cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Use of molecular markers for the detection of municipal sewage sludge at sea

The concentrations of two classes of waste-specific molecular markers (the linear alkylbenzenes and the fecal sterols, coprostanol and epicoprostanol) were determined in six municipal sewage sludges. Total linear alkylbenzene concentrations ranged from 150 to 7300 μg liter−1, whereas coprostanol was present at levels approximately one order of magnitude higher (2·6 to 55 mg liter−1). Experiments were performed to establish the limits of detection and quantitation for these compounds in small volume (< c. 2 liters) bulk water samples using high resolution gas chromatography and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. In an effort to simulate the degree of dilution expected during the dumping of sludge in waters of the continental slope, water was mixed with the sludge samples in varying proportions (103:1 to 106:1), and the concentrations of the markers were determined. Comparison of the estimated limits of quantitation with marker concentrations measured in the diluted sludges showed that reliable quantitation of the linear alkylbenzenes was possible at dilutions less than 106:1. Coprostanol and epicoprostanol, however, were measurable at a dilution of 106:1). If background levels of the markers in blanks are reduced and larger volume water samples are processed at sea, it should be possible to extend present measurement capabilities to dilutions one to two orders of magnitude beyond those reported here. These results indicate that molecular markers can be used to monitor the short-term fate of sewage sludge in the deep ocean.
Synthesis of a Corticotropin Analog that Retains Full Biological Activity after Iodination

In order to circumvent the drastic decrease in biological activity that accompanies iodination of corticotropin, we have synthesized an analog of the human hormone containing phenylalanine in place of tyrosine in position 2 and norleucine in place of methionine in position 4 to give [Phe2,Nle4]ACTH-(l–38). This analog, referred to as Phe2,Nle4-ACTH-(l–38), was purified by ion exchange chromatography and partition chromatography. Phe2,Nle4-ACTH-(l–38) was found to be indistinguishable from synthetic human ACTH in its ability to stimulate corticosterone production in isolated rat adrenocortical cells. Iodination of Phe2,Nle4-ACTH-(l–38) resulted in the formation of monoiodo-Tyr23,Phe2,Nle4-ACTH-(l–38) and diiodo-Tyr23,Phe2,Nle4-ACTH-(l–38), which were completely separated from each other and unmodified Phe2,Nle4-ACTH-(l–38) by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography. Monoiodo-Tyr23, Phe4,Nle4-ACTH-(l–38) was also found to be as potent as ACTH in stimulating steroidogenesis. These results show t...
Effect of foliar fungicides on disease control, yield and test weight of soft red winter wheat

Abstract Several fungicide treatments are available for control of leaf rust and Septoria leaf blotch of wheat. The objectives of this study were to compare fungicide treatments across environments (location-years) for effects on leaf rust and leaf blotch control, yield and test weight, and to partition the total variability into components associated with environment, environment × treatment interaction and experimental error. Eight treatments were evaluated on three wheat cultivars across four environments. Tebuconazole applied at flag leaf emergence and propiconazole applied at flag leaf emergence followed by triadimefon plus mancozeb at heading were consistently among the treatments with the lowest disease severities and highest yields and test weights. Efficacy of full or half rates of propiconazole applied at flag leaf emergence or triadimefon plus mancozeb applied at heading were not significantly different. Most of the variability for yield was due to environment, and little was due to environment × treatment interaction, indicating that the ranking of treatments did not differ across environments. The proportion of variability due to environment × treatment interaction was higher for test weight and disease severity than for yield. Because of economic considerations, only one fungicide application is feasible. Extending the application time for propiconazole beyond flag leaf emergence or registering tebuconazole for use on wheat probably would be a benefit to growers.
Law and Economics: What and Why

Can economics contribute anything to our understanding of law? David Friedman of the University of Chicago Law School, argues that economics can increase our understanding of the law and improve the drafting of legislation.
Investigations of acidity and nucleophilicity of diphenyldithiophosphinate ligands using theory and gas-phase dissociation reactions.

Diphenyldithiophosphinate (DTP) ligands modified with electron-withdrawing trifluoromethyl (TFM) substitutents are of high interest because they have demonstrated potential for exceptional separation of Am3+ from lanthanide3+ cations. Specifically, the bis(ortho-TFM) (L1−) and (ortho-TFM)(meta-TFM) (L2−) derivatives have shown excellent separation selectivity, while the bis(meta-TFM) (L3−) and unmodified DTP (Lu−) did not. Factors responsible for selective coordination have been investigated using density functional theory (DFT) calculations in concert with competitive dissociation reactions in the gas phase. To evaluate the role of (DTP + H) acidity, density functional calculations were used to predict pKa values of the free acids (HLn), which followed the trend of HL3 < HL2 < HL1 < HLu. The order of pKa for the TFM-modified (DTP+H) acids was opposite of what would be expected based on the e−-withdrawing effects of the TFM group, suggesting that secondary factors influence the pKa and nucleophilicity. Th...
Rolling out the red carpet: Power ‘play’ in modern Greek versions of the Myth of Orestes from the 1960s and 1970s (I)

