cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Foreign Born CEOs and Conservative Reporting

In this paper, we study how CEOs’ foreign-born status (immigrant status) influences their conservative reporting. Existing literature in psychology has identified risk aversion within immigrants, in general. However, whether the risk aversion extends to immigrant CEOs or not, and if so, how it affects the financial reporting, is still an open question. While one school of thought might extend risk aversion to immigrant CEOs as well, another school of thought suggests that only those immigrants who are ambitious enough and willing to take on all the risks, rise to the top, leading to a potential selection bias within immigrant CEOs. We focus on the level of conservatism, since as documented in prior literature, risk aversion in CEOs is closely related to the level of conservative reporting. Our results point to higher conservative reporting by immigrant (foreign-born) CEOs relative to their US-born counterparts. The results are robust to industry factors, matched sample analysis as well as Heckman two-stage selection. The results are not driven by foreign-born CEOs raised in the US. We further find lower earnings persistence in firms run by foreign-born CEOs. We contribute to the literature by documenting the impact of CEO immigrant status on conservative reporting. We also contribute to the literature by corroborating prior evidence of negative association between the level of conservatism and earnings persistence.
Caste: the origins of our discontents: by I. Wilkerson, New York, NY, Random House, 2020, 476 pp., $32.00 (Hardcover), ISBN 978-0-593-23025-1

In her book Caste: The origins of our discontents, Isabel Wilkerson provides a chilling description of the caste system that has been quietly infiltrating the United States since the emergence of o...
The JPEG Standard

Until recently, the Group 3 and Group 4 standards for facsimile transmission were the only international standard methods for the compression of images. However, these standards deal only with bilevel images and do not address the problem of compressing continuous-tone color or grayscale images.
On the Representation of Problems and Goal-Directed Procedures for Computers

Today’s computers -- their hardware and software -- provide us with a sufficient technological basis for building problem solving systems of considerable scope. Present hardware puts at our disposal “primary” memory capacities of over 107 bits at better than micro-second access times, “secondary” memory capacities of up to 1010 bits at sub-second access times, and logical circuitry that can operate at a rate of nanoseconds under the control of stored programs. Present software offers extensive linguistic and executive capabilities for flexible and convenient man-machine communication and for effective control of the information processes that are carried out by computer hardware.
Regulating Commercial Sex

The robustness principle for vice regulation suggests that public policy towards addictive or vicious activities engaged in by adults should be robust with respect to departures from full rationality. That is, policies should work pretty well if everyone is well-informed and completely rational, and policies should work pretty well even if many people are occasionally (or frequently) irrational in their vice-related choices. To work well, policies must deal effectively with the standard vice concerns surrounding kids, addicts, externalities, and costs imposed upon adult, non-addicted participants. This paper applies the robustness principle to prostitution and pornography. These forms of commercial sex cannot be prohibited for adults under a regulatory regime consistent with the robustness principle, though public manifestations of these activities can be controlled. Policies aimed at promoting informed rational decision making, including mandatory waiting periods prior to pornography performance and other sex work, and the explicit provision of consent for risky commercial sex undertakings, also are consistent with or required by robustness.
Studies on polynucleotides. LXXIX. Yeast phenylalanine transfer ribonucleic acid: products obtained by degradation with pancreatic ribonuclease.

Abstract Purified phenylalanine transfer RNA (tRNA) from yeast has been degraded with pancreatic ribonuclease, and the fragments obtained have been separated and identified. The 3'-terminal nucleoside is cytidine, and the 5'-terminal dinucleotide is pGpCp. Fourteen minor nucleosides are present, including 7-methylguanosine, 2'-O-methylcytidine, and a nucleoside the identity of which is not established. The sequences involving some of the minor nucleosides, N2-dimethyl-GpCp, GpTp, and ApGp-dihydro-Up, are common to many other tRNAs. The largest oligonucleotide produced is an octanucleotide with the sequence GpGpGpApGpAp-GpCp.
Synthesis of Mitochondrial Deoxyribonucleic Acid with a Partially Purified Deoxyribonucleic Acid Polymerase from the Mitochondria of HeLa Cells

Abstract In vitro DNA synthesis has been studied with a partially purified DNA polymerase from the mitochondria of HeLa cells and HeLa cell mitochondrial DNA. Product DNA, covalently attached to template DNA, was analyzed with respect to the complements separated in alkaline CsCl bouyant density gradients. The results indicated base composition-complement fidelity of the product of DNA synthesis as well as preferential synthesis of DNA corresponding to the denser complement (in alkaline CsCl solution) of mitochondrial DNA. This asymmetric synthesis of mitochondrial DNA appears to arise from a bias in the number of single-strand scissions sustained by the complementary strands of mitochondrial DNA during incubation with the protein fraction containing the mitochondrial DNA polymerase.
The Activation of Dopamine D4 Receptors Inhibits Oxidative Stress-Induced Nerve Cell Death

