cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adult zebrafish as an in vivo drug testing model for ethanol induced acute hepatic injury.

Chronic alcohol abuse is common and a leading cause of alcoholic liver disease (ALD). However, a safe and effective therapy for ALD is still elusive. In this study, we evaluated the utility of adult zebrafish as an in vivo model for rapid assessment of drug efficacy in ethanol-induced acute hepatic injury. We exposed adult zebrafish to 0.5 % ethanol for 24, 48, and 72 hours and measured serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities. This treatment resulted in a significant increase in ALT levels at 48 and 72 h of ethanol treatment, compared to untreated control groups. Accompanying this, significant increases in mRNA expression of genes associated with inflammation was observed in the liver during ethanol exposure. To evaluate the effectiveness of drug testing using our zebrafish model for ethanol-induced acute hepatic injury, we investigated the protective function of nicotinamide riboside, a substrate for NAD+, previously shown to be protective in a rodent model of alcoholic liver disease and TES-1025, an inhibitor of α-amino-β-carboxymuconate-e-semialdehyde decarboxylase (ACMSD), that increases NAD+. We found that both nicotinamide riboside and TES-1025 treatment suppressed ethanol-induced serum ALT levels, post 48 h of ethanol exposure. In a similar manner, riboflavin supplementation also suppressed ethanol-induced serum ALT increase during ethanol exposure. Additionally, both nicotinamide riboside and riboflavin supplementation inhibited the upregulation of mRNA expression of genes associated with inflammation and de novo lipogenesis. In conclusion, we established an adult zebrafish model of ethanol-induced acute hepatic injury that will be valuable for cost-effective in vivo drug screening, which may in the future offer identification of novel therapeutics to mitigate hepatic injury, associated with excessive alcohol consumption.
DRE 2 : Achieving Data Resilience in Wireless Sensor Networks: A Quadratic Programming Approach

We focus on sensor networks that are deployed in challenging environments, wherein sensors do not always have connected paths to a base station, and propose a new data resilience problem. We refer to it as DRE2: data -resiliency in $\underline{e}$xtreme $\underline{e}$nvironments. As there are no connected paths between sensors and the base station, the goal of $\mathrm{D}\mathrm{R}\mathrm{E}^{2}$ is to maximize data resilience by preserving the overflow data inside the network for maximum amount of time, considering that sensor nodes have limited storage capacity and unreplenishable battery power. We propose a quadratic programming-based algorithm to solve $\mathrm{D}\mathrm{R}\mathrm{E}^{2}$ optimally. As quadratic programming is NP-hard thus not scalable, we design two time efficient heuristics based on different network metrics. We show via extensive experiments that all algorithms can achieve high data resiliences, while a minimum cost flow-based is most energy-efficient. Our algorithms tolerate node failures and network partitions caused by energy depletion of sensor nodes. Underlying our algorithms are flow networks that generalize the edge capacity constraint well-accepted in traditional network flow theory.
Sodium salicylate reduced mRNA abundance of hypoxia-associated genes in MAC-T cells

Abstract Hypoxia is an oxygen deficiency commonly found in growing tissues and is speculated to occur in the rapidly developing mammary gland in peripartum dairy cattle. Low oxygen concentrations can activate hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1), which increases transcription of genes involved in angiogenesis (VEGFA) and glucose transport (GLUT1), among other processes. The mRNA stability of these genes is positively regulated by heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein D (HNRNPD; also known as AUF1). In our previous research, postpartum administration of sodium salicylate (SS) increased whole-lactation milk yield in multiparous cows but tended to reduce milk yield in primiparous cows. Because rapid mammary tissue development likely occurs in cows approaching first lactation, we hypothesized that SS inhibited the activation of HIF-1α and decreased transcription of downstream targets. MAC-T cells were treated with SS (100 μM) or control medium before incubation under either hypoxic (1% O2) or normoxic conditions for 12 h. Additionally, cells were transfected with either HIF1A small interfering RNA (siRNA) or a scrambled siRNA negative control 48 h before hypoxia treatments. HIF1A, GLUT1, VEGFA, and HNRNPD were quantified relative to the internal control gene NENF. Transcript abundance was assessed using a linear mixed model with the fixed effects of SS, hypoxia, siRNA, and all 2- and 3-way interaction terms and the random effect of plate nested within hypoxia. Treatment with SS interacted with hypoxia for GLUT1, as SS reduced GLUT1 when MAC-T cells were cultured in normoxic conditions; however, no effect of SS was found in hypoxia-treated cells. Regardless of oxygen status, SS reduced HNRNPD and tended to decrease VEGFA mRNA relative to untreated cells. Hypoxia increased GLUT1, yet no effect was observed on VEGFA or HNRNPD. Small interfering RNA knocked down HIF1A, but no effect was found on GLUT1, VEGFA, or HNRNPD. In conclusion, SS reduced transcript abundance of genes involved with mammary gland development but generally did not interact with oxygen status.
Economic Growth: The Forecasts Are Downgraded

The medium-term forecast released by the RF Ministry of Economic Development has been altered by downgrading the economic indices compared with its April version. However, the growth rate of real GDP for 2019 has been left unchanged (1.3%), and its index for the next year has been decreased from 2% to 1.7%. As far as the budgetary process is concerned, the GDP indices in nominal terms have likewise been reduced, thus translating into expectable revenue cuts. In this connection, it would also be reasonable to expect a shrinkage of expenditure, to be followed by a shrinkage of domestic demand.
Cystic fibrosis mutation classes in pediatric otitis media - Fickle or faulty?

