cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ARE SCIENCE AND HUMANISM SUITED TO ENTER THE ANCIENT QUEST OF CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY? A RESPONSE TO LLUÍS OVIEDO

. This response reverses the title of Lluis Oviedo's essay (2006) while retaining the structure. In the pendulum swing between science and humanism, theology finds its uniqueness not in refuting either but in subverting them: subverting the scientific quest for certainty without denying its pursuit, and subverting the humanist quest for the unique dignity of the human by reducing it to the most despoiled creature, yet finding in it the presence of the divine. Theological pursuit is about reason and its limits, about brokenness and glory in it. Yet the engagement is unavoidable, for without the scientific pursuit of certainty, incompleteness could never be established; without the humanist search for the uniqueness of the human, its admixed and impure character would not be recognized. The concept of hybridity tries to convey that and is presented in three instantiations: the conflation of the human with machine (cyborg), of humans and other animals (oncomouse), and of the human and the divine. Following these ontological cases of hybridity, at the epistemological level theology becomes hybrid “science” in search of the mythos in the midst of logos, and conversely it is hybrid humanism, for it locates God in the greatest depravity of mammalian existence.
Food of Deepwater Sculpin, Myoxocephalus Thompsoni, from Southeastern Lake Michigan

Pontoporeia hoyi was the major food consumed by most sizes of deepwater sculpins (Myoxocephalus thompsoni) during spring and summer, 1981–82, at a 100-m station in southeastern Lake Michigan. There was no apparent seasonality in choices of food or volumes consumed. Mysis relicta made up less than 9% of the total food volume and averaged second to Pontoporeia volumetrically—a result which differed from previous investigations for Lake Michigan. Reduced consumption of Mysis in our study compared to previous work may be a function of lower prey density or station depth; mysids may have been farther above the lake bottom than at previously studied, more shallow stations. Ostracods were important in 6- and 7-cm fish diets. Mysis, chironomids, and fish eggs were only found in sculpins larger than 8 cm. Chironomid larvae, which typically burrow into sediments, and copepod and cladoceran zooplankton constituted a small percentage of the diet of all sculpins. These results indicated that the deepwater sculpins examined were primarily epibenthic predators at the sediment-water interface and apparently did not burrow for food or feed higher up in the water column.
Protecting Organized Crime Witnesses in the United States

ABSTRACT Federal prosecutors conducting important organized crime proceedings have always regarded government witnesses as valuable resources. Despite this fact, witness cooperation has been discouraged because little had been done to insure witnesses' safety. Such witnesses need protection because they testify against organized criminals who are linked to powerful networks and resort to violence against anyone who would testify against them. This work deals with the operation and uses of the Federal Witness Security Program, which is a relatively new strategy in the struggle against organized crime in the United States. It is a means of protecting witnesses who are willing to testify against organized criminals, and their family members. The United States government moves its clients to new communities and redesigns their social identities. Protected witnesses are thus required to become integrated into a wholly new social life.
Validität der Vorderkammertiefenmessung zur Akkommodationsevaluierung nach Implantation einer akkommodativen Intraokularlinse (Modell Humanoptics 1CU)

Hintergrund. Die Messung der Vorderkammertiefenanderung nach Pilocarpingabe wurde haufig als Beleg fur eine akkommodative Leistung spezieller akkommmodativer Linsen angesehen. Methodik. Wir implantierten die Humanoptics 1CU akkommodative IOL in 25 Augen von 20 Patienten. Bei 7 dieser Patienten konnten 3 Monate postoperativ Vorderkammertiefenanderungen nach Applikation von Pilocarpin (2%) Augentropfen durch Messung mit dem Zeiss-IOL-Master, dem Orbscan-II-Topographie-System sowie durch Ultraschallbiomikroskopie nachgewiesen werden. Ergebnisse. Bei der 3. Monats-Kontrolle lag der unkorrigierte Nahvisus durchschnittlich bei 0,4±0,23 (0,1–0,8) und der unkorrigierte Fernvisus bei 0,76±0,23 (0,3–1). Vor Pilocarpingabe betrug die Vorderkammertiefe 3,19±2,11 mm (IOL-Master), 3,35±2,22 mm (Orbscan II) und 3,35±2,21 mm (Ultraschallbiomikroskopie) (p=0,96). Nach Pilocarpingabe betrug die Vorderkammertiefe 2,61±1,71 mm (IOL-Master), 2,63±1,78 mm (Orbscan II) und 3,15±2,08 mm (Ultraschallbiomikroskopie) (p=0,002). Die mittleren individuellen Vorderkammertiefenanderungen vor und nach Pilocarpingabe betrugen durchschnittlich 0,83±0,25 mm beim IOL-Master, 1,04±0,39 mm beim Orbscan-II-System und 0,28±0,14 mm mit der Ultraschallbiomikroskopie (p=0,0004). Diskussion. Die 1CU Humanoptics akkommodative IOL zeigte bei der klinischen Untersuchung potenzielle akkommodative Fahigkeiten. Medikamentos induzierte Akkommodation durch Pilocarpin stellt hochstwahrscheinlich jedoch nicht die wahre Akkommodationsleistung dar. Die Unterschiede der VK-Tiefenanderungen durch die verschiedenen Messmethoden waren signifikant und sollten weiter evaluiert werden.
The Maestro approach to building reliable interoperable distributed applications with multiple execution styles

