cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The reproducibility of measuring the anorectal angle in defecography.

Dynamic proctography is a radiographic procedure that has become widely used in the evaluation of pelvic floor function. The anorectal angle (ARA) is one parameter which is usually quantified during this examination. To determine the accuracy with which this measurement can be made, three physicians independently measured the resting and squeezing ARAs of 22 women. The coefficient of variation and the kappa statistic were used to describe the degree of agreement among the three examiners. These analyses revealed poor agreement among examiners for all 22 patients taken as individuals, (ϰ≤0.40; mean coefficient of variation at rest=18 percent; mean coefficient during squeezing=21 percent). These results suggest that measurements of ARAs will vary among examiners for any particular patient, even though individual examiners may demonstrate consistency in recording ARA data. There is wide interobserver variation in the measurement of the ARA from lateral radiographs, making quantification an exercise of only limited clinical value.
Reliability Modeling of Compensating Module Failures in Majority Voted Redundancy

The classical reliability model for N-modular redundancy (NMR) assumes the network to be failed when a majority of modules which drive the same voter fail. It has long been known that this model is pessimistic since there are instances, termed compensating module failures, where a majority of the modules fail but the network is nonfailed. A different module reliability model based on lead reliability is proposed which has the classical NMR reliability model as a special case. Recent results from the area of test generation are employed to simplify the module reliability calculation under the lead reliability model. First a fault equivalent technique, based on functional equivalence of faults, is developed to determine the effect of compensating module failures on system reliability. This technique can increase the predicted mission time (the time the system is to operate at or above a given reliability) by at least 40 percent over the classical model prediction for simple networks. Since the fault equivalent technique is too complex for modeling of large circuits a second, computational simpler technique, based on fault dominance, is derived. It is then shown to yield results comparable to the fault equivalent technique. A more complex example circuit analyzed by the fault dominance model shows at least a 75 percent improvement in mission time due to modeling compensating module failures. A commercialy available 31 gate integrated circuit chip is also modeled to demonstrate the applicability of the technique to large circuits.
sid1, a gene initiating siderophore biosynthesis in Ustilago maydis: molecular characterization, regulation by iron, and role in phytopathogenicity.

Abstract Iron uptake in Ustilago maydis is mediated by production of extracellular hydroxamate siderophores. L-Or-nithine N5-oxygenase catalyzes hydroxylation of L-ornithine, which is the first committed step of ferrichrome and ferrichrome A biosynthesis in U. maydis. We have characterized sid1, a gene coding for this enzyme, by complementation in trans, gene disruption, and DNA sequence analysis. A comparison of genomic DNA and cDNA sequences has shown that the gene is interrupted by three introns. The putative amino acid sequence revealed similarity with Escherichia coli lysine N6-hydroxylase, which catalyzes the hydroxylation of lysine, the first step in biosynthesis of aerobactin. Two transcription initiation points have been determined, both by PCR amplification of the 5' end of the mRNA and by primer extension. A 2.3-kb transcript which accumulates in cells grown under low iron conditions was detected by Northern hybridization. A less abundant 2.7-kb transcript was observed in cells grown in iron-containing medium. By contrast, constitutive accumulation of the 2.3-kb transcript was observed in a mutant carrying a disruption of urbs1, a gene involved in regulation of siderophore biosynthesis. Analysis of the pathogenicity of mutants carrying a null allele of sid1 suggests that the biosynthetic pathway of siderophores does not play an essential role in the infection of maize by U. maydis.
Hemispherical micro-resonators from atomic layer deposition

Hemispherical shell micro-resonators may be used as gyroscopes to potentially enable precision inertial navigation and guidance at low cost and size. Such devices require a high degree of symmetry and large quality factors (Q). Fabricating the devices from atomic layer deposition (ALD) facilitates symmetry through ALD's high conformality and low surface roughness. To maximize Q, the shells' geometry is optimized using finite element method (FEM) studies to reduce thermoelastic dissipation and anchor loss. The shells are fabricated by etching hemispherical molds in Si (1 1 1) substrates with a 2:7:1 volumetric ratio of hydrofluoric:nitric:acetic acids, and conformally coating and patterning the molds with ALD Al2O3. The Al2O3 shells are then released from the surrounding Si substrate with an SF6 plasma. The resulting shells typically have radii around 50 µm and thicknesses close to 50 nm. The shells are highly symmetric, with radial deviations between 0.22 and 0.49%, and robust enough to be driven on resonance at amplitudes 10 × their thickness, sufficient to visualize the resonance mode shapes in an SEM. Resonance frequencies are around 60 kHz, with Q values between 1000 and 2000. This Q is lower than the 106 predicted by FEM, implying that Q is being limited by unmodeled sources of energy loss, most likely from surface effects or material defects.
Supervised tactical mobility behavior modeling and control of multi-agent robotic vehicles

