cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Microwave Dielectric Properties of Metal Filled Particulate Composites

Composites of metal filled particulates, Al, Cu, Si(doped), Ag and Ni, up to 45 volume percent in a polyester or epoxy matrix were made and their dielectric properties measured between 8.5 and 11.5 GH z . The particulate size was small relative to the wavelength of the microwave radiation, but in general large compared to the skin depth. For all systems the real part of the dielectric constant increases rapidly with volume fraction filler. Some correlation was also found between the dielectric constant and the average aspect ratio of the particulates, based on the number of particulates in contact. In addition particle type and size was important. The imaginary part of the dielectric constant was small except for samples that appeared to be on the verge of percolation.
Alpha-Methyldopa-induced Immune Thrombocytopenia: Report of a Case

The clinical and laboratory features of a case of alphamethyldopa-induced thrombocytopenia are described. This is the second reported case in which the presence of alpha-methyldopa-induced platelet antibodies have been demonstrated.
Carrier Transport in Silicon Nanocrystallite-Based Multilayer Electroluminescent Devices

The electrical and optical properties of light emitting devices employing silicon nanocrystallites as the active material have been studied. Thin films of silicon nanocrystallites were deposited using a pulsed laser ablation supersonic expansion technique. In order to explore their potential for optoelectronic applications, these films have been incorporated into multilayer light emitting devices, using polymer carrier transport layers to enhance their efficiency. Device performance has been found to be weakly temperature dependent, but strongly dependent on the electrical transport properties of the material and the carrier injection mechanisms at the nanocrystal/electrode interface. A systematic study of simple electrode/nanocrystallite/electrode heterostructures has demonstrated that the electrode material and polarity of the applied bias control whether the devices operate in the interface limited or carrier transport limited regimes.
Exit Tales: How Precarious Workers Navigate Bad Jobs:

Why do some workers quit undignified “bad jobs,” while others persist in them? We know a great deal about how people find employment, along with what they do at work. But we have few studies docume...
The effect of combined preservatives on the antiseptic effect of soy sauce

Objective:Assess the antiseptic effect of soy sauce using preservatives of different combination and concentrations.Decide the optimized combination and proportion of preservatives,provide scientific evidence for the preservation of soy sauce.Methods: Conducted preservative test in lab by adding benzoic acid,sorbic acid and parahydroxybenzoic acid of different combination and concentrations to soy sauce without sterilization and preservative,and then tested the samples produced in factory.Results: Then the joint concentration of sorbic acid and para hydroxybenzoic acid contained in soy sauce was 89% of permission,the survival rate of fungus and yeast was 73% under the condition of 26±1℃ in 5 days,while for bacteria it was 76% under the condition of 37±1℃ in 5 days,soy sauce had been absence of mold under room temperature for 30 days and didn′t deteriorated during production and testing.Conclusion: A joint concentration of sorbic acid and para hydroxybenzoic acid contained in soy sauce,which was 89% of permission,can prevent soy sauce from deterioration.
Research Progress and Connotation of Cloud GIS

Cloud Computing is evolving as a platform of next generation.Its emergence promises to promote new developments in the Geographic Information System(GIS),which is closely related to computer sciences.This paper discusses the characteristics of Cloud Computing,the definition and the key technical and scientific issues of Cloud GIS.Cloud GIS is a new technology that utilizes the large-scale computing power of Cloud infrastructure to overcome the challenges of handling the massive spatial data in the GIS in several aspects,including multi-site distributed data storage,allocation of processing tasks,data query and retrieval,interoperability,virtualization,etc.By improving data processing and data management,Cloud GIS provides high-performance processing technologies to a variety of GIS services,such as data-intensive tasks and computing-intensive tasks.The essential connotations of Cloud GIS are the Cloud characteristics of spatial data and the Cloud Computing characteristics of data management.Cloud GIS goes beyond the"small professional community"of conventional GIS,brings the spatial information services and their values to the public,and in return makes a volutionary breakthrough for GIS itself and greatly expands the scale of the market for its applications.We introduce several CloudGIS platforms,and discuss advantages and disadvantages of the development of Cloud GIS.At the end is an overview of research progress on Cloud GIS in China in three aspects: the trend of technology models of Cloud GIS,the need for its applications,and the need for its education.
Approaches to teaching race in elementary social studies: A case study of preservice teachers

Abstract This interpretative case study examined the beliefs and practices of eight preservice elementary teachers as they learned to teach race in social studies. Using critical race theory as the lens, the researcher analyzed interview, observation, classroom artifact, and teacher preparation course data. The results showed that there was a division between those teachers who saw their role as working against racial prejudice (tolerance-oriented) and those who were working against racial inequity (equity-oriented). In practice, the teachers used three approaches to race-related topics in their classroom: avoiding, diminishing, and embracing. Furthermore, the teachers expressed the importance of courses on urban education, social studies methods, and student teaching in preparing them to teach about race. This study highlights the need for increased attention to teaching about race in teacher preparation programs.
Blinatumomab may induce graft versus host leukemia in patients with pre-B ALL relapsing after hematopoietic stem cell transplant

