cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CCR5-binding chemokines modulate CXCL12 (SDF-1)-induced responses of progenitor B cells in human bone marrow through heterologous desensitization of the CXCR4 chemokine receptor.

Although the SDF-1 (CXCL12)/CXCR4 axis is important for B-cell development, it is not yet clear to what extent CC chemokines might influence B lymphopoiesis. In the current study, we characterized CC chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) expression and function of primary progenitor B-cell populations in human bone marrow. CCR5 was expressed on all bone marrow B cells at levels between 150 and 200 molecules per cell. Stimulation of bone marrow B cells with the CCR5-binding chemokine macrophage inflammatory protein 1β (MIP-1β; CCL4) did not cause chemotaxis, but CCL4 was able to trigger potent calcium mobilization responses and activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway in developing B cells. We also determined that CCR5-binding chemokines MIP-1α (CCL3), CCL4, and RANTES (CCL5), specifically by signaling through CCR5, could affect all progenitor B-cell populations through a novel mechanism involving heterologous desensitization of CXCR4. This cross-desensitization of CXCR4 was manifested by the inhibition of CXCL12-induced calcium mobilization, MAPK activation, and chemotaxis. These findings indicate that CCR5 can indeed mediate biologic responses of bone marrow B cells, even though these cell populations express low levels of CCR5 on their cell surface. Thus, by modulation of CXCR4 function, signaling through CCR5 may influence B lymphopoiesis by affecting the migration and maturation of B-cell progenitors in the bone marrow microenvironment.
Augustine's Three Visions and Three Heavens in Some Early Medieval Florilegia

Etude de la theorie visionnaire et de la classification tripartite des categories de la vision de Saint Augustin presentee dans les florileges irlandais du Moyen-Age et dans l'oeuvre du pseudo-Augustin intitulee «Dialogus quastionum» LXV
Editing wild points in isolation - Fast agreement for reliable systems (Preliminary version)

Consideration is given to the intuitively appealing notion of discarding sensor values which are strongly suspected of being erroneous in a modified approximate agreement protocol. Approximate agreement with editing imposes a time bound upon the convergence of the protocol - no such bound was possible for the original approximate agreement protocol. This new approach is potentially useful in the construction of asynchronous fault tolerant systems. The main result is that a wild-point replacement technique called t-worst editing can be shown to guarantee convergence of the approximate agreement protocol to a valid agreement value. Results are presented for a four-processor synchronous system in which a single processor may be faulty.
Sensitivity of cultured cells to gamma radiation in a patient exhibiting marked in vivo radiation sensitivity

An apparently normal 13-year-old girl developed multiple severe complications over several years after radiation therapy for Stage IIB Hodgkin's disease, including hypothyroidism, esophageal stenosis, restrictive lung and pericardial disease, extrahepatic biliary fibrosis, and sudden death presumed secondary to a myocardial infarction. Cultured skin fibroblast cells from the patient exhibited marked sensitivity to gamma radiation in vitro. The D0 of the radiation survival curve (the inverse of the straight line portion of the curve and that dose of radiation which theoretically leads to one lethal hit per cell) was 89 cGy, compared to a mean D0 for nine normal individuals of 155 cGy, and 85 cGy for two patients with the radiation sensitive disease ataxia-telangiectasia (AT). Profound clinical heterogeneity in response to cancer therapeutic agents may exist, with some individuals who show no signs or symptoms of DNA repair deficiency (for example, as is manifested by individuals with AT) exhibiting marked in vivo and in vitro sensitivity to certain DNA-damaging agents.
Hypersurface variations are maximal. II

The variation of Hodge structure defined by the natural family of hypersurfaces of degreed and dimensionn is maximal if the cohomology has Hodge level >1. There is a small list of hypersurfaces of “level one” which give non-maximal variations: plane curves of degreed≧5, cubics of dimension 3 and 5, and quartic threefolds.
ANALYTICAL MODELING OF ELASTIC‐PLASTIC WAVE BEHAVIOR NEAR GRAIN BOUNDARIES IN CRYSTALLINE MATERIALS

It is well known that changes in material properties across an interface will produce differences in the behavior of reflected and transmitted waves. On larger spatial scales, this mesoscopic behavior can result in the roughening of an initially planar shock front after interacting with grains of different orientations. We have developed an analytical model for treating stress wave scattering at grain boundaries based on crystal plasticity. Using this technique we can predict the anisotropic elastic‐plastic velocity surfaces and grain boundary scattering configuration for crystalline materials undergoing deformation by slip. Following a brief description of the model we describe laser‐induced shock experiments where we have measured the surface roughening due to shock‐microstructure interactions. Spatial scales of the surface roughening were observed to scale approximately with the grain size of the material, which in this case was polycrystalline Be and Cu‐doped Be.
“Collective Representations” and the “Generalized Other”: A Review of the Evidence on the Convergence of Durkheim and Mead

