cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Horizontal Transmission of Genes by Agrobacterium Species

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the horizontal transmission of genes by agrobacterium species. Agrobacterium tumefaciens and A. rhizogenes represent real-life examples of organisms that horizontally transfer genes to eukaryotes using a promiscuous gene delivery system. Retrotransfer of genes by Agrobacterium species could account for the presence of rol and ros genes on the Ti plasmid and on the chromosome of this bacterial species. Based on amino acid sequence motif of the C2H2 zinc finger in Ros regulatory protein, the ros gene might have originated from a marine organism rather than from a plant. The transmission of foreign genes among organisms has been long known. Many instances of the transfer of microorganisms, such as bacteria, protozoans, and worms into higher organisms are an established phenomenon occurring continuously in nature. Depending on the biological system that has evolved, the transmitted microbe may or may not survive in the foreign environment of the recipient cell. DNA released by cell lysis is usually one circumstance detrimental to the in-coming microbe but results in the opportunity for its DNA, if not degraded, to become established in the genome of the host cell.
An industrial pretreatment facility inspector training program

The US federal pretreatment regulations have created a demand for qualified pretreatment facility inspectors. The objectives of the General Pretreatment Regulations are to protect publicly owned treatment works (POTWs), prevent pollutants from upsetting treatment processes, improve opportunities to reclaim or recycle wastewaters and sludges and reduce health and environmental risks from discharge of toxic pollutants to POTWs. Pretreatment inspectors have the responsibility of protecting municipal wastewater collection systems, treatment plants and the environment from the damage that may occur when industries discharge hazardous or toxic materials into a wastewater collection system. The inspectors must possess the knowledge and skills to perform their jobs safely and fairly. To meet this need, a training program using the independent-study (correspondence) format was developed and field tested. Experienced inspectors active in the field prepared the training material on the basis of what pretreatment facility inspectors “need to know” to do their job. The training program has been implemented and used by inspectors as home-study or self-paced instruction (correspondence) as well as by colleges and universities as a textbook in formal classes. Since 1988 over 1600 persons have successfully completed this training program and over 7000 copies of the training manual have been sold throughout the world. In areas where the training program has been used, the results of an effective pretreatment program using qualified inspectors is very impressive. An agency with a training program that produces competent inspectors can have an effective pretreatment program.
Effect of a novel teat preparation system on upper extremity muscle activity among U.S. large-herd dairy parlor workers.

Abstract Background Dairy production in the U.S. is moving towards large-herd milking operations resulting in an increase in task specialization and work demands. Large-herd dairy parlor workers experience a high prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms in the upper extremity. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of an alternative teat scrubber (TS) cow preparation method on upper extremity muscle activity among large-herd parlor workers, as well compare to muscle activity associated with conventional manual milking tasks. Methods Upper extremity muscle activity was recorded among U.S. large-herd parlor workers (n = 15) using surface electromyography. Participants performed multiple task cycles, using both conventional and TS methods. Muscle activity levels were then compared across conventional manual and TS milking tasks. Results Conventional manual milking tasks of dip, strip and wipe were associated higher muscle activity levels of the upper trapezius and anterior deltoid. Biceps muscle activity was greatest during teat dip and wipe. Forearm flexor and extensor muscle activity was greatest during teat wipe and dip. The TS system resulted in more desirable anterior deltoid EMG profiles, and less desirable biceps, forearm flexor and extensor profiles. Conclusions Results suggest that the TS system is effective in reducing anterior deltoid muscle activation levels. The TS system also appears to result in increased biceps, forearm flexor and extensor muscle activation levels. Increases in muscle activation levels could be offset by reduced repetitiveness resulting from three conventional manual milking tasks being replaced with one TS task. Relevance to industry If parlor production requirements (e.g., quality and onsistency) are maintained while simultaneously reducing cumulative muscle loading and worker fatigue, then TS use should be considered in milking parlor operations.
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is a type of spongiform encephalopathy caused by an infectious protein agent called a prion. PET/MR imaging shows T2 and FLAIR hyperintensity in the basal ganglia and cerebral cortex with decreased FDG uptake.
Analysis of thermal reactor benchmarks with design codes based on ENDF/B-V data

Thermal reactor benchmark calculations have been performed with the ''design codes'' EPRI-CELL and PDQ using ENDF/B-V cross-section data. The purpose of these calculations is to determine the quality of ENDF/B-V data for predicting reactor parameters when used with methods typically employed for power reactor analysis. This verification is essential if ENDF/B-V cross sections are to be used widely by the nuclear industry for reactor design, core reload, and corefollow studies. It appears that ENDF/B-V, when used in typical reactor design codes, is an accurate data set for light water reactor analysis. Computed resonance integrals and reaction ratios for /sup 238/U seem to be slightly high but are within the uncertainty. The average k /SUB eff/ obtained for a diverse set of 27 UO/sub 2/ and MO/sub 2/ critical configurations is 1.002 + or - 0.002. Critical UO/sub 2/ eigenvalues are consistently slightly overestimated, on the average by 0.2%. The average eigenvalue obtained for the mixed-oxide lattices is 1.0007 with a standard deviation of 0.0023. Plutonium isotopic ratios generally show good agreement with measured values obtained from burned power reactor pins.
The EDUCO Program: Operation, Analyses, Evaluations