Abstract Purpose Recent data have challenged the historical paradigm that cystic fibrosis (CF) protects against otitis media (OM). These findings raised questions about the pathogenesis of this ostensible change. In this study our aim is to characterize acute OM (AOM) risk based on CF genotype. Methods A retrospective chart review was completed at a tertiary care pediatric hospital. Charts of 159 CF patients seen at our facility from 2010 to 2019 were reviewed. Data collected included demographics, AOM infections, cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) allele mutations, pulmonary exacerbations (PE), and pancreatic insufficiency (PI) status. Mutation alleles were divided into five classes based on CF guidelines, which were further classified as severe (classes I–III) or mild (classes IV–V). Results 54% of patients had at least one episode of AOM with a mean of 1.5 episodes of AOM (standard deviation = 2.3). 86% of patients had severe/severe (S/S) alleles and 14% had severe/mild (S/M). S/S patients had significantly more PE (p = .004) and increased rates of PI (p Conclusions To our knowledge this is the first report showing a clinical trend towards increased middle ear disease in patients with severe CFTR mutations. Future prospective studies will be powered to demonstrate whether this trend is statistically significant. Patients with S/S mutations not only have more severe clinical phenotypes but may have additional unexpected complications such as middle ear disease.
Psychosocial predictors of substance use in adolescents and young adults: Longitudinal risk and protective factors

Abstract Many psychosocial factors have been implicated in the onset and escalation of substance use in adolescence and young adulthood. Typically, each factor explains a small amount of the variance in substance use outcomes, and effects are typically applied across a broad range of ages or computed from cross-sectional data. The current study evaluated the association of factors including social influence (e.g., peer substance use), cognitive features (e.g., alcohol expectancies), and personality and emotional characteristics (e.g., impulsivity and typical responses to stress) in substance use throughout adolescence and emerging adulthood (ages 13–25; N = 798). Mixed-effects models tailored for the accelerated longitudinal design employed in this study were constructed with psychosocial and developmental factors predicting alcohol and cannabis use. As most participants in the sample exhibited little or no substance use at baseline by design, we excluded baseline assessments and examined data from follow-up years 1, 2, 3, and 4. Interactions between age cohort, change in age, and psychosocial predictors of substance use revealed differing associations over the developmental window for alcohol and cannabis use. For example, positive alcohol expectancies and sensation seeking were most strongly associated with greater drinking after age 18, whereas sensation seeking was associated with increased cannabis use as early as age 15. Higher emotion regulation skills led to less cannabis use in younger ages (i.e., shallower slopes below age 17), but this protective effect diminished after age 17. Results highlight developmentally important factors that differentially contribute to substance use in adolescence and young adulthood. We also demonstrate the importance of developmentally sensitive analyses that maximize the value of data from accelerated longitudinal designs.
DNA Barcode Authentication of Devil's Claw Herbal Dietary Supplements.

Devil’s claw is the vernacular name for a genus of medicinal plants that occur in the Kalahari Desert and Namibia Steppes. The genus comprises two distinct species: Harpagophytum procumbens and H. zeyheri. Although the European pharmacopeia considers the species interchangeable, recent studies have demonstrated that H. procumbens and H. zeyheri are chemically distinct and should not be treated as the same species. Further, the sale of H. zeyheri as an herbal supplement is not legal in the United States. Four markers were tested for their ability to distinguish H. procumbens from H. zeyheri: rbcL, matK, nrITS2, and psbA-trnH. Of these, only psbA-trnH was successful. A novel DNA mini-barcode assay that produces a 178-base amplicon in Harpagophytum (specificity = 1.00 [95% confidence interval = 0.80–1.00]; sensitivity = 1.00 [95% confidence interval = 0.75–1.00]) was used to estimate mislabeling frequency in a sample of 23 devil’s claw supplements purchased in the United States. PCR amplification failed in 13% of cases. Among the 20 fully-analyzable supplements: H. procumbens was not detected in 75%; 25% contained both H. procumbens and H. zeyheri; none contained only H. procumbens. We recommend this novel mini-barcode region as a standard method of quality control in the manufacture of devil’s claw supplements.
Dialect Recognition Using a Phone-GMM-Supervector-Based SVM Kernel

