cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Nature and Origins of Mass Opinion: Evaluating the model and looking toward future research

“If the public had an opinion and there was no pollster around to measure it, would public opinion exist?” Like the old conundrum about the tree falling in the forest with no one to hear it, this question is not completely vacuous. The answer depends on what one means by public opinion. If by public opinion one means the hopes, fears, feelings, and reactions to events of ordinary citizens as they go about their private lives, then certainly there is public opinion whether or not there is a pollster to measure it. But if by public opinion one means ordinary citizens walking around saying to themselves things like “I strongly approve of the way George Bush is doing his job as president” or “I think we should take a stronger stand, even if it means invading North Vietnam,” then most of what gets measured as public opinion does not exist except in the presence of a pollster. The RAS model has been about both kinds of public opinion, the “considerations” that people form in response to the flow of political communications, and the process by which they translate typically disorganized considerations into the survey responses that virtually everyone now takes as constituting public opinion. To the extent one evaluates the RAS model on the conventional criteria of empirical breadth and theoretical parsimony, it looks quite good.
Speech Perception as a Cognitive Process: The Interactive Activation Model.

Abstract : In this paper we describe several attempts to model speech perception in terms of a processing system in which knowledge and processing is distributed over large numbers of highly interactive -- but computationally primitive -- elements, all working in parallel to jointly determine the result of the perceptual process. We begin by discussing the properties of speech which we feel demand a parallel interactive processing system, and then review previous attempts to model speech perception, both psycholinguistic and machine-based. We then present the results of a computer simulation of one version of an interactive activation model of speech, based loosely on Marslen-Wilson's COHORT model. One virtue of the model is that it is capable of word recognition and phonemic restoration without depending on preliminary segmentation of the input into phonemes. However, this version of the model has several deficiencies -- among them are excessive sensitivity to speech rate and excessive dependence on accurate information about the beginnings of words. To address some of these deficiencies, we describe an alternative called the TRACE model. In this version of the model, interactive activation processes take place within a structure which serves as a dynamic working memory. This structure permits the model to capture contextural influences in which the perception of a portion of the input stream is influenced by what follows it as well as what preceeds it in the speech signal. (Author)
Liquid ammonia solutions—VIII. Solutions of nitrogen acids

Abstract The electronic spectra of aniline, toluidine, anisidine, P-chloroaniline, 2,5-dichloroaniline, N,N-dimethyl-P-phenylenediamine, p-acetamido-N-N-dimethylaniline, and acetanilide have been determined in pure liquid ammonia and in KNH2-liquid ammonia solutions. In the latter solutions, the N-H moieties were converted into the corresponding conjugate bases. An interpretation of the spectra observed is given in terms of the solvent and electronic effects of the substituents on the π → π∗ and N → π∗ transitions of the parent aniline.
Perioperative care of the child with guillain-barre syndrome

The authors present 2 pediatric patients with acute Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) who required anesthetic care: one for diagnostic testing and another during a laparoscopic procedure to evaluate a possible intra­abdominal process. Given the multi-system involvement of the disease, several concerns may arise in the perioperative period. Of primary concern is the potential for respiratory failure related either to upper airway control or skeletal muscle weakness. These issues may be made more problematic by aspiration risks and issues of a potential full stomach related to autonomic dysfunction and poor gastrointestinal (GI) motility. Autonomic involvement with cardiovascular dysfunction may manifest as abnormalities in the control of heart rate, systemic vascular resistance, and blood pressure. The potential perioperative implications of the disorder are discussed and its pathophysiology presented.
Assessment of Critical Business Skill Development by MBA Alumni.

Six years of survey data were analyzed to assess, among other things, the degree to which an AACSB accredited graduate business program successfully developed student skills in a variety of areas deemed important for career success. The study illustrates a methodology institutions can use to respond to increasing demands for program evaluation and assessment of learning goals. As well, data on program efficacy can impact a program’s marketing efforts in attracting students in an increasingly competitive marketplace.
THE MORPHINE ABSTINENCE SYNDROME, ITS NATURE AND TREATMENT*

Excerpt Drug addiction is a condition in which an individual has become sufficiently subject to an effect of a drug that he can no longer exert adequate self-control with regard to its continued us...
The Work of Secondness as Habit in the Development of Early Schemes

This inquiry demonstrates the pivotal place of attentional phenomena in associating sign, Object, and Interpretant in Secondness. It identifies overt attentional habits (Indexes) and how they are modified/replaced in favor of more covert ones (symbols). The role of Peirce’s Object in securing attentional patterns to affairs in Secondness is highlighted. Alterations in use of attentional artifacts determine the kind and degree of reasoning. While use of Indexical signs in Secondness promotes assumptions of co-occurring cause-effect relations, use of symbols in Thirdness facilitates attenuation between cause and effect. As such, agency (human or otherwise) fails to wholly account for assignment of novel Interpretants to ground triads, particularly when the Object does so. Findings illustrate how unexpected eventualities in Secondness call for reconstruction of premises and inductive experimentation, and as such, how recognition of regularities in Secondness re-emerge to renovate patterns of reasoning – from diagrammatic to abductive reasoning.
ATP-induced internalization of amphibian epithelial P2X receptors is linked to channel opening

