cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pathophysiology of COVID-19: Everywhere You Look You Will See ACE 2 !

Angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) seems to be a central actor in the pathophysiology of SARS-Cov-2 infection. First, it acts as the receptor for the virus and permits its attachment to cells expressing ACE2. Second, the relative deficiency of ACE2 during infection could be linked to several clinical features encountered during the disease, like ARDS and coagulation abnormalities. This study explores the strong link between ACE2 and the majority of risk factors for the severe evolution of COVID-19. It seems that all these risks factors are linked to an increased level of ACE2 and/or imbalance in ACE/ACE2.
Fully Flexible Docking of Medium Sized Ligand Libraries with RosettaLigand

RosettaLigand has been successfully used to predict binding poses in protein-small molecule complexes. However, the RosettaLigand docking protocol is comparatively slow in identifying an initial starting pose for the small molecule (ligand) making it unfeasible for use in virtual High Throughput Screening (vHTS). To overcome this limitation, we developed a new sampling approach for placing the ligand in the protein binding site during the initial ‘low-resolution’ docking step. It combines the translational and rotational adjustments to the ligand pose in a single transformation step. The new algorithm is both more accurate and more time-efficient. The docking success rate is improved by 10–15% in a benchmark set of 43 protein/ligand complexes, reducing the number of models that typically need to be generated from 1000 to 150. The average time to generate a model is reduced from 50 seconds to 10 seconds. As a result we observe an effective 30-fold speed increase, making RosettaLigand appropriate for docking medium sized ligand libraries. We demonstrate that this improved initial placement of the ligand is critical for successful prediction of an accurate binding position in the ‘high-resolution’ full atom refinement step.
Gap-minimizing prices and quadratic core convergence: A correction

The purpose of this note is to correct an error in Theorem 3.4 of Anderson (1987) whose notation and assumptions we adopt. That theorem, while fairly technical in its statement, plays a significant role in Anderson (1986, 1988), Geller (1987) and Kim (1986). The error occurs in the last line of the last full paragraph of page 9, where it is asserted that ii(a) Eg(a) for all UES u {a i,. . .,a,). In fact, it only follows that &a)~cong(a). When this is taken into account, a constant in the statement of Theorem 3.4 must be multiplied by a factor of ,/%
General Structure of Time-Optimal Control of Robotic Manipulators Moving Along Prescribed Paths

This paper addresses the structure of time-optimal control of robotic manipulators along a specified geometric path subject to constraints on control torques Both regular and singular (where one or more effective inertia components are zero on any finite time interval) cases are studied by using the Extended Pontryagin's Minimum Principle (EPMP) and a parameterization method. It is shown that the structure of the time-optimal control law requires either (a) one and only one control torque be always in saturation in every finite time interval along its optimal trajectory, while the rest of them adjust thier values so that the motion of the robot is guaranteed along the constrained path, or (b) at least one of the actuators takes on its extremal values. The first form of the control law dominates the robot motion along the optimal trajectory though the second form may exist. The theoretical results are verified by various existing numerical examples.
Probiotics for Clostridium difficile infection in adults (PICO): Study protocol for a double-blind, randomized controlled trial

Abstract Background Clostridium difficile is a pathogen of rapidly increasing public health importance. An estimated quarter of a million Clostridium difficile infections (CDI) occur in the United States annually, at a resultant cost of 14,000 deaths and 1 billion dollars. Clostridium difficile related deaths have risen 400% over the last decade, and current standard antibiotic treatments are only 75 to 85% successful. Besides increasing the risk of antibiotic resistance and side effects, these treatments are very expensive. The most vulnerable population for Clostridium difficile is older adults, who make up approximately half of the cases, but account for 90% of the related deaths. Probiotics may have potential as adjunctive therapeutic agents for CDIs, however, current data is limited. Methods This pilot study is a single-site, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, phase two clinical trial. The trial primarily evaluates the effect of four weeks of probiotic therapy in addition to standard of care on Clostridium difficile diarrhea duration and recurrence. Secondary outcomes include effect on fecal cytokines, fecal lactoferrin, and Clostridium difficile toxin density in stool, as well as patient functional status. Discussion This pilot study will determine the feasibility and effect size to conduct larger randomized controlled trials of probiotic interventions in patients with CDI, to determine the impact of probiotics on the symptoms of CDI. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01680874
OFDM and its application to 4G

Summary form only given. Orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) is a bandwidth-efficient signaling scheme for wideband digital communications. The main difference between frequency division multiplexing (FDM) and OFDM is that in OFDM, the spectrum of the individual carriers mutually overlap. Nevertheless, the OFDM carriers exhibit orthogonality on a symbol interval if they are spaced in frequency exactly at the reciprocal of the symbol interval, which can be accomplished by utilizing the discrete Fourier transform (DFT). With the development of modern digital signal processing technology, OFDM has become practical to implement and has been proposed as an efficient modulation scheme for applications ranging from modems, digital audio broadcast, to next-generation high-speed wireless data communications. For example, the high-speed wireless LAN standard IEEE 802.11a is based on OFDM. We discuss receiver design for OFDM systems signaling through unknown frequency-selective fading channels. In particular, we focus on the design of turbo receivers in a number of OFDM systems, including an OFDM system with frequency offset, a space-time block coded OFDM system, and a space-time coded OFDM system based on low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes.
Analysis of pseudorabies virus glycoprotein gIII localization and modification by using novel infectious viral mutants carrying unique EcoRI sites.

