cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identification of opiate receptor binding in intact animals.

After intravenous administration of 3H-naloxone to rats, particulate bound radioactivity accumulated in the brain is selectively associated with opiate receptor binding sites, providing a means of labeling the opiate receptor in vivo. The regional distribution of 3H-naloxone bound in vivo closely parallels regional differences in opiate receptor binding in vitro with highest levels in the corpus striatum, negligible receptor-associated binding in the cerebellum and intermediate levels in other regions. 3H-Naloxone binding in vivo is saturable with the same total number of binding sites determined in vivo as by in vitro procedures. Nalorphine is markedly more potent than morphine in inhibiting 3H-naloxone binding in vivo and non-opiates are ineffective. The half-life for dissociation of 3H-naloxone bound to particles in vivo is the same as its dissociation rate after binding occurs in vitro, and sodium stabilizes 3H-naloxone bound in vivo from initial rapid dissociation as predicted from the known properties of the opiate receptor in vitro.
The Outbreak of Cryptococcus gattii in Western North America: Epidemiology and Clinical Issues

Over the previous decade, we observed the emergence of the fungal pathogen, Cryptococcus gattii, as a cause of disease in humans and animals in a temperate climate. This outbreak, first documented on Vancouver Island, has since expanded throughout Western North America, with non–travel-associated cases now in British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California. Additionally, a secondary outbreak, originating in and still restricted to Oregon, has also occurred. During the past several years, several studies detailing molecular typing, virulence, antifungal susceptibilities, epidemiology, and clinical issues have been published. These studies begin to address the complex dynamics of this novel emergence of a rare and fatal fungus, outline clinical characteristics of human cases, and also opened several new areas that should be explored in the upcoming years.
Grafting the knowledge community: The purposes of verse in the Breviari d’amor of Matfre Ermengaud

Together with its companion piece, Francesca M. Nicholson’s ‹Branches of Knowledge: The Purposes of Citation in the Breviari d’amor of Matfre Ermengaud’, this article deploys the image of the grafted tree, used by Matfre Ermengaud to describe the structure of his remarkable encyclopaedia, to explore Matfre’s reliance on poetry to transmit and shape knowledge. Concentrating on the opening of the Breviari, this article asks why, when Matfre also has recourse to the expository power of prose and images, he should prefer to compose the major part of his work in verse. Verse, it appears, is identified with the vernacular, with the community of lovers and poets for whom Matfre is writing, and with the faithful transmission of what, unbeknownst to them, they already know: their capacity for love which gives them community with God. The vernacular verse book both celebrates community and conjures it into being. The relation of scion to root in the grafted tree is a way of figuring the way all are bound into unity with knowledge, but not necessarily in the same way or at the same time.
Influence of flooring type during transport and holding on bacteria recovery from broiler carcass rinses before and after defeathering

Abstract Four trials were conducted to determine whether conventional solid or elevated wire mesh flooring, during transport and holding of broilers prior to slaughter, influenced the number of bacteria recovered from feathered and defeathered carcasses. After 4 h off feed, 7-wk-old broilers were placed at commercial density into a modified commercial transport dump-coop on either fiberglass sheeting or 2.54×2.54 cm wire mesh flooring that allowed feces to fall through. Broilers were transported for 1 h and then held for 13 h under a covered shed before processing. Broilers were killed by electrocution, and the vents were plugged to prevent escape of feces. External carcass rinses were obtained twice (from the same carcass) from eight broilers per flooring treatment per trial, before scalding and defeathering and again after defeathering and removal of the head and feet. Greater numbers of total aerobes, coliforms, and Escherichia coli were recovered from feathered carcasses than from defeathered carcasses. Campylobacter count was also less for defeathered than feathered carcasses from the solid flooring treatment but did not significantly decrease following defeathering of carcasses from the wire flooring. The incidence of Campylobacter-positive carcasses was reduced following defeathering for both flooring treatments, but the percentage of Salmonellae-positive carcasses remained constant. Coliform (log10 6.20 vs. 5.63 cfu/mL of rinse) and E. coli (log10 5.93 vs. 5.36) counts in the feathered rinses were significantly higher for the solid flooring compared with wire flooring, respectively. After defeathering, the number of coliforms (log10 3.12) and E. coli (log10 2.91) recovered did not differ between flooring treatments. Aerobic plate count (log10 7.06 and 4.02), Campylobacter count (log10 2.49 and 1.80), and the incidence of Campylobacter-positive (44 and 11%) and Salmonellae-positive (52 and 50%) carcasses for feathered and defeathered rinses, respectively, did not differ between flooring treatments. These results indicate that although broilers transported and held on solid flooring had noticeably dirtier breast feathers and higher coliform and E. coli counts prior to scalding and defeathering, bacteria recovery from external carcass rinses did not differ between the solid and wire flooring treatments after defeathering.
Carry-free models and beyond

