cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Capuchin monkeys are sensitive to others' welfare.

Summary Humans demonstrate altruistic behaviors in a variety of contexts [1,2], but there is growing experimental evidence that our closest living primate relative, the chimpanzee, does not always share our human prosocial tendencies [3,4]. Although chimpanzees behave cooperatively in some contexts, there is growing evidence that chimpanzees are indifferent to others' needs when food is involved. Indeed, a number of studies have shown that chimpanzees fail to selectively donate food to others even when they do so at no cost to themselves [3,4]. Chimpanzees' lack of other-regarding preferences in these recent studies had initially caused many researchers to conclude that humans are alone in our capacity for prosocial giving. Researchers have therefore begun exploring why humans' prosociality differs from that of closely-related primates, leading some to observe that humans' prosocial tendencies might stem specifically from their history as reproductively cooperative breeders (see [5,6] for evidence of prosocial giving in cooperatively breeding primates). Here, we test this claim directly, providing a surprising demonstration that one non-cooperative breeder, the tufted capuchin monkey ( Cebus apella ), reliably exhibits prosocial behavior in a food-sharing task modeled after a human economic task known as the Dictator Game [2].
The effect of partially oriented precursors on the melt-textured growth of YBa2Cu3O6+x

Abstract In order to accelerate the melt-textured growth technique, we introduce the use of partially oriented YBa2Cu3O6+x superconducting material as precursor for the melt-texture growth processing, instead of the randomly oriented precursors that are presently in use. We study the effect of this change of the starting material on the microstructure and the surface and bulk preferred orientation of the crystallites as a function of the peritectic solidification time, using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and x-ray diffraction. The crystallites of these partially oriented precursors serve as “seeds” for the growth of large crystallites (∼300μ on the average) in highly textured samples, whereas the cooling rate around the peritectic temperature is increased by a factor of 2.5 compared to other melt textured growth processes that are reported. While these studies are on small pellets or bars, they demonstrate a principle that can be incorporated in commercial processing.
Rancher and farmer perceptions of climate change in Nevada, USA.

Farming and ranching communities in arid lands are vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change. We surveyed Nevada ranchers and farmers (n = 481) during 2009–2010 to assess climate change related knowledge, assumptions, and perceptions. The large majority of this group agreed that we are in a period of climate change; however, only 29 % of them believed that human activity is playing a significant role. Female ranchers and farmers hold more scientifically accurate knowledge about climate change than do their male counterparts, regardless of Democratic or Republican affiliation. Partisan affiliation, political ideology, and gender have strong impacts on climate change knowledge and perceptions. Republican, conservative and male rural residents view climate change as a low national priority, less important to themselves, and less harmful to their communities. Female ranchers and farmers are more concerned about the negative impacts of climate change. We found that only 4 % of our subjects (n = 299) attribute local environment changes to climate change or global warming. The knowledge gained from this study will help researchers and natural resource managers understand how to best communicate about climate change with rural communities, and support policy makers in identifying potentially effective adaptation and mitigation policies and outreach programs.
Influence of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation on the climate of theSierra Nevada, California and Nevada

Mono Lake sediments have recorded five major oscillations in the hydrologic balance between A.D. 1700 and 1941. These oscillations can be correlated with tree-ring-based oscillations in Sierra Nevada snowpack. Comparison of a tree-ring-based reconstruction of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) index (D’Arrigo et al., 2001) with a coral-based reconstruction of Subtropical South Pacific sea-surface temperature (Linsley et al., 2000) indicates a high degree of correlation between the two records during the past 300 yr. This suggests that the PDO has been a pan-Pacific phenomena for at least the past few hundred years. Major oscillations in the hydrologic balance of the Sierra Nevada correspond to changes in the sign of the PDO with extreme droughts occurring during PDO maxima. Four droughts centered on A.D. 1710, 1770, 1850, and 1930 indicate PDO-related drought reoccurrence intervals ranging from 60 to 80 yr.
Computed Tomographic Diagnosis of Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare Complex in Patients With Bronchiectasis

We tested the hypothesis that bronchiectasis and multiple small lung nodules seen on chest computed tomography (CT) are indicative of Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare complex (MAC) infection or colonization by reviewing CT scans and histories of 100 outpatients with CT diagnosis of bronchiectasis. Of the 24 patients with multiple pulmonary nodules, 19 had lung nodules and bronchiectasis in the same lobe. Mycobacterial cultures were performed on 63 of the 100 patients, including 15 of the 24 patients with lung nodules and 48 of the 76 patients with no lung nodules. Of the 15 patients with lung nodules, 8 (53 percent) had cultures positive for MAC, as did 2 of the 48 (4 percent) patients with no CT evidence of lung nodules. The number of cultures positive for fungi was approximately the same in both groups. In our outpatient population, CT prediction of cultures positive for MAC in bronchiectatic patients with multiple small lung nodules has a sensitivity of 80 percent, a specificity of 87 percent, and an accuracy of 86 per
Automorphisms of surface mapping class groups. A recent theorem of N. Ivanov

