cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Strategic use of PMUs to improve network parameter error detection

The Normalized Lagrange Multiplier (NLM) method was shown to be useful in network parameter error detection, but suffered from occasional failure in certain cases. This paper exploits the advantages of PMUs and proposes a solution to the detection failure issue. The relationship between NLMs and parameter errors is first derived then used to identify insensitive NLMs which account for the issue of missing parameter error. Subsequently, a PMU placement strategy is proposed to improve the performance of the NLM method. Simulation results in the IEEE 14-bus test system show that the increased redundancy and accuracy gained by the incorporation of PMUs significantly facilitate the detection of parameter errors which was not possible by using only SCADA measurements.
The Ly6C(lo)-Down: Targeting Developmental Enhancers for Cell Subset Depletion.

The diversity of mononuclear phagocytes has made it difficult to ascribe cellular functions to sub-populations using conventional loss-of-function approaches. In this issue of Immunity, Thomas et al. (2016) highlight the value of excising enhancer domains, effectively depleting defined lineages without altering other cellular physiology.
Kernel density estimation (KDE) with adaptive bandwidth selection for environmental contours of extreme sea states

The estimation of environmental contours of extreme sea states characterized by significant wave height and energy period for the purposes of reliability-based offshore design is a problem that has been tackled in many different ways. Many of the methods used to generate such contours rely on parametric approaches that require an a priori assumption of the relationship between the variables of interest. These relationships, often given in the form of assumed probability distributions or joint probability structures, may not be flexible across a wide variety of global observation sites. We propose the use of bivariate kernel density estimation (KDE) with adaptive bandwidth selection for generating the joint probability distribution of significant wave height and energy period. This method is nonparametric, straightforward to apply, and lends itself to a characterization of contour uncertainty that is an important aspect when contours are used to generate inputs for numerical or physical simulations of offshore structures. The joint probability distribution of significant wave height and energy period can be queried using a return period of interest to determine environmental contours of extreme sea states. This paper demonstrates that this method provides a robust and flexible characterization when compared to other approaches.
Endogenous opioid system in addiction and addiction-related behaviors

Since the discovery and verification of the components of the endogenous opioid system in the 1970s, consisting of the mu, kappa, and delta-opioid receptors, and the cognate ligands β-endorphin, the enkephalins, and the dynorphins, a role for the endogenous opioid system in addiction to opiates has been established. Further, studies demonstrated that long term opiate addiction results in a relative endogenous endorphin deficiency which contributes to the chronic relapsing nature of the disease. Subsequent studies, utilizing pharmacological approaches, gene expression and receptor binding techniques in animal models of addiction, as well as transgenic mouse knockout studies, have revealed the endogenous opioid system to be important in the effects of other addictive substances, and this has been verified in human genetics studies demonstrating associations of variants in genes encoding the components of the opioid system with addiction to opiates, cocaine, and alcohol.
Aspirin responsiveness changes in obese patients following bariatric surgery

Bariatric surgery has emerged as a promising treatment option for weight loss and to counter the metabolic consequences of obesity. Obesity has been linked to a hyperaggregable state, as well as a blunted response to aspirin. This pilot study assessed the hypothesis that bariatric surgery would lead to an improvement in aspirin-induced platelet inhibition and a reduction in platelet aggregability. Methods Fifteen patients scheduled to undergo bariatric surgery were administered two 7-day courses of aspirin 81 mg: the first course administered before surgery and the second was 3 months following surgery. Platelet aggregation was measured before and after each aspirin course using VerifyNow-Aspirin. The primary endpoint was the change in on-treatment aspirin reactive units (ARU) pre- and post-surgery. Data from bariatric surgery study patients were compared to data of normal weighted subjects gathered in a previous study. Results Roux-en-Y gastric bypass was performed in 80% and 20% underwent sleeve gastrectomy. The mean starting body mass index (BMI) was 46.9 kg/m2. Patients lost on average 24.5 kg, resulting in a post-surgical BMI of 38.5 kg/m2. Post-bariatric surgery, off-treatment ARU was significantly reduced from pre-surgery levels (602 ± 59 vs. 531 ± 78; p = 0.035). On-aspirin platelet reactivity was also significantly reduced following surgery (469 ± 60 vs. 432 ± 143, p=0.03). There was a significant correlation between the extent of weight loss and the degree of improvement in on-aspirin platelet reactivity (r2= 0.49, p = 0.024). Pre-surgery on-aspirin platelet reactivity was significantly higher in obese patients compared to normal weighted subjects (469 ± 60 vs. 419 ± 52; p = 0.016) and reduced to the baseline after the surgery (432 ± 63 vs. 419 ± 52; p = 0.54). Conclusion Aspirin- induced platelet inhibition may be more potent following bariatric surgery. The mechanisms behind this improvement require further investigation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Introduction: Investigating Written Dyadic Interaction through a Complex Dynamic Systems Theory Perspective

