cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Novel Receptor-Mediated Endothelial Cell Chemotaxis

The directed migration of endothelial cells away from existing blood vessels is a critical step during cancer progression. Specific receptor-ligand interactions initiate intracellular signal transduction pathways and asymmetric cytoskeletal reorganization, leading to migration towards ligand sources. Disruption of these receptor-ligand interactions is a common goal in cancer drug development, and a key hurdle is the discovery of new receptor-ligand partners that are suitable targets. The G-protein-coupled receptor 124 (GPR124) is enriched in the endothelium of the developing brain and regulates embryonic CNS angiogenesis; however, its ligand and its potential role in endothelial cell chemotaxis are unknown. We examined the migration of mouse brain-derived endothelial cells (bEnd3) within custom microfluidic devices capable of generating stable concentration gradients of chemotactic ligands. The bEnd3 were genetically modified either to overexpress (GPR124+) or knock down (GPR124-) receptor expression. GPR124+ cells were observed to chemotax in response to a 0.025% gradient/micron of embryonic brain cortical cell conditioned medium (CM), while GPR124- cells followed random walk statistics in identical gradients. Mathematical analysis of the cell migration pathways (n∼100 for each condition) revealed that net migration displacement, migration persistence time, and migration speed were increased for GPR124+ cells over GPR124- cells in both CM gradients as well as uniform CM concentrations. This suggests that in addition to being able to initiate asymmetric cytoskeletal reorganization, GPR124 signaling also triggers a general enhancement in cell motility. GPR124+ cells were also found to migrate towards VEGF-depleted CM, demonstrating that GPR124-mediated chemotaxis is independent from VEGF-mediated chemotaxis, a widely studied ligand of endothelial cells and a common cancer drug target. GPR124+ cells did not chemotax towards CM of 193T cells, a negative control kidney cell line. These results demonstrate utility of a new quantitative microfluidic platform to identify novel receptor-ligand partners for potential cancer drug development.
Myogenic Tone in Isolated Perfused Vessels: OCCURRENCE AMONG VASCULAR BEDS AND ALONG VASCULAR TREES

In situ studies yield only indirect evidence as to whether non-neurogenic vascular tone results from an intrinsic myogenic tendency of the smooth muscle cell to contract or is due to stimulation of the muscle by some vasoactive humoral influence of the environment. In the current study, small resistance vessels from different vascular beds, from various levels of the arterial tree, and from several species were isolated and perfused with physiological salt solution. Under these conditions the environment is devoid of any vasoactive, in-situ, humoral influence, and tonic contraction would have to be of myogenic origin. Myogenic tone was consistently present in smooth muscle from some vascular beds, whereas it was absent from other beds. Myogenic tone was more prevalent in smaller vessels (50 to 100µ o.d.) than in larger ones (100 to 400µ o.d.). Significant differences in this property were observed among the species studied. We conclude that, contrary to the properties classically assigned it as a multiunit smooth muscle, most vascular smooth muscle from resistance vessels is intrinsically and spontaneously active.
Synthesis of 5,1′-alkynyl- and 5,1′-alkenyl-1,3-cyclohexadiene-tricarbonyliron complexes using aluminum reagents

Abstract Dimethylaluminum acetylides react with (η5-cyclohexadienyl)tricarbonyliron fluoroborate (1) to give the corresponding C(5) alkynyl substituted complexes in high yields without competing reduction products. Using this method, phenylethynyl and trimethylsilylethynyl groups have been added to the cationic complex at C(5). In the latter case, the yield can be improved substantially if tris(trimethylsilylethynyl)-aluminum is used instead. Desilylation of this complex yields the 5-ethynyl complex. Hydrogenation with Lindlar's catalyst yields the corresponding alkenyl complex. Oxidative removal of the Fe(CO)3 moiety yields the organic ligand in near quantiative yields. Use of aluminum reagents as alkynyl anion synthons in reactions with 1 is a far superior method compared to the use of either lithium acetylides which give complicated mixtures of products or 1-trimethylsilylalkynes which are unreactive.
Lattice dynamical approach to the phase transition in A-TCNB charge-transfer crystals

Abstract Lattice dynamical calculations have been performed for the charge-transfer complex crystal of anthracene with 1,2,4,5-tetracyanobenzene. Application is made to the orientational phase transition observed in this system. The results suggest that the high temperature phase is dynamically disordered and that the phase transition is driven by a librational phonon mode exhibiting soft mode behavior.
Therapeutic Use of Estrone Suspensions1