Ivanov of the Leningrad Branch of the Steklov Mathematical Institute has shown that the outer automorphism groups of surface mapping class groups are finite. In this report, we shall give explicit descriptions of the outer automorphism groups of both the mapping class groups and extended mapping class groups of closed, connected, orientable surfaces of negative Euler characteristic. (The extended mapping class groups are the extensions of the mapping class groups by the orientation reversing isotopy classes.) For surfaces of genus greater than two, these are, respectively, a cyclic group of order two and the trivial group. For a surface of genus two, these are both noncyclic groups of order four. (Once again, the hypergeometric involution in genus two plays a unique role.)
Spinnennetz nur einmal erfunden

Heutzutage nutzen Spinnen zwei unterschiedliche Methoden, um ihre Netze klebrig zu machen. Wissenschaftler waren lange im Zweifel, ob Spinnennetze einmal oder mehrmals erfunden wurden. Neue Befunde belegen jetzt, dass in der Evolutionsgeschichte die Idee fur das Netz weltweit nur einmal auftauchte und seit mehr als 100 Millionen Jahren erfolgreich eingesetzt wird.
Three-Phase Displacement Theory: An Improved Description of Relative Permeabilities

Aquantitativeunderstandingofthree-phase∞owinporous media is required to address many diverse processes in the subsurface, e.g., improved oil recovery, CO2 sequestration, and aquifer clean-up. In turn, all predictive models of three-phase ∞ow originate from interpretations of onedimensional laboratory experiments; when these interpretations are ∞awed, so are the models. In this paper we revisitthefoundationsofdisplacementtheoryinthree-phase ∞ow and provide the most general conditions for any relative permeability model to be physical anywhere in the saturation triangle. In doing so, we put to rest a controversy that has persisted in petroleum literature for the better part of the last six decades. When capillarity is ignored, the system of conservation laws describing incompressible immiscible ∞ow should be strictly hyperbolic. This natural property of the system fails for most relative permeability models used today. We identify necessary conditions that relative permeabilities must obey to preserve strict hyperbolicity. These conditionsareinagreementwithexperimentalobservationsand pore-scale physics. We also present the most general analytical solution to theRiemannproblem(constantinitialandinjectedstates) for three-phase ∞ow, and describe the characteristic waves thatmayarise,concludingthat only 9combinationsofrarefactions,shocksandrarefaction-shocksarepossible. Some of these wave combinations have been overlooked by many becauseoftheassociatedconceptualandmathematicaldifflculties. The analytical developments presented here will be useful in the planning and interpretation of three-phase displacement experiments, in the formulation of consistent relative permeability models, and in the implementation of streamtube simulators.
Response-dependent effects on near-threshold detection performance: saccades versus manual responses.

The inverse relationship between flash intensity and response times was studied under iden­ tical conditions using two different response measures, saccadic eye movements and manual re­ sponses. It was found that saccade latencies were less dependent on flash intensity than were manual responses. In addition, detection failures to near-threshold flashes were significantly less frequent when subjects signaled detection of the flash by making a saccade. These differ­ ences in detection performance may reflect a greater capacity of the oculomotor system to de­ code near-threshold ganglion cell responses. It is well known that reaction times (RTs) are in­ versely related to signal intensity. The question ad­ dressed by the present experiment is: Do the details of this relationship depend in any way On the nature of the detection response? If so, such differences would presumably reflect important differences in either the sensitivity or the detection criteria em­ ployed by the visuomotor pathways that mediate the detection responses. Wheeless, Cohen, and Boynton (1967) reported that saccade latencies to target dis­ placements away from the fovea varied by approxi­ mately 60 msec over an intensity range extending from the foveal threshold to 2 log units above thresh­ old. In contrast, the intensity-dependent variation in manual reaction times can vary by twice this much, even at luminances well above threshold (e.g., Mans­ field, 1973). Although it thus seems possible that sac­ cade latencies might be less dependent on target lu­ minance than manual response times, this possibility has not been specifically evaluated. The present ex­ periment addressed this question directly, by com­ paring saccadic and manual reaction times under identical conditions in the same subjects. The results indicate that saccades are indeed less dependent on luminance than are manual responses, both in terms of detection latency and the frequency of detection failures, indicating that important aspects of sensory performance are partially response-dependent. METHOD
Using Case Materials to Research Professional Standards on Revenue Recognition Issues

MicroStrategy, Inc. is a software company listed on NASDAQ. Since the company came out with an initial public offering (IPO) in June 1998, it has always been identified as a successful, growing company with positive net income. On March 20, 2000, the company announced that it would restate its financial statements for all years since its IPO. This announcement caused its share price to fall 60 percent in one day. The case summarizes management's actions and asks you to identify issues relating to revenue recognition policies under generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).
“Going Native” in the Caucasus: Problems of Russian Identity, 1801‐64

