cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pharmacokinetics of Cefamandole in Patients with Normal and Impaired Renal Function

The pharmacokinetics of cefamandole, a new cephalosporin, were investigated in 23 patients with urinary tract infections and normal or varying degrees of impairment of renal function. A daily dose of 1.5 to 3.0 g administered intramuscularly was tolerated well and resulted in very high urine concentrations. The pharmacokinetics of the antibiotic were compared with isotopically labeled [(131)I]hippurate and [(125)I]iothalamate, which were used for determination of effective renal plasma flow and glomerular filtration rate, respectively. It was shown that cefamandole was excreted by glomerular filtration as well as by active tubular secretion. Probenecid inhibited the tubular secretion of cefamandole. The serum half-life of cefamandole in patients with normal renal function was approximately 1.5 h and increased in patients along with increasing impairment of renal function. Our studies indicate that a dosage regimen of 1 g of cefamandole every 8 h in patients with normal renal function results in urine concentrations sufficiently high for treatment of most common urinary tract infections. In patients with impaired renal function, the dosage interval should be increased or the dosage lowered according to the serum creatinine values.
Trope Theory, Cane, and the Metaphysical Case for Genre

Although we rely regularly on genre as a conceptual apparatus for our scholarship and course offerings, genre studies as a theory and methodology has never quite recovered from the opposition of Jacques Derrida, whose well-known essay “The Law of Genre” (1980) accused literary taxonomies of distorting the inherently indeterminate meanings of texts by imposing arbitrary restrictions, or “laws,” on our reading practices. This essay surveys the major objections to genre criticism lodged by its principal critics (especially Derrida) before introducing and advocating “trope theory,” a concept from a branch of analytic philosophy called metaphysics, in response to these objections. It then provides a sustained formal analysis of Jean Toomer's Cane (1923) to demonstrate trope theory's superior ability to account for generically hybrid narrative texts and its ability to yield a seemingly infinite number of readings and interpretations.
Short applications of very low-magnitude vibrations attenuate expansion of the intervertebral disc during extended bed rest.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Loss of functional weightbearing during spaceflight or extended bed rest (BR) causes swelling of the lumbar intervertebral discs (IVDs), elongates the spine, and increases the incidence of low back pain (LBP). Effective interventions for the negative effects of unloading are critical but not yet available. PURPOSE: To test the hypothesis that high-frequency, low-magnitude mechanical signals (LMMS) can attenuate the detrimental morphologic changes in the lumbar IVDs. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING: Volunteers were subjected to 90d of BR and 7d of reambulation. While retaining this supine position, 18 random subjects received LMMS (30 Hz) for 10 min/d, at peak-to-peak acceleration magnitudes of either 0.3 g (n512) or 0.5 g (n56). The remaining subjects served as controls (CTRs). PATIENT SAMPLE: Eighteen males and 11 female (3367 y) healthy subjects of astronaut age (3567 y, 18 males, 11 females) and without a history of back pain participated in this study. OUTCOME MEASURES: A combination of magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scans of the lumbar spine of all subjects were taken at baseline, 60d, 90d, and 7d post-BR. Back pain was self-reported. METHODS: IVD morphology, spine length, and back pain were compared between CTR and LMMS subjects. RESULTS: Compared with untreated CTRs, LMMS attenuated mean IVD swelling by 41% (p!.05) at 60d and 30% (p!.05) at 90d. After 7 days of reambulation, disc volume of the CTR group was still 8% (p!.01) greater than at baseline, whereas that for the LMMS group returned the disc volume to baseline levels. In contrast to BR alone, LMMS also retained disc convexity at all time points and reduced the incidence of LBP by 46% (p!.05). CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that short daily bouts of LMMS can mitigate the detrimental changes in disc morphology, which arise during nonweightbearing, and provides preliminary support for a novel means of addressing spinal deterioration both on earth and in space. 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Early developmental expression of two insulins in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

We have cloned a second insulin gene in zebrafish and studied temporal and spatial expression of two zebrafish insulin genes. Zebrafish insulin-a (insa) and -b (insb) mRNAs are derived from two dif...
Non-invasive techniques for investigating and modelling root-feeding insects in managed and natural systems

Root-feeding insects are now considered to play a greater role in ecosystem proc- esses than previously thought, yet little is known about their specific interactions with host plants compared with above-ground insect herbivores. Methodological difficulties associated with studying these insects in the soil, together with the lack of empirical and theoretical frameworks, have conventionally hindered progress in this area. 2 This paper reviews recent empirical and theoretical developments that have been adopted for studying root-feeding insects, focusing on the non-invasive tech- niques of X-ray tomography and acoustic field detection and how these can be integrated with new mathematical modelling approaches. 3 X-ray tomography has been used for studying the movements of several insects within the soil and has helped to characterize the host plant location behaviour of the clover root weevil, Sitona lepidus . Acoustic detection of soil insects has been used in various managed systems, ranging from nursery containers to citrus groves. 4 Mathematical modelling plays a complementary role for investigating root-feed- ing insects, illustrated by a number of published models. A model is presented for the movement of S. lepidus in the soil, which suggests that these insects un- dergo Levy movements, similar to those recently demonstrated for above-ground organisms. 5 The future directions and challenges for investigating root-feeding insects are discussed in the context of the wider ecosystem, incorporating both above and below-ground organisms.
Assessing effectiveness in video retrieval

