cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Plea Against Retributivism

As we all know, the United States has embarked on a campaign of intensifying harshness in criminal punishment over the last three decades or so. Longer prison sentences and the reinstatement of the death penalty are the most important aspects of this campaign, but they are only part of it. These thirty years of harsh justice have made for an epochal shift in American law, opening a large divide between the United States and the other countries of the western world. American criminal punishment is now staggeringly harsher than punishment in such countries as Germany, France, or Japan: In criminal punishment, there is no longer any single “western” or westernized world. There is an American world, tough and unforgiving, and a Euro-Japanese world, mild in ways that have come to seem wholly impossible in the American climate. The last thirty years have been, indeed, the era of a great and unparalleled American crackdown. This is an event that deserves a place on the grand American timeline, alongside wars, depressions, and other defining collective experiences. To be sure, this late twentiethcentury campaign has not touched as many lives as the Great Depression or World War II or the war in Vietnam. Nevertheless, it has touched a great many lives indeed. In impoverished parts of black America in particular, the crackdown has struck a disturbing percentage of the male population, with an impact comparable in its epidemiology
Laparascopic aortic reinforcement and endovascular graft replacement

Abstract Purpose. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of using an external aortic wrap in conjunction with an endovascular graft and to examine the histological response. Methods. Six female pigs, 56–84 kg, underwent laparoscopic retroperitoneal placement of homemade aortic wraps made of Dacron fabric and specially designed straps just below the renal arteries. One week later, stents (one 12 mm × 4 cm Wallstent, two 308 Palmaz stents) were inserted into the infrarenal aorta for preliminary experiments in three pigs, and stent-grafts (13 mm × 5 cm Viabahn) were placed in three pigs. The stents and stent-grafts were aligned with the proximal edge of the aortic wrap, and the balloon was expanded. One animal was prematurely sacrificed. The pigs were followed for 1 to 3 weeks in stent models and for 4 weeks in stent-graft models. The animals were then sacrificed, and abdominal aortas were harvested for histological examination. Results. Technical success was achieved in all animals without complications. One animal was prematurely sacrificed due to cerebral edema secondary to anesthesia. Laparoscopic operative time was 2:42 ± 0:47, and 0:43 ± 0:15 for stent placement. Gross examination of the samples revealed fibrosis external to the device at 1- and 3-week time-points; by 3 weeks the wrap was partially incorporated into the adventitia. Stents and stent-grafts were well incorporated into the intima and no migration was observed. Histological examination of all samples revealed a foreign-body response. Sections taken from beneath the device edges revealed necrosis localized to the muscularis and adventitial aortic junction; however, sections taken from beneath the device body showed no signs of necrosis and the vasa vasorum of the aortic wall was intact. Conclusions. Coordinate laparoscopic external aortic wrapping and stent-grafting is feasible in a porcine model. Aortic wall necrosis was limited. This adjunct to endovascular graft repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms may enhance eligibility for patients with large aortic neck and prevent proximal type 1 endoleak.
The policy process in developed and less developed political systems

The author argues that we do not really know how different the policymaking systems of developed and developing nations are. In his view, policymaking in less developed regimes is different from that which occurs in more affluent countries. However, the differences are frequently overstated. After analyzing several problems of the policymaking process, Peters concludes that the differences are larglely those of degree rather than of fundamentally different types of policy problems and processes. He concludes that what may matter is the degree of difficulty governments encounter in policymaking, and in some ways the less developed countries may actually enjoy some real advantages. At the same time, however, they have more informational, financial and ideological barriers that impose political limitations on policy learning.
Periodic orbit theory and the statistical analysis of scaling quantum graph spectra.

The explicit solution to the spectral problem of quantum graphs found recently by Dabaghian and Blumel [Phys. Rev. E 68, 055201(R) (2003); 70, 046206 (2004); JETP Lett. 77, 530 (2003)] is used to produce an exact periodic orbit theory description for the probability distributions of spectral statistics, including the distribution for the nearest neighbor separations sn = kn - kn-1, and the distribution of the spectral oscillations around the average, deltakn=kn - kn.
Ultrafast time-resolved photoluminescence of Zn-Se-Te multilayers with type-II ZnTe/ZnSe quantum dots

Time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) across the full spectrum of a 240 layer ZnTe/ZnSe super-lattice structure has been performed using a femtosecond Ti-Sapphire laser and a streak camera system for detection. A significant change of the PL lifetime is observed across the emission spectrum decreasing smoothly from ~ 100 ns at 2.35 eV, to less than a few nanoseconds at 2.8 eV. The increase of the PL lifetime in the low energy region of the emission spectrum is strong evidence to support the formation of type-II quantum dots (QDs) from excitons bound to clusters of Te-atoms. In such QDs the confined holes and the free electrons are spatially separated, thus increasing the radiative lifetime. This result is consistent with recent photoluminescence (PL) measurements in which evidence of the combined contribution of excitons bound isoelectronically to Te-atoms, and type-II QDs was observed.
Combination therapy with intrapleural doxycycline and talc in reduced doses is effective in producing pleurodesis in rabbits

