cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Important roles of dietary taurine, creatine, carnosine, anserine and 4-hydroxyproline in human nutrition and health.

Taurine (a sulfur-containing β-amino acid), creatine (a metabolite of arginine, glycine and methionine), carnosine (a dipeptide; β-alanyl-l-histidine), and 4-hydroxyproline (an imino acid; also often referred to as an amino acid) were discovered in cattle, and the discovery of anserine (a methylated product of carnosine; β-alanyl-1-methyl-l-histidine) also originated with cattle. These five nutrients are highly abundant in beef, and have important physiological roles in anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory reactions, as well as neurological, muscular, retinal, immunological and cardiovascular function. Of particular note, taurine, carnosine, anserine, and creatine are absent from plants, and hydroxyproline is negligible in many plant-source foods. Consumption of 30 g dry beef can fully meet daily physiological needs of the healthy 70-kg adult human for taurine and carnosine, and can also provide large amounts of creatine, anserine and 4-hydroxyproline to improve human nutrition and health, including metabolic, retinal, immunological, muscular, cartilage, neurological, and cardiovascular health. The present review provides the public with the much-needed knowledge of nutritionally and physiologically significant amino acids, dipeptides and creatine in animal-source foods (including beef). Dietary taurine, creatine, carnosine, anserine and 4-hydroxyproline are beneficial for preventing and treating obesity, cardiovascular dysfunction, and ageing-related disorders, as well as inhibiting tumorigenesis, improving skin and bone health, ameliorating neurological abnormalities, and promoting well being in infants, children and adults. Furthermore, these nutrients may promote the immunological defense of humans against infections by bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses (including coronavirus) through enhancing the metabolism and functions of monocytes, macrophages, and other cells of the immune system. Red meat (including beef) is a functional food for optimizing human growth, development and health.
Reflections: Retrieving the Values

In the three previous chapters we have three very different visions of the agricultural city of the future. One attempts to embed all the functions of a city—including education, health care and deep and difficult recovery opportunities for city residents lost to the productive sector. This model cannot ever support itself on agriculture; it functions best in a partnership of public (municipal) and charitable (non-governmental) initiatives, providing food as only one of its functions. The second is a set of commercial establishments, ranging over parking lots, rooftops and periurban very small farms, with no particular form or unity, but with the common function of feeding the city profitably. Of course this limited set of purposes cannot extend, as the first model did, to providing education for the children, health care for children and adults, or the sense of community achieved by the villages (although, as we saw in the Grange, community sometimes happens anyway.) Neither of the two models claims to be capable, alone, of actually feeding the population of a city large enough to support an Opera. The third looks like the steel-and-glass city of today, with plants where some of the offices used to be: the city looks the same, but the plants in the farm plots look nothing like the plants we are used to in our gardens. In sheer volume of some foods, the skyscraper model can claim to be superior to either of the previous farm types, but it is miles away from the family-farming values that landed on Chap. 4, above.
YouTube as a source of medical information on the novel coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

Media coverage on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been extensive, yet large gaps remain in our understanding of the role of social media platforms during worldwide health crisis. The purpos...
A Markov model examining intervention effects on the HIV prevalence/incidence amongst the overall population

Abstract Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) remains a high burden in Africa. Several targeted prevention strategies are prevalent including the promotion of condom use, provision of anti-retroviral therapy (ART) and pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Optimal allocation of limited resources requires understanding how the HIV epidemic will be affected by these strategies. We develop a Markov model, considering four sub-populations: female sex workers (FSWs), general population (GP), sex clients (SCs), and men who have sex with men (MSM), which estimates the effects of these strategies on the HIV prevalence/incidence in Rwanda from 2017 to 2027. Using Rwanda's demographic, sexual risk behavior, and HIV-associated morbidity/mortality data, it was determined that by 2027, a 30% improvement in consistent condom use amongst female sex workers would reduce the HIV prevalence amongst female sex workers, sex clients, and the general population by 7.86%, 5.97%, and 0.17%, respectively. Secondly, while making improvements on the recurrent HIV testing as well as ART coverage only mildly reduces the prevalence/incidence amongst female sex workers, and sex clients, reducing the two would result in an increase in the HIV prevalence/incidence amongst FSWs and SCs. Lastly, our analysis shows that introduction of PrEP to female sex workers in 2019 is expected to reduce the HIV incidence amongst FSWs by 1.28% over the next decade. We further analyze scaling-up PrEP beyond the highest-risk population, i.e., FSWs, and weigh population-level impact with cost-effectiveness to make an informed priority-setting amongst women in the general population. We modeled the HIV risk to women, and computed the impact, cost, and cost-effectiveness of PrEP scale-up for younger women aged 15–25, women aged 25–34, and women aged 35–49 years, while accounting for the low program retention levels reported in demonstration projects. Perhaps, counter-intuitively, it is shown that PrEP could substantially avert more infections a year amongst women in the general population than amongst female sex workers. In summary, our models and analysis could help decision makers effectively allocate resources to each of these prevention/treatment strategies amongst different sub-populations.
A Comparison of serological responses when modified-live infectious bovine rhinotracheitis virus vaccine and Mannheimia haemolytica bacterin-toxoid are administered with needle-free versus conventional needle-based injection in yearling feedlot steers

