes of 10, 20, 50, and 100 under 3 different population distributions. For the Type I error rate analyses, the authors evaluated 3 different magnitudes of the predictor-criterion correlations (ρ12 = ρ34 = .10, .30, and .70). Likewise, for the power analyses, 3 different magnitudes of discrepancy or effect sizes between correlations with no variables in common (ρ12 and ρ34) were examined (values of .10, .40, and .60). All of the analyses were conducted at 3 different levels of predictor intercorrelation. Results indicated that the choice as to which test st...
Comparative p-aminohippurate transport characteristics in human kidney.

Abstract 1. 1. Human cortical kidney PAH uptake increased significantly when the tissue was transferred from a 10 to a 100 mM Na + medium. 2. 2. Acetate stimulated PAH uptake in the human kidney cortical slice. 3. 3. Ouabain abolished PAH uptake in the human kidney cortical slice. 4. 4. Na + was a more important factor than acetate in stimulating PAH uptake in the human kidney cortical slice. 5. 5. The pH optimum for PAH uptake in the human kidney cortical slice was 7.2 at 37°C.
An outcome-based assessment of international transfer pricing policy

Abstract Instead of concentrating on the selection of the optimal transfer pricing method, this paper focuses on the consequences of international transfer pricing for multinational entities. A sample of U.S.-based multinational firms is employed to determine if transfer pricing results in measurable financial outcomes. Results of the study indicate that firms employ international transfer pricing to meet a variety of objectives. The dollar value of international transfers and the foreign sales percentage are both significant explanatory variables for the financial outcomes of these objectives.
Molecular genetic studies of major histocompatibility complex genes in children with Juvenile dermatomyositis: Increased risk associated with HLA-DQA1*0501

Juvenile dermatomyositis (JDMS) is an inflammatory disease associated with HLA-DR3. We therefore undertook molecular genetic studies of HLA region genes to determine whether HLA-DR3 itself confers susceptibility to JDMS or whether susceptibility is conferred by alleles in linkage disequilibrium with HLA-DR3. Our results indicate that JDMS is associated with the HLA-DQA1 allele DQA1 *0501 on non-DR3 haplotypes in Caucasian JDMS. Furthermore, the reported of association between the C4A gene deletion and JDMS is likely due to linkage disequilibrium with HLA-DR3.
Management of extremely low birth weight infants: perceptions of viability and parental counseling practices.

Abstract Objective: To determine physician opinions, parental counseling, and medical practices for extremely low birth weight (LBW) infants. Methods: A retrospective survey was sent in August 1996 to 450 California physicians practicing obstetrics. Results: There was a 41% response rate. The mean thresholds for antenatal steroid administration, cesarean delivery for fetal distress and delivery room resuscitation were gestational age between 23 and 24 weeks and weight close to 500 g. Most obstetricians counsel parents regarding survival, resuscitation, and possible death in the delivery room before delivery of an extremely LBW infant. Just over 60% of obstetricians believe that parents have a role in deciding not to resuscitate an infant born at 22 weeks’ gestation, this decreases to less than 50% at 24 weeks, and decreases further to less than 30% by 26 weeks’ gestation. Just over 40% of obstetricians report their counseling is affected by pediatric opinion, 33% by previous maternal perinatal losses, and less than 20% by maternal drug use or lack of prenatal care, and young maternal age. Language barriers, parental education level, and family insurance affect treatment options in less than 10% of obstetricians. Conclusion: Obstetric opinions about delivery room resuscitation of extremely LBW infants are influenced by birth weight and gestational age thresholds, infant, and parental factors. There is a limited willingness by physicians to allow a parental role in decision making in the delivery room for extremely LBW infants.
Multiple sclerosis: Re-expression of a developmental gene in chronic lesions correlates with remyelination

