cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Legal Transplants Under the Magnifying Glass: A Bridging Study from Louisiana to Germany and Back

The theory of legal transplants posits the technical transfer of legal conceptions, rules and institutions from one legal order to another. The academic debates about the comparative viability of legal transplants, however, have largely remained in the theoretical and methodological realms, with a divide among interlocutors as to the perspective that should guide the analysis: the recipient system undertaking the borrowing, the donor system where the model resides, or the expertise of a third person who could not be neatly attributed to either side? Yet the crucial question of whether it might be desirable or beneficial to keep the umbilical cord between the recipient and donor systems intact as a live conduit for informing the operations of the transplant, even long after the transfer has been confected, has not received much scholarly attention. This Article tells the story of a specific legal transplant borrowed by Louisiana from Germany: the limited personal servitude of right of use. Triggered by Louisiana litigation over the scope and extent of such a servitude, this Article describes the author’s project of reconnecting discussions in the recipient system with the practical operations of the transplant in the donor system. It addresses several questions posed with regard to construing the German model. Was its English translation before the Louisiana drafters accurate? What is the nature of the law borrowed from Germany? What is the framework of analysis developed by German doctrine and courts? How have the courts in Germany decided comparable cases? What lessons, if any, can be learnt from how the transplant is construed in Germany? The Article concludes with recommendations for what the author calls “transplant care”.
Quiet oceans: United States Virgin Islands coral reef soundscapes in the age of coronavirus

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to unprecedented changes in human behavior around the world. These changes have impacted local soundscapes in both terrestrial and marine environments resulting in a global ‘quieting’ event that has allowed for the opportunity to evaluate the activity of soniferous organisms in unique acoustic environments. Across the world’s oceans, patterns of commercial, research, and recreational vessel traffic have all been altered, with corresponding alterations in the anthropogenic contribution to underwater noise. To assess these changes we used long-term acoustic recorders at three different coral reef sites on the Southern coast of the island of St. John in the United States Virgin Islands (USVI). We compared conditions pre-coronavirus outbreak (2019) and post-outbreak (2020) and found a decrease in the incidence of boat noise over the course of the pandemic. Because anthropogenic noise tends to overlap with the low frequencies used by marine fishes and invertebrates for sound production and detection, we predicted that changes in boat noise patterns would lead to concurrent changes in biological sound production of coral reef organisms. Understanding the impacts of this “quiet time” on marine organismal activity in the USVI could play a role in worldwide coral reef acoustic studies and conservation efforts.
Ultrabright Fluorescent Silica Nanoparticles for Dual pH and Temperature Measurements.

The mesoporous nature of silica nanoparticles provides a novel platform for the development of ultrabright fluorescent particles, which have organic molecular fluorescent dyes physically encapsulated inside the silica pores. The close proximity of the dye molecules, which is possible without fluorescence quenching, gives an advantage of building sensors using FRET coupling between the encapsulated dye molecules. Here we present the use of this approach to demonstrate the assembly of ultrabright fluorescent ratiometric sensors capable of simultaneous acidity (pH) and temperature measurements. FRET pairs of the temperature-responsive, pH-sensitive and reference dyes are physically encapsulated inside the silica matrix of ~50 nm particles. We demonstrate that the particles can be used to measure both the temperature in the biologically relevant range (20 to 50 °C) and pH within 4 to 7 range with the error (mean absolute deviation) of 0.54 °C and 0.09, respectively. Stability of the sensor is demonstrated. The sensitivity of the sensor ranges within 0.2–3% °C−1 for the measurements of temperature and 2–6% pH−1 for acidity.
Tunable Microwave Inductor Using Liquid-Metal Microfluidics

Room-temperature liquid metals such as eutectic gallium-indium (EGaIn) alloys have the potential to realize physically reconfigurable microwave components and circuits. Integrating microfluidic precision control of these liquid conductors with standard microwave board circuits enables a new paradigm of tunability for microwave components. One area that would greatly benefit from passive component agility is impedance-matching networks, where fine tuning the re-actance is essential for reconfigurability. We demonstrate a microfluidic-integrated microwave inductor device that employs a high-impedance microstrip trace with three switchable taps to provide inductances of 1.2 nH, 1.9 nH and 2.3 nH at 5 GHz. Precise volumes of liquid metal are dispensed and confined to bridge existing gaps between copper microstrip traces to reconfigure the total length of the narrow trace, providing an effective method to tune the component’s inductance.
The American medical malpractice system: impediments to effective change

