cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Role of serum amyloid A as an intermediate in the IL-1 and PMA-stimulated signaling pathways regulating expression of rabbit fibroblast collagenase.

Abstract The matrix metalloproteinase collagenase is expressed by resident tissue cells only when needed for biological remodeling. Exogenous addition of inflammatory and growth-promoting cytokines stimulates collagenase expression in early passage fibroblast cultures. In addition, the signal for collagenase expression in response to phorbol-12 myristate-13 acetate (PMA) or to agents which alter cell shape in early passage fibroblast cultures is routed extracellularly to an autocrine cytokine intermediate, IL-1α. Importantly, fibroblasts, when freshly isolated from the tissue, are not competent for IL-1α gene expression and, therefore, cannot produce collagenase in response to shape change agents. However, they do make a small amount of collagenase in response to PMA via an IL-1-independent pathway that has not been further characterized. In this paper, we investigate the role of a second autocrine, serum amyloid A3 (SAA3), in IL-1-dependent and -independent collagenase gene expression. We demonstrate that SAA3 is required for effective stimulation of collagenase expression by either exogenous or endogenous IL-1. Furthermore, while freshly isolated fibroblasts cannot express IL-1α they can express SAA3, and this autocrine mediator acts independently of IL-1α to control the low level of collagenase expression that can be stimulated by PMA. These results provide further evidence for a newly emerging paradigm of collagenase regulation which emphasizes the requirement for extracellular routing of signals. They also suggest that SAA3 might be utilized independently of IL-1α to control tissue remodelingin vivo.
A democracia do público reconsiderada

Neste artigo, o autor atualiza e esclarece suas analises da democracia de publico a luz de pesquisas recentes, em especial no que diz respeito a erosao das fidelidades partidarias, o papel dos partidos nas democracias contemporâneas e o aumento da participacao politica nao institucionalizada, indicando que a democracia representativa nao e incoerente com algum grau de influencia direta dos cidadaos na tomada de decisao sobre politicas.
Enhancer-mediated high level expression of mouse pituitary glycoprotein hormone alpha-subunit transgene in thyrotropes, gonadotropes, and developing pituitary gland.

The pituitary hormones LH, FSH, and TSH are heterodimers composed of a common alpha-subunit and unique beta-subunits. We demonstrate that 4.6, 2.7, 1.49 or 0.48 kilobases (kb) mouse alpha-subunit 5'-flanking sequences are sufficient for transgene expression in both gonadotropes and thyrotropes but not in inappropriate pituitary cells. In contrast, transgenes with bovine or human alpha-subunit flanking sequences have been shown to confer reporter gene expression only to gonadotrope cells, suggesting that the elements regulating cell-specific expression may differ between species. Equal levels of reporter gene expression were conferred by 5.0 and 0.48 kb in transiently transfected thyrotrope tumor-derived cells. In contrast, in transgenic mice, high level expression was only obtained with 4.6 kb 5'-flanking sequences, indicating the presence of an enhancer element between 4.6 and 2.7 kb. The 4.6 kb of 5'-flanking sequences are sufficient for both hormonal and developmental regulation of transgene expression...
Measuring Small-Group Environments: A Validity Study of Scores From the Salter Environmental Type Assessment and the Group Environment Scale

This concurrent validity study of Salter Environmental Type Assessment scores was conducted with the Group Environment Scale. A principal components factor analysis with varimax rotation of 191 college students' responses suggested two factors that accounted for 51% of the variance. The factor-analytic results and concurrent validity coefficients were consistent with previous research with both assessments and theoretical assumptions behind the two approaches to measuring group climate. Implications for the assessment of groups are discussed.
Effect of consumption standards on U.S. gasoline consumption

Abstract A structural supply and demand model of the automobile market is estimated and used to simulate the effect of corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards on aggregate gasoline consumption. The supply side is given by a logit scrappage rate model, while the demand side is given by a multinomial logit model. We explicitly recognize the product heterogeneity of automobiles by taking quality into account. Our empirical results, based on data from 1961 to 1985, imply that CAFE standards have reduced aggregate gasoline consumption by a fairly large amount with little or no time lag.
Bacterial loads and microbial composition in high pressure treated oysters during storage

