cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Virtuous trees at five- and six-point levels for Yang-Mills theory and gravity

We present a particularly nice D-dimensional graph-based representation of the full color-dressed five-point tree-level gluon amplitude. It possesses the following virtues: (1) it satisfies the color-kinematic correspondence, and thus trivially generates the associated five-point graviton amplitude, (2) all external-state information is encoded in color-ordered partial amplitudes, and (3) one function determines the kinematic contribution of all graphs in the Yang-Mills amplitude, so the associated gravity amplitude is manifestly permutation symmetric. The third virtue, while shared among all known loop-level correspondence-satisfying representations, is novel for tree-level representations sharing the first two virtues. This new D-dimensional representation makes contact with the recently found multiloop five-point representations, suggesting all-loop, all-multiplicity ramifications through unitarity. Additionally we present a slightly less virtuous representation of the six-point maximally helicity-violating (MHV) and MHV amplitudes that holds only in four dimensions.
Examining the effects of legalizing marijuana in Colorado and Washington on clearance rates: a quasi-experimental design

This study follows the lead of Makin et al. (Police Quarterly 22(1): 31–55, 2019) who found that marijuana legalization is associated with a marginal increase in clearance rates for some crimes but not for others. We build on their work attempting to replicate their findings by using the synthetic control method and fixed-effects models. A 50-state panel data set was constructed and analyzed. The dependent variables were aggregated violence and property crime rates. The independent variable was dichotomously measured recreational marijuana legislation. Marijuana legalization is not a meaningful avenue of increasing clearance rates. The synthetic control method is useful for aggregate-level crime policy analysis when experimental methods are not available. The argument that the police would do a better job at reducing serious crime and/or arresting serious criminal offenders if they were not preoccupied with marijuana users is unfounded in this analysis.
Posttransplant recurrence of calcium oxalate crystals in patients with primary hyperoxaluria: Incidence, risk factors, and effect on renal allograft function.

Primary hyperoxaluria (PH) is a metabolic defect that results in oxalate overproduction by the liver and leads to kidney failure due to oxalate nephropathy. As oxalate tissue stores are mobilized after transplantation, the transplanted kidney is at risk of recurrent disease. We evaluated surveillance kidney transplant biopsies for recurrent calcium oxalate (CaOx) deposits in 37 kidney transplants (29 simultaneous kidney and liver [K/L] transplants and eight kidney alone [K]) in 36 PH patients and 62 comparison transplants. Median follow-up posttransplant was 9.2 years (IQR: [5.3, 15.1]). The recurrence of CaOx crystals in surveillance biopsies in PH at any time posttransplant was 46% overall (41% in K/L, 62% in K). Higher CaOx crystal index (which accounted for biopsy sample size) was associated with higher plasma and urine oxalate following transplant (p < .01 and p < .02, respectively). There was a trend toward higher graft failure among PH patients with CaOx crystals on surveillance biopsies compared with those without (HR 4.43 [0.88, 22.35], p = .07). CaOx crystal deposition is frequent in kidney transplants in PH patients. The avoidance of high plasma oxalate and reduction of CaOx crystallization may decrease the risk of recurrent oxalate nephropathy following kidney transplantation in patients with PH. This study was approved by the IRB at Mayo Clinic.
Focal Self-attention for Local-Global Interactions in Vision Transformers

Recently, Vision Transformer and its variants have shown great promise on various computer vision tasks. The ability of capturing short- and long-range visual dependencies through self-attention is arguably the main source for the success. But it also brings challenges due to quadratic computational overhead, especially for the high-resolution vision tasks (e.g., object detection). In this paper, we present focal self-attention, a new mechanism that incorporates both fine-grained local and coarse-grained global interactions. Using this new mechanism, each token attends the closest surrounding tokens at fine granularity but the tokens far away at coarse granularity, and thus can capture both short- and long-range visual dependencies efficiently and effectively. With focal self-attention, we propose a new variant of Vision Transformer models, called Focal Transformer, which achieves superior performance over the state-of-the-art vision Transformers on a range of public image classification and object detection benchmarks. In particular, our Focal Transformer models with a moderate size of 51.1M and a larger size of 89.8M achieve 83.5 and 83.8 Top-1 accuracy, respectively, on ImageNet classification at 224x224 resolution. Using Focal Transformers as the backbones, we obtain consistent and substantial improvements over the current state-of-the-art Swin Transformers for 6 different object detection methods trained with standard 1x and 3x schedules. Our largest Focal Transformer yields 58.7/58.9 box mAPs and 50.9/51.3 mask mAPs on COCO mini-val/test-dev, and 55.4 mIoU on ADE20K for semantic segmentation, creating new SoTA on three of the most challenging computer vision tasks.
Patient-Focused Network Integration in BioPharma: Strategic Imperatives for the Years Ahead

Patient-Focused Network Integration in the Life Sciences An Evolutionary View of Healthcare Network Integration Healthcare Reform and the Provider Challenges Ahead Supply Chain Network Analytics Solutions for the Healthcare Industry: Assessing "Best of Breed" Electronic Collaboration in Life Science Supply Networks Maturing the Clinical Trials Supply Chain Final Thoughts and a Blueprint for the Future
Embryonic stem cell-based models of parkinson's disease

