cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cebpd Is Essential for Gamma-Tocotrienol Mediated Protection against Radiation-Induced Hematopoietic and Intestinal Injury.

Gamma-tocotrienol (GT3) confers protection against ionizing radiation (IR)-induced injury. However, the molecular targets that underlie the protective functions of GT3 are not yet known. We have reported that mice lacking CCAAT enhancer binding protein delta (Cebpd−/−) display increased mortality to IR due to injury to the hematopoietic and intestinal tissues and that Cebpd protects from IR-induced oxidative stress and cell death. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether Cebpd mediates the radio protective functions of GT3. We found that GT3-treated Cebpd−/− mice showed partial recovery of white blood cells compared to GT3-treated Cebpd+/+ mice at 2 weeks post-IR. GT3-treated Cebpd−/− mice showed an increased loss of intestinal crypt colonies, which correlated with increased expression of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, increased levels of oxidized glutathione (GSSG), S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) and 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT) after exposure to IR compared to GT3-treated Cebpd+/+ mice. Cebpd is induced by IR as well as a combination of IR and GT3 in the intestine. Studies have shown that granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), mediates the radioprotective functions of GT3. Interestingly, we found that IR alone as well as the combination of IR and GT3 caused robust augmentation of plasma G-CSF in both Cebpd+/+ and Cebpd−/− mice. These results identify a novel role for Cebpd in GT3-mediated protection against IR-induced injury, in part via modulation of IR-induced inflammation and oxidative/nitrosative stress, which is independent of G-CSF.
Lymphoid-Cell Cooperation in Immune Responses of the Chicken

Our knowledge of cellular interactions in the immune response of chickens is in a primitive stage as compared with the degree of sophistication with which such interactions are being interpreted for mouse cells. Relatively little use has been made of the unique position that the bursa occupies in the ontogeny of B cells, as initially shown by the experiments on bursectomy by Glick et al. (1956), Mueller et al. (1960), and Warner et al. (1962). Although there is still some difference of opinion about this (Jankovic et al., 1975), it seems likely that the chicken has no other source of virgin B cells (Kincade et al., 1973) and that the bursa is, from approximately day 13 until day 19 of ontogeny, the only site of B-cell formation and Ig synthesis (Thorbecke et al., 1968; Kincade and Cooper, 1971). The lymphoid follicles in the bursa arise from the influx of hematopoietic cells into the epithelial site near the cloaca (Moore and Owen, 1965, 1966). This influx starts during the 8th day and continues until at least the 15th day of incubation (Houssaint et al., 1976). Once cells have differentiated in the bursa, they have different surface antigens from those of cells in the thymus (Albini and Wick, 1974; Galton and Ivanyi, 1977; Donnelly et al., 1975; McArthur et al., 1971; Forget et al., 1970), are slightly larger (Sherman and Auerbach, 1966), and have a somewhat different chromatin distribution (Olson et al., 1973).
Positive heavy drinking attitude mediates the association between college alcohol beliefs and alcohol-related outcomes

Abstract College alcohol beliefs and personal attitudes about alcohol use are important predictors of alcohol use and related problems both cross-sectionally and over time. However, little work has examined these constructs together and how they may influence one another in predicting various alcohol related outcomes over time. The current study aimed to evaluate one's attitude toward heavy drinking as a mediator of the association between college alcohol beliefs and drinking related outcomes over a 12-month period of time. Participants were mandated students (n = 568; 28% female) who violated campus alcohol policy and received a Brief Motivational Intervention. Analyses included the use of linear regression for prospective predictions as well as PROCESS to evaluate the proposed mediation models. Overall, the results indicate that one's attitude toward heavy drinking significantly mediates the association between college alcohol beliefs and drinks per week, binge frequency, as well as alcohol-related problems over 12 months. These findings provide a compelling rationale for incorporating both college alcohol beliefs and attitudes in the development and refinement of intervention strategies.
Internal Diversity Among “Spiritual But Not Religious” Adolescents in the United States: A Person-Centered Examination Using Latent Class Analysis

Americans who self-identify as spiritual but not religious (SBNR) have increased in recent years. Existing studies of American religion often assume the SBNR as a homogeneous group. Recently some scholars suggest they are not all the same. Instead, SBNR people may differ in the pattern of religious practice, attitude, and affection. This study examines the heterogeneity of the SBNR using a person-centered approach of latent class analysis. We first identified four distinct types of SBNR adolescents in the Wave 2 data of the National Survey of Youth and Religion. Then, we explored how subgroups changed their religious identity over time by tracking them in Wave 3 data.
American Disproportionality: A Historical Analysis of Partisan Bias in Elections to the U.S. House of Representatives

Abstract In this article, I introduce a new index for measuring partisan bias called the Directional Proportionality Index (DPIx) and apply it to elections to the House of Representatives since 190...
The False Promise of Health Data Ownership

