cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
K+-stimulated adenosine triphosphatase of maize roots: partial purification and inhibition by Helminthosporium maydis race T toxin

Abstract Maize plants bearing the cytoplasmic gene cmsT for male sterility are highly susceptible to infection by the fungus Helminthosporium maydis race T while normal plants are relatively resistant. The K + -stimulated ATPase found in the microsomal fraction from susceptible plants following tissue disruption and differential centrifugation is inhibited by a toxin produced by H. maydis race T. The same enzyme activity in microsomes from normal plants is not affected by the toxin. The ATPase can be solubilized by extraction of the microsomes with 0·5 m -NaClO 4 , and further purified by chromatography on a Sephade G-100 column. After the chromatographic purification the ATPases from both normal and susceptible plants are inhibited by the toxin. ATPase from either source is stimulated and partially protected from toxin inhibition by another fraction from the Sephadex column fractionation. ADP hydrolysis by the microsomes is also stimulated by K + and inhibited by toxin while 5′-nucleotidase activity is unaffected by K + or toxin.
Magnitude effects for experienced rewards at short delays in the escalating interest task

A first-person shooter video game was adapted for the study of choice between smaller sooner and larger later rewards. Participants chose when to fire a weapon that increased in damage potential over a short interval. When the delay to maximum damage was shorter (5-8 s), people showed greater sensitivity to the consequences of their choices than when the delay was longer (17-20 s). Participants also evidenced a magnitude effect by waiting proportionally longer when the damage magnitudes were doubled for all rewards. The experiment replicated the standard magnitude effect with this new video game preparation over time scales similar to those typically used in nonhuman animal studies and without complications due to satiation or cost.
The effect of heat and gas flow interactions on the performance of adiabatic packed bed reactors

Abstract The analysis is presented for an adiabatic packed bed reactor in which an exothermic first order catalytic reaction is carried out. The reactor is considered to operate under conditions such that the pressure drop is specified, rather than the mass flow rate of the reactant gas; thus the gas flow rate is regarded as a dependent variable, which is a function of the progress of the reaction, of the temperature profiles, and of the bed parameters, such as the void fraction. This interaction between the mass flow, the chemical reaction and the heat transfer in the bed was found to have a profound effect on the performance of the system.
Tetrakis(μ-benzothiazole-2-thiolato)-1:2κ4N:S2;1:2κ4S2:N-dichloro-1κCl,2κCl-dirhenium(III)(Re—Re) dichloromethane solvate: a bridged complex with a long Re—Re quadruple bond

The title compound, [Re2(C7H4NS2)4Cl2]·CH2Cl2, consists of dirhenium mol­ecules with bridging N,S-benzo­thia­zole-2-thiol­ate ligands, axial Cl− ligands and intramolecular hydrogen bonding. These mol­ecules adopt somewhat staggered conformations, with a long Re—Re quadruple bond distance of 2.2716 (3) A.
Transrectal ultrasound guided drainage of prostatic cysts

AbstractPurpose: A technique for transrectal ultrasound guided drainage of prostatic cysts and large cystic utricles is described using simple adaptation of equipment readily available in the transrectal ultrasound suite.Materials and Methods: Using the puncture trajectory display generated by the ultrasound unit, the biopsy needle is manually advanced through the needle guide of the transrectal ultrasound probe. Once the tip of the needle reaches the lumen of the cystic lesion, the central trocar of the needle is removed from the outer cannula and intravenous line tubing is inserted into the opening in the trocar. The syringe is attached to the opposite end of the extension tubing, allowing for cyst aspiration.Results: This technique was performed successfully in 11 patients with symptomatic cysts within the prostate, including 7 with intraprostatic cysts and 4 with cystic utricles. The fluid collection recurred in 1 patient with a cystic utricle, causing epididymal pain and orchialgia that resolved with...
Forging Ahead and Falling Behind: Changing Regional Inequalities in Post‐reform China

This study analyzes the evolution of China’s regional inequalities during the reform period of 1978–1998 based on three geographical scales, both output and livelihood indicators of economic well-being and three measures of inequality. The results indicate that interprovincial and regional inequalities declined between 1978 and 1990, but have widened steadily since 1990. Urban-rural disparity diminished before 1984, then experienced a decade-long surge afterwards to peak in 1994 at a much higher level and since 1994, it has been declining again. The levels of regional inequalities in China appear to be sensitive to changes in government development strategies and regional policies. Differential growth of the provincial economies shaped by the coast-oriented and urban-biased development strategies as well as selective open-door policy implemented by the Chinese government after the reform is the key to understanding the wax and wane in China’s regional inequalities. This paper discusses the factors that account for the changing regional inequalities in post-reform China and argues that government policies are likely to continue to influence the future trajectories of inequality change.
Toward a new philosophy of care: perspectives on prevention.

