cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cocaine and dopamine differentially protect [3H]mazindol binding sites from alkylation by N-ethylmaleimide

The binding of cocaine, d-amphetamine and dopamine to the site on the dopamine transporter labeled by [3H]mazindol was investigated in rat striatal membranes. N-Ethylmaleimide inhibited about 95% of the specific binding of 5 nM [3H]mazindol in a concentration-dependent manner. The effect of 10 mM N-ethylmaleimide was completely prevented by cocaine (EC50 of 3 microM), but neither 300 microM dopamine nor d-amphetamine afforded any significant protection. On the other hand, high concentrations of cocaine, d-amphetamine and dopamine provided similar protection against inhibition by 0.1 mM N-ethylmaleimide. Taken together these data support the hypothesis that a significant portion of the cocaine binding domain on the transporter is distinct from that of either dopamine or amphetamine. This distinction may be sufficient to allow properly designed drugs to prevent cocaine binding without inhibiting DA transport.
Eco-ethical issues: Self-regulating versus subsidized ecosystems

SUMMARY Sustainable use of the planet requires dependable delivery of ecosystem services at a level necessary to meet the needs of humankind. During the last two centuries, particularly in the twentieth century, ecosystems have been fragmented and stressed in a variety of ways, including biotic impoverishment. Self-regulating ecosystems are capable of maintaining nominative structure and function, including normal variability. Those ecosystems incapable of self regulation will require subsidies, which will divert resources from other activities that may also be important to sustainable use of the planet. If ecosystems are not subsidized, the loss of natural capital and ecosystem services will almost certainly impair the quest for sustainable use of the planet. Although most discussions of sustainability reflect an awareness of humankind's dependence on natural systems, ecosystem self regulation has not received an adequate amount of attention.
Glass ingestion from fracture of a laryngoscope bulb

A 22-month-old child had a generalized tonic-clonic seizure during attempted orotracheal intubation and broke the laryngoscope bulb with his teeth. The glass was swallowed but passed uneventfully through the gastrointestinal tract. The possibility of this unusual complication should be considered when patients at risk for seizures are intubated by the orotracheal route.
An overview of aqueous-phase catalytic processes for production of hydrogen and alkanes in a biorefinery

Abstract In this overview we discuss how aqueous-phase catalytic processes can be used to convert biomass into hydrogen and alkanes ranging from C 1 to C 15 . Hydrogen can be produced by aqueous-phase reforming (APR) of biomass-derived oxygenated hydrocarbons at low temperatures (423–538 K) in a single reactor over supported metal catalysts. Alkanes, ranging from C 1 to C 6 can be produced by aqueous-phase dehydration/hydrogenation (APD/H). This APD/H process involves a bi-functional pathway in which sorbitol (hydrogenated glucose) is repeatedly dehydrated by a solid acid (SiO 2 –Al 2 O 3 ) or a mineral acid (HCl) catalyst and then hydrogenated on a metal catalyst (Pt or Pd). Liquid alkanes ranging from C 7 to C 15 can be produced from carbohydrates by combining the dehydration/hydrogenation process with an upstream aldol condensation step to form C–C bonds. In this case, the dehydration/hydrogenation step takes place over a bi-functional catalyst (4 wt.% Pt/SiO 2 –Al 2 O 3 ) containing acid and metal sites in a specially designed four-phase reactor employing an aqueous inlet stream containing the large water-soluble organic reactant, a hexadecane alkane sweep stream, and a H 2 inlet gas stream. The aqueous organic reactant become more hydrophobic during dehydration/hydrogenation, and the hexadecane sweep stream removes these species from the catalyst as valuable products before they go on further to form coke.
Competitive excellence in the global supply chain

Competitive pressure forces companies to exert themselves in order to survive and to grow. When competition is intense, only excellent companies are positioned to survive. Competitive excellence derives from managerial excellence which has turned to the creation of world-class supply chain operations, along with its philosophies, approaches, tools and technologies to assure excellence. Even though talk of protectionism has surfaced with the strains of the downturn in the world economy, globalisation has changed the fabric of competition in the market and has imposed new and more exacting requirements on companies and their supply chains. In the global market, a company must achieve excellence on five critical competitive requirements, namely on quality, cost, flexibility, innovation and customer service, creating a compelling paradigm by which supply chain operations will be judged. This paper explores how companies can pursue competitive excellence in their supply chain, and thereby gain a global mindset, rapid response time and sustainable competitive performance.
Within-session Analysis Of Visual Discrimination.