A book on the development of the program known as Education with Community Participation (EDUCO) begs the question of what we already know. In this chapter, I draw first on existing literature to characterize EDUCO in more detail and to explain a number of general features of this program and the underlying logic of accountability, effectiveness, and efficiency that contributed to its popularity. This section provides details that are glossed over in later chapters when the book turns toward explaining competing forms of influence and the overall trajectory of EDUCO as it became a global education policy. Second, I discuss previous political analyses—and the gaps therein—related to how EDUCO was formed. Third, I critically review previous studies that are more evaluative in nature. In that the review is critical, it provides an insight into the limitations of these studies and what can reasonably be claimed in terms of EDUCO’s impacts. As will become clear from later chapters, a critical understanding of the evidence base on EDUCO’s outcomes is essential, particularly when it comes to the impact evaluations produced by the World Bank, since these evaluations have created the basis upon which EDUCO has been vigorously promoted and, moreover, has taken on a life of its own.
Viral genes that modulate apoptosis

Viruses trigger a programmed cellular suicide pathway upon infection of cells in a wide range of organisms from mammals to bacteria. Programmed cell death in response to virus infection is presumably a host defence mechanism in an attempt to eliminate infected cells and to block spread of the pathogen. Viruses activate programmed cell death by a variety of direct and indirect mechanisms that are not yet fully understood. DNA viruses with large coding capacities have acquired genes that avert the cell’s attempt to die, leading to successful completion of the viral replication cycle and production of progeny virus. The study of these viruses has led to the identification of several families of genes that inhibit or delay cell death by acting at various points along the cell death pathway, from blocking initiation of receptor signalling to inhibition of caspases near the final stages of cell death. Viral apoptosis inhibitors may contribute to viral pathogenesis by mechanisms other than increasing viral load. For example, cellular anti-apoptotic proteins are known to participate in cell transformation and tumourigenesis. Thus, viral apoptosis inhibitors may also contribute to human cancer.
Beyond Mexico's Woman: Negotiating Gender and Race In Dominant Narratives of Nation

he reveals one of the dichotomies under which he lives, yet the statement suggests also that his location cannot be so neatly packaged. Martinez realizes, for example, that representations of both North and South operate concurrently, and that the two are not always distinct categories. Attached to the geopolitical border that divides the United States from Mexico ? North from South ? are hegemonic representations of each nation and the people that occupy them. Such representations collide with the lived experiences of marginalized people and serve as the foundation on which racial, gender, and other forms of oppression operate. This collision is key to understanding that narratives of the nation and individual and group identities are not rigid and static, but rather, interrelated processes that allow for constant renegotiation and rearticulation. With global economic and demographic shifts, the people that cross national borders bring with them experiences and perspectives that call into question their own identities as gendered and racialized members of communities and nations. The ways they negotiate these identities have further implications for the manner in which nations themselves are configured ? the ways that power is distributed in and among nations and the degree to which nationalisms are salient forces in shaping people's decisions and practices. In this article, I examine the narrative of a young Mexican immigrant woman who confronts this collision along the lines of gender and race. Her experiences, like those of Martinez, indicate that dichotomous constructions such as North/South or U.S./Mexico are ill equipped to represent the complexity of identity in the context of global move? ments of capital and people. As such movements continue, recognizing national narratives and identity as complex, entangled processes becomes increasingly significant for possibilities of shared struggles against multiple hegemonies.
The Perioperative Morbidity of Transurethral Resection of Bladder Tumor: Implications for Quality Improvement

Abstract Objectives To characterize the perioperative morbidity of transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) in order to identify important determinants of both quality and cost in the delivery bladder cancer care. Methods We identified 24,100 patients aged 18-89 years who underwent TURBT from 2010 to 2015 in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to evaluate the associations of patient features and tumor size ( 5 cm) with 30-day perioperative outcomes. Results Thirty-day postoperative complications occurred in 5.1% of patients, perioperative blood transfusion in 1.5% of patients, hospital readmission in 3.7% of patients, reoperation in 1.5% of patients, and mortality in 0.8% of patients. The most common reasons for readmission were bleeding (29%) and infectious (21%) complications. Although several patient features were associated with increased perioperative morbidity on multivariable analysis, including congestive heart failure, renal failure, higher American Society of Anesthesiology class, and dependent functional status, only larger tumor size was independently associated with increased risks of all perioperative endpoints. Conclusion Perioperative morbidity following TURBT is substantial and represents an important target for quality improvement. Extent of resection, patient functional status, and specific comorbidities are independently associated with increased risks of perioperative morbidity and mortality. These results have implications for patient counseling, perioperative management, and quality improvement programs.
Diversity of Extended-Spectrum Cephalosporin-Resistant Escherichia coli in Feces from Calves and Cows on Pennsylvania Dairy Farms