The generalized deterministic models recently proposed by Niesen and Maddah-Ali [1] successfully capture real-interference alignment as observed in Gaussian models. Simpler deterministic models, like ADT models [2], cannot demonstrate this phenomenon because they are limited in the set of channel gains they can model. This paper reinterprets the Niesen and Maddah-Ali models through the lens of carry-free operations. We further explore these carry-free models by considering i.i.d. unknown fading networks. In the unknown fading context, a carry-free model can be further simplified to a max-superposition model, where signals are superposed by a nonlinear max operation. Unlike in relay-networks with known fading and linear superposition, we find that decode-and-forward can perform arbitrarily better than compress-and-forward in max-superposition relay networks with unknown fading.
Observed electronic transitions of hexahelicene

Abstract The near ultraviolet absorption spectrum, the total emission spectrum, and the triplet-triplet absorption spectrum of hexahelicene were measured. A low intensity band (of the type 1 L b ), which exists on the long-wavelength side of the absorption spectrum, is considered in relation to the position of the fluorescence band and the observed high quantum yield of phosphorescence. The presence of the upper state of the 1 L b band as the lowest excited singlet state affords a favorable situation for enhanced intersystem-crossing, resulting in excellent conditions for measuring triplet-triplet absorption. Other factors which may affect the rate of intersystem-crossing are discussed. The absorption and emission properties of hexahelicene are considered with respect to the nonplanarity of the molecule.
The Life History and Nymphal Generic Character Development of Sweltsa adamantea Surdick (Plecoptera; Chloroperlidae) in an Oregon Summer-Dry Headwater Stream

ABSTRACT This is only the second report of the life history, and first on ontogenic nymphal development, for any of the 22 western species of North American Sweltsa. Concurrent monthly collections of nymphs, with bi-weekly collections of adults from emergence traps, from an intermittent Oregon stream over 10 years yielded an interesting assemblage of stoneflies, including Sweltsa adamantea with no congeners. Adults were taken from emergence traps from 2001 to 2007, and the head-capsule widths of 1,159 nymphs from 1999 to 2007 collections were individually measured. Counts of antennal and cereal segments, windpad presence and backward projecting length, presence of dark, thoracic sternocoxal hairs ( a diagnostic character in late instar Sweltsa), diameter of compound eyes, general presence and length of body hairs, and sexual dimorphism were determined for 68 nymphs representing an array of 0.27 to 1.86mm head capsule widths from 2004 to 2007 collections. Eggs were studied and photographed with SEM. The li...
Progesterone and 5α-reduced metabolites: Facilitation of lordosis behavior and brain uptake in female hamsters

Ovariectomized, estrogen-primed female hamsters were tested for receptivity following injection of progesterone, 5 α -pregnan-3,20-dione (5-DHP), or 3 α -hydroxy-5 α -pregnan-20-one (3-5-P) in doses of 0.5, 1.2, or 2.4 mg. Progesterone facilitated lordosis behavior at all dosages. 5-DHP facilitated receptivity only at the highest dosage, and 3-5-P was totally ineffective in stimulating receptivity. In a second experiment, ovariectomized, estrogen-primed female hamsters received injections of either [ 3 H] progesterone or [ 3 H] 5-DHP. The accumulation of radioactivity in brain samples following [ 3 H] 5-DHP administration was only 17–45% of that found after[ 3 H]progesterone injection. However, chromatographic analysis revealed that [ 3 H]5-DHP levels were 64–105% of [ 3 H] progesterone brain levels. It was concluded that 5 α -reduction is not an important metabolic step in progesterone facilitation of receptivity in hamsters.
Parity and time-reversal symmetry breaking, singular solutions, and Fresnel surfaces.

The method of exterior differential systems is applied to the problem of finding propagating singular solutions to Maxwell's equations. Fresnel ray and wave surfaces are computed for systems that are not restricted to the topology imposed by the symmetries of the Lorentz transformations. The methods distinguish the measurable polarization phase differences between global behavior in optically active and Faraday media. In addition, an example is presented for which time-reversal and parity symmetries are broken: the inbound polarization states propagate with speeds different from the outbound polarization states.
Relative spectral change and formant transitions as cues to labial and alveolar place of articulation

The perceptual salience of relative spectral change [Lahiri et al., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 76, 391–404 (1984)] and formant transitions as cues to labial and alveolar/dental place of articulation was assessed in a conflicting cue paradigm. The prototype stimuli were produced by two English speakers. The stimuli with conflicting cues to place of articulation were created by altering the spectra of the signals so that the change in spectral energy from signal onset to voicing onset specified one place of articulation while the formant transitions specified the other place of articulation. Listeners’ identification of these stimuli was determined principally by the information from formant transitions. This outcome provides no support for the view that the relative spectral change is a significant perceptual cue to stop consonant place of articulation.
Procedural coordination and offshored software tasks: Lessons from two case studies

