cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The “Operational Code” Approach to the Study of Political Leaders: Dean Acheson's Philosophical and Instrumental Beliefs

L'article analyse la performance de Dean Acheson comme secretaire d'etat (1949–53), a l'aide d'un « code operationnel ». En effet, une facon d'etablir le rapport entre la personnalite d'un homme d'etat et ses realisations consiste a examiner ses croyances et stategies en politique.Alexander George a suggere dix categories de questions relatives a la nature du politique et a l'action politique, capables de faire le lien entre les croyances d'un homme d'etat et son comportement: ses « reponses » a ces dix questions constituent un « code operationnel » et eclairent son style et ses performances.Les dix questions se subdivisent en deux groupes, dont le premier refere aux croyances de l'homme d'etat a l'egard des problemes philosophiques suivants:1 Quelle est la nature essentielle de la vie politique? Quel est le caractere fondamental des opposants politiques de quelqu'un?2 Quelle est la probabilite pour quelqu'un de realiser ses valeurs et aspirations politiques fondamentales? Peut-on etre optimiste ou doit-un etre pessimiste a ce sujet?3 Le futur politique peut-il etre prevu?4 A quel point peut-on controler ou dominer le developpement historique?5 Quel est le role de la chance dans les affaires humaines?Le deuxieme groupe de questions refere aux croyances relatives aux moyens de l'action:1 Quelle est la meilleure facon d'arreter les objectifs de l'action politique?2 Quelle est la facon la plus efficace de poursuivre ces objectifs?3 Comment les risques de l'action politique sont-ils calcules, controles et acceptes?4 Quelle est la meilleure chronologie a suivre dans la poursuite des objectifs?5 Quels sont l'utilite et le role des divers moyens aptes a une telle poursuite?L'article vise a codifier les croyances de Dean Acheson a l'egard de ces questions et a indiquer l'impact de ces croyances sur la conduite de la politique etrangere des Etats-Unis de 1945 a 1953.
Zagier Duality for the Exponents of Borcherds Products for Hilbert Modular Forms

A certain sequence of weight 1/2 modular forms arises in the theory of Borcherds products for modular forms for SL2(Z). Zagier proved a family of identities between the coefficients of these weight 1/2 forms and a similar sequence of weight 3/2 modular forms, which interpolate traces of singular moduli. We obtain the analogous results for modular forms arising from Borcherds products for Hilbert modular forms.
Swimming and the Stockade: Defensive Behaviors in the False Arrow Crab, Metoporhaphis calcarata (Brachyura: Inachidae)

Abstract I observed and obtained video footage of swimming behavior in Metoporhaphis calcarata. The behavior is described and illustrated by tracings of video stills over a one-second interval. The fifth pereiopods do not end in paddles, as do those of crabs in Portunidae, but rather are fringed with pinnate setae. On the sea floor, these crabs can form a “stockade” consisting of the acute rostrum and a circle of thorns on the distal surfaces of the pereiopods.
The pharmacology of wakefulness

Being awake, alert, and able to function in our 24-7 world is a challenge in the face of the fatigue and sleepiness engendered by long work hours, unusual work schedules, sickness, and other factors. Development of effective treatments to combat fatigue and sleepiness requires an understanding of the neurobiology of wakefulness. In this brief review, we examine the neuroanatomical, neurochemical, and molecular basis of the wakeful state to provide a framework for understanding current and future pharmacologic approaches to modification of wakefulness. The spontaneously awake state can be defined as a natural state of vigilance or arousal differing from natural sleep in both behavior and neural activity. These differences have long intrigued researchers and largely have been characterized in the brain areas and neurochemical systems affecting the sleep and wake states. Many of the strategies for promoting the awake condition involve manipulation or modulation of specific neurochemical systems with the ultimate goal of enhancing wakefulness, diminishing sleepiness, or both. Wakefulness is an important cortical function that depends on the coordinated effort of multiple brain areas including the thalamus, hypothalamus, and basal forebrain to integrate and relay information from the brainstem to the cortex. Norepinephrine and serotonin-long considered arousal-enhancing transmitters as well as glutamate, acetylcholine, histamine, and the neuromodulators hypocretin-orexins and adenosine, are known to affect the signal transduction in these brain areas and initiate, promote, or enhance wakefulness. Use of molecular tools to evaluate the awake, asleep, and sleep-deprived state has revealed novel insights concerning the gene expression events associated with wakefulness. Understanding wakefulness at this level undoubtedly will contribute to the development of pharmacologic approaches to promote or enhance the wakeful state. We caution, however, that sleep may have a necessary, restorative function for the brain; therefore, prolonging wakefulness for long periods through artificial means could have unexpected and perhaps detrimental consequences on brain health.
Glimpses of Street Life: Representing Lived Experience Through Short Stories

The author has been writing short stories about his experiences with kids who live on the streets of Campinas, Brazil, since his last field trip in 1996. At the beginning of this article, he briefly explains his rationale for using short story, a literary genre, to represent lived experience in social sciences texts. He also explains how he wrote the stories. The four short stories are the heart of this text, in which the author has attempted to show glimpses of the dominant narratives shaping these kids' lives and of the lived experiences he shared with them. The goal is to make stories of these lived experiences part of people's understanding of street kids and part of the cultural narratives that shape these kids' everyday lives.
Higher CD27+CD8+ T cells percentages during suppressive antiretroviral therapy predict greater subsequent CD4+ T cell recovery in treated HIV infection.

