cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ontogeny of cocaine-induced behaviors and cocaine pharmacokinetics in male and female neonatal, preweanling, and adult rats

Ontogenetic differences in the behavioral responsiveness to cocaine have often been attributed to the maturation of dopaminergic elements (e.g., dopamine transporters, D2High receptors, receptor coupling, etc.). The purpose of this study was to determine whether ontogenetic changes in cocaine pharmacokinetics might contribute to age-dependent differences in behavioral responsiveness. Male and female neonatal (PD 5), preweanling (PD 10 and PD 20), and adult (PD 70) rats were injected (IP) with cocaine or saline and various behaviors (e.g., locomotor activity, forelimb paddle, vertical activity, head-down sniffing, etc.) were measured for 90 min. In a separate experiment, the dorsal striata of young and adult rats were removed at 10 time points (0–210 min) after IP cocaine administration. Peak cocaine values, cocaine half-life, and dopamine levels were determined using HPLC. When converted to percent of saline controls, PD 5 and PD 10 rats were generally more sensitive to cocaine than older rats, but this effect varied according to the behavior being assessed. Peak cocaine values did not differ according to age or sex, but cocaine half-life in brain was approximately 2 times longer in PD 5 and PD 10 rats than adults. Cocaine pharmacokinetics did not differ between PD 20 and PD 70 rats. Differences in the cocaine-induced behavioral responsiveness of very young rats (PD 5 and PD 10) and adults may be attributable, at least in part, to pharmacokinetic factors; whereas, age-dependent behavioral differences between the late preweanling period and adulthood cannot readily be ascribed to cocaine pharmacokinetics.
Effects of vitamin D, dietary calcium and vitamin D restriction, pregnancy and lactation on gene expression of calcium transporting factors

1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 is a primary regulator of intestinal active calcium transport. The purpose of this study was to determine the changes in intestinal vitamin D-dependent plasma membrane calcium ATPase 1 [PMCAl] and calcium binding protein-9K [CaBP-9K] mRNA induced by a single injection of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 or an analog of 1,25dihydroxyvitamin D3 that is considered non-hypercalcemic, 1,25,28trihydroxyvitamin D2, in vitamin D-deficient rats. The results of Northern blotting of duodenal tissues indicated that a single injection of 20 ng of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 per rat doubled intestinal PMCAl at 4, 8, and 12 hours after injection, and CaBP-9K mRNA was increased at 8, 12, and 24 hours after injection. No increase in PMCAl and CaBP-9K mRNA
Beyond unity: Du Bois and Race Politics in the Twenty-First Century

Lawrie Balfour and Robert Gooding-Williams have given us powerful new works of scholarship on the political thought of W. E. B. Du Bois. Not only do these publications enrich the field of Du Bois scholarship, they exemplify the exciting possibilities at the intersection of political theory and race politics.
Dopant Patterning by PECVD and Mechanical Masking for Passivated Tunneling Contact IBC Cell Architectures

We present a robust, simple technique for dopant patterning onto poly-Si/SiO2passivated tunneling contacts on n-Cz wafers. Heavily doped, thin n- and p- type a-Si: H overlayers serve as solid-state dopant sources for blanket intrinsic a-Si: H layer on tunneling SiO2. Subsequent processing results in uniformly doped, functional n- and p-type passivated contacts. Furthermore, physical masking during the PECVD of the dopant source overlayers enables an interdigitated back contact (IBC) cell structure with sufficient doped finger edge fidelity to preserve an intrinsic electrode gap. Lithography-free, passivated contact IBC cell structures are made using a set of n-, p-, and metallization masks from patterned Si wafers with mechanical alignment. Alternatively, doped a-Si: H overlayers are patterned by dielectric layer deposition and lithography.
Dynamic and Transparent Memory Sharing for Accelerating Big Data Analytics Workloads in Virtualized Cloud

Many big data applications are memory-intensive workloads and perform iterative analytics algorithms. When the dataset used in each iteration of the analytic job exceeds the physical memory of their allocation, this type of workloads suffers from serious performance degradation or experience out of memory error. Existing proposals focus on estimating working set size for accurate resource allocation of executors, but lack of desired efficiency and transparency. This paper presents an efficient shared-memory based memory paging service, called FastSwap. The design of FastSwap makes a number of original contributions. First, FastSwap improves VM memory swapping performance by leveraging idle host memory and redirecting the VM swapping traffic to the host-guest compressed shared memory swap area. Second, FastSwap develops a compressed swap page table as an efficient index structure to provide high utilization of shared memory swap area through supporting multi-granularity of compression factors. Third, FastSwap provides hybrid swap-out and proactive swap-in to further improve the performance of shared memory swapping. Finally, FastSwap is by design light-weighted and non-intrusive. We evaluate FastSwap using a set of well-known big data analytics workloads and benchmarks, such as Spark, Redis, HiBench, SparkBench and YCSB. The results show that FastSwap offers up to two orders of magnitude performance improvements over existing memory swapping methods and more than four orders of magnitude faster than conventional disk based VM swapping facility.
R-snakes

