cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Application of magnetic resonance microscopy to tissue engineering: a polylactide model.

Absorbable polymers are unique materials that find application as temporary scaffolds in tissue engineering. They are often extremely sensitive to histological processing and, for this reason, studying fragile, tissue-engineered constructs before implantation can be quite difficult. This research investigates the use of noninvasive imaging using magnetic resonance microscopy (MRM) as a tool to enhance the assessment of these cellular constructs. A series of cellular, polylactide constructs was developed and analyzed using a battery of tests, including MRM. Distribution of rat aortic smooth muscle cells within the scaffolds was compared as one example of a tissue engineering MRM application. Cells were loaded in varying amounts using static and dynamic methods. It was found that the cellular component was readily identified and the polymer microstructure readily assessed. Specifically, the MRM results showed a heterogeneous distribution of cells due to static loading and a homogenous distribution associated with dynamic loading, results that were not visible through biochemical tests, scanning electron microscopy, or histological evaluation independently. MRM also allowed differentiation between different levels of cellular loading. The current state of MRM is such that it is extremely useful in the refinement of polymer processing and cell seeding methods. This method has the potential, with technological advances, to be of future use in the characterization of cell-polymer interactions.
The Effects of Gender on Charge Reduction

Studies of criminal justice processing of adults commonly report that females are accorded more lenient treatment than are males. These results have given rise to theories that chivalry and male paternalism cause gender discrimination. This study examines the relationship between gender and charge reduction in the criminal justice process. Analyses focus on (1) the extent to which gender affects charge reduction independent of other social and legal variables, and (2) whether gender operates indirectly through variables that are correlated with it. The data are drawn from one judicial district in Florida using information from presentence reports. Using a variety of measures, we find no evidence that there is differential treatment by gender in charge reduction considerations.
The relationship of a monoamine fiber system to a somatosensory tectal projection in the salamander Ambystoma tigrinum

After hemisection of the spinal cord and medulla oblongata, a projection has been traced to the inner half of the tectal white of the tiger salamander, using Fink-Heimer degeneration staining. By microelectrode recording it was found that the tectal projection forms a topographic somatosensory map of the contralateral half of the body. This map is in register with the overlying retino-tectal visual projection. Using the Falck-Hillarp technique, it was found that the somatosensory tectal input is associated with yellow-fluorescing 5-hydroxytryptamine fibers.
History of Psychology: XXXIII. On Textbook Lessons from History, or How the Conditioned Reflex Discovered Twitmyer

Summary.-A number of recent textbooks have claimed that the American psychologist E. B. Twiunyer discovered the conditioned reflex in 1902 independently of and even prior to Pavlov. Various explanations for the obscurity of Twitmyer's discovery were offered. However, closer scrutiny of Twitmyer's publications, viewed in their contemporary context, does not find much support for such speculative explanations. It is argued that Twitmyer's work with the knee jerk constituted neither a knowing nor an unknowing discovery of the "conditioned reflex." Instead a retrospective and anachronistic view of history, employing an overly simple notion of discovery and a reified concept of the conditioned reflex, had discovered Twitmyer in order to teach some "lessons from history." Though the discovery of the conditioned reflex is usually attributed to Ivan P. Pavlov, on occasion divergent claims have been made (Belcher, 1973; Hyrnan, 1964). Such claims obtained visibility and legitimacy when,'in 1974, the Journal of Experimental P~ychology republished Edwin B. Twitmyer's ( 1902 ) seventy-year-old doctoral dissertation entitled A Study of the Knee Jerk. Introduced by a new (and somewhat misleading) abstract, the thesis was reprinted because of "its considerable historical importance," as a note by journal editor David Grant explained; it reported the "first American discovery of the conditioned reflex" (p. 1048). Escalating Grant's claim, an introductory text (Psychology Today, 1975) soon added temporal priority over Pavlov to Twitmyer's "independent discovery." Other texts followed suit (Coon, 1980; Lefrancois, 1980; London, 1978; McComeU, 1980). Most recently Coon ( 1982) provided, as a study in the "evolutionary nature of thought," a detailed historical analysis of the reasons for Twiunyer's obscurity (in which the author manages to invoke the Zeitgeist to explain both Twitmyer's independent discovery and its lack of impact). However, closer scrutiny of Twiunyer's publications raises some doubts about such claims, which may be 'an "origin myth" (Samelson, 1974) in the making. The discussion to follow will present a brief analysis of the story in the .secondary literature and compare it with the primary sources. It will be claimed that whatever Twiunyer discovered, or thought he discovered, was not the "conditioned reflex." Instead, the conditioned reflex discovered Twitmyer: a retrospective and implicitly teleological view, assuming a rather simple notion 'An earlier version of this article was presented by the first author at the meeting of the International Society for the History of the Behavioral and Social Sciences, Universiry of Wisconsin, River Falls, WI. June 1981. Requests for reprints should be sent to either
Clinical analysis of vitamin B6: Determination of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate and 4-pyridoxic acid in human serum by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with chlorite postcolumn derivatization

