cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Forever young: Neoteny, neurogenesis and a critique of critical periods in olfaction

The critical period concept has been one of the most transcendent in science, education, and society forming the basis of our fixation on 'quality' of childhood experiences. The neural basis of this process has been revealed in developmental studies of visual, auditory and somatosensory maps and their enduring modification through manipulations of experience early in life. Olfaction, too, possesses a number of phenomena that share key characteristics with classical critical periods like sensitive temporal windows and experience dependence. In this review, we analyze the candidate critical period-like phenomena in olfaction and find them disanalogous to classical critical periods in other sensory systems in several important ways. This leads us to speculate as to why olfaction may be alone among exteroceptive systems in lacking classical critical periods and how life-long neurogenesis of olfactory sensory neurons and bulbar interneurons-a neotenic vestige-- relates to the structure and function of the mammalian olfactory system.
Transvaginal ultrasound training for the obstetrics and gynecology resident: A multisite randomized controlled trial of educational DVD.

PURPOSE Residents in obstetrics and gynecology are deemed to be proficient in transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) upon graduation, although TVUS education in residency is not standardized. The objective of this study is to assess for improvement in TVUS knowledge among residents after viewing an educational DVD. METHODS This is a multisite prospective randomized controlled trial using an educational DVD ("Gynecology: Beginners Only"), compared to routine education. All participants completed a pretest on TVUS images and principles. The intervention group repeated the test after DVD viewing. During the trial, performing and logging TVUS examinations were encouraged. All enrolled residents repeated the test 6-10 months later. RESULTS Fifty-seven residents completed the study with a mean pretest score of 9.7 (1st year resident 9.8, 2nd year resident 9.6, 3rd year resident 10.1, 4th year resident 9.4, P = .763), with a mean of 31.5 TVUS examinations logged prior to intervention. The mean score in the intervention group (n = 34) improved significantly after viewing (11.2, P < 0.003). This improvement did not persist 6-10 months later on a follow-up quiz (mean 10.7, P = .894). At completion of the study, participants logged an average of 56.7 TVUS examinations. CONCLUSION An educational DVD is easily implemented and demonstrates short-term benefit. Exploration of different teaching modalities in development of a comprehensive training program may improve long-term retention.
When Police Sabotage Reform by Switching Tactics

Reforms often restrict the use of specific police tactics. We identify a possible unintended consequence of such reforms: that police will sabotage the new rules by substituting one tactic for another. We show that police in Chicago responded to new restrictions on pedestrian stops by making traffic stops instead, and that police in Venezuela responded to new restrictions on arrests by killing suspects. This evidence of substitution, in two very different contexts, can inform policy as well as longstanding debates about the origins of and remedies for police abuse of power.
Metrics and Textual Criticism in the Cantigas d’amigo: External Responsion by Pairs of Strophes

EnglishIn the cantigas d’amigo external responsion (the inter-strophic correspondence of verses that occupy the same position in the strophic form) is sometimes observed by pairs of strophes. Recognition of this phenomenon solves what had seemed to be problems in several texts and should be taken into account in textual criticism. galegoNas cantigas d’amigo, a responsion externa (a correspondencia interestrofica entre versos que ocupan a mesma posicion na forma estrofica) observase as veces por pares estroficos. Reconecer este fenomeno soluciona o que ate agora se consideraban problemas en numerosos textos, e debe terse en conta para a critica textual.
Numerical Investigation of Methane Number and Wobbe Index Effects in Lean-Burn Natural Gas Spark-Ignition Combustion

A larger use of natural gas in internal combustion engines will reduce the dependence upon petroleum imports. However, large variations in gas composition as a result of the gas origin and/or gas t...
LTE Geolocation Based on Measurement Reports and Timing Advance

This paper investigates a new method for geolocating LTE cellular users. The method relies on the measurements reported which are time advance metric and Reference Signal Received Power (RSRP) together. The simple predictive model is used with the reported LTE measurement, time advance, and cell configuration to estimate the cell phone or user equipment (UE) position in flat dimension (latitude and longitude). The algorithm is assessed via comparing the estimated locations with actual positions readings in several cases distinguished by the number of cells that UE instantaneously reports. For validity of algorithm, the mean square error is determined. The algorithm results display how the accuracy of the UE coordinate rely on the number of reported cells.
Hepatocyte-specific HIF-1α ablation improves obesity-induced glucose intolerance by reducing first-pass GLP-1 degradation

The decrease in incretin effects is an important etiologic component of type 2 diabetes with unknown mechanisms. In an attempt to understand obesity-induced changes in liver oxygen homeostasis, we found that liver HIF-1α expression was increased mainly by soluble factors released from obese adipocytes, leading to decreased incretin effects. Deletion of hepatocyte HIF-1α protected obesity-induced glucose intolerance without changes in body weight, liver steatosis, or insulin resistance. In-depth mouse metabolic phenotyping revealed that obesity increased first-pass degradation of an incretin hormone GLP-1 with increased liver DPP4 expression and decreased sinusoidal blood flow rate, reducing active GLP-1 levels in peripheral circulation. Hepatocyte HIF-1α KO blocked these changes induced by obesity. Deletion of hepatocyte HIF-2α did not change liver DPP4 expression but improved hepatic steatosis. Our results identify a previously unknown pathway for obesity-induced impaired beta cell glucose response (incretin effects) and the development of glucose intolerance through inter-organ communications.
Bridging Time and Power: How changes in social power influence individuals' prosocial behavior?