The American legal system for resolving claims alleging patient injuries incurred in the course of receiving medical care has been the source of substantial controversy for many years. As far back as 1856, physicians regarded malpractice lawsuits as "a cumulative evil ... an incubus upon the profession" [1]. The president of the American Medical Association in 1885, Henry F. Campbell, declared that "we may safely say that the evil [of malpractice suits 1 is but little or not at all diminished at the present day" [2]. In the early 1970s, the Secretary of what was then Health, Education and Welfare (today, the Department of Health and Human Services, or DHHS) established a Commission on Medical Malpractice which issued a comprehensive and well-publicized report on the subject [3]. Nonetheless, severe problems relating to availability of liability insurance developed in the mid-1970s, often labelled the first modern medical malpractice crisis [4]. This situation received so much attention that a leading commentator was removed to remark in 1977 that "the literature of the medical-malpractice crisis has been reaching overkill proportions" [5]. After a short period of lessened concern, a second modern crisis emerged in the mid-1980s, this time involving the affordability, rather than the basic availability, of liability insurance. Although a number of changes have been introduced over the years in the manner with which the American legal system deals with claims of negligently-caused iatrogenic injuries, a complete, effective solution to the recurring malpractice
Comparing Compensation for Federal and Private-Sector Workers: An Overview

[Excerpt] In recent years, there has been significant congressional interest in compensation of the federal workforce. The increased interest has been driven at least in part by the federal fiscal situation and in part by the state of the economy since the recession began in 2007. Issues related to the compensation of federal employees often center on the pay differential between federal workers and their private sector counterparts. For years, the annual President’s Pay Agent (PPA) study, which is covered in greater detail later in this report, has shown a large wage penalty for federal workers compared to private sector workers in similar occupations. A spate of recent studies, which use a different analytical approach and data sources, has partially contradicted the findings of the PPA study by concluding that at least some federal workers enjoy a wage premium over comparable private sector workers. These studies and accompanying reporting on the comparison of compensation of federal workers to private sector workers provide an indication of the disparate findings, which makes it difficult to determine how compensation of federal employees actually compares to that of workers in the private sector. This report attempts to clarify why the recent studies have arrived at different conclusions and examines limitations of the approaches employed in the different studies.
Toward socio-scientific participation: changing culture in the science classroom and much more

In response to Tali and Yarden’s presentation of their efforts to teach socioscientific issues, the discussants address issues of authentic versus simulated activities; teachers as learners or co-creators with their students; educating people to contribute to science-based decisionmaking; the development of such socioscientific competence; the relationship between group or participatory processes and individual development; framing real world cases for every age of student; making space to delve into the historical and social background to any scientific theory, practice, or application; educating teachers who can coach students in socioscientific inquiry; and facing off against the traditional and resurgent emphasis on highstakes, content-oriented testing of students in science.
Characterization of Elastic-Plastic Behavior of AS4/PEEK Thermoplastic Composite for Temperature Variation:

Inelastic and strength properties of AS4/PEEK composites were characterized with respect to temperature variation by using a one-parameter orthotropic plasticity model and a one-parameter failure criterion. Simple uniaxial off-axis tension tests were performed on coupon specimens of unidirectional AS4/PEEK thermoplastic composite at various temperatures. To avoid the complication caused by the extension-shear coupling effect in off-axis testing, new tabs were designed and used on the test specimens. Experimental results showed that the nonlinear behavior of constitutive relations and the strength can be characterized quite well using the one-parameter plasticity model and the failure criterion, respectively.
Flows under Min/Max Curvature Flow and Mean Curvature: Applications in Image Processing

We present a class of PDE-based algorithms suitable for a wide range of image processing applications. The techniques are applicable to both salt- and-pepper grey-scale noise and full-image continuous noise present in black and white images, grey-scale images, texture images and color images. At the core, the techniques rely on a level set formulation of evolving curves and surfaces and the viscosity in profile evolution. Essentially, the method consists of moving the isointensity contours in a image under curvature dependent speed laws to achieve enhancement. Compared to existing techniques, our approach has several distinct advantages. First, it contains only one enhancement parameter, which in most cases is automatically chosen. Second, the scheme automatically stops smoothing at some optimal point; continued application of the scheme produces no further change. Third, the method is one of the fastest possible schemes based on a curvature-controlled approach.
Towards a theory of inter-organizational networking

This article combines inductive and deductive theory building to identify building blocks for a theory of inter-organizational networking, a phenomenon that has gained prominence in international relations, but is largely neglected by IR scholars. Organizational and network theory are identified as the major starting points for theory building. Hypotheses are generated from the network of Euro-Atlantic security institutions, which has become the most sophisticated network of its kind since the early 1990s. The article looks specifically at the genesis of dyadic inter-organizational relations and of entire networks, at the relevance of networking for policy output and at the system effects that networks have on individual organizations. The theoretical findings are presented so as to allow a transfer to other geographical and functional areas of networking.
The capacity of visual working memory for features and conjunctions

