cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Taxanes Synergize with the Bispecific Antibody MDXH447 to Enhance Antibody-Dependent Cell-Mediated Cytotoxicity

The interaction between antibody based therapy and cytotoxic chemotherapy is complex. To explore these interactions we investigated, in vitro, the effects of IC20 growth inhibitory concentrations of taxanes on bispecific antibody-mediated tumor cell cytotoxicity. MDXH447 is a bispecific antibody with specificity for the high affinity IgG receptor (CD64) and the type I epidermal growth factor receptor type (EGF-R). A431 cells, an epidermoid carcinoma cell line that over expresses EGF-R, were exposed to a range of IC20 growth inhibitory concentrations of paclitaxel or docetaxel. Interferon gamma activated monocytes were armed with MDXH447 and a standard chromium release antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) assay was performed. Using the Chou and Talalay median effect analysis, we found that MDXH447-mediated ADCC was enhanced when A431 target cells were pretreated with paclitaxel or docetaxel. Median effect analysis of these interactions supported a synergistic interaction (CI < 1). Pretreatment of A431 cells with taxanes did not increase EGF-R expression compared to untreated controls. A431 epidermoid carcinoma cells pretreated with IC20 growth inhibitory concentrations of taxanes enhanced interferon gamma activated monocyte mediated ADCC killing through MDXH447.
Inferring Gene Interaction Networks

This chapter contains the original research results on the monograph. We study the problem of reverse-engineering context-specific, genome-wide interaction networks from expression data. Two existing classes of methods, namely those based on mutual information and those based on Bayesian networks, are described first. Then a new algorithm, based on the so-called phi-mixing coefficient between random variables, is introduced. Unlike mutual information, the phi-mixing coefficient provides a directionally sensitive measure of the dependence between two random variables. The algorithm based on this new approach produces a gene interaction network in the form of a directed, strongly connected graph. The approach is validated on ChIP-seq data around the transcription factor ASCL1 in a lung cancer network.
Making Sentencing Sensible

This Term, Cunningham v. California offers the Supreme Court a rare opportunity to bring order to its confusing, incoherent, formalistic body of sentencing law. Sentencing law must accommodate many structural and individual constitutional interests: federalism, the separation of powers, democratic experimentation, individualization, consistency, efficiency, and procedural fairness and notice. The Court, however, has lurched from under- to over-regulation without carefully weighing competing principles and tradeoffs. A nuanced, modern sentencing jurisprudence would emphasize that a trial is a backward-looking, offense-oriented event well suited for a lay jury. Sentencing, in contrast, includes forward-looking, offender-oriented assessments and calls upon an expert, repeat-player judge to exercise reasoned judgment. Juries should find offense facts, but judges may find offender facts and also exercise judgment at sentencing. Within these bounds, the Court should preserve states' flexibility to experiment with different roles for juries, judges, legislatures, sentencing commissions, probation and parole officers, and trial and appellate courts. In particular, while certain types of mandatory guidelines are constitutionally problematic, voluntary or even presumptive guidelines should be permissible so long as judges do not usurp the traditional role of juries and appellate courts meaningfully review sentencing judges' reasons for imposing sentences within and outside ranges. This modest approach, which preserves room for experimentation, fits best with legal-process values and is least likely to provoke evasion.
The absorption spectrum of potassium hexafluoronickelate(IV): Infrared and Raman spectra

Abstract The infrared and Raman spectra of solid K2NiF6 was studied. All the active frequencies ν1, ν2, ν3, ν4, and ν5 belonging to the isolated ion point group (Oh) were ascertained. Several lattice modes were also found in the Raman spectrum. Force constant calculations were carried out for both the general quadratic potential function and the Urey-Bradley potential and the results are compared with those for a similar tetravalent hexafluoro complex K2PtF6.
Supporting a real-time distributed intrusion detection application on GATES

Increasingly, a number of applications across computer sciences and other science and engineering disciplines rely on, or can potentially benefit from, analysis and monitoring of data streams. We view the problem of flexible and adaptive processing of distributed data streams as a grid computing problem. In our recent work, we have been developing a middleware, GATES (Grid-based AdapTive Execution on Streams), for enabling grid-based processing of distributed data streams. This paper reports an application study using the GATES middleware system. We focus on the problem of intrusion detection. We have created a distributed and self-adaptive real-time implementation of the algorithm proposed by Eskin using our middleware. The main observations from our experiments are as follows. First, our distributed implementation can achieve detection rates which are very close to the detection rate by a centralized algorithm. Second, our implementation is able to effectively adjust the adaptation parameters.
A collection explosion: finding our collection roots and examining how we got from there to here

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present research findings from a project to identify, locate and examine the first collection of a large academic research institution. The article also examines changes in collections over time and some of the factors influencing changing collection development policies and practice. Design/methodology/approach – Methodology included historical archival research, collection discovery and item by item comparison. Findings – As electronic access, shared repositories and access to shared content reshape the collection development landscape, the emphasis is shifting toward global access and unique local content. And yet, we see that this new model is built on a solid foundation of collection development almost 150 years in the making. Originality/value – Understanding how the University Library got to where it is will help inform future decisions and directions regarding collection development, and allow others to compare our findings against their own institutional ...
Pellagra and the origin of a myth: evidence from European literature and folklore.