This article is a revisitation of the investigation into of some of the scholarly points of convergence of Durkheim and Mead. A major focus is on the concepts of “collective representations” and “generalized other.” Also covered in this analysis of the major works of these French and American sociologists is their emphasis on signs and symbols, the significance of the social act, taking the role of the other, individual action and the social bond, the internalization and integration of meaning, the relevancy of the object, social pragmatism and the issue of ambiguity. The author highlights some new and classic contributions, especially Rochberg-Halton’s (1982), to the scholarly discussion on the significance of pragmatic interaction.
Discrete Spectrum of the Graviton in the $AdS^5$ Black Hole Background

The discrete spectrum of fluctuations of the metric about an $AdS^5$ black hole background are found. These modes are the strong coupling limit of so called glueball states in a dual 3-d Yang-Mills theory with quantum numbers $J^{PC} = 2^{++}, 1^{-+}, 0^{++}$. For the ground state modes, we find the mass relation: $m(0^{++}) < m(2^{++}) < m(1^{-+})$. Contrary to expectation, the mass of our new $0^{++}$ state ($m^2=5.4573$) associated with the graviton is smaller than the mass of the $0^{++}$ state ($m^2=11.588$) from the dilaton. In fact the dilatonic excitations are exactly degenerate with our tensor $2^{++}$ states. We find that variational methods gives remarkably accurate mass estimates for all three low-lying levels while a WKB treatment describes the higher modes well.
The expression of inherited hydrocephalus in H-Tx rats.

Objectives: H-Tx rats develop severe hydrocephalus in late gestation. The breeding colony maintained at the University of Florida stems from one pair obtained in 1992. The aims of this study were to characterize the expression of hydrocephalus in the H-Tx rat colony, to perform within-strain and between-strain DNA analysis and to examine hydrocephalus expression in specific breeding experiments. Methods and observations: Matings between normal rats produce hydrocephalic offspring almost without exception, and the overall frequency is stable between generations at 40%. However, frequency varies with parity, being only 27% in the first litters, and it also varies with sex, there being an excess of male hydrocephalics. Mating between shunt-treated hydrocephalic rats did not increase the frequency. DNA typing with microsatellite markers showed that there was some residual heterogeneity in the colony despite inbreeding for 22 generations, although it did not segregate with hydrocephalus. Test mating with two other inbred strains, F344 and LEW produced some affected pups in the LEW cross only. A backcross experiment between H-Tx and F344 produced 12.3% severely-affected pups and 5.4% pups with a mild form, indicating the presence of several susceptibility genes. Conclusions: All animals in our H-Tx colony are homozygous for the hydrocephalus loci, but there is incomplete penetrance.
High-Q single crystal silicon HARPSS capacitive beam resonators with self-aligned sub-100-nm transduction gaps

This paper reports on the fabrication and characterization of high-quality factor (Q) single crystal silicon (SCS) in-plane capacitive beam resonators with sub-100 nm to submicron transduction gaps using the HARPSS process. The resonating element is made of single crystal silicon while the drive and sense electrodes are made of trench-refilled polysilicon, yielding an all-silicon capacitive microresonator. The fabricated SCS resonators are 20-40 /spl mu/m thick and have self-aligned capacitive gaps. Vertical gaps as small as 80 nm in between 20 /spl mu/m thick silicon structures have been demonstrated in this work. A large number of clamped-free and clamped-clamped beam resonators were fabricated. Quality factors as high as 177000 for a 19 kHz clamped-free beam and 74000 for an 80 kHz clamped-clamped beam were measured under 1 mtorr vacuum. Clamped-clamped beam resonators were operated at their higher resonance modes (up to the fifth mode); a resonance frequency of 12 MHz was observed for the fifth mode of a clamped-clamped beam with the fundamental mode frequency of 0.91 MHz. Electrostatic tuning characteristics of the resonators have been measured and compared to the theoretical values. The measured Q values of the clamped-clamped beam resonators are within 20% of the fundamental thermoelastic damping limits (Q/sub TED/) obtained from finite element analysis.
Estimation of the rate constant for electron transfer in room temperature ionic liquids

Abstract The kinetic parameters for simple electron transfer are estimated in seven room temperature ionic liquids containing a 1-alkyl-3-methyl-imidazolium cation and an inorganic anion, namely, tetrafluoroborate or hexafluorophosphate. The electron transfer system considered is the oxidation of ferrocene. The calculations make use of dielectric relaxation data obtained recently in these ionic liquids. The parameters estimated include the outer sphere Gibbs activation energy for electron transfer, the longitudinal relaxation time, and the standard rate constant. It is shown that the outer sphere Gibbs activation energy is virtually independent of the length of the alkyl chain in the cation. On the other hand, the longitudinal relaxation time increases with increase in the length of the alkyl chain. As a result the standard rate constant for oxidation of ferrocene decreases as the cation in the ionic liquid is made longer.
Stripteasers: The Anatomy and Career Contingencies of a Deviant Occupation

The initiation of and commitment to deviance involves an interaction between the characteristics of the individuals, their experiences, and a number of situational conditions. Thus becoming deviant is a process which includes a series of “career contingencies” on which completion of the process depends. This paper concerns stripteasing, an occupation in which women earn their living by removing their clothes in a titillating fashion before paying audiences. Included are: a description of the occupation; data concerning physical, psychological, and social characteristics of women stripping on a theater circuit; and data on the situational factors surrounding their decision to enter the occupation. It appears that the career sequence for most strippers involves three contingencies: 1) a tendency toward exhibitionistic behavior for gain, 2) an opportunity structure making stripping an accessible occupational alternative, and 3) a sudden awareness of the easy economic rewards derived from stripping.
A randomized, double-blind trial comparing continuous thoracic epidural bupivacaine with and without opioid in contrast to a continuous paravertebral infusion of bupivacaine for post-thoracotomy pain.

