cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ethical Considerations in the Transcatheter Management of Congenital Heart Disease

Invasive treatment of congenital heart disease has seen remarkable advances over the past 80 years. With the advent of less invasive therapeutic strategic options, providers include interventional cardiologists as well as classically trained surgeons. The technological imperative for pursuing innovative therapy must be tempered by on-going observation. Outcomes research is problematic owing to the relative infrequency of like patients on the spectrum of any given condition. By necessity industry has also had a large influence on the development of surgical equipment and implantable devices thus creating the potential for real or perceived conflict of interest. A cooperative approach and transparency with respect to expected risks, benefits and alternatives are necessary to ensure informed consent central to the principles of autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice.
Cognition in Context: Understanding the Everyday Predictors of Cognitive Performance in a New Era of Measurement.

Background: Research suggests that variability in attention and working memory scores, as seen across time points, may be a sensitive indicator of impairment compared with a singular score at one point in time. Given that fluctuation in cognitive performance is a meaningful metric of real-world function and trajectory, it is valuable to understand the internal state-based and environmental factors that could be driving these fluctuations in performance. Objective: In this viewpoint, we argue for the use of repeated mobile assessment as a way to better understand how context shapes moment-to-moment cognitive performance. To elucidate potential factors that give rise to intraindividual variability, we highlight existing literature that has linked both internal and external modifying variables to a number of cognitive domains. We identify ways in which these variables could be measured using mobile assessment to capture them in ecologically meaningful settings (ie, in daily life). Finally, we describe a number of studies that have already begun to use mobile assessment to measure changes in real time cognitive performance in people’s daily environments and the ways in which this burgeoning methodology may continue to advance the field. Methods: This paper describes selected literature on contextual factors that examined how experimentally induced or self-reported contextual variables (ie, affect, motivation, time of day, environmental noise, physical activity, and social activity) related to tests of cognitive performance. We also selected papers that used mobile assessment of cognition; these papers were chosen for their use of high-frequency time-series measurement of cognition using a mobile device. Results: Upon review of the relevant literature, it is evident that contextual factors have the potential to meaningfully impact cognitive performance when measured in laboratory and daily life environments. Although this research has shed light on the question of what gives rise to real-life variability in cognitive function (eg, affect and activity), many of the studies were limited by traditional methods of data collection (eg, involving retrospective recall). Furthermore, cognition has often been measured in one domain or in one age group, which does not allow us to extrapolate results to other cognitive domains and across the life span. On the basis of the literature reviewed, mobile assessment of cognition shows high levels of feasibility and validity and could be a useful method for capturing individual cognitive variability in real-world contexts via passive and active measures. Conclusions: We propose that, through the use of mobile assessment, there is an opportunity to combine multiple sources of contextual and cognitive data. These data have the potential to provide individualized digital signatures that could improve diagnostic precision and lead to meaningful clinical outcomes in a wide range of psychiatric and neurological disorders.
The Comparability Of Onsite and Offsite Measures of Recreation Needs

This study examines whether or not onsite measurement of “escape physical stress” needs differs from later offsite measures for a population of steelhead anglers. Measures were taken onsite and 4 months later in a mail survey. Results showed a negligible effect due to time of administration but a sizable effect due to a subject by time interaction implying low comparability between onsite and offsite measures. Methodological and conceptual explanations are offered.
“Bridging, brokering, and buffering”: a theoretical exploration of school leaders’ engagement with local school wellness policy implementation

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-296) prompted the expansion of federal requirements for local school wellness policies, which aim to improve health promoting practices across school districts in the USA. This qualitative study examined how school district superintendents—as key school leaders who are often listed as the district accountability figure for wellness policies applicable to kindergarten through 12th grade—engaged with wellness policy implementation. The inquiry was guided by evidence-informed implementation and leadership frameworks, including the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) and “bridging, buffering, and brokering” strategies from education leadership theory. We conducted focus groups and interviews with superintendents (n = 39) from 23 states. Interviews were recorded and professionally transcribed; transcripts were team-coded in Atlas.ti v8 using an iteratively revised coding guide that was informed by CFIR, pilot testing, and during weekly analyst meetings. Principles of constant comparative analysis were employed to develop themes. Most superintendents’ reported positive perspectives and personal motivations to engage with wellness policy implementation. Within the CFIR process domain, superintendents demonstrated adaptive leadership traits and employed a combination of “bridging, buffering, and brokering” strategies to lead implementation activities. Rather than focus on personal traits, an emphasis on specific strategies highlights actions that may be applied. The findings offer practical strategies to support superintendents with implementation, as well as a formative contribution to the dearth of theoretical frameworks in school wellness literature, particularly by advancing the specific understanding of leadership roles within a broader implementation framework. The application of education theory allowed for a deeper inquiry into the potential ways that leaders’ strategies and engagement influences implementation more broadly.
The Rise of Finance Companies and FinTech Lenders in Small Business Lending

