cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of 5-lipoxygenase activity in mice during cuprizone-induced demyelination attenuates neuroinflammation, motor dysfunction and axonal damage

Abstract Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS). Increased expression of 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO), a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of leukotrienes (LTs), has been reported in MS lesions and LT levels are elevated in the cerebrospinal fluid of MS patients. To determine whether pharmacological inhibition of 5-LO attenuates demyelination, MK886, a 5-LO inhibitor, was given to mice fed with cuprizone. Gene and protein expression of 5-LO were increased at the peak of cuprizone-induced demyelination. Although MK886 did not attenuate cuprizone-induced demyelination in the corpus callosum or in the cortex, it attenuated cuprizone-induced axonal damage and motor deficits and reduced microglial activation and IL-6 production. These data suggest that during cuprizone-induced demyelination, the 5-LO pathway contributes to microglial activation and neuroinflammation and to axonal damage resulting in motor dysfunction. Thus, 5-LO inhibition may be a useful therapeutic treatment in demyelinating diseases of the CNS.
Party-Sponsored Public Opinion Research in the Soviet Union

Many Soviet party officials no longer consider adequate the traditional methods used for gauging popular attitudes, such as the analysis of letters and complaints. In the mid-1960s, a number of lower-level party organizations created public opinion research groups to conduct more systematic surveys. Institutional arrangements developed haphazardly, however, and the scope of research of most of these units was severely limited. In June 1983 plans were announced to create a national Center for the Study of Public Opinion. Much attention has been directed toward the public opinion center created by the Georgian Communist party as a possible model. In Georgia, the reform-minded first secretary has frequently cited public opinion surveys as an aid to policymaking and agenda setting.
Role of calcium and ROS in cell death induced by polyunsaturated fatty acids in murine thymocytes.

We investigated the mechanisms whereby omega-3 and -6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) cause cell death of mouse thymocytes using flow cytometry, focusing on the respective roles of intracellular calcium concentration, [Ca2+]i and reactive oxygen species (ROS). We applied the C-22, 20, and 18 carbon omega-3 (DHA, EPA, ALA) and omega-6 (DTA, ARA, and LNA) fatty acids to isolated thymocytes and monitored cell death using the DNA-binding dye, propidium iodide. When applied at 20 µM concentration, omega-3 fatty acids killed thymocytes over a period of 1 h with a potency of DHA > EPA > ALA. The omega-6 PUFAs were more potent. The C18 omega-6 fatty acid, LNA, was the most potent, followed by DHA and ARA. Cell death was always accompanied by an increase in the levels of [Ca2+]i and ROS. Both increases were in proportion to the potency of the PUFAs in inducing cell death. Removing extracellular calcium did not prevent the elevation in [Ca2+]i nor cell death. However, the intracellular calcium chelator, BAPTA, almost totally reduced both the elevation in [Ca2+]i and cell death, while vitamin E reduced the elevation in ROS and cell death. BAPTA also prevented the elevation in ROS, but vitamin E did not prevent the elevation in [Ca2+]i. Thapsigargin, which depletes endoplasmic reticulum calcium, blocked the elevation in [Ca2+]i, but CCCP, a mitochondrial calcium uptake inhibitor, did not. These results suggest that the six PUFAs we studied kill thymocytes by causing release of calcium from endoplasmic reticulum, which causes release of ROS from mitochondria which leads to cell death. J. Cell. Physiol. 225: 829–836, 2010. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Fatty acid metabolism and cell proliferation. III. Effect of prostaglandin biosynthesis either from exogenous fatty acid or endogenous fatty acid release with hydralazine

Primary cultures of smooth muscle cells were established from the medial layer of guinea pig aorta. Cells were seeded at from 40 to 80 cells per cm2 and cloned for 8 days. Media were analyzed for PGI2 (6-keto-PGF1α) using radioimmunoassay. Prostanoids were synthesized when cells were grown in media alone. Arachidonic acid stimulated prostanoid synthesis and promoted cell proliferation. Indomethacin blocked prostanoid synthesis and abolished the stimulatory effect of arachidonic acid on cell proliferation. Hydralazine stimulated fatty acid release and prostanoid synthesis in confluent cells. Hydralazine also stimulated prostanoid synthesis and promoted proliferation in growing cells. Indomethacin blocked prostanoid synthesis and abolished the stimulatory effect of hydralazine on cell proliferation.
Networked controller design and analysis for uncertain distributed processes with measurement and actuation error