Publisher Summary This chapter explores uses of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) aimed at modeling Parkinson's disease in vitro. ES-derived mDA neurons provide a number of advantages over embryo-derived neurons. One of the main advantages is the unlimited supply of neurons. ES-based differentiations can be scaled up to provide the required number of mDA neurons. ESCs are pluripotent, meaning they can differentiate into a wide range of cell types, and therefore a PD-related genotype can be differentiated into many different cell types in vitro. ESCs can develop into any cell of the adult organism, such as in the case of mouse ESCs. Genetically modified ESCs can be introduced into a developing mouse embryo to subject the modified cells into a partial (chimera) or complete mouse (tetraploid aggregation). Another advantage of using ESCs is the ability to precisely alter the genome of karotypically normal cells. An approach for genetic modification with ESCs is the use of conventional, plasmid-based transgenes whereby a promoter–gene–polyadenylation cassette is randomly integrated into the ESC genome. ESC-based DA neurons also provide an ideal substrate for large-scale, high-throughput screens.
Decision Conferencing GDSS in the Hungarian Parliament: A Case of Systems Planning

Abstract Decision conferencing is a particular type of group decision support system, developed for supporting the work of face-to-face groups on strategic organizational problems. One successful area of decision conferencing has been in information systems planning. The paper describes an application aimed at identifying the information needs of the newly elected Hungarian Parliament. The conference brought together a select group of legislators and administrative staff to define and prioritize the needs of the Parliament for information services. First, the participants collected proposals for information services. Next, a resource allocation model was developed and applied to rank order the information services on the basis of their weighted benefits. Finally, sensitivity analyses were conducted to explore the impacts of divergent views. The decision led to a consensus among the participants on information priorities. The case demonstrates the merits of decision conferencing in information systems planning, and the potential for application in a wide variety of problems faced by legislatures.
Savage Beast (A1)

For several months, things had been spiraling downwards at Savage Beast, the music-recommendation company started three years before by Tim Westergren. The company's founder-CEO recently left due to pressures both at home and within the venture. Dozens of investors turned thumbs-down on the venture; salaries had been cut; and, tensions had risen within the founding team. Now Westergren, the founder who has taken over as CEO, is facing even deeper pressures as he finds out about a lawsuit filed by former employees, and he is wondering if it is time to give up on ever achieving his vision. Note: The content of this version is the same as the content in the Savage Beast (A) case (809069) but includes two directives in the text to students. At the end of page eight, the student is asked to pause and complete a one-question poll. The "page 8" poll asks "At this point, should Tim persist in trying to build Savage Beast?" Yes or No, and why. At the end of the case, the student is asked to complete a second poll. The "end-of-case" poll asks "Should Tim persist in trying to build Savage Beast?" Yes or No, and why. If you do not have polling capabilities, you should use the Savage Beast (A) case.
Selective alpha1-adrenergic blockade, lipids, and coronary heart disease risk: Considerations in the treatment of mild hypertension

The importance of hypertension and hyperlipidemia as independent and interactive risk factors for the development of premature cardiovascular disease, and particularly for the development of atherosclerotic coronary heart disease, is becoming increasingly apparent both from epidemiologic data and from therapeutic trials. Nevertheless, therapeutic trials of patients with mild hypertension have not demonstrated benefits from lowering arterial pressure, in terms of reduced mortality rates from coronary events. This may, in part, be due to the fact that many of the antihypertensive agents used in these trials adversely influence lipid and lipoprotein levels. Thus, agents that are lipid-neutral or that favorably influence the lipid profile, such as selective alpha 1 -inhibitors, are receiving increasing attention for the treatment of mild hypertension. Recent insights into these issues are considered.
Structure and evolution of the human IKBA gene

IkappaBalpha belongs to a gene family whose members are characterized by their 6-7 Ankyrin repeats, which allow them to interact with members of the Rel family of transcription factors. We have sequenced a human IkappaBalpha genomic clone to determine its gene structure. The human IkappaBalpha gene (IKBA) has six exons and five introns that span approximately 3.5 kb. This genomic organization is similar to that of other members of the Ankyrin gene family. The human IKBA gene shares similar intron/exon boundaries with the human BCL3 and NFKB2 genes, which is consistent with their conserved Ankyrin repeats. To examine further the evolutionary relationship between human IkappaBalpha and other members of its gene family, we performed a phylogenetic analysis. Although the resulting phylogenetic tree does not identify a common ancestor of the IkappaBalpha and other members of its gene family, it indicates that this family diverges into two groups based on structure and function.
Nicotine stimulates angiogenesis and promotes tumor growth and atherosclerosis

