cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Me After You Partner Influence and Individual Effort Predict Rejection of Self-Aspects and Self-Concept Clarity After Relationship Dissolution

Individuals in ongoing romantic relationships incorporate attributes from their partner into their own self-concepts. However, little research has investigated what happens to these attributes should the relationship end. Across three studies, the present research sought to examine factors that predicted whether individuals retain or reject attributes from their self-concept that they initially gained during a relationship. We predicted that individuals would be more likely to reject attributes from their self post-dissolution if their ex-partner was influential in them adding those attributes to the self in the first place. However, we expected this effect to be moderated such that individuals who exerted greater, versus lesser, effort in maintaining relevant attributes would retain them as part of the self, regardless of whether the attribute originated from the partner. In addition, in two of our three studies, we explored the roles of partner influence, effort, and attribute rejection on individuals' post-dissolution self-concept clarity.
Monodisperse Pt3Co nanoparticles as electrocatalyst: the effects of particle size and pretreatment on electrocatalytic reduction of oxygen

Monodisperse Pt3Co nanoparticles have been synthesized with size control via an organic solvothermal approach. The obtained nanoparticles were incorporated into a carbon matrix and applied as electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction to investigate the effects of particle size and pretreatment on their catalytic performance. It has been found that the optimal conditions for maximum mass activity were with particles of ∼4.5 nm and a mild annealing temperature of about 500 °C. While the particle size effect can be correlated to the average surface coordination number, Monte Carlo simulations have been introduced to depict the nanoparticle structure and segregation profile, which revealed that the annealing temperature has a direct influence on the particle surface relaxation, segregation and adsorption/catalytic properties. The obtained fundamental understanding of activity enhancement in Pt-bimetallic alloy catalysts could be utilized to guide the development of advanced nanomaterials for catalytic applications.
Inflammatory aneurysm of the abdominal aorta. Report of a case and review of the literature.

Summary A case of “inflammatory” aneurysm of the abdominal aorta with bilateral ureteric obstruction is presented. This type of aneurysm is characterized by a thick fibrous wall and perianeurysmal fibrosis.
A unified language processing methodology

This paper discusses a mathematical concept of language that models both artificial and natural languages and thus provides a framework for a unified language processing methodology. This concept of a language is regarded as a communication tool that allows language users to develop knowledges, while interacting with their universe of discourse, and to communicate with each other, while exchanging knowledges. Criteria for consistent usage of a language are established using a Galois connection between language syntax and language semantics. Solutions to ambiguity, paraphrase, attitude, and other problems concerning the relationship between syntax and semantics are addressed. A general schema for language specification is introduced and algorithms that perform language generation and language analysis are discussed as universal tools defined by the specification schema. Language transformations performed by various kinds of translators are examined and correctness criteria of these translators are defined using the language Galois connection. The paper is structured as follows: Section1 introduces the framework and justifies the necessity of a unified methodology for language processing. Section2 presents the mathematical concept of a language. Section3 illustrates the mathematical concept of a language with three kinds of language structures: natural language, logical language, and programming language. Section4 discusses the algebraic mechanism of language specification that unifies the methodology for language processing tool development. Section5 formalizes the criterion for the consistency of the language usage, defines the architecture of a unified language processing system, and shows how the consistency criteria for language usage can be employed as correctness criteria for the algorithms performing various language transformations.
Distribution of the intensity-characteristic parameters of cat rapidly adapting mechanoreceptive fibers.

Modeling population responses of nerve fibers requires statistical characterization of fiber-response properties. The rate/intensity characteristics of cat rapidly adapting (RA) fibers were fitted by four-parameter, piece-wise linear functions using nonlinear regression (n = 14; R2 > 0.958). The parameters were tested against the null hypothesis that they are lognormally distributed. The test fails to reject this hypothesis (Kolmogorov-Smirnov; p > 0.477). However, a significant statistical difference was found between the specific lognormal distributions obtained from monkey (Johnson, J Neurophysiol37: 48-72, 1974) and cat for all four parameters (Kolmogorov-Smirnov; p < 0.0075, p < 0.05, p < 0.0001, p < 0.00007). Although the stimulus contactor size was not the same in monkey and cat studies, the differences between monkey and cat fibers are attributed to anatomical differences in the glabrous skin of both species. Modeling studies suggest that the absolute firing thresholds of RA fibe...
Advancements in the Development of HIF-1α-Activated Protein Switches for Use in Enzyme Prodrug Therapy

