cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Visual evoked potentials to light flash in cats: Is a frontal sinus reference electrode truly indifferent?☆

In flaxedilized cats, visual cortex evoked potentials (VEPs) to an intensity series of brief light flashes were recorded differentially using either a screw over frontal sinus or an insect pin in neck muscle as the reference electrode. At the same time EPs from the cornea (the ERG) and frontal sinus were recorded differentially against the neck muscle electrode. The EP recorded from the frontal sinus screw was a miniature of the ERG recorded from the cornea, with the same latencies and shape as the ERG but only 10-30% of its amplitude. At a fast presentation rate (1/sec) the amplitude of the ERG, and consequently the frontal sinus potential, decreased with increasing intensity of light flash, whereas at a slow presentation rate (1/3 or 1/5 sec) the ERG and frontal sinus potential increased in response to all but the highest intensities. The location of the reference electrode and the rate of light flash presentation had the following effects on visual cortex EP amplitudes. A frontal sinus reference increased the amplitudes of early components (less than 100 msec) of the VEP. Also, VEP amplitudes as a function of flash intensity yielded slopes which tended to be positive at a slow presentation rate and negative at a fast presentation rate. This effect is in accord with the rate dependent slopes of the frontal sinus potential.
Refraction of radio waves in arbitrary atmosphere-ray-tracing picture

A development following Hartree, etc., is carried out of ray tracing using REAC differential analyzer. Ray families, on 2k-inch by 32-inch paper, are obtained for an atmosphere with a single n profile (index of refraction versus altitude curve), and for an atmosphere with three n profiles over the region of interest. The n profiles used were measured up to 10,000-foot altitude. The variation in radio field strength with separation between airplanes as measured in a recent air-to-air propagation flight is correlated with a variation or ray density based on index of refraction data taken during the flight. This was a flight which encountered a radio hole followed by its anti-hole (region of erulanced and interfering signals) within the geometrical horizon, and then a second hole and anti-hole at an anomalously large range beyond the horizon. The second anti-hole is accounted for by an anomalous-ranee layer near the ground and one in which the refractive gradient has a negative value nearly equal to l/(radius of earth}. In some respects the correlation is striking between ray-tracing picture and observed radio data.
Factors affecting social behavior and reproductive success of male rhesus monkeys

This paper reviews aspects of life history that influence the reproductive success of male rhesus monkeys. Recent theories propose that there is some optimum level of inbreeding for each population and that behaviors related to group transfer by males are the result of selection pressure toward such an optimum. Group changing by males is clearly linked to the effects of testosterone at sexual maturation. A male’s maternal genealogical rank is not consistently related to the age at which it leaves the natal group, but social interactions within the natal group may influence the age of departure. Choice of the new group is influenced by the operational sex ratio and the presence of maternal relatives. Rank in the new group is positively correlated with seniority. Seniority, in turn, is influenced by the rank of the male’s natal group, his mother’s genealogical rank, and the presence of male siblings in the new group. Much of this effect is due to the high mortality of males born to females and/or groups of low rank. Most studies show a positive association between male reproductive success and rank. Males from high-ranking groups and/or maternal genealogies that join groups containing brothers tend to remain in those groups longer, attain a higher rank, and probably achieve higher levels of reproduction than other males.
Roughness Based Crossflow Transition Control: A Computational Assessment

A combination of parabolized stability equations and secondary instability theory has been applied to a low-speed swept airfoil model with a chord Reynolds number of 7.15 million, with the goals of (i) evaluating this methodology in the context of transition prediction for a known configuration for which roughness based crossflow transition control has been demonstrated under flight conditions and (ii) of analyzing the mechanism of transition delay via the introduction of discrete roughness elements (DRE). Roughness based transition control involves controlled seeding of suitable, subdominant crossflow modes, so as to weaken the growth of naturally occurring, linearly more unstable crossflow modes. Therefore, a synthesis of receptivity, linear and nonlinear growth of stationary crossflow disturbances, and the ensuing development of high frequency secondary instabilities is desirable to understand the experimentally observed transition behavior. With further validation, such higher fidelity prediction methodology could be utilized to assess the potential for crossflow transition control at even higher Reynolds numbers, where experimental data is currently unavailable.
The Smart Sensor : A Front-End Processor For Feature Extraction Of Images

This paper introduces the Smart Sensor project at the Electro-Optics Technology Center at Tufts University and describes one Smart Sensor under development. The overall intent of the project is to develop technologies for electronic "eyes" capable of identifying the shape, location and size of any closed contour (object) in the field of view. The design described herein employs algorithms simulated and proven in software. Results from an incomplete hardware realization using discrete circuit elements are presented.
Debt and household finance: evidence from the Financial Diaries

