cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Experience-based and on-line categorization of objects in early infancy.

What processes do infants employ in categorizing? Infants might categorize on line as they encounter category-related entities; alternatively, infants might depend on prior experience with entities in formulating categories. These alternatives were tested in forty-four 5-month-olds. Infants who were familiarized in the laboratory with a category of never-before-seen objects subsequently treated novel objects of the same category as familiar—they categorized on line—just as did infants who were exposed to objects from the same category at home for 2 months leading to their laboratory assessment of object categorization. Infants with home experience also recognized novel category objects as familiar from the outset—that is, prior experience with category exemplars was brought to bear in laboratory tasks.
Efficient reactive controller synthesis for a fragment of linear temporal logic

Motivated by robotic motion planning, we develop a framework for control policy synthesis for both non-deterministic transition systems and Markov decision processes that are subject to temporal logic task specifications. We introduce a fragment of linear temporal logic that can be used to specify common motion planning tasks such as safe navigation, response to the environment, persistent coverage, and surveillance. This fragment is computationally efficient; the complexity of control policy synthesis is a doubly-exponential improvement over standard linear temporal logic for both non-deterministic transition systems and Markov decision processes. This improvement is possible because we compute directly on the original system, as opposed to the automata-based approach commonly used. We give simulation results for representative motion planning tasks and compare to generalized reactivity(1).
A Novel Methodology To Reduce Leakage Power In Differential Cascode Voltage Switch Logic Circuits

Subthreshold leakage current increases exponentially in deep-submicron processes and hence is a crucial factor in scaling down designs. Leakage power loss is a major concern in deep-submicron technologies as it drains the battery even when a circuit is completely idle. Efficient leakage control mechanisms are necessary to maximize battery life. In this paper, a novel technique that achieves cancellation of leakage effects in both the pull-up transistor (PUT) as well as the pull-down network (PDN) paths of DCVSL circuits is presented. It involves voltage balancing in these paths using sleep transistors. Experimental results show significant leakage power savings (average of 61X at a temperature of 27deg C) in DCVSL circuits employing this sleep circuitry when compared to standard DCVSL circuits. At any given temperature, using our methodology the leakage power loss for DCVSL circuits is constant. A 4.31X improvement (on an average) in leakage savings using our methodology was observed when compared with the traditional power-gating technique
Purification and characterization of endopolygalacturonase from Verticillium albo-atrum

Abstract An endopolygalacturonase (poly,α-1,4-galacturonide glycanohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.15) was purified 60-fold from the culture fluids of Verticillium albo-atrum by chromatography on columns of carboxymethyl cellulose and hydroxylapatite, gel filtration, and preparative electrophoresis. Final preparations were homogeneous on the basis of disc-gel electrophoresis, ion-exchange and gel-filtration chromatography, and sedimentation in the ultracentrifuge. The purified endopolygalacturonase had a molecular weight of about 30,000, was rich in basic amino acids, and contained 1.2% carbohydrate. The enzyme catalyzed the random hydrolysis of sodium polypectate to short-chain oligouronides and exhibited macerating activity on cucumber pericarp tissues. The endopolygalacturonase had a Michaelis constant and maximum velocity on sodium polypectate of 0.15% and 2150 μmoles galacturonate equivalents liberated/ min/mg protein, respectively, at 35 ° and at the optimum pH of 6.5. The enzyme was inhibited by heavy metals but not by classical sulfhydryl or serine antagonists.
Gravitating global defects: The gravitational field and compactification

We give a prescription to add the gravitational field of a global topological defect to a solution of Einstein's equations in an arbitrary number of dimensions. We only demand that the original solution have an $O(n)$ invariance with $ng~3.$ We will see that the general effect of a global defect is to introduce a deficit solid angle. We also show how the same kind of scalar field configurations can be used for spontaneous compactification of n extra dimensions on an n-sphere.
Medical plan-analysis by computer: critiquing the pharmacologic management of essential hypertension.

Abstract A computer system, HT-ATTENDING, has been developed using Artificial Intelligence techniques to critique a physician's approach to the pharmacologic management of essential hypertension. HT-ATTENDING (1) assists the physician in the management of a hypertensive patients, (2) helps avoid inadvertent management erros, (3) provides information about new drugs and new treatment modalities, and (4) mentions relevant topical issues, all in the context of discussing an approach to a particular patient's care. To critique a physician's management plan effectively, HT-ATTENDING must accommodate the inherent variation of medical practice as a central part of its design. HT-ATTENDING can be thought of as an “interactive paper” which tailors its content around a proposed approach to a patient's care.
The structure and stability of competitive dynamical systems

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the structure and stability of competitive dynamical systems. It presents a general framework that encompasses these and many other problems in the theory of economic growth, or more broadly, the theory of economic dynamics. It describes competitive dynamics as Hamiltonian dynamics, where the Hamiltonian can be written as a function of present output prices and current input stocks and can be interpreted as the present value of net national product (equal, by duality, to the present value of net national income). Such a Hamiltonian dynamical system is competitive in the sense that it derives from the perfect-foresight, zero-profit, asset-market clearing equations arising in descriptive growth theory and is consistent with efficiency pricing conditions developed in the Malinvaud tradition and Euler's conditions or, more generally, Pontryagin's maximum principle, applying to production-maximal or consumption-optimal growth problems.
Control of sweating during the human menstrual cycle.

