cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Molecular Diversity of Clinically Stable Human Kidney Allografts.

Importance Clinical decision and immunosuppression dosing in kidney transplantation rely on transplant biopsy tissue histology even though histology has low specificity, sensitivity, and reproducibility for rejection diagnosis. The inclusion of stable allografts in mechanistic and clinical studies is vital to provide a normal, noninjured comparative group for all interrogative studies on understanding allograft injury. Objective To refine the definition of a stable allograft as one that is clinically, histologically, and molecularly quiescent using publicly available transcriptomics data. Design, Setting, and Participants In this prognostic study, the National Center for Biotechnology Information Gene Expression Omnibus was used to search for microarray gene expression data from kidney transplant tissues, resulting in 38 studies from January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2018. The diagnostic annotations included 510 acute rejection (AR) samples, 1154 histologically stable (hSTA) samples, and 609 normal samples. Raw fluorescence intensity data were downloaded and preprocessed followed by data set merging and batch correction. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary measure was area under the receiver operating characteristics curve from a set of feature selected genes and cell types for distinguishing AR from normal kidney tissue. Results Within the 28 data sets, the feature selection procedure identified a set of 6 genes (KLF4,CENPJ,KLF2,PPP1R15A,FOSB,TNFAIP3) (area under the curve [AUC], 0.98) and 5 immune cell types (CD4+T-cell central memory [Tcm], CD4+T-cell effector memory [Tem], CD8+Tem, natural killer [NK] cells, and Type 1 T helper [TH1] cells) (AUC, 0.92) that were combined into 1 composite Instability Score (InstaScore) (AUC, 0.99). The InstaScore was applied to the hSTA samples: 626 of 1154 (54%) were found to be immune quiescent and redefined as histologically and molecularly stable (hSTA/mSTA); 528 of 1154 (46%) were found to have molecular evidence of rejection (hSTA/mAR) and should not have been classified as stable allografts. The validation on an independent cohort of 6 months of protocol biopsy samples in December 2019 showed that hSTA/mAR samples had a significant change in graft function (r = 0.52,P Conclusions and Relevance The results of this prognostic study suggest that the InstaScore could provide an important adjunct for comprehensive and highly quantitative phenotyping of protocol kidney transplant biopsy samples and could be integrated into clinical care for accurate estimation of subsequent patient clinical outcomes.
The Network Economic Effects of Whiteness

Network economic analysis provides an important and intuitive explanation of racial inequality. In short, Whiteness is Microsoft's Windows operating system, or the QWERTY keyboard, or the standard (non-metric) measurement system, and difficult to dislodge for many of the same reasons. Network effects explain how the establishment of a dominant market standard 1) can be contingent on historical context, 2) does not necessarily derive from superior intrinsic merit, and 3) exhibits strong self-reinforcing characteristics that can maintain the dominance of the standard in perpetuity, even in the absence of any explicit or conscious determination to maintain it. All of these factors are present with regard to the economic and cultural dominance of Whiteness in the United States. Whiteness works like a network standard in three important ways: 1) increasing returns to scale arising from communication standards drive markets toward a single dominant racial standard; 2) various kinds of positive feedback in complementary markets make the dominance of the Whiteness standard sticky, or resistant to change; and 3) the establishment of Whiteness as the dominant racial standard is due to historical events rather than to any inherent or natural qualities. This insight casts new light on mainstream explanations of racial inequality, supporting the critique that: 1) current racial inequality is not the result of unequal merit, but is the legacy of history; and 2) no racist intent or conspiracy is required for this inequality to continue - rather, specific intent and determination is required to dislodge it.
Relationship between parent perception of child anthropometric phenotype and body mass index change among children with developmental disabilities.

Preschool-age children with developmental disabilities (DD) have higher prevalence of obesity than children without DD. This study aimed to explore the relationship between parent perception of their children’s anthropometric phenotype and child body mass index (BMI) z score change over one school year among preschoolers with DD. The analysis consisted of a subsample (N = 64) of children with DD from a larger randomized controlled trial to test an obesity prevention program in the childcare center setting. Parents ranks their child’s anthropometric phenotype on a visual silhouette chart on a scale from 1 (underweight) to 7 (obese) and that rank score is compared to their BMI z score change over one school year. The majority (75%) of parents with an obese child underestimated their child’s anthropometric phenotype while 7% parents with a non-obese child overestimated. Parent overestimation of child anthropometric phenotype status is associated with increased BMI z score change over 1 school year among preschool-age children with disabilities. Parental overestimation of child anthropometric phenotype status was associated with weight gain in preschool children with DD after one school year.
Digital Trade Agreements and Domestic Policy

