cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
APPLICATION OF A PRODUCTIVITY MODEL FOR COMPUTER SYSTEMS

The performance evaluation of computer systems as they impact on final user requirements for services is a complex task. A management-oriented approach to the issue based on conventional economic theory was described in a previous report as an outgrowth of a joint university-industry research project. In this sequel we report our experience in estimating, testing, and applying this conceptual model.
Addition of dihalocarbenes to corannulene. A fullerene-type reaction☆

Dihalocarbenes (:CCl2, :CBr2, and :CI2) add preferentially to one of the radial double bonds of corannulene, rather than to the rim. These cyclopropanations strongly resemble the additions of dihalocarbenes to fullerenes, which likewise occur at 6:6-double bonds, destroy the cyclic conjugation in two adjacent benzene rings, and give ‘closed’ adducts. An explanation is offered for the abnormally high reactivity of the interior carbon atoms of corannulene.
Gypsy Architecture: Houses of the Roma in Eastern Europe

Gypsy Architecture beckons cultural geographers and others to experience an unusual sort of vernacular landscape located far off the beaten path. Although vernacular architectures appear in many di...
Stochastic form optimization

Abstract Engineering decision-making processes are the subject of design methodology, engineering optimization, and heuristics. However, a large class of engineering problems exists which cannot be easily classified as suitable for the application of methods belonging to any of these three groups. In particular, engineering problems requiring innovative, patentable solutions are in a gray area between the engineering branches of heuristics, innovative design, and shape optimization, which is considered a subfield of optimization. These problems can be also dealt with using the techniques of artificial intelligence. This paper describes a unique computer-oriented innovative design method. Stochastic Form Optimization, which can also be classified as a nondeterministic optimization method. The proposed model of the generation of innovative solutions is based on a stochastic simulation of morphological analysis. It has also been used in BRZDYL1, a learning expert system for engineering design currently under...
Ultrahigh-pressure transitions in solid hydrogen

During the past five years, major progress has been made in the experimental study of solid hydrogen at ultrahigh pressures as a result of developments in diamond-cell technology. Pressures at which metallization has been predicted to occur have been reached (250-300 Gigapascals). Detailed studies of the dynamic, structural, and electronic properties of dense hydrogen reveal a system unexpectedly rich in physical phenomena, exhibiting a variety of transitions at ultrahigh pressures. This colloquium explores the study of dense hydrogen as an archetypal problem in condensed-matter physics.
Charged-Scalar Strong-Coupling Theory for Two-Nucleon System

The Serber-Pais charged-scalar strong-coupling method is extended to the two-nucleon system. It is shown explicitly that whereas the nuclear force depends on the renormalized coupling constant alone at the large internucleon separations, its dependence on the unrenormalized coupling constant alone becomes increasingly pronounced as the two nucleons come closer together. (auth)
Restriction of Retroviral Replication by Tetherin/BST-2

Tetherin/BST-2 is an important host restriction factor that limits the replication of HIV and other enveloped viruses. Tetherin is a type II membrane glycoprotein with a very unusual domain structure that allows it to engage budding virions and retain them on the plasma membrane of infected cells. Following the initial report identifying tetherin as the host cell factor targeted by the HIV-1 Vpu gene, knowledge of the molecular, structural, and cellular biology of tetherin has rapidly advanced. This paper summarizes the discovery and impact of tetherin biology on the HIV field, with a focus on recent advances in understanding its structure and function. The relevance of tetherin to replication and spread of other retroviruses is also reviewed. Tetherin is a unique host restriction factor that is likely to continue to provide new insights into host-virus interactions and illustrates well the varied ways by which host organisms defend against viral pathogens.
Optimal consensus algorithms for cooperative team of agents subject to partial information

The objectives of this work are the development and design of controllers for a team of agents that accomplish consensus for agents' output in both leaderless (LL) and modified leader-follower (MLF) architectures. Towards this end, a semi-decentralized optimal control strategy is designed based on minimization of individual cost functions over a finite horizon using local information. Interactions among agents due to information flows are represented through the control channels in characterization of the dynamical model of each agent. It is shown that minimization of the proposed cost functions results in a modified consensus algorithm for LL and MLF architectures. In the latter case, the desired output is assumed to be available for only the leader while the followers should follow the leader using information exchanges existing among themselves and the leader through a predefined topology. Furthermore, the performance of the cooperative team under a member's fault is formally analyzed and investigated. The robustness of the team to uncertainties and faults in the leader or followers and adaptability of the team members to these unanticipated situations are also shown rigorously. Finally, simulation results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed methodologies in achieving prespecified requirements.
Decay constants and SU(2) mass splittings of pseudoscalar mesons

Borel-transformed QCD sum rules are applied to pseudoscalar mesons containing a light antiquark and a light or heavy quark. We determine the decay constants and the SU(2) mass splittings of these mesons. A suitable method of extracting the hadronic parameters from the sum rules is discussed in detail. The relationship of these sum rules to the current algebra sum rules is p emphasized. Our results are in good agreement with the experimental results, where available.
Differential 18F-2-deoxyglucose uptake in viable dysfunctional myocardium with normal resting perfusion: evidence for chronic stunning in pigs.