This paper presents the Maestro tools for rapid development of reliable, interoperable, object-oriented distributed applications. The tools include IIOP-conformant Object Request Broker with an open architecture supporting multiple execution styles/request processing policies. The Replicated Updates execution style implemented in Maestro can be used to add reliability/high availability properties to client/server CORBA applications in settings where it is not feasible to make any modifications at the client side. Measurements over Horus group communication system have shown that Maestro offers good performance with little overhead for reliability. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol and synthetic cannabinoids prevent emesis produced by the cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonist/ inverse agonist SR 141716A

There is substantial clinical evidence that Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) and its synthetic analogs (nabilone and levonantradol) can prevent emesis in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. Limited available animal studies also support the antiemetic potential of these cannabinoids. The present study investigates the mechanism of antiemetic action of cannabinoids in an established animal model of emesis, the least shew (Cryptotis parva). Since cannabinoid agonists prevent emesis, it was hypothesized that blockade of either the cannabinoid CB1 receptor or the cannabinoid CB2 receptor would induce vomiting. Thus, the emetic potential of SR 141716A (CB1 receptor antagonist) or SR 144528 (CB2 receptor antagonist) was investigated. Both intraperitoneal (0, 1, 2.5, 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg, n = 7–15 per group) and subcutaneous (0, 10, 20 and 40 mg/kg, n = 6–9 per group) administration of SR 141716A caused emesis (ED50 = 5.52 ± 1.23 and 20.2 ± 1.02 mg/kg, respectively) in the least shrew in a dose-dependent manner. Indeed, both the frequency of emesis and the percentage of animals vomiting increased with increasing doses of SR 141716A. Significant effects were seen at the 10- and 20-mg/kg doses for the IP route, while only the 40-mg/kg dose produced significant emesis via the SC route. The CB2 antagonist failed to produce emesis via either route of administration. SR 141716A at an IP dose of 20 mg/kg was used to induce emesis for drug interaction studies. Thus, varying doses of three different classes of cannabinoid agonists [CP 55, 940 (0, 0.1, 0.5 and 1 mg/kg), WIN 55, 212-2 (0, 1, 5 and 10 mg/kg), and Δ9-THC (0, 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg)], were administered IP to different groups of shrews 10 min prior to SR 141716A injection. The frequency of emesis was recorded for 30 min following the administration of SR 141716A. The order of potency for redcing both the frequency of emesis and the percentage of shrews vomiting was CP 55, 940 > WIN 55, 212-2 > Δ9-THC which is consistent with an action on the CB1 receptor. These results suggest that the antiemetic activity of Δ9-THC and its synthetic analogs reside in their ability to stimulate the cannabinoid CB1 receptor. Furthermore, the antiemetic potency of CP 55, 940 is 45 times greater than Δ9-THC. On the other hand, blockade of CB1 receptors can induce vomiting, which implicates an important role for endogenous cannabinoids in emetic circuits.
What viewers watch when they watch TV: Affiliation change as case study

The investigation reported here lends further support to the interrelated‐ness of television use motives, the identification of instrumental and ritualized patterns in how television is used, and the generalizability of these patterns to times when local television stations change network affiliation. By augmenting traditional measures of viewing affinity and viewer perceptions, this study expands the known parameters of television viewer uses and gratifications and identifies three major viewer archetypes‐medium‐oriented viewers, station‐oriented viewers, and network‐oriented viewers. Implications for theory building and television network audience maintenance and generation strategies are discussed.
Changes in 2,3-diphosphoglycerate after cardiopulmonary bypass.

Abstract Red cell 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG) is an important metabolite controlling oxygen transport to tissues. To examine the effect of extracorporeal circulation (ECC) on oxygen transport we made serial measurements of 2,3-DPG in 34 patients before, during, and after bypass. Before operation 2,3-DPG was elevated in 14 patients. The 2,3-DPG levels in the oxygenator prime were below normal in 5 instances, probably due to the age of the banked blood used to prime. Slight 2,3-DPG changes were measured after operation, but the levels at the conclusion of ECC were within normal limits. The possible mechanisms of these changes in 2,3-DPG are discussed.
The effect of heat treatment on water sorption in polylactide and polylactide composites via changes in glass‐transition temperature and crystallization kinetics

Water sorption into polylactide (PLA) and polylactide-montmorillonite (PLLA-MONT) composites containing 5 wt % of montmorillonite (MONT) under different heat treatment conditions was studied using the quartz crystal microbalance/heat conduction calorimetry (QCM/HCC) technique. Results showed that water sorption in neat polymer films and composite films increased with heat treatment temperature up to 120 °C. Differential scanning calorimetry was used to measure the glass-transition temperature and isothermal crystallization kinetics of all samples. The mobility of the amorphous domain in all samples increased with heat treatment temperature, indicated by the decrease in glass-transition temperature. PLA composites crystallized at a much faster rate than neat PLA did because MONT acted as a nucleating agent. Under the same heat treatment condition, water sorption in PLLA-MONT composites was always higher than that in neat PLA due to the presence of the hydrophilic hydroxyl groups on the surface of MONT particles.
PM-17INTRACEREBRAL IFN-γ DOES NOT ENHANCE THE RESPONSE TO VACCINE IMMUNOTHERAPY FOR CANINE GLIOMA