Abstract We have constructed two pseudorabies virus (PRV) mutants, each with a unique EcoRI restriction site in the nonessential gIII envelope glycoprotein gene. Since no natural PRV isolate has been reported to contain EcoRI sites, the isolation and single-step growth curve analysis of these mutants established that PRV can carry such a site with little ill effect in tissue culture. Virus carrying these defined mutations produced novel gIII proteins that enabled us to begin functional assignment of protein localization information within the gIII gene. Specifically, one viral mutant contained an in-frame synthetic EcoRI linker sequence that was flanked on one side by the first one-third of the gIII gene and on the other side by the last one-third of the gene. The resulting protein lacked the middle one-third of the parental species, including five of eight putative N-linked glycosylation signals, but was still glycosylated and found in enveloped virions; it was not secreted into the medium. A second viral mutant contained an in-frame synthetic EcoRI linker sequence that additionally specified a nonsense codon at position 158, producing a gIII protein that was glycosylated and secreted into the medium; the fragment was not found in enveloped virions. By endoglycosidase and pulse-chase analyses, we established a precursor-product relationship between the various forms of gIII expressed in the parental and mutant strains, and perhaps determined certain features of the gIII protein that are required for its efficient export within the cell.
Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis on the SJL Mouse: Effect of γδ T Cell Depletion on Chemokine and Chemokine Receptor Expression in the Central Nervous System

Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that is a model for multiple sclerosis. Previously, we showed that depletion of γδ T cells significantly reduced clinical and pathological signs of disease, which was associated with reduced expression of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and lymphotoxin at disease onset and a more persistent reduction in IFN-γ. In this study, we analyzed the effect of γδ T cell depletion on chemokine and chemokine receptor expression. In the CNS of control EAE mice, mRNAs for RANTES, eotaxin, macrophage-inflammatory protein (MIP)-1α, MIP-1β, MIP-2, inducible protein-10, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 were detected at disease onset, increased as disease progressed, and fell as clinical signs improved. In γδ T cell-depleted animals, all of the chemokine mRNAs were reduced at disease onset; but at the height of disease, expression was variable and showed no differences from control animals. mRNA levels then fell in parallel with control EAE mice. ELISA data confirmed reduced expression of MIP-1α and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 at disease onset in γδ T cell-depleted mice, and total T cell numbers were also reduced. In normal CNS mRNAs for CCR1, CCR3, and CCR5 were observed, and these were elevated in EAE animals. mRNAs for CCR2 were also detected in the CNS of affected mice. Depletion of γδ T cells reduced expression of CCR1 and CCR5 at disease onset only. We conclude that γδ T cells contribute to the development of EAE by promoting an inflammatory environment that serves to accelerate the inflammatory process in the CNS.
Unincorporated iron pool is linked to oxidative stress and iron levels in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Free radicals or reactive oxygen species (ROS) are relatively short-lived and are difficult to measure directly; so indirect methods have been explored for measuring these transient species. One technique that has been developed using Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae systems, relies on a connection between elevated superoxide levels and the build-up of a high-spin form of iron (Fe(III)) that is detectable by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy at g = 4.3. This form of iron is referred to as “free” iron. EPR signals at g = 4.3 are commonly encountered in biological samples owing to mononuclear high-spin (S = 5/2) Fe(III) ions in sites of low symmetry. Unincorporated iron in this study refers to this high-spin Fe(III) that is captured by desferrioxamine which is detected by EPR at g value of 4.3. Previously, we published an adaptation of Fe(III) EPR methodology that was developed for Caenorhabditis elegans, a multi-cellular organism. In the current study, we have systematically characterized various factors that modulate this unincorporated iron pool. Our results demonstrate that the unincorporated iron as monitored by Fe(III) EPR at g = 4.3 increased under conditions that were known to elevate steady-state ROS levels in vivo, including: paraquat treatment, hydrogen peroxide exposure, heat shock treatment, or exposure to higher growth temperature. Besides the exogenous inducers of oxidative stress, physiological aging, which is associated with elevated ROS and ROS-mediated macromolecular damage, also caused a build-up of this iron. In addition, increased iron availability increased the unincorporated iron pool as well as generalized oxidative stress. Overall, unincorporated iron increased under conditions of oxidative stress with no change in total iron levels. However, when total iron levels increased in vivo, an increase in both the pool of unincorporated iron and oxidative stress was observed suggesting that the status of the unincorporated iron pool is linked to oxidative stress and iron levels.
THE INFLUENCE OF THE STEERING SYSTEM ON THE DIRECTIONAL RESPONSE TO STEERING

