cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hunter-gatherer inter-band interaction rates: implications for cumulative culture.

Our species exhibits spectacular success due to cumulative culture. While cognitive evolution of social learning mechanisms may be partially responsible for adaptive human culture, features of early human social structure may also play a role by increasing the number potential models from which to learn innovations. We present interview data on interactions between same-sex adult dyads of Ache and Hadza hunter-gatherers living in multiple distinct residential bands (20 Ache bands; 42 Hadza bands; 1201 dyads) throughout a tribal home range. Results show high probabilities (5%–29% per year) of cultural and cooperative interactions between randomly chosen adults. Multiple regression suggests that ritual relationships increase interaction rates more than kinship, and that affinal kin interact more often than dyads with no relationship. These may be important features of human sociality. Finally, yearly interaction rates along with survival data allow us to estimate expected lifetime partners for a variety of social activities, and compare those to chimpanzees. Hadza and Ache men are estimated to observe over 300 men making tools in a lifetime, whereas male chimpanzees interact with only about 20 other males in a lifetime. High intergroup interaction rates in ancestral humans may have promoted the evolution of cumulative culture.
Spectrum, entropy, and geometric structures for smooth actions of kazhdan groups

We show that many natural classes of actions of discrete subgroups of semisimple Lie groups have discrete spectrum, i.e., are measurably conjugate to isometric actions.
Probing high density plasmas with soft x-ray lasers

Collisionally pumped x-ray lasers are ideal for a wide variety of plasma diagnostics. They have been demonstrated over a wavelength range extending from 3.5 nm to 40 nm and have output energies as high as 10 mJ in 150 ps pulses. The beam divergence is less than 15 mrad and the linewidth (lambda) /(Delta) (lambda) approximately 104 provides sufficient longitudinal coherence for interferometry. Using various arrangements constructed with multi-layer XUV reflective optics we have carried out a variety of experiments with the yttrium x-ray laser operating at 15.5 nm. Initial experiments involved x-ray laser backlighting and Moire deflectometry, while later work demonstrated interferometric determinations of plasma density profiles in various targets. We have also studied hydrodynamic imprinting of laser speckle patterns on directly driven thin foils with 1 - 2 micrometer spatial resolution. These detailed plasma diagnostic capabilities provide an important means to benchmark hydrodynamic calculations of dense plasma flows.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Mapping and analysis of microplasticity in tensile-deformed double-notched silicon crystals by computer-aided X-ray double-crystal diffractometry

Abstract A computer-aided X-ray double-crystal diffractometer was developed to map and analyze rapidly the distribution of plastic and elastic strains in deformed single crystals. It was employed to analyze the microplasticity induced in a double-notched silicon crystal tensile deformed at 800 °C, which was selected as a model material. The study was aimed at exploring the agreement and divergence between micromechanics and macromechanics concepts. The following results were obtained. 1. (1) When long-range interaction effects of the strained plastic zones were negligible by applying small tensile stresses (e.g. 23.4 MPa), plastic zones were formed at the notch tip which were similar to those developed in single-notched specimens. They exhibited shape characteristics in agreement with calculations based on continuum mechanics. 2. (2) With increased deformation the lattice misorientation induced in the internotch region of the specimen increased and was accompanied by modifications of the characteristics of the plastic zone at the notch tips. 3. (3) The microplastic trajectory of the internotch zone, disclosed by the X-ray analysis, outlined the future fracture path of the crystal. 4. (4) The experimentally observed decrease in microplasticity as a function of depth distance from the surface was explained from both the micromechanics and the macromechanics viewpoint. 5. (5) Because of the experimentally observed plasticity gradient from surface to interior, the constraint factor cannot be assumed to be constant.
Scope marking as indirect WH-dependency

In certain languages, scope-marking structures are used to express long-distancewh-dependencies along with or instead of the more familiar extraction structure. The existence of these two strategies raises an interesting question for the mapping between syntactic structure and semantic representation. Should apparent semantic equivalence be taken as a guide and syntactic parallelism posited at an abstract level of syntax? Or should the surface syntactic distinction between them be maintained and an alternative explanation sought for the similarity in meaning? In this paper I show that theoretical as well as empirical considerations argue against the first approach. I present a syntactic analysis of scope-marking structures in which the dependency betweenwh-expressions is indirect (in contrast to extraction structures which encode directwh-dependencies). I draw attention to certain differences between scope marking and extraction structures which show that they are not really equivalent. The interpretive procedure given for indirectwh-dependencies derives the considerable similarity in meaning between the two structures while maintaining the necessary distinctions.
Nutrient accumulation in leaf tissue of rapid‐cycling brassuca oleracea responds to increasing sodium selenate concentrations