NATURAL ESTROGENS ARE READILY destroyed or inactivated by the liver, so that upon being rapidly absorbed from the site of administra tion their effect lasts only a short time. Retarding the rate of absorption results in an increased period of estrogen action which permits more desirable therapeutic effects. Absorption of estrogens into the blood stream may be delayed a) by chemical combination with fatty acids, b) by dissolving in a medium which one. Nevertheless, there is a certain amount of hesi tation on the part of many physicians to use this method of administering estrogens which requires a special technic. We have therefore, utilised the prin ciple of implantation of crystalline estrogens in a form which does not sacrifice the convenience or practicability of simple injections. This dosage form consists of a suspension of estrone crystals in an aqueous medium. It is postulated that is slowly absorbed, such as oil or wax, and c) by dzpositing the crystalline material directly into the tis sues. With...
Hydrogen production by catalytic processing of renewable methane-rich gases

Abstract Biomass-derived methane-rich gases such as landfill gas (LFG), biogas and digester gas are promising renewable resources for near-future production of hydrogen. The technical and economical feasibility of hydrogen production via catalytic reforming of LFG and other methane-rich gases is evaluated in this paper. The thermodynamic equilibrium calculations and experimental measurements of reformation of methane-rich CH4–CO2 mixtures over Ni-based catalyst were conducted. The problems associated with the catalyst deactivation due to carbon lay down and effects of steam and oxygen on the process sustainability were explored. Two technological approaches distinguished by the mode of heat input to the endothermic process (i.e., external vs autothermal) were modeled using AspenPlus TM chemical process simulator and validated experimentally. A 5 kWth pilot unit for hydrogen production from LFG-mimicking CH4–CO2 mixture was fabricated and operated. A preliminary techno-economic assessment indicates that the liquid hydrogen production costs are in the range of $3.00–$7.00 per kilogram depending upon the plant capacity, the process heat input option and whether or not carbon sequestration is included in the process.
Relict cryopedogenic features in soils with secondary carbonate horizons, western Wyoming, USA

We document relict cryopedogenic features in strongly developed calcic horizons on a flight of fluvial terraces in a mid-latitude, intermontane basin in western Wyoming, USA. The calcic horizons show many distinctive cryopedogenic features including relict sand wedges, involutions, mixed horizons, fragmented and displaced carbonate/silica stone pendants and indurated soil material, and vertically oriented stones. Evidence of mixing, fracture, displacement and orientation of soil materials, independent of evidence for biologic or recrystallisation processes, strongly suggests cryoturbation. The soils also include micro-scale features such as orbiculic and suscitic fabrics, vesicular and elongated pores, shattered pedogenic ooids and sand grains, and platy to blocky microstructure. The micro-scale features are likely related to seasonal frost. The calcic horizons do not include progressive morphological differences across the upper eight terraces in the study area. The overall similarity is likely caused by the fracturing and mixing processes associated with cryoturbation. There is a need to further document cryoturbation features in calcic horizons to understand the specific cryogenic processes related to their genesis. Cryoturbation implies movement and mixing of soil material. Thus the recognition of relict cryoturbation features in mid-latitude calcic soils may have significant implications regarding their use for geochronology, palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic reconstruction. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Chronopotentiometry of one- and two-ion transport at immiscible liquid interfaces

Abstract Reversible one-ion and opposite-sign, two-ion univalent transfers from aqueous to organic phases (and the reverse processes) have been analyzed. Solutions of transport and interfacial potential difference equations are given in terms of concentration-distance-time profiles, potential difference vs. time chronopotentiograms and expressions for transition times when they exist. Six cases include supporting electrolyte and non-supporting electrolyte examples. One of these: two-ion, salt transport without supporting electrolyte is the Nernst-Riesenfeld example from which the ideas of electrosorption-desorption arise. Real systems investigated by Gavach and co-workers have received special emphasis.
Arsenic incorporation in HgCdTe grown by molecular beam epitaxy

We report the results of in situ arsenic doping in HgCdTe layers grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Arsenic incorporation was carried out by two mechanisms called conventional doping and planar doping. The obtained results indicate that for both mechanisms, after Hg anneal, arsenic was successfully incorporated as an acceptor during the MBE growth. Secondary ion mass spectrometry and Hall-effect measurements before and after Hg annealing were used to characterize arsenic activity in the grown layers. Close to 100% acceptor doping efficiency with arsenic has been obtained on these MBE grown layers up to total arsenic concentrations of approximately 2×1018 cm−3, which is more than sufficient for a wide range of infrared devices. At much higher total arsenic concentrations, electrical activity falls off drastically as the doping level saturates.
Multiscale Analytical/Numerical Theory of the Diffusivity of Concrete

