cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparative study of the mixed-alkali effect in poly(ethylene oxide) and poly(propylene oxide)-thiocyanate salt systems

Abstract The conductivity of poly(ethylene oxide), PEO, and poly(propylene oxide), PPO, polymers containing various mole fractions of potassium and sodium ions was measured in order to investigate the mixed-alkali effect. The PEO and PPO polymers used in this work contained the same number of repeating units in the polymer backbone and the polymer-salt complexes were prepared in an identical fashion so that a comparison of the mixed-alkali effect between the two polyether systems could be made. A mixed-alkali effect was observed in the PEO-Na/KSCN complexes in the region of 0.2−0.6 mole fraction potassium while none was observed in the PPO-Na/KSCN systems. The difference in the mixed-alkali effects seen in this study and in other studies in the literature were discussed in terms of the relaxation times of the local structure of the polymer matrix and the relaxation times of ion diffusion.
Anthropological Views of Play

Until very recently anthropology has given little attention to the study of human play, a circumstance which reflects the Western view that play is unseemly behavior. Modern anthropologists now view play as universal and strikingly conspicuous human behavior that must be studied to reach the goal of understanding man and his culture. Physical anthropologists have concerned themselves with the play of nonhuman primates, giving attention to its bearing upon human behavior and the question of the evolutionary significance of play behavior. Cultural and social anthropologists look at play as culturally molded behavior and examine similarities and differences in its forms throughout the world. Although much variation exists in specific forms of play, all human societies are seen to be fundamentally alike in their play behavior. Greatest attention is now being given to the functional and dysfunctional significance of play in human life and the relationship of play to other elements of culture. Major subjects of current study are play and social control, play and social-psychological problems, play and communication-cognition, and play as related to a variety of other subjects including religion, law, economics, motivation toward achievement, politics, aggression, role-learning, and creativity.
Robust Control of Switched Linear Systems via Min of Quadratics

In this paper, we will investigate the robust switching control problem for switched linear systems by using a class of composite quadratic functions, the min (of quadratics) function, to improve performance and enhance control design flexibility. The robustness is reflected in two prospectives including the ℋ∞ performance and arbitrary switching of subsystems. A hysteresis min-switching strategy is employed to orchestrate the switching among a collection of controllers. The synthesis conditions for both state feedback and output feedback control problems are derived in terms of a set of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) with linear search over scalar variables. The proposed min function based approach unifies the existing single Lyapunov function based method and multiple Lyapunov function based method in a general framework, and the derived LMI conditions cover the existing LMI conditions as special cases. Numerical studies are included to demonstrate the advantages of the proposed control design approach.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Regulation and biochemical characterization of the glutamine synthetase of Azotobacter vinelandii

We have investigated the regulation of the activity and synthesis of the glutamine synthetase (l-glutamate:ammonia ligase (ADP-forming), EC (6.3.1.2) of Azotobacter vinelandii. Synthesis of the enzyme was not repressed by NH+4 and/or a number of amino acids in the growth medium; however, biosynthetic activity was rapidly lost through adenylylation in response to ammonium ion. The enzyme could be prepared as a 'relaxed, divalent-cation-free form which was catalytically inactive. The 'taut', active form could be restored with 1-5 mM Mg2+, Mn2+, Ca2+ or CO2+ and taut-vs.-relaxed difference spectra unique to each divalent cation were generated. Mg2+ and CO2+ each supported biosynthetic catalysis, but with different substrate Km and Vmax values. L-Alanine, glycine and L-aspartate were the most potent of several inhibitors of the biosynthetic and the gamma-glutamyl transferase activities; only aspartate and AMP behaved differentially toward glutamine synthetase adenylylation state: the more highly adenylylated enzyme was more severely affected. Any two of alanine, glycine or AMP showed cumulative inhibition, while the inhibitory effects of groups of three effectors were not cumulative. The Co2+-supported biosynthetic activity of Al vinelandii glutamine synthetase was markedly less sensitive to inhibition my glycine and alanine and was stimulated up to 50% by 1-10 mM aspartate.
Jefferson Cowie, Capital Moves: RCA's Seventy-Year Quest for Cheap Labor . Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1999. x + 283 pp. $29.95 cloth; $12.95 paper.

Capital Moves is an important book written with a clear scholarly and political objective. Working in the mid-1990s, after the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organization's (AFL-CIO) defeat in the North American Free Trade Area (NAFTA) debate, Jefferson Cowie sought to discredit a conception of workers and labor held not only by union leaders', but far too often by their allies in universities, politics, film, and literature as well. In this older conception, white men employed in the United States' auto, steel, and related industries struggled mightily for decades, in cities like Pittsburgh and Detroit, to improve and defend their conditions and rights at work, only to lose their jobs because the President and the Congress did not prevent their employers from moving their factories to Mexico and Asia.
Patterns of shrub expansion in Alaskan arctic river corridors suggest phase transition.

