cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
New Approaches to Resolving Old Conflicts

Talking to the Enemy: Track Two Diplomacy in the Middle East and South Asia. By Dalia Dassa Kaye Santa Monica, CA: Rand, 2007. 139 pp., $25.00 paper (ISBN-13: 978-0-8330-4191-3). If the conflict resolution literature can be divided into two separate poles, with policy-oriented prescriptive case studies on one end and deductive analyses mostly removed from concrete applications on the other, then Kaye's Talking to the Enemy draws from the strengths of each strand of literature as it speaks to both the theory and practice of track-two diplomacy. Recently, the literatures on international mediation and peacekeeping have benefited from numerous important theoretical, empirical, policy-oriented, and case-specific contributions. Less attention, however, has been paid to the function of alternative conflict management and resolution mechanisms such as track-two diplomacy. The type of track-two diplomacy on which Kaye focuses still tends to involve third parties, primarily Western actors, initiating the talks, but the nature of the diplomacy is unofficial and centered on grass-roots confidence building. Multi-track diplomacy might not be as noticeable as major third-party peace processes, but it can be a useful alternative to highly visible initiatives, such as the November 2007 Annapolis conference, that, for all the fanfare and political posturing, do little to achieve stable conflict resolution. Kaye's track-two diplomacy avoids some of the pitfalls of more heavy-handed third-party interventions, as the intended mechanism is self-sustaining peace and does not rely on fragile third-party guarantees or contrived promises among political actors. In …
Relationship between Working Environment, Self-Concept, Real-Ideal Self Discrepancy, and Functionality in Physical Education Teachers

Abstract The major purposes of the present study were to determine to what extent and in what ways an individual's personality is affected by the working environment. Three questions were asked about the effect of working environment on: (a) realism or accuracy of self-concept, (b) agreement between real self and ideal self, and (c) functionality of personality characteristics. Subjects were 49 physical education faculty in three inner-city and three suburban Los Angeles area high schools. The Holmen Adjective Check List (HACL) was used to assess self-concept, real-ideal self discrepancy, and functionality. Results showed that: (a) suburban teachers had more accurate self-concepts than did inner-city teachers, (b) suburban teachers were seen as being more like their “ideal selves” than were inner-city teachers, and (c) individuals experienced in a given work setting were not necessarily seen as better adapted to that environment than those not working there.
Determinants of the Hiv-1 Core Assembly Pathway

Based on structural information, we have analyzed the mechanism of mature HIV-1 core assembly and the contributions of structural elements to the assembly process. Through the use of several in vitro assembly assay systems, we have examined details of how capsid (CA) protein helix 1, s-hairpin and cyclophilin loop elements impact assembly-dependent protein interactions, and we present evidence for a contribution of CA helix 6 to the mature assembly-competent conformation of CA. Additional experiments with mixtures of proteins in assembly reactions provide novel analyses of the mature core assembly mechanism. Our results support a model in which initial assembly products serve as scaffolds for further assembly by converting incoming subunits to assembly proficient conformations, while mutant subunits increase the probability of assembly termination events.
dl- versus meso-3,4-dimethyl-2,5-hexanedione: A morphometric study of the proximo-distal distribution of axonal swellings in the anterior root of the rat☆

Abstract The neurotoxicity of the dl and meso diastereomers of the γ-diketone 3,4-dimethyl-2,5-hexanedione (DMHD) was studied to determine if the difference in rates of pyrrole derivatization would influence the clinical and morphological appearance of the neuropathy associated with these γ-diketones. Two groups of rats received 0.2 mmol/kg/day intraperitoneal injections of their respective diastereomer, and two groups of control rats received comparable volumes of water. The dl -DMHD treated group reached the clinical endpoint of hindlimb paralysis in a period of time threefold shorter than the meso -DMHD treated group, paralleling the in vitro kinetics of pyrrole formation with a model amine. A computerized morphometric analysis of cross-sectional axonal areas along the lengths of L4 and L5 anterior roots revealed that the dl -DMHD treated rats had axonal swellings more proximal and of smaller caliber than the meso -DMHD treated rats. 14 C-labeled dl and meso diastereomers were synthesized and used to determine relative ability of the diastereomers to gain access to the nervous system. There was approximately 25% more dl -DMHD in the brain after 2 hr. The brain:serum ratios of the diastereomers, however, were equivalent. The more distal location of the neurofilament-filled swellings after meso -DMHD intoxication corroborates previous findings regarding toxicant potency and location of axonal swellings and suggests that the rate of neurofilament crosslinking determines the location of swellings along the length of the axon in the neurofilamentous axonopathies.
Automated design of specificity in molecular recognition.

