cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
HIV-1 Vpr activates host CRL4-DCAF1 E3 ligase to degrade histone deacetylase SIRT7.

Vpr is a virion-associated protein that is encoded by lentiviruses and serves to counteract intrinsic immunity factors that restrict infection. HIV-1 Vpr mediates proteasome-dependent degradation of several DNA repair/modification proteins. Mechanistically, Vpr directly recruits cellular targets onto DCAF1, a substrate receptor of Cullin 4 RING E3 ubiquitin ligase (CRL4) for poly-ubiquitination. Further, Vpr can mediate poly-ubiquitination of DCAF1-interacting proteins by the CRL4. Because Vpr-mediated degradation of its known targets can not explain the primary cell-cycle arrest phenotype that Vpr expression induces, we surveyed the literature for DNA-repair-associated proteins that interact with the CRL4-DCAF1. One such protein is SIRT7, a deacetylase of histone 3 that belongs to the Sirtuin family and regulates a wide range of cellular processes. We wondered whether Vpr can mediate degradation of SIRT7 via the CRL4-DCAF1. HEK293T cells were transfected with cocktails of plasmids expressing DCAF1, DDB1, SIRT7 and Vpr. Ectopic and endogeneous levels of SIRT7 were monitered by immunoblotting and protein–protein interactions were assessed by immunoprecipitation. For in vitro reconstitution assays, recombinant CRL4-DCAF1-Vpr complexes and SIRT7 were prepared and poly-ubiqutination of SIRT7 was monitored with immunoblotting. We demonstrate SIRT7 polyubiquitination and degradation upon Vpr expression. Specifically, SIRT7 is shown to interact with the CRL4-DCAF1 complex, and expression of Vpr in HEK293T cells results in SIRT7 degradation, which is partially rescued by CRL inhibitor MNL4924 and proteasome inhibitor MG132. Further, in vitro reconstitution assays show that Vpr induces poly-ubiquitination of SIRT7 by the CRL4-DCAF1. Importantly, we find that Vpr from several different HIV-1 strains, but not HIV-2 strains, mediates SIRT7 poly-ubiquitination in the reconstitution assay and degradation in cells. Finally, we show that SIRT7 degradation by Vpr is independent of the known, distinctive phenotype of Vpr-induced cell cycle arrest at the G2 phase, Targeting histone deacetylase SIRT7 for degradation is a conserved feature of HIV-1 Vpr. Altogether, our findings reveal that HIV-1 Vpr mediates down-regulation of SIRT7 by a mechanism that does not involve novel target recruitment to the CRL4-DCAF1 but instead involves regulation of the E3 ligase activity.
Broadband thermomechanically limited sensing with an optomechanical accelerometer

Acceleration measurement is widely used in commercial, scientific, and defense applications, but the resolution and accuracy achievable for demanding applications is limited by the current technology used to build and calibrate accelerometers. We report an optomechanical accelerometer based on a Fabry–Perot microcavity in a silicon chip that is extremely precise, field deployable, and can self-calibrate. The measured acceleration resolution is the highest reported to date for a microfabricated optomechanical accelerometer and is achieved over a wide frequency range (314nm⋅s−2/√Hz over 6.8 kHz). The combination of a single vibrational mode in the mechanical spectrum and the broadband thermally limited resolution enables accurate conversion from sensor displacement to acceleration. This also allows measurement of acceleration directly in terms of the laser wavelength, making it possible for sensors to calibrate internally and serve as intrinsic standards. This sensing platform is applicable to a range of measurements from industrial accelerometry and inertial navigation to gravimetry and fundamental physics.
American Contagions: Epidemics and the Law from Smallpox to COVID-19. By John Fabian Witt . New Haven: Yale University Press, 2020. 184 pp. $20.00 paperback

Blum reviews American Contagions: Epidemics and the Law from Smallpox to COVID-19 by John Fabian Witt
Local adaptation to continuous mowing makes the noxious weed Solanum elaeagnifolium a superweed candidate by improving fitness and defense traits

The role of disturbance in accelerating weed growth is well understood. While most studies have focused on soil mediated disturbance, mowing can also impact weed traits. Using silverleaf nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium), a noxious and invasive weed, through a series of field, laboratory, and greenhouse experiments, we asked whether continuous mowing influences growth and plant defense traits, expressed via different avenues, and whether they cascade into offspring. We found that mowed plants produced significantly less number of fruits, and less number of total seeds per plant, but had higher seed mass, and germinated more and faster. When three herbivores were allowed to feed, tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta) caterpillars, gained more mass on seedlings from unmowed plants, while cow pea aphid (Aphis craccivora), a generalist, established better on mowed seedlings; however, leaf trichome density was higher on unmowed seedlings, suggesting possible negative cross talk in defense traits. Texas potato beetle (Leptinotarsa texana), a co-evolved specialist on S. elaeagnifolium, did not show any differential feeding effects. We also found that specific root length, an indicator of nutrient acquisition, was significantly higher in first generation seedlings from mowed plants. Taken together, we show that mowing is a selective pressure that enhances some fitness and defense traits and can contribute to producing superweeds.
What's Fair about Individual Fairness?