Although medical publications contain examples of clinical vampirism1, blood-drinking tyrants are an unlikely basis for the European vampire folklore. Such individuals, although noted in history, were rarely encountered. More likely, the vampire legend developed out of communities' mounting fear of a disease they encountered daily. Because their understanding of medicine included aspects of magic, eighteenth and nineteenth century villagers used their belief in fables, such as vampires, to explain the unknown. Although various diseases ravaged parts of Europe during this period, a discongruity exists between the causes of the diseases and villagers' explanations for them; frequently a lingering disease was seen as having a supernatural cause, with the first victim labelled as a vampire2. Notably, the vampire belief has always been a theory of contagion; the term nosferatu, popularized by Bram Stoker's Dracula3, is an archaic term derived from the Greek nosophorus, which means 'plague carrier'4. Several diseases, including rabies5 and tuberculosis6, have been linked to the genesis of vampire folklore. In particular, the speculated relationship between erythropoietic porphyria7 and vampirism has received a great deal of media attention much to the displeasure of porphyrians worldwide8. None of these diseases satisfactorily presents clinical signs that would have been necessary to instigate the widespread European folkloric vampire belief. Although our interest is not to 'medicalize a myth'8, pellagra, a dietary deficiency of niacin and tryptophan, makes intriguing arguments for being the originator of the vampire myth. First recognized in 1735, pellagra was the scourge of Europe and then the United States for two centuries9. Pellagra is still seen occasionally in scattered populations of southern Africa, Egypt, and India10'11. After American corn (maize) was introduced to Europe, the food calories yielded per acre increased greatly over what had been provided previously by rye and wheatl2. The use of corn as a staple crop spread gradually from the Iberian Peninsula to eastern Europe9. At that time, where corn went pellagra was sure to follow, for cornmeal became
Combined effects of cold exposure and sub-lethal intestinal parasites on host morphology and physiology.

Multiple, simultaneous demands elicit physiological and morphological responses that may jeopardize an animal9s ability to respond to future challenges, especially when resources are limited. Laboratory mice (Mus musculus) experimentally infected with an intestinal nematode (Heligmosomoides polygyrus) and then exposed to cold showed phenotypic plasticity of morphological and physiological responses. The parasitized mice maintained a similar body mass to the unparasitized mice but had less body fat and showed changes in some organ masses, a greater resting metabolic rate (RMR) and a diminished glucose uptake capacity both at the site of infection and in regions of the small intestine not occupied by parasites. Cold-exposed mice had a greater RMR, less body fat, a greater glucose transport capacity and showed changes in organ masses compared with mice maintained at room temperature. The responses to cold exposure were not affected by parasitism for any dependent variable. The costs of having parasites during simultaneous cold exposure included decreased energy reserves and greater maintenance requirements, which may then decrease the energy available for future expenditures, such as reproduction.
Teaching a software project course using the team software process

The tutorial is intended for faculty that will be teaching or have taught a software project course. It provides attendees with ideas, concepts, guidelines and experiences for teaching such a course using the introductory Team Software Process.
Six new species of Cymatodera from Mexico and Central America and the retention of Cymatodera obliquefasciata as a valid name (Cleridae, Tillinae)

Six new Cymatodera speciesfrom the Mexican states of Jalisco and Chiapas, and the Central American countries of El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica and Panama are described: Cymatodera rosalinae sp. n., Cymatodera capax sp. n., Cymatodera sinuosa sp. n., Cymatodera vittata sp. n., Cymatodera rubida sp. n. and Cymatodera limatula sp. n. Justification for retaining Cymatodera obliquefasciata within Cymatodera instead of transferring it to Bogcia is provided. Male genitalia and other characters of taxonomic value are illustrated.
Matrix metalloproteinase therapy in heart failure

Milestones in the progression to heart failure following myocardial infarction (MI) are changes in left ventricular (LV) geometry and function, termed post-MI remodeling. Critical to this adverse remodeling process are changes in the expression, synthesis, and degradation of myocardial extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. The myocardial ECM is not a passive entity but a complex and dynamic microenvironment that represents an important structural and signaling system within the myocardium. In particular, basic and clinical studies have provided conclusive evidence that abnormal and persistent activation of the ECM degradation pathway, notably through the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), contribute to adverse post-MI remodeling. This review examines recent clinical studies that provide further support to the hypothesis that a specific portfolio of MMPs are diagnostic and likely contributory to LV remodeling and the progression to heart failure after MI. Future translational and clinical research focused on the molecular and cellular mechanisms regulating ECM structure and function likely will contribute to an improved understanding of post-MI LV remodeling and yield novel therapeutic targets.
Metallocene-Based Branch−Block Thermoplastic Elastomers