Thermoregulatory responses were studied in seven women during two separate experimental protocols in the follicular (F, days 4–7) phase and during the luteal (L, days 19–22) phase of the menstrual cycle. Continuous measurements of esophageal temperature (Tes), mean skin temperature (\(\dot T_{sk} \)), oxygen uptake and forearm sweating (\(\dot m_s \)) were made during all experiments. Protocol I involved both passive heat exposure (3 h) and cycle exercise at ∼80%\(\dot V_{o_2 } \) peak during which the environmental chamber was controlled atTa=50.0° C, rh=14% (Pw=1.7 kPa). In protocol II subjects were tested during thirty-five minutes of exercise at ∼85%\(\dot V_{o_2 } \) peak atTa=35° C and rh=25% (Pw=1.4 kPa). The normal L increase in restingTes (≈0.3° C) occurred in all seven subjects.\(\dot T_{sk} \) was higher during L than F in all experiments conducted at 50° C. During exercise and passive heat exposure, theTes threshold for sweating was higher in L, with no change in the thermosensitivity (slope) of\(\dot m_s \) toTes between menstrual cycle phases. This rightward or upward shift inTes threshold for initiation of sweating averaged 0.5° C for all experiments. The data indicate the luteal phase modulation in the control of sweating in healthy women is also apparent during severe exercise and/or heat stress.
Dietary and hormonal influences on rat liver polysome profiles; fat, glucose and insulin

Abstract 1. 1. To determine which dietary components cause a restoration of disaggregated liver polysomes from fasted rats, polysome profiles from the livers of rats which had been fasted or fasted and refed diets of glucose or fat were prepared and evaluated. To investigate a possible mechanism through which dietary components act, polysome profiles on alloxan-diabetic and insulin-treated rats were prepared and analyzed. 2. 2. The gradual disaggregation of liver polysomes caused by fasting is virtually complete in 48 h. Ten h after refeeding glucose the polysome profiles of 60-h fasted rats are restored. Refeeding isocaloric amounts of fat to fasted rats is without effect. 3. 3. Production of experimental diabetes with alloxan is accompanied by a gradual disaggregation of the liver polysomes. Intraperitoneal administration of insulin restores the polysomes of an alloxan-diabetic rat within 1 h. 4. 4. Administration of insulin to fasted or fat-refed animals is without effect. 5. 5. The findings reported here appear to be unrelated to the reported effects of amino acid supply on liver polysome profiles. 6. 6. Insulin, in concert with glucose, has a rapid effect on the liver resulting in changes in the polysome profile.
High Altitude Pulmonary Hypertension: Role of K+ and Ca2+ Channels

Global alveolar hypoxia, as experienced at high-altitude living, has a serious impact on vascular physiology, particularly on the pulmonary vasculature. The effects of sustained hypoxia on pulmonary arteries include sustained vasoconstriction and enhanced medial hypertrophy. As the major component of the vascular media, pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMC) are the main effectors of the physiological response(s) induced during or following hypoxic exposure. Endothelial cells, on the other hand, can sense humoral and hemodynamic changes incurred by hypoxia, triggering their production of vasoactive and mitogenic factors that then alter PASMC function and growth. Transmembrane ion flux through channels in the plasma membrane not only modulates excitation- contraction coupling in PASMC, but also regulates cell volume, apoptosis, and proliferation. In this review, we examine the roles of K+ and Ca2+ channels in the pulmonary vasoconstriction and vascular remodeling observed during chronic hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension.
A Paradigm Lost

The general theory of language of Mikolaj Kruszweski (1851-1887) is, this book argues, a “lost paradigm” in the history of linguistics. The concept of 'paradigm' is understood in a broadly construed Kuhnian sense, and its applicability to linguistics as a science is examined.It is argued that Kruszewski's theory was a covert paradigm in that his major work, Ocerk nauki o jazyke ('An Outline of the Science of Language', 1883), had the potential to be seminal in the history of linguistics, i.e. to achieve the status of a 'classical text', or 'exemplar'. This potential was not realized because Kruszewski's influence was hindered by various historical factors, including his early death and the simultaneous consolidation of the Neogrammarian paradigm, with its emphasis on phonology and language change. The book examines the intellectual background of Kruszweski's thought, which was rooted, in part, in the tradition of British empiricism. It also discusses Kruszewski's relationship to his teacher Jean Baudouin de Courtenay (1845-1929), his attitude towards the Neogrammarian movement in linguistics, the ambivalent reception of his theory by his contemporaries, and the influence of his work on the linguistic theory of Roman Jakobson (1896-1982).
Stochastic effects in plasticity in small volumes

