cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Theory of the Electric Discharge Through Gases

Three general differential equations are set up which determine the average behavior of a discharge of electricity through a gas. Approximate solutions, giving the electric field $E$ and the concentration of electrons and positive ions, ${n}_{1}$ and ${n}_{2}$, at any distance $x$ from the cathode, are found for several ranges of value of $E$.When $E$ is large, the solution corresponds to the conditions in the cathode and anode fall spaces in a glow discharge. Equations are obtained for the potential drop $V$ across the fall space; the current density at the electrode divided by the square of the gas pressure, $\frac{j}{{p}^{2}}$; and the thickness of the fall space times the pressure, $\mathrm{pd}$.These equations indicate that for the cathode fall space there is a certain minimum value of $V$, called ${V}_{n}$; and for $\frac{j}{{p}^{2}}$, called $\frac{{j}_{n}}{{p}^{2}}$; and a corresponding maximum value of $\mathrm{pd}$, $p{d}_{n}$, beyond which values the discharge ceases. These stationary values are shown to be constants, dependent only on the nature of the gas used and of the cathode material, and correspond to the normal cathode fall space. The equation determining ${V}_{n}$ is shown to be of the right from by comparison with the experimentally determined values. From these values of ${V}_{n}$, values of $\frac{{j}_{n}}{{p}^{2}}$ and of $p{d}_{n}$ are calculated for four gases and four cathode materials, and the calculated values check with the experimental data. The corresponding equations for the anode fall space show why there is no corresponding normal anode fall.A consideration of the discharge when $E$ is large throughout the distance between electrodes indicates that there is another stationary value of the cathode fall space when the current density at the cathode reaches its maximum possible value. The $V$ in this case is much smaller than the ${V}_{n}$ for the glow discharge, and the form of the equations indicate that they describe the conditions in an electric arc.Another approximate equation is obtained when $E$ is constant, which is the case in the positive column of a glow discharge. This solution indicates that within certain limits of pressure and current density, small sinusoidal variations about the average value ${E}_{p}$, are possible in $E$. These correspond to the striations sometimes observed in the positive column. The equations determining ${E}_{p}$ and those determining the distance between striations check with the known empirical laws relating these amounts to the pressure, the radius of the discharge tube and the critical potentials of the gas used. A general discussion is given of the Faraday dark space and reasons are given why it should be near the cathode rather than the anode.
TRACE ELEMENT DISTRIBUTIONS IN COASTAL WATERS ALONG THE US-MEXICAN BOUNDARY : RELATIVE CONTRIBUTIONS OF NATURAL PROCESSES VS. ANTHROPOGENIC INPUTS

Abstract Trace element concentrations (Pb, Cd, Mn, Fe, and Zn) were measured along four surface water transects across the continental shelf off Baja California, to evaluate the magnitude of heavy metal contamination in the coastal waters along the US-Mexican boundary. These initial measurements of trace elements in Mexican neritic waters revealed offshore concentration gradients, with the highest levels in coastal waters with high salinities and nutrient concentrations. There were also longshore gradients, with lower concentrations in the southern locations. Although the relative enrichment of metals detected at nearshore stations along the US-Mexican border appeared to correspond to wastewater discharges in that area, these trace metal enhancements were found to be primarily associated with physical oceanographic processes (upwelling and advection), rather than anthropogenic inputs. This was demonstrated both by metal-nutrient correlations and multivariate statistical analyses. Mass balance calculations also indicated that about 1% of Cd, 9% of Zn, and 29% of Pb were from urban discharges within the area.
The Myeloma Drug Lenalidomide Promotes the Cereblon-Dependent Destruction of Ikaros Proteins

Thalidomide-like drugs such as lenalidomide are clinically important treatments for multiple myeloma and show promise for other B cell malignancies. The biochemical mechanisms underlying their antitumor activity are unknown. Thalidomide was recently shown to bind to, and inhibit, the cereblon ubiquitin ligase. Cereblon loss in zebrafish causes fin defects reminiscent of the limb defects seen in children exposed to thalidomide in utero. Here we show that lenalidomide-bound cereblon acquires the ability to target for proteasomal degradation two specific B cell transcription factors, Ikaros family zinc finger proteins 1 and 3 (IKZF1 and IKZF3). Analysis of myeloma cell lines revealed that loss of IKZF1 and IKZF3 is both necessary and sufficient for lenalidomide’s therapeutic effect, suggesting that the antitumor and teratogenic activities of thalidomide-like drugs are dissociable.
Physical Illness, Pain, and Problem Behavior in Minimally Verbal People with Developmental Disabilities

