cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Anthropocene, Emissions Budget, and the Structural Crisis of the Capitalist World-System

This paper evaluates the implications of global emissions budget distribution between three large geographical areas (China, OECD countries, and the rest of the world) in the context of Anthropocene and the structural crisis of the capitalist world system. Two plausible emissions distribution principles are considered. Under neither the inertia principle nor the equity principle, can continuing economic growth be made compatible with requirements of climate stabilization in all three regions. This conclusion does not change significantly when plausible acceleration of emissions intensity reduction in the future is taken into account. To limit global warming to not more than 2 degrees Celsius by the end of this century, at least two of the three large regions need to reorganize their economies to operate with zero or negative growth. Such a reorganization cannot be achieved under a capitalist economic system given the inherent tendency of capitalism towards endless accumulation. Neither is it likely to be achieved under any conceivable economic system dominated by market relations.
The Impact of COVID-19 on Academic Department Chairs: Heightened Complexity, Accentuated Liminality, and Competing Perceptions of Reinvention

This article explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on academic department chairs. Through a survey of 172 department chairs in the United States, the central findings of this research-intensified challenges, a multidirectional leadership pivot, and competing perceptions of higher education reinvention-reinforce the liminality of the academic chairperson role, highlight the need for increased training and development opportunities for individuals engaged in this work, and offer a reminder of ensuring that the broader perspectives of department chairs are included in efforts to reinvent institutions of higher education. These findings depict crisis leadership as a required competency for academic leaders.
Electrical Characterization of the Tongue and the Soft Palate Using Lumped-Element Model for Intraoral Neuromodulation

Intraoral functions are results of complex and well-orchestrated sensorimotor loop operations, and therefore vulnerable to small functional or neural defects. To secure the vital intraoral functions, it is important to find a way to favorably intervene the intraoral sensorimotor loop operations. The tongue and the soft palate are heavily associated with intraoral sensorimotor loops, with their dense neural innervations and occupancy of intraoral space. Therefore, electrical stimulation onto the tongue and the soft palate has a great potential to solve the problems in the intraoral functions. However, the electrical interface for both of them have not been characterized yet as a lumped-element model, for designing electrical stimulation and analyzing its effect. In this study, we measured stimulation thresholds to evoke electrotactile feedback and characterized electrical impedance across electrodes using lumped-element models. We found that average perception/discomfort thresholds for the tongue tip, lateral-inferior side of the tongue, and anterolateral side of the soft palate as 0.18/1.31, 0.37/3.99, and 1.19/7.55 mA, respectively. An R-C-R-R-C model represented the electrical interface across the tongue and the soft palate with the highest accuracy. The average component values of the R-C-R-R-C model were found as 2.72kΩ, 45.25nF, 1.27kΩ, 22.09GΩ, and 53.00nF, on average.
Feminism, Family Planning and National Planning

This paper identifies family planning as a key arena of women’s movement activity during the 1950s and early 1960s. Focusing on the All India Women’s Conference (AIWC) and the Family Planning Assoc...
Autonomic Nervous System Profiling In Response to Liver Transplantation: Prognostic Evaluation and Preliminary Study

ABSTRACT Background Liver cirrhosis leads to autonomic dysfunction (AD). We present a pilot study and review of published literature to investigate the long-term changes in the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) of patients who underwent liver transplant. We propose Autonomic Function Tests (AFT) can be used as a predictor of liver transplant outcome. Methods Twenty-eight patients (19 men and 9 women; mean age 45 years) with cirrhosis due to different etiologies underwent a noninvasive ANS evaluation test, pre– and post–liver transplant at 3 to 6 months, 8 to 12 months, and 14 to 24 months. Data were compared with 45 age-matched controls (14 men and 31 women). We investigated changes in the following 3 adrenergic measures: percentage of cutaneous vasoconstriction in the hand and foot in response to cold stress test and cutaneous blood flow adjustment ratio; and 3 cardiovagal measures: change in heart rate in relation to deep respiration, forced respiration represented as Valsalva Ratio, and head-up tilting (30/15 ratio). Results A total of 23 of 28 patients (82%) had impairment in AFT before transplant, 16 of 28 (57%) in the sympathetic adrenergic measures, and 15 of 28 (54%) in the parasympathetic cardiovagal measures. There was a gradual improvement in ANS function posttransplant, with a significant improvement in the cardiovagal measure of Valsalva Ratio (P Conclusions To optimize outcomes in liver transplant patients with autonomic dysfunction, autonomic testing perhaps combined with frailty testing can be used as objective measures of mortality in the pre–liver transplant stage.
Does influenza vaccination attenuate the severity of breakthrough infections? A narrative review and recommendations for further research.