A total of 111 yearling feedlot steers were vaccinated with 5-way modified-live virus vaccine and Mannheimia haemolytica (MH) bacterin-toxoid, utilizing either needle-free or conventional needle-and-syringe injection techniques. Blood samples were collected from all steers at the time of vaccination and 21 days later, and serum was analyzed for antibody titers to infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) virus and M. haemolytica (MH) leukotoxin. Serological response to the IBR viral fraction of the 5-way viral vaccine was significantly higher (P=0.001) on day 21 following administration with needle-free injection, compared to conventional needle injection. Serological responses to the MH supernatant and cell-associated antigens were not statistically different (P=0.06) on day 21 following administration with needle-free injection, compared to conventional needle injection.
Toward summarizing case decisions via extracting argument issues, reasons, and conclusions

In this paper, we assess the use of several deep learning classification algorithms as a step toward automatically preparing succinct summaries of legal decisions. Short case summaries that tease out the decision's argument structure by making explicit its issues, conclusions, and reasons (i.e., argument triples) could make it easier for the lay public and legal professionals to gain an insight into what the case is about. We have obtained a sizeable dataset of expert-crafted case summaries paired with full texts of the decisions issued by various Canadian courts. As the manual annotation of the full texts is prohibitively expensive, we explore various ways of leveraging the existing longer summaries which are much less time-consuming to annotate. We compare the performance of the systems trained on the annotations that are manually ported to the full texts from the summaries to the performance of the same systems trained on annotations that are projected from the summaries automatically. The results show the possibility of pursuing the automatic annotation in the future.
Cryo-EM structure of disease-related prion fibrils provides insights into seeding barriers

ABSTRACT One of the least understood aspects of prion diseases is the structure of infectious prion protein aggregates. Here we report a high-resolution cryo-EM structure of amyloid fibrils formed by human prion protein with Y145Stop mutation that is associated with a familial prion disease. This structural insight allows us not only to explain previous biochemical findings, but also provides direct support for the conformational adaptability model of prion transmissibility barriers.
Childhood leukemia in Connecticut, 1940-1962.

This study reviews the experience of all leukemia patients under 20 years of age seen in Connecticut hospitals during the period 1940-1962. The survival experience in this series compares favorably with that in several specialty treatment centers, and improved markedly from the 1940’s to the middle 1950’s. There has been little change in survival since. Improvement in survival was substantially greater among patients with acute lymphocytic compared with patients with acute myelogenous leukemia. During the period that patient survival increased rapidly, the rate of leukemia incidence increased only moderately. There was little change over time with respect to patient characteristics such as initial white blood cell count and the presence of bleeding and hemorrhage. There was a marked increase in the use of steroid and chemotherapy, but the continued increase in the use of chemotherapy after the middle 1950’s and changes in the specific agents used were not associated with further improvement in patient survival. How the new and modified treatment regimens introduced since 1962 will be reflected in unselected series such as the one in Connecticut remains to be seen.
Simulating sellers' behavior in a reverse auction B2B exchange

Previous research in reverse auction B2B exchanges found that in an environment where sellers collectively can cater to the total demand, with the final (i.e. the highest-priced bidding) seller catering to a residual, the sellers resort to a mixed strategy equilibrium [2]. While price randomization in industrial bids is an accepted norm, it may be argued that managers in reality do not resort to advanced game theoretic calculations to bid for an order. What is more likely is that managers learn that strategy and over time finally converge towards the theoretic equilibrium. To test this assertion, we model the two-player game in a synthetic environment, where the agents use a simple reinforcement learning algorithm to put progressively more weights on selecting price bands where they make higher profits. We find that after a sufficient number of iterations, the agents do indeed converge towards the theoretic equilibrium.
Investigations of Hydrodenitrogenation of Quinoline Over Molybdenum Nitride

An investigation has been carried out of the reaction pathway for the hydrodenitrogenation of quinoline over Mo{sub 2}N. Quinoline is found to undergo a rapid hydrogenation to form 1,2,3,4,-tetrahydroquinoline. This product then reacts more slowly to form 2-propylanaline, which in turn undergoes hydrogenolysis of the C-N bond in the saturated ring to form propylbenzene. No evidence is found for propylcyclohexane.
Inflation of the Inner Magnetosphere

Frequently, the inner magnetosphere between L = 2 and L = 6 receives a large influx of energy. In the form of large numbers of charged particles or as an increase in the particle temperature, the energy enters the magnetosphere and it weakens and distorts the magnetic field through diamagnetism and drift motions of the charged particles. Since the effect is to stretch the magnetic field lines of the earth outward, much as the surface of a balloon expands, the process is called ‘inflation’.
Are state budget stabilization funds only the illusion of savings

