cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Possibility of the Universality of Regge Trajectory Slopes

It is shown that all Regge trajectories share some universal properties in their slopes if it is required that scattering amplitudes have no essential singularities at nonsense, wrong-signature values of the angular momentum, and if some technical assumptions are valid.
PHOTOCOPY SERVICES IN LIBRARIES

Self‐service photocopying is a subject largely neglected by the library community despite its importance to library operations and library users. The extant literature is small and scattered. A comprehensive overview is presented in order to bring together disparate sources of information and to introduce the reader to the managerial complexities of self‐directed photocopy services. It includes a discussion of organizational approaches, financial considerations, statistical reporting, equipment, access modalities, user surveys, and copyright.
A forty‐five year investigation for secular changes in physical maturation

In a stable, economically- and educationally-privileged population of 180 subjects observed from birth to beyond the period of maximum growth in height, no secular changes toward larger size or earlier adolescence were observed between the earlier-born and later-born boys or girls of the Child Research Council study series. The mid-birthdate for the 45 years of data collection was January 1, 1940 for the girls and May 1, 1936 for the boys. With none of the mean differences significant at the 0.05 level of confidence, the earlier-born subjects were both slightly taller and heavier from birth and, for the girls, adolescence was slightly earlier. Forty pairs of like-sexed siblings were included in the data. Coefficients of correlation were statistically significant for birthweight and menarcheal ages for the sisters and for height and weight at the age of maximum increment of growth in height for both sexes. In 12 of the 16 pairs of sisters, the older menstruated at an earlier age than the younger.
A simple, non-invasive method for the measurement of gas flow velocities in the inductively coupled plasma

Abstract Gas flow velocity critically affects the stability and analytical performance of an inductively coupled plasma (ICP), however, because now velocity has heretofore been difficult to measure, it has not been routinely used as a parameter in optimization or diagnostic procedures. This paper presents a simple technique in which velocities are determined by spectroscopic tracking of inhomogeneities in the analyte atom emission of a normally operating ICP over a known spatial interval. With this method the flow velocity in the central channel of the ICP can be measured with good precision and accuracy. The effects of intermediate, outer, and nebulizer gas flows and of power on flow velocity were investigated using this method. These paraments were varied to encompass most conditions under which the ICP is usually operated. Velocities were measurable between approximately 1 mm and 42 mm above the load coil (ALC). The spatial limits of measurability by this method are dependent on the conditions under which the ICP is operated.
Characterization of the major phosphoprotein and its kinase on the surface of the rat adipocyte.

Abstract Intact rat fat cells exposed to 12.5 μM [γ-32P]ATP incorporate label into specific proteins within minutes. By solubilizing the reaction mixture with SDS which by passes the subcellular fractionation steps, the labeled proteins can be identified in autoradiographs of SDS-PAGE gels. The most prominently labeled protein has an Mr of 42 000. Localization of this component to the cell surface can be made on the basis of inhibition of phosphorylation by addition of a protein derived from the rat brain with protein kinase inhibitory property, susceptibility of the phosphorylated protein to tryptic digestion, whereas the unphosphorylated protein is unaffected by digestion with trypsin (15 min), inhibition of phosphorylation of this protein after brief exposure to melittin, and the consistent observation that more label is associated with the 42 000 Mr band in homogenates and permeabilized cells than in comparable numbers of intact cells exposed to the same amount of label. A 42 000 Mr phosphoprotein is also present in mitochondria which is most likely the a subunit of pyruvate dehydrogenase. To rule out the possibility that the cell surface protein might be a mitochondrial contaminant from broken cells, 32Pi-labeled and [γ-32P]ATP-labeled cells were solubilized with Triton and chromatographed on a rabbit anti-pyruvate dehydrogenase antibody-Sepharose 4B column. A single labeled peak was detected upon elution of the bound fraction only in the 32Pi-labeled sample, and not in the [γ-32P]ATP-labeled sample. Subcellular fractionation studies of intact cells labeled with [γ-32P]ATP showed differences in the recovery of phosphoproteins of 42 000 Mr depending on whether a continuous sucrose gradient (27.6–54.1%, g/ml) or a discontinuous sucrose gradient (16, 35 and 48%, g/ml) was used. Phosphoproteins of 42 000 Mr were located in the mitochondrial and membrane fractions collected by discontinuous sucrose gradient separation, whereas a phosphoprotein of 42 000 Mr was found primarily in the mitochondrial fraction after continuous sucrose gradient separation. By 5′-nucleotidase activity measurements, the latter approach appears to result in the isolation of a heavy fragment of the plasma membrane with the mitochondrial light fraction which is 42 000 in Mr and labeled. Finally, comparison of the autoradiographs of two-dimensional (2D) gels (isoelectric focusing followed by 10% SDS-PAGE) show different isoelectric points for 42 000 Mr components in [γ-32P]ATP- and 32Pi-labeled cells. These and other experiments support the likelihood that phosphoproteins of 42 000 Mr are present at two sites in the intact rat fat cell, the cell surface and at an intracellular site, most likely the mitochondria.
Neonatal Catch Up Growth Increases Diabetes Susceptibility But Improves Behavioral and Cardiovascular Outcomes of Low Birth Weight Male Mice

