cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Geometry and Spinozan Science

This chapter is devoted, in part, to developing an example of Spinozan science in practice, and exhibiting the role of geometry therein. In this regard, I offer a reading of Spinoza’s epistolary writings on optics and his treatment of a question of optimal lens shape. I also address a further objection to my realist interpretation of geometrical figures stemming from Letter 12, as well as the difficulty raised by the incompleteness of Spinoza’s thinking about physics for any interpretation of Spinozan science.
Scheler’s Shadow on Us

Scheler’s essay on ‘Cognition and Work’ (1926) occupies some 200 large, finely printed pages. Its subtitle, ‘A Study of the Value and the Limits of the Pragmatic Motiv [“Motiv” is both motif and motive] in the Cognition of the World,’ might make one expect Scheler to treat both the pragmatic motive in cognition and the pragmatic component of cognition, that is, one might expect him to engage in both a psychological and a phenomenological inquiry.
The role of an L^2(\Omga­)-energy estimate in the theories of uniform stabilization and exact controllability for Schrödinger equations with Neumann boundary control - doi: 10.5269/bspm.v25i1-2.7429

The present paper deals with (linear) Schrodinger equations, of very general form, which are deffined on a bounded domain ­ \Omega \subset R n . With focus on these dynamics, we shall then discuss and analyze the specific and foundational topic of a-priori energy identities, with the goal of deriving control-theoretic implications. These will include the issue of optimal regularity, as well as the problems of exact controllability (by open loop controls) and of uniform stabilization (by closed loop feedback controls).
Performance efficiency of a closed-loop water recycling system

Semi-aqueous cleaning processes employ a water rinse section to remove any drag-out solvent adhering to the PCBs following the solvent cleaning process. The wastewater generated in the rinsing process is not discharged but is instead purified, recycled, and reused. The contaminants introduced into the rinse water will depend on flux loading levels in the semi-aqueous cleaning solvent. Consequently, methods of process control are required to monitor the levels of contaminants introduced into the rinse section. The closed-loop wastewater purification process involves removal of organics and ionics by utilizing the appropriate carbon treatment and ion-exchange resins. The water quality produced in this purification process is monitored by measuring the level of organic and ionic contaminants. The design, characterization and efficiency of a closed-loop water recycling process operating in a manufacturing environment is presented. >
User's Guide to Pricing Double Barrier Options. Part I: Kou's Model and Generalizations

We present a very accurate algorithm for calculating prices of double barrier options, together with a simple set of detailed step-by-step instructions for implementing it in practice. Our algorithm works 5-10 times faster than any other known algorithm. At the same time, it involves no complicated technical tools, and can therefore be easily implemented in any programming language that supports elementary operations on real numbers.Our method applies to pricing double barrier options with arbitrary terminal payoff functions under Kou's model (a.k.a. the double-exponential jump-diffusion model), as well as generalizations of Kou's model that are referred to as hyper-exponential jump-diffusion (HEJD) models. Extensive numerical tests demonstrate excellent agreement of our results with those obtained using other approaches.
Learning India’s Martial Art of Kalarippayattu: Unsettled Ecologies of Gender, Class, Culture, and Ethnicity

Rooted in the author’s field experience studying the traditional South Indian martial art kalarippayattu, this article examines the complexities of communication, including the use of touch as a teaching tool, in an intercultural teacher-student relationship, and surfaces how gender, culture, and class impacted learning in this embodied art form.
Greedy connectivity of geographically embedded graphs

We introduce a measure of greedy connectivity for geographical networks (graphs embedded in space) and where the search for connecting paths relies only on local information, such as a node's location and that of its neighbors. Constraints of this type are common in everyday life applications. Greedy connectivity accounts also for imperfect transmission across established links and is larger the higher the proportion of nodes that can be reached from other nodes with a high probability. Greedy connectivity can be used as a criterion for optimal network design.
Grid-enabled parallel divide-and-conquer: theory and practice

This paper presents a general methodology for the communication-efficient parallelization of graph algorithms using the divide-and-conquer approach. The algorithm is communication-free in the conquer stage and uses only a small amount of messages while partitioning the input. Specifically, a practical parallel algorithm with full scalability, based on the BSP model, for finding Hamiltonian paths in tournaments is presented.Experiments have been carried out on two architecturally different systems, which stand for the possible site variety of a computational grid. These include a distributed-memory system: a Solaris cluster of 32 Sun Ultra5 computers on Myrinet network and a distributed shared-memory system: an SGI Origin 2000 with 32 R10000 processors, using MPICH-GM and MPT, respectively. Both implementations are compatible with the grid-enabled MPI implementation, MPICH-G2.
Nicotine oxidation by Arthrobacter.