We provide anatomic and functional evidence that nicotine induces angiogenesis. We also show that nicotine accelerates the growth of tumor and atheroma in association with increased neovascularization. Nicotine increased endothelial-cell growth and tube formation in vitro, and accelerated fibrovascular growth in vivo. In a mouse model of hind-limb ischemia, nicotine increased capillary and collateral growth, and enhanced tissue perfusion. In mouse models of lung cancer and atherosclerosis, we found that nicotine enhanced lesion growth in association with an increase in lesion vascularity. These effects of nicotine were mediated through nicotinic acetylcholine receptors at nicotine concentrations that are pathophysiologically relevant. The endothelial production of nitric oxide, prostacyclin and vascular endothelial growth factor might have a role in these effects.
Leadership Roles in Product Development

While the R&D invention effort in a firm involved in the overall innovation process is typically led by an industrial inventor, the political acceptance process by a champion, and the formal new-product development process by a project manager or implementer, some projects are driven by an innovator: an individual who drives all three processes of invention, project acceptance, and implementation. This article reports how the individuals who gravitate toward each of these four specialists roles differ in their motivations, personality, and capabilities, as well as both in the tasks they undertake and the way they work. Thus, each should be managed differently. Keywords: innovator; champion; project manager; inventor; new-product development leader; new-product development
A modified autoregressive spectral estimator for a real sinusoid in white noise

A filter structure based on a modified autoregressive approach is introduced. It is shown that this structure corresponds to the estimate obtained by the Pisarenko harmonic decomposition method. The case of a real sinusoidal signal embedded in white Gaussian noise is analyzed in detail. The frequency of the sinusoid is directly related to a single parameter. An adaptive approach is used to estimate this parameter. >
An evaluation model for clustering strategies in the O 2 object-oriented database system

This paper adresses the problem of clustering complex data on disk to minimize the number of I/O in data intensive applications. It describes the clustering strategies adopted in the O2 system. As clustering depends on both structural aspects (composition hierarchy of the classes) and dynamic aspects (the methods associated with the classes) the paper details a cost model in order to evaluate the benefits of the clustering strategies. This model will permit to automatically derive new clustering strategies. To this end, a derivation algorithm which builds an optimal strategy in linear time is presented.
Trading on the Margins: Locating Continuities of Exchange in Guinea-Bissau

Guinea-Bissau has experienced more than 40 years of failed economic policies since independence. Simultaneously, a few astute social theorists recognize that this country may in part be governed by internal logics and enduring local power structures that allow for continuity in the face of on-going political and economic ruptures. This article highlights these contours and continuities focusing on the merchant classes of contemporary Guinea-Bissau. How do both immigrant and indigenous entrepreneurs continue to eke out a living in this deleterious west African small state? How are social networks and cultural identity tied to business practices? Findings are based on 19 semi-structured interviews from 8 different locations throughout the country. Representative themes are investment in kin and kind at all levels; reliance on specific cultural and economic expertise; apprenticeships and insularity within homogeneous types of economic enterprises; and finally, long-term investment strategies aimed at profit ...
Three-dimensional electronic instabilities in polymerized solid AC60.

The low-temperature structure of A${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ (A=K,Rb) is an ordered array of polymerized ${\mathrm{C}}_{60}$ chains, with magnetic properties that suggest a nonmetallic ground state. We study the paramagnetic state of this phase using first-principles electronic-structure methods, and examine the magnetic fluctuations around this state using a model Hamiltonian. The electronic and magnetic properties of even this polymerized phase remain strongly three dimensional, and the magnetic fluctuations favor an unusual three-dimensional antiferromagnetically ordered structure with a semimetallic electronic spectrum.
How Can Music Education Be Religious

This essay examines Alfred North Whitehead's claim that education should be construed as religious, and by extension, that music education should be religious. The analysis of questions relating to Whitehead's understanding of the notion of "religious," the defensibility of his claim, and its implications for notions of spirituality and music education and the practical work of music education is cast against the backdrop of the constitutional prohibition of the establishment of religion in the United States.
The chief executive in local government information systems: Catalyst or barrier to innovation?

Abstract This study develops a construct of executive support for technological innovation and explores the correlates of its components. The context involves the perceptions of local government chief executives regarding the current and expected utility of computing technology. The findings suggest that executive support for the adoption of computing is flawed by unrealistic expectations and might contribute to overadoption of the technology.
Is There a Specific Receptor for Anesthetics? Contrary Effects of Alcohols and Fatty Acids on Phase Transition and Bioluminescence of Firefly Luciferase

