cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ALTERED SIGNALLING IN VASCULAR SMOOTH MUSCLE FROM SPONTANEOUSLY HYPERTENSIVE RATS MAY LINK MEDIAL HYPERTROPHY, VESSEL HYPERINNERVATION AND ELEVATED NERVE GROWTH FACTOR

Summary 1. Secretion of nerve growth factor (NGF) by cultured vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) derived from spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and the normotensive Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) strain was measured via two site immuno-assay (ELISA). 2. Basal NGF secretion rates of quiescent SHR VSMC in serum-free culture medium were elevated compared to similar WKY VSMC. 3. SHR VSMC displayed increased NGF secretion in response to activation of sympathetic neurotransmitter receptors while VSMC of WKY were largely unresponsive to the agents (phenylephrine, isoproterenol, alpha-beta-methyl ATP, neuro-peptide Y). 4. Mitogenic stimulation with platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) raised SHR NGF secretion rates almost three times more than PDGF increased WKY secretion. 5. SHR VSMC also failed to demonstrate normal inhibitory control over NGF secretion seen in WKY and previously in Sprague-Dawley and Wistar strain VSMC with adenylate cyclase activation and down-regulation of protein kinase C. High concentrations of forskolin stimulated, instead of inhibiting, secretion in SHR. Stimulation was also seen after pre-treatment with phorbol ester for 24 h while this inhibited secretion in the WKY. 6. These results confirm that the SHR VSMC are hyper-responsive to growth stimuli such as contractile agonists and mitogens. This hyperresponsiveness includes an abnormal control over NGF secretion such that normally inhibitory treatments stimulate NGF output in the SHR. 7. Because the SHR demonstrates important defects in the major intracellular growth-signalling systems that also regulate NGF output and vessel innervation, the predicted result of the defects is a destructive feed-forward cycle of growth and innervation. This is the SHR phenotype in vivo.
Characterization of fine abrasive particles for optical fabrication

Material removal during fine grinding operations is accomplished primarily by the action of individual abrasive particles on the glass surface. The mechanical properties of the abrasive are therefore important. Unfortunately it is difficult to directly measure the mechanical response of abrasives once they reach the scale of approximately 10 microns. As a result mechanical properties of fine abrasives are sometimes characterized in terms of an empirical `friability', based on the response of the abrasive to crushing by a metal ball in a vial. In this paper we report on modeling/experiments designed to more precisely quantify the mechanical properties of fine abrasives and ultimately to relate them to the conditions experienced by bound particles during grinding. Experiments have been performed on various types and sizes of diamond abrasives. The response of the particles is a strong function of the loading conditions and can be tracked by changing the testing parameters. Diamond size is also found to play a critical role, with finer diamonds less susceptible to fracture. A micromechanical model from the literature is employed estimate the forces likely to be seen during testing. We are also developing dynamic models to better predict the forces experienced during `friability' testing as a function of the testing parameters.
An Allosteric Pathway Revealed in the Ribosome Binding Stress Factor BipA

BipA is a highly conserved prokaryotic GTPase that functions as a master regulator of stress and virulence processes in bacteria. It is a member of the translational factor family of GTPases along with EF-G, IF-2 and LepA. Structural and biochemical data suggest that ribosome binding specificity for each member of this family lies in an effector domain. As with other bacterial GTPases, the ribosome binding and GTPase activities of this protein are tightly coupled. However, the mechanism by which this occurs is still unknown. A series of experiments have been designed to probe structural features of the protein to see if we can pinpoint specific areas of BipA, perhaps even individual residues, which are important to its association with the ribosome. Included in the list are the C-terminal effector domain of the protein, which is distinct to the BipA family of proteins, and amino acid residues in the switch I and II regions of the G domain. Using sucrose density gradients, we have shown that the C-terminal domain is required in order for BipA to bind to the ribosome. Moreover, deletion of this domain increases the GTP hydrolysis rates of the protein, likely through relief of inhibitory contacts. Additional evidencemore » has revealed an allosteric connection between the conformationally flexible switch II region and the C-terminal domain of BipA. Site directed mutagenesis, sucrose gradients and malachite green assays are being used to elucidate the details of this coupling.« less
The environmental rating scale (ERS): a measure of the quality of the residential environment for adults with autism

This study used classical test theory to assess the psychometric properties of the Environmental Rating Scale (ERS), a measure specifically designed to assess the treatment programs in residential settings that serve individuals with autism. Results of the confirmatory factor analysis support the presence of a single factor represented by the total score. The reliability of the measure was demonstrated by assessments of the internal consistency, stability, and interrater reliability. Preliminary analysis of the validity of the ERS indicates that this measure discriminates between treatment settings designed specifically for individuals with autism and those designed for other populations of developmentally handicapped clients and family homes. The ERS was also significantly positively correlated with a measure of the caregiver's knowledge about autism and a visitor's global impression of the desirability of the setting as a place to live.
Limited Memory Consumers and Price Dispersion

We examine the effects of limited consumer memory on the pricing strategies of competing firms. We show that when the valuations of consumers are heterogeneous, it is possible to observe price dispersion even when each firm charges a single price.
Effect of processing additive on the nanomorphology of a bulk heterojunction material.