SummaryA gram negative, non-motile bacterium isolated from tobacco plant roots was identified as a member of the genus Arthrobacter. The organism had the ability to convert nicotine to 6-hydroxynicotine. Maximum concentration of 6-hydroxynicotine detectable in the culture medium was approximately 50% of initial nicotine concentration on a molar basis. The identity of the product was established by its melting point, and the melting point of its picrate, its specific rotation, elementary analysis, and ultraviolet and infrared absorption spectra.
Demonstrating Floodplain Uncertainty Using Flood Probability Maps

The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood maps depict the 100-year recurrence interval floodplain boundary as a single line. However, because of natural variability and model uncertainty, no floodplain extents can be accurately defined by a single line. This article presents a new approach to floodplain mapping that takes advantage of accepted methodologies in hydrologic and hydraulic analysis while including the effects of uncertainty. In this approach, the extents of computed floodplain boundaries are defined as a continuous map of flood probabilities, rather than as a single line. Engineers and planners can use these flood probability maps for viewing the uncertainty of a floodplain boundary at any recurrence interval. Such a flood probability map is a useful tool for visualizing the uncertainty of a floodplain boundary and represents greater honesty in engineering technologies that are used for flood mapping. While institutional barriers may prevent adoption of such definitions for use in graduated flood insurance rates (as most other insurance industries use to account for relative risks), the methods open the door technically to such a reality.
Histamine-mediated myocardial damage in rabbits

Abstract Numerous investigations have implicated vasoactive substances as mediators of myocardial damage [ 6, 7, 11, 12, 13 ]. Among the first to study such effects were Rona and co-workers, who reported that isoproterenol administration in rats caused focal myocardial necrosis that was morphologically similar to that observed in human myocardial infarction [ 11 ]. Other investigators have described similar patterns of myocardial injury after injecting norepinephrine into rats [ 4 ], rabbits [ 5 ], and dogs [ 13 ], and angiotensin into rats [ 7 ] and rabbits [ 6 ]. Previous work from our laboratory has suggested that both histamine and catecholamines may be involved in the production of myocardial damage [ 2, 3 ]. Since the cardiovascular effects of histamine and catecholamines are quite similar [ 1, 9 ], we decided to focus on the potential of histamine to produce myocardial necrosis. An earlier study, published in the German literature, described myocardial necrosis in a small number of rabbits given intravenous injections of histamine to produce cardiovascular “collapse” [ 14 ]. We present data demonstrating that histamine, when directly administered to rabbits in doses that do not produce significant changes in arterial oxygen saturation or systemic arterial pressure, produces a myocardial lesion that is strikingly similar to catecholamine-mediated damage.
Pump-probe scheme for optical coherence tomography using indocyanine green mixed with albumin or human plasma

Use of indocyanine green (ICG) in a pump-probe scheme for OCT is proposed. The study illustrates that ICG in protein solution shows unusual pump-probe imaging potential, indicating its usefulness as a contrast agent for OCT.
Zonal Flow Vacillation and Eddy Forcing in a Simple GCM of the Atmosphere.

Abstract Zonal flow vacillation with very long time scales is observed in a 3070-day simple GCM simulation with zonally symmetric forcing. The long lasting zonal wind anomalies suggest that zonal flow vacillation is self-maintained. Wave-mean flow interactions are investigated by composite analysis and transform Eulerian momentum budget analysis. Nonlinear life-cycle simulations are conducted to demonstrate that each extreme phase of the zonal flow vacillation is a quasi stable state and is self-maintained by the embedded synoptic eddies. The firm EOF mode of zonal-mean wind shows an out of phase relation between anomalies at 60°S and at 40°S with a barotropic structure. This structure is similar to the dominant vacillation pattern observed in the Southern Hemisphere. The composite jet stream in the high (low) index phase of zonal flow vacillation shifts poleward (equatorward) from the time-mean location and becomes broader (narrower) and weaker (stronger). Composite eddies in the high index Phase tilt NW...
Physician refusal of requests for futile or ineffective interventions.

Several recent articles raise an issue long unaddressed in the medical literature: physician compliance with patient or family requests for futile or ineffectice therapy. Although they agree philosophically that such treatment ought not be given, most physicians have followed the course described by Stanley Fiel, in which a young patient dying of cystic fibrosis was accepted “for evaluation” by a transplant center even though he has already passed the threshold of viability as a candidate for a heart-lung transplant. Dr. Fiel reported this action was taken not in the hope of doing the transplant but so that the family could assure themselves they had done “everything possible.” The patient, after a long and stressful cross-country flight, arrived at the hospital in respiratory failure. He died soon thereafter far from home and familiar surroundings.
Induction of dominant lethality by X-rays in a radiosensitive strain of yeast

Abstract X-Ray-survival curves of haploid, diploid, triploid and tetraploid yeast strains homozygous for the X-ray-sensitive mutation rad52 (previously xs1 are presented. These curves suggest that strains carrying the rad52 mutation may be more susceptible than wild type to X-ray-induced dominant lethal damage. For the crosses (+ × +, rad52 × rad52, + × rad52, rad52 × +) in which only one parent was irradiated, the relationships between zygote survival and X-ray dose were similar except for rad52 × rad52. In this cross a considerably higher frequency of dominant lethal damage was observed. This observation indicates that the rad52 mutant lacks a repair system for X-ray damage and is consistent with the proposal that unrepaired chromosome damage is the event which leads to dominant lethality and reproductive cell death.
Mathematical theory of broadband matching of multiport networks

