cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Enhanced error facilitates motor learning in weight shift and increases use of the paretic leg during walking at chronic stage after stroke

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the application of lateral pelvis pulling force toward the non-paretic side during the stance phase of the paretic leg would enhance forced use of the paretic leg and increase weight shift toward the paretic side in stroke survivors. Eleven chronic stroke survivors participated in two experimental sessions, which consisted of (1) treadmill walking with the application of “pelvis resistance” or “pelvis assistance” and (2) overground walking. During the treadmill walking, the laterally pulling force was applied during the stance phase of the paretic leg toward the non-paretic side for the “pelvis resistance” condition or toward the paretic side for the “pelvis assistance” condition during the stance phase of the paretic leg. After force release, the “pelvis resistance” condition exhibited greater enhancement in muscle activation of hip ABD, ADD, and SOL and greater improvement in lateral weight shift toward the paretic side, compared with the effect of the “pelvis assistance” condition (P < 0.03). This improved lateral weight shift was associated with the enhanced muscle activation of hip ABD and ADD (R2 = 0.67, P = 0.01). The pelvis resistance condition also improved overground walking speed and stance phase symmetry when measured 10 min after the treadmill walking (P = 0.004). In conclusion, applying pelvis resistance forces to increase error signals may facilitate motor learning of weight shift toward the paretic side and enhance use of the paretic leg in chronic stroke survivors. Results from this study may be utilized to develop an intervention approach to improve walking in stroke survivors.
Effects of a single bolus of hydroxocobalamin on hemodynamics in vasodilatory shock.

Abstract Purpose Hydroxocobalamin has been observed to cause transient hypertension in healthy subjects, but rigorous studies examining its efficacy are lacking. Materials and methods Adults in shock who received hydroxocobalamin from 2017 to 2021 were analyzed retrospectively. Hourly hemodynamics from 24 h before and after treatment were collected, and the difference and hourly change of mean arterial pressure (MAP), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and norepinephrine-equivalent dose (NED) were examined in mixed-effects models. Results This study included 3992 hemodynamic data points from 35 patients and is the largest case series to date. In the mixed effects model, there was no difference in MAP 24-h after hydroxocobalamin administration (estimated fixed effect [EFE] −0.2 mmHg, p = 0.89). A two-piecewise mixed model found that the hourly change in MAP was not different from zero in either the pre-administration (EFE 0.0 mmHg/h, p = 0.80) or post-administration segments (EFE 0.0 mmHg/h, p = 0.55). Analysis of the SBP, DBP, and NED also found similar insignificant results. Conclusions Although hydroxocobalamin has been observed to cause hypertension in healthy subjects, our results suggest that in patients with shock, hydroxocobalamin may not be effective in improving hemodynamics at 24 h after administration.
Detection of viral nucleic acids in clinical material

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the techniques used for the detection of viral nucleic acids in clinical material. Viral nucleic acids can be detected in a wide range of clinical specimens using a variety of hybridization and amplification techniques. Blood, urine, bronchoalveolar lavage, and other body fluids are tested by filter paper hybridization with viral probes after extraction and purification of nucleic acids. Clinical specimens are examined for specific viral nucleic acids using amplification techniques, including polymerase chain reaction (PCR), ligase chain reaction, or other methods. Amplification techniques are particularly well suited for the detection of non-cultivable viruses, and PCR, in particular, has been a godsend to clinical laboratories working on Hepatitis C virus, Parvovirus B19, and more recently Hantavirus. PCR amplification, together with gene sequencing, has facilitated virus strain typing or genotyping, and, in the case of Hepatitis C virus, has led to the identification of six major genotypes and up to 12 subtypes.
The Rule of Law is Dead! Long Live the Rule of Law!

Polls show that a significant proportion of the public considers judges to be political. This result holds whether Americans are asked about Supreme Court justices, federal judges, state judges, or judges in general. At the same time, a large majority of the public also believes that judges are fair and impartial arbiters, and this belief also applies across the board. In this paper, I consider what this half-law-half-politics understanding of the courts means for judicial legitimacy and the public confidence on which that legitimacy rests. Drawing on the Legal Realists, and particularly on the work of Thurman Arnold, I argue against the notion that the contradictory views must be resolved in order for judicial legitimacy to remain intact. A rule of law built on contending legal and political beliefs is not necessarily fair or just. But it can be stable. At least in the context of law and courts, a house divided may stand. This paper was prepared for presentation at the “What’s Law Got to Do With It?” Conference, Indiana University School of Law – Bloomington, March 27-28, 2009. Please do not cite or quote without permission. The author thanks Ellen Palminteri and Kyle Somers for their valuable research assistance.
Clonal Isolation and Plating Efficiency