Since its inception in the late 1960’s, the field of Second Language Acquisition (SLA) has undergone many transformations. As pre-existing theories have been expanded upon and new theories introduced, researchers and practitioners have come to a deeper understanding of the second language (L2) learning process. The past two decades, in particular, have seen a shift in the way that L2 learning is conceived. Ever since Diane Larsen-Freeman published her seminal article on complex systems and L2 development (Larsen-Freeman, 1997), the theory known as Complex Dynamic Systems Theory (CDST) has brought a new orientation into SLA discourse. Since then, researchers have transferred their attention from acquisition to development, linearity to nonlinearity, and stability to variability. It is this shift that provides the impetus for this special issue of the Teachers College Working Papers in TESOL and Applied Linguistics.
Influence of Irrigation Regime on Water Relations, Gas Exchange, and Growth of Two Field-grown Redbud Varieties in a Semiarid Climate

For three growing seasons (2003–2005) two newly planted, field-grown redbud (Cercis canadensis L.) varieties were subjected to three reference evapotranspiration (ETo)-based irrigation regimes (100, 66, and 33% ETo). Over this time period, water relations (pre-dawn leaf water potential), gas exchange (mid-day stomatal conductance), and growth data (trunk cross sectional area increase, tree leaf area, and shoot elongation) were measured. Pre-dawn leaf water potential (ψl) was more negative for trees receiving the least amount of irrigation, and for Mexican redbud [C. canadensis var. mexicana (Rose) M. Hopkins] trees. However, mid-day stomatal conductance (gs) was similar for Texas redbud (C. canadensis var. texensis S. Watson) trees across the three irrigation regimes, and was highest for Mexican redbud trees receiving the greatest amount of irrigation volume. Growth varied by variety and irrigation regime. Trunk cross sectional area increase was greatest for Mexican redbud trees, leaf area was highest for...
Rainfastness of Insecticide Deposits on Loblolly Pine Foliage and the Efficacy of Adjuvants in Preventing Washoff

The rainfastness of several insecticides on loblolly pine foliage was determined by using a laboratory rain chamber and by testing the foliage in bioassays with adult leaffooted pine seed bugs, Lep...
Measuring Depression in a Non-Western War-Affected Displaced Population: Measurement Equivalence of the Beck Depression Inventory.

Depression is commonly seen in survivors of conflict and disaster across the world. There is a dearth of research on the validity of commonly used measures of depression in these populations. Measurements of depression that are used in multiple contexts need to meet measurement equivalence, i.e., the instrument measures the same construct in the same manner across different groups. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was administered to female trauma survivors in the United States (n = 268) and female survivors of war in Sri Lanka (n = 149). Three metrics of measurement equivalence - structural, metric, and scalar - were examined. Two- and three-factor structures of the BDI that have been identified in other populations did not provide a good fit for our data. However, a bifactor model revealed a similar general distress dimension across populations, but dissimilar secondary dimensions or subfactors. The Sri Lankan subfactor comprised of predominantly somatic symptoms and the United States subfactor comprised of cognitive and somatic symptoms. While intercepts of individual BDI items differed, their differences seem to be offsetting. Total BDI scores across these two populations are roughly comparable, although caution is recommended when interpreting them. Making comparisons on subscales is not recommended.
Modeling and visualizing semantic and spatio-temporal evolution of topics in interpersonal communication on Twitter

Interpersonal communication on online social networks has a significant impact on the society by not only diffusing information, but also forming social ties, norms, and behaviors. Knowing how the ...
How small states acquire status: A social network analysis:

A number of recent studies have recognized the importance of status in international politics. While this developing scholarship has largely focused on great and middle powers, the pursuit of statu...
Comparative social rights: status and integration in the US

In this essay we develop a framework for better understanding how a focus on enhancing the social rights of immigrants and migrants can lead to greater levels of social incorporation for these groups into their destination countries and/or communities. First, we discuss how the concepts of social rights and incorporation have been used in the social sciences to understand migrants and immigrants. Second, we critically discuss models of immigrant incorporation derived from studies of the US and Europe to demonstrate the value of developing comparative frameworks across distinct countries and communities. Third, we develop and apply the categories of status and integration to discuss how social rights derived from public policy can serve to inhibit or facilitate the effective incorporation of immigrants and migrants. Fourth, we describe how subnational, state-level governments have become increasingly critical actors in affecting both status and integration in the United States. We demonstrate that social rights and incorporation cannot be understood in the US today without an appreciation for variation across distinct state governments. Lastly, we conclude with a consideration of how our analysis makes very clear that government officials are in key positions to determine the scope and depth of immigrant and migrant social rights and incorporation in ways that can simultaneously serve the long-term interests of immigrants, migrants, and the nation state as a whole.
The Pre-S Region of Hepadnavirus Envelope Proteins