Premature infants are at increased risk for persistent growth failure, neurodevelopmental impairment, hypertension, and diabetes. Rapid neonatal growth has been linked to the increasing prevalence of diabetes and obesity. Nutritional goals for the premature infant with incipient growth failure have thus become a source of controversy. We used isogenic mice with natural variation in perinatal growth to test the hypothesis that neonatal catch up growth improves the neurobehavioral and cardiovascular outcomes of low-birth weight mice, despite an increase in diabetes susceptibility. Adult mice that experienced prenatal and neonatal growth restriction had persistent growth failure, hypertension, and neurobehavioral alterations. When switched from standard rodent chow to a hypercaloric diet, growth restricted mice were protected from diet-induced obesity. Among low-birth weight male mice, neonatal catch up growth normalized neurobehavioral and cardiovascular phenotypes, but led to insulin resistance and high fat diet-induced diabetes. Among low-birth weight female mice, neonatal catch up growth did not prevent the development of adult hypertension and significantly increased measures of anxiety, including self-injury and the avoidance of open spaces. These studies support the importance of the perinatal environment in the resetting of adult disease susceptibility and suggest an earlier window of vulnerability among growth restricted female mice.
Magnetic field dependence of ultrasound velocity in high-Tc superconductors.

The magnetic field dependence of ultrasound velocity in the superconductor ${\mathrm{La}}_{1.8}$${\mathrm{Sr}}_{0.2}$${\mathrm{CuO}}_{4\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{y}}$ is studied. The sound velocity anomaly near ${T}_{c}$ is shown to be unambiguously related to superconductivity. Below ${T}_{c}$, the sound velocity is found to be sensitive to the dynamics of a pinned flux lattice. A combination of sound velocity and magnetization measurements suggests three regimes of pinning behavior. A generic pinning ``phase diagram'' is obtained in the superconducting state. An anomalous peak effect in the magnetization is also observed at intermediate field strengths.
Bayesian game-theoretic modelling of uplink power determination in uniform, self-organising network

A Bayesian game-theoretic model is applied to the problem of transmit power determination in the uplink of a self-organising CDMA cellular network with uniformly-distributed terminals. The existence of a Bayesian Nash equilibrium is shown and simulation results confirm only slight performance degradation compared to a fully centralised approach.
Effects of divalent cations and sodium taurocholate on pancreatic lipase activity with gum arabic-emulsified tributyrylglycerol substrates

Abstract The effects of Ca2+ and/or sodium taurocholate on lipase activity with gum arabic-emulsified tributyrylglycerol substrates were investigated. Calcium was found to slightly increase lipase activity while bile salts showed marked inhibition except at very low concentrations. Calcium eliminated inhibition seen with low concentrations of bile salts and reduced the inhibition seen at higher bile salt concentrations. Calcium was also effective in eliminating the optimal pH shift of the enzyme from the alkaline region in the absence of bile salt to the slightly acidic region in the presence of bile salt. Calcium was shown to eliminate the time lag periods between enzyme addition and maximum rate of hydrolysis seen at low substrate concentrations and the time lag noted when bile salts were included with normal (substrate concentration not limiting) assay concentrations of substrate. Zeta potential measurements indicated that Ca2+ reduced the negative charge on the gum arabic-emulsified particle while bile salts did not increase the negative charge. Commercial preparations of gum arabic were found to have significant concentrations of Ca2+ and Mg2+.
Differences in Regolith Weathering History at an Acid and Neutral Saline Lake on the Archean Yilgarn Craton and Implications for Acid Brine Evolution

Abstract The Yilgarn Craton of Western Australia is composed of Archean basement, a variety of discontinuous Cenozoic sedimentary rocks, and thousands of ephemeral saline lakes. Many of these lakes have extreme chemistry, with pH values down to ~ 1.5. Previous workers have suggested that the regionally acidic groundwater that feeds these lakes has reached its unusually low pH as the result of long-term continental denudation and may be a characteristic of late-stage continental weathering and may have been important in the geologic past. However, it is difficult to evaluate the relationship between weathering history and fluid chemistry. Here, we use mineralogy, major oxide geochemistry, and trace element geochemistry to compare the weathering histories of rocks preserved in drill cores from below two saline lakes in this region—one acid (Prado Lake, pH ~ 3) and one neutral (Gastropod Lake, pH ~ 7). The cores preserve a combination of relatively unweathered basement, weathered saprolite, detrital sediments, and authigenic precipitates. Geochemical and mineralogical data show that while extreme chemical weathering has occurred at both sites there are significant differences between the two systems that may explain the difference in modern surface chemistry. The regolith below the neutral Gastropod Lake is overall more highly weathered than at the acidic Prado Lake, although the Prado Lake core material transitions through a greater gradient from less weathered to more highly weathered material up the core. The Prado Lake core includes several meters of paleodrainage fill sediments on top of the weathered regolith, which may have provided a rejuvenated source of reactive surfaces to locally generate acidity with further chemical weathering in a system already lacking buffering capacity. In contrast, there is only a thin veneer of detrital sediments, which appear to have been sourced from proximal high weathered Archean basement, within the Gastropod Lake core. The influence of the modern acid saline lake water and groundwater is reflected in the mineralogy and geochemistry of the regolith, which no doubt complicates simple interpretations of geochemical records and weathering indices. This study reveals new insight about the range of processes that have influenced the Yilgarn Craton, one of the oldest intact pieces of Archean crust in the world.
A BIOLOGIST'S PERSPECTIVE ON THE FUTURE OF THE SCIENCE‐RELIGION DIALOGUE IN THE TWENTY‐FIRST CENTURY

