cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
agTrend: A Bayesian approach for estimating trends of aggregated abundance

Summary We describe a method and open source R package agTrend for analysing regional trends of abundance from sites with uneven sample schedules over space and time. The method uses a hierarchical model to augment missing abundance measurements, while accounting for survey methodology changes and variability due to survey replication. A zero-inflated log-normal distribution is used to model abundance (normalized for methodology changes) and a log-normal distribution to model the observed abundance conditional on the true normalized abundance. The proposed method and software are demonstrated with an analysis of regional abundance index trends of Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) in Alaska. The package will be of most use to ecologists and resource managers interested in estimating regional trends of abundance surveys aggregated over several sites when sites have not been surveyed at concurrent times and hence regional abundance measurements cannot be directly calculated.
Microstructural aspects of hypervelocity impact cratering and jetting in copper

Light and transmission electron microscopy techniques have been applied in observations of hypervelocity impact craters in two different copper targets: a 38 μm grain size mill-processed target, and a 763 μm grain size annealed target, the smaller grained target being impacted with a 1100 aluminium sphere and the larger grained target being impacted with a soda-lime glass sphere, at velocities near 6 km s−1. Both target craters exhibited dynamic recrystallization near the crater wall. The jetting associated with these two craters was very different. Considerably more plastic flow and a larger rim characterized the larger grained target. No significant melt-related phenomena were observed either near the crater wall or in the jetted rim for either crater. Consequently, the principal features of crater formation involve extreme plastic flow in the solid state. Microbands were observed to occur profusely in a zone below the smaller grained mill-processed target crater while more profuse and extremely long, unidirectional bundles of microbands (which were coincident with traces of {1 1 1} planes) occurred below the annealed larger grained target crater. These observations attest to the dominant and unique role played by deformation microbands in cratering in copper, because essentially no deformation twins were observed in either target.
Alasdair MacIntyre on morality, community and natural law

This article explores Alasdair MacIntyre’s social philosophy, which is regarded as both a sweeping criticism of the moral incoherence of modern society and a wide-ranging challenge to value-neutral...
Hidradenitis suppurativa is a systemic disease with substantial comorbidity burden: a chart-verified case-control analysis

Background Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory disease involving intertriginous skin. Previous epidemiologic studies have been limited by small sample size. Objective We sought to describe the prevalence and comorbidities of HS in a large patient care database. Methods In this retrospective case-control study, we chart-validated all patients within a hospital database who received at least 1 billing code for HS between 1980 and 2013. Verified cases were matched with controls based on age, gender, and race. Prevalences of a priori selected comorbidities were compared between HS and control groups. Results A total of 2292 patients at Massachusetts General Hospital received at least 1 code for HS. A total of 1776 cases had a validated diagnosis of HS, yielding a prevalence of 0.08%. In unadjusted analysis, all comorbidities were diagnosed significantly more in HS compared with control including (in rank order of likelihood): smoking, arthropathies, dyslipidemia, polycystic ovarian syndrome, psychiatric disorders, obesity, drug dependence, hypertension, diabetes, thyroid disease, alcohol dependence, and lymphoma (all P Limitations Control subjects were not validated for absence of HS and comorbidity validation was not performed for either group. Conclusions Our results highlights the high comorbidity burden of patients with HS compared with matched control subjects.
Crack tortuousity in the nacreous layer – Topological dependence and biomimetic design guideline

Abstract The nacreous layer in seashells is known for two phenomenal aspects: light-weightiness and superior fracture toughness. Of a multitude of toughening mechanisms, the highly meandering nature of the crack path through its staggered architecture has been reported to contribute approximately a third of its overall toughness. In the current article, we are trying to establish the scientific rationale associated with the influence of overlap length on the crack-tip driving force from a local perspective via development of a simplified analytical model. Characteristic overlap lengths computed showed reasonable agreement with the values reported in the nacreous layer and previously published experimental data. Biomimetic design guideline obtained from the current investigation would thereby lead to development of synthetic staggered architecture materials with improved stiffness, load-transfer and toughness.
Thyromimetic Activity of 3,5,3′,5′-Tetramethylthyronine

Administration of microgram doses of 3,5,3′,5′-tetramethylthyronine (T-Me4) to thyroidectomized rats increased oxygen consumption, increased heart rate, promoted growth and reduced pituitary size. Alterations in the sizes of the kidneys, adrenals, heart and spleen were also comparable to those produced by thyroxine. Thus, T-Me4 possesses thyromimetic activity which appears to be approximately 1% that of T4. (Endocrinology 93: 201, 1973)
Transforming business leaders into talent champions

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to examine how organizations can support their leaders in taking on the challenges of their leadership roles, including how to effectively manage talent on a larger scale as they move up the ranks. The author aims to discuss the findings of a study by Corporate Executive Board (CEB) into the support required to move from being a business leader to a talent champion. This study built upon previous CEB research, which had shown that the way managers manage their teams can have a significant impact on key business outcomes. It aimed to explore practical ways for organizations to support executives in making the leap from managing an individual team to facing the challenge of leading a business unit or business function comprising a broad portfolio of talent effectively.Design/methodology/approach – In 2009, CEB undertook a 360‐degree survey of more than 8,000 business leaders based in North America, Europe, Asia, and South Africa exploring managers' skills, their knowledge,...
Interrelationships of biological environmental and competency variables in young children with Down syndrome.