Background—Viable, chronically dysfunctional myocardium can have normal or reduced resting flow. We previously produced hibernating myocardium with reduced resting flow in pigs with a chronic stenosis and hypothesized that hibernation is preceded by chronic stunning with normal resting perfusion. Methods and Results—Pigs instrumented with a proximal left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) stenosis were studied 1 or 2 months later in the closed-chest anesthetized state. Stenosis severity increased from 74±5% at 1 month to 83±6% at 2 months and was accompanied by anteroapical hypokinesis (wall motion score, 2.1±0.1 at 1 month and 1.5±0.3 at 2 months; normal=3). Resting perfusion was similar in normal and dysfunctional regions, but the deposition of 18F-2-deoxyglucose (FDG) varied. At 1 month, subendocardial FDG deposition by excised tissue counting was similar in each region (0.034±0.006 mL · g−1 · min−1 LAD region versus 0.032±0.004 mL · g−1 · min−1 in normal regions, P=NS). At 2 months, subendocard...
Rheological Study of Chain Dynamics in Dilute Binary Polymer Mixtures

Recent progress toward a more realistic understanding of chain dynamics in entangled binary mixtures has prompted us to examine in detail the nature of probe chain dynamics in binary mixtures in th...
Femtosecond Laser Nanosurgery and Study of Nerve Regeneration and Degeneration

Using femtosecond laser pulses, precision axotomy in a simple organism, Caenorhabditis elegans is demonstrated. This precise surgical technique opens for the first time experimental access to study nerve regeneration and degeneration in vivo in an organism with a simple nervous system. Since simple organisms like C. elegans provide tremendous research potential due to their amenable genetics and screening methods, application of femtosecond laser axotomy technique should allow rapid screening of genes and molecules affecting nerve regeneration and development
rut Sites in the nascent transcript mediate Rho-dependent transcription termination in vivo.

The in vitro function of the coliphage λ tR1 Rho-dependent terminator is governed primarily by a tripartite upstream sequence element designatedrut. To determine the contribution of the different components of the rut site to terminator function in the normal context of coupled translation of the nascent cromessage, tR1 variants lacking different rut site sequences were tested for terminator function in vivo. IntactrutA and rutB sequences were both necessary for efficient termination. However, deletion of the upstreamrutA was far more detrimental than deletion ofrutB. The intervening boxB, which encodes a short RNA stem and loop, could be deleted without reducing termination or detectably altering Rho's interaction with the correspondingcro transcript. The relative importance of these sequence elements was also the same in a minimal in vitrotermination assay system. Rut sequences are therefore essential for terminator function in vivo andrutA contributes substantially more to tR1 function than does rutB. The relative contribution of these elements can be ascribed to differences in Rho's binding affinity for the encoded transcripts. If other cellular factors also bind the rutelement RNA, they do not alter the relative contribution of its two regions to Rho-dependent transcription termination in vivo.
Induction versus expectant management in premature rupture of the membranes with mature amniotic fluid at 32 to 36 weeks: a randomized trial

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to compare maternal and perinatal outcomes between two management schemes for women with preterm premature rupture of the membranes and documented fetal pulmonary maturity. STUDY DESIGN: Of 164 women with preterm premature rupture of the membranes at 32 weeks to 36 weeks 6 days' gestation, 93 eligible and consenting women were randomly selected for either induction of labor ( n = 46) or expectant management ( n = 47). Expectant management included hospitalization, assessment for fetal heart rate abnormalities, chorioamnionitis, and labor. Digital cervical examinations were prohibited until progressive labor occurred. Follow-up was also done for the 71 women who did not participate. RESULTS: The women in the induction of labor and expectant management groups had similar demographic characteristics and gestational ages (34.1 vs 34.3 weeks). Expectant management was associated with prolonged latencies to labor, delivery, and maternal hospitalization ( p p p = 0.01, 0.03). Infants received more frequent ( p p = 0.003) with no reduction in proven sepsis (6.8% vs 4.4%). These latter differences were influenced by the neonatologist's concern over potential neonatal infection. CONCLUSIONS: Among women with preterm premature rupture of the membranes at 32 to 36 weeks with mature surfactant profiles, immediate induction of labor reduces the duration of hospitalization and infection in both mothers and neonates.
Coulomb Scattering of a Charged Vector Meson with an Electric Dipole Moment

We generalize, by including an electric dipole moment that leads to parity nonconservation, our previous investigation of the scattering of a charged vector meson by a static Yukawa potential, or, in particular, a static Coulomb field. The existence of a solution that satisfies Meixner's corner condition requires the following inequality between the anomalous magnetic moment $\ensuremath{\kappa}$ and the electric dipole moment $w: \ensuremath{\kappa}g1+{w}^{2}$. In the special case where the electric dipole moment is absent, this condition reduces to the one obtained previously.
Academic medicine must deal with the clash of business and professional values