Abstract Recent studies of micro- and nano-scale metallic structures have exposed considerable statistical distribution, in addition to significant size dependencies, in the yield strength. This intrinsic statistical variation is particularly evident in the micro-compression and microtension thin film tests. This work investigates the relationship between the initial dislocation density, the heterogeneous initial spatial dislocation distribution, and the resulting localized deformation with multiscale discrete dislocation dynamics simulations. This relationship is examined separately from commonly reported external factors affecting observed strength, such as variations in specimen geometry and base support. Towards this end, we performed multiscale dislocation dynamics simulations of geometries commonly employed in micro-scale testing techniques, including micro-pillar compression, microtensile thin film, and microbulge tests. The statistical variation of yield strengths from all three simulation geometries is in agreement with experimental data from the corresponding loading techniques. We show that the onset of plasticity is stochastic in small volumes containing a small density of dislocations: a contrast to classical deterministic plasticity theory. The yield stress in these small volumes is stochastic, not deterministic, because of statistical variation of the initial dislocation content. The numerical results exhibit a localized deformation process and demonstrate a strong dependence of the yield stress on the initial dislocation density, the initial dislocation spatial distribution, and the specimen geometry size. Leveraging nucleation theory, a stochastic model for the onset of plasticity in micro- and nano-scale structures is developed based on these results.
Distinguishing action research from participative case studies

Action researchers contend that a complex social process can be studied best by introducing changes into that process and observing the effects of these changes. The approach used by organizational consultants must also introduce change, but in this case, the theoretical development and the rigorous empirical foundation are prerequisite elements of the activity. Participative case studies are a common scientific report proceeding from consulting projects. This paper discusses the contrasts between the action research method, consulting, and participative case studies. Ethical problems arise when action research is knowingly or unknowingly conflated with consultation practices, since this combination makes the usual set of action research dilemmas even more problematic. An improved understanding of the action research‐consulting contrasts aids in distinguishing the contributions of participative case studies to the information systems literature.
Cost-benefit indexes of deception in nonviolent crime

Data on federal crimes for the years 1976-1977 are examined for the categories of fraud, embezzlement, and forgery-counterfeiting as compared with those of stolen property. A frequency analysis of the number of arrests by category of crime is conducted, and the numbers are subdivided by age and sex of perpetrator. The findings support the hypothesis that the cost-to-benefit indexes of crimes involving interpersonal deception are considerably lower than other nonviolent crimes of monetary gain. It is suggested that, as in many other social animals, human deception may be adaptive.
Effect of early season nitrogen on nitrogen fixation and fertilizer-use efficiency in grass-clover pastures

Grass-legume pastures rely on biologically fixed nitrogen (N) and thus are often N deficient in the spring. To overcome this period of N deficiency, researchers in the United Kingdom (UK), New Zealand (NZ), and recently the United States (US), have developed programs of early season N applications to clover/grass pastures. However, the effect of such early season N application on clover N fixation and N fertilizer N use efficiency of clover/grass swards is not known in the climate of the northeast US. A three-year study was conducted in Pennsylvania on a white clover (Trifolium repens)/orchardgrass (Dactyls glomerata) sward, fertilized with three rates of 15N (22.4, 44.8, and 89.6 kg N ha−1) and cut at three target sward harvest heights (TSHH) (15, 22.5, and 30 cm). The objective of the study was to determine the effects of N fertilization and TSHH on the fraction of clover N derived from fixation (FNDF), the total clover N derived from fixation (TNDF), and fertilizer N use efficiency (FNUE) of the combin...
A Glimpse Within: An Exploratory Study of Child Welfare Agencies’ Practices With LGBTQ Youth

This article presents findings from a national survey of agency members of the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) with respect to organizational culture and service delivery for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth. Sixty-seven study participants provided quantitative and qualitative data via an Internet questionnaire. Overall, agencies fall short of fully subscribing to recommendations made by the CWLA. They could improve their support for providing an inclusive environment, creating supportive policies, and selecting childcare providers regardless of sexual orientation/gender identity. In addition, agencies varied with respect to the relative emphasis that services geared specifically for LGBTQ should occur. Although some progress has been made, much work remains for child welfare agencies to fully address the needs of LGBTQ youth.
GLABELLAR REFLEX HABITUATION IN MENTALLY RETARDED ADULTS

The glabellar tap reflex has been studied in 88 adults with mental retardation and 20 normal controls. None of the 20 controls had abnormal response to glabellar tap. All the subjects with mental retardation had abnormal response to glabellar tap, 80 subjects had 'no habituation' and eight subjects had 'poor habituation' of response to glabellar tap. Thirty-nine subjects, with Down's syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome and with gross cerebral pathological states with or without motor deficits had 'no habituation' of response to glabellar tap. Of the remaining 49 subjects with unidentified aetiological diagnosis of mental retardation, 41 subjects had 'no habituation' and eight subjects had 'poor habituation' of response to glabellar tap. Age and sex had no significant effect on the response to glabellar tap in the subjects studied. The possible physiological mechanisms responsible for the abnormal response to glabellar tap have been discussed.
Dos and Don’ts in Designing: An Annual Financial Report Project(A Teacher’s Perspective)