One of the main lines of research in algorithmic fairness involves individual fairness (IF) methods. Individual fairness is motivated by an intuitive principle, similar treatment, which requires that similar individuals be treated similarly. IF offers a precise account of this principle using distance metrics to evaluate the similarity of individuals. Proponents of individual fairness have argued that it gives the correct definition of algorithmic fairness, and that it should therefore be preferred to other methods for determining fairness. I argue that individual fairness cannot serve as a definition of fairness. Moreover, IF methods should not be given priority over other fairness methods, nor used in isolation from them. To support these conclusions, I describe four in-principle problems for individual fairness as a definition and as a method for ensuring fairness: (1) counterexamples show that similar treatment (and therefore IF) are insufficient to guarantee fairness; (2) IF methods for learning similarity metrics are at risk of encoding human implicit bias; (3) IF requires prior moral judgments, limiting its usefulness as a guide for fairness and undermining its claim to define fairness; and (4) the incommensurability of relevant moral values makes similarity metrics impossible for many tasks. In light of these limitations, I suggest that individual fairness cannot be a definition of fairness, and instead should be seen as one tool among several for ameliorating algorithmic bias.
Pectoralis Major Ruptures in the National Football League: Incidence, RTP, and Performance Analysis.

Background:While pectoralis major (PM) tears are rare injuries in National Football League (NFL) athletes (previous study reported only 10 PM ruptures between 2000 and 2010), the incidence of these...
Vote Centers and the Voter Experience

The scholarship regarding vote centers primarily focuses on their impact on voter turnout. Though previous literature suggests modest and conditional increases in voter participation, the mechanism...
Presidential Nomination and the Birth of Executive Federalism

In 1968, the Democratic Party changed its method of nominating presidential candidates from the convention floor system to the primary system. In 1972, the Republican Party followed suit. In the interim, under the banner of “New Federalism,” President Nixon introduced the block grant system and federal revenue sharing programs by which the executive could more directly execute transfers to the states without congressional interference. This paper argues that this expansion of “presidential pork-barrel” constitutes a spoils system by which presidential candidates could more directly lobby state politicians for support in the new primary nominating system.
Obesity, Weight Gain, and Weight Management

Over the past several decades, adult weight gain and excess weight have emerged as risk factors for cancers of the esophagus, pancreas, liver, colorectal, breast (postmenopausal), endometrium, and kidney, as well as probable evidence for cancers of the stomach (cardia), mouth/pharynx/larynx, gallbladder, ovary, and prostate. In the USA, overweight and obesity account for 55% of cancers in women and 24% in men. The evidence of risks, outcomes, and interventions is most developed in the literature pertaining to women with early breast cancer (Stage I–III). Primarily with the oncology clinician-patient relationship in mind, this chapter provides an overview of weight trajectories in women with early breast cancer, implications for prognosis and survival, nutrition and exercise for weight management, and the role of oncology clinicians. Lessons learned from the breast cancer population are illustrative for other types of cancers. Culturally sensitive, person-centered language about the importance of weight management in survivorship is essential to clinician-patient communication and other interventions to help adults with cancer to understand the importance of weight management and other benefits from exercise and a healthy diet. Equally important, but not within the scope of this chapter, is the urgency of lowering cancer risk and adverse outcomes through effective and widespread community-based obesity interventions.
Α case of seronegative autoimmune encephalitis associated with human herpesvirus-7 (HHV-7)

In the last 10 years, an increased number of patients presenting with acute encephalitis is being observed, a finding that is attributed to autoimmune mechanisms. Despite the fact that autoantibodies usually target the neuronal cell surface or synaptic proteins in the central nervous system (CNS), in many cases these remain undetectable, constituting a future diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Human herpesvirus-7 (HHV-7) is proven to be a neurotropic virus, causing various neurological complications mostly in the adult population. We present the case of a 10-year-old girl, with confirmed active HHV-7 infection of the CNS, who developed acute seronegative autoimmune encephalitis. To our best knowledge, there is no literature concerning pediatric cases of autoimmune encephalitis following HHV-7 infection.
Edge effects on band gap energy in bilayer 2H-MoS2 under uniaxial strain

The potential of ultrathin MoS2 nanostructures for applications in electronic and optoelectronic devices requires a fundamental understanding in their electronic structure as a function of strain. Previous experimental and theoretical studies assume that an identical strain and/or stress state is always maintained in the top and bottom layers of a bilayer MoS2 film. In this study, a bilayer MoS2 supercell is constructed differently from the prototypical unit cell in order to investigate the layer-dependent electronic band gap energy in a bilayer MoS2 film under uniaxial mechanical deformations. The supercell contains an MoS2 bottom layer and a relatively narrower top layer (nanoribbon with free edges) as a simplified model to simulate the as-grown bilayer MoS2 flakes with free edges observed experimentally. Our results show that the two layers have different band gap energies under a tensile uniaxial strain, although they remain mutually interacting by van der Waals interactions. The deviation in their ba...
2005 Best Paper Award

Excerpt] I would like to use my August editorial to recognize the many contributors to the Cornell Quarterly's content and, in particular, highlight some of the best content from 2004.
A review of hypersonic wake studies.