Energy minimizing contours or snakes are tools for delineating objects of interest in an image. Snakes are defined discretely or in continuous form with continuous snakes having advantages over discrete snakes. A continuous snake called B-snake has been previously defined using B-spline curves. In this paper, a continuous snake called R-snake is introduced that is based on rational Gaussian (RaG) curves and has advantages over B-snakes. Not only the stiffness of an R-snake can be varied continuously to delineate an object from coarse to fine, the stiffness of different parts of an R-snake can be adjusted to recover a shape with smooth as well as detailed parts. The formulation of R-snakes is presented and experimental results delineating various objects in synthetic and real images are presented and discussed.
Tunable topology of photonic systems based on transparent conducting oxides (Conference Presentation)

Light control in photonic systems and an improved robustness to imperfections or disorder is in high demand. Recently it has been shown that by breaking time reversal symmetry in photonic systems, it is possible to realize topologically protected states which are resistant to perturbations and back-scattering. This effort has resulted in an increased interest in a new class of topologically ordered optical systems - photonic topological insulators. Some of the approaches to realize topologically protected photonic states include using metamaterials exhibiting a magneto-optical/nonlinear responses, engineering photonic crystal dispersion, as well as introducing synthetic magnetic field for photons. Precise control of topologically protected states can potentially open new frontiers of light matter interaction and lead to a number of applications, such as topologically protected memory/logic devices, compact optical isolators, unidirectional waveguide systems and numerous quantum communication applications. Recent investigations reveal transparent conduction oxides (TCOs) (such as Indium-tin-oxide (ITO) and Al-doped ZnO (AZO)) as a promising building block for on-chip photonics and planar optics applications with ultrahigh modulation capabilities (< 1 [ps]). Within this work we have demonstrated that by integrating a TCO material platform with a standard CMOS-compatible SOI technology, it is possible to get unparalleled ultrafast optical/electrical control of synthetic gauge magnetic field. We have considered a silicon resonator array (510-nm-wide and 220-nm-height) on silicon dioxide integrated with AZO as a dynamically tunable element. It was demonstrated that transitions between topologically protected and non-protected states can be achieved by electrical/optical tuning of 50-nm AZO film.
Peptic ulcer in pregnancy; a serial study of gastric secretion during pregnancy.

This is a young woman in whom gastric acid and pepsin levels decreased to low values during the course of her pregnancy. Some correlation between emotional states and gastric secretory levels was observed. The case is presented because it is the first to be recorded where gastric aspiration was carried out during pregnancy in an ulcer patient.
Lawyers, Regulation of

This article examines the regulation of private practitioners in the USA, Europe, and the financial centers of the Pacific Rim. It focuses specifically on regulatory issues arising from the increasing globalization and consolidation of legal (and other professional) services, such as the regulation of ‘transnational’ and ‘multidisciplinary’ practice. It argues that the traditional system of professional self-regulation, which is aimed at individual lawyers who practice within the boundaries of a single jurisdiction, is increasingly out of step with the conditions of modern law practice; and speculates about the contours of future regulatory reform.
The effect of medication cost transparency alerts on prescriber behavior

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine if medication cost transparency alerts provided at time of prescribing led ambulatory prescribers to reduce their use of low-value medications. MATERIALS AND METHODS Provider-level alerts were deployed to ambulatory practices of a single health system from February 2018 through April 2018. Practice sites included 58 primary care and 152 specialty care clinics totaling 1896 attending physicians, residents, and advanced practice nurses throughout western Washington. Prescribers in the randomly assigned intervention arm received a computerized alert whenever they ordered a medication among 4 high-cost medication classes. For each class, a lower cost, equally effective, and safe alternative was available. The primary outcome was the change in prescribing volume for each of the 4 selected medication classes during the 12-week intervention period relative to a prior 24-week baseline. RESULTS A total of 15 456 prescriptions for high-cost medications were written during the baseline period including 7223 in the intervention arm and 8233 in the control arm. During the intervention period, a decrease in daily prescribing volume was noted for all high-cost medications including 33% for clobetasol propionate (p < .0001), 59% for doxycycline hyclate (p < .0001), 43% for fluoxetine tablets (p < .0001), and a non-significant 3% decrease for high-cost triptans (p = .65). Prescribing volume for the high-cost medications overall decreased by 32% (p < .0001). CONCLUSION Medication cost transparency alerts in an ambulatory setting lead to more cost-conscious prescribing. Future work is needed to predict which alerts will be most effective.
Vigorous physical activity and mental health-Associations suggest a link among childhood cancer survivors.

