cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multi-Agent Least-Squares Policy Iteration

Least-Squares Policy Iteration [3] is an approximate reinforcement learning technique capable of training policies over large, continuous state spaces. Unfortunately, the computational requirements of LSPI scale poorly with the number of system agents. Work has been done to address this problem, such as the Coordinated Reinforcement Learning (CRL) approach of Guestrin, et al [1], but this requires that one have prior information about the learning system such as knowing interagent dependencies and the form of the Q-function. We demonstrate a hybrid gradient-ascent/LSPI approach which is capable of using LSPI to efficiently train multi-agent policies. Our approach has computational requirements which scale as O(N), where N is the number of system agents, and does not have the prior knowledge requirements of CRL. Finally, we demonstrate our algorithm on a standard multi-agent network control problem [1].
ASPECTOS ANÔMALOS DA RECLAMAÇÃO PERANTE O CÓDIGO DE PROCESSO CIVIL

A reclamacao e um instituto que tende a funcionar como remedio inespecifico e supletivo. Apesar da existencia de divergencias pontuais, a reclamacao e pacifica quanto a sua relevância para a efetividade do processo. Ela tem previsao legal nos Regimentos Internos dos Tribunais brasileiros. A reclamacao assume caracteristicas visiveis de anomalia, frente a sistematica processual civil brasileira. A carencia, e por vezes inexatidao, de regulamentacao faz com que seu entendimento se torne comprometido. Reclamacao e remedio judiciario de carater correcional que objetiva impugnar atos ou omissoes de juizes de primeiro grau de jurisdicao que por natureza seriam irrecorriveis.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Globe-Tendon Interface for Extraocular Muscles: Is There an "Arc of Contact"?

Purpose To determine if the “arc of contact” is an accurate approximation of the globe-tendon interface for the biomechanical modeling of extraocular muscle (EOM) force transfer onto the globe. Methods At a single academic institution, 18 normal and 14 strabismic subjects were prospectively recruited for surface-coil enhanced magnetic resonance imaging at 312- or 390-μm resolution in axial planes for horizontal EOMs (23 subjects, 26 orbits) and sagittal planes for vertical EOMs (13 subjects, 22 orbits) during large ipsiversive ductions. The measured angle at insertion and the predicted angle assuming an “arc of contact” were compared using paired t tests. Results For normal EOMs, the measured angle at insertion was significantly greater than predicted assuming an “arc of contact” for the medial rectus (MR) (5.0 ± 4.8 degrees vs 0.0 ± 0.0 degrees, P = .03), lateral rectus (LR) (4.9 ± 3.0 degrees vs 0.0 ± 0.0 degrees, P = .02), inferior rectus (7.4 ± 4.8 degrees vs 1.2 ± 2.6 degrees, P = .00003), and superior rectus (0.6 ± 1.1 degrees vs 0.0 ± 0.0 degrees, P = .04). In strabismic subjects, the measured angle was significantly greater for the MR in abducens palsy (9.9 ± 4.3 degrees vs 0.5 ± 0.7 degrees, P = .0007) and after MR resection (9.0 ± 6.9 degrees vs 1.2 ± 2.4 degrees, P = .02), but not after LR recession (2.9 vs 0.0 degrees). Single subjects had comparable angles after MR recession, but markedly different angles after MR and LR posterior fixation. Conclusions Contrary to the “arc of contact” biomechanical model, normal and postsurgical EOMs are significantly non-tangent to the globe at their scleral insertions. The “arc of contact” should be replaced in biomechanical modeling by the experimentally measured angles at tendon insertions. NOTE: Publication of this article is sponsored by the American Ophthalmological Society.
Redox-active trace metal-induced release of high mobility group box 1(HMGB1) and inflammatory cytokines in fibroblast-like synovial cells is Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) dependent

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune systemic inflammatory disease that is characterized by synovial inflammation and bone erosion. We have investigated the mechanism(s) by which essential trace metals may initiate and propagate inflammatory phenotypes in synovial fibroblasts. We used HIG-82, rabbit fibroblast-like synovial cells (FLS), as a model system for potentially initiating RA through oxidative stress. We used potassium peroxychromate (PPC, Cr+5), ferrous chloride (FeCl2, Fe+2), and cuprous chloride (CuCl, Cu+) trace metal agents as exogenous pro-oxidants. Intracellular ROS was quantified by fluorescence microscopy and confirmed by flow cytometry (FC). Protein expression levels were measured by western blot and FC, while ELISA was used to quantify the levels of cytokines. Trace metal agents in different valence states acted as exogenous pro-oxidants that generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), which signal through TLR4 stimulation. ROS/TLR4- coupled activation resulted in the release of HMGB1, TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-10 in conjunction with upregulation of myeloid-related protein (MRP8/14) inflammatory markers that may contribute to the RA pathophysiology. Our results indicate that oxidant-induced TLR4 activation can release HMGB1 in combination with other inflammatory cytokines to mediate pro-inflammatory actions that contribute to RA pathogenesis. The pathway by which inflammatory and tissue erosive changes may occur in this model system possibly underlies the need for functioning anti-HMGB1-releasing agents and antioxidants that possess both dual trace metal chelating and oxidant scavenging properties in a directed combinatorial therapy for RA.
Hepatic Mitochondrial Defects in a Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Mouse Model Are Associated with Increased Degradation of Oxidative Phosphorylation Subunits.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with hepatic mitochondrial dysfunction characterized by reduced ATP synthesis. We applied the 2H2O-metabolic labeling approach to test the hypothesis that the reduced stability of oxidative phosphorylation proteins contributes to mitochondrial dysfunction in a diet-induced mouse model of NAFLD. A high fat diet containing cholesterol (a so-called Western diet (WD)) led to hepatic oxidative stress, steatosis, inflammation and mild fibrosis, all markers of NAFLD, in low density cholesterol (LDL) receptor deficient (LDLR−/−) mice. In addition, compared with controls (LDLR−/− mice on normal diet), livers from NAFLD mice had reduced citrate synthase activity and ATP content, suggesting mitochondrial impairment. Proteome dynamics study revealed that mitochondrial defects are associated with reduced average half-lives of mitochondrial proteins in NAFLD mice (5.41 ± 0.46 versus 5.15 ± 0.49 day, p
Solution customization