The bulk heterojunction (BHJ) material Si-PDTBT:PC70BM is sensitive to the use of a small amount of 1-chloronaphthalene (CN) as a processing additive; CN as a cosolvent (e.g., 4% in chlorobenzene) causes in a factor of 2 increase in the power conversion efficiency of BHJ solar cells.1 The morphology of the BHJ material, prepared with and without the CN additive is studied with top-down transmission electron microscopy, cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The improved performance is the result of changes in the nanoscale morphology. Field-effect transistor measurements are consistent with the observed changes in morphology.
Chiropractic manipulation for the foot: Diversified chiropractic techniques.

There has been increasing acceptance and development of manual methods in providing for the needs of patients with musculoskeletal dysfunction. Several professions have helped fuel this growth, including the chiropractic profession. To date, there has been only a small amount of collaboration between chiropractors and physical therapists. This paper provides a base foundation for one small part of general chiropractic practice, i.e. procedures used for manipulating the foot. Information is provided about the specific diagnostic procedures used by the chiropractic profession in assessing the joints and soft tissues of the foot, followed by descriptions of a number of chiropractic manipulative techniques drawn from the form of chiropractic in widest usage, Diversified technique. For each technique, information is provided on indications for use, patient position, therapist position, hand placements and procedure. In addition, a short discussion on the genesis of Diversified technique is provided.
In vivo suppression of polyglutamine neurotoxicity by C-terminus of Hsp70-interacting protein (CHIP) supports an aggregation model of pathogenesis

Perturbations in neuronal protein homeostasis likely contribute to disease pathogenesis in polyglutamine (polyQ) neurodegenerative disorders. Here we provide evidence that the co-chaperone and ubiquitin ligase, CHIP (C-terminus of Hsp70-interacting protein), is a central component to the homeostatic mechanisms countering toxic polyQ proteins in the brain. Genetic reduction or elimination of CHIP accelerates disease in transgenic mice expressing polyQ-expanded ataxin-3, the disease protein in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3 (SCA3). In parallel, CHIP reduction markedly increases the level of ataxin-3 microaggregates, which partition in the soluble fraction of brain lysates yet are resistant to dissociation with denaturing detergent, and which precede the appearance of inclusions. The level of microaggregates in the CNS, but not of ataxin-3 monomer, correlates with disease severity. Additional cell-based studies suggest that either of two quality control ubiquitin ligases, CHIP or E4B, can reduce steady state levels of expanded, but not wild-type, ataxin-3. Our results support an aggregation model of polyQ disease pathogenesis in which ataxin-3 microaggregates are a neurotoxic species, and suggest that enhancing CHIP activity is a possible route to therapy for SCA3 and other polyQ diseases.
STUDIES ON THE IMMUNE RESPONSE OF THE RHEUMATIC SUBJECT AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO ACTIVITY OF THE RHEUMATIC PROCESS : II. OBSERVATIONS ON AN EPIDEMIC OF INFLUENZA FOLLOWED BY HEMOLYTIC STREPTOCOCCUS INFECTIONS IN A RHEUMATIC COLONY

THE OBSERVATIONS PRESENTED IN THIS PAPER MAY BE SUMMARIZED AS FOLLOWS: A study has been made on an isolated group of children with heart disease. All of these individuals, with one exception, were rheumatic subjects. Many of them carried a strain of hemolytic streptococcus in the throat flora during the winter of 1934. The organism produced no detectible toxin and was not associated with respiratory disease. Four patients contracted chicken pox during the winter months. None developed rheumatic recrudescences. All of the individuals were in good health on March 1. A severe epidemic of influenza began on March 22. All but six children contracted the disease. The filterable virus responsible for this outbreak was recovered. This agent did not activate the rheumatic process. It was followed by an outbreak of streptococcus infection and appeared to facilitate its spread. The source of these infections was not traced. They were due to a single type of hemolytic streptococcus which was a strong toxin producer. Its cultural, biochemical and serological characteristics were different from those of the carrier strain. Of seventeen individuals proven bacteriologically to be infected with the epidemic strain, fourteen rheumatic subjects developed acute rheumatism, two rheumatic subjects and one patient with congenital heart disease escaped. These fourteen rheumatic attacks were accompanied by a rise in antistreptolysin titer coincident with the onset of symptoms. In four of these attacks it was possible to exclude influenza as a causative factor. The clinical observations, the bacteriological findings and the immunological evidence indicate that this severe outbreak of rheumatic fever was caused by Streptococcus hemolyticus, which appeared to be a single strain by type.
Maintenance of implication integrity constraints under updates to constraints