While gene-directed enzyme prodrug therapy has shown potential as a cancer therapeutic in animal and clinical trials, concerns over the efficacy, selectivity, and safety of gene delivery vehicles have restricted its advance. In an attempt to relieve some of the demands on targeted gene delivery vehicles and achieve the full potential of enzyme prodrug therapy, cancer-targeted activity can be engineered into the enzyme itself. We previously engineered a switchable prodrug-activating enzyme that selectively kills human cancer cells accumulating the cancer marker hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α). This HIF-1α-activated protein switch (Haps59) is designed to increase its ability to convert the prodrug 5-fluorocytosine into the chemotherapeutic 5-fluorouracil in a HIF-1α-dependent manner. However, in cancer cell lines expressing Haps59 the 5FC sensitivity difference between the presence and absence of HIF-1α was not as large as desired. In this work, we aimed to improve the cancer specificity of this switch via a directed evolution approach utilizing random mutagenesis, linker mutagenesis, and random insertion and circular permutation. We identified improved HIF-1α-activated protein switches that confer E. coli with modest increases in HIF-1α-dependent 5FC toxicity. Additionally, the current bottleneck in the development of improved HIF-1α-activated protein switches is screening switch candidates in mammalian cells. To accommodate higher throughput and reduce experimental variability, we explored the use of Flp recombinase-mediated isogenic integration in 293 cells. These experiments raised the possibility that Haps59 can be activated by other interactors of the CH1 domain, and experiments in E. coli indicated that CITED2 can also activate Haps59. Although many CH1 binding partners are also oncogenes, CH1's promiscuous binding and subsequent off-target activation of Haps59 needs to be examined under normal physiological conditions to identify off-target activators. With aberrant activating molecules identified, further directed evolution can be performed to improve the cancer specificity of HIF-1α-activated protein switches.
Catalysis of a symmetry restricted reaction by transition metal complexes. The importance of the ligand

Abstract The valence isomerization of quadricyclene to norbornadiene is catalyzed by certain transition metal complexes of phthalocyanine and tetraphenyl porphyrin. To explore the dependence of catalytic activity on the number of d-electrons in the metal ion, complexes having a number of d-electrons from 5 to 10 were studied. Most of the d6, d7 and d8 ions were active whereas the d9 and d10 ions were inactive. The influence of the stereochemistry of the ligand was studied using cobalt (II) complexes with certain quadridentate Schiff bases whose stereochemistry could be changed by small modifications in structure. Square planarity of the complex appeared to be a condition for catalytic activity. The catalytic reaction could be inhibited by the addition of pyridine bases. 4-Picoline was more effective than pyridine, but 2-picoline did not poison the reaction at all. These results could be explained within the framework of existing theories dealing with this form of catalysis.
Two-unit redundant system with random shocks and inspection

Abstract The present paper deals with a two unit cold standby system, in which the failure of an operating unit is subject to random shock and internal stress. After each repair, a unit is sent for inspection to decide whether the repaired unit is perfect or imperfect. If the repaired unit is found to be imperfect, then it goes for post repair. Using regenerative point technique several effective measures of reliability are obtained.
Idiotype vaccines: Forgotten but not gone

New findings show that idiotype induced immunity has potential for both prophylactic and therapeutic vaccination (pages 705–709 and 710–712).
Malignant degeneration of a mature ovarian teratoma

Abstract Malignant components are present in 1–2% of mature teratomas (dermoid cysts) and historically have been associated with a very poor prognosis. Patients with malignant mature cystic teratomas typically are postmenopausal and may present with a rapidly enlarging tumor or systemic symptoms suggestive of malignancy. However, the diagnosis is rarely made pre-operatively and, if the tumor is not metastatic, may not be made until the tumor is examined microscopically. Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common malignancy found in mature cystic teratomas. We present a 26-year-old woman with this cancer in whom the disease proved fatal. A surgical approach to patients with malignant mature teratomas is suggested. Prognostic factors and adjuvant therapy are discussed.
Invariant convex cones and causality in semisimple Lie algebras and groups

The convex cones in a simple Lie algebra G invariant under the adjoint group G of G are studied. Using a earlier abstract classification of such cones, we find explicit algebraic presentations of such cones in all the classical hermitian symmetric Lie algebras. (Nontrivial such cones exist only in these cases.) The G-orbits in such cones are listed. The notion of a temporal action of a Lie group with an invariant causal orientation upon a causally oriented manifold is defined. The canonical actions of such classical groups G as above on the Shilov boundaries of the associated (tube-type) hermitian symmetric spaces are shown to be temporal actions. Corollaries are (1) the existence of nontrivial (Lie) semigroups S in the infinite-sheeted coverings G of G, which are invariant under conjugation by G and satisfy S ∩ S−1 = {e}, and (2) the global causality (i.e. no “closed time-like curves”) of such covering groups G.
Peroxidase activity in hooded and awned barley at successive stages of development

The hooded (KK) and awned (kk) genotypes of barley differ in the amount of peroxidase activity at various stages of development. In hooded, this activity is at most stages higher than in awned, but it varies more from one stage to another, so that at certain stages, particularly the first leaf stages of young plants, it is lower. The peroxidase enzymes of the two genotypes are alike in electrophoretic mobility. Since peroxidase activity is particularly high in meristems of hooded at the beginning of their transition from the vegetative to the flowering condition, which is shortly before the first effects on morphogenesis can be observed, a connection between high peroxidase activity and the morphogenetic effects appears likely.
Mechanism and flow measurement of AC electrowetting propulsion on free surface

