cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Emerging and future therapies for hemophilia

The evolution of care in hemophilia is a remarkable story. Over the last 60 years, advances in protein purification, protein chemistry, donor screening, viral inactivation, gene sequencing, gene cloning, and recombinant protein production have dramatically enhanced the treatment and lives of patients with hemophilia. Recent efforts have produced enhanced half-life (EHL) clotting factors to better support prophylaxis and decrease the frequency of infusions. Medical needs remain in the areas of alternate modes of administration to decrease the need for venous access, better treatment, and prophylaxis for patients who form antibodies to clotting factors, and ultimately a cure of the underlying genetic defect. In this brief review, the authors summarize data on EHL clotting factors, introduce agents whose mode of action is not clotting factor replacement, and list current gene therapy efforts.
Quantifying the Thermal Protection and Comfort Characteristics of Sleeping Bags

Research on an electrically heated copper manikin has resulted in a rational basis for specifying the lowest temperature at which a sleeping bag will thermally protect its occupant. The manikin, housed in an environmentalchamber, was calibrated with a "standard" sleeping bag. The manikin surface temperature, ambient air, and power input readings were used to calculate the thermal insulation (clo) value of the sleeping bags. The clo value was then used in a model to predict the Lower Thermal Comfort Threshold of the sleeping bag under study. These procedures, along with recommendations for determining the comfort of the wearing apparel, are discussed. In addition, the need for educating the consumer on the meaning of clo and the possible inclusion of clo ratings on outdoor equipment and clothing is discussed.
Soft Power, Bias and Manipulation of International Organizations in International Mediation

The present study challenges three common assumptions of the international mediation literature. First, it challenges the perception that pure or weak mediators are unable to use manipulative and coercive strategies in the mediation process, but can only resort to facilitating the dialogue and at most formulating a proposal on behalf of the disputants. Secondly, it challenges the perception that only resource-based power can be used to manipulate the process and coerce (and direct) the parties toward mutually acceptable solutions. This misconception is based on the assumption that the expansion of the zone of possible agreement, which is mainly attributed to manipulative strategies, can be achieved only by the employment of carrots and sticks which are often inaccessible to pure or weak mediators. Lastly, it shows how this type of leverage can also indicate a particular bias that an apparent pure mediator might have: bias of outcome.
Arcuate hypothalamic AgRP and putative POMC neurons show opposite changes in spiking across multiple timescales

Appetite is controlled in part by the opposing actions of the ‘hunger hormone’ (called ghrelin) and the ‘satiety hormone’ (called leptin). Ghrelin is released by the stomach when empty and stimulates appetite, whereas leptin is released by fat stores and induces feelings of fullness. Both hormones travel via the bloodstream and are detected by a region of the brain called the hypothalamus. Ghrelin and leptin act specifically on a group of cells in the hypothalamus that contains at least two major cell types: AgRP neurons and POMC neurons. Electrode recordings from slices of mouse brain show that AgRP neurons fire more rapidly at night—when mice normally feed—than during the day, whereas POMC neurons do the opposite. This suggests that the activity of AgRP neurons drives food-seeking behavior, whereas POMC firing inhibits it. However, the absence of circulating hormones such as leptin and ghrelin in brain slices makes it difficult to draw firm conclusions about the role of these cells in controlling appetite. Mandelblat-Cerf, Ramesh, Burgess et al. have addressed this issue by performing the first recordings of spiking activity in individual AgRP neurons and other cells that are likely to be POMC neurons in awake mice. Consistent with the results of slice experiments, the firing rate of AgRP neurons increased steadily over the course of the day, suggesting that their activity signals an increasing need for food. Furthermore, as soon as food became available, the firing rate of the AgRP neurons suddenly dropped—even though the animals' energy reserves would still have been low. These results are consistent with the findings of two recent studies reported earlier this year that used different methods to indirectly measure neuronal activity in awake mice. Notably, even after the drop in activity, the firing rates of AgRP neurons remained above those recorded in fully sated mice—which possibly reflects the fact that the animals' energy reserves were still low. The putative POMC neurons generally showed opposite effects to the AgRP neurons. The results of these electrode recordings in awake mice thus suggest that AgRP and POMC neurons together maintain a drive to seek out food sources as energy reserves fall, and to refrain from doing so when energy reserves are plentiful. Moreover, the seemingly paradoxical drop in AgRP firing and increase in POMC firing upon receiving food may act as a signal to temporarily stop searching for food, so that feeding itself can begin. Alternatively, since the release of satiety hormones after eating a meal is slow, these rapid changes in firing may provide more immediate feedback to the neuronal circuits that regulate the drives to seek and consume food.
Factorization and the soft overlap contribution to heavy-to-light form factors