Academic medicine faces unprecedented challenges, especially the impact of the changing and more business-oriented health care system on medical education. There is an inherent clash of values between business and medicine: among key business values are profit and competition, while among the traditional values of the medical profession are service, advocacy, and altruism. Business interests have already gained a central place in medicine, so the challenge has become how to utilize the positive elements of the entrepreneurial spirit to enhance professional values and advance academic medicine's central enterprise. The author maintains that to achieve that synthesis, the leaders of academic medicine must continue to engage in a dialogue with the broader academic community, the government, the public, and the health care industry. The dialogue must emphasize (1) managing change rather than resisting it (such as focusing on the positive aspects of change, keeping sight of the fundamental professional values of medicine and medical education, and maintaining cool, rational judgment in the face of challenges); (2) making academic medicine's case with many constituencies, such as the health care industry, government, and the public; and (3) fostering professionalism by increasing medical schools' emphasis on this task, by ensuring that schools keep an appropriate balance between the science and the art of medicine, and by having faculty model appropriate professional values for their students. The author concludes that while change inevitably brings challenge and a sense of loss, it also brings the opportunity to help reshape medical education to meet the needs of society.
Loreto Todd. Pidgins and Creoles

La autorino multe vojagis en regionoj, kie piginajoj kaj kreolaj lingvoj estas uzataj.La verketon si dedicas cefe al la tiuklasaj lingvoj, kiuj leksike parencas al la angla. La nun tri jarojn malnova libro respegulas du sufice fresdatajn tendencojn: la seriozan pritrakton de antaue ne serioze traktitaj lingvoj, kaj la akcepton de la graveco de tiaj lingvoj ne pure teoria sed ankau politika kaj psikologia. Hi estas ja vaste uzataj.La piginajn kaj kreolajn lingvojn oni ofte konsideras produktoj de la europa penetrado de la cetera mondo. Sed eu simila procczo de piginigo kaj posta kreoligo okazis, ekzemple, en la elkresko de la franca el la latina? En grava, tamen ne multe konata referaĵo, D. Taylor esploras la historiajn lingvajn rilatojn inter konkerita plimulto kaj venkinta malplimulto. Taylor enkadrigas lingvajn problemojn en vastan historian kadron. Todd simile faras, sed pli simplece, provante, ekzemple, igi kreolan lingvon "respektinda" per komparo kun la franca. La prestigo de lingvo, en la opinio, au antaŭjugo, de nefakuloj, dependas de skribsistemo, prefere tre malnova. Aliaj citas la literaturon, la gramatikan komplikecon, ktp. Lau tiaj mezuriloj, al pigin-kreolaj lingvoj mankas prestigo. Naiva sinteno.La celo de la verko de Todd estas, unuecigi la pristudon de tiaj lingvoj kun tiu de la ceteraj. Sed eble tamen ekzistas ne nur kvanta, sed fakte kvalita diferenco inter tiu kategorio de lingvoj kaj la ceteraj, aparte rilate la gramatikan strukturon dum la estigo. La mallonga - 92-paJa, ses-capitra - libreto estas la unua tiuspeca en la angla de post tiu de Hall (1966). Gi celas nefakan leganton. Pli postulema leganto rigardu la verkon redaktitan de Hymes (1971), ne tiel timigan, kiel Todd kredas, kaj novan libron pri la antilaj lingvoj de Taylor (1977).
Security analysis of RSVP-TE signaling in MPLS networks

Abstract Multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) is one of the fastest growing telecommunications infrastructure technologies. MPLS provides OSI layer 2 switching speed coupled with layer 3 addressing, and supports multiple service models and sophisticated traffic management. Several telecommunications companies have made massive investments in MPLS technology. Indeed, within a few years, a major portion of global data, voice and video traffic is expected to travel over MPLS network cores. This paper examines the security issues related to the RSVP-TE signaling protocol, which is vital to creating and managing the high-speed paths used by MPLS traffic. Our analysis has revealed several exploits–ranging from network enumeration to denial-of-service attacks–that can significantly impact MPLS networks. The exploits are discussed in detail along with proposed mitigation strategies.
Geostatistical analysis of field spatial distribution patterns of soybean cyst nematode

