cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Response to Liu et al.

To the Editor: We wholeheartedly agree with Liu et al. that additional cost-effectiveness analyses that examine both payer and societal perspectives are necessary but not sufficient to achieve meaningful change in access to oral direct-acting antiviral (DAA) regimens for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Furthermore, we note that our analysis (1) was limited to state Medicaid plans, which represent only one major payer segment for DAA therapy in the United States; significant ongoing barriers to DAA access exist across a wide spectrum of insurers, including Medicare and commercial carriers (2). The US Veteran Health Administration represents the only large national payer that is committed to authorizing DAA therapy for all patients with chronic HCV without restriction based on the stage of liver fibrosis (3). With the anticipated approval of two additional oral DAA combination regimens by the US FDA in late 2017 (glecaprevir/pibrentasvir and sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir), increasing price pressure through decreased wholesale acquisition cost (WAC) prices and more significant manufacturer discounts may further encourage broadening of DAA access among US payers. Future research addressing HCV treatment access should focus on ongoing deficits in access among marginalized populations such as the incarcerated, persons who inject drugs and the homeless, validation and implementation of generic DAA formulations, and application of DAAs in resource-limited settings outside the United States. Access to curative treatment remains only one of several critical barriers within the broader care cascade (e.g., screening, diagnosis, linkage to care) for which significant improvement is required if we are to achieve the World Health Organization’s ambitious objective to eliminate HCV by 2030 (4).
Carbon Nanotube Dispersion in Solvents and Polymer Solutions: Mechanisms, Assembly, and Preferences.

Debundling and dispersion of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in polymer solutions play a major role in the preparation of carbon nanofibers due to early effects on interfacial ordering and mechanical properties. A roadblock toward ultrastrong fibers is the difficulty to achieve homogeneous dispersions of CNTs in polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) precursor solutions in solvents such as dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc), and N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF). In this contribution, molecular dynamics simulations with accurate interatomic potentials for graphitic materials that include virtual π electrons are reported to analyze the interaction of pristine single wall CNTs with the solvents and polymer solutions at 25 °C. The results explain the barriers toward dispersion of SWCNTs and quantify CNT-solvent, polymer-solvent, as well as CNT-polymer interactions in atomic detail. Debundling of CNTs is overall endothermic and unfavorable with dispersion energies of +20 to +30 mJ...
Tom McCarthy, Karl Marx, and the Money on the Books

By way of contrast to recent work on the problematic of representation of capital and its prioritized aesthetic mode, visuality, this article addresses the problematic of mediation in financialized capitalism through an attention to the relationship between writing and contemporary money forms. To elaborate this problematic, mediation is deployed methodologically as well: selections from two bodies of work concerned with capitalist monetary phenomena—those of Karl Marx and the novelist Tom McCarthy—are analyzed in parallel. McCarthy’s oeuvre is presented as preoccupied with monetary-inscriptive techniques and pockmarked by Marxian concepts and concerns. It is argued that Remainder, specifically, can be read as theorizing the relationship between money and writing under early 21st-century regimes of finance capital through its elaboration of retail loyalty accounts and the multivalent concept of ‘remainder’ or ‘surplus’. The article reads this theorization against neglected sections of Marx’s second volume of Capital in which money is enigmatically treated from the perspective of bookkeeping.
SOME APPLICATIONS OF HADAMARD'S INVERSE FUNCTION THEOREM

This chapter describes some applications of Hadamard's inverse function theorem. A classical result of Hadamard states that if F is a continuously differentiable mapping on R n such that ∥ [ F '( x )] −1 ∥ ≤ constant, then F is a diffeomorphism. This result has been extended by Rheinboldt to mappings F of a Banach space X into a Banach space Y under the more general hypothesis ∥ [ F '( x )] −1 ∥ ≤ constant ∥ x ∥ + constant. The chapter presents some applications of this result to obtain existence theorems for partial differential equations. The chapter presents the derivation of a result for fourth-order elliptic equations of the form Δ 2 u + f ( x , u ) = 0. It also presents similar methods to second-order parabolic systems. In both of these applications, an essential ingredient is the derivation of explicit L 2 estimates of the derivatives of linear equations.
Hyperbolic modes of a metal-dielectric interface

The inherent mobility of free electrons leads to the formation of hyperbolic layers at any high-quality metal-dielectric interface, which support new surface waves with longer propagation distance and stronger field confinement, at the same time.
AN UNNATURAL ATTACK ON THE STRUCTURE PROBLEM FOR THE FREE JORDAN RING ON 3 LETTERS: AN APPLICATION OF QUAD ARITHMETIC

