cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
GMO Adoption and Private Cost Savings: GR Soybeans and Bt Corn

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the application of the principles of technology adoption to the two most widely grown GM crops – glyphosateresistant (GR) soybeans and Bt corn, discusses the theoretical issues that confront an evaluation of its profitability and analyzes the currently available data to assess the economic gains and their distribution. A technology company identifies a gene that, when inserted in a crop, adds a commercially valuable characteristic. After the gene is inserted, the individual plant is added to the range of varietal material available to the regular plant breeding process. These new commercial varieties, which include the novel gene are commonly referred as genetically modified organisms (GMO). The theoretical analysis of glyphosate-resistant soybean technology reveals that even farmers who do not adopt the technology are likely to benefit from its introduction, since the technology lowers the demand and thereby the prices of nonglyphosate herbicides. Although, the empirical analysis found cost savings in US herbicide markets, unless the technology reduced management costs sufficiently to cover the seed price premium, glyphosate-resistant soybean technology could not pay for itself on those farms. The theoretical and empirical analysis of cost savings from Bt corn found that costs saving from Bt corn are a stochastic variable, depending on the level of ECB infestation, which cannot be determined ahead of time. Farmers who generally face high ECB infestations clearly have more to gain from adopting Bt technology than farmers who face low infestation levels.
Changing the United Kingdom Constitution: The Blind Sovereign

The traditional doctrine of the sovereignty of Parliament in the United Kingdom is being transformed. The change is the cumulative result of a series of legislative acts, judicial decisions, statements of officials and academic opinions. This paper is not directed to the extent or to the propriety of this change. It examines rather the process by which it has been effected. In most of the world, wholesale constitutional revision is an event. It takes place in a defined period of time and is the work of an identifiable group of people. The striking thing about the changes in the UK constitution is that they are almost universally regarded as arising from a series of uncoordinated events by different actors. The new constitution has not been designed; it has been revealed over time, the work of a “blind” sovereign. I survey these developments, contrast them with constitutional orthodoxy elsewhere and, finally, qualify the comparison by raising doubts about the accuracy of the standard model of constitution-making.
Finite pump beam size effects in optical-pump/THz-probe spectroscopy

We investigate effects of the finite pump beam size in optical-pump/THz probe measurements experimentally and numerically. A frequency-dependent size regime in which spectral distortion is minimal is identified and a correction method is presented.
Complexity and Human Gait

Resumen en: Recently, the complexity of the human gait has become a topic of major interest within the field of human movement sciences. Indeed, while the complex fl...
Cellular Uptake of Biotin: Mechanisms and Regulation

This review describes our knowledge of biotin transport in the small intestine of humans and other mammals and presents recent findings in the area. Previous studies have shown that biotin transport across the brush border membrane of the small intestinal absorptive cells occurs via a carrier-mediated, Na+ gradient-dependent, electroneutral mechanism. Exit of biotin out of the enterocyte, i.e., transport across the basolateral membrane, also occurs via a carrier-mediated process, but the process is Na+ independent and electrogenic. Recent studies from our laboratory have shown that the uptake process of biotin in Caco-2 cells, a human-derived cultured intestinal epithelial cell line, are under the cellular regulation of both a protein kinase C- and a Ca/calmodulin-mediated pathway. In addition, the uptake process is shared by another water-soluble vitamin, pantothenic acid. For the first time, other recent studies have detected the existence of a Na+-dependent, carrier-mediated mechanism for biotin uptake at the apical membrane of colonocytes, which could theoretically mediate absorption of the biotin synthesized by colonic microflora. This system was again found to be shared by pantothenic acid, which is also synthesized by the normal microflora of the large intestine.
International Centre for Pesticides and Health Risk Prevention

M. Fascendini, C. Colosio, S. Birindelli and M. Maroni outline the workings of this WHO Collaborating Center in Occupational Health, sited 20 kilometres north of Milan in Italy.
Task force 4. Efficacy of risk factor management

Summary Observational and clinical trial data provide a substantial information base upon which current and future recommendations can be made for preventive therapy of coronary artery disease. Based on these data, it is possible to stratify potential therapies into four levels of anticipated effectiveness: 1) Interventions provento alter risk are those directed at diet, LDL cholesterol, hypertension, smoking and platelet adhesion. 2) Interventions that are likelyto alter risk are those directed at diabetes; physical inactivity; HDL cholesterol; triglycerides and small, dense LDL; obesity; and estrogen replacement. 3) Interventions that mightalter risk are those directed at homocysteine, Lp(a) and oxidative stress. 4) Risk factors that cannot be modified include age, gender and family history. As the contribution of genetically regulated risk factors are further defined, it seems likely that prevention of coronary artery disease and its complications will become progressively individualized and increasingly effective.
Transmission through Cantor filters revisited

Summary Whereas the large number of constituent layers in a high–order Cantor filter leads to a large number of transmittance peaks, which may hold attraction for certain applications, the same geometric feature engenders high attenuation to render the filter virtually useless.
Activation and maintenance of peripheral semantic features of unambiguous words after right hemisphere brain damage in adults.

