cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Structure and Dynamics of Cities: Urban Data Analysis and Theoretical Modeling, by Marc Barthelemy: (2017). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. 278 pages. $94.99 (hardcover).

An urban physics paradigm has emerged in recent years to argue that applying the scientific tools of physics to urban data and processes can yield important new insights into cities. New sources of...
Functional Associations Between the Golgi Apparatus and the Centrosome in Mammalian Cells

The pericentrosomal positioning of the mammalian Golgi apparatus has been observed for many years, but, until recently, its functional significance remained unclear. Several studies have now demonstrated that there are associations between the Golgi and the centrosome that are critical for the establishment of cell polarity, the organization of the centrosome, and proper cell cycle progression. In this chapter, we will review the major factors that control the positioning of the mammalian Golgi apparatus next to the centrosome. We will also discuss the functional associations between the Golgi and the centrosome during interphase, when there is physical proximity between these two organelles, and during mitosis, when the physical Golgi-centrosome proximity is temporarily lost.
Birth, death, and re-birth: The trope of eternal rejuvenation in Isidore Diala’s The Lure of Ash:

Human dread of death is as old as humanity. Across cultures, this dread seems to be inaugurated by the belief that death constitutes the site of final becoming. Isidore Diala’s The Lure of Ash make...
Respiratory Loop Analysis Using the Respiratory Inductance Plethysmography in Infants and Children

Respiratory Inductance Plethysmography (RIP) has become popular in critical care respiratory monitoring. However, the primary use has been in the evaluation of breathing pattern, and there has been little emphasis placed upon looking at the shape of the respiratory curves, which closely resemble volume curves. We introduce a new method of loop analyses, which is potentially useful in diagnosing the airway function and quantitating phase lag between diaphragmatic and rib cage compartments of breathing in infants and children.
Dimensionen der Persönlichkeitstheorien

Da ein Hauptziel dieses Buches sein soll, einige Personlichkeitstheorien zu untersuchen, erscheint es hier sinnvoll, dem Leser Hilfen an die Hand zu geben, mit denen er diese Theorien beurteilen und vergleichen kann. Wie der Personlichkeitstheoretiker bei der Beobachtung einer unendlichen Anzahl von Verhaltensweisen entscheiden mus, welche Aspekte des menschlichen Verhaltens fur ihn von so groser Bedeutung sind, das er sie naher untersucht, so mus der Student, der etwas uber Personlichkeit lernen will, entscheiden, welche Aspekte der Theorien am wichtigsten sind und ihm helfen, vernunftige Urteile zu bilden.
Feedback Particle Filter Design Using a Differential-Loss Reproducing Kernel Hilbert Space

The feedback particle filter was created to avoid the complex and problem-dependent “resampling” that arises in other particle filter formulations. Practical implementation of this approach to nonlinear filtering requires an approximation of the innovations gain. It is known that this gain has a representation as the gradient to the solution to a version of Poisson's equation. This paper introduces a new approach to approximating the gradient with minimum mean-square error within a Reproducing Kernel Hilbert Space (RKHS) setting. The input to the new algorithm is the particles generated by the filter, and its output is a direct approximation to the gain; that is, the approximation of the gradient of the solution of Poisson's equation is obtained directly, without differentiation. The approach is based on two key ideas: reformulating the mean-square loss so that its dependence on the true solution to Poisson's equation is removed, and applying a recent variation of RKHS theory that allows for derivatives in the loss function. The methodology is illustrated with numerical experiments.
Expected patterns of local ancestry in a hybrid zone

The initial drivers of reproductive isolation between species are poorly characterized. In cases where partial reproductive isolation exists, genomic patterns of variation in hybrid zones may provide clues about the barriers to gene flow which arose first during the early stages of speciation. Purifying selection against incompatible substitutions that reduce hybrid fitness has the potential to distort local patterns of ancestry relative to background patterns across the genome. The magnitude and qualitative properties of this pattern are dependent on several factors including migration history and the relative fitnesses for different combinations of incompatible alleles. We present a model which may account for these factors and highlight the potential for its use in verifying the action of natural selection on candidate loci implicated in reducing hybrid fitness.
Using Photovoice to Document Living With Mental Illness on a College Campus

