cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Percutaneous Lumbar Pedicle Screw Insertion

Percutaneous pedicle screw fixation is a viable alternative to the traditional open technique. It can be applied to virtually any case where conventional open procedures are indicated. Advantages of this minimally invasive approach include the potential to insert screw in a more ideal trajectory, avoidance of supradjacent facet violation, shorter hospital stay, reduced blood loss, decreased postoperative opioid use, and generally faster postsurgical recovery. Lack of direct visualization of osseous structures can be challenging to a surgeon who is new to the technique. Performing this procedure requires the use of intraoperative imaging tools. We describe 2 commonly used imaging techniques: 2-dimensional fluoroscopy and 3-dimensional image guidance techniques. Debate still exists on whether use of the latter technology results in increased radiation exposure. This article provides step-by-step procedures in lumbar percutaneous screw insertion using the aforementioned imaging techniques.
A cell-free amino acid incorporating system from yeast-phase cells of Histoplasma capsulatum.

A cell-free, poly-uridylic acid (poly-U) directed amino acid incorporating system was developed from ribosomes of yeast-phase cells of Histoplasma capsulatum. The active extract was obtained by sand grinding of early log phase cells. Incorporation of 14C-L-phenylalanine into protein was dependent upon ribosomes, supernatant fraction, adenosine triphosphate, an energy source, magnesium ion and poly-U. Incorporation was greatly enhanced by yeast sRNA, and, to a lesser extent, by guanosine triphosphate. The protein synthesis was maximal at 37°C and negligible at 25°C. Preincubation of the reaction mixture at 37°C for 15 minutes inhibited the activity by 68%. The system was highly sensitive to ribonuclease, puromycin and amphotericin B, moderately sensitive to cycloheximide, and much less sensitive to deoxyribonuclease and streptomycin. Histoplasma capsulatum ribosomes were inactive when the supernatant fraction was replaced by the same fraction prepared under similar conditions from cells of Escherichia coli...
Pediatric American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program: feasibility of a novel, prospective assessment of surgical outcomes

Abstract Purpose The American College of Surgeons (ACS) National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) provides validated assessment of surgical outcomes. This study reports initiation of an ACS NSQIP Pediatric at 4 children's hospitals. Methods From October 2008 to June 2009, 121 data variables were prospectively collected for 3315 patients, including 30-day outcomes and tailoring the ACS NSQIP methodology to children's surgical specialties. Results Three hundred seven postoperative complications/occurrences were detected in 231 patients representing 7.0% of the study population. Of the patients with complications, 175 (75.7%) had 1, 39 (16.9%) had 2, and 17 (7.4%) had 3 or more complications. There were 13 deaths (0.39%) and 14 intraoperative occurrences (0.42%) detected. The most common complications were infection, 105 (34%) (SSI, 54; sepsis, 31; pneumonia, 13; urinary tract infection, 7); airway/respiratory events, 27 (9%); wound disruption, 18 (6%); neurologic events, 8 (3%) (nerve injury, 4; stroke/vascular event, 2; hemorrhage, 2); deep vein thrombosis, 3 ( Conclusion These data represent the first multiinstitutional prospective assessment of specialty-specific surgical outcomes in children. The ACS NSQIP Pediatric is poised for institutional expansion and future development of risk-adjusted models.
A 5-by-5 element coupled oscillator-based phased array

Design, fabrication, and test of a 25-element planar coupled oscillator based phased array is described. The array operates at S-band and is shown to produce an agile beam which is steerable via adjustment of the perimeter oscillator tuning biases only. A phase diagnostic system is described which displays the aperture phase distribution during the far field measurements of the radiated beam. Measured results are presented both with and without the diagnostic system present. Without the diagnostic system, the beam pointing was achieved by setting the perimeter oscillator biases to be values previously used in the measurements with the diagnostic system present. The far field was then measured without the benefit of a knowledge of the aperture phase distribution. Finally, the results of far field measurements are described in which the beam position was incremented from a position previously measured with the diagnostic system in place to a new position by incrementing the perimeter oscillator biases by a fixed amount.
Some Aspects of the Social Economics of John Maynard Keynes

Kendall P. Cochran has claimed that John Maynard Keynes “developed a theory that would try ‘to account for things as they are’. In so doing he became another important social economist.
Switchable Nanodumbbell Probes for Analyte Detection

Nanodumbbell gold nanoparticle (AuNP) dimers connected by DNA show significant change in interparticle distance in the presence of a specific analyte, ATP. The nanodumbbell begins in an extended state, but after the addition of the analyte, the DNA connecting the AuNPs forms a stable hairpin, which causes a large decrease in the interparticle distance.
On Soccer Balls and Linearized Inverse Statistical Mechanics