The Financial Diaries data-set is a unique, new set of year-long daily income, expense and financial transactions for households from three different areas of South Africa. These data show that over-indebted households (those that spend 20 per cent or more of their gross monthly income on debt) do not fit one homogeneous profile. Formal debt tends to be responsible for over-indebtedness in the urban areas, while in the rural areas the cause tends to be informal debt. In the urban areas high indebtedness is more prevalent among medium-income and high-income households, whereas in the rural areas it occurs at all income levels. High indebtedness in grant-dependent rural households tends to be persistent, whereas in wage-dependent urban households it is often short-lived. These findings present a new financial picture of poor rural populations that is unlikely to be touched by recent policy measures to address over-indebtedness.
The Cost of Doing Femininity: Gendered Disparities in Pricing of Personal Care Products and Services

Economic discrimination has been a major focus of gender research for the past several decades and such studies reveal a persistent gender wage gap. This study examines another aspect of the interaction between gender and the economy that has been largely ignored by social scientists—gender-based disparities in the cost of goods and services in the personal care industry. We examine prices charged for personal care products and services that are targeted toward women or men and find that women pay more than men for certain items and services. Our research suggests that although the differences are not uniform across types of services or products, women do tend to pay more than men for items such as deodorant, haircuts, and dry-cleaning. We suggest that such practices contribute to gender inequality by increasing women’s economic burden and reinforcing essentialist thinking about gender (i.e., that women and men are biologically different).
On the stem cell origin of cancer.

In each major theory of the origin of cancer—field theory, chemical carcinogenesis, infection, mutation, or epigenetic change—the tissue stem cell is involved in the generation of cancer. Although the cancer type is identified by the more highly differentiated cells in the cancer cell lineage or hierarchy (transit-amplifying cells), the property of malignancy and the molecular lesion of the cancer exist in the cancer stem cell. In the case of teratocarcinomas, normal germinal stem cells have the potential to become cancers if placed in an environment that allows expression of the cancer phenotype (field theory). In cancers due to chemically induced mutations, viral infections, somatic and inherited mutations, or epigenetic changes, the molecular lesion or infection usually first occurs in the tissue stem cells. Cancer stem cells then give rise to transit-amplifying cells and terminally differentiated cells, similar to what happens in normal tissue renewal. However, the major difference between cancer growth and normal tissue renewal is that whereas normal transit amplifying cells usually differentiate and die, at various levels of differentiation, the cancer transit-amplifying cells fail to differentiate normally and instead accumulate (ie, they undergo maturation arrest), resulting in cancer growth.
David Forbes and Guano Archæology

IN a footnote to a brief communication made by Virchow in 18731 is a statement transmitted to him through Jagor and A. W. Franks, which seems to imply that David Forbes, the well-known geologist, owned or knew of wooden statuettes taken from the guano deposits of the Peruvian coast, depicting a man being bitten in the penis by a snake. This motif is known on certain Mochica ceramics2, but otherwise appears to be absent from Peruvian iconography.
Anti-TNFα therapy improves survival and ameliorates the pathophysiologic sequelae in acute pancreatitis in the rat

Background Elevated levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) have been measured in a lethal model of acute pancreatitis (AP) and may contribute to the pathophysiologic sequelae of the disease. Methods To determine the significance of anti-TNFα therapy on survival and disease manifestations in a clinically relevant model of AP, a rat model was developed using a retrograde pancreatic ductal infusion of bile. Animals were randomized to no treatment (n = 30) or treatment with anti-TNFα antibody 15 minutes prior to induction of AP (n = 30). Five treated and 5 untreated rats were killed at various time periods up to 72 hours to provide temporal characterization of TNFα activity in AP. Results A burst of TNFα activity in the serum of untreated pancreatitis animals between 1 and 3 hours after induction of the disease is prevented by pretreatment with anti-TNFα antibody. Conclusions These findings provide a plausible mechanism for the improvement in biochemical and histologic parameters as well as in overall survival in an experimental model of acute pancreatitis in the rat.
Effect of terramycin on fecal microflora of rats. II. Therapeutic level of terramycin.

Summary1. In the feces of albino rats, statistically significant reductions in counts of the total anaerobes, total aerobes and total lactobacilli were obtained by the addition of terramycin to the 3 diets employed. On the other hand, E. coli, Proteus spp. and, to a slight extent fecal streptococci, were increased in numbers. The increase in Proteus was unaccompanied by a decrease in E. coll. 2. The only ration effect was observed with the counts of fecal streptococci: the animals receiving the high protein rations showed a lower count than those receiving either the high carbohydrate or the basal ration. 3. The effect of terramycin upon counts of all organisms studied was found to be independent of ration in which the terramycin was incorporated (lack of statistically significant interaction between diet and terramycin). 4. The effects here reported were compared to the effects observed in a previous study.
COMPSTAT, COMMUNITY POLICING AND THE SCIENCE OF SUCCESS: A MARKET‐BASED APPROACH TO POLICE MANAGEMENT

Police departments in the USA have begun to embrace recommendations from two police management philosophies. However, it is often unclear whether these recommendations conflict with or complement each other. This article suggests that viewing these philosophies from a market-based perspective will enable police forces in the UK to better apply their recommendations.
The eruption pattern of deciduous teeth in miniature swine.

