cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A conversation with Richard Easterlin.

After an introduction touching on various biographical highlights, this paper summarizes a wide-ranging discussion with Richard Easterlin which occurred in the Autumn of 1996. We considered the Easterlin Hypothesis – its genesis and current status, together with Easterlin‘s views on attempts to develop measures of relative income – and then moved on to “The Fertility Revolution” and questions regarding the applicability of the theory of household choice in modernizing societies. This was followed by a discussion of his early career development and influences on him at that time, ending with ruminations regarding the current state of economics, and the validity of training given to young economists today. JEL classification: J10, J11, J13
Erythema annulare rheumaticum

Summary The foregoing case in an 8-year-old child is characterized by the occurrence of erythema annulare rheumaticum as an advance sign of very severe rheumatic infection. The eruption lasting one week, preceded by several days the initial signs of cardiac damage. Polyarticular symptoms appeared subsequently. The infection was fulminating in course and was complicated by severe terminal pneumonia. Necropsy studies revealed pathologic changes in the heart tissue characteristic of rheumatism.
Embedding philosophers in engineering research and development projects

Embedding philosophers in actual engineering R & D projects is advocated in response to claims that it is not really new, that it could not be implemented, and that it should not be implemented because it is too radical a departure from current practices. At a time of rapidly developing innovative technologies, introducing in their development additional expertise from humanities and social science and new ways of organizing research and development are needed and called for. Embedding can contribute to governance midstream.
The effect of soil composition and hydration on the bioavailability and toxicity of cadmium to hibernating juvenile American toads (Bufo americanus)

Abstract The soil ecotoxicology literature has focused primarily on a few major taxa, to the neglect of other fossorial organisms such as amphibians. We selected cadmium (Cd) and the American toad ( Bufo americanus ) as a model contaminant and biological species to assess the impact of soil contamination on amphibian hibernation survival and post-hibernation condition. Soil sand composition (50, 70, 90%) and hydration (100, 150% water holding capacity (WHC)) were manipulated in addition to Cd concentration (0, 56, 165, 483 μg/g) to determine whether these soil properties affect toxicity. Soil Cd concentration significantly reduced survival and locomotor performance, and was correlated negatively with percent mass loss and positively with whole body Cd concentration. Higher sand content resulted in less mass loss and greater Cd uptake. Toads that were hibernated in 50% sand hydrated to 100% WHC had higher survival, less mass loss, and better sprint performance than those hibernated in 50% sand, 150% WHC. This study demonstrates that concentrations of Cd found in soil at highly contaminated sites can be bioaccumulated by hibernating amphibians and may reduce fitness. Differences in microhabitat use may cause species to vary in their exposure and susceptibility to soil contamination. The toxicity of Cd to amphibians could be greater in natural systems where there are multiple stressors and fluctuations in environmental variables.
Immunocytochemical evidence for a peroxisomal localization of manganese superoxide dismutase in leaf protoplasts from a higher plant

The controversial question of the intracellular location of manganese-containing superoxide dismutase in higher plants was examined under a new experimental approach by applying the more rigorous and specific methods of immunocytochemistry to protoplasts isolated fromPisum sativum L. leaves. Manganese superoxide dismutase (EC 1.15.1.1) was purified to homogeneity from 15 kg of leaves ofPisum sativum L. Rabbits were immunized with the mangano enzyme and the antibody specific for pea manganese superoxide dismutase was purified and found not to contain antigenic sites in common with (i) human manganese superoxide dismutase, (ii) iron superoxide dismutase from eitherEscherichia coli or higher plants, or (iii) plant or animal cuprozinc-superoxide dismutase.Pisum sativum L. manganese superoxide dismutase only appears to have antigenic determinants similar to other manganese superoxide dismutases from higher land plants. The antibody to pea Mn-superoxide dismutase was used to locate the enzyme in protoplasts isolated from young pea leaves by indirect immunofluorescence, and by electron microscopy using the unlabelled antibody peroxidase-antiperoxidase method. Results from immunofluorescence showed that chloroplasts were devoid of specific fluorescence which appeared scattered over the cytosolic spaces among chloroplasts, and demonstrate the absence of manganese superoxide dismutase inside chloroplasts. The metalloenzyme was found to be localized only in peroxisomes, whereas mitochondria, the traditionally accepted site for this enzyme in many eukaryotic organisms, did not show any specific staining. The possible subcellular roles of manganese superoxide dismutase inPisum sativum L. leaves are discussed in the light of its peroxisomal location.
Effects of the seafood toxin domoic acid on glutamate uptake by rat astrocytes.

Abstract Pronounced glutamic acid uptake was observed after only 15 min with glutamate concentrations of 60 nmol/mg protein when astrocytes were incubated with 1 m m glutamic acid. The uptake increased with time to a steady-state glutamate level of above 160 nmol/mg protein by 45 min. The uptake was energy dependent. Reduced temperature (0°C) and ouabain (100 μ m ) inhibited uptake by 86.7% ( P P m ) in the incubation medium, in the presence of domoic acid (10 and 100 μ m ) at 5 and 60 min, domoic acid (10 μ m ) elevated glutamate uptake by 64.0% ( P P m ) decreased glutamate uptake by 49.6% ( P P
The pattern of restriction enzyme-induced banding in the chromosomes of chimpanzee, gorilla, and orangutan and its evolutionary significance.

