cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Negotiating Civil‐Military Relations in Post‐Authoritarian Argentina and Chile

This article invokes game theory to analyze civilian attempts to push back military influence in two countries where the armed forces have enjoyed strikingly dissimilar levels of power and privilege after the transition of democracy: Argentina and Chile. It finds that civilian governments in both countries have managed to make progress in challenging military prerogatives. But they have made relatively more progress in areas unrelated to human rights. While civilians have had to respect military immunity in the human rights sphere, they have managed to erode other limitations on popular sovereignty that the officer corps imposed as a condition for leaving power. The resulting accommodation I describe reflects the pragmatic approach to politics that civilian and military leaders have assumed in post-authoritarian Latin America.
The Influence of the Medium on the Radiosensitivity of a Cell

(1954). The Influence of the Medium on the Radiosensitivity of a Cell. Acta Radiologica: Vol. 41, No. sup116, pp. 94-99.
Comorbidity and Functional Mobility in Persons with Parkinson Disease

Abstract Objectives To report the frequency, severity, and types of comorbidities in people with Parkinson disease (PD) using a validated self-report comorbidity screening tool, and to determine the relationship between comorbidity and functional mobility. Design A secondary analysis and cross-sectional observational study design. Setting University hospital; outpatient balance disorders laboratory. Participants Persons with mild to moderate idiopathic PD (N=76). Intervention Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures The Cumulative Illness Rating Scale-Geriatric (CIRS-G) and a comprehensive mobility assessment including gait (distance walked in 3min), balance (mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test), and physical function (Physical Performance Test). Results All participants reported comorbidities in addition to their diagnosed PD. The average ± SD number of comorbidities was 6.96±2.0 (range, 2–11), and the total CIRS-G score ± SD was 12.7±4.8. The most commonly reported organ systems with comorbidity were eyes and ears (89%), psychiatric (68%), musculoskeletal (64%), lower gastrointestinal (62%), respiratory (60.5%), upper gastrointestinal (59.2%), and genitourinary (53.9%). The total CIRS-G score was significantly related to functional mobility: gait ( r =−.53, P =.0001), balance ( r =−.43, P =.0003), and physical performance ( r =−.36, P =.0041). Of the original 14 organ systems measured, there were 7 systems that, when combined, best predicted gait performance, 6 systems combined that best predicted balance performance, and 4 systems combined that predicted functional performance. Conclusions This study reports a high frequency of multiple medical system comorbidity in people with mild to moderate PD. Furthermore, comorbidity scores were associated with mobility disability: gait, balance, and physical function. Early intervention is important to delay mobility disability in PD, and we recommend that people with PD found to have comorbidities should be screened for balance and gait deficits.
Mössbauer and optical spectroscopic study of temperature and redox effects on iron local environments in a Fe-doped (0.5 mol% Fe2O3) 18Na2O–72SiO2 glass

Abstract Local environments of ferric and ferrous irons were systematically studied with Mossbauer (at liquid helium temperature) and ultraviolet–visible–near infrared spectroscopic methods for various 18Na2O–72SiO2 glasses doped with 0.5 mol% Fe2O3. These were prepared at temperatures of 1300–1600 °C in ambient air or at 1500 °C under reducing conditions with oxygen partial pressures from 12.3 to 0.27×10−7 atmospheres. The Mossbauer spectroscopic method identified three types of local environments, which were represented by the Fe3+ sextet, the Fe3+ doublet, and the Fe2+ doublet. The Fe3+ sextet ions were assigned to ‘isolated’ octahedral ions. Under reducing conditions, the octahedral Fe3+ ions were readily converted into octahedral ferrous ions. The Fe3+ doublet exists both in octahedral and tetrahedral environment, mainly as tetrahedral sites in the reduced samples. The tetrahedral ions were found stable against reduction to ferrous ions. The Fe2+ doublet sites existed in octahedral coordination. Combining results from both spectroscopic studies, the 1120- and 2020-nm optical bands were assigned to octahedral ferrous ions with a different degree of distortion rather than different coordinations. Further, we assigned the 375-nm band to the transition of octahedral ferric ions that are sensitive to the change of oxygen partial pressure in glass melting and 415-, 435-, and 485-nm bands to the transitions of the tetrahedral ferric ions that are insensitive to oxidation states of the melt. The effect of ferric and ferrous ions with different coordination environments on the glass immiscibility was elucidated.
Cell cycle dependence of simian virus 40 induction from transformed hamster cells by ultraviolet irradiation.

