cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The stochastic implications of rent maximization: an application to stumpage rates for timber in British Columbia

We construct a model of rent-maximizing behaviour by a single seller of timber in the absence of a formal market, deriving the stochastic implications of rent maximization for timber prices (stumpage rates) when other input and output (lumber) prices are random. Subsequently, we examine the model's ability to describe monthly, time-series, stumpage-rate data from British Columbia, Canada between January 1979 and October 1999. Deviations of stumpage rates from their long-run trend are also structured by an error-correction model which suggests that between 13 and 20% of period-to-period changes in stumpage rates can be explained by an equilibrium adjustment term. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Incorporating team-based learning in a drug information course covering tertiary literature

Abstract Teaching tertiary literature in a drug information class can be uninteresting to students so a new innovative teaching technique was incorporated—team-based learning (TBL). After two years of using TBL, the grades for tertiary literature were compared with the two previous years when standard lectures were used. Because this technique reinforces the subject matter by having each student take an individual test and then a team test, the increased scores emphasized TBL over standard lecturing. For the two years before incorporating TBL, the average score was 81%, whereas the subsequent average was 90%. Students particularly liked to physically look up answers using the databases provided, which resembled real life experience. Times to set up the technique as well as finding adequate physical space for teams to collaborate were study limitations. Overall, TBL provided a new method for students to understand tertiary literature.
Role of Hsp90- and Hsp70-chaperones in regulation of neuronal NO-synthase ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation

The metabolism-based inactivation of neuronal NO-synthase (nNOS) leads to the covalent alteration of the nNOS heme active site and proteasomal degradation of the inactivated nNOS. The mechanism of how the inactivated nNOS is selectively culled for degradation is not known. We have previously shown that nNOS turnover is regulated by Hsp70/CHIP (C-terminus of Hsp70-interacting protein)-dependent ubiquitination. We now show that xenobiotic-inactivated nNOS is selectively ubiquitinated by CHIP in an in vitro system containing purified proteins. Hsp70 facilitates the ubiquitination while Hsp90 protects nNOS from ubiquitination. A C331A mutant of nNOS, which was previously characterized by Dr. Masters’s lab as having an altered active site conformation, is labilized for Hsp70/CHIP-dependent ubiquitination. The slowly reversible inhibitor, NG-nitro- l -arginine (NNA), but not the D-isomer of NNA, protects the C331A and wild type nNOS from ubiquitination in in vitro systems as well as in intact cells. More recently, we found that NNA decreases binding of Hsp70 and CHIP to nNOS. Studies where the oxygenase and reductase domains of nNOS were expressed in HEK293 cells show that Hsp70 and Hsp90 recognize the oxygenase domain. Thus, conformational changes about the heme active site appear to be recognized by chaperones, which then direct the CHIP-dependent ubiquitination. In that clefts are important topological features in nearly all proteins, the ability to detect these conformational changes maybe a mechanism for maintaining nNOS protein quality through chaperones, as well as play an important role in the chaperone-facilitated insertion of heme into the active site cleft of apo-nNOS (Supported by NIH GM077430).
Clonidine Use and Abuse Among Methadone Program Applicants and Patients

Forty-eight consecutive applicants and 30 known clonidine-abusing methadone patients at three methadone treatment programs were surveyed regarding their use of clonidine. Two distinct patterns of clonidine use emerged. Of 22 applicants who took clonidine illicitly, 15 used it primarily to decrease opioid withdrawal, as well as for its sedating effect. Applicants mostly obtained it from physicians, used an average dose of 0.37 mg at a time, and about one third believed clonidine to be addictive. In contrast, clonidine-using patients took clonidine primarily for its psychoactive effects, including the interaction with methadone, in addition to decreasing opioid withdrawal. Patients obtained clonidine frequently on the street and from family or friends, but less from physicians. The average reported dose for patients was 0.6 mg. The vast majority of these patients felt clonidine was addictive. Our findings, when coupled with the risk inherent in clonidine overdose, suggest that further research into the identification and treatment of clonidine abuse among methadone patients is warranted.
Effective Classical Partition Functions

We present a method by which a quantum-mechanical partition function can be approximated from below by an effective classical partition function. The associated potential is obtained by a simple smearing procedure. For a strongly anharmonic oscillator and a double-well potential, the lowest approximation gives a free energy which is accurate to a few percent, even at zero temperature.
Thermal Contact Conductance of Adhesives for Microelectronic Systems

Adhesives, which are often used to attach a silicon device to a heat spreader or ceramic substrate, generally increase the heat transfer across the material junction and improve the thermal contact conductance. This investigation evaluated the effect of RTV and epoxy adhesives and high-temperature cements on the thermal contact conductance between aluminum 6106-T6 and aluminum 356-T61. The thermal contact conductance was evaluated at mean interface temperatures of 25 and 60°C (77 and 140°F) and at pressures ranging from 345 to 2756 kPa (50 to 400 psi). The thermal contact conductance values of these adhesives were not significantly affected by variations in specified interface temperature or pressure, however, adhesive thickness and thermal conductivity were influential in the measured conductance.
An investigation of cracking in brittle solids under dynamic compression using photoelasticity

