cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Theta EEG dynamics of the error-related negativity.

Abstract Objective The error-related negativity (ERN) is a response-locked brain potential (ERP) occurring 80–100 ms following response errors. This report contrasts three views of the genesis of the ERN, testing the classic view that time-locked phasic bursts give rise to the ERN against the view that the ERN arises from a pure phase-resetting of ongoing theta (4–7 Hz) EEG activity and the view that the ERN is generated – at least in part – by a phase-resetting and amplitude enhancement of ongoing theta EEG activity. Methods Time-domain ERP analyses were augmented with time–frequency investigations of phase-locked and non-phase-locked spectral power, and inter-trial phase coherence (ITPC) computed from individual EEG trials, examining time courses and scalp topographies. Simulations based on the assumptions of the classic, pure phase-resetting, and phase-resetting plus enhancement views, using parameters from each subject’s empirical data, were used to contrast the time–frequency findings that could be expected if one or more of these hypotheses adequately modeled the data. Results Error responses produced larger amplitude activity than correct responses in time–domain ERPs immediately following responses, as expected. Time–frequency analyses revealed that significant error-related post-response increases in total spectral power (phase- and non-phase-locked), phase-locked power, and ITPC were primarily restricted to the theta range, with this effect located over midfrontocentral sites, with a temporal distribution from ≈150–200 ms prior to the button press and persisting up to 400 ms post-button press. The increase in non-phase-locked power (total power minus phase-locked power) was larger than phase-locked power, indicating that the bulk of the theta event-related dynamics were not phase-locked to response. Results of the simulations revealed a good fit for data simulated according to the phase-locking with amplitude enhancement perspective, and a poor fit for data simulated according to the classic view and the pure phase-resetting view. Conclusions Error responses produce not only phase-locked increases in theta EEG activity, but also increases in non-phase-locked theta, both of which share a similar topography. Significance The findings are thus consistent with the notion advanced by Luu et al. [Luu P, Tucker DM, Makeig S. Frontal midline theta and the error-related negativity; neurophysiological mechanisms of action regulation. Clin Neurophysiol 2004;115:1821–35] that the ERN emerges, at least in part, from a phase-resetting and phase-locking of ongoing theta-band activity, in the context of a general increase in theta power following errors.
Ideological Reorientation and Counterterrorism: Confronting Militant Islam in Egypt

During the 1990s, Egypt fought a bitter campaign against militant Islamist groups in which over a thousand people died. Since the end of the insurgency in 1997, Egypt's two fiercest Islamic terrorist groups, first the Islamic Group (Al-Gama‘a Al-Islamiyya) and then Islamic Jihad, not only ceased their violent activities but also produced and published texts revising their religious beliefs on the use of violence. Based on the counterterrorism experience of Egypt, this paper defines and describes a counterterrorism strategy of ideological reorientation. We define ideological reorientation as a counterterrorism approach that seeks to change core ideological or religious beliefs of the terrorist group, thus bringing the beliefs of group members in line with societal norms. While we cannot causally attribute the groups' decisions to lay down arms to ideological reorientation versus other regime actions (like repression), the Egyptian experience is highly suggestive. First, it indicates that the ideology of re...
A Sustainable Agriculture

The defining challenge of sustainable agriculture is the production of food and other agricultural products at an environmental cost that does not jeopardize the food security and general welfare of future generations. Feeding another three billion people in the face of climate change, biodiversity loss, and an environment already saturated with excess nitrogen and other reactive pollutants requires new approaches and new tools in the design and deployment of workable solutions. Solutions will be local but all will require an ecological systems approach that considers sustainable farming practices in the full context of ecosystems and landscapes. And their deployment will require an understanding of the social systems capable of building incentives that produce socially desired outcomes. Socioecological models for agriculture provide an opportunity to explore feedbacks, trade-offs, and synergies that can optimize and strengthen emerging connections between farming and society. With the right incentives, i...
The Teapublican Budget: Budgeting, Taxing, and Spending in Arizona

DOI 10.1515/cjpp-2012-0028 Calif. J. Politics Policy 2012; 4(3): 39–55 Research Article David R. Berman* and Kristin Borns The Teapublican Budget: Budgeting, Taxing, and Spending in Arizona Abstract: In 2011, the revenue shortages of the past several years and Tea Party ideology largely drove the legislative session in Arizona. This budget report exam- ines the broader context in which decisions were made and concludes with an overview of financial issues facing the state. Keywords: Arizona; budgeting; governor; legislature; spending; taxing; Tea Party; western budget report *Corresponding author: David R. Berman, Senior Research Fellow, Morrison Institute for Public Policy, Arizona State University, 411 North Central Avenue, Suite 900, Phoenix, AZ 85004-0692, e-mail: david.berman@asu.edu Kristin Borns: Senior Researcher, Morrison Institute for Public Policy, Arizona State University 1 Introduction In 2011, the past several years’ revenue shortages and ideological considerations largely drove budgetary decision making in Arizona. Conservative legislators with a Tea Party outlook took charge of the process. This report examines the broader context in which decisions were made, the budgeting system as well as the making of the budget. It concludes with an overview of the financial issues facing the state. 2 Social, Economic, and Political Context As Table 1 indicates, Arizona’s population stood at 6.4 million in 2010, a 25% increase since 2000. This growth rate was second in the nation to Nevada. Population growth gave Arizona an additional congressional seat – raising the total to nine. The rate of growth, however, was not as high as expected in large part because the Hispanic population did not increase as much as anticipated.
Multi-class Model M