This paper traces an evolution among the most important modern Greek versions of the myth of Orestes that date back to the 1960s and 1970s, when Greece was experimenting with a new theatrical and political language. In this phase of modern Greek history, the myth of Orestes took on very concrete mythical, anachronistic, and sociopolitical forms and transformations, and entered into the broader cultural debate of the revival stage, native Greek playwriting, and contemporary poetry. The myth functioned as an important frame of reference under the seven-year dictatorship of the colonels, who plunged Greece into the dark of literary and theatrical censorship. Main themes in this article are the various motivations underlying novel versions and reinvented stage personae and, in particular, the new moral and political characterizations of Orestes as matricide and tyrannicide (as the more radical Greek interpretations would have it). Part I of this article pays special attention to the (unjustly) forgottenSuccessors of Vangeles Katsanes and compares the modern play with some of its ancient sources. In 1964 Katsanes introduced innovative dimensions of dramatization and metatheatricality that served to throw legendary heroes and leaders, even monarchs, from their pedestals. The poet Giannes Ritsos took the demythologization of Orestes a step further and refused, as it were, to roll out the red carpet for any of the traditional mythical heroes. Their warnings against the deceptive illusion of theatrics of any kind became a useful basis on which playwrights and writers could build during the dictatorship years (1967–1974). Part II of this article illustrates how the myth of Orestes was used and abused precisely during the junta years. There, however, my interpretation tends to be more comprehensive than analytical because of the relative scarcity of extant playscripts and more ephemeral secondary sources dating from the junta period: rigid state censorship plagued criticism, literature, and journalism at large from 1967 through 1969 and again after November of 1973. The regime promoted antiquarian versions of the myth of Orestes, which exuded conformism and stability but were barely viable theatrically. Progressive circles, however, countered with provocative stage and film interpretations of the Orestes myth, which, to them, represented one of the most useful agitational myths of revolutionary tyrannicide. In their hands, the myth of Orestes also grew from highly theatrical to self-consciously metatheatrical.
Observation of excitonic states in PbSe nanocrystals

We report the observation of excitonic states in PbSe nanocrystals with a size distribution varying between 2 and 6 nm. Size selective photoluminescence (PL) and PL excitation spectroscopy (PLE) are used to probe the discrete excitonic states associated with PbSe nanocrystals. By using various excitation wavelengths, we observed two broad PL bands between 300 and 900 nm. These PL bands were identified as the first- and second-exciton recombination in PbSe nanocrystals. A reasonable agreement is obtained between the observed strong bands and calculated oscillator strengths for exciton recombination in PbSe nanocrystals with an average particle size of 4 (±2) nm.
Clinical Trials of a Living Dermal Tissue Replacement Placed Beneath Meshed, Split-thickness Skin Grafts on Excised Burn Wounds

We evaluated the ability of Dermagraft (Advanced Tissue Sciences, La Jolla, Calif.), a living tissue analog that is composed of human neonatal fibroblasts, which are grown on a polyglactin acid Vicryl mesh (Ethicon Inc., Somerville, N.J.), to function as a dermal replacement when placed beneath meshed, expanded split-thickness skin grafts (MESTSGs). Full-thickness burn wounds in 17 patients with burns (mean age, 31 years; range, 6 to 69 years; mean burn size, 23.8% total body surface area) were excised to subcutaneous fat (nine patients), to fascia (three patients), or to a combination of deep dermis and fat (five patients). Dermagraft was placed over the experimental sites, which were then covered with MESTSGs. Paired control sites on each patient received MESTSGs only. The results showed that "take" of MESTSGs on control sites was slightly better than take on experimental sites that contained the Dermagraft; however, the differences were not statistically significant. Mesh interstices epithelialized over the surface of the full-thickness wound (control sites) or over the surface of Dermagraft (experimental sites). Wound biopsy specimens demonstrated no evidence of rejection of the cultured allogeneic fibroblasts and minimal inflammatory reaction to the Vicryl fibers. Evidence of continuous basement membrane formation at the epithelial-Dermagraft junction, which was identified by immunohistochemical staining for laminin and type IV collagen, was seen by day 14 beneath the healed epithelium in the skin graft interstices. The Vicryl fibers were hydrolyzed in the wound over a 2-to-4-week period, although some expulsion of fibers occurred as the healing epithelium advanced to close the MESTSG interstices. Elastic fibers were not seen in neodermal tissue in either control or experimental wounds at periods of up to 1 year after grafting. Further trials with this living tissue replacement are in progress.
Communally constrained decisions in workplace contexts

