cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The System and the Speaking Subject in the Hebrew Bible: Reading for Divine Abjection

What appears to be self-evident in biblical studies — what "can be assumed" — may in fact be quite problematic. Invariably and unquestionably, scholars of Micah 1:8-9 identify its speaker as the prophet rather than YHWH. Yet when one tugs at a few loose threads, that supposedly self-evident reading unravels. After problematizing that identification, this paper argues for reading YHWH as the profoundly unstable speaking subject of this abjectionable dirge. As such, the divine subject of this prophetic discourse is rendered entirely ambivalent, sweeping through and among the people with all the rage and all the grief of absolute disorientation. Understood thus, the book of Micah opens with a theophany of, in Julia Kristeva's terms, a "subject on trial," brought about by the "fracture of a symbolic code which can no longer 'hold' its (speaking) subjects" (1986a:30). This reading, which draws inspiration from Kristeva's theories of textuality and the construction of the speaking subject in discourse, is placed in intertextual tension with Kristeva's own reading of the biblical God in The Powers of Horror (1982), which, ironically, depicts that divine subject as the stable, univocal Guarantor of patriarchal order. Thus this paper is intended to problematize Kristeva's reading of the divine subject of biblical discourse, even while it depends heavily on her theoretical work to evolve a new reading of the text.
Deuteron NMR study of dynamics and of coexistence of paraelectric and ferroelectric phases in Rb0.90(ND4)0.10D2AsO4.

The deuteron glass ${\mathrm{Rb}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$(${\mathrm{ND}}_{4}$${)}_{\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{D}}_{2}$${\mathrm{AsO}}_{4}$ (DRADA) is a mixed crystal of ${\mathrm{RbD}}_{2}$${\mathrm{AsO}}_{4}$ (DRDA) and ${\mathrm{ND}}_{4}$${\mathrm{D}}_{2}$${\mathrm{AsO}}_{4}$ (DADA). Deuteron nuclear magnetic resonance has been performed on the acid and ammonium deuterons. The crystal studied has an ammonium concentration (x=0.10) that puts it in the coexistence region of the phase diagram. Line-shape measurements of the ammonium deuterons show the coexistence of the ferroelectric (FE) and paraelectric (PE) phases as the temperature is lowered below the ferroelectric-phase-transition temperature ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$. The acid deuteron line shape on the other hand is found to broaden as the temperature is reduced but is unaffected by the ferroelectric transition. Spin-lattice-relaxation measurements have been performed and the activation energies for the relaxation processes have been computed. The relaxation-rate anomaly for acid deuterons in the ferroelectric-transition range indicates a short correlation length for the FE phase in the coexistence region of the phase diagram.
Sentencing disparity and departures from guidelines

Unwarranted sentencing disparity, a long-standing concern for sociologists studying criminal sentencing, helped to stimulate reforms of sentencing such as sentencing guidelines. Guidelines, however, do not assure the elimination or even the reduction of sentencing disparity. Courts have the discretion to deviate from guideline recommendations, and these departures become a potential source of unwarranted disparity. Therefore we examine five years of recent sentencing data from Pennsylvania, focusing on the degree to which sentences that depart from the state's guideline recommendations involve extralegal differences. We find that legally prescribed factors such as offense type/severity and criminal history are the primary predictors of departure decisions, but that departures from guidelines are also the locus of significant extralegal differences involving gender, race, and mode of conviction (guilty plea vs trial). We conclude by discussing the dilemmas these extralegal differences present for sentencin...
Desf lurane, Enf lurane, Isof lurane and Ether Produce Ethanol-Like Discriminative Stimulus Effects in Mice1

In the present studies, drug discrimination procedures were used to compare the discriminative stimulus effects of ethanol (ETOH) and several volatile anesthetics. Male albino mice were trained to discriminate between IP injections of ETOH (1.25 g/kg) and saline in a two-lever operant task in which responding was under the control of a fixed-ratio 20 (FR20) schedule of food presentation. Stimulus generalization was examined after 20-min inhalation exposures to desflurane (4,000-32,000 ppm), enflurane (3,000-12,000 ppm), isoflurane (1,000-8,000 ppm) and ether (4,000-32,000 ppm). Concentration-related increases in ETOH-lever responding were observed for all four volatile anesthetics. For enflurane and ether, maximal levels of > 85% ETOH-lever responding were obtained at one or more concentrations. For desflurane and isoflurane, the maximal mean percentages of ETOH-lever responding were somewhat lower, but 6 out of 7 mice showed full substitution with desflurane and 5 out of 7 for isoflurane. The shared discriminative properties of these compounds with ETOH suggest that these anesthetics may share some of ETOH's pharmacological properties. These results are similar to previous research results showing ETOH-like discriminative stimulus effects in mice with other anesthetics and abused volatile inhalants (i.e. halothane, toluene and 1.1,1-trichloroethane) and may reflect the CNS-depressant drug-like effects of inhaled anesthetics and abused solvents.
Epicardial Fiber Organization in Swine Right Ventricle and Its Impact on Propagation

Fiber organization is important for myocardial excitation and contraction. It can be a major factor in arrhythmogenesis and current distribution during defibrillation shocks. In this study, we report the discovery of a previously undetected thin epicardial layer in swine right ventricle (RV) with distinctly different fiber orientation, which significantly affects epicardial propagation. Experiments were conducted in isolated coronary-perfused right ventricular free wall preparations (n=8) stained with the voltage-sensitive dye di-4-ANEPPS. Optical signals were recorded from the epicardium with a CCD video camera at 800 fps. Preparations were sectioned parallel to the epicardial surface with a resolution of 50 μm or better. To link the histological data with the observed activation patterns, resulting fiber angles were introduced into a 3D computer model to simulate the electrical activation and voltage-dependent optical signals. In all preparations, we detected a thin epicardial layer with almost no depth...
Growth and senescence of the bone marrow stem cell pool in RFM-Un mice.