The pattern of banding induced by five restriction enzymes in the chromosome complement of chimpanzee, gorilla, and orangutan is described and compared with that of humans. The G banding pattern induced by Hae III was the only feature common to the four species. Although hominid species show almost complete chromosomal homology, the restriction enzyme C banding pattern differed among the species studied. Hinf I did not induce banding in chimpanzee chromosomes, and Rsa I did not elicit banding in chimpanzee and orangutan chromosomes. Equivalent amounts of similar satellite DNA fractions located in homologous chromosomes from different species or in nonhomologous chromosomes from the same species showed different banding patterns with identical restriction enzymes. The great variability in frequency of restriction sites observed between homologous chromosome regions may have resulted from the divergence of primordial sequences changing the frequency of restriction sites for each species and for each chromosomal pair. A total of 30 patterns of banding were found informative for analysis of the hominid geneaalogical tree. Using the principle of maximum parsimony, our data support a branching order in which the chimpanzee is more closely related to the gorilla than to the human.
Suppression of interleukin-2 and interleukin-2 receptor expression in Jurkat cells stably expressing the human immunodeficiency virus Tat protein.

Abstract The Jurkat T cell line was stably transfected with an Epstein-Barr virus-based episomal replicon designed to express high levels of the HIV-1 Tat protein. After selection in hygromycin B, high-level Tat activity was detected in 3 of 18 transfected cell lines. After stimulation with phytohemag-glutinin (PHA) and phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), Tat transfectants with high Tat expression showed diminished expression of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and the interleukin-2 receptor a chain (IL-2R) when compared to untransfected Jurkat cells or Jurkat cell lines transfected with the parent control plasmid. Sublines derived from the high-level Tat transfectants with reduced Tat activity showed normalization of PHA/PMA-induced IL-2 expression. Northern analysis showed diminished expression of IL-2 and IL-2R mRNA in the stimulated Tat transfectants. Inhibition of IL-2 and IL-2R expression by the HIV-1 Tat protein may contribute to the immune suppression that characterizes HIV-1 infection.
A Model for the Laser-Induced Chemical Vapor Deposition of Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon

We propose a model for laser-induced chemical vapor deposition in which the growth of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin films is rate-controlled by the gas phase homogeneous thermal dissociation of SiH4. The gas temperature is determined by a steady-state balance between energy absorbed from the laser and energy lost by thermal conduction. The film properties are primarily controlled by the substrate temperature.
Epidemiology and risk factors for hepatitis C in Alaska Natives.

Large cohorts of persons infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) that include patients with multiple risk exposures and behaviors have been rarely reported. We herein describe a population-based cohort of 759 Alaska Natives (AN) with HCV who were recruited into a long-term follow-up study. History of injection drug use (IDU) was reported by 60.1% and blood transfusion by 14.0%. The most common genotype was 1a (42.0%), followed by 1b (20.3%), 2b (14.7%), 3a (14.3%), and 2a (7.8%). By multivariable analysis, risk exposures (blood transfusion vs. other; P /=2 million copies/mL was associated with male gender (OR, 1.94) and genotype (P < 0.01 overall; 1a vs. 3a: OR, 1.92; 2b vs. 3a: OR, 3.17) by multivariable analysis. In conclusion, the two principal risk exposures for AN infected with HCV (IDU and blood transfusion) are the same as the overall U.S. population. Persons with a history of blood transfusion were more likely to be HCV RNA positive than those without such history. Higher RNA levels found in males may explain the more severe disease previously reported in this group.
Using automatic program decomposition techniques in software maintenance tools

The use of program decomposition to assist maintenance programmers in all three phases of maintenance, namely, comprehension, modification and debugging, is discussed. Visibility flow graphs are introduced to represent the information about the static semantics of a program. Using static analysis of programs, it is possible to approximate their dynamic behavior. More precise analysis is possible if the program is monitored during its execution. For dynamic semantics, dependence relations are used that reflect the dependency of statements on the input value of variables and of the output value of variables on the statements. These relations are generated both at static analysis time and during program execution. Some sample sessions with a prototype program analyzer for a subset of Ada are included. >
Hybrid System for Multiple Target Recognition

This chapter was written primarily by Dr. Alper Caglayan and Mr. Paul Gonzalves of Charles River Analytics, Inc. They developed a hybrid neural network/expert system approach to multiple target recognition based on their in-house hybrid development tool NueX. The work was sponsored by the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division, under contract No. N60921-91-C0186.
Supply Chain Logistics, Trade Facilitation and International Trade: A Macroeconomic Policy View

