cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Study of physico-chemical properties of novel highly sulfated, aromatic, mimetics of heparin and heparan sulfate.

Abstract Heparin (H) and heparan sulfate (HS) play major roles in a number of biological processes. Yet, H/HS-based pharmaceutical agents are also associated with multiple adverse effects. This has led to the concept of designing noncarbohydrate, aromatic mimetics that modulate H/HS function. In this work, we study a library of synthetic, aromatic H/HS mimetics for their capillary electrophoretic profiles, the acid and base stability, and aqueous–organic partitioning property. The nonsugar H/HS mimetics exhibit electrophoretic properties similar to sulfated oligosaccharides suggesting that the mimetics can be rapidly and quantitatively analyzed. Stability studies show that the mimetics are essentially stable under neutral and basic conditions in a manner similar to the heparins, but are considerably unstable under acidic conditions in contrast to heparins. The measurement of partition coefficients show major differences within the sulfated mimetics as well as between the measured and calculated log P values. Understanding these physico-chemical properties is expected to have significant implications in the pharmaceutical development of this growing class of molecules. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci 99: 1207–1216, 2010
Sex differences in behavior and neural development and their role in adolescent vulnerability to substance use

Adolescents are especially prone to risky behavior and to the emergence of psychological disorders like substance abuse, anxiety and depression. However, there is a sex (or gender) difference in this vulnerability, with females being more prone to developing internalizing disorders and males being more likely to engage in risky behavior and drug use. While several researchers have proposed that there is a relationship between corticolimbic circuit development and adolescent vulnerability, the current proposed models do not take sex differences into account. In this review, we explore recent findings from both human and rodent studies of sex differences during adolescence. In particular, we consider epidemiological studies on the factors that contribute to the development of substance abuse and internalizing disorders, laboratory studies on reward-related and decision-making behavior, and neuroanatomical studies on the development of several structures in the corticolimbic circuit (i.e., prefrontal cortex [PFC], amygdala and striatum). We then integrate these recent findings into models of adolescent vulnerability to substance use that have previously not addressed sex differences. Lastly, we discuss methodological considerations for the interpretation and design of studies on sex (or gender) differences during adolescence while highlighting some opportunities for future investigations.
Variability of Positioning Accuracy following a Maximum Isometric Contraction

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of different contraction times and delay times prior to a positioning task. While blindfolded, each of 25 subjects learned to produce elbow-exte...
Instructional Techniques and Delivery Formats in Capstone Business Courses

As business schools increase the range of instructional techniques and delivery formats it is important to harmonize the learning objectives for business capstone experiences, a critical aspect of management education. This concept paper proposes an examination of the literature and practices relating to business school capstone experiences. After an overview of relevant research along with past and current practices, capstone course projects and assignments are discussed including case studies, international competitive simulation games, consultancy projects, and traditional lectures on strategic management. Concepts for balanced integration and synthesis of topics are proposed for different instructional methods and delivery formats. Using pedagogical content knowledge as a basis for improving teaching and learning is necessary to achieving balanced integration. It is our contention that all schools carefully examine their capstone courses in light of pedagogical content knowledge, instructional techniq...
Glycolytic and gluconeogenic enzyme activities in the hereditary obese-hyperglycemic syndrome and in acquired obesity.

Activities of hepatic “regulatory” glycolytic and gluconeogenic enzymes were assayed in obese-hyperglycemic mice and were found to be elevated over those observed in lean littermates. Qualitatively similar results were obtained when goldthioglucose-obese mice were compared with untreated controls. It therefore appears that these alterations of enzyme activity are not unique to the obese-hyperglycemic syndrome but reflect metabolic disturbances related to obesityper se. The unexpected elevation in the activities of the gluconeogenic enzymes are discussed. Glycolytic enzyme activity assayed in heart and striated muscle revealed no differences between obese-hyperglycemic mice and their lean littermates.
Introduction to the Special Issue of the 2012 Olympic Games

For sport fans, 2012 is a great year since they can have the chance of experiencing one of the world's greatest sporting events—the London Summer Olympic Games. To celebrate the 2012 London Olympic...
Testing a U(1) solution to the μ problem

We discuss the collider phenomenology of TeV Z{sup '} gauge bosons related to the absence of a bare {mu}-term in the superpotential. Decays of the type Z{sup '}{yields}Higgsinos can directly test whether a gauge symmetry is responsible for forbidding the Higgsino mass. Decays to multilepton final states may allow these signatures to be observed at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. We comment on whether it will be possible to state definitively that the {mu}-term is forbidden via a gauge symmetry.
Thin film analysis of gadolinium iron oxide and gadolinium iron by a combined ion exchange X-ray fluorescence method