National debates over policies that affect the flow of digital information are heating up as censorship, surveillance, control over personal data, and requirements to store data locally have emerged as contentious political issues. In the coming years, governments will need to carefully craft policies that preserve the free flow of information and avoid data nationalism. But these policies are not just domestic in nature. The regulations that emerge will have an international dimension due to their impact on companies and individuals in other countries. In an ideal word, domestic regulation would not lead to trade conflict, but in reality it often does. To address the conflicts that might arise from regulatory effects abroad, there have been efforts at the bilateral, regional, and multilateral level to develop international rules on digital governance. The scope of digital trade agreements is still evolving, but, to take one example, the recent U.S.-Japan Digital Trade Agreement defines “digital product” as “a computer program, text, video, image, sound recording, or other product that is digitally encoded, produced for commercial sale or distribution, and that can be transmitted electronically.”1 With this and other provisions that establish broad coverage, these agreements will have an impact on virtually all commercial activity on the internet and on smartphone apps. The international rules for digital trade address specific regulatory issues such as consumer protection and spam, but they also include the broad principle of nondiscrimination, which offers more general international oversight. Two key aspects of that principle are the nondiscrimination obligation, which in the international trade context requires that domestic regulations treat comparable foreign and domestic products alike and treat comparable foreign products from different countries alike; and exceptions for various public policies, which ensure that the international trade regime does not interfere with policymaking on nontrade issues. Under the Trump administration, the United States put forward specific language during negotiations on these digital agreements that results in an overly broad approach to the nondiscrimination obligation and a narrow approach to the exceptions. This paper argues that the Biden administration should reconsider current U.S. policy in this area and adjust the proposals it has made in the ongoing World Trade Organization (WTO) e‐​commerce negotiations.
Beyond Blanqueamiento: Córdoba’s Pardocracia and Black Disappearance 1813–1832

The 2014 Men’s World Cup finals pitted Germany against Argentina. Bets were made and various observations were cited about the teams. Who had the better defense? And, surprisingly, why did Argentina lack black players? This chapter argues that racial relabeling led to the decline of the black population in the city of Cordoba. Unlike the colonial period, which was stratified by various labels that defined racial and socio-economic status, called castas, the republican governance divided people into two categories: pardo for formerly labeled castas and blanco for whites. As a result blacks along with other castas were collapsed into a generic category, before they were whitened, a later process that scholars have attributed to the “disappearance” of the black population.
Neoadjuvant FOLFIRINOX Therapy Is Associated with Increased Effector T Cells and Reduced Suppressor Cells in Patients with Pancreatic Cancer.

Purpose: FOLFIRINOX has demonstrated promising results for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Chemotherapy-induced immunogenic cell death can prime antitumor immune responses. We therefore performed high-dimensional profiling of immune cell subsets in peripheral blood to evaluate the impact of FOLFIRINOX on the immune system. Experimental Design: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were obtained from treatment-naive (n = 20) and FOLFIRINOX-treated patients (n = 19) with primary PDAC tumors at the time of resection. PBMCs were characterized by 36 markers using mass cytometry by time of flight (CyTOF). Results: Compared with treatment-naive patients, FOLFIRINOX-treated patients showed distinct immune profiles, including significantly decreased inflammatory monocytes and regulatory T cells (Treg), increased Th1 cells, and decreased Th2 cells. Notably, both monocytes and Treg expressed high levels of immune suppression-associated CD39, and the total CD39+ cell population was significantly lower in FOLFIRINOX-treated patients compared with untreated patients. Cellular alterations observed in responders to FOLFIRINOX included a significantly decreased frequency of Treg, an increased frequency of total CD8 T cells, and an increased frequency of CD27−Tbet+ effector/effector memory subsets of CD4 and CD8 T cells. Conclusions: Our study reveals that neoadjuvant chemotherapy with FOLFIRINOX enhances effector T cells and downregulates suppressor cells. These data indicate that FOLFIRINOX neoadjuvant therapy may improve immune therapy and clinical outcome in patients with PDAC.
A Pedagogical Exodus: Stupidity

If the reproduction of inequality and oppression are, in a fundamental way, about educational form, then those interested in mobilizing against capitalism and colonialism and their forms of oppression need to develop alternative pedagogies. So long as left critiques of and responses to the knowledge economy leave the fundamental mode of educational engagement unquestioned, they remain insufficient. After exploring the praxis of exodus, this chapter demonstrates that exodus demands a distinct pedagogical form that might be up to the task of moving beyond the knowledge economy and the demands for endless learning and productivity: one organized by stupidity. Distinguishing stupidity from ignorance, arrogance, and idiocy, the chapter provides examples of stupid reading and argues for embracing stupidity. It demonstrates how and why stupidity is an anti-value that capital can’t accommodate, one that unites us through contagion in an inarticulable new public sphere.
A Cohort Comparison of Midlife Marital Quality: A Quarter Century of Change:

Marital quality has been declining among recent cohorts, but whether this pattern characterizes middle-aged and older married adults is largely unknown. The doubling of the divorce rate among perso...
A Study on Logit-Based Route Choice Models for Stochastic User Equilibrium Problem

