cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cholesterol metabolism in relation to aging and dietary fat in rats and humans

A review of research in the authors' laboratories regarding effects of dietary fat polyunsaturation upon longevity in rats and some aspects of the regulation of cholesterol metabolism with regard to age of rats and humans is presented. The longevity of the rat was found to be enhanced by consumption of dietary fat providing a polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acid (P/S) ratio of 0.3 to 1, corresponding to about 5–12% of energy (en%) as linoleate, compared with less or more polyunsaturated fat, mechanisms of the effects of the fats upon cholesterol metabolism were studied. With advancing age, there seems to be a decline in the rate of catabolism of cholesterol, resulting in longer retention in the body of the rat. In the human, there seems to be a decline in regulation of uptake of cholesterol by leukocytes and, therefore, perhaps other tissues, resulting in increased synthesis of cholesterol by the peripheral tissues. Moderate rather than high dietary consumption of polyunsaturated fat seems to be favorable to metabolic processes contributing to longevity.
Familial Dementia with Lewy Bodies with an Atypical Clinical Presentation

The authors report a case of a 64-year-old male with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) pathology at autopsy who did not manifest the core symptoms of DLB until very late in his clinical course. His initial presentation of early executive and language dysfunction suggested a cortical dementia similar to frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). Core symptoms of DLB including dementia, hallucination, and parkinsonian symptoms were not apparent until late in the course of his illness. Autopsy revealed both brainstem and cortical Lewy bodies and AD pathology. Family history revealed 7 relatives with a history of dementia including 4 with possible or probable DLB. This case is unique because of the FTLD-like presentation, positive family history of dementia, and autopsy confirmation of DLB.
Hepatic, placental, and fetal trace elements following molybdenum supplementation during gestation.

The effect of dietary Mo (Na2Mo42H2O) added to drinking water at levels of 0, 5, 10, 50, or 100 mg on hepatic (gestating dams), placental, and fetal Mo, Cu, Zn, and Fe contents of Sprague-Dawley rats was studied. These elements were determined by a polarographic catalytic procedure for Mo and by atomic absorption spectrophotometry for Cu, Fe, and Zn. Hepatic Mo increased two to sixfold (5–100 mg Mo). There was a 1.5-fold increase in hepatic Cu, significant only at the 50 to 100 mg Mo/L treatment levels. Although the hepatic Fe content of the gestating rats significantly increased with Mo supplementation, the extent of the increase appeared to be influenced by the litter size, fetal weights, and the degree of fetal resorption. Zinc values did not differ at any of the treatment levels. Placental Mo increased 3–76-fold, Cu one to threefold. No differences were observed in placenta Fe or Zn. Fetal Mo increased two to six-fold (10–100 mg/L) and Cu increased one to fivefold. There were no differences in the Fe and Zn content although both of these elements appeared to decline as the level of supplemental Mo increased. Significant correlations were also observed between hepatic, placental, and fetal Mo, Cu, Fe, and Zn. These results suggest that changes in trace mineral status in gestation, owing to high Mo intake, do occur and such occurrences are also reflected in the fetus.
Quasistatic compression of a compact torus.

We have demonstrated the formation of stable, symmetric, compact-torus (CT) plasma rings and the subsequent stable, twofold radial compression in coaxial conical electrodes with the ring accelerator experiment. The CT is compressed by J\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}B forces from a capacitor bank discharging across the conical electrodes. During compression, the force of the ${\mathbf{B}}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{\theta}}}$ acceleration field balances the force of the CT poloidal field against the cones, in good agreement with a 2D code. Power amplification factors of \ensuremath{\sim}100 may be possible with an opening switch based on this technique.
Oxandrolone treatment of short stature: effect on predicted mature height.

Twenty boys and 7 girls aged 3 7/12 to 17 years were treated with oxandrolone during the second 6 months of an 18 or 24 month period. Measurements of length and skeletal age were made at the beginning and at 6 month intervals. The daily dose was 0.05 mg. per kilogram (7 patients), 0.1 mg. per kilogram (13 patients), or 0.2 mg. per kilogram (7 patients). Predictions for mature height at the beginning of the study were compared with those at the end of the treatment period and at 6 to 12 months after termination of treatment. Responses were similar on all 3 doses. In all but 4 children the rate of increase in height age was increased during treatment. Increments in skeletal age were accelerated more than those in height age during the 6 months following treatment. Eight children had a decrease of predicted mature height ranging from 1.5 to 7.5 cm. When oxandrolone medication was given to children whose bone age was at least 9 years, there was no evidence of a deleterious effect on predicted mature height.
Adapting heart failure guidelines for nursing care in home health settings: challenges and solutions.