Abstract We introduce herein a method which yields answers to certain questions concerning the free Jordan ring, denoted by R, on 3 letters — questions which were, until now, open. Among others, we answer the question of dimensionality for each of a number of the interesting subspaces of R. We also give the dimension of the kernel for these subspaces, and explicitly present the kernel element for the subspace of degree type (3,3,2). The method by which this information is obtained departs sharply from the natural approach which is based on the consideration of (in many cases very large) systems of linear equations. Rather, our approach rests on two algorithms which avoid much of the arithmetic difficulty inherent in processing linear equations. Of greater significance, however, is the fact that, even with the aid of a high-speed digital computer, the large systems of equations encountered in studying certain subspaces require so much time and memory that the problem becomes intractable. The subspace of type (3,3,3), for example, requires for the natural treatment the processing of a system of 5118 equations in 2391 variables — a truly awesome matrix. Of special interest is a new arithmetic employed by one of the two algorithms which, together with the underlying data structure, makes the problem tractable. This arithmetic, called “quad arithmetic”, and the identity on which it is based are first described in this paper. Were it not for quad arithmetic, the cost of coping with the redundancy encountered in the study of many of the interesting subspaces of R would be prohibitive. The remaining topic of major importance is the aforementioned data structure. The data structure is an indispensable feature of the computer program from which our results are obtained. Through its use the program totally avoids the lengthy and cumbersome symbolic manipulation inherent in a straightforward treatment of the free Jordan ring on 3 letters. Moreover, a data structure similar to that described in this paper may well prove useful to those contemplating an attack on problems in other nonassociative algebras, especially should that attack entail the use of the digital computer.
Predicational Versus Mediational Theorizing in Psychology

Mediational theorizing focuses on mediate or interdependent considerations in a line of action, and can be construed in completely mechanistic terms as when we describe the actions of a lever or a thermostat. Predicational theorizing focuses on the immediate organization of meanings in relation to each other and cannot be understood mechanistically. Mediational theorizing is said to occur in the midst of a left-to-right flow of influence, whereas predicational theorizing is said to occur from a broader to a narrower extension of meaning. Predications can therefore be thought of in either a top-down or a right-to-left alignment as well as the left-to-right direction of meaning extension. It is argued that psychologists are willing to take a predicational view of their own behavior as theoreticians and scientists, but that they describe the human beings they study in terms of a mediational formulation. Historical reasons for this state of affairs are presented. It is also shown how mediational theorizing is flawed, requiring informal ‘homuncular’ theories to enter into the presentation. The presentation closes with a request that psychologists make themselves the measure of their subject matter, and that therefore more predicational theorizing be attempted in the future.
Developing your communication skills in social work.

A clearly stated, succinct statement of this book’s purpose is noted as, “… your aim is to enhance your communication skills to engage the service users to lead to better outcomes” (p. 60). In this...
Abstract A054: Loss of an androgen-inactivating and isoform-specific HSD17B4 splice form enables emergence of castration-resistant prostate cancer

Abstracts: AACR Special Conference: Prostate Cancer: Advances in Basic, Translational, and Clinical Research; December 2-5, 2017; Orlando, Florida The development of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) requires tumors to engage metabolic mechanisms that allow sustained concentrations of testosterone and/or dihydrotestosterone, which stimulate tumor progression despite castration. 17βHSD4, encoded by HSD17B4, is an enzyme that is thought to inactive testosterone and dihydrotestosterone by way of conversion to their respective inert 17-keto steroids. Counterintuitively, HSD17B4 expression is known to increase in CRPC and predict for poor prognosis. Here, we show that of 5 alternative splice forms of HSD17B4, only isoform 2 encodes an enzyme capable of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone inactivation. In contrast to other transcripts, functional expression of isoform 2 is specifically suppressed in development of CRPC in patients. Genetically silencing isoform 2 shifts the metabolic balance toward 17β-OH androgens (testosterone and dihydrotestosterone), stimulates PSA expression, and spurs the development of CRPC in xenograft models. Together, our studies specifically implicate HSD17B4 isoform 2 loss in the development of lethal prostate cancer. Citation Format: Hyun-Kyung Ko, Michael Berk, Yoon-Mi Chung, Belinda Willard, Rohan Bareja, Mark Rubin, Andrea Sboner, Nima Sharifi. Loss of an androgen-inactivating and isoform-specific HSD17B4 splice form enables emergence of castration-resistant prostate cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Prostate Cancer: Advances in Basic, Translational, and Clinical Research; 2017 Dec 2-5; Orlando, Florida. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(16 Suppl):Abstract nr A054.
Using Active Queries to Learn Local Stochastic Behaviors in Social Networks

Using a stochastic synchronous dynamical system (SyDS) as a formal model, we study the problem of inferring local behaviors of nodes in networked social systems. We focus on probabilistic threshold functions as local functions. We use an active query mechanism where a user interacts with the system by submitting queries. We develop an efficient algorithm that infers the probabilistic threshold functions using the responses to the queries. Our algorithm generates provably good query sets. We also present experimental results to demonstrate the performance of our algorithm.
Switched Brushless Doubly-Fed Reluctance Machine Drive for Wide-Speed Range Applications

Brushless doubly-fed reluctance machines (BDFRM) utilize a partially rated power converter but are restricted to applications which have limited operating speed range. A switched BDFRM architecture has been described in this paper that re-configures one of the stator excitations on-the-fly to enable a wide-speed range operation. This approach can extend the use of BDFRM to many wide-speed range applications, such as propulsion systems, while preserving the benefit of fractionally-rated power electronics. Design, analysis, and simulations have been performed and are discussed here.
Protecting Agency Judges in an Age of Politicization: Evaluating Judicial Independence and Decisional Confidence in Administrative Adjudications:

Administrative judges, who serve in state and federal agencies, as opposed to a separate branch of government, are an understudied, and occasionally controversial, type of public administrator. Many who find themselves in administrative courts protest the agency judge’s lack of independence. According to critics, because agency judges are members of—and often evaluated by—the very agency with a vested interest in the case, they are subject to political influence and cannot possibly be an impartial arbitrator. In the United States, various approaches to addressing this concern have been employed. At the federal level, Congress grants some administrative judges statutory protections from agency evaluation. Most states have utilized an organizational independence approach by placing administrative judges in separate agencies dedicated to administrative adjudications. Via a national survey returned by 250 agency judges, this study compares perceptions of judicial independence and decisional confidence. It finds that administrative judges serving in independent agencies (known as central panels) report higher levels of judicial independence and more confidence their rulings will not be overturned. The theoretical implications are significant for public administration and administrative law scholars, especially those concerned about the politicization of administrative duties
No Evidence for Posttreatment Effects of Vitamin D and Calcium Supplementation on Risk of Colorectal Adenomas in a Randomized Trial

Vitamin D and calcium supplementation are postulated to have chemopreventive effects against colorectal neoplasia, yet in our previously reported randomized trial, there was no overall efficacy of calcium and/or vitamin D3 against colorectal adenoma recurrence. It is possible vitamin D3 and calcium chemopreventive effects are not detectable until beyond the 3- to 5-year follow-up captured in that trial. Accordingly, we explored possible vitamin D and calcium effects on posttreatment (observational) adenoma occurrence. In this secondary analysis of the observational follow-up phase of the Vitamin D/Calcium Polyp Prevention Study, participants who completed the treatment phase were invited to be followed for one additional surveillance colonoscopy cycle. We evaluated adenoma occurrence risk at surveillance colonoscopy, with a mean of 55 ± 15 months after treatment follow-up, according to randomized treatment with vitamin D versus no vitamin D, calcium versus no calcium, and calcium plus vitamin D versus calcium alone. Secondary outcomes included advanced and multiple adenomas. Among the 1,121 participants with observational follow-up, the relative risk (95% confidence interval, CI) of any adenoma was 1.04 (0.93-1.17) for vitamin D versus no vitamin D; 0.95 (0.84-1.08) for calcium versus no calcium; 1.07 (0.91-1.25) for calcium plus vitamin D versus calcium; and 0.96 (0.81-1.15) for calcium plus vitamin D versus neither. Risks of advanced or multiple adenomas also did not differ by treatment. Our results do not support an association between supplemental calcium and/or vitamin D3 for 3 to 5 years and risk of recurrent colorectal adenoma at an average of 4.6 years after treatment.
Impact of eliminating visual input on sitting posture and head position in a patient with spatial neglect following cerebral hemorrhage: a case report.

Background: Spatial neglect is a neurocognitive syndrome. Affected individuals pay little or insufficient attention to the space contralateral to the injured cerebral hemisphere, often resulting in...
Development of a DNA mini-barcoding protocol targeting COI for the identification of elasmobranch species in shark cartilage pills

Abstract Many elasmobranch (shark and ray) species are considered threatened and their identification in processed products is important for conservation and authentication purposes. However, identification of elasmobranch species in shark cartilage pills has proven difficult using existing methodologies. The objective of this study was to develop a DNA mini-barcoding protocol using a ~130 bp region of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene for species identification in shark cartilage pills. A total of 22 shark cartilage products underwent DNA extraction in duplicate using the DNeasy Blood and Tissue Kit (Qiagen). The effectiveness of a clean-up step following DNA extraction was analyzed by comparing DNA purity values and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification rates. Next, five different mini-barcode primer sets were compared based on amplification rates, and the three top-performing primer sets were used in DNA sequencing. The incorporation of a clean-up step following DNA extraction showed a slight advantage over DNA extraction alone, with a higher amplification rate (52.3% vs. 47.8%) and A260/A230 value (3.3 vs. 0.6). The three primer sets selected for DNA mini-barcoding showed DNA sequencing rates of 54.5–65.9% among the 44 duplicate samples. When the results for all three primer sets were combined, 18 of the 22 shark cartilage products were identified to the species or genus level. On an individual basis, the best-performing primer set identified 16 of the 22 products to the species or genus level. Overall, the protocol developed in this study increased the identification rate for elasmobranches in cartilage products by more than 2-fold as compared to previous research.
A Computer Vision Framework for Human User Sensing in Public Open Spaces

