cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hormone-response Genes Are Direct in Vivo Regulatory Targets of Brahma (SWI/SNF) Complex Function

Metazoan SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complexes exhibit ATP-dependent activation and repression of target genes. The Drosophila Brahma (SWI/SNF) complex subunits BRM and SNR1 are highly conserved with direct counterparts in yeast (SWI2/SNF2 and SNF5) and mammals (BRG1/hBRM and INI1/hSNF5). BRM encodes the catalytic ATPase required for chromatin remodeling and SNR1 is a regulatory subunit. Importantly, SNR1 mediates ATP-independent repression functions of the complex in cooperation with histone deacetylases and direct contacts with gene-specific repressors. SNR1 and INI1, as components of their respective SWI/SNF complexes, are important for developmental growth control and patterning, with direct function as a tumor suppressor. To identify direct regulatory targets of the Brm complex, we performed oligonucleotide-based transcriptome microarray analyses using RNA isolated from mutant fly strains harboring dominant-negative alleles of snr1 and brm. Steady-state RNA isolated from early pupae was examined, as this developmental stage critically requires Brm complex function. We found the hormone-responsive Ecdysone-induced genes (Eig) were strongly misregulated and that the Brm complex is directly associated with the promoter regions of these genes in vivo. Our results reveal that the Brm complex assists in coordinating hormone-dependent transcription regulation of the Eig genes.
What difference does history of science make, anyway?

ABSTRACT This essay opens up the question of what difference the history of science makes. What is the value of the history of science, beyond its role as an academic pursuit that we historians of science know and love? It introduces the set of essays that follow as explorations that grew out of a seminar on this topic and that arise from the authors' particular concerns both that historians of science do not work hard enough to make their work of value and that others do not know of the potential. That seminar, at the Marine Biological Laboratory, was funded for nineteen years by the Dibner Institute and last year by Brent Dibner. It will continue and carry such discussions forward in new ways as the Arizona State University–Marine Biological Laboratory History of Biology Seminar Series. This set of focused essays seeks to invite lively discussion and response.
Comics and War: Transforming Perceptions of the Other through a Constructive Learning Experience.

During World War II the United States and Japan experienced what Rouhana and Bar‐Tal described as ‘a clash of narratives between two societies’. The Japanese envisioned themselves as heroes saving Asia from western colonisation, while the Americans felt the need to defend the West from the ‘Yellow Peril’. In the research reported below, US students at Grinnell College studied the Japanese national narrative of World War II by viewing Japanese graphic novels about the war and role‐playing Japanese characters from 1945. The role‐playing exercises, based on an experiential learning model, are designed to encourage students to alter perceptions of war through reliving the war experience of another people in a past time. Vicarious participation in World War II Japanese society leads role‐playing participants to go beyond their accustomed frame of reference and see themselves as part of a ‘larger self’ in a ‘wider common world of rational beings’ (Habermas). This study suggests that war experience as mediated b...
Aeroelastic model design using parameter identification

Wind-tunnel model design can be very involved, so an approach has been developed that uses optimization methods to automate it. The model design process has been divided into separate stiffness design and mass design stages. Then, a sample structure was manufactured and subjected to static and modal testing using laser holographic techniques. The predicted flutter response of the model matches the predicted flutter response of the full-scale wing very closely. Nomenclature c = element of calculated flexibility matrix F = objective function g = constraint K = stiffness matrix k = proportionality constant M = mass matrix m = total mass x = element of eigenvector matrix 8 = element of target flexibility matrix a) = natural frequency
The effect of arrestin conformation on the recruitment of c-Raf1, MEK1, and ERK1/2 activation.

Arrestins are multifunctional signaling adaptors originally discovered as proteins that “arrest” G protein activation by G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Recently GPCR complexes with arrestins have been proposed to activate G protein-independent signaling pathways. In particular, arrestin-dependent activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) has been demonstrated. Here we have performed in vitro binding assays with pure proteins to demonstrate for the first time that ERK2 directly binds free arrestin-2 and -3, as well as receptor-associated arrestins-1, -2, and -3. In addition, we showed that in COS-7 cells arrestin-2 and -3 association with β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR) significantly enhanced ERK2 binding, but showed little effect on arrestin interactions with the upstream kinases c-Raf1 and MEK1. Arrestins exist in three conformational states: free, receptor-bound, and microtubule-associated. Using conformationally biased arrestin mutants we found that ERK2 preferentially binds two of these: the “constitutively inactive” arrestin-Δ7 mimicking microtubule-bound state and arrestin-3A, a mimic of the receptor-bound conformation. Both rescue arrestin-mediated ERK1/2/activation in arrestin-2/3 double knockout fibroblasts. We also found that arrestin-2-c-Raf1 interaction is enhanced by receptor binding, whereas arrestin-3-c-Raf1 interaction is not.
Macrophages pulsed with sterol-conjugated benzylpenicilloylated eicosa-lysine induce T cell-mediated suppression of IgE antibody formation in mice.