SUMMARY Analysis and experiment both demonstrate that, in response to a sinusoidal displacement of the handwheel, the steer able roadwheels lead the motion of the handwheel at frequencies below 2 Hz. In addition, the roadwheel displacement, relative to its steady-state (i.e., zero-frequency) value, is amplified at frequencies below 2 Hz. By carefully examining the transfer function which relates the roadwheel response to handwheel displacement, it can be shown that the indicated phase lead and amplification phenomenon derives from two causes: (1) both the inertia and the damping of the roadwheel mass are essentially negligible with respect to the mass of the vehicle and other sources of damping moments; (2) the zeros of the applicable transfer function reflect the undamped natural frequency and damping ratio associated with the directional response to roadwheel displacement, whereas the poles reflect the higher undamped natural frequency and smaller damping ratio associated with the directional response o...
Residential Irrigation Water Use in the Central Piedmont of North Carolina. I: Measured Use and Water Requirements

AbstractIrrigation is the most common and standard practice for maintaining turfgrass and landscape plants in residential settings. The main objective of this study was to quantify the residential irrigation water use in Cary, North Carolina. A subobjective was to develop distributions of monthly reference evapotranspiration (ETo) and gross irrigation requirements (GIRs) for the area using long-term weather data. As part of the subobjective, an investigation was performed to compare daily measured solar radiation with two empirical methods of estimating solar radiation (Rs). The goal of this investigation was to determine the relative accuracy of these methods and to evaluate the impact of using Rs estimates in the computation of ETo and GIR for the Raleigh-Durham area, where Cary is located. Irrigation water use data from 2005 to 2007 for 120 randomly sampled residences were evaluated. The average lawn area of the sampled residences was 713 m2. None of the sampled households used drip irrigation. A nega...
A Concept of Pest Risk Analysis

A pest risk analysis curve on a graph is used to present diagramatically 1) the concept of pest risk analysis, and 2) the interaction of biological, economical, social, and political factors with quarantine policies, regulations, or decisions. The culmination of these regulatory activities often leads to a decision about the entry status of a wide spectrum of imported “items”. While the concept pertains to animal as well as plant quarantine matters, this paper concentrates on plant quarantine. Most of the examples presented relate specifically to the pest risk associated with importing plants or plant parts for propagation. Some of the examples presented have wide application in international quarantine circles while others relate only to the United States. The method of illustrating pest risk analysis as a curve should be useful in effectively communicating quarantine philosophy, principles, policies, and decisions not only to the commercial, lay, and scientific public, but to plant quarantine officers. For within–house quarantine activities, the diagrams may be useful in training, explaining assignments or responsibilities to officers, determining priorities or planning budgets, and as a means for emphasizing the biological aspects of decisions about entry status of imported items.
Diagnosing the Correct Site of Obstruction in Newly Diagnosed Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Hypothesis Upper airway evaluation identifies the correct site of obstruction in newly diagnosed obstructive sleep apnea.
A mathematical model for structure-function relations in hemoglobin.

Abstract A mathematical model is presented for utilizing the structural features of hemoglobin to determine its functional properties. A formulation containing the essential features of the Perutz mechanism is outlined; i.e. there are two quaternary conformations of the tetramer, two tertiary structures for each chain, and coupling terms arising from the interchain salt bridges. A diagrammatic representation is used to determine the contributions of individual structures to a generating function from which the equilibrium properties are obtained. It is shown that the model parameters have well-defined physical significance which determines their range of possible values. Consideration is given to the effect on the oxygenation curves of pH, 2,3-diphosphoglycerate, ionic strength and dissociation. Various modified, mutant and mixed-state hemoglobins are discussed. Limitations of the model found by comparison with the available data are described and the need for additional experiments is pointed out. Possible modifications and extensions of the model are suggested and it is indicated how to alter the specific assumptions within the general thermodynamic scheme to conform to new structural or functional information.
Are safety and environmental performance standards optimal regulatory instruments

In safety and environmental regulation, economists have preached the virtues of performance standards as opposed to equipment specification as the proper instruments of control. This prescription is made in the context of actual situations where the firm's product safety or environmental impact is regulated, but its product market is unregulated. We show that when the firm's unregulated output market has some imperfection and when output marginal production costs are not independent of safety or abatement inputs, the use of performance standards is generally not optimal.
Ruptured Sinus of Valsalva Aneurysm: Diagnosis by Echocardiography

Fluttering of the right side of the interventricular septum noted on M-mode echocardiography in association with a bulging of the right sinus of Valsalva detected by two-dimensional echocardiography were present in a patient. These two echocardiographic findings should alert the clinician to a diagnosis of a ruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysm.
The Rules of the Game