Trade facilitation (TF) is the rubric that covers the research and policy analysis on impediments to global sourcing and multinational supply chains that are not the traditional border barriers such as tariffs or quotas. Trade-facilitation research offers a macroeconomic perspective on how policymakers should change the environment facing business to promote international trade and economic growth, whereas the microeconomic perspective of supply-chain logistics considers how a business should organize its operations given the policy environment. Four approaches to trade-facilitation research that are oriented toward measuring the policy environment facing business are covered in this review: country benchmarking, country or product case study, deep econometric analysis of one type of trade facilitation and econometric analysis of multiple trade-facilitation issues faced by businesses across multiple countries. All told, the research shows that the links between improved trade-facilitation policies and business global sourcing through international trade are positive, although which policy reforms support more global sourcing is unique to each country, depending on the products and supply chains that the country is part of, and initial conditions. Even so, a key finding that spans the research is that unilateral policy reforms within a country can expand international trade more than multilateral trade negotiations, and that trade-facilitation reforms tend to improve the country's supplier position more than its buyer activities. Moreover, adherence to International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and use of information technology are particularly important, confirming that ISO certification has become the “price of admission” for many supply chains.
Children and the Politics of Violence in Haitian Context: Statist violence, scarcity and street child agency in Port-au-Prince

An anthropology of children and violence must address the specific conditions under which children are more (or less) likely to be nurtured and protected, rather than abused, battered or exposed. The Lafanmi Selavi orphanage project in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, provides a useful focal point for the anthropological reckoning of both concerns. Founded by Jean-Bertrand Aristide in 1986, the program was instituted in order to provide housing, food, education and a political safe haven for numerous street children who had found themselves targeted for state violence. Soundly based in liberation theology, Lafanmi Selavi includes both Christian social ethics and democratic mobilization in its curriculum, drawing the often violent ire of rightist Haitian state polities and their civil proxies. This article is a study of past and continuing state violence against the children of Lafanmi Selavi, and it situates the Haitian street child as a cultural and political agent of national discourse.
Receptor-Specific Delivery of Liposomes Via Folate-Peg-Chol

AbstractA novel lipophilic conjugate of folate, folate-PEG-Chol, was synthesized and evaluated for receptor-mediated targeting of liposomes to tumor cells. Liposomes composed of DSPC/Chol/PEG-DSPE/folate-PEG-Chol (60/ 34/5/1, m/m) were taken up by cultured folate receptor-bearing KB cells via a saturable mechanism. Cellular binding of these liposomes could be competitively inhibited by free folic acid with an IC50 of 0.39 mM, indicating an extraordinarily high binding affinity. Fluorescence micrographs of KB cells treated with targeted liposomes encapsulating calcein showed that they were distributed both on the cell surface and in intracellular vesicular compartments. Targeted liposomes carrying doxorubicin were shown to be 38 times more toxic to KB cells than non-targeted control liposomes. A biodistribution study in receptor-positive tumor-bearing C57BL/6 mice showed no significant differences between the tumor uptake of folate-PEG-liposomes and non-targeted control liposomes. This study has demonstrat...
Economic Crisis and Inequality of Educational Opportunity in Latin America

Research in the industrialized world shows that the influence of family background on educational attainment has remained stable or declined over time. In contrast, very little is known about the developing world. Using high-quality data sets and a standard protocol, this article offers a comparative analysis of trends in educational stratification in four Latin American countries—Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico. Latin America provides an interesting case study because the economic crisis and structural adjustment in the 1980s led to declines in family income, which may have resulted in growing inequality of educational opportunity. Findings are consistent with this hypothesis. They show a marked increase in socioeconomic inequality at the secondary and postsecondary levels for the cohorts that experienced the economic crisis. In addition, there is a decline in inequality in the lower educational transitions, which is explained by their universalization, a reduced advantage of males, and in some cases...
Shrimp Farming in Sri Lanka: Risks and Returns

Shrimp farming commenced in mid 80’s as an export oriented activity in the north western province of Sri Lanka. Shrimp is a high value sea food, with a global market especially in Japan, the USA and Europe. With the development of shrimp aquaculture in Sri Lanka, the quantity of shrimp exports remarkably increased but subsequently indicated a drastic drop in both quantity and value due to frequent outbreaks of diseases. Sri Lanka experienced three major shrimp disease outbreaks in 1988-1990, 1996 and in 1998, intermittently which resulted in a severe collapse of the industry. A sample survey was conducted to examine the economic viability of the industry with the measures taken by National Aquaculture Development Authority (NAQDA) to counter further disease out breaks. This paper presents a comparison of economic performance of shrimp farming under desirable and undesirable conditions. Major inputs; the imported feed and energy costs per hectare incur a considerable amount of foreign exchange as the inputs are solely or partially consist of imported items. Operational costs were taken separately. The importance of disease control in an effective manner is imperative for optimization of value addition of exported shrimp products. Key Words: Shrimp farming; disease outbreak; economic performance; export earnings Sri Lankan Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Vol.1(2) Oct 2009
Orthogonal Matching Pursuit for Sparse Signal Recovery With Noise