Site-specific management of soybean cyst nematode [Heterodera glycines Ichinohe] (SCN) is plausible if its spatial and temporal dynamics are adequately known and structured. The hypothesis that variation in the spatial distribution of SCN is sufficient in magnitude and structure and sufficiently time invariant to support the use of site-specific management in SCN-infested fields was tested. A nested survey sampling design with distances reduced by geometric progression was applied on two fields in Michigan. Cysts were extracted from single-core soil samples collected before planting in 1999 and 2000, the number of eggs per cyst was estimated, and the number of eggs per sample was obtained by multiplying eggs per cyst by the number of cysts. The distribution of the three variables was characterized using geostatistical tools such as semivariograms, kriging, and cross-correlograms on log-transformed values of the original data. Mean cyst population density ranged from 6 to 33 cysts 100 cm - 3 soil in the two fields. Although the spatial structure of SCN population varied between fields and SCN population density varied between years, the location of areas of high or low cyst density could be identified repeatedly. The reasons why nematodes exhibited an aggregated distribution are not yet understood. The evaluation of factors associated with the determination of SCN spatial distribution is part of an ongoing project toward the development of SCN site-specific management.
A Harean Perspective on Humane Sustainability

Animal well-being must be a primary normative consideration in a conception of humane sustainability. The two-level utilitarianism of R.M. Hare embodies aspects of both animal welfare and animal rights views, and in this paper I illustrate its application to questions about what counts as humane sustainability. Hare’s theory is highly controversial, and a thorough defense of it is beyond the scope of this paper, but the insightful way it provides of assessing various visions of humane sustainability testifies to the explanatory and analytic power of the theory. In particular, on a Harean analysis, it makes sense to distinguish among “prelapsarian,” “contemporary,” and “utopian” visions of humane sustainability.
Spin-orbit mediated anisotropic spin interaction in interacting electron systems

We investigate interactions between spins of strongly correlated electrons subject to the spin-orbit interaction. Our main finding is that of a novel, spin-orbit mediated anisotropic spin-spin coupling of the van der Waals type. Unlike the standard exchange, this interaction does not require the wave functions to overlap. We argue that this ferromagnetic interaction is important in the Wigner crystal state where the exchange processes are severely suppressed. We also comment on the anisotropy of the exchange between spins mediated by the spin-orbital coupling.
Electronic aspects of enzyme catalysis proton-electron density displacements.

Abstract The applicability of an electron density-proton transfer mechanism to account for the catalytic activity of enzymes has been examined in specific enzyme reactions. A concerted displacement of a number of negatively charged atomic components in one direction, countered by an associated transfer of protons or other positive components in the opposite direction appears to be involved in the reactions studied. The charges on the components, which are revealed by the Fajans electron density configurations, relate to the continuous changes of the intensities of the electrostatic interactions along the reaction co-ordinates. When the components have converged close enough together, the continuous nature of the changes corresponds to a reduction of the energy barrier due to energy gained from the bond forming process as the bond rupturing process is taking place. From this perspective, the utilization of the binding energy between the enzyme and substrate to reduce the energy barrier, the electrostatic stabilization of the transition state, and concerted, polyfunctional acid-base catalysis can all be seen as aspects of the same Coulombic process. Conformational changes may serve to extend these co-ordinated displacements over a wider area around the active site. Comparisons to other theories and supporting observations are described.
A nonlinear programming approach to lower bounds for the ground-state energy of helium

Lower-bound estimates for the ground-state energy of the helium atom are determined using nonlinear programming techniques. Optimized lower bounds are determined for single-particle, radially correlated, and general correlated wave functions. The local nature of the method employed makes it a very severe test of the accuracy of the wave function.
Studies on the receptors involved in the action of the various agents in the phenylbenzoquinone analgesic assay in mice

1 Tolerance to the activity of several narcotic analgesics (morphine, levorphanol, and methadone) and several narcotic-antagonist analgesics (pentazocine, cyclazocine, and nalorphine) was studied in the mouse phenylbenzoquinone stretching test. Virtually complete tolerance was induced by chronic treatment with each of the narcotic agents, while no apparent tolerance was induced by the narcotic antagonists. 2 In morphine-tolerant mice there was a high degree of cross-tolerance to the effects of not only the other narcotic drugs but also to those of the narcotic antagonists, acetylsalicylic acid, and physostigmine. 3 The effects of morphine and pentazocine were antagonized by naloxone but not by atropine, while the effects of physostigmine were antagonized by atropine but not by naloxone. Neither atropine nor naloxone antagonized the effect of acetylsalicylic acid. 4 The results of the tolerance study suggest that there is a fundamental difference in the consequences of receptor interaction for the narcotic and the narcotic-antagonist analgesics. Morphine-tolerant mice exhibit cross-tolerance non-specifically. The selectivity of naloxone and atropine differentiates the narcotic and narcotic-analgesics from the other two agents used in this analgesic test.
Interferometric Method of Velocity of Light Measurement