Within-session changes in responding by pigeons during a maintained successive discrimination procedure were examined in four experiments. In the first two experiments, which involved discrimination of visual flicker rate, within-session changes in responding were minimal or absent. A third experiment, which examined discrimination of rectangular forms, demonstrated that the absence of within-session changes in responding was not limited to flicker-rate stimuli. A fourth experiment showed that the absence of within-session changes in responding was not due to high task difficulty in the previous experiments. For the group of subjects in each experiment, within-session changes in responding did not influence discrimination performance. Therefore, measures of overall response rate accurately represented responding both within and across sessions. The occasional appearance of within-session decreases in responding for a few birds may be attributable to satiation.
Kinetics of Cellular Cytotoxicity Mediated by a Cloned Human Natural Killer Cell Line

Abstract The kinetics of natural killer (NK) cytotoxicity mediated by the cloned interleukin 2(IL 2)dependent human natural killer cell line NK3.3 has been investigated. This cloned cell line exhibits strong cytotoxic activity that is restricted to NK target cells. The initial rate of lysis of K-562 target cells by these cloned NK cells was, as anticipated, substantially greater than that previously reported for human peripheral blood NK cell preparations. However, in contrast to the kinetics of NK cytolysis mediated by fresh peripheral NK cells, the rate of 51Cr-release declined substantially within 1 to 3 h after initiation of assays involving NK3.3 cells and reached a plateau value in experiments conducted for longer periods. The data obtained suggest that NK3.3 cells cannot readily recycle and kill multiple target cells. Based on a model involving one lethal hit per active NK3.3 cell, estimates for the frequency of cytolytic cells in NK3.3 cultures were computed and compared to estimates obtained by the application of a kinetic model previously described. The cytotoxic activity of the NK3.3 cells was also found to be highly dependent on the conditions used for propagation and assay of these cells and, when cultured under ≪standard≫ conditions, only a fraction of the cloned NK3.3 cells was capable of effecting lysis of K-562 target cells. However, for the most optimal conditions developed to date, each NK cell killed an average of 1 to 2 target cells before inactivation. Although no significant differences in viability or growth rate were observed for the three different conditions described, up to 300-fold differences in lytic activity were observed. The observed strong dependence of the lytic function of NK3.3 cells on culture conditions should prove valuable for further investigations of mechanisms governing the regulation and function of human NK cells.
Tumor-specific active enhancement of a murine sarcoma.

- Immunological enhancement of a methylcholanthrene-induced sarcoma of recent origin was studied in isogeneic C57BL/10 mice. Tumor growth was enhanced by either active pre-immunization with viable cells or passive transfer of serum from resistant hosts. Enhancement was evidenced by significantly more rapid tumor growth in treated animals relative to growth in controls. Active enhancement was immunologically specific and was contingent upon proper combinations of cell dosage and timing of challenge. Tumor-specific antibodies were detected in vitro with a cytotoxic microassay in sera of mice having actively enhanced tumor growth. The precise mechanism of enhancement remains conjectural, with evidence suggesting contributions by both central and peripheral mechanisms.
HISTOPATHOLOGIC EFFECTS OF ENDOTOXIN INJECTED INTO RABBIT ORAL MUCOSA.

The response of oral mucosa to the local inoculation of an endotoxin from an oral Veillonella organism was studied in rabbits. A single inoculation of 50 μg of a phenol-water preparation of this endotoxin into a palatogingival site resulted in gross abscesses which were evident for as long as 10 days. Early lesions showed areas of palatal bone resorption. Regional lymph nodes showed neutrophilic infiltration followed by proliferative changes. In related experiments, the minimal preparatory dose for the local Shwartzman phenomenon in the test mucosal site was determined to be approximately 1.0 μg. Intramucosal inoculation of as little as 1.0 μg of this preparation was shown to produce a rise in body temperature.
On a model for ontogenic development.

Abstract A theory to explain both the endogenous control of differentiation and programmed organismal aging as the result of one fundamental regulatory mechanism is advanced. It is postulated that these phenomena are linked to cell division, which is presumed to be the primary unit of measurement for the organism's maturation and aging. The hypothesis developed here holds that a genetic locus (DSI), modulating both cell division and enzyme induction, is first activated and then inactivated with each cycle. The number of DSIs in the genome of each cell is finite, cellular senescence occurring when the genome is depleted of functional DSIs. Protein inducers are linked to specific DSIs, which are only transcribed at appropriate times during ontogeny, this in turn being a function of the number of DSIs previously inactivated during earlier mitoses. Experimental approaches which could test this model are discussed.
Toward the isolation of a photochemical reaction center in Rhodopseudomonas spheroides