Abstract A reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method with fluorometric detection was developed for the routine determination of pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP) and 4-pyridoxic acid (4-PA) in serum. Chlorite postcolumn derivatization was used to oxidize PLP to a more fluorescent carboxylic acid form. Sensitivity improved fourfold for PLP using chlorite postcolumn derivatization over traditional bisulfite postcolumn derivatization. The HPLC injection cycle was 15 min, facilitating a throughput of 60 patient samples (72 injections that included standards and quality control (QC) samples) in 18.5 h. Method precision was evaluated using three serum QC pools with PLP and 4-PA concentrations of 11.5–34.8 nmol/L and 10.4–21.0 nmol/L, respectively. Within-run ( n = 7) repeatabilities were 0.6–1.2% for PLP and 0.9–1.8% for 4-PA. Run-to-run ( n = 23) reproducibilities were 3.6–6.7% for PLP and 3.7–5.6% for 4-PA. Relative detection (3 σ 0 ) and quantitation (10 σ 0 ) limits were 0.3 and 0.9 nmol/L, respectively, for both PLP and 4-PA using a 10-μl sample injection volume. Analytical recoveries ranged from 97 to 102%. Patient-matched serum and plasma specimens ( n = 25) were analyzed to evaluate specimen-type bias. Of the plasma types evaluated, heparinized plasma introduced the lowest relative bias for PLP (−5.3%) and minimal bias for 4-PA (−2.3%) compared with serum. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) plasma showed the lowest bias for 4-PA (0.7%) but a relatively high bias for PLP (13.0%) due to a chromatographic interference. Human serum samples from a nonrepresentative population subset ( n = 303) were commensurate with values published for other vitamin B 6 HPLC methods. These values gave geometric means of 42.4 nmol/L for PLP and 27.3 nmol/L for 4-PA. Medians for PLP and 4-PA were 40.1 and 21.8 nmol/L, respectively. The high sensitivity, precision, and throughput of this method, combined with its minimal serum specimen (150 μl) and sample injection (10 μl) volume requirements, make it well suited for routine clinical vitamin B 6 analysis.
Retrospective Cost Adaptive NARMAX Control of Hammerstein Systems with Ersatz Nonlinearities

In this paper, we generalize retrospective cost adaptive NARMAX control (RCANC) to a command-following problem for uncertain Hammerstein systems. In particular, RCANC with ersatz nonlinearities is applied to linear systems cascaded with input nonlinearities. We assume that one Markov parameter of the linear plant is known. RCANC also uses knowledge of the monotonicity properties of the input nonlinearity to select the ersatz nonlinearity. The goal is to determine whether RCANC can improve the command-following performance compared to the linear RCAC controller.
Focal Therapeutic Irradiation Induces an Early Transient Increase in Bone Glycation

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are an abnormal modification of the collagenous matrix in bone, and their accumulation contributes to alteration of mechanical properties. Using a mouse model of focal external radiotherapy, we quantified the time-dependent changes in the glycation of bone collagen after 4 daily fractions of 5 Gy exposure to unilateral hindlimb. Fluorometric analysis of decalcified femurs demonstrated a significant and transient increase in the quantity of pentosidine, pyridinolines and nonspecific AGEs per unit of collagen at one week postirradiation. These differences did not persist at 4, 8, 12 or 26 weeks postirradiation. Radiation had no effect on bone collagen content. We hypothesize that following the transient increase in glycation products, these crosslinks are then removed as a result of increased postirradiation osteoclast activity and continued mineralization of the bone.
State space methods in asset pricing

Abstract The Arbitrage Pricing Theory currently popular in the finance literature is based on the assumption that risky asset returns are generated by an approximate factor model in which the factors are static state variables. Since the factors are often associated with macroeconomic phenomena, in this paper they are modeled as dynamic processes using the system-theoretic time series approach recently developed by Masanao Aoki. The forecasts from the model are evaluated using a nonparametric test due to Henriksson and Merton. The evidence suggests that the number of states required to explain asset pricing is large relative to the number of assets, and that the states vary across assets, in contradiction of previous evidence from static models.
Theory of spin, electronic, and transport properties of the lateral triple quantum dot molecule in a magnetic field

We present a theory of spin, electronic, and transport properties of a few-electron lateral triangular triple quantum dot molecule in a magnetic field. Our theory is based on a generalization of a Hubbard model and the linear combination of harmonic orbitals combined with configuration interaction method for arbitrary magnetic fields. The few-particle spectra obtained as a function of the magnetic field exhibit Aharonov-Bohm oscillations. As a result, by changing the magnetic field, it is possible to engineer the degeneracies of single-particle levels, and thus, control the total spin of the many-electron system. For the triple dot with two and four electrons, we find oscillations of total spin due to the singlet-triplet transitions occurring periodically in the magnetic field. In the three-electron system, we find a transition from a magnetically frustrated to a spin-polarized state. We discuss the impact of these phase transitions on the addition spectrum and the spin blockade of the lateral triple quantum dot molecule.
Homocysteine thiolactone induces apoptosis in cultured human trophoblasts: a mechanism for homocysteine-mediated placental dysfunction?