Abstract Eighty-nine children with Down syndrome were followed longitudinally from birth to 36 months by an interdisciplinary team of professionals. Means and standard deviations of measures on the Bayley Scales of Infant Development and the Vineland Social Maturity Scale indicate that the average child with Down syndrome functions at the lower end of the mildly retarded range, while the language development is more delayed. Evaluation of correlation coefficients for the same scales revealed the correlations to increase with advancing age, while the correlations between different tests are of a more complex nature. In subsequent analyses we focused on developmental interrelationships, major influencing factors of specified functions, and predictable outcome competencies. Certain behavioral variables were identified by principal component analysis using varimax rotation. Through subsequent path analysis it was found that the presence of significant congenital heart disease influences adversely the muscle tone and the parents' ability to follow-through with the provided guidance. Muscle tone in turn is a powerful predictor of all the outcome variables including language acquisition, motor and social development, and mental functioning. The general development at six months was noted to influence future language acquisition as well as mental development in subsequent years. The ability to follow through is affected by muscle tone and by the parents' ability to cope. In turn, follow-through had a significant influence on mental development between 12 and 36 months.
Some Pharmacological Perspectives on the Opiate Narcotics with Special Consideration of Heroin

(1971). Some Pharmacological Perspectives on the Opiate Narcotics with Special Consideration of Heroin. Journal of Psychedelic Drugs: Vol. 4, The Contemporary Heroin Scene, Part I: The Problem, pp. 31-39.
Principles of setups in complete dentures.

T he technician is usually requested to make the complete denture setup from t.1.t‘ dentist’s initial centric relation record. This record is generally rnade with occlusior! rims and forwarded to the technician either unmounted or mounted on an instl-iiment. It is the dentist’s responsibility to select the teeth. His work authorization should state the mold and shade, whether porcelain or acrylic rfsin, anatomic or nonanatomic. and, specifically, which manufacturer’s posterior teeth he wants to havr WY!.
Clinical efficacy of oral linezolid compared with intravenous vancomycin for the treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus-complicated skin and soft tissue infections: a retrospective, propensity score-matched, case-control analysis.

Abstract Background Linezolid is 100% bioavailable in oral and intravenous formulations. In a recent prospective, randomized, open-label, comparator-controlled, multicenter, phase 4 clinical trial in adults with complicated skin and soft tissue infections (cSSTIs) caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), linezolid achieved clinical and microbiologic success comparable to appropriately dosed intravenous vancomycin. Although patients were randomly assigned to receive linezolid or vancomycin, the protocol allowed patients to start therapy using oral or intravenous linezolid on the basis of investigator discretion and patient ability to tolerate oral medication. Objective The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy and tolerability of linezolid when administered orally in adults with cSSTI caused by MRSA. In this retrospective analysis, we examined data collected from the aforementioned trial to compare outcomes in patients who received either oral linezolid or intravenous vancomycin therapy. Methods This study analyzed outcomes in patients who received treatment for 7 to 14 days with either oral linezolid (600 mg q12h; n = 95) or intravenous vancomycin (15 mg/kg q12h, adjusted for creatinine clearance and trough concentration; n = 210). By design, these groups were not randomized. Propensity score matching on baseline variables was used to balance these groups by identifying a comparable group of patients who received vancomycin therapy and comparing them with patients who received oral linezolid therapy. Clinical and microbiologic success rates at the end of treatment and the end of the study (EOS) were then directly compared between the groups using matched-pair logistic regression. The tolerability of the 2 treatments (within this matched group) was also described. Results Ninety-two patients with well-matched baseline characteristics were included in each treatment group. At EOS, the odds ratio for clinical success of oral linezolid therapy vs intravenous vancomycin therapy was 4.0 (95% CI, 1.3–12.0; P = 0.01), and the odds ratio for microbiologic success at EOS was 2.7 (95% CI, 1.2–5.7; P = 0.01). Overall rates of adverse events in each group were consistent with reported safety profiles for each drug. Conclusion A favorable clinical cure rate was achieved with oral linezolid therapy when compared with intravenous vancomycin therapy in propensity score–matched patients with cSSTI proved to be caused by MRSA. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00087490.
DIVERGENCE OF THE N-LOOP PLANAR GRAPH IN THE DUAL-RESONANCE MODEL.