The principle purpose of this article serves a number of purposes. Among them, it provides instructors with a tested financial statement report project. It also helps students to develop higher-level learning skills. In addition, the project provides an opportunity for students to apply their basic accounting knowledge to the analysis and use of the basic financial statements. The article also summarizes and explains the importance of key ingredients in creating a successful student-oriented project such as (1) planning and executing the project, (2) building an active learning environment and time line, and (3) emphasizing the importance of group work in completing the project. The article also discusses some simple dos and don’ts in the constructing and administering of the annual financial report project for introductory accounting students.
Adiabatic transformability hypothesis of human locomotion

It is hypothesized that metabolic and mechanical changes in human locomotion associated with changes in speed v are constrained by two attractive strategies: $$Q_{{\text{metab}}} = 1{\text{ and }}\Delta Q_{{\text{metab}}} /\Delta v = {\text{a}}$$ positive definite constant. $$Q_{{\text{metab}}} = \Delta {\rm E}_{\text{k}} {\text{s}}^{{\text{ - 1}}} /{\text{ml O}}_{\text{2}} {\text{s}}^{{\text{ - 1}}} $$ where ΔEs?1 is the summed increments and decrements per unit time in the translational and rotational kinetic energies of the body's segments and ml O2s?1 is the rate at which chemical energy is dissipated. The expected constancy of ΔQ metab/Δv metab was derived from an extension of Ehrenfest's adiabatic hypothesis by which transformations (increases, decreases) in locomotion v can be considered as adiabatic, even though the biological conditions are nonconservative and non-rate-limited. The expected significance of Q metab=1 was derived from stability considerations of the symmetry per stride of stored and dissipated energy. An experimental evaluation was provided by collecting metabolic and mechanical measures on walking (10 subjects) and running (9 subjects) at progressively greater treadmill speeds but within the aerobic limit. Results revealed that walking was restricted to ometab ? 1 with a nonlinear trajectory in v×Q metab coordinates shaped by Q metab=1 (primarily) and the constancy of ΔQ metab/Δv. Running satisfied Q metab > 1, with a linear trajectory in v×Q metab coordinates conforming to ΔQ metab/Δv=a constant, with the constant predicted from invariants in the mechanical space v×ΔE ks?1. Results also suggested that the metabolic costs of running might be predictable from measures made in the v×ΔE ks?1 space.
In vitro fertilization, the Nobel Prize, and human embryonic stem cells

Robert Edwards was awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the development of human in vitro fertilization. His work not only provided the means to overcome many forms of infertility, but it also enabled research on early stages of human embryos and the derivation of human embryonic stem cells.
Purification and properties of a peptic heme peptide from cytochrome c1.

Summary A novel purification procedure was devised to isolate a heme peptide from bovine cytochrome c 1 . The procedure was based on unique properties of some heme peptides and was capable of processing small quantities (∼ 100 n moles) of material with satisfactory yields. The dansyl reactions, two-dimensional thin layer chromatography, and electrophoresis demonstrated that the peptide was reasonably homogenous. The amino acid composition and spectral characteristics indicate a high degree of similarity with the peptic heme peptide of bovine cytochrom c .
Piroxicam Release from Dermatological Base: In-Vitro Studies using Cellulose Membrane and Hairless Mouse Skin

AbstractPiroxicam is one of the most potent non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory agents which also exhibits antipyretic activity. Piroxicam is well absorbed following the oral administration, however, its use has been associated with a number of gastro-intestinal disorders including bleeding and ulceration. To overcome these side effects, this study was undertaken to develop diadermatic dosage form using various polymeric gel and ointment bases containing 1% piroxicam were prepared to study the in-vitro release of the drug. Also, a series of additive ingredients, such as, alcohol USP, polyethylene glycol-400 and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) were incorporated in these formulations at various concentration levels to evaluate their effects on drug release. The general rank order for the in-vitro drug release from all the bases evaluated was: gel base > hydrophillic base > emulsion base. In general, additives had little or no effect in enhancing the drug release from these bases. The in-vitro release data were treat...
Current Perception of Nutrition Education in U.S. Medical Schools

Historically, physicians have perceived the quality of nutrition training during medical school as inadequate. A literature review suggests that this perception has not significantly changed since the 1950s. Many schools have worked to create clinical nutrition curricula for use during medical school. Interestingly, data suggest that medical students' perception of the importance of clinical nutrition can decrease during medical school. Recent data support the importance of targeted nutritional therapy to reduce morbidity and mortality, yet the number of physicians interested in nutrition appears to be declining, and fewer hours of nutrition training are occurring in medical school. One possible solution to improve both training and awareness of the problem is to implement a certification program for both students and preceptors modeled after the Cardiac Life Support training offered by the American Heart Association.
The N-pentenoyl protecting group for aminoacyl-tRNAs.