Oxidative stress is thought to be the cause of nerve cell death in many CNS pathologies, including ischemia, trauma, and neurodegenerative disease. Glutamate kills nerve cells that lack ionotropic glutamate receptors via the inhibition of the cystine-glutamate antiporter x(c)(-), resulting in the inhibition of cystine uptake, the loss of glutathione, and the initiation of an oxidative stress cell death pathway. A number of catecholamines were found to block this pathway. Specifically, dopamine and related ligands inhibit glutamate-induced cell death in both clonal nerve cell lines and rat cortical neurons. The protective effects of dopamine, apomorphine, and apocodeine, but not epinephrine and norepinephrine, are antagonized by dopamine D4 antagonists. A dopamine D4 agonist also protects, and this protective effect is inhibited by U101958, a dopamine D4 antagonist. Although the protective effects of some of the catecholamines are correlated with their antioxidant activities, there is no correlation between the protective and antioxidant activities of several other ligands. Normally, glutamate causes an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) and intracellular Ca(2+). Apomorphine partially inhibits glutamate-induced ROS production and blocks the opening of cGMP-operated Ca(2+) channels that lead to Ca(2+) elevation in the late part of the cell death pathway. These data suggest that the protective effects of apomorphine on oxidative stress-induced cell death are, at least in part, mediated by dopamine D4 receptors via the regulation of cGMP-operated Ca(2+) channels.
Front-End Fiduciaries: Pre-Certification Duties and Class Conflict

On August 31, 2012, the Supreme Court granted certiorari in Standard Fire Insurance v. Knowles to decide whether named plaintiffs may defeat removal under the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 by filing 'binding stipulations' with complaints in state court, capping a class’s recovery at under $5 million (the jurisdictional threshold for removal). The case presents an opportunity to address an issue under-theorized in the existing literature on class actions: what fiduciary duties, if any, are owed by a plaintiff's attorney to potential absent class members in a class action prior to certification? What are the contours or scope of such a pre-certification fiduciary duty? This paper fills two gaps in the literature about fiduciary duties (or more broadly conflicts of interest) in class actions. First, there has been little scholarly treatment of the scope and contours of an attorney’s fiduciary duty to class members prior to class certification - that is, outside the strictures of Rule 23. Pre-certification conflicts are far more difficult to address because no federal rules-based framework exists for addressing pre-certification conduct. Second, this is the first academic treatment of means-based decision making in class actions. Unlike post-certification inquiries into conflicts of interest concerning settlements, this inquiry is particularly complicated because there is often inadequate information about likely outcomes when certain means are employed. Conceivably, there is considerably more grey area surrounding means-related decision making. In the pre-certification stage, without information about how the litigation will run its course, attorneys make decisions that could credibly be defended as in the best interest of the class, or as in breach of the attorney’s fiduciary obligations to those class members. In discussing pre-certification fiduciary duties, this paper investigates the legitimacy of 'binding stipulations' as a case study. In addition to this specific analysis, this paper offers a specific formulation of the scope of attorneys’ pre-certification fiduciary duties: an attorney breaches his fiduciary duty to class members when he makes a decision that prejudices the substantive legal rights of absent class members without notice and opportunity for objection. When an action potentially prejudices or does prejudice a substantive legal right of absent class members, an attorney should have an opportunity to offer a good faith defense - that the course of conduct was undertaken in a good faith belief that it would maximize the class’s recovery. That defense, in turn, can be evaluated in terms of whether it is legitimate, genuine, or pretextual.
Epoxy/montmorillonite nanocomposites for improving aircraft radome longevity

The potential of nanoclay reinforcement to improve radome performance and longevity is quantified via a resonant technique. Epoxies used for radome applications are susceptible to environmental degradation through moisture absorption. Moisture in composite systems can degrade mechanical and dielectric properties, which is of particular concern in radome applications where low dielectric properties are crucial for maintaining radar transparency. The addition of nanoclay may prove a viable method for dielectric and structural performance improvement through moisture absorption minimization. The dielectric properties of an epoxy/montmorillonite nanocomposite are evaluated as a function of nanoclay weight percentage and moisture content using a split-post dielectric resonator operating at 10 GHz. An increase of 25% in relative permittivity and 480% in loss tangent is observed for nanocomposites contaminated with 8.4% water by weight in the most extreme case. The addition of 2% nanoclay by weight effectively delayed a 16% degradation in relative permittivity by 760 hours. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42691.
Business process modeling with SIMPROCESS

This paper gives an overview of business process modeling with SIMPROCESS, its applications, unique features, basic and advanced modeling constructs, and benefits.
Quasi-static response of sandwich steel beams with corrugated cores