The history of medical care in America and the present practice of mental health professionals generally reflect the economic structure of the country and of supply and demand. Revision is seriously needed in the areas of service delivery and training to give emphasis to primary prevention, and this requires social action on two levels: redirection of national priorities and development of a new philosophy of care founded in service and committed to prevention. Prevention is a form of response that can be made to existing and anticipated societal difficulties, to attempts to resolve them, and thus to planning properly for the future. Such plans must involve specific goals, purposes, attainable relevant programs, and the ability of providers and consumers to plan and act collaboratively; education of both providers and consumers: and making use of the political process to support this new philosophy of care both morally and financially. The tools of modern technology can be adapted and brought to bear on the problem of mental health care and mental illness prevention so that society can move beyond past failures to a system of care for the mentally ill that can keep pace with our complex modern society.
Distillation Columns with Structured Packings in the Next Decade

The analysis of the history of structured packings allows the conclusion that the innovation cycle will become faster. Based on the separation power as an alternative way to represent the performance characteristics an estimate of the next level of what might be the ultimative separation power is given. Regarding the column internals as distributors, only slight improvements are expected, typically in the form of streamlined forms and cheaper manufacturing. CFD and computer tomography as tools to better understand the complicated two-phase flow processes in distillation equipment will be of great importance for the development of new designs. A general trend is the emerging of multifunctional packings and their application in combined systems, like catalytic distillation or dividing wall column.
Robert E. Wright and the development of facial nerve akinesia

The name of Auguste Van Lint is linked with the development of facial nerve akinesia for ophthalmic surgery. Less well known is Robert Ernest Wright (1884-1977) who described techniques to block the facial nerve in the same manner as later published by Atkinson and Nadbath. This paper reviews Wright's life as an ophthalmologist and ophthalmic bacteriologist and pathologist in British India, and his role in the evolution of facial nerve akinesia.
Traditional peoples and climate change

Indigenous and other traditional peoples are only rarely considered in academic, policy and public discourses on climate change, despite the fact that they are and will be greatly impacted by present and impending changes. Symptomatic of the neglect of indigenous peoples, the recently released IPCC II (2007) report summary on climate change impacts makes only scarce mention of indigenous peoples, and then only in polar regions and merely as helpless victims of changes beyond their control. The IPCC III (2007) report on mitigation of climate change does not consider the role of indigenous peoples at all. This view of indigenous peoples as passive and helpless, at best, is not new, with roots going back to colonialism and reoccurring in contemporary discussions of development, conservation, indigenous rights, and indigenous knowledge.
RRT*-AR: Sampling-based alternate routes planning with applications to autonomous emergency landing of a helicopter

Engine malfunctions during helicopter flight poses a large risk to pilot and crew. Without a quick and coordinated reaction, such situations lead to a complete loss of control. An autonomous landing system could react quicker to regain control, however current emergency landing methods only generate dynamically feasible trajectories without considering obstacles. We address the problem of autonomously landing a helicopter while considering a realistic context: multiple potential landing zones, geographical terrain, sensor limitations and pilot contextual knowledge. We designed a planning system to generate alternate routes (AR) that respect these factors till touchdown exploiting the human-in-loop to make a choice. This paper presents an algorithm, RRT*-AR, building upon the optimal sampling-based algorithm RRT* to generate AR in realtime and examines its performance for simulated failures occurring in mountainous terrain, while maintaining optimality guarantees. After over 4500 trials, RRT*-AR outperformed RRT* by providing the human 280% more options 67% faster on average. As a result, it provides a much wider safety margin for unaccounted disturbances, and a more secure environment for a pilot. Using AR, the focus can now shift on delivering safety guarantees and handling uncertainties in these situations.
MEASURE PRESERVING FUNCTIONS ON LOCALLY COMPACT SPACES

Abstract : The following theorem is proved: Let M and N be compact metric spaces with Borel measures u and v, respectively, such that every non-empty open set has positive measure. Let f : M N be a continuous function having the property; whenever both A and f(A) are Borel measurable, then u(A) = v(f(A)). Then there exists a subset F of M of the first category and of measure zero on which f is not one-to-one and such that f : M - F is a homeomophism. This result without the continuity assumption is then generalized to locally compact metric spaces. The conclusion is slightly weaker. Some examples are given to prove that other likely extensions are false in general. (Author)
An Investigation of Situational Variation in Brand Choice Behavior and Attitude

Empirical evidence is presented which supports the explicit consideration of situational factors in the study of consumer behavior. Situational variation of brand choice behavior and attitude is id...
Time-Mean Flow and Variability in a Nonlinear Model of the Atmosphere with Orographic Forcing