SummaryThe exogenous spleen colony assay procedure has been used in RF mice to: (i) measure growth and senescence of the bone marrow stem cell compartment, (ii) compare the radiation sensitivity and recovery capacity of marrow stem cell compartments in fetal vs young adult mice, and (iii) determine residual radiation injury to tissues giving rise to hemopoietic progenitor cells in mice irradiated during fetal development or as young adults. The bone marrow of normal RF mice reached maximum hemopoiesis potential (20.9 CFU/105 nucleated marrow cells) within the first 3 weeks of postnatal life. This value was maintained through the first half of the mouse life. Thereafter, a progressive decline of marrow CFU potential was associated with increasing age of the animals. The stem cell pool in fetal mice appears to be less radiation sensitive and more capable of early recovery from radiation injury than that of 10- to 21-week-old young adults. Senescence of bone marrow stem cell function was accentuated in mice ...
Early systolic ejection click associated with supravalvular pulmonary stenosis.

Abstract A case of supravalvular pulmonary stenosis associated with an early systolic ejection click is described. This unusual combination demonstrates that the finding of an early systolic click in associat on with the clinical picture of pulmonary stenosis does not invariably indicate valvular stenosis but may also be associated with supravalvular stenosis of the pulmonary artery. The theoretic explanations for the production of this sound are discussed.
Hierarchical internal migration regions of Spain

1963 Spanish interprovincial migration data are utilized to re-examine—from the point of view of modern human movements—the long-accepted regions of Spain. A two-stage hierarchical regionalization algorithm is employed. The flow table—with, as well as without intraprovincial movements—is adjusted to have equal row and column sums. A hierarchical clustering procedure is then applied to the two doubly standardized tables. Well-defined regions can be perceived through the scrutiny of tree diagrams that show the results of the clusterings. Strong evidence is adduced for the plausibility of considering Galicia, Baleares, and the Canary Islands as regions. Support for the regional identity of Aragon and Extremadura is also found. None of the other traditional groupings of provinces appears here. Alternative classificatory schemes can be developed from the results.
Comparative analysis of crystallins and lipids from the lens of Antarctic toothfish and cow

Animal model systems of senile cataract and lens crystallin stability are essential to understand the complex nature of lens transparency. Our aim in this study was to assess the long-lived Antarctic toothfish Dissostichus mawsoni (Norman) as a model system to understand long-term lens clarity in terms of solubility changes that occur to crystallins. We compared the toothfish with the mammalian model cow lens, dissecting each species’ lens into a cortex and nuclear region. In addition to crystallin distribution, we also assayed fatty acid (FA) composition by negative ion electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). The majority of toothfish lens crystallins from cortex (90.4%) were soluble, whereas only a third (31.8%) from the nucleus was soluble. Crystallin solubility analysis by SDS-PAGE and immunoblots revealed that relative proportions of crystallins in both soluble and urea-soluble fractions were similar within each species examined and in agreement with previous reports for bovine lens. From our data, we found that both toothfish and cow crystallins follow patterns of insolubility that mirror each animals lens composition with more γ crystallin aggregation seen in the toothfish lens nucleus than in cow. Toothfish lens lipids had a large amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids that were absent in cow resulting in an unsaturation index (I U) four-fold higher than that of cow. We identified a novel FA with a molecular mass of 267 mass units in the lens epithelial layer of the toothfish that accounted for well over 50% of the FA abundance. The unidentified lipid in the toothfish lens epithelia corresponds to either an odd-chain (17 carbons) FA or a furanoid. We conclude that long-lived fishes are likely good animal models of lens crystallin solubility and may model post-translational modifications and solubility changes better than short-lived animal models.
The Tecumseh Study of Respiratory Illness. VI. Frequency of and Relationship between Outbreaks of Coronavirus Infection

Specimens of blood collected in Tecumseh, Michigan over a four-year period were studied for rise in antibody titer against coronavirus OC43. Peaks of infection were found in the winter and spring of 1966, 1968, and 1969; at other times, infections occurred sporadically. All age groups were involved, especially the very young. Rises in titer by CF and by HAI tests frequently did not occur together in the same individual. Agreement between the two tests was better in 1966 and 1969 than in the other years. A portion of the paired specimens showing rises in CF and/ or HAI titer was tested by neutralization. Rises in neutralizing antibody were usually found in pairs collected in 1966 and 1969 but not in those collected in 1967 and 1968. The infecting viruses in 1966 and 1969 thus appeared more closely related to OC43 than did those in 1967 and 1968.
Intramolecular electron transfer at metal surfaces. Part V. Pendant substituent effects upon thiocarboxylate-bridged cobalt(III) reduction kinetics at mercury and gold electrodes