We consider the orthogonal matching pursuit (OMP) algorithm for the recovery of a high-dimensional sparse signal based on a small number of noisy linear measurements. OMP is an iterative greedy algorithm that selects at each step the column, which is most correlated with the current residuals. In this paper, we present a fully data driven OMP algorithm with explicit stopping rules. It is shown that under conditions on the mutual incoherence and the minimum magnitude of the nonzero components of the signal, the support of the signal can be recovered exactly by the OMP algorithm with high probability. In addition, we also consider the problem of identifying significant components in the case where some of the nonzero components are possibly small. It is shown that in this case the OMP algorithm will still select all the significant components before possibly selecting incorrect ones. Moreover, with modified stopping rules, the OMP algorithm can ensure that no zero components are selected.
Rapid Switching of Mood in Families With Multiple Cases of Bipolar Disorder

Background Heterogeneity within the diagnostic construct of bipolar disorder is most likely an obstacle to discovering its causes. Phenomena in the bipolar spectrum, including rapid cycling, cyclothymia, and affective instability of borderline personality, may be important markers of etiologic heterogeneity. Rapid switching of mood may be central to these phenomena. Methods We performed a case-control study, using diagnostic data from a multisite bipolar disorder linkage study, to explore clinical and demographic factors potentially related to rapid switching in bipolar disorder. Participants were 18 years or older and members of a family in which 2 or more first-degree relatives had bipolar disorder. Of 718 individuals interviewed and diagnosed as having bipolar disorder, 603 gave sufficient information about rapid switching and thus constituted the study group (60% female; mean age, 41 years; and mean education level, 13.8 years). Results Rapid switching of mood was reported by 44% of interviewees and was associated with early age at onset of bipolar disorder, higher risk of anxiety and substance abuse or dependence comorbidity, suicide attempts, antidepressant drug use, and having a relative with rapid switching. Conclusions Rapid switching is associated with a complex clinical course of bipolar disorder. These results extend previous associations among rapid switching, anxiety, substance abuse, and early onset of bipolar disorder to a family study population. Rapid switching of mood seems to be the core phenomenon behind several variants of non– DSM-IV rapid cycling, DSM-III-R mixed states, and borderline personality disorder and the link connecting comorbidity, suicide, and early onset of bipolar disorder. Further biological investigation of the rapid-switching phenomenon is justified on epidemiologic grounds.
Don't go to bed angry: Attachment, conflict, and affective and physiological reactivity

In 39 individuals in cohabiting relationships, the associations between naturally occurring couple conflict (assessed with end-of-day diaries) and next-morning ratings of negative affect, sleep disruptions, and awakening cortisol response were tested. Low-avoidant individuals showed heightened negative affect the morning after heightened quarreling. Yet high-avoidant individuals reported lower negative affect the morning after heightened quarreling. Greater quarreling was associated with more subsequent sleep disruptions overall, but this association was significantly stronger among individuals with high attachment anxiety and significantly weaker among individuals with high attachment avoidance. Finally, quarreling was associated with a significantly dampened cortisol awakening response in high-anxious women. The results have implications for understanding the distinct biopsychological pathways through which routine relationship experiences influence health-related physical and mental functioning.
Accidental Degeneracies and Supersymmetric Quantum Mechanics

Some recently given examples of accidental degeneracies are shown to arise from an underlying supersymmetry. The appropriate dynamical supersymmetries are identified. The relevant spectrum-generating superalgebras for these supersymmetric quantum-mechanical systems are introduced and studied.
A Transactional Analysis of the Relation between Maternal Sensitivity and Child Vagal Regulation

A transactional model examining the longitudinal association between vagal regulation (as indexed by vagal withdrawal) and maternal sensitivity from age 2.5 to age 5.5 was assessed. The sample included 356 children (171 male, 185 female) and their mothers who participated in a laboratory visit at age 2.5, 4.5, and 5.5. Cardiac vagal tone was obtained during a baseline task and during emotional frustration tasks. Maternal sensitivity was assessed via direct observation during a pretend play and cleanup task. To test for transactional associations, a path model estimating stability paths for vagal withdrawal and maternal sensitivity was compared with a full reciprocal model that included all cross-lagged pathways. A chi-square difference test was used to evaluate whether the cross-lagged model explained the data above and beyond the stability model. The vagal withdrawal cross-lagged model was found to fit significantly better than the stability model and revealed that maternal sensitivity at 2.5 years was associated positively with vagal withdrawal at 4.5 years, and vagal withdrawal at 4.5 years was associated positively with maternal sensitivity at 5.5 years. These results suggest that early sensitive responding by mothers was associated with increases in vagal withdrawal, which in turn was associated with higher levels of sensitive parenting.
Effect of auditory, tactile, visual, and vestibular intervention on length of stay, alertness, and feeding progression in preterm infants

