cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
“Back on Straw”: The Experience of Shanghai Jewish Refugees in Bremen after Escaping German National Socialism, Enduring a Japanese “Designated Area”, and Fleeing Chinese Communism

The article provides information on a group of 106 Shanghai Jewish refugees who returned to Germany in July 1950 after an unsuccessful attempt to immigrate to the United States. By an arrangement negotiated between German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer and the Mayor of Bremen, Wilhelm Kaisen the refugees were lodged in the Tirpitz Camp in Bremen until they could get permission to reenter the United States. The article provides information on 1) the experiences that thirteen of the members of the Shanghai Group had endured in German concentration camps during the 1930s; 2) the Shanghai Designated Area set up in the Hongkou district of Shanghai by the Japanese occupying forces in 1943; 3) the journey to Bremen in 1950; 4) the names (and birthdates when available) of 102 members of the Shanghai Group, their numbers over time in the Tirpitz Camp, and the health status of the members; 5) conditions in the Tirpitz Camp in Bremen; and 6) the activities of German federal and state officials to address the immediate needs of the Shanghai Jewish refugees during the time when the issue of German reparation payments to Jews had yet to be determined. The archival file upon which the article is based (Staatsarchiv Bremen 4,22/2–178) reveals that despite the initial good intentions by Adenauer and Kaisen, the experience of the Shanghai Jewish refugees became strained as their stay in the camp became prolonged and their requests for more hospitable accommodation and more funds met with bureaucratic red tape.
Spectrally Adaptive Nanoscale Quantum Dot Sensors

The potential use of nanotechnology for hyperspectral (HS) and multispectral (MS) sensing and imaging is described in this article. It is noted how HS and MS sensors/imagers have great potential for a variety of applications important to the intelligence community; such applications range from monitoring chemical agent production to identifying geographical terrain. It is also noted that, by sensing the spectrum of reflectance/transmittance of the agents in different wavelength bands—as can be done with HS/MS systems—image analysis capability and detection probability can be greatly improved. However, traditional MS/HS systems are fairly bulky and expensive. The work described concerns advances in nanotechnology, which offer potential solutions to these drawbacks. In particular, the creation of spectrally adaptive focal plane arrays, based upon nanoscale quantum dots (QDs) in the midinfrared regime (3–14 µm), hold promise of producing compact and relatively inexpensive systems. Such sensors use electro-optics and, thus, do not involve moving parts. The spectral adaptability is mainly attributed to the quantum-confined Stark effect that results from the QDs being placed in asymmetrical quantum potential wells. As a result, QD detectors can sense information over different spectrally overlapping bands as the electrical bias applied across the detector is judiciously varied. Signal-processing-based algorithms are then developed and utilized to maximally exploit the bias-dependent and diverse spectral response of the QD detectors for the purpose of target-spectrum reconstruction and target classification. Examples of these applications are also given in this article. Keywords: quantum dots; infrared detector; DWELL; spectral tuning; algorithmic spectrometer; feature selection
The HST Key Project on the Extragalactic Distance Scale: A Search for Three Numbers

We present a review of the main results of the Hubble Space Telescope Key Project on the Extragalactic Distance Scale with emphasis on the new techniques that were developed in order to undertake the observations, and the methods that were adopted in both reporting the results and quantifying especially the associated statistical and systematic errors. The three numbers (the cosmological expansion rate H o , its statistical error and the systematic uncertainty, respectively) are H o = 72 ±(3) ±[7] km/sec/Mpc.
Gun Torts: Defining a Cause of Action for Victims in Suits Against Gun Manufacturers

Although tens of thousands of Americans die from gun violence every year, the regulation of firearms remains inadequate. Those who are injured, or the survivors of those killed by guns, therefore have sought relief through tort law against those who manufacture these uniquely deadly products. With rare exceptions, however, these suits have been unsuccessful. Most courts have found that the conduct of gun manufacturers is not actionable under strict product liability doctrine, negligence, or the law of abnormally dangerous activities. This Article argues that courts have been too reluctant to apply tort liability to gun manufacturers. It is possible and necessary, the authors demonstrate, to fashion a rule of liability that will call irresponsible gun manufacturers to account, and that doing so will not amount to absolute liability against the gun industry. Drawing theoretical support for their position from central pillars of tort law, the authors offer a test for judging whether a class of guns should be considered defectively designed. Such a determination should hinge on whether the impugned gun is a "manifestly unreasonable" design. This concept is recognized in the Third Restatement of Torts, but too narrowly defined there. The authors flesh out the concept by reworking the factors for abnormally dangerous activities to make them more directly applicable to the complex array of design and marketing decisions that gun manufacturers make. Through a series of illustrations, they then apply this test to different types of guns and show how the test supports liability for certain egregious practices, but not for some other practices. In addition, the authors recommend that claims for negligent marketing be allowed to supplement the design claims in appropriate cases.
Prevention of information attacks by run-time detection of self-replication in computer codes