Unimolecular rate constants, ket, (−1), are reported for the reduction of pentaamminecobalt (III) anchored to mercury or gold electrodes via thiocarboxylate bridging ligands having the general form RSCH2COO−. Since the carboxylate is bound to Co(III) and sulfur provides the surface binding group, the substituent R (where R is various alkyl, carboxylate, ketone, or aromatic groups) will be pendant to the thiocarboxylate bridge linking the surface and cobalt reacting centers. Alteration of the pendant group R yields only small (ca. up to 4 fold) variations in ket at a given electrode potential, although slightly larger variations occur in the stability of the precursor (adsorbed reactant) state at mercury electrodes that are apparently due to specific interactions between R and the metal surface. The insensitivity of ket, to the pendant group is compared and contrasted with the effects of varying the substituent that bridges the redox center to the metal surface. Comparisons are also made with pendant group effects for related redox processes in homogeneous solution.
Comparison of anorectic drugs in rats trained to discriminate between satiation and deprivation

Abstract Eight male rats were trained to discriminate between the internal states produced by food deprivation of 3 hours (satiation) and that produced by food deprivation of 27 hours duration (deprivation). One lever, in a two-lever operant chamber, had to be pressed to receive reinforcement in the satiation state, whereas pressing the other lever was required when the rat was in the deprivation state. Once the rats were trained, increasing the number of hours of food deprivation, from 1 to 48 hours, resulted in more deprivation-appropriate lever responses in the two-lever operant task. Administration of doses of fenfluramine (0.5–1.5 mg.kg), its active metabolite norfenfluramine (0.25–1.0 mg/kg) or d -amphetamine (0.5–1.5 mg/kg) produced a dose-responsive decrease in deprivation-appropriate responses when each drug/dose was injected (i.p.) 15 min prior to deprivation (27 hours) testing. Norfenfluramine was 1.5 times more potent than fenfluramine which was 1.5 times more potent than amphetamine.
Evaluation of Abnormal Mammography Results and Palpable Breast Abnormalities

The description of screening mammography results correlates well with the risk for breast cancer. High-risk women need biopsy, intermediate-risk women need diagnostic mammography or ultrasonography...
Elastic and inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy of a new rectifying monolayer.

Rectification of electrical current was observed in a Langmuir−Schaefer monolayer of fullerene-bis[ethylthio-tetrakis(3,4-dibutyl-2-thiophene-5-ethenyl)-5-bromo-3,4-dibutyl-2-thiophene] malonate, Au electrodes at room temperature (there are two regimes of asymmetry, at lower bias, i.e., between 0 and ±2 V, and at higher bias), and also between Pb and Al electrodes at 4.2 K. The latter experiment was coupled with second harmonic detection of the second derivative of the current with respect to voltage (d2I/dV2). The d2I/dV2 spectrum shows intramolecular vibrations, and also two antisymmetric broad bands, centered at ±0.65 V, due to resonant electron tunneling between the Fermi level(s) of the electrodes and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital of the molecule.
A new possible way to explain the DAMA results

At present there is an effort to reconcile the results of the DAMA experiment with those from other Dark Matter experiments such as CoGeNT, CRESST, CDMS, and all LXe experiments. The author suggests a new model describing the Dark Matter signal as the result of collisions of very light (1-to-few GeV/ c 2 c 2 ) WIMPs with hydrogen, and compares it with currently accepted models of collisions with heavy nuclei (Na, Ge or Xe). The hydrogen target would come from H-contamination of NaI(Tl), Ge and CaWO 4 crystals. Initial tuning indicates that one can explain the modulation amplitude of DAMA and CoGeNT with this model, assuming a WIMP-proton cross section between 10 −33 10 − 33 and 10 −32 cm 2 10 − 32 cm 2 . This paper should be considered to be a new idea which will need substantial new experimental input from all involved experiments.
PERIOPERATIVE ANESTHETIC MANAGEMENT OF GERIATRIC TRAUMA

Aging is a ubiquitous phenomenon to which we are all exposed, although some organisms, such as the anemonae, may not age. Aging is associated with both specific alterations that can be attributed to the aging process and alterations that, although commonly found in an elderly population, are more properly considered "age-related disease." Thus, a distinction has been drawn between normal aging, which attempts to describe the average individual of advanced age, and "successful aging," which is proposed to describe those individuals who have escaped age-related disease processes and thus represent the best (or least) aging we might hope for under current conditions. 25,26 This article specifically addresses normal aging as more likely representative of common trauma practice. Physicians must remain cognizant of the variability intrinsic in the aging process. Individuals age at very different rates; hence, any attempt to describe aging is fraught with the difficulty that a patient may have very old lungs, a relatively young heart, or any number of such combinations. Ultimately, each patient must be carefully examined by anesthesiologists to determine his or her physiologic age.
T and J vertical extensions in low transverse cesarean births

