cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Plains Sioux and U.S. Colonialism from Lewis and Clark to Wounded Knee

Introduction: colonialism, agency and power Part I. Conquest: 1. 'Vilest Miscreants of the Savage Race': the Plains Sioux in an empire of liberty 2. 'Futile Efforts to Subjugate Them': failures of conquest 3. 'Doubtless an Unauthorized Promise': the politics of the Great Sioux war 4. 'Force is the Only Thing': the killing of Crazy Horse Part II. Colonialism: 5. 'We Were Raised in This Country': claiming place 6. 'I Work So Much It Makes Me Poor': the reservation economy 7. 'Just as Well with My Hair On': colonial education 8. 'All Men are Different': the politics of religion and culture 9. 'Great Trouble and Bad Feeling': government agents and Sioux leaders 10. 'Enough to Crush Us Down': struggles for Land Part III. Anticolonialism and the State: 11. 'When the Earth Shakes Do Not Be Afraid': the Ghost Dance as an anticolonial movement 12. 'To Bring My People Back into the Hoop': the development of the Lakota Ghost Dance 13. 'The Most Serious Indian War of Our History': the army's invasion 14. 'If He Fights, Destroy Him': the road to Wounded Knee 15. 'A Valley of Death': Wounded Knee Conclusion: after Wounded Knee.
A Gauge model-based analysis of: Reduction(s) in osmolyte infusion interval and its effects on the aggregate measure of systemic failure for a unicellular system

This is a companion to A Gauge model for analysis of Biological systems. Here we reconcile the gauge model with a “real” system, which in this case is a unicellular system. We address effects of infusion of free osmolytes into an intracellular space of interest, and how changes to the frequency of infusion affects the aggregate measure of systemic failure. We also describe limitations to the functionality of the system that may stem from a limited availability of resources. We end by introducing a theoretical problem related to how well the system can tolerate random and extreme changes to the frequency of osmolytes presented via infusion.  Contact info: email ivjeffeke@gmail.com M.D candidate at Morehouse School Of Medicine PeerJ PrePrints | https://dx.doi.org/10.7287/peerj.preprints.1163v2 | CC-BY 4.0 Open Access | rec: 7 Jul 2015, publ: 7 Jul 2015 P re P rin ts Reduction(s) in Osmolyte Infusion Interval and its effect on the Aggregate Measure of Systemic Failure
Suggested Resources for the Practitioner

This chapter was developed with the practitioner in mind. Its primary goal is to be a handy reference for the enumerable resources needed and used by the practitioner in chronic kidney disease (CKD). The chapter’s organization includes four basic sections: (1) evidence-based practice guidelines, (2) diet-related resources and food lists, (3) critical tools for conducting nutrition assessments and delivering quality care, and (4) internet websites and applications. Much of what is contained in this chapter may augment topics already presented and discussed in earlier chapters.
View planning for cityscape archiving and visualization

This work explores full registration of scenes in a large area purely based images for city indexing and visualization. Ground-based images including route panoramas, scene tunnels, panoramic views, and spherical views are acquired in the area and are associated with geospatial information. In this paper, we plan distributed locations and paths in the urban area based on the visibility, image properties, image coverage, and scene importance for image acquisition. The criterion is to use a small number of images to cover as large scenes as possible. LIDAR data are used in this view evaluation and real data are acquired accordingly. The extended images realize a compact and complete visual data archiving, which will enhance the perception of spatial relations of scenes.
Nuclear medicine techniques for the detection of active alveolar bone loss.

The use of bone-seeking radiopharmaceutical uptake (BSRU) as an indicator of periodontal disease activity was assessed in untreated beagles with naturally occurring periodontal disease, and in beagles treated with the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, flurbiprofen. In untreated beagles, a single uptake measurement was indicative of the rate of bone loss subsequently determined by sequential radiographs. Beagles treated with flurbiprofen demonstrated a significant decrease in rate of bone loss and a corresponding decrease in BSRU. Transfer of this technology to untreated human subjects with moderate to severe periodontal disease also showed a positive correlation between a single measurement of BSRU and the rate of bone loss determined from sequential radiographs. Analysis of these data shows that a single BSRU examination may be indicative of periodontal disease activity.
HIV/age of first sexual encounter.

We congratulate Hein et al1 on their study comparing teenagers who are HIV-infected with those who are not. Although this study was quite detailed in its investigation of infection risk factors, we would like to know whether they considered two other potentially important risk factors in their investigation. The first is the age of the sexual partner. There is reason to believe that teenagers who have older sexual partners are at substantially greater risk of HIV infection than teenagers who have age-equivalent partners.
On the suspension of law and the total transformation of labour Reflections on the philosophy of history in Walter Benjamin’s ‘Critique of Violence’