The two-loop planar tadpole is constructed by inserting two projected planar tadpoles on a symmetric three-Reggeon vertex. The determinant, which is the generalization of the partition function appearing in the one-loop diagram, is studied as a function of the integration variables of the loops and propagators. It is found that although the determinant contains an infinite number of possibly exponentially divergent factors, only three of them actually diverge. The first two divergent factors are those associated with each tadpole. The additional divergence is associated with the closed path going around the two loops which does not cross itself. The calculation is also performed with the Koba-Nielsen variables of the original $N$-loop graph, and the same result is derived.
From C. P. Ellis to School Integration: The Social Psychology of Conflict Reduction

In this article, the authors review social psychological theories of intergroup conflict reduction. Emphasis is placed on three interrelated social conditions which facilitate conflict reduction: intergroup contact, superordinate goals, and shared identities. Bridging experimental research with real-world studies of schooling, these concepts are applied to understanding the process of school integration. Social contexts which present conflicting parties with a new shared goal and identity, as well as opportunities to become familiar with others beyond stereotypes and anxious reactions, dramatically increase the likelihood of diffusing conflict.
Primary care and primary care training: mirror images.

Primary care appears to be in a perpetual state of crisis. The failures are well known. Primary care physicians work in stressful, under-resourced work environments with overcrowded schedules geared towards acute care. Chronic disease patients receive inadequate treatment and physicians lack the time, expertise and money to systematically measure and improve the quality of care they deliver. Despite this, physician salary and reputation are being increasingly based on these measures. It is not difficult to imagine why so many primary care physicians burnout and quit practice within a few years after training and why medical school graduates are not pursuing primary care careers. Reasons for these failures abound. Fee for service models incentivize quantity over quality and do not reward cognitive effort and care coordination. Acute care and large patient panel sizes make it nearly impossible for physicians to provide all recommended chronic and preventative care. Lack of effective healthcare teams leads to uncontrollable work-life balance issues. In this month’s Journal of General Internal Medicine, Nadkarni and colleagues discover that training programs may be part of the problem. In his study, Nadkarni finds that residents care for ill and disadvantaged patients in inadequately resourced clinics, with little use of quality improvement techniques, and that resident practices are often highly stressful and a fail to meet regulatory requirements.
Prevalence of autism spectrum disorders in toddlers receiving early intervention services

Abstract The prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) continues to be a source of debate among researchers and clinicians. Prevalence studies are of the utmost importance in order to obtain an accurate picture of the true prevalence rate of ASD and because these rates continue to be on the rise. To date, studies examining prevalence rates have utilized community or clinical populations. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to utilize a sample of toddlers at risk for or currently diagnosed with a developmental delay (N = 2027) to determine the prevalence rate in this young population. As anticipated, the prevalence rates of ASD were much higher in this at risk sample of toddlers compared to rates reported in community or clinical samples. In addition, gender differences in prevalence rates emerged. However, the differences between these rates were not as pronounced as in other previously studied populations. These results underscore the necessity to routinely assess toddlers for the presence of symptoms of ASD who are already receiving early intervention services for other developmental delays.
Mitochondrial DNA Restriction site polymorphism in Drosophila montana and drosophila virilis

Mitochondrial DNA fragment patterns produced by ten restriction endonucleases have been studied for three geographically diverse Drosophila montana lines and two Drosophila virilis lines. The two species are estimated to differ at about 6% of mitochondrial DNA nucleotide sites. In both cases intraspecific genetic variation is relatively small (pairs of lines are estimated to differ at about 0.6% of mitochondrial DNA nucleotide sites). It appears that Japanese and North American D. montana populations have not been separated for an extended period. In D. virilis there is evidence for intraspecific variation in the size of the mitochondrial genome.
Necrosis of the Pancreas, Parotid and Lachrymal Glands Associated with Encephalomyocarditis Virus Infection

Necrosis of the Pancreas, Parotid and Lachrymal Glands Associated with Encephalomyocarditis Virus Infection
Inheritance in smalltalk-80: a denotational definition

A denotational semantic definition of SMALLTALK-80 is given. Its most notable characteristic is a surprisingly simple treatment of inheritance. An executable version of the semantics, written in STANDARD ML, is also described.
Family History Library of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The Family History Library (FHL) of The Church Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) is the world's largest genealogical research institution. Located in Salt Lake City, Utah, the library's extensive collection features U.S. and international historical society periodicals; family history monographs; and over 2.4 million rolls of microfilm that contain municipal government, church, and business records dating back to 1550. Through its family history centers and the FamilySearch.org Web site, the library provides public access to the names and vital statistics of more than a billion people. Serials Review learns about the library's own history, cataloging procedures, and digital projects.
Calibration of a computer controlled robotic vision sensor with a zoom lens