Almost one-fourth of college students are living with a mental illness. Although much discussion has taken place on the mental health of today’s students, information from the students living with ...
Dos implicancias de la igualdad relacional

espanolUna discusion central dentro del liberalismo igualitario se da entre el igualitarismo de la suerte y el igualitarismo relacional. Este articulo argumenta que, de estimarse plausible, la igualdad relacional tiene al menos dos implicancias relevantes. La primera de ellas es que la teoria y practica politicas debieran alejarse de la pregunta sobre la desigualdad material, y acercarse a la pregunta acerca de las condiciones materiales suficientes para que los ciudadanos puedan vincularse entre si, reconociendose como individuos igualmente valiosos, sin relaciones de dominacion interpersonal. La segunda implicancia consiste en que la creciente atencion filosofica dedicada a la igualdad relacional deberia llevarnos a la reflexion filosofica acerca del derecho privado, en el que las interacciones entre individuos juegan un rol crucial. EnglishA central discussion within liberal egalitarianism is that between luck egalitarians and relational egalitarians. This paper claims that, if plausible, the idea of relational equality can have at least two important implications. The first of these implications is that political theory and practice should move away from the question of material inequality as such, and towards the question about what material conditions are sufficient for citizens to relate to each other as equally valuable individuals, without any interpersonal relationships of domination. The second implication is that the growing philosophical attention towards relational equality should also lead us towards philosophical reflection about private law, an area in which private interactions between individuals are central.
Talking the Talk: Enhancing Clinical Ethics with Health Literacy Best Practices

A significant proportion of the U.S. population exhibits low health literacy. Evidence suggests that low health literacy is correlated with higher medical costs and poorer health outcomes. Even more concerning, evidence suggests that low health literacy threatens patients’ and families’ autonomy and exacerbates injustices in patients who are already vulnerable to difficulties navigating the health care system. There is also, however, increasing evidence that health literacy interventions—including initiatives such as plain language practices and teach-back—improve comprehension and usefulness of health care information. I show how health literacy best practices can enhance the work of clinical ethicists in their primary roles of policy, consultation, and education. In the final section, I suggest ways health literacy initiatives may be enhanced with insights from clinical ethicists.
Temporal gamma-diversity meets spatial alpha-diversity in dynamically varying ecosystems

Community measures collected at a single instance or over a short temporal period rarely provide a complete accounting of biological diversity. The gap between such “snapshot” measures of diversity and actual diversity can be especially large in systems that undergo great temporal variation in environmental conditions. To adequately quantify diversity in these temporally varying ecosystems, individual measures of diversity collected throughout the range of environmental variation, i.e., temporal alpha-diversity measures, must be combined to obtain temporal gamma-diversity. Such a time-integrated gamma-diversity measure will be a much closer approximation of a site’s true alpha-diversity and provide a measure better comparable to spatial alpha-diversity measures of sites with lower temporal variation for which a single or a few “snapshot” measures may suffice. We used aquatic-macroinvertebrate community-composition data collected over a 24-year period from a complex of 16 prairie-pothole wetlands to explore the rate that taxa accumulate over time at sites with differing degrees of temporal variation. Our results show that the rate of taxa accumulation over time, i.e., the slope of the species–time relationship, is steeper for wetlands with ponds that frequently dry compared to those with more-permanent ponds. Additionally, we found that a logarithmic function better fit species accumulation data for seasonally ponded wetlands whereas a power function better fit accumulations for permanently and semi-permanently ponded wetlands. Thus, interpretations of ecological diversity measures, and conservation decisions that rely on these interpretations, can be biased if temporal variations in community composition are not adequately represented.
Pressor Agents, Pure Inotropes, Mixed Function Agents

Vasoactive pharmacologic agents play an important role in the management of shock. These agents can be broadly categorized as vasodilators, vasopressors, and inotropic agents. Each of these agents can variably affect myocardial preload, afterload, and inotropy to enhance cardiac performance. The choice of these agents is largely dependent on the clinical circumstances faced and a working knowledge of the pharmacologic and hemodynamic effects unique to these agents. This chapter presents the most common vasoactive pharmacologic agents used in clinical practice for the treatment of cardiogenic shock. The hemodynamic as well as pharmacologic properties of these agents are reviewed in order to provide a basis on which a practical understanding of their effects can develop and guide medical decision-making.
Double Memories: Multiple Versions of Memories as a Way to Understand Characters and Ourselves

This chapter examines the connection between storytelling and memory in recent and contemporary novels, and how stories told in multiple versions reflect the way we understand experience. This chapter discusses several novels in which narrators or characters misremember events, causing two versions to come into existence. The way these writers deal with multiple versions serves as a commentary on how contemporary subjects may view truth.
Hydrophilic titanium surfaces reduce neutrophil inflammatory response and NETosis

