cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Contrasting Approaches to Perceiving and Acting With Others

How and why the presence of a person directly affects the perception and action of another person is a phenomenon that has been approached in a limited and piecemeal fashion within psychology. This kind of diffuse strategy has failed to capture the jointness of perception and action within and between people. In contradistinction, the authors offer a perspective that retains both integrally social features (e.g., involves interaction) and yet adequately exploits the current state of knowledge regarding the ecological properties of perception–action, while at the same time drawing on aspects of dynamic systems theory. In this article the authors review the best attempts to examine how one individual affects another's perceptions and actions in the emergence of a social unit of action. Two important approaches, the individual-level and cognitive dynamics approaches, have yielded insights that derive in significant degree from principles of ecological psychology and/or dynamical systems theory. Prototypic of...
Western Legal Imperialism: Thinking About the Deep Historical Roots

We live in an age of massive efforts to transplant Western institutions. Some of those efforts have involved the so-called "Washington Consensus"; some have involved International Human Rights; but all of them have brought the West to the rest of the world, and all of them reflect a kind of missionary drive. What are the historical sources of this legal missionizing? This Article argues that those sources long predate the twentieth century, and indeed long predate the colonial adventures that began in the sixteenth century. Western law was already culturally predisposed to spread well before Iberian ships reached the Americas. In particular, Western law began, in antiquity, as city-state law, and only gradually penetrated the countryside. This colonization of the countryside by the cities took place partly under the influence of Christianity. It also reflected a centrally important event in the development of Western law: the great northward shift of the center of gravity of Western culture from the Mediterranean to trans-alpine Europe, which we can roughly date to 700-1000 C.E. The long, slow internal colonization of the countryside in the West set much of the pattern for the external colonization of the non-Western world that eventually commenced in the sixteenth century.
Uttrastructure of skin biopsy specimens in lysosomal storage diseases: Common sources of error in diagnosis

Common sources of error in the diagnosis of lysosomal storage diseases by ultrastructural examination of skin specimens have been identified in a series of biopsies from 72 patients. Four principal factors have emerged as leading pitfalls and sources of error in diagnosis. First, the skin biopsy technique itself may lead to alterations of normal skin ultrastructure. Second, artifacts may be produced during fixation and preparation of tissue for electron microscopy. Third, cellular organelles and structures normally present in human skin may be mistakenly interpreted as pathological. Fourth, the use of cultured skin fibroblasts for ultrastructural identification of storage material is often accompanied by artifacts induced in tissue culture and is not recommended. Recognition of these common problems may aid interpretation of the fine structure of skin abnormalities. Furthermore, when skin biopsy specimens are used as the primary source of diagnostic material, correlation of both skin ultrastructure and assay for specific lysosomal enzymes in cultured dermal fibroblasts will facilitate diagnostic accuracy.
Helminth Genomics: The Implications for Human Health

More than two billion people (one-third of humanity) are infected with parasitic roundworms or flatworms, collectively known as helminth parasites. These infections cause diseases that are responsible for enormous levels of morbidity and mortality, delays in the physical development of children, loss of productivity among the workforce, and maintenance of poverty. Genomes of the major helminth species that affect humans, and many others of agricultural and veterinary significance, are now the subject of intensive genome sequencing and annotation. Draft genome sequences of the filarial worm Brugia malayi and two of the human schistosomes, Schistosoma japonicum and S. mansoni, are now available, among others. These genome data will provide the basis for a comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in helminth nutrition and metabolism, host-dependent development and maturation, immune evasion, and evolution. They are likely also to predict new potential vaccine candidates and drug targets. In this review, we present an overview of these efforts and emphasize the potential impact and importance of these new findings.
US strategic preferences in the early twenty-first century

This article investigates how US national security planners have envisioned the emerging strategic environment during the early twenty-first century and evaluates how their perceptions of this strategic environment have changed during these years. This conceptual evolution can be seen in how defense planners define threats, identify defense priorities, and design security strategies. Five key strategic planning documents serve as the basis for this analysis and illustrate significant shifts in how the US government has envisioned its own security requirements as well as the context within which its strategic vision will need to be realized. These planning documents are: (1) Joint Vision 2020, (2) the Bush Administration's 2002 National Security Strategy of the United States, (3) the Obama Administration's 2010 National Security Strategy, (4) US Strategic Defense Guidance entitled Sustaining US Global Leadership: Priorities for 21st Century Defense, and (5) the US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff's Ca...
THE IRRATIONALITY OF PUBLIC DEMAND AS JUSTIFICATION FOR EDUCATORS' PROLIFERATION OF INTERSCHOLASTIC FOOTBALL

Delineation of the considerable resources available to educators handling problems shows lack of logic in the belief that public demand justifies the violence and sexism which characterizes interscholastic football.
Determination of the effect of temperature and humidity on the O2 sorption in sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) membranes