On April 28, 1853, in the fortress of Mesel'deger (Azerbaijan), the Russian garrison awaited an attack by indigenous highlanders. When a group of horsemen in the natives' white jackets (cherkesska), black furry hats (papaha) and Caucasian horsemen's sleeveless overcoats (burka) appeared in front of the walls, a young sergeant nervously asked for permission to open fire. The commanding officer was frightened by such an imprudent suggestion, however: "God forbid! We have to find out who these people are." he said. Indeed, the strangers in the native dress turned out to be Russians.1 When the Russian Empire began its annexation of the Caucasus at the end of the eighteenth century, nobody in the Russian elite questioned that their cultural values would prevail over "culturally inferior" natives. However, the situation turned out to be much more complicated, and as Willard Sunderland has pointed out with the regard to Russian settlers in Siberia, both Russians and non-Russians influenced one another in multiple ways, and the Russians' influence was not always the strongest.2 Indeed, in the Caucasus, Russian civil and military officers used local clothes, rode horses in the natives' way, and even sought to be undistinguishable from the natives. As was noted above, a stranger in a highlanders' outfit was not necessarily a highlander. Why did the educated Russian officers try to look like natives of the Caucasus? What were the reasons of this deep and profound fascination with the mountainous region? This paper analyzes various and controversial manifestations of the phenomenon of Russians
Constitutive and barbital-induced expression of the Cyp6a2 allele of a high producer strain of CYP6A2 in the genetic background of a low producer strain

Abstract The levels of one or more cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes and the respective mRNAs are found to be higher in insecticide-resistant insects than in susceptible insects. To understand better how insects regulate the levels of CYPs, we examined the expression of the Cyp6a2 gene in various strains of Drosophila melanogaster. We also took a transgenic approach to understand the molecular mechanisms that are involved in strain variation of Cyp6a2 expression. RNA blot analysis showed that the constitutive expression of Cyp6a2 varies from strain to strain; the level of CYP6A2 mRNA is barely detectable in the underproducer ry506 strain, whereas it is very high in the overproducer 91-R and MHIII-D23 strains. The long terminal repeat (LTR) of mobile element 17.6 that is found in the 3′ untranslated region (UTR) of the Cyp6a2 gene of some strains does not appear to have any role on the steady-state CYP6A2 mRNA level. We also found that the Cyp6a2 gene is inducible by barbital in 91-R, ry506 as well as 91-C, which carries an LTR insertion. To examine the genetic background of the underproducer ry506 strain with respect to Cyp6a2 expression, we transformed the ry506 strain with the Cyp6a2 allele of the overproducer 91-R strain (Cyp6a2-91R) and measured the constitutive and barbital-induced expression of the Cyp6a2-91R transgene in the transformed flies. The Cyp6a2-91R transgene carrying 129 bp of DNA upstream of the ATG codon did not show any constitutive or barbital-induced expression in the ry506 host genome. However, transgenes with 1331 and 985 bp upstream DNA showed similar levels of constitutive expression that were higher than that of the endogenous Cyp6a2 gene of the ry506 host strain, but lower than the expression of the same gene in the 91-R strain. Both these transgenes, with 1331 and 985 bp upstream DNA, also showed induction with 0.1 M barbital. DNA sequence analysis revealed that in both 91-R and ry506, the upstream DNA between +1 and −985 bp contains a distal and a proximal group of three potential barbie boxes, i.e. cis-elements that are thought to be involved in barbiturate-mediated induction of CYP genes. Except for four bases located near the distal cluster of barbie boxes and two other bases, the base sequence of the upstream DNA is identical in ry506 and 91-R strains. These results suggest that the underproducer ry506 strain has the trans-regulatory factors to support constitutive and induced expression of the Cyp6a2-91R allele carrying DNA between −129 and −1331 bp regions. Possible reasons for low constitutive expression of the endogenous Cyp6a2 gene and moderate level of expression of the Cyp6a2-91R allele in the ry506 genetic background are discussed.
The recreation profession, capital, and democracy

Abstract It is contended that the recreation profession and its craft, recreation, have been ideological modus operandi in the interests of capital and that with the rise of commercial and corporate recreation, the recreation profession is moving from a supportive stance to one of corporate emulation. The evolution of the recreation profession from ideological cohort of capital to an emulator of capital is described as natural, yet masked, given the profession's philanthropic and public‐sector roots. The recreation movement and the industrial efficiency movement are both cast as similar ideological social reform movements that serve to obfuscate participatory democracy via the hybrid‐capitalist democracy. The practical and ideological metamorphosis the recreation profession must undergo to become an advocate of, and integral to, participatory democracy is explored. This metamorphosis is not novel but is a return to the profession's very subject matter in the classical meaning of the term leisure and in th...
Characterization of the metal-binding site of human prolactin by site-specific metal-catalyzed oxidation.

