cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Chapter 5 Skutterudites: Prospective novel thermoelectrics

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the relevant physical, chemical, and materials issues pertaining to skutterudites and includes the latest exciting developments. As the search for novel, promising thermoelectrics intensifies; skutterudites have emerged as prospective candidates for achieving figures of merit well in excess of unity. The name “skutterudite” is derived from a small mining town in Norway called “Skutterud,” where a CoAs3-based mineral had been mined extensively. The compounds identical in structure to CoAs3—the structures first identified by Oftedal in 1928—have since been known as skutterudites. Skutterudite structure offers interesting possibilities to alter both the electronic and lattice properties. The chapter discusses the structural aspects and bonding of binary skutterudites and filled skutterudites. The inability to prepare pure binary skutterudites with transition metals other than those of the Co group does not mean that cobalt cannot be partially replaced by its immediate neighbors in the periodic table—iron and nickel. The lattice thermal conductivity is one of the key parameters determining the thermoelectric figure of merit. It is, thus, essential to understand the lattice dynamics in skutterudites and to have a good grasp of the phonon density of states. Skutterudites are compounds with the highest pnicogen concentration forming stable compounds with Co, Rh, and Ir at ambient conditions. The fundamental point about the binary skutterudites is that they are diamagnetic solids.
Facial recognition based on wavelet transform

In recent years, facial recognition technology, a kind of image recognition, is a relatively new biometric technology which appeared with the rapid progresses of image processing technology, computer technology and pattern recognition technology. Wavelet transform has several obvious advantages, especially the discrete wavelet transform (DWT). In this paper, facial recognition, which includes preprocessing, feature extraction and output of recognition results, is accomplished by MATLAB based on such knowledge. By several experiences, it is a practical design that accomplishing image recognition based on wavelet transform.
Low frequency stimulation of ventral hippocampal commissures reduces seizures in a rat model of chronic temporal lobe epilepsy

Purpose To investigate the effects of low frequency stimulation (LFS) of a fiber track for the suppression of spontaneous seizures described by Nissinen in a rat model of human temporal lobe epilepsy.
Research on emissions and mitigation of POP's from combustion sources

The environmental consequences of persistent organic pollutants (POP's) are of increasing concern due to the serious health effects on animals and humans including reproduction, development and immunological function. Several major classes of POP's, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH's), chlorobenzenes, chlorinated dioxins and chlorinated furans, have been identified as products of incomplete combustion (PIC's) produced in trace levels in combustion systems. A wide variety of combustion processes, ranging from power plants, industrial boilers, industrial furnaces and incinerators, to home heating devices, are believed to be potential sources of POP's. Full-scale combustion facilities can be significant sources of POP's due to the large mass flow of flue gas released from a plant. Total emissions of POP's from small combustion devices, such as wood stoves and residential oil furnaces, can also be significant due to the large numbers of existing units near high population areas. It becomes increasingly important to understand the formation of POP's from different combustion processes to identify sources of POP's and to develop strategies for their prevention and mitigation. Research on POP emissions from combustion sources conducted by EPA is largely driven by the need for regulating the emissions of hazardous air pollutants as required by Title III of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments and by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. This paper provides a summary of EPA's research on emissions and control of POP's from combustion sources with emphasis on source characterization and measurement, formation and destruction mechanisms, formation prevention and flue gas cleaning. Laboratory experiments conducted to examine the PAH emissions from a wide variety of combustion processes, ranging from pulverized coal utility boilers to wood stoves, have shown that they exhibit widely different emission characteristics. Waste incineration research conducted by the National Risk Management Research Laboratory, Air Pollution Prevention and Control Division (NRMRL/APPCD) has also shown that complex mechanisms, including physical mixing and chemical kinetics, are involved in the formation of chlorinated PIC's. Research has also indicated that the formation of ultra-trace levels of chlorinated-dioxins and -furans in combustion/incineration processes includes the complex interaction of several factors including temperature, chlorine content and catalyst. The beneficial effect of sulfur and sorbents for dioxin formation prevention is demonstrated. This Laboratory's effort to develop and evaluate state-of-the-art technologies for on-line measurements of PAH's, volatile PIC's, dioxins and furans is also discussed. The promising potential of applying artificial-intelligence-based control systems for improving combustion processes operating conditions as a POP prevention approach is demonstrated.
Biodegradation of Btex in Subsurface Materials Contaminated with Gasoline: Granger, Indiana