Abstract Active vision sensors are increasingly being employed in vision systems for their greater flexibility. For example, vision sensors in hand-eye configurations with computer controllable lenses (e.g., zoom lenses) can be set to values which satisfy the sensing situation at hand. For such applications, it is essential to determine the mapping between the parameters that can actually be controlled in a reconfigurable vision system (e.g., the robot arm pose, the zoom setting of the lens) and the higher-level viewpoint parameters that must be set to desired values (e.g., the viewpoint location, focal length). In this paper we present calibration techniques to determine this mapping. In addition, we discuss how to use these relationships in order to achieve the desired values of the viewpoint parameters by setting the controllable parameters to the appropriate values. The sensor setup that is considered consists of a camera in a hand-eye arrangement equipped with a lens that has zoom, focus, and aperture control. The calibration techniques are applied to the H6 × 12.5R Fujinon zoom lens and the experimental results are shown.
Atrioventricular Fistula: An Unusual Complication of Endomyocardial Biopsy in a Heart Transplant Recipient

Endomyocardial biopsy remains the primary method for diagnosis of cardiac allograft rejection. Generally, Endomyocardial biopsy is considered a relatively safe procedure in heart transplant recipients. Complications that have been reported are related to catheter insertion and include carotid arterial puncture, prolonged bleeding, vasovagal reaction, ventricular tachyarrhythmias, and transient conduction abnormalities. Serious complications such as right ventricular perforation with cardiac tamponade may also occur. Most complications are usually without significant long-term sequelae. This report describes an unusual case of atrioventricular fistula between the right atrium and left ventricle that occurred during a routine Endomyocardial biopsy in a heart transplant recipient. Sudden hemodynamic compromise developed in this patient soon after heart biopsy associated with hemodynamic picture of high-output heart failure. Right heart catherization, including oximetry, peripheral venous contrast echocardiography, color flow Doppler studies, and transesophageal echocardiography confirmed the diagnosis of fistulous communication between the right atrium and left ventricle, most likely through the membranous interventricular septum. Conservative medical management resulted in striking clinical improvement within 48 hours commensurate with spontaneous closure of the right atrium-to-left ventricle fistula documented by hemodynamic and echocardiographic studies.
Population Genetic Evidence of Restricted Gene Flow Between Host Races in the Butterfly Genus Mitoura (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae)

Abstract We surveyed variation in allozymes and in the mtDNA cytochrome oxidase subunit II (COII) gene in populations of three nominal species of hairstreak butterflies in the genus Mitoura in northern California. These species are separated on the basis of wing pattern and larval hostplant differences: M. nelsoni (Boisduval) larvae feed on incense cedar, Calocedrus decurrens (Torrey); M. muiri (Hy. Edwards) larvae feed on cypress, Cupressus macnabiana A. Murray and C. sargentii Jepson; and M. siva (W. H. Edwards) larvae feed on juniper, Juniperus occidentalis Carriere. All three taxa were indistinguishable using allozyme allele frequency data. Genetic distances among populations of all three species were very small (Nei’s (1978) unbiased D = 0.000–0.007). Percent uncorrected mtDNA divergences were similarly small (P = 0.2–1.1%) and haplotypes are shared among taxa. However, analysis of molecular variation and exact tests for population differentiation indicate that populations of M. muiri in the coast ra...
Field-measured evapotranspiration as a stochastic process

Abstract Spatial variability of evapotranspiration (ET) within irrigation intervals and the temporal variability of spatially averaged ET of Yolano pink beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) were measured and statistically modeled to improve irrigation management. Field experiments were conducted at the University of California, Davis, on the Yolo soil series (Typic Xerorthents) during the summer of 1992. Daily soil water measurements were taken at 27 locations along a transect at 10 m intervals with a neutron probe. Changes in soil moisture over the 165 cm profile gave field-measured ET. Neutron probe measured ET was 20% less than the production function estimated ET, but both had similar pattern along the row. The trend of decreasing ET with distance down the row became increasingly steep as the growing season progressed. This trend was caused by a similar trend in soil water imposed by a furrow irrigation. After removing the trend with a first-order difference, ET was not spatially correlated (95% confidence interval) at 10 m. Therefore, each sample taken at a 10 m spacing provided maximum new information because it was not predictable from its neighbor. However, ET was temporally correlated (95%v confidence interval at lag 1) and characterized by an autoregressive moving average (1,1) model. Therefore, ET could be predicted one day in advance. For the field conditions studied, neutron probe measurements can be used to estimate daily ET for about 44 days in the middle of the growing season, when measured crop ET was greater than 1.4 mm, and at an interval of 6 days at the beginning of the cropping season.
Outcome and predictors of success of biofeedback for constipation.