The conjugation of two lipophilic p-oxymethylbenzyl-3β-cholestanylsuccinate groups to fully benzylpenicilloylated eicosa-L-lysine [BP20Lys20(OSuco)2] greatly potentiated its ability to suppress anti-BPO IgE antibody formation in vivo in mice. This enhanced tolerogenicity was due to the ability of BPO20Lys20(OSuco)2 to induce T suppressor cells (Luescher, I. F. et al., Eur. J. Immunol. 1984.14:68). In the present study the role of adherent cells in the induction of T suppressor cells by BPO20Lys20(OSuco)2 was investigated. Low numbers of macrophages pulsed in vitro with BPO20Lys20(OSuco)2, but not with the hydrophilic analog BP020Lys20-OH, suppressed anti-BPO IgE antibody formation upon transfer into syngeneic recipients. This suppression was antigen and IgE specific, and was manifested in naive as well as in previously immunized mice. By cell transfer experiments it was found that the suppression was sensitive to cyclophosphamide. The IgE suppression was not due to carry-over of BPO20Lys20 (OSuco)2 by the transferred macrophages since the amount of cell-associated antigen was approximately 500-fold too low to account for the observed suppressions. The capability of BPO20Lys20 (OSuco)2 to elicit anaphylaxis in passively sensitized rats was significantly lower in comparison to the hydrophilic analog BPO21Lys20OH. Adherent cells pulsed with BPO20Lys20 (OSuco)2, although strongly suppressing IgE antibody formation, failed to elicit any detectable anaphylaxis. The role of adherent cells in the induction of T cell-mediated suppression of IgE antibody formation by lipid-modified antigens is discussed and novel therapeutical concepts to achieve desensitization of drug allergic individuals are suggested.
Model the MPI Performance for non-Contiguous Data

MPI (message passing interface) is the inter-node communication interface used in today PC clusters and other cluster-type parallel/distributed systems. Up-to-date the most popular analytical MPI performance model for parallel/distributed machines is the LogGP model, which is based on system hardware parameters. Recently, the improvements in connection network and communication protocols have lead to the dramatically changes in the contributions of hardware parameters to the model communication time. So LogGP model needs to be re-evaluated for its format and hardware parameters, to include the effect of message structures, which is in form of communication middleware overheads. In this paper, we use our experiment results to show that the current LogGP communication model is too limited for today parallel/distributed systems. We propose a modification by including into the model additional system parameters to represent middleware costs on non-contiguous data. We show in this paper our theoretical and experimental results for point-to-point communication, and explain how performance models for other communication patterns can be similarly created
Simulations of Fungicide Runoff Following Applications for Turfgrass Disease Control.

Vincelli, P. 2004. Simulations of fungicide runoff following applications for turfgrass disease control. Plant Dis. 88:391-396. Computer simulations of fungicide loading in surface water runoff were conducted with fungicides commonly used in golf course fairways and lawns in Kentucky. For all fungicides, values for degradation half-life and organic carbon partition coefficient were obtained from published sources; other input parameters were selected to simulate conditions typical in local swards. Spray programs were tested using a 21-year period of weather data for Lexington, KY. Predicted amounts of fungicide in runoff were determined, and predicted fungicide concentrations in runoff (mg/liter) were compared with 50% lethal concentration (LC50) values for rainbow trout and Daphnia magna. All simulated chlorothalonil applications produced runoff with concentrations that greatly exceeded the LC50 values for both indicator species. For some applications, concentrations of azoxystrobin, iprodione, and pentachloronitrobenzene exceeded LC50 values of at least one indicator species. Under the conditions simulated, runoff concentrations of metalaxyl, propiconazole, thiophanate methyl, and triadimefon were well below LC50 values of the indicator species. Although actual amounts of fungicide loaded into runoff were relatively low, these simulations suggest that turfgrass applications of fungicides with high intrinsic toxicity to indicator species could pose a risk to populations of primary and secondary consumers in aquatic ecosystems. Additional keywords: TurfPQ, water quality
Social Security Legislation Creates Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act

The purpose of this article is to familiarize readers with the recent Social Security legislation designed to reduce financial disincentives to the return to work for recipients of Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability Insurance. Multiple programs are discussed, and a specific example of how one state is utilizing funds received through this program is shared. In a case study, one large spinal cord injury catastrophic care hospital's program is described.
Gene regulation in glioblastoma: a combinatorial analysis of microRNAs and transcription factors

