cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The role of culture in the emergence of decision-making roles: An example using cultural algorithms

Cultural algorithms employ a basic set of knowledge sources, each related to knowledge observed in various animal species. These knowledge sources are then combined to direct the decisions of the individual agents in solving optimization problems. Here, the authors develop an algorithm based on an analogy to the marginal value theorem in foraging theory to guide the integration of these different knowledge sources to direct the agent population. The algorithm is applied to find the optimum in a dynamic environment composed of mobile resource cones. It is demonstrated that certain phases of problem solving emerge along with related individual roles during the solution process. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity, 2008 This article was submitted as an invited paper resulting from the “Understanding Complex Systems” conference held at the University of Illinois–Urbana Champaign, May 2005.
Wavelet identification of the spatial distribution of fractures

We propose a novel and efficient method for identifying the spatial distribution of fractures and faults of field-scale porous media, such as oil reservoirs and groundwater aquifers. The method is based on wavelet transformation of the porosity logs, and is demonstrated by its applications to synthetic as well as real data.
Ideological anxiety and the censored text: Real lives—at the edge of the union 1

This essay details the controversy surrounding the 1985 decision by the British Broadcasting Corporation's Board of Governors to withdraw a documentary entitled Real Lives—At the Edge of the Union. It also offers a reading of the film that attempts to understand how this particular text works as a radical reflection of ideological anxiety in Great Britain, and thus how the film functioned as an oppositional discourse to the prevailing orthodoxy of Thatcherism and British policy in Northern Ireland. Ultimately, the essay maintains the importance of sustained critical analysis of discourse censored by existing power structures to better understand the censoring impulse as one motivated by ideological uncertainty and ambiguity.
Tubularized incised-plate urethroplasty for hypospadias reoperation.

Objective To review our preliminary results of tubularized incised-plate (TIP) urethroplasty for reoperative hypospadias repair. Patients and methods The study comprised 15 patients, of whom eight had undergone a previous repair by techniques that included incision into the midline of the urethral plate, while in the remaining seven the midline of the plate had been left undisturbed. The meatus at reoperation was subcoronal or on the distal shaft in all but one boy, who had a midshaft hypospadias. All had previously undergone one attempt at hypospadias repair, except for one patient presenting after two failed ‘meatal advancement and glanuloplasty incorporated’ procedures. The TIP repair was undertaken as described for primary surgery, except that the dorsal dartos flaps for interposition between the neourethra and skin closure were available less often. Results TIP resulted in a functional neourethra and a cosmetically normal meatus in 13 of the 15 patients. One boy healed with a slightly rounded meatus and the other had wound dehiscence; fistulae developed in another two boys, giving three patients with complications. The fistulae occurred in boys whose original surgery did not include urethral plate incision, while the dehiscence was in a patient with partial excision of the plate during previous tubularized preputial flap repair. Conclusions TIP urethroplasty can potentially be used for hypospadias reoperation. Previous incision of the urethral plate was not a contraindication in these selected cases in which the plate appeared supple. However, TIP repair should be avoided in repeat hypospadias surgery if the plate has been resected or is obviously scarred.
NMR and short range order in amorphous silicon

Abstract The influence of annealing on the magic angle spinning nmr spectra of sputtered a-Si has been studied. A substantial narrowing of the 29 Si nmr width above 400C is observed, while a relatively small change in peak position occurs. Raman scattering and neutron diffraction measurements on this material indicate that the nmr width change is due to modifications of valence electron states with bond angle disorder.
Stochastic modeling of carbon oxidation

Recent studies of carbon oxidation by scanning tunneling microscopy indicate that measured rates of carbon oxidation can be affected by randomly distributed defects in the carbon structure, which vary in size. Nevertheless, the impact of this observation on the analysis or modeling of the oxidation rate has not been critically assessed. This work focuses on the stochastic analysis of the dynamics of carbon clusters' conversions during the oxidation of a carbon sheet. According to the classic model of Nagle and Strickland-Constable (NSC), two classes of carbon clusters are involved in three types of reactions: gasification of basal-carbon clusters, gasification of edge-carbon clusters, and conversion of the edge-carbon clusters to the basal-carbon clusters due to the thermal annealing. To accommodate the dilution of basal clusters, however, the NSC model is modified for the later stage of oxidation in this work. Master equations governing the numbers of three classes of carbon clusters, basal, edge and gasified, are formulated from stochastic population balance. The stochastic pathways of three different classes of carbon during oxidation, that is, their means and the fluctuations around these means, have been numerically simulated independently by the algorithm derived from the master equations, as well as by an event-drivenmore » Monte Carlo algorithm. Both algorithms have given rise to identical results.« less
Cellular Retinaldehyde Binding Protein in Developing Retinal Astrocytes