Model M, a novel class-based exponential language model, has been shown to significantly outperform word n-gram models in state-of-the-art machine translation and speech recognition systems. The model was motivated by the observation that shrinking the sum of the parameter magnitudes in an exponential language model leads to better performance on unseen data. Being a class-based language model, Model M makes use of word classes that are found automatically from training data. In this paper, we extend Model M to allow for different clusterings to be used at different word positions. This is motivated by the fact that words play different roles depending on their position in an n-gram. Experiments on standard NIST and GALE Arabic-to-English development and test sets show improvements in machine translation quality as measured by automatic evaluation metrics.
Stereo-particle image velocimetry measurements of a patient-specific Fontan physiology utilizing novel pressure augmentation stents.

Single ventricle anomalies are a challenging set of congenital heart defects that require lifelong clinical management due to progressive decline of cardiovascular function. Few therapeutic devices are available for these patients, and conventional blood pumps are not designed for the unique anatomy of the single ventricle physiology. To address this unmet need, we are developing an axial flow blood pump with a protective cage or stent for Fontan patients. This study investigates the 3-D particle image velocimetry measurements of two cage designs being deployed in a patient-specific Fontan anatomy. We considered a control case without a pump, impeller placed in the inferior vena cava, and two cases where the impeller has two protective stents with unique geometric characteristics. The experiments were evaluated at a cardiac output of 3 L/min, a fixed vena caval flow split of 40%/60%, a fixed pulmonary arterial flow split of 50%/50%, and for operating speeds of 1000-4000 rpm. The introduction of the cardiovascular stents had a substantial impact on the flow conditions leaving the pump and entering the cavopulmonary circulation. The findings indicated that rotational speeds above 4000 rpm for this pump could result in irregular flows in this specific circulatory condition. Although retrograde flow into the superior vena cava was not measured, the risk of this occurrence increases with higher pump speeds. The against-with stent geometry outperformed the other configurations by generating higher pressures and more energetic flows. These results provide further support for the viability of mechanical cavopulmonary assistance as a therapeutic treatment strategy for Fontan patients.
Protection against Experimental Cryptococcosis following Vaccination with Glucan Particles Containing Cryptococcus Alkaline Extracts

ABSTRACT A vaccine capable of protecting at-risk persons against infections due to Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii could reduce the substantial global burden of human cryptococcosis. Vaccine development has been hampered though, by lack of knowledge as to which antigens are immunoprotective and the need for an effective vaccine delivery system. We made alkaline extracts from mutant cryptococcal strains that lacked capsule or chitosan. The extracts were then packaged into glucan particles (GPs), which are purified Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell walls composed primarily of β-1,3-glucans. Subcutaneous vaccination with the GP-based vaccines provided significant protection against subsequent pulmonary infection with highly virulent strains of C. neoformans and C. gattii. The alkaline extract derived from the acapsular strain was analyzed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), and the most abundant proteins were identified. Separation of the alkaline extract by size exclusion chromatography revealed fractions that conferred protection when loaded in GP-based vaccines. Robust Th1- and Th17-biased CD4 + T cell recall responses were observed in the lungs of vaccinated and infected mice. Thus, our preclinical studies have indicated promising cryptococcal vaccine candidates in alkaline extracts delivered in GPs. Ongoing studies are directed at identifying the individual components of the extracts that confer protection and thus would be promising candidates for a human vaccine. IMPORTANCE The encapsulated yeast Cryptococcus neoformans and its closely related sister species, Cryptococcus gattii, are major causes of morbidity and mortality, particularly in immunocompromised persons. This study reports on the preclinical development of vaccines to protect at-risk populations from cryptococcosis. Antigens were extracted from Cryptococcus by treatment with an alkaline solution. The extracted antigens were then packaged into glucan particles, which are hollow yeast cell walls composed mainly of β-glucans. The glucan particle-based vaccines elicited robust T cell immune responses and protected mice from otherwise-lethal challenge with virulent strains of C. neoformans and C. gattii. The technology used for antigen extraction and subsequent loading into the glucan particle delivery system is relatively simple and can be applied to vaccine development against other pathogens.
Market Responses to Changing Legal Standards: Evidence from Antiquities Auctions