This paper presents two case studies of offshored software tasks. The success of such tasks is critically dependent on managing an inherent interdependence between onshore and offshore teams. In one case study, both teams belong to the vendor organization, while in the other they are affiliated respectively with client and vendor. It is shown that that interdependence is best addressed through procedural coordination, which entails two complementary strategies. The first consists of carefully specifying and partitioning tasks, and the second of implementing integration mechanisms to bridge communication gaps. Despite contextual differences, the two case studies offer common lessons.
Automatic verification of control system implementations

Software implementations of controllers for physical subsystems form the core of many modern safety-critical systems such as aircraft flight control and automotive engine control. A fundamental property of such implementations is stability, the guarantee that the physical plant converges to a desired behavior under the actions of the controller. We present a methodology and a tool to perform automated static analysis of embedded controller code for stability of the controlled physical system.The design of controllers for physical systems provides not only the controllers but also mathematical proofs of their stability under idealized mathematical models. Unfortunately, since these models do not capture most of the implementation details, it is not always clear if the stability properties are retained by the software implementation, either because of software bugs, or because of imprecisions arising from fixed-precision arithmetic or timing.Our methodology is based on the following separation of concerns. First, we analyze the controller mathematical models to derive bounds on the implementation errors that can be tolerated while still guaranteeing stability. Second, we automatically analyze the controller software to check if the maximal implementation error is within the tolerance bound computed in the first step.We have implemented this methodology in Costan, a tool to check stability for controller implementations. Using Costan, we analyzed a set of control examples whose mathematical models are given in Matlab/Simulink and whose C implementation is generated using Real-Time Workshop. Unlike previous static analysis research, which has focused on proving low-level runtime properties such as absence of buffer overruns or arithmetic overflows, our technique combines analysis of the mathematical controller models and automated analysis of source code to guarantee application-level stability properties.
Question answering on the semantic Web

Question answering on the Web is moving beyond the stage where users simply type a query and retrieve a ranked ordering of appropriate Web pages. Users and analysts want targeted answers to their questions without extraneous information. These answers might contain information from current and authoritative sources, terms with the same meaning as those used in the query, relevant links such as justifications, follow-up questions fitting the context, and provenance information. Next-generation question-answering systems might also provide better querying support. This could include identifying whether questions are incoherent and therefore can't be answered, too general and would retrieve too many answers, or over constrained and would retrieve few if any answers. We present a spectrum of techniques for improving question answering and discuss their potential uses and impact.
AN OPTIMAL‐CONTROL APPROACH TO STABILISING AUSTRALIAN WOOL PRICES*

In this paper, some aspects of the application of optimalâcontrol techniques to wool industry price stabilisation are considered. It is not intended to provide a blueprint for the immediate adoption of optimalâcontrol techniques in the management of wool price stablisation. Rather, the contribution is to the developmental and evaluative process involved in considering these techniques. A new econometric model of wool price and supply is also presented, since none of the existing models satisfied the requirements of the study.
Prediction of wound healing in human diabetic foot ulcers by diffuse near‐infrared spectroscopy: A pilot study

A human study was conducted in which the efficacy of in vivo diffuse near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy was demonstrated in predicting wound healing in diabetic foot ulcers. Sixteen chronic diabetic wounds were followed and assessed for subsurface oxy-hemoglobin concentration using the NIR device. Weekly measurements were conducted until there was wound closure, limb amputation, or 20 completed visits without healing. Digital photography measured wound size, and the degree of wound contraction was compared with the NIR results. In the 16 patients followed, seven wounds healed, six limbs were amputated, and three wounds remained opened after 20 visits. The initial values in subsurface hemoglobin concentration in all wounds were higher than the nonwound control sites. Healed wounds showed a consistent reduction of hemoglobin concentration several weeks before closure that approached control site values. In wounds that did not heal or resulted in amputation of the limb, the hemoglobin concentration remained elevated. In some cases, these nonhealing wounds appeared to be improving clinically. A negative slope for the rate of change of hemoglobin concentration was indicative of healing across all wounds. In conclusion, evaluation of wounds using NIR may provide an effective measurement of wound healing. NIR spectroscopy can determine wound healing earlier than that visibly assessed by current clinical approaches.
Business Process Improvement: Empirical Assessment and Extensions

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to survey and analyze current process improvement (PI) approaches, their empirical results reported in the literature, and develop accordingly a conceptual framework and implementation guidelines.Design/methodology/approach – A literature review of the popular business database to search for case studies and empirical research on PI methods was conducted. The empirical evidence on success and failure factors were inferred and tabulated. Based on synthesis of the lessons learned from this empirical evidence along with concepts drawn from economics, and operations management, a conceptual framework is developed.Findings – It was found that the framework would serve as a diagnostic tool for identification of, and recovering from root causes of problems and inefficiencies faced in business environments. The framework proposed synthesizes and extends earlier PI tools and basic approaches used for mitigating disruptions faced in operations practice. The framework design co...
Reactivity of AlnC clusters with oxygen: search for new magic clusters