This work presents a methodology for the design and analysis of networked controllers for a class of spatially distributed process systems with uncertain low-order dynamics, discrete sensor-controller communication, and sensor and actuator errors. Initially, a model-based networked controller that enforces exponential closed-loop stability in the absence of sensor and actuator errors is synthesized using an approximate finite-dimensional model of the infinite-dimensional system. Lyapunov techniques are then used to analyze the implementation of the model-based controller in the presence of bounded measurement and actuation errors. Precise conditions for stability and ultimate boundedness of the closed-loop trajectories are derived and used to obtain an explicit characterization of the interdependence between the achievable ultimate bound on the one hand, and the sensor/actuator error bounds, the sensor data transmission rate, the size of process-model mismatch and the choice of sensor/actuator spatial configurations, on the other. It is shown that by judicious selection of these parameters, closed-loop stability with minimal performance degradation can be attained. Finally, the results are illustrated using a diffusion-reaction process example.
An Examination of Academic Misconduct Intentions and the Ineffectiveness of Syllabus Statements

This experiment uses quantitative and qualitative measures to address the effect of two syllabus statements on academic misconduct: one based on prohibitions and one on academic integrity. Students expressed favorable attitudes toward the statements, showed an increase in guilt compared to a control group, but showed no decrease in intentions to cheat. Including only a standard academic misconduct statement in one's syllabus is not sufficient to alter behavior, which should be acknowledged by faculty.
Prognosis in survivors of acute myocardial infarction occurring at age 70 years or older

Abstract To identify prognostic factors in elderly persons who have survived acute myocardial infarction, 113 patients, aged 70 to 91 years (median 76), were followed for an average of 122 months (range 94 to 170). Eighty-four patients died, 61 (73%) from coronary artery disease. Overall mortality rates were 20.4% at 1 year, 30.1% at 2 years, 31.9% at 3 years, 45.1% at 4 years, 51.3% at 5 years and 69% at 10 years. Almost half (44%) of all deaths from coronary causes occurred in the first 2 years. Univariate analysis of 21 historical and clinical variables found several of prognostic significance: age, prior myocardial infarction, previous diastolic hypertension, history of diabetes mellitus, history of heart failure, presence of rales above the scapula, ventricular gallop, Killip class, cardiomegaly on admission chest x-ray and prescribing digitalis or diuretic at discharge. When these prognostic factors were entered into multivariate analysis, only Killip class (p
Sequence specificity for the initiation of RNA-primed simian virus 40 DNA synthesis in vivo.

Abstract Analysis of the nucleotide sequences at the 5′ ends of RNA-primed nascent DNA chains (Okazaki fragments) and of their locations in replicating simian virus 40 (SV40) DNA revealed the precise nature of Okazaki fragment initiation sites in vivo. The primary initiation site for mammalian DNA primase was 3′-purine-dT-5′ in the DNA template and the secondary site was 3′-purine-dC-5′, with the 5′ end of the RNA primer complementary to either the dT or dC. The third position of the initiation site was variable with a preference for dT or dA. About 81% of the available 3′-purine-dT-5′ sites and 20% of the 3′-purine-dC-5′ sites were used. Purine-rich sites, such as PuPuPu and PyPuPu, were excluded. The 5′-terminal ribonucleotide composition of Okazaki fragments corroborated these conclusions. Furthermore, the length of individual RNA primers was not unique, but varied in size from six to ten bases with some appearing as short as three bases and some as long as 12 bases, depending on the initiation site used. This result was consistent with the average size (9 to 11 bases) of RNA primers isolated from specific regions of the genome. Excision of RNA primers did not appear to stop at the RNA-DNA junction, but removed a variable number of deoxyribonucleotides from the 5′ end of the nascent DNA chain. Finally, only one-fourth of the replication forks contained an Okazaki fragment, and the distribution of their initiation sites between the two arms revealed that Okazaki fragments were initiated exclusively (99%) on retrograde DNA templates. The data obtained at two genomic sites about 350 and 1780 bases from ori were essentially the same as that reported for the ori region ( DePamphilis et al., 1980 DePamphilis et al., 1983 Hay and DePamphilis, 1982 Hay & DePamphilis, 1982), suggesting that the mechanism used to synthesize the first DNA chain at ori is the same as that used to synthesize Okazaki fragments throughout the genome.
Single‐Dose Pharmacokinetics, Safety, and Tolerance of Linopirdine (DuP 996) in Healthy Young Adults and Elderly Volunteers

The pharmacokinetics, safety, and tolerance of linopiridine ([3,3-bis(4-pyridinylmethyl)-1-phenylindolin2-one]; DuPO 996) a potential therapeutic agent of Alzheimer's disease, were assessed in double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized studies in which single oral doses were given to 64 healthy young or elderly males. Young subjects received escalating doses of 0.5 to 55 mg, whereas elderly subjects were given doses of 20 to 45 mg. Linopiridine plasma and urine samples were quantified after liquid extraction by a specific HPLC method using UV detection. In both groups, linopridine disposition was characterized by rapid absorption (mean T max , <1 hr) and elimination (mean t 1/2 , 0.4-3.2 hr). Urinary excretion of unchanged drug was negligible. The pharmacokinetic parameters showed large inter- and intrasubject variability. Linopirdine was well-tolerated in both young and elderly volunteers. The most frequently reported adverse event was headache. The subjects who received linopirdine did not experience clinically important changes in vital signs, electrocardiograms (ECGs), electroencephalograms (EEGs), or clinical laboratory evaluations
Teacher education, preservice teacher beliefs, and the moral work of teaching