The microbial ecology and potential for biodegradation of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and o- and m-xylene (BTEX) in core materials contaminated with unleaded gasoline were investigated. The site studied was unique because a portion of the contaminated area was biostimulated in a demonstration of the use of hydrogen peroxide as an oxygen source in in situ biorestoration. Two years after termination of the field demonstration, core samples were collected from uncontaminated, contaminated, and biostimulated areas at the site and analyzed for inorganic nutrients, microbial numbers, mineralization potential of glucose, benzene, and toluene using liquid scintillation counting, and biotransformation of BTEX using gas chromatography. The results indicated that the subsurface microflora at the site was active and capable of degrading a variety of compounds. Microbial numbers and contaminant biodegradation potential in samples from the biostimulated area were greater than in uncontaminated and contaminated zones. Toluene, ethylbenzene, and m-xylene were removed in all core materials, whereas o-xylene was recalcitrant. Mineralization experiments indicated that toluene was mineralized to a greater extent than benzene. These data indicated that the biodegradation potential of the subsurface material from the biostimulated zone, which still contained residual hydrocarbon, remained enhanced for at least 2 yr after the in situ biorestoration process had been terminated.
Bone Pathology and Parathyroid Gland Activity in Hypocalcemic Magnesium-Deficient Chicks

Growing chicks fed magnesium-deficient (150 ppm Mg) diets for 14 or 21 days developed significant hypomagnesemia and hypocalcemia compared to control chicks fed 1,000 ppm Mg. The hypocalcemia was accompanied by significant parathyroid gland hyperactivity, suggesting that magnesium deficiency did not impair parathyroid gland function. Despite parathyroid gland hyperactivity, however, bone resorption was decreased in the magnesium-deficient chicks, although bone formation was not affected by magnesium depletion. The decrease in bone resorption in the magnesium-deficient chicks was correlated with significant bone magnesium depletion and resulted in increased bone calcium content. These findings suggested that the development of hypocalcemia in magnesium-deficient chicks was related to decreased bone resorption, due to impaired osteocytic function rather than parathyroid gland insufficiency. The results also offer an explanation for the decrease in skeletal responsiveness to PTH which has been reported during magnesium depletion.
Bringing the Common Rule into the 21st Century

Proposed revisions to the rules governing the ethical conduct of research involving humans aim to enhance respect and safeguards for research participants and to increase research efficiency by reducing unnecessary burdens and calibrating oversight to the level of risk.
TOP END: distributed transaction processing for open systems

An overview of the TOP END distributed transaction processing product is given. It is designed especially to meet the requirements of open systems processing. Its modularity, robustness, standards adherence, and system administration capabilities are highlighted. >
Hybrid ORC method for low K1 process

In recent years, more burden is placed on OPC(Optical Proximity effect Correction) and ORC(Optical Rule Check) like never before due to low process margin caused by adoption of "Low K1" technology on lithography process. Normally, chip is composed of cell, core and periphery regions. Each of these regions has different characteristics patterning wise but usually the region with high density has much more chance for pinch, bridge or killing error and also has small process window. So verification of OPCed data must be highly accurate with fast operation speed. In this paper we developed full chip based ORC(Optical Rule Check)which satisfies both need, accuracy and speed. The result of pinch, bridge and small process window verification of Hybrid ORC will be shown followed by comparison of rule and model ORC methods.
Spectrophotometric study of five porcelain shades relative to the dimensions of color, porcelain thickness, and repeated firings☆☆☆

A total of 125 ceramo-metal samples were used representing: 1. Five different porcelain shades a. Ceramco shades A3, B2, and D3. b. Vita B2. c. Biobond B62. 2. Thicknesses of 1, 2, and 3 mm for each shade fired two times 3. Additional 2 mm samples for each shade fired five and 10 times. Each sample was analyzed by a recording spectrophotometer. Data received was converted to Munsell notation for evaluation of the dimensions of color, i.e., Hue, Chroma, and Value, as related to (1) shade differences, (2) thickness of porcelain, and (3) numbers of firings.
Coherent potential approximation calculations for electronic spectra of one-dimensional quaternary alloys☆

Abstract The coherent potential approximation is used to investigate the electronic structure of quaternary alloys of the types A x C y B 1 − x − y D and A x B 1 − x C y D 1 − y . Formalisms are developed for and application is made to the calculation of the electronic state densities for both types of alloys in the one-dimensional, one-site per atom, nearest-neighbor tight-binding approximation.
Three Optimized Designs For Flat Field Scanning Lenses

A map of lenses for laser scanning has been studied. The class of lenses are all flat field and telecentric on the image side. The laser source was not assumed to be a collimated beam. Three of the most promising types have been designed and the construction para-meters are presented. The simplest solution uses a mirror.
Changes in developing plant microbial community structure as affected by contaminated water.