The field of Urban design considers how people utilize public open spaces (POS) when designing spaces such as parks, plazas, and streets. Current methods of observing public space use rely on visual observation which consumes much time and effort to detect users' physical activities in large POS; these methods also only provide qualitative observations of how patrons behave in these areas. Active sensors, such as wearable sensors and smart phones with GPS tracking capabilities, have high costs and cannot sense all users in a POS (namely, such sensors are "blind to" those without wearable sensors). Therefore, it is appealing to make use of video data from pre-installed surveillance cameras in POS to extract POS use information from video using computer vision methods. This paper proposes a sensing framework based on computer vision to measure human activities in POS. As part of the study, an extensively labeled datset of people and their activities in POS (termed OPOS) is used to train detectors. A case study of the proposed framework is presented using security camera feeds from a greenway at the Detroit Riverfront. The AP0.50 results of the trained detector are 96.3% for pedestrian detection and 96.5% for cyclist detection, respectively. These results show such an approach can reliably track patrons in parks to ascertain their behavior and to inform future POS improvements.
U.S. foreign policy interests and themes about India in the U.S. press after the Cold War

This qualitative study researched portrayal of India in the U.S. press after the Cold War. It studied whether the U.S. media portrayed India in accordance with policy stances of the U.S. government...
Simulating rolling paths and reorientation behavior of ball-rolling dung beetles.

Abstract Ball-rolling dung beetles show a remarkable ability to maintain a straight path while rolling dung balls away from a dung pile. Rolling in a straight line is beneficial, as it enables beetles to efficiently escape competition near the dung pile. Research has shown that beetles use the sky to choose and maintain an initial rolling direction, and to reorient (correct their direction) when pushed off their intended course by obstacles or uneven ground. While beetles’ mechanisms for navigation are well understood, it remains unclear how beetles regulate the timing of reorientation and under what circumstances reorientation is beneficial. Previous studies have focused only on the observable data from the movement of real dung beetles, in the field and simulated environments. In this paper, we formulate a mathematical model based on a persistent random walk to simulate a dung beetle’s movement in a circular arena. We simulate two possible reorientation strategies and analyze the impact when reorientation is not perfect. We show that our model provides an approximation of actual dung ball rolling paths, analyze the benefits of each reorientation technique under varying conditions, and show that when the sky is obscured, rolling without reorientation can be a beetle’s optimal strategy.
Influence of an experimental infection of swine kidneyworm (Stephanurus dentatus) on performance of pigs.

Forty pigs (average 25.2 kg live weight) were individually housed and fed to study the effect of a single infection of Stephanurus dentatus (either 0, 72, 457 or 842 S. dentatus larvae/kg body weight) on performance of growing-finishing pigs. Final weight and average daily gain were depressed (P less than .05) by increasing levels of kidneyworm infections. Average daily gain of pigs not infected was 69% greater (P less than .05) than that of pigs given 842 S. dentatus larvae/kg body weight. Feed to gain ratios of pigs were increased linearly (P less than .05) with increasing levels of kidneyworm larvae. Feed to gain ratio for pigs not infected was 24% less (P less than .05) than that for pigs given 842 kidneyworm larvae/kg body weight. In each of two trials, eight crossbred barrows (average 26.0 kg in trial 1 and 22.6 kg body weight in trial 2) were examined for the effects of two levels of kidneyworm infections (0 and 457 larvae/kg body weight) on digestion and absorption of nutrients and on N balance. Digestion coefficients for dry matter, crude protein and energy for pigs not infected and for those experimentally infected were similar (P greater than .05). Pigs not infected had higher (P less than .01) N intakes, excreted more (P less than .05) N in feces and urine and had a higher (P less than .01) N balance than pigs infected with kidneyworms, due largely to difference in feed intake.
Solving Large Scale Classification Problems with Stochastic Based Optimization

Abstract Development of efficient neural network classifier topology involves preprocessing of training data to reduce noise and discrepancies, utilizing a number of hidden layers, choice of correct activation functions etc. In this research we propose using a combination of first order Stochastic Gradient Descent (SGD) optimizers for Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) with Deep Learning (DL) and Deep Learning Multilayered Perceptron DLMLP with Back Propagation (BP) for classification of multiclass real datasets with large dimensions. DLMLP topologies require varying the number of hidden layers and their neurons, the development of specific activation and loss functions, batch processing, normalization, implementation of different gradient methods, approaches to avoid overfitting/underfitting as well as evaluation of training and classification results. Our focus is on optimization of stochastic objectives and parameters as well as implementation of different activation functions. K-fold cross validation is utilized to compare the performance of each model with the respective set of parameters. Experiments shown here include Cover Type, Mushrooms, EEG and Plastic Detection datasets where the loss and accuracy metrics are compiled and visualized.
The role of cytosolic polyadenylation element binding protein 2 alternative splicing in hypoxia

