cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Doing sociology and culture: Richard Peterson's quest and contribution☆

Abstract Within the discipline of sociology, approaches to studying culture have shifted markedly over the last forty years. In this article, we review these changes as well as Richard Peterson's contributions to the field, arguing that his work played a vital role in developing the study of culture as a legitimate subject. While studies of culture were marginal during sociology's structural period of the 1960s, the ‘production of culture’ perspective of the 1970s established the arts as a legitimate topic by applying structural analysis to the popular culture industry and focusing on the organizational processes that constrain aesthetic choices. This depoliticizing of culture opened up the field for the developments of the 1980s and 1990s, which saw a rapid growth of interest in the analysis of cultural meaning as well as a broader conceptualization of culture. By considering Peterson's contributions along this time line, we show how his work contributed to current theories of culture, and how these theories have been applied to the arts in general, and to the music industry in particular.
Flowsheet optimization of an integrated continuous purification-processing pharmaceutical manufacturing operation

Abstract In this work, a continuous API purification process has been optimized using an integrated flowsheet model. The simulation is dynamic in nature and includes an API purification step (crystallization), followed by filtration, drying and mixing of the API with an excipient. For the first time, this study demonstrates the use of a reduced order model (ROM) within the mixing unit for prediction of particle velocities that is coupled with a population balance model (PBM) of the mixer to quantify macroscopic properties. The main objective is to optimize the integrated flowsheet model such that there is an overall improvement in process operation. The optimum cooling schedule during crystallization has been obtained. The optimum values of filter pressure gradient, drying gas temperature and mixer RPM (speed) have also been determined. It is seen that the optimized operating conditions give a narrower CSD of the API crystals and lower RSD (Relative standard deviation) of the final mixed product, compared to nonoptimal operating condition. The developed model can be used as an effective tool in control and optimization and can have future implementation in design of a Process Analytical Technology (PAT) system which can lead to improved operation of the manufacturing process.
Gel Permeation Chromatography of Fluoroether Polymers

A Method is described for determining the molecular weight distribution of fluorinated polymers by gel permeation chromatography. Porous silica-packed columns are used with Freon 113 as the chromatographic solvent. Fluoroether oligomers are used for column calibration in the molecular weight range of 1400 to 12000.
Evidence for at least three transcribed BoLA class I loci

Serological data identify a single major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I locus in cattle. Molecular data, however, demonstrate the presence of at least two cattle MHC (BoLA) class I loci. To investigate the number of transcribed BoLA class I genes, we amplified cattle cDNA by using a single MHC class I-specific primer that hybridized to a conserved region of exon 4 and a non-specific 3′ primer. Six BoLA class I cDNAs have been cloned and sequenced from a Bos taurus bull heterozygous for BoLA class I serological antigens, demonstrating the presence of a minimum of three loci. Sequence comparisons suggested that one of these cDNAs may be an unexpressed allele or the product of a nonclassical locus.
Planning in the Real World: Preschool Children's Scripts and Plans for Familiar Events

3-, 4-, and 5-year-olds reported either scripts or verbal plans for 2 familiar events, going grocery shopping and going to the beach, and also constructed plans to remedy and prevent mishaps that might occur for each event. With increasing age, children reported more information, focused more on onset activities, and mentioned more specific planning activities in their plans than in their scripts. Although children at all ages provided adequate remedy plans, only 5-year-olds provided adequate prevention plans. In general, children were better at planning for the beach than for grocery shopping. Results indicate that developmental differences in event knowledge, in the ability to reflect upon event knowledge, and the event that they are planning for affect preschoolers' planning for real-world events.
The NERC Fan: A Retrospective Analysis of the NERC Summary Forecasts

Summary forecasts of the growth in demand for electricity, published annually since 1974 by the North American Electric Reliability Council, have proved to be excessively optimistic, although the projected growth rate has been revised downward each year. Should forecasters have been able to do a better job of predicting the slowdown in demand growth since the early 1970s? Should they have responded more quickly as actual demand growth fell short of projections? Our objective in this article is to provide some partial answers to these questions by comparing the published NERC Summary Forecasts (NSF) with benchmark forecasts provided by simple models representing well-established techniques. One alternative forecast is provided by the exponential smoothing/Box-Jenkins method (ES/BJ) and another by a simple dynamic demand equation that uses real price and real income as explanatory variables. We conclude that relative to ES/BJ, the NSF were not excessively optimistic. Relative to the simple demand equation, ...
Effects of a lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) burden on performance and metabolic indicators in growing beef steers.