Background: The right cerebral hemisphere (RH) sustains activation of subordinate, secondary, less common, and/or distantly related meanings of words. Much of the pertinent data come from studies of homonyms, but some evidence also suggests that the RH has a unique maintenance function in relation to unambiguous nouns. In a divided visual field priming study, Atchley, Burgess, and Keeney (1999) reported that only left visual field/RH presentation yielded evidence of continuing activation of peripheral semantic features that were incompatible with the most common image or representation of their corresponding nouns (e.g., rotten for “apple”). Activation for weakly related features that were compatible with the dominant representation (e.g., crunchy) was sustained over time regardless of the visual field/hemisphere of initial stimulus input. Several studies report that unilateral right hemisphere brain damage (RHD) in adults affects the RH's meaning maintenance function, but this work also has centred on ho...
UNANIMITY VERSUS NON‐DISCRIMINATION (AS CRITERIA FOR CONSTITUTIONAL VALIDITY)

The doctrinal evolution which led, early this century, to the gradual substitution of the term ‘economics’ for ‘political economy’ can by no means be thought of as a wholly beneficial specialisation. Indeed, among the problems which arise in the study of issues in which economic science and political science overlap are some of the most difficult as well as the most vital in the era which appears to be emerging. During the last decade, several works of importance have been published devoted to analysis of these issues. They are all broadly concerned with alternative yet complementary ways in which man's objectives may be sought, namely, via centralised, governmental decision-making (whether democratically controlled or undemocratic) and via democratic consumers' sovereignty (i.e., via‘free’ markets). These studies have, in other words, concentrated attention upon two distinct and very different methods of exercising social discipline upon those who determine resource use — through governments (possibly disciplined by the ballot box) or through business entrepreneurs (disciplined by the loss-avoidance, profit-seeking sanctions).
Specifying Epigenetic States with Autoregulatory Transcription Factors

Epigenetic information, not DNA sequence, distinguishes different cell types within a multicellular organism. The molecular nature of epigenetic information specifying differentiated cell types is unknown. However, it must be stable over time and mitotically heritable. In this paper, steady-state levels of autoregulatory transcription factors are explored as a potential form of epigenetic information. In particular, a model autoregulatory transcription factor having two alternative stable steady-state levels is presented. Each steady-state level specifies a phenotypically distinguishable epigenetic state, analogous to a differentiated cell type. These states are mitotically stable if the transcription factor is inherited during cell division.
Computer simulation of ion channel gating: the M(2) channel of influenza A virus in a lipid bilayer

The transmembrane fragment of the influenza virus M(2) protein forms a homotetrameric channel that transports protons. In this paper, we use molecular dynamics simulations to help elucidate the mechanism of channel gating by four histidines that occlude the channel lumen in the closed state. We test two competing hypotheses. In the "shuttle" mechanism, the delta nitrogen atom on the extracellular side of one histidine is protonated by the incoming proton, and, subsequently, the proton on the epsilon nitrogen atom is released on the opposite side. In the "water-wire" mechanism, the gate opens because of electrostatic repulsion between four simultaneously biprotonated histidines. This allows for proton transport along the water wire that penetrates the gate. For each system, composed of the channel embedded in a hydrated phospholipid bilayer, a 1.3-ns trajectory was obtained. It is found that the states involved in the shuttle mechanism, which contain either single-protonated histidines or a mixture of single-protonated histidines plus one biprotonated residue, are stable during the simulations. Furthermore, the orientations and dynamics of water molecules near the gate are conducive to proton transfer. In contrast, the fully biprotonated state is not stable. Additional simulations show that if only two histidines are biprotonated, the channel deforms but the gate remains closed. These results support the shuttle mechanism but not the gate-opening mechanism of proton gating in M(2).
LaCrO3-based coatings on ferritic stainless steel for solid oxide fuel cell interconnect applications

A thin layer of doped lanthanum chromite on ferritic steel may act as a protective coating to mitigate the Cr volatility problems and facilitate the use of metallic interconnect in solid oxide fuel cells operated at intermediate temperatures. In this paper, the LaCrO3 thin film was successfully synthesized on a ferritic stainless steel substrate by two approaches, i.e. reactive formation and sol–gel processing. The coating structures and surface morphologies were analyzed using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. After isothermal oxidation at 850 °C for 100 h in air, the electrical resistance of the sol–gel coated samples remained very low, as compared to that of the uncoated sample after similar thermal exposure. The sol–gel coating also provided effective protection for the interconnect steel during oxidation of twelve 100-h cycles at 800 °C in air, whereas significant spallation and weight loss were observed for the uncoated steel. The two coating processes (i.e. reactive formation and sol–gel processing) were compared and their advantages and drawbacks were outlined.
Invisible hands and visible advisors: An economic interpretation of standardization

This article provides an outline of the economic factors influencing the development of standards. Standards may develop through market mechanisms, organizations that combine market participants and government guidance. Each of these mechanisms may produce desirable outcomes or distort them, depending on market structure, chance historical events, and the costs of technical alternatives. Many economically desirable and distorted outcomes are possible in theory, while in practice, it is often difficult to know what is a good or bad economic choice
Number Density and Diameter Control of Chemical Bath Deposition of ZnO Nanorods on FTO by Forced Hydrolysis of Seed Crystals