Abstract The variability and time-mean response to orographic forcing are examined in a nonlinear atmospheric model. Distinct signatures from both high-frequency (synoptic-scale) and low-frequency (periods greater than 10 days) transients are seen in the temporal variance and eddy fluxes. Downstream of the orography, in the region of the time-mean jet stream, high-frequency transients are organized into a storm track and exhibit baroclinic energy conversions. The low-frequency transients, while producing, greater variability in the same region as the storm track, exhibit significantly less baroclinic energy generation. The structure of the low-frequency transients downstream of the orography is similar to the observed PNA pattern. The time scale of the eddies in this region appears to be longer than typical time scales associated with stationary Rossby wave dispersion. These eddies exhibit large local barotropic conversion of mean kinetic energy due to the large zonal gradient of the mean zonal wind. Thes...
FORMOSAIC: an individual-based spatially explicit model for simulating forest dynamics in landscape mosaics

A forest is embedded in heterogeneous landscape mosaics and interacts with the surrounding environment through processes such as seed dispersal. Previous forest models, however, have either ignored such interactions or made unrealistic assumptions. We developed a landscape model (FORMOSAIC) that explicitly considers not only the dynamics of a focal forest but also ecological impacts of adjacent areas on the focal forest. FORMOSAIC is hierarchically structured, spatially explicit, multi-scale, stochastic, and individual-based. It integrates information of tree position, regeneration, growth, death, spatial interaction, and environmental factors. Data for parameterizing FORMOSAIC were mainly from a 50 ha permanent study plot in the Pasoh forest reserve (Malaysia), which contained over 800 tree species and more than 330 000 trees with diameter at breast height (dbh) ] 1.0 cm. Model simulation results agreed well with independent field census data in terms of species richness, species composition, tree abundance, and basal area at two spatial scales. Sensitivity analysis indicated that minimum harvest size was the most sensitive parameter. Species richness was particularly sensitive to the duration of seed immigration from species-rich surrounding forests. For tree abundance and basal area, the second most sensitive parameters varied at two spatial scales. Through uncertainty analysis we found that many parameters had scale-dependent and non-linear relationships with species richness, tree abundance, and basal area. There also existed significant interactive effects between parameters. The model could be a useful tool for addressing important issues such as fragmentation and deforestation in forest management for species diversity and timber production from a landscape perspective. © 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
The Path of Carbon in Photosynthesis: II. Amino Acids

The radioactive amino acid's synthesized from C{sup 14}O{sub 2} by green algae both in the light and in the dark after CO{sub 2}-free preillumination have been separated and identified using paper chromatography and radioautography. The radioactive amino acids identified were aspartic acid, alanine and smaller amounts of 3- and 4-carbon amino acids. This finding as well as the total absence of radioactive glutamic acid substantiates the mechanism for reduction of CO{sub 2} previously postulated by members of this laboratory.
Toward understanding driving forces in membrane protein folding

α-Helical membrane proteins are largely composed of nonpolar residues that are embedded in the lipid bilayer. An enigma in the folding of membrane proteins is how a polypeptide chain can be condensed into the compact folded state in the environment where the hydrophobic effect cannot strongly drive molecular interactions. Probably other forces such as van der Waals packing, hydrogen bonding, and weakly polar interactions, which are regarded less important in the folding of water-soluble proteins, should emerge. However, it is not clearly understood how those individual forces operate and how they are balanced for stabilizing membrane proteins. Studying this problem is not a trivial task mainly because of the methodological challenges in controlling the reversible folding of membrane proteins in the lipid bilayer. Overcoming the hurdles, meaningful progress has been made in the field in the last few decades. This review will focus on recent studies tackling the problem of driving forces in membrane protein folding.
Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis: The Role of Extrahepatic Biliary Resection

PSC is an idiopathic chronic cholestatic disease of the liver that has a variable clinical course. Patients should be managed based on the degree of liver dysfunction, as well as the degree of biliary obstruction and symptoms. Endoscopic biliary dilations provides symptomatic and biochemical relief with minimal morbidity and mortality. Endoscopic procedures, however, result in shorter overall and transplant-free survival than resection and may not decrease the incidence of cholangiocarcinoma. Dominant strictures that fail endoscopic management may harbor an underlying cholangiocarcinoma and surgical therapy should not be delayed. While transplantation is the option of choice in PSC patients with cirrhosis, extrahepatic biliary resection including the bifureation is a good therapeutic option in noncirrhotic patients. Resection of the extrahepatic biliary tree with the hepatic duct bifurcation should be considered in patients with a dominant extrahepatic stricture and preserved liver function. In the appropriately selected patient, extrahepatic biliary resection affords patients with survival rates equivalent to that of transplantation. In fact, extrahepatic biliary resection can potentially significantly delay or avoid transplantation. Extrahepatic biliary resection is a good durable option for noncirrhotic patients with PSC and a dominant extrahepatic stricture.
Fabrication of fine pitch gratings by holography, electron beam lithography and nano-imprint lithography