. In recent issues of Zygon, numerous reflections have been published commenting on where the field of science-and-religion has been, where it presently stands, and where it should move in the future. These reflections touch on the importance of the dialogue and raise questions as to what audience the dialogue addresses and whom it should address. Some scholars see the dialogue as prospering, while others point out that much work needs to be done to make the dialogue more accessible to a larger audience and more successful at tackling the provocative questions before us. Other academics view the questions themselves as needing further consideration and focus before answers to them can even be explored. In this article I provide a general overview of these essays by outlining some general categories of thought that seem to emerge from the contributors. I then present some of my own opinions concerning the future of the science-religion field and emphasize that the dialogue, in addition to its traditional roles, must further the philosophical framework that can aid humanity in resolving the most pressing global concerns of our time.
DRL performance in 6-hydroxydopamine-treated rats.

Abstract Adult rats were given intraventricular injections of 6-hydroxydopamine (6-HDA) or saline-ascorbate vehicle prior to exposure to a differential-reinforcement-of-low-rate (DRL) 18-sec schedule of water reinforcement. The 6-HDA treatment did not alter the acquisition or maintenance of DRL performance despite large depletions of dopamine and norepinephrine in brain. The 6-HDA treatment completely blocked the response rate-increasing effects of amphetamine but did not alter the rate-decreasing effects of amphetamine on DRL performance. These findings suggest that 6-HDA-treated rats are able to respond to the contingencies necessary to maintain reinforcement on a DRL schedule.
D-3He fusion Report on the First Wisconsin Symposium held at Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America, 21-22 August 1990

The Fusion Technology Institute of the University of Wisconsin initiated and sponsored a symposium on D-3He fusion systems, held at Madison, WI. The purpose of the symposium was to bring together a small group (there were 18 invited participants at the meeting) of knowledgeable researchers to discuss the present status of thinking on such systems.
Synaptic structure and function in transgenic APP mice.

: Efforts using transgenic mice are being made to understand the molecular and structural basis for dementia in Alzheimer's disease. Transgenic mice 12 to 18 months of age with amyloid plaques and impaired cognition show no neuronal or synaptic loss in the CA1 hippocampal subfield. Electrophysiological studies may yield new insights.
Identification of an Arabidopsis Feruloyl-Coenzyme A Transferase Required for Suberin Synthesis

All plants produce suberin, a lipophilic barrier of the cell wall that controls water and solute fluxes and restricts pathogen infection. It is often described as a heteropolymer comprised of polyaliphatic and polyaromatic domains. Major monomers include ω-hydroxy and α,ω-dicarboxylic fatty acids, glycerol, and ferulate. No genes have yet been identified for the aromatic suberin pathway. Here we demonstrate that Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) gene AT5G41040, a member of the BAHD family of acyltransferases, is essential for incorporation of ferulate into suberin. In Arabidopsis plants transformed with the AT5G41040 promoter:YFP fusion, reporter expression is localized to cell layers undergoing suberization. Knockout mutants of AT5G41040 show almost complete elimination of suberin-associated ester-linked ferulate. However, the classic lamellar structure of suberin in root periderm of at5g41040 is not disrupted. The reduction in ferulate in at5g41040-knockout seeds is associated with an approximate stoichiometric decrease in aliphatic monomers containing ω-hydroxyl groups. Recombinant AT5G41040p catalyzed acyl transfer from feruloyl-coenzyme A to ω-hydroxyfatty acids and fatty alcohols, demonstrating that the gene encodes a feruloyl transferase. CYP86B1, a cytochrome P450 monooxygenase gene whose transcript levels correlate with AT5G41040 expression, was also investigated. Knockouts and overexpression confirmed CYP86B1 as an oxidase required for the biosynthesis of very-long-chain saturated α,ω-bifunctional aliphatic monomers in suberin. The seed suberin composition of cyp86b1 knockout was surprisingly dominated by unsubstituted fatty acids that are incapable of polymeric linkages. Together, these results challenge our current view of suberin structure by questioning both the function of ester-linked ferulate as an essential component and the existence of an extended aliphatic polyester.
14-Desoxy Analogues of Naltrindole and 7-Spiroindanyloxymorphone: The Role of the 14-Hydroxy Group at δ Opioid Receptors