Abstract Brassica oleracea L. are important economic vegetables, and are capable of selenium (Se) enrichment to enhance human nutrition and health. Because Se enrichment may influence the nutrient balance of this crop, a study was done to test the effects of selenate‐Se on plant nutrients. Plants of a rapid‐cycling B. oleracea population were grown in nutrient solutions amended with Na2SeO4at 0.0, 3.0, 6.0, and 9.0 mg L‐1. Leaf tissue was then analyzed for nutrient content. Boron (B) (P=0.01), iron (Fe) (P=0.01), and phosphorus (P) (P=0.01) content decreased, while Se (P=0.01), sulfur (S) (P=0.01), and potassium (K) content (P=0.01) increased with increasing selenate‐Se treatments. Significant quadratic responses were found for magnesium (P=0.01) and molybdenum (P=0.01). No significant differences in leaf fresh or dry weight were detected. Changes in plant nutrient content can be expected when Brassicas are enhanced for delivery of beneficial organic Se.
What Progress Has Been Made on Agenda 21, Chapter 11?: A Critical Examination of Developments Since UNCED

Sumario Se analizan, a partir de la Conferencia de las Naciones Unidas para el medio ambiente y el desarollo (Rio de Janeiro, junio de 1992), varias de las principales iniciativas de orden mundial, en el campo forestal, que han sido promovidas por gobiernos, organizaciones gubernamentales y no gubernamentales, incluyendo los pasos dados en el seno de las Naciones Unidas. Se dan algunas recomendaciones orientadas al manejo sostenible y a una percepcion mas completa de las funciones del bosque.
The Police Sixth Sense: An Observation in Search of a Theory

Police officers are said to possess a “sixth sense,” defined in terms of suspicion, fear, intuition, and even common sense. Research and training on the sixth sense, however, lack theoretical guidance. To address this shortcoming, the author likens the sixth sense to an experiential thinking style, which not only explains why police officers presumably have it, but also makes it possible to know whether they even have a sixth sense at all.
Bracket formulation for irreversible classical fields

Abstract A bracket formulation for irreversible fields analogous to that for hamiltonian fields is presented. The formulation contains a bracket with symmetric and antisymmetric components and a generator of time translation. Plasma examples are given when the generator of time translation is the energy, entropy and Helmholtz free energy.
Higher Serum Levels of Vitamin D Are Associated With a Reduced Risk of Diverticulitis

Background & Aims Recent studies have shown geographic and seasonal variations in hospital admissions for diverticulitis. Because this variation parallels differences in ultraviolet light exposure, the most important contributor to vitamin D status, we examined the association of prediagnostic serum levels of vitamin D with diverticulitis. Methods Among patients within the Partners Healthcare System who had blood drawn and serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-[OH]D) measured, from 1993 through 2012, we identified 9116 patients with uncomplicated diverticulosis and 922 patients who developed diverticulitis that required hospitalization. We used multivariate logistic regression to estimate relative risks and 95% confidence intervals to compare serum 25(OH)D levels between these groups. Results Patients with uncomplicated diverticulosis had significantly higher mean prediagnostic serum levels of 25(OH)D (29.1 ng/mL) than patients with diverticulitis who required hospitalization (25.3 ng/mL; P P for trend P P = .0095; n = 124), for patients with diverticulitis requiring emergent laparotomy (22.7 ng/mL; P = .002; n = 65), and for patients with recurrent diverticulitis (23.5 ng/mL; P Conclusions Among patients with diverticulosis, higher prediagnostic levels of 25(OH)D are associated significantly with a lower risk of diverticulitis. These data indicate that vitamin D deficiency could be involved in the pathogenesis of diverticulitis.
Abstract A6: Nicotine stimulates lung and pancreatic cancers xenografts by systemic increase in stress neurotransmitters and suppression of the inhibitory neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid

Human lung adenocarcinoma (AC) and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are among the most common types of human cancer and have a poor prognosis in all populations investigated. Smoking is a risk factor for both malignancies. Nicotine addiction is characterized by changes of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in the brain to increase the production of excitatory neurotransmitters while reducing inhibitory neurotransmitters. The current study has tested the hypothesis that chronic nicotine stimulates the growth of PAC and PDAC xenografts in nude mice via similar mechanisms. Groups of nude mice carrying xenografts of AC cell line NCI-H322 or PDAC cell line Panc-1 remained untreated, were given nicotine in the drinking water for 30 days in the presence and absence of daily injections with GABA or were treated with GABA alone. The diameters of xenografts were measured. Levels of noradrenaline and adrenaline, the stress hormone cortisol, the neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in serum and xenograft tissues and levels of cAMP in the cellular fraction of blood and in xenograft tissue were assessed by immunoassays. The levels of GAD65, GAD67, nAChRs and signaling proteins downstream of β-ARs in the tumor tissue were determined by Western blotting. Our data show a significant stimulation of xenografts from both cell lines by chronic nicotine that was reversed by treatment with GABA. Nicotine also significantly increased the systemic levels of adrenaline, noradrenaline and cAMP while decreasing GABA. The protein levels of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors α4 and α7, p-CREB and p-ERK1/2 in the tumor tissue was significantly increased by nicotine and reversed by GABA. Nicotine additionally reduced the protein levels of both GAD isozymes in tumor tissue. In summary, our findings suggest that nicotine-induced predominance of stimulatory noradrenaline and deficiency in inhibitory GABA similar to nicotine-addiction in the brain may contribute to the development of lung adenocarcinoma in smokers and that GABA may be useful for marker-guided prevention and adjuvant therapy for PAC and PDAC. Supported by R01 CA042829 and R01 CA130888 with National Institutes of Health. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2010;3(12 Suppl):A6.
Establishing a proactive safety and health risk management system in the fire service