HIF1 (Hypoxia-inducible Factor 1) is a transcription factor that plays a crucial role in the hypoxia stress response. Its primary function is to return the cell to its homeostatic state following oxygen deprivation. However, chronic hypoxia exposure can cause irreversible physiological changes that can lead to pulmonary hypertension (PH) and the need for therapeutics to ameliorate these conditions is great and unmet. Previous studies in our lab have demonstrated that CPEB2 (cytoplasmic polyadenylation element binding protein 2) is a translational repressor of one of the HIF1 subunits: HIF1α. Our lab demonstrated that the alternatively spliced CPEB2A isoform of CPEB2 is a repressor of translation, while the CPEB2B isoform is a translational activator of HIF1α during hypoxia, suggesting a major regulatory role for CPEB2 AS in the pulmonary hypoxic response. Although it is well established that during hypoxia, HIF1α levels are dramatically upregulated due to a decrease in the degradation of this factor, we propose that during chronic hypoxia, the expression of HIF1α is maintained via a translational mechanism, likely alongside a decrease in proteolytic degradation. In this study we demonstrate that depletion of the CPEB2B splice isoform has an inhibitory effect on the translation of nascent HIF1α protein during chronic hypoxia, but not the acute phase. We further demonstrate this this pathway is dependent on the initiation factor eIF3H. Finally, we show data which indicate that CPEB2A and CPEB2B bind differentially to cytoplasmic polyadenylation element consensus sequences depending on surrounding sequence context. These findings are important, since they provide evidence for potential of CPEB2 to act as a therapeutic target for treating chronic hypoxia-related pulmonary diseases.
Broadband Third-Order Frequency Downconversion in Dual-Core Fibers via CLPM

Coupling Length Phase Matching (CLPM) enables the generation of mid-infrared radiation using four-wave mixing and the third-order nonlinear optical properties of glass in otherwise unstructured, appropriately designed dual-core optical fibers.
Phase evolution during lithium–indium halide superionic conductor dehydration

Select rare-earth alkali halides have demonstrated high lithium ion conductivity. The conductivity appears to be related to the stability of the crystal phase, ordering of the lithium sublattice and the amount of residual H2O. Li3InCl6 can be synthesized from concentrated aqueous solution through controlled dehydration. Here, we track Li3InCl6 dehydration using a multimodal approach that combines thermogravimetric, spectroscopic, X-ray diffraction, and neutron scattering techniques. In situ X-ray diffraction suggests a single phase transition caused by dehydration, in disagreement with spectroscopic and thermodynamic measurements. Neutron scattering, being sensitive toward the H2O and Li sublattices, reveals multiple phase transitions. We show that the loss of the final trace H2O leads to strain and grain boundary formation. Thus, controlled dehydration may be a viable strategy for high-throughput processing for roll-to-roll manufacturing of REAH solid electrolytes.
In Situ Hybridization

The molecular etiology of a number of constitutional and acquired neurological disorders is based on abnormalities in chromosomal number or structure. Molecular cytogenetic evaluation of these diseases relies on the utilization of in situ hybridization (ISH) techniques including fluorescence ISH (FISH) and newer, microarray-based methods such as array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays for molecular karyotyping.
Making Budget Rules Work, 2014 Edition

The United States faces severe fiscal challenges that can no longer be ignored. Entitlement spending, especially Medicare, is a ticking time bomb that must be defused. A growing debt burden raises concerns about the government's ability to pay back debt without strangling economic growth. These threats reflect the inability of legislators and presidents to make the hard choices needed to restore fiscal responsibility to the US system. Legislators face two problems?commitment and enforcement. Legislators cannot make promises today that are credible tomorrow, in part because temptations to spend are always present and electoral considerations tend to favor spending over fiscal discipline. Even worse, attempts to enforce any promises they make are subject to the same credibility problems. In this paper, I argue that well-designed budget rules can help solve these commitment and enforcement problems to create credible and sustainable changes to the federal budget.
Myeloid Cell Mediated Immune Suppression in Pancreatic Cancer.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA), the most common pancreatic cancer, is a nearly-universally lethal malignancy. PDA is characterized by extensive infiltration of immunosuppressive myeloid cells, including tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). Myeloid cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) inhibit cytotoxic T cell responses promoting carcinogenesis. Immune checkpoint therapy has not been effective in PDA, most likely due to this robust immune suppression, making it critical to elucidate mechanisms behind this phenomenon. Here, we review myeloid cell infiltration and cellular crosstalk in PDA progression and highlight current therapeutic approaches to target myeloid cell-driven immune suppression.
Fractional Approximation Using Cardaliaguet-Euvrard and Squashing Neural Networks

This chapter deals with the determination of the fractional rate of convergence to the unit of some neural network operators, namely, the Cardaliaguet-Euvrard and “squashing” operators.
Transfer Dehydrogenations of Alkanes and Related Reactions Using Iridium Pincer Complexes

This chapter covers advances during the past 5 years in using iridium pincer complexes for transfer dehydrogenations of alkanes as well as related reactions which couple dehydrogenation with other transformations. Several new pincer complexes are described which have emerged during this period and which have added not only to the scope of available catalysts but also to the range of substrates and products generated. Transfer dehydrogenation has been linked with other reactions to produce catalytic systems that carry out alkane metatheses, generate benzene bearing a long-chain linear alkyl group from ethyl benzene and linear alkanes, couple alkanes with alkenes, and use transfer dehydrogenation in combination with Diels–Alder chemistry to produce para-xylene from ethylene as the sole feedstock.
The electronic structure and reactivity of small ring compounds—VII : The CMR spectra of 1-cyanobicyclo[1.1.0]butane

