cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Economic Effects of Grade Inflation on Instructor Evaluation: An Alternative Interpretation.

There continues to be a lively interest in the relationship between instructor evaluations and instructor tendencies to “inflate” grades. Allen Kelley and Richard McKenzie have provided interesting theoretical analyses of this relationship in earlier issues of the JEE. The authors of this article review the work of Kelley and McKenzie, and then carry the analysis further. New dimensions are considered, such as the possibility that students will look upon a university education as an inferior “Giffen” good. The implications of such a development are set forth in the concluding section of the report.
Tracheal cytotoxin structural requirements for respiratory epithelial damage in pertussis

Summary The respiratory epithelial pathology of pertussis (whooping cough) can be reproduced by tracheal cyto-toxin (TCT), a disaccharide-tetrapeptide released by Bordetella pertussis. TCT is a muramyl peptide, a class of peptidoglycan-derived compounds which have many biological activities including adjuvanticity, somnogenicity, pyrogenicity, and cytotoxicity. The structural requirements for muramyl peptides to produce some of these biological effects have been partially characterized. Using in vitro assays with respiratory epithelial cells and tissue, we have previously determined that the disaccharide moiety of TCT is not involved in toxicity and that the side-chain functional groups of diaminopimelic acid (A2pm) are crucial for toxicity. In this study, we determine the importance of every amino acid, functional group and chiral centre in the peptide portion of TCT. Although lactyl tetrapeptides are the most toxic of the TCT fragments, producing dose-response curves identical to TCT, the smallest analogues of TCT which are active in our assay are of the form X-γ-(d)-Glu-meso-A2pm, where X may be an amino acid or a blocking group. Within this active substructure, main-chain chirality and all functional groups are essential for toxicity. This definition of the core region of TCT indicates that the TCT interaction site is unlike almost all other muramyl peptide interaction sites for which structure-activity data are available.
Quenching of singlet and triplet excited aromatic hydrocarbons by sulphides :- the amine and sulphide enhanced photo-induced degradation of chloro- and cyanoaromatic hydrocarbons

Abstract Sulphides have been shown to be capable of quenching the excited singlet and triplet states of several aromatic hydrocarbons and their derivatives. The quenching is proposed to involve an electron transfer mechanism. The use of sulphides and amines to generate aromatic hydrocarbon radical cations from the excited states of these compounds has been utilised in order to carry out reductive decyanation reactions of cyanoaromatic hydrocarbons.
Polarization compensation of Fresnel aberrations in telescopes

Large aperture space telescopes are built with low F# s to accommodate the mechanical constraints of launch vehicles and to reduce resonance frequencies of the on-orbit system. Inherent with these low F# s is Fresnel polarization which affects image quality. We present the design and modeling of a nano-structure consisting of birefringent layers to control polarization and increase contrast. Analysis shows a device that functions across a 400nm bandwidth tunable from 300nm to 1200nm. This Fresnel compensator device has a cross leakage of less than 0.001 retardance.
A multi-cell piezoelectric device for tunable resonance actuation and energy harvesting

Variable stiffness actuation and energy harvesting have been important yet separate challenges in robotics. Both functions are needed, however, for mobile robots on extended missions when actuators and generators must be used together. In this paper, we present a unique piezoelectric cellular system that combines motion generation and energy harvesting capabilities into a single, scalable device. Each of the discrete cellular units provides linear, contractile motion at 10% strain using the converse piezoelectric effect. These units may also be back-driven from environmental loading and thereby generate energy using the direct piezoelectric effect. Furthermore, each cell has the capability to toggle between a low stiffness ON state and a high stiffness OFF state, which allows an assembly of individual cells to tune both their static stiffness and structural resonant frequencies online. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our device for tuning both locomotion speed and the harvested power of an underwater flapping fin system.
Stability of periodic plane waves

Nonlinear partial differential equations with explicit periodic plane wave solutions are considered. For a class of such equations the variational equations governing linear stability are solved explicitly also. An explicit equation for the growth rate of a perturbation is obtained. The analysis is applied to nonlinear forms of the Schrodinger and Klein–Gordon equations and to a generalized Korteweg–de Vries equation.
The binding of NADH by glutamate dehydrogenase as measured by polarization of fluorescence

Abstract The dissociation constant ( K D ) of the NADH-glutamate dehydrogenase complex as well as the number of binding sites ( n ) of the enzyme were determined by means of polarization of fluorescence. On the basis of binding experiments conducted over the protein concentration range 0.3–1 mg/ml it is concluded that the enzyme glutamate dehydrogenase possesses a set of equivalent binding sites characterized by a dissociation constant K D = 3.2·10 −6 M. The effect of glutamate on the polarization of fluorescence properties of the NADH-glutamate dehydrogenase complex was also investigated and the possible significance of these studies is discussed.
Performance Incentives and Planning under Uncertainty.

