cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Determinants of internet auction success and closing price: An exploratory study

Although auctions have been examined extensively in economics, and to some degree in marketing, on-line auctions are only beginning to receive research attention. Further, in both economics and marketing the research on auctions has relied primarily on rational, economic theories. This article investigates how particular on-line auction features impact two important outcomes: auction success and final closing price. Traditional economic theories as well as theories from marketing and psychology are employed to provide a broader picture of on-line auctions. Specifically, several key factors related to auction success and closing price for four types of sterling flatware in an on-line auction site (eBay) are examined. The findings show that, across all four piece types, a reserve auction format, the relative opening price, and the number of bids unexplained by a low or high opening price are associated with both auction success and final closing price. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Modeling and Testing of Phase Transition-Based Deployable Systems for Small Body Sample Capture

This paper summarizes the modeling, simulation, and testing work related to the development of technology to investigate the potential that shape memory actuation has to provide mechanically simple and affordable solutions for delivering assets to a surface and for sample capture and return. We investigate the structural dynamics and controllability aspects of an adaptive beam carrying an end-effector which, by changing equilibrium phases is able to actively decouple the end-effector dynamics from the spacecraft dynamics during the surface contact phase. Asset delivery and sample capture and return are at the heart of several emerging potential missions to small bodies, such as asteroids and comets, and to the surface of large bodies, such as Titan.
Arterial gene transfer of the TGF-β signalling protein Smad3 induces adaptive remodelling following angioplasty: a role for CTGF

Aims Although transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) is believed to stimulate intimal hyperplasia after arterial injury, its role in remodelling remains unclear. We investigate whether Smad3, a TGF-β signalling protein, might facilitate its effect on remodelling. Methods and results Using the rat carotid angioplasty model, we assess Smad3 expression following arterial injury. We then test the effect of arterial Smad3 overexpression on the response to injury, and use a conditioned media experimental design to confirm an Smad3-dependent soluble factor that mediates this response. We use small interfering RNA (siRNA) to identify this factor as connective tissue growth factor (CTGF). Finally, we attempt to replicate the effect of medial Smad3 overexpression through adventitial application of recombinant CTGF. Injury induced medial expression of Smad3; overexpression of Smad3 caused neointimal thickening and luminal expansion, suggesting adaptive remodelling. Smad3 overexpression, though exclusively medial, caused adventitial changes: myofibroblast transformation, proliferation, and collagen production, all of which are associated with adaptive remodelling. Supporting the hypothesis that Smad3 initiated remodelling and these adventitial changes via a secreted product of medial smooth muscle cells (SMCs), we found that media conditioned by Smad3-expressing recombinant adenoviral vector (AdSmad3)-infected SMCs stimulated adventitial fibroblast transformation, proliferation, and collagen production in vitro . This effect was attenuated by pre-treatment of SMCs with siRNA specific for CTGF, abundantly produced by AdSmad3-infected SMCs, and significantly up-regulated in Smad3-overexpressing arteries. Moreover, periadventitial administration of CTGF replicated the effect of medial Smad3 overexpression on adaptive remodelling and neointimal hyperplasia. Conclusion Medial gene transfer of Smad3 promotes adaptive remodelling by indirectly influencing the behaviour of adventitial fibroblasts. This arterial cell–cell communication is likely to be mediated by Smad3-dependent production of CTGF.
Evaluating Distributional Semantic and Feature Selection for Extracting Relationships from Biological Text

The constant flow of biomolecular findings being published each day challenges our ability to develop methods to automatically extract the knowledge expressed in text to potentially influence new discoveries. Finding relations between the biological entities (e.g. proteins and genes) in text is a challenging task. To facilitate the extraction process, a relation can be decomposed into a trigger and the complementary arguments (e.g. theme, site). Several approaches have been proposed based on machine learning which generally use a common set of features for all trigger types. Here we evaluate the impact of applying a feature selection method for trigger classification. Our proposed method uses a greedy feature selection algorithm to find an optimal set of attributes for each trigger type. We show that using the customized set of features can improve classification results significantly (up to 53.96% in f-measure). In addition, we evaluated different settings for including semantic features in the classifiers. We found that using semantic features can improve classification results and found the best setting for each trigger type.
The effect of various sulfides on carbon deposition on nickel-iron particles

Abstract The amount and degree of graphitic character of the carbon deposits formed on Fe–Ni (1:4) particles when heated in an ethane/steam environment at temperature ranging from 765 to 925°C was found to be dependent upon the concentration as well as the chemical nature of the sulfide species present in the reactant stream. Distinct advantages with regard to inhibition of carbon deposition were found when either dimethyl sulfide (DMS) or dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) were used as additives to the reactant mixture compared to the behavior observed with H 2 S. The introduction of 25 ppm of the organic sulfides produced a significant decrease in the formation of catalytically generated carbon and a corresponding increase in the yield of the desired product ethylene. Under the same conditions H 2 S was found to promote the growth of catalytic carbon at the expense of ethylene production. Electron microscopy examinations showed that the addition of sulfur species to the reactant feed created a major change in the structural characteristics of the solid carbon deposit as the temperature was progressively raised from 765 to 925°C. At temperatures in excess of 865°C there was a transformation from filamentous to graphitic shell-like structures. The ramifications of this phenomenon on the operation of commercial reactor systems is discussed.
Future of physics in medicine and biology.

