cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Reduction of Religion to Morality

In another book, The Retreat to Commitment, I treated a version of our third possibility: that religion is reducible to morality.1 There I argued that one such position —represented by what was known as Protestant liberalism —was quite convincing for a long period during the nineteenth century, but that it was decisively undermined by biblical exegesis as well as by philosophical and social criticism during the early decades of the twentieth century. I have just referred to this position as a version of our third possibility, and the qualifier should be taken seriously. For one thing, it is doubtful that Protestant liberalism did ever achieve a full reduction of religion to morality. For another, the defeat of Protestant liberalism was carried out within a Christian framework. That no reduction of religion to morality could be carried out within Christianity by no means implies that there is no religion which may not be reducible to morality. Confucianism is a possible candidate example of such a reduction.
Modelling the Performance of Photochromic Thin Films to Achieve Super-resolution Nanopatterning by Absorbance Modulation at Low Light Intensity

This paper presents a comprehensive model and simulation results of the performance and governing factors of the photochromic layer in Absorbance-Modulation-Optical-Lithography (AMOL) and examines the possibility of performing AMOL at low light intensities.
Compatibility of Rhizobium japonicum with commercial pesticides in vitro

Evaluation de la toxicite de 7 fongicides, de 3 insecticides et de 3 herbicides a 4 concentrations differentes et comparaison de la sensibilite a ces pesticides de 10 souches de R.j. Examen de la survie de certaines souches apres 50 h d'incubation avec divers pesticides. Possibilite d'une selection de souches tres resistantes
Traumatic and Degenerative Meniscus Tears Have Different Gene Expression Signatures

Background:Meniscus tears are classified as traumatic or degenerative based on the tear pattern. There is little evidence demonstrating biological differences between the 2 tear types.Hypothesis:Gene expression signatures in the injured meniscus are different between traumatic (vertical) and degenerative (complex, horizontal, or flap) tears.Study Design:Controlled laboratory study.Methods:Samples of the torn meniscus from the white-white zone were removed at the time of clinically indicated partial meniscectomy from 48 patients (37 with degenerative tears and 11 with traumatic tears). mRNA expression in the injured menisci was measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction for selected molecular markers of osteoarthritis, inflammation, and cartilage homeostasis (eg, cytokines/chemokines, aggrecanases/metalloproteinases, transcription factors, cartilage matrix genes, and adipokines). The tear pattern (traumatic or degenerative) and location (medial or lateral) were recorded for each patient. ...
Ocean Size and Corresponding Life History Diversity among the Four Run Timings of California Central Valley Chinook Salmon

AbstractWe used coded wire tag data to compare spawner age structure and seasonal patterns of age-specific size at date among fish harvested in the ocean from the four seasonal run timings (fall, late-fall, winter, and spring) of Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha from the Central Valley, California, and we examined differences between the fall-run fish (the most abundant run) from the Sacramento and San Joaquin River basins. The runs varied in their ocean size at a common age and date, and within each run, monthly mean ocean sizes appeared to stop increasing when spawners began to return to freshwater. Despite support for multiple hypotheses, no single factor explained all of the variation among and within runs. Ocean size at a common date was well explained by a “juvenile head-start” hypothesis, predicting larger sizes for the spring and fall runs due to earlier ocean entry. Month of spawner return was well explained by a “premature adult migration” hypothesis, predicting earlier returns (within ye...
Evaluation of a Standardized Perioperative Management Protocol in the Adult Hematology Anticoagulation Management Service

Background: In North America, 250,000 patients on vitamin K antagonists require surgical procedures each year. Temporary interruption of oral anticoagulation and perioperative bridging therapy with unfractionated heparin or low-molecular-weight heparin are recommended by the American College of Chest Physicians 2012 for select patients. Objectives: The study objectives are to evaluate adherence and nonadherence to the Johns Hopkins clinic guidelines for perioperative management of anticoagulation and identify bleeding or thromboembolic events during perioperative management of anticoagulation. Methods: This is a retrospective study of patients who required perioperative management of anticoagulation for an invasive procedure from May 2009 to March 2014. Individualized perioperative anticoagulation management plans were prospectively developed for each patient according to the standardized Johns Hopkins perioperative bridging recommendations and documented in the medical record. Adherence to these standard...
Constructing Memory Through Technology: Brand New Memory , by Elias Miguel Munoz

Elias Miguel Munoz is a Cuban-American writer who belongs to the “one-and-a-half generation,” a term first coined by Cuban sociologist Ruben G. Rumbaut. It refers to immigrant children who were taken from their homeland during childhood or young adolescence, beginning their journey into adulthood in the United States. In Rumbaut’s study on migration and adaptation of Indochinese refugee adults and children, he coins this term which will eventually be adopted to apply to other groups as well.
Choosing a site for the capital of Europe