Vigorous physical activity among childhood cancer survivors is associated with superior psychological health and cognition. A simultaneous call for more research, while at the same time promoting healthful lifestyles is indicated.
Design and control of an ergonomic robotic shoulder for wearable exoskeleton robot for rehabilitation

In this paper, we present an ergonomic robotic shoulder for upper limb exoskeleton. Most exoskeletons have been designed considering shoulder joint instantaneous center of rotation (ICR)—often termed as the center of glenohumeral joint—as fixed joint. In reality, shoulder joint ICR does move during shoulder abduction–adduction and vertical flexion–extension. The abduction–adduction causes shoulder joint ICR to move in the frontal plane, resulting from a combined motion of shoulder depression–elevation and horizontal translation, while vertical flexion–extension produces a movement of shoulder protraction–retraction. If these additional motions are not compensated in exoskeleton design, they can produce discomfort and/or pain to the robot’s wearer. While in most of the exoskeleton, shoulder joint articulation is considered as a 3-DOFs spherical joint, this research proposes a novel shoulder joint mechanism of robotic exoskeleton with two additional passive DOFs to provide ergonomic shoulder movement. The mechanisms in proposed robotic shoulder comprises of two sliders that allow above-mentioned passive movements of shoulder joint ICR. In this research, we demonstrated that the slider-1 enables shoulder joint ICR to move in the frontal plane with a quarter circular arc of 60 mm during abduction–adduction, while slider-2 allows movement of shoulder protraction–retraction as needed. Proposed mechanism has been designed to be used eventually in a 7 DOF modular robotic exoskeleton for upper limb rehabilitation. We have also applied computed torque control (CTC) to the designed shoulder. The performance of CTC shows stability and effectiveness.
Inefficiency-Manipulability Tradeoff in the Parallel Mechanism

Most school choice and other matching mechanisms are based on deferred acceptance (DA) for its incentive properties. However, non-strategyproof mechanisms can dominate DA in welfare because manipulation in preference rankings can reflect the intensities of underlying cardinal preferences. In this work, we use the parallel mechanism of Chen and Kesten, which interpolates between Boston mechanism and DA, to quantify this tradeoff. While it is previously known that mechanisms that are closer to Boston mechanism are more manipulable, we show that they are also more efficient in student welfare if school priorities are weak. Our theoretical results show the inefficiency-manipulability tradeoff in the worst case, while our simulation results show the same tradeoff in the typical case.
Integrating fire effects on vegetation carbon cycling within an ecohydrologic model

Abstract Wildfire affects landscape ecohydrologic processes through feedbacks between fire effects, vegetation growth and water availability. Despite the links between these processes, fire is rarely incorporated dynamically into ecohydrologic models, which couple vegetation growth with water and nutrient fluxes. This omission has the potential to produce inaccurate estimates of long-term changes to carbon and water cycling in response to climate change and management. In this study, we describe a fire-effects model that is coupled to a distributed ecohydrologic model, RHESSys, and a fire-spread model, WMFire. The fire-effects model has intermediate structural complexity so as to be commensurate with the ecohydrologic model. The fire-effects model includes processes for litter and coarse woody debris consumption, processes for fire-associated vegetation mortality and consumption, and takes into account canopy structure (i.e. ladder fuels) for propagation of fire effects into a forest canopy. We evaluated the model in four Western U.S. sites representing different vegetation, climate, and fire regimes. The fire-effects model was able to replicate patterns of expected fire effects across different ecosystems and stand ages without being tuned to produce them; an emergent property of the model. Fire effects of shrubland and understory vegetation varied with surface fire intensity, by design, and fire effects in forest canopies were sensitive to parameters associated with the buildup of litter and understory ladder fuels. These findings demonstrate that the fire-effects model provides an effective tool for evaluating the post-fire changes to physical and ecological processes. Future work will project future fire regimes and improve understanding of watershed dynamics under climate change and land management via the simulation of the fire-effects model with fire spread and ecohydrology.
A structural regression analysis of trauma-informed climate factors, organizational commitment, and burnout among behavioral healthcare providers in a large public hospital.

As an approach to organizational change, trauma-informed care is contextualized within the broader organizational literature by examining the associations between organizational conditions (i.e., psychological experiences of choice and collaboration in the work environment) with precursors to organizational effectiveness (i.e., affective commitment and burnout). The study occurred within a large public hospital's behavioral health department located in the Western New York region (N = 197). Structural regression analyses were conducted, and the primary findings, while nuanced, include support for choice and collaboration's prediction of employee commitment and burnout. Organizational interventions that improve worker's experiences of choice and collaboration may result in increased commitment, reduced burnout, and possibly improved effectiveness. Future research should employ longitudinal designs to further examine the condition-performance relationship and include direct measures of clinical effectiveness.
Exploring Instrumentation and Sensor Technologies for Highway Design and Construction Projects

With the infusion of emerging technologies into highway construction practices, state departments of transportation (DOTs) can make better informed decisions that positively influence cost, schedul...
New Horizons: Emerging Therapies and Targets in Thyroid Cancer