The classical inverse statistical mechanics question involves inferring properties of pairwise interaction potentials from exhibited ground states. For patterns that concentrate near a sphere, the ground states can range from platonic solids for small numbers of particles to large systems of particles exhibiting very complex structures. In this setting, previous work (von Brecht et al., Math. Models Methods Appl. Sci. 22, 2012) allows us to infer that the linear instabilities of the pairwise potential accurately characterize the resulting nonlinear ground states. Potentials with a small number of spherical harmonic instabilities may produce very complex patterns as a result. This leads naturally to the linearized inverse statistical mechanics question: given a finite set of unstable modes, can we construct a potential that possesses precisely these linear instabilities? If so, this would allow for the design of potentials with arbitrarily intricate spherical symmetries in the ground state. In this paper, we solve our linearized inverse problem in full, and present a wide variety of designed ground states.
The Effect of Manganese Deficiency upon the Ultrastructure of the Eggshell

Manganese deficiency in the laying hen results in decreased egg production and eggshell thickness. Eggshells from deficient hens show specific changes in appearance characterized by translucent areas. Examination of these translucent areas with the scanning electron microscope revealed changes in the ultrastructure of the shell. The most prominent feature was large irregular mammillary knobs probably due to the fusion of several mammillary cores during the early phases of eggshell formation. Chemical analysis of the organic matrix of the eggshell showed a decrease in hexosamine and hexuronic acid content consistent with the known role of manganese in polysaccharide synthesis. Studies on the characteristics of the polysaccharide chains isolated from normal eggshells suggested that these polysaccharides were considerably different from those isolated from cartilage proteoglycans.
The Oral Law and the Jurisprudence of a Textless Text

The central, defining, image of Jewish legal culture is the Dual Torah, the pairing of the Written Law and the Oral Law. The Written Law is the legal part of the Pentateuch, which traditional Jewish thought believes God revealed to Moses word for word. The Oral Law is the body of (largely, in fact, now written) legal materials that interprets, expands, supplements, and sometimes contradicts the biblical text.This article tries to make jurisprudential sense of the image of the Dual Torah and its role in the Jewish account of law and legal interpretation. I argue that that one key to understanding the Oral Law is its (in principle) orality. The model for transmission of the Oral Law is not the mimetic transmission of an exact text but pedagogy – the relationship of teacher and student. The teacher speaks the law. The student asks a question. The teacher explains. Is the explanation also a “law from Moses at Sinai,” or is it “only” an interpretation? At some point, that distinction must be lost, or at least put in grave doubt.This interpenetration of legal strata is, in the Jewish legal imagination, not just a defect or even a necessary evil in the system of transmission. It is its defining mythos. The principle of the Dual Torah thus imposes a pair of constraints on the Jewish legal decisor. The first bars him from digging beneath the layers of legal authority to a purified, pre-interpreted text. The second forbids her from escaping beyond the layers of authority to a sovereign reader, or a purified teleology, or a post-textual concept of the Right. Left between these constraints is the law itself, constantly interpreting and interpretable, reading and speaking, changing and staying constant, without end.
Molecular and cytogenetic characterization of a durum wheat-Aegilops speltoides chromosome translocation conferring resistance to stem rust

Stem rust is a serious disease of wheat that has caused historical epidemics, but it has not been a threat in recent decades in North America owing to the eradication of the alternative host and deployment of resistant cultivars. However, the recent emergence of Ug99 (or race TTKS) poses a threat to global wheat production because most currently grown wheat varieties are susceptible. In this study, we evaluated a durum wheat–Aegilops speltoides chromosome translocation line (DAS15) for reaction to Ug99 and six other races of stem rust, and used molecular and cytogenetic tools to characterize the translocation. DAS15 was resistant to all seven races of stem rust. Two durum–Ae. speltoides translocated chromosomes were detected in DAS15. One translocation involved the short arm, centromere, and a major portion of the long arm of Ae. speltoides chromosome 2S and a small terminal segment from durum chromosome arm 2BL. Thus, this translocated chromosome is designated T2BL-2SL•2SS. Cytogenetic mapping assigned the resistance gene(s) in DAS15 to the Ae. speltoides segment in T2BL-2SL•2SS. The Ae. speltoides segment in the other translocated chromosome did not harbour stem rust resistance. A comparison of DAS15 and the wheat stocks carrying the Ae. speltoides-derived resistance genes Sr32 and Sr39 indicated that stem rust resistance gene present in DAS15 is likely novel and will be useful for developing germplasm with resistance to Ug99. Efforts to reduce Ae. speltoides chromatin in T2BL-2SL•2SS are currently in progress.
Math and data exploration.

Biology is well suited for mathematical description, from the perfect geometry of viruses, to equations that describe the flux of ions across cellular membranes, to computationally intensive models for protein folding. For this short Web review, however, I'm going to focus on how mathematics helps us as biologists sort, evaluate, and draw conclusions about our data. Just as computer technology has revolutionized lab work, computers have revolutionized data analysis, in particular with a host of graphically driven methods for sorting, evaluating, and comparing data. The highly technical, often automated, and computationally driven biology of today makes it important to keep students aware of the importance of understanding the underlying mathematics. Computers might seem magical to students, but they only perform the calculations humans tell them to do.
Effects of purified myosin light chain kinase on myosin light chain phosphorylation and catecholamine secretion in digitonin-permeabilized chromaffin cells