Long chain branched (LCB) polyethylene block copolymers having thermoplastic elastomer character were made using mixed metallocene catalysts. Conceptually, the synthesis can be divided into two steps. Step 1 involves the generation of vinyl-terminated, crystallizable macromonomers, and step 2 involves the incorporation of these macromonomers into an amorphous or plastomeric copolymer backbone. In practice, the two steps may be conducted sequentially or simultaneously. The polymer properties depend on the catalyst pair and the process conditions selected, which determine the populations of reactive macromonomer and the probability of incorporating them into the backbone. One such useful pair is the mixture of Cp2ZrCl2 and (C5Me4SiMe2NC12H23)TiCl2, activated with MAO. In the presence of a mixed ethylene/butene feed the Cp2ZrCl2 catalyst, by virtue of its low comonomer incorporating capability, will produce primarily crystalline polyethylene macromonomers. The titanium catalyst, on the other hand, has a high...
Enzymatic determination of homocysteine in cell extracts.

Determination of homocysteine levels in cells and serum is important because high homocysteine is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The currently used methods for homocysteine analysis either are time consuming or rely on the use of expensive equipment. Described in this study is an enzymatic assay that determines levels of homocysteine in multiple samples in less than 30 min at levels from 5 to 50 pmol using only a spectrophotometer. The reproducibility of the assay is consistent with the other methods currently used. A second assay, that is about 5-fold more sensitive, follows the enzymatic catalyzed solvent exchange of protons on glycine, which requires a scintillation counter. Both the spectrophotometric and the radiometric methods are based on the conversion of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate to tetrahydrofolate by methionine synthase. The tetrahydrofolate is formed in stoichiometric amounts to the homocysteine in the sample. In the spectrophotometric method the tetrahydrofolate is used at catalytic levels by three enzymes to form a metabolic cycle that generates NADPH from NADP+. In the radiometric assay tetrahydrofolate is required for the enzymatic exchange of the pro 2S proton of glycine with solvent. l-Cysteine, at levels more than 30-fold higher than the upper level of homocysteine used in these assays, does not give any measurable response.
Effective operators within the ab initio no-core shell model

We implement an effective operator formalism for general one- and two-body operators, obtaining results consistent with the no-core shell model (NCSM) wave functions. The Argonne V8' nucleon-nucleon potential was used in order to obtain realistic wave functions for {sup 4}He, {sup 6}Li and {sup 12}C. In the NCSM formalism, we compute electromagnetic properties using the two-body cluster approximation for the effective operators and obtain results which are sensitive to the range of the bare operator. To illuminate the dependence on the range, we employ a Gaussian two-body operator of variable range, finding weak renormalization of long range operators (e.g., quadrupole) in a fixed model space. This is understood in terms of the two-body cluster approximation which accounts mainly for short-range correlations. Consequently, short range operators, such as the relative kinetic energy, will be well renormalized in the two-body cluster approximation.
Isolation of novel Pseudomonas syringae promoters and functional characterization in polyhydroxyalkanoate-producing pseudomonads

A library of genomic DNA fragments of Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 was constructed in a lacZalpha-containing plasmid, pBS29. The library was used in a preliminary alpha-complementation-based screen to identify clones with promoter activity in Escherichia coli. Ten positive clones were sequenced and their locations in the chromosomal DNA of DC3000 strain were mapped. Five positive clones (P2, P3, P4, P6 and P8) were further assayed for promoter activity in three polyhydroxyalkanoate-producing pseudomonads: Pseudomonas resinovorans, P. corrugata and P. chlororaphis. To this end, a green-fluorescent-protein gene (gfp) was cloned downstream from the putative (DC3000) promoter in a shuttle plasmid. We found that only Pseudomonas transformants harboring the gfp-containing plasmid driven by putative promoter P2 showed fluorescence, indicating that this promoter is functioning in the three tested pseudomonads. Results of an in silico analysis of the P2 sequence further support the assignment of P2 as a bona fide promoter by the localization of putative -10 and -35 promoter regions and a transcription-factor-binding site, rpoD17, in this sequence. We successfully applied promoter P2 to drive the expression in P. chlororaphis of a recombinant alpha-galactosidase gene of Streptomyces coelicolor, which should be useful for the utilization of oligosaccharides of soy molasses for the production of polyhydroxyalkanoate biopolymer or rhamnolipid biosurfactant.
Femtosecond studies of excitonic optical non-linearities in GaAs/AlxGa1-xAs multiple quantum wells under in-plane uniaxial strain