Abstract Using the formalism of soft-collinear effective theory, a complete separation of short- and long-distance contributions to heavy-to-light transition form factors at large recoil is performed. The universal functions ζM(E) parameterizing the “soft overlap” contributions to the form factors are defined in terms of matrix elements in the effective theory. Endpoint configurations corresponding to kinematic situations where one of the valence partons in the external mesons carries very small momentum are accounted for in terms of operators involving soft-collinear messenger fields. They contribute at leading order in ΛQCD/E and spoil factorization. An analysis of operator mixing and renormalization-group evolution in the effective theory reveals that the intermediate scale EΛ is without significance to the soft functions ζM(E), and that the soft overlap contribution does not receive a significant perturbative (Sudakov) suppression.
Syntheses and crystal structures of several novel alkylammonium iodobismuthate materials containing the 1,3-bis-(4-piperidinium)propane cation

The inorganic-organic salts (H{sub 2}TMDP){sub 3}(Bi{sub 2}I{sub 9}){sub 2} (1), (H{sub 2}TMDP){sub 2}(Bi{sub 4}I{sub 16}).2EtOH (2), (H{sub 2}TMDP){sub 2}(Bi{sub 6}I{sub 22}).2EtOH (3), and (H{sub 2}TMDP){sub 2}(Bi{sub 6}I{sub 22}) (4) were synthesized and structurally characterized from the solvothermal reaction of 1,3-bis-(4-piperidyl)propane (TMDP) and BiI{sub 3} by adjusting the relative ratio of the reactants. The anions of the compounds consist of 2 (1), 4 (2), or 6 (3 and 4) BiI{sub 6} polyhedra, which are joined by face- (1) or edge-sharing (2-4) to form discrete anions. The size of the discrete anion, in terms of the number of connected polyhedra, is observed to increase as the ratio of BiI{sub 3} to TMDP is increased. A related compound (H{sub 2}TMDP)(Bi{sub 3}I{sub 11}).(H{sub 2}O) (5) was synthesized and structurally characterized using the same two reactants in the presence of HF. The anion of 5 is polymeric rather than discrete, with a trioctahedral repeat unit.
Treatment of human breast cancer in a brain metastatic model by G207, a replication-competent multimutated herpes simplex virus 1

ABSTRACT We investigated the therapeutic efficacy of G207, a replication-competent multimutated herpes simplex virus type 1, for the treatment of human malignant mammary tumors metastatic to the br...
Delphi: a methodology for preferences more than predictions

Concentrates on the Delphi method of research. Aims to present Delphi as a practical method and to dispel the idea that Delphi is more of a guessing game. Claims Delphi can be applied to practical problems in a way that meets modern information management needs. The pooling of expert talents to suggest preferences for action can be achieved through Delphi if the method is applied to solving information management functions.
Modification of the fiber/matrix interface in aluminide-based intermetallic-matrix composites

Abstract The success of continuous fiber-reinforced intermetallic-matrix composites, including those based on aluminides, depends on developing an optimized fiber/matrix interface. This paper addresses different issues related to the modification of the fiber/matrix interface in intermetallic-matrix composites. The interface issues discussed here include interfacial reaction barriers, interfacial layer to reduce the effect of coefficient of thermal expansion mismatch between the fiber and the matrix, and interfacial layers to improve fiber/matrix bonding. Various concepts are demonstrated with examples drawn from some of the systems of current interest. The examples include interfacial reaction barriers for the NiAl/Nb 2 Be 17 composite system, interface layer to accommodate fiber/matrix CTE mismatch in Ti 3 Al/SiC system, and interface layer to improve fiber/matrix bonding in NiAl/Al 2 O 3 composite.
Overview of advances in high-performance ROIC designs for use with IRFPAs

As 2nd and 3rd generation Focal Plane Arrays (FPA) become more complex, the readout integrated circuit (ROIC) has emerged as a major discriminator in system performance. The focus of development and advancement has traditionally involved the detector technology. Early ROICs were simple multiplexers that performed little if any signal processing on the detector diode signal. Advances in silicon fabrication processes for analog integrated circuits have opened a new era in IRFPAs where signal digital functions can be achieved on the focal plane. We present an overview of significant advances in the area of mixed mode ROIC designs that enable greater functionality and performance of the sensor chip assembly. Innovations, continuing progress in CMOS technology, and greater foundry access have allowed enhancements in practically every aspect of the ROIC, from sophisticated unit cells to lower noise and lower power signal paths to highly programmable digital support circuitry. Denser detector input circuits with active amplifiers (FEDI or CTIA) have been implemented in unit cells as small as 27 micrometer X 27 micrometer. In addition, multiple gain, temporal filtering, or spatial filtering capabilities have been incorporated into these small unit cells. Significant reductions in focal plane power have been fabricated and demonstrated enabling a factor of 2 increase in frame rates for very large staring FPAs and a factor of 4 increase in line rates for scanning FPAs. Other developments include, but are not limited to, alternative schemes for time-delayed integration (TDI) and breakthroughs for uncooled applications. As the chip designs increase in capability, greater systems on a chip are feasible, especially with more programmable features provided by the on-chip digital circuitry.
Performance analysis of a swept-source optical coherence tomography system with a quadrature interferometer and optical amplification

