cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Antigenic variation in babesiosis:is there more than one ˈwhyˈ?

Many intraerythrocytic hemoparasites survive the host immune system through rapid antigenic variation. Among babesial parasites antigenic variation has been demonstrated convincingly only for Babesia bovis and Babesia rodhaini. The molecular basis for antigenic variation in babesial parasites and its possible connection with cytoadherence and sequestration are discussed.
Theoretical study on temperature features of a sealed cesium vapor cell pumped by laser diodes

The diode-pumped alkali laser (DPAL) is a new type of laser source which has been widely studied in the recent years. The temperature distribution of a sealed vapor cell, which is the crucial component in a DPAL system, produces an important effect on the output performance of a DPAL. In this paper, the strict solution of the heat conduction equation for a cesium vapor cell is obtained by using a finite difference procedure. The temperature distribution of a dummy open cell is first analyzed, and then the temperature distributions of two independent windows, regarded as the boundary conditions of solving a sealed cell, are evaluated in detail. By combining the results of the two steps together, we finally acquire the temperature distribution of a real sealed cesium vapor cell. The results reveal that the temperature gradients on both radial and longitudinal directions change with the pump power, cell radius, and absorption coefficient when the sealed cesium vapor cell is heated or pumped with the laser diodes. The conclusions are helpful for accurately evaluating the output characteristics of a DPAL.
Actuator fault detection and reconfiguration in distributed processes with measurement sampling constraints

This work develops a model-based approach for the detection and compensation of actuator faults in distributed processes described by parabolic PDEs with a limited number of measurements that are sampled at discrete time instances. Using an approximate finite-dimensional system that captures the dominant dynamics of the PDE, an observerbased output feedback controller that stabilizes the closed-loop system in the absence of faults is initially designed. The observer estimates are also used for fault detection by comparing the output of the observer with that of the process, and using the discrepancy as a residual. To compensate for measurement unavailability, a model of the approximate finite-dimensional system is embedded within the controller to provide the observer with estimates of the output measurements between sampling instances. The state of the model is then updated using the actual measurements whenever they become available from the sensors. By formulating the closed-loop system as a combined discrete-continuous system, an explicit characterization of the minimum allowable sampling rate that guarantees both closed-loop stability and residual convergence in the absence of faults is obtained in terms of the model accuracy, the controller design parameters and the spatial placement of the control actuators. This characterization is used as the basis for deriving (1) a time-varying threshold on the residual which can be used to detect faults for a given sampling period, and (2) an actuator reconfiguration law that determines the set of feasible fall-back actuators that preserve closed-loop stability under a given measurement sampling rate. Finally, the implementation of the fault detection and fault-tolerant control architecture on the infinite-dimensional system is analyzed using singular perturbations, and the results are demonstrated using a diffusion-reaction process example.
INVESTIGATION OF VARIOUS BOUNDING PROCEDURES FOR PRODUCTION SCHEDULING PROBLEMS

SUMMARY This paper is concerned with the efficiency of the branch-and-bound technique for solving the production scheduling problem. Since the efficiency of this technique depends on a powerful lower bound, five promising bounding procedures are studied and investigated empirically. This investigation is based on the number of nodes explored and the computational time involved. Several computational experiments are conducted and results reported.
Mu DNA replication in vitro: criteria for initiation.

An in vitro system for investigating Mu replication and transposition using film lysates has recently been described (Higgins et al. 1983). Under most conditions examined, little or no replication initiation takes place in vitro. The data are consistent with Mu specific replication forks being initiated in vivo, and completing but not reinitiating a round of replication in vitro. Since Mu DNA replication is from left to right, an excess of right end sequences compared to left end sequences are replicated on the film lysates.
Cryogenic System for a Superconducting Spectrometer

The Heavy Ion Spectrometer System (HISS) relies upon superconducting coils of cryostable, pool boiling design to provide a maximum particle bending field of 3 tesla. This paper describes the cryogenic facility including helium refrigeration, gas management, liquid nitrogen system, and the overall control strategy. The system normally operates with a 4K heat load of 150 watts; the LN2 circuits absorb an additional 4000 watts. 80K intercept control is by an LSI 11 computer. Total available refrigeration at 4K is 400 watts using reciprocating expanders at the 20K and 4K level. The minicomputer has the capability of optimizing overall utility input cost by varying operating points. A hybrid of pneumatic, analog, and digital control is successful in providing full time unattended operation. The 7m diameter magnet/cryostat assembly is rotatable through 180 degrees to provide a variety of spectrometer orientations.
How useful are cross-sectional data from surveys of dental caries?