Abstract The ionic diffusivity of a concrete is a function of its microstructure at many length scales, ranging from nanometers to millimeters. The microstructure is largely controlled by the initial concrete mixture proportions and the ultimate curing conditions. Linking a property like ionic diffusivity to the microstructure then requires a multiscale approach. A multiscale microstructural computer model for ionic diffusivity has been previously developed. This model has been developed specifically to compute the chloride diffusivity of concretes with various mixture proportions and projected degrees of hydration. The three key parts of this model were dependent on large-scale supercomputer-magnitude simulations to: (1) determine the total volume of interfacial zones for a given aggregate distribution; (2) simulate the hydrated cement paste microstructure around a typical aggregate; and (3) compute the effect of the aggregates and interfacial zones on the overall diffusivity of the concrete. The key feature of this model is that one can approximately take into account the redistribution of cement paste between interfacial transition zone regions and bulk paste regions, and its important effect on overall concrete diffusivity. In the present article, we review the previously developed model and show how analytical equations can accurately replace the large scale computer simulations of parts (1) and (3). This accomplishment will make the model more usable by those who do not have access to supercomputer computing power.
First Food of Larval Yellow Perch, White Sucker, Bluegill, Emerald Shiner, and Rainbow Smelt

Abstract Entire digestive tract contents from larval yellow perch [Perca flavescens (Mitchill)], white sucker [Catostomus commersoni (Lacepede)], bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus Rafinesque), emerald shiner (Notropis (atherinoides Rafinesque), and rainbow smelt [Osmerus mordax (Mitchill)], along with plankton samples taken concurrently with fish samples, were identified and counted. Food selection was calculated by use of Ivlev's electivity index. First food of yellow perch from an eutrophic lake were copepod nauplii and cyclopoid copepods; after fish reached 11 mm in length Bosmina coregoni was the dominant food. Yellow perch from an oligotrophic lake fed first on the rotifer Polyarthra, and to a lesser extent on copepod nauplii; after fish reached 11 mm cyclopoid copepods became the most important food items. Rotifers contributed an important portion of the early diet of white sucker; copepod nauplii and Cyclops bicuspidatus provided the remainder of the diet. Cladocerans increased in numbers after the fis...
Spinal cord atrophy in injured rodents: High‐resolution MRI

Longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed in normal and spinal cord (SC)-injured rodents. A fast technique based on polar B-spline snake was developed to extract the SC contour from the MR images in order to estimate the cord atrophy. Based on pooled data from all of the imaging studies, the extracted contours correlated well with manually defined contours. Results from the injured group showed cord atrophy shortly after the contusion injury. The maximum amount of atrophy (9.7% ± 3.5% decrease in the cross-sectional area (CSA)) occurred mainly at the epicenter around 14 days postinjury. The caudal and rostral segments in the injured group did not exhibit significant atrophy compared to the normal controls. The MRI-based atrophy measurements obtained in injured cords are consistent with previous histological findings. Magn Reson Med 57:620–624, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Multivariate probability density estimation by wavelet methods: Strong consistency and rates for stationary time series

The estimation of the multivariate probability density functions f(x1, … , xd), d ≥ 1, of a stationary random process {Xi} using wavelet methods is considered. Uniform rates of almost sure convergence over compact subsets of Rd for densities in the Besov space Bspq are established for strongly mixing processes.
Analytical Pyrolysis of Hardwood and Softwood Lignins and Its use in Lignin-Type Determination of Hardwood Vessel Elements

Abstract Pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was performed on milled wood lignins (MWLs) and wood samples. Among the major pyrolysis products identified from loblolly pine lignin were guaiacol, 4-methylguaiacol, 4-vinylguaiacol, vanillin, coniferal-dehyde, and coniferyl alcohol. White oak lignin pyrolysis products also included guaiacol, 4-methylguaiacol, and vanillin and additionally 2,6-dimethoxyphenol, 4-methyl-2,6-dimethoxyphenol, syringaldehyde, and sinapaldehyde. By identification of these pyrolysis products from either wood or MWL it is possible to classify lignins as either guaiacyl-type or syringyl/guaiacyl-type. Pyrolysis of isolated vessel elements from white oak, white birch, and American elm indicated that vessel lignin is of the syringyl/ guaiacyl-type.
The Role of Clinical Dietitians as Perceived by Dietitians and Physicians

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to examine dietitians' and physicians' perceptions regarding the role of clinical dietitians. Subjects and design Four hundred ten physicians and clinical dietitians were randomly identified from the American Board of Medical Specialties Directory of Board Certified Medical Specialists and from Michigan district dietetic association directories. A survey containing demographic, situational, and role and responsibility questions was administered. Statistical analyses performed Cronbach's α coefficient was computed to determine the internal consistency of the measurement instrument. A series of two-tailed t tests was performed to determine between-group differences on the perception questions. Analysis of covariance was completed to control for potential confounds. χ 2 Tests were performed to determine the relationship among a change of diet order question and participants' occupation, area of specialty, and practice setting. Results Of the surveys mailed, 73% were returned and 58% overall were usable. The internal consistency of the measure was 0.72. Most dietitians' and physicians' responses to the role and responsibility questions differed significantly, with particularly large differences noted for 6 of 10 questions; however, "total score" differences were not significant. Significant associations were found for the level of specialization and type of occupation on the change of diet order question. Application/conclusions Routine contact, communication, and interaction between physicians and dietitians are vital if physicians are to know dietitians' responsibilities and competencies and collaborate with them when providing medical nutrition therapy to patients. Future studies that differentiate areas of responsibility of clinical dietitians and inquire into dietitians' and physicians' interactions during their education or training may provide further insights into this topic. J Am Diet Assoc. 1997; 97: 851–855 .
Precision in Memory Through Distinctive Processing