Objective To compare the results of continuous epidural bupivacaine analgesia with and without hydromorphone to continuous paravertebral analgesia with bupivcaine in patients with post-thoracotomy pain. Design A prospective, randomized, double-blinded trial. Setting A teaching hospital. Participants Patients at a tertiary care teaching hospital undergoing throracotomy for lung cancer. Interventions Subjects were assigned randomly to receive a continuous thoracic epidural or paravertebral infusion. Patients in the epidural group were randomized to receive either bupivacaine alone or in combination with hydromorphone. Visual analog scores as well as incentive spirometery results were obtained before and after thoracotomy. Methods and Main Results Seventy-five consecutive patients presenting for thoracotomy were enrolled in this institutional review board–approved study. On the morning of surgery, subjects were randomized to either an epidural group receiving bupvicaine with and without hydromorphone or a paravertebral catheter–infused bupvicaine. Postoperative visual analog scores and incentive spirometry data were measured in the postanesthesia care unit, the evening of the first operative day, and daily thereafter until postoperative day 4. Analgesia on all postoperative days was superior in the thoracic epidural group receiving bupivacaine plus hydromorphone. Analgesia was similar in the epidural and continuous paravertebral groups receiving bupivacaine alone. No significant improvement was noted by combining the continuous infusion of bupivacaine via the paravertebral and epidural routes. Incentive spirometry goals were best achieved in the epidural bupivacaine and hydromorphone group and equal in the group receiving bupivacaine alone either via epidural or continuous paravertebral infusion. Conclusions The current study provided data that fill gaps in the current literature in 3 important areas. First, this study found that thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) with bupivacaine and a hydrophilic opioid, hydromorphone, may provide enhanced analgesia over TEA or continuous paravertebral infusion (CPI) with bupivacaine alone. Second, in the bupivacaine-alone group, the increased basal rates required to achieve analgesia resulted in hypotension more frequently than in the bupivacaine/hydromorphone combination group, underscoring the benefit of the synergistic activity. Finally, in agreement with previous retrospective studies, the current data suggest that CPI of local anesthetic appears to provide acceptable analgesia for post-thoracotomy pain.
Can Maternal Stress Alter Fetal Adrenocorticotropin Secretion

The purpose of this study was to assess the role of increases in maternal plasma cortisol, within the range observed after stress, in the control of fetal ACTH responses to subsequent fetal stress. We infused cortisol or vehicle into the inferior venae cavae of pregnant ewes which, with their fetuses (120–130 days gestation), had been chronically catheterized. Five-hour maternal cortisol infusions produced increases in maternal plasma cortisol smaller in magnitude than those induced by hypoxia stress and resulted in physiological increases in fetal plasma cortisol. One hour after the end of the maternal cortisol infusion, fetal ACTH secretion was stimulated by infusion of sodium nitroprusside into the fetal inferior vena cava. After maternal cortisol infusion, the fetal ACTH and cortisol responses to fetal hypotension were inhibited. We conclude that increases in maternal cortisol alters the fetal ACTH response to stress. (Endocrinology 115: 298–301, 1984)
Estimating system selection expert

Computerized quantity take-off and cost-estimating systems have proliferated in the last 4-5 years. Companies that decide to computerize estimating are faced with the problem of making the right selection. Selecting a package first involves the identification of a potential user's needs. Then, a review is made of the packages available and their capabilities and, finally, the selection of a package by matching the potential user's needs with estimating system capabilities. ESSEX, whose conceptual framework is presented in this paper, is a knowledge-based expert system that facilitates the decision to be made by a potential user of estimating software as to what package to acquire. ESSEX uses an expert system shell to manipulate three main files: ‘UserMod’, the interface with the potential user that also develops the user's decision criteria; ‘SysMod’, the interface with the developers that records commercially available systems' characteristics; and ‘MatchMod’, that matches user and system characteristics...
Decreased cerebral blood flow during seizures with ictal SPECT injections