Fine pitch gratings (200 nm - 240 nm) are required for a variety of devices such as optical filters, semiconductor lasers and sensors for bio-medical applications. Various lithographic techniques are commercially available for fabricating gratings, with the choice depending on the type of grating required, cost and volume of manufacture. It is possible to use state of the art high-resolution projection steppers, common to silicon device manufacturing, for half pitch gratings down to 65 nm, but for much smaller volume manufacturing of photonic devices these tools have a prohibitive cost of ownership. Thus, remaining techniques for sub 120 nm half pitch gratings are holography, electron beam lithography, and nano-imprint lithography. In this paper we compare, characterize, and discuss the practical application of these three methods. Examples of gratings fabricated at the Canadian Photonics Fabrication Centre (CPFC) are shown as well as some application examples.
Occlusion for implant-supported fixed dental prostheses in partially edentulous patients: a literature review and current concepts

Implant treatment has become the treatment of choice to replace missing teeth in partially edentulous areas. Dental implants present different biological and biomechanical characteristics than natural teeth. Occlusion is considered to be one of the most important factors contributing to implant success. Most literature on implant occlusal concepts is based on expert opinion, anecdotal experiences, in vitro and animal studies, and only limited clinical research. Furthermore, scientific literature regarding implant occlusion, particularly in implant-supported fixed dental prostheses remains controversial. In this study, the current status of implant occlusion was reviewed and discussed. Further randomized clinical research to investigate the correlation between implant occlusion, the implant success rate, and its risk factors is warranted to determine best clinical practices.
Some effects of testosterone, 5α-dihydrotestosterone, and 5α-androstane-3α, 17β-diol on the morphology of the rabbit epididymis and prostate

The morphology of the posterior prostate and cauda epididymidis of the rabbit has been investigated after castration and after castration and hormone replacement with testosterone, 5α-dihydrotestosterone, or 5α-androstane-3α, 17β-diol. Castration caused severe involution of the epithelium in both the prostate and epididymis but hormone replacement with testosterone preserved the fine structure similar to intact controls. Although 5α-dihydrotestosterone and 5α-androstane-3α, 17β-diol maintained the presence of secretory granules in the apical cytoplasm of cells in the posterior prostate, they did not preserve the highly infolded nature of the nuclear envelope characteristic of the nucleus of intact controls. In the cauda epididymidis 5α-dihydrotestosterone induced extensive development of smooth endoplasmic reticulum throughout the principal cells but 5α-androstane-3α, 17β-diol had comparatively little effect; in animals treated with the latter androgen the epididymis was similar to that of castrated controls.
Recent Life Events and Stress Scores: An Examination of the Holmes and Rahe Scale

Holmes and Rahe (1967) published a scale to measure the incidence and stressfulness of recent life events. The scale lists 43 events and assigns each event a point score ranging from 11 to 100. This scale was given to 244 employees from various organizations who attended training sessions for stress management. They were employees at all levels in public utilities, hospitals, law enforcement departments and welfare agencies. Their mean age was 38.9 yr. (SD = 11.7); there were 90 males and 154 females. Subjects were administered a battery of seven stress tests (Girdano & Everly, 1979) which assessed level of frustration, work overload, boredom/loneliness, poor nutrition, self-confidence, Type A behavior, and anxious reactivity. Point biserial correlation coefficients were calculated between the presence versus absence of each recent stressful event and each of the seven stress test scores. Ratings of 12 recent events were uncorrelated with any of the stress test scores: divorce, marital separation, personal injury or illness, fired from work, pregnancy (you or someone close to you), addition to family, son or daughter leaving home, outstanding personal achievement, starting or finishing school, change in church activities, change in sleeping habits and celebration of Christmas. In addition, ratings of death of close family member, change to a different line of work, and vacation were correlated negatively with stress SCOK~~.~ It appears that events which might be presumed stressful do not always correlate with the measures of experienced stress given these employees.
Groundwater Pollution: Environmental and Legal Problems

Groundwater contamination is now receiving long-overdue attention from scientists, engineers, water managers, politicians, environmental groups, and the general public. As these diverse groups begin to grapple with the causes and effects of and remedies for groundwater contamination, each must acquire at least a basic understanding of the physical, biomedical, and legal problems and processes that influence groundwater management decisions. Groundwater Pollution: Environmental and Legal Problems is a short, useful book that (from the preface) …highlights the methodological and conceptual difficulties inherent in protecting the nation's groundwater supplies and provides up-to-date information on groundwater hydrology, the nature and extent of the groundwater pollution problem, and the possible effects of exposure to contaminated drinking water.
Industry performance indices and the economics of information: New perspectives and caveats