This paper describes a novel approach for preventative protection from both known and previously unknown malicious software. It does not rely on screening the code for signatures of known viruses, but instead it detects attempts by the executable code in question to self-replicate during run time. Self-replication is the common feature of most malicious codes, allowing them to maximize their impact. This approach is an extension of the earlier developed method for detecting previously unknown viruses in script based computer codes. The paper presents a software tool implementing this technique for behavior-based run-time detection and suspension of self-replicating functionality in executable codes for Microsoft Windows operating systems.
Mercury Methylation and Demethylation in Anoxic Lake Sediments and by Strictly Anaerobic Bacteria

ABSTRACT After spiking anoxic sediment slurries of three acidic oligotrophic lakes with either HgCl2 at 1.0 μg/ml or CH3HgI at 0.1 μg/ml, both mercury methylation and demethylation rates were measured. High mercury methylation potentials were accompanied by high demethylation potentials in the same sediment. These high potentials correlated positively with the concentrations of organic matter and dissolved sulfate in the sediment and with mercury levels in fish. Adjustment of the acidic sediment pH to neutrality failed to influence either the methylation or the demethylation rate of mercury. The opposing methylation and demethylation processes converged to establish similar Hg2+-CH3Hg+equilibria in all three sediments. Because of their metabolic dominance in anoxic sediments, mercury methylation and demethylation in pure cultures of sulfidogenic, methanogenic, and acetogenic bacteria were also measured. Sulfidogens both methylated and demethylated mercury, but the methanogen tested only catalyzed demethylation and the acetogen neither methylated nor demethylated mercury.
Modeling, optimization and computation for software verification

Modeling and analysis techniques are presented for real-time, safety-critical software. Software analysis is the task of verifying whether the computer code will execute safely, free of run-time errors. The critical properties that prove safe execution include bounded-ness of variables and termination of the program in finite time. In this paper, dynamical system representations of computer programs along with specific models that are pertinent to analysis via an optimization-based search for system invariants are developed. It is shown that the automatic search for system invariants that establish the desired properties of computer code, can be formulated as a convex optimization problem, such as linear programming, semidefinite programming, and/or sum of squares programming.
Discovering mutual supplier and distributor enhanced profitability through industry supply‐chain collaboration

This article profiles a major contact lens manufacturer that sponsors an independent activity-based costing (ABC) study for two of its largest wholesale distributors in an effort to better illuminate the “true” profitability of its own products—and competitors'—for the distribution channel.The results show how an intercorporate ABC analysis can improve profitability throughout an industry's supply (or industry's value) chain. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
An axisymmetric linear/high-order finite element for filament-wound composites—I. Formulation and algorithm

Abstract The analysis of filament-wound composite structures is typically very complex, and in order to accomplish a reasonable analysis, considerable detail of the fabrication pattern of the winding process usually must be incorporated. The application of the finite element method to the analysis and design of filament-wound composite structures makes what would normally be an intractable problem into one that can be solved. The typical analysis scheme is to use a relatively simple element, i.e. linear, to model each layer of a composite structure, thereby necessitating the use of numerous elements to model the through-thickness of a multi-layer laminate. When multiplied by the number of elements needed along the in-plane direction, this technique results in a large number of nodes being needed to sufficiently model the structure and thus generates a large set of system equations; the data input and computer computational time are consequently large also. In order to develop a design oriented analysis capability which can produce accurate results rather quickly with reduced input-data requirements, the total number of system equations must be reduced. To accomplish this task, a linear/high-order element was formulated which uses a single high displacement order finite element to model the through-thickness of an axisymmetric composite structure. The displacement order for the in-plane direction remains linear, while the through-thickness order is user selectable. Numerical integration for stiffnesses is evaluated with respect to the varying material properties and laminae thicknesses in each individual element. A study of computational economy shows a potential of 75% reduction for the elements.
Termination of spiral waves with biphasic shocks: role of virtual electrode polarization.

Virtual Electrodes in Biphasic Defibrillation. Introduction: This simulation study seeks to extend the virtual electrode polarization (VKP) theory for defibrillation to explain the success and failure of biphasic shocks. The goals of the study are to (1) provide insight into why optimal biphasic shocks have a lower voltage defibrillation threshold than monophasic shocks, (2) examine the mechanisms of biphasic shock failure and to determine whether they differ from those of monophasic and (3) study how the timing of biphasic shock delivery to a spiral wave affect voltage defibrillation threshold. Methods and Results: A spiral wave is initiated in a bidomain representation of a 2-cm × 2-cm sheet of ventricular myocardium. The model incorporates nonuniform fiber curvature, membrane kinetics suitable for high-strength shocks, and electroporation. A spatially uniform extracellular field is delivered by line electrodes. The shock establishes VEP that dictates the postshock activity in the tissue. Our results demonstrate that the second phase of biphasic shocks leaves the tissue with substantially smaller postshock excitable gap, thus eliminating the majority of the substrate for reinitiation of reentrant activity. Further, the occurrence of break excitations for weaker biphasic shocks indicates that the mechanisms for biphasic shock failure are more complex than for monophasic shocks. Biphasic voltage defibrillation thresholds range from S to 16 V/cm, depending on the position of the spiral wave. An increase in the amount of preshock excitable gap leads to an increase in voltage defibrillation threshold. Conclusion: I his study demonstrates the importance of VKP and its interaction with preshock activity in the success and failure of biphasic defibrillation shocks.
Sensor Fusion: A New Approach And Its Applications