This paper argues for the contemporary significance of the ‘Critique of Violence’ by proposing a Benjaminian reading of two important analyses of the relationship between history, politics and the Rights of Man: Hegel’s account of the French Revolution and the concept of dissensus proposed by Jacques Ranciere. For both Hegel and Ranciere, the gap between right and reality – between the ideal of equality, for example, and the existence of concrete inequality – does not warrant a rejection of the Rights of Man. Rather, the gap is a constitutive condition of law and political rights. From the perspective of Benjamin’s ‘Critique of Violence’, however, these analyses serve to perpetuate a bourgeois legality, one that both Hegel and Ranciere acknowledge can never be realized due to the constitutive discrepancy between right and reality. In preserving the promise of legal equality, these analyses preclude the possibility of a suspension or ‘absolution’ from law. This suspension of law is a task that Benjamin ide...
Indications and timing for the bidirectional Glenn shunt versus the fenestrated Fontan circulation

The traditional approach to the child with a single ventricle over the past 20 years has been a neonatal palliative operation followed by a Fontan procedure when pulmonary resistance is judged to be sufficiently low. Although the ideal age for the Fontan procedure was never clear, a completed ("nonfenestrated") Fontan-type circulation was generally believed to offer the best longterm quality of life to any child with a single ventricle. In 1988 my group! and others added the bidirectional Glenn shunt as an interim step in this pathway, especially for children who were considered to be at high risk for a onestep Fontan procedure, as was our experience with children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome. In 1989 an additional interim step was added in the form of the "fenestrated Fontan."2 Since that time I have been impressed by the excellent palliation achieved by these intermediate steps. In fact, the question as to when or even whether to proceed to the next step in the pathway is being asked of surgeons with increasing frequency by cardiologists and particularly by parents.
Measuring aggression in older adults: a latent variable modeling approach.

This cross-sectional measurement study demonstrates a technique for combining information from several aggression scales into one aggression score using latent variable modeling. Participants included male patients ( n = 49) with a DSM-IV diagnosis of dementia at The Veterans Affairs Medical Center Outpatient Geriatric Psychiatry Clinic. Data from seven aggression scales were used to indicate the latent aggression variable. Results provided evidence that a unidimensional latent variable model of aggression adequately represented the data. Reliability of the aggression latent variable was estimated as 0.90, whereas reliability of the separate scales estimated with this sample were less than 0.84. Our findings suggest that combining multiple scales into one aggression score using latent variable modeling results in comprehensive and reliable aggression scores that offer researchers several advantages over current methods for measuring aggression.
Medicine and ethics. How to allocate transplantable organs

Organ transplantation has made tremendous strides in the last decade. The demand for transplantable organs has far outstripped the supply; waiting lists have grown long and patients are dying for want of vital organs. Therefore policies and criteria that guide the allocation of transplantable organs become ever more important. Over the years, allocation policies have evolved by including both medical and ethical considerations, and much work has gone into defining and analyzing components of such policies. However, they have often grown by accretion, and a parallel analysis of both sets of approaches did not occur. This article attempts to integrate medical and ethical considerations, and to develop a schema that will permit review, redefinition, and--it is hoped--development of a fairer, more equitable and responsive allocation system.
Fixed-alternate routing and wavelength conversion in wavelength-routed optical networks

Consider an optical network which employs wavelength-routing crossconnects that enable the establishment of wavelength-division-multiplexed (WDM) connections between node pairs. In such a network, when there is no wavelength conversion, a connection is constrained to be on the same wavelength channel along its route. Alternate routing can improve the blocking performance of such a network by providing multiple possible paths between node pairs. Wavelength conversion can also improve the blocking performance of such a network by allowing a connection to use different wavelengths along its route. This work proposes an approximate analytical model that incorporates alternate routing and sparse wavelength conversion. We perform simulation studies of the relationships between alternate routing and wavelength conversion on three representative network topologies. We demonstrate that alternate routing generally provides significant benefits, and that it is important to design alternate routes between node pairs in an optimized fashion to exploit the connectivity of the network topology. The empirical results also indicate that fixed-alternate routing with a small number of alternate routes asymptotically approaches adaptive routing in blocking performance.
SU-C-103-07: Employing Compressed Sensing to Improve Tracking Image Quality of the MRI-Guided Radiotherapy System

Purpose: To validate the feasibility of using compressed sensing to improve spatial resolution and image quality of motion tracking images for MRI guided radiotherapy system. Methods: This study was performed on a commercial low field 0.35T MRI‐guided radiotherapy system using the ACR phantom. The phantom was moved along the feet‐head direction 9 times to mimic motion with relative positions of 0cm, 5mm, 11mm, 15mm, 20mm, 17mm, 13mm, 8mm and 3mm, respectively. For each position, two images were acquired in the sagittal orientation using the standard TrueFISP sequence. One used the standard clinical protocol to acquire images with a spatial resolution of 3.5mm and a temporal resolution of 4 frames per second (FPS). The other was acquired with a higher spatial resolution (2.0mm) but at a lower temporal resolution (0.7 FPS). Compressed sensing (CS) was used to achieve 5.6‐fold acceleration and restore the temporal resolution of tracking images to 4 FPS. Images reconstructed using the CS technique were compared qualitatively to the standard technique as well as the low temporal, high spatial resolution images without utilizing the CS technique. Results: Image quality of the high spatial and high temporal resolution tracking images utilizing the CS technique was very close to the high spatial and low temporal resolution tracking images without utilizing the CS technique, and much better than the tracking images offered by the standard imaging protocol. Conclusion: Our results confirmed that the CS technique could accelerate the image acquisition speed nearly 6 times while maintaining similar image quality. Therefore, it could be used to significantly improve the spatial resolution of the low‐field MRI guided radiotherapy tracking images without sacrificing the temporal resolution.
β-Glucosaminidase activity of soils: effect of cropping systems and its relationship to nitrogen mineralization

