cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Blood parasites of Pekin Robins (Liothrix luteus).

SYNOPSIS. The Pekin Robin (Liothrix luteus) is a species of babbler (Timaliidae) native to Southeast Asia. Except for Plasmodium tenue, a malaria parasite of the subgenus Novyella and much like P. vaughani, with which they are very commonly infected, these birds seem remarkably free of blood parasites. Of 152 birds examined, 4 harbored Leucocytozoon; no infections with Haemoproteus, trypanosomes, Atoxoplasma, or microfilariae were observed. Blood inoculation from 50 Pekin Robins into canaries revealed 3 P. relictum infections. Experimental inoculation of Pekin Robins with no evidence of prior malarial infection, with 6 species of Plasmodium, P. cathemerium, P. circumflexum, P. elongatum, P. octamerium, P. paranucleophilum, and P. vaughani, gave negative results; evidently the birds have a very unusual resistance to malaria (other than P. tenue). Their insusceptibility to P. vaughani is additional evidence of the validity of P. tenue as a species.
The sensitivity of terrestrial carbon storage to historical climate variability and atmospheric CO2 in the United States

We use the Terrestrial Ecosystem Model (TEM, Version 4.1) and the land cover data set of the international geosphere–biosphere program to investigate how increasing atmospheric CO 2 concentration and climate variability during 1900–1994 affect the carbon storage of terrestrial ecosystems in the conterminous USA, and how carbon storage has been affected by land-use change. The estimates of TEM indicate that over the past 95 years a combination of increasing atmospheric CO 2 with historical temperature and precipitation variability causes a 4.2% (4.3 Pg C) decrease in total carbon storage of potential vegetation in the conterminous US, with vegetation carbon decreasing by 7.2% (3.2 Pg C) and soil organic carbon decreasing by 1.9% (1.1 Pg C). Several dry periods including the 1930s and 1950s are responsible for the loss of carbon storage. Our factorial experiments indicate that precipitation variability alone decreases total carbon storage by 9.5%. Temperature variability alone does not significantly affect carbon storage. The effect of CO 2 fertilization alone increases total carbon storage by 4.4%. The effects of increasing atmospheric CO 2 and climate variability are not additive. Interactions among CO 2 , temperature and precipitation increase total carbon storage by 1.1%. Our study also shows substantial year-to-year variations in net carbon exchange between the atmosphere and terrestrial ecosystems due to climate variability. Since the 1960s, we estimate these terrestrial ecosystems have acted primarily as a sink of atmospheric CO 2 as a result of wetter weather and higher atmospheric CO 2 concentrations. For the 1980s, we estimate the natural terrestrial ecosystems, excluding cropland and urban areas, of the conterminous US have accumulated 78.2 Tg C yr −1 because of the combined effect of increasing atmospheric CO 2 and climate variability. For the conterminous US, we estimate that the conversion of natural ecosystems to cropland and urban areas has caused a 18.2% (17.7 Pg C) reduction in total carbon storage from that estimated for potential vegetation. The carbon sink capacity of natural terrestrial ecosystems in the conterminous US is about 69% of that estimated for potential vegetation. DOI: 10.1034/j.1600-0889.1999.00021.x
Osteoporosis in men: recent progress

As osteoporosis in men has been recognized as an important clinical problem, new information is being accumulated on its scope, pathophysiology, evaluation, and treatment. Fracture risk calculators, such as FRAX, identify a large proportion of the older male population to be at heightened risk for fracture. The classification of osteoporosis into primary and secondary forms, while still useful, is affected by the fact that many men have multiple contributing factors to their fracture risk. The role of sex steroids is being better defined as other risk factors for fracture are delineated. As longevity continues to increase in men and until osteoporotic fracture is truly recognized as a potentially fatal disorder, many men will be undiagnosed and untreated. Two recent studies provide more evidence that treatments which decrease fracture risk in women do the same in men. With the publication of guidelines and increasing strength of evidence for treatment efficacy, it is hoped that more men will be evaluated and treated for this often neglected disorder.
Early Fading of Thermolummescence induced by Radiation in Lithium Fluoride

IN a previous report1 the fading of thermoluminescence induced by ionizing radiation in lithium fluoride has been discussed, but little attention has been paid to fading that may occur during the first 24 h after irradiation. Knowledge of, or elimination of, early fading will be of interest when it is desired to read out, with a precision of a few per cent, a group of samples soon after irradiation. Some users of lithium fluoride wait 24 h until the rate of fading has decreased enough so that fading will be negligible during the measurement of all the samples. Under certain circumstances, however, this delay is inconvenient.
Integrating verbal quantitative information

An experiment is reported where we explore whether people can effectively integrate quantitatively vague information. Subjects were first asked to assign numerical values to the terms much, slightly, larger, and smaller. In a separate session 1 week later, they were asked to solve linear syllogism problems such as A is slightly larger than B, C is much smaller than B, therefore A is... units distant from C. Results indicate that the mean numerical values assigned to the terms in the syllogisms can be used to predict solutions to the syllogism problems, suggesting that subjects can integrate verbal quantitative information.
Investigation of basic imaging properties in digital radiography. 7. Noise Wiener spectra of II-TV digital imaging systems.

