cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of the different approaches to saphenous nerve block.

Background The authors compared the efficacy of the different approaches to saphenous nerve block. Methods The following approaches to saphenous nerve block were compared in 10 volunteers: perifemoral, transsartorial, block at the medial femoral condyle, below-the-knee field block, and blockade at the level of the medial malleolus. Each volunteer underwent all five blocks, and the interval between blocks was 3-7 days. The sequence of injection was randomized by Latin square design. Sensory blockade at the medial aspects of the leg and foot and the strength of the anterior thigh muscles were noted. Results The transsartorial, perifemoral, and below-the-knee field block approaches were more effective than block at the medial femoral condyle in providing sensory anesthesia to the medial aspect of the leg. The transsartorial approach was more effective than block at the medial femoral condyle and below-the-knee field block in providing sensory anesthesia to the medial aspect of the foot. Compared with the perifemoral approach, the transsartorial approach did not cause weakness of the hip flexors and the knee extensors. In volunteers with partial numbness in the medial aspect of the foot, supplemental block of the medial dorsal cutaneous branch of the superficial peroneal nerve resulted in complete sensory blockade. Conclusions Sensory blockade in the medial aspects of the leg and foot is best achieved with the transsartorial approach. In some subjects, supplementary block of the medial dorsal cutaneous branch of the superficial peroneal nerve may have to be performed to assure complete numbness of the medial aspect of the foot.
Spatially explicit models of divergence and genome hitchhiking

Strong barriers to genetic exchange can exist at divergently selected loci, whereas alleles at neutral loci flow more readily between populations, thus impeding divergence and speciation in the face of gene flow. However, ‘divergence hitchhiking’ theory posits that divergent selection can generate large regions of differentiation around selected loci. ‘Genome hitchhiking’ theory suggests that selection can also cause reductions in average genomewide rates of gene flow, resulting in widespread genomic divergence (rather than divergence only around specific selected loci). Spatial heterogeneity is ubiquitous in nature, yet previous models of genetic barriers to gene flow have explored limited combinations of spatial and selective scenarios. Using simulations of secondary contact of populations, we explore barriers to gene flow in various selective and spatial contexts in continuous, two-dimensional, spatially explicit environments. In general, the effects of hitchhiking are strongest in environments with regular spatial patterning of starkly divergent habitat types. When divergent selection is very strong, the absence of intermediate habitat types increases the effects of hitchhiking. However, when selection is moderate or weak, regular (vs. random) spatial arrangement of habitat types becomes more important than the presence of intermediate habitats per se. We also document counterintuitive processes arising from the stochastic interplay between selection, gene flow and drift. Our results indicate that generalization of results from two-deme models requires caution and increase understanding of the genomic and geographic basis of population divergence.
The molecular mechanisms of gap junction remodeling.

c b o i m u C r p C T l t p c t m Localization of connexin43 in the heart In 1967, Revel and Karnovsky first described an aggregate f membrane associated particles that, while looking like hey blocked the extracellular space, allowed the tracer anthanum hydroxide to pass through small gaps between he aggregates and named this cluster of particles the “gap unction.” In the heart, they described these structures to be rimarily at the long ends of the cells, identified as the ntercalated disk (ID). Further studies by Page and his coleague noted the presence of a “fuzzy coat” under the gap unctions, giving rise to the speculation that the extracellular ggregates crossed the myocyte membrane and anchored ithin the cell. From these early studies grew a new field of esearch on what these aggregates were made of and how hey worked. In cardiac studies, the primary component of ardiac gap junctions was identified as a 43-kD protein, subsequently named Connexin43 (Cx43). Studies showed that unlike liver cells, where the hepatocyte connexin, connexin 32, was localized all over the cells, in the myocytes of the heart, connexins were preferentially localized to the ends of cells at the IDs such that images showing longitudinal sections of myocytes gave a straight line of staining that was evident at myocyte ends (Figure 1A). Transverse images show that Cx43 does not cover the entire ends of the myocytes; rather it is positioned in a ring around the edges of the ID (Figure 1B). This pattern has been shown in the hearts of mice, dogs, and humans, indicating that this ighly organized pattern is conserved across species. Unerstanding of the function of gap junctions as conduits for lectrical current led to hypotheses that the localization of x43 in the heart was important for the normal anisotropic onduction of the heart. Interest in the role of gap junctions in heart disease was iqued when images of diseased hearts stained for Cx43 howed that cardiac pathologies were associated with a hange in the normal pattern of Cx43 in the ventricular yocardium. Rather than being localized at the ID, Cx43 n human hearts after a myocardial infarction was found on
Identification and attenuation of physiological noise in fMRI using kernel techniques