Glioblastoma is the most common and most lethal brain tumour in humans. Illustrating the functions being disturbed during carcinogenesis and how they are deregulated is very important for us to understand its underlying mechanism. Transcriptional aberrations may play a vital role in the etiology of glioblastoma, which might be caused by both genomic alterations and other regulation molecules. In this study, we investigated possible cooperative deregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) and transcription factors (TFs) in glioblastoma, under the hypothesis that miRNAs and TFs might have a combinational regulatory effect on glioblastoma genes. We searched glioblastoma-specific regulatory networks by integrating glioblastoma related miRNAs, TFs and genes, and identified 54 feed-forward loops (FFLs). Follow up functional enrichment analysis of these FFLs uncovered some functions important to carcinogenesis but also some unique functions specific to the FFLs we identified.
Connective stability of discontinuous interconnected systems via parameter dependent Lyapunov functions

Connective stability is defined for a discontinuous interconnected system under structural perturbations. Stability conditions are obtained using both Lipschitz and C/sup 1/-type vector Lyapunov functions. The functions are chosen to be parameter dependent in order to handle uncertainties in the interconnections. Connective stability conditions are converted to convex optimization problems via theory of M-matrices. As an illustration of the obtained results it is shown that generalized matching conditions apply to stabilization of systems with piecewise-continuous interconnections.
Aesthetics of color combinations

The previous literature on the aesthetics of color combinations has produced confusing and conflicting claims. For example, some researchers suggest that color harmony increases with increasing hue similarity whereas others say it increases with hue contrast. We argue that this confusion is best resolved by considering three distinct judgments about color pairs: (a) preference for the pair as a whole, (b) perceived harmony of the two colors, and (c) preference for the figural color when viewed against the background color. Empirical support for this distinction shows that pair preference and harmony ratings both increase as hue similarity increases, but preference correlates more strongly with component color preferences and lightness contrast than does harmony. Although ratings of both pair preference and harmony decrease as hue contrast increases, ratings of figural color preference increase as hue contrast with the background increases. Our results refine and clarify well-known and often contradictory claims of artistic color theory.
Functional magnetic resonance imaging: basic principles of and application to developmental science

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has quickly become the preferred technique for imaging normal brain activity, especially in the typically developing child. This technique takes advantage of specific magnetic properties and physiological processes to generate images of brain activity. These images can be interpreted as a function of group or individual based differences to explore developmental patterns and/or cognitive abilities. In this paper we present an overview of the basic principles of fMRI and a discussion of what is currently known about the physiological bases of the resulting signal. We also report findings from developmental fMRI studies that examine the development of cognitive and neural systems underlying attention and memory. Behavioral performance and age-related neural changes are examined independently in an attempt to disentangle developmental differences from individual variability in performance.
Mitochondrial DNA Polymorphism and a Connection Between Genetics and Demography of Relevance to Conservation

Molecular markers increasingly are employed to estimate population genetic parameters of relevance to conservation biology, such as within-population heterozygosity, between-population gene flow, and the genetic distinctiveness of taxonomic units. One complication in interpreting empirical results is that alternative markers sometimes yield different outcomes, presumably due to sampling errors associated with the small fraction of the genome represented in any assay, and to the possibility that the genes monitored were influenced by different evolutionary forces (such as selection versus neutral drift). Sometimes a special significance is claimed for particular classes of genetic markers. A recent example was the provocative suggestion by Hughes (1991) that captive breeding programs should be designed with an explicit focus on maintaining allelic diversity in genes of the major histocompatibility complex, a stance that stimulated much controversy and discussion (Gilpin & Wills 1991; Miller & Hedrick 1991; Vrijenhoek & Leberg 1991). In this spirit of provocative thought, I wish to suggest a special demographic significance for the perspectives that have been provided by another genetic systemmitochondrial (mt) DNA (see also Moritz 1994).
A Genetic Factor on the DNA Molecule Capable of Depressing the Frequency of Transformation at a Linked Site

HE genetic factor responsible for the depression of the frequency of streptomycin-resistance transformations in Pneumococcus was first studied by GREEN (1959). He found that when Rx cells are exposed to a DNA transforming preparation (TP) containing genetic markers for erythromycin resistance and streptomycin resistance, approximately identical frequencies of transformation by both markers are observed. However, if strain Rz is exposed to the same DNA, the frequency of streptomycin-resistance transformations decreases. This difference between the two strains has been termed a “host specificity.” The specific depression of transformation of a streptomycinresistance marker has also been reported by STUY (1961 ). GREEN hypothesized that this specific depression is due to a genetic factor (depressor or dep) which is linked to the streptomycin-resistance marker and is usually transmitted in association with that marker when the latter is successfully integrated into the recipient genome. However, this conclusion was not completely justified since the experimental design permitted several alternative conclusions; it was possible that the depressor was akociated with both the erythromycin-resistance marker and the streptomycin-resistance marker, or even with the erythromycinresistance marker alone. GREEN suggested that the depressor has its effect at the time the transferred markers are genetically integrated into recipient genomes. He suggested that the depressor factor is possibly one that interferes with the recombination event. Since studies of heterospecific transformation ( SCHAEFFER 1956; ALEXANDER, LEIDY and HAHN 1954) have shown that a certain homology between the DNA of the recipient and the transforming DNA is necessary for efficient transformation, GREEN suggested that the depressor is a portion of a DNA molecule, in the TP, which lacks homology with a corresponding region of the same DNA molecule in the recipient Rz strain, but which is homologous to this region in the Rx strain. Consequently, the depressor lowers the frequency of transforma1 Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy,
Cerebrovascular events in adult patients with cyanotic congenital heart disease