This article examines how changing legal standards impact supply and demand in a market where some objects are potentially "tainted" or illegal. Using novel disaggregated data on market transactions, we are able to quantify changes in market activity before and after major court decisions. Our evidence comes from the antiquities market, where records of historical ownership ("provenance") determine whether an object may be legally bought and sold. The analysis starts with a model predicting how provenance affects an object's value, and how changes in government enforcement differentially impact the upper and lower tails of the quality distribution of objects. We test the model using a new data set of auction sales between 1996 and 2014, which allows us to proxy for the probability that an object can be sold legally. The results show that auction trends changed sharply at the time of landmark legal decisions: the proportion of objects with legitimate provenance have increased and so have their prices. They also show that this is especially true for rare high quality objects, in ways predicted by the model. Our analysis implies that legal standards resulting from court cases, rather than the mere existence of laws or treaties, may be essential for shaping market behavior. Finally, we discuss our findings in light of public policy concerns that the antiquities black market may fund terror groups and dictatorial governments.
Recent Progress in Molecular Recognition Imaging Using Atomic Force Microscopy

ConspectusAtomic force microscopy (AFM) is an extremely powerful tool in the field of bionanotechnology because of its ability to image single molecules and make measurements of molecular interaction forces with piconewton sensitivity. It works in aqueous media, enabling studies of molecular phenomenon taking place under physiological conditions. Samples can be imaged in their near-native state without any further modifications such as staining or tagging. The combination of AFM imaging with the force measurement added a new feature to the AFM technique, that is, molecular recognition imaging. Molecular recognition imaging enables mapping of specific interactions between two molecules (one attached to the AFM tip and the other to the imaging substrate) by generating simultaneous topography and recognition images (TREC). Since its discovery, the recognition imaging technique has been successfully applied to different systems such as antibody–protein, aptamer–protein, peptide–protein, chromatin, antigen–ant...
Strong cooperative coupling of pressure-induced magnetic order and nematicity in FeSe.

A hallmark of the iron-based superconductors is the strong coupling between magnetic, structural and electronic degrees of freedom. However, a universal picture of the normal state properties of these compounds has been confounded by recent investigations of FeSe where the nematic (structural) and magnetic transitions appear to be decoupled. Here, using synchrotron-based high-energy x-ray diffraction and time-domain Mossbauer spectroscopy, we show that nematicity and magnetism in FeSe under applied pressure are indeed strongly coupled. Distinct structural and magnetic transitions are observed for pressures between 1.0 and 1.7 GPa and merge into a single first-order transition for pressures ≳1.7 GPa, reminiscent of what has been found for the evolution of these transitions in the prototypical system Ba(Fe1-xCox)2As2. Our results are consistent with a spin-driven mechanism for nematic order in FeSe and provide an important step towards a universal description of the normal state properties of the iron-based superconductors.
Theory of Electrical Conductance of Inhomogeneous Systems with Applications to Suspensions of Blood Cells

denotes differentiation along the normal to the boundary, and denotes differentiation along any line in the boundary. Once more, these are the conditions to be satisfied in an electrostatic problem at the boundary between two dielectrics whose dielectric constants are equal to the two values of K. "Thus the equipotentials in this electrostatic problem coincide with the equipotentials in the actual current problem and the lines of force in the electrostatic problem correspond with the lines of flow in the current problem." 4
Situational Choice and Crime Events

This article explores offender choice and the concept of rationality. We begin by presenting two traditional perspectives on rationality, the first being the pure economic model and the second being the sociological perspective from traditional criminologists. We then address a potential middle ground known as bounded rationality. This part of the article reviews contemporary developments in brain and cognitive sciences, which shed light on the complexity of how people make choices. We then question the usefulness of the term rational choice and instead suggest that situational choice may be a more useful term. We conclude by using situational choice to link crime science and life course/developmental perspectives and discuss broad applications of situational choice.
Isoproterenol-Induced Cardiac Failure in the Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat

Thirty-one age-matched, conscious, virgin, male Sprague-Dawley rats and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) were individually injected with a single subcutaneous dose of 85 mg/kg dl-isoproterenol to determine the degree and time course of drug-induced cardiac failure and functional recovery. At 24 hr and 1 week postisoproterenol, rats were anesthetized and prepared for the recording of cardiac output and arterial pressure. Calculated cardiac index was used to determine normal cardiac function. Following that measurement, a 2-min, 15.3 ml/min infusion of Tyrode's solution was performed via a right jugular vein cannula. Volume-loaded peak-cardiac outputs and peak stroke volumes were also used as indices of cardiac function. Twenty-four hours after the injection of isoproterenol to he normotensive Sprague-Dawley rats, cardic failure was evident only during the stress of volume loading. Normal cardiac index was unaffected, but peak cardiac output and peak stroke volume were depressed. By 1 week after isoproterenol, the volume loaded measures of cardiac function had returned to normal. Interestingly, by 1 week postisoproterenol, total peripheral resistance was reduced. This reduced vascular resistance may have aided myocardial repair. At 24 hr postisoproterenol, the volume loaded peak cardiac outputs and peak stroke volumes in the SHRs were reduced to the same degree as in the Sprague-Dawley rats. Here, also, no change in normal cardiac index occurred. In the SHRs, however, total peripheral resistances were elevated at both 24 hr and 1 week. These increases in resistance appeared to impair the myocardial healing process, as both normal cardiac index and volume-loaded peak cardiac output and peak stroke volume were depressed at 1 week postisoproterenol. In normotensive and hypertensive rats, different vascular responses to isoproterenol or its initial cardiac effects may determine the duration and eventual degree of cardiac failure.
Records of Southern Insect Species Moving Northward during the Drouth Years of 1930 and 1934