Abstract This paper presents a case for attending to preservice teachers’ beliefs that are relevant to the moral work of teaching within teacher education research and practice, and examines what it would look like to do so. The case for attending to candidate beliefs is grounded in a learner-centered approach to teacher education and in the literature on the role of beliefs in teacher learning and change. The authors demonstrate how attending to preservice teacher beliefs is particularly critical for the task of preparing candidates for the moral work of teaching, and present a conceptual framework that can guide that task and teacher education research and practice designed to support it.
Formation and structure of the hemodichorial chorio-allantoic placenta of the bat (Myotis lucifugus lucifugusy)†

The definitive chorio-allantoic placenta of the bat is hemodichorial, since the cytotrophoblast layer persists to term. The syncytium contains intrasyncytial lacunae in which there is a continuous lamina interrupted only where portions of the syncytium communicate with the thin ectoplasmic layer at the surface of the maternal blood spaces. The future cytotrophoblast and syncytial trophoblast layers can be distinguished shortly after implantation. The future syncytial layer is not syncytial until after it invests most of the anastomotic vessels of the vascular tuft. The resulting labyrinth is converted from the vaso-chorial to the hemodichorial condition as processes of syncytium pass through the basement membrane of the maternal vessels and spread out under the endothelial cells. The basement membrane is then included within the syncytium as the intrasyncytial lamina, and the maternal endothelial cells are lost. The numerous communications of the maternal vessels with the labyrinth seen early in gestation are reduced through occlusion of many of the efferent channels, which process also contributes areas of necrosis to the decidua basalis. The peculiarity of a maternal extracellular membrane being incorporated into the fetal portion of the placenta is discussed.
Perspectives on cancer prevention

The best way to control cancer is to find means to reduce the risk of cancer. Mr. Garfinkel, the former Vice President for Epidemiology and Statistics and Director of Cancer Prevention for the American Cancer Society, discusses the ongoing research on cancer prevention and suggests that based on the accumulated evidence, authoritative groups must now seriously consider making recommendations about chemopreventive substances to reduce cancer risk.
Efficacy and toxicity of drug combinations in treatment of physostigmine toxicosis.

Atropine, in combination with 1 of 6 other drugs, was tested in mice for the ability to prevent death by an otherwise lethal dose of the cholinesterase inhibitor, physostigmine. The atropine dose (4 mg/kg, i.p.) was kept constant, while the dose of the other drug in the pair was tested in 5 geometrically spaced doses, ranging down to 1/16 of the maximum dose (which caused no gross behavioral signs). Atropine alone saved 20% of the mice. The combination of atropine and benactyzine saved 100% of the mice at all 5 doses of benactyzine; similar complete protection was afforded by the combination of atropine and the largest dose of an oxime, TMB4 (15 mg/kg). Over 80% survivals were achieved with the larger doses of atropine combinations involving hexamethonium, mecamylamine, and diazepam. No enhanced protection occurred with atropine combinations with the oxime, 2-PAM. The toxicity of the effective combinations, when used in high doses without physostigmine challenge, revealed that deaths occurred over a narrow range of doses of all combinations except atropine/diazepam. An additive toxic effect of atropine was suggested with its combinations with TMB4, mecamylamine, and diazepam, whereas no additive toxicity occurred with combinations involving hexamethonium or benactyzine (i.e., the LD50 of the combinations was about the same as for hexamethonium or benzactyzine alone). The combinations with the best therapeutic safety ratio were with diazepam (no deaths at a dose 10 times that which saved 100% of mice) and benactyzine (no deaths at a more than 50-fold dose).
A NEW DEVICE FOR CONTROLLING THE GROWTH RATE OF MICROORGANISMS: THE EXPONENTIAL GRADIENT GENERATOR.

Abstract (1) A new apparatus for controlling the growth rate of exponentially growing cultures is described. (2) The accuracy and versatility of the machine is demonstrated. (3) The advantages and disadvantages of the apparatus relative to the chemostat are discussed.
The Elderly's perception of TV ageist stereotyping: TV or contextual aging?

Using a stratified probability sample of 593 senior citizens residing in the Youngstown, Ohio, this study investigated the correlates of perceptions of favorable and negative general stereotypes in television content. Large percentages of the elderly perceived that they were portrayed in a neutral or favorable way in comparison to younger persons. Exposure to television programming was a statistically significant predictor of favorable rather than unfavorable perceptions of stereotypes. Regression analysis provided evidence that perception of negative content was associated with contextual aging as indicated by such variables as social interaction with others, status of health, and living alone, but not with chronological age. We speculate that exposure to TV per se is not as important as contextual aging in explaining perception of unfavorable stereotyping among the elderly.
Synthesis and characterization of tetrafunctional lactic acid oligomers: A potential in situ forming degradable orthopaedic biomaterial