Abstract The paper discusses the use of the performance-incentive function (PIF) by planning organizations when there is subjective or objective uncertainty. It is proved that a PIF can be constructed that achieves both allocational and distributional optimality, when there is subjective uncertainty about the conditions of production and both the center and the producer are risk-averse. When there is objective uncertainty, however, it is shown that it is not, in general, possible for the center to achieve these two objectives simultaneously. J. Comp. Econ., Sept. 1979, 3(3), pp. 217–232. United States Air Force Academy, Colorado 80840; and University of California, Berkeley, California 94720.
Ancient deuterostome origins of vertebrate brain signalling centres

Neuroectodermal signalling centres induce and pattern many novel vertebrate brain structures but are absent, or divergent, in invertebrate chordates. This has led to the idea that signalling-centre genetic programs were first assembled in stem vertebrates and potentially drove morphological innovations of the brain. However, this scenario presumes that extant cephalochordates accurately represent ancestral chordate characters, which has not been tested using close chordate outgroups. Here we report that genetic programs homologous to three vertebrate signalling centres-the anterior neural ridge, zona limitans intrathalamica and isthmic organizer-are present in the hemichordate Saccoglossus kowalevskii. Fgf8/17/18 (a single gene homologous to vertebrate Fgf8, Fgf17 and Fgf18), sfrp1/5, hh and wnt1 are expressed in vertebrate-like arrangements in hemichordate ectoderm, and homologous genetic mechanisms regulate ectodermal patterning in both animals. We propose that these genetic programs were components of an unexpectedly complex, ancient genetic regulatory scaffold for deuterostome body patterning that degenerated in amphioxus and ascidians, but was retained to pattern divergent structures in hemichordates and vertebrates.
Water desalination using nanoporous single-layer graphene

An oxygen plasma etching process can be used to create a nanoporous graphene layer that can efficiently desalinate water.
Chronic Ethanol and Iron Administration on Iron Content, Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase, and Superoxide Dismutase in Rat Cerebellum

Excessive chronic ethanol administration to animals has been shown to cause oxidative insults to many body organs, including the liver and brain. In many instances, iron supplementation to the diet may further aggravate ethanol-induced liver damage. However, whether increased dietary iron can enhance the damage in the brain is unknown. In this study, four groups of Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a Lieber-DeCarli liquid diet containing 5% (w/v) ethanol or isocaloric amount of maltase and/or 0.25% (w/v) carbonyl iron for 2 months. At the end of the feeding regimen, iron contents were determined in the plasma, liver, cerebral cortex, and cerebellum. Cerebellar superoxide dismutase (SOD) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activities were measured and mRNA levels of MnSOD, CuZnSOD, and nNOS in the cerebellar granule cell layer were quantitated by in situ hybridization. Ethanol treatment alone caused an increase in iron levels in plasma, no change in the liver and cerebral cortex, but a decrease in the cerebellum. Iron supplementation increased liver iron >4-fold but did not alter iron contents in the cerebellum and cortex. All of the mRNA species examined and SOD activity were not affected by either iron or ethanol administration. However, NOS activity in the cerebellum was significantly enhanced by ethanol, whereas iron supplementation had an opposite effect. Our results indicate that iron supplementation to animals consuming ethanol may have tissue-specific effects. Furthermore, ethanol-induced increase in NOS activity in the cerebellum may explain the sensitivity of cerebellar neurons to oxidative insult.
Beneficial effects of moderate, early loading and adverse effects of delayed or excessive loading on bone healing

Fracture healing involves the differentiation and proliferation of cells in the callus and the synthesis and degradation of connective, cartilage and bone tissue. These processes are initiated and tightly regulated by growth factors and by the mechanical environment in the callus. In this work we incorporated the effects of mechanical stimulation on cell differentiation and ossification into a previously developed temporal-spatial model of growth factor mediated fracture healing. In particular, the stimulatory and inhibitory effects of dilatational and deviatoric strains were modeled. This predictive model was then calibrated and validated using well-defined in vivo experiments from the literature. As in the experiments, the results of the model demonstrated the beneficial and adverse effects of moderate and excessive loading, respectively, as well as the negative effects of delaying mechanical stimulation of rigidly fixed calluses. In addition, the model examined loading conditions and time points beyond those used in the experiments, providing a more complete and mechanistic characterization of the effects of loading in the biological tissue response associated with fracture healing.
Texture evolution during equal channel angular extrusion: Effect of initial texture from experiment and simulation

Abstract Texture evolution in equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE) via route B C is investigated for pure copper and aluminum that have different initial textures. The agreement between simulated and measured textures confirms that the ECAE texture differences in the two materials are primarily attributed to their different initial textures, rather than other differences such as stacking fault energy.
A model of textual affect sensing using real-world knowledge