Abstract Objective Hyperhomocystinemia is a thrombophilic condition associated with placental dysfunction. We tested the hypothesis that homocysteine-thiolactone, a metabolite of homocysteine, induces apoptosis in cultured trophoblasts. Study design Cytotrophoblasts from term human placentas were cultured for 72 hours or less in the presence or absence of 50 to 400 μmol/L homocysteine-thiolactone or 400 μmol/L cysteine (control), with or without vitamin C, vitamin E, folate, or N-acetylcysteine. Cell death was assessed by cellular adenosine triphosphate concentration, medium lactate dehydrogenase level, and immunocytochemical staining for the cleavage products of cytokeratin 18 and poly(adenosine diphosphate ribose) polymerase. Changes in expression of p53, Bcl-2, Bax, and Bak were quantified by Western immunoblotting. Results Homocysteine-thiolactone induced a concentration dependent increase in total cell death and death by apoptosis, compared with control. Vitamin C ameliorated apoptosis in cytotrophoblasts, whereas N-acetylcysteine mitigated cell death in syncytiotrophoblasts. Apoptosis in both phenotypes occurred with increased expression of p53 and Bak, but no change in Bcl-2 or Bax. Conclusion Homocysteine-thiolactone enhances apoptosis in cultured human trophoblast, and the effect can be limited by antioxidants.
Error covariance matrix estimation using ridge estimator

Abstract This article considers sparse covariance matrix estimation of high dimension. In contrast to the existing methods which are based on the residual estimation from least squares estimator, we utilize residuals from ridge estimator with the adaptive thresholding technique to estimate the error covariance matrix in high dimensional factor model. By obtaining the explicit convergence rates of the ridge estimator under regularity conditions, we formulated our thresholding estimator of the true covariance matrix. Our thresholding estimator can be applied to more scenarios and is shown to have comparable rate of convergence to Fan et al. (2011) .
Nanocrystalline cobalt oxide immobilized on titanium dioxide nanoparticles for the heterogeneous activation of peroxymonosulfate

Abstract Recently, sulfate radical-based advanced oxidation technologies have shown significant implications for environmental remediation to decompose water pollutants. In this study, we evaluated the performance of heterogeneous activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) to generate sulfate radicals using cobalt catalyst immobilized on titanium dioxide nanoparticles (Co/TiO2). The Co/TiO2 catalyst was prepared via an incipient wetness impregnation method employing Degussa P-25 TiO2 and Co(NO3)·6H2O. The activity of Co/TiO2 system was compared with those of Co(NO3)2 solution for homogeneous PMS activation and neat Co3O4 for heterogeneous PMS activation. More emphasis was given to the effect of cobalt loading and heat treatment on the physicochemical properties of Co/TiO2 and cobalt leaching. The results showed that heat treatment of Co/TiO2 at 500 °C, where cobalt existed as Co3O4, induced negligible Co leaching and enhanced catalytic activity to decompose 2,4-dichlorophenol. The Co/TiO2 catalyst at Co/Ti molar ratio of 0.1 showed the highest activity via heterogeneous PMS activation. On the other hand, Co/TiO2 catalysts with Co/Ti molar ratio of above 0.2 exhibited rather much lower activity which was initiated predominantly via a homogeneous pathway from leached cobalt, although they contained considerable amounts of Co3O4. The formation of Co OH complexes at the surface of Co/TiO2 nanoparticles, due to the ability of TiO2 to dissociate H2O for the formation of surface hydroxyl groups, was proposed to facilitate the heterogeneous PMS activation. However, high cobalt loading covering the TiO2 surface diminished the beneficial role of TiO2 due to the reduction in the concentration of surface hydroxyl groups and thus decreased the heterogeneous PMS activation. The activity of Co3O4 in Co/TiO2 catalysts was much higher than that of neat Co3O4 due to the presence of surface hydroxyl groups and uniform distribution of well-defined 10−15 nm nanocrystalline Co3O4 particles at the surface of 30−40 nm TiO2 nanoparticles.
Characterization of a baculovirus-encoded protein that is associated with infected-cell membranes and budded virions.

Two types of envelope fusion proteins have been identified in lepidopteran baculoviruses. GP64 is found in Autographa californica multinucleocapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus, Orgyia pseudotsugata multinucleocapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (OpMNPV), and other relatively closely related viruses, while Lymantria dispar multinucleocapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (LdMNPV), which lacks GP64, utilizes LD130 as its envelope fusion protein. Homologs of ld130 have since been found not only in all the sequenced gp64-minus virus genomes, but also in the genomes of gp64-containing viruses. In addition, they are evolutionarily related to the envelope proteins of certain insect retroviruses. In this report, the characterization of a LD130 homolog (OP21) from OpMNPV, which also contains gp64, is described. Western blot analysis of extracts of OpMNPV-infected Lymantria dispar cells, using antibodies generated against OP21, identified an infected cell-specific doublet of 85 and 89 kDa. These bands were first observed at about 6 h p.i. and were present at all later time points. Such analyses also demonstrated that OP21 was associated with budded virions. Tunicamycin treatment of OpMNPV-infected cells indicated that OP21 is N-glycosylated. Studies employing NP-40 to remove the envelope from budded virions indicated that the majority of OP21 remained associated with the nucleocapsid fraction, whereas all GP64 was removed. Confocal immunofluorescence microscopy showed that OP21 and GP64 have a similar pattern of distribution on the membrane of cells infected with OpMNPV. Immunoelectron microscopy of budded virions also showed similar patterns of localization for both OP21 and GP64.
Grooming with Trattinnickia resin: possible pharmaceutical plant use by coatis in Panama

