cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The City as Promise and Ruin: The Supernatural and Urban Change in Chiang Mai

The northern Thai city of Chiang Mai is rapidly changing. Increasingly both a departure point and destination for economic migrants, the city has been experiencing a dramatic rise in temporary housing as its residents become increasingly transient. Such a change corresponds with an increase in participation in the cults of Chiang Mai’s possessing spirits (phii jao naay) as well as fears of the influence of malevolent ghosts (phii taay hoong). However, the city in Northern Thailand has always been a place where the supernatural has played a role. In the Lanna period, urban design included magico-religious elements meant to bring about prosperity. This included a system of sacrality centered on the city’s old fortifications: the gates and bastions of the old city as well as designated neighborhoods for each of Chiang Mai’s resident ethnic communities. Here, I examine how Chiang Mai’s migrants and residents experience the city as a site of desire as well as one of anxiety and how these tropes are articulated in magico-religious form in the past as well as present. I draw upon my 2-year field research with spirit mediums in Chiang Mai to explore how the city’s residents articulate their hopes as well as fears about urban life. Ultimately, I argue that the city’s status as the hegemonic center of prosperity conflicts with uncanny reminders of the city’s potential for poverty and ruin.
Scanning Electron Microscopic Studies of Candida albicans

A scanning electron microscopic study of selected morphological stages of Candida albicans is presented. Stages represented are budding yeast cells, mycelial-like forms, chlamydospores, germ tube formation, and an unusual rough cell type.
The α2β1 Integrin Is a Necessary Co-receptor for Collagen-induced Activation of Syk and the Subsequent Phosphorylation of Phospholipase Cγ2 in Platelets

Although there are multiple potential collagen-binding proteins on platelets, the contribution of each to collagen-induced signaling events and platelet activation is unclear. We investigated which early platelet signaling events, if any, could be attributed specifically to the binding of collagen to one of its receptors, the α2β1 integrin. Treatment of platelets with collagen induced a rapid activation of the non-receptor tyrosine kinase, Syk, as measured by an increase in phosphorylation and kinase activity. Collagen also induced the rapid phosphorylation of phospholipase Cγ2 (PLCγ2). The phosphorylation of both Syk and PLCγ2, as well as platelet aggregation, was blocked by an anti-α2β1 integrin monoclonal antibody (P1E6), demonstrating that collagen binding to α2β1 is necessary for signaling. Cross-linking of the α2β1 integrin with stimulatory monoclonal antibody against either the β1 or α2 subunit stimulated the phosphorylation of both Syk and PLCγ2. However, antibody stimulation was dependent on co-stimulation of the FcγII receptor (CD32) since specific F(ab′)2 fragments did not induce Syk and PLCγ2 phosphorylation. Thus, these results suggest that occupancy of α2β1 by collagen is necessary, but that a co-receptor, in addition to α2β1, is required for these collagen-induced signaling events. Moreover, the P1E6 antibody did not inhibit all collagen-induced tyrosine phosphorylation events, demonstrating that collagen also induces phosphorylation events that are independent of the α2β1 integrin. In addition to Syk and PLCγ2, we identified the FcγII receptor (FcγRII) as being rapidly phosphorylated in response to collagen stimulation, even in the absence of antibodies. Finally, to determine if Syk activation precedes and directly contributes to the phosphorylation of PLCγ2, platelets were preincubated with the Syk-selective kinase inhibitor, piceatannol. A concentration of piceatannol that inhibited the phosphorylation and kinase activity of Syk, but had no effect on Src kinase activity, blocked the collagen-induced phosphorylation of PLCγ2 and also inhibited collagen-induced platelet aggregation. Our results begin to delineate a signaling pathway whereby occupancy of the α2β1 integrin is required, but not sufficient, for collagen-induced activation of Syk and the subsequent phosphorylation of PLCγ2. These events are necessary for platelet activation and aggregation in response to collagen.
Meningeal carcinomatosis secondary to advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix: A case report: Meningeal metastasis of advanced cervical cancer

A patient with meningeal spread of advanced squamous carcinoma of the cervix is presented. This type of metastasis is rare. The symptoms of meningeal carcinomatosis are non-specific and are similar to symptoms frequently seen in patients who are receiving chemotherapy for advanced pelvic cancers. The more liberal use of lumbar puncture for cerebrospinal fluid cytology is urged. Prognosis is grave despite chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
The mouse pale ear pigment mutant as a possible animal model for human platelet storage pool deficiency

The mouse pigment mutant pale ear, ep/ep, which has a defect in kidney lysosomal enzyme secretion, had prolonged bleeding on experimental injury. Platelet counts and platelet protein did not differ from normal. There was, however, a deficiency in the platelet dense granule contents, serotonin, ATP, and ADP. Furthermore, a marked reduction of platelet dense granules was observed by electron microscopy. The results suggest that pale ear is a useful animal model in the study of platelet storage pool disease. Studies on this mutant and other pigment mutants have established that one gene can regulate at least three subcellular organelles, including the melanosome, the lysosome, and the platelet dense granule.
Confronting the Endogeneity of Economy, Policy, and Politics: Inequality & Unemployment, Redistribution & Social Insurance, and Political Participation