Firefly luciferase emits a burst of light when mixed with ATP and luciferin (L) in the presence of oxygen. This study compared the effects of long-chain n-alcohols (1-decanol to 1-octadecanol) and fatty acids (decanoic to octadecanoic acids) on firefly luciferase. Fatty acids were stronger inhibitors of firefly luciferase than n-alcohols. Myristyl alcohol inhibited the light intensity by 50% (IC50) at 13.6 microM, whereas the IC50 of myristic acid was 0.68 microM. According to the Meyer-Overton rule, fatty acids are approximately 12,000-fold stronger inhibitors than corresponding alcohols. The Lineweaver-Burk plot showed that myristic acid inhibited firefly luciferase in competition with luciferin, whereas myristyl alcohol inhibited it noncompetitively. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) showed that an irreversible thermal transition occurred at approximately 39 degrees C with a transition DeltaHcal of 1.57 cal g-1. The ligand effects on the transition were evaluated by the temperature where the irreversible change is half completed. Alcohols decreased whereas fatty acids increased the thermal transition temperature of firefly luciferase. Koshland's transition-state theory (Science. 1963. 142:1533-1541) states that ligands that bind to the substrate-recognition sites induce the enzyme at a transition state, which is more stabilized than the native state against thermal perturbation. The long-chain fatty acids bound to the luciferin recognition site and stabilized the protein conformation at the transition state, which resisted thermal denaturation. Eyring's unfolding theory (Science. 1966. 154:1609-1613) postulates that anesthetics and alcohols bind nonspecifically to interfacial areas of proteins and reversibly unfold the conformation. The present results showed that alcohols do not compete with luciferin and inhibit firefly luciferase nonspecifically by unfolding the protein. Fatty acids are receptor binders and stabilize the protein conformation at the transition state.
Calendar life performance of pouch lithium-ion cells

Abstract An accelerated method was used to determine the effect of temperature, end-of-charge voltage and the type of storage condition over the performance pouch lithium-ion cells. The cells were studied for 4.0 V and 4.2 V end-of-charge voltages (EOCV) both at 5 °C and 35 °C. The irreversible capacity loss of the cell was analyzed every month using a capacity measurement protocol. The results indicated that higher temperature and voltage accelerates the degradation of the cells. The open circuit voltage (OCV) decay of the cells stored under open circuit conditions was also analyzed. The reasons for the irreversible capacity loss, energy loss, OCV decay and the increase in the internal resistance of the cell are discussed in detail. The most detrimental storage condition and the most mild storage condition are identified and discussed in detail.
Undescended testis and orchiopexy: recent observations.

Within the past two decades, observations from a number of sources have expanded our understanding of undescended testes in children. As neonatology has grown, the observations of infants with low birth weight and knowledge of the implications of this condition for undescended testes have also increased. Information obtained from biopsy, including that from studies using electron microscopy, has suggested decreased spermatogonia in children with abdominal testes with age, indicating a need for medical or surgical intervention soon after 1 year of age. The effects of orchiopexy and hormonal manipulations to assure fertility in adulthood have been clarified to the extent that an algorithm for patient management can be constructed. ANATOMY An undescended testis has been identified in 0.8% of male infants at 1 year of age1 and in about 0.2% of adult male military recruits. The incidence rises to 21% in premature neonates weighing less than 2,500 g. Even more striking, nearly 100% of profoundly low-birth-weight neonates (weighing approximately 900 g) exhibit bilateral undescended testes. With weight gain and age, the testes of infants who weighed 900 g at birth proceed toward descent and at 1 year of age have the same incidence as their peers. Many authors in Europe and the United States have noted that scrotal descent of the testis by 3 years of age preserves spermatogonia, implying a beneficial effect on adult fertility.
Serial Changes in Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction in the Early Hours After Aortocoronary Bypass Grafting

To determine the course of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in the early hours after aortocoronary bypass grafting, 24 patients underwent serial gated bloodpool scanning. Twenty-two had received propranolol until the day of surgery. ECGs showed no evidence of perioperative infarction. Preoperatively, the mean (± SD) LVEF was 0.56 ± 0.13; after bypass, it was 0.38 ± 0.11 at 4 hours, 0.42 ± 0.12 at 5 hours, 0.43 ± 0.11 at 6 hours, 0.48 ± 0.13 at 7 hours, 0.52 ± 0.15 at 8 hours, and 0.54 ± 0.15 at 10 to 14 days. The LVEFs at 4, 5, and 6 hours postoperatively were significantly lower than preoperatively (p
Effect of Water Management on Interannual Variation in Bulk Soil Properties from the Eastern Coastal Everglades

We examined interannual variation in soil properties from wetlands occurring in adjacent drainage basins from the southeastern Everglades. Triplicate 10-cm soil cores were collected, homogenized, and analyzed during the wet season 2006–2010 from five freshwater sawgrass wetland marshes and three estuarine mangrove forests. Soil bulk density from the Taylor Slough basin ranged from 0.15 gm-cm−3 to 0.5 gm-cm−3, was higher than from the Panhandle basin every year, and generally increased throughout the study period. Organic matter as a percent loss on ignition ranged from 7 % to 12 % from freshwater marshes and from 13 % to 56 % from estuarine mangroves. Extractable iron in soils was similar among drainage basins and wetland types, typically ranging from 0.6 to 2.0 g Fe kg−1. In contrast, inorganic sulfur was on average over four times higher from estuarine soils relative to freshwater, and was positively correlated with soil organic matter. Finally total soil phosphorus (P) was lower in freshwater soils relative to estuarine soils (84 ± 5 versus 326 ± 32 mg P kg−1). Total P from the freshwater marshes in the Panhandle basin rose throughout the study period from 54.7 ± 8.4 to 107 ± 17 mg P kg−1, a possible outcome of differences in water management between drainage basins.
An inexpensive retraction mechanism