Abstract A unified theory on broadband matching of multiport networks is presented. It is shown that the characterization of the normalized scattering matrix, the problem of compatible impedances and the broadband matching of multiport networks terminated in frequency-dependent loads can all be stated in terms of the more convenient basic coefficient constraints. Thus, the three problems are in fact three facets on the existence of a complex normalized scattering matrix.
Soil processes and microbial community structures in 45- and 135-year-old lodgepole pine stands

As forests develop, changes in soil organic matter quantity and quality affect both nutrient dynamics and microbial community structure. Litter decomposition and nitrogen mineralization in associat...
“Annexing” acute leukemias

A hemorrhagic disorder associated with enhanced thrombin activation and disseminated intravascular coagulation is often observed in acute promyelocytic leukemias (APLs) carrying the t(15;17). In these leukemias high levels of annexin II, a calcium-regulated and phospholipid-binding cell surface
Association of the PTPN22 R620W polymorphism with anti-topoisomerase I- and anticentromere antibody-positive systemic sclerosis

Objective To determine any associations of the PTPN22 R620W single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) with systemic sclerosis (SSc) or with anticentromere antibody (ACA)–positive or anti–topoisomerase I (anti–topo I) antibody–positive SSc, in a case–control study of US white, black, Hispanic, and Choctaw Indian individuals. Methods A total of 850 white, 130 black, 120 Hispanic, and 20 Choctaw Indian patients with SSc were compared with 430 white, 164 black, 146 Hispanic, and 76 Choctaw Indian control subjects, respectively. All subjects were living in the US. PTPN22 SNP (rs2476601) genotyping was performed by TaqMan 5′ allelic discrimination assay and pyrosequencing. Results The PTPN22 CT/TT genotype showed significant association with anti–topo I antibody–positive SSc in white patients (odds ratio [OR] 2.21, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.3–3.7) and with ACA-positive white patients with SSc (OR 1.70, 95% CI 1.1–2.7). Frequency of the PTPN22*T allele also showed significant association with anti–topo I antibody–positive SSc in white patients (OR 2.03, 95% CI 1.3–3.2). When data for patients in the 3 ethnic groups (black, white, and Hispanic) were combined, a significant association with both genotype and allele frequencies was observed, suggesting a trend toward association in ACA-positive and anti–topo I antibody–positive SSc. Stepwise logistic regression analysis (controlled for the confounding effects of sex and race) showed that the PTPN22 CT/TT genotype was associated with a significantly higher risk of SSc compared with the CC genotype (for patients with SSc, OR 1.64, 95% CI 1.2–2.2; for ACA-positive patients with SSc, OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.0–2.6; for anti–topo I antibody–positive SSc, OR 2.33, 95% CI 1.5–3.7). Conclusion Our results indicate that the PTPN22 R620W polymorphism is associated with ACA-positive and anti–topo I antibody–positive subsets of SSc and represents a risk factor in both white patients and black patients. The association of subsets of SSc with the PTPN22 R620W polymorphism further strengthens the classification of SSc within the spectrum of autoimmune diseases and strongly suggests the involvement of common susceptibility genes and similarly disordered immunoregulatory pathways.
High-speed and high-contrast operation of ferroelectric liquid crystal optically addressed spatial light modulators

The contrast and resolution of contemporary ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) optically addressed spatial light modulators (OASLM) were measured in time-average and instantaneous modes while the devices were cycled at multikilohertz rates. The inherent, full cycle, write/read/erase response time was 270 μs. The time-average contrast peaked at 54:1 at 3.5 kHz when a 9 lp/mm resolution was used for evaluation. Instantaneous resolutions of 57 and 32 p/mm were obtained when the FLC-OASLM was operated at repetition rates of 900 and 2700 Hz, respectively.
Student production: making a realistic stereo CG short film in six months

This paper breaks down the R&D and production challenges faced on a stereoscopic CG short film that was developed on a six month time budget. Using this film as an example, the manner in which technical innovation and story telling techniques can be used to emphasize the strengths and hide the weaknesses of a limited timeframe student production is discussed.
Diagnosing Regenerative Nodular Hyperplasia, the “Great Masquerader” of Liver Tumors

Distinguishing benign tumors and pseudotumors of the liver from malignant tumors is a common clinical problem. Regenerative nodular hyperplasia (RNH) represents one of the more challenging pseudotumors to diagnose, because they can appear clinically indistinguishable from either a primary or a secondary liver malignancy. Even after comprehensive radiologic evaluation and image-guided percutaneous biopsy, the diagnosis of RNH can remain elusive. We reviewed the pathophysiology of RNH and present five cases illustrating the limitations of percutaneous biopsy and the utility of laparoscopic wedge biopsy in establishing the diagnosis. All patients underwent a complete workup that included percutaneous biopsy. Patients with a nondiagnostic percutaneous biopsy underwent a laparoscopic wedge biopsy or anatomical resection. H&E, vimentin, trichrome, and reticulin staining as well as CD34 immunostaining were performed. Five patients were diagnosed with RNH between May 2002 and April 2004. Three had focal nodular disease, whereas the other two had a diffuse multinodular presentation. Percutaneous biopsy definitively made the diagnosis in only one out of the five cases. Laparoscopic wedge biopsy was necessary to accurately make the diagnosis in three cases, whereas the fifth diagnosis was established after an anatomical resection. RNH is a unique pseudotumor of the liver that can present either as a solitary nodule or as a multinodular process. Percutaneous biopsy is associated with limitations in diagnosing RNH, and a more definitive surgical biopsy may be required. When RNH is considered, laparoscopic wedge biopsy is a safe and efficient way to obtain enough tissue to preserve the hepatic architecture required for diagnosis, while avoiding the morbidity of an unnecessary open resection.
A study on behaviour of arrivals and prices of citrus in Narwal market of Jammu, India.