Abstract The pump-probe technique was employed in the study of excitonic optical non-linearities at 40 K in a GaAs/Al0.1Ga0.9As multiple quantum well under thermally induced in-plane uniaxial strain. We report the first observation of an ultrafast large-angle polarization rotation of the probe light effected by the bleaching of the anisotropic absorption near the heavy hole exciton peak in this material. Dynamic rotations as large as 42° have been measured for a compressive strain of ~ 0.2%. In addition, a dependence of the phase space filling produced by resonantly excited excitons on the orientation of the pump polarization vector has been observed which decays with a time constant of 0.5 ps. This decay is attributed to the ionization of excitons into free electron-hole pairs. The subsequent decline of the probe rotation is governed by the removal of these carriers from the wells.
Containerless Measurements of Density and Viscosity for a Cu $$_{48}$$ 48 Zr $$_{52}$$ 52 Liquid

The densities of solid and liquid Cu $$_{48}$$ Zr $$_{52}$$ and the viscosity of the liquid were measured in a containerless electrostatic levitation system using optical techniques. The measured density of the liquid at the liquidus temperature (1223 K) is (7.02 $$\pm $$ 0.01) g $$\cdot $$ cm $$^{-3}$$ and the density of the solid extrapolated to that temperature is (7.15 $$\pm $$ 0.01) g $$\cdot $$ cm $$^{-3}$$ . The thermal expansion coefficients measured at 1223 K are (6.4 $$\pm $$ 0.1) $$\,\times \,10^{-5}$$ K $$^{-1}$$ in the liquid phase and (3.5 $$\pm $$ 0.3) $$\,\times \,10^{-5}$$ K $$^{-1}$$ in the solid phase. The viscosity of the liquid, measured with the oscillating drop technique, is of the form $$A\exp \left[ \left( {{E}_{0}}+{{E}_{1}}\left( 1/T-1/{{T}_{0}} \right) \right) \times \left( 1/T-1/{{T}_{0}} \right) \right] $$ , where $${{T}_{0}}=1223$$ K, $$A= (0.0254 \pm 0.0004)$$ Pa $$\cdot $$ s, $${{E}_{0}}$$ = (8.43 $$\pm $$ 0.26) $$\,\times \,10^3$$ K and $${{E}_{1}}$$ = (1.7 $$\pm $$ 0.2) $$\,\times 10^7$$ K $$^{2}$$ .
Regulation of calcium levels in brain tissue from adult and aged rats.

Abstract The possibility that regulation of Ca2+ levels in brain nerve terminals is altered as the brain ages was examined in synaptosomes from adult and aged Fischer 344 rats. Free intrasynaptosomal [Ca2+]i was monitored with fura-2 as synaptosomes were depolarized with KCl, veratridine and ibotenic acid. With all three depolarizing agents, synaptosomes from aged animals reached higher free Ca2+ levels, and the maximal Ca2+ increases (ΔCa2+ estimated from computer assisted fitting of the curves, ranged from 35% to 80% greater in synaptosomes from aged animals. The total Ca2+ content of the brain and of synaptosomes was also found to be considerably higher in aged than in adult animals. These results suggest that the aging process in brain is accompanied by alterations in both dynamic aspects of Ca2+ handling in nerve endings and the overall content of Ca2+ in the brain and synaptic terminals.
Injury to hollow abdominal viscera from blunt trauma in children and adolescents

Summary Major injury to hollow abdominal viscera was encountered in 16 of 112 children and adolescents who were operated on because of symptoms resulting from blunt abdominal trauma (14 per cent). Eighty-one per cent of the injuries resulted from automobile or motorcycle accidents. Seven of the sixteen injuries (44 per cent) involved the duodenum or jejunum relatively close to the fixed area of the ligament of Treitz, two (13 per cent) the extrahepatic biliary tract, and seven (44 per cent) the urinary tract. No more than one hollow abdominal viscus was injured in any case. Seventy-five per cent of the patients had other serious injuries. Fractures and head injuries were the most frequent additional injuries. Fifty-six per cent of the patients with small intestine and biliary tract problems were not operated on until twenty-four hours or more after injury, mainly because of the vague nature of the associated signs and symptoms. Operation (within thirteen hours) was performed promptly in 83 per cent of the patients with injury to the urinary tract, because of the high frequency (100 per cent) of hematuria and of pelvic fractures in these patients and the prompt roentgenologic investigation of these findings. Fifteen patients (94 per cent) recovered. The only death occurred on the operating table and was due to the serious nature of the additional multiple injuries. Eight of the fifteen surviving patients (53 per cent) had significant postoperative complications.
Experimental Investigation of Steady and Unsteady Flow Field Downstream of an Automotive Torque Converter Turbine and Inside the Stator: Part I—Flow at Exit of Turbine