A family of ATP-gated, non-selective cation channels known as P2X receptors are involved in purinergic synaptic transmission and other, as yet poorly defined, functions. After repeated exposure to ATP some of these channels no longer respond, a phenomenon known as run-down. In some P2X receptor subtypes, run-down has been associated with endocytosis. Recently, we have cloned a P2X receptor from larval amphibian skin (fP2X5) that shows profound run-down. To visualize the receptor in the plasma membrane of Xenopus oocytes, it was fused to a green fluorescent protein (GFP). Localized membrane fluorescence was observed in fP2X5 GFP-injected oocytes. Typical voltage-clamp current run-down was observed in response to repeated ATP exposure, indicating that GFP did not alter channel function. Membrane fluorescence decreased after ATP exposure. The purinergic receptor antagonists suramin and pyridoxalphosphate-6-azophenyl-2',4'-disulfonic acid (PPADS) blocked ATP-induced membrane fluorescent decreases and voltage-clamp currents. A T18A-fP2X5 mutant showed no ATP-activated currents when expressed in oocytes. GFP fusion constructs of this mutant showed membrane fluorescence, indicating insertion of a non-functional channel. In contrast to the wild-type fP2X5, ATP caused no decrease in membrane fluorescence of the mutant channel. Taken together these data suggest that channel opening is necessary for receptor internalization.
Do corporations have moral rights

My aim in this paper is to explore the notion that corporations have moral rights within the context of a constitutive rules model of corporate moral agency. The first part of the paper will briefly introduce the notion of moral rights, identifying the distinctive feature of moral rights, as contrasted with other moral categories, in Vlastos' terms of overridingness. The second part will briefly summarize the constitutive rules approach to the moral agency of corporations (a la French, Smith, Ozar) and pose the question of the paper. The third part will argue that, since the moral agency of corporations is dependent on the choices of those whose acceptence of the relevant rules constitutes the corporation as a moral agent, the rights of corporations are conventional; that is, they exist because they are so created. Thus, as a first answer, corporations do not have moral rights. But this raises a further question which we must explore. Once a corporation has been constituted, by the acceptance of the relevant rules by the relevant persons, does the corporation then have rights which endure? Can those who have constituted a corporation with certain rights morally change or cancel those rights in medias res without doing some sort of moral violence to the corporation? Do corporations at least have a moral right to persist in the conventional rights with which they were constituted? The balance of the paper will explore this question. I shall speak of the overriding character of a corporation's claim that its conventional rights persist, and also the important way in which such a moral claim is non-conventional, if such a claim can be made at all. But I shall argue in conclusion that corporations do not have such a right. But I shall also argue that those persons whose acts have originally constituted the corporation as a moral agent may well have rights which would be violated if the conventional rights of the corporation were changed or terminated without their participation.
Transforming samples from truncation parameter distributions to uniformity

Transformations are given which transform a sample from an arbitrary member of a parametric family with range and density from dependent upon parameters to aset of i.i.d uniform rv's on (0,1). The two-parameter exponential, Pareto and uniform distributions are considered in examples.
DEMOCRACY AND GLOBALIZATION

The relationship between democracy and globalization has been a subject of both scholarly and policy debate. Some argue that the two go hand in hand – that unrestricted international transactions encourage political accountability and transparency and that politically free societies are least likely to restrict the mobility of goods and services. But others argue that democracies, in which special interests that suffer from foreign competition have voice, are more likely to have closed markets, and vice versa. Our analysis differs from its predecessors in three ways. We seek to uncover general patterns by considering as long a period as possible and all countries with the relevant data. We consider multiple dimensions of globalization, analyzing both trade liberalization and capital account liberalization. And we estimate these relationships using an instrumental variables strategy that allows us to confront the issue of simultaneity. Our findings support the existence of positive relationships between democracy and globalization.
The relationship between anogenital distance, fatherhood, and fertility in adult men.

