cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Should We Lie to Extraterrestrials? A Critique of the Voyager Golden Records

Abstract This article considers the Voyager records as a means to raise some implications related to the covert biases present in the content included. I argue that messages like the Golden Records have the potential to be understood as misleading and could pose an existential threat to humanity, depending on how they are interpreted by whomever might encounter them. The argument I develop here is based on a key problem in a fair number of attempts to message extraterrestrial intelligence (METI): The construction and transmission of such messages are all-too-often led by astronomers and engineers rather than diplomats or social scientists, who have expertise in inter-cultural communication. As a result, messages like the Voyager records can be naive, biased, and misleading. And this puts humanity at risk, even if it is only a slight risk, because of the potential of such messages being interpreted incorrectly or as being intentionally deceptive. I conclude by arguing that space agencies need to develop review boards similar to the institutional review boards found at universities and hospitals as a means of controlling content including in any government-sponsored METI activity.
Distribution and Habitat Preferences of a Frosted Elfin Subspecies (Callophrys irus hadros, Lycaenidae) in Arkansas

The frosted elfin (Callophrys irus) contains a disjunct subspecies (C. i. hadros) found in Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana that is being considered for listing under the Endangered Species Act as part of the C. irus complex. We assessed the distribution and habitat preferences of this subspecies in Arkansas. From 2018-2020, we surveyed sites of historical records and other suspected habitat for the butterfly and measured habitat variables that could predict occupancy. We detected C. i. hadros at 45 sites out of 208 sites with Baptisia host plants. Host plant number, density, and patch area were significant predictors of butterfly presence. A targeted analysis of one large population found habitat differences between occupied sites and randomly selected sites within the habitat (MANOVA, F7,46 = 2.47, p = 0.031). Individual contrasts showed that Baptisia percent cover (p = 0.008) and Baptisia abundance (p = 0.016) were higher at occupied sites compared to random sites, while shrub percent cover was lower at occupied sites (p = 0.044). Our results indicate that habitat requirements for this species are somewhat flexible, provided larval host plant species are present at a reasonably large site. Callophrys irus hadros appears widespread but local in the southern and western portions of Arkansas, with many more populations than previously known. However, the majority of detections occurred on public and private rights-of-way, such as utility lines and roadsides. Thus, conservation plans for the frosted elfin may benefit from incorporating habitats currently managed for anthropogenic, rather than conservation, purposes.
Miniaturization of a Thermoacoustic Pressure Wave Generator

The combination of a thermoacoustic pressure wave generator, or driver, with a pulse tube refrigerator shows great promise as a method to develop a long lifetime, no moving parts refrigerator. No moving parts refrigerators have been constructed1,2 by combining thermoacoustic refrigerators and drivers. We will explore opportunities and methods for miniaturizing the thermoacoustic pressure wave generator. Power output, temperature gradient, and acoustic losses are several of the variables investigated which are affected by miniaturization. The results of this analysis will be used in designing and constructing a miniature thermoacoustic pressure wave generator.
Real-time color-doppler guidance of HIFU for the selective avoidance or occlusion of blood vessels

High‐intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) has been shown to effectively occlude blood vessels deep within tissue. The objective of the current study was to synchronize HIFU and color‐Doppler ultrasound (US) for the real‐time visualization of flow within blood vessels during HIFU treatment. The excitation of the HIFU was synchronized with the color‐Doppler imager by collecting the excitation pulses of one of the elements of either a curved array intracavitary (C 9‐5) or an intraoperative (CL 10‐5) imaging probe. The collected excitation pulse was converted into a TTL‐high pulse, which was delayed and gated to time the excitation duration and location of the HIFU pulse with respect to each imaging frame. The single pulse was used to drive a 3.2 MHz concave HIFU transducer (focal length of 3.5 cm, f‐number 1) while the US imager was not collecting RF signals from the treatment region of the US image. The feasibility of the system was demonstrated in vivo by the selective ablation of tissue adjacent to, or the...
Hormonal and Cell-specific Regulation of the Human Growth Hormone and Chorionic Somatomammotropin Genes

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the hormonal and cell-specific regulation of human growth hormone (hGH) and chorionic somatomammotropin (hCS) gene. The pituitary hGH-1 and the placental hCS-1, hCS-2, and hGH-2 genes are unique in primates because they have evolved very recently and have maintained ∼95% nucleotide sequence identity. Consequently, they form a particularly interesting gene family for the study of cell-specific regulatory mechanisms and may represent an important set of genes that played a unique role in primate evolution. Both hCS and hGH-2 are found in the maternal circulation and their concentrations increase throughout pregnancy, reaching their respective maxima near term. CS appears to have both lactogenic and somatogenic effects. CS may not have a primary role in mammary development because individuals appear to have normal breast development and lactation in isolated deficiencies of CS, or GH, or prolactin. The control of GH gene expression by cyclic adenosine monophosphate in anterior pituitary somatotroph occurs through a cascade mechanism initiated primarily by the action of two antagonistic hypothalamic neurohormones: Somatostatin inhibits GH release and growth-hormone-releasing-hormone (GHRH) regulates both GH synthesis and secretion..
Identification and characterization of a phospholipid-binding site of bovine factor Va