Conflicts of interest over the generosity and structure of redistribution and social insurance (jointly: social policy) include that between the relatively poor and wealthy - which yields the familiar result that median-voter demand for broad redistribution increases in the income skew - and that between the safely employed and the unemployed or precariously employed - in which, instead, inequality reduces median-voter demand for social insurance. In each case, the generosity and structure of social policy may itself affect simultaneously the efficiency of the labor market and the political participation of the less fortunate, which latter affects the identity and so the income and job-security status of the median voter. Previous literature has generally emphasized one of these causal connections to the exclusion of the others, but their combination unavoidably indicates a system of endogenous relations between economic performance (unemployment/income-distribution), social policy (redistribution/social-insurance), and political participation. This paper represents an attempt to elaborate the nature of these endogenous relationships, to suggest plausible identification conditions derived from relevant theory and substance, and to offer empirical estimates of the resulting system of equations. As the system is explicitly nonlinear in endogenous variables (via a linear-interaction term) and implicitly nonlinear in parameters (by that interaction and due to the modeled spatial interdependence), the paper also discusses and offers means of presenting estimated pre-spatiotemporal, first-period post-spatial-dynamics, and spatiotemporal long-run steady-state responses of the system's five outcomes to counterfactuals.
Mass spectrometry in structural and Stereochemical problems—XXXIV : Aromatic methyl and ethyl ethers☆☆☆

Abstract The behavior under electron impact of a series of aromatic methoxy and ethoxy compounds has been observed. The more common fragmentation processes are interpreted and in some cases the differences among spectra of positional isomers can be explained.
African-American Resistance to Colonization:

In most historical treatments of issues concerning Africans, the role of Blacks is diminished or obscured by European scholars. Most often, people of African descent are relegated to a peripheral status, even when the history is their own. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the historiography of the antislavery movement. The valorous role that Africans played in the resistance to any form of enslavement has been co-opted by those who wish to salve European consciences. The struggle belonged, after all, to Africans, and they accepted the obligation to wrest their freedom from those who benefited from their subjugation. Afrocentric scholars those who insist upon interpreting African history from the perspective of the African have the duty to correct the misconception of passive, docile, and accommodating Africans who willingly aided in their enslavement. It is necessary for such scholars to reclaim, restore, and recount their own history. The image of the docile Black is not borne out by history. The chronicles are replete with instances of African resistance to the institution of slavery and to discriminatory practices designed to limit or nullify the rights of Black people. Since most of the history was and is written by Whites, it is necessary to read footnotes and between the lines to cull such history. As Blackett (1986) says, "Afro-American history is strewn with veiled references to the many men and women who fought against slavery and discrimination . .. the implication is that in their time they influenced few events" (p. 1). Consequently, one is given the impression that the abolitionist movement, the underground railroad, the colonization
Technology-MediatedConsultation to Assist Rural Students: A Case Study

Emerging videoconferencing technologies permit face to face communication in a virtual, real time manner so that educational expertise can be shared across geographical boundaries. Although demonst...
Shear-Induced Reinforcement Effect in Polymer/Fumed Silica Nanocomposites

A solid-like particle network structure induced by steady shear flow is observed in polymer nanocomposites for the first time. This unique structural evolution is evidenced by the stress overshoot during start-up of steady shear. After the steady shear ordering event, the enhanced rubbery response is measured using small amplitude oscillatory shear. The particle surface chemistry dominates the formation of the percolation structure: the shear-induced reinforcement effect is observed at lower particle loadings for hydrophobic filler than for hydrophilic filler. These results indicate that reinforcement in nanocomposites can be controlled by filler surface functionality and shearing effects, enabling improved mechanical properties with low filler loadings.
PHYSIOLOGICAL STATE OF ESCHERICHIA COLI AND THE INHIBITION OF DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACID SYNTHESIS BY PHENETHYL ALCOHOL

Treick, R. W. (Indiana University, Bloomington), and W. A. Konetzka. Physiological state of Escherichia coli and the inhibition of deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis by phenethyl alcohol. J. Bacteriol. 88:1580-1584. 1964.-The effects of concentration of phenethyl alcohol (PEA) and the physiological state of the cells on inhibition of macromolecular synthesis in Escherichia coli were investigated. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis by cells of E. coli from the maximum stationary phase is completely inhibited by 0.32% (v/v) PEA immediately upon addition of the inhibitor, although there is a net increase in the synthesis of ribonucleic acid (RNA) and protein. However, DNA synthesis in cells from the exponential phase is inhibited only after an increase which corresponds to 1.4 to 1.6 times the amount of DNA present at the time of PEA addition. In a randomly dividing culture, this increment of DNA synthesis presumably represents completion of the DNA replication cycle initiated at the time of PEA addition. By programming the addition and removal of PEA, DNA synthesis can be made to proceed in stepwise increments corresponding to doublings of the DNA. The data indicate that the DNA being replicated at the time of PEA addition completes the replication cycle and, although there is net synthesis of RNA and protein, no initiation of a second cycle of DNA replication occurs until the removal of the inhibitor.
Investigating the adoption of electric vehicles using agent-based model

