cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Search for Optical Pulsation in M82 X-2

We report on a search for optical pulsation from M82 X-2 over a range of periods. M82 X-2 is an X-ray pulsar with a 1.37s average spin period and a 2.5 day sinusoidal modulation. The observations were done with the ARray Camera for Optical to Near-IR Spectrophotometry at the 200 inch Hale telescope at the Palomar Observatory. We performed H test and χ^2 statistical analysis. No significant optical pulsations were found in the wavelength range of 3000–11000 A with a pulsation period between 1.36262 and 1.37462 s. We found an upper limit on pulsed emission in the 4000–8000 A wavelength range to be fainter than ~20.5 mag_(AB) , corresponding to ~23 μJy.
Virtual terrain nullification using phased array antennas

A novel method of Virtual Terrain Leveling (VTL) is proposed that virtually nullifies the effects of terrain on radio propagation using phased array antennas. This method has potential applications in avoiding interference in technologies like 5G, and ad hoc networks. Simulation results are provided to show the distribution of power for different terrains, and to highlight the benefits of using VTL.
Mortality, fertility, and economic development: An analysis of 201 countries from 1960 to 2015.

Background: The efficient utilization of the economic opportunities effected by rapid reductions in fertility and mortality is known as the demographic dividend. In this paper, our objectives are to (1) estimate the contribution of fertility and mortality decline during the period 1960-2015 to demographic dividend due to change in age structure, and (2) assess the economic consequences of population age structure change. Methods: Employing the cohort component method, we performed population projections with different scenarios of changes in mortality and fertility between 1960 and 2015 in 201 countries. We specifically focused on low- and middle-income countries in Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), Northern Africa, and sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) Results: The child dependency ratio, defined as the number of children (0-14 years) per 100 working age population (15-64 years), would be 54 higher than the observed level in 2015 in both Asia and LAC, had fertility not declined. That means that every 100 working age population would need to support an additional 54 children. Due to the less substantial fertility decline, child dependency ratio would only be 16 higher if there were no fertility decline in SSA. Global GDP (constant 2011 international $) would be $19,016 billion less than the actual level in 2015 had the fertility decline during 1960-2015 not occurred, while the respective regional decreases are $12,390 billion in Asia, $1,985 billion in LAC, $484 billion in Northern Africa, and $321 billion in SSA. Conclusions: SSA countries may accelerate the catch-up process in reducing fertility by investing more in family planning programs. This will lead to a more favorable dependency ratio and consequently facilitate a demographic dividend opportunity in SSA, which, if properly utilized, will spur economic development for the coming decades.
The ‘Sensation of Doubt’ in East Asian Zen Buddhism and Some Parallels with Pāli Accounts of Meditation Practice

The technique of ‘examining meditative topics’ (Chinese kanhua Chan) is one of the emblematic practices of the ‘Zen’ traditions of East Asia. (We in the West know this technique better as kōan prac...
Activation of retinal glial (Müller) cells by extracellular ATP induces pronounced increases in extracellular H+ flux

Small alterations in extracellular acidity are potentially important modulators of neuronal signaling within the vertebrate retina. Here we report a novel extracellular acidification mechanism mediated by glial cells in the retina. Using self-referencing H+-selective microelectrodes to measure extracellular H+ fluxes, we show that activation of retinal Muller (glial) cells of the tiger salamander by micromolar concentrations of extracellular ATP induces a pronounced extracellular H+ flux independent of bicarbonate transport. ADP, UTP and the non-hydrolyzable analog ATPγs at micromolar concentrations were also potent stimulators of extracellular H+ fluxes, but adenosine was not. The extracellular H+ fluxes induced by ATP were mimicked by the P2Y1 agonist MRS 2365 and were significantly reduced by the P2 receptor blockers suramin and PPADS, suggesting activation of P2Y receptors. Bath-applied ATP induced an intracellular rise in calcium in Muller cells; both the calcium rise and the extracellular H+ fluxes were significantly attenuated when calcium re-loading into the endoplasmic reticulum was inhibited by thapsigargin and when the PLC-IP3 signaling pathway was disrupted with 2-APB and U73122. The anion transport inhibitor DIDS also markedly reduced the ATP-induced increase in H+ flux while SITS had no effect. ATP-induced H+ fluxes were also observed from Muller cells isolated from human, rat, monkey, skate and lamprey retinae, suggesting a highly evolutionarily conserved mechanism of potential general importance. Extracellular ATP also induced significant increases in extracellular H+ flux at the level of both the outer and inner plexiform layers in retinal slices of tiger salamander which was significantly reduced by suramin and PPADS. We suggest that the novel H+ flux mediated by ATP-activation of Muller cells and of other glia as well may be a key mechanism modulating neuronal signaling in the vertebrate retina and throughout the brain.
Growth of magnesium diboride thin films on boron buffered Si and silicon-on-insulator substrates by hybrid physical chemical vapor deposition