The effects of sand and clay soils and water contaminated by Escherichia coli O157:H7 on the development of rhizosphere and phyllosphere microbial communities were analyzed to determine the influence of plant age on microbial community structure and composition. Community bacterial nucleic acids were extracted from lettuce rhizosphere and phyllosphere samples at different stages of plant development after the soils were irrigated with water contaminated with E. coli O157:H7 at planting and 15 days after planting. PCR was used to amplify 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) for total bacterial community composition and the products were subjected to denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Prominent DGGE bands were excised and sequenced to gain insight into the identities of predominant bacterial populations. The majority of DGGE band sequences were related to bacterial genera previously associated with the rhizosphere and phyllosphere, such as Pseudomonas, Acidobacterium, Bacillus and Agrobacterium. The PCR-DGGE patterns observed for rhizosphere samples were more complex than those obtained from the bulk soil and the phyllosphere. The Shannon index of diversity (H) was used to determine the complexity of the DGGE bands from the phyllosphere, rhizosphere and the bulk soils at different growth stages. A higher diversity was observed in the clay soil than sandy soil during the first week. Few changes in diversity were observed after the first week. The results show that microbial community development in lettuce may take about 7–12 days and this may be the most likely period for maximum pathogen contamination in plants.
Standards for use of visible and nonvisible radiation on the eye

Presently recommended exposure limits for optical radiation permit one to estimate the hazard to the eye and skin for continuous periods of exposure. They apply explicitly only to uninterrupted exposure--the so-called "worst-case" condition. This paper examines the biological and practical aspects of human exposure to bright light which permit the application of "use factors" where justified in the use of these exposure limits and considers the limitations of such limits.
Modeled Areal Evaporation Trends over the Conterminous United States

Long-term (1961–1990) areal evapotranspiration (AE) has been modeled with the help of 210 stations of the Solar and Meteorological Surface Observation Network within the conterminous United States. Modeled AE, averaged over all stations, has shown an overall increase of about 2–3% in the period 1961–1990, both on an annual basis and over the warm season (May–September). The rate of increase has differed among three geographic regions: the eastern, central, and western United States, with the largest modeled increase found in the east, followed by the central part of the United States. In the western part of the continent, modeled AE has, in fact, stayed constant. Of these trends, only the ones over the eastern part of the conterminous United States are statistically significant.
Enhanced killing of human small cell lung cancer by hyperthermia and indium-111-bleomycin complex.

Indium-111-bleomycin complex ({sup 111}In-BLMC) is a radiopharmaceutical agent that produces tumor regression in mouse glioma in vivo and kills human small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cells in vitro. The interaction between hyperthermia and {sup 111}In-BLMC against human SCLC (N417) cells was studied for bleomycin (BLM) (15 micrograms/ml) or {sup 111}In-BLMC (40-50 microCi carried by 15 micrograms BLM/ml) for 5 min or 1.5, 2, or 4 hr at 37{degrees}C or 43{degrees}C exposures. Cell survival was determined by colony formation in soft agarose. There was a synergistic effect for {sup 111}In-BLMC and hyperthermia for cell killing. At 37{degrees}C, the percent survival of N417 cells for BLM alone was 25.9%, and for {sup 111}In-BLMC it was 13.2%; at 43 degrees C, survival was 5.3% for BLM alone and 1.2% for {sup 111}In-BLMC by a 4 hr treatment. Effectiveness was greater when {sup 111}In-BLMC was combined with hyperthermia.
Old Love: Johannes Brahms, Clara Schumann, and the Poetics of Musical Memory

ABSTRACT In September 1871, Johannes Brahms presented Clara Schumann with an untitled work in F## minor for solo piano, which he later revised and published as the Capriccio , op. 76/1. Surviving correspondence demonstrates Clara9s intimate familiarity with the work throughout the 1870s. In May 1876, two years before releasing manuscripts of the Capriccio among his wider circle, Brahms composed the song Alte Liebe (Old Love) to a poem by Carl Candidus; he immediately sent an autograph to the baritone Julius Stockhausen, along with instructions to sing it to Clara, whom he proclaimed the best person to hear it. Examination of the music against the backdrop of its origins and the circumstances of its initial performance reveals that Brahms deliberately incorporated echoes of the Capriccio into Alte Liebe and points to ways in which those echoes might have influenced Clara9s understanding of the song and its text. A broad array of music-analytic and documentary evidence (including the newly rediscovered autograph of Alte Liebe ) permits detailed investigation of the interpretive perspective that Brahms9s compositional choices encouraged from a listener with Clara9s unique musical memories and manner of interacting with chamber music. Imaginatively reconstructing her encounter with Alte Liebe yields fresh insights into Brahms9s compositional practice in the private genres of song and small-scale chamber music, a rich new historical context in which to ground the study of allusion in his works, and a rare opportunity to explore the musical and personal dynamics of his closest friendship.
The demagoguery of democratic theory

Abstract For all of its blessings, democracy in America displays weaknesses. Democratic theorists both disguise and exacerbate these weaknesses by urging us, as imperatives of democratic justice, to extend the claims of equality to all practices and throughout all spheres of life; and to discount what people actually want in favor of what democratic theorists think that reason tells us people ought to want. Such theorizing encourages the evisceration of virtue, the trivialization of truth, the subjugation of chance, the fear of freedom, and the routinization of romantic love. To combat the dogmatism and despotism to which democracy is prone, it is necessary to preserve the distinction between democracy and justice.
‘For Honor and Defence’: Race and the Right to Bear Arms in Early Colonial Mexico