Analysis of bacterial communities present in high-pressure (HP)-treated, quick-frozen (QF), and raw oysters was carried out during three different seasons. Bacterial numbers and species diversity in each sample were determined at 0, 7, 14, and 21 days of storage. Results showed that numbers of total aerobic bacterial counts (TABC) in treated oysters were significantly lower than in untreated oysters at day 0 by 10 to 10(5) colony forming units per gram of oyster meat (CFU/g) in all samplings. However, an increase in TABC in HP-treated oysters was observed at days 7, 14, and 21 indicating that some bacteria survived the treatment and were able to proliferate during refrigeration conditions. Surprisingly, TABC in HP-treated oysters reached 10(8) CFU/g at 14 days of storage in all samplings (higher than TABC from raw oysters in two of the samplings performed). Analysis of the bacterial flora by 16S rDNA sequencing, revealed six different classes within the bacterial communities. The majority were Gram-negative bacteria, with the Gammaproteobacteria class representing between 56% and 92%. The most common bacterial genera found in this study were Shewanella, Vibrio and Psychrobacter. Four species of human pathogenic bacteria were also identified: V. vulnificus, V. parahaemolyticus, V. alginolyticus, and A. hydrophila although V. vulnificus was detected only in raw oysters.
An “Electrical memory” for stepping recorders

Methods of storing Impulses applied to a stepping type recorder during the recording and homing cycle, and of transferring the stored record to the main record after homing is completed, are here outlined.
Water movement in the rabbit eye.

The intraocular distribution of topically applied D 2 O was quantified using deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, D 2 O appeared in all tissues with the highest concentration in the aqueous humor (1·2 m ); however, it rapidly dissipated from the eye. Surface coil NMR spectroscopy on D 2 O-treated eyes in vivo showed that the flow pattern was best described by a single exponential decay plus a constant. This suggests that the D 2 O flow consisted of a flow component representing vascular circulation (with a flow rate constant of 0·101 min −1 ), and a reservoir-like component. Topical D 2 O in conjunction with the surface-coil NMR technique can be used to examine the movement of water in the anterior segment of the living eye.
Exciton chirality of bilirubin homologs

Bilirubin, the yellow pigment of jaundice, is a bichromophoric tetrapyrrole that readily adopts either of two enantiomeric, folded conformations shaped like ridge-tiles and stabilized by a network of six intramolecular hydrogen bonds. Interconversion of these M and P helical chirality conformational enantiomers is rapid at room temperature but may be displaced toward either enantiomer by intramolecular non-bonded steric interactions. Introduction of a methyl group at the beta and beta' carbons of the propionic acid chains on the symmetric bilirubin analog, mesobilirubin-XIII alpha, shifts the conformational equilibrium toward the M or the P-chirality intramolecularly hydrogen-bonded conformer, depending only on the S or R stereochemistry at beta and beta', resulting in pigments with intense exciton coupling circular dichroism (CD) for the approximately 430 nm transition(s). Optically active synthetic analogs of bilirubin with propionic acid groups lengthened systematically to heptanoic acid (1-5) were synthesized and examined by spectroscopy to explore the influence of alkanoic acid chain length on conformation and intramolecular hydrogen bonding. In these diacids and their dimethyl esters (6-10), strong exciton chirality CD spectra are observed, and the data are correlated with molecular helicity.
In situ fluorescence spectroscopy correlates ionomer degradation to reactive oxygen species generation in an operating fuel cell

The rate of generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) within the polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) of an operating proton exchange member fuel cell (PEMFC) was monitored using in situ fluorescence spectroscopy. A modified barrier layer was introduced between the PEM and the electrocatalyst layer to eliminate metal–dye interactions and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) effects during measurements. Standard fuel cell operating parameters (temperature, relative humidity, and electrode potential) were systematically varied to evaluate their influence on the rate of ROS generation during PEMFC operation. Independently, the macroscopic rate of PEM degradation was measured by monitoring the fluoride ion emission rate (FER) in the effluent stream at each operating condition. The ROS generation reaction rate constant (estimated from the in situ fluorescence experiments) correlated perfectly with the measured FER across all conditions, demonstrating unequivocally for the first time that a direct correlation exists between in situ ROS generation and PEM macroscopic degradation. The activation energy for ROS generation within the PEM was estimated to be 12.5 kJ mol−1.
Alternate-day single-dose prednisone therapy: a method of reducing steroid toxicity.

Abstract Of 20 children who received renal allografts, 14 were treated for prolonged periods with alternate-day single-dose prednisone therapy as part of their immunosuppressive regimen. Long-term graft survival and function are maintained and steroid toxicity is minimized. Growth and sexual maturation are permitted with this form of steroid therapy. Of the other six patients, one required no prednisone, three require low-daily-dose prednisone therapy to prevent rejection, and two patients have expired.
Decision Development in Computer-Assisted Group Decision Making

New computer technologies to aid group communication and decision making are becoming increasingly widespread. This study analyzes how one such technology, a group decision support system (GDSS), affected how group decisions developed over time. The study contrasted decision paths in groups using the GDSS with groups using the same procedural structures incorporated in the GDSS manually and with groups using no procedural structures. A flexible phase mapping method was employed to map group decision paths. The resulting set of seven decision paths varied in both sequence and number of decision phases. An optimal matching procedure was used to compute similarity measures among the 40 paths, and cluster analysis and multidimensional scaling were used to generate an empirical taxonomy of decision paths. Results indicated that the nature of decision paths varied both across the three conditions and within conditions. The decision path types were also related to three outcome variables: consensus change, perceived decision quality, and decision scheme satisfaction. Results indicated that those decision paths that most resembled logical normative sequences had superior outcomes to those that did not.
Response of a generic vehicle floor model to triangular overpressure loads

