cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Toward a Theory of Intellectual Change: The Social Causes of Philosophies:

Based on historical comparisons among master-pupil chains and other aspects of social networks among philosophers, some prmciples are suggested regarding long-term intellectual change. The higher t...
Damping of the Transverse Head-Tail Instability by Periodic Modulation of the Chromaticity

An analytical and numerical study of the suppression of the transverse head-tail instability by modulating the chromaticity over a synchrotron period is presented. We find that a threshold can be developed, and it can be increased to a value larger than the strong head-tail instability threshold. The stability criterion derived agrees very well with the simulations. The underlying physical mechanisms of the damping scheme are rotation of the head-tail phase such that the instability does not occur, and Landau damping due to the incoherent betatron tune spread generated by the varying chromaticity. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}
Interactions of cocaine and cocaine congeners with sodium channels

Abstract To assess the role that action on sodium channels may play in the physiological effects of cocaine and to obtain information on the structure-activity relationships of this action, cocaine, norcocaine, N-allynorcocaine, (+)-pseudococaine, (−)-pseudococaine, (±)-allococaine, (±)-allopseudococaine, ecgonine, ecgonine methyl ester, O-benzoylecgonine and atropine were tested for their effects on sodium channels. The method employed was a sodium channel specific equilibrium 22Na+ uptake assay with rat brain membrane homogenates. All of the compounds listed with the exception of the ecgonines were found to be single affinity competitive inhibitors of veratridine activation of sodium channels. Ecgonine showed no inhibition at concentrations as high as 10−3 M while ecgonine methyl ester and O-benzoylecgonine showed inhibition only at very high concentrations. The order of inhibition potencies was found to (+)-pseudococaine ≅norcocaine ≅ N-allynorcocaine > cocaine > (−)-pseudococaine ≅ (±)-allopseudococaine > (±) > atropine >O-benzoylecgonine > ecgonine methyl ester > ecgonine. This ordering of potencies is in good agreement with published reports of the local anesthetic potencies of these agents.
The effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on cardiac rhythm: A critical reassessment

Abstract Although epidemiological studies provide strong evidence for an inverse relationship between omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n−3 PUFAs) and cardiac mortality, inconsistent and often conflicting results have been obtained from both animal studies and clinical prevention trials. Despite these heterogeneous results, some general conclusions can be drawn from these studies: 1) n-PUFAs have potent effects on ion channels and calcium regulatory proteins that vary depending on the route of administration. Circulating (acute administration) n−3 PUFAs affect ion channels directly while incorporation (long-term supplementation) of these lipids into cell membranes indirectly alter cardiac electrical activity via alteration of membrane properties. 2) n−3 PUFAs reduce baseline HR and increase HRV via alterations in intrinsic pacemaker rate rather than from changes in cardiac autonomic neural regulation. 3) n−3 PUFAs may be only effective if given before electrophysiological or structural remodeling has begun and have no efficacy against atrial fibrillation. 5) Despite initial encouraging results, more recent clinical prevention and animal studies have not only failed to reduce sudden cardiac death but actually increased mortality in angina patients and increased rather than decreased malignant arrhythmias in animal models of regional ischemia. 6) Given the inconsistent benefits reported in clinical and experimental studies and the potential adverse actions on cardiac rhythm noted during myocardial ischemia, n−3 PUFA must be prescribed with caution and generalized recommendations to increase fish intake or to take n−3 PUFA supplements need to be reconsidered.
Astrocytes as stem cells: Nomenclature, phenotype, and translation

Recently discovered multipotent astrocytic stem cells are discussed in light of current nomenclature for glial precursor and lineage-associated cells in the developing, postnatal, and adult mammalian brain. Defining the phenotype of any immature cell in the nervous system is a challenge, and a position is stated that includes the need for categorizing cells within a continuum of differentiation potential. The possibility for dedifferentiating glial cells into clonogenic stem-like cells offers numerous possibilities for translating knowledge and technology from this subfield of stem cell biology to regenerative medicine. Along with the need for developing a new lexicon for defining the cellular players that contribute to the generation of glia and neurons in the developing and mature central nervous system, the relationships also need to be established among potency, repopulation attempts, and tumorigenesis of cells meeting the criteria of glial stem cells. Finally, it is possible that understanding the normal differentiation, de- and transdifferentiation potential of glial stem-like cells in the mature central nervous system will provide insights into the possible use of these cells, or biogenic factors associated with their growth and differentiation, in therapeutic approaches for a variety of neurological disorders.
Fischer−Tropsch Synthesis: Kinetics and Effect of Water for a Co/SiO2 Catalyst