Abstract Theoretical electronic structure studies of the geometries, binding energies and electron affinities of anionic and neutral Al n C ( n =1–8) clusters are carried out to understand the recent experiments on the reactivity of Al n C clusters with oxygen. Our studies, based on an all-electron gradient-corrected density-functional formalism, show that anionic clusters where the total energy required to remove an electron and an Al atom is less than 5.7 eV, react with O 2 molecules. An Al 7 C − cluster observed as a stable species in these experiments has a high electron affinity and may be an ideal choice for cluster-assembled materials.
Taking Counterfeits out of the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain in Nigeria: Leveraging Multilayer Mitigation Approach

In today's global marketplace, no pharmaceutical supply chain is immune to the risk of counterfeit pharmaceuticals. Preventing the infiltration of counterfeit pharmaceuticals into the legitimate pharmaceutical supply chains is an important issue of public health debate. It is an important public health issue because of patient welfare and expanding healthcare costs. As a result, pharmaceutical firms are under intense media and public scrutiny to secure their supply chains. Mitigating risk of counterfeit and compromised pharmaceuticals demands pharmaceutical supply chains that are secured and resilient. Although counterfeit and compromised pharmaceuticals are found in both developing and developed countries, they are more prevalent in Nigeria. To reverse this trend and close the weak links in the supply chains of legitimate pharmaceuticals requires developing effective partnerships and multilayered measures. Indeed, safeguarding the integrity of pharmaceuticals and their distribution is not only a matter o...
Knowledge and perceptions of family leave policies among female faculty in academic medicine.

Abstract Objective The purpose of this research was to examine the knowledge and perceptions of family leave policies and practices among senior leaders including American Association of Medical College members of the Group on Women in Medicine and Science (GWIMS) to identify perceived barriers to career success and satisfaction among female faculty. Methods In 2011 and 2012, GWIMS representatives and senior leaders at 24 medical schools were invited to participate in an interview about faculty perceptions of gender equity and overall institutional climate. An inductive, thematic analysis of the qualitative data was conducted to identify themes represented in participant responses. The research team read and reviewed institutional family leave policies for concordance with key informant descriptions. Findings There were 22 GWIMS representatives and senior leaders in the final sample. Participants were all female; 18 (82%) were full professors with the remainder being associate professors. Compared with publicly available policies at each institution, the knowledge of nine participants was consistent with policies, was discrepant for six, with the remaining seven acknowledging a lack of knowledge of policies. Four major themes were identified from the interview data: 1) Framing family leave as a personal issue undermines its effect on female faculty success; 2) poor communication of policies impairs access and affects organizational climate; 3) discrepancies in leave implementation disadvantage certain faculty in terms of time and pay; and 4) leave policies are valued and directly related to academic productivity. Conclusions Family leave policies are an important aspect of faculty satisfaction and academic success, yet policy awareness among senior leaders is lacking. Further organizational support is needed to promote equitable policy creation and implementation to support women in medical academia.
Challenges in Developing Geriatric Field Education in Social Work

Abstract In this paper we examine The Geriatric Rotational Education & Training (GREAT) Project, funded by The John A. Hartford Foundation. Created as a bi-regional consortium located in Central and Northern parts of one state, the project was designed to expose social work students to the diversity among older persons, the complexity of their health care issues, and the continuity of care. Consortium members included the state's Geriatric Education Center (GEC), 12 organizations recognized for leadership in geriatric care, and the Institute for Social Services Training Activities (ISSTA). Lessons learned in the planning process were: (1) planning for continuity is a major challenge given changes in the current environment; (2) careful assessment of one's existing system prior to project development is crucial; (3) methods for motivating students and receiving their ongoing feedback must be developed; (4) meaningful incentives for field instructors must be identified; (5) insights gained from the emergenc...
Phrenic responses to isocapnic hypoxia in adult rats following perinatal hyperoxia.

