cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Brands as masks: public secrecy and the counterfeit in Côte d'Ivoire

Rethinking Simmel's comparison of secrecy and adornment, I consider the ways in which brands function much like masking practices, concealing even as they reveal, using the visible to hide/signify the invisible. The classic masking scenario is one in which men wear masks and claim to be powerful ancestral spirits, keeping the fact of their performance a secret from women and uninitiated boys. However, the secrecy is ambiguous, for women give signs of knowing and men seem to believe in the spirits they pretend to be only pretending to be. In Cote d'Ivoire, where masks are a symbol of national identity, consumption focuses around displaying supposedly authentic name brand labels. Urban Ivoirians call this display of wealth and consumption ‘bluffing’, exposing the artifice of their supposed affluence. Still, the success of their performance depends on the authenticity of expensive European and American brands, in a market where most of what is available is counterfeit. Underneath the public secret of their performative display lies the deeper secret that they remain uncertain of the legitimacy of their purchases. Masks and brands both metaphorically delineate a metonymic though invisible connection to authentic power, but the secrecy of what lies beneath the masked performance provides an unstable ambiguity in which it is always possible that the surface is that which it represents. Brands always contain this instability between appearance and the genuine, for all are ultimately copies whose uncertain authenticity we cover up with public secrecy.
Observed Changes in Spectral Signatures of Natural Phytoplankton Populations : The Influence of Nutrient Availability

A question often asked — “Is the high species diversity one observes in phytoplankton populations the result of differences in the physiology of specific species?” Perhaps classical taxonomy is too “fine-tuned” to identify environmental factors which affect individual species’ physiology…. It is suggested that the environ mental physiologist might be better served by measurements of features that characterize the basic energy flow and these be used as a taxonomic index. One means of doing this involves the measurement of spectral characteristics of cellular fluorescence from different types of photosynthetic autotrophs (Yentsch and Yentsch, 1979).
A case of aerococcus urinae vertebral osteomyelitis

Aerococcus urinae is an aerobic, alpha hemolytic gram positive coccus bacterium that grows in pairs or clusters. We report the first case of vertebral osteomyelitis due to A. urinae. This has not been previously reported in the literature.
A Message from Warmer Times

Data from space missions have indicated for some time that Martian climate may in the past have been warmer and wetter than today9s desiccating environment. Last year9s Pathfinder mission provided data at an unprecedented level of detail, and helps to understand climate change on Mars. Several billion years ago, liquid water must have been abundant on Mars. Since then, slow erosion by wind-driven dust and sand has sculpted surface features in some areas, while dust has been deposited in others.
Discovery of Luminous NIR Sources Associated With Ionized Gas Near the Galactic Center

A group of compact HIIregions north of the Galactic Center has been identified as a site of active star formation (see Morris, 1993, and references therein). We present JHK images and photometry for sources in three of the compact HII regions and compare the NIR images with the radio contour plots of Zhao et al. (1993). Our images contain several very luminous sources.
Stochastic Control and Large Deviations

Large deviations theory is concerned with asymptotic estimates of probabilities of rare events associated with stochastic processes. A stochastic control approach to large deviations is outlined. Both problems of small random perturbations and large deviations from ergodicity are considered. For large deviations of Markov diffusion processes, PDE — viscosity solution methods are mentioned. Another stochastic control formulation, applicable to a broad range of large deviations problems is due to Dupuis and Ellis. This approach reduces many aspects of large deviations to the theory of weak convergence of probability measures.
Developmental toxicity of lersivirine in rabbits when administered throughout organogenesis and when limited to sensitive windows of axial skeletal development.

Background: Lersivirine is a second-generation nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor undergoing clinical development for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus-1. An embryo-fetal development study was performed to evaluate the potential for maternal and developmental toxicity of lersivirine. Methods: Pregnant New Zealand White rabbits were administered 0, 100, 250, and 500 mg/kg lersivirine by oral gavage once daily on gestation days (GDs) 7 to 19, followed by cesarean section on GD 29 and fetal evaluation. Results: Maternal toxicity was noted at all dose levels (decreased food consumption and body weight gain), with fetal toxicity at 500 mg/kg (decreased fetal weights, increased postimplantation loss). Equivocal findings for axial skeletal malformations were observed in three fetuses at 500 mg/kg. To better understand if these malformations were related to treatment with lersivirine, a follow-up rabbit embryo-fetal development study was performed with 1000 mg/kg/day lersivirine (500 mg/kg BID, 12-hr interdose interval) for two different 3-day windows, GDs 8 to 10 or GDs 11 to 13, which represent the sensitive windows of axial skeletal development in rabbits. Control rabbits were administered vehicle following the same dosing regimen from GDs 8 to 13. Cesarean sections were performed on GD 29, and fetal skeletons were examined for the potential of lersivirine to cause skeletal malformations in rabbits. At maternal exposure levels higher than the initial study, lersivirine did not induce fetal skeletal malformations when administered in the sensitive windows of axial skeletal development. Conclusion: The results of these studies indicate that lersivirine did not exhibit any evidence of teratogenicity in rabbits.
Paradoxical Role of Cytochrome P450 3A in the Bioactivation and Clinical Effects of Levo-α-Acetylmethadol

