cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Context-mediated behavior for intelligent agents

Humans and other animals are exquisitely attuned to their context. Context affects almost all aspects of behavior, and it does so for the most part automatically, without a conscious reasoning effort. This would be a very useful property for an artificial agent to have: upon recognizing its context, the agent's behavior would automatically adjust to fit it. This paper describescontext-mediated behavior(CMB), an approach to context-sensitive behavior we have developed over the past few years for intelligent autonomous agents. In CMB, contexts are represented explicitly ascontextual schemas(c-schemas). An agent recognizes its context by finding the c-schemas that match it, then it merges these to form a coherent representation of the current context. This includes not only a description of the context, but also information about how to behave in it. From that point until the next context change, knowledge for context-sensitive behavior is available with no additional effort. This is used to influence perception, make predictions about the world, handle unanticipated events, determine the context-dependent meaning of concepts, focus attention and select actions. CMB is being implemented in the Orca program, an intelligent controller for autonomous underwater vehicles.
The 2.1 A structure of Torpedo californica creatine kinase complexed with the ADP-Mg(2+)-NO(3)(-)-creatine transition-state analogue complex.

Creatine kinase (CK) catalyzes the reversible conversion of creatine and ATP to phosphocreatine and ADP, thereby helping maintain energy homeostasis in the cell. Here we report the first X-ray structure of CK bound to a transition-state analogue complex (CK−TSAC). Cocrystallization of the enzyme from Torpedo californica (TcCK) with ADP-Mg2+, nitrate, and creatine yielded a homodimer, one monomer of which was liganded to a TSAC complex while the second monomer was bound to ADP-Mg2+ alone. The structures of both monomers were determined to 2.1 A resolution. The creatine is located with the guanidino nitrogen cis to the methyl group positioned to perform in-line attack at the γ-phosphate of ATP-Mg2+, while the ADP-Mg2+ is in a conformation similar to that found in the TSAC-bound structure of the homologue arginine kinase (AK). Three ligands to Mg2+ are contributed by ADP and nitrate and three by ordered water molecules. The most striking difference between the substrate-bound and TSAC-bound structures is the...
The Cost of Cutting Class: Attendance As A Predictor of Success

A study of three hundred undergraduates enrolled in a general education course at a large mid-western state university revealed, as expected, a strong negative correlation between absences and final grades. Although the complex equation for academic success involves many more variables than attendance alone, some of which are also considered in this article, attendance should be one of the easiest variables for students to control. Students who wish to succeed academically should attend class, and instructors should likewise encourage class attendance.
Influence of Hypophysectomy on the Lipolytic Activity of the Rat Pancreas

A fall in the total lipolytic activity of the pancreas to about half the control level was observed at 3, 7 and 55±2 days after hypophysectomy. At 3 days the concentration of lipolytic activity was depressed, but it returned promptly to the level observed in nonhypophysectomized controls, with a significant depression no longer being evident at 7 days. In these respects lipolytic activity responds to hypophysectomy in a manner similar to that of proteolytic activity, a permanent change being observed only in total activity. Amylolytic activity differs in that the concentration also is reduced.
Fallen in Battle: American General Officer Combat Fatalities From 1775

Introduction Biographies A-Z Appendix A: General Officer Data Appendix B: American General and Flag Officer Combat Fatalities Appendix C: American General and Flag Officer Non-Combat Fatalities During Time of Hostilities Appendix D: American General and Flag Officers Wounded in Action Appendix E: American General and Flag Officers Captured by Hostile Forces Appendix F: Facts and Superlatives About Those Who Fell in Battle Appendix G: General Officer Fatalities for Selected Battles and Campaigns Bibliography Index
A Penetrating Look at Stochasticity in Development

In recent work published in Nature, Raj et al. (2010) use single mRNA molecule quantification to show that variation in gene expression in Caenorhabditis elegans increases in mutants displaying incomplete penetrance. They find that a bimodal response is triggered when noisy expression of an upstream regulator crosses a critical threshold.
Identification and Ablation of Macroreentrant Ventricular Tachycardia with the CARTO Electroanatomical Mapping System

Monomorphic ventricular tachycardias associated with regions of scar are most commonly due to reentry. Catheter based techniques have recently been described for mapping of reentry circuits. Fluoroscopic methods have obvious limitations when attempting to map large ventricular reentry circuit and localize target-sites of radiofrequency ablation. Three-dimensional right ventricular endocardial mapping was performed in a 38-year-old patient with ventricular tachycardia 28 years after surgical correction of tetralogy of Fallot by using the CARTO electroanatomical system. The map of electrogram voltage showed low amplitude electrograms over the anterior wall of the right ventricle extending into the right ventricular outflow tract, consistent with the location of the ventriculotomy scar. Recording of local activation time was combined with entrainment mapping to define the macroreentrant circuit during ventricular tachycardia. Since the activation propagated through a broad path around the right ventriculotomy scar, ablation was performed by creating a line of block, which was facilitated by tagging of the lesion sites on the endocardial activation map. Large ventricular reentry circuits can be identified and interrupted by creation of a line of block to interrupt a broad path. A practical approach to mapping combining analysis of electrogram voltage, activation sequence, and entrainment is presented.
Sex and sociability in rats

