cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Socio-economic stratification generated by international migration loops.

This paper analyzes the migration phenomenon within a framework that treats migration movements as continuous loops from the country of origin to the destination and back. Significant social-psychological factors at each step of the loop process contribute to the development of migration streams along a predictable pattern. The general model of the loop process shows that the migration stream is 1st sparked when labor is recruited from less developed countries for work in developed industrialized countries. Once the social process of migration has begun it tends to acquire a self-feeding character. Social and economic change in sending and receiving societies brought about by migration make further migration more likely. The case of the Mexico-US-Mexico loop process is analyzed. This case illustrates the effects of socioeconomic stratification that occurs in communities where the migration loop process reaches a certain level of maturity. The majority of a towns population may become committed to migration as a way of life. Eventually wealth becomes concentrated in the hands of those that are most able to migrate. Thus migrants may become a new elite segment of rural populations that were once relatively homogenous societies. Further research of the migration loop process should be conducted. At least in the case of Mexico the socioeconomic stratification in the villages and towns acting as sources of migration loops with destinations in the US have significant internal economic social and political implications. (authors)
Methane-Fuel Corrosion in Regeneratively Cooled Rocket-Engine Combustors

Abstract Experiments were performed in which electrically heated OFHC Cu tubes were exposed to flowing high-velocity methane fuels. Significant corrosion was produced during these tests as indicated by recession of the inside tube walls. No corrosion was, however, observed from elevated temperature static exposures of copper specimens to high-pressure liquid natural gas (LNG) and high-purity methane fuels. Mechanisms postulated to explain this corrosion are: sulfur embrittlement, (2) corrosion interactions with high AC currents, (3) erosion-corrosion, (4) electrochemical corrosion, (5) zeta corrosion, and (6) mercury corrosion. Each of these mechanisms is reviewed in this paper.
Cancer, mathematical models and aflatoxin.

Abstract When cancer is caused in laboratory animals by a socially-valuable chemical or an unavoidable environmental contaminant, natural or otherwise, the risks to man from exposure to the chemical at very much lower doses must be estimated. The choice of a mathematical model is an important step in this assessment. In this paper, several available models are evaluated with respect to aflatoxin. one of the few agents with usable results both from experiments with animals and from surveys in man.
Efficient Theoretic and Practical Algorithms for Linear Matroid Intersection Problems

Efficient algorithms for the matroid intersection problem, both cardinality and weighted versions, are presented. The algorithm for weighted intersection works by scaling the weights. The cardinality algorithm is a special case, but takes advantage of greater structure. Efficiency of the algorithms is illustrated by several implementations on linear matroids. Consider a linear matroid withmelements and rankn. Assume all element weights are integers of magnitude at mostN. Our fastest algorithms use timeO(mn1.77log(nN)) andO(mn1.62) for weighted and unweighted intersection, respectively; this improves the previous best bounds,O(mn2.4) andO(mn2logn), respectively. Corresponding improvements are given for several applications of matroid intersection to numerical computation and dynamic systems.
The potential for large errors in the inferred minimum earth stress when using incomplete hydraulic fracturing results

Abstract The reassessment of a broad range of hydraulic fracturing data associated with the repeated injection and flow testing of a deep region of the earth—a 0.3-km3 volume of stimulated crystalline rock at a mean depth of 4 km—has shown that the pressure-opening of pre-existing joints can completely mask the minimum earth stress. This situation is further aggravated when the unjointed intervals exposed in the wellbore are limited, and the unflawed rock has a significant tensile strength—the most common in situ condition at depth. This obscuring of the minimum earth stress during hydraulic fracturing tests is particularly evident when the continuous sets of joints are inclined to the principal stress directions, as was the case in our situation, and led to an initial overestimate of the minimum effective earth stress by about a factor of three.
Upper airways reactions to cold air

Cold air-induced rhinitis is a common complaint of individuals with chronic allergic or nonallergic rhinitis and those with no chronic nasal disease. It is characterized by rhinorrhea, nasal congestion, and nasal burning that appear within minutes of exposure to cold air and dissipate soon after exposure is terminated. The symptoms of cold-air rhinitis are reproduced experimentally with nasal cold-air provocation. This procedure has shown that nasal mast cell activation and sensory nerve stimulation are associated with the development of nasal symptoms. Sensory nerve activation generates a cholinergic reflex that leads to rhinorrhea; therefore, anticholinergic agents are highly effective in treating cold-air rhinitis. Experimental data suggest that individuals with nasal cold-air sensitivity may have reduced ability to compensate for the water loss that occurs during exposure to cold air. Therefore, the symptoms of cold air-induced rhinitis may reflect the activation of compensatory mechanisms to restore mucosal homeostasis.
9.2: Temporal and Color Measurements in Medical Displays