A free surface in contact with a floating object can be vertically oscillated by applying an alternating current electrowetting-on-dielectric (AC EWOD). The oscillation of the free surface generates a propelling force on the centimeter-sized floating object. This paper describes a propulsion mechanism in free-surface oscillation along with its experimental results. Flow visualizations, wave patterns measured by the free-surface synthetic schlieren method, and PIV measurements show that the oscillation generates a capillary Stokes drift on the water surface and two counter-rotating spiral underwater vortices, leading to an ejecting flow (streaming flow) normal to the wall of the boat. The momentum of the ejecting flow produces a reaction force on the wall and ultimately propels the floating boat. The propulsion speed of the boat highly depends on the amplitude, frequency, and shape of the AC EWOD signal. Curve fittings based on the Stokes drift well match the experimental measurements of propulsion speed. The width of the EWOD electrode also has significant effects on the boat speed.
Investigating the use of a rational Runge Kutta method for transport modelling

Abstract An unconditionally stable explicit time integrator has recently been developed for parabolic systems of equations. This rational Runge Kutta (RRK) method, proposed by Wambecq1 and Hairer2, has been applied by Liu et al.3 to linear heat conduction problems in a time-partitioned solution context. An important practical question is whether the method has application for the solution of (nearly) hyperbolic equations as well. In this paper the RRK method is applied to a nonlinear heat conduction problem, the advection-diffusion equation, and the hyperbolic Buckley-Leverett problem. The method is, indeed, found to be unconditionally stable for the linear heat conduction problem and performs satisfactorily for the nonlinear heat flow case. A heuristic limitation on the utility of RRK for the advection-diffusion equation arises in the Courant number; for the second-order accurate one-step two-stage RRK method, a limiting Courant number of 2 applies. First order upwinding is not as effective when used with RRK as with Euler one-step methods. The method is found to perform poorly for the Buckley-Leverett problem.
Preference representation and randomization in principal-agent contracts

Abstract Conditions on an agent's preferences that induce a demand for ex ante randomization are derived. When the agent has constant absolute risk aversion in wealth but additive-separable preferences in wealth and effort, optimal contracts often require randomization. Under additive separability, the principal can use randomization to exploit the interaction between incentive considerations and the agent's outside opportunities. However, when the agent has constant absolute risk aversion in wealth but multiplicative-separable preferences, participation and incentive considerations separate; hence, optimal contracts do not exhibit ex ante randomization.
Strategic “defensivism” and post-reset blues: US–Russian nuclear arms reductions, missile defenses and minimum deterrence

US nuclear deterrence and arms control policy may be moving, by design and by inadvertence, toward a posture of strategic “defensivism”. Strategic “defensivism” emphasizes the overlapping and reinforcing impact of: (1) reductions in US, Russian and possibly other strategic nuclear forces, possibly down to the level of “minimum deterrence,” (2) deployment of improved strategic and/or theater antimissile defenses for the US, NATO allies and other partners; and (3) additional reliance on conventional military forces for some missions hitherto preferentially assigned to nuclear weapons. This article deals with the first two of these aspects only: the interaction between missile defenses and offensive force reductions in US–Russian strategy and policy. The findings are that stable deterrence as between the USA and Russia is possible at lower than New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty levels, but reductions below 1000 deployed long-range weapons for each state, toward a true minimum deterrent posture, will requir...
Infrared telescope on Spacelab 2

The infrared telescope (IRT) on Spacelab 2 will be the first cryogenically cooled telescope operated from the Orbiter. The principal objectives, consistent with those of the second Spacelab mission, are to measure the induced environment about the Orbiter and to demonstrate the ability to manage a large volume of super-fluid helium in space. The prime astrophysical objectives are to map extended sources of low surface brightness infrared emission, including the zodiacal light, the galactic plane and extragalactic regions. The IRT consists of a 250-liter helium dewar and an articulated cryostat containing the telescope which scans ±45 degrees about a single axis orthogonal to both the local vertical and the Orbiter pitch axis. The telescope is an f/4 15.2 cm highly baffled Herschelian telescope cooled to 8K which may scan to within 35 degrees of the sun. The focal plane cooled to 3K consists of nine discrete photoconductors covering the wave-length 4.5-120 microns in five bands, each having a 0.6 x 1.0 degree field of view. A single stellar detector is used for aspect determination. A cold shutter provides a zero flux reference. Overlapping scans, contiguous orbits, and a six degree per second scan rate permit rapid redundant coverage of 60% of the sky.
A Microscopic Interaction Model of Maximum Solubility of Cholesterol in Lipid Bilayers