Many non-muscle cells including chromaffin cells contain actin and myosin. The 20,000 dalton light chain subunits of myosin can be phosphorylated by a Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent enzyme, myosin light chain kinase. In tissues other than striated muscle, light chain phosphorylation is required for actin-induced myosin ATPase activity. The possibility that actin and myosin are involved in catecholamine secretion was investigated by determining whether increased phosphorylation in the presence of [γ-32P]ATP of myosin light chain by myosin light chain kinase enhances secretion from digitonin-treated chromaffin cells. In the absence of exogenous myosin light chain kinase, 1 μM Ca2+ caused a 30–40% enhancement of the phosphorylation of a 20 kDa protein. This protein was identified on 2-dimensional gels as myosin light chain by its comigration with purified myosin light chain. Purified myosin light chain kinase (400 μg/ml) in the presence of calmodulin (10 μM) caused little or no enhancement of myosin light chain phosphorylation in the absence of Ca2+ in digitonin-treated cells. In the presence of 1 μM Ca2+, myosin light chain kinase (400 μg/ml) caused an approximately two-fold increase in myosin light chain phosphorylation in digitonin-treated cells in 5 min. The phosphorylation required permeabilization of the cells by digitonin and occurred within the cells rather than in the medium. Myosin light chain kinase-induced phosphorylation of myosin light chain was maximal at 1 μM. Ca2+. Under identical conditions to those of the phosphorylation experiments, secretion was unaltered by myosin light chain kinase. The experiments indicate that the phosphorylation of myosin light chain by myosin light chain kinase is not a limiting factor in secretion in digitonin-treated chromaffin cells and suggest that the activation of myosin is not directly involved in secretion from the cells. The experiments also demonstrate the feasibility of investigation of effects of exogenously added proteins on secretion in digitonin-treated cells.
Robust estimation of a multi-layered motion representation

In order to recover an accurate representation of a scene containing multiple moving objects, one must use estimation methods that can recover both model parameters and segmentation at the same time. Traditional approaches to this problem rely on an edge-based discontinuity model, and have problems with transparent phenomena. The authors introduce a layered model of scene segmentation based on explicitly representing the support of a homogeneous region. The model employs parallel robust estimation techniques, and uses a minimal-covering optimization to estimate the number of objects in the scene. Using a simple direct motion model of translating objects, they successfully segment real image sequences containing multiple motions. >
Murine endolymphatic sac development in tissue culture: an in vitro model for sac function.

Numerous studies have attempted to elucidate the function of the mammalian endolymphatic sac (ELS). All of these studies have been performed on in vivo specimens and are thus influenced by humoral and tissue factors extraneous to the sac. In contrast, an in vitro model would provide an opportunity to study ELS cells in a carefully controlled environment. This report presents our experience with tissue culturing the murine endolymphatic sac removed from 16 and 18 gestational day fetuses. Light (LM) and transmission electron microscopical (TEM) evaluations of the developing endolymphatic sac were performed over periods of one, four, and seven days in tissue culture. In order to confirm growth and maturation, three-dimensional reconstructions from serial sections of the cultured ELS were made and compared with published accounts of in vivo murine ELS development for equivalent periods of time. Both whole and dissected otocysts were grown in tissue culture and compared with one another. Two different tissue c...
TRANSFER OF ALLERGIC ENCEPHALOMYELITIS IN RATS BY MEANS OF LYMPH NODE CELLS

Transfer of allergic encephalomyelitis has been accomplished by injection of lymph node cells, obtained from donor rats sensitized to spinal cord, into recipient rats pretreated neonatally with normal rat spleen cells. Transfer of the disease may be achieved most frequently when the recipients are pretreated with spleen cells of the prospective lymph node cell donors. These transfers are attributed to the use of recipients which have acquired immunological tolerance to donor lymph node cells, as a result of the spleen cell pretreatment, and in which, therefore, the donor cells can survive and function longer after transfer.
Resource allocation and utilization in the Blue Gene/L supercomputer

This paper describes partition allocation for parallel jobs in the Blue Gene®/L supercomputer. It describes the novel network architecture of the Blue Gene/L (BG/L) three-dimensional (3D) computati...
Micro-computed tomography - Current status and developments

▪ Abstract The recent rapid increase in interest in tomographic imaging of small animals and of human (and large animal) organ biopsies is driven largely by drug discovery, cancer detection/monitoring, phenotype identification and/or characterization, and development of disease detection methods and monitoring efficacies of drugs in disease treatment. In biomedical applications, micro-computed tomography (CT) scanners can function as scaled-down (i.e., mini) clinical CT scanners that provide a three-dimensional (3-D) image of most, if not the entire, torso of a mouse at image resolution (50–100 μm) scaled proportional to that of a human CT image. Micro-CT scanners, on the other hand, image specimens the size of intact rodent organs at spatial resolutions from cellular (20 μm) down to subcellular dimensions (e.g., 1 μm) and fill the resolution-hiatus between microscope imaging, which resolves individual cells in thin sections of tissue, and mini-CT imaging of intact volumes.
Evaluation of Anomalous Propagation Echo Detection in WSR-88D Data: A Large Sample Case Study