The global incidence of human infections associated with extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli is increasing. Dairy animals are reservoirs of ESBL-producing E. coli, especially, third-generation cephalosporin (3GC)-resistant strains. To further understand the diversity of 3GC-resistant E. coli across animals of different age groups (e.g., pre- and postweaned calves, lactating cows, and dry cows) and farms, we used pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) to characterize 70 fecal isolates from 14 dairy farms located in nine Pennsylvania counties. Results of this analysis indicated that 3GC-resistant E. coli were highly diverse and grouped into 27 PFGE clades (80% similarity cutoff) and 24 unique antimicrobial resistance patterns were observed among the isolates. For eight farms, clonal E. coli with the same resistance patterns were isolated from two or more age groups, indicating that strains were carried in both the calves and adult cows within the same herd. However, there were also several isolates with the same resistance pattern that were distributed to different clades, including isolates from different animal age groups on the same farm, suggesting different strains of E. coli within a farm harbored the same resistance-conferring elements. Results of this analysis indicated that 3GC-resistant E. coli were highly diverse, associated with multidrug resistance, and circulated through different (noncommingled) animal groups on individual farms.
PATENT FORAMEN OVALE CLOSURE IN A PATIENT WITH PLATYPNEA-ORTHODEOXIA SYNDROME AND A THORACIC AORTIC ANEURYSM

Platypnea-orthodeoxia is a rare syndrome involving dyspnea and hypoxemia while upright usually due to a right to left shunt through a patent foramen ovale (PFO). It has been associated with thoracic aortic aneurysm, possibly due to anatomic effects on the atrial septum. A 65 year old female with a
Bird community shifts associated with saltwater exposure in coastal forests at the leading edge of rising sea level

Rising sea levels dramatically alter the vegetation composition and structure of coastal ecosystems. However, the implications of these changes for coastal wildlife are poorly understood. We aimed to quantify responses of avian communities to forest change (i.e., ghost forests) in a low-lying coastal region highly vulnerable to rising sea level. We conducted point counts to sample avian communities at 156 forested points in eastern North Carolina, USA in 2013–2015. We modelled avian community composition using a multi-species hierarchical occupancy model and used metrics of vegetation structure derived from Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data as covariates related to variation in bird responses. We used this model to predict occupancy for each bird species in 2001 (using an analogous 2001 LiDAR dataset) and 2014 and used the change in occupancy probability to estimate habitat losses and gains at 3 spatial extents: 1) the entire study area, 2) burned forests only, and 3) unburned, low-lying coastal forests only. Of the 56 bird species we investigated, we observed parameter estimates corresponding to a higher likelihood of occurring in ghost forest for 34 species, but only 9 of those had 95% posterior intervals that did not overlap 0, thus having strong support. Despite the high vulnerability of forests in the region to sea level rise, habitat losses and gains associated with rising sea level were small relative to those resulting from wildfire. Though the extent of habitat changes associated with the development of ghost forest was limited, these changes likely are more permanent and may compound over time as sea level rises at an increasing rate. As such, the proliferation of ghost forests from rising sea level has potential to become an important driver of forest bird habitat change in coastal regions.
Recent Progress in III-Nitride Tunnel Junction-Based Optoelectronics

Tunnel junctions have garnered much interest from the III-Nitride optoelectronic research community within recent years. Tunnel junctions have seen applications in several material systems with rel...
ICP and CBF Reactivity to Isoflurane and Nitrous Oxide During Normocarbia, Hypocarbia and Intracranial Hypertension

The search for an inhalational agent that does not adversely affect cerebrovascular dynamics has been stimulated by the realization that nitrous oxide, halothane and enflurane share the common properties of being potent cerebral vasodilators and affecting cerebral metabolism. Thus, in the face of intracranial dysfunction, these agents may uncouple flow from metabolism; markedly change intracranial compliance; modify CSF flow characteristics by changing outflow resistances, production and absorption; and challenge autoregulation. Enflurane has the added ability of being epileptogenic, especially during hypocapnia.
Concerning survival signal for eltrombopag in MDS/AML.