Abstract The response of sandwich steel beams with corrugated cores to quasi-static loading is investigated by employing experimental and computational approaches. The sandwich steel beam consists of top and bottom substrates made of AISI Steel 1018 and four corrugated core layers made of AISI Steel 1008. Various arrangements of the corrugated core layers with both uniform and graded layer thicknesses are considered. Three core arrangements with identical relative densities are used to study the effects of uniform versus graded core layer thicknesses onto the quasi-static behavior of corrugated steel beams. Finite element models are validated against quasi-static tests, and lender themselves suitable for a parametric study. A parametric study is also carried out on large-scale structural size beams of a few meters in length. The deformation modes observed in this study include core crushing, and plate bending and shear. It is found that core arrangement and beam span is key factors governing the quasi-static response of sandwich beams with corrugated cores.
Generalized Maxwell's equations and quantum mechanics. II. Generalized dirac equation

The bare field approximation, in which the results of a recent paper were deduced, is removed. A generalized Dirac equation is obtained. The bare field, in the absence of sources, is identified with the field associated with the neutrino.
Cryogenic Systems for Large Superconducting Accelerators/Storage Rings

Particle accelerators and storage rings which utilize superconducting magnets have presented cryogenic system designers, as well as magnet designers, with many new challenges. When such accelerators were first proposed, little operational experience existed to guide the design. Two superconducting accelerators, complete with cryogenic systems, have been designed and are now under construction. These are the Fermilab Doubler Project and the Brookhaven National Laboratory ISABELLE Project. The cryogenic systems which developed at these two laboratories share many common characteristics, especially as compared to earlier cryogenic systems. Because of this commonality, these characteristics can be reasonably taken as also being representative of future systems. There are other areas in which the two systems are dissimilar. In those areas, it is not possible to state which, if either, will be chosen by future designers. Some of the design parameters for the two systems are given.
Systemic Senses of Self

An effort is made to extend the scope of the general theory of action to encompass some of the major dimensions of the individual's structure of self-conceptions. This is attempted through formulation of four subjective “senses of self,” one corresponding to each of the functional problems held in action theory to be essential features of all systems. The senses of competence, self-determination, unity, and moral worth are offered as the individual's subjective interpretations of his standing in relation to his objective problems of adaptation, goal-attainment, integration, and pattern-maintenance. It is argued that these four senses subsume and organize many important but scattered themes in the literature of self theory and general symbolic interactionism. Operational, procedures are offered with which these senses may be assessed in empirical research, and some illustrative outcomes are presented from the author's longitudinal study of self-conception changes over the course of retirement. The discussion also touches upon some of the methodological problems encountered in attempting to establish the empirical validation for this kind of theoretical extension.
The Link Between Juvenile Offending and Victimization The Influence of Risky Lifestyles, Social Bonding, and Individual Characteristics

Although previous studies have shown a consistent association between juvenile offending and violent victimization, the mechanism that leads to this association remains unclear. The association between juvenile offending and victimization could be due to consequences of delinquent behavior and offenders' risky activities, social bonding to conventional institutions, or persistent individual traits. Based on data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, the current article uses fixed effects regression models to assess the net effect of offending on victimization while controlling for adolescents' social bonding to parents/schools and for persistent individual characteristics. There is clear evidence that delinquent behavior causes violent victimization. The offending—victimization linkage, however, appears to be victimization specific, with persistent individual characteristics partially explaining this linkage for less serious victimization but not for severe violent victimization.
What is phonological awareness

Phonological awareness was hypothesized to be composed of at least 3 component skills- IQ, verbal short-term memory, and speech perception. In addition, 4 linguistic manipulations within 3 phonological awareness tasks were theorized to affect item difficulties. Multiple measures of IQ, verbal short-term memory, speech perception, and phonological awareness were administered to 136 3rd and 4th graders. Application of structural equation modeling revealed that IQ, speech perception, and verbal short-term memory each contributed unique variance to the phonological awareness construct. All 4 experimental linguistic manipulations influenced phonological awareness item difficulties as well. Results underscore the importance of speech perception for phonological awareness
Structural and crystal chemical properties of rare-earth titanate pyrochlores

Abstract Rare-earth titanates, RE 2 Ti 2 O 7 (where RE = a rare-earth) with the pyrochlore structure continue to be investigated for use as potential stable host materials for nuclear and actinide-rich wastes. Accordingly, the present work is directed towards the elucidation of the fundamental structural, physical, and thermochemical properties of this class of compounds. Single-crystals of the rare earth pyrochlores were synthesized using a high-temperature flux technique and were subsequently characterized using single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The cubic lattice parameters display an approximately linear correlation with the RE -site cation radius. Theoretical calculations of the lattice constants and bond lengths of the subject materials were carried out using density functional theory, and the results are compared to the experimental values. The Sm and Eu titanates exhibit a covalency increase between the RE O 8 and TiO 6 polyhedral resulting in a deviation from the increasing linear lattice parameter through the transition series. Gd 2 Ti 2 O 7 with the 4f 7 half-filled f-orbital Gd 3+ sub-shell exhibits the lowest 48 f oxygen positional parameter. The coefficient of thermal expansion for the rare-earth titanate series is approximately linear, and it has a range of 10.1–11.2 × 10 −6 °C −1 . Raman spectroscopy indicated that the ∼530 cm −1 peak associated with the Ti–O stretching mode follows a general trend of decreasing frequency with increasing RE reduced mass.
The Motivational Substrate of Unintended and Unwanted Pregnancy1