ZnO nanorods have been studied extensively due to facile synthesis and useful optoelectronic properties for applications in nanoscale devices. In a common two-step procedure, an ethanolic Zn2+ precursor solution is used to deposit ZnO seed crystals on a substrate, which is then immersed in an aqueous Zn2+ precursor solution to grow the nanorods. Here, a forced hydrolysis technique was employed based on additions of water and heat to the seed precursor solution before depositing the seeds on commercial fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO)/glass substrates. ZnO nanorods were then grown from these seeds by chemical bath deposition. Analyses showed that the forced hydrolysis resulted in an increase in seed crystallite size and a decrease in the number of seeds deposited. With increasing seed size, the number density of nanorods decreased, while the length and diameter of each rod increased. These findings offer a simple method for exerting control over the number density of ZnO nanorods that is compatible with the rough FTO surface, unlike other methods that require smoother substrates.
Effect of bovine viral diarrhea virus infection on fertility of dairy heifers

A prospective field study in heifers from birth to first breeding was undertaken on two commercial dairies to assess the effect of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) congenital and post-natal infection (PNI) on fertility. A high BVDV Type 2 antibody titer (1:4096) at 10 months of age was associated with 32 more days to conceive, compared with a low titer (1:128). Conversely, infection with BVDV by 5-6 months of age and high BVDV Type 2 titers 1 month before conception or breeding was associated with improved fertility. Heifers with evidence of congenital BVDV infection had lower fertility than non-infected heifers (15-42 days longer time-to-first AI), which depended on BVDV Type 2 titers at 10 months of age. Neospora caninum infection was associated with additional services per conception (SPC) and Leptospira interrogans infection was associated with a delay in the time-to-first breeding. It appears that under field conditions, the effect of subclinical BVDV infection on subsequent heifer fertility may be due to a complex of interrelationships among multiple BVDV infections that depend on the type and timing of infection relative to reproductive development and events.
Long-term solidification/stabilization and toxicity characteristic leaching procedure for an electric arc furnace dust

The effect of cure age and mix design are investigated for the stabilization of lead and cadmium in an electric arc furnace dust. Within the first year, cadmium leaching is negligible for all mix designs, whereas lead solidification/stabilization is influenced by the selection of mix design. After one year, 370-day results for lead and cadmium are nearly equal for corresponding mix designs. Furthermore, within the range of 370-day results, the rank of cadmium and lead results is the same and is established by mix design. The mix design determines the ultimate toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) outcome, which is suspected to be the result of the extent of development of the calcium silicate phase. The comparison of TCLP data with hydroxide solubility curves indicates that extract pH values decreased with increasing cure age; TCLP results were below the hydroxide solubility curve, but they generally followed the amphoteric shape of the hydroxide solubility curve. TCLP results after 2 days of curing may be deceptive because mix designs with more binder improve with longer cure times while mix designs with less binder that are acceptable early may degrade with age.
Resolving the growth-promoting and metabolic effects of growth hormone: Differential regulation of GH-IGF-I system components.

Abstract Growth hormone regulates numerous processes in vertebrates including growth promotion and lipid mobilization. During periods of food deprivation, growth is arrested yet lipid depletion is promoted. In this study, we used rainbow trout on different nutritional regimens to examine the regulation of growth hormone (GH)–insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) system elements in order to resolve the growth-promoting and lipid catabolic actions of GH. Fish fasted for 2 or 6 weeks displayed significantly reduced growth compared to their fed counterparts despite elevated plasma GH, while refeeding for 2 weeks following 4 weeks of fasting partially restored growth and lowered plasma GH. Fish fasted for 6 weeks also exhausted their mesenteric adipose tissue reserves. Sensitivity to GH in the liver was reduced in fasting fish as evidenced by reduced expression of GH receptor type 1 (GHR 1) and GHR 2 mRNAs and by reduced 125I-GH binding capacity. Expression of GHR 1 and GHR 2 mRNAs also was reduced in the gill of fasted fish. In adipose tissue, however, sensitivity to GH, as indicated by GHR 1 expression and by 125I-GH binding capacity, increased after 6 weeks of fasting in concert with the observed lipid depletion. Fasting-associated growth retardation was accompanied by reduced expression of total IGF-I mRNA in the liver, adipose and gill, and by reduced plasma levels of IGF-I. Sensitivity to IGF-I was reduced in the gill of fasted fish as indicated by reduced expression of type 1 IGF-I receptor (IGFR 1A and IGFR 1B) mRNAs. By contrast, fasting did not affect expression of IGFR 1 mRNAs or 125I-IGF-I binding in skeletal muscle and increased expression of IGFR 1 mRNAs and 125I-IGF-I binding in cardiac muscle. These results indicate that nutritional state differentially regulates GH–IGF-I system components in a tissue-specific manner and that such alterations disable the growth-promoting actions of GH and promote the lipid-mobilizing actions of the hormone.
Characterization of muscarinic binding sites in the central nervous system of larval Manduca sexta