The author discuss several stochastic user equilibrium problem logit-based route choice models. Some new logit models, including the Paired Combinatorial Logit (PCL), Generalized Nested Logit (GNL), Path Size Logit (PSL), and C-Logit Model, have been developed out of the argument of the Independent Irrelevant Alternatives violation, although in traffic route choice problems, there has been extensive use of the traditional multinomial logit model. Due to the different ways in which the similarity factor is treated, it is apparent that varying path use probabilities are provided by different route choice models. What is not yet clear, however, is how the equilibrium flow of a flow-dependent link cost network will be impacted by different choice models. To some extent, monotonically increasing link cost functions can offset some overlapping links' potential overload. The authors propose accommodating five route choice models through an MSA-based algorithm. Using MNL-generated equilibrium flow as a base flow pattern, the extended logit model-generated equilibrium flow is investigated, to study different models' effectiveness, in reference to link flow change percentage. Different model-generated link saturation levels are also compared. The authors also examine system performance extended logit model impact, in terms of total travel time, and found that some system performance improvement can result from all extended logit model. The highest total travel time improvement and most significant flow change will be produced by PCL. According to computational results, GNL has the longest equilibrium achievement time, PCL's CPU time is about 3.1 times that of MNL, and MNL's CPU time is similar to PSL and C-Logit.
Abstract T MP70: Genetic Deletion of the Prostaglandin E2 EP3 Receptor Improves Outcomes after Experimental Intracerebral Hemorrhage in Young and Old Mice

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a type of hemorrhagic stroke associated with high mortality and morbidity rates. Prolonged and unbalanced inflammatory responses after hemorrhagic stroke may negatively contribute to secondary brain injury. Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) is an important mediator of inflammation and plays a role in several neurologic disorders. PGE2 has selective high affinity toward its membrane-bound G-protein-coupled receptors EP1, EP2, EP3, and EP4, which together arbitrate its neuromodulatory effects. We have previously shown in a middle cerebral artery occlusion model of ischemia/reperfusion-induced brain injury and a striatal NMDA-induced excitotoxicity model that mice pretreated intracerebroventricularly with a selective EP3 receptor agonist have larger brain lesions when compared to control mice. In the present study, we investigated whether EP3 receptor deletion (EP3-/-) would lead to improved anatomical and functional outcomes in young (2-4mo) and aged (22-24mo) C57BL/6 mice after indu...
"El estado y sus márgenes. Etnografías comparadas" en Anthropology in the Margins of the State , School of American Research Press, Santa Fe (NM), 2004.

Anthropology offers a radical rethinking of the state when it interrogates itself about what would constitute an Ethnography of the state. Western Political Theory has conceived the state as a rational administrative form of political organization and order. One of the effects of thinking the state in terms of ordermaking functions is that the spatial and social margins that so often constitute the terrain of ethnographic fieldwork are seen as sites of disorder, where the state has been unable to impose its order. However, reversing the question is also possible, therefore interrogating what is the state when it is seen as embedded in practices, places and languages considered to be at the margins of the nation-state. From the anthropological point of view, margins provides an unique perspective to the understanding of the state, not because it captures the exotic practices of the so considered "failed states", but because it suggests that such margins are a necessary entailment of the state, and in so doing, invites us to rethink the boundaries between center and periphery, public and private, legal and illegal.
Silymarin inhibits melanoma cell growth both in vitro and in vivo by targeting cell cycle regulators, angiogenic biomarkers and induction of apoptosis

Cutaneous malignant melanoma is the leading cause of death from skin diseases and is often associated with activating mutations of the proto-oncogene BRAF. To develop more effective strategies for the prevention or treatment of melanoma, we have examined the inhibitory effects of silymarin, a flavanoid from Silybum marianum, on melanoma cells. Using A375 (BRAF-mutated) and Hs294t (non BRAF-mutated but highly metastatic) human melanoma cell lines, we found that in vitro treatment with silymarin resulted in a dose-dependent: (i) reduction in cell viability; (ii) enhancement of either Go/G1 (A375) or G2-M (Hs294t) phase cell cycle arrest with corresponding alterations in cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases; and (iii) induction of apoptosis. The silymarin-induced apoptosis of human melanoma cells was associated with a reduction in the levels of anti-apoptotic proteins (Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl), an increase in the levels of pro-apoptotic protein (Bax), and activation of caspases. Further, oral administration of silymarin (500 mg/kg body weight/2× a week) significantly inhibited (60%, P < 0.01) the growth of BRAF-mutated A375 melanoma tumor xenografts, and this was associated with: (i) inhibition of cell proliferation; (ii) induction of apoptosis of tumor cells; (iii) alterations in cell cycle regulatory proteins; and (iv) reduced expression of tumor angiogenic biomarkers in tumor xenograft tissues. These results indicate that silymarin may have a chemotherapeutic effect on human melanoma cell growth and warrant its further evaluation. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
STUDYING SUPPLY CHAINS FROM A SOCIAL NETWORK PERSPECTIVE