Objective: Levo-α-acetylmethadol (LAAM, levacetylmethadol) is a long-acting opioid agonist used for the prevention of opioid withdrawal. LAAM undergoes sequential N-demethylation to norLAAM and dinorLAAM, which are more potent and longer-acting than LAAM. Hepatic and intestinal microsomal N-demethylation in vitro is catalysed mainly by cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4; however, the role of CYP3A in LAAM disposition in humans in vivo is unknown. This investigation tested the hypothesis that CYP3A induction (or inhibition) would increase (or decrease) LAAM metabolism and bioactivation and, thus, clinical effects. It also related changes in LAAM disposition during enzyme inhibition or induction to any changes in pharmacological effect. Methods: Healthy volunteers (n = 13) completed the three-way, randomised, balanced crossover study. Subjects received oral LAAM (0.25 mg/kg) after CYP3A induction (rifampicin [rifampin]), inhibition (troleandomycin) or nothing (controls). Plasma and urine LAAM, norLAAM and dinorLAAM were determined by electrospray high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS). Dark-adapted pupil diameter change from baseline (miosis) was the LAAM effect measure. Results were analysed by noncompartmental methods and by a combined pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic model. Results: Compared with controls, CYP3A induction (or inhibition) decreased (or increased) plasma LAAM concentrations and mean area under the plasma concentration-time curve from time zero to infinity (AUC∞ 199 ± 91 [control] versus 11.3 ±4.0 [rifampicin] and 731 ±229 ng · h/mL [troleandomycin]; p < 0.05), and increased (or decreased) median formation clearances of norLAAM (1740 versus 14 100 and 302 mL/h/kg; p < 0.05) and dinorLAAM (636 versus 7840 and 173 mL/h/kg; p < 0.05). Surprisingly, however, CYP3A induction (or inhibition) decreased (or increased) mean plasma metabolite AUC from 0 to 96 hours (AUC96) [norLAAM + dinorLAAM] (859 ± 241 versus 107 ± 48 and 1185 ±179 ng · h/mL; p < 0.05) and clinical effects (mean miosis AUC96 128 ± 40 versus 22.5 ± 14.9 and 178 ± 81 mm · h; p < 0.05). Clinical effects were best correlated with plasma norLAAM concentrations. Conclusion: CYP3A mediates human LAAM N-demethylation and bioactivation to norLAAM and dinorLAAM in vivo. Paradoxically, however, CYP3A induction decreased and inhibition increased LAAM active metabolite concentrations and clinical effects. This suggests a CYP3A-mediated metabolic pathway leading to inactive metabolites, which predominates over CYP3A-dependent bioactivation. These results highlight the need for clinical investigations to validate in vitro drug metabolism studies.
Cathode materials: A personal perspective

A thermodynamically stable rechargeable battery has a voltage limited by the window of the electrolyte. An aqueous electrolyte has a window of 1.2 eV, which prevents achieving the high energy density desired for many applications. A non-aqueous electrolyte with a window of 5 eV requires Li + rather than H + as the working ion. Early experiments with Li x TiS 2 cathodes showed competitive capacity and rate capability, but problems with a lithium anode made the voltage of a safe cell based on a sulfide cathode too low to be competitive with a nickel/metal-hydride battery. Transition-metal oxides can give voltages of 4.5 V versus Li + /Li 0 . However, the challenge with oxides has been to obtain a competitive capacity and rate capability while retaining a high voltage with low-cost, environmentally friendly cathode materials. Comparisons will be made between layered Li 1-x MO 2 , spinels Li 1-x [M 2 ]O 4 , and olivines Li 1-x MPO 4 having 0<x< 1. Although higher capacities can be obtained with layered Li 1-x MO 2 compounds, which have enabled the wireless revolution, their metastability makes them unlikely to be used in power applications. The spinel and olivine framework structures have been shown to be capable of charge/discharge rates of over 10C with a suitable temperature range for plug-in hybrid vehicles.
Cigarette smoking and cardiovascular disease: pathophysiology and implications for treatment.

This 3-issue series of articles in Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases provides a comprehensive review of how cigarette smoking causes cardiovascular disease, the treatment of cardiovascular disease in smokers, and treatment of tobacco addiction in people with cardiovascular disease. The topic is complex, and there is, appropriately, some overlap in the material covered by various authors. In this article, I will attempt to integrate the information on the pathophysiology of smoking and cardiovascular disease and to discuss the implications of pathophysiologic mechanisms for the treatment of smokers with cardiovascular disease.
Effect of particle clustering on decay rates of admolecules at the interface of a composite material substrate

Abstract The decay rates of admolecules at the surface of a composite material are investigated theoretically in the limit of low volume fraction for the metallic particles in the composite. The optical properties of the substrate are described by both the Maxwell-Garnett and the fractalcluster models, simulating situations where the metal particles distribute themselves randomly, and where they coalesce to form localized clusters within the host material, respectively. It is found that in the case of particles coalescing to form clusters, a very small fraction of particles could lead to very large surface-induced damping for the admolecule at low emission frequencies, together with a red-shifted resonance peak in the decay rate spectrum. Hence, studies on the damping of vibrational states of admolecules at such composite material surfaces could lead to information concerning the distribution of particles in the substrate.
In vivo neutralization of tumor necrosis factor attenuates the generalized Shwartzman reaction in the rabbit