The composition of thin gadolinium iron oxide and alloy films of limited size (weighing from 500 to 2000μg and ranging from 0.7 to 2.3 nm in thickness) was determined by first collecting and simultaneously concentrating gadolinium and iron ions from very dilute solutions on ion-exchange resin-loaded paper disks, and then analyzing the concentrated samples by X-ray fluorescence. This method of analysis allows the preparation of standards by normal solution techniques without the problem of matrix effects.
Neutropenia in a patient receiving intravenous immune globulin

Abstract A child with Guillain-Barre syndrome treated with intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) developed neutropenia (absolute neutrophil count — 390), which resolved 3 days after completion of the therapy. Potential mechanisms for the development of neutropenia during the use of IVIG therapy are discussed. In this case, testing of the IVIG used revealed the presence of a high concentration of anti-neutrophil antibodies compared to other samples. It is recommended that white blood cell and neutrophil counts be monitored daily during the use of such therapy.
Pathologic (non-otosclerotic) bone formation in otosclerotic and non-otoselerotic temporal bones

Discussion of a series of new bone formations in non-otosclerotic and otosclerotic temporal bones, grouped according to location and pathology. The otosclerotic metaplastic process did not exercise any influence on the formation of lamellary bone. Osteoid is not generally considered to occur in the developmental history of otosclerotis; but on rare occasions, as in the present ones, it may represent one of the components of the otosclerotic tissue, albeit one with reduced destructive, penetrating potency.
Desiccation and cracking behavior of three compacted landfill liner soils

Abstract Tests were conducted to investigate desiccation cracking of three compacted liner soils obtained from local landfills in southeast Michigan. The soils had low plasticity with varying fines content. Large-scale samples of the soils were subjected to wetting and drying cycles. Surficial dimensions of cracks and suction in the soils were monitored. Surficial dimensions of cracks were quantified using the crack intensity factor (CIF), which is the ratio of the surface area of cracks to the total surface area of a soil. All of the soils were subjected to a compaction–dry cycle (i.e. soils were allowed to dry after compaction) and a subsequent wet–dry cycle. An additional sample of one of the soils was subjected to a compaction–dry cycle and three wet–dry cycles. The maximum CIF obtained in the tests was 7% and suctions exceeding 6000 kPa were recorded. It was observed that cracking was affected by the fines content of the soils. In general, high suctions, rapid increases in suctions, and high amount of cracking were observed in soils with high fines content, with less cracking observed in soil with low fines content. In addition, it was observed that cracking increased significantly due to addition of moisture to the soils. The CIF for wet–dry cycles were significantly greater than the CIF for compaction–dry cycles. Subsequent to moisture addition to the soils, critical suctions that caused a significant change in CIF during the drying cycles were
Cisplatin‐Associated hemolytic uremic syndrome

Background. Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is an acquired disorder largely affecting infants and young children. It is characterized by the triad of microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, acute renal failure, and thrombocytopenia. Although its etiology is unknown, viral and bacterial infections, disseminated malignancies in adults, and a variety of chemotherapeutic agents including cisplatin, have been implicated in its occurrence. The association of HUS with chemotherapeutic agents after its detection in a pediatric patient treated with cisplatin is reviewed. Methods. A 16-year-old male with osteosarcoma was treated with cisplatin as part of a chemotherapy protocol. After the fourth course, his renal function deteriorated and necessitated cessation of cisplatin. Nine months after the initiation of cisplatin, HUS developed. There was no evidence of residual tumor or metastatic disease. He received numerous packed erythrocyte and platelet transfusions for persistent hemolysis and underwent several episodes of hemodialysis. Utilizing this patient as an example, the authors reviewed the incidence of HUS developing subsequent to the use of other chemotherapeutic agents. Results. In the publishing literature, chemotherapy-associated HUS has been described to occur 54 days to 14 months after the initiation of chemotherapeutic regimens. A variety of agents was associated with the phenomenon. Conclusion. Hemolytic uremic syndrome may be a complication of cisplatin, as evidenced by the condition that occurred in a 16-year-old patient with osteosarcoma after cisplatin therapy.
Phenytoin, electric, ionic, and metabolic responses in cortex and spinal cord.

SUMMARY Post-tetanic potentiation (PTP) of monosynaptic reflex was estimated in spinal cords in the drug-free state after the administration of a convulsant dose of penicillin and after the administration of phenytoin. There was no apparent correlation between the degree of depression of PTP and the efficacy of controlling seizure activity by phenytoin. Extracellular potassium levels were measured with ion-selective microelectrodes. The post-stimulation clearing of [K+]0 was not accelerated by phenytoin, and frequently it was slowed. Post-stimulus under- shooting of [K+]0 was diminished. Oxidation of NADH in cortex and of cytochrome a,a3 in spinal cord were measured by optical methods. Stimulus-evoked transient oxidation responses evoked by electrical stimulation were depressed by phenytoin. It is concluded that systemic administration of phenytoin in therapeutic doses does not stimulate Na+ -K+-activated membrane ATPase in cortex and spinal cord. Unlike other depressants, phenytoin did not cause a reduction of “resting” redox levels of respiratory enzymes. The local regulation of blood flow re- mained unaltered after phenytoin administration. Phenytoin caused a moderate but consistent depression of the stimulus-evoked responses of potassium activity, electric potential, and oxidative enzymes, consistent with diminished outflow of potassium from cells, owing either to lesser activation of cells or to a lesser exchange of ions.
Operative parameters that predict the outcomes of hepatic transplantation