We have postulated a biologically based substrate of childbearing motivation that underlies reproductive behavior. The goal of this study was to examine how this motivation flows through the conscious states of a contracepting couple to affect their behavior, first prior to and then after the occurence of an unintended pregnancy. We collected data from 178 couples seeking a pregnancy test at a Planned Parenthood Clinic. We showed the measurement of critical constructs to have satisfactory convergent validity. We constructed one individual-level and two couple-level models, all of which we tested with a linear structural equations analysis (LISREL). All three models had good fits. The findings support the central idea of a motivational substrate that has both positive and negative components and is composed of both conscious (explicit) and unconscious (implicit) factors. At the psychological level, the expression of this substrate can be understood in terms of a traits-desires-intentions-behavior framework. At the dyadic level, substrate expression allows inferences about the effects of couple communication, influence, and disagreement. Prior to conception, the motivational substrate affects the regularity of contraceptive use and, following the occurrence of an unintended pregnancy, it affects the “wantedness” of that pregnancy.
A Role for Plumage Color in Mute Swan (Cygnus Olor) Parent-Offspring Interactions

Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) cygnets usually hatch out covered with a brownish gray colored down. Less frequently the cygnets will hatch out white. According to reports in the literature, white Mute Swan cygnets receive disproportionately more parental aggression than their brownish gray coloured siblings. To test whether this aggression is the result of plumage colouration, brown and white swan models were presented to four territorial pairs of adult Mute Swans in a series of two sets of experiments. The first set of experiments consisted of presenting each model separately to the swans on their respective territories. The second set of experiments consisted of presenting both models to the territory holders at the same time. The models were accorded significantly different treatments by the territorial adults. The white model received more threats and attacks than did the brown model. The experimental results together with anecdotal evidence suggest the use of "whiteness" as a major cue for identifying conspecifics in the Mute Swan.
The internet of tags: energy-harvesting adaptive algorithms

In this thesis, we will focus on the design and performance evaluation of networking algorithms for energy-harvesting tags. We will build upon our recent work on developing Energy-Harvesting Active Networked Tags (EnHANTS) [3– 5]. In this capacity, we have taken a bottom-up approach and integrated ultra-low power Ultra-Wideband ImpulseRadio (UWB-IR) transceivers with energy harvesting circuitry. In this thesis, we will take a top-down approach and develop energy harvesting adaptive algorithms to support the Internet of Tags (IoTags). We believe that IoTags will be a key component of the Internet of Things (IoT). In the near future, objects equipped with heterogeneous devices such as sensors, actuators, and tags, will be able to interact with each other and cooperate to achieve common goals. The IoT has been gaining increased attention from academia and industry [1], with applications in healthcare, smart buildings, assisted living, manufacturing, supply chain management, and intelligent transportation. Small, flexible, and energetically self-reliant, IoTags will be attached to objects that are traditionally not networked, such as books, furniture, walls, doors, toys, produce, and clothing. In their capacity as active tags, IoTags will provide infrastructure for novel tracking applications. We have already taken steps toward developing IoTags in our ongoing EnHANTs project. Our goal is to build upon our ongoing research to design and evaluate energyharvesting adaptive algorithms to enable IoTag networks.
G-banding in the barbary macaque (Macaca sylvanus, Linnaeus, 1758) of Morocco

Abstract G-banding was performed on the lymphocytes of six barbary macaques ( Macaca sylvanus ). Four chromosomes appear to have polymorphic variants: number 1, number 4, number 16, and the “marker” chromosome, number 9. These polymorphic forms differe from the G-banding reported for Macaca mulatta , Macaca fascicularis , and Macaca arctoides . It may be that evolutionary relationships among various macaque species can be ascertained by using such chromosomal polymorphisms.
Mutator Effects in Escherichia coli Caused by the Expression of Specific Foreign Genes

Certain genes from Lactococcus lactis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, including the nfxB gene, generate a mutator phenotype in Escherichia coli. The results of this study, together with those of a previous study, support conservation of regulatory sequences in E. coli and P. aeruginosa and suggest that some efflux pumps prevent mutagenicity by exporting mutagenic products of metabolism.
Tmolt4 leukemic type II isoform of IMP dehydrogenase as a target for 1,2,4-triazolidine-3,5-diones, 1-(1-(3-methylphenyl)ethylidineamino)-4,4-diethyl-3,5-azetidinediones, 3,5-isoxazolidinediones, and 4,4-disubstituted-3,5-pyrazolidinediones.