There have been various barriers such as range anxiety, technology resistance, long charging time, lack of infrastructure, uncertainty, safety, and price to mass household adoption of electric vehicles. Technology adoption and diffusion have gained much attention in many applications of agent-based model. This study attempts to investigate the adoption and diffusion of electric vehicles under a various scenarios in an artificial society. This agent-based model incorporates word of mouth effect, socio-demographic information, incentives, and social network effect including threshold model. The adoption and diffusion model of electric vehicles is developed not only to explore heterogeneous agents' behaviors whether or not to make a decision to adopt an electric vehicle based on agent's socio-demographic attributes, driving habit, and gas price, but to provide some measures by sensitivity analysis to help electric vehicle manufactures and policy makers in their decision-making. The preliminary simulation results present agent's decision change over time as a result of interactions among agents and between agents and environment, and suggest that the price of an electric vehicle and gas price are significant factors in the adoption of electric vehicles rather than government financial incentives.
Biochemical Evidence that Human EB1 Does not Bind Preferentially to the Microtubule Seam

EB1 is a highly conserved microtubule (MT) plus end tracking protein (+TIP) involved in regulating MT dynamics, but the mechanisms of its effects on MT polymerization remain undefined. Resolving this question requires understanding how EB1 interacts with MTs. Previous electron microscopy of the S. pombe EB1 homolog Mal3p suggested that Mal3p binds specifically to the MT seam, implying that EB1 family members promote MT polymerization by stabilizing the seam. However, more recent electron microscopy indicates that Mal3p binds everywhere except the seam. Neither set of experiments investigated the behavior of human EB1, or provided an explanation for why these studies arrived at different answers. To resolve these questions, we have used a combination of MT-binding assays and theoretical modeling with MTBindingSim. Our results indicate that human EB1 binds to the lattice, consistent with the recent Mal3p results, and show that Mal3p-binding assays that were previously interpreted as evidence for preferential seam binding are equally consistent with weak lattice binding. In addition, we used analytical ultracentrifugation to investigate the possibility that the EB1 monomer–dimer equilibrium might contribute to EB1 binding behavior, and determined that the EB1 dimerization dissociation constant is approximately 90 nM. We and others find that the cellular concentration of EB1 is on the order of 200 nM, suggesting that a portion of EB1 may be monomeric at physiological concentrations. These observations lead us to suggest that regulation of EB1 dimerization might play a role in controlling EB1 function. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc
Self-Serving Attribution Bias, Overconfidence and the Issuance of Management Forecasts

Prior studies document that managers consider a variety of costs and benefits in their decisions to initiate earnings guidance. Using both an abstract experiment and a survey of experienced financial managers, we provide evidence that managerial overconfidence may also contribute to the decision to provide guidance. Our abstract experiment shows that, in periods of strong macroeconomic or industry performance, in which positive outcomes are more easily achieved, managers engage in self-serving attribution. This increases overconfidence in improved future performance, which increases their willingness to initiate guidance. Two facets of the stable individual trait overconfidence, miscalibration and dispositional optimism, also contribute to confidence in improved future performance and willingness to initiate guidance. We conclude with a survey of experienced financial managers to confirm that our results from the abstract experiment align with managers’ beliefs about real-world voluntary disclosure decisions. Financial managers agree that other managers are likely to overestimate the extent to which they contribute to positive firm performance when the economy is doing well, and that both overoptimism about firm performance and overconfidence in their ability to predict future firm performance may contribute to issuance of guidance.
Have we observed the Higgs boson (imposter)

We interpret the new particle at the Large Hadron Collider as a $CP$-even scalar and investigate its electroweak quantum number. Assuming an unbroken custodial invariance as suggested by precision electroweak measurements, only four possibilities are allowed if the scalar decays to pairs of gauge bosons, as exemplified by a dilaton/radion, a nondilatonic electroweak singlet scalar, an electroweak doublet scalar, and electroweak triplet scalars. We show that current LHC data already strongly disfavor both the ``plain-vanilla'' dilatonic and nondilatonic singlet imposters. On the other hand, a generic Higgs doublet gives excellent fits to the measured event rates of the newly observed scalar resonance, while the Standard Model Higgs boson gives a slightly worse overall fit due to the lack of a signal in the $\ensuremath{\tau}\ensuremath{\tau}$ channel. The triplet imposter exhibits some tension with the data. The global fit indicates that the enhancement in the diphoton channel could be attributed to an enhanced partial decay width, while the production rates are consistent with the Standard Model expectations. We emphasize that more precise measurements of the ratio of event rates in the $WW$ over $ZZ$ channels, as well as the event rates in $b\overline{b}$ and $\ensuremath{\tau}\ensuremath{\tau}$ channels, are needed to further distinguish the Higgs doublet from the triplet imposter.
Information Literacy in Business Education Experiential Learning Programs