Putative muscarinic receptors (mAChRs) were characterized in the CNS of larval Manduca sexta through the binding of 3H-quinuclidyl benzilate ([3H]-QNB). Specific binding isotherms revealed a high affinity binding site in both crude homogenates (Ka = 3.22 +/- 0.62 nM-1 (Kd 0.311 nM), Bmax = 65.4 +/- 9.8 fmoles/mg protein) and in purified membrane preparations (Ka = 7.61 +/- 1.78 nM-1 (Kd 0.130 nM), Bmax = 22.8 +/- 2.15 fmoles/mg protein). In purified membrane preparations the binding was complex, consisting of at least two sites (Hill coefficient = 0.514 +/- 0.041). Because of the high proportion of non-specific binding at QNB concentrations greater than 10 nM, the binding parameters for the additional low affinity site could not be determined accurately but the Kd was estimated to be greater than 8 nM. Complex binding was also exhibited in the kinetics of [3H]-QNB association and dissociation in purified membranes. Analysis resolved two high affinity sites (dissociation rate constants = 80.4 and 1.2 min, Kds = 0.272 and 0.909 nM, consisting of 65.9 +/- 3.7 and 26 +/- 4.9% of the sites respectively). Presumably, the high affinity site identified in saturation studies consists of these two components. The primary high affinity site was isolated using a dissociative method and its pharmacology determined in competition studies. [3H]-QNB binding at this site was displaced by pirenzepine and methoctramine (Kis = 248 and 707 nM) closely matching the pharmacology of the cloned Drosophila mAChR. Competition data for 4-DAMP were better fitted by a two site model (Kis = 37 and 547 nM). These results demonstrate unexpected complexity in muscarinic ligand binding and are consistent with mAChR heterogeneity in the CNS of Manduca.
Intergenerational Transmission of Emotion Dysregulation Through Parental Invalidation of Emotions: Implications for Adolescent Internalizing and Externalizing Behaviors

We examined parent emotion dysregulation as part of a model of family emotion-related processes and adolescent psychopathology. Participants were 80 parent–adolescent dyads (mean age = 13.6; 79 % African-American and 17 % Caucasian) with diverse family composition and socioeconomic status. Parent and adolescent dyads self-reported on their emotion regulation difficulties and adolescents reported on their perceptions of parent invalidation (i.e., punishment and neglect) of emotions and their own internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Results showed that parents who reported higher levels of emotion dysregulation tended to invalidate their adolescent’s emotional expressions more often, which in turn related to higher levels of adolescent emotion dysregulation. Additionally, adolescent-reported emotion dysregulation mediated the relation between parent invalidation of emotions and adolescent internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Potential applied implications are discussed.
Predictors of longitudinal change in diffusing capacity over 8 years.

Low single-breath diffusing capacity (Dl CO) values are associated with anatomic emphysema, but the predictors of longitudinal change in Dl CO over many years are unknown. Study subjects were adult participants in the longitudinal Tucson Epidemiology Study of Obstructive Lung Disease who had at least one Dl CO measurement during either of two surveys 8 yr apart (n = 543). Smoking status was determined at each examination (current, former, or never smoker). Quitters were defined as those currently smoking at the baseline Dl CO examination (1982–1983) and self-reported as no longer smoking at the follow-up exam (1990–1991). The longitudinal Dl CO data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis; because of missing observations this was done using a saturated random effects model. The results showed that males had higher levels of Dl CO than females, current smokers had significantly lower levels of Dl CO than never smokers, but there was no difference in their mean slopes over time. Smoking history, asse...
Transverse fracture in laminated fiber-reinforced brittle matrix composites

Abstract Cracking during uniaxial tensile loading of laminated fiber-reinforced composites usually begins in the 90° layer (with fibers normal to the axis of loading). When such transverse cracks in the 90° ply reach the 0° ply, they are arrested by the fibers in the 0° ply so that the transverse crack growth is restricted in the 90° ply. Such crack growth eventually leads to extensive cracking of the 90° ply. The critical applied stress for the propagation of these transverse cracks in the 90° layers, which is referred to as the cracking stress, is obtained based on a distributed spring model which simulates the constraining effect provided by the intact 0° layers to transverse cracks in the 90° layers. First, the spring stress—stretch relation is derived analytically based on a modified shear-lag model and its accuracy is verified using a boundary element method calculation. The spring stress—stretch relation takes into account the interface behavior that frictional slip can occur at the ply interfaces. The cracking stress, which is dependent on the crack length in the 90° ply, is evaluated based on the bridging spring stress—stretch relation. For cracks with lengths much larger than the ply thickness, the steady-state cracking stress is obtained in closed form. For shorter cracks, the cracking stress is obtained by solving an integral equation. Finally, the theoretical results for long cracks are compared with experimental data for a laminated SiC fiber, calcium—alumino-silicate (CAS) glass matrix composite.
Oxidation of biological electron donors and antioxidants by a reactive lactoperoxidase metabolite from nitrite (NO2-): an EPR and spin trapping study.