Abstract Cellular retinaldehyde binding protein (CRALBP) is present in Muller glia and in cells of the retinal pigment epithelium, but we have recently observed CRALBP-like immunoreactivity near the inner limiting membrane in the newborn mouse retina. The present study has examined whether this protein is present in developing retinal astrocytes. Retinal tissue was collected at various embryonic and post-natal ages and in adulthood. Tissue for immunohistochemistry was fixed by immersion in 4% paraformaldehyde and immunostained using rabbit polyclonal antisera to CRALBP or glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), while fresh tissue was homogenized for Western analysis. Specificity of the antiserum for the 33 kDa protein was shown in retinal homogenates by immunoblotting, with expression of the protein increasing steadily from E15.5 through adulthood. Immunostaining of sections from fetal eye-cups revealed faint labeling of cells in the optic nerve, with progressive migration of CRALBP-immunoreactive cells into the retina at the inner limiting membrane during the perinatal period. By the day of birth, these cells were intensely immunoreactive, showing a morphology characteristic of migrating astrocytes. These CRALBP-immunoreactive cells mimicked the progressive infiltration of GFAP-positive astrocytes which are known to migrate into the retina from the optic nerve head, many of which were double-labeled with GFAP. Their distribution across the retina is distinct from that of the lighter-staining Muller glial somata during these stages, and they are not misidentified Muller glial endfeet. Astrocytes are only transiently CRALBP-immunoreactive, no longer containing the protein after the second post-natal week. Preincubation of the antiserum with purified CRALBP abolished all staining of astrocytes. Coupled with the fact that only a single (∼33 kDa) molecular weight protein is labeled by the antiserum, it was concluded that retinal astrocytes contain CRALBP during a limited period of development.
A New Cohesion Metric and Restructuring Technique for Object Oriented Paradigm

When software systems grow large during development and maintenance, they may lose their quality and become complex to read, understand and maintain. A software component should be of good quality for the readers of the code to find its intents clear and the code behavior obvious. When this is the case it will be less costly to maintain the code and when its intent is clear, the code will be reusable, which is one of the key features of object oriented programming. Several software quality metrics have been proposed to measure overall or partial quality of software units such as classes or procedures. Cohesion is one of the most widely used metrics to measure quality of a software unit in terms of the relatedness of its components. This work presents a new cohesion metric based on program slicing and graph theory for units using object oriented paradigm. One can make a judgment on clarity of intent of the code using the metric we propose here. We aim to find out if a class is cohesive, handling one specific operation. We identify all program statements which constitute operations in the same abstraction domain. When a class has more than one abstraction, this technique suggests a restructuring for generating more cohesive units based on this new cohesion metric.
China-Africa Relations: A Neo-Imperialism or a Neo-Colonialism? A Reflection*

Based on the intensity and the volume of financial and economic dimensions as it pertains to the relationship between China and various African countries since the end of the 1990s, the debate on these relations has just begun within a global context. The discussion on the nature of South-South relations, especially between a newly emerging industrial country, located in Asia, and the African countries, which represent the least industrialized area of the world, has more recently brought the subject of the unequal balance of power between the two regions under intellectual scrutiny. Several intellectual debates on China-Africa relations have been mostly reactive in the sense that many analyses have focused on Africa’s past relations with the Global North. The existing literature on these relations has, to a large extent, not sufficiently located the discourse within the existing dominant ideologies, namely neo-imperialism and neo-liberalism. It is also important to localize these relations within the World Trade Organization’s dogmas and practices, the United Nations Charter, and African Union Charter in order to assess whether or not they can be characterized as either neo-imperialist or neo-liberal. Furthermore, it is important to identify on which specific areas these economic relations have generally focused and in which specific African countries they have been dominant. How do the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party perceive and define them? How do the African Union and specific African countries perceive and define these relations? And what are the policy implications in China and in the African public sectors? The main objective of this paper is, using the data and figures from Chinese sectoral investments and export-import of China and specific African countries to make a critical evaluative analysis of these relations and determine if they are qualified to be called neo-imperialist or neo-liberal. The article is both an empirically-based analysis and a reflection.
Reproducibility analysis of diffusion tensor indices and fiber architecture of human calf muscles in vivo at 1.5 Tesla in neutral and plantarflexed ankle positions at rest

Purpose: To investigate the reproducibility of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) -derived indices and fiber architecture of calf muscles at 1.5 Tesla (T), to establish an imaging based method to confirm ankle position, and to compare fiber architecture at different ankle positions. Materials and Methods: Six subjects were imaged at 1.5T with the foot in neutral and plantarflexed positions. DTI indices were calculated in four muscle compartments (medial and lateral gastrocnemius [MG, LG], superficial and deep anterior tibialis [AT-S, AT-D]). Two subjects were scanned on 3 days to calculate the coefficient of variability (CV) and the repeatability coefficient (RC). Results: DTI indices were close to the values obtained in earlier 3T and 1.5T studies. Fractional anisotropy decreased significantly in the MG and increased significantly in the AT-S and AT-D compartments while fiber orientation with respect to the magnet Z-axis increased significantly in the MG and decreased significantly in the AT-S compartment with plantarflexion. The CV and RC for the DTI indices and fiber orientations were comparable to 3T studies. Fiber lengths and orientation angles in the MG matched corresponding measures from ultrasound studies. Conclusion: DTI at 1.5T provides reproducible measures of diffusion indices and fiber architecture of calf muscle at different muscle lengths. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2011;. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Combined Kidney and Pancreas Transplantation