Customization involves fit and alterability and is based on understanding the commonality and variability (c/v) across industries, geographies, customers, and systems. This paper argues for an emphasis on c/v through a customization life cycle, from engineering customizable assets, components, and solutions to supporting their effective deployment. Examples of systems that focus on customization through c/v are given. These examples are described using the customization life cycle and show what mechanisms are most useful in each phase.
Review of Endoscopic Repair of Mandible Fractures.

Introduction Fractures of the mandibular condyle represent more than 30% of all mandible fractures. If required, reduction has been performed using either a closed or an open technique with similar outcomes. Endoscopic fracture repair is a minimally invasive approach for open reduction, but there is limited data regarding indications and outcomes. This study aims to systematically review the demographics, features, and outcomes following endoscopic repair of mandibular fractures in adult patients. Methods The following databases were searched from their inception to December 31, 2016: PubMed, Cochrane, Web of Science, and the WHO Global Health Library, using terms related to endoscopy and mandibular fractures. Articles were screened and data were extracted by 2 independent reviewers. Disagreements arbitrated by discussion or a 3rd reviewer. Results Twenty-two manuscripts were included, representing 509 adult patients who had endoscopic repair of a mandibular fracture over 18 years. All endoscopic repairs were of the mandibular condyle, including both subcondylar and condylar neck fractures. The sample-sized weighted mean age was 33.5 years with 74.5% males in the study population. Permanent facial nerve injury was reported once (0.24%) and occlusive complications reported in 31 patients (6.5%). Conclusion This systematic review identifies a large cohort of patients who underwent endoscopic repair of their mandibular fractures. Complications were rare and usually temporary, with permanent complications occurring at a respectable rate. The demographics and outcomes identified in this study can be used as an epidemiologic baseline for future research on endoscopic repair of mandibular fractures.
Misrepresentation and mental appearance

Abstract I begin by discussing an objection often lodged against higher-order theories of consciousness. The objection is that those theories do not preclude consciousness from misrepresenting the mental properties of our conscious states. I argue that there are several reasons why this objection cannot succeed. Sam Coleman (2018) agrees that the objection fails, but sees it as pointing to a related objection, which he argues poses difficulties the higher-order theorist cannot avoid. His solution is a variant theory of consciousness that invokes mental quotation in the content of a higher-order awareness. I’ll argue that mental quotation cannot be understood in any way that helps with the objection. I’ll argue also that the objection Coleman articulates is question begging, since it in effect simply channels a first-order approach to consciousness, and has no independent basis apart from that.
‘A chance for me to do good, make a real difference’: how citizen journalists in India view their role in social transformation

ABSTRACTAlternative media in the Indian sub-continent is still an under-researched and underrepresented topic especially in the area of citizen journalism. There is a dearth of qualitative literatu...
Maternal Experience Leads to Lasting Gene Expression Changes in Some Regions of the Mouse Brain.

Rodent maternal behaviors are due to the coordinated effects of fluctuating hormones, with their onset triggered by interactions with newborn pups. Previous studies have shown that many genes have changes in expression during peripartum stages. However, it is unclear if there are long-lasting changes in gene expression, well after the performance of maternal behaviors, that could influence physiology and behavior throughout the remaining lifespan. Here, gene expression differences were examined in mouse between age-matched virgin and primiparous females, at least 4 weeks after weaning. Of the five brain regions examined—hypothalamus, hippocampus, cortex, cerebellum, and the amygdala—only the hypothalamus had thousands of genes with significant expression differences. The cerebellum had 130 genes with expression differences, and the other brain regions had no significant changes detected. The expression changes in the hypothalamus include an enrichment of genes that could mediate long-lasting behavioral and physiological changes, given their known roles in parental behavior, including galanin and prolactin receptor.
“Writer. Eater. Cook.”: Deconstructing the Feminist/Housewife Debate in the Works of Ruth Reichl

(This is for those days when you’re en negligee, en bed, with a murder story and a box of bonbons, or possibly ...
Adjusting Lecture Style to Accommodate Student Reading Habits.