The enzyme β-glucosaminidase (EC 3.2.1.30) is involved in C and N cycling in soils. The effects of crop rotations and N fertilization on β-glucosaminidase activity and its relationship to N mineralization were studied in soils of two long-term field experiments involving different cropping systems at the Northeast Research Center (NERC) and Clarion-Webster Research Center (CWRC) in Iowa that were initiated in 1978 and 1954, respectively. Surface soil samples (0–15 cm) were taken in 1996 and 1997 in corn (Zea mays L.), soybean [Glycine max (L) Merr.], oats (Avena sativa L.), or meadow (alfalfa; Medicago sativa L.) plots that received 0 or 180 kg N ha–1 before corn and an annual application of 20 kg P and 56 kg K ha–1. The β-glucosaminidase activity in the soils was assayed at optimal pH (acetate buffer, pH 5.5); microbial biomass C (Cmic) and N (Nmic) were determined by chloroform-fumigation methods; N mineralization was studied in leaching columns under aerobic conditions at 30°C for 24 weeks. The activities of β-glucosaminidase were significantly affected by crop rotation (P 0.84*** and r >0.79*** at the NERC and CWRC sites, respectively). The results suggest that β-glucosaminidase plays a major role in N mineralization in soils and is affected by cropping systems, i.e. ecosystem function and health.
Explanation and categorization: How “why?” informs “what?”

Recent theoretical and empirical work suggests that explanation and categorization are intimately related. This paper explores the hypothesis that explanations can help structure conceptual representations, and thereby influence the relative importance of features in categorization decisions. In particular, features may be differentially important depending on the role they play in explaining other features or aspects of category membership. Two experiments manipulate whether a feature is explained mechanistically, by appeal to proximate causes, or functionally, by appeal to a function or goal. Explanation type has a significant impact on the relative importance of features in subsequent categorization judgments, with functional explanations reversing previously documented effects of 'causal status'. The findings suggest that a feature's explanatory importance can impact categorization, and that explanatory relationships, in addition to causal relationships, are critical to understanding conceptual representation.
Temperature-Sensitive Mutants of Respiratory Syncytial Virus: In-Vivo Studies in Hamsters

Respiratory syncytial (RS) virus is the most important cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia during infancy and early childhood [1]. For this reason a high priority has been given to the development of a vaccine that could be used to prevent the considerable morbidity and mortality caused by the virus. Initial attempts were directed toward the development of an inactivated, parenterally administered vaccine. Unfortunately, a vaccine of this type, which stimulated high levels of serum neutralizing antibody, did not provide protection against naturally occurring infection [2]. In fact, when infected with RS virus, the vaccinees developed more serious illness than their unvaccinated cohorts [2]. As a result of these experiments, attention has shifted toward the development of viral strains that could be used in a live attenuated vaccine
Temperature dependence of the reaction NO + NO3 - 2NO2

The flash photolysis-visible absorption technique has been used to measure rate constants for the reaction NO + NO3 2NO2 over the temperature range 224-328 K. The temperature dependence of the rate constant is given by the expression K1(T) = (1.59 + or - 0.32) x 10 to the -11th exp(122/T)cu cm/molecule/s where the stated uncertainties refer to the + or - sigma limits from both random and systematic errors.
cDNA analysis predicts a cornea-specific collagen.

Abstract In the development of chicken corneal stroma, two or more collagens often interact, either as constituents of a single heterotypic fibril or as components of the fibril surface. The latter, fibril-associated collagens, may facilitate interactions between fibrils and the surrounding extracellular matrix or between fibrils themselves. In an effort to isolate putative nonfibrillar collagens that may have such a function, we screened a 13-day embryonic cornea cDNA library under reduced stringency conditions, using a cDNA probe for a collagenous domain of type XII collagen. We isolated a 4.2-kilobase (kb) cDNA that predicts a "collagenous" protein that has three unusual, if not unique, features. (i) The putative polypeptide encoded by this cDNA has a structural arrangement in which numerous stretches of Gly-Xaa-Yaa triplets, typical of collagens, are interrupted by non-Gly-Xaa-Yaa regions. One of the potential triple-helical domains is 246 amino acids long, but most are much smaller, consisting of 15-36 amino acids. Many are very rich in the helix-stabilizing imino acid proline. (ii) Northern blot analyses demonstrated strong cDNA hybridization to a 6.8-kb mRNA whose expression is restricted to the cornea. No hybridization was observed to mRNAs from the nine other tissues used in these analyses, even with extended exposure of the film. (iii) The cDNA contains a short (less than or equal to 425-base-pair) sequence in the 3' untranslated region of the 6.8-kb mRNA that hybridizes to a 7.8-kb mRNA that has a wide tissue distribution.
A tractable model for rate in noise limited mmWave cellular networks

