cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Geographic Association Between Incidence of Acute Appendicitis and Socioeconomic Status.

Importance Some studies based on proportions of patients with perforated appendicitis (PA) among all patients with acute appendicitis (AA) have found an association between socioeconomic status (SES) and risk of perforation. A potential limitation is their use of proportions, which assumes that incidence of AA is evenly distributed across populations at risk. This assumption may be invalid, and SES may have a more complex association with both AA and PA. Objective To generate population-based incidences of AA and PA and to examine geographic patterns of incidence alongside geographic patterns of SES. Design, Setting, and Participants Retrospective study of data from Washington’s Comprehensive Hospital Abstract Reporting System and the 2010 US census. Geographic methods were used to identify patterns of age- and sex-standardized incidence in Washington State between 2008 and 2012. The study included all patients discharged withInternational Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revisioncodes for AA or PA. Data were analyzed between November 2016 and December 2018. Exposures Location of primary residence. Main Outcomes and Measures Age- and sex-standardized incidence for AA and PA was generated for each census tract (CT). Global spatial autocorrelation was examined using Moran index (0.0 = completely random incidence; 1.0 = fully dependent on location). Clusters of low-incidence CTs (cold spots) and high-incidence CTs (hot spots) were identified for AA. Census-based SES data were aggregated for hot spots and cold spots and then compared. Results Statewide, over the 5-year study period, there were 35 730 patients with AA (including 9780 cases of PA), of whom 16 574 were women (46.4%). Median age of the cohort was 29 years (IQR, 16-48 years). Statewide incidence of AA and PA was 106 and 29 per 100 000 person-years (PY), respectively. Crude incidence was higher within the male population and peaked at age 10 to 19 years. Age- and sex-standardized incidence of AA demonstrated significant positive spatial autocorrelation (Moran index, 0.30;P Conclusions and Relevance Age- and sex-standardized incidence of appendicitis is not randomly distributed across geographic subunits, and geographic clustering of AA is twice as strong as PA. Socioeconomic advantages, such as higher income and secondary education, are strongly associated with lower incidence of AA. These findings challenge conventional views that AA occurs randomly and has no predisposing characteristics beyond age/sex. Socioeconomic status, and likely other geographically circumscribed factors, are associated with incidence of AA.
Student Progress in Learning Computer Programming: Insights from Association Analysis

In this research to practice full paper we quantified progress in the ability of first-year students (n=54) to solve problems using computer programming control structures with different levels of complexity like sequencing, selection (if/else) and repetition (for/while). Students used both a flowchart interpreter and Python to write programs. We found that 70% of students could solve problems involving a sequence of statements (i.e. without the use of selection or repetition) using a flowchart interpreter or Python. The majority of the students who could not solve sequencing problems were not successful at solving problems involving selection and repetition (69% using flowcharts and 94% using Python). On the other hand, of the students who could solve sequencing problems 45% (flowchart) and 71% (Python) were able to solve problems involving selection and repetition. Therefore, the ability to solve problems involving a sequence of statements is a good early predictor of success/failure in solving problems with more complicated control structures like selection and repetition. Success in solving computer programming problems depends on the tool used for $\sim37$% of students. Therefore, the ability of students to transfer problem solving abilities between tools (from flowcharting to Python) is not automatic.
Leachable phosphorus from senesced green ash and Norway maple leaves in urban watersheds.

Abstract In urban watersheds, street tree leaf litter is a critical biogenic source of phosphorus (P) in stormwater runoff. Stormwater extracts P from leaf litter and transports it, through the storm sewer network, to a receiving waterbody potentially causing downstream eutrophication. The goal of this study is to understand P leaching dynamics of two prevalent tree species (Norway maple (Acer platanoides) and green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica)) in three urban residential watersheds in Madison, Wisconsin, USA. Leaf litter was collected from the three basins during Fall 2017 and 2018. Laboratory experiments showed an initial rapid total dissolved phosphorus (TDP) release that gradually plateaued over a 48-hour period. The total TDP released from Norway maple (2.10 mg g−1) was greater than from green ash (1.60 mg g−1). Within the same species, increased fragmentation of leaves led to more rapid initial TDP release, but not greater total TDP release. Increased aging of senescent leaves decreased total TDP release. Incubation temperature and volume of water in contact with leaves may not be critical factors affecting TDP leaching dynamics. Predictive equations were derived to characterize time-variable TDP release of both Norway maple and green ash leaves. Potential TDP release from leaf litter estimated using these equations was compared with field-measured end-of-pipe TDP loads in one of the study watersheds. Our results indicate that preventing leaf litter from accumulating in streets is an important stormwater quality control measure.
Stiffness based enrichment of leukemia cells using microfluidics.