The European Union has achieved internal cohesion and international economic recognition, but economics alone has not yet led to a united Europe. Although this cohesiveness strongly influence regions and cities, and cities have started to refer to their European background, the member nations continue to hold regional and urban planning power. Forced to take unanimous decisions, the European Council of Ministers maintained the doctrine of a unique capital for 40 years, provoking numerous urban and architectural visions while simultaneously accepting the existence of three provisional headquarters, Brussels, Strasbourg and Luxembourg. The host nations, Belgium, France and Luxembourg meanwhile oriented these cities to both European economic considerations and local needs. This article analyzes the logic that led to decentralization of the capital city functions, the reasons why cities were interested in hosting the European Communities, what individual cities and nations suggested and why the most obvious solutions were not adopted. The Maastricht Treaty, the ongoing strengthening of European and regional institutions, and the choice of the provisional headquarters as definite capitals in 1992 gives cause for hope that concepts based on European and regional necessities beyond the nation-state will now be elaborated. A European network of cities and regions including the three political capitals of Europe, as revealed by their infrastructures and buildings, seems to be the best expression of the meaning of European unity.
Pediatric Cataract Surgery: Operative and Postoperative Issues

• Surgical management of cataracts in children is markedly different from adults. Children have reduced scleral and corneal rigidity, more inflammation after surgery, and a propensity to develop reopacification of the visual axis.
On the 1962–1972 Decade of Semi-Infinite Programming: A Subjective View

Several major themes developed during this, the apparent first of almost four decades of semi-infinite programming, are reviewed in this paper.
Late Baroque Music

Today names such as Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel are far more familiar than Josquin des Prez one of the great early Renaissance masters, or even Claudio Monteverdi, who all but intended opera at the beginning of the seventeenth century. Pianist Rosalyn Tureck has devoted her long life to bringing Bach to today’s audiences. Organist and church musician Simon Preston provides information about Handel’s life as well as his sacred compositions, while flutist Samuel Baron discusses not only his own performances but those he organized with his Bach Aria Group Finally, conductor John Eliot Gardiner explains the joys of performing the masterpieces of Bach, Handel, and other eighteenth-century luminaries. As a group they also discuss two apparent conflicts: those of Handel, a man who wanted to compose for the theater and ended up famous for his sacred works, especially Messiah; and those of Bach, long a church composer celebrated today largely for his instrumental compositions.
The effect of radial head prosthesis diameter on posterolateral rotatory instability of the elbow

Abstract Background The purpose of this study is to investigate how different diameters of radial head replacement affect posterolateral translation with a valgus and supination force. We hypothesized that there would be less posterolateral rotatory translation with larger implant diameter. Methods Eleven cadaveric arms were stressed at 30 and 60° of flexion with a consistent supination and valgus stress force under five conditions: native radial head, radial head excision, and with 3 sizes of radial head prosthesis. Displacement of the radial head posteriorly in relation to the capitellum on radiographs was measured. Displacement was expressed as a percentage relative to the average of the maximum and minimum native radial head diameters. Findings The native radial heads had average minimum and maximum diameters of 23.3 mm and 25.2 mm, respectively. The angle of testing did not significantly change translation of the radial head. There was increased posterior translation relative to native head as the radial head sizes decreased from 24 mm to 20 mm and with excision of the radial head. Compared to the native head, the differences in displacement were statistically significant for the 20 mm radial head, but not for the 22 mm or 24 mm replacements. Radial head translation significantly increased after radial head excision. Interpretations This cadaveric study illustrates that patients treated with radial head excision and radial head prosthesis with undersized diameters have increased posterior translation with a valgus and supination stress. The larger the radial head prosthesis (closer to native radial head), the more closely it approximated the amount of translation of the native radial head.
The Disintegration of South Sudan: Political Violence from 2011 to 2016

South Sudan has been characterized by instability due to violence that has exacerbated political, economic, and social issues within the country. We found that within the five years since South Sudan’s independence in 2011, the most common violent actors in political incidents were government and rebel forces, who often fought with each other. Government forces were involved in two-thirds of battles and one-third of violent events against civilians, whereas rebel forces were involved a little over half of battles. Limiting the number of violent incidents will help the economy recover and make it easier to provide external and internal aid to South Sudanese citizens suffering due to the violence and famine that have resulted from the initial conflict between President Kiir and rebel leader Machar. Addressing not only the violence, but also the underlying political, economic and social issues, will contribute to prospects of sustainable peace for South Sudan.
Social Work Interventions in End-Stage Organ Disease and Transplant Patients

Social workers are essential members of the multidisciplinary solid organ transplant team. This chapter will cover the transplant social worker’s roles and interventions, including the psychosocial evaluation and treatment strategies to empower, educate, and support patients through the complex transplant process. These social work interventions aim to optimize outcomes for patients and their families and are used during all phases of the transplant process. In addition to the literature review, the chapter is organized around the social work model developed and practiced by the adult solid organ transplant social workers at Stanford Health Care.
Long-Term Survival After Transformation of an Adrenocorticotropic Hormone-Secreting Pituitary Macroadenoma to a Silent Corticotroph Pituitary Carcinoma.