In this paper, we introduce a new approach to dialect recognition which relies on the hypothesis that certain phones are realized differently across dialects. Given a speaker’s utterance, we first obtain the most likely phone sequence using a phone recognizer. We then extract GMM Supervectors for each phone instance. Using these vectors, we design a kernel function that computes the similarities of phones between pairs of utterances. We employ this kernel to train SVM classifiers that estimate posterior probabilities, used during recognition. Testing our approach on four Arabic dialects from 30s cuts, we compare our performance to five approaches: PRLM; GMM-UBM; our own improved version of GMM-UBM which employs fMLLR adaptation; our recent discriminative phonotactic approach; and a state-of-the-art system: SDC-based GMM-UBM discriminatively trained. Our kernel-based technique outperforms all these previous approaches; the overall EER of our system is 4.9%.
Sleep disorders and sleep problems in childhood.

Sleep problems are common in childhood. A distinction is made between problems in which polysomnography is abnormal (i.e., the parasomnias, sleep apnea and narcolepsy) and problems that are behavioral in origin and have normal polysomnography. The parasomnias--sleep terrors, somnambulism and enuresis--appear to be related to central nervous system immaturity and are often outgrown. Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is frequently missed in children and can often be cured through surgery. Behavioral sleep problems may be overcome after parents make interventions. Physicians can be of great assistance to these families by recommending techniques to parents that have been shown to be effective.
Rapid Dendritic Remodeling in the Developing Retina: Dependence on Neurotransmission and Reciprocal Regulation by Rac and Rho

We demonstrate that within the intact and spontaneously active retina, dendritic processes of ganglion cells exhibit rapid and extensive movements during the period of synaptogenesis. Marked restructuring occurs in seconds, but structural changes are relatively balanced across the dendritic arbor, maintaining overall arbor size and complexity over hours. Dendritic motility is regulated by spontaneous glutamatergic transmission. Both the rate and extent of the movements are decreased by antagonists to NMDA and non-NMDA glutamate receptors but are unaffected by tetrodotoxin, a sodium channel blocker. The dendritic movements are actin dependent and are controlled by the Rho family of small GTPases. Transfection of dominant-negative and constitutively active mutants into ganglion cells showed that Rac and Rho exert reciprocal effects on motility. We suggest that the Rho family of small GTPases could integrate activity-dependent and -independent signals from afferents, thereby adjusting target motility and maximizing the chance for initial contact and subsequent synaptogenesis.
The implications of foreign aid fungibility for development assistance

A foreign aid or foreign lending policy that focuses exclusively on project financing may have unintended consequences, report the authors. New research shows that aid intended for crucial social and economic sectors often merely substitutes for spending that recipient governments would have undertaken anyway and the funds that are thereby freed up are spent for other purposes. If the aid funds something that would have been done anyway, traditional ways of evaluating the aid's effectiveness are not really accurate. If aid funds are fungible and the recipient's public spending program is unsatisfactory, project lending may not be cost-effective. If the recipient's public spending program is satisfactory, perhaps the donor should finance a portion of it instead of financing individual projects. One solution to the problem of fungibility, then, is that donors could tie assistance to an overall public spending program (in the recipient country) that provides adequate resources to crucial sectors. To make this kind of reform operational, the authors propose a new lending instrument: a public expenditure reform loan (PERL). A PERL would tie an institution's lending strategy to the recipient country's achievement of mutually agreed-upon development goals. Everyone agrees that better donor coordination is needed, but it has been difficult to achieve because some donors tend to prefer projects (usually with the national flag flying over them). By agreeing on a public expenditure program and financing a portion of it, the World Bank credibly ask other donors to do the same.
Categories, Identities, and Cultural Classification: Moving Beyond a Model of Categorical Constraint

We advocate for more tolerance in the manner we collectively address categories and categorization in our research. Drawing on the prototype view, organizational scholars have provided a �disciplining� framework to explain how category membership shapes, impacts, and limits organizational success. By stretching the existing straightjacket of scholarship on categories, we point to other useful conceptualizations of categories � i.e. the causal-model and the goal-based approaches of categorization � and propose that depending on situational circumstances, and beyond a disciplining exercise, categories involve a cognitive test of congruence and a goal satisfying calculus. Unsettling the current consensus about categorical imperatives and market discipline, we suggest also that audiences may tolerate more often than previously thought organizations that blend, span, and stretch categories. We derive implications for research about multi-category membership and mediation in markets, and suggest ways in which work on the theme of categories in the strategy, entrepreneurship, and managerial cognition literatures can be enriched.
Chapter 1 Bayesian Forecasting