Eltrombopag, a thrombopoietin receptor agonist, has been shown to increase platelet counts in patients with thrombocytopenia, and holds FDA approvals in chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura, chr...
Business Process "De-Engineering": Establishing the Value of the Human Auditor in an Automated Audit System

Automation in auditing is driven by the principles of Business Process Reengineering (BPR) whose default position is to eliminate labor. BPR assumes that assurance arising from human and technologi...
18 – Vitamin bioavailability

Publisher Summary The available literature on vitamin bioavailability in feed ingredients is very limited. Crystalline thiamin is available to the food and feed industries as thiamin-HCl (89% thiamin) or thiamin-NO3 (92% thiamin). Crystalline riboflavin is available for addition to feeds or premixes and is considered quite stable, although it is easily destroyed by UV light when in solution. The term “niacin” is the generic descriptive term for pyridine 3-carboxylic acid and other derivatives delivering nicotinamide activity. This B vitamin consists of pantoic acid joined with B-alanine by an amide bond. It is generally sold in crystalline form as either D- or DL-calcium PA, and only the D-isomer has bioactivity. Plant foodstuffs are devoid of B12. Microorganisms are the sole source of B12 in nature and these account for the B12 activity in animal and fermentation by-products. In animal nutrition, chlorine remains in the B vitamin category, even though the quantity required far exceeds the “trace organic nutrient” definition of a vitamin. Commercial D-biotin is a sulfur-containing imidazole derivative that has no specific unit of activity. This B vitamin consists of three closely related naturally occurring pyridine derivatives: pyridoxine, pyridoxal, and pyridoxamine. The term “folacin” is the accepted generic term for folic acid and related compounds exhibiting “folacin” activity. Ascorbic acid is a water-soluble vitamin that is oxidized easily in air to dehydroascorbate. Water-soluble forms of menadione are used, primarily, to supplement animal diets. All three forms of vitamin K are biologically active.
Smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulation of biphasic soft tissue and its medical applications

Modeling the coupled fluid and elastic mechanics of blood perfused soft tissues is important for medical applications. In particular, the current study aims to capture the effect of tissue swelling and the transport of blood through damaged tissue under bleeding or hemorrhaging conditions. The soft tissue is considered a dynamic poro-hyperelastic material with blood-filled voids. A biphasic formulation-effectively, a generalization of Darcy's law-is utilized, treating the phases as occupying fractions of the same volume. A Stokes-like friction force and a pressure that penalizes deviations from volume fractions summing to unity serve as the interaction force between solid and liquid phases. The resulting equations for both phases are discretized with the method of smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH). The solver is validated separately on each phase and demonstrates good agreement with exact solutions in test problems. Simulations of oozing, hysteresis, swelling, drying and shrinkage, and tissue fracturing and hemorrhage are shown in the paper. Graphical Abstract In the paper, a new methodology for the numerical simulation of the full dynamic response of blood-perfused soft tissues was developed.
Evaluation of a novel hydrogel intravascular embolization agent in a swine model of fatal uncontrolled solid organ hemorrhage and coagulopathy

Abstract Introduction Current agents for the intravascular embolization of traumatic hemorrhage are used off-label and have been minimally studied with respect to their performance under differing coagulation conditions. We studied the hemorrhage control efficacy of a novel, liquid, polyethylene glycol-based hydrogel delivered as two liquid precursors that polymerize within the target vessel in a unique animal model of severe solid organ injury with and without dilutional coagulopathy. Methods Anesthetized swine (n = 36, 45 ± 3 kg) had laparotomy and splenic externalization. Half underwent 50% isovolemic hemodilution with 6% hetastarch and cooling to 33°C-35°C (coagulopathic group). All animals had controlled 20 mL/kg hemorrhage and endovascular proximal splenic artery access with a 4F catheter via a right femoral sheath. Splenic transection and 5-minute free bleeding were followed by treatment (n = 5/group) with 5 mL of gelfoam slurry, three 6-mm coils, up to 6 mL of hydrogel, or no treatment (n = 3, control). Animals received 15 mL/kg plasma and were monitored for 6 hours with continuous blood loss measurement. Results Coagulopathy was successfully established, with coagulopathic animals having greater pretreatment blood loss and earlier mean time to death regardless of the treatment group. All control animals died within 100 minutes. Overall survival without coagulopathy was 5/5 for hydrogel, 4/5 for coil, and 3/5 for gelfoam. With coagulopathy, one hydrogel animal survived to the end of the experiment, with 2/4 hydrogel deaths occurring in the final hour of observation. In noncoagulopathic animals, hydrogel demonstrated improved survival time (P .05), and coils (4.6 ± 1.5, P > .05). In coagulopathic animals, hydrogel had improved survival time (P = .003) and decreased blood loss (4.2 ± 0.8 mL/kg) compared with control (20.4 ± 4.2, P = .003). Conclusions The hydrogel demonstrated equivalent hemorrhage control performance to standard treatments under noncoagulopathic conditions and improved performance in the face of dilutional coagulopathy. This agent should be explored as a potential preferable treatment for the embolization of traumatic solid organ and other injuries. (JVS–Vascular Science 2021;2:43-51.) Clinical Relevance In a translational model of severe solid organ injury hemorrhage with and without coagulopathy, a novel hydrogel transarterial embolization agent demonstrated equivalent hemorrhage control performance to standard agents under noncoagulopathic conditions and improved performance in the face of dilutional coagulopathy. This agent represents a promising future treatment for the embolization of traumatic solid organ and other injuries.
Exposure to a fungal pathogen increases the critical thermal minimum of two frog species