Short-term memory storage can be divided into separate subsystems for verbal information and visual information, and recent studies have begun to delineate the neural substrates of these working-memory systems. Although the verbal storage system has been well characterized, the storage capacity of visual working memory has not yet been established for simple, suprathreshold features or for conjunctions of features. Here we demonstrate that it is possible to retain information about only four colours or orientations in visual working memory at one time. However, it is also possible to retain both the colour and the orientation of four objects, indicating that visual working memory stores integrated objects rather than individual features. Indeed, objects defined by a conjunction of four features can be retained in working memory just as well as single-feature objects, allowing sixteen individual features to be retained when distributed across four objects. Thus, the capacity of visual working memory must be understood in terms of integrated objects rather than individual features, which places significant constraints on cognitive and neurobiological models of the temporary storage of visual information.
Will stem cells transform medicine

Before beginning this activity, please read the instructions for CMEon p. 241. This page also provides important information on themethod of physician participation, estimated time to complete theeducational activity, medium used for instruction, and dates of re-lease and expiration. The quiz, evaluation form, and certificationappear on pp. 241–243.
The atmospheric stability of polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans

Abstract In order to study the photochemistry of polybrominated dibenzo- p -dioxins (PBDDs) and dibenzofurans (PBDFs) dilute emissions from the combustion of polyurethane foam containing polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDPEs) were introduced into 25 m 3 outdoor Teflon film chambers and aged in the presence of sunlight. PBDDs and PBDFs were found primarily in the particulate phase where they were stable or degraded slowly over a period of hours. The half life of the reaction on actual soot particles agreed better with the predictions of laboratory solid phase then laboratory solution phase experiments.
Infrared spectroscopic and conductivity studies of poly(N-methylpropylenimine) /lithium triflate electrolytes

Abstract Poly(propylenimine), PPI, was methylated using Eschweiler-Clark conditions to produce poly(N-methylpropylenimine), PMPI. Differences may be seen in the IR spectra of the PMPI (–CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 NCH 3 –) and its homolog poly(N-methylethylenimine), PMEI, (–CH 2 CH 2 NCH 3 –), especially in the conformation region (~ 1100 to ~ 1400 cm − 1 ). The addition of lithium trifluoromethanesulfonate, (LiCF 3 SO 3 ), sharpens the distinctions between these systems. Comparison of IR spectra of polymer:LiCF 3 SO 3 complexes at compositions ranging from pure polymer to 5:1 N:Li + (molar ratio) suggests significant differences in the nature of polymer salt interactions and the complex structure present in each system. These are further evidenced by differential scanning calorimetry data in which PMPI displays less variation in glass transition temperature, T g , with the addition of salt than seen in PMEI. These observations may be interpreted in terms of local structural changes originating in cation–anion and cation–polymer interactions, particularly at mid to high salt concentrations.
Sophistication at a country pace: community sustainability and amenity-based development

There is a lot at stake in the control of landscapes; not only rights and access to resources, but also the symbolic construction of community identities. Having one’s identity represented in the landscape is critical to understanding one’s position within that community—either as an insider or outsider. This paper examines Great Barrington, Massachusetts as a case study of the links between discourses of landscape and community and their relations to processes of social exclusion during amenity-based development. Building upon conceptions of community as a process of creating boundaries between insiders and outsiders, this paper argues that the sustainability of a town cannot be assessed merely from inside a particular community identity but must situate that town within complex multi-scalar processes to determine if it is merely externalizing its unsustainable aspects, people and practices. I extend this argument by examining the ways to concept of multifunctionality has been used both in Great Barrington and in international discourses to promote sustainability through processes of exclusion. The research for this paper was done in collaboration with the Alliance for a Healthier Great Barrington.
Prospective teachers’ conceptions and values about learning from teaching

Although researchers and educators have suggested teaching prospective teachers (PTs) to investigate and learn from their own teaching over time, little research has investigated PTs’ beliefs about such an approach. This qualitative study examines prospective elementary teachers’ conceptions and values about systematically studying and improving their own teaching. Participants (N = 6) were students at a university in the USA enrolled in a semester-long mathematics methods course designed around one model for systematically improving teaching (learning-from-teaching [LFT], also known as lesson experiments). Interview results show that the PTs had a high level of procedural knowledge about the LFT skills and reported liking and intending to use all or part of the LFT model. However, results also reveal that four of the six PTs held multiple misconceptions and all six PTs placed less value on improving teaching than on other teaching goals. PTs’ conceptions and values about improving teaching may limit thei...
7.3 A 28nm embedded SG-MONOS flash macro for automotive achieving 200MHz read operation and 2.0MB/S write throughput at T i , of 170°C