A role for tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and TNF-induced tissue factor (TF) expression has been postulated in endotoxin (LPS)-induced diffuse intravascular coagulation (DIC). We studied the protective efficacy of goat polyclonal gammaglobulin (lgG) against recombinant human (rh)-TNF in the generalized Shwartzman reaction (GSR) in rabbits, a model of DIC. Administration of anti-rhTNF 2 h before the first, preparative, LPS injection afforded 95% neutralization of TNF released during the GSR. Compared to saline-pretreated controls, a modest attenuation of fibrin deposition in kidney, lung, liver and spleen was observed 4 h after the second provocative LPS injection. Except for the lung, fibrin deposition in the anti-rhTNF group was not attenuated compared to the non-immune goat IgG (ni-lgG)-pretreated group. Both ni-lgG and anti-rhTNF prevented LPS-induced TF expression by mononuclear cells, but not by isolated glomeruli. Other mediators than TNF and TF are involved as well in glomerular injury and fibrin depo...
Time-optimal paths for high-speed maneuvering

Recent theoretical results have completely solved the problem of determining the minimum length path for a vehicle with a minimum turning radius moving from an initial configuration to a final configuration. Time optimal paths for a constant speed vehicle are a subset of the minimum length paths. This paper uses the Pontryagin maximum principle to find time optimal paths for a constant speed vehicle. The time optimal paths consist of sequences of axes of circles and straight lines. The maximum principle introduces concepts (dual variables, bang-bang solutions, singular solutions, and transversality conditions) that provide important insight into the nature of the time optimal paths. We explore the properties of the optimal paths and present some experimental results for a mobile robot following an optimal path.
Neuropsychological outcome following intensity-modulated radiation therapy for pediatric medulloblastoma

Background Combined cisplatin chemotherapy and cranial irradiation for treatment of medulloblastoma in children can cause significant ototoxicity and impair cognitive function and quality of life. We have previously demonstrated the conformal technique of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) to reduce ototoxicity, however, it has been suggested that IMRT may increase risk of cognitive deficits compared to conventional radiation therapy (CRT). This study compared the impact of the two treatments on measures of neurocognitive functioning. Procedure Twenty-five pediatric patients with medulloblastoma were treated either with CRT or IMRT. In addition they received neurocognitive assessments to evaluate long-term functional outcome. Statistical analyses between the two groups were conducted to compare levels and profiles of performance on tests not confounded with hearing loss. Results When compared to CRT, children treated with IMRT did not perform more poorly on any of the measures. Both groups' mean performance was significantly lower than published norms on several of the measures employed. Conclusion The benefit of reduced ototoxicity with IMRT does not appear to be at the cost of a decline in nonverbal intellectual abilities, visual-spatial skills, processing speed, or fine motor dexterity when compared to CRT in children with medulloblastoma. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2008;51:275–279. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Axisymmetrically loaded thin circular plate in adhesive contact with an elastic half-space

The interaction problem of adhesive contact between an axisymmetrically loaded thin circular plate and an isotropic or transversely isotropic elastic half-space is reduced to a problem of solving a pair of coupled integral equations for the unknown normal and shearing interfacial tractions. The system of integral equations is solved numerically and some results are presented.
Optimum chemotherapy in the management of metastatic pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most devastating solid tumors, and it remains one of the most difficult to treat. The treatment of metastatic pancreatic cancer (MPC) is systemic, based on chemotherapy or best supportive care, depending on the performance status of the patient. Two chemotherapeutical regimens have produced substantial benefits in the treatment of MPC: gemcitabine in 1997; and FOLFIRIONOX in 2011. FOLFIRINOX improved the natural history of MPC, with overall survival (OS) of 11.1 mo. Nab-paclitaxel associated with gemcitabine is a newly approved regimen for MPC, with a median OS of 8.6 mo. Despite multiple trials, this targeted therapy was not efficient in the treatment of MPC. Many new molecules targeting the proliferation and survival pathways, immune response, oncofetal signaling and the epigenetic changes are currently undergoing phase I and II trials for the treatment of MPC, with many promising results.
Duplex arteriography prior to femoral-popliteal reconstruction in claudicants: a proposal for a new shortened protocol.