HIV-mediated immune dysfunction may influence CD4+ T cell recovery during suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART). We analyzed cellular biomarkers of immunological inflammation, maturation, and senescence in HIV-infected subjects on early suppressive ART.
On Modeling Cognition and Culture: Why cultural evolution does not require replication of representations

Formal models of cultural evolution analyze how cognitive processes combine with social interaction to generate the distributions and dynamics of 'representations.' Recently, cognitive anthropologists have criticized such models. They make three points: mental representations are non-discrete, cultural transmission is highly inaccurate, and mental representations are not replicated, but rather are 'reconstructed' through an inferential process that is strongly affected by cognitive 'attractors.' They argue that it follows from these three claims that: 1) models that assume replication or replicators are inappropriate, 2) selective cultural learning cannot account for stable traditions, and 3) selective cultural learning cannot generate cumulative adaptation. Here we use three formal models to show that even if the premises of this critique are correct, the deductions that have been drawn from them are false. In the first model, we assume continuously varying representations under the influence of weak selective transmission and strong attractors. We show that if the attractors are sufficiently strong relative to selective forces, the continuous representation model reduces to the standard discrete-trait replicator model, and the weak selective component determines the final equilibrium of the system. In the second model, we assume inaccurate replication and discrete traits. We show that very low fidelity replication of representations at the individual level does not preclude accurate replication at the population level, and therefore, accurate individual-level replication of representations is not necessary for either cultural inertia or cumulative cultural adaptation. In the third model, we derive plausible conditions for cumulative adaptive evolution, assuming continuous cultural representations, incomplete transmission and substantial inferential transformations.
The persistence of nuclear polarization produced by the capture of polarized thermal neutrons

Abstract The relation between observed beta asymmetry and the static magnetic guide field is investigated for the capture of neutrons by 7 Li, 19 F and 27 Al.
Paraoxonase 2 decreases renal reactive oxygen species production, lowers blood pressure, and mediates dopamine D2 receptor-induced inhibition of NADPH oxidase

The dopamine D(2) receptor (D(2)R) regulates renal reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and impaired D(2)R function results in ROS-dependent hypertension. Paraoxonase 2 (PON2), which belongs to the paraoxonase gene family, is expressed in various tissues, acting to protect against cellular oxidative stress. We hypothesized that PON2 may be involved in preventing excessive renal ROS production and thus may contribute to maintenance of normal blood pressure. Moreover, D(2)R may decrease ROS production, in part, through regulation of PON2. D(2)R colocalized with PON2 in the brush border of mouse renal proximal tubules. Renal PON2 protein was decreased (-33±6%) in D(2)(-/-) relative to D(2)(+/+) mice. Renal subcapsular infusion of PON2 siRNA decreased PON2 protein expression (-55%), increased renal oxidative stress (2.2-fold), associated with increased renal NADPH oxidase expression (Nox1, 1.9-fold; Nox2, 2.9-fold; and Nox4, 1.6-fold) and activity (1.9-fold), and elevated arterial blood pressure (systolic, 134±5 vs 93±6mmHg; diastolic, 97±4 vs 65±7mmHg; mean 113±4 vs 75±7mmHg). To determine the relevance of the PON2 and D(2)R interaction in humans, we studied human renal proximal tubule cells. Both D(2)R and PON2 were found in nonlipid and lipid rafts and physically interacted with each other. Treatment of these cells with the D(2)R/D(3)R agonist quinpirole (1μM, 24h) decreased ROS production (-35±6%), associated with decreased NADPH oxidase activity (-32±3%) and expression of Nox2 (-41±7%) and Nox4 (-47±8%) protein, and increased expression of PON2 mRNA (2.1-fold) and protein (1.6-fold) at 24h. Silencing PON2 (siRNA, 10nM, 48h) not only partially prevented the quinpirole-induced decrease in ROS production by 36%, but also increased basal ROS production (1.3-fold), which was associated with an increase in NADPH oxidase activity (1.4-fold) and expression of Nox2 (2.1-fold) and Nox4 (1.8-fold) protein. Inhibition of NADPH oxidase with diphenylene iodonium (10μM/30 min) inhibited the increase in ROS production caused by PON2 silencing. Our results suggest that renal PON2 is involved in the inhibition of renal NADPH oxidase activity and ROS production and contributes to the maintenance of normal blood pressure. PON2 is positively regulated by D(2)R and may, in part, mediate the inhibitory effect of renal D(2)R on NADPH oxidase activity and ROS production.
The Aggregate Demand for Private Health Insurance Coverage in the United States