Semantic integrity constraints are used for enforcing the integrity of the database as well as for improving the efficiency of the database utilization. Although semantic integrity constraints are usually much more static as compared to the data itself, changes in the data semantics may necessitate corresponding changes in the constraint base. In this paper we address the problems related with maintaining a consistent and non-redundant set of constraints satisfied by the database in the case of updates to the constraint base. We consider implication constraints as semantic integrity constraints. The constraints are represented as conjunctions of inequalities. We present a methodology to determine whether a constraint is redundant or contradictory with respect to a set of constraints. The methodology is based on the partitioning of the constraint base which improves the efficiency of algorithms that check whether a constraint is redundant or contradictory with respect to a constraint base.
The Role of Open-Ended Problems in Mathematics Education.

Open-ended problems have become a popular educational tool in mathematics education in recent years. Since mathematical research is nothing but a daily confrontation with open-ended problems, the introduction of this type of problems to the classroom brings mathematical education one step closer to real mathematics. The appearance of these problems in secondary education is therefore a welcome sight from a mathematical standpoint. More than this is true, however. While these problems may represent something of a pedagogical innovation to the professional educators, the fact is that many mathematicians have made use of them in their teaching all along and do not regard their presence in the classroom as any kind of departure in educational philosophy. For example, I myself have often given such problems in my homework assignments and exams. Nevertheless, I have chosen to take up this topic for discussion here because, after having reviewed a limited amount of curricular materials for mathematics in the schools, I could not help but notice that they pose certains hazards in practice. These hazards include the possibility of misinforming the students about the very nature of mathematics itself. To avoid meaningless generalities, I have se-
Integrated Strategic Frameworks for Peace Consolidation: A Briefing Note

(2010). Integrated Strategic Frameworks for Peace Consolidation: A Briefing Note. Journal of Peacebuilding & Development: Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 75-80.
A Small Implantable Antenna for MedRadio and ISM Bands

In this letter, we present a small implantable antenna for MedRadio (401-406 MHz) and ISM (433-434.8 MHz) bands. The antenna is designed to be implanted under the skin and therefore tested by using skin-mimicking gels. We found very good agreement between the simulated and measured return loss. The antenna provided reliable data telemetry up to 20 m when tested indoors.
Novel applications of hyperstereo vision

Recent stereo vision experiments show potential in enhancing vehicular navigation, target acquisition, and optical turbulence mitigation. The experiments involved the use of stereo vision headsets connected to visible and 8-12 micrometers IR imagers. The imagers were separated by up to 50 m and equipped with telescopes for viewing at ranges of tens of meters up to 4 km. The important findings were: (1) human viewers were able to discern terrain undulations for obstacle avoidance, (2) human viewers were able to detect depth features within the scenes that enhanced the target acquisition process over using monocular viewing,and (3) human viewers noted appreciable reduction in the distortion effects of optical turbulence over that observed through a single monocular channel. For navigation, stereo goggles were developed for headset display and simultaneous direct vision for vehicular navigation enhancement. For detection, the depth cues can be used to detect even salient target features. For optical turbulence, the human mechanisms of fusing two views into a single perceived scene can be used to provide nearly undistorted perception. These experiments show significant improvement for many applications.
Vaccination with Minigenes Encoding VH-derived Major Histocompatibility Complex Class I–binding Epitopes Activates Cytotoxic T Cells that Ablate Autoantibody-producing B Cells and Inhibit Lupus

Current treatments for autoantibody-mediated diseases, such as lupus, can cause nonspecific immune suppression. In this paper, we used a bioinformatic approach to identify major histocompatibility complex class I–binding epitopes in the heavy chain variable region of anti-DNA antibodies from lupus-prone (NZB/NZW F1) mice. Vaccination of such mice with plasmid DNA vectors encoding these epitopes induced CD8+ T cells that killed anti-DNA antibody-producing B cells, reduced serum anti-DNA antibody levels, retarded the development of nephritis, and improved survival. Vaccine-mediated induction of anti-VH cytotoxic T lymphocytes that ablate autoreactive B cells represents a novel approach to treat autoantibody-mediated diseases.
Perceptual fluctuations involving orientation and organization.