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) techniques enable noninvasive studies of brain functional activity under task and resting states. However, the analysis of brain activity could be significantly affected by the cardiac- and respiration-induced physiological noise in fMRI data. In most multi-slice fMRI experiments, the temporal sampling rates are not high enough to critically sample the physiological noise, and the noise is aliased into frequency bands where useful brain functional signal exists, compromising the analysis. Most existing approaches cannot distinguish between the aliased noise and signal if they overlap in the frequency domain. In this work, we further developed a kernel principal component analysis based physiological removal method based on our previous work. Specifically, two kernel functions were evaluated based on a newly proposed criterion that can measure the capability of a kernel to separate the aliased physiological noise from fMRI signal. In addition, a mutual information based criterion was designed to select principal components for noise removal. The method was evaluated by human experimental fMRI studies, and the results demonstrate that the proposed method can effectively identify and attenuate the aliased physiological noise in fMRI data.
Correlates of Perinatal Depression in Diverse, Low-Income Women

Results From the data, a substantive theory was identified, “Having an elective c-section: Doing what’s best.” Mothers voiced that they felt like having a cesarean was best for them and their infants. The antecedents of the women’s decision were being scared and perceiving a cesarean as an easier way to give birth. Women made this choice after gathering information and seeking support from healthcare providers, friends, and family within the context of progressing through the pregnancy. Intervening facilitating factors included receiving support from others and the ability to schedule the cesarean. Hindering factors were nonsupportive people and inappropriate medical information. Once the decision was made and the cesarean was performed, the women voiced happiness with their decision.
Multi-label classification for the analysis of human motion quality

Knowing how well an activity is performed is important for home rehabilitation. We would like to not only know if a motion is being performed correctly, but also in what way the motion is incorrect so that we may provide feedback to the user. This paper describes methods for assessing human motion quality using body-worn tri-axial accelerometers and gyroscopes. We use multi-label classifiers to detect subtle errors in exercise performances of eight individuals with knee osteoarthritis, a degenerative disease of the cartilage. We present results obtained using various machine learning methods with decision tree base classifiers. The classifier can detect classes in multi-label data with 75% sensitivity, 90% specificity and 80% accuracy. The methods presented here form the basis for an at-home rehabilitation device that will recognize errors in patient exercise performance, provide appropriate feedback on the performance, and motivate the patient to continue the prescribed regimen.
Marriage transactions in renaissance Italy and Mauss's essay on the Gift.

A partir d'un exemple d'un mariage arrange et d'une etude sur les modalites de la dot pendant la Renaissance a Florence (Italie), l'A. propose une analyse de la notion de don et de contre-don a la lumiere de la these de Marcel Mauss. L'A. reprend le debat sur le don entre E. Durkheim et M. Mauss, puis analyse les diverses phases du mariage pendant la Renaissance italienne en montrant la signification et la valeur des dons a chacune de ces phases selon le droit matrimonial et le droit coutumier de l'epoque.
R2DF framework for ranked path queries over weighted RDF graphs

Resource Description Framework (RDF) is a semantic web specification that aims to support conceptual modeling of information about resources in the form of a triples of facts. In this paper, we note that, although RDF provides mechanisms to encode meta-information (such as source, trust, or certainty) about facts recorded in the knowledge base, existing RDF query languages and RDF stores fail to support key primitives needed in a large class of knowledge applications which associate utilities or costs on the available knowledge statements. To address this shortcoming, we propose a novel R2DF framework for utility ranked resource descriptions. We first propose a simple ranked RDF (R2DF) specification to enhance RDF triples with an application specific weight (e.g. cost). We then propose a SPARankQL query language specification, which includes a set of novel primitives on top of the SPARQL language to express top-k queries using traditional query patterns as well as novel flexible path predicates. An extended query processor engine, AR2Q, leverages novel index structures to support efficient ranked path search and includes query optimization strategies based on two key metrics: (a) proximity and (b) sub-result inter-arrival time. Experiments show that the use of these two metrics has significant impacts on the performance of top-k queries over R2DF graphs: in particular, the proximity measure helps reduce the number of path matches that need to be considered, whereas the inter-arrival measure reduces the overall execution time significantly especially when used along with proximity. The proposed strategies help obtain query plans close to optimal.
Pattern distortions in EBP stencil masks

Abstract Member masks as used for Electron Beam Proximity Printing (EBP) or XR lithography are subject to internal stress. This stress, acting on the non-uniform elasticity of the patterned membrane, cause a distribution of the pattern which is to be printed to the water. This paper deals with pattern distortions in stencil masks for EBP. Factors influencing the distortions are the internal stress, the ration of the width of the upperforted border to the size of the mask, the perforation density and the way of pattern split. The paper shows that the capability of EBP to correct systematic pattern placement errors exceeds the stress induced pattern distortions considerably.
Human Rights or Trade Protection? US Politics and the World Trade Organization