Objective To determine the frequency of T and J extensions in low transverse cesarean births at a regional perinatal center, identify the indications for these incisions, and evaluate the associated complications. Methods We reviewed the medical records of 56 patients delivered between January 1988 and November 1994 by low transverse cesarean birth requiring vertical extension of the incision into the upper uterine segment. Cases of extension were compared with controls matched for gestational age, presentation, and indication for cesarean delivery. Data collected included demographic information, indications for extension, extension type, estimated blood loss, intraoperative complications, and length of hospital stay. Paired Student t test and McNemar test were used for statistical analysis. Results Vertical extensions were performed in 1.3% (95% confidence interval 0.42–2.26%) of low transverse incisions over a 7-year period. The most common indications were representation ( n = 31), poorly developed lower uterine segment ( n = 12), and fetal head deeply arrested in the midpelvis ( n = 6). Estimated blood loss was greater for patients requiring an extension (990 ± 310 mL) compared with controls (790 ± 150 mL), as were differences in preoperative versus postoperative hemoglobin and hematocrit ( P n = 20), broad ligament hematomas or extensions ( n = 4), cervical lacerations ( n = 4), and uterine artery lacerations ( n = 4). Patients with vertical extensions also had longer hospital stays (4.6 ± 1.6 versus 3.8 ± 1.1 days) ( P Conclusions Low transverse uterine incisions may be inadequate for the safe delivery of a fetus in cases of malpresentation, preterm birth, and poor development of the lower uterine segment. Used to complete these difficult deliveries, T and J extensions are often associated with intraoperative complications and prolonged hospital stays compared with controls.
Engaging Parents of Students with Disabilities: Moving Beyond the Grief Model

Educators in many Western nations have used the Kubler-Ross stage model of grief for five decades as a lens to explain parental response to disability. A recent article in Improving Schools, representing this deficit model, asserted that the grief lens is useful in understanding parent’s response to learning that their child qualified for special education services. Implicit assumptions in such a perspective unintentionally undermine parent–educator relations. This article describes that phenomenon and notes an emerging ‘transformational’, empowering model of parental response to disability based on a social-ecological conceptualization of disability. Educators’ intent on improving 21st century schools must confront belief perseverance regarding the grief lens and adopt a more empowering strength-based approach in order to effectively engage parents of students with disabilities in strong collaboration relationships.
Hard‐to‐Cook Defect in Cowpeas: Storage‐Induced and Treatment‐Induced Development

Cowpea seeds with a range of hard-to-cook (HTC) levels induced by storage at various temperatures/relative humidities/times were subjected to heat incubation in water and/or soaking in CaCl2. For control seeds, the hardening effect of Ca soaking was greatly increased by incubation at 60-85°C before soaking, but not after. For aged seeds, Ca soaking alone evoked a great increase in hardness whereas incubation slightly enhanced hardening. Trivalent cations induced HTC less effectively than divalent cations; univalent ions suppressed HTC. EDTA soaking completely reversed while EGTA partially reversed HTC state of aged seeds. HTC state in cowpeas apparently develops via two stages: an increase in cation-uptake capacity within cotyledons induced by moderate heat or adverse storage, followed by divalent cation binding.
INTERMEDIATE STATE COUPLING AND THE INTERPRETATION OF HIGH-ENERGY NUCLEON- NUCLEON SCATTERING

The effect on the scattering of protons by protons of the $^{3}P_{2}\ensuremath{-}^{3}F_{2}$ coupling due to an intermediate state of the two-nucleon system is investigated. The problem is treated in a scattering matrix formalism, with total angular momentum $j=2$, orbital angular momentum $L=j\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1$, and partial half-width ${\ensuremath{\Gamma}}_{L}$. Only the $^{1}S_{0}$, $^{1}D_{2}$, $^{3}P_{0}$, $^{3}P_{1}$, $^{3}P_{2}\ensuremath{-}^{3}F_{2}$ scattering anomalies are considered. Fits to the experimental data at 240 Mev are studied as typical. For $^{1}K_{0}\ensuremath{\approx}31\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$, $^{1}K_{2}g0$ it is found that the data may be reasonably well represented provided $\frac{({\ensuremath{\Gamma}}_{1}+{\ensuremath{\Gamma}}_{3})}{({E}_{R}\ensuremath{-}E)}\ensuremath{\lesssim}0.3$. It has been found possible to fit data on $n\ensuremath{-}p$ and $p\ensuremath{-}p$ scattering employing phase shifts agreeing with the hypothesis of charge independence of nuclear forces. Reasonable agreement with experiment is obtained employing either the regular or the inverted order of $^{3}P_{0,1,2}$ levels.
Matched filtering of numerical relativity templates of spinning binary black holes