Viable cultures of cells that were initiated from single cells can be obtained. However, both the isolation of the single cell of interest and the ability to promote proliferation of this cell present challenges. Selection of the single cell can be achieved in a number of ways. Among the methods discussed are a direct approach (cloning cylinders or discs), a theoretical approach (limiting dilution) and isolation using cell sorters. Any of these approaches can be combined with a pre-seeding technique that will enrich the population of the desired cells in the culture. A number of techniques to address the second challenge, cell proliferation, are also addressed. These include the use of culture ware with a small growth area, increasing the likelihood of cell attachment, the enrichment of the culture medium and the use of feeder layer cells. Because cells differ widely in their characteristics, a combination of techniques can be used. Key Concepts: Cloned cells in culture are derived from a single cell. Each of the cells in a clone should have identical characteristics. Selection of cells for cloning may be aided by fluorescent molecules and FACS. The survival and proliferation of the cells that form clones require special conditions. Keywords: adherent cells; single-cell isolation; single-cell survival; cloning cylinders and discs; FACS
Guanosine tetraphosphate inhibits protein synthesis in vivo. A possible protective mechanism for starvation stress in Escherichia coli.

Guanosine 3‘,5‘-bispyrophosphate (ppGpp) accumulates in bacteria in response to either amino acid or energy source starvation. Here we demonstrate that levels of ppGpp similar to those induced by amino acid starvation inhibit the rate of protein synthesis by 84-91%. The intracellular concentration of ppGpp is manipulated in our studies by increasing the expression of a truncated relA gene encoding a smaller but catalytically active peptide with ppGpp synthetase activity. We find that the intracellular activity of the truncated RelA peptide is insensitive to chloramphenicol, unlike the product of the wild-type relA gene, ppGpp synthetase I. Previously, this same ppGpp expression system was used (Schreiber, G., Metzger, S., Aizenman, E., Roza, S., Cashel, M., and Glaser, G. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 226, 3760-3767) to demonstrate that increasing the ppGpp concentration inhibits growth and ribosomal RNA transcription, and they found suggestive evidence for ppGpp inhibition of protein synthesis. We further investigated the effect of ppGpp on protein synthesis and find that ppGpp is a potent inhibitor of protein synthesis as well as glycerol accumulation but has no effect on transport of methionine, the amino acid used in measuring protein synthesis rates, or on uptake of alpha-methylglucoside, a non-metabolizable analogue of glucose.
Use of surface resistance for assessing vulnerability of HV outdoor insulators to contamination flashover

This paper describes the use of surface resistance under wet conditions to evaluate the vulnerability of HV outdoor insulators to flashover in contaminated locations. The insulators evaluated include porcelain, silicone rubber and EPDM rubber composite insulators. The experiments were performed in the laboratory on clean and artificially contaminated insulators utilizing different modes of wetting, namely, salt-spray, clean-fog and fog produced by ultrasonic devices. It has been shown that there is a critical value of surface resistance below which flashover invariably occurs. This value can be used to assess the likelihood of imminent flashover in the field. Several insulators removed from the field from contaminated locations were evaluated to validate the findings.
Effect of Iron and Salt on Prodigiosin Synthesis in Serratia marcescens

Serratia marcescens wild-types ATCC 264 and Nima grew but did not synthesize prodigiosin in a glycerol-alanine medium containing 10 ng of Fe per ml. Wild-type 264 required the addition of 0.2 μg of Fe per ml for maximal growth and prodigiosin synthesis; Nima required 0.5 μg of Fe per ml. Three percent, but not 0.1%, sea salts inhibited prodigiosin synthesis in a complex medium containing up to 10 μg of Fe per ml. NaCl was the inhibitory sea salt component. The inhibition was not specific for NaCl; equimolar concentrations of Na2SO4, KCl, and K2SO4 also inhibited prodigiosin synthesis. Experiments with strains 264 and Nima and with mutant WF which cannot synthesize 4-methoxy-2-2′-bipyrrole-5-carboxyaldehyde (MBC), the bipyrrole moiety of prodigiosin, and with mutant 9-3-3 which cannot synthesize the monopyrrole moiety 2-methyl-3-amylpyrrole (MAP) showed that both MBC synthesis and the reaction condensing MAP and MBC to form prodigiosin were relatively more sensitive to NaCl inhibition than the MAP-synthesizing step. The capacity of whole cells to condense MAP and MBC was present, but inactive, in cells grown in NaCl; removal of the NaCl from non-proliferating salt-grown cells restored the activity. Other evidence suggests the existence of a common precursor to the MAP- and MBC-synthesizing pathways.
Bayesian Modeling of External Corrosion in Underground Pipelines Based on the Integration of Markov Chain Monte Carlo Techniques and Clustered Inspection Data

In this study, a model is developed to assess external corrosion in buried pipelines based on the uni- fication of Bayesian inferential structure derived from Markov chain Monte Carlo techniques using clustered inspection data. This proposed stochastic model com- bines clustering algorithms that can ascertain the simi- larity of corrosion defects and Monte Carlo simulation that can give an accurate probability density function es- timation of the corrosion rate. The metal loss rate is cho- sen as the indicator of corrosion damage propagation, obeying a generalized extreme value (GEV) distribution. Bayesian theory was employed to update the probability distribution of metal loss rate as well as the GEV param- eters in order to account for the model uncertainty. The proposed model was validated with direct and indirect inspection data extracted from a 110-km buried pipeline system.
Diarrhea and Malnutrition