Social networks often exist among individuals who are boundary spanners in an interorganizational network. These relationships are critical in explaining why interorganizational networks are formed, disintegrate, and succeed or fail. Trust is central in most theories of social network effectiveness, and it should also be true in supply chain networks. This article proposes that supply chain architects consider supply chains that exhibit small world properties. This optimizes trust within the clique, but enables predictions and innovations to “hop” across cliques to other regions in the supply chain. The article concludes by proposing that networks should be studied over time and not as stagnant structures, and highlights a new methodology (SoNIA) for this.
Magnetic Resonance Studies of Manganese (III) and Iron(III) Superoxide Dismutases TEMPERATURE AND FREQUENCY DEPENDENCE OF PROTON RELAXATION RATES OF WATER

Abstract Longitudinal and transverse relaxation rates of water protons were measured as a function of temperature (1–40°) and frequency (6 to 48 MHz) for Mn(III)- and Fe(III)-containing superoxide dismutases. For the Mn(III) superoxide dismutase, the bulk of the molar relaxivity can be accounted for by 1 water molecule in the first hydration shell. In contrast, a portion of the water relaxivity for the Fe(III) superoxide dismutase comes from 1 proton in the first coordination shell and up to 50% from a water molecule in the second shell. For both enzymes a mechanism involving diffusion of O2- into the second coordination shell but probably not into the primary coordination shell is compatible with kcat = 3 x 109 m-1 s-1. These data are supported by the observation that KCN does not diminish the water relaxation rates for either the Mn(III) or Fe(III) enzymes.
Pharmacologic characterization of excitatory and inhibitory cholecystokinin receptors of the cat gallbladder and sphincter of Oddi

The pharmacologic properties and specificity of cholecystokinin (CCK) receptors of the biliary tract were investigated by testing various sulfated and desulfated CCK fractions and by using specific CCK-gastrin antagonists. Sulfated CCK-7 (5-80 pmol/kg) caused gallbladder contraction and sphincter of Oddi relaxation. Denervation with tetrodotoxin decreased the gallbladder response by 50% and changed the sphincter of Oddi response from relaxation to contraction. Desulfated CCK-7 (80-400 pmol/kg) caused a weak gallbladder contraction that was unaffected by tetrodotoxin. The gallbladder did not respond to CCK-3 (10-80 nmol/kg) or to CCK-2 (10-160 nmol/kg) in doses that completely relaxed the sphincter of Oddi. These doses, however, were 5-2000 times higher than the maximal dose of sulfated CCK-7. After denervation with tetrodotoxin, desulfated CCK-7 (10-400 pmol/kg) induced a weak sphincter of Oddi contraction even with doses five times greater than the maximal dose of sulfated CCK-7. The denervated sphincter of Oddi did not respond to CCK-3 (10-80 nmol/kg) or CCK-2 (10-160 nmol/kg). Furthermore, a continuous proglumide infusion (5-20 mg/kg X min) and bolus doses of dibutyryl cyclic guanosine monophosphate (250-1000 micrograms/kg) blocked the effect of sulfated CCK-8 on the gallbladder and sphincter of Oddi. Higher doses of these antagonists were needed, however, to block the CCK effect on the sphincter of Oddi than on the gallbladder. In contrast, high doses of desulfated CCK-7 (100 pmol/kg) or CCK-3 (200 nmol/kg) did not antagonize the effect of sulfated CCK-8 (10-80 pmol/kg) on the gallbladder. These findings suggest the existence of three sets of specific CCK receptors with molecular configuration requirements determined by the type of cell where these receptors are located: on the postganglionic cholinergic neurons, on the smooth muscle cells of the gallbladder, and sphincter of Oddi, or on the postganglionic noncholinergic, nonadrenergic inhibitory neurons.
The anticoagulant mechanism of action of heparin in contact-activated plasma: inhibition of factor X activation

The effects of heparin on the activation of blood coagulation factors IX and X in contact-activated plasma were determined in the present study. In the presence and absence of 0.5 U/mL heparin, the amounts of factor IX that were cleaved 30 minutes after the addition of calcium and phospholipid to plasma exposed to glass (ie, contact activated) were essentially identical. In the absence of heparin, however, the plasma clotting time was between three and four minutes, while in the presence of heparin, the clotting time was approximately 40 minutes. More factor IXa was inhibited by antithrombin III in the presence of heparin than in its absence, but factor IXa levels sufficient for factor X activation appeared to be present in the heparinized plasma. Neither an increase in factor Xa nor a decrease in factor X was detected, however, in heparinized plasma. We conclude that the step in the intrinsic pathway of coagulation that is inhibited in the presence of heparin is at the level of factor X activation.
Completeness results for reachability, containment, and equivalence with respect to conflict-free vector replacement systems

In this paper, we give completeness results for the reachability, containment, and equivalence problems for conflict-free vector replacement systems (VRSs). We first give an NP algorithm for deciding reachability, thus giving the first primitive recursive algorithm for this problem. Since Jones, Landweber, and Lien have shown this problem to be NP-hard, it follows that the problem is NP-complete. Next, we show as our main result that the containment and equivalence problems are ∏ 2 P -complete, where ∏ 2 P is the set of all languages whose complements are in the second level of the polynomial-time hierarchy. In showing the upper bound, we first show that the reachability set has a semilinear set (SLS) representation that is exponential in the size of the problem description, but which has a high degree of symmetry. We are then able to utilize a strategy introduced by Huynh (concerning SLSs) to complete our upper bound proof.
On the computation of the optimal cost function for discrete time Markov models with partial observations