Citrus occupies a place of importance in the horticultural wealth and economy of the country. The present study was conducted in Narwal market of Jammu district. The average monthly arrivals and prices for the period of last 5 years i.e. 2005–06 to 2009–10 were collected from Narwal market of Jammu and it was found that the market arrivals and prices of orange, kinnow and lemon were inversely related to each other. The analysis shows that the prices move contrary to arrivals. It has been found that the seasonal nature of citrus creates glut in the market which leads to sharp fall in prices during the post harvest season and affects the orchardists adversely. The highest market arrivals in the Narwal mandi of Jammu commensurate with the harvesting date of the produce and it was found that orange (12339.40 qtls), kinnow (10116 qtls) and lemon (7293 qtls) arrivals were highest in February, December and June, respectively, which resulted a decreasing trend in prices. It was also noticed during the survey that the major portion of the farmers’ produce was sold at the lower price in the post harvest period thereby lowering their incomes.
Getting drunk and growing up: trajectories of frequent binge drinking during the transition to young adulthood

Objective: The purpose of this study was: (1) to identify different trajectories of frequent binge drinking during the transition to young adulthood; (2) to validate the trajectories by relating them to behaviors and attitudes concerning alcohol and other drug use; and (3) to distinguish among the trajectories according to demographic characteristics and lifestyle experiences typical of the transition to young adulthood. Method: Four waves of national panel data were obtained from the Monitoring the Future project; 9,945 weighted cases from the 1976-85 high school senior year cohorts were surveyed at biennial intervals between ages 18 and 24. Frequent binge drinking was defined as having five or more drinks in a row at least twice in the past two weeks. Results: Six distinct frequent binge drinking trajectory groups were specified a priori and confirmed with cluster analysis: Never, Rare, Chronic, Decreased, Increased and "Fling." Repeated measures ANOVAS revealed that the trajectories corresponded to pat...
Individual effects of estrogens on a marine fish, Cunner (Tautogolabrus adspersus), extrapolated to the population level.

Abstract Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in the environment may alter the population dynamics of wildlife by affecting reproductive output. This study describes a matrix modeling approach to link laboratory studies on endocrine disruption with potential ecological effects. The experimental model used is cunner ( Tautogolabrus adspersus ), which inhabit estuarine and marine areas where sewage treatment and other discharges containing estrogenic EDCs are likely. To test the effects of estrogenic exposures on fecundity, reproductively active cunner were exposed in three separate experiments by implanting 17 β -estradiol, estrone, or 17 α -ethynylestradiol subcutaneously in a slow-release matrix at 0.05, 0.5, and 2.5 mg/kg. Egg production per gram female and egg viability were determined daily for a 1-week preexposure period and then for a 2-week exposure period. The mean number of eggs produced per gram female and egg viability (%) were calculated for the initial preexposure period and the 2-week exposure period for each experiment. Significant changes were observed in egg production per gram female in the high-17 β -estradiol treatment ( P = 0.0 7 ) and high-17 α -ethynylestradiol treatment ( P = 0.0 4 ). A significant increase was observed in egg viability (%) in the low-17 α -ethynylestradiol treatment (39.0%; P ⩽ 0.0 5 ). Cunner population response was projected using an age-structured matrix population model parameterized with published survival and fecundity estimates. By incorporating reproductive response data from laboratory exposures, model projections were used to describe how reproductive changes by estrogen treatment could alter cunner population growth rate ( λ ).
Isolation and characterization of naturally occurring deletion mutants of moloney murine sarcoma virus

Abstract Moloney murine sarcoma virus strain 124 (MSV-124) possesses the ability to transform cells but requires a type-C RNA virus as a helper virus for its propagation as an infectious virus. We inquired whether natural selection during virus replication and transmission would lead to alteration of MSV-124 genetic information. Individual viruses were cloned in non-roducer transformants from an MSV-124 stock that had undergone a single or multiple cycles of infection. Analysis of the ability of individual MSV-124 transformants to express helper viral gag gene products indicated the selection of variants that had lost the capacity to express some or all such MSV-124 coded information. The genomic size of individual MSV-124 variants was determined by electrophoretic and hybridization analysis of unintegrated proviral DNA. Viruses isolated following multiple cycles of infection were shown to contain deletions of up to 35% of the parental MSV-124 genome. Moreover, there was a striking natural selection for such mutants. Thus, the evidence indicates that MSV-124 deletion mutants possessed a significant growth advantage relative to the parental MSV-124 genome. High molecular weight DNA of nonproducer transformants isolated following infection at low multiplicity (
The economic effect of age and education on the regional flows of Black human capital