Blinatumomab, a bispecific T-cell engager monoclonal antibody used to manage Philadelphia chromosome-negative relapsed or refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) can be used to treat patients by inducing graft versus leukemia reaction post allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, a feature which it was post allogeneic bone marrow transplantation, a feature which this drug was not aimed to do.
Appetite and the Subjectivity of Nestling Hunger

Begging is important to behavioural ecologists as a signal between parents and offspring that may, or may not, have evolved to carry honest information on nestling need. Defining and measuring the need underlying begging is both critical and problematic. The literature on the regulation of foraging and feeding provides insights into this problem. In particular, the concept of appetite, which combines physiological hunger with other cost-benefit weightings concerning an individual’s motivation to feed, makes good sense as a regulator of adaptive foraging behaviour and, it is argued, adaptive begging behaviour. Physiological, maturational and experiential differences among nestlings can be compared with characteristic differences in begging to show that adaptive variation in appetite can help explain begging patterns of individuals, broods and species. An appreciation of underlying mechanisms provides a realistic basis for studies of the signal aspects of begging and for assessment of its honesty.
A high-density CMOS multi-modality joint sensor/stimulator array with 1024 pixels for holistic real-time cellular characterization

This paper presents a fully integrated 1024-pixel world-first joint multi-modality sensor/stimulator array in CMOS for holistic real-time cell characterization. Each pixel supports extracellular voltage recording, optical detection, and cellular impedance measurement, as well as current-mode cellular stimulation. Four independent on-chip temperature sensors monitor the ambient temperature variation. The chip is implemented in a 130nm CMOS process with a pixel size of 58µm×58µm, achieving the largest array-size and smallest pixel for a multi-modality joint sensor/stimulator array in CMOS. The electrical and biological measurements demonstrate the utility of this high-density multi-modality array in cell-based assays for drug and chemical screening.
Disciplining Death: Assessing and Ameliorating Arbitrariness in Capital Charging

Justice Stephen Breyer recently made international headlines when he emphasized that reforms to the capital punishment process have apparently failed to ameliorate the rampant arbitrariness, capriciousness, and bias that led the U.S. Supreme Court to temporarily invalidate the death penalty over forty years ago. According to the Justice, the primary cause of this failure has been the Court’s backpedaling on the very substantive and procedural protections it initially articulated as necessary for the constitutional administration of the death penalty. The Court’s capital punishment jurisprudence initially underscored the importance of social scientific evidence in assessing the fairness of capital punishment systems, but now the Court routinely minimizes, or outright ignores, social science evidence on the operation of the death penalty. This has led to the growing disjunction between the Court’s rhetoric and the reality of capital punishment. Justice Breyer underscored the Court’s responsibility in holding death penalty systems accountable and called for full briefing on the basic question of the social realities of the administration of capital punishment.Meaningful death penalty reform, if possible, requires a more prominent role for social science in death penalty decision-making. In this Article, I develop a doctrinally anchored statistical model that carefully disentangles and evaluates questions of arbitrariness, bias, and disproportionality in capital charging. I begin by discussing the Court’s inconsistent efforts to rationalize and regulate capital punishment systems. I then adopt a framework of statistical inference in an effort to provide greater definitional and analytical clarity. Finally, I describe a set of analytical tools uniquely suited for diagnosing capital charging errors that closely aligns with the Court’s conceptualization of unacceptable arbitrariness. I illustrate the usefulness of the model on data involving actual death penalty-eligible defendants from Georgia.My analysis reveals that death penalty charging practices are highly inconsistent, irrational, and disproportionate, both within and across jurisdictions in Georgia. The Article concludes by explaining how the empirical model might be used to improve accuracy and consistency in capital charging systems through empirically informed front-end charging screening.
Adjoint Method to Optimize Power Transistors

In this presentation we introduce a robust technique for the design and optimization of the on-state resistance and breakdown voltages in power transistors, including high-electron mobility transistors (HEMTs), metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) power devices, insolated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs), and power rectifying diodes. The technique is based on the formalism of doping sensitivity functions and allows the computation of the optimum doping profile that maximizes the breakdown voltage and minimizes the on-state resistance of the above devices. Sample numerical simulation results will be presented for a AlGaN/GaN HEMT.
Integrating end-user feedback in the concept stage of development of a novel sensor access system for environmental control.