Crack initiation in brittle materials was experimentally studied using photoelasticity under dynamic loading conditions with particular attention to the frictional characteristics of the microcracks. Two pieces of Homalite-100 were bonded except central region to prepare plate specimens with an inclined center crack. An edge of the specimen was impacted with and without lateral confinement. In situ photoelastic (isochromatic) fringes were obtained using a high-speed camera. Initial direction and profile of wing crack was the same as in static loading tests. Effect of crack surface roughness and lateral confinement on fringe pattern is discussed. Average speed of wing crack propagation was about 100 m/s and wing cracks from a crack with higher friction coefficient propagated faster than from a smooth crack.
Risky business: climate control legislation, regional development uncertainties and California's SB 375 law

Climate control legislation introduces additional layers of uncertainty into the decision environment of entrepreneurs and governments alike. This paper explores the nature of these regulatory uncertainties and their implications for decision making in the context of a recent California law. It argues that climate-oriented legislation anywhere may have similar uncertainty-amplifying effects for many kinds of entrepreneurial decisions. It then examines the promise of two methodologies developed by the RAND Corporation: Assumption-Based Planning (ABP) and Robust Adaptive Planning (RAP), which could help hedge the risks of decision making in very uncertain regulatory environments.
Designing Synthetic Regulatory RNAs: New Tools for Temporal and Spatial Control in Biological Systems

Advances in synthetic biology are transforming our ability to design and build synthetic biological systems. While progress has been made in the design of complex genetic circuits, capabilities for constructing large genetic systems currently surpass our ability to design such systems. This growing ‘design gap’ has highlighted the need to develop methods that support the generation of new functional biological components and scalable design strategies for complex genetic circuits that will lay the foundation for integrated biological devices and systems.As examples of functional RNA molecules playing key roles in the behavior of natural biological systems have grown over the past decade, there has been growing interest in the design and implementation of synthetic counterparts. Researchers are taking advantage of the relative ease with which RNA molecules can be modeled and designed to engineer functional RNA molecules that act as diverse components including sensors, regulators, controllers (ligand-responsive RNA regulators), and scaffolds. These synthetic regulatory RNAs are providing new tools for temporal and spatial control in biological systems. I will describe recent advances in the design of RNA controllers and in addressing challenges in their implementation as user-programmed cellular control systems. In particular, I will discuss how the application of synthetic RNA controllers in biological pathways is leading to the elucidation of integrated systems design strategies and new capabilities for programming genetic systems.
Search for a 21.4-MeV state in C 13 and ( p , π + ) production mechanisms

The three-nucleon transfer reactions (\ensuremath{\alpha},p) and ${(}^{9}$Be${,}^{6}$Li) on $^{10}\mathrm{B}$ were employed to study the 21.4-MeV state in $^{13}\mathrm{C}$. This state is of particular interest as it exhibits anomalous behavior in its production via the $^{12}\mathrm{C}$(p,${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\pi}}}^{+}$${)}^{13}$C reaction. A study of the structure of this state via ``conventional'' reactions serves to elucidate the underlying NN\ensuremath{\rightarrow}NN\ensuremath{\pi} production mechanism.
Crop productivities and radiation use efficiencies for bioregenerative life support

Abstract NASA’s Biomass Production Chamber (BPC) at Kennedy Space Center was decommissioned in 1998, but several crop tests were conducted that have not been reported in the open literature. These include several monoculture studies with wheat, soybean, potato, lettuce, and tomato. For all of these studies, either 10 or 20 m 2 of plants were grown in an atmospherically closed chamber (113 m 3 vol.) using a hydroponic nutrient film technique along with elevated CO 2 (1000 or 1200 μmol mol −1 ). Canopy light (PAR) levels ranged from 17 to 85 mol m −2 d −1 depending on the species and photoperiod. Total biomass (DM) productivities reached 39.6 g m −2 d −1 for wheat, 27.2 g m −2 d −1 for potato, 19.6 g m −2 d −1 for tomato, 15.7 g m −2 d −1 for soybean, and 7.7 g m −2 d −1 for lettuce. Edible biomass (DM) productivities reached 18.4 g m −2 d −1 for potato, 11.3 g m −2 d −1 for wheat, 9.8 g m −2 d −1 for tomato, 7.1 g m −2 d −1 for lettuce, and 6.0 g m −2 d −1 for soybean. The corresponding radiation (light) use efficiencies for total biomass were 0.64 g mol −1 PAR for potato, 0.59 g DM mol −1 for wheat, 0.51 g mol −1 for tomato, 0.46 g mol −1 for lettuce, and 0.43 g mol −1 for soybean. Radiation use efficiencies for edible biomass were 0.44 g mol −1 for potato, 0.42 g mol −1 for lettuce, 0.25 g mol −1 for tomato, 0.17 g DM mol −1 for wheat, and 0.16 g mol −1 for soybean. By initially growing seedlings at a dense spacing and then transplanting them to the final production area could have saved about 12 d in each production cycle, and hence improved edible biomass productivities and radiation use efficiencies by 66% for lettuce (to 11.8 g m −2 d −1 and 0.70 g mol −1 ), 16% for tomato (to 11.4 g m −2 d −1 and 0.29 g mol −1 ), 13% for soybean (to 6.9 g m −2 d −1 and 0.19 g mol −1 ), and 13% for potato (to 20.8 g m −2 d −1 and 0.50 g mol −1 ). Since wheat was grown at higher densities, transplanting seedlings would not have improved yields. Tests with wheat resulted in a relatively low harvest index of 29%, which may have been caused by ethylene or other organic volatile compounds (VOCs) accumulating in the chamber. Assuming a higher harvest index of 40% could be achieved by scrubbing VOCs, productivity of wheat seed could have been improved nearly 40% to 15.8 g m −2 d −1 and edible biomass radiation use efficiency to 0.30 g mol −1 .
Planning as Persuasive Storytelling in a Global-Scale Web of Relationships