The standard preoperative duplex arteriography (DA) from the aorta to the pedal vessels is time consuming and may be unnecessary in patients presenting with calf claudication alone. The feasibility of a shortened protocol was evaluated. Of 286 femoral-popliteal reconstruction based on DA during the last 4Â years, 79 (28%) were primary operations for calf claudication. Eliminating the aortoiliac portion of the test except for the distal external iliac artery and limiting the scanning of the infrapopliteal vessels to one or two arteries in the leg would significantly shorten the exam. To confirm the adequacy of the inflow tract, we relied on the common femoral artery Doppler waveform analysis and the intraoperative graft pressure upon completion of the bypass. Of the 79 primary femoral-popliteal bypasses, 53 (67%) had triphasic common femoral artery waveform and the remaining 26 had monophasic or biphasic waveforms. Three (6%) of the 53 femoral-popliteal bypasses in the former group had significant pressure gradients measured intraoperatively and were treated with iliac angioplasties and stents for unsuspected stenoses in 2 cases and a covered stent for a common iliac aneurysm in 1 case. Three, two, and one infrapopliteal vessel runoff was observed in 24 (45%), 16 (30%), and 9 (17%) extremities, respectively. Four patients (8%) had significant stenoses (>50%) or occlusion of all three infrapopliteal arteries. Eighty-one percent of the patients would have completed the short protocol had we scanned the peroneal artery initially. An additional 8% would have required scanning of a second vessel (anterior tibial) and only 11%, scanning of all three infrapopliteal vessels. The time interval for completion of short-protocol DA was significantly less than the time for the standard DA (16.2 Â± 5.2Â min vs. 35.1 Â± 10.6 min) (p < 0.01). We believe that the proposed short DA protocol combined with intraoperative graft pressure measurements can be used in 94% of the patients who have a patent popliteal artery (â‰¥7Â cm). It is a totally noninvasive approach that is particularly suitable for vascular technologists and surgeons who wish to start utilizing DA instead of contrast arteriography prior to infrainguinal reconstructions. However, the short protocol does not avert the need for completion arteriography of the inflow arteries and readiness to perform endovascular procedures to correct lesions not suspected by common femoral artery waveform analysis.
Scorpionate-supported models of nickel-dependent superoxide dismutase

Abstract Ligation of nickel(II) by Trofimenko’s hydrotris(3,5-dimethyl-1-pyrazolyl)borate anion (Tp Me,Me ) and zwitterionic organoxanthate or dithiocarbamate co-ligands affords neutral high-spin pentacoordinate complexes with formally trianionic N 3 S 2 ligand fields, similar to that of the nickel-dependent superoxide dismutase active site. Given this analogy to NiSOD, the structure, dynamics, and redox properties of the product complexes were examined. X-ray structures revealed rotation of the dithioacid chelates against the scorpionate face, giving coordination geometries between square pyramidal and trigonal bipyramidal limits. The complexes accordingly adopt paramagnetic ( S = 1) d 8 electron configurations, but magnetic susceptibilities suggest partial isomerization to a diamagnetic state in solution. The complexes also exhibit quasi-reversible one-electron redox couples at potentials suitable for SOD activity.
Degradation of Fatigue Properties of Weld-Bonded Aluminum Exposed to Moisture and Elevated Temperature

Abstract Experiments have been completed in order to characterize the fatigue behavior of weld-bonded aluminum 5754-O/bis-phenol-A epoxy adhesive joints subjected to 100% relative humidity at 38°C. It was found that the presence of water vapor at elevated temperature decreases the fatigue strength of weld-bonded joints by as much as 33% at 5 × 106 cycles. Optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, dynamic mechanical analysis, and tensile testing of fatigued specimens and exposed bulk adhesive revealed that fatigue strength degradation is mainly due to the plasticization and micro-cracking of adhesive by the water vapor.
Entropy measures for biological signal analyses

Entropies are among the most popular and promising complexity measures for biological signal analyses. Various types of entropy measures exist, including Shannon entropy, Kolmogorov entropy, approximate entropy (ApEn), sample entropy (SampEn), multiscale entropy (MSE), and so on. A fundamental question is which entropy should be chosen for a specific biological application. To solve this issue, we focus on scaling laws of different entropy measures and introduce an ensemble forecasting framework to find the connections among them. One critical component of the ensemble forecasting framework is the scale-dependent Lyapunov exponent (SDLE), whose scaling behavior is found to be the richest among all the entropy measures. In fact, SDLE contains all the essential information of other entropy measures, and can act as a unifying multiscale complexity measure. Furthermore, SDLE has a unique scale separation property to aptly deal with nonstationarity and characterize high-dimensional and intermittent chaos. Therefore, SDLE can often be the first choice for exploratory studies in biology. The effectiveness of SDLE and the ensemble forecasting framework is illustrated by considering epileptic seizure detection from EEG.
A Web assurance services model of trust for B2C e-commerce

Abstract This study proposes and tests a model of trust in the context of Web assurance services for business-to-consumer (B2C) electronic commerce (e-commerce). Development of the model is important because many consumers are hesitant to engage in e-commerce transactions due to a lack of trust with businesses. Various providers have offered Web assurance services as a means to help companies address concerns among consumers associated with B2C e-commerce. Implicitly, these services are intended to bolster trust, which in turn, should improve outcomes such as online purchases. The results show that Web assurance services create trust both through the assurances they attest to and their individual provider attributes. The formation of trust is important, as it is shown to influence various outcomes, including consumers' willingness to purchase products. Additionally, both assurances and provider attributes have some residual effect on outcomes beyond that shown through the formation of trust.
Numerical simulation of supersonic inlets using a three-dimensional viscous flow analysis