AbstractPurpose: This article illustrates user-centred design of a novel sensor access system for environmental control in the concept stage of development.Methods: Focus groups of individuals with disabilities and rehabilitation healthcare professionals were provided with video illustration of the technology and asked to provide quantitative and qualitative feedback through a semistructured interview process. Qualitative methods were employed to analyse transcribed comments to develop themes supporting ongoing development of the technology.Results: Both end-user streams rated the original design features of the sensor access system (alternative interface to assistive technologies, having wireless capabilities and not requiring batteries) as having high potential value. Both groups identified a need for the future design of the sensor technology to be able to capture minimal/reduced movements for those with severe physical impairments. Themes included (1) the sensor technology could be individualized/cust...
Imaging of post-operative pancreas and complications after pancreatic adenocarcinoma resection

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths. With surgical resection being the only definitive treatment, improvements in technique has led to an increase in number of candidates undergoing resection by inclusion of borderline resectable disease patients to the clearly resectable group. Post-operative complications associated with pancreaticoduodenectomy and distal pancreatectomy include delayed gastric emptying, anastomotic failures, fistula formation, strictures, abscess, infarction, etc. The utility of dual-phase CT with multiplanar reconstruction and 3D rendering is increasingly recognized as a tool for the assessment of complications associated with vascular resection and reconstruction such as hemorrhage, pseudoaneurysm, vascular thrombosis, and ischemia. Prompt recognition of the complications and distinction from benign post-operative findings such as hepatic steatosis and mesenteric fat necrosis on imaging plays a key role in helping decrease the morbidity and mortality associated with surgery. We discuss, with case examples, some of such common and uncommon findings on imaging to familiarize the abdominal radiologists evaluating post-operative imaging in both acute and chronic post-operative settings.
An FEM Analysis of the Magnetic Fields in the Magnetic Suspension Mass Comparator at NIST

The magnetic suspension mass comparator is a specialized mass comparison system used for vacuum-to-air mass dissemination. Magnetic suspension is used to couple a mass located in a sealed chamber a...
Neuromuscular Junctions and Electric Organs

The neuromuscular junction has been much studied anatomically and physiologically, not only because of its influence on muscle action, but also because of its ready accessibility as a peripheral synapse and the significant information that it contributes to synaptic morphology and function in general. Fine structural studies employing the electron microscope and histochemical studies, usually involving the localization of Cholinesterase, have contributed most significantly in recent times to our knowledge of the anatomy of the neuromuscular junction. These studies have dealt not only with the structure of the myoneural junction itself, but also with the distribution and location of the nerve terminals on the muscle fibers. Variations have been found, both in the structure and in the disposition of the nerve terminals, and these varieties of endings have attracted attention because they are correlated in many instances with functional variations in the action of the muscle fibers.
Marching towards making evolution-proof antibiotics

Antibiotic resistance in bacterial pathogens has increased to alarming levels and warrants immediate attention Traditional antibiotics kill the bacteria by targeting the bacterial structures and mechanisms that are essential for their survival putting great selection pressure to develop resistance Anti virulence drugs are new class of therapeutic targets being investigated to tackle this crisis As anti virulence drugs disarm the pathogen rather than killing it may pose less selection pressure on bacteria to develop resistance
Sturge-Weber Syndrome

The goal of this paper is to discuss recent developments in the diagnosis, neuroimaging, and treatment of Sturge-Weber Syndrome. Diagnosis and treatment in Sturge-Weber syndrome is evolving in the context of the recent discovery of the underlying somatic mutation in G protein subunit alpha q (GNAQ), development of novel neuroimaging techniques, as well as new multi-centered clinical trials. Sturge-Weber Syndrome is a rare, non-familial disorder that is typically characterized by the association of a facial capillary malformation with a leptomeningeal angioma of the brain and/or eye. This review will summarize the latest progress in Sturge-Weber syndrome clinical care and highlight areas of current controversy and need for future research.
Assigning methyl resonances for protein solution-state NMR studies

Abstract Solution-state NMR is an important tool for studying protein structure and function. The ability to probe methyl groups has substantially expanded the scope of proteins accessible by NMR spectroscopy, including facilitating study of proteins and complexes greater than 100 kDa in size. While the toolset for studying protein structure and dynamics by NMR continues to grow, a major rate-limiting step in these studies is the initial resonance assignments, especially for larger (>50 kDa) proteins. In this practical review, we present strategies to efficiently isotopically label proteins, delineate NMR pulse sequences that can be used to determine methyl resonance assignments in the presence and absence of backbone assignments, and outline computational methods for NMR data analysis. We use our experiences from assigning methyl resonances for the aromatic biosynthetic enzymes tryptophan synthase and chorismate mutase to provide advice for all stages of experimental set-up and data analysis.
Difficult Case: Ureteral Stricture Distal to a Stone

Ureteral stricture is a late complication of ureteroscopy (URS) and can be challenging to treat stones when present concomitantly. Ureteral stones may fail to spontaneously pass secondary to a distally located ureteral stricture. Retrograde access may be difficult or unable to be obtained depending on the degree of the stricture and presence of stone impaction. This chapter will focus on the treatment options for a ureteral stone with a distal ureteral stricture.
Impressions of Philosophy

“What is your husband studying?” asked Mrs. Sadni. It was 1965, I was a first-year graduate student at the University of Pittsburgh, and my wife had run into the building-superintendent’s wife in the laundry room of our apartment house.
Reversible deafferentation of the zebrafish olfactory bulb with wax plug insertion.

