cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Updating the Competitive Tax Plan: A New Epilogue for 100 Million Unnecessary Returns

This is the first step of a new epilogue for my book 100 Million Unnecessary Returns: A Simple, Fair, and Competitive Tax Plan for the United States. In January 2012, the Tax Policy Center (TPC), pursuant to a grant from Pew Charitable Trust, published an article analyzing and estimating the parameters of the tax plan set forth in this book. TPC has now updated its estimates to take into account the January 2013 “fiscal cliff” legislation and other economic changes. Certain details of the plan have also been revised somewhat. The competitive tax reform plan has five pieces: First, enact a VAT, a broad-based tax on sales of goods and services, now used by more than 160 countries worldwide. Many English-speaking countries call this a goods and services tax (GST). Second, use the revenue produced by this consumption tax to finance an income tax exemption of $100,000 of family income — freeing more than 120 million American families from income taxation — and lower the income tax rates on income above that amount. Third, lower the corporate income tax rate to 15 percent. Fourth, protect low-and-moderate-income workers from a tax increase through payroll tax cuts. Fifth, protect low-and-moderate income families from a tax increase by substantially expanded refundable tax credits for children, delivered through debit cards to be used at the cash register.This paper was presented at the annual meeting of the National Tax Association on November 21, 2013. It will be revised for publication in the National Tax Journal.
Water to Air Bacterial Transfer by Bursting Bubbles

This paper reports experimental work relating to the transfer of bacteria from water to the air in a bubble aeration process. The work was initiated to verify the work of Blanchard and Syzdek on the bacterial concentration in droplets ejected from a water surface by an air bubble bursting at the surface. In the experiments conducted, verification was established for large bubble sizes but not the small bubble sizes. The experiments reported here using \IE. coli\N indicate that the concentration of bacteria in water droplets continues to increase as the droplet size decreases. This is in disagreement with previously reported experiments, which indicate maximum concentration at a droplet size of about 70μ\Nm diameter.
Behavioral evaluation of noise suppression hearing aids

Summary form only given. Hearing-aid manufacturers have introduced so-called smart noise-suppression systems that intelligently adapt in the presence of background noise, thereby improving the hearing-aid user's ability to hear under adverse listening conditions. How well hearing-aid users perform on speech recognition measures with commercially available noise suppression systems is addressed. >
Decodability analysis of finite memory random linear coding in line networks

We consider the problem of decodability when random linear coding (RLC) is performed on a stream of packets in a line network. First, we clearly define the problem of decodability for a stream of arriving packets, and discuss its importance with some examples. Then, we will find the limits on the mean arrival rate under which the stream is decodable. Further, upper bounds will be derived for the average length of a decoded block of packets in multi-hop line networks. Finally, these analytical results are validated via simulations.
Low latitude thermospheric responses to magnetic storms

[1] Thermospheric density and neutral velocity perturbations associated with three magnetic storms in the autumn season of 2011 are examined using data from the neutral wind meter (NWM) on the Communication/Navigation Outage Forecast System (C/NOFS) satellite. The data from perigee passes near 400 km altitude show marked increases in neutral density during the storms and associated increases in horizontal neutral flow speeds. These thermospheric responses are characterized by enhanced meridional neutral flows with peak perturbation amplitudes near 100 m/s and relative neutral density enhancements ranging from 50–100%. The increases in the neutral density and meridional flow velocity at equatorial latitudes occur about 5–7 h after the initial perturbations are observed in the z component of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF), and they persist for 20–30 h. The perturbations in the neutral density are in good agreement with temperature increases predicted by an empirical model that has been validated using data from the CHAMP and Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment missions, with a maximum lag time of ~1–1.5 h between the model temperature increases and the observed density perturbations. The model temperatures are in excellent agreement with ground-based low-latitude temperature measurements during the storms. Ground-based wind measurements during one of the storms provide additional data for comparison with the perturbation wind amplitudes measured aboard the satellite.
Control of thoracic dissecting hematoma

Abstract The medical treatment of the acute phase of dissecting hematoma using the therapeutic regimen of Wheat et al. has been described. The apparent resolution of most of the extensive dissection process with this therapy is emphasized and demonstrated angiographically.
Release Mismanagement in Open Source

To a user, unreleased software is nonexistent software, even in open source projects which make the source code readily accessible. Every project requires regular software releases to encourage adoption and attract developers. Different projects approach the task of releasing software in variousways [2], and many experience breakdowns in their release process at some point during their evolution [3]. This poster presents examples of these instances, and how projects are learning from and improving upon them.
Time domain waveform and azimuth variation of ionospherically reflected VLF/LF radio emissions from lightning