In this paper, we have discussed technical issues regarding supervised tactical mobility modeling and control of multi- agent robotic vehicles operating in unstructured environment. An integrated Supervisory Mobility Controller (SMC) has been developed that accommodates cooperative deployment of robotic vehicles in different modes of operation. Tactical behaviors of the mobile robots are initially modeled, tested, and validated in simulation environment under FMCell robotic software and then implemented into the SMC. The controller is used for development tactical mobility schemes for a group of six small-scale intelligent autonomous robot equipped with a variety of basic navigational sensors. In this paper, we describe functional and modular architecture of the Supervisory Mobility Controller and present some of our strategies for separation of supervisory functions according to their complexity, precedence, and intelligence. Furthermore, we have discussed intelligent schemes for supervised maneuverability control of our cooperative robotic vehicles. Some examples demonstrating practical applications of the newly developed techniques for military UGV's applications have been presented.
Structural characterization of the monolayer-multilayer transition in a pulmonary surfactant model: IR studies of films transferred at continuously varying surface pressures.

The four-component system acyl chain perdeuterated 1,2-dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC)/1,2-dipalmitoylphosphatidylglycerol/ (DPPG)/pulmonary surfactant protein SP-C/cholesterol provides a useful model for in vitro biophysical studies of the reversible monolayer to multilayer transition that occurs during compression ↔ expansion cycles in the lung. Monolayer films of this mixture (with chain perdeuterated DPPC-d62) at the air/water interface have been transferred to solid substrates under conditions of continuously varying surface pressure, an approach termed COVASP (continuously varying surface pressures) (Langmuir 2007, 23, 4958). The thermodynamic properties of the Langmuir films have been examined with pressure−area isotherms, while the molecular properties of the film constituents in the transferred films in the monolayer and multilayer phases have been examined with IR spectroscopy. Quantitative intensity measurements of the DPPC-d62, DPPG, and SP-C components in each phase reveal that the DPPG...
Pathophysiology of middle ear epithelium: A new role for prostaglandin E2

Abstract Introduction: Otitis media with effusion is a disease of the middle ear epithelium resulting from a decreased sol layer as well as increased mucus secretion and plasma-derived protein transudation, which causes mucus plugging. Because the epithelium keeps the middle ear cavities fluid-free and air-filled, we investigated its fluid transport capacities, which may be involved in both efficiency of the mucociliary clearance and drying-out of the posterior ear cavities (Yen PT et al: Acta Otolaryngol (Stockh) 113, 1993). We have established the absorptive capacity of middle ear epithelial cells in primary culture (Herman P, et al: Am J Physiol 262, 1992). However, the paucity of cells obtained by enzymatic digestion led us to develop a new model for further investigation of middle ear epithelial cell. Methods: We established a middle ear cell line (MESV) using simian virus 40 (SV40) infection of middle ear epithelial cells from the Mongolian gerbil. Results: Investigation of the transport processes using the short-circuit current technique showed that MESV cells retain most characteristics of the original middle ear epithelial cells. Transepithelial sodium transport from the apical to the basal side was responsible for the transepithelial lumen-negative potential difference. Conclusion: The presence of high concentrations of prostaglandin E2 in the middle ear effusions has been documented. This work investigates the effect of prostglandin E2 on the rate of transepithelial ion transport of MESV cells. Prostaglandin E2 increased the rate of electrogenic sodium transport by means of increase in the intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) content. Such a modulation of sodium transport in the course of otitis media could be responsible for the reduced periciliary sol layer that impairs the mucociliary clearance.
The effect of task conditions on the comprehensibility of synthetic speech

A study was conducted with 78 subjects to evaluate the comprehensibility of synthetic speech for various tasks ranging from short, simple e-mail messages to longer news articles on mostly obscure topics. Comprehension accuracy for each subject was measured for synthetic speech and for recorded human speech. Half the subjects were allowed to take notes while listening, the other half were not. Findings show that there was no significant difference in comprehension of synthetic speech among the five different text-to-speech engines used. Those subjects that did not take notes performed significantly worse for all synthetic voice tasks when compared to recorded speech tasks. Performance for synthetic speech in the non note-taking condition degraded as the task got longer and more complex. When taking notes, subjects also did significantly worse within the synthetic voice condition averaged across all six tasks. However, average performance scores for the last three tasks in this condition show comparable results for human and synthetic speech, reflective of a training effect.
Ontogeny and evolution of salinity tolerance in anadromous salmonids: Hormones and heterochrony