We report on the accurate characterization of temporal response, maximum color difference and luminance uniformity in medical liquid crystal displays. We find that the variability among results from different methods can be larger than measured color differences, and that poor response time estimates occur for transitions between neighboring gray levels.
Global facility network design in the presence of competition

Abstract We study the facility network design problem for a global firm that is a monopolist seller in its domestic market but faces local competition in its foreign market. The global firm produces in the face of demand and exchange rate uncertainty but can postpone localization and distribution of the output until after uncertainties are resolved. The competitor in the foreign market, however, enjoys the flexibility of postponing all production activities until after uncertainties are resolved. The two firms engage in an ex-post Cournot competition in the foreign market. We consider three potential network configurations for the global firm. Under a linear demand function, we provide the necessary and sufficient condition that one of the three networks is the global firm’s optimal choice, and explore how the presence of foreign competition affects the sensitivity of the global firm’s design to various cost parameters and market uncertainties.
Chromosomes of five species of sea-skater (Gerridae-Heteroptera)

We report here the first chromosome numbers for sea-skaters. Meiotic metaphase figures were obtained from the testes of three littoral species: Asclepios shiranui, Halobates flaviventris and H. robustus and two pelagic species: H. germanus and H. micans. In the four species of Halobates 2nd♂=31, the highest chromosome number so far determined for the Gerridae. In a proposed ancestral form, A. shiranui, 2n♂=23. Males of all five species have an unpaired chromosome, assumed to be the X chromosome of an XO sex chromosome system.
Thin slices of creativity: Using single-word utterances to assess creative cognition

We investigated the hypothesis that individual differences in creative cognition can be manifest even in brief responses, such as single-word utterances. Participants (n = 193) were instructed to say a verb upon seeing a noun displayed on a computer screen and were cued to respond creatively to half of the nouns. For every noun–verb pair (72 pairs per subject), we assessed the semantic distance between the noun and the verb, using latent semantic analysis (LSA). Semantic distance was higher in the cued ("creative") condition than the uncued condition, within subjects. Critically, between subjects, semantic distance in the cued condition had a strong relationship to a creativity factor derived from a battery of verbal, nonverbal, and achievement-based creativity measures (β= .50), and this relation remained when controlling for intelligence and personality. The data show that creative cognition can be assessed reliably and validly from such thin slices of behavior.
Thermal response of an on-chip assembly of RTD heaters, sputtered sample and microthermocouples

Abstract In this paper, we report experimental methods to characterize the in situ thermal response of an on-chip assembly of resistance temperature detector (RTD) heaters, sputtered sample and microthermocouples (MTs). The operating relationships of the heater and microthermocouple are reported. While temperature measurements were made using external thermocouples, we quantitatively determined their influence on the operating relationships to be quite small. A one-dimensional steady state heat transfer model was developed for a sputtered sample, heated by a constant-temperature heat source (the RTD heater) at one end. The heat transfer from the sample to the environment and the substrate was “lumped” in a heat transfer coefficient. Despite the simplicity of the model, the approach predicted the temperature at the far end of the sample surprisingly well. The heat transfer coefficient was determined for various sample lengths, and was found to decay exponentially with an increase in the length of the sample.
Understanding the Structure and Evolution of Organizational Networks: ERGMs

The study of networks is an increasingly important domain within management strategy research, offering insights into how ties among firms and individuals shape social interaction, organizational performance, and the diffusion of knowledge and new practices. Traditional network methods struggle to address interdependence among ties, multi-level effects, and the dynamics of networks over time – their emergence, evolution, and consolidation. Our study presents an alternative modeling technique, Exponential Random Graph Modeling (ERGM) that offers the ability to explore new theoretical questions and address many of the limitations of standard methodologies in studying networks. We provide an overview of this method, suggestions of how ERGM could be used to extend current strategy scholarship, and two empirical examples set in the minimally invasive surgical (MIS) device industry.
Model of magnetosheath plasma in the magnetosphere: Cusp and mantle particles at low‐altitudes

A model of plasma transport in the open magnetic field region of the dayside magnetosphere has been used to investigate the source regions and the distribution of solar wind plasma in the magnetospheric cusp and mantle. This model includes the variation in the magnetosheath properties as the plasma accelerates away from the subsolar point, the variation in the transport of magnetosheath plasma across the magnetopause as the orientation of the magnetic field line evolves following reconnection, and the transport of the magnetosheath plasma within the magnetosphere. The authors' model results are compared with low-altitude spacecraft data from a crossing of the cusp and mantle. They find qualitative and quantitative agreement between the model results and the data. This agreement suggests that the zeroth-order processes included in the model are sufficient to reproduce the commonly observed particle distributions in the low-altitude cusp and mantle regions. 16 refs., 2 figs.
Evidence that gamma-aminobutyric acid is not the inhibitory transmitter at the crossed olivocochlear nerve-hair cell junction ☆