The 14-hydroxy group is known to increase the antagonist potency of mu-selective opioid ligands. To investigate the role of this group at the delta opioid receptor, the 14-desoxy analogues (7 and 9) of the delta-selective ligands, naltrindole (1, NTI) and spiroindanyloxymorphone (2, SIOM), have been synthesized and tested. The in vitro pharmacologic activities of 7 and 9 suggest that the 14-hydroxy group plays an important role in determining the delta selectivity and potency of NTI and SIOM.
Mannose-6-Phosphate, an Inhibitor of Transforming Growth Factor-β, Improves Range of Motion After Flexor Tendon Repair

Background: Adhesion formation between the flexor tendon and its surrounding fibro-osseous sheath results in a decreased postoperative range of motion in the hand. Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) is a key cytokine in the pathogenesis of tissue fibrosis. In this study, the effects of two natural inhibitors of TGF-β, decorin and mannose-6-phosphate, were investigated in vitro and in vivo. Methods: In the in vitro investigation, primary cell cultures from rabbit flexor tendon sheath, epitenon, and endotenon were established and each was supplemented with TGF-β along with increasing doses of decorin or mannose-6-phosphate. Collagen-I production was measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). For the in vivo study, rabbit zone-II flexor tendons were transected and then immediately repaired. Single intraoperative graded doses of decorin, mannose-6-phosphate, or phosphate-buffered saline solution (control) were added to the repair sites, and the forepaws were tested for the range of motion and repair strength at eight weeks postoperatively. Results: Decorin and mannose-6-phosphate both reduced TGF-β upregulated collagen production. Intraoperative application of low-dose mannose-6-phosphate significantly improved the range of motion of the operatively treated digits. The effect on breaking strength of the tendon repair was inconclusive. Conclusions: Mannose-6-phosphate is effective in reducing TGF-β upregulated collagen production in an in vitro model. This finding correlated with our in vivo finding that a single intraoperative dose of mannose-6-phosphate improved the postoperative range of motion. Clinical Relevance: Mannose-6-phosphate is ubiquitous, nonimmunogenic, and easily produced, making it an ideal candidate for clinical application to reduce adhesion formation after flexor tendon repair.
Adaptation, Translation, Critique

Translation theory advances thinking about film adaptation by enabling a more rigorous critical methodology. The relation between such second-order creations and their source materials is not communicative but hermeneutic, depending on the translator's or filmmaker's application of an interpretant. The hermeneutic relation can be seen not only as interpretive, fixing the form and meaning of the source materials, but as interrogative, exposing the cultural and social conditions of those materials and of the translation or adaptation that has processed them. The critic in turn applies an interpretant, whether a critical methodology or specific interpretation, to formulate the hermeneutic relation and its interrogative effects.
Transcatheter Embolization for the Treatment of Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Over the past 20 years, the treatment of upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) that is refractory to endoscopic treatment has been revolutionized by transcatheter embolization. Embolization techniques have evolved with the use of microcatheters and new embolic materials. The majority of patients are successfully treated by minimally invasive techniques and can avoid having surgery.
THE FERTILIZATION CANAL IN PLODIA INTERPUNCTELLA (HÜBNER) (PYRALIDAE: LEPIDOPTERA)

The spermathecal duct of Plodia interpunctella (Hubner) was studied with light and transmission electron microscopy. The lumen in the duct is enclosed by a thin chitinous wall that has a thicker band that spirals along the length of the duct. The thick spiral band pinches off part of the lumen and creates a smaller canal, which it encloses. Although the two canals are not separated, the duct appears to have a double lumen. The thin wall of the main canal provides a flexibility in which the lumen widens or narrows concomitantly with contractions of the spermatheca and the portion of the duct adjoining the spermatheca. Sperm is transferred from the spermatheca to the vestibulum where the egg is fertilized. The distention of the canal and contractions of the spermatheca thus account for the speed at which eggs are fertilized and deposited.
Social constructivism and the process‐content distinction as viewed by Vygotsky and the pragmatists

In a recent article in this journal, Stetsenko and Arievitch compared and contrasted 3 versions of social constructivism, all of which successfully deal with one vexing epistemological problem, the separation of mind and world. However, solutions offered by the first 2 approaches are problematic, according to the authors, because of the way they treat the subject‐object issue. On this score, Gal'perin's (1989) brand of post‐Vygotskianism is preferred because it manages to retain the individual while externalizing the mind. As I point out in this article, all 3 approaches fail when it comes to solving a third, equally intractable problem—the process versus content dualism. In the last part of the article, I present a promising solution to all 3 problems first proposed by Peirce and Dewey and later embraced by Lev Vygotsky in the last years of his life.
A044: An improved hyperglycemic agent

Abstract A diazoxide derivative, coded as A044, has been studied in vivo and in vitro and compared to diazoxide in several of its effects. A044 proved to be as hyperglycemic as diazoxide in rats and dogs, but less hypotensive and antidiuretic. It also differs from diazoxide in that it does not modify the basal levels of serum catecholamines. A044 inhibits insulin secretion in the dog in vivo and in the isolated perfused pancreas of the rat in vitro. The latter effect is reversed by an equimolecular dose of tolbutamide. This hyperglycemic compound may prove more useful than diazoxide in the treatment of some hypoglycemic states.
Investigation of anti-hyaluronidase treatment on vocal fold wound healing.