The ability of an organism to tolerate seasonal temperature changes, such as extremely cold temperatures during the winter, can be influenced by their pathogens. We tested how exposure to a virulent fungal pathogen, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), affected the critical thermal minimum (CTmin) of two frog species, Hyla versicolor (gray treefrog) and Lithobates palustris (pickerel frog). The CTmin is the minimum thermal performance point of an organism, which we estimated via righting response trials. For both frog species, we compared the righting response of Bd-exposed and Bd-unexposed individuals in either a constant (15oC) environment or with decreasing temperatures (-1°C/2.5 min) starting from 15°C. The CTmin for both species was higher for Bd-exposed frogs than unexposed frogs, and the CTmin of H. versicolor was higher than L. palustris. We also found that Bd-exposed frogs of both species righted themselves significantly fewer times in both decreasing and constant temperature trials. Our findings show that pathogen exposure can reduce cold tolerance and limit the thermal performance range of hosts, which may lead to increased overwintering mortality.
Commentary---The Stock Market's Pricing of Customer Satisfaction

A number of recent marketing studies examine the stock market's response to the release of American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) scores. The broad purpose of these studies is to investigate the stock market's valuation of customer satisfaction. However, a key focus is on whether customer satisfaction information predicts long-run returns. We provide evidence on the market's pricing of ACSI information using a more comprehensive set of well-established tests from the accounting and finance literatures. We find that ACSI scores provide some incremental information on future operating income and that the market quickly responds to the release of information on large increases in satisfaction. However, we find no evidence that ACSI predicts long-run returns. These results suggest that customer satisfaction information is value relevant, but they are also consistent with Jacobson and Mizik's conclusion [Jacobson, R., N. Mizik. 2009. The financial markets and customer satisfaction: Reexamining possible financial market mispricing of customer satisfaction. Marketing Sci.28(5) 810--819] that mispricing of ACSI information, if present at all, is limited.
Formal Power Series Approach to Nonlinear Systems with Static Output Feedback

Abstract The goal of this paper is to compute the generating series of a closed-loop system when the plant is described in terms of a Chen-Fliess series and static output feedback is applied. The first step is to reconsider the so called Wiener-Fliess connection consisting of a Chen-Fliess series followed by a memoryless function. Of particular importance will be the contractive nature of this map, which is needed to show that the closed-loop system has a Chen-Fliess series representation. To explicitly compute the generating series, two Hopf algebras are needed, the existing output feedback Hopf algebra used to describe dynamic output feedback, and the Hopf algebra of the shuffle group. These two combinatorial structures are combined to compute what will be called the Wiener-Fliess feedback product. It will be shown that this product has a natural interpretation as a transformation group acting on the plant and preserves the relative degree of the plant.
Reactions of poly(ethylene imine)with tin‐containing reactants

Modification of poly(ethylene imine) with tin-containing reactants was effected utilizing the interfacial technique. Products from dihalo reactants are crosslinked while products from monohalo reactants are linear and soluble containing from about 30 to 90% inclusion of the tin-moiety. Yield maximized about one minute stirring time and decreases at higher stirring times because of heat buildup. Die Modifizierung von Polyathylenimin wurde durch Kondensation mit Zinnverbindungen unter Anwendung der Grenzflachentechnik erzielt. Mit R2SnX2 entstehen vernetzte Produkte und mit R3SnX entstehen lineare Produkte mit 30 bis 90% der theoretisch aufnehmbaren Zinnbausteine. Das Maximum an Ausbeute wird bei einminutiger Ruhrzeit erreicht.
Group Therapy: Screening of Donations

Experienced academic librarians respond to a question about best practice for preliminary screening or filtering of prospective book donations.
Radiation of inertial kinetic energy as near-inertial waves forced by tropical Pacific Easterly waves

[1] Easterly waves (EW) are low level tropical atmospheric disturbances able to resonantly force strong mixed layer inertial currents. Using data from two Tropical Atmosphere Ocean/Eastern Pacific Investigation of Climate Processes (TAO/EPIC) buoys located along 95°W and a multiparameterization one-dimensional turbulence model, we examine how the EW-forced surface inertial kinetic energy (IKE) loss is partitioned between turbulent dissipation and near-inertial wave (NIW) radiation. Several EW-forcing events are individually simulated with a version of the General Ocean Turbulence Model modified to include a linear damping coefficient to account for the NIW radiation energy sink. The kinetic energy budget of these simulations shows that NIW radiation accounted for typically 50–60% of the IKE loss and in some cases up to 80%. These empirically derived estimates of the contribution of the radiated NIWs to the loss of wind-induced surface IKE are substantially higher than recently published numerical estimates. Furthermore, the results indicate that the vertical NIW energy flux increases linearly with the wind input of IKE, an easily obtained quantity. The NIW vertical energy flux estimated for a single near-resonant event is comparable to extreme north Pacific wintertime-averaged fluxes, indicating the existence of important episodic sources of near-inertial energy available for mixing within and below the thermocline in the tropical region.
Agricultural Development, State Effectiveness, and Long-Run Economic Development