Abstract A performance analysis of signal to noise ratio for an optical coherence tomography system with quadrature detection and a semiconductor optical amplifier in the sample arm is discussed. The results are compared and discussed in relation to a conventional OCT system (without optical amplification). An increase of the signal to noise ratio up to 14 dB at a depth of 0.5 mm is obtained compared to the system without the optical amplifier. Overall, an improvement was demonstrated for signal coming from deeper regions within the samples. Arterial plaque from a myocardial infarction-prone Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic (WHHLMI) rabbit is visualized and characterized using this system. Improvement of signal to noise ratio increases the penetration depth possible for OCT images, from 1 mm to 2 mm within the vessel wall of an artery. Preliminary results show that vulnerable plaque with fibrous cap, macrophage accumulations and calcification in the arterial tissue are measurable with this OCT system.
Direct write assembly of calcium phosphate scaffolds using a water-based hydrogel.

Abstract The development of materials to support bone regeneration requires flexible fabrication technologies able to tailor chemistry and architecture for specific applications. In this work we describe the preparation of ceramic-based inks for robotic-assisted deposition (robocasting) using Pluronic ® F-127 solutions. This approach allows the preparation of pseudoplastic inks with solid contents ranging between 30 and 50 vol.%, enabling them to flow through a narrow printing nozzle while supporting the weight of the printed structure. Ink formulation does not require manipulation of the pH or the use of highly volatile organic components. Therefore, the approach can be used to prepare materials with a wide range of compositions, and here we use it to build hydroxyapatite (HA), β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) and biphasic (HA/β-TCP) structures. The flow of the inks is controlled by the Pluronic ® content and the particle size distribution of the ceramic powders. The use of wide size distributions favors flow through the narrow printing nozzles and we have been able to use printing nozzles as narrow as 100 μm in diameter, applying relatively low printing pressures. The microporosity of the printed lines increases with increasing Pluronic ® content and lower sintering temperatures. Microporosity can play a key role in determining the biological response to the materials, but it also affects the strength of the structure.
A linear-time algorithm for broadcast domination in a tree

The broadcast domination problem is a variant of the classical minimum dominating set problem in which a transmitter of power p at vertex v is capable of dominating (broadcasting to) all vertices within distance p from v. Our goal is to assign a broadcast power f(v) to every vertex v in a graph such that ΣveVf(v) is minimized, and such that every vertex u with f(u) = 0 is within distance f(v) of some vertex v with f(v)> 0. The problem is solvable in polynomial time on a general graph (Heggernes and Lokshtanov, Disc Math (2006), 3267–3280) and Blair et al. (Congr. Num. (2004), 55–77.) gave an O(n2) algorithm for trees. In this article, we provide an O(n) algorithm for trees. Our algorithm is notable due to the fact that it makes decisions for each vertex v based on “nonlocal” information from vertices far away from v, whereas almost all other linear-time algorithms for trees only make use of local information. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. NETWORKS, 2009
Mexican–American Adolescents’ Gender Role Attitude Development: The Role of Adolescents’ Gender and Nativity and Parents’ Gender Role Attitudes

Gender development has long term implications for education and career endeavors and family formation behaviors, but we know very little about the role of sociocultural factors in developmental and individual differences. In this study, we investigated one domain of gender development, gender role attitudes, in Mexican–American adolescents (N = 246; 51 % female), using four phases of longitudinal data across 8 years. Data were collected when adolescents averaged 12.51 years (SD = 0.58), 14.64 years (SD = 0.59), 17.72 years (SD = 0.57), and 19.60 years of age (SD = 0.66). Mothers’ and fathers’ gender role attitudes also were assessed in Phases 1, 3, and 4. Findings revealed that gender attitude development varied as a function of the interaction between adolescents’ nativity and gender. Among Mexico-born adolescents, females exhibited significant declines in traditional attitudes from early to late adolescence, but males’ attitudes were stable over time. U.S.-born females and males, in contrast, did not differ in their gender attitude trajectories. Examining the links between mothers’, fathers’, and adolescents’ gender role attitudes revealed within-person associations between mothers’ and adolescents’ gender role attitudes: on occasions when mothers reported more traditional attitudes relative to their own cross-time average, adolescents also reported more traditional attitudes than usual. In addition, fathers’ more traditional gender role attitudes were associated with daughters’, but not sons’, more traditional gender role attitudes at the between-person level. The discussion focuses on the interpretation of Mexican–American adolescents’ gender role attitude development from a cultural ecological perspective.
Extended LTA, TNF, LST1 and HLA gene haplotypes and their association with rubella vaccine-induced immunity.