Background: It has been suggested that talc and doxycycline might be acting through different pathways in creating pleurodesis. We hypothesized that combining doxycycline and talc in half the usual doses would be synergistic in inducing pleurodesis. Methods: Thirty-two rabbits were equally allocated into four groups: group 1, half-dose combination (5 mg/kg of doxycycline and 200 mg/kg of talc slurry); group 2, quarter-dose combination (2.5 mg/kg of doxycycline and 100 mg/kg of talc slurry); group 3, half-dose doxycycline (5 mg/kg of doxycycline); and group 4, half-dose talc (100 mg/kg of talc slurry). The pleurodesis scores from historical groups that received a full dose of talc (400 mg/kg) or doxycycline (10 mg/kg) were also compared to those obtained in the current study. Pleural fluid lactate dehydrogenase and protein levels were measured 24 h after the injection. Pleurodesis was graded from 1 (none) to 8 (> 50% symphysis) by two observers blinded to treatment groups. All rabbits underwent an ultrasonic examination on each side of their chest for the evaluation of pleurodesis. Results: The mean pleurodesis score in the half-dose combination group was significantly higher than that in the half-dose talc group, half-dose doxycycline group, and the historical full-dose talc group (p = 0.009, p = 0.01, and p 0.05). A significantly positive correlation existed between the pleurodesis score and the ultrasound scores ( r = 0.876, p = 0.000000005). Conclusions: This study demonstrates that the combination of half doses of talc and doxycycline is more effective than the half dose of either drug alone or the full dose of talc in producing pleurodesis in rabbits. In addition, ultrasound is an accurate imaging modality for the evaluation of pleurodesis, in that the absence of pleural gliding on ultrasound correlates well with the presence of a pleurodesis in rabbits.
Efficient 4He cryostats for storage Dewars

We have designed 4He cryostats which can be inserted into storage Dewars. These cryostats have the advantages of extremely low (and recoverable) helium consumption, fast cool‐down and warm‐up times, excellent temperature range and stability, and they supply a low electrical noise and low vibration environment for electrical and thermal measurements. Design and construction details of one such cryostat are presented. We further present specific heat data on crystalline boron to demonstrate the performance of one of these cryostats in a particularly sensitive experiment.
Improved coastal boundary condition for surface water waves

Surface water waves in coastal waters are commonly modeled using the mild slope equation. One of the parameters in the coastal boundary condition for this equation is the direction at which waves approach a coast. Three published methods of estimating this direction are examined, and it is demonstrated that the wave fields obtained using these estimates deviate significantly from the corresponding analytic solution. A new method of estimating the direction of approaching waves is presented and it is shown that this method correctly reproduces the analytic solution. The ability of these methods to simulate waves in a rectangular harbor is examined.
TSOM Method for Nanoelectronics Dimensional Metrology

Through‐focus scanning optical microscopy (TSOM) is a relatively new method that transforms conventional optical microscopes into truly three‐dimensional metrology tools for nanoscale to microscale dimensional analysis. TSOM achieves this by acquiring and analyzing a set of optical images collected at various focus positions going through focus (from above‐focus to under‐focus). The measurement resolution is comparable to what is possible with typical light scatterometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). TSOM method is able to identify nanometer scale difference, type of the difference and magnitude of the difference between two nano/micro scale targets using a conventional optical microscope with visible wavelength illumination. Numerous industries could benefit from the TSOM method—such as the semiconductor industry, MEMS, NEMS, biotechnology, nanomanufacturing, data storage, and photonics. The method is relatively simple and inexpensive, has a high throughput, provides nanoscale sensitivity for 3D measurements and could enable significant savings and yield improvements in nanometrology and nanomanufacturing. Potential applications are demonstrated using experiments and simulations.
Sp1 regulates Raf/MEK/ERK-induced p21CIP1 transcription in TP53-mutated cancer cells

