cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ENGINEERING POST-TRANSLATIONAL PROCESSING OF RECOMBINANT PROTEINS PRODUCED IN INSECT CELL CULTURE

A number of host organisms are used today to facilitate the production of recombinant proteins. Recombinant proteins are produced in cultures derived from both prokaryotic and eukaryotic sources. The proteins obtained from these sources are used in a wide range of applications including diagnostics, structure-function studies, therapeutics, and vaccines. The choice of which host to employ for production of a particular protein depends upon a number of factors including, but not limited to, the type of protein, the quantity and quality of protein desired, the specific application, and the available resources. Each host includes properties that will dictate its suitability for a particular product of interest.
A Case of Donor‐Transmitted Non‐Small Cell Lung Cancer After Liver Transplantation: An Unwelcome Guest

Cancer transmission with organ donation has been previously reported with a variety of malignancies and organ transplants. The risk of transmission through organ transplantation from donors with a history of previously treated malignancies has been addressed by guidelines from transplant societies. Herein, we report a case of a patient who developed lung cancer confined to the liver after liver transplantation with no known history of malignancy in the donor. The suspicion of donor origin arose after positron emission tomography-computerized tomography scan showed metastatic lung cancer only involving the transplanted liver without a primary focus. Genetic analysis of the malignant cells confirmed donor origin of the cancer.
Robotic Pyelolithotomy for the Intact Removal of a Complete Staghorn Calculus: A Feasible Approach Even After a Previous Open Pyelolithotomy.

Abstract Objective To describe the steps and technique of a robotic pyelolithotomy for complete removal of a left staghorn stone after a previous open pyelolithotomy. Methods The patient is placed in a left modified flank position with 4 laparoscopic ports placed: 12mm port for camera paramedian to the left of the midline, 8mm robotic port left lower quadrant at the level of the umbilicus, 8mm robotic port midclavicular line 2 finger breaths below the costal margin, 12mm Airseal assistant port paramedian infraumbilical. The white line of Toldt was incised and the colon was mobilized medially. Anterior Gerota's fascia was opened and tacked to the lateral abdominal wall exposing renal pelvis and parenchyma. An intraoperative ultrasound confirmed the underlying stone. A V-shaped Gil-Vernet pyelolithotomy incision was made and Prograsp forceps were used to manipulate the stone out of the renal pelvis. The collecting system was inspected and irrigated using the robotic lens. The pyelotomy was closed with 4-0 Monocryl suture on a TF needle in 2 lengths of suture, superiorly and inferiorly. Gerota's fascia was closed over the renal pelvis and the kidney was re-retroperitonealized by tacking the colon to the white line of Toldt. The specimen was retrieved through a mini-Pfannenstiel incision via a specimen bag. The patient was discharged on postoperative day 1 and seen in clinic 5 weeks later for stent removal. Conclusions Robotic pyelolithotomy is a minimally invasive alternative that can be offered to patients with complete staghorn stones even after major open stone surgery. However case selection for this approach relies on the stone burden primarily in a dilated renal pelvis with limited calyceal projections. It is imperative to review preoperative imaging to understand the calyceal anatomy and the rotation required to free the stone from the collecting system.
An analysis on epidemiological characteristics of bacillary dysentery in Jiashan county, Zhejiang province, 1995-2008.

Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics and incidence trend of bacillary dysentery in Jiashan county from 1995 to 2008.Methods The characteristics of bacillary dysentery were described and analyzed by descriptive study method.Rotundity distribution was used to analyze the incidence peak and the index-curve model was simulated to forecast the incidence rate of bacillary dysentery.Results Average incidence rate of bacillary dysentery was 31.13/100 000 and it was higher in farmers and uninstitutioned children at the region of emigrants.The period of high incidence was in summer and autumn and the peak of incidence rate was on August 25.The equation of index-curve forecast model was established as Y^=e290.879-0.144x.Conclusion Measures aimed at farmers,uninstitutioned children and high incidence seasons of summer and autumn should be taken into consideralion in preventing and controlling the outbreak of bacillary dysentery.
Development of in-service inspection priorities for pressurized water reactor high-pressure injection system components

The multiyear program entitled Nondestructive Evaluation Reliability for In-Service Inspection of Light Water Reactors, sponsored by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, is being conducted at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory. The goals of the program are to determine the reliability of current in-service inspection of pressure boundary systems and components and to develop recommendations that can ensure a suitably high inspection reliability. The long-term objective is to develop recommendations for improved in-service inspections. In meeting program objectives, a risk-based method has been developed to guide the development of inspection plans. The method uses results of probabilistic risk assessment and failure modes and effects analysis techniques to identify and prioritize the most risk-important systems and components for inspection at nuclear power plants. The Surry Nuclear Power Station Unit 1 was selected for demonstrating the methodology. The specific system addressed in this study was the high-pressure injection/recirculation (HPI/R) system. The results provide a risk-based ranking of components within the HPI/R system, which can be used to guide the development of improved inspection plans for nuclear power plants. This work will subsequently be used in supporting the revisions of the American Society of Mechanical Engineer's codes and standards.
Alternative Simulation Methods

