cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Theoretical foundations and limits of word embeddings: what types of meaning can they capture?

Measuring meaning is a central problem in cultural sociology and word embeddings may offer powerful new tools to do so. But like any tool, they build on and exert theoretical assumptions. In this paper I theorize the ways in which word embeddings model three core premises of a structural linguistic theory of meaning: that meaning is relational, coherent, and may be analyzed as a static system. In certain ways, word embedding methods are vulnerable to the same, enduring critiques of these premises. In other ways, they offer novel solutions to these critiques. More broadly, formalizing the study of meaning with word embeddings offers theoretical opportunities to clarify core concepts and debates in cultural sociology, such as the coherence of meaning. Just as network analysis specified the once vague notion of social relations (Borgatti et al. 2009), formalizing meaning with embedding methods can push us to specify and reimagine meaning itself.
DeepPoint: A Deep Learning Model for 3D Reconstruction in Point Clouds via mmWave Radar

Recent research has shown that mmWave radar sensing is effective for object detection in low visibility environments, which makes it an ideal technique in autonomous navigation systems such as autonomous vehicles. However, due to the characteristics of radar signals such as sparsity, low resolution, specularity, and high noise, it is still quite challenging to reconstruct 3D object shapes via mmWave radar sensing. Built on our recent proposed 3DRIMR (3D Reconstruction and Imaging via mmWave Radar), we introduce in this paper DeepPoint, a deep learning model that generates 3D objects in point cloud format that significantly outperforms the original 3DRIMR design. The model adopts a conditional Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) based deep neural network architecture. It takes as input the 2D depth images of an object generated by 3DRIMR's Stage 1, and outputs smooth and dense 3D point clouds of the object. The model consists of a novel generator network that utilizes a sequence of DeepPoint blocks or layers to extract essential features of the union of multiple rough and sparse input point clouds of an object when observed from various viewpoints, given that those input point clouds may contain many incorrect points due to the imperfect generation process of 3DRIMR's Stage 1. The design of DeepPoint adopts a deep structure to capture the global features of input point clouds, and it relies on an optimally chosen number of DeepPoint blocks and skip connections to achieve performance improvement over the original 3DRIMR design. Our experiments have demonstrated that this model significantly outperforms the original 3DRIMR and other standard techniques in reconstructing 3D objects.
Protection against Counterfeiting Attacks in 3D Printing by Streaming Signature-embedded Manufacturing Process Instructions

The emerging Manufacturing-as-a-Service (MaaS) paradigm democratizes manufacturing by connecting people and businesses with manufacturing requests to those with manufacturing resources, via a digital thread. However, the digital thread can be vulnerable to attacks such as counterfeiting, IP theft and sabotage. An approach based on embedding custom anti-counterfeiting signatures in the design files, on-the-fly, is presented to protect against counterfeiting attacks. An experimental study of the effect of geometric and dimensional variations of the signatures in printed components, as well as the effect of the variations on the read rates of the codes are reported. We conduct experiments using a polyjet printer with veroclear material to study the positional and dimensional variations introduced in the embedded signature and the resulting effect on the readability of the design. The results suggest that signatures with spherical units of size φ0.25 mm embedded within 20 mm cubic components can be printed with location precision of ~5% (about 0.1 mm), and dimensional deviation of the order of 0.01 mm. A statistical model is developed to show that these variations pose minimum interference on the readability of the signatures. Embedding of randomized signatures offers security by serving as anti-counterfeit marks in the final part, and makes it harder to reverse engineer and produce counterfeited parts.
Learning Perl/Tk

This tutorial for Perl/Tk, the extension to Perl for creating graphical user interfaces, shows how to use Perl/Tk to build graphical, event-driven applications for both Windows and UNIX. Rife with illustrations, it teaches how to implement and configure each Perl/Tk graphical element.
Fracture analysis under large-scale plastic yielding: A finite deformation, embedded singularity, elastoplastic incremental finite-element solution

The potential of the well-known J-integral as a fracture initiation criterion has been demonstrated in recent experiments by Begley and Landes and others. This paper deals with a numerical procedure for the estimation of J-integral and for arbitrary strain-hardening materials, in general situations of ductile fracture under large-scale yielding conditions. A finite-deformation analysis is employed to study the effects of crack-tip blunting. An incremental "tangent modulus" finite-element method has been used to account for both the geometric nonlinearity and the elastoplastic strain-hardening material behavior. A kinematic hardening law was used to describe the incremental plastic flow. Strain and stress singularities, corresponding to the material model, have been embedded in finite elements near the crack tip. Displacement and traction continuities between these near-tip elements and the surrounding elements have been enforced through the hybrid-displacement, finite-element model. This numerical procedure has been used to solve the case of a three-point bend specimen of Ni-Cr-Mo-V steel for which experimental results are also available. Excellent correlation between the present results and available experimental results has been established for the J versus δ (load-point displacement) relationship. To characterize the effect of crack-tip blunting, the present example also has been solved using a small-deformation theory, and solutions are compared with those from the present finite-deformation analysis. The implication of the results in predicting crack-growth initiation and its stability in ductile materials is discussed. By using the modified definition of J-integral as valid for finite deformation, it has been found that approximate path independence of J is maintained, accurately, even for a contour closest to the crack tip.
Multiple Regression II