Background Recent studies have suggested the importance of HLA genes in determining immune responses following rubella vaccine. The telomeric class III region of the HLA complex harbors several genes, including lymphotoxin alpha (LTA), tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and leukocyte specific transcript -1 (LST1) genes, located between the class I B and class II DRB1 loci. Apart from HLA, little is known about the effect of this extended genetic region on HLA haplotypic backgrounds as applied to immune responses. Methodology/Principal Findings We examined the association between immune responses and extended class I-class II-class III haplotypes among 714 healthy children after two doses of rubella vaccination. These extended haplotypes were then compared to the HLA-only haplotypes. The most significant association was observed between haplotypes extending across the HLA class I region, ten-SNP haplotypes, and the HLA class II region (i.e. A-C-B-LTA-TNF-LST1-DRB1-DQA1-DQB1-DPA1-D​PB1)and rubella-specific antibodies (global p-value of 0.03). Associations were found between both extended A*02-C*03-B*15-AAAACGGGGC-DRB1*04-DQA1*03-DQB1*03-DPA1*01-DPB1*04 (p = 0.002) and HLA-only A*02-C*03-B*15-DRB1*04-DQA1*03-DQB1*03-D​PA1*01-DPB1*04haplotypes (p = 0.009) and higher levels of rubella antibodies. The class II HLA-only haplotype DRB1*13-DQA1*01-DQB1*06-DPA1*01-DPB1*04 (p = 0.04) lacking LTA-TNF-LST1 SNPs was associated with lower rubella antibody responses. Similarly, the class I-class II HLA-only A*01-C*07-B*08-DRB1*03-DQA1*05-DQB1*02-D​PA1*01-DPB1*04haplotype was associated with increased TNF-α secretion levels (p = 0.009). In contrast, the extended AAAACGGGGC-DRB1*01-DQA1*01-DQB1*05-DPA1*01-DPB1*04 (p = 0.01) haplotype was found to trend with decreased rubella-specific IL-6 secretion levels. Conclusions/Significance These data suggest the importance of examining both HLA genes and genes in the class III region as part of the extended haplotypes useful in understanding genomic drivers regulating immune responses to rubella vaccine.
Healing Patterns in Anogenital Injuries: A Longitudinal Study of Injuries Associated With Sexual Abuse, Accidental Injuries, or Genital Surgery in the Preadolescent Child

Objective. To study healing patterns of anogenital trauma in prepubescent children. Methods. A prospective 10-year study was conducted of 94 children who had anogenital trauma and were followed to healing and documented using a colposcope with 35-mm camera attachment. Results. The 13 boys and 81 girls were referred with injuries as a result of sexual assault or anogenital trauma. Hymenal injuries occurred in 37 cases; 2 transections healed after surgery, and 15 persisted unchanged. Partial tears, hymenal abrasions, or hematomas healed completely or with minor nonspecific changes. Of the 47 injuries to the posterior fourchette, 22 abrasions, hematomas, or tears healed completely; 12 tears healed with vascular changes; 2 developed labial fusions; 10 lacerations required surgery; and 6 scarred and 4 healed with vascular changes. Only 2 of 39 cases of perihymenal trauma healed with vascular changes. All 17 cases of labial trauma healed completely. Anal trauma healed completely in 29 of 31 with scarring occurring in only 2 cases that required surgery. Conclusions. Anogenital trauma heals quickly, often without residua. Of the 94 cases, there were diagnostic anatomic changes in the 15 cases of hymenal transections (2 other cases healed completely with surgical reconstruction), 6 cases after surgical repair of posterior fourchette, and 2 cases of anal scarring after surgery.
Quantum physics: Frustrated trio mimicked

Quantum simulation is a promising tool for navigating the complex world of many-body physics. The technique has now been employed to simulate a frustrated network of three quantum magnets by using trapped ions. A network is termed 'frustrated' when competing interactions between nodes prevent each bond from being satisfied. Frustration in quantum networks can lead to massively entangled ground states. The authors study this process by performing a quantum simulation of a frustrated spin system using three trapped atomic ions, whose interactions are precisely controlled using optical forces.
A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE NATURAL HISTORY OF POST-SURGICAL (ACQUIRED) AND SPONTANEOUS (CONGENITAL) JUNCTIONAL RHYTHM

Serial electrocardiograms of 14 patients who developed junctional(J)rhythm in the post-operative period(group A) were compared to tracings of 11 patients who had spontaneous J rhythm (group B). The mean (D) age was 8 years in group A and 4.2 in group B. Both were followed for a similar period (average 6.8 years). Initial J rate was higher in group A (M 6M/min) than in group B(M 45/min) and was independent of age. In group A the J rate decreased from 64 to 45/min. and it did not decrease further. J rate was obtainable within 1 week of surgery in only 3 patients of group A and in all was greater than 90/min. This rate decreased also to M 42/min. with maximum decline in the first month. J rate in group B remained constant throughout. Atrial rate in group A was slightly higher than J rate and M atrial/junctional ratio(AJR)was 1.2:1. Atrial rate decreased parallel to J rate indicating sinus node dysfunction. In group B atrial rate was variable, independent of J rate and always higher than J rate with AJR of 2.2:1(M). Group A was found to have an unstable J rate during the early months, but J rate stabilized thereafter with intermittent episodes of brady-tachyarrhythmias seen as a complication of associated sinus node dysfunction.
Effect of indium mole fraction on infrared light emitting diode (LED) device performance