In this paper, we describe an uncertainty and data fusion approach that we have developed and tested. This new fusion algorithm is based on the interaction between two constraints: (1) the principle of knowledge source corroboration, which tends to maximize the final belief in a given proposition (often modeled by a probability density function or fuzzy membership distribution), if either of the knowledge sources supports the occurrence of this proposition and (2) the principle of belief enhancement/withdrawal which adjusts the belief of one knowledge source according to the belief of the second knowledge source by maximizing the similarity between the two source outputs. These two principles are combined by maximizing a positive linear combination of these two constraints related by a fusion function, to be determined. The latter maximization is achieved and the fusion function is uniquely determined using the Euler-Lagrange equations in Calculus of Variations. This method has been tested using various features from synthetic and real data of various types and of many dimensionalities resulting in fused data which satisfies both principles mentioned above. Through these experiments, we have demonstrated the synergism that results through the combination of information available from various sensors. The implementation of this method was performed on both sequential and parallel machines.
Post Hoc Reasoning in Possible Cases of Child Sexual Abuse: Symptoms of Inconclusive Origins

This article addresses the role of psychological expert testimony in possible cases of child sexual abuse (CSA). It describes the logical conditions that must be met in order to engage validly in post hoc reasoning from present symptoms experienced by a child to the conclusion that the child has or has not been sexually abused. The use of various stress and sexual abuse accommodation theories as support for these conclusions is examined. In addition, the practical problems of using Bayes’ Theorem to inform jurors in suspected cases of CSA are described, and an actuarial model of post hoc reasoning is proposed. Given the gaps in knowledge concerning the relevant probabilities and thus the differential probabilities of symptom/abuse versus symptom/no abuse, it is argued that it is not possible currently to reason from symptom observation at Time., to abuse status at Time,. The implications of this thesis are explored. Finally, the valuable forensic contributions that may be made by mental health experts in cases of alleged CSA are suggested.
Impaired neurogenesis in adult type-2 diabetic rats

Type-2 diabetes is an adult onset condition that affects millions of people worldwide. The ensuing hyperglycemia renders multiple organs to various complications and increases the risk of learning and memory impairment. The Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rat developed from normoglycemic Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rat is a model for type-2 diabetes, with insulin resistance developing around 12 weeks of age. We presently analyzed the neural progenitor proliferation and survival of the newly generated cells in the dentate gyrus (DG) and the subventricular zone (SVZ) of 6 and 18 week-old GK and WKY rats. At 6 weeks of age, both GK and WKY cohorts showed similar blood glucose levels (112 ± 14 mg/dL) and similar rates of neural progenitor proliferation. At 18 weeks of age, the GK rats showed significantly increased blood glucose levels (by 92 ± 12%; p<0.05) and higher number of proliferating neural progenitor cells compared to WKY rats (by 183 ± 16% in SVZ and by 36 ± 5% in DG; p<0.05 in both cases). In both the neurogenic areas, 52 ± 9% of the newly formed cells survived to 3 weeks in the 18 weeks old WKY rats, but in the GK rats only 16 ± 7% of the new cells survived to 3 weeks. When cultured from the DG of the 18 week old rats in the presence of FGF2 and IGF1, the GK cohort yielded significantly lower number of neurospheres than the WKY cohort (by 69 ± 7%; p<0.05). These results indicate that hyperglycemic environment induces proliferation of adult neural progenitors, but detrimental to their survival. Impaired neurogenesis might be a promoter of the decreased brain function in type-2 diabetes.
The association between health risk change and presenteeism change.

AbstractObjective:This prospective study investigates whether changes in health risks are associated with changes in presenteeism (on-the-job productivity loss).Method:A total of 7026 employees of a national financial services company responded to a health risk appraisal (HRA), which included a modi
Maternal Fever (MF) (T>38°C) an Unanticipated but Important Associated Clinical Variable in Term Infants with Depressed Apgar Scores Requiring Resuscitation in the Delivery Room (DR). † 566

Maternal Fever (MF) (T>38°C) an Unanticipated but Important Associated Clinical Variable in Term Infants with Depressed Apgar Scores Requiring Resuscitation in the Delivery Room (DR). † 566
Teacher ratings of social competence and behavioral adjustment: Differences between learning-disabled, low-achieving, and typical students