This study determined whether an auditory, tactile, visual, and vestibular intervention (ATVV) reduced the length of hospitalization of 37 preterm infants by increasing the proportion of alert behavioral states, thereby improving their feeding progression. Participants comprised 12 infants born between 23 and 26 weeks' gestation with normal head ultrasounds and 25 CNS-injured infants born between 23 and 31 weeks' gestation. Infants were randomly assigned to the control group (11 males, five females) or study group (seven males, 14 females) at 32 weeks' postconceptional age. ATVV intervention was administered to the study group for 15 minutes, twice daily, 5 days per week, from 33 weeks of age until discharge. The study group demonstrated increased alertness during the first 5 minutes of intervention, which was significantly correlated to length of stay (p<0.05). The proportion of nippled (teat) intake increased significantly faster for the study group (p=0.0001). Infants in the study group were discharged at a mean of 36.54 weeks, 1.6 weeks earlier than control infants (p<0.05). ATVV intervention facilitated increased alertness, faster transition to complete nipple feeding, and decreased length of hospitalization.
Energy-based task load balancing in wireless sensor networks

We investigate how to maximize network lifetime by devising a task assignment protocol that balances task load on sensors based on their remaining energy. First, we show that energy-unaware protocols can excessively assign tasks to a set of sensors more than others. Consequently, the energy of those heavily loaded sensors will be depleted much faster than lightly loaded ones. This results in reducing network density around heavily loaded sensors and eventually creates energy holes that isolate the network into separated islands. This kind of behavior has its negative impacts on network durability and reliability. To avoid these problems, we propose a management protocol that assigns tasks to sensors based on their remaining energy so that energy consumption is almost even among network sensors.
Effects of catecholamine stimulation on myocardial hibernation

Abstract We have recently shown that low-flow (10%) ischemia in the isolated piglet heart causes an abrupt fall in mechanical function and metabolic activity (acute hibernation), with nearly complete preservation of high-energy phosphates and glycogen after 2 hours of ischemia. We attempted to determine if norepinephrine, as occurs in vivo, would modify the hibernation process. Piglet hearts were perfused at 37° C with red blood cell-enhanced Krebs-Henseleit solution. Performance of the left ventricle was assessed isovolumetrically. With control coronary flow, norepinephrine (40 ng/ml) caused a ≈50% increase in pressure-rate product and the rate of change of pressure. When coronary flow was reduced to 10%, these measures fell to levels indentical to those of ischemic hearts not exposed to norepinephrine. Changes in myocardial O 2 metabolism paralleled mechanical function. Lactate release was quantitatively similar in both groups. However, myocardial adenosine triphosphate was reduced from 29 ± 1 to 13 ± 2 μmol/gm and glycogen from 300 ± 46 to 77 ± 15 μmol/gm by the presence of norepinephrine. Left ventricular compliance was reduced to 51 ± 5%, compared with 87 ± 8% in the group without norepinephrine ( p r = −0.32). Thus hibernating myocardium does not manifest progressive deterioration in the presence of high concentrations of norepinephrine. Diastolic function is less well preserved, however.
Sub-15 ps gate delay with new AC-coupled active pull-down ECL circuit

An ECL (emitter coupled logic) circuit with an AC-coupled active pull-down emitter follower configuration is described. An unloaded ring oscillator gate delay of 13.2 ps has been achieved at 6.2 mW, in a 50 GHz-f/sub T/ ion-implanted silicon bipolar technology. This circuit could be useful as an internal gate operating at low-power and as an I/O gate to drive a large capacitive load at high-power. In both cases, this circuit offers superior power-delay performance compared to conventional ECL circuits. >
EDA in digital design-means or ends?

Early introduction of Electronic Design Automation (EDA) in computer engineering curriculum, becomes a growing concern in academia. Deficient standards and lack of uniform suit of tools call for educated selection from the available multitude and thus discourage emphasis on EDA, in particular early on in undergraduate studies. However, during advanced courses, EDA is not only a necessary means but frequently becomes the goal of a project or graduate research. This paper attempts to reconcile these propensities. >
Communication constrained task allocation with optimized local task swaps

Communication constraints dictated by hardware often require a multi-robot system to make decisions and take actions locally. Unfortunately, local knowledge may impose limits that ultimately impede global optimality in a decentralized optimization problem. This paper enhances a recent anytime optimal assignment method based on a task-swap mechanism, redesigning the algorithm to address task allocation problems in a decentralized fashion. We propose a fully decentralized approach that allows local search processes to execute concurrently while minimizing interactions amongst the processes, needing neither global broadcast nor a multi-hop communication protocol. The formulation is analyzed in a novel way using tools from group theory and optimization duality theory to show that the convergence of local searching processes is related to a shortest path routing problem on a graph subject to the network topology. Simulation results show that this fully decentralized method converges quickly while sacrificing little optimality.
Antiaging Gene Klotho Deficiency Promoted High-Fat Diet–Induced Arterial Stiffening via Inactivation of AMP-Activated Protein Kinase