Abstract The effect of influenza vaccination on influenza severity remains uncertain. We reviewed the literature for evidence to inform the question of whether influenza illness is less severe among individuals who received influenza vaccination compared with individuals with influenza illness who were unvaccinated prior to their illnesses. We conducted a narrative review to identify published findings comparing severity of influenza outcomes by vaccination status among community-dwelling adults and children ≥ 6 months of age with laboratory-confirmed influenza illness. When at least four effect estimates of the same type (e.g., odds ratio) were available for a specific outcome and age category (children versus adults), data were pooled with meta-analysis to generate a summary effect estimate. We identified 38 published articles reporting ≥ 1 association between influenza vaccination status and one of 21 indicators of severity of influenza illness among individuals with laboratory-confirmed influenza. Study methodologies and effect estimates were highly heterogenous, with only five severity indicators meeting criteria for calculating a combined effect. Among eight studies, influenza vaccination was associated with 26% reduction in odds of ICU admission among adults with influenza-associated hospitalization (OR = 0.74, 95% CI 0.58, 0.93). Among five studies of adults with influenza-associated hospitalization, vaccinated patients had 31% reduced risk of death compared with unvaccinated patients (OR = 0.69, 95% CI 0.52, 0.92). Among four studies of children with influenza virus infection, vaccination was associated with an estimated 45% reduction in the odds of manifesting fever (OR = 0.55, 95% CI 0.42, 0.71). Vaccination was not significantly associated with receiving a clinical diagnosis of pneumonia among adults hospitalized with influenza (OR = 0.92, 95% CI 0.82, 1.04) or with risk of hospitalization following outpatient influenza illness among adults (OR = 0.60, 95% CI 0.28, 1.28). Overall, our findings support the hypothesis that influenza vaccination may attenuate the course of disease among individuals with breakthrough influenza virus infection.
Engineering in Solidarity: Hybridizing Knowledge Systems in Humanitarian and International Development Work

Abstract Engineers have a unique and powerful role to play in solidarity with communities engaged in environment and resource related struggles. By translating between technocratic-bureaucratic and local-traditional knowledge systems, engineers can mobilize their instrumental-technical expertise to affect moral-political change. Two possible approaches for this include: i) developing technical tools to affect institutional accountability; and ii) mobilizing and translating local-traditional knowledge to hybridize with technocratic-bureaucratic knowledge in a creative process leading to better development alternatives. This vision of development/humanitarian engineering builds on existing currents in the discourse and, in particular, contributes a vision of how institutional failures that prevent the delivery of public goods can be overcome by making institutions more responsive to community needs and perspectives.
Risk of Respiratory Illness Associated with Day-care Attendance: A Nationwide Study

The risk of respiratory and other illnesses in children (age groups: 6 weeks through 17 months, 18 through 35 months, and 36 through 59 months) in various types of day-care facilities was studied. Children considered exposed to day care were those who were enrolled in day care with at least one unrelated child for at least 10 hours per week in each of the 4 weeks before the interview; unexposed children were not enrolled in any regular child care with unrelated children and did not have siblings younger than 5 years of age receiving regular care with unrelated children. Although an increased risk of respiratory illness was associated with attending day care for children in all three age groups, this risk was statistically significant only for children 6 weeks through 17 months of age (odds ratio = 1.6; 95% confidence interval = 1.1 to 2.4) and children 18 through 35 months of age who had no older siblings (odds ratio = 3.4; 95% confidence interval = 2.0 to 6.0). In contrast, day-care attendance was not associated with an increased risk of respiratory illness in children 18 through 35 months of age with older siblings (odds ratio = 1.0). For children aged 6 weeks through 17 months, the exposure to older siblings was associated with an increased risk of respiratory illness; however, for children aged 36 through 59 months, older siblings were protective against respiratory illness. In addition, for the children in each age group currently in day care, increased duration of past exposure to day care was associated with a decreased risk of respiratory illness.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Filarial and Wolbachia genomics

Summary Filarial nematode parasites, the causative agents for a spectrum of acute and chronic diseases including lymphatic filariasis and river blindness, threaten the well-being and livelihood of hundreds of millions of people in the developing regions of the world. The 2007 publication on a draft assembly of the 95-Mb genome of the human filarial parasite Brugia malayi– representing the first helminth parasite genome to be sequenced – has been followed in rapid succession by projects that have resulted in the genome sequencing of six additional filarial species, seven nonfilarial nematode parasites of animals and nearly 30 plant parasitic and free-living species. Parallel to the genomic sequencing, transcriptomic and proteomic projects have facilitated genome annotation, expanded our understanding of stage-associated gene expression and provided a first look at the role of epigenetic regulation of filarial genomes through microRNAs. The expansion in filarial genomics will also provide a significant enrichment in our knowledge of the diversity and variability in the genomes of the endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia leading to a better understanding of the genetic principles that govern filarial–Wolbachia mutualism. The goal here is to provide an overview of the trends and advances in filarial and Wolbachia genomics.
Increasing effective link bandwidth by suppressing replicated data