Coagulation factor Va is a cofactor which combines with the serine protease factor Xa on a phospholipid surface to form the prothrombinase complex. The phospholipid-binding domain of bovine factor Va has been reported to be located on the light chain of the molecule and more precisely on a fragment of Mr = 30,000 which is obtained after digestion of factor Va light chain by factor Xa. This proteolytic fragment is located in the NH2-terminal part of factor Va light chain (residues 1564-1765). In order to further characterize the lipid-binding domain of bovine factor Va, isolated bovine light chain was preincubated with synthetic phospholipid vesicles (75% phosphatidylcholine, 25% phosphatidylserine) and digested with trypsin, chymotrypsin, and elastase. Two peptide regions protected from proteolytic cleavage were identified and characterized from each proteolytic digestion. A comparison of the NH2-terminal sequence and amino acid composition of the two tryptic peptides with the deduced sequence of human factor V indicates a match with residues 1657-1791 of the light chain of human factor V for one peptide and residues 1546-1656 for the other peptide. When chymotrypsin or elastase were used for digestion, the NH2-terminal sequence of one peptide showed a match with residues 1667-1797 of the light chain, while the other peptide presented an NH2-terminal sequence identical with the previously described for the bovine factor Va light chain. When these peptides were assayed for direct binding to phospholipid vesicles, only the tryptic and the chymotryptic peptides covering the middle region of the A3 domain of the bovine factor Va light chain demonstrated an ability to interact with phospholipid vesicles. Thus, knowing that the factor Xa cleavage site on the factor Va light chain is located between residues 1765 and 1766 of the light chain this lipid-binding region of the bovine factor Va is further localized to amino acid residues 1667-1765.
Improving both KIc and CVN fracture energy of AISI 4340 steel through high temperature thermomechanical treatment

ABSTRACT It has been reported for as-quenched AISI 4340 steel that high temperature austenitizing treatments at 1470K instead of conventional heat treatment at 1170K result in a twofold increase in fracture toughness, KlC but a decrease in charpy impact energy. In this paper an attempt has been made to improve both Klc. and CVN energy simultaneously by the application of high temperature thermomechanical treatment. The improvement in the toughness properties of AISI 4340 steel has been rationalized in terms of microstructural changes caused by HTMT.
Overexpression of higher eukaryotic membrane proteins in bacteria. Novel insights obtained with the liver mitochondrial proton/phosphate symporter.

In order to better understand why higher eukaryotic membrane proteins, in contrast to soluble proteins, are not readily expressed in Escherichia coli, the gene encoding the liver mitochondrial phosphate transporter (H+/Pi symporter) (Ferreira, G. C., Pratt, R. D., and Pedersen, P. L. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 15628-15633), was subcloned into a plasmid (pFOG402) containing the alkaline phosphatase promoter and leader sequence. Although this system is highly efficient in overexpressing soluble mitochondrial proteins in E. coli, e.g. alpha and beta subunits of the liver ATP synthase, it fails to express the H+/Pi transporter. Expression is not obtained by truncation of the transporter gene from either the 3' or 5' end, by fusing the mature transporter gene to genes encoding either the alpha or beta ATP synthase subunits, or by using different expression plasmids. Significantly, the H+/Pi transporter is overexpressed in E. coli provided its cDNA is first truncated at the 3' end (carboxyl-terminal end) and fused to a cDNA fragment derived from the ATP synthase alpha subunit gene. In fact, progressive deletions from the 3' end of the transporter cDNA produce a ladder of increasingly overexpressed fusion proteins which account from the largest to the smallest for approximately 2.5-14% of the total bacterial cell protein. The minimal truncation necessary from the 3' end is 192 base pairs corresponding to 64 COOH-terminal amino acids. This corresponds to 20% of the transporter and involves removal of one of the six predicted membrane-spanning segments. In a variety of additional experiments designed to define the molecular basis for E. coli's inability to express the complete liver H+/Pi transporter, problems related to cell toxicity and transcription were ruled out. However, in vitro transcription-translation assays revealed that the complete transporter is readily expressed when eukaryotic, but not prokaryotic, ribosomes are present. Significantly, the fused transporter gene (i.e. Pi transporter cDNA truncated at the 3' end + ATP synthase alpha subunit cDNA) is expressed when prokaryotic ribosomes are present. These results support the view that the difficulty in expressing higher eukaryotic membrane proteins in bacteria may be related in some cases to a problem at the level of translation.
A hazard perception training game for novice drivers