The use of millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrum for future cellular systems can be made possible with the use of directional antenna arrays and dense base station deployments. MmWave broadband networks exhibit fundamentally different behaviors compared to conventional sub-3 GHz cellular systems. Prominently, interference and path loss models and the corresponding effect on rate need to be re-examined. We propose a general and tractable model to capture and analyze the key distinguishing features of mmWave cellular networks, and characterize the user rate distribution in such networks. The proposed model and analysis are validated by simulations using real building locations in a region of New York in conjunction with empirically measured mmWave path loss models. Using both the proposed model and simulations, it is shown that unlike interference-limited nature of 4G cellular networks, mmWave cellular networks often tend to be noise-limited, and coverage heavily relies on a user being able to received sufficient power from the serving BS. Further, the cell edge rates are shown to be limited mostly by the base station density and are not necessarily improved by increasing the bandwidth of the system.
Short-term tracheal occlusion corrects pulmonary vascular anomalies in the fetal lamb with diaphragmatic hernia.

Background: Sustained fetal tracheal occlusion (TO) results in accelerated lung growth but causes severe type II cell depletion. Temporary TO fails to cause lung growth in a congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) model but preserves type II cells and corrects pulmonary hypertension. Herein, we study the pulmonary vascular changes caused by temporary TO. Methods: CDH was created in 12 fetal lambs (65-70 d; term, 145 days). In 6 lambs, the trachea was occluded for 2 weeks (CDH + TO; 108-122 d). Animals were killed at 136 days. The lungs were processed with elastin stains and anti-α-smooth muscle actin antibody. Partial or circumferential presence of inner and outer elastic lamina was used to determine muscularization of pulmonary arterioles. The percent of medial wall thickness was plotted against vessel diameter for each group. Results: Lung weight/body weight was smaller in lambs with CDH (1.35% ± 0.56%) and CDH + TO (1.70% ± 0.34%) than in control lambs (3.55% ± 0.56%; P <.05, single-factor analysis of variance). The smallest muscularized vessel was 113 ± 50 μm, and the largest nonmuscularized vessel was 138 ± 49 μm in lambs with CDH, significantly different from control lambs (185 ± 69 μm and 350 ± 116 μm, respectively) and lambs with CDH + TO (185 ± 97 μm and 245 ± 100 μm, respectively; P <.05). In lambs with CDH, only 25% of vessels of less than 60 μm were nonmuscularized, compared with 81% in control lambs (P <.05) and 74% in lambs with CDH + TO. Conclusions. Temporary tracheal occlusion, from 108 to 122 days, corrects the abnormal muscularization of pulmonary arterioles seen in CDH. These morphometric findings parallel physiologic results at birth and further suggest that short-term occlusion, which preserves surfactant-producing type II pneumocytes without lung growth, may be sufficient to improve neonatal outcome of diaphragmatic hernia. (Surgery 2000;128:266-72.)
Sensitivity enhancement in solid state (15)N NMR by indirect detection with high-speed magic angle spinning.

Abstract Enhancement of sensitivity in solid state 15 N NMR by indirect detection through 1 H NMR signals under high-speed magic angle spinning and high-field conditions is demonstrated experimentally on two 15 N-labeled peptides, polycrystalline AlaGlyGly and the helix-forming, 17-residue peptide MB(i + 4)EK in lyophilized form. Sensitivity enhancement factors ranging from 2.0 to 3.2 are observed experimentally, depending on the 15 N and 1 H linewidths and polarization transfer efficiencies. The 1 H-detected two-dimensional 1 H/ 15 N correlation spectrum of AlaGlyGly illustrates the possibility of increased spectral resolution and resonance assignments in indirectly detected experiments, in addition to the sensitivity enhancement.
A CLASS II, DIVISION 1 MALOCCLUSION: A MALOCCLUSION WITH A SIGNIFICANT MANDIBULAR ARCH LENGTH DEFICIENCY

The malocclusion had a dental asymmetry that was corrected with the extraction of the maxillary right and left premolars and the mandibular left first premolar. Treatment objectives included: alleviation of maxillary and mandibular arch length deficiencies, maintenance of the maxillary midline conincident with the facial midline, correction of the mandibular midline which was off to the right, overbite and overjet correction, and attainment of a Class I canine relationship on the right side. [This case was presented to the American Board of Orthodontics in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the certification process conducted by the Board.]
HOME CANNING OF FOOD: RISKS RESULTING FROM ERRORS IN PROCESSING