In the Internet today, transfer rates are often limited by the bandwidth of a bottleneck link rather than the computing power available at the ends of the links. To address this problem, we have utilized inexpensive commodity hardware to design a novel link layer caching and compression scheme that reduces bandwidth consumption. Our scheme is motivated by the prevalence of repeated transfers of the same information, as may occur due to HTTP, FTP, and DNS traffic. Unlike existing link compression schemes, it is able to detect and use the long-range correlation of repeated transfers. It also complements application-level systems that reduce bandwidth usage, e.g., Web caches, by providing additional protection at a lower level, as well as an alternative in situations where application-level cache deployment is not practical or economic. We make three contributions in this paper. First, to motivate our scheme we show by packet trace analysis that there is significant replication of data at the packet level, mainly due to Web traffic. Second, we present an innovative link compression protocol well-suited to traffic with such long-range correlation. Third, we demonstrate by experimentation that the availability of inexpensive memory and general-purpose processors in PCs makes our protocol practical and useful at rates exceeding T3 (45 Mbps).
Diagnosis and treatment of carbon monoxide poisoning

Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is a common occurrence in today's society. Most such poisonings are a direct consequence of inhaling the toxic byproducts of combustion. Exposure to toxic amounts of CO occurs most often during inhalation of automobile exhaust or smoke resulting either from faulty heating systems or industrial accidents. CO poisoning is associated primarily with injury to the brain and the heart because the gas binds to hemoglobin and interferes with these organs' need for a continuous supply of oxygen. Prompt recognition of CO poisoning and treatment of the patient with oxygen are essential to prevent long-term damage and delayed neurologic sequelae.
On the Comparison-Addition Complexity of All-Pairs Shortest Paths

We present an all-pairs shortest path algorithm for arbitrary graphs that performs O(mn log ?) comparison and addition operations, where m and n are the number of edges and vertices, resp., and ? = ? (m, n) is Tarjan's inverse-Ackermann function. Our alorithm e1iminates the sorting bottleneck inherent in approaches based on Dijkstra's alogrithm, and for graphs with O(n) edges Our algorithm is within a tiny O(log ?) factor of optimal. The algorithm can be implemented to run in polynomial time (though it is not a pleasing polynomial). We leave open the problem of providing an efficient implementation.
ROS-Induced CXCR4 Signaling Regulates Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL) Cell Survival and Drug Resistance in the Bone Marrow Microenvironment via Autophagy.

Purpose: Patients with advanced stages of MCL have a poor prognosis after standard therapies. MCL cells in those patients often spread into tissues other than lymph nodes, such as the bone marrow. Apart from directed migration and homing, there is little understanding of the function of the CXCR4/SDF1 signaling axis in MCL. In this report, we aim to understand mechanisms of MCL cell survival in the bone marrow. Experimental Design: For comprehensive analyses of MCL interactions with bone marrow stromal cells we have generated gene knock out cells using CRISPR-CAS9 system and gene knock down cells to reveal novel roles of the CXCR4/SDF-1 signaling. Results: CXCR4 silencing in MCL cells led to a significant reduction in proliferation, cell adhesion to bone marrow stromal cells and colony formation in PHA-LCM methylcellulose medium, which were reversed upon the addition of SDF-1 neutralizing antibodies. In addition, tracking MCL cell engraftment in vivo revealed that quiescent MCL cells are significantly reduced in the bone marrow upon CXCR4 silencing, indicating that CXCR4/SDF-1 signaling is required for the survival and maintenance of the quiescent MCL cells. Further analysis revealed novel mechanisms of ROS induced CXCR4/SDF-1 signaling that stimulate autophagy formation in MCL cells for their survival. Conclusions: Our data, for the first time, revealed new roles of the CXCR/SDF-1 signaling axis on autophagy formation in MCL, which further promoted their survival within the bone marrow microenvironment. Targeting the CXCR4/SDF-1/autophagy signaling axis may contribute to an enhanced efficacy of current therapies.
Trace mineral supplementation in feedlot cattle: Implications for the inflammatory response, growth, and carcass characteristics

Trace minerals are important components of many biological functions, including growth and development, and the immune response. Trace minerals are often supplemented to cattle, but interactions within the rumen and poor bioavailability can lead to decreased trace mineral status. Additionally, stressors such as transit and disease challenges, and perhaps growth-promoting technologies, may alter trace mineral needs, although this relationship has not been investigated. This research was designed to: 1) examine the effect of trace mineral source and concentration on ruminal dry matter digestibility and mineral solubility, 2) determine the effect of trace mineral status on the response to a trace mineral injection in feedlot steers, 3) determine the effect of a trace mineral injection prior to transit, on beef cattle response to transit and growth and carcass characteristics, and 4) investigate the interaction between the βagonist ractopamine hydrochloride and a supplemental Zn-amino acid complex in growth performance of feedlot cattle. It was hypothesized that improvements to trace mineral status through supplementation would improve cattle health and growth performance. After completion of our first objective, it was determined that inorganic (sulfates) trace mineral supplementation decreased ruminal dry matter digestibility, but hydroxylated trace mineral supplementation had no impact on dry matter digestibility, relative to no trace mineral supplementation. Additionally, Mn and Cu from hydroxy sources were less soluble in the rumen, and Cu from hydroxy sources was equally soluble in the abomasum when compared with the sulfate source. Hydroxy trace mineral sources are less soluble in the rumen, which can prevent negative trace mineral and dietary component interactions within the rumen. After completion of our second objective, we determined that steers with mildly deficient trace mineral status experienced greater body weight loss in response
Personal Area Networking with Bluetooth