The treatment of patients with progressive metastatic follicular cell-derived and medullary thyroid cancers that do not respond to standard therapeutic modalities presents a therapeutic challenge. As a deeper understanding of the molecular drivers for these tumors has occurred and more potent and specific compounds are developed, the number of Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved treatments for thyroid cancer has expanded. In addition, with the advent of disease-agnostic target-directed FDA approvals an ever-broadening number of therapeutic options are available for clinicians and patients. However, to date, complete remissions are rare, the average durations of response are relatively modest, and toxicities are common. These factors accentuate the need for further understanding of the mechanisms of resistance that result in treatment failures, the development of biomarkers that can improve patient selection for treatment earlier in the disease process, and the continued need for new therapeutic strategies. In this article, recent approvals relevant to thyroid cancer will be discussed along with selected new potential avenues that might be exploited for future therapies.
Patient‐reported functional outcomes in a cohort of hand and foot sarcoma survivors treated with limb sparing surgery and radiation therapy

Background and objectives Describe patient-reported functional outcomes for hand and foot sarcoma survivors treated with limb-sparing surgery and radiation therapy (LSS + RT). Methods Fifty-four patients with hand/wrist and foot/ankle sarcomas treated with LSS + RT from 1991 to 2015 were identified. Survivors ≥18 years old without subsequent amputation completed self-assessed functional surveys: Toronto upper extremity salvage score (TESS-UE) and Michigan hand outcomes (MHQ) surveys for hand; TESS lower extremity (TESS-LE) and Foot and Ankle Outcomes (FAOS) surveys for foot. Scoring scales: 0-100, MHQ and TESS; -26 to 56 and 25-59, FAOS core and shoe comfort, respectively. Higher scores denote superior function. Results Five-year local tumor control was 88%. Fourteen of 24 hand (58%) and 14/18 foot (78%) survivors completed surveys. Mean TESS-UE and MHQ scores were 89.4 and 72.8, respectively. Mean TESS-LE, core FAOS, and shoe comfort scores were 92.4, 46.19, and 53.1, respectively. No factors correlated with outcomes. TESS-UE and MHQ scores strongly correlated (r = .87). TESS-LE and FAOS scores were associated with a poor correlation (r = .02 and r = .69). Conclusions The largest patient-reported functional outcomes analysis for hand and foot sarcoma survivors treated with LSS + RT demonstrates excellent local tumor control and acceptable functional outcomes. Further exploration of optimal functional assessment tools is needed given the potential scope differences.
(Dis)connected organizational identity of multinational hotel corporations: Employee insights from a Mexican luxury hotel property:

Organizational identity (OI) is a critical concept in understanding what is central, distinctive, and enduring to an organization. For headquarters of a multinational corporation that command multi...
The infection-tolerant mammalian reservoir of Lyme disease and other zoonoses broadly counters the inflammatory effects of endotoxin

Animals that are competent natural reservoirs of zoonotic diseases commonly suffer little morbidity from the pathogens they persistently harbor. The mechanisms of this infection tolerance and the trade-off costs are poorly understood. We used exposure to a single dose of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) endotoxin as an experimental model of inflammation to compare the responses of the cricentine rodent Peromyscus leucopus, the white-footed deermouse, to that of Mus musculus, the standard laboratory model for pathogenesis studies. Four hours after injection with either LPS or saline, blood and spleen and liver tissues were collected postmortem and subjected to RNA-seq, untargeted metabolomics, and specific RT-qPCR. This was followed by analysis of differential expression at the gene, pathway, and empirical network levels. The deermice showed the same signs of sickness as the mice with LPS exposure, and in addition demonstrated comparable increases in levels of corticosterone and expression of interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor, IL-1b, and acute phase reactants, including C-reactive protein. But whereas the M. musculus response to LPS was best-characterized by network analysis as cytokine-associated, the P. leucopus response was dominated by pathway terms associated with neutrophil activity. Dichotomies between the species in expression profiles of arginase 1 and nitric oxide synthase 2, as well as the ratios of IL-10 to IL-12, were consistent with a type M1 polarized macrophage in the mice and a type M2 or alternatively-activated response in the deermice. Analysis of metabolites in the plasma and RNA in the tissues revealed differences between the two species in tryptophan metabolism during response to LPS. Two up-regulated genes in particular signified the difference between the species: Slpi (secretory leukocyte proteinase inhibitor) and Ibsp (integrin-binding protein sialoprotein). The latter was previously unrecognized in the context of inflammation or infection. Key RNA-seq findings in P. leucopus were replicated in a second LPS experiment with older animals, in a systemic bacterial infection model, and with cultivated fibroblasts. Taken together, the results indicate that the deermouse possesses several adaptive traits to moderate effects of inflammation and oxidative stress ensuing from infection. This seems to be at the cost of infection persistence and that is to the benefit of the pathogen.
Particle sensor technology for the potential detection of pollution intrusion in harbors