Biomaterial implantation triggers an immune response initially predominated by neutrophils, which activate an inflammatory cascade by producing cytokines, enzymes, immune cell recruitment chemokines, and DNA fiber networks called neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). While the role of neutrophils has been studied extensively in infection, little is known of their role in the response to biomaterials, in this case titanium (Ti) implants. Furthermore, while implant surface modifications have been shown to attenuate pro-inflammatory polarization in other immune cells, their effects on neutrophil behavior is unknown. The aim of this study was to characterize the neutrophil response to Ti surface topography and hydrophilicity and understand how the products of biomaterial-induced neutrophil activation alters macrophage polarization. Murine neutrophils were isolated by density gradient centrifugation and plated on smooth, rough, and rough hydrophilic (rough-hydro) Ti surfaces. Neutrophils on rough-hydro Ti decreased pro-inflammatory cytokine and enzyme production as well as decreased NET formation compared to neutrophils on smooth and rough Ti. Conditioned media (CM) from neutrophils on smooth Ti enhanced pro-inflammatory macrophage polarization compared to CM from neutrophils on rough or rough-hydro Ti; pretreatment of neutrophils with a pharmacological NETosis inhibitor impaired this macrophage stimulation. Finally, co-culture of neutrophils and macrophages on Ti surfaces induced pro-inflammatory macrophage polarization compared to macrophages alone on surfaces, but this effect was ablated when neutrophils were pretreated with the NETosis inhibitor. These findings demonstrate that neutrophils are sensitive to changes in biomaterial surface properties and exhibit differential activation in response to Ti surface cues. Additionally, inhibition of NETosis enhanced anti-inflammatory macrophage polarization, suggesting NETosis as a possible therapeutic target for enhancing implant integration.
Deep reinforcement learning based preventive maintenance policy for serial production lines

Abstract In the manufacturing industry, the preventive maintenance (PM) is a common practice to reduce random machine failures by replacing/repairing the aged machines or parts. The decision on when and where the preventive maintenance needs to be carried out is nontrivial due to the complex and stochastic nature of a serial production line with intermediate buffers. In order to improve the cost efficiency of the serial production lines, a deep reinforcement learning based approach is proposed to obtain PM policy. A novel modeling method for the serial production line is adopted during the learning process. A reward function is proposed based on the system production loss evaluation. The algorithm based on the Double Deep Q-Network is applied to learn the PM policy. Using the simulation study, the learning algorithm is proved effective in delivering preventive maintenance policy that leads to an increased throughput and reduced cost. Interestingly, the learned policy is found to frequently conduct “group maintenance” and “opportunistic maintenance”, although their concepts and rules are not provided during the learning process. This finding further demonstrates that the problem formulation, the proposed algorithm and the reward function setting in this paper are effective.
Quantitative yeast-yeast two hybrid for discovery and binding affinity estimation of protein-protein interactions

Abstract Quantifying the binding affinity of protein-protein interactions is important for elucidating connections within biochemical signaling pathways, as well as characterization of binding proteins isolated from combinatorial libraries. We describe a quantitative yeast-yeast two hybrid (qYY2H) system that not only enables discovery of specific protein-protein interactions, but also efficient, quantitative estimation of their binding affinities (KD). In qYY2H, the bait and prey proteins are expressed as yeast cell surface fusions using yeast surface display. We developed a semi-empirical framework for estimating the KD of monovalent bait-prey interactions, using measurements of the apparent KD of yeast-yeast binding, which is mediated by multivalent interactions between yeast-displayed bait and prey. Using qYY2H, we identified interaction partners of SMAD3 and the tandem WW domains of YAP from a cDNA library and characterized their binding affinities. Finally, we showed that qYY2H could also quantitatively evaluate binding interactions mediated by post-translational modifications on the bait protein.
Enhanced thermal transport in multilayered devices arising from electronic charge reconstruction

This is a copy of the slides presented at the meeting but not formally written up for the volume. Description: Inhomogeneous dynamical mean-field theory is developed to determine electronic charge reconstruction for strongly correlated multilayered nanosctructures. The theory is applied to the problem of charge and heat transport perpendicular to the layers. We find that the electronic charge reconstruction can significantly enhance the thermal transport properties producing Seebeck coefficients larger than 160 microvolts/K and figure-of-merits larger than 1. This work shows that at the nanoscale, properties of materials can be modified so much near the interfaces, that they no longer resemble their bulk constituents, and novel behavior can arise which may have important technological implications for devices.
Taking to the Streets: Understanding Protest in Contemporary South Africa

This paper asks why some communities turn to protest and violent conflict with the state, while others seek to work within political systems and refrain from more contentious activities. Through an in-depth examination of protests over the provision of government services in post-apartheid South Africa, it argues that violent protests are more likely in areas with a history of anti-apartheid protest, because such areas have developed a "culture of protest" that makes both elites and citizens more likely to turn to, approve of, and successfully employ protest behavior. Although such a culture is a necessary part of the explanation, however, it is not on its own sufficient, and this paper argues further that protests are most likely when elites within an area with this culture of protest are engaged in tight political competition. This is because, in such circumstances, the challenging elite has an incentive to encourage protest (in order to highlight the failures of the incumbent), while the culture of protest that exists enables him, and his supporters, to more easily arrange it. Evidence to support these arguments comes from a series of quantitative regressions using two new datasets, along with over 100 interviews from 10 months of fieldwork.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Cardiac Arrhythmias: A Contemporary Review