This paper explores the paradox of why the US serves as a principal supporter of the World Trade Organization (WTO), but withdrew from the obligatory jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice and strongly opposed creation of the International Criminal Court. After surveying the 171 cases before the WTO Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU) from 1995–2005, in which the US was a party, the paradox can be explained by the findings that: (1) the overwhelming number of cases to which the US was party reached mutually acceptable settlements; (2) even though the US and the European Union (EU) dominate the WTO, the DSU serves as a mechanism to resolve otherwise possibly intractable trade conflicts between the two; (3) where the US lost before the WTO, domestic policies, not trade, were the driving forces; and (4) membership to the WTO is essential for any nation if it is not to subject both its imports and its exports to significant handicaps. The US also retains a gate-keeping function within the WTO f...
Collaborative home/school interventions, evidence‐based solutions for emotional, behavioural and academic problems

by Gretchen Gimpel Peacock and Brent R. Collett, New York, The Guilford Press, 2010, 207 pp., £21.95 (paperback), ISBN 978‐1‐60623‐345‐0 This book is part of a series published by The Guilford Pres...
Economic policy: trash as a commodity

Over the past 25 years, trash, and facilities for the disposal of trash, have been transformed from public “problems” and resources to property. The social process of transformation has been prompted by increased environmental concerns and increasing volumes of trash which, in turn, prompted the development of regional public disposal facilities and large international trash corporations which dominate this multi‐billion dollar industry. This social and economic transformation has been accompanied by change in legal forms that ratify the economic transformations, as suggested by Balbus and Pashukanis, while also creating conflicts and contradictions, as suggested by Chambliss, which are currently the focus of attention in the United States Congress. This paper traces the social and economic transformation which has occurred and analyzes the legal process of ratifying this transformation, primarily in Federal appellate courts, and the current activity in Congress.
The enigma of antipredator behavior in lemurs: Evidence of a large extinct eagle on Madagascar

Numerous zoologists who study diurnal lemurs on Madagascar have noted that they react strongly to the presence of birds of prey. For two of the most intensively studied lemurs, Propithecus verreauxiand Lemur catta,there are few documented cases of raptor predation. Thus, the maintenance of this stereotypic response is enigmatic. Bird bones recovered from cave surface deposits in southwestern Madagascar include the remains of an eagle (Aquila),a genus that has disappeared from Madagascar and that would have been capable of hunting animals the size of adult P. verreauxi and L. catta.The stereotypic response of these two lemurs toward raptors may have been retained from the period when this extinct eagle inhabited the island and is reinforced by rare acts of predation by extant birds of prey.
Electronic structures of C{sub 28}H{sub 4} and HF@C{sub 28}H{sub 4} and their ions. SCF calculations

Ab initio restricted Hartree-Fock calculations were performed on the ground and excited states of C{sub 28}H{sub 4}, Hf@C{sub 28}H{sub 4}, and their positive and negative ions. Relativistic core potentials were included in the calculations to take account of the relativistic effects of the heavy atom. Symmetry-adapted functions were used to reduce the time and effort of the computation. Ionization potentials, electron affinities, MO interaction diagrams, and population analyses of the systems were obtained. These results and those from our previous studies of Hf@C{sub 28} were used to interpret the mode of bonding in C{sub 28}H{sub 4} and Hf@C{sub 28}H{sub 4}, the mutual weakening of the bonding of the Hf and 4H to C{sub 28}, and the factors that affect the bonding. These results can also shed light on the characteristics of the bonding of endohedral and exohedral complexes of fullerenes in general. 25 refs., 5 figs., 4 tabs.
Preparation of some specific grain boundaries in aluminum for HREM studies by cold rolling and annealing

The preparation of bicrystals with an aim to study grain boundary structure by high resolution electron microscopy (HREM) requires a careful approach. Primary attention needs to be directed towards the orientations of the crystals forming a boundary so that atomic resolution images of the bicrystal can be achieved by HREM. Mader, Necker and Balluffi have reviewed the limitations of present day high resolution microscopes in resolving grain boundary structures. According to these authors, the resolution limit (information resolution limit = 0.14 nm) of such microscopes now allows most f.c.c. metallic crystals to reveal a projected point pattern along any of the , , and directions. Resolving a grain boundary structure requires simultaneous imaging of atomic columns in crystals on both sides of the boundary. For a very thin f.c.c. metallic bicrystal, a 1[degree] or less misorientation between neighboring crystals is required to achieve a simultaneous imaging of atomic columns across the interface. The [l brace]200[r brace], [l brace]220[r brace] and [l brace]111[r brace] projected line pattern of a f.c.c. metallic crystal can also be obtained with current microscopes. A misorientation of 1[degree] to 3[degree] between such planes of f.c.c metallic bicrystal can provide atomic plane resolution across themore » interface. Bicrystals meeting these criteria for HREM studies are usually prepared either by deposition of thin film on a suitable substrate or by solidification of a required orientation seeded bicrystal either by the Bridgeman technique or by the Czochralski technique. In the present work the authors investigated a relatively simple and inexpensive cross-rolling and annealing technique to obtain bicrystals of aluminum for HREM studies of grain boundary structures. A report is given of such preparation techniques for certain specific aluminum bicrystals, which were found suitable for HREM imaging.« less
(—) S-adenosyl-L-methionine-magnesium Protoporphyrin Methyltransferase, an Enzyme in the Biosynthetic Pathway of Chlorophyll in Zea mays