Abstract Objectives . We sought to determine the frequency of spontaneous cerebrovascular events in adult patients with cyanotic congenital heart disease and to evaluate any contributing factors. Background . Cerebrovascular events are a serious complication of cyanotic congenital heart disease in infants and children but are said to be uncommon in adults. Methods . Between 1988 and 1995, 162 patients with cyanotic congenital heart disease (mean age 37 years, range 19 to 70) were retrospectively evaluated for any well documented cerebrovascular events that occurred at ≥18 years of age. Events related to procedures, endocarditis or brain abscess were excluded. Results . Twenty-two patients (13.6%) had 29 cerebrovascular events (1/100 patient-years). There was no significant difference between those with and without a cerebrovascular event in terms of age, smoking history, degree of erythrocytosis, ejection fraction or use of aspirin or warfarin (Coumadin). Patients who had a cerebrovascular event had a significantly increased tendency to develop hypertension, atrial fibrillation, microcytosis (mean corpuscular volume Conclusions . Adults with cyanotic congenital heart disease are at risk of having cerebrovascular events. This risk is increased in the presence of hypertension, atrial fibrillation, history of phlebotomy and microcytosis, the latter condition having the strongest significance (p
On the Use of Principal Component and Spectral Density Analyses to Evaluate the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) Model

A 5year (2002–2006) simulation of CMAQ covering the eastern United States is evaluated using principle component analysis in order to identify and characterize statistically significant patterns of model bias. Such analysis is useful in that in can identify areas of poor model performance across space and time; facilitate understanding of the probable mechanisms (emissions, meteorological, and/or chemical) responsible for said poor performance; and designate specific locations that can be used in providing in depth diagnostic analysis.
Serologic survey for selected infectious diseases in raccoons (Procyon lotor) in Indiana, USA.

The objective of this study was to characterize the antibody prevalence of important livestock and domestic animal pathogens in raccoons (Procyon lotor) trapped and sampled in 39 forest patches in north-central Indiana, USA, between 2004 and 2005. A total of 459 serum samples were tested for antibodies to Leptospira serovars, 512 for Canine distemper virus (CDV) antibodies, and 340 for antibodies to Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV). In total, 47, 16, and 0% of the samples were seropositive for at least one Leptospira serovar, CDV, and PRRSV, respectively. Most of the positive Leptospira results were to serovars grippotyphosa (36%), autum-nalis (22%), and hardjo (22%). No statistically significant correlation was found between antibody prevalence estimates for different Leptospira serovars. A significant association was found between body weight and antibodies for Leptospira serovars and CDV. In addition, age (adult vs. juvenile) was significantly associated with the presence of ...
Quasicontinuum models of interfacial structure and deformation

Microscopic models of the interaction between grain boundaries (GBs) and both dislocations and cracks are of importance in understanding the role of microstructure in altering the mechanical properties of a material. A recently developed mixed atomistic and continuum method is reformulated to allow for the examination of the interactions between GBs, dislocations, and cracks. These calculations elucidate plausible microscopic mechanisms for these defect interactions and allow for the quantitative evaluation of critical parameters such as the force needed to induce GB migration.
EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF LIQUID-HYDROGEN COOLING BY HELIUM GAS INJECTION

Previous work at the NASA George C. Marshall Space Flight Center illustrated the cooling effect of bubbling helium gas through liquid oxygen, with subsequent application of this phenomenon in Saturn space vehicle oxidizer suction lines, which, due to the combined effect of length, diameter, and environmental heating during standby, became too hot for proper turbopump and rocket engine performance. Parallel interest in the use of helium gas injection to reduce the temperature of liquid hydrogen dictated the study reported here.
Bounded Legality: China's Developmental State and Civil Dispute Resolution: An Essay in Honor of Professor Hungdah Chiu

In recent years China has experimented with participatory lawmaking as it has opened its laws for citizen participation and comments. Similarly, China has also had an increase in private citizen law enforcement as the rate of civil litigation has increased dramatically in the last decades. But much like the policies it has pursued in the economic sphere, the Chinese state retains substantial discretion and control over the form and manner of legal development. In its legal reforms, the Chinese state also retains substantial control over legal institutions, including the process of litigation. The developmental state is characterized by deep state involvement in economic development and, in the case of China, extends to legal development such as guiding major litigation and resolution of socially significant disputes, even when those disputes are between private parties. One recent mass tort case not only illustrates that the Chinese legal system will continue to put “emphasis on order over freedom, duties over rights, and group interests over individual ones,” but also how that the legal system accommodates the state’s role and the development of a multi-track litigation system.
Conflict Minerals Disclosures: Reporting Requirements and Implications for Auditing