Much recent attention has focused on the possibility that mammals may use specific plants for their pharmaceutical (=medicinal) value. This possibility deserves such attention, for if valid, it has far reaching effects on many aspects of ecological, behavioural, and evolutionary theory as currently understood (Janzen 1978, Newton 1991). More immediate applied values also exist. A primary argument for the preservation of species diversity is the value of untold pharmaceutical resources for humankind (Balick & Mendelsohn 1992, Caldecott 1987, Farnsworth 1988, Myers 1984), and the fact that observing animals using plant compounds may indicate potential new drugs for human usage has not escaped the eyes of researchers (Carper & Dobson 1987, Newton 1991, Sears 1990). Yet despite increased realization of the potential importance of this subject, well documented cases remain few. Perhaps the best mammalian example is chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes (Gmelin)) use of various plant species. Behavioural, ecological, physiological, phytochemical, and ethnobotanical evidence have been combined to show that the plants are probably used by these animals for medicinal rather than nutritional purposes (Huffman & Seifu 1989, Newton & Nishida 1991, Rodriguez et al. 1985, Takasaki & Hunt 1987, Wrangham & Goodall 1989, Wrangham & Nishida 1983). Reports for other species are briefer, more circumstantial, or rely heavily on comparison with ethnobotanical uses (Baker 1992, Janzen 1978, Newton 1991; but see Phillips-Conroy 1986). Relying on human use of the plant to infer possible reasons for animal usage may be misleading, as different human populations often employ the same plants and plant extracts for very different purposes. Finally, many possible
Effect of cholecystokinin receptor blockade on human lymphocyte proliferation.

Abstract Cholecystokinin is a peptide produced by neuroendocrine cells in gut and neurons in brain and gut. Proliferating human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (HPBMC) also make small amounts of cholecystokinin. Cholecystokinin increases intracellular calcium (Ca2+) in H-PBMC. This can be blocked with L 364, 718, a non-toxic specific cholecystokinin antagonist. Cholecystokinin is a comitogen for H-PBMC and activates H-PBMC in a cyclosporine-resistant fashion. If cholecystokinin is a critical lymphokine, then L 364, 718 should block H-PBMC mitogenesis. H-PBMC from healthy donors were stimulated in vitro with either phytohemagglutinin or anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody. L 364,718 was not toxic for H-PBMC, yet inhibited mitogenesis at 10−7, 10−8, and 10−5M. The small amount of cholecystokinin made by H-PBMC may play a critical role in H-PBMC mitogenesis.
Simulation and Prediction of the Adaptive Immune Response to Influenza A Virus Infection

The cellular immune response to primary influenza virus infection is complex, involving multiple cell types and anatomical compartments, and is difficult to measure directly. Here we develop a two-compartment model that quantifies the interplay between viral replication and adaptive immunity. The fidelity of the model is demonstrated by accurately confirming the role of CD4 help for antibody persistence and the consequences of immune depletion experiments. The model predicts that drugs to limit viral infection and/or production must be administered within 2 days of infection, with a benefit of combination therapy when administered early, and cytotoxic CD8 T cells in the lung are as effective for viral clearance as neutralizing antibodies when present at the time of challenge. The model can be used to investigate explicit biological scenarios and generate experimentally testable hypotheses. For example, when the adaptive response depends on cellular immune cell priming, regulation of antigen presentation has greater influence on the kinetics of viral clearance than the efficiency of virus neutralization or cellular cytotoxicity. These findings suggest that the modulation of antigen presentation or the number of lung resident cytotoxic cells and the combination drug intervention are strategies to combat highly virulent influenza viruses. We further compared alternative model structures, for example, B-cell activation directly by the virus versus that through professional antigen-presenting cells or dendritic cell licensing of CD8 T cells.
A convergent splitting of matrices

LetA, M, N ben ×n real matrices, letA = M? N, letA andM be nonsingular, letM? y ? 0 implyN? y ? 0, and letA? y ? 0 implyN? y ? 0 (where the prime denotes the transpose). Then the spectral radius?(M ?1 N) ofM ?1 N is less than one, and the iterative processx i+1 =M ?1 N x i +M ?1 b converges to the solution ofA x = b starting from anyx 0.
Phase transitions in RbCaF3. II: Neutron scattering☆