This paper examines results from the last two years of the TRECVID video retrieval evaluations. While there is encouraging evidence about progress in video retrieval, there are several major disappointments confirming that the field of video retrieval is still in its infancy. Many publications blithely attribute improvements in retrieval tasks to the different techniques without paying much attention to the statistical reliability of the comparisons. We conduct an analysis of the official TRECVID evaluation results, using both retrieval experiment error rates and ANOVA measures, and demonstrate that the difference between many systems is not statistically significant. We conclude the paper with the lessons learned from both results with and without statistically significant difference.
Identifying differential correlation in gene/pathway combinations

An important emerging trend in the analysis of microarray data is to incorporate known pathway information a priori. Expression level "summaries" for pathways, obtained from the expression data for the genes constituting the pathway, permit the inclusion of pathway information, reduce the high dimensionality of microarray data, and have the power to elucidate gene-interaction dependencies which are not already accounted for through known pathway identification. We present a novel method for the analysis of microarray data that identifies joint differential expression in gene-pathway pairs. This method takes advantage of known gene pathway memberships to compute a summary expression level for each pathway as a whole. Correlations between the pathway expression summary and the expression levels of genes not already known to be associated with the pathway provide clues to gene interaction dependencies that are not already accounted for through known pathway identification, and statistically significant differences between gene-pathway correlations in phenotypically different cells (e.g., where the expression level of a single gene and a given pathway summary correlate strongly in normal cells but weakly in tumor cells) may indicate biologically relevant gene-pathway interactions. Here, we detail the methodology and present the results of this method applied to two gene-expression datasets, identifying gene-pathway pairs which exhibit differential joint expression by phenotype. The method described herein provides a means by which interactions between large numbers of genes may be identified by incorporating known pathway information to reduce the dimensionality of gene interactions. The method is efficient and easily applied to data sets of ~102 arrays. Application of this method to two publicly-available cancer data sets yields suggestive and promising results. This method has the potential to complement gene-at-a-time analysis techniques for microarray analysis by indicating relationships between pathways and genes that have not previously been identified and which may play a role in disease.
Soybeans transformed with a fungal phytase gene improve phosphorus availability for broilers

Abstract Male broilers (n = 416) were used to compare the efficacy of providing dietary phytase either as a commercial supplement or as a recombinant protein in transformed soybean. From 7 to 21 d of age, broilers were fed a basal diet containing 0.20% nonphytate P (nP) with additional supplementation by fungal phytase as Natuphos or as raw transformed soybeans expressing recombinant phytase at 400, 800, or 1,200 U/kg. For comparison, broilers were also fed the basal diet containing 0.08, 0.16, or 0.24 added nP. The basal diet was fed as the negative control. Diets were consumed ad libitum as a mash. All excreta were collected from each pen from 18 through 20 d of age, and the birds were killed at 21 d of age. Supplementing the basal diet with nP linearly increased body weight gain, feed efficiency, feed intake, toe ash weight and percentage, and tibia shear force and energy. Phosphorus digestibility decreased linearly as nP level increased, but P excretion increased. Dietary phytase linearly increased growth rate, feed intake, toe ash weight and percentage, tibia shear force and energy, and P digestibility, whereas excretion was decreased. Except for P digestibility, there was no difference in efficacy of responses for performance, bone mineralization, and P excretion between the two sources of phytase. It appears from this study that phytase can improve growth performance of broilers fed low nP diets when provided either as a commercial supplement or in the form of transformed seeds.
Integrated microelectromechanical systems in conventional CMOS

Electrostatically actuated microstructures with high-aspect-ratio laminated-beam suspensions are fabricated using conventional CMOS processing followed by a sequence of maskless dry-etching steps. The metallization and dielectric layers, normally used for electrical interconnect, now serve a dual function as a structural layer. The post-CMOS microstructural reactive-ion etch produces near vertical sidewalls, enabling micromechanical beam widths and gap spacings down to 1.2 /spl mu/m. The process is tailored for design of lateral electrostatic actuators and sensors integrated with 0.5 /spl mu/m CMOS. The fabricated x-y-z microstage devices demonstrate the technology for future use in inertial sensor and probe-based data storage system applications.
Optimal simultaneous superpositioning of multiple structures with missing data