Recent increases in deciduous shrub cover are a primary focus of terrestrial Arctic research. This study examined the historic spatial patterns of shrub expansion on the North Slope of Alaska to determine the potential for a phase transition from tundra to shrubland. We examined the historic variability of landscape-scale tall shrub expansion patterns on nine sites within river valleys in the Brooks Range and North Slope uplands (BRNS) between the 1950s and circa 2010 by calculating percent cover (PCTCOV), patch density (PADENS), patch size variability (CVSIZE), mean nearest neighbor distance (MEDIST) and the multi-scale information fractal dimension (dI) to assess spatial homogeneity for shrub cover. We also devised conceptual models for trends in these metrics before, during, and after a phase transition, and compared these to our results. By developing a regression equation between PCTCOV and dI and using universal critical dI values, we derived the PCTCOV required for a phase transition to occur. All nine sites exhibited increases in PCTCOV. Five of the nine sites exhibited an increase in PADENS, seven exhibited an increase in CVSIZE, and five exhibited a decrease in MEDIST. The dI values for each site exceeded the requirements necessary for a phase transition. Although fine-scale heterogeneity is still present, landscape-scale patterns suggest our study areas are either currently in a state of phase transition from tundra to shrubland or are progressing towards spatial homogeneity for shrubland. Our results indicate that the shrub tundra in the river valleys of the north slope of Alaska has reached a tipping point. If climate trends observed in recent decades continue, the shrub tundra will continue towards homogeneity with regard to the cover of tall shrubs.
Acetaminophen and the risk of asthma: the epidemiologic and pathophysiologic evidence.

The prevalence of asthma has increased worldwide. The reasons for this rise remain unclear. Various studies have reported an association between acetaminophen, a widely used analgesic, and diagnosed asthma. In a prospective cohort study, the rate of newly diagnosed asthma was 63% higher among frequent acetaminophen users than nonusers in multivariate analyses. Studies of patients with asthma suggest that acetaminophen challenge can precipitate a decline in FEV 1 > 15% among sensitive individuals. Plausible mechanisms to explain this association include depletion of pulmonary glutathione and oxidative stress. This article reviews the existing literature and evaluates the epidemiologic and pathophysiologic evidence underlying a possible link between acetaminophen and asthma.
Weakly nonlinear acoustic instabilities

Abstract With the aim of eventually improving numerical solutions of small-scale phenomena, the Hunter-Keller theory of weakly nonlinear high-frequency waves is applied to the study of short wavelength instabilities in inviscid fluids driven by a heat or pressure source. A nonlinear damping effects is found which, for acoustic perturbations of a stationary, homogeneous state, reduces the growth rate to half the linear estimate. This is due primarily to the interactions of the expansion fan and the weak shock generated by the cumulative effect of the nonlinear convective term. For acoustic perturbations driven by an unbalanced heat source, the nonlinear damping actually stabilizes some modes which are unstable according to the linear theory. For the isentropic compression of a spherical shell of material obeying a γ-law equation of state, it is shown that the nonlinear damping again reduces the acoustic growth rate to the half the value predicted by conventional linear stability analyses.
Intramolecular 2+2 addition of a difluorovinyl ether aldehyde yields [3.2.0] And no [3.1.1] products

Abstract Irradiation of the difluorovinyl ether aldehyde 6 yields the tricyclic products 7 and 8 and the bicyclic dioxepene 9. There was no evidence for the formation of the isomeric [3.1.1] structure 1 containing the ring system of thromboxane A2.
Imaging with radiolabeled antisense oligonucleotides for the detection of intracellular messenger RNA and cardiovascular disease.

Most of the research efforts in nuclear medicine in the last two decades have focused on the development of radioactive ligands for the detection of extracellular antigens expressed on the membrane surface such as tumor markers, somatostatin receptors on tumor cells, or receptors that are more readily accessible than cytosolic or nuclear receptors. However, these general concepts of radiolabeling methods for these ligands have helped us significantly to embark on the next phase of development of gamma-emitting singlestranted ASON probes for studying gene activation. Previous studies have demonstrated the nuclease-sensitivity of ASON probes. Further modifications of phosphodiester backbone, ribose, and nucleotide subunits have identified derivatives with improved potency, desirable pharmacokinetics, and reduced toxicity. Encouraged by in vitro and in vivo inhibition studies, the oligonucleotides have been radiolabeled with nonmetallic and metallic radionuclides of I-123, In-111, and Tc-99m and demonstrated their use in imaging specific mRNA of oncogenes, c-myc, erb-b2, and telomerase present in breast tumors in the mouse model. Noninvasive imaging of mRNA of heat shock protein (HSP-70) has been shown in a pig model during an ischemic episode of cardiopulmonary bypass. The radiochemists have developed ASON probes for positron emission tomography imaging labeled whereby they were with carbon 11 and fluorine 18. The radiolabeled antisense probes may provide a novel method to image the amplified oncogenes in atherosclerotic plaques and heat shock genes in myocardial stress. The standard methods of radiolabeling and novel methods of charge neutralization may enhance the intracellular delivery for imaging a variety of activated genes in cardiovascular diseases.
Short day-induced depletion of lipid stores is fat pad- and gender-specific in Siberian hamsters