Abstract The induction of infectious simian virus 40 (SV40) was studied in synchronized cultures of SV40-transformed hamster cells. Cells were synchronized with a double excess thymidine block and induced by mitomycin C treatment or uv irradiation at hourly intervals after release from the block. Infectious virus was measured in cell-free extracts at 72 hr after initiating induction. The results indicated that virus activation by these agents was restricted to certain phases of the cell cycle. Mitomycin C was most effective if it was applied to cells 4 hr after the peak of DNA synthesis. With uv radiation, virus production was maximal if cells were irradiated 1–2 hr after the peak of DNA synthesis during the late S-G2 phase of the cell cycle. The most sensitive period of the cell cycle for virus activation by uv is the one in which eukaryotic cells are most resistant to uv radiation, as measured by enhanced survival after irradiation. Therefore, it is possible that cellular DNA repair processes are more active during this interval, promoting DNA strand break formation and viral genome excision.
Seasonality and management, not proximity to highway, affect species richness and community composition of epiphytic phylloplane fungi found on (wild and cultivated) Vaccinium spp.

Abstract The phylloplane is a cryptic environment that harbors a variety of pathogens and pathogen antagonists, and these populations are affected by many factors such as weather, season, plant location and leaf phenology. To address the hypothesis that pollution from a major highway would influence phylloplane communities, blueberry leaves were collected in Apr., Jun., Aug., and Oct. over 2 years from bushes in wild areas and cultivated farms along transects perpendicular to the Atlantic City Expressway. Community structure and species richness changed monthly, annually, and from site to site. Management practices in cultivated sites accounted for much of the variation in species richness and community composition among sites. Leaf age also influenced the community structure of phylloplane fungal communities. Leaves collected in Apr. had significantly lower species richness than those collected in later months ( F = 19.37, P
Antibody potency relates to the ability to recognize the closed, pre-fusion form of HIV Env

Broadly neutralizing antibodies targeting the Env protein of HIV-1 are being used to guide vaccine design. Here, Guttman et al. show that highly potent antibodies bind to the ‘closed’, prefusion form of Env, whereas less potent antibodies bind only to the ‘open’ form (typical of receptor-bound virus).
The sex hormone-dependent development of opiate receptors in the rat medial preoptic area.

The opiate receptor content of the sexually dimorphic medial preoptic area (MPOA) was examined in newborn and 5-day-old (D6) male and female rats. A significant increase of [3H]naloxone binding was observed in and around the sexually dimorphic nucleus of the preoptic area (SDN-POA) in D6 female rats, relative to newborn females. Opiate receptor labeling did not increase over this period in males, nor was labeling different between males and females at birth. This dramatic alteration of MPOA opiate receptor content was observed to occur in either sex in the absence of testosterone postnatally; that is, neonatally-castrated males exhibited the same increase of labeling by D6 as did normal females. Conversely, daily postnatal testosterone treatment of females from birth to D6 resulted in the development of male-like MPOA opiate receptor pattern. The sex hormone-dependence of MPOA opiate receptor development is discussed in relation to the sex hormone-dependent ontogeny of SDN-POA structure. The overlap of critical periods for the development of these structural and chemical sexual dimorphisms suggests a role for endogenous opioids in modulating MPOA development.
The evolution of mating systems in a group of brooding sea anemones (Epiactis)

Summary The sea anemone genus Epiactis provides an unusually good opportunity to study the evolution of brooding and mating systems. The four Epiactis species on the Pacific coast of North America all brood their offspring up to the juvenile stage, but each has a different combination of internal vs. external brooding and gonochory vs. simultaneous or gynodioecious hermaphroditism. Two of the four species (E. prolifera and E. lisbethae) were indistinguishable with allozymes (20 loci), but could be differentiated using multilocus DNA fingerprinting. Phylogenetic analyses of the allozyme data by distance and parsimony methods using three outgroups suggest that the four nominal Epiactis species are polyphyletic, with the two internal brooders evolving independently of the two external brooders. This topology does not allow inferences about the evolutionary order of hermaphroditism, dioecy and gynodioecy. Separate sexes and obligate outcrossing are of ten believed to be ancestral, with hermaphroditism and the...
The Low-Probability Lung Scan: A Potentially Lethal Reading

PULMONARY embolism cannot be diagnosed on clinical grounds; it can only be suspected. In addition, pulmonary embolism often develops in patients who have other conditions that could explain some or all of the symptoms. For example, viral pneumonia may produce symptoms remarkably similar to those of pulmonary embolism. Additional testing is therefore needed to identify those patients who actually do have embolic disease. Angiography is the gold standard for diagnosis, but this invasive test is associated with risk factors of its own. Thus, the Prospective Investigation of Pulmonary Embolism Diagnosis (PIOPED) investigators wisely sought a less invasive method to determine which patients could be spared the risk of angiography. Specifically, they studied the current role of ventilation/perfusion (Ve/Pe) scanning in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolic disease. When these investigators issued their report, they stressed that for the best results, Ve/Pe scan findings should be combined with an assessment of the
Intergovernmental management in interorganizational networks: a revised perspective