Motivation: Superpositioning is an essential technique in structural biology that facilitates the comparison and analysis of conformational differences among topologically similar structures. Performing a superposition requires a one-to-one correspondence, or alignment, of the point sets in the different structures. However, in practice, some points are usually ‘missing’ from several structures, for example, when the alignment contains gaps. Current superposition methods deal with missing data simply by superpositioning a subset of points that are shared among all the structures. This practice is inefficient, as it ignores important data, and it fails to satisfy the common least-squares criterion. In the extreme, disregarding missing positions prohibits the calculation of a superposition altogether. Results: Here, we present a general solution for determining an optimal superposition when some of the data are missing. We use the expectation–maximization algorithm, a classic statistical technique for dealing with incomplete data, to find both maximum-likelihood solutions and the optimal least-squares solution as a special case. Availability and implementation: The methods presented here are implemented in THESEUS 2.0, a program for superpositioning macromolecular structures. ANSI C source code and selected compiled binaries for various computing platforms are freely available under the GNU open source license from http://www.theseus3d.org. Contact: dtheobald@brandeis.edu Supplementary information:Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
FROM PHONEMIC DIFFERENCES TO CONSTRAINT RANKINGS: Research on Second Language Phonology

This article surveys the development of second language (L2) phonology over the last 40–50 years. Research in this area has grown from analyzing learners' errors in terms of Contrastive Analysis to proposals explaining L2 sound patterns in terms of constraints on interlanguage grammar. Although native language transfer has endured as one source of learner constraints, researchers have, over the years, shown the necessity of phonological universals in explaining L2 phonologies. More recently, L2 phonologists have provided insightful analyses through constraint-based grammars within the framework of Optimality Theory.I would like to thank two anonymous SSLA reviewers for their many helpful comments and suggestions on this manuscript. As always, neither of these people is responsible for any misstatements, misrepresentations, or other errors.
Methods to Measure the Repair of Genes

Recently, there has been a lot of interest and many studies in the area of gene-specific repair. Demonstrations of DNA repair heterogeneity within the genome date back more than a decade. An early example of repair heterogeneity was the demonstration that repair incorporation in the first hours after UV damage was preferentially associated with the nuclear matrix (Mullenders et al., 1984). Other studies had shown DNA damage and repair heterogeneity in different subfractions of the cellular nucleus, within the genome, or in repetitive DNA sequences (reviewed in Bohr et al., 1987). A critical advance in this area of research was the development of a general technique to study the DNA repair process in individual genes (Bohr et al., 1985). This assay employed quantitative Southern blot analysis and it has at times been called the Bohr-Hanawalt technique. It is described below. The principal idea in this approach is to use a DNA repair enzyme to generate a strand break at the site of a lesion, and then to measure the frequency of DNA lesions within specific restriction fragments located within specific genes. Early experiments using this approach showed that genes could be repaired much more efficiently than the bulk of the DNA, and this led to the introduction of the concept of “preferential gene repair.” In the past years, numerous experiments have examined this technique and the use of strand-specific DNA probes in this same assay (Mellon et al., 1987) has led to new insight into the molecular link between DNA repair and transcription.
Molecular Biology of Infectious Agents in Chronic Arthritis

Severe and chronic inflammatory arthritis sometimes follows urogenital infection with Chlamydia trachomatis or gastrointestinal infection with enteric bacterial pathogens. A similar clinical entity can be elicited by the respiratory pathogen Chlamydophila (Chlamydia) pneumoniae. Arthritogenesis does not universally require viable enteric bacteria in the joint. In arthritis induced by either of the chlamydial species, organisms are viable and metabolically active in the synovium. They exist in a "persistent" state of infection. Conventional antibiotic treatment of patients with Chlamydia-induced arthritis is largely ineffective. The authors outline the current understanding of the molecular genetic and biologic aspects underlying bacterially-induced joint pathogenesis, available information regarding host-pathogen interaction at that site, and several directions for future study to inform development of more effective therapies.
Perfect Information Games with Upper Semicontinuous Payoffs

It has been shown that every n-person, perfect information game with no chance moves and bounded, lower semicontinuous payoffs has a subgame perfect e-equilibrium in pure strategies. Here the same is proved when the payoffs are bounded and upper semicontinuous.
Do Transparent Business Practices Pay? Exploration of Transparency and Consumer Purchase Intention:

Information transparency has mostly been associated with financial institutions, and little is known about its application in the apparel supply chain. The aim of this study was to gain an in-depth...
Regulation of Food Intake Through Hypothalamic Signaling Networks Involving mTOR

To maintain normal activity, single cells must assure that their energy needs and utilization are continuously matched. Likewise, multicellular organisms must constantly coordinate energy intake and expenditure to maintain energy homeostasis. The brain, and the hypothalamus in particular, plays a critical role in integrating and coordinating several types of signals, including hormones and nutrients, to guarantee such homeostasis. Like single cells, the hypothalamus also profits from intracellular pathways known to work as fuel sensors to maintain energy balance. One such pathway is the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). mTOR integrates different sensory inputs to regulate protein synthesis rates in individual cells, and it has recently been implicated in the central nervous system to regulate food intake and body weight as well. This review provides an overview of the role of hypothalamic intracellular fuel sensors in the overall control of energy balance and discusses the potential contribution of these fuel-sensing mechanisms to the metabolic dysregulation associated with obesity.
Changes in ionic currents and β-adrenergic receptor signaling in hypertrophied myocytes overexpressing Gαq