Possible processing errors in home canning are considered in two categories. Variation that occurs during the development of the recommended processing times for home canning are caused primarily by incorrect measurements and faulty assumptions. Specific sources of variation considered in this category include temperature measurement error, faulty location of thermocouples, inadequate venting, errors in the D and z value, variability in the z value over the temperature range of interest and within-product variation, Errors that occur in the home may be attributed to mistakes or equipment variation. Inaccurate pressure control and timing of the canning process are the major sources of equipment variation. Each source of error is analyzed in terms of the increased risk of food poisoning or spoilage because of insufficient processing or the additional loss of thiamine, chlorophyll and overall quality due to over processing. The most significant sources of variation (within-product, pressure regulation, and timing accuracy in the home) are combined to form a standard deviation which can be utilized to recommend processing times for canning selected products at 68 or 103 kPa (10 or 15 psi).
Molecular Models for the Stereochemical Structures of Fumonisin B1 and B2

Assessment of the structural configuration of fumonisin B1 (FB1) and B2 (FB2) would allow better understanding of the behavior of these molecules during isolation or other handling procedures, and their interaction with binding sites or antibodies. Molecular models of the absolute configurations of FB1 and FB2 were calculated using a CAChe WorkSystem™. The electrostatic potential energy surfaces of the minimum potential energy conformations for FB1 and FB2 also were obtained. The models reveal that the backbone and acid side chains for FB1 and FB2 form a spherical globular model. The folded region forms a cage-like feature. It is this feature that suggests that these molecules may be potential chelators. The electrostatic potential surfaces show that most of the exposed surfaces of these molecules are hydrophobic in nature, and that there is a distinct difference between the electrostatic potential surfaces of the FB1 models resulting from the stereochemistry proposed by Shier et al. (1995) and Boyle and Kishi (1995a). The electrostatic surfaces clearly show a different orientation of the hydrophobic tail region of the backbone for FB2 than in the models for FB1.
Time-Resolved Fluorescence of Intestinal and Liver Fatty Acid Binding Proteins: Role of Fatty Acyl CoA and Fatty Acid†

The effect of fatty acyl CoA and fatty acid on the solution structure and dynamics of two intestinal enterocyte fatty acid binding proteins, intestinal (I-FABP) and liver (L-FABP), was examined by ...
Doping for Speed: Colloidal Nanoparticles for Thin-Film Optoelectronics

Solution-processable semiconductor materials ranging from conjugated polymers and small organic molecules to colloidal inorganic nanoparticles are being studied for applications in both low-cost solar cells and photodetectors. High-quality thin films of many inorganic semiconductors can be prepared by techniques such as chemical vapor deposition, molecular beam epitaxy, and atomic layer deposition. In contrast, preparing device-quality films of inorganic materials from colloidal solutions can be more difficult due to the challenge of achieving well-defined doping, controlled trap densities, and reproducible surface chemistry. Nevertheless, solution deposition using colloidal precursors is an attractive goal because of the potential for low-cost, large-area processing. In recent years, a great deal of effort has focused on the colloidal synthesis of wide-band-gap metal oxides such as TiO2, visible-absorbing II−VI compounds such as CdSe, and small-band-gap materials such as PbSe. Much of the work on visible...
Skimming pricing for a class of diffusion models

This paper examines the optimal dynamic pricing policy of a monopolist faced with demand that follows a first-order adjustment process. This adjustment process is assumed to capture the diffusion of a new durable good. Under these conditions the optimal policy has the structure of skimming, i.e. high initial prices followed by monotonically declining prices. This corresponds to the usual notion of a price discriminating monopolist who travels down the demand curve in order to garner all consumer surplus, but with one difference. Specifically, it is seen that when cash flows are not discounted the policy is to travel down a line that is parallel to the demand curve if demand is linear in price. If demand is of the constant elasticity type, the policy is to travel down a curve that is steeper than the demand curve. Finally, when profits are discounted, initial prices are lower than in the undiscounted case, thus increasing the rate of product diffusion initially.
A simplified technique for laparoscopic jejunostomy and gastrostomy tube placement

Abstract Background: Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy and jejunostomy tube placement have long been considered the standard for supplying enteral nutrition when oral intake is not possible. Both have well-documented roles and limitations and are associated with a higher than generally appreciated incidence of aspiration. A distally placed tube in the jejunum decreases the chance of this morbid complication. Additionally, when percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy is indicated but cannot be done for technical reasons, a minimally invasive alternative is desirable. Methods: In prior series, the techniques suggested for laparoscopic enteral access have characteristics that are either difficult for the average surgeon to duplicate, or use nonstandard anchoring techniques of the bowel to the abdominal wall. A simple, laparoscopically directed, percutaneous technique utilizing cost-effective appliances is described, and suggested indications are outlined. Results: This technique has been successfully applied in 46 patients with minimal complications. Conclusions: A simplified technique for laparoscopic jejunostomy and gastrostomy tube placement is described. This has been successfully deployed in 46 patients with minimal morbidity. The procedure lessens the need for sophisticated suturing skills and duplicates standard small bowel to abdominal wall fixation methods.
Computational stability analysis of chatter in turning