Abstract We examined the response of selected animal performance, endocrine, immune, and metabolic factors from 13 steers (254 ± 6.1 kg) with and without a lone star (Amblyomma americanum) tick burden during progressive days of the tick feeding cycle. Steers were randomly assigned to either non-treated controls or treated with 300 adult pair of A. americanum per animal. Animals were weighed and blood sampled on days −7, 0, 10, 14, 21, 28, and 35 relative to tick treatment. Tick treatment did not affect (P 0.1) due to day. Within the tick-treated group, correlations were found between quantitative female tick feeding characteristics and host metabolic indicators. Feeding by adult female lone star ticks did cause acute stress in growing beef steers on a moderate plane of nutrition as indicated by some physiologic indicators. In particular there may be longer term effects on the somatotrophic axis in the liver which could affect subsequent (i.e. feedlot) performance. It is not known how these observed effects would be manifest under a lower plane of nutrition, as is common and may become more so within the current native range of A. americanum. Other acute effects due to tick feeding may have been masked by the effects of handling and invasive sampling. Non-invasive experimental procedures are called for in order to study the effects of a stressor such as arthropod infestation on grazing animals. Future research efforts will be aimed at non-invasively elucidating the effects of tick stress on grazing animals under various nutritional environments.
Purification of a Lysophospholipase from Bovine Brain That Selectively Deacylates Arachidonoyl-substituted Lysophosphatidylcholine *

Abstract A high activity lysophospholipase A (lysoPLA) was purified from the soluble fraction of bovine brain. The separation included sequential DEAE-Sephacel, phenyl-Sepharose FF, heparin-Sepharose CL-6B, and Q-Sepharose FF column chromatography. Mono Q, Sephacryl S300HR, and hydroxylapatite column chromatography in the presence of the detergent CHAPS (3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)-dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate) and glycerol further purified the activity to 17,000-fold. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis using nondenaturing conditions. The pure enzyme migrated as a single polypeptide of 95 kDa mass by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and deacylated arachidonoyl-lysophosphatidylcholine (ara-lysoPC) at rate of 70 μmol/(min mg). The enzyme showed selectivity for arachidonoyl-substituted lysoPC, since palmitoyl-lysoPC was deacylated at a much lower rate (7 μmol/(min mg)). LysoPLA activity was maximal at pH 7.4-8.0 and was increased 1.3-fold by MgCl2 (5 mM). By including MgCl2, however, the range of optimal activity was expanded to pH values up to 9.0. The 95-kDa protein also deacylated arachidonoyl groups from 1-O-hexadecyl-2-arachidonoyl-PC (PLA2 activity) at a rate of 15 μmol/(min mg). Moreover, the deacylation of arachidonoyl groups from diacylPC was greatly increased by including purified bovine brain PLA1 in the reaction mixture. Thus, the same 95-kDa polypeptide catalyzed both lysoPLA and PLA2 activities, but the rate of arachidonoyl group deacylation was increased by prior sn-1 deacylation. Finally, the 95-kDa polypeptide cross-reacted with antibodies raised against a human recombinant cPLA2, implying that the 95-kDa protein is structurally similar to cPLA2. Additionally, these data suggest that the combined actions of PLA1 and the 95-kDa protein generate significant amounts of free arachidonic acid in the brain.
Telithromycin blocks neuromuscular transmission and inhibits nAChR currents in vitro

Abstract Telithromycin, a ketolide antibiotic, is reported to exacerbate myasthenia gravis, potentially leading to respiratory failure and death. However, telithromycin is not associated with neuromuscular effects in animal toxicity studies. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of telithromycin on the neuromuscular junction in the isolated rat phrenic nerve-diaphragm preparation and to investigate its postsynaptic effects on the muscle-like nicotinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptors expressed on human TE671 cells. Telithromycin decreased the twitch contraction force of the rat diaphragm muscle in response to phrenic nerve stimulation in a concentration-dependent manner with an IC 50 of 22.3 μM and a maximal inhibition of ∼70%. The trans-membrane current from the ACh receptors expressed in the TE671 neuromedulloblastoma cells was recorded in the whole-cell patch-clamp configuration. When applied to the TE671 cells, telithromycin caused a dose-dependent inhibition of the nicotinic ACh current with an IC 50 of 3.5 μM and maximal inhibition of nearly 100%. These results indicate that telithromycin inhibits postsynaptic nicotinic ACh receptors in vitro and partially blocks neuromuscular transmission in the isolated rat phrenic nerve-diaphragm preparation. Based on these findings, we propose that exacerbation of myasthenia gravis reported in some patients taking telithromycin results in part from postsynaptic neuromuscular transmission block.
Three-dimensional shape measurement using a structured light system with dual cameras

A structured light system for three-dimensional shape measurement with single camera has the shortcoming of camera occlusion. To alleviate this problem, this paper introduces a structured light system with dual cameras for three-dimensional shape measurement. We discuss (1) system description, (2) system calibration, (3) three-dimensional data registration using the iterative closest-point (ICP) algorithm, and (4) three-dimensional data merging using holoimage. The principle of the system is introduced, and experiments are presented to verify its performance.
Impact of a wheelchair education protocol based on practice guidelines for preservation of upper-limb function: a randomized trial.