Any item that violates its current context will be well remembered, a phenomenon typically attributed to distinctiveness. Distinctiveness often is used as a synonym for difference, but, in fact, the beneficial effects of distinctiveness on memory arise only when both similarity and difference are encoded. In this article, I describe an approach modeled on a theory of similarity judgment that defines distinctive processing as the processing of difference in the context of similarity. Such processing has been shown to be highly diagnostic of particular events and of items within those events. Research predicated on this definition has shown impressive memory for target items, in addition to explaining how distinctive processing protects against incorrect memory. A focus on distinctive processing is a promising approach to understanding the precision that characterizes the normal operation of memory.
Sequential Procedures for Aggregating Arbitrary Estimators of a Conditional Mean

In this correspondence, a sequential procedure for aggregating linear combinations of a finite family of regression estimates is described and analyzed. Particular attention is given to linear combinations having coefficients in the generalized simplex. The procedure is based on exponential weighting, and has a computationally tractable approximation. Analysis of the procedure is based in part on techniques from the sequential prediction of nonrandom sequences. Here these techniques are applied in a stochastic setting to obtain cumulative loss bounds for the aggregation procedure. From the cumulative loss bounds we derive an oracle inequality for the aggregate estimator for an unbounded response having a suitable moment-generating function. The inequality shows that the risk of the aggregate estimator is less than the risk of the best candidate linear combination in the generalized simplex, plus a complexity term that depends on the size of the coefficient set. The inequality readily yields convergence rates for aggregation over the unit simplex that are within logarithmic factors of known minimax bounds. Some preliminary results on model selection are also presented.
Issues and challenges for physiatry in the coming decade

I T IS AN HONOR and a privilege to be asked to present the 31st annual Walter Jacob Zeiter Lecture of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPMR). Dr. Zeiter was an educator, medical statesman, business and administrative manager, as well as an organizational leader. He completed his residency in physical medicine under Dr. John Coulter at Northwestern University in 1937. Two years later he became the Executive Director of the American Congress of Physical Medicine and served in this capacity until 1960. In that role he also assisted in the administration of the AAPMR. This innovative, efficient physician administrator performed all of this work for 21 years without compensation. His dedication and commitment to our specialty are what we should all emulate. He also had a strong commitment to graduate medical education. He was a founding member of the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (ABPMR) in 1947 and was its second chairman, serving in that capacity from 1949 to 1953. He was also the representative of the American Medical Association on the Residency Review Committee (RRC) for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation from 1963 to 1969. He received the Gold Key Award from the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine in 195 1 and gave ACRM’s 4th John S. Coulter Memorial Lecture in 1954, which he titled “The History of the American Congress of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.” 1 The first Zeiter Lecture was given in 1968. It is unusual for a lecture to be named after a living individual. However, Dr. Zeiter’s exceptional credentials and his leadership in nurturing this developing specialty warranted this honor. The Academy decreed that the Zeiter Lecture should relate to the history of physical medicine and rehabilitation. The first lecture was given by Frank Krusen and was titled “Historical Development in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation During the Last 40 Years.“2 The subsequent 30 lecture titles and speakers are listed in table 1 .2-31 Although it is difficult to categorize these talks, I note 15 lectures on history, 9 on disease management, 5 on health policy, and 1 on research. Dr. Zeiter was instrumental in the development of our specialty. His organizational talents and diplomacy helped us collaborate to achieve solutions to problems facing the specialty. It is with this in mind that I have titled my lecture “Issues and Challenges for Physiatry in the Coming Decade.” Our history helps to define most of these issues.
Developmental evolution of the sexual process in ancient flowering plant lineages.