There is growing interest in the role that physical illness and pain might play in exacerbating problem behavior in individuals with developmental disabilities. Assessment of these factors, however, is often difficult since many individuals have minimal verbal communication skills. In response to this difficulty, we developed a sequential method of assessment involving retrospective and prospective measurement strategies. We found that the frequency and intensity of problem behavior was greater on "sick" days than on "well" days. Further, the higher the level of pain, the greater was the frequency and intensity of problem behavior. We discuss the concept of pain as a setting event for problem behavior and the intervention strategies that follow from this conceptualization.
ALGEBRAIC REPRESENTATIONS FOR FINITE-STATE MACHINES. I. MONOID-RING FORMULATION

Abstract Special algebraic structures, which are rings of functions with finite support, are introduced. These structures are used to develop representations for finite-state machines. Three equivalent representations for finite-state machines are presented. The first is given in terms of elements of a monoid ring based on a finite set. The second is given in terms of elements of a monoid ring based on n -tuples. The third is given in terms of the polynomial ring in 2 n indeterminates. The representations are shown to be unique, and examples of them are given.
ARSENICAL AIR POLLUTION AND LUNG CANCER

Abstract Average mortality-rates from lung cancer for White males and females in the U.S.A. 1950-69 were significantly increased in counties with copper, lead, or zinc smelting and refining industries, but not in counties where other non-ferrous ores are processed. The excess mortality was not attributed to differences in geographic region, population density, urbanisation, socioeconomic status, or other manufacturing processes. The findings suggest the influence of community air pollution from industrial emissions containing inorganic arsenic.
The Effects of Motion on Applications in Mobile Ad-Hoc Sensor Networks

A set of mobile wireless sensors observe their environment as they move about. We consider the subset of these sensors that each made observations when they were all at approximately the same time/location. As they continue to move, one of them processes its observations and decides that an event that must be reported has taken place. To reduce the probability of a false alarm, this sensor assumes the role of a Cluster-Head (CH) and requests that all other sensors that collected observations at that time/location send it their decisions. The motion of each sensor determines how many hops its decision data must make to reach the CH. We analyze this effect of motion in the 1D case by modeling each sensor's motion as a Correlated Random Walk (CRW), which can account for transient behavior, geographical restrictions, and nonzero drift. Quantities, such as the energy required to collect the decision from all relevant sensors, can then be determined as a function of time.
Needed reals and recursion in generic reals

Abstract We consider sets of reals that are “adequate” in various senses, for example dominating or unbounded or splitting or non-meager. Call a real x “needed” (in any of these senses) if every adequate set contains a real in which x is recursive. We characterize the needed reals for numerous senses of “adequate.” We also consider, for various notions of forcing that add reals, the problem of characterizing the ground-model reals that are recursive in generic reals.
Loss of Myotubularin Function Results in T-Tubule Disorganization in Zebrafish and Human Myotubular Myopathy

Myotubularin is a lipid phosphatase implicated in endosomal trafficking in vitro, but with an unknown function in vivo. Mutations in myotubularin cause myotubular myopathy, a devastating congenital myopathy with unclear pathogenesis and no current therapies. Myotubular myopathy was the first described of a growing list of conditions caused by mutations in proteins implicated in membrane trafficking. To advance the understanding of myotubularin function and disease pathogenesis, we have created a zebrafish model of myotubular myopathy using morpholino antisense technology. Zebrafish with reduced levels of myotubularin have significantly impaired motor function and obvious histopathologic changes in their muscle. These changes include abnormally shaped and positioned nuclei and myofiber hypotrophy. These findings are consistent with those observed in the human disease. We demonstrate for the first time that myotubularin functions to regulate PI3P levels in a vertebrate in vivo, and that homologous myotubularin-related proteins can functionally compensate for the loss of myotubularin. Finally, we identify abnormalities in the tubulo-reticular network in muscle from myotubularin zebrafish morphants and correlate these changes with abnormalities in T-tubule organization in biopsies from patients with myotubular myopathy. In all, we have generated a new model of myotubular myopathy and employed this model to uncover a novel function for myotubularin and a new pathomechanism for the human disease that may explain the weakness associated with the condition (defective excitation–contraction coupling). In addition, our findings of tubuloreticular abnormalities and defective excitation-contraction coupling mechanistically link myotubular myopathy with several other inherited muscle diseases, most notably those due to ryanodine receptor mutations. Based on our findings, we speculate that congenital myopathies, usually considered entities with similar clinical features but very disparate pathomechanisms, may at their root be disorders of calcium homeostasis.
Three-dimensional reconstruction of the cochlea from two-dimensional images of optical sections.