Despite the fact that most organizational actors encounter changes in social power throughout their careers, researchers do not devote enough attention to the dynamic nature of social power. This p...
A New Picture of the Global Impacts of El Nino-Southern Oscillation.

The El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is the dominant interannual variability of Earth’s climate system and plays a central role in global climate prediction. Outlooks of ENSO and its impacts often follow a two-tier approach: predicting ENSO sea surface temperature anomaly in tropical Pacific and then predicting its global impacts. However, the current picture of ENSO global impacts widely used by forecasting centers and atmospheric science textbooks came from two earliest surface station datasets complied 30 years ago, and focused on the extreme phases rather than the whole ENSO lifecycle. Here, we demonstrate a new picture of the global impacts of ENSO throughout its whole lifecycle based on the rich latest satellite, in situ and reanalysis datasets. ENSO impacts are much wider than previously thought. There are significant impacts unknown in the previous picture over Europe, Africa, Asia and North America. The so-called “neutral years” are not neutral, but are associated with strong sea surface temperature anomalies in global oceans outside the tropical Pacific, and significant anomalies of land surface air temperature and precipitation over all the continents.
ADL - Algorithmic Design Language

Computer programming languages, due to their unnatural syntax and semantic, are very challenging for most students taking the first computer science course (CS1). While visualization is a great mechanism for comprehending how the algorithm is executed by the computer, it generally does not enhance algorithm developing skills or algorithm presentation in pseudo-code. In this study, we design and implement a text-based system, (called ADL - Algorithmic Design Language), to facilitate an algorithmic design lan- guage, in which students can focus on algorithm design using pseudo-code and can validate their algorithms via actual execution.
Tryptic In Situ Digestion in the Presence of Dimethylsulfoxide

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the tryptic in situ digestion in the presence of dimethylsulfoxide. The small fragments generated by trypsinolysis are released efficiently, and recoveries after high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) separation are satisfactory. Larger and more hydrophobic fragments, however, are retained by polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) membranes to a greater extent and, thus, recovered in smaller yields. To overcome this limitation, the addition to the digestion buffer of organic solvents capable of disrupting hydrophobic interactions was investigated in a study described in the chapter. Two polar organic solvents that did not inhibit trypsin activity were tested, namely, dimethylformamide (DMF) and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). DMF did not exhibit any noticeable effect. The addition of 50% DMSO to the digestion buffer increased the recovery of larger more hydrophobic peptide fragments significantly. A higher yield in these peptides means that the sequence can be determined at a higher confidence level. If the fragments are longer, an increased yield will lead to the identification of more of the sequence.
A stripped-companion origin for Be stars: clues from the putative black holes HR 6819 and LB-1

HR 6819 is a bright ($V=5.36$), blue star recently proposed to be a triple containing a detached black hole (BH). We show that the system is a binary and does not contain a BH. Using spectral decomposition, we disentangle the observed composite spectra into two components: a rapidly rotating Be star and a slowly rotating B star with low surface gravity $(\log g \approx 2.75)$. Both stars show periodic radial velocity (RV) variability, but the RV semi-amplitude of the B star's orbit is $K_{\rm B}= (62.7 \pm 1)\,\rm km\,s^{-1}$, while that of the Be star is only $K_{\rm Be} = (4.5\pm 2)\,\rm km\,s^{-1}$. This implies that the B star is less massive by at least a factor of 10. The surface abundances of the B star bear imprints of CNO burning. We argue that the B star is a bloated, recently stripped helium star with mass $\approx 0.5\,M_{\odot}$ that is currently contracting to become a hot subdwarf. The orbital motion of the Be star obviates the need for a BH to explain the B star's motion. A stripped-star model reproduces the observed luminosity of the system, while a normal star with the B star's temperature and gravity would be more than 10 times too luminous. HR 6819 and the binary LB-1 probably formed through similar channels. We use MESA models to investigate their evolutionary history, finding that they likely formed from intermediate-mass ($3-7\,M_{\odot}$) primaries stripped by slightly lower-mass secondaries and are progenitors to Be + sdOB binaries such as $\phi$ Persei. The lifetime of their current evolutionary phase is on average $2\times 10^5$ years, of order half a percent of the total lifetime of the Be phase. This implies that many Be stars have hot subdwarf and white dwarf companions, and that a substantial fraction ($20-100\%$) of field Be stars form through accretion of material from a binary companion.
Design of a $\beta$-Ga$_2$O$_3$ Schottky Barrier Diode With p-type III-Nitride Guard Ring for Enhanced Breakdown