Recent investigations of ancient angiosperm lineages are yielding data critical to a fundamental reassessment of the origin and early evolution of flowering plants. To “reconstruct” the reproductive features of the earliest flowering plants, biological characters must be examined in an
Infection-Dependent Nuclear Localization of US17, a Member of the US12 Family of Human Cytomegalovirus-Encoded Seven-Transmembrane Proteins

The human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) US12 gene family is a group of predicted seven-transmembrane, G-protein-coupled receptor-related proteins, about which little is known. Specific rabbit polyclonal antibodies detected US17 and US18 beginning 54 and 36 h after infection, respectively, with expression of both proteins dependent on viral DNA synthesis. While US14 and US18 are expressed exclusively in the cytoplasm, we unexpectedly found abundant expression of US17 in both the cytoplasm and nucleoplasm. N- and C-terminally tagged versions of US17 were readily detected in the cytoplasm of transfected mammalian cells, but not in nuclei, suggesting that nuclear localization involves other viral proteins or an infection-triggered cellular process. There was no specific colocalization between US17 and other nuclear expressed HCMV-encoded proteins (IE-2, DNA polymerase processivity factor, and pp28/UL99). To determine whether the observed nuclear localization might be the product of a process by which a soluble C-terminal segment of the full-length protein is expressed, we constructed a recombinant virus that incorporates a synthetic epitope at its N terminus, which in conjunction with the antipeptide antibody that targets its predicted cytoplasmic C-terminal segment, enables simultaneous independent detection of both termini. In cells infected with the recombinant, the US17 N and C termini had limited colocalization, with the N-terminal segment not detected in nuclei, supporting the segmentation hypothesis. Consistent with this, a fragment with an apparent molecular size of 10 kDa was detected by immunoblotting. We have identified the first viral example of a seven-transmembrane protein that is either segmented or expressed in nuclei. Further study will be required to learn the mechanism by which this occurs and the function of the nuclear localizing segment. This likely represents yet another mechanism by which a virus has hijacked or modified cellular regulatory pathways for its benefit.
Core excitations and M1 strengths in the Ca isotopes

Abstract The existence of strong M1 transitions from T = 1 and T = 2 states in 40 Ca provides an interesting challenge to nuclear structure models. We show that the recent M1 data can be reconciled with a shell model study of 40 Ca and that the fragmentation and dissppearance of strengths in 42 Ca and 44 Ca is consistent with a weak-coupling extension of the 40 Ca system in which the M1 strength is divided among T z and T z +1 components.
Using ATOFMS to Determine OC/EC Mass Fractions in Particles

Historically, obtaining quantitative chemical information using laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry for analyzing individual aerosol particles has been quite challenging. This is due in large part to fluctuations in the absolute ion signals resulting from inhomogeneities in the laser beam profile, as well as chemical matrix effects. Progress has been made in quantifying atomic species using high laser powers, but very few studies have been performed quantifying molecular species. In this study, promising results are obtained using a new approach to measure the fraction of organic carbon (OC) associated with elemental carbon (EC) in aerosol particles using single particle laser desorption ionization. A tandem differential mobility analyzer (TDMA) is used to generate OC/EC particles by size selecting EC particles of a given mobility diameter and then coating them with known thicknesses of OC measured using a second DMA. The mass spectra of the OC/EC particles exiting the second DMA are measured us...
Transparency Short‐Circuited: Laughter and Numbers in Costa Rican Water Politics

Between 2006 and 2009, a group of Costa Rican NGOs, a Spanish aid agency, and local residents were entangled in the pursuit of transparency as a means to allocate funding for their “human right to water” project initiatives. Designed as a series of pedagogical activities to “build” local knowledge about water management, the aid agency conditioned their funding to the honest and correct implementation of the project as revealed by a system of indicators. Against orthodoxy, project leaders were put in charge of designing and implementing the auditing system, an arrangement that short-circuited the foundational separation between observers and observed that is customary in transparency-creation projects and gave the whole initiative an experimental quality. This article examines the building of that indicator system, my informants’ own fascination with producing “speaking numbers,” and the punctuated but constitutive role that laughter played in the process. I suggest that numeric indicators and laughter make the audit speak about intensity and emphasis rather than about the exclusive and discrete categories on which transparency is usually predicated. Here, the audit allowed political actors to rework the potential of water governance technologies, rather than limiting them to their explicit possibilities, in order to constitute what project participants imagine as an integral form of political agency. I argue that paying attention to the in-between process of creating the audit, before its final results are disclosed, highlights the self-referential, short-circuited, and productive uses of transparency as a political device.
Diagnostics and analysis of incident and vapor shield plasmas in PLADIS I, a coaxial deflagration gun for tokamak disruption simulation

Tokamak disruption simulation experiments have been conducted at the University of New Mexico using the PLADIS I plasma gun system. Earlier work had characterized the plasma-surface interaction in terms of parameters such as incident energy from bucket calorimeter measurements and rough measurements of beam area from flat damage targets. A variety of new plasma diagnostics have been used to further investigate the characteristics of the incident plasma beam and vapor shield plasma in a simulated tokamak disruption. These diagnostics have included laser interferometry, two-color pyrometry, emission spectroscopy, and other methods to quantify the characteristics of the incident and vapor shield plasmas of a simulated tokamak disruption. The synthesis of different beam area measurement techniques is used to determine the radial structure of the plasma beam. Vacuum ultra violet spectroscopy is used to determine the thickness and internal structure of the vapor shield plasma. Results from two-color optical pyrometry and surface pressure measurements are used to determine the dynamics of vapor shield formation.
Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide: a review of the empirical data from the United States.