This article estimates the aggregate demand for private health insurance coverage in the United States using an error correction model for the period 1966–1999. Both short- and long-run price and income elasticities of demand are estimated. The empirical findings indicate that both private insurance enrollment and the completeness of insurance are relatively inelastic with respect to changes in price and income in the short and long run. Moreover, the results suggest that an increase in the number cyclically and frictionally uninsured generates less welfare loss than an increase in the number of structurally uninsured.
The temporal trend of stratospheric carbonyl sulfide

Using a database of spectra collected with an airborne infrared spectrometer between 1978 and 2005, the longest record of this type, we have searched for a temporal trend in the stratospheric OCS amount. The total column above 200 hPa, in latitudes from 30° to 60°N, shows a change of about 0.77 ± 0.80% per year relative to the 2010 value which is 1.34 × 1015 molecules cm−2; thus not a significant change. Observations are made from the base of the stratosphere and are uniquely suited to determining the stratospheric OCS abundance.
Use of oral cholecystographic agents in the treatment of amiodarone-induced hyperthyroidism.

We describe here five cardiac patients with type II amiodarone-induced hyperthyroidism who were treated prospectively with a combination of an oral cholecystographic agent (sodium ipodate, Oragrafin, or sodium iopanoate, Telepaque) and a thionamide (propylthiouracil or methimazole); amiodarone was discontinued in all patients. All patients improved substantially clinically within a few days of treatment and became euthyroid or hypothyroid in 15–31 wk when treatment was discontinued. Four of the five became hypothyroid and required long-term treatment with l-T4; the remaining patient was euthyroid, but died from cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure at 29 wk, when he had been off oral cholecystographic agent and thionamide for 6 wk. We did not find any clinical or biochemical adverse effects of the treatment. Our study suggests that a combination of oral cholecystographic agent and thionamide is a safe and effective treatment of type II amiodarone-induced hyperthyroidism. Data also suggest that hypot...
Sex, lives and hormones

Behavioral Endocrinology. Edited by J. B. Becker, S. M. Breedlove and D. Crews. MIT Press: 1992. Pp. 574. & dollar;34.95.
Gut tract microorganisms supply the precursors for methyl-branched hydrocarbon biosynthesis in the termite, Zootermopsis nevadensis

Abstract In vivo and in vitro experiments were performed to examine the role of succinate and other potential precursors of the methylmalonyl-CoA used for methyl-branched hydrocarbon biosynthesis in the termite Zootermopsis nevadensis . The in vivo incorporation of [1,4- 14 C]succinate and [2,3- 14 C]succinate into hydrocarbon confirmed that succinate is a direct precursor to the methyl branch unit. The other likely precursors, the branched chain amino acids valine and isoleucine, were not efficiently incorporated into hydrocarbon. Carbon-13 NMR showed that one of the labeled carbons of [1,4- 13 C]succinate labeled position 6 of 5-methylalkanes and positions 6 and 18 of 5,17-dimethylalkanes, indicating that succinate, as a methylmalonyl-CoA unit, was incorporated as the third unit to form 5-methylheneicosane and as both the third and ninth units to form 5,17-dimethylheneicosane. Analysis of organic acids after the in vivo metabolism of [2,3- 14 C]succinate showed that succinate was converted to propionate and methylmalonate. Labeled succinate injected into the hemolymph was readily taken up by the gut tract. Isolated gut tissue efficiently converted succinate to acetate and propionate, both of which were released into the incubation media. Mitochondria from termite tissue (minus gut tract) converted succinate to methylmalonate and propionate only in the presence of malonic acid, an inhibitor of succinate dehydrogenase. The results of these studies show that while termite mitochondria are able to convert succinate to propionate and methylmalonate, most of the propionate used for methyl-branched hydrocarbon biosynthesis is produced by gut tract microorganisms. The propionate is then presumably transported through the hemolymph to epidermal cells for use in methyl-branched hydrocarbon biosynthesis.
Stereocontrolled synthesis of anthracene β-C-ribosides: fluorescent probes for photophysical studies of DNA

Abstract Effective, stereocontrolled syntheses of the 1-anthracenyl and 2-anthrancenyl β-C-2′-deoxyribosides are reported and were based on a diastereofacialselective, palladium-catalyzed glycosidation of the corresponding protected (4S,5R)-4-hydroxy-5-(hydroxymethyl)dihydrofuran.
Ductile creep and compaction: A mechanism for transiently increasing fluid pressure in mostly sealed fault zones

A simple cyclic process is proposed to explain why major strike-slip fault zones, including the San Andreas, are weak. Field and laboratory studies suggest that the fluid within fault zones is often mostly sealed from that in the surrounding country rock. Ductile creep driven by the difference between fluid pressure and lithostatic pressure within a fault zone leads to compaction that increases fluid pressure. The increased fluid pressure allows frictional failure in earthquakes at shear tractions far below those required when fluid pressure is hydrostatic. The frictional slip associated with earthquakes creates porosity in the fault zone. The cycle adjusts so that no net porosity is created (if the fault zone remains constant width). The fluid pressure within the fault zone reaches long-term dynamic equilibrium with the (hydrostatic) pressure in the country rock. One-dimensional models of this process lead to repeatable and predictable earthquake cycles. However, even modest complexity, such as two parallel fault splays with different pressure histories, will lead to complicated earthquake cycles. Two-dimensional calculations allowed computation of stress and fluid pressure as a function of depth but had complicated behavior with the unacceptable feature that numerical nodes failed one at a time rather than in large earthquakes. A possible way to remove this unphysical feature from the models would be to include a failure law in which the coefficient of friction increases at first with frictional slip, stabilizing the fault, and then decreases with further slip, destabilizing it.
Relationships between glial and neuronal elements in the development of long term cultures of the spinal cord of the fetal mouse