This work presents the electrostatic analysis of a novel Ga$_2$O$_3$ vertical Schottky diode with three different guard ring configurations to reduce the peak electric field at the metal edges. Highly doped p-type GaN, p-type nonpolar AlGaN and polarization doped graded p-AlGaN are simulated and analyzed as the guard ring material, which forms a heterojunction with the Ga$_2$O$_3$ drift layer. Guard ring with non-polar graded p-AlGaN with a bandgap larger than Ga$_2$O$_3$ is found to show the best performance in terms of screening the electric field at the metal edges. The proposed guard ring configuration is also compared with a reported Ga$_2$O$_3$ Schottky diode with no guard ring and a structure with a high resistive Nitrogen-doped guard ring. The optimized design is predicted to have breakdown voltage as high as 5.3 kV and a specific on-resistance of 3.55 m$\Omega$-cm$^2$ which leads to an excellent power figure of merit of 7.91 GW/cm$^2$.
Hampa: Solver-Aided Recency-Aware Replication

Replication is a common technique to build reliable and scalable systems. Traditional strong consistency maintains the same total order of operations across replicas. This total order is the source of multiple desirable consistency properties: integrity, convergence and recency. However, maintaining the total order has proven to inhibit availability and performance. Weaker notions exhibit responsiveness and scalability; however, they forfeit the total order and hence its favorable properties. This project revives these properties with as little coordination as possible. It presents a tool called \(\textsc {Hampa}\) that given a sequential object with the declaration of its integrity and recency requirements, automatically synthesizes a correct-by-construction replicated object that simultaneously guarantees the three properties. It features a relational object specification language and a syntax-directed analysis that infers optimum staleness bounds. Further, it defines coordination-avoidance conditions and the operational semantics of replicated systems that provably guarantees the three properties. It characterizes the computational power and presents a protocol for recency-aware objects. \(\textsc {Hampa}\) uses automatic solvers statically and embeds them in the runtime to dynamically decide the validity of coordination-avoidance conditions. The experiments show that recency-aware objects reduce coordination and response time.
Political Leadership in Social Work Education: A Reflection

There is no doubt that there are major schisms occurring around the globe that are deeply troubling to social worker educators – schisms that speak to values that are counter to those that undergird the profession and our educational programs: nationalism, racism, and anti- intellectualism, for example. These forces have led to disruptive and disturbing actions.Brexit in the United Kingdom and the election of Trump in the United States come to mind immediately, but other examples abound. If progress really is characterized by “two steps forward and one step back,” we seem to be in reverse mode. For those of us in the business of preparing the next generation of social workers, these events and the values they represent are particularly challenging.
On Training of Artificial Neural Networks

A theory and methodology are presented for training artificial neural networks in a general setting. Starting with defining general concepts, and analyzing associated properties of artificial neural networks, the authors formalize, categorize, and characterize artificial neural networks from a system point of view. They focus on the analysis aspect of artificial neural nets to address and investigate trainability and representability; on the synthesis aspect of artificial neural nets to provide design principles to the systems; and on the algorithmic aspect of the artificial neural nets to develop an effective and efficient learning paradigm.
Loss of ClpP Function in Clostridioides difficile 630 Significantly Impacts Sporulation Systems

Abstract The Gram-positive bacterium Clostridioides difficile is a primary cause of hospital-acquired diarrhea, threatening both immunocompromised and healthy individuals. An important aspect of elucidating mechanisms that drive C. difficile persistence and virulence relies on developing a more complete understanding of sporulation. C. difficile sporulation is the single determinant of transmission and complicates treatment and prevention due to the chemical and physical resilience of spores. Hence, the identification of potentially druggable targets that significantly attenuate sporulation is important. In this report, we describe the impact of the loss of caseinolytic protease P (ClpP) isoforms in C. difficile strain 630 on sporulation phenotypes. Using CRISPR-Cas9 nickase mediated genome editing, stop codons were inserted early in the coding sequence for clpP1 and clpP2 to generate C. difficile mutants that no longer produced ClpP1 or ClpP2. The data show that these genetic modifications lead to altered sporulation phenotypes, germination efficiencies, and cytotoxicity. Comparative proteome profiling of C. difficile 630 WT and clpP mutants reveals potential proteolytic targets of ClpP that are involved in sporulation. These analyses further reveal the potential for preferred co-chaperone interactions for each ClpP isoform. Taken together, our results demonstrate that ClpP, a promising target in other Gram-positive pathogens, holds promise as an anti-sporulation target in C. difficile.
Can the Expiratory Disproportion Index Distinguish PVFMD from Subglottic Stenosis in Obese Patients

Objectives:Expiratory disproportion index (EDI) is the ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) divided by peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) multiplied by 100. Prominent EDI (>50) values...
π-Conjugated organosilanes at the nexus of single-molecule electronics and imaging

