cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Caspase-8 Homolog Dredd Cleaves Imd and Relish but Is Not Inhibited by p35

In Drosophila, the Imd pathway is activated by diaminopimelic acid-type peptidoglycan and triggers the humoral innate immune response, including the robust induction of antimicrobial peptide gene expression. Imd and Relish, two essential components of this pathway, are both endoproteolytically cleaved upon immune stimulation. Genetic analyses have shown that these cleavage events are dependent on the caspase-8 like Dredd, suggesting that Imd and Relish are direct substrates of Dredd. Among the seven Drosophila caspases, we find that Dredd uniquely promotes Imd and Relish processing, and purified recombinant Dredd cleaves Imd and Relish in vitro. In addition, interdomain cleavage of Dredd is not required for Imd or Relish processing and is not observed during immune stimulation. Baculovirus p35, a suicide substrate of executioner caspases, is not cleaved by purified Dredd in vitro. Consistent with this biochemistry but contrary to earlier reports, p35 does not interfere with Imd signaling in S2* cells or in vivo.
Frontal planar QRS/T angle can be a prognostic factor in the early postoperative period of patients undergoing coronary bypass surgery

Background: Wide QRS/T angle reflects the ventricular repolarization heterogeneity and has been found in association with cardiac morbidity and mortality in various study populations. However, literature data about the availability of QRS/T angle in patients undergoing cardiac surgery has not yet been available.Methods: A total of 157 patients who underwent isolated coronary artery bypass surgery were included in this study. A preoperative 12-lead ECG was obtained one day before surgical procedure. The absolute difference between the frontal QRS wave axes and T-wave axes was defined as frontal planar QRS/T angle. Afterwards, patients were divided into two groups according to their frontal planar QRS/T angle (the cut-off value as 90°).Results: Group 1 consisted of 109 patients with frontal planar QRS/T angle of
Peptides and the development of double- and triple-resonance solid-state NMR of aligned samples.

Peptides have been instrumental in the development of solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and their roles in the development of solid-state NMR of aligned samples is reviewed. In particular, the roles of synthetic peptides in the development of triple-resonance methods are described. Recent developments of pulse sequences and NMR probes for triple-resonance NMR of aligned samples are presented. Abbreviations: FID, free induction decay; ADRF, adiabatic demagnetization in the rotating frame.
Quantitative analysis of converging spinal and cuneate mossy fibre afferent projections to the rat cerebellar anterior lobe

Abstract The convergence/divergence of mossy fibre afferent projections to the cerebellar anterior lobe from a single lumbar segment, from adjacent or widely separated lower thoracic and lumbar segments, and finally from the lower thoracic-upper lumbar spinal cord and the brainstem cuneate nuclei was quantitatively analysed in adult rats. Spinal and cuneate mossy fibre terminals were differentially labelled with biotinylated dextran amine and cholera toxin subunit B, immunohistochemically identified in the same histological sections, and their spatial distributions quantitatively plotted in computer reconstructions of the unfolded anterior lobe cortex. Afferent convergence was quantified by calculating the number of biotinylated dextran amine-labelled terminals that radially overlapped with cholera toxin-labelled terminals at points on the unfolded cortical map that represented theoretical Purkinje cells. Spino- and cuneocerebellar mossy fibre terminals are organized in patches that are oriented in parasagittally oriented stripes or transversely oriented bands. Afferent convergence was greatest following biotinylated dextran amine and cholera toxin injections in the same or adjacent spinal lumbar segments (60 and 52%, respectively). When biotinylated dextran amine and cholera toxin were injected in a single segment differentially labelled terminals appeared randomly intermingled in common patches. There was a trend for terminals labelled from adjacent lumbar segments to be more segregated in the patches. Segmentally separated biotinylated dextran amine and cholera toxin spinal cord injections (four lumbar segments) resulted in clearly segregated (80%) biotinylated dextran amine from cholera toxin-labelled terminal patches or patches with distinct divergence of the differentially labelled terminals in the patch. Cuneocerebellar terminals labelled with biotinylated dextran amine were located in patches, stripes, and bands spatially segregated from terminal patches, stripes, and bands of cholera toxin-labelled spinal afferents except at their immediate borders where some radial overlap occurred (9–22%). These anatomical findings for a fractured somatotopy of spinal and cuneate inputs to the cerebellar anterior lobe complement neurophysiological findings for a very similar pattern of organization of cutaneous inputs to the posterior lobe, and are discussed in light of potential mechanisms for anterior lobe processing of somatosensory information.
Radiation-induced formation of thymine-thymine crosslinks

The formation of dimers upon gamma-irradiation of thymine, thymidine and thymidine-5'-monophosphate in N2O-saturated aqueous solution is reported. A method using capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was developed for their separation and identification. Quantitative measurements reveal that about 50 per cent of OH adduct radicals of thymine undergo dimerization.
Minimizing topological entropy for maps of the circle

For each n ≥2, we find the minimum value of the topological entropies of all continuous self-maps of the circle having a fixed point and a point of least period n , and we exhibit a map with this minimal entropy.
East of the “Iron Curtain”: Why Did Post-Communist Countries Join NATO?