Formalized risk management (RM) is an internationally accepted process for reducing hazards in the workplace, with defined steps including hazard scoping, risk assessment, and implementation of controls, all within an iterative process. While required for all industry in the European Union and widely used elsewhere, the United States maintains a compliance-based regulatory structure, rather than one based on systematic, risk-based methodologies. Firefighting is a hazardous profession, with high injury, illness, and fatality rates compared with other occupations, and implementation of RM programs has the potential to greatly improve firefighter safety and health; however, no descriptions of RM implementation are in the peer-reviewed literature for the North American fire service. In this paper we describe the steps used to design and implement the RM process in a moderately-sized fire department, with particular focus on prioritizing and managing injury hazards during patient transport, fireground, and physical exercise procedures. Hazard scoping and formalized risk assessments are described, in addition to the identification of participatory-led injury control strategies. Process evaluation methods were conducted to primarily assess the feasibility of voluntarily instituting the RM approach within the fire service setting. The RM process was well accepted by the fire department and led to development of 45 hazard specific-interventions. Qualitative data documenting the implementation of the RM process revealed that participants emphasized the: value of the RM process, especially the participatory bottom-up approach; usefulness of the RM process for breaking down tasks to identify potential risks; and potential of RM for reducing firefighter injury. As implemented, this risk-based approach used to identify and manage occupational hazards and risks was successful and is deemed feasible for U.S. (and other) fire services. While several barriers and challenges do exist in the implementation of any intervention such as this, recommendations for adopting the process are provided. Additional work will be performed to determine the effectiveness of select controls strategies that were implemented; however participants throughout the organizational structure perceived the RM process to be of high utility while researchers also found the process improved the awareness and engagement in actively enhancing worker safety and health.
Broad-band X-Ray Spectra of the Black Hole Candidate GRO J1655-40

We present broad-band (2 keV to 2 MeV) X-ray spectra of GRO J1655-40, a luminous X-ray transient and occasional source of relativistic radio jets, obtained with RXTE and OSSE. In one observation, the luminosity is found to be 18% of the Eddington limit, which is one of the highest luminosities ever observed from GRO J1655-40. For this observation, we find that an adequate fit is obtained when a broad iron line and a reflection component are added to a model consisting of a power-law plus a soft excess component. The 95% confidence lower limit on the rms line width is 0.86 keV. The power-law component has a photon index of 2.72 and extends to at least 800 keV without a cutoff. After this observation, a significant drop in the (5-12 keV)/(1.5-5 keV) hardness ratio occurred on a timescale less than 2 hours. From an RXTE observation of GRO J1655-40 made after the hardness transition, we find that the power-law index is harder (2.415 +/- 0.011), the flux of the power-law component is lower, and the total luminosity is 10% of the Eddington limit. The change in the power-law component is consistent with the correlation between the spectral index and power-law flux previously reported for GRO J1655-40.
Out there! Exploring the varied experiences of lesbian youth: an introduction.

This article serves as an introduction to a special issue of the Journal of Lesbian Studies on the lives of lesbian youth.
Mesozoic geology of the Jackson Mountains, northwestern Nevada

The Jackson Mountains Unit, a tectonostratigraphic unit in the Jackson Mountains, northwestern Nevada, includes the Upper Triassic pelagic, carbonate, and volcanogenic sedimentary rocks of the Boulder Creek beds, the Upper Triassic to Middle Jurassic volcanic and volcanogenic sedimentary rocks of the Happy Creek complex, and the Lower Cretaceous sedimentary rocks of the King Lear Formation. The lower Mesozoic rocks of the Jackson Mountains Unit record a transition from sedimentation on a starved lower slope–basinal margin, locally interrupted by prograding deposition from shoaled Mesozoic and possibly Paleozoic carbonate terranes, to the eruption of a proximal intraoceanic magmatic arc. This magmatic arc, represented by the Happy Creek igneous complex, erupted at the margin of North America that lay in northwestern Nevada during early Mesozoic and possibly later times. Between Middle Jurassic and mid-Cretaceous times, the Jackson Mountains Unit was subjected to multiple phases of deformation. Broad, open folding, probably resulting from shortening along a southwest-northeast axis (modern coordinates), affected the region between Middle Jurassic and Early Cretaceous times. During Early Cretaceous times, southeast-northwest shortening produced cleavage, thrusts, and folds. The second phase of shortening, orthogonal to the first, produced local intermountain basins in which the fluvial sediments of the Lower Cretaceous King Lear Formation were simultaneously deposited, on erosional unconformities above lower Mesozoic rocks of the Jackson Mountains Unit, and deformed. Also during the second phase of deformation, late Paleozoic sedimentary rocks were thrust over the Jackson Mountains Unit. A later phase of thrusting affected second phase structures between Early and mid-Cretaceous times. The absence of significant metamorphism and the development of only modest foliation, except near thrust faults, suggest that thrusting in the Jackson Mountains was thin skinned.
Clinical risk factors for in-hospital adverse cardiovascular events after acute drug overdose.