Background: Anogenital distance (AGD), a sexually dimorphic measure of genital development, is a marker for endocrine disruption in animal studies and may be shorter in infant males with genital anomalies. Given the correlation between anogenital distance and genital development, we sought to determine if anogenital distance varied in fertile compared to infertile adult men. Methods: A cross sectional study of consecutive men being evaluated for infertility and men with proven fertility was recruited from an andrology clinic. Anogenital distance (the distance from the posterior aspect of the scrotum to the anal verge) and penile length (PL) were measured using digital calipers. ANOVA and linear regression were used to determine correlations between AGD, fatherhood status, and semen analysis parameters (sperm density, motility, and total motile sperm count). Findings: A total of 117 infertile men (mean age: 35.3 17.4) and 56 fertile men (mean age: 44.8 9.7) were recruited. The infertile men possessed significantly shorter mean AGD and PL compared to the fertile controls (AGD: 31.8 vs 44.6 mm, PL: 107.1 vs 119.5 mm, p0.01). The difference in AGD persisted even after accounting for ethnic and anthropomorphic differences. In addition to fatherhood, on both unadjusted and adjusted linear regression, AGD was significantly correlated with sperm density and total motile sperm count. After adjusting for demographic and reproductive variables, for each 1 cm increase in a man’s AGD, the sperm density increases by 4.3 million sperm per mL (95% CI 0.53, 8.09, p 0.03) and the total motile sperm count increases by 6.0 million sperm (95% CI 1.34, 10.58, p 0.01). On adjusted analyses, no correlation was seen between penile length and semen parameters. Conclusion: A longer anogenital distance is associated with fatherhood and may predict normal male reproductive potential. Thus, AGD may provide a novel metric to assess reproductive potential in men. Editorial Comment: This is a clever idea. You can often determine the gender of an animal by AGD, so might this metric be a marker of endocrine or reproductive function? These investigators observed that fertile men have longer AGDs than infertile ones, and provide evidence that AGD is correlated to sperm count. An interesting question is whether AGD combined with semen parameters in a mathematical model could more accurately diagnose male reproductive potential, since bulk semen analysis has proved to be a relatively poor assessor of fertility.
On the polarization, compression and nonoscillatory behavior of hydromagnetic waves associated with pickup ions

Solution of the kinetic dispersion equation shows that heavy pickup ions with large perpendicular energies excite a new hydromagnetic wave mode with maximum growth, high (magnetic field and mass density) compression ratios, and almost linear polarization coexisting slightly away 6-15 deg from parallel propagation. The mode arises from the coupling of the heavy ion beam to the modified left-hand wave dispersion caused by the multiion nature of the medium. The ion beam can also bring about nonoscillatory, purely growing structures distinct from the mirror wave through the coupling of a counter-streaming left-hand mode to a costreaming right-hand wave. The free energy source parameters are varied to determine their relative influence and define the domain of existence of the instability. Its characteristics may prove helpful in the interpretation of recent cometary (Halley and Giacobini-Zinner) and artificial release (AMPTE) observations.
Investigation of the Dayton, Ohio, IR 75 Sign Truss Failure of September 11, 2006

On September 11, 2006, “unusual” deflections of an overhead bridge-mounted sign support truss along IR 75 in Dayton, Ohio were reported. Investigation by Ohio DOT road crews revealed the complete fracture of two truss members near one of the truss supports. While total collapse did not occur, such an event could have catastrophic consequences along a major arterial roadway like IR 75. This concern, along with the fact that a similar failure occurred near Cleveland, Ohio in 2004, prompted an investigation that is the subject of this manuscript. Results of the investigation are based upon a combination of in situ field monitoring of traffic-induced bridge vibrations at the location of the failed sign support truss, finite-element simulation of the expected dynamic response of the original truss in such an environment, the length of service of the truss at the time of its failure, the volume of truck traffic on the bridge in question during that time of service, and metallurgical examination of the failed co...
W(111)-based bimetallic systems: core-level photoelectron spectroscopy studies

Abstract Ultrathin metal overlayers on W(111) are studied by high-resolution photoelectron spectroscopy using synchrotron radiation. The bimetallic systems are prepared by adsorbing approximately one monolayer of K, Co, Ni, Pd, Pt, Cu, Ag and Au on W(111) at 100 K. The W 4 f 7 2 core levels from the W(111) substrate are measured. It is found that the core-level W 4 f 7 2 binding energy shifts originating from W atoms at the interface correlate well with the heats of adsorption for metal films on W(111).
Balanced or Unbalanced Development: Special Economic Zones as Catalysts for Transition

Abstract We develop a theory for a transition economy under which an unbalanced development strategy that favors special economic zones emerges as a response to two critical problems: (1) political pressure to satisfy certain social expenditure requirements and (2) the lack of institutions to constrain the state from expropriation. By promoting the concentration of resources in some areas, a low equilibrium trap can be avoided, while important spillover effects may be generated elsewhere. The experience of China with special economic zones and coastal open areas is interpreted in this light. Some problems in the Russian economy are also discussed in the context of this theory. J. Comp. Econom., March 1998, 26(1), pp. 117–141. Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-6072.
Cesarean scar imaging and prediction of subsequent obstetric complications

It has long been hoped that cesarean hysterotomy scar imaging data could predict obstetric complications in subsequent pregnancies with sufficient precision to be used for clinical decision-making. Although large visualized defects in nonpregnant uteri, and thinning of the lower uterine segment late in subsequent pregnancies, may be associated with increased risk of uterine rupture, the paucity of available clinical correlation data still preclude any clinical utility. There is an ongoing need for prospective adequately powered registries that include clinical factors related to the previous cesarean deliveries that can inform subsequent practice decisions.
Use of Stress-Strength Model in Determination of Safety Factor for Pressure Vessel Design