Abstract We report that a lactoperoxidase (LPO) metabolite derived from nitrite (NO2−) catalyses one-electron oxidation of biological electron donors and antioxidants such as NADH, NADPH, cysteine, glutathione, ascorbate, and Trolox C. The radical products of the reaction have been detected and identified using either direct EPR or EPR combined with spin trapping. While LPO/H2O2 alone generated only minute amounts of radicals from these compounds, the yield of radicals increased sharply when nitrite was also present. In aerated buffer (pH 7) the nitrite-dependent oxidation of NAD(P)H by LPO/H2O2 produced superoxide radical, O2•−, which was detected as a DMPO/ O2H adduct. We propose that in the LPO/H2O2/NO2−/biological electron donor systems the nitrite functions as a catalyst because of its preferential oxidation by LPO to a strongly oxidizing metabolite, most likely a nitrogen dioxide radical NO2, which then reacts with the biological substrates more efficiently than does LPO/H2O2 alone. Because both nitrite and peroxidase enzymes are ubiquitous our observations point at a possible mechanism through which nitrite might exert its biological and cytotoxic action in vivo, and identify some of the physiological targets which might be affected by the peroxidase/H2O2/nitrite systems.
Surface albedo darkening from wildfires in northern sub-Saharan Africa

Wildfires are recognized as a key physical disturbance of terrestrial ecosystems and a major source of atmospheric trace gases and aerosols. They are known to produce changes in landscape patterns and lead to changes in surface albedo that can persist for long periods. Here, we estimate the darkening of surface albedo due to wildfires in different land cover ecosystems in the Northern Sub-Saharan Africa using data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). We determined a decrease in albedo after fires over most land cover types (e.g. woody savannas: (-0.00352 0.00003) and savannas: (- 0.003910.00003), which together accounted for >86% of the total MODIS fire count between 2003 and 2011). Grasslands had a higher value (-0.00454 0.00003) than the savannas, but accounted for only about 5% of the total fire count. A few other land cover types (e.g. Deciduous broad leaf: (0.00062 0.00015), and barren: 0.00027 0.00019), showed an increase in albedo after fires, but accounted for less than 1% of the total fires. Albedo change due to wildfires is more important during the fire season (October-February). The albedo recovery progresses rapidly during the first year after fires, where savannas show the greatest recovery (>77%) within one year, while deciduous broadleaf, permanent wetlands and barren lands show the least one-year recovery (56%). The persistence of surface albedo darkening in most land cover types is limited to about six to seven years, after which at least 98% of the burnt pixels recover to their pre-fire albedo.
Civil Rights and Employment Issues of Disability Policy

The purpose of this article is to provide an analysis of the role and effectiveness of civil rights legislation in enhancing the employment status of persons with disabilities. The areas for discus...
The equivalence of certain generalized quadrangles

Abstract A rather more general construction is shown to yield the generalized quadrangles of order ( s , t ) ( s = q − 1, t = q +1, q any prime power) constructed by Ahrens and Szekeres and by Hall.
Factors Influencing Readmission after Curative Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer

Background The incidence of, and associated risk factors for, readmission after potentially curative gastrectomy for patients with gastric cancer has not been well studied. We sought to determine the 30-day readmission rate as well as the potential risk factors for readmission at our institution in patients undergoing gastrectomy for gastric cancer with curative intent. Study Design We performed a retrospective analysis of all patients undergoing potentially curative gastrectomy for gastric cancer from1995 to 2011. The 30-day hospital readmission rate was determined, and potential clinicopathologic risk factors for readmission were examined. Results Readmission to the hospital within 30 days occurred in 14.6% (61 of 418) of patients, including 6 patients who were readmitted more than once. The most common reasons for readmission included nutritional difficulties (n =12, 20%), intra-abdominal fluid collections (n = 11, 18%), and small bowel obstruction (n = 6, 10%). Factors associated with a higher 30-day readmission rate included type of resection (total gastrectomy, 23% vs subtotal gastrectomy, 13% vs esophagogastrectomy, 9%, p = 0.016), pre-existing cardiovascular disease (17%, p = 0.05), and history of a major postoperative complication (24%, p Conclusions Readmission after potentially curative gastrectomy for gastric cancer is common. Patients with pre-existing cardiovascular disease, those who suffer major postoperative complications, and those undergoing total gastric resections are at especially high risk for readmission, and strategies designed to support these high-risk patients on discharge are warranted.
Development of dual-acting benzofurans for thromboxane A2 receptor antagonist and prostacyclin receptor agonist: synthesis, structure-activity relationship, and evaluation of benzofuran derivatives.