Abstract Bayesian forecasting is a natural product of a Bayesian approach to inference. The Bayesian approach in general requires explicit formulation of a model, and conditioning on known quantities, in order to draw inferences about unknown ones. In Bayesian forecasting, one simply takes a subset of the unknown quantities to be future values of some variables of interest. This chapter presents the principles of Bayesian forecasting, and describes recent advances in computational capabilities for applying them that have dramatically expanded the scope of applicability of the Bayesian approach. It describes historical developments and the analytic compromises that were necessary prior to recent developments, the application of the new procedures in a variety of examples, and reports on two long-term Bayesian forecasting exercises.
Automated support for collective memory of conversational interactions

Maintaining consistency is a difficult challenge in crowd-powered systems in which constituent crowd workers may change over time. We discuss an initial outline for Chorus:Mnemonic, a system that augments the crowd's collective memory of a conversation by automatically recovering past knowledge based on topic, allowing the system to support consistent multi-session interactions. We present the design of the system itself, and discuss methods for testing its effectiveness. Our goal is to provide consistency between long interactions with crowd-powered conversational assistants by using AI to augment crowd workers.
Addressing the need for repeat prostate biopsy: new technology and approaches.

Assessing the need for rebiopsy in patients with elevated serum PSA levels and a negative diagnosis of prostate cancer following analysis of the initial biopsy sample is a challenging, and often frustrating, clinical scenario. Here, authors describe the clinical utility of a range of approaches to guiding the need for rebiopsy, whilst also highlighting the diagnostic value of combining results of multiple tests.
Free vibration of axially loaded composite Timoshenko beams using the dynamic stiffness matrix method

Abstract The free vibration analysis of axially loaded composite Timoshenko beams is carried out by using the dynamic stiffness matrix method. This is accomplished by developing an exact dynamic stiffness matrix of a composite beam with the effects of axial force, shear deformation and rotatory inertia taken into account, i.e. it is for an axially loaded composite Timoshenko beam. The theory includes the (material) coupling between the bending and torsional modes of deformations which is usually present in laminated composite beams due to ply orientation. An analytical expression for each of the elements of the dynamic stiffness matrix is derived by rigorous application of the symbolic computing package reduce . Use of such expressions leads to substantial savings in computer time when compared with numerical methods usually adopted in the absence of such expressions. The application of the dynamic stiffness matrix is demonstrated by investigating the free vibration characteristics of an example composite beam for which some comparative results are available. The solution technique used to yield the natural frequencies is that of the Wittrick–Williams algorithm. The effects of axial force, shear deformation and rotatory inertia on the natural frequencies are demonstrated. The theory developed has applications to composite wings and helicopter blades.
Pluripotent stem cells in regenerative medicine: challenges and recent progress

The derivation of disease-relevant cell types from pluripotent stem cells holds much promise for disease therapy. The recent progress in directed differentiation and the challenges ahead are discussed in this Review. After years of incremental progress, several recent studies have succeeded in deriving disease-relevant cell types from human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) sources. The prospect of an unlimited cell source, combined with promising preclinical data, indicates that hPSC technology may be on the verge of clinical translation. In this Review, we discuss recent progress in directed differentiation, some of the new technologies that have facilitated the success of hPSC therapies and the remaining hurdles on the road towards developing hPSC-based cell therapies.
Dissecting the relationship between mental illness and return to incarceration

Abstract Purpose We examine all releases to parole supervision in a single state over a period of four years to consider how a diagnosis of mental illness is associated with return to incarceration. Methods We use survival methods and Cox regression to understand patterns of and influences on return to prison. Our measure of mental illness is based on in-prison clinical diagnoses. Data include a rich set of administrative variables with demographic, criminal history and institutional controls. Results Our findings suggest that (1) there is a statistically significant relationship between having a DSM diagnosis and reincarceration, (2) substance-related disorders account for most of that relationship, and (3) there are some important variations among types of disorders examined. Conclusions Research that examines mental illness and recidivism without controlling for substance use disorders/problems is likely to be uninformative and misleading. Findings provide qualified support for the notion that programming addressing criminogenic risks and needs may be as important, or more so, than therapeutic programming focusing on mental illness when recidivism reduction is the goal.
Lack of Evidence of Measles Virus Shedding in People with Inapparent Measles Virus Infections

Serological evidence of measles virus infection has been detected among people exposed to measles who do not exhibit classical clinical symptoms. Throat swabs, lymphocytes, and serum and urine samples were collected from contacts of individuals with confirmed measles 12-16 days after exposure, during measles outbreaks occurring in 1998. Follow-up serum samples were drawn 2 weeks later. Samples were tested for measles IgM antibody by enzyme immunoassays and plaque reduction neutralization testing. Virus isolation and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction testing was attempted for all samples. None of the 133 contacts developed classical measles disease; 11 (8%) had serological evidence of infection. Duration of exposure of >or=3 h was the only significant risk factor for developing serological response (24% vs. 4% among contacts exposed for 1-2 h; relative risk, 6.0; 95% confidence interval, 1.9-19.2). None of the 133 contacts had virological evidence of infection by culture or polymerase chain reaction. We found no evidence that persons with inapparent measles virus infections shed measles virus.
How Lonely are Gay and Lesbian Youth

UCLA Loneliness Scale (8-item version) scores in a sample of 384 gay and lesbian adolescents support the hypothesis that such youths are especially vulnerable to loneliness.
Alabama Black Belt eye care--optometry giving back.