We report on the growth of high quality MgB2 thin films on silicon and silicon-on-insulator substrates by hybrid physical chemical vapor deposition. A boron buffer layer was deposited on all sides of the Si substrate to prevent the reaction of Mg vapor and Si. Ar ion milling at a low angle of 1° was used to reduce the roughness of the boron buffer layer before the MgB2 growth. An Ar ion milling at low angle of 1° was also applied to the MgB2 surface to reduce its roughness. The resultant MgB2 films showed excellent superconducting properties and a smooth surface. The process produces thin MgB2 films suitable for waveguide-based superconducting hot electron bolometers and other MgB2-based electronic devices.
Cooling fermions in an optical lattice by adiabatic demagnetization

The Fermi-Hubbard model describes ultracold fermions in an optical lattice and exhibits antiferromagnetic long-ranged order below the N\'eel temperature. However, reaching this temperature in the laboratory has remained an elusive goal. In other atomic systems, such as trapped ions, low temperatures have been successfully obtained by adiabatic demagnetization, in which a strong effective magnetic field is applied to a spin-polarized system and the magnetic field is adiabatically reduced to zero. Unfortunately, applying this approach to the Fermi-Hubbard model encounters a fundamental obstacle: the $\text{SU}(2)$ symmetry introduces many level crossings that prevent the system from reaching the ground state, even in principle. However, by breaking the $\text{SU}(2)$ symmetry with a spin-dependent tunneling, we show that adiabatic demagnetization can achieve low-temperature states. Using density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) calculations in one dimension, we numerically find that demagnetization protocols successfully reach low-temperature states of a spin-anisotropic Hubbard model, and we discuss how to optimize this protocol for experimental viability. By subsequently ramping spin-dependent tunnelings to spin-independent tunnelings, we expect that our protocol can be employed to produce low-temperature states of the Fermi-Hubbard model.
Uto-Aztecan Languages

Uto-Aztecan is a large and widely dispersed family of indigenous languages in North America, distributed from Oregon in the United States to El Salvador. Today the largest number of speakers are found in Mexico, with smaller numbers in the western United States. Several languages became extinct in Mexico during early colonial times (1500s–1700s) and some, especially in the U.S., are facing extinction at present. Others, particularly in northern and central Mexico are quite viable. The family contains at least eight branches (Numic, Takic, Hopi, Tubatulabal, Tepiman, Taracahitan, Corochol, Aztecan) with these normally grouped into Northern and Southern Uto-Aztecan based on geography and genetics. The family has a long history, with some suggesting connections to Tanoan languages but most rejecting this affiliation.
Chapter 4 SiC Transistors

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses different types of silicon carbide (Sic) field-effect transistors, including microwave and power devices. The chapter also focuses on the Sic digital integrated circuits; and describes Sic bipolar transistors and thyristors. It also mentions simulation and modeling tools that are used for the design of Sic transistors and novel device ideas applied to Sic, and project possible improvements related to the expected progress in materials and contact technologies. The development of improved bulk crystal Sic growth and progress in modern epitaxial techniques of Sic growth have led to a rapid improvement in the material quality of several Sic polytypes (primarily 6H-Sic and 4H-Sic) and made practical Sic transistors a reality. Typically, the gate-to-source voltage is an input voltage, and the drain-to source voltage is an output voltage. Because the gate contact is isolated from the channel by the gate barrier layer, the input (gate-to-source) impedance is very high, a major advantage compared to bipolar junction transistors (BJTs).
Dream anxiety attacks (nightmares).

Nightmares—disturbances of dreaming sleep experienced at some point in time by most patients—are often seen in adults as a consequence of physical or emotional trauma. The presence of nightmares on a chronic basis in adult life may reflect specific personality characteristics and may define a population at risk for other psychiatric disturbances. Treatment, if indicated, may include psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy, with the regimen determined by the patient's specific history and symptoms.
Failure Characteristics and Soft Error Behavior in a Large Storage System

This chapter analyzes the error behavior of a 3.2TB disk storage system. We report reliability data for 18 months of the prototype’s operation, and analyze 6 months of error logs from nodes in the prototype. We found that the disks drives were among the most reliable components in the system. We were also able to divide errors into eleven categories, comprising disk errors, network errors and SCSI errors that appeared repeatedly across all nodes. We also gained insight into the types of error messages reported by devices in various conditions, and the effects of these events on the operating system. We also present data from four cases of disk drive failures. These results and insights should be useful to any designer of a fault tolerant storage system.
Recent Soviet Evaluations of American Philosophy

It would, I suppose, not be good form to begin by saying there are no recent Soviet evaluations of American philosophy or, at least, none worth mentioning. The fact of the matter is, however, that Soviet mentions of American philosophy have been extremely rare over the past ten years. For example, of some 2700 items in Voprosy filosofit and Filosofskie nauki since 1968, only 60, or a little over 2%, have to do with American philosophy. And, none of these deal with classical American philosophy in the sense of Peirce, James and Dewey. Only three names occur more than once — Quine twice, Kuhn three times, and Marcuse twice — if the last can even be considered as belonging to “American philosophy”. It is clear that in Soviet philosophic journals, at least, more attention is paid to “philosophy in America” than to “American philosophy” in the classical sense. This is in stark contrast with German interest in Peirce and the international interest in James and phenomenology.
Filter Design by Modeling