Fluctuations in perceptual organization of stimuli (three drawings) were compared with those involving depth (i.e., perspective reversals of a Necker cube). Both types of fluctuations occurred appa...
An experimental and theoretical investigation of pressures in four-lobe bearings

Abstract A four-lobe bearing 25.4 mm in diameter was tested with the load vector “on pad” and “off pad”. Static pressures were measured on the center line of the bearing and these experimental data are compared with two sets of theoretical results. The half-Sommerfeld and Reynolds boundary conditions were each used in the theoretical predictions. Of particular significance is the fact that the experimental data correlate best with the half-Sommerfeld solution. Differences between the data and the theoretical solution of the order of 10–35% and 15–100% are realized for the half-Sommerfeld and Reynolds boundary conditions respectively. Moreover, the trends of pressure versus rotational speed for the experimental data and the theoretical solution are the same for the half-Sommerfeld condition but sometimes differ for the Reynolds condition.
Isotopic Evolution of the Biogeochemical Carbon Cycle During the Precambrian

Carbon is highly important for our biosphere, not just because it forms organic compounds; it also creates atmospheric greenhouse gases, pH buffers in seawater, and redox buffers virtually everywhere. Carbon species can stabilize metamorphic minerals and they can affect plutonism and volcanism. These various C constituents all interact via the biogeochemical C cycle, an array of C reservoirs linked by a network of physical, chemical and biological processes. The overall C cycle actually consists of multiple nested cyclic pathways that differ with respect to some of their reservoirs and processes (Fig. 1⇓). However, all pathways ultimately pass through the hydrosphere and atmosphere, and it is this common course that unites the entire carbon cycle and allows even its most remote constituents to influence our environment and biosphere. Figure 1. Biogeochemical C cycle, showing principal C reservoirs (boxes) in the mantle, crust, oceans and atmosphere, and showing the processes (arrows) that unite these reservoirs. The range of each of these reservoir boxes along the horizontal axis gives a visual estimate of δ13C values most typical of each reservoir. The vertical bars at right indicate the timeframes within which C typically completely traverses each of the four C sub-cycles (the HAB, SED, MET and MAN sub-cycles, see text). For example, C can traverse the hydrosphere-atmosphere-biosphere (HAB) sub-cycle typically in the time scale between 0 to 1000 years. The history of the biogeochemical C cycle has been at least partially recorded in the C isotopic composition (δ13CPDB) of carbonate (δcarb) and reduced C (δorg) in ancient sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. To the extent that sedimentary rocks avoided deep burial and alteration, they have preserved information that indicates the status of the C cycle at the time of their deposition. The C cycle can be represented as an …
The Association Between Science Summer Camps and Career Interest in Science and Engineering

This study addresses the association between middle-school students' reported participation in science summer programmes and their reported expectation of a career in science and engineering. Data were collected on 1,580 students from eight middle schools in five states, applying an accelerated longitudinal design. Two consecutive cohorts were sampled over a two-year period time. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between students' participation in science summer camps and their career interest in science and engineering while initial career interest and background information were considered. Results indicate that students who participated in science summer camps before or in the first year of the study, compared to students who did not, are significantly more likely to report science and engineering as their future career field in the second year of the study. It appears that students who once participated in science summer camps were more likely to later report a career i...
Penile intracavernosal substance abuse

A complete workup for a 36-year-old man with unexplained inguinal adenopathy and an indurated, enlarged penis and scrotum included urine cultures for bacteria, fungi, and acid-fast bacilli; scrotal ultrasound; computed tomography of the abdomen and groin; a retrograde urethrogram; a cystogram; duplex penile Doppler blood flow studies; and a surgical inguinal lymph node dissection. Pathologic examination of the excised lymph node revealed lipoid granulomatous lymphadenitis. After receiving definitive treatment for a psychotic condition, the patient acknowledged a 2-year history of intracavernosal injection of gelatinous vitamin E.
Transforming the nursing profession in Saudi Arabia.

Aim To discuss the impact of health-care policies and regulations on hospitals' journey towards the Magnet designation in Saudi Arabia. Background Saudi Arabia, like many other countries, faces several challenges in achieving ‘the Gold Standard’ in nursing practice. Centralised management, the absence of a regulatory professional body, lack of a national benchmarking database and a nursing shortage are all major challenges in advancing nursing practice. Key issue The presence of two Magnet-designated hospitals in Saudi Arabia (not affiliated with the Ministry of Health) is an opportunity to explore how this has been achieved within the organisational and professional context. The nursing leaders in the Ministry of Health could be accountable to address the barriers in advancing nursing practice and to raise nursing awareness regarding the adoption of a new culture of excellence. Implications for Nursing Management Nursing managers in the Ministry of Health hospitals are encouraged to assess the hospitals' readiness to apply for Magnet status. Their readiness must include having a high level of nursing satisfaction and low turnover rate, which goes along with assessing cultural and organisational climates to understand the gaps in work environment and driving evidence of readiness toward achieving Magnet status. Conclusion Health-care policies and regulations, both nationally and globally, can result in several challenges to achieving ‘the Gold Standard’ in nursing practice. These challenges may not be possible to resolve within an organisational level. Collaborative effort and transformational changes are needed to drive the nursing profession toward the best outcomes for our patients and nurses.
Atomic Force Microscopy Studies of Hydration of Fluorinated Amide/Urethane Copolymer Film Surfaces