Abstract The social-behavioral competencies of learning-disabled (LD) students were compared with those of low-achieving and typical students. Three groups of 40 elementary age students from each of these categories were rated by their regular classroom teachers using the Walker-McConnell Scale of Social Competence and School Adjustment . The groups of learning-disabled and low-achieving students were both rated as having significantly lower levels of social competence and behavioral adjustment than the group of typical students from the general school population, but there were no significant differences in ratings between these first two groups. The present findings support the notion that social skills deficits constitute an important characteristic for much of the LD population. However, it is unclear whether social-behavior deficits constitute a characteristic that differentiates LD students from nonhandicapped students who are also low in academic achievement. The relationship between social-behavioral problems and academic achievement level is explored, and problems in selecting students for social skills training programs are discussed.
Synihesis of MBE-4 Accelerating Waveforms

An ion induction linac for HIF must operate near the space charge current limit along most of its length. Small errors in the voltages applied to the accelerating gaps can readily produce local unwanted beam bunching and consequent beam loss. Uncompensated space charge forces will generate current loss from longitudinal beam spreading. In the design of the MBE-4 ideal acceleration voltages were developed that assure self-similar amplifying current waveforms at each position along the accelerator. These were approximnately synthesized by adding wavefortms that can be obtained from realizable electrical pulsers. A code is used to study effects produced by the imperfect synthesis on the longitudinal ion dynamics and beam current waveforms in the presence of space-charge forces.
Comparison of 3D joint moments using local and global inverse dynamics approaches among three different age groups

A complete understanding of joint moment is important to locomotion research. The purpose of the study was to compare stance phase lower extremity joint moments, calculated by a three-dimensional (3D) inverse dynamics model and expressed in global and local coordinate systems, to examine the influence of different coordinate systems on joint moment profiles. Additionally, aging influences on joint moments were examined. Thirty healthy (10 young, 10 middle-aged and 10 old) participants were involved in the current study. Kinematic and kinetic data were collected using standard gait study protocol. Results suggested that globally expressed joint moments were significantly different than those expressed locally. Furthermore, significant moment differences were found between young and old age groups. The older adults produced less evertor muscle moments at the ankle joint. However, aging effect was not significant for majority of the joint moment comparisons. It is concluded that coordinate system need to be carefully chosen, and specified in 3D joint moment analysis, while significant error introduced by using 2D analysis need to be considered.
Modulation of natural killer (NK) cells by autologous neutrophils and monocytes

Although natural killer (NK) cell activity is remarkably stable in healthy individuals, the number and cytotoxicity of the cells fluctuate in disease. In man, regulatory mechanisms are virtually unexplored but depressed NK cell function accompanies most chronic diseases. A suppressive role of monocytes/macrophages has been reported. Since neutrophils (PMN) and monocytes (M) often respond reciprocally to pathologic stimuli, experiments were designed to investigate whether increments in PMN and M per se could influence NK cell function. Peripheral blood NK cells obtained by Percoll gradient centrifugation were either cocultured with various concentrations of autologous PMN or M or they were exposed to diffusates of these granulocytes in Millipore chambers. The treated NK cells were washed and then mixed with melanoma target cells in various effector:target cell ratios. It was observed that PMN diffusates augmented cytotoxicity whereas monocyte diffusates decreased the killing function of NK cells markedly and in a dose dependent fashion (P less than 0.001). The stimulatory effect of PMN diffusates was heat labile and not attributable to interferon. The inhibitory effect of M diffusates was heat stable, not due to prostaglandins or lysozyme, and irreversible within 6 hr of observation. Binding of effector to target cells was enhanced by PMN-media, and significantly inhibited by monocyte diffusates . It is therefore possible that factors elaborated by neutrophils and monocytes in vivo could also influence NK cell function.
A mechanism for carbon nanosheet formation

The growth, structure and properties of a two-dimensional carbon nanostructure-carbon nanosheet produced by radio frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition have been investigated. The effects of deposition parameters on the structure and properties of carbon nanosheets were also investigated. A growth model has been described proposing that atomically thin graphene sheets result from a balance between deposition through surface diffusion and etching by atomic hydrogen, and that the observed vertical orientation of these sheets results from the interaction of the plasma electric field with their anisotropic polarizability.
Effects of Ejaculations By Males On the Sexual Invitations of Female Rhesus Monkeys (Macaca Mulatta)

