cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thermal Processing of o-Terphenyl: A Raman Study

Raman spectra from o-terphenyl sealed in glass capillary tubes were acquired over temperatures ranging from 233 K to 343 K. Over this temperature range, o-terphenyl can exist in the solid-crystalline, molten, supercooled-liquid, and amorphous-glassy states. Representative structure-sensitive spectra are presented along with a qualitative description. The lattice spectral feature occurring at a Raman shift of 123 cm−1 displays abrupt changes in profile and intensity as melting and glass transition occur. The intensity ratio of the C-C stretching 996-cm−1 line and C-H stretching line at 1008 cm−1 displays a change related to the transformation of the ordered-crystalline phase to the disordered-liquid or glassy state. At a Raman shift of 1162 cm−1 the solid-crystalline state shows a splitting due to the effect of the crystal field. The possibility of using these structure-sensitive Raman characteristics for in situ diagnostics during materials processing is discussed.
Urine Derived Cells are a Potential Source for Urological Tissue Reconstruction

Purpose: Contemporary approaches to tissue engineering and cell therapy for urinary tract reconstruction require invasive tissue biopsies to obtain autologous cells. However, these procedures are associated with potential complications. We determined whether the cells present in urine have characteristics of normal bladder cells and investigated their potential uses for urological reconstructive procedures. Materials and Methods: A total of 55 urine samples were collected from 15 healthy individuals and 8 patients with vesicoureteral reflux. Urine derived cells were isolated, expanded and tested for progenitor and differentiated cell specific markers using flow cytometry, immunofluorescence and Western immunoblotting. The chromosomal stability of cultured urine derived cells was determined by karyotype analysis. Results: Clones were successfully established from primary cultures of urine derived cells. Isolated cells showed 3 phenotypes, including fully differentiated, differentiating and progenitor-like cells. Some urine derived cells stained positive for the surface markers c-Kit, SSEA4, CD105, CD73, CD91, CD133 and CD44. Two to 7 cells per 100 ml urine were multipoint progenitors that could expand extensively in culture. Single progenitor cells had the ability to differentiate into the cell lineages expressing urothelial, smooth muscle, endothelial and interstitial cell markers. The expression of lineage markers was characterized by Western blot and immunofluorescence analysis. Urine derived cells also maintained a normal karyotype after serial culture. Conclusions: A subpopulation of cells isolated from urine had progenitor cell features and the potential to differentiate into several bladder cell lineages. Urine derived cells could serve as an alternative cell source for urinary tract tissue engineering and reconstruction.
Racial disparities in maternal hemoglobin concentrations and pregnancy outcomes

Objective To examine the association of maternal hemoglobin (Hb) concentrations with preterm and low birth weight (LBW) deliveries in African Americans compared to Caucasians. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of perinatal data on 17,338 African-American and Caucasian pregnant women who delivered at the George Washington University Hospital (GWUH) between January 1990 and December 2003. We used univariate and logistic regression analyses to examine for associations. Results Compared to Caucasians (n=9432), African American mothers (n=7906) had a higher incidence of anemia (26.9% vs. 7.1%, P 0.05). Conclusions The association of race with preterm and LBW outcomes relates to maternal Hb. Our findings suggest: a) anemia is a strong risk factor that masks the influence of race, b) African American race could be a surrogate for other factors that contribute to adverse outcomes, and c) Caucasian race could be less adaptive to anemia.
Metabolic compatibility of abattoir and human corneas: An ex vivo 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic study of intact tissues

This study establishes the metabolic similarities and differences of intact abattoir corneas and the human cornea ex vivo, using 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Phosphorylated sugars (SP), inorganic orthophosphate (Pi), phosphodiesters, ATP, ADP, and the nucleoside diphosphosugars and dinucleotides (NS&DN) were quantitated. The intracorneal pH also was determined. In addition, metabolic indices ATP/Pi, ATP/ADP, ATP/ (ADP + Pi), SP/Pi, the phosphorylation potential, and the 31P energy modulus were calculated. Significant differences were observed between the abattoir and human corneas in phosphorylated sugars, NS&DN, and intracorneal pH, as well as in the indices ATP/ADP and SP/Pi. The overall energy status as measured by the 31P energy modulus was significantly higher in the bovine cornea when compared to the porcine and human corneas, suggestive of a very high energy reserve in the bovine cornea.
Experience at home and innocence abroad: social and cultural capital in Machado de Assis's Esaú e Jacó and Henry James's the ambassadors

This study examines two literary worlds fashioned by epic authors Machado de Assis and Henry James. In the novels Esau e Jaco (1904) and The Ambassadors (1903), the writers explore the theme of ambassadorship. In these two texts, key characters act as emissaries. Councilor Aires, Lambert Strether, and Sarah Pocock discover that ambassadorial service brings with it many complication Each of them fulfills his or her mission in a particular way and does so with difs. fering motives. For these three individuals, access to and interpretation of information becomes decisive in fulfilling their respective commissions. This information circulates in distinct ways, yet the ability to access and understand the information depends on each ambassador's social and cultural "capital", as can be seen in the theories of Pierre Bourdieu.
Sister chromatid exchange in cells metabolically coupled to Bloom's syndrome cells.