Abstract : A critical summary of studies in the fluid mechanics of hypersonic wakes formed behind vehicles of different geometries. The memorandum reviews both the history and the special problems of the field, and gives special attention to such issues as the laminar regime, transition to turbulence, and turbulence.
The Inhibition of Mevalonic Kinase by Geranyl and Farnesyl Pyrophosphates

Abstract The inhibition in vitro of a highly purified preparation of mevalonate kinase by terpenyl pyrophosphates has been studied. Geranyl-PP and farnesyl-PP are potent inhibitors, while isopentenyl-PP, dimethylallyl-PP, and inorganic pyrophosphate do not inhibit significantly. The kinetics of geranyl-PP inhibition were investigated further and found to be uncompetitive with respect to mevalonic acid and competitive with respect to MgATP2-. Computer analysis of the data gave values of 2.65 ± 0.14 µm for Kii and 1.19 ± 0.12 µm for Kis. These results are consistent with the suggestion that geranyl-PP and farnesyl-PP act as physiological controls over farnesyl-PP biosynthesis and ATP utilization.
Markedly increased volume of distribution of gadolinium in cardiac amyloidosis demonstrated by T1 mapping

Purpose To perform myocardial T1 mapping pre and post gadolinium (Gd) administration and determine the volume of distribution of Gd (VdGd) in patients with cardiac amyloidosis to assess extracellular space expansion from amyloid protein deposition.
Effects of Etiology on Perceived Helpfulness of Treatments for Depression

Perceptions of the credibility and helpfulness of various treatments for depression can affect the success of different treatment options. While previous research has demonstrated individual differences in credibility ratings, no studies have evaluated the impact of different etiological theories on the perceptions of various treatment options. In this study, 36 mental health clients and 36 undergraduates rated 7 depression treatments presented first alone, then with 6 different etiological vignettes. All participants considered treatments more helpful when cause and treatment focus were congruent (i.e., both psychological or both physical). Students regarded treatments as less helpful than did clients. We discuss implications for treatment credibility and acceptability research, and suggest ways of presenting to clients etiological information in relation to treatments.
Electron capture from solids by positrons

Since the atomic system of positronium is intrinsically interesting and the electron pickup process is analogous to electron capture by other charged species, the study of positronium formation in gasses was one of the first areas of positron research. It was recognized later that positronium was formed in the interaction of positrons with solids. Electron capture by positrons from solids results in the formation of positronium in both the ground and excited states. Positronium has been observed in insulators in the solid matrix and in the vacuum emitted from metal and semiconductor surfaces.
Caveolae--Not Just Craters in the Cellular Landscape

Caveolae are small invaginations in the plasma membrane of mammalian cells that seem to be important for signal transduction and uptake of macromolecules. According to Shin and Abraham in their Perspective, recent work reveals that these cellular craters have been commandeered by pathogens and bacterial toxins, enabling them to gain entry to host cells while avoiding the perils of classic endocytosis and the lysosomal degradation pathway.
AEROELASTIC STABILITY OF UNSTIFFENED SUSPENSION BRIDGES

It is the purpose of this paper to present a theoretical analysis for unstiffened suspension bridges to determine the conditions under which an unstiffened bridge would be adequate. The analysis turns out to be far simpler than that of girder-stiffened bridges previously considered by the writer and yields a sharply defined, easily applied criterion for stability evaluation. The two case studies of the Wheeling Bridge and the George Washington Bridge serve as good examples to test the theory—with interest results.
CT Angiography of the Neck and Brain

The evolution of multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) has allowed the development and advancement of CT angiography (CTA). While the concept of carotid artery evaluation by CT was introduced by Heinz and others in 1984 [1, 2], it has taken recent technological advances to bring the current methods into practice. CTA of the neck is used primarily to assess the carotid vessels. As CTA slice thickness and rendering methods have improved, so has the accuracy of stenosis determination. More recently, CTA of the neck has become the standard for traumatic injury. Routine utilization of CTA for the evaluation of carotid and vertebral arteries is now the norm. The technique also has been successfully applied to the intracranial vasculature. Detection of cerebral aneurysms and other vascular diseases are readily identified.
Optical performance of synthetic aperture telescope configurations

The diffraction-limited performances of synthetic aperture configuration arrays of four telescopes, used for coherent imaging or beam transmission, are calculated and compared. The optical performance of phased telescope arrays was found to be more sensitive to rms piston errors than to rms tilt errors. Image degradation due to pupil mapping errors imposes tight tolerances upon the structural integrity of the telescope. One part in 10,000 pupil mapping error limits the field-of-view to approximately 30 arcsec. Field curvature of the independent telescopes provides a fundamental limit to the field-of-view for phased arrays made up of two-mirror telescopes. These field-of-view limitations may profoundly affect target acquisition, tracking, or imaging applications.
Changes in sagittal ground reaction forces after intra-articular hyaluronate injections for knee osteoarthritis.