The reasons behind the reading habits of undergraduate MIS students were examined to learn from the students’ point of view why many don’t read the textbook. Willingness to work hard on homework and project assignments and an appreciation of what is expected of them appears to be in place. However, carrots, sticks, ruses and requests all meet with limited success when used to encourage reading assigned material. Four sections of a required business school 2000-level MIS course were asked to respond anonymously to a questionnaire covering the course, textbooks, instructors, and personal reading habits. Follow-up discussions in the classroom and with individuals volunteering comments provided additional insight. In open discussions, one is led to believe limited time is the principal determining factor affecting reading habits. In the questionnaire, admitting to not understanding the textbook material followed by lack of interest in the subject exceeded limited time as the main reasons for not reading. Lack of interest can often be overcome by changes in instruction style and emphasis. Working around or compensating for deficient reading skills is a more difficult challenge. An analysis of the findings is presented in this paper along with the author’s reactions and thinking on restructuring lecture sessions, reading assignments, and presentation practices for teaching undergraduate MIS courses.
Changes in Placental Nutrient Transporter Protein Expression and Activity Across Gestation in Normal and Obese Women

Fetal growth and development are dependent on placental nutrient transport. The syncytiotrophoblast (ST) and its two polarized plasma membranes, the maternal-facing microvillous membrane (MVM) and fetal-facing basal membrane (BM), represent the primary barrier in the human placenta, controlling transplacental transfer of small solutes. MVM and BM nutrient transporter expression and activity are increased in obese mothers delivering large babies. However, placental nutrient transporter expression and activity in early gestation in normal and obese women are largely unknown. Placentas from normal BMI and obese women at 6–24 weeks of gestation, and term placentas from normal BMI women, were collected and ST plasma membranes isolated. The activity and protein expression of amino acid, glucose, and fatty acid transporters was assessed. No significant differences were observed in placental nutrient transporter protein expression between normal BMI and obese women in early pregnancy. In the MVM, system A amino acid activity (p = 0.02), SNAT2 (p < 0.0001), SNAT4 (p < 0.001), and GLUT1 (p = 0.01) protein expression were higher at term compared with early gestation. In contrast, MVM system L activity (p = 0.001), FATP4 (p = 0.03), and FATP6 (p = 0.009) protein expression were lower at term compared with early pregnancy. In the BM, there was no change in system L activity across gestation; however, BM FATP6 (p = 0.002) protein expression was lower at term compared with early pregnancy. These results suggest that placental transport of amino acids, glucose, and fatty acids are subjected to coordinated regulation across gestation to meet a fetal nutrient demand that changes with advancing pregnancy.
A Deep Reinforcement Learning Based Approach for Home Energy Management System

Home energy management system (HEMS) enables residents to actively participate in demand response (DR) programs. It can autonomously optimize the electricity usage of home appliances to reduce the electricity cost based on time-varying electricity prices. However, due to the existence of randomness in the pricing process of the utility and resident's activities, developing an efficient HEMS is challenging. To address this issue, we propose a novel home energy management method for optimal scheduling of different kinds of home appliances based on deep reinforcement learning (DRL). Specifically, we formulate the home energy management problem as an MDP considering the randomness of real-time electricity prices and resident's activities. A DRL approach based on proximal policy optimization (PPO) is developed to determine the optimal DR scheduling strategy. The proposed approach does not need any information on the appliances' models and distribution knowledge of the randomness. Simulation results verify the effectiveness of our proposed approach.
Scope, Scale and Competition: The 21st Century Firm

We provide evidence that over the past 30 years, U.S. firms have expanded their scope of operations. Increases in scope and scale were achieved largely without increasing traditional operating segments. Scope expansion significantly increases valuation and is primarily realized through acquisitions and investment in R&D, but not through capital expenditures. We show that traditional concentration ratios do not capture this expansion of scope and are upward biased. Our findings point to a new type of firm that increases scope through related expansion, which is highly valued by the market.
Fast Vehicle Turning-Movement Counting using Localization-based Tracking

Despite the high utility of traffic volume and turning movement data, such data is still hard to come by for the vast majority of roadways and intersections in nearly every city. Edge computing devices offer a promising tool for recording turning movement data if lightweight algorithms can be designed to run in real-time with relatively modest computational complexity. To that end, this work presents Vehicle Turning-Movement Counting using Localization-based Tracking (LBT-Count). This method is fast because it never performs detection on a full frame. Instead, only a few portions of the image are cropped and used to detect objects within the frame. The method achieves competitive performance on the public evaluation server for Track 1 of the AI City Challenge (7th overall on the first 50% of data). Furthermore, we show that LBT-Count is 52% faster than an analogous counting algorithm utilizing a traditional tracking-by-detection framework on available challenge data.
What Really Matters for Instructors Implementing Equitable and Inclusive Teaching Approaches