Central nervous system tissue from multiple sclerosis and non-multiple sclerosis subjects was studied for the expression of exon 2 myelin basic protein gene products at the protein and message levels by immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization, respectively. The exon 2-encoded protein sequence is normally expressed during development (myelination) within the 21.5- and 20.2-kd isoforms of myelin basic protein and is downregulated in the adult central nervous system where the 18.5- and 17.2-kd isoforms predominate, the latter devoid of exon 2 owing to alternative splicing. Exon 2 myelin basic protein gene products were readily demonstrable in multiple sclerosis samples, the highest levels correlating with remyelination in chronic lesions while normal adult central nervous system and non-multiple sclerosis material showed very low levels and fetal human central nervous system tissue (a positive control) showed high levels. We conclude that recapitulation of ontogenetic events during myelin repair accounts for the increased expression of the exon 2-encoded protein sequence in the adult central nervous system during multiple sclerosis, an event that might underly the previously observed T-cell activation to this protein sequence during relapses.
Osteosarcoma of the head and neck: a review of the Johns Hopkins experience.

Objective: To determine factors including treatment modalities which influence survival in patients with osteosarcoma of the head and neck. Study Design: Retrospective clinicopathologic study of 27 patients with osteosarcoma of the head and neck. Methods: The clinical charts and pathology slides were reviewed on 27 patients who had osteosarcoma of the head and neck between 1946 and 1998. The following variables were examined for their effect on survival: age of diagnosis, site of tumor, presentation, race, sex, prior radiation exposure, retinoblastoma history, margin status, and method of treatment. Results: The average age at the time of diagnosis of the patients was 37.6 years (range, 7–82 y). The sex distribution was similar with 14 male and 13 female patients. Eight of 27 patients had osteosarcoma of the mandible, 9 of 27 had osteosarcoma of the maxilla and paranasal sinuses, and in 10 of 27 patients osteosarcoma occurred elsewhere, including the temporal bones, occipital bones, and orbit. The overall 2-year survival was 66% with a 5-year survival rate of 55%. Conclusions: Positive surgical margins and a high tumor grade were found to have a statistically deleterious effect on overall survival. There was no detectable effect on survival of age, race, sex, prior radiation exposure, tumor site, and tumor cell type. It was not possible to differentiate between the different adjuvant treatment modalities because of the small numbers in the study. Key Words: Bone, malignancy, osteogenic sarcoma, radiation therapy, surgery.
Scandia-stabilized zirconia for resistance to molten vanadate-sulfate corrosion

Abstract Following an acid-base theory of ceramic corrosion developed at the Naval Research Laboratory, we have identified scandia as a stabilizer potentially more resistant to molten sulfate-vanadate attack than yttria, the commonly used zirconia stabilizer. This prediction is supported in the present work where, for example, scandia-stabilized zirconia (SSZ) gave no detectable reaction or destabilization after 160 h exposure to 900 °C molten NaVO 3 , whereas yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) reacted strongly with the NaVO 3 (with YVO 4 formed) and was extensively destabilized. Other tests confirmed the superior resistance of Sc 2 O 3 over Y 2 O 3 to reaction with both molten sodium vanadate and Na 2 SO 4 /SO 3 . The additional cost for scandia, which is expensive, was calculated to be about $0.15 cm -2 of 10 × 10 -3 in (250 μm) coating, or less than half the cost, e.g. for platinum in current platinum-augmented aluminade coatings. Development of molten sulfate- and vanadate-resistant SSZ coatings could give large savings by allowing cheaper, low quality sulfur- and vanadium-containing fuels to be burned in gas turbine or diesel engines.
What is Noetherian

Recently F. Richman has solved some construction problems for a wide class of polynomial ringsR[X 1,...,X n] including the case thatR=Z, the ring of integers. These results depend on some unpublished (and somewhat complicated) results of J. B. Tannenbaum. Richman's results are here obtained without using Tannenbaum's. At the same time, they are established for a wider class of ringsR. A corresponding definition of what Noetherian should be for a constructive theory is given.
Reciprocal Trust Mediates Deep Transfer of Learning Between Games of Strategic Interaction