Publisher Summary The biosynthesis and biological properties of hepadnavirus envelope (env) proteins containing the pre-S region are described in this chapter. Abundant experimental evidence indicates that the pre-S region of hepadnavirus env proteins has essential biological functions. These are (1) involvement in virus attachment to hepatocytes, (2) elicitation of virus-neutralizing antibodies, (3) high antigenicity and immunogenicity, (4) regulation of the genetic restriction of the immune response, and (5) regulation of the process of virus particle assembly. It is also suggested that the biosynthesis of hepatitis B virus (HBV) env proteins containing the pre-S region might differ at different stages of hepatitis B infections. In contrast to HBsAg subviral particles, P39/GP42 and GP33/GP36 are substantial and not minor components of the HBV envelope. The pre-S region of hepadnavirus env proteins can be mimicked very successfully with synthetic peptide analogs. Consequently, such synthetic peptides have become important resources for the development of synthetic vaccines against hepatitis B and for the preparation of diagnostic reagents.
Minimum Membership Covering and Hitting

Set cover is a well-studied problem with application in many fields. A well-known variation of this problem is the Minimum Membership Set Cover problem. In this problem, given a set of points and a set of objects, the objective is to cover all points while minimizing the maximum number of objects that contain any one point. A dual of this problem is the Minimum Membership Hitting Set problem. In this problem, given a set of points and a set of objects, the objective is to stab all of the objects while minimizing the maximum number of points that an object contains. We study both of these variations in a geometric setting with various types of geometric objects in the plane, including axis-parallel line segments, axis-parallel strips, rectangles that are anchored on a horizontal line from one side, rectangles that are stabbed by a horizontal line, and rectangles that are anchored on one of two horizontal lines (i.e., each rectangle shares at least one boundary edge (top or bottom) with one of the input horizontal lines). For each of these problems either we prove NP-hardness or design a polynomial-time algorithm. More precisely, we show that it is NP-complete to decide whether there exists a solution with depth exactly 1 for either the Minimum Membership Set Cover or the Minimum Membership Hitting Set problem. We also provide approximation algorithms for some of the problems. In addition, we study a generalized version of the Minimum Membership Hitting Set problem.
Continued increases in Arctic Ocean primary production

Dramatic declines in sea-ice cover in the Arctic Ocean in recent decades have the potential to fundamentally alter marine ecosystems. Here we investigate changes in sea ice between the years 1998 and 2012 at regional and basin scales and how these have impacted rates of phytoplankton net primary production (NPP). Annual NPP increased 30% over the Arctic Ocean during our study period, with the largest increases on the interior shelves and smaller increases on inflow shelves. Increased annual NPP was often, but not always, associated with reduced sea-ice extent and a longer phytoplankton growing season (fewer days of ice cover). Spatial patterns of increased annual NPP suggest that increased nutrient fluxes may also play an important role. Outflow shelves either exhibited no change in annual NPP during our study period or a significant decline, perhaps indicating that nutrients had been consumed by increased NPP farther upstream.
Y-Net: Joint Segmentation and Classification for Diagnosis of Breast Biopsy Images

In this paper, we introduce a conceptually simple network for generating discriminative tissue-level segmentation masks for the purpose of breast cancer diagnosis. Our method efficiently segments different types of tissues in breast biopsy images while simultaneously predicting a discriminative map for identifying important areas in an image. Our network, Y-Net, extends and generalizes U-Net by adding a parallel branch for discriminative map generation and by supporting convolutional block modularity, which allows the user to adjust network efficiency without altering the network topology. Y-Net delivers state-of-the-art segmentation accuracy while learning \(6.6\times \) fewer parameters than its closest competitors. The addition of descriptive power from Y-Net’s discriminative segmentation masks improve diagnostic classification accuracy by 7% over state-of-the-art methods for diagnostic classification. Source code is available at: https://sacmehta.github.io/YNet.
2184. Effect of Adjusted CLSI Breakpoints on Center-wide Fluoroquinolone Susceptibilities for Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa: Is It Time to Restrict Empiric Fluoroquinolone Use?

Background In January 2019, the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) lowered breakpoints of fluoroquinolones (FQ) for Enterobacteriaceae (EB)and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PsAr). Automated commercial antimicrobial susceptibility testing (cAST) can only report levofloxacin MIC ≤1 μg/mL according to 2018 breakpoints. Updated panels will not be available until FDA approval. Laboratories and antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASP) must decide how to implement the adoption of new FQ breakpoints.
Corrosion of coated aluminium alloy 7075-T6 galvanic test assemblies, part II: impact of fastener through-hole condition

The influence of the condition of through-holes on the corrosion of galvanic test assemblies was studied. Holes in coated aluminium alloy 7075-T6 were tested as received, in a worst-case bare condi...
Becoming a Training and Supervising Analyst: Interviews from the Columbia Postgraduate Analytic Practice Study.