Publication of the WHO monograph, "Interactions of Nutrition and Infection," in 1968 by Scrimshaw, Taylor and Gordon stimulated many scientists to pursue further research on these issues. With regard to the relationships between diarrhea and malnutrition, the research conducted since 1968 can be categorized in one of three major areas: 1) the impact of diarrhea on nutritional status, particularly in young children; 2) nutritional risk factors for diarrhea; and 3) appropriate dietary therapy for patients during and after enteric infections. The results of these studies have prompted a number of changes in the clinical treatment of patients with diarrhea and in public health policies regarding its prevention.
Group B Streptococcus Promotes Oxygen Radical-Dependent Thromboxane Accumulation in Young Piglets

ABSTRACT: Both thromboxane A2 and oxygen-derived free radicals appear to play central roles in group B streptococcus (GBS)-induced pulmonary hypertension in piglets. This study tested the hypothesis that GBS promotes oxygen radical-dependent thromboxane accumulation and pulmonary hypertension in infant piglets. Piglets 4-12 d old were anesthetized and prepared for assessment of pulmonary arterial pressure and arterial blood gases. In control animals, GBS (108 organisms/kg/min for 15 min) increased mean pulmonary artery pressure by 30 ± 1.5 torr and reduced arterial PO2 by 100 ± 20 torr. Thromboxane A2, radioimmunoassayed in venous blood as thromboxane B2, increased by 2452 ± 800 pg/mL. A second group of piglets was treated with dimethylthiourea (DMTU: 750 mg/kg), a putative oxygen radical scavenger. In these animals, GBS increased pulmonary arterial pressure by only 7 ± 1 torr and reduced arterial PO2 by a modest 10 ± 8 torr. Importantly, thromboxane B2 content in venous blood failed to increase above control levels in DMTU-treated animals. The protective effects of DMTU in GBS-treated piglets could not be ascribed to inhibition of cyclooxygenase or thromboxane synthase because the oxygen radical scavenger failed to attenuate increases in pulmonary arterial pressure and venous thromboxane B2 content or reductions in arterial PO2 caused by i.v. infusions of arachidonic acid. DMTU also did not ameliorate pulmonary hypertension evoked by the thromboxane mimetic U44069, thereby suggesting that the scavenger did not act as an end-organ antagonist of thromboxane receptors. These observations suggest that GBS promotes accumulation of thromboxane A2 and attendant pulmonary hypertension through an oxygen radical-dependent mechanism.
The effect of a stranger’s presence on the exploratory behavior of rats

A two-group randomized design was used to evaluate the exploration of a five-path elevated maze by 40 male rats in the presence of Ss’ caretaker and in the presence of a stranger. Ss explored the maze more in the presence of the caretaker than in the presence of the stranger (p .01). The data suggest that the caretaker effect in rats is a function of the presence of a stranger, rather than the presence of S’s caretaker, during exploration.
The centrality of autonomous agents in theories of action under uncertainty

In this paper we discuss a class of tasks in which to study planning under uncertainty. We analyze the interaction between autonomous agents and uncertain environments, and review the artificial intelligence literature on planning from this perspective. Case studies from our own research are presented to illustrate issues in planning under uncertainty and methods for studying these issues.
Learning the Economic Vote: Hungarian Forecasts, 1998-2010

Although Hungary is a new democracy, the behavior of its voters can be understood. They are systematically responsive to economic conditions, particularly unemployment. We find that the Hungarian electorate, as economic voters, has moved from a policy-oriented to an incumbency-oriented strategy. That is, in early elections, they favored the Socialists in the face of rising unemployment, regardless of whether they were in government. In the later elections, however, they have voted against the ruling Socialists, as a response to rising unemployment. Overall, they have learned to become classical economic voters, rewarding the government for good times, punishing it for bad. We demonstrate this pattern with regression models, by forecasting the 1998 and 2010 national elections. We conclude with a discussion of the likely outcome of the latter contest. Aunque la democracia en Hungria es reciente, el comportamiento de sus votantes puede caracterizarse claramente. Ellos son sistematicamente sensibles a las condiciones economicas, particularmente al desempleo. El electorado hungaro interesado en la economia se ha movido de una estrategia orientada a las politicas a una estrategia orientada a los partidos. Durante las primeras elecciones, el electorado favorecio por su politica de empleo a los Socialistas frente al incremento del desempleo, sin importar si ellos estuvieran en el gobierno o no. Sin embargo, posteriormente, el electorado ha votado en contra de los Socialistas por la ineficacia de su politica de empleo. Por lo tanto, ha aprendido a convertirse en votantes clasicos interesados en la economia, recompensando al gobierno por buenos tiempos, castigandolo por los malos. Demostramos este patron con modelos de regresion, al pronosticar las elecciones nacionales de 1998 y 2010. Concluimos con una discusion sobre el resultado mas probable de la proxima eleccion.
Metabolic Syndrome Prevalence in an Urban African American Population.