A driving game for novice drivers to improve their hazard detection skills has been developed. The expected side-effect of the game was that novice drivers would learn to detect and react to potential hazards quickly. We found that the horizontal scan patterns of novice drivers became wider and “intelligent” in terms of depending on particular driving situations. Twenty-four undergraduate students participated in the hazard perception experiment. Half of the participants were trained by playing the hazard perception game. The experimental results confirmed that playing the hazard perception game is an effective way to improve the hazard detection skill of novice drivers.
Redefining the Edge:: Life Without Levees

Recovering Redefining the Edge: Life Without Levees Erin Smith In March of 2008, while home for spring break, I received an email telling me that as an architecture student at UCLA I had been accepted to a thirty-week graduate studio course at UCLA with the architect Thom Mayne. Our task would be to design and build a floating house for the residents of New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward. 1 We would also participate in development of an urban plan for the New Orleans region proposed by Mayne’s office, Morphosis. Our first weeks were a baptism by fire. We began our research on a flight to the “Big Easy.” Then, after reading hundreds of pages on the history of the city and its recent troubles, we stood on vacant ground where flooded neigh- borhoods had been cleared of debris by FEMA. It is one thing to consider the issues facing the people of this region abstractly by watching stories on TV or by reading the reports of government agencies. It is another to meet survivors face-to-face. These families desperately wished to return home. We returned to California eager to find solutions. Preventable Disasters The New Orleans flood was the kind of disaster we can predict and even prevent. One day, before studio began, Mayne discussed the disaster: “We know a storm will hit the coastal regions of Louisiana just like we know in Southern California there will be fires, mudslides, and earthquakes. The disaster isn’t the flood.…It is what hap- pened to the people afterwards.” 2 Storms will continue, and their risk is known. But Mayne argued we can use architecture and infrastructure to mini- mize the damage. Our studio proposals, both macro and micro, were rooted in this view. In particular, we challenged the conventional use of levees to control the Mississippi River. We sought an alternative in dense urban development on high ground and a new infrastructure of floating houses. Above: The Lower Ninth Ward in March 2008. Left: The signs promise new homes by Make It Right. Right: The steps used to lead to a front porch: three years after the storm, a poignant symbol of this devastated neighborhood. Photos by author. Places 21.1
Analysis of Pt/C electrode performance in a flowing-electrolyte alkaline fuel cell

Abstract We characterize the performance of Pt/C-based electrodes under alkaline conditions using a microfluidic H2/O2 fuel cell as an analytical platform. Both anodes and cathodes were investigated as a function of electrode preparation procedures (i.e., hot pressing, acclimatization) and fuel cell operating parameters (i.e., electrolyte composition) via chronoamperometric and electrochemical impedance analyses. X-ray micro-computed tomography was employed to link electrode structure to performance. In addition, the flowing electrolyte stream is used to study the effects of carbonates on individual electrode and overall fuel cell performance. Our studies provide direct evidence that the performance of hydrogen-fueled room-temperature alkaline fuel cells (AFCs) is limited by transport processes to and from the anode primarily due to water formation. Furthermore, the presence of carbonate species in the electrolyte appears to impact only anode performance whereas cathode performance remains unchanged.
Supporting Assessment Autonomy: How One Small School Articulated the Infrastructure Needed to Own and Use Student Data.

This paper reports the results of an 18-month integrated, problem-solving research study of one new school’s efforts to create a K-12 system of student assessment data that reflects their innovative vision for personalized and student-centered instruction. Based on interview, observational, and documentary data, the authors report how teachers articulate, measure, and assess student core competencies, aligned with a common vision and supported by a technology interface designed to promote data use. Findings from this study add to the research literature on assessment and data use by articulating the necessary knowledge and supports teachers in new autonomous schools need to develop and formatively use student assessment data.
Non-rigid registration of serial dedicated breast CT, longitudinal dedicated breast CT and PET/CT images using the diffeomorphic demons method

Abstract Rationale and objectives Dedicated breast CT and PET/CT scanners provide detailed 3D anatomical and functional imaging data sets and are currently being investigated for applications in breast cancer management such as diagnosis, monitoring response to therapy and radiation therapy planning. Our objective was to evaluate the performance of the diffeomorphic demons (DD) non-rigid image registration method to spatially align 3D serial (pre- and post-contrast) dedicated breast computed tomography (CT), and longitudinally-acquired dedicated 3D breast CT and positron emission tomography (PET)/CT images. Methods The algorithmic parameters of the DD method were optimized for the alignment of dedicated breast CT images using training data and fixed. The performance of the method for image alignment was quantitatively evaluated using three separate data sets; (1) serial breast CT pre- and post-contrast images of 20 women, (2) breast CT images of 20 women acquired before and after repositioning the subject on the scanner, and (3) dedicated breast PET/CT images of 7 women undergoing neo-adjuvant chemotherapy acquired pre-treatment and after 1 cycle of therapy. Results The DD registration method outperformed no registration ( p p ≤ 0.002) for serial and longitudinal breast CT and PET/CT image alignment. In spite of the large size of the imaging data, the computational cost of the DD method was found to be reasonable (3–5 min). Conclusions Co-registration of dedicated breast CT and PET/CT images can be performed rapidly and reliably using the DD method. This is the first study evaluating the DD registration method for the alignment of dedicated breast CT and PET/CT images.
Feasibility of Computer Visualization in Highway Development: A Fuzzy Logic‐Based Approach