Although much has been written about the training and supervising analyst system (TSA), its role in analysts' professional development has not been empirically studied. The Columbia Psychoanalytic ...
The Geometry of Provable Security: Some Proofs of Security in Which Lattices Make a Surprise Appearance

We highlight some uses of lattice reduction in security proofs of nonlattice-based cryptosystems. In particular, we focus on RSA-OAEP, the Rabin partial-domain hash signature scheme, techniques to compress Rabin signatures and ciphertexts, the relationship between the RSA and Paillier problems and Hensel lifting, and the hardness of the most significant bits of a Diffie–Hellman secret.
The Missing Pieces of Open Design Enablement: A Recent History of Google Efforts : lnvited Paper

In an initiative to advance the open-source electronic design automation (EDA) and hardware design community, Google has been spearheading a global collaborative effort involving investigators from academia, start-ups as well as foundries. Open-source silicon being the end goal, multiple blossoming projects are supported to drive the renewed open-source wave to break down the barriers of EDA tooling and ultimately hardware design. This push toward the democratization of hardware also aims to develop and release an open-source platform of silicon-proven analog and digital IP blocks to serve as a foundation for rapid design of complex, secure systems-on-chip (SoCs) at bleeding edge technology nodes. This paper details the different efforts that constitute the missing pieces standing in the way of open design enablement such as: OpenROAD for EDA tooling, digital libraries such as OpenRAM and standard cells, and finally analog and mixed-signal (AMS) building blocks for SoCs such as: BAG and FASoC.
Study of Inverter-Based CHP Unit on a Campus Microgrid

In the era where there is a huge demand to curtail the power plants with conventional sources of energy owing to their higher generation costs and carbon emissions, the Combined Heat and Power (CHP) units are still gaining a wider popularity. This is due to the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources that impedes their full share in the current energy mix and the lower emissions along with the higher efficiency levels associated to the CHP units when compared with units utilizing conventional sources. The inverter interface of CHP units further enabled their integration in advanced grid environment. This paper reviews the enabling framework, role and significance of the inverter-interfaced CHP units in the modern grid concept of microgrids. A case study of a variable speed inverter-interfaced CHP unit in a planned campus microgrid environment is also presented.
Microbial assemblages and methanogenesis pathways impact methane production and foaming in manure deep-pit storages

Foam accumulation in swine manure deep-pits has been linked to explosions and flash fires that pose devastating threats to humans and livestock. It is clear that methane accumulation within these pits is the fuel for the fire; it is not understood what microbial drivers cause the accumulation and stabilization of methane. Here, we conducted a 13-month field study to survey the physical, chemical, and biological changes of pit-manure across 46 farms in Iowa. Our results showed that an increased methane production rate was associated with less digestible feed ingredients, suggesting that diet influences the storage pit’s microbiome. Targeted sequencing of the bacterial 16S rRNA and archaeal mcrA genes was used to identify microbial communities’ role and influence. We found that microbial communities in foaming and non-foaming manure were significantly different, and that the bacterial communities of foaming manure were more stable than those of non-foaming manure. Foaming manure methanogen communities were enriched with uncharacterized methanogens whose presence strongly correlated with high methane production rates. We also observed strong correlations between feed ration, manure characteristics, and the relative abundance of specific taxa, suggesting that manure foaming is linked to microbial community assemblage driven by efficient free long-chain fatty acid degradation by hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis.
Effects of prosthetic feet on metabolic energy expenditure in people with transtibial amputation: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective To assess the effects of different prosthetic feet on energy costs associated with walking and running in people with transtibial amputation. Literature survey The Pubmed, CINAHL, and Web-of-Science bibliographic databases were searched for original research published through June 30, 2018. References from identified articles were also reviewed. Methodology Two reviewers screened titles, abstracts, and articles for pertinent studies. Details were extracted with a standardized template. Risk of bias was assessed using domain-based methods. Prosthetic feet were grouped into categories, and compared according to energy costs associated with walking or running over various terrain conditions. Meta-analyses were conducted when data quantity and homogeneity permitted. Evidence statements were formed when results were consistent or undisputed. Synthesis 15 studies were included. Participants (n = 144) were predominantly male (88.2%), had unilateral amputation (95.8%) from non-dysvascular causes (87.5%), and were classified as unlimited community ambulators or active adults (56.9%). Participants were often young, but varied in age (mean age 24.8-66.6 years). Available evidence indicates that feet with powered dorsiflexion reduce energy costs relative to dynamic response feet in unlimited community ambulators or active adults when walking on level or declined surfaces. Dynamic response feet do not significantly reduce energy costs compared to energy storing, flexible keel, or solid ankle feet when walking on level terrain. Running feet do not reduce energy costs relative to dynamic response in active adults when running. Select feet may reduce energy costs under specific conditions, but additional research is needed to confirm preliminary results. Conclusions The overall body of evidence is based on small samples, comprised mostly of participants who may not well represent the population of prosthesis users, and test conditions that may not well reflect how prostheses are used in daily life. However, evidence suggests energy costs are affected by prosthetic foot type, but only under select conditions. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
The slow medicine approach to chronic pain.