To improve the survival rate of cancer patients, new diagnosis strategies are necessary to detect lower levels of cancer cells before and after treatment regimens. The scarcity of diseased cells, particularly in residual disease after treatment, demands highly sensitive detection approaches or the ability to enrich the diseased cells in relation to normal cells. We report a label-free microfluidic approach to enrich leukemia cells from healthy cells using inherent differences in cell biophysical properties. The microfluidic device consists of a channel with an array of diagonal ridges that recurrently compress and translate flowing cells in proportion to cell stiffness. Using devices optimized for acute T cell leukemia model Jurkat, the stiffer white blood cells were translated orthogonally to the channel length, while softer leukemia cells followed hydrodynamic flow. The device enriched Jurkat leukemia cells from white blood cells with an enrichment factor of over 760. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the device were found to be > 0.8. The values of sensitivity and specificity could be adjusted by selecting one or multiple outlets for analysis. We demonstrate that low levels of Jurkat leukemia cells (1 in 10 4 white blood cells) could be more quickly detected using flow cytometry by using the stiffness sorting pre-enrichment. In a second mode of operation, the device was implemented to sort resistive leukemia cells from both drug-sensitive leukemia cells and normal white blood cells. Therefore, microfluidic biomechanical sorting can be a useful tool to enrich leukemia cells that may improve downstream analyses.
Liberal Ideas in Tsarist Russia: From Catherine the Great to the Russian Revolution: (Ideas in Context), by Vanessa Rampton, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2020, 229 pp., $99.99 (hardcover), ISBN 9781108483735

‘Russia is not typically associated with liberalism’, writes Vanessa Rampton in the introduction to her new book, Liberal Ideas in Tsarist Russia: From Catherine the Great to the Russian Revolution...
Developing Covariational Reasoning Among Students Using Contexts of Formulas

Multiple studies have been conducted to assess students’ ability to apply covariational reasoning to sketching graphs in physics. This study is supported by research on developing students’ skills ...
The Long-Run Economic Costs of AIDS: A Model With an Application to South Africa

Primarily a disease of young adults, AIDS imposes economic costs that could be devastatingly high in the long run by undermining the transmission of human capital - the main driver of long-run economic growth - across generations. AIDS makes it harder for victims' children to obtain an education and deprives them of the love, nurturing, and life skills that parents provide. These children will in turn find it difficult to educate their children, and so on. An overlapping generations model is used to show that an otherwise growing economy could decline to a low-level subsistence equilibrium if hit with an AIDS-type increase in premature adult mortality. Calibrating the model for South Africa, where the HIV prevalence rate is over 20 percent, simulations reveal that the economy could shrink to half its current size in about four generations in the absence of intervention. Programs to combat the disease and to support needy families could avert such a collapse, but they imply a fiscal burden of about 4 percent of GDP.
Influence of interfacial adhesive on impact and post-impact behaviors of CFRP/end-grain balsawood sandwich composites

Abstract Light-weight sandwich composites can be tailored to satisfy many specific application requirements and are inevitable for modern structures where reduced weight is extremely critical. However, these structures are highly vulnerable to debonding at the skin-core interface. The skin-core adhesion is an extremely crucial part of a sandwich structure; mostly responsible for transferring load and maintaining integrity between the components. Keeping this into consideration, the effectiveness of a straightforward but productive technique of using an additional adhesive layer between the face-sheet and core for improving the damage resistance of sandwich structures is investigated. Contribution of a reinforced skin-core interface via adhesive bonding on the impact and post-impact performances, i.e., the maximum load and energy dissipation capacities and failure modes of the sandwich composites were experimentally investigated. Application of additional adhesive at the skin-core interface while manufacturing CFRP/end-grain balsawood sandwich composite demonstrated improved structural performance with no significant variation in density nor requiring additional complex manufacturing procedures. Experimental methods such as low-energy impact, compression-after-impact (CAI), and core compression tests were utilized to illustrate the influence of the interface enforcement. Experimental results indicate that interface adhesive application reinforces the structure's impact tolerance and improves post-impact response. Controlled skin-core debonding primarily attributes to the improved features.
Evaluating the endothelial-microglial interaction and comprehensive inflammatory marker profiles under acute exposure to ultrafine diesel exhaust particles in vitro