It was my experience to grow up in the Ozarks of Missouri, where I became acquainted with most of the common and conspicuous insects of the region. Of recent years, or since 1924, I have lived at Ames, in central Iowa, where each year I have done extensive collecting of insects with students in entomology. With such a background it was quite natural that I should notice the Ozarkian forms when they arrived in central Iowa. The drought of 1930 seemed to change what we regarded as the normal insect population of our region. Many species seemed to disappear completely, and even the tarnished plant bug ( Lygus oblineatus Say) became scarce during the heat and low humidities prevalent during mid-summer. Other forms, such as the boxelder bug ( Leptocoris trivittatus Say) and chinch bug ( Blissus leucopterus Say) which were rather scarce during the years 1925 to 1929 in the vicinity of Ames, increased greatly during 1930 and thereafter. Perhaps more interesting was the appearance of species from points farther south, forms that I knew previously as normal to the southern half of Missouri. It is this latter group that focuses our attention on the fact that many insect species fluctuate in their northern limits of distribution in the Mississippi basin, governed apparently by climatic factors. The fluctuating range of some species would appear to be as much as 300 to 500 miles in a north and south direction.
Synthesis of Sterically Encumbered Terphenyls and Characterization of Their Metal Derivatives Et2OLiC6H3-2,6-Trip2 and Me2SCuC6H3-2,6-Trip2 (Trip = 2,4,6-i-Pr3C6H2-)

The synthesis and characterization of sterically encumbered terphenyl compounds are described. These are 2,6-Dipp2C6H3I (Dipp = 2,6-i-Pr2C6H3-), 1, 2,6-Trip2C6H3I (Trip = 2,4,6-i-Pr3C6H2−), 2, and 1,3-Mes*C6H4 (Mes* = 2,4,6-t-Bu3C6H2-), 3, and the solvated metal derivatives Et2OLiC6H3-2,6-Trip2, 4, and Me2SCuC6H3-2,6-Trip2, 5. They were characterized by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy and, in the case of 3−5, by X-ray crystallography. The monomeric structures of 4 and 5 and the two-coordinate nature of the metals underline the very bulky characteristics of these ligands. In addition the isolation of 3 rather than the intended iodine derivative 2,6-Mes*2C6H3I suggests that the synthetic route to the precursor halides can be limited by very large ring substituents.
Discovery of Long Range Order in Thin (2-20 NM) SiO2 Films by Ion Beam Analysis

SiO2 films, 2-20 nm thick, were grown on passivated, ordered Si(100) to correlate electrical properties and oxidation rates with processing for ultra-thin gate oxides. Ordered Si(l 00) (1 × 1) stable in ambient air was obtained at room temperature by wet chemical cleaning. The thickest oxides were grown by Rapid Thermal Oxidation at 850°C, the thinnest at room temperature. O was detected by Ion Beam Analysis (IBA) using a combination of ion channeling with the 3.05 MeV16O(α,α)16O nuclear resonance. It then becomes possible to measure order in thin SiO2 by comparing the total amount of O from rotating random spectra to disordered O detected by ion channeling, and detect the alignment of O with the atoms in Si(100).
Use of Tris(Hydroxymethyl)Aminomethane Buffers in Cultures of Diploid Human Fibroblasts.

SummaryTris-maleate and tris-citrate buffers were found to be exceedingly toxic to cultures of diploid human fibroblasts. Tris-HC1 buffers had relatively low toxicity, however; cultures continued to grow, although at reduced rates, at concentrations as high as 0.07 m in the presence of 7 mM bicarbonate. Small amounts of bicarbonate appeared to be essential for growth. A useful modification of Waymouth's medium was designed by titrating a somewhat reduced concentration of stock amino acids and vitamins to a pH of approximately 7.1 with NaHCO3 and adjusting the final pH of the medium with tris-HC1 buffer to a pH of 7.3; the final concentration of bicarbonate was 7 mM, of tris, 25 mM and of serum, 10%. Excellent control of pH was obtained in closed systems in an atmosphere of air and in open systems in an atmosphere of approximately 2% CO2; no toxicity has been observed with a dozen strains in continuous culture for periods of up to 6 months. Compared to Waymouth's medium (with 10% serum), growth in the tris...
Understanding and treating hoarding disorder: A review of cognitive-behavioral models and treatment

