cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Probing ground-state single-electron self-exchange across a molecule-metal interface.

We have probed single-molecule redox reaction dynamics of hemin (chloride) adsorbed on Ag nanoparticle surfaces by single-molecule surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SMSERS) combined with spectroelectrochemistry. Redox reaction at the molecule/Ag interface is identified and probed by the prominent fluctuations of the Raman frequency of a specific vibrational mode, ν4, which is a typical marker of the redox state of the iron center in a hemin molecule. On the basis of the autocorrelation and cross-correlation analysis of the single-molecule Raman spectral trajectories and the control measurements of single-molecule spectroelectochemistry and electrochemical STM, we suggest that the single-molecule redox reaction dynamics at the hemin−Ag interface is primarily driven by thermal fluctuations. The spontaneous fluctuation dynamics of the single-molecule redox reaction is measured under no external electric potential across the molecule−metal interfaces, which provides a novel and unique approach to character...
Watermarking for automatic quality monitoring

In this paper, we propose a new application for digital watermarking, which is that of automatic quality assessment. We compare several schemes in the literature that could be applied to the problem, and describe the benefits of distortion-dependent watermarking for the application.
The Absorption and Tissue Distribution of Selenium from High-Selenium Broccoli Are Different from Selenium from Sodium Selenite, Sodium Selenate, and Selenomethionine As Determined in Selenium-Deficient Rats

The absorption, tissue distribution, and body retention of selenium (Se) from hydroponically grown high-selenium broccoli were determined in rats. Animals were fed a Torula yeast based diet with no Se or supplemented with 0.1 mg Se/kg diet added as sodium selenate (controls) for six weeks. Selenium-deficient animals were then repleted with Se (0.1 mg/kg diet) supplied as either sodium selenate, sodium selenite, selenomethionine (SeMet), or high-Se broccoli. High-Se broccoli was grown hydroponically and contained 28 mg Se/kg (dry wt). Gross absorption of Se and absorption adjusted for urinary excretion of Se from high-Se broccoli were significantly lower than from other sources. Sodium selenite, sodium selenate, and SeMet were similarly effective in restoring most measures of Se status; high-selenium broccoli was much less effective. However, Se from high-selenium broccoli was nonsignificantly different from the other forms in restoring kidney and plasma Se concentrations. Similarly, Se from high-selenium ...
1021-56 Prevalence of Fibrin Strands at Transesophageal Echocardiography

Fibrin strands (FS) shown by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) on the left heart valves have been associated with an increased risk of stroke and systemic embolism. However, some have argued that FS merely represent degenerative valve changes due to stress or aging. The prevalence of FS in patients with structurally normal or abnormal hearts is unknown, To determine the prevalence of FS, we reviewed multiplane TEE from 100 patients. Group 1 consisted of 50 consecutive patients referred with various diagnoses for TEE (23 M, 27 W, ages 18 to 79, mean 50 y). Group 2 consisted of another 50 consecutive patients in sinus rhythm with structurally normal hearts at TEE (28 M, 22 F, ages 17 to 76, mean 42 y). In Group 1, 3 of 20 patients (15%) evaluated for cardiac source of embolism showed FS, while 2 of 30 patients (7%) evaluated for other reasons showed FS. FS were seen on the mitral valve in 3 patients and on the aortic valve in 2 patients. Three (3) of the 5 valves with FS were structurally normal, while 2 were thickened. In Group 2 (patients with normal hearts by TEE), 9 of 27 patients (33%) evaluated for cardiac source of embolism showed FS, while only 1 of 23 patients (4%) evaluated for other reasons showed FS. FS were seen on the mitral valve in nine patients, while 1 patient had both mitral and aortic valve FS. Of 47 patients in both groups with a history of systemic embolism, 12 (25%) had FS. Of the remaining 53 patients referred for other reasons, 3 16%) had FS. (p l 0.01). Conclusion FS are frequently found at TEE in patients with a history of systemic embolism-even in structurally normal hearts. FS are an infrequent TEE finding in the absence of such a history.
Realizing the benefits of multi-layer packet-optical network design

Tighter integration of packet and DWDM network layers has the potential for more cost-effective packet-optical networks. This paper examines evolving network design and traffic engineering practices that make more efficient use of packet and DWDM resources.
CHEMICAL STABILITY OF THIOPENTAL SODIUM INJECTION IN DISPOSABLE PLASTIC SYRINGES

SUMMARY The chemical stability of thiopental sodium injection (2.5%) when stored at 25° and 5° in disposable plastic syringes of two manufacturers (Monoject and Becton Dickenson and Co.) has been studied using the USP-NF method. The injection appeared to be stable for five days at 25° and 45 days at 5° with a loss in potency of less than 7%. The thiopental sodium did not adsorb on the syringes. The pH values and the physical appearance did not change. An additional peak was obtained in the chromatogram from both the freshly prepared and the assay solution probably due to an impurity in the powder.
Absence of 185delAG mutation of the BRCA1 gene and 6174delT mutation of the BRCA2 gene in Ashkenazi Jewish men with prostate cancer.