This article revisits Throgmorton's 1996 claim that planning can be thought of as a form of persuasive storytelling about the future. It responds to three broad lines of critique, connects the claim to contemporary scholarship about `transnational urbanism' and the `network society,' and revises the author's initial claim. This revision suggests that planners should tell future-oriented stories that help people imagine and create sustainable places. It further argues that, to be persuasive to a wide range of readers, planners' stories will have to make narrative and physical space for diverse locally-grounded common urban narratives. It recognizes that powerful actors will strive to eliminate or marginalize competing stories.
Analysis of kernel distortion-invariant filters

Kernel techniques have been used in support vector machines (SVMs), feature spaces, etc. In kernel methods, the well-known kernel trick is used to implicitly map the input data to a higher-dimensional feature space. If all terms can be written as a kernel function, one can then use data in higher-dimensional space without actually computing the higher-dimensional features or knowing the mapping function Φ. In this paper, we address kernel distortion-invariant filters (DIFs). Standard DIFs are synthesized in a linear feature space (in the image or Fourier domain). They are fast since they use FFT-based correlations. If the data is mapped to a higher-dimensional feature space before filter synthesis and before performing correlations, kernel filters result and performance can be improved. Kernel versions of several DIFs (OTF, SDF, and Mace) have been presented in prior work. However, several key issues were ignored in all prior work. These include: the unrealistic assumption of centered data in tests, the significantly larger storage and on-line computation time required, and the proper type of energy minimization in filter synthesis to reduce false peaks is necessary when the filters are applied to target scenes and has yet to be done. In addition, prior kernel DIF work used test set data to select the value of the kernel parameter. In this paper, we analyze these issues, present supporting test results on two face databases, and present several improvements to prior kernel DIF work.
Repression of A TAF(II)32 isoform as part of a program of genes regulated during mpl ligand-induced megakaryocyte differentiation.

Abstract Circulating platelets, essential for thrombosis and hemostasis, originate from megakaryocytes. Megakaryocyte growth, differentiation and survival processes are regulated by the c-Mpl receptor ligand. In the current study we used differential display to identify part of the program of genes regulated during Mpl ligand-induced murine megakaryocyte differentiation. Several of the genes, including the retinoblastoma binding protein p84, were found to be induced, while others were repressed. One such repressed gene was identified as a TATA-binding protein (TBP)-Associated Factor (TAF) family member, TAF II 32, previously reported to be upregulated during apoptosis. Our analysis of various cell types suggested that the previously identified species homologs, human TAF II 32 and murine TAF II 32, are in fact different isoforms, which we propose to re-name TAF II 32α and TAF II 32β, respectively. Only the TAF II 32β isoform is regulated during Mpl ligand-induced megakaryocyte differentiation, which suggests individual roles for the two forms.
En una palabra, Córdoba, Argentina: A CD–ROM for Exploring Culture in Spanish by PARIS–BOUVRET, EMMANUEL, & ANA PÉREZ-GIRONÉS.

The article reviews the book "En una palabra, Cordoba, Argentina: A CD-ROM for Exploring Culture in Spanish," by Emmanuel Paris-Bouvret and Ana Perez-Girones.
Material rate dependence and localized deformation in crystalline solids

Abstract Nonuniform deformations of rate dependent single crystals subject to tensile loading are analyzed numerically. The crystal geometry is idealized in terms of a planar double slip model. In addition to allowing the effects of material rate sensitivity to be explored, the present rate dependent formulation permits the analysis of a range of material strain hardening properties and crystal geometries that could not be analyzed within a rate independent framework. Two crystal geometries are modeled. One is a planar model of an f.c.c. crystal undergoing symmetric primary-conjugate slip. For this geometry, a direct comparison with a previous rate independent calculation shows that material rate sensitivity delays shear band development significantly. Our present rate dependent formulation also enables a more complete exploration of the effects of high (i.e. greater than Taylor) latent hardening ratios on “patchy” slip development. In particular we show that strong latent hardening and patchy slip can give rise to kinematical constraints that prevent shear bands from propagating completely across the gage section. The second geometry models a b.c.c. crystal oriented so that there is approximately a double mode of slip with the slip systems inclined by more than 45° to the tensile axis. This calculation displays the formation of a localized band of conjugate slip. The lattice rotations accompanying this mode eventually lead to a decrease in the resolved shear stress on the more active system in the band so that the bands do not accumulate large strains and catastrophic shear bands do not form. The implications of material rate sensitivity for uniqueness are also discussed with reference to implications for the prediction of mechanical properties of polycrystals.
Isolation and structure determination of obyanamide, a novel cytotoxic cyclic depsipeptide from the marine cyanobacterium Lyngbya confervoides.