: Building transportation infrastructure requires careful planning and design with due consideration to land and environmental impacts. Imprecise assessments of detailed design requirements, and land and environmental impacts lead to frequent scope changes of transportation infrastructure improvement projects. Computer visualization (CV) and geographic information systems (GIS) can greatly assist in understanding the detailed design requirements as well as land and environmental impacts. However, the application of CV is quite limited in transportation primarily because of the limited knowledge of its benefits over cost. This study investigates the feasibility of CV in modeling highway improvement sections. Two potential benefits are realized through the proposed modeling: (1) better representation of future improvements resulting in enhanced public and political support and (2) early identification of adverse environmental and land impacts as well as detail design requirements resulting in fewer scope changes. A fuzzy logic-based general approach is proposed to calculate the expected benefits of CV. A computer code called the Projection Option Processor (POP) is developed in Microstation's BASIC language to automate repetitive tasks in the visualization procedure. Two real highway projects from Maryland are visualized and the benefits and costs of the visualization are estimated using the proposed fuzzy logic-based approach. The results indicate that using POP is cost-effective resulting in higher benefit-cost ratios (B/C). Increasing the number of views, alternatives, and reevaluations for visualization may increase the total visualization cost significantly.
Protoplast formation ofNeurospora crassa by an inducible enzyme system ofArthrobacter GJM-1

A novel method for preparation ofNeurospora crassa protoplasts has been developed based on treatment of hyphae with an inducible enzyme system ofArthrobacter GJM-1 that had been obtained by growing the bacterium onNeurospora cells as the sole carbon source. The lytic system was characterized for enzyme activities relevant to hydrolysis of major cell-wall components ofN. crassa, such as 1,3-β-d-glucanase, α-mannanase, chitinase, proteinase, α-amylase and β-d-glucosidase. The optimal conditions for protoplast formation from young hyphae ofN. crassa (10 mg dry weight) were 180 min treatment by 40 mg/ml of freeze-dried lytic system. Protoplasts which were released from both hyphal tips and sides were found not to contain cell-wall material, as judged by electron microscopy and Calcofluor binding. When freed of the lytic system, 50% of protoplasts regenerated a mycelium.
Neuroimaging and the functional neuroanatomy of psychotherapy.

Background. Studies measuring the effects of psychotherapy on brain function are under-represented relative to analogous studies of medications, possibly reflecting historical biases. However, psychological constructs relevant to several modalities of psychotherapy have demonstrable neurobiological correlates, as indicated by functional neuroimaging studies in healthy subjects. This review examines initial attempts to measure directly the effects of psychotherapy on brain function in patients with depression or anxiety disorders.Method. Fourteen published, peer-reviewed functional neuroimaging investigations of psychotherapy were identified through a MEDLINE search and critically reviewed. Studies were compared for consistency of findings both within specific diagnostic categories, and between specific modalities of psychotherapy. Results were also compared to predicted neural models of psychotherapeutic interventions.Results. Behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders was consistently associated with attenuation of brain-imaging abnormalities in regions linked to the pathophysiology of anxiety, and with activation in regions related to positive reappraisal of anxiogenic stimuli. In studies of major depressive disorder, cognitive behavioral therapy and interpersonal therapy were associated with markedly similar changes in cortical–subcortical circuitry, but in unexpected directions. For any given psychiatric disorder, there was only partial overlap between the brain-imaging changes associated with pharmacotherapy and those associated with psychotherapy.Conclusions. Despite methodological limitations, initial neuroimaging studies have revealed convergent and mechanistically sensible effects of psychotherapy on brain function across a range of psychiatric disorders. Further research in this area may take advantage of emerging neuroimaging techniques to explore a broader range of psychotherapies, with the ultimate goal of improving clinical decision-making and treatment.
Male courtship success and female discrimination in the Mediterranean fruit fly (Diptera: Tephritidae)

The mating success of individually marked male Mediterranean fruit flies was monitored over 6 consecutive days in the laboratory. Mating frequency was nonrandom, as the numbers of both males that failed to mate and males that mated many (more than four) times were much higher than expected by chance alone. Differential mating success resulted in part from intermale variation in activity level. Male copulatory success was positively correlated with the numbers of courtships performed, attempted copulations (mountings), and females courted. Male-male aggression, on the other hand, and a negligible effect on male mating success. Female choice also appeared to influence male mating frequency. Fewer than 10% of courtships resulted in mating, and in most cases females terminated courtship by simply moving away from the male. Females that did mate generally selected males having higher copulatory scores than previously rejected males.
Strongyloides westeri and Parascaris equorum: Observations in field studies in Thoroughbred foals on some farms in Central Kentucky, USA