We document that finance companies and FinTech lenders increased lending to small businesses after the 2008 financial crisis. We show that most of the increase substituted for a reduction in lending by banks. In counties where banks had a larger market share before the crisis, finance companies and FinTech lenders increased their lending more. By 2016, the increase in finance company and FinTech lending almost perfectly offset the decrease in bank lending. We control for firms' credit demand by examining lending by different lenders to the same firm, by comparing firms within the same narrow industry, and by comparing firms pledging the same type of collateral. Consistent with the substitution of bank lending with finance company and FinTech lending, we find that reduced bank lending had no effect on employment, wages, new business creation, or business expansion. Our results show that finance companies and FinTech lenders are major suppliers of credit to small businesses and played an important role in the recovery from the 2008 financial crisis.
Mandibular Reconstruction Following Central Giant Cell Granuloma Resection in Primary Dentition: A Case for the Use of a Costochondral Graft

Central giant cell granuloma is a benign, intraosseous lesion that may affect the pediatric craniofacial skeleton, particularly the mandible. When surgery is indicated, the role of the craniofacial surgeon is to ameliorate the sequelae of ablative surgery by restoring facial symmetry, ensuring appropriate postoperative occlusion, and allowing for adequate interincisal opening, all in the setting of a growing craniofacial skeleton. Herein, we report the case of a 3-year-old female presenting for reconstruction after resection of the right hemimandible proximal to the unerupted first permanent molar. We highlight the various reconstructive challenges associated with mandibular reconstruction during primary dentition and make a case for the use of a costochondral graft, with a successful outcome demonstrated at 2 years of follow-up.
Asymptotic behavior of solutions: An application to stochastic NLP

In this article we study the consistency of optimal and stationary (KKT) points of a stochastic non-linear optimization problem involving expectation functionals, when the underlying probability distribution associated with the random variable is weakly approximated by a sequence of random probability measures. The optimization model includes constraints with expectation functionals those are not captured in direct application of the previous results on optimality conditions exist in the literature. We first study the consistency of stationary points of a general NLP problem with convex and locally Lipschitz data and then apply those results to the stochastic NLP problem and stochastic minimax problem. Moreover, we derive an exponential bound for such approximations using a large deviation principle.
Caries disparities among Medicaid-enrolled young children from pediatric primary care settings.

Objectives The objectives of this study are to determine the overall and racial differences in the extent of caries experience and to examine the association between child and parent/caregiver characteristics and caries among 3-6-year-old Medicaid-enrolled children. Methods This study reports baseline cross-sectional data from a larger pragmatic clinical trial in pediatric primary care practices. Child-level clinical dental exams included decayed and filled teeth (dft) using ICDAS criteria and parent/caregiver questionnaire collected information on socio-demographics, child oral health behaviors, oral health related quality of life (OHQoL), and food environment. Results A total of 1,024 parent/caregiver-child dyads participated in the study. The overall caries experience (dft) was 49 percent and untreated decay was 42 percent. Children who were Black had 1.3 and 1.2 times significantly higher frequency of untreated primary decay and caries experience compared to non-Black children. An overall logistic regression model predicted that race, increased age, receiving dental care in the past 12 months for a cavity/toothache, and lower caregiver OHQoL was significantly associated with increased odds of the child having caries. Non-Black caregivers with less education, whose child was older, and lower child OHQoL had increased odds of having a child with caries, but these same variables were not predictive for the Black children. Conclusions Racial disparities exist with respect to caries experience and untreated decay within a Medicaid-enrolled population of young children attending well-child visits. Pediatric primary care offices are well-positioned to provide dental surveillance and preventive care and could play an important role in decreasing oral health inequities.
Adversarial Machine Learning in Text: A Case Study of Phishing Email Detection with RCNN Model

With the exponential increase in processing power and availability of big data, deep learning has pushed the performance of previously considered hard problems. Deep learning refers to the many layers of complex neural networks, where learnable parameters are on the order of millions, sometimes billions. The massive models are trained by leveraging GPUs and large amounts of data.
Studies in Oberonia, 9: Lessons from excess names in Oberonia for Orchidaceae systematics, including a revision of the Oberonia Sect. Scytoxiphium

The reasons for excess names in microfloral orchids such as Oberonia Lindl. can be traced to poor scholarship (e.g., failure to review the literature, ignoring expert advice), typological thinking, and erroneous assumption of microendemism. Some extraordinarily poor descriptions, including some from the 21st century, can be termed “taxonomic vandalism”. The outdated reliance on drawings as opposed to z-stacked photographs and scanning electron micrographs poses further problems due to an abundance of demonstrable problems with drawings. The Oberonia sect. Scytoxiphium Schltr. with eight described species is reduced to one species, Oberonia heliophila Rchb.f.; it is illustrated by original drawings, live photographs and scanning electron microscope images. The distribution is extended from Java through Micronesia and Samoa. The species occurs predominantly from 0–500 m, less frequently to 900 m, and possibly to even 1900 m. It flowers throughout the year. Keywords/Palabras clave: Oberonia, Oberonia sect. Scytoxiphium, revision, revision, synonymies, sinonimias, taxonomic vandalism, vandalismo taxonomico
NIST microcalorimeter arrays for the hard x-ray and γ-ray astronomy