The development of glial and synaptic relations has been studied in long term cultures of spinal cord by light and electron microscopy. During the first three days in vitro there is extensive cell death in the superficial parts of the explants, where one sees many phagocytes and much cellular debris. The ependyma of the explants early forms a closed sac in the deep parts of the culture next to the collagen substrate. Cells migrate from this sac to form a continuous basal layer upon the substrate. Some of these cells turn around the edges of the explant and migrate onto its surface, where they contribute to an ependyma-like epithelial covering. As the explants mature most of the cellular debris is cleared; the epithelial covering separates the neuronal elements from the feeding solution and from phagocytes, most of which migrate to lie freely on the surface of the epithelium. Two types of outgrowth are formed. The first consists of bundles of nerve fibers which are accompanied by individual undifferentiated glial cells. The second forms as a broad sheet of undifferentiated glial cells and astrocytes and this is continuous, at the edge of the explant, with the glia of the basal layer. Nerve fibers that grow into this sheet appear to survive better than nerve fibers that grow out in bundles. Oligodendroglial cells become recognizable by electron microscopical criteria when the axons start to myelinate. Dendrites can be identified in the sheet-like outgrowth but not in the bundles. Synapses are seen only where dendrites are identifiable. Serial axo-axonal junctions have not been found and axosomatic synapses are relatively rare.
Fibrinogen induces endothelial cell permeability.

Many cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disorders are accompanied by an increased blood content of fibrinogen (Fg), a high molecular weight plasma adhesion protein. Fg is a biomarker of inflammation and its degradation products have been associated with microvascular leakage. We tested the hypothesis that at pathologically high levels, Fg increases endothelial cell (EC) permeability through extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) signaling and by inducing F-actin formation. In cultured ECs, Fg binding to intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and to α5β1 integrin, caused phosphorylation of ERK. Subsequently, F-actin formation increased and coincided with formation of gaps between ECs, which corresponded with increased permeability of ECs to albumin. Our data suggest that formation of F-actin and gaps may be the mechanism for increased albumin leakage through the EC monolayer. The present study indicates that elevated un-degraded Fg may be a factor causing microvascular permeability that typically accompanies cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disorders.
Some questions about the concept of power.

Four questions are raised concerning previous conceptions of power. Dahl has suggested that a positive action on the part of the power holder and a demonstrable connection between him and the influenced actor are among the necessary conditions of a power relation. The present paper contends that Dahl's conditions screen out influence exerted through anticipated reactions and through the manipulation of information. It is proposed that Harsanyi's extension of Dahl's concept of power be modified to allow directly for those forms of influence. Dahl's definition also requires that, in order to have power, an actor must affect the behavior of the other party. Cartwright, among others, has offered a definition of power that does not require any behavioral effects. Harsanyi's concepts are applied to reveal the relation between Dahl's and Cartwright's definitions. A final section emphasizes ways in which the weaker party influences the behavior of the stronger and points out pitfalls in Harsanyi's formulation of the costs of power. The analysis is relevant to Dahl's empirical power study Who Governs? and to criticisms that have been made of it.
Delay of reward as a secondary reinforcer

Thirty rats were trained and extinguished in an alley of a Grice apparatus to determine whether or not delay of reward had secondary reward value. Half of Ss had delay associated with reward (DR) and nondelay associated with nonreward; half(DNR) had the opposite. In extinction half of each group had delay box confinement, half did not. An alternating reward and nonreward pattern was used in training and Ss in both groups showed clear evidence of patterned running. Group DNR ran significantly faster in training and extinction, but the expected secondary reinforcement effects were not found.
26.4 A 25.6Gb/s differential and DDR4/GDDR5 dual-mode transmitter with digital clock calibration in 22nm CMOS

A wide range of memory configurations exist in today's high-speed digital systems to meet platform-specific bandwidth, power, capacity, and cost constraints. In the near term, DDR4 and GDDR5 are expected to meet the needs of server, client, graphics and mobile platforms [1]. Differential signaling with high-speed serial I/O enhancements will potentially continue I/O performance scaling for post-DDR4 and future buffered memory solutions. A unified memory interface that can meet the signaling requirements of all these memory standards offers several benefits: reduced cost and design time, greater platform design flexibility, and a smoother transition from DDR4/GDDR5 to a high-speed differential memory interface [2]. This paper presents a dual-mode TX that supports single-ended (SE) 1.2V-DDR4/1.5V-GDDR5 (hereafter referred to as DDR-mode) as well as high-speed differential signaling (hereafter referred to as HSD-mode), which is implemented using only thin-gate-oxide devices in 22nm CMOS. Other key design features include: (a) a DDR4/GDDR5 driver implemented using only active devices (no linearizing resistors), (b) enhanced voltage-mode driver supply regulation, (c) reconfigurable logic to support pre-emphasis in both TX modes, and (d) low-overhead digital clock-calibration techniques based on asynchronous digital sampling (ADS) to improve calibration coverage and accuracy.
Comparison of High‐Calorie, Low‐Nutrient‐Dense Food Consumption among Obese and Non‐Obese Adolescents