Abstract Increased regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) at the epileptogenic site has been consistently reported for single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) injections made during seizure activity, and the increased rCBF has been shown to remain elevated at the epileptogenic site in some cases, even when SPECT injections are made after seizure termination (postictal). A sustained increase in rCBF after seizure cessation was recently confirmed , but for no more than 100 s from seizure onset [Avery, R.A., Spencer, S.S., Spanaki, M.V., Corsi, M., Seibyl, J.P., Zubal, I.G., 1999. Effect of injection time on postictal SPET perfusion changes in medically refractory epilepsy. Eur. J. Nucl. Med. 26, 830–836]. In the current study, it is examined whether ictal SPECT injections demonstrate a similar change in rCBF around 100 s from seizure onset. Twenty-one patients with medically refractory epilepsy and a known area of seizure onset receiving ictal and interictal 99m Tc-Hexamethyl-propyleneamineoxime (HMPAO) SPECT scans were studied. The results of SPECT subtraction analysis which visualize increased and decreased rCBF were compared to seizure duration and HMPAO injection time. Five patients received ictal SPECT injections (during ongoing seizure activity) more than 90 s after seizure onset and demonstrated decreased rCBF. Two of these patients also demonstrated areas of increased rCBF. Decreased rCBF was localized to the epileptogenic lobe in four of the five patients. By examining ictal SPECT injections made 90 s after seizure onset, evidence was found that reduced rCBF may exist during ictus. The change in rCBF around 90 s is also observed in postictal injections, suggesting a common metabolic mechanism may be responsible.
Characterization of silica- and alumina-supported vanadia catalysts using temperature programmed reduction

The nature of the vanadia-support interaction for silica and alumina-supported V2O5 catalysts was investigated using temperature programmed reduction (TPR), temperature programmed oxidation, and solid-state 51V NMR. Solid-state 51V NMR for the V2O5/SiO2 catalysts indicated the presence of microcrystalline bulk-like vanadia species even at low vanadia loadings. Temperature programmed reduction of V2O5/SiO2 exhibited multiple peaks. It is suggested that the low temperature peak is due to reduction of surface vanadia. This appears to be the case also for bulk V2O5. 51V NMR indicated that bulk-like vanadia species are present for V2O5/Al2O3 catalysts only at high vanadia loadings. Vanadia was more highly dispersed on alumina than on silica as evidenced by NMR and TPR. The two lowest temperature TPR peaks appear to be related to the reduction of surface vanadia on V2O5/Al2O3. It was found that for V2O5/Al2O3 the average oxidation state of V after reduction to 900°C is consistent with the stoichiometry V+5 → V+4, whereas the V2O5/SiO2 catalysts exhibited 70% reduction of the V2O5 to V2O3 as did bulk V2O5. The amount of surface vanadium as determined by TPR correlates reasonably to the amount of tetrahedral V found by NMR. It is concluded that TPR provides an excellent means by which vanadia dispersion can be estimated on supported vanadia catalysts.
Do Teacher Induction and Mentoring Matter

In recent years there has been a growing interest in support, guidance, and orientation programs-collectively known as induction-for beginning elementary and secondary teachers during the transitio...
Differentiating two- from three-dimensional mental rotation training effects.

Block videogame training has consistently demonstrated transfer effects to mental rotation tasks, yet how variations in training influence performance with different stimuli remains unclear. In this study, participants took mental rotation assessments before and after a 3-week training programme based on 2D or 3D block videogames. Assessments varied in terms of dimensionality (2D or 3D) and stimulus type (polygon or body). Increases in videogame scores throughout training were correlated with mental rotation improvements. In particular, 2D training led to improvements in 2D tasks, whereas 3D training led to improvements in both 2D and 3D tasks. This effect did not depend on stimulus type, demonstrating that training can transfer to different stimuli of identical dimensionality. Interestingly, traditional gender differences in 3D mental rotation tasks vanished after 3D videogame training, highlighting the malleability of mental rotation ability given adequate training. These findings emphasize the influenc...
Abstract A159: The Redox/ Fyn/c‐Cbl pathway and its interaction with Cool‐1: A novel pathway that regulates chemosensitivity in glioblastoma

GBMs are the most common primary brain tumor, accounting for 52 percent of all diagnosed brain tumors. It is also the most devastating of all brain tumors, with a five‐year survival rate of 3.3 percent. One of the reasons for this poor prognosis is resistance of tumor cells to treatment with chemotherapy. We have discovered a novel means by which GBMs become chemoresistant, based on inhibition of the redox/Fyn/c‐Cbl pathway by overexpression of Cool‐1. The protein c‐Cbl, a receptor tyrosine kinase adaptor protein, is responsible for the ubiquitination and degradation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and other receptor protein kinases critical in cell division and cell survival. c‐Cbl is activated by Fyn kinase, which itself can be activated by agents that make cells more oxidized. In normal glia and glial progenitor cells of the CNS, exposure to chemotherapy makes cells more oxidized, leading to sequential activation of Fyn and c‐Cbl. In GBMs, in contrast, exposure of GBM cells to BCNU or to chemical pro‐oxidants does not lead to c‐Cbl activation. Further studies demonstrated that these agents did cause Fyn activation, suggesting that GBMs inhibit Fyn‐mediated c‐Cbl activation. This would lead to decreased degradation of EGFR, thus enabling continued cell division and providing resistance to chemotherapy. We therefore set out to test the hypothesis that reversal of this inhibition would decrease cell division and enhance susceptibility to chemotherapy‐induced cell death. In this work we discovered that oxidant‐associated c‐Cbl activation can be restored by suppressing expression of the protein Cool‐1, which is over‐expressed in many cancers including GBM. Our data further demonstrates that Cool‐1 and Cbl interact, that genetic reduction in Cool‐1 levels by expression of small inhibitory RNAs restores normal c‐Cbl‐mediated degradation of RTKs (including EGFR) in response to exposure to pro‐oxidants and BCNU, and that restoration of normal c‐Cbl activation also increases sensitivity to this and other chemotherapeutic agents. Citation Information: Mol Cancer Ther 2009;8(12 Suppl):A159.
GRASP to minimize makespan for a capacitated batch-processing machine