Summary Background The metabolic syndrome (MeS) is a clustering of a group of metabolic risk factors in one person that predisposes to higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type II diabetes. The metabolic syndrome has become increasingly common in the United States. With the increase in CVD morbidity and mortality among U.S. adult populations, particularly African Americans, it becomes urgent to monitor and control metabolic syndrome in an effort to inform effective CVD prevention programs. We sought to assess the prevalence of and predictors of MeS syndrome in an urban, high risk, predominantly African American hypertensive population. Methods The study is part of the NHLBI U01 grant “Baltimore Partnership Programs to Reduce Cardiovascular Disparities”. A sample of 150 earlier enrolled patients was selected. Risk factors for metabolic syndrome were assessed at baseline, and include risk factors of abdominal obesity (BMI ≥ 30), high triglycerides (triglycerides ≥ 150 mg/dL), low HDL cholesterol (HDL Findings The prevalence of MeS in this group of patients was 40%. Significant predictors of MeS include presence of diabetes (P = 0.03; OR = 3.03, 95% CI: 1.07–8.54), younger than 64 (P = 0.04; OR = 2.38, 95% CI: 1.02–5.56), and female gender (P = 0.02; OR = 2.63; OR = 1.18–5.88). The effect of self-perceived health status remain marginally significant (P = 0.13). Interpretation In this patient sample, the prevalence of MeS is higher than estimates based on the U.S. general population. Our findings of factors associated with MeS are consistent with existing studies, with the exception of age factor, suggesting the impact of higher treatment rate and better medication compliance among elderly patients.
Effects of Treating Oat Hulls with Alkaline Hydrogen Peroxide on Intake and Digestion by Midlactation Dairy Cows

Abstract Twelve Holstein cows, averaging 110 d postpartum, were used in three replications of a 4 x 4 Latin square design to determine the effects of feeding different amounts of alkaline hydrogen peroxidetreated oat hulls on digestion and production responses. Complete mixed diets were 35% concentrate (DM basis) with varying amounts of treated oat hulls, alfalfa haylage, and corn silage as forage (65%). Treatments were 0 (control), 17.2 (low), 34.5 (medium), and 52.1% (high) treated oat hulls in the diet. Dry matter intake was 24.6, 27.1, 27.7, and 26.3 kg/d for the control, low, medium, and high treatments, respectively. Apparent digestibilities of DM, OM, and ADF were not affected by diet, but NDF and CP digestibilities were increased 15.6 and 6.9 percentage units, respectively, by feeding the largest amount of treated oat hulls compared with the control. Yields of milk, 4% FCM, and milk fat, protein, and SNF were highest for the diets that contained low and medium treated oat hulls. There were decreases in milk protein percentage (from 3.19 to 3.07%) and a trend towards increased milk fat percentage (from 3.53 to 3.63%) as the amount of treated oat hulls increased. Cows fed larger amounts of treated oat hulls had lower ruminal concentrations of total VFA with greater acetate:propionate ratios. Cows fed diets containing treated oat hulls had greater DM intakes and yields of 4% FCM and milk fat compared with those fed the control diet containing traditional forage sources.
A new family of stable mixed finite elements for the 3D Stokes equations

A natural mixed-element approach for the Stokes equations in the velocity-pressure formulation would approximate the velocity by continuous piecewise-polynomials and would approximate the pressure by discontinuous piecewise-polynomials of one degree lower. However; many such elements are unstable in 2D and 3D. This paper is devoted to proving that the mixed finite elements of this P k -P k-1 type when k > 3 satisfy the stability condition-the Babuska-Brezzi inequality on macro-tetrahedra meshes where each big tetrahedron is subdivided into four subtetrahedra. This type of mesh simplifies the implementation since it has no restrictions on the initial mesh. The new element also suits the multigrid method.
Foster Care Alumni and Funding for Postsecondary Education: Examining Variation in State Support

Recent modifications to the Foster Care Independence Act have enabled states to provide Education and Training Vouchers (ETVs) to foster care alumni who are enrolled in postsecondary education institutions. This article is a summary in which we examine the disparities in states' allocations for ETVs, as well as the variation in states' implementation of broad-based, state-funded tuition waivers. The outcomes are descriptive in nature and display the wide range in ETV funding across the United States; outcomes also indicate that just about half of the states in the United States offer state-funded tuition waivers to foster care alumni. The findings are further discussed in the context of recommendations that would help support further research on programs and services for this population.
Non-adiabatic vibronic interactions and the Raman effect

Abstract The role of non-adiabatic interactions in vibronically induced Raman scattering processes is examined for both the preresonance and resonance regimes. Attention is focused on the class of molecules whose linear electron-vibration coupling strengths are characteristic of the larger poly-atomic, e.g., the benzenoid azomatics. Various approximations are introduced to simplify the general theory and the applicability of each is discussed. It is shown that for randomly oriented scatterers the non-adiabatic contribution to induced scattering in the pre-resonance regime is of minor importance relative to the adiabatic contribution. For oriented scatterers, e.g., molecular crystals, some control over the non-adiabatic contribution can be achieved through choice of polarization conditions. For resonance Raman scattering it is shown that the non-adiabaticity can play an important role in vibronically induced scattering processes.
Critique of an ‘Artefactual’ landscape: Erich Mendelsohn's engagement with the built and natural environment, 1919–1931