Abstract Exposure to combustion-derived particulate matter (PM) such as diesel exhaust particles (DEP) is a public health concern because people in urban areas are continuously exposed, and once inhaled, fine and ultrafine DEP may reach the brain. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) endothelial cells (EC) and the perivascular microglia protect the brain from circulating pathogens and neurotoxic molecules like DEP. While the BBB-microglial interaction is critical for maintaining homeostasis, no study has previously evaluated the endothelial-microglial interaction nor comprehensively characterized these cells’ inflammatory marker profiles under ultrafine DEP exposures in vitro. Therefore, the goal of this study was to investigate the in vitro rat EC-microglial co-culture under acute (24 h.) exposure to ultrafine DEP (0.002–20 μg/mL), by evaluating key mechanisms associated with PM toxicity: lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, cell metabolic activity (CMA) changes, and production of 27 inflammatory markers. These parameters were also evaluated in rat microglial and endothelial monocultures to determine whether the EC-microglial co-culture responded differently than the cerebrovasculature and microglia alone. While results indicated that ultrafine DEP exposure caused concentration-dependent increases in LDH leakage and ROS production in all groups, as expected, exposure also caused mixed responses in CMA and atypical cytokine/chemokine profiles in all groups, which was not expected. The inflammation assay results further suggested that the microglia were not classically activated under this exposure scenario, despite previous in vitro studies showing microglial activation (priming) at similar concentrations of ultrafine DEP. Additionally, compared to the cerebrovasculature alone, the EC-microglia interaction in the co-culture did not appear to cause changes in any parameter save in pro-inflammatory marker production, where the interaction appeared to cause an overall downregulation in cytokine/chemokine levels after ultrafine DEP exposure. Finally, to our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the influence of microglia on the BBB’s ultrafine DEP-induced cytotoxic and inflammatory responses, which are heavily implicated in the pathogenesis of PM-related cerebrovascular dysfunction and neurodegeneration.
Honoring Emil J. Freireich: A Visionary Medical Cancer Researcher-March 21, 1927-February 1, 2021.

![][1] Dr. Emil Freireich at MD Anderson in 2018, in conversation with Lauren Gobert, a leukemia physician assistant who had childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia cured by combination therapy developed as a result of Dr. Freireich's research. Emil J, Freireich, a founding father of
SARS-CoV-2 Infections in mRNA Vaccinated Individuals are Biased for Viruses Encoding Spike E484K and Associated with Reduced Infectious Virus Loads that Correlate with Respiratory Antiviral IgG levels.

Abstract Introduction COVID-19 large scale immunization in the US has been associated with infrequent breakthrough positive molecular testing. Whether a positive test is associated with a high viral RNA load, specific viral variant, recovery of infectious virus, or symptomatic infection is largely not known. Methods In this study, we identified 133 SARS-CoV-2 positive patients who had received two doses of either Pfizer-BioNTech (BNT162b2) or Moderna (mRNA-1273) vaccines, the 2nd of which was received between January and April of 2021. The positive samples were collected between January and May of 2021 with a time that extended from 2 to 100 days after the second dose. Samples were sequenced to characterize the whole genome and Spike protein changes and cycle thresholds that reflect viral loads were determined using a single molecular assay. Local SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies were examined using ELISA and specimens were grown on cell culture to assess the recovery of infectious virus as compared to a control unvaccinated cohort from a matched time frame. Results Of 133 specimens, 24 failed sequencing and yielded a negative or very low viral load on the repeat PCR. Of 109 specimens that were used for further genome analysis, 68 (62.4%) were from symptomatic infections, 11 (10.1%) were admitted for COVID-19, and 2 (1.8%) required ICU admission with no associated mortality. The predominant virus variant was the alpha (B.1.1.7), however a significant association between lineage B.1.526 and amino acid change S: E484K with positives after vaccination was noted when genomes were compared to a large control cohort from a matched time frame. A significant reduction of the recovery of infectious virus on cell culture as well as delayed time to the first appearance of cytopathic effect was accompanied by an increase in local IgG levels in respiratory samples of vaccinated individuals but upper respiratory tract IgG levels were not different between symptomatic or asymptomatic infections. Conclusions Vaccination reduces the recovery of infectious virus in breakthrough infections accompanied by an increase in upper respiratory tract local immune responses. Funding National Institute of Health (The Johns Hopkins Center of Excellence in Influenza Research and Surveillance, HHSN272201400007C), Johns Hopkins University, Maryland Department of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
On Teaching Im/Migration in an Undergraduate Classroom

This article examines the urgencies, challenges, and rewards of teaching about migration, emigration, and immigration in our time of massive human movement across the globe. I describe and analyse the beginnings, structure, and takeaways from my undergraduate course on the literature of human movements (whether for reasons of refuge, asylum, choice, adventure, exploration, survival). I argue that despite growing collective acknowledgment of increasing human mobility across our planet, it is the power and wisdom of stories through which we best engage with the specific and multifaceted realities of persons losing home, making home, making other, and making own. I also suggest, from my classroom experience, that a slow, reflective, and immersed sharing of stories of those who have been displaced, misplaced, replaced, and strangely-placed is a key pedagogical aspect of discussing im/migration in the twenty-first century, and that especially in the United States, we owe it to ourselves and our students to know and interrogate the longer vocabularies and histories of othering and belonging in the English language. Through my discussion of the class activities and conversations, I show, similarly, the ways in which a literature class on the topic of im/migration functions also as a generative venue for intersectional considerations of race, gender, ethnicity, class, caste, disability, sexuality, nationality, and un/documented status. I also include reflections about future iterations of this course as I draw on summative comments from my students. Finally: although my pedagogy is informed by my own migrant status in the US, I offer means for pedagogues from a range of backgrounds and instructional levels to engage with and further this conversation in different parts of the world.
Gene and microRNA expression responses to exercise; relationship with insulin sensitivity