Background: Pain is an aversive motivational state that drives an organism to escape, terminate, and avoid whatever is potentially threatening tissue health or survival, while teaching it to avoid situations associated with harm. The pain experience is distributed across a wide neural network that involves activation of the stress, autonomic, immune and opioid systems. Sustained or intense stimulation of the dynamic pain connectome results in nociplastic changes contribute to the development of persistent pain. A bidirectional relationship exists between these changes and psychosocial factors, further complicating the clinical picture. Objective: The comprehensive, wholistic approach to managing chronic pain is needed. The principles of slow medicine represent a potential theoretic framework capable of changing how the healthcare system views, manages and reimburses the management of chronic pain. Methods: The paper discusses these principles an their applicattion in the management of chronic pain. In slow medicine, the clinician is a master gardener who nurtures the patient back to optimal health rather than a mechanic who repairs damage. It seeks to replace haste, and its unintended consequences, with a calm, slow, deliberate approach to pain that benefits everyone involved in the care process. Conclusion: The slow medicine approach is capable of improving the management of chronic pain.
Color as an Indicator of Food Quality to Anthropoid Primates: Ecological Evidence and an Evolutionary Scenario

Detecting, acquiring, and assimilating food is essential to survival. Accordingly, students of primate evolution have long sought and found associations between diet and anatomical design. Similarly, studies of food nutritive properties have established key paradigms in primate foraging behavior and community structure. However, studies linking primate sensory adaptations to feeding ecology are few (Dominy et al., 2001). Here I have three aims: First, to briefly describe the visual constitution of primates and the perceptual properties of edible vegetation; second, to report physicochemical correlations within the top ranking foods of four catarrhines; and, third, to outline an ecological scenario for the evolution of anthropoid color vision.
Politicization of Bureaucracy

This encyclopedia article distinguishes two distinct phenomena labeled politicization of the bureaucracy. Institutional politicization represents an attempt by political principals to control the agency, while behavioral politicization refers to agencies being responsive to politicians or the electorate. Although politicization is often criticized, it has various consequences, some of them positive. So, a generalized claim about the benefits and drawbacks about politicization of the bureaucracy cannot be made.
Genetic and Biochemical Investigation of the Escherichia coli Mutant hfl-1 Which is Lysogenized at High Frequency by Bacteriophage Lambda

The Escherichia coli mutant hfl-1 is lysogenized at very high frequency by bacteriophage lambda. The normal requirement for the λcIII gene product in the establishment of repression is not observed in hfl-1 strains. These phenotypic characteristics are specified by a single locus at 82.5 min on the E. coli map in extremely close proximity to the purA gene, cotransduction frequencies ranging from 97 to 100% depending on the particular purA marker used. The lactose operon is shown to function normally in this strain, and there are also no demonstrable differences in ribonucleic acid polymerase activity or cyclic-adenosine monophosphate levels. Alterations in the cell envelope are indicated by a slight rifamycin resistance, which is reversible by pretreating the cells with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, and by a resistance to penicillin and a sensitivity to high concentrations of sodium dodecyl sulfate. It is not known whether this change in cell surface is the primary lesion, or a pleiotropic effect of some more basic metabolic shift.
Structural Basis of the Inhibition of Class C Acid Phosphatases by Adenosine 5′-phosphorothioate

The inhibition of phosphatases by adenosine 5'-phosphorothioate (AMPS) was first reported in the late 1960s; however, the structural basis for the inhibition has remained unknown. Here, it is shown that AMPS is a submicromolar inhibitor of class C acid phosphatases, a group of bacterial outer membrane enzymes belonging to the haloacid dehalogenase structural superfamily. Furthermore, the 1.35-A resolution crystal structure of the inhibited recombinant Haemophilus influenzae class C acid phosphatase was determined; this is the first structure of a phosphatase complexed with AMPS. The conformation of AMPS is identical to that of the substrate 5'-AMP, except that steric factors force a rotation of the thiophosphoryl out of the normal phosphoryl-binding pocket. This conformation is catalytically nonproductive, because the P atom is not positioned optimally for nucleophilic attack by Asp64, and the O atom of the scissile O-P bond is too far from the Asp (Asp66) that protonates the leaving group. The structure of 5'-AMP complexed with the Asp64→Asn mutant enzyme was also determined at 1.35-A resolution. This mutation induces the substrate to adopt the same nonproductive binding mode that is observed in the AMPS complex. In this case, electrostatic considerations, rather than steric factors, underlie the movement of the phosphoryl. The structures not only provide an explanation for the inhibition by AMPS, but also highlight the precise steric and electrostatic requirements of phosphoryl recognition by class C acid phosphatases. Moreover, the structure of the Asp64→Asn mutant illustrates how a seemingly innocuous mutation can cause an unexpected structural change.
Zonisamide in the treatment of bulimia nervosa: an open-label, pilot, prospective study.