The University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee's School of Freshwater Sciences is built at a port serving building materials companies, a grain elevator complex, a salt warehouse, a nearby oil company, an industrial refuse dumping ground, and has the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA's sewage treatment plant across the river. Naturally, this area is a testbed for finding environmentally-sound business solutions for public and private entities at the confluence of the Kinnickinnic River and Milwaukee Municipal Mooring Basin. Our group has developed an optical sensor for detecting particulate matter suspended in water at a lower cost and faster speeds than traditional methods. This manuscript will discuss the implementation and effectiveness of the sensor for detecting changes in the port's water quality.
Influences on Discharge Partitioning on a Large River Delta: Case Study of the Mississippi-Atchafalaya Diversion, 1926–1950

The modern Mississippi River (M.R.) Delta is plumbed by the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers, setting water and sediment dispersal pathways for Earth’s fifth-largest river system. The Atchafalaya River’s (A.R.) partial annexation of discharge from the M.R., particularly between 1926 and 1950, prompted warnings of a rapid river avulsion and the construction of the Old River Control Structure to regulate flow. Natural and anthropogenic causes of this discharge annexation are difficult to disentangle. Here, we develop and validate a hydrodynamic model of flow partitioning through the historic channel network. We then isolate how several key changes to the system affected discharge partitioning and stage at the A.R.-M.R. diversion. Simulations show that erosion of the upper A.R. can account for 73% of the water discharge increase. Dredging in the lower A.R. between 1932 and 1950 can account for 35% of the water discharge increase, and was also an important control on shear stress distribution. The lower M.R. was slightly erosional during this period, and therefore hindered the A.R. discharge increase. Significant lacustrine delta deposition in A.R. had little effect on partitioning. These findings highlight the importance of A.R. enlargement processes on avulsion dynamics at this site. Given the essential nature of this river junction to the society, transportation, and commerce of the United States, improved attribution of discharge increases may lead to future management strategies that are broadly impactful.
Open-sleeve technique: A new approach for aortic valve leaflet reconstruction in small children.

A boy was diagnosed with a unicuspid aortic valve with severe stenosis at birth. Percutaneous balloon aortic valvuloplasty was performed four times; however, he had severe heart and growth failure....
Data needs and models for the opioid epidemic

The evolving nature of the opioid epidemic and continued increases in overdose deaths highlight a need for fundamental change in the collection and use of surveillance data to link them to implementation of effective service, treatment, and prevention approaches. Yet at present, the quality and timeliness of US surveillance data often limits data-driven approaches. We review current information needs, summarize limitations of existing data, propose complementary surveillance resources, and provide examples of promising approaches designed to meet the needs of data end-users. We conclude that there is a need for an approach that focuses on the needs of data end-users, such as public health systems leaders, policy makers, public, nonprofit and prepaid healthcare systems, and other systems, such as the justice system. Such an approach, which may require investments in new infrastructure, should prioritize improvements in data timeliness, sample representativeness, database linkage, and increased flexibility to adapt to shifts in the environment, while preserving the privacy of survey participants. Use of simulations, distributed research and data networks, alternative data sources, such as wastewater or digital data collection and use of blockchain technology, are some of promising avenues toward an improved and more user-centered surveillance system.
Characterization, identification, and purification of the bacterial receptor expressed by turkey peripheral blood monocytes for serogroup A:3 of Pasteurella multocida

Capsular hyaluronic acid (HA) mediates adhesion of serogroup A strains of P. multocida to elicited turkey air sac macrophages (TASM). In contrast, freshly isolated turkey peripheral blood monocytes (TPBM) do not bind serogroup A strains. Following culture of TPBM for 6 days in chamber slides, adhesion of the bacteria to TPBM increased gradually. Incubation in chamber slides coated with Entactin-CoUagen IV-Laminin attachment (ECL) matrix or exposure to phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) fiirther enhanced the adhesion of P. multocida to TPBM. Addition of HA to TPBM culture, but not Arg-Gly-Asp peptide, inhibited bacterial adherence similarly to that previously reported for TASM Exposure of TPBM to MAb directed against HA-binding cell surfece proteoglycan (CD44) decreased binding of P. multocida. Collectively, these findings indicate that P. multocida adhesion to TPBM is mediated by capsular HA and can be up-regulated by culture on ECL matrix or PMA exposure. Additionally, the findings suggest that the capsular mucopolysaccharide of serogroup A strains of P. multocida recognizes an 69 isoform of CD44 expressed on cultured TPBM. INTRODUCTION Pasteurella multocida causes fowl cholera, a widely distributed disease occurring in most poultry-producing countries of the world. Annual worldwide losses to the poultry industry were estimated at 200 million US dollars in 1986 (11). Serogroup A strains of P. multocida are the major cause of fowl cholera in turkeys. Survival of P. multocida outside the host and resistance to phagocytosis in non-immunized birds are associated with the presence of a capsule. With serogroup A strains of P. multocida, the capsule contains HA, an anionic polysaccharide composed of repetitive disaccharidic units of A'"-acet>l-D-glucuronic acid and A^'-acetyl-D- glucosamine. Invasion by P. multocida is believed to occur through the lymphoid tissues of the respiratory tract, and the bacterial capsule is suspected to play a major role in this event. Previous studies from our laboratory demonstrated that serogroup A strains of P. multocida adhere to TASM but are not internalized. Although we showed that bacterial adhesion to TASM occurs through specific recognition of capsular hyaluronate by a cell surface glycoprotein (10), the host cell receptor was not identified. CD44, an 85-kDa transmembrane glycoprotein found on a variety of cell types, is one of several receptors capable of binding HA. Because CD44 is an HA receptor also associated with lung macrophages (3, 5), we suspected that it might be involved in adhesion of serogroup A strains of P. multocida to TASM. However, with avian species, the number of resident macrophages in the lungs and air sacs is low and recovery by lavage is poor (12). Consequently, our initial attempts to isolate CD44 from TASM foiled due to the inability to acquire suflBcient numbers of cells. This failure prompted a study to
Detecting exploit code execution in loadable kernel modules