Abstract Background A growing discrepancy between the number of patients awaiting liver transplantation and the number of organs available mandates the use of even marginal organ donors in whom there is major risk of suboptimal graft function. A comprehensive analysis of operative parameters on the outcomes of liver transplantation has not been reported. Study design We analyzed the impact of 24 operative variables on the survival of 942 consecutive primary liver allografts performed at a single center from June 1992 through December 1997. Univariate and Cox proportional hazards analysis was used to identify those variables with independent prognostic significance in graft survival. Resource utilization for variables with multivariate significance was also analyzed. Results Of 12 intraoperative variables found to have significance in univariate analysis, three were significant by Cox multivariate analysis: 1) lack of immediate bile production by the graft intraoperatively, 2) platelet transfusion ≥ 20 U, and 3) recipient urine output ≤2.0 mL/kg/h intraoperatively. Each of the three variables was associated with marked increases in hospital and Intensive Care Unit length of stay and hospital charges accrued during the admission for transplantation. Conclusion We identified three operative parameters that predict a poor outcome after liver transplantation. The presence of these indicators suggests that early retransplantation should be considered. Early identification of grafts likely to have poor function might also provide an opportunity for therapeutic intervention to salvage graft function.
Radio Observations of Ionized Hydrogen Nebulæ and Other Discrete Sources at a Wave-length of 9.4 cm.

IN recent attempts1–3 to account for the general radio emission from the Galaxy as the integrated radiation of discrete galactic radio sources, it was found necessary to introduce the effect of ionized interstellar hydrogen, H II regions, to fit the observed radio isophotes at various frequencies. Scheuer and Ryle4 detected, at wave-lengths of 1.4 and 3.7 m., a bright band of emission confined within 2° of the galactic equator superimposed on the general radiation. They identified the bright band with thermal emission from a distribution of H II regions. H II regions are strongly concentrated in the galactic plane. The large source, Cygnus X, has been tentatively described as thermal emission5, perhaps from several bright H II regions surrounding γ Cygni5, or from the integrated radiation of all the H II regions in the spiral arm in the direction of Cygnus8. However, Baldwin6 attempted unsuccessfully to detect, at a wave-length of 1.4 m., a very bright individual H II region, the Orion nebula. Observations of discrete sources have been almost entirely confined to metre wave-lengths, where spectra of more than twenty sources have been obtained7. Piddington and Minnett5,8 observed five discrete sources at a wavelength of 25 cm. and the emission at 25 and 10 cm. from a region near the galactic centre. This was an appreciable extension of the short-wave limit of source spectra.
America OnLine's Internet access service: how to deter unwanted customers

Some dial-up Internet access providers, such as the market leader America OnLine (AOL), require customers to install proprietary connection software to use their service. This is puzzling, because while the software helps certain users, it creates disutility for others (especially expert users and early adopters of Internet service). Why, then, does AOL insist on this connection manager? Why not also offer a standardized service with Internet access and AOL-managed service to the power users? This paper proposes different possible explanations for why firms might willfully create barriers to entry for customers by forcibly bundling a feature that is negatively valued by a customer segment. We postulate that AOL wants to limit sales to unprofitable customers such as IT-savvy expert users. In the absence of other viable mechanisms for screening out such customers, AOL's product design may be viewed as a smart approach to solve the adverse selection problem: the connection manager reduces valuations of IT-savvy users, making the service unattractive to them. A second possibility is that AOL considers IT-savvy users undesirable because their presence might cause novice users to learn to manage without AOL's proprietary software; these customers might switch to the cheaper access-only option in future periods.
Conceptual analysis of self-care agency

The concept of self- care agency was developed by Orem (1980) as a component of Self-Care Deficit Nursing Theory (SCD-NT). Since its development, self-care agency concept has been applied widely in the discipline of nursing to determine the relationship between self-care agency and other concepts of the Orem SCD-NT in various populations. In this paper, the author analyzes the concept of self-care agency using Wilson’s Conceptual Analysis Method as modified by Walker & Avant (1995). In particular, the use of the self-care agency concept is considered as it relates to conditioning factors, self-care actions, and specific outcomes in nursing research and practice.
An Overlapping Generations Model of Growth and the Environment