Abstract Surveys are projects involving systematic data collection without a specific hypothesis to be tested and hence without a specific research design. This paper reviews their uses, and some of the issues involved with measuring dental caries in surveys. The principal benefits of surveys are in (a) monitoring trends in oral disease when the surveys are repeated periodically; and (b) giving dental health a visibility to might otherwise not gel among policy-makers. On the other hand, they are of limited use in determining treatment needs for a population, evaluating treatment outcomes, and evaluating prevention programs. Some major issues in caries surveys today include difficulties with the DMF index; the use of exclusively visual versus visual-tactile criteria; “hidden” caries; and the appropriate role for early, non-cavitated carious lesions. The DMF index suffers from its mixing of disease and treatment, and more research is needed to determine the most appropriate role for exclusively visual criteria in surveys. Trade-offs, such as weighing the benefits of exclusively visual criteria against the probable greater difficulty in finding “hidden” caries, have not been determined. Inclusion of non-cavitated lesions in a survey will increase its cost. Organizers should therefore be clear before the survey on how this additional information will be used to justify the additional expense.
Positive solutions for higher-order Lidstone boundary value problems. A new approach via Sperner's Lemma

Abstract Consider the higher-order nonlinear scalar differential equation where associated to the Lidstone boundary conditions Existence of a solution of boundary value problems (BVP) (1),(2) such that are given, under superlinear or sublinear growth in f . Similarly, existence for the BVP (1)–(3), under the same assumptions, is proved such that We further prove analogous results for the case when , i.e., derivatives of the obtaining solution satisfy inverse inequalities. The approach is based on an analysis of the corresponding vector field on the face-plane and the well-known, from combinatorial analysis, Knaster-Kuratowski-Mazurkiewicz's principle or as it is known, Sperner's Lemma.
NATURAL HAZARD LOSSES IN THE UNITED STATES: A PUBLIC PROBLEM

Using arisk analysis and evaluation approach, the authors estimate losses from nine major natural hazards in the United States. The data show that these probable losses exceed those of many other national social problems, including fire and crime. The article also examines geographic and social distributions of estimated losses. States in the upper quartile of hazard exposure are likely to account for 50 percent of the increase in dollar losses over the next 30 years. Consistent with prior research, the most dependent segments of the population (poor, elderly, non-white) will proportionately suffer the most. While policy options pose inherently difficult choices, many promising avenues have yet to be fully explored.
The Pin2/TRF1-Interacting Protein PinX1 Is a Potent Telomerase Inhibitor

Telomerase activity is critical for normal and transformed human cells to escape from crisis and is implicated in oncogenesis. Here we describe a novel Pin2/TRF1 binding protein, PinX1 that inhibits telomerase activity and affects tumorigenicity. PinX1 and its small TID domain bind the telomerase catalytic subunit hTERT and potently inhibit its activity. Overexpression of PinX1 or its TID domain inhibits telomerase activity, shortens telomeres, and induces crisis, whereas depletion of endogenous PinX1 increases telomerase activity and elongates telomeres. Depletion of PinX1 also increases tumorigenicity in nude mice, consistent with its chromosome localization at 8p23, a region with frequent loss of heterozygosity in a number of human cancers. Thus, PinX1 is a potent telomerase inhibitor and a putative tumor suppressor.
Exploratory notes on criminality and emotional ambivalence

In most social and behavioral science theories, depictions of ordinary criminals tend to ignore the emotional states of offenders and the possible relationship between emotionality and criminal behavior. Theorists who do consider emotions tend to presume that crime is motivated by subconscious desires to remove guilt by being punished. This paper challenges this presumption using evidence from life-history data on criminal careers. We argue that the failure to consider the emotions of offenders leads to simplistic explanations of criminal behavior. Ordinary property offenders actually experience a great deal of emotional ambivalence concerning crime. By ambivalence we mean that despite appearent social and emotional satisfactions gained from crime, most offenders experience guilt or an enduring sense of shame.
Complex gene families in pine genomes

The genome structures of extant species suggest that conifer and angiosperm genomes have evolved by different mechanisms. For example, in the evolution of the pine genome, the amplication and dispersal of genes to form complex families appears to have been especially prominent. An analysis of the structure and organization of pine gene families is critical for understanding the organization and evolution of pine genomes, and may help explain adaptation.
A statistical method for binary classification of images

The classification of documents with sparse text, and video analysis, relies on accurate image classification. We herein present a method for binary classification that accommodates any number of individual classifiers. Each individual classifier is defined by the critical point between its two means, and its relative weighting is inversely proportional to its expected error rate. Using 10 simple image analysis metrics, we distinguish a set of "natural" and "city" scenes, providing a "semantically meaningful" classification. The optimal combination of 5 of these 10 classifiers provides 85.8% accuracy on a small (120 image) feasibility corpus. When this feasibility corpus is then split into half training and half testing images, the mean accuracy of the optimum set of classifiers was 81.7%. Accuracy as high as 90% was obtained for the test set when training percentage was increased. These results demonstrate that an accurate classifier can be constructed from a large pool of simple classifiers through the use of the statistical ("Normal") classification method described herein.
STUDIES ON IMMUNE HUMAN HEMOLYSIS : II. THE DONATH-LANDSTEINER REACTION AS A MODEL SYSTEM FOR STUDYING THE MECHANISM OF ACTION OF COMPLEMENT AND THE ROLE OF C'1 AND C'1 ESTERASE.