Obyanamide (1) was isolated from a variety of the marine cyanobacterium Lyngbya confervoides collected in Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Gross structure elucidation of this novel cyclic depsipeptide relied on extensive application of 2D NMR techniques. The absolute stereochemistry was deduced by chiral chromatography of the hydrolysis products and comparison with authentic and synthetic standards. Obyanamide (1) was cytotoxic against KB cells with an IC50 of 0.58 μg/mL.
STATIONARY CONTROL OF BROWNIAN MOTION IN SEVERAL DIMENSIONS

We address the question of controlling the Brownian path in several dimensions (d >--2) by continually choosing its drift from among vectors of the unit ball in Rd. The past and present of the path are supposed to be completely observable, while no anticipation of the future is allowed. Imposing a suitable cost on distance from the origin, as well as a cost of effort proportional to the length of the drift vector, 'reasonable' procedures turn out to be of the following type: to apply drift of maximal length along the ray towards the origin if the current position is outside a sphere centred at the origin, and to choose zero drift otherwise. It is shown just how to compute the radius of such a sphere in terms of the data of the problem, so that the resulting procedure is optimal.
The Office Candy Dish: Proximity's Influence on Estimated and Actual Candy Consumption

Objective and purpose: Although there is increasing interest in how environmental factors influence food intake, there are mixed results and misunderstandings of how proximity and visibility influence consumption volume and contribute to obesity.The objective of this paper is to examine two questions: first, how does the proximity and salience of a food influence consumption volume? Second, are proximate foods consumed more frequently because they are proximate, or are they consumed more frequently because people lose track of how much they eat? Research methods and procedures: The 4-week study involved the chocolate candy consumption of 40 adult secretaries. The study utilized a 2.2 within-subject design where candy proximity was crossed with visibility. Proximity was manipulated by placing the chocolates on the desk of the participant or 2m from the desk. Visibility was manipulated by placing the chocolates in covered bowls that were either clear or opaque. Chocolates were replenished each evening, and placement conditions were rotated every Monday. Daily consumption was noted and follow-up questionnaires were distributed and analyzed.Results: There were main effects for both proximity and visibility. People ate an average of 2.2 more candies each day when they were visible, and 1.8 candies more when they were proximately placed on their desk vs 2m away. It is important to note, however, that there was a significant tendency for participants to consistently underestimate their daily consumption of proximately placed candies (0.9) and overestimate their daily consumption of less proximately placed candies (þ0.5).Discussion: These results show that the proximity and visibility of a food can consistently increase an adult’s consumption of it. In addition, these results suggest that people may be biased to overestimate the consumption of foods that are less proximate, and to underestimate those that are more proximate. Knowing about these deviation tendencies is important for those attempting effectively monitor their consumption of fat and sugar.
Permanent Central Synaptic Disconnection of Proprioceptors After Nerve Injury and Regeneration. I. Loss of VGLUT1/IA Synapses on Motoneurons

Motor and sensory proprioceptive axons reinnervate muscles after peripheral nerve transections followed by microsurgical reattachment; nevertheless, motor coordination remains abnormal and stretch reflexes absent. We analyzed the possibility that permanent losses of central IA afferent synapses, as a consequence of peripheral nerve injury, are responsible for this deficit. VGLUT1 was used as a marker of proprioceptive synapses on rat motoneurons. After nerve injuries synapses are stripped from motoneurons, but while other excitatory and inhibitory inputs eventually recover, VGLUT1 synapses are permanently lost on the cell body (75–95% synaptic losses) and on the proximal 100 μm of dendrite (50% loss). Lost VGLUT1 synapses did not recover, even many months after muscle reinnervation. Interestingly, VGLUT1 density in more distal dendrites did not change. To investigate whether losses are due to VGLUT1 downregulation in injured IA afferents or to complete synaptic disassembly and regression of IA ventral projections, we studied the central trajectories and synaptic varicosities of axon collaterals from control and regenerated afferents with IA-like responses to stretch that were intracellularly filled with neurobiotin. VGLUT1 was present in all synaptic varicosities, identified with the synaptic marker SV2, of control and regenerated afferents. However, regenerated afferents lacked axon collaterals and synapses in lamina IX. In conjunction with the companion electrophysiological study [Bullinger KL, Nardelli P, Pinter MJ, Alvarez FJ, Cope TC. J Neurophysiol (August 10, 2011). doi:10.1152/jn.01097.2010], we conclude that peripheral nerve injuries cause a permanent retraction of IA afferent synaptic varicosities from lamina IX and disconnection with motoneurons that is not recovered after peripheral regeneration and reinnervation of muscle by sensory and motor axons.
Depend on Each Other and Don't Just Sit: The Socialist Legacy, Responsibility, and Winter Risk among Mongolian Herders