This paper quantifies and analyzes the flow of human capital caused by the migration of Blacks within the U.S. over time. Detailed characteristics of migration flows for Blacks moving in and out of each of the nine divisions in the U. S. were determined and multiplied by the appropriate value of human capital (discounted earnings approach). These flows were then summed to determine the aggregate inter-regional flows of Black human capital. The effects of age and education on these flows are analyzed as are the probable effects of such flows on regional economic growth.
Leader political support: Reconsidering leader political behavior ☆

Abstract Historically, organizational politics and political leader behavior have been framed and characterized negatively, as self-serving and counter-productive. However, scholars have noted that political acts can achieve positive ends, and have called for further discussions of positive forms of political leadership. Continuing in this recent stream of research on positive perspectives on organizational politics, a framework of leader political support is proposed, suggesting that the positive features of leader political behavior, and testable propositions are developed. The leader political support construct is defined and its antecedents are explicated utilizing a social capital perspective. Additionally, social exchange theory is used to explain the consequences of leader political support. Contributions to both leadership and organizational politics literatures and directions for future research are discussed.
Variation in global tropospheric temperature after adjustment for the El Nino influence, 1958-89

Data from a 63-station radiosonde network are used to estimate the variation in global tropospheric (850-300 mb) temperature between 1958 and 1989. The annual temperature was a maximum in 1988, 0.42C above the 1958-88 mean. However, the 1989 value is indicated to be only 0.12C above this mean. During 1958-88, there has been a correlation of 0.76 (significant at the 0.1% level) between annual values of global tropospheric-temperature deviation and annual values of sea-surface temperature (SST) deviation in eastern equatorial Pacific two seasons earlier. The associated linear-regression line indicates that an annual SST deviation of 1C in the region 12{degree}S-2{degree}N, 180{degree}-90{degree}W has been related on average to an annual global tropospheric-temperature deviation of 0.36C. The annual values of global tropospheric temperature have been adjusted based on this regression. With this adjustment, the year-to-year variability in global tropospheric temperature is halved, the increase in decadal-mean temperature between the 1960's and 1980's is reduced from 0.33C to 0.24C, the annual temperature is a maximum in 1989 (0.39C above the 31-year mean) rather than in 1988, and there is much more convincing evidence that the eruptions of Agung in 1963 and El Chichon in 1982 decreased global tropospheric temperatures by 0.2-0.3C for aboutmore » 3 years.« less
Ethnoreligious Identity Politics in Bahia, Brazil:

In the Brazilian state of Bahia today, Afro-Brazilian activists are confronting racial inequalities and racist practices that until recently many Brazilians refused to acknowledge. Many groups engaging these problems are religious, and ethnic affirmation based in African-derived religions such as Candombl6 is at the heart of the black consciousness movement. Christian organizations, however, vary widely in their views about such affirmations of Afro-Brazilian culture, and evangelical Christians generally keep their distance from Candomble. This article explores the construction of antiracist evangelical identities against the backdrop of competing discourses about the relationship between religion and Afro-Brazilian identity. Ethnoreligious identity has become a highly contested topic in AfroBrazilian religious communities. While Brazil is traditionally a Catholic country, an estimated 15 percent of its population is Protestant (or "evangelical," which is the term more commonly employed in Brazil). About twothirds of Brazilian evangelicals are Pentecostals, who make up the fastestgrowing religious group in Brazil today (Freston, 1994). In addition, while most Brazilians still identify themselves as Catholic, increasing numbers of people are involved in African-derived religions such as Candombl6. For many Bahian participants in the black consciousness movement, activism goes hand in hand with affirming one's ethnic identity through the practice or at least valorization of Candombl6. Even in the Catholic Church, which has denounced African-derived religion in the past, attitudes are changing. In 1999, for example, O Centro Arquidiocesano de Articulacao da Pastoral Afro (the Archdiocesean Coordinating Center for the African Pastoral-CAAPA) was founded to address racism within the church, to
Numerical chromosome abnormalities associated with early clinical stages of gynecologic tumors

Cytogenetic data are presented for 12 ovarian, three endometrial, and one fallopian tube tumors. In 15 of these, primary tumors were analyzed and in one ascites was studied. All specimens were obtained at the time of diagnostic surgery. Trisomy for chromosome 7 was detected in three ovarian and one endometrial tumors. In one case, trisomy 7 was the sole cytogenetic abnormality detected. Three of the four patients with trisomy 7 had early stages of adenocarcinoma. The data suggest that numerical chromosome abnormalities may be common in borderline and in less aggressive gynecologic tumors.
Neurotransmitter alterations in a model of perinatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury.