This paper presents a novel way for assessing the affective qualities of natural language and a scenario for its use. Previous approaches to textual affect sensing have employed keyword spotting, lexical affinity, statistical methods, and hand-crafted models. This paper demonstrates a new approach, using large-scale real-world knowledge about the inherent affective nature of everyday situations (such as "getting into a car accident") to classify sentences into "basic" emotion categories. This commonsense approach has new robustness implications.Open Mind Commonsense was used as a real world corpus of 400,000 facts about the everyday world. Four linguistic models are combined for robustness as a society of commonsense-based affect recognition. These models cooperate and compete to classify the affect of text. Such a system that analyzes affective qualities sentence by sentence is of practical value when people want to evaluate the text they are writing. As such, the system is tested in an email writing application. The results suggest that the approach is robust enough to enable plausible affective text user interfaces.
Linear-Eddy Modeling of Turbulent Transport. Part 4. Structure of Diffusion Flames

Abstract A simulation model of the axial structure of turbulent jet diffusion flames is formulated for the purpose of interpreting flame-structure measurements. The model, based on the linear-eddy approach, incorporates spatial and temporal variation of the air entrainment rate, reflecting buoyancy effects, and an implementation of turbulent mixing using a novel stochastic representation of convective stirring in conjunction with Fick's law governing molecular diffusion. Simulation results are compared to axial profiles of mixing-cup density measured in propane flames. The comparisons suggest that the measured Froude-number dependences reflect the combined effect of finite-rate mixing and the transition from forced to natural convection. Predictions for hydrogen flames are presented in order to assess the generality of inferences based on the propane results.
Paleomagnetism of Silurian‐Ordovician sediments from the Valley and Ridge Province, northwest Georgia

The remanent magnetism (RM) for 93 specimens has been determined in 34 independently oriented samples from 20 sites at Ringgold Gap, Georgia, in the Valley and Ridge Province of the Southern Appalachians. Lithologies sampled include Middle Ordovician through Silurian fossiliferous limestones and hematitic sandstones and siltstones. The section is confined within a single thrust slice. Thermal demagnetization results indicate that hematite is the dominant RM carrier although detrital magnetite has also been identified optically in some specimens. Both normal and reversed polarities are present and the resulting paleopole is 28°N, 142°E (α95 = 7.3°). This pole falls within the cluster of published Lower Paleozoic Valley and Ridge poles but rather than clarifying the distribution of poles it augments the scatter. Three factors are thought to contribute to this scatter: (1) unresolved components of rotation, possibly introduced during folding and thrust faulting, which result in declination anomalies, (2) true vertical axis tectonic rotations during deformation, and (3) insufficient knowledge of the timing of magnetization. In light of these uncertainties, caution should be exercised in constructing a Lower Paleozoic apparent polar wander path with paleopoles from the Valley and Ridge Province.
Iatrogenic Myocardial Edema: Increased Diastolic Compliance and Time Course of Resolution in Vivo

Background Perfusion-induced edema reduces diastolic compliance in isolated hearts, but this effect and the time for edema to resolve after blood reperfusion have not been defined in large animals. Methods Edema was induced by coronary perfusion with Plegisol (750mL, 289 mOsm/L) during a 1-minute aortic occlusion in 6 pigs. This was followed by whole blood reperfusion, inotropic support, and circulatory assistance until sinus rhythm and contractile function were restored. A control group (n = 6) was treated similarly, with 1 minute of electrically induced ventricular fibrillation and no coronary perfusion. Recorded data included electrocardiogram, left ventricular pressure and conductance, aortic flow, and two-dimensional echocardiography. Preload reduction by vena caval occlusion was used to define systolic and diastolic properties. Data were recorded at baseline and at 15-minute intervals for 90 minutes after reperfusion. Results In the edema group, average left ventricular mass (132±7 [standard error of the mean] versus 106±4g) and ventricular stiffness constant (0.15±0.02 versus 0.05±0.01) increased after Plegisol versus baseline ( p 0.05), returning to normal after 45 minutes of reperfusion. In controls, mass (118±6 versus 116±4g) and ventricular stiffness (0.06±0.01 versus 0.05±0.01) did not change significantly. There was no significant change in systolic function. Myocardial water content at the end of the study was not different for the two groups. Conclusions Crystalloid-induced edema and diastolic stiffness resolve after 45 minutes in pigs. This suggests that edema caused solely by cardioplegia during cardiac operations should not cause significant perioperative ventricular dysfunction.
STIMULATORY EFFECT OF SELECTED SURFACE-ACTIVE AGENTS ON THE GROWTH OF PATHOGENIC HUMAN FUNGI.

The growth ofCryptococcus neoformans andCandida albicans in Sabouraud's dextrose broth with added surface-active agents was measured by nephelometric methods. The surface-active agents was measured by nephelometric methods. The surface-active agents utilized were Polyethylene glycol 400 monolaurate, Pluronic L 64, and Mulsor 224. These three compounds definitely stimulated the growth of the above organisms as indicated in the accompanying tables. The nephelometric runs were corroborated with plate counts taken at suitable intervals.
The Sex-Role Attitudes of Three Generations of Women