OBJECTIVES: It was recently demonstrated that adverse cardiovascular events (ACVE) complicate a high proportion of hospitalizations for patients with acute drug overdoses. The aim of this study was to derive independent clinical risk factors for ACVE in patients with acute drug overdoses. METHODS: This prospective cohort study was conducted over 3 years at two urban university hospitals. Patients were adults with acute drug overdoses enrolled from the ED. In-hospital ACVE was defined as any of myocardial injury, shock, ventricular dysrhythmia, or cardiac arrest. RESULTS: There were 1,562 patients meeting inclusion/exclusion criteria (mean age, 41.8 years; female, 46%; suicidal, 38%). ACVE occurred in 82 (5.7%) patients (myocardial injury, 61; shock, 37; dysrhythmia, 23; cardiac arrests, 22) and there were 18 (1.2%) deaths. On univariate analysis, ACVE risk increased with age, lower serum bicarbonate, prolonged QTc interval, prior cardiac disease, and altered mental status. In a multivariable model adjusting for these factors as well as patient sex and hospital site, independent predictors were: QTc > 500 msec (3.8% prevalence, odds ratio [OR] = 27.6), bicarbonate CONCLUSIONS: The authors derived independent clinical risk factors for ACVE in patients with acute drug overdose, which should be validated in future studies as a prediction rule in distinct patient populations and clinical settings. Language: en
Sensitivity of EUV resists to out-of-band radiation

Here we present the relative sensitivity of EUV resists to out of band radiation (OOB), specifically wavelengths in the range 157 - 400 nm. EUV light sources have specifications limiting the allowed energy output in that spectral range yet there is little data supporting the specified values. Filters might be required to meet the spectral purity specifications which will likely have the detrimental effect of reducing the in-band radiation at 13.5 nm and therefore negatively impact the cost of ownership of EUV lithography. To better quantify the effects of OOB we obtained contrast curves and absorbance spectra for several EUV resist platforms at nine exposure wavelengths. The 2007 ITRS Roadmap suggests that resist thicknesses will be near 35 - 65 nm when EUV will be used1. We found that, in this optically thin regime, resist sensitivity increases with increasing absorbance. The sensitivity decreases dramatically for wavelengths approaching 300 nm, and is negligible for longer wavelengths. The OOB sensitivity of the resists examined can be estimated to within an order of magnitude using the resist absorbance value. For resists with absorbance values on the same order of magnitude, sensitivity is determined by other aspects of the resist formulation. Within the wavelength region explored, the greatest concern is near 160 - 240 nm based on current resist sensitivity characteristics. However, there is a gap in data between 13.5 - 157 nm and there may be other reasons to limit the source output in that wavelength range. The data presented here could be useful in setting or modifying the OOB specifications for EUV tools.
A New Full Rate Space Time Block Code for Three Transmit Antenna Systems

We propose a new space-time block code for three transmit antennas using a special modulation scheme, called "twin QPSK". This space-time block code has rate one and achieves significant diversity gain that is close to full diversity when used with "twin QPSK" modulation. The decoder detects the transmitted symbols in pairs. The performance of this space- time block code is compared with the performance of other space-time block codes. It is observed that this code achieves better performance than conventional space-time block codes.
Brief paper: A convex optimization approach to filtering in jump linear systems with state dependent transitions

We introduce a new methodology to construct a Gaussian mixture approximation to the true filter density in hybrid Markovian switching systems. We relax the assumption that the mode transition process is a Markov chain and allow it to depend on the actual and unobservable state of the system. The main feature of the method is that the Gaussian densities used in the approximation are selected as the solution of a convex programming problem which trades off sparsity of the solution with goodness of fit. A meaningful example shows that the proposed method can outperform the widely used interacting multiple model (IMM) filter and GPB2 in terms of accuracy at the expenses of an increase in computational time.
Optical and seasonal variations along the U.S.-Mexico border: an analysis with Landsat TM imagery