Transgenic overexpression of Gαq causes cardiac hypertrophy and depressed contractile responses to β-adrenergic receptor agonists. The electrophysiological basis of the altered myocardial function ...
Spontaneous Eye-Blink Rate as an Index of Reward Responsivity Validation and Links to Bipolar Disorder

Extensive research supports the role of striatal dopamine in pursuing and responding to reward, and that eye-blink rate is a valid indicator of striatal dopamine. This study tested whether phasic changes in blink rate could provide an index of reward pursuit. This hypothesis was tested in people with bipolar I disorder (BD; a population with aberrations in reward responsivity), and in those without BD. Thirty-one adults with BD and 28 control participants completed a laboratory task involving effort towards monetary reward. Blink rate was recorded using eye-tracking at baseline, reward anticipation, and post-reward. Those in the BD group completed self-report measures relating to reward and ambition. Results showed that across all participants, blink rates increased from reward anticipation to post-reward. In the BD group, reward-relevant measures were strongly correlated with variation in blink rate. These findings provide validation for phasic changes in blink rate as an index of reward response.
Endocarditis due to Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans of both a prosthetic valve and a native valve in the same patient.

A patient with Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans endocarditis, a rare cause of gram-negative endocarditis, is reported. This case is unique in that it is the onlyone in the literature with documented involvement of both prosthetic (aortic) and native (mitral) valves. The patient required surgical replacement of the aortic valve prosthesis and debridement of the mitral valve, as well as prolonged antibiotic therapy.
Developmental Toxicity of Orange B when Given To Rats By Gavage

The pyrazolone dye Orange B was given by gavage to pregnant Osborne- Mendel rats throughout gestation. Dose levels of 0, 15, 30, 100, 200, 400, or 700 mglkg body weight were given daily. On gestation day 20, the females were killed and cesarean sections were performed. Feed consumption and maternal weight gain were not affected. No dose-related changes were seen in maternal clinical findings, implantations, fetal viability, or fetal size (weight and length). No compound-related effects were seen in sternebral development. No dose- related effect was seen in the incidence of skeletal variations in fetuses or in the number of litters containing fetuses with skeletal variations. Skeletal development, as measured by the average number of ossified vertebrae, was similar in all groups. No compound-related effects were seen in soft-tissue development.
Optimal Energy-Bandwidth Allocation for Energy-Harvesting Networks in Multiuser Fading Channels

In this paper, we develop optimal energy-bandwidth allocation algorithms in fading channels for multiple energy harvesting transmitters. We first assume that the side information of both the channel states and the energy harvesting states is known for $K$ time slots a priori , and the battery capacity and the maximum transmission power in each time slot are bounded. The network consists of $N$ transmitter-receiver pairs and the objective is to maximize the sum-rate of all communication links over the $K$ time slots by assigning the transmission power and bandwidth for each transmitter in each slot. The problem is formulated as a convex optimization problem with ${\cal O}(NK)$ constraints, where $N$ is the number of the receivers, making it hard to solve with a generic convex solver. An iterative algorithm is proposed based on efficiently solving two subproblems in each iteration, that has an overall complexity of ${\cal O}(NK^2)$ . The convergence and the optimality of this algorithm are also shown. Moreover, a heuristic algorithm is also proposed for energy-bandwidth allocation based on causal information of channel and energy harvesting states. Simulation results show that the proposed causal and noncausal algorithms can make efficient use of the harvested energy and the available bandwidth. And they achieve significantly higher rates than some heuristic policies for energy and bandwidth allocation.
Effect of acute glucagon removal on metabolic response to infection in conscious dog

This study examined the acute role of glucagon in sustaining the increased hepatic gluconeogenesis observed in the conscious infected dog. After a basal sampling period, arterial glucagon levels were selectively decreased for 180 min by a peripheral infusion of somatostatin and basal intraportal infusion of insulin (GGN deficient; n = 6). In a separate protocol (GGN replaced; n = 5) glucagon was also infused intraportally to maintain the glucagon level at that seen during sepsis. Tracer and arteriovenous difference techniques were used to assess hepatic glucose metabolism and gluconeogenesis. In the GGN-deficient group the arterial plasma glucagon level fell from 416 +/- 49 to 88 +/- 21 pg/ml, whereas in the GGN-replaced group it remained elevated throughout (321 +/- 48 to 248 +/- 22 pg/ml). When glucagon was reduced, endogenous glucose production decreased by 1.6 +/- 0.3 mg.kg-1.min-1, and an exogenous glucose infusion was required to maintain euglycemia. Glucose metabolism remained unaltered when glucagon was replaced. When glucagon was deleted, net hepatic gluconeogenic precursor uptake was not altered. In contrast, the efficiency of gluconeogenesis was decreased by 33% compared with the GGN-replaced group. Liver biopsies taken at the end of the experiment indicated that a diversion of gluconeogenic carbon to glycogen accounted for 50% of the fall in gluconeogenic efficiency. In summary, the basal hyperglucagonemia seen during an infection helps sustain glucose production both through its effects on hepatic glycogen metabolism and on gluconeogenic efficiency.
Clinically relevant discovery recognized during simulator training session: Free-standing peep valve solves problem of incompetent exhalation unidirectional valve in an anesthesia circle breathing system.