Abstract Three experiments explored the effects of sexual motivation and the opportunity for sexual contact on social attraction in rats. Rats were no more gregarious in cross-sex than in same-sex pairings. Increased male sexual experience and hormonally induced female receptivity both led to increased sexual activity but had no effect on social behavior. Males housed with continuously receptive females showed signs of sexual exhaustion but were as gregarious as males housed alone or with males. It appears that social attraction in rats is not motivated primarily by sexual desires, either direct or sublimated.
Parastrongylus (=Angiostrongylus) cantonensis Now Endemic in Louisiana Wildlife

Parastrongylus (=Angiostrongylus) cantonensis, a lung worm of rats, was first reported in the United States in 1987, with a probable introduction by infected rats from ships docking in New Orleans, Louisiana, during the mid-1980s. Since then, it has been reported in nonhuman primates and a boy from New Orleans, and in a horse from Picayune, Mississippi, a distance of 87 km from New Orleans. Parastrongylus cantonensis infection is herein reported in a lemur (Varencia variegata rubra) from New Iberia, Louisiana, a distance of 222 km from New Orleans, and in a wood rat (Neotoma floridanus) and in 4 opossums (Didelphis virginiana) from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a distance of 124 km from New Orleans. The potential of a great variety of gastropods serving as intermediate hosts in Louisiana may pose a threat to wildlife as well as to domesticated animals in the areas where infected Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) are present.
Effect of cell growth rate and dose fractionation on chemically-induced ouabain-resistant mutations in Chinese hamster V79 cells.

Abstract Chinese hamster V79 cells were grown in medium containing either 10% or 2% FCS during the expression time following exposure to MNNG. The lower serum concentration was used to reduce the rate of cell replication, thereby allowing more time for DNA repair prior to “fixation” of the mutagenic lesion. In addition, fractionated and continuous exposures to MNNG and MAM, respectively, were carried out to determine their effect on the number of induced ouabain-resistant mutants. The results indicate that lowering the rate of cell growth effectively reduces the mutation frequency at low, but not at high doses of MNNG. Fractionated doses of MNNG result in a potentiation of their mutagenic effects compared to single doses. Also, continuous exposures to MAM result in an exponential increase in the mutation frequency. Collectively, these results suggest the importance of a repair process in Chinese hamster V79 cells which is dependent upon cell growth rate and the dose of the mutagen for its effectiveness.
Coaxial Transmission-Line Filters

Microwave filters based upon coaxial structures are not difficult to construct, and for wide-band applications they have an advantage over cavity types in that the terminal matching problems are more easily met. For narrow-band work the cavity is superior because of its higher Q. A tentative analysis of coaxial transmission-line band-pass filters is given and experimental work in support of the analytical results is included. A TE-mode high-pass filter is discussed and experimental data presented.
Capillary refill time is an unreliable indicator of cardiovascular status in term neonates.

PURPOSE Decisions regarding the need for volume replacement in neonates often are made in the immediate newborn period. Capillary refill time (CRT) is used as an indicator of circulatory status; however, recent data show that CRT varies considerably with age, ambient and skin temperature, anatomical site of measurement, and duration of pressure. The purpose of this study was to (1) examine the relationship between CRT and heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) in term neonates, and (2) evaluate the differences among CRT values measured at 3 body sites and with varying duration of cutaneous pressure. DESIGN This was a prospective, cross-sectional, correlational study. Subjects Forty-two appropriate-weight-for-gestational-age (AGA) neonates with birthweights, (M = 3407; SD = +/- 540 g), gestational ages (M = 39 weeks; SD = +/- 1 week), and sex (21 males, 21 females). Infants had no history of perinatal distress or maternal chorioamnionitis. METHODS Each neonate was studied prospectively 1 to 4 hours after birth. The infants were clothed with only a diaper and evaluated on a radiant warmer bed set to achieve an axillary temperature of 36.5 degrees to 37.0 degrees C. Capillary refill time was measured with a digital stopwatch at 3 sites: volar surface of finger (F), plantar surface of heel (H), and lower sternum (St), using brief (1- to 2-second) and extended (3- to 4-second) pressure. Heart rate was auscultated and counted for 60 seconds, and BP was measured by oscillometry. Relationships among variables were assessed by Pearson correlation coefficient, analysis of variance, and multiple regression analysis. The Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons was applied. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Capillary refill time, blood pressure, and heart rate. PRINCIPAL RESULTS There was no significant site variation for CRT for either brief (2.4 +/- 0.6 to 2.9 +/- 1.0 seconds) or extended (3.8 +/- 0.8 to 4.3 +/- 0.8 seconds) pressure. However, regardless of site, CRT was greater when extended versus brief pressure was used (P < 0.001). There were no significant correlations between HR and CRT. There was a moderate, direct relationship between BP and CRT observed in the following anatomic sites: (1) sternum/extended pressure and systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP, and mean BP (r = 0.35, P = 0.02; r = 0.49, P = 0.001; and r = 0.43, P = 0.005, respectively); (2) sternum/brief pressure and SBP (r = 0.31, P = 0.05); and (3) finger/extended pressure and SBP (r = 0.30, P = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS An unanticipated moderate, direct correlation between BP and CRT was observed; prolongation of CRT occurred with elevated blood pressure. This finding may have been secondary to increased circulating vasoactive substances in the newborn period; measurement of these substances was beyond the scope of this study. In addition, CRT was highly dependent on the duration of cutaneous pressure, regardless of the site. These 2 findings indicate that CRT may be an unreliable indicator of cardiovascular status in the term neonate during the first 4 hours after birth.
BRONCHIAL CARCINOID TUMOR PRESENTING WITH COMPLETE LOBAR COLLAPSE AND UNILATERAL LUNG EMPHYSEMA