Abstract Site-specific metal-catalyzed oxidation (MCO) was applied to characterize the metal-binding site (MBS) of recombinant human prolactin (hPRL), which belongs to the hematopoietic cytokine family. Copper and ascorbate of various concentrations were used to initiate the oxidation of hPRL, and the oxidation-sensitive motifs were characterized and quantitated by mass spectrometry. Based on the results obtained with 10 μM Cu2+ and 0.3–2.0 mM ascorbate, we propose that the MBS in hPRL is composed of His27, His30, and His173. This result shows the similarity of hPRL to human growth hormone (hGH), a member of the same family as hPRL, where the MBS is composed of His18, His21, and Glu174.
Planning for an Inevitable Future

As we celebrate its 65th birthday in 2011, the question is whether the IEEE Computer Society is prepared for the next 65, or 25, or even 5 years.
Practical aspects of finger pricking

Eighty patients completed a questionnaire dealing with the practical aspects of finger-pricking. Pain was significantly less of a problem amongst those who used Autolets (p < 0.005). The majority of patients re-used their Monolet lancets without any problems. Only 45% altered their insulin dose independently and 42% were performing insufficient tests. These results emphasize the need for continuing education in this group of patients.
Radical bonding: structure and stability of bis(phenalenyl) complexes of divalent metals from across the periodic table.

We examine the bonding possibilities of the bis(phenalenyl) MP2 sandwich complexes of the divalent metals M = Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Zn, Cd, and Hg, at the B3LYP level of theory. The outcome is an extraordinarily diverse class of low symmetry bis(phenalenyl)metal complexes in which bonding preferences and binding enthalpies differ dramatically. The lowest energy group 2 metal MP2 complexes include an intriguing η1,η3 BeP2 structure, and bent η6,η6 systems for M = Ca, Sr, and Ba. The group 12 bis(phenalenyl) complexes are thermodynamically unstable η1,η1 slip-sandwich structures. To better understand changes in the structural preferences going from the (η6,η6) group 2 to the (η1,η1) group 12 complexes, we explored the bonding in the bis(phenalenyl) complexes of transition metals with stable +2 oxidations states between Ca and Zn in period 4. The computed binding enthalpies are large and negative for nearly all of the minimum energy bis(phenalenyl) complexes of the group 2 and the transition metals; they are t...
Alteration of myocardial antioxidant enzyme activity and glutathione content with aging and exercise training

Antioxidant enzyme activities and glutathione (GSH) content were investigated in the ventricular myocardia of adult (4.5 mo.), mid-age (14.5 mo.), and old (26.5 mo.) male Fischer 344 rats. In addition, the effect of 10 wks of exercise training (T) on these antioxidant systems was evaluated at each age. T was performed on a rodent treadmill for 1 hr/day, 5 days/wk at a speed and grade adjusted for the animal’s age. Activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and glutathione disulfide (GSSG) reductase were increased by 39%, 27% and 38%, respectively (p<0.05), in old vs young rats. T has no significant effect on antioxidant enzyme activities at any age. Myocardial protein concentration of the aged heart was significantly lower compared to that of the adult or young rats. Total glutathione concentration in the heart was increased in old (12.5±0.6) vs adult (10.7±1.2) and mid-age (9.7±0.9 nmol/mg protein) rats (p<0.05), however the GSH/GSSG ratio was not altered by T in any age group. Myocardial malondialdehyde (MDA) content was increased (p<0.001)with aging. However, MDA content in mid-age and old T rats was decreased by 21 and 25%, respectively, compared to their untrained counterparts (p<0.05). It is concluded that aged hearts are susceptible to oxidative stress despited increased antioxidant capacity and that training may attenuate the age-associated increase in lipid peroxidation in the heart.
Cell biology: caught in the traffic.

In mice, deletion of the Rab8 protein disrupts organized molecular distribution to membranes of intestinal epithelial cells. Death by starvation follows, exactly as it does in humans with microvillus inclusion disease.
Prokaryotic Cys-Loop Receptor Homologs as Mechanistic Models for Channel Function

Pentameric ligand-gated ion channels are a large class of proteins involved in electrochemical signal transduction. Signal transduction is a result of two processes: (1) ligand binding to the receptor and (2) a conformational wave that opens a pore far from the binding site (>20A). Recently, two prokaryotic members of this family were identified, one from Gloeobacter violaceus (GLIC), and one from Erwinia chrysanthemi (ELIC). These receptors provide a valuable platform for the study of ligand binding and channel gating in the Cys-loop receptor family. Receptors were expressed heterologously in Xenopus laevis oocytes, and whole-cell voltage-clamp electrophysiology was used as a reporter for ligand binding and channel gating. To examine the proton-binding event in GLIC, unnatural amino acids were incorporated via nonsense-suppression with chemically acylated tRNA. This approach provides a subtle probe of intrasubunit interactions with the highly sensitive H11' site, which has been previously identified as necessary for the proton sensitivity of GLIC. A unique pair of proline residues at the extracellular terminus of the M1 helix were also investigated to examine potential intersubunit interactions that may play a role in channel gating. Despite the availability of putative "open" and "closed" X-ray structures of GLIC and ELIC, the mechanism of gating is not yet clear. Gating is a dynamic process initiated with ligand binding and resulting in conformational changes and pore opening tens of angstroms away. To fully understand this process will require a dynamic picture of the events that occur during the gating of ion channels, which we ultimately aim to uncover using time-resolved fluorescence energy transfer. Progress towards the development of temporal control for triggering channel opening/closing will be discussed.
Patient factors and operating room resuscitation predict mortality in traumatic abdominal aortic injury: a 20-year analysis.