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that carotid body-mediated, phrenic nerve responses to hypoxia are attenuated in adult rats that had been previously exposed to perinatal hyperoxia (one month of 60% O2; perinatal treated rats). Integrated phrenic nerve responses to strictly controlled isocapnic hypoxia were measured in urethane-anesthetized, vagotomized, paralyzed and ventilated adult rats 2–5 months after perinatal hyperoxia, before and after bilateral carotid denervation. In untreated control rats, phrenic burst frequency, peak amplitude of integrated phrenic activity and minute phrenic activity increased 21±3 bursts/min (mean±SE), 158±20% and 279±34%, respectively, during hypoxia (50 Torr PaO2). In contrast, phrenic nerve activity increased to a significantly lesser degree in perinatal treated rats (frequency, 12±2 bursts/min; amplitude, 87±13%; minute activity, 150±19%; all P<0.05). Hypoxic phrenic responses were abolished by carotid denervation in both rat groups. In rats exposed to hyperoxia as adults, hypoxic phrenic responses were not attenuated versus untreated control rats. The data indicate that carotid body-mediated, isocapnic hypoxic chemoreflexes are impaired in perinatal treated rats, an effect unique to development. These effects cannot be accounted for by differences in blood gases (O2 or CO2) or pulmonary mechanics.
Orientation dependence of the plastic slip near notches in ductile FCC single crystals

Abstract Results from experiments conducted on copper FCC single crystals are reported. Two symmetric crystallographic orientations and four nonsymmetric crystallographic orientations were tested. The slip line fields that form near a pre-existing notch in these specimens were observed. The changes in these patterns as the orientation of the notch in the crystal is rotated in an {101} plane are discussed. Sectors of similar slip line patterns are identified and the type of boundaries between these sectors are discussed. A type of sector boundary called mixed kink is identified. Specimen orientations that differ by 90° are found to have different slip line patterns, contrary to the predictions of perfectly plastic slip line theory. The locations of the first slip lines to form are compared to the predictions obtained using anisotropic linear elastic stress field solutions and the initial plane-strain yield surfaces. It is found that comparison of these surface slip line fields to plane strain crack tip solutions in the annular region between 350 and 750 μm is justified. The differences in anisotropic elastic solutions for orientations that are 90° apart explain the lack of agreement with perfectly plastic slip line theory.
Caribbean bananas: The macroeconomic impact of trade preference erosion

This article examines the macroeconomic effects of the erosion of trade preferences, with a focus on the export of Caribbean bananas to Europe. Estimates are made of the magnitude of implicit assistance provided over a period of three decades to eastern Caribbean countries through banana trade preferences. The value of such assistance rose until the early 1990s and has declined precipitously since then. Using vector autoregressive analysis, the article finds that changes in the level of implicit assistance have had a considerable macroeconomic impact, especially on Caribbean real gross domestic product growth.
Auditing, hermeneutics, and subjectivity

Abstract I argue that our understanding of auditing as a normatively hermeneutical (interpretative) practice is deformed by the emergence of scientism and technocratic rationality in auditing, and, relatedly, that the auditor's understanding of auditing's judgmental character is displaced by the recent development of and reliance on highly structured audit methodologies. The result is that auditing no longer knows “itself” as a hermeneutical practice, with the further consequence that auditors may lose their capacity for moral and critical reasoning and hence for moral agency with respect to their actions qua auditor. For this claim I draw on Aristotelian arguments about phronesis or practical ethical reasoning about good action. The point is not that there is an earlier Golden Age of auditing to recover, but rather that the auditor's potentiality for realizing “the good” in auditing through phronesis is eroded by the technocratic deformity of practice.
Thoracotomy for repair of left ventricular aneurysm in a patient with patent coronary bypass grafts

A 72-year-old man presented with a posterior left ventricular aneurysm 5 years after undergoing quadruple coronary artery bypass grafting. An angiogram demonstrated patent saphenous vein grafts, but also showed incidental asymptomatic aortic aneurysms. Left ventricular endoaneurysmorrhaphy was performed through a left thoracotomy. This approach affords excellent exposure of a posterior left ventricular aneurysm, averts many of the risks associated with reoperation, and should be considered in patients who have undergone a median sternotomy and who do not require myocardial revascularization.
Fugacity control and dissociation constants of HBr and HI

Two new hydrothermal acid-base buffers have been developed and calibrated. The Ag+AgBr and the Ag+AgI buffers in conjunction with an external hydrogen buffer control the fugacities of HBr and HI respectively at the pressure and temperature of the experiment. Both buffers are much less acid than the Ag+AgCl buffer of Frantz and Eugster (1973). For corresponding conditions, the molalities of HBr and HI are one and three orders of magnitudes smaller respectively than the molality of HC1.
A dynamic relaxation finite-element method for metal forming processes

Abstract Conventional finite-element methods (FEM) used in metal forming processes usually use the stiffness matrix approach. In this paper, a somewhat unconventional FEM program, which involves the modification of a dynamic finite-element program, is used to solve static metal forming problems. The modification is by adding artificial damping terms to a dynamic program DEFEL, which makes the approach equivalent to Dynamic Relaxation (DR) method. The basic dynamic program DEFEL is first described. Then the theory and equations of DR as applied to DEFEL are presented. Example problems of simple upsetting of solid cylinder, ring compression and deep indentation are included. Results are compared with those available from other sources. In addition, impact on a solid cylinder is calculated by the same program, showing that both dynamic and static solutions can be obtained with one computer program.
Detection of focal depth spiking in the scalp EEG of monkeys