[1] The Earth's geomagnetic field can, in principle, cause significant magnetic-azimuth variations of the lower ionosphere's reflection of 2–150 kHz radio waves emitted by lightning. There has been little published work on this azimuth variation, either modeled or observational. We use broadband emissions from negative cloud-to-ground lightning strokes to study the azimuthal variations systematically. The data are from the Los Alamos Sferic Array, operating in the United States' southern Great Plains during 2005. We compare the observations to a model of lower-ionosphere reflection of radio waves. The model recapitulates the basic features of the time domain reflection waveforms rather well, except at the lowest frequencies. The model transfer function describing the vertical electric field at the receiver is symmetric about 90° magnetic and about 270° magnetic. Two noteworthy features of the azimuth variation are both predicted by the model, and seen in the data: First, at the lowest frequencies ( 50 kHz) there is an opposite enhancement, of the reflection for westward propagation, relative to eastward propagation. The westward enhancement at >50 kHz depends sensitively on range and is most evident in nighttime conditions, while the eastward enhancement at <30 kHz occurs at all ranges studied. Range-dependent frequency modulations of the transfer function are the least for magnetic northward propagation (duplicated by magnetic southward).
The Impact of Distributed Object Technology on Reengineering II: Moving from the Middle

This panel session brings together three prominent individuals who have been actively involved in the reverse engineering community for some time. The panelists are Cristina Cifuentes from the University of Queensland, Hausi Miller from the University of Victoria, and Kostas Kontogiannis from the University of Waterloo. Cristina is a pioneer in the area of binary reverse engineering. Hausi has an established pedigree in the design and use of code-level reverse engineering tools. Kostas has explored wrapping technologies in system modernization projects with industry.Each panelist was asked to prepare a position statement addressing the topical coverage of the session: 1. What are the strengths and weaknesses of reverse engineering at ?your? level? (binary, source, or interface)2. What are the main challenges for tool developers targeting component-based distributed systems?3. Is the reverse engineering community ready for component-based distributed systems?
Moderate dynamic compression inhibits pro-catabolic response of cartilage to mechanical injury, tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6, but accentuates degradation above a strain threshold

Summary Objective Traumatic joint injury can initiate early cartilage degeneration in the presence of elevated inflammatory cytokines ( e.g. , tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-6). The positive/negative effects of post-injury dynamic loading on cartilage degradation and repair in vivo are not well-understood. This study examined the effects of dynamic strain on immature bovine cartilage in vitro challenged with TNF-α + IL-6 and its soluble receptor (sIL-6R) with/without initial mechanical injury. Methods Groups of mechanically injured or non-injured explants were cultured in TNF-α + IL-6/sIL-6R for 8 days. Intermittent dynamic compression was applied concurrently at 10%, 20%, or 30% strain amplitude. Outcome measures included sulfated glycosaminoglycan (sGAG) loss (dimethylmethylene blue (DMMB)), aggrecan biosynthesis ( 35 S-incorporation), aggrecanase activity (Western blot), chondrocyte viability (fluorescence staining) and apoptosis (nuclear blebbing via light microscopy), and gene expression (qPCR). Results In bovine explants, cytokine alone and injury-plus-cytokine treatments markedly increased sGAG loss and aggrecanase activity, and induced chondrocyte apoptosis. These effects were abolished by moderate 10% and 20% strains. However, 30% strain amplitude greatly increased apoptosis and had no inhibitory effect on aggrecanase activity. TNF + IL-6/sIL-6R downregulated matrix gene expression and upregulated expression of inflammatory genes, effects that were rescued by moderate dynamic strains but not by 30% strain. Conclusions Moderate dynamic compression inhibits the pro-catabolic response of cartilage to mechanical injury and cytokine challenge, but there is a threshold strain amplitude above which loading becomes detrimental to cartilage. Our findings support the concept of appropriate loading for post-injury rehabilitation.
The effects of group relaxation training/large muscle exercise, and parental involvement on attention to task, impulsivity, and locus of control among hyperactive boys

Abstract This study examined the effects of group relaxation training/large muscle exercise and parental involvement on attention to task, impulsivity, and locus of control among 34 hyperactive boys. Subjects were randomly assigned to treatment (T1 and T2) and control groups. The experimental treatments each included three once‐weekly group sessions of relaxation training and large muscle exercise; in addition, parents were involved with the intervention for T2 subjects. (Parental participation unfortunately was less than planned.) Following treatment both experimental groups recorded significantly higher attention to task, lower impulsivity, and lower locus of control scores, indicating a more internal orientation. While differences between treatment and control groups were clear‐cut, those between the two treatment groups were not; T1, subjects demonstrated higher attention to task, lower impulsivity, and more external locus of control scores in comparison with T2, subjects. While relaxation training an...
Decreased spontaneous motor activity parallels reserpine-induced supersensitivity of catecholamine-responsive rat cerebral cortex adenylate cyclase

Spontaneous motor activity and catecholamine responsiveness of brain adenylate cyclases were measured in albino rats after 4 days of reserpine injections (0.25 mg/kg/day, subcutaneous). Motor activity was significantly decreased in reserpine-treated rats in the 24-hr period following the final reserpine injection. Responses of cerebral cortex adenylate cyclase to norepinephrine (1–100 μM ) and dopamine (10–100 μM ) were increased during this same period. Catecholamine responses of striatal adenylate cyclase were not significantly increased by reserpine treatment. These results support prior suggestions that the cerebral cortex adenylate cyclase system may have an inhibitory function with respect to spontaneous motor behavior in the rat.
The phospholipid-binding and immunochemical properties of amidinated, guanidinated and acetylated apolipoprotein A-II.