This paper presents a Greedy Randomized Adaptive Search Procedure (GRASP) to minimize the makespan of a capacitated batch-processing machine. Given a set of jobs and their processing times and sizes, the objective is to group these jobs into batches and schedule the batches on a single batch-processing machine such that the time taken to complete the last batch of jobs (or makespan) is minimized. The batch-processing machine can process a batch of jobs simultaneously as long as the total size of all the jobs in that batch does not exceed the machine capacity. The batch-processing time is equal to the longest processing time for a job in the batch. It has been shown that the problem under study is non-deterministic polynomial-time hard. Consequently, a GRASP approach was developed. The solution quality of GRASP was compared to other solution approaches such as simulated annealing, genetic algorithm, and a commercial solver through an experimental study. The study helps to conclude that GRASP outperforms other solution approaches, especially on larger problem instances.
Purification and partial amino acid sequence of the cyanogen bromide fragments of muconolactone isomerase from Pseudomonas putida.

Muconolactone isomerase is shown to be resistant to proteolytic cleavage by trypsin. Cyanogen bromide cleavage at the methionine residues of the polypeptide is at least 95% complete. Six cyanogen bromide fragments are separated on DEAE-cellulose. One fragment is shown by amino acid analysis and carboxyl-terminal analysis to be an incomplete cleavage product. The five remaining fragments represent the entire polypeptide and have been ordered with respect to the entire muconolactone isomerase sequence. Approximately 50% of the polypeptide sequence could be determined from these fragments by the dansyl-Edman technique. The possible evolutionarily homologous origins of muconolactone isomerase and two analogous isomerases, carboxymuconolactone decarboxylase and δ5-3-ketosteroid isomerase, are discussed.
Estimating a Mean from Delayed Observations

We consider a class of estimation problems for which the collection of data is not entirely under our control, but depends also on an element of chance. In particular, we are interested in data which, no matter how we choose to manipulate our environment, is forthcoming only at random times. For example, in studying the in situ effectiveness of experimental safety devices (such as passive air cushion restraints) relevant data may become available only as a result of accidents. Medical data (such as data on drug abuse or an asymptomatic disease) can sometimes only be obtained when patients voluntarily seek help or are somehow otherwise identified and examined, at random times. Other examples we have in mind are data collected in response to a mail survey or mailorder campaign, data concerning objects uncovered at random times at an archeological site, and data resulting from an undersea survey of containerized radioactive waste (see Dyer (1975), for example). We will consider a relatively simple form of such problems-namely , the estimation of a normal mean. Let y~ ... . , y, be independent normally distributed random variables with unknown mean 0 and known variance a z. We suppose that Yl is observed at time h, where 0<t~ < t 2 < ... <t~, and t~ . . . . . t, are independent ofy~ . . . . . y,. We will, in fact, suppose that t~ .. . . , t n are the order statistics of positive exchangeable random variables x~ . . . . . x,, which are independent of y~ ... . , y,, so that
Influence of coil geometry on localization of the induced electric field in magnetic (eddy-current) stimulation of excitable tissue

Magnetic stimulation is the process of stimulating excitable tissue with an electric field which is induced by a time-varying intense magnetic field. Calculations were performed to investigate the effect of coil geometry on localization of the induced electric field. The calculations considered a pair of coplanar coils parallel to a planar conducting medium that represents the stimulated tissue and a coil on edge. These two coil geometries give similar localization in a plane that is parallel to the interface, and the best localization is obtained for a coil radius that is small compared to the target depth. A drawback of the small coil is that the field at the target site is much less than the field at the surface of the conductor. A good three-dimensional localization is obtained with a pair of coplanar coils having radii approximately twice the target depth. >
Episodic Trade Wind Regimes over the Western Pacific Warm Pool

Abstract The western Pacific warm pool experiences the greatest rainfall of any oceanic region on earth. While the SST is everywhere high over the warm pool, there is great spatial and temporal variability in rainfall. Sounding data from the recent TOGA COARE are used to document this variability. In particular, the vertical distributions of heating and moistening at different phases of the 30–60 day or intraseasonal oscillation are determined for different areas within the warm pool. While heating and moistening distributions near the equator over the warm pool are often similar to those observed over the western Pacific within the convectively active ITCZ, these profiles do not prevail at all times. In particular, during westerly wind bursts and suppressed, light-wind periods, heating and moistening distributions over the COARE Intensive Flux Array frequently resemble those observed in the trade wind belts. Such profiles are characterized by relatively large negative values of apparent moisture sink Q2 ...
The Modern/Postmodern Context of Skinner's Selectionist Turn in 1945