NIST has developed microwave multiplexed microcalorimeter arrays for the detection of hard X-rays andγ-rays (Bennett et al. 2012, Mates et al. 2017). The arrays are made of tin or bismuth absorbers that are read-out with arrays of Transition Edge Sensors (TES). Each TES is coupled via a SQUID to a microwave resonator, and a single microwave line is used to sample the response of the resonators of all pixels. The detector arrays achieve an energy resolution of 55 eV FWHM at 97 keV. We report here on the performance of a 34-pixels prototype TES with a collimated 50μm diameter 20-50 keV X-ray beam as well as a Eu(152) source for a future balloon flight. We will furthermore describe a planned stratospheric balloon flight that will be used to demonstrate the performance of a novel mini-dilution refrigerator and the 34-pixels prototype detector in a space environment.
Nf1 and Sh2b3 mutations cooperate in vivo in a mouse model of juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia

Abstract Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) is initiated in early childhood by somatic mutations that activate Ras signaling. Although some patients have only a single identifiable oncogenic mutation, others have 1 or more additional alterations. Such secondary mutations, as a group, are associated with an increased risk of relapse after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation or transformation to acute myeloid leukemia. These clinical observations suggest a cooperative effect between initiating and secondary mutations. However, the roles of specific genes in the prognosis or clinical presentation of JMML have not been described. In this study, we investigate the impact of secondary SH2B3 mutations in JMML. We find that patients with SH2B3 mutations have adverse outcomes, as well as higher white blood cell counts and hemoglobin F levels in the peripheral blood. We further demonstrate this interaction in genetically engineered mice. Deletion of Sh2b3 cooperates with conditional Nf1 deletion in a dose-dependent fashion. These studies illustrate that haploinsufficiency for Sh2b3 contributes to the severity of myeloproliferative disease and provide an experimental system for testing treatments for a high-risk cohort of JMML patients.
Improving Beef Progeny Performance Through Developmental Programming

Maternal nutritional management during gestation appears to modulate fetal development and imprint offspring postnatal health and performance, via altered organ and tissue development and tissue-specific epigenetics. This review highlighted the studies demonstrating how developmental programming could be explored by beef producers to enhance offspring performance (growth, immune function and reproduction), including altering cow body condition score (BCS) during pregnancy and maternal supplementation of protein and energy, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), trace minerals, frequency of supplementation, specific amino acids, and vitamins. However, this review also highlighted that programming effects on offspring performance reported in the literature were highly variable and depended on level, duration, timing and type of nutrient restriction during gestation. It is suggested that maternal BCS gain during gestation, rather than BCS per se, enhances offspring preweaning growth. Opportunities for boosting offspring productive responses through maternal supplementation of protein and energy were identified more consistently for pre- vs. post-weaning phases. Maternal supplementation of specific nutrients (i.e., PUFA, trace minerals, and methionine) demonstrated potential for improving offspring performance, health and carcass characteristics during immunological challenging scenarios. Despite the growing body of evidence in recent years, the complexity of investigating developmental programming in beef cattle production is also growing and potential reasons for current research challenges are highlighted herein. These challenges include: (1) intrinsic difficulty of accurately measuring cow milk production multiple times in cow-calf systems; (2) larger focus on Bos taurus vs. Bos indicus breeds despite the predominance of Bos indicus-influenced beef breeds in tropical/subtropical environments and their specific, and sometimes opposite, physiological and performance outcomes compared to Bos taurus breeds; (3) limited focus on interaction between prenatal and postnatal management; (4) sex-specific outcomes following similar maternal nutrition during gestation; (5) greater focus on nutrient deficiency vs. excess; (6) limited implementation of immunological challenges; and (7) lack of multigeneration and longer periods of offspring evaluation. This review provides multiple evidence that such obstacles need to be overcome in order to significantly advance the scientific knowledge of developmental programming in beef cattle and promote global beef production.
Rescripting Shakespeare: “Let it be hid”: price tags, trade-offs, and economies

“a short tale to make” Polonius, 2.2.146 In the final speech of Othello Lodovico issues the command: “The object poisons sight,/Let it be hid” (5.2.364–65). According to scholars who gloss the line, “the object” and “it” refer to the bodies of Othello and Desdemona (“the tragic loading of this bed” – 363). Jacobean beds had curtains whereas our beds do not, so that in those first performances at the Globe the poisoned sight could be hidden after Lodovico's line by closing a bed curtain, an option usually not available today. Recent directors, moreover, resist such closing off of the two or three dead figures on the bed because they prefer to have that tragic loading the final image as the lights go down (such diminution of onstage illumination was not possible at the Globe), often accompanied by an onlooking Iago. The preferred choice today is therefore to treat Iago rather than the figures on the bed as the object that poisons sight and direct him to be “hid” or taken offstage. Furthermore, directors such as Brian Bedford (SFC 1991) and Michael Attenborough (RSC 1999) have chosen to keep Iago as an onstage observer of an Othello and Desdemona still visible on the bed. Their solution is worthy of Alexander the Great with the Gordian knot: cut “Let it be hid.”
Pythagorean Mathematical Idealism and the Framing of Economic and Political Theory