Background Healthy individuals on the lower end of the insulin sensitivity spectrum also have a reduced gene expression response to exercise for specific genes. The goal of this study was to determine the relationship between insulin sensitivity and exercise-induced gene expression in an unbiased, global manner. Methods and Findings Euglycemic clamps were used to measure insulin sensitivity and muscle biopsies were done at rest and 30 minutes after a single acute exercise bout in 14 healthy participants. Changes in mRNA expression were assessed using microarrays, and miRNA analysis was performed in a subset of 6 of the participants using sequencing techniques. Following exercise, 215 mRNAs were changed at the probe level (Bonferroni-corrected P<0.00000115). Pathway and Gene Ontology analysis showed enrichment in MAP kinase signaling, transcriptional regulation and DNA binding. Changes in several transcription factor mRNAs were correlated with insulin sensitivity, including MYC, r=0.71; SNF1LK, r=0.69; and ATF3, r= 0.61 (5 corrected for false discovery rate). Enrichment in the 5’-UTRs of exercise-responsive genes suggested regulation by common transcription factors, especially EGR1. miRNA species of interest that changed after exercise included miR-378, which is located in an intron of the PPARGC1B gene. Conclusions These results indicate that transcription factor gene expression responses to exercise depend highly on insulin sensitivity in healthy people. The overall pattern suggests a coordinated cycle by which exercise and insulin sensitivity regulate gene expression in muscle.
Luenberger Productivity Indicators: Aggregation Across Firms

Two methods of aggregating Luenberger productivity indicators across firms are considered. One method makes use of some rather implausible allocative efficiency assumptions. The second method, a superlative index number approach, relies on more palatable assumptions and is judged to be the more promising of the two methods.
The culture of politics in modern Kenya: Moral economy and the quest for wealth in central Kenya since the late nineteenth century

Introduction This chapter begins with a look back to a time before Kenyans could be instructed en masse that theirs was a nation “on the run” toward “development,” and that each individual had to move quickly to keep up with the president's rapid footsteps or nyayo. Whereas the previous chapter explored notions of “Kenya” conveyed to citizens through official rhetoric, this one starts with a look at life in the central highlands before radio, newspapers, cinema, and television brought Kenyans into a national and global “village.” This is not an exercise in nostalgia. Rather, its purpose is to appreciate historical precedents for a public culture that valorizes collective effort as well as individual entrepreneurship and accumulation, and that projects its own Western modernity, economic growth, and political stability as counterexamples to the recent history of other African nations. It is not surprising that a state controlled by wealthy entrepreneurs would advertise the material rewards of hard work. Nor is it unusual that such a state would make a repeated show of intentions to eliminate “corruption” among public servants, without actually altering the opportunities for accumulation open to such individuals. Who is or who deserves to be rich and who poor has probably never been a cultural zone of easy consensus. The material rewards of political leadership – whether in pre-colonial raiding expeditions or in election to parliament – are matters of discussion and argument in which everyone takes a keen interest.
The Invisible Veil: Changing Paradigms in the Art Therapy Profession

According to Sue and Sue (1999), the invisible veil is a worldview which affects all individuals as products of cultural conditioning and which operates outside the level of conscious awareness. Further, they state that the “values, assumptions, beliefs, and practices of our society are structured in a manner as to serve only one narrow segment of the population” (p. 31). Given this sense of haze or dysconsciousness (Ponterotto, Casas, Suzuki, & Alexander, 2001) and ethnocentrism, it becomes imperative for art therapy to revisit its cultural and social identities to become more inclusive. The incidents of racist attacks on individuals of visible racial ethnic groups and the changing demographics of the United States are forcing art therapy to address issues of diversity. These include culture, race or ethnicity, gender, religion, historical experiences within the dominant culture, sexual orientation, disability, socioeconomic status, education, political views, lifestyle, and geographic regions within the profession. Furthermore, while the fields of social work and counseling have greatly improved their recruitment of minority students and staff, minority numbers have not changed in art therapy (Boston, DobyCopeland, & Short, 2001). Our goal in this article is to examine how our collective biases, beliefs, and values have been masked and how they continue to impact our educational programs.
Regolith production and transport at the Susquehanna Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory, Part 2: Insights from meteoric 10 Be