The effects of ejaculation on female sexual invitations were examined in 6 pairs of adult rhesus monkeys of opposite sexes observed during 1 hr mating tests (552 tests), whereby each of 3 females was tested on alternate days with one of 2 male partners (6 males). Ovariectomized females were given subcutaneous silastic implants of testosterone to maintain female sexual motivation, and the sexual activity of males was altered by the administration and withdrawal of intravaginal oestrogen. Plasma hormone determinations confirmed that females remained under constantly high androgenic and low oestrogenic stimulation throughout the study. Comparison of the number of sexual invitations in pairs of successive tests showed that tests without ejaculation following those in which ejaculations occurred were associated with increased numbers of invitations; conversely, ejaculatory tests following non-ejaculatory tests were associated with decreased numbers of invitations. In contrast, there were no changes in pairs of tests with ejaculations in both tests or ejaculations in neither test. Data from sequences of 4 successive tests showed that where an ejaculatory test was followed by 3 non-ejaculatory tests, the increase in invitations during the latter was short-lived: by the third non-ejaculatory test invitations had declined to levels similar to those in the initial ejaculatory test. In contrast, no changes were observed during 3 successive ejaculatory tests following a test without ejaculation. It was therefore concluded that the occurrence of ejaculation in a test affected invitational behaviour in the next two non-ejaculatory tests. Changes in ejaculatory performance during blocks of 10 or more tests would therefore have no predictive value for changes in invitational behaviour unless the distribution of ejaculatory tests is taken into account; this was confirmed by withdrawing intravaginal oestrogen. As expected, a marked decline in mean numbers of ejaculations per test in 3 animal pairs was not associated with consistent or significant changes in the mean numbers of female sexual invitations per test. The circumstances under which changes in invitational behaviour may be used as an index for a hormone-dependent change in female sexual motivation, and the possible nature of the consummatory event for which invitations are appetitive behaviours, are discussed.
Prostaglandin I2 analogs inhibit Th1 and Th2 effector cytokine production by CD4 T cells

An anti-inflammatory effect of PGI(2) has been suggested by increased inflammation in mice that are deficient in the PGI(2) receptor (IP) or in respiratory syncytial viral- or OVA-induced CD4 T cell-associated responses. To determine the mechanism of the anti-inflammatory effect, we hypothesized that PGI(2) analogs inhibit CD4 T cell effector cytokine production. To test this hypothesis, we activated purified CD4 T cells with anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 antibodies under Th1 and Th2 polarizing conditions for 4 days and restimulated the T cells with anti-CD3 in the presence of PGI(2) analogs for 2 days. We found that PGI(2) analogs (cicaprost and iloprost) inhibited the production of Th1 cytokines (IFN-gamma) and Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-10, and IL-13) in a dose-dependent pattern. The inhibitory effect was partially dependent on the IP receptor signaling and was correlated with elevated intracellular cAMP and down-regulated NF-kappaB activity. Pretreatment of the CD4 T cells with 8-bromoadenosine-3',5'-cyclic monophosphorothioate, Rp-isomer, to inhibit a key signaling molecule in the cAMP pathway, protein kinase A (PKA), attenuated the suppressive effect of PGI(2) analogs significantly, suggesting that PKA, in part, mediates the inhibition of the cytokine production. These data indicate that PGI(2) analogs have an immune-suppressive effect on previously activated and differentiated CD4 T cells in vitro and suggest that PGI(2) may have a similar function in vivo.
On the number of local maxima in quadratic 0-1 programs

Algorithms for determining the maximum of a quadratic 0-1 function, f, over the 2^n points of the unit n-dimensional hypercube are often studied by means of test problems in which the data which define f are random numbers. Usually these data are generated randomly and independently from a probability distribution over the integers, symmetric about 0. The general problem is known to be NP-hard; but the algorithms typically depend on the supposition that the number of local maxima is not too large. In this paper, we obtain an average case result; namely that when the data are generated as above, subject only to a few minor technical conditions, the expected number of local maxima increases exponentially with n, the dimension of the problem. We show also, how this result is reconciled with a result of Pardalos and Jha (1988) that when the test data are generated from a normal distribution, the expected number of local maxima approaches 1 as n -> ~.
Forest change over 155 years along biophysical gradients of forest composition, environment, and anthropogenic disturbance

Abstract Understanding temporal forest change across spatial biophysical gradients is fundamental to managing dynamic forests across variable landscapes. This is especially true for identifying how biophysical variation mediates forest development through multi-century changes in climate and eras of forest manipulation by humans. We examined 155 years of forest change across a 13,000-ha mixed conifer landscape in the Spring Mountains, Nevada, USA. We reconstructed forest composition at 31 sites in 1855 (pre-Euro-American settlement, and near the end of the Little Ice Age), 1881 (logging era), 1900 (before establishment of government forest reserve), 1950 (mid-century fire exclusion), and 2009 (present forest). Differing from many other western conifer landscapes, density of large trees (>50 cm in diameter) increased through time. Aside from large trees and one measure of species compositional change, five other measures of forest change (e.g., percent difference in tree density) were spatially variable across the landscape and not well represented by ‘average’ change in the study area. Forest composition in 1855 minimally influenced the next 155 years of forest change. In contrast, the amount, timing, and direction of forest change were linked with topographic gradients. Forests on warm slope aspects incurred the least amount of change, which also was delayed in time, whereas forests on cooler aspects already appreciably changed by 1900. Warm aspects were the only ones to lose trees during the most recent 60-year period (1950–2009), with a decline in median tree density of 13%, compared to continued gains on moister sites. Management applications of this spatio-temporal variation include anchoring fuel treatments around areas of open, little-changed forest to increase effective size of treatments.
Emotion dysregulation and coping drinking motives in college women.