In recent years there have been increasing calls by patient advocates, health law scholars and would-be data intermediaries to recognize personal property interests in individual health information (IHI). While the propertization of IHI appeals to notions of individual autonomy, privacy and distributive justice, the implementation of a workable property system for IHI presents significant challenges. This essay addresses the issues surrounding the propertization of IHI from a property law perspective. It first observes that IHI does not fit recognized judicial criteria for recognition as personal property, as IHI defies convenient definition, is difficult to possess exclusively, and lacks justifications for exclusive control. Second, it argues that if IHI property were structured along the lines of traditional common law property, as suggested by some propertization advocates, prohibitive costs could be imposed on socially valuable research and public health activity and IHI itself could become mired in unanticipated administrative complexities. Third, it discusses potential limitations and exceptions on the scope, duration and enforceability of IHI property, both borrowed from intellectual property law and created de novo for IHI. Yet even with these limitations, inherent risks arise when a new form of property is created. When owners are given broad rights of control, subject only to enumerated exceptions that seek to mitigate the worst effects of that control, Constitutional constraints on governmental takings make the subsequent refinement of those rights difficult if not impossible, especially when rights are distributed broadly across the entire population. Moreover, embedding a host of limitations and exceptions into a new property system simply to avoid the worst effects of propertization begs the question whether a property system is needed at all, particularly when existing contract, privacy and anti-discrimination rules already exist to protect individual privacy and autonomy in this area. It may be that one of the principal results of propertizing IHI is enriching would-be data intermediaries with little net benefit to individuals or public health. This essay concludes by recommending that the propertization of IHI be rejected in favor of sensible governmental regulation of IHI research coupled with existing liability rules to compensate individuals for violations of their privacy and abusive conduct by data handlers.
Social Support and Patterns of Institutionalization Among Older Adults: A Longitudinal Study.

OBJECTIVES To identify participants living at home and to estimate the risk of their transition into an institutional setting. DESIGN Prospective cohort study from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS), a nationally representative survey of US adults aged 65 and older. SETTING US national sample. PARTICIPANTS A total of 4712 NHATS participants were living at home in 2011. Residential transitions were described every year through 2017. MEASUREMENTS The primary outcome was transition time into an institutional setting. Primary predictors were social support factors (living spouse, lives with others, presence of social network, and participation in social activities). Covariates included age, sex, race, cognitive status, functional disability, multimorbidity, and Medicaid enrollment. A Fine and Gray hazards model estimated the risk of transition into an institutional setting, with death before institutionalization considered a competing risk. RESULTS In 2011, 4712 NHATS participants were living at home (78 ± 8 y; 57% female; 80% white; 10% probable dementia; 7% with three or more activities of daily living disabilities). By 2017, 58% remained at home, 17% had either transitioned to an institution or died in an institution, and 25% died before institutionalization. In multivariable analyses that adjusted for age, sex, race, cognitive status, functional disability, multimorbidity, and Medicaid enrollment, participants were more likely to move out of the home into an institution if they had no social network (0 vs three or more people; subhazard ratio [sHR] = 1.8; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.2-2.5; P = .003) or lived alone (sHR = 1.9; 95% CI = 1.6-2.2; P < .0001). Older adults who enjoyed going to the movies, dinner, or the casino and visiting family or friends had a lower probability of institutionalization compared with participants who did not enjoy these activities or did not visit family or friends (adjusted sHR = .7; 95% CI = .6-.9; adjusted sHR = .7; 95% CI = .6-.9, respectively). CONCLUSION Policy initiatives should target older adults with limited social support to reduce the risk of moving from home into an institution. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:2622-2627, 2019.
Adaptive fovea for scanning depth sensors

Depth sensors have been used extensively for perception in robotics. Typically these sensors have a fixed angular resolution and field of view (FOV). This is in contrast to human perception, which ...
Smoothed LSDV estimation of functional-coefficient panel data models with two-way fixed effects

Abstract The existing semiparametric estimators for varying-coefficient fixed-effects models exclusively assume one-way fixed effects, typically in the dimension of cross-sectional units. However, more often than not applied researchers wish to control for both the individual and time fixed effects in their panel regressions, with the latter included to account for common unobservable factors correlated with regressors. While rather trivial in a linear model, controlling for time effects by explicitly including time-period dummies as additional regressors does not provide a straight-forward estimation procedure in the case of a semiparametric model. We provide an alternative by extending the Sun et al. (2009) smoothed least-squares dummy variable (LSDV) estimator to the case of a functional-coefficient model with two-way fixed effects whereby we allow for unobservable heterogeneity in both dimensions of the data: cross-section and time. Both fixed effects are concentrated out of the model via locally smoothed two-dimensional within transformation. Simulations show that the estimator performs well in finite samples. We also showcase its practical usefulness by revisiting the role of management as a factor of production.
Synthesis and dopamine receptor pharmacological evaluations on ring C ortho halogenated 1-phenylbenzazepines.