Experiential learning offers business students immersive and transformative experiences to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in working to meet real-world business challenges they are likely to face in the workplace. These types of experiences raise the profile of business schools and their students with prospective employers and are currently encouraged within business school curriculums by business education accrediting agencies. This article examines how business education experiential learning initiatives serve to develop and reinforce key information literacy competencies. A range of initiatives are discussed including consulting projects, student competitions, and student-managed investment funds.
John Dalton’s puzzles: from meteorology to chemistry

Abstract Historical research on John Dalton has been dominated by an attempt to reconstruct the origins of his so-called “chemical atomic theory”. I show that Dalton’s theory is difficult to define in any concise manner, and that there has been no consensus as to its unique content among his contemporaries, later chemists, and modern historians. I propose an approach which, instead of attempting to work backward from Dalton’s theory, works forward, by identifying the research questions that Dalton posed to himself and attempting to understand how his hypotheses served as answers to these questions. I describe Dalton’s scientific work as an evolving set of puzzles about natural phenomena. I show how an early interest in meteorology led Dalton to see the constitution of the atmosphere as a puzzle. In working on this great puzzle, he gradually turned his interest to specifically chemical questions. In the end, the web of puzzles that he worked on required him to create his own novel philosophy of chemistry for which he is known today.
Pharmacologic therapy for arrhythmias: attention to the benefit-risk ratio.

Survival is improved by antiarrhythmic drug therapy in patients who have experienced sudden cardiac death due to a sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmia. However, such patients are also at an increased risk for the development of potentially serious side effects caused by these drugs, especially arrhythmia aggravation and congestive heart failure
Want information? How mood and performance perceptions alter the perceived value of information and influence information-seeking behaviors

Currently, it is not well understood when positive and negative moods would encourage and dis- courage the process of identifying and seeking out valuable information. Building upon the mood-as-a-resource hypothesis and the mood-behavior-model, this project reconciles mixed findings by investigating and finding support for the hypothesis that positive moods encourage seeking instrumental information when performance is perceived to be weak; whereas negative moods encourage it when performance is perceived to be strong. These effects are due to mood influencing the perceived value (i.e. instrumentality) of information and cannot be explained by arguing that mood altered the affective costs/ benefits associated with the information. Overall, these results indicate that positive moods may help individuals acquire information to resolve an existing problem, whereas negative moods may help individuals acquire information when there is no apparent problem.
Optimality conditions for a trend-following strategy

Based on trend-following trading strategies that are widely used in the investment world, this work provides a set of sufficient conditions that determines the optimality of the traditional trend-following strategies when the trends are completely observable. A dynamic programming approach is used to verify the optimality under these conditions. The value functions are characterized by the associated HJB equations, and are shown to be either linear functions or infinity depending on the parameter values. The results reveal two counter-intuitive facts: (a) trend following may not lead to optimal reward in some cases even when/if the investor knows exactly when a trend change occurs; (b) stock volatility is not relevant in trend following when trends are observable.
Conservation of Lateral Momentum in Heterostructure Integrated Thermionic Coolers

Thin film thermionic coolers use selective emission of hot electrons over a heterostructure barrier layer from emitter to collector resulting in evaporative cooling. In this paper a detailed theory of electron transport perpendicular to the multilayer superlattice structures is presented. Using Fermi-Dirac statistics, density-of-states for a finite quantum well and the quantum mechanical reflection coefficient, the currentvoltage characteristics and the cooling power density are calculated. The resulting equations are valid in a wide range of temperatures and electric fields. It is shown that conservation of lateral momentum plays an important role in the device characteristics. If the lateral momentum of the hot electrons is conserved in the thermionic emission process, only carriers with sufficiently large kinetic energy perpendicular to the barrier can pass over it and cool the emitter junction. However, if there is no conservation of lateral momentum, the number of electrons participating in thermionic emission will dramatically increase. The theoretical calculations are compared with the experimental dark current characteristics of quantum well infrared photodetectors and good agreement over a wide temperature range is obtained. Calculations for InGaAs/InGaAsP superlattice structures show that the effective thermoelectric power factor (electrical conductivity times the square of the effective Seebeck coefficient) can be improved comparing to that of bulk material. We will also discuss methods by which the conservation of lateral momentum in thermionic emission process can be altered such as by creating a controlled roughness at the interface of the superlattice barriers. The improvement in the effective power factor through thermionic emission can be combined with the other methods to reduce the phonon thermal conductivity in superlattices and thus obtain higher thermoelectric figure-of-merit ZT.
The cryptic beta-fructofuranosidase of Saccharomyces rouxii.