International systems have historically come in two forms: those based on the balance of power and those of a revolutionary nature, including systems organized around bipolar competition. Hoffmann finds the world order of 1987 to contain both these systems and judges it both ambiguous and original. While the tension of these extremes can make the world appear “anarchical,” there are certain agreed upon rules by which the superpowers interact. These rules ultimately preserve order by embracing competition between the United States and the Soviet Union; superpower confrontation is prevented by each nation holding to their own ideals and sovereignty while embracing nuclear deterrence. Having revealed the rules of the superpower game, Hoffmann then subjects them to ethical judgment. Despite the historic duration of peace between superpowers that seems to have been sustained by these rules, Hoffmann finds them both ethically flawed and ultimately unstable. Turning to a brief consideration of United States foreign policy, he points to particular moral difficulties in U.S. stances and urges the development of superpower rules that are effective and ethical.
Economic distribution distance for cogenerated district heating and cooling

Abstract There has been considerable recent interest in the U.S. concerning district heating and cooling for urban redevelopment, especially including cogeneration and incineration of refuse. We consider several options incorporating cooling, cogeneration and refuse incineration alternatives in a modular design concept. A life-cycle economic analysis is used to evaluate each alternative technology including selection of the optimum choice of cooling and cogeneration modes and to determine the justifiable distribution cost and distance. Viable technologies and sites may then be assessed by comparing justifiable and required distribution distances per unit heating capacity. An example is presented evaluating natural gas and refuse fuels, thermal and electric refrigeration for cooling, and steam turbine, gas turbine and diesel cogeneration for twelve sites in the City of Chicago. The analysis is useful for screening and evaluating both technologies and sites prior to more detailed case study.
Counting processes in human timing

A subject reproducing a long duration, t, may time out either a single interval of duration t or a succession of n intervals, each of duration t/n. It is shown that a class of timing models obeying Weber’s law predicts the variance of reproductions of t to be a decreasing function of the number of subdivisions, n. In contrast, a second class of proportional variance models, which includes Creelman’s pulse counter model (1962), predicts no change in the variance as a function of n. Data are presented from a duration reproduction experiment in which subjects counted silently at a specified rate up to a given number and then responded. Several statistics involving the variance of the reproduced durations are shown to be predicted significantly better by the Weber’s law class of models than by the proportional variance class of models.
Test for a possible variation of Newton's constant

The assumption that Newton's constant G varies with the gravitational potential V according to the relation G = GO1 + aV − VOc2 has been considered by many authors; here a is a dimensionless constant of the order of unity. If one could land a spacecraft gently on Phobos, the analysis of the Doppler tracking data could yield the motion of the barycenter with an accuracy sufficient for a test of this relation. Alternatively, a test could perhaps be carried out with an Earth satellite.
Molecular motion and transitions in solid tripalmitin measured by deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance

Deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) quadrupole echo spectra of deuterated acyl chains and the glyceryl moiety of tripalmitin were found to depend on the crystal form. At 20°C, which is below melting points, line shapes indicate that molecular motions in theβ form (triclinic subcell) are more restricted than inβ′ (orthorhombic) orα (hexagonal). Motional rates in excess of about 20 kHz are responsible for the line shapes. Spin-lattice relaxation, sensitive to motional frequencies in the tens of megahertz range, is much faster for methyl (CD2) groups inα orβ′ than inβ, indicating that fast motions are also governed by crystal form. General theoretical considerations suggest that motion of methylene groups is dynamically heterogeneous and that motion of methyl (CD3) groups may be averaged by motions other than rotation about the terminal C-C bond. The isothermal solid-state transition fromα toβ, induced by increasing the temperature to 35°C, was accompanied by NMR lineshape changes consistent with immobilization. The reversible transition ofα to “sub-α” upon cooling, accompanied by orthorhombic-like Bragg spacings and other changes in the X-ray pattern and by corresponding changes in the infrared spectrum, also produced a marked restriction in NMR-detected mobility of the kind seen inβ′ relative toα. The advantages of2H NMR for studies of motions and transitions in solid glycerides are discussed.
SiGe Epilayer Stress Relaxation: Quantitative Relationships Between Evolution of Surface Morphology and Misfit Dislocation Arrays