We used Wiener spectral analysis in order to investigate the different noise sources and the effects of various parameters such as pixel size, image intensifier (II) field size, and exposure level on the noise in an II–TV digital system. The digital Wiener spectra in terms of relative x‐ray intensity were determined directly from the digital noise data in terms of pixel values, by use of the characteristic curve of the imaging system. From averaged, subtracted, and/or combination images, the amount of structure mottle relative to the amount of quantum mottle was estimated. We found that a substantial amount of structure mottle was included in our II–TV digital subtraction angiography system, whereas the electronic noise of the TV system was quite small relative to the quantum and structure mottle. The effects of time jitter on the noise in single‐frame images (consisting of multiple video frames) and in subtracted and averaged images were also investigated.
Cops and robbers (and eyewitnesses): a comparison of lineup administration by robbery detectives in the USA and Canada

The purpose of this study was to determine how American and Canadian robbery detectives collect identification evidence and whether their practices are consistent with published guidelines. Via a survey, we asked about the use of various lineup practices (e.g., single-blind vs. double-blind administration, sequential vs. simultaneous presentation, and videotaping). Canadian detectives are more likely to use research-based reforms such as double-blind sequential lineups and videotaping. We also assessed how robbery detectives interact with eyewitnesses at four points during a lineup: prior to the lineup, immediately after an identification, and after 12 seconds and 3 minutes have elapsed without an identification. Results showed that at the latter two junctures, officers from both the countries question eyewitnesses in subtle ways that could influence the likelihood of choosing and confidence in the selection. Canadian detectives are less likely than American detectives to do so, however. This finding can ...
Racial Differences in Obesity Risk Knowledge among Low-Income Reproductive-Age Women

Objective: To examine the level of obesity risk knowledge (ORK) among reproductive-age women and racial differences associated with it.Methods: We conducted this study based on cross-sectional data gathered from 1153 (310 whites, 491 blacks, 335 Hispanics, and 17 others) low-income women (16–40 years old) attending publicly funded reproductive health clinics in Texas during 2010–2011. Data were collected through self-administered questionnaires that assessed sociodemographics and ORK based on ORK-10 scale.Results: The mean score was 5.9, 5.3, and 5.3 (possible score 0–10) for whites, blacks, and Hispanics, respectively. Acculturated Hispanic women had mean ORK scores (mean score 5.8) similar to scores of whites. Multiple linear regression analysis after adjusting for confounders showed that ORK score was lower among black (β coefficient = −0.6; p < 0.001) and Hispanic (β coefficient = −0.4; p = 0.002) women than among white women. Age, high school diploma or college level education, and Internet use, but ...
Two- and three-spin cluster theory of spin-glasses

The cluster effect of spin-glasses is studied on the basis of the two- and three-spin cluster theory. In contrast to ordinary ferromagnets, the effective field containing the cluster effect is shown to be different from that containing no cluster effect, even at absolute zero. Numerical calculations are performed for the infinite-range model with 50 and 16 spins. It is shown that the solutions of the two-spin cluster equations at zero temperature are located at the bottom of deep valleys in the energy space. At finite temperatures the relationship between the local energy structure around the ground state and the existence of well behaved solutions is investigated. The Hessian matrix is examined also. The character of the lowest eigenvector of the Hessian matrix is found to be "localized" at low temperatures, while it is "extended" near the transition temperature. The effect of three-spin clusters is shown to play an important role in the temperature region where the three-spin cluster begins to be excited.
Life-span, T-cell responses, and incidence of lymphomas in congenic mice.

Survival, T-cell functions, and postmortem histopathology were studied in H-2 congenic strains of mice bearing H-2b, H-2k, and H-2d haplotypes. Males lived longer than females in all homozygous and heterozygous combinations except for H-2d homozygotes, which showed no differences between males and females. Association of heterozygosity with longer survival was observed only with H-2b/H-2b and H-2b/H-2d mice. Analysis using classification and regression trees (CART) showed that both males and females of H-2b homozygous and H-2k/H-2b mice had the shortest life-span of the strains studied. In histopathological analyses, lymphomas were noted to be more frequent in females, while hemangiosarcomas and hepatomas were more frequent in males. Lymphomas appeared earlier than hepatomas or hemangiosarcomas. The incidence of lymphomas was associated with the H-2 haplotype--e.g., H-2b homozygous mice had more lymphomas than did mice of the H-2d haplotype. More vigorous T-cell function was maintained with age (27 months) in H-2d, H-2b/H-2d, and H-2d/H-2k mice as compared with H-2b, H-2k, and H-2b/H-2k mice, which showed a decline of T-cell responses with age.
Reciprocal Changes in Serum Concentrations of 3,3′,5′-Triiodothyronine (Reverse T3) and 3,3′5-Triiodothyronine (T3) in Systemic Illnesses