Accelerated advances in automotive technology, such as sophisticated real-time engine controls for higher fuel efficiency and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), are expanding the application range of Flash MCUs, microcontrollers with embedded Flash memory (eFlash). In addition to consistent demands for faster random access, shorter rewrite time and larger memory capacity in eFlash, there are increasingly intense requirements for robust operations and high data reliability under extremely high junction temperature (T i ,) of 170°C. On the other hand, along with device scaling beyond 40nm generation, the reliability of eFlash systems is constrained by not only eFlash memory cells but also peripheral transistors and metal interconnections. As oxide films in transistor devices and between metal interconnections are getting thinner, their time-dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) lifetime is critically degraded, which poses a great challenge in advanced eFlash design.
Right ventricular performance in mitral stenosis

Until recently, the dynamic geometry and pump function of the pressure-overloaded right ventricle in patients with mitral stenosis and pulmonary hypertension had not been well defined. With use of a recently developed method for calculating right ventricular volume in human beings, seven normal subjects and eight patients with mitral stenosis and pulmonary hypertension had right ventricular performance assessed from computer-analyzed biplane right ventriculograms. Patients with mitral stenosis has elevated values for systolic right ventricular pressure (mean +/- standard error of the mean 25 +/- 2 for normal subjects, 57 +/- 6 mm Hg for patients with mitral stenosis), but normal values for right ventricular end-diastolic volume index (normal 95 +/- 11, patients 81 +/- 9 ml/m2) and ejection fraction (normal 0.49 +/- 0.02, patients 0.58 +/- 0.04). Comparison of right ventricular function using group performance curves of stroke work versus end-diastolic volume revealed the slope of the mitral stenosis line to be significantly greater than the normal line. A plot of right ventricular stroke volume versus end-diastolic volume, which removes pressure from the performance index, revealed that the two groups have similar performance. Left ventricular function measured by ejection fraction was reduced in mitral stenosis. These data suggest that the right ventricle performs normally in patients with mitral stenosis with moderate pulmonary hypertension and maintains normal size and ejection fraction.
Persulfate activation by subsurface minerals.

Persulfate dynamics in the presence of subsurface minerals was investigated as a basis for understanding persulfate activation for in situ chemical oxidation (ISCO). The mineral-mediated decomposition of persulfate and generation of oxidants and reductants was investigated with four iron and manganese oxides and two clay minerals at both low pH ( 12). The manganese oxide birnessite was the most effective initiator of persulfate for degrading the oxidant probe nitrobenzene, indicating that oxidants are generated at both low and high pH regimes. The iron oxide goethite was the most effective mineral for degrading the reductant probe hexachloroethane. A natural soil and two soil fractions were used to confirm persulfate activation by synthetic minerals. The soil and soil fractions did not effectively promote the generation of oxidants or reductants. However, soil organic matter was found to promote reductant generation at high pH. The results of this research demonstrate that synthetic iron and manganese oxides can activate persulfate to generate reductants and oxidants; however, iron and manganese oxides in the natural soil studied do not show the same reactivity, most likely due to the lower masses of the metal oxides in the soil relative to the masses studied in isolated mineral systems.
Studies of biologic parameters for denture design. Part I. Comparison of masseter muscle activity during chewing of crisp and soggy wafers in denture and dentition groups.

Summary The motor response to two textures was studied by comparing the EMG activities of the ipsilateral muscle during 5 minute periods of cating crisp and soggy wafers in each group of subjects. In both groups, the activity of the ipsilateral muscle was significantly greater for eating crisp wafers than for eating soggy wafers. The ratio of EMG activities for crisp and soggy textures was 1.48 in the dentition group and 1.72 for the denture wearers. These differences between the activities of ipsilateral muscles for the two textures were significant in both groups (P
Sign of the dipole moment derivatives in methane

Abstract The infrared vibrational intensity of the ν 3 fundamental mode of CH 4 has been measured. Using this intensity and the intensity of the ν 4 fundamental as measured by ruf [1], we can calculate, except for the sign, the dipole moment derivatives with respect to the normal co-ordinates. The intensities of the bands of the deuterated molecules are calculated from the above-mentioned dipole derivatives in two ways, once assuming the derivatives have the same sign, and once assuming opposite signs. Only in the latter case do the observed and calculated values agree.
Spark erosion: A method for producing rapidly quenched fine powders

Spark erosion is a method for producing fine powders of metals, alloys, semiconductors, and compounds. The technique involves maintaining repetitive spark discharges among chunks of material immersed in a dielectric liquid. As a result of the spark discharge there is highly localized melting or vaporization of the material. The powders are produced by the freezing of the molten droplets or the condensation and freezing of the vapor in the dielectric liquid. Since the powders are quenched in situ, they may be extremely rapidly cooled. Particles can be produced in sizes ranging from 5 nm to 75 μm. The average powder size and production rate depend on the power parameters, material used, and the dielectric liquid.
The effects of differential adaptation on spatial frequency-contingent color aftereffects.