Objective To assess preliminarily the effectiveness of zonisamide in bulimia nervosa. Method This was an open-label, prospective, 12-week, flexible dose study of zonisamide in bulimia nervosa. The primary outcome was binge-purge episode frequency. Results Twelve individuals received zonisamide, 10 completed at least one post-baseline evaluation, and six completed the study. Mean dose at endpoint was 420 (SD = 215) mg/day. Zonisamide was associated with significant reductions in frequency of binge-purge episodes and binge-purge days as well as measures of binge eating behavior, purging behavior, clinical severity, obsessive-compulsive features, and depressive symptoms. Weight was unchanged. Discussion In this open-label trial, zonisamide was effective in bulimia nervosa, but associated with a high discontinuation rate. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2013; 46:747–750)
The strategy of presidential campaigns

What influences presidential candidates in choosing the amount of resources to allocate to each state? The current literature recognizes that the competitiveness and electoral value of a state are two important influences on the distribution of resources. However, there is some disagreement as to the way the electoral value influences the distribution. Also, one important influence has been overlooked; the effectiveness of the candidate and its influence on the distribution of campaign resources. A formal model is modified to show the theoretical influence that electoral value, competitiveness, and the relative effectiveness of the two candidates have on the distribution of campaign resources. Statistical results from campaign data from five presidential elections provide empirical support for the theory.
Qualitative analysis of solutions of nonlinear differential equations with the Hukuhara derivative in the space conv (ℝ2)

We suggest a new approach to the qualitative analysis of dynamic properties of solutions of differential equations with the Hukuhara derivative with the use of geometric properties of convex bodies, the comparison method, and the Chaplygin–Wazewski method for approximate integration of ordinary differential equations. We obtain estimates for the area of solutions for a class of nonlinear differential equations with the Hukuhara derivative.
Puncture deformation and fracture mechanism of oriented polymers

In this study, we investigated the effect of orientation by solid-state cross-rolling on the morphology, puncture deformation, and fracture mechanism of an amor- phous TROGAMID material and three semicrystalline polymers: high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropyl- ene (PP), and nylon 6/6. In amorphous TROGAMID, it was found that orientation preferentially aligned polymer chains along the rolling deformation direction and reduced the plastic deformation of TROGAMID in a low-tempera- ture puncture test. The decrease of ductility with orienta- tion changed the fracture mechanism of TROGAMID from ductile hole enlargement failure in the unoriented control to a more brittle delamination failure in TROGAMID cross- rolled to a 75% thickness reduction. For semicrystalline polymers HDPE, PP, and nylon 6/6, the randomly oriented crystalline lamellae in the controls were first oriented into an oblique angle to the rolling direction (RD) before the lamellae became fragmented and preferentially oriented with the chain axis parallel to the RD. The morphological change resulted in the decrease of ductility in HDPE in the low-temperature puncture test. In PP and nylon 6/6, the brittle fracture of unoriented controls was changed into ductile failure when they were cross-rolled to a 50% thick- ness reduction. This was attributed to the tilted crystal lamellae morphology, which permitted chain slip deforma- tion of crystals with the chain axis parallel to the maximum shear stress direction. With further orientation of PP and nylon 6/6 to a 75% thickness reduction, the failure mecha- nism changed back to brittle fracture as the morphology transformed into a layered discoid structure with the chain axis of the fragmented crystal blocks parallel to the RD; this prevented chain slip deformation of the crystals. V C 2011
Early days with Carl

Science is all about making discoveries. That’s it! It was my good fortune and Carl’s good fortune to share an experiment that produced an unexpected result. In the 1960s, Carl became interested in the classification of bacteria with the ultimate goal of defining the relatedness of bacterial groups as well as events in the evolution of these organisms. He proposed to do this by studying the sequence of monomers in proteins or nucleic acids. Study of the sequence of amino acids in conserved proteins had severe limitations and could not serve Carl’s purpose. However, the publication by Sanger of a technique for analysis of RNA caught Carl’s attention. His previous experiments with the ribosome had convinced him that this organelle was of very ancient origin; it had only one role in the cell and so was “insulated” from the vast phenotypic variations of bacterial cells.
Free Fatty Acids and Energy Metabolites in Ischemic Cerebral Cortex with Noradrenaline Depletion

: We tested whether cerebral noradrenaline (NA) may play a central role in mediating the increased production of free fatty acids (FFAs) during cerebral ischemia. Levels of FFAs, cyclic AMP, and NA, as well as ATP, ADP, and AMP, were measured in cerebral cortex during decapitation ischemia in rats 2 weeks after unilateral locus ceruleus lesion. Comparisons were made between the results obtained from the contralateral cortex with normal NA content and the NA-depleted ipsilateral cortex. Although NA depletion was associated with a diminished transient rise of cyclic AMP in response to ischemia, it failed to influence the magnitude of FFA increase or the decline of energy state within the 15-min period of ischemia. A more than twofold increase of total FFAs (sum of palmitic, stearic, oleic, arachidonic, and docosahexaenoic acids) was observed in both hemispheres at 1 min after decapitation, when energy failure became manifest. The increased production of FFAs continued throughout the 15 min of ischemia, with a preferential rise in the levels of stearic and arachidonic acids. There was an inverse correlation between FFA levels and total adenylate pool. The results do not support a major role for NA and cyclic AMP in increasing cortical FFAs during complete ischemia. Instead, they are consistent with the view that impaired oxidative phosphorylation activates deacylating enzymes. Disturbance of reacylation due to energy depletion is probably another factor contributing to the continuous increase of FFAs during prolonged ischemia.
The mechanics of matrix cracking in brittle-matrix fiber composites

Abstract Matrix fracture in brittle-matrix fiber composites is analyzed for composites that exhibit multiple matrix cracking prior to fiber failure and have purely frictional bonding between the fibers and matrix. The stress for matrix cracking is evaluated using a stress intensity approach, in which the influence of the fibers that bridge the matrix crack is represented by closure tractions at the crack surfaces. Long and short cracks are distinguished. Long cracks approach a steady-state configuration, for which the stress intensity analysis and a previous energy balance analysis are shown to predict identical dependence of matrix cracking stress on material properties. A numerical solution and an approximate analytical solution are obtained for smaller cracks and used to estimate the range of crack sizes over which the steady-state solution applies.
Local recurrence in breast cancer: implications for systemic disease.