Since “miniature swine” are being used extensively as a research animal and since the literature concerning tooth eruption is not very precise, it has seemed advisable to observe and record tooth eruption in the “miniature swine” being used and to make comparisons with existing literature of domestic swine. A total of 55 pigs of the Pitman-Moore strain were observed weekly from birth until their dentition was complete at about 26 weeks. Lateral x-ray head plates and study models of both arches were made weekly for two members of the group. The study models and x-rays served for orientation and positive identification of teeth; and with the weekly observations constitute the data. Analysis of the data indicated there was no significant difference in the eruption time for any tooth due to the sex of the individual. A mean sequence of eruption for each arch was established for the group based on coefficients of concordance. There was no significant difference in sequence of eruption due to sex or litter. The eruption time and sequence noted for Pitman-Moore swine differed slightly from that recorded for domestic swine. The differences observed were slight and could be explained by the probably infrequent observations of domestic swine or small sample size.
Brown-Séquard syndrome without vascular injury associated with Horner's syndrome after a stab injury to the neck

Case Description: This case reviews the acute care and rehabilitation course of a 44-year-old right-handed woman after an assault with a pocketknife. She suffered multiple stab wounds including penetrating injury to the left side of her neck. Physical examination revealed left hemiplegia (motor score = 57), impaired pinprick sensation on the right caudal to the C5 dermatome, impaired joint position sense on the left, and left ptosis and miosis. Initially she was unable to stand without maximum assistance. MR imaging revealed transection of the left hemicord at the C5 level without cord hemorrhage. CTA of the neck was negative for vascular injury. She completed 18 days of acute inpatient rehabilitation. She used forearm crutches for ambulation at time of discharge. Prior to discharge the patient provided written permission for a case report.Discussion: Stab wounds are the most common cause of traumatic Brown-Sequard syndrome. Horner's syndrome is common in spinal cord lesions occurring in the cervical or t...
Participant Sexual Victimization by an Acquaintance and Gender Predicting Empathy With an Acquaintance or Stranger Rape Victim

This study examined empathy with a hypothetical rape victim based on relationship context of rape (acquaintance; stranger), participant sexual victimization experience by an acquaintance, and gender. Undergraduates (n = 321, 206 female) from a Northeast United States midsize public university completed the Rape Victim Empathy-During Subscale (relationship context of rape experimentally varied), and the Sexual Experiences Survey. Hypotheses were partially supported. Results revealed that those with victimization experience (victimized by acquaintances) reported greater empathy with an acquaintance rape victim than a stranger rape victim, but those without victimization experience did not differ in their empathy levels based on relationship context condition. Furthermore, those with victimization experience reported greater empathy than those without victimization experience in the acquaintance context condition only. Gender differences did not emerge for those without victimization experience, but female v...
Parents' Perceptions of Their Children's Lung Transplant Experiences:

There is little informationfrom the perspective of parents living with a child who has undergone lung transplantation. A phenomenological approach integrating Schutz's postulatesfor the construction of social reality with Colaizzi's method of analysis was used to investigate the meaning of the experience. Fifteen parents of 12 children were interviewed. Theme clusters reflecting the meaning of the stages of the transplantation experience were formulated. Parents perceived lung transplantation as creating hope for the future, creating a context of uncertainty and an opportunity for normalcy, and promoting the development of a new perspective on life. Humanistic nursing practice theory provided the link between study results and nursing practice. Implicationsfor nursing practice were identified.
Ethical issues of life-sustaining technology

Developments in medical technology have given physicians expanded means to sustain human life. In many instances, life sustaining treatments are administered despite the fact that the patient is unlikely to benefit from the medical intervention. Because of technology favoritism in society, life-sustaining technologies influence the availability, financing, and use of existing technologies. Healthcare organizations are attempting to guide treatment decisions by providing physicians and patients with thorough information about the efficacy of technologies. Programs such as hospice care, advance directives, technology assessment, and outcomes research, are reducing the occurrence of futile care. The paper considers how the development of high-tech, life-sustaining treatments present an ethical dilemma concerning equality of access to medical technologies, ethics of usage, cost and legal issues. >
Altered CYP2C9 Activity Following Modulation of CYP3A4 Levels in Human Hepatocytes: an Example of Protein-Protein Interactions