The synthesis ofβ-fructofuranosidase in synchronously dividing cells ofS. rouxii was continuous (as opposed to periodic) throughout the budding cycle and followed the increase in cell mass. Similar patterns for cell mass and enzyme increases were observed even in phosphate-deprived cells which did not divide. Theβ-fructofuranosidase activity remained physically cryptic throughout the cell cycle as evidenced by analyses on equilibrium density gradient fractions. Theβ-fructofuranosidase activity released from mechanically disrupted cells resisted sedimentation when subjected to 131 000 g for 1 h, thus ruling out membrane association. Ethyl acetate was routinely employed to break the crypticity barrier. Enzyme in cell-free extract or in cells was equally sensitive to inactivation at pH values below 5 in the presence of ethyl acetate, which suggested that this is an inherent property of the enzyme in question and not a reflection of proteolytic inactivation. The status ofβ-fructofuranosidase in selected species of Saccharomyces was compared with that forS. rouxii and a close similarity withS. bisporus var.mellis was noted. The degree of crypticity encountered in genetically defined strains ofS. cerevisiae (e.g. ×2180 a/α) was relatively high (42%) compared with that for commercially derived bakers' and brewers' strains (about 6%). Extant data on the crypticβ-fructofuranosidase ofS. rouxii are evaluated and the utility of this system for studying enzyme translocation is discussed.
Evaluation of Coal Liquefaction Efficiency Based on Various Ranks

Abstract A method has been developed to calculate the efficiency of coal liquefaction based on various coal ranks. The assumption is made that the service requirement (both enthalpy and hydrogen) is provided from the same rank of coal when it is being converted to transportation fuel or specialty oils. Results for most coals indicate that in order to upgrade coal to fuels of H/C = 2, the actual fraction of coal used for liquefaction is about 35−45%.
Effects of vasopressin and other neuropeptides on rostral medullary sympathoexcitatory neurons ‘in vitro’

Abstract Neurons with intrinsic pacemaker activity and presumed sympathoexcitatory function were recorded in rat tissue slices within the confines of the rostroventrolateral reticular nucleus (RVL). These cells were excited in dose-dependent fashion by arginine vasopressin (AVP, 10 −8 –10 −6 M) but not by oxytocin (up to 10 −7 M). The effect of AVP was mimicked by the V 1 -selective agonist [Phe 2 , Orn 8 ]vasotocin (VT) (1 μM) but not by the V 2 -agonist [Val 4 , d -Arg 8 ]vasopressin (VP) (1.9 μM). The effect of AVP (10 −7 M) was completely blocked by SKF 101926 (10 −7 M), a non-selective antagonist and by d(CH 2 ) 5 [Tyr(Me) 2 ]AVP, a V 1 -selective antagonist but was unaffected by the V 2 -selective antagonist d(CH 2 ) 5 [ d -Ile 2 ,Ile 4 ,Ala-NH 2 9 ]AVP. These cells were also activated by thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) (10 −7 –10 −6 M), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) (4 × 10 −8 M), substance P, (10 −6 M), neuropeptide Y (NPY) (10 −8 M) and inhibited by Met-enkephalin (10 −6 M) and morphine (2 mM). Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) (10 −7 M) and angiotensin II (10 −6 M) were ineffective. In conclusion, RVL pacemaker neurons have vasopressin receptors reminiscent of the V 1 (vascular and pressor) subtype. Their pacemaking activity is modulated by low doses of several other peptides also known to produce large vasomotor effects after introduction into the cerebroventricular space.
The impact of erbium incorporation on the structure and photophysics of silicon–germanium nanowires

In this paper, we report multi-step processes for the fabrication of Er3+-doped SiGe nanowires (NWs) and characterization of their emissive properties. Three different alloyed architectures are obtained by altering the deposition sequences of Si and Er3+ on a Ge core NW, each involving a fixed concentration of these three elements. The deposition of Si onto the Ge NW core, followed by an Er3+-rich layer on the outermost surface, permits facile formation of a SiGe alloy given the lack of an erbium diffusion barrier; yet clustering of the erbium centers on the NW surface produces the weakest emitter. For nanowires prepared by co-depositing Si and Er3+ on top of the Ge core, the presence of impurity Er3+ ions greatly reduces the alloying rate of Si and Ge such that less Si can diffuse into the Ge core. For this structure, the reduction of Er-Er interactions by a polycrystalline Si shell results in the strongest emission at 1540 nm. If an Er3+ layer is inserted between the Ge and Si layers (a sandwich structure), it is found that Er3+ ions diffuse preferentially into the SiGe core instead of the silicon-rich shell, with a correspondingly weaker luminescence intensity. A combination of high resolution transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray mapping, micro-Raman spectroscopy, and photoluminescence spectroscopy are employed to derive these conclusions.
ADENOSINE TRIPHOSPHATE: CHANGES IN MUSCLES DOING NEGATIVE WORK.