A series of 1-phenylbenzazepines containing bromine or chlorine substituents at the ortho position of the appended phenyl ring (2'-monosubstituted or 2',6'- disubstituted patterns) were synthesized and evaluated for affinity towards dopamine D1R, D2R and D5R. As is typical of the 1-phenylbenzazepine scaffold, the compounds displayed selectivity towards D1R and D5R; analogs generally lacked affinity for D2R. Interestingly, 2',6'-dichloro substituted analogs showed modest D5R versus D1R selectivity whereas this selectivity was reversed in compounds with a 2'-halo substitution pattern. Compound 10a was identified as a D1R antagonist (Ki = 14 nM; IC50 = 9.4 nM).
Demographic Moderation of Spatial Voting in Presidential Elections

Using multiple large national surveys, we investigate how the relationship between policy-based ideology and vote choice in presidential elections differs across demographic groups. Specifically, w...
Identification of immune and non-immune cells in regenerating axolotl limbs by single-cell sequencing.

Abstract Immune cells are known to be critical for successful limb regeneration in the axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum), but many details regarding their identity, behavior, and function are yet to be resolved. We isolated peripheral leukocytes from the blood of adult axolotls and then created two samples for single-cell sequencing: 1) peripheral leukocytes (N = 7889) and 2) peripheral leukocytes with presumptive macrophages from the intraperitoneal cavity (N = 4998). Using k-means clustering, we identified 6 cell populations from each sample that presented gene expression patterns indicative of erythrocyte, thrombocyte, neutrophil, B-cell, T-cell, and myeloid cell populations. A seventh, presumptive macrophage cell population was identified uniquely from sample 2. We then isolated cells from amputated axolotl limbs at 1 and 6 days post-amputation (DPA) and performed single cell sequencing (N = 8272 and 9906 cells respectively) to identify immune and non-immune cell populations. Using k-means clustering, we identified 8 cell populations overall, with the majority of cells expressing erythrocyte-specific genes. Even though erythrocytes predominated, we used an unbiased approach to identify infiltrating neutrophil, macrophage, and lymphocyte populations at both time points. Additionally, populations expressing genes for epidermal cells, fibroblast-like cells, and endothelial cells were also identified. Consistent with results from previous experimental studies, neutrophils were more abundant at 1 DPA than 6 DPA, while macrophages and non-immune cells exhibited inverse abundance patterns. Of note, we identified a small population of fibroblast-like cells at 1 DPA that was represented by considerably more cells at 6 DPA. We hypothesize that these are early progenitor cells that give rise to the blastema. The enriched gene sets from our work will aid future single-cell investigations of immune cell diversity and function during axolotl limb regeneration.
Online Teaching Resources

Because of the global COVID-19 pandemic during the spring of 2020, colleges and universities found themselves rapidly moving all courses to online modalities, a format that many instructors were no...
A House Divided: Political Pluralism, Institutional Complexity, and Foreign Firm Entry in the Mexican Maquiladora Sector

In this study, we investigate the effect of political pluralism on foreign firm market-entry decisions. Although prior research has argued that political pluralism has a positive impact on organizations, using an institutional theory lens to evaluate political pluralism suggests that in regions with weak political competition, political pluralism also brings potentially negative consequences for firms. Previous studies using a bargaining perspective have largely ignored these negative effects. We propose that in some contexts political pluralism increases institutional complexity and reduces firm access to resources, thereby reducing the attractiveness of such regions as potential sites for foreign manufacturing firms. Empirically, this study examines market entry of all foreign manufacturing firms into Mexico from 1990 to 2006. Our findings show that political pluralism decreases firm entry and that this effect is partially mediated by the amount of public resources that flow from upper- to lower-level government jurisdictions and moderated by the extent to which a state government depends on federal resources and by the extent to which firms depend on government resources.
An evaluation of automatic control system concepts for general aviation airplanes

A piloted simulation study of automatic longitudinal control systems for general aviation airplanes has been conducted. These automatic control systems were designed to make the simulated airplane easy to fly for a beginning or infrequent pilot. Different control systems are presented and their characteristics are documented. In a conventional airplane control system each cockpit controller commands combinations of both the airspeed and the vertical speed. The best system in the present study decoupled the airspeed and vertical speed responses to cockpit throttle inputs. That is, the cockpit throttle lever commanded only airspeed responses, and the longitudinal wheel position commanded only vertical speed responses. This system significantly reduced the pilot workload throughout an entire mission of the airplane from takeoff to landing. An important feature of the automatic system was that neither changing flap position nor maneuvering in steeply banked turns affected either the airspeed or the vertical speed. All the pilots who flew the control system simulation were favorably impressed with the very low workload and the excellent handling qualities of the simulated airplane.
Diversity of Carbonyl Compounds in Biogas and Natural Gas Revealed Using High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry and Nontarget Analysis