[1] Regolith-mantled hillslopes are ubiquitous features of most temperate landscapes, and their morphology reflects the climatically, biologically, and tectonically mediated interplay between regolith production and downslope transport. Despite intensive research, few studies have quantified both of these mass fluxes in the same field site. Here we present an analysis of 87 meteoric 10Be measurements from regolith and bedrock within the Susquehanna Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory (SSHO), in central Pennsylvania. Meteoric 10Be concentrations in bulk regolith samples (n = 73) decrease with regolith depth. Comparison of hillslope meteoric 10Be inventories with analyses of rock chip samples (n = 14) from a 24 m bedrock core confirms that >80% of the total inventory is retained in the regolith. The systematic downslope increase of meteoric 10Be inventories observed at SSHO is consistent with 10Be accumulation in slowly creeping regolith (~ 0.2 cm yr−1). Regolith flux inferred from meteoric 10Be varies linearly with topographic gradient (determined from high-resolution light detection and ranging-based topography) along the upper portions of hillslopes at SSHO. However, regolith flux appears to depend on the product of gradient and regolith depth where regolith is thick, near the base of hillslopes. Meteoric 10Be inventories at the north and south ridgetops indicate minimum regolith residence times of 10.5 ± 3.7 and 9.1 ± 2.9 ky, respectively, similar to residence times inferred from U-series isotopes in Ma et al. (2013). The combination of our results with U-series-derived regolith production rates implies that regolith production and erosion rates are similar to within a factor of two on SSHO hillcrests.
Chronic Illness and Mental Health

Chronic illness creates profound and enduring changes in a person’s life that require novel coping efforts to preserve mental health. We use a broad conceptualization of adjustment to chronic illness that moves from a unitary focus on the absence of psychopathology as the measure of mental health toward multifaceted conceptualizations of adjustment that incorporate one’s current life context. Theories of adjustment are presented and predictors of adjustment described, with an emphasis on stress pathways, coping efforts and interpersonal relationships. Evidence-based behavioral medicine interventions for enhancing adjustment to chronic illness are described.
Nuclear Fuel Reserves

The primary fuel for light-water nuclear reactors is natural or slightly enriched (3–5%) uranium dioxide. Estimates of the world reserves of uranium resources are based on the cost of recovery for various ore types and classified as reasonably assured, estimated, or additional, speculative resources. World reactor-related requirements are expected to increase from usage through the year 2010. Additional sources of uranium are expected to come from the use of reprocessed plutonium in mixed-oxide fuels, the deenrichment of weapon-grade, high enriched uranium with natural uranium, and the fabrication of mixed-oxide fuels using surplus weapons-grade plutonium. Keywords: uranium reserves; nuclear fuel reserves; uranium resources; unconventional resources; low grade reserves; highly enriched uranium; cancer; renal damage
Recent Advances In 3-d Treatment Planning Using A Graphics Supercomputer

The goal in the planning of radiation therapy treatments is to maximize the radiation dose to the target (tumor) volume while minimizing the dose to surrounding healthy tissues. Calculation and display of dose superimposed on patient anatomy in three dimensions is very time consuming. Graphics supercomputers, which combine computing speed with powerful graphics, can reduce this time dramatically. Automatic or semi-automatic outlining of patient contours are used instead of slower manual means. Beam's-eye-view and physician's-eye-view display of radiation beam position allow rapid, interactive placement and shaping of radiation beams. Dose calculation algorithms optimized for the parallelizing and vectorizing nature of the graphics supercomputer architecture has reduced calculation times by 1-2 orders of magnitude compared to a standard mini-computer.
More than Just Remixing: Uptake and New Media Composition

Abstract This article turns to genre theory's recent explorations of uptake, broadly defined as the ways genres interact, as a resource for sketching a pedagogy of shuttling between genres. Using uptake, I intend to reconceptualize multimodal compositions as a means of participating in rhetorical ecologies that consist of transactions between genres instead of thinking of remixes as an end in themselves. In this article, I first define the concept of uptake in detail and discuss its use in rhetorical genre studies. After further illustrating uptake through an analysis of transactions between YouTube parodies and the 2005 German language film Downfall , I discuss existing scholarship in multimodal composition that draws on genre but not the idea of uptake in order to lay a foundation for a pedagogy that highlights the links, feedbacks, and rules that coordinate genres. My aim in the last section is to sketch possibilities for how teachers and students can deploy the concept of uptake as a rhetorical tool to strengthen their awareness of genre and multimodality. In doing this, I hope to reposition multimodal projects as beginnings or midpoints that lead to students’ emersion into public discourse rather than culminations or end goals in themselves. Integrating studies of uptake into writing curricula in this way will help students to make sophisticated rhetorical decisions in the age of media convergence.
Hyperfine Interactions in the 5d Transition Series

Hyperfine interactions at nuclei of 5d transition ions have been studied by means of spin‐unrestricted Hartree‐Fock (SUHF) calculations. For the divalent ions Hf2+ through Pt2+, the core polarization field per unpaired spin is constant to within 9%, varying from −700 to −760 kG. Comparison is made with the few NMR, EPR, and Mossbauer experiments available to date. Fair agreement is found between theory and experiment, indicating the need for more experiments and additional information about relativistic contributions to the hyperfine interaction.
Two remarks on the equilibrium analysis of horizontal merger

Abstract We describe two simple results in equilibrium analysis of horizontal merger in Cournot industry. The first has to do with welfare-enhancing conditions of output-reducing merger and the second describes the limited abilities of Cournot firms in exploiting market power profitably through horizontal merger.
An actin filament matrix in hand-isolated nuclei of X. laevis oocytes.