We report on the design and fabrication of interband cascade light emitting diode (LED) device with InAs/Ga 1-x In x Sb/InAs quantum well (QW) active region. We have varied indium (In) contents in the QW region between 18 and 30% from x = 0.18 to 0.3 and found that light emission power increases with decrease of In percentage value. We observed a 200% increase in light emission power by decreasing the In content from 30 to 18%. By cooling the LED device, we observed a higher increase in light output power for higher In content devices compared to that of lower In content devices.
Grain growth in nanocrystalline NbAl3 prepared by mechanical alloying

Grain growth and its kinetics were studied on an intermetallic compound, NbAl3 powder prepared by mechanical alloying of elemental Nb and Al powders for 1.8 Ms in an argon atmosphere at ambient temperature. The initial and grown grain sizes were measured from the X-ray line broadening of as-alloyed and annealed powders. Isochronal annealing of mechanically alloyed powders from 573 to 1373 K indicated that substantial grain growth occurs only in a temperature range of 1048 to 1173 K and ceases at 1273 K regardless of anneal time. Accordingly isothermal annealing of 1.8 to 18 ks was carried out at 1048, 1073 and 1098 K to obtain the grain growth kinetic that is described by In (dD/dt) = In(ro/3) −2.0 In D where D is the measured grain size and r o a constant. This r o depends on temperature according to r o=r′o exp (− Q/kT) where Q is the activation energy for grain growth, k the Boltzmann constant and T the absolute temperature. Arrhenius plots of r o against the reciprocal of temperature yield a straight line, from whose slope the activation energy for grain growth is deduced to be 162±2 kJ mol−1. Of significance is the fact that the ultimate grain size at 1273 K is approximately 70 nm, which will not grow by further annealing even at 1373 K.
Meeting Report: Using Stem Cells for Biological and Therapeutics Discovery in Mental Illness, April 2012

This report synthesizes the discussions during a workshop convened April 24–25, 2012, by the National Institute of Mental Health and the Foundation for the NIH in Bethesda, Maryland, that focused on progress and challenges in the use of patient-derived reprogrammed cells for basic biological discovery, target identification, screening, and drug development for mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and autism spectrum disorders. The workshop revealed that the greatest progress has been made in reprogramming methods and agreed-upon standards for validating the resulting induced pluripotent stem cell lines. However, challenges remain in several areas, including efficiently generating and validating specific neural cell types with respect to regional identity, establishing assays with predictive validity to mental illness pathophysiology, and generating sufficient statistical power and data reproducibility across laboratories. A brainstorming session yielded a number of suggestions, including calls to (a) facilitate the replication of results by standardizing protocols and samples used across laboratories; (b) improve technology by generating cheaper/faster targeting methods, reporters, and assays; and (c) improve resource sharing and collaboration, with an emphasis on rapid sharing of new cell lines, technologies, and best practices, possibly incorporated into a public-private partnership. The meeting provided an important venue for academic, government, and private sector scientists to address potential opportunities for translational and clinical applications of reprogrammed cell research. A number of activities since the workshop have reflected the feedback from meeting participants.
SPOTTED STAR LIGHT CURVES WITH ENHANCED PRECISION

The nearly continuous timewise coverage of recent photometric surveys is free of the large gaps that compromise attempts to follow starspot growth and decay as well as motions, thereby giving incentive to improve computational precision for modeled spots. Due to the wide variety of star systems in the surveys, such improvement should apply to light/velocity curve models that accurately include all the main phenomena of close binaries and rotating single stars. The vector fractional area (VFA) algorithm that is introduced here represents surface elements by small sets of position vectors so as to allow accurate computation of circle-triangle overlap by spherical geometry. When computed by VFA, spots introduce essentially no noticeable scatter in light curves at the level of one part in 10,000. VFA has been put into the Wilson-Devinney light/velocity curve program and all logic and mathematics are given so as to facilitate entry into other such programs. Advantages of precise spot computation include improved statistics of spot motions and aging, reduced computation time (intrinsic precision relaxes needs for grid fineness), noise-free illustration of spot effects in figures, and help in guarding against false positives in exoplanet searches, where spots could approximately mimic transiting planets in unusual circumstances. A simple spot growth and decay template quantifies time profiles, and specifics of its utilization in differential corrections solutions are given. Computational strategies are discussed, the overall process is tested in simulations via solutions of synthetic light curve data, and essential simulation results are described. An efficient time smearing facility by Gaussian quadrature can deal with Kepler mission data that are in 30 minute time bins.
Use of HIT for adverse event reporting in nursing homes: barriers and facilitators.