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a highly prevalent disorder with a growing incidence worldwide that closely mirrors the global obesity epidemic. OSA is associated with enormous healthcare costs in addition to significant morbidity and mortality. Much of the morbidity and mortality related to OSA can be attributed to an increased burden of cardiovascular disease, including cardiac rhythm disorders. Awareness of the relationship between OSA and rhythm disorders is variable among physicians, a fact that can influence patient care, since the presence of OSA can influence the incidence, prevalence, and successful treatment of multiple rhythm disorders. Herein, we provide a review of this topic that is intentionally broad in scope, covering the relationship between OSA and rhythm disorders from epidemiology and pathophysiology to diagnosis and management, with a particular focus on the recognition of undiagnosed OSA in the general clinical population and the intimate relationship between OSA and atrial fibrillation.
Use of Aquatic Invertebrates in the Assessment of Water Quality

Pollution is essentially a biological phenomenon in that its primary effect is on living organisms. A biological investigation of a polluted lake or stream has several advantages over chemical analyses. It is less time-consuming because a single series of samples can reveal the status of the animal and plant communities which themselves represent the results of the summation of the prevailing conditions. The animals and plants provide a record of the prevailing conditions and are not affected by a temporary alleviation of a polluting effluent. Intensive studies were carried out by Gaufin and Tarzwell in 1952 and 1956 to determine the effects of organic pollution on the aquatic communities of Lytle Creek and the value of these populations as indicators of pollutional conditions. The studies revealed that little reliance could be placed upon the mere occurrence of a single species in a given locality as an indicator of pollution. In the creek the nine species of macroinvertebrates which were most numerous in the septic zone also occurred in the recovery and clean water zones, but in much smaller numbers. The septic zone had less than one fifth as many species as the clean water zone, but the total number of organisms per unit area was many times greater. The septic zone was characterized by species adapted to live in low dissolved oxygen concentrations or those able to secure their oxygen directly from the air. In the clean water zone there was a great variety of invertebrate communities, each consisting of many different species. Most of the species which occurred in the septic and recovery zones were also found in very limited numbers in the clean water zones. In addition, there was also present a wide variety of forms which were intolerant of conditions in the polluted zones. Most of these were the gill-breathing, immature stages of such insects as the mayflies, stoneflies, caddis flies, and alder flies. In evaluating the reliability of aquatic organisms as indicators of pollutional conditions and water quality, one must consider the different indicator organisms not separately but as biological associations or communities. The organisms should be considered as groups according to their morphological adaptations and physiological requirements. Several formal systems for the biological assessment of pollution based on community composition have been suggested. A reduction in community diversity has been noted in a number of rivers polluted by organic wastes. Diversity indices, based on information theory, are very useful for comparing changes in community composition in streams altered by pollution.
Character Based Methods: Parsimony

Maximum Parsimony (MP) methods were originally developed for comparing morphologies. However, they are increasingly being used on molecular data for inferring species trees from gene trees. In MP methods, four or more aligned nucleotide or amino acid sequences are considered. The parsimony analysis for each site in the aligned sequence is performed for each possible tree, where the tree that produces the alignment with the minimal number of transformations is considered to be the one with maximum parsimony. The theoretical basis for the method is Occam’s razor which states that the explanation of any phenomenon should make as few assumptions as possible, eliminating, or “shaving off,” those that make no difference in the observable predictions of the explanatory hypothesis or theory. Thus, the simplest explanation is the one that is most likely correct.
A Comparison of Cathartics in Pediatric Ingestions

Objective. To compare the mean time to first stool, number of stools, and side effects of three commonly used cathartics in pediatric ingestions. Design. This prospective clinical trial was a randomized, double-blinded comparison of sorbitol, magnesium citrate, magnesium sulfate, and water, administered with activated charcoal in the treatment of pediatric patients 1 to 5 years of age with acute ingestions. Outcome parameters were mean time to first stool, mean number of stools during 24 hours, and side effects. Results. One hundred sixteen patients completed the study. Significant differences in mean time to the first stool were detected among cathartic agents (F = 9.29), with sorbitol-treated patients having a shortest mean time to the first stool (mean, 8.48 hours). Sorbitol produced a significantly higher number of stools (mean, 2.79) in the 24-hour follow-up period than other cathartics (F = 3.49). The most common side effect of cathartic administration was emesis, which occurred more commonly in sorbitol-treated patients. Conclusion. Sorbitol, when administered with activated charcoal in the treatment of children with acute ingestions, produced a shorter time to first stool and more stools than magnesium citrate, magnesium sulfate, or water.
Résumés, Curricula Vitae, and Cover Letters for Music Librarians: Suggestions for Librarians in Job Searches or Compiling Annual Review Documents