We previously reported that the upregulation of mortalin, an Hsp70 family chaperone, is important for B-Raf(V600E) tumor cells to bypass p21(CIP1) expression, which is activated as a tumor-suppressive mechanism in response to aberrant MEK/ERK activation (Wu et al., 2013). Interestingly, mortalin depletion induced p21(CIP1) transcription not only in wild-type TP53 but also in TP53-mutated B-Raf(V600E) cancer cells, suggesting the presence of an additional mechanism for p21(CIP1) regulation. In the present study, using luciferase reporter truncation analysis in a TP53-mutated B-Raf(V600E) cancer cell line, SK-MEL28, we identified a proximal p21(CIP1) promoter region responsive to mortalin depletion. Interestingly, when Sp1-like cis-elements in this promoter region were mutagenized, the p21(CIP1) promoter luciferase reporter was no longer responsive to mortalin depletion. Consistent with this, our ChIP analysis revealed that mortalin knockdown could induce Sp1 binding to p21(CIP1) promoter in a MEK/ERK-dependent manner. Moreover, RNA interference of Sp1 substantially attenuated p21(CIP1) expression induced by mortalin depletion in SK-MEL28 cells. Consistent with this observation in SK-MEL28 cells, Sp1 was necessary for the tamoxifen-regulated ∆Raf-1:ER to induce p21(CIP1) transcription in U251 cells, in which TP53 is mutated. However, in contrast, Sp1 was not necessary for ∆Raf-1:ER to induce p21(CIP1) transcription in LNCaP cells, in which TP53 is wild type. These data suggest that Sp1 may address TP53-independent p21(CIP1) transcription in Raf/MEK/ERK-activated cancer cells and that its requirement in Raf/MEK/ERK-induced p21(CIP1) transcription is subject to TP53 status.
Design of a holonomic omnidirectional vehicle

A novel design of a holonomic omnidirectional vehicle is introduced. The holonomic mechanism allows the vehicle to maneuver in an arbitrary direction from an arbitrary configuration on a plane. This significantly simplifies control problems and improves positioning accuracy. A fundamental method of obtaining omnidirectional motion with holonomic constraints with the floor, using a mechanism with spherical tires, is presented. Kinematic analysis of this mechanism gives the vehicle Jacobian relating actuator velocities to the vehicle velocity components. Analysis of lateral tire slip during vehicle rotation allows slip reduction methods. A prototype vehicle using this special mechanism and a computerized control system is designed and tested. In addition to rotation, the vehicle can perform very accurate translational motions, in two orthogonal directions, arbitrarily termed forward and sideways. Motions in these two degrees of freedom are decoupled from each other and are insensitive to variations in ground friction coefficient. >
Quantitative Information Management for the Biochemical Computation of Cellular Networks

Understanding complex protein networks within cells requires the ability to develop quantitative models and to numerically compute the properties and behavior of the networks. To carry out such computational analysis, it is necessary to use modeling tools and information management systems (IMSs) where the quantitative data, associated to its biological context, can be stored, curated, and reliably retrieved. We have focused on the biochemical computation of cellular interactions and developed an IMS that stores both quantitative information on the cellular components and their interactions, and the basic reactions governing those interactions. This information can be used to construct pathways and eventually large-scale networks. This system, SigPath, is available on the Internet (http://www.sigpath.org). Key features of the approach include (i) the use of background information (for example, names of molecules, aliases, and accession codes) to ease data submission and link this quantitative database with other qualitative databases, (ii) a strategy to allow refinement of information over time by multiple users, (iii) the development of a data representation that stores both qualitative and quantitative information, and (iv) features to assist contributors and users in assembling custom quantitative models from the information stored in the IMS. Currently, models assembled in SigPath can be automatically exported to several computing environments, such as Kinetikit/Genesis, Virtual Cell, Jarnac/JDesigner, and JSim. We anticipate that, when appropriately populated, such a system will be useful for large-scale quantitative studies of cell-signaling networks and other cellular networks. SigPath is distributed under the GNU General Public License.
Chimpanzee-Human Monoclonal Antibodies for Treatment of Chronic Poliovirus Excretors and Emergency Postexposure Prophylaxis

Six poliovirus-neutralizing Fabs were recovered from a combinatorial Fab phage display library constructed from bone marrow-derived lymphocytes of immunized chimpanzees. The chimeric chimpanzee-human full-length IgGs (hereinafter called monoclonal antibodies [MAbs]) were generated by combining a chimpanzee IgG light chain and a variable domain of heavy chain with a human constant Fc region. The six MAbs neutralized vaccine strains and virulent strains of poliovirus. Five MAbs were serotype specific, while one MAb cross-neutralized serotypes 1 and 2. Epitope mapping performed by selecting and sequencing antibody-resistant viral variants indicated that the cross-neutralizing MAb bound between antigenic sites 1 and 2, thereby covering the canyon region containing the receptor-binding site. Another serotype 1-specific MAb recognized a region located between antigenic sites 2 and 3 that included parts of capsid proteins VP1 and VP3. Both serotype 2-specific antibodies recognized antigenic site 1. No escape mutants to serotype 3-specific MAbs could be generated. The administration of a serotype 1-specific MAb to transgenic mice susceptible to poliovirus at a dose of 5 μg/mouse completely protected them from paralysis after challenge with a lethal dose of wild-type poliovirus. Moreover, MAb injection 6 or 12 h after virus infection provided significant protection. The MAbs described here could be tested in clinical trials to determine whether they might be useful for treatment of immunocompromised chronic virus excretors and for emergency protection of contacts of a paralytic poliomyelitis case.
Analysis of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Transcriptional Elongation in Resting CD4+ T Cells In Vivo