Due to the complexity of human tumor environment and host immune interactions, the majority of successful brain cancer therapies in rodent models fail to show the same efficacy when translated to human patients. Pet dogs with spontaneous glioma recapitulate important features of human disease and we have used this more representative model to assess the response to vaccine immunotherapy with and without interferon gamma (IFN-γ) gene therapy after surgery. Dogs with newly diagnosed glioma underwent surgical tumor debulking and were randomized to receive 1) autologous tumor lysate vaccines with CpG ODN as an adjuvant (n = 12) or 2) Ad-mediated interferon gamma (IFN-γ) gene therapy injected around the resection cavity followed by vaccine immunotherapy (n = 12). A grade IV IFN-γ dose-related toxicity (severe encephalitis and lymphocytic perivascular cuffing) resulted in death of one dog. No further adverse events were seen at a lower IFN-γ dose supporting the safety of the treatment. This immunotherapy activated a humoral response with specific tumor-reactive IgG antibodies detected after vaccination in all dogs. Addition of IFN-γ gene therapy did not affect the median overall survival time of 204 days versus 211 days with vaccine alone. As expected, there were significant differences (P = 0.036) in survival between dogs with low-grade (369 days) versus high-grade (204 days) tumors. During postmortem analysis, no dog with a low-grade tumor had recurrence, whereas all dogs with grade III/IV tumors died from progression. We hoped that forced IFN-γ expression would sensitize residual tumor cells to CTL recognition and recruit NK cells to kill MHC Ilow/- cells, thereby enhancing the effects of vaccine immunotherapy. Our data failed to support this theory, however the lack of difference could be due to the small number of dogs in each group (type II error) or to insufficient in situ expression of IFN-γ to elicit the desired effect.
Multiple Objectives: A Neglected Problem in the Theory of Human Action

The options that people face are rarely ideal: they are good in some ways and poor in others. People have problems choosing among such options because they don’t know which ends to favor. Multiple objectives pose a problem not only for decision makers, but also for our account of decision making. People act to achieve their ends given their beliefs. In order to handle decisions with multiple objectives, however, this story must be supplemented by an account of which ends are implicated in which decisions (e.g., do individual goals guide particular choices? do different ends jointly pick out courses of action?). Unfortunately, such an account is lacking. As a result, there is a gap (at least) in our most basic account of human behavior. In this paper I explore that gap and examine some proposals for closing it.
14. The new math of EEG: Symbolic transfer entropy, the effects of dimension

Introduction Symbolic transfer entropy (STE) and transfer entropy (TE) has been proposed as a means to detect exchange of information between two signal sources, such as areas of the brain 1 . The computation of STE and TE assumes that the time series that make up the signals to be analysed have been properly embedded in a higher dimensional space. The significance of dimension is examined. Materials and methods The analysis was conducted using simulated signals consisting of Gaussian noise, coupled Lorenz oscillators, sum-of-sinusoids and a combination of the Lorenz oscillators and sinusoids. Normalized STE was calculated according to 2 using a range of dimensions and delay values for data sets of 2500 data points. The data sets were padded with Gaussian noise in order to induce a time lag between the driver signal and the responding signal. Results Gaussian noise posed the biggest challenge at D = 3 or 4. In both cases the calculated direction of information flow was + 1 or −1 for 60% of the data sets whereas 60% were correctly labelled a zero at D = 5. Otherwise D = 3 or 4 correctly identified the direction of information flow for the Lorenz data sets and the combination data sets. D = 5 performed best at identifying the lack of net information flow in the sum-of-sinusoids data sets. Increasing delay values, tau, resulted in proportionally greater increases in calculated reverse information flow than forward flow; this effect was more pronounced at higher dimension. NSTE was sensitive to the direction of information flow if as little as 15% the signal and the remainder being background. Conclusions NSTE may be less sensitive to false neighbours than TE for complex reasons. The correct embedding dimension appears to be highly dependent on the characteristics of the information being analysed.
Presence of Selenium-75 in Lipoproteins

Normal dogs were injected subcutaneously with H2Se75O3 in dilute HCl which contained l mc Se75 (2 mg Se), and male rats were injected with a single dose of H2Se75O3 in dilute HCl containing approximately 0.2 mc of Se75 and 40 mu g Se. The lipoproteins were isolated by ultracentrifugation and electrophoretic analyses were performed. Results show that a small but significant percentage of the total serum protein- bound Se is bound to lipoprotein. Both the alpha and BETA lipoproteins of dog and rat serum bind Se75, with the greatest percentage in the alpha fraction. In the dog, 3.58% of the total serum Se75 is bound to the lipoproteins of which 2.23% of the total serum Se75 is found in the alpha lipoprotein and 0.58% is found in the BETA or alpha -2-lipoprotein. In the rat, 8.83% of the total serum Se75 is bound to lipoproteins, of which 5.74% of the total is found in the alpha lipoprotein and 4.86% is found in the BETA lipoprotein. The significance of Se in serum lipoproteins is discussed.
ZLC Measurements under non-linear conditions