Summary Phytochemical constituents of medicinal plants demonstrate inhibition of tissue and bacterial hyaluronidase. Echinacoside is a caffeoyl conjugate of Echinacea with known anti-hyaluronidase properties. The purpose of this study was to investigate the wound healing effects of Echinacea on vocal fold wound healing and functional voice outcomes. Pig animal model. Methods: Vocal fold injury was induced in 18 pigs by unilateral vocal fold stripping. The uninjured vocal fold served as control. Three groups of six pigs randomly received a topical application of 300, 600, or 1200 mg of standardized Echinacea on the injured side. Animals were euthanized after 3, 10, and 15 days of wound healing. Phonation threshold pressure and vocal economy measurements were obtained from excised larynges. Treatment outcomes were examined by comparing the animals receiving treatment with a set of 19 untreated and 5 historical controls. Treatment effects on wound healing were evaluated by histologic staining for hyaluronan and collagen. Treated larynges revealed improved vocal economy and phonation threshold pressure compared with untreated larynges. Histologically, treated vocal folds revealed stable hyaluronan content and no significant accumulation of collagen compared with control. Findings provide a favorable outcome of anti-hyaluronidase treatment on acute vocal fold wound healing and functional measures of voice.
Hepatic expression of mature transforming growth factor beta 1 in transgenic mice results in multiple tissue lesions.

Abstract Aberrant expression of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) has been implicated in a number of disease processes, particularly those involving fibrotic and inflammatory lesions. To determine the in vivo effects of overexpression of TGF-beta 1 on the function and structure of hepatic as well as extrahepatic tissues, transgenic mice were generated containing a fusion gene (Alb/TGF-beta 1) consisting of modified porcine TGF-beta 1 cDNA under the control of the regulatory elements of the mouse albumin gene. Five transgenic lines were developed, all of which expressed the Alb/TGF-beta 1 transgene selectively in hepatocytes. The transgenic line 25 expressing the highest level of the transgene in the liver also had high (> 10-fold over control) plasma levels of TGF-beta 1. Hepatic fibrosis and apoptotic death of hepatocytes developed in all the transgenic lines but was more pronounced in line 25. The fibrotic process was characterized by deposition of collagen around individual hepatocytes and within the space of Disse in a radiating linear pattern. Several extrahepatic lesions developed in line 25, including glomerulonephritis and renal failure, arteritis and myocarditis, as well as atrophic changes in pancreas and testis. The results from this transgenic model strongly support the proposed etiological role for TGF-beta 1 in a variety of fibrotic and inflammatory disorders. The transgenic model may also provide an appropriate paradigm for testing therapeutic interventions aimed at neutralizing the detrimental effects of this important cytokine.
Cervical spine injury in young children: a National Trauma Data Bank review.

Abstract Background Blunt cervical spine injury (CSI) is rare in the pediatric population. The objective of this study was to better characterize the incidence and type of CSI in young children (age Methods The National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB) was reviewed for the period January 2001 to December 2005 for patients younger than 3 years of age with a blunt CSI ( International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision , 805×, 806×, 952×). Demographic, injury, and outcome information were reviewed. Data management was performed using SAS (SAS, Cary, NC) and Stata (Stata Corp, College Station, TX). Patients with CSI were compared to patients without CSI of similar age. Means were compared with the Wilcoxon rank sum test, medians were compared with a nonparametric test, and count data were compared with the χ 2 test, with significance set at Results For the period of review, 95,654 young children (age P P = .007) or be admitted to the intensive care unit (45.3% vs 16.9%; P Conclusions In this trauma center population, these findings confirm the infrequency of blunt CSI in the youngest (age
Cholinergic innervation in the developing chick cloaca and colorectum

Abstract Purpose Acetylcholine is the major excitatory neurotransmitter involved in intestinal contraction and therefore plays a pivotal role in normal gastrointestinal motility. Acetylcholinesterase (AchE) is an enzyme involved in hydrolysing acetylcholine during its metabolism. The AchE histochemistry can therefore be used to label acetylcholine-positive nerve cells and fibres, giving an overview of cholinergic innervation in the gut. Persistent cloaca is the most common anorectal malformation seen in female infants. The normal avian embryo contains a cloaca, reminiscent to the human malformation, which acts as a collecting chamber into which the digestive, urinary, and reproductive tracts merge. The aim of our study was to investigate cholinergic innervation in the chick embryo cloaca and colorectum at various stages of development. Methods Chick embryos were harvested at embryonic days 12 (E12), E14, E16, and E18. The colorectum and cloaca were removed from each embryo and frozen. Frozen transverse sections were then cut and AchE histochemistry was performed. The AchE staining was evaluated and graded using light microscopy. Results Results of our study show that acetylcholine is increasingly expressed in the chick embryo cloaca and colorectum from E12 to E18, with a stronger expression in the colorectum at each stage. The AchE-positive ganglia and fibres were evident in the submucosal and myenteric plexuses at all stages in both the cloaca and the colorectum. Ganglia size was seen to increase with age, and there was a notable increase in the amount of AchE-positive nerve fibres. Conclusion Results show an increase in cholinergic innervation in both the cloaca and colorectum during development. As acetylcholine is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the enteric nervous system, this study provides us with valuable information regarding the regional differences in the development of cholinergic innervation of the embryonic hindgut.
Trabecular Bone Architecture in the Distal Radius Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Subjects with Fractures of the Proximal Femur