Cytochrome P450 (P450) protein-protein interactions resulting in modulation of enzyme activities have been well documented using recombinant isoforms. This interaction has been less clearly demonstrated in a more physiologic in vitro system such as human hepatocytes. As an expansion of earlier work (Subramanian et al., 2010), in which recombinant CYP2C9 activity decreased with increasing levels of CYP3A4, the current study modulated CYP3A4 content in human hepatocytes to determine the impact on CYP2C9. Modulation of CYP3A4 levels in situ was enabled by the use of a long-term human hepatocyte culture model (HepatoPac) shown to retain phenotypic hepatocyte function over a number of weeks. The extended period of culture allowed time for knockdown of CYP3A4 protein by small interfering RNA (siRNA) with subsequent recovery, as well as upregulation through induction with a recovery period. CYP3A4 gene silencing resulted in a 60% decrease in CYP3A4 activity and protein levels with a concomitant 74% increase in CYP2C9 activity, with no change in CYP2C9 mRNA levels. Upon removal of siRNA, both CYP2C9 and CYP3A4 activities returned to pre-knockdown levels. Importantly, modulation of CYP3A4 protein levels had no impact on cytochrome P450 reductase activities or levels. However, the possibility for competition for limiting reductase cannot be ruled out. Interestingly, lowering CYP3A4 levels also increased UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 2B7 activity. These studies clearly demonstrate that alterations in CYP3A4 levels can modulate CYP2C9 activity in situ and suggest that further studies are warranted to evaluate the possible clinical consequences of these findings.
Support vector machines for multi-class signal classification with unbalanced samples

Support vector machines (SVMs) were originally developed for binary classification. To extend it to multi-class pattern recognition, one popular approach is to consider the problem as a collection of binary classification problems, so that each of them may be solved by a binary SVM. However, there is no guarantee that these SVMs will achieve the optimal solution even though each individual binary SVM is well trained. In this paper, we propose a method to optimize the multi-class SVMs by adjusting the penalty parameters using a genetic algorithm (GA). The method is applied to an acoustic signal classification problem with very promising results.
Linking reputations through umbrella branding

This paper develops a theory of umbrella branding as a way to link the reputations of otherwise unrelated products. The analysis predicts that umbrella branding can credibly signal positive correlation between the qualities of the included products to consumers, but cannot certify high quality or signal negative quality correlation. Moreover, whenever umbrella branding signals perfect positive quality correlation, firms that already sell a high (low) quality product have stronger (weaker) incentives to invest in developing another high quality product than new entrants.
Correlation of the Effects of Transluminal Angioplasty in Experimentally Induced Rabbit Atherosclerosis with Pathological Changes in Human Coronary Artery

Atherosclerosis-like lesions can be induced in rabbits by feeding them a 2% cholesterol diet. Debridement of the endothelium of the aorta and iliac arteries using a Fogarty balloon catheter accelerates the formation of atherosclerosis-like lesions in the areas of endothelial injury. Six to eight weeks after balloon debridement, atherosclerotic lesions are produced which have a high concentration of foam cells, may be calcified, and frequently cause stenosis of the arterial lumen, both of the aorta and (more prominently) of the iliac arteries. Transluminal angioplasty of such stenotic lesions in rabbits produces desquamation of endothelium and shearing of superficial portions of endothelial plaques in areas of aortic atherosclerosis (where the size of the inflated dilating balloon and the size of the aorta are almost equal). In rabbit arteries where the size of the inflated angioplasty balloon catheter and the stenotic arterial segment are more unequal (such as the iliac artery), splitting of the intimal surface of the atherosclerotic lesion almost always occurs. The splits frequently extend to the internal elastic membrane. Angiography performed after transluminal angioplasty in rabbits frequently shows an irregular column of contrast in the region of angioplasty. Such an angiographic picture is occasionally also seen in humans after angioplasty. The irregularity of the column of contrast almost certainly represents contrast material within the splits of the atherosclerotic plaque produced by the angioplasty procedure. Sequential studies done after angioplasty in rabbits show that re-endothelialization of the intimal and medial splits occurs within 3 days after angioplasty.
Comment: Scholarly Disgust and Related Mysteries

Strohminger (2014) is revolted by McGinn’s (2011) book, The Meaning of Disgust. We argue that her reaction of repugnance highlights one of the greatest mysteries in the psychology of disgust: this ...
Parental use of online physician rating sites.

Although online reviews are available for multiple services like hotels,mechanics or restaurants, choosing a healthcare provider is more complex than choosing where to have dinner. TO SELECT A healthcare provider parents often rely on a single recommendation from a neighbor or a random search through the Yellow pages. However, a growing number of online physician review sites are beginning to change that by allowing patients to rate physicians the same way they would rate a dinner. There are presently 40 to 50 online sites that rate healthcare providers. The three largest, Healthgrades, RateMDs. com and Vitals, are seeing significant growth in terms of reviews and visitors to their sites. Now, according a new study these sites are changing the way U.S. parents are selecting a physician for their child (Zheng, Singer, Gebremariam, & Davis, 2014). The new study found that more than a quarter of parents in the United States use an online physician rating site to help them choose a pediatrician. To understand parental awareness, perception and use of provider-rating sites for choosing primary care clinicians for their children, the researchers conducted a nationally representative survey of 3563 adults who had at least one child 17 years or younger living at home. Participants were asked about familiarity with and use of online rating systems. They were also given three scenarios designed to measure the impact of online ratings on their decision to select a physician for their child. In all three scenarios a neighbor had recommended a pediatrician. However, in the first scenario, no online rating was available. In the second the participants were told the recommended provider had high online ratings and in the third the participants were told that the provider had received low online rating scores. The results showed that nearly threequarters (78%) of the respondents knew about provider rating sites and 28%had used a site to help select a pediatrician. In the first scenario based only on a neighbor's recommendation,
EVOLUTIONARY AND HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF PROTEIN VARIATION IN THE BLOTCHED FORMS OF SALAMANDERS OF THE ENSATINA COMPLEX (AMPHIBIA: PLETHODONTIDAE).