Diabetes is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease in the United States. Combined kidney and pancreas transplantation is a safe and effective treatment option for diabetic nephropathy. During the past decade, pancreas transplants had improved outcomes as a result of improvements in pancreas recovery and preservation, the surgical procedure, immunosuppressive regimens, and immunologic monitoring. Current 1-year patient and graft survival rates are 90% and 80%, respectively, and evidence is accumulating that improvements occur in microvascular and neuropathic complications as well. Successful outcomes of kidney and pancreas transplantation are due in large part to careful nursing assessment, diagnosis, intervention, teaching, and discharge planning.
A prospective study to determine the incidence of non-imaged malignant pulmonary nodules in patients who undergo metastasectomy by thoracotomy with lung palpation.

Background To prospectively assess the incidence of non-imaged malignant nodules in patients who undergo thoracotomy for metastasectomy with bimanual lung palpation. Methods This is a prospective cohort study of patients who underwent open metastasectomy by thoracotomy. All patients had metastatic lung lesions, underwent 64-slice helical computed tomographic (CT) scan with intravenous contrast using 5-mm collimated cuts, and most had integrated PET (positron emission tomography)-CT. Unsuspected malignant pulmonary nodules that were palpated and removed, and that were not imaged preoperatively, were recorded. Results From January 2006 to March 2010, 152 patients underwent metastasectomy by rib-sparing, nerve-sparing thoracotomy by 1 surgeon. Fifty-one (34%) patients had 57 pulmonary nodules that were not imaged preoperatively and 32 of the 57 (56%) nodules were malignant. Thirty patients had non-imaged malignant nodules that were palpated and removed. There were 15 malignant nodules that were in different lobes than the imaged nodules. The 3 most commonly missed malignant nodules occurred in patients with colorectal cancer, renal cell, and sarcoma. Conclusions Metastasectomy by thoracotomy, which affords bimanual palpation of the entire lung, discovers ipsilateral non-imaged malignant pulmonary metastases in 1 of 5 patients who had at least 1 imaged metastatic pulmonary lesion. This is true despite preoperative, fine cut chest CT scan with contrast, and integrated 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-PET-CT scanning. The clinical significance of these non-imaged, resected malignant nodules is unknown, nor is the added morbidity of resecting benign nodules.
C-fos expression is hypersensitive to serum-stimulation in cultured cystic kidney cells from the C57BL/6J-cpk mouse

Cystic kidneys of the C57BL/6J-cpk murine model of polycystic kidney disease show a marked overexpression of the proto-oncogenes c-fos, c-myc, and c-Ki-ras, consistent with an increased rate of cell proliferation and an altered state of differentiation. To determine if cystic cells have increased responsiveness to stimulation with mitogenic agents, quiescent primary cultures from normal and cystic cpk kidneys were treated with fetal bovine serum (FBS), 8-bromo-cAMP (cAMP), or epidermal growth factor (EGF). The level of c-fos induction following stimulation by FBS was found to be dramatically higher in cystic cells than in normal cells; whereas induction by cAMP or EGF was essentially the same in both cell types and much less than that seen in FBS-stimulated cells. To determine if this serum hypersensitivity reflects an increased proliferative state in vivo, c-fos induction was examined in cultures derived from normal kidneys stimulated to regenerate by folic acid-induced acute renal injury. As with cystic kidneys, the folic acid-injured kidneys showed increased c-fos responsiveness to FBS in cell culture. These experiments suggest that cystic and regenerating kidneys have an altered phenotypic state in vivo that is manifested in cell culture by serum hypersensitivity. However, whereas the folic acid-injured kidneys ultimately reestablish normal kidney function, cystic kidneys further progress to renal failure, suggesting that cystic epithelial cells are locked in this altered state of differentiation.
Liquid antiadhesive product (Adcon-p) prevents post-operative adhesions within the intra-abdominal organs in a rat model.

Background and aims Postoperative adhesions mostly cleave to small bowel and lead to troublesome problems. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a novel liquid antiadhesive product (Adcon-P) in rats.
Neogene history of the Deep Western Boundary Current at Rekohu sediment drift, Southwest Pacific (ODP Site 1124)