To determine whether magnetic resonance (MR)-derived measures of trabecular bone architecture in the distal radius are predictive for prevalent hip fractures, 20 subjects with hip fractures and 19 age-matched postmenopausal controls were studied. Bone mineral density (BMD) measures at the hip (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, DXA) and the distal radius (peripheral quantitative computed tomography, pQCT) were also obtained. We compared the MR-based structural measures derived in the radius with those in the calcaneus of the same patients. In the radius, images were acquired at an in-plane resolution of 156 μm and a slice thickness of 0.5 mm. Stereologic measures such as the apparent trabecular thickness (app. Tb.Th), fractional trabecular bone volume (app. BV/TV), trabecular spacing (app. Tb.Sp) and trabecular number (app. Tb.N) were derived from the images. Measures of app. Tb.Sp and app. Tb.N in the distal radius showed significant (p<0.05) differences between the two groups, as did hip BMD measures. However, radial trabecular BMD measures showed only a marginal difference (p= 0.05). Receiver operating curve analysis was used to determine the diagnostic efficacy of BMD, structural measures and a combination of the two. The area under the curve (AUC) for total hip BMD was 0.73, and for radial trabecular BMD was 0.69. AUC for most of the measures of trabecular bone structure at the distal radius was lower than for hip BMD measures; however, AUC for app. Tb.N at the radius was 0.69, comparable to trabecular BMD using pQCT. The AUC for combined BMD (hip) and structure measures was higher (0.87) when radius and calcaneus structure was included. Measures of trabecular architecture derived from MR images combined with BMD measures improve the discrimination between subjects with hip fractures and normal age-matched controls.
Primary Pleural Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma is a rare neoplasm of vascular endothelial origin. It can develop in any tissue, but it occurs primarily in the soft tissue, liver, and rarely in the lung. Pulmonary epithelioid hemangioendothelioma can present in the thorax in various manifestations. In the typical pulmonary forms, epithelioid hemangioendothelioma presents as either a solitary nodule, or more often as multiple, small nodules. Pulmonary epithelioid hemangioendothelioma involving the pleural space occurs in patients with disseminated disease [1, 2]. We present a case of primary pleural epithelioid hemangioendothelioma.
Narrow band laser excited fluorescence as a probe of the near-resonance vibronic coupling in isoquinoline vapor

Resonance fluorescence from isoquinoline vapor has been generated by using tuned, narrow-band (0.2 cm −1 ) laser excitation to pump each of eight bands in the 3100 A absorption system. The fluorescence spectra, in contrast with the complex vapor absorption spectrum, consist of discrete, open vibrational structure which is analyzed readily. The fluorescence confirms that the 3100 A transition derives from the near-resonance vibronic coupling between two close-lying electronic states: 1 A″(nπ * ); 1 A′(ππ * ). The vibronically tangled spectrum can be understood in terms of a model which emphasizes nearresonance vibronic interactions but also includes certain off-resonance contributions. The fluorescence spectra serve to identify the dominant off-resonance contributions. Fluorescence intensities calculated theoretically are found to match intensities observed in fluorescence from two selectively excited levels, denoted 0 + and 0 − . These two levels are reached via laser excitation of two prominent bands at 31925 and 31983 cm −1 which, together with a third weaker band at 32008 cm −1 , are shown to comprise the electronic origin of the 3100 A absorption system. Fluorescence from each of the eight levels identified their dominant vibronic parentage. Three other less distinct, higher energy absorption features have also been probed with laser excitation. In these cases, fluorescence is broad and congested, indicating that higher vibrational levels in the 1 nπ * − 1 ππ * interaction manifold are severely mixed.
Upgrading educational programs in computer information systems

Business Computer-Based Information Systems have been, and are, continuing to experience rapid change. Current state-of-the art techniques include: (1) "Distributed Processing and Networks," (2) "Real-Time Transaction Processing," (3) "Decision Support Systems," (4) "On-line Data Preparation," (5) "Highly Integrated Application Systems supported by a common base of data," and (6) the ever increasing use of "Database Management Systems." These complex, sophisticated techniques are being employed in business and industry today and demand highly trained, qualified personnel. And yet when we look at educational programs these concepts are usually covered in theory only with few opportunities for application. This lack of application leaves a void in the expertise of most graduates.
A Conjectural Variations Model of Reduced Japanese Milk Price Supports

Conjectural variations are estimated to determine the degree of imperfection in the Japanese milk market. Estimated conjectural variations indicate that the Japanese milk market is imperfectly competitive but is becoming more competitive. Our comparative static analysis indicates that when the milk support price is reduced, the fluid milk price will decline less under the current imperfectly competitive structure than it would under a competitive structure.
Bone mineral density and nutritional status in children with chronic inflammatory bowel disease