Specific protein–protein interactions are crucial in signaling networks and for the assembly of multi-protein complexes, and represent a challenging goal for protein design. Optimizing interaction specificity requires both positive design, the stabilization of a desired interaction, and negative design, the destabilization of undesired interactions. Currently, no automated protein-design algorithms use explicit negative design to guide a sequence search. We describe a multi-state framework for engineering specificity that selects sequences maximizing the transfer free energy of a protein from a target conformation to a set of undesired competitor conformations. To test the multi-state framework, we engineered coiled-coil interfaces that direct the formation of either homodimers or heterodimers. The algorithm identified three specificity motifs that have not been observed in naturally occurring coiled coils. In all cases, experimental results confirm the predicted specificities.
Acute Reactions in Dogs Treated with Doxorubicin: Increased Frequency with the Use of a Generic Formulation

During a 4-month period, 34 dogs with tumors received a total of 60 doses of a single generic formulation of doxorubicin; 13 acute drug reactions were observed in these 34 dogs, and no acute reactions were observed after replacing the product with the proprietary brand. These reactions were characterized by one or more of the following signs: pruritus; head-shaking; urticaria; erythema of the pinnal, axillary, or inguinal regions; vocalization; vomiting; hyperemic or pale mucous membranes; high heart rate; and high respiratory rate. We propose that a component unique to generic doxorubicin was responsible for the unusually high number of acute drug reactions observed.
The Game Changers: Strategies to Boost College Completion and Close Attainment Gaps.

Only about half of US college students graduate; consequently, our nation faces a skills gap that threatens its future.The obstacles to student success include poorly designed and delivered remedia...
Dissecting motility signaling through activation of specific Src-effector complexes

We describe an approach to selectively activate a kinase in a specific protein complex or at a specific subcellular location within living cells and within minutes. This reveals the effects of specific kinase pathways without time for genetic compensation. The new technique, dubbed rapamycin-regulated targeted activation of pathways (RapRTAP), was used to dissect the role of Src kinase interactions with FAK and p130Cas in cell motility and morphodynamics. The overall effects of Src activation on cell morphology and adhesion dynamics were first quantified, without restricting effector access. Subsets of Src-induced behaviors were then attributed to specific interactions between Src and the two downstream proteins. Activation of Src in the cytoplasm versus at the cell membrane also produced distinct phenotypes. The conserved nature of the kinase site modified for RapRTAP indicates that the technique can be applied to many kinases.
Humans are a sensitive species to some of the biochemical effects of structural analogs of dioxin

In 1979, rice oil contaminated with polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) was ingested in a widespread poisoning episode in Taiwan. The PCDFs are structural analogs of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). TCDD and the PCDFs are thought to share the same mechanism of action that involves binding to the Ah receptor. In our studies, we compared the effects of TCDD on rat liver to effects in placentas of women exposed to PCDF-contaminated rice oil. TCDD is a hepatocarcinogen in female rats. Measured parameters included concentrations of human placental PCDF congeners or rat liver TCDD and induction of cytochrome P-450 isozymes, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and glucocorticoid receptor (GCR). Placentas from PCDF-exposed women contained two PCDFs: 2,3,4,7,8-penta CDF (100 ppt) and 1,2,3,4,7,8-hexa CDF (400 ppt). The 2,3,4,7,8-penta CDF binds the Ah receptor 60% as well as TCDD, and the 1,2,4,7,8-hexa CDF binds 9% as well as TCDD. Cytochrome P1-450 was induced approximately 100-fold in exposed placentas. This induction was considered maximal. Placental PCDF concentrations associated with this induction were compared to the amount of hepatic TCDD required to maximally induce the rat liver homolog of P1-450. These comparisons, accounting for differences in Ah receptor binding, suggested that humans are more sensitive than rats to the P1-450 inductive actions of the toxic halogenated aromatics. Several assumptions are made, and their validity is discussed. As with the P1-450, humans are more sensitive to the effects of the halogenated aromatics on EGFR (EGF-stimulated autophosphorylation) and GCR (binding capacity) than are rats. Although the relationship of these biochemical changes to the carcinogenic effects of TCDD and its analogs is not clear, our data suggest that it is prudent to retain a conservative risk assessment for the toxic halogenated aromatics.
SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS MEASUREMENT WITH DISCRETE PROXY VARIABLES: IS PRINCIPAL COMPONENT ANALYSIS A RELIABLE ANSWER?