A stable latent reservoir for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in resting memory CD4+ T cells presents a barrier to eradication of the infection even in patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy. Potential mechanisms for latency include inaccessibility of the integrated viral genome, absence of key host transcription factors, premature termination of HIV-1 RNAs, and abnormal splicing patterns. To differentiate among these mechanisms, we isolated extremely pure populations of resting CD4+ T cells from patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy. These cells did not produce virus but retained the capacity to do so if appropriately stimulated. Products of HIV-1 transcription were examined in purified resting CD4+ T cells. Although short, prematurely terminated HIV-1 transcripts have been suggested as a marker for latently infected cells, the production of short transcripts had not been previously demonstrated in purified populations of resting CD4+ T cells. By separating RNA into polyadenylated and nonpolyadenylated fractions, we showed that resting CD4+ T cells from patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy produce abortive transcripts that lack a poly(A) tail and that terminate prior to nucleotide 181. Short transcripts dominated the pool of total HIV-1 transcripts in resting CD4+ T cells. Processive, polyadenylated HIV-1 mRNAs were also present at a low level. Both unspliced and multiply spliced forms were found. Taken together, these results show that the nonproductive nature of the infection in resting CD4+ T cells from patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy is not due to absolute blocks at the level of either transcriptional initiation or elongation but rather relative inefficiencies at multiple steps.
Model reactions for crosslinking polydiacetylene materials

A series of reactions are presented which allowed us to crosslink polydiacetylenes containing carbamate groups in the side chain without attacking the triple bond. These reactions involved syntheses of carbamates and allophanates from butyl alcohol and phenyl isocyanate with metal and tertiary amine catalysts using a model compound, 2,4,7,9-tetramethyl-5-decyn-4,7-diol. Elemental analysis, IR and UV spectroscopy, and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were used as analytical tools. Metal catalysts were found to favor the formation of allophanates in higher yields and purity as compared to tertiary amine catalysts.
Simultaneous categorization of text documents and identification of cluster-dependent keywords

We propose an approach to clustering text documents based on a coupled process of clustering and cluster-dependent keyword weighting. The proposed approach is based on the the fuzzy c-means clustering algorithm. Hence it is computationally and implementationally simple. Moreover, it learns a different set of keyword weights for each cluster. This means that, as a by-product of the clustering process, each document cluster will be characterized by a possibly different set of keywords. The cluster dependent keyword weights help in partitioning the document collection into more meaningful categories. They can also be used to automatically generate a brief summary of each cluster in terms of not only the attribute values, but also their relevance. For the case of text data, this approach can be used to automatically annotate the documents. We illustrate the performance of the proposed algorithm by using it to cluster a real collection of text documents.
Peer effects in private and public schools across countries

Many argue that the composition of a school or classroom-that is, the characteristics of the students themselves-affect the educational attainment of an individual student. This influence of the students in a classroom is often referred to as a peer effect. There have been few systematic studies that empirically examine the peer effect in the educational process. In this research, we examine the peer effect with a unique data set that includes individual student achievement scores and comprehensive characteristics of the students' families, teachers, other school characteristics, and peers for five countries. The data allow an examination of peer effects in both private and public schools in all countries. Our analysis indicates that peer effects are a significant determinant of educational achievement; the effects of peers appear to be greater for low-ability students than for high-ability students. The finding is robust across countries but not robust across school type. © 2000 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management.
Land Breeze and Thermals: A Scale Threshold to Distinguish Their Effects

Land breeze is a type of mesoscale circulation developed due to thermal forcing over a heterogeneous landscape. It can contribute to atmospheric dynamic and hydrologic processes through affecting heat and water fluxes on the land-atmosphere interface and generating shallow convective precipitation. If the scale of the landscape heterogeneity is smaller than a certain size, however, the resulting land breeze becomes weak and becomes mixed up with other thermal convections like thermals. This study seeks to identify a scale threshold to distinguish the effects between land breeze and thermals. Two-dimensional simulations were performed with the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS) to simulate thermals and land breeze. Their horizontal scale features were analyzed using the wavelet transform. The thermals developed over a homogeneous landscape under dry or wet conditions have an initial scale of 2–5 km during their early stage of development. The scale jumps to 10–15 km when condensation occurs. The solution of an analytical model indicates that the reduced degree of atmospheric instability due to the release of condensation potential heat could be one of the contributing factors for the increase in scale. The land breeze, on the other hand, has a major scale identical to the size of the landscape heterogeneity throughout various stages of development. The results suggest that the effects of land breeze can be clearly distinguished from those of thermals only if the size of the landscape heterogeneity is larger than the scale threshold of about 5 km for dry atmospheric processes or about 15 km for moist ones.
Low Latency Video Streaming Over Peer-To-Peer Networks