The 1,2,4-triazolidine-3,5-diones, 1-(1-(3-methylphenyl)ethylidineamino)-4,4-diethyl-3,5-azetidinediones, and 4,4-disubstituted-3,5-pyrazolidinediones proved to be potent competitive inhibitors of human Tmolt4 leukemia Type II IMP dehydrogenase [IMPDH] activity, an enzyme isoform which is induced in highly proliferating cells. On the other hand, the 3,5-isoxazolidinediones were shown to be uncompetitive inhibitors of Type II IMPDH activity. The correlation between inhibition of Type II IMPDH activity with the agents' ability to suppress DNA and purine syntheses in these Tmolt4 leukemia cell was positive. Type I IMPDH (i.e., the isoform that is present in normal cells) was not inhibited by these compounds suggesting that these agents would be less toxic to normal cells and have selective inhibition towards proliferating cells.
Effects of soy diet on inflammation-induced primary and secondary hyperalgesia in rat⋆

Soy consumption is said to prevent or treat atherosclerosis, cancer, pain, and memory deficits, but experimental and clinical evidence to support these claims are lacking. We used in vivo models of inflammation to determine whether a soy diet reduces primary or secondary hyperalgesia. In all three experiments, rats were fed either a soy- or casein-based diet for at least 2 weeks before induction of inflammation and for the duration of experiments. Mechanical and heat paw withdrawal thresholds and edema were measured before and several times after induction of inflammation. Primary hyperalgesia was assessed in two models: unilateral intraplantar injection with 0.1 ml of 25% complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) or 0.1 ml of 1% carrageenan. Unilateral injection of the intra-articular knee space with 25% CFA (0.1 ml) was used to determine the effects of soy in a model of secondary hyperalgesia. Following intraplantar injection of CFA, soy-fed animals exhibited significantly less paw edema, mechanical allodynia, and heat hyperalgesia compared to casein-fed animals. In the carrageenan model of paw inflammation, soy-fed animals were also less allodynic to mechanical stimuli, than were casein-fed animals, but showed no diet based differences in paw edema or heat hyperalgesia. Soy diet did not affect any of the outcome measures after the intra-articular injection of CFA. Our results suggest that a soy diet significantly decreases aspects of inflammation-induced primary, but not secondary, hyperalgesia in rats.
Study of the K+ Decay Probability

We have measured the mean life of the ${K}^{+}$ meson with particular attention paid to whether the decay obeys the exponential law. We find no evidence for nonexponential decay. The data give a ${\ensuremath{\chi}}^{2}$ of 365 with 379 degrees of freedom when fitted to a pure exponential between 2.5 and 7.3 mean lives from production. The mean life is found to be 12.443\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.038 nsec.
New science case for the micro-X high energy resolution microcalorimeter X-ray imaging rocket

The Micro‐X sounding rocket payload will be launched on January 18, 2011 to make the first observation of an astronomical target with Transition‐Edge Sensor (TES) X‐ray microcalorimeters. The 128 pixel TES array lies at the focus of a 2.165 m focal length conical imaging mirror with a 0.2–3.0 keV bandpass. The spectral resolution of the TES array will be between 2 and 4 eV at 1 keV. Our scientific program is focused on high‐spectral resolution observations of extended sources. For supernova remnants (SNRs) our scientific objectives are to map the velocity structure of the ejecta, and study both elemental abundances and the thermodynamic and ionization state of the plasma through plasma line diagnostics. For clusters of galaxies, Micro‐X can uniquely study turbulence, velocities, and the temperature phases of the plasma.For our initial flight, we have changed our target from the bright eastern knot to a recently discovered ejecta region in the Puppis A SNR. The target of the second flight in mid‐2012 is M87, the center of the Virgo Cluster. The third flight, in early 2014, will make an observation of the Cas A SNR. In this contribution we discuss the science objectives of our first flight.
Long-term blockade by toxin F of nicotinic synaptic potentials in cultured sympathetic neurons.

Abstract The effects of a recently identified blocker of neuronal nicotinic transmission, toxin F, were studied in cultured sympathetic neurons. Single principal neurons, dissociated from superior cervical ganglia of newborn rats, were grown on cardiac myocytes in microculture. The toxin blocked nicotinic synaptic potentials in these cultures but had no effect on muscarinic interactions. When toxin F was applied by addition to the perfusion medium, the concentration required for blocking most of the nicotinic potential was 40 nM, and the recovery from blockade was slow (t 1/2 = 95 ± 64min). When the toxin was briefly applied by pressure ejection from a pipette, the concentration in the pipette necessary for blockade was 21 μM, and 30–60% of the response recovered within a few minutes while the remainder recovered slowly (t 1/2 of the remainder= 105 ± 82min). One possible explanation for the difference in recovery time is that toxin F binds initially with low affinity to the nicotinic receptor but with time the toxin-receptor complex converts to a high affinity state. The presence of dihydro-β-erythroidine during perfusion of toxin F prevented the long-lasting blockade by the toxin, suggesting that toxin F and dihydro-β-erythroidine act through a common binding site. The specificity, potency, and slow reversibility of the effects of toxin F make it useful as a probe for studying neuronal nicotinic receptors of cultured sympathetic neurons.
Uso do VPA: uma ferramenta melhor para a avaliação de operações