Airborne carbonyl compounds such as formaldehyde, acrolein, and methyl ethyl ketone have long been chemicals-of-concern in the environment due to their reactivity and their potential for negative health effects. Standard methods for determining carbonyls in air, which focus on a set of 15 or fewer compounds, involve derivatization to form nonvolatile hydrazones, which can readily be analyzed via liquid chromatography (LC) with ultraviolet detectors. Here, we apply a new LC-high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) method to natural gas and a variety of upgraded biofuels to better assess their total carbonyl profile using the inherent selectivity of the standard sampling methodology and the selectivity and sensitivity of HRMS. The standard method accounted for only 64% of the total carbonyl content in natural gas and between 26 and 45% of the total carbonyl content in biogas sources, with the balance detected by the new LC/HRMS method. An additional 540 compounds with molecular formulas consistent with carbonyl compounds were detected compared to only 14 target compounds using the standard method. These results demonstrate that the established method dramatically under-reports both the total carbonyl load and the diversity of carbonyl species in natural gas and biogas samples.
Cotton-harvester-flow simulator for testing cotton yield monitors

An experimental system was developed to simulate the pneumatic flow arrangement found in picker-type cotton harvesters. The simulation system was designed and constructed for testing a prototype cotton yield monitor developed at Mississippi State University. The simulation system was constructed to approximate the pneumatic cotton flow system of a cotton picker, and was capable of operating with varying cotton flow rates. The simulator was tested with different cotton flow rates, and the relationship between feeder rate and amount of conveyed seed cotton was found to be consistent. Further, the simulator was used to conduct tests with the novel optical cotton yield monitor, which proved accurate at measuring the amount of seed cotton flowing through the simulator. Finally, some differences between laboratory testing and field-testing were noted: seed cotton becomes fluffed and twisted when recycled through the simulator, and seed cotton stored in the laboratory tends to be of lower moisture content than cotton during harvest. These differences should be considered when using a laboratory simulator to test cotton yield monitors.
Maupertuis, Pierre Louis Moreau de

1698–1759 French savant who defended Newtonian physics and argued in favour of epigenesis. Keywords: biology; physics; mathematics; generation
Lines in the Sand: Border Effects, Economic Integration and Disintegration of Post-War Iraq

Recent reports from Iraq paint a mixed picture of a country taking steps toward selfgovernance and economic recovery as well as one experiencing waves of violent internecine conflict. In this paper, we analyze weekly price data for 255 goods from the eighteen Iraqi governorates over the years 2005-2008 to assess the extent that markets are developing. The law of price one suggests that, after controlling for distance between major cities, prices should converge in the presence of relatively free trade among the governorates. Our model explores whether prices have converged across regions, over time and what might explain those dynamics. Our paper suggests four empirical regularities associated with market development in Post-War Iraq. First, the degree of price distortion (i.e. price dispersion) has been approximately two times higher than those reported using similar techniques and data in the United States and Japan. Second, the degree of price distortion drops significantly during the period commonly referred to as "the surge" and rises afterward, though at a more modest pace. Third, the degree of price distortion is significantly smaller in areas in which the United States military presence was greatest, i.e. Sunni and Kurdish regions as opposed to Shia regions. Finally, there is limited evidence to suggest that the sub-national economies (Kurdish, Shia, and Sunni) and not completely economically integrated, though the "border effects" are smaller than those reported across countries in the trade literature. Hence, we conclude there are "lines in the sand" rather than significant border impediments to trade. Taken together, these results suggest a significant role for violence and security in explaining market distortions and market integration and disintegration.
Nonlinear optical neural networks: dynamic ring oscillators

We analyze the dynamics of a simple nonlinear optical circuit and draw upon analogies with neural network models. A key element in the circuit is a dynamic holographic medium, a photorefractive medium, which serves as a long-term memory. We discuss associative recall with the device in the context of competition among the memory states of the system. When the system is not being addressed, it will forget in time the stored items. At the same time, the system can display an unlearning phenomenon whereby long-term memory traces tend to equalize their strengths. Under other conditions the system will become obsessive, forgetting all memory traces except for one.
An American‐British economic, monetary, financial and social stabilization plan: a new vision of how to solve the malaise of the twentieth century in the Western world

The equation of unified knowledge says that S = f (A,P) which means that the practical solution to a given problem is a function of the existing, empirical, actual realities and the future, potential, best possible conditions of general stable equilibrium which both pure and practical reason, exhaustive in the Kantian sense, show as being within the realm of potential realities beyond any doubt. The first classical revolution in economic thinking, included in factor “P” of the equation, conceived the economic and financial problems in terms of a model of ideal conditions of stable equilibrium but neglected the full consideration of the existing, actual conditions. That is the main reason why, in the end, it failed. The second modern revolution, included in factor “A” of the equation, conceived the economic and financial problems in terms of the existing, actual conditions, usually in disequilibrium or unstable equilibrium (in case of stagnation) and neglected the sense of right direction expressed in factor “P” or the realization of general, stable equilibrium. That is the main reason why the modern revolution failed in the past and is failing in front of our eyes in the present. The equation of unified knowledge, perceived as a sui generis synthesis between classical and modern thinking has been applied rigorously and systematically in writing the enclosed American‐British economic, monetary, financial and social stabilization plans. In the final analysis, a new economic philosophy, based on a synthesis between classical and modern thinking, called here the new economics of unified knowledge, is applied to solve the malaise of the twentieth century which resulted from a confusion between thinking in terms of stable equilibrium on the one hand and disequilibrium or unstable equilibrium on the other.
La estabilidad de los intereses en la adolescencia: un estudio longitudinal (Tesina)