The Greek culture evolved in the shadow of two dominant and sophisticated economies: the Chaldeans (Babylonians), with their strong arithmetical and administrative culture and the Egyptians, who contributed a geometric orientation. In the shadow of these two traditions, the Pythagoreans and Plato assimilated a mystic perspective of an ideal world of mathematics. Later Greeks developed a system of fair division that absorbed an arithmetic dyad. Aristotle analyzed two-party isolated exchange using the harmonic proportion introduced by the Pythagoreans whose “ideal types” influenced later market perspectives. These traditions informed modern regulated political, legal and economic institutions.
Architecture Haiku: A Case Study in Lean Documentation

An architecture haiku aims to capture software system architecture's most important details on a single piece of paper. An architecture haiku helps development teams focus on the most essential information relevant to the architecture, provides clear guidance for construction, and encourages collaboration.
Utilitarianism and the New Liberalism

1. Introduction Part I. Consequentialist Perfectionism: 2. Between Kantianism and Utilitarianism: T. H. Green 3. Between Utilitarianism and Perfectionism: L. T. Hobhouse 4. Excursus: Green, Hobhouse and contemporary moral philosophy Part II. 'New Utilitarianism': 5. Vindicating Utilitarianism: D. G. Ritchie 6. Utilitarian Socialism: J. A. Hobson 7. Conclusion.
Resistance in print: the Nationalist press during the Namibian liberation struggle

This article traces die aims and functions of die nationalist press (die ‘underground’ or ‘revolutionary’ press) put up by Swapo, as well as the Namibia Press Agency, Nampa, established by Swapo towards the close of the liberation struggle. It further looks at the country's first black-run newspaper, the South West News, established in 1960. The launch of the South West News coincided with the ‘political awakening’, the resurrection of nationalism and the formation of formal political organizations in Namibia. Its editors and journalists were involved in the process of mobilization and political education of the Namibian masses. This article further aims to encourage debate about the role of the press in colonial settings. Its diesis is tentative, its conclusion provisional.
Origin of Species in Overdrive

The genes that cause the sterility of hybrids between species should reveal the molecular genetic and evolutionary mechanisms that drive speciation.
Memory, trauma, performance

Abstract: Trauma is a way of transmitting the past in the now, which gets re-activated full force. This paper discusses the durational nature of trauma, of history as lived, and as embodied practice. Keywords: performance; trauma; memory. Resumo: O trauma e um modo de se transmitir o passado no agora, reativando - o. Este texto discute o trauma como uma experiencia de natureza duradoura, como historia vivenciada e como pratica incorporada. Palavras-chave: performance; trauma; memoria.
Analysis of a high school enrichment opportunity in the anatomical sciences (534.3)

High school students, especially students from underrepresented minority groups, may not have much exposure to anatomy in high school classrooms. These students may later be at a disadvantage when ...
Time-Division Multiplexing

Explains the basis of multichannel digital communications systems: time-division multiplexing (TDM) Describes the techniques and performance of TDM frame synchronization Discusses the multiplexing of asynchronous signals by means of pulse stuffing Summarizes national and international standards that apply to different digital multiplex hierarchies Describes the multiplex equipment specified by these digital hierarchies Considers statistical multiplexing for voice and data transmission Summarizes essential TDM design and performance considerations
Including anharmonicity in the calculation of rate constants. II. The OH+H2-->H2O+H reaction.

A recently developed method for calculating anharmonic vibrational energy levels at nonstationary points along a reaction path that is based on second-order perturbation theory in curvilinear coordinates is combined with variational transition state theory with semiclassical multidimensional tunneling approximations to calculate thermal rate constants for the title reaction. Two different potential energy surfaces were employed for these calculations, an improved version of the author’s surface 5 and the WSLFH surface of Wu et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 113, 3150 (2000)]. We present detailed comparisons of rate constants computed for the two surfaces with and without anharmonicity and with various approximations for incorporating tunneling along the reaction path. The results for this system are quite sensitive to the surface employed, the choice of coordinates (curvilinear versus rectilinear), and the inclusion of anharmonicity. A comparison with experiment provides information on the accuracy of these surfaces.
La ley de Lotka y la literatura de bibliometría