Use of estuaries and oceans by salmonids varies greatly, from no use in nonanadromous species, to movement toward the sea soon after hatching and emergence in some Pacific salmon. This variation is accompanied by large differences in the ontogeny of salinity tolerance among salmonids. Some species acquire increased salinity tolerance early in development, whereas others develop this characteristic much later, indicating there is a heterochrony (change in timing) in the development of salinity tolerance in salmonids. The basic physiological mechanisms for ion regulation in seawater (such as increased gill chloride cells, gill Na+,K+-ATPase activity, membrane permeability, and drinking rate) are common to all salmonids. What determines the differences in salinity tolerance among the salmonids is not the basic mechanisms for salt secretion but the environmental and ontogenetic control of these mechanisms. In salmonids such as pink and chum salmon that enter seawater soon after emergence, acclimation to seawater may be controlled largely by internal (ontogenetic) information. In smolting salmonids that acquire increased salinity tolerance 1–2 yr after hatching, photoperiod is the dominant environmental cue. In nonsmolting species that migrate 2–3 yr after hatching, salinity itself may be the primary stimulus for salt secretory mechanisms. Physiological changes triggered by developmental and environmental cues are mediated by endocrine factors. Treatments with cortisol, growth hormone, and insulin-like growth factor I have been shown to increase seawater tolerance of salmonids, whereas prolactin is inhibitory. Differences in developmental patterns of endocrine activity (such as secretion, binding proteins, and receptors) are hypothesized to be responsible for the differences in timing (heterochrony) of increased salinity tolerance among and within salmonid species.
Analysis of estradiol-independent and -dependent endogenous opioid peptide suppression of pulsatile LH release between the mornings of diestrus 2 and proestrus in the rat estrous cycle.

Abstract The aim of this study was to analyze possible estradiol (E 2 )-independent and -dependent endogenous opioid peptide (EOP) suppression of pulsatile LH release between the mornings of diestrus 2 (D2) and proestrus by examining the LH response to naloxone infusions in the presence or absence of proestrous levels of E 2 . Pulsatile LH secretion remained unchanged between D2 and proestrus but mean blood LH levels, pulse amplitude and frequency increased within 24 hr following ovariectomy on D2. This increase was due in large part to the loss of E 2 negative feedback, since restoration of physiological proestrous E 2 levels returned LH pulse frequency to proestrous a.m. levels and greatly reduced pulse amplitude. In ovariectomized rats lacking E 2 negative feedback, continuous infusion of the EOP receptor antagonist naloxone (0.5 and 2 mg/kg/hr) caused a further increase in pulse amplitude and frequency. This naloxone-induced increment in pulsatile LH release was exerted via centrally located EOP receptors since naloxone did not alter pituitary responsiveness to LHRH, and its stimulatory action on pulsatile release was diminished by simultaneous infusion with morphine. Naloxone also increased pulsatile LH release in E 2 -treated animals. The naloxone-induced increments in LH pulse amplitude were the same in the presence or absence of E 2 negative feedback. Moreover, the increments in amplitude produced by naloxone in E 2 -treated rats were significantly less than those resulting from the combination of ovariectomy plus naloxone infusion in empty capsule-implanted rats. These data indicated that naloxone infusion in E 2 -implanted animals blocked an E 2 -independent EOP suppression of this parameter of pulsatile release. In contrast, with both naloxone doses tested, there was a trend for naloxone-induced increments in pulse frequency to be larger in ovariectomized rats previously implanted with E 2 rather than empty capsules. Although these differences were not statistically significant, the naloxone-induced increments in pulse frequency in E 2 -treated rats (unlike those in pulse amplitude) were large enough so that they were also significantly different from the overall increases in pulse frequency caused by the combination of ovarian steroid removal coupled with blockade of EOP receptors during naloxone infusion in empty capsule-implanted animals. This raises the possibility that naloxone infusions in E 2 -treated rats compromised both an E 2 -independent EOP suppression of pulse frequency and a small, E 2 -dependent component as well. Overall, the data demonstrate that between the mornings of D2 and proestrus, EOPs act independent of E 2 to suppress both LH pulse amplitude and frequency, and the negative feedback of E 2 on LH pulse amplitude is not mediated by EOPs whose receptors are antagonized by naloxone. The data also suggest the possibility that E 2 suppression of pulse frequency may be mediated, at least in part, by EOPs.
Growth characteristics of primary cultures of stromal cells from human endometrium

Abstract The growth rate of stromal cells derived from 23 specimens of human endometrial tissue taken at various phases of the cycle was measured during the first seven days of primary culture. The stromal cells were found to differ radically in their ability to grow in culture according to the phase of the cycle at which the tissue was obtained. Early and mid proliferative stromal cells were capable of proliferation but that capacity was lost in late proliferative tissue. Growth at significant rates reappeared at days 21–22 and persisted in cells from late secretory tissue. Following plating, a 2–4 day lag period preceded proliferation of all but the most rapidly growing cultures. Subcultures showed a shorter lag period and faster maximal growth rate than the primary cultures from which they were derived. Estradiol, 10 −9 M. inhibited stromal cell growth in primary culture and this effect was prevented by 10 −8 M progesterone. These observations indicate that proliferative characteristics of stromal cells in primary culture are strongly influenced by the hormonal environment of the endometrium at the time of biopsy.
N-Acetylcysteine for the Prevention of Contrast-induced Nephropathy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE: Contrast-induced nephropathy is a common cause of acute renal failure in hospitalized patients. Although patients are often given N-acetylcysteine to prevent renal injury from contrast agents, there are no clear guidelines supporting its use. We conducted a systematic review to determine whether administering N-acetylcysteine around the time of contrast administration reduces the risk of contrast-induced nephropathy.
Opening plugged tympanostomy tubes: effect of biofilm formation.