One of the most disseminated ways of valuing operating assets is discounted Cash flow, or DCF. But weighted average cost of capital, or WACC - one of the most commonly accepted forms of DCF - has become obsolete. This article discusses an alternative to WACC known as adjusted present value, or APV. The article shows that this new methodology is greatly superior to WACC, due specially to the fact that it provides additional managerially relevant information at lower error levels, helping executives determine not only how much an asset is worth, but also where its value comes from.
Immunomodulation by exogenous surfactant : effect on TNF-α secretion and luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence activity by murine macrophages stimulated with group B streptococci

Group B streptococci (GBS) are important pathogens in neonatal sepsis and pneumonia. GBS stimulate alveolar macrophages to produce inflammatory cytokines and free oxygen radicals, which can damage the lungs. In several studies, use of exogenous surfactant in term babies has improved outcome related to sepsis and respiratory failure. The role(s) of exogenous surfactant in modulating the inflammatory response produced by this microbe was examined. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) production and luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence (LCL), a measure of respiratory burst, were investigated. For measuring TNF-α release, RAW 264.7 murine macrophages were pre-incubated with bovine surfactant and stimulated with either lipopolysaccharide, live or heat-killed GBS type Ia. LCL was measured after macrophages were pre-incubated with or without surfactant overnight, then stimulated with GBS or phorbol myristate acetate. Lipopolysaccharide and GBS stimulated TNF-α secretion from macrophages that was suppressed by exogenous surfactant in a dose-dependent fashion. GBS and phorbol myristate acetate also increased LCL from macrophages, which was significantly suppressed by pre-incubation of macrophages with exogenous surfactant. We conclude that GBS type Ia stimulates TNF-α release and LCL from RAW 264.7 cells and that these responses are suppressed by surfactant. Suppression of inflammatory mediators by exogenous surfactant might improve respiratory disease associated with GBS.
Enfermedades cardiovasculares y nefropatía crónica: del tratamiento al fomento de la salud

Chronic kidney disease is associated with poor cardiovascular outcomes and should be screened for in all patients with cardiovascular disease or risk factors such as hypertension and diabetes mellitus using estimate of glomerular filtration rate and a random urine albumin-to creatinine ratio. Strategies to identify and prevent chronic kidney disease must be part of a comprehensive program of disease prevention, that include evaluation of tobacco use, diet and exercise patterns, body mass index, blood pressure, lipid profile, blood glucose and patient-appropriate cancer screening. The global increase in patients with chronic kidney disease is threatening to reach epidemic proportions over the next decade, and few countries will be able to meet the economic challenges posed. A change in global approach from treatment of renal failure to aggressive primary and secondary prevention is essential. We propose that the United Nations Millennium Developments Goals for 2000-2015 should be expanded to include combatting infectious diseases as well as chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, renal disease and cancer, using an integrated approach.
An evaluation of patch connectivity measures

Measuring connectivity is critical to the study of fragmented populations. The three most commonly used types of patch connectivity measures differ substantially in how they are calculated, but the performance of these measures has not been broadly assessed. Here I compare the ability of nearest neighbor (NN), buffer, and incidence function model (IFM) measures to predict the patch occupancy and colonization patterns of 24 invertebrate, reptile, and amphibian metapopulations. I predicted that NN measures, which have been criticized as being overly simplistic, would be the worst predictors of species occupancy and colonization. I also predicted that buffer measures, which sum the amount of habitat in a radius surrounding the focal patch, would have intermediate performance, and IFM measures, which take into account the areas and distances to all potential source patches, would perform best. As expected, the simplest NN measure (distance to the nearest habitat patch, NHi) was the poorest predictor of patch occupancy and colonization. Contrary to expectations, however, the next-simplest NN measure (distance to the nearest occupied [source] patch, NSi) was as good a predictor of occupancy and colonization as the best-performing buffer measure and the general IFM measure Si. In contrast to previous studies suggesting that area-based connectivity measures perform better than distance-based ones, my results indicate that the exclusion of vacant habitat patches from calculations is the key to improved measure performance. I highlight several problems with the parameterization and use of IFM measures and suggest that models based on NSi are equally powerful and more practical for many conservation applications.
Effects of testosterone propionate or dihydrotestosterone propionate on plasma FSH and LH levels in neonatal rats and on sexual differentiation of the brain.