Abstract A dynamic elasto-plastic large displacement response analysis of the underside of a generic vehicle floor model to empirically obtained triangular overpressure loading has been conducted using three-dimensional shell elements in conjunction with the ADINA nonlinear finite element analysis code. Although several simplifying assumptions and approximations are applied to generate the basic floor model and the forcing function, the investigation provides valuable insight into the response behavior of vehicle bottom floors to externally applied overpressure loads and an inexpensive nondestructive method of evaluation of the vulnerability of army vehicles subject to transient loads which are spatially varying.
The Influence of Temperature on Floral Initiation in the Olive

Floral initiation is completely inhibited when the olive is grown in a glasshouse at a minimum temperature of 16°C and a maximum temperature of 27°–30°C but occurs when it is grown at natural winter conditions in California. This study was undertaken to determine more specifically the temperature requirements for flowering and to show the relation of temperature treatment to hud development and floral initiation. Results of experiments performed with trees in containers grown at constant temperatures in controlled environment growth rooms show that the optimum temperature for flowering is 10°–13°C. Either higher (18°C) or lower (4°C) temperatures inhibit flowering completely. Morphological studies show that axis elongation and floral initiation occur in buds during temperature treatment at 10°C and 13°C but fail to occur during 4°C or 18°C treatments, or following these treatments when the temperature is raised to 21°C. When plants were exposed to 13°C for varying durations, it was found that no inflorescences formed after a 7.5 week exposure but that many formed after an 11-week exposure. A subsequent experiment showed that many more inflorescences formed after a 10-week exposure at 13°C than after 9 weeks exposure. Morphological changes in the bud seem to be associated with this increase in flowering affected by duration of treatment.
The effect of dimension content on observation and ratings of job performance

Abstract Recent theory and research in the performance appraisal area (e.g., Denisi, Cafferty, & Meglino, 1984; Feldman, 1986 ; Ilgen & Feldman, 1983 ; Williams, Denisi, & Blencoe, 1985 ) have suggested that providing information regarding the performance dimension to be rated will cause raters to select appropriate observational schemata and, as a result, produce higher quality ratings. A study was conducted to determine if giving raters dimension-relevant information prior to performance observation would affect their attention processes and rating quality. Prior to watching a videotape of an instructor giving a lecture, 156 subjects were given either: 1) correct information, 2) incorrect information, or 3) no information regarding dimensions of performance they would subsequently be asked to rate. The results indicated that giving prior information regarding dimension content affected subjects' attention processes. Further, raters receiving no information and those receiving misinformation prior to performance observation produced less accurate ratings compared to expert raters. Ratings produced by subjects receiving correct information did not differ significantly from experts' ratings. These results are discussed in terms of both their practical and theoretical implications.
Does the UVI on polar detect cosmic snowballs

Frank and Sigwarth [1997a] claim that the dark pixels observed in dayglow images obtained by the Earth sensor of the Visible Imaging System (VIS) are due to bombardment of Earth by 20 to 40 ton cosmic snowballs. We have independently studied the same one hour of VIS data Frank and Sigwarth used and have performed detailed statistical analysis of the dark pixels. The characteristics of the dark pixels from the VIS images have been compared to those obtained from the overlapping images from the Ultraviolet Imager (UVI). We find the occurrence distributions of the dark pixels, single and multiple, from VIS and UVI are nearly identical. This result cannot be explained by a -eophysical source since the two cameras have different pixel resolutions: A search for evidence of of spacecraft "wobble" motion, whose presence would indicate that the source is external to the camera, has found that pairs of dark pixel clusters are uniformly distributed in an-le and no preference is observed in the wobble direction. Instrument artifacts as the source of the dark pixels is the most likely explanation for these results. Probability estimates for the occurrence of dark pixel clusters lead us to expect coincident events of instrumental origin to occur frequently in the two cameras. The conclusion of this study is that neither VIS nor UVI provide any scientific evidence that the origin of dark pixels is geophysical.
Histone H3K9 modifications are a local chromatin event involved in ethanol-induced neuroadaptation of the NR2B gene.

Expression of the NMDA receptor 2B (NR2B) gene is upregulated following chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) treatment and withdrawal, which underlies behavioral alterations in addiction. The goal of this study was to characterize the changes of histone modifications induced by CIE treatment and its subsequent removal associated to the upregulation of NR2B gene transcription. To investigate the involvement of histone acetylation in the effect of ethanol on the NR2B gene, we examined the influence of CIE on histone acetylation in the 5' regulatory region of NR2B using a qChIP assay. CIE treatment and its subsequent removal produced a remarkable and selected increase in histone H3K9 acetylation. Interestingly, the majority of the increased H3K9 acetylation occurred after ethanol removal, which was coincident with a decrease in H3K9 methylation in the same time duration. Further examination of the mechanisms of ethanol-induced alterations on the histone modifications revealed that CIE-induced acetylation of H3...
Differential susceptibility to hypertension is due to selection during the out-of-Africa expansion.