We study peer-to-peer multicast streaming, where a source distributes real-time video to a large population of hosts by making use of their forwarding capacity rather than relying on dedicated media servers. We present a distributed streaming protocol which builds and maintains multiple multicast trees. The protocol is combined with an adaptive scheduling algorithm which ensures packets destined to a large number of peers, or particularly important to decode the video, are sent in priority. Experiments carried out over a simulated network of up to 3000 peers illustrate the performance of the protocol. For low latency video streaming, the prioritization algorithm offers performance gains, especially for large audiences and low latencies.
Sediment, glaciohydraulic supercooling, and fast glacier flow

Glaciers often advance over proglacial sediments, which then may enhance basal motion. Forglaciers with abundant meltwater, thermodynamic considera- tions indicate that the sediment^ice contact in the direction of ice flow tends toward an angle opposed to and somewhat steeper than the surface slope (by slightly more than 50%). A simple model basedonthis hypothesisyieldstheextentof over-ridden sediments as a function of sediment thickness and strength, a result that may be useful in guiding additional fieldwork forhypothesistesting. Sediment-floored as wellasrock-floored over- deepenings are common features along glacier flow paths and are expected based on theories of glacier erosion, entrainment, transport and deposition.
Polymer-Protein Hydrogel Nanomatrix for Stabilization of Indocyanine Green towards Targeted Fluorescence and Photoacoustic Bio-imaging.

Indocyanine green (ICG) is an optical contrast agent commonly used for a variety of imaging applications. However, certain limitations of the free dye molecule, concerning its low stability, uncontrolled aggregation and lack of targeting ability, have limited its use. Presented here is a method of embedding ICG in a novel polymer–protein hybrid nanocarrier so as to overcome the above inherent drawbacks of the free molecule. The hybrid nanocarrier consists of a non-toxic and biocompatible polyacrylamide nanoparticle (PAA NP) matrix that incorporates human serum albumin (HSA). This nanocarrier was synthesized through pre-conjugation with HSA and amine functionalized monomer, followed by polymerization using biodegradable cross-linkers, in a water-in-oil emulsion. The ICG dye is loaded into the HSA conjugated PAA nanoparticles (HSA–PAA NPs) through post-loading. Compared to the PAA polymer matrix, the presence of hydrophobic pockets in the HSA–PAA NPs further increases the chemical and physical stability of ICG. This is manifested by lowering the chemical degradation rates under physiological conditions, as well as by improving the thermal- and photo-stability of the dye. A targeting moiety, F3–Cys peptide, was attached to the surface of the NPs, for selective delivery to specific cancer cell lines. The suitability of these NPs for optical imaging applications was demonstrated by performing fluorescence imaging on a rat gliosarcoma cell line (9L). We also present the photoacoustic response of the HSA–PAA NPs, used as imaging contrast agents, in the spectral window of 700 nm to 800 nm.
The influence of stuttering severity on acoustic startle responses.

Purpose This study examined the potential impact of stuttering severity, as measured by the Perceptions of Stuttering Inventory (Woolf, 1967) on acoustic startle responses. Method Three groups, con...
Concrescence: Report of a rare case

Concrescence represents an uncommon developmental anomaly in which juxtaposed teeth are united in the cementum but not in the dentin. The incidence of concrescent teeth is reported to be highest in the posterior maxilla. The presence of concrescent teeth may influence surgical procedures as well as periodontal, endodontic and even orthodontic diagnoses and treatment. Therefore, consideration should be given to the possible occurrence, recognition, and implications of this anomaly in diagnosis and treatment planning. The purpose of this article is to report a case of concrescence between an impacted third molar and an erupted second molar that was identified postextraction.
Let's not discriminate against good work in design or experimentation

I am distressed that graduate education in computer science is forcing students into a theoretical mold, and away from the vital practical problems of software engineering. I therefore urge that graduate computer science departments pay attention to the problems of experimentation and design in computer science. This might be done, for example, by employing faculty with interests in design and experimentation, by offering courses and examinations in these areas, and/or by accepting Ph.D. dissertations involving substantial designs or experiments of high quality. I believe that the last is the most important action to be taken now.
Imagined movements that leak out