The incorporation of silicon as a heteroatom dopant in π-conjugated organic molecules and materials gives rise to emergent electronic and photophysical properties that have been exploited across bioimaging, sensing, optoelectronic, energy harvesting, and charge transport applications. The desirable properties of π-conjugated organosilanes originate from key orbital-level interactions that occur between the π-conjugated arene and σ-conjugated silane fragments. This perspective article focuses on the nature of the σ–π interaction in organosilane molecular materials and how it physically manifests in emerging single-molecule technologies such as single-molecule electronics and single-molecule biological imaging.
Interplay between Host tRNAs and HIV-1: A Structural Perspective

The cellular metabolism of host tRNAs and life cycle of HIV-1 cross paths at several key virus-host interfaces. Emerging data suggest a multi-faceted interplay between host tRNAs and HIV-1 that plays essential roles, both structural and regulatory, in viral genome replication, genome packaging, and virion biogenesis. HIV-1 not only hijacks host tRNAs and transforms them into obligatory reverse transcription primers but further commandeers tRNAs to regulate the localization of its major structural protein, Gag, via a specific interface. This review highlights recent advances in understanding tRNA-HIV-1 interactions, primarily from a structural perspective, which start to elucidate their underlying molecular mechanisms, intrinsic specificities, and biological significances. Such understanding may provide new avenues toward developing HIV/AIDS treatments and therapeutics including small molecules and RNA biologics that target these host-virus interfaces.
A Model to Evaluate the Impact of Cyclically Recurring Hazards on Selected Populations

It has been observed that solar ultraviolet radiation, particularly the portion of wavelengths below 320 nm (the UV-B), is quite lethal for a variety of microorganisms (Harm 1969, Gameson and Saxon 1967, Resnick 1970, Calkins 1974). In addition to the lethal action, the short wavelength component of solar UV demonstrates a considerable potential for delaying the growth of irradiated organisms (Jagger 1975, Calkins 1975). Growth delay obviously reduces the competitive ability of organisms in the natural environment. Various authors have proposed that the lethal (Harm 1969, Gameson and Saxon 1967) and the growth delaying action (Jagger 1975, Calkins 1974) of solar UV are significant ecological factors. It is, however, quite difficult to translate the reasonable but intuitive feeling that solar radiation has an important impact on various ecosystems into quantitative measurements of the amount of injury for assessment of such an ecological action. It is especially important at present to make quantitative determinations of the ecological effects of solar UV radiation because there is growing awareness that human activities may modify the global environment and could result in disastrous injuries to critical ecosystems.
Production of Acetaldehyde by Zymomonas mobilis

Mutants of Zymomonas mobilis were selected for decreased alcohol dehydrogenase activity by using consecutively higher concentrations of allyl alcohol. A mutant selected by using 100 mM allyl alcohol produced acetaldehyde at a level of 4.08 g/liter when the organism was grown in aerated batch cultures on a medium containing 4.0% (wt/wt) glucose. On the basis of the amount of glucose utilized, this level of acetaldehyde production represents nearly 40% of the maximum theoretical yield. Acetaldehyde produced during growth was continuously air stripped from the reactor. Acetaldehyde present in the exhaust stream was then trapped as the acetaldehyde-bisulfite addition product in an aqueous solution of sodium bisulfite and released by treatment with base. Acetaldehyde was found to inhibit growth of Z. mobilis at concentrations as low as 0.05% (wt/wt) acetaldehyde. An acetaldehyde-tolerant mutant of Z. mobilis was isolated after both mutagenesis with nitrosoguanidine and selection in the presence of vapor-phase acetaldehyde. The production of acetaldehyde has potential advantages over that of ethanol: lower energy requirements for product separation, efficient separation of product from dilute feed streams, continuous separation of product from the reactor, and a higher marketplace value.
Vandenberg, Steven G

Steven G. Vandenberg (1915–1992) was a pioneer in the study of twins. Keywords: twin studies; family studies; individual differences; multivariate analyses; cognitive abilities
Gupta-Rajpoot Texture 2(4) Zero Mass Matrices

The so called ``Texture 2(4) zero mass matrices'' were first introduced in a Wayne State University preprint to accommodate the "yet to be discovered" heavy top quark. The preprint in its entirety is reproduced here after a brief commentary.
Photochemistry of oxygenated and deoxygenated solutions of the photosensitizer (2E,5E)-2,5-bis(4-dimethylaminobenzylidene)-cyclopentanone, a ketocyanine dye

Abstract Photochemical studies of (2E,5E)-2,5-bis(4-dimethylaminobenzylidene)-cyclopentanone ( I ) have been carried out. Compound I has been shown to sensitize the production of singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ) in deuterated toluene (C 7 D 8 ), chloroform (CDCl 3 ), and methanol (CD 3 OD). Tetramethylethylene (TME) was used as the indicator for 1 O 2 production. Photobleaching of solutions of the dye was observed, which led to an investigation of the chemical reactivity of I with 1 O 2 . Based on 1 H NMR, UV–Visible absorption spectroscopy, and HPLC/MS experimental data, it is proposed that the self-sensitized photooxidation of I with 1 O 2 yields 4-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde and (E)-3-(4-dimethylaminobenzylidene)-1,2-cyclopentadione as products. Photooxidation of I was not detected in CH 3 OH but was found in CD 3 OD. The absence of photooxidation in CH 3 OH is attributed to the short lifetime of singlet oxygen in this solvent (τ Δ = 9.5 μs), compared to its lifetime in CD 3 OD (τ Δ = 270 μs). UV–Visible absorption spectra of irradiated solutions of I in deoxygenated solvents demonstrate that (E,E) → (E,Z) photoisomerization of the dye takes place under these conditions.
Bay area rapid transit district advance automated train control system case study description