Abstract Gas transport properties of O2 in poly(perfluoro sulfonic acid) (Nafion 112) and disulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) were compared. While O2 permeabilities were lower in poly(arylene ether sulfone) when compared to poly(perfluoro sulfonic acid), the O2 gas sorption in the former was higher than in Nafion 112. Sorption measurements have been carried out both under non-humidified and humidified conditions. Under non-humidified conditions, the enthalpies of sorption (ΔHs) were calculated as a function of pressure for both Nafion 112 and disulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone). The |ΔHs| ranged from 6.58 to 7.30 kJ/mol for the disulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) and 4.94 to 5.36 kJ/mol for Nafion 112 sample. O2 sorption was also measured as a function of relative humidity and temperature at a normal proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell operating pressure of 1 atm. The disulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) was found to have a higher percent O2 mass uptake than Nafion 112. While under dry conditions, O2 sorption followed Henry's law, in the presence of humidity, O2 sorption followed Type IV behavior.
Demonstration of the First 4H-SiC Metal-Semiconductor-Metal Ultraviolet Photodector

Abstract. This paper demonstrates the first 4H-SiC metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) UV photodetector. Two types of MSM photodetectors are fabricated for comparison: one in p-type 4HSiC and the other in n-type 4H-SiC. The n-type SiC photodetectors show a low dark current less than 10nA at -15V bias while the p-type ones show a lower dark current of 0.3nA at -25V. Photoresponsivity is measured from 200nm to 400nm and found to increase linearly with the increase of the bias. A very high peak responsivity of 50A/W is measured for n-type SiC MSM UV photodetector. The responsivity ratio of solar-blind UV to visible is larger than 1000, indicating a good visible-blind performance, immune to any visible and IR background noise, which is better than any Si UV detectors or other types of 4H-SiC UV detectors reported to date.
BIDIMENSIONAL SUSY MODELS WITH POLYNOMIAL SUPERPOTENTIALS

We consider a family of bidimensional SUSY models. Although all of them exhibit unbroken supersymmetry, we show that the common mass of bosons and fermions depends on the bosonic or fermionic character of the vacuum the system chooses. We also discuss the existence of kink-like excitations using the SUSY extension of the Bogomol’nyi condition.
Asking research participants about trauma and abuse.

Comments on the article by K. Becker-Blease and J. Freyd, which presented a timely, persuasive, and well-documented argument to psychologists about why it is important to consider asking about a history of abuse and/or trauma in research studies. As a social psychologist studying victims' disclosures of sexual assault, social reactions received from others following disclosure, and the effects of these reactions on victims, S. E. Ullman expands on just a few of the 10 concerns discussed in their article regarding risks associated with trauma and abuse disclosure that may help researchers decide about whether to ask such questions. Language: en
Effect of time on stream and temperature on upgraded products from Fischer–Tropsch synthesis when zeolite is added to iron-based activated-carbon-supported catalyst

Abstract In a continuation of previously reported work, the effect of temperature on products obtained when zeolite ZSM-5 is added to a supported iron-based Fischer–Tropsch (FT) catalyst was studied. Further, the stability of the combination was investigated for up to 240 h time on stream at the optimum temperature. From 280 °C to 320 °C, amounts of small-chain hydrocarbons (C 1–5 ) increase with increase in temperature because of higher FT rates. Liquid hydrocarbon production rates increase at 300 °C due to an increase in the FT rate. A further increase in the temperature causes these rates to drop, to give small-chain hydrocarbon (C 1–4 ) species. Aromatic yields are also found to reach a maximum at 300 °C in the separate bed. Alcohol formation for the FT catalyst increases with increase in temperatures. The lowest temperature used, 280 °C, is sufficient for the ZSM-5 to dehydrate all the alcohols formed by the FT catalyst to hydrocarbons. Further, the FT catalyst and ZSM-5 were tested for 240 h time on stream (TOS) at 300 °C. The catalyst shows FT stability up to 120 h and a slow decline in activity up to 240 h. A progressive loss of the ZSM-5 activity occurs with TOS. Deposition of coke and/or coke precursors on ZSM-5, confirmed by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, decreases the aromatic compound yield, and increases olefin selectivity with time on stream due to reduction in oligomerization reactions.
Traditional or Digital Photojournalism Education? A Survey of Four-Year Photo Programs and Small Dailies' Photo Needs

This article is based on a national survey of schools with a four-year, photography program under a Communication Department, and of national daily newspapers with a circulation under 50,000. The researcher was interested in defining the knowledge needed by a graduate from a photo program to find employment at a small daily newspaper. Department chairs or sequence heads of each college program were asked to fill out the same survey given to the photo editors of the dailies selected. The questions ranged from photo equipment to instruction in digital and word processing software. The results showed both colleges and newspapers are embracing the new technology of computer enhanced instruction. Dailies rated the use of negative or slide scanners as most important, while colleges rated the use of computer software for photography most important. Another result of the survey is that both groups place little significance on medium and large format photography and photography assignments such as food or fashion ...
Using a Lean Six Sigma approach to drive innovation