This study investigated the attitudes toward women held by three generations of 43 females college students, their mothers, and their maternal grandmothers. Attitude was assessed by the 55-item Attitude Toward Women Scale (A WS) (Spence & Helmreich, 1972). Students were the most liberal in their attitudes and grandmothers were the most conservative, with the attitudes of the mothers in the middle reflecting slightly more conservative attitudes than the students. Significant familial relationships were found between student-mother and mother-grandmother A WS scores, whereas the A WS scores of students and grandmothers were not related. Age and education predicted A WS scores, accounting for 30%0 of the variance for the total sample. Age was negatively related, and educational level positively related to liberal attitudes.
Hypersomnia in major depressive disorders

Hypersomnia was experienced by 17 of 102 patients with major depressive disorder. Comparisons between hypersomnic and non-hypersomnic depressives demonstrated significant associations between hypersomnia and increased appetite, weight gain, agitation, headaches, depression in a first-degree relative, and earlier age of illness onset.
Gender sensitive educational strategies and their implementation

Abstract It has been the pattern of national governments at the end of world conferences on women, to endorse a body of recommendations for policy making and implementation in many areas. This study is a content analysis and comparison of those recommendations relating to education that emerged from the 1985 Nairobi meeting and the recent meeting in Beijing in 1995. It also reviews related key UN and national reports. As most governments failed to implement many of the Nairobi recommendations, the Beijing document was obligated to restate more than two-thirds of them. The study identifies some economic and political conditions that seem to facilitate state success in addressing gender sensitive educational policies.
Renal artery pseudoaneurysm following laparoscopic partial nephrectomy.

Objectives To present our experience with the management of renal artery pseudoaneurysms following laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN). Methods Our bi-institutional LPN database of 259 patients from July 2001 to April 2008 was queried for patients diagnosed with a postoperative renal artery pseudoaneurysm. Demographic data, perioperative course, complications, and follow-up studies in identified subjects were analyzed. Postembolization success was defined as symptomatic relief, resolution of hematuria, and a stable hematocrit and serum creatinine. Results We identified 6 patients (2.3%) who were diagnosed with a renal artery pseudoaneurysm after LPN. The mean age of our cohort was 61.2 years (49-76), mean operative time was 208 minutes (140-265), and mean estimated blood loss was 408 mL (50-800). Patients presented at a mean of 12.6 days (5-23) after the initial surgery. Five patients had gross hematuria and a decreased hematocrit, with 1 patient presenting with clinical symptoms of hypovolemia. The sixth patient was incidentally diagnosed. The diagnosis of a renal artery pseudoaneurysm was confirmed in all cases by angiography. Selective angioembolization was successfully performed in all patients. At a median follow-up of 8.3 months all patients (100%) remained without any evidence of recurrence. Conclusions Although pseudoaneuryms are a rare postoperative complication of LPN, they are potentially life-threatening. Early identification and proper management can help reduce the potential morbidity associated with pseudoaneurysms. Our experience demonstrates the feasibility and supports the use of selective angioembolization as an excellent first-line option for patients who present with this form of delayed bleeding.
Modeling micro-end-milling operations. Part III: influence of tool wear

The characteristics of the cutting forces were studied at different usage levels and the analytical model of the micro-end-milling operations was modified to represent the tool wear. A new expression was derived from the model to estimate the remaining tool life from experimental data. The parameters of the model are estimated by using genetic algorithms. The difference between the simulated and experimental cutting force profiles for new and worn tools was less than 8%. The remaining tool life was estimated with typically 10% error from the experimental data. Maximum error was 20%. The introduced analytical model and genetic algorithm-based parameter estimation approach is very convenient for on-line tool wear monitoring without extensive experimental study. © 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Multiobjective R and D portfolio analysis in highly uncertain environments

The author addresses the modeling of resource allocation problems for R and D projects having multiple, competing objectives in an uncertain environment. The model developed (called NMOS) is different from an earlier general multiobjective formulation of the problem; the project selection environment is extended from the linear multiobjective case to a nonlinear multiobjective stochastic environment. It is shown that the inclusion of stochastic variables in the model leads to the concept of the level of objective functions and the probability of achieving those levels. This is achieved through the use of a technique called the PROTRADE (probabilistic tradeoff development) method. The application of the model is discussed and illustrated. >
Energy-Efficient Urban Traffic Management: A Microscopic Simulation-Based Approach

Microscopic urban traffic simulators embed the most detailed traveler behavior and network supply models. These simulators represent individual vehicles and can therefore account for vehicle-specific technologies. They can be coupled with instantaneous fuel consumption models to yield detailed network-wide fuel consumption estimates. Nonetheless, there is currently a lack of computationally efficient optimization techniques that enable the use of these complex integrated models to design sustainable transportation strategies. This paper proposes a methodology that combines a stochastic microscopic traffic simulation model with an instantaneous vehicular fuel consumption model. The combined models are embedded within a simulation-based optimization algorithm and used to address a signal control problem that accounts for both travel times and fuel consumption. The proposed technique couples detailed, stochastic, and computationally inefficient models, yet is an efficient optimization technique. Efficiency is achieved by combining simulated observations with analytical approximations of both travel time and fuel consumption. This methodology is applied to a network in the Swiss city of Lausanne. Within a tight computational budget, the proposed method identifies signal plans with improved travel time and fuel consumption metrics. It outperforms traditional methodologies, which use only simulated information or only analytical information. The case study illustrates the added value of combining simulated and analytical information when performance metrics with high variance, such as fuel consumption, are used. This method enables the use of disaggregate instantaneous vehicle-specific information to inform and improve traffic operations at the network-scale.
Why Atrial Fibrillation Ablation Should Be Considered First-Line Therapy for Some Patients