Background Injuries to the abdominal aorta are rare and remain one of the most lethal causes of early death in trauma. The purposes of this study were to identify primary predictors of mortality and to examine the impact of a well-established operating room resuscitation protocol on survival in patients with traumatic aortic injury. Methods A 20-year retrospective review was performed of medical records and autopsy reports of trauma patients admitted with confirmed injury to the abdominal aorta. Data on patient demographics, admission characteristics, operative findings, and the initial location of resuscitation were collected. The main outcome measure was death. Results Abdominal aortic injuries were diagnosed in 60 patients. Their average age was 26.5 years, and the mean transport time was 10 minutes. The overall mortality rate (MR) was 73%. With the exclusion of 18 patients considered dead on arrival, the MR decreased to 61%. The mechanism of injury was blunt in 20% (MR 92%) and penetrating in 80% (MR 68%). Acidosis, defined as a pH 10 (MR 77%), was a predictor of death (P Conclusion Despite advances in fluid resuscitation, operative strategy, and transport during the past 20 years, the mortality of traumatic injury to the abdominal aorta remains high. Shock, acidosis, suprarenal aortic injury, and a lack of retroperitoneal tamponade all independently contribute to mortality and should raise the suspicion for a potentially lethal aortic injury in a severely injured patient. Rapid identification and resuscitation in the operating room may therefore be the only factors to improve current survival rates in such devastating injuries.
Afterthoughts of a Founding Structural Control Theorist

This paper reflects back on the author’s research in structural control, originating in the early 1970’s. Upon reflection, in the early 1970’s and even as far as into the 1990’s, it constituted near heresy to suggest that large civil engineering structures could be candidates for control. The previous techniques of the 1930’s of building structures with masonry and stone were then being phased out, being replaced with lighter and more cost-effective steel-framed structures. The newer designs then emerging in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s were steel-framed structures that functioned as cantilevered tubes. The characteristic designs emerging included an absence of stone or masonry especially around the steel pillars, glass or similar non-load bearing cladding. Additionally, interior walls were non-load bearing affording more spacious rooms as well as affording the occupants the ability to reposition interior walls as desired. Moreover, the newly emerging steel-framed structures with increased compliance properties were increasingly prone to wind excitations as compared to the prior generation of structures. As a consequence, a number of these newer structures exhibited increased sway and other related dynamic behaviors. My mechanical engineering servomechanisms background included groundings in observability, controllability, as well as control of spatially distributed systems. Therefore, I felt confident then that control systems theoretic methods held promise to produce favorable and cost-effective results if properly applied to problematic civil engineering structures. That confidence still remains. I also realized the critical importance of being able to design structures in advance to be controlled, as opposed to the less desirable situation of dealing with an after-the-fact retrofit of an existing problematic structure. This paper affords an opportunity for the author to provide his anecdotal recollections and afterthoughts. Because the story to be told is of personal recollections, it is presented in first person.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Amygdalar Inactivation Blocks Stress-Induced Impairments in Hippocampal Long-Term Potentiation and Spatial Memory

Electrolytic lesions to the amygdala, a limbic structure implicated in stress-related behaviors and memory modulation, have been shown to prevent stress-induced impairments of hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) and spatial memory in rats. The present study investigated the role of intrinsic amygdalar neurons in mediating stress effects on the hippocampus by microinfusing the GABA(A) receptor agonist muscimol into the amygdala and examining stress effects on Schaffer collateral/commissural-CA1 LTP and spatial memory. The critical period of the amygdalar contribution to stress effects on hippocampal functions was determined by applying muscimol either before stress or immediately after stress. Our results indicate that intra-amygdalar muscimol infusions before uncontrollable restraint-tailshock stress effectively blocked stress-induced physiological and behavioral effects. Specifically, hippocampal slices prepared from vehicle-infused stressed animals exhibited markedly impaired LTP, whereas slices obtained from muscimol-infused stressed animals demonstrated robust LTP comparable with that of unstressed animals. Correspondingly, vehicle-infused stressed animals displayed impaired spatial memory (on a hidden platform version of the Morris water maze task), whereas muscimol-infused stressed animals revealed unimpaired spatial memory. In contrast to prestress muscimol effects, however, immediate poststress infusions of muscimol into the amygdala failed to interfere with stress impairments of LTP and spatial memory. Together, these results suggest that the amygdalar neuronal activity during stress, but not shortly after stress, is essential for the emergence of stress-induced alterations in hippocampal LTP and memory.
Development and validation of a sensitive, simple, and rapid method for simultaneous quantitation of atorvastatin and its acid and lactone metabolites by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)