This document contains an informal description of a portion of the Advanced Automatic Train Control (AATC) system being developed for the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system. BART provides commuter rail service for part of California’s San Francisco bay area. Specifically, the informal specification given below focuses on those aspects of BART that are necessary to control the speed and acceleration for the trains in the system. Other aspects of BART control such as (1) communication error recovery, (2) routing (via switches) and (3) right-of-way signaling (via “gates”) are largely ignored. The scope of this case study is narrower than the AATC project as a whole, but within this narrowed scope, enough detail has been supplied to give a sense of the level of complexity involved.
Circadian variation in testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin, and calculated non-sex hormone-binding globulin bound testosterone in healthy young and elderly men

The circadian pattern in levels of serum total testosterone (T) in men becomes blunted with normal aging. However, because T not bound to sex hormone-binding globulin (non-SHBG-T) is felt to be a better representative of biologically available T than is total T, the possibility of a 24-h variation in non-SHBG-T in young men and the possibility that aging is associated with a blunting of that rhythm were investigated. Hourly blood samples were drawn on 10 normal young men (mean age 27.3 years) and 10 normal elderly men (mean age 70.7 years) over a 24-h period and the serum was assayed for total T, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), and total protein; non-SHBG-T was calculated. SHBG was determined by radioimmunoassay as well as by a steroid-binding assay. Young men had a significantly higher (p less than 0.05) mean 24-h level of non-SHBG-T (1.91 +/- 0.62 nm/l) than did the elderly men (0.86 +/- 0.01 nM/l). Also, each young man showed a significant circadian rhythm in non-SHBG-T, with a group mean daily variation of 1.42 +/- 0.38 nM/l. In contrast, only 60% of the elderly men demonstrated a significant circadian rhythm in non-SHBG-T, and the group mean rhythm was blunted (maximum excursion 0.38 +/- 0.07 nM/l) compared with that of the young men. SHBG and total protein levels demonstrated similar 24-h variations in the two age groups. It was concluded that non-SHBG-T serum levels, similar to serum total T levels, demonstrate a circadian pattern in young men and this circadian rhythmicity becomes blunted with normal aging.
D(2)-Dopamine receptors target regulator of G protein signaling 9-2 to detergent-resistant membrane fractions.

J. Neurochem. (2012) 120, 56–69. Abstract Detergent-resistant membranes (DRM) are thought to contain structures such as lipid rafts that are involved in compartmentalizing cell membranes. We report that the majority of D2-dopamine receptors (D2R) expressed endogenously in mouse striatum or expressed in immortalized cell-lines is found in DRM. In addition, exogenous co-expression of D2R in a cell line shifted the expression of regulator of G protein signaling 9-2 (RGS9-2) into DRM. RGS9-2 is a protein that is highly enriched in the striatum and specifically regulates striatal D2R. In the striatum, RGS9-2 is mostly associated with DRMs but when expressed in cell lines, RGS9-2 is present in the soluble cytoplasmic fraction. In contrast, the majority of mu opioid receptors and delta opioid receptors are found in detergent-soluble membrane and there was no shift of RGS9-2 into DRM after co-expression of mu opioid receptor. These data suggest that the targeting of RGS9-2 to DRM in the striatum is mediated by D2R and that DRM is involved in the formation of a D2R signaling complex. D2R-mediated targeting of RGS9-2 to DRM was blocked by the deletion of the RGS9-2 DEP domain or by a point mutation that abolishes the GTPase accelerating protein function of RGS9-2.
A new approach to epitope confirmation by sampling effector/memory T cells migrating to the lung

The identification of T cell epitopes that elicit a weak T cell response is technically challenging due to the relatively low resolution of many available screening assays. Peptide immunization can confirm the immunogenicity of a given peptide, however, this also often induces a low frequency response in lymphoid organs. In this report, we use the murine gammaherpesvirus-68 model system to describe a novel technique to enrich for antigen-experienced T cells in vivo as an aid to epitope mapping. Mice are immunized with peptides containing putative epitopes then effector/memory cells which migrate to the lungs are washed out and tested for specificity using intracellular staining for interferon gamma (IFN-γ). We show that the lung is a site where there are elevated numbers of antigen-experienced T cells and this can be exploited to confirm otherwise low frequency T cell responses. In addition, we identify two novel T cell epitopes in the ORF65 protein of MHV-68 which will be valuable tools in the dissection of the immune response to this model gammaherpesvirus.
17β-Estradiol Inhibits Apoptosis of Endothelial Cells