A poly(amide urethane) block copolymer has been studied using atomic force microscopy and infrared spectroscopy to examine the effects on the surface of immersion underwater. A film initially prepared in air and annealed above the glass transition temperature undergoes significant surface morphology change upon immersion, with noteworthy formation of surface particles. The particles are compliant and reduce surface friction probed by atomic force microscopy. The pH dependence of the force of adhesion of the atomic force microscope tip to the polymer is examined and found to vary with surface morphology and with tip functionality. Double layer forces as well as tip-induced extensions of the polymeric particle are identified. The infrared measurements indicate that both hydrophobic and hydrophilic blocks are partially hydrated within minutes and undergo further hydration on longer time scales, up to days.
Inversion techniques for personal cascade impactor data

Abstract We examined two inversion procedures for solving the Fredholm integral equation of the first kind to obtain aerosol particle size distributions from a set of measured masses collected on the various stages of a personal cascade impactor. The problem is essentially ill-conditioned, in that many solutions satisfy exactly an integral equation slightly perturbed from the original due to measurement error. The two methods, although derived from different families of inversion techniques, fit into the general framework of Tikhonov regularization. Both try to optimize the a posteriori degree of matching of the solution to the measured data and the a priori judgments about the likelihood of a solution in terms of its smoothness. The first method uses a weighted least squares optimization and zeroth-order regularization to fit a priori bi-modal log-normal distribution functions, using an intermediate step to define an appropriate starting point for the optimization routine. The second involved “blind” inversion of the impactor data to express the second derivative of the particle size distribution function as a linear combination of orthogonal basis functions, chosen so that the resulting solution is smooth and positive. The orthogonal functions are constructed from the eigenvectors and eigenvalues of a kernel covariance matrix. The personal inhalable dust spectrometer (PIDS), used to illustrate the application of these methods, is an eight-stage cascade impactor which selects the inhalable fraction of the aerosol by means of a specially designed inlet. Both inversion methods explicitly include consideration of the aerosol that is collected in the sampler entry between the inlet and the first impactor stage, something that applies to all cascade impactors but which has not usually been taken into account in the past. An important parameter in inversions, the expected value of measurement error for each stage, was estimated from a series of wind-tunnel experiments. Both methods work well for simulated PIDS data as well as for experimental wind-tunnel data for a wide range of sets of aerosol size distribution parameters.
Relativistic corrections to electron scattering by the deuteron and triton.

Abstract Relativistic corrections to electron-deuteron and electron-3He scattering have been calculated. the deuteron corrections agree substantially with the results of Gross and the 3He corrections are approximately equal in magnitude to those of Cocho and Flores.
A study on the numerical stability of the two-fluid model near ill-posedness

Abstract The two-fluid model is widely used in studying gas–liquid flow inside pipelines because it can qualitatively predict the flow field at low computational cost. However, the two-fluid model becomes ill-posed when the slip velocity exceeds a critical value, and computations can be quite unstable before the flow reaches the ill-posed condition. In this work, computational stability of various convection schemes together with the Euler implicit method for the time derivatives in conjunction with the two-fluid model is analyzed. A pressure correction algorithm for the two-fluid model is carefully implemented to minimize its effect on numerical stability. von Neumann stability analysis shows that the central difference scheme is more accurate and more stable than the 1st-order upwind, 2nd-order upwind, and QUICK schemes. The 2nd-order upwind scheme is much more susceptible to instability than the 1st-order upwind scheme and is inaccurate for short waves. Excellent agreement is obtained between the predicted and computed growth rates of harmonic disturbances. The instability associated with the two-fluid model discretized system of equations is related to but quantitatively different from the instability associated with ill-posedness of the two-fluid model. When the computation becomes unstable due to the ill-posedness, the machine roundoff errors from a selected range of short wavelengths, which scale with the grid size, are amplified rapidly to render the computation of any targeted long wavelength variation useless. For the viscous two-fluid model with wall friction and interfacial drag, a small-amplitude long wavelength disturbance grows due to viscous Kelvin–Helmholtz instability without triggering the grid scale short waves when the system remains well posed. Under such a condition, central difference is found to be the most accurate discretization scheme among those investigated.
Lateral Diffusion of Gαs in the Plasma Membrane Is Decreased after Chronic but not Acute Antidepressant Treatment: Role of Lipid Raft and Non-Raft Membrane Microdomains