The aim of the proposed work was to develop and validate a simple and sensitive assay for the analysis of atorvastatin (ATV) acid, ortho- and para-hydroxy-ATV, ATV lactone, and ortho- and para-hydroxy-ATV lactone in human plasma using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. All six analytes and corresponding deuterium (d5)-labeled internal standards were extracted from 50 μL of human plasma by protein precipitation. The chromatographic separation of analytes was achieved using a Zorbax-SB Phenyl column (2.1 mm × 100 mm, 3.5 μm). The mobile phase consisted of a gradient mixture of 0.1% v/v glacial acetic acid in 10% v/v methanol in water (solvent A) and 40% v/v methanol in acetonitrile (solvent B). All analytes including ortho- and para-hydroxy metabolites were baseline-separated within 7.0 min using a flow rate of 0.35 mL/min. Mass spectrometry detection was carried out in positive electrospray ionization mode, with multiple-reaction monitoring scan. The calibration curves for all analytes were linear (R 2 ≥ 0.9975, n = 3) over the concentration range of 0.05–100 ng/mL and with lower limit of quantitation of 0.05 ng/mL. Mean extraction recoveries ranged between 88.6–111%. Intra- and inter-run mean percent accuracy were between 85–115% and percent imprecision was ≤ 15%. Stability studies revealed that ATV acid and lactone forms were stable in plasma during bench top (6 h on ice-water slurry), at the end of three successive freeze and thaw cycles and at −80 °C for 3 months. The method was successfully applied in a clinical study to determine concentrations of ATV and its metabolites over 12 h post-dose in patients receiving atorvastatin.
Relationships between sounds and letters in English monosyllables

To get a better understanding of the nature of the English writing system, new techniques are introduced for measuring how strongly the orthography of one part of the syllable (onset, vowel, and coda) is influenced by the other two parts. The use of conditional consistency measures with permutation tests of significance determines how much more regular sound-letter correspondences become when other parts of the syllable are taken into account. A study of English monosyllabic words presents results for both reading (letters to sounds) and spelling (sounds to letters) and both adult and child vocabulary. In all cases, vowel and coda (which constitute the rime) are much more strongly conditioned by each other than are other pairs. These techniques and findings improve our understanding of the English writing system and provide a foundation for a better understanding of reading and spelling processes in children and adults.
The use of basilic vein and brachial artery as an A-V fistula for long term hemodialysis.

Abstract 1. 1. A new access for long-term hemodialysis has been developed by creating a fistula in the upper arm between the end of the basilic vein and the side of the brachial artery. 2. 2. The operative procedure is simple to carry out, providing a straight, long, easily accessible fistula with high flow. 3. 3. The use of Bovine, saphenous, or prosthetic grafts is avoided, and anatomic continuity at the venous end of the fistula is maintained. 4. 4. The initial experience suggests that the trouble-free patency rate is high. 5. 5. The procedure is indicated when suitable vessels are not available at the wrist or forearm.
The role of chemotherapy and surgery in the treatment of retroperitoneal metastases in advanced nonseminomatous testis cancer

This study evaluates the effect of combination chemotherapy on retroperitoneal metastases from nonseminomatous germ cell tumors of the testis (NSGCTT). Sixty-six patients with Stage III or bulky Stage II NSGCTT with clinically documented retroperitoneal metastases first received systemic chemotherapy. Seventeen patients had minimal and 49 had advanced retroperitoneal metastases. The retroperitoneal metastases were classified as advanced if the patient had a palpable retroperitoneal mass, ureteral deviation on intravenous pyelogram, or a mass with a diameter greater than or equal to 5 cm documented by a computerized axial tomographic scan, a pedal lymphangiogram, or surgery. The patients with lesser but clinically evident retroperitoneal metastatic deposits were considered to have minimal retroperitoneal metastases. A complete remission of retroperitoneal metastatic deposits was achieved in 50 (76%) patients, with chemotherapy alone in 25 (38%), and with combined chemotherapy and surgery in 25 (38%). The resected deposits consisted of mature teratoma in 15 and malignant elements in 10. A complete remission using chemotherapy alone occurred in 13 of 17 (76%) with minimal and in 12/49 (24%) with advanced retroperitoneal metastases, and in 17/30 (57%) without and 8/36 (22%) with teratoma in the testis tumor. The data strongly implied that the bulk of the metastatic deposits was a more important prognostic variable than the histology of the primary tumor. The adverse relationship of a teratomatous differentiation on the response rates with chemotherapy alone was offset by the success of supplemental surgery. This study suggests the benefit of a postchemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) in patients with initially bulky retroperitoneal metastases (complete response [CR] increased from 24% to 67%; an additional 47% patients had no evidence of disease). The patients with minimal retroperitoneal metastases usually achieved a CR with chemotherapy alone. A routine RPLND after the chemotherapy is not indicated in patients with initially minimal retroperitoneal metastases.
Multispectral Image Processing For Detail Reconstruction and Enhancement of Maya Murals from La Pasadita, Guatemala

The potential application of multispectral image processing to the archaeological world is illustrated using the example of ancient Maya murals from La Pasadita, Guatemala. This paper will show that by using high quality image acquisition systems and advanced image processing techniques, detail and information not easily observed by the naked eye can be uncovered and enhanced.
Gastric lavage for prevention of feeding problems in neonates with meconium-stained amniotic fluid: a randomised controlled trial