Abstract In searching for the inhibitory transmitter at the crossed olivocochlear nerve-hair cell junction, it was found that γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) decreased cochlear nerve compound action potential and cochlear microphonic potentials when injected into the vertebral artery of cats. However, this effect on cochlear nerve action potential was not structurally specific in that it was duplicated by equimolar concentrations of dextrose, glycine, α-aminobutyric acid and sodium chloride. Likewise, picrotoxin and strychnine, which had been found to block GABA's action at a number of synapses, did not alter the cochlear nerve response to GABA. GABA applied to the guinea pig cochlea by infusion produced a decrease in cochlear nerve action potential which was duplicated by glycine and dextrose. α-Aminobutyric acid was more potent in decreasing cochlear nerve action potential than any of the compounds tested. Thiosemicarbazide, which inhibits GABA synthesis, had no effect on cochlear nerve action potential, or on its decrease elicited by stimulation of the crossed olivocochlear bundle. Amino-oxyacetic acid, which inhibits GABA destruction, decreased microphonic potentials upon intra-arterial administration, and decreased cochlear nerve action potential by both intra-arterial and intravenous routes, but did not change the cochlear nerve action potential or microphonic potential elicited by stimulation of the crossed olivocochlear bundle. Hence the alterations in cochlear potential evoked by stimulation of the crossed olivocochlear bundle are not influenced by agents altering GABA metabolism, nor are they mimicked specifically by GABA itself. It was concluded that GABA is not the mediator involved in the alteration of cochlear potentials elicited by stimulation of the crossed olivocochlear bundle.
The potential for protein production from green plants

Data on protein yields show that forage crops, particularly alfalfa, produce several times more protein per acre than do seed crops. Amino acid analyses and estimations of biological values by enzymatic hydrolysis and feeding trials indicate that protein concentrates from green plants have high nutritive value. The protein concentrates from 10 plant species had a similar amino acid composition and biological value which indicates that good protein might be obtained from many plant species. It is suggested that the use of the fibrous residue as a feed for ruminants and the use of the protein concentrate as a high protein feed or base for processing into new protein foods may make it possible for the production of protein from green plants to compete with other sources of protein. This would markedly increase protein production per acre and allow the use of new plant species in our agriculture. The need for more research on protein production from different types of green plants and on ways to harvest, concentrate and process their proteins into edible forms is discussed.
Donovan’s conjecture, crossed products and algebraic group actions

Donovan’s conjecture, on blocks of finite group algebras over an algebraically closed field of prime characteristicp, asserts that for any finitep-groupD, there are only finitely many Morita equivalence classes of blocks with defect groupD. The main result of this paper is a reduction theorem: It suffices to prove the conjecture for groups generated by conjugates ofD. A number of other finiteness results are proved along the way. The main tool is a result on actions of algebraic groups.
A radiative transport model for large-eddy fire simulations

Three-dimensional simulations of fires cannot be performed on present-day computers without devising simplifications to the governing equations. One such method is the large-eddy simulation (LES) approach for fires developed at NIST. This method results in computationally efficient fire simulations in which the buoyancy-generated motion of hot gases and smoke is driven by Lagrangian particles that carry the heat released by combustion. Complex geometries are represented by blocking cells interior to a rectangular domain. A P1 approximation to the radiation transport equation was developed to be consistent with the exact transport equation for scenarios based upon this model. An isolated fire plume above a semi- infinite solid with a constant absorption coefficient in each half-space was studied as an example. A direct elliptic solver required only a fraction of the total LES computational cost. Radiative fluxes and intensities from the numerical and exact solutions to the P1 approximation were in excellent agreement.
Purification, characterization, molecular cloning, and expression of novel members of jacalin-related lectins from rhizomes of the true fern Phlebodium aureum (L) J. Smith (Polypodiaceae).

A lectin was purified from rhizomes of the fernPhlebodium aureum by affinity chromatography on mannose-Sepharose. The lectin, designated P. aureum lectin (PAL), is composed of two identical subunits of ∼15 kDa associated by noncovalent bonds. From a cDNA library and synthetic oligonucleotide probes based on a partial amino acid sequence, 5′- and 3′-rapid amplification of cDNA ends allowed the generation of two similar full-length cDNAs, termed PALa and PALb, each of which had an open reading frame of 438 bp encoding 146 amino acid residues. The two proteins share 88% sequence identity and showed structural similarity to jacalin-related lectins. PALa contained peptide sequences exactly matching those found in the isolated lectin. PALa and PALb were expressed in Escherichia coli using pET-22b(+) vector and purified by one-step affinity chromatography. Native and recombinant forms of PAL agglutinated rabbit erythrocytes and precipitated with yeast mannan, dextran, and the high mannose-containing glycoprotein invertase. The detailed carbohydrate-binding properties of the native and recombinant lectins were elucidated by agglutination inhibition assay, and native lectin was also studied by isothermal titration calorimetry. Based on the results of these assays, we conclude that this primitive vascular plant, like many higher plants, contains significant quantities of a mannose/glucose-binding protein in its storage tissue, whose binding specificity differs in detail from either legume mannose/glucose-binding lectins or monocot mannose-specific lectins. The identification of a jacalin-related lectin in a true fern reveals for the first time the widespread distribution and molecular evolution of this lectin family in the plant kingdom.
Sequence-specific crosslinking agents for nucleic acids: design and functional group testing.