Abstract A method of detecting anomalous propagation echo in volume scan radar reflectivity data is evaluated. The method is based on a neural network approach and is suitable for operational implementation. It performs a classification of the base scan data on a pixel-by-pixel basis into two classes: rain and no rain. The results of applying the method to a large sample of Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler (WSR-88D) level II archive data are described. The data consist of over 10 000 volume scans collected in 1994 and 1995 by the Tulsa, Oklahoma, WSR-88D. The evaluation includes analyses based on radar data only and on various comparisons of radar and rain gauge data. The rain gauge data are from the Oklahoma Mesonet. The results clearly show the effectiveness of the procedure as indicated by reduced bias in rainfall accumulation and improved behavior in other statistics.
Nonlinear Deflection of Rectangular Plates by Differential Quadrature

Energy, perturbation, analytical, and numerical methods have been the most widely used solution techniques for the problem of geometrically nonlinear bending of plates. These methods, however, have drawbacks such as complexity, lack of generality, need of initial trial solutions, and considerable computational effort. The numerical technique of differential quadratrue overcomes some of these shortcomings. It is used in the present to examine the large deflection behavior of thin rectangular isotropic plates with clamped or simply supported edges. Center deflections are calculated for the cases of uniform pressure or a patch load at the center. The results compare well with existing analytical and numerical solutions and the method is computationally efficient.
A lesson from flex: consider the Y chromosome when assessing Drosophila sex-specific lethals.

Bhattacharya et al. (Bhattacharya, A., Sudha, S., Chandra, H. S. and Steward, R. (1999) Development 126, 5485–5493) reported that loss-of-function mutations in the flex (female-specific lethal on X) gene caused female-specific lethality because flex(+) acts as a positive regulator of the master switch gene Sex lethal (Sxl). Sxl is essential for female development. Key to their conclusion was the ability of flex mutations to suppress the male lethality caused by Sxl(M) mutations, which inappropriately activate Sxl female-specific expression. Here we report our contrary findings that flex mutations fail to suppress even the weakest Sxl(M)alleles, arguing against the proposed regulatory relationship between flex and Sxl. Instead we show that the lethal flex phenotype depends on the absence of a Y chromosome, not on the presence of two X chromosomes. flex lethality is caused by a defect in the functioning of the X-linked rDNA locus called bobbed, since this defect is complemented by the corresponding wild-type rDNA complex on the Y.
Approximate inference: decomposition methods with applications to networks

Markov random field (MRF) model provides an elegant probabilistic framework to formulate inter-dependency between a large number of random variables. In this thesis, we present a new approximation algorithm for computing Maximum a Posteriori (MAP) and the log-partition function for arbitrary positive pair-wise MRF defined on a graph G. Our algorithm is based on decomposition of G into appropriately chosen small components; then computing estimates locally in each of these components and then producing a good global solution. We show that if either G excludes some finite-sized graph as its minor (e.g. planar graph) and has a constant degree bound, or G is a polynomially growing graph, then our algorithm produce solutions for both questions within arbitrary accuracy. The running time of the algorithm is linear on the number of nodes in G, with constant dependent on the accuracy. We apply our algorithm for MAP computation to the problem of learning the capacity region of wireless networks. We consider wireless networks of nodes placed in some geographic area in an arbitrary manner under interference constraints. We propose a polynomial time approximate algorithm to determine whether a given vector of end-to-end rates between various source-destination pairs can be supported by the network through a combination of routing and scheduling decisions. Lastly, we investigate the problem of computing loss probabilities of routes in a stochastic loss network, which is equivalent to computing the partition function of the corresponding MRF for the exact stationary distribution. We show that the very popular Erlang approximation provide relatively poor performance estimates, especially for loss networks in the critically loaded regime. Then we propose a novel algorithm for estimating the stationary loss probabilities, which is shown to always converge, exponentially fast, to the asymptotically exact results. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.)
Price Forecasting and Strategic Planning: The Case of Petrochemicals:

Consistent declines in “value added” by manufacturers of petrochemicals (for which price is used as a proxy) is caused by the competitive factors of number of manufacturers and product standardizat...
Dmrt2 and Pax3 double-knockout mice show severe defects in embryonic myogenesis.

Abstract Myogenesis is one of the critical developmental processes in mammals. Several transcription factors from the dermomyotome affect embryonic myogenesis. Among these, Dmrt2 and Pax3 were tested for genetic and functional interactions during embryonic myogenesis by evaluating myogenin and desmin expression patterns in Dmrt2-Pax3 mutant mouse embryos. In doubly homozygous mutant embryos, myogenin expression was reduced, and the expression pattern was altered dramatically. In Pax3-knockout mouse embryos, the pattern of Dmrt2 expression was altered, suggesting that Pax3 is important in maintaining the epaxial dermomyotome. Even though Pax3 and Dmrt2 are expressed in similar tissue- and developmental-stage-specific manners during dermomyotomal development, they appear to have independent roles in mammalian myogenesis. The processes characteristic of embryonic myogenesis are similar to those occurring during muscle regeneration in adults. Therefore, these results may provide insight into the pathogenesis of innate muscular dystrophy and may lead to the development of drugs to promote muscle repair after injury.
Macro-economic factors and foreign direct investment in India: a Toda Yamamoto causality approach