Abstract Chromatophores of Rhodopseudomonas spheroides show reversible light-induced absorbancy changes corresponding to the oxidation of P870 (a pigment resembling bacteriochlorophyll), the oxidation of one or more cytochromes, and the reduction of ubiquinone. The light-reacting P870 is accompanied by a much larger amount of “light-harvesting” bacteriochlorophyll. Upon prolonged anaerobic incubation in the light, most of the bacteriochlorophyll in cells of blue-green mutant R. spheroides is converted in situ to bacteriopheophytin. In chromatophores from such cells the light-reactions of P870, cytochrome, and ubiquinone have the same size and character as in chromatophores from “fresh” cells. Under suitable conditions P870 can be isolated as a spectrophotometric entity; i.e., as an absorption band at 870 mμ that is bleached completely and reversibly by light. Excitation spectra for fluorescence of bacteriochlorophyll (at 900 mμ) and bacteriopheophytin (at 780 mμ), and for generation of the light-reactions of P870 and cytochrome, show the occurrence of energy transfer from bacteriopheophytin to bacteriochlorophyll and from bacteriopheophytin to P870, as well as from bacteriochlorophyll to P870. Kinetics of the 900-mμ fluorescence indicate that bacteriochlorophyll is fluorescent but P870 is not Extraction and analysis of pigments in “pheophytinized” chromatophores indicates that P870 is simply bacteriochlorophyll in a specialized environment. These experiments define a photochemical reaction center built around P870 as a terminal acceptor of excitation energy. The reaction center is served by light-harvesting molecules; these can be either bacteriochlorophyll or bacteriopheophytin.
On the cost of approximating all roots of a complex polynomial

This work examines the computational complexity of a homotopy algorithm in approximating all roots of a complex polynomialf. It is shown that, probabilistically, monotonic convergence to each of the roots occurs after a determined number of steps. Moreover, in all subsequent steps, each rootz is approximated by a complex numberx, where ifx0 =x, x j =xj−1 −f(xj−1)/f′(xj−1),j = 1, 2,⋯, then |x j −z| < (1/|x0 −z|)|xj−1−z|2.
A synchronized particle image velocimetry and infrared thermography technique applied to an acoustic streaming flow

Subsurface coherent structures and surface temperatures are investigated using simultaneous measurements of particle image velocimetry (PIV) and infrared (IR) thermography. Results for coherent structures from acoustic streaming and associated heating transfer in a rectangular tank with an acoustic horn mounted horizontally at the sidewall are presented. An observed vortex pair develops and propagates in the direction along the centerline of the horn. From the PIV velocity field data, distinct kinematic regions are found with the Lagrangian coherent structure (LCS) method. The implications of this analysis with respect to heat transfer and related sonochemical applications are discussed.
Nitric oxide reversal of recurrent pulmonary hypertension and respiratory failure in an infant with CDH after successful ECMO therapy

Nitric oxide (NO) represents a new therapeutic modality for treating neonatal pulmonary hypertension and may obviate the need for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in a number of cases of neonatal respiratory failure. Recently, the authors treated an infant with a congenital diaphragmatic hernia and pulmonary hypertension with NO on two separate occassions. During the initial period of stabilization, NO failed to reverse the pulmonary hypertension and prevent the development of progressive respiratory failure. After a successful course of ECMO, recurrent pulmonary hypertension developed that was successfully treated with continuous low-dose NO therapy for over 1 month. Prolonged administration of NO in varying doses titrated to clinical and echocardiographic parameters was well tolerated by the infant and prevented the need for a second run of ECMO.
Techno-economic analysis of fuel cell auxiliary power units as alternative to idling

Abstract This paper presents a techno-economic analysis of fuel-cell-based auxiliary power units (APUs), with emphasis on applications in the trucking industry and the military. The APU system is intended to reduce the need for discretionary idling of diesel engines or gas turbines. The analysis considers the options for on-board fuel processing of diesel and compares the two leading fuel cell contenders for automotive APU applications: proton exchange membrane fuel cell and solid oxide fuel cell. As options for on-board diesel reforming, partial oxidation and auto-thermal reforming are considered. Finally, using estimated and projected efficiency data, fuel consumption patterns, capital investment, and operating costs of fuel-cell APUs, an economic evaluation of diesel-based APUs is presented, with emphasis on break-even periods as a function of fuel cost, investment cost, idling time, and idling efficiency. The analysis shows that within the range of parameters studied, there are many conditions where deployment of an SOFC-based APU is economically viable. Our analysis indicates that at an APU system cost of $ 100 kW −1 , the economic break-even period is within 1 year for almost the entire range of conditions. At $ 500 kW −1 investment cost, a 2-year break-even period is possible except for the lowest end of the fuel consumption range considered. However, if the APU investment cost is $ 3000 kW −1 , break-even would only be possible at the highest fuel consumption scenarios. For Abram tanks, even at typical land delivered fuel costs, a 2-year break-even period is possible for APU investment costs as high as $ 1100 kW −1 .
Implementing a return-to-work strategy in the Belgian Disability Benefits Insurance Scheme