Supporting instructor implementation of equitable and inclusive teaching approaches is a critical area of focus in educational development. However, there is limited empirical evidence on factors that either support or hinder instructors’ implementation of inclusive teaching. The results of this national survey study reveal several predictors of instructors’ utilization of inclusive teaching approaches and reported obstacles faced. For this sample, knowledge of inclusive teaching was a statistically significant predictor of implementation, as was being from a non-STEM discipline. Responses highlighted promising approaches, several of which can inform the efforts of educational developers.
Evidence for polybaric fractional crystallization in a continental arc: Hidden Lakes mafic complex, Sierra Nevada batholith, California

Although the voluminous granitoids that constitute the upper crust of the Sierra Nevada batholith (California) have been investigated in detail, comparatively few studies focus on the origin of mafic bodies at similar crustal levels. Here, we present field and petrographic observations, geochronology, and geochemistry of the Hidden Lakes mafic complex in the central-eastern Sierra Nevada batholith. Our results show that the complex comprises norites, gabbros, monzondiorites, and monzonites that record fractional crystallization of a hydrous (~ 3 wt% H2O), non-primitive basalt within the upper crust (0.3 GPa) at c. 95–96 Ma. To quantitatively model the generation of the observed lithologies, we construct a two-stage polybaric crystallization model based on cumulate and melt-like bulk-rock compositions. In the first step, we model fractionation of a primitive, mantle-derived basalt at > 30 km depth, generating dominantly pyroxenite cumulates. The evolution of the derivative melt (67% of melt mass remaining) is then modeled to fractionate at 12 km depth to produce the observed lithologies within the Hidden Lakes mafic complex. Extension of this model to higher-silica melt compositions (> 65 wt% SiO2) replicates observed granodiorite compositions in the batholith, suggesting that polybaric crystallization could be an important process for the generation of arc granitoid melts. The depth of differentiation in continental arcs is debated, as field observations indicate abundant lower crustal fractionation while experimental data suggest that high-pressure crystallization of hydrous basalts cannot produce the non-peraluminous granitoid compositions observed in continental arc batholiths. Our model supports polybaric differentiation as one potential mechanism to resolve this inconsistency.
Decarbonylative Borylation of Amides by Palladium Catalysis

The development of transition-metal-catalyzed borylation reactions is of significant importance for the fields of organic synthesis and medicinal chemistry because of the versatility of organoboron functional groups. Herein, we report the direct decarbonylative borylation of amides by highly selective carbon-nitrogen bond cleavage by palladium catalysis. The approach capitalizes on the ground-state destabilization of the amide bond in N-acyl glutarimides to achieve Pd-catalyzed insertion into the amide N-C bond and decarbonylation (deamidation). Mechanistic studies and the utility of this methodology in orthogonal sequential cross-couplings of robust, bench-stable amides are reported.
Rate of Constructing Embankment on Soft Foundation Soils

Procedures for predicting and controlling the rate of construction of embankments on soft weak foundation soils are presented. Shear strength, the key factor in such problems, is related to consolidation and effective stresses in the foundation soil. An illustrative example of a hypothetical embankment stability problem follows, and the assumptions used in such an analysis are discussed.
More Women Can Run: Gender and Pathways to the State Legislature by Susan Carroll and Kira Sanbonmatsu

In this book Susan Carroll and Kira Sanbonmatsu provide a number of very valuable insights into the causes of women’s legislative underrepresentation as they analyze data from 2008 Center for Ameri...
Mickey Goes to France: A Case Study of the Euro Disneyland Negotiations

Euro Disneyland (since renamed Disneyland Resort Paris) in Marne-la-Vallee, France was declared a success even before it was built, and yet it narrowly escaped a humiliating bankruptcy after opening. This article applies intercultural negotiation theory to examine how The Walt Disney Company proved fallible in its negotiations with the French government and citizens in the course of constructing and operating Euro Disneyland. Through a case study of the negotiations, this article reveals why the reality proved so different from the expectations. It concludes with advice for how The Walt Disney Company — and, by implication, any multinational firm — should approach international deal-making in the future to avoid repeating past mistakes.
The Politics of Crime and the Death Penalty: Not “Soft on Crime,” But Hard on the Bill of Rights

The administration of the death penalty is not one of the happiest subjects in the law, but it is certainly an important one for people who will be entering the legal profession. How our society deals with crime is a timely topic for us to examine. In the last few years there has been greater resort to demagoguery as part of the crime debate in our country. This should be disturbing to all who care about the Bill of Rights and about the fairness and integrity of the system of justice.The Senate approved a major crime bill by a close vote in August, 1994. It was actually the Bush Administration’s crime bill that had been slightly retooled in the early part of the Clinton administration. The bill provides the death penalty for at least sixty offenses. Many crimes which previously could be punished by death only in the state courts are now punishable by death in the federal courts. The bill provides for a great deal of prison construction. Theoretically, it provides for 100,000 police officers, although many people think in reality that only around 20,000 will actually be put on the streets. Although nineteen assault weapons are banned, 650 semiautomatic weapons remain available for target practice, hunting and other purposes. Although Congress did not appropriate the thirty billion dollars needed to finance measures called for in the bill, it will be very expensive, and many think it is not the right approach to take with regard to crime.
Epileptogenic cortical foci induced with ouabain: Sodium, potassium, water content, and sodium-potassium-activated ATPase activity