Background Pituitary carcinomas are rare and aggressive neoplasms that despite current treatment regimens continue to have a poor prognosis. Adrenocorticotrophic hormone pituitary tumors have been shown to alter their clinical manifestations with conversion to Cushing disease and silent types. Case Description The purpose of this paper is to present the first documented case of an adrenocorticotrophic hormone–secreting pituitary adenoma with Cushing disease that differentiated into a silent corticotroph pituitary carcinoma with metastases to distant sites in the central nervous system. Conclusions This patient was later treated with radiotherapy, temozolomide, and bevacizumab, with 8 years of progression-free survival.
Psychosocial Interventions Targeting Social Functioning in Adults on the Autism Spectrum: a Literature Review.

There is a perceived shortage of evidence-based treatment programs for adults on the autism spectrum. This article reviews the recent research literature on psychosocial/behavioral interventions targeting social functioning in autistic adults without intellectual disability. We identified only 41 peer-reviewed studies published from 1980 to 2017 that tested intervention programs focused on one or more of the behavioral components of social functioning (i.e., social motivation, social anxiety, social cognition, and social skills) in more than one adult with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The studies demonstrated substantial variability in treatment objectives, intervention procedures, assessment methods, and methodologic quality. The results indicate a strong need for additional research to develop and rigorously test interventions for autistic adults that target the many behavioral components of social functioning and that include procedures to promote generalization of knowledge and skills to community settings.
Moral Cultures, Reputation Work, and the Politics of Scandal

Status has long been a core concept motivating sociology as a discipline. As related to the positioning and valuing of individuals, status often takes the form of reputation. How is an individual t...
Oxidation of uranium(IV) mixed imido–amido complexes with PhEEPh and to generate uranium(VI) bis(imido) dichalcogenolates, U(NR)2(EPh)2(L)2

This work provides new routes for the conversion of U(iv) into U(vi) bis(imido) complexes and offers new information on the manner in which the U(vi) compounds form. Many compounds from the series described by the general formula U(NR)2(EPh)2(L)2 (R = 2,6-diisopropylphenyl, tert-butyl; E = S, Se, Te; L = py, EPh) were synthesized via oxidation of an in situ generated U(iv) amido-imido species with Ph2E2. This synthetic sequence provides a general route into bis(imido) U(vi) chalcogenolate complexes, circumventing the need to perform problematic salt metathesis reactions on U(vi) iodides. Investigation into the speciation of the U(iv) complexes that form prior to oxidation found a significant dependence on the identity of the ancillary ligands, with tBu2bpy forming the isolable imido-(bis)amido complex, U(NDipp)(NHDipp)2(tBu2bpy)2. Together, these data are consistent with the view that the bis(imido) U(vi) motif - much like the uranyl ion, UO22+- is a thermodynamic sink into which simple ligand frameworks are unable to prevent uranium from falling when in the presence of a suitable retinue of imido proligands.
Economic Individualism and Preference Formation

This note examines some issues involved in an attempt to go beyond the assumption, long-made by most economists, that people’s preferences are simply to be treated as “given” and that the principle of consumer sovereignty entails a refusal to consider some (or some people’s) revealed preferences as more authoritative than others. The most important break with that assumption has been the development of behavioral economics, which shows that people may not always know what they really want, and that economists have to develop a more critical approach, distinguishing people’s true preferences from those that are merely apparent. While this approach, a version of which is proposed by Michael Woodford, might very well be needed to explain various otherwise mysterious ways in which actual societies defy economists’ predictions based on the assumption of purely rational behavior, it also involves a danger of replacing an empirical investigation of human choice with a normative account of what people should chose--or might chose under some sort of “ideal conditions” that reduce the diversity of human preferences to merely erroneous deviations from what reason and human nature demand. To solve this conundrum, economics might need to incorporate a more robust theory of human choice, perhaps along the lines proposed by Robert Shiller and Edmund Phelps. Such a theory would bring economics closer to other social sciences, such as history, psychology, and maybe even ethics and aesthetics.
Carrier dynamics in small-gap mercury chalcogenide colloidal quantum dots

Devices based on small-gap mercury chalcogenide semiconductor nanocrystal inks have recently demonstrated increasingly high performance photodetection in the short and mid-wave infrared. These new colloidal inks are generating increasing interest because they could provide higher operating temperatures and vastly reduced costs compared to the current epitaxially-grown devices. However, in order to further increase detector operation temperatures and use these materials as infrared light sources, more detailed understandings of the carrier dynamics are required. Described here are picosecond mid-infrared absorption and emission studies of HgTe and HgSe colloidal quantum dots focusing on multicarrier nonradiative relaxation. Comparisons of the interband and intraband transitions in intrinsic and n-type systems reveal phenomena such as suppression of Auger relaxation in nanoparticles vs. bulk materials and slow or absent Auger relaxation in n-type quantum dots. Yet, the measured lifetimes are still limited by other nonradiative pathways that appear unique to small-gap nanomaterials. The deeper understanding of nonradiative relaxation in small-gap nanocrystals afforded by these experiments provides a path towards realizing high performance infrared photodetection near room temperature and robust mid-infrared light emission with colloidal quantum dots.
HOSPITAL Score, LACE Index and LACE+ Index as predictors of 30-day readmission in patients with heart failure.