Abstract The elaboration of misacylated transfer RNAs by T4 RNA ligase-mediated condensation of an aminoacylated pdCpA derivative and a tRNA (transcript) missing the two 3′-terminal nucleotides requires that the aminoacyl moiety of the dinucleotide be stabilized during the ligation reaction. This can be done conveniently by the use of a simple 4-pentenoyl group attached to N α of the amino acid. The pentenoyl amide can be deblocked readily with aqueous iodine, presumably via an iodolactone intermediate. This protecting group can be used in conjunction with side chain protecting group for amino acids having side chain functionality, thus permitting the elaboration of proteins bearing side chain protecting groups that can be removed in a subsequent step (e.g., caged proteins). In addition, an aminated analogue of the pentenoyl protecting group, the unnatural amino acid allylglycine, can be employed as part of the peptide backbone to afford a protein cleavable by iodine.
DYNAMICS OF A HYDROELASTIC CYLINDER WITH VERY LOW MASS AND DAMPING

Abstract An experimental facility for the study of the forces and response associated with vortex-induced vibration of a rigid cylinder has been constructed with extraordinarily low normalized mass and normalized damping. This facility achieves a level of combined mass and damping which is an order of magnitude less than previous studies of this type. Measurements of the total integrated forces on a static cylinder demonstrate the importance of the end conditions. By varying the end conditions, the case of vortices shed parallel to the cylinder was compared to the oblique shedding case. The results show that the mean drag is consistently higher in the parallel shedding case, throughout our range of Reynolds number, whereas the variation in r.m.s. lift is highly dependent on Reynolds number. At Re=12 000, the parallel case had five times the r.m.s. lift of the oblique case, a ratio which would become larger as the aspect ratio of the cylinder increases. However, despite this dependence upon Reynolds number in the magnitude of the lift force, the dominant nondimensional frequencies of the lift force were independent of Reynolds number, even in the present case of cellular shedding. Our study of the response in the hydroelastic case has brought two previously neglected points to the fore. Our data at very low mass-damping ratio shows that the response has two branches of resonance. The implication at low mass-damping ratios is that there are actually two distinct levels of resonance, rather than a single one as previously assumed. The second observation is that the adjustment of the mass ratio affects the response, even when the combined mass-damping ratio is kept constant. An equation of motion is developed here, with inclusion of the inviscid “added-mass” force which will necessarily become important at low mass ratios.
Development of a thermodynamically consistent, robust and efficient phase equilibrium solver and its validations

Abstract An applied phase-related equilibrium (APPLE) solver using only the Peng–Robinson equation of state is developed based on rigorous classical thermodynamics. The solver is theoretically and thermodynamically consistent with the stringent equilibrium criterion. It is mainly composed of phase stability and phase splitting calculations, which will be called routinely in the course of searching for the globally stable equilibrium state. It also makes use of various robust and efficient numerical methods. To demonstrate its performance, the solver is tested against various mixtures, such as oil and gas mixtures, hydrocarbon mixtures and hydrocarbon–nitrogen mixtures. Phase diagrams of these mixtures are constructed and verified with available experimental data or other researchers’ calculations. Results show that the APPLE solver is reliable and fast to solve phase equilibrium problems, including three-phase equilibrium. Finally, its potential applications to droplet evaporation and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) calculations are discussed.
Carbon isotope excursions and the oxidant budget of the Ediacaran atmosphere and ocean

A possible global drop in marine carbon isotope values to as low as −12‰ Peedee belemnite (PDB), recorded in the Ediacaran Shuram Formation of Oman, has been attributed to the non-steady-state oxidation of oceanic dissolved organic carbon (DOC) resulting from the rise in atmospheric oxygen to near modern values at the end of the Precambrian. Geologic constraints indicate that the excursion lasted between 25 and 50 m.y., requiring a DOC pool thousands of times to 10,000 times the modern inventory to conform with carbon isotope mass balance calculations for a −12‰ excursion. At the consequent rates of DOC oxidation, oceanic sulfate and oxygen in the atmosphere and oceans are exhausted on a time scale of ~800 k.y. Oxidant depletion is incompatible with independent geochemical and biological indicators that show oceanic sulfate and oxygen levels were maintained or increased during the Shuram excursion. Furthermore, a DOC-driven excursion does not explain strong covariation between the carbon and oxygen isotope record. These indicators show that negative isotope excursions recorded in the Shuram and other Ediacaran sections are unlikely to represent a global ocean signal.
Wave propagation in a random lattice. II