Objective The purpose of this study was to determine whether obese adolescents eat more high-calorie low-nutrient-dense foods than non-obese adolescents. Research methods and procedures Using a cross-sectional design, 22 non-obese and 21 obese adolescents kept 14-day food records. Records provided estimates of total daily energy intake and caloric intake from five categories of high-calorie, low-nutrient-dense (HC) foods: candy, chips, soda, baked goods, and ice cream. Body composition was determined by 18O dilution and daily energy expenditure by doubly labeled water. Percentage of energy intake reported (%report) was calculated as the ratio of reported energy intake to measured energy expenditure (x 100%). Results Both groups underreported energy intake, but the percentage reported was significantly greater in the non-obese group (78.2+/-20.5% non-obese vs. 55.5+/-21.8% obese, p Discussion Our findings suggest that both non-obese and obese adolescents consume a substantial portion of reported calories from HC foods and that obese adolescents do not consume more calories from these foods than non-obese adolescents. These data offer no evidence to support the widespread notion that obese adolescents eat more "junk food" than non-obese adolescents. Health professionals who treat obese adolescents must be aware that the excess calories in their diets may come from a variety of food sources and not solely from high-calorie snack foods.
SET1 and p300 Act Synergistically, through Coupled Histone Modifications, in Transcriptional Activation by p53

The H3K4me3 mark in chromatin is closely correlated with actively transcribed genes, although the mechanisms involved in its generation and function are not fully understood. In vitro studies with recombinant chromatin and purified human factors demonstrate a robust SET1 complex (SET1C)-mediated H3K4 trimethylation that is dependent upon p53- and p300-mediated H3 acetylation, a corresponding SET1C-mediated enhancement of p53- and p300-dependent transcription that reflects a primary effect of SET1C through H3K4 trimethylation, and direct SET1C-p53 and SET1C-p300 interactions indicative of a targeted recruitment mechanism. Complementary cell-based assays demonstrate a DNA-damage-induced p53-SET1C interaction, a corresponding enrichment of SET1C and H3K4me3 on a p53 target gene (p21/WAF1), and a corresponding codependency of H3K4 trimethylation and transcription upon p300 and SET1C. These results establish a mechanism in which SET1C and p300 act cooperatively, through direct interactions and coupled histone modifications, to facilitate the function of p53.
Welfare and Exchange Rate Effects of the Rhodesian Trade Embargo: An Elasticity Approach

Trade embargoes, like wars, floods, and other catastrophes, put severe pressures on an economy. The response to such pressures is necessarily of considerable magnitude. The eleven-year-old trade boycott of Rhodesia, initiated by the British and sanctioned by the United Nations, provides an observation of such a response.1 The observation is of interest since Rhodesia, a relatively small country, depends on exports of agricultural and mineral resources for a substantial fraction of her economic activity. Furthermore, the response has involved rather stringent foreign exchange controls and the maintenance of an overvalued exchange rate. The importance of the exchange rate as an economic policy variable has been forcefully expounded by Schuh. Many African countries maintain overvalued currencies (Haessel and Vickery). The exchange rate response and the cost (defined below) of the Rhodesian trade boycott is the subject of this analysis, which follows an elasticity approach. Elasticity techniques have been increasingly used in recent years to analyze balance of payments, exchange rate, and welfare effects of international trade distortions (Floyd, Basevi, Walker, Johnson). Basevi's work on the exchange rate and welfare effects stemming from import tariffs and Walker's generalization of the latter work to analyze bilateral tariffs offer an appropriate analytical framework for the task at hand. However, we have converted the Basevi-Walker model to account for special peculiarities of the present study and to generate otherwise nonestimable price effects of the trade embargo on the Rhodesian import market. Welfare effects are viewed solely from the Rhodesian perspective and refer, following Basevi's definition, to import consumers' utility (area under the import demand curve) minus the cost of resources employed in the export market (area under the export supply curve). The layout of this paper, which is based on work by Wilson, is as follows. First, special peculiarities of the Rhodesian situation are discussed and assumptions made; second, the algebraic model is outlined; and third, empirical results are presented along with some conclusions.
Association between gene expression of peripheral blood oxidative stress markers and Alzheimer's disease: The nun study