positive-intensity target in the middle frame. Again, this implies a sub-optimal strategy for detecting the target, as these early bar intensities are independent of the presence or absence of the target. Neri and Heeger interpret this to mean that these early high-contrast signals are engaging a separate ‘attentional’ mechanism that is used to detect the target. They ran a clever second experiment in which subjects had both to detect and to identify the polarity of the target, and the results demonstrated that the variance kernel accounted for the detection task and the mean kernel accounted for the identification task. The experiment thus lends support to the hypothesis that the visual system answers the questions of ‘what?’ and ‘where?’ using separate mechanisms [8]. Conclusion The results of Neri and Heeger’s experiments are intriguing, and provide an elegant demonstration of the power of stochastic stimuli in characterizing visual mechanisms. It is worth considering the drawbacks of this approach, as well as possible generalizations. First, designing and executing this type of experiment is quite difficult, and relies on a number of decisions about how to instruct subjects, how much and what kind of training to allow, how strong a target signal to use, and whether to provide feedback. Second, the summary of their method in this brief review has been simplified to ignore the distinction between cases in which a target was present and those when there was no target, because most of the analysis presented in the paper by Neri and Heeger was done in this fashion (although they do present results for the ‘False Alarm’ case alone, which seem consistent with the simplified yes/no case). Analysis and interpretation of these sub-cases is more difficult, but can potentially offer further insights into the nature of the underlying visual mechanisms. It would also be interesting to extend the analysis to include interactions between stimulus bars (i.e. estimation of response-triggered covariance), as has been done in physiological settings [9–11]. This could provide a richer characterization of the underlying mechanisms, at the expense of requiring more data for reliable estimation.
Initiation of placental lactogen-I production by blastocysts growing on a two-dimensional surface and in hanging drops.

The mouse blastocyst undergoes a program of protein secretion during the periimplantation period including the initial production of placental lactogen-I (mPL-I) on day 6 of pregnancy. Although blastocysts collected on day 5 also produce mPL-I when cultured to form outgrowths on plastic dishes, it was not known if embryos have an intrinsic ability to produce mPL-I during culture in vitro, or if a specific uterine influence is necessary. Earlier experiments also suggested that attachment of the trophoblast to a stable surface may be a prerequisite for synthesis of mPL-I. Both questions were addressed by examining mPL-I production by day 3 and day 4 embryos cultured either on a two-dimensional tissue culture dish surface or in hanging drops. The presence of intracellular mPL-I was assayed by immunohistochemistry, while the secreted hormone was detected by its known position in two-dimensional electrophoresis gels. These experiments demonstrated that these earlier stage embryos do have an intrinsic program for mPL-I production which proceeds in vitro under various culture conditions. Synthesis of mPL-I occurred in embryos suspended in hanging drops as well as in those spreading on a solid two-dimensional surface, thus showing that adhesion to a surface is not required for production of this hormone. Although some mPL-I synthesis was seen in embryos cultured in medium containing BSA as the sole macromolecule, the inclusion of fibronectin either in dishes, where it supports attachment, or in the hanging drop system stimulated mPL-I secretion. Serum supplementation in both culture systems further increased growth and differentiation of the embryo, as well as mPL-I secretion, compared to fibronectin supplementation.
Familial Factors in Diabetic Nephropathy

Reports of nephropathy developing in some patients with apparently well controlled diabetes and not developing in some patients even after years of severe hyperglycemia lead to the conclusion, expressed by several researchers [1–5], that some, but not all, individuals are predisposed to the development of diabetic renal disease. This chapter reviews some of the data that indicate that there are familial differences in the predisposition to diabetic renal disease. If this familial predisposition is genetic, there must be an interaction between the genes and the environment, and it is often difficult to differentiate between genetic inheritance and the effect of a common environment shared by family members.
Evaluating Scientific Inferences about the Florida Panther

At the request of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), we provide an independent assessment of the reliability of the scientific literature used to support conservation of Florida panthers (Puma concolor coryi). We independently reached similar conclusions about unreliable scientific inferences before discussing the issues with each other or with others. Although a quarter-century of research supports many published conclusions, 2 sets of unreliable inferences may compromise efforts to conserve the species. The first is a set of 4 unreliable inferences that underlie the Panther Habitat Evaluation Model (PHEM), used by agencies to evaluate projects that may affect panther habitat. Specifically, the following assertions are unreliable: 1) panthers are forest obligates, 2) panthers require large (>500 ha) forest patches, 3) panthers are reluctant to cross 90-m gaps of nonforest habitat, and 4) the value of potential panther habitat declines linearly with distance to a population core in south Florida, USA. These assertions are unreliable because the analyses excluded (without mention or rationale) almost half the available data, compared used habitats to an inappropriate set of available habitats, made inferences about habitat preference without any data on available habitats, were based only on panther locations during daytime, ignored telemetry error, or suffered from other flaws. The second is a set of 2 unreliable inferences about panther demography prior to the genetic restoration effort initiated in 1995. Inferences that neonate survival was ≥0.84 and that the panther population was demographically vigorous prior to 1995 are flawed because the survival analysis ignored mortality during the first 4 months and because other inferences were based on numbers of births and deaths in samples of convenience rather than appropriate vital rates. These faulty inferences about panther demography brought unwarranted credibility to challenges of the genetic restoration program. Faulty inferences of both sets were repeated in subsequent scientific and popular articles; in several instances, previously published work was mis-cited. In its current (2002–2005) version, PHEM is unreliable and should not be used in decisions about panther habitat. Biologists should obtain better demographic estimates and fully analyze how the introgression program has affected these rates.
First principles investigation of the structural and electrochemical properties of Na4P2S6 and Li4P2S6