The two preceding chapters presented the traditional design methods for IIR and FIR digital filters. These methods are grounded in the mathematical theory of approximation, where upper and lower constraints are placed on the deviation of |H’(ω)| from the ideal response. Another class of design methods is based on the statistical modeling of spectra; and in these methods, the least-squares error (LSE) criterion is employed. These methods are especially appropriate when the filter design or model is derived from experimental data having random fluctuations. However, they can also be useful for deterministic designs when minimum-phase FIR filters are desired, when nonclassical specifications are given for IIR filters, when poles and zeros of unequal number (N ≠ M) are desired, and so forth. Complete coverage of this field, which is sometimes termed modern spectrum analysis, is beyond the scope of this book, and we will concentrate on deterministic filter design. However, the basics of statistical data modeling and spectrum analysis will also be included in section 10.5.
Hybrid Color Glass Condensate and hydrodynamic description of the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider small system scan

Abstract Multi-particle correlation observables in the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider small system scan are computed in a framework that contains both initial state momentum anisotropies from the Color Glass Condensate effective theory and final state hydrodynamic evolution. The initial state is computed using the IP-Glasma model and coupled to viscous relativistic hydrodynamic simulations, which are followed by microscopic hadronic transport. All parameters of the calculation were previously constrained using experimental data on Au+Au collisions at the same center of mass energy. We find that the qualitative features of the experimental data, such as the system and centrality dependence of the charged hadron momentum anisotropy, can only be reproduced when final state interactions are present. On the other hand, we also demonstrate that the details of the initial state are crucially important for the quantitative description of observables in the studied small systems, as neglecting the initial transverse flow profile or the initial shear stress tensor, which contain information on the momentum anisotropy from the Color Glass Condensate, has dramatic effects on the produced final state anisotropy. We further show that the initial state momentum anisotropy is correlated with the observed elliptic flow in all small systems, with the effect increasing with decreasing multiplicity. We identify the precise measurement of v 2 in d+Au and Au+Au collisions at RHIC energy at the same multiplicity as a means to reveal effects of the initial state momentum anisotropy.
Impact of an electronic health record transition on chemotherapy error reporting.

BackgroundIncident reporting systems allow for frontline employees to report errors and are a critical component of healthcare patient safety programs. Although incident reporting systems cannot qu...
HEADS UP to Brain Injury Awareness

HEADS UP is an educational initiative developed by the Centers for Disease Control. The goal is to raise awareness of concussion and other serious brain injuries to ultimately protect children and ...
Effectiveness of Statistical Assignments in MPA Education: An Experiment

Using an experimental approach, the author found that different statistical assignments can affect learning effectiveness. Reading-only assignments are inferior to other methods for student learnin...
Chapter 36 – Anthelmintics

Anthelmintics are drugs used to eradicate helminth infestations of the intestine or tissues of other organs. The most relevant types of chemical classes of anthelmintics are piperazines, benzimidazoles, imidazothiazoles, tetrahydropyrimidines, isoquinolines, salicylanilides, and few sporadic compounds that do not belong to these chemical classes, such as clorsulon, monepantel, and nitroxinil. No anthelmintic drug is included in the list of Top 200 Drugs by sales for the 2010s.
1476-P: Progression to Type 2 Diabetes from Normal or Impaired Fasting Glucose

The interaction of anthropometric variables with fasting blood glucose on progression from normal fasting glucose to overt diabetes (DM), is uncertain. In the Rochester Epidemiology Project (MN, USA), we identified 44,992 individuals with ≥ 2 fasting plasma glucose (FPG) tests from 2005-17, after excluding people who met criteria for DM (FPG > 125mg/dL) on/before their first FPG. The cohort was 58% female, had an age range of 18-65 yrs (44 ± 10, Mean ± SD) and BMI of 29 ± 7 kg/m2. Subjects who did not develop DM were censored at their last FPG value on/before Dec 31, 2017. Those who developed DM were assigned an event date as the first diagnostic value. Over a median follow-up of 7 yrs, 3888 (8.6%) developed DM. The Kaplan-Meier 10-year cumulative risk of incident DM was 12.8% (CI 12.4%-13.3%). As expected, multivariable Cox modeling identified elevated initial FPG [100-109mg/dL (HR 2.0; 1.9-2.2); 110-125mg/dL (HR 5.8; 5.4-6.3)] as conferring increased risk. Other independent risks were male sex (HR 1.30; 95% CI 1.22-1.38) and abnormal BMI [ Disclosure A.M. Egan: None. C. Wood-Wentz: None. K.R. Bailey: None. A. Vella: Advisory Panel; Self; vTv Therapeutics, Zealand Pharma A/S. Research Support; Self; Novo Nordisk A/S, Xeris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
The Chemistry of Bioluminescence