The addition of water during Fischer−Tropsch synthesis over a 12.4 wt % Co/SiO2 catalyst led to a significant increase in CO conversion. A positive reversible impact of water on catalyst activity was observed at partial pressures of water of <25 vol % added H2O. The CO conversion recovered to the reference activity after the termination of water addition. Therefore, this enhanced reversible activity for Co/SiO2 catalysts seems to be due to a kinetic effect of water. The catalyst was characterized using different techniques, including temperature-programmed reduction (TPR), Brunauer−Emmett−Teller (BET) surface area analysis, and H2 chemisorption. The rate expression has been obtained over the catalyst, using a 1-L continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR) that was operated at a temperature of 483 K, a pressure of 2.21 MPa (21.42 atm), H2/CO feed ratios of 1.0−2.4, and 10%−70% CO conversion over a range of reactant partial pressures. The data of this study are fitted by a power-law expression of the form rCO...
Theoretical design of acoustic treatment for noise control in a turboprop aircraft

An analytical procedure has been developed for design of acoustic treatment for cabin noise control of light aircraft. Using this approach acoustic add-on treatments capable of reducing the average noise levels in the cabin by about 17 dB from the untreated condition are developed. The added weight of the noise control package is about 2% of the total gross takeoff weight of the aircraft. The analytical model uses modal solutions wherein the structural modes of the sidewall and the acoustic modes of the receiving space are accounted for. The input noise spectral levels are selected utilizing experimental flight data. The add-on treatments include aluminum honeycomb panels, constrained layer damping tape, porous acoustic materials, noise barriers, limp trim panels, and tuned dampers. To reduce the noise transmitted through the double-wall aircraft windows to acceptable levels, changes in the design of the aircraft window are recommended.
Valence band hybridization in N-rich GaN1-xAsx alloys

We have used photo-modulated transmission and optical absorption spectroscopies to measure the composition dependence of interband optical transitions in N-rich GaN{sub 1-x}As{sub x} alloys with x up to 0.06. The direct bandgap gradually decreases as x increases. In the dilute x limit, the observed band gap approaches 2.8 eV; this limiting value is attributed to a transition between the As localized level, which has been previously observed in As-doped GaN at 0.6 eV above the valence band maximum in As-doped GaN, and the conduction band minimum. The structure of the valence band of GaN{sub 1-x}As{sub x} is explained by the hybridization of the localized As states with the extended valence band states of GaN matrix. The hybridization is directly confirmed by soft x-ray emission experiments. To describe the electronic structure of the GaN{sub 1-x}As{sub x} alloys in the entire composition range a linear interpolation is used to combine the effects of valence band hybridization in N-rich alloys with conduction band anticrossing in As-rich alloys.
Variability in the Efficacy of Psychopharmaceuticals: Contributions from Pharmacogenomics, Ethnopsychopharmacology, and Psychological and Psychiatric Anthropologies

Psychological and psychiatric anthropology have long questioned the universality of psychiatric diagnoses, bringing to light the fluidity of mental disorder, and recognizing that the experience and expression of psychopathology is influenced by complex and interacting genetic, environmental, and cultural factors. The majority of our discussions, however, have remained centered around the role of culture in shaping mental illness: drawing attention to subjective experiences of mental illness and culturally patterned modes of symptom presentation, and interrogating the cogency of universal diagnostic rubrics. Psychological and psychiatric anthropology have yet to robustly engage the broadly assumed universal validity of psychiatric medications and the ways in which they are prescribed and experienced. This article provides an introduction into the fields of pharmacogenomics and ethnopsychopharmacology, areas of inquiry seeking to understand the ways in which genetic variability occurring between, and within, large population groups influences individual ability to metabolize psychotropic medications. This piece further addresses the complex issue of psychopharmaceutical efficacy, stressing the ways in which, just as with psychopathology, medications and their outcomes are likewise influenced by the complex interactions of genes, environment, and culture. Lastly, ways in which anthropology can and should engage with the growing fields of pharmacogenomics and ethnopsychopharmacology are suggested.
Human and bovine respiratory syncytial virus: Immunopathologic mechanisms

Summary Human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) is the major respiratory tract Pathogen of infants and young children. Bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) is recognised as an important cause of respiratory tract disease in calves. Both of these viruses and their respective diseases share many similarities. Immunopathologic mechanisms have been Proposed to be involved in the pathogenesis of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections. This review examines the current understanding of the role of immunopathologic mechanisms in RSV infections. The role of vaccines in inducing hypersensitivity is also examined. Additionally, non‐immunopathogenic mechanisms involved in RSV infections are discussed.
Training Tech Services’ Student Employees Well: Evidence-based Training Techniques in Conjunction with Coaching and Mentoring Strategies

Librarians in higher education who work in technical services must frequently rely on student employees to accomplish tasks previously assigned to professional staff. Hiring, training, managing, and mentoring student workers for the performance of high-level library functions can prove challenging. However, working side-by-side with student employees can be a positive experience when evidence-based training techniques and effective coaching and mentoring strategies are utilized. This article focuses on training techniques integrated with ongoing coaching and mentoring strategies to promote a positive work environment and motivated, successful student employees.
Bloggers and mash

When everybody can be a journalist or film-maker, what happens to the media? We're finding out right now, says Dan Gillmor
Negotiating safer sex: a detailed analysis of attitude functions, anticipated emotions, relationship status and gender.