Abstract The right to bear arms was one of the most exclusive sumptuary rights in early modern Iberia. The privilege of carrying weapons was transferred to Spanish America where it became a right reserved to Spaniards. This article examines over one hundred and fifty licenses to bear arms granted to non-Spaniards in New Spain during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. These licenses preserve the rhetoric of honor used by supplicants in order to justify the award. The varied content of these petitions provides a vivid illustration of how non-Spaniards sought to undercut the negative stereotypes imposed by society. By tracing the changing distribution of these licenses among various socio-racial groups, this article helps illustrate important changes in colonial racial attitudes and demographics. In particular, this study shows that over time men of African descent came to account for a larger percentage of recipients. These men demonstrate that the negative perception of African ancestry di...
Ustilago maydis populations tracked maize through domestication and cultivation in the Americas.

The domestication of crops and the development of agricultural societies not only brought about major changes in human interactions with the environment but also in plants9 interactions with the diseases that challenge them. We evaluated the impact of the domestication of maize from teosinte and the widespread cultivation of maize on the historical demography of Ustilago maydis , a fungal pathogen of maize. To determine the evolutionary response of the pathogen9s populations, we obtained multilocus genotypes for 1088 U. maydis diploid individuals from two teosinte subspecies in Mexico and from maize in Mexico and throughout the Americas. Results identified five major U. maydis populations: two in Mexico; two in South America; and one in the United States. The two populations in Mexico diverged from the other populations at times comparable to those for the domestication of maize at 6000–10 000 years before present. Maize domestication and agriculture enforced sweeping changes in U. maydis populations such that the standing variation in extant pathogen populations reflects evolution only since the time of the crop9s domestication.
Molecular orbital studies of conformers and the barrier to internal rotation in 1,3-butadiene

Abstract The potential curve for rotation around the central bond in 1,3-butadiene has been estimated by ab initio calculations using Gaussian-type basis functions. The calculations, which also include limited geometry variation during rotation, suggest that in the SCF approximation the second stable form of the molecule is a gauche conformation rather than a cis. The predicted energy difference between the planar trans ground state and the stable gauche form is 2.7 kcal/mole and the barrier to internal rotation is found to be 6.0 kcal/mole using a (9,5) basis for carbon and 4s functions on hydrogen.
Expression of estrogen-related gene markers in breast cancer tissue predicts aromatase inhibitor responsiveness.

Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) are the most effective class of drugs in the endocrine treatment of breast cancer, with an approximate 50% treatment response rate. Our objective was to determine whether intratumoral expression levels of estrogen-related genes are predictive of AI responsiveness in postmenopausal women with breast cancer. Primary breast carcinomas were obtained from 112 women who received AI therapy after failing adjuvant tamoxifen therapy and developing recurrent breast cancer. Tumor ERα and PR protein expression were analyzed by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of 5 estrogen-related genes–AKR1C3, aromatase, ERα, and 2 estradiol/ERα target genes, BRCA1 and PR–were measured by real-time PCR. Tumor protein and mRNA levels were compared with breast cancer progression rates to determine predictive accuracy. Responsiveness to AI therapy–defined as the combined complete response, partial response, and stable disease rates for at least 6 months–was 51%; rates were 56% in ERα-IHC-positive and 14% in ERα-IHC-negative tumors. Levels of ERα, PR, or BRCA1 mRNA were independently predictive for responsiveness to AI. In cross-validated analyses, a combined measurement of tumor ERα and PR mRNA levels yielded a more superior specificity (36%) and identical sensitivity (96%) to the current clinical practice (ERα/PR-IHC). In patients with ERα/PR-IHC-negative tumors, analysis of mRNA expression revealed either non-significant trends or statistically significant positive predictive values for AI responsiveness. In conclusion, expression levels of estrogen-related mRNAs are predictive for AI responsiveness in postmenopausal women with breast cancer, and mRNA expression analysis may improve patient selection.
Disrupted and transgenic urate oxidase alter urate and dopaminergic neurodegeneration

Urate is the end product of purine metabolism in humans, owing to the evolutionary disruption of the gene encoding urate oxidase (UOx). Elevated urate can cause gout and urolithiasis and is associated with cardiovascular and other diseases. However, urate also possesses antioxidant and neuroprotective properties. Recent convergence of epidemiological and clinical data has identified urate as a predictor of both reduced risk and favorable progression of Parkinson’s disease (PD). In rodents, functional UOx catalyzes urate oxidation to allantoin. We found that UOx KO mice with a constitutive mutation of the gene have increased concentrations of brain urate. By contrast, UOx transgenic (Tg) mice overexpressing the enzyme have reduced brain urate concentrations. Effects of the complementary UOx manipulations were assessed in a mouse intrastriatal 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) model of hemiparkinsonism. UOx KO mice exhibit attenuated toxic effects of 6-OHDA on nigral dopaminergic cell counts, striatal dopamine content, and rotational behavior. Conversely, Tg overexpression of UOx exacerbates these morphological, neurochemical, and functional lesions of the dopaminergic nigrostriatal pathway. Together our data support a neuroprotective role of endogenous urate in dopaminergic neurons and strengthen the rationale for developing urate-elevating strategies as potential disease-modifying therapy for PD.
Short Pulse Generation With On-Chip Pulse-Forming Lines