Frog sartorius muscles were isolated, treated with 1-fluoro-2, 4-dini-trobenzene at 0°C, then stimulated tetanically at the length in situ and stretched with a Levin-Wyman ergometer during stimulation. The normal adenosine triphosphate breakdown during the tetanus was reduced by about half during the forced stretch. The tension was increased by about 70 percent, but resynthesis of adenosine triphosphate did not occur. Thus, on the basis of A. V. Hill9s results, adenosine triphosphate is probably not the direct final energy source for muscular contraction, although it intimately participates in the process. The use of adenosine triphosphate during negative work was less than one-tenth that needed for positive work.
Entropy and action of dilaton black holes.

We present a detailed calculation of the entropy and action of U(l) dilaton black holes and show that both quantities coincide with one quarter of the area of the event horizon. Our methods of calculation make it possible to find an explanation of the rule S = A/4 for all static, spherically symmetric four-dimensional black holes studied so far. We show that the only contribution to the entropy comes from the extrinsic curvature term at the horizon, which gives S = A/4 independently of the charge(s) of the black hole, presence of scalar fields, etc. Previously, this result did not have a general explanation, but was established on a case-by-case basis. The on-shell Lagrangian for maximally supersymmetric extreme dilaton black holes is also calculated and shown to vanish, in agreement with the result obtained by taking the limit of the expression obtained for black holes with regular horizon. The physical meaning of the entropy is discussed in relation to the issue of
Supplemental Nitrogen Effect on Broiler-Litter–Fertilized Cotton

Nitrogen nutrition plays a critical role in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) production. However, increasing N fertilization may not always be desirable because production problems occur when N supply exceeds the crop requirement. A field experiment was conducted during 2000-2002 to study the optimal quantity of N needed from litter or combination of litter N and supplemental inorganic N for optimum cotton yield production. Poultry litter (2.24 Mg ha -1 equivalent to 1 ton acre -1 ) has been applied to the site annually for the past 20 yr. The experiment included four inorganic N rates (0, 34, 67, and 101 kg N ha -1 ) as sidedress in addition to litter application. The smallest overall average cotton lint yield of 562 kg ha -1 was obtained during 2000 (an exceptionally dry year) followed by 1551 kg ha -1 in 2001 and 880 kg ha -1 in 2002. The supplemental N application did not impact the cotton yield in 2 out of 3 yr. In the 2000 growing season, cotton yield was significantly greater for 0 and 34 than 67 and 101 kg N ha -1 rates. This indicates the negative effect of excess N application on cotton yield under drought conditions. However, under more favorable soil moisture conditions, no significant yield differences were observed by increasing the supplemental N rate up to 101 kg N ha -1 . The 2.24 Mg ha -1 broiler litter application to all plots before planting each year provided approximately 80 kg N ha -1 , which proved to be adequate in three consecutive years for optimum cotton production under a no-till system.
The Agonistic and Antagonistic Effects of Short Acting Estrogens: A Review

Based on a review of the literature this paper clarifies the pharmacologic properties of shortacting estrogens and their role in physiology and medicine. Shortacting estrogens display mixed agonist-antagonistic properties when injected in saline. The mixed estrogenic function results from the rapid clearance of these compounds from target tissue. When administered by pellet implant however shortacting estrogens act as full agonists. Both the uterotropic and vaginotropic response patterns of these compounds are detailed. Shortacting estrogens stimulate early uterotropic responses while having little effect on true uterine growth when administered by injection in saline. Thus they have no antagonistic action when examined by shortterm uterotropic assays but display partial antagonism when longterm uterine growth assays are used. Previous research has suggested that shortacting estrogens would not be effectual or antagonistic if present in a continuous fashion which would result in constant or longterm occupancy of the estrogen receptor. Estradiol however does manifest these properties when injected. Shortacting estrogens do not act as antagonists on vaginotropic responses as they do uterotropic responses. The paper also reviews the functions of these compounds in various physiological states including blood binding metabolism menstruation and pregnancy. Finally clinical considerations are discussed. Estriol has an apparent selective effect on vaginotropic events. It has been effective in correcting symptoms of menopause for example. However estriol is not believed to have a protective effect against breast cancer. When it is present in a continuous fashion estriol acts as an estrogen thereby ruling out such an effect.
The impact of behavioral impairment of functional ability in Alzheimer's disease