Industry indices, be they conduct or performance based, frequently guide government intervention activities and are used for both predictive and prescriptive purposes. Unfortunately, few existing indices of industrial concentration are based on underlying economic theory, and those that are based on theory are based on models of perfect information. We derive a general performance measure relevant for industries that experience imperfect information. We do so by specifying a social welfare function that reflects the objectives of the policymaker and maps characteristics of industry equilibria under uncertainty into a real number that summarizes industry performance. The importance of explicitly accounting for the information structure of an industry is illustrated by deriving a reduced form for the performance measure valid when a monopolist faces random demand.
Insert Earphone Depth and the Occlusion Effect

Twenty individuals were tested to determine the occlusion effect caused by supraaural earphones and by insert earphones with shallow and deep insertion of its foam eartip. The bone-conduction oscillator was placed both on the forehead and the mastoid. It was concluded that using deeply inserted earphones is the most practical way in which to carry out clinical bone-conduction measurements.
Overview of HPV-related Dermatoses and Applications of Sinecatechins Ointment

The incidence of Condyloma acuminata and other HPV-related dermatoses is increasing, with as many as one million new cases of infections diagnosed yearly. Therapeutic options that were once limited to in-office procedures or topical podophyllin toxins are now directed toward modifying the immune responses against the viral burden and minimizing recurrence potential. For years, compliance with follow-up and topical management has been limited due to issues with convenience, toxicities, and costs. There are now several pharmacological agents in the dermatology marketplace that can be incorporated into treatment regimens, either as monotherapy or in combination with in-office destruction modalities. One of the newer agents, Sinecatechins 15 % ointment (Veregen®), promotes localized antioxidative effects in conjunction with other proinflammatory actions. As the elucidations of the immune mechanisms that create viral diseases as well as other dermatoses continues to expand, so will the potential applications of this class of therapies. Several studies have supported its use in the treatment of external genital warts as well as other diseases. This article focuses on the pathogenesis and epidemiology of external genital warts and other manifestations of HPV, as well as on the history, mechanisms of action, and therapeutic applications of Sinecatechins 15 % ointment.
Precipitation in NiAl/Ni2AlTi alloys

Etude par microscopie electronique a balayage, microsonde electronique et microscopie electronique analytique des alliages contenant 5, 10, 12, 5, 15, 20 et 25% at. Ti en substitution de Al
Direct Patterning of NiB on Glass Substrates Using Microcontact Printing and Electroless Deposition

We investigate a method to direct the electroless deposition (ELD) of NiB on glass by microcontact-printing a reagent from an elastomeric stamp onto a glass substrate. There are three variants of this method depending on the reagent to be printed. ELD of a metal on a glass substrate necessitates the pretreatment of the glass with organic linkers that can bind a catalyst from solution. We use colloidal Pd/Sn as catalyst and immobilize these particles via an amino-functionalized silane such as 3-(2-aminoethylamino)-propyltrimethoxysilane (EDA-Si) grafted to the glass substrate. The first variant includes microcontact-printing EDA-Si onto glass to bind the colloidal Pd/Sn catalyst at well-defined locations on the substrate. Here, the stamp is first hydrophilized with an O2-based plasma and then inked using different methods that include wet-inking, inking of the silane through the vapor phase, and contact inking. ELD of NiB initiates in those regions of the substrate that were previously microcontact-printed...
A NOTE ON THE RELATIVE PHOTOSENSORY EFFECT OF POLARIZED LIGHT

Experiments were made to compare the stimulating effectiveness of vertically and horizontally polarized lights and non-polarized lights of equal intensity upon phototropic movements of the beetle Tetraopes tetraopthalmus; and to compare the effectiveness of two light beams polarized at right angles to one another upon phototropic orientation of the land isopod Cylisticus convexus. Tetraopes is positively, and Cylisticus, negatively phototropic. Tests were also made of the intensities of horizontally and of vertically polarized light required to inhibit stereotropism in larvae of Tenebrio. Under the conditions of the tests, no certain qualitative effect connected with polarization could be detected.
Harmonic Pollution on Power Systems - A Change in Philosophy

Static power converters have increased in number and uses in the past decade, and there has been an increased use of static power capacitors for improving power factor. These two trends have set, the stage for possibly uncontrolled harmonic resonances on industrial power systems. Some example of some problems are given and some practices are recommended, in line with a new IEEE standard, that will minimize the chance of harmful resonant conditions.
The impact of emotion displays in embodied agents on emergence of cooperation with people