Background —Osteoporosis has been reported in adult patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Aims —To evaluate bone mineral density (BMD), nutritional status, and determinants of BMD in children with inflammatory bowel disease. Patients —Fifty five patients (34 boys and 21 girls, age range 4–18) were studied; 22 had Crohn’s disease and 33 ulcerative colitis. Methods —Lumbar spine and total body BMD, and body composition were assessed by dual energy x ray absorptiometry (DXA). Results were expressed as standard deviation scores (SDS). Lean body mass was also assessed by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). Yearly measurements during two years were performed in 21 patients. Results —The mean SDS of lumbar spine BMD and total body BMD were significantly lower than normal (−0.75 and −0.95, both p r =−0.32, p r =0.36, p r =0.98). Conclusions —Children with inflammatory bowel disease have a decreased BMD. Children with Crohn’s disease have a higher risk of developing osteopaenia than children with ulcerative colitis. Corticosteroid therapy and nutritional status are important determinants of BMD in these patients.
Mediators and modulators of pulmonary arterial hypertension

Pulmonary hypertension (PH), defined as a mean pulmonary arterial (PA) pressure of >25 mmHg at rest or >30 mmHg during exercise, is characterized by a progressive and sustained increase in pulmonary vascular resistance that eventually leads to right ventricular failure. Clinically, PH may result from a variety of underlying diseases (Table 1 and Refs. 50, 113, 124). Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) may be familial (FPAH) or sporadic (idiopathic, IPAH), formerly known as primary pulmonary hypertension, i.e., for which there is no demonstrable cause. More often, PAH is due to a variety of identifiable diseases including scleroderma and other collagen disorders, liver disease, human immunodeficiency virus, and the intake of appetite-suppressant drugs such as phentermine and fenfluramine (72). Other, more common, causes of PAH include left ventricular failure (perhaps the most common cause), valvular lesions, chronic pulmonary diseases, sleep-disordered breathing, and prolonged residence at high altitude. This classification, now widely accepted, was first proposed at a meeting in Evian, France, in 1998, and modified in Venice, Italy, in 2003 (124).
On the approximation ratio of k -lookahead auction

We consider the problem of designing a profit-maximizing single-item auction, where the valuations of bidders are correlated. We revisit the k-lookahead auction introduced by Ronen [6] and recently further developed by Dobzinski, Fu and Kleinberg [2]. By a more delicate analysis, we show that the k-lookahead auction can guarantee at least $\frac{e^{1-1/k}}{e^{1-1/k}+1}$ of the optimal revenue, improving the previous best results of $\frac{2k-1}{3k-1}$ in [2]. The 2-lookahead auction is of particular interest since it can be derandomized [2, 5]. Therefore, our result implies a polynomial time deterministic truthful mechanism with a ratio of $\frac{\sqrt{e}}{\sqrt{e}+1}$ ≈ 0.622 for any single-item correlated-bids auction, improving the previous best ratio of 0.6. Interestingly, we can show that our analysis for 2-lookahead is tight. As a byproduct, a theoretical implication of our result is that the gap between the revenues of the optimal deterministically truthful and truthful-in-expectation mechanisms is at most a factor of $\frac{1+\sqrt{e}}{\sqrt{e}}$ . This improves the previous best factor of $\frac{5}{3}$ in [2].
Lean methodology in i.v. medication processes in a children’s hospital

Purpose The impact of lean methodology in i.v. medication processes in a children’s hospital was studied. Methods Medication orders at a children’s hospital were analyzed for 30 days to identify the specific times when most medications were changed or discontinued. Value-stream mapping was used to define the current state of preparation and identify non-value-added tasks in the i.v. medication preparation and dispensing processes. An optimization model was created using specific measurements to establish the optimal number of batches and batch preparation times of batches. Returned i.v. medications were collected for 7 days before and after implementation of the lean process to determine the impact of the lean process changes. Results Patient-days increased from 1,836 during the first collection period to 2,017 during the second, and the total number of i.v. doses dispensed increased from 8,054 to 9,907. Wasted i.v. doses decreased from 1,339 (16.6% of the total doses dispensed) to 853 (8.6%). With the new process, Nationwide Children’s Hospital was projected to realize a weekly savings of $8,197 ($426,244 annually), resulting in a 2.6% reduction in annual drug expenditure. The annual savings is a conservative estimate, due to the 10% increase in patient-days after the lean collection period compared with baseline. The differences in wasted doses and their costs were significant ( p < 0.05). Conclusion Implementing lean concepts in the i.v. medication preparation process had a positive effect on efficiency and drug cost.
Raman Spectroscopy of Si Nanocrystals in Nanocrystalline Si Superlattices: Size, Shape and Crystallographic Orientation

We use Raman spectroscopy to study the size, shape and crystallographic orientation of silicon nanocrystals formed by solid phase crystallization of amorphous Si/SiO2 superlattices (SLs) grown by radio-frequency sputtering. The first and second Raman peaks broadening, their relative positions and intensities indicate the presence of nanoscale Si objects with a degree of disorder (grain boundaries) and strain (Si/SiO2 interfaces). Shapes of Si nanocrystals sandwiched between SiO2 layers strongly influence the Si/SiO2 interface roughness, which is inferred from the intensities of folded acoustic phonon scattering. The averaged crystallographic orientation of Si nanocrystals is determined by polarized Raman analysis. The laterally elongated nanocrystals exhibit preferred crystallographic orientation along the SL axis due to orientation-dependent crystallization rates. These results demonstrate that control over Si nanocrystals structural parameters has been achieved and that solid phase crystallization of nanometer-thick amorphous Si films remains one of the most promising techniques for Si-based nanoelectronic device fabrication.
Computing time delay and its effects on real-time control systems