We recently reported the equilibrium maximum solubility of cholesterol in a lipid bilayer, chi*chol, to be 0.66 in four different phosphatidylcholines, and 0.51 in a phosphatidylethanolamine (Huang, J.,J.T. Buboltz, and G. W. Feigenson. 1999. Biochim. Biophys. Acta. in press). Here we present a model of cholesterol-phospholipid mixing that explains these observed values of chi*chol. Monte Carlo simulations show that pairwise-additivity of nearest-neighbor interactions is inadequate to describe all the chi*chol values. Instead, if cholesterol multibody interactions are assigned highly unfavorable energy, then jumps occur in cholesterol chemical potential that lead to its precipitation from the bilayer. Cholesterol precipitation is most likely to occur near three discrete values of cholesterol mole fraction, 0.50, 0.57, and 0.67, which correspond to cholesterol/phospholipid mole ratios of 1/1, 4/3, and 2/1, respectively. At these solubility limits, where cholesterol chemical potential jumps, the cholesterol-phospholipid bilayer mixture forms highly regular lipid distributions in order to minimize cholesterol-cholesterol contacts. This treatment shows that dramatic structural and thermodynamic changes can occur at particular cholesterol mole fractions without any stoichiometric complex formation. The physical origin of the unfavorable cholesterol multibody interaction is explained by an "umbrella model": in a bilayer, nonpolar cholesterol relies on polar phospholipid headgroup coverage to avoid the unfavorable free energy of cholesterol contact with water. Thus, at high cholesterol mole fraction, this unfavorable free energy, not any favorable cholesterol-phospholipid interaction, dominates the mixing behavior. This physical origin also explains the "cholesterol condensing effect" and the increase in acyl chain order parameter in cholesterol-phospholipid mixtures.
Tubulin and microtubule-like structures in mammalian acrosomes.

Immunofluorescence and electron microscopy were used to demonstrate the presence of tubulin and microtubule-like structures in rabbit and rhesus monkey sperm acrosomes. The distribution of tubulin within the acrosome appeared similar to the distribution of proteolytic activity, suggesting an association of proteinase with these structures. Electron microscopy of rhesus monkey sperm incubated in vitro demonstrated a progressive condensation of the acrosomal matrix into microtubule-like structures. A system of this type could explain the linear patterns of silver-proteinate staining in the penetration tunnel through the zona pellucida.
Serum α-Mannosidase Activity and the Clinicopathologic Alterations of Locoweed (Astragalus Mollissimus) Intoxication in Range Cattle:

Subclinical intoxication of livestock with Astragalus and Oxytropis species (locoweeds) results in decreased animal feed conversion, reduced weight gains, and reproductive failure. Sensitive diagnostic methods to definitively diagnose and monitor intoxication are needed to minimize these losses and better manage locoweed-infested pastures and rangelands. Sera from cattle grazing locoweed were evaluated for alpha-mannosidase activity, serum biochemical values, electrolytes, and thyroid hormone concentrations. As the cows began to ingest locoweed, the mean serum alpha-mannosidase activities dropped significantly (400.0 microM to 72.5 microM). Changes in other serum chemistry values were less specific; however, individual animals (generally those ingesting more locoweed) had elevated levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase, and lactate dehydrogenase, with decreased serum total protein (5.8 +/- 0.8 g/dl) and albumin (2.3 +/- 0.3 g/dl). Mean serum thyroid concentrations (both T4 and T3) were lower in animals that were ingesting locoweed. The calculated swainsonine dose correlated statistically with serum alpha-mannosidase activity, ALP, albumin, Cl, CO2, and thyroid hormone T3. This correlation suggests that serum alpha-mannosidase activity along with potential changes in ALP, albumin, and thyroid hormone concentrations is a sensitive indicator of locoweed exposure and intoxication. These parameters may also be useful for monitoring intoxication and allowing subclinically affected cattle to be removed from infested areas before irreversible damage occurs.
Luminescence as a probe of coherence: Applications to collisional dynamics and phase coherent spectroscopy

Abstract Measurement of luminescence rather than polarization in coherent optical experiments allows more molecular information to be extracted. In this paper we discuss the advantages of this technique, such as frequency selectivity and time resolution, and applications to gas phase collisional dynamics.
Structural and rheological properties of n-decane confined between graphite surfaces

Abstract We report a constant-volume and constant-pressure molecular dynamics study of the fluid structure, flow boundary condition, and shear viscosity of n -decane confined between graphite surfaces under various shear rates at 480 K using an anisotropic united atom model. The effect of surface corrugation, wall–fluid interaction strength, and load on these properties is investigated in this work. Our results show that the surface corrugation has a pronounced effect on rheological properties, but not on structural and orientational properties at the temperature studied. The shear thinning behavior of the confined fluids is observed for all cases under the shear rates studied. Our results also show that the velocity profile deviates more from the perfect linear profile with increasing surface corrugation, wall–fluid interaction strength, shear rate, and normal load. Slip occurs throughout the range of parameters studied. The fluid layers near the walls could be locked to each other even though slip occurs at the solid–fluid interface.
Convergent real-space cluster expansion for configurational disorder in ionic systems.