Abstract The nuclear gel of Xenopus oocytes contains a meshwork of randomly oriented microfilaments which have been identified as F-actin by decoration with rabbit skeletal muscle myosin subfragment-1 (S-1). Nuclear gel preparations treated with S-1 differ in several respects from control preparations incubated in either aqueous medium alone, or medium containing BSA. Actin filaments in control preparations appear less well preserved than those in S-1-treated preparations of the nuclear gel. The nucleoli of control preparations are extremely dense, while those of S-1-treated preparations have a more open, granular appearance. Large granular aggregates, which are a prominent feature of the controls, are seen much less frequently in S-1-treated preparations of the nuclear gel. These morphological differences appear to be correlated with the binding of protein to F-actin, since nuclear gel preparations incubated in tropomyosin, which also binds to actin filaments, appear similar to those treated with S-1. Approximately 63% of the total nuclear actin exists in a globular state, while 37% is filamentous.
Semi-lethal Abnormality of Limbs in Jersey Cattle

Abstract A condition is described in which nine female Jersey calves were born with congenital abnormalities of the musculoskeletal system. The calves had little or no control over their legs and were unable to stand. The condition appears to be inherited but the mode is not clear from limited data. All 9 calves were sired by the same bull and were out of females related to the sire. This bull also sired twelve normal female and 18 normal male calves. Eight other bulls sired 33 normal calves during the same period. Five of the nine affected calves were born dead, a higher (P
Thermogravimetric Measurement of Hydrogen Absorption in Alkali-Modified Carbon Materials

We have prepared Li-doped multiwall carbon nanotubes and Li- and K-intercalated graphite and measured their hydrogen storage properties using a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA). In a flowing H2 atmosphere Li-doped nanotubes and Li-intercalated graphite both exhibit a cyclable weight gain between 200 and 400 °C and weight loss between 400 and 500 °C characterized by a distinct and unusual temperature profile. We find, however, that neither H2 nor carbon is required to generate this TGA feature; we observe it even in Li-containing samples measured in flowing Ar without H2 and in LiOH samples measured in either H2 or Ar. Potassium-intercalated graphite shows mass cycling with a different thermal character between 40 and 250 °C, but as with Li, observation of a large cyclable feature does not rely on the presence of H2. In both cases we identify the cycling mass to be absorption/desorption of H2O present as an impurity in the TGA atmosphere. The temperature signatures we observe are strikingly similar to thos...
Lifting approach to simplify output-only continuous-scan laser vibrometry

Abstract Continuous-scan laser Doppler vibrometry (CSLDV) can greatly accelerate modal testing by continuously sweeping the measuring laser over a structure, effectively capturing its response at tens or even hundreds of points along the laser path. Several techniques have been devised to process CSLDV measurements from structures under controlled input. The authors recently extended CSLDV to the case where the input forces are unmeasured random white noise, using the harmonic power spectrum of a time periodic system. The harmonic power spectrum is analogous to the power spectrum used in the identification of time invariant systems, but with many additional harmonics for each mode, requiring an additional effort in modal parameter estimation. This paper presents a variant on the harmonic power spectrum, proposing a simplified algorithm based on the lifting approach. Lifting causes all sideband peaks in the harmonic power spectrum to collapse into a single peak in the range from zero to half of the scan frequency, so the spectra are far easier to interpret. The proposed algorithm is first evaluated on a simulated beam, and found to give results that are comparable with those obtained by the harmonic power spectrum method, yet the data reduction with the lifting approach is much simpler. This algorithm is then employed to identify the first several modes of a parked wind turbine under wind excitation, using a new long range remote sensing vibrometer. The speckle noise is found to be remarkably small even at a standoff distance of 77 m and a surface scan velocity of 500 m/s without any surface treatment.
Politicians, Parties, and the Persistence of Weak States: Lessons from the Philippines

This paper presents a principal-agent model of state capacity which argues that unless competition to influence policy is largely limited to one dimension politicians have no "incentive" or political will to approve bureaucratic reform. The validity of the model is evaluated using the case experience of the Philippines between 1946 and 1972. Findings showed that a competition exists between political groups in the country to influence policy concerning issues of social welfare economic nationalism and control over public spending. Moreover their demand over these issues failed to align along a single dominant dimension. In agreement with expectations generated from the model numerous calls and attempts to improve bureaucratic performance of the Philippines had been initiated but those calls never succeeded and attempts failed miserably. The study highlights an implication relevant for developing countries undergoing democratization. It argues that state capacity is not solely a function of insulating the state from forces in the society but of clarifying lines of authority in the hierarchy of principal-agent relationships between the society politicians and bureaucrats.
Building lipid barriers: biosynthesis of cutin and suberin