We report our results on pulse-forming-line (PFL)-based CMOS pulse generator studies. Through simulations, we clarify the effects of PFL length, switch speed, and switch resistance on the output pulses. We model and analyze CMOS pulse generators with on-chip transmission lines (TLs) as PFLs and CMOS transistors as switches. In a 0.13- μm CMOS process with a 500- μm long PFL, post-layout simulations show that pulses of 10.4-ps width can be obtained. High-voltage and high-power outputs can be generated with other pulsed power circuits, such as Blumlein PFLs with stacked MOSFET switches. Thus, the PFL circuit significantly extends short and high-power pulse generation capabilities of CMOS technologies. A CMOS circuit with a 4-mm-long PFL is implemented in the commercial 0.13- μm technology. Pulses of ~116-ps duration and 205-300-mV amplitude on a 50-Ω load are obtained when the power supply is tuned from 1.2 to 1.6 V. Measurement connection setup is the main reason for the discrepancies among measurements, modeling, and simulation analyses.
On the Al + HCN reaction in helium nanodroplets

Abstract The sequential addition of HCN and Al to a helium nanodroplet leads barrierlessly to a bent, planar, 2 A′, HCNAl species, which is computed to be 20.3 kcal/mol below the separated reactants. A ro-vibrational band near 2690 cm −1 is assigned to the ν 1 ( a ′) CH stretch. A Natural Bond Orbital analysis of this reaction product reveals that both ligand-to-metal σ-donation and metal-to-ligand π-donation are responsible for the strong bonding between HCN and Al. A significant donor–acceptor interaction between the C–N and C–H anti-bonding orbitals is responsible for the bent geometry and the 619 cm −1 red shift of the CH stretch band upon complexation.
Cosmogenic Chlorine-36 Chronology for Glacial Deposits at Bloody Canyon, Eastern Sierra Nevada

Deposits from mountain glaciers provide an important record of Quaternary climatic fluctuations but have proved difficult to date directly. A chronology has been obtained for glacial deposits at Bloody Canyon, California, by measurement ofthe accumulation of chlorine-36 produced by cosmic rays in boulders exposed on moraine crests. The accumulation ofchlorine-36 indicates that episodes of glaciation occurred at about 21, 24, 65, 115, 145, and 200 ka (thousand years ago). Although the timing of the glaciations correlates well with peaks of global ice volume inferred from the marine oxygen isotope record, the relative magnitudes differ markedly. The lengths of the moraines dating from 115 ka and 65 ka show that the early glacial episodes were more extensive than those during the later Wisconsin and indicate that the transition from interglacial to full glacial conditions was rapid.
Concentration profile at the limiting current in a stagnant diffusion cell

Abstract The limiting current and concentration profile in a stagnant diffusion cell are calculated for a cupric sulphate solution with consideration of the variation of physical properties and non-zero interfacial velocity. The calculated concentration profile is compared with that observed optically. The possibility for obtaining differential diffusion coefficients from limiting current measurements is explored.
Thermal Background Modeling

The Infrared signature of a vehicle is dependent on its surroundings in two ways. First, the vehicle image perceived in an IR scene is directly related to the thermal contrast between the vehicle and its physical environment. Second, the vehicle surface temperature is determined, in part, by the energy exchange at its boundaries which includes the continuous radiative heat exchange with its surroundings. A vegetation background model has recently been developed to support the vehicle signature model, PRISM. The model is a first principles approach to predicting vegetation temperatures based on boundary conditions established by the surface environmental input. This paper will discuss the background model in terms of thermal physical behavior, model assumptions, and the model itself. In addition, model validation will be presented that shows simulation results that fall into the maximum/minimum bounds established by diurnal thermal imagery data gathered in support of this activity.
Music as an Unconditioned Stimulus: Positive and Negative Effects of Country Music on Implicit Attitudes, Explicit Attitudes, and Brand Choice

An experiment (N = 68) explored how background music in a realistic web advertisement could condition implicit and explicit attitudes toward a novel brand. Conditioning effects were apparent in both traditional explicit attitude measures and also in the Implicit Association Test (IAT). Further, brand choice was predicted by explicit attitudes, but prediction improved significantly when implicit attitudes were considered. Mood-congruent judgment, demand effects, and conditioning are considered as potential explanations for our results, and we argue that conditioning provides the most parsimonious explanation. Finally, the results are discussed within the context of the associative-propositional evaluation model (Gawronski & Bodenhausen, 2006). This model provides a framework for the integration of the implicit attitude construct into the study of consumer behavior. jasp_544 2689..2705
The relationship between growth, developmental stage and postamputation age of the regeneration blastema of the newt, Notophthalmus viridescens