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated a clustering of breast and prostate cancers in some families. Moreover, there is an increase in the number of cases of prostate cancer in families with inherited mutations of the breast cancer susceptibility gene BRCA1. We assessed the role of BRCA1 and BRCA2 in prostate cancer. We tested for the BRCA1 185delAG frameshift mutation, found in 0.9% of Ashkenazi Jews, and the BRCA2 6174delT mutation, found in 1% of Ashkenazi Jews, in Ashkenazi Jewish men with prostate cancer. We studied 60 Ashkenazi men with prostate cancer. A family history was obtained by interview or a self-report questionnaire. Histological confirmation of diagnosis was obtained for all subjects. Ethnic background was confirmed for all subjects by self-report or interview. Mutations of BRCA1 and BRCA2 were detected by amplification of lymphocyte DNA from peripheral blood according to standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and dot blot procedures. Patients' ages ranged from 55 to 80 years (mean +/- s.d. 70 +/- 5.25). There were six men with a family history of prostate cancer; three of these had a father with prostate cancer. Five of the men had a family history of breast cancer, in a mother, a sister or an aunt. None of the men had a family history of both breast and prostate cancer. None of the 60 men carried the 185delAG BRCA1 or 6174delT BRCA2 mutations. Of 268 Ashkenazi Jewish women with sporadic breast cancer, tested in an unrelated study, 16 carried either the 185delAG mutation of BRCA1 or the 6174delT mutation of BRCA2. There was a significant difference in the incidence of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in the breast and prostate cancer cases (P = 0.05, two-tailed Fisher's exact test). The contribution of germline BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations to prostate cancer incidence is probably small and could be limited to specific subgroups.
Modifying polymer flocculants for the removal of inorganic phosphate from water

Due to strong hydrogen bonding interactions, thiourea has been shown to have a high affinity for anions such as inorganic phosphate. The interaction between phosphate and thiourea has been used to develop technologies that can detect and even remove phosphate from water. This research investigates the use of thiourea derivatized polymer flocculants for the sequestering of inorganic phosphate from water. The study presented herein describes the development of a thiourea based monomer that was used to create a bi-functional polymer that flocculates suspended solid material as well as sorbs phosphate, removing both from water. The new polymer removed more than 60% of the phosphate from a simulated wastewater sample. The addition of a thiourea trapping group to the polymer more than doubled the amount of phosphate removed from solution compared to control polymers.
Measurement of ionized calcium in human plasma with a calcium selective electrode.

Abstract The application of a calcium-selective electrode in the determination of ionized calcium in human plasma and serum has been investigated. A linear relation between calcium ion potential and log calcium ion concentration was obtained with standards prepared in excess neutral salt (0.15 moles per 1 NaCl). Stable and reproducible data could be obtained on samples collected in heparinized Vacutainer tubes if they were quickly centrifuged and kept cold prior to measurement. At a calcium concentration of 4.0 mg/100 ml, electrode sensitivity was about 0.4 mg/100 ml/mV. Reproducibility was about ± 0.1 mV. Greater variation in electrode potential readings was encountered however over periods of several hours or from day to day. Therefore, standards were always included with each group of samples to be measured. Total calcium in paired plasma and serum samples was identical, but ionized calcium in plasma was reduced by 0.24 mg/100 ml. This appeared to be related to the presence of heparin. Since the magnitude of this effect was small, use of plasma was continued in order to permit more rapid measurement than was possible with serum. Plasma samples obtained from 50 normal individuals yielded the following mean data: total calcium 10.60 ± 0.82 mg/100 ml; ionized calcium, 4.64 ± 0.44 mg/100 ml; and bound calcium, 5.97 ± 0.87 mg/100 ml. The proportion of ionized and bound calcium as a percentage of total calcium was 43.9 ± 5.00% and 56.1 ±5.00%, respectively. It was concluded that the electrode method is a simple and convenient technique for determination of ionized calcium in plasma. The Vacutainer technique for sample collection appeared acceptable provided that subsequent measurement was not unduly delayed.
Counter-current cascade air-stripping for removal of low volatile organic contaminants

Abstract A novel modification of the conventional counter-current air-stripping process, introduced as “cascade air-stripping” is proposed for cost-effective removal of semi and low volatile organic contaminants from water. Developed from fundamental mass transfer concepts, this process is shown to accommodate larger air flow rates than the conventional counter current process, but at comparable pressure drops. The rationale behind its development, a mathematical model describing the process, and the results of a pilot scale demonstration study are presented in this paper. The pilot scale study served to validate the model, and to compare the performance of the cascade system against that of the conventional system under equal energy inputs.
Acyclic-sugar purine nucleosides derived from d-glucose: stereochemical correlations in acyclic-sugar derivatives unequally substituted at c-1☆