con la zona urbana espanola, tambien trabajada con anterioridad. Nuestro segundo objetivo es el de aportar mas datos sobre la estructura de las representaciones del miedo que estan asociadas con la expresion de la angustia en el adolescente. La primera parte de nuestro estudio consiste en describir, lo mas exhaustivamente posible, el universo de los miedos, temores, inquietudes de los adolescentes a los cuales se les pide que expliquen todo lo que les da miedo. Las respuestas obtenidas se someten a un analisis de contenido que tiene como regla fundamental clasificar los enunciados de miedo (palabras o frases) en funcion de su parecido con las expresiones del lenguaje corriente. La descripcion, a la vez cualitativa y cuantitativa, nos permitira realizar estudios comparativos entre las tres zonas exploradas y descubrir y senalar las diferencias significativas que existen entre ellas a nivel de sexo y edad, segunda parte de nuestro estudio. La tercera parte del estudio consiste en la realizacion de un analisis factorial a fin de destacar las categorias subyacentes que unen los enunciados de miedo. La poblacion estudiada esta constituida por adolescentes de 12 y 14 anos (480 en total) de tres zonas rurales espanolas (Andalucia, Cataluna y Galicia). Recogimos una cantidad aproximada de 2.000 enunciados de significacion y dispusimos, asi, de un inventario detallado de miedos u objetos de miedo (codigo analitico), los cuales se agruparon en las distintas categorias que estan caracterizadas por la lista completa de sus diferentes indicadores y son en las que apoyamos todo nuestro trabajo estadistico. Hemos podido constatar en las tres zonas estudiadas, referencias de miedos similares que se han dado a veces con mas o menos intensidad, pero que como una constante aparecian en esta etapa adolescente: oscuridad, muerte y animales. Igualmente hemos constatado que a los 12 anos se dan mas miedos a los animales (miedos fobicos) que a los 14 anos, donde aparecen miedos mas abstractos (muerte) y que las ninas dan mas referencias de miedo que los ninos (BAMBER. 1977; RODR~GUEZ-ToME. 1978). Por ultimo, podemos concluir que los estudios factoriales han puesto de manifiesto, como en anteriores investigaciones, cuatro factores muy estables que nos hacen pensar en dimensiones fundamentales de la angustia. Estos factores irian desde los miedos fobicos (factor 1 y factor 4) hasta la ansiedad de espera (factor 2 y factor 3), es decir desde las referencias de miedo mas infantiles hasta las referencias de ansiedad adolescente.
ArI laser induced fluorescence system for measurement of neutral dynamics in a large scale helicon plasma

Neutral particles can play a significant role in the dynamics of plasma instabilities and flows through momentum transfer via ion-neutral collisions. When neutral and ion densities are spatially nonuniform, neutral-ion collisions can also exert a zero-order torque on a magnetized plasma column via the FxB force, where F is the force exerted on ions by neutrals (a neutral wind force). In order to investigate the role of neutral dynamics in helicon discharges in the HelCat (Helicon-Cathode) basic plasma science device at U. New Mexico, an ArI Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF) system is being developed. Previous passive spectroscopic measurements of ArI and ArII lines indicate that the neutral density profile is hollow (higher n n at larger radius). Additionally, we have not been able to reconcile azimuthal flows measured by Mach probes with those expected from ExB and diamagnetic torques. It is hypothesized that neutrals play an important role in the plasma flow. The LIF system is based on a > 250 mW, tunable diode-pumped solid state laser. The laser will pump the metastable (2P0 3/2 )4s2 level to the (2P0 1/2 )4p2 level using 696.543 nm light, and observe fluorescence radiation from decay to the (2P0 1/2 )4s2 level at 772.42 nm. The system design and initial results will be presented.
Receptor activation regulates cortical, but not vesicular localization of NDP kinase