Serum concentrations of 3,3′,5′-triiodothyronine (reverse T3, rT3) were measured in adult patients with several systemic illnesses whose serum total and/or free T3 were low, serum total T4 was low or normal, and free T4 was either normal or elevated. The mean serum rT3 was 76, 46, and 77 ng per 100 ml in patients with hepatic cirrhosis, chronic renal failure, and acute febrile illnesses, respectively; the values in patients with hepatic cirrhosis and acute febrile illness were significantly higher than, and values in patients with renal failure did not differ significantly from, the mean serum rT3 (41 ng per 100 ml) in normal subjects. The mean serum rT3 in another group of patients from Calcutta, India, who had severe protein calorie malnutrition (PCM), was 53 ng per 100 ml; it was significantly higher than the corresponding value, 22 ng per 100 ml, in the same patients after feeding treatment. Mean serum rT3 in patients with systemic illnesses was not so high as that (151 ng per 100 ml) in the normal ne...
Transforming growth factor β regulation of cell proliferation

Abstract Two types of transforming growth factors (TGF) have been purified and well characterized, TGF alpha and TGF beta. TGF alpha is a 5.6 kD single chain molecule that shows sequence homology to epidermal growth factor (EGF), binds to the EGF receptor, and has biological effects very similar to those of EGF. TGF beta is different from TGF alpha in its molecular structure and biological activity, and has its own specific cell surface receptor. TGF beta is a 25 kD homodimer of 12.5 kD subunits that shows no sequence homology to TGF alpha. TGF beta is a highly ubiquitous molecule produced by a variety of cell types in an inactive form. Most cells have receptors for TGF beta, suggesting that a major regulatory step in TGF beta action is through activation of the inactive form. Growth stimulatory effects with TGF beta have been observed so far only in fibroblastic cells. In at least one circumstance, there is evidence that the stimulatory effects of TGF beta in fibroblastic cells is indirect through induction of c-sis and autocrine stimulation by platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-like material. TGF beta inhibits in vitro proliferation of most cell types tested, including normal epithelial cells. Thus TGF beta is primarily a growth inhibitor and not a classical growth factor. Increased autocrine stimulation by endogenous TGF beta in fibroblastic cells or decreased inhibitory effects in epithelial cells (or other cells normally inhibited by TGF beta) could lead to an increased proliferative potential and thereby contribute to the neoplastic phenotype.
Painlevé expansions for nonintegrable evolution equations

Abstract The WTC method is applied to a variety of nonintegrable nonlinear evolution equations and shown to provide a systematic procedure for obtaining special solutions. Some of the special techniques developed for integrable systems are also shown to be applicable to nonintegrable equations.
The impact of electoral reform at the local level in Africa: the case of Senegal's 1996 local elections

Abstract Local electoral systems in transitional polities can play a critical role in the growth and development of democratic governance. In this study, the impact of electoral system change at the subnational level in an African nation, Senegal, is examined. Senegal recently altered the electoral system it employs for the selection of its local and municipal councils. The mixed plurality-proportional system, favors the largest parties. It clearly introduced distortions between the distribution of voter support and seats on councils. These distortions are modified by the proportional part of the vote which provides opportunities for smaller parties to obtain seats. The presence and impact of strategic entry and strategic voting, both in rural and urban areas is assessed.
An approximate algorithm for estimating treatment lags from right censored data

Abstract The problem of likelihood estimate of a function, given limited data and a set of constraints, finds many practical applications. One of them is the lag function estimation for treatment effects in clinical trials. However, searching for the global optimum in such problems often turns out to be prohibitively complex. In this paper, we present an algorithm that can be effectively used to approximate such solutions. This algorithm modifies standard genetic algorithms, which model the natural processes of information inheritance and selective pressure. The most important modifications deal with the complex strong constraints imposed on the sought solution. We present few experiments with a simplified version of the problem and discuss possible future extensions that relax the restrictions.
Optical and Electrical Properties of Colloidal Quantum Dots in Electrolytic Environments: Using Biomolecular Links in Chemically-Directed Assembly of Quantum Dot Networks

The threshold of the absorption spectra of colloidal cadmium sulfide (CdS) quantum dots in electrolytic solutions is shown to shift as the concentration of the electrolyte is varied. The shift in the absorption threshold as a function of the electrolytic concentration is given by electrolytic screening of the field caused by the intrinsic spontaneous polarization of these wurtzite quantum dots. These electrolyte-dependent absorption properties are compared with Fermi-level tuning in carbon nanotubes in electrolytic environments.
The Child Born with Ambiguous Genitalia: Famil Y Assessment and Nursing Inter Vention

Sexual ambiguity in childhood can have a devastating effect on the family unit. Families need to have information given by concerned and knowledgeable health professionals. As health professionals we need to know what questions to ask and how to identify when families are experiencing difficulties in management and adjustment. This article presents one nurse's experience with a family and the problems and issues faced from the birth of the child and gender assignment through the subsequent reconstructive surgeries. Practical suggestions are given on how to lessen the stresses faced by the family.
Group-centrality and impact of large-scale localized faults in spatial networks

