cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The World Bank and Indigenous Peoples

This article traces the evolution of the World Bank policy on indigenous people. In 1982, the World Bank issued a brief operational policy statement which outlined procedures for protecting the rights of so-called “tribal people” in Bank-financed development projects. Experience has shown, the World Bank directive stated, “that, unless special measures are adopted, tribal people are more likely to be harmed than helped by development projects that are intended for beneficiaries other than themselves. Therefore, whenever tribal peoples may be affected, the design of projects should include measures or components necessary to safeguard their interests, and, whenever feasible, to enhance their well-being.” This protectionist approach emerged from the Bank’s experiences primarily in Latin America where there are well-rooted historical and legal antecedents. Over time, however, the Bank’s approach has evolved to reflect the diversity of indigenous cultures, with more of an emphasis on informed engagement and expanding access to benefits from development rather than on protection alone.
Approximation by Generalized Rational Functions

In recent years, certain aspects of the theory of best polynomial approximation on a real interval have been generalized. Classical theorems concerning existence and uniqueness of a polynomial of best approximation, and characterization of this polynomial by alternation properties, have found extensions and analogs when polynomials are replaced by linear combinations of prescribed continous functions. See, e.g. [2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11], for typical studies of this kind (especially [8], [11] for the general background). Quite recently, there has been some interest ([1], [6]) in corresponding extensions of the theory of approximation by rational functions. The present note is a contribution to this discussion.
Relation of Musculoskeletal Strength and Function to Postural Stability in Ambulatory Adults With Cerebral Palsy

Objective To understand the relation of musculoskeletal strength and function to postural stability in ambulatory adults with cerebral palsy (CP) who have already developed muscle atrophy and osteoporosis.
Spinach-Derived Porous Carbon Nanosheets as High-Performance Catalysts for Oxygen Reduction Reaction.

Biomass-derived porous carbon materials are effective electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), with promising applications in low-temperature fuel cells and metal–air batteries. Herein...
Multiple factors are involved in regulation of extracellular membrane vesicle biogenesis in Streptococcus mutans.

Streptococcus mutans, a major etiological agent of human dental caries, produces membrane vesicles (MVs) that contain protein and extracellular DNA. In this study, functional genomics, along with in vitro biofilm models, was used to identify factors that regulate MV biogenesis. Our results showed that when added to growth medium, MVs significantly enhanced biofilm formation by S. mutans, especially during growth in sucrose. This effect occurred in the presence and absence of added human saliva. Functional genomics revealed several genes, including sfp, which have a major effect on S. mutans MVs. In Bacillus sp. sfp encodes a 4'-phosphopantetheinyl transferase that contributes to surfactin biosynthesis and impacts vesiculogenesis. In S. mutans, sfp resides within the TnSmu2 Genomic Island that supports pigment production associated with oxidative stress tolerance. Compared to the UA159 parent, the Δsfp mutant, TW406, demonstrated a 1.74-fold (p 1.5-fold (p < .05) reduction of MV yield. These results demonstrate that S. mutans MV properties are regulated by genes within and outside of the TnSmu2 island, and that as a major particulate component of the biofilm matrix, MVs significantly influence biofilm formation.
Enabling Virtual Network Functions in Named Data Networking

Virtual network functions, which are placed logically in the path of a network connection, implement important processing steps, such as content inspection, load balancing, etc. While these types of operations are well-understood in the context of the current, connection-oriented Internet architecture, it is unclear if and how such functions can be enabled in emerging architectures, such as Named Data Networking (NDN). In this paper, we argue that virtual network functions can provide benefits to NDN. We present a novel way to use transformations to names in NDN to invoke network functions. We show that network functions can be called either explicitly (e.g., by an end-system) or transparently by intermediate nodes (e.g., by an edge router). We believe that enabling virtual network functions significantly expands the capabilities of Named Data Networking.
Plant DNA Repair and Agrobacterium T-DNA Integration.

Agrobacterium species transfer DNA (T−DNA) to plant cells where it may integrate into plant chromosomes. The process of integration is thought to involve invasion and ligation of T-DNA, or its copying, into nicks or breaks in the host genome. Integrated T−DNA often contains, at its junctions with plant DNA, deletions of T−DNA or plant DNA, filler DNA, and/or microhomology between T-DNA and plant DNA pre-integration sites. T−DNA integration is also often associated with major plant genome rearrangements, including inversions and translocations. These characteristics are similar to those often found after repair of DNA breaks, and thus DNA repair mechanisms have frequently been invoked to explain the mechanism of T−DNA integration. However, the involvement of specific plant DNA repair proteins and Agrobacterium proteins in integration remains controversial, with numerous contradictory results reported in the literature. In this review I discuss this literature and comment on many of these studies. I conclude that either multiple known DNA repair pathways can be used for integration, or that some yet unknown pathway must exist to facilitate T−DNA integration into the plant genome.
Impact of diverticular disease on prostate cancer risk among hypertensive men.