In current extensible monolithic operating systems, loadable kernel modules (LKM) have unrestricted access to all portions of kernel memory and I/O space. As a result, kernel-module exploitation can jeopardize the integrity of the entire system. In this paper, we analyze the threat that comes from the implicit trust relationship between the operating system kernel and loadable kernel modules. We then present a specification-directed access monitoring tool - HECK, that detects kernel modules for malicious code execution. Inside the module, HECK prevents code execution on the kernel stack and the data sections; on the boundary, HECK restricts the module's access to only those kernel resources necessary for the module's operation. Our measurements show that our tool incurs 5-23% overhead on some I/O intensive applications using these modules.
Trade, Aid and Human Rights: Chinaâ€™s Africa Policy in Perspective

This paper looks at Chinaâ€™s aggressive hunt for resources in Africa, reviews the criticisms levelled against China regarding its involvement in the contine examines continuities, changes and the dynamics of Chinaâ€™s Africa policy, and evaluates the prospects of integrating human rights into Chinaâ€™s foreign policy. Given growing trade and investment relationship between China and Africa, what is the role of human rights in hinaâ€™s Africa policy? Can China integrate human rights into its foreign policy considerations? Drawing on the history of USâ€™ attempt to integrate human rights into the United Statesâ€™ foreign policy, what are the prospects of and challenges to integrating human rights into Chinaâ€™s Africa policy? Instead of â€˜human rightsâ€™, might the concept of â€˜developmentâ€™ be a more useful but no less effective paradigm for infusing people oriented values into Chinaâ€™s Africa policy calculations?
Application of Microwave Heating for Fabrication of Silicon Nitride Ceramics

Microwave processing of silicon nitride-based ceramics was examined to identify aspects that would have advantages over conventional heating such as improved fabrication parameters or increased mechanical properties. Areas of microwave processing examined were sintering of powder compacts and sintering of reaction-bonded silicon nitride. The sintering of powder compacts showed improved densification and enhanced grain growth. However, the high additive levels required to produce crack-free parts generally limit these materials to low temperature applications. Sintered reaction-bonded silicon nitride materials were fabricated in the microwave with a one-step process using cost-effective raw materials. The materials had properties appropriate for structural applications.
Portrait of a Russian Province: Economy, Society, and Civilization in Nineteenth-Century Nizhnii Novgorod. By Catherine Evtuhov. (Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2011. Pp. xiv, 320. $34.95.)

One of the most neglected topics in Russian history has certainly been provincial life, although some valiant attempts have been made to lift the veil on glush', where seemingly nothing happened, w...
Effect of fluoxetine and cocaine on the expression of clock genes in the mouse hippocampus and striatum.

Long-term drug-induced alterations in CNS gene expression may be responsible for some therapeutic effects, such as antidepressant action, as well as for psychopathological conditions, such as drug addiction and abuse. Transcription factors called “clock” genes can be affected by psychotropic drugs and may modify the expression pattern of other genes. In this study in mice, we investigated the delayed effects of single and repeated (i.e. 14 days) administration of the antidepressant fluoxetine and the psychostimulant cocaine on the brain expression of clock genes Period1, Period2, Period3, Clock, Bmal1, Cryptochrome1, Cryptochrome2, and NPAS2 (neuronal PAS domain protein 2), and their putative target gene, serotonin N-acetyltransferase. Mice were treated at ZT05 (lights on at 5:00 am; ZT00). Brain samples (i.e. hippocampus, striatum, and prefrontal cortex) were processed for a semi-quantitative mRNA assay. Repeated but not single treatment with either drug increased serotonin N-acetyltransferase expression in all areas tested. On the other hand, the expression of clock genes was differentially affected depending on the drug (i.e. fluoxetine and cocaine), treatment schedule (i.e. single and repeated), and brain area (i.e. hippocampus and striatum) tested. More pronounced changes were induced by repeated rather than single administrations of fluoxetine or cocaine. We propose that the effects of psychoactive drugs on clock transcription factors may mediate long-term drug-induced changes, possibly by regulating the expression of a second set of genes (i.e. clock-controlled genes).
EXPERT SYSTEMS: New Approaches to Computer-aided Engineering*