Abstract Purpose The aim of this study was to describe the process used to meet the vision needs, as well as other health problems related to eye disease, of individuals in the rural Black Belt region of Alabama. This model includes a multidisciplinary collaborative effort that has developed into a replicable vision care delivery system. Design This study was a descriptive research study. Method Vision and health evaluations were made available to residents of rural counties with a specific focus on an area in Alabama known as the “Black Belt.” The model for the project was designed with input from the collaborative partners who were responsible for each health and vision station. Participants in the Rural Alabama Diabetes and Glaucoma Initiative (RADGI) study involved 1,765 black women, 619 black men, and 315 others. Results The study included 2,699 participants in 7 counties. The reported ages of the patients ranged from 5 to 97 years, with a mean age of 44. Of the 2,699 patients, 39% (1,053) were found to have a visual acuity of ≤20/40. Spectacles were prescribed for 56% of the patients who required correction other than reading glasses. There was a 19% (513) referral rate for glaucoma. There was a 2.7% (73) referral rate for diabetic retinopathy. Two hundred sixteen patients presented with cataracts (8%) and were referred to eye care providers for follow-up evaluations. The 9.9% of patients who were known diabetics (267) were referred to either a general physician familiar with the patient history or, if no general physician was reported by the patient, another local physician for evaluation. Because there were no subspecialists in these local communities, the 10% of the patients (270) who were undiagnosed diabetics but showed the risk factor of a hemoglobin A1c greater than 7% were referred to a general physician or local emergency room for follow-up care. One thousand fifty-five patients (35.9%) with a blood pressure of greater than 140/90 mmHg were referred to a physician or to the emergency room as indicated either by systolic less than 140 and diastolic greater than 90. Conclusions Based on the success of the RADGI project, the project was found to be a sound design for implementing a vision care delivery system in economically distressed rural areas that will address health disparities, barriers to health care, health care access, and patient clinical and educational follow-up.
Modeling Stock Prices without Knowing How to Induce Stationarity

Bayesian procedures for evaluating linear restrictions imposed by economic theory on dynamic econometric models are applied to a simple class of presentvalue models of stock prices. The procedures generate inferences that are not conditional on ancillary assumptions regarding the nature of the nonstationarity that characterizes the data. Inferences are influenced by prior views concerning nonstationarity, but these views are formally incorporated into the analysis, and alternative views are easily adopted. Viewed in light of relatively tight prior distributions that have proved useful in forecasting, the present-value model seems at odds with the data. Researchers less certain of the interaction between dividends and prices would find little reason to look beyond the present-value model.
Negotiating multicollinearity with spike-and-slab priors

In multiple regression under the normal linear model, the presence of multicollinearity is well known to lead to unreliable and unstable maximum likelihood estimates. This can be particularly troublesome for the problem of variable selection where it becomes more difficult to distinguish between subset models. Here we show how adding a spike-and-slab prior mitigates this difficulty by filtering the likelihood surface into a posterior distribution that allocates the relevant likelihood information to each of the subset model modes. For identification of promising high posterior models in this setting, we consider three EM algorithms, the fast closed form EMVS version of Rockova and George (J Am Stat Assoc, 2014) and two new versions designed for variants of the spike-and-slab formulation. For a multimodal posterior under multicollinearity, we compare the regions of convergence of these three algorithms. Deterministic annealing versions of the EMVS algorithm are seen to substantially mitigate this multimodality. A single simple running example is used for illustration throughout.
VARIATION OF FORAMINIFERAL STANDING CROP OVER SHORT LATERAL DISTANCES IN BUTTONWOOD SOUND, FLORIDA BAY

Standing crops of foraminifera collected in Buttonwood Sound, Florida Bay, were analyzed using analysis of variance and percentage data. There were no significant faunal variations, in terms of F-ratios, at 10 of the 19 stations, indicating foraminiferal micro-habitats of at least 30 m2. Data in terms of per cent of species occurring in all samples (Sc), and per cent of population made up of species occurring in all samples (Pc), were used to analyze faunal variation. Sc values indicated species composition varied considerably between samples at each station, while Pc values indicated foraminiferal standing crop varied appreciably between samples. Sc and Pc values at each station indicated dominant species are quite constant between samples at each station and variation is caused by fluctuation in rarer species.
Reducing Foot Wounds in Diabetes