INTRODUCTION Prostate cancer (PCa) is a heterogenous disease with multiple etiological factors playing a role in its development. Recently, chronic and systemic inflammatory conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease were identified as key risk factors influencing its development. The study aimed to evaluate the relationship between diverticular disease (DD) (local and acute inflammation) and PCa. METHODS Hypertensive patients with DD and hypertensive controls were identified between 1995 and 2010 from the Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System database. Cohorts were queried for PCa incidence through 2015. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used for determining independent predictors of PCa diagnosis. RESULTS A total of 51,353 patients with DD and 111,541 controls were identified. In all, 6.26% of DD developed PCa, and 3.71% of controls developed PCa (p < 0.01). DD was a significant risk factor for PCa (OR: 1.27 CI: 1.19-1.34, p < 0.01). On subgroup analysis, the patients diagnosed with DD <50 years old had an OR of 3.39 for PCa (CI: 2.52-4.56, p < 0.01), age 50-59 had an OR of 2.12 (CI: 1.86-2.15, p < 0.01), and age 60-69 had an OR of 1.20 (CI: 1.10-1.31, p < 0.01). Finally, age and race stratification showed that white patients <50 had an OR of 2.56 (CI: 1.75-3.76, p < 0.01), while black patients <50 had an OR of 3.98 (CI: 2.61-6.07, p < 0.01). The trend in differing odds between these populations was the same for age groups 50-59 and 60-69. CONCLUSION Our analysis shows that DD is associated with diagnosis of PCa in hypertensive men. Importantly, the earlier the diagnosis of DD, the higher the odds for development of PCa, particularly in black men.
Small Museums, Big Problems

Despite being issued by one of the two main professional associations for museums in the United States, the efficacy and limitations of the American Alliance of Museums’ (AAM) “Standards Regarding Archaeological Material and Ancient Art” remain largely unstudied. Issued in 2008, the AAM’s guidelines establish mechanisms for public accountability: (1) museums should maintain a publicly available collection policy; (2) if a museum acquires an object that does not comply with the guidelines, it should be transparent about why the museum has deemed it appropriate to do so; and (3) museums should make all ownership information for archaeological and ancient material accessible to the public. Over the course of a year, we contacted 67 AAM member museums to survey whether they complied with each mechanism and to what extent. The responses showed that compliance with the AAM’s guidelines is significantly lacking, and transparency is—alarmingly, though unsurprisingly—not a priority in small museums. Using the David Owsley Museum of Art as a case study, this chapter will discuss our findings and the dangers unregulated acquisitions in small museums can pose to cultural heritage preservation and art market integrity.
Influence of Dietary Fiber on Fecal Excretion of Volatile Fatty Acids by Human Adults

The ability of dietary fibers to influence the excretion of volatile fatty acids (VFA) in feces was evaluated in five healthy men. Throughout the 63-day study subjects were confined to a metabolic unit and fed semipurified diets. Each diet was consumed for 9 days. Feces were homogenized, and aliquots were analyzed for VFA by a steam distillation procedure followed by gas-liquid chromatography. Individuals showed wide variability in the extent to which they excreted VFA, and there is evidence of some subject-diet interaction. Acetate, propionate and butyrate were generally present in the ratios of 35:25:20, but the proportion of acetate was increased when xylan and corn bran were consumed. The excretion of VFA during the last 3 days of each metabolic period increased with diet as follows: xylan, fiber free, cellulose, pectin and corn bran. Corn bran caused a significant increase in total VFA excretion over the fiber-free diet. Concentration of VFA in excreted feces (or expressed as percentage of fecal solids) increased by diet in the following order: cellulose, xylan, corn bran, pectin and fiber free. Thus, the concentration of VFA in feces showed no relationship to the total quantity of VFA excreted.
Tuple Counting Data Flow Analysis and its Use in Communication Optimization

This paper presents a data flow analysis framework which plays a key role in identifying opportunities for communication optimization in tuplespace parallel programs.
Farmers’ genetic perceptions regarding their crop populations: An example with maize in the central valleys of Oaxaca, Mexico

Collaborative plant breeding is an approach to crop improvement that includes close attention to specific adaptation and interaction between farmers and formal plant breeders to better meet the needs of those farmers. Collegial interaction capable of making best use of the knowledge and skills of farmers and breeders will depend upon an understanding of those in terms that are relevant to each. To facilitate this interaction with the goal of making farmer selection practices more effective, the work described here sought to improve outside researchers’ understanding of farmers’ fundamental perceptions about their populations, growing environments, and expectations for response to selection. Various methods were used to accomplish this with a small sample of maize farmers in two communities in the Central Valleys of Oaxaca, Mexico. Farmers’ decisions about maize varietal type repertoires imply assessments based on genetic and environmental variation in the local context. A clear distinction was made between traits of high and low heritability and expected response to selection, however, some traits of interest to farmers such as large seed size may involve considerations other than their potential for expression in the progeny generation.
Phycobilisomes in Anacystis nidulans