Objective : Because interpersonal discussion about condom use can encourage subsequent condom use, this project aims to examine the psychological antecedents of intentions to discuss or request the use of condoms with a sexual partner. Method : The data were collected from 849 heterosexual college students in the USA through an online survey. The survey contained several measures related to attitude functions (i.e. motivations), efficacy, norms and intentions to discuss condom use with a sexual partner. Results : Participants’ attitude functions weakly predicted intentions to discuss condom use. Communication efficacy was a more important predictor of intentions for females (vs. males) and for those in other relationships or not in a relationship (vs. long-term monogamous relationships). Anticipated negative emotions were a stronger predictor of intentions for those in long-term monogamous relationships (vs. other relationships or not in a relationship). Implications : Future research needs to consider mo...
A Comparison of Cawing in the European Carrion Crow (Corvus Corone) and the American Common Crow (Corvus Brachyrhynchos)

The American common crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) has a complex communication system in which the meaning of its sound units ("caws") is determined in part by the temporal format in which they are uttered. Among the subsystems of the crow's communication is "ordinary" or "structured" cawing, in which the caws are uttered in sequences of similar caws, organized in discrete bursts. A comparable cawing format appears to exist in the European carrion crow (Corvus corone). 49 sequences of structured carrion crow cawing were recorded in Somerset, England, during the period from September 1976 to June, 1977. These are similar in organization to 20 sequences of American crow cawing which were re-analyzed for comparison, but the carrion crowbursts are significantly longer in the duration of their caws and in the duration of the pauses between caws within a burst and have significantly fewer caws in an average burst. Carrion crow structured cawing displays the same contextual ambiguities as have been reported for structured cawing in the American crow. Some evidence is developed which suggests that in carrion crow structured cawing as in American crow structured cawing, the variations in caw pattern are related to individuality, although the relationship is not a simple one. The distinction between structured cawing and unstructured cawing seems to be related in a loose way to the more general distinction made with oscine vocalizations between songs and calls. The situation is complicated by the fact that in corvids the term song is traditionally applied to a third class of vocalizations with properties quite distinct from structured and unstructured cawing.
Bifurcation of rectangular waveguide by an impedance septum

A new canonical waveguide problem is considered. A wave is incident upon a semi-infinite septum parallel to the waveguide walls. One side of the septum is characterized by an impedance Z, and the opposite side by an impedance −Z. An exact solution is obtained.
Self-Assembly and Thermal Stability of Binary Superlattices of Gold and Silicon Nanocrystals

Simple hexagonal (sh) AB2 binary superlattices (BSLs) of organic ligand-capped silicon (A; 5.40(±9.8%) nm diameter) and gold (B; 1.88(±10.1%) nm diameter) nanocrystals were assembled by evaporation of colloidal dispersions and characterized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS). When deposited on tilted substrates by slow evaporation, the sh-AB2 superlattice contracted slightly toward the substrate with centered orthorhombic structure. Heating the BSL to 200 °C in air led to gold coalescence and segregation to the surface of the assembly without disrupting the Si nanocrystal sublattice, thus creating a sh superlattice of Si nanocrystals.
A CPI breakdown model plug-in for optimizing application performance

Effectiveness and quality are fundamental characteristics for the development of a product. In order to support them, one needs to ensure that an application optimization level is at its best. The most widely used metric for evaluating an application performance is the CPI (Cycles Per Instruction), i.e., the number of clock cycles that takes place when an instruction is executed. We have developed a CPI Breakdown Model Plug-in, that automates the profiling of an application in the Power architecture, breaking it down into several groups of CPI events and metrics in order to identify possible bottlenecks. When analyzing such events and metrics the user can become aware of which operations are causing the processor to stall, and consequently enhance the application source code. We have discussed the adaptation of some command-line tools to be used by our CPI plug-in, which is integrated into the IBM Software Development Toolkit for PowerLinux, an Eclipse based IDE comprising a set of mainstream C/C++ development tools along with several in-house IBM ones. A case study that shows the usefulness of our approach is presented and details on how to optimize an application are discussed.
Generalization of anxiety along the structure of interpersonal resources

The hypothesis that anxiety generalizes along the structure of interpersonal resources was tested and the results are described here. Anxiety was experimentally induced by exposing the subject to social situations that were contrived to create an expectation of loss in one of the following interpersonal resources: Love, status, money, goods, services. Recognition time for resource-specific words, presented on a tachistoscope, constituted the dependent variable. The results indicated recognition time to be longest for words related to the manipulated class and to decrease gradually as the words became progressively less similar to those of that class.
Graphing in Groups: Learning About Lines in a Collaborative Classroom Network Environment