In the social sciences we often have a large number of variables that we think might have some importance in explaining a dependent variable. We could compute a regression equation involving all of the variables (assuming that we have more cases than variables, which is not always the case). However that course of action is problematic for at least two reasons: 1. The use of a large number of variables will spuriously inflate the R2 as described in chapter 3. 2. Using large numbers of variables violates the principal of parsimony, which says that we should keep our explanations as simple as possible.
Stakeholder pressure in sustainable supply chain management

– The purpose of this paper is to summarize and analyze what is known regarding the ways in which stakeholder pressure may influence supply chain sustainability. The authors extend this understanding to develop a number of research questions and propositions for future investigation on this topic. , – The authors used a systematic review process to study the empirical evidence pertaining to how a stakeholder perspective helps to understand sustainability in the supply chain management domain. , – The review has three main findings: stakeholder pressure on sustainability in supply chain management may result in sustainability awareness, adoption of sustainability goals, and/or implementation of sustainability practices; different types of stakeholders have dissimilar influence in the sustainable supply chain decision areas; different stakeholders appears to be more or less influential depending on whether the sustainability issue is environmental or social. , – This synthesis contributes to the literature by developing insight into the processes by which stakeholder pressure influences SSCM decisions.
Employee References: Between the Legal Devil and the Ethical Deep Blue Sea

An employer asked to provide a reference for a former or departing employee is confronted with a number of complex legal and ethical concerns. The issue of references is always controversial, involving a balance of employers' fears of legal liability, interests in providing relevant information to prospective employers, and concerns for fairness to former employees. Recently this topic has been the focus of new attention as the result of a court decision holding a former employer legally liable for wrongs committed by a former employee in a new job. In that case, the former employer had provided a positive reference while neglecting to note certain negative aspects of the former employee'sperformance. This paper addresses legal and ethical aspects of the reference dilemma and incorporates responses of human resource professionals to the question of ethical reference policies and practices.
Extractions from HCL—I

Abstract Adiponitrile, 1–4 butane dinitrile, extracts both Fe(III) and Mo(VI) from aqueous hydrochloric acid. The extraction curves for this system generally follow the extraction curves for the same metals in ether systems. The empirical formulae for the species extracted by adiponitrile are (HFeCl4)n and (HMoO2Cl3)n. Adiponitrile also extracts these metal ions from chloride salt solutions containing only enough acid to prevent hydrolysis. The salting order for Fe(III) is Li > Na > NH4 > Ca and for Mo(VI) is Li ∼ Na ∼ Ca > NH4.
The Relationship between Marcellus Shale Gas Development in Pennsylvania and Local Perceptions of Risk and Opportunity

Recent advances in gas and oil drilling technology have led to dramatic boomtown development in many rural areas that have endured extended periods of economic decline. In Pennsylvania's Marcellus gas fields, the recent development of unconventional shale gas resources has not been without controversy. It has been variously framed as a major opportunity for economic revitalization at the local and regional levels and energy independence at the national level, but also as a significant environmental risk, with uncertain and uneven economic benefits. We use data from a survey conducted in 309 school districts located within Pennsylvania's Marcellus Shale region to study the ways local stakeholders perceive both risk and opportunity associated with gas extraction from Marcellus Shale. Our analyses indicate that there is a strong positive association between perceptions of risk and opportunity associated with gas extraction. Further, the intensity of perception of both risk and opportunity is directly associated with the amount of local drilling, suggesting the complexity of local contexts within which local stakeholders evaluate rapid boomtown-associated community change. In total, these findings complicate the framing of unconventional gas extraction in the Marcellus Shale region, and indeed boomtown growth overall, as fundamentally polarizing issues.
Uterine culture technique: A simple method for avoiding contamination by cervical and vaginal flora

Abstract A simple technique for collecting material from the uterine cavity for bacteriologic examination is described. The method has the advantage of avoiding contamination of the culture by cervical of vaginal flora.
Dust-plasma interactions in the cometary environment

Cometary dust, by virtue of being immersed in a plasma and UV radiative environment are necessarily electrically charged. This charging can lead to both physical and dynamical effects on the dust. On the other hand, the dust could have certain effects on the plasma as well as on the interplanetary magnetic field. These processes are discussed and the observations, both remote and in situ, which pertain to them are critically reviewed.
Fyn inhibition rescues established memory and synapse loss in Alzheimer mice.