An association of interferometric methods in the 3.2-cm microwave and visible-light optical domains is now being used for the measurement of the velocity of light in terms of primary atomic constants, an atomic clock for the frequency and a light source (Hg 198, Kr 86, optical maser) for the length. The microwave interferometry is carried out by hydraulically and continuously moving a piston in a perfect, silver-plated, optically polished, fused-quartz, cylindrical resonant cavity. The optical and mechanical systems involve several novel features extending the interferometric servo-control method using photoelectric detection successfully applied by the author to the ruling of high-resolution gratings. With precisions as good or better than those obtained in any previous measurement of c, an increase in accuracy by one to three orders of magnitude results from the use of primary standards for the frequency and length rather than the unreliable secondary standards used heretofore. This fact applies to other velocity-of-light measurements as well and should help in reducing the rather disturbing dispersion in the values of c, which heretofore considerably exceeded the precisions obtained in the measurements.
Toward cell circuitry: Topological analysis of enzyme reaction networks via reaction route graphs

The first step toward developing complete cell circuitry is to build quantitative networks for enzyme reactions. The conventional King–Altman–Hill (KAH) algorithm for topological analysis of enzyme networks, adapted from electrical networks, is based on “Reaction Graphs” that, unlike electrical circuits, are not quantitative, being straightforward renderings of conventional schematics of reaction mechanisms. Therefore, we propose the use of “Reaction Route (RR) Graphs” instead, as a more suitable graph-theoretical representation for topological analysis of enzyme reaction networks. The RR Graphs are drawn such that they are not only useful for visualizing the various reaction routes or pathways, but unlike Reaction Graphs possess network properties consistent with requisite kinetic, mass balance, and thermodynamic constraints. Therefore, they are better than the conventional Reaction Graphs for topological representation and analysis of enzyme reactions, both via the KAH methodology as well as via numerical matrix inversion. The difference between the two is highlighted based on the example of a single enzyme reaction network for the conversion of 7,8-dihydrofolate and NADPH into 5,6,7,8-tetrahydrofolate and NADP+, catalyzed by the enzyme dihydrofolate reductase.
On the mishandling of Anger in psychotherapy

There has been a widespread notion among social workers that a major purpose of intensive clinical work is to help people acknowledge and ventilate hostile feelings. This paper challenges this idea by elucidating the specific problems and potential harm of interventions which indiscriminately emphasize anger.
SR-isotopic composition of clinopyroxenes from some mediterranean alpine lherzolites

Clinopyroxenes in the metamorphic alpine peridotites from Ronda, Beni Bouchera, Lanzo and Othris have 87Sr86Sr ratios in the range of 0.70228 – 0.70370, similar to ocean ridge tholeiitic rock. Insofar as these lherzolites represent mantle sources, the present data allows simple evolutionary models relating basalt genesis and alpine peridotite. The highly radiogenic Sr reported in many whole rock alpine peridotites may be due to contamination in olivine and thus, earlier models that deny a simple relationship between alpine peridotite and the oceanic gabbros and basalts need a re-evaluation.
Simulation of the cell to plane front transition during directional solidification at high velocity

Using the alloy phase-field method with a frozen temperature approximation, interface morphology and solute segregation patterns during directional solidification are examined near the high velocity (absolute stability) condition for planar growth. The dynamics of the breakdown of initially planar interfaces into cellular structures are shown. At sufficiently high solidification speed, a planar interface is reestablished after breakdown during the initial transient. The cell spacings, depths, tip temperatures, tip radii, and concentration patterns are determined as a function of solidification velocity. The presence of solute trapping is manifest in the variation of the degree of solute partitioning across the interfacial region with interface speed.
Project Based Activities to Attract Students to Marine Engineering and Technology Careers

During the past several years, workforce issues have immerged as a dominant concern for shipbuilding and repair companies. Related issues include concern about “aging” of the workforce, lack of basic technical education, career transition processes, recruitment and training of the new workforce, retention and training of the incumbent workforce, image of the industry, and lack of career information for middle and high school students. Large turnover combined with retirement of aging workforce is anticipated to create large demands for qualified workforce. The Shipbuilding and Repair Career Day Events (SBRCD) project was conceived in response to this critical need of workforce in shipbuilding and repair industry. This project was funded by the National Shipbuilding research Program to increase awareness about careers in marine industry. The paper discusses the multi-pronged effort within the SBRCD project to inform and engage middle and high school students, teachers and counselors about career opportunities in this industry. The paper also discusses the design and development of four simulation activities known as marine kits to engage students in shipbuilding related projects. These activities are tied to Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) so teachers can use them in classrooms without loosing time. The Marine Kits were pilot tested and results are discussed.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
THE ADULT WHO IS AN ONLY CHILD: ACHIEVING SEPARATION OR INDIVIDUATION

60 women and 60 men between the ages of 18 and 45 years (M = 30.5, SD = 9.6) were categorized by sex, age, and birth order (only child, firstborn, last-born) to assess the differences among the adult only-child, the youngest child, and the oldest child in autonomous characteristics and cohesiveness in family interaction. Analysis of the responses on a biographical data sheet, the California Psychological Inventory, and the Family Adaptability Cohesion Scales III showed that main effects for birth order and sex are significant in the process of separation-individuation and that the only child is less autonomous than the oldest child.
Profiling the Career Development of Women Fashion Merchandising Graduates: A Beginning:

This discussion paper summarizes recent literature and concepts concerning the career development of women, relates this material to careers in merchandising, examines somepreliminary data provided...
Reducing Domestic Violence Revictimization

This article examines the role of individual and contextual factors and legal interventions in reducing time to domestic violence revictimization. Drawing on current theory and research, hypotheses are deduced about the effects of these factors. Cox regression and survival analyses are employed to test the hypotheses using court, police, and census data from an urban jurisdiction in Texas. Prior drug use, race/ethnicity, and community-level income were associated with time to revictimization. However, there was little evidence either of interactive effects between race/ethnicity and community-level income or of differential effects of each of three types of legal interventions. Implications for theory, research, and domestic violence interventions are discussed.
AUXIN PRODUCTION IN SEEDLINGS OF DWARF MAIZE

Dwarf races of corn are mainly characterized by the length of stem which is, at vegetative maturity, less than 50 per cent, of the length of the normal sibs. It is known that the growth in length of stems, and more especially the elongation of the cells, is regulated by auxin (11). In an earlier paper on dwarfism (8) I stated that nana corn, one of the genetic types of dwarfs, shows its dwarfism even in the seedling stage by its reduced growth of the mesocotyl. It was shown that this reduced growth was attributable to inhibited elongation rather than to a reduced number of cells. Recently Abbe (1) showed that in mature plants of nana and dwarf-1 the number of internodes is the same as in their normal sibs. It is the shorter length of the cells in the ground parenchyma, as well as in the vascular tissue, which accounts for the short stems of the dwarfs. It was demonstrated (8) that 5 days after they were sown in sand in a physiological darkroom, nana plants produce less auxin than do normal ones. It was also shown that the sensitivity to auxin (measured as auxin curvatures) is less in the nana coleoptiles than in the normal ones. Both differences were attributed to the greater destruction of auxin in the nana plants, which was found to be especially high in the mesocotyls. The destruction was thought to be caused by the action of peroxidases, which were found to be much more active in the apical part of the mesocotyl of nana plants than of normal corn. In 1936 a few studies on other plants appeared in which an attempt was made to link dwarfism with auxin. Hinderer (?) showed that hybrids of Epilobium have an auxin production which is smaller the more dwarfed the hybrid is. De Haan and Gorter (4) studied a tall and a shorter variety of Pisum and concluded that the destruction of auxin is the determining factor for the growth of the pea stem, thereby reaching the same conclusion as I had reached for the nana dwarf in corn. (8). The purpose of the present investigation was to study the auxin production in several of the known genetic dwarf races of corn. In order to have comparable controls, seeds were used which segregated either 50 or 25 per cent, dwarfs. The dwarfs of the types here described were easily distinguished from normal control plants 4 days after they had been sown in the darkroom. The seeds were sown and the plants were grown in pure sand (without nutrient solution). The experiments were carried out in the same darkroom where the plants were grown. The temperature was 24? C. and
The Concept of Precedent Autonomy

Does respect for autonomy imply respect for precedent autonomy? The principle of respect for autonomy requires us to respect a competent patient's treatment preference, but not everyone agrees that it requires us to respect preferences formed earlier by a now-incapacitated patient, such as those expressed in an advance directive. The concept of precedent autonomy, which concerns just such preferences, is problematic because it is not clear that we can still attribute to a now-incapacitated patient a preference which that patient never disaffirmed but can no longer understand. If we cannot make that attribution, then perhaps we should not respect precedent autonomy - after all, how can you respect patient autonomy by giving patients what they no longer want, even if they never disaffirmed those wants? I argue that whether an earlier preference can still be attributed to a now-incapacitated patient depends on the reasons behind the preference, for a preference includes (and is not merely supported by) the reasons behind it. When the considerations that served as reasons no longer exist, neither does the preference, which included those reasons. In particular, if the considerations that served as reasons for the patient exist only under conditions where the patient retains full mental capacity, then once that capacity is lost, so are those reasons and the preference based upon them. I use this analysis of precedent autonomy to ascertain the merits of various approaches to advance medical decision-making, including Nancy Rhoden's approach, approaches based on a Parfitian personal identity analysis, approaches based on soft paternalism, and approaches based on the stability and longevity of preferences. Despite the apparent absurdity of respecting patient autonomy by giving patients what they no longer prefer but have never disaffirmed, I conclude with some programmatic remarks on when and why respect for (precedent) autonomy nonetheless requires us to respect former preferences.
Treatment of membranous nephropathy in the elderly