A three dimensional fully viscous computer analysis was evaluated to determine its usefulness in the design of supersonic inlets. This procedure takes advantage of physical approximations to limit the high computer time and storage associated with complete Navier-Stokes solutions. Computed results are presented for a Mach 3.0 supersonic inlet with bleed and a Mach 7.4 hypersonic inlet. Good agreement was obtained between theory and data for both inlets. Results of a mesh sensitivity study are also shown.
Copper Differentially Regulates the Activity and Degradation of Yeast Mac1 Transcription Factor

Copper is an essential metal ion that is toxic when accumulated to high intracellular concentrations. The yeast Mac1 protein is a copper-sensing transcription factor that is essential for both the activation and inactivation of genes required for high affinity copper ion transport. Here we demonstrate that in response to low copper ion concentrations Mac1 protein is rendered inactive for copper transporter gene transcription. Under high copper ion concentrations Mac1 is degraded in a rapid, copper-specific manner. This degradation is critical to prevent copper toxicity that would otherwise result from sustained expression of the copper transport genes. These results demonstrate that nutritional and toxic copper concentrations elicit distinct fates for the Mac1 copper-sensing transcription factor and establish a new mechanism by which trace metals regulate gene expression.
Plural Processes, Patterned Connections

Plural globalizations refer to large-scale processes occurring today at an accelerated pace (due to information and communication technologies) and with extremely uneven effects (due to continuing and new inequalities). Conventional analytical and disciplinary frameworks can neither make adequate sense of, nor effectively politicize, these developments. The quantitatively large scales and qualitatively novel changes require new orientations. This essay draws on critical, interpretive, feminist perspectives to propose conceptual innovations and a cross-disciplinary framework for analyzing globalizations. The alternative framing moves beyond a narrow definition of economics to identify and integrate reproductive, productive, and virtual economies (understood in a Foucauldian sense as systemic sites through and across which power opcratcs). The new framing brings the concepts and practices of ‘social reproduction’, non-wage labor, and informalization into relation with the familiar but increasingly global, f...
Transcriptome analysis of "Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum" in its psyllid vector, Bactericera cockerelli.

“Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum” (Lso) is an emergent pathogen of carrots in Europe and solanaceous plants in North and Central America and New Zealand. This bacterium is closely related to other pathogenic Candidatus Liberibacter spp., all vectored by psyllids. In order to understand the molecular interaction of this pathogen and its psyllid vector, Bactericera cockerelli, Illumina sequencing of psyllid harboring Lso was performed to determine if this approach could be used to assess the bacterial transcriptome in this association. Prior to sequencing, psyllid RNA was purified and insect and bacterial rRNA were removed. Mapping of reads to Lso genome revealed that over 92% of the bacterial genes were expressed in the vector, and that the COG categories Translation and Post-translational modification, protein turnover, chaperone functions were the most expressed functional categories. Expression levels of selected Lso genes were confirmed by RT-qPCR. The transcriptomic analysis also helped correct Lso genome annotation by identifying the expression of genes that were not predicted in the genome sequencing effort.
Monophosphoryl lipid A enhances specific CTL induction by a soluble protein antigen entrapped in liposomes

Exogenous soluble antigen loaded in membranous vehicles including splenocytes and liposomes can induce a CD8+ cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) response in mice. Plain liposomes of simple composition, however, are not as effective as cellular vehicles such as splenocytes. In the present study it is shown that incorporation of monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL), a semisynthetic bacterial adjuvant, into liposomes enhanced the ability of liposomal ovalbumin (OVA) to prime for a specific CTL response. With the MPL formulation, the minimal antigen dose required for a detectable CTL induction was reduced about fivefold, and this approximated the required minimal dose of OVA loaded in the splenocytes. Moreover, liposomes containing MPL could induce a considerable level of CTL activity by either an intravenous, intramuscular or subcutaneous immunization protocol, whereas liposomes without MPL could only elicit such a response by an intravenous injection route. Subcutaneous injection of a mixture of liposomes containing MPL and liposomes containing antigen also elicited specific CTL activity. However, simultaneous subcutaneous administration of liposomal MPL and liposomal OVA at two distant sites did not prime the mice for a CTL response. These results indicate that MPL, although not necessarily incorporated in the same liposomes, must be in close proximity to the antigen to exert its adjuvant activity. Based on the results of this model antigen study, it is suggested that an optimal CTL inductive vaccine should include immunomodulatory adjuvant in addition to a class I pathway delivery vehicle such as liposomes.
Identification and Comparison of Differences in Antigens in Two Commercially Available Soybean Protein Isolates

Two commercially available soybean protein isolates were compared with regard to their allergenicity and their subcomponent differences. Isolate (A) is used in commercially prepared liquid infant formulas and isolate (B) in powdered infant formulas. Sera from four children with soy protein hypersensitivity and from five infants with soy protein-induced enterocolitis were used for in vitro testing. ELISA results show that specific IgE and IgG antibodies to isolate (A) were significantly higher than to isolate (B) in all groups. In SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, isolate (A) has bands representing the subunits of 7S (B-conglycinin) and the acidic and basic subunits of 11S; isolate (B) had only much smaller molecular weight compounds. Thus, there may be a difference in the allergenicity of liquid and powdered infant formulas.
Temporal resolving power of spin echo and gradient echo fMRI at 3T with apparent diffusion coefficient compartmentalization.