This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of the HOSPITAL Score (Haemoglobin level at discharge, Oncology at discharge, Sodium level at discharge, Procedure during hospitalization, Index admission, number of hospital admissions, Length of stay) LACE index (Length of stay, Acute/emergent admission, Charlson comorbidy index score, Emerency department visits in previous 6 months) and LACE+ index in predicting 30-day readmission in patients with diastolic dysfunction. Heart failure remains one of the most common hospital readmissions in adults, leading to significant morbidity and mortality. Different models have been used to predict 30-day hospital readmissions. All adult medical patients discharged from the SIU School of Medicine Hospitalist service from 12 June 2016 to 12 June 2018 with an International Classification of Disease, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification diagnosis of diastolic heart failure were studied retrospectively to evaluate the performance of the HOSPITAL Score, LACE index and LACE+ index readmission risk prediction tools in this patient population. Of the 730 patient discharges with a diagnosis of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), 692 discharges met the inclusion criteria. Of these discharges, 189 (27%) were readmitted to the same hospital within 30 days. A receiver operating characteristic evaluation showed C-statistic values to be 0.595 (95% CI 0.549 to 0.641) for the HOSPITAL Score, 0.551 (95% CI 0.503 to 0.598) for the LACE index and 0.568 (95% CI 0.522 to 0.615) for the LACE+ index, indicating poor specificity in predicting 30-day readmission. The result of this study demonstrates that the HOSPITAL Score, LACE index and LACE+ index are not effective predictors of 30-day readmission for patients with HFpEF. Further analysis and development of new prediction models are needed to better estimate the 30-day readmission rates in this patient population.
Simultaneous Derivation of Embryonic and Trophoblast Stem Cells from Mouse Blastocysts

The formation of the blastocyst during mammalian development involves the segregation of two populations of cells with unequal potential: pluripotent cells of the inner cell mass (ICM) and multipotent cells of the trophectoderm (TE). ICM cells maintain the capacity to give rise to all cells represented in the organism, while TE cells, which represent the first lineage to emerge during development, are capable of differentiating into trophoblast lineages of the placenta. The ICM and TE are both essential for development. The ICM is genetically programmed to generate all cells of the embryo proper, while the TE forms extraembryonic trophoblast lineages and is required for implantation of the embryo and maternal-fetal exchange of nutrients and waste. Embryonic stem (ES) cells, which can be derived from the ICM of blastocysts in the presence of external signals such as LIF, can self-renewal indefinitely, and because they can differentiate into all cells of the organism, ES cells are a widely used in vitro model to study genetics and development. Trophoblast stem (TS) cells can be derived from the TE of blastocyst stage embryos in the presence of FGF4, and like ES cells, TS cells are also able to self-renew indefinitely. Because TS cells can differentiate into epithelial lineages of the trophoblast, TS cells are an ideal in vitro model to study the biology of the trophoblast. In this chapter, we describe protocols for simultaneous derivation of ES cells and TS cells from mouse blastocysts and culture conditions that promote self-renewal of hybrid ESC/TSC colonies. These protocols are sufficient for efficient derivation of hybrid ESC/TSC colonies.
Atrial Fibrillation Risk Prediction from Electrocardiogram and Related Health Data with Deep Neural Network

Electrocardiography (ECG) is a widely used tool for studying and diagnosing the heart diseases. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an irregular and often rapid heart rate that can increase the risk of strokes, heart failure and other heart-related complications. In this study, we develop a novel and effective method to predict the potential AF risk of patients using our ECG signal dataset collected in the University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System. We use a convolutional neural network (CNN) structure to process both the ECG signals and the related health data of patients. Our experimental results indicate that the model with patients’ health data can predict the AF with 79.9% accuracy), and which is better than a CNN trained without related health data 72.2% accuracy), which implies that patients’ health data play an important role in predicting AF risk. Very high sensitivity and specificity of the class of normal sinus rhythm (NSR) cases also verify that the model works well for distinguishing between NSR and ECG signals with potential AF risk.
Lysine acetylation of F-actin decreases tropomyosin-based inhibition of actomyosin activity.