Machine tool chatter is one of the major constraints that limits productivity of the turning process. It is a self-excited vibration that is mainly caused by the interaction between the machine-tool/workpiece structure and the cutting process dynamics. This work introduces a general method which avoids lengthy algebraic (symbolic) manipulations in deriving, a characteristic equation. The solution scheme is simple and robust since the characteristic equation is numerically formulated as a single variable equation whose variable is well bounded rather than two nonlinear algebraic equations with unbounded variables. An asymptotic stability index is also introduced for a relative stability analysis. The method can be applied to other machining processes, as long as the system equations can be expressed as a set of linear time invariant difference-differential equations.
Glucose regulation of insulin gene expression in pancreatic β-cells

Production and secretion of insulin from the β-cells of the pancreas is very crucial in maintaining normoglycaemia. This is achieved by tight regulation of insulin synthesis and exocytosis from the β-cells in response to changes in blood glucose levels. The synthesis of insulin is regulated by blood glucose levels at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. Although many transcription factors have been implicated in the regulation of insulin gene transcription, three β-cell-specific transcriptional regulators, Pdx-1 (pancreatic and duodenal homeobox-1), NeuroD1 (neurogenic differentiation 1) and MafA (V-maf musculoaponeurotic fibrosarcoma oncogene homologue A), have been demonstrated to play a crucial role in glucose induction of insulin gene transcription and pancreatic β-cell function. These three transcription factors activate insulin gene expression in a co-ordinated and synergistic manner in response to increasing glucose levels. It has been shown that changes in glucose concentrations modulate the function of these β-cell transcription factors at multiple levels. These include changes in expression levels, subcellular localization, DNA-binding activity, transactivation capability and interaction with other proteins. Furthermore, all three transcription factors are able to induce insulin gene expression when expressed in non-β-cells, including liver and intestinal cells. The present review summarizes the recent findings on how glucose modulates the function of the β-cell transcription factors Pdx-1, NeuroD1 and MafA, and thereby tightly regulates insulin synthesis in accordance with blood glucose levels.
The choice of arboreal escape paths and its consequences for the locomotor behaviour of four species of Anolis lizards

The direction and speed of escape locomotion can affect the ability of an animal to evade a predator, and variation in habitat structure often affects speed. Consequently, the escape paths chosen by animals may affect their performance and subsequent survival. Arboreal locomotion is well suited for gaining insight into the choice of escape routes because of the discrete paths formed by branches. Decreased branch diameter and increased angles between branches can significantly decrease locomotor speeds, but no previous study has determined whether arboreal lizards selectively choose alternative paths. We quantified choice of escape paths and locomotor performance of four syntopic species of arboreal Anolis lizards in their natural habitat and in the laboratory. In the field, species with shorter limbs occurred more commonly on narrow perches than did long-limbed species, but all species favoured escape paths with larger-diameter perches and straighter interperch angles. Thus, short-limbed species used narrower perches than long-limbed species merely as a result of what they encountered, rather than as a result of a biased choice at branching points. In natural vegetation, choosing branches with the largest diameter often results in the straightest path. However, in the laboratory, most lizards preferred large-diameter perches with a sharp turn to continuing a straight path onto a small-diameter perch. Although an overriding preference for larger perch diameter may optimize escape speed within a single perch, a maladaptive side-effect could be a compromise of the overall rate of gaining distance from starting points in paths with turns.
Within-stage racial differences in tumor size and number of positive lymph nodes in women with breast cancer.

BACKGROUND. Black women have higher breast cancer mortality rates, are more likely to be diagnosed at an advanced stage of disease, and have worse stage-for-stage survival than white women. It was hypothesized that differences in the tumor size and number of positive lymph nodes within each disease stage contribute to the survival disparity. METHODS. In the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, black and white women diagnosed with a first primary tumor (TNM stage I-IIIA breast cancer) between 1988 and 2003 were identified. The demographic and clinical characteristics were compared by race. Logistic regression models of the association between race and tumor size and lymph node status were developed. Cox proportional hazards models of the association between mortality and race, tumor size, lymph node status, and other covariates were also examined. RESULTS. Among 256,174 SEER cases (21,861 black and 234,313 white women), more black than white women with lymph node-negative breast cancer had tumors measuring ≥2.0 cm. Adjusted for tumor size, more black than white women had ≥1 positive lymph nodes (odds ratio [OR], 1.24; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.20–1.28). The age-adjusted and TNM stage-adjusted mortality rate ratio for blacks versus whites was 1.56 (95% CI, 1.51–1.61). Adjustment for within-stage differences in tumor size and lymph node involvement were found to have a negligible effect. With adjustment for additional covariates, the rate ratio was 1.39 (95% CI, 1.35–1.44). In addition, the rate ratio reflecting racial disparity increased as the stage of disease increased. CONCLUSIONS. Adjusting for within-stage differences in tumor size and lymph node status did not appear to reduce the racial disparity. The finding that disparities increased with higher stage of disease suggests that interventions aimed at reducing these differences should target women with more advanced disease. Cancer 2007. © 2007 American Cancer Society.
Niche Dwelling vs. Niche Construction: Landscape Modification in the Bronze and Iron Ages of Central Asia

Like all humans, mobile pastoralists alter their ecological niche to their advantage; however, archaeological discussions of mobile pastoralists in Central Asia often focus on environmental factors as a sole driving force in decision making. In reality, anthropogenic modification of the landscape are evident as far back at the Bronze Age. Herders altered the overall ecology of the region by converting forest into pasturelands and indirectly enhanced focal points on the landscape through herding processes. These ecological nodes are locations with higher nutrient-rich biomass, their productivity is further enhanced through grazing. Hence, the overall process of herding in Central Asia has constructed a niche over the long-term that is better suited for this economic pursuit.
Behavior of the energy gap near a commensurate-incommensurate transition in double-layer quantum Hall systems at nu =1.