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the chemistry of bioluminescence. Bioluminescence is the emission of visible light by a living organism or by a biochemical system that is derived from a living organism. It does not result from or depend upon the prior absorption of light by the organism. However, it results from an exergonic reaction in which chemical energy is converted to light energy via a mechanism in which one of the components in the system is left in an electronically excited state. Bioluminescent systems help in the study of basic mechanisms in enzymology and biochemistry. The measurement of light intensity constitutes a powerful method for following the reaction velocity on an instantaneous and continuous basis. By coupling a bioluminescent reaction to another biochemical system, the behavior of the latter might be monitored. The absolute sensitivity of a method of this type is one billion times greater than that of the conventional methods
Chapter 6 – Conclusions

Both cultivated and wild-growing edible mushrooms are consumed as a delicacy, because of their characteristic smell, taste, and texture, or as a healthy food, because of their low calories and high fiber content. Recent global production of cultivated species exceeded 10 million tons and is increasing rapidly. Available information on proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, vitamins, minerals, numerous minor components, and health-stimulating and adverse compounds of culinary mushrooms are presented in this book. Available nutritional data deal mostly with raw mushrooms, whereas information on the changes in nutrients and biologically active compounds during various preservation, culinary, and processing treatments and storage has been limited. Even more scarce are data on bioavailability.
Complex Femoral Reconstruction Following Pathologic Subtrochanteric Femur Fracture Secondary to Paget's Disease of the Bone: A Case Report with Long-Term Follow-up.

Introduction Paget's disease (PD) is the most common metabolic bone disorder after osteoporosis. Clinically, it can result in pain, bony deformity, pathologic fractures, and, in the late stage, progression to malignancy. At a pathophysiological level, PD manifests as an imbalance between the homeostasis of bone destruction and formation. Bones most often involved with this disease process include the pelvis, femur, tibia, vertebra, and skull. The goals of orthopedic intervention in PD are two-fold: Prevention of pathologic fracture with internal stabilization and reconstruction following fracture, which is often complicated by poor bone quality and advanced deformity. In this case report, authors detail a patient with PD who presented with a pathologic left subtrochanteric femur fracture requiring a novel complex femoral reconstruction with a 29-year follow-up period. To the best of our knowledge, no such report exists, particularly with this degree of long-term follow-up. Case report A 70-year-old Caucasian man with PD presented with an atypical subtrochanteric femur fracture after a ground level fall. Due to his significant femoral deformity and osteopenia, proximal femoral resection followed by composite femoral allograft reconstruction with total hip arthroplasty was performed. Long-term durability of this novel reconstruction method as well as longitudinal clinical and radiographic outcomes is described. Conclusion Complex pathologic fractures in patients with PD can be effectively treated with composite femoral allograft reconstruction and total hip arthroplasty with good long-term radiographic and clinical outcomes. Broadly, it is important to note the unique healing pattern seen in PD bone and to consider the implications it may have when planning surgical intervention.
Evolving chemical landscape of e-cigarettes, 2021.

Despite more than a decade of research on the health effects of e-cigarettes, there is still much that is unknown about how the chemicals in e-cigarettes may impact human health. One of the major challenges in e-cigarette research is keeping up with the wide variety of devices and e-liquid formulations available on the market. Recently, disposable e-cigarettes, such as Puff Bar and Puff Plus, skyrocketed in popularity following the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) restrictions on flavoured, cartridge-based products, such as JUUL. While the ban on flavoured, cartridge-based e-cigarettes was intended to reduce the appeal of e-cigarettes to youth, in reality, youth simply switched to disposable products that were not included in the flavour ban. This notion is supported by data from the 2020 National Youth Tobacco Survey, which indicates that between 2019 and 2020, the percentage of high school e-cigarette users who used disposable e-cigarettes increased from 2.4% to 26.5%.1 Data presented in the recent paper ‘Flavor chemicals, synthetic …
BSG/CD147 and ACE2 Receptors Facilitate Direct SARS-CoV-2 Infection of Human iPS Cell-Derived Kidney Podocytes