Abstract ODP Site 1124, located 600 km east of the North Island of New Zealand, records post-middle Oligocene variations in the Pacific Deep Western Boundary Current (DWBC) and New Zealand’s climatic and tectonic evolution. Sediment parameters, such as terrigenous grain size, flux, magnetic fabric, and non-depositional episodes, are used to interpret DWBC intensity and Antarctic climate. Interpretations of DWBC velocities indicate that the Antarctic Circumpolar Current reached modern intensities at ∼23 Ma, as the tectonic seaways expanded, completing the thermal isolation of Antarctica. Periods of more intense bottom water formation are suggested by the presence of hiatuses formed under the DWBC at 22.5–17.6, 16.5–15, and 14–11 Ma. The oldest interval of high current intensity occurs within a climatically warm period during which the intensity of thermohaline circulation around Antarctica increased as a result of recent opening of circum-Antarctic gateways. The younger hiatuses represent glacial periods on Antarctica and major fluctuations in the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, whereas intervals around the hiatuses represent times of relative warmth, but with continued current activity. The period between 11 to 9 Ma is characterized by conditions surrounding a high velocity DWBC around the time of the formation and stabilization of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. The increased terrigenous input may result from either changing Antarctic conditions or more direct sediment transport from New Zealand. The Pacific DWBC did not exert a major influence on sedimentation at Site 1124 from 9 Ma to the present; the late Miocene to Pleistocene sequence is more influenced by the climatic and tectonic history of New Zealand. Despite the apparent potential for increased sediment supply to this site from changes in sediment channeling, increasing rates of mountain uplift, and volcanic activity, terrigenous fluxes remain low and constant throughout this younger period.
High-reflectance coatings for space applications in the EUV

Advances in optical coating and materials technology have made possible the development of instruments with substantially improved efficiency and made possible to consider more complex optical designs in the EUV. The importance of recent developments in chemical vapor deposited silicon carbide (CVD-SiC), SiC films and multilayer coatings is discussed in the context of EUV instrumentation design. The EUV performance of these coatings as well as some strengths and problem areas for their use in space will be addressed.
Responses to Orientation Discontinuities in V1 and V2: Physiological Dissociations and Functional Implications

Segmenting the visual image into objects is a crucial stage of visual processing. Object boundaries are typically associated with differences in luminance, but discontinuities in texture also play an important role. We showed previously that a subpopulation of neurons in V2 in anesthetized macaques responds to orientation discontinuities parallel to their receptive field orientation. Such single-cell responses could be a neurophysiological correlate of texture boundary detection. Neurons in V1, on the other hand, are known to have contextual response modulations such as iso-orientation surround suppression, which also produce responses to orientation discontinuities. Here, we use pseudorandom multiregion grating stimuli of two frame durations (20 and 40 ms) to probe and compare texture boundary responses in V1 and V2 in anesthetized macaque monkeys. In V1, responses to texture boundaries were observed for only the 40 ms frame duration and were independent of the orientation of the texture boundary. However, in transient V2 neurons, responses to such texture boundaries were robust for both frame durations and were stronger for boundaries parallel to the neuron's preferred orientation. The dependence of these processes on stimulus duration and orientation indicates that responses to texture boundaries in V2 arise independently of contextual modulations in V1. In addition, because the responses in transient V2 neurons are sensitive to the orientation of the texture boundary but those of V1 neurons are not, we suggest that V2 responses are the correlate of texture boundary detection, whereas contextual modulation in V1 serves other purposes, possibly related to orientation “pop-out.”
Optimal and efficient designs for 2-parameter nonlinear models☆

Abstract By Caratheodory's theorem, for a k-parameter nonlinear model, the minimum number of support points for any D-optimal design is between k and k(k+1)/2. Characterizing classes of models for which a D-optimal design sits on exactly k support points is of great theoretical interest. By utilizing the equivalence theorem, we identify classes of 2-parameter nonlinear models for which a D-optimal design is precisely supported on 2 points. We also introduce the theory of maximum principle from differential equations into the design area and obtain some results on characterizing the minimally supported nonlinear designs. Examples are given to demonstrate our results. Designs with minimum number of support points may not always be suitable in practice. To alleviate this problem, we utilize some geometric and analytical methods to obtain some efficient designs which provide more opportunity for the model checking and prevent biases due to mis-specified initial parameters.
On the use of uncertainty analyses to test hypotheses regarding deterministic model predictions of environmental processes

Abstract This paper illustrates the use of Monte Carlo parameter uncertainty and sensitivity analyses to test hypotheses regarding predictions of deterministic models of environmental transport, dose, risk and other phenomena. The methodology is illustrated by testing whether 238 Pu is transferred more readily than 239 + 240 Pu from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of cattle to their tissues (muscle, liver and blood). This illustration is based on a study wherein beef-cattle grazed for up to 1064 days on a fenced plutonium (Pu)-contaminated arid site in Area 13 near the Nevada Test Site in the United States. Periodically, cattle were sacrificed and their tissues analyzed for Pu and other radionuclides. Monte Carlo parameter uncertainty analyses were conducted using the Pu data in a deterministic model of GI-to-tissue transfer to obtain a subjective probability density function (pdf) of the ratio of predicted 238 Pu over 239 + 240 Pu fractional transfers. This subjective pdf was used to test, conditional on the assumed deterministic model and parameter uncertainties, the hypothesis that 238 Pu was transferred more readily from the GI tract to tissues than 239 + 240 Pu. Differences in fractional transfers for 238 Pu and 239 + 240 Pu were indicated using this methodology. Conditional sensitivity analyses of the model predictions were also conducted. These analyses indicated that Pu cattle tissue concentrations had the largest impact of any model parameter on the pdf of predicted Pu fractional transfers. Issues that arise in conducting uncertainty and sensitivity analyses of deterministic models are discussed. This research was supported by the Basic Environmental Compliance and Monitoring Program (BECAMP), US Department of Energy, Nevada Field Office, Las Vegas, Nevada.
A desktop imaging system for teaching MR engineering