The previous chapter concerns SPNs in which regeneration points exist for the marking process or underlying chain or both. For such nets, regenerative methods often can be used to obtain strongly consistent point estimates and asymptotic confidence intervals for time-average limits of the form \(r\, = \,\text{lim}_{\text{t} \to \infty } \bar r\left( t \right),\) where \(\bar r\left( t \right)\, = \,(1/t)\,\int\limits_0^t f (X(u))\) du for some function f. This chapter deals with methods for estimation of time-average limits when regenerative methods are not applicable. This situation can occur either because there is no apparent sequence of regeneration points or because regenerations occur so infrequently that the method is impractical—in Section 7.1 we give examples of both types of scenario.
The Effect of Strain Rate on the Yield Behavior of Iron-Based Lro Alloys at Elevated Temperatures

The sensitivity of iron-based LRO alloys to strain rate at elevated temperatures was investigated. The tensile results indicate that the iron-based LRO alloys exhibit a positive temperature dependence of yield behavior, but are insensitive to variations in strain rate between 10-5 and 100 sec-1. These observations, along with SEM and TEM results, suggest that previous proposed diffusion-controlled mechanisms are not responsible for the increase in yield strength with increasing temperature.
Computation Efficiency in a Wireless-Powered Mobile Edge Computing Network with NOMA

Energy-efficient computation is of crucial importance in mobile edge computing (MEC) networks. However, few investigations have studied resource allocation strategies for maximizing the computation efficiency. A computation efficiency maximization framework is established in wireless-powered MEC networks relying on non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) under both partial and binary computation offloading modes. A practical non-linear energy harvesting model is considered. The energy harvesting time, the local computing frequency, the operation mode selection, the offloading time and power are all jointly optimized to maximize the computation efficiency under the max-min fairness criterion. An iterative algorithm and an alternative optimization algorithm are proposed to solve the formulated challenging non-convex problems. Simulation results show that our proposed resource allocation schemes outperform the benchmark schemes in terms of computation efficiency. Moreover, a tradeoff is elucidated between the computation efficiency and the computation throughput.
Albert G. Spalding and the business of baseball

Albert G. Spalding revolutionized the business of baseball during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He built a retail empire based off his reputation as a player, his connections to MLB, and ...
Overlap Concentration and the Effect of Macromolecular Crowding on Citrate Synthase Activity.

Although it is well-known that the environment of mitochondria is a densely packed network of macromolecules, the kinetics of the essential metabolic enzyme, citrate synthase, has been studied only under dilute conditions. To understand how this crowded environment impacts the behavior of citrate synthase, Michaelis-Menten kinetics were measured spectrophotometrically in the presence of synthetic crowders as a function of size, concentration, and identity. The largest factor contributing to crowding effects was the overlap concentration (c*), the concentration above which polymers begin to interact. The presence of the crowder dextran decreased the maximum rate of the reaction by ∼20% in the dilute regime ( c*) regardless of polymer size. The disparate effects observed from different crowding agents of similar size also reveal the importance of transient interactions from crowding.
PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) and asthma in young children: NHANES 2013-2014.

Abstract Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of persistent chemicals used as industrial surfactants, fire-fighting foams, and textile treatments. Early childhood exposure to perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), and perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS) may affect the immune system to increase the risk of allergic and respiratory diseases. However, there are substantial gaps in our knowledge about the relationship between PFAS and immune-mediated outcomes such as asthma in children. Thus, we examined the cross-sectional associations of serum PFOA, PFOS, PFNA, and PFHxS concentrations with childhood asthma. We used data from children aged 3–11 years who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2013–2014). Serum PFAS concentrations were measured in serum using analytical chemistry methods. Asthma was assessed by parent-reported, doctor-diagnosed, asthma using a standardized questionnaire. Controlling for covariates, we estimated odds ratios for asthma per standard deviation increase in ln-transformed serum PFAS concentrations (n = 607). We also examined effect measure modification by child age, sex, and race/ethnicity. PFOA (1.1; 95% CI: 0.8, 1.4), PFOS (1.2; 95% CI: 0.8, 1.7), PFNA (1.1; 95% CI: 0.8, 1.6), and PFHxS (1.1; 95% CI: 0.9, 1.6) were weakly associated with an increased odds of asthma. Age modified associations between serum PFOS, but not other serum PFAS concentrations, and odds of asthma (age x PFOS interaction term p-value = 0.03). Sex and race/ethnicity did not modify these associations. We observed some evidence that serum PFAS concentrations are weakly associated with increased asthma prevalence in US children.
The United States, Southeast Asia, and Historical Memory: Mark Pavlick with Caroline Luft (eds) (Chicago: Haymarket Books, 2019)