The concept of intergovernmental management is distinguished from the concept of intergovernmental relations by three characteristics: (1) a problem solving focus; (2) strategic and coping behavior; and (3) communication networks. These characteristics of intergovernmental management are important because they allow us to do more than describe the relationships that occur within the intergovernmental system. Instead they provide a framework for dealing with the problems of managing within the intergovernmental system. A recent stream of literature focuses on relations in the intergovernmental system as occurring in interorganizational networks. Rather than managing based on the perspective of an independent organizational entity, management is based on the perspective of a system of interdependent organiza tional entities. Separate and distinct actions of individual managers, in and of themselves, are no longer sufficient in this setting. Instead individual and network actions must be meshed in order to a...
Activation of Mps1 Promotes Transforming Growth Factor-β-independent Smad Signaling *

The primary intracellular mediators of TGF-beta signaling are the Smad proteins. Phosphorylation of R-Smad at the C-terminal SSXS motif by the activated TGF-beta type I receptor kinase triggers a conformation change in R-Smad and facilitates complex formation between R-Smad and Smad4, which shuttle into the nucleus where they interact with DNA and other transcription factors to regulate gene expression. In an attempt to identify proteins interacting with activated Smad signaling complex, we discovered that Mps1, a protein kinase that plays important roles in normal mitotic progression and mitotic checkpoint signaling, co-purifies with this complex. We demonstrated that Smad2 and Smad3 but not Smad4 are substrates of Mps1 in vitro and in vivo. Mps1 phosphorylates Smad2 and Smad3 at the SSXS motif in their C-terminal regions in vitro and in vivo. Disruption of microtubule networks by nocodazole activates Mps1 and promotes TGF-beta-independent activation of Smad signaling. We found that Mps1 is involved in turning on Smad signaling by phosphorylating R-Smads. Our results reveal a novel functional link between Mps1 and Smads in a non-canonical Smad signaling pathway.
Effect of nitroglycerin on coronary collateral flow and pressure during acute coronary occlusion.

Coronary collateral function was evaluated in 21 conscious, unsedated patients by measuring aortic and distal coronary pressures and great cardiac vein flow during transient (1 minute) balloon occlusion of the anterior descending artery in the course of coronary angloplasty. Measurements were made before and during administration of intravenous nitroglycerin (NTG). Clinical, electrocardiographic and hemodynamic events of transient myocardial ischemia occurred in 10 patients before and 6 patients during NTG administration (p = 0.11). The NTG infusion consistently decreased pressure determinants of myocardial oxygen demand without increasing heart rate. NTG also decreased a calculated coronary collateral resistance index in 13 patients. Responsiveness to NTG did not appear to depend on the presence or absence of collateral vessels detected by angiography or on any other angiographic variable assessed. Measurement of coronary collateral function during coronary angioplasty is a new technique with the potential to assess the ability of interventions to prevent transient myocardial ischemia and improve myocardial perfusion during acute coronary occlusion in humans.
Aggregate Demand, the Wage Gap and Unemployment in LDC’s

Abstract This paper begins with the Todaro framework which relates LDC urban unemployment to the existence of an urban-rural wage gap. An explanation of the wage gap is developed from aggregate demand conditions in the urban sector, providing a Keynesian theory of LDC unemployment. Various policies to alleviate LDC unemployment are considered. Aggregate demand policies are most certain of success when the response of urban output to these policies is low, a situation which has usually been held to invalidate demand policies in LDC's. Import substitution policies promote unemployment and should be reversed or even replaced by rural sector subsidization.
Visualization of proteins after isoelectric focusing during two-dimensional gel electrophoresis.

Abstract A modification of P. H. O'Farrell's (1975, J. Biol. Chem.259, 4007–4021) two-dimensional gel electrophoresis is described. After isoelectric focusing, the cylindrical gels were fixed and stained with Coomassie brilliant blue R before sodium dodecyl sulfate-slab gel electrophoresis in the second dimension. The modification does not alter the protein patterns obtained, but provides sharper spots. In addition, bands are made visible before separation in the second dimension. Moreover, the modification helps to reduce the amount of ampholine in the dye front during electrophoresis.
Noise correlations improve response fidelity and stimulus encoding

Computation in the nervous system often relies on the integration of signals from parallel circuits with different functional properties. Correlated noise in these inputs can, in principle, have diverse and dramatic effects on the reliability of the resulting computations. Such theoretical predictions have rarely been tested experimentally because of a scarcity of preparations that permit measurement of both the covariation of a neuron's input signals and the effect on a cell's output of manipulating such covariation. Here we introduce a method to measure covariation of the excitatory and inhibitory inputs a cell receives. This method revealed strong correlated noise in the inputs to two types of retinal ganglion cell. Eliminating correlated noise without changing other input properties substantially decreased the accuracy with which a cell's spike outputs encoded light inputs. Thus, covariation of excitatory and inhibitory inputs can be a critical determinant of the reliability of neural coding and computation.
Solar-Wind Protons and Heavy Ions Sputtering of Lunar Surface Materials