This paper reports our results in developing a simple MRI system for teaching the basics of MR Engineering at the undergraduate or graduate level. LabVIEW data acquisition cards were used for generating and digitizing the RF signals and controlling gradients and transmit/receive and blanking switches. A very inexpensive and simple magnet reported previously by Sahakian was used to enable simple, projection reconstruction imaging. Students constructed the gradients, RF coils and did system level assembly and programming of the data acquisition system. At the end of the course students were tasked with identifying unknown imaging “phantoms” in their magnet, and then improving the image based on their knowledge.
Supernodal symbolic Cholesky factorization on a local-memory multiprocessor☆

Abstract In this paper, we consider the symbolic factorization step in computing the Cholesky factorization of a sparse symmetric positive definite matrix on distributed-memory multiprocessor systems. By exploiting the supernodal structure in the Cholesky factor, the performance of a previous parallel symbolic factorization algorithm is improved. Empirical tests demonstrate that there can be drastic reduction in the execution time required by the new algorithm on an Intel iPSC/2 hypercube.
Hedgehog Pathway and Pediatric Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

It is unclear why the histology of pediatric and adult nonalcoholic fatty liver disease sometimes differs. In adults, severity of portal inflammation and fibrosis correlate with Hedgehog pathway activity. Hedgehog (Hh) signaling regulates organogenesis, but is silent in adult livers until injury re-induces Hh ligand production. During adolescence, liver development is completed and children’s livers normally lose cells that produce and/or respond to Hh ligands. We postulated that fatty liver injury interferes with this process by increasing Hh ligand production, and theorized that hepatic responses to Hh ligands might differ among children according to age, gender, and/or puberty status. Using unstained liver biopsy slides from 56 children with nonalcoholic liver disease (NAFLD), we performed immunohistochemistry to assess Hh pathway activation and correlated results with clinical information obtained at biopsy. Fibrosis stage generally correlated with Hh pathway activity, as demonstrated by numbers of Hh-ligand producing cells (P < 0.0001) and Hh-responsive (glioma-associated oncogene 2-positive [Gli2]) cells (P = 0.0013). Numbers of Gli2 (+) cells also correlated with portal inflammation grade (P = 0.0012). Two distinct zonal patterns of Hh-ligand production, portal/peri-portal vs. lobular, were observed. Higher portal/peri-portal Hh-ligand production was associated with male gender. Male gender and pre-puberty were also associated with ductular proliferation (P<0.05), increased numbers of portal Gli2 (+) cells (P<0.017) and portal fibrosis. Conclusion: The portal/peri-portal (progenitor) compartment of pre-pubescent male livers exhibits high Hh pathway activity. This may explain unique histologic features of pediatric NAFLD because Hedgehog signaling promotes the fibro-ductular response.
Half-cylinder cuts antero-lateral to the ventromedial nucleus reduce sexual receptivity in female golden hamsters

Abstract We have previously shown that lesions in the region of the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMN) can eliminate sexual receptivity in female golden hamsters. In the present study a Halasz-type knife was used to help determine the connections of this region critical for this behavior. Ovariectomized, estradiol benzoate plus progesterone-treated females were given weekly tests for lordosis before and after hypothalamic cuts. Changes in body weight and agonistic behavior were also recorded. Complete VMN isolations produced by a 360° rotation of the knife blade eliminated lordosis. One-half cylinder cuts (180° knife rotation) were also made either antero-lateral or postero-lateral to the VMN. Some of the antero-lateral cuts disrupted lordosis as completely as full-cylinder cuts, while postero-lateral cuts had little or no effect. Full-cylinder and antero-lateral cuts also produced increases in agonistic behavior and body weight. Degree of lordosis deficit and degree of weight gain were positively correlated among the full-cylinder and antero-lateral cut females. We conclude that neural pathways critical for lordosis pass in or out of the VMN region in an antero-lateral, and not a posterior or postero-lateral direction.
Equity and sustainability: An empirical analysis

An empirical equity measure involving energy, taxes, and pollution is developed and analyzed statistically with economic, environmental, energy, and sustainability indicators. The pollution equity measure is an emissions‐to‐jobs ratio, the energy measure is the ratio of energy prices of the residential sector to the industrial sector, and the tax measure is the ratio of regressive tax revenues to progressive tax revenues. A composite equity index is calculated and correlated with indicators of sustainability across the 50 states of the United States Sustainability indicators used were poverty, unemployment rates, personal income and disparity, energy use, waste generated, and the Green Index scores. As the equity index improves, indicating more equality, the economic, environmental, and energy parameters improve, indicating better sustainability. Equity appears to be related to economic conditions, energy use, environmental quality, and sustainability, and has implications for policy development. Equality...
Low-lying levels, γ-ray transitions, and vibrational structure in 198Pt from (n, n'γ) reaction spectroscopy