Major catastrophes such as hurricanes and weapons of mass destruction are expected to introduce large-scale and localized faults on a network. Analyzing the impact of such faults in the network is extremely difficult and can also get computationally expensive in large complex networks. In this work, we address the issue of predicting the impact of large-scale localized faults by evaluating the centrality of the fault region. This work proposes mapping a network to network of overlapping regions to create failure scenarios. Well-known centrality measures are used over the region network to determine the centrality indices of the regions. The physical impact of the failures is measured by the relative loss in network measures such as connectivity and efficiency. The performance of the centrality measure is evaluated by the accuracy of its prediction. The experimental results confirm that the region-based centrality index of a region gives a fair prediction of the impact of the region's failure.1
Risk factors for revision surgery after humeral head replacement: 1,431 shoulders over 3 decades

Hypothesis To assess the long-term risk of revision surgery and its predictors after humeral head replacement (HHR). Methods We used prospectively collected data from the Mayo Clinic Total Joint Registry and other institutional electronic databases. Revision-free survival for HHR at 5, 10, and 20 years was calculated by use of Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. We used univariate and multivariate-adjusted Cox regression analyses to examine the association of age, gender, body mass index (BMI), comorbidity assessed by Deyo-Charlson index, American Society of Anesthesiologists class, implant fixation (cemented vs uncemented), and underlying diagnosis with the risk of revision surgery. Hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and P values are presented. Results During the study period (1976-2008), 1,359 patients underwent 1,431 shoulder HHRs. The mean age was 63 years, 63% of patients were female, the mean BMI was 28 kg/m 2 , and 60% of implants were cemented. During the follow-up, 114 HHRs were revised. At 5, 10, and 20 years, the shoulder implant survival rate was 93.6% (95% CI, 92.1%-95%), 90% (95% CI, 88%-92%), and 85% (95% CI, 81.8%-88.4%), respectively. In multivariate-adjusted analyses, older age was associated with a lower hazard of revision, with a hazard ratio of 0.97 (95% CI, 0.96-0.99; P P = .02). Conclusions Long-term survival of HHR at 20 years was excellent. Obesity and younger age are risk factors for a higher revision rate after HHR. Further studies should investigate the biologic rationale for these important associations. Surgeons can discuss these differences in revision risk with patients, especially young obese patients.
USGS42 and USGS43: Human-hair stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopic reference materials and analytical methods for forensic science and implications for published measurement results

Abstract Because there are no internationally distributed stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopic reference materials of human hair, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has prepared two such materials, USGS42 and USGS43. These reference materials span values commonly encountered in human hair stable isotope analysis and are isotopically homogeneous at sample sizes larger than 0.2 mg. USGS42 and USGS43 human-hair isotopic reference materials are intended for calibration of δ2H and δ18O measurements of unknown human hair by quantifying (1) drift with time, (2) mass-dependent isotopic fractionation, and (3) isotope-ratio-scale contraction. While they are intended for measurements of the stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen, they also are suitable for measurements of the stable isotopes of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur in human and mammalian hair. Preliminary isotopic compositions of the non-exchangeable fractions of these materials are USGS 42 ( Tibetan hair ) δ 2 H VSMOW – SLAP = − 78.5 ± 2.3 ‰ ( n = 62 ) and δ 18 O VSMOW – SLAP = + 8.56 ± 0.10 ‰ ( n = 18 ) USGS 43 ( Indian hair ) δ 2 H VSMOW – SLAP = − 50.3 ± 2.8 ‰ ( n = 64 ) and δ 18 O VSMOW – SLAP = + 14.11 ± 0.10 ‰ ( n = 18 ) Using recommended analytical protocols presented herein for δ2HVSMOW–SLAP and δ18OVSMOW–SLAP measurements, the least squares fit regression of 11 human hair reference materials is δ 2 H VSMOW – SLAP = 6.085 δ 18 O VSMOW – SLAP − 136.0 ‰ with an R-square value of 0.95. The δ2H difference between the calibrated results of human hair in this investigation and a commonly accepted human–hair relationship is a remarkable 34‰. It is critical that readers pay attention to the δ2HVSMOW–SLAP and δ18OVSMOW–SLAP of isotopic reference materials in publications, and they need to adjust the δ2HVSMOW–SLAP and δ18OVSMOW–SLAP measurement results of human hair in previous publications, as needed, to ensure all results on are on the same scales.
A method to evaluate critical J-integral value: locus method

Abstract A method which evaluates the critical J-integral value (J c ) by utilizing the locus of crack initiation points on load-displacement records is presented. This method partitions the fracture energy along the locus line based on an energy rate interpretation. The shape of the locus line depends on both the material and the configuration of the specimen. Since the fracture energy can be partitioned even along a nonlinear locus line, the method is also suitable for highly deformable materials, which usually exhibit a nonlinear locus line. In order to validate this point, a thermoplastic rubber was used for experimental study. The experimental results show that J c can be evaluated by this method without restricting the ratio of the initial crack length to the specimen width (a/w) or the specimen length provided that the locus line can be located on the load-displacement record.
Terminal Sedation as Palliative Care: Revalidating a Right to a Good Death