The last several years have seen a growth in the number of publications in economics that use principal component analysis (PCA) in the area of welfare studies. This paper explores the ways discrete data can be incorporated into PCA. The effects of discreteness of the observed variables on the PCA are reviewed. The statistical properties of the popular Filmer and Pritchett (2001) procedure are analyzed. The concepts of polychoric and polyserial correlations are introduced with appropriate references to the existing literature demonstrating their statistical properties. A large simulation study is carried out to compare various implementations of discrete data PCA. The simulation results show that the currently used method of running PCA on a set of dummy variables as proposed by Filmer and Pritchett (2001) can be improved upon by using procedures appropriate for discrete data, such as retaining the ordinal variables without breaking them into a set of dummy variables or using polychoric correlations. An empirical example using Bangladesh 2000 Demographic and Health Survey data helps in explaining the differences between procedures.
New Gadgets on the Horizon

Purpose – Aims to review some new technology “gadgets”.Design/methodology/approach – A review with descriptions of new technologies which might impact library services.Findings – The proliferation of computer technology has ensured that gadgets play a significant role in our daily routines. They are used at work, home and during playtime. The gadgets range from mouse devices, keyboards, headsets, camera accessories and more.Originality/value – Provides descriptions of some gadgets of value to information seekers.
Mechanical property changes in ion-irradiated metals: Part II. high-strength Cu-Ni-be alloy

Mechanical property changes in a high-strength copper alloy as a result of 14-MeV Cu ion irradiation have been investigated using a recently developed mechanical properties microprobe (MPM). A Cu-1.5 pct Ni-0.3 pct Be alloy was irradiated in both the cold-worked and aged and solution-annealed and aged conditions to a peak damage dose of 40 displacements per atom (dpa) (10 dpa at 1 μm) over the temperature range of 100 °C to 500 °C. Ultra-low load microindentation hardness changes were measured parallel to the ion beam and perpendicular to the beam, the latter being made possible by cross-sectional techniques. Both thermal and radiationenhanced softening was observed in the cold-worked and aged material, and the amount of softening increased as temperature increased. Irradiation had very little effect on the solutionannealed and aged material, and only at 500 °C was any thermally induced softening observed.
A preliminary metabolomic analysis of older adults with and without depression.

Background Metabolomics, the global science of biochemistry, is an emerging field that enables detection and quantification of small molecules involved in metabolic and signaling pathways. Metabolic signatures for disease and its treatment could provide valuable biomarkers and insights about disease mechanisms. In this pilot study, we evaluate the potential of metabolomics in the study of older depressed patients. Methods We performed a metabolomic analysis of blood plasma from nine depressed, 11 remitted, and ten never-depressed older adults. Approximately 800 metabolites were analyzed, with comparisons made among the three groups. Results Metabolites that were altered in currently depressed patients when compared with controls included several fatty acids, glycerol and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Analyses comparing concentrations in remitted and currently depressed patients revealed a pattern of metabolite alterations similar to the control vs currently depressed analyses. One difference observed in the remitted patients relative to the depressed patients was elevation of the concentration of the ketone 3-hydroxybutanoic acid. Conclusion These observations suggest that the depressed state may be associated with alterations in the metabolism of lipids and neurotransmitters, and that treatment with antidepressants adjusts some of the aberrant pathways in disease so that the patients in remission have a metabolic profile more similar to controls than to the depressed population. These results will need to be examined and validated in larger longitudinal cohorts. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Two centuries of process safety at DuPont

DuPont was founded over 200 years ago with a core value for understanding and managing the hazards associated with our processes. From the beginning of gunpowder manufacture on the Brandywine River, to expansion into chemicals in the early 1900s, to the many, diverse businesses of today, this core value for safety has helped the company reduce risk and prevent serious injuries and incidents. This article reviews some of this basic corporate history, recognizing that the lessons of the past can help us provide for a safer future. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog, 2009
When Courts Decide: Foreigners' Rights and Social Citizenship in Europe and the US

European Court of Justice and European Court of Human Rights rulings create a form of transnational social citizenship. European judicial activism appears reminiscent of US politics, but is rooted in distinctively European commitments to solidarity. Yet because rights rely on domestic programmes, social citizenship remains vulnerable to retrenchment. This article argues that reforms threaten to transform European social citizenship into a civil citizenship that moves Europe closer to the minimalist US model of social protection.
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE OF THE WAVELENGTH MODULATION SPECTRA OF GaAs

Wavelength-modulation spectroscopy is used to obtain the temperature dependence of the reflectivity spectrum for GaAs. Results are given in the regions of the ${E}_{1}$ doublet and the major ${E}_{2}$ peak at 5, 80, 150, 225, and 300\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. The theoretical temperature dependence in these regions is obtained through use of Debye-Waller factors and thermal expansion coefficients in an empirical pseudopotential calculation of the ${\ensuremath{\Lambda}}_{3}\ensuremath{-}{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}_{1}$ and ${\ensuremath{\Sigma}}_{2}\ensuremath{-}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}_{1}$ energy splittings.
Dynamic Adhesion of Umbilical Cord Blood Endothelial Progenitor Cells under Laminar Shear Stress