Medical physics is destined to be ever-changing. It has emerged as a discipline that is responding to technological and scientific problems faced in the medical field – either by developing and int...
Enduring influence of pubertal stressors on behavioral response to hormones in female mice

This article is part of a Special Issue "Puberty and Adolescence". The pubertal period is a time of change in an animal's response to stress, and it is a second period of sexual differentiation of the brain. Recently, it was discovered that particular stressors during the prolonged pubertal period of female mice result in enduring changes in behavioral responsiveness of the brain to estradiol and progesterone. Depending on the behavior, pubertal immune challenge or shipping from suppliers may decrease, eliminate, or even reverse the effects of estradiol. Pubertal immune challenge results in changes in the number of estrogen receptor-immunoreactive cells in key brain areas suggesting a cellular mechanism for this remodeling of the brain's response to hormones. A hypothesis is put forward that predicts that particular adverse experiences in girls may cause long-term alterations in the brain's response to estradiol and/or progesterone via activation of the immune system. This could lead to mood disorders or altered response to any behavior influenced by estradiol in humans.
A GENERAL FRAMEWORK FOR RANDOM EFFECTS SURVIVAL ANALYSIS IN THE COX PROPORTIONAL HAZARDS SETTING

The use of random effects modeling in statistics has increased greatly in recent years. The introduction of such modeling into event-time analysis has proceeded more slowly, however. Previously, random effects models for survival data have either required assumptions regarding the form of the baseline hazard function or restrictions on the classes of models that can be fit. In this paper, we develop a method of random effect analysis of survival data, the hierarchical Cox model, that is an extension of Cox's original formulation in that the baseline hazard function remains unspecified. This method also allows an arbitrary distribution for the random effects. We accomplish this using Markov chain Monte Carlo methods in a Bayesian setting. The method is illustrated with three models for a dataset with times to multiple occurrences of mammory tumors for 48 rats treated with a carcinogen and then randomized to either treatment or control. This analysis is more satisfying than standard approaches, such as studying the first event for each subject, which does not fully use the data, or assuming independence, which in this case would overestimate the precision.
Clinical Experience with the Unidirectional Dual-Chambered Intra-aortic Balloon Assist

A dual-chambered balloon mounted on a single-lumen catheter is described, consisting of a distal spherical occluding balloon and a narrower cylindrical pumping balloon. This balloon, in contrast to the conventional single-chambered balloon, pumps blood unidirectionally toward the aortic root in diastole, effecting a 66 to 100% greater increase in coronary blood flow. The implications of this concept are discussed, with particular reference to cardiogenic shock. Significant improvement in all measurable indices of ventricular work are demonstrated both clinically and experimentally. Results in patients are summarized.
Origin of Stereoselectivity in the Imidazolidinone-Catalyzed Reductions of Cyclic α,β-Unsaturated Ketones

The organocatalytic transfer hydrogenation reactions of 3-phenyl-2-cyclopentenone with imidazolidinone catalysts are evaluated using the hybrid density functional (B3LYP/6-31G(d)) theory. The origin of the preference for the (E) iminium transition state is determined, and the stereoselectivity of hydride transfer is investigated.
Calcineurin is required for translational control of protein synthesis in rat pancreatic acini

CCK increases the rate of net protein synthesis in rat pancreatic acini by activating initiation and elongation factors required for translation. The immunosuppressant FK506 inhibits the Ca2+-calmo...
Angular and energy distributions of low energy electrons from backscattered-conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopy

Angular and energy distributions of backscattered-low energy resonant and nonresonant electrons from iron films are studied both theoretically and experimentally. The results indicate that relatively few emerging resonant or nonresonant electrons are observed/predicted between 600 eV and 50 eV kinetic energy. A significant fraction of the total electron signal emerges, however, below 50 eV, which is shown to result from low energy Auger cascades, low energy shake-off electrons and secondary electrons attributed to higher energy events. The large number of low energy electrons permits relatively short acquisition times (ca. 1h) and enhanced surface sensitivities. They may be especially useful in future depth-deconvolution efforts.
Preschool Promises An Introduction, Commentary, and Charge