An electric retraction mechanism, which is adaptable to a wide range of operant manipulanda, was developed. Miniaturized, inexpensive toy railroad equipment was used to simplify construction. The mechanism, utilized as a retractable rat lever, has operated reliably and uniformly over a range of independent retraction and extension times.
An examination of the performative analysis 1

(1974). An examination of the performative analysis. Paper in Linguistics: Vol. 7, No. 1-2, pp. 1-40.
Ultrastructure and potential significance of cerebral light-refracting bodies of Stenostomum virginianum (Turbellaria, Catenulida)

Light-refracting bodies, possibly photoreceptors, occurring in the posterior lobes of the brain are considered characteristic for most species of catenulid turbellarians of the freshwater genus Stenostomum. In S. virginianum, each of two light-refracting bodies consists of a single cup-shaped granule (3–4 μm) situated in the perikaryon of a single nerve cell (the ‘clear vesicle’ of earlier papers). TEM reveals each granule as an enlarged and folded mitochondrion with a dense matrix inclusion of undetermined composition. Cristae are well-developed and there is a dense granular extramito-chondrial layer of uniform thickness (100 nm) along the posteromedial surface of the mitochondrion. The perikaryon is packed with ribosomes, β-glycogen granules and 60–100 nm dense-cored vesicles. A neurite extends from the perikaryon into the neuropile of the brain. Experimental data indicate an absence of phototaxis and photokinesis and an absence of ultrastructural modifications with light- and dark-adaptation. An ultrastructural comparison is made of the light-refracting bodies of S. virginianum with those of a second species. Hypotheses regarding the role of light-refracting bodies as photoperiodic receptors and/or specialized neurosecretory cells are advanced.
Comparison of two single-chain antibodies that neutralize canine parvovirus: analysis of an antibody-combining site and mechanisms of neutralization.

We cloned the heavy- and light-chain variable domains of two monoclonal antibodies that recognize each of the two major neutralizing antigenic sites of the canine parvovirus (CPV) capsid. After expression in Escherichia coli as single-chain variable domains (scFv) with glycine-serine linker sequences, both scFv bound CPV capsids with the same specificity as the intact IgG, but with 10- to 20-fold lower avidity. Both scFvs neutralized CPV infectivity with efficiency similar to that of the IgG. Although both IgGs inhibited hemagglutination by CPV, only one scFv was inhibiting. The binding of one of the antibodies has previously been analyzed by cryoelectron microscopic reconstruction and the epitope-binding residues predicted. Mutagenesis of predicted contact residues in three heavy-chain complementarity-determining regions (CDR) showed that mutants of CDR1 or CDR3 reduced the binding of the scFv by about 10-fold compared with the wild-type scFv, while no effect was seen for one mutant of CDR2. The levels of neutralization of CPV and of hemagglutination inhibition by the scFv mutants were proportional to their reduction in binding affinity compared with the wild type. Neither scFv blocked virus binding to host cells, but they both caused aggregation of the capsids and appeared to affect the process of infection after virus uptake into the cells.
Optimal numerical differentiation using three function evaluations

An optimal choice ofu for approximating thed th derivative,d=1,2, of a real valued function of a real variable by a difference quotient of the formh −d ∑ i=1 n w i f(x+u i h) is given. Ifd=1 andn is odd, or ifd=2 andn is even, this choiceu turns out to be surprisingly asymmetric.
Mean winds and momentum fluxes over Jicamarca, Peru, during June and August 1987

Data from the mesosphere-stratosphere-troposphere radar at Jicamarca, Peru, together with other available data, are used to diagnose the mean structure of winds and gravity-wave momentum fluxes from the surface to 90 km during two-ten-day campaigns in June and August of 1987. In the stratosphere a layer of maximum eastward flow associated with the quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) was seen to strengthen and descend rapidly from June to August, overlying persistent westward flow. A layer of enhanced signal return, suggestive of a turbulent layer, was observed just above the descending QBO eastward maximum. Notable zonal asymmetries were present during this transition and the local meridional circulation departed from zonal-mean QBO theory. A substantial northeastward momentum flux was found below 25 km, which may be related to topographic gravity waves excited by southeastward flow across the Andes. In the lower mesosphere a relatively weak 'second' mesopause semiannual oscillation is confirmed. In both the lower stratosphere and mesosphere, body forces were comparable in magnitude to inferred Coriolis torques.
Radical copolymerization of 3-tri-n-butylstannylstyrene with several vinyl monomers

The free radical homopolymerization and copolymerization of 3-tri-n-butylstannylstyrene (3-BTS) with styrene (ST), ethyl acrylate (EA), methyl methacrylate (MMA), vinyl acetate (VA), and acrylonitrile (AN) were carried out using 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) at 60°C. It was found that the yield of conversion to poly(3-BTS) increased with the molar ratio of initiator to monomer as well as with polymerization time. The conversion at equilibrium after 50 h was about 40%. The compositions of copolymer samples were determined from elemental analyses. Monomer reactivity ratio and Q-e values were calculated. The copolymers of 3-BTS-MMA and 3-BTS-AN were found to be alternating. The copolymers of 3-BTS with MMA, EA and AN were not soluble in any of a large number of organic solvents tested. The insolubility is believed to be due to formation of intermolecular coordination among the tributylstannyl moiety and the carbonyl or cyano groups of the polymer. These copolymers, however, were “soluble” in trihaloacetic acid, but this solubility was due to a cleavage of the trialkyltin moiety from the phenyl groups. The glass temperatures, Tg, and melting temperatures Tm, of the various polymers were also studied.
Retrogenesis: clinical, physiologic, and pathologic mechanisms in brain aging, Alzheimer's and other dementing processes.