Geographic variation in 23 to 29 protein-encoding genetic loci was examined in 48 populations of the Ensatina complex, a "ring species" distributed around the Central Valley of California. The samples span two critical links in the chain of morphologically distinct units: the transition from the unblotched to blotched color pattern types in the vicinity of Lassen Peak, northeastern California, and a geographic gap in the range of the complex in the San Gabriel Mountains, southern California. A general pattern of isolation by distance with a regular buildup of genetic distance correlated with increases in geographic distance characterizes the populations studied, with the exception of a little-differentiated group of populations in the northern Sierra Nevada; this region is postulated to be a zone of genetic reticulation characterized by relatively high gene flow. An adaptively significant color pattern is thought to have spread into the northern Sierra Nevada from the south, but protein variants have been introduced both from the north and the south. Genetic distances across the San Gabriel Mountain gap match expectations from the pattern of buildup of genetic distance as a function of geographic distance elsewhere in the complex. A phylogenetic analysis of the protein data supports the reticulation hypothesis; whereas the southernmost populations currently do constitute a monophyletic assemblage, an "extinction experiment" demonstrates that the distinction could be the result of the recent extinction of populations in a present gap in our sampling. The Ensatina complex appears to be a dynamic entity representing several stages in the evolution of species. It is a ring species, and whereas various taxonomic arrangements are possible, no taxonomic changes are proposed.
Accounts Payable Analytics - Indispensable for Optimizing Cash Flow

Operating Cash flow is the, or one of the, most important parameters in gauging the financial health of an organization. Some of the not so visible cost components arising out of accruals system of accounting; needs detailed evaluation in bringing out cost efficiencies. Significant amount of cash can be saved by streamlining payables; one of the key components of operating cash flows. Payables management becomes an insurmountable challenge for organizations that have to deal with inconsistent data coming from heterogeneous information management systems, which mostly is a result of ongoing inorganic growth adopted by organizations. At Hewlett Packard, we have developed an analytics framework that is core to an end to end effective payables management which enables management to take effective control of the vendor payment systems by enhancing visibility and control.
Improvement in norm-reducing Newton methods for circuit simulation

The general convergence problems encountered when applying Newton's method to the circuit simulation domain are discussed. The authors identify and explore one source of difficulties for these methods and discuss a solution. The basic transconductance element, widely used to construct FET and bipolar transistor models, results in a pathological failure case for L/sub 2/-based norm-reducing methods due to the unidirectional nature between its input and output mode. Their particular solution retains the generic nature of norm-reducing methods but replaces the L/sub 2/-norm with a nonconsistent point of view. This norm determines which equations should converge first, prioritizes them, and guides the damping of the Newton updates accordingly. From a mathematical point of view, the steepest-descent direction in the Nu-norm is parallel to each Newton update at the iterate point and, therefore, allows more effective damping of the updates. The result has been an order-of-magnitude reduction in the number of Newton iterations. The performance of this norm on a series of high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) circuits is presented. The nonconsistency of the Nu-norm and its impact on global convergence properties for norm-reducing methods are discussed. >
FastForward: fast and constructive full duplex relays

This paper presents, FastForward (FF), a novel full duplex relay that constructively forwards signals such that wireless network throughput and coverage is significantly enhanced. FF is a Layer 1 in-band full duplex device, it receives and transmits signals directly and simultaneously on the same frequency. It cleanly integrates into existing networks (both WiFi and LTE) as a separate device and does not require changes to the clients. FF's key invention is a constructive filtering algorithm that transforms the signal at the relay such that when it reaches the destination, it constructively combines with the direct signals from the source and provides a significant throughput gain. We prototype FF using off-the-shelf software radios running a stock WiFi PHY and show experimentally that it provides a 3× median throughput increase and nearly a 4× gain at the edge of the coverage area.
An energy-absorbing polyelectrolyte gel matrix composite material

A novel polyacrylic acid gel matrix composite material functionalized by hydrophobic nanoporous silica particulates is developed. When subjected to a high pressure, water molecules can be released from the polyacrylic acid network and forced into the nanopores. Due to the exposure of the large pore surface to the nonwetting liquid, the system free energy increases significantly. As the pressure is removed, the water remains in the confining nanoenvironment, and thus the material is energy absorbing. The energy absorption efficiency is much higher than that of many conventional protective materials.
MYCOPLASMA INOCUUM SP. N., A SAPROPHYTE FROM CHICKENS