Bronchial carcinoid tumors have different radiographic manifestations. This is a presentation of a case of bronchial carcinoid tumor which presented with complete right upper lobe collapse and emphysematous change of the right residual lung. According to bronchoscopic and operative findings, the emphysematous change of the right residual lung was contributed by a check-valve effect of the endobronchial tumor of the right main bronchus and a compensatory effect of the right residual lung post complete collapse of the right upper lobe.
Thymic Carcinoma: A Multivariate Analysis of Factors Predictive of Survival in 290 Patients

Background Thymic carcinoma is a rare, aggressive disease with low 5-year survivals. We undertook this study to identify factors that impact prognosis and to better define the relationship between survival and surgical intervention. Methods We queried the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results cancer database and identified patients with thymic carcinoma. We performed univariate and multivariate analyses to identify factors prognostic for survival, focusing on demographic, tumor, and treatment variables. Results For 290 patients with thymic carcinoma, the median survival was 48 months with 5-year survival of 30%. In multivariate analysis, type of surgical therapy (none, incomplete excision, complete thymic excision, debulking), Masaoka stage, and sex were important determinants of survival. Patients who underwent complete thymic excision had a significantly longer median survival than those who did not receive surgical therapy (105 versus 29 months; p Conclusions Complete thymic excision is the preferred primary treatment for thymic carcinoma. Masaoka stage has significant prognostic implications for all patients, including those who undergo complete thymic excision.
Asthma symptoms in early childhood--what happens then?

Aim: To study the outcome in early adulthood for children with early asthma symptoms and to analyse the factors associated with current asthma. Methods: In a prospective study, we have re-investigated 89/101 children who were hospitalized before the age of two years due to wheezing. The children were investigated using a questionnaire and allergy and bronchial hyper-responsiveness tests at the age of 17–20 years and compared with age-matched controls. Results: In the cohort, 43% had had asthma symptoms in the preceding 12 months compared with 15% in the control group. The strongest risk factors for asthma were current allergy, bronchial hyper-responsiveness and female gender. Female gender and passive smoking in infancy were independent infantile risk factors. In addition to female gender, two pathways led to current asthma: an allergic pathway from family atopy via the development of allergy and another pathway from early passive smoking via hyper-responsiveness and active smoking. Conclusion: In children with early wheezing disorder, current allergy, bronchial hyper-responsiveness and female gender were the strongest risk factors for asthma in early adulthood, while female gender and passive smoking in infancy were independent infantile risk factors. The effects of early passive smoking persist longer than previously reported.
Human Relationship in Contemporary Muslim Bioethics

In this paper I discuss contemporary examples of bioethical debates in which some Muslims have objected to new medical interventions on the grounds that they dubiously change God’s creation (khalq Allah) or that such medical interventions trespass on the human body as God’s property (milk Allah). In closely scrutinizing these examples, it becomes apparent that such stances about the proper human-God relationship are in fact shaped and predetermined by ideas about social relationships between humans and the power inequalities that lie therein. For example, Shaykh Sha’rawi in Egypt famously objected to organ transplantation on the grounds that the body “belonged to God.” But why was this particular medical intervention singled out while others that clearly intervene in “God’s property” were not? Why is the large number of medically unnecessary Caesarean sections in Egyptian hospitals, in contrast, a widespread practice that poses avoidable risks and harms to both mothers and babies, not an object of bioethi...
Technological Trends in GaAs MESFET's for Mm-Wave Applications

The most recent developments in GaAs MESFET's are reviewed and compared to the progress of other fast three-terminal devices potentially of interest for mm-wave applications. An attempt is made at predicting future performance by extrapolating the present trends.
Turning Away from High Symmetry