Abstract State governments have dramatically expanded their use of budget stabilization funds (BSFs) in recent decades. While stabilization funds have the potential to assist states in smoothing fluctuations in the budget, the extent to which balances in stabilization funds are substitutable with general fund balances is not yet resolved. Using new panel unit root tests, this paper finds evidence of unit roots in data series used by previous researchers. After accounting for the non-stationarity, I find strong evidence that monies retained in stabilization funds are, to a large degree, substitutable with monies held in the general fund.
Some Notes on Applied Mathematics for Machine Learning

This chapter describes Lagrange multipliers and some selected subtopics from matrix analysis from a machine learning perspective. The goal is to give a detailed description of a number of mathematical constructions that are widely used in applied machine learning.
Operationalizing normal accident theory for safety-related computer systems

Abstract Computer-related accidents have caused injuries and fatalities in mining as well as other industries. Normal accident theory (NAT) explains that some accidents are inevitable because of system complexity. NAT is a classic argument in organizational sociology although it has been criticized as having imprecise definitions and lacking criteria for quantifying complexity. These limitations are addressed by a unique approach that recasts this organizational theory into an engineering-based methodology to quantify NAT complexities of computer-based systems. In this approach complexity is categorized as external or internal. External complexity is defined by the external behavior of a system, and is quantified by these dependent variables: system predictability, observability, and usability. Dependent variable data contain the perceptions of 32 subjects running simulations of a system. The system’s internal complexity is characterized by modeling system-level requirements with the software cost reduction (SCR) formal method. Model attributes are quantified using 15 graph-theoretical metrics—the independent variables. Five of 15 metrics are correlated with the dependent variables as evidenced by structure correlations exceeding 0.25, with standard errors
Use of palm trees as a sleeping site for hamadryas baboons (Papio hamadryas hamadryas) in Ethiopia.

Hamadryas baboons sleep on cliffs throughout their range, and this can be attributed to the safety cliffs provide against predators in the absence of tall trees. In this paper, we report the first documented occurrence of hamadryas baboons sleeping in doum palm trees rather than on cliffs. Data derive from a study of hamadryas baboons at the Filoha site in lowland Ethiopia. During all-day follows, data were collected on travel patterns, band activity, and location. Variation in the baboons' home range was characterized using vegetation transects. We discovered that one band in this population, Band 3, occasionally slept in doum palm trees (Hyphaene thebaica). The palm tree sleeping site differed from other palm fragments in the baboons' home range in that it contained a higher density of palm trees. Possible factors influencing this unique use of palm trees as a sleeping site include access to palm fruit, avoiding contact with Afar nomads, avoiding sharing sleeping cliffs with other bands, protection from predators, and the lack of cliffs in a section of the baboons' home range. Evidence from this study suggests that the palm tree sleeping site is used because it affords better protection from predators than other palm fragments in an area of the band's home range that does not contain cliffs. Am. J. Primatol. 70:107–113, 2008. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Entropy-constrained geometric vector quantization for transform image coding

A noiseless code is combined with a lattice-based vector quantizer (VQ). For small distortion encoding of Laplacian data, the noiseless code has redundancy of at most 2/L, where L is the vector dimension. The VQ and noiseless code are used in discrete cosine transform image coding. An image coder using a single VQ/noiseless code yields performance roughly equivalent to a benchmark coder using entropy-constrained scalar quantization with entropy codes designed for each transform coefficient. The use of several VQ/noiseless codes can further reduce the encoding rate. >
Acute effects of Naltrexone and GBR 12909 on ethanol drinking-in-the-dark in C57BL/6J mice

Recently, a simple procedure was described, drinking in the dark (DID), in which C57BL/6J mice self-administer ethanol to the point of intoxication. The test consists of replacing the water with 20% ethanol in the home cage for 2 or 4 h early during the dark phase of the light/dark cycle. To determine whether the model displays predictive validity with naltrexone, and whether opioid or dopaminergic mechanisms mediate excessive drinking in the model. Naltrexone or GBR 12909 were administered via intraperitoneal injections immediately before offering ethanol solutions, plain tap water, or 10% sugar water to male C57BL/6J mice, and consumption was monitored over a 2- or 4-h period using the DID procedure. Naltrexone (0.5, 1, or 2 mg/kg) dose dependently decreased ethanol drinking but these same doses had no significant effect on the consumption of plain water or 10% sugar water. GBR 12909 (5, 10, and 20 mg/kg) dose dependently reduced the consumption of ethanol and sugar water but had no effect on plain water drinking. The DID model demonstrates predictive validity. Both opioid and dopamine signaling are involved in ethanol drinking to intoxication. Different physiological pathways mediate high ethanol drinking as compared to water or sugar water drinking in DID. DID may be a useful screening tool to find new alcoholism medications and to discover genetic and neurobiological mechanisms relevant to the human disorder.
Ion Solvation by Channel Carbonyls Characterized by 17O Solid-State NMR at 21 T