Abstract Sodium, potassium, water content, and sodium-potassium-activated ATPase (Na-K-ATPase) activity have been estimated in epileptogenic cortical foci induced in rats both by the application of ouabain to the surface of cerebral cortex and by cortical freezing followed by ouabain application. Cortical edema with an accompanying increase in sodium and decrease in potassium was produced by both procedures with a greater degree of edema resulting from the combination of freezing and ouabain than from ouabain alone. No change in Na-K-ATPase activity could be demonstrated in the ouabain focus, and the increase in activity of this enzyme previously found in cortical lesions produced by freezing alone was not prevented by the addition of ouabain.
Masochism and the Self

Contents: Why is Masochism Interesting?. Overview of Main Ideas. Masochism, Culture, and History. Essentials of Masochism. Satisfactons of Masochism. Masochism and Sexual Pleasure. Femininity, Masculinity, and Masochism. Sadism. Clinical Implications. Conclusion.
An ILP-Based approach to locality optimization

One of the most important factors that determine performance of data-intensive applications is data locality. A program with high data locality makes better use of fast, on-chip memories and can avoid large main memory latencies. Although previous compiler research investigated numerous techniques for enhancing locality, we lack of formal techniques, against which the existing heuristics can be compared. Motivated by this observation, this paper presents a fresh look at locality optimization based on integer linear programming (ILP). We formulate the conditions for data locality, and present a system of constraints whose solution gives optimal computation re-ordering and data-to-memory assignment under our objective function and cost model. Our experimental results using three data-intensive applications clearly indicate that the ILP-based approach generates very good results and outperforms a previously proposed heuristic solution to locality.
Gina Neff, Venture Labor: Work and the Burden of Risk in Innovative Industries

Many books have been written about the decline of the manufacturing-industrial society and the massive social and economic shifts that characterize the late 20 and early 21 centuries (e.g., Castells et al., 2012; Cross, 2002; Stiglitz, 2010). However, few books on this topic have focused on the social norms, values, attitudes, and individual experiences that accompany system-wide changes (e.g., Fisher & Downey, 2006; Zaloom, 2006). This latter point is the center of Gina Neff’s Venture Labor: Work and the Burden of Risk in Innovative Industries, a multifaceted study of employee risk in New York City’s Silicon Alley during the last decades of the 20 century. Neff argues that the so-called “dot-com era” and the forms of “venture labor” employees underwent as a strategy of managing risks in their jobs is best understood as a response to social, economic, and technological changes rather than the cause of them.
The lunar far‐UV albedo: Indicator of hydration and weathering

[1] We present an analysis of Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Lyman Alpha Mapping Project (LAMP) measurements of the dayside lunar surface at far-ultraviolet wavelengths. We use the strong 165 nm H2O absorption edge to look for diurnal variations in hydration. We find that diurnal variations in spectral slope are indeed present; they are superimposed on latitudinal and spatial variations related to composition and weathering. We use two different spectral regions (164–173 nm and 175–190 nm) to separate out these effects. Highlands and mare regions have distinct reflectance spectra, with mare regions being spectrally bluer than highlands regions, a consequence of the greater abundance of opaque minerals in mare regions. Bright ray terrains and areas known to be young such as Giordano Bruno crater, are found to be relatively spectrally flat or red in the far-UV; this is consistent with a lack of space weathering, which tends to make the far-UV spectrum bluer due to the spectral behavior of nanophase iron. Large-scale latitudinal variations in FUV slope are distinct and are likely due to a gradient in space weathering. The diurnal variation in hydration is consistent with a solar wind origin and with loss of H2O at temperatures above ∼320 K. Far-UV spectroscopy is thus shown to represent a viable method for mapping aqueous alteration, even on the dayside of the Moon, and potentially elsewhere in the solar system.
The different paths to 100

Many people believe that the older a person gets, the sicker he or she becomes. The result can be quite a pessimistic view of very old age. If this were true, most if not all centenarians would have significant disability. However, ≈90% of centenarians in a population-based study were functionally independent at the average age of 92 y. Thus, to achieve extreme old age, a much more enabling point of view emerges: the older an individual gets, the healthier he or she has been. Centenarians thus have the potential to represent a model of relative resistance to age-related diseases and slower aging. Currently, 1 in every 10 000 persons in the United States is 100 y of age or older. This prevalence is quickly changing, however, and it is likely that most industrialized nations will soon experience twice that prevalence, or one centenarian per 5000 persons. The ability to survive to extreme old age appears to be the result of a complex combination of genetics, environment, lifestyle, and luck. Understanding the genetics of the very old, and identifying the molecular drivers of longevity (or of mortality), is a potentially powerful approach to discovering and targeting the pathways mediating aging and disease susceptibility and developing preventive and therapeutic agents that will allow more of the population to age in good health.
Hyperactivity and sensitization to psychostimulants following cholera toxin infusion into the nucleus accumbens