Cells from persons with Bloom's syndrome (BS) show many more sister chromatid exchanges (SCEs) than cells from normal individuals or those with any other genetic disease studied so far1. Several other abnormalities demonstrable in cell culture (reviewed in ref. 2) suggest that the molecular defect in BS is related to DNA metabolism; for example, many chromosomal aberrations in untreated cells3, abnormally slow DNA chain growth4,5, and increased sensitivity to treatment with ethyl methanesulphonate6,7. BS cells respond as normal cells do in excision repair8–10, ‘post-replication repair’11, and repair of single-strand breaks12. This apparent proficiency at repair prompted the suggestion13,14 that the various chromosome abnormalities result from an excessive accumulation spontaneously of lesions in the DNA on which a repair system(s) must act, thereby overloading the system(s). Such lesions might result, for example, from the action of a genetically defective enzyme involved in the semi-conservative replication of DNA, a defect leading to a quantitative imbalance in a chromosomal component, or a defect leading to the intrinsic production of a molecule with mutagenic properties. Experiments designed to test this last possibility have resulted in conflicting reports15–18. We report here results which do not support the hypothesis that BS cells release such a mutagenic molecule. SCE frequencies in non-BS cells were not affected when the cells were placed in contact-dependent metabolic coupling with BS cells. Also, when we repeated experiments15 in which medium ‘conditioned’ by BS fibroblasts was reported to increase the amount of SCE in normal blood lymphocytes, we were unable to duplicate those results.
Physical, symptomatic and psychological improvement in patients receiving comprehensive care for chronic airway obstruction.

Abstract Thirty chronic bronchitis and emphysema patients were assessed both upon entry into a comprehensive care program and after one year on the program. The following were evaluated: (a) objective signs of ventilation impairment (e.g. MVV and PaCO2); (b) symptoms of airway obstruction (e.g. experienced difficulty breathing) and (c) psychological adjustment, including affective distress, dependency behavior and selected types of psychopathology. In a comparison between the clinical status of the study group upon entering the care program and 1 yr later, the group showed some absolute improvement in objective signs and affective distress; some relative improvement in symptoms; and no changes in dependency behavior or psychopathology. In an analysis of relationships among patient changes on the different variables over the first year of the program, it was found that from both the patients' and the staff's point of view, improvement in objective signs, symptoms and psychological adjustment were all positively associated.
Abstract 1104: Nuclear translocalization of DICER correlates with high-risk clinical/histologic features in melanoma

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL Melanoma is an aggressive malignancy with a relatively high metastatic rate, responsible for almost 60% of lethal skin tumors. Despite numerous efforts, there is still a need to better understand the molecular pathways involved in malignant melanoma metastasis. In recent years, there have been several studies highlighting the role of deregulated microRNAs (miRNAs) expression in tumor progression and metastasis. DICER is a central regulator of miRNA maturation and recently, has been shown to be upregulated in cutaneous melanoma at both protein and mRNA level. Arur et al. [1], reported DICER to be one of the ERK substrate, and this activation results in its nuclear translocalization (personal communication). However, it is unknown whether differential cellular expression of DICER contributes to the pathogenesis of melanoma. In order to test the hypothesis that aberrant nucleo-cytoplasmic expression of DICER plays a significant role in melanoma progression, we have performed semiquantitative immunohistochemical analysis of DICER in benign nevi (n=17), primary melanomas without metastasis (n=38) and with metastasis (n=27), and melanoma metastases (n=34 cases). A significant positive correlation was observed between the percentage of positive cells (p=0.003) and staining intensity (p=0.01) for nuclear DICER with progression from benign nevi to primary melanoma. Interestingly, primaries without metastasis had significantly higher levels of DICER immunopositivity in tumor cells than primaries with metastasis (p=0.02). Furthermore, metastatic melanomas showed significantly larger number of cells having intense immunoreactivity for DICER protein in nucleus than the primary melanomas (p=0.02). Significantly larger percentage of tumor cells showing DICER expression in the nucleus were observed in those lesions having ulceration (p=0.007) and vertical growth phase, which are well-established markers of poor clinical outcomes in patients with cutaneous melanoma. On the other hand, lesions showing no vascular invasion expressed higher levels of DICER in the cytoplasm (p<0.0001). Disease-specific survival was significantly shorter in patients with increased nuclear expression of DICER (p=0.04). Thus, differential cellular localization of miRNA-regulating DICER protein correlates with disease progression and high-risk clinical and histologic features in melanoma. Therefore, it will be interesting to further delineate the role of nuclear DICER in melanoma. References 1. Arur S, Ohmachi M, Nayak S, et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009 Mar4;106(12):4776-81. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1104. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-1104
Aniseikonia. I. The influence of the magnification percentage of afocal meridional lenses on the magnitude of the stereoscopic depth effect.