Abstract Adler, H. E. (University of California, Davis), M. Shifrine, and Herrad Ortmayer. Mycoplasma inocuum sp. n., a saprophyte from chickens. J. Bacteriol. 82:239–240. 1961.—A new species of Mycoplasma was isolated from the infraorbital sinuses of chickens. The organism, a saprophyte, differs from all known mycoplasmas of avian origin. A description of this isolate is given. It has been named Mycoplasma inocuum sp. n.
Transparent Solid Solution Magnesium Aluminate Spinel Polycrystalline Ceramic with the Alumina‐Rich Composition MgO·1.2 Al2O3

Solid solution magnesium aluminate spinel with the alumina-rich composition MgO·1.2 Al2O3 has been prepared as a transparent polycrystalline ceramic with average in-line transmission at 550 nm of 84.8 ± 2.7% and >82% throughout the visible spectrum. Starting powders are prepared from mixtures of high purity Mg(OH)2 and γ-Al2O3 thoroughly mixed in an aqueous slurry. Water is removed by rotary evaporation. The solids are collected, dried, calcined, mixed with LiF (as a sintering aid), and sieved. The powders are sintered into dense ceramics by hot pressing at 1600°C under vacuum and 20 MPa uniaxial load followed by hot isostatic pressing at 1850°C under 200 MPa Ar. Final grain sizes ranged between 300 and 1000 μm. Samples exhibited flexural strength of 176.8 ± 46.2 MPa; hardness of 12.3 ± 0.2 GPa; and elastic modulus of 292.9 ± 7.5 GPa. Control samples of stoichiometric magnesium aluminate spinel (MgO·Al2O3) were prepared with the same procedure and exhibited comparable values for transmission and physical properties.
Information access in complex, poorly structured information spaces

Large information spaces present several problems including information overload. This research effort focuses on the domain of Usenet News, an open access computer‐based bulletin board system that distributes messages and software. A conceptual framework is developed that shows the need for (a) flexible organization of information access interfaces and (b) personalized structure to deal with vocabulary mismatches. An operational innovative system building effort ( INFOSCOPE ) instantiates the framework. In INFOSCOPE, users can evolve the predefined system structure to suit their own semantic interpretations. The approach taken by INFOSCOPE differs from other approaches by requiring less up-front structuring by message senders.
Can Suburbs Survive without their Central Cities? Examining the Suburban Dependence Hypothesis

Based on recent findings that changes in average suburban incomes are positively associated with changes in average central-city incomes, some have concluded that disparities between central cities and their suburbs cause decline in metropolitan economic growth. The authors argue that causality runs in the other direction—metropolitan-wide growth narrows disparities. The authors argue that cities and suburbs are interdependent, that there can be healthy individual suburbs and weak central cities, and that there can be healthy suburbs in the aggregate and extremely poor central cities.
Polo-Like Kinase 1 Depletion Induces DNA Damage in Early S Prior to Caspase Activation

Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) plays several roles in mitosis, and it has been suggested to have a role in tumorigenesis. We have previously reported that Plk1 depletion results in cell death in cancer cells, whereas normal cells survive similar depletion. However, Plk1 depletion together with p53 depletion induces cell death in normal cells as well. This communication presents evidence on the sequence of events that leads to cell death in cancer cells. DNA damage is detected at the first S phase following Plk1 depletion and is more severe in Plk1-depleted p53-null cancer cells. As a consequence of Plk1 depletion using lentivirus-based small interfering RNA techniques, prereplicative complex (pre-RC) formation is disrupted at the G1/S transition, and DNA synthesis is reduced during S phase of the first cycle after depletion. The levels of geminin, an inhibitor of DNA pre-RC, and Emi1, an inhibitor of anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome, are elevated in Plk1-depleted cells. The rate of cell cycling is slower in Plk1-depleted cells than in control cells when synchronized by serum starvation. Plk1 depletion results in disrupted DNA pre-RC formation, reduced DNA synthesis, and DNA damage before cells display severe mitotic catastrophe or apoptosis. Our data suggest that Plk1 is required for cell cycle progression not only in mitosis but also for DNA synthesis, maintenance of DNA integrity, and prevention of cell death.
Treatment of aggression and irritability after head injury

Thirteen patients who experienced problems with irritability and aggression following closed head injury (CHI) participated in a non-blind, 8 week open trial of sertraline Hcl. Significant reduction in irritability and aggressive outbursts was observed. No significant changes were observed in depressive symptomatology. Results suggest that serotonergic agents may be useful in treating aggression and irritability after head injury. Further placebo-controlled studies using serotonergic agents are indicated.
High-Resolution Satellite Surface Latent Heat Fluxes in North Atlantic Hurricanes

This study presents a new high-resolution satellite-derived ocean surface flux product, XSeaFlux, which is evaluated for its potential use in hurricane studies. The XSeaFlux employs new satellite datasets using improved retrieval methods, and uses a new bulk flux algorithm formulated for high wind conditions. The XSeaFlux latent heat flux (LHF) performs much better than the existing numerical weather prediction reanalysisandsatellite-derivedfluxproductsinacomparisonwithmeasurementsfromtheCoupledBoundary Layer Air‐Sea Transfer (CBLAST) field experiment. Also, the XSeaFlux shows well-organized LHF structure and large LHF values in response to hurricane conditions relative to the other flux products. The XSeaFlux dataset is used to interpret details of the ocean surface LHF for selected North Atlantic hurricanes. Analysis of the XSeaFlux dataset suggests that ocean waves, sea spray, and cold wake have substantial impacts on LHF associated with the hurricanes.
Society For Medical Anthropology