For more than a decade, there has been an intense debate about the ethics and legality of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide (PAS) in the United States. 1-5 In June 1997, the US Supreme Court unanimously ruled that there is neither a constitutional right nor a constitutional prohibition to euthanasia or PAS. 6,7 This permitted Oregon to experiment with legalizing PAS. During this decade, most other states have consistently opposed legalization. In the weeks after the US Supreme Court decision, the Florida Supreme Court also ruled that there is no constitutional right to PAS. 8 At least 7 state legislatures have voted to explicitly prohibit euthanasia and PAS. 9 Indeed, a bill to legalize euthanasia or PAS has been considered by a full chamber of a state legislature in only one state, Maine, and that bill was defeated 99 to 42. 10 In November 1998, 70% of the voters of Michigan resoundingly defeated a referendum to legalize PAS, while in November 2000 Maine voters also rejected legalizing PAS. 11
The l/sup 1/ sampled-data problem for controllers with optimal samplers and optimal hold functions

Considers several versions of the l/sup 1/ sampled-data control design problem. Given a continuous-time plant, with continuous-time performance objectives, expressed in terms of the L/sup /spl infin//-induced norm, the author considers two possible controller configurations. The first is a controller with sampled measurements and continuous-time control signals, and the second is a controller with continuous-time measurements but with fixed hold functions for the controls. These problems lead to optimal "hold functions", and optimal sampling operations respectively. The author shows that these two problems are in some sense dual problems. These problems differs from standard discrete-time methods in that it takes into consideration the inter-sample behavior of the closed loop system. The resulting closed loop system dynamics consist of both continuous-time and discrete-time dynamics and thus such systems are known as hybrid systems. These problems further differ from standard so-called sampled-data problems in that the sampler and hold operations are not both fixed, but are allowed to be part of the design process. The author addresses two main issues, namely the structure and parametrization of such types of controllers, and a computational procedure for designing such l/sup 1/ optimal controllers. The controllers in question represent systems with discrete-time inputs and continuous-time outputs (or vice versa), and the author shows that such systems are most conveniently parametrized in terms of their lifted representations. Furthermore, the author shows that for linear time-invariant (LTI) plants, the optimal performance is achieved by controllers that have LTI lifted representations. This settles the issue of controller structure, which is then exploited to obtain a convergent approximate procedure for reducing the problem to a standard l/sup 1/ discrete-time problem. The structure of the resulting optimal controllers, and the convergence properties of the approximation procedure are closely analysed.
Uncertainty reduction using dynamics

For assembly tasks parts often have to be oriented before they can be put in an assembly. We present a new approach to parts orienting through the manipulation of pose distributions. Through dynamic simulation we can determine the pose distribution for an object being dropped from an arbitrary height on an arbitrary surface. By varying the drop height and the shape of the support surface we can find the initial conditions that will result in a pose distribution with minimal entropy. We attempt to uniquely orient a part with high probability just by varying the initial conditions. We derive a condition on the pose and velocity of an object in contact with a sloped surface that will allow us to quickly determine the final resting configuration of the object. This condition can then be used to quickly compute the pose distribution. We also show simulation and experimental results which confirm that our dynamic simulator can be used to find the true pose distribution of an object.
Expectations in the Foreign Language Classrooms: A Case Study

Research shows the strong correlation between expectations and student achievement across different disciplines. However, little research has been conducted regarding the role of discipline specific classroom expectations in student academic achievement. This multiple instrumental case study discusses expectations in two rural Spanish high school classrooms in which teachers produced the highest achieving students. The data was collected through classroom observations, one-on-one audiotaped interviews with teachers and exploration of instructional materials. The study provides insights about the role of expectations in foreign language classrooms and offers examples of foreign language pedagogical practices that reflect high expectations. The study concludes that expectations shape the learning process in Spanish high school classrooms and contribute to high student achievement. Foreign language educators, faculty of teacher preparation programs, employees of professional development institutes, administrators and state teacher education policy makers will benefit from findings of the study by receiving a better understanding of the role of expectations in the foreign language classroom. Keywords: Foreign Language, Expectations, Teacher Education, Student Achievement, Case Study Being a good teacher is a lot like being a good gardener. Good gardeners are optimistic and patient. They are able to see the potential in those struggling young seedlings and enjoy watching them grow, develop and bloom. They give special tender loving care to those few plants that are struggling and not thriving. They don’t blame the plant when it’s not performing well; they check the growing conditions. Is the soil the plant is growing in suitable or does it need amending? Does the plant need more water; does the plant need less water? Does the plant need more sunshine; does the plant need less sunshine? Good gardeners are good problem solvers. (Hartjes, E. 2009, December 9)
Grassland species loss resulting from reduced niche dimension