Abstract Ogle (1964) postulated that the magnitude of the stereoscopic depth effect at horizontal aniseikonia is a linear function of the magnification percentage of meridional size lenses (axis at 90 degree). For vertical aniseikonia Ogle supposed the operation of two processes: an excitation process that is directly proportional to the vertical disparity and an inhibitory process that increases exponentially with the vertical disparity. In the present investigation these rules could not be confirmed. With horizontal aniseikonia, most subjects showed, apart from a significant linear trend, also significant quadratic and/or cubic trends, while furthermore significant linear trends in opposite direction occurred. With vertical aniseikonia, a depth experience opposite to the expected direction occurred very frequently. Here, individual differences in the course of the curves representing the relationship between the degree of the stereoscopic depth effect and the magnification percentage of the lens, were particularly great. It looks as though the processes which, according to Ogle, occur under aniseikonia are not compatible with the idea of a stable preformed structure of corresponding retinal elements, but that the lawfulness in the relationship disparity-depth experience arises only after a process of learning.
Star Trek: An Optimum Decision Making Model

Decision making is not only the province of operations research, management science, or decision science, but is something that everyone is interested in. Our profession simply claims that large scale decisions are better made by experts, or that experts can aid the common man in making such decisions. But for each of us, professional or layman, we have a lot to learn from Star Trek as a model for decision making. So let us turn our attention to this paradigm of problem-solving.
Strangers in a Strange Land

(2008). Strangers in a Strange Land. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance: Vol. 79, No. 2, pp. 40-44.
Integrating top-down expectations with bottom-up perceptual processing in a hybrid neural-symbolic architecture

Abstract Cognitive actions are frequently taken with the expectation of a particular result in mind. The expectation is generally based on past experiences, but not necessarily on any specific experience in isolation; rather, the integrated collection of past experiences forms the basis for what we should expect. Although an important part of action execution, this aspect of cognition has largely been ignored in many architectures. Here, we demonstrate the implementation of expectation generation by using ACT-R’s blending mechanism. Rather than returning a single particular chunk from memory, as ACT-R’s normal declarative retrieval does, the blending mechanism returns a chunk whose slot values are generated via a weighted average over all the chunks in the set that matches the request, with the activations of the chunks themselves serving as the weights. In past work, this retrieval mechanism has been used to implement prototype generation from memory as well as to generate certainty measures from metacognitive signals. We embed the expectation generation capability within the larger SAL (Synthesis of ACT-R and Leabra) framework, a hybrid framework developed to take advantage of the relative strengths of the two architectures, and discuss directions for future work, including error monitoring and recovery.
FOSSIL EVIDENCE FOR A DIVERSE BIOTA FROM KAUA‘I AND ITS TRANSFORMATION SINCE HUMAN ARRIVAL

Coring and excavations in a large sinkhole and cave system formed in an eolianite deposit on the south coast of Kaua‘i in the Hawaiian Islands reveal a fossil site with remarkable preservation and diversity of plant and animal remains. Radiocarbon dating and investigations of the sediments and their fossil contents, including diatoms, invertebrate shells, vertebrate bones, pollen, and plant macrofossils, provide a more complete picture of prehuman ecological conditions in the Hawaiian lowlands than has been previously available. The evidence confirms that a highly diverse prehuman landscape has been completely transformed, with the decline or extirpation of most native species and their replacement with introduced species. The stratigraphy documents many late Holocene extinctions, including previously undescribed species, and suggests that the pattern of extirpation for snails occurred in three temporal stages, corresponding to initial settlement, late prehistoric, and historic impacts. The site also records land-use changes of recent centuries, including evidence for deforestation, overgrazing, and soil erosion during the historic period, and biological invasion during both the Polynesian and historic periods. Human artifacts and midden materials demonstrate a high-density human presence near the site for the last four centuries. Earlier evidence for humans includes a bone of the prehistorically introduced Pacific rat (Rattus exulans) dating to 822 yr BP (calendar year [cal yr] AD 1039–1241). Vegetation at the site before human arrival consisted of a herbaceous component with strand plants and graminoids, and a woody component that included trees and shrubs now mostly restricted to a few higher, wetter, and less disturbed parts of the island. Efforts to restore lowland areas in the Hawaiian Islands must take into account the evidence from this study that the prehuman lowlands of dry leeward Kaua‘i included plants and animals previously known only in wetter and cooler habitats. Many species may be restricted to high elevations today primarily because these remote locations have, by virtue of their difficult topography and climate, resisted most human-induced changes more effectively than the coastal lowlands.
Comparing Teachers' Work With Work in Other Occupations: Notes on the Professional Status of Teaching