Abstract Background Deafferentation of the zebrafish olfactory bulb allows investigation of neuroplasticity in a particularly dynamic brain region of a popular model animal known for its regenerative abilities. Current methods to remove sensory input to the zebrafish olfactory bulb differ in the extent of deafferentation and potential for recovery. New method We present a novel method of olfactory bulb deafferentation using continuous wax plug insertions into the nasal cavity of zebrafish. Wax plugs were placed in the nasal cavity and replaced if needed over 1wk or 3wk survival periods. Wax plugs were removed from fish after 1wk of occlusion to analyze the potential recovery of the olfactory organ and bulb. Results Wax plug insertions caused a dramatic reduction in olfactory organ size and structure and significantly reduced afferent input to the olfactory bulb after 1wk and 3wk. Removal of the wax plugs after 1wk allowed for recovery of the olfactory organ and subsequent reinnervation of the olfactory bulb. Comparisons with existing methods Chemical ablation with detergent causes partial, temporary deafferentation of the olfactory bulb. Cautery ablation causes complete, permanent deafferentation of the olfactory bulb. Wax plug insertions cause nearly complete, temporary deafferentation, allowing both significant deafferentation and the potential for reinnervation of the olfactory bulb. Conclusions The wax plug insertion method of deafferentation described here is unique in that it destroys almost completely the structure of the olfactory organ and removes almost completely sensory input to the olfactory bulb, yet the organ returns to its typical morphology and afferent innervation returns.
HSP101 Interacts with the Proteasome and Promotes the Clearance of Ubiquitylated Protein Aggregates

Stressful environments often lead to protein unfolding and the formation of cytotoxic aggregates that can compromise cell survival. The molecular chaperone heat shock protein (HSP) 101 is a protein disaggregase that co-operates with the small HSP (sHSP) and HSP70 chaperones to facilitate removal of such aggregates and is essential for surviving severe heat stress. To better define how HSP101 protects plants, we investigated the localization and targets of this chaperone in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). By following HSP101 tagged with GFP, we discovered that its intracellular distribution is highly dynamic and includes a robust, reversible sequestration into cytoplasmic foci that vary in number and size among cell types and are potentially enriched in aggregated proteins. Affinity isolation of HSP101 recovered multiple proteasome subunits, suggesting a functional interaction. Consistent with this, the GFP-tagged 26S proteasome regulatory particle non-ATPase (RPN) 1a transiently colocalized with HSP101 in cytoplasmic foci during recovery. In addition, analysis of aggregated (insoluble) proteins showed they are extensively ubiquitylated during heat stress, especially in plants deficient in HSP101 or class I sHSPs, implying that protein disaggregation is important for optimal proteasomal degradation. Many potential HSP101 clients, identified by mass spectrometry of insoluble proteins, overlapped with known stress granule constituents and sHSP-interacting proteins, confirming a role for HSP101 in stress granule function. Connections between HSP101, stress granules, proteasomes, and ubiquitylation imply that dynamic coordination between protein disaggregation and proteolysis is required to survive proteotoxic stress caused by protein aggregation at high temperatures.
Vascular Health of Children Conceived via In Vitro Fertilization.

Objective To evaluate whether in vitro fertilization (IVF) has an effect on the cardiovascular health of offspring. Study design This was a cross-sectional pilot study. We performed vascular health assessment for 17 children aged 10-14 years who were conceived via IVF with autologous oocytes at Stanford University. Carotid artery ultrasound evaluated intima-media thickness and stiffness, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity determined segmental arterial stiffness, and endothelial pulse amplitude testing assessed endothelial function. We compared IVF offspring with control adolescents assessed in the same laboratory, with all comparisons adjusted for age, sex, and race/ethnicity. Results All participants had normal body mass index and blood pressure. Compared with controls, IVF children had thicker common carotid artery intima-media thickness (0.44 ± 0.03 mm vs 0.38 ± 0.03 mm; P Conclusion In an assessment of endothelial function and arterial properties of children conceived via IVF, we found that children conceived via IVF seem to have evidence of abnormal vascular health. Further studies with larger sample size and long-term follow-up are warranted.
Cutaneous melanoma mutation pathways and driver mutations as racially biased.

e22066Background: Cutaneous melanoma (CM) demonstrates differences in its clinical prevalence in different racial groups. CM generally exhibits a high tumor mutational burden (TMB) and mutually exc...
75-LB: Machine-Learned, Biophysical Prediction of Glucose Response for 1,000 Subjects