Purpose – This article describes the five‐year success of a lean Six Sigma approach to improving operations that is also a way of doing better things – innovating in products, services, markets and even a company's underlying business model.Design/methodology/approach – Consultants from IBM's Operations Strategy group and from the Institute for Business Value analyzed the innovation records of several leading companies that have implemented operations strategies based on Lean Six Sigma management techniques.Findings – They found that lean Six Sigma initiatives also led to product innovations, such as Caterpillar's phenomenally successful low‐emissions diesel engine, and also to redesigned processes, including a streamlined supply chain. After five years, by 2005, revenues at Caterpillar had grown by 80 percent.Research limitations/implications – A case study of Caterpillar illustrates the points of the lean sigma six approach.Practical implications – For more than five years, industry leaders have used co...
Dietary riboflavin requirement of juvenile sunshine bass (Morone chrysops ♀×Morone saxatilis ♂)

Abstract An 8-week growth trial was carried out to estimate the dietary riboflavin requirement of juvenile sunshine bass. Seven purified diets (350 g protein and 3480 kcal available energy/kg dry diet) were formulated to contain: 1.37, 3.45, 4.72, 6.60, 8.43, 9.97 and 12.32 mg riboflavin/kg dry diet. Each diet was randomly assigned to three groups of fish. Fish were maintained in flow-through aquaria (110 l/tank) at a water temperature of 25±0.5 °C with 20 fish each (1.94±0.02 g, mean±SEM n=20). Fish were fed twice per day to apparent satiation. Fish fed the diet containing 1.37 mg riboflavin/kg dry diet showed significantly higher mortality, lower weight gain, lower feed efficiency and lower hepatic d -amino acid oxidase activity ( d -AAO) compared with fish fed the other diets. Riboflavin-deficient fish exhibited anorexia, dark body color and cataracts. A dietary level of 3.45 mg riboflavin/kg dry diet was sufficient to prevent the deficiency signs. A higher level of dietary riboflavin, however, was required to obtain maximum weight gain and d -AAO activity. Based on broken-line analysis, the dietary riboflavin requirements were 4.1 and 5.0 mg/kg dry diet based on maximum weight gain and d -AAO activity, respectively.
Computerized tomography with X-ray, emission, and ultrasound sources

This paper reviews the major developments that have taken place during the last three years in imaging with computed tomography (CT) using X-ray, emission, and ultrasound sources. Space limitations have resulted in some selection of topics by the author. There are four major sections dealing with algorithms, X-ray CT, emission CT, and ultrosound CT. Since most of the currently used algorithms are of filtered-backprojection type, we have concentrated on these in the section on algorithms (with emphasis on their implementation aspects). In X-ray CT an important question raised during the last few years has concerned the parameter measured by a CT scanner, given the fact that the X-rays used in CT scanners are polychromatic and the fact that tissue attenuation coefficients are energy dependent. Answers to this question are reviewed in the section on X-ray CT where we have also discussed the artifacts caused by the polychromaticity of the X-ray photons. Methods for the removal of these artifacts have also been reviewed. In emission CT the biggest development of the last three years is the great interest in positron tomography, although space constraints have dictated an essentially introductory treatment and not all aspects of the single photon and positron tomography have been surveyed. Finally, we have reviewed recent developments in ultrasound CT. We have pointed out that because of the sensitivity of this technique to refraction, it is currently limited to soft tissue structures, with ultrasonic detection of tumors in the female breast a significant application.
A Magnetoplasmonic Imaging Agent for Copper(I) with Dual Response by MRI and Dark Field Microscopy

We present the design and synthesis of a responsive magnetoplasmonic assembly for copper(I) which allows monitoring of the concentration of the metal both in three dimensions by magnetic resonance imaging and with high spatial resolution by dark field microscopy. The probe consists of azide-functionalized iron oxide nanoparticles 11.6 nm in diameter and acetylene-terminated gold nanoparticles 44 nm in diameter that form three-dimensional networks of intermingled magnetic and plasmonic nanoparticles in the presence of copper. This aggregation results in a decrease in longitudinal relaxivity, and an initial increase followed by a sharp decrease in transverse relaxivity, a change observable both by T1- and T2-weighted images, concomitantly with a decrease of surface plasmon resonance intensity.
Ion Accelerator Designs for Kaufman Thrusters

Ion accelerators design for Kaufman thrustors in terms of beam optics and grid lifetime, using digital computer and electrolytic tank analog
Metabolic profile of PML lesions in patients with and without IRIS an observational study