The availability and adoption of a wide range of mobile computing devices (e.g., laptops, personal digital assistants (PDA s), wearable computers) of varying sizes and processing capabilities, along with the emergence of wireless local-area networks (WLAN s) and wireless personal-area networks (WPAN s), are enabling the ubiquitous access of information anywhere, anytime. These networks are frequently being used as extensions to the Internet, and end users are increasingly exploiting them to access wireless Internet services. One of the emerging short-range wireless networking technologies that shows great promise as an enabling technology in the deployment of WPAN s is the recent industry-standard Bluetooth. In this article, we explore by design, implementation, and experimental performance evaluation, mechanisms and approaches that enable Bluetooth devices to achieve (1) seamless IP connectivity to external IP -based networks, (2) high performance even in the presence of IEEE 802.11 interfering traffic, and (3) efficient support for high-quality audio by exploiting the Audio/Video Distribution Transport Protocol (AVDTP ). We anticipate that our reported experiences and practical results will benefit network designers, developers, and users of Bluetooth technology in WPAN environments. Keywords: Bluetooth; performance; personal area networking; protocol; wireless
Designing a pre-service CS teacher education program with a focus on diversity

This paper describes the foundation of diversity built into our pre-service teacher education program to prepare Computer Science teachers for certification in Texas. This foundation is based upon combining diversity-based curricula for high school CS and a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) teacher education model that has shown remarkable diversity among the STEM teachers it graduates.
Differential Activation of Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases by H2O2 and O2− in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

Increased generation of active oxygen species such as H2O2 and O2- may be important in vascular smooth muscle cell growth associated with atherosclerosis and restenosis. In previous work, we showed that H2O2 stimulated vascular smooth muscle cell growth and proto-oncogene expression. In the present study, we compared the effects of H2O2 and O2- on cultured rat aortic vascular smooth muscle cell growth and signal transduction. O2- was generated in a concentration-dependent manner by the naphthoquinolinedione LY83583. Vascular smooth muscle cell growth, as measured by [3H]thymidine incorporation, was stimulated by 200 mumol/L H2O2 (110% increase versus 0.1% serum) and 1 mumol/L LY83583 (175% increase) to levels comparable to 10 ng/mL platelet-derived growth factor (210% increase). Since activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAP kinase) is one of the earliest growth factor signal events, the activity of MAP kinase was measured by changes in mobility on Western blot and by phosphorylation of myelin basic protein. There was a concentration-dependent increase in MAP kinase activity by LY83583 (maximum, 10 mumol/L) but not by H2O2. The time course for activation of MAP kinase by LY83583 showed a maximum at 5 to 10 minutes with return to baseline by 20 minutes. Activation of MAP kinase by LY83583 was protein kinase C dependent. Expression of MAP kinase phosphatase-1 (MKP-1), a transcriptionally regulated redox-sensitive protein tyrosine/threonine phosphatase, was also measured. Although H2O2 induced MKP-1 mRNA to a greater extent than did LY83583, the increased MKP-1 expression could not explain the inability of H2O2 to stimulate MAP kinase, because mRNA levels were not detected until 60 minutes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Determination of the inferior border of the thecal sac using magnetic resonance imaging: implications on radiation therapy treatment planning

Abstract Purpose: To determine whether the traditional teaching of placing the caudal border of the spinal field at the S2–S3 interspace in children receiving craniospinal irradiation (CSI) is appropriate. Methods and Materials: Twenty-three children had magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the spine with gadolinium prior to craniospinal irradiation at one institution. Thecal sac termination using MRI was determined by drawing a perpendicular line from the point of convergence of dural margins to the corresponding vertebral body. Results: Location of thecal sac termination varied from mid-S1 to low S3 vertebral body, with the most frequent site at the upper S2 vertebral level. Only 2 of 23 (8.7%) children had thecal sac terminations below the S2–S3 interspace. For the nine patients with neuraxis disease, none had thecal sac terminations below the S2–S3 interspace. In seven of the nine patients who had neuraxis seeding at initial presentation, MRI of the spine after CSI was performed and showed that thecal sac termination was lower after radiation therapy in two children, higher in one, and the same in four. Conclusions: In 2 of 23 children (8.7%), placement of the inferior border at the bottom of the S2 vertebral body would have missed the entire thecal sac. Treatment to the entire neuraxis with adequate coverage of distal spinal theca can be achieved by using MRI. Individualized spinal fields using the MRI may help minimize radiation scatter to the gonads while adequately covering the target volume.
Three integrable Hamiltonian systems connected with isospectral deformations

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses three integrable hamiltonian systems connected with isospectral deformations. In recent years, various phenomena have been discovered that are clearly intimately related to integrable Hamiltonian systems yet they have very different origin. There are wave solutions of a nonlinear partial differential equation having a strong stability behavior. Originally these phenomena were brought to light by numerical experiments and later on related to the existence of infinitely many conservation laws that restrict the evolution of the solutions severely. As a Hamiltonian system in an infinite-dimensional function space, with a certain symplectic structure, and the conservation laws as integrals of this system, one can view this as an example of an integrable system of infinitely many degrees of freedom.
Small subunit ribosomal RNA+ of Hexamita inflata and the quest for the first branch in the eukaryotic tree.