Abstract The genetic material of most organisms is composed of two complementary strands of DNA fitting together much like a long zipper. For this double helical DNA to function the two strands must first separate and then one or both of the separated strands can code for RNA or new copies of DNA. Herein a general method is outlined for sequence-specific inactivation of DNA and RNA. This involves attachment of a new class of crosslinking agent of the form NH 2 NHCO (CH 2 ) n C(OR) 2 CH R ′ X at multiple sites on a single-stranded polynucleotide (the carrier). These compounds are designed to form covalent interstrand crosslinks when the derivatized carrier strand is annealed with a complementary polynucleotide (the target). Such crosslinks between a carrier and its target should irreversibly block that specific sequence with respect to all information transfer processes (replication, transcription, translation). Experimental studies are reported concerning optimal conditions for transamination of cytidine by acylhydrazides (attachment step), acid catalyzed conversion of α-haloketals to α-haloketones (activation step), and alkylation of guanosine by α-haloketones (crosslinking step). The requirements of these three reactions are discussed with regard to the constraints they place on the parameters of the crosslinking agent ( n , R , R ′, and X ). Nucleosides and model compounds corresponding to the two halves of the crosslinking agent were used to facilitate study of the reactions and characterization of the products.
Laser conditioning study of KDP on the optical sciences laser using large area beams

Considerable attention has been paid over the years to the problem of growing high purity KDP and KD*P to meet damage threshold requirements on succeeding generations of inertial confinement fusion lasers at LLNL. While damage thresholds for these materials have increased over time, the current National Ignition Facility (NIP) maximum fluence requirement (redline) for KD*P frequency triplers of 14.3 J/cm2 at 351 nm, 3 ns has not been reached without laser (pre)conditioning. It is reasonable to assume that. despite the rapid increase in damage thresholds for rapidly grown crystals, ·a program of large scale conditioning of the 192 NIF triplers will be required. Small area ramp (R/1) tests on single sites indicate that KDP damage thresholds can be raised on average up to 1.5X the unconditioned values. Unpublished LLNL 3m raster conditioning studies on KDP, however, have not conclusively shown that off-line conditioning is feasible for KD*P. Consequently, investigating the feasibility of on-line conditioning of NIF triplers at 3m has become a high priority for the KDP damage group at LLNL. To investigate the feasibility of on-line conditioning we performed a series of experiments using the Optical Sciences Laser (OSL) on numerous samples of conventional and rapid growth KDP and KD*P. The experiment entailed exposing sites on each sample to a range of ramped shot (Nil) sequences starting at average fluences of -2 J/cm2 (in a 7 mm "top hat" beam @ 351 nm, 3 ns) up to peak fluences of approximately 13 J/cm2• Test results indicated that the most effective conditioning procedure entailed a 7-8 shot ramp starting at 2 J/cm2 and ending at 12-13 J/cm2• The pinpoint onset fluence for the 8/1 tests was 1.4 times that of the unconditioned site. Damage evolution appears to be exponential as a function of increasing fluence. When damage occurs after conditioning however, pinpoint density evolution exhibits a greater slope than less conditioned sites. The overall reduction in the total pinpoint number can be as high as 300X. Despite laser conditioning , the pinpoint onset for the samples considered is below the NIF redline fluence of 14.3 J/cm2• In addition, the exponential pinpoint evolution curves indicate that damage levels at NIF redline fluences will be on the order of 1 Q4 pinpoints/mm3• 1bis suggests that there will be significant damage in NIF triplers, however, substantial damage has not been observed in the large Beamlet tripler (conventionally grown KD*P) under similar exposure conditions. By applying the OSL damage evolution curves to model NIF THG output spatial profiles it is possible to show damage in NIF triplers will be slight, consisting of isolated clusters with a few pinpoints at high fluence portions of the beam. This prediction has been verified by scatter mapping the 37 cm Beamlet tripler crystal. These results will be discussed in a future memo. These results indicate the feasibility of on-line conditioning for the NIF laser. Keywords: KDP, DKDP, KD*P, bulk laser damage, laser conditioning
Targeted Mutations of Bacillus anthracis Dihydrofolate Reductase Condense Complex Structure-Activity Relationships