Background: Belgium has more than 300.000 disabled people excluding work injuries or professional diseases. Until 2009, there was no return to work or disability management programs in the Belgian disability benefits public insurance.Objectives: Facing a huge increase of disability pension claims since 2007, the Belgian Government charged the NIHDI (public social security agency) to implement a national “return to work” program. This program aims to offer options and stimulate part time job recovery or vocational training initiatives.Methods: Since Belgium is a Federal State, the need for cooperation between NIHDI and the regional public employment services (PES) was essential. NIHDI implemented various contracts with the PES and with the Mutual Benefits Societies (semi private bodies in charge of the claim processing and the medical assessment). These contracts include objectives, financing and evaluation criteria. The NIHDI uses the expertise of international experts in return to work strategies and disability management.Findings: The interaction between PES and physicians from NIHDI and Mutual Benefits Societies is essential. There is a strong need for medical, disability management and social guidelines in order to prevent any risk of differential results. The traditional claim processing is outdated. It is essential to integrate from the beginning of the claim processing, strong objectives for helping the social insured to return to work as soon as possible.
Toward an Information Management Infrastructure for Product Family Planning and Mass Customization

Complex new product development requires numerous decisions by many individuals and groups, which are often geographically and temporally distributed. There is a need to share and coordinate distributed resources and synchronize decisions, and recent advances in information technology (IT) pose an untapped potential for assisting in the capture, storage, retrieval and facilitated use of product development information. We exploit IT to address this problem through the proposed approach to Product Family Planning. By sharing assets such as components, processes and knowledge across a family of products, companies can efficiently develop differentiated products and increase the flexibility and responsiveness of their product realization process. In this paper we describe our recent efforts in realizing an information management infrastructure for product family planning and platform customization. In particular, we focus on three current research thrusts to identify product platform leveraging strategies to support future product family planning: (1) an evolutionary approach to product platforming, (2) a bottom-up approach to product platforming, and (3) industry-based platform case studies. Future research directions are also outlined.© 2004 ASME
Domestic violence in the child protection system: Seeing double

Abstract As we recognize the child welfare implications of domestic violence, complex issues of practice and policy result. Training child protective workers on domestic violence is a necessary but insufficient response. We are at an early point in our learning about the dynamics of family violence seen as both a child welfare and a woman's issue. Best practice for families where children and women are both at risk benefits from “seeing double,” drawing from the knowledge, and values of both a child protective and a women's advocacy perspective. To this end, on-going collaborative relationships with the opportunity for case-specific consultation are important. This paper draws on experience with the Domestic Violence Unit of the Massachusetts Department of Social Services to illustrate issues that arise as we work toward child protective practices that attend to the rights and safety of children and their nonabusive parent.
Asymptotic properties of the residual bootstrap for Lasso estimators

In this article, we derive the asymptotic distribution of the bootstrapped Lasso estimator of the regression parameter in a multiple linear regression model. It is shown that under some mild regularity conditions on the design vectors and the regularization parameter, the bootstrap approximation converges weakly to a random measure. The convergence result rigorously establishes a previously known heuristic formula for the limit distribution of the bootstrapped Lasso estimator. It is also shown that when one or more components of the regression parameter vector are zero, the bootstrap may fail to be consistent.
Implications of frequency-domain inversion of earthquake ground motions for resolving the space-time dependence of slip on an extended fault

SUMMARY A frequency-domain method is presented in which the Fourier spectral amplitudes of observed earthquake ground motions are used as data to constrain the space-time dependence of slip on the fault. Performing the temporal deconvolution in the frequency domain allows the spatial dependence of slip at each frequency to be computed independently. This greatly reduces the computational effort and allows the grid spacing to be chosen sufficiently fine enough to form an accurate numerical approximation to the continuous problem, thereby eliminating spatial and temporal discretization effects. Time-domain methods require the specification of rupture time as a function of position on the fault in order to reduce the number of parameters in inversion. Some non-linear inversion methods iterate on the rupture time in order to find a set of rupture times which provides the best fit to the data. This non-linear restriction, and the potential bias it may introduce, is eliminated in the frequency-domain formulation. The method is applied to synthetic test data calculated using Haskell's model of a uniform rupture in a homogeneous full-space. Three different recording geometries with characteristics comparable to current strong motion arrays are considered. Inversion for the slip function is demonstrated to be non-unique and a particular solution is found which minimizes the square of the slip velocity averaged over the fault surface. The minimum norm solutions have systematically lower peak slip velocities and spectra which fall off much faster than the input model (fP3 vs. f-'). This discrepancy is shown to result from a trade-off between the spectral amplitude of slip at a point on the fault and the local phase velocity of slip propagation. The trade-off is quite large for the arrays considered, a factor of 10 to 100 at frequencies between 1.0 Hz and 2.5 Hz.
Interaction of CED-4 with CED-3 and CED-9: A Molecular Framework for Cell Death

Previous genetic studies of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans identified three important components of the cell death machinery. CED-3 and CED-4 function to kill cells, whereas CED-9 protects cells from death. Here CED-9 and its mammalian homolog Bcl-xL (a member of the Bcl-2 family of cell death regulators) were both found to interact with and inhibit the function of CED-4. In addition, analysis revealed that CED-4 can simultaneously interact with CED-3 and its mammalian counterparts interleukin-1β-converting enzyme (ICE) and FLICE. Thus, CED-4 plays a central role in the cell death pathway, biochemically linking CED-9 and the Bcl-2 family to CED-3 and the ICE family of pro-apoptotic cysteine proteases.
Integrating the MPEG-2 subsystem for digital television