This paper begins with the presumption that rapid economic development requires an effective state. An effective state is able to act independently of powerful interest groups with the aim of allocating resources so as to maximize long-term economic growth. It will be argued that such states are more likely to arise in situations within which the state must earn its income. That is, it must construct an institutional apparatus to extract the revenue that it needs and it is dependent upon the bulk of its agricultural producers to produce this revenue. The higher agricultural productivity within a region, the more dependent the state will be on revenues from the bulk of its agricultural producers. This dependency will lead, through a dialectical process, to a state whose activities will be constrained, a state which will be able to effectively commit itself to long-run development. This proposition is tested using time series/cross-sectional data for a sample of diverse countries from the 1960i¯s through 1990i¯s.
The transport function of the atrium. Factors influencing the relation between mean left atrial pressure and left ventricular end diastolic pressure.

Abstract Mean left atrial pressure is higher for any given left ventricular end diastolic pressure, as the heart rate is progressively increased, for two reasons. First, by encroaching on ventricular diastole, the relative period during which inflow into the atrium continues while the egress of blood from the atrium is blocked is increased. Second, with more severe tachycardia, atrial systole can be seen to occur either partially or completely while the mitral valve is still closed from the previous ventricular systole. At a constant heart rate, mean left atrial pressure is higher for any given left ventricular end diastolic pressure during efferent vagal nerve stimulation than during control conditions. This is due to a negative inotropic effect on the atrium and not to a change in the performance characteristics of the ventricle. At a constant heart rate, mean left atrial pressure is lower for any given left ventricular end diastolic pressure during cardiac sympathetic nerve stimulation than during control conditions. This is due to a positive inotropic effect on both the atrium and the ventricle. The relation between left ventricular end diastolic pressure and stroke work is determined only by the performance characteristics of the ventricle; the relation between mean left atrial pressure and stroke work is determined by the performance characteristics not only of the ventricle but also to a substantial extent by those of the atrium. Atrial contractility and the changes therein induced by central nervous system activity are of importance to circulatory regulation both because of the influence of atrial systole on ventricular end diastolic pressure and because of the effect of such changes on central venous pressure at any given level of ventricular stroke work. The possibility is suggested that depressed atrial function, i.e., atrial failure, may be a significant contributory factor in the elevated venous pressure observed in congestive heart failure.
THE ACCUMULATION OF ELECTROLYTES : V. MODELS SHOWING ACCUMULATION AND A STEADY STATE

Inasmuch as attempts to explain accumulation by the Donnan principle have failed in the case of Valonia, a hypothesis of the steady state has been formulated to explain what occurs. In order to see whether this hypothesis is in harmony with physico-chemical laws attempts have been made to imitate its chief features by means of a model. The model consists of a non-aqueous layer (representing the protoplasmic surface) placed between an alkaline aqueous phase (representing the external solution) and a more acid aqueous phase (representing the cell sap). The model reproduces most of the features of the hypothesis. Attention may be called to the following points. 1. The semipermeable surface is a continuous non-aqueous phase. 2. Potassium penetrates by combining with an acid HX in the non-aqueous layer to form KX which in turn reacts with an acid HA in the sap to form KA. Since KX is little dissociated in the non-aqueous layer potassium appears to pass through it chiefly in molecular form. 3. The internal composition depends on permeability, e.g., sodium penetrates less rapidly than potassium and in consequence potassium predominates over sodium in the "artificial sap." The order of penetration in the model is the same as in Valonia, i.e., K > Na > Ca > Mg, and Cl > SO(4), but the quantitative resemblance is not close, e.g., the difference between potassium and sodium, and chloride and sulfate is much less in the model. 4. The formation of KA and NaA in the sap raises its osmotic pressure and water enters. 5. The concentration of potassium and sodium and the osmotic pressure become much greater inside than outside. For example, potassium may become 200 times as concentrated inside as outside. 6. No equilibrium occurs but a steady state is reached in which water and salt enter at the same rate so that the composition of the sap remains constant as its volume increases. 7. Since no equilibrium occurs there is a difference of thermodynamic potential between inside and outside. At the start the thermodynamic potential of KOH is much greater outside than inside. This difference gradually diminishes and in the steady state has about the same value as in Valonia. The difference in pH value between the internal and external solutions is also similar in both cases (about 2 pH units). 8. Accumulation does not depend on the presence of molecules or ions inside which are unable to pass out. One important feature of the hypothesis is not seen in the model: this is the exchange of HCO(3) for Cl(-). Experiments on this point are in progress.
A Meta-Analysis of Immunosuppression Withdrawal Trials in Renal Transplantation