Abstract Tang SF, Chen CP, Chen MJ, Pei Y-C, Lau Y-C, Leong C-P. Changes in sagittal ground reaction forces after intra-articular hyaluronate injections for knee osteoarthritis. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2004;85:951–5. Objectives To examine the gait patterns and the sagittal ground reaction forces (GRFs) in persons with knee osteoarthritis (OA) after intra-articular injection of hyaluronate and to investigate the duration of its treatment effectiveness. Design Case-comparison study. Setting Gait laboratory in a tertiary care center. Participants Fifteen subjects (30 knees) with symptomatic knee OA (stage I or II, according to the Ahlback grading system), and 15 age-, mass-, and gender-matched non-OA control subjects (30 knees). Intervention After initial gait analysis, the group with knee OA received 5 weekly intra-articular injections of hyaluronate to bilateral knees. Gait analysis was performed again for the group with knee OA after the completion of hyaluronate injections. Main outcome measures Forceplate sagittal GRFs and gait parameters of velocity, cadence, step length, and stride time. Results The distinctive 2-peak force vector GRF was lost in persons with knee OA. The first peak rise time was significantly delayed ( P P Conclusions Gait patterns and GRFs improved significantly after intra-articular knee injection of hyaluronate in persons with Ahlback stages I and II knee OA. The clinical treatment effect was immediate and may last for 6 months or more.
Calorimetric studies of lipid tubule formation from ethanol-water solutions.

Abstract We have used differential scanning calorimetry to systematically investigate the thermal formation of hollow cylindrical crystalline microstructures or ‘tubules’ upon cooling a diacetylenic phosphatidylcholine (1,2-bis(10,12-tricosadiynoyl)- sn -glycero-3-phosphocholine) dispersed in varying volume fractions of ethanol/water. Tubule formation is characterized by a large exothermic event, observed upon cooling the lipid in 60–80% ethanol. The enthalpy of the transition was observed to be highest in this window of tubule formation (128–138 J/g) which is significantly higher than previously reported values for the enthalpy of tubule formation in water (90–95 J/g). The enthalpy associated with the formation of tubules in 70% ethanol was also found to be strongly dependent on the efficiency of tubule formation and decreased as the number density of tubules decreased. A significant decrease in tubule number density could be brought about by increasing the lipid concentration of the 70% ethanol solution. Tubule number density was maximized at lipid concentrations between 0.5 and 2 mg/ml in 70% ethanol. Examination of the CH stretch region from infrared spectra of the lipid below the phase transition, indicate that the intramolecular chain order-disorder is similar, regardless of the fraction of ethanol. The higher transition enthalpy for the melting of tubules in 60–80% ethanol (compared to water) implies that the high-temperature phase from which the tubules form in ethanol is more disordered than the lamellar liquid crystalline phase from which tubules form in water.
How Putin's Russia embraces authoritarianism: The case of Yegor Gaidar

Abstract The ability of an Orwellian society to bend the will of individuals and force them to change their minds is well known. Putin's Russia, however, has proved that not only a harsh totalitarian state, such as the Soviet Union, but also a somewhat milder, authoritarian regime is able to achieve almost the same result. Such a regime can threaten to diminish the income, privileges or social status of prominent people. By murdering or jailing only a few active people (businesspeople, journalists and politicians), the regime can show its potential opponents that everyone in the country is vulnerable. Looking back on Stalin's time, one cannot help but think that he could have achieved his goals and stayed in power until his death without using such horrendous acts of violence. The ideological evolution of Yegor Gaidar represents a strong piece of evidence in support of this thesis.
Optical correction using fourier transform heterodyne

In this paper we briefly present the theory of Fourier Transform Heterodyne (FTH), describe past verification experiments carried out, and discuss the experiment designed to use this new imaging technology to perform optical correction. FTH uses the scalar projection of a reference laser beam and a test laser beam onto a single element detector. The complex current in the detector yields the coefficient of the scalar projection. By projecting a complete orthonormal basis set of reference beams onto the test beam, the amplitude and phase of the test beam can be measured, allowing the reconstruction of the phasefront of the image. Experiments to determine this technique's applicability to optical correction and optical self-correction are continuing. Applications of this technique beyond optical correction include adaptive optics; interferometry; and active, high background, low signal imaging.
Quasiperiodic solutions in weakly nonlinear gas dynamics. Part I. Numerical results in the inviscid case

We exhibit and study a new class of solutions for the one-dimensional inviscid Euler equations of Gas Dynamics in a bounded domain with reflecting boundary conditions, in the weakly nonlinear regime. These solutions do not present the usual wave breaking leading to shock formation, even though they have nontrivial acoustic components and operate in the nonlinear regime. We also show that these ‘Non Breaking for All Times’ (NBAT) solutions are globally attracting for the long time evolution of the equations. The Euler equations of Gas Dynamics (in the weakly nonlinear regime with reflecting boundary conditions) can be reduced to an inviscid Burgers-like equation for the acoustic component, with a linear integral self-coupling term and periodic boundary conditions. The integral term arises as a result of the nonlinear resonant interactions of the sound waves with the entropy variations in the flow. This integral term turns out to be weakly dispersive. The NBAT solutions arise as a result of the interplay of this dispersion with the ‘standard’ wave-breaking nonlinearity in the Burgers equation. In addition to the previously known weakly nonlinear standing acoustic wave NBAT solutions, we found a family of new, never-breaking, attracting solutions by direct numerical simulation. These are quasiperiodic in time with two periods. In phase space these solutions lie on a surface ‘centered’ around the standing waves. Only two standing-wave solutions (the maximum amplitude and the trivial vanishing wave) are in the attracting set. All of the others are quasiperiodic in time with two periods.
Oscillation Properties of Certain nth Order Functional Differential Equations