Recently available ultrahigh magnetic fields offer new opportunities for studies of quadrupole nuclei in biological solids because of the dramatic enhancement in sensitivity and resolution associated with the reduction of second-order quadrupole interactions. Here, we present a new approach for understanding the function and energetics of ion solvation in channels using solid-state 17O NMR spectroscopy of single-site 17O-labeled gramicidin A. The chemical shift and quadrupole coupling parameters obtained in powder samples of lyophilized material are similar to those shown in the literature for carbonyl oxygens. In lipid bilayers, it is found that the carbonyl 17O anisotropic chemical shift of Leu10, one of the three carbonyl oxygens contributing to the ion binding site in gramicidin A, is altered by 40 ppm when K+ ion binds to the channel, demonstrating a high sensitivity to such interactions. Moreover, considering the large breadth of the carbonyl 17O chemical shift (>500 ppm), the recording of anisotrop...
Trajectories of pain and analgesics in oncology outpatients with metastatic bone pain.

Abstract A large proportion of oncology outpatients with bone metastasis report unrelieved pain that significantly interferes with daily functioning and quality of life. However, little is known about the longitudinal pattern of pain intensity and analgesic prescriptions or use. Moreover, despite considerable advantages, the use of sophisticated statistical techniques, such as hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) has not been applied to the study of pain and analgesic outcomes. In a prospective longitudinal study, HLM was used to explore predictors of pain intensity and analgesic prescription and intake at the time of enrollment into the study (intercept) and over the course of 6 weeks (trajectory) in a sample of oncology outpatients with bone metastasis who received standard care for pain. In addition to corroborating known predictors of pain intensity, previously unrecognized variables were found that appear to affect both pain and analgesic outcomes. Importantly, some of the predictors of the trajectories of pain intensity and analgesic use (ie, pain-related distress and Pain Management Index (PMI) scores) are particularly amenable to interventions. Findings from this study suggest that sophisticated statistical modeling can be used in pain research to identify individual risk factors and propose novel targets that can be used to improve pain management in oncology outpatients with bone metastasis. Perspective Findings from this study suggest that a large amount of inter-individual variability exists in patients' experiences with cancer pain and analgesic use. Future studies need to elucidate the mechanisms that underlie these differences.
Curcumin down-regulates Ets-1 and Bcl-2 expression in human endometrial carcinoma HEC-1-A cells

Abstract Objective. Curcumin has been demonstrated to have an anti-tumor activity but the underlying molecular mechanisms are not fully uncovered. The present study was undertaken to determine the effect of curcumin on the expression of the proto-oncogene Ets-1 and the anti-apoptotic molecule Bcl-2 in human endometrial adenocarcinoma HEC-1-A cells. Methods. Confluent HEC-1-A cells were treated with curcumin at various doses for 16 h or at 60 μM for various time points. At the end of the designated treatments, changes in cell morphology, DNA fragmentation and protein contents of Ets-1 and Bcl-2 were determined, respectively, by light microscopy, DNA laddering assay and Western blot analysis. As an initial step towards understanding whether Ets-1 was a possible up-stream regulator of Bcl-2 expression in HEC-1-A cells and if so, whether curcumin could attenuate the Ets-1-induced up-regulation of Bcl-2 expression, cells were transiently transfected with an Ets-1/GFP (Green Fluorescence Protein) fusion construct and the transfectants were treated with 60 μM curcumin for 16 h, followed by whole cell lysate preparation for Western blot analysis of Bcl-2 protein contents. Results. Curcumin induced apoptosis-like morphological changes and DNA degradation and decreased basal levels of Ets-1 and Bcl-2 protein contents in HEC-1-A cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Overexpression of Ets-1 in the cell resulted in an increase in Bcl-2 protein contents and that increase was attenuated by curcumin treatment. Conclusions. Curcumin down-regulates Ets-1 and Bcl-2 expression and induces apoptosis in HEC-1-A cells, suggesting a novel molecular mechanism for the anti-tumor activity of curcumin.
A re-evaluation of the anaerobic endproducts of fresh-water fish exposed to environmental hypoxia.

Abstract 1. 1. Lactic acid and free short-chain fatty acids have been reported in the literature as anaerobic endproducts produced by fish when exposed to environmental hypoxia. 2. 2. A significant increase in lactic acid was found in skeletal muscle and liver of Salmo trutta exposed to sudden hypoxia and of Salmo gairdneri, Lepomis macrochirus and Ictalurus nebulosus exposed to gradual hypoxia. 3. 3. No free short-chain fatty acids were found in skeletal muscle or liver of control or experimental fish after being exposed to hypoxia. 4. 4. A significant reduction in pyruvic acid was found in skeletal muscle only of Salmo gairdneri and Lepomis macrochirus after being exposed to gradual hypoxia. 5. 5. No changes in the types of anaerobic endproducts occurred as a result of thermal acclimation to warm and cold temperatures.
Influence of asymptomatic pneumonia on the response to hemorrhage and resuscitation in swine