This chapter analyses the potential conflict between economic growth and the maintenance of environmental quality in an overlapping generations model. Since environmental damage may outlive its perpetrators, overlapping generations’ models provide an appropriate demographic structure for analysis of environmental externalities. In general, environmental externalities could arise from production or consumption and could affect welfare or productivity. The chapter identifies interior equilibrium without external increasing returns and considers equilibrium with external increasing returns. Increased saving benefits generations through the external increasing returns, and hurts generations through reduced maintenance and greater consumption; higher saving is desirable if the first effect dominates. The dynamics of the economy therefore imply a negative correlation between environmental quality and growth under zero maintenance, in contrast to the positive correlation at interior equilibrium. Agents in economies with little capital or with high environmental quality may choose not to engage in maintenance of the environment.
A new decoration for nitric oxide synthase – a Zn(Cys)4 site

Abstract Intense interest in the action and synthesis of nitric oxide has fuelled structural studies of nitric oxide synthase (NOS). The monomeric and dimeric heme domains of inducible NOS were the first NOS structures to be described. A recent independent analysis of the corresponding heme domains from endothelial NOS confirms most of the features found earlier and also reveals a novel Zn(Cys) 4 center – a new feature for NOS.
Systems Simulation. Expectation formation in behavioral simulation models

The nature and rationality of expectations are hotly debated in economics and management science. Expectations are usually portrayed in behavioral simulation models and system dynamics as adaptive learning processes. This paper presents a behavioral model of trend expectation formation. The model assumes expectations about the growth rate of a quantity are formed adaptively from the recent growth rate of the input variable itself. The model is then tested directly against actual forecasts in two quite different domains: short-term expectations of inflation and long-term energy demand forecasts. In both cases the model replicates the evolution of the expectations quite well over extended time periods. The results support the use of adaptive expectations and trend extrapolation. The results also suggest the presence of additional judgmental heuristics which can have dynamic and policy significance. In particular, there seem to be substantial conservatisms in both inflation expectations and energy demand forecasts: forecasters systematically underestimate the growth rate of the input. Such conservatisms are consistent with the empirical literature on judgment and decision making. The results show it is possible to test the expectation formation processes assumed in behavioral simulation models; implications for use of adaptive expectations in behavioral models when empirical data are unavailable are also discussed.
Novel two-dimensional laser scanning technique

Abstract We have demonstrated two-dimensional x-y laser scanning, using a computer controlled, rotating reflective cube. Our particular application was the digitizing of transparent foils and we achieved milliradian resolutions. Our concept may be easily adapted to other industrial vision applications such as scanning products on an assembly line or two-dimensional extensions of bar codes. The reflective cube method described here is less expensive, more simple and more durable than other techniques such as use of planar mirrors mounted on galvanometer rotors.
Removal of aerosol particles from the atmosphere by growing cloud droplets

When a vapor pressure gradient exists in air containing suspended particulate matter, the particles are propelled toward the region of lower vapor pressure by molecular bombardment of vapor molecules. It has been proposed that this effect is important as a process for removing the particles of natural aerosols from the air surrounding growing cloud droplets. This effect has been investigated experimentally by observing the removal of artificial aerosol particles form an experimental chamber in which a known vapor pressure gradient was established. The velocities imparted to particles under the action of a vapor pressure gradient were determined. The results of the measurements were used to calculate the rate of removal of particles in the vicinity of growing cloud droplets. It was concluded that less than 1% of the particles in the region would be removed during the growth of a typical cloud.
Spiritual Capital: Theorizing Religion with Bourdieu Against Bourdieu

Bourdieu's theory of culture offers a rich conceptual resource for the social-scientific study of religion. In particular, his analysis of cultural capital as a medium of social relations suggests an economic model of religion alternative to that championed by rational choice theorists. After evaluating Bourdieu's limited writings on religion, this paper draws upon his wider work to craft a new model of “spiritual capital.” Distinct from Iannaccone's and Stark and Finke's visions of “religious capital,” this Bourdieuian model treats religious knowledge, competencies, and preferences as positional goods within a competitive symbolic economy. The valuation of spiritual capital is the object of continuous struggle and is subject to considerable temporal and subcultural variation. A model of spiritual capital illuminates such phenomena as religious conversion, devotional eclecticism, religious fads, and social mobility. It also suggests some necessary modifications to Bourdieu's theoretical system, particularly his understanding of individual agency, cultural production, and the relative autonomy of fields.
LINKING COMPETITIVE STRATEGY AND SHAREHOLDER VALUE ANALYSIS

Strategy valuation is not merely a measurement technique that is applied after the strategy formulation process is completed. Its real power lies in the way it can be integrated throughout the strategy formulation effort.
Long-time behavior and dynamic scaling properties of displacement fluctuations in the sine-Gordon chain