Abstract MN is relatively common in the elderly and can lead to significant morbidity and mortality as a result of complications of the nephrotic syndrome and end-stage renal disease. Some cases of MN may be missed as asymptomatic urinary abnormalities and progressive renal disease may be attributed incorrectly to vascular disease or normal aging. Urinary abnormalities and changes in renal function should be evaluated in the elderly using the same criteria as applied in younger individuals. When MN is diagnosed in an elderly individual, it has the same risks for progression as in younger individuals; thus, therapy for hypertension, hyperlipidemia, edema, and proteinuria should be instituted. When appropriate, elderly individuals should receive immunosuppressive therapy to induce a remission of the nephrotic syndrome and reduce the risk for progressive loss of renal function using criteria similar to younger patients. Most studies show response rates to be comparable in all age groups examined. The only consistent recommendation is to avoid high-dose corticosteroids when possible. Recognize that drug dosages need to be modified and carefully monitored and that the elderly may be particularly prone to side effects and infectious complications of immunosuppressive therapy. Although treatment of MN in the elderly has unique challenges, reducing the need for renal replacement therapy in this population merits special attention. This is a US government work. There are no restrictions on its use.
Body mass index and mobility of older home care patients.

Overweight and obesity are increasingly prevalent. The purpose for a sample of older adults was to describe body mass index (BMI) and determine its relationship with mobility. The BMI of 36 consecutive home-care patients (≥65 years) was determined as was their independence in sit-to stand (STS [ability without help or use of upper limbs]) and ability to walk 150 feet without help or stopping. The patients' mean BMI was 29.7±9.6 kg/m2. Sixteen patients were overweight and 10 were obese. Eighteen patients were unable to complete an STS without use of their upper limbs or help. Eighteen patients were unable to walk 150 feet without help or stopping. A higher BMI was associated significantly with STS dependence (r=−0.361; p=0.031) and limited walking (r=−0.424; p=0.010). Thus, most of the older adult patients seen in one practice were overweight or obese. Regardless of age and other factors, patients with higher BMIs were more likely to have limited mobility.
Statistical Errors in Grading Chicks for Feather Growth

Abstract EARLY feathering is well recognized as a desirable characteristic to select for in broiler strains of chickens. The only convenient method to evaluate degree of feathering is by subjective scores or grades. Jaap and Morris (1937) used three arbitrary classifications, based primarily on the condition of the back and wings, in studying genetic differences in chick feathering at eight weeks of age. Darrow and Warren (1944) scored the back region of each chick at eight weeks according to the degree of feathering and utilized five grades for this purpose. Since such scores are based on the personal judgment of the grader, the question arises as to how much error can be attributed to the human element. The study to be reported was made preliminary to a more extensive one dealing with the hereditary aspects of feather growth. Data for the present analysis consist of a total of 1,800 scores obtained . . .
Changing Tides: Tax Haven Reform and the Changing Views on Transnational Capital Flow Regulation and the Role of States in a Globalized World

The transnational free flow of capital represents one of the core factors driving the globalization of the world since the beginning of the Bretton-Woods era. Under the “traditional” Neoliberal theory of globalization, this free flow of capital remains sacrosanct, an unstoppable force with which state actors cannot and should not interfere. However, the recent financial crisis has caused some to question this absolute faith in the benefits of unregulated transnational capital flows and to assert that the state still has a role to play in influencing the creation of international norms on capital. Tax haven regulation represents one area that has seen a significant increase in interest in the United States since the financial crisis, most notably in the forms of the Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act and the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act. Although much has already been written on the purported benefits and drawbacks of tax haven reform, this note will instead focus on the view of globalization and the state’s role in it that underlie these pieces of legislation. In short, this note will argue that this legislation, and the renewed interest in tax haven regulation surrounding it, represents a shift away from the absolutist neoliberal view of globalization toward one that both recognizes the potential benefits of capital-flow regulation and the ability of state actors to use their domestic law-making capacity to influence the creation of these new international regulatory norms.
Hexachlorobenzene (HCB): A review

Current knowledge about hexachlorobenzene (HCB) is reviewed. HCB is not a naturally occurring compound and is known to accumulate in both terrestrial and marine animals. The toxicity to human beings of long-term low level exposure to HCB is discussed. The occurrence of HCB in humans, food, wild mammals, birds, fish, and soil is described. Results of numerous experiments concerning HCB toxicity to rats, rabbits, guinea pigs, mice, hamsters, monkeys, dogs, sheep, birds, and pigs are examined. Multigeneration and teratology studies concerning the fertility of people exposed to HCB in Turkey from 1955-59 are reported. HCB is a global pollutant that is known to have a high degree of toxicity in human beings and other species. Its use and disposal should be carefully monitored.
Using scare tactics to promote safer sex among juvenile detention and high school youth

Abstract Sensation seeking, or the degree to which individuals desire novel and stimulating experiences, has recently been identified as a critical variable in public health campaign research. Because fear appeals are by definition vivid, graphic, and stimulating, the present study tested the effectiveness of high and low fear appeals among high and low sensation seekers in a high school and juvenile detention center. The results indicated that low sensation seekers were persuaded to adopt safer sex behaviors regardless of the threat level of the fear appeal. High sensation seekers were not persuaded by any presentation. Explanations and recommendations for effectively influencing high sensations seekers are outlined.1
Comparison of Identical and Functional Igh Alleles Reveals a Nonessential Role for Eμ in Somatic Hypermutation and Class-Switch Recombination