This paper describes a methodology for three-dimensional (3D) computer-aided reconstruction of the guinea pig cochlea using orthogonal-plane fluorescence optical sectioning. Specimens are sectioned optically, allowing them to remain intact during observation. Equations to correct the data for specimen translation and rotation are developed and 3D reconstructions of the scala tympani, round window membrane, and cochlear aqueduct are presented. The error associated with the reconstruction is estimated to be <19 μm.
The transformation of republicanism in modern and contemporary Italy

The republican vision of liberty and government is the distinguished political culture to which Italy has made fundamental contributions throughout the centuries. The role of Roman republicanism in...
Theory of bonding of transition metals to nontransition metals

We present a theory of the chemical bond in compounds consisting of both transition metals and nontransition metals. Chemical trends in the bonding properties are established by directly comparing the total energies of a large number of such compounds with the total energies of their constituents. These chemical trends are analyzed in terms of the $s$-, $p$-, and $d$-like state densities of the compounds and the constituents. Rather different types of bonding are shown to result when the atomic $s$ and $p$ levels of the nontransition metal lie above, below, and near the energy of the transition-metal $d$ level. The heat of compound formation is shown to result from a competition between two simple physical effects: (1) the weakening of the transition-metal bonds by the lattice dilatation required for the accommodation of the nontransition metal, and (2) the increased bonding which results from the occupation of the bonding members of the hybrid states formed from the interaction between the transition-metal $d$ states and the $s\ensuremath{-}p$ states on the nontransition metal. Our theoretical values for the heats of formation of these compounds are generally similar to those given by Miedema's empirical formula. Distinctive aspects of the variation of the heat of formation with the number of valence electrons reveal, however, that the microscopic picture on which the empirical formula is based is quite different from that given by our self-consistent energy-band theory.
Pank1 deletion in leptin-deficient mice reduces hyperglycaemia and hyperinsulinaemia and modifies global metabolism without affecting insulin resistance

Pantothenate kinase (PANK) is the first enzyme in CoA biosynthesis. Pank1-deficient mice have 40% lower liver CoA and fasting hypoglycaemia, which results from reduced gluconeogenesis. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the human PANK1 gene are associated with insulin levels, suggesting a link between CoA and insulin homeostasis. We determined whether Pank1 deficiency (1) modified insulin levels, (2) ameliorated hyperglycaemia and hyperinsulinaemia, and (3) improved acute glucose and insulin tolerance of leptin (Lep)-deficient mice. Serum insulin and responses to glucose and insulin tolerance tests were determined in Pank1-deficient mice. Levels of CoA and regulating enzymes were measured in liver and skeletal muscle of Lep-deficient mice. Double Pank1/Lep-deficient mice were analysed for the diabetes-related phenotype and global metabolism. Pank1-deficient mice had lower serum insulin and improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity compared with wild-type mice. Hepatic and muscle CoA was abnormally high in Lep-deficient mice. Pank1 deletion reduced hepatic CoA but not muscle CoA, reduced serum glucose and insulin, but did not normalise body weight or improve acute glucose tolerance or protein kinase B phosphorylation in Lep-deficient animals. Pank1/Lep double-deficient mice exhibited reduced whole-body metabolism of fatty acids and amino acids and had a greater reliance on carbohydrate use for energy production. The results indicate that Pank1 deficiency drives a whole-body metabolic adaptation that improves aspects of the diabetic phenotype and uncouples hyperglycaemia and hyperinsulinaemia from obesity in leptin-deficient mice.
Language Skills and Communication Breakdown in Senile Dementia

Referential and conversational speech tasks were used to investigate the speech, language, and communication skills of five neurologic-ally normal and five demented subjects. Measures of communication success, efficiency, and learning were derived from referential task performance. Communication behaviours were categorized and quantified from utterances of the conversation and referential tasks. Analysis of results revealed relatively intact speech and grammar for the demented subjects despite disruptions in the success and efficiency of communicative interaction. The results support the clinical observation of impaired communication and preserved speech and grammar skills in dementia.
Fast marching method for generic shape from shading

We develop a fast numerical method to approximate the solutions of a wide class of equations associated to the Shape From Shading problem. Our method, which is based on the control theory and the interfaces propagation, is an extension of the “Fast Marching Method” (FMM) [30,25]. In particular our method extends the FMM to some equations for which the solution is not systematically decreasing along the optimal trajectories. We apply with success our one-pass method to the Shape From Shading equations which are involved by the most relevant and recent modelings [22,21] and which cannot be handled by the most recent extensions of the FMM [26,8].
Intraoperative cell salvage during radical prostatectomy: a safe technique for Jehovah's Witnesses.

Radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) is an operation historically associated with the potential for significant blood loss. Patients who refuse a blood transfusion, such as Jehovahs witnesses, may be only offered radiation therapy as potentially curative treatment for prostate cancer because of the potential for a transfusion. Intraoperative cell salvage (IOCS) is an effective blood managient strategy for patients who are not willing to accept predonated autologous or allergenic blood. We present our managient for Jehovah's Witness patients with clinically localized prostate cancer, iphasizing our blood managient approach. This is the first such report.
System of systems engineering - New challenges for the 21st century

The concept of system of systems (SoS) and the challenges ahead to extend systems engineering (SE) to system of systems is introduced. The birth of a new engineering field may be on the horizon - system of systems engineering (SoSE). A SoS is a collection of individual, possibly heterogeneous, but functional systems integrated together to enhance the overall robustness, lower the cost of operation, and increase reliability of the overall complex (SoS) system. Having said that, the field has a large vacuum from basic definition, to theory, to management and implementation. Many key issues like architecture, modeling, simulation, identification, emergence, standards, net-centricity, control, etc., are all begging for attention. In this review, we go through all these issues briefly and bring the challenges to the attention of interested readers. We will also indicate the existence of an introduction consortium, of interested groups who are getting together to help realize these problems and try to find solutions.
Hypogonadism and low testosterone levels as a side effect of methadone and buprenorphine.