Abstract Oscillation criteria for certain nth order equations of the form x( n )(t) + p(t)x( n − 1 )(t) + q(t)f(x(h 1 (t)),…,x(h m (t)))g(x( n − 1) (σ(t))) = 0 are established.
Retention thermodynamics in hydrophobic interaction chromatography

This paper is a review of the thermodynamics of retention in hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) with mildly hydrophobic stationary phases and aqueous salt solutions usually employed in protein purification. Since the role of salt in HIC has been well documented, our focus was to investigate the temperature effect on the retention behavior in HIC and to compare the results with those obtained for other processes driven by the hydrophobic effect. Using nonpolar dansyl amino acids as model compounds, retention data obtained on three stationary phases yielded nonlinear van't Hoff plots in the temperature range from 5 to 50 °C. Thermodynamic analysis of the data revealed significant heat capacity effects. The enthalpy and entropy changes were large and positive at low temperatures, decreased with increasing temperature, and became negative at high temperatures. The results parallel those of calorimetric studies on other processes based on the hydrophobic effect, such as dissolution in water of nonpol...
CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR KNOWLEDGE OF AMBROSIA FUNGI. I. ASCOIDEA HYLECOETI SP. NOV. (ASCOMYCETES)

BATRA, LEKH R. (U. Kansas, Lawrence), and HELENE FRANCKE-GROSMANN. Contributions to our knowledge of ambrosia fungi. I. Ascoidea hylecoeti sp. nov. (Ascomycetes). Amer. Jour. Bot. 48(6): 453-456. Illus. 1961.-The genus Ascoidea Bref. & Lindau in Brefeld (1891) belongs to the family Ascoideaceae (Endomycetales, Hemiascomycetidae). Ascoidea differs from all other ascomycetes by its possession of characteristic multispored asci which proliferate, the newer asci being formed through the collar-like wall remnants of older asci. Ascogenous hyphae are absent. The present fungus differs in many ways from the type and the only species of the genus, A. rubescens Bref. & Lindau. Ascoidea hylecoeti reproduces asexually by chlamydospores. The asci are conical and many spored. They are aggregated in thick clusters of 50-200 individual asci. The number of ascospores per ascus is much larger than that of A. rubescens and their size is much smaller. Ascoidea hylecoeti is known to occur only in association with the genus Hylecoetus, one of the ambrosia beetles. AMBROSIA fungi are a group of fungi which live symbiotically with some genera of insects. Most of these fungi live saprophytically on plant and in. sect material. although some may have a rather complex and parasitic role together with the insect partner in the formation of so-called ambrosia galls on some plants. Generally, these fungi serve as a major source of food for the developing larvae. Ambrosia fungi are predominantly ectosymbiotes. They are characterized by having mucilaginous spores and fragrant colonies when grown on common laboratory media or when observed in the field. Some of these fungi cause blue staining of logged timber. resulting in heavy economic losses in some parts of the world. These fungi usually overwinter in the form of oidia, thick-walled chlamydospores, or dried, shiny. and mucilaginous crusts of ascospores. The female ambrosia beetles carry the fungi in special structures and the inocula are deposited during oviposition along with the eggs (FranckeGrosmann 1952, 1956, 1957). Taxonomically, most of the ambrosia fungi belong to the Endomycetales, Ophiostomatales and other ascomycetous orders and Fungi Imperfecti (Batra, 1959). Some unidentified Basidiomycetes have also been isolated by the present authors, although no Phycomycetes have so far been observed. Ascolidea hylecoeti was isolated during our studies of symbiotic relationships between ambrosia fungi and ambrosia beetles. Like many other such fungi, this fungus lives as an ectosymbiote and is
A study on the stability of an estrogem-protein conjugate in vivo and under in vitro conditions

Abstract [3 H] Estradiol-17β-succinyl bovine serum albumin conjugate ([3H]-E2-BSA) was synthesized with a specific activity of 1.92 × 107 cts/min/mg. The conjugate was administered iv to ovariectomized rats and the quantity of free [3H] steroid in the uterus was determined. Radioactive material was detected in all of the subcellular fractions of the uterus and identified as estradlol-17β. Similar subcellular distribution of the radioactivity was observed when [3H]E2-BSA was added in vitro to uterine homogenate. Free estradlo1-17β was released when the conjugate was Incubated with rat uterine homogenate or with serum. The results of the present study suggest that E2-BSA is hydrolyzed in vivo and under in vitro conditions. It is recommended that the stability of a hormone-protein conjugate be established before use.
The Future of the Caries Decline