Why did East and Central European countries decide to join NATO after the Warsaw Pact dissolved? This article analyzes NATO expansion from the perspective of the Central and East European applicants for NATO membership. Contrary to the expectations of neo-realist scholars support for NATO membership was costly to build, particularly in Central and East European countries where the perception of threat from Russia was low. The historical evidence I examine indicates that in the early 1990s it was not apparent what post-Cold War security arrangement would best suit the needs of the former Warsaw Pact allies. For the Czech Republic, Hungary, and the Balkan countries, which had not experienced or been threatened by Soviet invasion, NATO membership was neither a clear choice nor the only security option they could pursue. NATO’s adaptation and expansion challenges neo-realist expectations and supports arguments advanced by neo-liberal institutionalists and constructivists. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n27p1421
Synthesis of morphinane alkaloids during opium poppy somatic embryogenesis

Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum L.) tissue cultures were examines by thin-layer and high performance liquid chromatography (TLC; HPLC) for qualitative and quantitative changes in morphinane alkaloid content during somatic embryogenesis. Somatic embryos were examined at weekley intervals over a 7-week induction and maturation period. Thebaine was the only morphinane positively identified in tissue extracts and in spent growth media. Neither morphine nor codeine were produced in detectable quantities during somatic embryogenesis. Production of thebaine was developmentally regulated, gradually increasing following the removal of auxin from the culture medium. Accumulation of this alkaloid in the growth medium paralleled its appearance in somatic embryos. Alkaloid synthesis in somatic embryos appeared to require a minimum level of organization that could also be disrupted by the spontaneous loss of embryogenic potential that was observed in some culture lines.
Assessing the Effects of Terrorism on Tourism by Use of Time Series Methods

This paper presents an assessment of the effects of terrorism on tourism by using time series methods, namely the ARMAX (autoregressive moving average with explanatory variables) model. This is a single-equation approach, which has the ability to provide impact analysis easily. The use of the ARMAX model allows for the general shape of the lag distribution of the impacts of the explanatory variables based on the ratio of lag polynomials for the independent and dependent variables. The ARMAX models, like the ARIMA models, provide for a short-term assessment of terrorist incidents on tourism.
Some Effects of Hydrogen Peroxide on Casein and Its Implications in Cheese Making

Abstract The activity of the proteolytic enzymes, trypsin, pepsin, and rennin, against hydrogen peroxide–catalase-treated caseins, and the behavior of H 2 O 2 -treated casein in the presence of various ions, particularly calcium, were investigated. Prior treatment of casein with H 2 O 2 -catalase as applied to milk for cheese making, used in larger than normal levels, increases proteolysis, especially that by rennin. The greatest hydrolysis occurred in treated protein, soluble at pH 4.6, after rennin action. Treated samples were hydrolyzed three times faster than controls and attained a final solubility three times greater. Hydrogen peroxide treatment of casein results in significant behavior changes in the presence of calcium ions. When Ca ++ are present, the solubility of H 2 O 2 -treated protein over that of the control at pH 6.5 is slightly increased but, at pH 4.6, a considerably greater solubility increase is observed. The increased solubility is due mainly to alterations in β -casein, which undergoes similar changes when an isolated preparation is treated with H 2 O 2 . The increased softness of Cheddar cheese body noted in cheese from hydrogen peroxide–catalase-treated milks may be due, in part, to this higher susceptibility of its protein to proteolysis and, in part, at early ripening stages, to the increased solubility of H 2 O 2 -treated calcium caseinate.
Exceptional Hyperthyroidism and a Role for both Major Histocompatibility Class I and Class II Genes in a Murine Model of Graves' Disease

Autoimmune hyperthyroidism, Graves' disease, can be induced by immunizing susceptible strains of mice with adenovirus encoding the human thyrotropin receptor (TSHR) or its A-subunit. Studies in two small families of recombinant inbred strains showed that susceptibility to developing TSHR antibodies (measured by TSH binding inhibition, TBI) was linked to the MHC region whereas genes on different chromosomes contributed to hyperthyroidism. We have now investigated TSHR antibody production and hyperthyroidism induced by TSHR A-subunit adenovirus immunization of a larger family of strains (26 of the AXB and BXA strains). Analysis of the combined AXB and BXA families provided unexpected insight into several aspects of Graves' disease. First, extreme thyroid hyperplasia and hyperthyroidism in one remarkable strain, BXA13, reflected an inability to generate non-functional TSHR antibodies measured by ELISA. Although neutral TSHR antibodies have been detected in Graves' sera, pathogenic, functional TSHR antibodies in Graves' patients are undetectable by ELISA. Therefore, this strain immunized with A-subunit-adenovirus that generates only functional TSHR antibodies may provide an improved model for studies of induced Graves' disease. Second, our combined analysis of linkage data from this and previous work strengthens the evidence that gene variants in the immunoglobulin heavy chain V region contribute to generating thyroid stimulating antibodies. Third, a broad region that encompasses the MHC region on mouse chromosome 17 is linked to the development of TSHR antibodies (measured by TBI). Most importantly, unlike other strains, TBI linkage in the AXB and BXA families to MHC class I and class II genes provides an explanation for the unresolved class I/class II difference in humans.
ADDITIVE RISK ANALYSIS OF MICROARRAY GENE EXPRESSION DATA VIA CORRELATION PRINCIPAL COMPONENT REGRESSION