INTRODUCTION: Investigation of resuscitation fluids in our swine hemorrhage model revealed moderate to severe chronic pneumonia in five swine at necropsy. Our veterinary staff suggested that we perform a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from these animals. We compared the data to that of ten healthy swine to determine the physiologic consequences of the added stress on our hemorrhage/resuscitation model. METHODS: Anesthetized, immature female swine (40 ± 5 kg) were instrumented for determining arterial and venous pressures, cardiac output and urine production. A controlled hemorrhage of 20 ml/kg over 4 min 40 sec was followed at 30 min by a second hemorrhage of 8 ml/kg and resuscitation with 1.5 ml/kg/min of LR solutions to achieve and maintain systolic blood pressure at 80 ± 5 mmHg for 3.5 hrs. Chemistries and arterial and venous blood gasses were determined from periodic blood samples along with hemodynamic variables. RESULTS: There were significant decreases in survival, urine output, cardiac output and oxygen delivery at 60 min and O2 consumption at 120 min in the pneumonia group compared to the non-pneumonia group. There were no differences in other metabolic or hemodynamic data between the groups. CONCLUSION: Although pneumonia had little influence on pulmonary gas exchange, it influenced cardiac output, urine output and survival compared to healthy swine, suggesting a decrease in the physiologic reserve. These data may be relevant to patients with subclinical infection who are stressed by hemorrhage and may explain in part why some similarly injured patients require more resuscitation efforts than others.
¿Qué está escrito en una oración escrita? Una respuesta evolutiva

RESUMENEl proceso de adquisicion de la lectoescritura es algo que supone para el nino una forma de reconstruir el lenguaje. El objetivo del presente estudio es investigar el significado que asignan los ninos a la segmentacion de una oracion escrita. Los sujetos son ninos de 4 a 6 anos que no han comenzado el aprendizaje de la lectoescritura y la tarea consiste en asociar las distintas partes de una oracion escrita a cada segmento de la emision verbal correspondiente. Se observa que en un principio el nino tiene dificultades para considerar el texto como una representacion escrita de la lengua hablada. Posteriormente, considera que solo se representan graficamente las emisiones de contenido referencial (nombres). A este nivel, el nino puede tomar la emision verbal como un todo, sin encontrar un criterio de segmentacion que encaje con el texto escrito. Mas tarde el nino asume que el verbo puede tambien estar reflejado en la escritura y en un ultimo nivel se integraria el articulo.
Assessing the effects of large mobile predators on ecosystem connectivity

Large predators are often highly mobile and can traverse and use multiple habitats. We know surprisingly little about how predator mobility determines important processes of ecosystem connectivity. Here we used a variety of data sources drawn from Palmyra Atoll, a remote tropical marine ecosystem where large predators remain in high abundance, to investigate how these animals foster connectivity. Our results indicate that three of Palmyra's most abundant large predators (e.g., two reef sharks and one snapper) use resources from different habitats creating important linkages across ecosystems. Observations of cross-system foraging such as this have important implications for the understanding of ecosystem functioning, the management of large-predator populations, and the design of conservation measures intended to protect whole ecosystems. In the face of widespread declines of large, mobile predators, it is important that resource managers, policy makers, and ecologists work to understand how these predators create connectivity and to determine the impact that their depletions may be having on the integrity of these linkages.
Lung Edema from Increased Filtration Pressure in the Pulmonary Microcirculation of Chronically Ventilated Preterm Lambs

Lung Edema from Increased Filtration Pressure in the Pulmonary Microcirculation of Chronically Ventilated Preterm Lambs
The First Years of Teaching: Disparities in Perceptions of Support.

Abstract With an inadequate supply of qualified teachers, education stakeholders continue to investigate teacher attrition issues and induction/mentoring practices to improve retention rates, especially in the critical first years of teaching. What types of support do beginning teachers value, and what do they actually receive? What types of support do administrators believe are provided for the beginning teachers in their schools? Answers to these questions were sought in an investigation of the induction and mentoring practices of the partner school districts of 2 universities. This article reports findings from that study. The findings indicate discrepancies between the strategies provided for new teachers and those they valued, as well as disparities between administrator and teacher reports.
Capnocytophaga in the amniotic fluid of a woman in preterm labor with intact membranes

Chorioamnionitis is thought to be uncommon with intact fetal membranes. A case is reported of a woman in preterm labor with intact membranes from whose amniotic fluid, placenta, and infant's gastric aspirate an unusual organism, Capnocytophaga, was identified. The findings are discussed.
Hemophagocytosis in a patient with persistent chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

![Figure][1] A 73-year-old male with a medical history of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) with urinary infection presented with fever (101.6°F) and pancytopenia (white blood cells 1.0 K/μL, platelets 54 K/μL, and hemoglobin 7.8 g/dL). Viral and fungal studies were negative. A bone
BEYOND STRONG SUBADDITIVITY? IMPROVED BOUNDS ON THE CONTRACTION OF GENERALIZED RELATIVE ENTROPY

New bounds are given on the contraction of certain generalized forms of the relative entropy of two positive semi-definite operators under completely positive mappings. In addition, several conjectures are presented, one of which would give a strengthening of strong subadditivity. As an application of these bounds in the classical discrete case, a new proof of 2-point logarithmic Sobolev inequalities is presented in an Appendix.
Laissez-Faireism for Africa?