Abstract The hallmark feature of hoarding disorder (HD) is difficulty discarding possessions resulting in the accumulation of large amounts of clutter. Although hoarding symptoms have been noted for decades, HD did not constitute a formal diagnosis until the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ( DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013 ). Research on psychological models of HD has revealed a substantial amount about the nature of hoarding problems and how they can be treated, as described in this review. The first section of this article reviews the factors implicated in the cognitive-behavioral model of HD, including dysfunctional beliefs about possessions, excessive emotional attachments to objects, and problematic patterns of behavioral avoidance, as well as skill deficits and information processing problems. Next, the components of cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy for HD, which are derived from this model, are presented. Evidence for the efficacy of this treatment (and each of its components) are then reviewed. Finally, factors that may interfere with treatment, as well as directions for future research, are discussed.
Analysis of whole blood lead by grapilite fulmee atomie absorption detection

Objective To establish a method of blood lead detection by grapilite fulmee atomie absorption,and analyze the main influencing factors so as to take appropriate measures.Methods Blood samples were diluted in 1% Triton X-100 and 1% nitric acid solution.Then the modifier solution of 1% NH4H2PO4 was added,using graphite furnace atomic absorption to detect lead content.Results The concentration of lead was 0～80μg /l,the regression equation was Y = 0.005219 +0.003441 X,R2= 0.9987,r = 0.9996.The lowest detectable concentration was 1.0μg/l,the recovery rate was 92%-110%,and the relative standard deviation was less than 3%.The results of inter-laboratory comparison were ideal.Conclusion The method is accurate and sensitive,suitable for mass sample screening of blood lead.
Partial Discharge Pattern of Semi-conductor Layer Tip Defect in 220 kV Cable Joint

Partial discharge(PD) detection and pattern recognition have been widely accepted as a means to provide information on both the type and severity of defects or potential failures,which is further expected to give advice on repair or replacement of cable accessories.In order to research insulation defect due to on-site poor workmanship,we experimentally researched the partial discharge on 220 kV XLPE cable joint with semi-conductor layer tip defect by the method of internal capacitive coupling sensor.Research results show that semi-conductor layer tip defect can easily lead to electric field concentration,PD patterns of different applied voltage show obvious characteristics,which can be utilized as samples for further on-site PD pattern recognition.
Pets and Happiness: Examining the Association between Pet Ownership and Wellbeing

Are pets associated with happiness in their owners? Some research has demonstrated positive connections between pets and the physical health of their owners, and more recently, research has shown t...
The Emerging Non Operative Management of Non Metastatic Rectal Cancer: A SEER Analysis

Purpose/Objective(s): Bavituximab is a phosphatidylserine-targeting antibody with immunomodulating and vascular-disrupting effects in tumor treatment. In this trial, our primary objective is to determine the maximum tolerated dose of Bavituximab when given concurrently with pelvic radiation therapy and capecitabine in the treatment of patients with stage II or III rectal adenocarcinoma. Materials/Methods: Patients with T3-4 and/or node-positive rectal adenocarcinoma (tumors at or less than 12cm from the anal verge) with good performance status are eligible for enrollment. Patients are treated with radiation to the primary tumor and at-risk regional pelvic lymph nodes to 45 Gy at 1.8 Gy per fraction. This is followed by a boost dose of 5.4 Gy to the primary tumor at 1.8 Gy per fraction. Patients also take capecitabine at a fixed dose of 825 mg per square meter twice daily on the days of radiation. Bavituximab is given as an intravenous infusion once weekly, starting during the chemoradiation therapy course, for a total of 8 doses. Surgery is performed 4-8 weeks following the last bavituximab administration. Adjuvant chemotherapy without bavituximab is given at the discretion of the medical oncologist. The bavituximab dose was escalated from 0.3 mg/kg to 1 mg/kg to 3 mg/kg in a standard 3+3 phase I clinical trial design. Patients are followed for the development of gastrointestinal and other toxicities. Results: To date, there are 8 evaluable patients, 3 at each of the first two dose levels and 2 at the third and highest dose level. At the first two bavituximab dose levels there were no grade 3 or higher toxicities deemed possibly, probably, or definitely related to bavituximab and there were no dose-limiting toxicities. One patient at the first bavituximab dose level experience grade 2 diarrhea which resolved with medical management. At the highest bavituximab dose level, one patient developed grade 3 anal pain which was deemed probably related to bavituximab. Enrollment at this dose level continues. Of the 7 patients who have proceeded to surgery, 1 patient’s tumor demonstrated a pathologic complete response. Conclusion: We have safely escalated the dose of bavituximab to 1 mg/kg in conjunction with capecitabine and pelvic radiation therapy in patients with rectal adenocarcinoma. Trial enrollment continues at the 3 mg/kg dose level. Toxicities have been relatively mild to date. Continued enrollment will aid in defining the maximum tolerated dose of bavituximab as an addition to a standard neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy platform for patients with rectal adenocarcinoma. Author Disclosure: J.J. Meyer: Research Grant; Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Y. Arriaga: None. J. Anandam: Consultant; Edwards Lifesciences LLC. S. Karri: None. U. Verma: None. A. Abdelnaby: None. G. Raja: None. Y. Dong: None. M.S. Beg: Advisory Board; Celgene. J. Shan: Stock; Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Clinical and Regulatory Affairs; Peregrine Pharmaceuticas, Inc. G. Balch: None.
Immunoblotting characterization of neutrophil antigenic targets in autoimmune neutropenia