Late outgrowth endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) represent a promising cell source for rapid reendothelialization of damaged vasculature after expansion ex vivo and injection into the bloodstream. We characterized the dynamic adhesion of umbilical-cord-blood-derived EPCs (CB-EPCs) to surfaces coated with fibronectin. CB-EPC solution density affected the number of adherent cells and larger cells preferentially adhered at lower cell densities. The number of adherent cells varied with shear stress, with the maximum number of adherent cells and the shear stress at maximum adhesion depending upon fluid viscosity. CB-EPCs underwent limited rolling, transiently tethering for short distances before firm arrest. Immediately before arrest, the instantaneous velocity decreased independent of shear stress. A dimensional analysis indicated that adhesion was a function of the net force on the cells, the ratio of cell diffusion to sliding speed, and molecular diffusivity. Adhesion was not limited by the settling rate and was highly specific to α5β1 integrin. Total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy showed that CB-EPCs produced multiple contacts of α5β1 with the surface and the contact area grew during the first 20 min of attachment. These results demonstrate that CB-EPC adhesion from blood can occur under physiological levels of shear stress.
Optimism, Pessimism, and Precompetition Anxiety in College Athletes

This study examined the effect of optimistic and pessimistic cognitive styles on performance and precompetition anxiety. Collegiate athletes (female=39; male=35) completed the Defensive Pessimism Questionnaire and were grouped as optimists, defensive pessimists or real pessimists. Defensive pessimism is a strategy through which individuals set low expectations so as to protect themselves from potential failure, but has no adverse effect on performance. Such a strategy differs from the real pessimist approach, which results in both low performance expectations and achievements. Predicted precompetition anxiety was assessed via the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-Yl). Results revealed that females exhibited significantly (P<0.05) higher levels of predicted precompetition anxiety than males. However, when anxiety responses were re-analyzed by cognitive orientation, it was found that regardless of gender, optimists exhibited significantly lower (P<0.01) levels of precompetition anxiety compared to the pessimists groups. While a majority of the sample (59.9%) possessed a pessimistic style, these findings suggest that performance differences between the groups were not significant. Hence, findings from this study indicate that cognitive orientation style and not gender is the best predictor of precompetition anxiety.
Synthesis and properties of novel substituted 4,5,6,7-tetrahydroindenes and selected metal complexes

The synthesis of a complete series of substituted 4,5,6,7-tetrahydroindenes (4,5,6,7-tetrahydroindene, 1; 1-methyl-, 1,3-dimethyl- and 1,2,3-trimethyl-4,5,6,7-tetrahydroindene, 2-4) is reported. The synthesis of ferrocenes (8-11) from these substituted cyclopentadienes is described. The electrochemistry of these ferrocenes indicates that these complexes are more readily oxidized than ferrocene and that the effect of methyl or alkyl substituents on the ease of oxidation is additive. A single crystal X-ray structure of two of the ferrocenes, bis(1,3-dimethyl-4,5,6,7-tetrahydroindenyl)iron(II), 10, and bis(1,2,3-trimethyl-4,5,6,7-tetrahy-droindenyl)iron(II), 11, indicates that steric hindrance causes the alkyl substituents to be bent away from the plane of the cyclopentadienyl ring. However, the structures differ in that the cyclopentadienyl rings in 10 are staggered wheras those in 11 are eclipsed. The synthesis of the cyclopentadienyltricarbonylmethyl compounds of molybdenum and tungsten from 3 and 4 is also described.
Transmission of TCP Traffic over User Cooperative Communications in Infrastructure Networks

This paper studies TCP performance when running over a wireless network that implements cooperative communications. Two well-known cooperative communications schemes were considered: Amplify-and-Forward and Decode-and-Forward. Also, two cross-layer cooperative communications schemes that leverage on the link layer retransmission scheme were considered. These schemes transmit the message from the cooperating node only when necessary. The study in this paper validates guidelines from analysis, with a simulation that implements all layers of the Internet protocol stack. The results show that as the source-destination channel becomes more degraded, both Amplify-and-Forward and Decode-and-Forward cooperation yield a TCP performance better than non-cooperative scheme. This is even considering that the two-phase operation of cooperative communications reduces the effective capacity. The issue of reduced capacity is resolved with cross-layer schemes, which result in improved performance at the cost of added complexity to implement the cross-layer mechanisms and to dynamically schedule the transmission of the cooperating node.
Nano Electromechanical Optoelectronic Tunable VCSEL

We present nanoelectromechanical optoelectronic (NEMO) tunable VCSELs utilizing an electrostatic-actuated single-layer, high-index-contrast subwavelength grating. Ultra-low threshold of 0.2 mA and single mode emission with continuously wavelength tuning range of 6.5 nm was experimentally obtained
Mental health services of the future: Managed care, unmanaged care, mismanaged care

Abstract Rising costs. Treatable disorders. No treatment for many. High indirect expenses. The response to this contemporary set of circumstances has been managed mental health care. The transition from fee‐for‐service to managed behavioral health services has meant the industrialization of mental health care, an entirely new culture for providers, and a melding of the traditional public and private sectors. This article examines the evolution of managed behavioral healthcare from the point of view of how and why it occurred, what it means for providers, how it will impact on the seriously mentally ill, ways in which pay ors and providers can reach consensus on future directions, and the risks inherent in this process.
Digital filtering in EEG/ERP analysis: Some technical and empirical comparisons