Several antifolates, including trimethoprim (TMP) and a series of propargyl-linked analogues, bind dihydrofolate reductase from Bacillus anthracis (BaDHFR) with lower affinity than is typical in other bacterial species. To guide lead optimization for BaDHFR, we explored a new approach to determine structure-activity relationships whereby the enzyme is altered and the analogues remain constant, essentially reversing the standard experimental design. Active site mutants of the enzyme, Ba(F96I)DHFR and Ba(Y102F)DHFR, were created and evaluated with enzyme inhibition assays and crystal structures. The affinities of the antifolates increase up to 60-fold with the Y102F mutant, suggesting that interactions with Tyr 102 are critical for affinity. Crystal structures of the enzymes bound to TMP and propargyl-linked inhibitors reveal the basis of TMP resistance and illuminate the influence of Tyr 102 on the lipophilic linker between the pyrimidine and aryl rings. Two new inhibitors test and validate these conclusions and show the value of the technique for providing new directions during lead optimization.
Pathogenesis and management of septic shock

Summary In summary, the diagnosis of septic shock should prompt an aggressive diagnostic and therapeutic regimen. Infected fluid collections should be drained urgently, intravascular devices should be removed (if possible), and appropriate antimicrobial therapy should be initiated. Rapid administration of large volumes of fluid is routinely required. Initiation of mechanical ventilation should be considered early during resuscitation efforts. Careful supportive care may minimize occurrence of secondary sepsis caused by gut-derived bacteremia/endotoxemia, intravascular device infection, nosocomial pneumonia, or other sources. If aggressive volume resuscitation fails to achieve satisfactory perfusion indices or precipitates pulmonary edema/hypoxemic respiratory failure, then PAC placement should be considered. A trial of DB therapy to reverse any element of septic myocardial depression may be useful if perfusion is inadequate after appropriate volume resuscitation but should be initiated with caution, and drug effects should be monitored carefully at the bedside. If a vasoconstrictor agent is administered, a splanchnic and/or renal vasodilator (low-dose DA, FNP, DX, DB) probably should be added to offset regional hypoperfusion, although the benefit of this approach in septic shock is currently unproven. Whatever strategy is used for hemodynamic support, careful bedside serial assessments should gauge the effects of each intervention and guide subsequent therapeutic maneuvers. Septic shock is among the most urgent conditions treated by any physician, and there is no substitute for bedside management guided by an integrated synthesis of all available information.
Curve Collisions: Road and Collision Characteristics and Countermeasures

Horizontal curves are relatively dangerous portions of roadway networks. Agencies optimizing the use of safety funds should be aware of characteristics of the collisions on those segments. However, few previously published articles attempted to characterize collisions on horizontal curves. This article describes an effort that characterized collisions reported to be on curves in North Carolina using the Highway Safety Information System. More than 51,000 North Carolina (NC) collisions on two-lane road curves were compared to collisions on all two-lane roads and on all roads. In doing so we gained a perspective of how well various curves perform relative to other road areas. We investigated numerous two-lane curve-collision types. Those most overrepresented included: collisions on grades, rural, severe injury or fatal, fixed object (particularly tree, ditch, and embankment), overturn, off-peak hours (particularly during darkness on unlighted roads), weekend, holiday periods, and wet, icy, or snowy pavement. The analysis also revealed that there were few short roadway segments (of 0.1- to 1-mile length) with more than 10 reported curve collisions in 3 years. This article provides recommendations from the literature to treat overrepresented collision types on horizontal curves. Based on the analysis findings, agencies should target countermeasures for the most common and overrepresented collision types.
A Virtual Reality Endoscopic Simulator Augments General Surgery Resident Cancer Education as Measured by Performance Improvement

Colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of death in the USA. The need for screening colonoscopies, and thus adequately trained endoscopists, particularly in rural areas, is on the rise. Recent increases in required endoscopic cases for surgical resident graduation by the Surgery Residency Review Committee (RRC) further emphasize the need for more effective endoscopic training during residency to determine if a virtual reality colonoscopy simulator enhances surgical resident endoscopic education by detecting improvement in colonoscopy skills before and after 6 weeks of formal clinical endoscopic training. We conducted a retrospective review of prospectively collected surgery resident data on an endoscopy simulator. Residents performed four different clinical scenarios on the endoscopic simulator before and after a 6-week endoscopic training course. Data were collected over a 5-year period from 94 different residents performing a total of 795 colonoscopic simulation scenarios. Main outcome measures included time to cecal intubation, “red out” time, and severity of simulated patient discomfort (mild, moderate, severe, extreme) during colonoscopy scenarios. Average time to intubation of the cecum was 6.8 min for those residents who had not undergone endoscopic training versus 4.4 min for those who had undergone endoscopic training (p < 0.001). Residents who could be compared against themselves (pre vs. post-training), cecal intubation times decreased from 7.1 to 4.3 min (p < 0.001). Post-endoscopy rotation residents caused less severe discomfort during simulated colonoscopy than pre-endoscopy rotation residents (4 vs. 10 %; p = 0.004). Virtual reality endoscopic simulation is an effective tool for both augmenting surgical resident endoscopy cancer education and measuring improvement in resident performance after formal clinical endoscopic training.
Lorist, reformist and romanticist: The nineteenth‐century response to Gypsy‐travellers