Objective: To characterize progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) lesions by contrast-enhanced MRI and evaluate their metabolism using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( 1 H- MRS) in the setting of immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS). Methods: A total of 42 patients with PML underwent a clinical evaluation as well as brain MRI and 1 H-MRS at baseline and 3, 6, and 12 months later. The presence of IRIS was determined based on clinical and laboratory criteria. Ratios of N -acetylaspartate (NAA), choline (Cho), myo-inositol (mI), and lipid/lactate (Lip1 and Lip2) to creatine (Cr) were measured and correlated with the presence of contrast enhancement (CE) in PML lesions. Results: IRIS occurred in 16 of 28 (57.1%) PML survivors (PML-S) and 1 of 14 (7.1%) PML progressors (PML-P). Lesions of patients with PML-IRIS showed significantly higher Cho/Cr ( p = 0.0001), mI/Cr ( p = 0.02), Lip1/Cr ( p p = 0.002) ratios and lower NAA/Cr ( p = 0.02) ratios than patients with PML who did not have IRIS. An elevated Cho/Cr ratio was associated with CE within the 1 H-MRS voxel, whereas lipid/Cr ratios were elevated in PML-IRIS lesions independently of CE. Follow-up until 33 months from PML onset showed persistent elevation of the mI/Cr ratio in lesions of patients with PML-IRIS. A Lip1/Cr ratio greater than 1.5 combined with the presence of CE yielded a 79% probability of IRIS compared with 13% in the absence of these criteria. Conclusion: 1 H-MRS is a valuable tool to recognize and track IRIS in PML and may prove useful in the clinical management of these patients.
Suppression of drinking by parenteral administration of carbachol

Application of the cholinomimetic drug, carbachol, to specific CNS structures is reported by many investigators to enhance water intake in rats. In contrast, the present experiment shows that parenteral administration of carbachol suppresses water intake.
Treatment of high undescended testes by low spermatic vessel ligation: an alternative to the Fowler-Stephens technique.

AbstractPurpose: We determined whether testis viability after a Fowler-Stephens orchiopexy depends on ligating the spermatic vessels high and far proximal to the undescended testis.Materials and Methods: Based on studies of testicular vascular anatomy we developed a technique of low spermatic vessel ligation and performed it on 39 high undescended testes in 33 patients.Results: Testis viability was 97 percent at 1 month and 93 percent (25 of 27) at 1 year.Conclusions: Ligation of the spermatic vessels does not need to be performed high to ensure testis viability. Testicular vascular anatomy supports low spermatic vessel ligation and by decreasing tension on the testis low spermatic vessel ligation may enhance viability. A 2-stage laparoscopic approach to the high undescended testis is difficult to justify on the basis of cost or outcome analysis.
TeV gravity in four dimensions

We describe a model in which the fundamental scale M, of the theory which unifies gravity and quantum mechanics is in the TeV range, but without requiring additional spacetime dimensions. The weakness of gravity at low energies is due to a large vacuum expectation of a dilaton like field. The model requires a small dimensionless parameter (the self-coupling of the dilaton) but no fine-tuning. We discuss in detail the dynamical assumptions about non-perturbative quantum gravity required within the model. We observe that M. could be quite small, less than a TeV, and that the model could lead to copious strong coupling effects at the LHC. However, semiclassical black holes will not be produced.
Extraction and Backfill Scheduling in a Complex Underground Mine

We use mathematical optimization to determine a production schedule i.e., a schedule of extraction and subsequent filling of the voids for a complex underground mine in Ireland. The goal of the mining operation is to maximize metal production over the life of the mine, subject to constraints on maximum monthly extraction and backfilling quantities, maximum and minimum monthly metal production, and sequencing between extraction and backfilling operations. We solve our integer programming model with a heuristic to produce a schedule that adds value to the mining operation by 1 shifting metal production forward, 2 reducing waste mining and backfilling delays, 3 avoiding expensive mill-halting drops in ore production, and 4 enabling smoother workforce management.
Recovering coseismic point ground tilts from collocated high‐rate GPS and accelerometers

[1] Rotational along with translational and strain measurements are essential for a complete description of the motion of a deformable body in a seismic event. We propose a new seismogeodetic approach where collocated high-rate GPS and accelerometer measurements are combined to estimate permanent and dynamic coseismic ground tilts at a point, whereas at present, only dynamic tilts are measured with either a dense seismic array or an expensive ring laser gyroscope. We estimate point tilts for a five-story structure on a shake table subjected to 13 earthquake strong motion records of increasing intensity. For the most intense record from the 2002 M7.9 Denali earthquake, we observe a peak-to-peak dynamic tilt of 0.12° and a permanent tilt of 0.16° for the structure's roof. Point tilts derived from networks of collocated GPS and accelerometers can be used to estimate the rotational component of the seismic wavefield for improved earthquake source characterization.
ROK controls urethral tone, but by what mechanism?

the role of rho-kinase (ROK) in regulation of smooth muscle contraction has been an exciting area of investigation for reasons spanning interests in defining cellular signaling systems to insights into potential (and actual) therapies designed to treat smooth muscle contractile disorders. Smooth
Taste breaking in staggered fermions from random matrix theory

Abstract We discuss the construction of a chiral random matrix model for staggered fermions. This model includes O(a2) corrections to the continuum limit of staggered fermions and is related to the zero momentum limit of the Lee-Sharpe Lagrangian for staggered fermions. The naive construction based on a specific expansion in lattice spacing (a) of the Dirac matrix produces the term which gives the dominant contribution to the observed taste splitting in the pion masses. A more careful analysis can include extra terms which are also consistent with the symmetries of staggered fermions. Lastly I will mention possible uses of the model including studies of topology and fractional powers of the fermion determinant.
Commentary on “The Lowenthal Papers”: Environment, the Humanities, and Landscape