Dear Editor The article is an animal study which addresses an important clinical issue i.e. hypogonadism and low testosterone levels as a side effect of methadone and buprenorphine (1). This is not an uncommon side effect which we see in patients receiving long term opioid maintenance treatment. Since methadone has been in use since the 1960s, clinicians became aware of this problem and it is usually addressed and treated as needed. On the contrary, buprenorphine has been available for less than a decade. Therefore there is little information available about this possible side effect for patients on buprenorphine. A clinical trial (2) compared methadone to buprenorphine regarding their effect on Erectile Dysfunction (ED) and hormone levels. They found that men on Methadone Maintenance Treatment (MMT), but not Buprenorphine Maintenance Treatment (BMT), had high prevalence of ED, related to hypogonadism and depression. However, this study is limited by the small sample size. Another study (3) showed that patients treated with buprenorphine had a significantly higher testosterone level (P < 0.0001) and a significantly lower frequency of sexual dysfunction (P < 0.0001) compared with patients treated with methadone. Again this study was limited by the small sample size. A case series (4) reported hypogonadism in 10 patients receiving BMT without comparing it to methadone. The pharmacological profile of buprenorphine is different than methadone. Buprenorphine is a partial mu receptor agonist (5) and not a full agonist like methadone. This could be associated with reduced suppression of the central Luteinizing Hormone (LH) compared to methadone and consequently less impact on the testosterone level. Most of the available data did favor buprenorphine over methadone in regard to their effects on hypogonadism by utilizing hormonal levels. The current study has the advantage of using histopathological samples of the rat testicles to confirm the relationship between the hypogonadism and low testosterone level in this population. While this is an animal study, it adds to the knowledge that is currently available. This study may open the door to investigate this side effect at a different level. Future studies need to examine the direct relationship between opioid agonist treatment and testicular atrophy as the possible reason for hypogonadism in this population. There is a need for more studies to investigate this side effect.
Blind Spots for neutralino Dark Matter in the MSSM with an intermediate m_A

We study the spin-independent neutralino dark matter scattering off heavy nuclei in the minimal supersymmetric Standard Model. We identify analytically the blind spots in direct detection for intermediate values of ${m}_{A}$. In the region where $\ensuremath{\mu}$ and ${M}_{1,2}$ have opposite signs, there is not only a reduction of the lightest $CP$-even Higgs coupling to neutralinos, but also a destructive interference between the neutralino scattering through the exchange of the lightest $CP$-even Higgs and that through the exchange of the heaviest $CP$-even Higgs. At critical values of ${m}_{A}$, the tree-level contribution from the light Higgs exchange cancels the contribution from the heavy Higgs, so the scattering cross section vanishes. We denote these configurations as blind spots, since they provide a generalization of the ones previously discussed in the literature, which occur at very large values of ${m}_{A}$. We show that the generalized blind spots may occur in regions of parameter space that are consistent with the obtention of the proper neutralino relic density and can be tested by nonstandard Higgs boson searches and EWino searches at the LHC and future linear colliders.
Assessment of calcitriol and inorganic phosphate therapy before cure of oncogenous osteomalacia by resection of a mixed mesenchymal tumor.

Abstract A 57 year old white male with oncogenous osteomalacia due to a mixed mesenchymal tumor was evaluated by sequential histologic and metabolic studies over a period of 33 mos prior to identifying the location of the tumor. On the basis of these studies we conclude: (i) disorders of the enterohepatic circulation and/or acceleration of metabolism of calcitriol are not responsible for its diminished level in oncogenous osteomalacia, (ii) the Von Kossa stain is preferred to the modified Masson in evaluating osteomalaacia, (iii) avascular necrosis of the femoral head may be part of the syndrome, (iv) heterogeneity may be the hallmark of the responsible mesenchymal tumor and account for the different histological interpretations in the literature, (v) in compliant patients with oncogenous osteomalacia, calcitriol and Pi therapy may be effective.
Stimulus-secretion coupling in pancreatic b-cells explained by Chay's store-operated model