Abstract Experimental zero length column (ZLC) response curves are presented for benzene and p -xylene in silicalite over a range of conditions under which the isotherm varies from nearly linear to highly favorable. It is shown that the analytic approximation suggested by Brandani (Chemical Engineering Science, 53, 1998, 2791–2798) provides a good representation of the experimental curves and that this model allows the extraction of reliable values for the diffusional time constant even under non-linear conditions. The conditions under which it is possible to use the simplified linear analysis without introducing major errors are also examined.
The house price determination process: Rational expectations with a spatial context

Abstract Applying the rational expectations hypothesis, this essay models the current value of a house as the conditional expectation of the discounted stream of housing services accruing to the owner of the house. The value of housing services is determined by neighborhood effects as well as the physical attributes of the property itself. In the existing hedonic literature, future transactions have not been utilized to describe neighborhood effects. The rational expectations asset pricing model in this study accounts for expected future neighborhood effects as well as observed current neighborhood effects. The reduced form of the rational expectations model is a spatial autoregressive (SAR) model with two spatial lags. After employing the generalized method of moments (GMM) in estimating the spatial asset pricing model, I find that both expected future transactions and prior transactions in the neighborhood are significant. The inclusion of expected future transaction prices in the neighborhood takes into account the influence of expected changes in the community and factors these potential changes into the current house price. This is consistent with forward-looking households. The forward-looking model generates superior out-of-sample prediction performance relative to both the conventional hedonic model without considering neighborhood effects or the standard spatial hedonic model including only past transactions.
Media, Information Communication Technologies, and Youth Literacies: A Cultural Studies Perspective

Everyday literacy practices are changing at an unprecedented pace, and speculation as to the impact of media and interactive communication technologies on current conceptions of youth’s reading, writing, and viewing is evident on many fronts. The implications of this for teacher educators and classroom teachers are discussed.
Spontaneous Pneumothorax in Small Cell Lung Cancer

Two patients with extensive small cell lung cancer developed unilateral, spontaneous pneumothoraces while receiving chemotherapy. Both pneumothoraces were asymptomatic, required no special procedure, and resolved with continued chemotherapy. Development of spontaneous pneumothorax during chemotherapy in patients with known small cell lung cancer may represent a response to treatment.
Industrial Concentration, Sectional Competition, and Antitrust Politics in America, 1880–1980

Antitrust law in the United States—framed in the Sherman, Clayton, and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) acts and their subsequent amendments—establishes a policy toward industrial concentration and business practices that sets the United States apart from other industrial democracies. In Europe and Japan, large-scale industry has been perceived as a national and international asset and, while particular abuses may be condemned at the government's discretion, emotional antibigness rhetoric and statutory prohibition of monopolistic practices are largely absent.
Effects of trigram-recoding cue complexity on short-term memory

In Exp. I the retention intervals were 0, 8, 20, and 32 sec; a trigram was presented either twice or was followed by an easy-to-decode (ED) recoding cue (e.g., CAG-Cage) or by a difficult-to-decode (DD) cue (e.g., CAG-Caught); the trigrams were either of high (HM) or low (LM) meaningfulness. The Ss were 24 men and women. The results (at p ≤ .01) were that: (a) retention intervals, meaningfulness, the presence of recoding cues, and ease of decoding were statistically significant. In Exp. II the same retention intervals were used; the trigram was either presented twice or preceded or followed by an ED cue; the trigrams were either of HM or LM. The results (at p ≤ .01) were that retention intervals, recoding cues, and the meaningfulness by recoding cues interaction were statistically significant. The results showed that (a) in general the presence of recoding cues facilitated memory, (b) ED items had more of a facilitative effect on memory than DD items, (c) when the necessity for S to recognize the ED relationship was eliminated, recall of LM trigrams with recoding cues present was equal to recall of HM trigrams with cues present.
Risk factors for disability among U.S. adults with arthritis.

This article studies risk factors for physical and social disability among U.S. adults ages 55+ who have arthritis, compared to non-arthritis persons of those ages. The dependent variables refer to difficulties in walking, physical functioning (motions and strength), personal care, and household care. The data set is the Supplement on Aging (SOA) (n = 16,148) that accompanied the 1984 National Health Interview Survey. The SOA data are cross-sectional; relationships of risk factors to disability suggest causation but do not directly demonstrate it. Logistic regressions show that risk factors are similar for arthritis and non-arthritis people, with one important exception. (1) The similarities are: For both groups, odds of disability rise with age, diminish with education, and are higher for non-whites and non-married persons. Disability rises with number of chronic diseases and impairments, and it is elevated for underweight persons (Body Mass Index (BMI) less than 20; further analysis indicates this reflects incomplete control of their severe illness status). Long duration of arthritis and recent medical care for it are associated with disability. (2) The exception is: Severe overweight (BMI greater than or equal to 30) is a disability risk factor for arthritis people, but not for non-arthritis people. Previous research has shown that obesity/overweight is a risk factor for etiology of osteoarthritis; our analysis now shows its continued importance for disability when the disease is present.
Simultaneous spectrophotometric determination of Tungsten and Molybdenum with Thiocyanate after α-Benzoinoxime extraction