Abstract Lunar surface materials are exposed to ∼1 keV/amu solar-wind protons and heavy ions on almost continuous basis. As the lunar surface consists of mostly oxides, these materials suffer, in principle, both kinetic and potential sputtering due to the actions of the solar-wind ions. Sputtering is an important mechanism affecting the composition of both the lunar surface and its tenuous exosphere. While the contribution of kinetic sputtering to the changes in the composition of the surface layer of these oxides is well understood and modeled, the role and implications of potential sputtering remain unclear. As new potential-sputtering data from multi-charged ions impacting lunar regolith simulants are becoming available from Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s MIRF, we examine the role and possible implications of potential sputtering of Lunar KREEP soil. Using a non-equilibrium model we demonstrate that solar-wind heavy ions’ induced sputtering is critical in establishing the timescale of the overall solar-wind sputtering process of the lunar surface. We also show that potential sputtering leads to a more pronounced and significant differentiation between depleted and enriched surface elements. We briefly discuss the impacts of enhanced sputtering on the composition of the regolith and the exosphere, as well as of solar-wind sputtering as a source of hydrogen and water on the moon.
Acute alcohol intake impairs lung inflammation by changing pro- and anti-inflammatory mediator balance.

Abstract Previous studies have shown that alcohol (ethanol [EtOH]) intoxication impairs lung immunity by affecting cytokines pivotal to the inflammatory process. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that acute alcohol intoxication impairs lung innate immunity by downregulating the expression of proinflammatory mediators while simultaneously upregulating anti-inflammatory mediators. EtOH was administered to the mice 0.5 h prior to an intratracheal injection of Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The animals were killed either 4 or 24 h after LPS to recover plasma, lungs, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Lung inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), IL-6, macrophage inhibitory factor (MIF), IL-10, TGF-β, and receptors for TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and TGF-β as well as glycoprotein (gp)130 and corticosterone (CS) levels were evaluated at mRNA and protein level. While the mRNA expression and the soluble TNF-Rp55 levels were significantly upregulated by EtOH, LPS-induced TNF-α activity, TNF-Rp55 mRNA expression, and soluble TNF-Rp55 levels were significantly suppressed. The LPS-induced expression of IL-1β, IL-6, MIF, gp130, and receptors IL-1RI, IL-1RII, and IL-6Rα were also significantly impaired by EtOH. EtOH increased significantly the basal IL-10 activity at 3 h, which continued to remain elevated even at 24 h. The EtOH effect on IL-10 activity persisted even in LPS-challenged mice. EtOH and LPS augmented lung CS levels independently of each other. EtOH suppressed upregulation of TGF-β1 mRNA expression by LPS and blocked completely LPS-induced TGF-β1 secretion. In conclusion, the data suggest that the suppression of acute lung inflammation by EtOH intoxication is largely due to impairment by EtOH of proinflammatory cytokine signaling at the levels of cytokine expression and secretion as well as receptor expression and soluble receptor activity. The augmentation by EtOH of anti-inflammatory mediators' secretion most likely shifts the cytokine balance in the anti-inflammatory direction.
Viscosity index. III. Thermodynamic parameters for side chain crystallinity in pour point‐modified blends containing n‐octadecyl acrylate

The melting transitions and heats of fusion were obtained by differential scanning calorimetry for the crystalline phase of the same mixtures whose rheological properties were reported in the previous two papers. Pour point temperatures were also determined. In addition, the same thermodynamic quantities were also collected for higher polymer concentrations in this work, thus encompassing the entire concentration range. The DSC scans revealed that the distribution of crystallite sizes characteristic of the bulk copolymers was retained in the blends. Phase diagrams indicated isomorphism in all systems studied. An equation was derived to predict the influence of diluent concentration on melting point depression of copolymers, in which one component crystallizes through its side chains but in which the side chains of the other remain amorphous. The difference between the experimental heats of fusion and the value for entirely crystalline poly(n-octadecyl acrylate) were used to estimate extent of apparent cocrystallization of the different copolymers with the base oil. While this tended to increase with pour point-depressant ability, concomitant crystallinity of wax and depressant were essential to successful wax crystal modification. A mechanism is proposed in which whole molecules of hexagonally packed copolymers are attached to wax nuclei and accumulate slowly a t low diffusion rates. Thus, growth occurs over small crystal areas and is considered responsible for the directing influence of copolymer depressant. The resulting small crystal sizes, accompanied by fast growth of rapidly diffusing paraffins on uncontaminated surfaces, promote more compact habits, like dendrites that postpone network formation to lower temperatures. It was concluded that a melting point difference of less than 25°C between bulk copolymer and base oil is required for successful pour point depression. Consequently, in this base oil, only copolymers with long amorphous side chains in a limited composition range, such as the n-octadecyl acrylate–2-ethylhexyl acrylate copolymers, possessed sufficient lattice disorder to meet the specification. The rest produced gelation at higher temperatures.
Cranberries: ripe for more cancer research?