Abstract First principles simulations are used to examine the structural and physical properties of Na 4 P 2 S 6 in comparison with its Li 4 P 2 S 6 analog. Four model structures are considered including the C 2/ m structure recently reported by Kuhn and co-workers from their analysis of single crystals of Na 4 P 2 S 6 , and three structures related to the P 6 3 / mcm structure with P site disorder found in 1982 by Mercier and co-workers from their analysis of single crystals of Li 4 P 2 S 6 . The computational results indicate that both Na 4 P 2 S 6 and Li 4 P 2 S 6 have the same disordered ground state structures consistent with the P 6 3 / mcm space group, while the optimized C 2/ m structures have higher energies by 0.1 eV and 0.4 eV per formula unit for Na 4 P 2 S 6 and Li 4 P 2 S 6 , respectively. In modeling ionic conductivity in these materials, activation energies for Na ion vacancy migration were computed to be smaller than the Li analogs in all of the structural models. Interestingly, the results also indicate that if Li 4 P 2 S 6 could be prepared in the meta-stable C 2/ m structure, the Li ion vacancy migration would have very small barriers along certain channels. Simulations of Na 4 P 2 S 6 ( C 2/ m )/Na interfaces indicate that they may be slightly less reactive than Li 4 P 2 S 6 ( P 6 3 / mcm )/Li interfaces.
Early Language Learning and the Social Brain

Explaining how every typically developing child acquires language is one of the grand challenges of cognitive neuroscience. Historically, language learning provoked classic debates about the contributions of innately specialized as opposed to general learning mechanisms. Now, new data are being brought to bear from studies that employ magnetoencephalograph (MEG), electroencephalograph (EEG), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies on young children. These studies examine the patterns of association between brain and behavioral measures. The resulting data offer both expected results and surprises that are altering theory. As we uncover what it means to be human through the lens of young children, and their ability to speak, what we learn will not only inform theories of human development, but also lead to the discovery of neural biomarkers, early in life, that indicate risk for language impairment and allow early intervention for children with developmental disabilities involving language.
Use of proficiency test performance to determine clinical laboratory director qualifications.

Abstract Many activities and policies influence laboratory test quality. Proficiency test results are one measure of laboratory quality, and during the past 25 years, five studies have examined the relationship of laboratory director educational requirements to proficiency test results. Data from three studies support the association between director qualifications and quality as measured by proficiency test performance, whereas no relationship was found in the other two studies. Possible reasons for conflicting results include differences in database size and demographics; in addition, proficiency test results may be inappropriate, although widely used, as the sole measure of laboratory director performance.
ISOTOPIC ANALYSIS: CERIUM-141 AND CERIUM-144

Cerium-141 and cerium-144 are determined in the presence of each other by performing a suitable cerium chemical separation and then measuring the radiation from each nuclide. Cerium-144 is determined by counting the 3.0-Mev Pr/ sup 144/ beta ray: cerium-141 is determined by integrating beneath the 145-kev gammaray peak observed with a sodium iodide gamma-ray spectrometer. In the later case correction for coatributions from cerium-144 must be made. The gamma/ beta branchings for the 145-kev gamma ray in cerium141 and the 134-kev gamma ray in cerium-144 were determined. (auth)
Descriptive Granularity

We present here a formal syntax and semantics for a notion of a descriptive granularity. We do so in terms of three abstract models: Descriptive, Semantic, and Granular. The descriptive model formalizes the syntactical concepts and properties of the data mining, or learning process. Semantic model formalizes its semantical properties. The Granular model establishes a relationship between the Descriptive and Semantic models in terms of a formal satisfaction relation.
Structure and Dramatic Technique in Gide's Saül and Le Roi Candaule

Two early Gide plays, Saul and Le Roi Candaule, represent a revolt against the realistic and naturalistic theater of the nineteenth century, yet they cannot be completely classified as symbolist because of Gide's insistence on the importance of psychologically particularized characters. Character is a major consideration that determines the dramatic quality, the structure, and the techniques of the plays. Saul, which bears many superficial resemblances to Shakespeare's plays, is completely dominated by the figure of the King. The play's structure reminds one of a fugue; it is more an intellectual artifice than a dramatic development. In Le Roi Candaule, as in Saul, the title figure is completely dominant to the point that other characters seem mere puppets. In each play the action hinges on a voluntary self-destructive decision made by the protagonist. But the dramatic effects are due largely to Gide's interesting, yet not always masterful, use of theatrical tricks. In spite of their obvious flaws, these plays deserve consideration as forerunners in the twentieth-century French trend toward using theater as theater to express meaningful ideas about the nature of man.
The Relation of Felonies to Environmental Factors in Indianapolis