Tetrafunctional lactic acid oligomers with low molecular weight ethylene glycol cores were synthesized and characterized to assess their applicability to orthopaedics. Utilizing a visible light photoinitiating system, these oligomers polymerize within minutes to form highly crosslinked networks and, thus, have potential for in situ formation. Varying the oligomer structure readily alters the physical properties of the resultant polymer networks. For instance, mechanical properties were highly dependent on the number of lactic acid and ethylene glycol units in the oligomer backbone. Additionally, polymer mass loss ranged from ∼30 to 60% within 8 weeks of degradation time depending on the oligomer chemistry. Mechanical properties decreased with degradation of these polymers, indicating a bulk degradation mechanism. Finally, scaffolds with a controlled architecture were fabricated from these oligomers that show potential for tissue-engineering applications. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 39: 683–692, 2001
Verbal Ability and Teacher Effectiveness.

Critics of traditional teacher education programs have suggested that verbal ability along with subject knowledge is sufficient for measuring good teaching. A small group of research studies is called upon to support this contention. This article reviews these studies, analyzes the role of verbal ability in teaching, and presents research examining the relationship of teachers’ verbal ability and teacher effectiveness. Research results indicate that for acceptable, good, very good, and outstanding teachers, there is no significant correlation between verbal scores and expert assessment of teacher effectiveness. However, weaker teachers have lower average verbal scores. This research and logical analysis suggest that educators should take verbal ability into account, but due to the wide range of scores among good to excellent teachers, it is inadvisable to use single measures of verbal ability to measure or predict teacher effectiveness. The authors provide an alternative system for teacher selection.
Extracting fuzzy rules for system modeling using a hybrid of genetic algorithms and Kalman filter

Abstract This paper proposes a hybrid algorithm for extracting important fuzzy rules from a given rule base to construct a “parsimonious” fuzzy model with a high generalization ability. This algorithm combines the advantages of genetic algorithms' strong search capacity and Kalman filter's fast convergence merit. Each random combination of the rules in the rule base is coded into a binary string and treated as a chromosome in genetic algorithms. The binary string indicates the structure of a fuzzy model. The parameters of the model are then estimated using the Kalman filter. In order to achieve a trade-off between the accuracy and the complexity of a fuzzy model, the Schwarz-Rissanen Criterion is used as an evaluation function in the hybrid algorithm. The practical applicability of the proposed algorithm is examined by computer simulations on a human operator modeling problem and a nonlinear system modeling problem.
Behavioral detection of spam URL sharing: posting patterns versus click patterns

Social media systems like Twitter and Facebook provide a global infrastructure for sharing information, and in one popular direction, of sharing web hyperlinks. Understanding the behavioral signals of both how URLs are inserted into these systems (via posting by users) and how URLs are received by social media users (via clicking) can provide new insights into social media search, recommendation, and user profiling, among many others. Such studies, however, have traditionally been difficult due to the proprietary (and sometimes private) nature of much URL-related data. Hence, in this paper, we begin a behavioral examination of URL sharing through two distinct perspectives: (i) the first is via a study of how these links are posted through publicly-accessible Twitter data; (ii) the second is via a study of how these links are received by measuring their click patterns through the publicly-accessible Bitly click API. We examine the differences between posting and click patterns in a sample application domain: the classification of spam URLs. We find that these behavioral signals - posting versus clicking - provide overlapping but fundamentally different perspectives on URLs, and that these perspectives can inform the design of future applications of spam link detection and link sharing.
Diminished vision in healthy aging is associated with increased retinal L-type voltage gated calcium channel ion influx.

Extensive evidence implicates an increase in hippocampal L-type voltage-gated calcium channel (L-VGCC) expression, and ion influx through these channels, in age-related cognitive declines. Here, we ask if this “calcium hypothesis" applies to the neuroretina: Is increased influx via L-VGCCs related to the well-documented but poorly-understood vision declines in healthy aging? In Long-Evans rats we find a significant age-related increase in ion flux through retinal L-VGCCs in vivo (manganese-enhanced MRI (MEMRI)) that are longitudinally linked with progressive vision declines (optokinetic tracking). Importantly, the degree of retinal Mn2+ uptake early in adulthood significantly predicted later visual contrast sensitivity declines. Furthermore, as in the aging hippocampus, retinal expression of a drug-insensitive L-VGCC isoform (α1D) increased – a pattern confirmed in vivo by an age-related decline in sensitivity to L-VGCC blockade. These data highlight mechanistic similarities between retinal and hippocampal aging, and raise the possibility of new treatment targets for minimizing vision loss during healthy aging.
Insider trading and stock market perception of bankruptcy

Abstract There is evidence that the stock market’s first perception of a bankruptcy, indicated by a decrease in the mean of stock returns, may occur in advance of the actual filing date. In this paper, we examine insider transactions around the month when the market anticipates the bankruptcy and then around the month when the bankruptcy filing is announced. Our results show that the insiders sell their shareholdings prior to the anticipation of the bankruptcy by the investors. We also find that insiders do not sell around the filing month for firms that are perceived to be bankrupt well in advance.
Etching of long fiber polymeric composite materials by nanosecond laser induced water breakdown plasma