It is clear from decades of research that preschool education can have large and lasting positive effects on the lives of participants and can be of meaningful benefit to society. It is just as clear that what preschool can do when implemented under conditions of high quality is not the same as what it usually does do during broad-scale implementation. Pianta, Barnett, Burchinal and Thornburg (2009, this issue) take on the important questions of why this disconnect between promise and delivery exists and what might be done to effectively reconcile the two. Readers of this excellent discussion by four of the field’s foremost scholars are treated to a wide-ranging excursion through the extant literature on early education and child care, but it is not a wild ride. Rather, the authors skillfully navigate the reader through a complex research literature about an even more complex and changing set of social programs. Everything about preschool education is fast paced. Young children develop competencies at an amazing rate, the programs that are designed to support this development are quickly changing and becoming more differentiated, and the federal and state policies that govern these programs are being developed and changed on a trajectory that often seems disconnected from the evolving early education research. Taking stock of what we know and need to know about this ever-changing area of work is an ambitious undertaking. Several overarching questions come to mind in reading the report by Pianta and colleagues. Below, is a brief discussion of some of these questions that may help frame many of the issues raised by these scholars.
The preprint perplex in an electronic age

Abstract We describe the trends in preprint distribution and the types of servies available for access to preprints and preprint abstracts. We discuss development, maintenance, and access to bibliographic listings of preprints such as the RAP and STEPsheets, as well as more recent initiatives that offer full-text preprints via ftp or the World Wide Web. We also look at the merging of these developments in services such as the SLAC database and we discuss prospects, problems, and changes relating to an expected increase in both the electronic availability of preprints and the publication of journals in electronic forms. The focus of these considerations is the role of the astronomy librarian as an information provider in the electronic age.
A class of bounded approximation algorithms for graph partitioning

This paper considers the problem of partitioning the nodes of a weighted graph into k disjoint subsets of bounded size, such that the sum of the weights of the edges whose end vertices belong to the same subset is maximized. A class of approximation algorithms based on matching is presented. These algorithms are shown to yield practical worst-case bounds when k is large. Extensive empirical experimentation indicates that the methods produce consistently good solutions to an important VLSI design problem in a fraction of the time required by competing methods.
Effect of Surgical Banding of a High-Flow Fistula on Access Flow and Cardiac Output: Intraoperative and Long-Term Measurements

Creation of either a natural arteriovenous graft or a fistula as a vascular access to support long-term hemodialysis can lead to "high-output" cardiac failure. The authors describe a patient who underwent surgical banding of an upper arm arteriovenous fistula. Access flow and cardiac output were measured not only pre- and postoperatively but also intraoperatively using a modified Swan Ganz catheter, originally developed to measure access flows during radiologic procedures. Banding resulted in a significant decrease in access flow and cardiac output, which was sustained for up to 1 year postoperatively.
Architecture of the human origin recognition complex.

All the human homologs of the six subunits ofSaccharomyces cerevisiae origin recognition complex have been reported so far. However, not much has been reported on the nature and the characteristics of the human origin recognition complex. In an attempt to purify recombinant human ORC from insect cells infected with baculoviruses expressing HsORC subunits, we found that human ORC2, -3, -4, and -5 form a core complex. HsORC1 and HsORC6 subunits did not enter into this core complex, suggesting that the interaction of these two subunits with the core ORC2–5 complex is extremely labile. We found that the C-terminal region of ORC2 interacts directly with the N-terminal region of ORC3. The C-terminal region of ORC3 was, however, necessary to bring ORC4 and ORC5 into the core complex. A fragment containing the N-terminal 200 residues of ORC3 (ORC3N) competitively inhibited the ORC2-ORC3 interaction. Overexpression of this fragment in U2OS cells blocked the cells in G1, providing the first evidence that a mammalian ORC subunit is important for the G1-S transition in mammalian cells.
X-ray photoabsorption in magnesium ions near the K-edge

K-shell photoabsorption cross sections for magnesium ions are computed using an R-matrix method.
Synthesis and Characterization of Norbornanediol Isomers and Their Fluorinated Analogues

Fluorinated norbornene monomers exhibit the requisite properties for inclusion in 157 nm photoresists, but traditional addition and radical polymerizations with these monomers have failed. Norbornanediols provide an alternate route to these materials via condensation polymerization, and methods have been developed for the efficient synthesis of the exo-2-syn-7- and endo-2-exo-3-dihydroxynorbornanes. Synthesis of the fluorinated analogues is complicated by steric and electronic effects; however, a high-yielding synthesis of endo-2-exo-3-dihydroxynorbornane bearing a 5-endo-[2,2-bis(trifluoromethyl)hydroxyethyl] substituent is reported.
Identification of a Kinetin-like Substance from Pea Seedlings, Pisum sativum