A multi-temporal border study was conducted with a series of seven Landsat Thematic images acquired during the 1992 growing season. Spatial and temporal variations across the border were analyzed with reflectance and thermal data. Vegetation index and brightness parameters were computed to study land use differences and their impact on vegetation and soil, temporal and phenological variations. The thermal data, in conjunction with the vegetation index results were used to infer differences in moisture, condition and stress throughout the wet and dry seasons. This was accompanied by a ground-based campaign to analyze the soil and biophysical properties of the surface. Soil color, texture and reflectance were measured on both sides of the border along with plant cover and biomass sampling. Significant differences in biomass cover and dry/green biomass ratios were found. The Mexican side had a more intense grazing use, which resulted in a lack of dry plant material, as well as lower amount of green growth. The normalized vegetation index (NDVI) and brightness clearly showed vegetation differences across the border while thermal differences were more subtle. >
On Being Consistent: The Role of Verbal–Nonverbal Consistency in First Impressions

Extant research suggests that people seem deceitful and difficult to understand when their verbal behavior is inconsistent with their nonverbal behavior. Building on this literature, we examined the impact of behavioral coherence on impression formation: We expected people to be likeable to the extent that their verbal and nonverbal behavior was consistent (i.e., coherent). In two studies, participants were videotaped during interpersonal interactions. In both studies, judges with access to only transcripts or silent videos rated participants with respect to emotions (Study 1) or interpersonal concern (Study 2). Other judges—with access to full-audio video—rated participants’ likeability. Consistency across verbal (transcript) and nonverbal (silent video) channels was associated with likeability. Discussion focuses on the role of behavioral coherence in impression formation.
Gene expression pathways of high grade localized prostate cancer

BACKGROUND Despite advances in screening and local therapy, prostate cancer remains the second most common cause of cancer related death among American men, with those having high grade disease being at highest risk for prostate cancer mortality. Here we identify the genes and cellular pathways that distinguish high grade from low grade pathologically localized prostate cancer. METHODS Cancer cells from low grade (Gleason 3 + 3 = 6) or high grade (4 + 4 = 8) tumors of men with localized disease were isolated by laser capture micro-dissection. Expression profiling was conducted across 18,344 unique annotated genes and data were analyzed using packages from the R/Bioconductor project to determine differential gene expression and perform gene set enrichment analysis. Publically available expression data was retrieved and analyzed individually in the same manner and in cross platform meta-analyses. RESULTS Six hundred seventy genes were differentially expressed between Gleason sum 6 and 8 tumors with a false discovery rate of <5% (P < 0.0014) including genes previously shown to mediate prostate cancer survival, proliferation, and metastasis. Functional themes associated with Gleason grade included developmental processes, signal transduction, chemokine and embryonic stem cell pathways with specific enrichment of the androgen receptor, EGFR, TNF-alpha, and Notch signaling cascades. CONCLUSIONS In addition to androgen receptor signaling, growth factor, and cytokine mediated pathways are active in clinically localized high grade prostate cancer. The availability of therapeutics that selectively target these pathways encourages the development of clinical trials for their selective use in the neoadjuvant or adjuvant setting in men at high risk for disease progression. Prostate 71:1568–1578, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Guanidine reduces stop codon read-through caused by missense mutations in SUP35 or SUP45.

Sup35 and Sup45 are essential protein components of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae translation termination factor. Yeast cells harbouring the [PSI(+)] prion form of Sup35 have impaired stop codon recognition (nonsense suppression). It has long been known that the [PSI(+)] prion is not stably transmitted to daughter cells when yeast are grown in the presence of mM concentrations of guanidine hydrochloride (GuHCl). In this paper, Mendelian suppressor mutations whose phenotypes are likewise hidden during growth in the presence of millimolar GuHCl are described. Such GuHCl-remedial Mendelian suppressors were selected under conditions where [PSI(+)] appearance was limiting, and were caused by missense mutations in SUP35 or SUP45. Clearly, anti-suppression caused by growth in the presence of GuHCl is not sufficient to distinguish missense mutations in SUP35 or SUP45, from [PSI(+)]. However, the Mendelian and prion suppressors can be distinguished by subsequent growth in the absence of GuHCl, where only the nonsense suppression caused by the [PSI(+)] prion remains cured. Recent reports indicate that GuHCl blocks the inheritance of [PSI(+)] by directly inhibiting the activity of the protein remodelling factor Hsp104, which is required for the transmission of [PSI(+)] from mother to daughter cells. However, the nonsense suppressor activity caused by the GuHCl-remedial sup35 or sup45 suppressors does not require Hsp104. Thus, GuHCl must anti-suppress the sup35 and sup45 mutations via an in vivo target distinct from Hsp104.
Family Consequences of Parental Dyslexia