Gypsy‐travellers have always occupied an uncertain and contradictory position in sedentary‐based societies. Although performing significant economic and social functions this contribution was more usually overshadowed by the points at which they clashed with the structures and ideologies of the dominant and ‘host’ society. In the nineteenth century the Gypsy‐travellers were popularly presented in two distinct ways: as a Romany race and as degenerate itinerants. These varying perspectives originated from different sources and represented contrasting approaches to the Gypsy/nomadic ‘problem’. The validity, purpose and consequences of these apparently conflicting images form the subject of this article.
Modification of Epinephrine-Induced Inhibition of Transmission by Tropolone and Desipramine (Desmethylimipramine) in the Perfused Superior Cervical Ganglion

Tropolone, an inhibitor of catechol-O-methyltrans-ferase (COMT), and desipramine (desmethylimipramine, DMI), which impairs catecholamine uptake at presynaptic adrenergic membranes, were introduced into the superior cervical ganglion of the cat. Throughout a wide dosage range (3.12–800 mcg.) tropolone exerted a negligible effect on epinephrine-induced inhibition of ganglionic transmission. COMT does not appear, therefore, to participate to a significant extent in peripheral ganglionic inactivation of circulating epinephrine. DMI in doses (125 and 250 mcg.) which alone had no effect on postganglionic potentials facilitated the depression of ganglionic transmission by epinephrine. Potentiation of epinephrine activity by DMI is attributed to a decrease in catecholamine uptake capacity at ganglionic sites. Catecholamine uptake thus appears to be a factor in terminating the activity of circulating epinephrine at sympathetic ganglia. Evidence for the existence in the ganglion of an uptake mechanism lends support to the proposal that catecholamines may function in the regulation of peripheral sympathetic ganglionic transmission.
Perturbative effects of spinning black holes in the extreme mass-ratio limit

Recently, we proposed an enhancement of the Regge?Wheeler?Zerilli formalism for first-order perturbations about a Schwarzschild background that includes first-order corrections due to the background black-hole spin in the black-hole perturbation approach. Using this formalism, we analytically investigate gravitational wave emission and linear momentum flux from a head-on collision of two spinning black holes in the extreme mass-ratio limit. The result derived in the lowest slow-motion and weak-field approximations here is consistent with the post-Newtonian calculation.
Plunder of war or objects of trade? The reuse and reception of Andalusi objects in medieval Pisa

Interaction between the medieval republic of Pisa and the territories of Sharq al-Andalus began early in the eleventh century and was characterized by fierce military confrontations, peaceful trade, and the importation of numerous Andalusi commodities into the Tuscan city. This article will explore the nature of the Andalusi objects imported into Pisa and the varied understandings of these objects based on the quality and type of object as well as their secondary context in the city. On important civic structures, reused Andalusi artworks were understood as plunder of war, associated with epic battles through literary texts and monumental inscriptions. On other religious buildings, imports from Muslim Spain had greater resonance as fruits of lucrative trade, luxury commodities that manifested the cultural sophistication of Pisa's citizens. In all cases, however, Andalusi objects had overwhelmingly positive associations for medieval Pisans, as they alluded to the source of the city's wealth and fame – exte...
THE ENERGY STRAGGLING OF 1-MeV PROTONS IN GASES.

Abstract The energy straggling of 1-MeV protons in various gases has been studied as a function of gas absorber thickness. The gases used were hydrogen, helium, nitrogen, nitrous oxide, oxygen, argon and xenon. For small energy losses, the observed straggling is in good agreement with the theories of Bohr and Lewis. However, large discrepancies appear when the energy loss is comparable to the initial energy of the protons.
Resistance to Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis in Mice Lacking the Cc Chemokine Receptor (Ccr2)

Monocyte recruitment to the central nervous system (CNS) is a necessary step in the development of pathologic inflammatory lesions in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a murine model of multiple sclerosis. Monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1, a potent agonist for directed monocyte migration, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of EAE. Here we report that deficiency in CC chemokine receptor (CCR)2, the receptor for MCP-1, confers resistance to EAE induced with a peptide derived from myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein peptide 35–55 (MOGp35–55). CCR2−/− mice immunized with MOGp35–55 failed to develop mononuclear cell inflammatory infiltrates in the CNS and failed to increase CNS levels of the chemokines RANTES (regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted), MCP-1, and interferon (IFN)-inducible protein 10 (IP-10) as well the chemokine receptors CCR1, CCR2, and CCR5. Additionally, T cells from CCR2−/− immunized mice showed decreased antigen-induced proliferation and production of IFN-γ compared with wild-type immunized controls, suggesting that CCR2 enhances the T helper cell type 1 immune response in EAE. These data indicate that CCR2 plays a necessary and nonredundant role in the pathogenesis of EAE.
Suggestions for the use of SI units in magnetism