We characterized neutrophil autoantigens using an immunoblotting technique with antibodies obtained from patients with autoimmune neutropenia. These results were correlated with serologic characterization of the antibodies, using indirect immunofluorescence and leukoagglutination. Of the 17 sera immunoblotted, 16 showed discrete bands in the molecular weight range of 30 to 112. Three patients with Felty's syndrome reacted with an antigenic target of 80 to 84 Kd molecular mass, a finding not seen in any of the other patients studied. By serologic testing, none of the autoimmune sera showed serologic specificity for any known neutrophil-specific alloantigen. Using an anti-NA-1 serum, we identified antigenic targets at 40, 50, and 101 Kd in both NA-1-positive and NA-1-negative neutrophils. Ten of 17 autoimmune sera showed reactivity in this corresponding range. These studies demonstrate that immunoblotting may be used to identify antigenic targets in autoimmune neutropenia and may suggest a specificity of these antibodies not definable by serologic techniques. Correlation of immunoblot reactivity with disease states associated with immune neutropenia may be useful in the study of the pathogenesis of the different forms of autoimmune neutropenia.
Human kidney preservation for transplantation.

A community kidney transplantation program among hospitals of northeastern Ohio is the source of these observations made about the salvage, transportation, and short-term preservation of cadaver kidneys for transplantation.
Cyclophosphamide, Doxorubicin and Cisplatin Chemotherapy for Patients with Locally Advanced Urothelial Tumors with or without Nodal Metastases

AbstractThirty-eight patients with primary urothelial tumors recurring in the pelvis or nodal presentation were treated with intravenous or intra-arterial cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin and cisplatin chemotherapy. The 38 patients were selected owing to unresectability by local criteria (12 patients) or by virtue of nodal metastases (26 patients). Histologically, the patients either had pure transitional cell carcinoma (29), transformation to a histological subtype of transitional cell carcinoma (7) or pure squamous cell carcinoma (2). An over-all 50 per cent complete remission rate was achieved with an 18 per cent objective pelvic response rate, and 32 per cent failed to respond to chemotherapy. Responses by histological subtype revealed that patients with pure transitional cell carcinoma had a 62 per cent complete remission rate, those with transitional forms had a 14 per cent complete remission rate and none with squamous cell carcinoma responded to chemotherapy. A significant difference in the incidence...
Scheler’s Hierarchy of Values

As we traced the major stages of Scheler’s Kant-critique we repeatedly observed the extent to which Scheler insists upon the cognitive primacy of what is variously characterised as the perception of value (Wertnehmung) or the emotional experience of value (emotionale Werterlebnis). We noted his contention that this phenomenon precedes and colours all intellectual judgements (including judgements of value themselves) and, insofar as it finds the content of values an indispensable element in any act of valuation, precludes the possibility of a purely formal ethics. But the fruits of Scheler’s attention to the realm of sensibility are far from exhausted in the critical or negative phase of his ethical studies. By attending closely to that which is manifest in our experience of values, he claims for cognition access to the domain of values itself and the capacity to record the a priori structures and distinctions therein. There should be little doubt that the results of this ambitious, if not unprecedented, enterprise have made a significant contribution to the vast literature which has accumulated over the centuries, and now comprise a wealth of reflections and insights into the possibilities present in humanity’s normative and moral experience.
Drug Metabolism in Pregnancy

This chapter provides an overview of the physiologic and pharmacokinetic changes that influence drug disposition during pregnancy. The dynamic regulation of hepatic phases I and II metabolic enzymes as well as transporters in pregnant animals and women is reviewed. Attention is also placed upon the role of individual hormones, such as estradiol and progesterone, as well as nuclear receptors in the adaptive changes in enzyme and transporter levels that occur during pregnancy. A comprehensive case study explores the coordinated regulation of metabolic enzymes, transporters, and nuclear receptors that control bile acid homeostasis in pregnant rodents. Understanding how pregnancy alters endobiotic and xenobiotic disposition is critical to ensure optimal management of diseases.
Enhanced Crystallinity of Polymer Nanofibers without Loss of Nanofibrous Morphology via Heterogeneous Photothermal Annealing

Poly(ethylene oxide) electrospun nanofibers with a low concentration of embedded gold nanoparticles (AuNP) were subjected to postfabrication annealing via photothermal heating from the nanoparticles. The results, including nanofibrous mat morphology, crystallinity fraction as a function of annealing time and modality, and average crystallite size, were compared with that for conventional heating at the same average temperature. Maximum crystallinity is achieved more quickly under photothermal heating, and higher maximum crystallinity values, approaching the theoretical maxima for an entangled polymer (∼80%), are obtained. Photothermal heating better preserves the unique nanostructured morphology of the nanofibrous mat whereas significant fiber thickening and loss of porosity occur under conventional annealing treatment. With photothermal heating, heat may be predominantly applied within amorphous material within the fiber, which provides energy for the amorphous chains to reorient and then possibly crysta...
Observation of new structure in the e+e- cross section above the Upsilon (4S).