Although culturally prominent modernist influences account for much of Skinner's early behaviorism, the subsequent changes in his views are appropriately considered as postmodern and are indebted to other sources. These changes are strikingly apparent in his 1945 publication, "The Operational Analysis of Psychological Terms." In that publication, Skinner introduced a probabilistic three-term contingency for verbal behavior with an expanded contextualism and an increased emphasis on consequences with a clear alignment to pragmatism. Instead of reaffirming the mechanistic and necessitarian values of modernism that he had previously embraced, Skinner was aligning himself with the postmodern values of pragmatism and selectionism. Philosophical modernism and literary modernism contributed to Skinner's early behaviorism, which was largely in the modernist tradition. In "The Operational Analysis of Psychological Terms," however, Skinner (1945/1972) turned to a selectionist view of behavior that belonged to a different tradition. Skinner did not acknowledge sources for these changes. But modernists such as Rudolph Carnap and Bertrand Russell, who reflected positivist views, were less favorably referred to and Skinner's views became more closely aligned with the selectionist views of Charles Darwin and C. S. Peirce. Skinner (1981) spoke of the importance of cultural selection, and he himself was the product of a selected set of cultural influences in his early years, which were sometimes self-described by their representatives as modern or modernist. Later cultural influences on Skinner, reflecting a different set of values, have been described as selectionist and may be included within postmodern designations. The following presents Skinner's 1945 views within these cultural contexts and makes the case for his turn away from the positivist views of modernism and toward selectionist ones. Although similar issues on Skinner's new views in 1945 have been addressed elsewhere (Moxley, 2001), this paper considerably expands the context for those views, particularly by presenting their modern/postmodern background and carries that theme through to the bare core of some common quotations. Skinner's work should then be seen as a rather remarkable confrontation of modern/postmodern issues.
The kinetic theory of point vortices

The statistical dynamics of a set of point vortices is investigated. The method of N.N. Bogolubov (1965) is employed and the BBGKY hierarchy is derived. It is shown that most physical quantities of interest, e.g. the velocity field, the pressure, and the interaction energy, are given in terms of a few reduced distribution functions. We also show how the introduction of the vortex dipole chaos assumption permits one to derive a kinetic equation for a ‘gas’ of vortex dipoles. The analysis of the observations of two-dimensional turbulent flows, made by experiments and direct numerical simulations, reveals that the kinetic theory of point vortex dipoles can be used, in conjunction with a scaling theory, to provide a hybrid theory of two-dimensional turbulence with no adjustable parameters.
Flight Test Results from the NF-15B Intelligent Flight Control System (IFCS) Project with Adaptation to a Simulated Stabilator Failure

Adaptive flight control systems have the potential to be more resilient to extreme changes in airplane behavior. Extreme changes could be a result of a system failure or of damage to the airplane. A direct adaptive neural-network-based flight control system was developed for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration NF-15B Intelligent Flight Control System airplane and subjected to an inflight simulation of a failed (frozen) (unmovable) stabilator. Formation flight handling qualities evaluations were performed with and without neural network adaptation. The results of these flight tests are presented. Comparison with simulation predictions and analysis of the performance of the adaptation system are discussed. The performance of the adaptation system is assessed in terms of its ability to decouple the roll and pitch response and reestablish good onboard model tracking. Flight evaluation with the simulated stabilator failure and adaptation engaged showed that there was generally improvement in the pitch response; however, a tendency for roll pilot-induced oscillation was experienced. A detailed discussion of the cause of the mixed results is presented.
Recording Culture: Audio Documentary and The Ethnographic ExperienceSounding New Media: Immersion and Embodiment in The Arts and Culture

A caveat about this review: the two books under discussion here circle around core concerns of oral history and in almost opposite directions at that. Neither explicitly engages oral history materi...
The genetic epidemiology of alcoholism.

Despite the variability in sampling and methodology, the majority of the family, twin and adoption studies suggest that alcoholism is familial, a significant proportion of which can be attributed to genetic factors. However, the specific components of alcoholism that may be inherited have yet to be identified. To date, there are no biological trait markers for which there is evidence for specificity for alcoholism. The three major levels of enquiry regarding possible mechanisms for the transmission of alcoholism and the involvement of genes and gene products in its development are factors related to exposure, metabolism, or pharmacological effects of ethanol. Exposure to ethanol is an obvious precondition for the development of tolerance and/or dependence. Therefore, identification of factors which enhance (or decrease) exposure are important goals of studies of the pathogenesis of alcoholism. It is likely that demographic, cultural and environmental factors (i.e. sex, age, religious affiliation, social group influences, income, availability of alcohol, etc.) play a crucial role in mediating exposure to alcohol. The key to alcoholism is likely to reside in the effects of alcohol on the brain. In contrast to nicotine, the opioids, and catecholamines, no specific receptor for ethanol has been found. Thus, one major focus of current research on possible central nervous system (CNS) mechanisms for the effect of alcohol includes assessment of the role of alcohol in the stimulation of brain reward or reinforcement systems. Alternately, alcohol may produce dependence by normalizing abnormal baseline states such as irritability, hyperexcitability, dysphoria, impulsiveness, or stress/tension level. The results of animal studies have yielded information on the central effects of alcohol including sensitivity of neuronal membranes, proteins, and ion channels to alcohol, and factors related to the binding and release of neurotransmitters and neuromodulators including dopamine, norepinephrine, gamma aminobutyric acid, pro-opiomelanocortin, glutamate receptors and the endorphin system (Institute of Medicine, 1987). In addition to possible genetic explanations for the strong degree of familial aggregation of alcoholism, alternative explanations need to be further evaluated. These include: modelling of parental behaviour; possible changes in the susceptibility of the foetus to alcohol as a result of in utero maternal ingestion of alcohol; results of negligent rearing manifested in dietary deficiency, exposure to toxic substances, or brain trauma, which so often characterize the homes of alcoholic parents; or damage to paternal germ cells from alcohol.
Cocoa antioxidants and cardiovascular health