We used immunofluorescence techniques to determine the localization of nucleoside diphosphate (NDP) kinase in NIH-3T3 fibroblasts. We found that cytoplasmic NDP kinase can be separated into two populations according to subcellular localization and response to extracellular stimuli. Specifically, within minutes of stimulation of resting fibroblasts with serum, growth factors or bombesin, a portion of NDP kinase becomes associated with membrane ruffles and lamellipodia. Another pool of NDP kinase accumulates independently of stimulation around intracellular vesicles. Transfection of cells with activated Rac mimics, whereas expression of dominant negative Rac inhibits, the effects of extracellular stimulation on the translocation of NDP kinase to the cell cortex. Neither Rac mutant affects the vesicle-associated pool. Association of NDP kinase with vesicles depends on microtubule integrity and is disrupted by nocodazole. In cell-free assays NDP kinase binds tightly to membrane vesicles associated with taxol-stabilized microtubules. Binding of NDP kinase to this fraction is reduced by ATP and abolished by GTP, as well as guanine nucleotides that are NDP kinase substrates. Thus, the localization of the two NDP kinase pools identified here is regulated independently by distinct cellular components: the appearance of cortical NDP kinase is a consequence of Rac activation, whereas vesicular NDP kinase is responsive to microtubule dynamics and nucleotides, in particular GTP. These results suggest that in fibroblasts NDP kinase participates in Rac-related cortical events and in GTP-dependent processes linked to intracellular vesicle trafficking.
Portal vein embolization: Rationale, outcomes, controversies and future directions

Portal vein embolization (PVE) is now considered the standard of care to improve safety for patients undergoing extensive hepatectomy with an anticipated small future liver remnant (FLR). PVE is used to induce contralateral liver hypertrophy in preparation for major liver resection. Optimal patient selection is essential to maximize the clinical benefits of PVE. Computed tomography volumetry is used to calculate a standardized FLR and determine the need for preoperative PVE. Percutaneous PVE can be performed via the transhepatic ipsilateral or contralateral approaches, depending on operator preference. Several different embolic agents are available to the interventional radiologist, all with similar effectiveness in inducing hypertrophy. When an extended hepatectomy is planned, right PVE should include segment 4, in order to maximize FLR hypertrophy. Multiple studies have demonstrated the beneficial outcomes of PVE in both patients with healthy livers and with underlying liver diseases. Novel improvements to PVE should expand its scope to patients who were previously not candidates for the procedure.
Acyl coenzyme a synthetase regulation: putative role in long-chain acyl coenzyme a partitioning.

was associated with the M/N fraction than in the fed state (23 0.3%). In the fed state, more ACSL activity (34 0.5%) was associated with the HDM than in the fasted state (25 0.9%), concurrent with increased triglyc- eride formation from FFA. Insulin increased LC-CoA and ACSL activity associated with the PM. The changes in ACSL activity in response to insulin were associated with only minor changes in mass as determined by Western blotting. Discussion: It is hypothesized that ACSL plays an impor- tant role in targeting FFA to specific metabolic pathways or acylation sites in the cell, thus acting as an important control mechanism in fuel partitioning. Localization of ACSL at the PM may serve to decrease FFA efflux and trap FFA within the cell as LC-CoA.
Group drumming and well-being: A promising self-care strategy for social workers

Background: The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the influence of recreational drumming among social workers on measures of well-being, empowerment and connectedness. Methods: A pretest–posttest design was used to evaluate outcomes among a sample of 73 social workers who participated in the two-hour “I–We Rhythm” program for recreational drumming. Results: Results of paired t-tests analyses revealed significant differences in levels of stress, energy and feelings of empowerment and community between pre- and posttest measures. Medium effect sizes were seen for all results. As such, the results of this pilot study are promising but should be viewed with caution. Conclusions: Recreational drumming is a promising group-oriented self-care strategy among social workers, who often hold high-stress occupations.
ULTRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE BEETLE FOOD TISSUE OF CALYCANTHUS FLOWERS

The flower of Calycanthus traps a wide variety of beetles which, while imprisoned, effect pollination. During their occupancy the insects eat a protein-rich tissue developed at the tips of the inner tepals, stamens, and staminodia. Cells of this food tissue differentiate a large number of cytoplasmic protein tubules by using a protein vacuole as an assembly site. The cells comprising the food tissue represent a very specialized plant cell type and one which facilitates this particular plant/insect relationship. CALYCANTHUS is a shrub native to the Southeastern and Western United States. It is beetle pollinated, and a number of workers have noted the food tissue (Fig. 1) present on the tepal and stamen tips (Daumann, 1930; Faegri and van der Pijl, 1966; Grant, 1950; Meeuse, 1961). The bee
Boundary Conditions for an Evaporating Thin Film for Isothermal Interfacial Conditions

This qtudy investigates the role of the thin film in heat pipes, and deals uniquely with the boundary conditions in the region near the absorbed film and in the meniscus region
Increases in Jump-and-Reach Height Through an External Focus of Attention: A Response to the Commentary by Keith Davids

INTRODUCTION Keith Davids uses our article as an opportunity to criticize a line of research that has been pursued for nearly a decade now. Within this area of research, numerous studies have consistently demonstrated that directing performers’ attention to the movement effect (i.e., inducing an external focus) results in more effective performance or learning than directing their attention to their movements (i.e., inducing an internal focus), or not giving focus instructions (control conditions). (For a comprehensive review, see Wulf [1].) While the findings of the present study are no exception to this rule, the unique contribution of the present research is the demonstration that not only jump-and-reach height, but even maximum force production (as seen in the impulse data) is increased by an external focus of attention. These findings are not trivial. Importantly, they have implications for practical settings that should be of interest to readers of this journal. Nevertheless, Davids questions not only the validity of the present and previous findings, but also their interpretation (“constrained action hypothesis”). In this response, I will comment on the theoretical and experimentation issues Davids raised in his commentary.
RNAi screening: tips and techniques