Abstract We propose that people who value communion strongly experience low communion work contexts as aversive and avoid them, and consequently forego even those work opportunities that promise career advancement. In Experiment 1, participants varying in their own communal goals described a prior work experience with a coworker who was either low or high in communion. Participants with strong communal goals had greater aversive and avoidant reactions to low communion work environments, relative to high communion work environments. This difference was much less pronounced for participants with weaker communal goals. In Experiments 2a (undergraduate sample) and 2b (MTurk sample), participants took the perspective of a protagonist considering a high status promotion in which subordinates were described as low or high in communion. Again, participants who strongly valued communion had especially aversive and avoidant reactions to the low communion work environment. Furthermore, high communion participants reported they were less likely to accept the promotion in the low communion environment condition, whereas the communal nature of the environment did not influence low communal participants' decisions. Thus, work decisions are constrained by the communal nature of the environment, but only among people who strongly value communion. Importantly, women scored higher on communion than men in all experiments, suggesting that women are more likely to experience communally constrained decisions.
Commentaries on selected writings of marshall sklare

It is nothing new to say that Jewish scholars have played an important role in the development of sociology, the social science seeking to understand the behavior of people in groups, or, as Louis Wirth, the eminent Chicago sociologist used to say, "to find out what is true about people because they live in groups." Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, George Simme]—to name but a few of the "classic sociologists"—expressed insights into human behavior that were rooted in the understanding of Jewish life of their day. Similarly, in the roster of today's famous names, for example, Merton, Coser, Shils, and Bendix, are persons who can point to Jewish lineage. Yet when we review the list of those writing on the sociology of American Jewry, few of these names appear.1 Undoubtedly, Jewish heritage con tributes to an awareness of social relationships; undoubtedly, fora variety of reasons, few of us devote our studies to the sociology of Jewish life. So it is that when we want to leam about American Jews, we invariably tum to the writings of a handful of persons. Among the most widely recognized is Marshall Sklare. What distinguishes Marshall Sklare from other writers on the sociology of Ameri can Jews is not only in what he has to say, but in how he says it. Sklare writes in bold strokes, with confidence, with the pen of someone who feels secure in his knowl edge, its correctness, its authenticity. And he writes about a great many topics—all aspects of the social life of America's Jews—with the eyes of one steeped in scholarship, admirably creative, in complete command of a fluid pen. The result is that readers cannot help but sense his sincere commitment to the study of Jewish survival. His works reveal a man addressing the object of his love with all the conviction and blindness and doubts that accompany love. Like love, too, his enthusiasm for his subject is contagious. Sklare's constant hammering home of the theme that a Jewish identity is crucial for Jewish survival entraps the reader into seeing the world as Sklare sees it, funnels the reader's vision so that he too becomes engrossed in seeking an answer to the question, "How can a Jewish identity be instilled so that Judaism may survive in a society which has made it so comfortable for Jews that they may forsake their Judaism?" It is rather through omission than commission that Sklare takes readers along the path in search of deeper understanding of problems of Jewish identity and survival.
Construction and characterization of phenol-based sensor derived from colloidal chemistry

In this study, three main objectives are sought: (a) construction of the biosensor by incorporation of a “capturing element” (consisting of alpha cyclodextrin on a sol-derived substrate) and a “detecting element” (consisting of 2,6-dichloro-quinonechloroimine and sodium hydroxide as buffer and electrolyte), (b) physical characterization of the sensor using spectroscopy and microscopy, and (c) sensor performance through electrochemical facility. Correspondingly, Raman spectroscopy and UV–vis spectroscopy have been applied as diagnostic tool to analyze guest–host interaction of the sol-derived phenol sensor. The goal of this study is the incorporation of both an electrochemical and colorimetric detecting elements. It is anticipated that this study provides a possibility of use of biosensor for “one chemical” dual-functional detection. We use this bi-functional detector in the identification of phenol. The detector is based upon sol-derived colloidal chemistry to produce detecting and sensing elements in which detection is colorimetric and also electrochemical in nature.
Determinants of Search for Nondurable Goods: An Empirical Assessment of the Economics of Information Theory

This paper examines the usefulness of Stigler's (1961) Economics of Information Theory in the study of consumer search in a market for frequently purchased, nondurable grocery items. The empirical model examines antecedent (pre-store) and point of purchase (in-store) search. It incorporates and contrasts economic incentives for search with noneconomic involvement-based motivations and perceived versus actual costs associated with search. Data used in the analysis were collected in a large midwestern city during 1990. Results indicate that Stigler's cost-benefit model provides a better fit for pre-store rather than in-store search activities. Pre-store search activities were found to be driven by time, monetary, and mobility constraints. Pre-store search activity was not found to be significant in explaining in-store search activities. In-store search activities were significantly explained by only household size. Shopping involvement was not found to be related to pre- or in-store activities. A comparison of objective and subjective measures of search costs rendered comparable results.
Diophantine Frequency Synthesis The Mathematical Principles

Diophantine frequency synthesis is a new approach to fine-step and fast-hopping frequency synthesis that is based on mathematical properties of integer numbers and Diophantine equations. Diophantine frequency synthesis overcomes the constraining relationship between frequency step and phase-comparator frequency inherent in conventional phase-locked loops. It leads to fine-step, fast-hopping, modular-structured frequency synthesizers with potentially very low spurs, especially near the carrier.
Human immunodeficiency virus testing experience and hepatitis B vaccination and testing status of healthcare workers in South Carolina: implications for compliance with US Public Health Service guidelines.