OBJECTIVES: To examine emotion dysregulation as a predictor of coping drinking motives, alcohol consumption, and alcohol-related problems among college women. METHODS: In the cross-sectional study, 424 college women completed confidential surveys assessing the variables of interest. RESULTS: Structural equation models suggest an indirect relationship between emotion dysregulation and alcohol variables. Emotion dysregulation predicted drinking coping motives, and drinking motives predicted both alcohol-related problems and heavy drinking. CONCLUSIONS: In college women, interventions which target emotion dysregulation may indirectly reduce alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems via a decrease in coping drinking motives. Implications for future research will be discussed. Language: en
Poly I:C-induced antiviral and cytotoxic activities are mediated by different mechanisms.

Abstract Macrophages play an important role in host defenses against tumors and virus infections by killing tumor or virus infected cells (extrinsic cytotoxicity) and by limiting virus replication within themselves (intrinsic antiviral activity). Since common macrophage products may be involved in both extrinsic cytotoxicity and intrinsic antiviral activity, we decided to investigate the mechanisms by which Poly I:C-activated macrophages resist infection with HSV-1 and inhibit the growth of tumor cells. The ability of macrophages to resist infection with HSV-1 or to inhibit growth of tumor cells was assessed following treatment with Poly I:C in the presence of antibodies to various cytokines or in the presence of inhibitors/scavengers of toxic macrophage products. Only antibodies to IFN-β were able to abrogate the protective effects of Poly I:C in macrophages infected with HSV-1, suggesting that the antiviral activity induced by this immunomodulator was mediated by the production of IFN-β, which acted in an autocrine manner. In contrast, anti-TNF-α, anti-IFN-α/β, anti-IFN-β antibodies and inhibitors of nitric oxide and C1q production were all able to partially abrogate Poly I:C-induced cytostatic activity, suggesting that multiple mechanisms are involved in macrophage cytostasis. Our results indicate the Poly I:C-induced intrinsic antiviral and extrinsic cytotoxic activities are mediated by different mechanisms.
Photoaffinity labelling of submitochondrial membranes with the 3-azido analogue of 9-amino-3-chloro-7-methoxyacridine.

Abstract 9-Amino-3-azido-7-methoxyacridine has been synthesized and shown to be a suitable photoaffinity probe for the site(s) of interaction of 9-amino-3-chloro-7-methoxyacridine with submitochondrial membranes. Both the excitation and emission spectra of the azido analogue covalently bound to membranes in the energized state display distinctive differences from the spectra of labelled, non-energized membranes (i. e., in the absence of oxidizable substrate, or its presence when uncoupler (FCCP) is also present during photolysis). Enzymatic analyses indicate that the probe interacts with the ATPase and the respiratory chain enzymes; energization appears to afford some protection against inactivation. Electrophoresis of the labelled membranes and isolation of their lipid and protein components indicate that the spectral differences are attributable to differing interactions with the lipid components of energized, relative to non-energized, membranes. Similar results have been obtained with the 3-azido analogue of quinacrine (Mueller, D.M., Hudson, R.A. and Lee, C.P. (1982) Biochemistry 21, 1445–1453), which differs significantly, however, in the extent of its interactions with the enzymes of the respiratory chain and the ATPase. These results indicate that the energy-linked fluorescence responses of 9-aminoacridines with submitochondrial membranes arise from direct interactions with membrane components and may involve redistribution of the probe molecules and/or alteration of their microenvironments upon energization.
Capturing term dependencies using a language model based on sentence trees

We describe a new probabilistic Sentence Tree Language Modeling approach that captures term dependency patterns in Topic Detection and Tracking's (TDT) Story Link Detection task. New features of the approach include modeling the syntactic structure of sentences in documents by a sentence-bin approach and a computationally efficient algorithm for capturing the most significant sentence-level term dependencies using a Maximum Spanning Tree approach, similar to Van Rijsbergen's modeling of document-level term dependencies.The new model is a good discriminator of on-topic and off-topic story pairs providing evidence that sentence-level term dependencies contain significant information about relevance. Although runs on a subset of the TDT2 corpus show that the model is outperformed by the unigram language model, a mixture of the unigram and the Sentence Tree models is shown to improve on the best performance especially in the regions of low false alarms.
Rotational and vibrational temperatures of BaO from a barium release at 170 km, and the synthetic spectrum of BaO in the region 4700 Å to 15,500 Å