Prostacyclin (PGI2) is an unstable, powerful endogenous inhibitor of platelet aggregation, and thromboxane A2 (TXA2) is an unstable endogenous arachidonic acid metabolite that plays a pivotal role in platelet aggregation and vasoconstriction. The balance between TXA2 and PGI2 greatly affects maintenance of the homeostasis of the circulatory system. A novel series of benzofuran-7-yloxyacetic acid derivatives was discovered as potent dual-acting agents to block the thromboxane A2 receptor and to activate the prostacyclin receptor. Synthesis, structure−activity relationship, and in vitro and ex vivo pharmacology of this series of compounds are described. The most potent in the series was {3-[2-(1,1-diphenylethylsulfanyl)ethyl]-2-hydroxymethylbenzofuran-7-yloxy}acetic acid diethanolamine salt (7) with Ki of 4.5 nM for thromboxane receptor antagonism and Ki of 530 nM for prostacyclin receptor agonism. Remarkably, compound 7 is a promising candidate for novel treatment as an antithrombotic agent with other card...
Louis Sullivan, architectural modernism, and the creation of democratic space

This article examines the architectural thought of Louis Sullivan, commonly regarded as the prophet of architectural modernism and the inspiration for the stark Chicago-style skyscraper. Sullivan regarded sociology to he the most urgent of the disciplines as America sought to realize its democratic promise. Animated by certain understandings of self and community that would later define the Chicago School of Sociology, Sullivan saw himself as a kind of social engineer whose architecture would generate democratic space and encourage authentic interaction. Chicago was his laboratory where he fervently called for the escape from the fetters of tradition in order to give form to a democratic present. While the movement he helped inspire reshaped the landscapes where humans labored and lived, few today would confuse the architectural space of a skyscraper, or architectural modernism in general, with the cultivation of authenticity; even fewer would confuse modernism and the sky-scraper with the fulfillment of democracy. Sullivan’s unbridled hopes lor the future have been quelled by postmodern criticisms of the spatial dynamics he espoused. It is argued that this dramatic sea change was a function of a fundamental Haw in Sullivan’s social theory. Following Leo Strauss, it is argued that implicit in Sullivan’s famous dictum“form follows function” was the collapse of the distinction between the real and the ideal. This undermined Sullivan’s voice while framing his sense ol democracy in strictly processional terms. In the end, Sullivan sought an architecture according to which control over circumstance served no higher purpose save control, an architecture whose escape from the past concealed from view the kind of direction that could lend meaning to the control Sullivan was desperate to secure. It is suggested that sociologists are not unlike Sullivan, and that their calls for autonomy and empowerment speak to process and movement rather than ends or destinations.
Shortened floating zone crystal growth under normal gravity

Abstract A shortened melt zone is highly desirable in floating zone crystal growth under normal gravity, because of its significantly greater stability. A simple method for shortening a stationary floating melt zone has been discovered recently and demonstrated with NaNO 3 as the test material. In the present study, this method was applied to floating zone crystal growth. NaNO 3 single crystals were grown both upward and downward, with fast feed/crystal counterrotation and with fast feed or crystal single rotation. First, single crystals of 0.6 cm diameter were grown with both 200 and 400 rpm counterrotation. Second, single crystals of 1.0 cm were grown with 200 rpm counterrotation. Third, single crystals of 0.6 cm diameter were grown with 400 rpm single rotation. In each case, the melt zone was significantly shortened and very stable, and the length/diameter ratio of the melt zone was significantly less than one. Calculated results from a computer model were used to explain the effect of counterrotation on the length/diameter ratio, the shapes of the melt/solid interfaces and the formation of gas porosity.
Determination of some molecular parameters of tyrosine hydroxylase from rat adrenal, rat striatum, and human pheochromocytoma.

: The molecular parameters of tyrosine hydroxylase (EC 1.14.16.2) from rat adrenal, rat striatum, and human pheochromocytoma were determined by combined gel filtration and sucrose gradient ultracentrifugation. The enzyme from rat adrenal has a calculated molecular weight of 228,000, a Stokes radius of 60.9 A, a sedimentation coefficient of 9.10S, and a frictional ratio of 1.39. The enzyme from rat striatum has a calculated molecular weight of 210,000, a Stokes radius of 54.3 A, a sedimentation coefficient of 9.38S, and a frictional ratio of 1.28. Tyrosine hydroxylase from human pheochromocytoma tissue has a calculated molecular weight of 255,000, a Stokes radius of 68.2 A, a sedimentation coefficient of 9.08S, and a frictional ratio of 1.50. These results indicate that the tyrosine hydroxylases from central and peripheral tissue in the rat are quite similar although the human enzyme appears to be significantly larger.
A synopsis of the New World species of Drypetes section Drypetes (Putranjivaceae) with asymmetrical fruits, including description of a new species

A synopsis of the New World species of Drypetes (Putranjivaceae) with asymmetrical drupes is presented. The group consists of three species: Drypetes alba, with two varieties,from the West Indies, Drypetes gentryi from Mexico, and the newly described Drypetes asymmetricarpafrom Costa Rica. The new species can be distinguished from both its relatives by its longer fruiting pedicels. In addition, the new species differs from Drypetes alba by its larger fruits, and from Drypetes gentryi by having shorter staminate pedicels and stigmas borne on styles (rather than sessile). Lectotypes are designated for Drypetes albavar. latifoliaand Drypetes incurva.
Contrast-to-noise ratios in maximum intensity projection images.