Background: A definite diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is determined following brain autopsy by detection of hallmark pathologies of the disease: an extracellular aggregates of amyloid-b (Ab) peptides, termed as Ab plaques, and an intracellular neurofibrillary tangles. Presently, noninvasive monitoring of Ab plaques in the brains of living patients is, however, inadequate due to restricted resolution and specificity. We, thus, hypothesized that the eyes can serve as a window to the brain for direct and noninvasive imaging of AD. Methods: To this end, we used APPswe/PS1dE9 double-transgenic AD mice, which faithfully represent some of the key pathologies found in the human disease. We investigated presence and formation of amyloid plaques in retinas from these AD mice, as well as estimated the correlation between retinal amyloid plaques and the plaque pathology in the brain. Lastly, we evaluated responsiveness of retinal plaques to an immune-based therapy and the ability to image them in live mice. Results: Here, we detected Ab plaques in retinal samples of AD mice, and found that Ab plaques appear in the retina significantly earlier than in the brain. Retinal plaques accumulated during disease progression, and in good correlation with brain pathology. Moreover, retinal Ab plaque number and size were significantly reduced following an immune-based therapy, which we found to be effective in reducing plaques in the brain. Systemic administration of a natural compound that binds and labels Ab plaques, allowed in vivo noninvasive visualization of retinal Ab plaques in live AD mice, with high resolution and specificity. Conclusions: These studies establish the potential of direct retinal Ab plaque imaging in live subjects as a promising tool for early AD diagnosis, prognosis and assessment of therapies.
Management of the internal carotid artery during carotid body tumor surgery

Patients with carotid body tumors require accurate preoperative assessment of vessel involvement and the probable impact of interrupting blood flow through the internal carotid artery. Recent developments in imaging, methods of measuring cerebral blood flow, balloon occlusion testing, and techniques to maintain vascular flow when a graft is required have improved the surgeon's ability to completely resect these tumors with reduced complications. We discuss these methods with respect to our review of 20 carotid body tumors in 18 patients. Twenty-five percent of patients were misdiagnosed, and in four patients injury to the vessel wall required appropriate surgical intervention.
Dangers of using the growth equation on large scales in the Newtonian gauge

We examine the accuracy of the growth equation {delta}+2H{delta}-4{pi}G{rho}{delta}=0, which is ubiquitous in the cosmological literature, in the context of the Newtonian gauge. By comparing the growth predicted by this equation to a numerical solution of the linearized Einstein equations in the {lambda}CDM scenario, we show that while this equation is a reliable approximation on small scales (k > or approx. h Mpc{sup -1}), it can be disastrously inaccurate ({approx}10{sup 4}%) on larger scales in this gauge. We propose a modified version of the growth equation for the Newtonian gauge, which while preserving the simplicity of the original equation, provides considerably more accurate results. We examine the implications of the failure of the growth equation on a few recent studies, aimed at discriminating general relativity from modified gravity, which use this equation as a starting point. We show that while the results of these studies are valid on small scales, they are not reliable on large scales or high redshifts, if one works in the Newtonian gauge. Finally, we discuss the growth equation in the synchronous gauge and show that the corrections to the Poisson equation are exactly equivalent to the difference between the overdensities in the synchronous and Newtonianmore » gauges.« less
Three Kinds of Rhymes: An ERP Study.

In a simple prime-target visual rhyming paradigm, pairs of words, nonwords, and single letters elicited similar event-related potential (ERP) rhyming effects in young adults. Within each condition, primes elicited contingent negative variation (CNV) while nonrhyming targets elicited more negative waveforms than rhyming targets within the 320-500ms (N400/N450) time window. The target rhyming effect, apparently primarily an index of phonological processing, was similar across conditions but tended to be smaller in mean amplitude for letters. One of the first reports of such a letter rhyming effect in the ERP literature, these findings could be important developmentally because letter rhyme tasks simultaneously index the two best predictors of ease of learning to read: letter name knowledge and phonological awareness.
A generating algorithm for linear trend-free and nearly linear trend-free block designs

The theory and properties of trend-free (TF) and nearly trend-free (NTF) block designs are wel1 developed. Applications have been hampered because a methodology for design construction has not been available. This article begins with a short review of concepts and properties of TF and NTF block designs. The major contribution is provision of an algorithm for the construction of linear and nearly linear TF block designs. The algorithm is incorporated in a computer program in FORTRAN 77 provided in an appendix for the IBM PC or compatible microcomputer, a program adaptable also to other computers. Three sets of block designs generated by the program are given as examples. A numerical example of analysis of a linear trend-free balanced incomplete block design is provided.
Efficiency factors in the cultivation of potatoes

Recent experiments indicate that it usually will pay best to cultivate potatoes only a sufficient number of times to control weeds efficiently. Frequent use of the weeder early in the season will eliminate much of the usual more expensive weed control operations later on. Labor costs for weed control alone on 1120 farms in western New York in 1929 amounted to about 11 per cent of the total cost of growing the crop. Experiments comparing yields from ridge and level culture lave generally favored the latter. Deeper planting or the furrow plant-shallow cover method will eliminate much of the apparent necessity to resort to ridging as a means of late season weed control. A survey of practices on 258 New York farms indicated that sunburn injury is somewhat reduced by ridging. Unless the ridging is done after the plants are nearly mature, the ridge should be wide at the bottom and flat at the top. Finally, it can no longer be truthfully said that the best potato grower is the one who cultivates most often. Rather is he the grower who handles his weed problem with fewest cultivations and at lowest cost.
CIS-ACTING ELEMENTS AND TRANS-ACTING PROTEINS IN THE TRANSCRIPTIONAL INHIBITION OF GONADOTROPIN-RELEASING HORMONE GENE BY HUMAN CHORIONIC GONADOTROPIN IN IMMORTALIZED HYPOTHALAMIC GT1-7 NEURONS