SUMMARY: Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (Dodd-Frank Act) created a reporting requirement for publicly traded companies that manufacture products using “conflict minerals” from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) or adjoining countries. Under certain circumstances, companies must file a Conflict Minerals Report (CMR) in addition to a Specialized Disclosure Report (Form SD). Companies that claim their products are free of conflict minerals from the DRC must have an audit of their CMR. We investigate the extent to which companies have complied with the new disclosure requirements as well as the current and future auditing implications.
Predicting sarcopenia from functional measures among community-dwelling older adults

Sarcopenia is defined as age-related lean tissue mass (LTM) loss resulting in reduced muscular strength, physical function, and mobility. Up to 33 % of older adults currently are sarcopenic, with likely many more undiagnosed. The purpose of this investigation was to predict sarcopenia status from easily accessible functional measures of community-dwelling older adults. Forty-three community-dwelling older adults (n = 32 females and n = 11 males) participated in the present investigation. Inclusion criteria included ≥65 years of age, mini-mental state examination score ≥24, and no falls within previous 12 months. All subjects completed their appendicular skeletal mass (ASM) assessment via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and were categorized as either sarcopenic or non-sarcopenic. Physical assessments included 10-m usual walk, hand-grip (HG) strength, 6-min walk, 8-ft up-and-go, 30-s chair stand, 30-s arm curl, and sit-to-stand muscular power. A forward, stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that age, sex, weight, height, 10-m walk, HG, and sit-to-stand muscular power account for 96.1 % of the variance in ASM. The area under the curve was 0.92 for correctly identifying sarcopenic participants compared to their actual classification. This is the first prediction model used to identify sarcopenia based on parameters of demographic and functional fitness measures in community-dwelling older adults. The ability to accurately identify sarcopenia in older adults is imperative to their quality of life and ability to perform activities of daily living.
Powers and Rights: Two Centuries of American Constitutionalism

Why is it that for two centuries American politics, government, and law have been so intimately and persistently involved with the explication de texte of a brief and ambiguously worded late eighteenth-century document? That is the core question in American constitutional history. Americans are not the kind of people, one would think, to make obeisance to a form of words. And the public life of other nations has gone on without such close and continuous reference to their constitutions. One answer is that the Constitution of the United States laid down a structure, and implicitly a philosophy, of government that for the better part of two centuries has fulfilled the needs of American public life. Its major features the view that sovereignty and power emanate from the people; as much attention to the constraints on, as to the powers of, government; the legislative, executive, and judicial branches balanced off (indeed, played off) against each other; a federalism in which particular tasks of government are allocated to the nation and to the states -have had continuing vitality. The document is a short one, its guidelines are broad, but it has demonstrated a notable capacity for setting the rules of the American political and governmental game. As well imagine an Anglo-American legislative body without Robert's Rules of Order, or a serious poker game without Hoyle, as American public life without the Constitution.' A second answer is that, however tangentially and ambiguously, the Constitution has defined the boundaries of debate over persistent, never-resolved issues in American public life. The great ongoing contentions between liberty and equality, between individual freedom and social responsibility, between the nation and the states, and between the State and the citizen, have always been expressed in constitutional terms. The history of the Constitution as definer of the form of government and framer of public policy agendas in short, the history of American constitutionalism may be understood in terms of two broad, chronologically consecutive themes, each of them (by that happy temporal coincidence that is so important a part of the historian's stock in trade) dominating a century of our national public life.
Study on the Effect of Drops in the Treatment of Pediatric Chronic Rhinosinusitis Ou Ma

Objective To investigate the clinical effect of Sinupret Drops on chronic paranasal sinusitis in children.Methods From2012 June to 2014 year in June I pediatric chronic sinusitis in 182 children were treated as the research object,randomly divided into control group and observation group,91 cases in each group,the control group was given Myrtol Standardized Enteric Coated Soft Capsule(with children) treatment,the observation group was given Sinupret Drops treatment,compared the clinical therapeutic effect of two groups of children with and adverse reaction.Results In the observation group the total effective rate was 94.5%,the control group the total effective rate was 71.4%,the observation group was significantly better than the control group,the difference was statistically significant(P0.05);observation group and there were no adverse reaction,the control group,the incidence rate of adverse reactions was 2.2%,the difference was not statistically significant(P0.05).Conclusion The clinical symptoms in children with chronic sinusitis and give Sinupret Drops treatment can obviously improve children's,and less adverse reaction,it is worth in the clinical application.
Isolation and Characterization of Chromatin and Dna from the Sperm of the Spider Crab, Libinia Emarginata