OBJECTIVE To assess the previous human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing experience and the hepatitis B (HB) vaccination and testing status of healthcare workers potentially involved in invasive surgical procedures. DESIGN Anonymous questionnaire survey. SETTING Tertiary care and community-teaching medical center and affiliated healthcare facilities in Greenville County, South Carolina. PARTICIPANTS Physicians (including residents in training), dentists, nurses and surgical technicians working in the operating room and labor/delivery areas. RESULTS Of 506 responding physicians and dentists (65% of the sample), 60% previously had had a test for HIV, and 72% had received HB vaccine. Testing had occurred most often because of a requirement by an insurance company or because of blood donation. Eighty percent of tested respondents had their most recent test within 2 years of the time of the survey (August 1991). Of 145 responding nurses and surgical technicians (73% of the sample), 26% had had a test for HIV and 77% had received HB vaccine. CONCLUSIONS The majority of surgeons and dentists in Greenville County, South Carolina, already have been tested for HIV for a variety of reasons and thus are aware of their HIV infection status, at least as of the time of the most recent test. The majority of local healthcare workers who are potentially involved with invasive surgical procedures have received HB vaccine. Programs developed in response to recent US Public Health Service guidelines should take HIV testing of healthcare workers for any reason into consideration and should emphasize HB vaccination and testing for vaccine-induced HB immunity.
Hepatic Venous Blood Flow Distribution in the Total Cavopulmonary Connection: Patient-Specific Anatomical Models

CFD modeling of the anatomical pathways (TCPC) created by the palliative single-ventricle heart defect surgeries is an area studied by several research groups [1–5]. To the best of our knowledge except Walker et al. (in idealized experimental models) [6], all studies focused on the prediction of hydrodynamic power losses or dissipation function and ignored venous hepatic flow distribution to the left and right lungs. Hepatic flow coming from the inferior vena cava (IVC) transports essential growth factors that are required for normal lung growth. Inadequate IVC blood distribution also cause protein loosing enteropathy [7], a serious complex pathology leading to total failure of the surgically created single-ventricle circulation system. Early TCPC configurations distributing the hepatic flow unidirectionaly to one of the lungs [8] were promptly discontinued from the operating rooms and replaced with “+” shaped connections for these reasons, Fig 1.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Detection of Chickens Laying “Fishy Eggs”

Abstract Outbreaks of so-called “fishy eggs” have been a troublesome experience with many poultrymen who sell eggs at retail. Vondell (1933) reported a type of off-flavor eggs having an odor of a fishy nature. Experimental work showed that the off-flavor was an individual hen characteristic. Feeding as high as fifteen percent fish meal in the laying mash, where both mash and grain was fed in equal amounts, failed to produce fishy flavored eggs. Also, feeding a moderate amount of fresh fish daily had no effect in producing a fishy odor in eggs. Robertson and Wilhelm (1940) did not obtain a fishy flavor in eggs when fish meal was fed to the extent of twenty-eight percent of the ration. “Fishy eggs” have been reported in flocks of Rhode Island Reds, New Hampshires and Barred Plymouth Rocks. The fact that “fishy eggs” are not laid consistently by individuals, or flocks, poses a problem . . .
OVERSEAS FINANCING FOR U.S. INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

THE SUBJECT of overseas financing by U.S. international business firms has been highlighted by the recent balance of payments difficulties of the United States. Yet, overseas financing should not be a new issue to international business firms. Nor should it be considered exclusively within the context of the balance of payments problem. Overseas financing deserves thorough and objective consideration in its own right as a normal dimension of sophisticated and efficient business management in the international business field. Nevertheless, until the recent voluntary restrictions program brought the subject to the fore, most multi-national firms in the United States were not considering overseas financing as an alternative source for long term and equity funds. A small number of U.S. companies, mainly in the petroleum field, have been approaching business financing from a global point of view and are an exception to the general pattern.
A timing model for static CMOS gates

A simple but accurate delay model is presented for both simple and complex static logic gates. Unlike the previous delay models which assume the worst-case scenario, the present model has the capability of handling the different input switching conditions. In the delay analysis of a circuit, failing to take into account the position of the transistor that is switching can result in a delay value which is off by a margin of 100% or more from the actual. This novel modeling technique has been implemented in LISP on a TI Explorer II workstation Lisp Machine as a part of the DROID design automation environment. >
Retropharyngeal Calcific Tendonitis Mimics a Retropharyngeal Abscess