The recent observation in this journal (1) that long-term survival after diabetic foot wounds remains poor reminds me of the urgency of wound avoidance. Unfortunately, the report did not disclose the primary causes or initiating events that led to foot ulcerations. One might want to seriously consider the following when contemplating the prevention of such injuries. I have served for 29 years in the Peripheral Vascular Disease Clinic of a large metropolitan hospital. We have seen many diabetic patients who had already lost all or part of one leg and wanted …
A structure of millimeter-wave on-chip transmission line using redistributed copper wire and ground shield

This paper presents a structure of millimeter-wave (mmW) on-chip transmission line using redistributed thick copper wires with ground shields. All the layers from standard BEOL layers to the aluminum pad layer can be selected as the ground shield. From electromagnetic field simulations and measurements up to 80 GHz, we prove that global-copper-wire ground shields produce minimum attenuation: less than 0.5 dB/mm at 60 GHz. This stands comparison with transmission lines on SOI substrate or gold-wire transmission lines on GaAs semi-insulating substrate. An mmW silicon on-chip transmission line on a standard 40 nm CMOS process was fabricated successfully.
Intellectual property rights: An international economics perspective

This paper considers the enforcement of intellectual property rights in an international setting. I consider some of the traditional problems associated with protection of such rights in a closed economy and discuss complications added by an international dimension. Globally-optimal and nationally-optimal policies are compared. A simple model of policy choices is derived and optimal tax/subsidy and rights enforcement policies demonstrated. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of the current U.S. approach of discriminatory treatment on the basis of the national origin of an infringing product and argues that it is inferior to subsidies for providing incentives for R&D and to tariffs for shifting profits to U.S. firms.
Acidity, Basicity, and the Stability of Hydrogen Bonds: Complexes of RO- + HCF3

Ion−molecule complexes of RO- (R = Me, Et, i-Pr) and HCF3 have been studied with Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance spectrometry. The RO- complexation energies with HCF3 were measured relative to RO-·H2O. These complexes, [ROHCF3]-, have complexation energies on the order of −20 kcal/mol and have low deuterium fractionation factors and are, therefore, hydrogen bonded. The structure of the complexes was studied by isotopic equilibrium experiments and ab initio calculations. All of the complexes studied have the structure RO-·HCF3 even when HCF3 is a stronger acid than ROH. The structure of the complexes can be understood through electrostatic arguments rather than the difference in acidity between the ion and neutral.
Studies of 7-hydroxycoumarins.

Abstract Spectral studies of a series of 7-hydroxycoumarins substituted at positions 3 and 4 with methyl and phenyl groups are reported. Rates of ring opening in 0.7 M potassium hydroxide at 25.5° have been determined fluorometrically, and rate constants and half-lives are reported.
CHARACTERIZATION OF THE MAJOR POLYPEPTIDES OF EQUINE SEMINAL PLASMA BY TWO-DIMENSIONAL POLYACRYLAMIDE GEL ELECTROPHORESIS

Abstract The functions of the various proteins in equine seminal plasma (ESP) are poorly understood, including what, if any, effect these proteins have on fertility. In light of the encouraging reports from the bovine literature, we separated the polypeptides in ESP using 2D-PAGE technology to determine if there is a characteristic profile for the polypeptides and, if so, to present a nomenclature for future comparisons of the identified spots. Ejaculates were obtained from 14 stallions, and protein concentration was standardized to 50μg/10μl. Isoelectric points (pI) and molecular weights (MW) of ESP polypeptides were determined by measuring spot mobility following 2D-PAGE (15% polyacrylamide) and Coomassie Blue staining. The “a” constellation consisted of 2 distinct rows (30 kDa; 28 kDa), ranging from pI 5.9 to pI 6.5, with no ejaculate containing all 8 polypeptides. The “b” constellation also consisted of 2 distinct rows (22 kDa; 19 kDa), ranging from pI 4.2 to pI 5.2. Three “b” polypeptides (b1, b2, b4) were present in all 14 ejaculates; polypeptide c1 was present in 10 ejaculates (21 kDa; pI 6.0); and polypeptide d1 was present in all 14 ejaculates (18.2 kDa; pI 6.9). The less frequently observed polypeptides were el (16.3 kDa; pI 7.3), e2 (14.6 kDa; pI 7.1), f1 (14.6 kDa; pI 7.6), and f2 (12.4 kDa; pI 7.8). One polypeptide (“g” band) had a MW 27.9 kDa and appeared as a distinct band in 7 ejaculates, ranging from pI 7.0 to pI 8.0. In 6 other ejaculates the “g” polypeptide appeared as a faintly stained spot at the basic end of the pI range. Polypeptides b4 and d1 were prominent in all 14 ejaculates, and may correspond to the recently identified stallion seminal plasma proteins, HSP-1 and HSP-2. Other prominent polypeptides were f2 and a7. The relative protein composition of polypeptide d1 exceeded that of b4 in 10 ejaculates, and they were equal in another. The 3 ejaculates in which b4 content exceeded that of d1 also had the most widespread distribution of the polypeptides. To our knowledge this is the first report describing the 2D-PAGE profile of the polypeptides in stallion seminal plasma.
Sequence-Specificity for DNA Interstrand Cross-Linking by α,ω-Alkanediol Dimethylsulfonate Esters: Evidence for DNA Distortion by the Initial Monofunctional Lesion