Berries have been recognized as a functional food with potential to protect against a variety of health conditions, including some cancers. Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) production and consumption have grown in recent years, warranting further evaluation of potential health benefits. Extracts and isolated constituents from cranberry fruit inhibit growth and proliferation of tumor cells in vitro, and recent data from animal studies lend further support to cranberry's reputation as a cancer fighter. Several likely mechanisms of action for cranberry against prostate and other cancers have been identified, including induction of apoptosis and inhibition of events linked to cellular invasion and migration. This article attempts to put into perspective what is known about cranberry's potential chemopreventive properties, what is yet to be determined, and some factors to consider as research moves forward. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry
A thermodynamic study of arctic paleoclimatology

Abstract The thermodynamic model of J. Adem has been applied to the determination of Arctic and hemispheric surface temperatures with both ice-covered and ice-free states of the Arctic Ocean. The effect of glaciated and nonglaciated continents is included in the investigation. With an ice cover over the Arctic, as at present, computed temperatures for the polar sea and the Northern Hemisphere correspond closely with present observations. Over a broad range of the critical parameters, removal of the ice cover yields computed temperatures that remain well above freezing level throughout the year. With glaciated continents computed Arctic temperatures are depressed.
Heavy metal accumulation in sediment and freshwater fish in U.S. Arctic lakes

Metal concentrations in sediment and two species of freshwater fish (lake trout [Salvelinus namaycush], and grayling [Thymallus arcticus]) were examined in four Arctic lakes in Alaska. Concentrations of several metals were naturally high in the sediment relative to uncontaminated lakes in other Arctic regions and more temperate locations. For example, concentrations of Hg and Ni were 175 ng/g and 250 ng/g dry weight, respectively, in Feniak Lake surface sediment. If any anthropogenic enrichment has occurred, it is not distinguishable from background variability based on surface sediment to down core comparisons. With the exception of Hg, the site rank order of metal concentrations (Cu, Cd, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in sediment and freshwater fish tissue among lakes is not consistent. This suggests that a number of physical, chemical, and physiological parameters mediate metal bioavailability and uptake in these systems. Maximum concentrations of most metals in fish from this study are equal to or higher than those collected from remote Arctic lakes and rivers in Canada, Finland, and Russia. Muscle Hg concentrations in excess of 1 {micro}g/g wet weight were observed in lake trout from Feniak Lake, which has no identified Hg source other than naturally Hg-enriched sediments. Fish diet seems tomore » influence some heavy metal burdens, as evidenced by the higher concentrations of some metals in lake trout compared to grayling, and differences among lakes for lake trout. Cadmium, Cu, and Zn burdens were higher in lakes where snails were consumed by trout compared to lakes without snails.« less
Maternal serum leptin during pregnancy and infant birth weight: The influence of maternal overweight and obesity

Objective: Few studies have examined whether the distinct metabolic patterns found in obese and nonobese pregnant women have different effects on the growing fetus. Our objective was to estimate the influence of longitudinal variation in maternal serum leptin levels on variation in infant birth weight in overweight/obese versus normal-weight women. Design and Methods: In a prospective cohort of 286 gravidas, maternal weight and serum leptin levels at 6–10, 10–14, 16–20, 22–26, and 32–36 weeks gestation were measured. Effects of leptin levels on infant birth weight adjusted for gestational age at delivery (aBW) were analyzed using a linear regression model that accounted for the relationship of time-varying predictors to the log-transformed leptin concentrations. Results: Different relationships of aBW to maternal serum leptin and its rate of change across pregnancy were exhibited by overweight/obese and normal-weight gravidas. For normal-weight women, aBW is not associated with either the magnitude of the logarithm of the leptin concentration or with its rate of change in either the first or second half of pregnancy. Conversely, for overweight/obese women, an increase in the rate of change in maternal serum leptin in the second half of pregnancy is significantly associated with a decrease in aBW. This effect is distinct from that of maternal weight. Conclusion: Differences in the effect of maternal serum leptin on fetal growth between overweight/ obese and normal-weight women suggest metabolic and physiologic heterogeneity between these groups. Such differences may be involved in the long-term physiologic effects of the obese intrauterine environment on the health of the offspring.
Leaf litter decomposition and mulch performance from mixed and monospecific plantations of native tree species in Costa Rica

Abstract An experiment with native trees was established in 1991 on degraded pasture in the Atlantic lowlands of Costa Rica to examine the influence of mixed and monospecific plantation designs on tree growth and nutrient cycling. As part of this study, leaf litter decomposition rates and mulch performance were compared among four native tree species, Callophylum brasiliense Cambess, Jacaranda copaia (Aubl.) D. Don, Vochysia guatemalensis J.D. Smith, and Strypnodendron microstachyum Poepp. et Endl. Leaf litter of V. guatemalensis, J. copaia and the mixed plantation decomposed the fastest, with less than 16% of the initial weight remaining at 12 months. C. brasiliense had the slowest decomposition rate with 23% of the leaf litter remaining at 12 months. V. guatemalensis had the greatest amount of annual leaf litter fall and accumulation. J. copaia showed high levels of annual litter fall but fluctuating forest-floor litter accumulation, and the mixture showed intermediate patterns of annual leaf litter fall and accumulation. All mulch treatments improved maize seedling performance in comparison with unmulched controls. S. microstachyum mulch was found to have the most beneficial effect on initial maize seedling height growth and N uptake. Recommendations are drawn from the results to suggest potential uses of these species in forestry and agroforestry systems.
Ethnic differences in glucose disposal, hepatic insulin sensitivity, and endogenous glucose production among African American and European American women.