Abstract The 25·2 MHz CMR (FFT) spectra of 1-cyanobicyclo [1.1.0]butane are reported both with and without hydrogen decoupling. Chemical shifts are discussed in terms of dipolar resonance contributions to the ground state and the unsaturated nature of the bicyclobutane ring. The C-H coupling constants, including directly bonded and long range interactions, are reported. It is suggested that the large long range H x′ -C 2 coupling constant is a result of a favorable interaction between the H x′ -C 4 bond and C 2 bond and C 2 and that the H 3 -cyano carbon coupling constant results from a 0° dihedral angle and to a small extent, if at all, from a favorable geometry. The C 1 -C 2 (22 Hz) and C 1 -C 3 (16 Hz) 13 C- 13 C coupling constants are presented, compared with the calculated values, and discussed in terms of hybridization. The possibility of a negative value for the C 1 -C 3 coupling constant is also considered. It is pointed out that using coupling constant-hybridization relationships and extrapolating from several known to an unknown hybridization around a carbon atom can, in many cases, lead to a sizeable error in calculated hybridization.
Extrageniculostriate vision in the monkey. VIII. Critical structures for spatial localization.

Eight monkeys (Macaca mulatta) were trained on a spatial localization task before and after either total ablation of the striate cortices with partial damage to circumstriate cortices, complete colliculus removals, or combined ablations. The lesions were histologically verified. The task, given under normal room illumination, required the animals to reach for a target randomly placed in one of eight equal segments of a white disk located at arm's length. An apple cube, affixed to the center of the target, served as the reward for accurate reaching. A correct response consisted of an initial contact with either the target or the apple cube directly. The animal was trained sequentially to a criterion level of performance set at 90% correct responses over four 56-trial consecutive sessions using black disks of decreasing diameter (i.e., 90 mm, 55 mm, 35 mm, and 15 mm). Finally, only the apple cube, about 10 mm on a side, was presented.
Heat stress is associated with decreased lactic acidemia in rat sepsis

Elevated plasma lactate has been shown to correlate with mortality in patients with septic shock. Heat stress prior to sepsis has resulted in reduction in acute lung injury and mortality. We investigated whether heat stress resulted in decreased plasma lactate concentration and protected the lung by decreasing the inflammatory response to sepsis. Plasma lactate concentration was elevated in septic rats without prior heat stress. Lactic acid levels were significantly lower in heat-treated septic rats (P < 0.05) and were not significantly different when compared with control rats. Septic rats with or without heat pretreatment had significantly higher myeloperoxidase activity in the lung than did control groups. Heat pretreatment did not prevent neutrophil infiltration or inflammatory mediator production in the lung. Prior heat stress ameliorates lactic acidemia in rat sepsis. Heat stress did not attenuate the pulmonary inflammatory process. The mechanism of heat-induced protection from lactic acidemia in sepsis needs to be further explored.
Functional analysis of a recombinant glycoprotein Ib alpha polypeptide which inhibits von Willebrand factor binding to the platelet glycoprotein Ib-IX complex and to collagen.

Abstract By deletion mutagenesis and transient expression in COS cells, a 96-amino acid hydrophilic sequence in the glycoprotein Ib alpha polypeptide located between L220 and L318 was identified which appeared to contain its von Willebrand factor- (vWF) binding site. The cDNA encoding this fragment was then expressed in Escherichia coli and purified from the bacterial cell lysate. The recombinant polypeptide, rGpIb alpha Q221-L318, was monomeric and had an apparent molecular weight of 14,000 by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. It inhibited both ristocetin-induced binding of 125I-vWF to fixed washed platelets and ristocetin-induced platelet agglutination. The recombinant polypeptide also inhibited the binding of 125I-vWF to immobilized type I and III collagen. Inhibition of 125I-vWF binding to platelets and collagen was dose-dependent, with IC50 values of 500 and 200 nM rGpIb alpha Q221-L318, respectively. Fifty % inhibition of ristocetin-induced platelet agglutination required 500 nM rGpIb alpha Q221-L318. Although rGpIb alpha Q221-L318 inhibited vWF binding to collagen it did not, itself, bind to collagen-coated surfaces. Reduction of the disulfide bond between C248 and C264 abolished activity. 125I-rGpIb alpha Q221-L318 bound directly to GpIb/IX sites on multimeric vWF. These studies document that a portion of the sequence between Q221 and L318 is needed for recognition and binding to vWF and that binding requires an intact disulfide bond between C248 and C264. The binding of this recombinant polypeptide to vWF multimers inhibits vWF interaction with two important substrates, platelet GpIb/IX and collagen.
Legal Expert Systems Design: The Blackboard Model

Expert systems applications development in legal decision making has traditionally focused on the use of rule-based models. None of the systems has yet become a fully functional prototype or commercially viable. The attempts to design legal decision making systems without examining the intrinsic complex nature of the legal process has resulted in limited operational success. This paper discusses legal decision making, legal function and the differences between rulebased blackboard models. It is recommended that the blackboard model be used in the design of legal decision making systems while the rule-based will continue to be appropriate for the legal function applications. The use of more sophisticated models such as the blackboard will enable the scaling up of expert systems technology to more encompassing domains.
Context Matters Examining Discourses of Career Success in Tanzania