Abstract The extractability of tungsten α-benzoinoximate by chloroform as a function of the reagent concentration and acidity has been studied. In 0.5 M hydrochloric acid solution the extraction coefficient for tungsten (~ l p.p.m.) is given by the relation An acidity range of 0.01–1 M provides favorable extraction coefficients. Tungsten can be separated by α-benzoinoxime extraction from much iron and most other metals. Molybdenum accompanies tungsten quantitatively and the two elements can be determined simultaneously by the familiar thiocyanate method if the absorbance of the isopropyl ether extract is measured at 405 mμ and 490 (or 475) mμ. As little as 1 μg W can thus be determined in the presence of 10 μg Mo without separation.
On perturbations of delay-differential equations with periodic orbits

Abstract Equations of retarded type and simple neutral-type equations are considered. The study concerns both autonomous and non-autonomous perturbations of an autonomous equation which possesses a non-trivial periodic orbit. The main tool is a local coordinate system around the periodic orbit which is obtained from the phase space decomposition via Floquet multipliers. Under the assumption that the perturbation function is Lipschitz the existence of an integral manifold with periodic structure for the system in the new coordinates is shown. This implies that, under autonomous perturbations, periodic orbits are continued. Furthermore, we give a description of the flow on the center manifold of the periodic orbit.
Regulation of Histone Deacetylase 2 by Protein Kinase CK2

Histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2) is a member of a large family of enzymes that alter gene expression by catalyzing the removal of acetyl groups from core histones. Originally isolated as a transcriptional co-repressor, HDAC2 possesses extensive amino acid sequence homology to HDAC1 (the founding member and most extensively studied HDAC enzyme). Because of this high degree of sequence similarity between HDAC1 and HDAC2, coupled with the fact that the two always co-exist in the same complexes, it is difficult to assess whether different properties exist between these two proteins. We report here that HDAC2 is a phosphoprotein similar to HDAC1. In addition, like HDAC1, the phospho-acceptor sites in HDAC2 are located in the C-terminal portion of the protein. However, unlike HDAC1, which can be phosphorylated by protein kinase CK2, cAMP-dependent protein kinase, and protein kinase G, HDAC2 is phosphorylated uniquely by protein kinase CK2 in vitro. Studies using unfractionated cell extracts with CK2 inhibitors suggest that protein kinase CK2 is the major source of HDAC2 kinase. Finally, and perhaps most interesting, HDAC2 phosphorylation promotes enzymatic activity, selectively regulates complex formation, but has no effect on transcriptional repression. Together, our data indicate that like many HDACs, HDAC2 is regulated by post-translational modification, particularly phosphorylation. Furthermore, we demonstrate for the first time that there are similarities and differences in the regulation of HDAC1 and HDAC2 by phosphorylation.
Unusual stereochemical preferences of decahydroisoquinoline-3-cargoxylic acid competitive NMDA antagonists

Abstract We report the synthesis and characterization of the enantiomers of some C-6 epimeric tetrazole- and phosphonic acid-substituted decahydroisoquinoline competitive NMDA antagonists. We found that the absolute stereochemistry of the amino acid center was different for the active enantiomers of each C-6 epimer.
An Actuarial Method for Assessing the Direction of Influence Between Two Datable Life Events

A method is presented which can be used to assess the probability that one life event influences the chances of occurrence of a second event when the two events have overlapping periods of risk. The method takes into account the order of occurrence of the two events, corrects for the fact that persons who experience the first event have fewer years at risk of the second event than do persons without that experience, and allows holding precursors of both events constant, to detect spurious relationships. The method can be used for samples too small to permit using age-specific rates. Its use is illustrated with data from a study which attempts to answer the question "Does marijuana use lead to six outcomes: school dropout, arrest, jail, alcoholism, leaving the parental home early, and marrying early?"
Physical inactivity and long-term rates of community-acquired sepsis

Abstract Objective The authors sought to determine the association between physical inactivity (characterized by exercise and television watching levels) and long-term rates of community-acquired sepsis. Methods The study utilized a population-based cohort of 30,183 adult (≥ 45 years) community dwelling adults. Subjects reported weekly exercise (low = none, medium = 1–3 times/week, high = ≥ 4 times/week) and daily television watching (low = Results Among 30,183 participants, 1500 experienced a sepsis event. Reported weekly exercise was: high 8798 (29.2%), medium 10,695 (35.4%), and low 10,240 (33.9%). Where available, reported daily television watching was: low 4615 (19.6%), medium 11,587 (49.3%) and high 7317 (31.1%). Decreased weekly exercise was associated with increased adjusted sepsis rates (high — referent; medium — HR 1.02, 95% CI 0.96–1.20; low — 1.33, 1.13–1.56). Daily television watching was not associated with sepsis rates. Sepsis rates were highest among those with both low exercise and high television watching levels (HR 1.49, 95% CI: 1.10–2.01). Conclusions Physical inactivity may be associated with increased long-term rates of community-acquired sepsis.
Risky monetary behavior in chronic back pain is associated with altered modular connectivity of the nucleus accumbens