The objective of this investigation is to understand the steady and the unsteady flow field at the exit of an automotive torque converter turbine and inside the stator with a view toward improving its performance. The measurements were conducted in a stationary frame of reference using a high-frequency response five-hole probe, and the data were processed to derive the flow properties in the relative (turbine) frame of reference. The experimental data were processed in the frequency domain by spectrum analysis and in the temporal-spatial domain by ensemble averaging technique. The flow properties (e.g., pressure and velocity) were resolved into mean, periodic, aperiodic, and unresolved components. A velocity profile similar to that of a frilly developed flow was observed at all radii. The periodic data in relative reference frame revealed a small separation zone near the suction surface in the core region. The rms values of the unresolved component were found to be significantly higher in this region. The secondary flow vectors show underturning, radially inward flow in the entire passage with a small region of overturning near the separation zone. The overall flow at the turbine exit was nearly two dimensional in nature except in the zone of flow separation. The unsteady flow data show that unresolved and aperiodic components dominate the unsteadiness in the pressure, whereas the periodic components dominate the unsteadiness in velocities and flow angles. Pressure and velocity fluctuations were moderate, whereas the flow angle fluctuations were found to be high. The overall flow at the exit of turbine was found to be highly unsteady.
BMP-1/Tolloid-like metalloproteases process endorepellin, the angiostatic C-terminal fragment of perlecan.

Endorepellin, the C-terminal domain of the heparan sulfate proteoglycan perlecan, possesses angiostatic activity. The terminal laminin-like globular (LG3) domain of endorepellin appears to possess most of the biological activity on endothelial cells. LG3 protein has been detected in the urine of patients with end-stage renal disease and in the amniotic fluid of pregnant women with premature rupture of fetal membranes. These findings suggest that proteolytic processing of endorepellin and the generation of LG3 might have biological significance. In this study, we have identified specific enzymes of the bone morphogenetic protein-1 (BMP-1)/Tolloid family of metalloproteases that cleave LG3 from recombinant endorepellin at the physiologically relevant site and that cleave LG3 from endogenous perlecan in cultured mouse and human cells. The BMP-1/Tolloid family of metalloproteases is thereby implicated in the processing of a major basement membrane proteoglycan and in the liberation of an anti-angiogenic factor. Using molecular modeling, site-directed mutagenesis and angiogenic assays, we further demonstrate that LG3 activity requires specific amino acids involved in Ca2+ coordination.
Human factors issues in implementation of advanced aviation technologies: a case of false alerts and cockpit displays of traffic information

This paper provides a framework for identifying and evaluating the human performance implications of new avionics technology such as the cockpit display of traffic information (CDTI). Several important human factors issues in developing and implementing the CDTI are discussed in terms of their effects on the two primary flight tasks associated with the CDTI: conflict detection and conflict resolution. One issue is the development of alerting algorithms, which are defined by how uncertainty, false alarms and look-ahead times are dealt with. Another issue concerns understanding how time pressure, display dimensionality and conflict geometry affect pilot preferences for certain avoidance maneouvres over others. A third issue is the proposed shift in responsibility of flight safety away from air traffic control to the pilot after CDTIs make it possible for pilots to perform tasks related to self-separation. These issues and the factors affecting them are classified into several categories of dependent and ind...
Characterizations of crystal-grid filter in quasi-optical circuits using 3-D anisotropic FDTD formulation and Floquet boundary condition

An analysis of anisotropic crystal grid-plate used in quasi-optical circuits is presented in this paper. The 3-D anisotropy FDTD formulation using permeability tensor is directly implemented with necessary treatments on the local fields specified by the relationship between the electric displacement and field, as well as on the air-anisotropy interface. Floquet boundary condition using one unit cell and a pulse excitation are employed for analysis of the large grid-anisotropy plate. The simulated results of field rotation, transmittance, reflectance, as well as the effects of the grid on the anisotropy plate are obtained and show excellent agreement with experiments.
Schedule-induced oral self-administration of cocaine and ethanol solutions: lack of effect of chronic desipramine

Groups of rats drinking either solutions of cocaine HCl (0.16 mg/ml), ethanol (2.5% v/v), or water, drank excessive, equivalent volumes in daily, 3-h sessions of food-pellet delivery under a fixed-time 1-min (FT 1-min) schedule. During single-session exposures to pellet-delivery schedules using longer inter-pellet values (FT 3- or 5-min probe sessions), the cocaine and ethanol groups, but not the water group, drank greater ml/pellet amounts, confirming previous research. Inasmuch as enhanced ml/pellet intake during the greater FT probes correlated with the abuse potential of the drinking solution in previous research, the effect of chronic desipramine HCl (2 mg/kg, i.p. daily) on this enhanced intake response was determined. For all groups, chronic desipramine treatment (2 mg/kg was judged to be the maximum dose free of non-specific, suppressive effects) affected neither FT 1-min schedule-induced polydipsia nor did it affect the enhanced ingestional response to the greater FT probes for the cocaine and ethanol groups. Chronic administration of desipramine may have therapeutic efficacy in treating cocaine abuse only in subjects attempting to refrain from cocaine who are aided in their passage through a withdrawal phase by desipramine.
Towards a new paradigm in migrant health research: integrating entitlement, access and appropriateness