Condensation of 2,3,4,5,6-penta-O-acetyl-l-bromo-1-s-methyl-l-thio-d-glucito (1) with 6-chloro-9-(chloromercuri)purine gave 49% of crystalline, levorotatory (1s)-2,3,4,5,6-penta-O-acetyl-1-(6-chloropurin-9-yl)-1-s-methyl-1-thio-d-glucitol (3), together with a smaller proportion of the syrupy, dextrorotatory (1R) isomer. Thiourea converted 3 into its 6-mercaptopurine analog, whose O-deacetylated derivative could be s-methylated to the corresponding 6-(methylthio)purin-9-yl analog; all compounds in this sequence were crystalline and were the pure (1s) isomers, as were the corresponding 1′-s-ethyl derivatives prepared by a similar route. Crystal-structure analysis of the O-deacetylated derivative of the 1-s-ethyl analog of 3 established the relative stereochemistry of the ethylthio group, permitting assignment of the (1s) absolute stereochemistry to this compound and thus to all compounds in the sequence starting from 1, including the previously described, crystalline, levorotatory 1-(1,6-dihydro-6-thioxopurin-9-yl)-1-s-ethyl-1-thio-d-glucitol, whose chirality at C-1 had not hitherto been established. The close similarity of the chiroptical properties of the crystalline 1′-s-methyl derivatives to those of their 1′-s-ethyl counterparts permitted firm attribution of (1s) chirality to the former series also. Conformational studies showed that all of the derivatives have the sugar chain in a non-extended (sickle) conformation.
Embryogenesis, visualization and migration of primordial germ cells in tench (Tinca tinca)

Summary Embryonic and larval development of the tench, Tinca tinca, is described, along with the origin and migration routes of germ cell lineage. Primordial germ cells (PGCs) potentially transmit genetic information to the next generation, and represent a powerful tool for creating a germ-line chimera within fish species. PGCs were identified by injecting synthesized mRNA, combining green fluorescent protein and the zebrafish nos1 3′UTR, under the blastodisc of embryos at the 1–4 cell stage. Developmental stages were divided into five periods defined by morphological features: cleavage (40 min–5 h post-fertilization (hpf), blastula (3.6–12 hpf), gastrula (12–20 hpf), segmentation (20–65 hpf), and hatching (65–188 hpf). The migration pathways of fluorescent PGCs were detected from 100% epiboly (18 hpf) to the end of the hatching period (184 hpf) in 69.3% of injected embryos, which migrated to the site of future gonads. Each hatching larva possessed 3–10 labeled PGCs with 95.1% of these cells localized at the genital ridge. These data may have use in practical aquaculture as well as in research to investigate germ-line chimerism in tench.
Non-linear vapour—liquid phase separation including microgravity effects☆

Abstract Vapour—liquid phase separation, by means of porous plugs, for He II vessels has been investigated with emphasis on the non-linear transport regime. The data are indicative of a normal fluid flow ‘bottleneck’ which controls in the pore size range of the order of 1 μm. The results are described by a phenomenological equation for large pores, suitably modified to take care of the pore-size dependent entropy transport. The latter is coupled, via a two-fluid model and first law constraints, to the mass throughput of the plug. Zero gravity constraints suggest that this mode is dominant once the terrestrial gravity force has been removed.
Potentiation of the resetting effects of light on circadian rhythms of hamsters using serotonin and neuropeptide Y receptor antagonists

Circadian rhythms are entrained by light/dark cycles. In hamsters, the effects of light on circadian rhythms can be modulated by serotonergic input to the suprachiasmatic nucleus from the raphe nuclei and by neuropeptide Y containing afferents to the suprachiasmatic nucleus from the intergeniculate leaflet in the thalamus. In this study we measured effects of compounds acting on serotonergic 1A and neuropeptide Y Y5 receptors to determine if combined serotonergic-neuropeptide Y inhibition could synergistically potentiate effects of light on rhythms. We used mixed serotonergic agonist/antagonists BMY 7378 or NAN-190 as well as a neuropeptide Y Y5 antagonist CP-760,542. Both BMY 7378 and NAN-190 are thought to block serotonin release via acting as agonists at the 5-hydroxytryptamine 1A (5-HT1A) autoreceptors on cells in the raphe, and also block response of target cells by acting as antagonists at post-synaptic 5-HT1A receptors, for example, in the suprachiasmatic nuclei or the intergeniculate leaflet. Replicating prior work, we found that pretreatment with either drug alone increased the phase shift to light at circadian time 19. The combined effect of BMY 7378 and CP-760,542 given prior to light at circadian time 19 was to further potentiate the subsequent phase shift in wheel-running rhythms (the phase shift was 317% of controls; light alone: 1.35 h phase shift vs. BMY 7378, CP-760,542, and light: 4.27 h phase shift). Combined treatment with NAN-190 and CP-760,542 produced a light-induced phase shift 576% of controls (phase shift to light alone: 1.23 h vs. NAN-190, CP-760,542, and light: 7.1 h phase shift). These results suggest that the resetting effects of light on circadian rhythms can be greatly potentiated in hamsters by using pharmacological treatments that block both serotonergic and neuropeptide Y afferents to the suprachiasmatic nuclei.
Resistance of the Viruses of Poliomyelitis, Human Influenza and Swine Influenza to Intense Vibration.