The enzyme (—) S-adenosyl-L-methionine-magnesium protoporphyrin methyltransferase, which catalyzes the transfer of the methyl group from (—) S-adenosyl-L-methionine to magnesium protoporphyrin to form magnesium protoporphyrin monomethyl ester, has been detected in chloroplasts isolated from Zea mays. Zinc protoporphyrin and free protoporphyrin also act as substrates in the system, although neither one is as active as magnesium protoporphyrin. The following scheme of chlorophyll synthesis in higher plants is proposed: δ-aminolevulinic acid → → → protoporphyrin → magnesium protoporphyrin → magnesium protoporphyrin monomethyl ester → → → chlorophyll a.
Associations between spirituality and substance abuse symptoms in the Baltimore Epidemiologic Catchment Area follow-up, 1993-1996.

Abstract Prior studies on substance abuse treatment programs have provided some evidence that participants who embrace some facet of spirituality during recovery may have greater success in maintaining sobriety. Several plausible associations exist between spirituality and sobriety; this paper posits that spirituality has consistently negative associations with substance abuse symptoms in models with ‘substance abuse symptoms’ as the outcome. The data come from the Baltimore Epidemiologic Catchment Area (ECA) study. In 1993, ECA researchers surveyed 1,920 of the original 3,841 participants, all household residents in East Baltimore. Multiple logistic regression analyses show that strong spiritual beliefs within this population are negatively associated with current substance abuse symptoms [OR = 0.53; 95 % CI = 0.35-0.80, p = 0.002]. Homeownership is also negatively associated, while positively associated characteristics include suffering from income-related stress and having a history of substance abuse ...
Preferential Interactions of Fluorescent Probe Prodan with Cholesterol

The fluorescent probe Prodan has been widely used as a probe of model and biological membranes. Its fluorescent maxima in phospholipid bilayers vary as a function of phase state, with maxima at 485 for the liquid crystal Lalpha, 435 nm for the gel L'beta, and 507 nm for the interdigitated gel LbetaI phase, with excitation at 359 nm. These spectral changes have been used for the detection of phase changes among these phases. In the present study, the fluorescent properties and partition coefficients of Prodan in model membranes of phosphatidylcholines and phosphatidylethanols have been studied as a function of lipid phase state and cholesterol content. It is shown that the Prodan spectrum in the presence of cholesterol no longer reflects the known phase state of the lipid; in each phase state, the presence of cholesterol leads to a spectrum with the maximum at 435 nm, characteristic of the noninterdigitated gel phase. The partition coefficient of Prodan into these lipids also varies with the phase state, giving values of 0.35 x 10(4) in the interdigitated gel, 1.8 x 10(4) in the noninterdigitated gel, and 7. 6 x 10(4) in the liquid crystal phase. In the presence of cholesterol these partition coefficients are increased to 13 x 10(4) for the liquid crystal and the gel phase, and 5.1 x 10(4) in the presence of 100 mg/ml ethanol. These results suggest that Prodan has preferential interactions with cholesterol, and is thus not a randomly distributed fluorescent reporter probe in membranes containing cholesterol. These results suggest that Prodan should be used only with great caution in complex lipid mixtures, particularly biological membranes.
Techniques for Region-Based Register Allocation

Register allocation is an important component of every compiler and numerous studies have investigated ways to improve allocation quality or reduce allocation time. However, techniques proposed to reduce register allocation time tend to have a detrimental impact on application run-time. In this paper we propose three enhancements to region-based register allocation that not only provide scalable allocation times across multiple applications, but also improve application run-time. We have developed a register pressure based model to determine when using multiple regions is profitable, proposed the use of different regions for each register class, and designed a new region formation algorithm. Our implementation in HP-UX C/C++/Fortran production compilers led to 29% allocation time and 1.4% run-time improvements over a global allocator on the SPEC2006FP suite of benchmarks.
Metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) regulates bladder nociception

Background Interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome (IC/PBS), is a severely debilitating chronic condition that is frequently unresponsive to conventional pain medications. The etiology is unknown, however evidence suggests that nervous system sensitization contributes to enhanced pain in IC/PBS. In particular, central nervous system plasticity of glutamatergic signaling involving NMDA and metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) has been implicated in a variety of chronic pain conditions. Here, we test the hypothesis that mGluR5 mediates both non-inflammatory and inflammatory bladder pain or nociception in a mouse model by monitoring the visceromotor response (VMR) during graded bladder distention.
Phason excitations in the SDW state of (TMTSF)2PF6