Abstract Background & objective Approximately 8 million adverse events occur annually in nursing homes (NHs). The focus of this research is to determine barriers and health information technology (HIT)-related facilitators to adverse event reporting among U.S. NHs. Methods Surveys were returned by 399 nursing home administrators using a mailed survey approach. Respondents were asked to report on their adverse event reporting processes focusing on barriers and role of HIT facilitators. Results About 15% of NHs had computerized entry by the nurse on the unit and almost 18% used no computer technology to track, monitor, or maintain adverse event data. One-third of nursing directors conducted data analysis “by-hand.” NHs without HIT were more likely to not be accredited ( p = 0.04) and not part of a chain/corporation ( p = 0.03). Two of the top three barriers focused on fears of reporting as a barrier. Conclusions This study found numerous barriers and few HIT-related facilitators to assist with adverse event reporting. Improvements in facilitating adverse event reporting through the use of HIT approaches may be warranted.
Immanuel Kant, Cosmopolitan Law and Peace

Two centuries ago Immanuel Kant published one of his most celebrated political writings, To Perpetual Peace. A Philosophical Project. He introduced cosmopolitan law, which has puzzled various generations of scholars. This concept is examined by way of a comparison of Kant's contemporary international theories. It is argued that it plays a crucial role in Kant's system of International Relations. While on the one hand cosmopolitan law safeguards a state's sovereignty vis-a-vis other states, on the other it is an innovation which allows the international community to monitor the internal affairs of its members. The concept can be seen as a forerunner of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, sharing with it the idea that some rights have a universal value even if they are not actually protected by any secular institution.
Arsenic-induced axial skeletal (dysraphic) disorders

Abstract Intravenous injection of 20 mg/kg of sodium arsenate or 2–10 mg/kg of sodium arsenite into pregnant golden hamsters on the morning of Day 8 of gestation was associated with the production of cranioschisis aperta with exencephaly and cranioschisis occulta with encephalocoele in a majority of the near-term offspring. Inspection of hamster embryos 10 hr after a teratogenic dose of sodium arsenate revealed a delay in neural-fold elevation and neural-tube closure. There was a paucity of cephalic mesoderm in treated embryos as compared to control embryos of an equivalent gestational age. The results suggest that arsenic-induced damage to the paraxial mesoderm may be related to the ultimate skeletal malformations. Intravenous injection of 20–100 mg/kg of methylarsonic acid or 20–100 mg/kg of dimethylarsimic acid, the methylated metabolites of inorganic arsenic, failed to induce the marked teratogenic response that was associated with injection of the inorganic arsenic compounds. The results suggest that in situ conversion of inorganic arsenic to methylated metabolites represents a detoxication pathway for both the dam and the developing embryo.
Associations of bats with local structure and landscape features of forested stands in western Oregon and Washington

Abstract Understanding the processes that underlie bat distribution and activity patterns requires examination of habitat associations at multiple scales. We examined the association of both local structure and landscape context with bat activity in forested stands using ultrasonic detectors. Forty-eight stands in western Oregon and Washington were monitored for bat activity on at least six occasions for each of two field seasons. At the stand level, bat activity was negatively associated with tree density. The standard deviation of tree density and the density of newly created snags were positively associated with bat activity. In combination, these three variables explained 46% of the total variance in bat activity among stands. Landscape-level variables did not explain any significant variation among a subset of stands (n=22). Our study suggests that management of forest-dwelling bats should focus primarily on structural attributes at the stand level and the effects of these features on feeding and roosting opportunities.
Changes in the surface morphology of glass due to abrasion and the deposition of sol—gel thin films

Abstract The surface topolographies of soda—lime and silica glasses have been investigated through the use of an atomic force microscope. The roughening effect on their morphology of diamond-powder abrasive pastes, as well as the smoothing effect of multiple tetraethyl orthosilicate sol—gel films made by dip coating were studied, and quantitative measures of the root mean square surface roughness were obtained. These measurements were then related to laser light scattering from the surface through the use of the Kirchoff-Beckmann model.
The Interaction of Thermal Radiation in Optically Thick Boundary Layers

An analysis is presented to examine the role of the Rosseland or optically thick approximation in convection-radiation interaction situations. The analysis is formulated for the flow of a gray gas in a laminar two-dimensional boundary layer under the restriction of small temperature differences within the flow field. The boundary-layer energy equation is treated using the method of matched asymptotic expansions based on a parameter which characterizes the optical thickness of the gas. Two illustrative examples of the resulting equations are presented.
Identifying Multidimensional Damage in a Hierarchical Dynamical System