The cells in the pancreas that secrete insulin are called b-cells. They are situated in tightly bound cellular aggregates known as the islets of Langerhans. In an islet, the b-cells are surrounded by at least three other cell types (Notkins, 1979). These are the alpha (a-) cells which secret the hormone glucagon, the delta (d-) cells which secrete the hormone somatostatin, and the PP cells which secrete pancreatic polypeptide hormone. Both glucagon and somatostatin affect insulin release such that glucagon enhances the secretion of insulin whereas somatostatin inhibits the secretion of both insulin and glucagon. In addition, insulin secretion is also affected by neurotransmitters released from both sympathetic and parasympathetic fibers, which enter pancreatic islets. The main role of insulin is to facilitate the storage of glucose in the liver and muscle. Without insulin the blood glucose level rises dangerously high. Glucagon, on the other hand, mobilizes glucose from the liver to the blood when needed. This glucose may then be used as an energy source by the entire body. The phenomena associated with electrical activity of b-cells (which will be described below) are very interesting to nonlinear dynamists because they are due to nonlinearity embedded in the ion channels in the plasma membrane and the intracellular events that take place in the cytosol.
Illuminating topics in plant photobiology

Light signals acting through photoreceptors and signal transduction chains shape plant growth, development, physiology and metabolism to best suit the organism to the prevailing conditions. Genetic, biochemical and molecular studies, particularly in the model system Arabidopsis thaliana, have produced highly detailed descriptions of many light responses so that now molecular pathways are coming into view. In this review the current state of research in several diverse areas within the field of plant photomorphogenesis is discussed. The topics include phytochrome localization and interactions with signalling elements, cryptochrome function, phototropin photochemistry and physiology, the role of proteolysis in light signalling, the plant circadian clock, and the transition to flowering.
Laparoscopic use of laser and monopolar electrocautery

Most general surgeons are familiar with monopolar electrocautery, but few are equally comfortable with laser dissection and coagulation. At courses across the country, surgeons are being introduced to laparoscopy and laser use in one and two day courses, and are certified from that day forward as laser laparoscopists. Some surgeons are told that laser and electrosurgery may be equally acceptable techniques for performance of laparoscopic surgery, but that a surgeon may double his patient volume by advertising 'laser laparoscopic cholecystectomy.' The sale of certain lasers has skyrocketed on the basis of such hype. The only surprise is that laparoscopic cholecystectomy complications occurring in this country seem to be more closely related to the laparoscopic access and visualization than to the choice of laser of electrocautery as the preferred instrument for thermal dissection. The purpose of this article is to: 1) Discuss the physics and tissue effects of electrosurgery and laser; 2) compare the design and safety of electrosurgical and laser delivery systems; and 3) present available data comparing laser and electrocautery application in laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
Phenix: supporting resilient low-diameter peer-to-peer topologies

Peer-to-peer networks are mainly unstructured, where no specific topology is imposed on the network during its operations. These networks offer a high degree of resilience against network dynamics disrupting the network's operation. Unstructured networks, based on random connections are limited, however, in the performance and node reachability they can offer to applications. In contrast, structured networks impose predetermined connectivity relationships between nodes in order to offer a guarantee on the diameter between requesting nodes and the requested objects. We observe that neither structured nor unstructured networks can simultaneously offer both good performance and resilience in a single algorithm. To address this challenge, we propose Phenix, a peer-to-peer algorithm that can construct low-diameter resilient topologies. Phenix supports low diameter operations by creating a topology of nodes whose degree distribution follows a power-law, while the implementation of the underlying algorithm is fully distributed requiring no central server, thus, eliminating the possibility of a single point of failure in the system. We present the design and evaluation of the algorithm and show through analysis, simulation, and experimental results obtained from an implementation on the PlanetLab testbed that Phenix is robust to network dynamics such as joins/leaves, node failure and large-scale network attacks, while maintaining low overhead when implemented in an experimental network.
Resource Inequality and Accumulative Advantage: Stratification in the Ministry

Following accumulative advantage studies based on career performance in science, we demonstrate the generality of the phenomenon through a synthetic cohort analysis of Protestant clergy, using a composite measure of professional resources. These resources are distributed more unequally in older than in younger cohorts within a total sample drawn from 21 denominations and also within 7 denominational subsamples. This finding suggests the presence of an underlying process of accumulative advantage generating inequalities. In this study we draw on recent research in the sociology of science to explore the structure of career attainment processes in the Protestant parish ministry. In doing so, we assume that the formal mechanisms through which career mobility takes place are very similar from occupation to occupation, although the nature of these mechanisms can differ greatly. We focus here on the process Merton in 1942 termed the "accumulation of differential advantages" (273). After describing the use to which sociologists of science have put this concept, we argue that it is best understood when applied to occupational stratification systems as a process which generates inequalities in the distribution of the resources on which members of a cohort draw in the performance of their occupational roles. We then seek evidence of such a differential accumulation of occupational advantages within the Protestant parish ministry. Our study is thus one of a small but increasing number of recent efforts to understand intraoccupational mobility (e.g., Stewman; Talbert and Bose; White), where status attainment is of greatest subjective salience. We test for the presence of accumulative advantage by examining the degree of inequality contained in successive distributions of parish resources available to a synthetic cohort of clergy.
Observations of arcing in the ISX tokamak