Abstract To determine the importance of lysine groups in the sites for lipid-protein interaction and antigenic reactivity, reduced, carboxymethylated apoliprotein A-II and apolipoprotein A-II were modified by either amidination, guanidination or acetylation. The conformation, phospholipid-binding properties and immunochemical reactivity of each derivative were then determined. Retaining the positive charges on CM-apolipoprotein A-II by either amidination or guanidination had little or no effect on the conformation of the apoprotein; each had approximately 35% α-helical structure in the absence of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) and 68% in the presence. In the absence of lipid, acetylated apolipoprotein A-II contained 17% α-helicity; the α-helicity of the protein increased to 48% in the presence of DMPC. Furthermore, each derivative formed complexes with vesicles of DMPC which are similar to that of CM-apolipoprotein A-II. The molar ratio of DMPC to protein for CM-apolipoprotein A-II, amidinated apolipoprotein A-II, guanidinated apolipoprotein A-II and acetylated apolipoprotein A-II were 43, 52, 62, and 69: 1 respectively. By quantitative radioimmunoassay, the immunoreactivity of CM-apolipoprotein A-II and its amidinated, guanidinated and acetylated derivatives were indistinguishable. Based on these results, we conclude that retaining the positive charges by amidination or guanidination or neutralizing the positive charge by acetylation does not affect the lipid-binding or immunochemical properties of apolipoprotein A-II.
An immunogenetic analysis of skn antigens in mice

Studies on the fate of Skn-incompatible grafts indicate that both the immune response to and the potency of these antigens are influenced by the MHC. Evidence is also presented that strains CBA, C3H. and A possess different Skn antigens.
Metacognitive Enrichment for Community College Students

Recent research was conducted to explore how introducing metacognitive enrichment into courses containing implicit or explicit critical thinking goals would affect the students' personal epistemological maturity. At the beginning of a fall semester at a moderate sized community college in the southeastern United States, 733 students were divided into two groups: one in which faculty members taught subjects as they had normally done in the past, and the other group was taught by faculty members who had received training in adding metacognitive enrichment into the classroom. Students were administered Schommer Epistemological Questionnaires (SEQs) at the beginning and at the conclusion of the 16-week semester. Of the 469 acceptable posttest questionnaires, only 188 that could be properly positively matched pretest to posttest were analyzed. While the expectation was that those receiving metacognitive enrichment in the classroom would exhibit maturing in their measured personal epistemologies, this was true ...
Developmental differences in hippocampal and cortical contributions to episodic retrieval.

Abstract Episodic memory, or the ability to form and retrieve conscious memories about specific past events, improves during childhood. Previous adult neuroimaging results indicate a central role of the hippocampus in episodic retrieval, but it is not clear whether the contribution of the hippocampus changes during development. Traditionally, developmental improvements in episodic retrieval have been thought to depend on strategic processes mediated by the prefrontal cortex (PFC), a region that is considered to have a protracted course of development relative to the hippocampus. The primary goal of the present study was to test the hypothesis that the development of episodic retrieval is also associated with changes in hippocampal function. Children ages 8- to 11-years-old and adults ages 18–25 ( N = 41) encoded black and white line drawings surrounded by either a green or red border. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data were acquired while participants attempted to recall which colour was originally paired with each drawing. Correct recall of item-colour pairings indicated successful episodic retrieval. Activity in the anterior hippocampus, but not in the posterior hippocampus, was associated with episodic retrieval in adults, whereas activity in the posterior, but not in the anterior hippocampus, was associated with episodic retrieval in children. Developmental differences were also found in regions in anterior lateral PFC and posterior parietal cortex. Overall, these results support the view that the development of episodic memory is supported by functional changes in the hippocampus as well as in other critical cortical regions.
A Comparison of Two Different Methods of OTF Measurement

Two methods of measuring the optical transfer function have been compared by measurements on a good quality specimen lens, with the test conditions as similar as possible. In one case, the phase differences in the lens pupil function were measured with an interferometer, and in the other, the line spread function obtained by edge gradient analysis of an image. Good agreement between the two techniques was obtained.
Despite spillover, a shared pathogen promotes native plant persistence in a cheatgrass-invaded grassland.

How pathogen spillover influences host community diversity and composition is poorly understood. Spillover occurs when transmission from a reservoir host species drives infection in another host species. In cheatgrass-invaded grasslands in the western United States, a fungal seed pathogen, black fingers of death (Pyrenophora semeniperda), spills over from exotic cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) to native perennial bunchgrasses such as squirreltail (Elymus elymoides). Previous theoretical work based on this system predicts that pathogens that spill over can favor either host coexistence, the exclusion of either host species, or priority effects, depending on species-specific transmission rates and pathogen tolerance. Here, these model predictions were tested by parameterizing a population growth model with field data from Skull Valley, Utah, USA. The model suggests that, across the observed range of demographic variation, the pathogen is most likely to provide a net benefit to squirreltail and a net cost to ch...
Morphological variation of Daphnia pulex Leydig (Crustacea: Cladocera) and related species from North America

Several species ofDaphnia closely related toD. pulex occur commonly in North America. These species continue to be difficult to identify because of unsystematic descriptions and the continual appearance of intermediate forms. Uni-and-multivariate analyses of the morphological variation of 18 characters for each of 351 animals from 33 populations fails to demonstrate any significant clusters of populations. None of the characters, singly or in combination, serves to separate the populations into unambiguous groups. A cluster analysis of the similarity of populations suggests that if distinct species do exist, they are not those presently recognized. The data support either the view that theD. pulex species group is one widespread and variable species, or that it is comprised of a much larger number of species than presently recognized.
Gap junction channels: distinct voltage-sensitive and -insensitive conductance states.