Dental caries declined in prevalence and severity among schoolchildren in the United States during the 1970s, although it still remains a problem in some areas. The decline could have started well before the 1970s, even though it was only recently identified. Caries should continue to decline as long as fluoride use remains around current levels. Use of fluoride toothpaste seems to be increasing. Sugar consumption is stable, although sucrose consumption as a proportion of total sugar consumption is declining. Increased tooth retention is thought to increase the risk of root caries in older persons, but the continued use of fluoride toothpaste should minimize any such increase. The main growth area for fluoride use may be in toothpastes. Monitoring caries trends in the future will require good data on the epidemiology of caries in young and middle-aged adults.
Alzheimer disease constricts the dynamic range of spatial attention in visual search

Abstract A cued visual search task was used to examine the dynamic range over which spatial attention affects target identification during visual search. Precues varied in validity (valid, invalid, or neutral) and in precision (cue size) of target localization. Participants were “young-old” (65–74 years) and “old-old” (75–85 years) elderly adults and individuals in the mild stage of dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT). For all participants, search was speeded as the precision with which a precue surrounding the location of a subsequently appearing target increased (precue size decreased). The cue size effect was evident in both feature and conjunction search, but was greatly reduced in both old-old and DAT groups compared to the young-old. However, whereas all non-demented adults showed a progressive modulation of search efficiency over the entire range of cue sizes, the dynamic range of spatial attention was restricted to the most precise cue in the DAT group. The restriction in the dynamic range of spatial attention may represent an underlying component of the impairment in perceptual and memory functioning found in early-stage DAT.
Engineering server-driven consistency for large scale dynamic Web services

Many researchers have shown that server-driven consistency protocols can potentially reduce read latency. Server-driven consistency protocols are particularly attractive for largescale dynamic web workloads because dynamically generated data can change rapidly and unpredictably. However, there have been no reports on engineering server-driven consistency for such a workload. This paper reports our experience in engineering server-driven consistency for a Sporting and Event web site hosted by IBM, one of the most popular web sites on the Internet for the duration of the event. Our study focuses on scalability and cachability of dynamic content. To assess scalability, we measure both the amount of state that a server needs to maintain to ensure consistency and the bursts of load that a server sustains to send out invalidation messages when a popular object is modi ed. We nd that it is possible to limit the size of the server's state without signi cant performance costs and that bursts of load can be smoothed out with minimal impact on the consistency guarantees. To improve performance, we systematically investigate several design issues for which prior research has suggested widely di erent solutions, including how long servers should send invalidations to idle clients. Finally, we quantify the performance impact of caching dynamic data with server-driven consistency protocols and nd that it can reduce read latency by more than 10%. We have implemented a prototype of a server-driven consistency protocol based on our ndings on top of the popular Squid cache.
A single-layer perceptron to discriminate non-sinus beats in ambulatory ECG recordings

The recognition of non-sinus electrocardiographic complexes (ectopics) in ambulatory ECG recordings is very important for a correct analysis of arrhythmias as well as of episodes of transient ischemia. We present the results obtained by a single layer neural network (perceptron) that is used to classify sinus/non-sinus beats. The neural network is trained by using the "Perceptron rule" and an alternative least-mean squares (LMS) algorithm. Both approaches indicate linear separability between sinus and ectopie beats. The method shows good sensitivity and specificity values.
Cellular mechanisms of implantation in domestic farm animals.

In order for pregnancy to be established, the conceptus of domestic animals must signal its presence upon arrival in the uterus, a process known as maternal recognition of pregnancy. The conceptus derived signal(s) prevent(s) the structural and functional demise of the corpus luteum to ensure the maintenance of a uterine environment that supports implantation and embryonic development. Implantation is a remarkable event that has been described as a biological paradox because an adhesive interaction is formed between two apical surfaces of epithelial cell types that are typically covered by non-adhesive glycoproteins. In domestic animals (such as pigs, horses, sheep, does and cows), the implantation process is not invasive as it is in most other mammalian species. This review describes the interaction between the conceptus (embryo and surrounding membranes) and the uterine epithelial surface in domestic farm animals and ability of the conceptus to control the lifespan of the corpus luteum to maintain pregnancy.
Self-consistent field theory of multiply branched block copolymer melts.