While conducting a case-based teaching session using a full-scale simulator, the authors discovered that placement of a unidirectional PEEP valve in the expiratory limb corrects the gas flow pattern, despite an exhalation valve failure.
Superconductivity in M3C60

The general properties of C60 and M3C60 alkali interstitial fullerides will be briefly reviewed. We will argue that the high superconducting transition temperature observed in K3C60 may be the result of the peculiar s-p hybridization of the π electrons of C60 due to the curvature of its bonding network.
Mechanisms of reversed cholesterol transport.

Reverse cholesterol transport may be defined as the movement of cholesterol from tissues, organs and cells to the liver (hepatocytes). Once cholesterol enters the hepatocyte it may be catabolized to bile acids, excreted into bile as free cholesterol, secreted back into the plasma compartment in lipoproteins or esterified and stored in the liver. A fraction of the bile acid and cholesterol excreted into bile is lost in the feces and accounts for the major loss of cholesterol and its metabolites from the body. If cholesterol was not added to the body then the mechanisms of reverse transport, bile acid and cholesterol excretion would deplete the body of sterols. Of course the body can absorb dietary cholesterol and synthesize cholesterol to keep overall cholesterol homeostasis. The mechanisms of reverse transport involve 1) the physico-chemical state of cholesterol and potential for movement within peripheral cells, tissues and deposits (e.g., atherosclerotic plaques); 2) the net transfer of free cholesterol from cell, tissues and deposits to acceptors (especially lipoproteins); 3) the physical state of the acceptors (e.g., the core and surface of lipoproteins and their capacity to accept cholesterol; 4) the LCAT reaction; 5) the transfer proteins; 6) the lipase (LPL and HTGL) reactions; and finally 7) the functional state of the LDL and chylomicron remnant receptors in the liver. The net transport of cholesterol from peripheral tissues, deposits and cells to the liver first depends on the rate of influx into the cells plus the rate of de novo cholesterol synthesis being less than the rate of removal. The rates of net removal will depend upon the sum of a variety of complex steps by which cholesterol can move down a gradient to enter acceptors than be transferred to other lipoproteins which are in turn ultimately taken up by the liver. A potentially important fraction of cholesterol leaving cells may be converted into cholesterol ester by LCAT then transferred to larger particles which can then be taken up by receptor medicated endocytosis in the liver. The HDL system must have its phospholipids replenished by both the synthesis of nascent HDL and by the formation of phospholipid-rich surface remnants during lipolysis of nascent triglyceride-rich lipoproteins which enter the HDL fraction. Finally, functionally active and vigorous receptor mechanisms are needed to remove cholesterol-containing particles into the liver.
Trading on Twitter: Using Social Media Sentiment to Predict Stock Returns

Decision making is often based on the rational assessment of information, but recent research shows that emotional sentiment also plays an important role, especially for investment decision making. Emotional sentiment about a firm's stock that spreads rapidly through social media is more likely to be incorporated quickly into stock prices (e.g., on the same trading day it was expressed), while sentiment that spreads slowly takes longer to be incorporated into stock prices and thus is more likely to predict stock prices on future days. We analyzed the cumulative sentiment (positive and negative) in 2.5 million Twitter postings about individual S&P 500 firms and compared this to the stock returns of those firms. Our results show that the sentiment in tweets about a specific firm from users with less than 171 followers (the median in our sample) had a significant impact on the stock's returns on the next trading day, the next 10 days, and the next 20 days. Interestingly, sentiment in tweets from users with fewer than 171 followers that were not retweeted had the greatest impact on future stock returns. A trading strategy based on these findings produced meaningful economic gains on the order of an 11–15% annual return.
The Role of the Military in the Economic Decline

In contrast to the curtailment of public investment in productive infrastructure, the military has continued to grow by leaps and bounds since the Camelot days of the Kennedy administration. Today, the extent of military spending in the United States today is almost incomprehensible. By 1990, the Military Industrial Complex was employing about 6.5 million military and civilian personnel — about 1 of every 10 workers — in more than 135,000 factories (Melman and Dumas 1990). According to the conservative estimates of the Office of Management and Budget, national defence made up 26 per cent of the fiscal 1990 budget.
Evaluating the Roles of Ethnicity and Performance in African Elections: Evidence from an Exit Poll in Kenya