OBJECTIVES: To determine if the presence of a bacterial biofilm impacts the rate of clearing of mucoid plugs from tympanostomy tubes (TTs).STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Ex vivo model. Stainless steel Reuter Bobbin TTs (n = 18) were placed in growth medium with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Streptococcus pneumoniae for 12 days to promote biofilm formation. Tympanostomy tubes (n = 18) placed in growth medium, without bacteria, for 12 days served as controls. Biofilm formation was assessed by scanning electron microscopy. All TTs were filled with middle ear mucus and allowed to dry, thereby forming a plug. TTs were placed in a model ear chamber, covered with ofloxacin otic solution, and the time to clear each plug was recorded.RESULTS: Biofilm formation was consistently encountered on TTs exposed to bacteria but in no TTs in the control group. There was a significant effect of the biofilm on plug clearance, favoring TTs without a biofilm (P = 0.0333). Although there was no significant difference in the proportion o...
7-Sulfonamido-3-benzazepines as potent and selective 5-HT2C receptor agonists: Hit-to-lead optimization

New 7-sulfonamido-3-benzazepines 3 are disclosed as 5-HT(2C) receptor agonists. Appropriate substitution of the amino group (R(1)R(2)N-) gave compounds that were potent 5-HT(2C) agonists with minimal activation of the 5-HT(2A) and 5-HT(2B) receptors. Furthermore, representative examples had excellent in vitro ADME properties and good selectivity over ion channel activity.
Polymorphism and linkage for mannosephosphate isomerase in Mus musculus

Electrophoretic variants of the enzyme mannosephosphate isomerase (E.C. 5.3.1.8) (MPI) have been discovered in the mouse. The MPI-IA phenotype was found in Mus castaneus and in the inbred strain MA/J of Mus musculus. Other inbred strains of Mus musculus examined possessed the MPI-1B phenotype. Genetic studies show that the MPI variants segregate as codominant alleles of a single autosomal locus, designated Mpi-1 in linkage group II. The gene order Mod-1-d-Mpi-1 has been established. Human and murine forms of MPI differ and can be detected in in vitro fibroblasts and somatic cell hybrid populations.
Theoretical optimum design of a low frequency, small size, band-pass electronic filter

Abstract An optimum small size, low frequency, narrow band-pass filter amplifier is theoretically designed for the purpose of improving the signal-to-noise ratio of infrared radiation detectors. Optimum design is based on maximum sharpness for minimum physical size. The filter is designed to be comparable to a miniature correlator, previously developed for the same purpose both in physical size and in noise elimination effectiveness. Optimum design curves of filter component values as a function of a normalized design time constant have been prepared. The theoretical effectiveness of the filter in eliminating noise is presented graphically and compared to similar correlator performance data.
Hellenism, Hebraism, and the Eugenics of Culture in E.M. Forster's Howards End

Seth Jacobowitz, in his paper "Hellenism, Hebraism, and the Eugenics of Culture in E.M. Forster's Howards End," explores how the culturalist principles of Hellenism and Hebraism theorized by Matthew Arnold as the basis of Englishness in Culture and Anarchy (1869) were incorporated into the text of E.M. Forster's Howards End (1910) to show the close institutional and conceptual linkages Forster shared with Arnold. Further, Jacobowitz seeks to bring Howards End into dialog with Forster's only major work of science fiction, The Machine Stops (1928), to address their mutual themes of eugenics, the racialization of class difference, and concerns over the burgeoning advances in industrial technology that threatened to reshape both English identity and landscape. If Howards End is already deeply preoccupied with the encroachment of modernity upon the blood and soil rooted in the English countryside, The Machine Stops present an apocalyptic vision where these ties have been all but eradicated. Working back from this cautionary tale written between the wars, and supported by our knowledge of their genocidal outcome, the implications of the rural retreat and Arnoldian cultural schema in Howards End become all the more historically incisive. Seth Jacobowitz, "Hellenism, Hebraism, and the Eugenics of Culture in E.M. Forster's Howards End" page 2 of 10 CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture 6.4 (2004):
The FASTBUS Segment Extension as a Crate Coupling Concept

The Segment Extension is a recent development in FASTBUS hardware that will require changes in the controlling software now being written for physics data acquisition systems. Applications involving the Segment Extension include the logical expansion of the front-end instrumentation crates holding electronics for the hundreds of particle detector channels planned for LEP experiments at CERN, the SLC experiments at SLAC, and CDF experiments at FERMILAB. This paper discusses the characteristics of the Segment Extension and the FASTBUS system-software requirements and hardware requirements imposed by the device.
Batak tape cassette kinship: constructing kinship through the Indonesian national mass media