Abstract A phylogenetic analysis of the small subunit ribosomal RNA (16S-like rRNA) coding region from Hexamita inflata demonstrates that parasitism alone cannot explain early diverging eukaryotic lineages. Parasitic and free-living diplomonads, as well as trichomonads and microsporidia, diverge at the base of the eukaryotic tree. The relative branching order of diplomonads, trichomonads and microsporidia is influenced by outlying prokaryotic taxa with different G + C compositions in their rRNA coding regions. The high G + C prokaryotes position Giardia lamblia at the base of the eukaryotic tree but split diplomonads into a paraphyletic group. When the outlying groups are restricted to rRNAs with nominal G + C compositions, diplomonads form a monophyletic group that diverged after the microsporidia and trichomonads. This unstable branching pattern correlates with unusual nucleotide compositions in the rRNAs of G. lamblia (75% G + C) and Vairimorpha necatrix (35% G + C). In contrast, the 51% G + C composition of the H. inflata rRNA is typical of other eukaryotic rRNAs. Its divergence after trichomonads is strongly supported by bootstrap replicates in distance analyses that do not include G. lamblia . Because of a low G + C composition in its rRNA coding region, the phylogenetic placement of V. necatrix is uncertain and the identity of the deepest branching eukaryotic lineage is ambiguous.
Child Health and NGOs in Peruvian Provinces

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are widely accepted in developing countries as a crucial organizational asset. They combine entrepreneurship, provision of quasi-government services and donor financing, but their conceptual status is unclear. Are they the organizational embodiments of social capital, generating cohesion and superior performance, or do they expand the competitiveness of the province, contributing to superior performance via political pluralism? This analysis of the relationship of NGOs to three criteria of child health in the provinces of Peru examines that question and concludes that NGOs are best interpreted as actors in provinces that foster political contestation. As such they contribute to the growth of a core dimension of democracy in developing countries and to higher levels of health.
Sensitive Periods for Song Acquisition from Tape Recordings and Live Tutors in the Swamp Sparrow, Melospiza georgiana

Sensitive periods for song acquisition by male swamp sparrows in the first year of life were compared, using two types of training protocol: 1) training with tape-recorded songs and, 2) training by exposure to live singing tutors. Subjects were exposed to a range of tutors and tape recordings on regularly changing schedules. Singing was recorded, and the time of acquisition was determined by the occurrence of imitations of particular models. The results obtained with tape- and live-tutoring were very similar. In both cases most learning occurred prior to 45–55 days of age. Some song acquisition occurred as late as 250–300 days of age.
Effects of oxygenation on ammonia oxidation potential and microbial diversity in sediment from surface-flow wetland mesocosms.

Abstract Addition of oxygen to surface-flow wetland mesocosms treating synthetic secondary effluent resulted in a significant increase in ammonia oxidation potential in sediment compared to non-oxygenated controls. Ammonia oxidation potential in oxygenated wetland sediment (1.2–3.5 mg N g dw−1 d−1) was 2–3 orders of magnitude higher than those measured in sediment and soil systems reported in the literature. Phylogenic analysis of sediment from the two treatments revealed substantial differences in microbial diversity including the presence of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (Nitrosomonas oligotropha) and denitrifying bacteria only in oxygenated sediment, and an increase in the diversity of aerobic phototrophs and methanotrophs in control sediment. These observations supported the contention by Palmer et al. (2009) that oxygenation ‘activated’ nitrifying bacteria in wetland sediment leading to high rates of biological ammonia oxidation.
"The Queen's Twin": Sarah Orne Jewett and Lesbian Symmetry

Do some ideas "survive all changes of time and national vicissitude"? The question belongs to Sarah Orne Jewett (1849-1909), the South Berwick, Maine author whose fictions are spun from communities of widowed women living along the Maine seacoast after the death of the shipping industry in Maine. A regional author ever mindful of differences between individuals, regions, and nations, whose fictional sea-captains know "a hundred ports . . . and could see outside the battle for town clerk here in Dunnet," Jewett nevertheless invents female characters who share uncanny, sexualized, exactly symmetrical understandings between them. This essay explores the concept of symmetry and the corresponding affects living in and around those figurations of lesbian desire. "The Queen9s Twin" is the title of Jewett9s most unusual section in her masterpiece, The Country of the Pointed Firs, and the moniker refers to Mis9 Abby Martin, a Maine woman who is convinced that she and Queen Victoria are twins, despite the ocean between them. Throughout the stages of her life, Abby has tracked the similarities between them, including a shared birth date, marriage to men named Albert, sons named Edward, widowhood, and countless other shared realities. Abby9s passionate interest in Victoria builds as much on the coincidence of their mutual birth and imagined twinship as on the differences in their stations. Abby9s cognizance of their differences occasions the richness of these affective moments.
Recovery of cardiac calcium release is controlled by sarcoplasmic reticulum refilling and ryanodine receptor sensitivity.