Abstract A resume or curriculum vitae and cover letter provide the first impression search committees have of each candidate; thus, it is important to create such documents that are polished and clearly inform potential employers of a candidate's strengths. A number of formats are possible for each document, but a resume is usually a brief description of relevant positions and the duties and accomplishments of the candidate, while a curriculum vitae generally lists positions chronologically with no description. Each document also contains other information rounding out the candidate's background. This article discusses format, contents, and guidelines for writing resumes, curricula vitae, and cover letters geared specifically toward music librarians. Samples are included, and an annotated bibliography suggests other useful resources for the job seeker.
Evidence for an androgen receptor in the human placenta

Abstract A steroid-binding protein was examined in human placental cytosol and nuclei which had several characteristics of an androgen receptor. It binds R 1881 (methyltrienolone), a steroid specific for androgen receptors, with high affinity (dissociation constant = 1.3 to 50 nM) and low capacity (n = 1.2 to 21 fmoles/mg of protein). The steroid-binding protein is found in the nuclei as well as the cytosol of the placenta but is not found in either the cytosol or the nuclei of fetal membranes; thus, it is tissue-specific. Among the natural steroids, 5α-dihydrotestosterone competes most efficiently with R 1881 for binding to the protein. Testosterone is the next best competitor. When the ranges of dissociation constants and concentrations of binding sites for placentas of various gestational periods are compared, no significant differences are observed between period of gestation and magnitude of binding constants.
Health care provider social network analysis: A systematic review

Abstract Objectives Although considerable progress has been made in understanding networks, their structure, and their development, little has been known about their effectiveness in the health care setting and their contributions to quality of care and patient safety.The purpose of this study was to examine studies using social network analysis (SNA) in the health care workforce and assess factors contributing to social network and their relationships with care processes and patient outcomes. Methods We identified all published peer-reviewed SNA articles in CINAHL, PubMed, PsycINFO, JSTOR, Medline (OVID), and Web of Science databases up to April 2013. Results Twenty-nine published articles met the inclusion criteria. Current evidence of the health care workforce's social networks reveals the nature of social ties are related to personal characteristics, practice setting, and types of patients. A few studies also revealed the social network effects adoption and the use of a health information system, patient outcomes, and coordination. Conclusions Current studies on the social ties of health care workforce professionals include several assessments of inefficiencies. The level of technical sophistication in these studies tended to be low. Future study using enhanced sophistication in study design, analysis, and patient outcome testing are warranted to fully leverage the potential of SNA in health care studies.
Global Abortion and Marketing Challenges for Misoprostol (Cytotec): The Future of Women’s Health

This paper provides an overview of the controversial drug Misoprostol (Cytotec) and its importance for womens health worldwide while presenting global challenges related to abortion. Furthermore, this paper discusses marketing challenges and opportunities that exist in todays global marketplace for this drug. Misoprostol is an approved drug utilized to prevent stomach ulcers caused by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), but it also has an off label use as an abortion pill for which it is being used today. Worldwide implications are vast and Misoprostol presents a future challenge for clinical studies and marketing professionals.
Unilateral control of uterine blood flow in the ewe.

Abstract The effects of intracavitary injection of estrogens into one horn of the ovine uterus on bilateral uterine blood flow (UBF) through the major supplying artery were evaluated in conscious castrate ewes. Ipsilateral UBF increased significantly while contralateral UBF was unchanged. The results indicate that unilateral UBF is controlled primarily by the vascular reactivity o f the ipsilateral uterine horn.
An update on genetic studies of systemic lupus erythematosus.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex, multifactorial autoimmune disease. Genetic factors are thought to contribute to its pathogenesis. There have been numerous recent advances in the study of murine and human lupus genetics. In well-defined experimental transgenic or gene-knockout mouse models, the development of lupus-like disease has implicated specific genes and pathways in the disease pathogenesis. Linkage analyses have mapped multiple susceptibility loci and disease suppressive loci using inbred strains of mice that spontaneously develop lupus-like disease. Elegant genetic dissection and function studies have led to the recent identification of two murine candidate susceptibility genes, Ifi202 (encoding an interferon-inducible protein) and Cr2 (encoding complement receptors 1 and 2). In human lupus, casecontrol studies have established associations of SLE with certain major histocompatibility class II alleles, complement deficiencies, and polymorphisms of Fcψ receptor genes, a complement-related gene, and cytokine genes. During the past several years, linkage analyses using SLE multiplex families have provided many chromosomal regions for further exploration of susceptibility genes. Six regions exhibiting significant linkage to SLE are promising. Studies are underway to fine map these linked regions and to identify the genes in the susceptibility regions. An understanding of the genes involved in the development of lupus should provide targets for more focused therapy in lupus.
Deference and description