The long-time behavior of the displacement fluctuations in the sine-Gordon chain is studied in terms of the exponents $c$ and $d$, characterizing the asymptotic time dependence of the meansquare displacement $〈{[{X}_{l}(t)\ensuremath{-}{X}_{l}(0)]}^{2}〉\ensuremath{\sim}{t}^{c}$ and of the correlation function $〈{{(\frac{1}{\sqrt{N}})\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\ensuremath{\Sigma}{l}^{}[{X}_{l}(t)\ensuremath{-}{X}_{l}(0)]}}^{2}〉\ensuremath{\sim}{t}^{d}$. Invoking the dynamic scaling hypothesis, it is shown that $d=2c=\frac{2}{b}$, and the bounds $\frac{1}{2}l~\frac{1}{b}l~1$ are derived for the Hamiltonian case. The relativistic ideal-kink-gas picture leads to $\frac{1}{b}=1$. For a chain evolving according to a Langevin equation with large damping $\frac{1}{b}=\frac{1}{2}$ is obtained.
Adult template circumcision: a prospective, randomized, patient-blinded, comparative study evaluating the safety and efficacy of a novel circumcision device.

OBJECTIVES In 2001, we reported a novel technique for pediatric circumcision that has proved to be fast, reliable, and safe during the past 4 years, with good cosmetic results. Inspired by our success with this technique, we have created a similar device to be used for adults. METHODS We conducted a prospective, randomized, patient-blinded study to compare this device with that of the standard sleeve circumcision. A total of 30 men were randomized to undergo a standard sleeve or template circumcision. They completed the Male Sexual Health Questionnaire before the procedure. We prospectively evaluated the differences in procedure time, patient satisfaction, blood loss, and local anesthetic use between the 2 groups. The patients returned 8-10 weeks later for physical examination and completion of a postprocedure Male Sexual Health Questionnaire and patient satisfaction questionnaire. RESULTS Of the 30 enrolled patients, 14 underwent standard sleeve circumcision, and 16 underwent template circumcision. Two patients in the sleeve group moved from the area after circumcision and were lost to follow-up, leaving 28 patients available for review at the 8-10-week appointment. The duration of the procedure was significantly shorter in the template group (27.5 minutes) than in the sleeve circumcision group (36.0 minutes; P = .001). No significant differences were noted between the 2 groups with regard to blood loss, amount of local anesthetic used, patient satisfaction, or change in sexual health, as defined by the Male Sexual Health Questionnaire. CONCLUSIONS The use of the adult circumcision template appears to be a reliable and safe method of circumcision that significantly reduces the operative time.
Resonance Assignment of Methionine Methyl-Groups and Chi(3) Angular Information From Long-Range Proton-Carbon and Carbon- Carbon J-Correlation in a Calmodulin Peptide Complex

Several simple 3D experiments are used to provide J correlations between methionine Ce methyl carbons and either the CγH2 protons or Cβ and Cγ. The intensity of the J correlations provides information on the size of the three-bond J couplings and thereby on the χ3 torsion angle. In addition, a simple 3D version of the HMBC experiment provides a sensitive link between the CeH3 methyl protons and Cγ. The methods are demonstrated for a 20 kDa complex between calmodulin and a 26-residue peptide fragment of skeletal muscle myosin light chain kinase.
The 'Second Call': Faculty renewal and recommitment at midlife

Many higher education systems are staffed by an ageing teaching force, and the implications for quality in the present and the medium term have been insufficiently appreciated. A study of 20 midlife teaching staff in one Canadian university suggests that, while this can be a time of stagnation, it can also be the time of a second call to commit to working in higher education. However, if that possibility is to be realised, there are implications for the ways in which higher education institutions operate.
Visualizing certainty of extrapolations from models of land change

This article presents a method to estimate and to visualize the certainty of land change models as they extrapolate beyond the time interval for which empirical data exist. The method to project the certainty relies on measurements of model performance during a validation run with historic data and on the assumption that the model’s accuracy approaches randomness as it predicts farther into the future. A land change model typically predicts each pixel as exactly one category for each year. This article presents a technique to convert those predictions into conditional probabilities. As an example, we use the model Geomod to extrapolate forest change over a century for the Plum Island Ecosystems, which is a Long Term Ecological Research site of the United States’ National Science Foundation. Geomod uses calibration information between 1971 and 1985 in order to predict the changes from 1985 to 1999, at which point the validation procedure measures the model’s predictive accuracy. Then the model is re-calibrated with information from 1985 to 1999 in order to extrapolate into the future, assuming a business as usual scenario. As time progresses, the expected accuracy approaches 0.5, which is the probability at which the model’s prediction is as accurate as a random prediction, since the application involves two categories. The extrapolated accuracy of the prediction for the entire study area in the year 2097 is 68%. The method is designed to work with any number of categories so it can be used with a variety of land change models.
Production of coal-solubilizing activity byPaecilomyces Sp. during submerged growth in defined liquid media