This paper provides an overview of the burgeoning new field of expert (knowledge-based) systems. This survey, is tutorial in nature, intended to convey thegestalt of such systems to engineers who are newly exposed to the field. The discussion includes definitions, basic concepts, expert system architecture, descriptions of some of the programming tools and environments with which knowledge-based systems can be built, and approaches to knowledge acquisition. Some currently extant expert systems are describeden passant, including a few developed for engineering purposes. Comments follow on the engineering of knowledge, as both cultural and social processes. The paper closes with an assessment of the roles that expert systems can play in engineering analysis, design, planning, and education.
Making Sense of Chinese Reading: Yi and Xing

Research and theory in reading have tended to focus on English and other alphabetic languages. Even if non-alphabetic languages are the focus of reading research, they are primarily studied from a perspective of alphabetic languages. There is little attempt to build research on analysis of the Chinese writing system. This article reports research that is based on a thorough analysis of the Chinese writing system, which has a continuous 2000-year history of use and rivals alphabetic systems in the number of users, world-wide. The research uses miscue analysis in the study of events in oral reading where the observed response to a complete authentic text differs from the expected response. The analysis of the Chinese writing system is provided in the article. This description was the base for a major contribution of the study, the Taxonomy of Chinese Miscues adapted from the Taxonomy of Oral Reading Miscues (Goodman, 1973). The article also places Chinese literacy in its cultural context. The finding that Chinese readers make miscues in similar proportions to readers of alphabetic orthographies is itself important because it shows that Chinese reading is a process of meaning construction and much more than the sequential recognition of characters. Chinese reading employs the same psycholinguistic strategies and use of cues from the text as reading in alphabetic languages. Twelve fourth semester students of Chinese read a complete authentic Chinese text. The resulting data provide a baseline of data for further study of Chinese reading since it avoids the imposition of inappropriate units of alphabetic orthographies such as words, sentences and phonic correspondences. Data from L1 readers are offered for comparison. Goodman’s transactional model and theory of reading, writing, and written texts (1994, 1996, 2003), which views reading as primarily the construction of meaning, is thus shown to be applicable to reading Chinese. Chinese readers use the structure of Chinese characters in semantic and syntactic context to make sense of print with little use of phonics. This finding is consistent with the Chinese historical and cultural view that the writing system yi (meaning; essence; spirit; interior) is the essential part of the whole semiotic system. In contrast to yi, xing (forms; formats; outer) is merely a surface whose form represents what lies within. In Chinese society, reading is not only to construct the yi of written texts, but also to construct the yi of a culture. By means of constructing yi, the function of reading is fulfilled from the perspectives of both self-cultivation and social transformation.
Evaluation of Upland Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Genotypes for Intercropping with Pigeon Pea (Cajanus cajan [L.] (Mill sp.))

Eleven upland rice genotypes of varying growth duration and plant stature were evaluated in two cropping systems: monocrop and intercrop, with pigeon pea cv. UPAS 120, in order to study the effects of intercropping on rice grain yield and its contributing characteristics during 1990 to 1992 wet seasons. Cropping system and cropping system × genotype interaction effects were significant for yield ha −1 , panicle weight, panicles m −2 and spikelet fertility suggesting the need for evaluating and selecting genotypes suitable for intercropping. Rice grain yield reduction in the intercrop ranged from 24.5 % in genotype RR 203-16 to 54.5 % in genotype Aditya. Panicle weight, total dry matter at flowering as well as at harvest, and harvest index were also reduced. Plant height and panicle weight were positively associated with yield in both systems, however, the yield was positively and significantly correlated with spikelets per panicle and spikelet fertility with the intercropping system. The correlation between cropping systems indicated the possibility of simultaneous improvement for these characteristics in monocropping and intercropping
RELATION BETWEEN QUANTITY OF CHLOROPHYLL AND CAPACITY FOR PHOTOSYNTHESIS

Seeking evidence as to the number of chlorophyll molecules concerned in the reduction of one molecule of carbon dioxide, Emerson and Arnold (3) measured the maximum amount of carbon dioxide which could be reduced by a measured quantity of cells, under conditions designed to make photosynthesis dependent only on the amount of chlorophyll present, and independent of other factors, both internal and external. The limiting effect of chemical processes in the cell under saturating external conditions was avoided by illuminating with extremely short flashes of light (about 10~5 seconds) and allowing sufficient dark time (about one-tenth of a second) between flashes so that the chemical processes or Blackman reaction could run to completion between light flashes. The intensity of the flashes was so great that higher intensities resulted in no increase in carbon dioxide assimilation. With light flashes as short as 10~5 sec, it was believed impossible for a significant number of individual chlorophyll molecules to act more than once per flash in the reduction of carbon dioxide. Under these conditions it was anticipated that chlorophyll would be the only factor limiting the amount of carbon dioxide reduced per flash. The number of chlorophyll molecules should limit the energy available for carbon dioxide reduction after each flash. The ratio (p) of number of chlorophyll molecules present to number of carbon dioxide molecules reduced per flash was found to remain approximately constant, even when the chlorophyll content per unit volume of cells was varied several fold. Unexpectedly high values were obtained for p, showing that the cells contained two or three thousand times as much chlorophyll as the maximum amount of carbon dioxide which they could reduce per flash of light. Calculations made by Gaffron and Wohl (7) show that essentially the same relationship prevails in continuous light. They compared the maximum rate of carbon dioxide reduction with the chlorophyll content for a variety of material, including leaves as well as suspensions of algal cells. Taking the average time required for the completion of the Blackman reaction in Chlorella from the results of Emerson and Arnold, they found that assimilating cells in general contain over two thousand times as much chlorophyll as seems necessary to account for the highest observed rates of photosynthesis.
Sons of Alcoholics Report Greater Hangover Symptoms than Sons of Nonalcoholics: A Pilot Study