With the USA under President Trump, seemingly intent on a dangerous political confrontation with China, this second edition of The United States, Southeast Asia, and Historical Memory comes at an a...
When to Consider Deferral of Surgery in Acute Type A Aortic Dissection: A Review

Background Acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) is a surgical emergency with an operative mortality of up to 30%, a rate that has not changed meaningfully in more than 2 decades. A growing body of research has highlighted several comorbidities and presenting factors in which delay or permanent deferral of surgery may be considered; however, modern comprehensive summative reviews are lacking. The urgency and timing of this review are underscored by significant challenges in resource use posed by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This review provides an update on the current understanding of risk assessment, surgical candidacy, and operative timing in patients with ATAAD. Methods A literature search was conducted through PubMed and Embase databases to identify relevant studies relating to risk assessment in ATAAD. Articles were selected by group consensus on the basis of quality and relevance. Results Several patient factors have been identified that increase risk in ATAAD repair. In particular, frailty, advanced age, previous cardiac surgery, and use of novel anticoagulant medications have been studied. The understanding of malperfusion syndromes has also expanded significantly, including recommendations for surgical delay. Finally, approaches to triage have been significantly influenced by resource limitations related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Although medical management remains a reasonable option in carefully selected patients at prohibitive risk for open surgery, endovascular therapies for treatment of ATAAD are rapidly evolving. Conclusions Early surgical repair remains the preferred treatment for most patients with ATAAD. However, improvements in risk stratification should guide appropriate delay or permanent deferral of surgery in select individuals.
Moderate or Severe Impairment in Pulmonary Function is Associated with Mortality in Sarcoidosis Patients Infected with SARS­CoV­2.

To investigate whether sarcoidosis patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 are at risk for adverse disease outcomes. This retrospective study was conducted in five hospitals within the Mount Sinai Health System during March 1, 2020 to July 29, 2020. All patients diagnosed with COVID-19 were included in the study. We identified sarcoidosis patients who met diagnostic criteria for sarcoidosis according to accepted guidelines. An adverse disease outcome was defined as the presence of intubation and mechanical ventilation or in-hospital mortality. In sarcoidosis patients, we reported (when available) the results of pulmonary function testing measured within 3 years prior to the time of SARS‑CoV‑2 infection. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to generate an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) to evaluate sarcoidosis as a risk factor for an adverse outcome. The same model was used to analyze sarcoidosis patients with moderate and/or severe impairment in pulmonary function. The study included 7337 patients, 37 of whom (0.5%) had sarcoidosis. The crude rate of developing an adverse outcome was significantly higher in patients with moderately and/or severely impaired pulmonary function (9/14 vs. 3/23, p = 0.003). While the diagnosis of sarcoidosis was not independently associated with risk of an adverse event, (aOR 1.8, 95% CI 0.9–3.6), the diagnosis of sarcoidosis in patients with moderately and/or severely impaired pulmonary function was associated with an adverse outcome (aOR 7.8, 95% CI 2.4–25.8). Moderate or severe impairment in pulmonary function is associated with mortality in sarcoidosis patients infected with SARS‑CoV‑2.
Love and Faith at War: Reflections on a Platoon Commander in Fallujah

The public culture of liberal democracies like the United States include a number of ‘platitudes’ about the proper political role of religion. One of those platitudes has to do with the relation between religion and war, viz., that ‘mixing’ religion and war leads to moral horror. When combatants are motivated to fight by their religious faith, when political communities construe violent military conflict in religious terms, when ‘religion’ intrudes upon ‘war,’ we can expect only moral atrocity. Hence the familiar parade of horribles: the Crusades, the religious wars of the 16th and 17th centuries, 9/11. I am skeptical: the religious is internally complex; war is as well; we should not expect the proper relations between religion and war to be regulated by simplistic claims decrying any influence of religion on war; nor should we expect the truth about religion and war to be accurately characterized by a narrative depicting a series of religiously motivated atrocities. My skepticism in this respect is grounded on a whole host of historical, philosophical, sociological, and theological considerations. Articulating those considerations would take a tome. In lieu of that more substantial treatment, I want to provide initial grounds for skepticism by reflecting on a particular case, one that I lay out in some detail. I think that reflection on that one case indicates just how subtly, and yet consequentially, the religious can relate to the martial. I hope that it also provides some indication – though hardly a demonstration! – that we have excellent reason to abandon familiar prejudicial platitudes about religion and war. We should at least be far more careful in our formulations than many are.
Design and optimization of photonic interconnect for heterogenous integration