In order to predict future patients' survival time based on their microarray gene expression data, one interesting question is how to relate genes to survival outcomes. In this paper, by applying a semi-parametric additive risk model in survival analysis, we propose a new approach to conduct a careful analysis of gene expression data with the focus on the model's predictive ability. In the proposed method, we apply the correlation principal component regression to deal with right censoring survival data under the semi-parametric additive risk model frame with high-dimensional covariates. We also employ the time-dependent area under the receiver operating characteristic curve and root mean squared error for prediction to assess how well the model can predict the survival time. Furthermore, the proposed method is able to identify significant genes, which are significantly related to the disease. Finally, the proposed useful approach is illustrated by the diffuse large B-cell lymphoma data set and breast cancer data set. The results show that the model fits the data sets very well.
Neurologic findings in neonates with intrauterine cocaine exposure

Abstract To determine the effects of prenatal cocaine exposure on intrauterine growth and neurologic function, 30 term infants were evaluated prospectively: 14 cocaine-exposed and 16 unexposed. Cocaine-exposed infants had significantly lower mean birth weights, birth lengths, and head circumferences than urine-negative controls. Neurologic abnormalities among cocaine-exposed newborns included hypertonia of any type (86% vs 33%), axial hypertonia (79% vs 19%), plantar extension (46% vs 19%), and coarse tremor (57% vs 12%). The degree of hypertonia was sufficiently severe to warrant a diagnosis of "hypertonic tetraparesis" in 64% of cocaine-exposed and 12% of unexposed infants ( P = .007). This diagnosis was highly correlated to small head size (r = 0.48; P = .01). Persistent tonic downward gaze was evident in two neurologically abnormal cocaine-exposed newborns. Gaze abnormalities improved slightly over the next 3 weeks of observation. One such infant re-evaluated at 6 months of age revealed resolution of tonic downward gaze and neurologic findings. We conclude that prenatal cocaine exposure is associated with tone and movement abnormalities in newborn infants.
pH shift assembly of adenoviral serotype 5 capsid protein nanosystems for enhanced delivery of nanoparticles, proteins and nucleic acids

Empty adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5) capsids devoid of viral genome were developed as a novel delivery system for nanoparticles, proteins, and nucleic acids. Ad5 capsids of 110 nm diameter undergo an increase in particle size to 1637 nm in 1mM acetic acid at pH4.0 and then shrink to 60 nm, following pH reversal to 7.4. These pH shifts induced reversible changes in capsid zeta potential and secondary structure and irreversible changes in tertiary structure of capsid proteins. Using pH shift dependent changes in capsid size and structure, 20 nm fluorescent nanoparticles, FITC-BSA, and Alexa Fluor® 488 conjugated siRNA were encapsulated with high efficiency in Ad5 capsids, as confirmed by electron microscopy and/or flow cytometry. HEK cell uptake with capsid delivery system was 7.8-, 7.4-, and 2.9-fold greater for nanoparticles, FITC-BSA, and Alexa-siRNA, respectively, when compared to plain solutes. Physical mixtures of capsids and fluorescent solutes exhibited less capsid associated fluorescence intensity and cell uptake. Further, unlike physical mixture, pH shift assembled Ad5 capsids protected siRNA from RNase degradation. Ad5 capsids before and after pH shift exhibited endolysosomal escape. Thus, empty Ad5 capsids can encapsulate a variety of solutes based on pH shift assembly, resulting in enhanced cellular delivery.
Quantitative radiometric and biostratigraphic calibration of the Pennsylvanian–Early Permian (Cisuralian) time scale and pan-Euramerican chronostratigraphic correlation

A quantitative biostratigraphic and radiometric calibration is presented for the Pennsylvanian through Early Permian global time scale, based upon high-precision, isotope dilution–thermal ionization mass spectrometer (ID-TIMS) U-Pb zircon ages for interstratified ash beds in the parastratotype sections of the southern Urals of Russia. Twenty-four ash-bed ages in three outer ramp and basinal sections of the Pre-Uralian foredeep bracket the biotic definitions of global stages and regional substages from the base of the Upper Pennsylvanian Kasimovian Stage to the base of the Lower Permian Artinskian Stage; four additional ash-bed ages in two sections of the eastern slope of the Urals constrain the global Bashkirian and Serpukhovian Stages. Quantitative stratigraphic methods (CONOP9) are applied to a compilation of over 2000 bioevents in 22 stratigraphic sections supplemented by our dated volcanic horizons to refine the Pennsylvanian–Early Permian global time scale. Significant shifts in the duration of several stages are demonstrated, ranging from one to six million years, compared with prior estimates. The unprecedented density of radiometric calibration points for the Pennsylvanian–Permian transition provides a high-resolution (∼0.1-Ma) global chronostratigraphic standard for testing and improving biostratigraphic correlations across Euramerica. We integrate radiometric ages, biostratigraphic correlation, and cyclostratigraphic tuning of major cyclothems to the long-period (404-ka) eccentricity cycle to elucidate the tempo, magnitude, and forcing of eustatic changes and cyclothemic deposition associated with the waxing and waning of Gondwanan ice sheets, and establish a pan-Euramerican chronostratigraphic framework for most of Pennsylvanian and Early Permian time.
Spectra of magnetic fields injected during baryogenesis