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is an increasingly common disease that affects patient morbidity and mortality. To date, treatments of AF have been frustrating, serving at best to palliate this arrhythmia. AF ablation, on the other hand, has emerged as a promising new treatment strategy. In contrast to rate control or antiarrhythmic drugs, ablation offers the possibility of a lasting cure. When ablation was first described, it was prudently reserved as a “last-line” treatment for highly symptomatic patients who were refractory to all other options. However, over the past 5 years, many centers worldwide have been reporting high success rates and few complications with ablation. There is also an increasing consistency in the way in which the procedure is performed, although some of the tools may still differ. AF ablation has reached “prime time,” and it appears appropriate that we expand its indications. We believe that it is now appropriate to offer AF ablation as first-line therapy for selected patients in experienced centers. Here, we stress the importance of maintaining sinus rhythm, the poor efficacy of nonablative treatments, and the emergence of an effective and safe approach to AF ablation. Recently, the importance of maintaining sinus rhythm has been called into question. A few large clinical trials have been published comparing treatment strategies for AF. In particular, the AF Follow-up Investigation of Rhythm Management (AFFIRM),1 Rate Control Versus Electrical Cardioversion for AF (RACE),2 and Strategies for Treatment of AF (STAF)3 trials compared a strategy of rate control and a rhythm control approach using antiarrhythmic drugs. Using an intention-to-treat analysis, these trials concluded that there was no mortality difference between the 2 approaches and that, for the patients enrolled, a rate control approach may be adequate treatment for AF. However, it would be incorrect to extrapolate that sinus rhythm offers …
Control strategies for chip-based DFT/BIST hardware

We present strategies for controlling on-chip design-for-test (DFT) and built-in self-test (BIST) circuitry under a partially distributed test control architecture. These include mechanisms for broadcasting control information from apt integrated TAP controller over an infernal test bus, techniques for creating symbolic descriptions of local decoders that employ this information to control test resources, and algorithms for encoding the bus information. The encoding algorithms minimize a two-level implementation of the integrated TAP controller and/or the distributed decoders. These control strategies are IEEE 1149.1 boundary scan standard compliant and are applicable to both simple and complex DFT/BIST methodologies including those that employ multifunction and/or reconfigurable test registers and reconfigurable scan chains.
El Català: Una Llengua de Molts Pocs Néts

Catalan represents, in terms of linguistic weight, in Spain what Spanish represents in the United States: the largest minority (or minoritized) language. However, Catalan is a language of few sons, and even fewer grandsons. Following press reports, we found that it was not until 2009 that Catalan-language journalists commonly used the word «problema » when describing immigration, breaking an unwritten political correctness code by naming the «immigration challenge.» Herein, we maintain that current levels of massive immigration constitute a threat to the survival of Catalan. Catalan habitual usage can be expected to continue to decline (see Censos linguistics, 1980s until present). No amount of polite euphemism will change this outcome. Exogamic marriage, changes in Catalan public schools, the expansion of ethnic neighborhoods, and a collective fatalistic attitude — all of these factors contribute to this decline. Thus, in 2011, Catalan is una llengua de molt pocs nets.
The Gambling Action Team: A Cross-Divisional Approach to Gambling Education and Intervention.

This chapter relates the experiences of one university in developing and implementing a cross-divisional proactive program to address campus gambling. Insights and recommendations for similar efforts on other campuses are also shared.
Determination of intensity correlation functions from photoelectric counting distributions

Two techniques are described for obtaining information about the intensity correlation function of an optical field, from measurements of photoelectric counting distributions. The first method is based on double differentiation of the second factorial moment with respect to the counting time. It requires very accurate data, but is shown to be quite feasible, and yields the intensity-correlation function explicitly. The second procedure is less sensitive to inaccuracies and allows the correlation time and certain other parameters to be determined from the factorial moments. In addition, it yields some information about the general form of the correlation function, but no explicit function. The procedures are illustrated and compared by application to photoelectric counting measurements of a laser far below the threshold of oscillation.
DECONSTRUCTING THE ARGUMENT FOR FREE TRADE: A CASE STUDY OF THE ROLE OF ECONOMISTS IN POLICY DEBATES

This paper argues that, in light of the apparent settled nature of economists’ judgement on the issue of trade liberalization, the profession has stopped thinking critically about the question and, as a consequence, makes poor-quality arguments justifying their consensus. To develop support for this claim, the paper first recounts what economic analysis can say about trade liberalization. Then it analyses the quality of the arguments that economists make in support of free trade. The paper argues that the standard argument made by economists in favour of free trade is either incoherent or implicitly imposes philosophical value judgements about what is good for a nation or society, or it makes leaps of empirical faith about how the world works. The paper concludes with suggestions for better arguments.
Stress-energy tensor in soluble models of spherically symmetric charged black hole evaporation