Background: Nurses provide most of home health services for patients with heart failure, and yet there are no evidence-based practice guidelines developed for home health nurses. Purpose: The purpose of this article was to review the challenges and solutions for adapting generally available HF clinical practice guidelines to home health nursing. Methods: Appropriate HF guidelines were identified and home health nursing-relevant guidelines were extracted by the research team. In addition, a team of nursing academic and practice experts evaluated the extracted guidelines and reached consensus through Delphi rounds. Results: We identified 172 recommendations relevant to home health nursing from the American Heart Association and Heart Failure Society of America guidelines. The recommendations were divided into 5 groups (generic, minority populations, normal ejection fraction, reduced ejection fraction, and comorbidities) and further subgroups. Experts agreed that 87% of the recommendations selected by the research team were relevant to home health nursing and rejected 6% of the selected recommendations. Experts’ opinions were split on 7% of guideline recommendations. Experts mostly disagreed on recommendations related to HF medication and laboratory prescription as well as HF patient assessment. These disagreements were due to lack of patient information available to home health nurses as well as unclear understanding of scope of practice regulations for home health nursing. After 2 Delphi rounds over 8 months, we achieved 100% agreement on the recommendations. The finalized guideline included 153 recommendations. Conclusions: Guideline adaptation projects should include a broad scope of nursing practice recommendations from which home health agencies can customize relevant recommendations in accordance with available information and state and agency regulations.
Long-term tillage and wheel traffic effects on a poorly drained mollic ochraqualf in northwest Ohio. 2. Infiltrability, surface runoff, sub-surface flow and sediment transport

Tillage-caused alterations in water infiltration, surface runoff, subsurface flow and sediment transport in surface and subsurface flow were studied for a clayey Mollic Ochraqualf for corn-soybean rotation in northwestern Ohio. Measurements were made on field runoff plots, 0.04 ha each, established in 1975. There were 4 tillage treatments: (A) continuous no-till for 12 years; (B) no-till for 10 years followed by plow-till for 2 years; (C) plow-till for 10 years followed by no-till for 2 years; (D) continuous plow-till for 12 years. Twelve years of continuous no-till and plow-till systems resulted in differences in soil water sorptivity and transmissivity coefficients of Philip's infiltration model for the traffic zone (TZ) and the row zone (RZ) sites. Average soil-water sorptivity in plow-till treatments was 9.1 times that in no-till treatments. In no-till, sorptivity in RZ was 4.8 times that in TZ. The infiltration data was better described by the Kostiakov model than by the Philip model. Surface runoff was somewhat more in plow-till than in no-till treatments. Subsurface flow was generally more in plow-till than no-till treatments. In no-till plots, the threshold value of subsurface flow, below which there was no surface flow, was about 22% of the annual precipitation. No such relation was observed for plow-till treatment. In general, sediment load was low, but was more for plow-till than no-till treatments. The mean sediment load in surface runoff ranged from 0.09 to 0.35 t ha−1 year−1 in plow-till plots compared with 0.015–0.117 t ha−1 year−1 in the no-till treatment.
Disconnected optimal trajectories

The Bolza problem of the calculus of variations in modern control notation is extended in scope to include situations in which a number of subarcs occur in a variety of ways. The subarcs are allowed to be overlapping and/or separated. This allows for several subarcs to occur in the same interval of the independent variable and also admits subarcs which are separated by jumps in the independent and state variables. In addition, the differential constraining equations and the integral quantity to be extremized are permitted to have different form from subarc to subarc. The necessary conditions for the extended Bolza problem are obtained by examining a related functional. Whereas the optimizing conditions for the state and control variables for each subarc are given by the usual Euler equations, new conditions associated with the end points of the subarcs are derived using ordinary theory of maxima and minima. The results presented here can be applied to a wide range of space trajectory problems. For some special cases, the theory reduces to results previously obtained and recorded elsewhere. A number of sample problems illustrating the theory are presented. The examples include the problem of inserting two payloads into separate orbits with one vehicle having two upper stages ignited simultaneously and a two-vehicle, dual-rendezvous problem.
On Primes, Density Measures, and Statistical Independence.

(2005). On Primes, Density Measures, and Statistical Independence. The College Mathematics Journal: Vol. 36, No. 4, pp. 284-288.
Male spottail darters (Etheostoma squamiceps) do not use chemical or positional cues to discriminate between sired and foster eggs

Filial cannibalism is hypothesized to allow nest-guarding males to recoup energy lost during nest defense. Males in many species of fishes occasionally defend broods containing both sired and foster eggs due to shifts in nest site ownership or cuckoldry. Such males are predicted to consume primarily foster eggs if the ability to discriminate among eggs exists. In a previous laboratory study, male spottail darters (Etheostoma squamiceps) consumed significantly more foster eggs than sired eggs, suggesting the existence of a mechanism for discrimination using chemical or positional cues. This discrimination mechanism in the spottail darter was tested by creating nest sites with half sired eggs and half foster eggs (n=15), or with all sired eggs with half positionally relocated (n=9). Males defended these nests for 2 days in the field, and cannibalism was determined by counting eggs lost during that interval. Neither foster eggs nor relocated sired eggs were consumed in greater numbers or percentages of the original brood sizes than the unchanged sired eggs, indicating that male spottail darters do not discriminate between foster and sired eggs by olfaction or position. Alternatively, the hypothesis that males treat all eggs in nest sites in which they have spawned as sired explains the results of both studies.
Recovery of the three-dimensional shape of an object from a single view