While many scholars argue that ethnicity drives voting behavior in Africa, recent quantitative work finds government performance also matters. But under what conditions do Africans use ethnicity or...
Si-Ge surface-normal asymmetric fabry-perot quantum-confined stark effect electroabsorption modulator

The strong electroabsorption modulation possible in Ge/SiGe quantum wells promises efficient, CMOS-compatible integrated optical modulators. Using an asymmetric Fabry-Perot design, we demonstrate the first surface-normal semiconductor modulator structure grown on silicon.
The Repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act: Myth and Reality

The Glass-Steagall Act was enacted in 1933 in response to banking crises in the 1920s and early 1930s. It imposed the separation of commercial and investment banking. In 1999, after decades of incremental changes to the operation of the legislation, as well as significant shifts in the structure of the financial services industry, Glass-Steagall was partially repealed by the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act.When the United States suffered a severe financial crisis less than a decade later, some leapt to the conclusion that this repeal was at least partly to blame. Indeed, both the Republicans and the Democrats included the reinstatement of Glass-Steagall in their 2016 election platforms.However, the argument that repealing Glass-Steagall caused the financial crisis, and that bringing it back would prevent future crises, is not supported by the facts. Glass-Steagall could not have prevented the bank failures of the 1920s and early 1930s had it been in force earlier, and it wouldn’t have averted the 2008 financial crisis had it stayed in force after 1999.Widespread Depression-era bank failures were primarily due to the fragility of the banking system at that time. Regulations that prohibited branch banking meant that America’s banks were frequently very small, with undiversified loan portfolios tied to the local economy of specific regions. Persistent crop failures and falling real estate values pushed thousands of these banks over the edge. Loan-financed securities speculation — the target of Glass-Steagall — had very little to do with it.Likewise, during the recent financial crisis, commercial bank failures were largely driven by credit losses on real estate loans. The banks that failed generally pursued high-risk business strategies that combined nontraditional funding sources with aggressive subprime lending. Glass-Steagall would not have stopped any of this. Nor could it have stopped standalone investment banks, such as Lehman Brothers, from running into trouble.Ultimately, those who see a simple solution to our contemporary financial woes in repealing Gramm-Leach-Bliley and reimposing Glass-Steagall only betray their misunderstanding of both pieces of legislation. The causes of financial crises — past, present, and future — lie elsewhere.
Direct Analysis of Xanthine Stimulants in Archaeological Vessels by Laser Desorption Resonance Enhanced Multiphoton Ionization

Resonance enhanced multiphoton ionization spectroscopy (REMPI) generates simultaneous vibronic spectroscopy and fragment free mass spectrometry to identify molecules within a complex matrix. We combined laser desorption with REMPI spectroscopy to study organic residues within pottery sherds from Maya vessels (600–900 CE) and Mississippian vessels (1100–1200 CE), successfully detecting three molecular markers, caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline, associated with the use of cacao. This analytical approach provides a high molecular specificity, based on both wavelength and mass identification. At the same time, the high detection limit allows for direct laser desorption from sherd scrapings, avoiding the need for extracting organic constituents from the sherd matrix.
ZapA and ZapB form an FtsZ-independent structure at midcell

SUMMARY Cell division in Escherichia coli begins with the polymerization of FtsZ into a ring-like structure, the Z-ring, at midcell. All other division proteins are thought to require the Z-ring for recruitment to the future division site. Here, we report that the Z-ring associated proteins ZapA and ZapB form FtsZ-independent structures at midcell. Upon Z-ring disruption by the FtsZ polymerization antagonist SulA, ZapA remained at midcell as a cloud-like accumulation. Using ZapA(N60Y), a variant defective for interaction with FtsZ, it was established that these ZapA structures form without a connection to the Z-ring. Furthermore, midcell accumulations of GFP-ZapA(N60Y) often preceded Z-rings at midcell and required ZapB to assemble, suggesting that ZapB polymers form the foundation of these structures. In the absence of MatP, a DNA-binding protein that links ZapB to the chromosomal terminus region, cloud-like ZapA structures still formed but failed to track with the chromosome terminus and did not consistently precede FtsZ at midcell. Taken together, our results suggest that FtsZ-independent structures of ZapA-ZapB provide additional positional cues for Z-ring formation and may help coordinate its assembly with chromosome replication and segregation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
A novel statistical analysis of chloropigment fluxes to constrain particle exchange and organic matter remineralization rate constants in the Mediterranean Sea