Hypertension is a leading cause of stroke, heart disease, and kidney failure. The genetic basis of blood pressure variation is largely unknown but is likely to involve genes that influence renal salt handling and arterial vessel tone. Here we argue that susceptibility to hypertension is ancestral and that differential susceptibility to hypertension is due to differential exposure to selection pressures during the out-of-Africa expansion. The most important selection pressure was climate, which produced a latitudinal cline in heat adaptation and, therefore, hypertension susceptibility. Consistent with this hypothesis, we show that ecological variables, such as latitude, temperature, and rainfall, explain worldwide variation in heat adaptation as defined by seven functional alleles in five genes involved in blood pressure regulation. The latitudinal cline in heat adaptation is consistent worldwide and is largely unmatched by latitudinal clines in short tandem repeat markers, control single nucleotide polymorphisms, or non-functional single nucleotide polymorphisms within the five genes. In addition, we show that latitude and one of these alleles, GNB3 (G protein β3 subunit) 825T, account for a major portion of worldwide variation in blood pressure. These results suggest that the current epidemic of hypertension is due to exposures of the modern period interacting with ancestral susceptibility. Modern populations differ in susceptibility to these new exposures, however, such that those from hot environments are more susceptible to hypertension than populations from cold environments. This differential susceptibility is likely due to our history of adaptation to climate.
Infrared Fiber Optic Probe Evaluation of Degenerative Cartilage Correlates to Histological Grading

Background:Osteoarthritis (OA), a degenerative cartilage disease, results in alterations of the chemical and structural properties of tissue. Arthroscopic evaluation of full-depth tissue composition is limited and would require tissue harvesting, which is inappropriate in daily routine. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy is a modality based on molecular vibrations of matrix components that can be used in conjunction with fiber optics to acquire quantitative compositional data from the cartilage matrix.Purpose:To develop a model based on infrared spectra of articular cartilage to predict the histological Mankin score as an indicator of tissue quality.Study Design:Comparative laboratory study.Methods:Infrared fiber optic probe (IFOP) spectra were collected from nearly normal and more degraded regions of tibial plateau articular cartilage harvested during knee arthroplasty (N = 61). Each region was graded using a modified Mankin score. A multivariate partial least squares algorithm using second-...
Poisoning and promoting effects of additives on the catalytic behavior of metal clusters

Extended Huckel calculations are used to explain the mechanisms by which additives such as Cu, Ag, Cl, and S affect the catalytic behavior of Pt or Ag clusters. The complete oxidation of ethylene over PtAl2O3, the oxidation of CO over PtAl2O3, and the ethylene epoxidation over supported silver catalysts are used as examples. It is found that Cu or Ag, unlike S, change mainly the net atomic population (the localized electrons around each atom) and very slightly the bond population among the atoms of the Pt clusters. The increased electron density at the surface of Pt clusters due to the electron transfer from Cu or Ag facilitates the electron transfer from the cluster to the π∗ antibonding MO of adsorbed O2. As a result, the dissociative chemisorption of O2 over Cu- or Ag-treated Pt catalyst is enhanced and the reaction rates for the complete oxidation of C2H4 and the oxidation of CO are increased. The electronic effect of Cu on the electron redistribution in the clusters is stronger than that of Ag. Sulfur inhibits these reactions because it is a strong electron acceptor and the competition for electrons, as well as the destabilization of the MOs of the cluster, reduces the dissociative chemisorption of O2. The inhibition effect of sulfur overcomes the promoting effect of Cu or Ag. Two forms of chemisorbed O2 molecule, normal and parallel to the surface of a Ag (111) cluster, have been assumed in the calculations. For both forms, the coadsorption of chlorine results in a significant energy shift of the O2 dissociation curves toward higher energies, thus inhibiting the chemisorption of O2 and its dissociation. As a consequence, a loss in overall activity occurs, while the selectivity for epoxidation is higher. In the presence of chlorine, the O2 adsorbed normal to the surface seems to be more stable than the O2 adsorbed parallel to the surface. In the absence of chlorine, the former form becomes less stable than the latter if the elongation of the OO bond is larger than 1.4 A.
An automated approach to design shape morphing strategies for reconfigurable surfaces