1. The inactivation, of C'1 blocks the completion of the cold phase of the Donath-Landsteiner reaction; inactivation of the other components of complement does not interfere with the cold phase of the reaction. 2. C'2, C'3, and C'4 are required for the completion of the hemolytic reaction. C'4 reacts in either the cold or warm phase, but C'2 and C'3 must react in the warm phase. 3. Partially purified C'1 or C'1 esterase can be substituted for whole serum in the cold phase, although neither reagent contains any of the other components of complement 4. Partially purified serum inhibitor of C'1 esterase blocks the effect of C'1 esterase in the cold phase, and reverses the effect of complement, C'1 or C'1 esterase when incubated with "activated" cells after the cold phase. 5. C'1 esterase activity can be eluted from "activated" erythrocytes with Na3EDTA. 6. The components of human complement in this human hemolytic reaction act in the order C'1, C'4, C'2, C'3. Ca++ is required for the reaction with C'1, and Mg++ is required for the reaction with C'2. 7. Accordingly, a functional role of C'1 esterase in a human disease state is demonstrated, and a human model is established for the study of the mechanism of action of complement.
Religion, Partisanship, and Attitudes Toward Science Policy

We examine issues involving science which have been contested in recent public debate. These “contested science” issues include human evolution, stem-cell research, and climate change. We find that few respondents evince consistently skeptical attitudes toward science issues, and that religious variables are generally strong predictors of attitudes toward individual issues. Furthermore, and contrary to analyses of elite discourse, partisan identification is not generally predictive of attitudes toward contested scientific issues.
Evolution of Oxygenic Photosynthesis

The origin of oxygenic photosynthesis was the most important metabolic innovation in Earth history. It allowed life to generate energy and reducing power directly from sunlight and water, freeing it from the limited resources of geochemically derived reductants. This greatly increased global primary productivity and restructured ecosystems. The release of O2 as an end product of water oxidation led to the rise of oxygen, which dramatically altered the redox state of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and permanently changed all major biogeochemical cycles. Furthermore, the biological availability of O2 allowed for the evolution of aerobic respiration and novel biosynthetic pathways, facilitating much of the richness we associate with modern biology, including complex multicellularity. Here we critically review and synthesize information from the geological and biological records for the origin and evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis. Data from both of these archives illustrate that this metabolism first appea...
Deep venous thrombosis associated with acute hematogenous osteomyelitis in children.

Summary Introduction Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) is rare in children. It may complicate acute hematogenous osteomyelitis (AHO). Objective The present study assessed the incidence of DVT in community-acquired AHO, and compared clinical and laboratory characteristics with AHO without DVT. Patients and methods A prospective study included patients treated for community-acquired AHO between April 2007 and December 2009. Results Seventy patients were included: mean age, 7.7 years. Seven developed DVT. All involved Staphylococcus aureus. The isolated Staphylococcus aureus was significantly more often methicillin-resistant than methicillin-susceptible (p = 0.04). C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, positive blood culture and incidence of pulmonary staphylococcus were significantly higher in patients with DVT. These patients also had significantly more febrile days. One patient with DVT died from severe refractory respiratory failure. Discussion DVT was observed in 10% of cases of community-acquired AHO. DVT was associated with more severe onset, with extensive local disease. Surgery was often needed to drain a subperiosteal abscess. DVT can cause invasive and life-threatening infection through septic emboli, particularly to the lungs. Level of evidence Level III.
Molecular characterization and analysis of the biosynthetic gene cluster for the azoxy antibiotic valanimycin

Summary Streptomyces viridifaciens MG456-hF10 produces the antibiotic valanimycin, a naturally occurring azoxy compound. Valanimycin is known to be derived from valine and serine with the intermediacy of isobutylamine and isobutylhydroxylamine, but little is known about the stages in the pathway leading to the formation of the azoxy group. In previous studies, a cosmid containing S. viridifaciens DNA was isolated that conferred valanimycin production upon Strepto-myces lividans TK24. Subcloning of DNA from the valanimycin-producing cosmid has led to the identi-fication of a 22 kb segment of DNA sufficient to allow valanimycin production in S. lividans TK24. Sequencing of this DNA segment and the surrounding DNA revealed the presence of 20 genes. Gene disruption experiments defined the boundaries of the valanimycin gene cluster, which appears to contain 14 genes. The cluster includes an amino acid decar-boxylase gene ( vlmD ), a valanimycin resistance gene ( vlmF ), at least two regulatory genes ( vlmE , vlmI ), two genes encoding a flavin monooxygenase ( vlmH , vlmR ), a seryl tRNA synthetase gene ( vlmL ) and seven genes of unknown function. Overproduction and characterization of VlmD demonstrated that it catalyses the decarboxylation of l -valine. An unusual feature of the valanimycin gene cluster is that four genes involved in branched amino acid biosynthesis are located near its 5′ end.
“The choice made from no choice”: English writing instruction in a Chinese University