To investigate particle dynamics, we used a 3-prong modeling approach. First we constructed a conceptual finite difference (FD) model to describe chloropigment and organic matter (OM) cycling. Second, from the FD model, we obtained a set of synthetic data; we then used Bayesian techniques to recover parameters used in the FD model to show that Bayesian techniques have the ability to make parameter estimations. Third, we built a two-layer model and applied the Bayesian approach to the data from Indented Rotating Sphere (IRS) sediment traps operating in Settling Velocity (SV) mode to estimate particle and pigment cycling rate constants. Eleven settling velocity categories collected by SV sediment traps were grouped into two sinking velocity classes (fast-sinking and slow-sinking classes) to decrease the number of parameters that needed to be estimated, with a fast/slow cutoff SV of 49 m/d adopted from previous work. The organic matter degradation rate constant was estimated to be 1.5− 0.4+ 0.5 y− 1, which is equivalent to a degradation half-life of ~ 0.5 years. The rate constant of chlorophyll a degradation to pheopigments (sum of pheophorbide, pheophytin, and pyropheophorbide) was estimated to be 1.6− 0.3+ 0.4 y− 1, pheopigment remineralization was 2.1− 0.5+ 0.7 y− 1, both of which are higher than the organic matter degradation rate constant. Disaggregation/aggregation rate constants were 149.9− 99.6+ 297.3 y− 1 and 3.2− 2.4+ 9.9 y− 1, respectively. We compare our data with previously published thorium-based particle aggregation and disaggregation rate constants at this site and consider how this comparison can be used to explore particle exchange concepts.
Tonic-Clonic Epilepsy in Humans

Tonic-clonic seizures (grand mal seizures) are those affecting the entire brain. The convulsions involve the entire body and consist of muscle rigidity, violent muscle contractions, and a loss of consciousness. When the seizure activity stops, ­unconsciousness usually continues for many minutes, then occurs a period of confusion, amnesia, and drowsiness. Generalized tonic-clonic seizures can be roughly classified into two varieties. The first is secondary generalized tonic-clonic seizures, which arise as an aura (simple partial seizure), then become partial complex seizures with a distinct focus. Secondary generalized tonic-clonic seizures then spread bilaterally throughout the brain. The second type (primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures) is bilaterally generalized initially without an initiating focus.
School Transitions as a Turning Point for Gang Status

AbstractThe study of gangs corresponds well with life course perspectives of crime as the onset, persistence, and desistance from crime parallel the stages of gang membership. This literature commonly draws on turning points to explain the onset and desistance from criminal behavior, which are often synonymous with life transitions such as marriage, military duty, employment –even gang membership itself. In this study we draw on life course perspectives to examine the impact of a specific life transition that is common during adolescence, school transitions, on a youth’s gang status as well as variables associated with a turning point in the life course. Specifically, we focus on two competing relationships that school mobility can serve as the impetus for joining a gang, or alternatively, act as a ‘hook for change’ and facilitate gang leaving. We use a mixed-methods approach by first drawing on qualitative data that examined desisted gang members and their interpretation of their school transition experi...
Cognitive mechanisms underlying the relation between nonsymbolic and symbolic magnitude processing and their relation to math

Abstract Recent studies suggest that the relation between nonsymbolic magnitude processing skills and math competence is mediated by symbolic number processing. However, less is known about whether mapping between nonsymbolic and symbolic magnitude representations also mediates that relation, and whether the mediating role of symbolic number processing is explained by domain-general executive functions. Therefore, the current study examines whether symbolic comparison, mixed-format comparison, and executive function each mediate the relation between nonsymbolic magnitude processing and math. Furthermore, we investigate whether the relation between nonsymbolic and symbolic magnitude comparison is mediated by mapping between the formats and/or domain-general executive functions. Results indicate that symbolic processing mediates the relation between nonsymbolic processing and math, even after controlling for multiple components of executive function, which were also significant mediators. Cross-format comparison (i.e. mapping), on the other hand, did not mediate the relation between nonsymbolic comparison and math, but did mediate the relation between nonsymbolic and symbolic magnitude processing, even after controlling for executive function, which also mediated that relation. Taken together, our results suggest that both domain-specific and domain-general cognitive mechanisms account for the link between nonsymbolic and symbolic magnitude processing and their relation to math.
How do Relationship Stability and Quality Affect Wellbeing?: Romantic Relationship Trajectories, Depressive Symptoms, and Life Satisfaction across 30 Years

Lifecourse theory scholars focus on how individuals traverse social roles, such as marriage, parenthood, and employment, in similar and different ways across their lives. This study examined one specific role trajectory: romantic relationships. This study examined men’s and women’s (N = 3617) relationship status and quality across approximately 30 years. Using second-order latent class analysis, results showed four predominant relationship role trajectories: (a) Multiple Transitions, (b) Stable Marriage with High Conflict, (c) Stable Marriage with High Satisfaction, and (d) Marriage to Divorce/cohabitation. These relationship role trajectories differed on two aspects of quality of life: life satisfaction and depressive symptoms. Individuals in the Multiple Transitions trajectory consistently reported poorest quality of life; however, those in the Multiple Transitions and Stable Marriage with High Conflict trajectories were the only that reported decreases in depressive symptoms over 30 years. Relationship satisfaction poorly differentiated the trajectories compared to relationship conflict and stability.
Clinical Effects of Immunosuppressive Agents: Targets and Mechanisms