Abstract Intravenous glucose tolerance tests have demonstrated lower whole-body insulin sensitivity ( S I ) among African Americans (AA) compared with European Americans (EA). Whole-body S I represents both insulin-stimulated glucose disposal, primarily by skeletal muscle, and insulin's suppression of endogenous glucose production (EGP) by liver. A mathematical model was recently introduced that allows for distinction between disposal and hepatic S I . The purpose of this study was to examine specific indexes of S I among AA and EA women to determine whether lower whole-body S I in AA may be attributed to insulin action at muscle, liver, or both. Participants were 53 nondiabetic, premenopausal AA and EA women. Profiles of EGP and indexes of Disposal S I and Hepatic S I were calculated by mathematical modeling and incorporation of a stable isotope tracer ([6,6- 2 H 2 ]glucose) into the intravenous glucose tolerance test. Body composition was assessed by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. After adjustment for percentage fat, both Disposal S I and Hepatic S I were lower among AA ( P = .009 for both). Time profiles for serum insulin and EGP revealed higher peak insulin response and corresponding lower EGP among AA women compared with EA. Indexes from a recently introduced mathematical model suggest that lower whole-body S I among nondiabetic AA women is due to both hepatic and peripheral components. Despite lower Hepatic S I , AA displayed lower EGP, resulting from higher postchallenge insulin levels. Future research is needed to determine the physiological basis of lower insulin sensitivity among AA and its implications for type 2 diabetes mellitus risk.
Collective Bargaining and Capitalism

UP TO THE TIME of the beginning of the Great Depression the United States had been developing a "business civilization"; but since 1935 we are growing into a "union labor civilization" with a governmental bureaucracy attempting to throw itself into the foreground. Business and the farming groups are still strong; but organized labor is now in a position to throttle certain key industries by means of large-scale strikes and boycotts, and to oblige the government to play ball with it. Fortunately, as a consequence of the westward movement, the Homestead Act, and a rising standard of living, farmers and industrial workers in the United States acquired and still retain the outlook of the middle class rather than that of the peasant or of the proletariat of Europe. A modified and dynamic or "creative" capitalism may be continued in the United States provided this outlook can be continued in the ranks of organized labor.
Dimerization Induction and Measurement using Fluorogen Activating Proteins Guided by Saturation Mutagenesis

Protein-protein interactions in living cells are one of the most fundamental components in cellular processes. Monitoring and/or inducing the interaction between proteins allows investigations of to specify their role of precise interactionss in cellular mechanisms behaviors and to direct manipulation of thesemanipulate cellular responses. The conventional approaches to these measuremetns involve two tags conjugated to proteins of interest whereand the association of these two tags reveals the dimerization states of the targeted protein. Two major challenges for those probes include the reversibility of the tag interaction and the signal contrast for detection. The development of a dimerization inducer or reporter based on fluorogen activating proteins (FAP) takes the advantages of the high specificity of protein/fluorogenic dye interaction and the dramatic fluorescence enhancement upon complexation, allowing both the induction of dimerization and fluorescent detection of the protein interaction. We studied the tunability in binding properties of a malachite green (MG) binding homodimerizing FAP L5 by random and site-directed mutagenesis. One mutant L5_E52D showed low nanomolar binding affinity with large binding enthalpy, suggesting MG can be used as a strong chemical dimerization inducer. Saturation mutagenesis at the E52 site revealed Aanother mutant, L5_E52K, which showedresulted in undetectable MG binding in monomeric form but displayed high fluorescence signal in tandem dimeric form, enabling the sense of dimerization. We present the characterization of the mutants from single-site mutation saturation of a Fluorogen Aactivating Pprotein and the in vitro validations of two mutants being used for dimerization induction and dimerization detection.
Musings of an "old-school" programmer

A traditional style of software development can be just as productive as a more modern approach.
Delay and slew metrics using the lognormal distribution

For optimizations like physical synthesis and static timing analysis, efficient interconnect delay and slew computation is critical. Since one cannot often afford to run AWE[12], constant time solutions are required. This work presents the first complete solution to closed form formulae for both delay and slew. Our metrics are derived from matching circuit moments to the lognormal distribution. From a single table, one can easily implement the metrics for delay and slew for both step and ramp inputs. Experiments validate the effectiveness of the metrics for nets from a real industrial design.
Comparison of measured and calculated scattering from surface aerosols with an average, a size-dependent, and a time-dependent refractive index