Data from clinical, electrophysiologic, neurophysiologic, neuroimaging and neuropathologic sources indicates that the progression of brain aging and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) deterioration proceeds inversely to human ontogenic acquisition patterns. A word for this process of degenerative developmental recapitulation, “retrogenesis”, has been proposed. These retrogenic processes provide new insights into the pathologic mechanism of AD deterioration. An understanding of retrogenic phenonmena can also result in insights into the applicability of retrogenic pathologic mechanisms for non-AD dementing disorders. Management strategies based upon retrogenesis have recently been proposed. Retrogenic pathophysiology also points to previously unexplored pharmacologic approaches to dementia prevention and treatment.
Digital techniques for image enhancement of radiographs.

Abstract This paper deals with digital, position variant and invariant linear and nonlinear techniques for image enhancement (Rozenfeld, 1969). The radiographic system, the image processing and display system, and the human visual system are discussed. The enhancement techniques tailor image content of radiographs to the type of information most useful to the human visual system.
Upper Airway Obstruction

1. Jordan Virbalas, MD* 2. Lee Smith, MD† 1. *Department of Otorhinolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY. 2. †Department of Otolaryngology, Steven and Alexandra Cohen Children’s Medical Center, Hofstra North Shore LIJ School of Medicine, New Hyde Park, NY. * Abbreviations: BT: : bacterial tracheitis CT: : computed tomography HIB: : Haemophilus influenzae type B The differential diagnosis of upper airway obstruction in children includes infectious and noninfectious causes (Table). When evaluating a child with stridor, the clinician must know how to differentiate between various anatomical anomalies (laryngomalacia, tracheomalacia, and subglottic stenosis) and infectious conditions (croup, epiglottitis, and bacterial tracheitis) to promptly implement appropriate management. View this table: Table. Common Causes of Upper Airway Obstruction After completing this article, readers should be able to 1. Know that upper respiratory tract infections and airway obstruction in young infants can lead to respiratory distress. 2. Know the clinical presentation of laryngomalacia. 3. Know the risks of examination of patients with suspected epiglottitis. 4. Know how to treat a child with epiglottitis. 5. Know the clinical manifestations of laryngotracheitis (croup). 6. Know the appropriate management of croup. 7. Differentiate the clinical and radiographic findings of viral croup from those of epiglottitis and bacterial tracheitis. 8. Distinguish between viral and noninfectious croup. 9. Recognize the signs and symptoms of bacterial tracheitis. 10. Know the typical clinical course of bacterial tracheitis, including biphasic illness, precipitous worsening, requirement for intubation, and relatively prolonged intubation. 11. Know the treatment of bacterial tracheitis. 12. Know the microbiology of bacterial tracheitis. 13. Know that tracheomalacia can occur as a complication of long-term mechanical ventilation in children. 14. Know that tracheoesophageal fistula may result in tracheomalacia. 15. Know the clinical manifestations of tracheomalacia. ### Definitions Laryngomalacia refers to the prolapse of supraglottic structures into the laryngeal airway on inspiration, which usually manifests as a primarily inspiratory stridor in young children. ### Introduction Laryngomalacia is the most common congenital laryngeal anomaly and is the most frequent congenital cause of stridor in infants. Often symptoms are not present at birth, and affected children typically develop stridor in the first 2 …
Head movements mediated by halteres in the fly, Musca domestica.

Ein bisher unbekannter, durch die Halteren ausgeloster Reflex wird furMusca domestica beschrieben: kompensatorische Kopfdrehung bei Rotation um die Langsachse wahrend des Fluges.
Why using instructional technology effectively is tough

Although higher education has made great strides in using technology to improve instruction quality, certain barriers need to be overcome to achieve more immediate success. The advent of new technologies has created a requirement to bolster staff expertise to include teaching with technology. Unfortunately, the expertise of many faculty development centers has become bifurcated into those who know about computers and those who know about teaching and learning. Consequently, many instructor-supported activities promote using new technologies to teach in the same old ways. There appears to be a real divide between many faculty members' own learning experience and the type their students will need to thrive in industry
Structure and Assembly of CFA/I pili from Enterotoxigenic Escherichia Coli That Cause Traveler's Diarrhea