THE importance of kinetin and related compounds in controlling different physiological processes in higher plants has been widely recognized, although attempts to isolate and identify such substances in plant material have so far failed1. Chromatographic separation of pea seedling extract yielded some pertinent information which is reported here.
On the solvability of vector fields with real linear coefficients

The following result is proved: for a vector field with real linear coefficients to be locally solvable in ℝ n it is necessary and sufficient that not all its orbits have a compact closure in the complement of the critical set of the vector field.
Conditioned taste aversion and unconditioned suppression of water intake induced by phenylpropanolamine in rats

The putative aversive properties of phenylpropanolamine (PPA), an analog of amphetamine, were delineated in two behavioral tests. In a conditioned taste aversion paradigm, PPA (10, 20, or 40 mg/kg) was found to induce dose-dependent taste aversion, whereas identical dosages of PPA were found to produce dose-dependent unconditioned suppression of water intake in 23.5-h water-deprived rats. Comparison of the dose-response curves for the aversion and hypodipsia induced by PPA indicates that a single process, presumably malaise or toxicosis, may mediate these effects. These findings question the notion that PPA induces anorexia via activation of a CNS satiety mechanism and lend credence to the suggestion advanced herein that nonspecific malaise may mediate the moderate anorectic activity of PPA observed in rodents and humans.
Optimizing band width and resolution in micro-free flow electrophoresis.

The broadening mechanisms for micro-free flow electrophoresis (μ-FFE) have been investigated using a van Deemter analysis. Separation power, the product of electric field and residence time, is presented as a parameter for predicting the position of sample streams and for comparing separations under different conditions. Band broadening in μ-FFE is governed by diffusion at lower linear velocities and a migration distance-dependent mechanism at higher linear velocities. At higher linear velocities, the parabolic flow profile is elongated, generating a distribution of analyte residence times in the separation channel. This distribution of residence times gives rise to a distribution of migration distances in the lateral direction since analytes spend different amounts of time in the electric field. Equations were derived to predict the effect of electric field and buffer flow rate on broadening. Experimental data were collected to determine whether the derived equations were useful in explaining broadening ...
What Can We Learn from Intraoperative Parathyroid Hormone Levels that Do Not Drop Appropriately

Parathyroidectomy remains the only definitive treatment for primary hyperparathyroidism. We studied our large series of parathyroidectomies to identify factors predictive of failure to meet intraoperative parathyroid hormone (IOPTH) monitoring criteria. We performed a retrospective cohort review of patients who underwent initial parathyroidectomy for primary hyperparathyroidism with IOPTH monitoring. Primary outcome was intraoperative failure, defined as failure to decrease IOPTH by ≥50 % and into normal range. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine factors associated with intraoperative failure. A subset analysis evaluated 6-month outcomes. Of 2,185 subjects, 5.0 % (n = 110) experienced intraoperative failure. The intraoperative failure group had more multigland disease (35.2 vs. 16.6 %, p < 0.001) and smaller glands (1.3 vs. 1.5 cm, p = 0.048) compared to patients who experienced intraoperative success. On multivariate analysis, PTH level was statistically, but not clinically, significantly associated with intraoperative failure (odds ratio 1.0, 95 % confidence interval 1.000–1.003). Persistent hyperparathyroidism was identified in 2.5 % (n = 15) of 592 patients with ≥6 month follow-up. Median IOPTH decrease was lower in patients with persistent hyperparathyroidism (67.1 vs. 85.8 %, p < 0.001). IOPTH criteria were 93.7 % sensitive and 40.0 % specific for eucalcemia 6 months postoperatively. Of 15 patients with persistent hyperparathyroidism, 7 underwent reoperation with a 100 % cure rate. Reoperative diagnoses included ectopic mediastinal glands (n = 3), hyperplasia (n = 3), and missed second adenoma (n = 1). Intraoperative failure is associated with higher rates of multigland disease and smaller parathyroid glands. Patients with persistent disease had significantly lower decreases in IOPTH, but half of patients who experienced failure by IOPTH criteria were eucalcemic 6 months postoperatively. All patients undergoing reoperation experienced successful cure.
Proceedings of the workshop on the acceptability and interpretation of dermal developmental toxicity studies

The workshop on The Acceptability and Interpretation of Dermal Developmental Toxicity Studies, held April 13-14, 1988, was organized by the U.S. EPA's Office of Research and Development and Office of Toxic Substances and was supported by the Agency's Risk Assessment Forum. The purpose of the workshop was to review the current state of knowledge on the use of the dermal route of exposure in developmental toxicity studies. In evaluating this area, three major issues were considered by the participants: (1) the evaluation of maternal toxicity in dermal developmental toxicity studies, (2) what types of pharmacokinetic data are necessary or desirable for the appropriate design and interpretation of these studies, and (3) what factors are important to consider in the design of dermal developmental toxicity studies. The participants concluded: (1) dermal developmental toxicity studies without any indication of maternal or developmental toxicity are inadequate for risk assessment unless accompanied by absorption data, (2) absorption data and limited pharmacokinetic data should be collected in every dermal developmental toxicity study, and (3) dermal developmental toxicity studies in which skin irritation is too marked should be considered inadequate for risk assessment. General recommendations made for all developmental toxicity studies regardless of the route of exposure were: signs of local irritation should be examined, and absorption/pharmacokinetic data should be developed. Areas in which additional research is needed to permit more complete assessment of dermal developmental toxicity studies were also identified.
Studies in managerial problem formulation systems