Not everyone finds a “salvific meaning” in suffering. Indeed, even those who do subscribe to this interpretation recognize the responsibility of each individual to show not only sensitivity and compassion but render assistance to those in distress. Pharmacologic hypnosis, morphine intoxication, and terminal sedation provide their own type of medical “salvation” to the terminally ill patient suffering unremitting pain. More and more states are enacting legislation that recognizes this need of the dying to receive relief through regulated administration of controlled substances. Wider legislative recognition of this need would go far toward allowing physicians, in the exercise of their reasonable medical judgment, to administer a range of narcotics and barbiturates to the terminally ill without fear of legal sanctions. Sadly, social attitudes and governmental concerns about the spread of drug addiction provide an undeniable policy nexus that impedes unduly a rational approach or exception for the treatment of pain experienced by the dying.
Rubinstein–Taybi syndrome associated with Chiari type I malformation caused by a large 16p13.3 microdeletion: A contiguous gene syndrome?†

Rubinstein–Taybi Syndrome (RSTS, OMIM 180849) is a rare condition, which in 65% of cases is caused by haploinsufficiency of CREBBP (cAMP response element binding protein binding protein) localized to 16p13.3. A small subset of RSTS cases caused by 16p13.3 microdeletions involving neighboring genes have been recently suggested to be a true contiguous gene syndrome called severe RSTS or 16p13.3 deletion syndrome (OMIM 610543). In the present report, we describe a case of a 2-year-old female with RSTS who, besides most of the typical features of RSTS has corpus callosum dysgenesis and a Chiari type I malformation which required neurosurgical decompression. CGH microarray showed a ∼520.7 kb microdeletion on 16p13.3 involving CREBBP, ADCY9, and SRL genes. We hypothesize that the manifestations in this patient might be influenced by the haploinsufficiency for ADCY9 and SRL. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The Bayes Decision Rule Induced Similarity Measures

This paper first shows that the popular whitened cosine similarity measure is related to the Bayes decision rule under specific assumptions and then presents two new similarity measures: the PRM whitened cosine (PWC) similarity measure and the within-class whitened cosine (WWC) similarity measure. Experiments on face recognition using the Face Recognition Grand Challenge (FRGC) version 2 database show the effectiveness of the new measures
Quantum Griffiths phase in the weak itinerant ferromagnetic alloy Ni(1-x)V(x).

We present magnetization ($M$) data of the $d$-metal alloy ${\mathrm{Ni}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{V}}_{x}$ at vanadium concentrations close to ${x}_{c}\ensuremath{\approx}11.4%$ where the onset of long-range ferromagnetic (FM) order is suppressed to zero temperature. Above ${x}_{c}$, the temperature ($T$) and magnetic field ($H$) dependencies of the magnetization are best described by simple nonuniversal power laws. The exponents of $M/H\ensuremath{\sim}{T}^{\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\gamma}}$ and $M\ensuremath{\sim}{H}^{\ensuremath{\alpha}}$ are related by $1\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\gamma}=\ensuremath{\alpha}$ for wide temperature ($10lT\ensuremath{\le}300\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{K}$) and field ($H\ensuremath{\le}5\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{T}$) ranges. $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ is strongly $x$ dependent, decreasing from 1 at $x\ensuremath{\approx}{x}_{c}$ to $\ensuremath{\gamma}l0.1$ for $x=15%$. This behavior is not compatible with either classical or quantum critical behavior in a clean 3D FM. Instead it closely follows the predictions for a quantum Griffiths phase associated with a quantum phase transition in a disordered metal. Deviations at the lowest temperatures hint at a freezing of large clusters and the onset of a cluster glass phase.
Increased Expression of RhoA in Epithelium and Smooth Muscle of Obese Mouse Models: Implications for Isoprenoid Control of Airway Smooth Muscle and Fibroblasts

The simultaneous rise in the prevalence of asthma and obesity has prompted epidemiologic studies that establish obesity as a risk factor for asthma. The alterations in cell signaling that explain this link are not well understood and warrant investigation so that therapies that target this asthma phenotype can be developed. We identified a significant increase in expression of the small GTPase RhoA in nasal epithelial cells and tracheal smooth muscle cells from leptin-deficient (ob/ob) mice compared to their wild-type counterparts. Since RhoA function is dependent on isoprenoid modification, we sought to determine the role of isoprenoid-mediated signaling in regulating the viability and proliferation of human airway smooth muscle cells (ASM) and normal human lung fibroblasts (NHLF). Inhibiting isoprenoid signaling with mevastatin significantly decreased the viability of ASM and NHLF. This inhibition was reversed by geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP), but not farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP), suggesting specificity to the Rho GTPases. Conversely, increasing isoprenoid synthesis significantly increased ASM proliferation and RhoA protein expression. RhoA expression is inherently increased in airway tissue from ob/ob mice, and obesity-entrained alterations in this pathway may make it a novel therapeutic target for treating airway disease in the obese population.
Structures of influence and cooperation‐conflict