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) bacteria that cause traveler's diarrhea utilize pili to initiate infection via pilus binding to epithelial cells in the small intestine. According to the World Health Organization, ETEC cause the largest number of recorded community-acquired cases of childhood diarrhea in the developing world, and are the most common cause of Traveler's diarrhea. Through a multi-disciplinary approach that includes x-ray crystallography, electron microscopy, site-directed mutagenesis, and genetic sequence analysis we elucidate the structure and assembly of CFA/I pili expressed on ETEC. We show that the distinction between Class I pili from the chaperone/usher pathway (e.g., P-pili from uropathogenic bacteria) and Class 5 pili from the alternate chaperone pathway (e.g., CFA/I pili), which was based on the lack of genetic sequence homology, does not correlate with any major structural or functional differences between these classes of pili. Pilin subunits transit the outer membrane through an usher that can accommodate single subunits, but not the assembled helical filament. We identify a proline residue in the major pilin, CfaB, that appears to isomerize from the trans to the cis conformation, producing the conformational change required for assembly of the mature pilus filament comprising about 1,000 subunits. Lastly, analysis of genetic variability among clinical strains representative of the eight discrete Class 5 fimbrial subtypes, in combination with structural data, show that each bacterial strain presents a distinct outer surface of CfaB, while the interior and protein-protein interface residues are more highly conserved. These data suggest that protein surface variability facilitates evasion of the immune system by ETEC.
Building Community Disaster Resilience: Perspectives From a Large Urban County Department of Public Health.

An emerging approach to public health emergency preparedness and response, community resilience encompasses individual preparedness as well as establishing a supportive social context in communities to withstand and recover from disasters. We examine why building community resilience has become a key component of national policy across multiple federal agencies and discuss the core principles embodied in community resilience theory—specifically, the focus on incorporating equity and social justice considerations in preparedness planning and response. We also examine the challenges of integrating community resilience with traditional public health practices and the importance of developing metrics for evaluation and strategic planning purposes. Using the example of the Los Angeles County Community Disaster Resilience Project, we discuss our experience and perspective from a large urban county to better understand how to implement a community resilience framework in public health practice.
Anal canal strictures after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis.

PURPOSE: This study was designed to define the different types of strictures, the factors favoring their occurrence, and their treatment after ileal pouch-anal anastomosis. METHODS: Between January 1981 and June 1996, 1,884 ileal pouch-anal anastomoses were constructed at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Data were collected prospectively and included age, gender, type of underlying diseases (chronic ulcerative colitis vs. familial adenomatous polyposis), proctologic antecedents, technique of anastomosis, intraoperative difficulties, and postsurgical complications. Strictures were categorized as nonfibrotic and fibrotic on the basis of the presence or absence of a fibrotic segment at the anal canal anastomosis that was responsible for pouch-outlet obstruction requiring at least one dilation. RESULTS: Strictures occurred in 213 patients (11.2 percent; 11 percent for chronic ulcerative colitis and 12 percent for familial adenomatous polyposis; P = not significant). Strictures were nonfibrotic in 86.4 percent of patients and fibrotic in 13.6 percent. A greater number of strictures were observed after a handsewn anastomosis (12 percent) than after a stapled anastomosis (4 percent; P = 0.03). Intraoperative technical difficulties were associated with 13 percent of all strictures regardless of the type of stricture (fibrotic, 7.5 percent; nonfibrotic, 14 percent; P = 0.4). Postoperative complications such as abscess, fistula, and pouch retraction were found in 13 percent of cases and were primarily associated with fibrotic strictures. Treatment included dilation, which was successful in 95 percent of nonfibrotic strictures but in only 45 percent of fibrotic strictures (P = 0.0001). Surgical treatment was required in 25 strictures (12 percent), including excision of the strictured segment with mucosal advancement flap (5 patients), excision of the pouch with permanent ileostomy (9 patients), or redo pouch (3 patients). With one exception, all excised pouches were associated with other perianastomotic complications, such as abscess, fistula, and pouch retraction. The remaining eight patients had other surgical procedures because of abscess (n = 3), division of an obstructive bridge (n = 2), and debridement and curettage of a fistula (n = 3) with dilation for associated strictures. CONCLUSIONS: Strictures were observed in 11.2 percent of the patients in this study. Nonfibrotic strictures responded well to anal dilation, whereas fibrotic strictures were more commonly associated with intraoperative or postoperative complications, often necessitated surgical therapy to salvage pouch function, and were eventually responsible for pouch failure in nine patients.
FOXP3 and its partners: structural and biochemical insights into the regulation of FOXP3 activity

Forkhead box protein P3 (FOXP3) contributes to a unique transcriptional signature and serves as a functional marker of CD4+CD25+ natural regulatory T cells. Dysfunction of FOXP3 in human is associated with fatal autoimmune disease known as immunodysregulation, polyendocrinopathy, enteropathy, X-linked syndrome (IPEX) or X-linked autoimmunity–allergic disregulation syndrome (XLAAD). FOXP3 also can act as a breast tumor suppressor of the v-erb-b2 erythroblastic leukemia viral oncogene homolog 2 (neuro/glioblastoma derived oncogene homolog (avian)) (Her2/neu) gene. While the suppressive functions of FOXP3 in maintaining the immune balance between tolerance and autoimmunity are obvious, the underlying molecular mechanism remains almost entirely undefined. Recent studies indicate that FOXP3 may form a dynamic superamolecular complex with a variety of molecular partners including transcription factors and enzymatic proteins to regulate transcription. How the FOXP3 ensemble changes in response to T-cell receptor signals and/or proinflammatory signal remains unclear although work from this laboratory has revealed its complexity. Structural information on FOXP3 complex may offer novel functional insights, as well as facilitate the development of rational means to modulate regulatory T-cell function in various human diseases.
Formation and optical characterization of multi-component Ag−Sb nanometer dimension colloids formed by sequential ion implantation in silica