In this paper, we present a novel method for multidimensional damage identification based on a dynamical systems approach to damage evolution. This approach does not depend on the knowledge of particular damage physics, and is appropriate for systems where damage evolves on much slower time scale than the directly observable dynamics. In an experimental context, the phase space reconstruction and locally linear models are used to quantify small distortions occurring in a dynamical system's phase space due to damage accumulation. These measurements are then related to the drifts in damage variables. A mathematical model of a harmonically driven cantilever beam in a force field of two battery-powered electromagnets is used to demonstrate validity of the method. It is explicitly demonstrated that an affine projection of the described feature vector accurately tracks the two competing damage processes. For practical damage identification purposes, the tracking data is analyzed using the proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) and smooth orthogonal decomposition (SOD) methods. Both methods correctly identify the two dominant damage modes. However, the SOD is more impervious to changes in fast-time dynamics and provides a significantly better signal-to-noise ratio. The damage modes identified using SOD are demonstrated to be within a linear transformation from the actual damage states and can be used to reconstruct the corresponding phase space trajectory.
Diastereoselective aldol condensations of tin enolates with aldehydes

Abstract The reaction of tin enolates of cyclohexanone or propiophenone with benzaldehyde at −78°C gives predominately the threo aldol diastereomer.
Generating informative snippet to maximize item visibility

The widespread use and growing popularity of online collaborative content sites has created rich resources for users to consult in order to make purchasing decisions on various items such as e-commerce products, restaurants, etc. Ideally, a user wants to quickly decide whether an item is desirable, from the list of items returned as a result of her search query. This has created new challenges for producers/manufacturers (e.g., Dell) or retailers (e.g., Amazon, eBay) of such items to compose succinct summarizations of web item descriptions, henceforth referred to as snippets, that are likely to maximize the items' visibility among users. We exploit the availability of user feedback in collaborative content sites in the form of tags to identify the most important item attributes that must be highlighted in an item snippet. We investigate the problem of finding the top-k best snippets for an item that are likely to maximize the probability that the user preference (available in the form of search query) is satisfied. Since a search query returns multiple relevant items, we also study the problem of finding the best diverse set of snippets for the items in order to maximize the probability of a user liking at least one of the top items. We develop an exact top-k algorithm for each of the problem and perform detailed experiments on synthetic and real data crawled from the web to to demonstrate the utility of our problems and effectiveness of our solutions.
Analysis of the Current Signature in a Constant-Volume Combustion Chamber

Identifying charged species and their relative concentrations as a function of initial mixture composition, temperature, and pressure can play an important role in the diagnostics and control of combustion devices. This article aims to identify important charged species and their temporal variation in a spark-ignited methane/air mixture using the equilibrium constant method. The equilibrium composition of 20 neutral and seven charged species [(e−), CHO+, H3O+, NO+, OH−, , O−] was obtained using a novel adaptation of the Newton–Raphson method for highly stiff nonlinear system of equations. A two-zone combustion model was used to study the effect of air–fuel ratio (AFR) on the temporal variation of charged species concentration. Temporal variation of the current computed from the equilibrium concentration of charged species was found to compare well with experimental data for several AFRs.
Vegetarianism: Toward a greater understanding.

Vegetarianism continues to gain prominence in contemporary society. This research uses a two-phase approach to further the understanding of this phenomenon. In the first phase, a phenomenological perspective is utilized to provide a deeper understanding of the motivations, tensions, and coping mechanisms underlying vegetarianism. The second phase builds upon this understanding and broadens the scope of the research by introducing the concept of vegetarian orientation. Here, survey methodology is employed to investigate the manner in which a person's demographic, attitudinal, and personality characteristics influence his/her vegetarian-oriented attitudes and behaviors. Findings and their marketing implications are discussed. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Memory establishment via the anterior commissure of monkeys.

Abstract Rhesus monkeys with midsagittal section of the optic chiasm, corpus callosum, and hippocampal commissure learned several visual discriminations monocularly. Following additional section of the anterior commissure, they were tested for retention of the problems by each hemisphere. The results showed that the anterior commissure can establish a duplicate memory in the hemisphere not trained directly. Two control monkeys with the posterior splenium instead of the anterior commissure intact during training gave similar results when tested after the splenium was sectioned. It appears that the anterior commissure and the splenium are essentially equivalent in their mnemonic and transfer capabilities.
Long-Term Maternal Effects of Early Childhood Intervention: Findings from the Infant Health and Development Program (IHDP).

The Infant Health and Development Program (IHDP) was a randomized clinical trial of early intervention services for low birth weight, premature infants. Mothers and infants received services for 3 years beginning at neonatal discharge. At the intervention's conclusion, mothers in the intervention group who had lighter (< 2001 g) birth weight infants had been employed longer than mothers in the comparison group. Intervention group mothers also reported less emotional distress, scored higher on the home environment measure and used harsh discipline less frequently with sons. Among measures of mothers' employment, mental health and home environment at 2-, 5-and 15-years post-intervention, employment was the only domain showing a treatment effect over time; this effect depended on child birth weight. Results suggest that early intervention services may have more success altering a mother's life course than her mental health or parenting style. Further research is needed to investigate the factors influencing the decisions made by low birth weight infants' mothers regarding whether and when to work outside the home.
GROWTH OF KLEBSIELLA PNEUMONIAE UH‐2 AND PROPERTIES OF ITS HISTIDINE DECARBOXYLASE SYSTEM IN RESTING CELLS