We propose an interconnect model for multi-chip modules based on integration of a silicon photonic chip with single-mode polymer waveguides fabricated on the low-cost glass interposer technology. We present a detailed power-budget analysis of the on-chip photonic interconnect capable of 1 Tb/s chip-to-chip interconnection bandwidth. For this analysis, we consider state-of-the art photonics foundry modulators and detectors. We also discuss efficient-coupling strategies between the interconnect waveguides and the silicon photonic chip. Our analysis identifies key design parameters impacting the overall performance of the proposed interconnection approach in terms of energy-consumption, distance, and bandwidth and compare its performance with alternative approaches.
Ecologic Study of Influenza Vaccination Uptake and COVID-19 Death Rate in New York City

The aim of this ecological study was to assess the area-level relationship between cumulative death rate for COVID-19 and historic influenza vaccination uptake in the New York City population. Predictors of COVID-19 death included self-reported flu vaccination in 2018, as well as four CDC-defined risk factors of severe COVID-19 infection available at the ecological level, which were diabetes, asthma, BMI 30-100 (mg/k2) and hypertension, in addition to race and age (65+ years). Zip codes with a higher prevalence of influenza vaccination had lower rates of COVID-19 mortality, inciting the need to further explore the relationship between influenza vaccination uptake and COVID-19 mortality at the individual level. Funding Statement: This research received no external funding. Declaration of Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Ethics Approval Statement: Not applicable.
Paradigm Change in Liver Transplantation Practice After the Implementation of the Liver-Kidney Allocation Policy.

The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN)/United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) policy regarding kidney allocation for liver transplantation (LT) patients was implemented in August 2017. This study evaluated the effects of the simultaneous liver-kidney transplantation (SLKT) policy on outcomes in LT alone (LTA) patients with kidney dysfunction. We analyzed adult primary LTA patients with kidney dysfunction at listing (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] less than 30 mL/minute or dialysis requirement) between January 2015 and March 2019 using the OPTN/UNOS registry. Waitlist practice and kidney transplantation (KT) listing after LTA were compared between prepolicy and postpolicy groups. There were 3821 LTA listings with eGFR <30 mL/minute included. The daily number of listings on dialysis was significantly higher in Era 2 (postpolicy group) than Era 1 (prepolicy group) (1.21/day versus 0.95/day; P < 0.001). Of these LTA listings, 90-day LT waitlist mortality, LTA probability, and 1-year post-LTA survival were similar between eras. LTA recipients in Era 2 had a higher probability for KT listing after LTA than those in Era 1 (6.2% versus 3.9%; odds ratio [OR], 3.30; P < 0.001), especially those on dialysis (8.4% versus 2.0%; OR, 4.38; P < 0.001). Under the safety net rule, there was a higher KT probability after LTA (26.7% and 53% at 6 months in Eras 1 and 2, respectively; P = 0.02). After the implementation of the policy, the number of LTA listings among patients on dialysis increased significantly. While their posttransplant survival did not change, KT listing after LTA increased. The safety net rule led to high KT probability and a low waitlist mortality rate in patients who were listed for KT after LTA. These results suggest that the policy successfully achieved the goals of providing appropriate opportunities of KT for LT patients, which did not compromise LTA waitlist or posttransplant outcomes in patients with kidney dysfunction and provided KT opportunities if patients developed kidney failure after LTA.
PoBO: A Polynomial Bounding Method for Chance-Constrained Yield-Aware Optimization of Photonic ICs

Conventional yield optimization algorithms try to maximize the success rate of a circuit under process variations. These methods often obtain a high yield but reach a design performance that is far from the optimal value. This paper investigates an alternative yield-aware optimization for photonic ICs: we will optimize the circuit design performance while ensuring a high yield requirement. This problem was recently formulated as a chance-constrained optimization, and the chance constraint was converted to a stronger constraint with statistical moments. Such a conversion reduces the feasible set and sometimes leads to an over-conservative design. To address this fundamental challenge, this paper proposes a carefully designed polynomial function, called optimal polynomial kinship function, to bound the chance constraint more accurately. We modify existing kinship functions via relaxing the independence and convexity requirements, which fits our more general uncertainty modeling and tightens the bounding functions. The proposed method enables a global optimum search for the design variables via polynomial optimization. We validate this method with a synthetic function and two photonic IC design benchmarks, showing that our method can obtain better design performance while meeting a pre-specified yield requirement. Many other advanced problems of yield-aware optimization and more general safety-critical design/control can be solved based on this work in the future.
Driver Monitoring Systems: Perceived Fairness of Consequences when Distractions are Detected

Driver monitoring may become a standard safety feature to discourage distraction in vehicles with or without automated driving functions. Research to date has focused on technology for identifying driver distraction—little is known about how drivers will respond to monitoring systems. An exploratory online survey assessed the perceived risk and reasonableness associated with driving distractions as well as the perceived fairness of potential consequences when a driver monitoring system detects distractions under either manual driving or Level 2 automated driving. Although more research is needed, results suggested: (1) fairness was associated with perceived risk; (2) alerts generally were viewed as fair; (3) more severe consequences (feature lockouts, insurance reporting, automation lockouts, involuntary takeovers) generally were viewed as less fair; (4) fairness ratings were similar for manual versus Level 2 driving, with some potential exceptions; and (5) perceived risk of distractions was slightly lower with automated driving.
Symmetric Nonnegative Matrix Factorization for Graph Clustering.

Nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) provides a lower rank approximation of a nonnegative matrix, and has been successfully used as a clustering method. In this paper, we offer some conceptual understanding for the capabilities and shortcomings of NMF as a clustering method. Then, we propose Symmetric NMF (SymNMF) as a general framework for graph clustering, which inherits the advantages of NMF by enforcing nonnegativity on the clustering assignment matrix. Unlike NMF, however, SymNMF is based on a similarity measure between data points, and factorizes a symmetric matrix containing pairwise similarity values (not necessarily nonnegative). We compare SymNMF with the widely-used spectral clustering methods, and give an intuitive explanation of why SymNMF captures the cluster structure embedded in the graph representation more naturally. In addition, we develop a Newton-like algorithm that exploits second-order information efficiently, so as to show the feasibility of SymNMF as a practical framework for graph clustering. Our experiments on artificial graph data, text data, and image data demonstrate the substantially enhanced clustering quality of SymNMF over spectral clustering and NMF. Therefore, SymNMF is able to achieve better clustering results on both linear and nonlinear manifolds, and serves as a potential basis for many extensions
Violent Street Crime Versus Harmful White-Collar Crime: A Comparison of Perceived Seriousness and Punitiveness

Recent studies have challenged traditional wisdom regarding public apathy about white-collar crime by revealing equal or greater perceived seriousness of these offenses among respondents relative to traditional crime. Nevertheless, subjects in those studies were generally asked to contrast white-collar crime scenarios with a non-violent street crime baseline vignette. Perhaps a violent street crime would have invited lower perceived seriousness for the white-collar offenses. Participants in the present study were asked to (1) read vignettes describing violent street crimes and physically harmful white-collar crimes, (2) compare their seriousness, and (3) determine appropriate sanctions. Subjects perceived the violent crime scenarios presented to them to be more serious than the harmful white-collar crime vignettes. Further, they were less punitive toward white-collar offenders compared with street criminals. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Efficient symbolic state-space construction for asynchronous systems

Many techniques for the verification of reactive systems rely on the analysis of their reachable state spaces. In this paper, a new algorithm for the symbolic generation of the state spaces of asynchronous system models, such as Petri nets, is developed. The algorithm is based on previous work that employs Multi-valued Decision Diagrams for efficiently storing sets of reachable states. In contrast to related approaches, however, it fully exploits event locality, supports intelligent cache management, and achieves faster convergence via advanced iteration control. The algorithm is implemented in the Petri net tool SMART, and runtime results show that it often performs significantly faster than existing state-space generators.
Modals in Brazilian Advanced EFL Learners' Compositions: A Corpus-Based Investigation

Corpus Linguistics has become a major trend in Applied Linguistics since the second half of the 20th century due to computing facilities. Nowadays teachers can research and assess their students’ production by means of compiling learner corpora. This article describes how this technique was used to investigate the usage of modals in the writing of advanced EFL learners studying at private language schools in Brazil. When the research corpus is compared to the academic prose register studied by Biber et al. (1999), the divergence becomes apparent. The findings, thus, suggest that subjects write in a non-proficient way, which runs counter to previous expectations.
The Use of Strategic Performance Variables as Leading Indicators in Financial Analyst's Forecasts

An emerging view among managers and academicians argues for an expanded reporting system to provide more comprehensive information about organizational performance, including internal strategic performance variables, although there is little systematically gathered evidence on the views of the analyst community in this regard. Reported here are the results of a survey of 420 practitioners regarding the frequency of use, predictive value, and ease of acquisition of a variety of financial and non-financial performance measures. The patterns of use that emerge paint a picture in which analysts go well beyond the traditional financial measures and use a broad range of strategic leading indicators to assess long-term organizational success.
A Design for Tailgate Safety Training in Ohio

SUMMARY This project will examine the effectiveness of short, frequent, (tailgate) safety training sessions for farm employees. Four measures will be made before and again after a year-long series of tailgate safety training sessions for agricultural employees. Instruments have been developed to measure safety attitudes and safety knowledge. Occupational accident history will be collected from Worker's Compensation files. Behaviors will be assessed by on-farm visits. Changes of those in the treatment group will be compared with changes of those in the comparison group to document effectiveness of the training.
Deep sub-wavelength plasmonic lithography with antisymmetric surface plasmon mode