We present a rapidly converging, real-space expansion to compute the electrostatic energy of point-charge configurations on a fixed lattice. The rapid convergence is obtained by requiring that the expansion only reproduce well the configurations with energies below some cutoff energy. The convergence rate can be systematically varied by changing this cutoff. This expansion should prove useful for computations in which only low-energy states are required, such as free-energy and phase-diagram computations.
Rôle of cardiac neurons in the cockroach heartbeat.

Abstract The paired lateral cardiac nerve cords of Periplaneta americana are composed of two physiologically distinct nervous components. Spontaneously active cardiac ganglion cells (GC) give rise to motor axons which innervate the heart and maintain nervous connexion throughout a single lateral cardiac cord. Spontaneously active neurosecretory nerve cells (NS) are located in the lateral cardiac cords near the segmental nerve junctions. The segmental nerves which arise from the ventral ganglia and join the lateral cardiac nerve cords contain neurosecretory axons which, with the intrinsic NS, comprise the cardioregulatory system. The paired lateral cardiac nerve cords are electrically independent with no impulses traversing caudal anastomosis. The heart muscle continues to beat when all GC and NS spontaneous activity has stopped; moreover, the heart movement regulates the GC activity specifically to fire at preferred times inducing burst groups which are correlated with the cardiac cycle. Some of the GC occasionally fire unidirectionally, with the preferred direction apparently not constant, whereas other GC fire both anteriorly and posteriorly. The classification of these GC as pacer and follower cells is premature.
“One Community's Total War Against Prejudice”: The Springfield Plan Revisited

Abstract This article examines one community's attempt to educate for democratic citizenship during World War II through a community-wide tolerance program known as “The Springfield Plan.” Through the advocacy of the National Conference of Christians and Jews, Superintendent John Granrud, and Teachers College Associate Professor Clyde R. Miller, the Springfield Plan became the most well-publicized intercultural educational curriculum in the 1940s, talked about and emulated by school districts across the country and into Canada. I situate the ideological origins of the program in the work of Miller's Institute for Propaganda Analysis in the late 1930s, analyze the curriculum frameworks and the program's dissemination to other school districts in the 1940s, and chronicle its demise during the red-baiting of progressive and intercultural educators in the late 1940s. The rise and fall of the Springfield Plan provides a historical window into the role of the media and advocacy efforts in the implementation and...
Minimum Move-Vibration Control for Flexible Structures

In the rest-to-rest motion of a flexible structure with limited torque or force, it is sometimes important to control the vibrations during the move trajectory as well as at the final time. In order to achieve this control, the duration of the move must be set to be longer than the theoretical minimum time. In this paper, three definitions of trajectory vibration performance are given and a new method for input design is described, which is based on switched control. An analytical expression is obtained for the solution for lightly damped fourth-order systems, which enables a very efficient control implementation of approximately time-optimal moves. The switched control approach is generalized for presenting simplified approximate solutions for the tracking problem and other optimal control problems with singular arcs.
Biomechanical Cadaveric Analysis of Biotenodesis Screw Versus Bone Tunnel Fixation Methods in Flexor Hallucis Longus Transfers

The Achilles tendon is the largest tendon in the human body. It connects the gastrosoleus complex to the calcaneus bone in the foot. It thus allows for transfer of force and heel elevation during forward propulsion of the foot in gait. It is also one the most commonly injured tendons. (1). Acute repair or acute intervention for non-operatively treated tendons do well to restore function. However, chronic Achilles tendon ruptures often require tendon transfer rather than attempt at primary repair. The treatment considered the gold standard is the transfer of the flexor hallucis longus (FHL) tendon to the Achilles insertion of the calcaneus (2).Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Blood Donation, Payment, and Non-Cash Incentives: Classical Questions Drawing Renewed Interest

Blood is scarce, and ensuring a sufficient blood supply remains difficult for many countries. Payment for blood as a strategy to increase donations has remained highly controversial for decades, and the debate about ethical issues in paying donors has become somewhat stuck. At least from a policy perspective, it is important to find a compromise which allows for devising and implementing acceptable and successful policies to increase the blood supply. In this paper, such a compromise is developed both from a theoretical and empirical perspective, namely implementing well-designed non-cash incentives which cut across the rigid dichotomy of altruistic donations versus payment for donations. In order for this compromise to work, more attention to donation motives, the choice architecture, and the setting in blood donation needs to be paid.
Preparation of higher order cyano and “non-ate” allyl copper reagents from the reaction of allyl chlorides with a formal copper anion

Abstract The generation of higher order and “non-ate” allyl organocopper reagents have been achieved through the low temperature reaction of allyl chlorides with a formal copper anion. The copper anion is generated via the low temperature reduction of Cu(I) complexes by two equivalents of lithium naphthalenide and then oxidatively adds to allyl chlorides with minimal homocoupling. These allyl organocopper reagents undergo substitution reactions with alkyl chlorides and epoxides as well as 1,4-conjugate addition reactions in good to excellent yields.
STUTTERING AND AUDITORY CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM DISORDER.