Abstract The optical properties of nanometer dimension metal colloids formed by the sequential implantation of Ag then Sb in silica are characterized as a function of the relative concentrations of Ag and Sb implanted. The doses used were in ratios, Ag to Sb, of 9:3, 6:6 and 3:9. Energy of implantation was 305 keV for the Ag and 320 keV for the Sb. Nominal total doses as determined by current integration for the three samples were 12 × 1016 (Ag + Sb) ions/cm2 Single element colloids were also made by implantation using the same nominal doses as the sequentially implanted samples. Sequential in plantation of Ag and Sb leads to the formation of multi-component metal nanoclusters. Changes in the composition of the colloids from sequential implantation result in significantly different optical responses for these Samples compared to the single element implanted samples. The optical responses are consistent with results expected from effective medium theory.
The impact of group size on memory and memory beliefs: a methodological report.

Two studies examined the impact of group size on interview results for older and younger adults. Both studies assessed memory performance over multiple trials, as well as memory beliefs. The second study also examined the relationship of state anxiety to group size, in the context of a motivational goals-feedback paradigm. Correlational data in both studies showed no relationship between group size and memory performance or memory beliefs. In the second study, larger groups were associated with greater arousal, and with reduced self-efficacy, for the older adult participants only. Although group size effects approached significance on several other measures, these results indicated that group size is not a critical factor in cognition, nor is it a confound when examining the outcomes of multi–trial list learning studies.
Involving the public in the impact assessment of offshore renewable energy facilities

Abstract Public participation in decision-making about development has many benefits especially in the coastal zone and in the near-shore marine environment. This research expands the discussion of public involvement in decisions about marine resource use by examining public participation in environmental impact assessment as relevant for offshore renewable energy facilities. A review of empirical and theoretical research supports the development of a framework for further analysis. The framework consists of five main features: (1) effective communication, (2) broad-based inclusion, (3) prioritization, (4) early three-way learning, and (5) alternatives analysis. The paper's concluding sections explore the relevance of such a framework and indicate possible applications.
Enhancement of peptide bond formation by polyribonucleotides on clay surfaces in fluctuating environments

The selective effects of polyribonucleotides on the formation of glycine peptide bonds in glycine on clay surfaces are investigated as a model for a template mechanism for the effects of polynucleotides on peptide bond formation. Free oligoglycine yields were determined for the cycling reaction of glycine in the presence and absence of clay and polyribonucleotides or polydeoxyribonucleotides. The polyribonucleotides are observed to lead to increases of up to fourfold increases in oligoglycine formed, with greater enhancements for poly-G nucleotides than for poly-A, poly-U and poly-C, indicating a codonic bias. Polydeoxyribonucleotides are found to provide no enhancement in peptide formation rates, and yields were also greatly reduced in the absence of clay. A mechanism for peptide synthesis is proposed which involves the activation of glycine on the clay surface, followed by the formation of esters between glycine and the 2-prime OH groups of the polyribonucleotide and peptide bonds between adjacent amino acyl esters. It is pointed out that if this mechanism is correct, it may provide a basis for a direct template translation process, which would produce a singlet genetic code.
A biological perspective on memory.

Memory enables information to be stored and retrieved after seconds to years and is essential for daily life. This issue of Current Biology takes a broad look at the biology of memory. There is no universal definition of memory, but we consider the term to refer to enduring changes in the mechanisms of behavior based on prior experience with environmental input; the focus here is on specific plasticity systems, methods organisms have evolved to retain information that may be useful at a later time.
Characterization of Polystyrene Latex Surfaces by the Adsorption of Rhodamine 6G

The adsorption of the fluorescent dye rhodamine 6G (R6G) onto polystyrene (PS) latex was investigated as a potential tool for characterizing the surface of PS latex, in particular the density of negative surface charges and their distribution on the surface. The method exploited previous observations that R6G forms nonfluorescent dimers in concentrated solutions and that when R6G is adsorbed to surfaces, R6G dimerization is enhanced. This work examined the influence of ionic strength and particle concentration for variations in R6G adsorption. R6G adsorption was found to be charge-driven in the most dilute regime, and hydrophobically driven in the concentrated regime, with the crossover occurring near the neutralization of negative surface charge by the positive R6G. For negatively charged particles, adsorbed dyes were nearly completely quenched on the surface near the point of charge neutralization, where the dispersions were also unstable. At higher R6G surface loadings, the surface fluorescence was rec...