A common sight in cold climates is the growth of crystalline ice “feathers” or “ferns” on a cold window pane. These structures are initiated by heterogeneous nucleation—the ice crystals form on the surface of a different substance, in this case, specks of dust. It is much harder to start crystal formation in pure fluids because the seed crystal must form spontaneously in solution (hence pure water can supercool and remain as a liquid for long times below its freezing point). Homogeneous nucleation is largely a mystery; observing small clusters of molecules directly is difficult, and their formation is a rare event. On page 560 of this issue, Meng et al. ( 1 ) report an exhaustive experimental study of the equilibrium cluster configurations in a model system consisting of microscopic plastic spheres that were designed to have a short-ranged, reversible attraction that drives them together ( 2 ). This work underscores the subtle geometrical difficulties associated with crystal nucleation, and helps us to understand the “rules” by which nature self-assembles small structures and ultimately crystals.
The place of value in a world of facts

In this important and challenging book, Wolfgang Kohler's subject is value, or what he calls the "requiredness" of an object or activity. Starting with a descriptive account of values as we become aware of them, he finds that, inside certain contexts, parts of such structures do not appear as indifferent facts. They are experienced as belonging there intrinsically or, also, as being out of place in their contexts. Kohler's closely reasoned analysis, drawing on the fields of psychology, biology, and physics, centers around this concept of requiredness. Certain things in nature belong together or require the presence of one another in such a way that fitness or requiredness constitutes a principles of association between them. This same principle of association, Kohler suggests, may help to explain the idea of value and lay a foundation for the scientific solution of ethical problems.
Predictors of gastrostomy placement in children with inherited metabolic diseases treated by umbilical cord blood transplantation

Abstract Background/Purpose Children with inherited metabolic diseases (IMDs) undergoing umbilical cord blood transplantation (UCBT) who are at risk for post-transplant failure to thrive may benefit from pretransplant gastrostomy tube (GT) placement. Here we sought to determine predictors of posttransplant failure to thrive. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for IMD patients who underwent UCBT at a single center from 2001 to 2011. Patients who received GTs were compared with controls. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine significant predictors for GT placement. Recursive partitioning was performed to determine appropriate cut-offs for significant continuous variables. Results Two hundred and seventeen patients met inclusion criteria of which twenty-three were excluded due to death within one hundred days of transplant. Forty (20.6%) of the remaining patients underwent a surgical GT placement. Multivariable logistic regression demonstrated that weight percentile at time of transplant was significantly associated with GT placement (Adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 0.87 per 10th percentile, p=0.022). Recursive partitioning demonstrated that the 40th weight percentile at time of transplant was an optimal cut-off for predicting GT placement. Conclusions Patients preparing for umbilical cord transplantation who are below the 40th percentile for weight may benefit from pre-emptive GT placement prior to transplant.
The solar wind at the turn of the century

GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY is driven by the solar wind, so information on the past history of the wind can be derived from studies of geomagnetic indices1–3. Comparison of geomagnetic activity and sunspot number over the past hundred years shows that although both vary with the 11-yr solar cycle, they do so with characteristically different patterns. Geomagnetic activity rises and falls with about the same amplitude over each 11-yr solar cycle, but these variations seem to be superposed on a longer-term cycle of similar amplitude. Consequently there is a long-term variation in the 11-yr cycle minima as well as maxima. In contrast, in the sunspot number record the long cycle appears as changing amplitudes of the 11-yr cycles, with sunspot number returning to near zero at each 11-yr minimum. As geomagnetic activity reflects solar wind conditions, it is possible to extrapolate backwards in time the present-day solar wind measurements taken near the long-cycle maximum and we estimate here that around 1900, near the long-cycle minimum, either the average solar wind speed was as much as a factor of two lower, or the average southward component of the solar wind field was as much as a factor of three smaller, or both parameters were significantly less than at present. Thus, in the not too distant past the solar energy output by means of the solar wind was different from what it is now.
Characterization and recycling of spent refractory wastes from metal manufacturers in Missouri

Approximately 7500 t of spent refractories are landfilled annually in Missouri. Research was initiated to reduce the amount landfilled by studying the types and quantities of spent refractories generated, the conditions of the wastes, and technologies for recycling and reusing spent refractories. This paper reviews the characterization results from three major spent refractory waste streams in Missouri and evaluates beneficiation and recycling. The results indicate considerable promise in reusing spent doloma refractories as a soil conditioner and spent alumino silicate refractories as a raw material for production of Portland cement. The amount of spent refractory wastes landfilled in Missouri could be reduced by an estimated 50% if these techniques were adopted. Attempts to recycle spent high alumina refractories as aggregates for castables are also discussed.
The experience of community-living women managing fecal incontinence.