Section Officers: Marcia C. Inhorn, President (minhorn@umich.edu); Arachu Castro, Secretary-Treasurer (arachu_castro@hms.harvard.edu) Board Members: Joao Biehl; Robbie Davis-Floyd; Douglas Feldman; Craig Janes (Past President); Helen Lambert; Vinay Kamat; Thomas Leatherman; Lesley Sharp; Elisa Sobo; Catherine Timura (Student Representative) Ex-Officio Members: Pam Erickson (MAQ Editor); Janelle Taylor (AN Column Editor); Lauren Wynne (Webmaster) Retiring Board and Ex-Officio Members (as of 11/17/2006): Joao Biehl; Arachu Castro; Pam Erickson (MAQ Editor); Craig Janes; Helen Lambert; Lesley Sharp; Janelle Taylor (AN Column Editor) Incoming Board and Ex-Officio Members (as of 11/18/2006): Kitty Corbett (Treasurer); Ellen Gruenbaum (Secretary); Alan Harwood; Suzanne Heurtin-Roberts (NIH Liaison); Mark Luborsky (MAQ CoEditor); Lenore Manderson; Kathleen Ragsdale (AN Column Editor); Andrea Sankar (MAQ Co-Editor); Carolyn Sargent (President-Elect); Carolyn Smith-Morris
12th Annual Conference on Vaccine Research

The 12th Annual Conference on Vaccine Research, hosted by the National Foundation for Infectious Disease, attracted approximately 450 leaders in the fields of epidemiology, health economics, immunology and vaccinology, making it the largest scientific meeting devoted exclusively to vaccine research and technology. The conference highlighted recent issues in vaccine safety, including the history and design of a vaccine for rotavirus. Other topics included discussions of the synergies between veterinary and human vaccine development, updates on the development of vaccines for tuberculosis and malaria, and a comprehensive overview of immunization initiatives and goals for extending coverage of new and underused vaccines. Keynote remarks were provided by David Salisbury (Department of Health, London, UK) who outlined the aims and objectives of the Global Immunization Vision and Strategy (GIVS), an agenda created by the WHO and UNICEF. Salisbury highlighted the four primary aims of GIVS: immunize more people a...
Rayleigh wave scattering in a wedge with mixed boundary conditions

We consider a problem of Rayleigh wave scattering in a single elastic wedge with one face tractionfree and the other face displacementfree. The problem is treated by the method previously applied t...
Steady-State Rate-Based Simulation of Packed Reactive Distillation: Spatial Discretization

This paper investigates issues related to the numerical simulation of rate-based models for catalytic distillation processes. Special emphasis is placed on spatial discretization in the solution of steady-state models describing packed reactive distillation columns. A general rate-based model for packed reactive distillation is briefly presented, along with its underlying assumptions. This mathematical model is then discretized along its spatial dimensions using different finite-difference schemes. In this paper, steady-state simulations are considered to assess various properties of the different discretization methods. Using a tert-amyl methyl ether (TAME) packed reactive distillation as a case study, we show that a cell-based approach, similarly to a first-order finite-difference approximation, is inefficient in converging to the solution of the mathematical model. To address this problem, a higher-order discretization scheme is used, and its advantages are illustrated. This latter method is of interes...
Prospective Approach to Breast Cancer Risk Prediction in African American Women: The Black Women's Health Study Model

Purpose Breast cancer risk prediction models have underestimated risk for African American women, contributing to lower recruitment rates in prevention trials. A model previously developed for African American women was found to underestimate risk in the Black Women's Health Study (BWHS). Methods We developed a breast cancer risk model for African American women using relative risks derived from 10 years of follow-up of BWHS participants age 30 to 69 years at baseline. Using the subsequent 5 years of follow-up data, we evaluated calibration as the ratio of expected to observed number of breast cancers and assessed discriminatory accuracy using the concordance statistic. Results The BWHS model included family history, previous biopsy, body mass index at age 18 years, age at menarche, age at first birth, oral contraceptive use, bilateral oophorectomy, estrogen plus progestin use, and height. There was good agreement between predicted and observed number of breast cancers overall (expected-to-observed ratio,...
Role of Crosslinking for Agonistic CD40 Monoclonal Antibodies as Immune Therapy of Cancer