Measurements of the ${e}^{+}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ cross section above $B\overline{B}$ threshold are reported. Structures are observed which could be the $\ensuremath{\Upsilon}(5S)$ and $\ensuremath{\Upsilon}(6S)$ resonances. The masses and widths are given and compared with various potential-model predictions. Average charged multiplicities and inclusive lepton yields are also presented.
Vaccine exemptions and the kindergarten vaccination coverage gap.

Abstract Background Vaccination requirements for kindergarten entry vary by state, but all states require 2 doses of measles containing vaccine (MCV) at kindergarten entry. Objective To assess (i) national MCV vaccination coverage for children who had attended kindergarten; (ii) the extent to which undervaccination after kindergarten entry is attributable to parents’ requests for an exemption; (iii) the extent to which undervaccinated children had missed opportunities to be administered missing vaccine doses among children whose parent did not request an exemption; and (iv) the vaccination coverage gap between the “highest achievable” MCV coverage and actual MCV coverage among children who had attended kindergarten. Methods A national survey of 1465 parents of 5–7 year-old children was conducted during October 2013 through March 2014. Vaccination coverage estimates are based provider-reported vaccination histories. Children have a “missed opportunity” for MCV if they were not up-to-date and if there were dates on which other vaccines were administered but not MCV. The “highest achievable” MCV vaccination coverage rate is 100% minus the sum of the percentages of (i) undervaccinated children with parents who requested an exemption; and (ii) undervaccinated children with parents who did not request an exemption and whose vaccination statuses were assessed during a kindergarten grace period or period when they were provisionally enrolled in kindergarten. Results Among all children undervaccinated for MCV, 2.7% were attributable to having a parent who requested an exemption. Among children who were undervaccinated for MCV and whose parent did not request an exemption, 41.6% had a missed opportunity for MCV. The highest achievable MCV coverage was 98.6%, actual MCV coverage was 90.9%, and the kindergarten vaccination gap was 7.7%. Conclusion Vaccination coverage may be increased by schools fully implementing state kindergarten vaccination laws, and by providers assessing children’s vaccination status at every clinic visit, and administering missed vaccine doses.
Loss, Protest, and Heritage: Liverpool FC and Hillsborough

AbstractThis article examines the Hillsborough disaster of 1989 that led to the deaths of 96 people and the long protest by the Hillsborough families in the search for justice. In April 2016, a special Coroner’s Court ruled that the Hillsborough dead had been unlawfully killed and a campaign for justice that had run for well over two decades was concluded. The paper argues that the protest and justice campaign centred on the Hillsborough disaster was essentially a battle against agencies of the state who had withheld the truth from the families. The paper also highlights the acquisition of Liverpool FC by the Fenway Sports Group and their embrace of the Hillsborough disaster as part of the club’s heritage which further added to the uniqueness of the Liverpool brand and how the club, the disaster and the justice campaign have become synonymous with each other.
Reflections on the First Years of the International Criminal Court

Adopted on July 17, 1998, the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (“ICC” or “Court”) entered into force on July 1, 2002, and since that date, four situations have been referred to the Court, all concerning African countries, namely Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (“DRC”), Darfur, Sudan and the Central African Republic (“CAR”). The past few months have been particularly important for the Court, as they have been notably characterized by significant procedural developments such as the recent arrest of Germain Katanga, a Congolese national, in October 2007. This Idea aims at giving an overview of those developments with a particular focus on the situation in Darfur, Sudan.
Amino acid sequence homology between “α” subunits from Torpedo and Electrophorus acetylcholine receptor☆☆☆

Abstract The amino terminal amino acid sequence of the 41,000 dalton subunit of Electrophorus electricus acetylcholine receptor has been determined for 35 cycles by automated sequencing procedures. Comparison of the unique polypeptide sequence obtained for this molecule with that of the major subunit of Torpedo californica acetylcholine receptor reveals extensive primary structural homology between the two proteins.
Sb-Implanted Aℓ Studied by Ion Backscattering and Electron Microscopy

Ion channeling and backscattering techniques, in conjunction with transmission electron microscopy, have been used to study the Sb-implanted Al system at high fluences (~ 1 at.% Sb). Implantations of 200 keV Sb into single crystal Al samples were carried out at room temperature and at 300°C to fluences of 5 x 1015/cm2. Extensive Al lattice disorder is present in the room temperature implant, whereas little disorder is present after 300°C implantation, Upon annealing of room temperature implanted samples, Al defect clusters produced during implantation were removed before reaching 150°C; Sb clustering within the implanted region occurred at ~ 250°C and cluster breakup was observed above 400°C. In contrast, implantation at 300°C produced triangular precipitates which were aligned with the Al lattice and exhibited diffraction consistent with the AlSb structure. Thus, the importance of temperature during implantation for achieving compound phase formation by ion implantation is demonstrated.
Aggressive Elites: A Passive Assault on Clarence Walton’s Modernism