We have measured the frequency dependent conductivity at various temperatures below the SDW transition in (TMTSF) 2 PF 6 . We find two distinct resonances which we ascribe to internal deformations and pinned mode oscillations of the SDW condensate. Furthermore, the spectral weight of the pinned mode resonance is found to be nearly temperature independent below the SDW transition. Our findings are contrasted with various models and suggestions on the electrodynamics of the SDW ground state
Synthetic Studies toward the Construction of the cis-Decalin Portion of Superstolides A and B. Application of a Sequential Double Michael Reaction and an Anionic Oxy-Cope Rearrangement

A highly convergent strategy for the asymmetric synthesis of the cis-decalin portion of the antitumor macrolide superstolide A was developed. The key reactions in our approach involve a sequential double Michael reaction and an anionic oxy-Cope rearrangement.
Real-Time Detection of Split Fronts Using Mesoscale Models and WSR-88D Radar Products

Abstract A structured methodology for detecting the presence of split cold fronts in an operational forecast environment is developed and applied to a case in which a split front passed over a region of cold air damming in the southeastern United States. A real-time mesoscale model and various products from the WSR-88D—including the velocity–azimuth display wind profile (VWP) and hodograph products, plus a thermal advection retrieval scheme applied to the VWP data—are used to study this split front and an associated convective rainband that occurred on 19 December 1995. Wet-bulb temperature and vertical motion forecasts at 700 hPa from the model revealed the arc-shaped split front 300–500 km ahead of the surface cold front. As this midtropospheric front passed across the surface warm front and entered the cold air damming region, model vertical cross-section analyses showed that it created a deep elevated layer of potential instability. Furthermore, an ageostrophic transverse circulation associated with t...
Effect of forage to concentrate ratio and intake level on utilization of early vegetative alfalfa silage by dairy cows.

Abstract Two experiments were conducted to measure the effects of intake and forage: grain ratio on utilization of early maturity alfalfa silage in dairy cows. In Experiment 1, diets with three forage:concentrate ratios (percentage of silage, percentage NDF): low (56, 28.3), medium (71, 31.0), or high (86, 33.4) were fed ad libitum to six lactating, ruminally cannulated cows in a replicated 3×3 Latin square. The same diets were then fed at 1.3 × maintenance intake to six gestating dry cows. Daily milk yield and percentage and yield of milk protein and casein were higher for cows fed the low silage diet than for cows receiving other treatments. Fat percentage and yield were not different among diets. Lactating cows consumed more DM on low silage (23.0kg/d) than on medium or high silage diets (21.4kg), but NDF intake as percentage of BW was higher for the high silage diet. Digestibility of DM in the lactating (70.7, 69.9, and 67.5% for low, medium, and high) and dry cows (76.7, 73.5, and 69.0%, respectively) decreased as the level of silage increased. Depression in digestibility was greater as dietary concentrate increased. Cows fed the high silage diet had a faster fractional passage rate of solids and higher rumen fill. Digestion of concentrate cell walls appeared to be depressed more than alfalfa cell walls as intake increased.
Spin Transfer Torque in Deep Submicron Annular CPP-GMR Devices

The ability of magnetic annuli to produce various magnetization configurations make them attractive for magnetic memory applications. In this study, the authors present NiFe/CoFe/Cu/CoFe current-perpendicular-to-plane giant magnetoresistive rings with 600 nm outer diameter and 200 nm inner diameter. By directly injecting current, it is shown that single-step vortex-vortex magnetic switching occurs due to contributions from an Oersted field and spin transfer torque. Experimental evidence reveals the spin transfer torque can either assist or act against the Oersted field by as much as 30% depending on the chirality of the reference layer in the CPP-GMR ring. The total switching contributions of the spin torque and the Oersted field are quantified and the mechanisms contributing to the magnitude of each contribution are discussed.
Myocardial Failure in Experimental Hypothermia

Hypothermic animals subjected to total venous inflow occlusion and open cardiotomy develop elevations in right atrial mean pressure and postmortem evidences of myocardial failure. Acetyl strophanthidin, given before inflow stasis, prevented myocardial failure and increased survival. Myocardial failure was attributed to anoxia resulting from decreased coronary blood flow and alterations in the oxygen content of the blood supplying the myocardium. Perfusion of the coronary system with small quantities of oxygenated blood obtained from donor animals permitted open cardiotomy with survival.
Modelling Throughput and Starvation in 802.11 Wireless Networks with Multiple Flows