Background: Reducing glycemic excursions following oral intake decreases the risk for microvascular disease in those with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and prevents conversion to T2D in those with prediabetes. Currently there are no accurate methods by which to predict a real world subject’s glycemic response to a particular meal. We developed a novel machine learning tool to infer personalized physiological parameters using consumer sensors for the accurate prediction of glycemic responses to food and activity. Method: We prospectively recruited 1,000 healthy, prediabetic and type 2 diabetic subjects instructed to wear a Freestyle Libre Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) and Heart Rate Monitor (HRM) and logged foods for 10 days. A novel biophysical, machine-learned model was trained on CGM, HRM data and food logs to predict and tune glucose responses to food and activity. The training used a separate deep-learning network trained to predict the infusion of glucose into subject bloodstream using known glycemic index (GI) values. Results: 715 nondiabetic, 35 prediabetic, and 246 T2D subjects were enrolled. Our novel biophysical, machine-learned model predicted glucose excursions over a database of many million foods and activity rates and exceeded 99.9% on the Clarke Error Grid regions A and B for a wide variety of individuals. Many correlations exist between caloric intake and composition, fiber intake, household income, sleep quality, and inferred physiological parameters. Conclusion: Precise prediction of glycemic responses will allow accurate counterfactual analysis of lifestyle choices and allow all individuals to better plan and select foods and activities to match their lifestyle, physiology, and psychological predispositions. This novel technology has potential novel applications for both diabetes treatment and prevention. Disclosure P. Dalal: Advisory Panel; Spouse/Partner; Arc Bio, Caribou Biosciences, Inc., January, Inc. Employee; Self; January, Inc. Other Relationship; Spouse/Partner; Illumina. M. Yazdani: None. M. Snyder: Stock/Shareholder; Self; January, Inc. S. Rahili: Employee; Self; January, Inc. S.S. Torbaghan: None.
Triple-Positive Breast Carcinoma: Histopathologic Features and Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy.

CONTEXT.— It is unclear whether HER2+ tumors expressing both estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR), that is, triple-positive breast carcinomas (TPBCs), show unique morphologic and clinical features and response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). OBJECTIVE.— To study the morphologic and immunohistochemical features of TPBCs from patients who underwent NAC. DESIGN.— We retrospectively reviewed core biopsy and post-NAC slides of 85 TPBCs. H-scores were calculated for ER and PR. HER2 slides and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) reports were reviewed. Residual cancer burden was calculated for post-NAC specimens. RESULTS.— Eighty-one of the 85 tumors (95.3%) showed ductal histology, 3 (3.5%) were invasive lobular carcinomas, and 1 (1.2%) showed mixed ductal and lobular features. A subset showed mucinous (n = 7, 8.2%), apocrine (n = 5, 5.9%), and/or micropapillary (n = 4, 4.7%) differentiation. Fifty-four TPBCs (63.5%) showed high ER expression (H-score >200), including 27 (31.8%) with high expression of ER and PR. Fifty-two tumors (61.1%) showed HER2 3+ staining. Mean HER2/CEP17 ratio by FISH was 3.6 (range, 2-12.2) and mean HER2 signals per cell was 8 (range, 3.7-30.4). Pathologic complete response (pCR) rate was 35.3% (30 of 85). HER2 3+ staining was the only significant predictor of pCR on multivariate analysis (odds ratio = 9.215; 95% CI, 2.401-35.371; P < .001). The ER/PR expression did not correlate with response to therapy. CONCLUSIONS.— TPBCs are heterogeneous with some showing mucinous, lobular, or micropapillary differentiation. The pCR rate of TPBCs is similar to that reported for ER+/PR-/HER2+ tumors. HER2 overexpression by IHC was associated with significantly better response to therapy and may help select patients for treatment in the neoadjuvant setting.
Disability Discrimination Using AI Systems, Social Media and Digital Platforms: Can We Disable Digital Bias?

Social media platforms and digital technological tools have transformed how people manage their day-to-day lives, socially as well as professionally. Big data algorithms help us improve our decision-making processes, and sophisticated social networks, enable us to get connected to other individuals and organizations, get exposed to information, and even learn about different opportunities. But as individuals come to be more and more comfortable with social networks and big data algorithms, fewer give much thought to how personal data gleaned from social networks and fed into algorithms affects the administration of government and the provision of private services. Algorithmic assessment of personal characteristics enables widescale discrimination by government and private entities, and such discrimination is particularly pernicious for persons with disabilities. According to the social model of disability, disability is not only inherent to the individual and determined by the impairment but is also a product of the social environment. Social expectations, conventions, and technology determine which traits are outside the norm and which traits are disabling. Whether a technology perpetuates or mitigates disability depends on social norms, including norms that are embedded in law. A wheelchair might mitigate the impairment, but only if legal rules dictate a built environment where wheelchair users and non-wheelchair users can move in a similar fashion, can the disability be mitigated. Similarly, digital technologies can limit the ways in which some traits are disabling only if bias and discriminatory features against individuals with disabilities are not embedded within their use. We must ensure that technology developments continue to improve the life quality and opportunities for individuals with disabilities, and that we design systems that better accommodate the disabled, enhance their access, and help level the playing field between them and the able-bodied. We should regulate to ensure that individuals with disabilities are legally protected from discrimination. Additionally, and not less importantly, we must make sure that individuals with disabilities are not left out of innovations because of the difficulty in detecting the different types of disabilities as well as disability bias, proving it, and designing around it.
Superior Improvements in Knee Pain and Function with a Novel Synthetic Medial Meniscus Replacement Implant Compared to Non-surgical Care in Subjects with Knee Pain Following Partial Meniscectomy: Two-year Results from Two Prospective US Clinical Trials:

Objectives:Arthroscopic partial meniscectomy (APM) is the most common surgical treatment for symptomatic, irreparable meniscal tears that do not improve with non-surgical care. For many patients, A...
Risk and the Volatility Anomaly

Is the long-term volatility anomaly a function of risk measure choice? Using such symmetric risk measures as beta and variance, the volatility anomaly is apparent in the United States and 21 other global equity markets. This study finds less support for the volatility anomaly when symmetric risk measures are replaced with their asymmetric risk counterparts: relative variance (negative semivariance minus variance) and relative beta (downside beta minus beta). When relative variance is the sorting variable, the expected positive risk–return relationship is restored. Strategies of buying low-variance or low-beta stocks and shorting high-variance or high-beta stocks generate positive monthly risk-adjusted returns in nearly one-third of the sample. These results reverse or disappear, however, when relative variance or relative beta are the sorting variables. Portfolio matching shows that portfolios sorted on variance versus relative variance are truly different portfolios, and the same result holds true for portfolios sorted on beta versus relative beta.
Chapter 42 Power, distortions, revolt and reform in agricultural land relations

Publisher Summary This chapter inquires into the efficiency and equity consequences of rental and sales markets for agricultural land in the developing world. Most of the work on the relationship between farm size and productivity strongly suggests that farms that rely mostly on family labor have higher productivity levels than large farms operated primarily with hired labor. An examination of the historical evolution of land rights shows the reason for the deviations: rights over land and the concentration of ownership observed in most developing countries at the end of World War II are outgrowths of power relationships. The chapter describes the variety of land relations and their consequences for the efficiency of agricultural production. The chapter also we examines how these power relations emerged and what legal means enabled relatively few landowners to accumulate and hold on to large landholdings. The methodological epilogue examines how various strands of economic theory have contributed, or failed to contribute, to the explanation of variations in policies, distortions and land relations over space and time.
Genetically Alterable Transport of Amethopterin in Diplococcus pneumoniae I. Physiological Properties and Kinetics of the Wild-type System

A system of H(3)-amethopterin uptake, physiologically and kinetically resembling active transport, has been described in Diplococcus pneumoniae. Uptake by this system has a pH optimum near 6.0, is temperature-dependent, requires a readily available source of energy, and conforms to Michaelis-Menten kinetics. The system showed a K(m) of 0.9 x 10(-6)m and a V(max) of 1.9 x 10(-13) moles per min per mg (dry weight). Both folate and H(2)-folate compete with H(3)-amethopterin for the same system, but to a limited degree. The intracellular concentration of H(3)-amethopterin accumulated at equilibrium was 1.06 x 10(-9) moles/ml or fivefold the external concentration when the latter was limiting, but at least 60-fold the internal concentration attained solely by diffusion in the same time interval at 0 C.
African politics in comparative perspective

This 2006 book reviews fifty years of research on politics in Africa. It synthesizes insights from different scholarly approaches and offers an interpretation of the knowledge accumulated over the years. It discusses how research on African politics relates to the study of politics in other regions. It focuses on such key issues as the legacy of a movement approach to political change, the nature of the state, the economy of a location, the policy deficit, the agrarian question, gender and politics and ethnicity and conflict. It ends by reviewing what scholars agree upon and what the accumulated knowledge offers as insights for more effective political and policy reforms. This book is for undergraduate and graduate courses in African and Comparative Politics as well as development-oriented courses in Political Science and related disciplines. It is also of great relevance to governance and development analysts and practitioners in international organizations.
Improved Force Control for Conventional Arms Using Wrist-Based Torque Feedback

Torque control is an effective technique for improving robot performance. However, most conventional robots are not equipped with torque sensors, and they are difficult to add without modifying the robot's mechanical structure. To address this problem, we have developed a new method that allows torque feedback to be implemented in the absence of joint-torque sensors. This technique estimates the torque components acting in the force-control subspace, using a conventional wrist force sensor. We have implemented and experimentally validated this approach using a PUMA 560 manipulator. Our results confirm the effectiveness of this method in dealing with the limitations of conventional actuation/transmission systems.
Performance Analysis of a Parallel PCS Network Simulation

This paper presents an analytical performance study of a parallel simulation testbed for PCS networks, called Simulator of Wireless Mobile Networks (SWiMNet), and reports experimental results obtained using a realistic model executed on a cluster of workstations. SWiMNet achieves linear speedup, thereby significantly reducing the execution time of a PCS network simulation. Performance results demonstrate that our simulation model is consistent with the analytical study.
Bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase. 19F-nuclear magnetic resonance observations at 5-fluorouracil-substituted promoter DNA and RNA transcript.