Educational researchers frequently compare teachers' work with work performed in other occupations. In this article, I discuss the promises and pitfalls of this type of analysis. Using data from The Dictionary of Occupational Titles (U.S. Department of Labor, 1991), I examine the nature of teachers’ work and compare teaching with the work performed in other occupations. On the basis of this analysis, I conclude that teaching is a complex form of work that requires high levels of formal knowledge for successful performance. I also argue that the professional status of teaching is closely tied to the complexity of teachers' work and that educational reforms intended to further professionalize the occupation of teaching can succeed only to the extent that they make teachers’ work even more complex than it currently is.
The daily rhythm of shedding and degradation of cone outer segment membranes in the lizard retina.

Lizards were maintained on a daily light cycle of 12 hr of light and 12 hr of darkness for 2 weeks. The pigment epithelium of the retina, which envelops the outer segments of the cone visual cells, was then examined by electron microscopy at different times of day. Shortly after the beginning of the dark period, there was a synchronized burst of membrane-shedding from the tips of the cones. The pigment epithelial cells immediately phagocytized the membranes and digested them during the remainder of the dark period. Autophagy and the accumulation of small granules in the pigment epithelial cells also varied, depending upon the time of day. This evidence suggests that the ultrastructure and metabolism of the pigment epithelium fluctuates with a daily rhythm.
The self-assessment trap: can we all be better than average?

Mol Syst Biol. 7: 537 Computational systems biology seems to be caught in what we call the ‘self‐assessment trap’, in which researchers wishing to publish their analytical methods are required by referees or by editorial policy (e.g., Bioinformatics, BMC Bioinformatics, Nucleic Acids Research) to compare the performance of their own algorithms against other methodologies, thus being forced to be judge, jury and executioner. The result is that the authors’ method tends to be the best in an unreasonable majority of cases (Table I). In many instances, this bias is the result of selective reporting of performance in the niche in which the method is superior. Evidence of that is that most papers reporting best performance choose only one or two metrics of performance, but when the number of performance metrics is larger than two, most methods fail to be the best in all categories assessed (Table I). Choosing many metrics can dramatically change the determination of best performance (Supplementary Table S1). Selective reporting can be inadvertent, but in some cases biases are more disingenuous, involving hiding information or quietly cutting corners in the performance evaluation (similar problems have been discussed in assessments of the performance of supercomputers, e.g., Bailey (1991)). View this table: Table 1. Break out of 57 surveyed papers in which the authors assess their own methods Even assuming that there is no selective reporting, we would like to argue that papers reporting good‐yet‐not‐the‐best methods (of which we found none in our literature survey of self‐assessed papers …
Isolation and characterization of the membranes from Rhodospirillum rubrum

1. 1. The specific bacteriochlorophyll a content of Rhodospirillum rubrum was inversely related to the specific growth rate of these cells. However, the lipid-phosphorus content of isolated and purified chromatophores was directly related to the specific growth rates of the cells from which they were isolated. The specific bacteriochlorophyll a content of these chromatophores was found to be constant and independent of the specific growth rate. This constancy in the specific bacteriochlorophyll a content was not observed in chromatophores isolated from cells in the stationary phase where increases in the specific bacteriochlorophyll a content of 100% were demonstrated. 2. 2. Isolated chromatophores responded as osmometers to density gradient solutes of different osmotic properties. The density of chromatophores in Ficoll gradients increased when the non-permeable solute sucrose was added to the gradient, thus indicating that isolated chromatophores are vesicular structures which can be plasmolyzed in hypertonic solutions. 3. 3. Soluble protein was released from purified chromatophores by subjecting them to osmotic shock and sonication. No bacteriochlorophyll a, and only 30% of the total membrane protein was released during 40 min of sonication. Comparison of the number of proteins released (acrylamide gels) and the release of succinate dehydrogenase by sonication and osmotic shock suggests that succinate dehydrogenase is tightly bound to the membrane whereas there is a group of unidentified proteins which are loosely bound or trapped inside the vesicular membrane. 4. 4. In the absence of magnesium a heavy band was isolated which had a low bacteriochlorophyll a, phospholipid and succinate dehydrogenase content and high hexosamine content. Chromatophore-like material was isolated from this fraction by French pressure cell disruption followed by sucrose density centrifugation. Electron micrographs, and the ratio of bacteriochlorophyll a to phospholipid of the resulting fractions indicate that photosynthetically grown R. rubrum contains a bacteriochlorophyll a-deficient cytoplasmic membrane.
Diagonal Cauchy spaces