The naturally occurring, short day (SD)-induced decrease in body mass in male Siberian hamsters is due almost exclusively to decreases in body fat during the first few weeks of SD exposure. This decrease in body fat is not uniformly distributed among the white adipose tissue (WAT) pads. The purpose of the present experiment was to answer four questions: (i) Are the SD-induced preferential decreases in internally located fat pad mass gender specific?; (ii) Does gonadectomy and/or steroid replacement therapy alter this pattern of body fat depletion?; (iii) What is the role of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity in this process?; and (iv) Does SD-induced functional castration affect food intake, body mass and lipid-related fat responses similarly to surgical castration? Adult male and female Siberian hamsters were housed in long days (LD) for 6 wk following castration (CAST) or ovariectomy (OVX) combined with either SC implants of testosterone (T), estradiol or the cholesterol control (CHOL). While the remaining animals of both sexes remained gonadally intact. At this time, half the animals in each group were transferred to SDs for 6 wk. SD-housed gonad-intact males and females exhibited gonadal regression and decreased body mass and carcass lipid; however the pattern of lipid depletion from the WAT pads was gender specific. SD-exposed gonad-intact males showed disproportionate decreases in fat pad mass in the internally located epididymal WAT (EWAT) and retroperitoneal WAT (RWAT) fat pads compared with the more externally located intraperitoneal WAT (IWAT) pad, whereas females showed uniform relative decreases for all pads and regardless of their reproductive status. CAST + CHOL or T eliminated the SD-induced fat pad-specific pattern of lipid depletion in males. Therefore, the slowly decreasing serum T concentrations triggered by the initial exposure to SDs may underlie the fat pad-specific differential depletion of lipid. The photoperiod-, gonadectomy-, and hormone replacement therapy-induced changes in fat pad mass were seldom associated with parallel changes in specific LPL activity. CAST and SD exposure both reduce serum T concentrations, decrease body mass via reductions in the same carcass components and decrease food intake; however, these the two treatments differ with respect to their effects on WAT mass and LPL activity. Specifically, SD exposure decreases IWAT, EWAT and RWAT mass, whereas CAST decreases only EWAT mass. In addition, specific LPL activity is not affected by SD exposure, whereas CAST generally increases specific LPL activity in all pads compared to their gonad-intact controls.
Toward Mechanistic Understanding of Nuclear Reprocessing Chemistries by Quantifying Lanthanide Solvent Extraction Kinetics via Microfluidics with Constant Interfacial Area and Rapid Mixing

The closing of the nuclear fuel cycle is an unsolved problem of great importance. Separating radionuclides produced in a nuclear reactor is useful both for the storage of nuclear waste and for recycling of nuclear fuel. These separations can be performed by designing appropriate chelation chemistries and liquid-liquid extraction schemes, such as in the TALSPEAK process (Trivalent Actinide-Lanthanide Separation by Phosphorus reagent Extraction from Aqueous Komplexes). However, there are no approved methods for the industrial scale reprocessing of civilian nuclear fuel in the United States. One bottleneck in the design of next-generation solvent extraction-based nuclear fuel reprocessing schemes is a lack of interfacial mass transfer rate constants obtained under well-controlled conditions for lanthanide and actinide ligand complexes; such rate constants are a prerequisite for mechanistic understanding of the extraction chemistries involved and are of great assistance in the design of new chemistries. In addition, rate constants obtained under conditions of known interfacial area have immediate, practical utility in models required for the scaling-up of laboratory-scale demonstrations to industrial-scale solutions. Existing experimental techniques for determining these rate constants suffer from two key drawbacks: either slow mixing or unknown interfacial area. The volume of waste produced by traditional methods is an additional, practical concern in experiments involving radioactive elements, both from disposal cost and experimenter safety standpoints. In this paper, we test a plug-based microfluidic system that uses flowing plugs (droplets) in microfluidic channels to determine absolute interfacial mass transfer rate constants under conditions of both rapid mixing and controlled interfacial area. We utilize this system to determine, for the first time, the rate constants for interfacial transfer of all lanthanides, minus promethium, plus yttrium, under TALSPEAK process conditions, as a first step toward testing the molecular mechanism of this separation process.
Computer assisted mask production