Recent proteomics studies of vertebrate striated muscle have identified lysine acetylation at several sites on actin. Acetylation is a reversible post-translational modification that neutralizes lysine's positive charge. Positively charged residues on actin, particularly Lys326 and Lys328, are predicted to form critical electrostatic interactions with tropomyosin (Tpm) that promote its binding to filamentous (F)-actin and bias Tpm to an azimuthal location where it impedes myosin attachment. The troponin (Tn) complex also influences Tpm's position along F-actin as a function of Ca2+ to regulate exposure of myosin-binding sites and, thus, myosin cross-bridge recruitment and force production. Interestingly, Lys326 and Lys328 are among the documented acetylated residues. Using an acetic anhydride-based labeling approach, we showed that excessive, nonspecific actin acetylation did not disrupt characteristic F-actin–Tpm binding. However, it significantly reduced Tpm-mediated inhibition of myosin attachment, as reflected by increased F-actin–Tpm motility that persisted in the presence of Tn and submaximal Ca2+. Furthermore, decreasing the extent of chemical acetylation, to presumptively target highly reactive Lys326 and Lys328, also resulted in less inhibited F-actin–Tpm, implying that modifying only these residues influences Tpm's location and, potentially, thin filament regulation. To unequivocally determine the residue-specific consequences of acetylation on Tn–Tpm–based regulation of actomyosin activity, we assessed the effects of K326Q and K328Q acetyl (Ac)-mimetic actin on Ca2+-dependent, in vitro motility parameters of reconstituted thin filaments (RTFs). Incorporation of K328Q actin significantly enhanced Ca2+ sensitivity of RTF activation relative to control. Together, our findings suggest that actin acetylation, especially Lys328, modulates muscle contraction via disrupting inhibitory Tpm positioning.
A Sonographer’s Step-by-Step Approach for Preventing Transmission of COVID-19

The 2019 novel coronavirus, known as COVID-19, has greatly affected the way sonographers care for their patients. Sonography can be a useful imaging tool for surveillance and diagnosis of various c...
Adjustment of Patient Experience Surveys for How People Respond.

Author(s): Cefalu, Matthew; Elliott, Marc N; Hays, Ron D | Abstract: BackgroundPatient surveys are the primary tool to measure patient experiences of care. Caution must be taken when analyzing these data, as responses can be influenced by factors that do not reflect the quality of care received.ObjectivesTo provide a practical overview of adjusting patient experience survey results to address bias related to patient case-mix, extreme response tendency, and mode of survey administration.Research designWe discuss options for adjustment for biases in how people respond to patient experience surveys.ResultsCase-mix adjustment (CMA) aims to compare provider performance that would have been observed if all providers had treated the same set of patients by removing the effects of patient characteristics that vary across providers. Extreme response tendency can bias the measurement of the disparities in patient experiences even after typical CMAs, since differences in patients' use of extreme response options may affect patient experience scores when they have a skewed distribution. Survey mode may affect scores for the provider entity being evaluated (eg, hospital) more than CMA if survey mode differs at the provider level.ConclusionsIt is best practice to evaluate known source of bias when analyzing patient experience surveys. Failure to adjust for patient case-mix, extreme response tendency, and survey mode in patient experience surveys may lead to erroneous comparisons of providers.
Design of Interfacial Crowding for Elastomeric Reinforcement with Nanocrystals.

Design of the crowding of chains tethered at the faces of β-sheet nanocrystals self-assembled from β-alanine trimers grafted on polyisobutylene (PIB) rubber tailors nanocrystal size and thus the el...
Aptima HPV messenger RNA testing and histopathologic follow-up in women with HSIL cytology: A study emphasizing additional review of HPV-negative cases.

Background High-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) messenger RNA (mRNA) testing, the Food and Drug Administration-approved testing platform since 2013, has been increasing as a cervical screening alternative to hrHPV DNA testing methods. This study reports the largest routine clinical follow-up study reported to date of hrHPV mRNA cotesting and histopathologic follow-up results for women with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) cytology results. Methods HSIL Papanicolaou test results for women cotested with Aptima hrHPV mRNA testing between June 2015 and November 2020 were analyzed along with recorded histopathologic follow-up results within 6 months of screening. Results Aptima hrHPV mRNA-positive results were reported for 95.2% of the cotested HSIL cytology cases (905 of 951). Histopathologic cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or worse (CIN2+) was diagnosed on follow-up in 538 of 701 hrHPV mRNA-positive cases (76.8%) and in 15 of 36 hrHPV mRNA-negative cases (41.7%). Additional reviews of the hrHPV mRNA-negative HSIL cases showed variable interpretations, and confirmatory blinded-review interpretations of HSIL or atypical squamous cells, cannot exclude high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion were more likely in cases with histopathologic CIN2+ (77.5% [93 of 120]) than those with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 1 or negative findings (63.1% [101 of 160]; P Conclusions This large routine-clinical-practice study confirms the previously reported high sensitivity of hrHPV mRNA testing for the detection of high-grade cervical dysplasia and cervical cancers. The blinded-review findings indicate that additional cytology review may be helpful for confirming an interpretation of HSIL in daily practice, especially for hrHPV-negative HSIL cases.
Gender differences in classroom experiences impacting self-efficacy in an AP Physics 1 classroom

Sense-making activities in AP physics courses played an important role for both boys and girls in developing a sense of self-efficacy as well as developing a physics identity.
The triple argon isotope composition of groundwater on ten-thousand-year timescales