Acknowledging the social functions of emotion in people, there has been growing interest in the interpersonal effect of emotion on cooperation in social dilemmas. This paper explores whether and how facial displays of emotion in embodied agents impact cooperation with human users. The paper describes an experiment where participants play the iterated prisoner's dilemma against two different agents that play the same strategy (tit-for-tat), but communicate different goal orientations (cooperative vs. individualistic) through their patterns of facial displays. The results show that participants are sensitive to differences in the displays of emotion and cooperate significantly more with the cooperative agent. The results also reveal that cooperation rates are only significantly different when people play first with the individualistic agent. This is in line with the well-known black-hat/white-hat effect from the negotiation literature. However, this study emphasizes that people can discern a cooperator (white-hat) from a noncooperator (black-hat) based only on emotion displays. We propose that people are able to identify the cooperator by inferring, from the emotion displays, the agent's goals. We refer to this as reverse appraisal, as it reverses the usual process in which appraising relevant events with respect to one's goals leads to specific emotion displays. We discuss implications for designing human-computer interfaces and understanding human-human interaction.
Novel inhibitors of glycation and AGE formation

Accelerated formation of advanced glycation/lipoxidation and endproducts (AGEs/ALEs) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of various diabetic complications. Several natural and synthetic compounds have been proposed and tested as inhibitors of AGE/ALE formation. We have previously reported the therapeutic effects of several new AGE/ALE inhibitors on the prevention of nephropathy and dyslipidemia in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. In this study, we investigated the effects of various concentrations of a compound, LR-90, on the progression of renal disease and its effects on AGE and receptor for AGE (RAGE) protein expression on the kidneys of diabetic STZ-rats. Diabetic male Sprague–Dawley rats were treated with or without LR-90 (0, 5, 20, 25, and 50 mg/l of drinking water). After 32 weeks, body weight, glycemic status, renal function, and plasma lipids were measured. Kidney histopathology and AGE/ALE accumulation and RAGE protein expression in tissues were also determined. In vitro studies were also performed to determine the possible mechanism of action of LR-90 in inhibiting AGE formation and AGE-protein cross-linking. LR-90 protected the diabetic kidneys by inhibiting the increase in urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio and ameliorated hyperlipidemia in diabetic rats in a concentration-dependent fashion without any effects on hyperglycemia. LR-90 treatment also reduced kidney AGE/ALE accumulation and RAGE protein expression in a concentration-dependent manner. In vitro, LR-90 exhibited general antioxidant properties by inhibiting metal-catalyzed reactions and reactive oxygen species (·OH radical) and reactive carbonyl species (methlyglyoxal, glyoxal) generations without any effect on pyridoxal 5′ phosphate. The compound also prevents AGE-protein cross-linking reactions. These findings demonstrate the bioefficacy of LR-90 in treating nephropathy and hyperlipidemia in diabetic animals by inhibiting AGE accumulation, RAGE protein expression, and protein oxidation in the diabetic kidney. Additionally, our study suggests that LR-90 may be useful also to delay the onset and progression of diabetic atherosclerosis as the compound can inhibit the expression of RAGE and inflammation-related pathology, as well as prevent lipid peroxidation reactions.
Excitation spectrum and low-temperature thermodynamics of the Ising-Heisenberg linear ferromagnet

Important new analytic results have been obtained for the linear, ferromagnetic, spin-\textonehalf{}, Ising-Heisenberg model in a small magnetic field. Specifically, for zero field an expression, which changes its form at an intermediate value of the variable anisotropy parameter, has been obtained for the thermal excitation energy gap. This special anisotropy value does not correspond to a symmetry change in the Hamiltonian, but is associated with an important difference in the physical significance of the results. For anisotropy greater than the special value, the dominant excitations correspond to bound spin complexes. For anisotropy less than the special value, the dominant excitations are spin waves. These results govern the low-temperature behavior of the specific heat. The effective magnetic excitation gap, which determines the low-temperature susceptibility, is dominated at zero field by the bound states for all anisotropy. More complex crossover effects occur in both specific heat and susceptibility when the analysis is extended to nonzero field. These results may have an important bearing on the quantum soliton problem in the linear ferromagnet.
Demonology and the rise of science: an example of the misperception of historical data.