A general approach to time domain digital filtering is described, and examples of some filters used in EEG/ERP research are presented. Simulations are reported that evaluate the impact of the relative length of the filter weight series and the signal cycle to be filtered, the span and real-time density of the filter weights, and slow drift across the epoch being filtered. Results indicate that some filters commonly used in the EEG/ERP literature are inadequate. Frequency domain digital filtering is also briefly discussed. The fast Hartley transform, a fast but relatively unknown computational method for frequency domain filtering of ERP/EEG data, is introduced and compared with time domain filtering. Some practical recommendations are provided.
On the optimal control for a class of distributed parameter systems

An optimal control problem for a class of distributed parameter systems is discussed. A non-linear integral equation of a signum type is derived as a necessary and sufficient condition for the optimal control. Under very weak conditions, existence and unique ness of the solution to this non-linear integral equation are proved.
On the intrinsic coordinatability of network control systems

Concepts of both group and individually rational behavior are essential for a control network to cooperate in the true sense. Although classical game theory provides a powerful framework within which to study networks, it solution concepts are based on, and only on, individual rationality, and do not admit notions of group-level rational behavior. Conditional game theory overcomes this limitation. In contrast to conventional categorical utilities, which encode agents' preferences as functions of the possible actions of themselves and others, conditional utilities permit agents to condition their preferences on the preferences of other agents as well as their actions. As these conditional utilities propagate through the network, they create a social model which leads to an emergent notion of system level rationality. This expanded formulation of game theory also permits the assessment of the innate ability of a network system to coordinate its behavior. Shannon information theory is adapted to define an explicit measure of the intrinsic capacity for a system to coordinate. This measure may be used to assess the ecological fitness of the agents to function in their environment.
Neuropathologic aspects of cytochrome C oxidase deficiency.

Cytochrome c oxidase (COX) deficiency is an important cause of myopathy or encephalomyopathy. Considering the structural complexity of COX, its dual genetic control, and the several nuclear genes needed for its proper assembly, the phenotypic heterogeneity is not surprising. From a morphologic view point, the application of histochemistry and immunohistochemistry to the study of COX deficiency in muscle has revealed specific patterns that – we believe–are helpful both for diagnosis and for directing sequencing studies of either mitrochondrial DNA (mtDNA) or nuclear DNA (nDNA) genes. Similar studies in brain have shown that patients with mutations in mtDNA appear to have different patterns of COX deficiency from patients with mutations in nDNA genes. The recent discovery of mutations in COX assembly genes coupled with the potential to generate knock-out mice with these mutations holds the promise of providing the neuropathologist with the animal models needed to study the pathogenesis of COX deficiency in brain and muscle.
X-ray photoemission investigations of binary and ternary C 60 fullerides of Na, K, Rb, and Cs

Core-level photoemission studies of alkali fulleride ${\mathit{A}}_{\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ thin films indicate alkali bonding configurations that can be associated with octahedral and tetrahedral interstitial sites of the ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ lattice. For ${\mathrm{K}}_{\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$, the K 2p core-level results suggest ${\mathrm{K}}_{3}$${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ nucleation for K concentration as low as x\ensuremath{\sim}0.1 with occupation of both octahedral and tetrahedral sites. In contrast, the Rb 3d and Cs 4d core-level spectra show filling of only octahedral sites until x\ensuremath{\sim}1, forming ${\mathit{A}}_{1}$${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ phases. For intercalation beyond x\ensuremath{\sim}1, the fcc tetrahedral sites of Rb are occupied as ${\mathrm{Rb}}_{3}$${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ forms. Intercalation with K or Rb beyond x\ensuremath{\sim}3, or with Cs beyond x\ensuremath{\sim}1, results in a spectral feature that is consistent with formation of a body-centered phase with equivalent tetrahedral interstitial sites. Results for ${\mathrm{Na}}_{\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ suggest that Na ions occupy off-center positions in the large octahedral sites. Studies of ternary fullerides ${\mathrm{K}}_{\mathit{x}}$${\mathit{A}}_{\mathit{y}}$${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ (x+y3) demonstrate preferential filling of the octahedral sites by the larger ion.
Plasma and erythrocyte selenium and glutathione peroxidase activity in preterm infants at risk for bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between selenium status, as measured by plasma and erythrocyte selenium and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity, and other postnatal factors, including selenium intake, gestational age, and oxygen dependence in preterm infants at risk for bronchopulmonary dysplsia. Eighteen preterm infants of 30 wk gestational age or less were included. At postnatal wk 1 and 4, selenium concentrations and GPx activity were measured and oxygen dependence and daily selenium intakes were determined from the medical chart. Plasma and erythrocyte selenium concentrations decreased from wk 1 to wk 4, whereas erythrocyte GPx activity increased. Increased selenium intakes during wk 1 were associated with increased erythrocyte GPx activity at both time-points, as well as a decreased need for supplemental oxygen on d 28. Preterm infants display increasing erythrocyte GPx activity despite declines in plasma and erythrocyte selenium. GPx activity might be enhanced by very early selenium supplementation.
ACUTE AND SUBACUTE TOXICITY OF SEVERAL ORGANOPHOSPHORUS INSECTICIDES TO CHICKS