The nucleus accumbens (NAc) has a well established role in reward processing. Yet, there is growing evidence showing that NAc function, and its connections to other parts of the brain, is also critically involved in the emergence of chronic back pain (CBP). Pain patients are known to perform abnormally in reward-related tasks, which suggests an intriguing link between pain, NAc connectivity, and reward behavior. In the present study, we compared performance on a gambling task (indicating willingness to risk losing money) between healthy pain-free controls (CON) and individuals with CBP. We then measured modular connectivity of each participants’ NAc with resting state functional MRI to investigate how connectivity accounts for reward behavior in the presence and absence of pain. We found gain sensitivity was significantly higher in CBP patients. These scores were significantly correlated to connectivity within the NAc module defined by CON subjects ( which had strong connections to the frontal cortex), but not within that defined by CBP patients ( which was more strongly connected to subcortical areas). An important part of our study was based on the precedence that a range of behaviors, from simple to complex, can be predicted from brain activity during rest. Thus, to corroborate our results we compared them closely to an independent study correlating the same connectivity metric to impulsive behaviors in healthy participants. We found that our CBP patients were highly similarin connectivity to this study’s highly-impulsive healthy subjects, strengthening the notion that there is an important link between the brain systems that support chronic pain and reward processing. Our results support previous findings that chronic back pain is accompanied by altered connectivity of the NAc. This lends itself to riskier behavior in these patients, a finding which establishes a potential cognitive consequence or co-morbidity of long-term pain and provides a behavioral link to growing research showing that chronic pain is related to abnormal changes in the dopaminergic system.
Thinking about Nuclear Deterrence Theory: Why Evolutionary Psychology Undermines Its Rational Actor Assumptions

For too long, nuclear deterrence theorists have remained apart from the revolution in the life sciences, and particularly evolutionary psychology, which has fundamentally changed the scientific understanding of the human mind. As a result of advances in evolutionary psychology, we now know that how the brain interprets actions and makes decisions is complicated, imperfect, greatly dependent upon emotions, and varied among humans. Consequently, it is fundamentally naive and dangerous to assume a similar outcome in deterrent situations when there is variation in cognition among leaders. The rational deterrence model's assumption of a universal rationality is irredeemably flawed and students of nuclear deterrence must replace it with a gradated understanding of rationality.
Vibration characteristics of a fiber-reinforced polymer bridge superstructure

Dynamic response of the first fiber-reinforced polymer composite bridge built in the US was studied using experimental modal tests and validated finite element models. This slab bridge was manufactured with a longitudinal joint, in the form of a shear-key, and was connected in the field using epoxy resins. Long-term performance of such joints is critical for future applications of similar designs. At the same time, the shear-key details are not visible, once joined, and cannot be inspected using routine inspection procedures. Hence, experimental modal analysis was used to evaluate the integrity of the longitudinal joint. A finite element model validated with field test data was developed to further study the effect of the longitudinal joint degradation on vibration characteristics of the structure. The finite element analysis was also used to evaluate the modal-based techniques for future inspections. Results indicate that the longitudinal joint is performing as intended, and only high degradation of the joint can be detected using the measured vibration characteristics of the bridge.
Cutaneous drug reactions in porphyrias.

Abstract Porphyrins are compounds found throughout nature. Their main functions are in the control of biologic oxidation reactions, oxygen transport, and electron transfer reactions. All types of mammalian cells contain heme proteins and can synthesize heme by the reaction sequence 1 summarized in Figure 1. Following its synthesis, heme will move from the mitochondria into the cytoplasm where it binds to ribosomes. It is then incorporated into heme protein, synthesized by the ribosomes. 2
A power electronic transformer based on indirect matrix converter for PWM AC drive with lossless commutation of leakage energy

High frequency ac link three phase ac to three phase adjustable speed and magnitude PWM ac converters with single stage power conversion and bidirectional power flow are important in the generation of power from renewable energy sources or where isolation is necessary. Due to the use of high frequency these type of converters achieve high power density. Open loop power factor correction, higher efficiency and reliability are important features of these type of converters. One major problem in this type of converter is the commutation of leakage energy which results in power loss, reduction in switching frequency, distortion and loss of output voltage. The topology based on the indirect modulation of matrix converters uses minimum amount of copper and has relatively less number of semiconductor switches. This paper presents a lossless source based commutation strategy along with a modulation technique that minimizes the frequency of leakage inductance commutation. It also results in the soft switching of the output converter (Zero current switching : ZCS). The topology along with the proposed control has been analysed and simulated. Simulation results confirm the operation.
Zinc α-2-glycoprotein Regulates Melanin Production by Normal and Malignant Melanocytes