By identifying gene products whose knockdown is associated with phenotypic changes, large-scale RNA-mediated interference screens have demonstrated previously unknown components of biological pathways. This commentary provides general guidelines for using such screens to answer questions of immunological interest.
Niche separation in Varecia variegata rubra and Eulemur fulvus albifrons: II. Intraspecific patterns

Based on a year-long field study in northeastern Madagascar, I summarize annual patterns of niche use (food patch size, diet, forest height, and forest site) in two sympatric lemurs, Varecia variegata rubra and Eulemur fulvus albifrons. Furthermore, I examine intraspecific patterns of niche use according to sex, season, and reproductive stage in these two lemurs that differ in terms of energetic investment in reproduction. Lemurs as a group provide a special opportunity to test hypotheses concerning sex differences in niche use. Due to their body size monomorphism and seasonal, synchronous pattern of breeding, it is possible to directly evaluate whether sex differences in diet reflect high energetic investment in reproduction by females. Results confirm the hypothesis that intraspecific variation in niche use (e.g., sex differences, seasonal differences) would be more pronounced in V. v. rubra than in E. f. albifrons, due in large measure to the former's relatively high energetic investment in reproduction: 1a) Dietary sex differences in V. v. rubra are most pronounced during costly reproductive stages and involve acquisition of low-fiber, high-protein plant foods. Females of both species consume more seasonally available low-fiber protein (young leaves, flowers) relative to conspecific males during the hot dry season, but only in V. v. rubra females is this pattern also evident during gestation and lactation. 1b) The diets of female V. v. rubra and female E. f. albifrons are more similar to each other than are the diets of conspecific males and females in the case of V. v. rubra. This is not uniformly the case for female E. f. albifrons. This finding confirms a hypothesis put forward in Vasey ([2000] Am J Phys Anthropol 112:411–431) that energetic requirements of reproductive females drive niche separation more than do the energetic requirements of males. 1c) Both species synchronize most or all of lactation with seasonal food abundance and diversity. E. f. albifrons shows a more protracted period of synchrony, and this may contribute to its wide biogeographic distribution in Madagascar. 2) Sex differences and seasonal differences in microhabitat use reflect intraspecific patterns of thermoregulation, predator avoidance, and in the case of V. v. rubra, reproduction. One important factor selecting for body size monomorphism in lemurs appears to be the tight synchrony between lactation and periods of food abundance afforded by annual, seasonal breeding. Am J Phys Anthropol 118:169–183, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Regulation of Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH) Receptor Messenger Ribonucleic Acid and GnRH Receptors during the Early Preovulatory Period in the Ewe*

Estradiol increases the number of GnRH receptors in the ewe. Although results from studies conducted in vitro indicate that progesterone may have a negative influence on the number of ovine GnRH receptors, this effect of progesterone has not been documented in vivo. To explore the regulation of GnRH receptors at the level of gene expression, a partial complementary DNA (cDNA) encoding ovine GnRH receptor was isolated using reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction methodology. This partial cDNA (701 basepairs) was used to isolate a full-length cDNA encoding GnRH receptor from an ovine pituitary cDNA library. Northern blot analysis of RNA from ovine pituitary glands using the partial cDNA as a molecular probe revealed four messenger RNA (mRNA) transcripts at 5.6, 3.8, 2.1, and 1.3 kilobases. In some samples, a fifth transcript at 0.8 kilobases was also evident. GnRH receptor mRNA was not detected in ovine brain, heart, kidney, adrenal, or liver tissues. To examine the regulation of GnRH receptor ...
HIARC: A Fortran Program for Measurement of Children's Social Perceptions through Group Hierarchy Construction

The computer program (HIARC) described provides a means for calculation of hierarchies for group members on one or more attributes and provides tests of significance for research on children's social perceptions.
Bayesian Mixtures of Autoregressive Models

In this article we propose a class of time-domain models for analyzing possibly nonstationary time series. This class of models is formed as a mixture of time series models, whose mixing weights are a function of time. We consider specifically mixtures of autoregressive models with a common but unknown lag. To make the methodology work we show that it is necessary to first partition the data into small non-overlapping segments, so that all observations within one segment are always allocated to the same component. The model parameters, including the number of mixture components, are then estimated via Markov chain Monte Carlo methods. The methodology is illustrated with simulated and real data. Supplemental materials are available online.
Analysis of Sunspot Activity Cycles