Retropharyngeal calcific tendonitis (RCT) is an uncommon, self-limiting condition that is often omitted in the differential diagnosis of a retropharyngeal fluid collection. This condition mimics a retropharyngeal abscess and should be considered when evaluating a fluid collection in the retropharyngeal space. Although calcific tendonitis at other sites has been well described in the medical literature, it appears that this entity has been underreported in the otolaryngology literature where only a few case reports have been identified. Presumably, the actual incidence is higher than the reported incidence, due to lack of familiarity with this disorder. As an otolaryngologist’s scope of practice includes the managements of retropharyngeal lesions, it is important for the otolaryngologist to recognize the presentation of acute RCT and be familiar with appropriate treatment strategies. Retropharyngeal calcific tendonitis presents with neck pain, limitation of neck range of motion and includes inflammation, calcifications, and a sterile effusion within the longus colli muscle. Treatment is medical with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications. RCT does not require surgical treatment, and an accurate diagnosis can prevent unnecessary attempts at operative drainage. In this study, we discuss two cases of RCT, summarize the salient features in diagnosis, including key radiologic features, discuss treatment options, and review the literature.
Late-onset macular degeneration and long anterior lens zonules result from a CTRP5 gene mutation.

PURPOSE. To identify the gene responsible for a complex ocular phenotype of late-onset macular degeneration, long anterior zonules (LAZ), and elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) and to study its expression. METHODS. Ocular examination, visual field, fluorescein angiography, and electrophysiology testing were performed. One affected individual was treated with vitamin A. DNA from 55 family members (UM:H389) was used for linkage, mapping, and mutation analysis. Linkage analysis of macular degeneration and LAZ phenotypes was performed independently. Mutations in candidate genes were screened by sequencing. mRNA expression of CTRP5 and MFRP, which are bicistronic genes, was studied by semiquantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) in various human tissues. CTRP5 expression was also evaluated by in situ hybridization. RESULTS. Affected members had LAZ detectable by the third decade and/or macular degeneration by the fourth to fifth decade. A six-month treatment with vitamin A shortened dark adaptation considerably in one affected member. Both conditions mapped independently with zero recombination to 11q23, with maximum lod scores of 3.31 for macular degeneration and 5.41 for LAZ. The same CTRP5 missense mutation was identified in all affected individuals. Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and ciliary epithelium (CE) showed highest CTRP5 transcript expression, which was also true for MFRP. CTRP5 tissue expression was confirmed by in situ hybridization.
Proximal Tubule Proliferation Is Insufficient to Induce Rapid Cyst Formation after Cilia Disruption

Disrupting the function of cilia in mouse kidneys results in rapid or slow progression of cystic disease depending on whether the animals are juveniles or adults, respectively. Renal injury can also markedly accelerate the renal cyst formation that occurs after disruption of cilia in adult mice. Rates of cell proliferation are markedly higher in juvenile than adult kidneys and increase after renal injury, suggesting that cell proliferation may enhance the development of cysts. Here, we induced cilia loss in the kidneys of adult mice in the presence or absence of a Cux-1 transgene, which maintains cell proliferation. By using this model, we were able to avoid additional factors such as inflammation and dedifferentiation, which associate with renal injury and may also influence the rate of cystogenesis. After induction of cilia loss, cystic disease was not more pronounced in adult mice with the Cux-1 transgene compared with those without the transgene. In conclusion, these data suggest that proliferation is unlikely to be the sole mechanism underlying the rapid cystogenesis observed after injury in mice that lose cilia function in adulthood.
The GDS/FAST Staging System

Staging methodologies are an essential tool in the assessment of disease severity in progressive dementing illness. Several different instruments have been developed for this purpose. One of the most widely used methodologies is the Global Deterioration Scale/Functional Assessment Staging (GDS/FAST) system. This system has been studied extensively and proven to be reliable and valid for staging dementia in Alzheimer's disease (AD) in diverse settings. One of the major advantages of this system is that it spans, demarcates, and describes the entire course of normal aging and progressive AD until the final substages of the disease process. Other advantages include: (a) greatly enhanced ability to track the longitudinal course of AD, (b) improved clinicopathologic observations of AD interrelationships, and (c) enhanced diagnostic, differential diagnostic, and prognostic information. This article presents a brief overview of the GDS/FAST staging system.
Lexical processing deficits in children with developmental language disorder: An event-related potentials study.

Lexical processing deficits in children with developmental language disorder (DLD) have been postulated to arise as sequelae of their grammatical deficits (either directly or via compensatory mechanisms) and vice versa. We examined event-related potential indices of lexical processing in children with DLD (n = 23) and their typically developing peers (n = 16) using a picture–word matching paradigm. We found that children with DLD showed markedly reduced N400 amplitudes in response both to auditorily presented words that had initial phonological overlap with the name of the pictured object and to words that were not semantically or phonologically related to the pictured object. Moreover, this reduction was related to behavioral indices of phonological and lexical but not grammatical development. We also found that children with DLD showed a depressed phonological mapping negativity component in the early time window, suggesting deficits in phonological processing or early lexical access. The results are partially consistent with the overactivation account of lexical processing deficits in DLD and point to the relative functional independence of lexical/phonological and grammatical deficits in DLD, supporting a multidimensional view of the disorder. The results also, although indirectly, support the neuroplasticity account of DLD, according to which language impairment affects brain development and shapes the specific patterns of brain responses to language stimuli.
Local influence of mitochondrial calcium transport in retinal amacrine cells.