Klotho was originally discovered as an aging-suppressor gene. The objective of this study is to investigate whether klotho gene deficiency affects high-fat diet (HFD)-induced arterial stiffening. Heterozygous Klotho-deficient (KL(+/-)) mice and WT littermates were fed on HFD or normal diet. HFD increased pulse wave velocity within 5 weeks in KL(+/-) mice but not in wild-type mice, indicating that klotho deficiency accelerates and exacerbates HFD-induced arterial stiffening. A greater increase in blood pressure was found in KL(+/-) mice fed on HFD. Protein expressions of phosphorylated AMP-activated protein kinase-α (AMPKα), phosphorylated endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), and manganese-dependent superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) were decreased, whereas protein expressions of collagen I, transforming growth factor-β1, and Runx2 were increased in aortas of KL(+/-) mice fed on HFD. Interestingly, daily injections of an AMPKα activator, 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-3-ribonucleoside, abolished the increases in pulse wave velocity, blood pressure, and blood glucose in KL(+/-) mice fed on HFD. Treatment with 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-3-ribonucleoside for 2 weeks not only abolished the downregulation of phosphorylated AMPKα, phosphorylated eNOS, and Mn-SOD levels but also attenuated the increased levels of collagen I, transforming growth factor-β1, Runx2, superoxide, elastic lamellae breaks, and calcification in aortas of KL(+/-) mice fed on HFD. In cultured mouse aortic smooth muscle cells, cholesterol plus KL-deficient serum decreased phosphorylation levels of AMPKα and LKB1 (an important upstream regulator of AMPKα activity) but increased collagen I synthesis, which can be eliminated by activation of AMPKα by 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-3-ribonucleoside. In conclusions, Klotho deficiency promoted HFD-induced arterial stiffening and hypertension via downregulation of AMPKα activity.
Multiple Criteria Decision Support Systems in Production Planning: A Micro Experience

The implementation of the modified two person zero-sum game approach, contracting cone method and augmented Tchebycheff method on a production planning problem in a manufacturing organization is explained. Karpak, Kuruuzum (1987) compared the modified two person zero-sum game approach with the contracting cone method on a mainframe. In this study we describe our experience on a microcomputer.
Sexual Harassment in Public Spaces: Examining Gender Differences in Perceived Seriousness and Victimization

In this article, we examine the situational conditions of female sexual victimization in public spaces. Using survey questionnaire methodology, we explore gender differences in perceptions of the o...
Information Representation and Computation of Spike Trains in Reservoir Computing Systems with Spiking Neurons and Analog Neurons

Real-time processing of space-and-time-variant signals is imperative for perception and real-world problem-solving. In the brain, spatio-temporal stimuli are converted into spike trains by sensory neurons and projected to the neurons in subcortial and cortical layers for further processing. Reservoir Computing (RC) is a neural computation paradigm that is inspired by cortical Neural Networks (NN). It is promising for real-time, on-line computation of spatio-temporal signals. An RC system incorporates a Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) called reservoir, the state of which is changed by a trajectory of perturbations caused by a spatio-temporal input sequence. A trained, nonrecurrent, linear readout-layer interprets the dynamics of the reservoir over time. Echo-State Network (ESN) [1] and Liquid-State Machine (LSM) [2] are two popular and canonical types of RC system. The former uses non-spiking analog sigmoidal neurons – and, more recently, Leaky Integrator (LI) neurons – and a normalized random connectivity matrix in the reservoir. Whereas, the reservoir in the latter is composed of Leaky Integrate-and-Fire (LIF) neurons, distributed in a 3-D space, which are connected with dynamic synapses through a probability function. The major difference between analog neurons and spiking neurons is in their neuron model dynamics and their inter-neuron communication mechanism. However, RC systems share a mysterious common property: they exhibit the best performance when reservoir dynamics undergo a criticality [1–6] – governed by the reservoirs’ connectivity parameters, |λmax| ≈ 1 in ESN, λ ≈ 2 and w in LSM – which is referred to as the edge of chaos in [3–5]. In this study, we are interested in exploring the possible reasons for this commonality, despite the differences imposed by different neuron types in the reservoir dynamics.
Experimental Research on Concentration and Refinement of the Coal Gangue in Xuyong,Sichuan

This paper describes the technological flowsheet and experimental results of concentration and refinement of the coal gangue in Xuyong.The results obtained show that it is significant to promote the comprehensive utilization of South Sichuan abundant kaolin in coal measures resources.
P134 Fast de novo donor specific antibody development in lung transplant recipient