Propagation of the mean waves in a simple cubic crystal with small, random mass defects is studied using the results of a previous paper. The dispersion equations for two‐ and three‐dimensional crystals are analyzed. For uncorrelated mass defects, the effective propagation constants are obtained explicitly in the limits of low frequency and near cut‐off frequency. The mean reflection and transmission coefficients are determined for a plane wave incident in a crystal formed by joining a semi‐infinite perfect crystal to a semi‐infinite defective crystal or by connecting two semi‐infinite perfect crystals to a finite imperfect crystal. We also construct the mean Green's functions for an infinite crystal lattice containing defective masses distributed throughout it or confined to a half‐space.
Enzyme release from isolated erythrocytes and lymphocytes in Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Abstract The release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) was studied in erythrocytes and lymphocytes from patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Erythrocytes were incubated in Krebs-Ringer with or without 30 mM adenosine and in autologous plasma. There was little release of enzyme in Krebs-Ringer solutions up to 24 h or in autologous plasma up to 48 h, with no statistical difference between Duchenne patients and controls. Addition of 30 mM adenosine reduced the release of LDH in Duchenne erythrocytes at 48 h from 32.4 ± 5.66% (SE) to 6.2 ± 1.76% (P
The geodetic requirements for commercial data base management systems

There are many data base management systems now available as commercially marketed software packages. Although most of these packages were initially aimed at bussiness or administrative data processing applications, they may frequently also be the right tool for a scientific data processing task. This becomes more apparent as we notice that scientific computer programmers are spending more and more time on data management requirements rather than the coding of mathematical algorithms. In a scientific environment, a generalized data base management package is best viewed as a tool for programmers, rather than as a tool for direct, independent use by end users or by agency management. To the end user, the most attractive feature of a commerical DBMS is usually the interactive retrieval and update language. To the programmer, the most attractive feature is more likely to be the strong support for various types of keyed access. All of the manipulations necessary to build and maintain indices and other tables can be treated as procedural abstractions. Coupled with a procedural language, a DBMS offers the programmer a higher level (in the sense of more abstract) language. The most important geodetic requirement on a commercial DBMS is therefore that the package contain a strong Data Manipulation Language, with strong support for the algorithmic language used for scientific processing.
GIAO NMR calculations for atrazine and atrazine dimers: comparison of theoretical and experimental 1H and 13C chemical shifts

Abstract The gauge-including atomic orbital method for calculating 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic shielding tensors at both the Hartree–Fock (HF) and density functional levels of theory is applied to atrazine (2-chloro-4-ethylamino-6-isopropyl-amine-s-triazine) and atrazine dimers. Atrazine calculations include the HF/6-31G∗, HF/6-31G∗∗, and HF/6-311+G(d,p) basis sets. Atrazine density functional calculations (DFT) use the B3LYP and B3PW91 methods and the 6-31G∗, 6-31G∗∗, and 6-311+G(d,p) basis sets. Hartree–Fock atrazine dimer calculations include the 6-31G∗ and 6-31G∗∗ basis sets. Atrazine dimer B3LYP calculations are reported for B3LYP/6-31G∗ and B3LYP/6-31G∗//B3LYP/6-31G∗∗. The 1H and 13C NMR chemical shifts compare favorably with those reported for atrazine monomer–dimer equilibria in solution. The multiple atrazine N–H 1H chemical shifts correlate with N–H 1H chemical shifts calculated for monomeric atrazine at both the HF and density functional levels of theory.
The design of real-time distributed arrival time control system in a cell manufacturing

In this study a real-time distributed arrival time control system in a cell manufacturing system for JIT-oriented production environment is designed. The distributed arrival time control (DATC) system is introduced to improve the scalability and practicality of the assembly cells manufacturing systems in heterarchical manufacturing systems. The simulation experiments are implemented to present the advantage of this new control system under JIT environment. The results indicate that DATC used in assembly cells was effective and can handle a wide range of variability with little change in mean squared deviation. The research also shows that distributed arrival time control system can provide the stability of the scheduling of manufacturing system.
Characterization and evaluation of lactic acid bacteria isolated from goat milk

Abstract The aim of this study was to characterise and select Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) from goat milk with potential probiotic use and to evaluate the safety of these cultures in artisanal cheeses. The isolates of LAB were subjected to simulation of tolerance to the gastrointestinal tract, haemolytic test, antimicrobial susceptibility, antibacterial activity, EPS production, gas production, evaluation of proteolytic activity, diacetyl production and tolerance to NaCl. The genus and species of the selected LAB isolates were confirmed using molecular identification. Three goat cheeses (1, 2 and control) were manufactured to evaluate the inhibitory action of LAB against Escherichia coli . Subsequently, all cheese samples underwent bacterial enumeration and physical–chemical analyses. Statistical analysis was performed. UNIVASF CAP 14 and 20 were differentiated by survival up to pH 2 and pancreatin, resistance to NaCl and antibacterial activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae . UNIVASF CAP 4 and 29 were characterised by resistance to intestinal juice and antibacterial activity against Salmonella Typhi and Listeria monocytogenes . UNIVASF CAP 27, 38, 43 and 139 exhibited diacetyl production, antibacterial activity against Bacillus cereus , Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis . UNIVASF CAP 35 and 138 were characterised by proteolytic activity, EPS production, antibacterial activity to E. coli and Shigella flexneri . A cocktail of these 10 isolates with potential probiotic properties were inoculated in artisanal goat cheese and improved microbiological safety of product against E. coli .
A Survey of Nurses' Attitudes Toward Distance Education and the Educational Use of 3-D Virtual Environments