Among German architects active following the First World War, Erich Mendelsohn was remarkable for his written essays, public presentations and celebrated Bilderbucher (picture books) which documented conditions in the United States, Europe and the Soviet Union. Although Germany and those foreign places were as different culturally as they were geographically, Mendelsohn's depiction of them reflected his consistent sensibility both towards architecture, per se, and towards architecture as part of a visual landscape. In fact, Mendelsohn's output during that period embodied a reversal of the typically Romantic relationship between landscape and an architect's vision. Rather than drawing inspiration for new man-made forms from nature, Mendelsohn evoked a world in which technical artefacts constituted the background against which his own new architecture might emerge. Over the course of more than a decade, Mendelsohn sought to critique this ‘artefactual’ landscape, characteristics of which demanded an architec...
ISOBAR hybrid compression-I/O interleaving for large-scale parallel I/O optimization

Current peta-scale data analytics frameworks suffer from a significant performance bottleneck due to an imbalance between their enormous computational power and limited I/O bandwidth. Using data compression schemes to reduce the amount of I/O activity is a promising approach to addressing this problem. In this paper, we propose a hybrid framework for interleaving I/O with data compression to achieve improved I/O throughput side-by-side with reduced dataset size. We evaluate several interleaving strategies, present theoretical models, and evaluate the efficiency and scalability of our approach through comparative analysis. With our theoretical model, considering 19 real-world scientific datasets both from the public domain and peta-scale simulations, we estimate that the hybrid method can result in a 12 to 46 increase in throughput on hard-to-compress scientific datasets. At the reported peak bandwidth of 60 GB/s of uncompressed data for a current, leadership-class parallel I/O system, this translates into an effective gain of 7 to 28 GB/s in aggregate throughput.
Some empirical Bayes estimators allowing for varying error variances

SUMMARY For certain repetitive experiments where the parameters of interest vary randomly from experiment to experiment, improved estimators for the present values of the parameters can be obtained using the information from estimates in previous experiments. Martz & Krutchkoff (1969) provided empirical Bayes estimators for a multiple regression model with fixed error variance. Their results are extended to include the case in which the error variance is unknown and may vary from one experiment to the next. Similar empirical Bayes estimators are also provided for bivariate normal and analysis of variance models. Monte Carlo results are given to show that, in most cases, these estimators have smaller mean squared errors than the corresponding classical estimators.
Acute Kidney Injury in HIV- Infected Patients

Acute kidney injury is common in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients, and has been associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Before the introduction of effective antiretroviral therapy, acute kidney injury in HIV-positive patients was most commonly the result of volume depletion, septicemia, or nephrotoxic medications. Acute kidney injury remains a significant problem in the antiretroviral era, and still commonly is attributed to infection or nephrotoxic medications. Less common causes such as direct infectious insults, immune restoration inflammatory syndrome, rhabdomyolysis, and obstruction should be considered when the underlying process is not obvious. In addition to advanced HIV disease, several other patient characteristics have emerged as potential risk factors for acute kidney injury in the antiretroviral era, including older age, diabetes, pre-existing chronic kidney disease, and hepatitis co-infection or liver disease.
Population distributions of plant size and light environment of giant ragweed (Ambrosia trifida L.) at three densities

Plots in a naturally occurring population of giant ragweed (Ambrosia trifida L.) near Ames, Iowa, USA were left unthinned (high density,=693 plants/m2) or were thinned in early June 1989 to create low and medium densities of 10 and 50 plants/m2. Size and light environment of individual plants were measured at monthly intervals from June to September. By September, low density plants had 15 times greater biomass/plant and 30 times greater leaf area/plant than high density plants, although biomass and leaf area per unit land area decreased with decreasing density. Plants at high density allocated more biomass to stem growth, but plants at medium and low density had successively higher leaf area ratios, higher potential photosynthetic rates, higher allocation to leaves, and higher growth rates. Average light on leaves decreased with increasing density and also decreased over the growing season in the low and medium densities. The distribution of light environments of individual plants was non-normal and skewed to the left in most months, in contrast to the rightwards skew of distributions of plant size parameters. Inequality in the distributions, as measured by coefficient of variation and Gini coefficients, increased over most of the growing season. There was little effect of density on inequality of stem diameter, height, or estimated dry weight, but inequality in reproductive output greatly increased with density. There was greater inequality in number of staminate flowers produced than in number of pistillate flowers and seeds produced. Path analysis indicated that early plant size was the most important predictor of final plant size and reproductive output; photosynthesis, conductance, and light environment were also significantly correlated with size and reproduction but usually were of minor importance. Variation in growth rate apparently increased inequality in plant size at low density, whereas belowground competition and death of smaller plants may have limited increases in inequality at high density.
Feynman’s Operational Calculi: Disentangling Away from the Origin