Tremendous progress has been made towards the solution of the binary-black-hole problem in numerical relativity. The waveforms produced by numerical relativity will play a role in gravitational wave detection as either test beds for analytic template banks or as template banks themselves. As the parameter space explored by numerical relativity expands, the importance of quantifying the effect that each parameter has on first the detection of gravitational waves and then the parameter estimation of their sources increases. In light of this, we present a study of equal-mass, spinning binary-black-hole evolutions through matched filtering techniques commonly used in data analysis. We study how the match between two numerical waveforms varies with numerical resolution, initial angular momentum of the black holes, and the inclination angle between the source and the detector. This study is limited by the fact that the spinning black-hole binaries are oriented axially and the waveforms only contain approximately two and a half orbits before merger. We find that for detection purposes, spinning black holes require the inclusion of the higher harmonics in addition to the dominant mode, a condition that becomes more important as the black-hole spins increase. In addition, we conduct a preliminary investigation of how well a template of fixed spin and inclination angle can detect target templates of arbitrary but nonprecessing spin and inclination for the axial case considered here.
Localization of MIP 26 in Nuclear Fiber Cells from Aged Normal and Age-related Nuclear Cataractous Human Lenses

Abstract The purpose of the current study was to localize the lens membrane protein, MIP 26, in nuclear fiber cells from different regions of aged normal and age-related cataractous human lenses. Adult, juvenile, fetal and embryonic nuclear regions in aged normal and age-related nuclear cataractous lenses were morphologically and biochemically characterized using the technologies of immuno-gold (5 nm) labeling, semi-thin sections (200–500 nm), serial sections, DiI staining following by photobleaching, transmission electron microscopy and spot-blot analysis. Numbers of gold particles per micron length of plasma membrane and numbers of gold particles per square micron of cytosol in the embryonic-fetal and juvenile-adult nuclear regions were quantified. Results showed that the labeling pattern of MIP 26 localized to the cytosol was unique to senescent fiber cells from age-related cataractous lenses. Numbers of gold particles per square micron of cytosol in the embryonic-fetal nucleus of age-related cataractous lenses were significantly elevated (P
Factor analysis applied to magnitude estimates of punishment Seriousness: Patterns of individual differences

This research makes use of factor analysis to locate important dimensions of individual differences in perceptions of legal punishments. A sample of 152 recently arrested persons provided magnitude estimates of the seriousness of several types and levels of punishment. A factor analysis of the data showed that the major dimensions of individual differentiation were in responses to (a) lengthy periods of imprisonment; (b) several punishments judged less serious, including short periods in jail or on probation; and (c) fines. Regressions of the factor scores on individual characteristics are reported, and the implications of the analysis for deterrence theory are discussed.
High-efficiency Transduction of Rhesus Hematopoietic Repopulating Cells by a Modified HIV1-based Lentiviral Vector

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV1) vectors poorly transduce rhesus hematopoietic cells due to species-specific restriction factors, including the tripartite motif-containing 5 isoformα (TRIM5α) which targets the HIV1 capsid. We previously developed a chimeric HIV1 (χHIV) vector system wherein the vector genome is packaged with the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) capsid for efficient transduction of both rhesus and human CD34+ cells. To evaluate whether χHIV vectors could efficiently transduce rhesus hematopoietic repopulating cells, we performed a competitive repopulation assay in rhesus macaques, in which half of the CD34+ cells were transduced with standard SIV vectors and the other half with χHIV vectors. As compared with SIV vectors, χHIV vectors achieved higher vector integration, and the transgene expression rates were two- to threefold higher in granulocytes and red blood cells and equivalent in lymphocytes and platelets for 2 years. A recipient of χHIV vector-only transduced cells reached up to 40% of transgene expression rates in granulocytes and lymphocytes and 20% in red blood cells. Similar to HIV1 and SIV vectors, χHIV vector frequently integrated into gene regions, especially into introns. In summary, our χHIV vector demonstrated efficient transduction for rhesus long-term repopulating cells, comparable with SIV vectors. This χHIV vector should allow preclinical testing of HIV1-based therapeutic vectors in large animal models.
Prescription Drug Misuse and Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Young Men Who have Sex with Men (YMSM) in Philadelphia

This study examined the relationship between prescription drug misuse and sexual risk behaviors (i.e. unprotected sex, increased number of sex partners) in a sample of young men who have sex with men (YMSM) in Philadelphia. Data come from a cross-sectional study of 18–29 year old YMSM (N = 191) who misused prescription drugs in the past 6 months. Associations were investigated in two regression models: logistic models for unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) and zero-truncated Poisson regression model for number of sex partners. Of 177 participants engaging in anal intercourse in the past 6 months, 57.6 % engaged in UAI. After adjusting for socio-demographic variables and illicit drug use, misuse of prescription pain pills and muscle relaxants remained significantly associated with engaging in receptive UAI. No prescription drug class was associated with a high number of sex partners. This study provides additional evidence that some prescription drugs are associated with sexual risk behaviors among YMSM.
Defibrillation and the upper limit of vulnerability to fibrillation in a transthoracic guinea pig model

Abstract Recent studies have shown sustained tachyarrhythmias in guinea pigs. We hypothesized that guinea pigs could be used as a model of ventricular fibrillation, focusing on defibrillation waveform efficacy and the upper limit of vulnerability to fibrillation. In 10 male guinea pigs, an esophageal/apical pacing electrode configuration was used. The electrocardiogram (ECG) and arterial blood pressure were continuously monitored. T-wave and defibrillation shocks were applied transthoracically. A modified up-down protocol was used. After up-down testing was completed, a tachyarrhythmia was induced without electrical termination. All animals died of a sustained tachyarrhythmia. The monophasic DFT 50 (the 50% successful defibrillation voltage, 496 ± 176 V) was larger than the biphasic DFT 50 (364 ± 94 V, P 50 ) (the 50% successful induction voltage) was correlated with the DFT 50 for both monophasic ( r = .82, P r = .88, P
Determination of micromolar concentrations of strong acids in chloroform by protonation of tetraphenylporphyrin