Abstract Composite materials are widely used in industry due to their superior material properties and light weight. However, shear failure can occur at the interface between the fibers and polymer matrix when a tensile force stretches the matrix more than the fibers. Repairing the damaged composite material appears to be cost effective but still remains a challenge despite extensive research. Laser induced water breakdown plasma, which is generated by the strong interaction between nanosecond laser and water, is proposed in this work to etch the surface layer of a carbon fiber reinforced composite sample. It is found that the polymer layer can be effectively removed by the plasma while the carbon fiber remains almost intact. The dependence of the etching depth on the laser power density, laser focus position, and the number of shots are also investigated in this work. The maximum possible etching depth is around 350 μm with 50 laser shots at laser power density of 70 GW/cm2.
Likelihood ratio tests for continuous monotone hazards with an unknown change point

Abstract We consider the likelihood ratio tests (LRT) for two continuous monotone hazards with an unknown change point. We establish the convergence in distribution and weak convergence of LRT. Simulation studies show that the proposed tests compare favorably to other existing tests.
Describing complicated objects by implicit polynomials

This paper introduces and focuses on two problems. First is the representation power of closed implicit polynomials of modest degree for curves in 2-D images and surfaces in 3-D range data. Super quadrics are a small subset of object boundaries that are well fitted by these polynomials. The second problem is the stable computationally efficient fitting of noisy data by closed implicit polynomial curves and surfaces. The attractive features of these polynomials for Vision is discussed. >
Ion-Pair Evaporation from Ionic Liquid Clusters

A differential mobility analyzer (DMA) is used in atmospheric pressure N2 to select a narrow range of electrical mobilities from a complex mix of cluster ions of composition (CA)n(C+)z. The clusters are introduced into the N2 gas by electrospraying concentrated (∼20 mM) acetonitrile solutions of ionic liquids (molten salts) of composition CA (C+ = cation, A− = anion). Mass analysis of these mobility-selected ions reveals the occurrence of individual neutral ion-pair evaporation events from the smallest singly charged clusters: (CA)nC+→(CA)n− 1C++CA. Although bulk ionic liquids are effectively involatile at room temperature, up to six sequential evaporation events are observed. Because this requires far more internal energy than available in the original clusters, substantial heating (∼10 eV) must take place in the ion guides leading to the mass analyzer. The observed increase in IL evaporation rate with decreasing size is drastic, in qualitative agreement with the exponential vapor pressure dependence predicted by Kelvin’s formula. A single evaporation event is barely detectable at n = 13, while two or more are prominent for n ≤ 9. Magic number clusters (CA)4C+ with singularly low volatilities are found in three of the four ionic liquids studied. Like their recently reported liquid phase prenucleation cluster analogs, these magic number clusters could play a key role as gas-phase nucleation seeds. All the singularly involatile clusters seen are cations, which may help understand commonly observed sign effects in ion-induced nucleation. No other charge-sign asymmetry is seen on cluster evaporation.
The development and construct validation of a Spanish version of an Academic Self-Concept scale for middle school Hispanic students from families of low socioeconomic levels.

For a sample of 305 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students, of whom 95% was from economically disadvantaged Hispanic families and for whom English was their second language, evidence was sought regarding the reliability and construct validity of scores on a Spanish version of an academic self-concept measure entitled Dimensions of Self-Concept (DOSC), comprising five subscales bearing the same names as those of the five hypothesized constructs that they were intended to operationalize: Level of Aspiration, Anxiety, Academic Interest and Satisfaction, Leadership and Initiative, and Identification versus Alienation. Reliability estimates varying between .72 and .80 were judged to be reasonably satisfactory. Results from oblique factor analysis lent empirical support for the hypothesized constructs of Anxiety, Leadership and Initiative, and Identification versus Alienation. Scores associated with the subscales of Level of Aspiration and Academic Interest and Satisfaction generated a factor interpreted as a fusion of the two constructs of Level of Aspiration and Academic Interest and Satisfaction.
Methods for the accurate estimation of confidence intervals on protein folding φ‐values

ϕ-Values provide an important benchmark for the comparison of experimental protein folding studies to computer simulations and theories of the folding process. Despite the growing importance of ϕ measurements, however, formulas to quantify the precision with which ϕ is measured have seen little significant discussion. Moreover, a commonly employed method for the determination of standard errors on ϕ estimates assumes that estimates of the changes in free energy of the transition and folded states are independent. Here we demonstrate that this assumption is usually incorrect and that this typically leads to the underestimation of ϕ precision. We derive an analytical expression for the precision of ϕ estimates (assuming linear chevron behavior) that explicitly takes this dependence into account. We also describe an alternative method that implicitly corrects for the effect. By simulating experimental chevron data, we show that both methods accurately estimate ϕ confidence intervals. We also explore the effects of the commonly employed techniques of calculating ϕ from kinetics estimated at non-zero denaturant concentrations and via the assumption of parallel chevron arms. We find that these approaches can produce significantly different estimates for ϕ (again, even for truly linear chevron behavior), indicating that they are not equivalent, interchangeable measures of transition state structure. Lastly, we describe a Web-based implementation of the above algorithms for general use by the protein folding community.
A model of the production lag and work-in-process inventories