Abstract . Since the publication of previous meta-analyses of cyclosporine (CsA) and prednisone withdrawal in renal transplant recipients, several additional randomized controlled trials with longer follow-up have been reported. Currently, in nine prednisone withdrawal trials ( n = 1461), the proportion of patients with acute rejection was increased by 0.14 (95% confidence interval = 0.10 to 0.17, P n = 1899), the relative risk (RR; RR = 1.0 indicates no risk) of graft failure after withdrawal was also increased (RR = 1.40; range, 1.09 to 1.70, P = 0.012). There was no evidence of between-study heterogeneity for either acute rejection or graft failure in the prednisone withdrawal trials by a χ 2 test ( P > 0.05). In 10 CsA withdrawal trials ( n = 1049), the proportion of patients with acute rejection was increased by 0.11 (0.07 to 0.15, P n = 1151), the RR of graft failure after CsA withdrawal was 1.06 (95% confidence interval, 0.82 to 1.29, P = 0.646), but a χ 2 test indicated that there was study heterogeneity. However, there was no evidence of heterogeneity in the six studies ( n = 632) with at least 4.0 yr (5.8 ± 1.7) of follow-up (RR = 0.92; range, 0.64 to 1.20, P = 0.569) or in the seven trials ( n = 962) published in peer-reviewed journals (RR = 0.95; range, 0.70 to 1.20 P = 0.682). Finally, in three trials ( n = 259) that compared CsA and prednisone withdrawal, there was a nonsignificant trend for less graft failure with CsA withdrawal (RR = 0.63; range, 0.08 to 1.16, P = 0.190). Thus, unlike prednisone withdrawal, CsA withdrawal in select patients seems to impart little risk of long-term graft failure.
THE UTILITY OF THE DEVIANT CASE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF CRIMINOLOGICAL THEORY

This article asserts that the deviant case method offers a potential avenue for enhancing theory directed at explaining crime by using more available information to better connect the process of analyzing cases with that of explanatory refinement and elaboration. This approach has facilitated theoretical development in other social sciences and has proven useful where applied in criminological inquiry. Extant research is reviewed, and an empirical example is presented to demonstrate how this approach might be operationalized in criminological inquiry using quantitative methods. Conclusions relevant to future research are considered.
Consumer Racial Profiling and Perceived Victimization: A Phone Survey of Philadelphia Area Residents

This paper explored the perceived prevalence of consumer racial profiling (CRP) (also known as “Shopping While Black”) among residents in Philadelphia. Based on data collected from a random digit dialing (RDD) phone survey, the authors examined the characteristics of those persons who believed they had been profiled in retail establishments. The research found that African Americans were ten times more likely than non-African Americans to believe they had been profiled in a retail establishment. As for gender differences, males were nearly two times more likely than females to report that they had been experienced CRP. Educated respondents were more likely than those with less education to report having experienced CRP. There were no significant findings regarding income. The authors conclude by noting the policy implications of the research findings.
Unraveling Π11 sets

Abstract We construct coverings which unravel given Π 1 1 sets. This in turn is used to prove, from optimal large cardinal assumptions, the determinacy of games with A Π 1 1 payoff and the determinacy of games with payoff in the σ algebra generated by Π 1 1 sets.
Precoder design for indoor visible light communications with multiple RGB LEDs

In this paper, we consider the problem of precoder design for an optical intensity modulation (IM) system with multiple redgreen- blue (RGB) light emitting diodes (LEDs) as transmitters and imaging lens with color filters as receivers. The purpose of using a precoder is to optimally allocate power for each LED based on the current channel condition to minimize the detection error rate. To achieve the goal, an non-convex optimization problem due to a nonconvex constraint is formulated first taking into account several crucial lighting constraints, such as flicker-free, color rendering index (CRI), and luminous efficacy rate (LER) as well as the average optical intensity constraint and non-negative transmitter-side signal constraint. By manipulations we transform the problem into a semi-definite programming (SDP) and by approximation we relaxed the non-convex constraint into a convex one. The resulting convex problem is iteratively solved by CVX, an add-in to MATLAB, which jointly optimizes the precoder and DC-biases driving each LED. We assume that M-PAM signal constellation is used as input to the precoder and an MMSE receiver is applied to recover the input signals in this paper, while our method is not restrict to the specific choice.
Audio Past Recording Software for Computer-Assisted Learning.

Abstract Audio past recording software developed by D. Speitel in 1996 places audio events in a small random access memory buffer which is constantly being overwritten. The time duration of the buffer allows the user to ‘reach back into the past’ when they start the recording process to hard drive. The ‘present’ audio is sent immediately to hard drive. When the ‘present’ recording process is stopped, the buffered ‘past’ audio is inserted into the front of the audio file. This allows the user to selectively decide what they wish to record after they have heard it; hence the name Past Recording. This preliminary study examines the cognitive implications of this type of selective memory enhancement, as well as usage by high school students in a lecture situation. Implications in the audio and video realm are also discussed.
Biocidal action of chlorhexidine is annulled by nicotinic acid.