In this paper we develop a method of forming functions of noncommuting operators (or disentangling) using functions that are not necessarily analytic at the origin in ℂn. The method of disentangling follows Feynman’s heuristic rules from in (Feynman in Phys. Rev. 84:18–128, 1951) a mathematically rigorous fashion, generalizing the work of Jefferies and Johnson and the present author in (Jefferies and Johnson in Russ. J. Math. 8:153–181, 2001) and (Jefferies et al. in J. Korean Math. Soc. 38:193–226, 2001). In fact, the work in (Jefferies and Johnson in Russ. J. Math. 8:153–181, 2001) and (Jefferies et al. in J. Korean Math. Soc. 38:193–226, 2001) allow only functions analytic in a polydisk centered at the origin in ℂn while the method introduced in this paper enable functions that are not analytic at the origin to be used. It is shown that the disentangling formalism introduced here reduces to that of (Jefferies and Johnson in Russ. J. Math. 8:153–181, 2001) and (Jefferies et al. in J. Korean Math. Soc. 38:193–226, 2001) under the appropriate assumptions. A basic commutativity theorem is also established.
D2 dopamine receptor expression and trafficking is regulated through direct interactions with ZIP.

We have used the yeast two-hybrid system to identify protein kinase C-ζ interacting protein (ZIP) as a novel interacting protein for the D2 dopamine receptor (DAR). This interaction was identified by screening a rat brain cDNA library using the third intracellular loop of the D2 DAR as bait. A partial-length cDNA encoding ZIP was isolated and characterized as specifically interacting with the third intracellular loop of the D2 DAR, but not with the third intracellular loops of other DAR subtypes. Biochemical confirmation of the ZIP–D2 DAR interaction was obtained by expressing the full-length ZIP and D2 DAR proteins in mammalian cells and demonstrating that they could be co-immunoprecipitated. We further showed that ZIP and the D2 DAR could be co-immunoprecipitated from endogenous brain tissues. Immunohistochemical analyses further revealed that ZIP and the D2 DAR were extensively co-localized within numerous neurons in various brain regions. ZIP exists as three protein isoforms of varying length, which are derived from alternative RNA splicing. All three isoforms were found to interact with the D2 DAR, which allowed for the delineation of the receptor interacting domain to within 38 residues of ZIP. Functionally, over-expression of ZIP was found to result in decreased expression of the D2 DAR with a corresponding decrease in receptor modulation of cAMP accumulation. Confocal microscopy revealed that ZIP over-expression also lead to an intracellular accumulation of D2 DAR protein in lysosome compartments. These results suggest that ZIP can physically interact with the D2 DAR leading to increased intracellular trafficking to lysosomes with subsequent down-regulation of receptor expression and function.
Self-Assembly of Porphyrin and Fullerene Supramolecular Complex into Highly Ordered Nanostructure by Simple Thermal Annealing

The highly ordered nanostructured thin film consisting of the liquid crystalline porphyrin−fullerene blend was prepared by simple thermal annealing. The nature of their homeotropic alignment is well-confirmed. The concept demonstration provides new insight on fabricating defect-free large area blend thin films with directed molecular arrangement.
New results on the algebraic theory of linear systems: the solution of the cover problems

Abstract We give the complete solution of a large class of problems in linear system theory, the so-called cover problems. These problems are formulated and solved both in the state-space and in the input-output frameworks. The key concept, which allows the effective parametrization of all solutions of the cover problems, is that of the partial realizations of a sequence of matrices. It is shown that the solutions of the state-space cover problems can be expressed as state spaces of the partial realizations of appropriately defined sequences of matrices, and the solution of the input-output cover problems can be expressed as a simple function of the functions of the partial realizations of the sequences of mentioned above.
On the Chern classes of the regular representations of some finite groups

In studying the cohomology of the symmetric groups and its applications in topology one is led to certain questions concerning the representation rings of special subgroups of yn. In this note we calculate the Chern classes of the regular representation of (Z/p) n where p is a fixed odd prime in terms of certain modular invariants first described by L. E. Dickson in 1911. In a later paper [9] we apply these results to study the odd primary torsion in the PL cobordism ring. Some indications of this application are given in Sections 10-12 where we apply the result above to obtain information about the cohomology of Sf^. After circulation of this note in preprint form we learned that H. Mui [10], has also proved Theorem 6.2. 1. Recall that the regular representation R(G) of a finite group G is obtained via its natural action as a group of automorphisms of the group ring C(G)(g E zigi = Z zgg,). In particular, from the theory of representations of finite groups [3] we have the decomposition
Roles of Polymer Ligands in Nanoparticle Stabilization