In pressure vessel design, the values of safety factor are still determined on the basis of engineering experience. Thus, they cannot properly reflect the influence of the consequences of failure and the variabilities in stress and strength. As a result, designs are often excessively conservative, while on the other hand, the possibility of failure still exists. Two approaches for determining the value of the safety factor, which are based on reliability analysis, are presented in this paper. As a result of a comparison, one approach based on a stress-strength model is found to be appropriate for pressure vessel design practice. By transforming the interference parts of the distributions of stress and strength into equivalent normal distributions, the approach allows stress and strength to have arbitrary distributions. Three examples, one in which a vessel is subjected to internal pressure, one in which a tall vessel is subjected to combined loads, and one in which a vessel is subjected to external pressure, are given in the paper. From the examples, the principles for determining target reliability and the factors affecting the safety factor are discussed. It is concluded that by using the approach presented in this paper for pressure vessel design, differentmore » consequences of failure as well as variabilities in stress and strength can be taken into account. The approach yields a value for the safety factor that leads to a design which will be safer and yet more economical.« less
Estimating Softening Point of Cheeses

Abstract Two objective test methods for determining the softening point of cheeses, accounting for both rheological and thermal characteristics, were developed. An apparatus operated on modified squeeze-flow configuration for evaluating softening and flow characteristics of cheeses was used to determine the softening point of cheeses. A device,UW Meltmeter, operated on squeezeflow configuration for evaluating melt and flow characteristics of cheese was also used to determine the softening point of cheeses. Results from both methods agreed well. The effects of oven temperature (60 to 80°C) and fat (1.6 to 33.6%), moisture content (53 to 59%), and aging (1 to 12 wk) of the cheese on the softening point were investigated. The softening point of cheese increased with reduction in fat content of cheese and increased oven temperature. In general, the softening point of cheese decreased with age of cheese.
Characterizing conditions for generalized verhulst logistic growth of a biological population

It is shown that a biological population or subpopulation composed ofN individuals can be governed by a generalized Verhulst logistic equation with time-dependent rate functions if and only if certain characterizing conditions are satisfied by ∂N/∂N0 whereN0 is the value ofN att=0.
The myth of the nation and the creation of the “other”

Abstract The nation is a mythic construct whose primary component is a shared language (often one that has been manufactured for the purpose). In the context of popular sovereignty, shared language, like other shared traits, brings with it a seemingly irresistible capacity to demonize those who do not share it. This capacity is faithfully enlisted by politicians looking for means of mass mobilization. The democratic nation‐state therefore displays xenophobic tendencies; yet the urge to combat these tendencies fixes, as permanent and normative “identities,” the very myths—artificial and eminently mutable— that start the process of xenophobia in the first place.
A product evaluation and selection system for project management software

Abstract The selection of computer systems can be a frustrating process. The overall satisfaction derived from a system depends on matching system specifications to user needs. This care study describes a Product Evaluation and Selection System that correlates user needs to system specifications. This case illustrates the selection of project management software. A recommendation report ranks the software in descending order of their correlations to user needs. Implications for users, consultants and vendors are discussed and illustrated.
THE QUESTION OF POST‐REDUCTION IN SPHAGNUM

Selected secondary biochemical constituents (mainly flavanoids) contained in methanol leaf extracts of 11 taxa in the genus Thelesperma were analyzed via two-dimensional paper chromatography. With but one exception all produce an essentially identical array of these compounds. Since this common or "generic" biochemical profile is present regardless of the morphological, ecological, and cytological differences among and within the various species, it is impossible to make accurate specific identifications on the basis of chromatographic data alone. Recently, however, morphologically identical, but allopatric, diploid and tetraploid races of T. simplicifolium were discovered which differ radically in respect to these secondary biochemical components. Their infraspecific biochemical differences are so absolute that it is possible to predict accurately the ploidy level and geographic source of any given individual from its chromatographic profile. The evolutionary implications of these biochemical differences are also dis-
Reactions of lipoamide dehydrogenase and glutathione reductase with arsonic acids and arsonous acids.

Abstract Lipoamide dehydrogenase reacts irreversibly with arsonous acids, RAs(OH)2, and arsonic acids, RAs(O)(OH)2, to form enzyme-inhibitor complexes. The formation of inactive enzyme requires NADH and is kinetically first order in the presence of excess arsonous acid. The second-order rate constant for formation of the enzyme-inhibitor complex was 545 min−1 m −1 for phenylarsonous acid, C6H5As(OH)2, and 5640 min−1 m −1 for methanearsonous acid, CH3As(OH)2. The kinetics of formation of inactive enzyme in the presence of arsonic acids was found to obey a rate law predicted by a two-step mechanism in which a rate-limiting reduction of an arsonic acid to the corresponding arsonous acid by reduced enzyme, E(SH)2, preceded formation of an inactive binary complex of reduced enzyme and arsonous acid: ES2 + NADH + H+ = E(SH)2 + NAD+; E(SH)2 + RAs(O)(OH)2 = ES2 + RAs(OH)2 + H2O; and E(SH)2 + RAs(OH)2 = ES2AsR + 2H2O. GSSG reductase reacts reversibly with C6H5As(OH)2 to form an inactive binary addition compound in the presence of NADPH. The value of the association constant for formation of enzyme inhibitor complex at pH 7.0 was 119 m −1. The initial rate of the GSSG reductase-catalyzed oxidation of NADPH by GSSG was insensitive to MeAs(OH)2. The kinetics of inhibition of GSSG reductase by arsenite and C6H5As(O)(OH)2 were found to obey the rate law described for lipoamide dehydrogenase and arsonic acids. GSSG reductase catalyzed the oxidation of NADPH by p-arsanilic acid. The initial rate of oxidation of NADPH was linearly dependent on enzyme concentration. The turnover number for GSSG reductase with p-arsanilic acid as an oxidant was 0.13 mol NADPH mol FAD−1 min−1.
OSiL: An instance language for optimization