Abstract A series of projects to develop decision support systems for managerial problem formulation is described. Problem-solving theory from cognitive psychology is integrated with problem structuring techniques (cognitive mapping and structural modeling) to provide the theoretical foundation for the work. The first project involved the development and testing of graphics software to support problem formulation. Subsequent studies examined the use of this software in group decision-making, and extended the system to include a problem diagnosis module, statistical routines to test relationships before they were stored in the systems knowledge base, an advisory module, and a discovery module which searches the database for relationships as yet untested by users. Current work includes the addition of a dialectical module and extension of the system to support an organizational perspective on the management of causal knowledge.
Recent progress in moving cognitive radio and services to deployment

Ongoing research and experimentation activities have rapidly created confidence in the ability to transition from conventional radios to those introducing initial functionality proposed for Dynamic Spectrum Access and Cognitive Radio. Additionally, work on networking concepts, such as Delay Tolerant Networking and Disruption Tolerant Networks provide service architectures appropriate to dynamic and self-reliant edge networks. These technologies make it possible to consider wireless networks that are much more robust, scalable, and self-reliant than was conceived of in the past.
lac Promoter mutation Pr115 generates a new transcription initiation point.

The Escherichia coli lac Pr115 mutation changes the base-pair where in vitro RNA synthesis initiates from an A/T to a T/A (Maquat et al., 1980). Such an alteration results in a catabolite gene activator protein-independent phenotype (Reznikoff, 1976; Maquat et al., 1980). In the absence of catabolite gene activator protein and cAMP, the altered base-pair of the mutant DNA is not used in vitro to initiate messenger RNA, but RNA synthesis is initiated at a new site estimated to be 12 base-pairs downstream (+13) from the P+ transcription initiation site (+1). In the presence of the positive affectors, lacPr115-directed transcription initiates near the +1 site. Thus, cAMP-activated catabolite gene activator protein at least in part overcomes the effect that the Pr115 base-pair alteration has on the start site of RNA synthesis. The lacPr115 studies suggest that catabolite gene activator protein stimulates transcription initiation only at discrete locations (at or near + 1 but not at or near + 13).
Persuasive communication about matters of great urgency: endocrine disruption.

Scientists should be free to interpret scientific information for the public on all matters, especially those of great urgency, and to suggest appropriate courses of action.
Effects of topiramate on cue-induced cigarette craving and the response to a smoked cigarette in briefly abstinent smokers

Clinical studies have shown that topiramate, an anticonvulsant medication, may be effective as a treatment for smoking cessation. However, less is known about topiramate effects on nicotine withdrawal and craving and its interactions with a smoked cigarette. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of topiramate treatment on abstinence-related nicotine withdrawal, cue-induced cigarette craving, and the acute effects of a smoked cigarette. Fifteen female and 25 male cigarette smokers were randomly assigned to 9-day treatment with topiramate (final titration dose, 75 mg/day) or placebo. On the last day of treatment, after a 3-h smoke-free abstinence period, participants were evaluated for symptoms of nicotine withdrawal and then underwent cigarette and neutral cue reactivity testing. Thirty minutes after completing cue exposure testing, participants were then evaluated for the acute effects of a smoked cigarette. Cue reactivity and acute smoking measures included subjective ratings of cigarette craving and withdrawal and physiological measures of skin conductance and temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure. In addition, smoking topography was measured using a puff volume apparatus. Topiramate treatment enhanced subjective ratings of withdrawal after the 3-h abstinence period and reduced pre-cue skin conductance levels. Cigarette cue exposure resulted in a moderate increase in craving, which was unaffected by treatment. Topiramate treatment enhanced the rewarding effects of a smoked cigarette, even while participants smoked less per puff and achieved lower plasma nicotine levels. Results suggest that topiramate enhances both nicotine withdrawal and reward. These findings question the utility of topiramate treatment for smoking cessation.
Probabilistic Analysis for the Mechanical Properties of Cross-Ply Fiber-Reinforced Composite Laminate