Abstract Arcing has been proposed as a major source of metal impurities in tokamak plasmas. Arc tracks have been observed in the ISX tokamak on the limiter, the inner-wall surface, and on the samples from the surface analysis station. Linear as well as fern-like arc tracks have been observed. From optical and SEM analysis of the tracks, it was estimated that about 1016–1017 atoms were released per arc. To study the influence of arcing on the tokamak discharge, an experiment was set up to measure electrical and optical signals of arcing in situ. In well controlled tokamak discharges, arcing was observed only during the initial breakdown of the plasma and during the quenching phase at the end of the discharge. In disrupted discharges, each plasma disruption was accompanied by arcing. The pulse-length of one single unipolar arc was measured to be about 50 μs and the current amplitude was typically about 20 A.
Influence of variations in edge blur on minimally distinct border judgments: a theoretical and empirical investigation

Minimally distinct border (MDB) settings were made for white-chromatic borders that varied from 1 to 32 arcmin in the space constant of Gaussian blur. The spectral characteristics, additivity, and variability of the MDB judgments remained essentially unchanged across all degrees of edge blur up to and including a space constant of 8 arcmin. For space constants of 16 and 32 arcmin, the variability of the settings increased dramatically, but no consistent trends toward changes in spectral characteristics or additivity were found. Predictions of visual response to edge blur were derived from Wilson and Gelb's six-channel model of spatial vision [J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 1, 124 (1984)]. The fits of these calculations to the data suggest that either a single low- to mid-spatial-frequency-tuned channel mediates MDB judgments over a wide range of variations of edge blur or else the channels that jointly mediate these judgments are importantly similar in their chromatic characteristics.
Creating Experiential Learning In The Graduate Classroom Through Community Engagement

Educators can provide opportunities for active learning for the students by engaging them in client-based projects with the community, which enhances application of theory and provides students with the relevance demanded from the business community. Experiential learning opportunities through client-based projects provide for such an experience. Students in a graduate research methods class worked in teams to conduct a SWOT analysis for a local non-profit organization. This paper discusses the use of cooperative learning teams to engage in experiential learning with a non-profit.
"Slavery, Royalty, and Racism: Representations of Africa in Brazilian Carnaval"

Cet article examine les representations de l’Afrique dans le carnaval de Rio de Janeiro. Pendant la deuxieme moitie du XXe siecle, les mouvements afro-bresiliens d’affirmation culturelle se sont inspires du mouvement nord-americain pour les droits civils. En meme temps, l’affirmation culturelle dans l’espace publique fut largement basee sur la recreation des liens avec l’Afrique, tres souvent percue comme un continent idealise. Cette africanisation, d’abord developpee dans la sphere religieuse, plus tard devint visible dans d’autres manifestations culturelles telles que la musique, la danse, la mode et le carnaval. L’examen de l’exemple des parades des escolas de samba tenues lors du carnaval de Rio de Janeiro depuis les annees 1950 demontre comment la promotion des liens avec l’« Afrique » fait partie d’un processus de reconstruction dans lequel l’Atlantique Sud devient une zone commune de reclamation pour la reconnaissance de multiples identites, dans lequel l’heritage de l’esclavage et de la traite des esclaves se renouvelle.
Analogical learning and expert systems

The author considers analogical learning as a continuous process in which analogy is used to conjecture new knowledge about domain, and discusses the possible application of analogical learning in expert systems. A framework of analogical learning is presented which addresses the concept of analogical learning and describes the procedures that can be used to apply the concept to expert systems. An example is taken from an implemented expert system in AIDS intervention and prevention. >
Fibronectin Matrix Turnover Occurs through a Caveolin-1–dependent Process

Extracellular matrix remodeling occurs during development, tissue repair, and in a number of pathologies, including fibrotic disorders, hypertension, and atherosclerosis. Extracellular matrix remodeling involves the complex interplay between extracellular matrix synthesis, deposition, and degradation. Factors that control these processes are likely to play key roles in regulating physiological and pathological extracellular matrix remodeling. Our data show that fibronectin polymerization into the extracellular matrix regulates the deposition and stability of other extracellular matrix proteins, including collagen I and thrombospondin-1 (Sottile and Hocking, 2002. Mol. Biol. Cell 13, 3546). In the absence of continual fibronectin polymerization, there is a loss of fibronectin matrix fibrils, and increased levels of fibronectin degradation. Fibronectin degradation occurs intracellularly after endocytosis and can be inhibited by chloroquine, an inhibitor of lysosomal degradation, and by caveolae-disrupting agents. Down-regulation of caveolin-1 by RNAi inhibits loss of fibronectin matrix fibrils, fibronectin internalization, and fibronectin degradation; these processes can be restored by reexpression of caveolin-1. These data show that fibronectin matrix turnover occurs through a caveolin-1-dependent process. Caveolin-1 regulation of fibronectin matrix turnover is a novel mechanism regulating extracellular matrix remodeling.
Perspectives on: Molecular dynamics and computational methods