Phycobilisomes were demonstrated in Anacystis nidulans by chemical and morphological studies on cells grown in red light. These cells showed a marked reduction in the chlorophyll-phycocyanin ratio owing to a decreased chlorophyll content. Granular structures of approximately 35 nm were observed throughout red light-grown cells, but were most distinct in the peripheral region. The presence of phycobilisomes in cells grown in red light as well as in cells grown in white light is supported by experiments in which glutaraldehyde was used to stabilize the attachment between the phycobiliprotein and the thylakoids, allowing the isolation of both in the same fraction by sucrose density gradient centrifugation.
MEASUREMENTS OF DIURNAL CHANGES IN BIOLUMINESCENCE FROM THE SEA SURFACE TO 2,000 METERS USING A NEW PHOTOMETRIC DEVICE1

At stations in the western and central North Atlantic Ocean, the transparency was found to change with depth in the upper 300 m and to be very high in the strata below. Using 3 photomultiplier photometers, the rate of light diminution during the sunset period was shown to be essentially the same at the surface, 100, and 300 m. Using a newly designed light-tight agitator, which pumps water past the window of the deep-sea photometer, luminescent flashing was recorded from the surface to depths as great as 2,000 m in both day and night tests. Some luminescence was detected at all depths during the day at certain stations. At night, Flashing increased very greatly in the upper 50 m, considerably at 200 m, and somewhat at intervening depths. Changes in luminescence with depth, sometimes abrupt, occurred at widely varying levels between 40 and 85 m at different stations, usually near the thermocline, and always associated with vertical temperature changes. Netting placed over the intake of the agitator showed that most of the luminescent organisms in the upper few hundred meters were smaller than 0.24 mm. Additional tests with the unrestricted photometer indicated that much of the luminescence recorded at greater depths was from larger animals.
The p97/VCP ATPase is critical in muscle atrophy and the accelerated degradation of muscle proteins

The p97/VCP ATPase complex facilitates the extraction and degradation of ubiquitinated proteins from larger structures. We therefore studied if p97 participates to the rapid degradation of myofibrillar proteins during muscle atrophy. Electroporation of a dominant negative p97 (DNp97), but not the WT, into mouse muscle reduced fibre atrophy caused by denervation and food deprivation. DNp97 (acting as a substrate-trap) became associated with specific myofibrillar proteins and its cofactors, Ufd1 and p47, and caused accumulation of ubiquitinated components of thin and thick filaments, which suggests a role for p97 in extracting ubiquitinated proteins from myofibrils. DNp97 expression in myotubes reduced overall proteolysis by proteasomes and lysosomes and blocked the accelerated proteolysis induced by FoxO3, which is essential for atrophy. Expression of p97, Ufd1 and p47 increases following denervation, at times when myofibrils are rapidly degraded. Surprisingly, p97 inhibition, though toxic to most cells, caused rapid growth of myotubes (without enhancing protein synthesis) and hypertrophy of adult muscles. Thus, p97 restrains post-natal muscle growth, and during atrophy, is essential for the accelerated degradation of most muscle proteins.
Polyhedral Geometry and the Two-Plane Parameterization

Recently the light-field and lumigraph systems have been proposed as general methods of representing the visual information present in a scene. These methods represent this information as a 4D function of light over the domain of directed lines. These systems use the intersection points of the lines on two planes to parameterize the lines in space. This paper explores the structure of the two-plane parameterization in detail. In particular we analyze the association between the geometry of the scene and subsets of the 4D data. The answers to these questions are essential to understanding the relationship between a lumigraph, and the geometry that it attempts to represent. This knowledge is potentially important for a variety of applications such as extracting shape from lumigraph data, and lumigraph compression.
Dynamic control allocation for reusable launch vehicles

Gain-scheduled linear-affine control allocation functions /spl delta//sub c/=F(x)/spl tau//sub c/+/spl delta//sub 0/(x) are inherently inaccurate due to inherent limits of performance of the design process. As a result, online CA correction is required, either in terms of adaptive methods, e.g., system identification, or time-invariant methods, e.g., /spl Hscr//sub /spl infin// control. We investigate the use of LTI compensator methods for dynamic control allocation (DCA). Design issues include closed loop performance and time-scale separation between the closed-loop vehicle dynamics, the autopilot, and the DCA compensator.
Projection pursuit learning networks for regression