Aims In heart cells, the mechanisms underlying refractoriness of the elementary units of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ release, Ca2+ sparks, remain unclear. We investigated local recovery of SR Ca2+ release using experimental measurements and mathematical modelling. Methods and results Repeated Ca2+ sparks were induced from individual clusters of ryanodine receptors (RyRs) in quiescent rat ventricular myocytes, and we examined how changes in RyR gating influenced the time-dependent recovery of Ca2+ spark amplitude and triggering probability. Repeated Ca2+ sparks from individual sites were analysed in the presence of 50 nM ryanodine with: (i) no additional agents (control); (ii) 50 µM caffeine to sensitize RyRs; (iii) 50 µM tetracaine to inhibit RyRs; or (iv) 100 nM isoproterenol to activate β-adrenergic receptors. Sensitization and inhibition of RyR clusters shortened and lengthened, respectively, the median interval between consecutive Ca2+ sparks (caffeine 239 ms; control 280 ms; tetracaine 453 ms). Recovery of Ca2+ spark amplitude, however, was exponential with a time constant of ∼100 ms in all cases. Isoproterenol both accelerated the recovery of Ca2+ spark amplitude (τ = 58 ms) and shortened the median interval between Ca2+ sparks (192 ms). The results were recapitulated by a mathematical model in which SR [Ca2+] depletion terminates Ca2+ sparks, but not by an alternative model based on limited depletion and Ca2+-dependent inactivation of RyRs. Conclusion Together, the results strongly suggest that: (i) local SR refilling controls Ca2+ spark amplitude recovery; (ii) Ca2+ spark triggering depends on both refilling and RyR sensitivity; and (iii) β-adrenergic stimulation influences both processes.
Flipping a Flipped Approach: Online Techniques In-Person

We explore online techniques to augment classroom work in labs. Due to size constraints on lab space and limited faculty resources, the need for running two concurrent labs arose. We chose to video conference into one lab from the other to give each lab section the same experience. By assigning students to a specific lab section, the instructor and the video feed could be alternated weekly to give both sections equal time. The same course, with half the number of students, was also run using a single, live lab. We investigate what, if any, difference in outcomes and student perception resulted between the two course configurations.
Total synthesis of (+)-crocacin C.

Abstract Two approaches toward the total synthesis of cytotoxic polyketide natural product (+)-crocacin C ( 1 ) are described. The first approach, which was ultimately unsuccessful, was replaced altogether with a second that afforded target 1 in 10 linear steps from commercially available Evans’ chiral propionimide (5% overall yield). No protecting groups were utilized in the total synthesis of 1 .
Pathological worry in depressed and anxious patients.

Abstract Anxious apprehension is present in all anxiety disorders and concerns have been raised that worry is not confined to Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). The aims of the present project were three-fold. First, we reexamined whether the level of pathological worry is higher in patients with GAD than other anxiety disorders. Second, we compared worry scores of patients with “pure” GAD, “pure” MDD, and MDD with comorbid GAD. And third, to examine whether worry is specific to psychopathology in general rather than anxiety or depression, we included a control group (psychiatric outpatients without an affective or anxiety disorder). Twelve hundred outpatients were interviewed and completed the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) upon presentation for treatment. Patients with “pure” GAD had the highest scores. Depressed patients were similar to those with anxiety disorders other than GAD, and the control group showed worrying similar to that in general population and nonanxious samples.
Principal-principal conflicts during crisis

This paper explores principal-principal conflicts in corporate governance during times of economic crisis. We address the question: What external and internal governance mechanisms can best protect minority shareholders? Drawing on 877 publicly listed large corporations with concentrated ownership in seven Asian countries and regions, we compare different control structures between family firms and non-family firms during crisis. We find that family firms tend to choose certain control structures associated with potential principal-principal conflicts. However, these choices can be constrained by external and internal governance mechanisms. Specifically, legal institutions and presence of multiple blockholders serve as useful external and internal governance mechanisms, respectively, to constrain potential expropriation of minority shareholders.
THE EFFECTS OF LIGHT ON RESPIRATION USING ISOTOPICALLY ENRICHED OXYGEN