Although manipulation of second messenger systems is widespread in cell biology, there are few experiments examining the consequences of such manipulation on behavior. In three separate experiments, we extended earlier work by Miller and Kelly (1975) that examined the behavioral effects of microinfusion of cholera toxin (CTX) into the nucleus accumbens (N. Acc.) in rats. CTX is a bacterial toxin that ADP- ribosylates the Gs transducer protein and stimulates production of cAMP. For Experiment I, three groups of rats received either saline or CTX (50 or 500 ng/microliter) into the N. Acc. Locomotor activity was measured for 4 hr following a single CTX infusion and subsequently for 4 hr on 6 consecutive days. No acute effects on motor activity were observed. However, the 500 ng dose of CTX induced long-lasting hyperactivity that was apparent 24 hr later and that lasted 4 d. A smaller but significant hypermotility occurred on days 4 and 5 following infusion of the 50 ng dose. Site specificity of this effect was investigated in Experiment II by infusion of CTX (250 ng/microliter) into either the N. Acc. or the posterior dorsal striatum (PDS). CTX treatment of the PDS had no behavioral effects while the long-lasting hyperactivity following treatment of the N. Acc. was replicated. In Experiment III the effect of intra-accumbens pretreatment with saline or CTX (10 ng/microliter) on d-amphetamine (0.5 mg/kg, i.p.)- and cocaine (7 mg/kg, i.p.)-induced motor activity was investigated.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Effect of Hypertonic Solutes Upon the Polysaccharide Capsule in Cryptococcus neoformans

The polysaccharide capsule is a characteristic virulence factor in the yeast-pathogen, Cryptococcus neoformans. Growth in hypertonic growth media results in yeast cells with visibly smaller capsules. We investigated this suppression quantitatively, using a chemical assay for cell-bound and dissolved capsular polysaccharide. Molar NaCl suppressed production of cell-bound polysaccharide by a factor of 2.5- to 5-fold. The possibility of salt-induced physico-chemical contraction of capsular gel was tested by dialysis of fixed cells from hypotonic medium against medium containing 1 M NaCl and against the original medium again, while capsular thickness, packed cell volume and cell-bound polysaccharide were followed. We detected a physical contraction of gel following dialysis against medium containing 1 M NaCl. Mutants which gave mucoid colonies on hypertonic agar were isolated. One of these gave twice as much polysaccharide as the wild type when cultivated in medium containing 1 M NaCl. The hypercapsular trait was passed through serial outcrosses to the wild type and segregated as a chromosomal gene. This mutant may represent a gene which regulates production of capsular polysaccharide.
The reovirus-specific cytotoxic T cell response is not restricted to serotypically unique epitopes associated with the virus hemagglutinin☆

Reovirus, a virus that contains neither an envelope nor glycosylated polypeptides, has been found to induce virus-specific, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I antigen restricted, cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses. The cytotoxic T cells require in vitro stimulation in the presence of virus to phenotypically express cytotoxic activity. Utilizing reovirus types 1 and 3, the CTLs derived from mice infected with one serotype can lyse target cells infected with a second serotype of reovirus. In addition, lymphocytes primed in vivo with one serotype develop into fully functional CTLs during in vitro stimulation with the other serotype of reovirus. Therefore, these results suggest that reovirus induced CTLs are virus, but not serotype specific. Common determinants shared by reovirus polypeptides from reovirus types 1 and 3 are most likely the stimuli for the majority of CTLs responses to reovirus.
Characteristics of ring-cusp discharge chambers

Measurements have been obtained for the operating characteristics of a 30 cm diameter ring-cusp ion thruster (RCIT), quantitatively comparing its performance parameters to those of a divergent-field J-series cluster of the same size. The high level of performance established for the RCIT is due to its maintenance of both a higher primary-electron population and Maxwellian-electron temperature, as the beam-ion production cost is reduced to its baseline value. Ion losses to the discharge-chamber walls can be reduced by an applied electrostatic field.
Genome size and organization in an aphid (Schizaphis graminum)

Abstract There is currently no information on genome organization in any paurometabolous insect. DNA reassociation kinetics were used to determine genome size and organization in the greenbug ( Schizaphis graminum , Rondani). A genome size of 0.40 pg (387×10 6 base pairs) was estimated consisting of 2.4% fold-back sequences, 19.64% middle repetitive sequences and 77.96% unique sequences. The repetitive sequences were distributed in a pattern of long period interspersion. In contrast with species with genome sizes equivalent or smaller in size, the greenbug has very little highly repetitive DNA.
Reinstatement of retrieval cues, intertrial interval, and resistance to extinction

It has been previously demonstrated that the failure to provide adequate retrieval cues reliably attenuates the resistance to extinction of a partially reinforced response with a long intertrial interval. The present experiment represented an attempt to determine whether the attenuating effect of nonreinstatement on resistance to extinction was less pronounced at shorter intertrial intervals. Reinstatement conditions were combined factorially with three intertrial intervals (15 sec, 15 min, and 30 min). Reinstatement resulted in superior resistance to extinction to all three intertrial intervals. No other differences were reliable. Results support the notion that memories are cue dependent even at short intervals.
The Probability Distribution of Camera Resolution