SummaryThe pathogenicity of preparations of the viruses of poliomyelitis, human influenza and swine influenza was not affected by exposure to intense sonic vibrations (9,000 c.p.s.) under conditions which suffice to disintegrate such bacteria as Eb. typhi and S. hemolylicus. No evidence was obtained that homogenization of virus-containing tissue exposure to intense sonic vibration resulted in increased activity of the virus content.
Impulsive solar X-ray bursts. III - Polarization, directivity, and spectrum of the reflected and total bremsstrahlung radiation from a beam of electrons directed toward the photosphere

A Monte Carlo method is described for evaluation of the spectrum, directivity and polarization of X-rays diffusely reflected from stellar photospheres. the accuracy of the technique is evaluated through comparison with analytic results. Using the characteristics of the incident X-rays of the model for solar X-ray flares, the spectrum, directivity and polarization of the reflected and the total X-ray fluxes are evaluated. The results are compared with observations.
Effects of Pylon-Aided Fuel Injection on Mixing in a Supersonic Flowfield

Previous analyses have shown that mixing can be enhanced using thin pylons that have only a negligible impact on pressure losses. In this study, helium and argon have been transversely injected into a Mach 1.6 airflow simulating a light and a heavy fuel injection behind a thin triangular pylon placed upstream, in the isolator. Penetration and mixing in the test section were observed at three cross-sections including the recirculation region and beyond with planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF). Results were compared to the no-pylon cases. The presence of the pylon resulted in improving both penetration and spreading of the jet and, at the same time, in lowering the concentration gradients in the recirculation region , an indication of improved flameholding ability.
11-Oxoeicosatetraenoic acid is a cyclooxygenase-2/15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase-derived antiproliferative eicosanoid.

Previously, we established that 11(R)-hydroxy-5,8,12,14-(Z,Z,E,Z)-eicosatetraenoic acid (HETE) was a significant cyclooxygenase (COX)-2-derived arachidonic acid (AA) metabolite in epithelial cells. Stable isotope dilution chiral liquid chromatography (LC)-electron capture atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (ECAPCI)/mass spectrometry (MS) was used to quantify COX-2-derived eicosanoids in the human colorectal adenocarcinoma (LoVo) epithelial cell line, which expresses both COX-2 and 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH). 11(R)-HETE secretion reached peak concentrations within minutes after AA addition before rapidly diminishing, suggesting further metabolism had occurred. Surprisingly, recombinant 15-PGDH, which is normally specific for oxidation of eicosanoid 15(S)-hydroxyl groups, was found to convert 11(R)-HETE to 11-oxo-5,8,12,14-(Z,Z,E,Z)-eicosatetraenoic acid (ETE). Furthermore, LoVo cell lysates converted 11(R)-HETE to 11-oxo-ETE and inhibition of 15-PGDH with 5-[[4-(ethoxycarbonyl)ph...
Economic growth and import requirements

Summary This article points out that our knowledge of the specific form and analytical reasons underlying the interrelationship known to exist between international trade and economic growth is limited and that this situation is largely due to the lack of an adequate theoretical framework. Comparative cost theory is not very helpful in this respect be cause the explanation of the rise of trade it provides does not lead to useful and unambiguous inferences about the role of trade in economic growth nor about the characteristics of trade flows during growth. The difficulty may in part be attributed to the circumstance that comparative cost doctrine provides theoretical support for an ideal system of trading which nations have consistently refused to follow. The article suggests that this situation of fact results because the primary objective that nations pursue in trading is not to exploit (at a given level of employment and capacity use) whatever comparative cost differences may exist, but to ‘develop’ th...
Evolution of Emotionality: Lineal Heritability or Sui Generis Emergence?

The Target Article traces the rise of neuromental substrates by which animal experience came to be under increasingly sophisticated means of hermeneutical interpretation. It also traces how this rise was largely in line with mammalian and even earlier animal heuristics. This contribution also would correct the behaviorist paradigm that Wright & Panksepp and others have argued ought to be deposed from its long reign. Their efforts have faced a variety of critical appraisals that are ultimately unpersuasive. They also address a persistent polemic commonly used to misconstrue and attack evolutionary psychology and the related straw-man that science must be synonymous with logical positivism and empirical reductionism. It is true that the ties that the Target Article have to psychoanalysis are more gestural than overt or substantive. But, really, there is no alternative—at least no alternative that is both logical and intuitive—to the naturalistic phylogeny invoked by the authors.
Temperature dependence of carrier dynamics in CdSexS1 −x doped glasses studied by two-color picosecond spectroscopy

Abstract We have examined the high temperature (25–360 °C) dependence of carrier dynamics in commercially available CdSe x S 1 − x nanocrystallite doped glasses using picosecond pump-probe measurements. Our results show that two samples of glass with similar absorption edges and size distributions exhibit different behavior in relaxation characteristics as a function of temperature.
Regulation of interleukin (IL)-1α, IL-1β, and IL-6 expression by growth hormone and prolactin in bovine thymic stromal cells

Abstract Growth hormone (GH) and prolactin (PRL) have been implicated in T-cell development, but relatively little is known about the mechanism(s) of their actions on the multiple cell types in this complex tissue. Here, we investigated the effects of GH and PRL on the expression of interleukin (IL)-1α, IL-1β and IL-6 in thymic stromal cells (TSC). These cytokine mRNAs were increased by GH, PRL and placental lactogen (PL) in primary cultures prepared from mid-gestational fetuses in a dose-dependent manner. IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) abolished the hormone-induced IL-6 expression, suggesting that the induction of IL-6 was secondary to IL-1 activity. To examine the effects of these hormones on an individual cell type and develop a system in which signalling mechanisms can be studied, we generated immortalized cell lines using a strategy of conditional transformation. In the cell line, TSC-936, which displayed vimentin-positive staining and morphological characteristics of mesenchymal cells, both GH and PRL increased levels of steady-state mRNAs for IL-1α and IL-1β. Nuclear run-on analysis revealed that the transcription rate of the IL-1β gene was significantly increased by GH and PRL at 30 and 60 min, respectively, but that for IL-1α was not significantly changed, suggesting the possibility of an alternative mechanism mediating this response. These data suggest that modulation of cytokine gene expression is one mechanism by which GH and PRL facilitate thymic development and T-cell maturation.
Predictors of STI vaccine acceptability among parents and their adolescent children.