The protonation of tetraphenylporphyrin followed by spectrophotometric detection of the resulting dihydrogen tetraphenylporphyrin dication has been evaluated as a means to determine micromolar concentrations of strong acids in chloroform. The equilibrium constants for the process are large (>1010 for benzenesulfonic and methanesulfonic acids), but not large enough to ensure stoichiometric conversion to the dication unless only order of magnitude precision is required. The incorporation of a correction term in the stoichiometric approximation, based on a dilution of the analytical sample, yields an acceptable result for these two acids.
Evaluation of group-specific, whole-brain atlas generation using Volume-based Template Estimation (VTE): application to normal and Alzheimer's populations

MRI-based human brain atlases, which serve as a common coordinate system for image analysis, play an increasingly important role in our understanding of brain anatomy, image registration, and segmentation. Study-specific brain atlases are often obtained from one of the subjects in a study or by averaging the images of all participants after linear or non-linear registration. The latter approach has the advantage of providing an unbiased anatomical representation of the study population. But, the image contrast is influenced by both inherent MR contrasts and residual anatomical variability after the registration; in addition, the topology of the brain structures cannot reliably be preserved. In this study, we demonstrated a population-based template-creation approach, which is based on Bayesian template estimation on a diffeomorphic random orbit model. This approach attempts to define a population-representative template without the cross-subject intensity averaging; thus, the topology of the brain structures is preserved. It has been tested for segmented brain structures, such as the hippocampus, but its validity on whole-brain MR images has not been examined. This paper validates and evaluates this atlas generation approach, i.e., Volume-based Template Estimation (VTE). Using datasets from normal subjects and Alzheimer's patients, quantitative measurements of sub-cortical structural volumes, metric distance, displacement vector, and Jacobian were examined to validate the group-averaged shape features of the VTE. In addition to the volume-based quantitative analysis, the preserved brain topology of the VTE allows surface-based analysis within the same atlas framework. This property was demonstrated by analyzing the registration accuracy of the pre- and post-central gyri. The proposed method achieved registration accuracy within 1 mm for these population-preserved cortical structures in an elderly population.
Meson-exchange models for low-energy nucleon-antinucleon scattering

We investigate several meson-exchange potentials the parameters of which are fixed to describe nucleon-nucleon phase shifts, and we find some variations in their predictions of NN\ifmmode\bar\else\textasciimacron\fi{} observables which should not be present, as we discuss. We find that most data can be roughly reproduced with only one or two free parameters in very simple annihilation models.
Hydrodynamic lubrication in hemispherical punch stretch forming

Lubrification hydrodynamique dans le cas du formage par etirage avec un poincon hemispherique
Who is the barbecue king of texas?: a geo-spatial approach to finding local experts on twitter

This paper addresses the problem of identifying local experts in social media systems like Twitter. Local experts -- in contrast to general topic experts -- have specialized knowledge focused around a particular location, and are important for many applications including answering local information needs and interacting with community experts. And yet identifying these experts is difficult. Hence in this paper, we propose a geo-spatial-driven approach for identifying local experts that leverages the fine-grained GPS coordinates of millions of Twitter users. We propose a local expertise framework that integrates both users' topical expertise and their local authority. Concretely, we estimate a user's local authority via a novel spatial proximity expertise approach that leverages over 15 million geo-tagged Twitter lists. We estimate a user's topical expertise based on expertise propagation over 600 million geo-tagged social connections on Twitter. We evaluate the proposed approach across 56 queries coupled with over 11,000 individual judgments from Amazon Mechanical Turk. We find significant improvement over both general (non-local) expert approaches and comparable local expert finding approaches.
Effect of the iron chelator desferrioxamine on manganese-induced toxicity of rat pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells.

Alterations in iron levels are likely to influence the biological actions of Mn in PC12 cells, because both metals are transported via the divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1; also Nramp2 or DCT1). Studies were performed to determine the effect of the iron chelator desferrioxamine (DfO) on Mn-induced PC12 cell death and neuronal differentiation. Cell death almost doubled when PC12 cells were exposed for 24 hr to both DfO (10 microM) and Mn (0.3 mM) as opposed to Mn alone. DfO also stimulated Mn-induced neuronal differentiation by enhancing the phosphorylation of both ERK1 and 2 and also attenuated the increase in caspase 3-like activity induced by 0.3 mM Mn by approximately 50%, indicating that caspase activation, as reported previously, does not contribute to Mn-induced PC12 cell death. DfO also affected Mn-induced suppression of mitochondrial function as indicated by an additional 16% loss of ATP formation in PC12 cells cotreated with 0.3 mM Mn. Because sequestration of iron by DfO would be expected to lead to increased transport of Mn, studies were performed to determine whether iron inhibited Mn transport in PC12 cells. Iron inhibited 54Mn transport with an IC50 of approximately 20 microM. In addition, coincubation of DfO with Mn in PC12 cells resulted in increased expression of both the iron response element-positive and the iron response element-negative forms of DMT1. Taken together, these results demonstrate that iron status is likely to have a direct effect on the uptake and biological actions of Mn and probably other divalent metals that are transported by DMT1.
Some empirical evidence on the ‘discouraged worker’ effect