[1] Midcontinental surface aerosols have been measured at a small, minimally polluted city in summer and winter and on a nearby remote mountain in summer. Aerosol scattering, absorption, size distribution, and composition were measured using a three‐wavelength nephelometer, an aethalometer, a passive cavity aerosol spectrometer, a scanning mobility particle sizer, an Aerodyne quadrupole aerosol mass spectrometer, and conventional filter systems. Size‐dependent, time‐dependent, and averaged refractive indices are estimated from the aerosol composition measurements and then used to calculate time‐dependent aerosol scattering. The calculated scattering values show differences that are generally less than 5% on average for all three refractive indices, suggesting that the average refractive index is adequate for scattering estimations from time‐ or size‐dependent aerosol measurements. The calculated scattering (backscattering) at 550 nm ranges from 2% less to 23% greater (11–22% smaller) than that measured. These differences decrease at 450 nm and increase at 700 nm and significantly exceed these values if optical size distribution measurements are not corrected for an appropriate index of refraction. Optimal agreement between calculated and measured scattering is achieved on 4 of the 6 days investigated in detail, if the real refractive index of the aerosol organic species ranges from 1.45 ± 0.02 at 450 nm to 1.62 ± 0.05 at 700 nm. Single‐scatter albedos are also calculated and found to be in good agreement with those derived from the experimental observations, ranging from 0.79 to 0.87 in the city and constant, near 0.95, on the mountain top.
Mass Communication and Identity Construction: Theory and a Case Study of Song-Recordings by a Popular Musician

This study examines the role of mass communication in identity construction by focusing on song-recordings written and performed by John Mellencamp, a mass communicator who has consistently identified himself with the Midwest generally and rural Indiana particularly. This research argues that Mellencamp's album, Scarecrow, may be productively grasped as (1) communication that extends a tradition expounded by such Midwesterners as Mark Twain and Grant Wood and (2) as mythology. Focusing closely on two Scarecrow tracks, this study conceptualizes mythology as a “vital contemporary creator of meaning” (Campbell, 1991, p. 335). The tracks are then analyzed by attending to those musical details of each that either reinforce or contradict its linguistic/mythic meanings. While similar analyses of popular music are not unprecedented in communication research, no prior study has attempted to integrate mythological textual analysis and musicological analysis in an effort to advance understanding about how mixes of m...
Production of milk and milk constituents by Brown Swiss, Holsteins, and their crossbreds

Abstract Least squares procedures were used to evaluate yields by crossbred and back-cross Brown Swiss and Holstein in relation to purebred contemporaries many of which were paternal or maternal half-sisters. Foundation females were taken at random from groups of females in the University herd. Bulls, 16 Brown Swiss and 13 Holstein selected at random from bulls in 13 artificial insemination studs, sired the crossbreds and purebreds. From foundation cows, were 34 Holsteins, 26 Brown Swiss, and 13 each of the Holstein x Swiss (breed of bull first, breed of cow last.) and Swiss x Holstein crosses that completed first lactations. First-generation purebreds were bred for purebreds and crossbreds, and crossbreds were bred for backcrosses. Both first-generation crossbred groups had fewer days open than purebreds. Numbers in second-generation groups with lactation records varied from 9 to 13. Crossbreds in each generation averaged higher than the purebreds for yields of milk, milk fat, 4% fat-corrected milk, solids-not-fat, and protein. Interaction (sire-dam) constants were not significant; neither was heterosis for production traits. For days open these estimates ranged from 14 to 31%.
Impact of advancing age on abdominal surgical outcomes.

Objective To describe the population-level risk of adverse outcomes among older adults undergoing common abdominal surgical procedures. Design Retrospective, population-based cohort study. Setting Washington State hospital discharge database. Participants A total of 101 318 adults 65 years or older who underwent common abdominal procedures such as cholecystectomy, colectomy, and hysterectomy from 1987 through 2004. Main Outcome Measures Ninety-day rates of postsurgical morbidity and mortality. Results The 90-day cumulative incidence of complications was 17.3%, with a 90-day mortality rate of 5.4%. Advancing age was associated with increasing frequency of complications (65-69 years, 14.6%; 70-74 years, 16.1%; 75-79 years, 18.8%; 80-84 years, 19.9%; 85-89 years, 22.6%; and ≥90 years, 22.7%; trend test, P P P Conclusions Among older adults, the risk of complications and early death after commonly performed abdominal procedures is greater than previously reported. These rates should be considered in ongoing quality improvement initiatives and may be helpful when counseling patients regarding abdominal operations.
Electron transmission studies of diamond films

Diamond is an attractive cold emitter candidate because of specific negative-electron-affinity (NEA) surfaces and good electron transport properties. In this study, transmission electron spectroscopy is used to examine the low-energy electron transport and emission properties of thin CVD diamond films. After injecting electrons into diamond films using an external electron gun, the transmission of low-energy secondary electrons is examined. In particular, the intensity and energy distribution of the transmitted electrons are measured as a function of the film properties (thickness, doping concentration) and incident beam properties (energy, intensity). Electron transmission through a heavily-doped, 5 μm thick film exhibits a larger energy spread and lower intensity than electron transmission through a medium-doped, 2 μm thick film. However, the transmission yields are relatively low for both films compared to the reflected yield measurements. Furthermore, the incident beam parameters influence the transmitted electron distribution in ways that cannot be explained by our secondary emission model. On the other hand, the results of the study concerning the transmission of high-energy electrons confirm the theoretical predictions of electron penetration depths in diamond. These initial electron transmission measurements from thin diamond films indicate that the transport process is quite complex, and the study reveals several issues that need to be examined further before the cold emission capabilities of diamond can be assessed.
Graph decompositions for demographic loop analysis