Discourses of Mongolian herders as "lazy" and "irresponsible" often emerge in the context of severe winters. Since Mongolia's transition from socialism to capitalism, a neoliberal emphasis on individual agency has contributed to a blame-the-victim phenomenon when herders lose livestock to severe winters. Many foreign development professionals and Mongolians alike believe that socialism produced a population of "lazy" herders who continue to rely on aid during severe winters rather than working hard to safeguard their own livelihoods. This paper argues that the legacy of socialism is more complicated, building off of pre-socialist institutions and, in the present era of Western-sponsored development, complementing neoliberal emphases to a degree that has gone unrecognized. Socialism did not produce universal apathy toward work among Mongolia's herders. It did, however, contribute to current discourses of work, risk, and responsibility, including "lazy herder" discourses. The paper concludes by arguing that...
Evaluation of vegetation effects on the generation and modification of mesoscale circulations

The effects of the presence of vegetation cover on modifying sea breeze and thermally induced upslope flows during daytime were investigated, and the possibility of the generation of mesoscale circulations due to nonuniform vegetation cover was evaluated. Scale analysis and numerical model simulations were used to provide quantitative evaluations of the circulations involved in the two vagetation effects, using several illustrative cases. The cases considered demonstrate that the impact of vegetated surfaces is highly dependent on the environmental conditions as well as vegetation characteristics.
THE FORMATION OF LONG WAVELENGTH ABSORBING SPECIES FROM SHORT WAVELENGTH ABSORBING LINEAR CONJUGATED POLYENES

Abstract— Even linear conjugated polyenes absorb at a wavelength much shorter than their odd polyene analogues. One way even polyenes can be converted into odd polyenes is by simple protonation. The odd polyene, the retinyliccation, absorbs at a wavelength long enough, 600 nm, to accommodate known visual pigments. Protonated unsymmetrical π-systems terminating in nitrogen have the ability to absorb at intermediate and long wavelengths. The actual excitation energy is a function of the anionic radius. Consequently, the wavelength in a visual pigment can be regulated by the distance between the centers of positive and negative charges for the N-retinylidenealkylammonium cation.
Active Classification for POMDPs: A Kalman-Like State Estimator

The problem of state tracking with active observation control is considered for a system modeled by a discrete-time, finite-state Markov chain observed through conditionally Gaussian measurement vectors. The measurement model statistics are shaped by the underlying state and an exogenous control input, which influence the observations' quality. Exploiting an innovations approach, an approximate minimum mean-squared error (MMSE) filter is derived to estimate the Markov chain system state. To optimize the control strategy, the associated mean-squared error is used as an optimization criterion in a partially observable Markov decision process formulation. A stochastic dynamic programming algorithm is proposed to solve for the optimal solution. To enhance the quality of system state estimates, approximate MMSE smoothing estimators are also derived. Finally, the performance of the proposed framework is illustrated on the problem of physical activity detection in wireless body sensing networks. The power of the proposed framework lies within its ability to accommodate a broad spectrum of active classification applications, including sensor management for object classification and tracking, estimation of sparse signals, and radar scheduling.
An automated method for analysis of free fatty acids

Abstract A method is described for the measurement of free fatty acids in biological fluids. The method is carried out within the AutoAnalyzer except for an initial acidification of the sample. Free fatty acids are extracted into an heptane-containing mixture and are measured with a phenol red-sodium baribital indicator. The method is simple and provides data that compare favorably with those obtained by manual methods.
Contribution of Plasma Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate to Testosterone in a Virilized Patient with an Arrhenoblastoma

ABSTRACT The conversion of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DS) to testosterone (T) and the DS production rate were quantified preand postoperatively in a virilized 32-yr-old female with an arrhenoblastoma. Additionally, at the time of operation, the tumor was isolated and perfused with DS-4-14C and T-7α-3H and the venous effluent collected. Preoperatively, the maximum quantity of plasma T derived from circulating DS was 640 μg/day. Postoperatively, this figure was found to be 310 7mu;g/day. The preoperative DS production rate was 80 mg/day, with the postoperative production rate falling to 15.5 mg/day. Labeled DS perfused through the tumor was not converted to T, testosterone sulfate or androstenedione. A small conversion of DS to dehydroepiandrosterone was noted. It is concluded that the conversion of circulating DS to T by the tumor itself was not an important factor in the genesis of this patient's virilism. Likewise, the peripheral conversion of circulating DS to T did not appear to be significant in ...
Petrosal Anatomy of the Nine-Banded Armadillo, Dasypus novemcinctus Linnaeus, 1758 (Mammalia, Xenarthra, Dasypodidae)

ABSTRACT Although isolated mammalian petrosals often are encountered in the fossil record, few detailed descriptions of these bones exist for extant taxa. As a contribution to that void, isolated petrosals are described in detail for two nine-banded armadillos, Dasypus novemcinctus Linnaeus, 1758, and are placed in the context of the basicranium based on an additional 18 specimens, all from Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Neurovascular structures are reconstructed based on study of serially sectioned fetal specimens from the Anatomisches Instituts in Frankfurt and Heidelberg, Germany. Preliminary comparisons are made with other extinct and extant eutherians that the author has described in recent years. Unexpectedly, quite a few similarities are found between the petrosals of D. novemcinctus and the chiropteran Pteropus livingstonii Gray, 1866, which in light of the divergent phyletic affinities and biologies of these animals are remarkable convergences.
Between modernism and postmodernism: Lenski's Power and privilege in the study of inequalities