The present study tests the hypothesis that the effects of perinatal androgen administration on the development of the brain are brought about indirectly by a suppression of plasma gonadotropin (GTH) titers. Both castrated male and intact female rats were treated neonatally with 5α-dihydrotestosterone propionate (DHTP) or testosterone propionate (TP) throughout the first ten postnatal days of life and the corresponding effects on neonatal plasma FSH and LH levels and the subsequent ability of the adult to exhibit cyclic GTH release and female sex behavior (lordosis) were determined. In males castrated within 24 h of birth, subcutaneous injections of DHTP (60 or 180 μg per 100 g average body weight) or TP (60 μg/100 g) given on day 2,4, 6, 8 and 10 reduced plasma levels of FSH and LH as determined by radioimmunoassay 48 h following the first and last injections. However, TP but not DHTP masculinized the development of the regulation of GTH release as measured by luteinization of subcutaneous ovarian grafts...
Cannabis withdrawal is common among treatment-seeking adolescents with cannabis dependence and major depression, and is associated with rapid relapse to dependence

Recently, reports have suggested that cannabis withdrawal occurs commonly in adults with cannabis dependence, though it is unclear whether this extends to those with comorbid depression or to comorbid adolescents. We hypothesized that cannabis withdrawal would be common among our sample of comorbid adolescents and young adults, and that the presence of cannabis withdrawal symptoms would be associated with a self-reported past history of rapid reinstatement of cannabis dependence symptoms (rapid relapse). The participants in this study included 170 adolescents and young adults, including 104 with cannabis dependence, 32 with cannabis abuse, and 34 with cannabis use without dependence or abuse. All of these subjects demonstrated current depressive symptoms and cannabis use, and most demonstrated current DSM-IV major depressive disorder and current comorbid cannabis dependence. These subjects had presented for treatment for either of two double-blind, placebo-controlled trials involving fluoxetine. Cannabis withdrawal was the most commonly reported cannabis dependence criterion among the 104 subjects in our sample with cannabis dependence, being noted in 92% of subjects, using a two-symptom cutoff for determination of cannabis withdrawal. The most common withdrawal symptoms among those with cannabis dependence were craving (82%), irritability (76%), restlessness (58%), anxiety (55%), and depression (52%). Cannabis withdrawal symptoms (in the N=170 sample) were reported to have been associated with rapid reinstatement of cannabis dependence symptoms (rapid relapse). These findings suggest that cannabis withdrawal should be included as a diagnosis in the upcoming DSM-V, and should be listed in the upcoming criteria list for the DSM-V diagnostic category of cannabis dependence.
Anisotropic Creep Damage and Elastic Damage of Notched Directionally Solidified Materials

Drives to improve gas turbines efficiency have lead to an increase in firing temperatures. This increase in exhaust temperature has a negative impact upon turbine blade life. Both engineers and material scientists have produced methods to improve turbine blade life under these conditions. Cooling holes have become commonplace and use relatively cool gas to create a lower temperature barrier around a turbine blade. These cooling holes creating internal and external surfaces; a common sight of crack initiation. Directionally-solidified (DS) turbine blades have also become commonplace. These turbine blades exhibit a transversely-isotropic grain structure that improves creep strength in a desired direction. To model a component under such conditions, anisotropic constitutive models are required. In this paper, an anisotropic tertiary creep damage constitutive model for transversely-isotropic materials is given. The influence of creep-damage on general linear elasticity (elastic damage) is described by a modified Hooke’s compliance tensor. Finite element simulations of a V-notched tensile specimen are conducted to replicate a crack initiation site. A discussion on stress triaxiality, stress redistribution, and damage distribution due to anisotropy is provided.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Goddard High-Resolution Spectrograph Observations of Cool Low-Gravity Stars. IV. A Comparison of the K5 III stars α Tauri and γ Draconis*

The Goddard High-Resolution Spectrograph (GHRS) has observed the K5 III star α Tau in the 2330 A region on three separate occasions. These spectra show marked changes with time, with the UV continuum varying by a factor of 2, and with the emission lines changing in flux by 30% or more, with the amount of change dependent upon the opacity of the line. The variations suggests a restructuring of the atmosphere rather than simply a change in the surface area covered by chromospheric material. Surprisingly, there was no detectable change in the chromospheric turbulence on timescales of hours or years. On average, the lower part of the atmosphere was found to be fairly static, with a slight infall of 1-2 km s-1. At higher altitudes, probed by observation of the stronger Fe II lines as well as of the O I (UV 2) and Mg II (UV 1) resonance lines, there is evidence for the acceleration of a slow wind, similar to that seen in the M giants γ Cru and μ Gem. This wind is much less massive than for the later type giants, however, since its effects are seen in only the most optically thick of the Fe II lines. Comparison of the α Tau observations with similar data for the K5 III hybrid star γ Dra shows remarkable similarity in the photosphere and lower chromosphere. Both stars have pronounced UV continua, identical turbulences and chromospheric densities, and very similar line fluxes and profiles for all lines formed in the lower chromosphere, including C II], Co I, Si II], and Fe II. A deep exposure near 1500 A also shows the first evidence for hot plasma in the atmosphere of α Tau through the detection of the C IV (UV 1) doublet with a surface flux about 30% of that observed in γ Dra. Most of the evidence for the stellar wind is in the Mg II (UV 1) and O I (UV 2) resonance lines. Modeling these lines using the Sobolev with Exact Integration (SEI) radiative transfer code shows that the wind in γ Dra accelerates faster and reaches a higher terminal velocity than does the wind in α Tau. However, the wind turbulent velocity in γ Dra is only about one-third of the value seen in α Tau. We conclude that the observations support the suggestion by Judge & Stencel that the processes that heat the chromosphere are distinct from those that drive the stellar winds.
Apneic Anesthesia With Intermittent Ventilation for Microsurgery of the Upper Airway