Abstract This note produces empirical evidence on the existence of a significant ‘discouraged worker’ effect in US data–namely, on the tendency for groups of secondary workers to move in and out of the labor force with the business cycle, looking for jobs when these are available, while giving up job search during recessions — by focusing on the behavior of the ‘not in the labor force’ series, as well as of two of its segments (‘going to school’, and ‘keeping house’), at the business-cycle frequencies. Both in the aggregate, and for a number of age–sex groups, the series display a clear counter-cyclical pattern, thus lending support to the discouraged worker notion.
Subcellular localization of a protein produced in adrenal cortex cells in response to ACTH.

We have reported previously that a protein, ib, is produced in adrenal cortex and other steroidogenic cells with the same tissue-specific peptide hormone or cAMP dose-response and the same kinetics as the increase in steroid hormone biosynthesis. In this study, we have fractionated adrenal cortex cells into subcellular components and used two-dimensional electrophoresis to characterize the proteins in these fractions. We have demonstrated previously that inhibition of cytosolic translation, e.g. by cycloheximide, prevents the production of protein ib. We also report that the production of this protein is not affected by inhibition of mitochondrial translation by chloramphenicol.
Factors Associated with Variance in Compliance with a Sentinel Lymph Node Dissection Quality Measure in Early-Stage Breast Cancer

Background Guidelines recommend sentinel lymph node dissection (SLND) for patients with clinical stage I/IIA/IIB breast cancer; however, a significant fraction of patients do not undergo this procedure. We sought to identify factors associated with noncompliance with the SLND benchmark in early-stage breast cancer.
The bias of tests for a risk premium in forward exchange rates

Abstract The pure expectations theory of unbiased forward exchange rates predicts that the slope coefficient in a regression of the change in the spot rate on the difference between the current forward and spot rates should equal unity. In the recent empirical work by Fama, the estimates of this coefficient turn out to be negative in all regressions for nine major industrialized nations. This paper demonstrates that under the expectations theory, the sampling distribution of the regression estimator of this coefficient is upward-biased relative to unity and strongly skewed to the right. The likelihood of negative values is essentially zero. Thus, the estimator is biased in a direction opposite to what is observed. Since the observed estimates lie far out in the thin left-hand tail of the estimator's sampling distribution, the evidence against the hypothesis of unbiased forward rates is much stronger than previously believed.
The Effects of Transponder Imperfections on the Error Probability Performance of a Satellite Communication System

The bit error rate (BER) performance analysis of a data communication system is generally based on the assumption that signal waveforms are ideal and hardware-induced distortion is absent. In a satellite communication system, such distortion arises in the satellite repeater, as well as in the transmitter and receiver portions. NASA, which is in the process of developing its Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS), is very much interested in understanding the impact of numerous hardware constraints, that have been identified, on BER performance. The present paper, which treats one segment of this broad problem area, examines the cumulative impact of nine forms of distortion induced by the repeater on BPSK and QPSK signals. These include frequency offset, filter amplitude and phase ripple, phase noise, spurious phase modulation (PM), AM/AM and AM/PM conversion, incidental AM, and spurious outputs. For the present analysis, the transmitter and receiver are assumed to operate in essentially ideal fashions and thermal noise is introduced at the receiver front end only. Computed results indicate that BPSK and QPSK performances are impacted in substantially different manners, with QPSK generally more sensitive to a given form of distortion. One noteworthy example is the combined impact of the phase noise and spurious PM parameters which affect BPSK only slightly, but lead to very rapid QPSK performance degradation as the parameter values increase. This and the other distortion effects are illustrated via computed parametric performance curves. Results also demonstrate the need to account for interactions among distortion parameters.
Purification and properties of wheat germ d-3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase

Abstract A method for the partial purification of d -3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase from wheat germ is reported. Substrate and coenzyme specificities have been investigated. Both the forward and reverse reactions catalyzed by the enzyme have been studied kinetically at pH 8.0 in the absence and presence of products, and the Michaelis, dissociation, and inhibition constants have been determined. The initial velocity patterns are consistent with a sequential mechanism, i.e. , all substrates must add to the enzyme before any products are released. Although the results of the product-inhibition studies conform, in general, to an Ordered Bi Bi mechanism, i.e ., substrates are bound only after prior binding of coenzymes, much of the kinetic data is not consistent with a strict interpretation of this mechanism. Studies on the feedback inhibition of this enzyme by l -serine are reported and demonstrate that serine only inhibits the activity in crude extracts of wheat germ but not that of the partially purified enzyme.
Increased Association of Synaptosome-associated Protein of 25 kDa with Syntaxin and Vesicle-associated Membrane Protein following Acrosomal Exocytosis of Sea Urchin Sperm