Ca2+-dependent synaptic transmission from retinal amacrine cells is thought to be initiated locally at dendritic processes. Hence, understanding the spatial and temporal impact of Ca2+ transport is fundamental to understanding how amacrine cells operate. Here, we provide the first examination of the local effects of mitochondrial Ca2+ transport in neuronal processes. By combining mitochondrial localization with measurements of cytosolic Ca2+, the local impacts of mitochondrial Ca2+ transport for two types of Ca2+ signals were investigated. Disruption of mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake with carbonyl cyanide 4-(trifluoromethoxy) phenylhydrazone (FCCP) produces cytosolic Ca2+ elevations. The amplitudes of these elevations decline with distance from mitochondria suggesting that they are related to mitochondrial Ca2+ transport. The time course of the FCCP-dependent Ca2+ elevations depend on the availability of ER Ca2+ and we provide evidence that Ca2+ is released primarily via nearby ryanodine receptors. These results indicate that interactions between the ER and mitochondria influence cytosolic Ca2+ in amacrine cell processes and cell bodies. We also demonstrate that the durations of glutamate-dependent Ca2+ elevations are dependent on their proximity to mitochondria in amacrine cell processes. Consistent with this observation, disruption of mitochondrial Ca2+ transport alters the duration of glutamate-dependent Ca2+ elevations near mitochondria but not at sites more than 10 μm away. These results indicate that mitochondria influence local Ca2+-dependent signaling in amacrine cell processes.
FunctionCAD: A Functional Modeling Application Based on the Function Design Framework

This paper presents a functional modeling application, FunctionCAD, based on integrated functional and process modeling within the Function Design Framework. FunctionCAD provides for mixed, hierarchical models of environment, process and function with relationships represented via flows of material, energy and signal. This paper discusses the technical details of the FunctionCAD software including its two major components: (1) the library, libFCAD, for handling the internal representation of the model and (2) the GUI for user-based model manipulation and visualization. The application of FunctionCAD within a computational, function-based conceptual design process is discussed along with the plugin manager and interface that have been developed as a part of the FunctionCAD software to allow interconnectivity with existing conceptual design tools. And finally, a detailed description of model creation within the FunctionCAD environment is provided to illustrate software operability.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
VPM and PoM Nuclei of the Rat Somatosensory Thalamus: Intrinsic Neuronal Properties and Corticothalamic Feedback

Sensory information originating in individual whisker follicles ascends through focused projections to the brainstem, then to the ventral posteromedial nucleus (VPM) of the thalamus, and finally into barrels of the primary somatosensory cortex (S1). By contrast, the posteromedial complex (PoM) of the thalamus receives more diffuse sensory projections from the brainstem and projects to the interbarrel septa of S1. Both VPM and PoM receive abundant corticothalamic projections from S1. Using a thalamocortical slice preparation, we characterized differences in intrinsic neuronal properties and in responses to corticothalamic feedback in neurons of VPM and PoM. Due to the plane of the slice, the majority of our observed responses came from activation of layer VI because most or all of the layer V axons terminating in PoM are cut. We found that VPM neurons exhibit higher firing rates than PoM neurons when stimulated with injected current. Stimulation of corticothalamic fibers evoked monosynaptic excitation, disynaptic inhibition, or a combination of the two in both nuclei. A few differences in the feedback responses emerged: purely excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) in VPM were smaller and facilitated more than those in PoM, and only the EPSPs in VPM had a strong NMDA component. For both nuclei, some of the feedback responses were purely disynaptic inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs) from the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN). This was due to EPSP failures within VPM and PoM combined with greater reliability of S1-originating synapses onto TRN. These findings suggest that despite the exclusively excitatory nature of corticothalamic fibers, activation of cortex can trigger excitation or inhibition in thalamic relay neurons.
Low Impedance Walking Robots

4 by the robot’s high impedance, so that stabilization requires more effort from the control system. Over the past 5 yr, our laboratory has designed a series of walking robots based on ‘‘Series-Elastic Actuators’’ and ‘‘Virtual Model Control.’’ Using these two techniques, we have been able to build lowimpedance walking robots that are both safe and robust, that operate blindly without any model of upcoming terrain, and that add minimal control effort in parallel to their self-stabilizing passive dynamics. We have discovered that it is possible to achieve surprisingly effective ambulation from rather simple mechanisms and control systems. After describing the historical and technological motivations for our approach, this paper gives an overview of our methods and shows some of the results we have obtained.
A Formal Process for Community-Based Reference Model Evolution for Smart Manufacturing Systems

Service-oriented manufacturing systems need to be supported by formal reference models for effective service description, discovery, and composition. A reference model should evolve continuously throughout its lifecycle to respond to changing requirements. The objective of this work is to propose a formal process for collaborative and community-based reference-model evolution and identify the computational components required for effective model evolution. The main steps of the proposed process include service registration, vocabulary extraction, evolution triggering, change evaluation and approval, and change implementation. An important feature of the proposed process is the use of a Simple Knowledge Organization System (SKOS) thesaurus for the initial stages of knowledge elicitation and organization.
Abstract 343: Prediction of Lifesaving Interventions Using Changes in Vital Signs from Prehospital Scene to Emergency Department