LOTKA'S LAW IS SIMPLY THE DESCRIPTION OF A QUANTITATIVE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AUTHORS AND ARTICLES PRODUCED IN A GIVEN FIELD AND PERIOD OF TIME. IT DEMONSTRATES THAT THE RE EXISTS AN UNEQUAL DISTRIBUTION WHERE MOST OF THE ARTICLES ARE CONCENTRATED IN A SMALL PORTION OF HIGHLY PRODUCTIVE AUTHORS WITH A NEGATIVE RELATIONSHIP TO THEIR PRODUCTIVITY OF MORE OR LESS EQUAL TO TWO. DESPITE THE NUMEROUS RESEARCHES REPORTED ON THE TOPIC, THE RESULTS SEEM TO BE CONFLICTING AND IN CONCLUSIVE, AND DO NOT PRO VIDE A CLEAR VALIDATION OF LOTKA'S LAW. BECAUSE BOTH ITS LEGITIMATION AND INSTITUTIONALIZATION AS A FIELD AND ALSO THE AVAILABILITY OF A BIBLIOGRAPHY IN THIS AREA, THE FIELD OF BIBLIOMETRICS WAS CHOSEN TO TEST THE APPLICABILITY OF THE LOTKA'S LAW. THE DATA WAS COLLECTED FROM THE "BIBLIOGRAPHY OF "BIBLIOMETRICS AND CITATION INDEXING & ANALYSIS" ELABORATED BY HJERPPE AND PUBLISHED IN 1980. THIS BIBLIOGRAPHY COVERS A PERIOD OF 80 YEARS, LONG ENOUGH TO EXPECT THAT THE AUTHOR'S PRODUCTIVITY APPROXIMATES THE FREQUENCY DISTRIBUTION THAT LOTKA OBSERVED. STRAIT COUNT WAS ADOPTED AND THEREFORE ONLY SENIOR AUTHORS WERE CREDITED WITH FULL CONTRIBUTION TO THE PRODUCTION OF AN ARTICLE. OF THE 2032 ARTICLES IDENTIFIED, 41 ARTICLES WERE ELIMINATED BECAUSE THEY WERE PRODUCED BY EITHER CORPORATE BODIES OR ANONYMOUS AUTHORS OR THROUGH INCORRECT CITATIONS. tHIS WEDDING PROCESS RESULTED IN A FINAL POPULATION OF 1991 ARTICLES PRODUCED BY 1124 AUTHORS. AT THE 0.01 LEVEL OF SIGNIFICANCE THE CRITICAL VALUE WAS FOUND TO BE 0.048706 AND THE DMAX WAS 0.042272; THEREFORE , THIS LITERATURE DID CONFORM TO THE LOTKA'S LAW.
Selection and characterization of a herbicide-tolerant cell line of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.)

Abstract A line of suspension-cultured tobacco cells ( Nicotiana tabacum L.), which is approximately ten-fold more tolerant than wild-type cells to the non-selective herbicide, Basta® (Hoechst), has been selected by a stepwise selection procedure. Growth in the presence of this herbicide led to a dramatic decrease in the level of glutamine in the wild-type cells, while the herbicide has no effect at all on the tolerant cells. The level of glutamine synthetase (GS), the major target of the herbicide, was more than 20-fold higher in the tolerant cells than in the wild-type cells. GS from the tolerant cell line was similar to that from the wild-type cells in terms of molecular weight, but the tolerant cells accumulated about 5-fold higher levels. Even after tolerant cells were maintained in the absence of the herbicide for 269 days, no reduction of the tolerance, measured in terms of cell growth and viability, was observed. The herbicide-tolerant cells showed cross-tolerance to methionine sulphoximine (MSO), another inhibitor of GS. Wild-type and tolerant cell lines did not differ in their somatic chromosome numbers and relative amounts of DNA per nucleus, indicating that the acquisition od tolerance was not a result of an increase in ploidy.
A Preliminary Study of the Efficiency of Piperocaine Hydrochloride as a Local Anesthetic in Dental Surgery

P IP E R O C A IN E (Metycaine) hydrochloride has been reported to be as effec­ tive as, and in some instances supe­ rior to procaine hydrochloride in the various fields of surgery.1"8 It was first prepared in 1927 and attracted interest because animal studies showed it to be a surface as well as a subcutaneous anes­ thetic.9 Like all local anesthetics, piperocaine is a stimulant of the central nervous system. Toxic reactions are manifested by tremors, excitement and dizziness which may progress to convulsions. As with pro­ caine, the immediate administration of a barbiturate by the intravenous or intra­ muscular route will combat such a reac­ tion. Toxicologic studies indicated that it was more toxic than procaine in rabbits and rats when administered intrave­ nously, but no more toxic than procaine when given to rats subcutaneously.10 This same study demonstrated piperocaine anesthesia to be of longer duration than procaine anesthesia. Pfeiffer and Grant11 have shown that 2 per cent procaine and 2 per cent piperocaine are simi­ lar in acute toxicity when they are given subcutaneously to the albino Swiss mouse. However, the addition of epinephrine 1:25,000 to the same concentrations of anesthetics resulted in increased toxicity of both solutions, especially the pipero­ caine (Table 1). Studies of subacute tox­ icity carried out on dogs demonstrated a better tolerance for procaine than pipero­ caine. The prolonged action of piperocaine was confirmed by Meeker12 using the intradermal wheal method in humans. He concluded that piperocaine produced a complete and lasting anesthesia, was comparable to procaine in toxicity, pro­ duced no tissue damage and did not inter­ fere with healing.
Hydrodynamic characteristics and effects of river waves caused by ice jam releases