As a rule, models of output and inventory behavior posit a very simple and mechanical view of the production process. This paper proposes a more sophisticated model in which the production lag is a decision variable. The primary goal is to develop a model of work-in-process inventories to complement the linear-quadratic model of finished goods that is prominent in the literature. This is an important extension because the month-to-month change in work-in-process accounts for a significant portion of the total variance in total inventory investment. Stylized facts on the behavior of inventories and production are presented and it is demonstrated that these facts are well-captured by the model when production lags are allowed to be very flexible.
Variation in sex steroids and phallus size in juvenile American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) collected from 3 sites within the Kissimmee-Everglades drainage in Florida (USA).

Abstract This 3-year study was designed to examine variation in plasma sex steroids, phallus size, and the standard error (S.E.) associated with these endpoints in juvenile alligators collected from 3 sites within the Kissimmee-Everglades drainage (Florida, USA) with varying concentrations of sediment organochlorine contaminants. We hypothesized that decreased plasma sex steroid concentrations and phallus size would be observed in the higher contaminant site when compared to the intermediate and lower contaminant sites. Furthermore, we hypothesized that greater S.E. associated with these endpoints would be observed for the populations from more contaminated sites. We found that differences existed with females from the higher contaminant site exhibiting lower plasma estradiol-17β (E 2 ) and testosterone (T) concentrations. Males from the higher contaminant site exhibited smaller phallus sizes than males from the intermediate and lower contaminant sites. Smaller phallus size in this case differed from that reported in Lake Apopka male alligators [Gen. Comp. Endocrinol. 116 (1999) 356] in that a significant positive relationship between body size and phallus size existed. No difference among sites was observed in plasma T for males. Lower S.E. was associated with E 2 and T concentrations in females from the higher contaminant site and in phallus size in males from the higher contaminant site. This pattern was opposite to what we had hypothesized. We concluded that variation in plasma E 2 and T concentrations, phallus size, and the S.E. associated with these endpoints exists among the 3 sites with the patterns matching the patterns of organochlorine contamination, although S.E. patterns were opposite to what was predicted.
Facile synthesis of a new type of iminosugar: a nitrogen atom is in the anomeric position

Abstract A new type of iminosugar in which a nitrogen atom is in the place of the anomeric carbon was synthesized in a stereoselective manner from mannose via 4-C- hydroxymethyl -2,3-O- isopropylidene -1,5′- anhydro- l -ribofuranose derivative.
The state and industrial strategy

Abstract The debate about the role of the state in promoting industrial growth in developing economies is reviewed. We begin with the ideas of the early development economists of the 1950s and 1960s, then take up two waves of neoclassical criticism (respectively emphasizing the primacy of the market and the lack of autonomy and competence of the developmentalist state), and sketch the elements of a countercritique. The fact that all successfully developing economies apply industrial strategies incorporating institutional change is emphasized, and boundary conditions and lessons from experience which delimit sensible strategic choices are pointed out.
Meloidogyne incognita Resistance in Soybean under Midwest Conditions

Soybean cultivars of maturity groups II to IV were tested in the greenhouse for resistance to Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid and White) Chitwood. Selected cultivars were tested in a field of sandy loam soil naturally infested with M. incognita and Heterodera glycines Ichinohe (2004) or in a silt loam soil artificially infested with M. incognita (2005). In 2004, H444NRR was resistant to M. incognita, but not to H. glycines; LS94-3207 and LNX97164-35-5 were resistant to both nematodes; Gateway 427, H444NRR, LNX97164-35-5, and SB4399CT were moderately resistant to M. incognita in greenhouse tests; HF9665-2-15 was resistant to M. incognita but highly susceptible to H. glycines In 2005, LS94-3207, H444NRR, LNX97164-35-5, and Manokin were resistant to M. incognita In microplots with two sandy loam soils, HF9665-2-15 exhibited tolerance to increasing inoculum levels of M. incognita High-yielding soybean cultivars in maturity groups II to IV with resistance and tolerance to M. incognita were identified. Under field conditions, resistance to the more widespread nematode H. glycines, combined with resistance to M. incognita, is highly desirable to reduce the risk of yield reduction and to improve cropping sequences that include soybean.
Radiative emission at the Ta energy gap frequency in Ta Al point contacts

Abstract Approximately 10-7 watt of radiative emission at the Ta energy gap frequency (3 mm wavelength at 4 4.26°K) were obtained from Ta (superconducting) Al (normal) point contacts.
Limitations on the existence of shock solutions in a two-fluid system