Abstract Band spectra of BaO covering a total wavelength region of 5050 A-9300 A were recorded from the ground with a scanning spectrophotometer at 7.1 A resolution during a series of barium rocket releases at College, Alaska in the Spring of 1969. Rotational and vibrational temperatures, both equal to approximately 850°K at the release altitude of 170 km, were inferred by matching the release spectra with calculated synthetic spectra. This temperature persisted throughout the observing period, from release + 20 sec to 14 min after release. Analysis of the BaO band spectrum over a large wavelength region reveals that rotational temperatures are best determined at wavelengths below 5500 A, and that vibrational temperatures should be measured at wavelengths greater than 5500 A. Comparisons with synthetic spectra show that several broad emission features in the release spectra, located at about 7900 A 8400 A and 9000 A, may be identified as clusters of overlapping BaO bands. A synthetic spectrum of BaO extending from 4700 A to 15,000 A is included for general reference and to facilitate future studies in that wavelength region.
The Chemokine Receptor CCR9 Is Required for the T-Cell–Mediated Regulation of Chronic Ileitis in Mice

Background & Aims A balance between effector and regulatory T-cell (Treg) responses is required to maintain intestinal homeostasis. To regulate immunity, T cells migrate to the intestine using a combination of adhesion molecules and chemokine receptors. However, it is not known whether the migration pathways of effector cells and Tregs are distinct or shared. We sought to determine whether interaction between the chemokine receptor 9 (CCR9) and its ligand, chemokine ligand 25 (CCL25), allows effectors or Tregs to localize to chronically inflamed small intestine. Methods By using a mouse model that develops Crohn's-like ileitis (tumor necrosis factor Δadenosine uracyl-rich element [TNFΔARE] mice) we examined the role of CCL25–CCR9 interactions for effector and Treg traffic using flow cytometry, quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemistry, immunoneutralization, and proliferation analyses. Results In TNFΔARE mice, expression of CCL25 and the frequency of CCR9-expressing lymphocytes increased during late-stage disease. In the absence of CCR9, TNFΔARE mice developed exacerbated disease, compared with their CCR9-sufficient counterparts, which coincided with a deficiency of CD4 + /CD25 + /forkhead box P3 + and CD8 + /CD103 + Tregs within the intestinal lamina propria and mesenteric lymph nodes. Furthermore, the CD8 + /CCR9 + subset decreased the proliferation of CD4 + T cells in vitro. Administration of a monoclonal antibody against CCR9 to TNFΔARE mice exacerbated ileitis in vivo, confirming the regulatory role of CD8 + /CCR9 + cells. Conclusions Signaling of the chemokine CCL25 through its receptor CCR9 induces Tregs to migrate to the intestine. These findings raise concerns about the development of reagents to disrupt this pathway for the treatment of patients with Crohn's disease.
Emerging Understanding of Roles for Arterioles in Inflammation

Arterioles, capillaries and venules all actively change their cellular functions and phenotypes during inflammation in ways that are essential for maintenance of homeostasis and self-defense, and are also associated with many inflammatory disorders. Endothelial cells (ECs), together with pericytes and extracellular matrix proteins, can regulate blood flow, the coagulation cascade, fluid and solute exchange, and leukocyte trafficking. While capillary and venular functions in inflammation are well characterized, the arteriolar contribution to inflammation has only recently come into focus. Arterioles differ from venules in structure, EC morphology, shear environment, expression and distribution of surface ligands, hence regulation and function of arteriolar wall cells during inflammation may also be distinct from venules. Recent work indicates that in response to pro-inflammatory stimuli, arterioles alter barrier function, and support leukocyte and platelet interactions through upregulation of adhesion molecules. This suggests that in addition to their role in blood flow regulation, arterioles may also participate in inflammatory responses. In this review we will discuss mechanisms that characterize arteriolar responses to proinflammatory stimuli. We will detail how distinct arteriolar features contribute to regulation of barrier function and leukocyte-EC interactions in inflammation, and further highlight the potential priming effects of arteriolar responses on venular function and progression of inflammatory responses.
A model of the Soviet firm

The Liberman reforms of 1962 modify the above model somewhat, though they do not change it in any fundamental way. The problem of systematic misinformation is attacked by opting for a bonus based not on profit achieved but rather, on an average of the profit achieved and the planned profit. Thus there is an incentive to divulge more information, but the awareness (on the part of managers) that higher performance will affect bonus norms is not removed. Also, because it is profits that determine bonuses, a firm now has an incentive to reduce costs — if it keeps its output constant (and thus the output norm constant) it can still get a higher bonus by reducing costs and hence increasing profits. But, clearly, this too fails; we have merely added another dimension to the conflict. Managers will soon recognize that not only output norms but also profitability norms are sensitive to achieved output and profit. Thus the Liberman reforms, though implicitly recognizing the problems involved, do not introduce the structural changes needed to remove the conflict.
Effect of Tai Chi on gait and obstacle crossing behaviors in middle-aged adults.