Many writers have inaccurately attributed the rise of demonology and the witchhunts to the Middle Ages and have associated the decline of these activities with the Renaissance and the period of the scientific revolution (1500–1700). An examination of medieval Church proclamations indicates that during the early part of the Middle Ages, the Church denied the reality of witchcraft and was relatively tolerant towards alleged or self-proclaimed witches. More credulous views were developed during the Renaissance, and the height of the witch mania did not occur until the mid-seventeenth century. This misperception of the data is seen as related to a more general “Whig” myth concerning the historical relationship between science and superstition.
SEED ABORTION AND SEED SIZE VARIATION WITHIN FRUITS OF PHASEOLUS VULGARIS: POLLEN DONOR AND RESOURCE LIMITATION EFFECTS

A new plant cohort starts with the formation of zygotes at ovule fertilization. This paper presents an ecological study of the effects of resource limitation and pollen donor on the survivorship and size of plant embryos in maturing fruits of the common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris L. For naturally selfed flowers of domesticated and wild beans, embryos in basal ovular positions were more likely to abort or, if they survived, become lighter seeds than stylar embryos. Embryo survivorship was higher for the cultivar when matemal plants grew in larger pots. Early seed abortion in the cultivar was random with respect to ovular position. In late abortion basal embryos had a higher mortality than stylar ones. The basal embryos lacked gross genetic defects since they developed adult organs in embryo culture. In more outbred crosses with the cultivar the position effect in embryo survivorship and size disappeared. This difference among patemal parents implicates a genetic component to the observed position effects. The variation in mature seed size may affect adult characteristics since large seeds produced larger juvenile plants than
The use of the scalar product of vectors in locus diagrams of electrical machinery

MOST engineers interested in alternating-current apparatus are familiar with the usual representation of currents and voltages by means of vectors. Such vector diagrams are in common use in the treatment of transmission lines, transformers, alternators, etc. When the performance of a machine, say of an induction motor, varies, due to a changing load, the end of the current vector describes a curve. When this curve can be predetermined, and especially when it is a circle, the study of the performance of that particular machine is much simplified and the electrical relationships are readily visualized. Such locus diagrams are used to a considerable extent for the induction motor and for certain types of alternating-current commutator motors.
Potential Errors in the Diagnosis of Pericardial Effusion on Trauma Ultrasound for Penetrating Injuries

. Objective: To evaluate ultrasound error in patients presenting with penetrating injury with a potential for pericardial effusion. Methods: Residents and faculty from an emergency medicine training program at Level 1 trauma center with an active ultrasound program were asked to view digitized video clips of subxiphoid cardiac examinations in patients with chest trauma. Participants were asked to fill out a standardized questionnaire on each video clip asking whether a pericardial effusion was present. Other questions included size of effusion and presence of tamponade. The study also asked participants to rate their confidence in their impressions. Data were analyzed using interquartile ranges and confidence levels. Results: All participants had difficulty distinguishing between epicardial fat pads and true pericardial effusions. The overall sensitivity was 73% and specificity was 44%. Confidence shown by participants in their answers increased with level of training or experience, regardless of whether they were correct or incorrect. Additional views were frequently requested to help decide whether an effusion was present. Conclusions: A serious potential exists for misdiagnosing epicardial fat pads as pericardial effusion in critically ill trauma patients. Emergency physicians need to be aware of this and should consider one of two suggested alternative methods to improve the accuracy of diagnosis.
Toxicity of selenium and other elements in food organisms to razorback sucker larvae

Elevated selenium concentrations documented in water, sediment, and biota in irrigation drain water studies by U.S. Department of the Interior agencies and academia have raised concerns that selenium may be adversely affecting endangered fish in the upper Colorado River basin. The objective of the study was to determine the effects on endangered razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus) larvae from exposure to selenium and other trace elements in water and zooplankton collected from sites adjacent to the Colorado River near Grand Junction, CO. A 30-day study was initiated with 5-day-old larvae exposed in a 4 x 4 factor experiment with four food and four water treatments, and the biological endpoints measured were survival, growth, development, and whole-body residues of selenium. Mean selenium concentration in reference water (24-Road) was or=4.6 microg/g in food organisms adversely affected the survival of razorback sucker larvae. The onset of mortality in larvae exposed to food and water from Walter Walker seemed delayed compared to mortality in larvae exposed to food and water from Horsethief, which has been observed in two other studies. Elevated arsenic in one food source seemed to interact with selenium to reduce the toxic effects of selenium.
Attributions and Actions: A Note of Caution

A brief overview of attribution theory shows that current research is switching from a focus on the causes of attributions to their consequences. One important consequence of attributions about other people's behavior is the behavior illustrated towards that other person. A review of a variety of research areas shows that attributions about the causes of another person's behavior are only moderately good predictors of behavior. A particular area is reviewed in some detail showing the effects of a leader's attributions about a subordinate's behavior on the leader's actions towards that subordinate. A number of social, task and situational factors seem to be as important in predicting this behavior as attributions. The implications for further attributional research are discussed.
Distributed algorithms for optimal rate-reliability tradeoff in networks