Observations were made on the intestinal threadworm (Strongyloides westeri) and ascarid (Parascaris equorum) in field studies in 373 Thoroughbred foals on nine farms in Central Kentucky (USA) in 2013. Qualitative examination was made of feces of the foals for presence of S. westeri and P. equorum eggs. The main purpose of the prevalence study was to obtain current data on S. westeri in Thoroughbred foals. This was done to compare these findings with earlier studies in this geographical area where the prevalence of this parasite has been very low the last several decades. All the foals except on one farm had been treated one or more times with a parasiticide before the study. Prevalence of S. westeri in foals was 0 to 3 % on two farms, 6 to 9 % on three farms, and 20 to 51 % on four farms. The prevalence of P. equorum in foals was 0 to 14 % on three farms, 27 to 38 % on three farms, and 46 to 51 % on three farms. Effect of drugs given before the current study, on the prevalence of the two parasitic nematode species, is discussed. Also, three field tests were done by the present authors to evaluate activity of three individual or combination of drugs against ascarids. Evaluation was somewhat limited because, on two of the farms, a relatively small number of foals was passing ascarid eggs before treatment. However, oxibendazole and oxibendazole/piperazine combination were much more efficacious than fenbendazole.
Methylprednisolone Inhibits Three Classes of Neutrophil Receptors in Human Blood in Vitro

Abstract An analysis of receptor modulation on the neutrophil cell surface is essential for gaining insight into the activation and function of neutrophils in host defense. Moreover, agents that regulate the expression of surface receptors may have profound implications in the management of host response to infection. With this study, we extend previous observations in isolated cells of the putative ability of methylprednisolone sodium succinate (MPSS) to inhibit ligand binding to the formyl peptide receptor. Because neutrophils are exquisitely sensitive to isolation conditions, we have analyzed the regulation of receptor expression using flow cytometry in whole blood. This technique allows discrimination of neutrophils from other formed elements without isolation. Quiescent cells in blood exhibit low levels of formyl peptide receptor, CD11b/CD18, and CD14. We show that MPSS blocks upregulation of each of these receptors in response to three different stimuli (formyl peptlde, lipopolysaccharide, and granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor). The inhibition is reversible with an ED50 of approximately 0.4 mg/ml. From these observations, we conclude that the action of MPSS on neutrophils blocks a common response of receptors. Since these receptors probably function in part through independent signaling pathways, MPSS may function at a common site related to vesicular trafficking. Further investigation is needed to determine the specific means by which corticosteroids interfere with neutrophil upregulation mechanism.
Representations for parametric cubic splines

Abstract Connections are pointed out among various classes of parametric cubic splines. Formulas are given for representing a C1 piecewise cubic curve as a B-spline curve.
Photosensitized oxidation in the ocular lens: evidence for photosensitizers endogenous to the human lens.

— Numerous investigators have attempted to associate near UV light exposure with various changes which occur to lens crystallins during aging and cataractogenesis. Recently we have shown in vitro that singlet oxygen mediated oxidation of lens crystallins produces effects very similar to those documented for crystallins from old or cataractous lenses and suggested that near UV photodynamic effects may play a major role in vivo in aging in the human lens. In the present work we demonstrate that certain oxidation products of tryptophan which have been identified in human lens can act as near UV photosensitizers, producing singlet oxygen. The insoluble protein fraction from human cataracts is shown to have the capacity to act as a photosensitizer. An age-related increase in photosensitizing capacity is also demonstrated in the soluble crystallins from human lens. These findings are discussed with respect to development of pigmented nuclear cataracts.
The US Food and Drug Administration provides a pathway for licensing vaccines for global diseases.

Responding to an urgency for new vaccines for global diseases, in September 2008 the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published an important FDA Guidance Document (see Box 1), ‘‘General Principles for the Development of Vaccines to Protect Against Global Infectious Diseases,’’ [1] that should expand the FDA’s role in facilitating the development of new vaccines for global bacterial, viral, and parasitic diseases affecting millions of people in developing countries worldwide. In part, this action is in response to a changing paradigm in advocacy for global diseases and recognition on the part of developed nations that the facilitation of vaccines and other products for neglected diseases disproportionately affecting those living in poverty is an effort that benefits industrialized as well as low-income countries. Moreover, through the effort of researchers, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, and guided by nongovernmental product development partnerships, many funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, preventative vaccines for global diseases are becoming a reality. Recent progress in this area is exemplified by both a meningococcal vaccine [2] and a new malaria vaccine moving forward into phase III efficacy trials in several African nations [3] and by several candidate vaccines for the prevention of tuberculosis being tested in phase I and II trials [4]. Vaccines and therapeutics for other viral [5], bacterial [6], and parasitic [7] neglected diseases are also in various stages of progress. As these new products enter into clinical trials, it has become clear to product development partners that it is critically important to identify regulatory pathways leading to the timely evaluation and acceptance of safe and effective life-saving interventions. However, this effort is impeded by the fact that regulatory agencies in developing countries where tropical diseases are endemic often lack the capacity to review applications for new vaccines, resulting in lengthy delays in obtaining permission to conduct clinical trials. Better-resourced regulatory agencies such as the US FDA, Health Canada, and the European Union’s European Medicines Agency (EMEA) have been willing to help strengthen regulatory authorities in developing countries, mostly through capacity-building and training programs coordinated by the World Health Organization (WHO), yet their ability to license new vaccines for global diseases has been restricted by the paucity of these diseases within their countries [8]. Some new approaches are being undertaken by the EMEA and by WHO and are briefly described here. In 2004 the European Union introduced a resolution (Article 58) stating that the EMEA could provide a scientific opinion equivalent to a marketing authorization in cooperation with WHO for the evaluation of medicinal products intended
Using constraint graphs to improve embedded systems design