The “Perspectives on: Molecular dynamics and computational methods” in this issue offers a measure of what can now be achieved using advanced computational methods to better understand biological and physiological systems at the atomic level. Protein complexes are molecular nano-machines, able
Harvesting Technique Affects Adipose-Derived Stem Cell Yield

Background The success of an autologous fat graft depends in part on its total stromal vascular fraction (SVF) and adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs). However, variations in the yields of ASCs and SVF cells as a result of different harvesting techniques and donor sites are poorly understood. Objective To investigate the effects of adipose tissue harvesting technique and donor site on the yield of ASCs and SVF cells. Methods Subcutaneous fat tissues from the abdomen, flank, or axilla were harvested from patients of various ages by mechanical liposuction, direct surgical excision, or Coleman's technique with or without centrifugation. Cells were isolated and then analyzed with flow cytometry to determine the yields of total SVF cells and ASCs (CD11b−, CD45−, CD34+, CD90+, D7-FIB+). Differences in ASC and total SVF yields were assessed with one-way analysis of variance. Differentiation experiments were performed to confirm the multilineage potential of cultured SVF cells. Results Compared with Coleman's technique without centrifugation, direct excision yielded significantly more ASCs ( P < .001) and total SVF cells ( P = .007); liposuction yielded significantly fewer ASCs ( P < .001) and total SVF cells ( P < .05); and Coleman's technique with centrifugation yielded significantly more total SVF cells ( P < .005), but not ASCs. The total number of SVF cells in fat harvested from the abdomen was significantly larger than the number in fat harvested from the flank or axilla ( P < .05). Cultured SVF cells differentiated to adipocytes, osteocytes, and chondrocytes. Conclusions Adipose tissue harvested from the abdomen through direct excision or Coleman's technique with centrifugation was found to yield the most SVF cells and ASCs.
The Use Of A Service-Learning Model And Online Dialogue To Promote Reflection, Critical Thinking, And Cultural Competence In Early Childhood Studies Students

Service learning has grown in popularity as an effective model to enhance critical reflection. A characteristic of effective service learning is the linking of "hands on" experience in the community with academic curriculum. A service learning initiative between a 4-year college early childhood teacher preparation program and an Early Head Start (birth – age 3) program located on an American Indian reservation is effectively combined with asynchronous online dialogue. The results suggest an increase in self-awareness and cultural competence. This paper explores service learning, the use of online dialogue to promote self-awareness and reflection, and the convergence of these two teaching strategies to enhance cultural competence in a multicultural world.
PSMA PET in Prostate Cancer

Molecular imaging with PET using an increasing list of biologically relevant radiotracers is paving the way for precision and personalized medicine in prostate cancer ([1][1]). Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) has received a resurgence of attention as a useful biomarker in the imaging
Plate fixation of midshaft clavicular fractures: patient-reported outcomes and hardware-related complications.

Background Recent studies report high hardware removal rates after plate fixation of midshaft clavicular fractures. Precontoured clavicle plates may decrease hardware-related complications while improving healing rates and patient-reported outcomes (PROs). Methods Using a private-payer national database, we identified 7826 patients who underwent clavicle open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) in 2007 to 2011. Database patients were tracked for 2 years to assess hardware removal and revision fixation. In addition, we retrospectively identified 73 patients who underwent plate fixation of midshaft clavicular fractures at our institution. These patients completed the Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) assessment, the EQ-5D (EuroQol, Rotterdam, The Netherlands) quality of life assessment, and a hardware-related outcomes survey. Results Among 7826 database patients, 994 (12.7%) underwent hardware removal and 78 (1%) required revision ORIF. The annual incidence of clavicle ORIF increased 61.5% between 2007 and 2011. In our institutional cohort, 56 patients (77%) were fixed with precontoured plates and 17 (23%) with standard plates. At a mean follow-up of 4.2 years, 11 patients (15%) underwent hardware removal and 1 patient (1.4%) experienced nonunion. Patients reported excellent outcomes, with average DASH of 4.0 ± 8.9 and EQ-5D of 0.89 ± 0.19. There were no differences in PROs, hardware removal, or union rate between plate types, although our study was underpowered for these outcomes. Patients who underwent hardware removal reported lower DASH, EQ-5D, satisfaction, and shoulder function compared with patients with hardware retained. Women were more likely to undergo hardware removal in the institutional ( P = .009) and the database ( P Conclusion Displaced midshaft clavicle fractures have high union rates with precontoured plate fixation. Women are 4 times more likely than men to have hardware removed. Patients undergoing clavicle hardware removal report worse long-term outcomes than patients with hardware retained.
Struggle from the margins: Juridical processes and entanglements with the Peruvian state in the era of mega-mining