Abstract Low-lying states in 198 Pt have been studied by (n, n'γ) reaction spectroscopy at incident neutron energies below 2.5 MeV. Using detailed γ-ray excitation functions and angular distribution measurements, we have established a level scheme which includes 16 excited levels and is believed to include all levels below an excitation energy of 1.5 MeV. The positive-parity structure is similar to that expected for an anharmonic vibrator; however, difficulties in asserting that the first 0 + excited level is a collective excitation are encountered. Only two negative-parity states are observed, and they are adequately described in the semi-decoupled model.
Vadose Zone Transport of 1,1,1-Trichloroethane: Conceptual Model Validation through Numerical Simulation

diffusion coefficients for the different geologic units, asphalt cover, and thegas-phasepermeability are reduced(Jury etal.,1991). land–atmosphere boundary layer and (ii) the fixed concentrations in Volatile organic compounds tend to have low solubility, the two shaft clusters. By including all of the components of the conceptual model in our numerical simulations we were able to achieve butsome partitioningintovadose zonewater occursand a reasonable match between the simulated plume and site data for two can slow the migration of VOC vapor (Jury et al., 1990). alternate conceptual models of asphalt, one with asphalt as a diffusive Partitioning is often assumed to be an equilibrium phebarrier and one without asphalt as a diffusive barrier. A goodness-of-fit nomenon; however, Thomson et al. (1997) reported that analysis shows that the best-fit simulations are highly correlated to this may be an oversimplification of field conditions. 132 data points from 21 boreholes. The simulations demonstrate that Another process that slows VOC migration is sorption diffusive behavior describes the general characteristics of the current onto mineral surfaces, which may or may not be reverssubsurface vapor plume. Effective vapor-phase diffusion coefficients ible. Slow desorption of VOC in the vadose zone can used in the simulations that best fit the data suggest that barometric lead to long-term sources that are extremely difficult to pumping is notcontributing to diffusion in the deepvadose zone; howremediate.Finally,degradationofVOCsbybothabiotic ever, it is likely that barometric pumping is occurring in fractures near the mesa edge. We conclude that asphalt is most likely acting as andbioticprocessescanhelptoattenuateacontaminant a barrier to diffusion at this site. The numerical simulations validate plume (Vogel et al., 1987). However, abiotic degradathat the conceptual model developed for this study is a useful tool tion can be quite slow, and biotic degradation can be slow for analyzing TCA transport within the mesas of the Pajarito Plateau. and inefficient in the vadose zone where liquid nutrient flux and waste removal are impeded by low relative permeability of liquids caused by the presence of soil gas
Fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery SSFP imaging.

Purpose To describe and evaluate a fast, fluid-suppressed 2D multislice steady-state free precession (SSFP) neuroimaging sequence. Materials and Methods We developed a fast fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery SSFP sequence for use in neuroimaging. The inversion time (TI) was optimized to yield good cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) suppression while conserving white matter (WM)/lesion contrast across a broad range of flip angles. Multiple SSFP acquisitions were combined using the sum-of-squares (SOS) method to maximize SNR efficiency while minimizing SSFP banding artifacts. We compared our fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery (FLAIR) SSFP sequence with FLAIR fast spin-echo (FSE) in both normal subjects and a volunteer with multiple sclerosis. SNR measurements were performed to ascertain the SNR efficiency of each sequence. Results Our FLAIR SSFP sequence demonstrated excellent CSF suppression and good gray matter (GM)/WM contrast. Coverage of the entire brain (5-mm slices, 24-cm FOV, 256 × 192 matrix) was achieved with FLAIR SSFP in less than half the scan time of a corresponding FLAIR FSE sequence with similar SNR, yielding improvements of more than 50% in SNR efficiency. Axial scans of a volunteer with multiple sclerosis show clearly visible plaques and very good visualization of brain parenchyma. Conclusion We have demonstrated the feasibility of a very fast fluid-suppressed neuroimaging technique using SSFP. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Sterol regulation of acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase: a mechanism for coordinate control of cellular lipid

Transcription from the housekeeping promoter for the acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase (ACC) gene, which encodes the rate-controlling enzyme of fatty acid biosynthesis, is shown to be regulated by cellular sterol levels through novel binding sites for the sterol-sensitive sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBP)-1 transcription factor. The position of the SREBP sites relative to those for the ubiquitous auxiliary transcription factor Sp1 is reminiscent of that previously described for the sterol-regulated low density lipoprotein receptor promoter. The experiments provide molecular evidence that the metabolism of fatty acids and cholesterol, two different classes of essential cellular lipids, are coordinately regulated by cellular lipid levels.
Connections between the Support and Linear Independence of Refinable Distributions