Abstract The 196 K phase transition of RbCaF 3 has been identified as a phonon condensation at the R point (cubic [111] zone boundary). Above the transition temperature, a ridge of scattering extending from the [110] zone boundary ( M point) to the R point was observed, corresponding to a line of soft phonons from M 3 to R 25 . Below the transition the scattering at M decreases rapidly with temperature, indicating a lattice stabilization which causes the ridge of scattering to disappear.
Water adsorption properties of alumina pillared clay

Abstract Interlayers of montmorillonite were pillared with aluminum oxide and the water adsorption isotherms were measured on the samples calcined at temperatures ranging from 200 to 600°C. Although the nitrogen adsorption isotherms on the same samples were of the extreme Type I for Brunauer classification, the water adsorption isotherms did not fit either the Langmuir or the BET adsorption equations. The unusual shape of the isotherms can be interpreted in terms of hydrophobicity of the alumina pillared clays. The t -plot analysis of the adsorption isotherms revealed that the micropore filling with water was suppressed in the very low pressure region. From the t -plots, the slitwidth of the interlayer pores was estimated to be 7–8 A, in good agreement with the pillar height obtained from the basal spacing. The low BET c -constant and the small isosteric heats of adsorption of water also suggest that the alumina pillared clays have hydrophobic properties.
Bone scaffold architecture modulates the development of mineralized bone matrix by human embryonic stem cells.

Decellularized bone has been widely used as a scaffold for bone formation, due to its similarity to the native bone matrix and excellent osteoinductive and biomechanical properties. We have previously shown that human mesenchymal and embryonic stem cells form functional bone matrix on such scaffolds, without the use of growth factors. In this study, we focused on differences in bone matrix that exist even among identical harvesting sites, and the effects of the matrix architecture and mineral content on bone formation by human embryonic stem cells (hESC). Mesenchymal progenitors derived from hESCs were cultured for 5 weeks in decellularized bone scaffolds with three different densities: low (0.281 ± 0.018 mg/mm3), medium (0.434 ± 0.015 mg/mm3) and high (0.618 ± 0.027 mg/mm3). The medium-density group yielded highest densities of cells and newly assembled bone matrix, presumably due to the best balance between the transport of nutrients and metabolites to and from the cells, space for cell infiltration, surface for cell attachment and the mechanical strength of the scaffolds, all of which depend on the scaffold density. Bone mineral was beneficial for the higher expression of bone markers in cultured cells and more robust accumulation of the new bone matrix.
Fecundity of the Pallid Sturgeon

Abstract Fecundity was estimated for a 17,110-g, 41-year-old, female pallid sturgeon Scaphirhynchus albus taken from the upper Missouri River. The mass of mature eggs weighed 1,952 g, which represented 11.4% of total body weight. Using a mean of 87 eggs/g, we estimated total fecundity at 170,000 eggs for this fish.
Physiological responses of food neophobics and food neophilics to food and non-food stimuli

Individual differences in human food neophobia (the reluctance to try novel foods) and food neophilia (the overt willingness to try novel foods) influence the evaluation of tastes and odors, as well as the sampling of such stimuli. Past research also notes an association of food neophobia to PTC sensitivity, body weight, and cephalic phase salivary response. The present study assessed physiological reactions of food neophobics and neophilics to pictures of food and non-food stimuli. Stimuli pictures were presented in random order on a computer screen for a period of 5 min. No significant differences were found between the groups in relation to non-food stimuli. However, pulse, GSR, and respirations were significantly increased in food neophobics when presented pictures of food stimuli. Thus, further evidence is provided to support a physiological component at least partially responsible for differences noted between neophobics and neophilics in sensitivity, psychophysical ratings, and "willingness to try" personality. Such a component may also lead to differences in weight, nutrition, and overall health.
Surface studies of the enhanced adsorption of sodium ions onto oxidized surfaces in acetone‐containing aqueous solutions

The adsorption behavior of sodium ions onto oxidized surfaces was studied with x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). We studied the adsorption of sodium ions onto oxidized surfaces by exposing the surfaces to aqueous neutral and acidic solutions of sodium ions with and without the presence of a high concentration of acetone. The oxidized surfaces chosen were carbon-fiber surfaces electrochemically oxidized in ammonium carbonate solution, and oxidized aluminum and copper surfaces. No adsorption of sodium ions was found when the oxidized surfaces were exposed to aqueous solutions of sodium ions with no acetone present, but substantial adsorption was seen when neutral aqueous solutions of sodium ions were used with a high concentration of acetone present. Adsorbed sodium ions could not be removed by washing in acetone but could be removed by washing in water. When glutaraldehyde was present in the acetone solutions there was evidence for the surface adsorption of glutaraldehyde/acetone condensation products.
Perceived orientation of complex shape reflects graded part decomposition