Abstract We studied transfer of learning across two games of strategic interaction. We found that the interpersonal relation between two players during and across two games influence development of reciprocal trust and transfer of learning from one game to another. We show that two types of similarities between the games affect transfer: (1) deep similarities facilitate transfer of an optimal solution across games; (2) surface similarities can either facilitate or hinder transfer depending on whether they lead players toward an optimal or sub-optimal solution in the target game. Learning an optimal solution in a context of interdependence between players is associated with development of reciprocal trust, which in turn mediates transfer of learning across games. The results can be used to inform the design of training exercises to develop strategic interaction skills.
Suspended particulate organic matter (SPOM) in Gulf of Mexico estuaries: compound-specific isotope analysis and plant pigment compositions

Abstract Pigment and stable isotopic compositions of suspended particulate organic matter (SPOM) were determined in several estuaries along the Texas coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Analysis of the composition of accessory pigments suggested that the phytoplankton taxa varied among these bays. The δ 13 C values of SPOM, lipids, and chlorophylls in these bays varied from − 18 to − 27, − 20 to − 31, and − 18 to − 31‰, respectively. The δ 13 C values of SPOM, lipids, and chlorophylls, and the pigment composition together suggest that the 13 C-depleted organic matter in Corpus Christi Bay in June 1992 resulted from the fixation of 13 C-depleted CO 2 derived from riverine water or in situ remineralization of organic matter. The lipids and chlorophyll a isolated from the nearly freshwater system of Aransas Bay in 1992 were 13 C-enriched and most likely derived from local phytoplankton production. The δ 13 C values of SPOM, lipids and chlorophylls in the bays where salinities were closest to that of seawater were in the range expected for marine phytoplankton, i.e., − 18 to − 24‰. The δ 15 N values for SPOM, lipids, and chlorophyll a ranged from + 4 to + 14‰ with most between + 6 to + 10‰. These values are similar to the SPOM of marine systems and indicate a common source of nitrogen throughout the estuaries.
Potentiation of pro-inflammatory cytokine suppression and survival by microencapsulated dexamethasone in the treatment of experimental sepsis

Cytokine inhibiting drugs are much more effective when delivered intracellularly to phagocytic cells in the microencapsulated form. Dexamethasone is a powerful inhibitor of TNF-α cytokine through inhibition of NF-κB which is a gene regulator of multiple pro-inflammatory cytokines. We have determined the effect of microencapsulated dexamethasone in pro-inflammatory cytokine release both in in vitro using whole blood model, and in vivo using peritonitis model of septic shock. Microspheres of 1–4 μm mean size were prepared by using albumin polymer matrix in a one-step spray drying method. Microencapsulated form of dexamethasone with concentration of 10−1, 10−2 and 10−3 M was compared to an equivalent concentration of solution form of dexamethasone in the in vitro whole blood model. The results show microencapsulated dexamethasone inhibited tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-beta (IL-1β) significantly in comparison with the solution form of dexamethasone. The in vivo peritonitis model also de...
Diasporic Memories and Conceptual Geography in Post-colonial Hong Kong

This paper explores how the government of the People's Republic of China (PRC) has been trying to incorporate post-1997 Hong Kong into the framework of a Greater China. The construction of two ‘narratives’ are examined: the grand narrative of Chinese history in secondary school textbooks in Hong Kong; and the development of a new regional framework of the Pearl River Delta. The first narrative, which focuses on the past, signals the PRC government's desire to inculcate through education a deeper sense of collective identity as patriotic citizens of China amongst residents of Hong Kong. The second narrative, which represents a futuristic imagining of a regional landscape, rewrites the trajectory of Hong Kong by merging the city with the Pearl River Delta region. However, these narrative strategies have triggered ambivalent responses from people in Hong Kong, especially the generations born after 1980. In their discursive battles against merging with the mainland, activists have sought to instil a collective memory that encourages a counter-imagination of a particular kind of Hong Kong that draws from the pre-1997 past. This conflict pits activists and their supporters against officials in the local government working to move Hong Kong towards integration with greater Guangdong and China at large. But the local resistance discourses are inadequate because they are constrained by their own parochial visions and colonial nostalgia.
The effect of brainstem transection on blood pressure in the dog