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) in March 2020. The disease has killed more than 3.8 million people worldwide. While cells in the respiratory system are the initial target for SARS-CoV-2, clinical studies suggest that COVID-19 can become a multi-organ disease in the most severe cases. Still, the direct affinity of SARS-CoV-2 for cells in other organs such as the kidneys, which are often affected in severe COVID-19, remains poorly understood. Here, we employed a human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell-derived model to investigate the affinity of SARS-CoV-2 for kidney glomerular podocytes. Global gene expression and qPCR analyses revealed that human iPS cell-derived podocytes express many host factor genes (including ACE2, BSG/CD147, PLS3, ACTR3, DOCK7, TMPRSS2, CTSL CD209, and CD33) associated with SARS-CoV-2 binding and viral processing. Infection of podocytes with live SARS-CoV-2 or spike-pseudotyped lentiviral particles revealed viral uptake by the cells at low Multiplicity of Infection (MOI of 0.01) as confirmed by RNA quantification and immunofluorescence studies. Our results also indicate that direct infection of human iPS cell-derived podocytes by SARS-CoV-2 virus can cause cell death and podocyte foot process retraction, a hallmark of podocytopathies and progressive glomerular diseases including collapsing glomerulopathy observed in patients with severe COVID-19 disease. Additionally, antibody blocking experiments identified BSG/CD147 and ACE2 receptors as key mediators of spike binding activity in human iPS cell-derived podocytes. These results show that SARS-CoV-2 can infect kidney glomerular podocytes in vitro, making this model potentially useful for kidney-specific antiviral drug screening and mechanistic studies of COVID-19 organotropism. Funding Information: S.M. is a recipient of the Whitehead Scholarship in Biomedical Research, a Chair’s Research Award from the Department of Medicine at Duke University, a MEDx Pilot Grant on Biomechanics in Injury or injury repair, a Burroughs Wellcome Fund PDEP Career Transition Ad Hoc Award, a Duke Incubation Fund from the Duke Innovation & Entrepreneurship Initiative, and a George O’Brien Kidney Center Pilot Grant (P30DK081943). R.B. is a recipient of the Lew’s Predoctoral Fellowship in the Center for Biomolecular and Tissue Engineering (CBTE) at Duke University (T32 Support NIH Grant T32GM800555); M.A.B. is a recipient of an NSF graduate research fellowship; and X.M. is a recipient of the graduate research fellowship from the International Foundation for Ethical Research, INC. Declaration of Interests: The authors have no conflict of interests. Ethics Approval Statement: All cell lines used for this study were obtained under appropriate material transfer agreements and approved by all involved institutional review boards.
Formal Verification of a Java Component Using the RESOLVE Framework.

A Binary Decision Diagram (BDD) is an efficient representation of a Boolean formula with many applications in model checking, SAT solving, networking, and artificial intelligence. This paper uses the RESOLVE specification and reasoning framework to formally verify the functional correctness of a Java implementation of a BDD component. RESOLVE uses rich mathematical abstractions and clean value-based semantics for modular reasoning of assertive code. Java, on the other hand, includes many language features that are inconsistent with this notion of clean semantics and modular reasoning. Aliases, in particular, are easily created via assignment, parameter passing, and iterators, so reference-based semantics and points-to analysis are usually necessary when reasoning about Java code. This paper demonstrates the combination of these two paradigms. The implementation uses Java, but in a disciplined way and layered on a component catalog expressly designed to support modular reasoning. The assertional aspects of the code use RESOLVE, but are tailored to Java syntax and language constructs. In the development of the correctness proof for the BDD component, several errors in the original Java implementation were discovered and corrected. These errors were present despite the implementation passing an extensive test suite, exhibiting the value of the proof. The verification also exposed a limitation in the more general component design pattern related to unreachable code.
Vendor‐Managed Inventory

Vendor-managed inventory (VMI) programs transfer inventory control decisions from the retailer to the supplier. VMI programs rely on information sharing to transmit customer demand and current inventory information to the supplier. The supplier is then in charge of determining the timing and quantity of inventory deliveries to retailers. Most VMI programs contain an initiating contract that specifies elements of the agreement including performance metrics and payment terms. VMI programs have been shown to reduce supply chain costs through shipment consolidation and incentive alignment of decentralized supply chain agents. However, not all VMI programs result in supply chain savings. Even in those cases where VMI can result in system-wide savings, care must be taken to create agreements that are preferable to both suppliers and retailers. Keywords: vendor-managed inventory; VMI; supply chain; contract; retailer replenishment; shipment consolidation; information sharing
Impaired Effector Function of Hepatitis C Virus-Specific CD8+ T Cells in Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Infection

The cellular immune response contributes to clearance of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and persists for decades after recovery from infection. The immunological basis for the inefficiency of the cellular immune response in chronically infected persons is not known. Here, we used four HLA-A2 tetramers, specific for two HCV core and two HCV NS3 epitopes, to investigate at the single-cell level effector function and phenotype of HCV-specific CD8+ T cells in 20 chronically infected and 12 long-term recovered patients. Overall, HCV-specific, tetramer+ T cells were more frequently found in PBMCs of chronically infected patients than in those of recovered patients. However, when compared with HCV-tetramer+ T cells of recovered patients, they displayed an impaired proliferative capacity. As a result of the impaired proliferative capacity, HCV-specific T cell lines derived from chronically infected patients displayed less peptide-specific cytotoxicity than those from recovered patients. In addition, proliferation and ex vivo IFN-gamma production of HCV-tetramer+ cells, but not influenza-virus-specific T cells, were defective in chronically infected patients and could not be restored by in vitro stimulation with peptide and IL-2. At least three distinct phenotypes of HCV-specific CD8+ T cells were identified and associated with certain functional characteristics. In addition, impairment of proliferative, cytokine, and cytotoxic effector functions of tetramer+ T cells in viremic patients was associated with weak ex vivo HCV-specific CD4+ T cell responses. Thus, the defective functions of HCV-specific CD8+ T cells might contribute to viral persistence in chronically infected patients, and knowledge on their reversibility may facilitate the development of immunotherapeutic vaccines.
Neurotrophin-3 induces neural crest-derived cells from fetal rat gut to develop in vitro as neurons or glia