An MPEG-2 subsystem consisting of the transport demultiplexor, audio decoder, and video decoder is described, along with the supporting processor and memory subsystem. This subsystem is directly applicable to set-top box designs used in a digital television broadcast environment. The advantages of an integrated MPEG-2 subsystem consisting of cores from the IBM Blue Logic library are discussed. The integrated architecture supports a shared memory address space implemented using the PowerPC® local bus (PLB) standard high-speed bus. The resulting memory-management improvements for on-screen display (OSD), decoder rate buffers, audio and video clip data, and transport system data are illustrated. The real-time memory bandwidth and latency requirements for processing an MPEG-2 stream also have an impact on the architecture of the subsystem. Additional enhancements are provided for channel changes, time-base changes, error handling, and enhanced processing in the transport by adding more specialized buses. Programming effort is reduced because the software has less responsibility managing data movement through the system and because the same programming method is used to control all of the MPEG-2 functions.
Context-free manifold calculus and the Fulton–MacPherson operad

The paper gives an explicit description of the Weiss embedding tower in terms of spaces of maps of truncated modules over the framed Fulton-MacPherson operad.
Acute and Chronic Drug Problems Responsible for Emergency Hospital Admissions: An Analysis of Complaint and Response

(1975). Acute and Chronic Drug Problems Responsible for Emergency Hospital Admissions: An Analysis of Complaint and Response. Journal of Psychedelic Drugs: Vol. 7, No. 2, pp. 215-228.
Mn-Doped Quantum Dot Sensitized Solar Cells: A Strategy to Boost Efficiency over 5%

To make Quantum Dot Sensitized Solar Cells (QDSC) competitive, it is necessary to achieve power conversion efficiencies comparable to other emerging solar cell technologies. By employing Mn2+ doping of CdS, we have now succeeded in significantly improving QDSC performance. QDSC constructed with Mn-doped-CdS/CdSe deposited on mesoscopic TiO2 film as photoanode, Cu2S/Graphene Oxide composite electrode, and sulfide/polysulfide electrolyte deliver power conversion efficiency of 5.4%.
Laparoscopic secondary port conversion using a reusable blunt conical trocar.

Abstract Background: During operative laparoscopy, large (10 mm or more) ancillary ports are often used for instrumentation and tissue removal. Although sharp pyramidal trocars can be used to place these ports, their use appears to increase the risk of vessel injury and herniation. We describe a simple and cost-effective technique for converting a 5-mm port to a 10- or 12-mm port using a blunt conical trocar. Technique: When a larger port is required, a previously placed 5-mm port is removed, and the skin incision is lengthened. A reusable 10- or 12-mm blunt conical trocar with a threaded sleeve is placed through the incision. The fascial defect is located by probing and is dilated gently with the blunt tip. Once the tip is through the fascia, it is advanced through the peritoneal defect with a clockwise, twisting motion. Afterwards, the fascial defect is closed with a single, interrupted absorbable suture. Experience: We have had no complications or difficulty when using this technique in 26 cases, either during or after surgery. Conclusion: A reusable blunt conical trocar is a simple, safe, and cost-effective instrument for converting a 5-mm laparoscopic port into a 10- or 12-mm port.
Central excitation of cockroach giant interneurons during walking

Extracellular recordings from the ventral nerve cord of suspended or free-walking cockroaches (Periplaneta americana) reveal that a number of the giant interneurons in the cord become active during locomotion. We have studied this walking-activated excitation of these interneurons. 1. The initiation of firing of the giants as walking begins and the cessation of their activity as it stops is extremely rapid (Fig. 1), occuring within approximately 10 ms in many instances. 2. The average frequency of firing of the excited giants is higher during faster steps than during slower ones—i.e., is positively correlatd with speed of walking. This relationship is weakened by severing the ventral nerve cord in the abdomen (Figs. 2, 3). 3. Pinned-out, deafferented preparations may be induced to produce rhythmic activity in leg motoneurons similar to that observed during walking. One or more giant interneurons is excited during such rhythmic activity (Fig. 4), suggesting that sensory input from the moving legs during locomotion is not the main source of the excitatory signals. All this evidence supports the suggestion (Delcomyn, 1977) that the excited giants are driven by corollary discharge from the locomotor centers in the thorax. 4. Comparisons of the amplitudes of action potentials of those neurons active during spontaneous walking (Fig. 5) and those responding to puffs of air during rest (Fig. 6) suggested that not all the giants were active during walking. Intracellular recordings from individual giants confirmed this, revealing that only the three smaller, dorsal giants were excited (Fig. 7), while the three largest, ventral ones were not (Fig. 8). 5. The possible function of corollary discharge to the dorsal giants and the subsequent excitation of these interneurons during walking is discussed. Two possible functions are considered: 1) to keep the insect responsive to air disturbances during walking, and 2) to provide a general excitatory input to the central nervous system necessary to keep central excitatory state high during walking.
Color Preference, Color Naturalness, and Annoyance of Compressed and Color Scaled Digital Videos