A probabilistic micromechanics model had been developed for the unidirectional fiber-reinforced composite material design screening. In which, we used the predicted mechanical properties of IM-7 carbon fiber from the existing IM-7/5250-4 composite material system together with the observed 977-3 matrix mechanical properties to predict the probability density functions for the mechanical properties of IM-7/977-3 unidirectional composite. To include the material design in the structural design process, we had extended the probabilistic analysis to predict the probability density functions for the off-axis mechanical properties. The angle-ply and cross-ply laminates have been used extensively in aerospace structural designs. It is logical to extend the probabilistic analysis to predict the probability density functions for the mechanical properties of the laminated composite. We had provided the probabilistic analysis for a symmetric regular angle-ply laminate of IM-7/5250-4 composite laminate. In this report, we will focus on the probabilistic analysis of symmetric and anti-symmetric regular cross-ply laminates of IM-7/5250-4 fiber-reinforced composite with odd-number plies parallel to and even-number plies perpendicular to the laminate principal axes. These probabilistic micromechanics models provide a design-screening tool to help material producers to eliminate the unnecessary time-consuming and costly material fabrications and to reduce the numbers of testing to a minimum but enough to verify the model prediction. They also provide a structural analysis tool to help the structural designer to manage the structural and material uncertainties during the structural design process. And consequently, it provides a means to accelerate the insertion of materials into AF productions.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
A Monologue on Biofeedback and Psychophysiology

This paper is a commentary on the emergence of biofeedback methods and concepts as a significant behavioral strategy in psychophysiological research, and it includes a discussion of some contemporary issues. Operant conditioning methods have been useful in defining physiological activities as behavioral responses or as patterns of responses and in showing that these activities are subject to voluntary control or behavioral regulation. Other psychological and biological models are being developed in order to examine in detail the processes involved from different viewpoints and to enhance the clinical potential of biofeedback methods. This has stimulated further research on the effects of voluntary control of somatomotor and cognitive processes in achieving relatively permanent change in physiological functions. The complex interaction of cognitive factors and biofeedback control is illustrated in laboratory research on the regulation of systolic blood pressure. Finally, the problem of stimulus control of physiological activities and the variability of such activities under different conditions are seen as methodological and practical issues deserving greater attention. Related recent research is briefly discussed on the potential of biofeedback and voluntary control methods as a means of altering physiological and perceptual responses to stressful stimuli. It is concluded that the problems and potentials of biofeedback have provided a major stimulus to further basic research in psychophysiology.
Sound of Africa! Making Music Zulu in a South African Studio

Sound of Africa! Making Music Zulu in. South African Studio. Louise Meintjes. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2003. 335 pp.
Is There an Egg-laying Type of the Domestic Fowl?

Abstract THE phenotypic method of selecting layers and breeders based on the visible characters they possess constitutes the fundamental basis of judging fowls, whether in the showroom or in production classes. So long as the selection of breeding stock is based upon such an empirical method of procedure just so long will progress be retarded in the development of strains of fowls excelling in any particular. It is probably safe to say that there have been very few poultrymen anywhere in the world who have ever produced from year to year any more than a small percentage of their flock possessing reasonably good standard quality. The reason for such mediocre results in poultry breeding work is that the phenotypic instead of the genotypic method of selecting the breeders has been practised. If poultrymen breeding exhibition poultry had practised the progeny test, basing the selection of their breeding stock on the quality . . .
Management Education Collaboration Networks

Management education has come a long way since Sir Isaac Pitman initiated the first correspondence course in the early 1840s. Today the demands from a globalized economy are causing a sea change in the way business education is being delivered. The traditional one-size-fits-all educational approach of the past is being replaced with a customized and flexible learning paradigm that focuses on student outcomes and performance. Management education collaboration networks can assist in this transformation. A primary function of a collaboration network is to provide the management education community with access to curriculum innovation, databases, cloud computing resources, mobile learning technologies and implementation strategies. The network design should be based on stakeholder attitudes, new learning technologies, globalization, changing demographics and sustainability. The purpose of this article is to highlight the results of a global survey on collaboration networks and to outline the role of cloud-based collaboration in the future of business education.
Targeting glial physiology and glutamate cycling in the treatment of depression.

Accumulating evidence indicates that dysfunction in amino acid neurotransmission contributes to the pathophysiology of depression. Consequently, the modulation of amino acid neurotransmission represents a new strategy for antidepressant development. While glutamate receptor ligands are known to have antidepressant effects, mechanisms regulating glutamate cycling and metabolism may be viable drug targets as well. In particular, excitatory amino acid transporters (EAATs) that are embedded in glial processes constitute the primary means of clearing extrasynaptic glutamate. Therefore, the decreased glial number observed in preclinical stress models, and in postmortem tissue from depressed patients provides intriguing, yet indirect evidence for a role of disrupted glutamate homeostasis in the pathophysiology of depression. More direct evidence for this hypothesis comes from studies using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), a technique that non-invasively measures in vivo concentrations of glutamate and other amino acids under different experimental conditions. Furthermore, when combined with the infusion of 13C-labeled metabolic precursors, MRS can measure flux through discrete metabolic pathways. This approach has recently shown that glial amino acid metabolism is reduced by chronic stress, an effect that provides a link between environmental stress and the decreased EAAT activity observed under conditions of increased oxidative stress in the brain. Furthermore, administration of riluzole, a drug that enhances glutamate uptake through EAATs, reversed this stress-induced change in glial metabolism. Because riluzole has antidepressant effects in both animal models and human subjects, it may represent the prototype for a novel class of antidepressants with the modulation of glial physiology as a primary mechanism of action.
Progression of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C after orthotopic liver transplantation.