Abstract Blood pressure was compared before and after midpontine pretrigeminal brainstem transection in the dog. Statistically significant decreases in blood pressure were observed 1 2 , 1, and 1- 1 2 hours after brainstem transection. It is suggested that portions of the central nervous system above the midpontine level are active in maintaining blood pressure at the level recorded before transection.
Parallel pseudospectral domain decomposition techniques

The influence of interface boundary conditions on the ability to parallelize pseudospectral multidomain algorithms is investigated. Using the properties of spectral expansions, a novel parallel two-domain procedure is generalized to an arbitrary number of domains each of which can be solved on a separate processor. This interface boundary condition considerably simplifies influence matrix techniques.
Well-posedness and small data scattering for the generalized Ostrovsky equation ✩

Abstract We consider the generalized Ostrovsky equation u t x = u + ( u p ) x x . We show that the equation is locally well posed in H s , s > 3 / 2 for all integer values of p ⩾ 2 . For p ⩾ 4 , we show that the equation is globally well posed for small data in H 5 ∩ W 3 , 1 and moreover, it scatters small data. The latter results are corroborated by numerical computations which confirm the heuristically expected decay of ‖ u ‖ L r ∼ t − ( r − 2 ) / ( 2 r ) .
Generalized analytical predictor

Un effort est fait pour unifier 2 methodes d'obtention de predicteur analytique du point de vue de l'estimation des parametres mais aucune hypothese est emise sur la fonction de transfert des perturbations
Advanced methods and models for describing coating appearance

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has recently initiated a study to advance appearance metrology. A systems approach which applies technological advances in optical metrology, mathematical modeling, and computer rendering to the development of new methods of appearance characterization and to more accurate methods of modeling the appearance of coatings and coated objects will be used. Corresponding experimental and modeling research activities will be conducted in four areas: coating composition, microstructure of coating films, reflectance properties, and appearance descriptions. The parameterized mathematical models and computer rendering, when coupled with advanced measurements, will support the capability of researchers and engineers to assess the contribution of coating constituents to appearance and help design coatings with appropriate initial appearance and durability properties. This paper presents an overview of the planned research.
Reply to O'Neill on Singular Causal Statements

Donald Davidson's thesis about the logical form of sentences used to make singular causal statements is, roughly, that such sentences consist of clauses specifying event-like entities, for both cause and effect, together with a term, e.g. 'caused', which expresses a relation between the 'events'.1 Earlier I had raised a few objections to the method by which Davidson had obtained his thesis,2 and L. J. O'Neill has defended Davidson against one of those objections in a recent issue of Mind.3 Again roughly, my objection was (and still is) that Davidson's practice and explicit dicta prevent him from distinguishing
Evaluating factors that can influence spirography ratings in patients with essential tremor.

Abstract Spirograph drawings are used in most comprehensive assessments of essential tremor (ET). Nevertheless, several different paradigms are used and no effort has been made to compare these. We used two different cohorts to assess different aspects of spiral rating. In the first, we had subjects simulate different levels of effort by writing (1) ‘normally’, (2) ‘slowly and carefully’, (3) ‘softly’, and (4) ‘rapidly’ using both their dominant and non-dominant hands. In the second, subjects (1) drew in between the lines of two drawn spirals, (2) traced a previously drawn spirograph, and (3) drew freehand. Subjects drew each with both ‘supported’ (regular writing) and ‘unsupported’ writing. The spirals were coded, randomized and blindly rated on a 0–9 scale. Unsupported drawings were consistently rated as worse than supported spirals, and the dominant hand was generally better than the non-dominant hand. Spiral drawn freehand spirals were consistently rated with the lowest scores. Inter-rater and intra-rater reliability were also best for unsupported drawings and tended to be best for ‘freehand’. ‘Effort’ had little effect on ratings. Based on our results, we recommend that assessment of ET include unsupported, freehand spirals.
Newborn screening for hemoglobinopathies in New York State: Experience of physicians and parents of affected children