We present a numerical algorithm to evaluate the self-consistent field theory for melts composed of block copolymers with multiply branched architecture. We present results for the case of branched copolymers with doubly functional groups for multiple-branching generations. We discuss the stability of the cubic phase of spherical micelles, the $A15$ phase, as a consequence of the tendency of the $AB$ interfaces to conform to the polyhedral environment of the Voronoi cell of the micelle lattice.
Reflections on interviewing foreign elites: praxis, positionality, validity, and the cult of the insider

Abstract Using open-ended interviews to conduct research on foreign elites raises methodological questions which conducting research on non-foreign elites and foreign non-elites does not. In this paper I first reflect upon some of the practical issues I have encountered when conducting interviews with members of foreign elites. I then examine the issue of positionality to suggest that the dualism of “insider” knowledge and status versus “outsider” knowledge and status is not as stable as it is often assumed to be, and that it should not be presumed that an “insider” will necessarily produce “better” knowledge than will an “outsider” simply by dint of their positionality. Indeed, given that the interview process is about constructing social meaning – a process that involves both the researcher and the source – in many ways such a dualism is meaningless.
All conscious experience, even pain, is “constructed”

Although a constructivist view of consciousness is not an obvious one, consciousness theorists since William James have stressed the importance of selectivity and personal history for the creation of conscious experience. The conscious experience of pain is subject to the same processes. The nonlinear dynamic systems model approach introduced to the pain field by Chapman and Nakamura provides a promising overarching framework for multidisciplinary pain research, but does not directly deal with the problem of drawing strong inferences from functional brain imaging studies.
Chest Hair Used as Donor Material in Hair Restoration Surgery

background This article describes a technique for transplanting hair from the chest to the balding scalp. objective The objective is to describe an alternative route of harvesting donor hair in the situation when donor scalp hair is depleted. method A fusiform donor harvest was removed from the sternal region. The tissue was divided into one-and two-haired micrografts and subsequently transplanted. results The technique worked extremely well with good take of the hair grafts. The donor site healed inconspicuously. conclusion The technique of transplanting hair from the chest to the balding scalp can be a viable alternative when confronted with donor scalp hair depletion.
Reabsorption trapping of luminescence in laser crystals: enhancement of energy storage and upconversion

It is shown that reabsorption of luminescence in laser crystals can enhance energy storage, energy transfer, and upconversion in solid-state laser media. These effects, experimentally observed in Yb-doped and Er-doped crystals, can potentially decrease the threshold for compact cw pumped lasers. The influence of parasitic laser modes and the amplification of spontaneous emission on population inversion in reflective coated laser elements is discussed.
Intraperitoneal approach to regional hyperthermia--possible anticancer applications.

Induction of hyperthermia in dogs by irrigation of the peritoneal cavity via a closed circuit system was evaluated for possible use in the management of cancer patients. Dogs were subjected to lavage of the peritoneal cavity with crystalloid solution at 41°–43°C in a closed circuit system. Temperatures of the liver and hollow viscera were maintained at 40°–42°C for 4 hours. The animals tolerated the procedure, and the parietal incisions and intestinal anastomoses healed without difficulty. Evidence of toxicity was minimal. Plans for studies of this modality in patients with cancer are underway.
Shock tube/laser absorption measurements of ethylene time-histories during ethylene and n-heptane pyrolysis

Abstract Ethylene concentration time-histories were measured behind reflected shock waves in ethylene/argon and n-heptane/argon mixtures using 10.5 μm CO2 laser absorption. Reflected shock conditions covered temperatures between 1350 and 1950 K, pressures between 1.3 and 3.3 atm, and fuel concentrations of 1% ethylene and 300 ppm n-heptane in argon. The ethylene absorption cross-section at this wavelength was determined over similar pressures and temperatures using both absorption measurements in a heated-cell FTIR and laser absorption/shock tube measurements. Measured ethylene concentration time-histories during ethylene pyrolysis were compared to constant volume simulations using the Marinov et al. (1998) mechanism. A sensitivity of the measured profiles to the rate constant of the primary ethylene decomposition reaction, C2H4 → C2H2 + H2 was demonstrated, allowing a determination of the rate constant for this reaction using the ethylene time-histories. Ethylene concentrations, measured during n-heptane pyrolysis, were also compared to simulations using the Sirjean et al. (2009)/JetSurF 1.0 mechanism. Incorporation of the new reaction rate constant k1 provided better agreement between the measured ethylene concentration profiles and the simulations for both ethylene and n-heptane pyrolysis.
Possible correlation between ozone and aitken nuclei counts in the lower stratosphere

A study is presented of a possible correlation between ozone and Aitken nuclei concentration measured between 6 km and 19 km by the instruments installed on the WB-57F aircraft. Samples were taken between 48°N and 9°S latitudes over the U.S., the Gulf of Mexico, and Central and South America between March 1974 and February 1975.
Molecular mechanisms of adaptation to low temperature in marine poikilotherms. Some regulatory properties of dehydrogenases from two arctic species

The properties of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase from gill tissue of the tanner crab Chionocetes bairdi, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and glyceraldehyde dehydrogenase from skeletal muscle of C. bairdi and the yellowfin sole Limanda aspera were examined over the physiological temperature range of the animals. Both animals were obtained in the Bering Sea in winter, and their enzymes appear to be remarkably cold-adapted. Affinity of sole LDH for substrate appears to increase with decreasing temperature, thus keeping reaction rate essentially independent of temperature at physiological concentrations of the substrate. Calculated values of activation energy are low, in keeping with the argument that organisms from cold environments have enzymes with a reduced energy of activation. In addition, Hill plots of the substrate saturation curves for lactate dehydrogenase from muscle of sole indicate that there is a facilitation of allosteric behaviour at low temperatures. Maximum affinity of sole LDH for substrate in the absence of univalent cations occurs at 3°C, while in the presence of 150 mN K+, it occurs between 0° to-2°C. The effects of Mg2+ on enzyme activity appear to be determined by concentration of substrate and temperature. Thus, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase are stimulated more effectively by Mg2+ at low temperature and at low substrate levels whereas, at high concentrations of substrate, they are relatively independent of the bivalent cation. All four dehydrogenases are affected by the univalent cations Na+, K+ and NH4+ in a manner which appears to be determined, in part at least, by concentration of substrate and by temperature. These findings suggest mechanisms for the maintenance and regulation of enzyme activity in poikilothermic tissues at low and changing temperatures.
IL-4 and -5 prime human mast cells for different profiles of IgE-dependent cytokine production.