Consider someone whom you know to be an expert about some issue. She knows at least as much as you do and reasons impeccably. The issue is a straightforward case of statistical inference that raises no deep problems of epistemology. You happen to know the expert’s opinion on this issue. Should you defer to her by adopting her opinion as your own? An affirmative answer may appear mandatory. But this paper argues that a crucial factor in answering this question is the description under which you identify the expert. Experts may be identified under various descriptions (e.g., “the expert appearing on Channel 7 at 5 pm”). Section 2 provides cases that illustrate how deference to a known expert may be appropriate under some descriptions, but not others. Section 3 proposes that, in these cases, the differentiating factor is self-identification: deference to an expert under a given description is appropriate when the expert self-identifies under that description. Section 4 presents a formal framework that demonstrates the sufficiency of self-identification for appropriate deference within a significant class of cases. Section 5 notes a way in which this phenomenon allows for a form of “agreeing to disagree” in Robert Aumann’s sense. Section 6 illustrates the practical application of these results to the case of testimonials.
Group performance on a multiple-solution task as a function of available time

The performance of four-member real groups on an anagrams task was compared to the output of nominal groups assembled from the response protocols of four individuals working alone. Three levels of time available for solution were employed. Production of words increased directly as a function of time for both types of groups, and nominal groups produced more words than real groups at each level of available time. There was no interaction between the two variables.
Rare McArdle disease locus polymorphic site on 11q13 contains CpG sequence.

When probes throughout the McArdle disease (myophosphorylase) gene region were used to search for DNA polymorphisms, only an MspI polymorphism was found in 94 enzyme-probe combinations. Along with an insertion/deletion polymorphism more 3′ to the gene locus, these polymorphisms will be informative in 75% of at-risk patients. These results contrast strikingly to the six polymorphic sites detected in 15 enzyme-probe combinations in the homologous Her's disease (liver phosphorylase) gene region. This single MspI polymorphic site includes a CpG sequence of known increased mutability suggesting that DNA regions with rare polymorphisms will have most polymorphic sites at sequences with enhanced mutability. Fluorescence in situ hybridization sublocalized this gene to proximal band 11q13, establishing a point of cross-reference between the physical and genetic maps.
The Impact of Forcing Datasets on the High-Resolution Simulation of Tropical Storm Ivan (2004) in the Southern Appalachians

AbstractThe influence of large-scale forcing on the high-resolution simulation of Tropical Storm Ivan (2004) in the southern Appalachians was investigated using the Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF). Two forcing datasets were employed: the North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR; 32 km × 32 km) and the NCEP Final Operational Global Analysis (NCEP FNL; 1° × 1°). Simulated fields were evaluated against rain gauge, radar, and satellite data; sounding observations; and the best track from the National Hurricane Center (NHC). Overall, the NCEP FNL forced simulation (WRF_FNL) captures storm structure and evolution more accurately than the NARR forced simulation (WRF_NARR), benefiting from the hurricane initialization scheme in the NCEP FNL. Further, the performance of WRF_NARR is also negatively affected by a previously documented low-level warm bias in NARR. These factors lead to excessive precipitation in the Piedmont region, delayed rainfall in Alabama, as well as spatially displaced and unrealis...
A Quest for Security: The Life of Samuel Parris, 1653-1720

Preface Introduction From London to Barbados: Samuel Parris's Early Years Modest Success in Boston A Call to the Clergy in Salem Village The Life of a Puritan Pastor Conflict in the Congregation "Under an Evil Hand": The Witchcraft Crisis A Summer of Trials and Executions Ousted From the Pulpit "The Approach of the King of Terrors": Samuel Parris's Last Years Epilogue Bibliography Index
Effect of Inhibition of Mitochondrial Protein Synthesis in Vitro Upon Thyroxine Stimulation of Oxygen Consumption

It has been suggested that the calorigenic activity of thyroid hormones is secondary to their ability to stimulate mitochondrial or ribosomal protein synthesis. Since thyroid hormones stimulate both protein synthesis and oxgyen consumption in mitochondiia from normal rats, the effect of inhibition of protein synthesis upon thyroxine (T4) stimulation of mitochondrial oxygen consumption in vitro was examined. T4 (50 JUM) stimulated leucine incorporation 125% and oxygen consumption 100% (without ADP) in mitochondria from normal rats in vitro. The effects were linear over 8 min. Chloramphenicol (250 /xM) or puromycin (100 fjM) inhibited leucine incorporation 85–91% in control and T4-containing reactions without affecting oxygen consumption in either. ADP/O and respiratory control ratios were significantly depressed by T4; however, the antibiotics had no effects on these values, with or without T4. In addition, T4 was found not to alter the rate of decay of mitochondrial protein, newly formed in vitro. (Endocr...
Somatic Integration of Single Ion Channel Responses of α7 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Enhanced by PNU-120596