A diagonal condition is defined which internally characterises those Cauchy spaces which have topological completions. The T 2 diagonal Cauchy spaces allow both a finest and a coarsest T 2 diagonal completion. The former is a completion functor, while the latter preserves uniformisability and has an extension property relative to θ-continuous maps.
Data Like This: Ranked Search of Genomic Data Vision Paper

High-throughput genetic sequencing produces the ultimate "big data": a human genome sequence contains more than 3B base pairs, and more and more characteristics, or annotations, are being recorded at the base-pair level. Locating areas of interest within the genome is a challenge for researchers, limiting their investigations. We describe our vision of adapting "big data" ranked search to the problem of searching the genome. Our goal is to make searching for data as easy for scientists as searching the Internet.
A dimensional analysis approach to notch sensitivity and fracture of composites with applications to design

Abstract Structures made of fiber reinforced composites are designed with varying material characteristics in mind and it is essential that we are able to at least compare the effectiveness of various composite systems for specified requirements. The requirements of a system, which may include notch insensitivity, high impact toughness and high resistance to delamination, amongst others, depend on its application. A dimensional analysis approach is investigated and used to quantify notch sensitivity in terms of deviation of material behavior from LEFM. The model is applied to a variety of configurations of the T300/5208 graphite-epoxy system in order to illustrate the usefulness of the ‘brittleness number’ concept in the investigation of composites fracture.
A study on the effect of distribution circuit loading on air conditioner motor stall using a real time simulator

It has been shown that high seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) air conditioner compressor motors will stall during a voltage sag of 30 % or greater such as during a sub-transmission fault. When these motors stall, they draw two to three times their rated current and reactive power. The motor stall affects the entire power system beyond the duration of voltage drop of the fault resulting in a system-wide impact. This phenomenon is known as fault induced delayed voltage recovery (FIDVR) or slow voltage recovery (SVR). The FIDVR or SVR event is not only influenced by the air conditioner motor penetration but also by the voltage sensitivity of the load composition in the distribution system. In this study, the singlephase induction machine model that is available in the real time digital simulator (RTDS) is used to simulate the stall nature of these high SEER machines. This paper also addresses the effect of distribution system loads on FIDVR and analyzes the effect using RTDS. A group of the machine models are installed in a test power system along with constant impedance (Z), constant current (I), and constant power (P) load models to study the effect of these loads on the stall nature of the single phase induction machines.
In-situ transmission electron microscopy observations and molecular dynamics simulations of dislocation-defect interactions in ion-irradiated copper

An in-situ transmission electron microscopy straining technique has been used to investigate the dynamics of dislocation-defect interactions in ion-irradiated copper and the subsequent formation of defect-free channels. Defect removal frequently required interaction with multiple dislocations, although screw dislocations were more efficient at annihilating defects than edge dislocations were. The defect pinning strength was determined from the dislocation curvature prior to breakaway and exhibited values ranging from 15 to 175 MPa. Pre-existing dislocations percolated through the defect field but did not show long-range motion, indicating that they are not responsible for creating the defect-free channels and have a limited contribution to the total plasticity. Defect-free channels were associated with the movement of many dislocations, which originated from grain boundaries or regions of high stress concentration such as at a crack tip. These experimental results are compared with atomistic simulations o...
Polarity and endocytosis: reciprocal regulation

The establishment and maintenance of polarized plasma membrane domains is essential for cellular function and proper development of organisms. The molecules and pathways involved in determining cell polarity are remarkably well conserved between animal species. Historically, exocytic mechanisms have received primary emphasis among trafficking routes responsible for cell polarization. Accumulating evidence now reveals that endocytosis plays an equally important role in the proper localization of key polarity proteins. Intriguingly, some polarity proteins can also regulate the endocytic machinery. Here, we review emerging evidence for the reciprocal regulation between polarity proteins and endocytic pathways, and discuss possible models for how these distinct processes could interact to create separate cellular domains.
Hypophosphorylated neurofilament subunits undergo axonal transport more rapidly than more extensively phosphorylated subunits in situ.