Background. Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related cirrhosis is the leading indication for orthotopic liver transplantation (OLTx). HCV recurrence is universal after OLTx, with a highly variable course. This study aimed to find factors that affect progression of fibrosis in recurrent HCV.Methods. Fifty-eig
The effect of chlorpromazine on the uptake and efflux of paraquat in rat lung slices

The uptake of paraquat by rat lung slices was inhibited by chlorpromazine in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. In addition, the efflux of paraquat from lung slices was enhanced by chlorpromazine in a similar fashion. These in vitro findings suggested that chlorpromazine might be useful in vivo in reducing pulmonary paraquat content and, in turn, its pneumotoxicity. However, chlorpromazine potentiated the lethal toxicity of paraquat rather than ameliorating it. This potentiation by chlorpromazine was found to correlate with a reduction in the urinary excretion of paraquat and concomitant increase in pulmonary paraquat concentrations.
Volume and distribution of AAA sponsored services and service use by disabled older adults.

Recent studies have suggested that a lower availability and lesser range of formal long term care services may, in part, explain lower rates of formal service use by older rural as compared to older urban residents. Studies of residence differences in the availability of Area Agency on Aging sponsored services, however, have not adjusted measures according to the size of service populations. This study assesses the volume of personal and home care services available to a national sample of disabled older persons through Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) and shows that nometropolitan respondents have a greater volume of AAA sponsored services available per capita than metropolitan respondents. Moreover, in general, per capita service availability ratios are not associated with formal service use over a two-year period among 2.800 disabled noninstitutionalized older adults. The importance of gathering data on services available at the community level in order to more effectively assess the role of social context...
Global Order and Self-Organization in the Escherichia Coli Cell Wall

The ability of bacteria to grow into specific shapes depends on the accurate self-organization of the cell wall growth machinery. Absent a global roadmap, these enzymes must rely on local cues to guide the location and orientation of new material inserted into the peptidoglycan (PG) network. I will discuss our recent experimental and computational efforts in understanding the strategy used by Escherichia coli cells to grow into a rod shape. By combining 3D microscopy, particle tracking and physical simulations, we show that helical insertion of PG material guided by the actin homolog MreB leads to constant radius elongation and a robust global ordering of the glycan strands in a helical pattern relative to the cell long axis.
The fossil history and phylogenetic relationships of condors (Ciconiiformes: Vulturidae) in the New World

ABSTRACT The fossil record of condors (Ciconiiformes: Vulturidae) in the New World is reviewed with a description of a new species of Gymnogyps from the early Pleistocene (Irvingtonian) of Florida. This new species shared a common ancestor with the California condor, G. californianus, and provides new information on the origin and evolution of condors in North America. A phylogenetic analysis of 39 cranial and postcranial characters indicates that the condors form a monophyletic assemblage with Gymnogyps as a distinct North American genus, and Vultur as a distinct South American genus. Condors probably originated in North America and may have reached South America in the mid Pliocene (Montehermosan) near the beginning of the Great American Interchange.
Pediatric patient hospitalization in chronic peritoneal dialysis

腹膜透析患児のQOLを把握するために, 患児の入院の現状を調査した.対象は透析期間が1年以上の患児 (78例: 男児46例, 女児32例, 年齢0-15.9歳). 対象症例をA群: 2歳以下, B群: 3-5歳, C群: 6歳以上に分け, 透析導入時期により, 1990年以前 (前期) 導入例と1991年以降 (後期) 導入例に分けて検討した.腹膜透析導入1年, 2年, 3年以降の年入院日数では, どの群でも導入2年目から入院日数が明らかに減少していた. A群の導入1年目の入院日数は226日 (中央値) であり, 他の群より有意に長かった. 腹膜透析導入時入院日数はA群では前後期とも多く, それぞれ179.5日・170.0日 (中央値) の入院が必要であったが, B群は110.0日・77.0日, C群は112.5日・56.0日と後期のほうが短縮していた. 年平均入院日数でもA群は49.5日・52.0日と変化はなかったが, B群は49.0日・29.0日, C群は33.0日・20.0日と後期のほうが短縮していた. 年平均入院回数は0.7-1.5回で群による大きな差はみられなかった. 入院理由は, どの群でもカテーテルトラブルが最も多かった.以上のことより, 3歳以上の年齢では入院日数は1991年以降明らかに短縮していた. しかし2歳以下の患児では, 導入時も年平均入院日数も長く, 腹膜炎の頻度が多いことや, 腹膜カテーテルトラブルの問題, 体重, 栄養管理が難しいことより, 改善されていなかった. さらに入院回数を少なくするために, カテーテルトラブル対策が最も重要と考えられた.
History, rather than contemporary processes, determines variation in macroinvertebrate diversity in artesian springs: the expansion hypothesis