We present a statistical analysis of the maximum intensity projection (MIP) algorithm, which is commonly used for MR angiography (MRA). The analysis explains why MIP projection images display as much as a twofold increase in signal- and contrast-to-noise ratios over those of the source image set. This behavior is demonstrated with simulations and in phantom and MRA image sets. © 1992 Academic Press, Inc.
Triangulation of subanalytic sets and proper light subanalytic maps

The smallest nonempty class ~c4 of subsets of a real analytic space M which is closed under the formation of locally finite unions, intersections, complements, and connected components and which contains Ac~g ~t {0} for any A in ,~ and realvalued function g analytic in a neighborhood of Clos A is the class of semianalytic subsets of M (see [6, w 1] for a list of references, the most basic being [11]). The smallest such class also containing all proper real analytic images of semianalytic sets is the (strictly larger, for dim M > 3 ) class of subanalytic subsets of M ([6, 8, 14, 15]). A continuous function from a subset of real analytic space M into a real analytic space N is called a subanalytic map if its graph is a subanalytic subset of M • N. Here triangulations of subanalytic sets are constructed using only subanalytic maps throughout. A map is proper (respectively, light) if its inverse image preserves compact (respectively, discrete) sets. Our main results are:
Characterization of a β-1,3-Glucanase Encoded by Chlorella Virus PBCV-1

Abstract Sequence analysis of the 330-kb chlorella virus PBCV-1 genome revealed an open-reading frame, A94L, that encodes a protein with significant amino acid identity to Glycoside Hydrolase Family 16 β-1,3-glucanases. The a94l gene was cloned and the protein was expressed as a GST-A94L fusion protein in Escherichia coli. The recombinant A94L protein hydrolyzed the β-1,3-glucose polymer laminarin and had slightly less hydrolytic activity on β-1,3-1,4-glucose polymers, lichenan and barley β-glucan. The recombinant enzyme had the highest activity at 65°C and pH 8. We predicted that the a94l -encoded β-1,3-glucanase is involved in degrading the host cell wall either during virus release and/or is packaged in the virion particle and involved in virus entry. Therefore, we expected a94l to be expressed late in virus infection. However, contrary to expectations, both the a94l mRNA and the A94L protein appeared 15 min after PBCV-1 infection and disappeared 60- and 120-min p.i. postinfection, respectively, indicating that a94l is an early gene. Twenty-seven of 42 chlorella viruses contained the a94l gene. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a virus-encoded β-1,3-glucanase.
Internal Impingement Syndromes

Internal causes of impingement are secondary to rotator cuff and capsular dysfunction and are categorized by the location of the impingement and the underlying pathophysiological or mechanical cause of the impingement. These include posterosuperior impingement, anterosuperior impingement, anterior impingement, and entrapment of the long head of the biceps tendon. The objective of this article is to review magnetic resonance imaging findings of each of the 4 types of internal impingement syndromes and discuss the pathophysiology behind the impingement.
Anxiety as a function of environmental noise and social interaction.

In a study to investigate environmental noise and social interaction as simultaneous stressors affecting anxiety, three independent groups of college students (N = 48 men and women) participated in the simulation game Starpower while exposed to different levels of background noise. Intermittent white noise at 61 dB(A) and 75 dB(A) was used for the Noisy and Very Noisy conditions, respectively, and the ambient noise level of 51 dB(A) was used for Quiet. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, administered before and after playing the game, was used as a direct, subjective measure of anxiety. Relatively low levels of noise superimposed on the stress of social interaction influenced the level of anxiety experienced by the Ss. Groups subjected to noisier environments reported significantly stronger feelings of anxiety than those in quieter conditions (p less than .05). Ss' eyeblink rate, used as an indirect, physiological indicator of anxiety, was not significantly affected by the stress levels produced in this experiment.
Preparation and characterization of rhenium(I) compounds with amino ester derivatized diimine ligands. Investigations of luminescence. Crystal structures of Re(CO)3Cl(pyca-β-Ala-OEt) and Re(CO)3Cl(pyca-l-Asp(OMe)-OMe)

Abstract The title compounds were prepared in good yield by heating ester protected amino acids (H- l -Ala-OEt, H-β-Ala-OEt, H- L -Val-OMe, H-GABA-OMe, H- L -Asp(OMe)-OMe, H- L -Met-OMe) with Re(CO)5Cl in the presence of pyridine-2-carboxaldehyde. The resulting novel complexes contain a bound, conjugated diimine ligand with a pendant ester group. All compounds were characterized by 1H and 13C NMR, IR and UV–Vis spectroscopy. Compounds prepared from chiral amino esters give diastereomers because of the presence of a stereogenic metal center. Syntheses using Re(CO)5Br as starting material were discontinued because of metathesis involving the chloride in the amino ester · HCl salts and the metal bromide. Photophysical studies on Re(CO)3Cl(pyca-β-Ala-OEt), 2, show that it is luminescent in organic solvents in air at room temperature. The crystal structures of 2 and Re(CO)3Cl(pyca- l -Asp(OMe)-OMe), 5, were determined.
A protocol for a randomized clinical trial of interactive video dance: potential for effects on cognitive function