An isolation technique is described which yields highly purified sperm from various regions of the reproductive tract of the crab Libinia emarginata . Sperm chromatin was isolated and analysed with respect to ultrastructure, ultraviolet absorption spectrum, thermal melting profile, behaviour in CsCl gradients, and chemical composition. Sperm-isolated chromatin not stabilized with uranyl acetate prior to ethanol dehydration, like prokaryotic chromatin, has aggregated fibres with a diameter in the range 30-95 nm or more. With uranyl acetate stabilization, only very fine fibres are seen. Pronase treatment of the thick fibres leads to formation of very fine fibres, showing that protein is associated with this isolated chromatin. Polyacrylamide electrophoretic analysis of the chromatin protein shows that it is not basic. Standard basic protein staining of sperm taken from testes, vas deferens, and seminal receptacles after various periods of storage there gives a negative nuclear reaction in all cases. This suggests the absence of sperm nuclear histones and protamines. Sperm chromatin protein is salt-dissociable and has a ratio of basic to acidic amino acids of 0.43-0.48 The protein/DNA ratio is 2.3-3.2 and the ratio E 280 /E 260 is 0.59-0.67 Thermal denaturation curves are identical for sperm chromatin and purified sperm DNA, supporting the other data showing lack of nuclear basic proteins. An (A + T)-rich satellite DNA component comprises about 7-9 % of the total sperm genome. It is suggested that the genes which specify gamete-type nuclear basic proteins are either permanently repressed or deleted in decapod crustacea.
Risk Factors for Nonroutine Discharge in Patients Undergoing Spinal Fusion for Intervertebral Disc Disorders.

Although outcomes following spinal fusion for intervertebral disc disorders have been studied, factors influencing discharge disposition and health care resource utilization have not been determined. This study sought to clarify perioperative risk factors for non-routine discharge and prolonged hospital stay in patients undergoing fusion for intervertebral disc disorders.The National Hospital Discharge Survey was queried to identify all patients discharged from U.S. hospitals following spinal fusion for intervertebral disc disorders between 1990 and 2007. A cohort representative of 1,943,707 patients was identified and separated into those who were discharged home and those who were discharged to rehabilitation facilities. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent predictors of non-routine discharge to another inpatient facility and prolonged hospital stay.The strongest risk factors for non-routine discharge were age>65 years, congestive heart failure, atrial fibrillation, any general in-hospital complication, diabetes mellitus, osteoporosis, hypertension and any surgery-related complication. Patients younger than 50 years and males had the lowest rate of non-routine discharge. The strongest risk factors for prolonged hospital stay were any surgery-related complication, congestive heart failure, any general in-hospital complication, atrial fibrillation, age > 65 years, osteoporosis and diabetes mellitus. Patients 36-50 years of age had the lowest risk of increased length of hospital stay.Knowledge of these risk factors may aid in better resource allocation and improved strategies for managing patients with spondylosis in order to decrease healthcare costs.3.
Airships in International Political Competition, 1924–28

The arrival of airship ZR3 in America produced a wave of zeppelin excitement, and almost at once Eckener and his officers began a crowded schedule of receptions and addresses in the major cities of eastern America. After the initial celebrations in Washington and New York, the airshipmen mixed business, politicking and pleasure in Akron, Cleveland and Detroit. The mayor of the Motor City praised the German commander: ‘[Since 1918] a barrier of ice has lain between the American and German people, which you and your airship have now smashed!’ Thereupon followed four days in Chicago, with another fortnight in Washington and New York. Returned to Germany, Eckener was overwhelmed with attention from newsmen and politicians of every persuasion. In contrast to the American acclaim for German technological prowess and the prospects for intercontinental airship travel, Germans celebrated the end of their postwar international political ostracism and claimed a moral victory over the mean spirit of Versailles. At his tumultuous welcome in Berlin the same Scherl publishers who had first advertised Count Zeppelin in 1903 now committed Eckener to six further exhausting public appearances Germany-wide. Thus the now-renowned airship commander stood in the glare of worldwide publicity, which he would intemperately bear for the next fifteen years.1
Electromechanical Delayed Resonator Implementation using Piezoelectric Networks

Abstract Delayed Resonators (DR) refer to a special type of active vibration absorber system. An intentionally delayed feedback control is used to bring an absorber sub-structure to resonance, in turn canceling vibrations in the primary structure. So far, this theory has been applied to traditional mechanical vibration absorbers with proof masses. This study proposes a new venue for DR-based vibration control using piezoelectric networks. The inherent electro-mechanical coupling of piezoelectric materials has enabled the use of electrical circuits to absorb vibrations in mechanical structures. The DR principles are applied here to create a resonating electrical circuit which offers ideal vibration absorption performance. Experimental studies are also presented to demonstrate the results.
EXTENDED THEOREMS OF LIMIT ANALYSIS OF ANISOTROPIC SOLIDS