Abstract Two types of feedforward network learning methods for model-free regression problems are studied and compared in this paper: one is the popular back-propagation learning (BPL) which is well known in the artificial neural network literature; the other is the projection pursuit learning (PPL) which has emerged in recent years in the statistical estimation literature. Both the BPL and the PPL are based on projections of the data in directions determined from interconnection weights. However, unlike the totally parametric BPL method, which employs a fixed set of (usually sigmoidal) nonlinear nodal functions in obtaining an estimate of all the weights simultaneously at each iteration, the PPL nonparametrically estimates unknown nonlinear functions sequentially (neuron-by-neuron and layer-by-layer) at each iteration while jointly estimating the interconnection weights. In terms of learning efficiency, both methods have comparable training speeds when based on a Gauss-Newton optimization algorithm, while the PPL is more parsimonious, i.e. in order to achieve comparable accuracy, the PPL requires fewer hidden neurons to approximate the true function. In terms of learning robustness toward noise outliers, the BPL is more sensitive to the outliers.
Regional Hepatic CYP1A1 and CYP1A2 Induction with 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin Evaluated with a Multicompartment Geometric Model of Hepatic Zonation

Abstract A physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model for 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p -dioxin (TCDD) was combined with a five-compartment geometric model of hepatic zonation to predict both total and regional induction of CYP450 proteins within the liver. Three literature studies on TCDD pharmacokinetics and protein induction in female rats were analyzed. In simulating low-dose behavior for mRNA in whole liver and, particularly, in representing immunohistochemical observations, the five-compartment model was more successful than conventional homogeneous one-compartment liver models. The five-compartment liver model was used with the affinity of TCDD for the Ah receptor (AhR) held constant across all the liver ( K b = 0.2 n m ). The presumed affinities of the AhR–TCDD complex for TCDD responsive elements in the CYP1A1 ( K d1 ) and CYP1A2 ( K d2 ) genes varied between adjacent compartments by a factor of 3. This parameterization leads to predicted 81-fold differences in affinities between the centrilobular and the periportal regions. The affinities used for AhR–TCDD complex binding to TCDD response elements for CYP1A2 in compartment 3 (the midzonal area) ranged from 0.08 to 1.0 n m in the three studies modeled. For CYP1A1 the corresponding dissociation constant in compartment 3 varied from 0.6 to 2.0 n m . In each compartment, the Hill coefficient for induction had to be 4 or greater to match the immunohistochemical results. This multicompartment liver model is consistent with data on protein and mRNA induction throughout the liver and on the regional distribution of these proteins. No previous model has incorporated regional variations in induction. The PBPK analysis based on the multicompartment liver model suggests that the low-dose behavior for hepatic CYP1A1/CYP1A2 induction by TCDD is highly nonlinear.
The measurement of the sulfuric acid and sulfate content of particulate matter resulting from the combustion of coal and oil

Abstract Recent evidence has demonstrated a difference between oil and coal combustion emissions of sulfuric acid and inorganic sulfate compounds (primary sulfate emissions). In general, for a given fuel sulfur content, sulfate emissions from residual oil combustion are from 5 to 10 times higher than those from coal. These differences are thought to be due to the increased oxidation of SO2 by vanadium and nickel found to be present in oil in greater quantities relative to coal. A microdiffusion method for the measurement of total water soluble sulfate and the free sulfuric acid content of combustion particulate has been used as a diagnostic tool to identify boiler/fuel combinations producing significant quantities of primary sulfate emissions. The method accounts for the potential neutralization of acid by the contamination from ammonia during sample preparation and storage. A laboratory study of the recovery efficiencies of H2SO4 and (NH4)2SO4 as well as data obtained from the analysis of field samples from coal and oil-fired boilers are discussed. Oil ash samples were found to contain about 20 times more water-soluble sulfate and about 10 times more free sulfuric acid than ash from coal combustion. The results suggest that in areas where the principal sources of ambient suspended particulate matter (TSP) are emissions from fossil fuel combustion, one should expect that the sulfate to TSP ratio is greater for regions dominated by fuel oil usage than in locations using coal. Measurement of the acid and sulfate content of boiler ash could be helpful in identifying individual chemical compound constituents in TSP samples and to elucidate the relative proportion of primary sulfate as compared to sulfate formed by the atmospheric transformation of SO2.
New lubricants from vegetable oil: cyclic acetals of methyl 9,10-dihydroxystearate.

Abstract Potential new lubricants and fuel lubricity enhancers have been prepared from methyl 9,10-dihydroxystearate and long chain aldehydes to form the corresponding cyclic acetals. These materials are oils down to low temperatures, as compared to symmetric ketals derived from the same diol, which are waxes at room temperature. The acetals form in an equilibrium reaction ( K eq ≈ 60) which suggests they will be stable as fuel additives. The viscosities of the new oils are close to those predicted for normal paraffins with the same number of non-hydrogen atoms, but the acetal structure has subtle effects on viscosity as compared to branched alkanes. Acetals with long alkyl branches maintain higher viscosity on a molecular weight basis compared to branched alkanes. The qualitative relationship between branch length and viscosity is discussed. These acetals are potential candidates for novel biobased lubricants.
Sodium benzoate inhibits fatty acid oxidation in rat liver: effect on ammonia levels