Paecilomyces TLi, a fungus isolated from coal, had previously been shown to transform solid coal into a water-miscible liquid during surface growth on coal or on a complex, solid microbiological medium. Coal solubilization has now been demonstrated in submerged cultures grown in defined liquid minimal media. Activity under these conditions is less than that observed in surface culture, and is affected by both nitrogen and carbon nutrition. Coal solubilization occurs at low pH (≤ 4) but may be associated with pH increases during the assay period. Spectroscopic data suggest a role for alkaline catalysis in coal solubilization by this organism.
Insecticide contamination of the Jamaican environment

Abstract The most frequently detected residues in soils, well and spring water, and in water, sediment and fish/shrimp samples from rivers and sea coasts across Jamaica, are endosulfans > chlorpyrifos > diazinon > dieldrin; these often exceed LC 50 values for many fish species. Mussels, sediment and water of Kingston Harbour had residues of eight organochlorines.
Banking Firms in Nineteenth-Century Hyderabad Politics

THE relationship between business and politics in preindustrial societies has seldom been clear from historical records. I have argued elsewhere that the major banking firms of Mughal India were central to the imperial system. These 'great firms' were not parasites, passively supportive of the state because it preserved the law and order necessary for trade; they were not self-contained caste communities interacting with the government through the leaders of panchayats or guilds. Their functions were as important to the government as those of its official treasurers, and their desertion of the Mughal Empire in the eighteenth century helped bring about its collapse.1 The case study presented here of banking firms in nineteenth-century Hyderabad establishes the forms as crucial participants in the state's political system, like their earlier counterparts in the Mughal Empire. Hyderabad, a Mughal province which became autonomous in the eighteenth century, was the largest princely state in the Indian subcontinent. The Hyderabad bankers were important political figures, involved with other political figures in a complex of relationships which went far beyond trade and moneylending. Investigation of these relationships not only illuminates Hyderabadi history; I would maintain that it allows inferences about the Mughlai political systems more generally. Finally, this investigation gives us a closer view of Indian family firms and helps formulate better questions about their internal workings and their relationships with each other.
A bit-rate-transparent monolithically integrated wavelength converter

We demonstrate a monolithic wavelength converter based on a PD-EAM optical gate and tunable SGDBR laser operating at any bit rate up to 40 Gb/s in both NRZ and RZ formats.
An affective-cognitive model of mother-child aggression

This article reviews literature that explains the development and maintenance of aggressive mother-child interactions using operant learning theory, highlighting limitations in its explanatory power. We also review research on the association between perceptions and the maintenance of aggressive interactions. An integrative, multipathway model of mother-child aggression is presented in which the affective-cognitive biases of mothers and children and measures of their coerciveness help explain and predict subsequent coercive interactions. We conclude with implications for intervention.
Zenker's Diverticulum

Zenker's diverticulum (ZD) is an outpouching of tissue through the Killian triangle that is believed to be caused by dysfunction of the cricopharyngeal muscle. ZD is a relatively uncommon disorder occurring in the elderly. The predominant symptom of ZD is dysphagia, and the most serious consequence is pulmonary aspiration. Videofluoroscopy confirms the diagnosis. Therapy of symptomatic ZD has evolved from an open surgical approach to less invasive transoral endoscopic techniques. Transoral endoscopic therapy using rigid instruments is performed primarily by otorhinolaryngologists, whereas transoral therapy using flexible endoscopes is performed by surgical endoscopists and gastroenterologists. The common goal of all modalities is severing of the septum between the esophageal lumen and the diverticulum containing the cricopharyngeal muscle. Although flexible endoscopic therapy was described nearly 20 years ago, it has experienced a recent resurgence paralleling the advancements of therapeutic endoscopy in other areas, such as endoscopic submucosal dissection. Direct head-to-head comparisons of rigid and flexible endoscopic therapy are lacking, and each approach has variations in techniques as well as advantages and disadvantages. In this article, we review the pathophysiology and management of patients with ZD with an emphasis on flexible endoscopic therapy.
Endoplasmic reticulum-mitochondria contacts: function of the junction

The most well-characterized organelle contact sites are those between the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondria. Increased understanding is being gained of how ER–mitochondria contact sites are organized and which factors converge at this interface, some of which may provide a tethering function. The role of the ER–mitochondria junction in coordinating the functions of these two organelles is also becoming clearer, and it has been shown to be involved in the regulation of lipid synthesis, Ca2+ signalling and the control of mitochondrial biogenesis and intracellular trafficking.
Myocardin in biology and disease