Gerhard Lenski's classical work on stratification, Power and Privilege, was an effort to reconcile and to synthesize different approaches to inequality incorporated into the grand theories of the day. It anticipated a variety of developments in the theoretical and empirical understanding of inequalities. These include recognition of the multiplicity of inequalities; emphasis on race, class, gender, and other sources and systems of domination and subordination; and the intersection of these factors in complex patterns to create different standpoints and life consequences. The result was ground-breaking work that underscored the multidimensionality of stratification systems, the variability of their influences, and the notion that their intersection in itself has implications beyond the sum of component parts. In these ways his work foreshadowed the possibilities of finding common ground between modern and postmodern perspectives, to make Lenski the last grand theorist of modernity and a forerunner of postmodern theories of inequality.
Anti-Stokes luminescence in heavily doped semiconductors as a mechanism of laser cooling

The anti-Stokes luminescence is a mechanism of the optical refrigeration in semiconductor light sources. The heavily doped semiconductors are considered as a material for the laser cooling. The limitation of this mechanism appears to be connected with a transition from the non-degenerate to degenerate occupation. This transition occurs at higher pumping rate (along with the transition to the optical gain and lasing) and at lower temperature. Thus, the limit for the laser cooling can be indicated. The minimal obtainable temperature is about 60–120 K depending on the doping level. The laser cooling of a semiconductor is impeded by the difficulty of extracting the spontaneous emission from a radiating body that is characterized by large angle of the total internal reflection.
A digitally controlled band‐switching VCO using switching inductors and capacitors in 0.18 μm CMOS

In this article, a digitally controlled band-switching voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) is designed and fabricated using TSMC 0.18 μm CMOS technology. Design considerations regarding the power requirement and the phase noise of the VCO are discussed. Eight bands are set by three bits, with one bit controlling switching inductors, and two bits controlling switching capacitors. The VCO covers 2.9–3.45 GHz and 3.6–4.3 GHz using varactors for continuous frequency tuning. Phase noise of the VCO stays constant around −110 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset for all bands. The fabricated VCO consumes 11 mA of current with 1.8 V supply voltage and has a small size of 730 μm × 660 μm. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 50: 1970–1973, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.23496
Dietary Iron Positively Influences Bone Mineral Density in Postmenopausal Women on Hormone Replacement Therapy

The associations of dietary intakes of iron and calcium on change in bone mineral density (BMD) were examined over 1 y in healthy nonsmoking postmenopausal women (mean age 55.6 +/- 4.6 y) stratified by hormone replacement therapy (HRT) use (HRT, n = 116; no HRT, n = 112). BMD was measured at lumbar spine L(2)-L(4), trochanter, femur neck, Ward's triangle, and total body using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at baseline and 1 y. Mean nutrient intakes were assessed using 8-d diet records. All women received 800 mg/d of supplemental elemental calcium. Regression analyses examined the effects of iron and calcium intakes on BMD change adjusting for years past menopause, baseline BMD, weight change, exercise, and energy intake. The interaction of iron with calcium on BMD change was assessed using tertiles of iron and calcium intake and estimated marginal mean change in BMD. Iron was associated (P < or = 0.05) with greater positive BMD change at the trochanter and Ward's triangle in women using HRT. Calcium was associated (P < or = 0.05) with BMD change at the trochanter and femur neck for women not using HRT. In women using HRT in the lowest tertile of calcium intake, change in femur neck BMD increased linearly as iron intake increased. In women not using HRT, BMD increased in the women in the highest tertile of calcium intake. We conclude that HRT use appears to influence the associations of iron and calcium on change in BMD.
Neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in adult rat brain from binge ethanol exposure: abrogation by docosahexaenoic acid

Evidence that brain edema and aquaporin-4 (AQP4) water channels have roles in experimental binge ethanol-induced neurodegeneration has stimulated interest in swelling/edema-linked neuroinflammatory pathways leading to oxidative stress. We report here that neurotoxic binge ethanol exposure produces comparable significant effects in vivo and in vitro on adult rat brain levels of AQP4 as well as neuroinflammation-linked enzymes: key phospholipase A2 (PLA2) family members and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1). In adult male rats, repetitive ethanol intoxication (3 gavages/d for 4 d, ∼9 g/kg/d, achieving blood ethanol levels ∼375 mg/dl; “Majchrowicz” model) significantly increased AQP4, Ca+2-dependent PLA2 GIVA (cPLA2), phospho-cPLA2 GIVA (p-cPLA2), secretory PLA2 GIIA (sPLA2) and PARP-1 in regions incurring extensive neurodegeneration in this model—hippocampus, entorhinal cortex, and olfactory bulb—but not in two regions typically lacking neurodamage, frontal cortex and cerebellum. Also, ethanol reduced hippocampal Ca+2-independent PLA2 GVIA (iPLA2) levels and increased brain “oxidative stress footprints” (4-hydroxynonenal-adducted proteins). For in vitro studies, organotypic cultures of rat hippocampal-entorhinocortical slices of adult age (∼60 d) were ethanol-binged (100 mM or ∼450 mg/dl) for 4 d, which augments AQP4 and causes neurodegeneration (Collins et al. 2013). Reproducing the in vivo results, cPLA2, p-cPLA2, sPLA2 and PARP-1 were significantly elevated while iPLA2 was decreased. Furthermore, supplementation with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6n-3), known to quell AQP4 and neurodegeneration in ethanol-treated slices, blocked PARP-1 and PLA2 changes while counteracting endogenous DHA reduction and increases in oxidative stress footprints (3-nitrotyrosinated proteins). Notably, the PARP-1 inhibitor PJ-34 suppressed binge ethanol-dependent neurodegeneration, indicating PARP upstream involvement. The results with corresponding models support involvement of AQP4- and PLA2-associated neuroinflammatory pro-oxidative pathways in the neurodamage, with potential regulation by PARP-1 as well. Furthermore, DHA emerges as an effective inhibitor of these binge ethanol-dependent neuroinflammatory pathways as well as associated neurodegeneration in adult-age brain.
Thermal Windows of Yukon-Koyukuk Basin, Alaska: ABSTRACT