I wish to thank Ken Olwig and Denis Cosgrove for organizing this marvelous session of resonant humanities geography that reaches back into the Renaissance through David Lowenthal. In preparing we w...
Blood Studies on Histomoniasis in Turkeys

Abstract IN 1895 Theobald Smith recognized Amoeba meleagridis as the protozoan pathogen of infectious enterohepatitis in turkeys, more commonly called blackhead disease. Subsequent investigation by Tyzzer (1920) proved this protozoan to be not an amoeba but a flagellate which he renamed Histomonas meleagridis and the disease histomoniasis. Since then many papers have appeared concerning this disease, but very few studied its pathology or hematology. To add further to our knowledge of this protozoan infection a series of experiments was conducted to determine the blood response of turkeys to experimental infection. Special reference was made to the non-protein nitrogen, uric acid, glucose, and hemoglobin levels of the blood as well as the total and differential cell counts, hematocrit values and temperature variations during the various clinical periods of the disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS All experimental turkeys were obtained from commercial hatcheries as day old poults and were raised in battery brooders until . . .
Correlations between results of the immunobead test and the sperm penetration assay.

: Immunobead testing (IBT) and human sperm-hamster egg penetration assay (SPA) were performed in 233 infertile men. Positive immunologic results were recorded in 31 (13.3%). Significant reduction in SPA scores was found in patients with IgG antisperm antibodies alone but not in patients with IgA alone or in combination with IgG. Normal SPA scores were seen in 56% of immunonegative patients (n = 113) vs. 32% of immunopositive patients (n = 10). Therefore, a normal SPA does not rule out the presence of significant levels of antisperm antibodies.
Mapping Behavioral Repertoire onto the Cortex

A traditional view of the motor cortex in the primate brain is that it contains a map of the body arranged across the cortical surface. This traditional topographic scheme, however, does not capture the actual pattern of overlaps, fractures, re-representations, and multiple areas separated by fuzzy borders. Here, we suggest that the organization of the motor cortex, premotor cortex, supplementary motor cortex, frontal eye field, and supplementary eye field can in principle be understood as a best-fit rendering of the motor repertoire onto the two-dimensional cortical sheet in a manner that optimizes local continuity.
Nucleation and Growth of Calcium Phosphate from Physiological Solutions onto Self-Assembled Templates by a Solution-Formed Nucleus Mechanism

The nucleation and growth mechanisms of calcium phosphate were investigated using supersaturated solutions similar to physiological conditions and model self-assembled monolayer substrates tailored to have functional groups that mimicked chemistries found in bone organic matrices. Deposition kinetics were studied using an in situ microbalance and showed a long induction period followed by a second region of extensive growth, both of which depended on the solution supersaturation. Solution studies revealed that the growth of calcium phosphate onto the surfaces after the induction period corresponded to nucleation and growth in solution. Nuclei formed in solution, started to grow, adsorbed onto the substrates, and then grew further to form apatite films composed of coalesced, oriented crystallites. The solution-formed critical nucleus mechanism is in contrast to heterogeneous nucleation and reveals an important mechanism for calcium phosphate growth onto surfaces.
Internal consistency of demographic assumptions in the shared socioeconomic pathways

A new set of alternative socioeconomic scenarios for climate change researches—the shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs)—includes for the first time a more comprehensive set of demographic conditions on population, urbanization, and education as the central scenario elements, along with other aspects of society, in order to facilitate better analyses of challenges to climate change mitigation and adaptation. However, it also raises a new question about the internal consistency of assumptions on different demographic and economic trends under each SSP. This paper examines whether the interactions between the demographic and economic factors implied by the assumptions in the SSP projections are consistent with the research literature, and whether they are consistently represented in the projection results. Our analysis shows that the interactions implied by the demographic assumptions in the SSPs are generally consistent with findings from the literature, and the majority of the assumed relationships are also evident in the projected trends. It also reveals some inconsistency issues, resulting mainly from the use of inconsistent definitions of regions and limitations in our understanding of future changes in the patterns of interactions at different stages of socioeconomic development. Finally, we offer recommendations on how to improve demographic assumptions in the extended SSPs, and how to use the projections of SSP central elements in climate change research.
Oncolytic adenovirus expressing interferon alpha in a syngeneic Syrian hamster model for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