Given a single picture which is a projection of a three-dimensional scene onto the two-dimensional picture plane, we usually have definite ideas about the 3-D shapes of objects. To do this we need to use assumptions about the world and the image formation process, since there exist a large number of shapes which can produce the same picture. The purpose of this paper is to identify some of these assumptions—mostly geometrical ones—by demonstrating how the theory and techniques which exploit such assumptions can provide a systematic shape-recovery method. The method consists of two parts. The first is the application of the Origami theory which models the world as a collection of plane surfaces and recovers the possible shapes qualitatively. The second is the technique of mapping image regularities into shape constraints for recovering the probable shapes quantitatively. Actual shape recovery from a single view is demonstrated for the scenes of an object such as a box and a chair. Given a single image, the method recovers the 3-D shapes of an object in it, and generates images of the same object as we would see it from other directions.
State scarring by ‘‘ghosts’’ of periodic orbits

In this paper we discover a generic structure in the eigenfunctions of quantum billiards, namely, scarring by families of stable periodic orbits in a nonchaotic system. Our study is conducted on two different triangular billiards, one an ergodic system and the other a ``pseudointegrable'' billiard. Surprisingly, we detect scars in regions which contain no periodic orbits. The periodic orbits responsible for scarring reside in a ``neighboring'' triangle. Such orbits show a more complex phase space structure than the ``bouncing ball'' trajectories of the stadium billiard. While diffuse nodal structure is usually the antithesis of scarring, we show that in some eigenstates it is supported by extensive families of stable periodic orbits.
Rebuilding New Orleans, one nurse at a time

Abstract The purpose of this article is to share insights from nursing faculty as they rallied to graduate Level II sophomores at Delgado Community College Charity School of Nursing in New Orleans post-Katrina. Nursing of the Adult Client II faculty assembled students to return to class 6 weeks after Katrina and complete their curriculum in a compressed semester. The students graduated with only a 1-month delay with a 90% pass rate for the National Council Licensure Examination.
Human cyclofusional response.

Abstract Objective measurement of the human cyclofusional response was carried out. Disparities up to 5° were fused but no rotation of the globes was detected. It was concluded that the observed cyclofusional responses were mediated centrally rather than through cyclotorsion of the eyes. It was found that the maximum fused vertical disparity introduced by the cyclofusional stimulus for various peripheral angles of the retinas was close to, but always less than, the disparity threshold for diplopia values obtained by Volkman. The observed cyclofusionla response was described in terms of the disparity threshold for diplopia.
Lichens as Indicators of Air Pollution

Lichens are well known as sensitive indicators of air pollution, particularly for sulfur dioxide. In part, this is related to their unique biology. Evidence supporting this assertion goes back well over 100 years and is based on extensive field and laboratory studies. In general, these studies reinforce each other, but for oxidants the data are not entirely consistent, and consequently require further work. At the least, lichens appear to be less sensitive to oxidants than vascular plants. Acid precipitation effects are closely related to SO2 effects. The mechanistic basis for SO2 effects is briefly reviewed. The extreme sensitivity of lichens to SO2 is partially related to their ability to absorb more SO2 for a given concentration than typical vascular plants. The use of lichens as long-term integrators of elemental deposition patterns is well established, but their use for monitoring dry deposition has only recently been recognized. Air pollutants adversely impact not only growth, reproductive potential, and morphology, but also a wide variety of physiological processes, which also becomes reflected in ultrastructural changes. The impact of organic pollutants on lichens is largely undocumented and is a prime area for future work, even though much work remains to be accomplished with the traditionally recognized air pollutants.
Clostridium botulinum CONTROL BY SODIUM NITRITE AND SORBIC ACID IN VARIOUS MEAT AND SOY PROTEIN FORMULATIONS

Clostridium botulinurn inoculated frankfurter-type mixtures formulated with different meats (mechanically deboned chicken. meat, beef, and pork) and/or soy proteins (textured, concentrate, and isolate) were incubated at 27°C. The effects of sodium nitrite and/ or sorbic acid on botulinal spore germination, outgrowth, and toxin production were determined at specified time intervals during the incubation period. Also, residual nitrite depletion and in some instances total microbial growth were measured. Sorbic acid alone (0.2%) or in combination with nitrite (80 pg/g) retarded spore germination and outgrowth, and delayed toxin production. These effects were of larger magnitude in mixtures formulated with both nitrite and sorbic acid and were greater in beef, pork, and soy proteins compared to mechanically deboned chicken meat. Nitrite (80 μg/g) alone was only slightly effective in delaying toxin production and of significance only in pork. The highest nitrite level (156 μg/g)) tested in a meat-soy mixture was significantly inhibitory to toxin development. Botulinal germination, outgrowth, and toxin production were slower in all-soy, control (nitrite/sorbic acid-free) formulations than in all-meat, control samples. Residual nitrite depletion was slower in soy formulations, especially of the textured form, compared to all-meat treatments. Inclusion of nitrite and/or sorbic acid in the formulation did not significantly change the rate and extent of total microbial growth in meat-soy formulations.
Comparison of transient and stationary neutral pressure response in the DIII-D advanced divertor