The charged excitations in the system of the title are vortex-antivortex pairs in the spin-texture described in the theory by Yang et al which, in the commensurate phase, are bound together by a ``string''. It is shown that their excitation energy drops as the string lengthens as the parallel magnetic field approaches the critical value, then goes up again in the incommensurate phase. This produces a sharp downward cusp at the critical point. An alternative description based on the role of disorder in the tunnelling and which appears not to produce a minimum in the excitation energy is also discussed. It is suggested that a similar transition could also occur in compressible Fermi-liquid-like states.
Diapause induction in Ephestia cautella: an interaction between genotype and crowding.

Larval diapause induction in Ephestia cautella (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) is a function of the interaction between genotype and larval crowding. A diapause stock in which 79% of the larvae diapaused under crowded conditions and 40% diapaused under uncrowded conditions was maintained by selection. Outbreeding of adults from this diapause stock to those from a non-diapause stock resulted in 36% diapause under crowded conditions and 6% diapause under uncrowded conditions. The rate of termination of larval diapause is inheritable and temperature dependent. These data seem to explain the seasonal trends in percentage larval diapause among E. cautella infesting citrus pulp during storage. Larval diapause was induced in groups of larvae by crowding in mass cultures and in single larvae by rearing on a small amount of fresh diet or on a larger amount of fresh diet containing residual diet from crowded cultures. The diapause-inducing effects of this residual diet could be removed by extraction with lipid solvents. Some activity was demonstrated when the extract was dried onto fresh diet. RESUME INDUCTION DE LA DIAPAUSE CHEZ EPHESTIA CAUTELLA: INTERACTION ENTRE LE GENOTYPE ET LA DENSITE L'induction de la diapause larvaire d'Ephestia cautella (Walker) depend du genotype et de la densite larvaire. Des croisements a l'interieur de la souche diapausante donnent 79% de diapause aux fortes densites larvaires et 40% aux faibles densites. Les croisements des adultes de cette souche avec ceux de la souche non-diapausante donnent 36% de diapause aux fortes densites et 6% aux faibles densites. La frequence de fin de diapause est hereditaire et depend de la temperature. Ces resultats peuvent expliquer les variations saisonnieres du taux de diapause E. cautella dans la pulpe de citron stockee. La diapause larvaire a ete induite chez des groupes de chenilles par surpeuplement dans des elevages standards, et chez des chenilles isolees par elevage sur une quantite limitee d'aliments frais ou sur une quantite abondante d'aliments frais contenant des residus alimentaires provenant d'elevages surpeuples. Les effets inducteurs de ces residus alimentaires disparaissent apres extraction avec les solvants de lipides. Une certaine action est observee par de l'extrait sec sur de l'aliment frais.
Conformational heterogeneity of surface-grafted amyloidogenic fragments of alpha-synuclein dimers detected by atomic force microscopy.

A force-spectroscopy-based approach is used to characterize separation between amyloidogenic peptide fragments of α-synuclein. Interactions between individual molecules are studied using a scanning-force-microscopy-based technique. α-Synuclein fragments are attached to the solid surfaces via flexible long poly-(ethylene glycol) linkers removing aggregation state uncertainty of solution-based approaches and spurious surface effects. Tethering one fragment to the scanning probe tip and another fragment to the second surface ensures that interactions between tethered molecules are studied. Control experiments with only one tethered peptide indicate peptide−peptide interactions as the source of observed interaction forces in the double-tether experiment. The temperature dependence of rupture forces from 17.5 °C to 40 °C reveals similar molecular parameters indicating that no significant conformational changes occur in the associated molecules over this temperature range. Rate-dependent measurements indicate c...
Atmospheric production of oxalic acid/oxalate and nitric acid/nitrate in the Tampa Bay airshed: Parallel pathways

Abstract Oxalic acid is the dominant dicarboxylic acid (DCA), and it constitutes up to 50% of total atmospheric DCAs, especially in non-urban and marine atmospheres. A significant amount of particulate H 2 Ox/oxalate (Ox) occurred in the coarse particle fraction of a dichotomous sampler, the ratio of oxalate concentrations in the PM 10 to PM 2.5 fractions ranged from 1 to 2, with mean±sd being 1.4±0.2. These results suggest that oxalate does not solely originate in the gas phase and condense into particles. Gaseous H 2 Ox concentrations are much lower than particulate Ox concentrations and are well correlated with HNO 3 , HCHO, and O 3 , supporting a photochemical origin. Of special relevance to the Bay Region Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (BRACE) is the extent of nitrogen deposition in the Tampa Bay estuary. Hydroxyl radical is primarily responsible for the conversion of NO 2 to HNO 3 , the latter being much more easily deposited. Hydroxyl radical is also responsible for the aqueous phase formation of oxalic acid from alkenes. Hence, we propose that an estimate of OH can be obtained from H 2 Ox/Ox production rate and we accordingly show that the product of total oxalate concentration and NO 2 concentration approximately predicts the total nitrate concentration during the same period.
Release of226Ra from uranium mill tailings by microbial Fe(III) reduction