This paper explores the prevalence and methodological approaches of migrants entitlement and access to health care. It also demonstrates an alternative approach involving a conceptual and analytical framework that integrates these perspectives as levels of analysis within a holistic model. Consisting of three brief case studies demonstrating difficulties in adopting either policy oriented entitlement approaches or practice driven orientations examining migrants access to health care, The paper examines the policy and legal frameworks within which health care is delivered to immigrants. The case studies presented encompass the phenomenon of hidden immigrant children in Sweden, migrants crossing the Spanish border from North Africa, and asylum seekers in the UK. The case studies form a basis for presenting an integrated model encompassing a multi-level framework for examining the health care of migrant populations. Implications for the European Union immigrant health and social care are discussed.
The role of avoidance in the phenomenology of obsessive-compulsive disorder

Background Pathologic levels of ritualistic avoidance (also known as active avoidance) are common in the clinical presentation of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Despite its clinical relevance, there has been little examination of active avoidance as a ritualistic compulsion in adults with OCD. Objective The objective of this study is to determine if adults with OCD who engage in ritualistic avoidance have greater obsessive-compulsive, anxiety, and depressive symptom severity and different comorbidity patterns than adults who do not engage in ritualistic avoidance. Method Adults with OCD (n = 133) completed an evaluation that included clinician ratings of obsessive-compulsive severity; overall illness severity; and self-reported ratings of anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive severity. Results Ritualized avoidance was endorsed by greater than 25% of the sample. Avoidant subjects and, more specifically, contaminant avoidant and reading-writing avoidant subjects presented with elevated levels of obsessive-compulsive symptom severity and greater overall clinical severity than comparison patients who did not engage in each respective avoidance ritual. Conclusions Patients who engage in ritualized avoidance exhibited greater obsessive-compulsive symptom severity than patients who did not. These findings suggest that ritualized avoidance functions as a compulsion for adults with OCD and that avoidance should receive careful consideration in assessment and treatment.
Agenesis of the dorsal mesentery without jejunoileal atresia (“apple peel small bowel”)

Agenesis of the dorsal mesentery with apple peel or Christmas tree deformity but without small-bowel atresia can occur beyond the neonatal period. The recognition of this entity is imperative as it is also associated with a marginal artery which may be the only blood supply to the majority of small bowel. Preservation of this vessel is necessary to avoid catastrophic bowel death.
Analyzing the Relative Strength of Policy Instruments to Stimulate Renewable Energy Markets: A Comparative State Analysis

Abstract In the face of the climate change threat and rising oil prices, some states, such as Oregon, New York and California, have adopted stronger renewable energy instruments than others. This paper analyzes the variation in instrument strength across states using the Tobit method of analysis. Three instruments are analyzed here: tax incentives, renewable portfolio standards and public benefit charges. Three models of policy adoption are estimated: needs/responsiveness, interest group and innovation-and-diffusion model. The paper finds that electric utilities oppose strong measures to stimulate renewable energy. Variables such as state wealth, electric restructuring programs and opinion liberalism also explain instrument strength.
Increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide: possible effects on arctic tundra

Cores of wet coastal tundra collected in frozen condition in winter were used as microcosms in a phytotron experiment that assessed the effects of doubling the present atmospheric CO2 concentration, increasing temperature, and depressed water table on net ecosystem CO2 exchange. Doubling atmospheric CO2 had less significance in regard to net carbon capture or loss in this ecosystem as compared to the significant effects of increased temperature and lowered water table level. Both of the latter are to be expected as atmospheric CO2 increases in the Arctic.
Variations in Cardiac Excitability: Evidence from P Wave Synchrony Studies

The technique of P-wave synchrony utilizing bipolar atrial and ventricular catheters has been employed to determine the variations in cardiac excitability in different phases of the cardiac cycle. In this study, See Image in the PDF File a bipolar intraatrial catheter is used to detect a P-wave which is then transmitted via a Medtronic paired pulse pacemaker to a bipolar ventricular catheter. The stimuli can therefore be applied to the ventricles at various intervals after the P-wave and at various intervals within the cardiac cycle. When the stimulus is applied to the ventricle, shortly after the P-wave, a Wolff- Parkinson-White syndrome results. When the stimulus is applied to the ventricle, within the absolute refractory period, the stimulus is not effective. When the stimulus is applied to the ventricle, during the latter portions of the T-wave, a ventricular rhythm develops with retrograde P-wave conduction. Variations in the strength of the stimulus, as well as in its timing, were utilized in this study to demonstrate that there are considerable variations in cardiac excitability in different portions of the cardiac cycle. Thus, there is an increase in cardiac excitability in the latter portion of diastole, as opposed to early diastole, since the minimum stimulus strength that results in the onset of ventricular pacing is smaller later in diastole and conversely is larger earlier in diastole.
Social interaction patterns of high, average, and low sociometric status children.