Stress relaxation mechanisms have been investigated during growth of SiGe/Si heterostructures in a regime where misfit dislocations and surface morphological evolution strongly interact. Stress evolution was measured in real time using in situ wafer curvature measurements during molecular beam epitaxy of Ge0.3Si0.7 on Si (001). This real-time data has been combined with detailed analysis of the evolving surface morphology and misfit dislocation density using atomic force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Several distinct stages of microstructural evolution were observed during epitaxial growth of Ge0.3Si0.7alloys at intermediate temperatures (550°C) and relatively high deposition rate (0.9 A/s). Initial planar, coherent growth was followed by pyramidal pit formation in the metastable wetting layer for 15nm thick films. Subsequent cooperative nucleation of island ridges occurs along directions surrounding the pits. Dislocations are next introduced into the film abruptly at 50nm film thickness and relieve 40% of the film stress by 100nm of growth. Cross-hatch features aligned along the directions accompany the introduction of misfit dislocations. As the dislocation density increases in the film, the coherent island/pit structures begin to disappear and the film morphology is dominated by the evolving cross-hatch. Implications for competitive and/or correlated relaxation of strain by misfit dislocations and surface morphology based upon this data will be discussed. This work demonstrates that combining real-time stress measurements with microscopy enables mechanistic and quantitative understanding of coupled relaxation modes in strained layer heteroepitaxy.
Comparative Validity of the Shedler and Westen Assessment Procedure-200

A predominant dimensional model of general personality structure is the five-factor model (FFM). Quite a number of alternative instruments have been developed to assess the domains of the FFM. The current study compares the validity of 2 alternative versions of the Shedler and Westen Assessment Procedure (SWAP-200) FFM scales, 1 that was developed on the basis of items identified by J. Shedler and D. Westen (2004) and 1 that used items identified by R. R. McCrae, C. E. Lokenhoff, and P. T. Costa (2005). The comparative validity of both measures was examined in a sample of persons who evidenced personality-related problems in living (N = 94). The McCrae et al. Neuroticism, Agreeableness, and Openness scales were superior to their respective Shedler and Westen scales. Both research teams developed comparably valid Extraversion and Conscientiousness scales. Implications of the results for future SWAP-200 research are discussed.
Reforming Education toward the Global Century

During the 1990s, we will observe continuing trends of increased “interconnectedness” among regions, nations, and people. These trends will generate dynamic forces leading the human race to a global society. The coming twenty-first century may well be termed as “the global century”. A successful transformation towards the global century, however, will require a new leadership and democratic process. Institutions of higher education will play a crucial role in this transformation.In this paper the author proposes reform strategies for higher education to meet the new challenge of the global century. To be more specific, the following three items are examined. First, major trends toward the global century are highlighted. Second, the current situation of educational institutions is described. Third, with the above analyses, strategies of reform are discussed. Five key ideas in this paper are: (1) the global integration of knowledge and practice, (2) the development of long-term strategies at the levels of u...
Impact of emergency medicine faculty and an airway protocol on airway management.

OBJECTIVE To determine the impact of emergency medicine (EM) faculty presence and an airway management protocol on success rates of tracheal intubation in the emergency department (ED). METHODS A retrospective observational study of prospectively collected data on rates of successful intubations between June 1997 and December 2001 in the ED of a large urban teaching hospital. The authors compared success rates of the first attempt at intubation and times to intubation prior to and after EM faculty presence and the institution of an airway management protocol. RESULTS Prior to EM faculty presence and the airway management protocol, tracheal intubation was achieved on the first attempt 46% of the time; more than six attempts were required 2.9% of the time. The mean time to intubation was 9.2 minutes (+/-13.2 SD). Following EM faculty presence and the airway protocol, the success rate on the first attempt was 62%, more than six attempts were required 1.1% of the time, and the mean time to intubation was 4.6 minutes (+/-6.2 SD). CONCLUSIONS First-attempt intubation success rates and decreased mean time to successful intubation improved following EM faculty presence and the introduction of an airway management protocol.
The Framingham offspring study. Design and preliminary data

Abstract The Framingham Heart Study included 1644 spouse pairs as part of the original cohort. The new Framingham Offspring Study consists of examination of the offspring of these matings. Over 5000 offspring and their spouses have been identified and invited to an examination at the Framingham Heart Study facilities. Approximately 82% of the offspring still live in the New England area. Response rates for those living in New England are currently about 80%. Due to vigorous efforts to contact offspring who have moved from New England, it is estimated that over 20% of this group will also be examined. Comparison of age-specific means for the original cohort in 1950 and the offspring in 1972 show apparent reductions in blood pressure, serum cholesterol, and cigarette smoking in the offspring. In contrast, height in men and women and relative weight in men show significant increases in the offspring. Methodologic differences may account for certain of these changes, but it is possible that the observed reduction in the major CHD risk factors may result from generally increased health awareness in this sample or the institution of primary prevention measures.
Marginality as a Societal Position of Religion

Inherent in religion is an ironic tension between a predisposition, developed in early life, to see ultimate reality as nurturing, and an adult shared doubt about the claims of this world. This feature of religion leads to its flourishing in marginality and stagnating in an established condition. This conceptualization of religion is applied to the contemporary world, which features such macro institutions as big business and big government and such micro institutions as the family, the local school, and religion The paper endeavors to create a synthetic framework for the sociology of contemporary religion that creates a general depiction out of numerous kinds of inquiry conducted at present in the field
Gene flow estimates implicate selection as a cause of scale insect population structure