Abstract The acute and subacute toxicity to White Leghorn cockerels of 14 organophosphorus insecticides were studied. These included 2 phosphates, 8 phosphorothioates, 2 phosphorodithioates, a phosphoramidothioate, and a dithionopyrophosphate. Symptomatology, growth, and blood plasma cholinesterase activity are discussed.
Development and evaluation of self-polishing urethane coatings with tethered quaternary ammonium biocides

Abstract The synthesis and characterization of hydrolysable, antimicrobial cross-linked polyurethanes are described. Cross-linking of isocyanate-terminated urethane oligomers with glycol-modified silanes was used as a novel method for imparting enhanced mechanical integrity and hydrolytic potential to polyurethane coating systems. By combining these cross-linkers with a variety of biocidal quaternary ammonium salts and polyisocyanates, a library of hydrolysable polyurethanes were developed with controllable mechanical, thermal, hydrolytic, and antimicrobial properties. Up to a 3-log reduction of viable microbes was observed and correlated with the surface content of side chain quaternary ammonium salt moieties. Diminished antibacterial characteristics of completely amorphous systems are attributed to the segregation of low surface energy constituents at the material:air interface and relegation of biocidal species to within the bulk material.
THE MEASUREMENT OF CHLOROPHYLL, PRIMARY PRODUCTIVITY, PHOTOPHOSPHORYLATION, AND MACROMOLECULES IN BENTHIC ALGAL MATS

Methods are described for measuring primary productivity, chlorophyll, protein, and nucleic acid in algal cores. The cores are homogenized after incubation with a radioactive isotope so that representative subsamples can be taken. Isotope self-absorption is not a problem, because only a small fraction of the core is actually filtered. The method eliminates sampling variability since chlorophyll is estimated in the same samples used to determine l”C uptake. Acid or alkali extraction was used to indicate the biochemical fractions into which the 14C was incorporated. Rates of pho::phosphorylation and RNA synthesis were measured using ““I?.
A complexity test based on the correlation integral

Abstract This paper contains a description of a statistical test that may help identify nonlinear determinism in time series. Its foundation is the notion that the ratio of a correlation dimension of a random series to that of its randomly scrambled counterpart is equal to one. Alternatively, one can statistically test whether the ratio of the correlation integral of a nonlinear deterministic series to that of its shuffled counterpart is less than one.
Requirements of Position-Sensitive Detectors for Neutron Scattering Experiments

Neutron scattering is a very important tool in the understanding of the structure, dynamics, and magnetic properties of condensed matter, and the performance of neutron scattering instruments is heavily dependent on both the quality and quantity of neutron detectors which can be provided. This paper sets forth those detector characteristics which are important in various aspects of neutron scattering instrument performance. Current technology for standard and position-sensitive detectors is primarily based on gas proportional counters, and is adequate to meet current instrumentation requirements for many of these characteristics. However, a number of areas can be pointed out where immediate detector improvements are desirable or even essential. Development of new, more powerful neutron sources is leading to the development of new instrumentation with new requirements for detectors, which are not adequately met by; current detector technology. A great deal of innovation and development will be required if neutron detector performance is not to severely limit the potential capabilities of some current and of most future neutron scattering instruments.
Assessing the impacts of fractionation on pointing-intensive spacecraft

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, February 2010.
Toward self-healing energy infrastructure systems

Virtually every crucial economic and social function depends on the secure, reliable operation of energy, telecommunications, transportation, financial, and other infrastructures. However, with increased benefit has come increased risk. As they have grown more complex to handle a variety of demands, these infrastructures have become more interdependent. This strong interdependence means that an action in one part of one infrastructure network can rapidly create global effects by cascading throughout the same network and even into other networks. Moreover, interdependence is only one of several characteristics that challenge the control and reliable operation of these networks. These characteristics, in turn, present unique challenges in modeling, prediction, simulation, cause-and-effect relationships, analysis, optimization, and control. Deregulation and economic factors and policies and human performance also affect these networks. The Complex Interactive Networks/Systems Initiative (GIN/SI) is a joint program by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and the US Department of Defense (DOD) that is addressing many of these issues. The goal of the 5-year, $30 million effort, which is part of the Government-Industry Collaborative University Research (GICUR) program, is to develop new tools and techniques that will enable large national infrastructures to self-heal in response to threats, material failures, and other destabilizers. Of particular interest is how to model enterprises at the appropriate level of complexity in critical infrastructure systems.
GDSI: a Web-based decision support system to facilitate the efficient and effective use of clinical practice guidelines

Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) are systematically developed healthcare recommendations designed to improve quality and control costs by reducing errors, minimizing practice variability, and promoting best practices. Although considerable effort and resources have been applied to CPG design, development, and deployment, the impact of CPGs on clinician behavior is inconsistent at best. The biomedical literature suggests that CPG efficacy could be improved using information systems that make CPGs and related patient-specific decision support functions available and easier to use at the point of care. This approach also depends upon the ability to integrate CPG information systems into the clinician workflow. Based on an analysis of the barriers to efficient and effective guideline use, researchers from City of Hope National Medical Center's Division of Information Sciences were motivated to develop a Web-based expert system to facilitate CPG utilization in a variety of clinical environments. The resulting Graphical Decision Support Interface (GDSI) employs a relational database-driven state machine architecture adapted from an instrument control system developed by one of the authors. The user interface was designed to facilitate clinician interaction with large, complex decision hierarchies. As users enter information about an individual patient, the system computes additional derived values and provides context-specific recommendations. It also documents when and why clinicians intentionally deviate from guideline recommendations to assist with organizational benchmarking and CPG modification efforts. This report describes the GDSI prototype and our experience with the translation of breast cancer treatment guidelines into algorithms with explicit states and decision points. It also describes a pilot study of the system at two Southern California cancer treatment facilities. Preliminary results suggest that the GDSI system is well received among clinicians and is capable of making a positive contribution toward CPG development and use. Lessons learned and directions for future research are also discussed.
Sequencing electroblotted proteins by tandem mass spectrometry

Electroblotting proteins separated by gel electrophoresis provides a suitable support for further manipulations and analysis of small amounts of relatively pure samples. On-membrane digestion, peptide mapping by mass spectrometry, and database searching offer sensitive and fast tools to identify the analyte. By providing sequence information, tandem mass spectrometry can go a step further, confirming the database identification, solving problems connected with post-translational modifications and sequence variations, or supplying the stretches of internal sequence necessary to synthesize an oligonucleotide probe for gene isolation. The viability of this approach was successfully evaluated using different tandem mass spectrometric techniques: metastable decomposition in a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) time-of-flight instrument with a curved-field reflectron; low energy collision-induced dissociation in a MALDI quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer; and high energy collision-induced dissociation in a high-performance four-sector mass spectrometer with massive cluster-impact ionization.
Lifting Off the Ground to Return Anew: Mediated Praxis, Transformative Learning, and Social Design Experiments

This article examines a praxis model of teacher education and advances a new method for engaging novice teachers in reflective practice and robust teacher learning. Social design experiments—cultural historical formations designed to promote transformative learning for adults and children—are organized around expansive notions of learning and mediated praxis and provide new tools and practices for envisioning new pedagogical arrangements, especially for students from nondominant communities. The authors examine one long-standing social design experiment, the UCLA UC Links/ Las Redes partnership and the work of one exemplary novice teacher to illustrate the importance of mediated, reflective practices in helping apprentice teachers develop a coherent and orienting framework for teaching and learning that has both heuristic and explanatory power. The authors illustrate how cultural historical concepts of learning and development and situated practice become the means for university students to gain distance...
A fault-tolerant communication scheme for hypercube computers

A fault-tolerant communication scheme that facilitates near-optimal routing and broadcasting in hypercube computers subject to node failures is described. The concept of an unsafe node is introduced to identify fault-free nodes that may cause communication difficulties. It is shown that by only using 'feasible' paths that try to avoid unsafe nodes, routing and broadcasting can be substantially simplified. A computationally efficient routing algorithm that uses local information is presented. It can route a message via a path of length no greater than p+2, where p is the minimum distance from the source to the destination, provided that not all nonfaulty nodes in the hypercube are unsafe. Broadcasting can be achieved under the same fault conditions with only one more time unit than the fault-free case. The problems posed by deadlock in faulty hypercubes are discussed, and deadlock-free implementations of the proposed communication schemes are presented. >
A sealed, UHV compatible, soft X-ray detector utilizing gas electron multipliers

An advanced soft X-ray detector has been designed and fabricated for use in synchrotron experiments that utilize X-ray absorption spectroscopy in the study a wide range of materials properties. Fluorescence X-rays, in particular C K at 277eV, are converted in a low pressure gas medium, and charge multiplication occurs in two gas electron multipliers, fabricated in-house from glass reinforced laminate, to enable single photon counting. The detector satisfies a number of demanding characteristics often required in synchrotron environments, such as UHV compatibility, compactness, long-term stability, and energy resolving capability.
An architectural model for Eleocharis: morphology and development of Eleocharis cellulosa (Cyperaceae)