Carrier sense multiple access (CSMA) protocols require stations that wish to transmit to first check the shared medium for ongoing transmissions. However, in wireless networks stations may not be able to sense transmissions from all other stations; hence those at different locations can experience different amounts of contention, resulting in unfairness and possible "starvation" (inability to acquire channel access for long periods). In this paper we model how the 802.11 MAC protocol allocates bandwidth among multiple saturated flows in a linear topology when not all senders are within sensing range. We consider a specific class of topologies consisting of n independent flows, where each sender can sense k neighbors on either side. Our work uncovers global interactions among flows leading to startling sensitivities in node throughput. A new model to predict the long-term throughput of each flow under saturation is presented and our model results validated via OPNET simulations.
Chlorophyll Maxima in Mountain Ponds and Lakes, Mount Rainier National Park, Washington State, USA

ABSTRACT Hypolimnetic chlorophyll maxima are common in clear lakes and often occur at depths with between 1 and 0.1% of the surface incident light. Little is known, however, about the concentrations of chlorophyll in thermally unstratified mountain ponds and how these concentrations compare to epilimnetic and hypolimnetic concentrations in mountain lakes. The objectives of this study were to document the concentrations of chlorophyll in thermally unstratified ponds and stratified lakes in Mount Rainier National Park (MORA) and to compare the results with concentrations and distributions of chlorophyll in clear-deep lakes in the Oregon Cascade Range and the Sierra Nevada Range. Thirty-two ponds ( 9.9 m deep) were sampled primarily during the summers of 1992 to 1996 at MORA. Water samples from near the surface (0.1–0.5 m) of ponds and near the surface and near the bottom of lakes were collected over the deepest part of each system. One exception, Mowich Lake, was sampled at seven d...
Runaway Stories: The Underground Micromovements of Filipina Oyomesan in Rural Japan

During fieldwork among Filipina migrants married to Japanese men in rural Nagano, stories about Filipina women who had “run away” from Japanese husbands and families in the region regularly surfaced in casual conversations. This essay focuses on both running away and stories about it as interconnected means through which these women negotiated their dissatisfactions with their lives abroad. I suggest that through such practices, these women's dissatisfactions assumed a “runaway agency” that created unsettling and, sometimes, unexpected social effects. First, insofar as running away involved “underground micromovements,” it enabled Filipina women to craft spaces in Japan outside the domestic boundaries of both the home and the nation. These “extradomestic spaces” offered at once hopeful and dangerous possibilities for building alternative lives in Japan. Second, as Filipina women who remained in rural Nagano gossiped about those who had run away, they pressured some Filipina wives into staying while encouraging others to leave. Third, running away became an unexpected leveraging tool through which some Filipina women negotiated the conditions of their domestic situations to unpredictable effect.
Specification of Control Flow Properties for Verification of Synthesized VHDL Designs

Behavioral specifications in VHDL contain multiple communicating processes. Register level designs synthesized from these specifications contain a data path represented as a netlist and a controller consisting of multiple communicating synchronous finite state machines. These finite state machines together implement the control flow specified in and implied by the behavioral specification in VHDL. This paper describes a systematic approach to identifying the control flow properties critical to the proper functioning of designs synthesized from VHDL. These properties are then formulated as specifications in Computational Tree Logic (CTL) while presenting a controller model for high-level synthesis. These specifications form a necessary set that must be satisfied by any correct synthesized design. A high-level synthesis system, as a byproduct of creating RTL designs, can automatically generate these CTL specifications.
Compressive Sensing of Neural Action Potentials Using a Learned Union of Supports

Wireless neural recording systems are subject to stringent power consumption constraints to support long-term recordings and to allow for implantation inside the brain. In this paper, we propose using a combination of on-chip detection of action potentials ("spikes") and compressive sensing (CS) techniques to reduce the power consumption of the neural recording system by reducing the power required for wireless transmission. We empirically verify that spikes are compressible in the wavelet domain and show that spikes from different neurons acquired from the same electrode have subtly different sparsity patterns or supports. We exploit the latter fact to further enhance the sparsity by incorporating a union of these supports learned over time into the spike recovery procedure. We show, using extra cellular recordings from human subjects, that this mechanism improves the SNDR of the recovered spikes over conventional basis pursuit recovery by up to 9.5 dB (6 dB mean) for the same number of CS measurements. Though the compression ratio in our system is contingent on the spike rate at the electrode, for the datasets considered here, the mean ratio achieved for 20-dB SNDR recovery is improved from 26:1 to 43:1 using the learned union of supports.
Lung capacities of cerebral palsied individuals

The effectiveness of using portable spirometric techniques on cerebral palsied (CP) individuals to measure lung capacity was investigated. Nondisabled and CP individuals were administered field spirometric tests. There were significant differences between the populations in forced vital capacity (FVC) and one-second forced expiratory volume (FEV/sub 1/) but not between the FEV/FVC ratios. The results suggest that CP individuals could have a restrictive rather than obstructive pulmonary impairment. >
A multiclass Station with Markovian Feedback in Heavy Traffic