Summary 1. The relative importance of contemporary and historical processes is a fundamental question in understanding patterns of biodiversity. We tested the hypothesis that species-sorting into different habitats (limnocrenes, rheocrenes, helocrenes), rather than history, would account for the greatest variation in macroinvertebrate diversity in desert artesian springs of The Bonneville Basin, U.S.A. These springs were isolated at the valley scale c. 9000 years ago by aridity and high salinity. Thus, the valley scale will account for the greatest variation in community composition if history and dispersal limitation are important, whereas niche-based sorting processes will be most important if habitat accounts for the greatest variation in community composition. 2. We identified 302 taxa from 280 sites and used a partial redundancy analysis, additive partitioning and classification strength (CS) to partition the variability in diversity among the springs. The valley scale accounted for more variation in community composition in limnocrene habitats (32.5%) than all other spatial and environmental variables combined. Valleys also accounted for 58% (additive partitioning) and 83% (CS) of the regional variation in diversity in analyses that included all three habitat types. That is, the average community similarity was 25% across the region, but increased to 41% within valleys. By contrast, habitat filtering did not account for significant variation in community composition in any of the analyses. Our study is one of the few suggesting the over-riding importance of neutral processes in determining patterns of diversity (history and dispersal limitation). 3. The ‘expansion’ hypothesis suggests that the youthful age of a region, combined with slow dispersal by a fauna dominated by generalists, will maximise the imprint of history. These communities appear to exist in a pre-equilibrial state, where the maximum carrying capacity has not been reached and niche space is plentiful. With time, we predict that local richness will increase while β-diversity decreases as species expand their distribution across the region. Consequently, the importance of niche-based processes may increase with time as the imprint of history fades.
Adaptive techniques for minimizing middleware memory footprint for distributed, real-time, embedded systems

In order for middleware to be widely useful for distributed, real-time, and embedded systems, it should provide a full set of services and be easily customizable to meet the memory footprint limitations of embedded systems. We examine a variety of techniques used to reduce the memory footprint in middleware. We find that combining aspect-oriented programming with code shrinkers and obfuscators reduces the memory footprint of CORBA middleware to <5% of its original size, as customized for a small client application for a memory-constrained embedded device.
The Japanese General Election of 1952.

Japan, on October 1, 1952, held the first general election for members of the House of Representatives since the end of the occupation. In that election, the conservative government party, the Jiyiit6 (Liberal party), won a clear majority, the Communist party failed to elect a single candidate, and there was a marked advance by the two Socialist parties.' An analysis of the election, however, does not fall into easy classifications. Although Japan's relations with the United States, China, and the Soviet Union, the question of rearmament and revision of Article IX of the constitution to provide the legal base for rearmament, the San Francisco treaties, and internal financial policies furnished controversial issues for party stands, the Japanese voter was confused by both the complexities of intraparty quarrels and the ambiguities of many of the candidates' campaigns. Japanese party politics since the inauguration of the Meiji constitution has been characterized by groupings around personalities rather than platforms. That characteristic appears to be a continuing political phenomenon under the new constitution. Prime Minister Yoshida dissolved the lower house of the Diet in August, although his Liberal party had the support of 285 of the 466 members of the House of Representatives.2 It was generally agreed that an election at this time would afford him the best opportunity to extend his premiership and his party's superiority in the Diet. Postponement of a general election would have allowed the articulate opposition to his government to crystallize. It was a political gamble, but Yoshida was playing gambler's odds. Since the last general election of January 23, 1949, there had been much shifting of personnel within and among parties. In the Liberal party, a struggle had developed between Yoshida and the former party president, Hatoyama Ichiro. Hatoyama had been purged in 1946, the party presidency passing to Yoshida. In 1952 Hatoyama was depurged and began a campaign to recapture
Causes of Effects and Effects of Causes

This article summarizes a conceptual framework and simple mathematical methods of estimating the probability that one event was a necessary cause of another, as interpreted by lawmakers. We show that the fusion of observational and experimental data can yield informative bounds that, under certain circumstances, meet legal criteria of causation. We further investigate the circumstances under which such bounds can emerge, and the philosophical dilemma associated with determining individual cases from statistical data.