This article presents a design experiment in which we explore new structures for classroom collaboration supported by a classroom network of handheld graphing calculators. We describe a design for small group investigations of linear functions and present findings from its implementation in three high school algebra classrooms. Our coding of the problem-solving efforts of six student focus pairs in this environment over the course of several class sessions indicates that these students tended to move from exploratory and visual to more analytic means of establishing lines of a specified slope. As they adopted these analytic approaches, they were also more likely to enact their strategies jointly. In closer examination of emerging analytic strategies in episodes selected from the work of one of the pairs, we argue that the processes by which these students discovered the need for coordinated action on their respective points, and came to establish mathematical meaning for the relations between their coordi...
Effect of sulfur on the decomposition kinetics of methanol on Ru(001)

Abstract The effects of sulfur on the decomposition kinetics of methanol on Ru(001) were studied using laser-induced thermal desorption (LITD) and temperature programmed desorption (TPD) techniques. TPD studies showed that molecular desorption became more probable as a function of sulfur coverage. In addition, no new surface pathways were observed to compete with the primary pathway involving decomposition to carbon monoxide and hydrogen. Isothermal LITD studies of methanol decomposition were performed at methanol coverages of θ sat for various temperatures from 188 to 223 K. These LITD measurements revealed that the methanol decomposition rate was very dependent on sulfur coverage. Both the decomposition activation barrier and preexponential were observed to increase versus sulfur coverage. The coverage-dependent decomposition rate versus sulfur coverage was fit to k = v 0 10 ( cθ s ) exp[−( E 0 + aθ CO + bθ S )/ RT ] where E 0 = 6.9 kcal/mol, v 0 = 4.2×10 6 s − , a = 35 kcal/(mol ML), b = 27 kcal/(mol ML) and c = 13 ML −1 . The increase in the decomposition activation barrier and preexponential were qualitatively consistent with the electron withdrawing properties and long-ranged electronic effects of surface sulfur.
From E-Mentoring to Blended Mentoring: Increasing Students' Developmental Initiation and Mentors' Satisfaction

E-mentoring offers an alternative way to connect individuals with mentors. In my work here, management students were paired with working professionals for a semester to ask questions about the rele...
Effective population size and evolutionary dynamics in outbred laboratory populations of Drosophila

Census population size, sex-ratio and female reproductive success were monitored in 10 laboratory populations of Drosophila melanogaster selected for different ages of reproduction. With this demographic information, we estimated eigenvalue, variance and probability of allele loss effective population sizes. We conclude that estimates of effective size based on genefrequency change at a few loci are biased downwards. We analysed the relative roles of selection and genetic drift in maintaining genetic variation in laboratory populations of Drosophila. We suggest that rare, favourable genetic variants in our laboratory populations have a high chance of being lost if their fitness effect is weak, e.g. 1% or less. However, if the fitness effect of this variation is 10% or greater, these rare variants are likely to increase to high frequency. The demographic information developed in this study suggests that some of our laboratory populations harbour more genetic variation than expected. One explanation for this finding is that part of the genetic variation in these outbred laboratory Drosophila populations may be maintained by some form of balancing selection. We suggest that, unlike bacteria, medium-term adaptation of laboratory populations of fruit flies is not primarily driven by new mutations, but rather by changes in the frequency of preexisting alleles.
Frequency of use and predictors of cancer-directed surgery in the management of malignant pleural mesothelioma in a community-based (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results [SEER]) population.

Introduction: Surgical intervention rates for mesothelioma patients treated at specialized tertiary hospitals are well more than 42%. Mesothelioma surgical strategies in the community are less well defined. This study evaluates the frequency of use and predictors of cancer-directed surgical intervention in a nontertiary-based population and the predictors for surgical intervention. Methods: The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database was searched from 1990 to 2004. Variables analyzed included age, sex, race, year of diagnosis, region, vital status, stage, surgery, and reasons for no surgery. The association of patient variables on receipt of cancer-directed surgery was evaluated using ϰ 2 tests and logistic regression. The incidence of mesothelioma was also evaluated over this period of time. Results: Pathologically proven malignant pleural mesothelioma was identified in 1166 women and 4771 men. The rate of cancer-directed surgery was 22% ( n = 1317). Significant predictors of receiving cancer-directed surgery included race, age, and stage (all p p Conclusions: The rate of surgical intervention in the community is lower compared with tertiary referral centers. Age, stage, and race predict the likelihood of receiving cancer-directed surgery. A lower rate of cancer-directed surgery and worse overall outcome were observed in black patients. As part of quality assurance, referral of patients to centers with multidisciplinary programs that include thoracic surgical expertise should be considered.
Cardiovascular reactivity to psychological stress may enhance subsequent pain sensitivity