Abstract Purpose To identify attitudes and behavioral factors associated with parental intent to vaccinate their adolescent children against sexually transmitted infections (STI) and adolescent intent to accept vaccination for the prevention of STI. Methods In this cross-sectional study, 320 parents and their adolescent children (aged 12–17 years) were recruited from urban adolescent health clinics and private practice pediatric offices to complete audio, computer-assisted self-interviews (A-CASI). Parents and their adolescents were asked about acceptability of gonorrhea, genital herpes, and human immumodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) vaccines. These three items were summed to create an STI vaccine acceptability scale, the primary outcome variable. Potential predictors measured included health beliefs, sociodemographic factors, and health and sexual behaviors. Results A substantial majority of parents and their adolescent children rated the three STI vaccines as very acceptable. Parental health beliefs and parental history of STI diagnosis were significant independent predictors of intent to vaccinate adolescent children against STI. Parental intent to vaccinate and having a friend who had engaged in sexual intercourse were significant independent predictors of adolescents' intent to accept STI vaccination. Conclusions The majority of these parents and their adolescent children found STI vaccination very acceptable, suggesting that there will be great interest in these vaccines once they become available. Interventions designed to address parental health beliefs may prove successful at maintaining or increasing interest in STI vaccines. Adolescents are likely to look to their parents for guidance around acceptance of these vaccines, but personal experiences also may play a role.
Analysis of the Vibrio pathogenicity island-encoded Mop protein suggests a pleiotropic role in the virulence of epidemic Vibrio cholerae

Epidemic Vibrio cholerae contain a large essential virulence gene cluster called the Vibrio pathogenicity island (VPI). We recently reported that no in vitro difference in virulence was found in El Tor strain N16961 containing a mutation in the VPI-encoded mop gene but this mutant was hypervirulent and reactogenic in rabbit ileal loops. In this paper, we report in vitro studies showing that independent Mop mutants of strain 3083 are significantly attenuated (∼40-fold) in cholera toxin (CT) production and have significantly increased motility and biofilm forming ability but appear to be unaffected in TcpA, hemagglutinin protease and hemolysin compared to their parent. The 3083 Mop mutant showed a 100-fold decrease in its in vivo intestinal colonization ability in the infant mouse competition assays. While reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and phenotypic studies of a mop plasmid in both mutant and wild-type backgrounds suggest Mop is expressed by the plasmid, the differences in CT and biofilm formation could not be restored in any of the mutants. The inability to complement the Mop mutants in trans may be due either to the selection of secondary mutations or to mop possibly being part of an operon. Our findings that Mop is associated with CT, motility, biofilm formation and intestinal colonization support a hypothesis in which Mop has a pleiotropic role in the pathogenesis and persistence of epidemic V. cholerae.
Cohomology, stratifications and parametric Gröbner bases in characteristic zero

Let PK (n,d) be the set of polynomials in n variables of degree at most d over the field K of characteristic zero. We show that there is a number c n,d such that if f ∈ PK (n,d) then the algebraic de Rham cohomology group HdR i (Kn \Var(f)) has rank at most c n,d . We also show the existence of a bound c n,d,l for the ranks of de Rham cohomology groups of complements of varieties in n-space defined by the vanishing of l polynomials in P K (n,d) . In fact, if β i : P K (n,d) l → N is the ith Betti number of the complement of the corresponding variety, we establish the existence of a Q-algebraic stratification onPK(n,d)lsuch that β i is constant on each stratum.The stratifications arise naturally from parametric Grobner basis computations; we prove for parameter-insensitive weight orders in Weyl algebras the existence of specializing Grobner bases.
Place branding goes to the neighbourhood: the case of pseudo‐swedish andersonville

Abstract.As the centre of Swedish immigration to the United States, Chicago developed several neighbourhoods with a strong Swedish presence. However, the only Swedish neighbourhood that remains is Andersonville, although few Swedes continue to reside there today – it has become a “pseudo‐ethnic” neighbourhood. Drawing from interviews with neighbourhood activists, commercial, and political interests, as well as fieldwork focused on the ethno‐visual markers of the neighbourhood, we analyse attempts of these actors to commodify ethnicity at the neighbourhood level. The process of actively using a Swedish identity in Andersonville involves the use of branding, a marketing concept used by places to promote themselves. This article investigates branding on the neighbourhood level, and also the role of ethnicity in the branding process. Brand managers struggle to maintain the Swedishness of the Andersonville neighbourhood as demographic and economic forces threaten to weaken the Swedish brand.
Recent Advances in AI for Computational Sustainability