Helical magnetic fields are injected into the cosmic medium during cosmological baryogenesis and can potentially provide a useful probe of the early universe. We construct a model to study the injection process during a first order phase transition and to determine the power spectra of the injected magnetic field. By Monte Carlo simulations we evaluate the Fourier space symmetric and helical power spectra of the magnetic field at the time the phase transition completes. The spectra are peaked at the scale given by the inverse size of bubbles at percolation and with a comparable width. These injected magnetic fields set the initial conditions for further cosmological magneto-hydrodynamical evolution.
Mastery Learning and Instructional Design

Comparisons are drawn between the ideas of mastery learning and those of instructional design. Considerable agreement is noted concerning the main factors contributing to the quality of instruction. Similarities are pointed out in Bloom's alterable variables and a number of the events of instruciton described by Gagne. Differences exist in the taxonomic categories of learned performances of the two systems, and in the proposal of instructional design that each category requires a different set of instructional tactics. A noteworthy area of agreement is emphasis on the instructional importance of skill automaticity.
Scapulohumeral kinematic assessment of the forward kayak stroke in experienced whitewater kayakers.

By understanding the normal humeral and scapular kinematics during the kayak stroke, inferences about the relationship of kayaking technique and shoulder injury may be established. The purpose of this study was to describe scapular and humeral kinematics and to compare dominant versus non-dominant symmetry in healthy whitewater kayakers performing the forward stroke. Twenty-five competent whitewater kayakers (mean age: 34.1 ± 9.4 years, mean height: 1.768 ± 0.093 m, mean mass: 78.2 ± 13.0 kg) underwent humeral and scapular kinematic assessment, using an electromagnetic tracking device, while kayaking on a kayak ergometer. Paired t-tests were used to determine symmetry. Scapular and humeral kinematic means and standard deviations at six time points during the kayak stroke were described. Scapular and humeral kinematics were shown to be similar upon bilateral comparison. The greatest potential for injury during the forward stroke may be at thrust paddle shaft vertical when the humerus is maximally elevated ...
TCDD induces CYP1A4 and CYP1A5 in chick liver and kidney and only CYP1A4, an enzyme lacking arachidonic acid epoxygenase activity, in myocardium and vascular endothelium.

The toxicity of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) and other Ah receptor ligands, species differences in sensitivity and the relationship of CYP1A induction to the toxicity, are poorly understood. Ah receptor ligands induce formation of CYP1A1 and 1A2 in mammals and of a different set of enzymes, CYP1A4 and 1A5, in chicks. We examined induction by TCDD of CYP1A4 and 1A5 mRNA and protein in chick embryo liver, heart, kidney, lung, intestine, bursa, spleen, thymus, brain, and muscle by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry and verified the histochemical findings by CYP-specific assays, 7-ethoxyresorufin deethylase for CYP1A4 and arachidonic acid epoxygenation for CYP1A5. CYP1A4 alone was extensively induced in the cardiovascular system, in cardiac myocytes, in perivascular cells having the same location as impulse-conducting Purkinje cells, and like CYP1A1, in vascular endothelium in every organ examined. Unlike mammalian CYP1A, CYP1A4 and 1A5 were both substantially induced in kidney proximal tubules as well as liver, and neither enzyme was induced in kidney glomeruli or lung or brain parenchymal cells. The findings demonstrate (a) a route for CYP1A4 to affect cardiac function, (b) that vascular endothelium is a major site of CYP1A induction across species, and (c) that CYP1A induced in heart or endothelial cells cannot affect cardiac or vascular function via generation of arachidonic acid epoxides because the CYP1A enzymes induced in those organs are not arachidonic acid epoxygenases. Further, the specificity of CYP1A induction sites and of the catalytically active enzymes induced at each site support a significant role for CYP1A induction in Ah receptor ligand toxicity and species differences in sensitivity.
Graded artin algebras, rational series, and bounds for homological dimensions

is a minimal injective resolution of A, then all the I,, are projective. Then n is selfinjecrive. It is of interest to note that the Nakayama conjecture follows in a trivial way from the finitistic dimension conjecture. This one says the following: Let n be an artin algebra. Then sup{proj dim M( proj dimM<oc$ is finite where M ranges over the finitely generated Amodules. The finitistic projective dimension has its origins in the early 1960s and was formulated from results of Rosenberg and Zelinsky. In this paper we study the behavior or certain rational power series associated to every graded module over a graded finite dimensional algebra, series which are slightly different from the usual Poincare-Betti series. It is interesting to note that rationality is enough to enable us to prove that over a graded finite dimensional algebra, the linitistic projective dimension is finite over the class of finitely generated graded modules whose nonprojective syzygies have no projective summands. This implies the Nakayama conjecture for graded algebras. (See also Wilson [3].) Also using rationality we find bounds for global dimension in terms of graded length and the number of nonisomorphic simple modules. Finally let A be an algebra of finite representation type having n nonisomorphic indecomposable modules. We prove that every composition of more than 2n 2 nonisomorphisms of Amodules is zero. This is done by using the result of Auslander-Reiten which states that every nonzero homomorphism which is not an isomorphism is a sum of compositions of irreducible morphisms.
The role of alternative fuel vehicles: Using behavioral and sensor data to model hierarchies in travel