All mammalian gap junction channels are sensitive to the voltage difference imposed across the junctional membrane, and parameters of voltage sensitivity have been shown to vary according to the gap junction protein that is expressed. For connexin43, the major gap junction protein in the cardiovascular system, in the uterus, and between glial cells in brain, voltage clamp studies have shown that transjunctional voltages (Vj) exceeding +/- 50 mV reduce junctional conductance (gj). However, substantial gj remains at even very large Vj values; this residual voltage-insensitive conductance has been termed gmin. We have explored the mechanism underlying gmin using several cell types in which connexin43 is endogenously expressed as well as in communication-deficient hepatoma cells transfected with cDNA encoding human connexin43. For pairs of transfectants exhibiting series resistance-corrected maximal gj (gmax) values ranging from 90 nS, the ratio gmin/gmax was found to be relatively constant (about 0.4–0.5), indicating that the channels responsible for the voltage-sensitive and -insensitive components of gj are not independent. Single channel studies further revealed that different channel sizes comprise the voltage-sensitive and -insensitive components, and that the open times of the larger, more voltage-sensitive conductance events declined to values near zero at large voltages, despite the high gmin. We conclude that the voltage-insensitive component of gj is ascribable to a voltage-insensitive substate of connexin43 channels rather than to the presence of multiple types of channels in the junctional membrane. These studies thus demonstrate that for certain gap junction channels, closure in response to specific stimuli may be graded, rather than all-or-none.
Gastrocardiac afferent convergence in upper thoracic spinal neurons: a central mechanism of postprandial angina pectoris.

Abstract The aim of this study was to examine whether gastric afferent information converged onto upper thoracic spinal neurons that received noxious cardiac input. Extracellular potentials of single upper thoracic (T3) spinal neurons were recorded in pentobarbital-anesthetized, paralyzed, ventilated male rats. Gastric distension (GD) (20, 40, 60 mm Hg, 20 seconds) was produced by air inflation of a latex balloon surgically placed in the stomach. A catheter was placed in the pericardial sac to administer bradykinin solution (10 μg/mL, 0.2 mL, 1 minute) as a noxious cardiac stimulus. Noxious GD (≥40 mm Hg) altered activity of 26 of 31 (84%) spinal neurons receiving cardiac input. Twenty-two (85%) gastrocardiac convergent neurons were excited, and 1 neuron was inhibited by both intrapericardial bradykinin and GD; the remainder exhibited biphasic response patterns. Twenty-three of 26 (88%) gastrocardiac neurons also received convergent somatic input from the chest, triceps, and upper back areas. Bilateral cervical vagotomy did not significantly affect excitatory responses to GD in 5 of 5 neurons tested. Spinal transection at the C1 segment after vagotomy did not affect excitatory responses to GD in 3 of 4 neurons but abolished the GD response in 1 neuron. These data showed that a gastric stimulus excited T3 spinal neurons with noxious cardiac input primarily by way of intraspinal ascending pathways. Perspective Convergence of gastric afferent input onto upper thoracic spinal neurons receiving noxious cardiac input that was observed in the present study may provide a spinal mechanism that explains stomach-heart cross-organ communication, such as postprandial triggering and worsening of angina pectoris in patients with coronary artery disease.
No increase in rates of early-onset neonatal sepsis by non-group B Streptococcus or ampicillin-resistant organisms.

Abstract Objective: We assessed the impact of a risk-based approach to group B Streptococcus (GBS) prophylaxis on the rates of early-onset neonatal sepsis (EONS). Study Design: A retrospective cohort study of neonates born at a tertiary-care hospital from 1990 to 1996 was performed. Cases of EONS were identified among neonates born in a period without GBS prophylaxis (1990-1992) and compared with those born in a period with GBS prophylaxis (1993-1996). The antibiotic susceptibility data on each organism isolated in the blood culture were obtained. Results: In the period without prophylaxis, 99 cases of EONS were identified among 25,934 neonates for a rate of 3.8 per 1000 births. In the period with prophylaxis, 90 cases of EONS occurred among 34,262 neonates for a rate of 2.6 per 1000. The rate of GBS-EONS significantly decreased between the 2 periods (from 1.9 to 1.1, P =.01). There was a trend toward a decrease in the rate of EONS caused by non-GBS gram-positive organisms (from 1.2 to 0.7, P =.06). There was no significant increase in the rate of EONS caused by gram-negative or ampicillin-resistant organisms. Conclusions: A risk-based approach to GBS prophylaxis reduced the incidence of GBS-EONS at a tertiary-care hospital. This decrease was not accompanied by an increase in the incidence of EONS by non-GBS or ampicillin-resistant organisms. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2001;185: 854-8.)
Semiconductor reflection type microwave modulator