Background A study was undertaken to determine outcome and to identify predictors of success for biofeedback for constipation. Methods Patients who had at least one biofeedback session were evaluated whether or not they completed a treatment course. Parameters assessed included use of cathartics, number of spontaneous bowel movements per week, presence of rectal pain, number of biofeedback sessions and results of anorectal physiology. Results A total of 194 patients (59 male, 135 female) of median age 71 (range 11-96) years, including 30 with concomitant rectal pain, were treated. The median number of spontaneous bowel movements per week before treatment was 0. Some 35 per cent of patients had complete success (three or more spontaneous bowel movements per week with discontinuation of cathartics), 13 per cent had partial success (fewer than three spontaneous bowel movements per week with continued use of cathartics) and 51 per cent had no improvement. Neither patient age, sex nor duration of symptoms significantly affected outcome. Only 18 per cent of patients who had between two and four sessions had complete success, compared with 44 per cent of those who had five or more (P<0.001). A total of 63 per cent of patients who completed the treatment protocol experienced complete success, compared with 25 per cent of those who self-discharged (P<0.0001). Conclusions This large study indicates that the success rate of biofeedback for patients with constipation is less than previously reported. However, the success rate improves significantly after five or more sessions and is significantly related to the patient's willingness to complete treatment.
Electrochemical synthesis of polypyrrole/polyimide conducting composite using a polyamic acid precursor

Abstract Conducting polymer/poly(amic acid) composites were synthesized by casting poly(amic acid) (PAAc)film onto the surface of stainless steel followed by electrochemical deposition of polypyrrole. Polypyrrole/polyimide (PPy/PI) composites were also formed by preimidizing the polyamic acid film prior to electrodeposition of PPy. The electrical resistance of the bottom side of PPy/PAAc composite (2.3 Ω cm) was lower than that of the PPy/PI composite (6.4 Ω cm), the thickness of the matrix was the same. A PI matrix was used for electropolymerization of pyrrole. The electrodeposition was investigated by using different current densities. IR spectroscopy revealed interactions between the PAAc and PPy in the composite.
An improved theory and finite-element model for laminated composite and sandwich beams using first-order zig-zag sublaminate approximations

Abstract A new beam finite element based on a new discrete-layer laminated beam theory with sublaminate first-order zig-zag kinematic assumptions is presented and assessed for thick and thin laminated beams. The model allows a laminate to be represented as an assemblage of sublaminates in order to increase the model refinement through the thickness, when needed. Within each sublaminate, discrete-layer effects are accounted for via a modified form of DiSciuva's linear zig-zag laminate kinematics, in which continuity of interfacial transverse shear stresses is satisfied identically. In the computational model, each finite element represents one sublaminate. The finite element is developed with the topology of a fournoded rectangle, allowing the thickness of the beam to be discretized into several elements, or sublaminates, if necessary, to improve accuracy. Each node has three engineering degrees of freedom, two translations and one rotation. Thus, this element can be conveniently implemented into general purpose finite-element codes. The element stiffness coefficients are integrated exactly, yet the element exhibits no shear locking due to the use of a consistent interdependent interpolation scheme. Numerical performance of the current element is investigated for an arbitrarily layered beam, a symmetrically layered beam and a sandwich beam with low and high aspect ratios. The comparisons of numerical results with elasticity solutions show that the element is very accurate and robust.
Atheism and social cognition

Catherine Caldwell-Harris is correct that individual variations in personality and cognitive style affect religiosity, and a good deal of scientific literature suggests that some features of the ty...
Surgical education around the world.

In the center of our surgical mission rests the obligation to educate the next generation of surgeons. It is not easy. And it comes with a unique set of challenges which puzzle educators and clinicians alike. We must teach theory. We must teach skills. We must teach professionalism and bedside manners and ethical behavior and giving bad news and giving good news and giving hope and stop giving hope and... . In this issue of World Journal of Surgery we asked distinguished colleagues around the world to describe how surgical education is delivered in their country and what do they predict for the future. With 195 countries sharing our planet, it would take more than a year’s worth of journal issues to cover all of them. Struggling for journal space, we requested only a few countries to submit an article. There was no particular rhyme or reason behind the selection criteria other than our effort to have representation from all continents and not focus on any one in particular. France (which is not represented) is no less important than England (which is) and Kazakhstan (which is not represented) would definitely be as interesting as Pakistan (which is). The need for political balance prevented some of our colleagues from sending a controversial piece about the educational issues of their country. One of them characteristically mentioned: ‘‘I decided to stop working on this manuscript because of some movements around me. I am really, really sorry.’’ Other countries simply did not respond or were unable to keep the deadline. Some struggled with unreliable internet connections, which made communication impossible. Some others refused because ‘‘our surgical education system can be described by four words: It does not exist.’’ It is hardly surprising that the financial health (or illness) of a country affects every program and every system, the surgical educational one being no exception. The articles, which follow, cover 11 developed and developing countries that finally responded to our request and have a wide variety of educational systems. China, Australia and New Zealand, United Kingdom, Japan, Greece, the Netherlands, South Africa, West Africa (a region representing many African countries), Pakistan, India, and the United States of America describe in the next few pages how they teach the art and science of surgery. As we read through these manuscripts, we cannot avoid thinking—again—that we are all so different and yet so much the same.
Identification of transferrin as a lymphocyte growth promoter in human serum