Abstract An analytical system comprising a bacterium and a protozoan was used to pinpoint the metabolic lesion whereby chlorhexidine (CLX) produced cell death. Nicotinic acid but not nicotinamide annulled the biocidal action of CLX. The results suggest that CLX may not permit bioconversion of nicotinamide to nicotinic acid to annul the growth inhibition induced by CLX.
Brief announcement: improving social-network-based sybil-resilient node admission control

We present Gatekeeper, a decentralized protocol that performs Sybil-resilient node admission control based on a social network. Gatekeeper can admit most honest nodes while limiting the number of Sybils admitted per attack edge to O(log k), where k is the number of attack edges. Our result improves over SybilLimit [3] by a factor of log n in the face of O(1) attack edges. Even when the number of attack edges reaches O(n/ log n), Gatekeeper only admits O(log n) Sybils per attack edge, similar to that achieved by SybilLimit.
Wave deformation by a submerged flexible circular disk

Abstract The interaction of incident monochromatic waves with a tensioned, flexible, circular membrane submerged horizontally below free surface is investigated in the frame of three-dimensional linear hydroelastic theory. The velocity potential is split into two parts, i.e. the diffraction potential representing the scattering of incident waves by a rigid circular disk and the radiation potential describing motion induced waves by elastic responses of the flexible membrane. The fluid domain is divided into three regions, and the diffraction and radiation potentials in each region are expressed by the Fourier-Bessel series. The displacement of the circular membrane is expanded with a set of natural functions, which satisfy the membrane equation of motion and boundary conditions. The unknown coefficients in each region are determined by applying the continuity of pressure and normal velocity at the matching boundaries. The results show that various types of wave focusing are possible by controlling the size, submergence depth, and tension of the membrane.
Lactose synthase: effect of α-lactalbumin on substrate activity of N-acylglucosamines

N-Acetyl-, N-propionyl-, N-butyryl- and N-valerylglucosamines were synthesized as topographical probes to localize further the interaction site of alpha-lactalbumin on galactosyltransferase. All these compounds were found to be substrates for galactosyltransferase with Km values in the millimolar range. In the presence of alpha-lactalbumin, the Michaelis-Menten constants were diminished. However, the effect on the initial rates of these reactions varied. Thus, at low N-acylglucosamine concentrations, alpha-lactalbumin activated the enzyme activity, but at high concentrations, alpha-lactalbumin became inhibitory. This mixed-type inhibition kinetics indicated that a quaternary complex between galactosyltransferase, alpha-lactalbumin, Mn2+-UDPgalactose and N-acylglucosamine existed during the catalytic process. The ability of these N-acylglucosamine substrates to bind to lactose synthase complex was further substantiated by the physical association of galactosyltransferase onto the solid-bound alpha-lactalbumin in the presence of any one of these compounds. The data revealed that the presence of the N-acyl group up to five carbons in length did not interfere with the interaction between alpha-lactalbumin and galactosyltransferase, suggesting that alpha-lactalbumin was not bound in the vicinity of the C-2 region of the monosaccharide site. The inhibitory effect of alpha-lactalbumin on N-acyllactosamine formation is probably a consequence of conformational changes of galactosyltransferase.
The impact of ethanol production on food prices: The role of interplay between the U.S. and Brazil☆

Abstract Food prices have increased rapidly in recent years, and so has ethanol production. Some studies have claimed that there is a connection between the two. The main purpose of this paper is to add to this literature by examining the influence that the interplay between Brazil and the U.S. in ethanol production has on food prices. Specifically, and controlling for other variables, which have been shown to affect food prices, we investigate whether sugarcane ethanol and corn ethanol production have similar impacts on food prices, and whether ethanol productivity affects food prices. We find a positive significant effect of Brazilian market share in world ethanol market on relative food prices. We also find that an increase of Brazilian cane ethanol area has a negative effect on relative food prices.
From chance to frequent encounters: Origins of β2-microglobulin fibrillogenesis

It is generally accepted that amyloid formation requires partial, but not complete unfolding of a polypeptide chain. Amyloid formation by h-2 microglobulin (h2m), however, readily occurs under strongly native conditions provided that there is exposure to specific transition metal cations. In this review, we discuss transition metal catalyzed conformational changes in several amyloidogenic systems including prion protein, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. For some systems, including h2m from dialysis related amyloidosis (DRA), catalysis overcomes an entropic barrier to protein aggregation. Recent data suggest that h2m samples conformations that are under thermodynamic control, resulting in local or partial unfolding under native conditions. Furthermore, exposure to transition metal cations stabilizes these partially unfolded states and promotes the formation of small oligomers, whose structures are simultaneously near-native and amyloid-like. By serving as a tether, Cu 2+ enables the encounter of amyloidogenic conformations to occur on time scales which are significantly more rapid than would occur between freely diffusing monomeric protein. Once amyloid formation occurs, the requirement for Cu 2+ is lost. We assert that h2m amyloid fiber formation at neutral pH may be facilitated by rearrangements catalyzed by the transient and pair wise tethering of h2m at the blood/dialysate interface present during therapeutic hemodialysis. D 2005 Published by Elsevier B.V.