Stress-induced physiological reactivity has been shown to correlate with indexes of pain sensitivity, but it has not been demonstrated whether such reactivity can affect subsequent levels of pain threshold, tolerance and self-reported severity. The present study examined whether the degree of physiological reactivity (i.e., blood pressure and heart rate) elicited during an initial psychological stressor could be shown to influence indexes of pain sensitivity during subsequent pain induction. Fifty-two undergraduate men and women were assigned randomly to one of two conditions: perform mental arithmetic (MA) and then undergo a cold pressor task (CP; MA/CP) or vice versa (CP/MA). Subjects were divided into low/high mean arterial pressure (MAP) and low/high heart rate (HR) groups based on reactivity to MA. Principal analyses showed `condition×MAP reactor group' interactions for pain threshold (F(1,48)=7.38; P<0.009) and tolerance (F(1,48)=9.63; P<0.003). Post hoc tests revealed that high MAP reactors in the MA/CP condition showed lower pain threshold and tolerance during CP than low MAP reactors in the same condition, while high and low MAP reactors in the CP/MA condition did not differ. Thus, cardiovascular reactivity during psychological stress may contribute to increased sensitivity to subsequent painful stimulation.
Supervisory Coaching Behavior, Employee Satisfaction, and Warehouse Employee Performance: A Dyadic Perspective in the Distribution Industry.

Coaching has received considerable attention in recent years as the responsibility for employees' learning and development has been increasingly devolved to line managers. Yet there exists little published empirical research that measures specific coaching behaviors of line managers or examines the linkages between line managers' coaching behavior and employee performance. This survey study integrates the perceptions of supervisors and their respective employees to examine supervisory coaching behavior in an industrial context and to assess its association with employee job satisfaction and performance. Findings suggest that supervisory coaching behavior is positively associated with employees' job satisfaction and performance. Implications for research and practice are presented.
"THE STORM DIDN'T DISCRIMINATE" Katrina and the Politics of Color Blindness

Hurricane Katrina exposed the politics of race, poverty, and inequality to broad public view for the first time in a generation. But the storm and its aftermath also constituted a metaphor for the deep tension between color-blind and race-conscious models of politics that has long been one of the central and defining themes of U.S. politics. In this essay, I explore Hurricane Katrina as a window onto this fundamental dualism in U.S. political culture, its ambivalent embrace of both color blindness and race consciousness. In the storm's immediate aftermath, President George W. Bush became the unlikely mouthpiece of this dualism, and I examine his contradictory statements about race in the storm's wake and place them in historical context. I connect these presidential statements to the broader political context that shapes race policymaking in order to ask whether Katrina and the political response it provoked might generate a policy response that takes seriously the problem of racial inequality exposed by the storm. A brief account of a parallel historical example of race-conscious policy emerging from political conditions apparently dominated by color blindness, the emergence of affirmative action in employment in the 1960s and 1970s, emphasizes the mixture of ideological and strategic, political factors that shape U.S. race politics and policy, and suggests a set of ideological and institutional conditions that may be necessary to generate such a dramatic change in policy direction. I conclude by drawing some lessons from this history for post-Katrina race politics.
Patients, Police, and Care Providers: The Cultural Dimension of Medical Marijuana Implementation

The story of medical marijuana implementation in the states provides researchers an opportunity for a unique study of the relationship between political culture and policy implementation. This paper tests the relationship between the utilization of medical marijuana at the county level, estimated supply, institutional design, and the political culture of each jurisdiction. The paper draws on the Institutional Analysis and Design framework and social construction theory. This model supports the conclusion that political culture is a significant part of the policy implementation story.
Telecommunications: Meeting through your computer: Information exchange and engineering decision-making are made easy through computer-assisted conferencing

As you read this article, 15 scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and three Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) National Laboratories are meeting to discuss modeling the impact on several western states of strip and underground mining, new power plants, and other schemes for energy extraction. At another meeting, several administrators from USGS offices in Menlo Park, Calif., and Reston, Va., are evaluating a contract proposal. At a third meeting, econometricians and other specialists are exploring the problems associated with the various approaches to modeling the U.S. economy.
BiDi screen: a thin, depth-sensing LCD for 3D interaction using light fields

We transform an LCD into a display that supports both 2D multi-touch and unencumbered 3D gestures. Our BiDirectional (BiDi) screen, capable of both image capture and display, is inspired by emerging LCDs that use embedded optical sensors to detect multiple points of contact. Our key contribution is to exploit the spatial light modulation capability of LCDs to allow lensless imaging without interfering with display functionality. We switch between a display mode showing traditional graphics and a capture mode in which the backlight is disabled and the LCD displays a pinhole array or an equivalent tiled-broadband code. A large-format image sensor is placed slightly behind the liquid crystal layer. Together, the image sensor and LCD form a mask-based light field camera, capturing an array of images equivalent to that produced by a camera array spanning the display surface. The recovered multi-view orthographic imagery is used to passively estimate the depth of scene points. Two motivating applications are described: a hybrid touch plus gesture interaction and a light-gun mode for interacting with external light-emitting widgets. We show a working prototype that simulates the image sensor with a camera and diffuser, allowing interaction up to 50 cm in front of a modified 20.1 inch LCD.
The Statistical Analysis of Roll Call Data