This paper outlines a structural approach to the analysis of patterns of influence and amity‐enmity in international politics. Structure is defined as a set of relations between pairs of social units, which justifies the use of graph theory to represent structures. Graph theoretical models of international structure are explored—one for each of the two types of relations. The author devises some typologies and observes changing structures. A tendency toward hierarchy in influence structures and toward bipolarization in cooperation‐conflict structures is discussed. It is hypothesized that high degrees of hierarchy and polarization are inimical to international peace. The graph theoretical studies yield intuitively reasonable results and the models appear to be useful in making several concepts of international relations theory more precise.
Political morality and constitutional settlements

This paper presents a way of thinking about how to respond to the pluralism of modern societies that avoids any commitment to contractualist norms of political justification. The argument developed appeals to the notion of a constitutional settlement. Constitutional settlements are complex on-going social practices that both express certain values to which political societies are committed and establish procedures for resolving disputes among members of these societies. As such, they are a product of both moral commitment and the balance of power. The paper shows how constitutional settlements relate to issues of stability and non-subjugation in politics, and explains how they can ground a distinction between justice and legitimacy.
Identification and Characterization of in Vitro Galactosyltransferase Activities Involved in Arabinogalactan-Protein Glycosylation in Tobacco and Arabidopsis

Arabinogalactan-proteins (AGPs) are highly glycosylated hydroxyproline (Hyp)-rich glycoproteins that are frequently characterized by the presence of [Alanine-Hyp] ([AO]) repetitive units. AGP galactosyltransferase (GalT) activities in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) and Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) microsomal membranes were studied here with an in vitro GalT reaction system, which used acceptor substrates composed of [AO] repetitive units, specifically, a chemically synthesized [AO]7 acceptor and a transgenically produced and deglycosylated d[AO]51 acceptor. Incorporation of [14C]Gal from UDP-[14C]Gal into the [AO]7 and d[AO]51 acceptors was observed following HPLC fractionation of the reaction products. Hyp-[14C]Gal monosaccharide and Hyp-[14C]Gal disaccharide were identified in the base hydrolysates of the GalT reaction products, indicating the presence of two distinct GalT activities for the addition of the first and second Gal residues to the [AO] peptide in both tobacco and Arabidopsis. Examination of the Arabidopsis Hyp:GalT activity using various acceptor substrates, including two extensin sequences containing SO4 modules and a [AP]7 peptide, indicated this activity was specific for peptidyl Hyp in AGP sequences. Mass spectrometry analysis demonstrated that only one Gal was added per peptide molecule to the C-terminal or penultimate Hyp residue of the [AO]7 peptide. In addition, [AO]7:GalT and d[AO]51:GalT activities were localized to the endomembrane system of Arabidopsis suspension-cultured cells following sucrose density gradient centrifugation. The in vitro assay reported here to detect GalT activities using AGP peptide and glycopeptide acceptor substrates provides a useful tool for the identification and verification of AGP-specific GalT proteins/genes and an entry point for elucidation of arabinogalactan biosynthesis for AGPs.
Mares with Delayed Uterine Clearance Have an Intrinsic Defect in Myometrial Function

Persistent, postmating endometritis affects approximately 15% of mares and results in reduced fertility and sizable economic losses to the horse-breeding industry. Mares that are susceptible to postmating endometritis have delayed uterine clearance associated with reduced uterine contractility. Unfortunately, the mechanism for reduced uterine contractility remains an enigma. The present study examined the hypothesis that mares with delayed uterine clearance have an intrinsic contractile defect of the myometrium. Myometrial contractility was evaluated in vitro by measuring isometric tension generated by longitudinal and circular uterine muscle strips in response to KCl, oxytocin, and prostaglandin F2a (PGF2a) for young nulliparous mares, older reproductively normal mares, and older mares with delayed uterine clearance. In addition, intracellular Ca21 regulation was evaluated using laser cytometry to measure oxytocinstimulated intracellular Ca21 transients of myometrial cells loaded with a Ca21-sensitive fluorescent dye, fluo-4. For all contractile agonists, myometrium from mares with delayed uterine clearance failed to generate as much tension as myometrium from older normal mares. Oxytocin-stimulated intracellular Ca21 transients were similar for myometrial cells from mares with delayed uterine clearance and from older normal mares, suggesting that the contractile defect did not result from altered regulation of intracellular Ca21 concentration. Furthermore, no apparent age-dependent decline was observed in myometrial contractility; KCl-depolarized and oxytocin-stimulated longitudinal myometrium from young normal mares and older normal mares generated similar responses. However, circular myometrium from young normal mares failed to generate as much tension as myometrium from older normal mares when stimulated with oxytocin or PGF2a, suggesting possible age-related alterations in receptor-second messenger signaling mechanisms downstream of intracellular Ca21 release. In summary, for mares
CAST: Canvass Audits by Sampling and Testing