This paper proves a heavy traffic limit theorem for a multiclass service station with Markovian feedback. This result generalizes the one proved by Reiman Reiman, M. I. 1988. A multiclass feedback queue in heavy traffic. Adv. Appl. Probab.20 179--207.. Our approach also significantly simplifies Reiman's original proof. Numerical examples are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the QNET method which is rooted in the theorem.
The β-adrenoceptor blocking properties of the α-methyl analogues of propranolol and practolol in the anaesthetized dog

Abstract 1. The β-adrenoceptor blocking properties of α-methyl propranolol and α-methyl practolol were determined in anaesthetized dogs according to their abilities to modify the isoprenaline-induced effects on diastolic pressure, heart rate, myocardial contractile force, femoral arterial blood flow and pulmonary airway resistance. 2. α-Methyl propranolol shifted the isoprenaline dose-response curves for the fall in diastolic pressure and the positive inotropic and chronotropic responses to the right in a parallel manner yielding pA2 and slope values of 6·66 (0·92), 6·34 (0·77) and 6·59 (0·61) respectively. The slopes of the graphs for determining pA2 values for the cardiac β-adrenoceptor blocking properties of α-methyl propranolol were significantly less than 1 and indicated a mechanism other than simple, competitive, reversible antagonism. 3. α-Methyl propranolol exerted a much weaker blockade of respiratory smooth muscle β-adrenoceptors than has been reported for propranolol. 4. α-Methyl practolol exerted a weaker blocking effect on myocardial β-adrenoceptors than has been reported for practolol. No significant blockade of vascular or respiratory smooth muscle β-adrenoceptors occurred after a total cumulative dose of 10 μg/kg of α-methyl practolol. 5. α-Methyl substitution of propranolol and practolol reduces the potency but increases the selectivity of their β-adrenoceptor blocking properties. 6. The β-adrenoceptors subserving cardiac stimulation, vasodilatation and bronchodilatation are representative of three different β-adrenoceptor sub-types in the dog.
Hands-on math: a page-based multi-touch and pen desktop for technical work and problem solving

Students, scientists and engineers have to choose between the flexible, free-form input of pencil and paper and the computational power of Computer Algebra Systems (CAS) when solving mathematical problems. Hands-On Math is a multi-touch and pen-based system which attempts to unify these approaches by providing virtual paper that is enhanced to recognize mathematical notations as a means of providing in situ access to CAS functionality. Pages can be created and organized on a large pannable desktop, and mathematical expressions can be computed, graphed and manipulated using a set of uni- and bi-manual interactions which facilitate rapid exploration by eliminating tedious and error prone transcription tasks. Analysis of a qualitative pilot evaluation indicates the potential of our approach and highlights usability issues with the novel techniques used.
Do the effects of head start vary by parental preacademic stimulation

Data from the Head Start Impact Study (N = 3,185, age = 3–4 years) were used to determine whether 1 year of Head Start differentially benefited children from homes with high, middle, and low levels of parental preacademic stimulation on three academic outcome domains—early math, early literacy, and receptive vocabulary. Results from residualized growth models showed positive impacts of random assignment to Head Start on all three outcomes, and positive associations between parental preacademic stimulation and academic performance. Two moderated effects were also found. Head start boosted early math skills the most for children receiving low parental preacademic stimulation. Effects of Head Start on early literacy skills were largest for children receiving moderate levels of parental preacademic stimulation. Implications for Head Start are discussed.
Grid turbulence at large Reynolds numbers.

Grid turbulence for large Reynolds numbers, noting consistency of power spectra values with Kolmogoroff scaling, decay law and Reynolds number effect on turbulence
Retinoic Acid Biosynthesis Is Impaired in Human and Murine Endometriosis

Endometriosis is characterized by the presence of endometrial glands and stroma in extrauterine sites. Our objective was to determine whether endometriotic lesions (ELs) from women with endometriosis have altered retinoid levels compared with their eutopic endometrium, and to test the hypothesis that defects in all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) biosynthesis in EL is related to reduced expression of cellular retinol-binding protein type 1 (RBP1). Retinoids were evaluated by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and high-performance liquid chromatography in eutopic endometrial biopsies (EBs) and ELs from 42 patients with pathologically confirmed endometriosis. The ATRA levels were reduced, whereas the retinol and retinyl ester concentrations were elevated in EL compared with EB tissue. Similar results were found in a mouse model of endometriosis that used green fluorescent protein-positive endometrial tissue injected into the peritoneum of syngeneic hosts to mimic retrograde menses. The ATRA biosynthesis in vitro in retinol-treated primary human endometrial stromal cell (ESC) cultures derived from ELs was reduced compared with that of ESCs derived from patient-matched EBs. Correspondingly, RBP1 expression was reduced in tissue and ESCs derived from EL versus EB. Rbp1−/− mice showed reduced endometrial ATRA concentrations compared with wild type, associated with loss of tissue organization and hypercellularity. These findings provide the first quantitative measurements of ATRA in human endometrium and endometriosis, demonstrating reduced ATRA in ectopic tissue and corresponding ESC cultures. Quantitation of retinoids in murine endometriosis and in Rbp1−/− mice supports the contention that impaired ATRA synthesis caused by reduced RBP1 promotes an “endometriosis phenotype” that enables cells to implant and grow at ectopic sites.
1/f Flux Noise in Josephson Phase Qubits