The temporal resolving power of blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at 3T was investigated in the visual and auditory cortices of the human brain. By using controlled temporal delays and selective visual hemifield stimulation, regions with similar (left vs. right occipital cortex) and different (occipital cortex vs. auditory cortex) vascular architectures were compared. Estimates of the time-to-peak (TTP) of the BOLD hemodynamic response function (hrf) were obtained using a spin echo (SE) sequence and compared to those acquired using a traditional gradient echo (GE) sequence. The hrf TTP in the visual cortex was found to be 4.73 s and 4.21 s for GE and SE, respectively. The auditory cortex response was significantly delayed, with TTPs of 4.95 s and 4.51 s for GE and SE, respectively. The GE response was able to resolve visual stimuli separated by 250 ms, whereas SE could resolve stimuli 500 ms apart. Apparent-diffusion-coefficient (ADC) compartmentalization of the BOLD signal was applied to restrict the vascular sensitivity of the SE and GE sequences. Limiting the response to voxels with ADCs < 0.8 × 10−3 mm2/s improved the temporal resolving power of GE and SE BOLD to 125 ms and 250 ms, respectively. Hum Brain Mapp 25:247–258, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Two Native American Near-Death Experiences.

H. R. Schoolcraft recorded two tales he heard from Chippewas in Michigan during the 1820s which exemplify two types of near-death experiences (NDE). The first tale has autoscopic, as well as specif...
The plasma polymerization of vinyl monomers. I. The design, construction, and operation of an inductively coupled plasma generator and preliminary studies with nine monomers

An apparatus was constructed which would allow vinyl-type monomers (and others) to polymerize at ambient temperatures in the presence of an inductively coupled RF field. The details of the construction of the system are reported along with preliminary results obtained from nine monomers: styrene, methylvinyldichlorosilane, vinyl acetate, acrylonitrile, vinyl fluoride, 1,1-difluoroethylene, vinyl chloride, ethylene, and 1,3-butadiene.
Lexical knowledge in anterior and posterior aphasics

Abstract A semantic categorization task was used to assess the structure of lexical knowledge in anterior and posterior aphasics. In general responses were faster for typical category members than for atypical ones and slower for semantically related nonmembers than for unrelated ones. Both groups performed at a high level of accuracy when classifying typical category members and semantically unrelated nonmembers. Their performance diverged at the category boundary. Anterior aphasics maintained relatively high levels of accuracy when classifying atypical category members and semantically related nonmembers while posterior aphasics did not. These results point to differences in the status of lexical knowledge for anterior and posterior aphasics.
Anomalous index contrast due to point source illumination in scanning optical microscopy

Using a point source formed by the sub-wavelength aperture of a near-field scanning optical microscope tip, we examine anomalies in the image contrast arising from the use of point source illumination as opposed to the more common collimated light geometry. For samples with predominately spatial index variations, the image contrast obtained using a point source is the reverse of what is normally expected from collimated light illumination at normal incidence. The point source image contrast is unusually large and has a strong dependence on the numerical aperture of the collection optics. We compare the measured contrast across two adjoining glasses of slightly different indices with the result of a two-dimensional model, and find that refraction at the index change boundary is the primary reason for the anomalous contrast.
State Regulation of Religion and Radicalism in the Post-Communist Muslim Republics

Analysis of state regulation of Islam in post-communist states shows that tolerant policies are associated with lower levels of religious radicalism, whereas restrictive policies appear to exacerbate the level of extremism.
Platelet-activating factor priming of inflammatory cell activity requires cellular adherence.

Abstract Background. Platelet-activating factor (PAF) primes tissue-fixed inflammatory cells, but has no effect on circulating cells. Adherence of inflammatory cells leads to cytoskeletal reorganization, which is essential for optimal inflammatory function. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether cellular adherence plays a role in PAF priming of inflammatory cells. Methods. Differentiated THP-1 cells were maintained under adherent and nonadherent conditions. Selected cells were pretreated with PAF, followed by endotoxin stimulation. Cellular and nuclear proteins were analyzed by Western blot for components of the Toll-like receptor-mediated signaling cascade. Cytokine analysis was performed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results. Endotoxin led to activation of interleukin (IL)-1-associated kinase, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 and p38, and nuclear translocation of nuclear factor-kappaB, all of which were significantly enhanced by previous cellular adherence. PAF led to priming only under adherent conditions, demonstrated by increased IL-1-associated kinase and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 activity; nuclear factor-kappaB translocation; and IL-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor-α production over non-PAF-treated cells. PAF had no significant effect on p38 activity or IL-10 production under any condition. Conclusions. PAF primes mononuclear cells by increasing Toll-mediated signaling only under adherent conditions. This, therefore, would limit PAF-induced priming in vivo to foci of stimulated adherent inflammatory cells with little effect systemically on circulating cells. (Surgery 2002;132:157-66.)
Effects of Polyimide Pyrolysis Conditions on Carbon Molecular Sieve Membrane Properties