Approaches to writing instruction developed in North America have gradually made their presence felt in other parts of the world during recent years. A curricular evaluation of the local needs, instruction, assessments, teacher preparation, and other pedagogical factors is crucial for the successful transmission and integration of those approaches into the new contexts. Set against the background of recent, exuberant scholarly discussions of the issue of transplanting Western writing pedagogies, this article presents an observational report of a typical college English curriculum for non-majors in China, with a focus on its writing component. The study has found that English writing is taught under the guidance of a nationally unified syllabus and examination system. Rather than assisting their students to develop thoughts in writing, teachers in this system are predominantly concerned about the teaching of correct form and test-taking skills. Because of their relatively low economic status in China, English teachers have to work extra hours and have little time to spend on individual students or on furthering their professional training. However, signs of recent Western writing pedagogies, such as pre-writing and multiple-drafting activities, are identified in classrooms and textbook publishing, which indicate the possibility of successful adaptations of the recent Western writing pedagogies in the Chinese context.
DEFENSE IN TWO PRE-SOCIAL MEMBRACIDS (HOMOPTERA: MEMBRACIDAE)

Of nine treehopper species presented to the lizard, Anolis carolinensis , two were unpalatable. The basis for rejection of newly emerged adults of Umbonia crassicornis and Platycotis viltata appeared to be taste. As these adult insects matured the pronotum became highly sclerotized. Mature P . vittata lost their aposematic color and became palatable while U . crassicornis continued to be rejected. Both species brood their young and form large conspicuous aggregations.
The Disproportionate Minority Contact Mandate: An Examination of Its Impacts on Juvenile Justice Processing Outcomes (1997-2011)

The Disproportionate Minority Confinement, and later Contact (DMC), mandate was developed by Congress to reduce minority overrepresention in the U.S. juvenile justice system. Presently, this federa...
A comparison of profitability and economic efficiencies between management-intensive grazing and conventionally managed dairies in Michigan.

Abstract A retrospective cohort study was designed to determine differences in profitability, asset efficiency, operating efficiency, and labor efficiency between Michigan dairy farms implementing management-intensive grazing (MIG) and conventionally managed dairy farms. Financial information and labor use data for the calendar year 1994 were collected with surveys and personal interviews from 35 MIGdairies and 18 conventionally managed dairies. Because the geographic distribution of MIG and conventionally managed farms in this study did not include Michigan's "dairy belt," extrapolation of these results to an average Michigan or Midwest dairy should be made with care. Within the areas represented, however, multivariate linear regression indicated that MIG dairies had more economic profit than conventionally managed dairies. They captured this profit by being more efficient in asset use, operating practices, and labor use. These results suggest that MIG could provide a sustainable alternate management tool for portions of Michigan's dairy industry.
The Use and Abuse of Game Theory in International Relations: The Theory of Moves

The author argues that the theory of moves, which has gained popularity in recent years as an alternative to game-theoretic analysis of strategic interaction, is fundamentally flawed. The theory’s adherents argue that it makes theoretical progress by endogenizing the structure of games and introducing new ways of analyzing repeated interactions. The author analyzes the theory of moves from a game-theoretic perspective and challenges its theoretical claims. The author then reanalyzes several recent articles that have used the theory of moves, showing that its application to empirical cases is strained and that game theory can provide models that do a better job of fitting the stories the authors tell about them.
Cyclic codes and quadratic residue codes over Z/sub 4/

A set of n-tuples over Z/sub 4/ is called a code over Z/sub 4/ or a Z/sub 4/ code if it is a Z/sub 4/ module. We prove that any Z/sub 4/-cyclic code C has generators of the form (fh, 2fg) where fgh=x/sup n/-1 over Z/sub 4/ and |C|=4/sup deg g/2/sup deg h/. We also show that C/sup /spl perp// has generators of the form (g/sup */h/sup */, 2f/sup */g/sup */). We show that idempotent generators exist for certain cyclic codes. A particularly interesting family of Z/sub 4/-cyclic codes are quadratic residue codes. We define such codes in terms of their idempotent generators and show that these codes also have many good properties which are analogous in many respects to properties of quadratic residue codes over a field. We show that the nonlinear binary images of the extended QR codes of lengths 32 and 48 have higher minimum weights than comparable known linear codes.
Using Fuzzy Cognitive Maps for Knowledge Management in a Conflict Environment

In modern military battlefield environments, the availability of data and information has increased exponentially. Through information and communications technology, individuals and teams can access real-time data about almost any aspect of their current conflict situation, but this instantaneous availability of information to individuals and teams in these conflict situations does not always result in better or faster decisions. Instead, the speed and volume of data made available through surveillance, monitoring, analysis, computer, and communications technology can quickly overwhelm decision makers. Worse, different decision makers that need to coordinate their actions as part of a team effort might use different filters to reduce their data to something more manageable, or what they perceive as more relevant, to their emerging situation. To better manage the information in real time, a mediator is necessary. Fuzzy cognitive maps are proposed as one possible technique for mediating the information made available to decision makers. Such maps were used as part of a research project that used novice teams to simulate an Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) crew managing air assets in a conflict situation. The process of constructing the maps, their role in the simulation, and preliminary results of the test runs of the AWACS simulation are presented
Effects of replacement dose of dehydroepiandrosterone in men and women of advancing age