Objective Currently no effective disease-modifying agents exist for the treatment of Alzheimer disease (AD). The Fyn tyrosine kinase is implicated in AD pathology triggered by amyloid-s oligomers (Aso) and propagated by Tau. Thus, Fyn inhibition may prevent or delay disease progression. Here, we sought to repurpose the Src family kinase inhibitor oncology compound, AZD0530, for AD. Methods The pharmacokinetics and distribution of AZD0530 were evaluated in mice. Inhibition of Aso signaling to Fyn, Pyk2, and Glu receptors by AZD0530 was tested by brain slice assays. After AZD0530 or vehicle treatment of wild-type and AD transgenic mice, memory was assessed by Morris water maze and novel object recognition. For these cohorts, amyloid precursor protein (APP) metabolism, synaptic markers (SV2 and PSD-95), and targets of Fyn (Pyk2 and Tau) were studied by immunohistochemistry and by immunoblotting. Results AZD0530 potently inhibits Fyn and prevents both Aso-induced Fyn signaling and downstream phosphorylation of the AD risk gene product Pyk2, and of NR2B Glu receptors in brain slices. After 4 weeks of treatment, AZD0530 dosing of APP/PS1 transgenic mice fully rescues spatial memory deficits and synaptic depletion, without altering APP or As metabolism. AZD0530 treatment also reduces microglial activation in APP/PS1 mice, and rescues Tau phosphorylation and deposition abnormalities in APP/PS1/Tau transgenic mice. There is no evidence of AZD0530 chronic toxicity. Interpretation Targeting Fyn can reverse memory deficits found in AD mouse models, and rescue synapse density loss characteristic of the disease. Thus, AZD0530 is a promising candidate to test as a potential therapy for AD. Ann Neurol 2015;77:953–971
Casting Metals in Dentistry: Past - Present - Future

This article deals mainly with the development of dental casting techniques and formulation of the different groups of alloys used in the fabrication of ceramo-metal restorations.It is recognized that in order for the quality of dental cast restorations to be improved, having alloys with the proper composition is not enough. Biocompatibility, good mechanical and physical properties, longevity of the restoration, compatibility with porcelain, and a simple manipulative technique are as important. Researchers have contributed to different aspects of dental castings and have made cast restorations what they are today. Unfortunately, much of the original basic research has been overlooked by present investigators, who have duplicated studies conducted in the past without realizing that the study had already been performed and the research had been published. The main reason for this is that abstracts of articles published prior to 1975 are not available through a library computer-search system. To obtain copie...
Arthroscopy in Children

Arthroscopy was performed on the knees of 67 children aged 2-16 years with an overall clinical diagnostic accuracy of 45%. The most common clinical diagnoses were meniscal tear and patello-femoral pain and the accuracy of these diagnoses was 33% and 59% respectively. Diagnostic accuracy seemed unrelated to age. Arthroscopy led to definitive treatment which relieved symptoms in 21 (31%) of cases, revealed a diagnosis only in 43 (64%), and was non-contributory in 3 (4.5%). The procedure did not significantly help patients with patello-femoral pain.
Financial burden of emergency preparedness on an urban, academic hospital.

This study assessed the direct human resource costs of a hospital's emergency preparedness planning (in 2005) by surveying participants retrospectively. Forty participants (74% of the identified population) were surveyed. Using the self-reported hourly salary of the participant, a direct salary cost was calculated for each participant. The population was 40% male and 60% female; 65% had a graduate degree or higher; 65% were administrators; 35% were clinicians; and 50% reported that their job description included a reference to emergency planning activities. All participants spent a combined total of 3,654.25 hours on emergency preparedness activities, including 20.1% on personal education/train-ing; 11.6% on educating other people; 39.3% on paperwork or equipment maintenance; 22.2% on attendance at meetings; 5.6% on drill participation; and <1% on other activities. Considering the participants' hourly salary, direct personal costs spent on emergency preparedness activities at the institution totaled US$232,417. Ten percent, all of whom were physicians, reported no compen-sation for their emergency preparedness efforts at the hospital level.As much as these results illustrate the strong commitment of the institu-tion to its community, they represent a heavy burden in light of the oftenunfunded mandate of emergency preparedness planning that a hospital may incur. Such responsibility is carried to some extent by all hospitals.
Performance modeling using object-oriented execution-driven simulation