Abstract Objectives To determine if strict use of the Paralyzed Veterans of America's Clinical Practice Guidelines for Preservation of Upper Limb Function affects wheelchair setup, selection, propulsion biomechanics, pain, satisfaction with life, and participation of individuals with new spinal cord injuries (SCIs). Design Single blinded, randomized controlled trial. Setting Model SCI systems rehabilitation facility and community. Participants Volunteer sample of manual wheelchair users with new SCIs (N=37). Intervention The intervention group was strictly educated on the clinical practice guideline by a physical therapist and an occupational therapist in an inpatient rehabilitation facility. The standard of care group received standard therapy services. Main Outcome Measures Comparison of wheelchair setup, selection, propulsion biomechanics, pain, and Satisfaction With Life Scale and Craig Handicap Assessment and Reporting Technique scores at the time of discharge from inpatient rehabilitation and at 6 months and 1 year postdischarge. Results Participants in the intervention group pushed on tile with significantly lower push frequency ( P =.02) at the discharge visit. On the ramp, the intervention group used a significantly larger push length ( P =.03) across all time points. No significant differences were found between groups related to wheelchair setup, selection, pain, satisfaction with life, and participation. Conclusions The intervention group showed better skills on key wheelchair propulsion biomechanics variables related to upper-limb health. Use of a structured education program may be an effective method of educating new manual wheelchair users to prevent the development of upper-limb impairments in an inpatient setting. Additional follow-up testing is necessary to determine whether the differences seen in propulsion skills translate into decreased pain and improved quality of life in the long term.
Semantic space and encoding space in short-term memory

Wickens’ release from proactive inhibition (PI) technique has been used to identify a number of encoding categories in short-term memory. When repeated presentation of words in one class followed by a shift to words in another class leads to improved recall (PI release), the classes are considered encoding categories. The Osgood semantic dimensions have been effective in producing PI release. These dimensions constitute a continuous semantic space, suggesting a corresponding encoding space with measures of PI release corresponding to distances. Using the Wickens technique, PI release scores were obtained in several regions of semantic space. Subjects were 40 undergraduates. The relation between distances in semantic space and release scores was highly linear, and the encoding space was approximately euclidean. Results suggest that the encoding process can use information from continuous variables in a quantitatively precise way.
Sympathetic sudomotor disturbance in early type 1 diabetes mellitus is linked to lipid peroxidation.

Abstract The present study was performed to determine whether increased lipid peroxidation, as assessed from malondialdehyde (MDA) excretion, is associated with deterioration in peripheral nerve function in early type 1 diabetes mellitus. These parameters were measured annually for 3 years in 36 patients who entered the study less than 2 years after the diagnosis of diabetes. Malondialdehyde excretion was 1.51 ± 0.20 μ mol/g creatinine in the controls, and 2.43 ± 0.21, 2.39 ± 0.22, and 1.93 ± 0.21 μ mol/g creatinine at the first, second, and third evaluations, respectively ( P lc across all years ( P r = −0.42, P r = −0.40, P r = −0.40, P r = −0.38, P P r = −0.45). Tests of sensory function correlated inconsistently with MDA excretion. In summary, lipid peroxidation, as assessed from malondialdehyde excretion, is associated with sudomotor dysfunction in early diabetes.
Nutrition: A cofactor in HIV disease

Abstract The relationships among nutritional status, infectious disease, and the immune system suggest that nutrition may be a cofactor in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) progression. We examined nutrition as a cofactor in HIV disease by reviewing the current literature on the interactions of nutrition, infectious disease processes, and immune system dysfunction. Studies demonstrate that poor nutritional status and infection affect the immune system and interact with each other. This relationship leads to the development of opportunistic infections and malignancies, which may result in a diagnosis of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Moreover, evidence from our review indicates that nutritional status may play a role in HIV disease progression. We recommend that clinical trials be conducted to evaluate general malnutrition and the efficacy of supplementation with specific nutrients at various stages of HIV disease.
Adaptive circadian argument estimator and its application to circadian argument control

Disruption of the circadian rhythm is detrimental to human well being, with consequences ranging from lower productivity, sleep disorder, to more serious health problems. Accurate estimation of circadian argument is critical to the assessment and treatment of circadian disruption. Circadian argument estimate is also essential for light-based circadian entrainment. Direct measurements of circadian rhythm markers such as dim light melatonin onset are inconvenient and acquired at best at low rate. Wearable continuous measurement such as actigraph is convenient but is masked by many other factors. In this paper, we present a new circadian rhythm estimation scheme based on a type of frequency tracker, called adaptive notch filter (ANF) which is commonly used in signal processing. ANF is designed to track the gain and phase of a single sinusoid from noisy data. We extend the classic ANF to multiple harmonics needed in circadian rhythm tracking. The local stability and high order harmonics robustness are analyzed. The highly noisy indirect measurements result in unreliable amplitude estimate, but the phase estimate is generally quite robust. We use this phase estimate combined with the light input to construct a black-box linear time varying (LPV) system description, parameterized by the phase estimate. The LPV model predicts the circadian rhythm response to light inputs and can be used for the design of light-based feedback control. The proposed modeling and control method is applied to three different models of circadian rhythm: Kronauer's human circadian model, Leloup's Drosophila circadian model and Neurospora circadian model. Simulation shows that our approach can generate reliable circadian argument estimation and effective gain-scheduled control of the circadian rhythm without any knowledge of the underlying model. The ability to generate circadian estimate, model, and control based only on input/output data opens up the tantalizing possibility of personalized circadian rhythm estimator and light therapy.
Atomization of metal fluorides for enhanced flow characteristics of a multicomponent powder