Responses of physicians and parents to New York State-mandated newborn screening for sickle cell disease were solicited and evaluated. The index group comprised 25 infants born in western upstate New York. Each was found to have either sickle cell disease, hemoglobin SC disease, sickle β-thalassemia, or hemoglobin C disease. In nondirective interviews the following factors were assessed: clinical course, the physician's policies of disease treatment and family counseling, the parents' reactions to the diagnosis and their level of understanding and complicance with medical recommendations, and the physicans' and parents' views on newborn screening. Newborn screening for sickle hemoglobin makes early prophylaxis and prompt treatment possible. Some morbidity may have been averted, judging from parental understanding of medical needs. Parents and physicians agreed that newborn screening for hemoglobinopathies is a valuable public health program. Suggestions for improving the New York State program included a need to increase communication among the screening laboratory, the hospital, and the physician; encouraging physicians to educate parents more fully, provide genetic counseling, and test parents and siblings of the identified neonate; and, most important, provide a well-delineated mechanism for follow-up of every infant with a potentially symptomatic hemoglobinopathy.
Affective Contrast and Assimilation in Counterfactual Thinking

Previous work has shown that counterfactual thinking, or the imagination of alternatives to reality, yields an affective contrast effect: Thinking about how things could have been better (an upward counterfactual) brings about negative affect, and thinking about how things could have been worse (a downward counterfactual) brings about positive affect. The present research documents affective assimilation: under certain conditions, upward counterfactuals lead to positive affect and downward counterfactuals lead to negative affect. In two studies, participants recalled recent autobiographical events, and were instructed to make specific types of counterfactuals about those events. Results from two studies showed that a focus on a vividly imagined counterfactual simulation (termed an experiential mode) yields affective assimilation, and an evaluative focus on the factual event (termed an evaluative mode) yields affective contrast.
EFFICIENCY AND EQUITY ISSUES IN SPECIAL FEES FOR FINANCING TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE

Abstract Theoretically, charges for building and operating facilities and services should be efficient (proportional to one's use of or benefit derived from the service) and equitable (proportional to one's ability to pay). A number of “innovative” financing techniques have been used recently, whereby the private sector (developers, property owners, businesses, and users) pays entirely or partially for the cost of building and operating transportation facilities or services. These techniques are particularly popular when the impact from the land use developments on the transportation system is such that substantial improvements are warranted in order to avoid serious congestion problems. The purpose of this paper is to investigate special fee assessments (a popular sub-set of “innovative” financing techniques) used for financing highway and mass transportation in order to determine their efficiency and equity implications. The need for such an investigation arises from the fact that everyone residing or doing business in a particular area does not benefit equally from a given transportation system, and neither is everyone able to contribute equally toward that system's building and operation. This paper presents some of the most commonly used special fee assessment techniques and suggests fee structures that are “optimal” on the basis of the benefits that contributors derive from the given transportation system, as well as their ability to pay for it.
Location, Marketing, and the Financial Flexibility of Nonprofit Performing Arts Organizations in Second Tier Cities

This article examines the effect of location relative to other marketing factors on the financial flexibility of nonprofit performing arts organizations (PAOs). While product development and promotional and pricing strategies are important marketing factors, locational advantages have become an important strategic asset for the arts industry. Yet very little research has been done on the locational dimensions of this industry. Based on a survey of PAOs in six second tier U.S. statistical metropolitan areas (SMAs), that is, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, and Milwaukee, this article investigates the extent to which location and other marketing mix factors influence the financial flexibility, and thereby success of PAOs. All six SMAs have a population range of 1 million to 2.5 million. The statistical analysis suggests that location and product selection are particularly significant marketing mix factors that contribute positively to financial flexibility, and therefore organizational ...
In vitro binding of labeled 20-methylcholanthrene to a specific cytosol-protein