GPCR signaling is modified both in major depressive disorder and by chronic antidepressant treatment. Endogenous Gαs redistributes from raft- to nonraft-membrane fractions after chronic antidepressant treatment. Modification of G protein anchoring may participate in this process. Regulation of Gαs signaling by antidepressants was studied using fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) of GFP-Gαs. Here we find that extended antidepressant treatment both increases the half-time of maximum recovery of GFP-Gαs and decreases the extent of recovery. Furthermore, this effect parallels the movement of Gαs out of lipid rafts as determined by cold detergent membrane extraction with respect to both dose and duration of drug treatment. This effect was observed for several classes of compounds with antidepressant activity, whereas closely related molecules lacking antidepressant activity (eg, R-citalopram) did not produce the effect. These results are consistent with previously observed antidepressant-induced translocation of Gαs, but also suggest an alternate membrane attachment site for this G protein. Furthermore, FRAP analysis provides the possibility of a relatively high-throughput screening tool for compounds with putative antidepressant activity.
Political Conflict and Lesson-Drawing

Political adversaries have reason and opportunity to use foreign lessons to gain advantage in political conflicts. Political factors strongly affect the way public policy lessons are drawn and transformed into public policy. Political opponents contest the value, practicality, and transferability of policy initiatives in order to bias the outcome. The paper hypothesizes that (i) the politicization of lesson-drawing induces issue experts to emphasize the descriptive and technical aspects of programs; (2) gives an incentive to advocates of change to use lessons to advance their position during the agenda-setting process; and (3) gives opponents of change an incentive to draw counterbalancing negative lessons from foreign experience when a proposed lesson reaches the point where adoption is entirely possible. The 1988 Congressional debate over mandatory plant closing prenotification provides evidence supporting hypotheses. The paper further hypothesizes: (4) most polities will not adopt both conservative and liberal programs even when theoretically they could do so; and (5) the degree to which a population of polities adopt a particular lesson will be a function of the program's economic and politicial feasibility. The diffusion of labor market and income maintenance policies across the American states supports both of these claims.
Charcoal Volatile Matter Content Influences Plant Growth and Soil Nitrogen Transformations

A series of short-term greenhouse experiments and laboratory incubations were conducted to evaluate the effect of macadamia (Macadamia integrifolia Maiden & Betche) nut shell (MNS) charcoal with varying volatile matter (VM) content on soil properties and plant growth in two tropical soils. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) and corn (Zea mays L.) were planted in an Andisol amended with four rates of MNS charcoal (0, 5,10, and 20% w/w) containing relatively high VM content (225 g kg -1 ) with andwithout N fertilizer. Increasing rates ofcharcoalwithout N caused a significant decline in both lettuce and corn growth. Corn growth declined significantly with or without N at the two highest charcoal rates. In a third experiment, corn growth also declined significantly in an Ultisol amended with the MNS charcoal (5% w/w) with and without fertilizers. In a fourth experiment, charcoals with high VM (225 g kg -1 ) showed negative effects on plant growth while the low-VM (63.0 g kg -1 ) charcoal supplemented with fertilizer showed a significant positive effect on corn growth. Results from the 2-wk incubation experiments showed that high-VM charcoal caused a significant decline in soil NH 4 + -N and a significant increase in soil respiration compared with the soil amended with low-VM charcoal and the soil alone. We propose that phenolic compounds and other products in the high-VM charcoal stimulated microbial growth and immobilization of plant-available N. Our results demonstrate that VM content appears to be an important property of charcoal that has short-term effects on soil N transformations and plant growth. Longer incubation experiments and field trials are needed to further elucidate the role of charcoal VM content on soil processes and plant growth.
A comparative study of mayonnaise and italian dressing prepared with lipase-catalyzed transesterified olive oil and caprylic acid

Viscoelastic properties of mayonnaise and Italian salad dressing prepared with olive oil and enzymatically synthesized structured lipid (SL) from caprylic acid and olive oil were studied using an SR5000 dynamic stress rheometer. Storage modulus (G′) and loss modulus (G″) were determined as functions of frequency, temperature, and stress. Frequency sweeps did not show significant differences between dressings prepared with olive oil or SL. For all mechanical spectra, G′ values were consistently higher than G″ values. Both Italian dressing and mayonnaise samples displayed similar gel-like characteristics. Mayonnaise and Italian dressings made with olive oil separated when they were brought to room temperature from refrigeration temperatures. SL-based mayonnaise did not separate. Only minor separation was observed in SL-based Italian dressing. A change in the crystallization properties of the two oils was probably responsible for the differences observed after refrigeration. Both SL-based and unmodified olive oil-based mayonnaise and Italian dressing samples had similar viscoelastic character.
Remedy performance monitoring at contaminated sediment sites using profiling solid phase microextraction (SPME) polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) fibers

Passive sampling using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) profilers was evaluated as a tool to assess the performance of in situ sediment remedies at three locations, Chattanooga Creek (Chattanooga, TN), Eagle Harbor (Bainbridge Island, WA) and Hunter's Point (San Francisco, CA). The remedy at the first two locations was capping over PAH contaminated sediments while at Hunter's Point, the assessment was part of an in situ treatment demonstration led by R. G. Luthy (Stanford University) using activated carbon mixed into PCB contaminated sediments. The implementation and results at these contaminated sediment sites were used to illustrate the utility and usefulness of the passive sampling approach. Two different approaches were employed to evaluate kinetics of uptake onto the sorbent fibers. At the capping sites, the passive sampling approach was employed to measure intermixing during cap placement, contamination migration into the cap post-placement and recontamination over time. At the in situ treatment demonstration site, reductions in porewater concentrations in treated versus untreated sediments were compared to measurements of bioaccumulation of PCBs in Neanthes arenaceodentata.
Evaluating individual surgeons based on total hospital costs: evidence for variation in both total costs and volatility of costs.