Background: Recurrence in breast carcinoma follows a pattern of growth marked by local, regional, or widespread dissemination. Local recurrence may be the harbinger of systemic disease or failure of local control. Delineation of these processes may have implications in treatment.
Quantitative analysis of radiation-induced sectorial discoloration of the first leaf of Crotalaria Intermedia*

Abstract Ionizing radiations applied to seeds or young seedlings of Crotalaria intermedia induce dominant mutations that appear as discolored sectors in the first seedling leaves. The discoloration is caused mainly by structural abnormalities in the palisade layer. Their basis is shown to be most probably chromosomal aberrations of the two-break type (two-hit events). Quantitative evaluation of the results of a number of experiments gave information on processes involved in the induction of chromosome breaks and their expression as mutation. Dose-effect curves for X-rays and γ rays were only slightly exponential, sometimes even linear. Yet clear dose-fractionation effects indicated two-hit events. The seeming contradiction is explained by assuming heterogeneity in sensitivity among the cells of the primordium, in addition to limitations in the number of exchange sites. The effect of moisture content on sensitivity to X-rays showed a minimum sensitivity after equilibration of the seed at approximately 30 per cent relative humidity. After 24 hr of soaking a 25-fold increase in sensitivity was observed. The sensitivity increased as germination progressed over the entire range studied. Anoxia reduced the effect of X-rays by approximately a factor of 2. No interactions between anoxia and moisture content could be demonstrated. Wetting of the seed under anaerobic conditions had no effect on X-ray sensitivity of the re-dried seed. Sensitivity to neutrons was increased, however. Varietal differences in radiosensitivity were observed.
Log-Normal and Log-Gabor descriptors for expressive events detection and facial features segmentation

The current paper investigates the merits of the Log-Normal and Log-Gabor filters for the dynamic analysis and segmentation of facial behavior during facial expression sequences. First, a spatial filtering method based on the Log-Normal filters is introduced for the holistic processing of the face towards the automatic segmentation of consecutive "emotional segments" in video sequences. Secondly, a filtering-based method based on the Log-Gabor filters is applied as a feature-based processing for the automatic and accurate segmentation of the transient facial features (such as nasal root wrinkles and nasolabial furrows) and a precise estimation of their orientation in a single pass. We compared heuristic and machine learning based methods to evaluate the efficiency of the used descriptors for each task. When tested for automatic detection of "emotional segments" in 137 video sequences from the MMI, the Hammal-Caplier facial expression databases, and 20 recorded video sequences of consecutive appearance of multiple facial expressions, the proposed Log-Normal based descriptors achieved an accuracy of 89% with a mean frame error of 8 frames using a heuristic based processing. Higher performances were obtained using the SVM based method leading to an accuracy of 94% with a mean frame error detection of 3.1 frames. Tested on more than 3280 images from 5 benchmark databases (i.e. the Cohn-Kanade database, the CAFE database, the STOIC database, the MMI database, and the Hammal-Caplier database) the proposed Log-Gabor based descriptors for transient facial features detection achieved a mean performance of 82% using a heuristic based processing and a mean performance of 96% using the SVM based classification. The proposed method for the estimation of the corresponding orientation leads to an error of 2.7?.
The effect of metal ions on mitochondrial pyridine dinucleotide transhydrogenase.

Abstract Bovine heart submitochondrial particle transhydrogenase is inhibited by cations in a concentration and pH-dependent manner, and non-energy-linked transhydrogenation is inhibited to a greater extent by metals than the energy-linked reaction. The inhibition of the enzyme by Mg 2+ is competitive with the NADP substrate and non-competitive with the NAD substrate. Mg 2+ stimulates inactivation of the enzyme by 5,5′-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid), and protects against thermal and proteolytic inactivation. This suggests that Mg 2+ binding in the NADP site alters transhydrogenase to a more thermostable conformation, which is less susceptible to attack by trypsin and more reactive with 5,5′-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid). Other cation inhibitors mimic Mg 2+ in these properties. The order of effectiveness of the inhibitors tested is La 3+ > Mn 2+ > Ca 2+ ⋍ Mg 2+ > Sr 2+ > Na + ⋍ K + . This order is described by the Irving-Williams order for the stability of metal-ligand complexes, suggesting that carboxylates or amines may comprise the inhibitory cation binding site.
A concise expression for the switching coefficients for p-n feedback systems

The optimum switching condition for p-n feedback control systems is investigated. A simple algebraic formula for calculating the coefficients of the major switching equation for n th-order systems is derived, eliminating the cumbersome calculations required by previous methods.
The effects of inhalation exposure to bromo-dichloromethane on specific rat CYP isoenzymes.