Before 1980 the Gaussian cgs (cm-gm-s) system of units provided the standard for magnetism in the area of geophysics. Although the cgs system was not without its own special and formidable set of problems, geophysicists had come to terms with it to the extent that the published literature contains little ambiguity about the meaning of a magnetic measurement expressed in cgs units. At about that time, following recommendations of various international committees, some journals began suggesting, and then requiring, that SI (Systeme Internationale) units be used instead. There are significant advantages to SI units, and it behooves us to accept the conversion and make it work. Most of the geophysical community has already done so.
Retroauricular Robotic Thyroidectomy with Concomitant Neck-Lift Surgery

Robotic-assisted thyroid surgery using a retroauricular approach was reported as a novel remote access technique for hemithyroidectomy. We report our experience with this remote access technique using a single incision in the retroauricular crease and occipital hairline incision. For the first time, we show additional neck-lift surgery performed concomitantly to achieve better cosmetic outcomes. Robotic retroauricular left hemithyroidectomy with concomitant neck-lift surgery was performed in a 59-year-old female patient who was referred for management of a 1.7 cm thyroid nodule located in the mid-lower right thyroid lobe, with fine-needle aspiration biopsy suggestive for follicular neoplasm. The patient had redundant submental skin in her neck, and was planning for a future neck-lift surgery. A concomitant neck lift was performed by the plastic surgeon using the same retroauricular approach to perform the operation. The patient agreed to participate in Institutional Review Board approved protocol. Total operative time was 115 min—flap creation time was 50 min, robot docking time was 10 min, operative console time was 25 min, and concomitant neck-lift surgery extended for 30 min. Estimated blood loss was approximately 30 ml. The patient was discharged home on the same day of surgery and had no postoperative complications. Final pathology confirmed benign follicular adenoma. Our experience with robotic retroauricular thyroidectomy showed that it is a feasible and safe remote access approach. We suggest that concomitant neck lift can be done in a select group of patients with excess skin on the neck. This approach can be offered to patients with benign and indeterminate thyroid lesions, and future prospective studies are warranted to evaluate the oncological efficacy of this approach in patients with thyroid cancer.
A discrete two-stage population model: continuous versus seasonal reproduction

A discrete two-stage model which describes the dynamics of a population where juveniles and adults compete for different resources is developed. A motivating example is the green tree frog (Hyla cinerea) where tadpoles and adult frogs feed on separate resources. First, continuous breeding is assumed and the asymptotic behavior of the resulting autonomous model is fully analyzed. It is shown that the unique interior equilibrium is globally asymptotically stable when the inherent net reproductive number is greater than one. However, when the inherent net reproductive number is less than one, the population becomes extinct. Then a seasonal breeding described by a periodic birth rate with period 2 is assumed. It is proved that for this nonautonomous model a period two solution is globally asymptotically stable when the inherent net reproductive number is greater than one and when the inherent net reproductive number is less than one the population becomes extinct. Finally, the advantage (in terms of maximizin...
Bone cell cultures as an experimental model.

The isolation and separation of bone cells with populations enriched for osteoclastic or osteoblastic phenotypes are described. Such systems offer the opportunity to compare and contrast the controls exerted by hormones, ions, and other agents on the functions of the individual bone cell types and may in the future provide explanations for the changes seen in bone tissue in various diseased states.
Polarographic determination of tauremisin inArtemisia taurica

A polarographic method has been developed for determining tauremisin inArtemisia taurica Willd, directly in aqueous extracts or in eluates after chromatography on a thin layer of alumina.
Photocarcinogenesis in the Tg.AC mouse: lomefloxacin and 8-methoxypsoralen.

Abstract The Tg.AC mouse is a good predictor of carcinogenic potential when the test article is administered by dorsal painting (Tennant et al. (1995) Environ. Health Perspect. 103, 942). We have used lomefloxacin (LOME) and 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) in combination with UVA to determine whether the Tg.AC transgenic mouse also responds to parenterally administered photocarcinogens. Female Tg.AC mice were given LOME (25 mg/kg intraperitoneal in normal saline) followed by UVA (25 J/cm2) 1–2 h later, five times every 2 weeks on a repetitive schedule. Other groups received LOME, UVA or vehicle alone. After 16 weeks, the mean numbers of papillomas/mouse ± SD (% responding) were: saline, 0.3 ± 0.5 (33%); UVA + saline, 1.3 ± 0.6 (100%); LOME, 1.9 ± 1.6 (86%) and LOME–UVA, 1.5 ± 1.9 (64%). Only the 100% incidence of tumors in the UVA group and the maximum tumor yields in the LOME and UVA groups are significant (P < 0.05) when compared with the control. In a second study, Tg.AC mice were administered the classical ...
A mark II survey and critique of future research teaching in North America