In order to facilitate the utilization of precision computer-controlled equipment to make mask patterns, a user-oriented pattern description language has been devised. The language, designated PREP, for Programmed Electronics Patterns, has statements for programming the elements of mask patterns. Out of these can be constructed libraries of subroutines describing integrated circuit components. Additional PREP statements can be used to build up the total pattern of a set of masks from the subroutines. The PREP language is translated by a computer into a pattern.
Who Makes Local Memories?: The Case of Sevastopol after World War II

Sevastopol, since becoming a part of independent Ukraine in 1991 (and part of the Ukrainian SSR for decades before) has consistently and overwhelmingly voted for pro-Russian candidates in each national election. While many political commentators have noted the demographics of predominately Russian speakers and the presence of the Russian fleet in the ports to explain recent voting patterns, we must also take note of postwar myth creation. Although since 1917 Sevastopol has been juridically Soviet or Ukrainian, residents and outsiders alike usually view Sevastopol as a Russian city. The development of local identification after World War II by the military, local officials, and guidebook authors helps to explain how Sevastopol so easily shed its identification with the Soviet Union while also avoiding identification with Ukraine.
Getting out of the CAR: decarbonisation, climate change and sustainable society

The search for a sustainable civilisation – an essential concomitant of dealing with global warming – will be driven, in part, by the ‘normalisation’ of a low-carbon lifestyle. To date, most research and discussion of this transition have centred on technological fixes and their economic equivalent, ‘getting prices right’. Although both approaches seem to point to reduced levels of consumption as a result of more ‘efficient’ processes and practices, neither really addresses the material and cognitive changes associated with need for drastic reductions in carbon burning. There is a glaring contradiction between the impetus for high rates of economic growth and the major modifications of ‘lifestyle’ necessitated by environmental crisis. ‘Lifestyle’ is usually approached as an individual attribute. This disregards the governmentalisation of consumption through advertising and other forms of preference-shaping, which serve to link lifestyle to ‘identities’.
1488 PATHOGENESIS OF EXPERIMENTAL FOCAL SEGMENTAL GLOMERULOSCLEROSIS (FSG)

Repeated aminonucleoside (A) injections have been shown to produce FSG in rats and this effect is enhanced by uninephrectomy. Since this increase in FSG may be a result of increased GFR or a higher dose of A reaching a solitary kidney, the following study was done. Rats were injected with A, (5 mg/100 gm body wt), intraperitoneally on days 0, 21 and 28. On day 49, experimental (E) rats (10) received an additional 15 mg of A selectively to the left kidney (L). Controls (4) received saline. On day 110, Clothalamate, CHippuran and histologic alterations were studied. In E, percentage of FSG was higher in the right kidney (R), that was not perfused with additional A, than in the Left. (R, 7.8 ± 2.6% vs L, 3.9 ± 1.8%, p < 0.01). The effective renal plasma flow (R, 2968 ± 532 μl/min, L, 1945 ± 315) as well as GFR were also higher in the Right (GFR, R, 1515 ± 291 μl/min vs L, 1021 ± 170, p < 0.05). Controls which did not receive the additional unilateral A perfusion showed equal percentage of FSG in both kidneys and also showed equal GFR and effective renal plasma flow. Our data suggest that increase in the cumulative filtered load of protein may be more important than direct injury to epithelial cells by A in the pathogenesis of FSG.
Leadership observations of an undercover fast‐food worker

Purpose – The article aims to provide a personal view of working in a fast‐food service environment.Design/methodology/approach – This is an opinion piece written by a professor at SUNY Buffalo's School of Management.Findings – The author worked undercover as a crew member in one of the “big three” fast food companies, a site particularly rich with good and bad leadership examples which are summarised.Originality/value – The article provides insightful examples of present employment relations and leadership skills in the American fast‐food industry.
Tree growth and mortality during 20 years of managing a Green-Tree Reservoir in Arkansas, USA.

Green-Tree Reservoirs (GTR) are bottomland hardwood forests that are flooded during late fall and winter to provide waterfowl habitat. Early reports suggested that increased moisture improved tree growth and mast production; however, recent reports showed reduced vigor and growth. This study examines the effects of 20 years of GTR management practices in the Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge, Crossett, Arkansas. Tree species composition, size characteristics, and vigor classes were measured in 1990, 1995, 2001, and 2006. The overall annual tree mortality rate was 2.6%, with high elevations at 1.7% and low elevations at 3.1%. Annual mortality rates exceeded 3% for willow oak (Quercus phellos) and water hickory (Carya aquatica), while rates for Nuttall oak (Q. texana), overcup oak (Q. lyrata), and sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) were lower at 2.8, 2.4, and 1.5%, respectively. Tree health (vigor) has degraded substantially for over 60% of trees initially rated in good or fair condition. Statistical probit models were generated to predict short-term (5 years) and long-term (15 years) vigor degradation. Low numbers of saplings and little advanced regeneration indicated lack of tree replacement, suggesting that inundation strategies of the GTR management may have long-term impacts on forest structure and composition in the southeastern United States.
Spray-distribution pattern from a prototype sludge-application vehicle under varying stand conditions