This study sought to determine the relationship between behavioral disturbance and functional status in a longitudinally studied sample of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). One hundred and forty-nine patients meeting NINCDS-ADRDA criteria for probable AD were followed for an average of 37.3 months, with follow-up assessments every 6 months. Subjects were seen at the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center clinics at the Mt Sinai Medical Center, New York, and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Bronx, New York. Measures included the Physical and Self-Maintenance Scale (PSMS) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale (IADLS) of Lawton and Brody and the cognitive and non-cognitive subscales of the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS). For each patient the assessment at which they had their most severe non-cognitive symptoms as measured by the non-cognitive part of the ADAS (ADAS-NC) was determined. ADAS-NC scores at that assessment were correlated with IADLS and PSMS scores at the same assessment and at the next assessment 6 months later. While there was some modest association of ADAS-NC scores with functional impairment using pairwise correlation coefficients, none of the correlations remained significant when the severity of cognitive impairment was controlled statistically. Findings were not significantly changed when drug status was controlled. These results suggest that behavioral disturbance, while very troubling to caregivers and patients, does not substantially worsen functional ability beyond the contribution of cognitive impairment in AD. Together with previous results indicating that non-cognitive symptoms in AD are episodic and fluctuating rather than progressive, the present data suggest that interventions for non-cognitive disturbances in AD should be viewed as ways to increase patient comfort, safety and ease of care and not as ways to improve functional autonomy. The latter can be achieved only by improving the progressive cognitive deficits of AD.
Computational analysis and design of lattice structures with integral compliant mechanisms

This paper introduces a unique technique for the design of single and multi-layered, periodic lattice structures. Specifically, small-scale compliant mechanisms are integrated into large-scale structures for specific dynamic functionality. Accordingly, the mid-frequency computational analysis of such structures at multiple scales is reviewed, and the results from several recent design studies are presented to illustrate the methodology. Highlighted applications include the design of alternative material structures, multi-layered partitions having enhanced vibro-acoustic characteristics, lightweight truss structures with multi-functional properties, and three-dimensional lattices.
Social capital: a guide to its measurement

The primary aims of this paper are to review the concept of social capital and related constructs and to provide a brief guide to their operationalization and measurement. We focus on four existing constructs: collective efficacy, psychological sense of community, neighborhood cohesion and community competence. Each of these constructs taps into slightly different, yet overlapping, aspects of social capital. The existence of several instruments to measure each of these constructs calls for further study into their use as measures of social capital. Despite differences in the approach to measurement, there is general agreement that community characteristics, such as social capital, should be distinguished from individual characteristics and measured at the community level.
Cell-Cycle-Regulated Expression and Subcellular Localization of the Caulobacter crescentus SMC Chromosome Structural Protein

Structural maintenance of chromosomes proteins (SMCs) bind to DNA and function to ensure proper chromosome organization in both eukaryotes and bacteria. Caulobacter crescentus possesses a single SMC homolog that plays a role in organizing and segregating daughter chromosomes. Approximately 1,500 to 2,000 SMC molecules are present per cell during active growth, corresponding to one SMC complex per 6,000 to 8,000 bp of chromosomal DNA. Although transcription from the smc promoter is induced during early S phase, a cell cycle transcription pattern previously observed with multiple DNA replication and repair genes, the SMC protein is present throughout the entire cell cycle. Examination of the intracellular location of SMC showed that in swarmer cells, which do not replicate DNA, the protein forms two or three foci. Stalked cells, which are actively engaged in DNA replication, have three or four SMC foci per cell. The SMC foci appear randomly distributed in the cell. Many predivisional cells have bright polar SMC foci, which are lost upon cell division. Thus, chromosome compaction likely involves dynamic aggregates of SMC bound to DNA. The aggregation pattern changes as a function of the cell cycle both during and upon completion of chromosome replication.
A soil-based aspen productivity index for Minnesota

An index, based on soil properties as defined by soil mapping unit and positively related to growth of quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) in Minnesota (the aspen productivity index—APX), was developed. Aspen grows on a wide variety of soils and comprises the majority of roundwood harvest in the state. The APX was to be included in an existing information system, and the soil properties used were restricted to those in an established database. There were no co-collected forest measurements. Response curves relating aspen productivity to soil and site properties, scaled from 0.0 to 1.0, were initially developed using the abundant information in the literature and were then iteratively adjusted. Properties were aggregated into three categories; by their effects on water availability, nutrient availability, and by other (site) factors that affect growth. The APX was evaluated and validated by comparison to generalized forest productivity ratings in published soil surveys and with spatially referenced forest measurements collected at three different intensities, including a national inventory (FIA). The APX agreed well with the generalized forest productivity ratings, including both productivity classes and estimated aspen mean annual increment. Multiple and variable forest measurements within mapping units, but a single APX, reduced the explanatory power of relationships. Despite that, the APX differed significantly among productivity classes established by the FIA and those based on relative stocking. Regressions with APX as the independent variable and mean basal area and site index by mapping unit, weighted by frequency, as the dependent variable were statistically significant for basal area for all datasets and for site index for the FIA data. The relationships, evaluated over the range of the APX in the FIA dataset, predict differences in total aspen yield of about 50% in 50 years. The APX is being used to provide comparative forest productivity information for all soil mapping unit components in Minnesota (about 5800 units).
Unconstrained shape from shading