Reconfigurable and morphing structures have attracted attention for potentially providing a range of new functionalities including system optimization over broad operational conditions and multi-mission capability. One promising approach for creating large deformation morphing structures uses variable stiffness components to provide large deformation without large energy input to the system. In this paper, we present an automated approach to design shape morphing strategies for reconfigurable surfaces composed of variable stiffness components. Variable stiffness components create an ill-posed control problem and generally have multiple solutions for any given morphing task. We formulate this problem as an optimization search using genetic algorithms (GA) to efficiently search the design space and rapidly arrive at a family of plausible solutions. Our novel approach can simultaneously satisfy a broad range of design constraints including structural properties, mechanical loading, boundary conditions and shape. Critical to GA searching is an accurate and computationally efficient variable stiffness surface model. Computer simulation of the reconfigurable surface was performed using a physics based model of the variable stiffness surface. The surface is modeled as a thin elastic plate in which the stretching and bending elastic moduli are treated separately and as arbitrary functions defined over the surface. This allows for large deformations including complete foldings. The resulting non-linear difference equations are solved using various preconditioned global search based relaxation algorithms. The results of our simulations show that our approach not only allows us to verify the feasibility of morphing tasks of variable stiffness surfaces, but also enables us to efficiently explore much larger design spaces resulting in unique and non-obvious morphing strategies.
Structure and proton transport in proton exchange membranes based on cross-linked sulfonated poly (1, 3-cyclohexadiene) with varying local acid environment

Abstract Proton Exchange Membranes (PEMs) can be composed of cross-linked and sulfonated poly (1, 3-cyclohexadiene) (xsPCHD) with varying local acid environment. In each case the acid group is sulfonic acid, but the presence of a hydroxyl group bound to an adjacent carbon on the 6-carbon ring changes the local acid environment. Three polymers are examined, in which none, some or all of the SO3H groups are adjacent to OH groups. An integrated multiscale modeling approach has been implemented to study the structure and water and charge transport in the three xsPCHD membranes in a hydrated state with λ = 10H2O/SO3H. Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations were first conducted to study the membrane structures. The pair correlation functions (PCFs) that represent water–water, water–H3O+ ion, H3O+–H3O+ ions, polymer–water, and polymer–H3O+ distributions were obtained and compared for the three membranes. Taken as a whole, the PCFs indicated that the presence of the hydroxyl group served to bind the hydronium ion more strongly to the locality around the sulfonic acid group. The PCFs also indicated that the presence of hydroxyl groups changed the morphology of the hydrated membrane resulting in larger, better connected water clusters. Water and charge transport was studied using MD simulation, confined random walk (CRW) theory and percolation theory. The CRW theory was totally consistent with Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations and confirmed the presence of larger clusters in membranes with hydroxyl groups. Percolation theory was used to characterize connectivity in the aqueous domain and confirmed better connectivity of clusters. Adding hydroxyl groups slowed diffusion of hydronium ions within a cluster due to tighter binding in the interface and enhanced diffusion between clusters due to better connectivity. The net effect on charge mobility, taking these positive and negative contributions together, was nominal.
Video summarization and personalization for pervasive mobile devices

We have designed and implemented a video semantic summarization system, which includes an MPEG-7 compliant annotation interface, a semantic summarization middleware, a real-time MPEG-1/2 video transcoder on PCs, and an application interface on color/black-and-white Palm-OS PDAs. We designed a video annotation tool, VideoAnn, to annotate semantic labels associated with video shots. Videos are first segmentated into shots based on their visual-audio characteristics. They are played back using an interactive interface, which facilitate and fasten the annotation process. Users can annotate the video content with the units of temporal shots or spatial regions. The annotated results are stored in the MPEG-7 XML format. We also designed and implemented a video transmission system, Universal Tuner, for wireless video streaming. This system transcodes MPEG-1/2 videos or live TV broadcasting videos to the BW or indexed color Palm OS devices. In our system, the complexity of multimedia compression and decompression algorithms is adaptively partitioned between the encoder and decoder. In the client end, users can access the summarized video based on their preferences, time, keywords, as well as the transmission bandwidth and the remaining battery power on the pervasive devices.
High heat applications for SMA modified PVC: Cost effective engineering performance

SMA polymer modifiers for PVC, of the ELIX 300 type, increase the practical heat resistance of rigid PVC blends to > 100 C, allowing cost effective competition with high heat fire retardant engineering resins. The PVC/SMA blend technology, physical property characteristics, and fire retardant properties are presented. A definition of practical heat resistance and the correlation of practical heat resistance to Vicat heat resistance measurements are given with comparisons to competitive high heat fire retardant plastics. Current commercial application experience in rigid injection molding and profile extrusion is described which has confirmed the cost/performance advantage of PVC/SMA blends. Potential market opportunities for PVC/SMA blends will be presented for discussion.
Evaluation of pyridoacridine alkaloids in a zebrafish phenotypic assay.