The observation that delayed side-tone affects speech fluency has renewed interest in the possibility of a neurophysiological factor in stuttering. This investigation was designed to explore the po...
The State of the Field of Urban China A Critical Multidisciplinary Overview of the Literature

The field of urban China has experienced rapid growth since the mid-1970s. In this special issue, the status of the field is reviewed through the disciplinary lenses of history, geography, anthropology, sociology, political science, and urban planning. These disciplines have contributed to the bulk of the literature on urban China, covering a wide range of subjects. It is suggested that more interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, and transdisciplinary approaches are needed and that transdisciplinarity can produce new knowledge capable of providing a more comprehensive picture of the Chinese city. The pitfalls and values of using the generic term “the Chinese city” are elucidated. The field would benefit by looking at the research on cities in Latin America and Central and Eastern Europe, and there is a need for the construction of conceptual and theoretical frameworks based on China’s urban experience that are suitable for the explanation of China’s urban problems.
Lipid metabolism in pigs fed supplemental conjugated linoleic acid and/or dietary arginine

We proposed that the combination of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and arginine would decrease adiposity by depressing lipid synthesis in liver and adipose tissues of growing pigs. Pigs were allotted to treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial design with two lipids (CLA or canola oil) and two amino acids [L-arginine or L-alanine (isonitrogenous control)]; supplements were provided from 80 to 110 kg body weight (approximately 4 weeks). Treatment groups (n = 4) were: control (2.05% L-alanine plus 1% canola oil); CLA (2.05% L-alanine plus 1% CLA); arginine (1.0% L-arginine plus 1.0% canola oil); arginine plus CLA (1.0% arginine plus 1.0% CLA). Arginine increased backfat thickness (P = 0.07) in the absence or presence of CLA, and arginine supplementation increased subcutaneous and retroperitoneal adipocyte volume, especially in combination with dietary CLA (interaction P = 0.001). Arginine increased palmitate incorporation into total lipids by over 60% in liver (P = 0.07). Dietary CLA increased palmitate incorporation into lipids in longissimus muscle by over 100% (P = 0.01), and CLA increased longissimus muscle lipid by nearly 20%. CLA increased glucose oxidation to CO(2) by over 80% in retroperitoneal and subcutaneous adipose tissues (P = 0.04), and doubled palmitate oxidation to CO(2) in intestinal duodenal mucosal cells (P = 0.07). Arginine supplementation decreased muscle pH at 45 min postmortem (P = 0.001), indicating elevated early postmortem glycolysis, and CLA and arginine independently increased PGC-1α gene expression in longissimus muscle. CLA but not arginine depressed mTOR gene expression in intestinal duodenal mucosal cells. CLA decreased serum insulin by 50% (P = 0.02) but increased serum triacylglycerols by over 40%. CLA supplementation increased (P ≤ 0.01) total saturated fatty acids in liver and adipose tissue. In conclusion, neither CLA nor arginine depressed tissue lipid synthesis in growing/finishing pigs, and in fact dietary CLA promoted elevated intramuscular lipid and arginine increased carcass adiposity.
Microcanonical simulation of first order phase transitions

Abstract We propose a microcanonical simulation of the caloric equation of state to study first order phase transitions on classical statistical systems. We present a modified version of the microcanonical Monte Carlo method to obtain numerically the caloric equation. We illustrate it by a simulation of the four-dimensional Z 2 lattice gauge theory near its phase transition.
A root locus approach to designing tracking controllers in systems with saturating actuators

This paper presents two modifications of the classical method of root locus, which facilitate the design of controllers for tracking random references in the presence of actuator saturation. We begin by studying admissible closed loop pole locations for tracking random references. Then we study the impact of actuator saturation using the method of stochastic linearization, whereby the saturation is replaced by a quasilinear element, leading to the notion of saturated closed loop poles. As a result we obtain the so-called saturated root locus, and use it for controller design.
The three-dimensional point spread function of aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy.

Aberration correction reduces the depth of field in scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and thus allows three-dimensional (3D) imaging by depth sectioning. This imaging mode offers the potential for sub-Angstrom lateral resolution and nanometer-scale depth sensitivity. For biological samples, which may be many microns across and where high lateral resolution may not always be needed, optimizing the depth resolution even at the expense of lateral resolution may be desired, aiming to image through thick specimens. Although there has been extensive work examining and optimizing the probe formation in two dimensions, there is less known about the probe shape along the optical axis. Here the probe shape is examined in three dimensions in an attempt to better understand the depth resolution in this mode. Examples are presented of how aberrations change the probe shape in three dimensions, and it is found that off-axial aberrations may need to be considered for focal series of large areas. It is shown that oversized or annular apertures theoretically improve the vertical resolution for 3D imaging of nanoparticles. When imaging nanoparticles of several nanometer size, regular STEM can thereby be optimized such that the vertical full-width at half-maximum approaches that of the aberration-corrected STEM with a standard aperture.
Hippocampal place cells, context, and episodic memory