ABSTRACT The extended theorems of limit analysis presented recently by the authors for isotropic solids are generalized to include the effect of anisotropy. In these theorems both the upper and the lower bounds are expressed in terms of functional which may be optimized to yield the best bounds. This results in a systematic procedure for the evaluation of the lower bound superior to the procedure of trial and error of the classic theorem. To illustrate the use of the proposed theorems a plane stress problem is solved using the yield criterion suggested by Hill. It consists of an orthotropic slab with a slit subjected to uniaxial tension. The same problem is also treated by the classic theorems for the purpose of comparison. The result for the isotropic case is found to agree with existing solutions.
Coagulation of Milk with Immobilized Proteases: A Review

Enzymatic coagulation of milk by immobilized proteases, and their potential application to cheese manufacture, is reviewed. Particular emphasis is given to the immobilized protease catalyst and to the reactor design for coagulation of milk. Pepsin and chymotrypsin retained more activity and greater stability than the other immobilized proteolytic enzymes. Porous glass beads, several anion exchange resins, and the copolymer ethylene-maleic anhydride gave best results among the support materials that were evaluated. Covalent attachment of enzyme to support is preferable to adsorption techniques but may be too costly. Perhaps the best catalyst is one using a lengthy procedure for covalent immobilization of enzyme on glass beads but good results were also obtained with simpler adsorption techniques. Catalysts varied greatly in initial activity but all lost activity upon exposure to milk. Stirred tank, packed bed, and fluidized bed reactor designs were used. Continued research is required to make enzymic milk ...
Natural history of a saline mound ecosystem

Along the margins of playas in northwestern Nevada, a salt-tolerant plant community occupies mounds that dot a largely unvegetated landscape. In this environment we studied soil development and plant-soil relationships. The mounds, averaging 0.3 m in height, are occupied by the shrubs Allenrolfea occidentalis (iodine bush), Sacrobatus vermiculatus (black greasewood), and Atriplex lentiformis spp. torreyi (Torrey saltbush). Distichlis spicata (desert saltgrass) is the only herbaceous plant occupying this community. Soil salinity decreases with depth in this environment, and content of aqueous-extractable solutes is significantly influenced by site-specific vegetation. Content of silt, clay, and salt in mound surface horizons suggests a chronosequence of mound formation, with the youngest at the barren playa interface and the oldest at the upland vegetation border. Plant demography and mound soil stratigraphy suggest that a pulse of plant recruitment and mound building occurred during a time of neoglacial cooling. As a substrate for plant recruitment, mounds have a limited lifespan because deposition of eolian-transported salts and geochemical cycling by plants quickly render them too saline for seed germination. The apparent productivity of mound formation precludes definitive conclusions regarding those mound characteristics favorable for plant recruitment and survivorship.
The Cellular Toxicity of Complex Environmental Mixtures

The principal aim of environmental toxicology is to define the means whereby an agent exerts its biochemical, physiological, and pathological effects. Such effects can occur at multiple levels of biological organization from individual molecules to intact animals. It appears that toxic responses proceed as a function of dose from the molecular level to the responding tissue or organ. A complete understanding of the toxic response requires investigation at each level of biological organization. However, the primary unit of integrated biological organization and response is the intact cell, and most toxic manifestations depend ultimately upon changes that occur at the cellular level.
Etched in Stone: Sixteenth-century Visual and Material Evidence of Śaiva Ascetics and Yogis in Complex Non-seated Āsanas at Vijayanagara

This article reassesses the history of postural yoga in precolonial India by drawing attention to recently discovered visual material evidence of non-seated postures carved onto the pillars of Vijayanagara temples at Hampi in Karnataka. Based on inscriptional evidence dating to the early 1500s CE, these sculptures represent important and overlooked early visual evidence for the practice of standing postures, inversions, and complex “pretzel-shaped” balancing postures in late-medieval South India. A number of sculptures bear a marked similarity to certain non-seated asanas featured in more modern postural yoga systems, and might represent some of the earliest evidence of their existence. To contextualize these images and understand their significance within the larger history of yoga, the article begins with a preliminary genealogy of asana and postural yoga traditions, highlighting a particular shift from seated to non-seated asanas that is evinced in both the textual and visual-sculptural record. The author suggests that this shift in psychophysical functionality and praxis of yogic asana may have opened up new anatomical potentials for engaging the body within a yogic context, and that this shift, alongside intermingling with much older traditions of asceticism (tapas), may partially explain the surge in complex non-seated asanas featured in many yoga texts following the sixteenth century. Drawing upon other archeological sites, textual, epigraphical, and visual materials, the article makes the case that some of the ascetic figures in complex yogic postures sculpted at Hampi are depictions of Natha yogis performing the techniques of Hathayoga.
Forging Criminals in the Family

Families contribute to criminality in at least three ways: by genetic transmission, through placement in physical and socioeconomic contexts, and by virtue of their child-rearing practices. I discuss each of these, noting some of the difficulties involved in their study and identifying some of the major results of research as well as some of the important issues remaining
iDedup: latency-aware, inline data deduplication for primary storage