Abstract Sodium benzoate inhibited PC and octanoic acid-mediated State 3 respiration rates by 39 and 29%, respectively, at 0.5 m m in isolated rat liver mitochondria. At 2 m m , benzoate did not affect State 3 respiration rates with either succinate or malate plus glutamate, indicating that it did not act as an uncoupler. The oxidation of palmitate and octanoate was inhibited by 39 and 54% at 2 m m benzoate in liver homogenates. Benzoate, at 10 mmol/kg caused significant decreases in the levels of hepatic ATP, CoA, and acetyl-CoA. Administration of sodium benzoate to rats caused a dose-dependent increase in hepatic ammonia levels. However, the inhibitory effect of benzoate on fatty acid oxidation is not mediated through ammonia since ammonium chloride, at 1 m m , did not inhibit PC or octanoate oxidation in mitochondria or their oxidation in liver homogenate. Our results warrant a reevaluation of the use of sodium benzoate in the treatment of hyperammonemia.
A multiphase interfacial model for the dissolution of spent nuclear fuel

Abstract The Fuel Matrix Dissolution Model (FMDM) is an electrochemical reaction/diffusion model for the dissolution of spent uranium oxide fuel. The model was developed to provide radionuclide source terms for use in performance assessment calculations for various types of geologic repositories. It is based on mixed potential theory and consists of a two-phase fuel surface made up of UO 2 and a noble metal bearing fission product phase in contact with groundwater. The corrosion potential at the surface of the dissolving fuel is calculated by balancing cathodic and anodic reactions occurring at the solution interfaces with UO 2 and NMP surfaces. Dissolved oxygen and hydrogen peroxide generated by radiolysis of the groundwater are the major oxidizing agents that promote fuel dissolution. Several reactions occurring on noble metal alloy surfaces are electrically coupled to the UO 2 and can catalyze or inhibit oxidative dissolution of the fuel. The most important of these is the oxidation of hydrogen, which counteracts the effects of oxidants (primarily H 2 O 2 and O 2 ). Inclusion of this reaction greatly decreases the oxidation of U(IV) and slows fuel dissolution significantly. In addition to radiolytic hydrogen, large quantities of hydrogen can be produced by the anoxic corrosion of steel structures within and near the fuel waste package. The model accurately predicts key experimental trends seen in literature data, the most important being the dramatic depression of the fuel dissolution rate by the presence of dissolved hydrogen at even relatively low concentrations (e.g., less than 1 mM). This hydrogen effect counteracts oxidation reactions and can limit fuel degradation to chemical dissolution, which results in radionuclide source term values that are four or five orders of magnitude lower than when oxidative dissolution processes are operative. This paper presents the scientific basis of the model, the approach for modeling used fuel in a disposal system, and preliminary calculations to demonstrate the application and value of the model.
Patient satisfaction with a hospitalist procedure service: is bedside procedure teaching reassuring to patients?

RESULTS: Of 95 eligible patients, 65 (68%) completed the survey. Nearly all patients were satisfied or very satisfied with the overall experience (100%), explanation of informed consent (98%), pain control (92%), and expertise (95%) of physicians. The majority of patients were satisfied with procedure duration (88%) and in those with therapeutic procedures most (89%) were satisfied with improvement in symptoms. Hearing physicians discuss the procedure at the bedside was reassuring to most patients (84%), who felt this to be a normal part of doing a procedure (94%). CONCLUSIONS: Patients are highly satisfied with procedure performance by supervised trainees, and many patients were reassured by physician communication during the procedure. These results suggest that patient experience and teaching can be preserved with a hospitalist-supervised procedure service. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2011;6:219–224. V C 2011 Society of Hospital Medicine.
Development of the Data Acquisition and Processing System for a Pulsed 2-Micron Coherent Doppler Lidar System

A general overview of the development of a data acquisition and processing system is presented for a pulsed, 2-micron coherent Doppler Lidar system located in NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, USA. It is a comprehensive system that performs high-speed data acquisition, analysis, and data display both in real time and offline. The first flight missions are scheduled for the summer of 2010 as part of the NASA Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes (GRIP) campaign for the study of hurricanes. The system as well as the control software is reviewed and its requirements and unique features are discussed.
Hilbert polynomials and Arveson's curvature invariant

Abstract We define and study Hilbert polynomials for certain holomorphic Hilbert spaces. We obtain several estimates for these polynomials and their coefficients. Our estimates inspire us to investigate the connection between the leading coefficients of Hilbert polynomials for invariant subspaces of the symmetric Fock space and Arveson's curvature invariant for coinvariant subspaces. We are able to obtain some formulas relating the curvature invariant with other invariants. In particular, we prove that Arveson's version of the Gauss–Bonnet–Chern formula is true when the invariant subspaces are generated by any polynomials.
The modiffication of alumina, zirconia, thoria and titania for potential use as HPLC stationary phases through a silanization/hydrosilation reaction scheme