To study the performance of new architectural features, trace-driven simulation is commonly employed. Traditional trace-driven simulation models require the production of an input trace. Depending opt the needs of the simulation study, traces can contain billions of references and consume gigabytes of disk or tape storage. Execution-driven simulation eliminates the need for producing and storing input trace tapes by dynamically generating the input trace stream. The first issue addressed in the paper is the performance of an execution-driven simulation when compared to more traditional trace-driven methodologies. The time and effort spent developing each new model can make a thorough performance evaluation too costly. Instead if a reusable library of architectural simulation models (e.g., caches, branch-predictors etc.) can be constructed using an object-oriented paradigm, the cost of performing the simulation can be drastically reduced. Some of the advantages of using reusable code include: simplified implementation, improved reliability and reduced maintenance. We have developed such a set of execution-driven simulation models which were written using this object-oriented approach. The goal of this work is to provide a reusable framework for rapid prototyping of architecture-based simulation models. The framework is based on the ATOM execution-driven simulation tool provided by DEC. The simulation models are developed using portable C++.
Growth of Largemouth Bass in Low-Salinity Environments

Abstract We evaluated age and growth data for largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides inhabiting either a brackish marsh or a freshwater oxbow lake in south-central Louisiana. Marsh fish exhibited small size and reduced length at age. However, growth rates of older marsh fish equaled or exceeded those of freshwater largemouth bass. Relative weights of marsh fish indicated excellent condition during all seasons, whereas freshwater fish exhibited reduced condition in early spring and fall. Laboratory trials consisting of 120-d exposure of marsh and freshwater largemouth bass to four salinity levels (0, 4, 8, and 12‰) indicated a significant decrease in growth rate of freshwater largemouth bass with increasing salinity level up to 8‰. No such decrease was observed for marsh largemouth bass. All fish held at 12‰ stopped feeding within 1 week after the experiment began and died before the experiment ended. Sheared principal components analysis indicated differences in body shape between marsh and freshwater larg...
Complete Hexose Isomer Identification with Mass Spectrometry

The first analytical method is presented for the identification and absolute configuration determination of all 24 aldohexose and 2-ketohexose isomers, including the D and L enantiomers for allose, altrose, galactose, glucose, gulose, idose, mannose, talose, fructose, psicose, sorbose, and tagatose. Two unique fixed ligand kinetic method combinations were discovered to create significant enough energetic differences to achieve chiral discrimination among all 24 hexoses. Each of these 24 hexoses yields unique ratios of a specific pair of fragment ions that allows for simultaneous determination of identification and absolute configuration. This mass spectrometric-based methodology can be readily employed for accurate identification of any isolated monosaccharide from an unknown biological source. This work provides a key step towards the goal of complete de novo carbohydrate analysis.
How Parents Help Children with Homework in China: Narratives across the Life Span.

This study examines how ten young adults in Dalian City, Liaoning Province, China, perceived how their parents helped them with homework during their childhood and adolescence. Between 2011 and 2012, we interviewed five men and five women from Dalian who had first been recruited in 1999 from a college prep high school, a vocational high school, and a junior high school as part of a longitudinal study of Chinese singleton children. In this sample, most parents had not finished high school but expected their children to finish college. Parents’ lack of ability to directly assist their children in their schoolwork at home (and thus promote their children’s skills) was compensated for by involvement strategies that often tapped into their children’s motivation. Our study illustrated how several strategies that have not been reported in the Western scholarship on parental involvement (i.e., reasoning about the importance of education, watching children study, and offering food, criticizing, and blaming) can map onto the skill and motivation development model Western researchers have developed, while highlighting the previously understudied salience of these particular strategies, especially for parents who do not have enough education to teach the skills their children need for upward mobility.
Differential expression of heparan sulfate 6‐O‐sulfotransferase isoforms in the mouse embryo suggests distinctive roles during organogenesis

Heparan sulfate (HS) interactions with secreted morphogens such as fibroblast growth factors, hedgehogs, and Wnts are essential for embryonic development. Formation of biologically relevant HS structures is a result of the coordinated action of various biosynthetic enzymes. HS 6-O-sulfotransferases (6OST) catalyze the transfer of sulfate groups to the 6-O position of glucosamine residues in HS. Three 6OST isoforms have been described in the mouse; however, little is known about their role in generating specific HS protein-binding sequences, expression pattern, and function in vivo. To gain insights into the distribution of these isoforms and their potential role in development, we mapped 6OST1-3 gene expression during mouse organogenesis. We report dynamic expression of these isoforms with striking differences in tissue distribution in many developing organs. We show that 6OST transcripts are differentially expressed in several sites where heparin-binding growth factors are critical for development. 6OST1 is predominantly transcribed in epithelial and neural-derived tissues, whereas 6OST2 is more mesenchymal. 6OST3 appears at later stages and in a more restricted manner. The patterns reported here strongly suggest that the HS structures modified by these enzymes have different roles in growth factor-induced developmental processes.
A pilot exercise intervention to improve lower extremity functioning in peripheral arterial disease unaccompanied by intermittent claudication.