Abstract Human transferrin was shown to greatly enhance the growth of lymphocytes in response to PHA and antigens in vitro. The growth promoting action of transferrin could not be supplanted by FeCl 3 . Transferrins from other species varied in their ability to support growth of human lymphocytes stimulated by PHA.
Effect of pyridoxine deficiency on aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase in the developing rat liver and brain.

—Maternal pyridoxine deficiency begun 2 weeks before mating and continued throughout pregnancy and the nursing period resulted in diminished wt. gains in the brain, the liver and the body in the first 16 days of life, as well as lowered levels of the aromatic l-amino acid decarboxylase in both brain and liver tissue. The fetus was protected from the effect of vitamin B6 deficiency during pregnancy, since at birth the body wt., organ weights, and decarboxylase levels in these tissues were comparable to those of control litters. The brain was affected less than the liver, both in rate of wt. increase and decarboxylase activity. The cerebellum normally developed measurable decarboxylase activity only during the second week of life. The cortex normally slowly increased its low decarboxylase activity during the first week postnatally, with a more rapid increase during the second week. This rapid increase was primarily in the holoenzyme moiety. The rest of the brain, which had well developed levels of decarboxylase activity at birth, normally showed a sharp increase during the second week of life which was also largely in the holoenzyme portion. When the increasing weights of these tissues were considered, it became obvious that the total amount of apoenzyme as well as the amount of holoenzyme were increasing in the normally developing rat, although the greatest amount of the change was in the holoenzyme form. The liver normally showed a much more rapid increase in decarboxylase activity than did the brain, and showed the increase much earlier. The holoenzyme normally increased rapidly after the first 4 days, whereas the apoenzyme concentration levelled off at this time. The effect of the pyridoxine deficiency on decarboxylase activity was almost entirely on the holoenzyme form of the decarboxylase, since the apoenzyme form generally remained the same in the control and the deficient pups during development. There appeared to be no decarboxylase inhibitor present in pyridoxine deficient tissues, nor any evidence in control tissues for an enzyme required for the activation of the decarboxylase by cofactor.
Histological, cellular and behavioral assessments of stroke outcomes after photothrombosis-induced ischemia in adult mice

Following the onset of focal ischemic stroke, the brain experiences a series of alterations including infarct evolvement, cellular proliferation in the penumbra, and behavioral deficits. However, systematic study on the temporal and spatial dependence of these alterations has not been provided. Using multiple approaches, we assessed stroke outcomes by measuring brain injury, dynamic cellular and glial proliferation, and functional deficits at different times up to two weeks after photothrombosis (PT)-induced ischemic stroke in adult mice. Results from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and Nissl staining showed a maximal infarction, and brain edema and swelling 1–3 days after PT. The rate of Bromodeoxyuridine (Brdu)-labeled proliferating cell generation is spatiotemporal dependent in the penumbra, with the highest rate in post ischemic days 3–4, and higher rate of proliferation in the region immediate to the ischemic core than in the distant region. Similar time-dependent generation of proliferating GFAP+ astrocytes and Iba1+ microglia/macrophage were observed in the penumbra. Using behavioral tests, we showed that PT resulted in the largest functional deficits during post ischemic days 2–4. Our study demonstrated that first a few days is a critical period that causes brain expansion, cellular proliferation and behavioral deficits in photothrombosis-induced ischemic model, and proliferating astrocytes only have a small contribution to the pools of proliferating cells and reactive astrocytes.
Effects of chlorhexidine on human taste perception

Chlorhexidine gluconate at a dose used to control bacteria in the mouth has a reversible effect on taste perception. Taste-intensity ratings and taste-quality identification for concentration series of sucrose, sodium chloride, citric acid and quinine hydrochloride were obtained from 15 healthy humans. The participants rinsed with 0.12% chlorhexidine for 3 min twice a day. Each individual was tested 3 times: before the 4-day rinse period, 30 min after the final rinse, and 4 days after the rinse period. Chlorhexidine rinses reduced the perceptual intensity of sodium chloride and quinine hydrochloride, not sucrose or citric acid. No effects on taste perception were detected 4 days after the rinse period. The identification of sodium chloride as salty was seriously impaired by chlorhexidine but the identification of quinine hydrochloride as bitter was not affected. Specific sites of action of chlorhexidine on the taste epithelium are not known but its effects on salty taste may be related to its strong positive charge and its effect on bitter taste may be related to its amphiphilicity. Chlorhexidine has promise as a probe of taste transduction, as well as for the management of salty/bitter dysgeusias in humans.
Task planning for Robotworld: a case study