Abstract The phenomenon of “social segregation” was observed in groups of children sociometrically rated as either popular, moderately popular, or unpopular by their classroom peers. Analyses that controlled for availability of peers in the different sociometric groups within classrooms revealed that moderately popular children were more likely to engage in joint positive play than popular or unpopular children. Some support was provided for the notion of social segregation based on sociometric status but only for moderately popular children. Tentative recommendations are advanced for the use of moderately popular peers as role models where psychiatrists may need to provide peer experiences for undersocialized, socially isolated, and unpopular children.
Change and Continuity in the Relationship Between Private Responsibilities and Public Officeholding: The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same

National surveys of state legislators conducted by the Center for the American Woman and Politics between 1977 and 1988 suggest that women's presence within state legislatures has increased despite the persistence of gender differences in the connection between public roles and private responsibilities. Mothers (but not fathers) of young children are substantially underrepresented among state legislators, and marriage continues to bring more advantage to men's than to women's political careers. Women continue to reach the legislative rung on the political ladder later than men, and women legislators are less likely than their male colleagues to hold extralegislative employment. While structural changes may reduce the incumbency advantage that some suggest have disadvantaged women, so long as gender differences in the compatibility of legislative service and private roles persist, fewer women than men at any given time will be positioned to take advantage of new opportunities, thereby making improvements in descriptive and substantive representation elusive and difficult goals to accomplish.
On connectivity of airborne networks with unpredictable flight path of aircrafts

Mobility pattern of nodes in an airborne mobile network has significant impact on the coverage and connectivity of the network. Although networks with infrastructure may be able to provide a higher level of reliability than networks without infrastructure, in a contested air space, where U.S. forces do not have complete dominance of the air space, such an infrastructure may be infeasible. Such an environment necessitates a creation of completely mobile ad-hoc network by a group of ANPs. Since the movement of an ANP in a contested airspace depends not only on its own intention, but also the action of its adversary, its movement may be completely unpredictable. However, even this mobile ad-hoc network of ANPs with completely unpredictable flight path, should retain some desirable network properties, e.g., the network should remain connected at all times. However, this property can only be achieved if the on board transceivers have sufficient transmission range to ensure a connected network for all times, in spite of completely unpredictable movement pattern of the ANPs. In this paper, we analyze the minimum transmission range necessary to keep the airborne mobile ad-hoc network connected at all times. Assuming a specific variation of random walk as the mobility pattern of the ANPs, we compute the critical transmission range (CTR) to keep the network connected. Since the CTR analysis is asymptotic in nature, we conduct extensive simulation to compute the CTR for a finite number of ANPs. Our analytical results converges with the simulation results as the number of ANPs increases.
Binge toluene exposure alters glutamate, glutamine and GABA in the adolescent rat brain as measured by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Despite the high incidence of toluene abuse in adolescents, little is known regarding the effect of binge exposure on neurochemical profiles during this developmental stage. In the current study, the effects of binge toluene exposure during adolescence on neurotransmitter levels were determined using high-resolution proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ex vivo at 11.7T. Adolescent male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to toluene (0, 8000, or 12,000 ppm) for 15 min twice daily from postnatal day 28 (P28) through P34 and then euthanized either 1 or 7 days later (on P35 or P42) to assess glutamate (GLU), glutamine, and GABA levels in intact tissue punches from the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), anterior striatum and hippocampus. In the mPFC, toluene reduced GLU 1 day after exposure, with no effect on GABA, while after 7 days, GLU was no longer affected but there was an increase in GABA levels. In the hippocampus, neither GABA nor GLU was altered 1 day after exposure, whereas 7 days after exposure, increases were observed in GABA and GLU. Striatal GLU and GABA levels measured after either 1 or 7 days were not altered after toluene exposure. These findings show that 1 week of binge toluene inhalation selectively alters these neurotransmitters in the mPFC and hippocampus in adolescent rats, and that some of these effects endure at least 1 week after the exposure. The results suggest that age-dependent, differential neurochemical responses to toluene may contribute to the unique behavioral patterns associated with drug abuse among older children and young teens.
IN VITRO STUDIES ON RADIATION LYMPHOID RECOVERY OF MOUSE SPLEEN

In vitro studies, utilizing an organ culture method were reported on mutual interactions between irradiated spleen, normal bone marrow, and thymus. It has been shown; (a) that singly isolated spleen explants were incapable of lymphoid regeneration, (b) thymus had no stimulatory effect on spleen regeneration, (c) bone marrow interacted synergistically with spleen leading to appearance of lymphoid cells which were not detected in singly isolated bone marrow or spleen, and (d) no stimulation of lymphopoiesis in bone marrow was conferred by thymus in the absence of spleen. The results are discussed in terms of possible mechanisms involved in lymphoid radiation recovery in vivo.
Gendered Morality and Development Narratives: The Case of Female Labor Migration from Indonesia