A new approach to loop analysis is presented in which decompositions of the total elasticity of a population projection matrix over a set of life history pathways are obtained as solutions of a constrained system of linear equations. In loop analysis, life history pathways are represented by loops in the life cycle graph, and the elasticity of the loop is interpreted as a measure of the contribution of the life history pathway to the population growth rate. Associated with the life cycle graph is a vector space—the cycle space of the graph—which is spanned by the loops. The elasticities of the transitions in the life cycle graph can be represented by a vector in the cycle space, and a loop decomposition of the life cycle graph is then defined to be any nonnegative linear combination of the loops which sum to the vector of elasticities. In contrast to previously published algorithms for carrying out loop analysis, we show that a given life cycle graph admits of either a unique loop decomposition or an infinite set of loop decompositions which can be characterized as a bounded convex set of nonnegative vectors. Using this approach, loop decompositions which minimize or maximize a linear objective function can be obtained as solutions of a linear programming problem, allowing us to place lower and upper bounds on the contributions of life history pathways to the population growth rate. Another consequence of our approach to loop analysis is that it allows us to identify the exact tradeoffs in contributions to the population growth rate that must exist between life history pathways.
Silicon Waveguide Frequency Scanning Linear Array Antenna

The design and experimental findings of a novel approach a relatively simple low-cost frequency-scanning milliter-wave antenna are described. The antenna consists of a silicon dielectric rectangular rod with periodic metallic stripe perturbations on one side. The feasibility of electronically scanning through a range of angles by varying the frequency fed into the silicon rod is shown. CalcuIations were made to determine the allowable physical size of the silicon rod in order to maintain a single fundamental mode of operation and the effect which size variations and perturbation spacing have on the angle of radiation and the range of angular scan for a given frequency shift. Efforts covered the frequency range 55-100 GHz with specific points of interest at 60, 70, and 94 GHz. The results of the experiments conducted are compared with the theoretical calculations.
Battery power optimized encryption

Computational power optimization is crucial in the battery power limited secure wireless mobile networks. Therefore, in this paper, we (a) introduce a hardware/software set-up to measure and model the battery power consumption of different encryption algorithms through real-life experimentation and (b) compute optimal power (number of rounds) allocation for encrypting packets such that the constraints on power and security are met. We present the results for three block ciphers: DES, IDEA, and COST though the same analysis can be extended to the other ciphers such as AES, RC4, etc. A new measure called "vulnerability" that quantifies the success of linear cryptanalysis attack is proposed and its relationship with the power consumption is explored. Two mathematical optimization problems are then posed: (a) compute the optimal power allocation to encrypt each packet such that the vulnerability is minimized subject to a total power constraint and (b) to compute the optimal number of encryption rounds for each packet such that a total power constraint is met. The differences in these two formulations are presented. A closed form solution to the first problem is derived while the second optimization formulation is posed as an integer program and is solved numerically. Several numerical results are also provided.
CAM-CM

Summary:In vivo dynamic contrast-enhanced imaging tools provide non-invasive methods for analyzing various functional changes associated with disease initiation, progression and responses to therapy. The quantitative application of these tools has been hindered by its inability to accurately resolve and characterize targeted tissues due to spatially mixed tissue heterogeneity. Convex Analysis of Mixtures – Compartment Modeling (CAM-CM) signal deconvolution tool has been developed to automatically identify pure-volume pixels located at the corners of the clustered pixel time series scatter simplex and subsequently estimate tissue-specific pharmacokinetic parameters. CAM-CM can dissect complex tissues into regions with differential tracer kinetics at pixel-wise resolution and provide a systems biology tool for defining imaging signatures predictive of phenotypes. Availability: The MATLAB source code can be downloaded at the authors′ website www.cbil.ece.vt.edu/software.htm Contact: yuewang@vt.edu Supplementary information:Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Deterring Strategic Cyberattack

Protecting critical infrastructure from cyberattacks by other nations is a matter of considerable concern. Can deterrence play a role in such protection? Can lessons from nuclear deterrence-the most elaborated and successful version of deterrence-be adapted to the cyber case? Currently, little overlap exists between the two, although that might change in the aftermath of an extensive, destructive cyberattack. The most effective way to protect the cyber-dependent infrastructure is a comprehensive defense (deterrence by denial), which was impractical in the nuclear regime. However, this approach presents challenges. Existing legal norms, particularly those related to controlling collateral damage, might provide some deterrence. Another option might be a new international agreement, but that would involve several difficult issues.