The turbulent global economic environment of past few years marked the subprime crisis 2007-08, European debt crisis 2009, Greece crisis 2015, see-saw oil prices, Islamic extremism and age-old political unrest of Middle-East compels to re-examine the influence of economic variables on FDI inflows as all these events contribute heavily to the macroeconomic dynamics of countries like India who seek more of foreign direct investment for mobilising their growth prospects. The study uses the macro-economic variables like gross domestic product, real effective exchange rates, balance of payments, consumer price index and gross capital formation for India from 1980-2013. The study adopts time-series estimations like ARDL co-integration test and Toda Yamamoto Granger causality test. The causality test validates causation existing between FDI and all economic variables under study except REER. However, results suggest that FDI causes inflation, may be of the fact that inward FDI is not productively used causing extra money supply in the economy resulting in inflation.
Analysis on surveillance results of influenza-like illness in Huairou District of Beijing from 2010-2014

[Objective]To study the etiology monitoring results and epidemic characteristics of influenza in Huairou District of Beijing from 2010-2014, provide scientific evidence for prevention and treatment of influenza. [Methods]The throat swab specimens of influenza-like illness(ILI) cases were collected from two sentinel hospitals in Huairou District from 2010-2014,to isolate the influenza viruses. Combined with the data of influenza surveillance,the changes of influenza viruses were analyzed.[Results]1 081 strains of influenza viruses were isolated from 7 073 throat swab specimens,with the total isolation rate of 15.3%,which included 451 strains of influenza A H3N2,348 strains of influenza A H1N1,175 strains of influenza B Yamagada lineage(BY)and 107 strains of influenza B Victoria lineage(BV). The dominate influenza viruses subtypes varied during the different years. In 2010,BV and BY were the dominant strains from January to March,while H3N2 was dominant strain from October to December. In 2011,the epidemic situation appeared in January,and the dominant strains were influenza A H1N1 and H3N2.The epidemic situation of influenza was reported throughout the year of 2012,and H3N2 was the dominant strain from March of2012 to March of 2013. From December of 2012 to March of 2013,influenza A H1N1 was the dominant strain. From December of 2013 to June of 2014,influenza A H1N1,influenza A H3N2 and BV existed at different degree. [Conclusion]The main influenza viruses subtypes are influenza A H1N1,influenza A H3N2,BV and BY in Huairou District,and the dominate viruses subtypes have changed in the different years. There is an obvious seasonality in winter and spring. Accordingly,it is necessary to strengthen the long-term surveillance of influenza viruses to discover the changes of dominate viruses as early as possible.
THE VALUE OF PENICILLIN IN THE TREATMENT OF AGRANULOCYTOSIS CAUSED BY THIOURACIL

Thiouracil has been found to be an effective drug in the treatment of hyperthyroidism. Agranulocytosis following its use occurred in nine cases, four of which terminated fatally. In five others a complete and rapid recovery took place following penicillin therapy. The latter drug is believed to be ideal for all cases of agranulocytosis, and especially those in which chemotherapy has been used and may have been responsible for the condition. Thus far we have not seen any report of any untoward effect on the hemopoietic system from the use of penicillin. The use of antibacterial agents for the treatment of agranulocytosis was suggested by Dameshek and Wolfson21 in 1942. It was believed by these authors that patients with agranulocytosis died not of the leukopenia per se but of the sepsis which developed secondarily to the lack of granulocytes. Two very severe cases of aminopyrine agranulocytosis treated with sulfathiazole made complete recoveries. For the treatment of sulfonamide agranulocytosis, it was suggested that a preparation differing from that which had already been used be given. With the discovery of penicillin, and its complete lack of possible deleterious effect on the bone marrow, its use was suggested by Dameshek17 (1944). A report on the beneficial effects of this medication in a case of sulfonamide agranulocytosis was later reported by Dameshek and Knowlton18 and similar cases by Sprague and Ferguson19 and by Meredith and Fink.20 Since sulfonamides may cause further toxic effect on the bone marrow, we feel that their use should be avoided in the treatment of agranulocytosis, especially where a history of previous use is obtained. We do not agree with others21, 22 who continue the use of sulfonamides in the treatment of leukopenia or agranulocytosis where these very drugs may have been responsible for the condition. It would seem better judgment to use penicillin, which by combating the bacterial invasion of the body and the consequent toxemia enables the patient to survive until the bone marrow cells regenerate.
Variegated Hughes: Rereading Langston Hughes's Soviet Sojourn