Currently embedded system design is more an art than a science, lacking adequate support for sound top-down design, significant co-design, and effective integration of nonfunctional properties such as cost, reliability, security, and safety into the design process. We describe a top-down design process which employs constraint graphs to address these issues. We demonstrate the effectiveness of this method through the development of a family of designs for a camera.
Lupin alkaloids from teratogenic and nonteratogenic lupins. I. Correlation of crooked calf disease incidence with alkaloid distribution determined by gas chromatography.

A comparison was made by gas chromatography of lupin alkaloid distribution among members of the Lupinus genus that produced crooked calf disease experimentally and those that failed to do so. Further comparison of distribution was made of plants from areas where the disease is common and from areas where the disease is not known. There were alkaloid distribution similarities in all active plants that were not shared by the inactive ones. Four major alkaloid peaks were generally present in active samples, but peak 4 was the only one invariably present in active plants and invariably absent or of low concentration in inactive ones. The data do not positively incriminate an alkaloid as the active principal in the disease, but it is clear that if a major alkaloid is responsible it is the alkaloid of peak 4. That alkaloid is anagyrine. The data further indicate that one can recognize potentially teratogenic lupins by their alkaloid distribution patterns.
Quantization of constraint solutions.

The problem of connecting systems with different numbers of degrees of freedom is discussed. Constraints appropriate for ``Bose'' and ``Fermi'' quantization are used to construct algebras of Dirac brackets associated with special solutions of the nonlinear complex oscillator. The constraints are shown to provide a basis for characterizing the elementary excitations of the oscillators. An alternative notion of quantization through a correspondence with an enveloping subalgebra of the Dirac brackets is introduced, a notion which simplifies the operator-ordering problem implied by the original Dirac brackets. The infinite- and the two-dimensional representations of the subalgebra are utilized to illustrate the quantization technique.
The course of “culture” in multiculturalism

In this essay Tim McDonough analyzes a number of different positions within the ongoing discussion on multicultural education in order to provide a conceptual map of the development of the term “culture.” His examination of the discourse begins with liberal multiculturalism; moves through the stages of difference, critical, and poststructural multiculturalism; and ends with what he terms “transfigurative multiculturalism.” McDonough describes how a conception of culture as a field of collective symbolic work has been arrived at through a dialectical movement of the concept across these different phases of multicultural discourse. This review does not attempt to provide a comprehensive account of the complex discourse of multiculturalism. Rather, McDonough charts a course representative of the field for the purpose of enhancing the readers’ understanding of “transfigurative” multiculturalism, which represents a fresh approach in the continuing inquiry into democratic multicultural education in an increasingly global society.
Crystal Structure of a Genomically Encoded Fosfomycin Resistance Protein (FosA) at 1.19 Å Resolution by MAD Phasing Off the L-III Edge of Tl+

The fosfomycin resistance protein (FosA) catalyzes the Mn(II)- and K+-dependent addition of glutathione to the oxirane of the antibiotic fosfomycin. The crystal structure of FosA from Pseudomonas aeruginosa was solved at a resolution of 1.19 A by multiwavelength anomalous diffraction at the L-III edge of a Tl+ derivative. The structure solution took advantage of the ability of Tl+ to substitute for K+. The existence of multiple Tl sites in the asymmetric unit suggests that this may be a generally useful technique for phasing protein crystal structures. A 1.35 A resolution structure with phosphate bound in the active site shows that the Mn(II) center has a rare four-coordinate geometry. The structure of the fosfomycin complex at 1.19 A resolution indicates that the Mn(II) center is close to five-coordinate with trigonal bipyramidal geometry and a ligand set consisting of two histidines (H7 and H64) and one phosphonate oxygen occupying the equatorial sites and the carboxylate of E110 at one of the apical sites. The oxirane oxygen of the substrate is located at the other apical site but is 0.2 A beyond the average Mn-O distance for five-coordinate Mn(II). The Mn(II) center is proposed to stabilize the alkoxide in the transition state, while the nearby hydroxyl group of T9 acts as a proton donor in the reaction. The K+ ion located 6.5 A from the Mn(II) appears to help orient the substrate for nucleophilic attack.
Plant regeneration from stem-derived protoplasts of Brassica alboglabra bailey