The authors describe an implemented task planning system for the placement of electronic components on a printed circuit board (PCB). The task planner assumes an assembly workstation which is similar to V. Scheinman's Robotworld (1987), in which a number of small two-degrees-of-freedom robots slide on a horizontal platten above the PCB. After obtaining a PCB specification, the task planner generates a feeder layout, a feeder setup, a component assembly sequence, and a motion program for each of the robots. To test the task planner, the output is simulated graphically. For relatively small PCBs, all of this occurs within minutes, enabling quick turnaround from design to manufacture. >
Competitive advantage of Borrelia burgdorferi with outer surface protein BBA03 during tick-mediated infection of the mammalian host.

ABSTRACT Linear plasmid lp54 is one of the most highly conserved and differentially expressed elements of the segmented genome of the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. We previously reported that deletion of a 4.1-kb region of lp54 (bba01 to bba07 [bba01-bba07]) led to a slight attenuation of tick-transmitted infection in mice following challenge with a large number of infected ticks. In the current study, we reduced the number of ticks in the challenge to more closely mimic the natural dose and found a profound defect in tick-transmitted infection of the bba01-bba07 mutant relative to wild-type B. burgdorferi. We next focused on deletion of bba03 as the most likely cause of this mutant phenotype, as previous studies have shown that expression of bba03 is increased by culture conditions that simulate tick feeding. Consistent with this hypothesis, we demonstrated increased expression of bba03 by spirochetes in fed relative to unfed ticks. We also observed that a bba03 deletion mutant, although fully competent by itself, did not efficiently infect mice when transmitted by ticks that were simultaneously coinfected with wild-type B. burgdorferi. These results suggest that BBA03 provides a competitive advantage to spirochetes carrying this protein during tick transmission to a mammalian host in the natural infectious cycle.
On-Wafer Seamless Integration of GaN and Si (100) Electronics

The high thermal stability of nitride semiconductors allows for the on-wafer integration of (001) Si CMOS electronics and electronic devices based on these semiconductors. This paper describes the technology developed at MIT to seamlessly integrate GaN and Si transistors in very close proximity (<5 μm). This integration, the first of any III-V field effect transistor with (001) Si electronics, enables tremendous new possibilities to circuit and system designers. For example, we will study the use of hybrid GaN-Si circuits to improve the power distribution networks in Si microprocessors.
Entrained particle collection in packed beds

Small particle collection in packed beds is described by an inertial impaction theory which fits experimental observations. Rings, saddles, spheres, and spherical packing of 1/2-, 1-, and 1 1/2-in. size were used at air velocities up to 30 ft./sec. for the collection of an oil mist of known size. Particle collection efficiencies up to 50% for 1.0-micron particles were obtained.
What's So Special about Special Collections Librarians?

“What's So Special about Special Collections?” was the title for the inaugural issue of RBM in 2000 and a theme issue of American Libraries published that same year. 1 A variation of the phrase served as the subtitle for a 2005 RBMS Preconference seminar. 2 The question asks us to articulate what distinguishes special collections from other research library collections and services, and reminds us of the implied elitism in our professional vocabulary. With a healthy dose of irony, we are challenging long-standing assumptions of difference. What's so special about special collections librarians? I want to consider education and training with a . . .
The status of sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) stocks around England and Wales, derived using a separable catch-at-age model, and implications for fisheries management

Pawson, M. G., Kupschus, S., and Pickett, G. D. 2007. The status of sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) stocks around England and Wales, derived using a separable catch-at-age model, and implications for fisheries management. - ICES Journal of Marine Science, 64: 346-356.The commercial fishery for sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) around the coasts of England and Wales developed rapidly in the late 1970s and 1980s and, by 1986, involved some 3000 fishers using more than 2000 boats to make landings worth £3-4 million. The estimated annual catch of sea bass by sport-anglers was similar to the level recorded from the commercial fishery. Sampling of landings showed strong evidence of growth-overfishing in many areas, and a package of technical measures was introduced in 1990 aimed at improving the exploitation pattern and yield per recruit. This paper describes how data collected through a fishery and biological sampling programme around England and Wales over the period 1985-2004 have been utilized in a separable catch numbers-at-age model to assess the dynamics of sea bass stocks in English and Welsh coastal waters. The model output shows that recruitment improved during the 1990s and that moderate levels of fishing mortality allied to an exploitation pattern that largely avoids juvenile fish have enabled the bass population and its fishery to develop sustainably. Results are discussed in relation to model development and management of the bass fishery.
Copper complexing decreases the ability of amyloid beta peptide to cross the BBB and enter brain parenchyma