Abstract The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) PS304 coating is a plasma spray deposited tribological coating with feedstock composed of NiCr, Cr2O3, Ag and BaF2–CaF2 powders. The effects of rounded BaF2–CaF2 particles on the gravity-fed flow characteristics of PS304 feedstock have been investigated. The BaF2–CaF2 powder was fabricated by water atomization using four sets of process parameters. Each of these powders was then characterized by microscopy and classified by screening to obtain 45–106 μm particles and added incrementally from 0–10 wt.% to the other constituents of the PS304 feedstock, namely nichrome, chromia and silver powders. The relationship between feedstock flow rate, measured with the Hall flowmeter, and concentration of fluorides was found to be linear in each case. The slopes of the lines were between those of the linear relationships previously reported using angular and spherical fluorides and were closer to the relationship predicted using the rule of mixtures. The results offer a fluoride fabrication technique potentially more cost-effective than gas atomization processes or traditional comminution processes.
Heavily accumulated surfaces of mercury cadmium telluride detectors: theory and experiment

Some processes used to passivate n-type mercury cadmium telluride photoconductive infrared detectors produce electron accumulation layers at the surfaces, which result in 2D electron gases. The dispersion relations for the electric subbands that occur in these layers have been calculated from first principles. Poisson's equation for the built-in potential and Schroedinger's equation for the eigenstates have been solved self-consistently. The cyclotron effective masses and Fermi energies have been computed for each subband density for 12 total densities between 0.1 to 5.0×1012 cm−2. The agreement with Shubnikov-de Haas measurements is very good at lower densities with possible improvement if band-gap narrowing effects were to be included. At higher densities, larger differences occur. The simple 2D description is shown to break down as the density increases because the wave functions of the conduction and valence bands cannot be well separated by the narrow band gap of long-wavelength detectors. These results provide a basis for characterizing the passivation processes, which greatly affect device performance.
The Internationalization of the U.S. Academy in Comparative Perspective: A Descriptive Study.

This descriptive study, drawing on a unique database, seeks to understand the current level of internationalization of the U.S. academy and what factors dispose individual academics to see their work as internationally linked. It finds that there is only a weak link between the disposition of academics to engage in international teaching as contrasted to international research. Additionally some academics do not indicate a notable disposition to engage in international research, but they do engage in international practices such as international collaboration and publishing. In sum, internationalization is a multi-dimensional concept.
Chemistry of fluid inclusions in halite from the Salina Group of the Michigan basin: Implications for Late Silurian seawater and the origin of sedimentary brines

Abstract Fluid was extracted from 18 fluid inclusions in halite of the Late Silurian Salina Group exposed in the Crystal Mine on the outskirts of Detroit, Michigan. Compared with modern seawater evaporated to the same degree, the inclusion fluids are severely depleted in SO 4 −2 , somewhat depleted in Na + and Mg +2 , and greatly enriched in Ca +2 . The composition of the inclusion fluids can be derived from Silurian seawater with a composition close to that of modern seawater, if it is assumed that the composition of the Silurian seawater was modified by dolomitizing CaCO 3 -rich sediments and by albitizing silicate minerals during its evolution into evaporite brines. Since the evolution of the brines involved a number of chemical reactions, it is impossible to recover the initial concentration of all of the major ions in the parent Silurian seawater from the composition of the inclusion fluids alone. It is likely, however, that the m k + m Br − ratio and the functions [m Ca +2 + m Mg +2 − m SO 4 −2 − m HCO 3 − 2m Br − and [if m cl − − m Na + m Br − ] in Late Silurian seawater had values close to those of modern seawater. Measurements of the isotopic composition of sulfur and of Sr in anhydrite within and associated with the halite host of the fluid inclusions are consistent with previous measurements of δ 34 S in Silurian marine anhydrites and with the 87 Sr 86 Sr ratios of Late Silurian marine carbonates.
Evidence for linear extrachromosomal elements mediating gene amplification in the multidrug-resistant J774.2 murine cell line.