The purpose of this paper is to study the relationships between the support of a refinable distribution?and the global and local linear independence of the integer translates of?. It has been shown elsewhere that a compactly supported distribution?has globally independent integer translates if and only if?has minimal convex support. However, such a distribution may have “holes” in its support. By insisting that??L2(R) and generates a multiresolution analysis, Lemarie and Malgouyres have ensured that no such holes can occur. In this article we generalize this result to refinable distributions. We also give a result on the local linear independence of the integer translates of?. We work with integer dilation factorN?2 throughout this paper.
MOLTING PHENOLOGY OF HARBOR SEALS ON TUGIDAK ISLAND, ALASKA

We documented the progression and timing of the annual molt of harbor seals on Tugidak Island, Alaska, from 1997 to 1999. In all years the timing of molting differed among age-sex classes. Yearlings molted first, subadults second, adult females third, and lastly adult males. Timing of molting was nearly identical in 1997-1998, whereas in 1999 malting occurred three to six clays later for all age-sex classes except yearlings. Estimated dates when peak proportions of each age-sex class were molting ranged from 2 August (yearlings) to 2 September (adult males). The number of seals hauled out was positively related to the proportion of seals in the molt and negatively related to the proportion of seals in the postmolt. Population trend estimates, based on aerial counts conducted during a narrow window within the molting period, are likely biased toward certain age-sex classes. Statistical models used to estimate trend include covariates to help account for within-year variation in seal numbers, but do not account for compositional changes that occur during molting. Population modeling may elucidate the effects of within-year population structure on trend estimates. Monitoring malting phonology at additional sites is necessary to determine the extent of geographic variation in malting.
Blood pressure, heart rate, and regional resistance in behavioral defense

Abstract Rats were instrumented with arterial catheters and directional pulsed Doppler flow probes for measurement of arterial blood pressure, heart rate, and blood flow in the renal, mesenteric, and hindquarter vascular beds. When tested as intruders in a resident-intruder aggression test, subjects responded to resident attack with species-characteristic defensive behavior and the “defense reaction” pattern of increased heart rate, renal resistance, and mesenteric resistance, and decreased hindquarter resistance. Blood pressure was variable, but sustained increases in blood pressure were rarely observed. The maintenance of blood pressure during species-specific defensive behavior can be contrasted with the sustained pressor responses observed in the centrally elicited defense reaction. The combination of pulsed Doppler technology and the residentintruder paradigm appears to be a promising method for investigating the mechanisms of cardiovascular adjustment to behavioral defense.
Acute pulmonary lesions in sheep experimentally infected with bovine viral diarrhoea virus.

Summary Six sheep, aged 6–8 months and seronegative for pestivirus, were inoculatedintranasally, through the tracheal wall, and intrabronchially with a non-cytopathogenic isolate of bovine viral diarrhoe virus (ncpBVDV). Infected sheep were killed in pairs on post-inoculation day (PID) 2, 4 and 6. They all exhibited transient leucopenia or lymphopenia, or both. Platelet counts decreased but remained within normal limits. BVDN was isolated from buffy coats and tissues of all sheep inoculated with ncpBVDV but not from two uninfected control animals. Pulmonary lesions, evident in ncpBVDV-inoculated sheep, consisted of moderate oedema with multifocal alveolar septal necrosis and haemorrhage, infiltrates of mononuclear inflammatory cells, and degenerative changes in alveolar epithelium, endothelium and pulmonary intravascular macrophages. Additionally, there was morphological evidence of platelet activation and pulmonary intravascular macrophage stimulation. Lesions were not observed in the two control sheep.
Predicting Students' Attitudes and Satisfactions: Implications for Strategic Planning in Higher Education:

The purposes of the study were (1) to investigate the effects of academic/career factors, social and self influences, occupational orientation, and individual characteristics on students' attitudes toward their majors and satisfaction with their majors/departments and (2) to examine the impact of initial expectations of one's major/department, perceived performance, and disconfirmation on the students' current satisfaction level with their majors/departments. Data (n = 718) were collectedfrom 16 major universities across the nation. As a result of a series of multiple regression analyses, students' perceptions of their courses and of the image of their proposed careers appeared to have the most significant impact on students' attitudes toward their major, while course perceptions, overall university satisfaction, attitude toward one's major, and occupational orientation were the most significant factors for students' satisfaction with their major/department. In investigating the impact of initial expectat...
The conformation of C-DNA.

The conformation of C-DNA has been re-examined and shown to be much more like B-DNA than previously supposed.
Composite life under sustained compression and one sided simulated fire exposure: Characterization and prediction

Abstract The structural response of continuous fiber, polymer matrix composites to fire exposure is presently of interest to the construction and marine industries. This paper addresses experimentally measured lifetime of E-glass vinyl ester composite laminates subjected to combined centric compression and one-sided simulated fire exposure. Under such conditions, these laminates (having a nearly quasi-isotropic stacking sequence) support a 10 MPa compressive stress under low heat fluxes (20–30 kW/m2) for approximately 102 s. Thermally modified micromechanics and laminate mechanics are successfully used to describe the observed life times when limited to thermal reversible effects. In these cases, the glass transition temperature controls the life the composite.
Hypertension in children: an update on treatment strategies.