Vitrinite reflectance values from two mid-Late Cretaceous sedimentary sections in the Yukon-Koyukuk basin are within the oil window when plotted on a time-temperature-reflectance nomogram. However, preliminary paleomagnetic studies in other areas indicate a higher temperature overprint. To establish a more consistent record of paleothermometry in the basin, over 500 paleomagnetic samples from 35 localities and 25 K-Ar dating samples were analyzed. The samples include cobbles from conglomerates to test for remagnetization and argon loss. Our analysis indicates that (1) some sample localities fail the conglomerate test (cobbles show consistent magnetic directions) and have experienced temperatures of 300°-500°C, (2) other localities, along the lower Yukon River, display primary paleomagnetic signals that pass both conglomerate and regional fold tests and have reversals, and (3) K-Ar ages of detrital components (volcanic pebbles and muscovite) from the lower Yukon River localities are older than their age of deposition, suggesting that temperatures have not exceeded the K-Ar blocking temperatures of these components (~300°C for muscovite and lower for whole rocks). The complex thermal history of the Yukon-Koyukuk basin is a result of at least three magmatic episodes. The overprinted areas are closest to igneous occurrences; other areas were thermally unaffected by these widespread magmatic pulses. End_of_Article - Last_Page 666------------
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients with systolic dysfunction: can it be done?

Abstract Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is a potential cure for certain hematologic malignancies. However, because of risks of complications and mortality, this treatment option is limited to patients with minimal comorbidities. We performed a retrospective cohort study evaluating the impact of pre-HCT systolic dysfunction on outcomes. We identified 49 subjects with systolic dysfunction, defined as left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF)
Vacuum packaging technology using localized aluminum/silicon-to-glass bonding

A vacuum package based on localized aluminum/silicon-to-glass bonding has been successfully demonstrated. With 3.4 watts heating power, /spl sim/0.2 MPa applied contact pressure, and 90 minutes wait time before bonding, vacuum encapsulation at 25 mtorr can be achieved. Folded-beam comb drive /spl mu/-resonators are encapsulated and used as pressure monitors. Long-term testing of un-annealed vacuum-packaged /spl mu/-resonators with a Q of 2500 has demonstrated stable operation after 20 weeks. A /spl mu/-resonator with Q of /spl sim/9600 has been vacuum encapsulated and shown to be stable after 7 weeks.
Bilayer Permalloy films grown in orthogonal applied fields

Permalloy bilayers grown in orthogonal applied fields demonstrated unusual coupling phenomena in Kerr-effect observations. The films were grown by ultrahigh-vacuum ion-beam sputtering in an applied field of 28 Oe that established a well-defined anisotropy direction. Midway through the deposition, the substrates were rapidly turned 90 degrees in the applied field, including an orthogonal anisotropy direction in the second layer of the film. With layers of equal thickness, a simple model predicts the bilayer to be isotropic in the plane of the film, regardless of the strength or mechanism of any interlayer coupling. Instead, the initial layer acquired the anisotropy orientation of the second layer grown. This unusual coupling was investigated for a number of bilayer structures of different thicknesses. >
Modulation of the activity of Bcl-2 in Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia using antisense oligonucleotides.

Abstract Bcl-2 is an attractive target for anticancer therapy in a number of malignancies, as its expression is associated with inhibition of the apoptotic program and resistance to traditional therapeutic agents. Bcl-2 antisense therapy with G3139 (oblimersen sodium; Genasense, Genta Inc, Berkeley Heights, NJ) is in clinical trials for a number of malignancies, including an ongoing trial in myeloma. In vitro G3139 has been shown to downregulate Bcl-2 in myeloma cells, sensitizing them to chemotherapeutic agents. We have undertaken a project to evaluate antisense inhibition strategies in Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia (WM), and whether the Bcl-2 pathway may provide a therapeutic target in this disease. We have shown that Bcl-2 is expressed in WM cells in vitro and that downregulation of Bcl-2 may be achieved by treatment with G3139. Treatment of WM cells with G3139 is associated with increased cell death and shows potential synergy with chemotherapeutic agents active in WM. Bcl-2 downregulation via G3139 antisense treatment may have potential anticancer efficacy in WM and further studies to address its effects on clinical specimens are warranted, in anticipation of using this agent in WM clinical trials. Semin Oncol 30:297-299. © 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
The enzymic formation of methylenedioxyphenyl derivative exhibiting an isocyanide-like spectrum with reduced cytochrome P-450 in hepatic microsomes.