Although many women suffer from fecal incontinence (FI), little is known about their day-to-day experiences. The aims of this phenomenological study were to understand the experience of women living with FI from their perspective and to elicit women's self-care and management strategies for FI. Ten women participated in audiotaped, unstructured interviews that were transcribed into a written text. The text was analyzed using Van Manen's approach for deriving themes. The findings display the women's experience of lived time, lived space, lived relationships, and lived body and the essential theme of “controlling the body out of control.” The findings demonstrate that FI is a problem that affects women in all dimensions of their lifeworld experience and describes the continual attention and self-management FI requires.
Synthesis of [14C]‐labelled AY‐30,068

[14C]AY-30,068 (cis-1,8-diethyl-2,3,4,9-tetrahydro-4-(2-propenyl)-1H-carbazole-1-acetic acid), a potent analgesic agent, was prepared by incorporating [14C]methyl iodide via a Wittig reaction. The intermediate aldehyde was synthesized in six steps from cis-1-ethyl-2-oxo-4-(2-propenyl)cyclohexaneacetic acid methyl ester. Three batches of the [14C]labelled AY-30,068 were produced, giving a combined overall yield of 9% from [14C]methyl iodide (sp. act. 51.2, 17.7 and 4.4 μCi/mg; 97.5, 98.3, and 98.6% radiochemcical purity, respectively).
Balanced block designs robust against the loss of a single observation

Abstract An experiment based on a balanced block design (BBD) is usually no longer balanced if one or more observations are unavailable. This paper investigates the problem of finding a BBD which is most robust against the lack of balance induced by the loss of a single observation. Competing BBD's have the same number of treatments and observations, but different block sizes. Robustness of a BBD is measured through the non-zero eigenvalues of the C-matrix of the design which is missing the observation, either with the variability of those eigenvalues or with an A-optimality efficiency factor. Guidelines for finding the most robust design are given.
Promotion of Crown-Gall Tumor Growth by Lysopine, Octopine, Nopaline, and Carnosine

The growth of crown-gall tumors on primary bean leaves (Phaseolus vulgaris L. cv. "Pinto") was promoted by the addition of d-lysopine, d-octopine, l-carnosine, or nopaline. Assayed on tumors induced by Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain B6, the relative activity was octopine = carnosine > lysopine >> nopaline; assayed on tumors induced by A. tumefaciens strain T-37, which induces tumors which form nopaline, the relative activity was nopaline = octopine = carnosine > lysopine. From one to three applications of carnosine or octopine gave equal additive increments in tumor growth, showing that a continual supply of these substances is required to maintain an increased rate of growth. At concentrations above 0.1 mm, pairs of these growth-promoting substances were less active than when applied singly. Inhibition of octopine-induced growth was obtained by applying 0.01 mm carnosine with 1 mm octopine and partial inhibition was obtained when carnosine was added 10 hr after octopine. Equimolar mixtures of lysopine, octopine, and carnosine, however, were at least as active in promoting tumor growth as any of the compounds added singly at equivalent concentrations. The activity of 0.1 to 0.5 mm lysopine, octopine, and carnosine was inhibited, respectively, by 1 mml-lysine, l-arginine, and l-histidine and this inhibition was limited in each case to the basic amino acid corresponding to that of the growth factor. Arginine fully inhibited octopine-induced tumor growth when applied as much as 6 hr after octopine, indicating that this inhibition was not due to prevention of octopine uptake. Although four separate substances were found which promoted tumor growth, the molecular specificity required for activity of each compound was high. Evidence is presented which suggests that a tumor growth-promoting substance extracted from tumorous leaves is a carnosine-like derivative of l-histidine.
Physico-chemical properties of an agent that induces parthenogenesis in Rana pipiens eggs.

All previous work on artificial parthenogenesis in frog eggs, where parthenogenesis is identified by cleavage and subsequent embryonic development, has involved the introduction of some cellular element. Earlier workers have shown that the cleavage initiating agent (CIA) is found primarily in the particulate fractions of various tissues, whereas this investigation indicates that the active molecules sediment only in the 10,000 g precipitable fraction. Since dialysis against EDTA does not remove activity, non-specific adsorption to particles would appear to be excluded although the failure of distilled water treatment to remove activity may indicate that the CIA is associated with membranes. The CIA is trypsin-sensitive, but DNase and RNase resistant, indicating that the molecules are protein in nature. Activity is also removed by incubation with a number of depolymerizing agents, including KI, KCl, and Sarkosyl, indicating that the CIA may be a polymer which must be polymerized to retain activity. The mechanism of action of this protein polymer appears to be that of a trigger since a wide range of concentrations will initiate cleavage. Colchicine gradually removes activity from a preparation while D2O increases activity. Both of these molecules are known to act on the polymerized form of microtubule protein with colchicine decreasing and D2O increasing polymerization. Electrophoresis of protein from five CIA-containing frog tissues reveals a component common to all of them which migrates with an Rf similar to that of microtubule protein. The 10,000 g pellet from frog brain has significant 3H-colchicine-binding activity, and to date only microtubule protein has been shown to bind colchicine. Electron micrographs of 10,000 g pellet material from frog brain show the presence of pieces of microtubules enclosed in membranous vesicles. It is therefore possible that the CIA is microtubular in nature, with short pieces of microtubules perhaps acting as a “seed” for further polymerization. The unfertilized frog egg contains much unpolymerized microtubule protein but apparently lacks the proper template or catalyst to trigger the necessary centriole replication and spindle formation for cleavage; the CIA may fill this role.
Progestin receptor is transiently expressed perinatally in neurons of the rat isocortex.