This article intends, at a minimum, to give the briefest glimpse of the papers from the 2011 AAAI Computational Sustainability track, so that interested readers could follow up. Collectively, however, the contributions include representations of much that it might hope to see in an environmentally minded cognitive agent, with competencies in sensing and observation, knowledge-based reasoning, decision-making, and actuation. The creation of such agents could be an exciting and important ambition, with attention paid to agent communication as well. In the near term, however, AI will offer important, albeit specialized, cognitive tools for decision-makers. It is critical that these tools are adopted, adapted, and used by humans. Thus, it is vital that as part of our evaluation methodologies, it move beyond questions concerning technical optimality, and that it work with social, behavioral, and economic scientists to understand the social contexts in which our tools are used (or not)!
Strong Approximation of Copulas

Abstract We introduce strong convergence with regard to approximation of copulas. This new type of convergence is useful in dealing with the ∗ -product of Darsow, Nguyen, and Olsen for copulas. We also provide tools for constructing strong approximations of copulas by using partitions of unity.
The 31P-NMR stress test: an approach for detecting myocardial ischemia.

31P–NMR spectroscopy has the potential to assess myocardial damage directly and noninvasively by ascertaining the relative abundances of phosphorus-containing compounds relevant to metabolism under stress conditions. Decrease in the PCr/ATP ratio during exercise is an indicator of the level of stress to which the myocardium is subject. This ratio will remain constant under mild to moderate exercise conditions in a healthy subject, but may show a precipitous decrease even under mild exercise when regions of the myocardium are ischemic. The studies examined here indicate that cardiac patients with some forms of ischemia showed a PCr/ATP ratio decrease even under light exercise, while no decrease was observed in patients whose heart disease was known to be nonischemic. Hypertension and nonstenotic chest pain in women can, in some cases, produce a decrease in PCr/ATP ratio. Only the hypertensive patients showed a significant difference in the prestress PCr/ATP ratio when compared with controls. These studies suggest that 31P–NMR spectroscopy before and during mild exercise in the bore of the magnet can be a useful indicator of the presence or absence of an ischemic component to myocardial disorder. © 2000 Biomedical Engineering Society. PAC00: 8764Hd, 8719Uv, 8719Xx, 8719Hh, 8719Ff
Potential enhanced ability of giant squid to detect sperm whales is an exaptation tied to their large body size

It has been hypothesized that sperm whale predation is the driver of eye size evolution in giant squid. Given that the eyes of giant squid have the size expected for a squid this big, it is likely that any enhanced ability of giant squid to detect whales is an exaptation tied to their body size. Future studies should target the mechanism behind the evolution of large body size, not eye size. Reconstructions of the evolutionary history of selective regime, eye size, optical performance, and body size will improve the understanding of the evolution of large eyes in large ocean animals.
Cost of speed : Analysis of capital cost estimates for high-speed ground transportation systems

The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 required the U.S. Department of Transportation to evaluate the commercial feasibility of high-speed ground transportation—a family of technologies ranging from incremental rail improvements to high-speed rail and magnetic levitation (Maglev) systems—in selected urban corridors. The evaluation involved estimating travel times, capital costs, operation and maintenance costs, and ridership for proposed service frequencies and then computing the potential return on investment from fares and other potential revenues. The results are documented in a U.S. Department of Transportation report generally referred to as the commercial feasibility study (CFS). Two elements of the CFS are addressed here: travel times and capital costs in four illustrative corridors—Chicago to St. Louis; Los Angeles to San Francisco; Eugene, Oreg., to Vancouver, B.C.; and Miami to Tampa via Orlando. Analysis of the results reveals common cost trends: for average speeds up to a...
Dysfunction of Stat4 leads to accelerated incidence of chemical-induced thymic lymphomas in mice.

Stat4 (signal transducer and activator of transcription) can be activated by specific cytokines, such as IL-12, IFN-α, and IL-2. Since IL-12 has been implicated in tumor surveillance and cancer treatment, we hypothesized that its signaling mediator, Stat4, may repress tumor growth. Mice lacking Stat4 allowed us to directly assess the role of Stat4 in tumor surveillance. Lymphomas were chemically induced by MNU (N-methyl-N-nitrosourea) injection in Stat4-deficient or wild-type control mice. At the time of termination of the experiment 16 weeks after injection, 78% of homozygous Stat4-deficient mice had developed thymic lymphomas. This tumor induction was dramatically higher than in heterozygous (14%) and wild-type controls (14%). Lymphoma development occurred 5 weeks earlier in homozygous knockout mice than in other genotypes. Mice bearing tumors were fragile and had an increased death rate in the early stages of the experiment. The tumors displayed a very aggressive phenotype with metastases in multiple organs. Therefore, the loss of Stat4 predisposes mice to tumor induction and demonstrates crucial roles of Stat4 in the prevention of tumors.
Potential preservation of potency after radical prostatectomy

Abstract Radical prostatectomy often is followed by erectile dysfunction. Various etiologies have been postulated-vascular, psychologic, or neurologic. Recently, we were able to isolate the cavernous nerves of the prostatic plexus, which innervate the erectile tissue of the corpora cavernosa, for electroerection in dogs. Acute and chronic experiments were then performed to examine the relationship between erectile impotence and radical prostatectomy. We conclude that erectile impotence after total prostatectomy is a result of injury to the cavernous nerves and that potency can be preserved if these nerves are identified and salvaged during surgery.
An exactly solvable model for the Fermi contact interaction