The growth of the regeneration blastema of the newt forelimb has been quantitated and analyzed as a function of postamputation age, developmental stage animal weight, animal length, and cross sectional diameter of the blastemal base in both the anteroposterior and dorsoventral dimensions. Correlation coefficients computed for these variables show that growth of the regenerate in both length and volume is more closely correlated with developmental stage than postamputation age. In addition, the results show a linear relation between the loge (regenerate length) and developmental stage, and between regenerate length and volume. Thus, length can be used to assess growth of the regenerate according to a developmental rather than a chronological time scale. There were no significant correlations between regenerate length or volume and animal length, animal weight or cross sectional dimensions of the blastemal base. These results show that one can use a randomly selected population of animals and study the growth of the regeneration blastema by relating to a developmental time scale through a logarithmic transformation of the linear growth data.
Technique for the digital imaging of histopathologic preparations of eyes for research and publication.

Background: Although there are excellent techniques to photograph gross ocular pathology specimens, it is difficult to view or photograph the entire eye from a glass slide using equipment designed for photomicrography. This investigation was initiated to develop a technique to image the entire eye from a glass slide. Methods: The glass histopathologic slide, placed in a carrier intended for 35-mm film transparencies, is inserted into a 35-mm slide scanner. The glass slide is scanned, creating a digital color image which may be converted to black and white with enhancement of certain histologic features. One may use a digital film recorder to produce 35mm photographic transparencies or a dye sublimation printer to produce high-resolution color or black and white prints. Results: More than 400 ocular whole-mount preparations have been digitized in the authors' laboratory to generate illustrations suitable for publication or for analysis in morphologic research. Conclusion: Digital techniques provide easier control over density and contrast than conventional photographic methods. Digitized images are well-suited for morphologic analyses in research. These techniques allow one to publish black and white photographs for books or journals while retaining the original color image for potential CDROM editions.
SPIROCHAETA EURYGYRATA : A NOTE ON ITS LIFE HISTORY AND CULTIVATION.

1. Pure lines of Spirochoeta eurygyrata were isolated and cultured. 2. They lived longest in a medium which was made up of sodium chloride and pig serum water. 3. They stained readily with iron-hematoxylin, Giemsa's stain, Cross' stain, and carbolfuchsin. 4. They did not stain with the vital dyes used. 5. They divide by transverse division. 6. Transverse bars, which are seen in stained spirochetes and in dead ones with dark-field illumination, are considered coagulated protoplasm, due to death. 7. Coccoid bodies were not seen in living individuals nor were they seen free in the culture medium. 8. Cats were fed cultures of Spirochoeta eurygyrata but did not become infected with them. 9. Spirochoeta eurygyrata is not of frequent occurrence in this part of the United States.
Inhibition of the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase by Reactive Red 120.

Abstract The triazine dye, Reactive Red 120, was found to bind tightly ( K d = 30) nM) and with low stoichiometry to sarcoplasmic reticulum membranes. Our finding that this high-affinity binding caused noncompetitive inhibition of the Ca 2+ -ATPase indicates that the dye-binding site is distinct from both the active site and putative regulatory site. Detergent solubilization (monomerization) of the Ca 2+ -ATPase caused a 25-fold decrease in affinity for Reactive Red 120, which causing no decrease in affinity toward another dye, Reactive Blue 2. For the Reactive-Red-120-inhibited enzyme, the level of steady-state enzyme phosphorylation by ATP was not significantly different from that exhibited by the control Ca 2+ -ATPase. The rate of dephosphorylation in the presence and absence of ADP, however, was markedly decreased by the presence of the inhibitor. Distance measurements by fluorescence energy transfer from the active (FITC-reactive) site to the Reactive Red 120 site gave a value of 59 A. Similar experiments yielded an average distance of 35 A between the latter site and the tryptophan residues, most of which are postulated by the ‘sequence model’ (MacLennan et al. (1985) Nature 316, 696–700) to be located in a transmembrane domain.
Energy-shunting hip padding system attenuates femoral impact force in a simulated fall

Recent studies suggest that hip padding systems reduce the incidence of hip fractures during falls. However, no data exist on the force attenuating capacity of hip pads under realistic fall impact conditions, and thus it is difficult to compare the protective merit of various pad designs. Our goal is to design a comfortable hip padding system which reduces femoral impact force in a fall below the mean force required to fracture the elderly cadaveric femur. In pursuit of this objective, we designed and constructed a hip pad testing system consisting of an impact pendulum and surrogate human pelvis. We then developed a hip pad containing a shear-thickening material which allows for shunting of the impact energy away from the femur and into the surrounding soft tissue. Finally, we conducted experiments to assess whether the surrogate pelvis accurately represents the impact behavior of the human female pelvis in a fall, and to determine whether our energy-shunting pad attenuates femoral impact force in a fall more effectively than seven available padding systems. We found the surrogate pelvis accurately represented the human female pelvis in regional variation in soft tissue stiffness, total effective stiffness and damping, and impact force attenuation provided by trochanteric soft tissues. We also found that our padding system attenuated femoral impact force by 65 percent, thereby providing two times the force attenuation of the next best system. Moreover, the energy-shunting pad was the only system capable of lowering femoral impact force well below the mean force required to fracture the elderly femur in a fall loading configuration. These results suggest that the force attenuating potential of hip pads which focus on shunting energy away from the femur is superior to those which rely on absorbing energy in the pad material. While these in-vitro results are encouraging, carefully designed prospective clinical trials will be necessary to determine the efficacy of these approaches to hip fracture prevention.
Myotonic dystrophy: A neglectedcause of mental retardation