The DIII-D divertor baffle system was designed to facilitate density control in long pulse H-mode discharges by removing a particle flux equal to the neutral beam fueling rate (∼20 Torrl/s) with a ∼1 mTorr neutral pressure under the baffle (p0). Initial measurements of the baffle pressure indicated that p0∼10 mTorr (without pumping or biasing), a value much in excess of that required for long pulse density control. Radial sweeps of the X-point position have been employed to determine the maximum p0, as well as to establish the dependence of this pressure on geometry. An estimate of the particle equilibration time for the baffle system has been made by studying the baffle pressure response to “giant” ELM effects. “Steady state” experiments in which the X-point position was fixed for ∼2.5 s have also been carried out and steady baffle pressures were observed. The scaling of baffle pressure with plasma parameters has been found to be similar under transient and “steady state” conditions. Detailed modeling of these experiments with the B2, DEGAS, and WDIFFUSE (wall model) codes has been performed.
Synthesis and Characterization of Strongly Luminescing ZnS-Capped CdSe Nanocrystals

We describe the synthesis of ZnS-capped CdSe semiconductor nanocrystals using organometallic reagents by a two-step single-flask method. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and optical absorption are consistent with nanocrystals containing a core of nearly monodisperse CdSe of 27−30 A diameter with a ZnS capping 6 ± 3 A thick. The ZnS capping with a higher bandgap than CdSe passivates the core crystallite removing the surface traps. The nanocrystals exhibit strong and stable band-edge luminescence with a 50% quantum yield at room temperature.
Dependence of Phase Instabilities on Bunch Length at the CEA

Betatron and phase instabilities have been observed at the CEA during multicycle filling and dc storage. The betatron instabilities are caused by the head-tail effect and have been controlled with sextupoles which make the chromaticity zero or slightly positive. The phase instability at present limits the electron and positron current which can be accumulated. We have made measurements of the threshold currents required to observe the onset of phase instabilities. These measurements show: a. The threshold current required to observe the onset of this phase instability is independent of the number of bunches down even to one bunch. (Here and throughout this paper, current is defined as the current in one bunch averaged over one rf period, ie., 1 mA = 1.4 × 107/bunch.) b. The threshold current for the onset of this instability first decreases with increasing bunch length, goes through a minimum, then increases again for long bunch length. A cavity operating at the third harmonic of the main accelerating system frequency, thus providing increased nonlinearity of the total rf voltage waveform (hence increasing the Landau damping), increased the threshold current for the onset of these instabilities.
Trace feature map: a model of episodic associative memory

An approach to episodic associative memory is presented, which has several desirable properties as a human memory model. The design is based on topological feature map representation of data. An ordinary feature map is a classifier, mapping an input vector onto a topologically meaningful location on the map. A trace feature map, in addition, creates a memory trace on that location. The traces can be stored episodically in a single presentation, and retrieved with a partial cue. Nearby traces overlap, which results in plausible memory interference behavior. Performance degrades gracefully as the memory is overloaded. More recent traces are easier to recall as are traces that are unique in the memory.
Cardiac Output and Central Pressure Data

BECAUSE of the importance of cardiac output and its relation to an individual's physical condition, it would be valuable to have a reliable relationship between the cardiac output of an animal or human being and his central pressure cycle at any moment and condition of interest. The only available formula of that type that is essentially scientific is one for stroke volume, due to Frank1, namely, in which V s is the stroke volume (cm.3), A is the central patent cross-section (cm.2), t s is the duration of systole (sec.), Δp is the pulse pressure (dynes/cm.2), and c is the propagation velocity of the pulse wave (cm./sec.).
Incorporating risk assessment and benefit-cost analysis in environmental management

Current public sector programs for managing environmental risks contain two key sources of variation: organizational mandates and other structural factors; and the individual perceptions and values of decision makers themselves. Research to date has focused almost exclusively on the organizational dimension. There is a paucity of systematic analysis focusing on the individual dimension of risk policy making within an institutional context. Limited intraagency evaluation of individual and collective judgments of environmental risk issues is a second major shortcoming. This is striking because some of the most controversial environmental decisions have featured highly visible, internal disputes such as the conflict between the Environmental Protection Agency's political and technocratic sides in considering alternative strategies for improving air quality in the late 1970s. Using data from interviews with a key set of individuals at the US Environmental Protection Agency, this study examines intraagency views about the incorporation of risk assessment and benefit-cost analysis in environment management.
A new technique for ultrasonic-nondestructive evaluation of thin specimens