Purpose of review Hypertension is among the more prevalent treatable diseases that afflict children. Pediatric hypertension carries significant short-term morbidity and long-term risk for the development of cardiovascular disease. This review addresses issues significant to the chronic management of hypertension and discusses common pharmacological agents currently used to treat elevated blood pressure in children. Recent findings The recent change in the Federal 2002 Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act has led to the study and approval of new antihypertensive medications for use in pediatrics. Several antihypertensive medications are commercially available in liquid form or can be extemporaneously compounded for flexible dosing and ease of administration. Summary The availability of normative blood pressure data and several pharmacologic antihypertensive agents makes early detection and treatment of hypertension in children a realizable goal. The long-term effect of chronic antihypertensive therapy on growth, as well as the prevention of future development of cardiovascular disease, is not fully understood.
Autonomic cardiac innervation: development and adult plasticity.

Autonomic cardiac neurons have a common origin in the neural crest but undergo distinct developmental differentiation as they mature toward their adult phenotype. Progenitor cells respond to repulsive cues during migration, followed by differentiation cues from paracrine sources that promote neurochemistry and differentiation. When autonomic axons start to innervate cardiac tissue, neurotrophic factors from vascular tissue are essential for maintenance of neurons before they reach their targets, upon which target-derived trophic factors take over final maturation, synaptic strength and postnatal survival. Although target-derived neurotrophins have a central role to play in development, alternative sources of neurotrophins may also modulate innervation. Both developing and adult sympathetic neurons express proNGF, and adult parasympathetic cardiac ganglion neurons also synthesize and release NGF. The physiological function of these “non-classical” cardiac sources of neurotrophins remains to be determined, especially in relation to autocrine/paracrine sustenance during development. Cardiac autonomic nerves are closely spatially associated in cardiac plexuses, ganglia and pacemaker regions and so are sensitive to release of neurotransmitter, neuropeptides and trophic factors from adjacent nerves. As such, in many cardiac pathologies, it is an imbalance within the two arms of the autonomic system that is critical for disease progression. Although this crosstalk between sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves has been well established for adult nerves, it is unclear whether a degree of paracrine regulation occurs across the autonomic limbs during development. Aberrant nerve remodeling is a common occurrence in many adult cardiovascular pathologies, and the mechanisms regulating outgrowth or denervation are disparate. However, autonomic neurons display considerable plasticity in this regard with neurotrophins and inflammatory cytokines having a central regulatory function, including in possible neurotransmitter changes. Certainly, neurotrophins and cytokines regulate transcriptional factors in adult autonomic neurons that have vital differentiation roles in development. Particularly for parasympathetic cardiac ganglion neurons, additional examinations of developmental regulatory mechanisms will potentially aid in understanding attenuated parasympathetic function in a number of conditions, including heart failure.
The challenge of Northern Ireland tourism

After more than 20 years of terrorism, commonly known as the "troubles," factions in Northern Ireland called a truce in mid-1994. Tourists responded immediately by stepping up their level of visitation to this province of the United Kingdom. While the Northern Ireland Tourist Board is optimistic that tourism numbers will continue to grow as long as the ceasefire holds, the province is not ready for large numbers of tourists. Not only is the room supply modest, but service standards are less than world class. Nevertheless, there appears to be considerable opportunity to open more rooms in Northern Ireland, particularly in Belfast. The author's personal tour of Northern Ireland revealed a charming destination that is much more tourist friendly now than it was when it faced sectarian strife.
Influence of interannual climatic fluctuations on biological systems

GROWTH of conifers in western North America and the distribution of albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga) along the west coast of North America are linked by large scale atmospheric flow patterns which are influenced by air–sea interaction processes over the eastern North Pacific. Although the systems respond to their respective environments during different times of the year there is strong evidence that they are reacting to the same climatic fluctuations.
Measles: immunosuppression, interleukin-12. and complement receptors

Measles virus, the first pathogen recognized to cause immunosuppression, induces profound and prolonged abnormalities in cellular immune responses in infected hosts. The ability of measles virus to specifically ablate monocyte/macrophage and dendritic cell production of interleukin (IL)-12 provides a potentially unifying mechanism for many of these in vivo and in vitro abnormalities. Cross-linking of the cellular receptor for measles virus, the complement regulatory protein CD46, is sufficient to inhibit IL-12 production. CD46-mediated downregulation of IL-12 has turned out to be a specific instance of a more general pattern of tight inhibitory control over IL-12 production effected by complement and phagocytic receptors on antigen-presenting cells. Exploitation of these pathways by other intracellular pathogens is likely.