Abstract The spray-distribution pattern from a prototype sludge-application vehicle was not differentially affected by varying stand conditions during spray tests in stands of Douglas-fir ( Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirbel) Franco). The test-stand stockings ranged from 345 to 885 trees ha −1 . An optimal trail spacing of 65 m was established for the prototype vehicle. The spacing was determined by the throw distance from the vehicle and the amount of spray overlap required from adjacent trails to produce a uniform application. The tests indicated that a uniform sludge application can be achieved in a forest environment with approximately 6% of the application area consisting of access trails.
The mechanism of cardiovascular action of nitroglycerine. An example of integrated response during the unsteady state.

Abstract The effects of nitroglycerine on phasic pressure, flow and myocardial oxygen tension were measured in anesthetized spontaneously breathing dogs. As aortic pressure fell, cardiac output increased from 10 to 55 per cent for half to three and a half minutes, then fell 10 to 25 per cent below control levels as the diastolic pressure recovered. Prolonged increases in flow depended upon adequate thoracic blood volume, sympathetic tonus and release of pressor amines. Under conditions most closely resembling those in man, measurements in dogs indicated a rise in left ventricular external work of as much as 25 per cent. Despite this additional load, myocardial oxygen tension increased. In contrast, when venous return was compromised both external work and myocardial oxygen tension fell. Indirect evidence is presented which suggests that qualitatively similar changes take place in patients with coronary artery disease. We conclude that nitroglycerine relieves ischemia by enhancing oxygen delivery rather than by altering load. Changes in chemical and/or mechanical efficiency may also play a role. The determinants of nitroglycerine responses are analyzed and the therapeutic implications briefly discussed.
Current status of GEM: The best collider experiment at the SSC

Abstract A broadly based international collaboration has been formed in order to exploit the physics opportunities offered by the construction of the SSC. Although the GEM detector will emphasize precise measurement of muons, electrons and photons, it will also provide excellent hadron calorimetry and tracking. The current status of the experiment and the anticipated capabilities of the GEM detector are reviewed briefly in this report.
Detection nonuniformity measurements and corrections for cone beam transmission CT on a gamma camera.

Cone beam transmission CT (CB‐CT) improves SPECTimaging by providing high‐quality attenuation maps for attenuation compensation and for correlated SPECT and CTimaging. The present work measures the detection nonuniformity for CB‐CT implemented with a gamma camera, and applies nonuniformity corrections to make CB‐CT more uniform and accurate. Two cone beam collimators were investigated, as well as the uncollimated cone beam geometry, using both uniformity images and CB‐CT reconstructions of a uniform circular cylinder. Uniformity images were acquired as a function of point source position relative to the nominal focal point. The uniformity images for both collimators were highly nonuniform, with some regions differing by more than 15% from the average image counts per pixel, indicating that the holes do not all focus to the same point. The most uniform images were obtained with the point source located at or near the nominal focal point. Radiographs estimated the misfocusing of the holes to be about 0.6° in some regions. There were no indications that the hole size was nonuniform. The CB‐CT reconstructions of data acquired with collimator showed no obvious signs of image artifact from the detection nonuniformities. However, low‐noise simulated data with well‐localized detection defects produced readily‐apparent circular artifacts. The nonuniformity correction was accurate and easy to apply, and should be used whenever quantitative accuracy is required. The uniformity images acquired without collimator lacked the collimator‐produced nonuniformities, but had decreased counts near the detector edge. The decrease was predictable, using simple geometric considerations. Uniform cylinder reconstructions of ‘‘without collimator’’ data showed a corresponding decrease in center density relative to the edge (edge‐to‐center ratio=1.25), which was improved by the nonuniformity correction (ratio=1.21). Accurate CB‐CT without collimator will require further correction for photon scatter.
Malignant melanoma with paradoxical maturation.

Typically, melanocytic nevi "mature" (i.e., exhibit a morphologic shift to smaller or spindle cells with progressive depth in the dermis). In contrast, most malignant melanomas (conventional MMs) lack maturation, and are composed of large pleomorphic cells throughout. The authors describe a series of melanomas with paradoxical maturation mimicking the pattern of nevi. Seventeen primary invasive melanomas with paradoxical maturation (IMPs), two epidermotropic metastatic melanomas with maturation (EMMMs), 13 compound nevi (CN), and 14 conventional MMs without apparent maturation were analyzed by histologic, cytomorphometric, and immunohistochemical techniques. With increasing dermal depth, both CN and IMPs had smaller nuclear and cellular areas, and decreased expression of Ki-67, glycoprotein (gp)100 (with HMB-45), and tyrosinase. IMPs had significant differences from conventional MMs; namely, smaller nuclear and cytoplasmic areas (deep), and decreased expression of Ki-67 (superficial and deep), gp100 (deep), and tyrosinase (deep). IMPs also had notable differences from CN: namely, larger nuclear and cellular areas, more confluence, more mitotic figures, increased Ki-67 and gp100 expression in both the superficial and deep portions, and more melanin (deep). The two EMMMs exhibited histologic and immunohistochemical features similar to the primary IMPs. IMP, because of its mimicry of nevus, can present a diagnostic hazard. The authors propose histologic, morphometric, and immunohistochemical criteria that facilitate recognition and accurate diagnosis of this unusual variant of melanoma.
Occupational status and reproductive behavior in nineteenth-century Sweden: Locknevi Parish.