A model for the Fermi contact interaction is proposed in which the nuclear moment is represented as a magnetized spherical shell of radius r0. For a hydrogen-like system thus perturbed, the Schrodinger equation is solvable without perturbation theory by use of the Coulomb Green's function. Approximation formulas are derived in terms of a quantum defect in the Coulombic energy formula. It is shown that the usual Fermi potential cannot be applied beyond first-order perturbation theory.
Synthesis of compounds related to antihemorrhagic vitamin K. III: 1,4‐naphthoquinone as a starting material for the preparation of 2‐methyl‐1,4‐naphtho‐hydroquinone and derivatives

A general method for the synthesis of 2-alkyl-1,4-naphthoquinones and hydroquinones from 1,4-naphthoquinone as the starting material is described in this paper, with special references to 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone, 2-methyl-1,4-naphtho-hydroquinone, the dimethyl ether, the diacetate, the dipropionate, and the dibenzoate of the synthetic 2-methyl-1,4-naphtho-hydroquinone, which have recently been shown to possess strong anti-hemorrhagic vitamin K activity.
Effect of Dielectric Thickness on Power Performance of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs

The effect of SiNx passivation thickness on the power performance of AlGaN/GaN high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) has been studied. A model is proposed to explain the surface-state dispersion and passivation of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs. Based on this model, a multidielectric passivation method has been proposed and demonstrated to both provide lower dielectric capacitance and help remove dc-RF dispersion.
Abuses Against Older Women: Prevalence and Health Effects

A clinical sample of 995 community dwelling women aged 55 and older were surveyed by telephone about their experience with psychological/ emotional, control, threat, physical, and sexual abuse. Nearly half of the women experienced at least one type of abuse since turning 55. Sizable proportions were victims of repeated abuse, and many experienced co-occurring abuse. Women who experienced any type of abuse were more likely to self-report negative health effects than those who were not abused. Health care and social service providers should routinely screen older women for psychological/emotional abuse at it often co-occurs with more severe forms of abuse.
On the Mechanism of Action of Vancomycin: Inhibition of Peptidoglycan Synthesis in Gaffkya homari

Vancomycin inhibits the synthesis of peptidoglycan in membrane preparations from Gaffkya homari with uridine diphosphate- N -acetylmuramyl (UDP-Mur-NAc)-pentapeptide as substrate, but not with either UDP-MurNAc-tetrapeptide or UDP-MurNAc-tripeptide. These results are correlated with the specificity studies described by Perkins and Nieto for complex formation between the antibiotic and the peptide subunit. It is concluded that the formation of a complex between vancomycin and a postulated cell wall acceptor or between vancomycin and the enzymes involved in peptidoglycan synthesis does not contribute to the inhibitory action of this antibiotic. The mechanism of vancomycin action on peptidoglycan synthesis is clearly different from that of moenomycin and bacitracin. In the presence of these antibiotics, peptidoglycan synthesis is inhibited with both UDP-MurNAc-pentapeptide and -tetrapeptide as substrates. In addition, these results provide additional insight into the mechanism of phospho-MurNAc-pentapeptide translocase. For example, enhancement of the transfer of phospho-MurNAc-peptide from UDP-MurNAc-peptide to undecaprenyl-phosphate at low concentrations of vancomycin is observed with UDP-MurNAc-pentapeptide and not with -tetrapeptide. Complexation of vancomycin with undecaprenyl-diphosphate-MurNAc-pentapeptide, resulting in an ineffective intermediate, would increase the rate of transfer by preventing the reassociation of undecaprenyl-diphosphate-MurNAc-pentapeptide with the enzyme.
Frequency‐domain closed‐loop identification of multivariable systems for feedback control

A frequency-domain identification method for multivariable systems is presented. The method emphasizes accurate identification of the process's gain directionality that is shown to be important for feedback control. The method requires closed-loop testing in addition to conventional open-loop testing, and combines open-loop and closed-loop data such that the derived model matches both the system's frequency-response matrix and its inverse accurately. The method is used to identify a model for a nonideal high-purity distillation column and is shown to capture the gain directionality of the process more accurately than the conventional method.
Work In Progress: Crossing Technical, Social and Cultural Borders within the Engineering Classroom

We piloted an integrated approach to engaging early engineering students in cultural and social issues within their engineering courses. Preliminary results showed an improved understanding of cultural issues related to engineering, but the ability to integrate appropriate social and cultural considerations during calculation-intensive activities was inconsistent. Students' reactions to globally-related activities were more positive than those related to diversity. There were significant, large gender differences with females showing higher understanding and depth at both the immediate and persistent levels.
Searching for Uremic Toxins