Abstract Ice-jam release waves, or javes for short, are highly dynamic events that occur in ice-forming rivers. They are known for serious ecological and socio-economic impacts, which are usually detrimental but on occasion beneficial, particularly with respect to ecosystem maintenance in the large freshwater deltas of northern Canada. Detailed water level data have been obtained during the passage of javes in the past 10 years or so, but their study is hampered by lack of velocity and discharge measurements, owing to the presence of moving ice in the flow. A previously developed method to analytically compute such parameters, which is based on measured waveforms, has given encouraging results in several applications. Herein, this method is first subjected to comprehensive validation using numerical model output for a hypothetical jave in a prismatic channel. The analytical method is shown to perform adequately with respect to all hydrodynamic jave characteristics, such as celerity, velocity, discharge, and bed shear stress. Jave data from various rivers are then compiled in tabular form and it is shown via dimensional analysis that bulk predictions can be made in terms of jave height and rate of rise of the water level. Implications of the present findings to riverbed scour and to ecologically vital ice-jam flooding of flat rivers and deltas are explored and research challenges identified.
Is antigen specificity of autoreactive T cells the key to islet entry

It has been widely hypothesized that pancreatic islet infiltrates include both islet-antigen-specific and nonspecific T cells. In this issue of Immunity, Lennon et al. (2009) demonstrate that islet-antigen specificity is required for accumulation in the islets.
Simple high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the determination of metformin in human plasma

A simple high-performance liquid chromatographic method using ultraviolet detection was developed for the determination of metformin in human plasma. The method entailed direct injection of the plasma sample after deproteination using perchloric acid. The mobile phase comprised 0.01 M potassium dihydrogen orthophosphate (pH 3.5) and acetonitrile (60:40, v/v). Analyses were run at a flow-rate of 1.0 ml/min with the detector operating at a detection wavelength of 234 nm. The method is specific and sensitive, with a quantification limit of approximately 60 ng/ml and a detection limit of 15 ng/ml at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3:1. The mean absolute recovery value was about 97%, while the within-day and between-day coefficient of variation and percent error values of the assay method were all less than 8%. The calibration curve was linear over a concentration range of 62.5-4000 ng/ml.
Cacti: a front end for program visualization

We describe a system that allows the user to rapidly construct program visualizations over a variety of data sources. Such a system is a necessary foundation for using visualization as an aid to software understanding. The system supports an arbitrary set of data sources so that information from both static and dynamic analysis can be combined to offer meaningful software visualizations. It provides the user with a visual universal-relation front end that supports the definition of queries over multiple data sources without knowledge of the structure or contents of the sources. It uses a flexible back end with a range of different visualizations, most geared to the efficient display of large amounts of data. The result is a high-quality, easy-to-define program visualization that can address specific problems and hence is useful for software understanding. The overall system is flexible and extensible in that both the underlying data model and the set of visualizations are defined in resource files.
The rapid purification and partial characterization of human sperm proacrosin using an automated fast protein liquid chromatography (FPLC) system

Abstract A rapid efficient procedure was developed for obtaining highly purified human proacrosin. Ejaculated spermatozoa were washed via centrifugation through 1 M sucrose containing 50 mM benzamidine and acid-extracted in the presence of benzamidine. The solubilized material was dialyzed then lyophilized. The sample was resuspended in 8 M guanidine hydrochloride in acetic acid (0.5 M) pH 2.5 and then subjected to gel permeation chromatography with an automated fast protein liquid chromatography system utilizing two Pharmacia Superose 12 columns set in tandem that were equilibrated in the same buffer. The proacrosin eluted as an individual peak that was well separated from another proteinase zymogen referred to as sperminogen. The proacrosin preparation was determined to be highly purified when observed on silverstained SDS-polyacrylamide gels as well as on gelatin-SDS-polyacrylamide gels. The proacrosin appeared as a doublet ( M r = 55 000 and 53 000) on both of these systems. The autoconversion of proacrosin to acrosin at pH 8 resulted in a typical sigmoidal autoactivation curve. Following protein staining of SDS-polyacrylamide gels, it was shown that upon activation of purified proacrosin preparations the 55 000 and 53 000 molecular weight proteins were initially degraded to a 49 000 form and then to several lower molecular weight forms ( M r = 40 000 – 34 000). Similar findings with regard to proteolytic digestion were observed following gelatin-SDS-polyacrylamide zymography except that an increase with time in proteinase intensity between 58 000 and 53 000 was also observed. Cobalt and calcium were found to be potent inhibitors of the conversion of proacrosin into acrosin, while sodium resulted in much less inhibition of this process. Calcium was found to markedly enhance the proteolytic activity of human acrosin, while it had no observable influence on the acrosin hydrolysis of benzoylarginine ethyl ester. Thus, the described purification procedure resulted in a highly purified proacrosin preparation in sufficient yields to allow for its partial characterization.
The Covariance Least-Squares Algorithm for Spectral Estimation of Processes of Short Data Length

A new method for generating the autoregressive (AR) process parameters for spectral estimation is introduced. The method fits AR models to the data optimally in the sense of minimizing the sum of squares of the error covariance function within the model prediction region, and is thus designated as the Covariance Least-Squares (CLS) algorithm. This minimization is shown to be identical with minimizing the weighted average one-step, linear prediction errors with adaptive weights corresponding to the energy of the data within the prediction region. The CLS algorithm is compared to the Least-Squares (LS) algorithm [1], [2] by simulation and asymptotic properties. It is shown that the CLS method combines all the desirable properties of the comparison algorithm with improved robustness in the presence of nonstationarity, namely, additive transients and envelope modulation. It is also shown that the CLS algorithm provides asymptotically unbiased AR parameters, a property also shared by the comparison LS algorithm.
Cross-border acquisitions and firm value: An analysis of emerging-market multinationals