Abstract This paper examines the creation of spaces of legal marginalization for anti-mining activists in the region of Cajamarca, Peru. Central state interests in promoting the course of extractive ‘development’ have simultaneously undermined many of the legal conditions for political participation and rights assumed in ‘developed’ liberal democratic states. Based on a series of interviews in Cajamarca, I examine how legal marginalization is experienced in a nation-state where citizens are “guaranteed” fundamental human and indigenous rights. I highlight two processes: the transfer of jurisdiction of Conga Mine cases from Cajamarca to Lambayeque and the systematic archiving of activists’ claims. These processes reveal the manner in which political actors co-produce paradoxical spaces of law that are played out in the daily lives of activists. I argue that the “Rule of Law” is rendered flexible and that members of rural communities and grass-roots organizations, such as the legally-recognized Rondas Campesinas , are actively positioned in marginalized legal spaces outside the functioning of regular juridical processes.
Rough-Wall Boundary Layer Noise: An Experimental Investigation

This paper presents experimental data from a new wall-jet facility developed to investigate the noise radiated from turbulent flows over rough surfaces. An extensive set of Pitot and hot-wire anemometry measurements show that the facility produces closely selfsimilar wall-jet flows over a smooth surface with boundary layer Reynolds numbers ranging from 15000 to 60500. The addition of a range of different roughnesses to the surface increases velocity deficit and turbulence near the wall, but has little effect on the boundary layer edge velocity, and turbulence levels outside the near wall region. Facility background noise levels are dominated by jet noise, but quiet enough to allow detection of roughness noise using a single microphone in the far field over a wide range of flow conditions. Noise spectra are presented for a broad range of conditions, and normalized on several traditional models for roughness noise with varied results. Measurements show two scaling regions in the roughness noise spectrum. A non-dimensional frequency of ωδ*/Uc scales both regions, if the convection velocity is taken to be 60% of the boundary layer edge velocity. Below ωδ*/Uc = 20 the spectra scale best on a dipole velocity scaling based on the maximum turbulence level in the flow, above this frequency the levels scale on a quadrupole velocity scaling based on the convective velocity. In both regions the spectral levels scale with the mean roughness height to the third power.
Characterization of the normal serum glutamic-oxalacetic transaminase activity of healthy adults.

There is marked uncertainty concerning the normal activity of serum glutamic oxalacetic transaminase (SGOT) in healthy adults, hampering the effective use of SGOT activities in the diagnosis of potentially fatal disease, especially acute myocardial infarction. The uncertainty has resulted from the use of rate-limiting conditions, and from lack of control of the assay temperature. • Moreover, most of the normal populations consisted of small groups of subjects, usually of unspecified age and sex, and even of hospitalized patients.' 26 The validation of a revised spectrophotometric method has made it possible to define the normal SGOT activity. Two relatively small groups of healthy adults studied by Henry and associates and by(Amador and Wacker had an upper limit of normal at 25 C , distinctly different from the widely used limit of 40 to 50 units;' however, it appeared that there was a clinically significant sex difference, and that the values fitted a log-normal distribution, which made it difficult to define the upper limit of normal. In order to clarify these ambiguities, the SGOT activities of a large sample of healthy adults of all ages have been determined with the revised spectrophotometric method. In addition, the frequency distribution of these activities has been characterized through orthodox statistical methods. The results
Coextruded, aligned, and gradient-modified poly(ε-caprolactone) fibers as platforms for neural growth.

Polymeric fibers are of increasing interest to regenerative medicine, as materials made from these fibers are porous, allowing for cell infiltration, influx of nutrients, and efflux of waste products. Recently, multilayered coextrusion has emerged as a scalable and rapid fabrication method to yield microscale to submicron fibers. In this report, we describe the multilayered coextrusion of aligned poly(e-caprolactone) (PCL) fibers, followed by a simple photochemical patterning to create surface-immobilized gradients onto the polymer fibers. PCL fibers were photochemically decorated with a linear gradient of propargyl benzophenone using a gradient photomask to control light source intensity. The pendant alkynes were then able to undergo the copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition reaction with an azide-modified IKVAV peptide to further functionalize the surface. Gradient-modified IKVAV fibers were evaluated for neural cell adhesion and neural differentiation, using PC-12 cells cultured onto the fibers. The aligned gradient fibers provided directional cues for neurite outgrowth and alignment of neural cells, as observed by cellular elongation, neurite differentiation, and orientation. The work presented herein describes a scalable fiber system combined with simple chemical patterning to generate aligned fibers with controlled surface gradients as cell-seeding scaffolds.