We have substituted 5-fluorodeoxyuridine (5-FdU) in place of thymidine in defined positions along synthetic bacteriophage T7 promoter DNA sequences. None of the fluoro-substitutions in the promoter DNA sequence reduced transcription yields with T7 RNA polymerase significantly. Substitutions on the coding template strand reduced transcription yields when placed at +3, but not at +4. 19 F-n.m.r. spectra from transcription reactions and gel analysis of transcription products show that T7 RNA polymerase correctly and efficiently utilizes 5-FUTP as a RNA substrate analog. The fluorine atom provides a sensitive probe for monitoring the local environment, base sequence and solvent exposure at the DNA major groove through its 19F-n.m.r. resonance. Buffer dependencies of the fluorine chemical shift and digestion patterns with DNase I suggest that the T7 promoter base-pairs near the transcription start site are distorted with a more open minor groove and less solvent accessible major groove. Previous chemical footprinting data of promoter-polymerase complexes yield a picture that T7 RNA polymerase recognizes major groove features in the region from positions -7 to -11 and minor groove features on the same side of DNA flanking both sides of this region. Consistent with this, 19F-n.m.r. observations identify two additional positions, -8 and -17, involved in promoter recognition on this side of the DNA helix. On the other hand, our observations also implicate the opposite side of the DNA helix, primarily at positions -14 and -15, as major groove recognition sites for T7 RNA polymerase. In addition, n.m.r. spectra from 5-FdU-substituted base-pairs -2 and -3, suggest either additional interactions on the same side of the DNA helix as -14 and -15, or distortions in the DNA structure.
CURRENT AND FUTURE COMMUNICATION SATELLITE TECHNOLOGY

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the current and future communication satellite technology. The possible future communication satellite services are single-channel circuits to ships, single-channel circuits to aircraft, TV broadcast service to small installations, single-channel voice circuits to land-mobile installations, and single-channel voice circuits to land-fixed installations. Current communication satellites already represent a very high state of technology, and the chapter also discusses future developments in this technology. Further reductions in the cost of satellite communication for mobile and small, fixed terminals will require significant technical advances. In most satellite communication systems, system capacity is determined by the downlink from the satellite to the ground. This follows because it is invariably easier to generate radio frequency power on the ground than in a satellite. Hence, the uplinks have larger margins than the downlinks, assuming equal antenna gains for both directions. The chapter discusses key parameters that determine downlink capacity. The satellite transmitting antenna gain determines the ability of the satellite to focus power on the surface receiver. The terminal receiving antenna determines the amount of signal that can be captured. The receiver noise level then sets the received signal-to-noise ratio, and the modulation system determines how well the signal power can be used.
Relationships Between Neurosociology, Foundational Social Behaviorism, and Currents in Symbolic Interaction

This chapter discusses the contributions of neurosociology to what symbolic interactionists refer to as the foundational social behaviorism of G.H. Mead. First, the varieties in symbolic interaction are described. A theme of this chapter is that if a field so different from symbolic interaction as neuroscience can contribute to it, then neuroscience can certainly contribute to all of sociology. This chapter starts with describing symbolic interaction’s early interest in aphasia, then how it supports accounts through evidence given by split-brain research. Then memory is shown to be highly unreliable and interpretive. Much of this chapter describes the issues that created pragmatism and closes with how mirror neurons support the philosophy of pragmatism and contribute to our ability to speak, another area critical to symbolic interaction.
Neuropsychiatric Function in Chronic Lung Disease: the Role of Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Chronic lung disease is associated with increased psychological distress (especially anxiety and depression) and neuropsychological impairments (primarily in flexible problem-solving and information-sequencing), which decrease quality of life, disease management, and survival. This review summarizes current data regarding the prevalence of neuropsychiatric disorders, the assessment tools commonly used to measure and monitor neuropsychiatric symptoms, the effect of pulmonary rehabilitation on neuropsychiatric symptoms, the mechanisms by which exercise rehabilitation may influence neuropsychiatric functioning, and the clinical implications of the data.
Stage dependent transfer of systemically injected foreign protein antigen and radiolabel into mouse ovarian follicles.

The appearance of albumin-like antigen and of radioisotope in mouse ovarian follicles following the systemic injection of 10 mg human serum albumin I131 (HSAI131) was studied by immunohistological and autoradiographic methods. Both isotope and antigen appeared in granulosa cell cytoplasm, ooplasm and oocyte nuclei in similar (or identical) positions. Qualitative impressions from fluorescent antibody preparations were that follicle stages (I, smallest; IX, largest) differed in relative amounts of detectable albumin-like antigen. In addition, autoradiographic grain counts over 1421 follicles, compared by Sign Test, demonstrated statistically significant stage differences in amount of isotope detected. Radiolabel (and HSA-like antigen) in ooplasm was highest at Stages I and VII-IX and lowest at Stage III. Granulosa cell amounts were highest at Stage III and higher than or equal to ooplasm amounts at every other stage (except, perhaps IX). The relative amount of “label,” antigenic or isotopic, in oocyte nuclei was always less than in ooplasm and increase or decrease occurred one stage later than in ooplasm. The relative amount of radiolabel in ovarian blood vessels always exceeded that in granulosa cells and oocytes. The data are consistent with the interpretation that: (a) systemically injected foreign protein was transferred without major degradation from the blood to constituent cells of the mouse ovarian follicle; (b) transfer was stage dependent; (c) transfer occurred both before granulosa cells completely surrounded the oocyte and after oocyte microvilli and granulosa cell processes interdigitated; and, (d) transfer followed a concentration gradient.
Tolerance and Efficacy of Enteral Nutrition for Neurosurgical Patients in Pentobarbital Coma