At each spatial frequency within a camera’s resolution limit, the modulation of the camera exposure image will vary because of variation in object modulation, the atmosphere, the optical transfer function, and image motion. Thus, for each spatial frequency there is a probability that the image modulation will exceed that value required to resolve the image. This probability can be evaluated, even when the modulation detectability limit itself is variable. The resulting probability of resolution for each spatial frequency is directly observable in actual photographic results.
The Use of Nondigestible Oligosaccharides to Manage the Gastrointestinal Ecosystem

The gastrointestinal tract represents a small, complex ecosystem that has several distinct habitats. Exclusive use of parenteral nutrition has shown that dietary inputs are critical to maintain the structural components (physical, chemical, and biotic features) and functional elements (transfer of energy and materials) of the gastrointestinal ecosystem. Similar to other ecosystems, the gastrointestinal ecosystem is responsive to the types and amounts of dietary inputs. Nondigestible oligosaccharides (NDO) are recognized as a vital component of a healthy diet. Supplementing diets with NDO increases the densities of lactic acid producing bacteria and provides numerous health bene. ts. These include enhanced enteric and systemic immune functions, increased energy and nutrient availability, inhibition of pathogen growth, reduced risk of carcinogenesis, and improved levels and pro. les of serum lipids. This review describes how the various types of NDO can be used as ‘management tools’ to bene. cially affect the bacteria resident in the gastrointestinal ecosystem and thereby enhance health during development and in healthy and diseased states. There is a need to better understand how variation among the gastrointestinal ecosystems of different species, individuals, and age groups, particularly the resident bacteria, in uences the responses to different amounts and types of NDO. Keywords : gastrointestinal tract, fermentable fiber bacteria, diet, intestine, colon, prebiotics.
Confidence Bands for the Median Survival Time as a Function of the Covariates in the Cox Model

Abstract Let ξp (x) be the pth quantile of the distribution of the life length of an individual with covariate vector x in the Cox model. We introduce an estimator ξp (x) of ξp (x) and develop several families of confidence bands for ξ(x) as a function of x. To construct one type of band, we proceed as follows. We show that as n → ∞, where n is the number of individuals in the study, ) converges weakly to a Gaussian process W(x) with a complicated covariance structure. We then estimate this covariance structure from the data, and simulate many Gaussian processes with this estimated covariance structure. The critical constants required for the construction of the confidence bands are obtained from the simulated processes. Another type of bands is obtained by bootstrapping. We obtain an asymptotic theory for both types of bands. Simulation studies are used to compare the two types of bands. The methods are illustrated on the Stanford Heart Transplant Data.
Dynamics of Pseudomonas aeruginosa association with anionic hydrogel surfaces in the presence of aqueous divalent-cation salts

Binding of bacteria to solid surfaces is complex with many aspects incompletely understood. We investigate Pseudomonas aeruginosa uptake kinetics onto hydrogel surfaces representative of soft-contact lenses made of nonionic poly(2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate) (p-HEMA), anionic poly(methacrylic acid) (p-MAA), and anionic poly(acrylic acid) (p-AA). Using a parallel-plate flow cell under phase-contrast microscopy, we document a kinetic “burst” at the anionic hydrogel surface: dilute aqueous P. aeruginosa first rapidly accumulates and then rapidly depletes. Upon continuing flow, divalent cations in the suspending solution sorb into the hydrogel network causing the previously surface-accumulated bacteria to desorb. The number of bacteria eventually bound to the surface is low compared to the nonionic p-HEMA hydrogel. We propose that the kinetic burst is due to reversible divalent-cation bridging between the anionic bacteria and the negatively charged hydrogel surface. The number of surface bridging sites diminishes as divalent cations impregnate into and collapse the gel. P. aeruginosa association with the surface then falls. Low eventual binding of P. aeruginosa to the anionic hydrogel is ascribed to increased surface hydrophilicity compared to the counterpart nonionic p-HEMA hydrogel.
Hydrolytic enzymes in meningiomal subtypes.

Estimation of activity of five hydrolytic enzymes was made in four histologically different types of human meningiomas derived from surgery. The hydrolytic enzymes examined in 13 tumors included four lysosomal enzymes: β-glucuronidase, N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase (hexosaminidase), β-galactosidase, and acid phosphatase. The fifth enzyme studied was alkaline phosphatase. The one papillary-type meningioma examined appeared to contain generally greater activities of the lysosomal enzymes than the other tumor types. Alkaline phosphatase was decidedly greater in transitional type meningiomas. The correlation of histological types with alkaline phosphatase activity is discussed with regard to previous observations.
Direct observation of aldehyde insertion into rhodium-aryl and -alkoxide complexes.