There exists a growing awareness of the problems surrounding learning disabilities in adults (see Silberberg and Silberberg's Guest Editorial in this issue). Just as learning problems affect nonacademic aspects of a child's life, so do they affect an adult's life. Little research exists on adults with learning disabilities. This case study should serve to sensitize clinicians to the potential family problems which may accompany an adult's learning disability. — G.M.S.
A multimedia desktop collaboration system

Desktop multimedia conferencing, which can enhance the quality of collaboration between remote participants, is considered. The architectural and implementation issues involved in the design of such an application are discussed. A prototype desktop conferencing system is presented. It provides a multiparty collaborative environment which integrates high-quality video and audio with a shared workspace manager. Some of the distinguishing features of this system are the flexibility to support various types of collaboration, full-motion (30-frames/s) video, support for multiple video windows, and unconstrained audio. The shared workspace manager allows existing X-windows applications to be used concurrently by the participants in the conference. >
Duplication Mutation as an SOS Response in Escherichia coli: Enhanced Duplication Formation by a Constitutively Activated RecA

The SOS response in Escherichia coli involves the induction of a multioperon regulatory system, which copes with the presence of DNA lesions that interfere with DNA replication. Induction depends on activation of the RecA protein to cleave the LexA repressor of SOS operons. In addition to inducible DNA repair, the SOS system produces a large increase in the frequency of point mutations. To examine the possibility that other types of mutations are induced as part of the SOS response, we have studied the production of tandem duplications. To avoid the complications of indirect effects of the DNA lesions, we have activated the SOS response by a constitutive mutation in the recA gene, recA730. The introduction of the recA730 mutation results in an increase in duplications in the range of tenfold or greater, as judged by two different criteria. Based on its genetic requirements, the pathway for induced duplication formation is distinct from the point mutation pathway and also differs from the major normal recombination pathway. The induction of pathways for both duplications and point mutations shows that the SOS system produces a broad mutagenic response. We have suggested previously that many types of mutations might be induced by severe environmental stress, thereby enhancing genetic variation in an endangered population.
Current Options in the Management of Primary Vesicoureteral Reflux in Children

The management of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) is varied and remains controversial, which is likely because children with VUR have different risks for urinary tract infection or renal injury. Consequently, the treatment of VUR needs to be individualized based on the patient's characteristics. In this article, the authors review the medical and surgical management options for VUR in the pediatric population. The authors hope to provide a systematic approach to determine which treatment is optimal for a specific patient.
Evaluation of a variable dose acquisition technique for microcalcification and mass detection in digital breast tomosynthesis.

In this article the authors evaluate a recently proposed variable dose (VD)-digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) acquisition technique in terms of the detection accuracy for breast masses and microcalcification (MC) clusters. With this technique, approximately half of the total dose is used for one center projection and the remaining dose is split among the other tomosynthesis projection views. This acquisition method would yield both a projection view and a reconstruction view. One of the aims of this study was to evaluate whether the center projection alone of the VD acquisition can provide equal or superior MC detection in comparison to the 3D images from uniform dose (UD)-DBT. Another aim was to compare the mass-detection capabilities of 3D reconstructions from VD-DBT and UD-DBT. In a localization receiver operating characteristic (LROC) observer study of MC detection, the authors compared the center projection of a VD acquisition scheme (at 2 mGy dose) with detector pixel size of 100 μm with the UD-DBT reconstruction (at 4 mGy dose) obtained with a voxel size of 100 μm. MCs with sizes of 150 and 180 μm were used in the study, with each cluster consisting of seven MCs distributed randomly within a small volume. Reconstructed images in UD-DBT were obtained from a projection set that had a total of 4 mGy dose. The current study shows that for MC detection, using the center projection alone of VD acquisition scheme performs worse with area under the LROC curve (AL) of 0.76 than when using the 3D reconstructed image using the UD acquisition scheme (AL=0.84). A 2D ANOVA found a statistically significant difference (p=0.038) at a significance level of 0.05. In the current study, although a reconstructed image was also available using the VD acquisition scheme, it was not used to assist the MC detection task which was done using the center projection alone. In the case of evaluation of detection accuracy of masses, the reconstruction with VD-DBT (AL=0.71) was compared to that obtained from the UD-DBT (AL=0.78). The authors found no statistically significant difference between the two (p-value=0.22), although all the observers performed better for UD-DBT.
Underestimation of Mortality Following Lung Volume Reduction Surgery Resulting From Incomplete Follow-up

Study objectives Incomplete follow-up can bias interpretation of data that are collected in longitudinal studies. We noted that many patients failed to return for follow-up in a study of effect of lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) on quality of life (QOL). Accordingly, we designed this investigation to determine the reasons patients dropped out, and to assess differences between those who continued in the study (attendees) and those who did not (nonattendees). Design Telephone survey. Subjects Patients with advanced emphysema who had undergone LVRS and had previously agreed to participate in a longitudinal QOL study. Results No differences were found with regard to age, gender, preoperative pulmonary function, or oxygen use between attendees and nonattendees. Long-term mortality in nonattendees (27%) was considerably greater than that seen in attendees (3%, p Conclusions Studies reporting the long-term mortality after LVRS can be biased in the direction of underestimating the true value if they are compromised by incomplete follow-up.
Single-Crystal GaAs and GaSb on Insulator on Bulk Si Substrates Based on Rapid Melt Growth