Distributed computing technologies such as Web Services are growing rapidly in importance in today's computing environment. In the area of mathematical optimization, it is common to separate modeling languages from optimization solvers. In a completely distributed environment, the modeling language software, solver software, and data used to generate a model instance might reside on different machines using different operating systems. Such a distributed environment makes it critical to have an open standard for exchanging model instances. In this paper we present OSiL (Optimization Services instance Language), an XML-based computer language for representing instances of large-scale optimization problems including linear programs, mixed-integer programs, quadratic programs, and very general nonlinear programs. OSiL has two key features that make it much superior to current standard forms for optimization problem instances. First, it uses the object-oriented features of XML schemas to efficiently represent nonlinear expressions. Second, its XML schema maps directly into a corresponding in-memory representation of a problem instance. The in-memory representation provides a robust application program interface for general nonlinear programming, facilitates reading and writing postfix, prefix, and infix formats to and from the nonlinear expression tree, and makes the expression tree readily available for function and derivative evaluations.
Spline and flagellar microtubules are resistant to mitotic disrupter herbicides

Microtubule arrays in developing spermatogenous cells of pteridophytes have unique microtubule organizing centers and post-translation modifications of tubulin. Sensitivity of these arrays to the microtubule-destabilizing effects of the mitotic disrupter herbicides was examined by immunofluorescence, transmission and immunogold electron microscopy. Acetylated, stabilized arrays, such as the spline, and microtubules of the basal bodies and flagella are formed after the final mitotic division and are resistant to these herbicides. Non-acetylated, dynamic arrays that exist prior to the final mitosis, such as interphase and mitotic arrays, are eliminated by all of these herbicides, with symptomology (arrested prometaphase, lobed nuclei, irregular cell plate formation) similar to that observed in other land plants. The only exception to the instability of these mitotic microtubule arrays are the few microtubules that are collected by kinetochores into short tufts. The presence of structurally-distinguishable MTOCs, such as the blepharoplast, did not confer resistance, despite the anchoring of the minus ends of the microtubules. Simultaneous treatment with herbicide and 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU), with subsequent detection with anti-BrdU of cells that had gone through S-phase during the BrdU incubation, reveals that only acetylated arrays formed prior to herbicide treatment are resistant. These data indicate that only actively polymerizing, dynamic microtubule arrays are sensitive to the destabilizing effects of the mitotic disrupter herbicides.
The gifted learning disabled child: A challenge and some suggestions

To help gifted learning disabled children overcome their disabilities, approaches and methods must be used which are challenging and meaningful to the student.
Model for evaluation of infectibility of CO 2 laser fusion anastomoses

In every surgical endeavor, the process of tissue repair should ideally result in the reapproximation of di''ided structures ith the restoration of anatomical tissue plane ind minimal scarring. Over the past to centuries, fine needle nd suture techniques have been used to accompliBh this; they have, however, fallen quite short of ideal repair. Ihe use of even fine suture for the reapproxirnation of arteries results in chronic inflammatory response that eventually lead to a neointimal hyperplasia, atherosclerosis, stenosis, and occIuion These problems the needle and suture led us to explore the use of thermal lasers for tissue repair.
Statistically robust measurement of evoked response onset latencies.

Onset latencies of evoked responses are useful for determining delays in sensory pathways and for indicating spread of activity between brain areas, therefore inferring causality. Previous studies have applied several different methods and parameters for detecting onsets, mainly utilizing thresholds based on the mean and standard deviation (SD) of the pre-stimulus “baseline” time window, or using t-tests of group data to determine when the response first differs significantly from the baseline. However, these methods are not statistically robust, have low power when the baseline data are not normally distributed, and are heavily influenced by outliers in the baseline. Here, we examine using a modified boxplot method known as the “median rule” for determining onset latencies. This rule makes no assumptions about the baseline distribution, is resistant to outliers, and can be applied to individual level data therefore allowing intersubject and interregional comparisons. We first show with simulations that the median rule is significantly less sensitive to outliers in the baseline than the SD method. We then use simulations to demonstrate the effect of skewness on onset latencies. Finally, we use magnetoencephalography (MEG) to show that the median rule can be easily applied to real data and gives reasonable results. In most situations the different methods give similar results, which enhances comparability across studies, but in data sets with a high noise level there is a clear advantage to using a statistically robust method. In conclusion, the median rule is an excellent method for estimating onset latencies in evoked responses.
Presence of Erythropoietin in Human Milk. ♦ 491