Using funds provided through the Medical Library Association's 2008 Donald A. B. Lindberg Research Fellowship, librarians at Eastern University conducted a survey to assess nurses’ attitudes and perceptions about (1) the effectiveness of distance education in delivering academic content; (2) whether distance learning promoted socialization and fostered professionalization; and (3) the use of an online immersive environment, such as the virtual world Second Life, as a tool to deliver distance education. Results from the survey indicated a positive attitude from nurses at all academic levels toward distance education and a willingness to explore the academic use of a virtual environment.
Rate-dependent effect of verapamil on atrial refractoriness

Abstract Objectives The purpose of this study was to determine whether verapamil has rate-dependent effects on the atrial effective refractory period (AERP). Background Block of calcium current (ICa) and rapid component of the delayed rectifier potassium current (IKr) by verapamil is frequency-dependent. This may result in variable effects of verapamil on the AERP, depending on the rate. Methods The subjects of this study were 30 adults with a mean age of 45 ± 13 years who did not have structural heart disease. In 20 subjects, the AERP was measured at basic drive cycle lengths (BDCLs) of 650 to 250 ms, in 50 ms decrements, before and after infusion of 0.1 mg/kg verapamil. The effective refractory periods (ERPs) were measured in the setting of autonomic blockade in 10 subjects and without autonomic blockade in 10 subjects. Ten subjects served as a control group and received a saline infusion instead of verapamil. Results Verapamil significantly prolonged the AERP at BDCLs of 650 to 500 ms (p Conclusions Verapamil prolongs AERP at slow rates and shortens AERP at rapid rates. These findings are consistent with a predominant effect on ICaat rapid rates and a predominant effect on IKrat slow rates.
The effect of chemical and physiological factors on the kinetics for product formation as it relates to enzyme activity and concentration, reaction time and to substrate adsorption and affinity

1. The dependency of product formation on reaction time and on enzyme concentration was studied with certain purified enzymes and liver microsomal mixed-function oxidase system. 2. The product-formation-time relation was estimated with different enzyme and/or substrate concentrations for the reactions limited by diffusion. 3. The kinetic constants of the product-time relations in these diffusion systems have been verified experimentally to give a more specific and detailed characterization of an enzyme system under a variety of physiologic and reaction conditions. 4. The influence of inhibitors and activators in vitro, the effect of enzyme preparation technic, aging, starvation, pretreatment with somatotropic hormone, phenobarbital or 3-methylcholanthrene, and the effect of a tumor were studied. 5. The influence of vitamin C deficiency in guinea pig was also studied.
Concentration, congestion, and the dynamics: spatial re-modeling of the Murphy, Shleifer, and Vishny model

Based on spatial dimension to agglomeration, this paper investigates economic concentration and congestion. Departing from the Murphy, Shleifer, and Vishny model, where the two equilibria of the poverty trap and full industrialization are discussed, this paper suggests the possibility of partial industrialization. Unlike the original model in which fixed cost F and productivity α are assumed to be constant, the author argues that both F and α are non-monotonic functions of n (number of entering monopolist firms), and that an economy stays in a partial industrialization state when congestion effects and external diseconomies are dominant. However, some situations are dynamic in the sense that they may reach the status of full industrialization as long as an economy overcomes congestion problems.
Andrew Jackson and the bank war : a study in the growth of presidential power

During the changing economic and social conditions of the 1820's and 1830's there was much hostility between the Bank on the one hand, and rising capitalists, urban workers, and farmers on the other. In this context, Jackson aimed to do away with the Bank. The Bank's supporters, however, struck back. In a move intended to wrench political support from Jackson, Henry Clay forced a bill through the Senate to recharter the Bank. Jackson vetoed the bill, beginning the long struggle which has become known as "The Bank War." Jackson defeated Clay in the presidential election of 1832 despite Clay's efforts. Taking his political victory as a mandate from the people to destroy the Bank, he withdrew federal deposits, thereby setting the stage for the Bank's eventual death in 1836. In this book, Robert V. Remini begins by discussing the antagonists in the Bank War: Jackson and Biddle. He states that "the destruction of the Bank occurred because it got caught between [these] two willful, proud, and stubborn men..." He then goes on to details of the struggle, "emphasizing the ways in which the War transformed the presidential office: how Jackson capitalized on the struggle to strengthen the executive branch of the government and infuse it with much of the power it enjoys today."
The paralogous Hox genes Hoxa10 and Hoxd10 interact to pattern the mouse hindlimb peripheral nervous system and skeleton.