Aging in humans is accompanied by a progressive decline in the secretion of the adrenal androgens dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and DHEA sulfate (DS), paralleling that of the GH-insulin-like growth factor-I (GH-IGF-I) axis. Although the functional relationship of the decline of the GH-IGF-I system and catabolism is recognized, the biological role of DHEA in human aging remains undefined. To test the hypothesis that the decline in DHEA may contribute to the shift from anabolism to catabolism associated with aging, we studied the effect of a replacement dose of DHEA in 13 men and 17 women, 40-70 yr of age. A randomized placebo-controlled cross-over trial of nightly oral DHEA administration (50 mg) of 6-month duration was conducted. During each treatment period, concentrations of androgens, lipids, apolipoproteins, IGF-I, IGF-binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1), IGFBP-3, insulin sensitivity, percent body fat, libido, and sense of well-being were measured. A subgroup of men (n = 8) and women (n = 5) underwent 24-h sampling at 20-min intervals for GH determinations. DHEA and DS serum levels were restored to those found in young adults within 2 weeks of DHEA replacement and were sustained throughout the 3 months of the study. A 2-fold increase in serum levels of androgens (androstenedione, testosterone, and dihydrotestosterone) was observed in women, with only a small rise in androstenedione in men. There was no change in circulating levels of sex hormone-binding globulin, estrone, or estradiol in either gender. High density lipoprotein levels declined slightly in women, with no other lipid changes noted for either gender. Insulin sensitivity and percent body fat were unaltered. Although mean 24-h GH and IGFBP-3 levels were unchanged, serum IGF-I levels increased significantly, and IGFBP-1 decreased significantly for both genders, suggesting an increased bioavailability of IGF-I to target tissues. This was associated with a remarkable increase in perceived physical and psychological well-being for both men (67%) and women (84%) and no change in libido. In conclusion, restoring DHEA and DS to young adult levels in men and women of advancing age induced an increase in the bioavailability of IGF-I, as reflected by an increase in IGF-I and a decrease in IGFBP-1 levels. These observations together with improvement of physical and psychological well-being in both genders and the absence of side-effects constitute the first demonstration of novel effects of DHEA replacement in age-advanced men and women.
Membrane topology of MntB, the transmembrane protein component of an ABC transporter system for manganese in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803.

The structure of the membrane protein MntB, a component of a manganese transporter system in Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803, was examined with a series of fusions to the reporter proteins alkaline phosphatase and β-galactosidase. The results support a topological model for MntB consisting of nine transmembrane segments, with the amino terminus of the protein being in the periplasm and the carboxyl terminus being in the cytoplasm.
Plasma ACTH Levels in the Human Fetus and Neonate as Related to Age and Parturition

ABSTRACT ACTH levels were measured by radioimmunoassay in umbilical cord plasma from fetuses, in capillary plasma from neonates, and in venous plasma from adults. Cord plasma was obtained from term fetuses delivered under the following four conditions: 1) vaginally after spontaneous labor, 2) by cesarean section after spontaneous labor, 3) by cesarean section before spontaneous labor, and 4) vaginally after oxytocin-induced labor. The ACTH values in these four groups of term fetuses did not differ significantly. Thus, human umbilical cord ACTH does not rise with spontaneous labor. The concentration of ACTH in cord plasma prior to the 34th gestational week was 241 ± 33 pg/ml (mean and se); and in term fetuses, the ACTH levels were 143 ± 7 pg/ml. In infants during the first week of life, the ACTH concentration was 120 ± 8 pg/ml. The mean ACTH level in all fetuses was higher than the afternoon values in normal adults (43 ± 4 pg/ml). These results suggest that an increased ACTH concentration in fetal plasma i...
Enhanced backscattering of vortex fields

The effect of using an illumination beam with a phase screw dislocation (a so called optical vortex beam) on filtering the path lengths contributions to enhanced backscattering from random media was studied theoretically and demonstrated experimentally.
DNA structure and the Werner protein modulate human DNA polymerase delta-dependent replication dynamics within the common fragile site FRA16D