We consider several applications of two state, finite action, infinite horizon, discrete-time Markov decision processes with partial observations, for two special cases of observation quality, and show that in each of these cases the optimal cost function is piecewise linear. This in turn allows us to obtain either explicit formulas or simplified algorithms to compute the optimal cost function and the associated optimal control policy. Several examples are presented.
Applications of an exponential finite-difference technique

An exponential finite difference scheme first presented by Bhattacharya for one dimensional unsteady heat conduction problems in Cartesian coordinates was extended. The finite difference algorithm developed was used to solve the unsteady diffusion equation in one dimensional cylindrical coordinates and was applied to two and three dimensional conduction problems in Cartesian coordinates. Heat conduction involving variable thermal conductivity was also investigated. The method was used to solve nonlinear partial differential equations in one and two dimensional Cartesian coordinates. Predicted results are compared to exact solutions where available or to results obtained by other numerical methods.
Variability of albumin adducts of 1,4-benzoquinone, a toxic metabolite of benzene, in human volunteers

AbstractA putative haematotoxic and leukaemogenic metabolite of benzene, 1,4-benzoquinone (1,4-BQ), reacts rapidly with macromolecules. The authors previously characterized levels of the albumin (Alb) adduct (1,4-BQ-Alb) of this reactive species in populations of workers exposed to benzene. Since high levels of 1,4-BQ-Alb were also measured in unexposed workers from those investigations, the current study was initiated to determine potential sources of 1,4-BQ in the general population. A single blood sample was collected from 191 healthy subjects from the Research Triangle area, NC, USA, to determine the baseline 1,4-BQ-Alb levels and contributing sources. The median 1,4-BQ-Alb at baseline was 550 pmol g−1 Alb (interquartile range 435–814 pmol g−1). A second blood sample was collected approximately 3 months later from a subgroup of 33 subjects to estimate the within- and between-person variation in 1,4-BQ-Alb. Standardized questionnaires were administered to collect information about demographic, dietary ...
A portable biofeedback device for autonomic responses

The design of a versatile and programmable transducer amplifier device with analogue display for self-monitoring of autonomic responses is described. The design features low cost, portability, and flexibility across direct-current transducer options (e.g., photoplethysmograph or thermistor). The device can be used for the visual or auditory display of continuous blood volume pulse or temperature measures where the relative amplitude or pulse rate is of concern. Auditory or visual biofeedback may be provided via the choice of a stacked bar-graph display or piezoelectric buzzer. A common circuit design to allow programming options for the estimation of heart rate, inter-beat interval, or pulse duration is provided.
Top team characteristics and the business strategies of japanese firms

This study is an extension of research which links top management team characteristics and the use of a variety of business strategies. Agency theory and information processing theory provided the framework used to investigate the complex business strategies of 219 Japanese firms in four sectors. Statistical results support our view that top team characteristics reflect important aspects of the corporate governance strategies needed to manage business strategies such as specialization, diversification and internationalization. Although there are substantial institutional differences in the business environments, it appears that there is increasing convergence in the Japanese and American approaches to corporate governance.
Comparative studies of chromosome pairing in natural and induced tetraploid Dactylis.

Chromosome association and fertility have been studied in four diploid subspecies, three diploid subspecies hybrids, the induced tetraploids of these seven diploids, and several naturally-occurring tetraploids of theDactylis glomerata complex.
The effect of aromatic CoA esters on fatty acid synthetase: Biosynthesis of ω-phenyl fatty acids

Aromatic carboxylic acids ingested by, or formed in, the body can be converted to the CoA derivatives but the possible metabolic fate of these thioesters has not been investigated extensively. We have examined the effects of two such thioesters, benzoyl-CoA and phenylacetyl-CoA, on the mammalian fatty acid synthetase. Benzoyl-CoA inhibited the enzyme, apparently by competing with acetyl-CoA and malonyl-CoA for substrate binding sites. Phenylacetyl-CoA, on the other hand, could replace acetyl-CoA as a primer for the fatty acid synthetase reaction; the product was almost exclusively omega-phenyldodecanoic acid. The Km of the synthetase for phenylacetyl-CoA was considerably higher than that for acetyl-CoA and the rate of synthesis of omega-phenyldodecanoic acid was only 16% of that of palmitic acid. Experiments in which the rate of synthesis and release of omega-phenyl moieties from the synthetase was compared with that of n-aliphatic moieties indicated that the rate limiting step was the initiation of chain growth from phenylacetyl-CoA; release of the synthesized acyl moieties by chain terminating thioesterases was equally rapid in the case of omega-phenyl and n-aliphatic acids. Possible metabolic consequences of the effects of these aromatic CoA esters on lipogenesis are discussed.
Hydrologic controls on water chemistry and mercury biotransformation in a closed river system: The Carson River, Nevada