In previous research, carbon molecular sieve (CMS) membranes for gas separations have been produced using either a vacuum pyrolysis or an inert purge pyrolysis technique on a precursor which is often polymeric. This study compares both techniques using the same polyimide precursor material. Additional pyrolysis variables included the type of “inert” purge gas (argon, helium, and carbon dioxide), purge flow rate, and temperature. Vacuum pyrolysis produced more selective but less productive CMS membranes than the inert purge pyrolyzed membranes. “High” purge gas flow rates (i.e., 200 standard cubic centimeters per minute or cm3(STP)/min) produced a much higher permeability, but lower selectivity membrane compared to those produced in a “low” purge flow rate (20 cm3(STP)/min). By raising the pyrolysis temperature from 550 to 800 °C, the effective pore size was reduced, thereby making the CMS membranes more selective but less productive. Mixed gas tests using oxygen/nitrogen and hydrogen/nitrogen mixtures wer...
A method for the in situ measurement of fine root gas exchange of forest trees

A new method is described for measuring in situ carbon dioxide release of fine roots of trees under field conditions. The method was used on Quercus rubra L., Prunus serotina Ehrh. and Acer rubrum L. The system facilitates repeated in situ measurements of gas exchange on roots < 5 mm in diameter living in flexible polyethylene cuvettes. Intact fine roots were excavated and enclosed in the prefabricated cuvettes. The cuvettes were then reburied to their original location. The enclosed root segments were approximately 15 cm long and their dry weights ranged from 0.04 to 3.0 g. Root carbon exchange rates were sampled at the end of the growing season with an open gas exchange system; then the root segments were excised and their gas exchange was remeasured with a different, closed gas exchange system. The measurement with the closed system was repeated after approximately 30 min. Gas exchange rates obtained with the three consecutive measurements corresponded well, although the first measurement with the closed system showed, for all three species, a significantly (P < 0.05) higher rate than the other two measurements.
Laptops as Instructional Tools: Student Perceptions

For six years, a college of health professions at a southern medical university has made student computing an integral component of its academic environment by requiring all residential students to own laptops. While most faculty members have acknowledged that access to a computer is necessary for most students to complete coursework, both faculty members and students have commented that a laptop requirement has its drawbacks. Focus groups, survey, and classroom observation were conducted involving students to examine how laptops have been employed as instructional tools. Results revealed student perceptions of uses, benefits, drawbacks, and ways to improve, and important policy implications are discussed.
Pharmacokinetics of dopamine in critically ill newborn infants.

Dopamine pharmacokinetics was investigated in 14 critically ill newborn infants ranging from 27 to 43 weeks of gestational age and from 0.9 to > 4 kg birth weight. Plasma clearance rate was determined from dopamine levels during controlled infusions under actual clinical conditions. Dopamine was administered in stepwise increasing doses up to 8 μg/kg/min. Dopamine concentration and dopamine clearance rate were determined from duplicate samples drawn during each infusion in each patient. Steady-state plasma dopamine concentrations and plasma clearance rates were observed within 20 minutes at each infusion. Plasma dopamine concentration ranged from 0.5 ng/ml before infusion to almost 70 ng/ml at an infusion rate of 4 to 8 μg/kg/min. There was a linear correlation between infusion rate and plasma dopamine concentration ( r =0.68, p
Rational disposal of chemical weapons

The world's chemical weapons are due to be destroyed within 10 years. How sensible is a radical proposal to destroy Russia's stockpiles by means of underground nuclear explosions?
Analysis and Measurement of Glue-Spall Stresses in Glass-Epoxy Bonds

An approximate analysis is presented of the glue-spall stresses introduced by an organic sealant in the glass substrate to which it adheres. The results given by this analysis are compared with those obtained by the finite element method, as well as with the photoelastic measurements in glass at T=25 to −78°C during cooling. Good agreement is found between theory and experiment, if proper account is taken of the stress release due to creep of the organic sealant. Methods for minimizing glue-spall stresses are outlined.
Comparison of skin changes induced on mice by either group A type 12 or group G streptococci.

Adult Swiss webster mice were injected with 3 x 10(6) colony-forming units (cfu) of group G or 2.5 x 10(6) cfu of group A streptococci at intradermal injection sites on the right and left paralumbar areas of the back. The mice were sacrificed at intervals between 4 hours and 14 days post-injection (p.i.) and full thickness biopsies of skin 10 mm in diameter encompassing the sites of injection were taken. One tissue specimen was homogenized in PBS and plated to determine the number of cfu, while another was used for histopathological studies. The number of viable group A and group G streptococci in the tissue increased to 3 x 10(9) cfu by 96 hours p.i.: after 192 hours p.i. the group A cells had declined to 2.7 x 10(6) cfu compared to 1.1 x 10(8) cfu for group G cells. No streptococci of either group were detected at 336 hours (14 days p.i.). Gross edematous lesions induced by either streptococcus group were evident on all animals at 24 hours (p.i.). Group G streptococci lesions were larger and persisted longer than lesions induced by group A. Histological examination consistently revealed more inflammation and necrosis in tissue sections from mice injected with group G streptococci.
Stimulation of Interarterial Coronary Anastomoses by Experimental Acute Coronary Occlusion