The magnitude of color aftereffects was measured with a color-cancellation technique after subjects adapted to oblique checkerboards in magenta light and square-wave gratings of various orientations in green light. Test stimuli were composed of achromatic patterns of an oblique checkerboard and an appropriately oriented grating. Two different spatial frequencies were used: 0.8 and 3.0 c/deg. With 3.0-c/deg stimuli, the largest color aftereffects occurred when fundamental Fourier components of adapting stimuli were oriented at 45° angles to one another. At the lower spatial frequency (0.8c/deg), the greatest color aftereffects occurred when fundamental Fourier components of adapting stimuli were in the same orientation. These findings agreed with previous color aftereffect studies which involved adapting to checkerboards and testing with gratings. They offer further support for the notion that the human visual system responds to spatial frequency content of such stimuli as it is described by two-dimensional Fourier analysis.
Hydrogen tunneling in an enzyme active site: a quantum wavepacket dynamical perspective.

We study the hydrogen tunneling problem in a model system that represents the active site of the biological enzyme, soybean lipoxygenase-1. Toward this, we utilize quantum wavepacket dynamics performed on potential surfaces obtained by using hybrid density functional theory under the influence of a dynamical active site. The kinetic isotope effect is computed by using the transmission amplitude of the wavepacket, and the experimental value is reproduced. By computing the hydrogen nuclear orbitals (eigenstates) along the reaction coordinate, we note that tunneling for both hydrogen and deuterium occurs through the existence of distorted, spherical s-type proton wave functions and p-type polarized proton wave functions for transfer along the donor-acceptor axis. In addition, there is also a significant population transfer through distorted p-type proton wave functions directed perpendicular to the donor-acceptor axis (via intervening π-type proton eigenstate interactions) which underlines the three-dimensional nature of the tunneling process. The quantum dynamical evolution indicates a significant contribution from tunneling processes both along the donor-acceptor axis and along directions perpendicular to the donor-acceptor axis. Furthermore, the tunneling process is facilitated by the occurrence of curve crossings and avoided crossings along the proton eigenstate adiabats.
Ritual, meaningfulness, and interstellar message construction

Abstract In this paper, I am interested in exploring the potential of ritual performance as a means of communication with ETI. I argue that the study of ritual and ritualized behavior, understood as a technique for representation of meaning and meaningfulness about the world, has potential to inform how scientists think about the construction and interpretation of interstellar messages. I do not suggest that ritual activities themselves provide more than limited potential for communication with ETI. However, the structural elements of ritual and the manner in which meaning is conveyed through the formality and repetition of ritual is at least to some extent decipherable cross-culturally and provides one way to think about how to express important aspects of humans and their cultures to ETI and to represent, if not specific meanings themselves, the fact that a message is meaningful.
Theoretical foundation for real-time prostate localization using an inductively coupled transmitter and a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer system

ABSTRACT: Real-time, three-dimensional localization of the prostate for intensity modulated radiotherapy can be accomplished with passively charged, radio frequency transmitters and superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometers. The overall system design consists of an external dipole antenna as a power source for charging a microchip implant transmitter and SQUID magnetometers for signal detection. An external dipole antenna charges an on chip capacitor through inductive coupling in the near field region through a small implant inductor. The charge and discharge sequence between the external antenna and the implant circuit can be defined by half duplex, full duplex, or sequential operations. The resulting implant discharge current creates an alternating magnetic field through the inductor and is detected by the surrounding magnetometers to calculate the location of the implant transmitter. Problems associated with this system design are interrelated to the signal strength at the detectors, detector sensitivity, and charge time of the implant capacitor. The physical parameters required for optimizing the system for real-time applications are the operating frequency, implant inductance and capacitance, the external dipole current and loop radius, the detector distance, and mutual inductance. Consequently, the sequential operating mode is the best choice for real-time localization for constraints requiring positioning within 1 second due to the mutual inductance and detector sensitivity. We present the theoretical foundation for designing a real-time, 3-D, prostate localization system including the associated physical parameters and demonstrate the feasibility and physical limitations for such a system.
Do Multiple PHDS Matter? An Analysis of the Dual PHD Domains of Rco1