Abstract Understanding the age and movement of groundwater is important for predicting the vulnerability of wells to contamination, constraining flow models that inform sustainable groundwater management, and interpreting geochemical signals that reflect past climate. Due to both the ubiquity of groundwater with order ten-thousand-year residence times and its importance for climate reconstruction of the last glacial period, there is a strong need for improving geochemical dating tools on this timescale. Whereas 14C of dissolved inorganic carbon and dissolved 4He are common age tracers for Late Pleistocene groundwater, each is limited by systematic uncertainties related to aquifer composition and lithology, and the extent of water-rock interaction. In principle, radiogenic 40Ar in groundwater acquired from decay of 40K in aquifer minerals should be insensitive to some processes that impact 14C and 4He and thus represent a useful, complementary age tracer. In practice, however, detection of significant radiogenic 40Ar signals in groundwater has been limited to a small number of studies of extremely old groundwater (>100 ka). Here we present the first high-precision (
The association between remarriage and HIV infection : evidence from national HIV surveys in Africa

The literature shows that divorced, separated, and widowed individuals in Africa are at significantly increased risk for HIV. Using nationally representative data from 13 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, this paper confirms that formerly married individuals are at significantly higher risk for HIV. The study goes further by examining individuals who have remarried. The results show that remarried individuals form a large portion of the population - usually larger than the divorced, separated, or widowed - and that they also have higher than average HIV prevalence. This large number of high-risk remarried individuals is an important source of vulnerability and further infection that needs to be acknowledged and taken into account in prevention strategies.
Regulation of β-Galactosidase Synthesis in Escherichia coli by Cyclic Adenosine 3',5'-Monophosphate

Abstract Cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) increases the differential rate of synthesis of β-galactosidase in Escherichia coli made permeable by treatment with tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane and ethylenediamintetraacetic acid. In normal, growing cells, cyclic AMP overcomes the transient repression of β-galactosidase by glucose. A half-maximal effect of cyclic AMP occurs at about 7 x 10-5 m. Cyclic AMP overcomes the transient repression of β-galactosidase synthesis in two regulatory mutants which produce β-galactosidase constitutively, 3300 (i-) and Oc67. Cyclic AMP also acts in cells which are deficient in the lac permease. Cyclic AMP overcomes the transient repression of β-galactosidase synthesis produced by α-methylglucoside in strain C600 which has normal regulatory genes. In mutant LA-12G, which is resistant to permanent repression, cyclic AMP also overcomes transient glucose repression. In cells treated with chloramphenicol, isopropylthio-β-d-galactopyranoside promotes the accumulation of β-galactosidase-specific messenger RNA, glucose prevents its accumulation, and cyclic AMP overcomes this repression by glucose. Cyclic AMP also overcomes the glucose repression of mRNA production in a threonine-requiring mutant during threonine starvation. Cyclic AMP fails to stimulate β-galactosidase production in cells in which mRNA synthesis has been arrested by inducer removal or proflavine addition. Thus, cyclic AMP appears to participate in the regulation of β-galactosidase mRNA synthesis at the gene level.
ATTITUDES TOWARD ADDICTS: SOME GENERAL OBSERVATIONS AND COMPARATIVE FINDINGS.

This paper examines attitudes toward addicts as an important aspect of the addiction “problem,” and in their relation to treatment efforts. Differences between American and British attitudes are noted. Latent functions of punitive outlooks in this country are considered, and modest reforms are seen to be inadequate in the absence of real attitudinal change.
Business Income (Article 7 OECD MC)

The 2006 OECD Report on attribution of profits to permanent establishments states that its recommendation "was not constrained by either the original intent or by the historical practice and interpretation of Article 7." Moreover, the Report recommends a redrafting of both the Article itself and the Commentary. Given this, it seems appropriate to begin by asking: If we were working on a clean slate, what would be the best way to tax MNEs at source in the light of 21st century business practices? The beginning point has to be that a modern MNE does not operate as if its constituent units, either subsidiaries or branches, deal with each other as if they were separate enterprises. Instead, a modern MNE is generally a single, unified enterprise, managed from a central location by managers who are responsible to their shareholders for the results of the MNE as a whole.
Two Z's or not two Z's?

Abstract In general, gauge invariance does not require that the two U(1)'s in a U(1) × U(1) gauge theory be orthogonal. We examine this possibility in the context of an electroweak SU(2)L × U(1)R × U(1)(B−L)/2 gauge theory. It is shown that the neutral-current experiments determining Hneutral do not restrict this “mixing”. In particular, there could be a second Z in the range 70–110 GeV whose couplings to quarks and leptons are comparable (≈ 1 2 as big ) as those of the Z with a mass of 95 GeV. Measurements of Z production rates or the demand that the theory be grand unifiable could restrict this mixing of U(1)'s.
Nitrogen losses from a Louisiana Gulf Coast salt marsh

Abstract Losses of 15 N labelled nitrogen in a Spartina alterniflora salt marsh was measured over three growing seasons. Labelled NH 4 + N equivalent to 100 μg 15 N g −1 of dry soil was added in four instalments over an eight week period. Recovery of the added nitrogen ranged from 93% 5 months after addition of the NH 4 + N to 52% at the end of the third growing season which represented a nitrogen loss equivalent to 3·4 gNm −2 . The availability of the labelled NH 4 + N incorporated into the organic fraction was estimated by calculation of the rate of mineralization. The time required for mineralization of 1% of the tagged organic N increases progressively with succeeding cuttings of the S. alterniflora and ranged from 152 to 299 days. Only 2% of the nitrogen applied as 15 N labelled plant material to the marsh surface in the fall could be accounted for in S. alterniflora the following season.
Towards the knee: Direct measurements of the cosmic ray composition with electronic detectors