Abstract Protoplasts isolated from stem tissue of Brassica alboglabra Bailey devided rapidly and formed microcalli on medium supplemented with 0.2 mg/l dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 0.2 mg/l 6-benzyladenine (BA). On shoot regeneration medium, the presence of 0.25-1 mg/l BA was most effective in inducing shoot and plant regeneration from protoplast-derived callus at a frequency of 18 and 2–4%, respectively. While low cytokinin concentrations enhanced rhizogenesis, callus growth was promoted in the presence of 2,4-D or naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). All 20 regenerated plants were successfully acclimatized of which 19 were diploid and one was aneuploid.
Radioisotope generators for short-lived positron emitters applicable to positron emission tomography

Radioisotope generators provide short-lived positron emitters for positron emission tomography (PET) without the need for an on-site cyclotron. These generators consist of a long-lived parent radionuclide, generally produced on an accelerator, from which the short-lived daughter radionuclide is separated and used as needed. Generators developed and applied to PET studies include 288 d 68Ge for 68 min 68Ga, 25 d 82Sr for 76 s 82Rb and 20.1 h 122Xe for 3.6 min 122I. These radiotracers have been used for the assessment of myocardial and brain blood flow in patient studies. Additionally, 82Rb has been used to determine the breakdown in the blood brain barrier in brain tumor patients who have undergone radiation therapy. When used in conjunction with 18F-fluorodeoxylucose produced on a regional cyclotron for the measurement of glucose utilization in brain tumors, differential diagnosis can be made between tumor regrowth and radiation therapy necrosis. Other possible applications include the detection of vascular lesions with 68Ga labeled platelets or porphyrins.
Enantiospecific electrodeposition of a chiral catalyst

Many biomolecules are chiral--they can exist in one of two enantiomeric forms that only differ in that their structures are mirror images of each other. Because only one enantiomer tends to be physiologically active while the other is inactive or even toxic, drug compounds are increasingly produced in an enantiomerically pure form using solution-phase homogeneous catalysts and enzymes. Chiral surfaces offer the possibility of developing heterogeneous enantioselective catalysts that can more readily be separated from the products and reused. In addition, such surfaces might serve as electrochemical sensors for chiral molecules. To date, chiral surfaces have been obtained by adsorbing chiral molecules or slicing single crystals so that they exhibit high-index faces, and some of these surfaces act as enantioselective heterogeneous catalysts. Here we show that chiral surfaces can also be produced through electrodeposition, a relatively simple solution-based process that resembles biomineralization in that organic molecules adsorbed on surfaces have profound effects on the morphology of the inorganic deposits. When electrodepositing a copper oxide film on an achiral gold surface in the presence of tartrate ion in the deposition solution, the chirality of the ion determines the chirality of the deposited film, which in turn determines the film's enantiospecificity during subsequent electrochemical oxidation reactions.
The effects of substrate oxidation on the adsorption and decomposition of HCOOH on Mo(100)

Abstract The adsorption and decomposition of HCOOH on the clean and two distinct oxygen-modified Mo(100) surfaces were studied by high resolution electron energy loss and temperature programmed reaction spectroscopies. A surface formate species with an irreversible temperature dependent orientation was seen on the three substrates. Formate stability varied with the oxygen content of the surface. Surface passivation was found to correlate directly with substrate oxidation.
Charcoal, livelihoods, and poverty reduction: Evidence from sub-Saharan Africa

More than 80% of urban households in sub-Saharan Africa use charcoal as their main source of cooking energy, and the demand is likely to increase for several decades. Charcoal is also a major source of income for rural households in areas with access to urban markets. We review studies of the socioeconomic implications of charcoal production and use, focusing holistically on the role of charcoal in poverty alleviation based on four dimensions of poverty defined by the World Bank: (i) material deprivation, (ii) poor health and education, (iii) vulnerability and exposure to risk, and (iv) voicelessness and powerlessness. We draw conclusions from household-level studies to better understand the determinants of participation in charcoal production and sale, and of urban household demand. Poorer households are more likely to participate in the production and sale of charcoal but their participation is mainly a safety net to supplement other income. Although charcoal production contributes to poverty reduction through alternative income-generation opportunities, it can also undermine production of ecosystem services, agricultural production, and human health. Reducing rural household dependence on charcoal requires coordinated policies providing alternative income opportunities for farmers, affordable alternative energy sources for urban households, and more efficient and sustainable approaches for producing and using charcoal. For future research, we emphasize the importance of large-N panel datasets to better understand the net benefits of charcoal production as a poverty-reduction strategy.
Spontaneous assembly of a hinged coordination network