Background: The role of gastric lavage in preventing retching, vomiting and secondary meconium aspiration syndrome in neonates with meconium-stained amniotic fluid is uncertain, and no there are no definitive guidelines. Objective: To evaluate the effect of gastric lavage in preventing retching, vomiting and secondary meconium aspiration syndrome in neonates with meconium-stained amniotic fluid. Methods: This was an open-label, parallel, randomized controlled trial conducted in the labour room, postnatal and neonatal wards of a tertiary-care teaching hospital. Vigorous neonates of §34 weeks gestation with meconium-stained amniotic fluid were randomised into two groups using block randomisation. Infants requiring oxygen, in respiratory distress or with major congenital malformations were excluded. Infants in the study group received elective gastric lavage in the labour room after initial stabilisation. No gastric lavage was done in the control group. The newborns were assessed for retching, vomiting and secondary meconium aspiration syndrome in the first 48 hrs of life or until discharge from the hospital, whichever was later. Results: A total of 267 newborns were randomly assigned to the gastric lavage group and 269 to the no gastric lavage group. There were no statistical differences in overall feeding between the two groups (6.74% vs 10.78%). Feeding of two newborns in the no-lavage group had to be omitted for the initial few hours because of vomiting; this did not happen in any newborn in the lavage group. No newborn in either group developed secondary meconium aspiration syndrome. Conclusion: Gastric lavage in newborns with meconium-stained amniotic fluid does not prevent or reduce the occurrence of feeding problems or secondary meconium aspiration syndrome.
Interfacial Resistance in Solubilization Kinetics

Abstract An experiment has been designed to measure the kinetics of solubilization of oils in a micellar solution. The results show a very large range of behaviors, but in one system the solubilization rate is determined completely by what is called the interfacial resistance, which quite likely arises out of the structural changes that micelles see. The model given here is successful in showing that this resistance is not the usual resistance due to diffusion and that it is quite prelevant in systems that are chemically similar but other conditions varying widely (Appendix). We conclude by showing that some of the existing theories of interfacial resistance are not reasonable, suggest how the real system may be more complex, and show that the interfacial conductance k*∝c−1m at large surfactant concentrations where cm is the concentration of micelles.
Fake: can business stanch the flow of counterfeit products?

Purpose – To identify ways for business managers to reduce consumer complicity with counterfeit products by better aligning their actions with consumer beliefs of complicity.Design/methodology/approach – A mall intercept methodology was used to interview 54 US and 48 Brazilian business managers' understandings of consumer complicity with counterfeit products. A parallel web survey containing the questions in the interviews was used to assess 401 US and 390 Brazilian consumers' perceptions of what is important to them in determining that a product is counterfeit, the reasons why they were willing to acquire counterfeits, and the perceived effectiveness of anti‐counterfeiting actions.Findings – Managers in both countries held beliefs that ran counter to those of the complicit consumer, particularly in the areas of understanding the reasons for consumer complicity and the perceived effectiveness of anti‐counterfeiting actions to reduce that complicity. Several anti‐counterfeiting actions considered to be of ...
Higher order elastic constants and non-linear stress-strain relation for V3Si

Abstract Relations for the third and fourth order elastic constants are derived from a Landau-Devonshire type free energy function for crystals with the A15 structure which undergo the structural transformation at low temperature. Application to transforming V 3 Si at 21° K gives in connection with experimental data for the pressure derivatives of the elastic constants unusually large numerical values for c 111 , c 112 , c 123 and c 1111 . The stress-' strain relation calculated from these data is in semiquantitative agreement with the directly measured, strongly non-linear behavior.
Fluid Shear Stress Effects on Endothelial Cell Cytosolic pH.

Fluid flow can modulate endothelial cell intracellular pH (pHi). Venous and arterial shear stresses of 1.4 and 14 dyn/cm2, respectively, induced intracellular acidification. The kinetics of the process and magnitude of acidification were dependent on the level of shear stress. Endothelial cells exposed to a venous shear stress were able to recover from the acidification, whereas cells exposed to an arterial shear stress remained acidic. Addition of SITS (1 mM), a HCO3 –/CI– exchange inhibitor, greatly reduced the shear stress induced acidification, suggesting that the HCO3 –/C1– exchanger is activated by shear stress. Shear stress may activate the exchanger by lowering the [HCO3 –] at the cell surface via convective mass transfer. Altering the HCO3 – gradient across the cell membrane activates the exchanger and, as a consequence, results in intracellular acidification. Perfusion with media containing ATP (10 µM) altered the kinetics of flow-induced acidification observed at both shear stress levels. ATP m...
Adenomatoid odontogenic tumor. Ultrastructural demonstration of two cell types and amyloid