Modern studies of legislative behavior focus upon the relationship among the policy preferences of legislators, institutional arrangements, and legislative outcomes. In spatial models of legislatures, policies are represented geometrically, as points in a low-dimensional Euclidean space. Each legislator has a most preferred policy or ideal point in this space and his or her utility for a policy declines with the distance of the policy from his or her ideal point; see Davis, Hinich, and Ordeshook 1970 for an early survey. The primary use of roll call data—the recorded votes of deliberative bodies 1 —is the estimation of ideal points. The appeal and importance of ideal point estimation arises in two ways. First, ideal point estimates let us describe legislators and legislatures. The distribution of ideal points estimates reveals how cleavages between legislators reflect partisan affiliation or region or become more polarized over time (e.g., McCarty, Poole, and Rosenthal 2001). Roll call data serve similar purposes for interest groups, such as Americans for Democratic Action, the National Taxpayers Union, and the Sierra Club, to produce “ratings” of legislators along different policy dimensions. Second, estimates from roll call analysis can be used to test theories of legislative behavior. For instance, roll call analysis has been used in studies of the U.S. Congress, both contemporary and
TOLERANCE OF SOIL PATHOGENS CO-VARIES WITH SHADE TOLERANCE ACROSS SPECIES OF TROPICAL TREE SEEDLINGS

A negative feedback between local abundance and natural enemies could contribute to maintaining tree species diversity by constraining population growth of common species. Soil pathogens could be an important mechanism of such noncompetitive distance and density-dependent (NCDD) mortality, but susceptibility to local pathogens may be ameliorated by a life history strategy that favors survivorship. In a shade-house experiment (1% full sun), we tested seedling life span, growth, and mass allocation responses to microbial extract filtered from conspecific-cultured soil in 21 tree species that varied in abundance and shade tolerance in a wet tropical forest (La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica). Forty-three percent of the species had significant reductions, and 10% of the species had significant increases in life span, growth, root length, or root surface area when inoculated with microbial extract; 10% of the species experienced opposing reductions and increases in these characteristics. Contrary to expectation, species' local abundance was not related to species- specific responses to microbial extracts from cultured soils. Across species, seedling shade tolerance (survival at 1% full sun) was negatively correlated with susceptibility to the microbial treatment for both survival and total mass accumulation, thereby exaggerating shade tolerance differences among species. Thus, soil pathogens may contribute to species coexistence through heightening niche differentiation rather than through negative density dependence in common species.
Modular supervisory control with equivalence-based conflict resolution

This paper proposes a set of requirements on coordinating filters that will resolve conflict among modular supervisors. Our specific approach is unique in that it employs a conflict-equivalent abstraction, which offers the potential for greater reduction than those abstractions employed in existing works on conflict resolution. The resulting control implemented by the modular supervisors in conjunction with coordinating filters meeting the proposed requirements is shown to be safe and nonblocking. Approaches for constructing these filters are discussed and it is proposed that a static state-feedback approach to control be employed that implements deterministic coordinating filter control laws by nondeterministic automata.
Plagiarism, originality, assemblage

Although students work and live in a remix culture, composition pedagogy does not always value the discursive practices of that culture, especially when it comes to producing written work for academic contexts. The reasons for these views are historically determined and tied, at least in part, to relatively traditional notions of authorship and creativity. But “writers” in other contexts, both disciplinary and popular, have developed interesting and useful remix approaches that can aid invention, leverage intellectual and physical resources, and dramatize the social dimensions of composing in this day and age. These approaches, however, ask teachers to reconsider taken-for-granted assumptions about plagiarism and originality.
An evaluation of the effect of reagent modification on routine laboratory coagulation tests.