Myocardin (MYOCD) is a potent transcriptional coactivator that functions primarily in cardiac muscle and smooth muscle through direct contacts with serum response factor (SRF) over cis elements known as CArG boxes found near a number of genes encoding for contractile, ion channel, cytoskeletal, and calcium handling proteins. Since its discovery more than 10 years ago, new insights have been obtained regarding the diverse isoforms of MYOCD expressed in cells as well as the regulation of MYOCD expression and activity through transcriptional, post-transcriptional, and post-translational processes. Curiously, there are a number of functions associated with MYOCD that appear to be independent of contractile gene expression and the CArG-SRF nucleoprotein complex. Further, perturbations in MYOCD gene expression are associated with an increasing number of diseases including heart failure, cancer, acute vessel disease, and diabetes. This review summarizes the various biological and pathological processes associated with MYOCD and offers perspectives to several challenges and future directions for further study of this formidable transcriptional coactivator.
An Integer Programming Model to Optimize Resource Allocation for Wildfire Containment

Determining the specific mix of fire-fighting resources for a given fire is a necessary condition for identifying the minimum of the Cost Plus Net Value Change (C+NVC) function. Current wildland fire management models may not reliably do so. The problem of identifying the most efficient wildland fire organization is characterized mathematically using integer-programming techniques. This mathematical exposition is then solved using the LINGO optimization language. Sensitivity analysis is conducted on model inputs to demonstrate the flexibility of the model architecture. Further, the model is used to model budget constraints commonly faced by fire managers. For. Sci. 49(2):331-335.
A Guide to Tax Policy Analysis: Problems with Distributional Tax Tables

The analysis of tax policy and tax legislation can be "highly conjectural" and consequently more art than science. Tables and figures detailing revenue effects and distribution of burdens associated with projected outcomes of proposed tax legislation are often presented in ways that distort or fail to disclose information regarding the economic outcomes. Additionally, some of these tables are based on data sources that are statistically compromised and for which statistical measures of accuracy are impossible to calculate. Furthermore, the public is often not informed as to the limitations inherent in the information. Members of Congress, students of tax analysis, the media and ordinary citizens seeking to understand the economic effects of proposed tax legislation are inundated with revenue estimates and distributional tables that often obscure the economic issues and hinder the policy process.
Surface patterning and its application in wetting/dewetting studies

Recent advances in microfabrication have allowed one to pattern the surface of a solid substrate with patches of different wettabilities on the micrometer-sized scale. These textured surfaces provide a well-characterized model system for studying the wetting and dewetting behaviors of liquids on heterogeneous surfaces. They also present a well-defined template to direct the self-organization of liquids on the surfaces of solid substrates, and to form patterned microstructures of various materials without using expensive, clean-room facilities. As demonstrated in a number of studies, the three-dimensional morphologies of the liquid microstructures could be easily controlled by changing the two-dimensional features patterned on the surface of a solid substrate. These demonstrations suggest that microfabrication based on surface patterning and selective wetting or dewetting will offer immediate advantages in applications such as fabrication of microreactor arrays and microfluidic devices, where a liquid (or solution) is the primary material to be patterned.
Social learning networks: A brief survey

Social Learning Network (SLN) is a type of social network among students, instructors, and modules of learning. It consists of the dynamics of learning behavior over a variety of graphs representing the relationships among the people and processes involved in learning. Recent innovations in online education, including open online courses at various scales, in flipped classroom instruction, and in professional and corporate training have presented interesting questions about SLN. Collecting, analyzing, and leveraging data about SLN lead to potential answers to these questions, with help from a convergence of modeling languages and design methods, such as social network theory, science of learning, and education information technology. This survey article overviews some of these topics, including prediction, recommendation, and personalization, in this emergent research area.
Reforming Watershed Restoration: Science in Need of Application and Applications in Need of Science

Coastal and inland waters are continuing to decline in many parts of the world despite major efforts made to restore them. This is due in part to the inadequate role that ecological science has played in shaping restoration efforts. A significant amount of fundamental ecological knowledge dealing with issues such as system dynamics, state changes, context-dependency of ecological response, and diversity is both under-used by managers and practitioners and under-developed by ecologists for use in real-world applications. Some of the science that is being ‘used’ has not been adequately tested. Thus, restoration ecology as a science and ecological restoration as a practice are in need of reform. I identify five ways in which our ecological knowledge should be influencing restoration to a far greater extent than at present including a need to: shift the focus to restoration of process and identification of the limiting factors instead of structures and single species, add ecological insurance to all projects, identify a probabilistic range of possible outcomes instead of a reference condition, expand the spatial scale of efforts, and apply hierarchical approaches to prioritization. Prominent examples of restoration methods or approaches that are commonly used despite little evidence to support their efficacy are highlighted such as the use of only structural enhancements to restore biodiversity. There are also major gaps in scientific knowledge that are of immediate need to policy makers, managers, and restoration practitioners including: predictive frameworks to guide the restoration of ecological processes, identification of social-ecological feedbacks that constrain ecosystem recovery and data to support decisions of where and how to implement restoration projects to achieve the largest gains. I encourage ecologists to respond to the demand for their scientific input so that restoration can shift from an engineering-driven process to a more sustainable enterprise that fully integrates ecological processes and social science methods.
Healthier, Wealthier, and Wiser: A Demonstration of Compositional Changes in Aging Cohorts Due to Selective Mortality