Background The addition of interferon (IFN) alpha to adjuvant chemoradiotherapy regimens resulted in remarkable improvements in survival for pancreatic cancer patients. However, systemic toxicities and insufficient levels of IFN at the tumor sites have limited its widespread adoption in treatment schemes. We have previously developed an IFN-expressing conditionally replicative oncolytic adenovirus and demonstrated its therapeutic effects both in vitro and in vivo. Here, the same vectors were tested in a syngeneic and immunocompetent Syrian hamster model to better understand the roles of adenoviral replication and of the pleiotropic effects of IFN on pancreatic tumor growth suppression. Methods Oncolytic adenoviruses expressing human or hamster IFN were designed and generated. Viral vectors were tested in vitro to determine qualitative and quantitative cell viability, cyclooxygenase 2 (Cox2) promoter activity, and IFN production. For the in vivo studies, subcutaneous hamster pancreatic cancer tumors were treated with 1 intratumoral dose of virus. Similarly, 1 intraperitoneal dose of virus was used to prolong survival in a carcinomatosis model. Results All cell lines tested demonstrated Cox2 promoter activity. The oncolytic potential of a replication competent adenovirus expressing the IFN cytokine was clearly demonstrated. These viruses resulted in significant tumor growth suppression and survival increases compared with controls in a hamster model. Conclusion The profound therapeutic potential of an IFN-expressing oncolytic adenovirus for the treatment of pancreatic cancer was demonstrated in a syngeneic Syrian hamster model. These results strongly suggest the potential application of our viruses as part of combination regimens with other therapeutics.
A Review of: “Information and American Democracy: Technology in the Evolution of Political Power, by Bruce Bimber. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2003. xv ++ 268 pp. $22.00 (paper). ISBN 0-52180-492-2.”

Political scientist Bruce Bimber's project examines how information technology affects society and politics. This is an important book written by a member of a profession that has, with very few ex...
Exploring Complex Systems Aspects of Blackout Risk and Mitigation

Electric power transmission systems are a key infrastructure, and blackouts of these systems have major consequences for the economy and national security. Analyses of blackout data suggest that blackout size distributions have a power law form over much of their range. This result is an indication that blackouts behave as a complex dynamical system. We use a simulation of an upgrading power transmission system to investigate how these complex system dynamics impact the assessment and mitigation of blackout risk. The mitigation of failures in complex systems needs to be approached with care. The mitigation efforts can move the system to a new dynamic equilibrium while remaining near criticality and preserving the power law region. Thus, while the absolute frequency of blackouts of all sizes may be reduced, the underlying forces can still cause the relative frequency of large blackouts to small blackouts to remain the same. Moreover, in some cases, efforts to mitigate small blackouts can even increase the frequency of large blackouts. This result occurs because the large and small blackouts are not mutually independent, but are strongly coupled by the complex dynamics.
Danger–corporate data breach!

It's time to sound the alarm. The number and consequences of corporate data breaches are growing by leaps and bounds. People often see data breaches as an information technology problem. But the fallout often affects the finance function. And while stolen consumer information gets the most publicity, sensitive employee and business partner data has also been stolen. The authors reveal the technological, legal, and market forces causing the growth of data breaches. They also explore the impact of these breaches, as well as current legal moves to address the problem. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Macrophages and Stromal Cells Phagocytose Apoptotic Bone Marrow-Derived B Lineage Cells

It has been hypothesized that B cell precursors that undergo programmed cell death due to nonproductive Ig gene rearrangements are cleared from the bone marrow by macrophages. However, a role for macrophages in this process is supported only by micrographs showing their association with apoptotic-appearing, B lineage cells. Functional data demonstrating phagocytosis of apoptotic, bone marrow lymphocytes by macrophages have not been presented, nor have receptors potentially involved in that process been identified. The data in this report demonstrate that macrophages isolated from murine bone marrow efficiently phagocytose apoptotic murine B lineage cells using multiple receptors that include CD14, integrins, class A scavenger receptor, and CD31 (PECAM-1). In addition, the results further reveal a new role for the hemopoietic microenvironment in B cell development in view of data demonstrating that murine bone marrow stromal cells are also capable of clearing apoptotic cells via an integrin-dependent mechanism.
The Geometry of Soft Materials: A Primer

This article presents an overview of the differential geometry of curves and surfaces using examples from soft matter as illustrations. The presentation requires a background only in vector calculus and is otherwise self-contained.
Aromatic hydrocarbons production from packed-bed catalysis coupled with microwave pyrolysis of Douglas fir sawdust pellets

The direct catalytic cracking of biomass pyrolysis vapour into aromatics derived from Douglas fir sawdust pellets was tested using an upfront microwave pyrolysis process coupled with a packed-bed catalysis process using a ZSM-5 Zeolite catalyst. A central composite experimental design (CCD) was used to optimize the bio-oil and syngas yields. The effects of temperature and inverse weight hourly space velocity (WHSV)−1 on the bio-oil composition were determined. The gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis results showed that the bio-oil contained aromatic hydrocarbons. The aromatic hydrocarbons were enriched and became the most abundant compounds accounting for about 15–92.6% in upgraded bio-oils, depending on the catalytic pyrolysis conditions. The aromatic hydrocarbons were mainly composed of benzene, toluene, xylene, naphthalene, and their derivatives. When the effect of the reaction temperature on the bio-oil chemical compositions was analysed with a fixed (WHSV)−1 (0.048 h), we found that the aromatic hydrocarbons increased from 0.72% in raw bio-oil (no catalyst added) to around 92.6% when the catalysis temperature was 500 °C, clearly demonstrating that a high temperature with the ZSM-5 Zeolite catalyst favoured the production of aromatic hydrocarbons. At a lower temperature fixed at 375 °C, the aromatic hydrocarbon content was increased from 0.72% to 78.1% with a (WHSV)−1 increase from 0 to 0.075.
Prospects for nuclear power in Australia and New Zealand