"Hence it sometimes happens that, when the lumen of some artery has been too long obstructed or ligated, the blood busies itself in opening a wider channel for its passage in this vessel, must drive and buffet all the more into the next ones, until it has considerably dilated them to give itself room." The development of interarterial coronary anastomoses may exert a profound influence on the clinical course of angina pectoris, coronary failure, and acute myocardial infarction. Earlier studies have shown that marked narrowing of a coronary artery produces rich intercoronary anastomotic communications. The present study is designed to determine whether acute occlusion of a coronary artery in a previously normal heart also leads to the development of a collateral circulation and what length of time is necessary to establish such a collateral circulation.
Major Structural Break between Paleozoic and Mesozoic Rocks in the Eastern Sierra Nevada, California

A major structural break lies between the Paleozoic and Mesozoic rocks in the eastern Sierra Nevada. Tight folds in the Paleozoic section are overturned to the west and faulted against an apparently downthrown steeply dipping sequence of Mesozoic metavolcanic rocks on the west. This fault is a segment of a large regional high-angle fault that separates the Paleozoic and Mesozoic strata in the eastern Sierra Nevada from the Pine Creek pendant northward approximately 50 mi (80 km) to Mount Dana. The development of this fault preceded the widespread intrusions of the Upper Cretaceous magmas of the John Muir sequence of the Sierra Nevada batholith.
The durability of E-glass/vinyl ester composite materials subjected to environmental conditioning and sustained loading

A series of experiments has been performed to observe the effects of the combination of sustained load, elevated temperature, and moisture on the durability of an E-glass/vinyl ester composite material. This durability is evaluated in terms of the ultimate tensile strength of the material. The results have confirmed that moisture at elevated temperatures reduces the ultimate tensile strength of the material, as reported in previous studies. In these experiments, a sustained load has been applied to samples during the conditioning process and has been found to further reduce the composite durability. Conditioning also decreases the strain to failure, with a greater decrease overall for samples which were loaded during conditioning.
Automated software module reconfiguration through the use of artificial intelligence planning techniques

One important approach to enhancing software re-use is through the creation of large-scale software libraries. By modularising functionality, many complex specialised applications can be built up from smaller reusable general-purpose libraries. Consequently, many large software libraries have been formed for applications such as image processing and data analysis. However, knowing the requirements and formats of each of these routines requires considerable expertise – thus limiting the usage of these libraries to experts. An approach is described to enable novices to use complex software libraries. In this approach, the interactions between, and requirements of, the software modules are represented in a declarative language based on artificial intelligence (AI) planning techniques. The user is then able to specify their goals in terms of this language-designating what they want accomplished, instead of how to do it. The AI planning system then uses this model of the available subroutines to compose a domain specific script to fulfill the user request. Three such systems developed by the Artificial Intelligence Group of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and described. The multimission VICAR planner (MVP) was deployed in 1994 and used to support image processing for science product generation for the Galileo mission. MVP reduced the time for filling certain classes of requests from 4 h to 15 min. The automated SAR image processing system (ASIP) was deployed in 1996 to the Department of Geology at Arizona State University to support aeolian science analysis of synthetic aperture radar images. ASIP reduces the number of manual inputs in science product generation tenfold. Finally, the DPLAN system reconfigures software modules that control complex antenna hardware in configuring antennas to support a wide range of tracks for NASA's Deep Space Network of communications and radio science antennas.
Procatalysts for carbenoid transformations

Treatment of (CO)5WC(OMe)Ph with diazo compounds in the presence of alkenes provides a convenient methodology for the generation of an active catalyst for cyclopropanation.
Cerebral blood flow after treatment with ORG-2766, a potent analog of ACTH 4--9.

Abstract Regional cerebral blood flows (rCBF) were measured in conscious, male rats at 10, 30, 60 min and 24 hr after intravenous administration of a potent, behaviorally active analog of ACTH/MSH 4–9 (ORG-2766). Flows in the basal ganglia, hippocampus, septal area and frontal cortex were depressed significantly throughout the 60 min postinjection period. Hypothalamic and parietal flows were depressed at 10 and 30 min, but recovered by 60 min, whereas flow to the cerebellum was depressed between 30 and 60 min postinjection. The least changed and therefore relatively better perfused area throughout the first 60 min period was the occipital cortex. By contrast, at 24 hr, when perfusion of all brain regions had returned to near control levels, flow to the occipital cortex was elevated. During the first hour after treatment with either ORG-2766 or αMSH the patterns of regional circulation in the brain were qualitatively the same. The data suggest that ORG-2766 and, probably, αMSH trigger serially linked neurophysiologic changes in the brain lasting at least 24 hr, which organize the behavioral actions of this class of peptides on memory and attentional processes.