Positive allosteric modulators of highly Ca2+-permeable α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, such as PNU-120596, may become useful therapeutic tools supporting neuronal survival and function. However, despite promising results, the initial optimism has been tempered by the concerns for cytotoxicity. The same concentration of a given nicotinic agent can be neuroprotective, ineffective or neurotoxic due to differences in the expression of α7 receptors and susceptibility to Ca2+ influx among various subtypes of neurons. Resolution of these concerns may require an ability to reliably detect, evaluate and optimize the extent of α7 somatic ionic influx, a key determinant of the likelihood of neuronal survival and function. In the presence of PNU-120596 and physiological choline (∼10 µM), the activity of individual α7 channels can be detected in whole-cell recordings as step-like current/voltage deviations. However, the extent of α7 somatic influx remains elusive because the activity of individual α7 channels may not be integrated across the entire soma, instead affecting only specific subdomains located in the channel vicinity. Such a compartmentalization may obstruct detection and integration of α7 currents, causing an underestimation of α7 activity. By contrast, if step-like α7 currents are integrated across the soma, then a reliable quantification of α7 influx in whole-cell recordings is possible and could provide a rational basis for optimization of conditions that support survival of α7-expressing neurons. This approach can be used to directly correlate α7 single-channel activity to neuronal function. In this study, somatic dual-patch recordings were conducted using large hypothalamic and hippocampal neurons in acute coronal rat brain slices. The results demonstrate that the membrane electrotonic properties do not impede somatic signaling, allowing reliable estimates of somatic ionic and Ca2+ influx through α7 channels, while the somatic space-clamp error is minimal (∼0.01 mV/µm). These research efforts could benefit optimization of potential α7-PAM-based therapies.
Improvements to the Pool Critical Assembly Pressure Vessel Benchmark with 3-D Parallel SN PENTRAN

The internationally circulated Pool Critical Assembly (PCA) Pressure Vessel Benchmark was analyzed using the PENTRAN Parallel SN code system for the geometry, material, and source specifications as described in the PCA Benchmark documentation. Improvements to the benchmark are proposed here through the application of more representative flux and volume weighted homogenized cross sections for the PCA reactor core, which were obtained from a rigorous heterogeneous modeling of all fuel assembly types in the core. A new source term definition is also proposed based on calculated relative power in each core fuel assembly with a spectrum based on the Uranium-235 fission spectra. This research focused on utilizing the BUGLE-96 cross section library and accompanying reaction rates, while also examining PENTRAN’s adaptive differencing implemented on a coarse mesh basis, as well as fixed use of Directional Theta-Weighted (DTW) SN differencing scheme in order to compare the calculated PENTRAN results to measured data. The results show good comparison with the measured benchmark data, which suggests PENTRAN is a viable, reliable code system for calculation of light water reactor neutron shielding and pressure vessel dosimetry calculations. Furthermore, the improvements to the benchmark methodology resulting from this work provide a 6 percent increase in accuracy of the calculation (based on the average of all calculation points), when compared with experimentally measured results at the same spatial locations in the PCA pressure vessel simulator.
Equity market valuation of human capital and stock returns.

Abstract We investigate whether and how well firms’ stock market valuations reflect their employees’ collective skills and effectiveness relative to that of their industry peers and competitors. We devise a relative stock market valuation measure of human capital intangibles (EVHC) and find that portfolios of low EVHC firms systematically outperform portfolios of high EVHC firms by an average 1.34% per month. However, this is primarily a small firms effect, because for large firms the excess returns of the arbitrage portfolio that is long on the low EVHC stocks and short on the high EVHC stocks is zero. Our results suggest that reliance on human capital intangibles may proxy for risk not fully accounted for by conventional asset pricing models, or alternatively, that the market cannot correctly price human capital intangibles for small size firms.
Studies on the Mechanisms Involved in Multistage Carcinogenesis in Mouse Skin

Skin tumors can be effectively induced in mice by the repetitive application of a carcinogen. The relative order of sensitivity to complete carcinogenesis is Sencar > CD-1 > C57BL/6 greater than or equal to BALB/c greater than or equal to ICR/Ha Swiss > C3H. Skin tumors in mice can also be induced by the sequential application of a subthreshold dose of a carcinogen (initiation phase) followed by repetitive treatment with a weak or noncarcinogenic tumor promoter (promotion phase) followed by repetitive treatment with a weak or noncarcinogenic tumor promoter (promotion phase). The relative order of sensitivity to initiation-promotion is Sencar > > CD-1 > ICR/Ha Swiss greater than or equal to Balb/c > C57BL/6 greater than or equal to C3H greater than or equal to DBA/2. The phorbol ester tumor promoters have been shown to have several cellular and biochemical effects on the skin. Of all the observed phorbol ester related effects on the skin, the induction of epidermal cell proliferation, polyamines, prostagladins, and dark basal keratinocytes as well as other embryonic conditions appear to correlate the best with promotion. Mezerein, a weak promoter, was found to induce many cellular and biochemical changes similar to 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13 acetate (TPA), especially epidermalmore » hyperplasia and polyamines; however, it was not a potent inducer of dark cells. Although C57BL/6 mice are relatively resistant to initiation-promotion by PAH initiation and phorbol ester promotion, they are fairly sensitive to complete carcinogenesis by PAH. This suggests that the C57BL/6 mice are resistant to phorbol ester tumor promotion. Preliminary experiments suggest that C57BL/6 and Sencar mice respond qualitatively but not quantitatively to a single treatment with TPA.« less
Individual Antibody and T Cell Responses to Vaccination and Infection with the 2009 Pandemic Swine-Origin H1N1 Influenza Virus