A high-quality III-V material on Si substrates has been a primary goal for ultimate device integration. By using the rapid melt growth (RMG) method, we have demonstrated the transformation of amorphous to single crystal for both GaAs and GaSb on bulk Si substrates. High-resolution pictures and selective area diffraction patterns show single-crystal films directly seeded from the Si substrate and propagated along the patterned stripes on top of the insulating layer. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy was applied to investigate the stoichiometry of the compound material after resolidification. The results show a direct relationship between crystal quality and atomic composition, which suggests a congruent growth for the III-V material during the solidification process despite the possibility of out gassing during the RMG process. This provides a simple path for monolithic optical-electrical integration.
Endoscopic Ultrasonography in Diseases of the Gallbladder

In recent years, endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) has emerged as an important tool for the diagnosis and management of pancreaticobiliary disease. The close proximity of the echoendoscope to the biliary system allows detailed imaging of the gallbladder and adjacent structures. EUS is useful for the detection of occult cholelithiasis and biliary sludge and in the evaluation of suspected choledocholithiasis. It can be used to classify and predict neoplasia in polypoid lesions of the gallbladder and also to diagnose and stage gallbladder carcinoma. This article reviews the use of EUS in these diseases of the gallbladder.
Expression of Epidermal Growth Factor and Its Receptor in Cirrhotic Liver Disease

Polypeptide growth factors, including epidermal growth factor (EGF), play a central role in regulating hepatocyte growth both in vivo and in primary culture. To characterize EGF gene expression in the pathogenesis of regenerative cirrhotic fibrosis, we employed biotinylated antisense oligonucleotide probes to localize hepatic mRNA transcripts in situ. In control tissue and regenerative hepatic nodules, EGF receptor (EGFR) mRNA transcripts were expressed constitutively. In contrast, oligonucleotide probes targeting the human EGF coding region showed that EGF transcription was extremely low in control liver but was highly elevated and localized to regenerative hepatic nodules and bile duct epithelia of cirrhotic liver. To determine whether EGF mRNA accumulation accompanied a comparable increase in the EGF peptide, we performed immunohistochemistry using an antibody specific for the nonprocessed peptide aminoterminus. We observed that positive localized EGF staining paralleled its mRNA transcript. These results indicate that EGF upregulation is a characteristic of cirrhotic liver disease and suggest that persistent de novo ligand synthesis and its signaling contribute to an autocrine-mediated hepatocyte proliferation within the regenerative nodule.
Impact of slum formalization on self-help housing construction: A case of slum notification in India

This paper investigates the extent to which slum notification, a tenure formalization policy that officially recognises settlements as slums and ensures the occupancy rights of the residents, has stimulated housing investment by the households in India. In using a nationally representative data set, propensity score methods are employed to reduce selection bias. This paper finds that given the observed household characteristics adjusted by propensity scores, slum notification will increase the average amount of money spent on housing construction, though the proportion of households who would improve their houses is estimated to be higher in non-formalized settlements. The findings suggest that not only formalizing slums but also supporting self-help efforts by the residents of non-formalized slums would be effective for improving their housing conditions.
Attitudes Toward Women Mediate the Gender Effect on Attitudes Toward Sexist Language

Studies of attitudes toward sexist language have consistently revealed a gender gap, with women considerably more supportive of inclusive language than men. The present study investigated this gend...
The long term affects of Data Management on the Economic Welfare of a City Government

This research examines management processes that lead to the omission of $2.3 million in betterment fees in the City of Cape Coral (City). It concentrates on management processes, data problems, and personnel issues that contributed and resulted in developing properties completing the Planned Development Process (PDP) without checks from critical areas in the financial system. This research analyzes how betterment fees, often called Contribution in Aid of Construction (CIAC), were designed, collected, and managed. This case study also outlines key measurement processes neglected by the City and demonstrates how management corrected the issue of lost revenue through errant billing by analysis and reengineering of the system. Despite hours of public debate and input from concerned citizens, this issue has continued for approximately 10 years. A 2004 betterment list is substantially increased and contains some properties listed on the original 1996 list. The issue is still as controversial as ever and efforts to address it seem to be ignored or minimized.
The Hague: An Endless Balancing Act of Preventing Intercountry Adoption Abuses and Finding Permanent Homes for Orphans