The reliability of a real-time digital control computer depends not only on the reliability of the hardware and software used, but also on the time delay in computing the control output, because of the negative effects of computing time delay on control system performance. For a given fixed sampling interval, the effects of computing time delay are classified into the delay and loss problems. The delay problem occurs when the computing time delay is nonzero but smaller than the sampling interval, while the loss problem occurs when the computing time delay is greater than, or equal to, the sampling interval, i.e., loss of the control output. These two problems are analyzed as a means of evaluating real-time control systems. First, a generic analysis of the effects of computing time delay is presented along with necessary conditions for system stability. Then, we present both qualitative and quantitative analyses of the computing time delay effects on a robot control system, deriving upper bounds of the computing time delay with respect to system stability and system performance. >
Soberanía y subdesarrollo: estatalidad jurídica en la crisis africana | Sovereignty and underdevelopment: juridical statehood in the African crisis

Cuando hablamos del “estado” en Africa Tropical de hoy dia, es posible que hayamos creado una ilusion. Habitualmente el termino significa una estructura politica independiente con suficiente autoridad y poder como para gobernar un territorio definido y su poblacion: es la estatalidad empirica. Esta es la nocion predominante del estado en la teoria moderna politica, juridica y social y es una aproximacion bastante fiel al hecho historico en muchas partes del mundo —no solo en Europa y America del Norte, donde se desarrollaron y se enraizaron los primeros estados modernos, sino tambien en America del Sur, Oriente Medio y Asia, donde han surgido mas recientemente—. Sin embargo, aunque el estado es una realidad ineludible, muchos de los llamados estados del Africa Tropical carecen de los elementos imprescindibles de la estatalidad. When we speak of 'the state' in Tropical Africa today, we are apt to create an illusion. Ordinarily the term denotes an independent political structure of sufficient authority and power to govern a defined territory and its population: empirical statehood. This is the prevailing notion of the state in modern political, legal, and social theory, and it is a fairly close approximation to historical fact in many parts of the world —not only in Europe and North America, where modern states first developed and are deeply rooted, but also in some countries of South America, the Middle East, and Asia here they have more recently emerged. Nevertheless, even if the state is an inescapable reality, many so-called states in Tropical Africa, are seriously lacking in the essentials of statehood.
RNA processing: a postdoc in a great laboratory.

IN 1963, Sydney Brenner wrote a letter to Max Perutz about the future of research at the MRC-LMB. He said, “... The entry of large numbers of Americans and other biochemists into the field will ensure that all the chemical details of replication and transcription will be elucidated....” (cited
The Solid Tantalum Capacitor - A "Solid" Contributor to Reliability

The predominant failure mode experienced in solid tantalum capacitors is the electrical short caused by impurities in the tantalum slugs and imperfections in the dielectric. These defects result in a phenomenon commonly called scintillation, the momentary short at dielectric imperfections. Scintillations can result in the capacitor (1) healing itself, (2) forming high leakage current, or (3) permanently shorting. The lack of understanding and the random nature of these scintillations have caused users to incorporate extreme application derating, experience higher system costs, incur long purchasing lead times, and specify physically larger components. Characterization of the failure modes and mechanisms resulted in deeper understanding of the physics of the component. By establishing an effective closed-loop failure analysis system, the failure modes and mechanisms were examined, applications were studied, and corrective actions developed and implemented. This paper demonstrates that by correctly applied screening methods, pre-failure and post-failure analyses, and voltage and temperature derating (without an extra derating for < 3 ohms/volt applications) the solid tantalum capacitor can be made to demonstrate extremely low failure rates in a variety of applications. Data presented fit a Weibull distribution with a decreasing failure rate, and establish a curve which can be used as a small lot reliability indicator.
Lipid‐mediated, reversible misfolding of a sterol‐sensing domain protein

Cellular quality control requires recognition of common features of misfolding, and so is not typically associated with the specific targeting of individual proteins. However, physiologically regulated degradation of yeast HMG-CoA reductase (Hmg2p) occurs by the HRD endoplasmic reticulum quality control pathway, implying that Hmg2p undergoes a regulated transition to a quality control substrate in response to a sterol pathway molecule. Using in vitro structural assays, we now show that the pathway derivative farnesol causes Hmg2p to undergo a change to a less folded structure. The effect is reversible, biologically relevant by numerous criteria, highly specific for farnesol structure, and requires an intact Hmg2p sterol-sensing domain. This represents a distinct lipid-sensing function for this highly conserved motif that suggests novel approaches to cholesterol management. More generally, our observation of reversible small-molecule-mediated misfolding may herald numerous examples of regulated quality control to be discovered in biology or applied in the clinic.