As Leach noted in Political Systems of Highland Burma, Southeast Asia's Kachintype kinship systems (with asymmetrical marriage alliance between wife-givers and their indebted wife-receivers) tend to be constructed in interaction with neighboring cultures. This paper examines one contemporary example of that for Sumatra's Angkola Batak. Focusing on the way national communication media shape local kinship ideas (and foster notions of “culture” and “kinship”), commercially produced Angkola tape dramas on family themes are examined as art forms providing Angkola with new images of human relationship. [kinship, Indonesia, orality and literacy, mass media, asymmetrical alliance]
High-temperature transport and defect studies of quadruple perovskites: La2Ba2Cu2Sn2O11, Eu2Ba2Cu2Ti2O11, and La2Ba2Cu2Ti2O11

High temperature electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient measurements were performed on the quadruple perovskites La2Ba2Cu2Sn2O11, Eu2Ba2Cu2Ti2O11, and La2Ba2Cu2Ti2O11. A transition from n- to p-type semiconductivity is observed for La2Ba2Cu2Sn2O11 as a function of oxygen partial pressure. However, both electrons and holes contribute to the electrical properties over the entire range of experimental conditions. Both Eu2Ba2Cu2Ti2O11 and La2Ba2Cu2Ti2O11 display p-type extrinsic semiconductivity at high oxygen partial pressures and low temperatures. A transition to lightly doped p-type, intrinsic semiconductivity occurs at low oxygen partial pressures and high temperatures. Combined conductivity and thermopower (Jonker) analysis was employed to elucidate the defect structure and the conduction parameters in these compounds. The similarity of these materials to high-Tc cuprates is discussed.
What Comparative Psychology is about

Comparative (or zoological) psychology is concerned with the genesis (evolution and development), control, and consequences of a broad range of behavioral patterns. It emerged during the late 19th century with the concerns of Darwin, Romanes, Spalding, and others who studied the evolution of human minds and instincts. However, it has developed a functional autonomy. Comparative psychology deserves a place in the undergraduate curriculum for historical reasons and because modern comparative psychology provides a breadth of perspective on behavior unmatched elsewhere in psychology.
Kinetics of phase transformations in SiAlON ceramics: I. effects of cation size, composition and temperature

Abstract Kinetics of direct α / β -Si 3 N 4 → α -SiAlON transformations, reverse α ′-SiAlON→ β ′-SiAlON transformation, and the formation of intermediate phases were investigated for SiAlON ceramics with rare earth stabilizing cations. It was determined that smaller cations (Yb), and α -Si 3 N 4 starting powders lead to faster Si 3 N 4 → α ′-SiAlON transformations. Using the knowledge of phase stability of α ′-SiAlON, these observations have been correlated to the overall driving force for the transformation, and the correlation is further extended to the reverse α ′-SiAlON→ β ′-SiAlON transformation. Formation of intermediate phases during Si 3 N 4 → α ′-SiAlON transformation is shown to depend on the α ′-SiAlON formation and to be inversely correlated to the stability of α ′-SiAlON. A thermodynamic interpretation thus emerges to account for the kinetics of SiAlON transformation that encompass the effects of the size of the stabilizing cations, type of starting powder, overall composition, and the reaction temperature.
The role of the N-terminus of mammalian copper transporter 1 in the cellular accumulation of cisplatin

The mammalian copper transporter 1 (CTR1) is responsible for the uptake of copper (Cu) from the extracellular space, and has been shown to play a major role in the initial accumulation of platinum-based drugs. In this study we re-expressed wild type and structural variants of hCTR1 in mouse embryo fibroblasts in which both alleles of mCTR1 had been knocked out (CTR1(-/-)) to examine the role of the N-terminal extracellular domain of hCTR1 in the accumulation of cisplatin (cDDP). Deletion of either the first 45 amino acids or just the (40)MXXM(45) motif in the N-terminal domain did not alter subcellular distribution or the amount of protein in the plasma membrane but it eliminated the ability of hCTR1 to mediate the uptake of Cu. In contrast it only partially reduced cDDP transport capacity. Neither of these structural changes prevented cDDP from triggering the rapid degradation of hCTR1. However, they did alter the potency of the cDDP that achieved cell entry, possibly reflecting the fact that hCTR1 may mediate the transport of cDDP both through the pore it forms in the plasma membrane and via endocytosis. We conclude that cDDP interacts with hCTR1 both at (40)MXXM(45) and at sites outside the N-terminal domain that produce the conformational changes that trigger degradation.
Restoration of pseudo-self-compatibility (PSC) in derivatives of a high-PSC × no-PSC cross in Nemesia strumosa Benth.