Abstract Examination of pen recorded scalp EEGs from rhesus monkeys did not effectively exhibit spike activity which was clearly discernible in recordings from subcortically implanted electrodes. This was most likely attributable to background activity and interference, as well as to the large attenuation and shunting of high frequency activity in the process of transmission from subcortical regions to the scalp. This paper describes the mathematical methods underlying experimental investigations in the design of matched filters as a basis for detecting correlates of spike activity in scalp recordings. The performance of 2 types of digital filters (based on the average time locked potential with 2 different noise assumptions) as detectors of spikes in scalp EEG activity is described and the results obtained are presented.
Literature Review of Interventions for Between-Task Transitioning for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Including Autism Spectrum Disorders

Transitioning between activities or settings may pose great difficulty for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, yet engaging in independent, smooth transitions may be a requisite skill for inclusion in a number of school and community settings. In the current empirical literature review, 32 studies that focused on teaching independent transitioning skills or decreasing challenging behavior in the context of transitions were examined. Studies were divided into two general categories: (a) decreasing challenging behavior and (b) teaching independent transitions. Each general category was then divided into subcategories: antecedent- or consequence-based strategies. The goals of this review were to determine what interventions are most prevalent and effective in the current literature base, identify the extent to which effects are maintained and generalized, and suggest directions for future research.
Efforts to elevate EPA to cabinet level raise concerns

Congressional efforts to elevate the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to presidential cabinet level ran into some opposition during a September 21 hearing of the House of Representatives' Subcommittee on Energy Policy, Natural Resources, and Regulatory Affairs. While House Science Committee Chair Sherwood Boehlert (R-N.Y) testified in favor of a “clean” bill that does not get bogged down with potentially controversial amendments, others said that legislation elevating the $7.5-billion-a-year agency should include requirements for the EPA to improve substantively its operations in several areas, such as its use of sound science and economic analyses.
Cortical Development, Electroencephalogram Rhythms, and the Sleep/Wake Cycle

During adulthood, electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings are used to distinguish wake, non-rapid eye movement sleep, and rapid eye movement sleep states. The close association between behavioral states and EEG rhythms is reached late during development, after birth in humans and by the end of the second postnatal week in rats and mice. This critical time is also when cortical activity switches from a discontinuous to a continuous pattern. We review the major cellular and network changes that can account for this transition. After this close link is established, new evidence suggests that the slow waves of non-rapid eye movement sleep may function as markers to track cortical development. However, before the EEG can be used to identify behavioral states, two distinct sleep phases--quiet sleep and active sleep--are identified based on behavioral criteria and muscle activity. During this early phase of development, cortical activity is far from being disorganized, despite the presence of long periods of neuronal silence and the poor modulation by behavioral states. Specific EEG patterns, such as spindle bursts and gamma oscillations, have been identified very early on and are believed to play a significant role in the refinement of brain circuits. Because most early EEG patterns do not map to a specific behavioral state, their contribution to the presumptive role of sleep in brain maturation remains to be established and should be a major focus for future research.
Differences between sinistrals' and dextrals' ability to infer a whole from its parts: a failure to replicate.

Abstract We attempted to replicate the study reported by N EBES [9] which suggested that sinistrals and dextrals differ in perceptual abilities. Three samples of university students totalling 102 subjects were administered Nebes' arc-circle test, in which subjects are asked to examine an arc with their fingers and identify to which of 3 circles the arc belongs. In all three studies we failed to find the differences, predicted by Nebes, between the ability of our sinistral and dextral subjects. Furthermore, the performance on the task did not depend on the mode of response (pointing to vs naming of the correct circle).
DaVinci robot-assisted transcervical excision of a parapharyngeal space tumor

Neoplastic processes in the parapharyngeal space represent less than 1% of all head and neck tumors. Due to the complexity, deep location and surrounding vital structures of the parapharyngeal space, resection of tumors from this area can prove challenging. There are a number of surgical approaches traditionally used to access the parapharyngeal space; the choice is dictated by the size of the tumor, its location, its relationship to the great vessels, and suspicion of malignancy. We describe our innovative surgical technique employing DaVinci robot-assisted transcervical excision of a parapharyngeal space tumor. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report of this surgical technique.
Does climate or habitat affect the frequency of cooperative brood rearing in Canada geese