Common fragile sites (CFS) are chromosomal regions that exhibit instability during DNA replication stress. Although the mechanism of CFS expression has not been fully elucidated, one known feature is a severely delayed S-phase. We used an in vitro primer extension assay to examine the progression of DNA synthesis through various sequences within FRA16D by the replicative human DNA polymerases δ and α, and with human cell-free extracts. We found that specific cis-acting sequence elements perturb DNA elongation, causing inconsistent DNA synthesis rates between regions on the same strand and complementary strands. Pol δ was significantly inhibited in regions containing hairpins and microsatellites, [AT/TA]24 and [A/T]19–28, compared with a control region with minimal secondary structure. Pol δ processivity was enhanced by full length Werner Syndrome protein (WRN) and by WRN fragments containing either the helicase domain or DNA-binding C-terminal domain. In cell-free extracts, stalling was eliminated at smaller hairpins, but persisted in larger hairpins and microsatellites. Our data support a model whereby CFS expression during cellular stress is due to a combination of factors—density of specific DNA secondary-structures within a genomic region and asymmetric rates of strand synthesis.
On the Value of Game Theory in Social Science

This article discusses the value and limitations of game theory's use in the social sciences. The role of game theory is discussed and contrasted with exaggerated expectations of the subject. The importance of a modeling dialogue between theorists and empiricists is reviewed. The basic limitations of game theory are discussed, including the rationality and intelligence assumptions and the problem of multiple equilibria. The appropriate interpretation of randomized equilibria is illustrated.
Induction of Host Chemotactic Response by Encephalitozoon spp.

Microsporidians are a group of emerging pathogens typically associated with chronic diarrhea in immunocompromised individuals. The number of reports of infections with these organisms and the disseminated pathology is growing as diagnostic tools become more readily available. However, little is known about the innate immune response induced by and generated against these parasites. Using a coculture chemotaxis system, primary human macrophages were infected with Encephalitozoon cuniculi or Encephalitozoon intestinalis, and the recruitment of naive monocytes was monitored. Encephalitozoon spp. induced an average threefold increase in migration of naive cells 48 h postinfection, which corresponded to optimal infection of monocyte-derived-macrophages. A limited microarray analysis of infected macrophages revealed several chemokines involved in the inflammatory responses whose expression was upregulated, including CCL1, CCL2, CCL3, CCL4, CCL7, CCL15, CCL20, CXCL1, CXCL2, CXCL3, CXCL5, and CXCL8. The levels of 6 of 11 chemokines also present in the microarray were confirmed to be elevated by protein profiling. Kinetic studies confirmed that secreted CCL2, CCL3, and CCL4 were expressed as early as 6 h postinfection, with peak expression at 12 to 24 h and expression remaining until 48 h postinfection. Neutralization of these chemokines, specifically CCL4, significantly reduced the number of migrating cells in vitro, indicating their role in the induction of monocyte migration. This mechanism of recruitment not only supports the evidence that in vivo cellular infiltration occurs but also provides new hosts for the parasites, which escape macrophages by rupturing the host cell. To our knowledge, this is the first documentation that chemokine production is induced by microsporidian infections in human macrophages.
A novel role for inducible Fut2 in angiogenesis

Rationale Angiogenesis plays an important role in wound healing and tumor growth. Fucosyltransferases synthesize fucosylated glycans and may play a major role in vascular biology.
Frequency and timing requirements for the LISA mission

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) is a deep-space mission, jointly proposed to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European Space Agency (ESA), to detect and study gravitational radiation in the milliHertz frequency band. LISA will use coherent laser beams exchanged between three remote, widely separated, spacecraft, and onboard frequency standards for measuring phase differences between the received and transmitted laser beams. By properly combining the one-way measurements collected by the three spacecraft it is possible to simultaneously synthesize several interferometric observables. All are independent of the lasers and frequency standards phase fluctuations, but have different couplings to gravitational waves and to the various LISA instrumental noises. An overview of this exciting and technologically challenging deep space mission is presented, with special emphasis on its frequency and timing requirements.
A Review on Preparation and Applications of Silver-Containing Nanofibers

Silver-containing nanofibers are of great interest recently because of the dual benefits from silver particles and nanofibers. Silver nanoparticles are extensively used for biomedical applications due to the antibacterial and antiviral properties. In addition, silver nanoparticles can excite resonance effect of light trapping when pairing with dielectric materials, such as polymer. Comparing to the traditional fabrics, polymer nanofibers can provide larger number of reaction sites and higher permeability contributed to their high surface-to-volume ratio and high porosity. By embedding the silver nanoparticles into polymer nanofiber matrix, the composite is promising candidates for biomaterials, photovoltaic materials, and catalysts. This work demonstrates and evaluates the methods employed to synthesize silver nanoparticle-containing nanofibers and their potential applications.
Salience and Taxation: Salience Effect vs. Knowledge Effect

Posting tax-inclusive price tags on grocery products can reduce demand through an information effect that corrects consumers who misperceive the actual tax status. We disentangle the information effect from the salience effect developed by Chetty, Looney, and Kroft (2009, CLK for short). By utilizing CLK’s survey finding that 20% of shoppers mistakenly think there is no sales tax on toothpaste, we show that the information effect actually explains 31% of the sales drop in CLK’s field study. Therefore, ignoring the information effect may overestimate the salience effect by a large degree.
Enteric Virus: Risk Assessment of Ocean Disposal of Sewage Sludge