In addition to its content of traditional nutrients, milk is a rich source of hormones and peptides which survive digestion in the neonatal gut secondary to lower proteolytic activity and increased protein pemeability. Erythropoietin (Epo), the primary hormone regulating erythropoiesis, is present in rat and human milk, and has erythropoietic effects in suckling rats.
Effects of mercury exposure on the reproductive success of tree swallows ( Tachycineta bicolor )

An experimental tree swallow population was established in the headwaters of the Shenandoah River, Virginia, USA to assess the accumulation and effects of mercury contamination on birds that eat emergent aquatic insects. One tributary, the South River, was contaminated with mercury before 1950. Reproductive success of swal- lows nesting within 50 m of this river was compared to that of three uncontaminated reference tributaries in 2005 and 2006. Female swallows on the contaminated stretch of river had significantly elevated blood and feather total mercury (blood: 3.56 ± 2.41 ppm ww vs. 0.17 ± 0.15 ppm refer- ence; feather: 13.55 ± 6.94 ppm vs. 2.34 ± 0.87 ppm reference), possibly the highest ever reported for an insectivorous songbird. Insects collected by the swallows to be fed to nestlings averaged 0.97 ± 1.11 ppm dw total mercury, significantly higher than on reference sites. Swallows in the contaminated area produced fewer fledg- lings than those in reference areas. The effect of mercury contamination on productivity was detectable only for young females in the contaminated area that were breeding for the first time in 2006, a segment of the population that may already have been stressed by inexperience. Tree swallows served as practical and effective biomonitors for mercury levels and effects and have great potential as proxy biomonitors for more logistically challenging birds such as loons or eagles.
The wooly mutation (wly) on mouse chromosome 11 is associated with a genetic defect in Fam83g

Mice homozygous for the spontaneous wooly mutation (abbreviated wly) are recognized as early as 3–4 weeks of age by the rough or matted appearance of their coats. Previous genetic analysis has placed wly in a 5.9 Mb interval on Chromosome 11 that contains over 200 known genes. Assignment of wly to one of these genes is needed in order to provide probes that would ultimately facilitate a complete molecular analysis of that gene’s role in the normal and disrupted development of the mammalian integument. Here, a large intraspecific backcross family was used to genetically map wly to a smaller (0.8 Mb) span on mouse Chromosome 11 that includes fewer than 20 genes. DNA sequencing of the coding regions in two of these candidates known to be expressed in skin has revealed a 955 bp, wly-specific deletion. This deletion, which lies within the coordinates of both Slc5a10 [for solute carrier family 5 (sodium/glucose cotransporter), member 10] and Fam83g (for family with sequence similarity 83, member G), alters the splicing of mutant Fam83g transcripts only, and is predicted to result in a severely truncated (probably non-functional) protein product. We suggest that this mutation in Fam83g is the likely basis of the mouse wooly phenotype.
Delayed sternal closure does not increase late infection risk in patients undergoing left ventricular assist device implantation

Background Delayed sternal closure (DSC) is employed after conventional cardiac surgery without a significantly increased risk of late mediastinitis or sternal wound infection. There are no data specifically examining its late effects on patients undergoing implantation with a ventricular assist device (VAD). Methods Between October 1996 and October 2010, 364 patients underwent primary VAD implant and DSC was utilized in 184 (51%) patients for coagulopathy ( n = 155; 84%), hemodynamic instability ( n = 103; 56%), isolated right ventricular dysfunction ( n = 15; 8%) or unspecified reasons ( n = 17; 9%). Results Median duration of DSC was 1 day (range 1 to 7 days). Patients with DSC were older (54.5 vs 50.3 years, p = 0.002), had a higher incidence of previous sternotomy (42% vs 28%, p = 0.005), pre-operative intra-aortic balloon pump (50% vs. 30%, p p p p p = 0.65) or late (2 years; 66 ± 7% vs 66 ± 7%, p = 0.720) mortality; composite incidence of mediastinitis, percutaneous drive-line infection, pocket infection and VAD-related endocarditis (15% vs 16%, p = 0.79); re-exploration for bleeding (18% vs 18%, p = 0.99); urgent transplantation for infection (4% vs 3%, p = 0.99); or need for device exchange (9% vs 10%, p = 0.16) was not increased after DSC when compared with immediate sternal closure. DSC increased ICU stay (10 vs 5 days, p = 0.001). Conclusions DSC was performed most commonly for coagulopathy and/or hemodynamic instability, and patients were older with a greater severity of illness as shown by the higher incidence of right-sided circulatory failure and history of prior sternotomy. Although DSC was associated with longer ICU stay, DSC was not associated with a significantly increased risk of death or infection.
Complementation of Virus Movement in Transgenic Tobacco Expressing the Cucumber Mosaic Virus 3a Gene