This paper examined the effects of status as reflected by occupation on marriage fertility and survival of children in Locknevi parish Sweden. In the 1st generation (men married 1824-40) greater differences in the range of occupations existed than in subsequent generations. Mens reproductive patterns varied in concert with their occupational status. Little occupational mobility was apparent for men. This would suggest other things being equal that the reproductive differentials would accumulate over time. However by the 2nd generation in the sample during the period of apparent resource constriction in Locknevi Parish as land became scarcer and parcels became smaller reproductive differentials associated with occupation disappeared. Family size and rate of production of children decreased during this period as well. The pattern is consistent with Lockridges suggestion that the fertility transition occurred earlier than previously supposed in Sweden. In Locknevi it appears to have occurred as the result of elimination of reproductive differences previously associated with differences in resources. Although occupational correlations with reproduction disappeared after the 1st generation in this study differences associated with parity remained. sons received relatively more resources directly from fathers than did daughters. Daughters could gain access to resources from their husbands. The fact that womens lifetime fertility and number of children surviving to age 10 showed no major patterns with either fathers or husbands occupational status is of interest. (Authors modified).
Assessment tools in obesity — Psychological measures, diet, activity, and body composition

The global increase in the prevalence of obesity has led to an increased need for measurement tools for research, management and treatment of the obese person. The physical size limitations imposed by obesity, variations in body composition from that of normal weight, and a complex psychopathology all pose tremendous challenges to the assessment of an obese person. There is little published research regarding what tools can be used with confidence. This review is designed to provide researchers and clinicians with a guide to the current and emerging measurement tools specifically associated with obesity research and practice. Section 1 addresses psychological measures of well being. Sections 2, 3, and 4 focus on the assessment of food intake, activity, and body composition. All sections address basic challenges involved in the study and management of obesity, and highlight methodological issues associated with the use of common assessment tools. The best available methods for use in the obese both in research and clinical practice are recommended.
Frequency resolved angle and time difference of arrival estimation with spatial spectral holography

Correlative power spectrum and spectral phase mapping via readout of a fiber interferometer with spatial-spectral materials is analyzed and demonstrated to enable precise frequency resolved time delay and angle of arrival estimation with microwave signals.
Early fasciotomy in patients with extremity vascular injury is associated with decreased risk of adverse limb outcomes: a review of the National Trauma Data Bank.

Abstract Introduction and objectives Lower extremity (LE) arterial trauma and its treatment may lead to extremity compartment syndrome (ECS). In that setting, the decision to perform fasciotomies is multifactoral and is not well delineated. We evaluated the outcomes of patients with surgically treated LE arterial injury who underwent early or delayed fasciotomies. Methods The National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB) was retrospectively reviewed for patients who had LE arterial trauma and underwent both open vascular repair and fasciotomies. Exclusion criteria were additional non-LE vascular trauma, head or spinal cord injuries, crush injuries, burn injuries, and declaration of death on arrival. Patients were divided into those who had fasciotomies performed within 8 h (early group) or >8 h after open vascular repair (late group). Comparative analyses of demographics, injury characteristics, complications, and outcomes were performed. Results Of the 1469 patient admissions with lower extremity arterial trauma that met inclusion criteria there were 612 patients (41.7%) who underwent fasciotomies. There were 543 and 69 patients in the early and late fasciotomy groups, respectively. There was no significant difference in age, injury severity, mechanism of injury, associated injuries, and type of vascular repair between the groups. A higher rate of iliac artery injury was observed in the late fasciotomy group (23.2% vs. 5.9%, P Conclusion Early fasciotomy is associated with improved outcomes in patients with lower extremity vascular trauma treated with surgical intervention. Our findings suggest that appropriate implementation of early fasciotomy may reduce amputation rates in extremity arterial injury.
Selective Phosphorylations of the SRC-3/AIB1 Coactivator Integrate Genomic Reponses to Multiple Cellular Signaling Pathways