The gradual changes in cohort composition that occur as a result of selective mortality processes are of interest to all aging research. We present the first illustration of changes in the distribution of specific cohort characteristics that arise purely as a result of selective mortality. We use data on health, wealth, education, and other covariates from two cohorts (the AHEAD cohort, born 1900–1923 and the HRS cohort, born 1931–1941) included in the Health and Retirement Survey, a nationally representative panel study of older Americans spanning nearly two decades (N = 14,466). We calculate sample statistics for the surviving cohort at each wave. Repeatedly using only baseline information for these calculations so that there are no changes at the individual level (what changes is the set of surviving respondents at each specific wave), we obtain a demonstration of the impact of mortality selection on the cohort characteristics. We find substantial changes in the distribution of all examined characteristics across the nine survey waves. For instance, the median wealth increases from about $90,000 to $130,000 and the number of chronic conditions declines from 1.5 to 1 in the AHEAD cohort. We discuss factors that influence the rate of change in various characteristics. The mortality selection process changes the composition of older cohorts considerably, such that researchers focusing on the oldest old need to be aware of the highly select groups they are observing, and interpret their conclusions accordingly.
Strategies for the aerobic co-metabolism of chlorinated solvents

Recent field and laboratory studies have evaluated the potential for aerobic co-metabolism of chlorinated solvents. Different co-metabolic substrates and different methods of application have been tried, including growing indigenous microbes in situ, and injecting into the soil subsurface strains grown in subsurface reactors for their co-metabolic potential. There is much potential for using co-metabolism for treating a broad range of chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons. Recirculation wells have potential for adding soluble co-metabolic substrates (i.e. phenol and toluene) into contaminated aquifers, while direct addition of gaseous substrates (i.e. methane and propane) into aquifers also holds promise. Aromatic substrates (phenol and toluene) are best used for treatment of chlorinated ethenes, whereas gaseous co-metabolic substrate (methane and propane) are better suited for the treatment of chlorinated methanes and ethanes. Many factors can enhance co-metabolic transformations, such as nutrients and available energy sources.
Analysis of the detection modes of a human presence detection millimeter-wave radiometer

Detection of non-moving humans is important for physical security, search-and-rescue, homeland protection, and military applications, although it has proven difficult to achieve because traditional techniques have significant drawbacks. For instance, IR sensors do not detect well in warm daytime environments and radars cannot easily discriminate stationary humans. The authors have recently presented a solution by applying millimeter-wave radiometry to the detection of stationary humans in cluttered outdoor environments [1–2]. MMW radiometers operate in both day and night environments and are affected only by moderate to heavy rain. Fog, smoke, or dust, which render IR sensors inoperable, are also transparent to MMW sensors. The radiometric detection system was designed to operate from a moving platform, making image recognition prohibitive due to the high computational expense of image processing in real-time with a constantly changing background. The presence-detection radiometer operates on one-dimensional sensor signals, resulting in lower computation time.
Morphological and Mechanical Evaluation of Hybrid Organic-Inorganic Thermoset Copolymers of Dicyclopentadiene and Mono- or Tris(norbornenyl)-Substituted Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxanes

A new class of organic-inorganic hybrid thermoset copolymers has been prepared by ring- opening metathesis polymerization catalyzed with bis(tricyclohexylphosphine)benzylideneruthenium(II) dichloride (1). Dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) and norbornenylethyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (1NB- POSS) and tris(norbornenylethyl)-POSS (3NB-POSS) with isobutyl pendent groups have been copolymer- ized at 60 °C over a range of POSS loadings. These copolymers contain small aggregates of 1NB-POSS, three to four molecules, at high loadings and uniform dispersions over all loadings of 3NB-POSS. The pendent group of 1NB-POSS decreases the cross-link density of the PDCPD matrix while 3NB-POSS increases the cross-link density. POSS incorporation has little effect on the glass transition temperature (Tg). Addition of 20 wt % 1NB-POSS decreases the Tg from 128 °C for PDCPD to 114 °C. Addition of 3NB-POSS has little effect on the Tg over the range of POSS loadings. The stiffness, in tension and compression, is observed to decrease with increasing POSS loading. Although the yield stress for both systems decreases, the toughness also decreases. The decrease in toughness of the 1NB-POSS copolymers is attributed to a loss of irreversible damage with increased POSS loading. Although a similar decrease in toughness is observed for the 3NB-POSS copolymers, the change in toughness is attributed to a decrease in cohesive strength with 3NB-POSS loading.