We propose a method for deep-subwavelength patterns using antisymmetric surface plasmon mode in metal/dielectric multilayer metamaterials. Interference patterns with feature size of 22nm(∼λ incident /20) and fabrication of the device are demonstrated.
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Related Diseases

(2004). Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Related Diseases. Autoimmunity: Vol. 37, No. 4, pp. 301-304.
The Laboratory Report Project

ABSTRACTThe National Academy of Sciences Committee on Forensic Science issued a report in 2009 that contained thirteen recommendations for improving forensic science. The second recommendation stated that forensic science laboratory reports should be uniform, comprehensive, and scientific in nature. In order to implement this recommendation, it was decided to survey U.S. public forensic science laboratories to obtain redacted laboratory reports in selected areas of forensic science and then analyze them for their content. A total of 421 laboratory reports were obtained from 38 forensic science laboratories. A set of 11 sections of possible content sections of a hypothetical scientific laboratory report were chosen and each of the reports received were categorized to see which sections were present. The results showed that the length, breadth, and depth of laboratory reports were somewhat influenced by the type of evidence being analyzed and the jurisdiction of the laboratory (federal, regional, state, loc...
Motor Drive Inverter Ratings

The selection of adjustable-frequency motor drive inrters requires a recognition not only of motor shaft loading but of motor characteristics, of solid-state harmonic waveforms, and of inverter capabilities. The process of selection is further complicated by a lack of industry standard ratings. The functional details of specifying, selecting, and comparing are discussed.
Two Gorillas in the Death Penalty Room

Keane's (2008) defense of physician participation in capital punishment, based on victims' families' desire for psychological closure, unfortunately contains several fallacies. The argument cannot ...
Electron Acceleration in Solar Flares

We present observations of an intense solar flare hard X-ray burst on 1980 June 27, made with a balloon-borne array of liquid nitrogen-cooled germanium detectors which provided unprecedented spectral resolution (≲1 keV FWHM). The hard X-ray spectra throughout the impulsive phase burst fitted well to a double power-law form, and emission from an isothermal 108–109K plasma can be specifically excluded. The temporal variations of the spectrum indicate that the hard X-ray burst is made up of two superposed components: individual spikes lasting ∼3–15 s, whch have a hard spectrum and a break energy of 30–65 keV; and a slowly varying component characterized by a soft spectrum with a constant low-energy slope and a break energy which increases from 25 keV to ≳100 keV through the event. The double power-law shape indicates that acceleration by DC electric fields parallel to the magnetic field, similar to that occurring in the Earth's auroral zone, may be the source of the energetic electrons which produce the hard X-ray emission. The total potential drop required for flares is typically ∼102 kV compared to ∼10 kV for auroral substorms.
Glycoprotein reductions in the adipocyte cytoplasmic membrane from obese Zucker rats.

Abstract The adipocyte cytoplasmic membranes from lean and obese Zucker rats were analyzed. A reduction in the galactose-containing glycoproteins was demonstrated from adipocyte cytoplasmic membranes of obese rats. A compensatory increase was observed in several membrane proteins which did not contain carbohydrate. This reduction was observed in obese rats at 5 and 16 weeks old.
Intelligence surveillance reconnaissance “search window”

This report was commissioned by Lockheed Martin Corporation in order to develop a predictive model capable of identifying potential enemy ballistic missile launch sites prior to launch. This model will use geospatial data in conjunction with intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance assets in order to identify likely missile launch sites. The utilization of this model will save time when planning missions and engaging targets. This model will provide the commander with the ability destroy a launch site before it has a chance to fire a missile. Since enemy offensive missiles heavily outnumber the amount of American defensive missiles, this model uses an offensive approach in a field that has historically taken a defensive stance. Destroying enemy launch sites before they can fire ensures the most efficient use of missile assets. The prototype algorithm will be built using a commercial geospatial software tool, ArcGIS, and evaluating open-source data. The prototype will evaluate geographical data in order to focus assets on areas that are conducive to missile launch sites. This algorithm will then be exported to a tactical operating system capable of simulating missile engagements on a global scale and allowing commanders to make informed decisions regarding missile threats. The result of this project will have two parts. The first part will be a model in ArcGIS that will identify potential enemy launch sites based on geographic location and characteristics of the terrain. The second part of this project will be a graphical display that will output all relevant information to the commander. This information will include the coordinates of the possible launch sites, expected missile type, and range of each weapon system.
Influence of the third invariant in the ballistic impact of silicon carbide

Abstract This article examines whether the yield surface of silicon carbide depends on the third invariant of the stress tensor, and how such dependence would affect its performance as an armor material. The JHB ceramic model is augmented by a factor introduced for geomaterials that depends on the third invariant of stress and the tri-axial yield ratio (a material parameter defined as yield in tri-axial extension to yield in tri-axial compression.) The factor scales yield on the compressive meridian for other states of stress. Tests of high-velocity impacts of silicon carbide are selected from the literature, and computations are performed with the augmented model using several values of the tri-axial yield ratio. The sensitivity of the computations to the variation of the tri-axial yield ratio is determined for each test. Compressive plate impacts and ballistic impacts of thin targets show the most sensitivity, and comparison of the computed compressive plate impacts to test results suggests a significant dependence on the third invariant.
Antiparasitic agents. 4. Injectable phenylguanidine anthelmintics.