Canada geese (Branta canadensis) are unusual because individuals use either of two different brood-rearing behaviors: cooperative broods (two or more merged broods attended by more than three parents) or two-parent families. We tested whether cooperative broods form in response to habitat or climatic conditions by examining variation in cooperative brood frequencies among Canada geese nesting in Connecticut from 1982 to 1996. Percent of goslings raised in cooperative broods ranged from 0 to 100% at a given site in different years, but the pattern of annual variation was different at each site. The sites were in close proximity to each other and had similar climates; thus, the differences in annual variation among sites was not likely to be a response to climatic conditions. Cooperative brood frequencies also varied among sites in each individual year, but sites with the most gang brooding in one year often had the least the next. Such would not be expected if gang brooding occurred in response to non-ephemeral habitat characteristics. Sites where gang brooding occurred and where it did not have similar food resources and predation risks. These findings failed to support the hypotheses that gang broods form in response to food competition or predation. Sites where gang broods occurred had more parent geese and more goslings than sites where they did not occur. Furthermore, the proportion of goslings raised in gang broods was correlated with the number of goslings and parents at the site. Our results support the hypothesis that gang broods form from the inadvertent mixing of goslings. This single factor, however, was not sufficient to account for all of the observed variation in gang brooding frequencies.
The Cyberknife Stereotactic Radiosurgery System: Description Installation, and an Initial Evaluation of Use and Functionality

The CyberKnife Stereotactic Radiosurgery System is manufactured by Accuray, Inc. (570 Del Rey Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 94085; telephone 1-888/522-3740 or 1-408/522-3740; http://www.accuray.com). It is currently available for purchase (capital cost of US $3.2 million plus US $0.5 to 0.75 million for site setup), or in a revenue-sharing plan (US $0.5 to 0.75 million setup cost). [Figure: see text].
Cyclic AMP raises cytosolic Ca2+ and promotes Ca2+ influx in a clonal pancreatic β-cell line (HIT T-15)

The effect on cytosolic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) of cAMP analogues and the adenylate cyclase-stimulating agents forskolin, isoproterenol and glucagon has been examined in an insulin-secreting β-cell line (HIT T-15) using fura 2. All these manipulations of the cAMP messenger system promoted a rise in [Ca2+]i which was blocked by the Ca2+ channel antagonists verapamil and nifedipine or by removal of extracellular Ca2+. The action of the adenylate cyclase activator forskolin was glucose-dependent. The results suggest that cAMP elevates [Ca2+]i in HIT cells by promoting Ca2+ entry through voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels, not through mobilization of stored Ca2+. Activation of Ca2+ influx may be an important component of the mechanisms by which cAMP potentiates fuel-induced insulin release.
Metallic spherules in tektites from isabela, philippine islands

Iron-nickel spherules, as much as 0.5 mm in diameter, have been found completely embedded in some philippinites. The spherules consist mainly of kamacite with unidentified pink inclusions. The meteoritic origin of these spherules seems reasonable, suggesting that the tektites containing them were formed by asteroidal or meteoritic impact.
The physical state of the LDL core influences the conformation of apolipoprotein B-100 on the lipoprotein surface

We assessed the influence of temperature on the secondary structure of apolipoprotein B-100 (apoB) in normal low-density lipoprotein (N-LDL) and triglyceride-rich LDL (T-LDL). Gradual heating from 7°C to the phase-transition temperature of the lipoprotein core (∼28°C and ∼15°C for N-LDL and T-LDL, respectively) gradually altered the secondary structure of apoB, while further heating from the phase-transition temperature to 45°C had no additional effect. Above the phase-transition temperature of the core, the apoBs of N-LDL and T-LDL had a similar secondary structure. These results indicate that the conformation of apoB on the LDL surface depends strongly on the physical state of the lipoprotein core, and less on the lipid composition of the core per se.
FORUM UNINFORMATIVE BOOTSTRAPPING

Abstract The effect of uninformative characters on the “significance levels” obtained by bootstrapping in cladistic analysis is investigated empirically. Twenty-eight data sets from Platnick's benchmarks are analysed with Siddall's Random Cladistics bootstrapping module and Farris' Hennig86 program, using 1000 replicates and exact calculations. Contrary to the assurances of Harshman, inclusion of autapomorphies in a matrix commonly leads to a loss of “significance”.
Momentum relaxation of 2D electron gas due to near-surface acoustic phonon scattering☆

This study addresses the effect of proximity of a quantum well to a stress-free surface of the semiconductor heterostructure on the momentum relaxation rate of two-dimensional electrons interacting with acoustic phonons via piezoelectric and deformation potentials. The results obtained demonstrate that for narrow quantum wells placed close to the surface the relaxation rate at low temperatures (Bloch–Gruneisen regime) is changed considerably in comparison with that of a two-dimensional electron gas placed in a bulk of semiconductor. For the temperatures where the piezoelectric potential interaction dominates over the deformation potential interaction, the near-surface relaxation rate is enhanced in the case of a semiconductor–vacuum system and is suppressed in the case of the surface covered by a thin metal film. The temperature dependence of the near-surface momentum relaxation rate is found to be Tα for values of T far below the Bloch–Gruneisen temperature. For a semiconductor–vacuum system, α=3 and 5 for piezoelectric and deformation potential scattering, respectively; for a semiconductor–metal system, α=5 for both mechanisms. It is predicted that screening changes the temperature dependences of momentum relaxation rates: for a semiconductor–vacuum system, α=5 and 7 for piezoelectric and deformation potential scattering, respectively. Screening does not change α in the case of metal–semiconductor system.
GERMINATION ECOPHYSIOLOGY OF HYDROPHYLLUM APPENDICULATUM, A MESIC FOREST BIENNIAL