A process for bonding a monolayer of silane to the surface of alumina, zirconia, thoria and titania by reaction with the hydrolysis product of triethoxysilane is described. The hydride containing material is then further reacted with a terminal olefin in the presence of a platinum catalyst to produce a chemically modified oxide surface which could be used as a chromatographic stationary phase. The success of this reaction is monitored by diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform and cross-polarization magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy as well as by differential scanning calorimetry. On all four oxides both the hydride intermediate and the alkyl bonded product are successfully formed via the silanization/hydrosilation reaction sequence.
Effects of divalproex on smoking cue reactivity and cessation outcomes among smokers achieving initial abstinence

Divalproex, a GABA agonist, may be a useful agent in the treatment of tobacco dependence. Cue reactivity assessment paradigms are ideally suited to explore basic mechanisms underlying the pharmacological effects of medications that purport to have efficacy for smoking cessation. Our primary goal in the current study was to examine the effects of divalproex on in-treatment reactivity to smoking-relevant and affective cues, and to determine if these reactions were predictive of posttreatment smoking behavior. There were 120 nicotine dependent smokers enrolled in an 8-week double-blind clinical trial and randomly assigned to either divalproex or placebo conditions. Of these, 72 smokers (60% female) who achieved a minimal level of abstinence underwent an in-treatment cue reactivity assessment. Contrary to expectations, divalproex was associated with greater craving and arousal during smoking cue presentation. Divalproex also inhibited cardiovascular response to pleasant cues. Although no significant differences in cessation-related outcomes between divalproex- and placebo-treated participants were observed, cue-elicited craving to smoke predicted end-of-treatment and posttreatment smoking rates. These findings suggest that in-treatment cue reactivity assessment may proactively and dynamically inform ongoing treatment as well as provide a tool for screening potential medications for smoking cessation.
Assessment of imagery during covert modeling of assertive behavior

Abstract The present investigation examined the effect of covert modeling in training assertive behavior and developed a technique to assess imagery by having subjects verbalize ongoing imagery during treatment. To evaluate the effect of this procedure on therapy outcome, covert modeling groups with and without the verbalization procedure were compared. No-assertion-modeling and no-treatment control groups were included in the design to control for assertion-relevant imagery and the effects of repeated assessment without intervening treatment, respectively. Both covert modeling conditions increased assertiveness as indicated on self-report and overt behavioral measures. The gains transferred to novel situations and were maintained at a 4-month follow-up. Assessment of imagery during treatment indicated that subjects generally adhered to the conditions to which they were assigned. However, some subjects introduced scene material that deviated from that presented by the therapist.
Laboratory Detection of the Carbon Ring Chain C9H2

The ring-chain C9H2 molecule, formed by substituting the carbon chain C6H for one of the hydrogen atoms of the carbene ring C3H2, one of the more abundant astronomical molecules, has been detected in the laboratory by Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy. Fifteen a-type rotational transitions between 6 and 14 GHz were measured to 2 kHz or better, and precise values were determined for the rotational and centrifugal distortion constants. With these, the entire radio spectrum can be calculated to better than 1 km s−1 in equivalent radial velocity over the range of interest to radio astronomy. The strongest lines of C9H2, like those of the smaller ring chain C7H2, were obtained with a diacetylene-neon discharge but were about 10 times weaker. Ab initio calculations have not been done for C9H2, and isomeric energies are not known, but by analogy with the shorter members of the sequence, the ring-chain carbene here is probably the most stable structure. Of the many possible isomers of C9H2, several may lie low enough in energy to be detectable in the laboratory and in space with present techniques. Ions and radicals with ring-chain structures are also excellent candidates for laboratory and astronomical detection.
China’s Implementation of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime

Seven years since signing and four years into its implementation, how well is China living up to the terms and spirit of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC)? This paper reviews China’s compliance with UNTOC’s requirements concerning domestic criminal law and concludes that current P.R.C. law is substantially in conformity with UNTOC, though further legislative action is necessary to achieve full compliance. Looking beyond the law on the books, China continues to be a staunch supporter of international cooperation, as called for by UNTOC. Yet UNTOC has received scant attention in China compared with other multilateral instruments in the criminal justice realm. The timeline of reform begs the question whether UNTOC is responsible for goading China into taking any concrete legislative action. This paper posits that, in the absence of UNTOC, China’s domestic law would look exactly the same today.
A Novel Light Damage Paradigm for Use in Retinal Regeneration Studies in Adult Zebrafish