The primary objective of this study is to examine the value implications of cross-border acquisitions of emerging-market multinationals (EMMs). We examine 433 mergers and acquisitions announcements associated with 58 EMMs during the sample period 1991–2004. The mergers and acquisitions announcements data come from the Thomson SDC Platinum database. We employ event study methodology to explore the impact of the announcements on the value of acquiring firms. The results show that, on average, cross-border expansions of EMMs through acquisitions do not create value, but point to value destruction for more than half of the transactions analyzed. To explore the factors influencing the direction and magnitude of market reaction, we analyze a cross-sectional sample of firms. While we find that target size, ownership structure of the target (private vs public), and structure of the bidder (diversified vs non-diversified) positively affect the bidder value, high-tech nature of the bidder and pursuit of targets in related industries negatively affect the bidder value. Our empirical findings provide some support for the positive impact of the stake pursued in the target firm and cultural distance, but not for the international experience and enhanced corporate governance.
Methamphetamine‐induced inhibition of mitochondrial complex II: roles of glutamate and peroxynitrite

High-dose methamphetamine (METH) is associated with long-term deficits in dopaminergic systems. Although the mechanism(s) which contributes to these deficits is not known, glutamate and peroxynitrite are likely to play a role. These factors are hypothesized to inhibit mitochondrial function, increasing the free radical burden and decreasing neuronal energy supplies. Previous studies suggest a role for the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) in mediating toxicity of METH. The purpose of the present studies was to determine whether METH administration selectively inhibits complex II of the ETC in rats. High-dose METH administration (10 mg/kg every 2 h x 4) rapidly (within 1 h) decreased complex II (succinate dehydrogenase) activity by approximately 20-30%. In addition, decreased activity of complex II-III, but not complex I-III, of the mitochondrial ETC was also observed 24 h after METH. This inhibition was not due to direct inhibition by METH or METH-induced hyperthermia and was specific to striatal brain regions. METH-induced decreases in complex II-III were prevented by MK-801 and the peroxynitrite scavenger 5,10,15,20-tetrakis (2,4,6-trimethyl-3,5-sulphonatophenyl) porphinato iron III. These findings provide the first evidence that METH administration, via glutamate receptor activation and peroxynitrite formation, selectively alters a specific site of the ETC.
Cholesteryl ester accumulation in ehrlich cells induced by saturated fats

Abstract The cholesteryl ester content of Erhlich cells was increased in tumors grown in mice fed saturated fat diets (coconut oil or tristearin) as compared with a polyunsaturated fat diet (sunflower oil). Cholesteryl esters containing monoenoic fatty acids were the predominant species that accumulated in the cells grown on saturated fat. The increase in cholesteryl esters was not accompanied by corresponding increases in the cell content of phospholipids, triacylglycerols,unesterified cholestorol or proteins. This experimental system may be useful for obtaining basic information about intracellular cholesteryl ester accumulation, a process that occurs in atherosclerosis.
Simeon Bekbulatovich and Steppe Politics: Some Thoughts on Donald Ostrowski's Interpretation of the Tsar's Remarkable Career

Donald Ostrowski proposes that Ivan IV made Simeon Bekbulatovich the grand prince of all Rus’ in order to thwart a conspiracy aimed at replacing Ivan with the Crimean khan. Ostrowski invokes the theory of steppe politics, which includes the principle that only Chinggisids could hold the title of tsar, to explain and support his hypothesis. A review of the practice of steppe politics in the decades preceding 1575, however, reveals that the rivalries among competing branches of the Chinggisid dynasty and the bases for Crimean hostility toward Muscovy make it unlikely that Ivan could have effectively preempted the presumed coup by yielding his throne to Simeon Bekbulatovich. This observation suggests that the theory of steppe politics does not offer a satisfactory explanation for the appointment of Simeon to the position of grand prince of all Rus’.
Recreating discourse and performance in Kenyan urban space through Mũgithi, Hip Hop and Gĩcandĩ

This paper examines the one-man guitar Mũgithi music dance and performance popular in urban Kenyan urban space together with localized Kenyan Hip Hop. The music genres are seen as cultural practices that perform global socio-cultural discourses, and which can also be read for the ways in which they both indicate and formulate contexts. A close examination of the two popular genres shows how they continue to borrow from a variety of cultures and poetic forms. Both Mũgithi and Kenyan Hip Hop music also embody such forms as Gĩkũyũ poetic tradition known as Gĩcandĩ. The male-dominated tradition is somewhat comparable to such well known traditions as West African praise-singers and Imbongi male Zulu biographers in terms of their praise-singing performances and poetry. Consequently the borrowing and fusion between Gĩcandĩ on the one hand and Mũgithi and Hip Hop traditions on the other, help to display dynamic stylistic variations along with creative dialogic inter-textuality (Bakhtin 1981). This paper suggests ...
An insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II) analog with highly selective affinity for IGF-II receptors stimulates differentiation, but not IGF-I receptor down-regulation in muscle cells.

The insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) stimulate the growth and differentiation of muscle cells. IGF-II, the principal IGF peptide expressed by differentiating muscle cells, has been implicated in at least two autocrine/paracrine actions in this tissue: stimulation of differentiation and down-regulation of the IGF-I receptor. To determine which IGF receptor subtypes mediate these effects of IGF-II, we treated mouse BC3H-1 muscle cells with native IGF-II or [Leu27]IGF-II, an analog with high affinity for IGF-II receptors (comparable to that seen with native IGF-II) but markedly reduced affinity for IGF-I and insulin receptors. Muscle cell differentiation was assessed by the expression of myogenin mRNA and by the binding of alpha-bungarotoxin to the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. IGF-I receptor down-regulation was assessed by receptor binding and mRNA abundance. Although less potent than IGF-II, the [Leu27]IGF-II analog stimulated myogenin gene expression and acetylcholine receptor binding in concentrati...
Effects of percentage of reinforcement in fear conditioning upon the acquisition of an instrumental response

Two experiments with rats were conducted to investigate the effects of partial reinforcement of the CER upon the subsequent acquisition of an instrumental response. In the first experiment, there were no reliable differences, whereas Experiment 2 indicated superior instrumental performance for Ss that had received partial reinforcement during the initial fear-conditioning phase. The heart-rate measures in Experiments were unrelated to the schedule of reinforcement and indicated that the heart rate CR is decelerative.
Evaluation of growth and energy storage as biological markers of DDT exposure in sailfin mollies

Abstract Direct and indirect measures of growth and energy storage were evaluated as indicators of subchronic 1,1,1-trichloro-2-( o -chlorophenyl)-2-( p -chlorophenyl)ethane ( o,p′ -DDT) exposure in juvenile sailfin mollies ( Poecilia latipinna ). Three-day-old mollies were exposed to 0, 1, 10, 25, 50, 75, and 100 μg/liter o,p′ -DDT for 21 days. Tissue residues, percentage weight gain, RNA and DNA content, RNA:DNA ratio, percentage total lipid, percentage triglyceride, percentage total protein, and triglyceride:total lipid ratio were measured following exposure. Mortality was concentration and time dependent, with 100% mortality at 75 and 100 μg/liter. Among controls and remaining treatments, tissue residues (0.50 to 363 ng/mg dry wt), percentage weight gain (116 to 596%), percentage total lipid (2.84 to 4.33%), and percentage triglyceride (1.01 to 3.22%) were significantly different. Tissue residues were positively correlated with concentration, while percentage weight gain, percentage lipid, percentage triglyceride, and triglyceride:total lipid ratio were negatively correlated with concentration. Direct measures are likely to remain the method of choice for evaluating effects of toxicants on growth in laboratory exposures because of their relative simplicity and reliability. However, indirect measures of energy storage, such as triglyceride:total lipid ratio, rather than direct measures of various lipid fractions may be more reliable indicators of the energetic cost of toxicant stress.
Transforming growth factor-β1 regulation of C-type natriuretic peptide expression in human vascular smooth muscle cells: dependence on TSC22D1

C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) possesses nitric oxide-like signaling mechanisms and actions in the vasculature, including the inhibition of fibrosis and vascular remodeling through counterregulat...
The effects of colchicine and vinblastine on the biliary excretion of carcinoembryonic antigen

The biliary output of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in bile fistula rats following treatment with the microtubule poisons vinblastine and colchicine increased 3-fold over a 4-hr period. Cytochalasin B and the inactive colchicine derivative lumicolchicine had no effect. These treatments did not effect the rate of CEA clearance from the circulation. Biliary output of low molecular weight fragments from CEA degradation was decreased in the presence of colchicine and vinblastine. Mechanical obstruction of the bile duct for 3 days followed by relief of obstruction resulted in a 3-fold increased output of CEA into the bile. These results are consistent with a paracellular mechanism for CEA transport from blood to bile. Biliary duct obstruction and vinblastine and colchicine probably affect the permeability of junctional complexes between hepatocytes allowing CEA to penetrate more easily.
Enhanced Sensible Heat Capacity of Molten Salt and Conventional Heat Transfer Fluid Based Nanofluid for Solar Thermal Energy Storage Application

In concentrating solar power (CSP) systems, the thermo-physical properties of the heat transfer fluid (HTF) are key parameters for enhancing the overall system efficiencies. Molten salts, such as alkali nitrates, chlorides or carbonates, and their eutectics, are considered as alternatives to conventional HTF (such as water or oil) to extend the operational capabilities of CSPS. However, the usage of the molten salt as the HTF is limited, since the heat capacity of the molten salt is relatively lower than that of conventional HTF. Nanofluid is a mixture of a fluid and nanoparticles. Well dispersed nanoparticles can be used to enhance the thermo-physical properties of HTF. In this study, silicon dioxide nanoparticles were dispersed into a molten salt and into a conventional HTF (Therminol VP-1, Solutia Inc). The specific heat enhancement of each nanofluid was studied and the applicability of such nanofluid materials for solar thermal storage applications was explored.Copyright © 2010 by ASME