Abstract Over a wide range of energies, the cosmic ray composition can be described with a uniform source spectrum for all components, and by a propagation pathlength that continually decreases with energy. However, there are indications that this description may no longer be valid above ∼ 10 13 eV/particle, where observational data become scarce. We discuss how progress can be made in new direct measurements above the atmosphere over the region 10 13 –10 15 eV/particle. Most important is the availability of well calibrated detectors with known charge and energy resolution and very large sensitive area. For the heavier nuclei (Z ≥ 3), these specifications can be met with a new generation of light weight transition radiation detectors. In balloon flights of a few days duration these will reach maximum energies of ∼ 0.5 × 10 15 eV for oxygen and ∼ 2 × 10 15 eV for iron nuclei with good statistical accuracy.
The persistent coma of Comet P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1

Time-series photometry of Comet P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 in both 1987 and 1988 shows that this comet is continually active despite its large heliocentric distance. The observed activity, upon which the famous outbursts of this comet are superposed, may be driven by the sublimation of crystalline water ice at the nucleus surface. A simple model which accounts for both the continuous activity and the sporadic outbursts is suggested.
A new method for species identification and differentiation of Mycobacterium chelonae complex based on amplified hsp65 restriction analysis (AHSPRA)

Members of the Mycobacterium chelonae complex (MCC), namely M. chelonae, Mycobacterium abscessus and Mycobacterium immunogenum, have been implicated in nosocomial infections and occupational respiratory illnesses like hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) associated with contaminated metalworking fluid (MWF) exposures. Close relationship among these member species makes their differentiation cumbersome using the existing methods. Here we report a simple and rapid method for unambiguous identification and differentiation of the three-member species of the MCC group with PCR-restriction analysis targeting a 667-bp segment of a variable region of the 65-kDa-heat shock protein (hsp65) gene. This assay, described as Amplified hsp65 Restriction Analysis (AHSPRA), can discriminate all the three individual species using a one-step restriction digestion using either BbvI or Eco0109I. The enzyme NarI can differentiate M. immunogenum from the other two MCC species (M. chelonae and M. abscessus). The developed method was validated using several non-MCC reference species of other rapidly growing mycobacteria (RGM) and MCC field isolates from MWF samples. Direct cell-lysis was used instead of the conventional DNA template preparation, which improved the rapidity, simplicity and adaptability of the developed method. The results suggest that the developed method can unambiguously differentiate species of the M. chelonae complex from other RGM species and from one another.
Enjoyment in the night: discovering leisure in Philadelphia’s eighteenth-century rural pleasure gardens

London’s Vauxhall Gardens, originally called the New Spring Garden, set the standard for extravagant and often rowdy eighteenth-century public entertainment. Vauxhall Gardens, which opened in the e...
Impacts of diesel fuel exposure on the microphytobenthic community of an intertidal sand flat

Abstract This study employed simulated spills of weathered diesel fuel and measured the initial effects on the intertidal sand flat microphytobenthic (MPB) communities. The goals were to examine the impacts of short-term (hours) and longer-term (days) exposure to petroleum on the native sand flat MPB in coastal North Carolina and to assess recovery of the community following the exposure. We assessed changes in biomass (chlorophyll a ), primary productivity ( 14 C bicarbonate incorporation), photophysiology ( P vs. I curves) and species composition (microscopy) and compared diesel exposed samples to unamended controls. We found that short-term impacts of diesel fuel pollution were confined to primary productivity and photophysiology of sand flat MPB. Short-term effects were only detected at relatively high concentrations that are not common outside of a major spill event. In the longer term, diesel fuel was again found to have effects on primary productivity, but at higher concentrations than would be likely to occur in industrialized coastal areas. However, negative impacts on photophysiology were detected at diesel fuel concentrations slightly above typical ambient conditions in coastal waters in industrialized areas. Biomass as measured by chlorophyll a was not affected by any concentration in the longer-term exposure to diesel fuel. Cell counts in the longer-term experiments found cyanobacteria had larger negative impacts from diesel fuel exposure than did diatoms. The recovery portion of this study showed the sand flat MPB communities were fairly resilient following both additions of diesel fuel. However, photophysiology and cell counts did not return to conditions equivalent to the control. Data from this study indicate that the effects of petroleum pollution on the MPB community of tidal sand flats should be considered alongside effects on other coastal microalgae in ecological and damage assessments.
1α-hydroxylase and innate immune responses to 25-hydroxyvitamin D in colonic cell lines