This retrospective study examined the tolerance of enteral nutrition in 32 of 67 consecutive, neurosurgical patients placed into pentobarbital-induced coma for intractable intracranial hypertension. Patients who had received at least 4 days of enteral nutrition were included. Patients with 500 ml watery stool for 2 days, abdominal distention, or duodenal-gastric reflux) was observed in 3 of 32 patients. The patients received daily, on average, 92% ± 24% calories of their measured energy expenditure. This study demonstrates that patients placed into barbiturate coma can be successfully fed by the enteral route.
CLARIFYING THE CONVERGENCE BETWEEN OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE PERSONALITY DISORDER CRITERIA AND OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER

In this study we examined the convergence between obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) criteria and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Baseline assessments of 629 participants of the Collaborative Longitudinal Personality Disorders Study were used to examine the associations between OCPD criteria and diagnoses of OCD. Three of the eight OCPD criteria--hoarding, perfectionism, and preoccupation with details--were significantly more frequent in subjects with OCD (n = 89) than in subjects without OCD (n = 540). Logistic regressions were used to predict the probability of each OCPD criterion as a function of Axis I diagnoses (OCD, additional anxiety disorders, and major depressive disorder). Associations between OCD and these three OCPD criteria remained significant in the logistic regressions, showing unique associations with OCD and odds ratios ranging from 2.71 to 2.99. In addition, other anxiety disorders and major depressive disorder showed few associations with specific OCPD criteria. This study suggests variability in the strength of the relationships between specific OCPD criteria and OCD. The findings also support a unique relationship between OCPD symptoms and OCD, compared to other anxiety disorders or major depression. Future efforts to explore the link between Axis I and Axis II disorders may be enriched by conducting analyses at the symptom level.
The crystal structure of a metastable binary phase related to β-Ga: β'-Ga(In)

Abstract A metastable GaIn phase with 9–12 at.% In has been prepared by rapid quenching (splat cooling) to ∼ 80°K. The structure of this phase was found to be orthorhombic, α-U type, Cmcm, a0 = 2.770 ± 1A, b0 = 8.183 ± 4A, c0 = 3.306 ± 2A, V atom 18.73 ± 2 A3 (at 10 at.% In and ∼ 80°K), with disordered Ga1−xInx atoms in position 4(c) with y = 0.127 ± 4. β′-Ga(In) is structurally closely related to monoclinic β-Ga, and it can be considered as a distorted metastable binary extension of β-Ga.
Improvement of memory by a vasopressin fragment: importance of individual differences in mnemonic function

Three studies examined the effect of AVP4-9 on memory in an appetitively motivated task (the radial maze) to ascertain the generality of the mnemonic effects seen with vasopressin analogues in avoidance paradigms. Both pre- and posttrial administration of this vasopressin fragment significantly alleviated the forgetting seen in the control condition. However, a significant relation was observed between the proficiency of the rats and the degree to which their performance was improved by the posttrial AVP4-9 treatment. The more proficient subjects did not benefit from this treatment despite the fact that their performance provided evidence of significant forgetting. This pattern of results suggests that physiological differences of animals varying in mnemonic ability may account for their disparate response to the peptide treatment. The present findings support vasopressin's putative mnemonic role but indicate that exogenous administration of vasopressinlike peptides may improve memory only in certain subgroups, and possibly only under particular testing conditions.
Hyperplasia of Uterine Muscle, as Studied by the Colchicine Method:

Summary And Conclusions(1) The muscles of the uterus of the ovariectomized mouse and rat undergo hyperplasia in response to ovarian follicular hormone (theelin) and a similar response is obtained in normal animals injected with prephysin and pregnant mares' serum. (2) The mitotic index, accentuated by arrest of mitosis in metaphase with colchicine, makes this new evidence especially convincing. (3) The highest index is obtained after 2 or more days of hormone action when the uterus is distended by secretion, as occurs at estrus in the mouse and rat. (4) The uterus of the ovariectomized rabbit, distended with paraffin pellets, but not treated with sex hormones, also shows hyperplasia at the sites of distention. As many as 50 mitoses may be counted in the muscle in one cross section of the uterus after 73 hours of distention. The endometrium in the same section contains few mitoses, is infiltrated with leucocytes and shows other signs of castrate atrophy. (5) Apparently both (a) endocrine stimulation and (b...