A nonlinear analysis of the daily sunspot number for each of cycles 10 to 23 is used to indicate whether the convective turbulence is stochastic or chaotic. There is a short review of recent papers considering sunspot statistics and solar activity cycles. The differences in the three possible regimes - deterministic laminar flow, chaotic flow, and stochastic flow - are discussed. The length of data sets necessary to analyze the regimes is investigated. Chaos is described and a chronology of recent results that utilize chaos and fractals to analyze sunspot numbers follows. The parameters necessary to describe chaos - time lag, phase space, embedding dimension, local dimension, correlation dimension, and the Lyapunov exponents - are determined for the attractor for each cycle. Assuming the laminar regime is unlikely if chaos is not indicated in a cycle by the calculations, the regime must be stochastic. The sunspot numbers in each of cycles 10 to 19 indicate stochastic behavior. There is a transition from stochastic to chaotic behavior of the sunspot numbers in cycles 20, 21, 22, and 23. These changes in cycles 20 - 23 may indicate a change in the scale of turbulence in the convection zone that could result in a change in the convective heat transfer and a change in the size of the convection region for these four cycles.
Girl Interrupted: The Queer Time of Warhol's Cinema

1966.1 The Screen Tests comprise a series of four-minute, silent, black and white portraits, usually shot in head-on close-up, and depict subjects of varying degrees of fame and anonymity, who usually return the camera's gaze with a relatively expressionless fixed stare. Aside from small permutations, the element of greatest variability from test to test is the lighting, which ranges from high-contrast silhouette to washed-out over-exposure.2 Curiously, Warhol does not seem to evaluate the silent, immobile subjects for any of the abilities or traits that a screen test would normally measure. His subjects barely move or speak. Most of them are posed at a consistent, fixed angle, and the majority of them do not appear in any of his other films. The Screen Tests , it would seem, are 'just tests": experiments without results, trial runs that yield no data. The test form has been de-teleologized; these films are neither preparatory nor subordinate to a final work. Warhol allows the trial-and-error aesthetic a
Surgical caseload in army general surgery programs: a 10-year retrospective.

Abstract PURPOSE: Over the past decade, the Army Medical Department (AMEDD) has been affected by a military-wide drawdown. The volume and acuity of patients appears to be declining, raising questions regarding quantity and quality in Army surgical training programs. The purpose of this study is to examine the caseloads of Army general surgery programs compared with national averages, and to compare the board examination performance of Army residents with national pass rates. METHODS: The program directors of all 6 Army training programs were requested to submit resident caseloads and performance on qualifying and certifying examinations from 1990 to 2000. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and the American Board of Surgery (ABS) provided resident statistics summaries and board examination statistics, respectively, for the same period. Total caseloads, chief resident cases, performance in defined categories, and board pass rates of military residents were compared with national averages. RESULTS: Four of the 6 programs submitted the requested data. The average caseload for Army residents, both total and chief residents, has been lower than the national average over the past decade. Nationally, total case numbers have gradually increased while military changes have been variable. The number of chief resident cases has trended steadily downward in Army programs at a rate exceeding the national average. The volume of procedures in endoscopy, thoracic, and breast surgery in the Army generally exceeds those recorded outside of the military. Despite the decline in surgical cases in the military, the pass rates in both the certifying and qualifying examinations among Army graduates have been consistently higher than the national average. CONCLUSIONS: Residents who train in Army programs perform fewer operative cases than do their counterparts in civilian programs. The downward trend in the number of chief resident cases over the last 10 years is likely reflective of the changes in military medicine. Despite these trends, Army residency graduates continue to exceed national performance averages on the ABS qualifying and certifying examinations.
A DISCUSSION OF THE LOAD DROP AND RELATED MATTERS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FORMATION OF A LUDERS BAND.

1. lntroduction.-In a fixed-grip experiment resulting in the occurrence of a iders band in a flat bar there is a distinct drop in the load at the instant of forma,n of the band. We have here derived a formula relating this load drop to the dth D of the Liiders band and the length L of the bar. The formula involves, in dition, the plastic contraction b introduced in our previous communication [rid Rotation in Liiders Bands" (these PROCEEDINGS, 40, 565-572, 1954), on which e following discussion is largely based. Thus we have limited our attention to a use of the von Mises yield condition and have moreover taken Poisson's ratio v = 2, which is equivalent to the assumption that the material is elastically incomessible. This latter assumption is generally admissible, since the elastic displacents are small in comparison with the plastic displacements. In this connection refer also to the Remark in sec. 2 concerning the value of Poisson's ratio. References to earlier notes in these PROCEEDINGS as "Notes I, II, and III" will made as explained in the above-mentioned communication, which will, in turn, referred to as "Note IV" in the following discussion. 2. Derivation of the Formula.-Consider the bar at the yield point just before e formation of the Liiders band. The flat surface of the bar at the instant in estion is represented by the rectangle ABCD in Figure 1. Planes P1' and P2' und the elastically deformed material destined to go into the plastic or Liiders nd, which is bounded by the planes P1 and P2 indicated by the dotted lines. ngths such as 11 and D, etc., which will enter the discussion are clearly defined reference to Figure 1. Let I denote the unstrained length of the bar which has length i1' -+ 12 at the ld point. Then