Both inorganic nanoparticles and polymers have become ubiquitous components of nanostructured systems. The development of an understanding of the interactions between these components will be of crucial importance in the further elaboration of these systems. This review touches upon two aspects of control over surface chemistry in inorganic nanoparticles with polymer ligands: (1) the effect of polymer ligands on accessibility of the inorganic nanoparticle surface to other species, such as is necessary in catalysis; and (2) the design of polymer ligands that can be modified to enable compatibility of the entire polymer‐coated nanoparticle with a broad variety of other materials.
SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF NIOBIUM(III) AND TANTALUM(III) DIMERS WITH BIDENTATE LIGANDS

Abstract The reaction of M 2 Cl 6 ·3THT (M = Nb, Ta; THT = tetrahydrothiophene) with various bidentate ligands has been investigated. New molecular species of the type M 2 Cl 6 ·2B [M = Nb, Ta; B = 2,5-dithiahexane, 3,6-dithiaoctane, 2,2′-bipyridine or ethylenebis(diphenylphosphine)] have been isolated in good yields. The ethylenebis(diphenylphosphine) complex of niobium has been reinvestigated and the results are compared to those reported previously. All of the complexes were characterized by chemical analysis, IR, ESR and magnetic susceptibility data. Each of the new complexes show some degree of metalmetal interaction which increases with decreasing temperature.
Remarks on type I Baer and Baer ∗-rings

This paper is concerned with Kaplansky’s theory of Baer and Baer *-rings, specifically with the problem of classifying type I factors. We use the terminology in Kaplansky’s book [3]. Ornstein [9] calls the pair of dual vector spaces V, W splittable if in either V or W every closed subspace admits a closed complement such that the annihilators span the other space. An equivalent formulation is this: for every closed subspace M of I/ there exists an idempotent-with-adjoint E such that (V)E = M. Kaplansky remarks that, given a dual pair V, W, the ring of all linear operators on V that have adjoints on W is a Baer ring if and only if the pair V, W is splittable [3, p. 51. Kaplansky further states that a ring which is Baer, Zorn, and has no nilpotent ideals f 0 is a factor of type I if and only if it is primitive with a minimal one-sided ideal [3, p. 191. Kaplansky’s remarks may be combined to obtain a representation theorem for a class of type I Baer factors. For convenience we combine “Zorn and no nilpotent ideals f 0” into a single axiom:
Faith for atheists and agnostics

In this paper I challenge both the contemporary secular view that religious faith is not a virtue, and also the contemporary theistic view that religious faith is a virtue that is unavailable to nonbelievers. Although these views appear reasonable from the respective sides when faith is interpreted as belief, if faith is understood to be the entrusting of one’s ultimate concerns to whatever powers are in control (as I suggest), then such faith, with its accompanying ‘freedom from bondage’ (Spinoza), not only appears to be a virtue in itself, but it also appears to be one that can be achieved by nonbelievers as well as by theists. This is not to claim, however, that theists should hold the nonbeliever’s faith to be as viable as their own (or vice versa); rather, it is to claim that there is no more reason for theists to hold that nonbelievers must be without faith than there is for them to hold that nonbelievers must be without hope or love. Still, of course, it may be that God does exist and that the belief that he exists is part of the formula for the realization of some ultimate religious concern, such as eternal life. (For example, it could have been that there was a person conducting a rescue mission for the mountain climbers, but who refused to bring those who did not believe so to final safety, even though they has boarded the platform.) So, if God does exist and if the formula for eternal life, for example, does include the requirement that creatures believe that he exists, then atheists and agnostics will certainly have erred by not embracing theism. But their error then (assuming their doubts not to be the products of such vices as pride or dishonesty) will have been an error in calculative judgment, rather than a failure in virtue: they will have erred by not having engaged a hypnotist—at least in last resort— to equip them with a precautionary theism.
Geometries and rotational barriers of alkylamides and lithium alkylamides.

The barriers to rotation of methylamide, ethylamide and the corresponding lithium amides have been computed at the ab initio 4-31G level. The barriers to rotation about the CN bond are higher for amides than for amines, but are lowered by coordination with Li+.
Journal preferences of management teaching faculty

AbstractThis paper reports the results of a survey of professors of management regarding their evaluation of management journals. The thrust of the questionnaire was on a journal’s appropriateness as a forum for scholarly research. Results are reported for the total group of respondents, and for subgroups of professors of general, behavioral, and quantitative management courses.
Hemispheric connectivity and the visual–spatial divergent-thinking component of creativity

Background/hypothesis: Divergent thinking is an important measurable component of creativity. This study tested the postulate that divergent thinking depends on large distributed inter- and intra-hemispheric networks. Although preliminary evidence supports increased brain connectivity during divergent thinking, the neural correlates of this characteristic have not been entirely specified. It was predicted that visuospatial divergent thinking would correlate with right hemisphere white matter volume (WMV) and with the size of the corpus callosum (CC). Methods: Volumetric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) analyses and the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT) were completed among 21 normal right-handed adult males. Results: TTCT scores correlated negatively with the size of the CC and were not correlated with right or, incidentally, left WMV. Conclusions: Although these results were not predicted, perhaps, as suggested by Bogen and Bogen (1988), decreased callosal connectivity enhances hemispheric specialization, which benefits the incubation of ideas that are critical for the divergent-thinking component of creativity, and it is the momentary inhibition of this hemispheric independence that accounts for the illumination that is part of the innovative stage of creativity. Alternatively, decreased CC size may reflect more selective developmental pruning, thereby facilitating efficient functional connectivity.
Sanding: An Expert-System Approach for Assessment and Control in Wells