Steroid hormones influence the development of numerous brain regions, including some that are not classically considered steroid-sensitive. For example, nuclear receptors for both androgen and estrogen have been detected in neonatal cortical cells. High levels of progestin binding and progestin receptor (PR) mRNA have also been reported in early perinatal isocortex. PR expression coincides with high levels of de novo progesterone produced within the cortex, suggesting that PR and its ligand influence the important developmental cortical processes occurring shortly after birth. In order to better understand the role PR plays in cortical development, we used the cellular-level resolution of immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization (ISH) to characterize changes in perinatal PR expression within specific cortical lamina. PR immunoreactivity (PR-ir) was examined at embryonic days (E) 18, 20, 21, 22, and postnatal days (P) 1, 3, 6, 9, 13, and 27. We find that PR-ir is transiently expressed in specific lamina of frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital cortex. PR-ir was observed in subplate cells on E18, in increasingly superficial lamina (primarily lamina V, then II/III) during early postnatal development, and was absent by P27. Double-labeling immunohistochemistry indicated that PR-ir colocalizes with the neuronal marker, microtubule associated protein-2, but not with the glial marker, nestin, nor with γ-aminobutyric acid. These results suggest that specific subpopulations of cortical neurons may be transiently sensitive to progesterone, and that progesterone and its receptor may play a critical role in the fundamental mechanisms underlying normal cortical development. J. Comp. Neurol. 512:124–139, 2009. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Phosphorus and aluminium solubility relationships in acidic lowbush blueberry barren soils in Maine

Lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) is a native plant that is not cultivated, but managed in areas of sufficient plant density to provide commercial yields. A cropping systems study was initiated to compare how organic and three levels of conventional (low, medium and high input) management practices affected soil properties at 12 grower fields in the lowbush blueberry barrens of Maine. The fields under organic and low-conventional treatments did not receive any fertilizer inputs. The high and medium conventional treatment fields received optimal and reduced diammonium phosphate inputs, respectively. Three measurements of soil P (modified-Morgan soil test, oxalate extractable and total P) showed no significant effect of management treatment on the phosphorus status of the soils. This suggests that soil P may be leaching below the 0–10 cm rooting zone which was investigated in this study. Equilibrium chemical speciation of soil/water extracts showed that gibbsite was controlling the solubility of Al in these barren soils and that P was undersaturated with respect to amorphous Al(OH)2PO4. A laboratory one-point P sorption study showed that dissolved organic matter derived from the organic pad sampled from the study sites did not inhibit the adsorption of the added P. This suggests that addition of carbon-rich soil amendments such as compost may not increase P bioavailability of these acidic soils with high Al (oxy)hydroxide (gibbsite) mineral content.
I'll keep you in mind: the intimacy function of autobiographical memory

An experimental study examined whether autobiographical memory serves the function of maintaining intimacy in romantic relationships. Young and older adults (N = 129) recalled either autobiographical relationship events or fictional relationship vignettes. Intimacy (warmth, closeness) was measured before and after remembering. Warmth was enhanced after recalling autobiographical events irrespective of individuals' age and gender; women also experienced gains in closeness. The role of memory characteristics (quality and content) in producing changes in intimacy was also examined. Personal significance of the autobiographical memory was the best predictor of warmth and closeness in the relationship, though how frequently the memory was thought or talked about, and how intimate the memory was also predicted levels of closeness, particularly for women. Results are discussed in terms of how autobiographical memories can be used to foster intimacy in romantic relationships across adulthood. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cross-Border Organizing in the Apparel Industry: Lessons from Central America and the Caribbean:

Successful cross-border organizing in developing nations demands that transnational corporate campaigns operate in tandem with local drives for a union contract. On-site organizing drives are most effective via quiet leadership development and house visits, which prepare sufficient participants to request negotiations. Only at this point are widespread in-plant publicity and international attention beneficial. In the export apparel sector's historical context, specific organizing drives in the Do minican Republic, Guatemala, and Honduras validate such an approach. They also verify the primacy of local participation and close union com munication with outside monitors in the functioning of transnational cam paigns.
Applying functional modeling as a unifying basis for Design for Six Sigma execution

This paper explores the applicability of the most recently developed methods in functional modeling to Design for Six Sigma transfer function development and requirements flowdown. An example created during a collaborative research project between the General Motors R&D Center and the University of Missouri – Rolla is used to demonstrate the benefits of using standardized functional modeling during conceptual design. The proposed standard for creating the functional models is the Functional Basis. The Functional Basis is a list of function and flow terms that can be used to describe electro-mechanical systems. The example presented in this paper is based on the parking brake system of a passenger car. Module heuristics, function-based rules for partitioning systems, were used to define the sub-systems during the requirements flowdown example. The functional modeling techniques used in this example provide a standard method of capturing current engineering design knowledge while allowing additional knowledge to be discovered.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Supervising Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