Abstract The Carson River flows in a closed basin system and the total flow of the river water decreases downstream due to both evaporation and consumptive uses. This river system is fed primarily by snow pack in the Sierra Nevada during the winter, which flows down gradient following melting in spring and summer. Water loss through evaporation in the Carson River results in a downstream buildup of conservative elements such as Cl − and certain oxyanion forming elements including Se, Mo and W, which are known to interfere with the transformation of Hg within the S cycle. In addition to these naturally occurring hydrologic processes and the resulting affects on water chemistry, the Carson River Basin has been historically impacted by Au and Ag mining that used Hg amalgamation techniques. Contamination of Hg in the Carson River system is now well documented and published Hg concentrations in different environmental compartments are extremely high. In this study, hydrologically driven changes in water chemistry of the river system and the resulting effects on Hg cycling were examined. Results show that periods of low water flow correspond to high water pH (up to 8.3), relatively high concentrations of oxyanion forming elements (e.g., As, Se, Mo and W), and low Hg methylation potential in sediment. In contrast, periods of high flow bring about dilution, which results in lower pH (∼7), lower concentrations of oxyanion forming elements, but higher Hg methylation potential. Overall, changes in flow regimes likely affect rates of methyl-Hg (MeHg) production through a combination of factors such as high pH, which favors MeHg demethylation, and the occurrence of relatively high concentrations of Group VI oxyanions that could interfere with microbial SO 4 reduction and MeHg production.
Antibodies to desmoglein 1 and 3, and the clinical phenotype of pemphigus vulgaris.

I t has recently been proposed that the clinical manifestations of pemphigus vulgaris (PV) are determined by the profile of autoantibodies to desmogleins (Dsg),1-3 with antibodies to Dsg 3 being associated with mucosal dominant pemphigus, whereas the presence of both anti-Dsg 3 and antiDsg 1 is associated with mucocutaneous pemphigus and with lesions both in the oral cavity and on the skin. On the basis of these observations it had been suggested that antibodies to both Dsg 3 and Dsg are necessary for patients with PV to have skin lesions,1,4 and that in the presence of only Dsg 3, patients would only have oral lesions. To test this hypothesis, we measured the presence of anti-Dsg 1 and anti-Dsg 3 in 32 patients with PV on the basis of clinical, histologic, and immunofluorescent criteria. All had active disease at the time the study was conducted, on the basis of the development of new lesions, the presence of nonhealing lesions, or both. The patients were classified into 3 groups on the basis of having lesions restricted to the oral cavity only, to the skin only, or in both locations at the time the sera was collected. Antibodies against Dsg 1 and 3 were measured by a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit (Medical and Biological Laboratories Co Ltd, Nagoya, Japan) using recombinant Dsg 1 or 3 as the antigen source. An index value of 20 or more was used as the cutoff for a positive reaction, as recommended by Amagai et al.1 The results obtained in each patient are presented in Table I. A total of 12 (38%) patients had antibodies
Lee-Wick standard model at finite temperature

The Lee-Wick Standard Model at temperatures near the electroweak scale is considered, with the aim of studying the electroweak phase transition. While Lee-Wick theories possess states of negative norm, they are not pathological but instead are treated by imposing particular boundary conditions and using particular integration contours in the calculation of S-matrix elements. It is not immediately clear how to extend this prescription to formulate the theory at finite temperature; we explore two different pictures of finite-temperature Lee-Wick theories, and calculate the thermodynamic variables and the (one-loop) thermal effective potential. We apply these results to study the Lee-Wick Standard Model and find that the electroweak phase transition is a continuous crossover, much like in the Standard Model. However, the high-temperature behavior is modified due to cancellations between thermal corrections arising from the negative- and positive-norm states.
Electrical strength of multilayer vacuum insulators

The electrical strength of vacuum insulators is a key constraint in the design of particle accelerators and pulsed power systems. Vacuum insulating structures assembled from alternating layers of metal and dielectric can result in improved performance compared to conventional insulators, but previous attempts to optimize their design have yielded seemingly inconsistent results. Here, we present two models for the electrical strength of these structures, one assuming failure by vacuum arcing between adjacent metal layers and the other assuming failure by vacuum surface flashover. These models predict scaling laws which are in agreement with the experimental data currently available.
Effects of beta-adrenergic amines on frog gastric mucosa.