Several organorhodium(I) complexes of the general formula (PPh3)2(CO)RhR (R = p-tolyl, o-tolyl, Me) were isolated and were shown to insert aryl aldehydes into the aryl−rhodium(I) bond. Under nonaqueous conditions, these reactions provided ketones in good yield. The stability of the arylrhodium(I) complexes allowed these reactions to be run also in mixtures of THF and water. In this solvent system, diarylmethanols were generated exclusively. Mechanistic studies support the formation of ketone and diarylmethanol by insertion of aldehyde into the rhodium−aryl bond and subsequent β-hydride elimination or hydrolysis to form diaryl ketone or diarylmethanol products. Kinetic isotope effects and the formation of diarylmethanols in THF/water mixtures are inconsistent with oxidative addition of the acyl carbon−hydrogen bond and reductive elimination to form ketone. Moreover, the intermediate rhodium diarylmethoxide formed from insertion of aldehyde was observed directly during the reaction. Its structure was confir...
The Role of the Banking System in the Chilean Inflation

THE CHILEAN ECONOMY has undergone almost continuous inflation since the 1870's, with only a few major interruptions. The inflation has been particularly severe in the last few years, during which Chile has provided a more or less classical illustration of the operation of the quantity theory of money. Partly because of the stage of economic development, and partly because of lack of confidence in the value of the currency, the Chilean people have been unwilling to hold as savings any appreciable proportion of new additions to the money supply, and therefore such additions have had a pronounced effect on prices. Nevertheless, inflation has never been sufficiently severe to cause a flight from currency as a medium of exchange for settling nearterm transactions. In these circumstances, Chile's history of chronic inflation is very closely related to the policies and activities of its banking system. Although the activities of the banking system have been only one element in the whole complex of forces determining the nature and magnitude of the inflation, they have been a dominating element, and one susceptible to analysis more or less independently of the other forces. Accordingly, the present study is focused on only this one aspect of the Chilean inflation, the role of the banking system.
Time-dependent inelastic analysis of metallic media using constitutive relations with state variables

Abstract A computational technique in terms of stress, strain and displacement rates is presented for the solution of boundary value problems for metallic structural elements at uniform elevated temperatures subjected to time varying loads. This method can accommodate any number of constitutive relations with state variables recently proposed by other researchers to model the inelastic deformation of metallic media at elevated temperatures. Numerical solutions are obtained for several structural elements subjected to steady loads. The constitutive relations used for these numerical solutions are due to Hart. The solutions are discussed in the context of the computational scheme and Hart's theory.
Visualization of the freeze/thaw characteristics of a copper/water heat pipe - Effects of non-condensible gas

The freeze/thaw characteristics of a copper/water heat pipe of rectangular cross section were investigated experimentally to determine the effect of variations in the amount of non-condensible gases (NCG) present. The transient internal temperature profiles in both the liquid and vapor channels are presented along with contours of the frozen fluid configuration obtained through visual observation. Several interesting phenomena were observed including total blockage of the vapor channel by a solid plug, evaporator dryout during restart, and freezing blowby. In addition, the restart characteristics are shown to be strongly dependent upon the shutdown procedure used prior to freezing, indicating that accurate prediction of the startup or restart characteristics requires a complete thermal history. Finally, the experimental results indicate that the freeze/thaw characteristics of room temperature heat pipes may be significantly different from those occurring in higher temperature, liquid metal heat pipes due to differences in the vapor pressures in the frozen condition.
Effects of chlorine on microbial communities in naturally derived microcosms: Population and community level responses to environmental perturbations

Laboratory microcosms and field enclosures were used to evaluate effects of chlorine on microbial community structure and function. Microcosms were exposed to chlorine (as sodium hypochlorite) at concentrations up to 308 μg/L total residual chlorine (TRC) for 28 d. Test systems were sampled weekly to evaluate protozoan species accrual, biomass distribution, microbial enzyme activity, and macronutrient retention. Protozoan species numbers were depressed at all sampling times at TRC concentrations ≥25 μg/L. Algal biomass (chlorophyll a) was adversely affected at 2 μg/L, and alkaline phosphatase activity was inhibited at ≥6 μg/L. Other biomass measures and macronutrient retention were affected at 25 to 308 μg/L. Oxygen production was depressed at ≥25 μg/L. Field enclosures (sediment-water mesocosms) were dosed daily with chlorine, resulting in average chlorine doses up to 261 μg/L. Protozoan species numbers were depressed at chlorine doses ≥79 μg/L, and zooplankton density was affected at 24 μg/L. Algal biomass and total biomass were adversely affected at the highest chlorine level, 261 μg/L. Nontaxonomic measures were typically less sensitive than community structure responses to chronic chlorine stress. Estimated effect levels for both experiments overlapped; however, the response of specific variables (i.e., stimulation, inhibition, no effect) to chlorine differed between the two tests. These results support the importance of experimental design and dosage regime in chronic toxicity testing.
Asians—A monolithic voting bloc?

Past studies of Asian voting behavior have more often than not treated Asians as a single homogeneous group. Based on this assumption, the studies proceed to predict Asian voting behavior. However, the underlying assumption of homogeneity can produce fallacious results when the group Asians is not homogeneous. In fact, it isoften the case that the separate ethnicities act as separate groups with their own unique political perspectives and identities. Hence, studies of Asian voting behavior should be careful to consider the effects and consequences of such aggregation.