Tobacco plants were transformed with the cucumber mosaic cucumovirus (CMV) 3a gene and the in planta-expressed 3a protein was detected immunologically. The 3a protein was predominantly localized in a subcellular fraction corresponding to the cytosol. Two frameshift and four deletion mutants were created within the 3a open reading frame of CMV RNA 3. Five of these mutants, containing an N-terminal, large central, or C-terminal 70-amino-acid deletion could not infect nontransformed tobacco plants, but could infect the 3a transgenic tobacco plants, and generally accumulated to wild-type levels. The sixth mutant, lacking the C-terminal 43 amino acids of the 3a protein, was able to infect nontransformed tobacco plants. A delay in accumulation of viral RNA in both the inoculated and the systemically infected leaves was demonstrated for one of the mutants. Thus, the CMV 3a protein is a virus movement protein, the functions of which can be complemented in a transgenic plant. The CMV 3a transgenic plants were able to complement the long-distance movement of a pseudorecombinant cucumovirus defective for this function in tobacco, as well as the cell-to-cell, but not the long-distance, movement of two other related viruses. However, these transgenic plants were unable to complement the long-distance movement of viruses from several other taxonomic groups that could move cell to cell but not long distance in tobacco.
Distribution of nitric oxide synthase‐containing ganglionic neuronal somata and postganglionic fibers in the rat kidney

Nitric oxide synthase (NOS)-immunoreactive neurons were identified in the rat kidney by using an antibody against type Ia NOS and the avidin-biotin complex immunoperoxidase method in whole kidneys examined in 100 microns serial sections. The histochemical method for demonstration of the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase (NADPH-d) was also used to characterize NOS-containing neurons. All somata showing NOS immunoreactivity also displayed NADPH-d activity. The greatest number of neuronal somata were observed in groups at the wall of the renal pelvis and in the angular space formed by the pole of the renal parenchyma and renal pelvic wall. They were also seen at the renal hilus close to the renal artery and along the interlobar vasculature. The size of the neuronal somata in the 35-day-old rat ranged from 13.6 to 34.8 microns, with a mean size of 21.52 +/- 4.81 microns. Seventy percent, however, ranged in size from 17.8 to 26.8 microns. The shape of the neuronal somata also varied, with the majority having an ovoid or round shape. The distribution of the postganglionic fibers was investigated by means of the camera lucida. Postganglionic fibers projected into the wall of the renal pelvis and/or to the interlobar arteries extending to the arcuate arteries and to the beginning of the afferent arterioles. The NOS-immunoreactive neurons may have a vasodilator and relaxing function on the renal pelvic wall and vasculature. In addition, the presence of NOS-containing nerve fibers in nerve bundles, which are known to have predominantly vasomotor and sensory fibers, suggest that they may have a possible modulatory role on renal neural function.
Evaluation and elimination of an avoidance response in a child who stutters: A case study.

Abstract In this case study, efforts to treat stuttering in a 6-year-old male with cerebral palsy were complicated by frequent replies of “I don't know” that allowed the child to avoid more extensive answers to conversational questions. Following a program of extinction plus differential reinforcement of alternative behavior (DRA), the response “I don't know” was decreased while both speech rate and stuttering increased. Simplified habit reversal (SHR) techniques (controlled breathing) were then applied and resulted in a reduction of stuttering and maintenance of low rates of avoidance. A reversal to baseline resulted in initially high levels of avoidance and low levels of stuttering, with these trends reversing as baseline continued. The SHR treatment for stuttering was then reimplemented and stuttering rates again decreased while avoidance rates remained low, Implications are discussed.
Second Generation Voices: Queer Youth with Lesbian/Bisexual Mothers

Research on the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth with LGBTQ parents is absent in the social science literature. The present qualitative, exploratory study utilized a social constructionist and queer theoretical lens through which to explore the sexual/gender identity formation and disclosure experiences of 18 LGBTQ young adults with lesbian/bisexual mothers. Findings suggest that LGBTQ parents may have a uniquely positive influence on their LGBTQ children in regard to their sexual and gender identity development. However, some participants reported perceiving societal scrutiny related to their mothers’ lesbian/bisexual identities and, thus, felt pressure to be heterosexual and gender-conforming. Furthermore, some participants did not necessarily utilize or view their lesbian/bisexual mothers as sources of support in relation to their own sexual/gender identity formation. While much more research is needed that examines the experiences of LGBTQ children with LGBTQ parents, this study represents a first step in addressing the existing literature gap.
Two heads are better than one: false head allows Calycopis cecrops (Lycaenidae) to escape predation by a Jumping Spider, Phidippus pulcherrimus (Salticidae)