This essay rereads Langston Hughes's essay on the Uzbek Harem in the context of its publication in Women's Home Companion (WHC). It pursues questions prompted by reading Hughes's essay alongside the images that accompanied it, Andre Durenceau's powerful full-scale illustrations, and in the publishing context of the essay more generally. The essay focuses on the way a vanguard political mood and an accompanying aesthetics work in tandem or at odds with one another in the formation of a reading public. I argue that while Durenceau's spectacular image does one thing, evoking standard orientalist cliches about veiled women and the exotic near east, Hughes's essay purports to do quite another. Depicting both the voluptuous scene of Uzbek harem life, and unveiling it for the reader, Hughes's words constitute a mode of action, but they also contribute to what we might call, a particular mode of engagement. For Hughes it was the revolutionary promise of Soviet politics and a relatedly transformed aesthetic potentiality that inspired him to hop on what he called the “ark” heading to the USSR. But what happens to this mode of engagement when it is turned back home, repackaged in a woman's magazine directed at white, relatively affluent (for the 1930s) readers? My essay argues that although Hughes may have tried to captivate his reader with the wonders of a revolutionary, emancipated future for women, his words also enabled the woman reading WHC to imagine that her own captivity was surely superior to that of a bygone era.
Fermi-Liquid Cyclotron Doppleron Waves in Metals

It is known that cyclotron waves can propagate in metals along the direction of an external magnetic field. Waves of this kind exist due to the Fermi-liquid interaction of electrons. Such waves were predicted in [4] (see also the review article [21]).
Review of Paul Messaris’ Visual Persuasion: The Role of Images in Advertising

(1998). Review of Paul Messaris’ Visual Persuasion: The Role of Images in Advertising. Journal of Visual Literacy: Vol. 18, No. 1, pp. 125-127.
Hamming weights of symmetric Boolean functions

It has been known since 1996 (work of Cai et al.) that the sequence of Hamming weights { w t ( f n ( x 1 , ź , x n ) ) } , where f n is a symmetric Boolean function of degree d in n variables, satisfies a linear recurrence with integer coefficients. In 2011, Castro and Medina used this result to show that a 2008 conjecture of Cusick, Li and Stźnicź about when an elementary symmetric Boolean function can be balanced is true for all sufficiently large n . Quite a few papers have been written about this conjecture, but it is still not completely settled. Recently, Guo, Gao and Zhao proved that the conjecture is equivalent to the statement that all balanced elementary symmetric Boolean functions are trivially balanced. This motivates the further study of the weights of symmetric Boolean functions f n . In this paper we prove various new results on the trivially balanced functions. We also determine a period (sometimes the minimal one) for the sequence of weights w t ( f n ) modulo any odd prime p , where f n is any symmetric function, and we prove some related results about the balanced symmetric functions.
Talking About Sources: The Constant Reliance on a Non-objectified Element

In this chapter, I argue that since the emergence of international law in the sixteen hundreds until the present, every account of the sources applicable to international law has relied on a normative form that challenges the theoretical objectivity and internal logic of the doctrine itself at a given time. That is, at least one of the elements taken into consideration by the diverse authors cannot be precisely described as an objective source. Therefore, as precise as the doctrine attempts to be, there has always existed an element that ultimately allows for a free interpretation of what constitutes law. I argue that these ‘not objectified factors’—bowring from the terminology used by Alf Ross—have always been present in international legal theory. In this chapter, I engage in a historical analysis of how scholars have spoken about legal sources from the 16th century until now. The main focus will be to identify relevant trends by virtue of the not-objectified factor that was predominant.
Bowler's thumb: diagnosis and treatment. A review of seventeen cases

In the hands of bowlers, a traumatic neuroma of the digital nerve on the web side of the thumb may develop in association with fibrosis of the regional tissue. This condition may cause permanent disability if it is not diagnosed and treated early. Surgery can be of assistance when the symptoms are severe and intractable. However, if the condition is severe, surgery will probably never completely restore the thumb to normal. Therefore, early recognition and the prompt use of appropriate protective measures are important. The condition may be aggravated by changes in the local tissues, including tumors adjacent to the nerve. Presently, neither bowlers nor physicians are sufficiently aware of this serious problem, and its incidence is unknown.
Optical Properties of the Alkalis Using the KKR-Z Method

We have calculated the inter band absorption of potassium and sodium by means of a KKR-Z pseudopotential1,2 obtained from a fit to the experimental Fermi surface data. Previous calculations of the optical properties of the alkali metals have relied either on a local pseudopotential3 or else introduced non-locality as arising solely from the corrections due to the atomic core.4 However, it has been demonstrated that the local pseudopotential formulation5 is inadequate to account for the measured Fermi surface of K. It has also been shown6 that the pseudopotential that appears in the optical matrix element will incorporate the effects of many-body correlations only if it is consistent with the experimental data of Fermi surface measurements (such as dHvA results). The method used here was applied with this requirement being satisfied. Recent theoretical results6 and the successful application of a phenomenological model for the optical properties of Al7 suggest that a one-electron potential which has been fitted to the experimental Fermi surface should implicitly contain electron-electron effects in the optical absorption. The measurement of the inter-band absorption of the alkalis, although difficult to carry out, is nevertheless of some importance as the absorption depends critically on the pseudopotential.
JAK2 V617F Mutation Is Infrequent in “5q-Syndrome” and 5q-Associated MDS.