Combining standard FFT methods with conventional ultrasonics, a method has been developed for measuring the phase velocity, the group velocity and the attenuation in ultrathin specimens (submillimeter or subwavelength in thickness). A detailed description of this technique is given. The technique was used on four disparate materials: aluminum, an epoxy, a particulate composite and a graphite-fiber/epoxy composite. The method works equally well for thin or thick specimens, and for dispersive as well as nondispersive media.
Foot and Ankle Update

The purpose of this foot and ankle update is to educate the reader on important foot and ankle topics including current controversies, physical examination, diagnostics, and management. Quick-view lists are used to give easy access to the most significant knowledge points for providing patient care for these entities. These topics were chosen either because they are very common or because of the high morbidity involved should there be a misdiagnosis or mismanagement.
How Fair Values and Accounting Structures Allow Triple-Counting Income: Implications for Standard Setters, Market Participants, and Academics

The legal and economic rationales for using off-balance sheet structures for securitizations of receivables are compelling. However, accounting standards enabled self-interested parties to participate in the securitizations in nontransparent ways. For instance, securitizing firms set up the off-balance sheet structures, sold tranches to these structures, and often booked gains on these sales based on internally determined valuations. In addition, the tranches retained by the firm were marked to market, again based on internally determined valuations. In the wake of the financial crisis, the accounting standards changed and began requiring most off-balance sheet structures to be reconsolidated. However, the standards continued to allow nontransparent treatments. Namely, the securitized assets, which had largely become nonperforming, were written down in a way to avoid income recognition, providing incentives to overaccrue allowances, which are now being released as gains in income. We provide a case study to illustrate the issues in detail, and we expand our study to the group of the largest credit card securitizers. We highlight the implications of triple-counting income for research analysts, academicians, and policy makers.
The response of creeping parts of the San Andreas fault to earthquakes on nearby faults: Two examples

Rates of shallow slip on creeping sections of the San Andreas fault have been perturbed on a number of occasions by earthquakes occurring on nearby faults. One example of such perturbations occurred during the 26 January 1986 magnitude 5.3 Tres Pinos earthquake located about 10 km southeast of Hollister, California. Seven creepmeters on the San Andreas fault showed creep steps either during or soon after the shock. Both left-lateral (LL) and right-lateral (RL) steps were observed. A rectangular dislocation in an elastic half-space was used to model the coseismic fault offset at the hypocenter. For a model based on the preliminary focal mechanism, the predicted changes in static shear stress on the plane of the San Andreas fault agreed in sense (LL or RL) with the observed slip directions at all seven meters; for a model based on a refined focal mechanism, six of the seven meters showed the correct sense of motion. Two possible explanations for such coseismic and postseismic steps are (1) that slip was triggered by the earthquake shaking or (2) that slip occurred in response to the changes in static stress fields accompanying the earthquake. In the Tres Pinos example, the observed steps may have been of both the triggered and responsive kinds. A second example is provided by the 2 May 1983 magnitude 6.7 Coalinga earthquake, which profoundly altered slip rates at five creepmeters on the San Andreas fault for a period of months to years. The XMM1 meter 9 km northwest of Parkfield, California recorded LL creep for more than a year after the event. To simulate the temporal behavior of the XMM1 meter and to view the stress perturbation provided by the Coalinga earthquake in the context of steady-state deformation on the San Andreas fault, a simple time-evolving dislocation model was constructed. The model was driven by a single long vertical dislocation below 15 km in depth, that was forced to slip at 35 mm/yr in a RL sense. A dislocation element placed in the seismogenic layer under XMM1 was given a finite breaking strength of sufficient magnitude to produce a Parkfield-like earthquake every 22 years. When stress changes equivalent to a Coalinga earthquake were superposed on the model running in a steady state mode, the effect was to make a segment under XMM1, that could slip in a linear viscous fashion, creep LL and to delay the onset of the next Parkfield-like earthquake by a year or more. If static stress changes imposed by earthquakes off the San Andreas can indeed advance or delay earthquakes on the San Andreas by months or years, then such changes must be considered in intermediate-term prediction efforts.
Paleogene paleoceanography of the Arctic Ocean is constrained by the middle or late Eocene age of USGS Core Fl-422: Evidence from silicoflagellates

Arctic Ocean Core Fl-422 has been of central importance in Arctic tectonics and paleoceanography because it provides the sole evidence for early Cenozoic marine conditions in the Arctic. The presence of several Eocene and Eocene or Oligocene guide species of silicoflagellates in samples from this core shows that it is no older than middle Eocene, and is not Paleocene as previously reported. There is no evidence of any Paleocene (54 to 65 Ma) siliceous microfossils from Core Fl-422. Paleoceanographic inferences conerning the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary and the timing of silica deposition in the Arctic have been erroneous because of unsupported biostratigraphic correlations.
Polyimides derived from nonaromatic monomers: synthesis, characterization and potential applications