Three new minor components, the pyridoacridine alkaloids 1-hydroxy- deoxyamphimedine (1), 3-hydroxy-deoxyamphimedine (2), debromopetrosamine (3), and three known compounds, amphimedine (4), neoamphimedine (5) and deoxyamphimedine (6), have been isolated from the sponge Xestospongia cf. carbonaria, collected in Palau. Structures were assigned on the basis of extensive 1D and 2D NMR studies as well as analysis by HRESIMS. Compounds 1-6 were evaluated in a zebrafish phenotype-based assay. Amphimedine (4) was the only compound that caused a phenotype in zebrafish embryos at 30 µM. No phenotype other than death was observed for compounds 1-3, 5, 6.
Cytologic Diagnosis of Diseases of Ferrets

Cytology is a useful, rapid, inexpensive diagnostic technique that is particularly suitable for ferrets because of their small size and readily accessible organs and tissues. This article begins with a brief discussion of general cytologic information. The remainder of the article concentrates on the cytologic features of common diseases that affect ferrets.
United nations resolutions against international terrorism

Abstract Nine years after the Munich Massacre of 11 Israeli athletes and after a request by the Secretary‐General for the General Assembly to act on the problem, the General Assembly reached a general consensus on a terrorism resolution. The resolution endorses a UN committee's recommendations to refrain from assisting terrorism in any way and to cooperate in the final elimination of terrorism. Negotiation of the resolution was difficult because third world countries did not want to weaken opposition to “colonial, racist, and alien regimes,” and they have held back from approving an international convention that would require trying or extraditing those accused of terrorist crimes. Problems of constitutional protection to individuals in democracies and of political asylum also stand in the way of an overall convention. Nevertheless, the General Assembly resolution has been useful in promoting cooperation among states to eliminate terrorism and in encouraging support for conventions against specific types ...
On coherent radiation scattered by random ensembles

It is known that when regions of randomly distributed scatterers containing volume density gradients are illuminated by coherent radiation, backscattered radiation is produced which generally contains both spatially coherent and incoherent components. The ratio of coherent to incoherent power is a measure of the scatterer volume density. It has been conjectured that even homogeneously distributed scatterers, when illuminated by properly selected coherent radiation with suitable temporal and/or spatial dependence, should also produce a mixture of coherent and incoherent backscattering whose ratio is a measure of the local scatterer volume density. It is shown here that under circumstances when multiple scattering is insignificant, homogeneously distributed scatterers illuminated by coherent radiation do produce spatially coherent scattering, but only in the direction of the incident wave. Therefore, the information contained in coherent scattered radiation by such ensembles can be obtained only in the direction of incident wave.
Salamander Predation and the Structure of Experimental Communities: Responses of Notophthalmus and Microcrustacea

In artificial-pond communities, a doubling of the density of the salamander Noto- phthallnus itiridescens dorsalis resulted in decreased adult growth and reduced production of meta- morphs. Experimental manipulations of the abundance of a trophic resource, hatchling tadpoles, had no effect on density-dependent growth and reproductive success in Notophthalmus. However, ex- perimental differences in salamander density depressed the abundance and altered the species com- position of tadpoles and microcrustaceans. Accidental introductions of small numbers of Notophthal- mtius eggs from a permanent pond resulted in the production of neotenic individuals in some control populations without adult newts. These results document the probable importance of intraspecific density in population regulation and life history variation in a keystone vertebrate predator with a complex life cycle.
Dissolution behavior of lipid monolayer-coated, air-filled microbubbles: Effect of lipid hydrophobic chain length

The gas transport properties and dissolution behavior of the lipid monolayer shell coating a micron-scale bubble (microbubble) are of particular interest for developing stable ultrasound contrast agents, drug delivery vehicles, and efficient oxygen carriers. In the current study, Epstein and Plesset's model for the dissolution of a bubble into a quiescent, degassed medium was modified to include a term for the gas permeation resistance of the lipid shell. The shell resistances for a homologous series of phospholipids were determined by comparing this model to experimental data of lipid-coated, air-filled microbubbles dissolving in a degassed aqueous medium. The gas permeation resistance is a significant factor in controlling the dissolution rate of lipid-coated microbubbles and was found to increase monotonically with lipid hydrophobic chain length. During the dissolution process, lipid was shed from the shell in a continuous manner for short-chain lipids to accommodate the shrinking volume of the gas cor...
Numerical methods for the treatment of periodic systems with applications to structural dynamics and helicopter rotor dynamics

Abstract The numerical techniques available for analyzing the stability, linear response and nonlinear response of periodic systems, which are governed by ordinary differential equations with periodic coefficients, are discussed. It is shown that numerically effective treatment of periodic systems is linked to efficient numerical computation of transition matrices for both the linear and the nonlinear case. After discussion of the linear case, the numerical treatment of the nonlinear response problem is considered using quasilinearization and periodic shooting. Some recent research on the application of the finite element method in the time domain is also reviewed. Applications, taken from structural dynamics and helicopter rotor dynamics, which illustrate the numerical properties of these methods are also presented.
Measurement of pancreatic volume by abdominal MRI: a validation study.