Uranium mill tailings were anaerobically incubated in the presence of H2 with Alteromonas putrefaciens, a bacterium known to couple the oxidation of H2 and organic compounds to the reduction of Fe(III) oxides. There was a direct correlation between the extent of Fe(III) reduction and the accumulation of dissolved226Ra. In sterile tailings in which Fe(III) was not reduced, there was negligible leaching of226Ra. The behavior of Ba was similar to that of Ra in inoculated and sterile systems. These results demonstrate that under anaerobic conditions, microbial reduction of Fe(III) may result in the release of dissolved226Ra from uranium mill tailings.
Transvenous removal of pulmonary emboli by vacuum-cup catheter technique.

Abstract A vacuum-cup device attached to a standard balloon-tipped catheter has been used successfully to extract large pulmonary emboli in dogs by a transvenous technique. Removal of pulmonary emboli in critically ill patients should be possible without the added burden of general anesthesia and thoracotomy.
Using Dynamic Gene Module Map Analysis To Identify Targets That Modulate Free Fatty Acid Induced Cytotoxicity

The objective of this study was to identify pathways that regulate the cytotoxicity induced by free fatty acids (FFAs) in human hepatoblastoma cells (HepG2/C3A). Gene expression profiles of HepG2/C3A cells were obtained at three time points, after 24, 48, and 72 h of exposure to different types of FFA. Saturated fatty acid (palmitate) was found to be cytotoxic. The pathways activated by the different FFAs at the different time points were identified using global gene module map analysis. Unsaturated FFAs exerted transcriptional regulation mainly within the first 24 h, whereas saturated FFA, palmitate, regulated energy production pathways, such as the electron transport chain (ETC) and tricarboxylic acid cycle, within the first 24 h. In the next 24 h, palmitate up-regulated 36 cell death relevant pathways and down-regulated several protective pathways, such as the pentose phosphate pathway and glutathione-related pathways. In the final 24 h, the FFAs did not induce significant transcriptional regulation. We hypothesized that palmitate induced cytotoxicity by first perturbing metabolic pathways in the initial 24 h, resulting in changes to factors, such as metabolites or signaling molecules, which subsequently triggered cell death relevant pathways in the next 24 h. The uptake and release of 27 metabolites were measured to further elucidate the metabolic changes in the first 24 h. It was determined that ketone bodies such as beta-hydroxybutyrate and acetoacetate were important in separating the toxic from the nontoxic phenotypes. A regression model was used to identify the genes relevant to these metabolites. Some of the genes identified to be important were experimentally validated. It was found that ETC genes such as NADH dehydrogenase and succinate dehydrogenase were involved in palmitate induced cytotoxicity.
Sociodemographic, Behavioral, and Cognitive Predictors of Alcohol-Impaired Driving in a Sample of U.S. College Students

Alcohol-impaired driving continues to be a major public health concern, particularly among college students. The current study examined whether sociodemographic, behavioral, and cognitive variables predicted alcohol-impaired driving in a sample of college students. Data were collected via telephone interviews from a random sample of undergraduates, ages 18-25 years old, stratified by sex and class in school. Using hierarchical logistic regression analyses (n = 330), results revealed that higher levels of weekly alcohol use, being age 21 or older, and perceived difficulty in obtaining alternative transportation were associated with a greater likelihood of drinking and driving. In addition, perceived likelihood of drinking and driving-related consequences was associated with a lower likelihood of drinking and driving. Knowledge of the .08% per se and zero tolerance laws did not predict alcohol-impaired driving. Findings are discussed in terms of their implications for college media campaigns designed to reduce alcohol-impaired driving.
Normal Bacterial Flora of the Rabbit Gastrointestinal Tract: A Clinical Approach

The flora of the rabbit gastrointestinal tract varies with age, diet, and antibiotic use. The suckling rabbit maintains a relatively sterile stomach by the presence of a substrate in the doe's milk and an enzyme in the suckling rabbit's stomach. The predominant microflora in the lower gastrointestinal tract of young rabbits is streptococci and enterobacteria, whereas the predominant inhabitant of the adult rabbit small intestine, cecum, and colon is Bacteroides . The low gastric pH (1 to 1.9) of the adult maintains a relatively sterile stomach in this age group as well. Lincomycin, clindamycin, amoxicillin, penicillin, ampicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, erythromycin, and cephalosporins have been shown to cause enteritis and should be avoided if possible. Lactobacillus , cholestyramine, and transfaunation may be of benefit when treating rabbit enteritis.