Vulnerability of neurotransmitter-specific neurons to hypoxia-ischemia was examined in the immature rat corpus striatum. Carotid artery ligation plus 2 hours of 8% oxygen atmosphere at 1 week of age produced ipsilateral striatal injury and reduced hemisphere mass 2 and 6 weeks later. Striatal injury was always more severe than damage to overlying cortex. Over half the animals had status marmoratus, a neuropathological change seen in the basal ganglia and thalamus after hypoxic-ischemic injury in full-term human infants. Two weeks after the insult, markers for choinergic, dopaminergic, and γ-aminobutyric acid–containing neurons were all reduced, but the reduction in cholinergic markers was greater than that for the other two transmitters. Muscarinic cholinergic receptors were relatively preserved, but their distribution was disrupted. In adult animals specific activity of cholinergic neuronal markers was normal, suggesting that the balance of neurotransmitters was restored after the early insult.
Examining Reading Development and Reading Disability in English Language Learners: Potential Contributions from Functional Neuroimaging.

Neuroimaging studies have suggested that across different written languages, skilled reading behavior is supported by similar, largely left hemisphere (LH), networks. In addition, recent studies of reading disability (RD) in monolingual readers, conducted in several languages, suggest a common neurobiological signature for this syndrome (disruption of LH posterior regions that support fluent reading). Thus, at the neurobiological level of analysis, reading and its disorders appear to be more similar than dissimilar across languages. In this article, we consider the neurobiology of reading development and RD in English language learners (ELL). There is some evidence suggesting that fluent bilingual readers tend to engage primarily overlapping circuits for both L1 and L2. There is, however, a paucity of neurobiological research on both reading development and RD in this population. Using the existing research on RD as a starting point, we consider in this article how developmental neuroimaging techniques might be applied to (1) help identify RD readers in the ELL populations, and (2) provide neurobiological outcome measures to help evaluate the efficacy of different approaches to the teaching of reading in English.
Vitamin Content of Pickled Cheeses as Influenced by Production and Ripening

Summary The retention of vitamin A, ascorbic acid, thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin was determined during the production of two varieties of pickled cheeses, the Domiati and the Kareish. The effect of subsequent storage in different pickling media under aerobic and anaerobic conditions on vitamin retention also was studied. Vitamin A was retained almost quantitatively in both cheeses during the preparation and also during the anaerobic ripening. However, this vitamin sustained considerable losses during the aerobic ripening. During the preparation of both cheeses, most of the ascorbic acid, thiamine, riboflavin, and the niacin was lost to the whey. The amounts of thiamine and riboflavin retained by the curd decreased during the ripening of the cheese, whereas the amount of niacin increased markedly.
Using the Theory of Satisficing to Evaluate the Quality of Survey Data.

Increasingly colleges and universities use survey results to make decisions, inform research, and shape public opinion. Given the large number of surveys distributed on campuses, can researchers reasonably expect that busy respondents will diligently answer each and every question? Less serious respondents may “satisfice,” i.e., take short-cuts to conserve effort, in a number of ways—choosing the same response every time, skipping items, rushing through the instrument, or quitting early. In this paper we apply this satisficing framework to demonstrate analytic options for assessing respondents’ conscientiousness in giving high fidelity survey answers. Specifically, we operationalize satisficing as a series of measurable behaviors and compute a satisficing index for each survey respondent. Using data from two surveys administered in university contexts, we find that the majority of respondents engaged in satisficing behaviors, that single-item results can be significantly impacted by satisficing, and that scale reliabilities and correlations can be altered by satisficing behaviors. We conclude with a discussion of the importance of identifying satisficers in routine survey analysis in order to verify data quality prior to using results for decision-making, research, or public dissemination of findings.
Commercialization of vein contrast enhancement

An ongoing clinical study of an experimental infrared (IR) device, the Vein Contrast Enhancer (VCE) that visualizes surface veins for medical access, indicates that a commercial device with the performance of the existing VCE would have significant clinical utility for even a very skilled phlebotomist. A proof-of-principle prototype VCE device has now been designed and constructed that captures IR images of surface veins with a commercial CCD camera, transfers the images to a PC for real-time software image processing to enhance the vein contrast, and projects the enhanced images back onto the skin with a modified commercial LCD projector. The camera and projector are mounted on precision slides allowing for precise mechanical alignment of the two optical axes and for measuring the effects of axes misalignment. Precision alignment of the captured and projected images over the entire field-of-view is accomplished electronically by software adjustments of the translation, scaling, and rotation of the enhanced images before they are projected back onto the skin. This proof-of-principle prototype will be clinically tested and the experience gained will lead to the development of a commercial device, OnTarget!, that is compact, easy to use, and will visualize accessible veins in almost all subjects needing venipuncture.
Cocaine and alcohol interactions in the rat: effect on cocaine pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics.