Axonal transport of neurofilaments (NFs) has long been considered to be regulated by phosphorylation. We present evidence that in optic axons of normal mice, the rate of NF axonal transport is inversely correlated with the NF phosphorylation state. In addition to 200 kDa NF-H and 145 kDa NF-M, axonal cytoskeletons from CNS contained a range of phospho-variants of NF-H migrating between 160-200 kDa, and of NF-M migrating at 97-145 kDa. While 160 kDa phospho-variants of NF-H have been well characterized, we confirmed the identity of the previously-described 97 kDa species as a hypophospho-variant of NF-M since (1) pulse-chase metabolic labeling confirmed the 97 kDa species to be a new synthesis product that was converted by phosphorylation over time into a form migrating at 145 kDa, (2) the 97 kDa protein reacted with multiple NF-M antibodies, including one specific for hypophosphorylated NF-M, and (3) dephosphorylation converted NF-M isoforms to 97 kDa. Autoradiographic analyses following metabolic radiolabeling demonstrated that hypophosphorylated NF-H and NF-M isoforms underwent substantially more rapid transport in situ than did extensively phosphorylated isoforms, while NF-H subunits bearing a developmentally delayed C-terminal phospho-epitope transported at a rate slower than that of total 200 kDa NF-H. Differential transport of phospho-variants also highlights that these variants are not homogeneously distributed among NFs, but are segregated to some extent among distinct, although probably overlapping, NF populations, indicating that axonal NFs are not homogeneous with respect to phosphorylation state.
How Does Free Trade Become Institutionalised? An Expected Utility Model of the Chrétien Era

This paper seeks to go beyond the question of ‘why free trade?’ and pursues issues related to the tendency for controversial free trade agreements to become institutionalised. In other words, why do opponents of free trade not mobilise to overturn it? Even more puzzling, why do opposition parties, which had opposed passage of free trade in the first place, not undo liberalisation undertaken by their predecessors upon coming to power? Rather than seek reversal, it is not uncommon for free trade opponents, upon assuming control of the government, to deepen liberalisation initiatives, hence serving to institutionalise the very policies they had decried vigorously. Seven sections make up this study. It begins with a statement of the basic puzzle and an illustration in the recent Canadian context. The second section is a theoretical discussion of opposition parties and free trade. An expected utility model, based on the limits of rent-seeking, is introduced in the third and fourth sections, to explain institutionalised free trade. The fifth section provides the background to the case at hand, that is, the evolution of free trade as a politico-economic issue in Canada. The sixth section applies the expected utility model to the superficially puzzling case of Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien's dramatic about-face on the issue of trade liberalisation after coming to power. In the final section, the contributions of the model are reviewed, along with directions for future research.
Review of the Y chromosome and hypertension

The Y chromosome from spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) has a locus that raises blood pressure 20-25 mmHg. Associated with the SHR Y chromosome effect is a 4-week earlier pubertal rise of testosterone and dependence upon the androgen receptor for the full blood pressure effect. Several indices of enhanced sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity are also associated with the SHR Y chromosome. Blockade of SNS outflow reduced the blood pressure effect. Salt sensitivity was increased by the Y chromosome as was salt appetite which was SNS dependent. A strong correlation (r = 0.57, P<0.001) was demonstrable between plasma testosterone and angiotensin II. Coronary collagen increased with blood pressure and the presence of the SHR Y chromosome. A promising candidate gene for the Y effect is the Sry locus (testis determining factor), a transcription factor which may also have other functions.
Cytoplasmic and nuclear protein synthesis in preimplantation mouse embryos.

Cytoplasmic and nuclear proteins synthesized by mouse embryos at different stages of preimplantation development were analyzed by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Several nuclear-specific proteins (i.e. proteins more abundant in the nucleus than in the cytoplasm) and numerous cytoplasmic-specific proteins were observed. The trends of changes in the nuclear and cytoplasmic protein synthesis are similar. Moderate changes occur between the unfertilized egg and the zygote. Striking changes characterized by the disappearance of numerous major oocyte-specific proteins and the appearance of a large number of new, stage-specific proteins occur between the zygote and the 4- to 8-cell stages. In contrast, between the 4- and 8-cell and early blastocyst periods, only a few new proteins appear, and a small number of oocyte-specific or other stage-specific proteins disappear. Minor differences in protein synthesis were observed between the trophoblast and inner cell mass.
Using Graphics and Simulation to Teach Statistical Concepts

Abstract The value to students of active learning has been recognized. This has led to the wide use of assignments in statistical methods courses where students use statistical software and computing equipment to analyze data. These assignments enable most students to master the mechanics of data analysis. The amount of experience that a student can get with such assignments is, however, limited. A sizable proportion of students have difficulty grasping some of the many concepts that are introduced in these courses. Nevertheless, these concepts are important for effective modeling and data analysis, and instructors should focus on them. By using current computing technology, it is possible to supplement standard data analysis assignments and algebraic derivations and have students become actively involved in the learning of important statistical concepts. The learning experience can be enhanced by giving students additional statistical “experiences” by using combinations of carefully designed and implemen...
Prediction of Fatigue Crack Growth under Variable-Amplitude and Spectrum Loading Using a Closure Model