In this work, we studied how video compression and color scaling interact to affect the overall video quality and the color quality attributes. We examined the three subjective attributes: perceived color preference, perceived color naturalness, and overall annoyance, as digital videos were subjected to compression and chroma scaling. Our objectives were: (1) to determine how the color chroma scaling of compressed digital videos affected the mean color preference and naturalness and overall annoyance ratings across subjects and (2) to determine how preference, naturalness, and annoyance were related. Psychophysical experiments were carried out in which naive subjects made numerical judgments of these three attributes. Preference and naturalness scores increased to a maximum and decreased as the mean chroma of the videos increased. As compression increased, both preference and naturalness scores decreased and they varied less with mean chroma. Naturalness scores tended to reach a maximum at lower mean chroma than preference scores. Annoyance scores decreased to a minimum and then increased as mean chroma increased. The mean chroma at which annoyance was minimum was less than the mean chroma at which naturalness and preference were maximum. Preference, naturalness, and annoyance scores for individual videos, were approximated relatively well by Gaussian functions of mean chroma. Preference and naturalness scores decreased linearly as a function of the logarithm of the total squared error, while annoyance scores increased as an S-shaped function of the logarithm of the total squared error. A three-parameter model is shown to provide a good description of how each attribute depends on chroma and compression for individual videos. Model parameters vary with video content.
Extinct pygmy hippopotamus and early man in Cyprus

Little evidence exists for human occupation of the Mediterranean Islands before ∼9,000 yr before present (BP)1, and extinct Pleistocene fauna rarely have been associated with archaeological materials from the region. Intriguing claims, however, have been presented for the early occupation of Mallorca2 and Sardinia3. Although it has been suggested that Cyprus may have been inhabited as early as the Palaeolithic, this has not been substantiated and the consensus of opinion is that the initial inhabitation was by Neolithic peoples ∼9,000 yr ago4,5. But new evidence from Akrotiri Aetokremnos ('Eagle's Cliff or 'Site E') suggests an earlier occupation. This site also contains evidence for the association of cultural remains with extinct pygmy hippopotamus (Phanourios minutus6). Although beds containing bones of the pygmy hippopotamus are known from Cyprus7,8, this species is generally believed to have gone extinct before man's presence on the island9. From my analysis, I tentatively conclude that Site E is the earliest archaeological site in Cyprus and that the Island was occupied by approximately 10,000 yr BP. Finally I suggest that the extinction of the pygmy hippopotamus on Cyprus may have been accelerated by the presence of man on the island.
Volatiles from clover headHypera meles (Fab.) and alfalfaH. postica (Gyllenhal) weevils: search for pheromones

Volatile fractions of the clover head,Hypera meles (Fab.), and alfalfa,Hypera postica (Gyllenhal), weevils contained three of four boll weevil,Anthonomus grandis (Boh.), pheromone components, (Z)-3,3-dimethylcyclohexane Δ1,β-ethanol and (Z)- and (E)-3,3-dimethylcyclohexane-Δ1,α-acetaldehyde. Also found were eight oxygenated monoterpenes, previously identified as precursors and intermediates of the boll weevil pheromones.
Mentat: An object-oriented macro data flow system

Mentat is an object-oriented macro data flow system designed to facilitate parallelism in distributed systems. Its underlying model of computation is the macro data flow model. The Macro data flow model is similar to the traditional, large grain data flow model with two differences: (1) Some macro actors are persistent actors that maintain state information between firings; (2) Program graphs are dynamic. Macro data flow programs are represented by dynamic structures called future lists that may be constructed and modified at run time. This paper discusses the motivation of the macro data flow model; the relationship between objects, actors, and tokens; the use of future lists; extensions to the programming language C++ for writing macro data flow programs; and the structure of a virtual macro data flow machine for executing macro data flow programs.
Deformation analysis and blank design in square cup drawing

Abstract A finite-element procedure is developed for modeling of the square cup drawing process based on finite strain formulation and membrane theory. The sheet material was assumed to obey Hill's anisotropic yield criterion and its associated flow rule. The workhardening characteristics of the material and Coulomb friction between the sheet metal and forming tools were incorporated into the simulations. Computed results with a square blank for the strain distributions were found to be consistent experimental data. Solutions were also obtained for various blank shapes with identical surface areas. Good correlations were found between the finite-element predictions and experiments for load-displacement curves and deformed-flange configurations. Based on the finite-element results of net material flow during the deformaion, an optimum blank shape was determined. Using this optimum blank shape, both the finite-element simulation and cup drawing experiment were performed and it was shown that a cup with the flange of uniform size around its periphery was obtained at a predetermined cup height.
The Challenge of Assembling Molecules into Materials