Although geopolitical, temporal, and sociocultural factors shape normative stories of meaningful and attainable work and careers, most scholarship addresses Western, white-collar contexts. Analysis...
Two-Phase Flow and Pressure Drop in Flow Passages of Compact Heat Exchangers

Two-phase flow experiments were performed with air/water mixtures in a small rectangular channel measuring 9.52 {times} 1.59 mm (aspects ratio equal to 6), for applications to compact heat exchangers. Pressure drop and flow pattern definition data were obtained over a large range of mass qualities (0.0002 to 1), and in the case of flow pattern data, a large range of mass fluxes (50 to 2,000 kg/m{sup 2}s). A flow pattern map, based on visual observations and photographs of the flow patterns, is presented and compared with a map developed for a rectangular channel of the same aspect ratio but with dimensions twice those of the test channel, and with a map developed for a circular tube with the same hydraulic diameter of 3 mm. Pressure drop data are presented as a function of both mass quality and Martinelli parameter and are compared with state-of-the-art correlations and a modified Chisholm correlation. 13 refs.
WMAP First Year Results

The Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) science team has released results from the first year of operation at the Earth-Sun L2 Lagrange point. The maps are consistent with previous observations but have much better sensitivity and angular resolution than the COBE DMR maps, and much better calibration accuracy and sky coverage than ground-based and balloon-borne experiments. The angular power spectra from these ground-based and balloon-borne experiments are consistent within their systematic and statistical uncertainties with the WMAP results. WMAP detected the large angular-scale correlation between the temperature and polarization anisotropies of the CMB caused by electron scattering since the Universe became reionized after the "Dark Ages", giving a value for the electron scattering optical depth of 0.17+/-0.04. The simplest Lambda-CDM model with n=1 and Omega_tot=1 provides an adequate fit to the WMAP data and gives parameters which are consistent with determinations of the Hubble constant and observations of the accelerating Universe using supernovae. The time-ordered data, maps, and power spectra from WMAP can be found at this http URL along with 13 papers by the WMAP science team describing the results in detail.
Determinants of increased energy expenditure in HIV-infected women.

Little is known about sex-specific effects of HIV infection on energy expenditure. We investigated the determinants of energy expenditure in HIV-infected women. Resting energy expenditure (REE) body composition and hormonal and nutritional indexes were compared in 33 ambulatory premenopausal HIV-infected women and 26 weight-matched healthy premenopausal control subjects. REE was determined by indirect calorimetry and body composition by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) bioelectrical impedance analysis and skinfold-thickness analysis. Hormonal indexes included leptin testosterone estradiol and insulin-like growth factor I. HIV-infected subjects had a higher REE than control subjects [6794 ± 1374 compared with 6011 ± 607 kJ/d (1624 ± 329 compared with 1437 ± 145 kcal/d) P = 0.0096]. On average REE was 119 ± 23% of Harris-Benedict predictions in HIV-infected subjects compared with 102 ± 9% for control subjects (P = 0.0007). In HIV-infected subjects REE was highly correlated with fat-free mass (FFM) by DXA (R = 0.641 P < 0.001) but not with weight or disease status. The slope of the regression equation for REE and FFM was significantly greater (P = 0.027 analysis of covariance) for HIV-infected subjects [REE (kJ/d) = 203.5 (kg FFM) - 1237] than for control subjects [REE (kJ/d) = 77.4 (kg FFM) + 2923]. In a stepwise regression analysis FFM was the most significant variable (P = 0.005) followed by free testosterone (P = 0.029) which together explained 49% of the variation in REE. The final equation was REE (kJ/d) = 230.8 (kg FFM) + 395.9 (free testosterone pmol/L) - 3304. Energy expenditure was higher in HIV-infected women than in control women. FFM is the primary determinant of REE in HIV-infected women but energy expenditure is greater per kg FFM in HIV-infected subjects than in control subjects which may contribute to the wasting syndrome. (authors)
Medium-chain fatty acids: evidence for incorporation into chylomicron triglycerides in humans

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the fatty acid composition of chylomicron triglycerides isolated from subjects fed liquid-formula diets containing 40% of total energy as medium- (C8:0 and C10:0) or long-chain (C16-C18) triglycerides (MCT, LCT) for 6 d. Medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA) comprised 8% of total chylomicron triglyceride fatty acids after the first MCT meal. After 6 d of continued MCT feeding, chylomicron triglyceride MCFA content increased to 13%. When subjects were fed the LCT (soybean oil) diet, C16:0, C18:1, and C18:2 comprised nearly 90% of the chylomicron triglyceride fatty acids. The mass of triglyceride transported in chylomicrons isolated from subjects fed the MCT diet was approximately 20% of that found when subjects consumed the LCT diet. We conclude that although total triglyceride production during MCT ingestion is low, the chylomicron triglycerides that are synthesized contain significant amounts of MCFA.
Nuclear Factor-κB Contributes to Excitotoxin-Induced Apoptosis in Rat Striatum