Abstract Endothelial cells provide an antithrombotic and anti-inflammatory barrier for the normal vessel wall. Dysfunction of endothelial cells has been shown to promote atherosclerosis, and normalization of previously dysfunctional endothelial cells can inhibit the genesis of atheroma. In normal arteries, endothelial cells are remarkably quiescent. Acceleration of the turnover rate of endothelial cells can lead to their dysfunction. Apoptosis is a physiological process that contributes to vessel homeostasis, by eliminating damaged cells from the vessel wall. However, increased endothelial cell turnover mediated through accelerated apoptosis may alter the function of the endothelium and therefore, promote atherosclerosis. Apoptotic endothelial cells can be detected on the luminal surface of atherosclerotic coronary vessels, but not in normal vessels. This finding links endothelial cell apoptosis and the process of atherosclerosis, although a causative role for apoptosis in this process remains hypothetical. Estrogen metabolites have been shown to be among the most potent anti-atherogenic agents available to date for post-menopausal women. The mechanism of estrogen's protective effect is currently incompletely characterized. Here we show that 17β-estradiol, a key estrogen metabolite, inhibits apoptosis in cultured endothelial cells. Our data support the hypothesis that 17β-estradiol's anti-apoptotic effect may be mediated via improved endothelial cell interaction with the substratum, increased tyrosine phosphorylation of pp125 focal adhesion kinase, and a subsequent reduction in programmed cell death of endothelial cells. Inhibition of apoptosis by estrogens may account for some of the anti-atherogenic properties of these compounds.
Financial contracts and international lending

Abstract This paper examines alternative financial contracts for international lending. I demonstrate that conventional loans can be pareto dominated by financial contracts explicitly incorporating characteristics of the borrower's product market. I provide conditions under which commodity-linked debt is desirable, and determine when more complicated revenue-linked loans are optimal. I also demonstrate that the type of lending contract has important real effects on production decisions. One result of this research is to demonstrate why equity-based lending arrangements may have limited applicability.
Synthesis, characterization and properties of polycarbonate containing carboxyl side groups

Diphenolic Acid, DPA [bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)pentanoic acid]can be made from cellulose-rich waste. The t-butyl ester was converted to homo- and copolycar- bonates (with bis-phenol-A, BPA). Deblocking the ester yielded polycarbonates with pendent carboxyl groups that exhibit all the properties of polyelectrolytes and retain solubility in aqueous base without degradation for long periods.
Measurement of blood flow by thermodilution

Abstract In thermodilution a known change in heat content of the blood is induced at one point of the circulation and the resultant change in temperature detected at a point downstream. When cardiac output is measured, a bolus of cool liquid is injected into the upper right atrium and the temperature change detected in the pulmonary artery. When flow in single blood vessels is measured, the distance between the site of injection and the site of detection is small; therefore, mixing must be attained by the kinetic energy of the injectate. The continuous constant rate injection technique is most suitable for measurement of venous flow. Since the blood flow in arteries can be markedly and unpredictably altered by the injection or the injectate, this technique is not suitable to measure flow in arteries. Measurement of venous flow by the bolus injection technique is tedious and time-consuming because of the complex formula. Minimal recirculation, simple and accurate calibration, intravascular detection of temperature and simple equipment are the advantages of the thermodilution technique.
Relation between Euclidean and real time calculations of Green functions at finite temperature.

We find a relation between the semiclassical approximation of the temperature (Matsubara) two-point correlator and the corresponding classical Green function in real time at finite temperature. The anharmonic oscillator at finite temperature is used to illustrate our statement, which is however of rather general origin.
Microarray Analysis of Neointima Flowing Toward a Clear Future

The blood vessels that comprise the circulatory system are extraordinarily sophisticated and complex. The organization of the cells and extracellular matrix that make up the vessel wall define its structural integrity and regulate vascular physiology and homeostasis through biochemical regulation. The endothelial lining of the normal blood vessel is a continuous, selectively permeable and antithrombotic barrier between the circulating blood and the vessel wall.1 The endothelium detects shear and humoral signals and in response generates products that regulate blood flow, vessel tone, platelet activation, and thrombosis.2,3⇓ The endothelium also regulates smooth muscle cell migration and proliferation among its legion of roles.4–6⇓⇓ Endothelial and vascular injury that are associated with invasive procedures such as angioplasty, vessel and organ transplantation, and coronary and peripheral arterial by-pass surgery, as well as noninvasive phenomenon such as atherosclerosis, disrupt the physical barrier provided by the endothelium, interfering with vascular homeostasis.7–11⇓⇓⇓⇓ This sets a series of events in motion that lead to a proliferation and migration of smooth muscle cells. Often these proliferative and migratory events extend beyond the normal healing process and result in obstructive arterial lesions. Depending on the exact pathology and mechanism, this process of restenosis or neointimal hyperplasia leads to the failure of bypass grafts, critical narrowings in up to 50% of patients after angioplasty, and proliferative vascular disease in transplanted hearts. While significant advances have been made in the management of restenosis to prevent or reopen these narrowings and innovative treatments continue to be developed, the most effective measures that remain are management of symptoms rather than intervention …
Urban African-American Girls’ Participation and Future Intentions Toward Physical Education