Objective: We investigate whether changes in vital signs between the prehospital scene and emergency department (ED) can be used to develop triage tools to predict the need for life-saving interventions (LSI) and survival in trauma patients. Methods: We analyzed a prospective cohort with any prehospital systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≤ 90 mmHg or Glasgow Coma Scale ≤ 8 who were admitted to an ED at 11 sites of the Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium. The primary outcome was the need for in-hospital LSI (e.g. invasive airway management, invasive bleeding control, blood transfusion, craniotomy, cardiopulmonary resuscitation). Secondary outcome was survival to hospital discharge. Changes in heart rate (HR), SBP, shock index (SI), and respiratory rate (RR) from first prehospital assessment to first ED assessment were considered as predictors in addition to sex, age, mechanism of injury, trauma center level, duration of transport, type of transport, and prehospital fluid volume. Decision trees for each outcome were developed using binary recursive partitioning with predictive performance measured using sensitivity, specificity, and classification error. Results: 5625 subjects were included in our analysis with 49% in need of LSI and 21% dying prior to discharge. Patients needing an LSI tended to either: (1) have an increasing SI (delta ≥ 0.22), (2) have a decreasing SI (delta 500 mL prehospital fluids, or (3) have a decreasing SI (delta -47) or (2) have an increase in SI (0.57 ≤ delta < 1) and a declining RR (delta < 5). LSI tree had a sensitivity of 58.7% and specificity of 63.3%. Survival tree had sensitivity of 96.2% and specificity of 21.3%. Conclusion: Though the decision trees were constructed with the best data in terms of initial triage and early secondary triage, the classification performance was limited. This highlights the difficulties of developing vital sign based triage tools to predict the need for LSI and survival.
Scanning tunneling microscopy study of graphene on Au(111): Growth mechanisms and substrate interactions

We use scanning tunneling microscopy to study the structure of graphene islands on Au(111) grown by deposition of elemental carbon at 950 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C. Consistent with low-energy electron microscopic observations, we find that the graphene islands have dendritic shapes. The islands tend to cover depressed regions of the Au surface, suggesting that Au is displaced as the graphene grows. If small tunneling currents are used, it is possible to image simultaneously the graphene/Au moir\'e and the Au herringbone reconstruction, which forms underneath the graphene on cooling from the growth temperature. The delicate herringbone structure and its periodicity remain unchanged from the bare Au surface. Using a Frenkel--Kontorova model, we deduce that this striking observation is consistent with an attraction between graphene and Au of less than 13 meV per C atom. Raman spectroscopy supports this weak interaction. However, at the tunneling currents necessary for atomic-resolution imaging of graphene, the Au reconstruction is altered, implying influential tip--sample interactions and a mobile Au surface beneath the graphene.
The Spillover Effects of Good Governance in a Tax Competition Framework with a Negative Environmental Externality

We investigate the impact of a political regime shift affecting consumers, business interests and lobby contributions when countries engage in tax competition in capital and a polluting resource. When consumers have more influence than resource owners, the resource tax rate and public spending rise while environmental damages, lobbying contribution, and the capital tax rate fall. This response can spillover to other countries leading to lower welfare. Capital tax harmonization improves welfare of consumers and resource owners. Resource tax harmonization and governance harmonization both reduce the influence of lobbying and improve consumer welfare but resource owners are worse off.
Atomic-scale dynamics of a model glass-forming metallic liquid: Dynamical crossover, dynamical decoupling, and dynamical clustering

The phase behavior of multicomponent metallic liquids is exceedingly complex because of the convoluted many-body and many-elemental interactions. Herein, we present systematic studies of the dynamical aspects of a model ternary metallic liquid ${\mathrm{Cu}}_{40}{\mathrm{Zr}}_{51}{\mathrm{Al}}_{9}$ using molecular dynamics simulations with embedded atom method. We observed a dynamical crossover from Arrhenius to super-Arrhenius behavior in the transport properties (self diffusion coefficient, self relaxation time, and shear viscosity) bordered at ${T}_{x}\ensuremath{\sim}1300$ K. Unlike in many molecular and macromolecular liquids, this crossover phenomenon occurs well above the melting point of the system $({T}_{m}\ensuremath{\sim}900$ K) in the equilibrium liquid state; and the crossover temperature ${T}_{x}$ is roughly twice of the glass-transition temperature of the system $({T}_{g})$. Below ${T}_{x}$, we found the elemental dynamics decoupled and the Stokes-Einstein relation broke down, indicating the onset of heterogeneous spatially correlated dynamics in the system mediated by dynamic communications among local configurational excitations. To directly characterize and visualize the correlated dynamics, we employed a nonparametric, unsupervised machine learning technique and identified dynamical clusters of atoms with similar atomic mobility. The revealed average dynamical cluster size shows an accelerated increase below ${T}_{x}$ and mimics the trend observed in other ensemble averaged quantities that are commonly used to quantify the spatially heterogeneous dynamics such as the non-Gaussian parameter ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{2}$ and the four-point correlation function ${\ensuremath{\chi}}_{4}$.
Case comment— Briscoe v . City of New Haven : a statistical analysis of the effect of different written/oral exam weightings in disparate impact claims