PURPOSE A pilot study was conducted to test the feasibility of supervised treadmill exercise training to improve functioning in study participants with peripheral arterial disease who did not have classical symptoms of intermittent claudication. METHODS For this study, 32 men and women with peripheral arterial disease but no symptoms of claudication were randomized to exercise training or usual care. The intervention was a 12-week supervised treadmill walking program. Outcomes included 6-minute walk distance, maximum treadmill walking distance, and 4-meter walking velocity. Participant-reported community walking ability was measured with the Walking Impairment Questionnaire (WIQ). Inflammatory blood factor levels also were measured. RESULTS Altogether, 25 participants who completed follow-up testing were included in intention-to-treat analyses. Of 24 participants (58%) randomized to exercise, 14 completed the entire exercise training program. The participants randomized to the intervention showed greater improvement in their WIQ walking speed score than the control subjects (P =.05). The participants randomized to the intervention showed improvements in their 6-minute walk distance (1134 +/- 347 vs 1266 +/- 295 feet; P =.03), maximal treadmill walking distance (389 +/- 248 vs 585 +/- 293 feet; P <.001), WIQ distance score (52.3 +/- 29.1 vs 63.1 +/- 25.1; P =.002), and WIQ speed score (48.7 +/- 26.8 vs 59.7 +/- 22.7; P =.008). The participants randomized to the control condition showed improvements in maximal treadmill walking distance (362 +/- 180 vs 513 +/- 237 feet; P =.014). There were no significant changes in the inflammatory blood factors after exercise. CONCLUSIONS This pilot study demonstrated that a supervised treadmill walking program may be feasible and may improve functioning for individuals with peripheral arterial disease who do not have classical symptoms of intermittent claudication. Further study is needed with a larger sample to identify optimal exercise methods that improve lower extremity functioning in men and women with peripheral arterial disease who do not have intermittent claudication.
Mindfulness and Subjective Knowledge

Epistemologists identify different approaches to knowledge, but scholarship within kinesiology has been dominated by the scientific method. Although some scholarship with roots in existential philosophy and phenomenology focuses on subjective knowledge, that work seems to have little influence on current research. This paper proposes the need for a balance of scientific and subjective knowledge and examines what impact such a balance would have on research and on professional practice. Subjective knowledge requires reflection about experience. The concept of mindfulness is proposed as a meaningful approach to subjective knowledge.
Idiopathic isolated granulomatous gastritis spontaneous resolution without surgical intervention

A patient was demonstrated to have idiopathic isolated granulomatous gastritis. The gastric lesion healed without the use of antiinflammatory medications. Surgical resection was not required for diagnosis or treatment. This case demonstrates that idiopathic isolated granulomatous gastritis may resolve without invasive medical or surgical therapy.
Cells of origin of the tectospinal tract in the golden hamster: An anatomical and electrophysiological investigation

Abstract The cells of origin of the tectospinal tract in the golden hamster were examined using the horseradish peroxidase (HRP) technique and antidromic activation of individual collicular neurons with electrical stimuli delivered to the cervical spinal cord. The results of the HRP experiments indicated that tectospinal cells were variable-size (10 to 35 μm) multipolar neurons situated, for the most part, in the stratum griseum intermediale and stratum griseum profundum. HRP deposits placed at different spinal loci also showed that the tectospinal tract in the hamster did not extend caudal to spinal segment C3. The recording experiments demonstrated further that in a paralyzed and anesthetized preparation most (60%) tectospinal neurons were activated only by somatosensory stimuli. Only one tectospinal cell was responsive exclusively to visual stimulation. These results have implications for the possible role of the tectospinal tract in orienting behavior.
Remote control of a robot in a map network

The automated control of manufacturing devices on a common communications network is a necessity for the factory of the future. The manufacturing automation protocol (MAP) represents a major effort by a group of companies towards meeting this need, and apparently is becoming a standard for factory-floor communications. In this project, an ASEA 2000 robot was used with a computer-controlled ply-cutting machine in a simulated factory sheet-metal cell to demonstrate coordinated inter- and intra-cell communications. Both machines used a MAP network to send and receive information from the cell-controller computer, and to coordinate cell operation. The methodology, hardware and software required to adapt the ASEA robot to the MAP network are described. This methodology will be useful in adapting other computer-controlled manufacturing devices to MAP networks.
Acute kidney injury following liver transplantation: Definition and outcome

The incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) has been reported to vary between 17% and 95% post-orthotopic liver transplantation. This variability may be related to the absence of a uniform definition of AKI in this setting. The purpose of this study was to identify the degree of AKI that is associated with long-term adverse outcome. Furthermore, to determine the best definition (for use in future studies) of AKI not requiring dialysis in post-liver transplant patients, we retrospectively reviewed the effect of 3 definitions of AKI post-orthotopic liver transplantation on renal and patient outcome between 1997 and 2005. We compared patients with AKI to a control group without AKI by each definition. AKI was defined in 3 groups as an acute rise in serum creatinine, from the pretransplant baseline, of >0.5 mg/dL, >1.0 mg/dL, or >50% above baseline to a value above 2 mg/dL. In all groups, the glomerular filtration rate was significantly lower at both 1 and 2 years post-transplant. Patient survival was worse in all groups. Graft survival was worse in all groups. The incidence of AKI was highest in the group with a rise in creatinine of >0.5 mg/dL (78%) and lowest in patients with a rise in creatinine of >50% above 2.0 mg/dL (14%). Even mild AKI, defined as a rise in serum creatinine of >0.5 mg/dL, was associated with reduced patient and graft survival. However, in comparison with the other definitions, the definition of AKI with the greatest impact on patient's outcome post-liver transplant was a rise in serum creatinine of >50% above baseline to >2 mg/dL.
UNIVERSAL OUTPUT FEEDBACK CONTROL OF NONLINEAR SYSTEMS WITH UNKNOWN GROWTH RATE

Abstract This paper investigates the problem of global stabilization by output feedback for a family of uncertain nonlinear systems dominated by a triangular system satisfying linear growth condition. In contrast to the previous work in the literature, the growth rate here is a positive constant but not known a priori, and therefore the problem cannot be addressed by the existing output feedback control schemes. Using the idea of universal control integrated with the recent output feedback design method that is not based on the separation principle, we construct a universal-type output feedback controller which globally regulates all the states of the uncertain systems without knowing the growth rate. We also discuss briefly how this result can be extended to a larger class of nonlinear systems with unknown parameters.
White matter integrity and intraindividual variability in aging and early-stage Alzheimer disease

cognitive function (MMSE). Conclusions: The association between 5-HT4 receptor binding in amygdala and depressive symptoms suggests a coupling between serotonergic dysfunction and affective symptoms in early AD. However, the small sample size requires that these asscociations are corroborated in larger samples with more elaborate evaluation of emotional symptoms. The association could either be explained by neurodegeneration of structures related to emotional processing or to a specific dysfunction of the serotonergic system in early AD.
K/sub l3/-DECAY FORM FACTORS, CURRENT ALGEBRA, AND SUBTRACTED DISPERSION RELATIONS.

The algebra of currents is used in combination with once-subtracted dispersion relations to investigate the form factors ${f}_{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}(t)$ which describe ${K}_{l3}$ decays. The soft-pion approximation is made in the form of a pole-dominance assumption for ${q}^{2}\ensuremath{\approx}0$ ($q$ is the pion four-momentum) rather than taking the limit $q\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0$. Results are obtained for the scale as well as for the $t$ dependence of the form factors. The calculation is presented in some detail so that the various effects of $\mathrm{SU}(3)$ symmetry breaking may be observed.
Primary Orbital lntraosseous Hemangioma

Primary orbital intraosseous hemangiomas are rare--only 16 cases have been reported previously. The authors describe five patients with this benign tumor. Patients ranged in age from 49 to 77 years, and each had a painless or mildly tender nodular lesion. Ophthalmic symptoms were minimal, although nasolacrimal obstruction was the original sign in one patient. Four of five patients responded well to complete tumor excision (two patients) or partial resection of the lesion (two patients). The fifth patient required a second operation for tumor progression after partial excision of the hemangioma. The 16 previously reported cases of orbital intraosseous hemangioma are reviewed, and the natural history and pathology of this rare vascular lesion are discussed.
Global marketing Myopia

The objective of this paper is to expand the concept of global marketing strategy beyond its current myopic focus on product positioning and branding. Emphasis on these issues lends to lead to the conclusion that standardisation is the most desirable global strategy. However a successful global marketing strategy needs to be developed and evaluated within the broader context of the overall strategy of the firm, rather than being based purely on customer‐market considerations. This calls for examination of resource allocation across countries, market segments and products, the integration of sourcing activities and production, management and logistical systems into global marketing strategy.
Second messenger regulation of occlusion of the spinal neurocoel in the chick embryo.

We know that, once rostral neurulation is completed in the neuroaxis of the chick embryo, the caudal neurocoel becomes occluded and the brain rapidly expands. However, very little is known about the mechanisms maintaining occlusion. Studies had shown that occluded neurocoels reopened in embryos treated with chelators of cations, but the reasons remained unclear and the cations unidentified. To begin defining the role of cations, this study explored the effect of Ca2+, calmodulin, and cAMP on maintaining the occluded neurocoel. Chick embryos during the natural phase of neurocoel occlusion (stage 12) were cultured in vitro with drugs known to modulate Ca2+ transport, to inhibit calmodulin activity, or to elevate cAMP levels. To test if occlusion is a Ca2+ -dependent process, embryos were treated with verapamil and ionophore A23187. To test if occlusion requires calmodulin, embryos were treated with antipsychotic agents. To test if occlusion is cAMP dependent, embryos were treated with methylisobutylxanthine (MIX), forskolin (FOR), or dibutyl cyclic adenosine (DbC). Following each treatment, occlusion of the neurocoel was tested by injecting dye into the midbrain. All treatments resulted in a predominant number of precocious reopenings of the occluded neurocoels. MIX-treated, naked neural tubes had a fourfold increase in cAMP, whereas FOR- and DbC-treated neural tubes showed ten- and 14-fold increases, respectively. The presence of calmodulin in the cells of the neural tube was confirmed by fluorescent tagging and 3H-chlorpromazine labelling. The combined results of this study show that occlusion of the spinal neurocoel depends on exogenous Ca2+, requires calmodulin, and is cAMP sensitive. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Electroencephalographic (EEG) control of three-dimensional movement.

Brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) can use brain signals from the scalp (EEG), the cortical surface (ECoG), or within the cortex to restore movement control to people who are paralyzed. Like muscle-based skills, BCIs' use requires activity-dependent adaptations in the brain that maintain stable relationships between the person's intent and the signals that convey it. This study shows that humans can learn over a series of training sessions to use EEG for three-dimensional control. The responsible EEG features are focused topographically on the scalp and spectrally in specific frequency bands. People acquire simultaneous control of three independent signals (one for each dimension) and reach targets in a virtual three-dimensional space. Such BCI control in humans has not been reported previously. The results suggest that with further development noninvasive EEG-based BCIs might control the complex movements of robotic arms or neuroprostheses.
Delta Sets of Numerical Monoids Using Nonminimal Sets of Generators

Several recent articles have studied the structure of the delta set of a numerical monoid. We continue this work with the assumption that the generating set S chosen for the numerical monoid M is not necessarily minimal. We show that for certain choices of S, the resulting delta set can be made (in terms of cardinality) arbitrarily large or small. We close with a close analysis of the case where M =⟨n 1, n 2, in 1 + jn 2⟩for non-negative i and j.
Accurate interpretation of LEED intensity spectra of a layered transition-metal dichalcogenide compound

Abstract We report the first detailed study of low-energy electron diffraction intensity spectra on the layered transition-metal dichalcogenide compound MoS 2 in the 2 H polytype. Specular and nonspecular intensity data have been taken at normal and off-normal angles of incidence. Accurate calculations using 8 phase shifts and 55 beams were successful in obtaining good agreement with the experimental data in an extensive energy range (20–230 eV). A number of surface property studies by LEED on these complex materials are discussed.
A New Look at the Background and Work Experience of Business Librarians

This study examines the current state of business librarianship. What are the educational backgrounds of business library and information practitioners? Where and in what manner are they providing business librarianship? How do they interact with their peers? Is business librarianship a field which is attracting new librarians? Perhaps most importantly, are business librarians happy in their profession? Past articles have focused specifically on academic business librarians. However, a significant amount of business librarianship occurs outside of academia. This survey benefited from data gathered from librarians from all types of libraries.
Diode-Bar Side-Pumping of Double-Clad Fibers

We demonstrate direct diode-bar side pumping of a Yb-doped fiber laser using embedded-mirror side pumping (EMSP). In this method, the pump beam is launched by reflection from a micro-mirror embedded in a channel polished into the inner cladding of a double-clad fiber (DCF). The amplifier employed an unformatted, non-lensed, ten-emitter diode bar (20 W) and glass-clad, polarization-maintaining, large-mode-area fiber. Measurements with passive fiber showed that the coupling efficiency of the raw diode-bar output into the DCF (ten launch sites) was ~84%; for comparison, the net coupling efficiency using a conventional, formatted, fiber-coupled diode bar is typically 50-70%, i.e., EMSP results in a factor of 2-3 less wasted pump power. The slope efficiency of the side-pumped fiber laser was ~80% with respect to launched pump power and 24% with respect to electrical power consumption of the diode bar; at a fiber-laser output power of 7.5 W, the EMSP diode bar consumed 41 W of electrical power (18% electrical-to-optical efficiency). When end pumped using a formatted diode bar, the fiber laser consumed 96 W at 7.5 W output power, a factor of 2.3 less efficient, and the electrical-to-optical slope efficiency was lower by a factor of 2.0. Passive-fiber measurements showed that the EMSP alignment sensitivity is nearly identical for a single emitter as for the ten-emitter bar. EMSP is the only method capable of directly launching the unformatted output of a diode bar directly into DCF (including glass-clad DCF), enabling fabrication of low-cost, simple, and compact, diode-bar-pumped fiber lasers and amplifiers.
Correlation between phosphatidylcholine labeling and hormone receptor levels in alveolar type II epithelial cells: effects of dexamethasone and epidermal growth factor.