Aim Donor specific antibodies (DSA) represent the major obstacle in solid organ transplantation. The aim of this study was to analyze the reasons of fast (10 days) development of strong DSA in the recipient after single lung transplantation. Methods A 66-yo female patient (typed B∗39:01, 44:02) underwent single lung transplant (typed B∗81:01, 15:17) on 02/07/2016 with negative DSA and flow cytometry cross match (FC XM). Historical samples did not have any DSA and were FC XM negative. On 02/17/2016 strong DSA to B81 were detected. The rest of antibodies (Ab) were against different HLA-B specificities. Ab analysis was performed using single antigen bead assay. Epitope (E) analysis of mismatched (MM) antigens (Ag) was conducted by using HLAMatchmaker computer algorithm. Three-color assay was used for FC XM. Results Ab reactivity, Ag E analysis and sensitizing events are presented in Table 1. Interest deserves chronology of sensitizing events recipient had been exposed to during her live. She has two children who were born in 1981 (typed B∗07:02, 44:02) and 1983 (typed B∗27:03, 39:01). The patient received pneumococcal (P) and shingle vaccinations in 08/2008 and 09/2009, respectively. In 10/2014 the patient received P vaccination followed by two Hepatitis A and B vaccinations (09/2015 and 10/2015), Tdap (09/2015), Flu and MMR (10/2015). Hepatitis A, shingle and MMR vaccines contain viruses grown on live human lung fibroblasts (HLF) (MRC-5, typed B∗07:02, 44:02, and WI-38, typed B∗08:01, 58:01). Each dose of vaccine used for injection is known to contain protein components of HLF including HLA. Detailed analysis of reactive E of B locus Ag recipient developed Ab to, MM E of the children and MRC-5 HLF revealed shared pattern which included single and pared E. Conclusions Most likely fast de novo DSA development is due to immunological memory booster effect produced by five exposures to MM B locus alleles which share the following Es: 70IAQ, 65QIA, 65QIA+76esn, 69aa+80n, and 163ew+73te. The later three consist of paired non-self and self Es Download : Download high-res image (965KB) Download : Download full-size image
Neither history nor prehistory: the Questions that count in historical archaeology

Historical archaeology’s singular and unique strength among the social sciences is its simultaneous access to multiple categories of evidence bearing upon the same processes or events in past human behavior (either immediately or remotely in the past). Although this has been obvious for nearly two decades, historical archaeology has not produced the original and unparalleled insights into human cultural behavior or evolution that we might expect to result from the unique perspective and data base of the field. We have instead tended to weakly reproduce or “test” insights and principles resulting from history or prehistoric archaeology. Both the questions we have asked and the methods we have used to answer them have been grounded in fields other than historical archaeology and have generally ignored its special perspective.
Both the anti- and pro-apoptotic functions of villin regulate cell turnover and intestinal homeostasis.

In the small intestine, epithelial cells are derived from stem cells in the crypts, migrate up the villus as they differentiate and are ultimately shed from the villus tips. This process of proliferation and shedding is tightly regulated to maintain the intestinal architecture and tissue homeostasis. Apoptosis regulates both the number of stem cells in the crypts as well as the sloughing of cells from the villus tips. Previously, we have shown that villin, an epithelial cell-specific actin-binding protein functions as an anti-apoptotic protein in the gastrointestinal epithelium. The expression of villin is highest in the apoptosis-resistant villus cells and lowest in the apoptosis-sensitive crypts. In this study we report that villin is cleaved in the intestinal mucosa to generate a pro-apoptotic fragment that is spatially restricted to the villus tips. This cleaved villin fragment severs actin in an unregulated fashion to initiate the extrusion and subsequent apoptosis of effete cells from the villus tips. Using villin knockout mice, we validate the physiological role of villin in apoptosis and cell extrusion from the gastrointestinal epithelium. Our study also highlights the potential role of villin’s pro-apoptotic function in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease, ischemia-reperfusion injury, enteroinvasive bacterial and parasitic infections.
Evolution of seismicity near the southernmost terminus of the San Andreas Fault: Implications of recent earthquake clusters for earthquake risk in southern California

Three earthquake clusters that occurred in the direct vicinity of the southern terminus of the San Andreas Fault (SAF) in 2001, 2009, and 2016 raised significant concern regarding possible triggering of a major earthquake on the southern SAF, which has not ruptured in more than 320 years. These clusters of small and moderate earthquakes with M ≤ 4.8 added to an increase in seismicity rate in the northern Brawley seismic zone that began after the 1979 M_w 6.5 Imperial Valley earthquake, in contrast to the quiet from 1932 to 1979. The clusters so far triggered neither small nor large events on the SAF. The mostly negative Coulomb stress changes they imparted on the SAF may have reduced the likelihood that the events would initiate rupture on the SAF, although large magnitude earthquake triggering is poorly understood. The relatively rapid spatial and temporal migration rates within the clusters imply aseismic creep as a possible driver rather than fluid migration.
Interactive Journal Club: Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks.

The interactive journal club incorporates basic principles of active and adult learning in a traditional education tool to maximize opportunity to develop critical thinking, communication skills, active reflection, and personal confidence in these skills. Following the choice of an appropriate article, the Designated Leader (DL) directs the discussion by presenting the b and data from the article with instructions for their analysis but without the author’s text. The participants, except the DL, are viewing the article for the first time and are prompted in their review of the raw data to provide their own interpretation, discovery, and critique. Participants are challenged to become more adept at study design, data analysis, and presentation and have indicated by informal verbal feedback that they look forward to the interactive journal club as it is enjoyable, relevant, and beneficial. Implementation of the interactive journal club does not require significant training in the approach or extensive revision or preparation of course materials.
Microbial community response during the treatment of pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) in constructed wetland mesocosms.