Abstract Although several lines of evidence have indicated that the activity of SRC-3/AIB1/ACTR/pCIP/RAC3/TRAM1 could be regulated by phosphorylation, an important question remained as to how different signaling pathways can act through limiting concentrations of the same SRC-3 molecule to exert different physiological functions. Herein, we report the successful identification of six functional in vivo SRC-3 phosphorylation sites. Interestingly, all phosphorylation sites are required for coactivation of estrogen and androgen receptors, but not all sites are required for coactivation of NF-κB. Different combinations of site-specific phosphorylations of SRC-3 are required for induction of IL-6 gene expression by TNF-α as compared to oncogenic transformation of MEFs. Mechanisms of pathway selectivity involve protein-protein interactions of differentially phosphorylated SRC-3 with downstream transcriptional activators and coactivators. Our results uncovered an additional level of transcriptional regulation whereby specific modulations of SRC-3 phosphorylation allow this coactivator to function as a regulatable integrator for diverse signaling pathways in cells.
Dynamic demand lot-sizing rules for incremental quantity discounts

Numerous studies have developed and compared lot-sizing procedures for finite-horizon dynamic demand, material requirements planning (MRP), environments when either no purchase discounts exist or for the case of all-units quantity discounts. This paper examines lot-sizing rules when product price schedules follow incremental quantity discounts. The optimal (non-discount) procedure and some traditional heuristic procedures are modified to incorporate incremental quantity discounts. We further modify two heuristics with a ‘look-ahead enhancement’ that performs very well under experimentation. Numerical tests revealed the overall best-performing heuristic in this study to be a modified ‘least-unit cost’ method with a look-ahead enhancement. That procedure produced an average cost penalty vs optimal of 0.26%.
Silica in alkaline brines.

Analysis of sodium carbonate-bicarbonate brines from closed basins in volcanic terranes of Oregon and Kenya reveals silica contents of up to 2700 parts per million at p H's higher than 10. These high concentrations of SiO2 can be attributed to reaction of waters with silicates, and subsequent evaporative concentration accompanied by a rise in p H. Supersaturation with respect to amorphous silica may occur and persist for brines that are out of contact with silicate muds and undersaturated with respect to trona; correlation of SiO2 with concentration of Na and total CO2 support this interpretation. Addition of more-dilute waters to alkaline brines may lower the p H and cause inorganic precipitation of substantial amounts of silica.
Modeling and control of pharmacodynamics

Abstract Modeling and control of drug dosing regimes are particularly well-suited for applications of control design and analysis techniques. These problems frequently incorporate the use of mathematical models, lending themselves to a large range of model-based control methods. There has been ongoing research aimed at the development of closed-loop drug dosing and delivery regimens in a number of specific medical domains for more than five decades. In this paper, we discuss the development of modeling and control methods aimed at closed-loop delivery of pharmaceutical agents. We focus most of this discussion on the problem of controlling sedation levels during surgical procedures; results from the application of linear parameter varying and robust L 1 - adaptive modeling and control approaches are presented in some detail.
New hominid fossils from the Swartkrans formation (1979–1986 excavations): Postcranial specimens

New postcranial fossils of Paranthropus robustus and Homo cf. erectus were recovered from Swartkrans from 1979 through 1986. These fossils are from Members 1,2, and 3. The new fossils are described here along with their morphological affinities. Fossils that are assigned to Paranthropus indicate that the South African “robust” australopithecines engaged in tool behavior and were essentially terrestrial bipeds at around 1.8 Myr BP. The manual dexterity and bipedal locomotion of Paranthropus may have equaled that of Homo habilis in East Africa at approximately the same time.
Comparing robustness of watermarking techniques

A methodology for comparing robustness of watermarking techniques is proposed. The techniques are first modified into a standard form to make comparison possible. The watermark strength is adjusted for each technique so that a certain perceptual measure of image distortion based on spatial masking is below a predetermined value. Each watermarking technique is further modified into two versions for embedding watermarks consisting of one and 60-bits, respectively. Finally, each detection algorithm is adjusted so that the probability of false detections is below a specified threshold. A family of typical image distortions is selected and parametrized by a distortion parameter. For the one-bit watermark, the robustness with respect to each image distortion is evaluated by increasing the distortion parameter and registering at which value the watermark bit is lost. The bit error rate is used for evaluating the robustness of the 60-bit watermark. The methodology is explained with two frequency-based spread spectrum techniques. The paper is closed with an attempt to introduce a formal definition of robustness.
Shell-model predictions for electromagnetic properties of N=50 nuclei

Predictions for E2, M1, and M4 transition rates and moments, together with examples of transition-charge densities, are presented for states of N = 50 nuclei. These predictions are based on one-body spectroscopic amplitudes obtained from the wave functions of a new N = 50 shell-model calculation which incorporates the 0f/sub 5/2/, 1p/sub 3/2/, 1p/sub 1/2/, and 0g/sub 9/2/ single-particle orbits and an empirically determined effective Hamiltonian for this space. The predictions are compared with experimental data, first in order to evaluate how well the model space, as applied by this Hamiltonian, accounts for observations, and then to assess the importance of configurations excluded from the model space and to determine the values of the operator renormalizations (effective charges and effective g factors) which optimally map the theoretical results onto the corresponding experimental values.
Observations on the passive electrical properties of the envelopes of cat brain.