Abstract Previous studies from our laboratory have demonstrated specific cytogenetic alterations accompanying development of colchicine resistance in the J774.2 murine cell line and in two sublines (J7.Cl-30 and J7.Cl-100) [1]. Although gene amplification is not observed in the parental J774.2 cell line, a ∼35-fold amplification of the gene for p-glycoprotein (mdr) was noted in the J7.Cl-30 subline (770-fold CLC R ) and a ∼70-fold amplification in the J7.Cl-100 subline (2500-fold CLC R ). In this study, we analyzed the localization and organization of the mdr gene. In the colchicine-resistant (CLC R ) J7.Cl-30 subline, the p-glycoprotein domain was observed to reside on differently sized extrachromosomal elements. Our results indicate not only circular extrachromosomal elements but also linear extrachromosomal elements. By means of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), the sizes of the extrachromosomal elements were shown to be >2,500 kilobasepairs (kb), 800 kb, and 400 kb. In contrast, the J7.Cl-100 subline was characterized by the presence of homogeneously staining regions (HSRs). We have noted that with increasing colchicine resistance the extrachromosomal elements are replaced by HSRs. Our findings of linear elements that appear to be precursors of HSRs may offer a new way to interpret different theories of extrachromosomal gene amplification. The J7.Cl-30 cell line presents a unique system to analyze further the formation and structure of extrachromosomal elements.
THE AGGLUTINATION OF PLASMODIUM KNOWLESI BY IMMUNE SERUM

A specific agglutination of Plasmodium knowlesi detectable both by macroscopic and by microscopic methods is described. Agglutinins for Plasmodium knowlesi appear in the sera of monkeys between 15 and 45 days after the onset of the infection and become progressively stronger as the malarial infection gradually subsides. Agglutinins persist in the sera of chronically infected animals for a year or longer. The sera of animals which have been repeatedly superinfected agglutinate parasites at dilutions as high as 1:1,000. Sera from normal monkeys, from monkeys acutely ill with malaria, and from monkeys chronically infected with a different species of malarial parasite (Plasmodium inui) do not agglutinate Plasmodium knowlesi. Immune serum agglutinates mature intracellular or extracellular parasites but does not agglutinate unparasitized cells or cells containing immature parasites. The relation of these observations to the mechanism of active and passive immunity in monkey malaria is discussed.
Dynamic analysis of tapping atomic force microscopy considering various boundary value problems

Abstract An accurate understanding of the microcantilever motion and tip-sample force is needed to generate accurate images in Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). In this paper, different methods to apply the tip-sample force to the dynamic equations of motion and boundary conditions are derived and compared to determine the superior method for dynamic analysis of these systems. Hamilton's principle and the Galerkin method are employed to investigate the vibration of the microcantilever probe used in tapping mode AFM. Three different methods of including contact and excitation force in the equations of motion and boundary conditions are analyzed then compared. The first case considers the contact force at the tip and the inertial force due to tip mass to be a part of the boundary conditions of the microbeam. The second case assumes that the force is a concentrated force that is applied in the equations of motion, and the boundary conditions are the same as for the free end of a microcantilever beam. The third case is a combination where the contact force is included in the equation of motion, but the inertial force due to the tip mass is included in the boundary conditions. For the three cases, the equations of motion, the modal shape functions including the natural frequencies, and the time and frequency response functions are obtained. The numerical results are compared to experimental results obtained from the Bruker Innova AFM. Results show that the first and third methods produce results that accurately match the experimental outcomes. However, since including the forces in the boundary conditions is considerably more complex mathematically, this research indicates including the forces in the equations of motion is preferable unless tip mass is relatively large.
Clinically Unrecognized, Silent Renal-Cell Carcinoma in Elderly Cancer Patients

Forty clinically unrecognized, silent renal-cell carcinomas, found at autopsy in 8,921 cancer patients, are reported. A clinicopathologic study led to the following conclusions: Clinically unrecognized, silent renal-cell carcinoma is predominantly a disease of elderly men. Renal-cell carcinomas may range from small and clinically asymptomatic to large and clinically symptomatic, but the size of the carcinoma is not a reliable criterion of potential aggressiveness. In elderly cancer patients with unusual symptoms, every attempt should be made to rule out a possible additional primary renal neoplasm before attributing the new symptoms to the known cancer.
A Critical Analysis Of USAir's Image Repair Discourse

Faced with a crisis, what can a business say? Crisis communication literature tends to focars on what to do before and after a crisis and on the kinds of crises corporations face. Less attention is given to the options available within mes sages about a crisis. The theory of image restoration provides a useful key to composing such messages. This article applies the theory to one case study in image repair discourse: USAir's response to media coverage of the crash of one of its aircraft in Pittsburgh in 1994. Introducing such case studies in the classroom helps students to understand the basic tenets of persausion in the highly charged context of repairing a corporate reputation after an attack.
Drinking the Kool-Aid: The IMF and Global Hegemony

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has played a vital role in the Middle East by providing needed funding for middle- and low-income countries there. Yet, it also has been vilified as a symbol o...
Influence of a constitutive increase in myofilament Ca2+-sensitivity on Ca2+-fluxes and contraction of mouse heart ventricular myocytes