Abstract The presence of pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) in wastewater treatment plant effluent poses a potential risk to aquatic ecosystems. Constructed wetlands have recently been used to control PhACs. However, the microbial communities that are involved in these processes have not been comprehensively investigated. This study aimed to evaluate the removal of PhACs and microbial response in constructed wetlands during the treatment of PhACs. The effects of PhACs on bacterial communities in constructed wetland mesocosms were analyzed by Illumina MiSeq sequencing technology. Results indicated that removal efficiencies of PhACs were enhanced over time, and constructed wetlands offer higher removal efficiencies for the PhACs studied compared to conventional wastewater treatment plants. Plants improved microbial richness and diversity while both indices were negatively correlated with PhAC concentrations ranging from 30 to 500 μg/L in constructed wetland mesocosms. The microbial communities of the constructed wetland mesocosms were dominated by Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Bacteroidetes under PhAC exposure, while Desulfobulbus and Treponema were the dominant genera. In particular, Proteobacteria were correlated with PhAC concentrations. Overall, this study provides valuable microbial community ecology data to understand how microbial populations respond to PhAC stress in constructed wetlands.
Implications of Epigenetics for Early Cancer Diagnosis and Prevention

Unlike genetic regulation, the epigenetic regulation of gene expression does not involve mutations, but involves promoter methylation and histone deacetylation. It is challenging to define how promoter hypermethylation participates in gene silencing and how the loss of methylation alters chromosome structure. Nevertheless, the findings of DNA methylation abnormalities in cancer have a potential clinical impact. One of the potential targets appears to lie in the use of CpG hypermethylation events as tumor biomarkers. The promoter changes provide a positive signal for cancer cells that can be detected by conventional techniques. Based on recent research, it seems reasonable to use multiple markers for predicting one tumor type. As almost every tumor type appears to have multiple independent promoter hypermethylation events, a panel of markers might be constructed to provide indices for monitoring cancer risk assessment and early cancer detection. Because epigenetic events are reversible, chemical agents can be used to intervene epigenetic events.
Group Communication Systems

Our goal in Chap. 12 is to identify the best options for implementing high-speed data replication and other tools needed for fault-tolerant, highly assured Web Services and other forms of distributed computing. Given the GMS created in Chap. 11, one option would be to plunge right in and build replicated applications using the protocol directly in the application. The approach builds on the GMS, but then uses it to create protocols that can only be operated under the assumption that if a failure occurs, the GMS will be notified and will reconfigure the system appropriately, notifying the new system configuration members of their new state, and taking steps to shut down any old members that are unreachable but later recover. We arrive at a rich collection of protocols and establish a subtle linkage to the Paxos framework.
Acute Hospital Encounters in Cancer Patients Treated With Definitive Radiation Therapy.

Purpose Acute hospital encounters in patients undergoing curative-intent radiation therapy (RT) have not previously been well characterized. Understanding acute visit patterns among RT patients yields insights for risk assessments and cancer urgent care clinics that could decrease hospitalization rates and reduce health care costs. This study aims to identify patient, disease-site, and treatment characteristics associated with emergency department visits and inpatient admissions in cancer patients treated with definitive RT. Methods and Materials A retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from a quaternary-care cancer center. The cohort was defined as all consecutive patients aged ≥ 18 years who began RT between July 1, 2011, and December 31, 2013; were without metastases; and were treated with curative intent. An acute encounter was defined as an emergency department visit or inpatient admission during RT or within 30 days after the conclusion of RT. Results Among 1852 unique RT courses, 666 RT courses (36.0%) involved at least 1 acute encounter, and a total of 1418 acute encounters were identified. RT courses with at least 1 acute encounter corresponded to patients more likely to be on their second (odds ratio [OR], 1.96; P Conclusions In this retrospective analysis, more than one-third of curative-intent RT courses were associated with at least 1 acute hospital encounter during or shortly after irradiation. Given that acute encounters varied by patient, disease-site, and treatment characteristics, these findings can inform targeted preventive measures to reduce cancer-related acute hospital encounters and guide improved management protocols.
Communication and Human Uniqueness

Modern human communication is dominated by language, an extremely unusual mode that appears to be intimately tied to our equally unusual symbolic form of thought as well as to our unique speech apparatus. Some view language as gradually acquired under natural selection, others as a sudden and recent acquisition. The disagreement arises because language leaves no direct traces in the material record, and anatomical proxies for speech such as cranial base or hyoid architecture have proven equivocal. Similarly, even sophisticated Paleolithic stone tools cannot be taken as proxies for symbolic thought, as cognitively complex as their makers may have been. Unequivocal evidence for symbolic thought—and by extension, for language—is only found in overtly symbolic objects, which first occur significantly after the appearance of Homo sapiens. This suggests that the biological substrate for symbolic thought resulted from the major developmental reorganization that gave rise to our anatomically distinctive species, but that the new potential was not exploited until it was exaptively released by a cultural stimulus, plausibly the invention of language. By this time, the vocal apparatus necessary for speech was already in place.