The sequence specificity for DNA cross-linking by a series of α,ω-alkanediol dimethylsulfonate esters (CH3SO2O−(CH2)n−OSO2CH3) is described. The results show that bifunctional alkylating agents that produce 5- and 6-carbon interstrand linkages (n = 5 and 6) prefer to react at N7-guanine at 5‘-GNC sites. When n = 8, a more random cross-linking pattern is observed at 5‘-GNC and 5‘-GC. As previously reported with the nitrogen mustard bis(2-chloroethyl)methylamine (mechlorethamine), the predominant site of cross-linking at 5‘-GNC by the n = 5 compound is not consistent with the distance between the N7-G sites in B-DNA and the length of the covalent linkage.
Algorithms for grouping machine groups in group technology

Abstract Group technology (GT) is an approach to increase productivity in manufacturing. The basic concept of GT is to exploit the similarity between parts and manufacturing processes. Parts similar in design and manufacture are grouped into families. Then machines are identified to process part families. The problem can be modelled in two different approaches in cluster analysis: matrix formulation and mathematical programming formulation. In this paper, we review the application of cluster analysis in group technology. An illustrative example is used to demonstrate the effectiveness of selected clustering algorithms for matrix formulation. A comparison of several mathematical programming models is also given.
A survey of ecological inventory, monitoring, and research in US National Park Service Biosphere Reserves☆

Abstract The investigators conducted a telephone survey of the 14 Biosphere Reserve units managed by the US National Park Service. Questions assessed the completeness of the reserves' baseline resource inventory, long-term monitoring, and long-term ecological research programmes. Geographical features and archives were the most completely represented, and disturbance and aquatic systems the least completely represented items of inventory. In general, long-term ecological research of all types was poorly represented, eight of the areas having 10% or less of the possible research coverage. Carbon and nutrient cycling and exceptionally low ratins of 5 and 6 (of 100) respectively. Temperate and mountain parks tended to have more complete programmes than desert and island parks. Units with in-park research laboratories and resident scientists had more complete programmes than those without.
Molecular and pharmacological properties of GABA-rho subunits from white perch retina.

Five γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ρ subunits were cloned from a white perch retinal cDNA library and expressed in Xenopus oocytes. The deduced amino acid sequences indicated that all are highly homologous to the GABA-ρ subunits cloned from mammalian retinas; two clones (perch-ρ1A and perch-ρ1B) were in the ρ1 family, two (perch-ρ2A and perch-ρ2B) were in the ρ2 family, and one clone has been tentatively identified as a perch-ρ3 subunit. When expressed in Xenopus oocytes, all but one of the subunits (ρ3) formed functional homooligomeric receptors. However, the receptors expressed by each of the GABA-ρ subunits displayed unique response properties that distinguished one from the other. For example, receptors formed by perch-ρ1B subunits were more sensitive to GABA than the receptors formed by other GABA-ρ subunits, the dose–response curves for the various receptors revealed different Hill coefficients, and there were differences in the kinetics of the GABA-induced currents. In addition, the GABA-mediated current–voltage curve for ρ2 receptors was approximately linear, whereas the responses from ρ1 receptors showed outward rectification. A further division in the properties of the GABA-ρ subunits was revealed in their responses to imidazole-4-acetic acid (I4AA); the drug behaved as an antagonist on A-type ρ receptors and a partial agonist on the B-type ρ receptors. These results suggest that there is a large diversity of GABAc receptors in the vertebrate retina, probably formed by homooligomeric and heterooligomeric combinations of GABA ρ subunits, that exhibit different functional properties. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Neurobiol 37: 305–320, 1998
Quenched chiral perturbation theory for baryons

We develop chiral perturbation theory for baryons in quenched QCD. Quenching (the elimination of diagrams containing virtual quark loops) is achieved by extending the Lagrangian method of Bernard and Golterman, and is implemented in a theory where baryons are treated as fixed velocity sources. Our method requires that the octet baryons be represented by a three index tensor rather than by the usual matrix field. We calculate the leading nonanalytic corrections to the masses of octet and decuplet baryons. In QCD these are proportional to ${M}_{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{3}$. We find that quenching alters the ${M}_{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{3}$ terms, but does not completely remove them. In addition, we find nonanalytic contributions to baryon masses proportional to ${M}_{\ensuremath{\pi}}$ and ${M}_{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{2}\mathrm{ln}{M}_{\ensuremath{\pi}}$. These terms, which are artifacts of quenching, dominate over the ${M}_{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{3}$ terms for sufficiently small quark masses. This pattern of corrections is different from that in most mesonic quantities, where the leading nonanalytic terms in QCD (proportional to ${M}_{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{4}\mathrm{ln}{M}_{\ensuremath{\pi}}$) are removed by quenching. We also point out various peculiarities of the quenched theory, most notably that the $\ensuremath{\Delta}$ baryon can decay (if kinematically allowed), in the sense that its two point function will be dominated at long Euclidean times by a nucleon plus pion intermediate state.
Heats of formation of GeH4, GeF4 and Ge(CH3)4