Genetic structuring in a natural population requires either: (a) a sedentary habit permitting demic sub-units of small effective population size to differentiate under the influence of random drift; or (b) locally variable selection of sufficient intensity to override the homogenising effects of gene flow. Wright (1931) showed that drift cannot sustain local differentiation if Nm > 1/2 (where N is the effective population size, m is the migration rate, and thus Nm is the number of migrants exchanged per generation) in an island model of a diploid population. Empirical evidence that gene flow between demes in a structured population exceeds this level would favour selection rather than drift as a more likely cause of differentiation. Because direct estimates of migration are so difficult, several indirect techniques have been proposed for measuring Nm in natural populations (Slatkin, 1985a). Slatkin and Barton (1989) tested three of these methods in a simulation study, and identified two that produce accurate estimates when only a small number of demes has been sampled. One method is based on the frequencies of 'private alleles', which appear in a single deme sample (Slatkin 1980; 1981; 1985b). This approach rests on the intuitively simple observation that the frequencies of private alleles should be inversely proportional to gene flow; the probability that an allele will pass between demes and lose its private status increases with both its frequency and the number of migrant exchanges. The second method is based on an inverse relationship that Wright demonstrated (1951) between Nm and his FST statistic (which is a measure of between-deme differentiation). Black pineleaf scale insects (Nuculaspis californica, Coleman) are sedentary herbivores that feed on the foliage of ponderosa pines (Pinus ponderosa, Lawson). Alstad and Corbin (1990) reported an aliozyme survey that was designed to determine whether scale populations were subdivided into demes associated with individual host trees. Five twig samples were collected from each of 13 neighbouring pines, and hierarchical F-statistics demonstrated significant differentiation both within and between trees. In this note, we use the private allele and FST techniques to estimate gene flow among scale insect demes.
Effects of discrimination difficulty on the identification of different types of visual forms

The effects of different levels of discrimination difficulty on form perception were measured for two types of shapes; namely, 6 by 6 constrained metric polygons and histoforms. Five levels of discrimination difficulty were provided by use of different degrees of similarity between target and choice figures; 120 Ss (12 in each of 10 experimental conditions) responded in a paper-and-pencil figure-cancellation task. Separate analyses of errors and response times indicated that the polygons were identified more quickly but less accurately than the histoforms. Overall performance was better with polygons than with histoforms.
Residual waste from Hanford tanks 241-C-203 and 241-C-204. 1. Solids characterization.

Bulk X-ray diffraction (XRD), synchrotron X-ray microdiffraction (μXRD), and scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) were used to characterize solids in residual sludge from single-shell underground waste tanks C-203 and C-204 at the U.S. Department of Energy's Hanford Site in southeastern Washington state. Cejkaite [Na4(UO2)(CO3)3] was the dominant crystalline phase in the C-203 and C-204 sludges. This is one of the few occurrences of cejkaite reported in the literature and may be the first documented occurrence of this phase in radioactive wastes from DOE sites. Characterization of residual solids from water leach and selective extraction tests indicates that cejkaite has a high solubility and a rapid rate of dissolution in water at ambient temperature and that these sludges may also contain poorly crystalline Na2U2O7 [or clarkeite Na[(UO2)O(OH)](H2O)0-1] as well as nitratine (soda niter, NaNO3), goethite [α-FeO(OH)], and maghemite (γ-Fe2O3). Results of the SEM/EDS an...
URBAN PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN THE UNITED STATES

After a decade of rapid road building in the fifties, the United States entered a decade in which the rescue and revival of public mass transport was the stated objective. During the sixties and continuing into the seventies, the emphasis of this official public policy has shifted from concern about congestion and inept land use, to the desire to meet air quality standards, and finally in response to petroleum fuel shortages. Yet, in spite of some significant gains in rescuing numerous municipal bus systems and providing needed capital improvements for many existing systems, the overall impact on U.S. urban mobility patterns has been relatively slight. The development of the concern about mass transport in the U.S. is reviewed in this paper, and the failure of the proposed technological panaceas is discussed. Future developments in terms of the evolution of existing systems are discussed in the light of recent successes, and a pattern of future urban transport is postulated. This paper was originally pres...
How Locally Designed Access and Use Controls Can Prevent the Tragedy of the Commons in a Mexican Small-Scale Fishing Community