There are fads in development economics,1 and the latest today, at least in the North, is what may be called laissez-faireism. This states the belief that a retreat from government activism in economic affairs is the major means of improving the quality of a country's performance. It is seen as ‘central to the solution of a lot of the problems we see around the world’.2Such a strategy stresses the benefits of reliance on markets, on profit incentives, and on the growth of private sectors. Free-market pricing is crucial not only for products (in Africa, particularly agricultural products), but also in factor markets and in international transactions. Wages should be allowed to find their own level, as determined by supply and demand. Exchange rates should also be permitted to approach their natyral levels, for artificially over-valued exchange rates are especially damaging. Tariffs and other forms of protection should be cut back. Countries should turn away from inward-looking import-substitution towards outward-looking export-orientation. 3
Processing scavenged blood with a cell saver reduces cerebral lipid microembolization.

Abstract Background . Microembolization during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) can be detected in the brain as lipid deposits that create small capillary and arteriolar dilations (SCADs) with ischemic injury and neuronal dysfunction. SCAD density is increased with the use of cardiotomy suction to scavenge shed blood. Our purpose was to determine whether various methods of processing shed blood during CPB decrease cerebral lipid microembolic burden. Methods . After hypothermic CPB (70 minutes), brain tissue from two groups of mongrel dogs (28 to 35 kg) was examined for the presence of SCADs. In the arterial filter (AF) group (n = 12), shed blood was collected in a cardiotomy suction reservoir and reinfused through the arterial circuit. Three different arterial line filters (Pall LeukoGuard, Pall StatPrime, Bentley Duraflo) were used alone and in various combinations. In the cell saver (CS) group (n = 12), shed blood was collected in a cell saver with intermittent preocessing (Medtronic autoLog model) or a continuous-action cell saver (Fresenius Continuous Auto Transfusion System) and reinfused with and without leukocyte filtration through the CPB circuit. Results . Mean SCAD density (SCAD/cm 2 ) in the CS group was less than the AF group (11 ± 3 vs 24 ± 5, p = 0.02). There were no significant differences in SCAD density with leukocyte filtration or with the various arterial line filters. Mean SCAD density for the continuous-action cell saver was 8 ± 2 versus 13 ± 5 for the intermittent-action device. Conclusions . Use of a cell saver to scavenge shed blood during CPB decreases cerebral lipid microembolization.
Comment on ``Spontaneous Wave Pattern Formation in Vibrated Granular Materials''

A Comment on the Letter by Keiko M. Aoki and Tetsuo Akiyama, Phys.Rev.Lett.{bold 77}, 4166 (1996). The authors of the Letter offer a Reply. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}
Synthesis of titanium carbide nano-powders by thermal plasma

Abstract The paper presents a thermodynamic analysis for predicting the conditions for the plasma synthesis of TiC powders. The paper also investigates the effects of feeding rate and molar ratio. The experimental results show that TiC powders are synthesized by thermal plasma and the average size of the TiC powders is less than 100 nm.
Electro-mechanical coupling in ZnO nanowires

Semiconductor nanowires such as zinc oxide nanowires are projected to be the next generation materials for nanoscale sensors and actuators. They also serve as ideal systems for studying material behavior at the small scale. In this paper, we report experimental results on the mechanical properties of zinc oxide nanowires. We have designed a MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) test-bed for mechanical characterization of nanowires and use a microscale version of pick-and-place as a generic specimen preparation and manipulation technique. We performed experiments on zinc oxide nanowires inside a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and estimated the Young's modulus to be approximately 21 GPa and the fracture strain to vary from 5 % to 15 %. We attribute the difference in mechanical properties of the nanowires from bulk properties to several factors such as lower number of defects, charge redistribution at the atomic scale and surface effects.
The Linguistic Environment of Early Readers.

Abstract The social-linguistic experiences of early readers in interaction with their parents were compared to that of age peers from similar families. Twelve kindergarten children, six precocious readers (ER) and six prereading peers (PR), and their parents were subjects for this study. Children were matched on age, sex, and receptive vocabulary (PPVT). ERs were reading fluently at the third grade level. The PRs presented age-appropriate emergent literacy skills. All parents were middle class, and educated at least two years beyond secondary school. The oral language of all speakers was analyzed for variables considered to be facilitative of the development of decontextualized language. Analyses of the 36 audio-recorded interactions focused on elements that described each speaker's 1) language complexity, 2) conversational devices, and 3) topic, as well as the children's performance on two decontextualized language tasks. ERs' parents created an even more enriched language environment for their children ...
Emotion Reporting Using Electronic Diaries Reduces Anxiety Symptoms in Girls With Emotion Dysregulation