Synaptosomal-associated protein of 25 kDa (SNAP-25) is a palmitoylated integral membrane protein expressed almost exclusively in neuronal and neuroendocrine tissues. This protein forms a ternary complex with vesicle-associated membrane protein (VAMP) and syntaxin, which is thought to regulate the fusion of plasma and vesicle membranes during exocytosis. We report the identification of SNAP-25 expressed in sea urchin sperm. Sea urchin SNAP-25 shares greater identity with mammalian SNAP-25 than with mammalian SNAP-23, a ubiquitously expressed homologue believed to regulate membrane fusion in non-neuronal tissues. Sea urchin sperm contain a single exocytotic vesicle, the acrosomal vesicle, whose contents are exposed during the acrosome reaction. Fusion of the plasma membrane with the acrosomal vesicle membrane at multiple points (vesiculation) results in the release of SNAP-25 with the shed acrosome reaction vesicles. A complex containing SNAP-25, syntaxin, and VAMP is present in sperm, as detected by affinity chromatography and immunoprecipitation. Although this complex is present prior to the acrosome reaction, the amount of complex increases over 4-fold following acrosomal exocytosis. These findings support the involvement of SNAP-25 in the invertebrate sperm acrosome reaction, possibly through increased association with VAMP and syntaxin driving the fusion of plasma and acrosomal membranes.
Pushing the envelope to the maximum: Short-period InAs/GaSb type-II superlattices for mid-infrared detectors

Abstract Using a newly developed envelope function approximation model that includes interface effects, several InAs/GaSb type-II superlattices (SL) for the 4 μm (around 310 meV) detection threshold were designed. The model predicts that a given threshold can be obtained with progressively thinner SL periods and the thinner designs can have higher mobility and longer Auger lifetime over the thicker designs. The proposed SL structures were grown by molecular-beam epitaxy. The band gaps of SLs determined by low-temperature photoluminescence (PL) remained constant PL peak energy around 340–320 meV with distinctively different designs in the period range from 50.2 to 21.2 A. Correlation between SL material quality and the full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of the luminescence peak were made. In situ annealing after SL growth improved surface morphologies and the FWHM of the emission peak for the annealed SL samples were slightly narrower than those of non-annealed SLs.
Neuronal Cell Death in the Ischemic Spinal Cord: The Effect of Methylprednisolone

Background Cell death occurs by either necrosis or apoptosis. The role of apoptosis in the neuronal degeneration after ischemia remains to be defined. We studied (1) the nature of neuronal death and (2) the neuroprotective action of methylprednisolone in a rat model of spinal cord ischemia. Methods Spinal cord ischemia was induced in adult Long-Evans rats by occluding the aortic arch for 14 minutes and simultaneously equilibrating the femoral artery pressure to the atmospheric pressure. Twenty rats were subjected to ischemia without treatment and another twenty to ischemia after treatment with methylprednisolone (30mg/kg, 4 hours before ischemia). The animals were sacrificed and the lumbar spinal cords were examined on postoperative days 1 and 2. Results On day 1, neurons with morphology indicative of apoptosis were present in the gray matter. Their numbers increased from the ventral to the dorsal location. There were significantly fewer apoptotic neurons in the dorsal horn of the methylprednisolone-treated animals. DNA obtained from the spinal cord of untreated rats on days 1 and 2 showed laddering after electrophoresis, a feature of apoptosis. Pretreatment with methylprednisolone inhibited the development of DNA laddering. Methylprednisolone treatment was not associated with significantly improved neurologic function in the postoperative period. Conclusions Apoptotic neuronal death occurs in the rat spinal cord after transient ischemia and is attenuated by pretreatment with methylprednisolone.
A tetracycline-regulated adenoviral expression system for in vivo delivery of transgenes to lung and liver.

Background Recombinant adenoviruses are an established tool for somatic gene transfer to multiple cell types in animals as well as in tissue culture. However, generation of adenoviruses expressing transgenes that are potentially toxic to the host cell line represents a practical problem. The aim of this study was to construct an adenoviral expression system that prevents transgene expression during the generation and propagation of the virus, and allows efficient gene transfer to lung and liver, major target organs of gene therapy. Methods Using the tet-off system we constructed tetracycline (tet) regulatable recombinant adenoviruses expressing the marker gene LacZ (Adtet-off.LacZ) as well as a secretory protein, human group IIA secretory phospholipase A2 (Adtet-off.hsPLA2). Expression (Western blot, activity assay) was tested in vitro (HeLa cells), and in vivo by gene transfer to lung and liver. Results Without addition of tetracycline we demonstrated expression of LacZ (Adtet-off.LacZ) and sPLA2 (Adtet-off.hsPLA2) in HeLa cells. Providing additional tet-transactivator (tTA) protein either by stable transfection or coinfection with a tTA-expressing adenovirus resulted in a further increase of LacZ and sPLA2 expression. Transgene expression in vitro was eliminated by the addition of tetracycline to the culture medium. Adtet-off.LacZ and Adtet-off.hsPLA2 allowed successful gene transfer in vivo to lung and liver. While the expression was highly efficient within the lungs, however, additional tTA was necessary to achieve high-level expression within liver. Conclusions Tet-regulatable adenoviral expression systems may facilitate the construction of recombinant adenoviruses encoding potentially toxic transgenes and permit regulated transgene expression. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.