Species of Eleocharis are prominent in aquatic and wetland habitats and serve as models for study of physiological adaptations to aquatic environments. The genus has an unusual morphology because the major photosynthetic organ is the stem. In order to define an architectural model for the genus to understand the evolution of this morphology, we examined mature morphology and development of E. cellulosa in living and fixed material using light and scanning electron microscopy. Eleocharis cellulosa has sympodial, vertical shoots that produce the photosynthetic culms and horizontal shoots that mix monopodial and sympodial development. Each sympodial unit produces three bracts, an elongated photosynthetic internode, then a fourth bract and an inflorescence that either aborts on vegetative culms or expands on reproductive culms. On each sympodium, the first bract subtends a precocious axillary bud that reiterates the sympodial unit; the second bract subtends a bud that develops the horizontal shoot. In both horizontal and vertical shoots, the internode below the second bract is produced by both the second bract and the renewal shoot. Sympodial growth is present in seedlings. In other species of Eleocharis, the structure of the sympodial unit is conserved but morphological diversity develops from variation in horizontal shoot growth.
Some fast speech processing algorithms using AltiVec technology

The AltiVec technology is a SIMD (single instruction multiple data) extension to PowerPC architecture. It is intended to provide architectural support for performance improvement of various image and signal processing applications, including speech processing, on a general-purpose processor implementation, such as, the PowerPC line of processors. We have implemented some of the common speech processing algorithms on AltiVec architecture. The algorithms discussed in this paper are autocorrelation computation, linear prediction coefficients computation via Levinson-Durbin method and Schur (1917) recursion and part of the GSM speech compression system. AltiVec obtained significant speedups on all these algorithms, compared to the scalar PowerPC implementation. We also found that additional speedup was achievable by porting to new, more SIMD-friendly algorithm.
Brentuximab Vedotin for the Treatment of Patients with Hodgkin Lymphoma

Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is a relatively rare but highly curable human cancer. Because very few patients relapse and will require subsequent therapy, new drug development for HL has not been seen as a high priority by the pharmaceutical industry. Brentuximab vedotin, an antibody-drug conjugate that targets CD30 receptors, became the first drug to be approved by regulatory agencies for the treatment of HL in more than 30 years. This review summarizes the current and future directions of incorporating brentuximab vedotin in the management of patients with HL.
The cryptic role of biodiversity in the emergence of host–microbial mutualisms

The persistence of mutualisms in host-microbial – or holobiont – systems is difficult to explain because microbial mutualists, who bear the costs of providing benefits to their host, are always prone to being competitively displaced by non-mutualist ‘cheater’ species. This disruptive effect of competition is expected to be particularly strong when the benefits provided by the mutualists entail costs such as reduced competitive ability. Using a metacommunity model, we show that competition between multiple cheaters within the host’s microbiome, when combined with the spatial structure of host–microbial interactions, can have a constructive rather than a disruptive effect by allowing the emergence and maintenance of mutualistic microorganisms within the host. These results indicate that many of the microorganisms inhabiting a host’s microbiome, including those that would otherwise be considered opportunistic or even potential pathogens, play a cryptic yet critical role in promoting the health and persistence of the holobiont across spatial scales.
Development of a percutaneous optical imaging system for tracking vascular gene expression: an ultrasound-guided ex vivo feasibility study

Vascular gene therapy is an exciting approach for the cure and mitigation of atherosclerosis and related cardiovascular diseases. Monitoring transgene expression using noninvasive imaging techniques is a necessary complement for the success of clinical gene therapy. Optical imaging based on fluorescence signal detection from biomarker genes holds promise in the area. Green fluorescent protein (GFP) is one of the most commonly used biomarkers for the purpose. We have developed a novel percutaneous optical imaging system to track fluorescent marker expression from vasculatures following GFP gene transfer. To investigate the performance of the percutaneous system we performed experiments on porcine meat slabs. A polyethylene capillary tube was used to mimic the vessel geometry beneath a tissue layer. Under ultrasound-guidance, we placed the percutaneous optical probe nearby the 'vessel'. After obtaining control optical images of the 'vessel' filled with phosphate buffered saline (PBS), we imaged the same tube again, in which the PBS was replaced by human 293T cells transduced with GFP-carrying lentivirus. The results showed higher bright signal detected for the tube with GFP/sup +/ cells than that with PBS. This study demonstrates the capability of the system and provides insights for improvements of the current system.
Bacterial Surface Motility: Slime Trails, Grappling Hooks and Nozzles

We thank N. Bose, K. Collins, R. Brennan, T. Economou, H. Higgs, M. Koomey, G. O'Toole, M. Sheetz, J. Skerker, R. Taylor, and T. Yahr for critical discussion of the ideas in this review. We apologize to colleagues whose work was not cited due to space constraints. A.J.M. is supported by Fellowship DRG–1598 of the Cancer Research Fund of the Damon Runyon-Walter Winchell Foundation. K.T.F. is supported by the NIH (GM59721) and the W.M. Keck Foundation.