We investigated the cis-acting elements and trans-acting proteins required for the transcriptional inhibition of the gonadotropin-releasing horomone (GnRH) gene by human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in GT1–7 neurons. Transient transfection of GT1–7 neurons with the 5′-flanking region of the rat GnRH gene-luciferase fusion constructs revealed that a 53-base pair (bp) sequence between −126 and −73 bp is required for the hCG inhibition. Nuclear extracts from GT1–7 neurons contained 110- and 95-kDa proteins that formed two complexes with the 53-bp sequence. These proteins are not related to Fos, cAMP response element-binding protein, Oct-1, or progesterone receptors, and hCG treatment selectively increased the 95-kDa protein. DNase I footprinting with GT1–7 cell nuclear extracts protected the −99 to −79-bp region, which contained a so-called imperfect AP-1 site (−99 to −94 bp) and two AT-rich palindromic sequences (−91 to −87 bp and −85 to −81 bp). The mutagenesis of the AT-rich regions, but not the AP-1 site, resulted in a loss of DNA binding of the 95-kDa protein and the inhibitory effect of hCG. In summary, our results are consistent with hCG inducing a 95-kDa trans-acting protein, which binds to −91- to −81-bp AT-rich sequences in the 5′-flanking region to inhibit the transcription of the GnRH gene.
Gene Co-Adaboost: a semi-supervised approach for classifying gene expression data

Co-training has been proved successful in classifying many different kinds of data, such as text data and web data, which have naturally split views. Using these views as feature sets respectively, classifiers could make less generalization errors by maximizing their agreement over the unlabeled data. However, this method has limited performance in gene expression data. The first reason is that most gene expression data lacks of naturally split views. The second reason is that there are usually some noisy samples in the gene expression dataset. Furthermore, some semi-supervised algorithms prefer to add these misclassified samples to the training set, which will mislead the classification. In this paper, a Co-training based algorithm named Gene Co-Adaboost is proposed to utilize limitedly labeled gene expression samples to predict the class variables. This method splits the gene features into relatively independent views and keeps the performance stable by refusing to add unlabeled examples that may be wrongly labeled to the training set with a Cascade Judgment technique. Experiments on four public microarray datasets indicate that Gene Co-Adaboost effectively uses the unlabeled samples to improve the classification accuracy.
Formation of FePt nanoparticles having high coercivity.

Ultrasonication of toluene solutions of the heteropolynuclear cluster complex, Pt3Fe3(CO)15, in the presence of oleic acid and oleylamine affords surface-capped fcc FePt nanoparticles having an average diameter of ca. 2 nm. Self-assembled arrays of these nanoparticles on oxidized Si wafers undergo a fcc-to-fct phase transition at 775 °C to form ferromagnetic FePt nanocrystals ca. 5.8 nm in diameter well dispersed on the Si wafer surface. Room-temperature coercivity measurements of these annealed FePt nanoparticles confirm a high coercivity of ca. 22.3 kOe. Such high coercivity for fct FePt nanoparticles might result from use of a heterpolynuclear complex as a single-source precursor of Fe and Pt neutral atoms or from use of ultrasonication to form fcc FePt nanoparticles under conditions of exceptionally rapid heating. Experiments to determine the critical experimental conditions required to achieve such high room-temperature coercivities in ferromagnetic nanoparticles are underway.
Interventions for the behavioral complications of Alzheimer's disease: behavioral approaches.

A majority of patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT) display behavioral disturbances of varying degrees of severity. These disturbances include both behavioral excesses and deficits. The behavioral excesses reported in this population include physical aggression, wandering, and disruptive vocalization, to name but a few (Burgio et al., 1988b). Disruptive behaviors have been reported in at least 50% of individuals diagnosed with DAT (Cummings et al., 1987). Research has shown that individuals with dementia frequently display severe deficits in performing activities of daily living such as feeding, bathing, and dressing (Burgio et al., 1988b). Although these deficits are, in part, a natural result of the dementing illness, it has long been recognized by gerontologists that many demented individuals display “excess deficits” (Brody et al., 1971), i.e., symptoms of functional incapacity greater than those warranted by the actual organic impairment.
A Difference of Some Consequence Between Conventions and Rules

Lewis’s view of the way conventions are passed on may have some especially interesting consequences for the study of language. I’ll start by briefly discussing agreements and disagreements that I have with Lewis’s general views on conventions and then turn to how linguistic conventions spread. I’ll compare views of main stream generative linguistics, in particular, Chomsky’s views on how syntactic forms are passed on, with the sort of view of language acquisition and language change advocated by usage-based or construction grammars, which seem to fit better with Lewis’s ideas. Then I will illustrate the interest of Lewis’s perspective on the dissemination of conventions with a variety of linguistic examples.
Unacceptable risk in pregnancy: whose choice and responsibility?