Abstract A new type of microwave modulator has been designed in which it is predicted that relatively large modulation depths can be achieved. This device has been developed as an amplitude modulator and has promise in phase modulation. The principles underlying its action depend upon reflections of microwaves from a low conductivity dielectric block short circuited on the far end. The dielectric having the properties of frequently used semiconductors at a frequency of 10 10 c/s forms a resonant cavity structure which provides a large amount of absorption at critical conductivities and length.
Return migration and economic turmoil: experiences of repatriated Chinese professionals in Shanghai, China

From 2007, the economic turmoil in the USA has had a dramatic impact on immigrant populations living within the nation’s borders. One such group is Chinese migrants who came to the USA as students in the 1980s and 1990s. This paper focuses on a segment of this population—medical professionals—who obtained graduate degrees in the USA and subsequently stayed on to work in pharmaceutical or health industries in Philadelphia’s metropolitan area. As a result of the economic crises in the USA and also the burgeoning market in China, pharmaceutical companies have begun to repatriate some of these Chinese professionals. This paper will examine reflections on the return experience to Shanghai, which has developed rapidly to become the most commercialized modern city in China as a result of the market reform initiated in 1979. I argue that neoliberal ideology in the USA not only forces these Chinese immigrants back to China, but also challenges their concepts of identity and citizenship, including cultural citizenship. This paper also examines the ways in which processes of change are affected by global capitalism and neoliberalism.
Linearized dynamics of two-dimensional bubbly and cavitating flows over slender surfaces

The present work investigates the dynamics of two-dimensional, steady bubbly flows over a surface and inside a symmetric channel with sinusoidal profiles. Bubble dynamics effects are included. The equations of motion for the average flow and the bubble radius are linearized and a closed-form solution is obtained. Energy dissipation due to viscous, thermal and liquid compressibility effects in the dynamics of the bubbles is included, while the relative motion of the two phases and viscous effects at the flow boundaries are neglected. The results are then generalized by means of Fourier synthesis to the case of surfaces with slender profiles of arbitrary shape. The flows display various flow regimes (subsonic, supersonic and superresonant) with different properties according to the value of the relevant flow parameters. Examples are discussed in order to show the effects of the inclusion of the various energy dissipation mechanisms on the flows subject to harmonic excitation. Finally the results for a flow over a surface with a Gaussian-shaped bump are presented and the most important limitations of the theory are briefly discussed.
Conceiving the New World Order. The Global Politics of Reproduction

Conceiving the New World Order. The Global Politics of Reproduction. FAYE GINSBURG and RAYNA RAPP, eds. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1995. xi + 450 pp.
Thermoanalytical investigations of thallous nitrate

Thallous nitrate was investigated using TG, DTA, and DSC in conjunction with gas chromatography and X-ray diffraction analysis. TG showed a weight loss beginning at ∼ 380° with a 50 percent loss by 520°. This weight loss was demonstrated to be caused by boiling rather than thermal decomposition. The DTA extrapolated onset temperature for the boiling was 467°. Two solid-solid transition points and the melting point were determined by DTA to be 77, 145, and 207°, respectively. Heat of transition values determined by DSC were 0.15 kcal/mole at 77°, 0.87 kcal/ mole at 145°, and 2.18 kcal/mole for the melting at 207°.
Activation and detoxification of bromobenzene in extrahepatic tissues.

Abstract Bromobenzene causes hepatic and extrahepatic toxicity in rats. Toxicity is related to the presence of covalently bound material in these tissues. A major bromobenzene metabolite, p-bromophenol, has been shown to give rise to covalently bound material in liver, lung and kidney in vivo , but is not toxic. p-Bromophenol is formed from bromobenzene in liver, lung and kidney microsomes and is subsequently metabolized to 4-bromocatechol and covalently bound material. Bromobenzene-3, 4-oxide generated in situ by liver microsomes, is detoxified by kidney, liver and lung cytosol. The results suggest that the kidney toxicity caused by bromobenzene is probably not mediated by either bromobenzene-3, 4-oxide or the reactive metabolites of p-bromophenol. In contrast, bromobenzene-3, 4-oxide may play a role in the lung toxicity observed after bromobenzene administration. However, the covalently bound material found in extrahepatic tissues may be derived from both bromobenzene-3, 4-oxide or the reactive metabolites of p-bromophenol, which may be formed directly by these tissues or transported there from the liver.
FoxD3 and Grg4 Physically Interact to Repress Transcription and Induce Mesoderm in Xenopus