Light-induced retinal degeneration (LIRD) is commonly used in both rodents and zebrafish to damage rod and cone photoreceptors. In adult zebrafish, photoreceptor degeneration triggers Muller glial cells to re-enter the cell cycle and produce transient-amplifying progenitors. These progenitors continue to proliferate as they migrate to the damaged area, where they ultimately give rise to new photoreceptors. Currently, there are two widely-used LIRD paradigms, each of which results in varying degrees of photoreceptor loss and corresponding differences in the regeneration response. As more genetic and pharmacological tools are available to test the role of individual genes of interest during regeneration, there is a need to develop a robust LIRD paradigm. Here we describe a LIRD protocol that results in widespread and consistent loss of both rod and cone photoreceptors in which we have combined the use of two previously established LIRD techniques. Furthermore, this protocol can be extended for use in pigmented animals, which eliminates the need to maintain transgenic lines of interest on the albino background for LIRD studies.
Some fine structural and functional features of lymphocytes in “acquired” agammaglobulinernia A genetically determined disease

Present evidence for the genetic basis of “acquired” agarnmaglobulinernia has been reviewed. The previously demonstrated serologic abnormalities and the quantitative abnormalities of in vitro lymphocyte response to phytornitogens in parents of these patients are reported. In addition, a qualitative difference in the resultant cell types following in vitro stimulation of lymphocytes with pokeweed mitogen (PWM) between agammaglobulinemic patients, their parents, and normal individuals has been shown. These studies suggest that “acquired” agammaglobulinernia is an autosomal recessive disease, perhaps related to either a defective lymphocyte subpopulation or failure of cytodifferentiation.
DO LONG TERM RESULTS JUSTIFY PEDIATRIC HEART TRANSPLANTATION

Heart transplantation (Tx) is gaining acceptance as a treatment for young patients with end stage cardiac disease, although the reported data are limited and follow-up brief. From 1/74 through 8/86, 30 patients with cardiomyopathy and 4 with congenital heart disease (ages 2.8-18.9 years; 24M/10F) received Tx at Stanford. Immunosuppression was accomplished with steroids, azathioprine, anti-thymocyte globulin and after 1980, with cyclosporine. Re-Tx was required for intractable rejection (3) and advanced coronary disease (1). Twenty three patients are alive 2 weeks-9.6 years post-Tx. Age at Tx did not affect survival. All are active (NYH Class I), and attend school or work. In the 11 fatalities, post-Tx survival ranged between 2 days and 11.4 years. Death was due to infection (5), rejection (3), graft failure (1), lymphoma (1) and coronary disease (1). Our 99.1 patient year experience yielded linearized infection and rejection rates of 1.1 and 0.6 episodes/patient year, respectively. Of 6 patients with recognized coronary disease, 3 demonstrated the disorder as soon as 2 years post-Tx. Hypertension requiring therapy invariably developed in patients given cyclosporine. Based upon data from Stanford's 34 patients, probability for post-Tx survival is 78% at 2 years and 66% at 5 years. These long term observations suggest that Tx deserves consideration for selected young patients with end stage cardiac disease.
Eliminating positively charged lysine epsilon-NH3+ groups on the surface of carbonic anhydrase has no significant influence on its folding from sodium dodecyl sulfate.

This study compares the folding of two polypeptidesbovine carbonic anhydrase (BCA) and peracetylated BCA (BCA-Ac18)having the same sequence of amino acids but differing by 18 formal units of charge, from a solution containing denaturing concentrations of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). Acetylation of BCA with acetic anhydride converts all 18 lysine-e-NH3+ groups to lysine-e-NHCOCH3 groups and generates BCA-Ac18. Both BCA and BCA-Ac18 are catalytically active, and circular dichroism spectroscopy (CD) suggests that they have similar secondary and tertiary structures. SDS at concentrations above ∼10 mM denatured both proteins. When the SDS was removed by dialysis, both proteins were regenerated in native form. This study suggests that large differences in the net charge of the polypeptide have no significant influence on the structure, the ability to refold, or the rate of refolding of this protein from solutions containing SDS. This study reinforces the idea that charged residues on the surface of BCA do not ...
Tunable laser measurements of water vapor transitions in the vicinity of 5 μm

Abstract The present results confirm earlier tunable laser observations that the atmospheric widths of high rotational energy transitions are considerably narrower than previously predicted. Intensities, self-broadening coefficients, nitrogen and air shifts, and relative positions have also been measured.
Numerical simulation of icing, deicing, and shedding

An algorithm has been developed to numerically model the concurrent phenomena of two-dimensional transient heat transfer, ice accretion, ice shedding and ice trajectory which arise from the use of electrothermal pad. The Alternating Direction Implicit method is used to simultaneously solve the heat transfer and accretion equations occurring in the multilayered body covered with ice. In order to model the phase change between ice and water, a technique was used which assumes a phase for each node. This allows the equations to be linearized such that a direct solution is possible. This technique requires an iterative procedure to find the correct phase at each node. The computer program developed to find this solution has been integrated with the NASA-Lewis flow/trajectory code LEWICE.
Using Capacity Flexibility Model for responsive tourism logistics: The case of Pattaya city