The sand production problem is plaguing the petroleum industry by its adverse effects on thousands of oil and gas fields throughout the world. A tremendous amount of money is spent each year on attempts to predict and control sand influx and/or repair wells and equipment damaged by sand. Sand inflow into the well during production leads to casing abrasion and failure, formation damage and distortion, and frequent sand removal and cleaning. The sand control process has a major influence on the type of the well completion design and it influences the guidelines for the completion process. In addition, many wells are currently being produced below their potential in order to restrict sand influx or erosion, and/or as a result of poorly designed or installed sand control methods. Evidently, the sand prediction and control problem is exceedingly complex and suggests the use of heuristics and the appropriateness of the expert systems technology. An automated sand control consultant and expert system has been developed. The system is aimed at assisting users in predicting sand occurrence during production and in selecting and designing the proper sand-exclusion treatments. The knowledge base of the system is based on an easy upgrade, easy expand format and involves four primary modules, thus giving the end-user greater flexibility to tentatively access and evaluate different scenarios of knowledge processing. Input data can range from “not known” formation characteristics and/or well stimulation requirements, for which the system gives conservative recommendations based on the remaining known facts, completion characteristics of the hole, well history, and geological probability; to cases with detailed information available, in which case very elaborate and precise recommendations are prescribed. This paper describes the knowledge involved in various modules of the sanding system, as well as future plans and further developments.
Mitochondrial fission and fusion

Mitochondria are highly dynamic cellular organelles, with the ability to change size, shape and position over the course of a few seconds. Many of these changes are related to the ability of mitochondria to undergo the highly co-ordinated processes of fission (division of a single organelle into two or more independent structures) or fusion (the opposing reaction). These actions occur simultaneously and continuously in many cell types, and the balance between them regulates the overall morphology of mitochondria within any given cell. Fission and fusion are active processes which require many specialized proteins, including mechanical enzymes that physically alter mitochondrial membranes, and adaptor proteins that regulate the interaction of these mechanical proteins with organelles. Although not fully understood, alterations in mitochondrial morphology appear to be involved in several activities that are crucial to the health of cells. In the present chapter we discuss the mechanisms behind mitochondrial fission and fusion, and discuss the implications of changes in organelle morphology during the life of a cell.
Validating automated analytical instruments to meet regulatory and quality standard requirements

Analytical laboratories are more and more faced to meet official regulatory requirements as described in FDA and EPA good laboratory practice, good automated laboratory practice and good manufacturing practice regulations or to officially establish quality systems, such as specified in the ISO 9000 Series quality standards, in the ISO Guide 25 or in the EN 45001 guidelines. The impact on analytical instrumentation will be the requirement for stringent validation of analytical equipment and methods which increase the overall analysis costs. An overview is presented on the validation requirements using e.g. gas chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography, capillary electrophoresis and UV-visible spectroscopy and on the strategy to meet such needs at minimal extra costs with the help of an instrument vendor. It is recommended to use instrument hardware that has already built-in tools for self-verification and which is to be validated at the vendor's site. Performance testing in the user's laboratory is done using standard operating procedures as supplied with the instrument. If resources in the user's laboratory are limited, the performance verification is done by the vendor. Software and the entire computer system is validated prior to shipment at the vendor's site. Acceptance testing is done in the user's environment following the vendor recommendations. Analytical methods are validated automatically at the end of method development using a dedicated software. The software can be customized such that it can also be used for daily automated system suitability testing. Security and integrity of analytical data are ensured by saving the raw data together with instrument conditions and instrument log-books in check-sum protected binary register files for long-term archiving.
A Set of Consensus Mammalian Mediator Subunits Identified by Multidimensional Protein Identification Technology

The Mediator is a multiprotein transcriptional coactivator that is expressed ubiquitously in eukaryotes from yeast to mammals and is required for induction of RNA polymerase II (pol II) transcription by DNA binding transcription factors. In the work described here, we exploit multidimensional protein identification technology (MudPIT) to carry out a proteomic analysis of the subunit composition of the mammalian Mediator complex. By comparing MudPIT data sets obtained from six independent Mediator preparations immunoaffinity purified through their Nut2 (MED10), Med25 (MED9), Intersex (MED29), LCMR1 (MED19), AK007855 (MED28), or CRSP70 (MED26) subunits, we identify a set of consensus mammalian Mediator subunits. In addition, we identify as Mediator-associated proteins the CDK8-like cyclin-dependent kinase CDK11 and the TRAP240-like KIAA1025 protein (MED13L), which is mutated in patients with the congenital heart defect transposition of the great arteries (TGA).