A number of mixed aromatic/cycloaliphatic as well as fully nonaromatic polyimides have been prepared. Whereas all the poly(amic acids) derived from nonaromatic diamines involved salt-formation during the initial stages of the polymerization, the majority of these eventually formed homogeneous, highly viscous polymer solutions. Only in a few select cases involving all nonaromatic monomers traditional solution polymerization was unsuccessful. The polyimide derived from hexafluoroisopropylidene diphthalic anhydride (6FDA) and trans- 1,4-diaminocyclohexane (DACH) yielded films with tough mechanical properties, a glass transition temperature of ∼360°C, good solvent resistance, and a low dielectric constant of 2.6. Thermal stability of this polyimide as determined by thermal gravimetric analysis in both air and nitrogen was quite good, exhibiting a weight loss of only 0.07 wt%/h at 350°C under isothermal conditions in nitrogen. However, mechanical properties as a function of thermal aging in both air and nitrogen indicated a maximum use temperature of only 350°C under inert conditions and less than 300°C in the presence of oxygen.
Neurofibrillary axonal pathology in aluminum intoxication

Aluminum chloride injected into the cisterna magna of 3-to 4-week-old rabbits is known to produce neurofibrillary changes in the perikarya and dendrites of neurons of the spinal cord and brainstem. This report calls attention to the early appearance and prominence of neurofibrillary swellings in proximal axons of affected neurons. One and 2 days after intoxication, large axonal swellings containing maloriented neurofilaments were present in the ventral horns. Over the next days and weeks, neurofilaments accumulated in the neuronal perikarya and dendrites. Two months after injection, abnormalities in the cell bodies were less apparent but occasional giant axonal swellings persisted in the ventral horn. This sequence of pathological changes, reflecting disorganization of the neuronal cytoskeleton, may result from an increase in synthesis of neurofilament polypeptides, and impairment in integration of these constituents into the neuronal cytoskeleton, or a defect in the intracellular transport of neurofilaments.
Acquisition and extinction of the conditioned eyelid response in the squirrel monkey as functions of the CS-UCS interval.

Interstimulus intervals of .5, 1.0, 2.0, and 4.0 sec. were compared for effectiveness in conditioning the blink reaction of the squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciurea). Control groups receiving unpaired stimulation, CS-only, and UCS-only were run at each level of ISI. Statistically reliable evidence of conditioning was found in the acquisition data only at .5 sec., with the performance of all groups increasing as a function of ISI. Superior resistance to extinction in the paired group was also discernible only at .5 sec. although the combined performance in extinction of the paired and unpaired groups at 2.0 and 4.0 sec. exceeded that of the .5- and 1.0-sec. groups. A replication experiment using a within-subjects design magnified the interval effect in both acquisition and extinction. The results suggest the operation of pseudoconditioning and sensitization of spontaneous blinks in addition to revealing marked differences from human eyelid conditioning data, particularly in extinction.
The damped driven two-level atom

Abstract Equations are derived for the time evolution of the reduced density operator for a driven two-level atom which is damped by its coupling to a (zero-temperature) bath. Explicit solutions are obtained for the case in which the driving field oscillates harmonically. The effect of field statistics is discussed. It is shown that the solutions depend upon field correlation functions of arbitrarily high order, except for very weak or very broadband fields, for which the solutions depend upon the first order field correlation function alone.
WW Domains in the Heart of Smad Regulation

WW domains are small modules that mediate protein/protein interactions. In this issue of Structure, Aragon and colleagues show that a WW domain of YAP can mediate complexes with either the canonical PY motif in an inhibitory Smad or engage in phosphorylation-dependent complexes with one of the activated Smads. The propensity of YAP WW to recognize a pSP motif is a surprising find with a number of far-reaching ramifications.
Temperature-gradient instabilities in semiconductor junctions

A new type of instability is shown to occur if a temperature gradient is present across a $n{n}^{+}$, $p{p}^{+}$, or $pn$ junction with no voltage applied. The critical temperature gradient depends on the size and steepness of the junction and is smaller for large and less abrupt junctions. The instability should occur in the best thermoelectric materials, characterized by a figure of merit $ZTg1$. In other materials the required temperature difference between the homogeneous semiconductors at the end of the junction turns out to be too large.
Intersection matrices for finite permutation groups

In this paper we study finite transitive groups G acting on a set Q. The results, which are trivial for multiply-transitive groups, directly generalize parts of the discussion of rank-3 groups in [4] and [5l. There arc close connections with Feit and Higman’s paper [2]. For each a EQ let us choose a G,-orbit d(a) # {CZ} so that d(a)8 = d(a”) for all a E Sz and g E G. Relative to LI we introduce a distunxe in Q based on taking the points of d(u) to be at distance 1 from a (see Section 1). The maximum distance we call the diameter of G. A necessary and sufficient condition for G to be primitive is that the diameter be finite with respect to every d. It is important to note, however, that finiteness of the diameter with respect to a single d does not imply primitivity. We study the matrix M of intersection numbers of A (defined in Section 4). M is irreducible if and only if G has finite diameter with respect to A, and in this case the subdegrees and diameter are determined by M. The minimum polynomial of M is shown to coincide with that of the incidence matrix A of d, and it is shown how to compute the trace of A*, q 3 0, in terms of M. This means that if p(x) is a polynomial such that p(M) = 0 and if 0 is a root of p(x), then the multiplicity of 0 as an eigenvalue of A is determined by M. In case the minimum and characteristic polynomials of M coincide, we show that M has simple eigenvalues, from which it follows that the irreducible constituents of the permutation representation have multiplicity 1 and that the degrees of these constituents are determined by M. In this case there is a one-to-one correspondence between the eigenvalues of M and the irreducible constituents of the permutation representation, which preserves conjugacy. The new simple group of order 750, 560 discovered by Janko [6] provides an example in which two of the constituents are conjugate even though the subdegrces are distinct.
The Decline and Fall of Democracy in Venezuela: Ten Theses