Summary The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of modifying commercial reagents for the laboratory evaluation of several haemostatic parameters in normal, non-pregnant mares. The routine coagulation screening assays, namely, the activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and the one-stage prothrombin time (PT), and the specific coagulation assays for the determination of the biological activity of Factors VII, VIII:C and IX, are discussed.
Coiled-Coil Domains in Glycoproteins B and H Are Involved in Human Cytomegalovirus Membrane Fusion

Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) utilizes a complex route of entry into cells that involves multiple interactions between viral envelope proteins and cellular receptors. Three conserved viral glycoproteins, gB, gH, and gL, are required for CMV-mediated membrane fusion, but little is known of how these proteins cooperate during entry (E. R. Kinzler and T. Compton, submitted for publication). The goal of this study was to begin defining the molecular mechanisms that underlie membrane fusion mediated by herpesviruses. We identified heptad repeat sequences predicted to form alpha-helical coiled coils in two glycoproteins required for fusion, gB and gH. Peptides derived from gB and gH containing the heptad repeat sequences inhibited virus entry when introduced coincident with virus inoculation onto cells or when mixed with virus prior to inoculation. Neither peptide affected binding of CMV to fibroblasts, suggesting that the peptides inhibit membrane fusion. Both gB and gH coiled-coil peptides blocked entry of several laboratory-adapted and clinical strains of human CMV, but neither peptide affected entry of murine CMV or herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). Although murine CMV and HSV-1 gB and gH have heptad repeat regions, the ability of human CMV gB and gH peptides to inhibit virus entry correlates with the specific residues that comprise the heptad repeat region. The ability of gB and gH coiled-coil peptides to inhibit virus entry independently of cell contact suggests that the coiled-coil regions of gB and gH function differently from those of class I, single-component fusion proteins. Taken together, these data support a critical role for alpha-helical coiled coils in gB and gH in the entry pathway of CMV.
Applications of transgenics in studies of bone sialoprotein

Bone sialoprotein (BSP) is a major non-collagenous protein in mineralizing connective tissues such as dentin, cementum and calcified cartilage tissues. As a member of the Small Integrin-Binding Ligand, N-linked Glycoprotein (SIBLING) gene family of glycoproteins, BSP is involved in regulating hydroxyapatite crystal formation in bones and teeth, and has long been used as a marker gene for osteogenic differentiation. In the most recent decade, new discoveries in BSP gene expression and regulation, bone remodeling, bone metastasis, and bone tissue engineering have been achieved with the help of transgenic mice. In this review, we discuss these new discoveries obtained from the literatures and from our own laboratory, which were derived from the use of transgenic mouse mutants related to BSP gene or its promoter activity.
Benign Breast Disease and the Risk of Subsequent Breast Cancer in African American Women

Benign breast disease (BBD) is an established risk factor for breast cancer among Caucasian women but less is known about BBD in African American women. As African American women suffer from disproportionate mortality due to breast cancer, special focus on pathologic characteristics that may influence disease risk is warranted. Benign breast biopsies from African American women were identified by the University Pathology Group (Detroit, MI). African American women of ages 20 to 84 years, who underwent a breast biopsy from 1997 to 2000, were eligible for the study. Subsequent breast cancers were identified through a linkage with the Detroit Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program. The first biopsy was reviewed by the pathologist, and lesions were classified following Dupont and Page criteria along with involution and other histologic features. Logistic regression was used to estimate the risk of developing a subsequent breast cancer with the histologic characteristics of BBD. A total of 1,406 BBD biopsies from African American women were included in this study with a median follow-up of 10.1 years. The majority (68%) showed nonproliferative disease, 29% had proliferative disease without atypia, and 3% had proliferative disease with atypia. Subsequent incident breast cancers occurred in 55 women (3.9%). Women whose biopsies showed proliferative disease with atypia were more than three-fold more likely to develop breast cancer as compared with women who had nonproliferative disease [relative risk (RR) 3.29, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.21-8.93]. Better characterization of the risk of breast cancer among women with BBD, considering both ethnicity and detailed molecular findings, can lead to better surveillance, earlier diagnosis, and potentially improved survival.
Provider impact in diabetes education. What we know, what we would like to know, paradigms for asking.

PURPOSELiterature search from 1985 to the present was performed using Web-based search engines to identify evidence-based studies of diabetes education.METHODSTwelve studies were identified in whic...
An Internet collaborative environment for sharing Java applications

In the Internet community there is a strong demand for platform-independent collaboration software. Java is developed with the major design goals of being a platform-independent, and Internet-oriented programming language. We show how a group of Internet users can share single-user Java applications for synchronous collaboration. Our approach is based on a replicated tool architecture in which each participant runs a copy of the application and the activity of each user is multicast to all the participants in the conference. We have developed a system called Java Collaborative Environment (JCE), on which the Java's Abstract Window Toolkit (AWT) is extended such that mouse and keyboard events are intercepted and distributed among all copies of the shared Java application. In addition we provide an infrastructure and a simple interface for session management and floor control.
Molecular Pathophysiology of Myelodysplastic Syndromes

The clinicopathologic heterogeneity of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) is driven by diverse, somatically acquired genetic abnormalities. Recent technological advances have enabled the identification of many new mutations, which have implicated novel pathways in MDS pathogenesis, including RNA splicing and epigenetic regulation of gene expression. Molecular abnormalities, either somatic point mutations or chromosomal lesions, can be identified in the vast majority of MDS cases and underlie specific disease phenotypes. As the full array of molecular abnormalities is characterized, genetic variables are likely to complement standard morphologic evaluation in future MDS classification schemes and risk models.
Antineoplastic Drug Interactions with DNA Modified Gold Piezoelectrodes