A series of phenylguanidine anthelminties has been discovered to be active by injection against nematode and trematode species.
High urinary flow accelerates renal injury in young rats with partial unilateral ureteral obstruction.

Purpose: We studied the effect of dietary manipulation and high urine flow on neonatal partial ureteral obstruction in a weanling rat preparation.Materials and Methods: A total of 40, 3-week old Sprague-Dawley rats underwent unilateral ureteral obstruction by burial of the right ureter in the psoas muscle and 13 underwent sham operation. Low, high and normal salt, and high sucrose diets were administered for 2 months. The glomerular filtration rate of each kidney was measured by iothalamate clearance. Intrapelvic pressure and renal blood flow were measured before and after acute volume loading.Results: Fluid intake and urine output were 8 to 10-fold greater in animals on high salt and high sucrose diets compared to those in rats on normal and low salt diets. Hydronephrosis was observed only in rats with partial obstruction and high urine flow. No difference in renal weight was noted. Relative glomerular filtration rate of the partially obstructed kidney was maintained when urine flow was normal but decrea...
Selecting One of Two Treatments When the Responses are Dichotomous

Abstract A decision theoretic approach to the design of a clinical trial is considered for the situation in which a total of N patients with a disease receive one of two treatments and the responses to the treatments are dichotomous. Two costs are considered: The cost of treating a patient with the inferior treatment and the cost of conducting the trial. Minimax and Bayes procedures are used to determine the optimum size of a fixed sample trial. Bayes solutions for the optimum sample size are given for a variety of beta prior distributions and various values of N. Minimax solutions are given for a variety of regions over which the minimaxing was performed, and for various values of N. The optimum sample sizes are found to be asymptotically proportional to N 1/2 using the Bayes procedure and N 2/3 using the minimax procedure. The consequences of erring in specifying the value of N are explored.
Societal development and the shifting influence of the genome on status attainment

This paper builds on consensus areas within the study of societal development to theorize variation in the strength of genetic influence on status across primary societal types. Its thesis is developed by first constructing a general model of the genome → status relationship positing the strength of genetic influence on status attainment to be a function of specific structural elements of the society. The model is supported by two primary premises: (a) as inequality levels increase, the characteristics and abilities intrinsically useful in status attainment are increasingly influenced by individuals’ social backgrounds and decreasingly determined by their genomes; (b) as social closure and inequality increase, the utility of these characteristics and abilities to status attainment is diminished. After the model is elaborated, it is applied to assess the relative strength of genome → status relationship for each of the major phases of societal development. The results indicate that genetic influence on status attainment has followed a reverse ‘J’ curve, with the genome → status relationship being relatively strong among hunter-gatherers, sharply declining among horticultural and agrarian groups, and then moderately increasing among advanced industrial societies.
Effect of cycloheximide on tobacco mosaic virus synthesis in callus from hypersensitive tobacco.

Abstract Local lesions were formed on callus derived from Nicotiana tabacum cv Xanthi-nc 36–44 hr following inoculation with tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), but these had little or no inhibitory effect on virus synthesis. The greatest accumulation of [3H]-uridine- and [14C]leucine-labeled virus occurred 48–84 hr after inoculation. When infected callus tissue was treated with cycloheximide (1 μg/ml) during the period of rapid virus accumulation, the synthesis of host protein and complete virus was reduced by 90% within 1 hr. The synthesis of TMV RNA was not affected even after 4 hr of treatment. The results suggest that cycloheximide prevented the formation of complete virus by inhibiting the synthesis of viral protein and/or by preventing the assembly of virus particles.
Velocity computation in the primate visual system

Computational neuroscience combines theory and experiment to shed light on the principles and mechanisms of neural computation. This approach has been highly fruitful in the ongoing effort to understand velocity computation by the primate visual system. This Review describes the success of spatiotemporal-energy models in representing local-velocity detection. It shows why local-velocity measurements tend to differ from the velocity of the object as a whole. Certain cells in the middle temporal area are thought to solve this problem by combining local-velocity estimates to compute the overall pattern velocity. The Review discusses different models for how this might occur and experiments that test these models. Although no model is yet firmly established, evidence suggests that computing pattern velocity from local-velocity estimates involves simple operations in the spatiotemporal frequency domain.
Transporting Renal Epithelium: Culture in Hormonally Defined Serum-Free Medium