The precursor cells that form the enteric nervous system (ENS) are multipotent when they arrive in the gut from the neural crest. Their differentiation thus depends on signals from the enteric microenvironment. Crest-derived cells were isolated from the fetal rat bowel by immunoselection at E14 with NC-1/HNK-1 antibodies and secondary antibodies coupled to magnetic beads. NC-1/HNK-1-immunoreactive cells were enriched approximately 36-fold. The NC-1/HNK-1-selected population and the residual population were plated at equal cell density and maintained in a defined medium for 6-7 d. The total number of cells found in the cultures of the residual cells was three- to fourfold that in cultures of immunoselected cells. Neurotrophin-3 (NT-3), but not nerve growth factor (NGF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), or neurotrophin-4/5 (NT-4/5), was found to increase the proportion of neurons (neurofilament-immunoreactive or neuron-specific enolase-immunoreactive) or glia (S-100-immunoreactive) (from 6.6 +/- 0.9% to 15.2 +/- 1.4%; p < 0.001). This effect was concentration dependent (from 1 to 40 ng/ml) and observed only in the cultures of immunoselected cells. NT-3 also enhanced neurite outgrowth. NT-3 increased neither cell number nor bromodeoxyuridine incorporation and thus was not mitogenic. Exposure of immunoselected cells to NT-3 rapidly and transiently induced the appearance of nuclear Fos immunoreactivity. Transcripts coding for TrkC, the transducing receptor for NT-3, were identified in the fetal rat gut (E14-E16) and in the immunoselected population of cells using reverse transcriptase and the polymerase chain reaction. It is concluded that NT-3 specifically promotes the differentiation of enteric crest-derived cells as neurons or glia and may thus play a role in the development and/or maintenance of the ENS.
Effect of land cover, habitat fragmentation and ant colonies on the distribution and abundance of shrews in southern California

Summary 1 Because effects of habitat fragmentation and anthropogenic disturbance on native animals have been relatively little studied in arid areas and in insectivores, we investigated the roles of different land covers, habitat fragmentation and ant colonies on the distribution and abundance of shrews, Notiosorex crawfordi and Sorex ornatus, in southern California. 2 Notiosorex crawfordi was the numerically dominant species (trap-success rate 0·52) occurring in 21 of the 22 study sites in 85% of the 286 pitfall arrays used in this study. Sorex ornatus was captured in 14 of the sites, in 52% of the arrays with a total trap-success rate of 0·2. Neither of the species was found in one of the sites. 3 The population dynamics of the two shrew species were relatively synchronous during the 4–5-year study; the peak densities usually occurred during the spring. Precipitation had a significant positive effect, and maximum temperature a significant negative effect on the trap-success rate of S. ornatus. 4 Occurrence and abundance of shrews varied significantly between sites and years but the size of the landscape or the study site had no effect on the abundance of shrews. The amount of urban edge had no significant effect on the captures of shrews but increased edge allows invasion of the Argentine ants, which had a highly significant negative impact on the abundance of N. crawfordi. 5 At the trap array level, the percentage of coastal sage scrub flora had a significant positive, and the percentage of other flora had a significant negative effect on the abundance of N. crawfordi. The mean canopy height and the abundance of N. crawfordi had a significant positive effect on the occurrence of S. ornatus. 6 Our study suggests that the loss of native coastal sage scrub flora and increasing presence of Argentine ant colonies may significantly effect the distribution and abundance of N. crawfordi. The very low overall population densities of both shrew species in most study sites make both species susceptible to extinction in isolated habitat fragments due to environmental stochasticity, and anthropogenic disturbance.
Relation of Performance of Selected Physical Skills to Perceptual Aspects of Reading Readiness in Elementary School Children

Abstract Relationships between performance scores in reading achievement, Frostig Developmental Test of Visual Perception, Lincoln-Oseretsky Motor Development Scale, two perceptual-motor tasks and eye-hand dominance tests were studied in 75 first and second grade children. Correlations among many variables were significant although none were high enough for reliable prediction of one variable from another. Mixed eye-hand dominance was not found to be associated with deficient performance in any of the tests. Factor analysis failed to provide factors indicative of interrelationships among elements of visual, motor, and reading functions.
Rural electricity in the Philippines: Planning issues

Abstract The government of the Philippines is committed to reducing the country's dependence on imported oil. An element in its plan to accomplish this goal is the generation of electricity using indigenous energy sources — wood/ biomass, hydro, geothermal and coal. Wood-fired generation in the Philippines has drawn worldwide attention from other developing countries interested in embarking on similar programmes. This investigation reveals the difficulties inherent in implementing such a programme. Primary concerns include the institutional issues in the generation and distribution of power by the National Power Corporation (NPC), the National Electrification Administration (NEA), the rural electric cooperatives (RECs) and the tree farmer associations (TFAs), the influence of demand patterns on the financial viability of rural electric cooperatives, and the influence of low load factors, small size and remote locations on the cost of dendro thermal power plants. The conclusions s should be of interest to other countries interested in pursuing similar programmes.
Biomarkers of Bone Remodeling in Children with Mucopolysaccharidosis Types I, II, and VI