Although the orientation of line segments and simple shapes is a well-studied area of vision, little is known about geometric factors that influence perceived orientation of complex multipart shapes. The study of these factors is of interest because it allows for an insight into the basic problem of how local geometric attributes are integrated perceptually into a global shape representation. We examined the perceived orientation of two-part shapes using an adjustment method and a 2AFC task. In particular, we investigated the influence of the perceptual salience, or distinctiveness, of a part--as defined by the turning angles at its boundaries--and its area relative to the main "base" part. In contrast to previous results on simple shapes, our results exhibited large and systematic deviations of perceived orientation from the principal axis of the shape. For shapes with sharp part boundaries, perceived global orientation deviated maximally from the principal axis and was approximated by the axis of the main base part of the shape. With weakening part boundaries, the perceived orientation gradually approached the principal axis of the entire shape, reflecting that both parts were taken into account in estimating orientation. The results are consistent with a differentially weighted principal-axis computation in which the attached part is given systematically lower weighting with increasing turning angles at the part boundaries. They thus allow a quantitative characterization of part salience in terms of part independence: Turning angles at a part's boundaries determine the extent to which its influence is perceptually separable from the rest of the shape. We suggest that Robust Statistics may provide a useful framework for quantifying the influence of part segmentation on visual estimation.
Multivariate Common Language Effect Size

To find a common language effect size of multivariate outcomes, we convert the standardized multivariate effect size (Mahalanobis distance) to a probability of a randomly selected subject from one population having a larger discriminant function than a randomly selected subject from another population. This probability is simple to calculate and comprehensible to laypeople. It can serve as the multivariate common language effect size to compare not only two groups but also more than two groups.
The effect of task on determination of habitual pitch.

Summary The purpose of this study was to investigate if there was an effect of task on determination of habitual pitch, or speaking fundamental frequency (SFF). Seven tasks commonly used to elicit habitual pitch in clinical voice evaluations were compared. Three groups of normal subjects (N = 36) were examined (adult males, adult females, and male and female prepubescent children). For the adult male (n = 12) and pediatric (n = 12) subjects, no significant effect of task was found. For the adult female (n = 12) subjects, a statistically significant ( P 0.90) test-retest reliability for all subjects. Implications of the use of one task for determination of habitual pitch are discussed, as is the possibility of a task effect on determination of other voice parameters.
On interface thermal resistance associated with thermal vibrations

This Letter generalizes the well-known acoustic mismatch theory of interface thermal resistance by inclusion into consideration a broad class of thermal vibrations that were excluded from that theory by the imposition in it of the Sommerfeld radiation condition, which is required for the theory of sound but is not relevant for the analysis of heat transport. This extension preserves the main ideas of the acoustic mismatch theory but provides much better estimates for the interface resistance, which have an order-of-magnitude agreement with experiments previously published by others.
Cycles of Civilization in Northern Mesopotamia, 4400–2000 BC

The intensification of fieldwork in northern Mesopotamia, the upper region of the Tigris-Euphrates basin, has revealed two cycles of expansion and reduction in social complexity between 4400 and 2000 BC. These cycles include developments in social inequality, political centralization, craft production and economic specialization, agropastoral land use, and urbanization. Contrary to earlier assessments, many of these developments proceeded independently from the polities in southern Mesopotamia, although not in isolation. This review considers recent data from excavations and surveys in northern Iraq, northeastern Syria, and southeastern Turkey with particular attention to how they are used to construct models of early urban polities.
The National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program in animal reproduction: Changes in priorities and scope relevant to United States animal agriculture

The National Research Initiative (NRI) Competitive Grants Program is the USDA's major competitive grants program and is administered by the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service. The NRI was authorized by the US Congress in the 1990 Farm Bill at a funding level of $500 million; however, the maximal NRI appropriation was $181.17 million in fiscal year (FY) 2006. Across all programs, the NRI is mandated to use 40% of its funding to support mission-linked research. Since its inception in 1991, the NRI has funded competitive grants in the discipline of animal reproduction. Before 2004, the Animal Reproduction Program funded a broad range of projects encompassing almost every subdiscipline in reproductive biology of farm animals, including aquatic species important to the aquaculture industry and laboratory animals. During FY 2004, the NRI Animal Reproduction Program narrowed the focus of its funding priorities to 5 issue-based topics in an effort to make greater measurable improvements in a few high-impact areas over the next 10 years. Funding priorities were narrowed further in FY 2006 to 3 subdisciplines based, in part, on recommendations that emerged from a stakeholder workshop conducted by Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service in August 2004. In FY 2003, Congress authorized expenditure of up to 20% of the funds appropriated to the NRI to support projects that integrate at least 2 of the 3 functions of research, education, and extension. In FY 2004, the Animal Reproduction Program included a funding priority for integrated projects focused primarily on infertility in dairy cattle. The program funded its first integrated project in FY 2005. During FY 2002, increased emphasis on justification for the use of model systems (e.g., laboratory animals and in vitro systems) was included in the NRI request for applications. In FY 2006, applications proposing to primarily utilize nonagricultural animal models were excluded from the program. Currently, all proposed studies must be thoroughly justified in terms of their relevance to US animal agriculture and to program priorities identified within the request for applications.
A protoscientific master metaphor for framing violence.