A hormonally defined medium was used to isolate a homogeneous epithelioid cell population from canine kidney. Monolayers of these cells form domes, an indication of active ion transport, and this process is inhibited by ouabain. This technique allows the isolation of primary cultures of renal epithelial cells, free of fibroblasts, for the characterization of biochemical and physiological properties related to renal function.
Minimax regret discounting

Abstract The paper considers an environmental policy decision in which the appropriate approach for discounting future costs and benefits is unknown. Uncertainty about the discount rate is formulated as a decision under Knightian uncertainty. To solve this, we employ minimax regret, a decision criterion that is much less conservative then the related criterion maximin—in particular, it can be shown to implement a “proportional response” in that it equally balances concern about the mistake of doing too little with that of doing too much. Despite the criterion's balanced nature, the minimax regret solution mimics a policy that maximizes the present discounted value of future net benefits with an effective (certainty-equivalent) discount rate that declines over time to the lowest possible rate. In addition to reinforcing Weitzman's (1998) original limiting result, the approach generates concrete policy advice when decision makers are unable to specify a prior over possible discount rates. We apply it to the Stern–Nordhaus discounting debate and find that the effective discount rate converges to the Stern rate in just under 200 years.
Time flies when you are in a groove: using entrainment to mechanical resonance to teach a desired movement distorts the perception of the movement’s timing

The human motor system quickly entrains rhythmic limb movement to the resonant frequency of mechanical systems with which it interacts, suggesting that entrainment to an appropriately designed training device might be a convenient way to teach desired movements. We tested this possibility by asking healthy subjects (N = 30) to learn to move with a desired movement timing using a simple resonating arm training device: a lever attached to a manual wheelchair. The subjects tried to learn to roll the lever-driven wheelchair back and forth in place at a target frequency initially presented using a series of auditory beeps. One-third of the subjects trained without resonance and with no further feedback about rolling frequency; their performance did not improve. Another group trained with continual visual feedback of frequency error but no resonance; they quickly learned to roll the chair at the target frequency, as evidenced at both short-term and long-term (1 day later) retention tests. A third group trained with elastic bands attached to the lever that caused the system to resonate at the target frequency, providing a timing template. While these participants quickly entrained to the target frequency during training, they did not accurately reproduce this frequency when the system was no longer resonant, moving too slowly with the same systematic error at both the short-term and long-term retention tests. They also did not exhibit a timing aftereffect on the initial movements made when they transitioned from a resonant to non-resonant system or vice versa. This suggests they did not realize they were performing the task with a temporal error. Entrainment to mechanical resonance conveys usable information about movement timing, but seems to cause that movement timing to be perceived as slower than it actually is, as if a putative internal clock speeds up, which is a factor to consider in designing machine-assisted motor training.
Reprogramming towards pluripotency requires AID-dependent DNA demethylation

Reprogramming of somatic cell nuclei to yield induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells makes possible derivation of patient-specific stem cells for regenerative medicine. However, iPS cell generation is asynchronous and slow (2–3 weeks), the frequency is low (<0.1%), and DNA demethylation constitutes a bottleneck. To determine regulatory mechanisms involved in reprogramming, we generated interspecies heterokaryons (fused mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells and human fibroblasts) that induce reprogramming synchronously, frequently and fast. Here we show that reprogramming towards pluripotency in single heterokaryons is initiated without cell division or DNA replication, rapidly (1 day) and efficiently (70%). Short interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated knockdown showed that activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID, also known as AICDA) is required for promoter demethylation and induction of OCT4 (also known as POU5F1) and NANOG gene expression. AID protein bound silent methylated OCT4 and NANOG promoters in fibroblasts, but not active demethylated promoters in ES cells. These data provide new evidence that mammalian AID is required for active DNA demethylation and initiation of nuclear reprogramming towards pluripotency in human somatic cells. The generation of iPS (induced pluripotent stem) cells from differentiated cells is still a slow and inefficient process, with DNA methylation acting as a bottleneck. Bhutani et al. report the development of a heterokaryon-based system, fusing mouse embryonic stem cells and human fibroblasts, in which reprogramming is both rapid (taking days rather than weeks) and efficient. Using siRNA-mediated knockdown in this system, it is shown that AID protein (activation-induced cytidine deaminase), known for its role in generating antibody diversity, is required for the initiation of active DNA demethylation and nuclear reprogramming towards pluripotency. To elucidate regulatory mechanisms involved in reprogramming to generate pluripotent cells from somatic cells, this study generates interspecies heterokaryons (fused mouse ES cells and human fibroblasts) that induce reprogramming efficiently, rapidly and without cell division. SiRNA–mediated knockdown reveals that AID is required for active DNA demethylation and initiation of nuclear reprogramming towards pluripotency in human somatic cells.