SummaryBeta adrenergic amines like alpha adrenergic amines decreased the H+ secretory rate and increased the transmucosal resistance of the gastric mucosa of Rana pipiens. A concentration of 0.1 mM propranolol in the nutrient solution followed by a combination of 0.1 mM propranolol and either 0.25 mM isoproterenol or 1.0 mM epinephrine reduced the effects of the beta agonists, isoproterenol and epinephrine. However, a concentration of 0.25 mM isoproterenol or 1.0 mM epinephrine followed by the same combination did not reduce the effects of isoproterenol or epinephrine alone. These results suggested the existence of beta receptor sites in addition to non-specific sites.
Chimeric GABAA/Glycine Receptors: Expression and Barbiturate Pharmacology

GABAA and glycine receptors are close relatives in the "gene superfamily" of ligand-gated ion channels, but have distinctly different pharmacology. For example, barbiturates have two effects on GABAA receptors (GABAA-R): at low micromolar concentrations (2-5 microM), the anesthetic barbiturate methohexital potentiates submaximal chloride current responses to GABA; at higher concentrations (20-50 microM), the barbiturate causes direct gating of the channel in the absence of agonist. Neither of these barbiturate effects is seen on the glycine receptor (Gly-R). In order to study the structural parts of the GABAA-R involved in this barbiturate pharmacology, two unique restriction sites were introduced into the cDNAs encoding the alpha 2 and beta 1 subunits of the human GABAA-R and the alpha 1 subunit of the human gly-R. The first site ('X') corresponded to the C-terminal end of the third transmembrane domain (M3) in each subunit and enabled exchange of C-terminal fragment of approximately 100 amino acids (which includes the large 'cytoplasmic loop' and M4 segment) between GABAA-R and Gly-R subunits. The second site ('S') was approximately 30 amino acids 3'- from the N-terminal end of each subunit and enabled exchange of a small N-terminal fragment between GABAA-R and Gly-R subunits. Several chimeric receptor subunit cDNAs were constructed and the resulting receptors tested for their ability to respond to GABA and glycine and for sensitivity to the barbiturate methohextial (MTX). The results show that neither the large C-terminal fragment nor the smaller N-terminal fragment is associated with the enhancement or direct activation of the GABAA-R by MTX. These results demonstrate the viability of chimeric GABAA/Gly-R and suggest that the method will be suitable for further investigation of the molecular basis of the barbiturate pharmacology of the GABA-R.
Epidermal growth factor-related peptides and their relevance to gastrointestinal pathophysiology.

Growth factor biology has been one of the most exciting areas of gastroenterological research in recent years. Although many fundamental questions about growth factors and their relevance to the gastrointestinal tract remain unanswered and unexplored, the available data point to major clinical significance in a large number of gastrointestinal disorders. This report reviews the biology and significance of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) family, with particular emphasis on understanding the integrated function of the family and the relationships between family members in the context of gastrointestinal physiology and pathophysiology.
Scaling xylem sap flux and soil water balance and calculating variance: a method for partitioning water flux in forests

Dans le but de separer, dans l'evapotranspiration d'une foret de Pinus taeda de 12 m de hauteur, la participation des arbres de celle du sous-etage, et d'evaluer les caracteristiques de la regulation de la transpiration des arbres, les flux hydriques ont ete quantifies a partir de trois approches complementaires: a) la mesure du flux de seve brute dans les arbres, permettant de calculer la transpiration du peuplement (E C ); b) le bilan hydrique local (LWB), a partir de la mesure de la teneur en eau du sol, de la conductivite hydraulique du sol a saturation, et de la modelisation du drainage pour estimer l'evapotranspiration totale (E T ) pendant des periodes sans pluie; c) la mesure, d'E T au moyen de la methode des correlations turbulentes. Les variances de chaque estimation ont ete calculees, et une approche pour tester les differences entre E C et ET a ete proposee. Les variations journalieres de consommation en eau a partir du flux de seve etaient similaires a celles obtenues a partir du bilan hydrique. Neanmoins, la methode LWB s'est montree inadequate pour estimer les variations absolues d'E T lorsque les variations de teneur en eau du sol etaient faibles. L'estimation de E T au moyen des correlations turbulentes a montre une plus forte resolution temporelle que celle basee sur la mesure de flux de seve dans les branches. Une plus grande similitude des variations journalieres d'E T a ete montree entre les methodes des correlations turbulentes et du flux de seve dans les branches qu'avec le flux de seve mesure dans les troncs. Toutefois, des differences dans les allures de courbes semblent indiquer qu'il existe une heterogeneite de la transpiration des branches, ce qui exclut l'utilisation de cette methode pour evaluer la conductance du couvert. Dans une des parcelles, E C journalier a atteint environ 70 % d'E T estime par la methode LWB (cf. une autre etude), ou par les correlations turbulentes. A partir du calcul des variances, pour prendre en compte la variabilite spatiale des differentes estimations, on a pu montrer que la difference entre E T et E C etait significative. En dehors de l'effet du deficit de saturation de l'air, E C a montre une diminution lineaire avec l'humidite du sol, pour passer de 2,5 a 1,5 mm/j, sur une periode de 9 j de dessechement, tandis que l'humidite du sol dans la sphere racinaire (qui s'etend sur environ 0,35 m de profondeur) diminuait de 23 mm.
Cognitive gender differences: A developmental perspective

This article reviews the developmental literature on cognitive gender differences and compares past and present trends in gender differences, by age, from the standardizations of the Wechsler Intelligence Scales (1949–1981) and the California Achievement Tests (CAT; 1956–1985). Consistent with prior research, decreases in gender differences were found for adolescents. For children, gender differences were small or nonexistent in the Wechsler and CAT norms from 1949–1985. For adults, notable gender differences were often found on the subtests of the Wechsler scales, and have remained relatively constant over the past generation.
The effects on penetrator deceleration of material features exhibited in soils