Every new field of investigation requires a guiding scheme or frame. Its purpose is to provide a heuristic for discovery and a structure for organizing information. Neither the World Health Organization's public health nor a biosocial model of violence are adequate for providing a protoscientific frame for conceptualizing violent acts. This essay suggests a master metaphor-Burke's Dramatism-through which to deepen and expand our knowledge of violence and what must be done to reduce its toll. An illustrative example is presented. Language: en
A modified Damascene electrodeposition process for bottom-up filling of recessed surface features

Abstract A modification of the conventional Damascene metallization process is described whereby selective removal of the thin wetting/seed layer from the sidewalls and free surfaces enables selective nucleation and bottom-up electrodeposition of metals and alloys in recessed surface features. The process is demonstrated by filling sub-micrometer trenches with electrodeposited Ni. A conventional PVD Cu seed layer is etched to remove Cu from the sidewalls and free surface while leaving a continuous Cu wetting layer intact on the trench bottom. The underlying non-wetting barrier layer provides a conductive path for electrodeposition from contacts on the perimeter of the work piece to the trench bottom. The robustness of the bottom-up Ni electrodeposition process is greatly increased by the addition of 2-mercaptobenzimidazole (MBI) to the plating bath. The additive hinders spurious nucleation of Ni on residual Cu patches that may remain on the free surface.
A CONTAÇÃO DE HISTÓRIAS COMO AÇÃO EDUCATIVA: REFLEXÕES SOB O VIÉS DA TEORIA COGNITIVA DA APRENDIZAGEM

Este artigo tem como tema a contacao de historias como acao educativa e objetiva refletir sobre a relevância dessa manifestacao artistica de encantamento no contexto escolar, a partir das perspectivas da teoria de aprendizagem cognitiva. Para isso, mediante uma reflexao teorica, elegem-se as ideias contemporâneas de Meirieu sobre o processo de aprendizagem, a fim de se estabelecer conexoes com as principais teorias cognitivistas que dizem respeito a aprendizagem significativa de Ausubel e a socio-interacionista (ou socio-historica) de Vigotski. As reflexoes e consideracoes advindas do dialogo com os autores escolhidos, relacionadas ao carater estetico das narrativas, permite considerar a contacao de historias como metodo pedagogico propulsor de significativas aprendizagens e consequente desenvolvimento cognitivo do pensamento.
Imaging through turbulence with the volume-holographic confocal microscope

The confocal microscope with volume-holographic collector [1] utilizes Bragg selectivity in order to achieve depth sectioning. The volume hologram is recorded by the interference of two beams, one of which originates as a point source at a reference depth. When a reconstructing Qrobe) source is at the reference depth, it is Bragg-matched and causes a strong diffracted signal; sources at different depths are rejected because of Bragg mismatch. Therefore, the use of a pinhole in front of the detector (as in traditional confocal microscopes [2]) is not required. The arguments for use of a volume hologram instead of a pinhole to achieve depth sectioning are: (i) the depth resolution of the microscope is independent of its photon-collection performance; (ii) the hologram phase conjugates aberrations and other systematic phase distortions, and hence acts as an ideal matched filter to the reference source (unlike the ad hoc filtering function performed by the pinhole). In this paper we focus on the depth-resolving properties of volume diffraction when a turbulent (scattering) medium, emulating a biological tissue, is present in the path of the light entering the microscope. In particular, we compare the depth resolution of a microscope recorded with and without precompensation for the presence of the scatterer. Precompensation extends the matched filtering principle by use of a priori information (the thickness of the turbulent medium) during the recording phase of the hologram. Our experimental results (section 2) demonstrate that precompensation increases the scatterer thickness over which confocal imaging is possible.
Model studies towards the synthesis of aplysiatoxin. Spiro-conformational control in the reactivity of C2-oxidized spiroketals.

Abstract The strategy of pre-foming a highly functionalized C2-oxidized spiroketal prior to utilizing the steric and stereoelectronic biases of the ring system to direct the introduction of further functionality is an attractive method for complex spiroketal synthesis. By such an approach, aplysiatoxin-oscillatoxin models have been constructed, in which non-chair conformation have been discovered.
Effect of pH and ionic strength on the cytolytic toxin Cyt1A: a fluorescence spectroscopy study.

Abstract Cyt1A is a cytolytic toxin produced by Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis. Due to its toxicity in vivo against mosquitoes and black flies, it is used as an environmentally friendly insecticide, although its mode of action is not completely understood. The toxin is membrane-active, but its membrane-bound conformation is unknown. In the absence of direct structural data, fluorescence spectroscopy was used to obtain indirect information on Cyt1A conformation changes in the environment mimicking the vicinity of the lipid membrane (lower pH and increased ionic strength). With decreasing pH, Cyt1A's surface hydrophobicity increased, which is consistent with an increased interaction with model membranes at low pH values, as observed previously. The p K a value of this conformation change is 4.4±0.1. Intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence decreased with decreasing pH, and the p K a value was the same as the one determined with synthetic probes. The protein has two types of hydrophobic binding sites, and at low pH these sites bind more probe molecules (bis-ANS) with a higher affinity than at pH 7.4. When bound to the lipid, the toxin exhibited conformation similar to the molten-globule state and showed some characteristics also observed at low pH. However, the conformation of the lipid-bound toxin did not depend on pH. Neutral salts like NaCl and KCl induced conformational changes at neutral pH, but not at low pH. These changes were most probably due to specific interactions of the salt ions with the charged amino acids on the protein surface rather than due to general effects such as Hofmeister and Debye–Huckel. Our results might contribute to elucidating the mode of action of Cyt1A, and perhaps also to improving the formulation of the insecticidal preparations.
External influences in the cross‐cultural negotiation process