Chronic increases in myofilament Ca(2+)-sensitivity in the heart are known to alter gene expression potentially modifying Ca(2+)-homeostasis and inducing arrhythmias. We tested age-dependent effects of a chronic increase in myofilament Ca(2+)-sensitivity on induction of altered alter gene expression and activity of Ca(2+) transport systems in cardiac myocytes. Our approach was to determine the relative contributions of the major mechanisms responsible for restoring Ca(2+) to basal levels in field stimulated ventricular myocytes. Comparisons were made from ventricular myocytes isolated from non-transgenic (NTG) controls and transgenic mice expressing the fetal, slow skeletal troponin I (TG-ssTnI) in place of cardiac TnI (cTnI). Replacement of cTnI by ssTnI induces an increase in myofilament Ca(2+)-sensitivity. Comparisons included myocytes from relatively young (5-7months) and older mice (11-13months). Employing application of caffeine in normal Tyrode and in 0Na(+) 0Ca(2+) solution, we were able to dissect the contribution of the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) pump (SR Ca(2+)-ATPase), the Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchanger (NCX), and "slow mechanisms" representing the activity of the sarcolemmal Ca(2+) pump and the mitochondrial Ca(2+) uniporter. The relative contribution of the SR Ca(2+)-ATPase to restoration of basal Ca(2+) levels in younger TG-ssTnI myocytes was lower than in NTG (81.12±2.8% vs 92.70±1.02%), but the same in the older myocytes. Younger and older NTG myocytes demonstrated similar contributions from the SR Ca(2+)-ATPase and NCX to restoration of basal Ca(2+). However, the slow mechanisms for Ca(2+) removal were increased in the older NTG (3.4±0.3%) vs the younger NTG myocytes (1.4±0.1%). Compared to NTG, younger TG-ssTnI myocytes demonstrated a significantly bigger contribution of the NCX (16±2.7% in TG vs 6.9±0.9% in NTG) and slow mechanisms (3.3±0.4% in TG vs 1.4±0.1% in NTG). In older TG-ssTnI myocytes the contributions were not significantly different from NTG (NCX: 4.9±0.6% in TG vs 5.5±0.7% in NTG; slow mechanisms: 2.5±0.3% in TG vs 3.4±0.3% in NTG). Our data indicate that constitutive increases in myofilament Ca(2+)-sensitivity alter the relative significance of the NCX transport system involved in Ca(2+)-homeostasis only in a younger group of mice. This modification may be of significance in early changes in altered gene expression and electrical stability hearts with increased myofilament Ca-sensitivity.
‘There’s a problem, and we’ve got to face it’: how staff members wrestled with race in an urban high school

Educators who initiate school reform work often find that attempts to raise student achievement and change school culture are derailed when staff members refuse to address issues of race. At the same time, staff members who collectively resist engaging in discussions of racism and racial inequality may be actively involved in their own individual processes of ‘wrestling with race’. This was the case at an urban high school in the US where staff members were engaged in a reform effort designed to change ‘toxic' school culture. Staff members' collective refusal to examine racial discipline and achievement patterns masked the ways in which individuals struggled privately with a variety of race-based questions, tensions, and dilemmas. In a school where references to race were routinely encoded in forms of everyday talk, staff members positioned students and each other racially, read their colleagues' interactions with students and each other through a racialized lens, and formed social networks around racial ...
Some New Results for the M/M/1 Queue

New results are obtained for the single server queue with Poisson arrivals and exponential service times. A closed form solution involving only finite sums is obtained for the probability that exactly i arrivals and j services occur over a time interval of length t in a queueing system that is idle at the beginning of the interval. Since many applications of queueing theory involve queues which are emptied and restarted periodically and thus not susceptible to analysis using the well-known equilibrium results, there are many potential applications for results obtained. Some ways in which the results obtained may be applied are discussed.
Equilibrium in behavior strategies in infinite extensive form games with imperfect information

We prove the existence of equilibrium in behavior strategies for extensive form games when the game has infinite actions. The result is derived under the assumption that the behavior strategies satisfy the bounded measurability condition. The condition implies that the behavior strategies are restricted to those which can be viewed as continuous functions from the set of initial histories to the space of probability distributions over action spaces which satisfy the Lipschitz bound.
Fusing multiple sensors through behaviors with the distributed architecture

This paper describes a new action selection mechanism that allows the robot controller to dynamically determine which goals (tasks) are most applicable in the current state of the environment. This allows the robotic controller to resolve conflicting goals that arise, allow multiple non-conflicting goals to run simultaneously, and dynamically switch to a new goal if the target for the goal has been found in the environment. This is accomplished by using a behavior based paradigm and allowing each behavior to calculate its own activation level (run level). The behaviors then use the activation level to compete for control in a new distributed control architecture to allow execution of multiple (and sometimes conflicting) goals on a robotic system.
The order dimension of the complete graph

Abstract We show that the order dimension of the complete graph on n vertices is the smallest integer t for which there are n antichains in the subset lattice of [ t - 1] that do not contain [t - 1] or two sets whose union is [ t - 1].
Seed predation in the legume Crotalaria : II. Correlates of interplant variability in predation intensity.