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) on histone tails are important for many DNA-templated processes, including transcription elongation by RNA polymerase II (RNAPII). Histone PTMs directly alter the accessibility of chromatin and serve as binding sites for effector proteins that mediate numerous downstream biological processes. During transcription elongation in budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), the C-terminal domain of RNAPII is hyperphosphorylated at serines 2 and 5 (Ser2 and Ser5) of the YSPTSPS consensus repeat. The histone methyltransferase (HMT) Set2 is recruited to phosphorylated Ser2 and Ser5, promoting the catalysis of lysine 36 (H3K36) methylation on the nucleosomal H3 tail in the bodies of genes. H3K36 methylation is recognized by the Rpd3S histone deacetylase (HDAC) complex, consisting of Rpd3, Sin3, Ume1, Rco1, and Eaf3. Deacetylation of histones behind elongating RNAPII has been shown to suppress cryptic initiation of transcription within the bodies of genes by decreasing chromatin accessibility. While it has been shown that recognition of H3K36 methylation by Rpd3S requires both the chromodomain of Eaf3 and the first PHD domain (PHD1) of Rco1, little is known regarding the importance of other potential histone-interacting domains within the complex. We are specifically interested in the second PHD domain (PHD2) of Rco1 due to its sequence homology to PHD1. We hypothesize that the second PHD domain of Rco1 contributes to the recognition of the Rpd3S complex on nucleosomes. Using a combination of yeast genetics and in vitro biochemical and biophysical assays, we are gaining a better understanding of the functional role of Rco1 PHD2. This study will lend insight into the importance of recognition of histone modifications by multi-domain protein complexes, and will allow us to better understand the function of the Rpd3S complex.
Differential Time–Course and Dose–Response Relationships of TCDD-Induced CYP1B1, CYP1A1, and CYP1A2 Proteins in Rats

Abstract This study examined the relationship between dose- and time-dependent hepatic localization of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) and expression of CYP1B1, CYP1A1 and CYP1A2 proteins. A dose-dependent increase in hepatic TCDD in female Sprague-Dawley rats treated with 0.01-30.0 μg TCDD/kg was observed. TCDD induced CYP1A1 protein in rats treated with 0.3 μg TCDD/kg or higher. TCDD induced CYP1A2 and CYP1B1 proteins in rats treated with 1.0 μg TCDD/kg or higher. Thein vivoED50(μg TCDD/kg) for TCDD-induced CYP1A1, CYP1A2 and CYP1B1 proteins were 0.22, 0.40 and 5.19, respectively. Hepatic accumulation of TCDD reached a maximum at 8 hours post dosing with a t1/2of approximately 10 days. TCDD-induced CYP1A1/CYP1A2 protein expression was increased time-dependently, reaching a maximum at 3 days after dosing and remaining elevated for 35 days. In contrast, TCDD-induced CYP1B1 protein showed significant expression at 3 days after dosing and decreased to basal concentrations by 35 days. This study demonstrates that TCDD exhibits differential dose-response and time-course relationships on hepatic localization and cytochrome P-450 protein expression.
Online analysis and compression of spectra-spectroheliograms

The on-line algorithm used by the NASA/National Solar Observatory Spectromagnetograph for analysis of long-slit spectrum-line profiles is presented with a view towards future application to processing large volumes of data from spacecraft and other remote instruments. At every spatial position, the procedure finds continuum intensity, equivalent width, and wavelength position and intensity of the central extremum of absorption or emission. The wavelength position of line center is found from the zero- crossing of the convolution of the line profile with a fixed anti-symmetric kernel. As currently used with the spectromagnetograph, images based on the line parameters computed at every spatial position are saved, but the original data are discarded. This paper explores the possibility of preserving the data in compressed form by saving, in addition to the derived line parameters, the differences between the data and model profiles synthesized from the on-line analysis.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Approximate fracture methods for pipes — part I: theory

Abstract Five simplified methods for predicting the fracture performance of circumferentially through-wall cracked pipes under pure bending are presented and discussed here, in this first-part paper. The theoretical foundations of the methods are examined in detail. In the second part paper, moment—rotation predictions of cracked pipes experiencing stable crack growth are compared to experimental results and their capabilities checked with three-dimensional elasto—plastic finite element computations. In spite of their simplified theoretical foundations, these schemes give quite good predictions and are very easy to use.
H3-proline incorporation into cartilage: Electron microscope autoradiographic observations

Electron microscope autoradiography was used to study cartilage from regenerating limbs of adult newts, Triturus, after intraperitoneal injections of proline-3H. The labeling in the endoplasmic reticulum, small vesicles, Golgi vacuoles, ground cytoplasm and extracellular matrix was compared during the secretion of radioactive products. The data appear to indicate that a large part of the radioactive secretion probably leaves the cell after having been in only one cellular compartment. Although this compartment may be the endoplasmic reticulum, a considerable amount of radioactivity fluxes through the ground cytoplasm and the possibility cannot be excluded that some secretory components leave the cell directly from the ground cytoplasm. The data appear incompatible with the hypothesis that all the radioactivity seen in the extracellular matrix arrived there via a single pathway involving first the endoplasmic reticulum and then the Golgi vacuoles. It is not, however, incompatible with a hypothesis that a fraction of the radioactive product uses this pathway.
Using parallel program specifications for reactive control of underwater vehicles