ABSTRACT The Seri people, a self-governed community of small-scale fishermen in the Gulf of California, Mexico, have ownership rights to fishing grounds where they harvest highly valuable commercial species of bivalves. Outsiders are eager to gain access, and the community has devised a set of rules to allow them in. Because Seri government officials keep all the economic benefits generated from granting this access for themselves, community members create alternative entry mechanisms to divert those benefits to themselves. Under Hardin's model of the tragedy of the commons, this situation would eventually lead to the overexploitation of the fishery. The Seri people, however, are able to simultaneously maintain access and use controls for the continuing sustainability of their fishing grounds. Using insights from common-pool resources theory, I discuss how Seri community characteristics help mediate the conflict between collective action dilemmas and access and use controls.
Soluble IL-2Rα facilitates IL-2-mediated immune responses and predicts reduced survival in follicular B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Elevated serum levels of the soluble form of IL-2 receptor α (sIL-2Rα) have been correlated with a poor prognosis in a variety of different types of cancers. However, its biologic relevance remains unclear and controversial. In patients with follicular B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (FL), we observed that serum sIL-2Rα levels were elevated compared with controls and that elevated sIL-2Rα levels before treatment were associated with a poor outcome. To explore the mechanism by which sIL-2Rα may contribute to a poor prognosis in FL, we determined the effects of sIL-2Rα on IL-2 signaling and found that the sIL-2Rα–IL-2 complex promoted T-cell differentiation toward to inhibitory Treg cells rather than TH1 or TH17 cells. Shed by activated T cells that express membrane-bound IL-2Rα, sIL-2Rα further enhanced IL-2–mediated phosphorylation of Stat5 thereby significantly up-regulating Foxp3 expression in CD4+ T cells. We found that CD4+ T cells treated with either IL-2 or sIL-2Rα–IL-2 complex, but not with sIL-2Rα alone, inhibited the function of CD8+ T cells. Taken together, these results indicate that sIL-2Rα actually plays an active biologic role in FL by binding IL-2 and promoting IL-2 signaling rather than depleting IL-2 and blocking its function.
Overexpression of transcription factor AP-2α suppresses mammary gland growth and morphogenesis

Abstract AP-2 transcription factors are key regulators of mouse embryonic development. Aberrant expression of these genes has also been linked to the progression of human breast cancer. Here, we have investigated the role of the AP-2 gene family in the postnatal maturation of the mouse mammary gland. Analysis of AP-2 RNA and protein levels demonstrates that these genes are expressed in the mammary glands of virgin and pregnant mice. Subsequently, AP-2 expression declines during lactation and then is reactivated during involution. The AP-2α and AP-2γ proteins are localized in the ductal epithelium, as well as in the terminal end buds, suggesting that they may influence growth of the ductal network. We have tested this hypothesis by targeting AP-2α expression to the mouse mammary gland using the MMTV promoter. Our studies indicate that overexpression of AP-2α inhibits mammary gland growth and morphogenesis, and this coincides with a rise in PTHrP expression. Alveolar budding is severely curtailed in transgenic virgin mice, while lobuloalveolar development and functional differentiation are inhibited during pregnancy and lactation, respectively. Our studies strongly support a role for the AP-2 proteins in regulating the proliferation and differentiation of mammary gland epithelial cells in both mouse and human.
The chemical composition of vitreous hyalocyte granules.

Abstract Hyalocytes are macrophage-like resident cells of the cortical vitreous gel. Using biochemical methods we could demonstrate that the lysosomal granular fraction of these cells, obtained from calves, contain glycosaminoglycans, glycoproteins and nucleic acids. Our previous study demonstrated the presence of characteristic lysosomal hydrolytic enzymes in these granules. Therefore, the presence of these macromolecules may indicate their normal pathway of catabolism.
Bisphosphonates to treat osteopenia in children with quadriplegic cerebral palsy: A randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial

Abstract Objective: To evaluate in a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial the safety and efficacy of intravenous pamidronate to treat osteopenia in nonambulatory children with cerebral palsy. Study design: Six pairs of subjects generally matched within each pair for age, sex, and race completed the protocol. One member of each pair randomly received plain saline placebo, the other pamidronate. Drug/placebo was administered intravenously daily for 3 consecutive days, and this 3-day dosing session was repeated at 3-month intervals for one year. Evaluations were continued for 6 months after the year of treatment. Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured in the distal femur, a site specifically developed for use in this contracted population, and the lumbar spine. Results: In the metaphyseal region of the distal femur, BMD increased 89% ± 21% (mean ± SEM) over the 18-month study period in the pamidronate group compared with 9% ± 6% in the control group. Age-normalized z scores increased from −4.0 ± 0.6 to −1.8 ± 1.0 in the pamidronate group and did not significantly change in the control group (−4.2 ± 0.3 to −4.0 ± 0.3). The first dosing with pamidronate caused a transient drop in serum calcium that was asymptomatic and not treated. No other potentially adverse effects were noted. Conclusions: In this small controlled clinical trial, pamidronate was found to be a safe and very effective agent to increase BMD in nonambulatory children with cerebral palsy. (J Pediatr 2002;141:644-51)
Alzheimer's disease and angiogenesis