Abstract 1. 1. The transmission of voltage signals through the envelopes of cat brain has been investigated with an approach capable of dealing with inhomogeneity of the extracerebral tissues with respect to resistance and capacitance. A four-terminal lumped parameter tissue-electrode system was represented by a six-branch passive electrical model, each branch comprising resistance and parallel capacitance. 2. 2. Resistance and capacitance values for the model were computed from measurements at frequencies of 1000, 100 and 10 c/sec. 3. 3. For a particular electrode-tissue system, resistance values remained of the same order of magnitude whereas capacitances increased markedly with decreasing frequencies. 4. 4. Signal attenuation computed from the model compared well with experimentally observed attenuation.
Highly Tissue Substructure-Specific Effects of Human Papilloma Virus in Mucosa of HIV-Infected Patients Revealed by Laser-Dissection Microscopy-Assisted Gene Expression Profiling

Human papilloma virus (HPV) causes focal infections of epithelial layers in skin and mucosa. HIV-infected patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) appear to be at increased risk of developing HPV-induced oral warts. To identify the mechanisms that allow long-term infection of oral epithelial cells in these patients, we used a combination of laser-dissection microscopy (LDM) and highly sensitive and quantitative, non-biased, two-step multiplex real-time RT-PCR to study pathogen-induced alterations of specific tissue subcompartments. Expression of 166 genes was compared in three distinct epithelial and subepithelial compartments isolated from biopsies of normal mucosa from HIV-infected and non-infected patients and of HPV32-induced oral warts from HIV-infected patients. In contrast to the underlying HIV infection and/or HAART, which did not significantly elaborate tissue substructure-specific effects, changes in oral warts were strongly tissue substructure-specific. HPV 32 seems to establish infection by selectively enhancing epithelial cell growth and differentiation in the stratum spinosum and to evade the immune system by actively suppressing inflammatory responses in adjacent underlying tissues. With this highly sensitive and quantitative method tissue-specific expression of hundreds of genes can be studied simultaneously in a few cells. Because of its large dynamic measurement range it could also become a method of choice to confirm and better quantify results obtained by microarray analysis.
Topographic advection on fault-bend folds: Inheritance of valley positions and the formation of wind gaps

Drainage basins formed along the flanks of any individual linear mountain range or fault block are commonly observed to be self-similar in planform, uniformly spaced, and in some cases aligned with drainage basins on the opposing flank. Data from the Siwalik Hills, Nepal, illustrate this organization where drainage basins and valleys are aligned across the main divide. We suggest that valley alignment is a consequence of advection of topography across the divide. To explore this hypothesis, numerical experiments were conducted using a landscape evolution model of a fault-bend fold that simulates detachment-limited stream incision and linear hillslope diffusion. Results show that the presence of incised valleys and a lateral component of bedrock motion are necessary and sufficient conditions for advection of relief across the divide, a mechanism by which wind gaps form and valley spacing on the far side of a ridge is inherited from that on the near side. This topographic inheritance is promoted by low rock erodibility, low precipitation rates, fast bedrock velocities, and/or intermediate fault dips.
Sustained abdominal compression during CPR raises coronary perfusion pressures as much as vasopressor drugs.

Summary Objectives This study investigated sustained abdominal compression as a means to improve coronary perfusion pressure (CPP) during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and compared the resulting CPP augmentation with that achieved using vasopressor drugs. Method During electrically induced ventricular fibrillation in anesthetized, 30kg juvenile pigs, Thumper ® CPR was supplemented at intervals either by constant abdominal compression at 100–500mmHg using an inflated contoured cuff or by the administration of vasopressor drugs (epinephrine, vasopressin, or glibenclamide). CPP before and after cuff inflation or drug administration was the end point. Results Sustained abdominal compression at >200mmHg increases CPP during VF and otherwise standard CPR by 8–18mmHg. The effect persists over practical ranges of chest compression force and duty cycle and is similar to that achieved with vasopressor drugs. Constant abdominal compression also augments CPP after prior administration of epinephrine or vasopressin. Conclusions During CPR noninvasive abdominal compression with the inflatable contoured cuff rapidly elevates the CPP, sustains the elevated CPP as long as the device is inflated, and is immediately and controllably reversible upon device deflation. Physical control of peripheral vascular resistance during CPR by abdominal compression has some advantages over pharmacological manipulation and deserves serious reconsideration, now that the limitations of pressor drugs during CPR have become better understood, including post-resuscitation myocardial depression and the need for intravenous access.