Most conventional SFS (shape from shading) algorithms have been developed under three basic assumptions about surface properties and imaging geometry to simplify the problem. They are the Lambertian surface property, the orthographic projection, and the distant single light source. However, since these assumptions are not appropriate for many real applications, apparent distortions of reconstructed surfaces occur with conventional SFS algorithms. To obtain a more practically useful and accurate SFS algorithm, it is necessary to relax these restrictive assumptions and adopt more general conditions or models about the imaging process. In this research, we propose a new direct shape recovery algorithm from one or multiple shaded images generated by a general reflectance model which includes diffuse and specular effects, perspective projection, and a nearby point light source. The basic idea of our approach is to use a finite triangular surface model and express the image irradiance in terms of surface nodal depth variables through a linearized reflectance map under the perspective projection model. The object shape is recovered by determining all nodal depth variable through a cost minimization process.
Stability analysis for profit-responsive selection mechanisms

Abstract Industrial organization economists commonly regard realized profit as a test of the viability of production techniques. The concept of a profit-responsive selection mechanism id defined for a dynamic model of competition among techniques. For a class of symmetrie economic environments, an auxiliary function is presented whose maxima correspond to the stable equilibria of the original dynamic system. Given knowledge of the relevant technology, and exogenous supply and demand conditions, stability analysis can be carried out using this auxiliary function, without imposing any additional restrictions on the selection mechanism beyond the weak property of profit-responsiveness.
Inhibition of human neuroblastoma in SCID mice by low-dose of selective Cox-2 inhibitor nimesulide.

Neuroblastoma is the most common solid tumor of infants and carries a poor prognosis especially in advanced stages. The present recommended therapies carry a high risk of side effects that is associated with long-term morbidity. We evaluated the efficacy of a low dose of the selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor Nimesulide in preventing human Neuroblastoma tumor growth in Severe Combined Immune-deficient mice. Mice containing established tumors (SH-SY5Y cells) treated with 20 mg/kg Nimesulide every 4th day beginning on day 1 of cell injections resulted in a 65% reduction of tumor growth compared to the DMSO treated control mice (P<0.05) but did not significantly reduce tumor growth when Nimesulide was started once tumors reached 1cm. There was a reduction in the level of cyclooxygenase-2 protein and induction of effecter caspases in tumors treated with Nimesulide. However, there was no change in the levels of X-Inhibitor-of-Apoptosis-Protein, Smac/Diablo, or proteins of the PI3/Akt pathway following Nimesulide treatment. In Conclusion, low doses of Nimesulide can potentially be used as a chemopreventive agent for human Neuroblastoma.
Cranial Morphometry of Pacific Coast Elk (Cervus elaphus)

Geographic variation of 16 cranial measurements for 95 specimens was compared with subspecific taxonomy for populations of Pacific Coast elk, Cervus elaphus roosevelti and C. e. nannodes . Principal Component Analysis showed that Roosevelt elk in northern California differed as much from those in Washington as they did from Tule elk in California. A population of C. e. roosevelti on Vancouver Island also showed marked differences from populations on the mainland. Most of the differences are size- rather than shape-related. A Multivariate Analysis of Variance tested significantly for differences between sexes, OTUs, and cross interactions. The four OTUs from southern and central California, northern California, Washington, and Vancouver Island were almost equidistant in the Discriminant Analysis with 96% of females and 91% of males classified successfully. Implications for systematics and biogeography and their bearing on the conservation of Pacific Coast Cervus elaphus are discussed.
Design of a scalable real-time robot controller and application to a dexterous manipulator

Research in surgical robots often calls for multi-axis controllers and other I/O hardware for interfacing various devices with computers. As the need for dexterity is increased, the hardware and software interfaces required to support additional joints can become cumbersome and impractical. To facilitate prototyping of robots and experimentation with large numbers of axes, it would be beneficial to have controllers that scale well in this regard. This paper discusses the design of a real-time (one kilohertz) robot controller based on a centralized processing, distributed I/O architecture. We combine powerful yet accessible real-time technologies such as IEEE 1394 (FireWire) and low-latency field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). The device is developed and used with a real-time operating system, and scalability is demonstrated on a novel snake-like surgical manipulator. Results on a 21-axis prototype suggest that the proposed solution can help increase the viability of complex robots, particularly in education and research. In that spirit, the robot control software libraries have been released as open source, and efforts are underway to release the electronic designs.
Management of conjunctival malignant melanoma: a review and update

Conjunctival malignant melanoma is a pigmented lesion of the ocular surface. It is an uncommon but potentially devastating tumor that may invade the local tissues of the eye, spread systemically through lymphatic drainage and hematogenous spread, and recur in spite of treatment. Despite its severity, the rarity of available cases has limited the evidence for diagnosis and management. This review will provide an overview of the epidemiology, risk factors, presentation, diagnosis, management, prognosis, staging, and surveillance of conjunctival melanoma, with an emphasis on recent advances in biological therapies to treat this disease.