We study the decay of a near-extremal black hole in AdS$_2$, related to the near-horizon region of 3+1-dimensional Reissner-Nordstr\"om spacetime, following Fabbri, Navarro, and Navarro-Salas. Back-reaction is included in a semiclassical approximation. Calculations of the stress-energy tensor of matter coupled to the physical spacetime for an affine null observer demonstrate that the black hole evaporation proceeds smoothly and the near-extremal black hole evolves back to an extremal ground state, until this approximation breaks down.
Dihydroxydocosahexaenoic acids of the neuroprotectin D family: synthesis, structure, and inhibition of human 5-lipoxygenase.

During aerobic oxidation of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), soybean lipoxygenase (sLOX) has been shown to form 7,17(S)-dihydro(pero)xydocosahexaenoic acid [7,17(S)-diH(P)DHA] along with its previously described positional isomer, 10,17(S)-dihydro(pero)xydocosahexa-4Z,7Z,11E,13Z,15E,19Z-enoic acid. 7,17(S)-diH(P)DHA was also obtained via sLOX-catalyzed oxidation of either 17(S)-hydroperoxydocosahexaenoic acid [17(S)-HPDHA] or 17(S)-hydroxydocosahexaenoic acid [17(S)-HDHA]. The structures of the products were elucidated by normal-phase, reverse-phase, and chiral-phase HPLC analyses and by ultraviolet, NMR, and tandem mass spectroscopy and GC-MS. 7,17(S)-diH(P)DHA was shown to have 4Z,8E,10Z,13Z,15E,19Z geometry of the double bonds. In addition, a compound apparently identical to the sLOX-derived 7,17(S)-diH(P)DHA was produced by another enzyme, potato tuber LOX, in the reactions of oxygenation of either 17(S)-HPDHA or 17(S)-HDHA. All of the dihydroxydocosahexaenoic acids (diHDHAs) formed by either of the enzymes were clearly produced through double lipoxygenation of the corresponding substrate. 7,17(S)-diHDHA inhibited human recombinant 5-lipoxygenase in the reaction of arachidonic acid (AA) oxidation. In standard conditions with 100 μM AA as substrate, the IC50 value for 7,17(S)-diHDHA was found to be 7 μM, whereas IC50 for 10,17(S)-DiHDHA was 15 μM. Similar inhibition by the diHDHAs was observed with sLOX, a quintessential 15LOX, although the strongest inhibition was produced by 10,17(S)-diHDHA (IC50 = 4 μM). Inhibition of sLOX by 7,17(S)-diHDHA was slightly less potent, with an IC50 value of 9 μM. These findings suggest that 7,17(S)-diHDHA along with its 10,17(S) counterpart might have anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities, which could be exerted, at least in part, through direct inhibition of 5LOX and 15LOX.
Taxonomic Clustering and Query Matching for Efficient Service Discovery

Service discovery is one of the key problems that have been widely researched in the area of Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) based systems. Web Service clustering is a technique for efficiently facilitating service discovery. Most Web Service clustering approaches are based on suitable semantic similarity distance measure and a threshold. Threshold selection is essentially difficult and often leads to unsatisfactory accuracy. In this paper, we have proposed a self-organizing based clustering algorithm called Taxonomic clustering for taxonomically organizing semantic Web Service advertisements. We have tested the algorithm on both simulation based randomly generated test data and the standard OWL-S TC test data set. We have observed promising results both in terms of accuracy and performance.
Transmission Theory in the Study of Stone Tools: A Midwestern North American Example

Selectionism has to do with the differential transmission of traits through generations, however conceived. Popular in archaeology in recent years, selectionism remains better known for programmatic statements than for empirical applications. Boyd and Richerson's transmission models only weakly account for variation and, presumably, selection through time in metric attributes of points in Late Woodland and Emergent Mississippian contexts at the Range site in midwestern North America. Social transmission should increase with population size and social complexity. Range's occupation spans several cycles in these properties without corresponding variation in metric values and their dispersion predicted by theory. Selectionism and other interpretive traditions all require closer attention to how the record formed before we can distinguish between their often competing predictions.
Membrane assembly from purified components. I. Isolated M13 procoat does not require ribosomes or soluble proteins for processing by membranes