Abstract The nonlinear finite element method is used to solve the axisymmetric one-dimensional penetration problem for conical and ogival nose shapes. An elastic-plastic theory is used in which the yield surface consists of a Prager-Drucker surface and a planar cap. Existing analytical solutions are used to verify the numerical procedure. The constitutive features investigated include strain hardening, strain softening, rate dependence and various forms for the hydrostat. Interface conditions are assumed to be Coulomb friction, fluid layer and no slip. Assumptions are evaluated by comparing predictions of the resultant retarding force on the penetrator to experimental data. Results indicate that strain hardening of the Prager-Drucker yield surface is of some significance but that rate effects associated with this surface are insignificant. On the other hand, both strain hardening and rate effects for the cap part of the model are very important features. The use of a strain softening yield surface results in the prediction of a hydrostatic layer. This effect is observed in some experimental tests. Separation of the soil from the penetrator is predicted for the ogival penetrator for sufficiently high velocities of penetration. Overall, the procedure provides a method for evaluating the relative importance of constitutive features to the penetration process and shows how penetrator acceleration data can be used to assist in determining material parameters.
Velocity spectrum model for turbulence ingestion noise from computational-fluid-dynamics calculations

TECHNICALNOTESareshortmanuscriptsdescribingnewdevelopmentsorimportantresultsofapreliminarynature.TheseNotescannotexceedsixmanuscriptpages and three ” gures; a page of text may be substituted for a ” gure and vice versa. After informal review by the editors, they may be published within a fewmonths of the date of receipt. Style requirements are the same as for regular contributions
Spinal cord injury is accompanied by chronic progressive demyelination.

Preceding the development of therapeutic strategies for spinal cord injury is an identification of those pathological processes that might serve as therapeutic targets. Although demyelination has been documented as a secondary degenerative component of spinal cord injury in several species including humans, the extent of demyelination and its functional consequence remain unknown. In this report, we document the extent of demyelination and remyelination up to 450 days following contusive spinal cord injury in adult rats. The overall number of demyelinated axons peaked at 1 day post injury, declined by 7–14 days post injury, and then progressively increased up to 450 days post injury. Oligodendrocyte and Schwann cell remyelinated axons appeared by 14 days post injury. Although remyelinated axons were present from 14 to 450 days post injury, remyelination was incomplete, as indicated by the presence of demyelinated axons at every time point examined. These studies demonstrate for the first time that spinal cord injury is accompanied by chronic progressive demyelination, and they substantiate demyelination as a target for therapeutic intervention. J. Comp. Neurol. 486:373–383, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Improving the accuracy of patient identification in the medication-use process

Q: What strategies can be used to ensure the correct identification of patients in a hospital’s medication-use process? A: The impact of medication errors on patient morbidity and mortality has been described previously in the literature.[1][1]–[7][2] One of the 2005 Joint Commission on
Open-Ended Coaxial Probes for Nondestructive Testing of Substrates and Circuit Boards

The results of the full-wave model theory for the open-ended coaxial probe with lift-off are presented and are applied to measurements of thin materials. The model allows the study of the open-ended coaxial probe as a nondestructive testing tool. The equations presented are valid for both dielectric and magnetic materials. The analysis yields insight into the effects of air gaps on probe measurements. Numerical results indicate that the probe is very sensitive to lift-off at low frequencies. This sensitivity decreases somewhat as frequency increases. In order for the field to penetrate the air gap, larger size coaxial line or higher frequencies need to be used. An application of the theory is performed by numerically solving the inverse problem using measured reflection coefficient.
On Not Three Male Gods: Retrieving Wisdom in Trinitarian Discourse

Abstract: In response to recent debates over gender and the Trinity, this essay examines how biblical texts concerning Christ as the Wisdom of God played a crucial role in developing the case for the co-equal Trinity. The theme of wisdom not only helps us understand why trinitarian doctrine precludes a tritheism of three male gods or a hierarchy within the Trinity, but it also provides insight into what lies at the heart of the Trinity and the incarnation.
Reproductive health in indigenous Chihuahua: giving birth 'alone like the goat'.

Introduction. Indigenous peoples in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico, are known to outsiders as the Tarahumaras. The Tarahumaras are one of the few cultural groups known to have no traditional birth attendants, and Tarahumara women often give birth alone and outdoors. Currently, little is known about this group, their health status or their culture.Objective. The objective of this study was to assess the state of reproductive health outcomes, risks, protective factors, beliefs and behaviors in the Tarahumara population.Design. This paper reports on the qualitative results of a mixed methods study, comprised of focus groups, interviews, participatory exploratory methods, ethnographic observation and household surveys investigating the reproductive health status of the Tarahumara peoples and contextual factors influencing it. Qualitative data is presented, supported by preliminary quantitative findings.Results. This study supports speculation that the Tarahumara population is burdened by severe maternal healt...