THE field of supramolecular chemistry has advanced to a stage at which it is possible to select building blocks that will self-assemble into structures with specific network topologies1–3. This makes possible the rational design and synthesis of molecular solids with potentially interesting properties. Here we report the construction of open, hinged networks from molecular building blocks. This class of materials has been predicted to exhibit unusual mechanical properties, including auxetic behaviour (negative Poisson's ratio) and negative coefficients of thermal expansion4–6. Our approach relies on the notion that rigid organic molecules of high symmetry will adopt one of only a few possible structures when linked via hydrogen bonds or coordination to metals7–9. We use trigonal lig-ands to make networks joined at the vertices by metal ions; the resulting networks are homeotypic10 with the honeycomb-like A1B2 and the hinge-like ThSi2 phases. The hinge-like network has channels of inner diameter 15 A, within which included molecules can be exchanged while the framework remains intact. We have not yet determined whether this material is auxetic.
Selective perturbation of ligand field excited states

Abstract The photophysics of polypyridine ruthenium(II) complexes have generated intense interest recently. One controversial process involves the thermal population of a higher-lying ligand field (LF) state during the lifetime of the lowest excited triplet metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) state. In order to substantiate this thermal process, several series of closely related complexes were prepared and their photophysics examined. The results clearly suggest thermal population of an LF state. In one example, the LF state was selectively perturbed while the MLCT states were nearly unchanged energetically. This approach which involves a novel ligand, 4,5-diazafluorene, nicely complements selective perturbation of MLCT states by introduction of electron-withdrawing substituents.
Volume fraction of a dispersed pectin

Abstract Foaming precludes direct volume ( V ) measurements of pectin dispersions, but the problem was overcome by calculating V from the density ( d ) of aliquot parts withdrawn from the interior volume, and substituting for d = W/V , where W = initial weight of the dispersion. By plotting V against moles for a series of pectin dispersions, the partial molal volume, denoted by the slope of the linear regression line, was determined. Thereby, thermodynamic equations developed for synthetic polymers, based on volume fractions, may be used to characterize the biopolymeric pectins.
Gastrointestinal leiomyosarcoma--unusual sites: esophagus, colon and porta hepatis.

This paper is based on a retrospective analysis of the radiologic findings of 6 newly proven cases of primary gastrointestinal leiomyosarcomas located in unusual sites. The radiographic and angiographic features of esophageal, colonic, and porta hepatis leiomyosarcomas are described and illustrated. General background information together with a brief review of the literature regarding these lesions are provided. The difficulties encountered in the preoperative diagnosis are explained by the protean and nonspecific clinical and radiographic features of many of these tumors. In addition, although myomatous tumors of the liver and porta hepatis are angiographically hypervascular, similar tumors of the colon are slight to moderately vascular, and tumors of the esophagus are avascular.
Interfacial flow processing of collagen.

A new method for creating substrates made out of ordered collagen fibers, on which cells in culture can align, is proposed. The substrates can be used for research in cell culture, and this researc...
An incentive model of duopoly with government coordination

A static market model of duopoly, with the government influencing the market, is formulated as a Stackelberg game with one leader and two Nash followers. By using a strategy which is a function of the decisions of the Nash duopolists, the government may induce them to virtually cooperate. Marginal cost, price, elasticity of demand, total profits and consumers' welfare, when this incentive mechanism is used, are compared to the corresponding quantities under voluntary cooperation.
String excitations of a hole in a quantum antiferromagnet and photoelectron spectroscopy

The aim of the present paper is twofold. The first goal is to show that high resolution angle-resolved photoelectron spectra from cuprates indicate the presence of string-like excitations of the quasihole excitation in a quantum antiferromagnet. In order to compare with the experimental intensity plots, we calculate the spectral function of the t-J and the t-t'-t"-J models within the self-consistent Born approximation for widely accepted values of the parameters of these models. The main features of the high resolution photoelectron spectra are in general agreement with the results based on the above models and can be understood by considering not only the lowest energy quasiparticle peak but, also, the higher energy string-like excitations of the hole. The second goal of the present paper is to make the case that a proper analysis of both the numerical results obtained from these models and of the experimental results, suggests a theoretical picture for the internal structure of the hole-quasiparticle and a string-exchange pairing mechanism due to strong antiferromagnetic correlations among the background spins. We find that, using a simple model in which the Hilbert space is restricted to states of only unbroken strings attached to the holes and in which the holes are connected with unbroken strings, we can provide a good quantitative description of the most accurate numerical results. We find that the holes experience an effective interaction due to a string-exchange mechanism which is characterized by a rather large string tension and this can provide pairing energy scales much larger that those suggested by spin-fluctuation mediated pairing models. In addition, it is argued that such string-exchange interaction tends to bind holes in a bound state with the $d_{x^2-y^2}$ symmetry.