The coat protein of coliphage M13 is an integral protein of the host-cell cytoplasmic membrane prior to its assembly into virions. It is initially synthesized as procoat, a soluble precursor with a 23 amino acid leader sequence at its amino terminus. 35S-labeled procoat accumulates during an in vitro translation reaction that contains 35S-methionine and RNA from M13-infected cells. Radiochemically pure procoat has been isolated from in vitro translation reactions by extraction into an organic solvent and gel filtration through Sephadex LH-60. Radiochemically pure procoat can be used as substrate in rapid and quantitative assays for leader peptidase and for leader peptide hydrolase, an enzyme that degrades the leader peptide after its release from procoat. Procoat solubility, digestion by leader peptidase and processing by membranes are affected by the presence of Mg2+ ion. Isolated procoat is soluble in water at low ionic strength and mildly alkaline pH as well as in detergent solutions. It is cleaved to coat protein by purified E. coli leader peptidase and by inverted E. coli inner-membrane vesicles. These properties of the purified procoat mirror those of the procoat in crude extracts. This suggests that there are no other soluble components that are necessary for the assembly of procoat into the membrane and its conversion to coat; specifically, it provides powerful evidence that protein synthesis is not involved.
Gender differences in childhood onset conduct disorder

The present study tested several predictions related to the theory that girls with conduct disorder (CD) follow a single delayed onset pathway. The following hypotheses were tested among a high-risk, stratified random sample of youth who used public services during a 6-month period: boys will be more likely to have childhood onset CD (COCD) than girls; girls with COCD will be less common than girls with adolescent onset CD (AOCD); COCD girls. AOCD girls, and COCD boys will be similar in terms of risk profiles and AOCD boys will have a less severe risk profile than COCD girls; and risk factors that differentiate between COCD and AOCD among males will not differentiate between COCD and AOCD among females. Among those youth who met the criteria for CD, males were significantly more likely to have COCD than females. However, close to half of females with CD met the criteria for the COCD subtype. Of the seven risk factors that were examined, girls with COCD scored higher than COCD boys on three factors and higher than AOCD girls on four factors; however, only one significant difference was found between AOCD girls and COCD boys. Finally, risk factors appeared to differentiate between COCD and AOCD groups in a similar way among males and females. These findings suggest that COCD is not rare among females in public service sectors, COCD girls can be distinguished from AOCD girls in terms of risk factors, and risk factors for COCD among males are also relevant to females.
Reduced intestinal fat absorptive capacity but enhanced susceptibility to diet-induced fatty liver in mice heterozygous for ApoB38.9 truncation

Fatty liver is prevalent in apolipoprotein B (apoB)-defective familial hypobetalipoproteinemia (FHBL). Similar to humans, mouse models of FHBL produced by gene targeting (apob+/38.9) manifest low p...
Accuracy of ‘My Gut Feeling:’ Comparing System 1 to System 2 Decision-Making for Acuity Prediction, Disposition and Diagnosis in an Academic Emergency Department

Introduction: Current cognitive sciences describe decision-making using the dual-process theory, where a System 1 is intuitive and a System 2 decision is hypothetico-deductive. We aim to compare the performance of these systems in determining patient acuity, disposition and diagnosis. Methods: Prospective observational study of emergency physicians assessing patients in the emergency department of an academic center. Physicians were provided the patient’s chief complaint and vital signs and allowed to observe the patient briefly. They were then asked to predict acuity, final disposition (home, intensive care unit (ICU), non-ICU bed) and diagnosis. A patient was classified as sick by the investigators using previously published objective criteria. Results: We obtained 662 observations from 289 patients. For acuity, the observers had a sensitivity of 73.9% (95% CI [67.7-79.5%]), specificity 83.3% (95% CI [79.5-86.7%]), positive predictive value 70.3% (95% CI [64.1-75.9%]) and negative predictive value 85.7% (95% CI [82.0-88.9%]). For final disposition, the observers made a correct prediction in 80.8% (95% CI [76.1-85.0%]) of the cases. For ICU admission, emergency physicians had a sensitivity of 33.9% (95% CI [22.1-47.4%]) and a specificity of 96.9% (95% CI [94.0-98.7%]). The correct diagnosis was made 54% of the time with the limited data available. Conclusion: System 1 decision-making based on limited information had a sensitivity close to 80% for acuity and disposition prediction, but the performance was lower for predicting ICU admission and diagnosis. System 1 decision-making appears insufficient for final decisions in these domains but likely provides a cognitive framework for System 2 decision-making.
The Role of Historical-Cultural Formations within World-Systems Analysis: Reframing the Analysis of Biomedicine in East Africa

This essay introduces a novel analytical concept for world-systems analysis, historical-cultural formations, for the purpose of analyzing reciprocal global cultural exchanges across the capitalist world-system. This is done through four basic procedures. First, the perspective of world-systems analysis is adopted for the purpose of analyzing biomedicine in world-historical context and biomedicine itself is re-conceptualized as a historical-cultural formation across a single capitalist world-system. Second, in order to conceptually incorporate historical-cultural formations, the basic analytical framework of world-systems analysis is expanded to include cultural forms as integral features of the capitalist world-system, parallel with economic and political structures. Third, biomedicine is framed as an ontological whole, comprised of multiple, embedded ontological spheres that define it as a dynamic cultural form subject to ongoing change and development. Fourth, biomedicines journey to East Africa is framed as a facet of East Africas incorporation into the capitalist world-system  a necessary prelude to the globalization of biomedicine as a historical-cultural formation. Ultimately, contemporary East African medical systems are discovered to be but the latest incarnation of an evolving, global biomedicine  understood as a singular historical-cultural formation across the capitalist world-system.
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE AMONG US ADULT MARIJUANA USERS: NATIONAL HEALTH AND NUTRITION EXAMINATION SURVEY, 2011-2012