Chervenak and McCullough (2011) attempt to provide clearer guidelines for clinical research during pregnancy, bypassing the issues of the moral status of the fetus qua fetus by focusing on responsi...
On the mechanism of increased potassium conductance by the potassium channel opener BRL 34915 in Isolated ventricular myocytes

The potassium conductance increased by BRL 34915 (BRL, cromakalim) was studied in single guinea pig ventricular myocytes by using a whole cell voltage-clamp technique. In control voltage-clamp recordings, the late current-voltage relation showed a distinct inward rectification. BRL (1–100 μM) shortened the action potential and diminished or abolished inward rectification but had no effect on the slope conductance and currents flowing during hyperpolarizing clamp steps. BRL did not decrease the slow inward current but accelerated the time constant of activation and amplitude of the outward current. Cd markedly decreased (0.2 mM) or abolished (0.4–0.6 mM) the slow inward current and BRL induced a faster outward shift of late current to a greater value. Glybenclamide (10 μM), a blocker of ATP-sensitive K+ channels, had little effect of its own on action potential, membrane currents, and I-V relation. However, in the presence of BRL, glybenclamide abolished BRL effects on action potential and currents and restored inward rectification. It is concluded that the mechanism by which BRL shortens the action potential is a faster growth of an outward current due to the reduction or abolition of the inward rectification of an ATP-dependent potassium channel. The reduction in force in non-isolated tissues appears to be an indirect result of the action potential shortening and not of a decreased slow inward current.
Gene structure, purification and characterization of DNA polymerase β from Xiphophorus maculatus

Cloning of the Xiphophorus maculatus Polbeta gene and overexpression of the recombinant Polbeta protein has been performed. The organization of the XiphPolbeta introns and exons, including intron-exon boundaries, have been assigned and were found to be similar to that for human Polbeta with identical exon sizes except for exon XII coding for an additional two amino acid residues in Xiphophorus. The cDNA sequence encoding the 337-amino acid X. maculatus DNA polymerase beta (Polbeta) protein was subcloned into the Escherichia coli expression plasmid pET. Induction of transformed E. coli cells resulted in the high-level expression of soluble recombinant Polbeta, which catalyzed DNA synthesis on template-primer substrates. The steady-state Michaelis constants (Km) and catalytic efficiencies (kcat/Km) of the recombinant XiphPolbeta for nucleotide insertion opposite single-nucleotide gap DNA substrates were measured and compared with previously published values for recombinant human Polbeta. Steady-state in vitro Km and kcat/Km values for correct nucleotide insertion by XiphPolbeta and human Polbeta were similar, although the recombinant Xiphophorus protein exhibited 2.5-7-fold higher catalytic efficiencies for dGTP and dCTP insertion versus human Polbeta. In contrast, the recombinant XiphPolbeta displayed significantly lower fidelities than human Polbeta for dNTP insertion opposite a single-nucleotide gap at 37 degrees C.
An example of a two-part latent growth curve model for semicontinuous outcomes in the health sciences

A new method of modeling coronary artery calcium (CAC) is needed in order to properly understand the probability of onset and growth of CAC. CAC remains a controversial indicator of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, but this may be due to ill-equipped methods of specifying CAC during the analysis phase of studies reporting an analysis where CAC is the primary outcome. The modern method of two-part latent growth modeling may represent a strong alternative to the myriad of existing methods for modeling CAC. We provide a brief overview of existing methods of analysis used for CAC before introducing the general latent growth curve model, how it extends into a two-part (semicontinuous) growth model, and how the ubiquitous problem of missing data can be effectively handled. We then present an example of how to model CAC using this framework. We demonstrate that utilizing this type of modeling strategy can result in traditional predictors of CAC (e.g. age, gender, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol), exer...
The Persistence of Urban Deprivation: The Example of Wichita, Kansas, in the 1970s

During the 1970s, several programs were implemented to deal with the problem of urban deprivation within US central cities. This study examines the changing spatial distribution of various deprivation indicators within the city of Wichita, Kansas, and identifies the social and economic characteristics of those areas most affected by changes. Linear regression is utilized to develop a typology of change. Areas that deteriorated in relation to the rest of the city are characterized by disproportionate concentrations of the city's “underclass,” while areas that improved in relation to the rest of the city were the most affluent neighborhoods. The study found little evidence that deprivation was reduced in those areas of the inner city targeted for special assistance; indeed, in much of the inner city, levels of deprivation increased relative to the rest of the city.
Schumpeterian unemployment, trade and wages☆

Abstract This paper develops a dynamic general equilibrium model of R&D-generated growth without scale effects and knowledge-based trade of higher quality products between two structurally-identical countries. A product replacement mechanism coupled with a time-consuming job-matching process generates Schumpeterian unemployment. A global reduction in tariffs stimulates innovation and growth. It also raises the relative wage of skilled workers, motivating more individuals to undergo skill upgrading. In addition, trade liberalization increases the unemployment rate of unskilled labor, but has an ambiguous effect on the economy-wide unemployment rate.