Summary Despite enormous investigative efforts, the pathological basis for Alzheimer's disease remains unclear. Suggested mechanisms for the disorder include cerebral hypoperfusion, inflammation, gene polymorphisms, and molecular lesions in the brain. In this Hypothesis, we argue that the vascular endothelial cell has a central role in the progressive destruction of cortical neurons in Alzheimer's disease. In Alzheimer's disease, the brain endothelium secretes the precursor substrate for the β-amyloid plaque and a neurotoxic peptide that selectively kills cortical neurons. Large populations of endothelial cells are activated by angiogenesis due to brain hypoxia and inflammation. Results of epidemiological studies have shown that long-term use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, statins, histamine H2-receptor blockers, or calcium-channel blockers seems to prevent Alzheimer's disease. We think this benefit is largely due to these drugs' ability to inhibit angiogenesis. If Alzheimer's disease is an angiogenesis-dependent disorder, then development of antiangiogenic drugs targeting the abnormal brain endothelial cell might be able to prevent and treat this disease. We suggest several laboratory and clinical approaches for testing our hypothesis.
Factors associated with contraceptive use and nonuse, United States, 2004.

Each year nearly one in four U.S. women at risk of unintended pregnancy experience one or more months of contraceptive nonuse. Understanding what factors are associated with risky contraceptive use patterns can inform programs and policies designed to reduce levels of unintended pregnancy. A nationally representative sample of 1978 adult women at risk for unintended pregnancy was surveyed over the telephone in 2004. Respondents provided information on contraceptive use over the past 12 months. Multiple logistic regressions were used to identify factors associated with different contraceptive use patterns. Ambivalence about avoiding pregnancy was strongly associated with both contraceptive nonuse and having a gap in use while remaining at risk of unintended pregnancy (odds ratios 2.4 and 2.0 respectively). Other significant predictors of either of these risky contraceptive behaviors were having less than a college education being black being 35-44 years old having infrequent sexual intercourse not being in a current relationship being dissatisfied with ones method and believing that contraceptive service providers were not available to answer method-related questions (1.7-3.8). Providers could better help women avoid unintended pregnancy by initiating regular assessments of method use difficulties improving counseling on method choice and pregnancy risk and identifying and assisting women at higher risk for inconsistent method use because of disadvantage relationship characteristics or ambivalence about pregnancy prevention. In addition to providers efforts broader societal commitment is critical for increasing contraceptive knowledge and expanding access to contraceptive care for all women who are at risk of having an unintended pregnancy. (authors)
Corporate and Artificial Moral Agency

The paper considers the implications of the Corporate Moral Agency debate for the notion of artificial moral agency and the general intelligence project. A distinction is drawn between meta-arguments and object-level arguments, whilst the implications of the arguments within each category are indicated. The "metaphor" "mutuality" and "political" arguments are then discussed further.
Comparison of convergence for the schwinger, optimized anomaly-free, and optimized minimum-norm variational methods for potential scattering

Abstract We apply the Schwinger method, two Kohn-type methods, and three Harris-Michels-type methods to electron scattering by the same potential with the same sets of basis functions We also test a polynomial basis in the Schwinger method. We use Nesbet and Oberoi's method to avoid spurious singularities of the Kohn method Kohn and Harris-Michels methods show much better convergence to the accurate result than the Schwinger method
Cilk provides the "best overall productivity" for high performance computing: (and won the HPC challenge award to prove it)

My entry won award for "Best Overall Productivity" in the 2006 HPC Challenge Class 2 (productivity) competition. I used the Cilk multithreaded programming language [1] to implement all six of the benchmarks, including LU decomposition with partial pivoting, matrix multiplication, vector add, matrix transpose, updates of random locations in a large table, and a huge 1-dimensional FFT. I measured the performance on the NASA's "Columbia" SGI Altix system. The programs achieved good performance (e.g., up to 943Flops on 256 processors for matrix multiplication). I added a total of only 137 keywords to transform the six C programs into Cilk programs.
QUASI-NONUNIQUENESS IN THE SCATTERED FIELD OF A DIELECTRIC CIRCULAR CYLINDER

It is well known that the scattered field of a z polarized plane wave incident on a dielectric circular cylinder can be expanded as an infinite series involving Hankel functions. From numerical calculations of this expansion, Lam and Yedlin [5] observed that the mean square measure, over all space, of the difference of the scattered fields from two or more distinct values of the dielectric constant of the cylinder can take very small values, thereby almost contradicting the uniqueness property. We investigate this phenomenon rigorously using uniform asymptotic expansions of Bessel functions, and from our analysis we determine the spurious values of the dielectric constant which lead to this quasi-nonuniqueness.
Introduction: Contemporary Romanian politics

Abstract Romania is an archetypical case of protracted post-communism. Its regime transition was problematic and its founding election flawed, allowing successor communists to secure their hold on power. A period of quasi-authoritarianism and failed reform followed until critical elections in 1996 brought the liberal opposition to power for the first time. Since that time its political system has stabilized into a pattern in which electoral competition occurs but political accountability is limited and corruption is widespread. The current regime should therefore be considered as consolidated, bearing the marks of the transition period, but unlikely to undergo any further near term dramatic change.