An evolution of tourist behavior and an introduction of new tourist attractions lead to more land dispersion and higher level of accessibility needs. The development of modern tourism logistics must be carefully conducted to achieve performance of responsiveness by leveraging existing infrastructure and facilities, especially in tourism city with constrained capacities. Regarding to this, the public transport can be considered potential means of tourism logistics development. This paper firstly explores current travel situations and future requirements for Pattaya tourism and investigates specific public transport services in Pattaya city. It also conducts an assessment of the performance in responding travel needs of tourism by using the Capacity Flexibility Model. The model is based on an optimization technique and is developed for selecting the most flexible and efficient vehicle routes and directions among various locations or destinations. The results from the analysis can provide insights for properly designing tourism logistics operations and obtain appropriate vehicle routes and travel patterns suitable for travel conditions of Pattaya city. In addition, this study can be employed as a framework for managers in designing the responsive logistics and operations and making decision regarding transportation choices in both tourism and industrial contexts.
The Practitioner's Perspective

The positions advanced by Eisner, Guba, and Barone in this symposium share many of the tenets of a logic of inquiry variously called qualitative, ethnographic, naturalistic (Lincoln and Guba 1985), or constructivist (Guba and Lincoln 1989). However, Smith's (1989) term, interpretivism, is surely the better one, for it directly connotes a central premise of this many-named framework, namely, that "in the world of human experience, there is only interpretation" (Denzin 1989, 8). For the practitioner, adopting the interpretivist logic of justification for inquiry means foregoing aspirations to get it right and embracing instead ideals of making it meaningful. Relevant here is the interpretivist view of social inquiry as an active process of making sense of constructing meaning, which is a theme central to all three of the articles in this symposium. Guba refers to inquiry findings as "literally created" social constructions, and Eisner and Barone to knowledge as the dynamic transaction between the qualities of the external world we cannot know and our own internal qualities, frames of reference, and histories. Along with this constructivist view inevitably comes an acceptance of knowledge as relativistic, pluralistic, and subjective or interwined with self. As Guba shows, human knowledge claims are active constructions of meaning and, therefore, are always relative to the unique interaction between the inquirer and the particular context in which the inquiry was conducted. There are always multiple and different constructions possible in social reality, none inherently more legitimate than the others. Hence all knowledge is, in Barone's terminology, mind dependent and culturally contextual, personalized and intertwined with the self of the inquirer. In fact, especially for Barone but also for Eisner, interpretivist social inquiry is an opportunity to give voice to one's self, to offer a view of human experience that promotes one's own values and ideals. Interpretivism retains its essential relativism on this issue, such that it can be used as a platform for many different, even competing, advocacy stances and beliefs.
A theoretical study of the 3d-M(smif)2 complexes: structure, magnetism, and oxidation states.

We carry out a theoretical investigation of the recently reported M(smif)_2 series1, 2 and find a number of interesting phenomena. These include complex potential energy surfaces with near-degenerate stationary points, low-lying states, non-trivial electron configurations, as well as non-innocent ligand behavior. The M(smif)_2 exhibit a delicate balance between geometry and electronic structure, which has implications not only for their reactivity but also for controlling their properties through ligand design. We address methodological issues and show how conceptual quantities such as oxidation states and electronic configurations can be extracted through a simple analysis of the electron and spin densities—without a complicated examination of the underlying orbitals.
CD40-40L Signaling in Vascular Inflammation

Ligation of CD40 in circulating cells or in the vessel wall may promote mononuclear cell recruitment, participate in the weakening of the plaque, and contribute to thrombosis. This process appears to be redox-sensitive, but the precise signaling mechanism by which the interaction between CD40L and its receptor CD40 mediates inflammatory secretion is unclear. Our previous studies have shown that the CD40-CD40L interaction modulates release of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the current findings demonstrate that in endothelial cells CD40L dose dependently induces intracellular CD40L and MCP1 release in a redox sensitive manner. Pharmacological inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and p38 MAPK as well as adenovirus-mediated inactivation of Akt and p38 MAPK inhibited CD40L effects on endothelial cells. Akt, in particular, appeared to mediate CD40L-induced CD40L synthesis and MCP1 release by endothelial cells in a redox sensitive manner via NFκB activation. In addition, using confocal microscopy, exogenous addition of recombinant CD40L or adenoviral mediated CD40L overexpression was found to stimulate nuclear translocation of NFκB, which was further augmented by Akt overexpression and inhibited by Akt inactivation. These data support a mechanism whereby redox-sensitive CD40-CD40L interactions induce activation of Akt and p38 MAPK, leading to stimulation of NFκB and enhanced synthesis of CD40L and MCP1. Increased CD40L and MCP1 may contribute to the adherence of CD40-positive cells, such as platelets and monocytes, to the vessel wall modulating atherothrombosis.