Apneic anesthesia with intermittent ventilation (AAIV) has been used in 250 procedures on the larynx and trachea at Indiana University Medical Center since October 1989. Initially employed for laryngeal papilloma removal in children, this anesthetic technique is now used for other procedures and in adult patients. The advantages of AAIV include improved visualization of the airway, absence of combustible material, and lack of vocal cord motion during surgery. No significant complications have occurred with AAIV. The high degree of safety for this anesthetic technique relates largely to the constant monitoring of oxygen saturation using pulse oximetry and the periodic measurement of end-tidal carbon dioxide (CO2) levels. Contraindications to AAIV are age less than 2 years, significant cardiopulmonary disease, and any hypermetabolic state. Relevant pulmonary physiology includes the unique aspects of oxygen and CO2 metabolism in children.
Voucher Recipient Achievement of Improved Housing Conditions in the US: Do Moving Distance and Relocation Services Matter?:

When householders are vouchered-out from distressed, federally subsidised private developments in the US and receive moderate relocation counselling, does that counselling lead to a more intensive ...
The Role of Contact Requirements in Producer Services Location

The authors explore the role of contact requirements in the locational tendencies of producer service establishments. Empirical evidence from two demand-side surveys suggests that close proximity between vendors and clients is required for contracts that involve frequent buyer–seller interaction (face-to-face linkages). These types of contracts are shown to be relatively low duration and/or low cost in nature. Specific activity classes that exhibit these characteristics include data processing, computer software development, product testing, and equipment repair services. In contrast, more advanced (and often more expensive) services such as management consulting and industrial design exhibit lower levels of contact sensitivity. The paper concludes with a discussion of forthcoming prospects for the development of a contact-based model of producer service location.
Relativistic Precessions of Macroscopic Objects

THE problem of extending the Thomas precession to a macroscopic object spinning about its own axis has recently been considered in connexion with a rapidly rotating disk1. It was concluded that an arbitrary finite section of the disk would not undergo a Thomas rotation, but instead would experience “Thomas shear stresses” and that only the individual rigid units (point particles) would rotate with the Thomas precession rate. The chief aim of this communication is to point out that, if the gravitational field of the disk is not neglected, this result also holds for the analogous general relativistic precessions, and to re-examine the relativistic precessions from a more realistic microscopic point of view.
Motion of Bubbles in a Rotating Container

References 1 Wadleigh, K. H. et al, "Spinning Vehicle Nutation Damper," Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, Vol. 1, No. 6, Nov.-Dec. 1964, pp. 588-592. 2 Alper, J. R., "Analysis of Pendulum Damper for Satellite Wobble Damping," Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, Vol. 2, No. 1, Jan.-Feb. 1965, pp. 50-54. 3 Austin, F. and Zetkov, G. A., "Zero Mass-Shift Passive Damper for the Reduction of Precession in a Rotating Space Vehicle," Journal of the Astronautical Sciences, Vol. XVI, No. 1, Jan.-Feb. 1969, pp. 1-7. 4 Cloutier, G. J., "Nutation Damper Design Principles for DualSpin Spacecraft," Journal of the Astronautical Sciences, Vol. XVI, No. 2, March-April 1969, pp. 79-87. 5 Thomson, W. T. and Reiter, G. S., "Attitude Drift of Space Vehicles," Journal of the Astronautical Sciences, Vol. VII, No. 2, Summer 1960, pp. 29-34. 6 Meirovitch, L. and Nelson, H. D., "On the High-Spin Motion Satellite Containing Elastic Parts," Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, Vol. 3, No. 11, Nov. 1966, pp. 1597-1602.
Políticas indigenistas en Argentina: entre la hegemonía neoliberal de los años noventa y la "nacional y popular" de la última década

A review of indigenist policies that is limited to detailing existing legal frameworks, describing the measures adopted, or specifying what has not been done or what needs to be done, says little of other parameters that are equally important for evaluating such policies as processes of construction of cultural hegemony, the effects of which must be weighted by other factors, by redefining the fields of political dialogue, resignifying the ideas and practices of citizenship and their effects on subjectivities. Based on the Argentine experience, this article discusses the idea of sedimentation of neoliberal measures in a context of hegemonic reappropriation of a perspective of "national and popular" sovereignty over territories and resources. This analysis of the effects of the indigenist policies of the past decade upon the indigenous movement therefore focuses on examining the development model that has been adopted and transformations in the ways of characterizing the plebs (the field of the popular or the least privileged) as either a tangential or an essential part of the populus or the people of the nation and, therefore, of the demos, the space of those who can "legitimately" give form and content to the populus and put their world into words.