The present paper is concerned with the application of an analytical crack-closure model in the study of crack growth under various load histories. The model was based on a concept like the Dugdale model, but modified to leave plastically deformed material in the wake of the advancing crack tip. The model was used to correlate crack growth rates under constant-amplitude loading, and to predict crack growth under variable-amplitude and aircraft-spectrum loading on 2219-T851 aluminum alloy sheet material. Predicted crack-growth lives agreed well with experimental data. For 80 crack growth tests subjected to various load histories, the ratio of predicted-to-experimental lives, N P /N T , ranged from 0.5 to 1.8. The mean value of N P /N T was 0.97 and the standard deviation was 0.27.
CAM documentation in clinical notes Towards an automated surveillance system for drug-herb interactions

Herbal dietary supplements are the most popular form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapy — they are used by over 38 million US adults. However, treatments involving dietary supplements could potentially interact with prescription medications and have a negative impact on patient outcomes. Despite safety concerns, previous studies indicate that most patients do not discuss CAM use with their physicians. In this preliminary study we set out to: (1) conduct a computer assisted chart review of notes from multiple sclerosis (MS) patients to identify the documentation level of CAM use; and (2) investigate whether any herbal supplement in the resulting list is known to have a negative interaction with prescription drugs commonly taken by MS patients. The outcomes of this study will be used to inform the design of a system to collect CAM information from both patients and physician notes and issue alerts for potential negative interactions. Five percent of the analyzed notes contained descriptions of CAM use, 63% of which were Biologically-Based Practices. The notes containing actual mentions of CAM represent a small percentage when compared with the number reported by studies that obtained their data directly from patients. These numbers indicate that the use of CAM is indeed underreported in patient notes. Among the 19 types of herbs which use was positively identified, four had moderate interactions and one had minor interactions with commonly prescribed MS medications. Our findings suggest the need to collect more accurate data on CAM use in order to provide adequate surveillance of drug-herb interactions
Microcircuitry of agranular frontal cortex: contrasting laminar connectivity between occipital and frontal areas

Neocortex is striking in its laminar architecture. Tracer studies have uncovered anatomical connectivity among laminae, but the functional connectivity between laminar compartments is still largely unknown. Such functional connectivity can be discerned through spontaneous neural correlations during rest. Previous work demonstrated a robust pattern of mesoscopic resting-state connectivity in macaque primary visual cortex (V1) through interlaminar cross-frequency coupling. Here we investigated whether this pattern generalizes to other cortical areas by comparing resting-state laminar connectivity between V1 and the supplementary eye field (SEF), a frontal area lacking a granular layer 4 (L4). Local field potentials (LFPs) were recorded with linear microelectrode arrays from all laminae of granular V1 and agranular SEF while monkeys rested in darkness. We found substantial differences in the relationship between the amplitude of gamma-band (>30 Hz) LFP and the phase of alpha-band (7–14 Hz) LFP between these areas. In V1, gamma amplitudes in L2/3 and L5 were coupled with alpha-band LFP phase in L5, as previously described. In contrast, in SEF phase-amplitude coupling was prominent within L3 and much weaker across layers. These results suggest that laminar interactions in agranular SEF are unlike those in granular V1. Thus the intrinsic functional connectivity of the cortical microcircuit does not seem to generalize across cortical areas.
Power. Systems. Engineering. Traveling Lines of Resistance in Academic Institutions

Having lived the injustices of engineering education as usual, as a first year professor I quickly became concerned with how students related to one another in my engineering thermodynamics class. At the suggestion of a friend, I picked up bell hooks’s Teaching to Transgress; this began 10 years of transforming the course using critical, feminist, and engaged pedagogies, a process that required change in content as well as approaches to teaching and learning. I teach technical material alongside its critiques. Students analyze energy flows in engines and refrigeration systems while they ponder how power constructs scientific knowledge, investigate the ethics of energy disasters at Fukushima and the BP Deepwater rig, uncover contributions to thermodynamics outside of Western Europe, and explore North-South conflicts over action on climate change. A subsequent book project hopes to encourage other thermodynamics faculty to teach modules from this course, raising a new set of questions about the potential for transformation and co-optation. Doing this work has revealed both the importance and the limitations of teaching toward social justice in a core engineering course. In this chapter I reflect upon the institutional considerations of course development, from ABET accreditation and federal funding to departmental student and faculty cultures of resistance, revealing both “how I got away with it” and what the costs and benefits have been personally and professionally.
Effects of reinforcement history on responding under progressive-ratio schedules of reinforcement.