Beginning with his essay, “Management Education: Seeing the Round Earth Squarely,” in the Ruffin Lecture Series, Business as a Humanity, reflected in his book, Corporate Encounters, and finally culminating in his forthcoming work, Aggressive Elites and Passive Masses: The Intellectuals’ Assault on Basic Institutions, Clarence Walton, with relentless persistence and an erudite command of texts, has mounted a sustained attack on what he finds to be the contemporary intellectual assault on human knowledge, values, religion, and basic democratic institutions. Deconstructionism, postmodernism, radical feminism, political correctness, and some forms of religious feminism have all fallen under the Walton sword as movements that undermine the very basis of modern democratic institutions, law, business, religion, and the church. Unlike the Three Musketeers, Walton’s sword is extraordinarily sharp, because Walton has read an enormous amount of material written by the intellectuals he attacks, and is careful to shape his critique from those materials. Unfortunately, there is not space to elaborate on the richness of Walton’s analysis, nor dwell on the many points with which I heartily concur. Rather, I shall take an academic shortcut and raise some questions about the conclusions Professor Walton reaches. I do not see my task in what follows as a counterattack, which is, or course, tempting, but rather as a mediator to suggest how there is something positive to be gleaned from these movements in their less radical and extreme formulations. Thus my counterassaults will be more in the form of waving a white flag. Because few have read the manuscript of Aggressive Elites, I shall quote extensively from the text.
Timing of Operative Intervention

Cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) is caused by damage to the spinal cord from progressive, age-related degenerative narrowing of the spinal canal. Regardless of the degree of narrowing, signs and symptoms can vary widely for each individual patient with CSM. Currently there are no universally accepted guidelines regarding the timing of surgery for CSM. Surgical decision-making for CSM requires complex integration of each patient’s symptoms, physical exam findings, radiographic findings, patient lifestyle, and overall health. These characteristics can then be used to stratify patients with CSM into asymptomatic, mild, moderate, and severe disease categories. This chapter aims to provide evidence-based recommendations to determine the need and timing of surgical decompression in patients with CSM based upon disease severity category.
Phonon thermal transport in encapsulated copper hybrids

We use molecular dynamics simulations to characterize the effect of various surface terminations on phonon thermal transport in nanoscale Cu slabs. Specifically, we studied Cu slabs approximately 4 nm in thickness with atomistically flat (111) surfaces, slabs with ∼ 30 % surface vacancies to mimic atomic-level roughness, and slabs with a surface oxide. Motivated by recent experimental observations, we study the effect of capping these surfaces with single layer graphene. From the thermal conductivity of the various samples as a function of length, we extracted conductivity and phonon mean free paths in the absence of boundary scattering other than that originating from the surfaces under study. As expected, both surface vacancies and an oxide layer reduce thermal conductivity and we characterize the effect in terms of the specularity parameter. While capping the slabs with graphene increases the conductivity, the poor thermal contact between Cu and graphene results in less than ideal performance of the hybrid material. Interestingly, the simulations reveal that the graphene capping layer reduces surface scattering on the Cu slabs, and this effect is significantly more pronounced in the case of a defective surface. The results provide insights into the use of graphene capping to improve transport in nanoscale interconnects for nanoelectronics.
Longitudinal Epigenome-Wide Methylation Study of Cognitive Decline and Motor Progression in Parkinson's Disease.

Background DNA methylation studies in Parkinson's disease (PD) thus far have focused on disease susceptibility but not progression. Objective In this epigenome-wide association study (EWAS), we aim to identify methylation markers associated with faster cognitive decline or motor progression in PD. Methods We included 232 PD patients from the Parkinson's Environment and Gene follow-up study who provided blood samples at enrolment. Information on cognitive and motor function was collected using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). For EWAS analyses, we used a robust measure of correlation: biweight midcorrelations, t-tests, and Cox proportional hazard models. We also conducted weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) to identify CpG modules associated with cognitive decline or motor progression in PD. Results Among 197 individuals of European ancestry, with our EWAS approach we identified 7 genome-wide significant CpGs associated with a MMSE 4-point decline and 8 CpGs associated with faster motor progression (i.e., rate of UPDRS increase ≥5-point/year). The most interesting CpGs for cognitive decline include cg17445913 in KCNB1 (cor = 0.36, p = 6.85×10-7) and cg02920897 in DLEU2 (cor = 0.34, p = 3.23×10-6), while for motor progression it was cg01754178 in PTPRN2 (cor = - 0.34, p = 2.07×10-6). In WGCNA, motor progression related modules were enriched for genes related to neuronal synaptic functions, Wnt signaling pathway, and mitochondrial apoptosis. Conclusions Our study provides the first epigenetic evidence that differential methylation in genes previously identified as being associated with cognitive impairment, neuronal synaptic function, Wnt signaling pathway, and mitochondrial apoptosis is associated with cognitive and motor progression in PD.