Despite the fact that physical education holds great promise for the promotion of public health, urban African American girls’ interest and participation in physical education tends to decline with age. Using the Theory of Planned Behavior and feminist poststructuralist theory, this study was designed to examine African American girls’ physical education participation and possible social, cognitive, and motivational factors that drive them away from future intentions toward physical education. Participants were 168 African American girls (age range = 14–17 years, mean age = 14.7 years) enrolled in three public high schools from a large urban inner-city school district in the Midwestern United States. Both quantitative and word-data were collected. Results revealed that participation in physical education played an important role in urban African-American girls’ overall physical activity engagement. However, unfavorable attitudes and lack of perceived support impeded their intentions toward future enrollment in physical education. Major factors related to their intentions were: anticipated short- and long-term outcomes, body image concerns, the influence of their mothers, and scheduling conflicts. The findings indicate opportunities for early intervention.
Inactivation of human immunodeficiency virus in vitro by gossypol

Gossypol, a polyphenolic aldehyde extracted from cottonseed, is a male anti-fertility agent which has been reported to have anti-viral activity. In this paper we report that gossypol inactivates human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in an in vitro system. Following exposure of cell-free incubates of HIV to 100 uM gossypol, ultracentrifugation and inoculation of the washed pellet onto H9 cells, there is no evidence of elevated reverse transcriptase activity over 21 days. Treatment with lower concentrations of gossypol reduces the peak and lengthens the time to maximal reverse transcriptase activity compared with control cultures. These observations suggest that gossypol could be used as a vaginal spermicidal/virucidal agent. The mechanism of the in vitro anti-viral action as well as the effect of orally administered gossypol on the infectivity of semen of HIV-seropositive men warrant further study.
Molecular phylogeny of Chrysomya albiceps and C. rufifacies (Diptera: Calliphoridae)

Mitochondrial DNA was used to infer the phylogeny and genetic divergences of Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann) and C. rufifacies (Maquart) specimens from widely separated localities in the Old and New World. Analyses based on a 2.3-kb region including the genes for cytochrome oxidase subunits I and II indicated that the 2 species were separate monophyletic lineages that have been separated for >1 million years. Analysis of DNA, in the form of either sequence or restriction fragment-length polymorphism (RFLP) data, will permit the identification of problematic specimens.
A New Approach to Generalized Singular Value Decomposition

We propose a new algorithm to find the generalized singular value decompositions of two matrices with the same number of columns. We discuss in detail the sensitivity of our algorithm to errors in the entries of the matrices and suggest a way to suppress this sensitivity.
Crystal growth of organic energetic materials: pentaerythritol tetranitrate

The energy output performance and thermal stability of organic energetic materials have a strong dependence on the porosity, particle morphology, and micro-scale crystal structure. This paper reviews the growth habit of pure pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) crystals and the effect of metal impurities on microcrystal morphology of PETN films. The pure crystal growth shows that PETN molecules diffuse on the surface and nucleate in a two-dimensional layer-by-layer fashion; the final structure is controlled by the deposition flux. Also, the effect of metal cation impurities has a strong impact on the thermal stability and crystal structure, and is dependent on the doping level.
Patterns of sexual behavior in male macaques.

One large social group of each of three species of macaques (Macaca mulatta, M. fascicularis, M. radiata), housed in half-acre field cages at the California Primate Research Center, were observed for a total of 150 h. Data on sexual behavior and dominance interactions were recorded by pairs of experienced observers using a focal animal technique. Single or multiple mount-to-ejaculation sequences, number of thrusts per mount, number of mounts per sequence, duration of mounts per sequence, duration of sequences, social rank and frequency of sexual activity were recorded for each adult male. M. mulatta used a multiple mount-to-ejaculation (MME) pattern in 91% of their copulations. M. radiata used a single mount-to-ejaculation (SME) pattern in 91% of their copulations. M. fascicularis used both patterns—53% MME and 47% SME. A positive correlation was found between rank and sexual activity in fascicularis and mulatta males. A negative correlation between rank and sexual activity was found in radiata males and also a positive correlation between rank and age indicating that the youngest and most subordinate radiata males were the most sexually active males. In reviewing the literature, a relationship between degree of intermale competition, intermale tolerance and type of mounting pattern was revealed. Macaque species that primarily use an SME pattern also show sa high degree of intermale tolerance and little interrnale competition. Macaque species that primarily use an MME pattern typically show a high degree of intermale competition and a low degree of intermale tolerance. Possible events leading to such relationships are discussed.
Seismostratigraphy and Thermal Structure of Earth's Core-Mantle Boundary Region