Zinc α-2-glycoprotein is secreted by a variety of normal and malignant epithelial cells and overexpression by tumors has been implicated in cancer cachexia. To investigate biologic properties of zinc α-2-glycoprotein further, stable transfectants of recombinant human zinc α-2-glycoprotein were created in the B16F10 murine melanoma cell line. Both B16-recombinant human zinc α-2-glycoprotein clones with strong expression of zinc α-2-glycoprotein and vector-transfected B16 cells treated with exogenous zinc α-2-glycoprotein had decreased melanin production in vitro . Furthermore, B16-recombinant human zinc α-2-glycoprotein clones formed amelanotic tumors in vivo , despite their melanin production in vitro. Although no qualitative differences in tyrosinase mRNA expression could be detected by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction, B16-recombinant human zinc α-2-glycoprotein tumors had decreased levels of tyrosinase protein and minimal tyrosinase activity. Purified zinc α-2-glycoprotein also decreased tyrosinase activity in vector-transfected B16 tumor sections in vitro . Taken together, these studies demonstrate that zinc α-2-glycoprotein inhibits melanin production by B16 melanoma cells via post-transcriptional effects on tyrosinase protein. As zinc α-2-glycoprotein decreases melanin synthesis more strongly in vivo than in vitro , however, it is likely that zinc α-2-glycoprotein affects melanin synthesis through indirect mechanisms as well. Zinc α-2-glycoprotein also inhibits melanin production by melan-A primary melanocytes in vitro . As zinc α-2-glycoprotein is normally produced by epidermal keratinocytes, these studies raise the possibility that epidermal-derived zinc α-2-glycoprotein may play a part in normal regulation of melanin production in vivo , in addition to its previously described role in cancer cachexia.
An evolutionary conserved function of the JAK-STAT pathway in anti-dengue defense

Here, we show that the major mosquito vector for dengue virus uses the JAK-STAT pathway to control virus infection. Dengue virus infection in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes activates the JAK-STAT immune signaling pathway. The mosquito's susceptibility to dengue virus infection increases when the JAK-STAT pathway is suppressed through RNAi depletion of its receptor Domeless (Dome) and the Janus kinase (Hop), whereas mosquitoes become more resistant to the virus when the negative regulator of the JAK-STAT pathway, PIAS, is silenced. The JAK-STAT pathway exerts its anti-dengue activity presumably through one or several STAT-regulated effectors. We have identified, and partially characterized, two JAK-STAT pathway-regulated and infection-responsive dengue virus restriction factors (DVRFs) that contain putative STAT-binding sites in their promoter regions. Our data suggest that the JAK-STAT pathway is part of the A. aegypti mosquito's anti-dengue defense and may act independently of the Toll pathway and the RNAi-mediated antiviral defenses.
Importance of local control in an era of systemic therapy.

Diagnostic improvements and earlier detection of tumors have resulted in the emergence of a shift from Halsted paradigm, which has encouraged the use of systemic adjuvant therapy. With these changes in tumor paradigm, the rationale for local treatment as a curative treatment strategy has been challenged. This Viewpoint emphasizes the importance of local control in this scenario.
Investigation of the oligomeric status of the peroxisomal isoform of human 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA lyase

Unprocessed 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA) lyase, retaining the mitochondrial signal sequence, has been proposed to correspond to a peroxisomal isoform. Using a modified expression plasmid and purification protocol, it is now possible to isolate substantial amounts (>10 mg) of highly purified peroxisomal HMG-CoA lyase. These improvements facilitate more detailed protein chemistry approaches for characterization of the enzyme, which exhibits substantial (eightfold) dithiothreitol (DTT) stimulation of activity. The C323S mutant shows little DTT activation. Superose gel filtration chromatography data have prompted other investigators to hypothesize that the peroxisomal isoform is a monomer. This study confirms the elution properties presented in that earlier report, but also demonstrates anomalous elution up on Superose chromatography. Elution properties observed using a polyacrylamide resin (Bio-Gel P100) suggest a dimeric, rather than monomeric, enzyme. This observation has been further tested by protein chemistry experiments. The peroxisomal enzyme forms a covalently linked dimeric species upon crosslinking with dibromopropanone or o-phenylenedimaleimide or upon disulfide formation as a result of incubation with diamide. Cysteine-323 is required for intersubunit covalent crosslinking. Crosslinking efficiency is not dependent on HMG-CoA lyase protein concentration nor is it influenced by the presence of varying concentrations of an unrelated protein, such as ovalbumin. Sedimentation equilibrium analyses do not indicate a monomeric form of either human mitochondrial or human peroxisomal HMG-CoA lyase; the results suggest that these proteins are predominantly dimers. The retention of the basic N-terminal mitochondrial signal sequence in the peroxisomal HMG-CoA lyase isoform may influence elution from Superose gel filtration media but does not alter the oligomeric status of the enzyme.
Simple Method for Determination of Substation Spacing for AC and DC Electrification Systems

A simple method for the determination of traction power substation spacings is developed for ac railroad electrification systems. Single-end-feed, center-feed, and double-end-feed systems with or without booster transformers can be represented, being the most common supply configurations. The method is extended to include autotransformer systems and can also be used for calculation of substation spacings for dc light rail and heavy rail systems. The entire power system is represented, including the electric utility system, the traction substations, the catenary system or third rail, the return current system, and the trains. Multitrack systems can be approximated, and effects of currents at harmonic frequencies produced by the electrical locomotives are evaluated. The mathematical description results in a number of equations suitable for microcomputer solution. The use of the method is demonstrated a sample case, and a convenient way of presenting the substation spacings for a given set of conditions is illustrated by the use of nomographs.
Primary pericardial malignant mesothelioma and response to radiation therapy