The effect of alcohol coadministration on cocaine pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics was investigated in awake, freely moving rats. Cocaine plasma and brain extracellular fluid (ECF) concentration–time profiles were characterized after intraperitoneal (ip) administration of 30 mg/kg cocaine to rats that were pretreated with either normal saline or alcohol at 5 g/kg in a balanced crossover experimental design. The neurochemical response to cocaine administration, measured as the change in dopamine concentration in the nucleus accumbens (N ACC) and the change in the mean arterial blood pressure were monitored simultaneously. Intragastric alcohol administration significantly increased cocaine systemic bioavailability after ip administration from 0.550 ± 0.044 to 0.754 ± 0.071. Also, the absorption rate constant increased from 0.199 ± 0.045 to 0.276 ± 0.059 min-1 due to alcohol coadministration; however, this increase was not significant. Alcohol inhibition of cocaine metabolism caused an increase in cocaine elimination half-life from 26.3 ± 3.6 to 40.0 ± 8.1 min. Also, cocaine tissue distribution was enhanced by alcohol, resulting in a significant increase in cocaine volume of distribution. Analysis of the brain cocaine concentration–neurochemical effect relationship by the sigmoid-Emax pharmacodynamic model showed that Emax increased from 850 ± 200 to 1550 ± 640% of baseline due to alcohol coadministration, whereas EC50 decreased from 3400 ± 580 to 2000 ± 650 ng/mL, indicating higher cocaine potency in the presence of alcohol. The estimates of the indirect inhibitory pharma-codynamic model used to examine the plasma cocaine concentration–change in blood pressure relationship were not significantly different after the two treatments. These results indicate that alcohol significantly alters cocaine absorption, distribution, and elimination, resulting in higher and prolonged cocaine plasma concentration. Alcohol coad-ministration also potentiates the neurochemical response to cocaine administration.
Factors behind the Historic Defeat of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party in 2009

This study seeks to identify the factors that caused the historic defeat of Japan9s longdominant party in the 2009 election. Employing district-level data, I show that a large national swing occurred that overrode district-specific characteristics, and that the electoral coordination of opposition parties helped bring about victory.
Stratigraphic and Paleoecologic Applications of Water-Insoluble Fraction of Residual Shell-Proteins in Fossil Shells

A total of 44 samples of late Cenozoic (early Pliocene to Recent) nonmarine mollusks were obtained from 33 localities in the central and southern High Plains extending from central southern Nebraska through Kansas and Oklahoma to northwestern Texas. The water-insoluble fraction of residual shell-proteins or shell-peptides was isolated by decalcification and dialysis followed by filtration. Total protein-nitrogen of this fraction was determined by the micro-Kjeldahl method. Statistical analyses of protein-nitrogen content, expressed in μg of nitrogen per g of dry shell, indicate that: (1) Within the same Stratigraphic unit, shell protein-nitrogen content (SPN) is similar in related taxa (fresh-water mollusks as one group, and Succinea as another group) regardless of species difference and geographic location. (2) Within fresh-water mollusks or within Succinea, there is a consistent decrease in SPN value from Recent through Wisconsinan, Illinoian, Kansan, and Nebraskan to early Pliocene. (3) Within fresh-water mollusks or within Succinea, there is a statistically significant difference in SPN values between adjacent Stratigraphic units. From these data it is apparent that the SPN values are good Stratigraphic indicators for regional geologic correlation. The component of variation in SPN values that is attributable to the difference in the climatic conditions between adjacent geologic ages permits qualitative and quantitative interpretation of climatic conditions in the past. The qualitative interpretation of the climatic trend toward aridity in the late Cenozoic of the Great Plains made by the past workers is supported by the analyses of fossil shell-proteins.
Design and development of a fall arresting system

Abstract Despite the large personal and economic losses associated with the effects of falling and slipping, the etiology of falling and slipping behavior (FSB) is unknown. A major inhibition of past research has been the lack of a facility to experimentally investigate such behavior without exposing human subjects to the natural danger of injury resulting from falls. To carry out this research, a facility was constructed to investigate FSB. One component of this facility, a fall arresting system, will be used to experimentally research the basic mechanisms involved in falls. Specifically, this component must be designed to provide passive, reactive support of a person so that a reduced friction walk surface and/or a fall can be induced. This fall arresting system is composed of two subsystems. In the first, the mechanical components are combined to provide an overhead suspension system that can be made to track a predetermined path in anticipation of arresting an induced fall. The second subsystem is an automatic control system that provides passive tracking of the test subject's movement along the path. This paper describes the development of the overall system and how the components are combined to provide a functional fall-arresting system.
A Minimum Area VLSI Network for O(log n) Time Sorting

A generalization of a known class of parallel sorting algorithms is presented, together with a new interconnection to execute them. A VLSI implementation is also proposed, and its area-time performance is discussed. It is shown that an algorithm in the class is executable in O(log n) time by a chip occupying O(n2) area. The design is a typical instance of a ``hybrid architecture,'' resulting from the combination of well-known VLSI networks as the orthogonal trees and the cube-connected cycles; it also provably meets the AT2 = ?(n2 log2 n) lower bound for sorters of n words of length (1 + ?) log n (? ≫ 0).
Review: A review and analysis of current computer-aided fixture design approaches