Abstract The effects of experimental history on responding under a progressive-ratio schedule of reinforcement were examined. Sixteen pigeons were divided into four equal groups. Groups 1 to 3 were trained to peck a key for food under a fixed-ratio, variable-ratio, or differential-reinforcement-of-low-rate schedule of reinforcement. After training, these pigeons were shifted to a progressive-ratio schedule, later were shifted back to their original schedule (with decreased rates of reinforcement), and finally were returned to the progressive-ratio schedule. Pigeons in Group 4 (control) were maintained on the progressive-ratio schedule for the entire experiment. To test for potential "latent history" effects, pigeons responding under the progressive-ratio schedule were injected with d-amphetamine and given behavioral-momentum tests of prefeeding and extinction. Experimental histories affected responding in the immediate transition to the progressive-ratio schedule; response rates of pigeons with variable-ratio and fixed-ratio histories were higher than rates of pigeons with differential-reinforcement-of-low-rate and progressive-ratio-only histories. Pigeons with differential-reinforcement-of-low-rate histories, and to a lesser degree pigeons with variable-ratio and fixed-ratio histories, also had shorter postreinforcement pauses than pigeons with only a progressive-ratio history. No consistent long-term effects of prior contingencies on responding under the progressive-ratio schedule were evident. d-Amphetamine and resistance-to-change tests failed to reveal consistent latent history effects. The data suggest that history effects are sometimes transitory and not susceptible to latent influences.
Awareness of FDA-mandated cigarette packaging changes among smokers of ‘light’ cigarettes

Previous research has clearly demonstrated that smokers associate cigarette descriptors such as 'light', 'ultra-light' and 'low tar' with reduced health risks, despite evidence showing that cigarettes with these descriptor terms do not present lower health risk. In June 2010, regulations implemented by the US Food and Drug Administration went into effect to ban the use of 'light', 'mild' and 'low' on cigarette packaging. We surveyed smokers participating in human laboratory studies at our Center in Philadelphia, PA, USA shortly after the ban went into effect to determine the extent of awareness of recent cigarette packaging changes among smokers of light cigarettes. In our sample of 266 smokers, 76 reported smoking light cigarettes, but fewer than half of these smokers reported noticing changes to their cigarette packaging. Simple removal of a few misleading terms may be too subtle of a change to register with consumers of so-called 'low tar' cigarettes; more comprehensive regulation of cigarette packaging design may be necessary to gain smokers' attention and minimize misperceptions associated with tobacco pack design characteristics and color.
Marriage and the Mental Health of Low-Income Urban Women With Children

Although numerous studies of the general population show that married people tend to exhibit better mental health than their unmarried counterparts, there is little evidence to suggest that the psychological benefits of marriage extend to low-income urban women with children. Building on previous research, this study uses longitudinal survey data from the Welfare, Children, and Families project (1999, 2001) to examine the effects of marriage and related transitions on changes in psychological distress among low-income urban women with children. It also tests the mediating influence of financial hardship, social support, self-esteem, and frequency of intoxication. Although entering and exiting marriage are unrelated to changes in psychological distress, continuous marriage is associated with lower levels of psychological distress from baseline to follow-up. The mediation analysis also suggests that the apparent mental health benefits of continuous marriage are partially mediated or explained by lower level...
The thermal degradation of poly(methyl methacrylate) nanocomposites with montmorillonite, layered double hydroxides and carbon nanotubes

The thermal degradation of poly(methyl methacrylate) and its nanocomposite has been studied to determine if the presence of clays (anionic and cationic) or carbon nanotubes has an effect on the degradation pathway. Nanocomposite formation has been established by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy, thermal degradation has been investigated by cone calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and the products of degradation have been studied with TGA/FT-IR and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). There are no marked differences in the degradation products of the polymer and its nanocomposites, but the degradation of the nanocomposite occurs at higher temperatures. The most likely explanation is that poly(methyl methacrylate) degrades by only a single route, so the clay cannot promote one pathway at the expense of another. This observation bears important implications for the barrier mechanism, which is currently used to explain the reduction in the peak heat release rate of nanocomposites. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cold‐regulated gene expression and freezing tolerance in an Arabidopsis thaliana mutant

Low temperature is an important environmental factor influencing plant growth and development. In this study, we report the characterization of a genetic locus, HOS2, which is defined by three Arabidopsis thaliana mutants. The hos2-1, hos2-2 and hos2-3 mutations result in enhanced expression of RD29A and other stress genes under low temperature treatment. Gene expression in response to osmotic stress or ABA is not affected in the hos2 mutants. Genetic analysis indicates that the hos2 mutations are recessive and in a nuclear gene. Compared with the wild-type plants, the hos2-1 mutant plants are less capable of developing freezing tolerance when treated with low non-freezing temperatures. However, the hos2-1 mutation does not impair the vernalization response. These results indicate that HOS2 is a negative regulator of low temperature signal transduction important for plant cold acclimation.
Current concepts in functional gastrointestinal disorders.

Purpose of reviewFunctional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) are some of the most common and challenging disorders in pediatrics. Recurrent abdominal pain is the central feature of pain-associated FGIDs such as irritable bowel syndrome. A thorough understanding of current pathophysiological concep