T HIS paper is concerned with the more serious types of crimes which are generally called felonies. Some reference will be made to misdemeanors and to juvenile delinquencies but only for showing their geographical relation to felonies. The data were obtained from Marion County Criminal Court for the calendar year I930; all cases disposed of by this court are included. Where population data have been used, they are taken from the reports of the I930 census. Indianapolis is divided into io8 census tracts, and the residences of offenders and the places of their offenses have been located by tracts. Certain other social statistics were distributed by census tracts so that the association of these with crime statistics might be analyzed. These additional data are: (i) the case load of the Indianapolis Family Welfare Society for November, i9z9; (z) the per capita contributions (residence of contributor) to the Indianapolis Community Fund in I930-3 I; (3) deaths occurring in Indianapolis from September I, I930, to August 3I, I93I; (4) juvenile delinquencies in i9z8, i92.9, and I930; (5) the case load of the Probation Department of the Muncipal Court for November, i9z9, and the intake for the six succeeding months. The information obtained for each felony, with a small number of exceptions, was as follows: the offense; the place of the offense, if known; the residence of the offender, if known; age and sex. In some cases the offender is non-residenlt, and in a small percentage of the cases the exact location of the offense could not be determined. In view of the fact that of the 658 cases disposed of by the Criminal Court 638 were men and zo were women, the study will be concerned only with the male offenders. That simplifies the problem, and, since the number of women is so small, it would be useless to try to make any quantitative analysis of female felonies. No attempt is made to analyze all of the factors involved in crime. It is assumed that psychological factors, such as instability and intellectual deficiency, entered into many, if not all, cases. Furthermore, no attention is given to the part played by unpopular laws and by flaws in court prQcedure. These physchological, legal, and juridical factors deserve consideration in any complete survey of the causes of crime; indeed, it is possible that they may be more strictly causes of crime than the factors with which this paper is concerned. We are directing attention here to what has recently been called the ecological study of crime. It is the general type of study which the Institute of Juvenile Research has done in Chicago' and which was done more recently under the direction of the Wickersham Commission.2 The term "ecology" has been borrowed by the social sciences from biology and should not be interpreted too rigidly, unless a specific examination of the facts
Perennial anthropogenic water sources and their interaction with East African browsers and grazers: Ndarakwai Ranch, Tanzania. A case study

The interaction between East African land mammals and their habitats has been well documented over the years. This study looks at how those interactions can be changed by anthropogenic intervention with the creation of a perennial watering hole. At Ndarakwai Ranch in Tanzania, a new watering hole has attracted many species of mammals, most notably elephants. This study examines the impact that elephants are having on the acacia trees and whether the new water source affects the density of land mammals in the area. Acacia damage was measured by quantifying browse damage from elephants using a modified point center quarter method. The damage was assessed on a 1–5 visual scale. The abundance of all mammals was measured by counting scat along 200m transects at varying distances from the watering hole.
Optimization of the Electrical Conductivity of ABS Nanocomposites filled with Carbon Black and Carbon Nanotubes

Poly(acrylonitrile-co-butadiene-co-styrene) (ABS) is a thermoplastic polymer that is used in numerous structural applications as a result of its excellent mechanical properties. For those applications where good electrical conductivity is also desired, carbon black is often used as the filler of choice. Most reports in the literature indicate that at least 8 wt% carbon black filler is needed in order to achieve percolation. Our group recently reported that by manual mixing of ABS pellets and carbon black to create a segregated microstructure, percolation was achieved at an unprecedented low filler fraction of less than 0.01 wt% carbon black, a value which is comparable to or even better than that obtained using single wall carbon nanotubes as the filler. While the ABS/CB composites had excellent electrical performance, with a conductivity as high as 10-1 S/m, their mechanical strength was compromised. In this paper we report on new experiments designed to maintain high electrical conductivity while improving on the mechanical behavior of percolating ABS/CB nanocomposites. The experiments were aimed at controlling the processing parameters such as temperature, pressure and time during hot pressing of the mechanically mixed precursor materials. Using data obtained at the various temperature-pressure combinations used, it will be shown that similar volume percentages of carbon black and carbon nanotubes can be used to obtain equivalent conductivities, suitable for EMI shielding, while still maintaining good mechanical properties.
Noninvasive evaluation of the lower extremity arterial tree and graft surveillance.

Continued technological advances have increased the clinical application of noninvasive imaging and flow measurements in the diagnosis and management of lower extremity vascular disease. The prevalence of managed care and other cost constraints requires that these tests are applied judiciously to provide adequate surveillance of threatened grafts without unduly increasing costs. This article provides an overview of the advantages and disadvantages of noninvasive studies and outlines the currently recommended indications for use.