PURPOSE: Skeletal disease causes significant morbidity in mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS), and bone remodeling processes in MPS have not been well characterized. The objective of this study was to determine if biomarkers of bone turnover are abnormal in children with specific MPS disorders (i.e. MSP-I, MPS-II, and MPS-VI) compared to healthy children. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed of serum biomarkers of bone formation (bone-specific alkaline phosphatase [BSAP], osteocalcin) and urine biomarkers of bone resorption (pyridinoline, deoxypyridinoline) in MPS and healthy controls. Measures of physical function and pain were obtained using the Children’s Health Questionnaire (CHQ). RESULTS: The cohort consisted of 39 children with MPS (MPS-I = 26; MPS-II = 11; MPS-VI = 4) and 51 healthy children. Adjusting for sex and Tanner stage group, MPS individuals had statistically significant increases for osteocalcin ( p< 0.001), with trends toward higher BSAP (p = 0.054) and urinary pyridinoline (p = 0.084). These biomarkers were not significantly associated with CHQ bodily pain and physical-function scores. CONCLUSION: Osteocalcin was increased in children with MPS disorders, with trends for increases in BSAP and urinary pyridinoline, suggesting that bone remodeling is altered in children with MPS. Future studies to assess the ability of these biomarkers to quantify and monitor MPS skeletal disease in response to therapy are needed.
CDCS: A New Development Approach for Distributed Applications in Java

The Communication Design and Control System (CDCS) provides computer assistance for the communication aspects of a distributed program in a network environment. The CDCS supports the static definition of kind of structure of shared objects, exchanged messages, remotely called procedures and remotely invoked methods. It identifies client and server processing units together with the involved services and puts produced Java and C++ code into essential program units. Automatically generated headers and program skeletons containing Java interfaces and C++ definitions for the communication ease object-oriented programming and improve the program reliability. Similar tools set is delivered for UNIX and Windows NT.
Organizing the Meatpacking Industry in the United States

THE HlSTORYof the meatpacking industry and the United Packinghouse Workers of America (UPWA) raises questions about class, industrial relations, race, gender, and ethnicity in the United States. This industry's history, which entwines traditional institutional questions with those of workers' agency, suggests how changing work processes influenced workers' political development and encouraged unified action among previously divided groups. Its story also embraces the surrounding neighbourhoods where community figures played an increasingly important role in determining the success of union drives. Halpern's study and Stromquist and Bergman's collection are two of the best examples from a growing number of monographs, dissertations, and articles on the meatpacking industry that capture the human experience of industrial relations in 20th-century America. By integrating rich oral histories with archival research, and by offering a variety of thoughtprovoking perspectives on the meatpacking industry and the nature of its union,
The Challenge of Generating Spatially Balanced Scientific Experiment Designs

The development of the theory and construction of combinatorial designs originated with the work of Euler on Latin squares. A Latin square on n symbols is an n × n matrix (n is the order of the Latin square), in which each symbol occurs precisely once in each row and in each column. Several interesting research questions posed by Euler with respect to Latin squares, namely regarding orthogonality properties, were only solved in 1959 [3]. Many other questions concerning Latin squares constructions still remain open today.
Adhesion of Macroconidia to the Plant Surface and Virulence of Nectria haematococca.

To study spore attachment of the cucurbit pathogen Nectria haematococca (anamorph, Fusarium solani f. sp. cucurbitae ), mutants with adhesion-deficient macroconidia were isolated. The adhesion-deficient mutants were selected after treatment with N -methyl- N′ -nitro- N -nitrosoguanidine followed by repeated enrichment for macroconidia which did not attach to polystyrene. Two independently derived mutants produced macroconidia with an approximately 50% reduction in attachment to polystyrene and to zucchini fruits. When macroconidia were inoculated into wounded zucchini fruits, the adhesion-deficient mutants were as virulent as the wild-type strain. However, in disease assays in which macroconidia were deposited onto the surface of unwounded zucchini, the mutants were less virulent than the wild type. Thus, adhesion of N. haematococca macroconidia to its host surface appears to be a virulence factor. Images
A pharmacokinetic analysis of the effect of temperature on the accumulation of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) in sheepshead minnow

Abstract Sheepshead minnow Cyprinodon variegatus maintained at 10, 16, 23, 29 and 35°C, were exposed for varying periods of time (2–96 h) to 2-1 solutions of 60 ng [14C]DEHP/ml. After exposure, the amount of DEHP in the fish, its concentration in the water and the amount of DEHP metabolites in both fish and water samples were determined. The fish were characterized by a two compartment clearance constant based pharmacokinetic model. The absorption clearance increased linearly with temperature probably due to a temperature-induced increase in gill blood flow. The amount of DEHP accumulated by the fish at 72 h was 6-fold larger at 35° compared with 10°C. The metabolic clearance also increased as a function of temperature and appeared to have maximum value between 29 and 35°C. Temperature had a significant effect on the distribution kinetics of DEHP as reflected by the 13-fold increase in the intercompartmental clearance constant. The apparent volume of distribution was strongly temperature dependent, probably due to temperature-sensitive partitioning into storage tissues. The model predicted bioconcentration factor increased exponentially with temperature from 45 at 10°C to 6 510 at 35°C. This finding is significant because it indicates that the control of temperature is important whenever the kinetic behavior of DEHP is under consideration.
Cyclic AMP stimulates ouabain-insensitive ion movement in shark rectal gland