Abstract1. Methylenedioxyphenyl compounds (piperonyl butoxide, methylene-dioxybenzene, isosafrole) were metabolized by rat liver microsomes in the presence of oxygen and NADPH (but not NADH) to give products which exhibited an isocyanide-like absorption spectrum with reduced cytochrome P-450 of liver microsomes.2. The presence of hexobarbital inhibited the formation of the isocyanide-like spectrum, presumably by inhibiting the formation of the metabolite.3. The optical spectrum absorption characteristics of the complex of the metabolite with reduced cytochrome P-450 varied with changes in pH.4. The metabolite, or the metabolite-cytochrome P-450 complex formed, was sufficiently stable to survive the oxidation and re-reduction of the microsomal cytochrome P-450.
Increased erythrocyte protoporphyrins and blood lead—a pilot study of childhood growth patterns

The National Health and Nutrition Survey 1976–1980 demonstrated the inverse association of blood lead 8–35 μg/dl (0.4–1.7 μM) with height and weight in 2680 children 1–7 yr old. Growth has not been examined. A retrospective pilot study was made of growth, 0–42 mo, for 54 children found to have erythrocyte protoporphyrins >35 μg/dl (0.6 mM) at 12–23 mo. For 24/54, all blood leads were < 30 μg/dl (1.2 μM), with a peak annual mean of 18.5 μg/dl (0.9 μM); for 30/54, mean blood lead was 46.7 μg/dl (2.2 μM) at 12–23 mo with all subsequent blood leads ≥30 μg/dl (1.2 μM). In both groups the mean height and weight at birth were at the 25th percentile. The high‐lead children had increased weight velocity at 15 mo of age and were heavier at 24 mo. Weight gain related to total caloric intake, supporting food consumption, and hand‐to‐mouth behavior as significant factors in an increased blood lead ages 9–24 mo. The monthly directional change of height and weight percentiles after 24 mo, however, showed a decreased fre...
Identification of a Fourth Staphylococcal Enterotoxin, Enterotoxin D

A fourth staphylococcal enterotoxin was identified serologically with antiserum to the very crude enterotoxic products of growth of a strain which also produces enterotoxin C, and then with antiserum to the considerably purified enterotoxic antigen of a strain which produces only the new enterotoxin. The identification of this antigen as enterotoxin D was based on the following observations. It was produced by strains which do not produce enterotoxins A, B, or C; it was absent in the growth products of nonenterotoxigenic strains; when appreciably purified, it was associated with emetic activity in the cat, and its biological activity was neutralized only by antisera containing its specific antibody and not by antibodies to enterotoxins A, B, and C. Staphylococcal strain 494 (ATCC 23235) was selected as the prototype strain. The production of this enterotoxin alone and together with enterotoxin A by strains of food-poisoning origin indicates that its role in food poisoning is second in frequency only to that of enterotoxin A. The incidence of production of enterotoxins A, B, C, and D, and of unidentified cat emetic substances by strains from several source categories, is presented.
Differentiation of amnesic and demented patients with the wechsler memory scale -revised

Abstract The Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS-R) was administered to 16 amnesic patients, 20 patients with Alzheimer's Disease, 24 patients with Huntington's Disease and 28 normal control subjects. The findings for the five memory indices demonstrated that the amnesics' General and Delayed Memory Indices (69 and 56, respectively) were more accurate estimates of their severe anterograde memory problems than was the single MQ from the original WMS. It was also noted that amnesic patients could be distinguished from demented patients and control subjects on the basis of the differences between the Attention/Concentration and General Memory Indices (AC-GM) and between the General and Delayed Memory Indices (GM-DM). Savings scores calculated for the Logical Memory and Visual Reproduction tests showed that both the amnesic and Alzheimer patients forgot verbal and figural materials more quickly than did the Huntington's patients and normal control subjects. When the amnesic group was divided according to presu...
Social Work and Criminal Justice Students' Perceptions of Elders

Abstract This study investigated perceptions of older adults among undergraduate social work and criminal justice students (N = 228). With moderately ageist attitudes in general toward older adults and controlling for ethno-cultural identification and previous gerontology education, there were significant differences in the perceptions of social work and criminal justice students in ten of twelve dependent variables. These significant variables included perceptions of elders as unmotivated and parsimonious, perceptions of elders as attractive, perceptions of elders as useful, perceptions of elders' health, perceptions of elders' ability to drive, perceptions of elders as romantic, willingness to be with elders, willingness to work with elders if the job required it, perceptions of elders' right to suicide, and perceptions of elders engaging in sexual behaviors. While generally ageist in perspective, there were not significant differences between the two students groups regarding their perceptions of elder...
Performance investigation of polarization-multiplexed 16-QAM using all-optical OFDM transmission and digital coherent detection

We generated a 500-Gb/s AO-OFDM signal with DP-16QAM modulating each subcarrier and detected the signal using coherent detection. We investigated the effects of DSP oversampling and receiver bandwidth using experimental results and numerical simulations.
Money and Machine Politics: An Analysis of Corporate and Labor Contributions in Chicago City Council Elections

Machine coalitions use their influence to reward supporters with public goods. In this article, the author examines the link between machine coalitions and corporate and labor contributions in Chic...