Agonists of the TNF superfamily of receptors hold promise as novel therapy for cancer. Recent data on agonistic anti-murine TNF receptors (TNFR) such as CD40 suggest that the specific engagement of Fc-receptor (FcR) is required for optimal antitumor effects, prompting calls to engineer anti-human CD40 and other TNFR mAb accordingly. CP-870,893 is a fully human anti-CD40 mAb, selected in part because it is an IgG2 which is presumed to have poor reactivity with FcR; however, CP-870,893 has been evaluated in multiple clinical trials with beneficial activity in patients with melanoma, pancreatic and other cancers. Here, we confirmed that the activity of anti-murine CD40 mAb was dependent on FcγRIIB engagement, was decreased significantly in FcγRIIB (-/-) mice, and upon Fc-crosslinking anti-mouse CD40 mAb enhanced the activation of antigen presenting cells. In contrast, the CP-870,893-mediated activation of human B cells was not enhanced with anti-IgG-crosslinking nor abrogated when used as an F(ab)'2 reagent. Crosslinking of CP-870,893 using the CD32-expressing K562 cells yielded an Fc-dependent modest increase in the expression of some activation markers relative to that of the soluble CP-870,893 mAb. Classic Fc-dependent functions such as antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and complement-mediated cytotoxicity (CMC) were minimal for CP-870,893 as compared to the IgG1 anti-CD20 mAb rituximab, which mediated both ADCC and CMC in parallel assays. Anti-mouse CD40 mAb competed for the CD40 ligand binding site, but CP-870,893 did not. Thus, Fc-crosslinking is not an essential requirement for agonistic anti-human CD40 mAb, whose potency is more dependent on the CD40 epitope recognized and the strength of the signal achieved.
SEMANTICS OF TEMPORAL QUERIES AND TEMPORAL DATA

This paper analyzes the requirements for adding a temporal reasoning component to a natural language database query system, and proposes a computational model that satisfies those requirements. A preliminary implementation in Prolog is used to generate examples of the model's capabilities.
An On-Line Virtual Environment For Teaching Statistical Sampling And Analysis

Regardless of the related discipline, students in statistics courses invariably have difficulty understanding the connection between the numerical values calculated for end-of-the-chapter exercises and their usefulness in decision making. This disconnect is, in part, due to the lack of time and opportunity to actually design the experiments and collect the data. The prototypes proposed in this project were developed to allow students to design experiments and collect data in relevant settings without the impediments to real data collection. The virtual environments attempt to replicate real situations of interest in which students can design and run experiments, devise alternative sampling strategies, analyze the results of experiments, and relate the result to the original experiment. The setting and underlying data set detailed in this paper were developed to allow students to experience a wide range of statistical concepts typically found in introductory statistic courses, such as basic descriptive statistics, estimation, hypothesis testing, ANOVA, and regression. Assessments of student knowledge after using this approach have shown marked increases in students understanding of statistical concepts, especially confidence intervals and hypothesis testing. Specific details about the data set are provided as are suggestions for using it in an introductory statistics class. Potential uses and examples for a variety of disciplines are also included.
Thomas Kuhn tentang Perkembangan Sains dan Kritik Larry Laudan

Thomas S. Kuhn envisioned the development science as occured through a scientific revolution when the scientific paradigm defended by the scientific community was no longer able to solve concrete problems. The scientists then shifted to a new paradigm that was able to solve the problem as well as promising a more stable of future research. This view has been criticized by Larry Laudan who says that paradigm shift is incompatible with the reality of the development of science itself. For Laudan, science develops through an internal evolution of science itself. The paradigm will never be abandoned altogether whenever scientists face a new scientific problem. Scientific theories will prove its compatibility and update itself through the process of scientific dialogue vertically and horizontally in the hierarchical model of epistemic justification.
Information Rules as Institutions Shaping Political Participation

Information underlies political participation, making information critical to governance and political systems, particularly in democracies. Furthermore, institutions critically shape distribution of information. In this sense, critical analysis of information flows within the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) Framework would importantly contribute to improved understanding of the political role of information. This paper will thus consider aspects of the following puzzle: why does participation increase with increased access to information and information technology among politically engaged individuals, but not among those who have not participated in the past or who self-identify as unengaged? Specifically, this preliminary analysis will consider dimensions of information access -- availability, awareness, and ability to use -- stratified by differences in political participation, as measured by consciousness, resource contributions, institutionalized actions, and public forum participation. Statistical analysis supports the development of an agenda for future research regarding information rules and proposal of testable hypotheses.
Antigenicity of hyaluronic acid.

SummaryAntigens were prepared from human umbilical cord hyaluronic acid, streptococcal hyaluronic acid, group A hemolytic streptococci and Staphylococcus aureus and these same bacteria incubated with human umbilical cord hyaluronic acid. Rabbits were injected intravenously, intramuscularly and subcutaneously with these antigens. Neither precipitating nor non-precipitating, skin-sensitizing antibodies against hyaluronic acid developed. Anti C carbohydrate and anti M protein antibodies were produced in the animals which received streptococci, indicating that the rabbits had received enough of at least 2 antigens, one a carbohydrate the other a protein, to stimulate antibody production. The development of skin sensitivity to hyaluronic acid was suggested but by no means proved. These experiments furnish further evidence that hyaluronic acid is probably not antigenic by itself, nor does it act as a hapten capable of adsorption to group A hemolytic streptococci or Staphylococcus aureus.