Vitamin D-insufficiency is a prevalent condition in populations throughout the world, with low serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) linked to a variety of human health concerns including cancer, autoimmune disease and infection. Current data suggest that 25OHD action involves localized extra-renal conversion to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D) via tissue-specific expression of the enzyme 25-hydroxyvitamin D-1α-hydroxylase (1α-hydroxylase). In cells such as macrophages, expression of 1α-hydroxylase is intimately associated with toll-like receptor (TLR) recognition of pathogens. However, this mechanism may not be exclusive to extra-renal generation of 1,25(OH)2D. To investigate the relationship between TLR-mediated pathogen recognition and vitamin D-induced antibacterial activity, intracrine responses to 25OHD metabolism were explored in vitro using the established colonic cell lines Caco-2 and Caco-2 clone BBe. Analysis of antibacterial factors such as cathelicidin (LL37) and β-defensin-4 (DEFB4) was carried out following co-treatment with TLR ligands. Data indicate that, unlike macrophages, Caco-2 and BBe colonic cell lines are unresponsive to TLR-induced 1α-hydroxylase. Alternative activators of 1α-hydroxylase such as transforming growth factor β were also ineffective at priming intracrine responses to 25OHD. Thus, in common with other barrier sites such as the skin or placenta, colonic epithelial cells may require specific factors to initiate intracrine responses to vitamin D.
Preventing nosocomial transmission of pulmonary tuberculosis: when may isolation be discontinued for patients with suspected tuberculosis?

OBJECTIVE: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Thoracic Society recommend obtaining cultures of at least three sputum specimens for acid-fast bacilli (AFB) from patients in whom tuberculosis (TB) is suspected. On the basis of this, most hospitals isolate patients with suspected TB for 3 days or more until three smear (not culture) results are negative. Our objective was to evaluate the predictive value and sensitivity of these smears. DESIGN: Observational study. SETTING: Four urban medical centers. METHODS: The posttest probability of TB given sequential negative AFB smears from 274 patients isolated for suspected TB and the sensitivity of sequential AFB smears from 209 patients with positive results on culture for pulmonary TB were measured. RESULTS: The posttest probabilities of having TB given one, two, and three negative AFB smears were low: 1.1% (3 of 265; 95% confidence interval [CI 95 ], 0.23% to 3.27%), 0.4% (1 of 262; CI 95 , 0% to 2.1%), and 0% (0 of 260; CI 95 , 0% to 1.4%), respectively. Among the 209 patients with positive results on culture for pulmonary TB, 169 (81%) had an expectorated sputum specimen sent, of which 91 (54%) were positive for AFB. Forty (24%) of the 169 patients had a second expectorated sputum specimen sent after the results of the first specimen were negative; only 6 (15%) of these had positive AFB smears. None of the 10 patients in whom the first two expectorated sputum samples yielded an AFB smear without an organism had a third AFB smear that was positive. CONCLUSION: Unless there is high clinical suspicion of pulmonary TB in a specific patient, the use of three AFB smears on expectorated sputa is a rational approach to discontinuing isolation for patients with suspected TB.
The swine leucocyte antigen (SLA) complex and Sinclair swine cutaneous malignant melanoma

Summary. Cutaneous malignant melanoma of Sinclair swine (SSCM) is an inherited neoplasm present at birth in a majority of affected animals. We have characterized the swine leucocyte antigen (SLA) complex of the Sinclair herd at Texas A & M University using a one-way mixed lymphocyte test and found that one particular haplotype, arbitrarily identified as haplotype B, is associated with the expression of SSCM. Only a single dose of the B haplotype is required for a dominant allele at a ‘tumour initiator’ locus to be fully penetrant. In addition, swine homozygous for haplotype B develop more primary tumours between birth and weaning than those heterozygous for the B haplotype. Taken together, these findings indicate that tumour initiation, in utero, and expression between birth and weaning may involve different mechanisms.
A multidisciplinary approach for abdominal venous involvement in oncologic resections.

Background An aggressive surgical approach to locally advanced malignancy is being increasingly used in the absence of distant metastatic disease. This includes resection and reconstruction of major venous structures. We investigated the results of using a multidisciplinary surgical approach in these instances. Methods The study data were obtained from a university-affiliated hospital from January 1, 2006, to December 31, 2012. All patients who underwent an oncologic resection using a multidisciplinary approach with vascular surgery consultation were included in the analysis. Primary outcomes analyzed included rate of margin positivity, postoperative venous patency, and survival. Secondary outcome measures included operative time, estimated blood loss, and length of hospital stay. Results A total of 23 patients met criteria for study. Venous involvement included the portal and/or superior mesenteric vein and inferior vena cava in 14 and 9 patients, respectively. Nine patients had clear vascular involvement before surgery and received preoperative consultation. Overall margins were positive in 56.5%, whereas the rate of vascular margin positivity was 30.4%. The postoperative venous patency rate was 65.0%. There were no perioperative mortalities, and median survival was 10 months (range, 4–80). Conclusions Major venous resections and reconstructions in oncologic surgery are safe but associated with a high rate of positive margins. Future efforts should focus on identifying patients in the preoperative phase to provide opportunity for optimal multidisciplinary planning.