This paper presents an argument about the causes of the decline and fall of the 1958-1999 system of democratic politics, commonly known in Spanish as puntofijista, in Venezuela. Competing explanations of this process are evaluated, and an interim assessment of President Hugo Chavez and his political project is offered. This paper develops an argument about the decline and fall of democracy in Venezuela and an assessment of some of the most prominent explanations of what happened. Following a brief sketch of the old regime, I address central dimensions of its decay: elite and mass defections, leadership failure, organisational rigidities, institutional immobilism and inefficacy, declining legitimacy, and the limited capacity of new movements to consolidate into viable political alternatives. The discussion that follows the account of the old regime is organised around ten theses; each followed by a supporting statement.
The Economic Theory of Sharecropping in Early Modern France

This paper uses a simple economic model of contract choice to explain the growth of sharecropping in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century France-a topic that figures in much of the social and economic history of the period. The theory turns out to fit both qualitative and quantitative evidence, and although the results are as yet only preliminary, the theory does provide a better account of the spread of sharecropping than the explanations upon which early modern historians have tended to rely.
The Motivational Quality of Global Attributions in Hypothetical and Experienced Situations of Gender Discrimination

Traditionally, global attributions have been thought to reduce instrumental behavior aimed at resolving negative events. However, the present research shows global attributions for gender discrimination are related to taking action against unfair treatment. In Study 1, women (N = 157) completed a questionnaire assessing attributions for hypothetical scenarios of discrimination and collective responses to discrimination. In Study 2, women (N = 79) were placed into a laboratory situation of discrimination and asked to indicate their attributions for and responses to their unfair treatment. In both studies, hierarchical regression analyses showed that global attributions were related to both individual and collective responses to their discrimination. Implications for examining attributions in an intergroup context were discussed.
Effects of chronic smoking on platelet function.

Abstract Platelet function was investigated in 20 healthy cigarette smokers and 23 nonsmokers. Cigarette consumption was 1.4 ± 0.5 packs/day (mean ± SD) and the duration of smoking was 19 ± 12 years. Platelet surface activation in vitro, aggregation in vivo and in vitro, as well as the release of platelet-specific proteins in vivo were evaluated. The mean number of platelet aggregates counted on an activating surface (Formvar film) was higher in smokers (80 ± 59) than in nonsmokers (43 ± 27) (P 3 (310, 000 ± 82, 000 vs 278, 000 ± 78, 000/mmV), levels of platelet factor 4 (9.8 ± 5.2 vs 9.4 ± 5.3 ng/ml), and plasma concentrations of α-thromboglobulin (53.9 ± 23.5 vs 49.1 ± 25.5 ng/ml). The data suggest that chronic smoking primes platelets, causing them to aggregate more readily when exposed to an activating stimulus in vitro.
A Hybrid Numerical-Analytical Method for Modeling the Viscoelastic Properties of Polymer Nanocomposites

In this paper, we present a novel hybrid numerical-analytical modeling method that is capable of predicting viscoelastic behavior of multiphase polymer nanocomposites, in which the nanoscopic fillers can assume complex configurations. By combining the finite element technique and a micromechanical approach (particularly, the Mori-Tanaka method) with local phase properties, this method operates at low computational cost and effectively accounts for the influence of the interphase as well as in situ nanoparticle morphology. A few examples using this approach to model the viscoelastic response of nanotube and nanoplatelet polymer nanocomposite are presented. This method can also be adapted for modeling other behaviors of polymer nanocomposites, including thermal and electrical properties. It is potentially useful in the prediction of behaviors of other types of nanocomposites, such as metal and ceramic matrix nanocomposites.
Copula Deletion in Spanish Foreigner Talk: Using Questionnaires as a Research Tool

Questionnaires were used to discover how twenty-eight students from Peru, Colombia, and Guatemala use the Spanish copulas ser and estar in foreigner talk. Ser usually was deleted but not estar when used as a locative or when discussing health. A multiple choice situational questionnaire was found to reflect actual use more accurately than one where respondents write what they think they would say. The pattern of deletion suggests that creolists should look at the role of "canned topics" in the development of the bipartite and tripartite copulas found in Pacific and Afro-Caribbean English Pidgins and Creoles.
Follow the money: A study of cashtags on Twitter