An increasing body of epidemiologic evidence supports the concept that diets rich in fruits and vegetables can promote health and attenuate, or delay, the onset of various diseases. Epidemiologic data support the idea that these health benefits are causally linked to the consumption of certain flavonoids present in fruit and vegetables. In the context of cardiovascular health, a particular group of flavonoids, namely, the flavan-3-ols (flavanols), has received attention. Flavanol-rich, plant-derived foods and beverages include wine, tea, and various fruits and berries, as well as cocoa and cocoa products. Numerous dietary intervention studies in humans and animals indicate that flavanol-rich foods and beverages might exert cardioprotective effects with respect to vascular function and platelet reactivity. This review discusses the bioactivity of flavanols in the context of cardiovascular health, with respect to their bioavailability, their antioxidant properties, and their vascular effects.
On the mechanisms of neuroprotection by creatine and phosphocreatine

Creatine and phosphocreatine were evaluated for their ability to prevent death of cultured striatal and hippocampal neurons exposed to either glutamate or 3-nitropropionic acid (3NP) and to inhibit the mitochondrial permeability transition in CNS mitochondria. Phosphocreatine (PCr), and to a lesser extent creatine (Cr), but not (5R,10S)-(+)-5-methyl-10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo[a,d]cyclohepten-5,10-imine hydrogen maleate (MK801), dose-dependently ameliorated 3NP toxicity when applied simultaneously with the 3NP in Mg2+-free media. Pre-treatment of PCr for 2 or 5 days and Cr for 5 days protected against glutamate excitotoxicity equivalent to that achieved by MK801 post-treatment. The combination of PCr or Cr pre-treatment and MK801 post-treatment did not provide additional protection, indicating that both prevented the toxicity attributable to secondary glutamate release. To determine if Cr or PCr directly inhibited the permeability transition, mitochondrial swelling and depolarization were assayed in isolated, purified brain mitochondria. PCr reduced the amount of swelling induced by calcium by 20%. Cr decreased mitochondrial swelling when inhibitors of creatine kinase octamer–dimer transition were present. However, in brain mitochondria prepared from rats fed a diet supplemented with 2% creatine for 2 weeks, the extent of calcium-induced mitochondrial swelling was not altered. Thus, the neuroprotective properties of PCr and Cr may reflect enhancement of cytoplasmic high-energy phosphates but not permeability transition inhibition.
Age-dependent responses of the mesenteric vasculature to ischemia-reperfusion

The age-dependent responses of the mesenteric vasculature to ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) were compared in 2-mo-old and 2-yr-old rats. Measurements were made of leukocyte adherence, albumin leakage, ...
WEREWOLF, a MYB-Related Protein in Arabidopsis, Is a Position-Dependent Regulator of Epidermal Cell Patterning

Abstract The formation of the root epidermis of Arabidopsis provides a simple and elegant model for the analysis of cell patterning. A novel gene, WEREWOLF ( WER ), is described here that is required for position-dependent patterning of the epidermal cell types. The WER gene encodes a MYB-type protein and is preferentially expressed within cells destined to adopt the non–hair fate. Furthermore, WER is shown to regulate the position-dependent expression of the GLABRA2 homeobox gene, to interact with a bHLH protein, and to act in opposition to the CAPRICE MYB. These results suggest a simple model to explain the specification of the two root epidermal cell types, and they provide insight into the molecular mechanisms used to control cell patterning.
Michael Polanyi's Thought and Political Philosophy: An Introduction

Abstract This brief essay provides a few particulars about Michael Polanyi's life, showing how his philosophical interests and ideas are deeply grounded in his own experience as a European who lived through much of the twentieth century. It introduces the four essays on Polanyi's political thought that follow.
Unexpected Diversity during Community Succession in the Apple Flower Microbiome