The nuclear debate in Australia was recently enlivened by a Federal Government report (released in December 2006) on the economic viability of nuclear power as an option for electricity generation. Given the nation's large reserves of coal and gas, the question of the role of nuclear power rests to a large extent on future climate policy. Australia has the world's largest reserves of uranium and is currently the second largest producer and exporter of the resource in the world. There may be some scope in the future for Australia to expand its nuclear industry to include enrichment and reprocessing activities.
GEOMETRICAL-PARAMETER BOUNDS ON THE EFFECTIVE MODULI OF COMPOSITES

We study bounds on the effective conductivity and elastic moduli of two-phase isotropic composites that depend on geometrical parameters that take into account up to three-point statistical information concerning the composite microstructure. We summarize existing bounds, apply a special fractional linear transformation to simplify their functional forms, and describe two approaches to improve such bounds. These approaches allow us to get new and improved geometrical-parameter bounds on the elastic moduli of two-dimensional composites. Applications of the bounds for effective-medium geometries as well as random arrays of aligned fibers in a matrix are discussed.
JIGSAW: protecting resource access by inferring programmer expectations

Processes retrieve a variety of resources, such as files, from the operating system to function. However, securely accessing resources has proven to be a challenging task, accounting for 10-15% of vulnerabilities reported each year. Current defenses address only a subset of these vulnerabilities in ad-hoc and incomplete ways. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive defense against vulnerabilities during resource access. First, we identify a fundamental reason that resource access vulnerabilities exist - a mismatch between programmer expectations and the actual environment the program runs in. To address such mismatches, we propose JIGSAW, a system that can automatically derive programmer expectations and enforce it on the deployment. JIGSAW constructs programmer expectations as a name flow graph, which represents the data flows from the inputs used to construct file pathnames to the retrieval of system resources using those pathnames. We find that whether a program makes any attempt to filter such flows implies expectations about the threats the programmer expects during resource retrieval, the enabling JIGSAW to enforce those expectations. We evaluated JIGSAW on widely-used programs and found that programmers have many implicit expectations. These mismatches led us to discover two previously-unknown vulnerabilities and a default misconfiguration in the Apache webserver. JIGSAW enforces program expectations for approximately 5% overhead for Apache webservers, thus eliminating vulnerabilities due to resource access efficiently and in a principled manner.
Regulation of thrombopoiesis: effects of the degree of thrombocytopenia on megakaryocyte ploidy and platelet volume.

We have established a murine model and techniques with which to serially study thrombocytopoiesis after induction of experimental immune thrombocytopenia of variable severity and duration. Bone marrow megakaryocyte ploidy distribution was determined by using unfractionated bone marrow, a polyclonal megakaryocyte-specific probe, and two-color, fluorescence-activated flow cytometry. With these techniques, the modal megakaryocyte ploidy class in normal murine bone marrow was 16N. Serial studies of bone marrow megakaryocyte ploidy after the induction of acute, severe thrombocytopenia (platelet count, less than 0.05 X 10(6) microL) demonstrated no detectable change in the ploidy distribution at 12, 24, and 36 hours after the onset of thrombocytopenia. At 48 hours, the modal ploidy class shifted from 16N to 32N, and the 64N class increased significantly (P less than .001). The ploidy distribution returned to normal 120 hours after the onset of thrombocytopenia. A lesser degree of thrombocytopenia (platelet count reduction to 0.100 to 0.200 X 10(6)/microL) delayed the modal ploidy class shift from 16N to 32N until 72 hours after the onset of thrombocytopenia. Chronic, severe thrombocytopenia (platelet count, less than 0.05 X 10(6)/microL for seven days) resulted in a modal ploidy class shift from 16N to 32N during the thrombocytopenic phase and an enhanced increase in the 64N megakaryocyte class during the recovery phase. Mean platelet volume (MPV) was simultaneously measured on isolated total platelet populations after induction of thrombocytopenia. MPV was significantly increased (P less than .001) as early as eight hours after the onset of acute, severe thrombocytopenia, 40 hours before a shift in the ploidy distribution. Mild thrombocytopenia (platelet count reduction to 0.400 X 10(6)/microL) was not associated with a ploidy shift but did result in a significantly increased MPV (P less than .001). These studies demonstrate that the temporal relationship and magnitude of the effects of thrombocytopenia upon megakaryocyte ploidy distribution are dependent upon the degree and the duration of the thrombocytopenic stimulus and that the effects of experimental thrombocytopenia on platelet volume and megakaryocyte ploidy are dissociated.
Towards a comprehensive picture of powerful quasars, their host galaxies and quasar winds at z ∼ 0.5