This article discusses two dominant and contradictory representations of Indonesian female migrant workers: as national “heroes” who contribute to Indonesia’s economic development, or as exploited “victims” of labor abuse. By analyzing public statements by Indonesian state actors, news reports, and migrant activists’ websites, I argue that representations of migrants as victims do not undermine representations of migrants as heroes of development. Instead, in Indonesian public discourses about migrant women, various institutions and actors often evoke similar gendered moral assumptions of what makes a “good” or “bad” Indonesian woman and worker. These assumptions serve narratives that imply which migrant workers are heroes who deserve media attention; which migrants are unfairly abused and deserve state protection; and which migrants partly deserve their tragic fates. I term these assumptions gendered moral hierarchies, which distinguish between “tolerable” and “illegitimate” violence. Gendered moral hierarchies in representations of migrants downplay the responsibility of states and institutions for migrant safety, labor protection, and aspects of social welfare, by emphasizing individual moral responsibility and blame. More attention to gendered moral assumptions behind migrants’ narratives of development and victimhood can illuminate how they experience the risks and promises of transnational labor migration in gendered and culturally specific ways.
The polypeptide structure of Vitellogenin and Vitellin from the cockroach, Leucophaea maderae

Vitellogenin (Vg) synthesized by the fat body of Leucophaea maderaeis made up of four polypeptides with molecular weights of 160,000, 105,000, 98,000, and 57,000. Other polypeptides previously reported as part of Vg are associated with other proteins. Vitellin (Vt), the yolk protein (YP) isolated from mature oocytes and from newly formed oothecae, is a protein with a sedimentation coefficient of 28s and consists of three polypeptides with molecular weights of 105,000, 85,000, and 57,000. During vitellogenesis, the YP of developing oocytes contains both Vt and a 14s component. The 14s component is made up of four polypeptides with molecular weights of 105,000, 90,000, 85,000, and 57,000. The data suggest that 14s may not be a discrete protein but rather a form in transition between Vg and Vt in which the 98,000 dalton polypeptide is converted to the 85,000 dalton polypeptide of Vt through a 90,000 dalton intermediate. The 160,000 dalton peptide of Vg does not appear to be a part of Vt. Under alkaline conditions, both the 14s component and Vt are reduced to a polypeptide with a lower sedimentation rate in sucrose gradients. When acid conditions are restored, a protein resembling 14s is obtained. This suggests that the YP is a loosely held aggregate of similar or identical proteins with a molecular weight of about 250,000.
Oligoclonality, impaired class switch and B cell memory responses in WHIM syndrome

Heterozygous truncating mutations in CXCR4 have been identified as a cause of WHIM syndrome (warts, hypogammaglobulinemia, immunodeficiency and myelokathexis). The receptor truncations have been proposed to lead to altered lymphocyte trafficking. The purpose of the described studies was to characterize the B-cell repertoire in WHIM subjects. We confirmed profound B-cell lymphopenia and demonstrated oligoclonality of the circulating B-cell pool by HCDR3 spectratyping. The response to immunization was studied in one subject utilizing a bacteriophage PhiX174 immunization protocol. Spectratyping showed oligoclonality at baseline with normalization of the HCDR3 length distribution by 5 months after immunization with PhiX174 with eventual return to the baseline state. Isotype switching from phage specific neutralizing antibody of the IgM class to IgG was markedly reduced. Overall, these data suggest that impaired CXCR4 signaling in WHIM syndrome results in defective B-cell function and abnormal isotype switching, possibly through effects on germinal center trafficking of lymphocytes.
Plasma property and performance prediction for mercury ion thrusters

The discharge chambers of mercury ion thrusters are modelled so the principal effects and processes which govern discharge plasma properties and thruster performance are described. The conservation relations for mass, charge and energy when applied to the Maxwellian electron population in the ion production region yield equations which may be made one-dimensional by the proper choice of coordinates. Solutions to these equations with the appropriate boundary conditions give electron density and temperature profiles which agree reasonably well with measurements. It is then possible to estimate plasma properties from thruster design data and those operating parameters which are directly controllable. By varying the operating parameter inputs to the computer code written to solve these equations, performance curves are obtained which agree quite well with measurements.
Ultrafast Carrier Dynamics in CdSe Nanocrystals Determined by Femtosecond Fluorescence Upconversion Spectroscopy

Femtosecond fluorescence upconversion has been utilized to study the band edge and deep trap emission dynamics of cadmium selenide (CdSe) nanocrystals (NC's) ranging in size from 27 to 72 A in diameter. Both the band edge rise time and decay show a direct correlation to NC size, and a rise time that depends on excitation energy. Surface-oxidized and non-oxidized NC's display the same band edge fluorescence decay kinetics, but the relative amplitudes of the short and long components differ. The deep trap emission that appears within 2 ps is attributed to ultrafast relaxation of a surface selenium dangling bond electron to the valence band where it combines radiatively with the initial photogenerated hole. By this process, the large amplitude of the band edge emission that is attributed to direct electron/hole recombination is attenuated within the initial 2−6 ps. The long lifetime of the band edge emission originates from a triplet state, with an energy lying just below the lowest electronic level consiste...