A typical adenomatoid odontogenic tumor removed from a 13-year-old female was studied by light and electron microscopy. The tumor was composed of two types of epithelial cells: Type I cells were cuboidal and occurred in nests or formed ductlike structures and Type II cells were smaller and spindle shaped. The formation of extracellular masses of amyloid was found in association with Type I epithelial cells, and amyloid formation was not observed in association with Type II cells. Results suggest that the lesion is of enamel organ origin, derived from cells of the inner enamel epithelium at the pre-ameloblastic stage, stellate reticulum and stratum intermedium. The origin of this amyloid material is unknown; however, it may be of enamel protein origin which, like amyloid, may have a beta-protein conformation.
Social Capital, Attachment Value, and Rural Development: A Conceptual Framework and Application of Contingent Valuation

who are critical of the migration approach believe more attention should be focused on "place-based" policies. Place-based policies are designed to enhance the quality of life and economic opportunities within rural America so less reliance need be placed on migration-or at least those who choose to migrate will not be doing so simply because they have no choice. Critics of the migration approach often advance several additional arguments. First, the (labor) migration approach is not relevant to those not in the labor force, e.g., the elderly. Second, the urban areas bear costs unless excess public service capacity exists in those areas. Third, crime and other types of social pathology may increase in the receiving urban areas-especially if the rural migrants do not have the skills and education to find meaningful employment. Fourth, the migration from one's existing place of residence may come at a social and psychological cost to the individuals/families simply because "home" has value. Fifth, when carried to its extreme, those rural communities that have outlived their economic functionality will cease to exist-and these communities may have value to others. For example, urban residents may find value in a landscape that has villages and small towns in which they can visit, relax, and recreate. This paper has two purposes. The first is to gain an improved understanding of the attachment values placed on one's communityespecially in relation to the migration decision and the type and amount of social capital individuals have generated within their locale. Second, we pioneer the use of contingent valuation (CV) as a method for measuring one's attachment value to his or her community.
Design of a system for the control of low dissolved oxygen concentrations: critical oxygen concentrations for Azotobacter vinelandii and Escherichia coli.

The physiological activity of microorganisms in environments with low dissolved oxygen concentrations often differs from the metabolic activity of the same cells growing under fully aerobic or anaerobic conditions. This article describes a laboratory-scale system for the control of dissolved oxygen at low levels while maintaining other parameters, such as agitator speed, gas flowrate, position of sparger outlet, and temperature at fixed values. Thus, it is possible to attribute in dilute nonviscous fermentations all physiologic changes solely to changes in dissolved oxygen. Experiments were conducted with Azotobacter vinelandii and Escherichia coli. Critical oxygen concentrations for growth (that value of oxygen allowing growth at 97% of μmax) were measured as 0.35 ± 0.03 mg/L for A. vinelandii and 0.12 ± 0.03 mg/L for E. coli. These values are significantly different from the commonly quoted values for critical oxygen concentrations based on respiration rates. Because of the superior dissolved oxygen control system and an improved experimental protocol preventing CO2 limitation, we believe that the values reported in this work more closely represent reality.
New Technologies and Teaching Comparative Literature

In her article "New Technologies and Teaching Comparative Literature" Graciela Boruszko discusses the use of new technologies in literary studies curricula. Innovative processes are becoming fundamental components of our educational systems as students challenge faculty to immerse themselves in their rapidly changing world. Learning in the twenty-first century is assisted by various information technologies because the networked information economy made possible by the Internet allows students to access a rich array of online resources including community based and collaborative knowledge exchange systems. Current students are "digital natives" grown up using a variety of digital platforms. Students multitask and process information quickly and therefore demand more from the learning processes proposed to them. Rather than consuming information, students form their own information networks and participate in learning communities. The discipline of comparative literature relies on the interaction of ideas and concepts which evolve from an initial core of seemingly disconnected literary works. Technology is an important facilitator of those connections, enabling deeper thought to be given to the comparative process that follows the initial challenge of understanding how connections are formed or what a particular constellation of connections represents
STEM imaging of thick specimens with off-axis detectors

For scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) images obtained with relatively small objective aperture sizes, the contrast of small objects contained within thick specimens may be considerably enhanced by using an off-axis detector aperture situated on the edge of the central beam spot. The effect is demonstrated for both crystalline and amorphous specimens. The effect arises because the detector collects part of the small angle inelastic scattering and is modified by refraction effects for specimens of rapidly changing thickness.
Dinosaurs of Switzerland

Abstract Until 1960, the record of dinosaurs was rather poor in Switzerland. Between 1960 and 1980, several new localities with plateosaurid remains as well as prosauropod and theropod tracks were found in Late Triassic sabkha and floodplain environments. The discovery of large surfaces with sauropod tracks in the Late Jurassic of the Jura Mountains in 1987 triggered a stream of new data. More than 20 new localities with tracks from both sauropod and theropod dinosaurs in different stratigraphic levels have been found since then. The latest discoveries include trackways of iguanodontids from the Early Cretaceous of the central Swiss Alps and a large Late Jurassic surface with trackways of small sauropods in the northernmost part of the Jura Mountains. The best skeletal record comes from the Late Triassic, with scattered data from the Late Jurassic. The track and trackway record appears to be best in the Late Jurassic. To cite this article: C.A. Meyer, B. Thuring, C. R. Palevol 2 (2003) 103–117.