FoxD3 is a forkhead-related transcriptional regulator that is essential for multiple developmental processes in the vertebrate embryo, including neural crest development and maintenance of mammalian stem cell lineages. Recent results demonstrate a requirement for FoxD3 in Xenopus mesodermal development. In the gastrula, FoxD3 functions as a transcriptional repressor in the Spemann organizer to maintain the expression of Nodal-related members of the TGFs superfamily that induce dorsal mesoderm formation. Here we report that the function of FoxD3 in mesoderm induction is dependent on the recruitment of transcriptional corepressors of the TLE/Groucho family. Structure-function analyses indicate that the transcriptional repression and mesoderm induction activities of FoxD3 are dependent on a C-terminal domain, as well as specific DNA-binding activity conferred by the forkhead domain. The C-terminal domain contains a heptapeptide similar to the eh1/GEH Groucho interaction motif. Deletion and point mutagenesis demonstrated that the FoxD3 eh1/GEH motif is required for both repression of transcription and induction of mesoderm, as well as the direct physical interaction of FoxD3 and Grg4 (Groucho-related gene-4). Consistent with a functional interaction of FoxD3 and Grg4, the transcriptional repression activity of FoxD3 is enhanced by Grg4, and reduced by Grg5, a dominant inhibitory Groucho protein. The results indicate that FoxD3 recruitment of Groucho corepressors is essential for the transcriptional repression of target genes and induction of mesoderm in Xenopus.
Habitat, Growth, and Food of Young Lake Sturgeons in the Lake Winnebago System, Wisconsin

Abstract Populations of lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens have declined throughout most of the species' North American range. The flourishing population in the Lake Winnebago system, Wisconsin, provided an opportunity to study the habitat, growth, and food of young lake sturgeon from 1981–1987. In all, 297 age-0 lake sturgeons 29–281 mm total length (TL) and 27–186 d old were captured over seven summers by seining, electrofishing, diving, and trawling. Age-0 fish were captured in areas with a detectable current, a flat substrate composed of pea-sized gravel and coarse sand, and an absence of rooted vegetation. When disturbed by divers they moved slowly and appeared unwary. Lake sturgeons were solitary; they stayed in close contact with the sand substrate, oriented upstream, and appeared to be feeding on drifting benthic organisms. Species of Baetidae nymphs and Diptera larvae found in relatively clean water were the two principal organisms consumed by lake sturgeons during their first summer of life. The...
Some observations on the AOAC method for the analysis of brominated oils

Increased sensitivity and improved reproducibility in the analysis by gas liquid Chromatograph y of brominated oils has been ob-tained by re-esterification following denomination. The variety of reactions that can occur at various temperatures and their effects on the procedure are discussed. In addition to defining optimal pro-cedures, it was established that reagents that are more easily and safely handled than metallic sodium give equivalent results. Technical paper no. 5831, Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station.
Detailed Chemical Kinetic Modeling of Methylamine in Supercritical Water

We constructed a detailed chemical kinetics model (DCKM) for the oxidation and pyrolysis of methylamine in supercritical water (400−500°C). The model contains 72 species and 603 elementary free-radical and molecular reactions. This DCKM for methylamine oxidation is the first to include peroxy radical chemistry, which becomes important at these lower temperatures. The major products from oxidation in supercritical water are predicted to be formamide, ammonia, CO2, and formic acid. The major products predicted for methylamine hydrothermolysis are ammonia, HCN, methane, water, CO2, and H2. The activation energies are predicted to be 47 and 51 kcal/mol for oxidation and thermolysis, respectively, in supercritical water. The main route for methylamine removal during oxidation is OH attack. The main route to ammonia is hydrolysis of formamide. Predictions from the DCKM, which is built upon homogeneous chemistry, are not consistent with published experimental results for either methylamine pyrolysis or oxidation...
Peripheral and striatal influences on nigral dopamine cells: Mediation by reticulata neurons

Abstract We have previously reported that a neuron exists within the zona reticulata (ZR) of the substantia nigra which exerts an inhibitory influence on zona compacta dopaminergic (DA) cells. Furthermore, this ZR neuron is much more sensitive to the inhibitory effects of GABA agonists than are the DA cells. Thus, low doses of GABA agonists (such as muscimol) appear to induce an increase in DA cell rate by preferentially inhibiting this inhibitory ZR neuron [11]. We report here that the excitation of DA cells by muscimol is potentiated by the removal of striato-nigral pathway mediated inhibitory influences on DA cells as well as by pretreatment with the dopamine receptor blocker haloperidol. In addition, we have found that the population of ZR neurons studied are excited by noxious stimuli (e.g. foot pinch), which in turn induces an inhibition of DA cell firing rate.
Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography of ketoxime analogues of β-adrenergic blockers

Abstract Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography of aryloxyalkylaminoketone-oximes is optimized by implementing bonded-phase (C 8 and C 18 ) column packings deactivated for basic compounds, and competing base as mobile phase additive. The retention of Z isomers is prolonged because of intramolecular hydrogen bonding. The selectivity coefficients for the separation of E and Z compounds is influenced by internal constraints and intramolecular interaction of polar functional groups.
Cognitive-behavioral treatment of obese binge eaters

Obese binge eaters may benefit from cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) approaches that target binge eating. In the present study, eight overweight women participated in a 16-week group CBT program. The Eating Disorder Examination (EDE), a clinical interview designed to assess the psychopathology specific to eating disorders, was administered pre- and post-treatment. Frequency of bulimic episodes during the 28 days prior to assessment was substantially reduced following treatment. Total days with bulimic episodes decreased from 13.4 to 1.2, with a mean reduction of 81%. As assessed by the EDE, dysfunctional concern for body shape and weight and disturbed attitudes about eating markedly diminished. Mood similarly improved. These find/rigs confirm that obese bingers improve after a CBT program designed to ameliorate binge eating and indicate the utility of the EDE in assessing treatment outcome with these patients.
The cold sensitivity of a mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae lacking a mitochondrial heat shock protein 70 is suppressed by loss of mitochondrial DNA.