Correlates of individual plant escape from seed predation were investigated for an East African population of the shrub Crotalaria pallida (Papilionaceae) in which seed mortality due to chewing insects is high and varies among neighboring individuals. Several plant properties expected to influence phytophagous insect host choice or fitness were measured simultaneously and their contribution to variance in predation examined with multiple regression analysis. Microhabitat, seed pyrrolizidine alkaloid concentration, and parasitoid load on the seed predators are the best predictors of predation intensity; plant size, distance from conspecifics, and infructescence characteristics do not appear to affect predation probabilities. However, predictions of the direction of microhabitat effects were only partially successful, and contrary to expectation, plants with higher seed alkaloid levels experienced greater seed predation; several hypotheses are advanced to account for these results. Higher parasitoid loads are associated with lower predation intensity, probably due in part to interference between lepidopteran larvae and the less voracious hymenopteran seed predators or their parasitoids.
Mixed connective tissue disease and renal disease.

Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) was described in 1972 by Sharp et al (1) as a syndrome of overlapping features of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS), and myositis. The serum of MCTD patients characteristically contained high titers of antibody to nuclear ribonucleoprotein (RNP) (2,3). While the initial report stressed the paucity of renal involvement in MCTD, subsequent studies of adults (4–13) and children (14–18) noted a higher prevalence of nephropathy (10–50%).
Effects of increased ambient pressure on colon cancer cell adhesion.

Forces such as strain modulate intestinal epithelial biology. Shear and pressure influence other cells. The effects of pressure on human colon cancer cells are poorly understood. Increasing ambient pressure for 30 min by 15 mm Hg over atmospheric stimulated adhesion to matrix proteins of four human colon cancer cell lines and primary cells from three human colon cancers, but not bovine aortic smooth-muscle cells. This effect was energy dependent and cation dependent (blocked by azide and chelation), accompanied by tyrosine phosphorylation of intracellular proteins including focal adhesion kinase, and blocked by tyrosine kinase inhibition (genistein, tyrphostin, and erbstatin) and a functional antibody to the beta1 integrin subunit. Although pressure stimulated adhesion even in a balanced salt solution, baseline and pressure-stimulated adhesion were each substantially diminished in the absence of serum. These data suggest that relatively low levels of increased pressure may stimulate malignant colonocyte adhesion by a cation-dependent beta1-integrin-mediated mechanism, perhaps via focal adhesion kinase-related tyrosine phosphorylation. In addition to elucidating another aspect of physical force regulation of colonocyte biology, these findings may be relevant to the effects of increased pressure engendered by colonic peristalsis, surgical manipulation, or laparoscopic surgery on colon cancer cell adhesion.
The Population Biology of Invasive Species

■ Abstract Contributions from the field of population biology hold promise for understanding and managing invasiveness; invasive species also offer excellent opportunities to study basic processes in population biology. Life history studies and demographic models may be valuable for examining the introduction of invasive species and identifying life history stages where management will be most effective. Evolutionary processes may be key features in determining whether invasive species establish and spread. Studies of genetic diversity and evolutionary changes should be useful for
RECOGNITION OF TAXONOMICALLY SIGNIFICANT CLUSTERS NEAR THE SPECIES LEVEL, USING COMPUTATIONALLY INTENSE METHODS, WITH EXAMPLES FROM THE STEPHANODISCUS NIAGARAE COMPLEX (BACILLARIOPHYCEAE)1

Since the early 1960s, numerical techniques have produced a wide variety of methods to suggest classifcations of organisms based on quantitative measurements. A longrecognized shortcoming of these methods is that they will suggest classifications for an9 group of organisms and an9 set of measurements, whether or not the clusters in the suggested classification have an9 natural meaning or signif icance. Some progress has been made in assessing the reality of clusters determined by various methods. Data simulated to reflect known cluster structure have been used to test the accuracy of diffent methods, Various methods have been applied to the same data sets to compare how well they realize various desirable p-operties. Here we define a data-based model of randomness to represent what might be meant by “no natural basis for subdivision into clusters” and use it to compare an observed measure of cluster distinctness to the distribution of this measure predicted by this model of randomness. In this way, unwarranted sub division can be statistically avoided, and signifcant sub divisions can be investigated with confidence. Our methods are illustrated with some examples fi-om the Stephanodiscus niagarae Ehrenb. species complex. Signifcant dif ferences in morphologzc expression are identz$ed in S. reimerii Thm‘ot and Stoermer in Then‘ot, S. superiorensis Thot and Stomnq and S. yellowstonensis Theriot and Stow. In addition, statistically significant clusters are identified in S. niagarae populations @om dzfferent geographic locations and in members of the same population grown in dzfferent environments. These results suggest current m‘h’a fm resolving diatom taxa may not be sufficient to discern subtle dafferences that occur between real species.
Are morbidly obese patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty at an increased risk for component malpositioning