Background: V617F mutation in Janus Kinase 2 (JAK2) gene has been found in chronic myeloproliferative disorders (MPD) including polycythemia vera (90%), essential thrombocythemia and chronic idiopathic myelofibrosis (30–50%), and occasionally in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). “5q- Syndrome” is a MDS that shares features with MPD and characterized by an atypical megakaryocytic hyperplasia in bone marrow and usually thrombocytosis in peripheral blood. The most common deleted region for this syndrome is 5q13.3q33.1. An interstitial deletion with variable proximal (5q12-14) and distal (5q31-33) breakpoints has been found in other MDS with/without additional chromosomal abnormalities beyond “5q- Syndrome”. To date, JAK2 mutation was detected in 6/97(6.2%) of patients having diagnosis of MDS with “5q- Syndrome”. Design: In our study 21 MDS patients (10 with “5q- Syndrome” and 11 MDS with isolated or complex 5q-) whose diagnosis by both bone marrow aspiration/biopsy and conventional chromosomal analysis were confirmed. Materials and Method: Primers were created to amplify a 460 bp fragment containing the site of JAK2 V617F mutation. Forty-five cycles of PCR were performed at an annealing temperature of 57°C. Resulting PCR product was digested with 2 U BsaXI for 16 hours and with an additional 2 U BsaXI for another 16 hours at 37°C, then analyzed on a 2% agarose gel. The mutant allele remained undigested whereas the wild-type allele was digested into 241 bp, 189 bp and 30 bp fragments. All experiments included a positive (HEL cells) and negative (K562 cells) control. Results: PCR results showed clear wild type PCR patterns in all 21 cases. Conclusion: No JAK2 mutations were detected in 21 patients either with “5q- Syndrome” or other 5q- associated MDS suggesting that JAK2 mutations are infrequent in these MDS patients.
Obergefell's Liberties: All in the Family

This Article, part of a colloquium on the Supreme Court’s 2015 case Obergefell v. Hodges, which guaranteed a right of same-sex couples to marry, makes two principal contributions to our understanding of constitutional “liberty,” both with significance for family law. The first contribution is analytic. This Article joins the debate among the Obergefell Justices, including the four dissenters, about whether Fourteenth Amendment liberty only protects against interference by the state or whether it can also compel affirmative support or government action. On close inspection, this debate not only obscures complexities that defy a clear-cut binary but also camouflages diverse conceptions of liberty found in the majority opinion itself. Analysis of four different readings of “liberty” in Obergefell’s majority opinion reveals that marriage — the substantive issue in the case — and its distinctive features account for much of this messiness and multiplicity. This Article also makes a theoretical contribution by exploring the relationship between constitutional law and family law that the Court’s liberty rulings have forged. The usual approach emphasizes the impact of constitutional doctrine on family law, specifically how the Court’s liberty rulings have required substantive changes in laws governing the family. By contrast, this Article turns to the unexamined mirror image, exposing and theorizing how family law principles, assumptions, and values have infiltrated and shaped constitutional doctrine, including doctrine disputed in Obergefell. A survey of the constitutional case law limiting obligations owed by the state reveals that these precedents are “all in the family,” in the sense that they all raise issues of concern to family law. These cases, along with those applying the Constitution to expand access to marriage and divorce, suggest the influence of family law’s policy of identifying private sources of support for dependent members of society. Had the Obergefell majority explicitly acknowledged and embraced this family law policy in recognizing a constitutional right to marry for same-sex couples, it could have avoided some of the criticism and confusion that the opinion has sparked.
Partial Loss of the Glutamate Transporter GLT-1 Alters Brain Akt and Insulin Signaling in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease.

The glutamate transporter GLT-1 (also called EAAT2 in humans) plays a critical role in regulating extracellular glutamate levels in the central nervous system (CNS). In Alzheimer’s disease (AD),EAAT2 loss is associated with neuropathology and cognitive impairment. In keeping with this, we have reported that partial GLT-1 loss (GLT-1+/−) causes early-occurring cognitive deficits in mice harboring familial AD AβPPswe/PS1ΔE9 mutations. GLT-1 plays important roles in several molecular pathways that regulate brain metabolism, including Akt and insulin signaling in astrocytes. Significantly, AD pathogenesis also involves chronic Akt activation and reduced insulin signaling in the CNS. In this report we tested the hypothesis that GLT-1 heterozygosity (which reduces GLT-1 to levels that are comparable to losses in AD patients) in AβPPswe/PS1ΔE9 mice would induce sustained activation of Akt and disturb components of the CNS insulin signaling cascade. We found that partial GLT-1 loss chronically increased Akt activation (reflected by increased phosphorylation at serine 473), impaired insulin signaling (reflected by decreased IRβ phosphorylation of tyrosines 1150/1151 and increased IRS-1 phosphorylation at serines 632/635 –denoted as 636/639 in humans), and reduced insulin degrading enzyme (IDE) activity in brains of mice expressing familial AβPPswe/PS1ΔE9 AD mutations. GLT-1 loss also caused an apparent compensatory increase in IDE activity in the liver, an organ that has been shown to regulate peripheral amyloid-β levels and expresses GLT-1. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that partial GLT-1 loss can cause insulin/Akt signaling abnormalities that are in keeping with those observed in AD.
Does Banking Law Have Something to Teach Corporations Law About Directors’ Duties?