Although most observers agree that the hippocampus has a critical role in learning and memory, there remains considerable debate about the precise functional contribution of the hippocampus to these processes. Two of the most influential accounts hold that the primary function of the hippocampus is to generate cognitive maps and to mediate episodic memory processes. The well-documented spatial firing patterns (place fields) of hippocampal neurons in rodents, along with the spatial learning impairments observed with hippocampal damage support the cognitive mapping hypothesis. The amnesia for personally experienced events seen in humans with hippocampal damage and the data of animal models, which show severe memory deficits associated with hippocampal lesions, support the episodic memory account. Although an extensive literature supports each of these hypotheses, a specific contribution of place cells to episodic memory has not been clearly demonstrated. Recent data from our laboratory, together with previous findings, indicate that hippocampal place fields and neuronal responses to task-relevant stimuli are highly sensitive to the context, even when the contexts are defined by abstract task demands rather than the spatial geometry of the environment. On the basis of these findings, it is proposed that place fields reflect a more general context processing function of the hippocampus. Hippocampal context representations could serve to differentiate contexts and prime the relevant memories and behaviors. Since episodic memories, by definition, include information about the time and place where the episode occurred, contextual information is a necessary prerequisite for any episodic memory. Thus, place fields contribute importantly to episodic memory as part of the needed context representations. Additionally, recent findings indicate that hippocampal neurons differentiate contexts at progressively finer levels of detail, suggesting a hierarchical coding scheme which, if combined with temporal information, could provide a means of differentiating memory episodes.
Argumentation in Foreign Policy Settings Britain in 1918, Munich in 1938, and Japan in 1970

This is a study of argumentation in three different kinds of high level, confidential, foreign policy settings: a collegial setting, a bureaucratic setting, and a bargaining setting. The causal and...
Estimation of effective population size from data on linkage disequilibrium

A method is proposed for estimating effective population size (N) from data on linkage disequilibrium among neutral genes at several polymorphic loci or restriction sites. The efficiency of the method increases with larger sample size and more tightly linked genes; but for very tightly linked genes estimates of N are more dependent on long-term than on recent population history. Two sets of data are analysed as examples.
Automated recognition of robotic manipulation failures in high-throughput biodosimetry tool

Highlights? A six-dimensional force/torque sensor is applied in the new biodosimetry tool. ? Three robotic manipulation failures are explored for the blood sample processing. ? FDA has the better separability and classification error than PCA. ? SVM is chosen for fault recognition under the current configuration of the RABiT. A completely automated, high-throughput biodosimetry workstation has been developed by the Center for Minimally Invasive Radiation Biodosimetry at Columbia University over the past few years. To process patients' blood samples safely and reliably presents a significant challenge in the development of this biodosimetry tool. In this paper, automated failure recognition methods of robotic manipulation of capillary tubes based on a torque/force sensor are described. The characteristic features of sampled raw signals are extracted through data preprocessing. The 12-dimensional (12D) feature space is projected onto a two-dimensional (2D) feature plane by the optimized Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Fisher Discrimination Analysis (FDA) feature extraction functions. For the three-class manipulation failure problem in the cell harvesting module, FDA yields better separability index than that of PCA and produces well separated classes. Three classification methods, Support Vector Machine (SVM), Fisher Linear Discrimination (FLD) and Quadratic Discrimination Analysis (QDA), are employed for real-time recognition. Considering the trade-off between error rate and computation cost, SVM achieves the best overall performance.
Suicide genes: monitoring cells in patients with a safety switch

Clinical trials increasingly incorporate suicide genes either as direct lytic agents for tumors or as safety switches in therapies based on genetically modified cells. Suicide genes can also be used as non-invasive reporters to monitor the biological consequences of administering genetically modified cells to patients and gather information relevant to patient safety. These genes can monitor therapeutic outcomes addressable by early clinical intervention. As an example, our recent clinical trial used 18F-9-(4-fluoro-3-hydroxymethylbutyl)guanine (18FHBG) and PET/CT scans to follow T cells transduced with herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (TK) after administration to patients. Guided by preclinical data we ultimately hope to discern whether a particular pattern of transduced T cell migration within patients reflects early development of Graft vs. Host Disease (GvHD). Current difficulties in terms of choice of suicide gene, biodistribution of radiolabeled tracers in humans versus animal models, and threshold levels of genetically modified cells needed for detection by PET/CT are discussed. As alternative suicide genes are developed, additional radiolabel probes suitable for imaging in patients should be considered.
γδ T Cells Promote a Th1 Response during Coxsackievirus B3 Infection In Vivo: Role of Fas and Fas Ligand