Physical exercise has the potential to affect cognitive function, but most evidence to date focuses on cognitive effects of fitness training. Cognitive exercise also may influence cognitive function, but many cognitive training paradigms have failed to provide carry-over to daily cognitive function. Video games provide a broader, more contextual approach to cognitive training that may induce cognitive gains and have carry over to daily function. Most video games do not involve physical exercise, but some novel forms of interactive video games combine physical activity and cognitive challenge. This paper describes a randomized clinical trial in 168 postmenopausal sedentary overweight women that compares an interactive video dance game with brisk walking and delayed entry controls. The primary endpoint is adherence to activity at six months. Additional endpoints include aspects of physical and mental health. We focus this report primarily on the rationale and plans for assessment of multiple cognitive functions. This randomized clinical trial may provide new information about the cognitive effects of interactive videodance. It is also the first trial to examine physical and cognitive effects in older women. Interactive video games may offer novel strategies to promote physical activity and health across the life span. The study is IRB approved and the number is: PRO08080012 ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01443455
A multi-microcomputer communications switch

Abstract The microcomputer switch (MICS) forms the centre of a star network of computing equipment in a research laboratory. The two processor version of MICS supports simultaneous duplex communications among 24 devices with a total throughput of 2 700 bytes/second. It costs $4 000. MICS is a modular network of independent Intel 8080 microcomputers clustered around a shared global bus containing buffers and data ports. Control of the global bus is distributed. The major components of MICS are described especially the bus interfaces and very flexible input/output ports. It analyzes MICS resource use and throughput capacity. Larger MICS have the same capacity as moderate minicomputers at one quarter their price.
Effects of a 10-week inspiratory muscle training program on lower-extremity mobility in people with multiple sclerosis: a randomized controlled trial.

Pulmonary muscle weakness is common in ambulatory people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and may lead to deficits in mobility function. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a 10-week home-based exercise program using an inspiratory muscle threshold trainer (IMT) on the results of four lower-extremity physical performance tests in people with MS. The study design was a two-group (experimental-control), pretest-posttest study. Outcome measures consisted of pulmonary function measures including maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP), maximal expiratory pressure (MEP), and maximal voluntary ventilation (MVV), and the following lower-extremity physical performance measures: the 6-Minute Walk (6MW) distance, gait velocity (GV), the Sit-to-Stand Test (SST), the Functional Stair Test (FST), and a balance test (BAL). A total of 46 ambulatory participants (Expanded Disability Status Scale [EDSS] score, 2.0–6.5) with MS were randomly assigned to an intervention group (mean EDSS score, 4.1) that received 1...
What is behind the inverse Hall–Petch effect in nanocrystalline materials?

An inverse Hall–Petch effect has been observed for nanocrystalline materials by a large number of researchers. This effect implies that nanocrystalline materials get softer as grain size is reduced below a critical value. Postulated explanations for this behavior include dislocation-based models, diffusion-based models, grain-boundary-shearing models and two-phase-based models. In this paper, we report an explanation for the inverse Hall–Petch effect based on the statistical absorption of dislocations by grain boundaries, showing that the yield strength is dependent on strain rate and temperature and deviates from the Hall–Petch relationship below a critical grain size.
Native Speaker Reaction to Non‐Native Speech

speech at the Advanced and Superior Levels, yet the assumption that testers of oral proficiency can effectively distinguish among not only student speaking skills but also among the comprehension skills of the various types of interlocutors named within the descriptors has yet to be validated. Van Lier (p. 494) stresses the need to determine if, in fact, generalizable attributes exist which limit comprehensibility by interlocutor type. Magnan (p. 268) urges a reexamination of the descriptors for Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) rating levels using actual language data from students, in order to indicate how many and what type of errors are associated with the various OPI levels. The ACTFL Guidelines state that the non-
Source or storer? IB's performance in a knowledge network

The absence of systematic assessment of IB's performance as a reference discipline prolongs questioning of the contribution that IB scholarship makes to other business fields: put simply, do IB journals export more ideas to allied disciplines than they import from them? Difficulty in evaluating the merits of, let alone the need for, solutions offered to boost interdisciplinary relevance slows validation of the ontological principles and epistemic standards of IB research. This paper begins to fill this gap. It establishes a knowledge network composed of 39 high-impact journals that represent the domains of management, marketing, finance, economics, operations, IT, accounting, human resources, organizational behavior, and IB. We collected citation exchanges among these 39 journals from 2000 through 2007. A log-multiplicative model evaluated multiple dimensions of association to determine the sources and storers of knowledge within the network. The network from Pathfinder analysis was used to determine each journal's contribution to network entropy. These analyses indicate that IB journals functioned as storers, not sources, of ideas within the sampled knowledge network over the studied period. The results help interpret opposing proposals to fortify IB studies, highlight the tradeoff between exploitation and exploration in knowledge development and dissemination, and elaborate JIBS's boundary-spanning performance within the sampled network.