Intercountry adoption – is it a great humanitarian act or a channel of human trafficking? In many ways the legal aspects of intercountry adoption (“ICA”) frame the essential issues. Who is an orphan and how can he or she be best cared for? How can children and birth parents be protected from exploitation and trafficking? Who should be eligible to adopt an orphan via ICA? How should ICA and domestic options be balanced? By framing the essential issues, a legal approach seeks to define what these issues are about and, in doing so, cultivates a basis and authority from which to address these difficult questions and enact how ICA should, can, and ought to occur. The Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (“Hague” or “Hague Convention”) is the current primary international legal instrument which governs ICA. Although countries can choose whether or not to ratify the Hague Convention, the goals, principles, and regulatory scheme laid out in the Hague Convention attempt to address some of the most controversial aspects of ICA. The purpose of this article is to discuss the legal landscape of ICA and present perspectives on whether it adequately addresses the myriad of moral and ethical concerns surrounding ICA, with special attention to the influence of the Hague Convention.This article introduces the ICA legal regime under the Hague and discusses the major issues and challenges. After a brief discussion of the legal history of ICA, the paper compares and contrasts the language of the Hague Convention with its predecessor, the Convention on the Rights of the Child (“CRC”). Despite language discrepancies and ambiguities, these two documents are at the core of ICA law, the goal of which is meant to safeguard all parties involved in the ICA process. This article explores how the procedural scheme has been implemented in various countries to illustrate the success and failures of the Hague. Without being overly critical of the Hague or endorsing it as a panacea, the paper suggests ways in which the Hague might be interpreted and modified to deal with some of the problems of implementation.
Economic Analysis and African Responses to Price

is applicable throughout the world or relevant only in developed countries with large and complex markets. I wish to deal with one aspect of this important question, the supply responses of agriculturalists in underdeveloped countries, especially in Africa. Commentators on this problem may be divided, conveniently if somewhat arbitrarily, into three camps. First, some scholars, including George Dalton, believe that noneconomic factors in African and Asian societies are so important that many aspects of economic theory are irrelevant or misleading [6, pp. 373-374; 16]. Scholars of this persuasion often believe that supply curves are either nonexistent or backward bending. Secondly, other writers, including Deena Khatkhate, are also persuaded that supply curves are backward bending, but use arguments based on economic theory to support their belief [11, p. 386; 13, p. 189]. A third group recognizes that backward bending supply curves are consistent with economic theory, at least in certain types of situations. But they argue that in fact forward bending supply curves are more likely to be found than backward bending ones [1, 2, 3, 5, 9, 14, 17]. In an attempt to shed some light, both theoretical and empirical, on this controversy, I will first apply economic theory to the peasant grown tobacco crop in Malawi. (Malawi was known as Nyasaland until it gained its independence in July 1964.) This analysis yields a plausible model of the behavior of the tobacco growers. Then, on the basis of the model, predictions are made regarding various supply relationships. The predictions are then tested by multiple regression analysis and, finally, the results of the tests are compared with each of the three hypotheses I have just mentioned. We will discover that the implications of tobacco growers' responses are not limited to the problem of crop supply curves. Fortunately, the same statistical results also have implications for labor supply curves, which is a problem of equal or perhaps even greater interest.
Optimization of Transit Total Bus Stop Time Models

Abstract Several factors influence bus transit reliability which includes bus stop conditions along the route, traffic conditions, route of travel and time of day. The overall transit bus reliability is generally affected by dwell time (DT), the fare payment method, the bus stop location, and the number of passengers alighting or boarding. A new variable is defined in this study, total bus stop time (TBST), which is the summation of DT and the time it takes a bus to effectively park at a bus stop and the re-entering the traffic stream. It is suggested that the overall bus transit reliability along routes could be improved if the TBST is minimized at bus stops. In this study, TBST models for bus stops located at mid-blocks and near intersections were developed based on multivariate regression analysis using ordinary least squares method. Data collection was conducted at 60 bus stops, 30 of which were near intersections and 30 at mid-blocks, in Washington DC during morning, mid-day and evening peak hours. The variables observed at each bus stop are as follows: number of passengers alighting or boarding, DT, TBST, bus stop type, bus pad, length number of lanes on approach to the bus stop, and permitted parking. Statistical inferences were based on 5% level of significance. From the results, it was inferred that the new variable, TBST, could potentially be used to improve scheduling and transit bus systems planning in a dense urban area.
Effect of Cortisone and ACTH During Sensitization on Eosinophils and Anaphylaxis in Guinea Pigs

SummaryTwo series of 36 and 24 guinea pigs were studied. Cortisone was given to a third of the animals, ACTH to a third and the remaining third served as controls. The administration of the hormones, in moderate or large doses, was started before giving the sensitizing injections of egg white, and was continued while they were being given and for varying periods after their completion. N treatment had any effect on the severity of anaphylactic reactions induced by the subsequent intravenous injection of the antigen. Used in adequate amounts, both hormones produced pronounced and sustained reductions in the number of circulating eosinophils in the blood of male and nonpregnant female guinea pigs.