SSH1, a newly identified member of the heat shock protein (hsp70) multigene family of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, encodes a protein lo- calized to the mitochondrial matrix. Deletion of the SSH1 gene results in extremely slow growth at 23°C or 30°C, but nearly wild-type growth at 37°C. The matrix of the mitochondria contains another hsp70, Sscl, which is essential for growth and required for transloca- tion of proteins into mitochondria. Unlike SSC1 mu- tants, an SSH1 mutant showed no detectable defects in import of several proteins from the cytosol to the ma- trix compared to wild type. Increased expression of Sscl partially suppressed the cold-sensitive growth de- fect of the SSHI mutant, suggesting that when present in increased amounts, Sscl can at least partially carry out the normal functions of Sshl. Spontaneous suppres- sors of the cold-sensitive phenotype of an SSH1 null mutant were obtained at a high frequency at 23°C, and were all found to be respiration deficient. 15 of 16 sup- pressors that were analyzed lacked mitochondrial DNA, while the 16th had reduced amounts. We suggest that Sshl is required for normal mitochondrial DNA replication, and that disruption of this process in sshl cells results in a defect in mitochondrial function at low temperatures.
Generation of stable multi-jets by flow-limited field-injection electrostatic spraying and their control via I?V characteristics

The I –V characteristics of flow-limited field-injection electrostatic spraying (FFESS) were investigated, exposing a new way to predict and control the specific spraying modes from single-jet to multi-jet. Monitoring the I –V characteristics revealed characteristic drops in the current upon formation of an additional jet in the multi-jet spraying mode. For fixed jet numbers, space-charge-limited current behaviour was measured which was attributed to space charge in the dielectric liquids between the needle electrode and the nozzle opening. The present work establishes that FFESS can, in particular, generate stable multiple jets and that their control is possible through monitoring the I –V characteristics. This can allow for automatic control of the FFESS process and expedite its future scientific and industrial applications. (Some figures in this article are in colour only in the electronic version)
Periodic chiral structures

The electromagnetic properties of a structure that is both chiral and periodic are investigated using coupled-mode equations. The chirality is characterized by the constitutive relations D= epsilon E+i xi /sub c/B and H=i xi /sub c/E+B/ mu , where xi /sub c/ is the chiral admittance. The periodicity is described by a sinusoidal perturbation of the permittivity, permeability, and chiral admittance. The coupled-mode equations are derived from physical considerations and used to examine bandgap structure and reflected and transmitted fields. Chirality is observed predominantly in transmission, whereas periodicity is present in both reflection and transmission. >
Reconfigurable MEMS waveguide based on photonic crystal membrane

We present our design and fabrication of a semiconductor based photonic bandgap (PBG) nano-membrane device with MEMS features. This device could be used as a basic building block for a reconfigurable optoelectronic integrated circuit that can be reprogrammed for different functionalities. We combine a PBG platform with a MEMS feature to build such a reconfigurable device. The device has a top PBG membrane layer structure composed of hexagon holes in a triangular lattice. Below that, a separate suspended bridge layer can insert a line of posts into the photonic crystal holes to create a defect line. This MEMS feature can generate/cancel a section of the waveguide in the PBG platform, or it can change the dispersion of the waveguide. Therefore, the same structure can be used as different types of devices such as switches, modulators, time delay lines, etc. This device is fabricated on GaAs/Al x1 GaAs/Al x2 GaAs/GaAs-substrate epi-layers grown by MBE. We have developed the fabrication technique for such a device using e-beam lithography, inductively coupled plasma (ICP) reactive ion etching, and multiple steps of regular photolithography and selective wet chemical etching. The fabricated PBG membranes are 60 nm to 300 nm thick, with a thin wall between the holes of ~120 nm. A line of mushroom shaped MEMS posts are inserted into the ~1 μm PBG holes. We are fine tuning each of these processing steps toward the fabrication of a workable device.
The Relative Relationship Between Systematic Risk and Value Added Variables

The objective of this study is to determine whether value added variables possess incremental information beyond both accrual earnings and cash flows in the context of explaining market risk. The evidence points to the superior explanatory power of value added variables in explaining the variability in market betas. A case can be made for the disclosure of value added reports.
Whole-cell recording of calcium release-activated calcium (CRAC) currents in human T lymphocytes.