Excitotoxin-induced destruction of striatal neurons, proposed as a model of Huntington’s disease, involves a process having the biochemical stigmata of apoptosis. Recent studies suggested that transcription factor nuclear factor (NF)-κB may be involved in excitotoxicity. To further analyze the contribution of NFκB to excitotoxic neuronal death in vivo , changes in binding activities of NFκB and other transcription factors as well as the consequences of inhibiting NFκB nuclear translocation were measured after the infusion of quinolinic acid (120 nmol) into rat striatum. Internucleosomal DNA fragmentation and terminal transferase-mediated dUTP digoxigenin nick end labeling-positive nuclei appeared 12 hr later and intensified over the next 12 hr. NFκB binding activity increased severalfold from 2 to 12 hr, then gradually declined during the next 12 hr. Other transcription factor changes included AP-1, whose binding peaked about 6 hr after quinolinic acid administration, and E2F-1, which was only modestly and transiently elevated. In contrast, quinolinic acid lead to a reduction in OCT-1, beginning after 12 hr, and briefly in SP-1 binding. The NFκB, AP-1, and OCT-1 changes were attenuated both by the N -methyl-d-aspartate receptor antagonist MK-801 and the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide. Moreover, quinolinic acid-induced internucleosomal DNA fragmentation and striatal cell death were significantly reduced by the intrastriatal administration of NFκB SN50, a cell-permeable recombinant peptide that blocks NFκB nuclear translocation. These results illustrate the complex temporal pattern of transcription factor change attending the apoptotic destruction produced in rat striatum by quinolinic acid. They further suggest that NFκB activation contributes to the excitotoxin-induced death of striatal neurons.
Indeterminacy of equilibrium in stochastic OLG models

This paper studies the equilibria of a stochastic OLG exchange economies consisting of identical agents living for two periods, and having the opportunity to trade a single infinitely-lived asset in constant supply. The agents have uncertain endowments and the stochastic process determining the endowments is Markovian. For such economies, the literature has focused on studying strongly stationary equilibria in which quantities and prices are functions of the exogenous states of nature which describe the uncertainty: such equilibria are generalizations of deterministic steady states, and this paper investigates if they have the same special status as asymptotic limits of other equilibrium paths. The difficulty in extending the analysis of equilibria beyond the class of strongly stationary equilibria comes from the presence of indeterminacy: we propose a procedure for overcoming this difficulty which can be decomposed into two steps. First backward induction arguments are used to restrict the domain of possible prices; then if some indeterminacy is left, expectation functions are introduced to make the forward equilibrium equations determinate. The properties of the resulting trajectories, in particular their asymptotic properties, can then be studied. For the class of models that we study this procedure provides a justification for focusing on strongly stationary equilibria. For the model with positive dividends (equity or land) the justification is complete, since we show that the strongly stationary equilibrium is the unique equilibrium. For the model with zero dividends (money) there is a continuum of self-fulfilling expectation functions resulting in a continuum of equilibrium paths starting from any admissible initial condition: under conditions given in the paper, these equilibrium paths converge almost surely to one of the strongly stationary equilibria-either autarchy or the stochastic analogue of the Golden Rule.
Oral anticoagulants in the management of venous thromboembolism

Despite advances in diagnosis, prevention, and management, venous thromboembolism (VTE) remains a common cause of morbidity and mortality. For decades, antithrombotic therapy for prevention and treatment of VTE was limited to parenteral agents related to heparin and oral vitamin K antagonists (VKAs). Both classes of anticoagulants are effective, but have limitations, including considerable variability in dose-response, narrow therapeutic margins between the risks of thrombosis and bleeding, and the need to monitor anticoagulation intensity. Over the past decade, the introduction of new oral anticoagulants that specifically inhibit coagulation factors IIa (thrombin) or Xa has changed practice in a variety of clinical situations, including VTE prophylaxis and treatment. In this Review, we outline the use of the novel oral anticoagulants apixaban, dabigatran, edoxaban, and rivaroxaban in the prevention and treatment of VTE, and discuss practical considerations for choosing the appropriate drug for each patient. Although the introduction of novel anticoagulant drugs is promising, selecting the optimum strategy for an individual patient requires an understanding of the specific circumstances associated with thrombus formation and the pharmacological properties of each agent.
Joint blind deconvolution and image correlography via a Bayesian image reconstruction algorithm

Laser imaging through atmospheric turbulence is a challenging problem due primarily to turbulence close to the aperture. Amplitude measurements of the return beam in the plane of the aperture are immune to turbulence, but contain limited information about the Fourier phase of the target image. This paper suggests a method for using blind deconvolution of laser speckle degraded imagery together with correlography techniques in order to simplify the phase retrieval problem and produce coherent image reconstructions with spatial resolution not limited by the atmospheric conditions. The viability of the technique is demonstrated via computer simulation.
Repositioning Occupational Social Work in the New Millennium

(1999). Repositioning Occupational Social Work in the New Millennium. Administration in Social Work: Vol. 23, No. 3-4, pp. 201-210.