Abstract The most 5′ mouse Hoxa and Hoxd genes, which occupy positions 9–13 and which are related to the Drosophila AbdB gene, are all active in patterning developing limbs. Inactivation of individual genes produces alterations in skeletal elements of both forelimb and hindlimb; inactivation of some of these genes also alters hindlimb innervation. Simultaneous inactivation of paralogous or nonparalogous Hoxa and Hoxd genes produces more widespread alterations, suggesting that combinatorial interactions between these genes are required for proper limb patterning. We have examined the effects of simultaneous inactivation of Hoxa10 and Hoxd10 on mouse hindlimb skeletal and nervous system development. These paralogous genes are expressed at lumbar and sacral levels of the developing neural tube and surrounding axial mesoderm as well as in developing forelimb and hindlimb buds. Double-mutant animals demonstrated impaired locomotor behavior and altered development of posterior vertebrae and hindlimb skeletal elements. Alterations in hindlimb innervation were also observed, including truncations and deletions of the tibial and peroneal nerves. Animals carrying fewer mutant alleles show similar, but less extreme phenotypes. These observations suggest that Hoxa10 and Hoxd10 coordinately regulate skeletal development and innervation of the hindlimb.
Formation of Raised Source/Drain Junctions by Rapid Thermal Chemical Vapor Deposition

In this paper, we present alternative uses of rapid thermal chemical vapor deposition (RTCVD) in forming junctions for the raised source/drain MOSFET. The results will include applications of epitaxial silicon, SixGe1−x and TiSi2 all selectively deposited in dedicated coldwalled, lamp heated high or ultra high vacuum RTCVD reactors. Two general approaches will be considered : 1) ultra shallow junction formation in silicon followed by a selective deposition process to form a raised contact, 2) selective deposition to obtain a layer that can be used as a solid diffusion source and as a sacrificial layer for self-aligned silicide formation. In the first approach, junctions are formed typically by low energy ion-implantation. In this paper, we present rapid thermal vapor phase doping (RTVPD) as an alternative to ion-implantation to form defect free ultra-shallow junctions in Si. The method involves exposing a silicon wafer to a dopant gas (such as B2H6) at a moderate temperature (∼600°C) for a short time and subsequent annealing for drive-in. This is followed by either selective epitaxy and conventional self-aligned TiSi2 formation or selective deposition of a low-resistivity C54 TiSi2 from TiCl4 and SiH4. In the second approach, first, a semiconductor (Si, polysilicon or SixGe1−x) is deposited selectively. If the material is undoped, doping can be achieved by ion-implantation. In-situ doping is also possible as will be shown with p- and n-type SixGe1−x at temperatures as low as 625°C using B2H6 or PH3. The doped layer is then used as a solid diffusion source to form the junctions by out-diffusion. Using these different approaches, we present examples of high quality junctions in Si as shallow as a few hundred angstroms. The techniques are compared based upon their robustness, complexity, equipment and thermal budget requirements.
Phospholipases stimulate secretion in RBL mast cells.

Roles for glycerophospholipids in exocytosis have been proposed, but remain controversial. Phospholipases are stimulated following the activation of the high-affinity receptor for immunoglobulin E (IgE) in mast cells. To study the biochemical sequelae that lead to degranulation, broken cell systems were employed. We demonstrate that the addition of three distinct types of exogenous phospholipases (i.e., bcPLC, scPLD, and tfPLA(2)), all of which hydrolyze phosphatidylcholine (PC), trigger degranulation in permeabilized RBL-2H3 cells, a mucosal mast cell line. Production of bioactive lipids by these phospholipases promotes release of granule contents through the plasma membrane and acts downstream of PKC, PIP(2), and Rho subfamily GTPases in regulated secretion. These exogenous phospholipase-induced degranulation pathways circumvent specific factors activated following stimulation of the IgE receptor as well as in ATP- and GTP-dependent intracellular pathways. Taken together, these results suggest that regulated secretion may be achieved in vitro in the absence of cytosolic factors via phospholipase activation and that products of PC hydrolysis can promote exocytosis in mast cells.
Distributed imaging using an array of compressive cameras

Abstract We describe a distributed computational imaging system that employs an array of feature specific sensors, also known as compressive imagers, to directly measure the linear projections of an object. Two different schemes for implementing these non-imaging sensors are discussed. We consider the task of object reconstruction and quantify the fidelity of reconstruction using the root mean squared error (RMSE) metric. We also study the lifetime of such a distributed sensor network. The sources of energy consumption in a distributed feature specific imaging (DFSI) system are discussed and compared with those in a distributed conventional imaging (DCI) system. A DFSI system consisting of 20 imagers collecting DCT, Hadamard, or PCA features has a lifetime of 4.8× that of the DCI system when the noise level is 20% and the reconstruction RMSE requirement is 6%. To validate the simulation results we emulate a distributed computational imaging system using an experimental setup consisting of an array of conventional cameras.