Mean PSC increased following each generation of recurrent selection in F1, F2 and F3Nemesia strumosa families derived from a cross of a 100% PSC plant to an unrelated 0% PSC plant. The first 100% PSC individuals occurred in the F4. Populations derived through sib pollination tended to have higher PSC means than lines derived through self pollination. One F3 family showed a three-fold higher PSC level when pollinated in the green-house than when pollinated in the growth chamber, while another F3 family similarly pollinated showed no change in PSC.
The duality of angiogenesis: implications for therapy of human disease

Angiogenesis, the development of a microvasculature to a neoplastic, inflammatory, or infectious disease process, is a promising therapeutic target for disease therapy that has not been fully exploited. To further understand angiogenesis and its potential for therapy of dermatologic disorders, one must understand the many dualities of pathologic angiogenesis. These dualities are direct versus indirect angiogenesis inhibition, the differing origins of endothelial cells, which may arise either locally or through bone marrow stem cells, and regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) by hypoxia-dependent and/or independent pathways. The future development of therapy directed at pathologic angiogenesis is dependent upon an understanding of the factors that regulate angiogenesis. The presence of both direct and indirect inhibition of angiogenesis, the multiple sources of endothelial cells, and the regulation of VEGF by hypoxia-independent and/or-dependent pathways must taken into consideration if the promise of effective therapy of human disease is to be realized.
A multiplex PCR assay to distinguish among three sympatric marsupial taxa from Huon Peninsula, Papua New Guinea, using the mitochondrial control region.

Matschie’s tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus matschiei) is an endangered arboreal macropodid marsupial that is difficult to locate in the wild. The Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program noninvasively collected D. matschiei faecal samples, but a high percentage of samples were misidentified and belonged to two terrestrial macropods, New Guinea pademelon (Thylogale browni) and small dorcopsis (Dorcopsulus vanheurni). We developed species-specific primers that produced a unique sized mitochondrial DNA control region gene product for each taxon and achieved an 89% correct assignment rate. The species-specific primers can increase the accuracy of D. matschiei density estimates and facilitate additional genetic analyses of wild D. matschiei.
Structural Health Monitoring and Reliability Estimation: Long Span Truss Bridge Application With Environmental Monitoring Data

The main objective of this study is to present the reliability estimation studies for the main truss components as well as the entire structural system of a long span truss bridge which is the longest in its category in the USA. It is possible to assess the safety level of a long span bridge by using a probabilistic approach in terms of its component and system reliability indices. However, most of the older long span bridges were designed based on allowable stress design and it is not possible to quantify their reliability. The reliability analysis in this study is based on the distributions estimated for dead, live and wind loads. The bridge was also subjected to long term structural health monitoring where large amount of input and response data have been collected. Analysis of the long term monitoring data revealed distinct structural behavior in terms of patterns and magnitudes under various external loading effects. As an example, it is shown that the structural responses due to temperature are not very easy to conceptualize and subsequently model using conventional analysis methods. In order to explore the effects of temperature on the structure and to include the long term monitoring data in reliability estimation, temperature-induced responses are also incorporated in the analysis. It is seen that the responses due to temperature have a significant effect on the overall system reliability.
THE COMPARATIVE AND DEVELOPMENTAL MORPHOLOGY OF THE ROOT SYSTEM OF SELAGINELLA SELAGINOIDES (L.) LINK

All of the roots of Selaginella selaginoides are attached laterally to the base of the shoot, which has monopolar growth as is characteristic of Selaginella. The first three roots are produced by meristematic activity in the cortex of the hypocotyl as in several other species of Selaginella. The fourth root is produced in the same way as the first three, except that not all of the cortical cells which become meristematic mature into root tissue. Some of the meristematic tissue remains undifferentiated and continues to produce additional roots. Potentially an unlimited number of roots could be produced, but no plant was found to have more than eight. There is some secondary growth in the cortex of the basal swelling on the hypocotyl, but no secondary vascular tissue is produced and no cambium of any sort is ever organized. On the basis of comparisons with other living species of Selaginella, the centralized root system of S. selaginoides is interpreted as having been modified from a noncentralized type of root system by the persistence of the juvenile mode of root production. THE PLANT BODY of Selaginella selaginoides is organized basically like that of the other species of Selaginella in that the shoot undergoes an initial equal dichotomy and then an indefinite number of unequal dichotomies. In species other than S. selaginoides the long arms of the unequal dichotomies typically have indeterminant growth, whereas the short arms are determinant. This relationship results in a rhizomatous or frondose habit. In S. selaginoides, however, the long arms of the dichotomies have determinant growth and do not branch, but the short arms continue to branch
Evolving paradigm for fab revenue optimization

Historically for semiconductor processing, defects have been considered in a separate class as yield detractors and significant effort goes into detection, analysis and monitoring of defects. With the increase in complexity of nano technologies, defects now become a competent comprising only part of the overall picture of yield, or more importantly, of revenue. Given the acceleration decrease in feature sizes, there is a corresponding shift from emphasis on random defectivity to both systematical defectivity as well as parametric integrity. With the view that yield loss should be generalized to revenue loss of any type, it can then be understood that the notion of process monitoring generalizes to not just defect count, but also to be broader set of characteristic including device parameters. In this regards, the tool set for monitoring the process needs to be generalized to also include systematic and parametric inspection system. The model is that an inspection tool plus an associated algorithm is required for monitoring the variance in all critical elements. The fab must then optimize the set of tools and algorithms. Including integrated metrology tools in this optimization generalizes the revenue model further, but adds significant revenue enhancement opportunities. The issue and tradeoffs imply that the fabs must consider the full characterization needs in order to determine the proper mix of monitoring tools and algorithms.© (2002) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Another reason for opening access to research