We investigated alcohol-induced hangovers among college men at high and low risk for alcoholism. Thirteen sons of alcoholics reported significantly (p less than 0.001) greater hangover symptoms in the past year than 25 sons of nonalcoholics. The two groups reported comparable quantity-frequency of recent drinking. To the extent that hangover represents an acute withdrawal syndrome to alcohol, this raises the question of whether sons of alcoholics are "dependence-prone."
Sex-Related Differences in the Pharmacokinetics of Once-Daily Saquinavir Soft-Gelatin Capsules Boosted with Low-Dose Ritonavir in Patients Infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1

Study Objectives. To compare the steady-state pharmacokinetics and safety of saquinavir soft-gelatin capsules (SGC) plus low-dose ritonavir administered once/day in antiretroviral-naive adult patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and to evaluate any sex-related differences. Design. Single-center, open-label, pharmacokinetic study. Setting. University-affiliated outpatient HIV clinic. Patients. Six men and seven women with HIV-1. Intervention. Each patient received saquinavir SGC 1600 mg and ritonavir 100 mg for a 14-day course of therapy. Nine serial blood samples during 24 hours were collected on day 14 of therapy. Measurements and Main Results. Plasma saquinavir and ritonavir concentrations were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. Standard noncompartmental methods were used to calculate the pharmacokinetic parameters. The unpaired Student t test was used for the statistical comparison of pharmacokinetic parameters between male and female patients. Once-daily saquinavir SGC plus ritonavir was generally well tolerated. Pharmacokinetic data from five men and five women were evaluable. The median saquinavir area under the concentration–time curve from 0–24 hours (AUC0–24) in the female patients (82,300 ng·hr/ml) was significantly (p=0.036) higher than that in the male patients (47,400 ng·hr/ml). This relationship remained significant for weight-adjusted saquinavir AUC0–24 values. Ritonavir's apparent oral clearance in the women was significantly (p=0.023) lower than that in the men. Conclusion. Significantly higher plasma concentrations of saquinavir were achieved in female compared with male HIV-infected patients receiving once-daily saquinavir SGC 1600 mg plus ritonavir 100 mg.
Eye Movement Abnormalities in Rod Monochromacy

Eye movements were studied quantitatively using electrooculography in seven patients with rod monochromacy. Attention was given to eye movement abnormalities that could help to differentiate rod monochromacy from other forms of congenital nystagmus. Horizontal nystagmus in center gaze had pendular and jerk waveforms with much lower amplitude than that in patients with other forms of congenital nystagmus and visual acuity of 20/200–20/400. Slow build-up of slow component velocity over many seconds and directional asymmetry of optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) were observed during monocular optokinetic stimulation. The directional asymmetry of OKN was characterized by a higher OKN gain (eye velocity/OKN drum velocity) during rotation of the OKN drum in the temporal-to-nasal direction in the visual field, than that during drum rotation in the nasal-to-temporal direction. Similar directional asymmetry and slow build-up are found in afoveate animals, such as the rabbit, during monocular optokinetic stimulation, but are not found in normal human subjects or in patients with other forms of congenital nystagmus.
Electrochemical investigation of galvanic corrosion between aluminum 7075 and glass fiber/epoxy composites modified with carbon nanotubes

Abstract We investigate whether the presence of carbon nanotubes in previously non-conductive composites may cause galvanic corrosion. We focus on aluminum 7075 alloy and glass fiber-reinforced polymers (GFRP), where the epoxy resin is modified with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). Whole aluminum bars were bonded with MWCNT/GFRP in a co-cure, or were connected electrically with the composite through a galvanic cell. The investigation includes characterization of the treated and baseline epoxy resin, high humidity tests at room temperature, full immersion tests in an aggressive environment, and standard galvanic coupling tests in an aggressive environment. Results show that coupling MWCNT/GFRP samples with aluminum 7075 causes approximately doubled corrosion rate and mass loss rate compared to baseline GFRP samples. We envision that this work will impact the research community and indicate the need of careful coupling selection and careful surface treatment between nanomaterials and conventional materials, since the ability to monitor damage in situ is very desirable.