Intact ecosystems contain large numbers of competing but coexisting species. Although numerous alternative theories have provided potential explanations for this high biodiversity, there have been few field experiments testing between these theories. In particular, theory predicts that higher diversity of coexisting competitors could result from greater niche dimensionality, for example larger numbers of limiting resources or factors. Alternatively, diversity could be independent of niche dimensionality because large numbers of species can coexist when limited by just one or two factors if species have appropriate trade-offs. Here we show that plant coexistence and diversity result from the 'niche dimensionality' of a habitat. Plant species numbers decreased with increasing numbers of added limiting soil resources (soil moisture, nitrogen, phosphorus and base cations), which is consistent with theoretical predictions that an increased supply of multiple limiting resources can reduce niche dimension. An observational field study gave similar results. The niche dimension hypothesis also explained diversity changes in the classic Park Grass Experiment at Rothamsted. Our results provide an alternative mechanistic explanation for the effects of nutrient eutrophication on the diversity of terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems.
Retrieval of directional coronary atherectomy guiding catheter with angioplasty balloon catheter

Directional coronary atherectomy (DCA) has been shown to be a safe and effective treatment for occlusive coronary artery disease. We report a case of an atherectomy guiding catheter severing in two with successful retrieval of the dislodged segment by an integrated angioplasty balloon catheter system. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Satellite path diversity reception at 11.4 GHz: direct measurements, radar observations, and model predictions

Two-site diversity gain measurements made with a pair of 11.4 GHz satellite beacon receivers are compared to predictions based on dual-polarized radar reflectivity data and to values calculated from the Hodge model. All three agree closely. Examinations of data for a third path synthesized from radar data alone indicate that baseline orientation has a negligible effect on diversity gain. >
Religiosity as a public good

Public Goods can be seen as one important way in which societies sustain themselves over time. These are part of the puzzle of the development of political order. Public goods like the rule of law are non- substractable and non-excludable . For economists the classic textbook examples are national defense and police protection. In this paper I argue that religiosity can function like police protection, a means of sustaining order through fear of punishment from a transcendent source. As a means of reducing defection from social norms it has a role to play as a public good. But religion cannot at the same time be seen as the source of such norms or dissention will undermine the very order that punishment seems to reinforce.
The Discourse of Resistance: Colonialism, Gandhi and the Problematic of Autonomy

The paper discusses the nature of the colonial discourse regarding India, the problems it posed for nationalist opposing colonial rule, and Gandhi’s successful answer to that problem. The first part of the paper discusses how the colonial discourse produced a particular idea of the Indian society – as passive, backwards and fractured – whereby it was dependent on an external political body for its cohesion and security. Most early nationalists tried to make a claim for the independence of India by challenging those categories – passiveness or backwardness – without questioning the discourse which structured the state-society relationship. In the second part we show that Gandhi’s success as a politician lay in his ability to critique that discourse and its constitutive elements, and freeing the social imagination from it.
Neurotensin and Substance P Inhibit Low- and High-Voltage-Activated Ca2+ Channels in Cultured Newborn Rat Nucleus Basalis Neurons

Margeta-Mitrovic, Marta, John J. Grigg, Konomi Koyano, Yasuko Nakajima, and Shigehiro Nakajima. Neurotensin and substance P inhibit low- and high-voltage-activated Ca2+ channels in cultured newborn...
The effects of teenage childbearing on adult soft skills development

Research examining impacts of teenage childbearing on economic and social outcomes have focused on completed schooling and labor force outcomes. In this paper, we examine outcomes that have remained largely unexplored, soft skills and personality. We use Add Health data to construct relevant controls for teenage mothers and explore a set of measures that proxy for what is usually deemed in economics as “non-cognitive” or “soft skill” traits. We find that teenage childbearing increases impulsivity, a trait that has been found to have negative effects on a large set of outcomes and has a negative effect on other personality traits perceived as positive, such as openness to experiences. Our results remain consistent through a set of robustness checks, and we interpret our findings to suggest that adolescence may be a sensitive period for the development of soft skills and that childbearing may interrupt this process.
Engineering Biomaterial-Drug Conjugates for Local and Sustained Chemotherapeutic Delivery.

The standard of care for cancer patients includes surgical resection, radiation, and chemotherapy with cytotoxic chemotherapy drugs usually part of the treatment. However, these drugs are commonly associated with cardiotoxicity, ototoxicity, nephrotoxicity, peripheral neuropathy, and myelosuppression. Strategies to deliver cytotoxic chemotherapy drugs while reducing secondary toxicity and increasing tumor dosing would therefore be desirable. This goal can be achieved through the use of controlled release drug carrier systems. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of clinically used drug carrier systems and recently developed approaches for drug–biomaterial conjugation.
Stabilizing high-valent metal ions with a ketimide ligand set: synthesis of Mn(N=C(t)Bu2)4.