The amyloid hypothesis states that amyloid beta protein (Abeta) plays a major causal role in the onset of Alzheimer's disease. Toxicity of Abeta can be modified by metal ions. Two mechanisms by which such Abeta and metal ions could interact are by enhanced oxidative stress or by altered fibrillation. Specifically, Abeta fibrillation is increased by aluminum (Al) and copper (Cu) and Al also increases Abeta uptake into brain. Here, we determined whether chelation with Cu would alter uptake of the human or rat 1-42 form of Abeta (Abeta42) by brain or alter Abeta-induced oxidative stress in an immortalized line of rat brain endothelial cells (RBE4). We found that Cu enhanced cytotoxicity of rat, but not of human Abeta, had no effect on glutathione (GSH) or cysteine (CYS) levels. Cu significantly decreased homocysteine (HCYS) levels when complexed with Abeta. Cu chelation did not alter Abeta uptake into brain or other tissues (except for kidney) or alter clearance from blood or brain in vivo, but did increase efflux in an in vitro model of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Chelation to Cu also impaired the capillary to brain transport of Abeta, an effect opposite to that previously found for chelation of Abeta to Al. These results show that metal ions have varied effects on Abeta uptake by brain and that Cu could be protective against the neurotoxic effects of circulating Abeta.
"I have more in common with Americans than I do with illegal aliens" culture, perceived threat, and neighborhood preferences

In this article, I explore different forms of perceived threat posed by the presence of minority groups and how threat impacts residential segregation and neighborhood preferences. I extend previous research by exploring non-Hispanic white residents’ preferences regarding black and Latino neighbors using qualitative data from in-depth interviews with white adults conducted in multiple neighborhoods in Buffalo, New York, and Ogden, Utah. My findings suggest that white residents perceive threat differently for blacks and Latinos. In general, blacks and Latinos elicit crime threat but Latinos also elicit concerns about a cultural threat to dominant American culture. I distinguish between perceived threat in neighborhood preferences based on: (1) perceived threat to individuals surrounding personal safety and neighborhood conditions and (2) perceived threats to national identity and economic well-being of the state. Several studies have looked at the role of cultural threat in how whites perceive racial and ethnic minorities; however, few studies look at how this threat affects neighborhood preferences specifically. Studying blacks and Latinos sheds new light on how multiple forms of perceived threat affect whites’ neighborhood preferences.
Exploring the Paradox of the Enjoyment of Sad Films

The concept of met emotions (appraisals of emotional reactions) was used in three studies designed to explore the enjoyment of sad films and to develop a scale that would reflect such gratifications. Study 1 showed that sad reactions in response to this type of entertainment were positively related to enjoyment and that females reported stronger reactions both in terms of enjoyment and in terms of sad responses than males. The Sad-Film Scale (SFS) developed in Study 1 was positively associated with measures of empathy, femininity, and positive appraisals of sad emotions. Study 2 found evidence of the scale's reliability and validity. Study 3 demonstrated predictive validity of the SFS in terms of the enjoyment of a specific sad film and in terms of favorable ratings of met emotions reported directly after viewing a sad film.
Irradiation-induced formation of nanorod precipitates in a dilute Cu–W alloy

Abstract Radiation-enhanced precipitation of W has been investigated in dilute Cu-W alloys. While spherical W precipitates are stabilized during irradiation below ~ 300 °C and above ~ 600 °C, irradiation at 500 °C results in the formation of nanorods. Furthermore, use of two-step irradiations, first one at 600 °C followed by one at 500 °C, indicates that the morphological transformation is reversible. The stabilization of W nanorods is rationalized using a model introduced by Frost and Russell to explain size stabilization of precipitates formed during irradiation, but extended here to consider precipitate morphology.
Amplitude and Phase in Angle-Domain Common-Image Gathers

The residual moveout in an angle-domain common-image gather (ADCIG) can be used for migration velocity analysis. ADCIGs also have potential for amplitude variation with angle (AVA) analysis. However, previous AVA analyses are not very successful, especially for deeper layers, because transmission losses are not properly compensated, and phase shifts occur at nearand post-critical reflections. Phase is less affected than amplitude by transmission losses in prestack images from reverse-time migration. We consider amplitude and phase analysis of a target reflector in an ADCIG. Tests on a modified Marmousi2 elastic model show that the phase variation with angle (PVA) is better preserved than the AVA. This is significant for target-oriented inversion because distortions in the overburden are minimized in PVA. ADCIGs potentially extend AVA/PVA analysis to 2D/3D models.