Greater adoption and use of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) can be environmentally beneficial and reduce dependence on gasoline. The use of AFVs vis-a-vis conventional gasoline vehicles is not well understood, especially when it comes to travel choices and short-term driving decisions. Using data that contains a sufficiently large number of early AFV adopters (who have overcome obstacles to adoption), this study explores differences in use of AFVs and conventional gasoline vehicles (and hybrid vehicles). The study analyzes large-scale behavioral data integrated with sensor data from global positioning system devices, representing advances in large-scale data analytics. Specifically, it makes sense of data containing 54,043,889 s of speed observations, and 65,652 trips made by 2908 drivers in 5 regions of California. The study answers important research questions about AFV use patterns (e.g., trip frequency and daily vehicle miles traveled) and driving practices. Driving volatility, as one measure of driving practice, is used as a key metric in this study to capture acceleration, and vehicular jerk decisions that exceed certain thresholds during a trip. The results show that AFVs cannot be viewed as monolithic; there are important differences within AFV use, i.e., between plug-in hybrids, battery electric, or compressed natural gas vehicles. Multi-level models are particularly appropriate for analysis, given that the data are nested, i.e., multiple trips are made by different drivers who reside in various regions. Using such models, the study also found that driving volatility varies significantly between trips, driver groups, and regions in California. Some alternative fuel vehicles are associated with calmer driving compared with conventional vehicles. The implications of the results for safety, informed consumer choices and large-scale data analytics are discussed.
Effect of post-exercise caffeine and green coffee bean extract consumption on blood glucose and insulin concentrations

Abstract Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of ingesting caffeine and green coffee bean extract on blood glucose and insulin concentrations during a post-exercise oral glucose tolerance test. Methods Ten male cyclists (age: 26 ± 5 y; height: 179.9 ± 5.4 cm; weight: 77.6 ± 13.3 kg; body mass index: 24 ± 4.3 kg/m 2 ; VO 2 peak: 55.9 ± 8.4 mL·kg·min −1 ) participated in this study. In a randomized order, each participant completed three 30-min bouts of cycling at 60% of peak power output. Immediately after exercise, each participant consumed 75 g of dextrose with either 5 mg/kg body weight of caffeine, 10 mg/kg of green coffee bean extract (5 mg/kg chlorogenic acid), or placebo. Venous blood samples were collected immediately before and after exercise during completion of the oral glucose tolerance test. Results No significant time × treatment effects for blood glucose and insulin were found. Two-h glucose and insulin area under the curve values, respectively, for the caffeine (658 ± 74 mmol/L and 30,005 ± 13,304 pmol/L), green coffee bean extract (637 ± 100 mmol/L and 31,965 ± 23,586 pmol/L), and placebo (661 ± 77 mmol/L and 27,020 ± 12,339 pmol/L) trials were not significantly different ( P > 0.05). Conclusion Caffeine and green coffee bean extract did not significantly alter postexercise blood glucose and insulin concentrations when compared with a placebo. More human research is needed to determine the impact of these combined nutritional treatments and exercise on changes in blood glucose and insulin.
Ultra-structure: a design theory for complex systems and processes

The physicist and Nobel laureate Ilya Prigogine states that “our understanding of nature is undergoing a radical change toward the multiple, the temporal, and the complex. Curiously, the unexpected complexity found in nature has not led to a slowdown in the progress of science, but on the contrary to the emergence of new conceptual structures that now appear as essential to our understanding of the physical world” [11]. We believe the challenges posed by complex systems arise primarily from the use of conceptual structures that worked well for static systems but do not work as well for more dynamic systems. We therefore propose new conceptual structures based on a different metaphysical view of the nature of complex systems.
Microbial Fuel Cell based on Electrode-Exoelectrogenic Bacteria Interface

A microbial fuel cell with a microfabricated electrode and exoelectrogenic bacteria has been demonstrated. The superior compatibility of the organism's microbiology makes this approach more attractive and practical over previously micromachined microbial fuel cell designs. Both electrical performance and longevity of the device are greatly improved with continuous power output for over a week and enhanced performance over time. Using a 1mm2 anode, the fuel cell reaches and maintains 619 mV of open circuit voltage and delivers 0.12 ?W maximum power using potassium ferricyanide at the cathode after 10 days of operation.
Two paradoxes of semantic information

Yehoshua Bar-Hillel and Rudolph Carnap’s classical theory of semantic information entails the counterintuitive feature that inconsistent statements convey maximal information. Theories preserving Bar-Hillel and Carnap’s modal intuitions while imposing a veridicality requirement on which statements convey information—such as the theories of Fred Dretske or Luciano Floridi—avoid this commitment, as inconsistent statements are deemed not information-conveying by fiat. This paper produces a pair of paradoxical statements that such “veridical-modal” theories must evaluate as both conveying and not conveying information, although Bar-Hillel and Carnap’s theory accommodates these statements without inconsistency. Moreover, the paradoxes are independently interesting as the mode in which they self-refer bears on their evaluation.
Waterfall City (Johannesburg): Privatized Urbanism in Extremis:

Located halfway between Johannesburg and Pretoria, the mixed-use megadevelopment called Waterfall City is a master-planned, holistically designed, urban enclave built entirely from scratch on 2200 ha of vacant land. This expansive city-building project at Waterfall City combines a hypermodernist stress on ‘smart’ growth, cutting-edge technologies, and state-of-the-art infrastructure with the New Urbanist focus on mixed-use facilities, a human-scale built environment, and pedestrian-friendly precincts. By performing all the conventional functions expected of a municipal administration, the real estate developers at Waterfall City have effectively replaced public authority with private management and control. With its private governance structures and ‘go-it-alone’ mentality, Waterfall City is an exemplary expression of a privately managed municipality that falls within the broad tradition of company towns, treaty concessions, free ports, and independent city-states. Apart from its sheer size and scale and ...
Object representation by cores: Identifying and representing primitive spatial regions

We propose a model of the spatial visual processes underlying the identification and representation of the shape of primitive spatial regions. We propose that a region's boundaries are sensed at multiple scales by boundariness detectors that give graded responses, that stimulated boundariness detectors of similar scale, σ, connect to one another across a distance that is proportional to their scale, and that they connect via cores, where a core encodes the middles and widths of the region and hence is a trace in (x, y, σ), i.e. 3-D scale space.
Wolf reintroduction, predation risk, and cottonwood recovery in Yellowstone National Park

Abstract We studied young riparian cottonwoods (Populus spp.) and associated woody plants along Soda Butte Creek and the Lamar River in northeastern Yellowstone National Park (YNP) to examine the potential influence of wolf/elk interactions upon plant growth. After a period of approximately 70 years without wolves in YNP, they were reintroduced in the winter of 1995–1996. When we compared woody plant heights shown in photographs taken prior to 1998 with those shown in 2001–2002 photos, we found an increase in the height of riparian woody plants for six of the eight sites within the study area. Plants were tallest (1–4 m) at point bar, stream confluence, and island sites, while heights remained relatively low (
The Early Risk of Re-replacement of Aortic Valves

One hundred two patients underwent re-replacement of the aortic valve, 95 having a first reoperation, 6 a second, and 1 a third. The early (30-day) mortality among the 81 patients undergoing an elective first reoperation was 3.7% (with 70% confidence limits of 1.63% and 7.32%). Fourteen patients undergoing their first reoperation did so urgently, and 6 (42.9%) died early postoperatively. Technical problems during reoperation were uncommon. Fifteen of the 102 patients underwent reoperation because of infection in or around the device; 2 (13.3%) died early postoperatively, and at least 3 more died within nine months of operation. These data, with their 70% confidence limits, are useful in arriving at a decision for or against reoperation in individual patients.
Maternal corticosteroid and tocolytic treatment and morbidity and mortality in very low birth weight infants

In 1972 Liggins and Howie’ demonstrated that maternal administration of corticosteroids before preterm delivery resulted in a 65% decrease in the rate of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and an 80% decrease in neonatal mortality in infants of treated mothers compared with controls. These findings have since been confirmed, both in single and multicenter randomized trials and with the use of meta-analytic techniques.‘-’ However, the gestational age range at which these benefits occur is less certain. Although the evidence is very strong that maternal corticosteroid therapy is beneficial to infants delivered between 29 and 34 weeks’ gestation, it is not clear whether infants delivered at 24 to 28 weeks also achieve significant benefit from maternal corticosteroid therapy.4 Although P-sympathomimetic use is almost certainly associated with a delay in delivery for 24 to 48 hours,’ evidence for the effectiveness of tocolytic therapy to achieve significant improvement in any neonatal outcome such as mortality, RDS, or other neonatal morbidity is less convincing,’ although the use of these agents is common. Of concern is recent evidence that in very-low-birth-weight infants maternal tocolytic use may be associated with a significantly increased risk of intraventricular hemorrhage.‘-” Given the lack of evidence for effectiveness of tocolytics used independently, their use is often justified as a delaying tactic so that corticosteroids will have time to be administered and have a significant effect. The Canadian Preterm Labor Study” suggested that because of a favorable trend in mortality rates at 24 to 27 weeks’ gestation associated with ritodrine therapy, perhaps ritodrine should be used in that gestational age range to facilitate the use of corticosteroids, a well-tested and beneficial therapy. Therefore the objective of this study was to examine the relationship between maternal corticosteroid and tocolytic use,
Online Quantification of Left Ventricular Function: Correlation with Various Imaging Modalities

The need for more objectively quantifiable evaluation of the left ventricular function, obtainable on line with echocardiography, was fulfilled through modifications of integrated backscatter imaging to permit real-time differentiation of the endocardium and the blood pool area in every image frame. Operator-guided study of individual cardiac chambers permitted instantaneous measurement of chamber areas in either the systole or diastole, with resulting physiologically meaningful recordings that relate to cardiac function. Validation studies by various approaches suggest that the methodology is clinically relevant, and further improvements in design will sharpen its applicability in the future.
The use of rotationally and orbitally adiabatic basis functions to calculate rotational excitation cross sections for atom-molecule collisions

Abstract Four schemes for constructing rotational-orbital basis sets for rotational close coupling calculations for atom-molecule. collisions are considered and are applied to calculate 0 → 1, 0 → 2, and 0 → 3 rotational excitation cross sections for He+ HF at energies 0.05 and 0.017 eV. Adiabatic basis sets are shown to converge faster than conventional basis sets in all cases; in some cases the difference is very dramatic. Further, l -dominant bases are shown to be useful for the 0 → 2 and 0 → 3 cross sections.
Barriers to health care research for children and youth with psychosocial problems.