Objective To develop abdominal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocol to measure pancreatic volume in humans and to validate it in large animals. Materials and Methods We performed abdominal MRI in eight mini-pigs using a clinical 3T MRI system. We used consecutive parallel abdominal slices, covering the entire pancreas to calculate pancreatic volume. Following MRI, animals were sacrificed, the pancreas was removed, and the volume of the pancreas was measured by water displacement. We used the same MRI protocol to measure pancreatic volume in 21 humans. To assess reproducibility of in vivo measurement we repeated MRI pancreas volume evaluation within 24 hours in additional five humans. Results In mini-pigs the measurements of pancreatic volume by MRI and by water displacement were almost identical (R2 = 0.9867; p<0.0001). In humans the average pancreas volume was 72.7+/−4.5 ml, range from 35.0 to 105.5 ml. This result is in strong agreement with results of previous large postmortem and computed tomography (CT) studies. Repeated measurements of pancreatic volume in humans were highly reproducible. Pancreatic volume measured in vivo was negatively correlated with age, body fat mass, pancreatic TG levels, and visceral fat mass. Conclusions These initial results are highly encouraging and our protocol for pancreatic volume estimation in vivo may prove useful in obesity research to follow in vivo changes of pancreatic volume and structure during time course of obesity and type 2 diabetes development.
Accountability and learning assessment in the future of higher education

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to broadly describe and provide insight into the national dialogue in the USA concerning accountability for educational results in academic institutions.Design/methodology/approach – The approach takes the form of a thorough survey of the key questions, current issues, and organizational players in this national dialogue.Findings – Policy makers and educators should use the present opportunity to work together, focusing not on narrow one‐size‐fits‐all measures but on the improvement of a new generation of complementary approaches.Originality/value – The paper presents a clear articulation and discussion of the key questions that are driving the national dialogue on this topic.
Is the Media Biased Against Me? A Meta-Analysis of the Hostile Media Effect Research

A considerable number of studies have provided empirical evidence of people's perception of media bias—the hostile media effect (HME). This study conducts a meta-analysis of 34 HME studies. HME, in which individuals perceive news coverage as biased against their own side, is observed in diverse contexts with a moderate effect size. Involvement is a moderating variable of the effect: The effect size was significantly higher as people became more involved with the topic. Nonetheless, the phenomenon also manifests under relatively low involvement conditions. The meta-analysis also indicates that there is no statistical evidence to suggest that the media format (e.g., newspaper or television) or study design (i.e., experimental or survey) moderates HME.
Researching Emotion and Affect in the History of Education.

This exploratory paper was prepared for a symposium held at the 2011 ISCHE conference in which participants were asked to envision future challenges in the historiography of education, to predict where the field was moving, and to imagine what innovations and new interests would arise in the subsequent 30 years. While the paper is playfully written from the vantage point of 30 years in the future and pretends to offer a retrospective review of what happened in the field over that period, its primary purpose is to seriously suggest a number of ways that historians of education might engage with the history of emotion and affect in their work. The first section of the paper describes the consolidation of the history of emotions as a field of historical study and discusses the importance of a ‘governmentality' approach. It is then suggested in the second section that historians of education increasingly drew on the concept of ‘affect' and developed ‘affective histories' of education that both built upon and ...
Mg and K effects on cation uptake and dry matter accumulation in tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea)

HiMag tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.) S.J. Darbyshire = Festuca arundinacea Schreb) was selected for high Mg concentration in the herbage to reduce grass tetany risk to ruminants; however, the mechanism of increased Mg uptake into shoots is unknown. The objective was to determine cation concentrations of roots, crowns, and leaves in plants of cv. HiMag and its parents, cv. Kentucky 31 and cv. Missouri 96, grown in nutrient solution for 42 days, and determine if cation ratios in roots, crowns, and leaves are different, indicating a differ- ence due to translocation. Treatments were "basal" (1.5 mM K and 0.5 mM Mg), "K" (3.2 mM K), "Mg" (1 mM Mg), and "K+Mg" (3.2 mM K and 1 mM Mg). For HiMag, Mg was lower in roots (Trial 2 only), not different in crowns, and greater in leaves than Kentucky 31 and Missouri 96. Doubling the K and Mg of the nutrient solution from basal levels resulted in a 44% reduction of root Mg in Kentucky 31 and Missouri 96, compared to a 17% reduction in root Mg for HiMag. The K inflow rate in HiMag for the basal treatment was lower than that in Kentucky 31 and Missouri 96. These results provide evidence for a process that limits K uptake and an active Mg translocation mechanism in tall fescue. HiMag was apparently selected for traits that promote transloca- tion of Mg from roots to shoots.
Planting an Asylum for Religion: Berkeley's Bermuda Scheme and the Transmission of Virtue in the Eighteenth‐Century Atlantic World