When the active sodium-potassium pump (Na−K-ATPase) of shark rectal glands is blocked by ouabain, the concentration of intracellular ions changes in the direction of equilibrium with extracellular fluid. These changes were examined when isolated perfused glands were in the basal state and also when they were stimulated to secrete with cAMP and theophylline, to see whether stimulation affected the passive movement of sodium, potassium and chloride across cell membranes. In basal glands 10−4M ouabain induced an increase of 30 meq/l in intracellular [Na+] and a decrease in intracellular [K+] of about 50 meq/l after 30 min, while intracellular [Cl−] was unchanged. In stimulated glands, these movements were exaggerated. The increase in intracellular [Na+] averaged 112 meq/l, and the decrease in intracellular [K+], 96 meq/l (P<0.01), while mean intracellular [Cl−] rose by 80 meq/l. Furosemide, 10−4M, partially reversed the accelerated changes in intracellular electrolytes seen after ouabain was added to stimulated glands. These results are consistent with an action of cAMP upon a ouabaininsensitive cotransport of sodium, potassium and chloride in the rectal gland, analogous to that described in avian erythrocytes.
Advanced gamma-ray astronomy telescope experiment: AGATE

In order to continue the achievements in high energy (10 MeV - 100 GeV) gamma-ray astronomy made with the Energetic Gamma-Ray Experiment Telescope (EGRET) instrument on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO), a 'next generation' high energy gamma- ray telescope with a large increase in sensitivity coupled with improved angular resolution will be required. This 'next generation' telescope is envisioned as a 2 m X 2 m active area telescope using drift chambers for the imaging detector. The four major components of the instrument are the anticoincidence shield, the track imaging system, the coincidence/time-of- flight system and the energy measurement system. In this paper we discuss the design goals and challenges for the four subsystems and the techniques we are utilizing to achieve them as well as the design and performance of high speed electronics that we have developed specifically for this application.
Testing Clinical Judgment during a Crisis

Following the recent disaster, Hurricane Camille, a large group of patients were transferred from one neuropsychiatric hospital to another. In making arrangements to accept and accommodate new patients, rapid decisions had to be made to relocate patients within the hospital. The staff transferred patients from a regressed geriatric unit to one of three units based upon subjective decisions as to the patients' capacity to care for themselves. Follow-up data with the Minimal Social Behavior Scale show that they made accurate decisions.
Supplier selection, monitoring practices, and firm performance

Abstract Our paper examines whether supplier selection and monitoring practices affect the association between supplier strategies and organizational performance. Management accounting researchers (Atkinson, A., Waterhouse, J., 1996. Strategic Performance Measurement: Scope and Implementation Issues; Gietzmann, M.B., 1996. Accounting, Organizations and Society, 21 (6), 611–626, p. 613) argue that supplier partnerships can enhance cost management efforts by improving product quality, accelerating the product development process, and increasing process efficiency through supplier-originated ideas and technologies. However, the development of effective supplier partnerships may also require different selection and monitoring practices than arms-length supplier transactions. Empirical tests using data from the automotive and computer industries indicated that the performance gains from supplier partnerships practices are contingent on extensive use of non-price selection criteria, frequent meetings and interactions with suppliers, and supplier certification. In contrast, these selection and monitoring practices appeared to have little effect on the performance of organizations following arms-length supplier relations.
Correlation between ribosylation of pertussis toxin substrates and inhibition of peptidoglycan-, muramyl dipeptide- and lipopolysaccharide-induced mitogenic stimulation in B lymphocytes

Selective inhibition by pertussis toxin (PT) of mitogenic activation of mouse B lymphocytes by bacterial mitogens (peptidoglycan and lipopolysaccharide) and muramyl dipeptide (a synthetic analog of peptidoglycan fragment) was demonstrated. Mitogenic activation of B cells by protein kinase C activators and ionomycin was insensitive to PT. Also PT did not inhibit peptidoglycan- and lipopolysaccharide-induced differentiation of B cells into Ig-secreting cells, when it was added to the cultures after the proliferative stage of the response. B lymphocyte membranes contained two major PT substrates (40 and 41 kDa). The extent of PT-mediated ADP ribosylation of these substrates correlated with the degree of PT-mediated inhibition of mitogenic stimulation of B cells. B cell stimulation by all mitogens tested was not inhibited by cholera toxin at nontoxic concentrations that are known to cause maximal increase in cAMP in B cells. Since the only known substrates for PT-mediated ADP ribosylation in mammalian cells are the alpha subunits of some G proteins, our data suggest that G proteins are present in B cell membranes and that they are involved in B cell activation induced by bacterial mitogens.