Abstract Several cytochrome P450 (CYP) isoenzymes may be involved in the metabolism of bromo-dichloromethane (BDCM), a drinking water disinfection byproduct. After 4-h inhalation exposures of male F344 rats to BDCM between 100 and 3200 p.p.m., hepatic microsomal methoxyresorufin demethylase (MROD), ethoxyresorufin de-ethylease (EROD) and pentoxyresorufin dealkylase (PROD) activities showed modest increases at low exposure levels and larger decreases at high exposure levels, compared with controls. Western blots for CYP1A2 and CYP2B1 showed similar trends. In addition, p-nitrophenol hydroxylase (PNP) activity was measured and Western blots for CYP2E1 were performed. CYP2E1 and CYP2B1 isoenzymes are known to metabolize BDCM (Thornton-Manning, J.R., Gao, P., Lilly, P.D., Pegram, R.A., 1993. Acute bromodichloromethane toxicity in rats pretreated with cytochrome P450 inducers and inhibitors. The Toxicologist 13: 361). When compared with a multiple gavage study of BDCM in female F344 rats (Thornton-Manning, J.R., et al., 1994. Toxicology 94, 3–18), the results of the two studies for EROD, PROD, and PNP activities were qualitatively the same; PNP activity did not change, while both PROD and EROD activities decreased at high exposures. In the current work, Western blots for CYP2E1, CYP2B1 and CYP1A2 supported the results from the PNP, PROD and MROD activities, respectively. The decreases in MROD and PROD activities and in Western blots for CYP1A2 and CYP2B1 at high exposures suggest that BDCM may be a suicide substrate for these CYP isoenzymes. Other important conclusions that can be drawn from the comparison between the current and prior work are that the liver response is similar for both sexes, and it is also similar for inhalation and gavage exposures under these conditions. Finally, the decrease in EROD activity at high doses, found in both studies, may be a further reflection of CYP1A2 activity, since little or no CYP1A1 activity is normally found in uninduced rat liver and CYP1A2 is known to metabolize ethoxyresorufin, although much more slowly than CYP1A1.
Tc-99m MAG3 as an alternative to Tc-99m DTPA and I-131 hippuran for renal transplant evaluation

This study investigated the new radiopharmaceutical, Tc-99m mercaptoacetyltriglycine (MAG3), as a possible alternative to Tc-99m DTPA and I-131 Hippuran for renal transplant evaluation. Tc-99m MAG3 and I-131 Hippuran were used sequentially in 19 consecutive patient studies and compared qualitatively and quantitatively. Serum creatinine values ranged from 1.6 mg/dL to 10.3 mg/dL (mean, 5.4 mg/dL). The Tc-99m MAG3 images and time-activity curves were of superior quality (3+) compared to I-131 Hippuran (1-2+). Quantitative analysis of the time to peak activity (Tmax) demonstrated a high correlation and no significant difference for Tc-99m MAG3 (mean, 11.4 min) compared to I-131 Hippuran (mean, 11.2 min). The percentage of peak activity retained at 20 minutes (T20) also showed a high correlation between the two agents; however, Tc-MAG3 showed a significantly slower clearance (T20 mean, 77%) than I-131 Hippuran (mean, 71%). Flow images were judged to be of good quality; however, the first-pass time-activity curves were often different from that seen with Tc-99m DTPA. Interpretation of delayed Tc-99m MAG3 images, for example to diagnose a slow urinary leak, were sometimes complicated by bowel clearance. In conclusion, Tc-99m MAG3 is superior to I-131 Hippuran for evaluation of renal transplant function. Tc-99m is the agent of choice for evaluation of renal transplant blood flow and function.
Long-term response to peginterferon in hepatitis C virus-associated nephrotic syndrome from focal segmental glomerulosclerosis

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a global public health problem. Chronic HCV infection is an important cause of chronic liver disease. Since the first reported association between HCV and membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) in 1993, HCV has been described with other types of glomerular diseases, although less frequently. Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is one such glomerular disease that has been rarely reported in association with HCV. Antiviral therapy with interferon and ribavirin has been shown to be beneficial in HCV-associated MPGN. The optimal therapy of HCV-associated FSGS is not currently known. To our knowledge, long-term response to pegylated interferon monotherapy in treatment of HCV-associated FSGS has not been reported. We report an adult patient with HCV-associated FSGS who presented with nephrotic syndrome and renal failure. Treatment with pegylated interferon alfa-2a monotherapy resulted in sustained virological response with a clinical remission of nephrotic syndrome and stabilization of renal function. Patient continued to remain in clinical remission of nephrotic syndrome with stable renal function, 5 years after treatment. We also briefly review the literature on HCV-associated glomerular diseases, particularly HCV-associated FSGS.