Antineoplastic drugs are highly reactive agents able to disrupt DNA synthesis and DNA repair in both healthy and cancerous cells. In this work, we have investigated the electrochemical properties of antineoplastic drug mitoxantrone (MXT) and its interaction with single-stranded and double-stranded DNA immobilized in electrodic films. Using the electrochemical quartz crystal nanogravimetry (EQCN), we have found that mitoxantrone adsorbs on Au electrode at potentials lower than E = +0.7 V (vs. SCE). The binding constant for MXT interaction with dsDNA obtained using EQCN from the Scatchard plot is typical for intercalative-type interactions: K = 2.32×105 M-1 with the binding site size of 2.6. Quenching of MXT fluorescence by DNA indicates on the static FRET from MXT to DNA.
The Fibrinogen Molecule: Its Size, Shape, and Mode of Polymerization

Improved electron micrographs of the shadow-cast bovine fibrinogen molecule have been obtained establishing its general morphology and dimensions in the dry state. It consists of a linear array of 3 nodules held together by a very thin thread which is estimated to have a diameter of from 8 to 15 A, though it is not clearly resolved. The two end nodules are alike but the center one is slightly smaller. Measurements of shadow lengths indicate that nodule diameters are in the range 50 to 70 A. The length of the dried molecule is 475 ± 25 A. Adopting the molecular volume from previous physical chemical data and the general morphological features and length from electron microscopy, we calculate the diameters of the end nodules to be 65 A and the center one as 50 A. The model of the molecule so obtained is consistent with the electron microscopical observations and the data from physical chemistry. The intermediate polymers formed when fibrinogen is activated with thrombin were also examined and found to be end-to-end aggregates of altered fibrinogen molecules which shrink in length during the process. Intermediate polymer lengths are from 1000 to 5000 A. The nodular nature of fibrinogen, its shrinkage and end-to-end aggregation on polymerization permits us to deduce an explanation for the system of cross-bands previously observed in stained fibrin fibrils.
Finding liberty's refuge : balancing the states and the individual on the O'Connor court

This paper examines the tension between states' rights and rights of the individual in the jurisprudence of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. Through analysis of O'Connor's personal biography and a series of opinions written over her tenure on the Supreme Court, I find that O'Connor reached an incremental balance between the sometimes conflicting goals of protecting the rights of the states and individuals, resulting in a unique rights-based approach to federalism.
TNF ROCKs the boat as the kidney endothelium springs a leak.

Abnormal vascular permeability is a hallmark of sepsis‐mediated injury to various organs. An intact endothelial barrier is critical to homeostasis and prevents leakage of abnormal quantities of fluid and protein, including proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, into the extravascular space. Barrier disruption leads to distributive shock as well as organ dysfunction and edema (Lee and Slutsky 2010). Extensive research implicates tumor necrosis factor‐ α (TNF) in this process. TNF binds receptors on the endothelial cell surface and activates intracellular Rho GTPases. This increases Rho‐associated kinase (ROCK) activity which inactivates myosin light chain (MLC) phosphatase and, in the presence of myosin light chain kinase (MLCK), leads to MLC phosphorylation. As a result, actin filaments reorganize into stress fibers, and cells exhibit increased actomyosin contractility, leading to endothelial barrier disruption (Marcos‐Ramiro et al. 2014). Endothelial permeability in the kidney has unique manifestations. Similar to other organs, dysfunction of endothelia in the peritubular capillaries leads to reduced blood flow and inflammation that contribute to AKI pathogenesis (Molitoris 2014). In addition, the specialized glomerular endothelium, together with the glomerular epithelium (i.e., podocytes) and associated basement membrane, forms the kidney's filtration barrier. Disruption of the filtration barrier leads to proteinuria, or the abnormal accumulation of protein in the …
Low-energy scattering by long-range singular potentials

This work considers the quantum-mechanical problem of low-energy scattering by inverse-power repulsive potentials. A method capable of generating all the terms in the low-energy asymptotic expansions of the phase shifts is presented. This method is based on the approach of inner-outer expansions and may be extended to more general singular long-range potentials. The computational procedure demonstrates clearly the mathematical origin of all the terms in the asymptotic expansions of the phase shifts.
Locality to Nonlocality: Transpersonal Dimensions of Home

This article explores the relationship between globalization and localization in context of our current ecological and social crisis. The benefits of immersing in one's local community and ecology are presented through an ecopsychological lens. Transpersonal dimensions of place are examined, reframing globalism as our seamless connections through the planetary life force. The author contends that while deepening our local relationships with place is essential for sustainability, developing our wider connections is essential for collective wellbeing.