Abstract The heats of formation of GeH 4 , GeF 4 , and Ge(CH 3 ) 4 are computed at CCSD(T) level of theory at the complete basis set limit. Relativistic effects, core valence correlation, spin orbit effect, and zero point energy are explicitly calculated in this study. Relativistic recoveries for these molecules are investigated with different size of correlation space. An unusually large relativistic effect is observed in GeF 4 . Our best calculated geometries for GeH 4 and GeF 4 are in excellent agreement with the high precision experiments. Anharmonic correction to the zero point energy is significant for Ge(CH 3 ) 4 . Our best calculated values for the 298 K heats of formation of GeH 4 , GeF 4 , and Ge(CH 3 ) 4 are 82, −1194, and −123 kJ/mol, respectively.
Implementing the Americans with disabilities act : a case report on sears, Roebuck and Co.

This article examines the employment practices of Sears, Roebuck and Co. in light of its compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Sears employs approximately 20,000 persons with disabilities, nearly 7000 individuals of whom have orthopedic disabilities. This article describes two illustrative examples of Sears' compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and sets forth five essential implications of the Americans with Disabilities Act compliance that are relevant for spine professionals.
Hepatitis C Virus Transmission in Hemodialysis Units: Importance of Infection Control Practices and Aseptic Technique

We investigated 4 hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection outbreaks at hemodialysis units to identify practices associated with transmission. Apparent failures to follow recommended infection control precautions resulted in patient-to-patient HCV transmission, through cross-contamination of the environment or intravenous medication vials. Fastidious attention to aseptic technique and infection control precautions are essential to prevent HCV transmission.
A National Study of Local and State Advocacy in Gifted Education

This qualitative study examined advocacy in local and state contexts. Sixty-one examples of advocacy from 34 states were summarized through screening surveys sent to state directors of gifted education and to collaborative school districts from the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented. Six sites were investigated further through case studies leading to the cross-case analysis that is reported in this paper. Overall, the study was guided by 2 questions. First, what do local and state advocacy efforts on behalf of gifted and talented children look like? Second, what factors facilitate positive outcomes for advocates? As defined by advocates, local and state advocacy ranges from short-term efforts in a single school building, to increased services for children, to complex, statewide initiatives to influence legislation, develop policies, and secure funding. Factors that support positive outcomes include advocates who are persistent, knowledgeable about both best practices in gifted education a...
Differential Human Serologic Response to Two 60,000 Molecular Weight Chlamydia trachomatis Antigens

Chlamydia trachomatis causes sexually transmitted diseases and is associated with serious long-term sequelae such as tubal infertility and ectopic pregnancy. There have been suggestions that chlamydial antigens of approximately 57,000-60,000 Mr may be involved in the immunopathology. Two important chlamydial antigens of 57,000-60,000 Mr are a Triton X-100-soluble antigen, which induces hypersensitivity in ocular models, and a sarcosyl-insoluble cysteine-rich structural protein, omp2. In this study, a 57,000 Mr Triton X-100-soluble protein was characterized as the chlamydial homolog of groEL, a heat shock protein. Using protein fractions, antibody responses of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and ectopic pregnancy patients to chlamydial groEL and omp2 were differentiated. Nearly all patients in both groups were reactive to omp2. Of those with titers greater than or equal to 1:512, 31% of PID sera and 81% of ectopic pregnancy sera were positive for chlamydial groEL (P = .004). This selectivity suggests that women with PID who develop chronic sequelae are those with antibody to groEL.
Microstructural Changes of AZ31 Magnesium Alloys Induced by Cryogenic Machining and Its Influence on Corrosion Resistance in Simulated Body Fluid for Biomedical Applications

Poor corrosion resistance is one of the major disadvantages of magnesium alloys that inhibits their wide application. It was reported frequently that the alloys’ microstructure has a significant influence on their corrosion resistance. In this study, cryogenic machining is used as a severe plastic deformation tool to modify the surface and subsurface microstructures of an AZ31 Mg alloy. Liquid nitrogen is applied to suppress grain growth caused by large heat generation during machining. “White layers”, where grain boundaries were invisible, were shown to form on the surface and subsurface after machining. The hardness of this layer was about 60% larger than the bulk material. The tool edge radius and the cutting speed have profound influence on the microstructures. Preliminary results from immersion tests in simulated body fluid showed that the corrosion resistance of the AZ31 Mg alloy was enhanced due to the formation of white layer.