Linear organic chains and their architectural derivatives such as branched and crosslinked macromolecules have been the main focus of polymer science for many decades. A new direction which should be pursued in the field is the exploration of polymers as “nanostructures”. This exploration would study synthetic polymers as shape invariant objects with nanoscale dimensions which resemble the folded proteins of nature. Such synthetic macromolecules would have well defined shapes which may even include topographical features. Ideally, the definition of shape could include well defined dimensions as well, but molecular objects of common shape but varying dimensions could also exhibit interesting properties. One could for example envision polymers as flat plates (two-dimensional polymers), discs, ellipsoids, spheres with cavities, parallelepipeds, among many other possible shapes. Such objects must have fairly high molar masses, possibly in the range of hundreds to thousands of kilodaltons, and would therefore not be accessible as chemical compounds synthesized by conventional methods. At the same time, the prospects of learning “folding rules” for synthetic chemical sequences in a biomimetic approach to molecular nanostructures seems to be an extremely difficult goal at the present time. This is suggested given our contemporary difficulties in understanding the protein folding problem.
The Pythagorean Theorem: II. The infinite discrete case

The study of the Pythagorean Theorem and variants of it as the basic result of noncommutative, metric, Euclidean Geometry is continued. The emphasis in the present article is the case of infinite discrete dimensionality.
Nanoindentation of Pb/Sn solder alloys; experimental and finite element simulation results

A thermodynamics based damage mechanics coupled constitutive model is used to simulate the nanoindentation experiment on eutectic commercial Pb/Sn solder alloys. The study is aimed at explaining the apparent size dependent behavior observed at small indentation depths for this class of highly rate dependent materials. Interest is at small depths of indentation and a small-strains small-displacements theory is used. The study is motivated by the fact, that in the case of rate independent materials such a size dependence of the response is explained in terms of storage of the so-called geometrically necessary dislocations. Presently it is not clear if this is the source of size effects in a rate dependent material. Moreover, the storage of dislocations is difficult in eutectic solder alloys due to thermally activated diffusion processes that promote dislocation mobilization as opposed to storage. Therefore, a classical theory constitutive model should be able to capture such a size dependent feature of the response. The paper describes the constitutive model and its integration scheme. Simulations of the nanoindentation problem are performed at different temperatures and indentation strain rates and numerical results are compared with experiments.
Amino-terminated PAMAM dendrimers electrostatically uptake numerous anionic indicators.

Generational trends in the uptake of multiple anionic indicators by unmodified commercially-available PAMAM dendrimers are described, and evidence of an electrostatic driving force in these high stoichiometry indicator–dendrimer interactions is offered.
Physician use of a participatory decision-making style with children with ADHD and their parents

The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which physicians reported using a participatory decision-making (PDM) style with children and their parents during attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder visits and the physician characteristics that were related to physician use of a PDM style. The survey was sent to a stratified random sample of 250 pediatricians and 250 family practitioners that were licensed and actively practicing in North Carolina. A second mailing of the survey was sent to non-responders approximately 3 weeks after the first mailing was sent. Approximately 47% of the physicians responded. Physicians were significantly more likely to rate themselves as more participatory with parents than with children. Younger physicians were more likely to use a participatory style with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) children. Physicians who rated themselves as using a more participatory style with parents, also rated themselves as being more participatory with children. Pediatricians and younger physicians were more likely to use a participatory style with parents of ADHD children. The majority of physicians believed that ADHD children could begin to contribute to decisions about the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD during medical visits from age 7 to 11 years.
The evolution of patch selection in stochastic environments.

AbstractA null model for habitat patch selection in spatially heterogeneous environments is the ideal free distribution (IFD), which assumes individuals have complete knowledge about the environment and can freely disperse. Under equilibrium conditions, the IFD predicts that local population growth rates are zero in all occupied patches, sink patches are unoccupied, and the fraction of the population selecting a patch is proportional to the patch’s carrying capacity. Individuals, however, often experience stochastic fluctuations in environmental conditions and cannot respond to these fluctuations instantaneously. An evolutionary stability analysis for fixed patch-selection strategies reveals that environmental uncertainty disrupts the classical IFD predictions: individuals playing the evolutionarily stable strategy may occupy sink patches, local growth rates are negative and typically unequal in all patches, and individuals prefer higher-quality patches less than predicted by their carrying capacities. Sp...
The Contribution of Materials Science to Material Culture Studies

The most direct ways in which materials science has contributed to material culture Studies are dating, provenance and conservation. For material culture studies materials science is unique in evaluating material properties which leads to inferences about performanceand characterizing the internal structure which leads to inferences about processing. As a guide towards planning for the future, we have considered the essential nature of objects and devices and what this may suggest for prospective studies. Artifacts are created as purposeful objects; the essential nature of objects is related to their purpose and theoperational principles of how they achieve that purpose. Designers are constrained by these essences of objects and devices; looking at the way in which design tools are used cantell us about human relationships with purpose, operational principle and design. Objectshave both utilitarian and signifying operational principles and normal configurations as well as aesthetic sensibilities. In addition to their purposeful content, objects have non-purposeful unconscious attributes that are related to their cultural origins. The essential nature of objects must always be in the forefront of material culture studies of purposeful artifacts.
Mechanisms in the Ion-Assisted Etching of TiSi2