Canvass audit by sampling and testing (CAST) is a method to decide on the basis of a hand count of a random sample of batches of ballots whether to count the entire audit trail of a contest by hand. Data are collected in stages. At stage s, one computes Ps , an upper bound on the P-value of the hypothesis that the apparent outcome is wrong, conditional on the results of previous audit stages. If Ps is less than a threshold alphas-strong evidence that the apparent outcome is correct-the audit stops. Otherwise, the audit advances to stage s+1 . If the audit has not stopped by stage s=S, there is a full hand count. The thresholds {alphas}s=1S are chosen to guarantee that whenever the apparent outcome is wrong, the chance of a full hand count is at least 1-alpha: The risk of certifying an incorrect outcome is at most alpha. Conditioning allows deliberate selection of some batches of ballots for audit. CAST can use any sampling and testing scheme for which upper bounds on conditional P -values can be calculated. A turn-key implementation for proportionally stratified random samples is given, using the maximum relative overstatement of pairwise margins as the test statistic. This implementation works with contests that cross jurisdictional boundaries and contests that allow voters to select more than one candidate.
Water-soluble chlorides in massive seafloor serpentinites: a source of chloride in subduction zones

Abstract Dissolved cation and anion species were measured in the water-soluble fraction of massive seafloor serpentinites leached with distilled H 2 O. Soluble chloride contents ranged from 0.09 to 0.51 wt.% (average=0.26 wt.%), SO 4 2− to 0.09 wt.%, Mg 2+ to 0.16 wt.% and Na + to 0.09 wt.%. The concentration of evolved ions was the same in samples equilibrated with water at 25 and 230 °C, demonstrating that a significant amount of Cl present in serpentinites occurs as water-soluble salts. A nearly equal amount of Cl exists in the leached serpentinite, likely sited in serpentinite itself. The formation of intergranular salts in the serpentinite can be explained by seawater hydrothermal alteration of peridotite. Hydration reactions and H 2 O-incorporation in the serpentine leave the residual fluid with ever-increasing salinity and ultimately lead to precipitation of water-soluble chlorides. Chlorine isotope ratios in the water-soluble fraction average −1.49‰ (vs. standard mean ocean chlorine, SMOC) from a core at the Iberian Abyssal Plain, and +0.16‰ from a much younger core at Hess Deep. The δ 37 Cl value of insoluble Cl is ∼0.33‰ higher than the soluble fraction. The nonzero δ 37 Cl values demonstrate that the Cl in the serpentinites is not an artifact of seawater incorporation during drilling. The following conclusions are presented: (1) Serpentinite may be the major conduit for surficial chlorine transfer to mantle depths and an important part of the global chlorine cycle. The Cl flux in serpentinites into the mantle is larger than all other previously identified fluxes. (2) Cl is sited in both a water-soluble and -insoluble component. (3) A high-salinity fluid ‘plume’ is evolved during serpentinite dehydration of a subducting slab. The high-salinity fluid affects metamorphic reactions and melting properties above the slab and can cause intense metasomatism. The unusual bulk composition of the whiteschist from Dora Maira can be explained by channeled passage of a high-salinity fluid. (4) High-salinity fluids reduce the stability field of serpentine, causing its dehydration to occur over a broad interval, which may partly explain the broad locus of intermediate-depth earthquakes.
In vitro correlates of cell-mediated immunity in human tonsils after natural or induced Rubella virus infection.

The techniques of hemagglutination inhibition and in vitro lymphocyte transformation and the assay of migration inhibitory factor were used for study of the development of rubella antibody activity in serum and tonsillar tissue washings and of the appearance of rubella-specific, cell-mediated immunity in circulating and tonsillar lymphocytes in groups of children who underwent tonsillectomy at various intervals after natural rubella infection, subcutaneous immunization with HPV-77 DE/5 vaccine, or intranasal inoculation with RA27/3 live, attenuated rubella virus vaccine. Antibody response in serum and tonsillar tissue washings was detected regularly after natural infection or immunization. Development of specific cellmediated immunity in circulating lymphocytes was regularly observed after natural infection and frequently after immunization. Natural infection or intranasal immunization with rubella vaccine resulted in the appearance of cell-mediated immunity in the tonsillar lymphoid tissue, and the response was detectable up to several years after natural infection in several cases. It is significant, however, that the level of cell-mediated immunity in tonsils was conspicuously low after subcutaneous immunization. These data suggest the induction of local cell-mediated immunity in tonsillar lymphoid tissue after local mucosal application of rubella virus. It has been shown that nasopharyngeal antibody plays an important role in the protection against reinfection with rubella [1] and other viruses [2]. However, no information is available regarding the development and role of mucosal cellmediated immune responses and their participation in the mucosal immune function. We initiated the present studies to examine the appearance of the cell-mediated immune response in tonsillar lymphocytes to rubella virus after natural infection or immunization with live at
An Ultra Compact Integrated Front End for Wireless Neural Recording Microsystems

Abstract-The design and performance of an integrated front end for high-channel-count neural recording microsystems is presented. This front end consists of a 3-D micromachined microelectrode array, realized using a new architecture that allows simple and rapid microassembly. A 64-site 3-D multiprobe, realized using the new architecture, interfaces with tissue volumes of less than 0.01 mm3 and has a footprint of 1 mm2. For amplification, filtering, and buffering of the recorded neural signals, a custom signal-conditioning circuit provides high gain (60 dB), low noise (4.8 μVrms), and low power (50 μW) in an area of 0.098 mm2. In addition, this circuitry implements bandwidth tuning, offset compensation, and wireless gain programmability. This new approach to system integration uses a microfabricated parylene overlay cable to electrically interconnect the 3-D array and signal-conditioning circuitry. In vivo results obtained using this integrated microsystem front end in its most compact form are presented.
RNAi: a potential new class of therapeutic for human genetic disease