Klebsiella pneumoniae UH-2, previously isolated from spoiled skipjack tuna grew rapidly at 37C, 25C and 10C (generation times of 0.64, 0.79 and 4.57 h, respectively) and produced large amounts of histamine at these temperatures. Histamine was found during storage of resting cells at 2C, but growth did not occur. The K. pneumoniae UH-2 histidine decarboxylase system has in situ properties that may contribute to rapid histamine formation in fish tissue. The conversion of histidine to histamine in situ had an apparent Km = 0.98 mM at the optimum pH, 4.0, with ca. 70% of this activity at pH 6. These properties and recent reports of its prominence in fish spoilage suggest that K. pneumoniae could play a major role in the formation of histamine in susceptible species.
Correlation of phase‐separation data for coal‐conversion systems

A multiparameter corresponding-states correlation is applied to describe fossil-fluid vapor/liquid-equilibrium behavior needed to design separation and other process units in coal-liquefaction plants. Data for both defined and undefined fluids pertinent to coal liquefaction are utilized in correlation development. The procurement of these data requires a thorough evaluation and study of the needs for additional data to improve correlations. These needs are systematically outlined in the context of the level of predication capability that can be achieved using the currently available data base. A conformal-solution model is applied to describe the behavior of many defined binary and ternary coal-solvent systems. The correlation is then extended to undefined systems such as those encountered in the Exxon Donor Solvent process. Correlation results are reported and correlation limits are assessed.
Counting the Ways to Decode Dynamic Signals

The role of biological signaling networks is to reliably transmit specific information about the extracellular environment to multiple intracellular downstream effectors, allowing the cell to adjust its physiological state to changing conditions. One mechanism that cells use to enhance the performance of signaling networks is the temporal modulation, or dynamics, of the transmitted signals ( 1 – 4 ). The key role that modulating temporal activity of the signal plays in information transmission makes signaling dynamics an attractive target for therapeutic approaches that interfere with the transmission of specific types of information through the network ( 5 ). The diversity of temporal modulation strategies seen in various signaling networks suggests that there is no single optimal strategy for making use of dynamic information. Therefore, to uncover the benefits of temporal modulation strategies, it is important to understand how the suitability of each type of signaling dynamics is matched to the nature of the particular information that is being transmitted. Some types of information are transmitted through frequency-modulated signals, whereas other types are transmitted through modulation of signal amplitude or duration. Work by Cai et al. ( 6 ) on page 1329 of this issue identifies how the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum decodes a temporally dynamic signal to coordinate its development in response to starvation.
Ultrastructural localization of peroxidase in submaxillary acinar cells.

The acinar cells of rat submaxillary glands synthesize a peroxidase enzyme. This study demonstrates, at a fine structural level, the sites of this endogenase peroxidase. The perinuclear cisternae, endoplasmic reticulum, and ribosomes within acinar cells, show cytochemical evidence of peroxidase activity. When these cells secrete their seromucous-like granules, stained profiles of endoplasmic reticulum and clusters of ribosomes also appear to be included in the material that is released into the duct. The relationship of these findings to the possible role that this extracellular peroxidase functions to control the growth of cariogenic bacteria is discussed.
Hyaluronic acid determinations: optimizing assay parameters.

Abstract Assay conditions for determining hyaluronic acid levels in cultured cells have been examined.In cultures labeled with [3H]glucosamine, hyaluronic acid is measured by digestion with a highly specific hyaluronidase from Streptomyces hyaluronlyticus.Products obtained in the presence and absence of preliminary enzyme digestion are precipitated with cetylpyridinium chloride.The precipitation step has been optimized for ion concentration, glycosaminoglycan carrier and for cetylpyridinium chloride levels.Chondroitin sulfate is an effective carrier in the precipitation of radiolabeled product, while unlabeled hyaluronic acid is not.Addition of sulfate to the mixture yields a flocculent precipitate that facilitates subsequent steps of the determination.Optimizing these steps in hyaluronic acid determination can generate two- to three-fold increases in apparent levels of deposition in cultured cells.
Processing interactions and lexical access during word recognition in continuous speech

Abstract The interactions, during word-recognition in continuous speech, between the bottom-up analyses of the input and different forms of internally generated top-down constraint, were investigated using a shadowing task and a mispronunciation detection task (in the detection task the subject saw a text of the original passage as he listened to it). The listener's dependence on bottom-up analyses in the shadowing task, as measured by the number of fluent restorations of mispronounced words, was found to vary as a function of the syllable position of the mispronunciation within the word and of the contextual constraints on the word as a whole. In the detection task only syllable position effects were obtained. The results, discussed in conjunction with earlier research, were found to be inconsistent with either the logogen model of word-recognition or an autonomous search model. Instead, an active direct access model is proposed, in which top-down processing constraints interact directly with bottom-up information to produce the primary lexical interpretation of the acoustic-phonetic input.