A detailed investigation into the mechanisms of the ion-assisted etching of TiSi2 using 1000 eV argon ions and chlorine gas is reported. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to investigate surface product distributions and modulated ion beam mass spectroscopy (MIBMS) was used to investigate gas phase product distributions. Identical experiments were performed on silicon and titanium single crystal substrates. Information on chemical mechanisms during ion-assisted etching was obtained by comparing the product distributions of the three substrates. For each substrate, the di and tetrachlorides were the major gas phase products. These products were emitted with high thermal velocities following a surface residence process. TiCl and TiCl2 products were found on the titanium surface after simultaneous exposure to chlorine and argon ions, but not on the TiSi2 surface. These observations are discussed in terms of specific chemical mechanisms which are critical during ion-assisted etching.
Against the Odds: Self-Efficacy Beliefs of Women in Mathematical, Scientific, and Technological Careers

The purpose of this study was to explore the personal stories of women who selected and continue to excel at careers in areas of mathematics, science, and technology to better understand the ways in which their self-efficacy beliefs influenced their academic and career choices. Analysis of 15 narratives revealed that verbal persuasions and vicarious experiences were critical sources of the women's self-efficacy beliefs. These findings suggest that the perceived importance of these sources of self-efficacy believes may be stronger for women in male-oriented domains than for individuals operating in traditional settings. Academic and relational self efficacy perceptions resulted in the perseverance and resiliency required to overcome academic and career obstacles. Findings support and refine the theoretical tenets of A. Bandura's (1986) social cognitive theory, and they also suggest that critical tenets in this theory are consistent with the work of C. Gilligan (1982) and N. Noddings (1992).
Deforestation and forest regeneration following small-scale gold mining in the Amazon: the case of Suriname

Despite scientific concern about Amazon deforestation and the impacts of the Amazon gold rush, few researchers have assessed the long-term impacts of small-scale gold mining on forest cover. This study estimates deforestation from gold mining and analyses the regeneration of abandoned mining areas in the Suriname Amazon. Fieldwork in December 1998 included observations and ecological measurements, as well as qualitative interviews with local miners about mining history and technology. Vegetation cover of abandoned mining sites of different ages was compared with that in old-growth forest. By present estimates, gold miners clear 48–96 km2 of old-growth forest in Suriname annually. Based on different assumptions about changes in technology and the amount of mining that takes place on previously mined sites, cumulative deforestation is expected to reach 750–2280 km2 by 2010. Furthermore, the analysis of abandoned mining sites suggests that forest recovery following mining is slow and qualitatively inferior compared to regeneration following other land uses. Unlike areas in nearby old-growth forest, large parts of mined areas remain bare ground, grass, and standing water. The area deforested by mining may seem relatively small, but given the slow forest recovery and the concentration of mining in selected areas, small-scale gold mining is expected to reduce local forest cover and ecosystem services in regions where mining takes place.
Physical Objects and Moral Wrongness: Hume on the "Fallacy" in Wollaston's Moral Theory

In a well-known footnote in Book 3 of his Treatise of Human Nature, Hume calls William Wollaston's moral theory a "whimsical system" and purports to destroy it with a few brief objections. The first of those objections, although fatally flawed, has hitherto gone unrefuted. To my knowledge, its chief error has escaped attention. In this paper I expose that error; I also show that it has relevance beyond the present subject. It can occur with regard to any moral theory which, like Wollaston's, locates the wrongness of an act in a property that can reside in non-actions no less than in actions.
A transition-state analogue reduces protein dynamics in hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase.

Hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HGPRT) is the key enzyme in purine base salvage in humans and in purine auxotrophs, including Plasmodium falciparum, the leading cause of malaria. Hydrogen/deuterium (H/D) exchange into amide bonds, quantitated by on-line HPLC and mass spectrometry, has been used to compare the dynamic and conformational properties of human HGPRT alone, the HGPRT·GMP·Mg2+ complex, the HGPRT·IMP·MgPPi ↔ HGPRT·Hx·MgPRPP equilibrating mixture, and the transition-state analogue complex HGPRT·ImmGP·MgPPi. The rate and extent of H/D exchange of 26 peptic peptides, spanning 91% of the primary structure, have been monitored. Human HGPRT has 207 amide H/D exchange sites. After 1 h in D2O, HGPRT alone exchanges 160, HGPRT·GMP·Mg2+ exchanges 154, the equilibrium complex exchanges 139, and the transition-state analogue complex exchanges 126 of these amide protons. H/D exchange rates are correlated with structure for peptides in (1) catalytic site loops, (2) a connected peptide of the su...