This paper describes a situated reasoning architecture and a programming implementation for controlling robots in naturally changing environments. The reactive portion of the architecture produces reaction plans that exploit low-level competences as operators. The low-level competences include both obstacle avoidance heuristics and control-theoretic algorithms for generating and following a velocity/acceleration trajectory. Implemented in the GAPPS/REX situated automata programming language, robot goals can be specified logically and can be compiled into runtime virtual circuits that map sensor information into actuator commands in a fashion that allows for parallel execution. Detailed programs are described for controlling underwater vehicles being developed at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, specifically the Remotely Piloted Vehicle (RPV), its successor, the Hylas, and eventually the Autonomous Benthic Explorer (ABE). Experiments with the RPV in a test tank are described in detail and will be duplicated with the Hylas. The experiments show that the robot performed both pilotaided and autonomous exploration tasks while accommodating normal changes in the task environment. ABE programs are described to illustrate how the reaction plans can be used in tasks more complex than those in the RPV experiments. The ABE is required to gather scientific data from deep ocean phenomena (e.g., thermal vents) which occur sporadically over long periods of time. A test tank simulation is described wherein the architecture is shown to easily generate robust vehicle control schemes which gather the required thermal vent data for a variety of vents of varying positions, velocities and extents.
Trends in the occupations of eminent black entrepreneurs in the United States

Abstract This study analyzes the occupations of black Americans who have been nationally recognized for their business achievements. Data from renowned encyclopedic sources of biographical information show that occupational niches that arose because of racial segregation and limited opportunities for blacks to participate in the economic mainstream, such as personal services and undertaking, are no longer important routes into the “black business elite.” Yet, these data also suggest that, during the 20th century, entertainment, beauty products, and advertising became major pathways into this elite because of an opportunity structure that promoted blacks’ participation in these occupational niches yet restricted it in others, notably, in construction and manufacturing.
Axonopathy is a compounding factor in the pathogenesis of Krabbe disease

Loss-of-function of the lysosomal enzyme galactosyl-ceramidase causes the accumulation of the lipid raft-associated sphingolipid psychosine, the disruption of postnatal myelination, neurodegeneration and early death in most cases of infantile Krabbe disease. This work presents a first study towards understanding the progression of axonal defects in this disease using the Twitcher mutant mouse. Axonal swellings were detected in axons within the mutant spinal cord as early as 1 week after birth. As the disease progressed, more axonopathic profiles were found in other regions of the nervous system, including peripheral nerves and various brain areas. Isolated mutant neurons recapitulated axonal and neuronal defects in the absence of mutant myelinating glia, suggesting an autonomous neuronal defect. Psychosine was sufficient to induce axonal defects and cell death in cultures of acutely isolated neurons. Interestingly, axonopathy in young Twitcher mice occured in the absence of demyelination and of neuronal apoptosis. Neuronal damage occurred at later stages, when mutant mice were moribund and demyelinated. Altogether, these findings suggest a progressive dying-back neuronal dysfunction in Twitcher mutants.
The impact of social contexts in testing for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency: the roles of physicians and others.

Aims: To elucidate psychosocial and ethical issues faced by adults at risk for alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) that have received little attention. Methods: Eleven individuals with AATD were interviewed in detail for 2 hours each. Results: Several specific aspects of AATD created critical, socially dynamic issues that shaped the patients' responses. The disease being relatively newly discovered, physicians do not know much about it and thus often do not consider or recommend testing for it. Hence, patients who may benefit from diagnosis and treatment are not always diagnosed. General practitioners, when they do diagnose patients, often refer them to specialists and thus remain inexperienced in treating the disorder. As a result, many individuals, too, remain unaware of this disease in their families and thus do not consider mentioning its possibility to doctors or family members. Thus, intrafamilial disclosures by patients become critical. Patients may be shocked and upset at diagnosis, as they might possibly already have transmitted the mutation to offspring, which further impedes disclosure to family members. Conclusions: These issues highlight how patients' interactions with doctors and others concerning genetics are critical, and need to be further explored and addressed. Several aspects of physician education and practice (e.g., regarding disclosures to at-risk family members) need to be improved.
Causal scene understanding