THIS PAPER describes respiratory measurements on illuminated plants using a recording mass spectrometer and employing isotopically enriched oxygen to permit the kinetic separation of oxygen intake from oxygen production. This method of measuring respiration, while simple in principle, is somewhat more elaborate than the usual manometric procedures but is necessary to obtain reliable information on the respiratory rate of photosynthesizing plant cells. Photosynthesis and respiration involve an exchange of the same gases, oxygen and carbon dioxide. By the usual methods of measuring these processes in photo-autotrophic organisms, only net gas exchanges are observable. To evaluate correctly the rate of photosynthesis from measurements made in the light, a correction must be applied for respiratory metabolism. Some physiologists, recognizing the ambiguity of photosynthetic measurements, attempt no such correction and deal only with rates of "apparent photosynthesis." For certain problems (viz., in ecology) this may be sufficient or even preferable. Nevertheless for the solution of other interesting and fundamental problems, reliable evaluations of "true" or "corrected" photosynthetic rates are required. For example, a specific problem of considerable interest at present is the determination of the minimal quantum requirement of photosynthesis. This determination requires that a suitable respiratory correction be applied to gas exchange measurements made in the light. The current lack of consensus among investigators of the problem is due in part to disagreement about the manner in which the respiratory correction can best be evaluated. There is an extensive literature concerning the influence of light on respiration of both photosynthetic and nonphotosynthetic organisms. Photoeffects on the respiration of non-chlorophyllous plant and animal cells are usually not observed although upon illumination certain photooxidations
Sufficiently informative functions and the minimax feedback control of uncertain dynamic systems

The problem of optimal feedback control of uncertain discrete-time dynamic systems is considered where the uncertain quantities do not have a stochastic description but instead are known to belong to given sets. The problem is converted to a sequential minimax problem and dynamic programming is suggested as a general method for its solution. The notion of a sufficiently informative function, which parallels the notion of a sufficient statistic of stochastic optimal control, is introduced, and conditions under which the optimal controller decomposes into an estimator and an actuator are identified. A limited class of problems for which this decomposition simplifies the computation and implementation of the optimal controller is delineated.
SATURATION OF DNA REPAIR IN MAMMALIAN CELLS

—Excision repair seems to reach a plateau in normal human cells at a 254 nm dose near 20J/m2. We measured excision repair in normal human fibroblasts up to 80J/m2. The four techniques used (unscheduled DNA synthesis, photolysis of BrdUrd incorporated during repair, loss of sites sensitive to a UV endonuclease from Micrococcus luteus, and loss of pyrimidine dimers from DNA) showed little difference between the two doses. Moreover, the loss of endonuclease sites in 24 h following two 20J/m2 doses separated by 24 h was similar to the loss observed following one dose. Hence, we concluded that the observed plateau in excision repair is real and does not represent some inhibitory process at high doses but a true saturation of one of the, rate limiting steps in repair.
Periodic benzodiazepine antagonist administration prevents benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms in primates.

Daily administration of diazepam (1.5 or 6 mg/kg) in Rhesus monkeys results in the progressive development of physical dependence, as evidenced by Ro15-1788 (5 mg/kg i.m.) precipitated withdrawal symptoms including retching, vomiting, face and limb tremors. Every third day administration of the benzodiazepine antagonist, Ro15-1788, during a similar period of continuous diazepam exposure, significantly decreases withdrawal behaviors. During the course of diazepam exposure (with or without periodic Ro15-1788 administration) effects of chronic diazepam on spontaneously elicited sedative and active behaviors were not altered. It is postulated that physical dependence reverts to a drug naive state after each exposure to the benzodiazepine antagonist. This treatment may represent a possible therapeutic approach for preventing the (time dependent) development of physical dependence and the accompanying severe withdrawal symptoms.
Saltwater spray as an agent of natural selection: no evidence of local adaptation within a coastal population of Triplasis purpurea (Poaceae)

An ability to tolerate airborne saltwater spray is critical for plant populations in coastal environments. The opportunity for continued microevolution for improved salt tolerance can exist if there is variation in the response of genetic families to saltwater spray. Our objective was to determine whether or not there was differentiation among subpopulations near (15 m) and far (80 m) from shore and among families within subpopulations in relation to the effects of salt spray on life history traits in a population of the dunegrass Triplasis purpurea. In this annual, most seeds are matured in cleistogamous spikelets on axillary, leaf-sheath enclosed panicles and show poor dispersal capacity. Plants were reared in the greenhouse from seeds of 13 and 11 families from the near and far subpopulations, respectively. Fifty percent of plants in a family were subjected to 6 seawater sprays/wk, resulting in weekly salt deposition of 213 mg/cm2; the others were sprayed with distilled water. Data were recorded on life span, tiller numbers, root and shoot dry mass, and seed production. There was no effect of subpopulation on any measured trait and, hence, no evidence for local adaptation to salt spray. Final tiller numbers, but not dry mass or seed production, were reduced by salt spray. However, for most traits there were significant family (within subpopulation) effects, indicating genetic substructuring. Life span and mean seed mass showed a significant family by treatment interaction, indicating genetic variation in phenotypic responses to salt spray. Life span and mean seed mass were reduced by salt spray in some, but not all, families. Path analysis revealed that an increase in life span or tiller number indirectly increased seed production via direct effects on vegetative mass. For this relatively salt-tolerant T. purpurea population on the south shore of Staten Island, New York, USA, salt sprays may not be a significant agent of natural selection. However, there are pronounced phenotypic differences among inbred family groups and opportunity for genetic substructuring within these subpopulations. Variable effects of salt spray among families could result in microevolutionary changes in life span and mean seed mass, both of which impact annual fitness in this dunegrass.
Schizosaccharomyces pombe replication and repair proteins: proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA).