The idea of open access—that scholarly literature should be “digital, online, free of charge, and free of most copyright and licensing restrictions”—has made significant inroads into scientific and technical publishing.1 #### Summary points Much of the debate about open access has focused on the principle of access for scientists (as well as the economics of such a change in the distribution of articles). There is a second principle to consider: the full power of new technological approaches such as text mining, collaborative filtering, and semantic indexing, are not resulting in powerful new public resources. Despite real success in the open access movement, most scholarly research is unavailable, either for study or for processing by software. According to the Budapest open access initiative, “There are many degrees and kinds of wider and easier access to this literature. By ‘open access' to this literature, we mean its free availability on the public internet, permitting any users to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of these articles, crawl them for indexing, pass them as data to software, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without financial, legal, or technical barriers other than those inseparable from gaining access to the internet itself. The only constraint on reproduction and distribution, and the only role for copyright in this domain, should be to give authors control over the …
Contortrostatin, a Homodimeric Snake Venom Disintegrin, Is a Potent Inhibitor of Osteoclast Attachment†

Disintegrins are small disulfide-rich proteins containing an Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) sequence near their carboxyl terminus. These polypeptides inhibit binding of adhesion molecules to their receptors (integrins) on the surface of cells. Osteoclasts express integrins, heterodimeric cell surface adhesion receptors, that have been shown to be involved in interactions with the extracellular matrix (ECM), including attachment to bone and bone resorption. It has recently been shown that disintegrins effectively inhibit attachment of osteoclasts to components of the ECM and also disrupt osteoclast-mediated bone resorption. Here we characterize the effects of contortrostatin (CTS), a novel homodimeric snake venom disintegrin, on osteoclast attachment. Plastic dishes coated with CTS were able to support osteoclast attachment with a high affinity (EC50,CTS = 86 +/- 6.7 nM) similar to that of vitronectin (VTN; EC50,VTN = 80 +/- 20 nM). Further, CTS was observed to inhibit completely osteoclast attachment to fetal bovine serum (FBS; IC50,FBS = 0.36 +/- 0.04 nM) and VTN (IC50,VTN = 0.85 +/- 0.13 nM). We used monoclonal antibodies directed against the beta1 (monoclonal antibody [MAb] CD29) and beta3 (MAb F11) integrin subunits to explore the mechanism of osteoclast attachment to immobilized CTS. Only MAb F11 inhibited attachment to immobilized CTS (IC50 = 0.41 +/- 0.12 microg/ml), suggesting that binding to CTS is mediated in part by a beta3 integrin, presumably the alpha(v)beta3 VTN receptor. In further support of an integrin-mediated mechanism, binding of osteoclasts to CTS is inhibited by the RGD peptide, GRGDSP. CTS was also more potent (IC50,FBS = 0.36 +/- 0.04 nM) at inhibiting osteoclast attachment to FBS-coated wells than the monomeric snake venom disintegrin echistatin (IC50,FBS = 8.9 +/- 1.5 nM) or VTN (IC50FBS = 97.5 +/- 25.5 nM). Taken together, these data suggest that the snake venom disintegrin CTS is a potent inhibitor of beta3 integrin-mediated osteoclast attachment, presumably involving the VTN receptor (an alpha[v]beta3 integrin). Further studies of the mechanism of CTS-osteoclast interactions may aid in the design of peptide mimetics to act as antiresorptive agents for the treatment of osteoporosis and other skeletal pathology.
Treatment of Aggressive ADHD in Children and Adolescents: Conceptualization and Treatment of Comorbid Behavior Disorders

AbstractPrimary care physicians who treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may expect to encounter oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) in about half of patients with ADHD. Up to 20% of patients with ADHD may meet criteria for conduct disorder (CD), and a higher percentage will exhibit aggressiveness or other symptoms of CD without meeting full diagnostic criteria. Primary care physicians self-report more competence in managing ADHD alone than when it is accompanied by comorbid ODD or CD, even though the diagnostic and treatment considerations are similar. The empirical literature on normal and antisocial behavioral development provides insight into understanding how patients with comorbid disruptive behavior may differ from those with uncomplicated ADHD. Primary care physicians who are competent to diagnosis and treat ADHD may develop similar competence in managing patients with ADHD plus oppositional and/or aggressive behavior and, if allied with colleagues who provide specialized psychoso...
“We have never known what death was before” U.S. history textbooks and the Civil War