The deflection of attack from vital organs to the wing margin is regarded as an important adaptation in hairstreak butterflies. However, this “lose-little-to-save-much” strategy akin to the detachable lizard's tail had never been tested experimentally. The present study tests the “false head” hypothesis by exposing a hairstreak butterfly, Calycopis cecrops, as well as many other Lepidoptera species as controls, to the attacks of the jumping spider, Phidippus pulcherrimus. The results unambiguously indicate that the “false head” is a very efficient strategy in deflecting attacks from the vital centres of the hairstreak butterfly whereas other similar-sized Lepidoptera fall easy prey. Predator fatigue resulting from unsuccessful attacks was also observed, suggesting that jumping spiders can learn to avoid attacking prey they cannot capture, which would increase the efficiency of the “false head” as a defensive mechanism.
Multi-channel synapse validation on confocal images of mammalian neurons

Detection and quantification of synapses from microscopic images are important for studying functions of neuronal systems. We present a multi-channel co-localization method and the related tool for detecting and counting synapses in immuno-stained microscopic images. In addition to the detection performed on the synapse channel image, the algorithm uses dendrite channel image as the reference mask to detect and locate other sub-cellular structures that help to validate the detection of synapses. The tool is developed as a plugin for ImageJ, which allows the user to interactively preview the synapse selection for controlling the accuracy of the synapse detection.
Covariance and power spectrum of a sinusoidal carrier, angel modulated by a uniformly distributed random process

The covariance and power spectrum of a sinusoidal carrier, angle modulated by a zero mean random signal having a rectangular probability density is studied. Numerical calculations have been carried out when the modulating noisy signal has been shaped by an RC filter.
Singular perturbations and order reduction in control theory - An overview

Recent results on singular perturbations are surveyed as a tool for model order reduction and separation of time scales in control system design. Conceptual and computational simplifications of design procedures are examined by a discussion of their basic assumptions. Over 100 references are organized into several problem areas. The content of main theorems is presented in a tutorial form aimed at a broad audience of engineers and applied mathematicians interested in control, estimation and optimization of dynamic systems.
Thornton Wilder's Defence of Homosexuality in The Ides of March

Thornton Wilder's The Ides of March (1948) has usually been treated as an existential novel or as a modernist text featuring multiple points of view. However, such approaches leave out the subtext concerning the discourse of homosexuality and friendship in the novel, and they ignore Wilder's own homosexuality. In The Ides of March readers are left to draw upon their own knowledge of the personal lives of Julius Caesar and Gaius Valerius Catullus, as they have come down to us in Latin writings, such as the Lives of Suetonius and Catullus's own poetry. Caesar's relationship with King Nicomedes of Bithynia and Catullus's love poetry for Juventius are key documents here. The novel refers to Caesar's reputation as a lover of male youths, which allows readers to understand the gay subtext to many of his statements. Caesar, Wilder's hero, stresses the difficulty of relationships between men and women, devalues the family, shows no interest in procreation, and locates love and friendship on the same continuum. Because Caesar insists that each person must create his/her own personal ethical system, the novel opens up a space for living out same-sex relationships as a value.
Dual polarization modulation: A real-time, spectral-multiplex separation of circular dichroism from linear birefringence spectral intensities

A real-time, spectral-multiplex method for the complete separation of circular dichroism (CD) spectra from linear birefringence (LB) spectra is presented. The method, called dual polarization modulation (DPM), involves the introduction of a second source of polarization modulation after the CD sample. The first source of polarization modulation, as in conventional CD spectrometers, is located before the sample. Intensity signals at the detector in phase with each of the two polarization modulation frequencies are demodulated simultaneously in parallel and combined electronically in opposition to eliminate the LB spectrum by real-time cancellation. The accuracy of the cancellation can be adjusted electronically without the need to change the optical alignment of the instrument. The DPM method permits baseline-corrected CD spectra to be measured without the need for a subsequent CD background measurement.
Interaction of concanavalin a with rabbit thymocyte plasma membranes Distinction between low affinity association and positively cooperative binding mediated by a specific glycoprotein

1. 1. We have analyzed the interaction of the mitogenic lectin, concavanalin A, with purified plasma membranes isolated from rabbit thymocytes. 2. 2. Scatchard analyses show that in native membranes binding is positively cooperative at low concanavalin A concentrations and non-interacting at high lectin levels. 3. 3. In contrast, membranes treated with 0.0064 M glutaraldehyde exhibit diphasic Scatchard plots, indicating the presence of high- and low-affinity binding sites. The high-affinity zone corresponds to the regin of positive cooperativity in native membranes. 4. 4. The number of high-affinity binding sites per cell-equivalent corresponds approximately to the number of glycoprotein (mol. wt. 55 000) molecules (1 · 106/cell), but account for < 25% of the total lectin binding. 5. 5. Treatment of membranes with 0.0064 M glutaraldehyde selectively crosslinks the glycoprotein (mol. wt. 55 000) and its multimers, correlating directly with the modifications of concanavalin A-binding. 6. 6. We conclude that high-affinity binding of concanavalin A to thymocyte membranes is a cooperative process mediated by the glycoprotein (mol. wt. 55 000). We further conclude that the bulk of concanavalin A binding is through low-affinity associations, not involving specific membrane macromolecules.