Compared to traditional approaches, this system produced a higher percentage of graduates in a shorter time and with no loss of quality.
A Randomized Trial of Ex vivo CD40L Activation of a Dendritic Cell Vaccine in Colorectal Cancer Patients: Tumor-Specific Immune Responses Are Associated with Improved Survival

Purpose To determine whether an autologous dendritic cell (DC) vaccine could induce antitumor immune responses in patients after resection of colorectal cancer metastases and whether these responses could be enhanced by activating DCs with CD40L. Experimental design Twenty-six patients who had undergone resection of colorectal metastases were treated with intranodal injections of an autologous tumor lysate- and control protein [keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH)]-pulsed DC vaccine. Patients were randomized to receive DCs that had been either activated or not activated with CD40L. All patients were followed for a minimum of 5.5 years. Results Immunization induced an autologous tumor-specific T-cell proliferative or IFNγ enzyme-linked immunospot response in 15 of 24 assessable patients (63%) and a tumor-specific DTH response in 61%. Patients with evidence of a vaccine-induced, tumor-specific T-cell proliferative or IFNγ response 1 week after vaccination had a markedly better recurrence-free survival (RFS) at 5 years (63% versus 18%, P = 0.037) than nonresponders. In contrast, no association was observed between induction of KLH-specific immune responses and RFS. CD40L maturation induced CD86 and CD83 expression on DCs but had no effect on immune responses or RFS. Conclusion Adjuvant treatment of patients after resection of colorectal metastases with an autologous tumor lysate-pulsed, DC vaccine-induced, tumor-specific immune responses in a high proportion of patients. There was an association between induction of tumor-specific immune responses and RFS. Activation of this DC vaccine with CD40L did not lead to increased immune responses.
Competence for Genetic Transformation in Streptococcus pneumoniae: Mutations in σA Bypass the comW Requirement

Competence for genetic transformation in the genus Streptococcus depends on an alternative sigma factor, σ(X), for coordinated synthesis of 23 proteins, which together establish the X state by permitting lysis of incompetent streptococci, uptake of DNA fragments, and integration of strands of that DNA into the resident genome. Initiation of transient accumulation of high levels of σ(X) is coordinated between cells by transcription factors linked to peptide pheromone signals. In Streptococcus pneumoniae, elevated σ(X) is insufficient for development of full competence without coexpression of a second competence-specific protein, ComW. ComW, shared by eight species in the Streptococcus mitis and Streptococcus anginosus groups, is regulated by the same pheromone circuit that controls σ(X), but its role in expression of the σ(X) regulon is unknown. Using the strong, but not absolute, dependence of transformation on comW as a selective tool, we collected 27 independent comW bypass mutations and mapped them to 10 single-base transitions, all within rpoD, encoding the primary sigma factor subunit of RNA polymerase, σ(A). Eight mapped to sites in rpoD region 4 that are implicated in interaction with the core β subunit, indicating that ComW may act to facilitate competition of the alternative sigma factor σ(X) for access to core polymerase.
Dynamic Bending Tolerance of the Human Forearm

With the wide-spread use of supplemental restraint systems (airbags), occasional new injuries have developed because of the significant force associated with these systems upon deployment. Recent case studies have demonstrated forearm fractures associated with the deployment of the airbag. The present study was conducted to determine the tolerance of the human forearm under a dynamic bending mode. A total of 30 human cadaver forearm specimens were tested using three-point bending techniques to failure at 3.3 m/s and 7.6 m/s velocities. Results indicated significantly (p < 0.01) greater biomechanical parameters associated with males compared to females. The bending tolerance of the human forearm was found to be most highly correlated to bone mineral density and forearm weight. The mean failure bending moment for all specimens was 94 Nm - 41, but for smaller-sized occupants with lower bone mineral it was approximately 45 Nm. The present investigation offers quantitative information regarding tolerance of th...
On radiation from canonical source configurations embedded in structurally chiral materials

Radiation due to six canonical configurations for the source current density embedded in a structurally chiral medium is analyzed theoretically. The radiation Spectrum is highly dependent on whether its source is co-chiral or cross-chiral and is localised either in or on the edges of the Bragg regime. The obtained conclusions hold for hoth chiral liquid crystals and chiral sculptured thin films doped with fluorescent dyes, etc.
Head-controlled assistive telerobot with extended physiological proprioception capability

People with disabilities such as quadriplegia can use mouth-sticks and head-sticks as extension devices to perform desired manipulations. These extensions provide extended proprioception which allows users to directly feel forces and other perceptual cues such as texture present at the tip of the mouth-stick. Such devices are effective for two principle reasons: because of their close contact with the user's tactile and proprioceptive sensing abilities; and because they tend to be lightweight and very stiff, and can thus convey tactile and kinesthetic information with high-bandwidth. Unfortunately, traditional mouth-sticks and head-sticks are limited in workspace and in the mechanical power that can be transferred because of user mobility and strength limitations. We describe an alternative implementation of the head-stick device using the idea of a virtual head-stick: a head-controlled bilateral force-reflecting telerobot. In this system the end-effector of the slave robot moves as if it were at the tip of an imaginary extension of the user's head. The design goal is for the system is to have the same intuitive operation and extended proprioception as a regular mouth-stick effector but with augmentation of workspace volume and mechanical power. The input is through a specially modified six DOF master robot (a PerForceTM hand-controller) whose joints can be back-driven to apply forces at the user's head. The manipulation tasks in the environment are performed by a six degree-of-freedom slave robot (the Zebra-ZEROTM) with a built-in force sensor. We describe the prototype hardware/software implementation of the system, control system design, safety/disability issues, and initial evaluation tasks.
Implementation of a Remote Analog and Digital Communications Laboratory for e-Learning