Abstract Textbooks are a significant element of the social studies curriculum and teacher pedagogical choice ( Apple, 2004 , Apple and Christian-Smith, 1991 ). Students' views of American history are dramatically affected by the textbook narratives to which they are exposed, and teachers often tilt their curricular choices based on the textbooks available to them ( Luke, 2006 Schug, Western & Enochs, 1997 ). The history of our nation's armed conflicts is often presented, through our textbooks and our pedagogy, as a history of reluctant violence, which promotes a particular moral agenda that exerts control over our students' future beliefs and decisions. This is particularly important with regard to our textbook depictions of the U.S. Civil War, which holds a curricular status as a necessary and moral conflict. This study examines the manner in which U.S. history textbooks present the U.S. Civil War, as compared to relevant historiography, and presents recommendations for how teachers may approach the moral realities of war with their students.
Mesocyclone Evolution Associated with Varying Shear Profiles during the 24 June 2003 Tornado Outbreak

AbstractThe morphology of mesocyclones associated with the regional tornado outbreak on 24 June 2003 is examined to illustrate the effects of changing vertical wind profiles. The large-scale environment supported deep moist convection, with forcing for ascent and convective instability. Postevent analysis indicated there were changes in the shear in space and time across a small geographical area. The event was separated into sectors based on both the synoptic setting and the differing shear profiles. Near the surface warm front, the vertical wind profile and mesocyclone evolution exhibited a classic appearance and produced significant tornadoes. In the warm sector, where no discernible surface boundaries were evident, classic supercells initially were favored but only produced short-lived tornadoes rated as F0 on the Fujita scale. The vertical wind profile changed as a low-level jet intensified after 0000 UTC 25 June. The majority of the vertical wind shear became located below 3 km. Meanwhile, mesocyclo...
Coherent phonon and electron spectroscopy on surfaces using time-resolved second-harmonic generation

(ω)Eprobe*(ω)|Eprobe(ω)|2. This is much easier to detect than transient grating, photon echo, or four-wave mixing schemes that use higher-order nonlinearities. We have applied this technique to measure the energy gap and dephasing time of the dangling bond interband transition on the GaAs(110)-relaxed (1×1) surface. Surface-carrier/surface-phonon interaction plays an important and perhaps dominant role in surface carrier dephasing consistent with the larger electron-phonon coupling on the surface compared to the bulk.
Olfactory-induced muscle potentials inDendroctonus frontalis: Effects of trans-verbenol and verbenone

Potentials from antennal muscle movement induced by stimulation with the pheromone frontalin were recorded simultaneously with the electroantennogram (EAG) fromDendroctonus frontalis. The beetle-produced pheromones verbenone and trans-verbenol were found to decrease the muscle potential activity elicited by frontalin.
Political parties and party systems in Africa's illiberal democracies

The article attempts to capture some of the recent trends in Africa since the introduction of multiparty politics. It describes some key features of Africa's fledgling democracies and examines critically the notion of a growing trend of ‘illiberal’ or pseudo‐democracy in Africa. The article goes on to analyse central characteristics of the political parties in these countries, and discuss the types of political parties currently contesting elections in Africa. It examines the emergence of several distinct party systems in the region by analysing the number of parties represented in the legislature, the degree of polarisation, and the patterns of party competition. The article concludes by speculating on the prospects for democratic consolidation in these African countries given the functions that their political parties perform.
Fabrication of Magnetically Graded Material by Rolling Deformation of Wedge-shaped 304 Stainless Steel

This paper reports a technique that fabricates a magnetically graded material in which the saturation magnetization varies linearly as a function of distance. An initially wedge-shaped 304 stainless steel was rolled into a rectangular cross section. The saturation magnetization curve as a function of rolling ratio has a positive curvature. Since the rolling ratio distribution showed a negative curvature, it was possible to achieve a nearly linear magnetic gradient along the specimen. Furthermore, it was found that the hardness also varied gradually in the deformed specimen, suggesting that the technique presented in this work can fabricate a functionally graded material not only in magnetic properties but also in mechanical properties.
Picturing the homeland: geography and national identity in late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Iran

Abstract In recent years, there has been a growing interest in geography as an ideologically loaded discourse about the world and its inhabitants which has operated both within and beyond educational institutions. Particular attention has been paid to the complex relationships between geography and imperialism, militarism and nationalism. For the most part, these studies have focused on the development of a western geographical imagination in Europe and North America. This article considers the development of geography in Iran during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and charts some of the connections between this new spatial sensibility and an emerging Iranian nationalism. Based on rare and hitherto unexplored nineteenth-century Persian sources, including several newspaper images, this article examines the importance which Iranian statesmen and diplomats in the service of the Qajar dynasty attached to geography and to geographical reasoning in their attempts to protect their authority from external threats. The forms of Iranian geography which developed in this period sustained various myths and legends about Persia's historic importance and reflected both external, western ideas and concepts as well as indigenous, Persian traditions. Forged in a context of acute vulnerability to «Great Power» incursions, Iranian nationalism and Iranian geography both represented an intermingling of external, western and internal, non-western ideas.