ABSTRACT Despite its importance to the host, the flower microbiome is poorly understood. We report a culture-independent, community-level assessment of apple flower microbial diversity and dynamics. We collected flowers from six apple trees at five time points, starting before flowers opened and ending at petal fall. We applied streptomycin to half of the trees when flowers opened. Assessment of microbial diversity using tag pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA genes revealed that the apple flower communities were rich and diverse and dominated by members of TM7 and Deinococcus-Thermus , phyla about which relatively little is known. From thousands of taxa, we identified six successional groups with coherent dynamics whose abundances peaked at different times before and after bud opening. We designated the groups Pioneer, Early, Mid, Late, Climax, and Generalist communities. The successional pattern was attributed to a set of prevalent taxa that were persistent and gradually changing in abundance. These taxa had significant associations with other community members, as demonstrated with a cooccurrence network based on local similarity analysis. We also detected a set of less-abundant, transient taxa that contributed to general tree-to-tree variability but not to the successional pattern. Communities on trees sprayed with streptomycin had slightly lower phylogenetic diversity than those on unsprayed trees but did not differ in structure or succession. Our results suggest that changes in apple flower microbial community structure are predictable over the life of the flower, providing a basis for ecological understanding and disease management. IMPORTANCE Flowering plants (angiosperms) represent a diverse group of an estimated 400,000 species, and their successful cultivation is essential to agriculture. Yet fundamental knowledge of flower-associated microbiotas remains largely unknown. Even less well understood are the changes that flower microbial communities experience through time. Flowers are particularly conducive to comprehensive temporal studies because they are, by nature, ephemeral organs. Here, we present the first culture-independent time series of bacterial and archaeal communities associated with the flowers of apple, an economically important crop. We found unexpected diversity on apple flowers, including a preponderance of taxa affiliated with Deinococcus - Thermus and TM7, phyla that are understudied but thought to be tolerant to an array of environmental stresses. Our results also suggest that changes in microbial community structure on the apple flower may be predictable over the life of the flower, providing the basis for ecological understanding and disease management.
PUI/MRSEC Collaboration to Create Opportunities for Women in Materials-Research

This three-year collaboration between a predominately undergraduate women's college (Simmons College) and a NSF-supported Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (the Cornell Center for Materials Research (CCMR)) focuses on establishing a collaborative Simmons/Cornell research program that provides opportunities for students to work with faculty on timely research projects, have access to sophisticated instrumentation, and gain related work experience in industrial settings. To interest women in participating in materials-related research and to encourage them to consider further career exploration in this area, the secondary goal of (he project focuses on augmenting women's undergraduate experience. In this regard, the project uses the PUI/MRSEC collaboration to enhance the undergraduate curriculum at Simmons and encourage new Ph.D.s in materials-related disciplines at Cornell to consider academic careers at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs). To provide opportunities for students to work on research throughout their undergraduate careers, this program focuses on studying the degradation processes in organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), These materials are currently of great interest for display applications, and an understanding and control of the degradation processes could ultimately influence their use in various types of consumer products. To widen science students' exposure to materials science, a new minor in materials was developed and materials science topics are being incorporated into physics and chemistry courses. To encourage students to consider graduate or industrial careers in materials science and to ease the transition into these large research environments, CCMR will place students in summer industrial jobs and REU positions. To provide students with further access to sophisticated instrumentation, a portion of the laboratory requirement for the new minor in materials will be co-taught during the summer by Simmons and Cornell collaborators at CCMR's Shared Experimental Facilities. Cornell's graduate students will participate in the program as mentors for Simmons undergraduates and will visit Simmons to better understand postgraduate teaching careers at PUIs. © 2003 Materials Research Society.
Towards a Standard Archival Format for Earth Science Data: Storing NASA ECS Data using HDF5 Archival Information Packages (AIP)

Lack of standard metadata and file formats make it challenging to archive and distribute remote sensing data. Although the Common Data Model (CDM) developed by Unidata has the potential of providing easy access to data stored in a variety of file formats, it would still be necessary to maintain each I/O library ever used to create a data product. Moreover, due to the nature of these data structures, I/O libraries are often complicated and expensive to maintain. As a consequence, the long-term archival of data stored in multiple formats becomes an expensive and challenging task. In this paper, we demonstrate an alternative solution, namely migration of data to a single standards-based archive format. Data from NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS) Data Centers formatted in Hierarchical Data Format (HDF) are used in the demonstration.
Impact of intercostal artery occlusion on spinal cord ischemia following thoracic endovascular aortic repair.

Objective: To evaluate intercostal artery patency following thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) and its relationship with spinal cord ischemia (SCI). Methods: Patients with SCI (n = 7) and a matched control cohort (n = 18) were identified from a prospectively maintained database. Radiographic analysis of intercostal patency was assessed using 3-dimensional (3-D)-reconstructed images of pre- and postoperative CT angiograms (1-6 months, 6-12 months, and 1-5 years). Results: Patients with SCI had a higher incidence of perioperative hypotension (P < .01) and longer procedure duration (P = .01). While the mean number of patent intercostal arteries at each time interval was not significantly different between groups, both SCI (P = .002) and control (P <.001) groups demonstrated a significant reduction in patent intercostal arteries in the stented area of the aorta following TEVAR. Conclusion: TEVAR decreases intercostal artery patency in the area of aortic coverage. Our data suggest that intercostal art...