Cutin and suberin are the polymer matrices for lipophilic cell wall barriers. These barriers control the fluxes of gases, water and solutes, and also play roles in protecting plants from biotic and abiotic stresses and in controlling plant morphology. Although they are ubiquitous, cutin and suberin are the least understood of the major plant extracellular polymers. The use of forward and reverse genetic approaches in Arabidopsis has led to the identification of oxidoreductase and acyltransferase genes involved in the biosynthesis of these polymers. However, major questions about the underlying polymer structure, biochemistry, and intracellular versus extracellular assembly remain to be resolved. The analysis of plant lines with modified cutins and suberins has begun to reveal the inter-relationships between the composition and function of these polymers.
Levodopa Reverses Cytokine-Induced Reductions in Striatal Dopamine Release

Background: Studies using neuroimaging and in vivo microdialysis in humans and nonhuman primates indicate that inflammatory cytokines such as interferon-alpha reduce dopamine release in the ventral striatum in association with depressive symptoms including anhedonia and psychomotor slowing. Methods: Herein, we examined whether reduced striatal dopamine release in rhesus monkeys chronically treated with interferon-alpha can be restored by administration of the dopamine precursor levodopa via reverse in vivo microdialysis. Results: Levodopa completely reversed interferon-alpha–induced reductions in striatal dopamine release. No changes were found in the 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid to dopamine ratio, which increases when unpackaged dopamine is metabolized via monoamine oxidase. Conclusions: These findings suggest that inflammatory cytokines reduce the availability of dopamine precursors without affecting end-product synthesis or vesicular packaging and/or release and provide the foundation for future studies investigating therapeutic strategies that facilitate availability of dopamine precursors to improve depressive symptoms in patient populations with increased inflammation.
Ascocarp ontogeny and imperfect state of Thecotheus (Pezizales, Ascomycetes)

The ontogeny of two species of Thecotheus, T. pelletieri and T. cinereus, was studied to aid in the clarification of the taxonomy of the genus. Bulbous cells that terminate many of the vegetative hyphae and which eventually form the ectal excipulum in both species and a sympodial conidial state in T. pelletieri indicate that the genus Thecotheus shares characteristics with three families, the Ascobolaceae, the Pezizaceae, and the Pyronemataceae. Cultural studies indicate that T. pelletieri and T. cinereus are heterothallic. The imperfect state of T. pelletieri is morphologically similar to Rhinocladiella.
Thirteen-year experience in lung transplantation for emphysema.

Abstract Background Emphysema is the most common indication for lung transplantation. Recipients include younger patients with genetically determined alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AAD) and, more commonly, patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We analyzed the results of our single-institution series of lung transplants for emphysema to identify outcome differences and factors predicting mortality and morbidity in these two groups. Methods A retrospective analysis was undertaken of the 306 consecutive lung transplants for emphysema performed at our institution between 1988 and 2000 (220 COPD, 86 AAD). Follow-up was complete and averaged 3.7 years. Results The mean age of AAD recipients (49 ± 6 years) was less than those with COPD (55 ± 6 years; p p = 0.044). Five-year survival was 58.6% ± 3.5%, with no difference between COPD (56.8% ± 4.4%) and AAD (60.5% ± 5.8%). Five-year survival was better with bilateral-lung transplants (66.7% ± 4.0%) than with single-lung transplants (44.9% ± 6.0%, p p p = 0.038). Conclusions AAD recipients, despite a younger age, do not achieve significantly superior survival results than those with COPD. Bilateral lung transplantation for emphysema results in better long-term survival. Accumulated experience and modifications in perioperative care over our 13-year series may explain recently improved early and long-term survival.
Urban Form, Heart Disease, and Geography: A Case Study in Composite Index Formation and Bayesian Spatial Modeling

Recent studies indicate a relationship between measures of urban form as applied to urban and suburban areas, and obesity, a risk factor for heart disease. Measures of urban form for exurban and rural areas are considerably scarce; such measures could prove useful in measuring relationships between urban form and both mortality and morbidity in such areas. In modeling area-level mortality, geographic relationships between counties warrant consideration because geographically adjacent areas tend to have more in common than areas farther from each other. We modify county-level indices of urban form found in the literature so that they can be applied to exurban and rural counties. We then use these indices in a Bayesian spatial model that accounts for spatial autocorrelation to determine if there is a relationship between such measures and cardiovascular disease mortality for white males age 35 and older for the time period 1999–2001. Issues related to the formation and usefulness of the indices, and issues related to the spatial model, are discussed. Maps of observed and expected relative risk of mortality are presented.
How Does IEEE 1453 compare to the GE curve in evaluating flicker compliance