E-learning can be used to help universities and technical colleges overcome this problem. One approach that can be implemented to overcome this problem is to expand e-learning activities in programs with limited resources to take advantage of online computer-based technology. In this model, remote instrumentation technology and the internet are merged to interface students with the physical world.
Contractile reserve and intracellular calcium regulation in mouse myocytes from normal and hypertrophied failing hearts

Mouse myocyte contractility and the changes induced by pressure overload are not fully understood. We studied contractile reserve in isolated left ventricular myocytes from mice with ascending aortic stenosis (AS) during compensatory hypertrophy (4-week AS) and the later stage of early failure (7-week AS) and from control mice. Myocyte contraction and [Ca(2+)](i) transients with fluo-3 were measured simultaneously. At baseline (0.5 Hz, 1.5 mmol/L [Ca(2+)](o), 25 degrees C), the amplitude of myocyte shortening and peak-systolic [Ca(2+)](i) in 7-week AS were not different from those of controls, whereas contraction, relaxation, and the decline of [Ca(2+)](i) transients were slower. In response to the challenge of high [Ca(2+)](o), fractional cell shortening was severely depressed with reduced peak-systolic [Ca(2+)](i) in 7-week AS compared with controls. In response to rapid pacing stimulation, cell shortening and peak-systolic [Ca(2+)](i) increased in controls, but this response was depressed in 7-week AS. In contrast, the responses to both challenge with high [Ca(2+)](o) and rapid pacing in 4-week AS were similar to those of controls. Although protein levels of Na(+)-Ca(2+) exchanger were increased in both 4-week and 7-week AS, the ratio of SR Ca(2+)-ATPase to phospholamban protein levels was depressed in 7-week AS compared with controls but not in 4-week AS. This was associated with an impaired capacity to increase sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) load during high work states in 7-week AS myocytes. In hypertrophied failing mouse myocytes, depressed contractile reserve is related to an impaired augmentation of systolic [Ca(2+)](i) and SR Ca(2+) load and simulates findings in human failing myocytes.
Psychological and neurobehavioral comparisons of children with Asperger's Disorder versus High-Functioning Autism.

This study investigated personality and neurobehavioral differences between 16 children with Asperger’s Disorder, 15 children with High-Functioning Autism (HFA), and 31 controls, all ranging in age from 5–17 years, M age = 10.7 years, SD = 3.0. Parents rated their children’s behaviors on a 44-item autistic symptoms survey and on the 200-item Coolidge Personality and Neuropsychological Inventory (Coolidge, Thede, Stewart, & Segal (2002a). The Coolidge Personality and Neuropsychological Inventory for Children (CPNI): Preliminary psychometric characteristics. Behavior Modification, 26, 550–566). The results indicated that the two clinical samples were significantly elevated on the Executive Function Deficits scale and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) scale compared to controls. There were more similarities than differences between the two clinical samples on the personality scales, although the Asperger’s group scored significantly on the two scales with anxiety components.
Research Priorities and the Future of Pregnancy

The term “ectogenesis” has been around for about a century now, and it is generally understood as the development of embryos and fetuses outside a uterus. In this sense, all in vitro fertilization (IVF) is ectogenesis, but in vitro development can only proceed to a certain point, at which time human embryos are then either implanted in the attempt to achieve a pregnancy, frozen for that use in the future, used in research, or discarded.
Heat Inactivation of Substances in Crude Cottonseed Oil Causing Pink Whites and Large Discolored Yolks in Stored Eggs

Abstract HENS fed rations containing crude cottonseed oil produce eggs that develop viscous pink whites and very large, fluid salmon colored or large thick brown yolks after six months or more of cold storage (Sherwood, 1928). Lorenz (1939) believed that the substance in crude cottonseed oil that causes “pink-white” egg discoloration is the same as the one that gives the Halphen reaction or something very closely related to it. The material giving the Halphen reaction is heat-labile (Shenstone and Vickery, 1956). The substance in crude cottonseed oil that causes “pink-white” egg discoloration is also heat-labile (Evans et al., 1957). Sterculic acid from Sterculia foetida oil and malvalic acid from certain species of Malva give the Halphen test and cause “pink-white” egg discoloration (Masson et al., 1957; Shenstone and Vickery, 1959). The purpose of the present experiment was to determine the amount of heat necessary to inactivate the “pink-white” causative substance in …