Abstract Phosphatidylcholine labeling was studied in freshly isolated adult rat alveolar type II epithelial cells exposed to dexamethasone and epidermal growth factor. Dexamethasone at a medium concentration of 10 −8 m , enhanced phosphatidylcholine labeling in type II cells by about 25%. In lung fibroblast controls, dexamethasone had no effect. Phosphatidylcholine secretion into the culture medium was not observed in either cell type. Quantitation of dexamethasone receptors revealed a twofold greater number of receptors in type II cells than in control fibroblasts. In contrast, the addition of epidermal growth factor to the medium of type II cells or lung fibroblasts had no effect on phosphatidylcholine labeling or secretion into culture medium. Lung fibroblasts were found to have 11-fold more surface receptors for epidermal growth factor than isolated type II cells. These results indicate that dexamethasone significantly increases phosphatidylcholine synthesis in type II cells and thus, may also effect the production of surfactant by these cells.
Parameter testing of epoxy polymer concrete

The ultimate strength of polymer concrete was investigated utilizing epichlorohydrin/bisphenol A-type epoxy resin. Parameters were tested in an effort to conclude how variation of a specific parameter would affect the compressive strength of the polymer concrete. The parameter testing included studies to determine the effect of the polymer loading; the catalyst; the exothermic reaction; aggregate type, gradation and moisture content; curing age; and aggregate additives of portland cement and lime-stone powder.
Chemical nature of stochastic generation of protein-based carbonyls: metal-catalyzed oxidation versus modification by products of lipid oxidation.

An assessment of 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH)-detectable protein-based carbonyls is one of the most common assays used to quantify oxidative stress in vitro and in vivo. In this study, we compared, for the lipid-binding protein β-lactoglobulin, the extent to which carbonyl reactivity could be introduced by adventitious metal-catalyzed oxidation (MCO) in the absence and presence of a polyunsaturated lipid or by treatment with various individual bifunctional lipid oxidation products capable of introducing carbonyls into proteins by adduction to nucleophilic side chains. With metal ions and either O2/reductant or H2O2 as the terminal oxidant, the maximal level of DNPH-detectable carbonyl generation obtainable in several hours was 0.1−0.2 mol carbonyl per mol protein monomer, with Cu(II) being more effective than Fe(II). Exposure instead to bifunctional lipoxidation-derived aldehydes (1−2 mM) generated in some cases in excess of 1 mol carbonyl per mol protein. The rank order of carbonyl incorporation rea...
The Transformation of Environment into Landscape: The Historical Ecology of Monumental Earthwork Construction in the Bolivian Amazon

Although the Neotropics are recognized as a region rich in biological diversity, the origin, evolution, and maintenance of this phenomenon continues to be debated. Historical ecologists and landscape archaeologists point out that the Neotropics have a long, complex human history that may have been a key factor in the creation, shaping, and management of present day biodiversity. The construction of monumental earthworks referred to as ring ditches of the Bolivian Amazon and surrounding regions in late prehistory had considerable impact on the fauna, flora, soils, and topography of forest islands. Patterned landscape features, historical documents, energetics, and historical ecology are used to understand the transformation of forest islands into anthropogenic built environments.
Prediction of propagating methane-air flames

Abstract The kinetics and propagation of laminar methane-air flames were studied using a one-dimensional, flame propagation model. The model is based on a numerical, unsteady-state solution of transformed species and energy conservation equations using explicit techniques for diffusion terms and linearized, implicit techniques for kinetic terms. A methaneoxygen kinetic mechanism consisting of 28 elementary reactions was postulated and used in the flame model. Flame velocity, flame thickness, temperature profile and concentration profiles of 13 species were predicted for a series of methane-air flames. The effects of pressure, methane concentration, initial temperature, rate constants, and transport coefficients were investigated. Many of the model predictions were compared with experimental data, and agreement was generally very good. The concentrations of the radicals H, OH, and O were major factors in the propagation of methane-air flames. The relative importance of each of the 28 reactions was examined; five were found to be negligible, while several were shown to be important in determination of propagation velocity and flame characteristics.
Left Aortic Arch, Right Descending Aorta, and Right Patent Ductus Arteriosus Precise Depiction of a Rare Vascular Ring With Cardiac Computed Tomography

A 14-month-old girl was evaluated for noisy breathing and swallowing. An upper gastrointestinal barium swallow study showed a filling defect of the esophagus at the level of the aortic arch suggestive of a vascular ring (Figures 1 and 2). A chest computed tomography angiogram with 3-dimensional reconstruction (1-mm sections; Movies I and II in the online-only Data Supplement) showed a vascular ring consisting of a left aortic arch, retropharyngeal transverse aorta, aberrant right subclavian artery, right descending aorta, …
Mongolism with mosaic chromosome pattern.

Summary A Mongoloid infant is presented with a mosaic chromosome pattern in both blood and skin. Unusual immune responses were also manifested by a delayed homograft reaction and by little response to infection. Approximately one third of the white blood cells in the mother's peripheral blood belonged to the male type. It is felt that this most likely represents a prenatal transfusion of male cells into the mother's circulation from the twin of the patient here described, but other mechanisms are also considered.