In T lymphocytes, depletion of Ca2+ from the intracellular Ca2+ store leads to activation of plasmalemmal Ca2+ channels, called Calcium Release-Activated Calcium (CRAC) channels. CRAC channels play important role in regulation of T cell proliferation and gene expression. Abnormal CRAC channel function in T cells has been linked to severe combined immunodeficiency and autoimmune diseases 1, 2 . Studying CRAC channel function in human T cells may uncover new molecular mechanisms regulating normal immune responses and unravel the causes of related human diseases. Electrophysiological recordings of membrane currents provide the most accurate assessment of functional channel properties and their regulation. Electrophysiological assessment of CRAC channel currents in Jurkat T cells, a human leukemia T cell line, was first performed more than 20 years ago 3, however, CRAC current measurements in normal human T cells remains a challenging task. The difficulties in recording CRAC channel currents in normal T cells are compounded by the fact that blood-derived T lymphocytes are much smaller in size than Jurkat T cells and, therefore, the endogenous whole-cell CRAC currents are very low in amplitude. Here, we give a step-by-step procedure that we routinely use to record the Ca2+ or Na+ currents via CRAC channels in resting human T cells isolated from the peripheral blood of healthy volunteers. The method described here was adopted from the procedures used for recording the CRAC currents in Jurkat T cells and activated human T cells 4-8.
Determination of naloxone and naltrexone as perfluoroalkyl ester derivatives by electron-capture gas-liquid chromatography

Abstract An electron-capture gas chromatographic method is described for the determination of naloxone and naltrexone as the perfluoroalkyl esters. Each compound serves as internal standard for determination of the other. The method permits quantitation of 2–100 ng of either compound. Conditions for derivatization with heptafluorobutyric anhydride (HFBA), pentafluoropropionic anhydride (PFPA), and trifluoroacetic anhydride (TFAA) have been investigated. When catalyzed with pyridine, derivatization with HFBA and PFPA at 70° gives naloxone and naltrexone triesters. Evidence for triester formation was obtained from gas chromatography-methane chemical ionization mass spectrometry and infrared spectral analysis. It was found that both the HFB and PFP triesters are suitable for quantitation of the narcotic antagonists, the HFB derivatives having greater stability than the PFP derivatives. The TFA derivatives are substantially less stable.
Primary tracheal tumors: Treatment and results

Abstract One hundred ninety-eight patients with primary tracheal tumors were evaluated in 26 years. One hundred forty-seven tumors were excised (74%): 132 (66%) by resection and primary reconstruction, seven by laryngotracheal resection or cervicomediastinal exenteration, and eight by staged procedures. Eleven more were explored. Forty-four squamous cell carcinomas were resected, 60 adenoid cystic, and 43 assorted tumors, benign and malignant. Eighty-two patients underwent tracheal resection with primary reconstruction, and 50 had carinal resection and reconstruction. Surgical mortality for resection with primary reconstruction was 5%, with one death after tracheal and six after carinal repair. Six patients had stenosis after tracheal or carinal resection; all underwent reresection successfully. Nearly all patients with squamous or adenoid cystic carcinoma were irradiated postoperatively. Twenty of 41 survivors of resection of squamous cell carcinoma are living free of disease (some for more than 25 year), 39 of 52 with adenoid cystic carcinoma (up to nearly 19 years), and 35 of 42 with other lesions (5 lost to follow-up). Comparison of length of survival of patients with squamous cell carcinoma and adenoid cystic carcinoma who are alive without disease with those who died with carcinoma supports surgical treatment (usually followed by irradiation). Positive lymph nodes or invasive disease at resection margins appear to have an adverse effect on cure of squamous cell carcinoma; such an effect is not demonstrable with adenoid cystic carcinoma.
Stereochemical control in the construction of vicinally substituted cyclopentanes and cyclohexanes. Intramolecular conjugate addition of β-ketoester anions.

Abstract The intramolecular addition of β-ketoesters to unsaturated enones and esters produces vicinally substituted carbocycles with high stereoselectivity.
Contact-time-dependent atrazine residue formation in surface soils

Abstract The formation of nonextractable atrazine residues was evaluated in sterilized agricultural and woodland soils pre-loaded with 14 C-atrazine for contact periods of 1 h (0.046 days), and 1, 7, 14, 28, 56, and 84 days. Extractability of the pre-loaded atrazine and nonextractable residue formation were determined by subjecting the soils to sequential fill-and-draw extractions with water, ethylacetate/water, and alkali. Nonextractable atrazine residues associated with the fulvic acid (FA), humic acid (HA) and humin/mineral (HM) components of soil were determined by separating FA and HA from the soils and measuring the 14 C-activity associated with each fraction. Longer herbicide–soil contact times resulted in attenuated water extractability and enhanced nonextractable residue formation. At the longest contact periods, residues recovered in the FA, HA and HM components of soil accounted for 35–50% of the pre-loaded herbicide. The woodland soil contained significantly larger amounts of HA and humin than the agricultural soil, and appeared to have contributed significantly to nonextractable residue formation. Results from this study indicate that physicochemical processes occurring at intra-mineral and intra-organic matter sites continue to influence the fate of organic pesticides long after their application on soils.