The current framework of network utility maximization for distributed rate allocation assumes fixed channel code rates. However, by adapting the physical layer channel coding, different rate-reliability tradeoffs can be achieved on each link and for each end user. Consider a network where each user has a utility function that depends on both signal quality and data rate, and each link may provide a 'fatter' ('thinner') information 'pipe' by allowing a higher (lower) decoding error probability. We propose two distributed, pricing-based algorithms to attain optimal rate-reliability tradeoff, with an interpretation that each user provides its willingness to pay for reliability to the network and the network feeds back congestion prices to users. The proposed algorithms converge to a tradeoff point between rate and reliability, which is proved to be globally optimal for codes with sufficiently large codeword lengths and user utilities with sufficiently negative curvatures
Reasonable Pluralism, Interculturalism, and Sterba on Question-Beggingness

In From Rationality to Equality, James Sterba (From rationality to equality. New York: Oxford University Press, 2013) argues that the non-moral, and non-controversial, principle of logic, the principle that good arguments do not beg-the-question, provides a rationally conclusive response to egoism. He calls this “the principle of non-question-beggingness” and it is supposed to justify a conception of “Morality as Compromise.” Sterba’s basic idea is that principles of morality provide a non-question-begging compromise between self-interested reasons and other-regarding reasons. I will focus, first, on Sterba’s rejection of the alternative Kantian rationalist justification of morality, and second, I discuss the logical principle of non-question-beggingness and I argue that Sterba is wrong to assume that there is a formal, logical requirement that a rational egoist must provide a non-question-begging defense of egoism. I argue that, like the Kantian, Sterba needs a more substantial conception of practical reason to derive his conclusion. My third focus is the problem of reasonable pluralism and public reason (Rawls in Political liberalism. Columbia University Press, New York, 1996; The law of peoples with the idea of public reason revisited. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 1999). The Rawlsian principle of public reason is analogous to Sterba’s principle of non-question-beggingness. Sterba recognizes that public policies should respect competing perspectives and that a public conception of justice must be justifiable to all reasonable people. The problem is that that reasonable people disagree about fundamental moral questions. Rawls calls this the fact of reasonable pluralism. I argue that an intercultural conception of justice is necessary to provide a response to reasonable pluralism and a shared basis for public reason.
The vagueness argument against abstract artifacts

objects. But such a quantifier, which ranges over some nonfundamental objects but not others, hardly has a claim to carving reality at its joints. So it is doubtful that this can be the domain of the oxistential quantifier. The fifth strategy involves saying that Dawkins creates more than one abstract object when he introduces the word ‘meme’. Indeed, he creates countless objects. To see how this is supposed to help, it will be useful to digress and address a somewhat different (but ultimately related) concern that may be on the minds of some readers. 4 On the very possibility of generation What drives both vagueness arguments is a stringent constraint on the conditions under which something can come into existence: nothing can come into existence at an arbitrary exact point, on pain of metaphysical arbitrariness, and nothing can come into existence at an indeterminate point, since this runs afoul of the precisificational account of vagueness. So one might wonder whether the reasoning behind the vagueness arguments underwrites an even more radical conclusion, namely, that it is impossible for anything to come into existence. After all, for any non-eternal object, there can be a sorites series leading from a moment sometime before its generation to a moment sometime after its generation. Yet if objects cannot come into existence at arbitrary exact points, as the reasoning behind A3 seems to demand, and if it also cannot be indeterminate when an object comes into existence, as the reasoning behind A4 seems to demand, then how could anything ever come into existence? In other words: (C1) If something can come into existence, then it is possible for there to be a sorites series for generation. (C2) Any such sorites series must contain either an exact cut-off or borderline cases of generation. (C3) There cannot be exact cut-offs in such sorites series. (C4) There cannot be borderline cases of generation. (C5) So nothing can come into existence. How can an advocate of the B-argument avoid the conclusion that everything that exists is eternal? There is a way: one can deny C3 by maintaining that objects come into existence at non-arbitrary exact points. The key to securing non-arbitrary cut-offs in a gradual world like ours is to postulate a generational cut-off at every point in every such sorites series. In other words, a plenitude of objects comes into existence, a new one being generated at each point in the series. We have already seen (in Sect. 1.1) how postulating a plenitude can sometimes help defuse charges of metaphysical arbitrariness. Consider the property of having 20 The usual four-dimensionalist picture on which there is an object corresponding to every filled region of spacetime delivers just such a plenitude, so four-dimensionalists like Lewis and Sider are already wellpositioned to adopt this plenitudinous account of generation. But it is equally open to threedimensionalists to embrace the plenitude; see Miller (2005, §3), Lowe (2005), and Kurtsal Steen (2010). The vagueness argument against abstract artifacts