In north central Kentucky, seeds of the mesic forest biennial Hydrophyllum appentliculatum .Michx., are innately dormant at maturity in June. Under natunl and simulated seasonal temperature changes, dormancy break occurred in two stages. Root dormancy was broken by high summer temperatures, and shoot dormancy was broken by low winter temperatures. Consequently, roots emerged from seeds during autumn, and cotyledons emerged the following spring. A 90-day warm (30/15 C) stratification treatment broke root dormancy, but the roots emerged only after transfer to lower temperatures. After the warm stratification treatment, roots emerged from 93, 73, 6 and 9% of the seeds incubated at 5, 15/6, 20/10 and 30/15 C (12/12 hr), respectively. Zero, 28, 56 and 84 days of cold (5 C) stratification of seeds with emerged roots resulted in 9, 21, 49 and 82% cotyledon emergence, respectively, at 20/10 C. Thus, H. appendiculatum exhibits a type of morpho-physiological dormancy known as epicotyl dormancy. Although many seeds germinate the first year, others remain dormant and germinate in successive years until the fourth season after ripening.
Long-term annealing of a radiation-hardened 1.0 micron bulk CMOS process

Data are reported on the degradation of transistor parameters due to a high-dose-rate irradiation (300 rad(Si)/s) followed an anneal cycle. The parametric data were selected to quantify the loss in drive performance as well as leakage due to the parasitic components. Transistors were annealed at 250 degrees C and 100 degrees C. The recovery of the device parametrics for the n-channel transistors did not show a significant rebound problem. The p-channel transistors did show a small recovery, but became stable after approximately 100 h of annealing. The rate of recovery for the n-channel threshold voltage as a function of anneal temperature was modeled. There are two recovery mechanisms that influence the shape of the recovery curve: (1) electron tunneling into the trapped positive charge, which dominates during the first 1000 h and follows a logarithmic relationship with time; and (2) interface state buildup, which becomes the dominant mechanism during the remainder of the anneal cycle and follows a linear relationship with time. >
Expression of Endothelin 1 and Its Receptors in the Hypoxic Pregnant Rat

Endothelin 1 (EDN1) plays a primary role in the pathophysiology of hypoxia-induced fetal growth restriction in the rat. In this study we evaluated the effects of chronic maternal hypoxia on the expression of endothelin and its receptors and on receptor binding activity in the uterus and placenta of the rat, in order to elucidate their roles in hypoxia-induced fetal growth restriction. Timed-pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were maintained in either a normoxic or a normobaric hypoxic (12% O2) atmosphere from Gestational Days 18–21. Uterine and placental tissues collected on Gestational Day 21 were assayed for Edn1, Ednra, and Ednrb (endothelin receptors) mRNA expression by real-time quantitative RT-PCR, for localization of EDN1 and its receptors by immunohistochemistry, for EDNRA and EDNRB protein expression by Western blot, and for receptor binding activity by homologous competitive binding assays. EDN1 mRNA expression was significantly increased in the hypoxic placenta, but not in the uterus, compared with normoxic controls. Immunohistochemistry revealed increased EDN1 specifically in the labyrinth of the placenta. Receptor mRNA levels were not significantly affected by hypoxia, but EDNRA protein expression was significantly decreased specifically in the uterine placental beds. Receptor binding decreased significantly in response to hypoxia in all tissues investigated, compared with controls. These results suggest that chronic maternal hypoxia results in increased expression of EDN1 in the placenta but not in the uterus, and that reduced binding activity, rather than regulation of receptor expression, is a mechanism by which these tissues regulate the local hemodynamic response to increased endogenous placental EDN1 in the setting of hypoxia.
A Comment on Qi et al.: An Estimation of Radiobiological Parameters for Head-and-Neck and the Clinical Implications. Cancers, 2012, 4, 566-580.

Important results were shown as cell survival points in the two panels of the figure which is reproduced in this Comment letter. A curve was fitted assuming the mono-exponential recovery half-time of 17 ± 21 minutes. The wide error limits indicate that this fit is not very good, but the notable feature of both panels is that the last four points are clearly continuing to rise, above the “fitted” curve. This indicates that there is a second, slower, component of repair or recovery and this Comment explores constructively the implications of that additional discovery.
Dermatologic therapy : 1990

This article reviews significant therapeutic advances that have been reported in the English-language literature during 1990. Readers should review the original article in full before attempting any new experimental or controversial therapy.