Six cases of myotonic dystrophy and mental retardation in children with symptoms dating back to infancy and early childhood are reported. The principal presenting abnormalities were: generalized hypotonia, facial weakness, delayed psychomotor development, dysarthria and nasal speech, and myotonia of hand grip. In a review of 55 cases of myotonic dystrophy in childhood, 43 were found to be mentally retarded. Those with the most severe and earliest physical signs were the most seriously affected intellectually. In the evaluation of children with mental retardation, it should, therefore, be recognized that myotonic dystrophy may account for the combination of mental retardation and neuromuscular disorders.
Does Oxybutynin Add to the Effectiveness of Prompted Voiding For Urinary Incontinence Among Nursing Home Residents? A Placebo‐Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVE: To determine if oxybutynin, a bladder relaxant medication, adds to the effectiveness of prompted voiding (PV) in the management of urinary incontinence among nursing home residents. DESIGN: Randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded, dose-adjusted, crossover trial of oxybutynin added along with PV. SETTING: Seven nursing homes in Los Angeles County, California. PARTICIPANTS: Seventy-five nursing home residents with predominantly urge incontinence, whose incontinence did not respond well to a trial of PV. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The frequency of incontinence, measured as the percentage of hourly (7 AM to 7 PM) physical checks over a 3-day period at which the resident was found wet. RESULTS: Sixty-three (84%) of the residents completed the study. Among those completing the trial, the percent of checks wet went from 26.5% to 23.7% on placebo to 20.2% on active drug. These changes were statistically significant but not clinically meaningful. A clinically significant decrease in the frequency of incontinence, which we defined as a relative reduction in the percent of checks wet of >33%, occurred in 20 subjects (32%) while on active drug and in 12 subjects (19%) while on placebo (P = .48 by chi-square). Twenty-five subjects (40%) met our “continence criteria” of an average of one or less wet per day while on active drug, and 11 subjects (18%) achieved this goal on placebo (P = .005 by chi-square). CONCLUSION: Oxybutynin does not add to the clinical effectiveness of PV in the majority of nursing home residents with urge type urinary incontinence. Selected residents may, however, become more responsive to PV while on oxybutynin. Our data are consistent with other studies of bladder relaxant medications in functionally impaired populations. New drugs and/or other interventions are needed for the large number of incontinent nursing home residents who do not respond well to PV.
A function of sitosterol

Abstract Sitosterol-3- 14 C was converted by a Digitalis lanata plant to progesterone, digitoxigenin, gitoxigenin, and digoxigenin. The results indicate that sitosterol functions as a starting material for the biosynthesis of other steroids in plants.
Working mechanisms, and their Petri-net modeling, for the HERMES multiprocessor vision system

Abstract HERMES is a multibit, systolic array architecture consisting of [ N 2 i ] × [ N 2 i ] processor-nodes, 0⩽ i ⩽log 2 N , where N × N is the picture size and ‘ i ’ is a resolution parameter. It receives the image data directly from the environment, using a 2-D photoarray of N × N cells and processes them in a parallel-hierarchical (bottom-up and top-down) manner without the use of a host computer for its function. This paper deals with the Petri-net modelling of working mechanisms (bottom-up and top-down), and low-level vision tasks, such as averaging, convolution, chain coding, region analysis, and syntactical recognition, of the HERMES multiprocessor vision machine.
Development Of A Pulsed 9.5 um Lidar For Regional Scale 03 Measurement

A pulsed infrared lidar system designed for application to the remote sensing of atmospheric trace gases from an airborne platform is described. The system is also capable of measuring the infrared backscatter characteristics of the ocean surface, terrain, cloud, and aerosol targets. The lidar employed is based on dual wavelength pulse energy measurements in the 9-11 micrometer wavelength region.
Realist Power Europe? The EU in the Negotiations about China's and Russia's WTO Accession*

What determines the preferences the EU represents in international trade negotiations? This article argues that realist theories can help to answer this question. Whereas, the majority of the literature on EU trade policy-making looks at ‘domestic’ variables such as institutional factors and the influence of interest groups, a systemic approach such as realism is rarely employed. However, as the empirical case studies of China's and Russia's WTO accession show, in international trade negotiations the EU is motivated by geoeconomic and mercantilist considerations to an important degree, specifically the interest to maximize EU wealth relative to other powers. The article is a pledge for taking realism seriously in research on preference formation in EU external policies.
A mechanistic study of polyimide formation from diester‐diacids