It is explained why shock solutions exist for only a limited range of values of the parameters of the problem of an immiscible, inviscid and incompressible two-layer supercritical flow of stable stratification confined on top and bottom by horizontal walls. For a given ?, the non-dimensional depth of the lower layer, and r, the ratio of the density of the upper fluid to that of the lower fluid, the regions where shock solutions exist can be demarcated in q 1 – q 2 space, where q 1 and q 2 are the non-dimensional discharges in the lower and upper layers respectively. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1973.tb01603.x
Acoustic vibrations in free-standing single-, bi-layer nanomembranes and patterned wires

and patterned wires are described. Studies of longitudinal and transverse standing wave resonances, the wave vector dependence of surface and guided waves as well as their hybridization with flexural and dilational waves are presented. Size effects and the role of reduced dimensions on the acoustic behavior are investigated in soft rectangular polymeric wires on freestanding silicon nitride membranes. The mode frequencies and amplitudes are analyzed in terms of surface Green’s functions and the xyz algorithm. c
A Variable Intensity Electroluminescence Standard For Video Microscopy

Electroluminescent lamps can be used as a convenient stable source of luminescence over at least a three thousand-fold range of light intensity. The electroluminescence (EL) output increases with increasing applied voltage. Using a Quantex 3 x 3 inch EL lamp with a green-emitting phosphor, we found that as little as 10 VAC can be used to elicit EL and that the EL emission spectrum remained constant over a wide range of applied voltages (λ re- 508 nm; FWHM = 75 nm). Resolution measurements can be made under conditions of high or low light intensities by placing a resolution target over the EL lamp and manipulating the voltage, or by using a neutral density filter to achieve the desired light intensity, or by combining both procedures to achieve the desired light intensity and image content. The absolute EL flux, per unit area of the lamp, can be determined using the ferrioxalate chemical actinometer, corrected for light transmission and the corrected emission spectrum of the lamp. The EL lamp can thus also be used as a tertiary radiometric standard for quantification, as well as for resolution testing.© (1989) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
DCAP: detecting misbehaving flows via collaborative aggregate policing

This paper proposes a detection mechanism called DCAP for a network provider to monitor incoming traffic and identify misbehaving flows without having to keep per-flow accounting at any of its routers. Misbehaving flows refer to flows that exceed their stipulated bandwidth limit. Through collaborative aggregate policing at both ingress and egress nodes, DCAP is able to quickly narrow the search to a candidate group that contains the misbehaving flows, and eventually identify the individual culprits. In comparison to per-flow policing, the amount of state maintained at an edge router is reduced from O(n) to O(√n), where n is the number of admitted flows. Simulation results show that DCAP can successfully detect a majority (64--83%) of the misbehaving flows with almost zero false alarms. Packet losses suffered by innocent flows due to undetected misbehaving activity are insignificant (0.02--0.9%). We also successfully build a prototype that demonstrates how DCAP can be deployed with minimal processing overhead in a soft-QoS architecture.
Tracking the History of Romani Publications: Challenges Presented by Flawed Data

Romani is a language of northern Indic origin spoken natively by an estimated 2.5 million people, primarily in Eurasia but also in North America. The history of publication patterns in Romani has not been well documented. Extracting data about this history based on available information in large bibliographic databases such as OCLC WorldCat has been hampered by unfortunate misapplication of certain language codes, making it all but impossible to filter search results efficiently using Romani language as a parameter. The author discusses how he was able to correct much of this inaccurate data in OCLC WorldCat.
Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis: experimental infection in primates

Measles virus isolated from the brain of a 12-year-old boy with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis caused a chronic, progressive encephalitis in experimentally infected rhesus monkeys. The infection was eventually fatal in spite of pre-existing measles immunity and a vigorous secondary antibody response in serum and cerebrospinal fluid of the infected animals. The findings provide a basis for studies into the pathogenesis and possible treatment of the human disease.
Solid-state lighting?a benevolent technology

Solid-state light sources are in the process of profoundly changing the way humans generate light for general lighting applications. Solid-state light sources possess two highly desirable features, which set them apart from most other light sources: (i) they have the potential to create light with essentially unit power efficiency and (ii) the properties of light, such as spectral composition and temporal modulation, can be controlled to a degree that is not possible with conventional light sources such as incandescent and fluorescent lamps. The implications are enormous and, as a consequence, many positive developments are to be expected including a reduction in global energy consumption, reduction of global-warming-gas and pollutant emissions and a multitude of new functionalities benefiting numerous applications. This review will assess the impact of solid-state lighting technology on energy consumption, the environment and on emerging application fields that make use of the controllability afforded by solid-state sources. The review will also discuss technical areas that fuel continued progress in solid-state lighting. Specifically, we will review the use of novel phosphor distributions in white light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and show the strong influence of phosphor distribution on efficiency. We will also review the use of reflectors in LEDs with emphasis on 'perfect' reflectors, i.e. reflectors with highly reflective omni-directional characteristics. Finally, we will discuss a new class of thin-film materials with an unprecedented low refractive index. Such low-n materials may strongly contribute to the continuous progress in solid-state lighting.
Vocal mediating responses in short-term memory of severely and profoundly deaf children.