Reaction of MnCl2 with 4 equiv of Li(N═CtBu2) generates [Li(THF)]2[Mn(N═CtBu2)4] (1) in 80% yield. Oxidation of 1 with 0.5 equiv of I2 produces [Li][Mn(N═CtBu2)4] (2) in 88% yield. Both complexes 1...
Can community consciousness be a bad thing? A moderated mediation analysis of heterosexism, mental health and body appreciation in sexual minority men

AbstractThis study examined the connections between heterosexism, mental health, body appreciation and community consciousness in sexual minority men (SMM). Participants (n = 89) completed a national online survey. Simultaneous multiple regressions found that heterosexism explained 9.4% of the variance in body appreciation and 25.8% of the variance in mental health; mental health accounted for 28.0% of the variance in body appreciation. Within these models, harassment/rejection heterosexism was a unique positive predictor of mental health problems and a unique negative predictor of body appreciation; depression was a unique negative predictor of body appreciation. A moderated mediational model found that depression mediated the relationship between harassment/rejection heterosexism and body appreciation, but only in men who endorsed high community consciousness. Intervention research might benefit from helping SMM explore the ways in which body image is affected by heterosexism and mental health, as well ...
enDebug: A hardware–software framework for automated energy debugging

Abstract Energy consumption by software applications is one of the critical issues that determine the future of multicore software development. Inefficient software has been often cited as a major reason for wasteful energy consumption in computing systems. Without adequate tools, programmers and compilers are often left to guess the regions of code to optimize, that results in frustrating and unfruitful attempts at improving application energy. In this paper, we propose enDebug, an energy debugging framework that aims to automate the process of energy debugging. It first profiles the application code for high energy consumption using a hardware–software cooperative approach. Based on the observed application energy profile, an automated recommendation system that utilizes artificial selection genetic programming is used to generate the energy optimizing program mutants while preserving functional accuracy. We demonstrate the usefulness of our framework using several Splash-2, PARSEC-1.0 and SPEC CPU2006 benchmarks, where we were able to achieve up to 7% energy savings beyond the highest compiler optimization (including profile guided optimization) settings on real-world Intel Core i7 processors.
Treatment of Clinical Paratuberculosis in Cattle

Paratuberculosis is a chronic, fatal condition that is usually clinically undetectable until the onset of copious diarrhea. Paratuberculosis is caused by Mycobacterium paratuberculosis. Successful eradication of paratuberculosis depends on the early detection of infected animals, allowing removal of carrier animals from the herd. Treatment for paratuberculosis is therefore rarely indicated or undertaken. Treatment may, however, be considered in ruminants of exceptional genetic value or in companion animals.
Thermal analysis of astronaut traverse in mechanical counter pressure spacesuit on Mars

The current portable life support system (PLSS) architecture for extravehicular activity (EVA) is not optimized for the increased gravity level and thin, cold atmosphere of Mars. The thermoregulation subsystem requires the sublimation of consumable water. Mechanical counter pressure (MCP) suits can leverage the interaction between the Mars atmosphere and the astronaut to simplify astronaut thermoregulation and reduce dependence upon consumables. We present a novel approach for integrating a high-fidelity Mars weather model with a highresolution, transient human thermoregulation model to analyze the performance and inform the design of an MCP suit for Mars. We model the metabolic profile of an EVA under “hot” environmental conditions and analyze core body temperature and localized sensation. We conclude that core temperature is within physiological limits. Allowance for modest sweat evaporation (Qevap = 54–62 W) prevents heat exhaustion in this model, suggesting the regulation of evaporative cooling as a possible thermal control system.
Genetic backgrounds determine brown remodeling of white fat in rodents

Abstract Objective Genetic background largely contributes to the complexity of metabolic responses and dysfunctions. Induction of brown adipose features in white fat, known as brown remodeling, has been appreciated as a promising strategy to offset the positive energy balance in obesity and further to improve metabolism. Here we address the effects of genetic background on this process. Methods We investigated browning remodeling in a depot-specific manner by comparing the response of C57BL/6J, 129/Sv and FVB/NJ mouse strains to cold. Results Surprisingly, 129/Sv and FVB/NJ mice showed distinct brown remodeling features despite their similar resistance to metabolic disorders in comparison to the obesity-prone C57BL/6J mice. FVB/NJ mice demonstrated a preference of brown remodeling in inguinal subcutaneous white adipose tissue (iWAT), whereas 129/Sv mice displayed robust brown remodeling in visceral epididymal fat (eWAT). We further compared gene expression in different depots by RNA-sequencing and identified Hoxc10 as a novel “brake” of brown remodeling in iWAT. Conclusion Rodent genetic background determines the brown remodeling of different white fat depots. This study provides new insights into the role of genetic variation in fat remodeling in susceptibility to metabolic diseases.