Dominant negative genetic disorders, in which a mutant allele of a gene causes disease in the presence of a second, normal copy, have been challenging since there is no cure and treatments are only to alleviate the symptoms. Current therapies involving pharmacological and biological drugs are not suitable to target mutant genes selectively due to structural indifference of the normal variant of their targets from the disease-causing mutant ones. In instances when the target contains single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), whether it is an enzyme or structural or receptor protein are not ideal for treatment using conventional drugs due to their lack of selectivity. Therefore, there is a need to develop new approaches to accelerate targeting these previously inaccessible targets by classical therapeutics. Although there is a cooling trend by the pharmaceutical industry for the potential of RNA interference (RNAi), RNAi and other RNA targeting drugs (antisense, ribozyme, etc.) still hold their promise as the only drugs that provide an opportunity to target genes with SNP mutations found in dominant negative disorders, genes specific to pathogenic tumor cells, and genes that are critical for mediating the pathology of various other diseases. Because of its exquisite specificity and potency, RNAi has attracted a considerable interest as a new class of therapeutic for genetic diseases including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington's disease (HD), Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), spinocerebellar ataxia, dominant muscular dystrophies, and cancer. In this review, progress and challenges in developing RNAi therapeutics for genetic diseases will be discussed.
Patient-reported outcomes and their role in the assessment of rheumatoid arthritis

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) face considerable physical, social and emotional disabilities. In this chronic disease, for which a cure is not yet available, improving patients' health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is of the utmost concern, particularly as the use of long-term and potentially toxic therapy increases. Early HRQoL outcome measures in RA focused on physical functioning, but the social and emotional aspects of the disease are now increasingly important. Thus, several generic and RA-specific HRQoL instruments have been developed, but no one tool covers all areas of HRQoL that affect the patient with RA. For this reason, a combination of generic and disease-specific tools is currently recommended for RA clinical trials.
Genetic transformation, recovery, and characterization of fertile soybean transgenic for a synthetic Bacillus thuringiensis cryIAc gene.

Somatic embryos of Jack, a Glycine max (1.) Merrill cultivar, were transformed using microprojectile bombardment with a synthetic Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal crystal protein gene (Bt crylAc) driven by the 35s promoter and linked to the HPH gene. Approximately 10 g of tissue was bombarded, and three transgenic lines were selected on hygromycin-containing media and converted into plants. The recovered lines contained the HPHgene, but the Bt gene was lost in one line. The plasmid was rearranged in the second line, and the third line had two copies, one of which was rearranged. The CrylAc protein accumulated up to 46 ng mg-’ extractable protein. In detached-leaf bioassays, plants with an intact copy of the Bt gene, and to a lesser extent those with the rearranged copy, were protected from damage from corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea), soybean looper (Pseudoplusia includens), tobacco budworm (Heliothis virescens), and velvetbean caterpillar (Anticarsia gemmatalis). Corn earworm produced less than 3% defoliation on transgenic plants, compared with 20% on the lepidopteran-resistant breeding line CatlR81-296, and more than 40% on susceptible cultivars. Unlike previous reports of soybean transformation using this technique, all plants were fertile. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a soybean transgenic for a highly expressed insecticidal gene.
Partial order method for timed simulation of system-level MPSoC designs

Current discrete event simulator requires heavy simulation overhead to switch between different components to simulate them in strictly chronological order. Therefore, timed simulation is significantly slower than un-timed simulation. By simply adding delays in the components and communication channels, our timed MPEG-2 decoder simulates more than 14 times slower than an un-timed simulation. In this paper, we propose a partial order method to speed up timed simulation by relaxing the order that the components are simulated. With partial order method, a component is not required to schedule a channel access if both behavioral and timing results of the access are known. The simulation switches less frequently hence the simulation overhead reduces. We show that partial order method can be used in complex system-level simulation such as MPSoC implementations of the MPEG-2 decoder. In our experiments, partial order method provides more than 10 times speedups over regular discrete event simulation for timed simulation.
Ulcerative cheilitis in a rhesus macaque.

A 2-year-old, female, simian immunodeficiency virus E543–infected rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) was presented for necropsy following euthanasia due to a history of diarrhea, weight loss, and a small, round ulcer along the left labial commissure. Histopathologic examination of the ulcer revealed infiltration by large numbers of degenerate and nondegenerate neutrophils and macrophages admixed with syncytial epithelial cells. Rare epithelial cells contained herpetic inclusion bodies. These cells stained positive for Human herpesvirus 1 via immunohistochemistry, and DNA sequencing confirmed the presence of closely related Macacine herpesvirus 1 (B virus).
Respiratory and Mayer wave-related discharge patterns of raphé and pontine neurons change with vagotomy

Previous models have attributed changes in respiratory modulation of pontine neurons after vagotomy to a loss of pulmonary stretch receptor “gating” of an efference copy of inspiratory drive. Recen...