Somatic hypermutation (SHM), coupled with Ag selection, provides a mechanism for generating Abs with high affinity for invading pathogens. Class-switch recombination (CSR) ensures that these Abs attain pathogen-appropriate effector functions. Although the enzyme critical to both processes, activation-induced cytidine deaminase, has been identified, it remains unclear which cis-elements within the Ig loci are responsible for recruiting activation-induced cytidine deaminase and promoting its activity. Studies showed that Ig gene-transcription levels are positively correlated with the frequency of SHM and CSR, making the intronic, transcriptional enhancer Eμ a likely contributor to both processes. Tests of this hypothesis yielded mixed results arising, in part, from the difficulty in studying B cell function in mice devoid of Eμ. In Eμ’s absence, VH gene assembly is dramatically impaired, arresting B cell development. The current study circumvented this problem by modifying the murine Igh locus through simultaneous insertion of a fully assembled VH gene and deletion of Eμ. The behavior of this allele was compared with that of a matched allele carrying the same VH gene but with Eμ intact. Although IgH transcription was as great or greater on the Eμ-deficient allele, CSR and SHM were consistently, but modestly, reduced relative to the allele in which Eμ remained intact. We conclude that Eμ contributes to, but is not essential for, these complex processes and that its contribution is not as a transcriptional enhancer but, rather, is at the level of recruitment and/or activation of the SHM/CSR machinery.
Site-Directed Disulfide Cross-Linking Shows that Cleft Flexibility in the Periplasmic Domain Is Needed for the Multidrug Efflux Pump AcrB of Escherichia coli

Escherichia coli AcrB is a multidrug efflux transporter that recognizes multiple toxic chemicals having diverse structures. Recent crystallographic studies of the asymmetric trimer of AcrB suggest that each protomer in the trimeric assembly goes through a cycle of conformational changes during drug export. However, biochemical evidence for these conformational changes has not been provided previously. In this study, we took advantage of the observation that the external large cleft in the periplasmic domain of AcrB appears to become closed in the crystal structure of one of the three protomers, and we carried out in vivo cross-linking between cysteine residues introduced by site-directed mutagenesis on both sides of the cleft, as well as at the interface between the periplasmic domains of the AcrB trimer. Double-cysteine mutants with mutations in the cleft or the interface were inactive. The possibility that this was due to the formation of disulfide bonds was suggested by the restoration of transport activity of the cleft mutants in a dsbA strain, which had diminished activity to form disulfide bonds in the periplasm. Furthermore, rapidly reacting, sulfhydryl-specific chemical cross-linkers, methanethiosulfonates, inactivated the AcrB transporter with double-cysteine residues in the cleft expressed in dsbA cells, and this inactivation could be observed within a few seconds after the addition of a cross-linker in real time by increased ethidium influx into the cells. These observations indicate that conformational changes, including the closure of the external cleft in the periplasmic domain, are required for drug transport by AcrB.
Arboviral Infection of Voluntary Striated Muscles

Systemic viral infections are often associated with deep myalgia, and many of the arboviruses characteristically produce illnesses with a denguelike syndrome of pains in joints, tendons, and muscles [1-3]. It has been postulated that direct viral damage to skeletal muscles may be responsible for some of the clinical symtomatology [4], but relatively few laboratory studies have focused upon the pathogenesis of viral myositis [5, 6, p. 233-237], In experiments conducted more than 20 years ago, infections of muscle with St. Louis Encephalitis virus (a group B arbovirus) and several picornaviruses were produced by direct inoculation into limbs or after intracranial injections [7, 8]. This work antedated the employment of electron microscopy or in-vitro assays for virus, and it was difficult to exclude nonspecific causes of muscular necrosis [8, 9]. The cellular loci of viral replication could not be determined with confidence [7]. Nevertheless, results demonstrated that several of the small RNA viruses multiplied locally in limbs or spread to the limbs during systemic infection. During electron microscopy of the development of Semliki Forest virus (SFV) in mouse brain, we observed that pericranial striated muscle cells were occasionally a site of viral replication. Although intramuscular growth by SFV was not previously recognized, closely related group A arboviruses were known to produce "coxsackielike" lesions in the musculature of suckling mice [10-12], and Sindbis virus antigens appeared to localize within striated muscle cells [4]. Since the
OTA update: World oil

Predicting the world oil supply is, in the words of a member of the Technology Assessment Board, ‘a risky proposition …a gamble.’ Nonetheless, the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) has made a general prediction, resulting from the study ‘World Petroleum Availability: 1980–2000,’ which was prepared in response to a request from the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. According to this report, in the future the United States will be unable to expect increased imports over current levels, and furthermore, this country will be facing much stiffer competition for world supplies, at lower import levels.