Previous work has noted the presence of anhydride during the imidization step of polyimide polymer processing from diester-diacids and diamines. Comparison of the relative rates of reactions among model compounds demonstrates the intermediacy of anhydride in the imidization reaction. IR and NMR observations of mixtures of monomers confirm the production of anhydride as a necessary intermediate in the imidization reaction.
Attempts at a Feminist and Interdisciplinary Conversation About Strip Clubs

ABSTRACT In this essay, we analyze two recent publications in Deviant Behavior on the consumption of exotic dance: “Behavioral and Interactional Patterns of Strip Club Patrons: Tipping Techniques and Club Attendance” by Zachary Brewster and “The Gentlemen in the Club: A Typology of Strip Club Patrons” by Erickson and Tewksbury. In so doing, we map their lack of engagement with feminist literature and their lack of attention to issues of positionality, along with the resultant epistemological consequences with regard to theoretical complexity and understanding power relations. We argue that a conversation between feminism and the deviance literature on the consumption of exotic dance that is both interdisciplinary and reflexive is necessary for a truly rigorous analysis of this cultural milieu.
Children's learning about the balance scale

We present a detailed look at children's learning about the balance scale. In our study, as children explored the balance scale, they acquired and built on special-case and context-specific knowledge. Before making general and context-independent observations, they made more local observations. We contrast our findings with two previous analyses of children's knowledge [Inhelder and Piaget, 1958; Siegler, 1978] about the balance scale in light of assumptions about the nature of knowledge and its acquisition. Educational implications of all three analyses are considered.
Introduction a beacon in the new historicist fog

Om time to time, the National Association o f Scholars bestows the Sidney ook Memorial Award on a dist inguished scholar, h o n o r i n g a notable contr ibution to the f r e edom and integrity of academic life. On Saturday, 17 April 1999, at a banque t l u n c h e o n he ld in Chicago, Illinois, dur ing its e ighth national convention, the NAS so h o n o r e d Ger t rude Himmelfarb , Dist inguished Professor of History emeri tus f rom the Graduate School o f the City University of New York. Academic Questions is pleased to pr in t He rbe r t London ' s remarks in present ing the award and Professor Himmelfarb ' s acceptance speech.
Initiation and elongation of protein synthesis: Their relative rates and sensitivities to inhibition in Chinese hamster ovary cells determined by a modified Edman procedure

Abstract The relative rates of initiation and elongation of protein synthesis are determined in exponentially growing cells from the incorporation of [35S]methionine into N-terminal and internal positions of growing peptide chains by a modified Edman degradation. Sequential samples of labeled cells are precipitated into filter paper supports with trichloroacetic acid. Large groups of samples can then be incubated in bulk with phenylisothiocyanate. Individual samples are treated with trifluoroacetic acid, and the derivatized N-terminal amino acids extracted from the filter paper with ethylene dichloride. The percentage of incorporation which is N-terminal varies with the purity of the [35S]methionine. Elevated temperature and hypertonicity, inhibitors of initiation, preferentially block incorporation into the N-terminal fraction (initiation) but allow continued incorporation into internal positions of previously initiated peptides. Puromycin inhibited incorporation into both fractions, as expected for an inhibitor of elongation.
Effects of spatial pattern scale of brain activity on the sensitivity of DOT, fMRI, EEG and MEG.

The objective of this work is to quantify how patterns of cortical activity at different spatial scales are measured by noninvasive functional neuroimaging sensors. We simulated cortical activation patterns at nine different spatial scales in a realistic head model and propagated this activity to magnetoencephalography (MEG), electroencephalography (EEG), diffuse optical tomography (DOT), and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) sensors in arrangements that are typically used in functional neuroimaging studies. We estimated contrast transfer functions (CTF), correlation distances in sensor space, and the minimum resolvable spatial scale of cortical activity for each modality. We found that CTF decreases as the spatial extent of cortical activity decreases, and that correlations between nearby sensors depend on the spatial extent of cortical activity. For cortical activity on the intermediate spatial scale of 6.7 cm2, the correlation distances (r>0.5) were 1.0 cm for fMRI, 2.0 cm for DOT, 12.8 for EEG, 9.5 cm for MEG magnetometers and 9.7 cm for MEG gradiometers. The resolvable spatial pattern scale was found to be 1.43 cm2 for MEG magnetometers, 0.88 cm2 for MEG gradiometers, 376 cm2 for EEG, 0.75 cm2 for DOT, and 0.072 cm2 for fMRI. These findings show that sensitivity to cortical activity varies substantially as a function of spatial scale within and between the different imaging modalities. This information should be taken into account when interpreting neuroimaging data and when choosing the number of nodes for network analyses in sensor space.