Densely populated coastal regions of the world generate large quantities of domestic sewage sludge which is often disposed into the marine environment. Present in these wastes are human pathogenic viruses which are capable of surviving for prolonged periods of time in the marine environment and transmitting disease to humans by a number of potential routes of which swimming and consumption of marine foods are the most significant. Hepatitis A virus and Norwalk virus outbreaks associated with shellfish consumption continue to occur in the United States. Three separate epidemiological studies have also shown an association between shellfish consumption and increased risk of hepatitis A infection in consumers. An epidemiological association between non-A and non-B hepatitis has also been demonstrated. A review of the risks of infection, clinical illness and mortality associated with enteroviruses suggests that the presence of these viruses in shellfish and bathing waters presents a significant risk to the consumer.
Re-Examining Cost of Doing Business Abroad: Integrating an Institutional Perspective

Cost of Doing Business Abroad (CDBA) is an important construct in International Business. The variety of causes leading to the CDBA has been the subject of many scholars’ examinations. Extending CDBA to an institutional level, we develop a new perspective on the CDBA by incorporating institutional misalignment between the home and the host country as a cause of CDBA. Using the theoretical lens of Varieties of Capitalism (VoC), we explain how and why institutional misalignment can create additional costs for MNEs operating in foreign countries. Specifically, we discuss how the differences between institutional configurations of the home and the host country create institutional misalignment. Furthermore, we explain why institutional misalignment is inevitable as MNEs cross national borders and how it incurs economic as well as social cost that MNEs may not be aware of. By doing so, we extend the CDBA research to a national level of analysis and show that a set of firms from a nation can lose its national c...
Modeling the Polydomain–Monodomain transition of Liquid Crystal Elastomers

We study the mechanism of the polydomain-monodomain transition in liquid crystalline elastomers at the molecular scale. A coarse-grained model is proposed in which mesogens are described as ellipsoidal particles. Molecular dynamics simulations are used to examine the transition from a polydomain state to a monodomain state in the presence of uniaxial strain. Our model demonstrates soft elasticity, similar to that exhibited by side-chain elastomers in the literature. By analyzing the growth dynamics of nematic domains during uniaxial extension, we provide direct evidence that at a molecular level the polydomain-monodomain transition proceeds through cluster rotation and domain growth.
Getting personal: considering variable interindividual responsiveness to dietary lipid-lowering therapies

Purpose of review There is substantial interindividual variation in the response of blood lipids to dietary therapies. The purpose of this review is to highlight recent developments in identifying patient-specific factors that contribute to the significant heterogeneity of responsiveness in lipids to dietary changes and consumption of dietary bioactive compounds. Recent findings Recent findings suggest that a variety of patient-specific physiological, pathological, environmental, and genetic factors influence the effectiveness of dietary lipid-lowering therapies. Summary Although genetic markers of responsiveness will revolutionize future personalized nutrition therapies, current research priorities should emphasize the identification of readily accessible metabolic biomarkers of responsiveness in patient subgroups.
Sex differences in plasma cholesterol-esterifying activity in rats

Esterification of free cholesterol was investigated after incubation at 37 degrees C of plasma from immature and adult rats of both sexes kept on stock, fat-free, or cholesterol-supplemented diets. According to measurements of the decrease in free cholesterol, plasma from the fat-deficient rats showed the highest cholesterol-esterifying activity. Esterification was higher in the mature female rats than in the mature males on stock or cholesterol-containing diets, although no sex differences were observed in the sexually immature young or in the fat-free animals. There were no sex differences in the fatty acid composition of the plasma sterol esters, phospholipids, and triglycerides in the immature animals, but arachidonic acid increased at the expense of linoleic acid in the sterol ester fraction in the adult female (not, however, in the adult male). In the phospholipid fraction the higher ratio of palmitic to stearic acids in the male was confirmed. There was an increase in linoleic acid in all three plasma lipid fractions of the mature male after cholesterol feeding. It is suggested that cholesterol may inhibit the conversion of linoleate to arachidonate. During the incubation of plasma, there was little change in the distribution of fatty acids except for a decrease in palmitoleate, and increases in C(20) tri- and tetraenoic acids, in the sterol esters of mature female rats on the stock ration and the fat-free diet. These C(20) acids decreased concomitantly in the phospholipid fraction, as the transesterification reaction mechanism proposed by earlier workers would predict.
Collaborative study of the colorimetric determination of progestational steroids in contraceptive tablets.