This case comment analyses the appropriateness of the 60/40 written/oral weighting of the promotional exams challenged by Briscoe.The plaintiff claimed that the oral exam had less disparate impact on African Americans, was a better way to access candidates’ ability and hence should be weighted more. The comment shows that when more weight is given to the oral exam, the number of African American promotions ‘increases’, but the number of Hispanic promotions and the total number of minority promotions ‘decreases’. Furthermore, the analysis demonstrates that for most of the written/oral weightings, including the one advocated by the plaintiff, the number of African Americans who would be promoted to lieutenant remains the same, supporting district court’s conclusion that the weighting used by the City did not have disparate impact on African Americans ‘as a race’. In addition, the comment illustrates that even though the oral exam had less disparate impact on African Americans, it had ‘more’ disparity on Hispanics. Considering minority candidates as a whole group, the disparities of the oral and the written exams were about the same.
Rodent surveillance and control effect in flood areas in 2003

Objective To know rodent density for taking measure to prevent EHF in flooding areas.Methods Rodents were trapped with rodent clips.Blood or lung samples were taken to be tested for infective rate to EHF virus,and the baits made of 0.05% rodenticide for controlling population were applied in flooding areas.Results The density inside and outside flooding areas were 11.1% and 8.9% respectively,accounting for 82.4%.Apodemus agrarius Pallas was prevalent species outside.Mus musculus Linnaeus was prevalent species inside accounting for 66.7%.Natural enemies Mustela sibiricu Pallas and Einaceus europaeus Linnacus were caught in the areas.Rodent total infective rate inside was 0,outside of which was 31.25%.Around straw piles control effect was 100% and inside was 45.9%.There was no any case of EHF in flooding areas in 2003.Conclusion Rodent density was so low in flooding areas in 2003 that it was difficult to obtain higher control effect.
Molecular Approaches in Microbial Ecology to Assess Genomic Diversity and Stress-Induced Gene Expression in Plant-Associated Diazotrophs

During the last two decades a tremendous amount of progress has been made in elucidating the molecular basis of endosymbiotic and associative interactions of diazotrophic bacteria with plants. In fact, in the area of the Rhizobium-legume symbiosis, a true explosion of information has been generated with regard to plant-derived signal molecules, the rhizobial nodulation (nod) genes they induce, as well as the structure, host-specificity and putative mode of action of the nod-genes encoded nodulation factors (Nod factors). The regulatory circuits underlying the control of nitrogen fixation gene expression in strictly endosymbiotic, associative or free-living diazotrophs have been examined in detail and shown to be highly complex and diverse, while revealing common themes. Moreover, the mechanisms underlying the induction of a variety of plant genes specifically expressed or enhanced as a result of infection by, or association with diazotrophic bacteria are now beginning to be understood.
Where the river burned: Carl Stokes and the struggle to save Cleveland

In Where the River Burned: Carl Stokes and the Struggle to Save Cleveland, David Stradling and Richard Stradling recount the tumultuous administration of Cleveland Mayor Carl Stokes as he grappled ...
Use of Immunohistochemical and Molecular Studies in the Evaluation of the Sebaceous Neoplasms

Sebaceous lesions are cutaneous adnexal neoplasms derived from the sebaceous glands. There is a wide spectrum of sebaceous neoplasms ranging from hamartomatous, benign to malignant entities and their classification is often controversial. Sometimes, the lesions are poorly differentiated and their sebaceous differentiation is not obvious; in these particular cases immunohistochemical studies can facilitate the diagnosis. Immunohistochemical markers currently used to identify sebaceous differentiation are further discussed in this chapter along with other immunohistochemical markers that have been reported to have prognostic significance or therapeutic implications.
A Flexible, Micro-Lens-Coupled LED Stimulator for Optical Neuromodulation

Optogenetics is a fast growing neuromodulation method, which can remotely manipulate the specific activities of genetically-targeted neural cells and associated biological behaviors with millisecond temporal precision through light illumination. Application of optogenetics in neuroscience studies has created an increased need for the development of light sources and the instruments for light delivery. This paper presents a micro-lens-coupled LED neural stimulator which includes a backside reflector and a frontside microlens for light collection and collimation. The device structure has been optimized using optical simulation and the optimized device is able to increase the volume of excitable tissues by 70.4%. Device prototypes have been fabricated and integrated based on an optimization of the device structure. The measurement results show that the light power increases by 99% at an effective penetration depth of 5 000 $\mu\text{m}$ by the fabricated device under various voltages of 2.4–3.2 V.