ABSTRACT Two of the major immunosuppressive agents used in clinical practice are corticosteroids (CS) and the cytotoxic agents. Cytotoxic agents such as cyclophosphamide (CY) when used as immunosuppressive agents result in a dosedependent decrease in the circulating peripheral leukocyte count. In addition, selective functional inhibition can be demonstrated following treatment with CY. In serial studies with patients receiving chronic low-dose (2 mg/kg/day) CY therapy, selective suppression of B cell function with a relative sparing of helper and suppressor T cell function for antibody production was noted. In vivo administration of CS resulted in multiple and heterogeneous effects on human mononuclear cell traffic and function with a profound and transient depletion of monocytes and lymphocytes from the circulation. There was a selective depletion of T cells versus B cells, and within the T cell pool, selective depletion of immunoglobulin class M Fc receptor-bearing T cells was seen. With regard to functional capabilities, in vitro and in vivo exposure of lymphoid cells to CS resulted in a suppression of T cell and B cell proliferation with a relative sparing of B cell differentiation with in vitro CS. Suppressor T cell as opposed to helper T cell function was selectively sensitive to CS. Thus, these studies demonstrate the multifaceted and diverse effects of CS and CY on human lymphoid responses and may shed light on the mechanisms of clinical effect of these agents.
Dietary Energy Balance, Calorie Restriction, and Cancer Prevention

1. The prevalence of obesity, an established epidemiologic risk factor for many cancers, has risen steadily in the past several decades in the United States. Particularly alarming are the increasing rates of obesity among children, indicative of further increases in obesity-related cancers for many years to come unless new prevention strategies can be developed.
Contemporary surgical management of thoracic empyema

In the USA, one million patients diagnosed with pneumonia are admitted each year and among these, 32,000 patients develop empyema (1,2). Empyema is associated with a high morbidity and mortality (2,3).
Investigation of new chemistries for processing and passivation of III-V antimonide based infrared detectors

Abstract In the pursuit of lower cost and higher performance infrared detectors, antimonide-based materials have been increasingly investigated over the past decade. One of the greatest advantages of the III-V materials system is the potential for improved uniformity stemming from the incorporation of lattice-matched wide bandgap, unipolar barrier devices (i.e. “nBn”). However, with the increasing demand for larger-format, smaller-pitch focal plane arrays (FPA) new processing and passivation techniques have become necessary. This is especially true for FPAs that require fully reticulated detector pixel structures to meet modulation transfer function (MTF) requirements. This paper will discuss our investigation of several mesa delineation strategies to improve consistency, reduce surface current, and maximize optical fill factor in antimonide based dual-band infrared photodetectors. The resulting etch profiles, surface chemistry and photoresist etch selectivity for new inductively coupled plasma etch chemistries and conditions will be discussed.
STROLL SAFE OUTDOOR FALL PREVENTION PROGRAM

AbstractFall prevention programs have largely focused on indoor falls. To fill this gap, the Stroll Safe outdoor fall prevention program was developed using the Ecological and Health Belief Models and research on common causes and locations of outdoor falls as a guide. The 7-week educational intervention includes didactic presentations, group discussion/problem solving, mobility training, and self-advocacy regarding reporting environmental hazards. The purpose of this study was to assess the program’s feasibility and to use the findings to plan a large scale efficacy trial. Consistent with suggested guidelines for feasibility studies, process, scientific, management and resource assessments were conducted. Feasibility was assessed quantitatively using retention rates and attendance records, and qualitatively using a fidelity assessment, reflective log, and an audio recorded focus group. The scientific assessment included descriptive statistics to explore trends pertaining to changes in fall prevention strategy use, concern about falling outdoors, and number of slips, trips and falls outdoors from study enrollment through 2 month follow up. Findings included successful recruitment (N=24, 100%) and retention of the majority of participants (83%), and predominantly positive participant feedback, with no adverse events. The Stroll Safe program appears to be feasible to implement among active, community-dwelling older adults. Feedback was obtained to refine the program and research methodology for a larger study, including considerations for hiring and training of research assistants, staffing, program content, and choice of measures. Preliminary results reveal program benefits including increased use of prevention strategies and a decrease in trips, slips and falls.
Application of Fracture Mechanics in Maintenance of High Temperature Equipment — An Assessment of Critical Needs

Extending the operating life of power-plant, chemical reactor and land, sea and air based gas turbine components beyond their original design life has considerable economic advantages. Fracture mechanics is used extensively to predict the remaining life and safe inspection intervals as part of maintenance programs for these systems. The presence of creep deformation and time-dependent damage accumulation in these components present very significant challenges. Therefore, the emphasis of this paper is on the time-dependent fracture mechanics concepts. A critical assessment of the current state-of-the-art of time dependent fracture mechanics concepts, test techniques, analytical procedures and application tools is made to demonstrate the potential of this technology in maintenance engineering. In addition, future developments that are needed to enhance the application of this technology are also described and limits of the current approaches are also discussed.