The popularity of Twitter goes beyond trending topics, world events, memes, and popular hashtags. Recently a new way of sharing financial information is taking place in social media under the name of cashtags , stock ticker symbols that are prefixed with a dollar sign. In this paper we present an exploratory analysis of cashtags on Twitter. Specifically, we investigate how widespread cashtags are, what stock symbols are tweeted more often, and which users tweet about cashtags in general. We analyze relationships among cashtags and study hashtags in the context of cashtags. Finally, we compare tweet performance to stock market performance. We conclude that cashtags, in particular in combination with other cashtags or hashtags, can be very useful for analyzing financial information and provide new insights into stocks and companies.
Controls on the rate of CO2 emission from woody debris in clearcut and coniferous forest environments

The rate at which CO2 is released from woody debris post-clearcut affects the long term carbon consequences of such disturbances. Changes in microclimate post-clearcut may alter the rate of woody debris decomposition from that in a mature forest. However, very few studies have explored post-disturbance rates of woody debris respiration and the possible influence of an altered microclimate, and even fewer have considered the role of log position in influencing rates of respiration. This study explored the effects of log position and microclimate variability on the rates of coarse woody debris (CWD) respiration. The rates of respiration of downed Norway spruce (Picea abies) logs were repeatedly measured in situ using an LI-6200 gas analyzer. Treatments included native logs in the clearcut site, native logs in a neighboring mature spruce stand, and logs transferred from the clearcut site to the mature spruce stand. The transfer logs showed the highest rates of respiration (0.44 ± 0.03 g CO2 m−2 log surface h−1), followed by the clearcut logs (0.36 ± 0.02 g CO2 m−2 log surface h−1), and spruce stand logs (0.30 ± 0.02 g CO2 m−2 log surface h−1) (P < 0.01). The boost in respiration found in the transfer treatment group was best explained by increases in log water content, while the slower rate of respiration in the spruce stand logs was best explained by the log’s contact/non-contact with the ground prior to the start of the observational campaign. CWD respiration was found to represent 18 ± 3 % of total daytime ecosystem respiration (R eco).
Benjamin Leigh Smith's second Arctic expedition: Svalbard and Jan Mayen, 1872

In 1872, the British yachtsman and explorer Benjamin Leigh Smith led his second expedition to the Arctic. Seeking to further the impressive oceanographic and geographic research of his first expedition in the summer of the previous year, Leigh Smith first explored Jan Mayen and then sailed to Svalbard. There, after investigating Moffen, adverse ice conditions precluded effective continuation of the voyage and almost wrecked his research vessel, Sampson. During a brief meeting with Adolf Erik Nordenskiold's Swedish polar expedition, a bond was formed between the two explorers with fortuitous benefits for the Swedish expedition the following year as it struggled to escape from the north coast of Svalbard. Leigh Smith was forced to make for England in September 1872, without sailing nearly as far to the north or east as during his first expedition. His 1872 experiences led him to reconsider his method for Arctic exploration, and consequently, for his third expedition in 1873, he decided to include a chartered steamer as his primary research vessel with Sampson relegated to the role of support vessel.
MEDITATION, ATTENTION, AND HYPNOTIC SUSCEPTIBILITY: A CORRELATIONAL STUDY

Abstract This study postulated a relationship between individual differences in attention and hypnotic susceptibility. It was proposed that sustained focusing of attention may lead to an altered state of consciousness. Specifically, it was hypothesized that hypnotic susceptibility would be correlated with measures of attention. 47 male undergraduates performed 2 15-minute meditation exercises, as well as 2 other attention-related tasks and 3 tasks assessing hypnotic susceptibility. Only the meditation measures of attention correlated with hypnotizability as predicted. The results suggest that good concentration is a necessary condition for hypnotic susceptibility, but not a sufficient condition, since some Ss who show good concentration are relatively insusceptible.
Robust EPI Nyquist ghost elimination via spatial and temporal encoding.

Nyquist ghosts are an inherent artifact in EPI acquisitions. An approach to robustly eliminate Nyquist ghosts is presented that integrates two previous Nyquist ghost correction techniques: temporal domain encoding (Phase Labeling for Additional Coordinate Encoding: PLACE) and spatial domain encoding (Phased Array Ghost Elimination: PAGE). Temporal encoding modulates the EPI acquisition trajectory from frame to frame, enabling one to interleave data to remove inconsistencies that occur between sampling on positive and negative gradient readouts. With PLACE, one can coherently combine the interleaved data to cancel residual Nyquist ghosts. If the level of ghosting varies significantly from image to image, however, the signal cancellation that occurs with PLACE can adversely affect SNR-sensitive applications such as perfusion imaging with Arterial Spin Labeling (ASL). This work proposes integrating PLACE into a PAGE-based reconstruction process to yield significantly better Nyquist ghost correction that is more robust than PLACE or PAGE alone. The robustness of this method is demonstrated in the presence of magnetic field drift with an in-vivo ASL perfusion experiment.