The “GE Curve” has been in use for many years by most utilities as their sole criteria for determining the serviceability of connected loads to their electrical system. This long term usage has bred familiarity with both the method and the criteria. In recent years, the IEEE Voltage Flicker TF undertook the task of adopting the IEC method of determining flicker. This was done so as to bring about International consensus concerning flicker criteria as well as noting the deficiency of the “GE Curve” method compared to the advantages of the IEC method. As a result, IEEE 1453-2004 was adopted as a better method to address flicker limits. As the differences in the two methods has been documented by others already, this paper will just discuss differences in the application of the two methods in order to encourage others to use this more beneficial method.
Reliable Inference for the Maximum Pit Depth within Pitting Colonies on Long Pipelines

Abstract This paper proposes a model for statistical dependence between pit depths when monitoring a pipeline for corrosion. The model is flexible in terms of the shape and endpoint behavior of the distribution of the pit depths, and in terms of the degree of dependence between observations. Illustrative examples are provided for several choices of model parameters. Explicit confidence bounds for the maximum pit depth are derived; a sequential sampling plan for obtaining sufficiently precise estimates is proposed; and procedures for testing whether the maximum pit depth is above or below a certain threshold are given.
F center random walk diffusion after electron irradiation of alkali halides

Abstract The random walk of individual F centers, which causes F center diffusion in alkali halides after electron irradiation, is simulated in three dimensions with a Monte Carlo program. The F center random walk is considered to be thermally driven along the halogen sublattice. The resulting diffusion process supplies F centers to the surface. For cold (about room temperature) surfaces this causes alkali metal surface enrichment. The surface enrichment time dependence is predicted by the three-dimensional Monte Carlo simulation and compared with experimental data. Three different initial distributions for the F centers are considered. These distributions are chosen to coincide with the depth profile for: (i) the energy deposited by the irradiating electrons; (ii) the density of hot holes after their migration; and (iii) a Gaussian distribution located well below the surface. Although all three simulations with these initial distributions compare reasonably well with the experimental data, the third provides the best agreement with the data.
A dynamic duo: Emotion and development

A dynamic systems (DS) approach uncovers important connections between emotion and neurophysiology. It is critical, however, to include a developmental perspective. Strides in the understanding of emotional development, as well as the present use of DS in developmental science, add significantly to the study of emotion. Examples include stranger fear during infancy, intermodal perception of emotion, and development of individual emotional systems.
π/σ Equilibria in rhenium ketone complexes [(η5-C5H5)Re(NO)(PPh3)(OCRR′)]+X−; a marked electronic effect upon the binding mode

Abstract The first series of metal ketone complexes for which both π and σ isomers can be isolated is reported. Electron-withdrawing substituents favor the π binding mode.
The insulin-like growth factors and the lung.

The insulin-like growth factors (IGF-I and IGF-II) are peptides of about 7,500 D with structural homology to proinsulin that are capable of stimulating cellular proliferation and inducing differentiation. They are each encoded by single, large, complex genes that direct the transcription of multiple mRNAs. Both genes are expressed in most organs and tissues, predominantly by cells of mesenchymal origin. Developmental factors are important in their regulation, with IGF-II's expression predominating prenatally and IGF-I's postnatally. In the fetus, placental lactogen can stimulate the synthesis of both IGF-I and IGF-II. After birth, however, growth hormone and nutritional status are the major regulators of IGF-I. In addition, a variety of other factors exert tissue-specific stimulation of IGF-I and IGF-II expression. The actions of the IGFs are mediated by interaction with the type 1 IGF cell surface receptor, which, like the IGFs, is expressed in most tissues. The biologic effects of the IGFs are modulated...
A multiproduct Symmetric Generalized McFadden cost function

This paper introduces a flexible multiproduct cost function that permits zero values of one or more of the outputs and can impose restrictions quite easily, if not automatically satisfied, to ensure global concavity property. It satisfies linear homogeneity (in prices) property and is flexible in the output space. Thus the function is ideal for estimating, for example, economies of scope, cost complementarity, product-specific returns to scale, etc., without worrying about zero values of output(s) and extrapolations to points far from the point of approximation. As an empirical application, we use panel data (1978–1985) on 12 Finnish foundry plants to estimate technical progress, overall returns to scale, product-specific returns to scale and economies of scope.
Toxicity of 5-hydroxytryptoline in rats.

Abstract The toxicity of 5-hydroxytryptoline (5-HTLN), a cyclic analog of 5-hydroxytryptamine, was studied in male Sprague-Dawley rats receiving daily ip injections of saline for 7 days or of 100 mg/kg of 5-HTLN for 1, 7, or 10 days prior to sacrifice. At this dose, 5-HTLN produced marked nephrotoxicity, with serum elevations of BUN, creatinine, and inorganic phosphate in some animals. Histological examination of the kidneys revealed a pattern of acute tubular degeneration and necrosis and glomerular membrane damage, along with evidence of tubular regeneration in some animals. There was also mild hepatocellular degeneration in some animals, without consistent elevations in related serum enzymes. No abnormalities were found in other organ tissues, including brain, adrenals, pancreas, heart, lung, and gastrointestinal tract. Terminal hematological data were normal.