Background There is increasing interest in evaluating quality in health care, extending to the assessment of outcomes, including costs, for individual surgeons. Study design Surgical patients entered in the private sector National Surgical Quality Improvement Program at the University of Michigan Medical Center between September 2003 and September 2004 were included. Patient level characteristics and outcomes measures were combined with internal hospital cost data. Analysis was performed at the individual surgeon level using hospital costs as the outcomes variable, controlling for patient case-mix variables and procedural complexity. We used an econometric statistical model combining ordinary least squares and quantile regression methods, which allowed us to examine the effect of individual surgeons on costs. Results Considerable variation in costs across surgeons is demonstrated, holding patient case mix and procedural complexity constant. This is shown for mean estimates (p th (p=0.001), 50 th (p th (p=0.013) percentiles. Examining the 10 th to 90 th interquantile range also demonstrates substantial variation in the ranges of costs for surgeons (p=0.005), implying volatility in costs across providers, again holding patient case mix and procedural complexity constant. In dollar terms, 6 of 28 surgeons differ from a reference surgeon by 39% or more. Conclusions Individual surgeons appear to have statistically and clinically significant differences in their costs and volatility of costs when holding patient factors and procedural complexity constant. Implications for quality improvement and incentive programs are discussed.
Chapter 11 bankruptcy and the termination of collective bargaining contracts

In 1984 the Supreme Court ruled that employers can unilaterally break an existing collective bargaining contract upon filing a chapter 11 bankruptcy petition. This ruling changed both the contractual responsibilities of the employer to honor the collective bargaining agreement and the rights that workers have under the National Labor Relations Act. The purpose of this article is to show the conditions under which a Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding will lead to the termination of a labor contract. Our results suggest that (a) legal rulings that reduce the costs of bankruptcy will increase the number of contractual dissolutions and (b) a Chapter 11 bankruptcy is more likely to occur when a firm operates in a climate of uncertain expectations.
Nested sparse sampling and co-prime sampling in sense-through-foliage target detection

This paper firstly introduces nested sampling and co-prime sampling, which were proposed recently, but have never been applied to real world target detection. We apply nested sampling and co-prime sampling to target detection in UWB radar sensor networks (RSN), based on a differential approach. The non-stationary UWB signal needs to be decomposed into several approximate wide sense stationary (WSS) signals so that nested sampling could be used in this situation. We also compare the performance of nested sampling and co-prime sampling against uniform under-sampling. The results show that in terms of good quality data and poor quality data, both nested sampling and co-prime sampling work better.
Trapping of solid particles at a wall in a turbulent flow

Studies of the motion of a dilute suspension of 100-micron glass and stainless steel spheres in water flowing turbulently down a pipe revealed that they could be trapped in necklace formations that move slowly at a distance of less than one particle diameter from the wall. The tendency toward trapping increases with particle density and decreases with flow rate. The phenomenon is interpreted as occurring when the Saffman lift force toward the wall overcomes the ability of fluid turbulence to mix the particles. The location of the particles is dictated by a balance between the Saffman lift force and a wall-induced force associated with the displacement of fluid as a particle moves parallel to the wall.
Forces generated in solidifying liquid bridges between two small particles

Abstract The formation of strong, solidified binder bridges is essential in powder granulation where small particles are held together and large permanent granules are formed during the process. Solid bridges can also be detrimental by binding particles into lumps during moisture-induced caking of an otherwise free flowing powder. Two kinds of solidifying bridges, one due to drying of a concentrated polymer solution and the other due to crystallization of a saturated salt solution, were studied experimentally in this work and some rather intriguing results are presented here. It was found that large attractive forces, of the order of hundreds of times the weight of the polymeric bridge, develop in the solid neck during formation. Successive ruptures of polymer strands within the bridge occur during drying of the binder, thereby partially releasing some internal stress. The salt bridge, however, tends to push the particles apart with an ever increasing force that is not released in the dry bridge. The implication of these findings on granule formation during binder granulation and during powder caking are briefly discussed.
Otologic Manifestations of Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome

Objective To determine if haploinsufficiency for chromosome 4p16.3 in Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome (WHS) is associated with cochlear hearing loss. Design Case series. Setting Tertiary care center. Patients Six patients with WHS were identified through a database and charts were retrospectively reviewed. Main Outcome Measures Presence of sensorineural hearing loss as assessed by brainstem auditory evoked response. Results One of the 6 patients had sensorineural hearing loss. Three of the 6 patients had chronic otitis media with effusion and underwent bilateral tympanostomy tube placement; 2 of these 3 had cleft lip and palate, and 1 had a bifid uvula. One of the 6 patients had spontaneous nystagmus. Five of the 6 patients had preauricular and/or auricular abnormalities. Conclusions More than 25 genes for nonsyndromic hereditary hearing impairment have been mapped. One of these genes, DFNA6 , was identified through linkage analysis of a family with dominant, progressive, low-frequency sensorineural hearing loss. DFNA6 maps to chromosome 4p16.3, a region that is partially deleted in patients with WHS. In our series, we identified the second patient with WHS in the literature with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. The incidence and type of otologic findings are consistent with those reported in the literature. Analysis of patients with chromosomal rearrangements represents one strategy toward identifying candidate genes for genetic hearing impairment.
MendeLIMS: a web-based laboratory information management system for clinical genome sequencing

Background Large clinical genomics studies using next generation DNA sequencing require the ability to select and track samples from a large population of patients through many experimental steps. With the number of clinical genome sequencing studies increasing, it is critical to maintain adequate laboratory information management systems to manage the thousands of patient samples that are subject to this type of genetic analysis.
Peroxisomal Proliferator-Activated Receptor α Deficiency Diminishes Insulin-Responsiveness of Gluconeogenic/Glycolytic/Pentose Gene Expression and Substrate Cycle Flux

Our previous work led to the hypothesis that peroxisomal proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPAR alpha) modulates insulin action in a compensatory fashion for hepatic glucose balance vs. peripheral glucose disposal. Therefore, we have examined the expression of insulin-dependent gluconeogenic/glycolytic/pentose cycle enzymes and compared these to insulin responsiveness for peripheral vs. hepatic substrate flux and futile cycling in the PPAR alpha knockout mouse. Hepatic gluconeogenic flux, glucose absorption, clearance and recycling, as well as in vivo glucose disposal were evaluated using new mass isotopomer methods. Insulin-dependent gluconeogenic/glycolytic/pentose cycle enzyme expression and glucose futile cycling were diminished; however, glucose disappearance was increased. This supports the hypothesis of hepatic insulin resistance and increased peripheral glucose uptake as compensatory events secondary to the decrease in fatty acid oxidation characteristic of the PPAR alpha knockout. We conclude that 1) the loss of PPAR alpha results in lower expression levels and diminished response to meal regulation for gluconeogenic/glycolytic enzyme expression; and 2) consequently, substrate/futile cycling of glucose is decreased when PPAR alpha is absent despite increased gluconeogenesis. The compensatory changes in liver and peripheral tissue substrate flux and the resultant adaptation for enzyme expression in the liver to have a diminished insulin dependence reflect the loosely linked correlation between phenotype and genotype in hepatic glucose metabolism.
TOPOLOGY AND SINE-GORDON EVOLUTION OF CONSTANT TORSION CURVES

Abstract The sine-Gordon equation with periodic boundary conditions describes integrable dynamics on the space of closed curves of constant torsion, for which multi-phase solutions provide large classes of canonical knot representatives. In this Letter we discuss the use of Backlund transformations for studying the topological properties and symmetries of multi-phase solutions and of their homoclinic manifolds.
Ascribed Economic Inequality and Homicide Among Modern Societies Toward the Development of a Cross-National Theory

Although a great number of studies have established, through a variety of methodologies, the existence of a positive association between economic inequality and homicide rates cross-culturally, none, in our view, have offered a sound theoretical explanation for this association. Almost all of these accounts suffer from problems of reductionism in that they offer social-psychological explanations for macro-social phenomena. They also provide explanations that cannot be logically extended to the crime of homicide, which cannot be falsified due to the lack of the data necessary to critically test them and/or are limited to the United States but cannot logically be extended cross-nationally. In this article, the authors offer a solution to this problem that avoids invoking reductionist explanations. This macro-social approach distinguishes between achieved and ascribed bases of economic inequality, arguing that variations in cross-national rates of homicide among modern societies are best explained by high levels of ascribed economic inequality.
The evaluation of magnetic anomalies by means of scales

At the 1939 meeting of the Union [Fundamental research in geophysics relating to prospecting, Trans. Amer. Geophys. Union, 1939, pp. 302 and 390], the writer described a set of scales for aiding in the evaluation of the magnetic anomaly due to a selected magnetized body. During the past year, these scales have been modified in several minor details. The revised forms are shown by typical scales illustrated in Figure 1.
Rhyme Generation by Deaf Adults

Congenitally deaf college students were asked to generate rhymes to 50 target words. Results of the investigation indicated that it is possible for deaf individuals to develop the sensitivity to th...