Deduplication technologies are increasingly being deployed to reduce cost and increase space-efficiency in corporate data centers. However, prior research has not applied deduplication techniques inline to the request path for latency sensitive, primary workloads. This is primarily due to the extra latency these techniques introduce. Inherently, deduplicating data on disk causes fragmentation that increases seeks for subsequent sequential reads of the same data, thus, increasing latency. In addition, deduplicating data requires extra disk IOs to access on-disk deduplication metadata. In this paper, we propose an inline deduplication solution, iDedup, for primary workloads, while minimizing extra IOs and seeks.Our algorithm is based on two key insights from real-world workloads: i) spatial locality exists in duplicated primary data; and ii) temporal locality exists in the access patterns of duplicated data. Using the first insight, we selectively deduplicate only sequences of disk blocks. This reduces fragmentation and amortizes the seeks caused by deduplication. The second insight allows us to replace the expensive, on-disk, deduplication metadata with a smaller, in-memory cache. These techniques enable us to tradeoff capacity savings for performance, as demonstrated in our evaluation with real-world workloads. Our evaluation shows that iDedup achieves 60-70% of the maximum deduplication with less than a 5% CPU overhead and a 2-4% latency impact.
数字化时代中国纸媒行业的受贿现象 (Chinese Newspaper Corruption in the Digital Age)

Chinese Abstract: 本文考察了中国平面媒体腐败的程度及原因，并讨论了中国的经济转型和数字革命对媒腐败的影响。这种腐败成为中国记者们正式及非正式职业化的一个强有力的制度性障碍，增加了强大的政治和商业利益对媒体的影响力，并降低了中国舆论监督的有效性。在讨论了中国媒体腐败的盛行和原因之后，作者使用计算机内容分析（辅以数十名中国媒体工作者的背景资料）来衡量腐败的程度。特别是，作者发现与非国资委控股的同业相比，由中国政府的大型国资委控股组织经营的公司似乎在利用腐败来压制新闻报道。这一发现表明，中国经济中一些规模最大、影响力最大的企业可能直接参与贿赂中国记者。然而，新兴的数字媒体最终可能会通过消除平面媒体对新闻的垄断来促进更为清廉的媒体行为。 English Abstract: This paper examines the extent and causes of corruption in China’s print media, and discusses how media corruption is affected by China’s economic transition and digital revolution. Such corruption serves as a potent institutional barrier to formal and informal professionalization among Chinese journalists, increasing the leverage that powerful political and business interests have on the press and reducing the effectiveness of China’s media supervision. After discussing the prevalence and causes of media corruption in China, I use a computer content analysis – supplemented by background information from dozens of Chinese media workers – to measure corruption’s extent. In particular, I find that that companies run by the Chinese government’s massive SASAC holding organization appear to use corruption to suppress press coverage compared to their non-SASAC peers. This finding indicates that some of the largest and most powerful players in the Chinese economy are likely directly involved in bribing Chinese journalists. The emerging digital press, however, might eventually act as a spur to cleaner media conduct by eliminating the print media’s monopoly on the news.
Lumbar Discectomy Outcomes by Specialty: A Propensity-Matched Analysis of 7464 Patients from the ACS-NSQIP Database.

Objective To investigate the influence of surgeon specialty on 30-day postoperative complication rates for single-level lumbar discectomies. Methods All patients who underwent single-level lumbar discectomy between 2005 and 2014 were reviewed from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) database. Propensity score matching and univariate binary regression was used to determine whether surgeon subspecialty had an influence on 30-day postoperative complications. Results Of the 28,863 patients who underwent single-level lumbar discectomies during 2005–2014, 12,659 patients met inclusion criteria. Orthopedic surgeons performed 3733 operations (29.4%), and neurosurgeons performed 8926 operations (70.6%). A propensity-score matched sample of 7464 total cases (3732 orthopedic surgeon, 3732 neurosurgeon) was analyzed for the effect of surgeon specialty on 30-day outcomes. After propensity matching, orthopedic surgeons and neurosurgeons were similar in all postoperative outcomes, except for a slightly higher frequency of blood transfusions (0.3%, n = 11) in orthopedic versus neurosurgery patients (0.1%, n = 3; P = 0.032), although this did not remain significant after Bonferroni adjustment. Mean operative time was slightly longer for neurosurgeons (83.7 minutes) versus orthopedic surgeons (72.5 minutes; P Conclusions Single-level lumbar discectomies hold a low complication profile and show equivalent outcomes for both orthopedic and neurological surgeons, although neurosurgeons may exhibit a slightly longer mean operative time. In propensity score–matched cohorts, orthopedic surgeons had slightly higher rates of blood transfusions, although the number was small and did not remain significant after Bonferroni adjustment.