We report a case of a primary pericardial malignant mesothelioma. A 59-year-old male presented with episodic chest pain and dyspnea on exertion. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging revealed a large mass in the pericardium attached to the right ventricle. Partial resection of the mass was undertaken revealing malignant mesothelioma, byphasic type. The patient was treated with chemotherapy intermittently over a period of 3 years, but his disease continued to progress. The patient was then treated with definitive radiation therapy to 64 Gy to the primary tumor using a six field 3D conformal technique. The patient remains free of progressive disease 86 months from the time of diagnosis and 50 months from the completion of his radiotherapy.
Synaptic transmission in hippocampal neurons lacking DNA methyltransferase

326 DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism that plays a critical role in the maintenance of gene silencing and promotes genome stability in various species. DNA methylation is catalyzed by DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs), which add a methyl group to the 5' position of the cytosine residue at CpG dinucleotides. At present, three DNA methyltransferase (DNMT1-3) genes have been identified in mammals. Previous work has demonstrated that DNMT1 maintains DNA methylation patterns, whereas DNMT3a and DNMT3b are involved in de novo methylation. The DNMTs are highly expressed in neurons in the adult brain, suggesting that they may be crucial for postmitotic neurons. However, few details are known about how alterations in DNA methylation may affect neuronal function, in particular synaptic transmission. Recent studies have implicated misregulation of DNA methylation in cognitive disorders such as schizophrenia and Fragile X Syndrome. To examine whether the loss of DNMTs influences synaptic function, we have obtained floxed DNMT1 and floxed DNMT3 mice. Using a lentiviral approach we have infected disassociated hippocampal floxed neurons with either Cre recombinase tagged with GFP or GFP alone and then performed whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings on mature neurons. We examined the properties of evoked excitatory transmission in DNMT1 or DNMT3a knockout neurons and found that there were no changes in excitatory postsynaptic response depression during 10and 20-Hz stimulation and no changes in synaptic responses mediated by NMDA and AMPA receptors. In contrast, we found that the deletion of either DNMT1 or DNMT3a produced robust changes in spontaneous synaptic activity. The frequency of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs) was significantly decreased in both DNMT1 and DNMT3a knockout cultures, while there was no change in mEPSC amplitude, suggestive of a potential presynaptic deficit. To test whether this effect on spontaneous activity is specific for excitatory synapses, we recorded miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents (mIPSCs). We found no changes in mIPSC frequencies or amplitudes following the loss of either DNMT1 or DNMT3, suggesting that DNMT inhibition is affecting only excitatory synaptic activity.
Orientational ordering of local shear stresses in liquids: A phase transition?

Abstract The transverse atomic correlations in super-cooled liquids described in terms of the orientational ordering of the local shear stresses are discussed based upon the molecular dynamics study of liquid iron. The onset of the correlation as a function of temperature is rather sharp, and is accompanied by changes in the diffusivity, viscosity, and the phonon density of states. It is suggested that the glass transition may be defined by this transition in a dynamical sense.
An overview of the ECO project

In this paper, we describe a compilation system that automates much of the process of performance tuning that is currently done manually by application programmers interested in high performance. Our approach combines compiler models and heuristics with guided empirical search to take advantage of their complementary strengths. The models and heuristics limit the search to a small number of candidate implementations, and the empirical results provide the most accurate information to the compiler to select among candidates and tune optimization parameter values. The overall approach can be employed to alleviate some of the performance problems that lead to inefficiencies in key applications today: register pressure, cache conflict misses, and the trade-off between synchronization, parallelism and locality in SMPs. The main focus of the paper is an algorithm for simultaneously optimizing across multiple levels of the memory hierarchy for dense-matrix computations. We have developed an initial compiler implementation, and present automatically-generated results on matrix multiply. Results on two architectures, SGI R10000 and Sun UltraSparc IIe, outperform the native compiler, and either outperform or achieve comparable performance as the ATLAS self-tuning library and the hand-tuned vendor BLAS library. This paper describes other components of the ECO system, including supporting tools and experiments with programmer-guided performance tuning. This approach has provided a foundation for a general framework for systematic optimization of domain-specific applications. Specifically, we are developing an optimization system for signal and image processing that exploits signal properties, and we are using machine learning and a knowledge-rich representation can be exploited to optimize molecular dynamics simulation.
Hierarchical simulation of MOS circuits using extracted functional models

A method for extracting functional models from the switch- (or gate-) level description of a circuit is presented. Model extraction is done incrementally while the hierarchical structure of the circuit is maintained. Extracted models are represented by Boolean functions that are compiled and linked to the simulator. A prototype simulator was implemented within the CHAMP framework. Simulations using extracted models executed 2.5 to 3 times faster than ordinary switch-level simulations without any loss of accuracy. >