In the wake of the Financial Crisis, the wave of bank failures, FDIC interventions, and FDIC suits to recoup their losses has highlighted the question of what a bank director’s duty of care is. The result has been a body of decisions, mostly on motions to dismiss, articulating standards of care that are higher than those that have been required of non-bank corporations over the last few decades. In contemporary corporations law the business judgment rule has become a practically insurmountable bar to shareholders seeking redress for bad director decisions. Maybe the corporation has moved too far from the accountability of partnership structures at the other end of the business associations spectrum. If those in charge are never responsible for the outcome of their decisions, what kind of decisions can we expect? Perhaps banking law has something to teach corporations law about the fiduciary duties of those at the helm.
Asymmetric evolution of the transcription profiles and cis-regulatory sites contributes to the retention of transcription factor duplicates

Transcription factors (TFs) play a key role in regulating plant development and response to environmental stimuli. While most genes revert to single copy after a duplication event, transcription factors are retained at a significantly higher rate. However, it is unclear why TF duplicates have higher rates of retention relative to other genes. In this study, we compared three types of features (expression, sequence, and conservation) of retained TFs following whole genome duplication (WGD) events to genes with other functions, using Arabidopsis thaliana as a model. We found that gene function groups with higher maximum expression but lower mean expression tended to have higher duplicate retention rate post WGD, though TFs in particular are retained more often than would be expected based on the features examined. Conversely, expression of individual genes was not associated with duplication, but sequence conservation was. Furthermore, we found that the evolution of TF expression patterns and cis-regulatory cites favors the partitioning of ancestral states among the resulting duplicates. In particular, we found that one duplicate retains the majority of ancestral expression and cis-regulatory sites, while the non-ancestral duplicate was enriched for novel regulatory sites. To investigate how this pattern of partitioning pattern evolved, we modeled the retention of ancestral states in duplicate pairs using a system of differential equations. Our findings indicate that duplicate pairs evolve to a partitioned state more often than away from it, which in combination with accumulation of new regulatory sites in non-ancestral duplicates, suggest that selection favors partitioning via neofunctionalization.
The Southern Rock Revival: The Old South in a New World

Few and far between are treatments of southern culture both sensitive and bold enough to confront generations of caricaturing the complex, often misunderstood demographic. Representations of the si...
Public Health Approaches to Preventing Outbreaks of Gastrointestinal Infection Linked to Karst Systems

Outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness have occurred following the contamination of karst systems used as drinking water sources. Outbreaks have been caused by the flow of fecal pollution from humans and livestock into karst aquifers and wells. These outbreaks have resulted in thousands of cases of illness and dozens of hospitalizations. Collaborations between hydrogeologists and public health specialists should be promoted in order to reduce the likelihood and severity of such outbreaks in the future. Public health agencies utilize a variety of measures designed to reduce the risk of illness among swimmers at beaches. These measures might be modified and applied to karst aquifers that are used as sources of untreated drinking water. In this chapter, the process for prioritizing beaches for water quality monitoring, the use of rapid bacterial detection methods, and public health notification processes are described. Microbial source-tracking methods used as a research tool at beaches could help identify and mitigate the human, livestock, and wildlife sources of fecal microbes that pollute karst aquifers, particularly after heavy precipitation. Other opportunities for collaboration include the participation of hydrogeologists in the investigation of disease outbreaks, the education of public health personnel about the﻿ site selection and maintenance of domestic wells, and in joint analyses of health data in relation to weather and hydrogeology data.
Integrative genome analysis of somatic p53 mutant osteosarcomas identifies Ets2-dependent regulation of small nucleolar RNAs by mutant p53 protein

TP53 is the most frequently mutated gene in human cancer. Many mutant p53 proteins exert oncogenic gain-of-function (GOF) properties that contribute to metastasis, but the mechanisms mediating these functions remain poorly defined in vivo. To elucidate how mutant p53 GOF drives metastasis, we developed a traceable somatic osteosarcoma mouse model that is initiated with either a single p53 mutation (p53R172H) or p53 loss in osteoblasts. Our study confirmed that p53 mutant mice developed osteosarcomas with increased metastasis as compared with p53-null mice. Comprehensive transcriptome RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis of 16 tumors identified a cluster of small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) that are highly up-regulated in p53 mutant tumors. Regulatory element analysis of these deregulated snoRNA genes identified strong enrichment of a common Ets2 transcription factor-binding site. Homozygous deletion of Ets2 in p53 mutant mice resulted in strong down-regulation of snoRNAs and reversed the prometastatic phenotype of mutant p53 but had no effect on osteosarcoma development, which remained 100% penetrant. In summary, our studies identify Ets2 inhibition as a potential therapeutic vulnerability in p53 mutant osteosarcomas.