Coxsackieviruses are closely associated with myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy in humans. Serum levels of soluble Fas (CD95) and Fas ligand (FasL) predict disease course in patients with acute myocarditis, with the highest levels of these factors occurring in patients with a fatal outcome (11). Fas-dependent apoptosis of cardiac myocytes is observed in some cases of clinical and experimental myocarditis (10, 18, 54). In other instances, apoptosis may be restricted to the myocardial inflammatory cell infiltrate and occurs primarily in CD4+ T cells (7, 18, 27, 59). In the case of direct Fas-dependent apoptosis of cardiac myocytes, the mechanism by which Fas contributes to pathogenesis in myocarditis is self-evident. It is less clear whether Fas-dependent apoptosis affects pathogenicity when only the infiltrating inflammatory cells die. We have previously reported that coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3)-induced myocarditis in BALB/c mice depends upon generation of CD4+ Th1 (gamma interferon [IFN-γ+]) cell responses and that CD4+ Th2 cell responses protect against CVB3-induced disease (24). T cells expressing the γδ T-cell receptor (TCR) regulate the CD4+ Th phenotype in vivo. Although cytokines produced by γδ T cells may partially contribute to their modulation of the CD4+ cell response (20), direct cell-cell contact between the γδ+ and CD4+ cells is additionally important in vitro (19). In this study, we provide evidence in vivo that γδ T-cell modulation of the CD4+ cytokine phenotype requires Fas-FasL interaction to promote a pathogenic Th1 response.
When should measures be updated? Development of a conceptual framework for maintenance of quality-of-care measures

Objective: To document current practices on long-term maintenance of quality measures and to develop a consensus framework to guide the design of maintenance systems. Study Design: Survey of 10 organisations developing measures and selected researchers in the USA about current policies and procedures and desirable properties for a comprehensive system for measures maintenance. Panel discussions with all respondents to arrive at consensus recommendations for a framework for maintenance of measures. Participants: Five measures developers, two provider and three purchaser organisations. Six were private sector organisations, two were governmental agencies, and two were accreditation institutions. Principal findings: All organisations had procedures for measures maintenance, but the degree of formalisation of the procedures varied. Three key functions for a measures maintenance system emerged: ad hoc review to deal with unexpected problems; annual maintenance to incorporate changes in coding conventions; and regular re-evaluation to thoroughly review measures at predefined intervals. Importance, scientific soundness, feasibility and usability were universally used as evaluation criteria. The panel discussions yielded a consensus set of recommendations for relationships between maintenance functions, evaluation criteria and measures disposition. Conclusions: A sufficient degree of implicit consensus was found among leading measures developers to arrive at a consensus framework for policies and procedures for measures maintenance. Although organisations may choose to implement the framework in a way that is most consistent with their mission and structure, it provides guidance regarding which components should be included.
IQGAP1 Is a Scaffold for Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Signaling

IQGAP1 modulates many cellular functions such as cell-cell adhesion, transcription, cytoskeletal architecture, and selected signaling pathways. We previously documented that IQGAP1 binds extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 2 and regulates growth factor-stimulated ERK activity. Here we show that MEK, the molecule immediately upstream of ERK in the Ras/mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase signaling cascade, also interacts directly with IQGAP1. Both MEK1 and MEK2 bound IQGAP1 in vitro and coimmunoprecipitated with IQGAP1. The addition of ERK2 enhanced by fourfold the in vitro interaction of MEK2 with IQGAP1 without altering binding of MEK1. Similarly, ERK1 promoted MEK binding to IQGAP1, but either MEK protein altered the association between IQGAP1 and ERK. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) differentially regulated binding, enhancing MEK1 interaction while reducing MEK2 binding to IQGAP1. In addition, both knockdown and overexpression of IQGAP1 reduced EGF-stimulated activation of MEK and ERK. Analyses with selective IQGAP1 mutant constructs indicated that MEK binding is crucial for IQGAP1 to modulate EGF activation of ERK. Our data strongly suggest that IQGAP1 functions as a molecular scaffold in the Ras/MAP kinase pathway.
Evaluating TVET Programmes through Appreciative Inquiry

Appreciative inquiry (AI) is a relatively new assets-based approach to evaluation derived from the field of organisational development. In this chapter, the author suggests that the evaluation of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) needs to be explored and proposes the use of AI to evaluate TVET programs. However, the author concludes that the universal application of AI in evaluations can be problematic, and other evaluative tools may also need to be used.
Geckobot and Waalbot: Small-Scale Wall Climbing Robots

This paper proposes two small-scale agile wall climbing robots able to navigate on smooth vertical surfaces which use adhesive materials for attachment. Geckobot is a lizard-inspired climbing robot with similar kinematics to a gecko climbing gait. Waalbot uses two actuated legs with rotary motion and two passive revolute joints at each foot. Due to their compact design, a high degree of miniaturization is possible. Each has onboard power, computing, and wireless communication which allow for semi-autonomous operation. Various aspects of func- tioning prototype design and performance are discussed in detail, including leg and feet design and gait dynamics. Geckobot and Waalbot prototypes can climb 85 and 90 slopes respectively, and steer to any angle reliably. These robots are intended for inspection and surveillance applications and, ultimately, space missions.