We present a new method to measure 1/f noise in Josephson quantum bits (qubits) that yields low-frequency spectra below 1 Hz. A comparison of the noise taken at positive and negative bias of a phase qubit shows the dominant noise source to be flux noise and not junction critical-current noise, with a magnitude similar to that measured previously in other systems. Theoretical calculations show that the level of flux noise is not compatible with the standard model of noise from two-level state defects in the surface oxides of the films.
The Supreme Court, Factions, and the Counter-Majoritarian Difficulty

In merging the theories and assumptions of the regime politics and political party literatures, this article identifies a rare but important type of “counter-majoritarian difficulty,” that is, a situation where the Supreme Court makes policy against the political will or preferences of a majority. When the Court rules in favor of the dominant political party’s preferences on issues that are of secondary importance to the party, the Court can paradoxically trigger a cross-partisan alliance built around the very premise of undermining the judiciary. Using case studies from the mature New Deal—including communism, school prayer, busing, and abortion—this article shows how non-leading factions in the Democratic Party allied with Republicans to form grassroots, congressional, and electoral majorities. These three majorities, inadvertently created by the Court, successfully obstructed implementation, curbed the Court, and helped realign the party system, respectively.
Additive Factor Models

A person performing a task, such as naming a digit, executes a mental processes, such as perceiving and deciding. To learn about the processes and their organization, an experimenter can manipulate experimental factors such as brightness and familiarity. A factor selectively influences a process if changing the level of the factor changes the process's duration, leaving other process durations unchanged. Suppose the processes are executed one after the other, and each process must be completed before its successor starts. Such processes are in series. Then the time to complete the task, the response time, is the sum of the individual process durations. If two factors selectively influence two processes in series, then the factors will be additive factors, i. e., the combined effect of changing the two factors will equal the sum of the effects of changing them individually. If two factors are not additive, then either the processes are not in series or the factors do not selectively influence different processes (at least one process is influenced by both factors). This is the basis of the Additive Factor Method. The method has been extended to dependent measures such as probability of correct response, rate of responding, and evoked potentials, and to operations other than addition.
Insights and Caveats from Recent Tax Reform in Utah

The authors recount their experience developing a tax reform plan for Utah and seeing the political problems that plan ran into in the Legislature. The authors suggest bringing in lawmakers at an earlier state of the tax reform process.
Contraception--a look forward, Part II: Mifepristone and gossypol.

Part II of this series examines two compounds that are or have been in use in countries other than the United States. Mifepristone (RU486) is the first of the clinically useful progesterone antagonists; it competes with progesterone for receptors in the uterus, ovary, and pituitary gland. When taken by women in the follicular phase, it might be capable of inhibiting folliculogenesis while still allowing endometrial proliferation for normal menstrual cycling. When the drug is taken in the late luteal phase, endometrial shedding can usually be induced even after nidation. Mifepristone could thus serve as an emergency postcoital agent. In principle, it could also be used as a monthly emmenagogue, but clinical trials have been unsuccessful due to disruption of the following cycle’s length. Shorter-acting antiprogesterones now under development may overcome this difficulty. Political constraints ultimately may be more limiting than pharmacological ones. Gossypol is a Chinese cottonseed derivative, which, taken orally, inhibits spermatogenesis in men. Its efficacy is very high, but use is presently limited by two adverse effects: occasional symptomatic hypokalemia and a 10 percent chance of irreversibility of aspermia. Current research is directed at understanding and overcoming these obstacles.
Antioxidant Potential of Juglans Nigra, Black Walnut, Husks Extracted Using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide with an Ethanol Modifier

The black walnut, Junglas nigra, is indigenous to eastern North America, and abscission of its fruit occurs around October. The fruit consists of a husk, a hard shell, and kernel. The husk is commonly discarded in processing, though it contains phenolic compounds that exhibit antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. For this study, black walnut husks were extracted using supercritical carbon dioxide with an ethanol modifier. The effects of temperature, ethanol concentration, and drying of walnut husks prior to extraction upon antioxidant potential were evaluated using a factorial design of experiments. The solvent density was held constant at 0.75 g/mL. The optimal extraction conditions were found to be 68°C and 20 wt-% ethanol in supercritical carbon dioxide. At these conditions, the antioxidant potential as measured by the ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP) assay was 0.027 mmol trolox equivalent/g (mmol TE/g) for dried walnut husk and 0.054 mmol TE/g for walnut husks that were not dried. Antioxidant potential was also evaluated using the total phenolic content (TPC) and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) assays and the FRAP assay was found to linearly correlate to the TPC assay.