Treatment of uremia by hemodialysis has become widespread over the last 40 years and has improved substantially over that time. However, people treated with this modality continue to suffer from multiple disabilities. Retention of organic solutes, especially those poorly removed by hemodialysis, likely contributes to these disabilities. Certain classes of solutes are removed less well than urea by hemodialysis and by the normal kidney. These include protein-bound solutes, relatively large solutes, sequestered compounds, and substances removed at rates higher than urea by the normal kidney. Several strategies could be used to discover the solutes responsible for residual morbidities in standardly dialyzed people. Rather than continue to focus only on urea removal as an index for dialysis adequacy, finding additional approaches for removing toxic solutes with characteristics different from urea (and the similar small solutes it represents) is a desirable and feasible goal.
Transformation Electromagnetic Design of an Embedded Monopole in a Ground Recess for Conformal Applications

A radiation configuration is designed for a monopole antenna embedded within transformation media and buried inside a recess in a conducting ground plane. Both the ground plane near the base of the antenna and the antenna itself, which are physically located inside a recess, are mapped to a virtual location above the ground plane by a negative-index material block. The directivity pattern is identical to that of a monopole on a flat ground plane, radiating the maximum vertically polarized field in the horizon. Radiation characteristics are tolerant to small variations in material parameters from ideal values. Estimates for pattern and impedance bandwidths are provided based on numerical simulations.
The tourism satellite account: a primer.

The Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) is a popular method of measuring the direct contributions of tourism consumption to a national economy. Its unique role in quantifying economic contributions of visitors in a country derives from its nature as an account rather than a model and its observance of the principles of national economic accounting. This dis- cussion of TSA concepts, definitions and structure, the five macroeconomic variables pro- duced and the special cases of accounting for travel agencies/tour operators, business travel consumption, and tourism specific durable goods is designed to make the TSA acces- sible to non economic accountants. Research issues yet to be resolved relate to tourism gross fixed capital formation, tourism collective consumption, and subnational TSAs. Finally, stan-
A Study in Hybridity: Madagascar and Morocco at the 1931 Colonial Exposition

Abstract This article compares the pavilions of Madagascar and Morocco at the 1931 Colonial Exposition in Paris as a case study in architectural hybridity. Architecture was one of the primary arenas for enacting and testing colonial politics in France and in the colonies. The Colonial Exposition was organized to distinguish sharply between France and her colonies and to represent the evolutionary difference between them, but its pavilions were actually hybrids of colonial and French architecture. These hybrids were ambiguous, neither indigenous nor French. Their existence ruptured a colonial power structure predicated on the strict segregation of things metropolitan and things colonial. The contrast between the Moroccan pavilion (designed to match the monuments of Fez and Marrakech closely) and the Madagascar pavilion (an invented “native” architecture for the Red Island) illustrates the types of hybrid constructions produced for the Colonial Exposition. Although mixtures of French and indigenous architec...
Optimization of quasi-three level end-pumped Q-switched lasers

Equations describing the pump excitation and Q-switched energy extraction of end-pumped, quasi-three level laser systems are collected. A transcendental expression relating the Q-switched laser output energy to the laser's initial gain and cavity transmission which is valid for arbitrary output coupling is derived. This expression simplifies sensitivity and optimization studies of such systems. A first order ordinary differential equation is derived which describes the rod-integrated excited state number density resulting from an arbitrary pump excitation pulse, The equation is valid for both single pass and double pass pump geometries. To illustrate the utility of the collected set of equations an end-pumped joule class, Q-switched Yb:YAG oscillator is optimized and studied. >
Evidence of Anticipatory Socialization Among Tattooed, Wannabe, and Non-Tattooed Adolescents: Differences in Attitudes and Behavior

In anticipatory socialization, individuals adopt norms and behaviors of reference groups before transitioning into them. We hypothesized that non-tattooed students who desired a tattoo (1,364 “wannabes”) would report attitudes and behaviors between those of students who already had tattoos (429 tattooed) and respondents who neither had a tattoo nor wanted one (816 resistant students) in Grades 7 to 12 in an entire school district in Colorado. Tattooed respondents reported the lowest school attitudes and educational aspirations, and the most weapons possession, substance use, and delinquent behaviors. Resistant students reported the most prosocial attitudes and behaviors. Consistent with anticipatory socialization toward a more antisocial, tattooed reference group, wannabes reported attitudes and behaviors between resistant and tattooed students. A majority of respondents want a tattoo, so we recommend that school health curricula address health and stigma issues associated with tattoos.
Targeting regulators of G protein signaling (RGS proteins) to enhance agonist specificity

Members of the diverse regulator of G protein signaling (RGS protein) family enhance the GTPase activity of G protein alpha subunits and speed their deactivation. Thus they negatively regulate signal transduction mediated by Gi- and Gq-coupled receptors. RGS proteins exhibit both tonic and regulated inhibition of agonist responses, differentially controlling the sensitivity of tissues depending on their post-translational modifications and expression levels. Reducing the activity of RGS proteins genetically or by means of chemical inhibitors can enhance G protein coupled receptor (GPCR) responses. RGS inhibitors present the novel possibility of enhancing agonist selectivity in a manner that depends on the signaling pathway employed or the tissue in which the receptor resides. To fully exploit this capability, more information will be needed about the expression of RGS proteins in different tissues and under distinct pathophysiological circumstances. Also, advances in the development of cell-permeable high affinity and selective inhibitors of specific RGS proteins will be needed. Finally, animal models illustrating the physiological functions of RGS proteins will be essential to predicting the actions in humans.