ContextThe 1999 surgeon general's report on mental health concluded that insufficient attention to mental health disorders is being paid in children's primary medical care services. This lack of attention has occurred despite considerable attention to this issue in the planning documents of many federal agencies.ObjectiveTo assess the extent to which federal agencies' portfolios of funded research grants were consistent with the directives for primary care–based mental health services for children and adolescents featured in their planning documents.Data SourceA cross-sectional review of the 66 749 abstracts listed in the April 2001 Computer Retrieval of Information on Scientific Projects (CRISP) database of currently funded research grants supported by the US Department of Health and Human Services. Abstracts were rated by whether they targeted primary care, examined behavioral or emotional issues, and examined or modified a facet of primary care.Data SynthesisOf the 45 022 research abstracts in the CRISP database, 2720 (6%) contained the words children, adolescents, or youth. Sixty-three abstracts contained work on children, adolescents, or youth in primary care (0.14% of the portfolio). Of these 63 abstracts, only 21 (0.05% of the portfolio) addressed behavioral or emotional issues. Of the 21 projects, only 11 examined aspects of the primary care process. When the distribution of child and adult studies on the treatment of depression within primary care settings was examined, it was found that adults received 15 times the research attention compared with children.ConclusionEven though the importance of primary care as a system for identifying and treating behavioral and emotional problems in children has been recognized for more than 20 years, little attention is being paid to this topic in the research portfolios of the National Institutes of Health and other federal agencies that support research.
The effect of carbon tetrachloride on hepatic accumulation, metabolism, and biliary excretion of sulfobromophthalein in rainbow trout.

The Effect of Carbon Tetrachloride on Hepatic Accumulation, Metabolism, and Biliary Excretion of Sulfobromophthalein in Rainbow Trout. Gingerich, W. H., Weber, L. J., and Larson, R. E. (1978). Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. 43 , 159–167. Hepatic accumulation, metabolism, and biliary excretion of the organic anion sulfobromophthalein (BSP) were determined in rainbow trout 24 hr after treatment with a single ip dose of CCl 4 (2.0 ml/kg). Results of experiments to determine the effect of CCl 4 on the distribution of BSP between plasma and liver indicated that, following a single dose of the dye (10 mg/kg, iv), the rate of hepatic BSP accumulation was reduced in treated animals despite higher plasma concentrations of the dye. To determine if hepatic excretory function had been impaired by CCl 4 treatment, BSP was administered by graded infusion to bile duct-cannulated trout over three 4-hr periods (20, 40, and 60 μ g of BSP/kg/min). Bile flow rates, bile BSP concentrations, and metabolized BSP appearing in the bile were quantitatively and qualitatively similar in both groups for as long as 9 hr after BSP infusion and 33 hr after CCL 4 administration. The results suggest that, unlike those in mammals, components of the hepatic excretory process in the trout are not significantly impaired 24 hr after CCl 4 treatment. It is concluded that processes of hepatic uptake or storage of BSP rather than those of biliary excretion are most affected by CCl 4 intoxication after 24 hr and are responsible, in large part, for plasma BSP retention at this time.
Psychopathy and Pathological Narcissism: A Descriptive and Psychodynamic Formulation on the Antisocial Personality Disorder.

The purpose of this article is to consider the Antisocial Personality Disorder within the context of a psychopathology model. The DSM III approach to the Antisocial Personality Disorder is reviewed and criticized including suggestions for revisions. The Antisocial Personality Disorder is presented as a subgroup of pathological narcissism. The term narcissistic-antisocial personality is coined and reviewed within the context of Otto Kemberg's theory of pathological narcissism and Borderline Personality Organization, ego and superego functioning, developmental theory, and certain special features.
On Greek Numerology

with partial repro- ductions of textual figures previously shown (from photographs) by Berthelot. These pubkations (and the contemporary literature) al- most completely ignored the structure of the numerical tables which obviously must be of central importance for the whole procedure. It was our goal to
The liver eliminates T cells undergoing antigen-triggered apoptosis in vivo

Summary Deletion of mature peripheral T cells may result from TCR ligation by bacterial enterotoxins, endogenous provirus-encoded superantigens, and peptide antigens. But the ultimate fate of deleted T cells is not clear. Using a line of T cell receptor transgenic mice injected with antigenic peptide, we have documented that peripheral deletion is accompanied by the induction of abortive T cell activation followed by the disappearance of transgene-positive T cells. As these T cells disappear from the lymph nodes and spleen, they accumulate in the liver, where they undergo apoptosis. This is likely to be a general clearance pathway for T cells that are programmed to undergo apoptosis in vivo, and it may further explain the expansion of the intrahepatic T cell pool in mice with genetic defects in the T cell apoptosis mechanism, such as the Ipr mutant.
Maximum allowable static and dynamic loads and effect of temperature for mechanical injury in apples