Abstract In vitro binding kinetics and specificity of [20- 3 H]methylcholanthrene ([ 3 H]MC) interaction with mouse epidermal cytosol in the presence or absence of microsomal metabolizing systems were investigated. After an incubation period of 30 roin at 22°, the samples were dialyzed, subjected to gel filtration, ultrafiltration, and analyzed by 7 % basic polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. A major portion of the binding appeared in a single peak on the gel which had the same mobility as bovine or mouse serum albumin. In vitro competition by other hydrocarbons or by promoters for binding of MC to this cytosol receptor protein showed an impressive correlation to carcinogenic and promoting activities. Essentially 100% of the MC bound to cytosol without a microsomal metabolizing system was non-covalent. However, binding Of MC to cytosol in the presence of microsomes plus reduced NADPH was party covalent which has previously been reported by Grover and Sims and Meunier and Chaveau. When bovine (BSA) or mouse serum albumin (MSA) was incubated with radioactive MC in the presence of competing non-radioactive carcinogens or promoters, little or no inhibition of binding was found. The finding that both a powerful tumor promoter and a strong carcinogen are competitors for the specific MC binding to the cytosol receptor protein indicates that it may represent a critical interaction for the promoting stage of chemical carcinogenesis in mouse skin.
Effect of analysis time on optimum column length in time normalization chromatography

Abstract The effect of the carrier velocity on the optimum length in time normalization chromatography (or analysis at constant retention time) was investigated. It was found both theoretically and experimentally that at any given carrier velocity (or analysis time) the resolution can be optimized. The length at which the optimization occurs is a function of the plate height dependence on the temperature. In general, an absolute maximum resolution occurs when operating at carrier velocities around the Van Deemter plot minimum. It appears that a prediction of the column length can still be made using teh approach suggested by us previously. Theoretically, in the case of a capillary column, one can operate at twice the minimum velocity without a large loss in the resolution but a saving in the analysis time.
Just One more `Other' in Psychology?:

Projects to comprehend the conceptions of subjectivity present either implicitly or explicitly in psychological theories should incorporate scrutiny of the subject status of the observer/analyst. Examination of this `other' subjectivity is challenged by the discipline's longstanding practices of purportedly removing, regulating or even disregarding the observer/analyst's subjectivity. Some promising theory templates for interrogating the observer/analyst have been proposed in recent years; that work indicates intriguing epistemological and practical problems for future theory development.
ccfA, the Genetic Determinant for the cCF10 Peptide Pheromone in Enterococcus faecalis OG1RF

The nosocomial pathogen Enterococcus faecalis has a unique pheromone-inducible conjugative mating system. Conjugative transfer of the E. faecalis plasmid pCF10 is specifically induced by the cCF10 peptide pheromone (LVTLVFV). Genomic sequence information has recently allowed the identification of putative structural genes coding for the various enterococcal pheromones (D. B. Clewell et al., Mol. Microbiol. 35:246-247, 2000). The cCF10 pheromone sequence LVTLVFV was found within an open reading frame designated ccfA, encoding a putative lipoprotein precursor. Several other pheromone sequences were found in similar locations within other predicted lipoproteins. CcfA shows significant sequence relatedness to the Escherichia coli protein YidC, an inner membrane protein translocase, as well as to a large number of homologs identified in gram-positive and in gram-negative bacteria. Analysis of the deduced CcfA amino acid sequence suggested that mature cCF10 peptide could be formed from the proteolytic degradation of its signal peptide. Expression of the cloned ccfA gene with an inducible expression vector dramatically increased cCF10 production by E. faecalis and also resulted in cCF10 production by Lactococcus lactis, a non-pheromone producer. Site-directed mutagenesis of the ccfA sequence encoding the cCF10 peptide confirmed that ccfA was a functional genetic determinant for cCF10.