This study investigated whether long-term, habitual practice of Tai Chi (or Taiji) results in behavioral modifications during gait. Specifically, we examined whether Tai Chi (TC) experience alters gait behavior during normal and obstructed walking. Fifteen experienced TC practitioners and fifteen control subjects (average age 45 years, 23‐66 year range) completed level walking trials with or without a stationary obstacle placed in their path. TC practitioners in this study had an average of 6.5 years (1.5‐15 year range) of Chen-style Tai Chi experience. Kinematic analyses performed on their step-to-step gait characteristics over multiple steps revealed that TC practitioners used a more cautious strategy by using slower gait speeds and shorter and slower steps than controls (p 0.003). TC practitioners also spent significantly longer time in single leg support while crossing the obstacle (p < 0.001). The deleterious effect of this typically risky behavior may be mitigated in TC practitioners because of their comfort with single leg stance due to continual practice in this posture. It has been suggested that TC may reduce the risk of falls in older adults. Future studies will need to determine whether these observed gait behaviors are found in older adults and are related to reductions in fall risk. # 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Invasive Acer platanoides inhibits native sapling growth in forest understorey communities

Summary 1. Over three growing seasons, we tested how an invasive tree species (Acer platanoides) affected native plant growth in understorey communities of a suburban forest in central New Jersey, USA. We planted similar aged and sized saplings (> 0.25 m tall) into experimental plots identified with one of three treatments (0%, 25% and 50% of total stems are invasive species) and hypothesized native species would grow better in communities lacking invasive plants. 2. There was a plant survival rate of 90% for the duration of the experiment, but in treatments where natives competed with A. platanoides, growth of native species was significantly less than in the purely native stand. In 2006, the mean height of A. rubrum was 110 cm (? 4 SE) in communities with the highest proportion of A. platanoides, while it was 149 cm (? 7 SE) in the 0% invasive communities. Conversely, A. platanoides grew similarly in treatments where it comprised two different proportions and beneath both canopy types (i.e. invasive and native). 3. Native saplings were 28% shorter beneath an invasive canopy (i.e. A. platanoides), compared with a native canopy. A striking interaction existed between community treatment and canopy type, as the invasive canopy had such a strong negative effect on native growth that the presence of invasive saplings was irrelevant. However, beneath a native canopy, the absence of invasive saplings significantly increased growth of native saplings. As the extent and rate of invasive proliferation often makes complete removal unrealistic, this study supports episodic removal (every 2-3 years) of this invasive sapling. 4. Synthesis. This experiment showed that native sapling growth was inhibited (i) when growing beneath an invasive canopy and (ii) when competing with A. platanoides in forest understorey communities. It appears canopy type is more important, because the negative effects from an invasive canopy were strong enough that the co-occurrence of invasive saplings had no impact on native growth. The capability of A. platanoides to inhibit native saplings through understorey competition and overstorey canopy effects, while not affecting conspecifics, may contribute to its success as an invader of North American forests.
Design of a calculus microcomputer laboratory

Abstract A two-semester calculus course and associated microcomputer laboratory are described. It is noted that even software especially designed for instruction is not enough to yield a successful experience. Software, hardware, auxiliary materials and instructional personnel need to function as a totality. This paper discusses how this was managed in a successful course that has enrolled over 1500 students.
Mathematical modelling of the continuous affinity-recycle extraction purification technique

Abstract Continuous affinity-recycle extraction (CARE), a continuous protein purification unit operation, has been designed to address design and optimization criteria relevant for process scale chromatographic separation of proteins. The development and application of a mathematical model describing purification in the CARE process are described. The model incorporates adsorption-desorption kinetics into material balance equations describing the operation of two well-mixed reactors operating with recycle. An accurate mathematical model of CARE has aided in its development as a new unit operation for protein purification, in the assessment of its performance tradeoffs, and in its optimization.
Concurrent versus delayed smoking cessation treatment for persons in early alcohol recovery : A pilot study

This pilot study investigated the efficacy of initiating a smoking cessation intervention early in inpatient treatment for alcohol dependence versus shortly after an inpatient stay. Thirty-six male smokers recruited from an inpatient substance abuse treatment program were randomly assigned to begin smoking cessation either two weeks (concurrent treatment) or six weeks (delayed treatment) after admission to the substance abuse program. Smoking cessation treatment involved three sessions of individual smoking cessation treatment plus eight weeks of transdermal nicotine replacement. Significantly fewer participants began the delayed treatment than the concurrent treatment. Few participants were smoking-abstinent at follow-up, and the timing of treatment onset did not have an impact on smoking outcome. Clinical trials with larger samples may be needed to better evaluate the efficacy of concurrent versus delayed treatment and to test the efficacy of more aggressive interventions with smokers in early alcohol recovery.
Alkalotics anonymous: severe metabolic alkalosis.

Patients may exclude vital details from the medical history,complicating the diagnostic process. This was certainly truewhen a 64-year-old man was brought to the emergencydepartment by his sister after 3 weeks of decreased oralintake, worsening confusion, and difﬁculty walking.The patient was a poor historian; most information wasobtained from his sister. He had a history of hypertension,gastroesophageal reﬂux disease, post-traumatic stress dis-order, and alcohol abuse. His sister noted that he had beenmore withdrawn in the previous several weeks; his recentdiet consisted of only Pepsi and alcohol. He took no pre-scription medications, had lost approximately 30 poundsover the preceding month, and had been vomiting severaltimes per week during this period.