Abstract The maximum allowable static and dynamic loads for McIntosh apples were determined and expressed in terms of maximum allowable bruise volume. Emphasis was placed on deriving readily-used relationships for practical situations. The static tests were conducted at a temperature of 40° F, simulating cold storage conditions and at 90°F simulating field conditions. Apples were subjected to loads of 2–7 lb for 100 and 24 h respectively. The resulting bruise volume and permanent deformation were noted. Mechanical properties, such as yield point and elastic modulus (expressed in terms of Poisson's ratio), were determined using a 1 4 in dia plunger with a compression testing device. The differences between the 40°F properties and those at 90°F were noted. These differences were used to predict the effects of dead loads at 90°F using the results for 40°F. For the impact tests the fruit, on a 3 ft simple pendulum, was dropped from the desired height and allowed to strike a heavy steel block, which was assumed to be a rigid surface. This test was conducted at 40 and 90°F. The mechanical properties were determined using the 1 4 in plunger. Impact load was expressed in terms of energy absorbed and momentum absorced. The criterion for damage was the volume of bruise, as related to load. The maximum allowable load can then be determined using an acceptable value for allowable bruise volume. An analysis of apples in bulk quantities was carried out using the data from static tests to predict the optimum design characteristics of bulk bins for reducing bruising of apples as handled in practice.
Influence of Tumbling on Pickle Incorporation, Yield, and Quality of Bacon

The influence of tumbling on pickle incorporation, yield and quality of bacon was evaluated. Pork bellies (300) were assigned to five processing treatment groups: multineedle injection, multineedle injection then vacuum tumble, vacuum tumble plus free pickle, vacuum tumble (with injection needles exposed) plus free pickle, and vacuum tumble while pickle injecting. Although treatment differences existed for pickle incorporation and yield, no treatment was consistantly superior for pickle incorporation, yield, and quality. Nitrosopyrrolidine levels in samples from all treatments were acceptable according to USDA standards. A positive correlation existed between carcass backfat thickness and pickle incorporation in bellies multineedle injected, but negatively correlated when tumbled. Carcass backfat thickness and hot carcass weight were positively correlated to final bacon yield regardless of treatment.
Cellulose digestion in a leaf eating insect, the mexican bean beetle, Epilachna varivestis

Abstract Adult Mexican bean beetles, Epilachna varivestis (Mulsant) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), are able to digest cellulose. Females digest nearly three times as much cellulose and retain food in their guts three times longer than do males. There is no sexual dimorphism in enzyme activity although pH exerts a profound effect. The approximate pH optima are 4.5 for C1-cellulase, 5.5 for Cx-cellulase and 4.5–4.8 for β-glucosidase. The acidic gut of beetles (pH 4.9–5.8) should permit maximum cellulase activity.
Reaction rate oscillations during H2 oxidation over polycrystalline Pt; A CPD and ellipsometric investigation

Abstract In this paper we report results of our study of reaction rate oscillations during H 2 oxidation over polycrystalline Pt catalysts at atmospheric pressures. In our studies we have utilized in-situ CPD and ellipsometric measurements. Evidence is presented that the onset of oscillatory behavior coincides with the development of a subsurface film.
An Overview of Polylactides as Packaging Materials

Polylactide polymers have gained enormous attention as a replacement for conventional synthetic packaging materials in the last decade. By being truly biodegradable, derived from renewable resources and by providing consumers with extra end-use benefits such as avoiding paying the "green tax" in Germany or meeting environmental regulations in Japan, polylactides (PLAs) are a growing alternative as a packaging material for demanding markets. The aim of this paper is to review the production techniques for PLAs, summarize the main properties of PLA and to delineate the main advantages and disadvantages of PLA as a polymeric packaging material. PLA films have better ultraviolet light barrier properties than low density polyethylene (LDPE), but they are slightly worse than those of cellophane, polystyrene (PS) and poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET). PLA films have mechanical properties comparable to those of PET and better than those of PS. PLA also has lower melting and glass transition temperatures than PET and PS. The glass transition temperature of PLA changes with time. Humidity between 10 and 95% and storage temperatures of 5 to 40 degrees C do not have an effect on the transition temperature of PLA, which can be explained by its low water sorption values (i.e. <100 ppm at Aw = 1). PLA seals well at temperatures below the melting temperature but an appreciable shrinking of the films has been noted when the material is sealed near its melting temperature. Solubility parameter predictions indicate that PLA will interact with nitrogen compounds, anhydrides and some alcohols and that it will not interact with aromatic hydrocarbons, ketones, esters, sulfur compounds or water. The CO2, O2 and water permeability coefficients of PLA are lower than those of PS and higher than those of PET. Its barrier to ethyl acetate and D-limonene is comparable to PET. The amount of lactic acid and its derivatives that migrate to food simulant solutions from PLA is much lower than any of the current average dietary lactic acid intake values allowed by several governmental agencies. Thus, PLA is safe for use in fabricating articles for contact with food.