Abstract Schizosaccharomyces pombe has a cell cycle progression with distinctive phases that serves as a perfect model system for investigating DNA replication and repair of eukaryotic cells. Here, we use proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) of S. pombe to demonstrate how the function of this protein in both DNA replication and repair can be assessed by genetic and biochemical approaches. We describe a method of introducing site-specific mutations into the fission yeast PCNA gene pcn1+. The in vivo effects of these pcn1 mutants in a strain with a null pcn1 background are described and their in vitro biochemical properties are characterized. Mutants described here are those that are defective in enhancing processivity of DNA polymerase δ, show temperature-sensitive growth, and have increased sensitivity to hydroxyurea (HU), UV and γ irradiation, and methyl methanesulfonate (MMS). Three mutants that show reduced growth rate in vivo and decreased capacity to enhance polymerase δ DNA synthetic activity and processivity in vitro—pcn1-1, pcn1-5, and pcn1-26—are described as examples of using a genetic approach to identify the biochemical function of replication proteins. One cold-sensitive growth allele, pcn1-3, that has a recessive cold-sensitive cdc phenotype and shows sensitivity to HU and UV and γ irradiation is used as an example of using the genetic approach to reveal the function of replication proteins in repair. The power of combining both biochemical and genetic disciplines is emphasized. Methods for site-directed mutagenesis, in vitro analysis of mutant proteins, and in vivo characterization of mutants in response to UV or γ irradiation, MMS, HU, and temperature, as well as genetic epistasis are described. Locations of functionally significant residues on the PCNA tertiary structure are summarized.
Chlorine uptake by chicken frankfurters immersed in chlorinated water

Chicken frankfurters, with and without the processing casing wrapped on the outside, were immersed in water containing 1.1–11.3 mM hypochlorite for 1, 4 and 24 hr. Casing retarded but did not prevent chlorine uptake which increased with increasing hypochlorite concentration of immersion solution and with increasing immersion time. For frankfurters with casing, the uptake of chlorine by a 45g frankfurter immersed for 1 hr in 2.8 or 11.3 mM hypochlorite solutions was 18 μmoles and 72 μmoles, respectively. Immersed for 24 hr, the uptake was 99 μmoles and 268 μmoles, respectively. The rate of chlorine uptake increased with concentration of chlorine in water but decreased rapidly with time.
The effects of lossy compression on the detection of subtle pulmonary nodules.

We examined the ability of radiologists to detect pulmonary nodules in computed radiographic(CR) chest images subjected to lossy image compression. Low‐contrast 1‐cm diameter targets simulating noncalcified pulmonary nodules were introduced into clinical images and presented to ten radiologists in a series of two‐alternative forced‐choice (2AFC) observer experiments. The percentages of correct observer responses obtained while viewing noncompressed images (1:1) were compared with those obtained for the same images compressed 7:1, 16:1, 44:1, and 127:1. The images were compressed using a standard full‐frame discrete cosine transform (DCT) technique. The degree of compression was determined by quantizing Fourier components in various frequency channels and then Huffman encoding the result. The data show a measurable decline in performance for each compression ratio. Through signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) analysis, we found that the reduction in performance was due primarily to the compression algorithm that increased image noise in the frequency channels of the signals to be detected.
Note on cosmic censorship

A number of recent theorems by Krolak and Newman purport to prove cosmic censorship by showing that “strong curvature” singularities must be hidden behind horizons. I prove that Newman's “null, strong curvature” condition, which he imposes on certain classes of null geodesics to restrict curvature growth in the space-time, does not hold in many physically realistic space-times: it is not satisfied by any null geodesic in the relevant class in any open Friedmann cosmological model, nor does it hold for any null geodesic in the relevant class in maximal Schwarzschild space. More generally, I argue that the singularity predicted by the Penrose singularity theorem is unlikely to be of the type eliminated by Newman. Thus the Newman theorems are probably without physical significance. The Krolak theorems, although based on a physically significant definition of strong curvature singularity, are mathematically invalid, and his approach cannot be used to obtain a cosmic censorship theorem.
Synthesis and electrochemical investigation of a series of iron(II) complexes with bidentate, tridentate and hexadentate ligands

Abstract Iron(II) complexes of a bidentate, a hexadentate and a series of tridentate ligands have been prepared and characterized. Electrochemical properties have shown that of the tridentate ligands, those capable of dπ-pπ bonding between the pyridyl rings and central ligand atom can stabilize formal low oxidation states (I,O, −I) of the metal. A bidentate ligand, 2-(2-pyridyl) imidazole although resembling 2,2′-bipyridine in structure, does not stabilize any low oxidation states and its iron(II) complex is reduced irreversibly to iron(O). The iron(II) complex of a hexadentate ligand, tetra(2-picolyl)ethylenediamine, is reduced in two, one electron steps to yield formal Fe(I) and Fe(O) oxidation states. However, both of these reductions are totally irreversible at a Pt and HMDE electrode.