Introduction The 2009 swine-origin H1N1 influenza virus (swH1N1) provided an opportunity to study immune responses to a new influenza strain in the context of seasonal influenza vaccination. Our goals were: to assess whether analyzing multiple parameters of immune responsiveness to influenza has an advantage over evaluating hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) titer alone, to determine whether vaccination with the seasonal vaccine induced cross-reactive immunity to swH1N1 in some individuals, and to determine whether the immune response against swH1N1 is higher after infection than vaccination.
The Importance of Uniformity of Get in Evaluating a Sire

Summary A study of the uniformity of 256 gets was made. The progenies differed significantly in uniformity, but only a small portion of this difference was attributable to sires. The small effect that sires exerted upon the uniformity of their gets was directly associated with their degree of inbreeding and was, therefore, non-hereditary as it could not be passed from sire to son in non-inbred populations. The reduction in culls possible from selecting only sires that had previously produced highly uniform gets was too small to be worth considering in a breeding program. The additional increase in average production of a herd resulting from selecting only sires that had produced highly variable gets and culling a given percentage of the poorest daughters was likewise insignificant. There appears to be no justification for considering the uniformity of fat records of progenies when selecting proved sires. Similar, conclusions seem appropriate regarding selection for uniformity in any character which depends upon several gene pairs and which is not highly hereditary.
Reciprocal paracrine pathways link atrial natriuretic peptide and somatostatin secretion in the antrum of the stomach.

Abstract Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) as well as its receptor, NPR-A, have been identified in gastric antral mucosa, suggesting that ANP may act in a paracrine fashion to regulate gastric secretion. In the present study, we have superfused antral mucosal segments obtained from rat stomach to examine the paracrine pathways linking ANP and somatostatin secretion in this region. ANP (0.1 pM to 0.1 μM) caused a concentration-dependent increase in somatostatin secretion (EC 50 , 0.3 nM). The somatostatin response to ANP was unaffected by the axonal blocker tetrodotoxin but abolished by addition of the selective NPR-A antagonist, anantin. Anantin alone inhibited somatostatin secretion by 18±3% ( P 50 , 0.7 nM) that was abolished by addition of the somatostatin subtype 2 receptor (sst2) antagonist, PRL2903. Neutralization of ambient somatostatin with somatostatin antibody (final dilution 1:200) increased basal ANP secretion by 70±8% ( P We conclude that antral ANP and somatostatin secretion are linked by paracrine feedback pathways: endogenous ANP, acting via the NPR-A receptor, stimulates somatostatin secretion, and endogenous somatostatin, acting via the sst2 receptor, inhibits ANP secretion.
Genetics of asthma

As is becoming increasingly apparent, both atopy and asthma (however they are clinically defined) are a diverse group of related conditions, which are similarly disparate in their origins. Despite this, genetic factors are clearly operational. Speaking to their relatedness, linkages have been found between similar chromosomal sites for both atopy and asthma. Speaking to their divergence, there are also reports of the same phenotypes displaying linkage to different chromosomal areas. The likely explanation for this is that both the atopy and asthma phenotypes are polygenetic, requiring that multiple genes (some of them common to both) be expressed. For example, it may be that three genes, such as "a," "b," and "c," are involved in the development of skin test reactivity. Having only two of these genes, such as "a" and "b" or "b" and "c," alone does not result in the development of the defined phenotype of skin test reactivity. At the same time, it may be that to develop asthma one also needs three genes, such as "c", "d," and "e." One gene "c" involved in atopy inflammation is needed for both asthma and skin test reactivity. Genes "a" and "b" are also needed to be present for skin test reactivity, and a different set of genes, "d" and "e," are needed for asthma to develop. These genes "a" and "b" may be needed to localize the process in the skin and "d" and "e" to localize the process in the lung (Fig. 1). In addition to having the genetic predisposition for atopy and its associated conditions, environmental interactions are involved. Environmental conditions may be the initiating trigger and cause a shift in the balance between the protection and susceptibility of getting the clinical picture. In summary, atopy and asthma seem to be related conditions, involving both environmental and genetic factors, most likely consisting of multiple genes, which may interact with each other and the environment. A deeper [figure: see text] understanding of these genetic bases and the roles that environmental factors play in the development and manifestations of these conditions will provide better methods of diagnosis and treatment.