Mast cells (MC) are stem cell factor-dependent tissue-based hematopoietic cells with substantial functional heterogeneity. Cord blood-derived human MC (hMC) express functional receptors for IL-5, and IL-5 mediates stem cell factor-dependent comitogenesis of hMC in vitro. Although IL-5 is not required for normal hMC development, we considered that it might prime hMC for their high-affinity Fc receptor for IgE (FcɛRI)-dependent generation of cytokines, as previously demonstrated for IL-4. Compared with hMC maintained in stem cell factor alone, hMC primed with IL-5 expressed 2- to 4-fold higher steady-state levels of TNF-α, IL-5, IL-13, macrophage inflammatory protein 1α, and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor transcripts 2 h after FcɛRI crosslinking and secreted 2- to 5-fold greater quantities of the corresponding cytokines, except IL-13, at 6 h. Unlike IL-4, IL-5 priming did not enhance FcɛRI-dependent histamine release. Thus, IL-5 augments cytokine production by hMC by a mechanism distinct from that of IL-4 and with a different resultant profile of cytokine production. These observations suggest a potentially autocrine effect of IL-5 on hMC for amplification of allergic immune responses, in addition to its recognized paracrine effects on eosinophils, and implicate both IL-4 and IL-5 in the modulation of the hMC phenotype.
Statics of wrinkling films

This paper presents analytical investigations of some general properties of equilibrium of films in a state of wrinkling. The results are illustrated by examples.
Necrotizing enterocolitis and neurodevelopmental outcome in extremely low birth weight infants <1000 g.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the growth and neurodevelopmental outcome, as well as predictors of the latter in extremely low-birth-weight (ELBW) infants with definitive necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). STUDY DESIGN: Case – control analysis. In all, 17 ELBW infants <1000 g with Stage 2 or 3 NEC were matched to 51 control infants without NEC. Demographics, clinical course, growth, and neurodevelopmental outcome were compared. RESULTS: Demographic and clinical characteristics of both groups were similar except that NEC infants had more culture-proven sepsis (59 vs 24%, p=0.02), longer intubation (36 vs 16 days, p=0.003) and longer hospital stay (134 vs 86 days, p<0.001). At 18 to 22 months corrected age BSID-II mental scores (MDI) were similar between groups (74±14 vs 81±13, p=0.2). However, the psychomotor index (PDI) (66±18 vs 88±14), the proportion with abnormal neurologic examination (54 vs 9%), subnormal height (38 vs 3%) and head circumference (23 vs 0%) were significantly higher in NEC infants (p<0.05). A logistic model identified NEC and chronic lung disease as predictors for abnormal PDI and MDI, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: NEC and its comorbidities are associated with severe neurodevelopmental and growth delay in ELBW infants.
What is the French philosophy of cinema? An introduction

This paper introduces the French philosophy of cinema, a recent movement wherein French philosophers, philosophers of art and of history have begun to direct their work specifically toward re-conceptualizing the relationship between cinema, the twentieth century and the modern condition. Focusing specifically on Gilles Deleuze, Jean Louis Schefer, Jacques Ranciere and Jean-Luc Nancy, this introduction attempts to provide a sense of continuity between these writers according to three steps of intellectual history: (1) positing a dialectic relationship between Anglo-American cognitive theory and a more metaphysical approach in French thought; (2) situating the French philosophy of cinema at the end of a century in which French philosophy has been particularly concerned with image studies; (3) situating the French philosophers’ concerns for cinema also within a French cinephilic tradition of thinking through the image, dating back to early arguments of ‘pure cinema’ made by avant-garde French filmmakers. Bey...
Development of 60-GHz Wireless Interconnects for Interchip Data Transmission

This paper presents radio frequency data transmissions via 60-GHz antennas or wireless interconnects in multichip multicore computing architectures. An antenna in package is used as the design configuration to be placed on top of the silicon circuitry. The packaging design includes an artificial magnetic conductor to enhance the operating bandwidth, a two-element antenna array to increase the transmission gain, and an integrated power divider. This paper compares the wireless link budget of antenna-based interconnects in terms of the Friis transmission equation. This defines the power needed to be recovered by wireless transceivers (PRE). The design demonstrates an 11 GHz measured operating bandwidth and shows that with a two-element array; the PRE is reduced by 10 dB over that with a link that uses a single antenna.