We used three-dimensional inverse scattering of core-reflected shear waves for large-scale, high-resolution exploration of Earth9s deep interior (D″) and detected multiple, piecewise continuous interfaces in the lowermost layer (D″) beneath Central and North America. With thermodynamic properties of phase transitions in mantle silicates, we interpret the images and estimate in situ temperatures. A widespread wave-speed increase at 150 to 300 kilometers above the coremantle boundary is consistent with a transition from perovskite to postperovskite. Internal D″ stratification may be due to multiple phase-boundary crossings, and a deep wave-speed reduction may mark the base of a postperovskite lens about 2300 kilometers wide and 250 kilometers thick. The core-mantle boundary temperature is estimated at 3950 ± 200 kelvin. Beneath Central America, a site of deep subduction, the D″ is relatively cold (ΔT = 700 ± 100 kelvin). Accounting for a factor-of-two uncertainty in thermal conductivity, core heat flux is 80 to 160 milliwatts per square meter (mW m –2 ) into the coldest D″ region and 35 to 70 mW m –2 away from it. Combined with estimates from the central Pacific, this suggests a global average of 50 to 100 mW m –2 and a total heat loss of 7.5 to 15 terawatts.
Ribonucleotide Reductase Inhibitors: A New Look at an Old Target for Radiosensitization

Ribonucleotide reductase, the rate limiting enzyme in the synthesis and repair of DNA, has been studied as a target for inhibition in the treatment of cancer for many years. While some researchers have focused on ribonucleotide reductase inhibitors as chemotherapeutic agents, particularly in hematologic malignancies, some of the most promising data has been generated in the field of radiosensitization. Early pre-clinical studies demonstrated that the addition of the first of these drugs, hydroxyurea, to ionizing radiation produced a synergistic effect in vitro, leading to a large number of clinical studies in the 1970-80’s. These studies, mainly in cervical cancer, initially produced a great deal of interest, leading to the incorporation of hydroxyurea in the treatment protocols of many institutions. However, over time, the conclusions from these studies have been called into question and hydroxyurea has been replaced as the standard of care for cervical cancer. Over the last ten years, a number of well-done pre-clinical studies have greatly advanced our understanding of ribonucleotide reductase as a target. Those advances include the elucidation of the role of p53R2 and our understanding of the temporal relationship between the delivery of ionizing radiation and the response of ribonucleotide reductase. At the same time, new inhibitors with increased potency and improved binding characteristics have been discovered, and pre-clinical and early clinical data look promising. Here we present a comprehensive review of the pre-clinical and clinical data in the field to date and provide some discussion of future areas of research.
Uplink Multiuser MIMO Transceiver Design with Transmitting Beamforming under Power Constraints

We consider the transceiver design for uplink multiuser multi-input multi-output (MIMO) communications, where multiple transmitters adopt beamforming to simultaneously access the linear spatial equalizer at the receivers. In this paper, we investigated the crucial, yet not well discussed issue to jointly design beamforming weights for all transmitters, subject to total transmission power constraints, under the assumption that all users' channel state information (CSI) is available at each of the users. We proposed a class of orthogonal joint beamforming design schemes with matched filter receiver, and an eigen-beamforming (Eig-BF) scheme with ordered successive interference cancellation minimum mean square error receiver (OSIC-MMSE). By comparing these schemes with the optimal joint transceiver design with optimality in terms of overall mean square error (MSE), we show that Eig-BF OSIC-MMSE scheme achieves near-optimum performance at much lower complexity and with much simpler transmitter design, since it only requires each transmitter to know its own CSI and thus can be implemented in a decentralized way. This indicates that marginal performance improvement can be benefited from making all transmitters share their CSI. The orthogonal beamforming schemes, on the other hand, accomplish the simplest receiver structure at the cost of more complicated cooperative transmitters.
Underwater hearing in the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta): a comparison of behavioral and auditory evoked potential audiograms

The purpose of this study was to compare underwater behavioral and auditory evoked potential (AEP) audiograms in a single captive adult loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta). The behavioral audiogram was collected using a go/no-go response procedure and a modified staircase method of threshold determination. AEP thresholds were measured using subdermal electrodes placed beneath the frontoparietal scale, dorsal to the midbrain. Both methods showed the loggerhead sea turtle to have low frequency hearing with best sensitivity between 100 and 400 Hz. AEP testing yielded thresholds from 100 to 1131 Hz with best sensitivity at 200 and 400 Hz (110 dB re. 1 μPa). Behavioral testing using 2 s tonal stimuli yielded underwater thresholds from 50 to 800 Hz with best sensitivity at 100 Hz (98 dB re. 1 μPa). Behavioral thresholds averaged 8 dB lower than AEP thresholds from 100 to 400 Hz and 5 dB higher at 800 Hz. The results suggest that AEP testing can be a good alternative to measuring a behavioral audiogram with wild or untrained marine turtles and when time is a crucial factor.
A mathematical programming model for planning contraceptive deliveries

Abstract A mathematical model for scheduling IUD deliveries in underdeveloped countries is presented. Two formulations of the model are presented, one as a general mathematical program, the other as a dynamic program. A brief cost analysis is presented as well as a description of some of the computational techniques which may be used to analyze the model.