Abstract Most computer vision systems are concerned with computing the whats and wheres of a scene. We describe a set of programs concerned instead with computing the whys and hows—why the scene is the way it is, and how an agent can interact with it. The basis of our approach lies in the construction of a causal explanation of a scene—a representation that describes what affects what in the scene, how these elements affect each other, and why they affect each other the way they do. Such explanations, by definition and design, must encompass representations of the potentials for action in a scene, and thus form a natural basis for describing how scene elements serve purposes—i.e., functional descriptions. As a concrete case study in causal scene understanding, this paper focuses primarily on ways to exploit the causality of objects in static equilibrium, in particular, the causality of support. We describe three camera-to-commentary vision systems, operating in three different domains, that develop causal explanations of scenes from visual images of those scenes and, in the process, provide novel solutions to a number of traditional problems in vision and robotics, including occlusion, focus of attention, and grasp planning. We also show how the kinds of causal descriptions produced by these systems can be exploited to physically interact with the scene.
Impact of alcohol on the ability of Kupffer cells to produce chemokines and its role in alcoholic liver disease

Chemokines are implicated in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease in humans and in experimental models of alcohol intoxication. The major sources of these chemokines are Kupffer cells which represent more than 80% of tissue macrophages in the body. Kupffer cells are highly responsive to the effects of ethanol, endotoxin and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 glycoprotein120. These agents, either independently or in combination, may exacerbate the production of chemokines. Chemokines are agents that are highly chemotactic to mononuclear cells and granulocytes. The levels of these chemokines in sera and tissue are elevated in patients with alcoholic hepatitis, alcoholic cirrhosis, diseased livers, viral hepatitis, and in experimental models of chronic alcohol intoxication. Alcohol-induced influx of endotoxin from the gut into the portal circulation is suggested to play an important role in the activation of Kupffer cells which leads to enhanced chemokine release. The up-regulation of chemokines during alcohol consumption is selective. During the early phase of alcoholic liver disease, C-X-C or alpha-chemokines predominate. This is also associated with neutrophilic infiltration of the liver. In the later stage, up-regulation of C-C or beta-chemokine production and migration of mononuclear cells into the liver are observed, and this may lead to liver cirrhosis. Selective up-regulation of chemokine synthesis and release may involve differential modulation of the transcription factors required for chemokine gene expression. Increased cytokine release following alcohol consumption may also regulate chemokine secretion in Kupffer cells via paracrine and autocrine mechanisms and vice versa. In addition, infection with HIV-1 may further compromise the liver to more damage. During HIV-1 infection, a pre-existing liver disease superimposed on chronic alcohol consumption may also exacerbate HIV-1 replication and lymphocytic infiltration in the liver, because of the ability of HIV-1 gp120 to stimulate chemokine production by Kupffer cells and stimulate migration of inflammatory leucocytes in the liver.
Perspectives on ancient Maya bone crafting from a Classic period bone-artifact manufacturing assemblage

This paper explores the nature of utilitarian bone-artifact crafting from the perspective of an unusual assemblage of manufacturing debitage dated to the Terminal Classic. This large assemblage contains unprecedented quantities of debris from the production of utilitarian artifacts, primarily bone perforators (needles, pins, awls). The collection was recovered from Group L4-3, a small, non-elite, Late and Terminal Classic residential complex located adjacent to the central palaces and residences of the ruling nobility of the ancient Maya site of Dos Pilas, Petexbatun, Guatemala. This study evaluates the standardization of raw materials, methods, and finished artifacts of the assemblage based on criteria used in discussions of scale of production and craft specialization. These evaluations are used to explore whether the L4-3 bone crafters were part- or full-time specialists, whether they produced their products on a large or a small scale and for domestic or external consumption, and for whom they crafted these products. The continuous occupation of the L4-3 complex through the transition from Late to Terminal Classic, a time of social change, offers a rich background for this evaluation of Maya utilitarian bone-artifact crafting.
The measurement of speed in motor performance

When the centroid method of factor analysis was applied to two sets of data on athletic performances, three significant factors emerged: strength, velocity, and dead weight. Scores on this speed factor were predicted by the multiple regression technique, the factor loadings on the speed factor being used as the criterion correlations, and these predicted scores were correlated with each of the other variables. When the original tables, augmented by the new speed variable, were refactored, the computed speed factor fell on the speed axis as a primary trait. It is thus shown that it is possible to isolate and measure a factor which appears in variables under consideration only as a compound.
The maternal ventralizing locus torpedo is allelic to faint little ball, an embryonic lethal, and encodes the Drosophila EGF receptor homolog.

Abstract The torpedo gene of Drosophila melanogaster is involved in the establishment of the dorsoventral pattern of eggshell and embryo. We have isolated new alleles of torpedo and have found that torpedo is allelic to the zygotic embryonic lethal faint little ball . We have shown that torpedo resides in subdivision 57F on the second chromosome — at the same location as the Drosophila homolog of the EGF receptor (DER). Using a cosmid that contains most of the DER coding region as a hybridization probe, we have shown that a cytologically small deficiency that eliminates torpedo activity also removes the DER gene, and that an inversion that was isolated as a strong torpedo allele breaks the coding region of the DER gene. We conclude that torpedo is the DER gene.