Luminous type-2 quasars in which the glow from the central black hole is obscured by dust are ideal targets for studying their host galaxies and the quasars' effect on galaxy evolution. Such feedback appears ubiquitous in luminous obscured quasars where high velocity ionized nebulae have been found. We present rest-frame yellow-band (~5000 Angstroms) observations using the Hubble Space Telescope for a sample of 20 luminous quasar host galaxies at 0.2 < z < 0.6 selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. For the first time, we combine host galaxy observations with geometric measurements of quasar illumination using blue-band HST observations and [OIII] integral field unit observations probing the quasar winds. The HST images reveal bright merger signatures in about half the galaxies; a significantly higher fraction than in comparison inactive ellipticals. We show that the host galaxies are primarily bulge-dominated, with masses close to M*, but belong to < 30% of elliptical galaxies that are highly star-forming at z ~ 0.5. Ionized gas signatures are uncorrelated with faint stellar disks (if present), confirming that the ionized gas is not concentrated in a disk. Scattering cones and [OIII] ionized gas velocity field are aligned with the forward scattering cones being co-spatial with the blue-shifted side of the velocity field, suggesting the high velocity gas is indeed photo-ionized by the quasar. Based on the host galaxies' high star-formation rates and bright merger signatures, we suggest that this low-redshift outbreak of luminous quasar activity is triggered by recent minor mergers. Combining these novel observations, we present new quasar unification tests, which are in agreement with expectations of the orientation-based unification model for quasars.
The Holy See and the Convention on the Rights of the Child: Moral Problems in Negotiation and Implementation

The 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child (hereafter "the Convention") has been the subject matter of much controversy. At first glance, one might argue that the Convention, negotiated and drafted within the United Nations, has attained almost universal acceptance having been ratified or acceded to by 191 States, with the exception of Somalia and the United States.Yet, upon deeper reflection, one can see that battle lines have been drawn between those who argue that the Convention drives a wedge between children and their parents, and others who maintain that the Convention finally recognizes children as autonomous beings and merely seeks to strike a balance between the individual rights of children and those of their parents. Through the course of this debate, the Holy See has come under attack from both sides. The former group contends that the Holy See should not have ratified the Convention, while the latter argues that the Holy See in ratifying but entering (what are known in international law as) reservations, failed to treat the child as an autonomous being.
On the fledgling field of mechanical circulatory support.

When the Wright brothers launched the Kitty Hawk , no one ran alongside to test whether the machine would win over man for the first journey. The news was that the machine could fly. Early experiences demonstrated the superiority of mechanical devices, including the device used in this trial, to
Correcting for Heterogeneous Fluence Profiles in Photoacoustic Imaging with Diffuse Optical Tomography

Diffuse optical tomography and photoacoustic tomography were combined to measure the optical absorption coefficient of a tissue mimicking phantom. Heterogeneous fluence maps were calculated from DOT absorption reconstructions and used to correct PAT reconstructions.
Diffuse optical measurements of head and neck tumor hemodynamics for early prediction of radiation therapy (Conference Presentation)

Radiation therapy is a principal modality for head and neck cancers and its efficacy depends on tumor hemodynamics. Our laboratory developed a hybrid diffuse optical instrument allowing for simultaneous measurements of tumor blood flow and oxygenation. In this study, the clinically involved cervical lymph node was monitored by the hybrid instrument once a week over the treatment period of seven weeks. Based on treatment outcomes within one year, patients were classified into a complete response group (CR) and an incomplete response group (IR) with remote metastasis and/or local recurrence. A linear mixed models was used to compare tumor hemodynamic responses to the treatment between the two groups. Interestingly, we found that human papilloma virus (HPV-16) status largely affected tumor hemodynamic responses. For HPV-16 negative tumors, significant differences in blood flow index (BFI, p = 0.007) and reduced scattering coefficient (μs’, p = 0.0005) were observed between the two groups; IR tumors exhibited higher μs’ values and a continuous increase in BFI over the treatment period. For HPV-16 positive tumors, oxygenated hemoglobin concentration ([HbO2]) and blood oxygen saturation (StO2) were significant different (p = 0.003 and 0.01, respectively); IR group showed lower [HbO2] and StO2. Our results imply HPV-16 negative tumors with higher density of vasculature (μs’) and higher blood flow show poor responses to radiotherapy and HPV-16 positive tumors with lower tissue oxygenation level (lower StO2 and [HbO2]) exhibit poor treatment outcomes. Our diffuse optical measurements show the great potential for early prediction of radiotherapy in head and neck cancers.
Analysis of typical breakdowns in B-mode ultrasonograph and their solutions

Objective:To find solutions for typical breakdowns in B-mode ultrasonograph. Methods:Based on analysis of different breakdowns in the machine, we put forward solutions. Results:The efficiency of the machine was improved after troubleshooting. Conclusion:Solutions can be obtained through careful analysis of the typical breakdowns in the machine.
Effects of Different Nitrogen Application Rates on ~(15)N Absorption of Rice

In field experiments,the effect of nitrogen application on15 N absorption and distribution of Longjing 31 and Kongyu131 rice varieties was studied by15 N isotopic trace technique.The results showed that nitrogen absorbed by rice plant is the most in the early plant growth,and15 N accumulation of Longjing 31 grains are higher than Kongyu131,but stem organ is the opposite; the reallocation and transfer efficiency of nitrogen absorbed by rice have an important role to the increasing of Longjing 31 output.