Internationalization, the buzzword of the 1980s, has become the necessity for firms to survive in the 1990s. Contact with foreign firms is a given for US businesses. With this contact comes the issue of cross‐cultural negotiations. How do US businesses prepare themselves and conduct such negotiations? Examines the use of external agents, translators, bicultural brokers, and prenegotiating briefers/experts in the cross‐cultural negotiation process and looks at those factors which relate to success or failure in cross‐cultural negotiations.
Studies with encapsulated 125I sources. i. apparatus and dosimetry for determination of relative biological effectiveness

Abstract Apparatus and dosimetry techniques have been developed which make possible studies of the biological effects of radiation from encapsulated 125 I sources at clinically relevant dose rates using mammalian cells attached to culture dishes. The variation of dose rate from 125 I photons as a function of distance from the interface between different materials was investigated. A polystyrene substrate changes the mean dose rate in attached cells by about 21 %, depending on cell thickness. To reduce dosimetry uncertainty caused by this effect, special petri dishes were made from polyvinylidene fluoride, which changes the mean dose in attached cells by only 10 %. Chinese hamster ovary cells attached to these dishes were cultured in incubators which contained 125 I and 137 Cs sources, allowing the effects of various dose rates (.005 to 0.80 Gy/hr) of radiation from the two isotopes to be compared. The relative dose rates from these low- and high-energy photons were measured with an accuracy of ± 7 % or better using an air-equivalent ionization chamber designed to resemble one of our special petri dishes. Calculations of dose rates from 125 I give values within 4% off the measured dose rates used to determine the relative biological effectiveness of 125 I photons.
The Magnitude of the Problem

“On Monday morning last, about a quarter past two, St. Louis and the surrounding country, was visited by one of the most violent shocks of earthquake that has been recorded since the discovery of our country.” (Louisiana Gazette, 21 December 1811 ) This is where the story begins, in the wee hours of the morning on 16 December 1811. Many early Americans, in particular in the sparsely populated midcontinent, were awakened that night by seismic waves from the powerful mainshock and kept awake by a robust aftershock sequence. Of those who experienced the shaking, only a small percentage documented their experiences in written accounts that have been handed down to us. The collection of known archival accounts numbers only in the hundreds. Some of the accounts appeared to defy credulity: waterfalls appearing on the Mississippi River, the course of the river itself temporarily reversed, riverbanks and even entire islands collapsing. Other accounts reveal remarkable insight, even prescience; for example, medical doctor Daniel Drake, who observed that shaking was stronger in the Ohio River Valley than in the adjacent uplands and went on to ascribe the difference to the fact that strata in the river valley are “loose.” Samuel Mitchill, a representative in the U.S. Congress with training in geology, set out to collect accounts in the hope that they would lead him to “something like a tolerable theory of earthquakes.” Along the way he came to appreciate the challenge of the task he set himself. “The phenomena,” he wrote in 1815, “were described in the most fearful and alarming strains by several writers. Much exaggeration was interwoven with some of the narratives. Some, indeed, were tinctured with fable and burlesque.” (Many of the accounts that likely impressed Mitchill as fable and burlesque have in fact found support in modern science: …
Comparison of Gene Expression Profiles Induced By Coarse, Fine, and Ultrafine Particulate Matter

Coarse, fine, and ultrafine particulate matter (PM) fractions possess different physical properties and chemical compositions and may produce different adverse health effects. Studies were undertaken to determine whether or not gene expression patterns may be used to discriminate among the three size fractions. Airway epithelial cells obtained from 6 normal individuals were exposed to Chapel Hill coarse, fine or ultrafine PM (250 μg/ml) for 6 and 24 h (n=3 different individuals each). RNA was isolated and hybridized to Affymetrix cDNA microarrays. Significant genes were identified and mapped to canonical pathways. Expression of selected genes was confirmed by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The numbers of genes altered by coarse, fine, and ultrafine PM increased from 0, 6, and 17 at 6 h to 1281, 302, and 455 at 24 h, respectively. The NRF2-mediated oxidative stress response, cell cycle:G2/M DNA damage checkpoint regulation, and mitotic roles of polo-like kinase were the top three pathways altered by all three fractions. Fine and ultrafine PM displayed more similar gene expression patterns. One example was the increased expression of metallothionein isoforms, reflecting the higher zinc content associated with fine and ultrafine fractions. A set of 10 genes was identified that could discriminate fine and ultrafine PM from coarse PM. These results indicate that common properties shared by the three size fractions as well as size-specific factors, e.g., compositions, may determine the effects on gene expression. Genomic markers may be used to discriminate coarse from fine and ultrafine PM.