A collaborative study of a proposed method for the determination of progestational steroids was conducted on commercial brands and simulated tablet mixtures of norethynodrel norethindrone and medroxyprogesterone acetate. The proposed method based on a colorimetric determination of the product formed after treatment of the chloroform extract of the steroid with isonicotinic acid hydrazide was adopted as official fist action.
The Dissemination of Cancer by Transurethral Resection of Locally Advanced Prostate Cancer

AbstractIn 1973 a study was done on 443 patients treated with radiation therapy for cancer of the prostate. An actuarial analysis was done on survival comparing patients whose cancer was diagnosed by transurethral resection of the prostate to those diagnosed by needle biopsy. This analysis indicated a doubling of recurrence and of deaths of patients diagnosed by transurethral resection of the prostate. This effect of transurethral resection of the prostate was observed in patients with T3 and T4 cancer of intermediate, poor or unstated differentiation. It was not observed in those with well differentiated cancer. The effect was not caused by a difference in the extent of cancer or a distribution of histologic subtypes between the 2 diagnostic groups. Therefore, it appears that transurethral resection of the prostate causes dissemination on locally advanced prostatic cancer and clinical studies are suggested to avoid or minimize this effect.
Conjugate ICI cancellation techniques for 2×1 and 4×1 space-time transmit diversity OFDM systems

Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems require orthogonality among subcarriers. Unfortunately, the conditions, such as, residual carrier frequency offset, time variations because of Doppler shift or phase noise, which thus destroys the orthogonality at the receiver, hence results in intercarrier interference (ICI) and degrades the bit error rate (BER) performance. In this paper, the conjugate cancellation (CC) to mitigate the ICI of OFDM systems is combined with 2×1 and 4×1 space-time (ST) code to form STCC systems. Even though any full orthogonal transmission matrix is not available, the STCC-OFDM systems with four transmit antennas not only significantly improves the BER of non-orthogonality of the transmission matrix, but also provides a higher transmission rate compared the full orthogonal with the coding rate 0.5 transmissions under the same antenna construction. Furthermore, the error floor provided by 4×1 STCC-OFDM systems with coding rate 1 is significantly lower than the regular CC, ST, and 4×1 ST-OFDM with coding rate 0.5. This STCC-OFDM system may serve as the needed function for the fifth generation (5G) in the multiple-input and multiple-output MIMO-OFDM systems without increasing power, bandwidth, and the computational load.
A Longitudinal Study of Middle and Secondary Level Science Textbook Vocabulary Loads.

Middle and secondary science textbooks have long been a primary support for instruction, often leading to heavy emphasis on domain-specific vocabulary. A longitudinal study was conducted to compare vocabulary loads of science textbooks published since 2010 to results of two previous studies going back to 1983. In each study, textbooks chosen represent convenience samples of commonly used middle and secondary science textbooks. Vocabulary emphasis in science textbooks remains high, and may present a problem for struggling readers and English language learners (ELL). Some vocabulary loads were found to approach or even exceed recommended limits for vocabulary instruction in modern foreign language courses. Also, science vocabulary can present an additional challenge for native English speakers and ELLs since many terms have no common colloquial English or native language equivalents. Recommendations for how to promote effective science vocabulary development are provided. Overall, over three decades there has been little change in heavy emphasis on vocabulary in middle and secondary science textbooks.
Abstract LB-215: Epigenetic loss-of-function BRCA1 mediates tumor cure by single dose radiotherapy

The mechanism of tumor cure by ionizing radiation is regarded tumor cell autonomous, effected by misrepair of radiation-induced DNA double strand breaks (DSBs), mainly via the function of error prone non-homologous end joining (NHEJ). Genomic instability yields mitosis-dependent buildup of potentially lethal chromosomal aberrations, with repeated radiation exposures required for tumor ablation. Here we show that at the high dose range (>10Gy), single dose radiotherapy (SDRT) engages an alternative dual target model, inducing in addition to DSBs also an early wave of acid sphingomyelinase (ASMase)-mediated microcirculatory ischemia/reperfusion injury. DSB repair was analyzed in situ by quantitative assessment of the time-dependent buildup and resolution of ionizing radiation-induced foci (IRIF) of specific NHEJ or homology-driven repair (HDR) mediators. Effect of SDRT on the tumor microvasculature was assessed by dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging. Engagement of microvascular dysfunction in DSB repair was assessed using ASMase-deficient mice, refractory to vascular endothelial injury. Western blot analysis of Small Ubiquitin-like Modifiers (SUMO) in tumor extracts and studies of SUMO conjugating enzymes IRIF in situ were used to evaluate effects of SDRT on SUMOylation. SDRT concomitantly induces DSBs in tumor cells and an early wave ( The dual target microvascular/tumor clonogen model, described here, which functions exclusively at high-dose radiation exposures, constitutes a functional alternative to the classical single target mechanism operating at the low dose range, and provides new targets for modulation of the radiation response, with a potential for yielding new options for tumor ablation in the clinical management of human cancer. Citation Format: Cecile G. CAMPAGNE, Tin H. Thin, John D. Fuller, Ellen Ackerstaff, Jason A. Koutcher, Adriana Haimovitz-Friedman, Simon N. Powell, Richard N. Kolesnick, Zvi Fuks. Epigenetic loss-of-function BRCA1 mediates tumor cure by single dose radiotherapy. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-215. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-LB-215