Following the aftermath of the South Sea bubble, George Berkeley grew disenchanted with British morality and turned his attention to a new project: a missionary college in Bermuda. Not only did he personally lobby friends and government officials, but he also worked tirelessly to persuade the public of his scheme's value. To this end, he published his plan under the title A Proposal for the Better Supplying of Churches in Our Foreign Plantations (1724) and at the height of this enthusiasm wrote his only (existent) poem "America, or the Muse's Refuge" (1725/26). These verses were premised upon a classical commonplace, the notion of a translatio imperii and translatio religionis: the belief in the constant westward migration of empire and religion that provided the foundation of his plan. Through a contextual reading of these two pieces, this paper examines Berkeley's contributions to early eighteent-century missionary activity in the Atlantic world.
Investigation of pathways for the low-pH conformational transition in influenza hemagglutinin

Targeted molecular dynamics simulations were used to study the conformational transition of influenza hemagglutinin (HA) from the native conformation to putative fusogenic or postfusion conformations populated at low pH. Three pathways for this conformational change were considered. Complete dissociation of the globular domains of HA was observed in one pathway, whereas smaller rearrangements were observed in the other two. The fusion peptides became exposed and moved toward the target membrane, although occasional movement toward the viral membrane was also observed. The effective energy profiles along the paths show multiple barriers. The final low-pH structures, which are consistent with available experimental data, are comparable in effective energy to native HA. As a control, the uncleaved precursor HA0 was also forced along the same pathway. In this case both the final energy and the energy barrier were much higher than in the cleaved protein. This study suggests that 1) as proposed, the native conformation is the global minimum energy conformation for the uncleaved precursor but a metastable state for cleaved HA; 2) the spring-loaded conformational change is energetically plausible in full-length HA; and 3) complete globular domain dissociation is not necessary for extension of the coiled coil and fusion peptide exposure, but the model with complete dissociation has lower energy.
A Limited Defense of the Pessimistic Induction

The inductive argument from the falsity of most past scientific theories (more than 100 years old) to the falsity of most present ones is defensible, I argue, if it is modified to account for the degrees of theoreticity or observationality in such theories, and the extent to which they are hedged. The case of descriptive astronomy is examined to show that most of the true theories of the 1890s were high in observationality and/or significantly hedged. The false theories of that period, however, were not even approximately true. Apparently, scientists are more interested in supplanting theories with improved observations than in producing true theories.
Effects of Leptin on Insulin Secretion From Isolated Rat Pancreatic Islets

Leptin is a hormone secreted by adipocytes as a peripheral metabolic signal for the central regulation of energy homeostasis or the reproductive system. Recent studies demonstrated that leptin receptor mRNA is expressed in pancreatic islets of rodents and that leptin at relatively high doses inhibits glucose-induced insulin secretion from rat islets. However, the physiological mechanism of leptin on insulin secretion has not been identified. In this study, we report that leptin inhibits glucose-induced insulin secretion at lower concentrations ranging from 25 to 50 ng/ml using a static incubation method. A perifusion study revealed that leptin (50 ng/ml) affected the second phase of insulin secretion but not the first phase. Leptin did not affect insulin secretion stimulated by glibenclamide (1 and 5 μmol/l) or forskolin (1 μmol/l). Leptin (50 ng/ml) significantly inhibited insulin secretion induced by the phorbol ester phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (TPA) in the presence of Ca 2+ but not in the absence of Ca 2+ . Because TPA is known to activate protein kinase C (PKC), these present results suggest that leptin, at a physiological concentration, suppresses the second phase of insulin secretion by reducing activity of the Ca 2+ -dependent PKC isoform.
A frequency calibration method for multilocation optical FDM networks

A simple laser frequency calibration method is proposed for optical frequency-division-multiplexing communications networks where users are at remote locations. We calibrate the frequency of a transmitter laser by tuning it to a resonant peak of a Fabry-Perot etalon and determining the mode number of the resonant peak. We use a distributed frequency reference and a local Fabry-Perot etalon whose cavity length is slightly changed during the measurement. This method provides a high measurement accuracy with a cavity length change of less than 5%. >
Role of Multiple-Pellet Rewards in Acquisition and Extinction of a Runway Response

4 groups of 10 rats were given continuous reinforcement training in a straight runway. All Ss received 100 pellet rewards, but groups differed in number of locomotor responses, goalbox placements, and number of pellets received on each trial. Following acquisition, Ss in each of the main groups were given massed or distributed extinction training. The results showed that Ss required to make a greater number of locomotor responses had faster terminal acquisition speeds and were more resistant to extinction. The results are discussed in terms of the Amsel, Hug, and Surtidge (1968) multiple-pellet reward hypothesis.