Acetabular cup positioning is a critical factor in determining adverse clinical outcomes in THA. This evaluation was performed to determine if morbid obesity (BMI ≥35kg/m(2)) is a contributing risk factor to cup malpositioning. Two groups of patients were obtained from a local arthroplasty registry and match-controlled for gender, age, and diagnosis (n=211 morbidly obese; n=211 normal). Intraoperative data and postoperative AP pelvis and cross-table lateral radiographs were obtained for each patient. The Martell Hip Analysis Suite was used to calculate cup positioning (successful positioning defined as 30°-45° of abduction, and 5°-25° of anteversion), as well as varus-valgus alignment of the femoral stem. There was a significant correlation between morbid obesity with respect to underanteversion; using multivariate analysis, there was a trend toward a combined underanteversion/overabduction of the acetabular cup. Of all variables considered, high BMI was the most significant risk factor leading to malpositioning.
Stranger Danger: Redistricting, Incumbent Recognition, and Vote Choice

Objectives. We take a step forward in examining the electoral effects of redistricting by: (1) demonstrating that voters with a new incumbent because of redistricting are less likely to recognize their representative, and (2) voters are less likely to vote for their representative if they fail to recognize him or her. Methods. Our data come from a survey of white respondents who resided in the redrawn Eighth District of Georgia for the 2006 U.S. House elections. We use probit regressions to first measure the effect of redistricting on incumbent recognition. Then, we assess the likelihood of voting for the incumbent depending on whether a respondent was redrawn or has the same incumbent after redistricting, and whether or not the respondent could recognize his or her representative. Results. Our analyses make it clear that redrawn voters were much less likely to recognize their incumbent and it is the inability to recognize one's incumbent, irrespective of whether the representative has changed due to redistricting, which accounts for a reduced likelihood of voting for the incumbent. Conclusions. Other scholars have examined the relationship between redistricting and incumbent recognition. Likewise, many have evaluated the effects of redistricting on vote choice. This article, however, is the first to merge these two relationships. We find that redrawn constituents are less likely to know who their representative is, and it is indeed a lack of familiarity that reduces an incumbent's vote share. Thus, we have shown empirically that the absence of a personal vote, which is exacerbated by redistricting, proves electorally harmful to the incumbent.
Seroepidemiologic studies of hantavirus infection among wild rodents in California.

A total of 4,626 mammals were serologically tested for antibodies to Sin Nombre virus. All nonrodent species were antibody negative. Among wild rodents, antibody prevalence was 8.5% in murids, 1.4% in heteromyids, and 1,200 meters) and correlated with a spatial cluster of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome cases in the Sierra Nevada.
Right Ventricular Diastolic Collapse by Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Although the detection of pericardial effusion is relatively easy with 2-dimensional (2-D) echocardiography, the noninvasive physiological assessment of pericardial tamponade is more difficult. Pericardial tamponade is best assessed by simultaneous measurement of right atrial or ventricular pressure and intrapericardial pressure. In order to justify invasive pericardiocentesis, noninvasive data are usually acquired before pursuing a potentially risky invasive procedure. One of the earliest signs of tamponade is diastolic collapse of the right ventricle (RV), usually in early diastole, indicating that intrapericardial pressure is transiently exceeding RV filling pressure during diastole. This finding on 2-D echocardiography has been correlated with a decrease in cardiac output and impending tamponade.1–3 However, complete visualization of the RV free wall is frequently difficult with 2-D echocardiography because of the limitations of the intercostal echo “window.” Imaging of RV free-wall motion can be accomplished in true anatomic planes with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in multiple projections with relative ease, enhancing the ability of this technique to detect abnormalities of RV …
Measuring Casein by Dye-Binding,

Abstract A procedure is described for measuring casein in milk by a combination of rennet clotting and dye-binding. Protein in raw skim milk was first determined by a conventional dye-binding technique, after which protein in the whey following rennet clotting of the skim milk was determined by dye-binding. Casein was calculated by subtracting whey protein from total protein. Casein determined by this method and by established methods agreed well. Variances for the dye-binding method were less than for Association of Official Analytical Chemists, Rowland, or formol titration methods.
Acute bilateral simultaneous angle closure glaucoma after topiramate administration: a case report

A case of severe acute bilateral angle closure glaucoma with complete visual loss after oral topiramate therapy. A 34 year-old woman developed bilateral severe visual loss 2 days after doubling the dosage of topiramate. Her best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was counting fingers in both eyes (OU). Intraocular pressures were 49 mm and 51 mm of Hg in right and left eyes respectively, with conjunctival chemosis, corneal edema, shallow anterior chamber and closed angles on gonioscopy. B-scan ultrasound revealed annular peripheral choroidal effusions in both eyes. Intraocular pressures and anterior chamber depth were normalized after discontinuation of topiramate and initiation of antiglaucoma therapy. Two weeks later, visual acuities improved to 20/25 in the right eye and 20/40 in the left eye. B-scan ultrasound showed resolution of choroidal effusion. Topiramate, an oral sulpha-derivative medication is known to cause ciliochoroidal effusions, which lead to forward rotation of the ciliary body and displacement of the lens-iris diaphragm, with resultant acute angle closure glaucoma and myopic shift.