Theory and empirical research suggest that electronic diaries, which require children to report on their emotional experiences, might encourage emotional processing and facilitate a reduction in symptoms of anxiety, particularly for children exhibiting emotion-related deficits. Electronic diaries were given to 52 children (aged 7–12) to track their emotions and associated intensity for 7 days; anxiety was assessed prior to and after the use of the electronic diary by both parent- and child-report. It was hypothesized that the use of an electronic diary to track emotional experiences would lead to a reduction in anxiety symptoms for those children high in poor awareness, high in expressive reluctance, and low in emotion coping. The use of electronic diaries was effective at reducing child self-reported anxiety symptoms in girls who reported low emotion coping and reducing parent-reported anxiety for girls who reported a high reluctance to express emotions. Current findings suggest that having children identify their emotions using electronic diaries may be particularly beneficial for girls who are reluctant to express emotions and who report poor coping abilities.
Measurement of the Jet Properties and their Modifications in Heavy Ion Collisions

The properties of jets produced in p+p, d+Au and Au+Au collisions at √{s_NN} = 200 GeV at RHIC are discussed. Using the method of two-particle correlations, the angular width and yield of the same and away-side correlation peaks are studied.
Decellularization of Human and Porcine Lung Tissues for Pulmonary Tissue Engineering

Background The only definitive treatment for end-stage organ failure is orthotopic transplantation. Lung extracellular matrix (LECM) holds great potential as a scaffold for lung tissue engineering because it retains the complex architecture, biomechanics, and topologic specificity of the lung. Decellularization of human lungs rejected from transplantation could provide "ideal" biologic scaffolds for lung tissue engineering, but the availability of such lungs remains limited. The present study was designed to determine whether porcine lung could serve as a suitable substitute for human lung to study tissue engineering therapies. Methods Human and porcine lungs were procured, sliced into sheets, and decellularized by three different methods. Compositional, ultrastructural, and biomechanical changes to the LECM were characterized. The suitability of LECM for cellular repopulation was evaluated by assessing the viability, growth, and metabolic activity of human lung fibroblasts, human small airway epithelial cells, and human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells over a period of 7 days. Results Decellularization with 3-[(3-Cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate (CHAPS) showed the best maintenance of both human and porcine LECM, with similar retention of LECM proteins except for elastin. Human and porcine LECM supported the cultivation of pulmonary cells in a similar way, except that the human LECM was stiffer and resulted in higher metabolic activity of the cells than porcine LECM. Conclusions Porcine lungs can be decellularized with CHAPS to produce LECM scaffolds with properties resembling those of human lungs, for pulmonary tissue engineering. We propose that porcine LECM can be an excellent screening platform for the envisioned human tissue engineering applications of decellularized lungs.
The use of multi-electrode resistivity imaging in gravel prospecting

Abstract We investigated the potential of using a 24-electrode resistivity imaging apparatus for rapid reconnaissance surveys for natural-aggregate accumulation. The surveys were first calibrated at sites with known geometry of sand and gravel layers, which showed that subsurface accumulation of coarse material was accurately resolved with both 2- and 4-m electrode spacing. The inverted absolute resistivity of economically viable gravel deposits varied in the range of 300–1500 Ω m, depending on variation in ground-moisture levels. The exploration surveys were then conducted at seven sites where geomorphological analyses indicated a potential for gravel. Four of these sites, where subsurface resistivity did not exceed 30–40 Ω m, were found to have very little or no coarse material. The three remaining sites showed significant accumulations of high-resistivity material, two of which were subsequently augered for verification. The results of drilling demonstrated that resistivity images were an effective indicator of the presence of coarse material in the subsurface, allowing accurate determination of subsurface distribution and thickness of sand and gravel strata. The total volume of a deposit could easily be estimated from resistivity images. The absolute quality and economic value of the material, is, however, difficult to ascertain from resistivity images alone without drilling.
Is it just too Catholic for us? The reception of I promessi sposi and the problem of religion and literature

This paper examines the American and Italian reception of Manzoni’s I promessi sposi. It places the American reception of Manzoni within a larger context of the anti-Catholic nativism that has pervaded American society and academe. The reception of Manzoni in Italy, in contrast, is marked by anti-clericism. The case study of Manzoni’s reception raises the larger issue of the role of the study of religion within the discipline of literary studies.
THE LOCAL-STATE-FEDERAL TEAM APPROACH TO FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT

Results of the establishment of a Local Flood Relations program in 1953 by TVA are discussed. In 16 years TVA has produced local floodplain information reports for 126 communities. As of September 1, 1969, 66 valley communities had adopted floodplain provisions in their zoning ordinances or subdivision regulations, or both. The local-state-Federal team approach to floodplain management is viable and any other appears to be doomed to failure. A floodplain management program can be expected to succeed as a collaborative effort at all levels of government, each playing the part and assuming the responsibilities best fitted to it. Most of us now accept that our flood problems will not be solved by engineering works alone or even in combination with upstream land management. The solution requires a linking of broad community planning with traditional engineering works. This means that the local, state, and Federal objectives and policies must be effectively coordinated. This method has been developed and satisfactorily applied in the Tennessee Valley during the past decade. The need for more effective means for coping with mounting local flood losses was recognized by the Tennessee Valley Authority and led to the establishment of its Local Flood Relations program in 1953. Since a working relationship with the people of the Valley and their state and local institutions had been carefully nurtured by TVA for over twenty years, it was only natural that the new program would also be a cooperative one.
Linking Arms Together: American Indian Treaty Visions of Law and Peace, 1600-1800

This readable yet sophisticated survey of treaty-making between Native and European Americans before 1800, recovers a deeper understanding of how Indians tried to forge a new society with whites on the multicultural frontiers of North America-an understanding that may enlighten our own task of protecting Native American rights and imagining racial justice.
Induction of glucosylceramide synthase by synthase inhibitors and ceramide

Abstract Glucosylceramide (GlcCer) synthase acts on the sphingolipid, ceramide, to transfer a glucose moiety from UDP-glc, thus forming the first member of a large family of glucosphingolipids. Two inhibitors of the enzyme, d -threo-1- phenyl -2- decanoylamino -3- morpholino -1- propanol ( d -threo- PDMP) and N-butyldeoxynojirimycin (NBDN), have been found to induce an elevated level of the synthase in MDCK cells. In cells treated with 20 μM PDMP, then assayed for synthase activity under conditions in which the absorbed PDMP was partially diluted out, the assay showed that the enzyme's specific activity had risen considerably in only 1 h and reached a maximum of about three times the control activity within 6 h. Both cycloheximide and actinomycin D, inhibitors of translational and transcriptional protein synthesis, caused much of the synthase activity to disappear in 6 h, presumably because of normal catabolic destruction. However, simultaneous inclusion of PDMP or NBDN in the cell medium slowed the rate of synthase disappearance. l -Cycloserine, which blocked the synthesis of ceramide, nevertheless allowed PDMP to elevate the synthase activity. Thus the inductive effect appears to be due, in part at least, to resistance of the enzyme-inhibitor complex to the normal process of enzyme degradation. Two other inhibitors of GlcCer synthase, more active than PDMP, did not produce detectable induction because they could not be dissociated from the enzyme during the cell washing and diluting steps. Agents that produced a large increase in endogenous cell ceramide level ( dl -erythro- PDMP , ( dl -erythro- PDMP , N- acetylsphingosine , and bacterial sphingomyelinase) also induced an elevated level of GlcCer synthase. The latter two agents did not protect the synthase from catabolism in the presence of cycloheximide. These findings suggest the existence of a second mechanism of enzyme induction, enhanced synthesis of the enzyme due to the increased availability of the enzyme's lipoidal substrate. The possibility is raised that events involving ceramide in cell signalling may be mediated in part by changes in glucosphingolipid levels.
DEUTERON STRIPPING PROCESSES AT HIGH ENERGIES

The processes which lead to the formation of stripped particle beams in encounters of high-energy deuterons with heavy nuclei are discussed. It is shown that a significant role is played by a previously unnoticed dissociation process arising from diffractive effects in which, from a classical standpoint, the particles suffer no collisions.
Excretion, Distribution, and Metabolism of Primaquine in Rats

The metabolism of the 8-aminoquinoline antimalarial drug, primaquine (I) was studied using rats. The drug was administered intravenously, intraperitoneally, and orally, and blood samples were collected at various time intervals. Primaquine was metabolized by oxidative deamination to give 8-(3-carboxy-1-methylpropylamino)-6-methoxyquinoline (III). The plasma levels of both primaquine and its metabolite were determined by HPLC. The tissue distributions of radioactive primaquine after intravenous, intraperitoneal, and oral administrations were also determined. Significant concentrations of radioactivity were found in the lungs, adrenal glands, and liver. In addition, a significant portion of the dose was found to be excreted in the feces within 24 h after administration of the drug by either of the three routes.
The Measurement and Analysis of Heterogeneous Emissions by Multifrequency Phase and Modulation Fluorometry

Abstract During the last few decades fluorescence spectroscopy has developed into an important and widely used technique in the physical, chemical, and biological sciences. The increasing sophistication of theory and methodology has permitted us to apply fluorescence techniques profitably to a variety of complex problems. A fundamental consideration in the spectroscopic analysis of any system is the degree of sample heterogeneity. We wish to know, for example, if the teterogeneity arises from a melange of fluorophores (this condition often reduces to the question of sample purity) as a consequence of solvent-fluorophore interactions or from the fluorophore per se. An exact quantitation of the nature and extent of the heterogeneity may be critical to our understanding of the origins of that phenomenon. These data have important implications whether the desired information concerns a compositional description for analytical purposes or whether the fluorophore is designed to probe the molecular environment.