A key characteristic of the modern market place is the consumer demand for variety. To respond effectively to this demand, manufacturers need to ensure that their manufacturing practices are sufficiently flexible to allow them to achieve rapid product development. Fixturing, which involves using fixtures to secure workpieces during machining so that they can be transformed into parts that meet required design specifications, is a significant contributing factor towards achieving manufacturing flexibility. To enable flexible fixturing, considerable levels of research effort have been devoted to supporting the process of fixture design through the development of computer-aided fixture design (CAFD) tools and approaches. This paper contains a review of these research efforts. Over seventy-five CAFD tools and approaches are reviewed in terms of the fixture design phases they support and the underlying technology upon which they are based. The primary conclusion of the review is that while significant advances have been made in supporting fixture design, there are primarily two research issues that require further effort. The first of these is that current CAFD research is segmented in nature and there remains a need to provide more cohesive fixture design support. Secondly, a greater focus is required on supporting the detailed design of a fixture's physical structure.
The first workshop on end-user software engineering

WEUSE is a workshop dedicated to the problems faced by end-user programmers, and research that can address those problems.
Giant antiferromagnetically coupled moments in a molecule-based magnet with interpenetrating lattices

The molecule-based magnet ${[{\text{Ru}}_{2}{({\text{O}}_{2}\text{CMe})}_{4}]}_{3}[\text{Cr}{(\text{CN})}_{6}]$ contains two interpenetrating sublattices that behave like giant antiferromagnetically coupled moments with strong anisotropy. Because the sublattice moments only weakly depend on field, the volume of magnetically correlated clusters can be directly estimated from the field and temperature dependence of the magnetization while a polycrystalline sample undergoes a metamagnetic transition between antiferromagnetic and paramagnetic states.
Preconditioning Involves Selective Mitophagy Mediated by Parkin and p62/SQSTM1

Autophagy-dependent mitochondrial turnover in response to cellular stress is necessary for maintaining cellular homeostasis. However, the mechanisms that govern the selective targeting of damaged mitochondria are poorly understood. Parkin, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, has been shown to be essential for the selective clearance of damaged mitochondria. Parkin is expressed in the heart, yet its function has not been investigated in the context of cardioprotection. We previously reported that autophagy is required for cardioprotection by ischemic preconditioning (IPC). In the present study, we used simulated ischemia (sI) in vitro and IPC of hearts to investigate the role of Parkin in mediating cardioprotection ex vivo and in vivo. In HL-1 cells, sI induced Parkin translocation to mitochondria and mitochondrial elimination. IPC induced Parkin translocation to mitochondria in Langendorff-perfused rat hearts and in vivo in mice subjected to regional IPC. Mitochondrial depolarization with an uncoupling agent similarly induced Parkin translocation to mitochondria in cells and Langendorff-perfused rat hearts. Mitochondrial loss was blunted in Atg5-deficient cells, revealing the requirement for autophagy in mitochondrial elimination. Consistent with previous reports indicating a role for p62/SQSTM1 in mitophagy, we found that depletion of p62 attenuated mitophagy and exacerbated cell death in HL-1 cardiomyocytes subjected to sI. While wild type mice showed p62 translocation to mitochondria and an increase in ubiquitination, Parkin knockout mice exhibited attenuated IPC-induced p62 translocation to the mitochondria. Importantly, ablation of Parkin in mice abolished the cardioprotective effects of IPC. These results reveal for the first time the crucial role of Parkin and mitophagy in cardioprotection.
Stress fiber formation is required for matrix reorganization in a corneal myofibroblast cell line.

Abstract Corneal wound healing fibroblasts (myofibroblasts) develop a muscle-like contractile apparatus composed of prominent microfilament bundles (stress fibers) and express α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA). In this study, gelsolin, an actin filament-severing protein, was overexpressed in a α-SMA-expressing corneal myofibroblast cell line (TRK43) to assess whether intact stress fibers are required for in vitro matrix organization and wound contraction. Stably integrated gelsolin was introduced by electroporation of an expression construct (pREPCG8) into cultured cells. Thirty-seven clones were isolated with half of the clones showing a fibroblastic phenotype while the remaining half appeared epithelioid. One fibroblastic clone, GS56, and one epithelioid clone, GS44, were selected for detailed characterization. The GS56 cells appeared highly elongated and spindle-shaped and had prominent stress fibers and focal adhesions. GS44 cells showed disruption of stress fibers and a cortical f-actin organization as well as the down regulation of α-SMA expression by immunocytochemistry and Western blotting. Both phenotypes showed enhanced gelsolin expression; however, fractionation of cell extracts demonstrated differences in the subcellular distribution of gelsolin with GS44 cells having markedly reduced and GS56 cells having markedly increased cytoskeletal gelsolin. In an in vitro wound contraction assay, epithelioid GS44 cells showed a significantly impaired ability to contract a collagen matrix compared to that of TRK43 cells, CT9 or GS56 transfectants. Loss of stress fibers in GS44 cells also correlated with enhanced cell motility. Together, these results demonstrate that the ability to form microfilament bundles or stress fibers is required for matrix organization and contraction by corneal myofibroblasts. Although no clear explanation is available, we suspect that differences in gene insertion of the gelsolin overexpression vector may have led to differential intercellular localization of gelsolin and its effect on stress fiber formation in the two cell lines.