The research investigated the effects of vocal mediating responses on short-term memory, with young severely (N = 15) and profoundly deaf children (N = 15). The purpose was to determine to what extent vocal responses are dependent upon auditory stimulation on recall, on three different tasks. The findings suggested that whether vocal responses were effective mediators for the deaf depended not only upon the meaningfulness of stimulus material but also the amount of attention directed to the verbal act. Where considerable effort had to be extended to the expressive functions, it seemed to be at the expense of effective sensory input; vocal responses by the severely deaf appeared to be more interfering than facilitating on visual-memory tasks.
Small Wind Turbine Power Performance Testing with Uncertainty Analysis

Wind turbine power performance testing consists of power, temperature, air pressure and wind speed measurements collected for this study during which measuring uncertainties are involved. Due to the measurement uncertainties, the results of power performance testing are affected; therefore, it is necessary to consider the measurement uncertainties for evaluating the accuracy of turbine testing. For this purpose of this study, uncertainty analysis for one 5kW wind turbine power performance testing was conducted. The results of uncertainty analysis indicated that the uncertainty negatively affected the validity of conclusions drawn from power performance testing, and the uncertainty sources are various in different wind speed bins.
Following in the Footsteps of Policy Entrepreneurs: Policy Advocates and Pro Forma Adopters

Abstract The third wave of democratisation has been accompanied by the spread of new institutions that allow citizens to directly participate in shaping policy outcomes. Leading international organisations, such as the World Bank and UN Habitat, have disseminated ‘best practice’ programmes identified with ‘good government’ policy reform efforts. One of the best known programmes, participatory budgeting (PB), was first adopted by an entrepreneurial government in 1989 as a means to promote social justice, accountability, and transparency. Yet, when these programmes are copied by policy advocates and pro forma adopters, the political pay-offs for government officials are smaller, which leads them to provide weaker support for the adopted policy. This article demonstrates that policy entrepreneurs are more likely to provide greater resources and support to innovative policies than their policy advocates and pro forma adopter counterparts due to the types of political payoffs available to them. The article con...
Broad Spectrum Identification of Cellular Small Ubiquitin-related Modifier (SUMO) Substrate Proteins

Reversible covalent modification of proteins with a small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO) is emerging as an important system contributing to dynamic regulation of protein function. To enhance our understanding of the cell regulatory systems impacted by sumoylation, we used affinity chromatography-coupled high pressure liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry for unbiased identification of candidate cellular SUMO substrate proteins. Here we describe the identification of 21 candidate sumoylated proteins from whole-cell lysates of HEK-293 cells. The nature of the proteins identified is consistent with a role for sumoylation in diverse cell regulatory systems but highlights regulation of chromatin organization and gene expression as major systems targeted by the sumoylation machinery.
MT for Minority Languages UsingElicitation-Based Learning of SyntacticTransfer Rules

The AVENUE project contains a run-time machine translation program that is surrounded by pre- and post-run-time modules. The post-run-time module selects among translation alternatives. The pre-run-time modules are concerned with elicitation of data and automatic learning of transfer rules in order to facilitate the development of machine translation between a language with extensive resources for natural language processing and a language with few resources for natural language processing. This paper describes the run-time transfer-based machine translation system as well as two of the pre-run-time modules: elicitation of data from the minority language and automated learning of transfer rules from the elicited data.
The effect of peer feedback for blogging on college students' reflective learning processes

Reflection is an important prerequisite to making meaning of new information, and to advance from surface to deep learning. Strategies such as journal writing and peer feedback have been found to promote reflection as well as deep thinking and learning. This study used an empirical design to investigate the interaction effects of peer feedback and blogging on college students' reflective thinking skills and their learning approaches. Forty-four first- and second-year undergraduate students participated in the study. Students kept blogs each week throughout a whole semester. Two journals were sampled at the beginning and end of the semester for each student. A repeated measure one-way ANOVA suggested that students' reflective thinking level increased significantly over time; however, peer feedback was found to negatively affect students' reflective thinking skills. The result of the study suggests more carefully designed uses in the future.
Why there are no good arguments for any interesting version of determinism

This paper considers the empirical evidence that we currently have for various kinds of determinism that might be relevant to the thesis that human beings possess libertarian free will. Libertarianism requires a very strong version of indeterminism, so it can be refuted not just by universal determinism, but by some much weaker theses as well. However, it is argued that at present, we have no good reason to believe even these weak deterministic views and, hence, no good reason—at least from this quarter—to doubt that we are libertarian free. In particular, the paper responds to various arguments for neural and psychological determinism, arguments based on the work of people like Honderich, Tegmark, Libet, Velmans, Wegner, and Festinger.