Marijuana is the most commonly abused drug in US. Studies have shown that cannabinoids up regulates pro-inflammatory cytokines and thrombogenesis which aids progression of atherosclerotic disease and lowers angina threshold. Our aim was to evaluate the association between marijuana and
Toward a Richer Institutionalism for International Law and Policy

International relations theory (IR) is widely recognized as a valuable tool for lawyers and legal scholars, especially in their social role as international policy-makers. The frameworks of IR help lawyers to analyze social problems in theoretically informed ways and develop ameliorative responses. Yet IR is famously divided among contending theoretical paradigms. Approaches such as Realism, Institutionalism, Liberalism and Constructivism direct attention to different actors (e.g., states, international organizations, domestic government agencies and officials, individual citizens and civil society groups) and to different causal factors and processes (e.g., power, interests and incentives, values, norms and identities, persuasion and socialization). IR has tended to treat these approaches as mutually exclusive and in competition. But that theoretical stance is increasingly problematic, given the rise of multi-faceted norm complexes such as sustainable development and collective security as reconceived by the Secretary-General's High-Level Panel, and of complex multi-stakeholder institutions like the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. In both respects, international public policy manifestly involves actors, causal factors and processes that cut across theoretical lines; the same can be said of international law generally. The problem is especially serious for Institutionalist theory: logically, Institutionalism should provide a natural framework for lawyers and other policy-makers seeking innovative responses to global problems, but its relevance has been reduced by its identification with a relatively narrow state-centric, rationalist approach. What is needed is a richer Institutionalism, one that brings to bear significant insights from other IR approaches. For international law and policy, Institutionalist theory should incorporate Liberal insights into the role of non-state actors, government agencies and domestic politics; Constructivist insights into the role of values, norms, identities and processes such as shaming and persuasion; and Realist (and other) insights into the role of power. To be sure, there are significant ontological and epistemological differences among IR approaches that foreclose wholesale blending. Yet recent scholarship suggests that these problems are manageable in many instances. Without purporting to develop fully an enriched Institutionalism, this article identifies a number of insights that analysts could incorporate at three crucial stages of analysis: the social context in which problems arise and solutions are sought, the strategies followed by the actors interested in those problems, and the design and operations of international regimes.
Defecting 2’-O Methyltransferase as a Novel Strategy for Live Attenuated Vaccine Development

Defecting O Methyltransferase as a Novel Strategy for Live Attenuated Vaccine Development
Epidemiological Analysis of Hand,Foot and Mouth Disease in Anhui Province In 2008

Objective To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of hand,foot and mouth disease(HFMD) in Anhui Province in 2008,and provide a scientific basis for the prevention and treatment of HFMD.Methods Data which downloaded from the epidemic reporting database of National Electronic Disease Surveillance System was used to describe the distribution of diseases in three dimensions(time,regional and population),and the information of laboratory test was also analyzed.Results 26899 cases were reported in Anhui province in 2008 with 17697 cases of men and 9192 cases of women.The total incidence was 44.0/lakh.The proportions of cases were 65.8% in male and 34.2% in female respectively.There were 24407 cases less than 5 years(90.7%).19427 of cases were less than 3 years(72.2%).The highest incidence occurred in children aged 1~(1042.0/lakh),the second highest occurred in children aged 2~(824.9/lakh),and the third occurred in children aged 0~(691.8/lakh).The incidence peak of HFMD was during April and May.235 samples were detected,and 53 of them were Enterovirus 71(EV71) positive,the EV71 positive rate was 20.95%.Conclusion Cases were concentrated in children aged below 5 years,and it was mainly caused by EV71.
A primer of neurologic emergencies: summary from the American Thoracic Society Meeting 2016.

At the American Thoracic Society Meeting in 2016, there were a number of interesting sessions focused on neurological critical care. Tom Bleck, MD provided a lecture, some portion of which is summarized here. In addition we have added information from other talks and recent publications in this area.
A History of Eosinophilic Esophagitis

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), an isolated esophageal eosinophilia associated with clinical symptoms, is a disease that has received a great deal of attention over the last 10–15 years. EoE, previously known as primary eosinophilic esophagitis, idiopathic eosinophilic esophagitis or allergic esophagitis, occurs in both children and adults. Prior to 1995, the literature contained only rare reports of individuals diagnosed with an isolated esophageal eosinophilia. However, since 1995, reports in the literature and information related to EoE has grown tremendously. This chapter focuses on the history of EoE including initial reports of esophageal eosinophilia prior to 1995, the landmark article identifying EoE as a disorder in 1995, the growth of EoE in the literature since 1995, the development of the First International Gastrointestinal Eosinophilic Research Symposium (FIGERS) in 2006, and the creation of The International Gastrointestinal Eosinophilic Researchers (TIGERS).