Abstract In 1970, an initial survey was carried out on teaching futurism at the undergraduate level based on forty courses that could be located in Canada and the United States (Technological Forecasting and Social Change, December 1970). During 1971 and 1972, information was collected, primarily by a replicated questionnaire, on approximately 200 courses in North America; this was reported on to the Third World Future Research Conference in Bucharest (September 1972) indicating major changes that had occured over the two-year period in the field. Six generalizations were made: (1) Futurism is becoming increasingly institutionalized as more and more courses are being “futurized” to a greater or lesser degree. (2) Learning/teaching interaction tends increasingly to employ innovative or “futuristic” techniques. (3) Much influential and seminal work in future research is not made by “futurists” per se, but enters the field from outside: technological forecasting and assessment, systems analysis, gaming, model building, etc. (4) Interdisciplinary future-oriented research on contemporary problems may be adding a new dimension to human capability. (5) There is still much froth and nonsense in “futuristics”, but can future research be truly innovative without such imaginative inputs? (6) Future research may turn out to be merely a subset in the policy sciences, i.e., delivery systems.
Contemporary Social Work Licensure: Implications for Macro Social Work Practice and Education

Understanding the impact of state licensing on social work practice remains a critical concern for social work academics and professionals alike. Given the complex social problems of our times, social workers need to be prepared to intervene with the individual, in various structural dimensions, and to engage in policy debates at the core of human injustice and suffering. Currently, there is insufficient research on the impact of state licensing on the profession and on accredited social work education. The purpose of this article is to begin to address this by providing an overview of the current state of social work licensing across the United States and to analyze the implications of social work regulations as they relate to the future of macro social work practice and education.
Efficient approximate implementations of the fast affine projection algorithm using orthogonal transforms

The recently-introduced fast affine projection (FAP) adaptive filter has performance rivalling that of the RLS adaptive filter in many situations. However, the sliding-window RLS algorithm embedded within the FAP adaptive filter can be too complex to implement in some cases. We describe an alternate implementation of the FAP adaptive filter that uses orthogonal transforms to approximately calculate the affine projection. Simulations show that the performance of this simplified algorithm is nearly as good as the original algorithm when the transform is chosen properly. In addition, we provide a gradient step size (GSS) method for enhancing the performance of the FAP adaptive filter in nonstationary signal environments.
Plasma membrane rafts of rainbow trout are subject to thermal acclimation.

SUMMARY Rafts are cholesterol- and sphingolipid-enriched microdomains of the plasma membrane (PM) that organize many signal transduction pathways. Interactions between cholesterol and saturated lipids lead to patches of liquid-ordered membrane (rafts) phase-separating from the remaining PM. Phase behavior is temperature sensitive, and acute changes in temperature experienced by poikilotherms would be expected to perturb raft structure, necessitating an acclimatory response. Therefore, with thermal acclimation, we would expect compositional changes in the raft directed to offset this perturbation. Using differential and density gradient centrifugation, we separated PM from the livers of rainbow trout acclimated to 5°C and 20°C into raft-enriched (raft) and raft-depleted PM (RDPM). Compared with RDPM, the raft fractions were enriched in cholesterol, the β 2 -adrenergic receptor and adenylyl cyclase, which are commonly used markers for this microdomain. Furthermore, cholesterol was enriched in all fractions from warm-compared with cold-acclimated animals, but this increase was 3.4 times greater in raft than in PM. We developed a novel approach for measuring membrane molecular interaction strength (and thus the tendency to stabilize raft structure) based on the susceptibility of membranes to detergent. Specifically, studies with model vesicles demonstrated that the capacity of a membrane to accommodate detergent prior to solubilization (saturation point) was a good index of this property. The saturation point of the isolated membrane preparations was temperature sensitive and was significantly different in 5°C- and 20°C-acclimated RDPM when assayed at 5°C and 20°C, respectively. By contrast, this comparison in rafts was not significantly different, suggesting compensation of this property. These data suggest that compositional changes made in the PM during thermal acclimation act to offset thermal perturbation of the raft but not the RDPM structural integrity.
A structure-preserving hybrid-chordal filter for sampling in correlation networks

Biological networks are fast becoming a popular tool for modeling high-throughput data, especially due to the ability of the network model to readily identify structures with biological function. However, many networks are fraught with noise or coincidental edges, resulting in signal corruption. Previous work has found that the implementation of network filters can reduce network noise and size while revealing significant network structures, even enhancing the ability to identify these structures by exaggerating their inherent qualities. In this study, we implement a hybrid network filter that combines features from a spanning tree and near-chordal subgraph identification to show how a filter that incorporates multiple graph theoretic concepts can improve upon network filtering. We use three different clustering methods to highlight the ability of the filter to maintain network clusters, and find evidence that suggests the clusters maintained are of high importance in the original unfiltered network due to high-degree and biological relevance (essentiality). Our filter highlights the advantages of integration of graph theoretic concepts into biological network analysis.