cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lebanon: The Rise and Fall of a Secular State under Siege

Why has secularism faced such challenges in the Middle East and in Lebanon in particular? In light of dominating headlines about the spread of sectarianism and the so-called death of Arab secularism, Mark Farha addresses the need for a thorough examination of the history of secular thought and practice in the region. By offering a comprehensive, systematic account of the underlying ideological, socio-economic, and political factors involved, Farha provides a new understanding of the historical roots of secularism as well as the potential causes for the continued resistance a fully deconfessionalized state faces both in Lebanon and in the region at large. Drawing on a vast corpus of primary and secondary sources to examine the varying political parties and ideologies involved, this book provides a fresh approach to the study of religion and politics in the Arab world and beyond.
Channel Characteristics for 5G Wireless Systems Operating in Millimeter-wave Bands

Co-located 4×4 multiple-input multiple-output measurements of link gain, delay spread, and capacity at 24 GHz and 2.55 GHz are compared for an indoor environment consisting of offices, large rooms, and hallways. The results show that link gain at the two frequencies is similar in hallways and connected laboratories after removing the impact of effective antenna aperture but is much lower at 24 GHz in non-line-of-sight scenarios. For all environments, median delay spreads as well as system capacity at a fixed signal-to-noise ratio at 24 GHz are similar to those observed at 2.55 GHz. Ray tracing simulation results show reasonable to good agreement with the measured link gain but tend to provide lower capacity estimates. Overall, the results suggest that bands near 24 GHz may be able to support multiple-antenna communication strategies.
Ann's Scan

The painting, Ann’s Scan, is a small printed image of one of my brain scans following a Traumatic Brain Injury. The painting includes a plastic glove on the upper right corner and streaks of various colors descending from the glove and on to the brain image. Ann’s Scan by Ann Millett-Gallant is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Based on a work at https://rdsjournal.org. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at https://www.rds.hawaii.edu/.
Proteomics profiling of swine serum following lipopolysaccharide stimulation

Rationale There are no approved animal drugs for management of inflammation in swine due to lack of validated animal models. To assess efficacy, it was essential to develop proteomics approaches to identify suitable biomarkers of inflammation as presented in this study. Methods Serum samples were collected from a group of four pigs prior to (baseline) and 24 and 48 h following lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation to reveal proteomic changes during inflammation. Two other pigs served as untreated controls. Proteins were separated by either one-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) or two-dimensional (2D) gel electrophoresis (2DE) prior to analysis by nano-flow liquid chromatography (nLC) coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Results We identified 165 proteins using SDS-PAGE, of which 47 proteins were also detected by 2DE prior to nLC/MS/MS. More than half (72%) of all characterized proteins were modulated as a result of LPS stimulation, many of which are known to be involved with innate and adaptive immunity. Pig serum samples obtained 24 h after LPS initiation of inflammation showed protein modulations of serum albumin, serotransferrin, light and heavy immunoglobulin chains (IGs), and major acute phase proteins including haptoglobin (HPT), serum amyloid A2 (SAA2), C-reactive protein (CRP), β-2-glycoprotein 1 (B-2GP1), alpha-2-HS-glycoprotein (A2HS), α-1-antitrypsin (A1AT), and α-1-acid glycoprotein (A1AG). SAA2 was distinguished from the other SAA isoforms by the unique peptide sequence of SAA2. Conclusions The results provided proteomics analysis of swine serum due to LPS stimulation and indicated the importance of SAA2, which appears to be unique and may be regarded as a potential clinical diagnostic biomarker of inflammation.
Risk and protective effects of social networks on alcohol use problems among Army Reserve and National Guard soldiers.

Abstract Background Military personnel engage in alcohol-related behaviors for a variety of reasons, some of which may be socially-motivated. Although civilian-based research has established that peers’ drinking behaviors are correlated with individuals’ own drinking behaviors, military work has not yet examined the influence of social network characteristics on soldier drinking behaviors. This study describes characteristics of soldiers’ social networks in association with soldier alcohol use problems. Methods This study includes data on 353 U.S. Reserve and National Guard (R/NG) soldiers and their 2154 past-year social ties. Descriptive analyses examined social tie characteristics (e.g., military affiliation, substance misuse, and drinking influence). Negative binomial regression models examined relationships between social network characteristics and soldier alcohol use problems. Results On average, 14% of a R/NG soldier’s social network was comprised of military-affiliated ties. Further, an average of 14% of ties in a soldier’s network were considered drinking buddies, and 8% of ties were heavy-drinkers. More drinking buddies and heavy-drinking ties in a soldier’s social network and greater average number of past-month days drinking with ties were associated with increases in soldier alcohol problems. For deployed soldiers, larger military-affiliated social networks were protective against alcohol problems. Conclusions Drinking-related social network characteristics are associated with increased alcohol problems among soldiers, while military-affiliated ties are protective specifically for deployed soldiers. Interventions to reduce alcohol use problems may focus on enhancing social connections between R/NG soldiers and providing opportunities to connect deployed R/NG soldiers with one another during and after reintegration.
Quasilinear Control of Feedback Systems with Multivariate Nonlinearities

Quasilinear Control (QLC) is a set of methods for analyzing and designing nonlinear stochastic systems. It leverages the method of Stochastic Linearization (SL), which approximates a nonlinearity by a linear function, utilizing statistical properties of the random inputs. In this paper, the theory of multivariable SL is studied, leading to a multivariable extension of QLC theory. The expression for the linear function is derived in terms of the inputs to the nonlinearity. The expression is then used to stochastically linearize a bivariate saturation nonlinearity in a feedback control system. Finally, a practical example of optimal control design is presented, where it is shown that SL is fairly accurate even for multivariate nonlinearities and that the resulting linear approximation can adapt systematically to changes in system parameters.
Chapter 5 – Heterochrony

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses heterochrony, which is an ancestor–descendant difference in the relative timing of events during development. This phylogenetic pattern frequently has been confused with ecological and evolutionary processes that result in diverse larval forms that also vary in the timing of developmental events. Presently, heterochrony is considered as a process affecting the origin and evolution of larval forms. Discussions of heterochrony rarely distinguish patterns from processes, and heterochronic patterns are defined as paedomorphosis, truncation of development of a trait relative to development of the trait in an ancestor; or peramorphosis, extension of development relative to an ancestor. Heterochronic processes can produce these two patterns: deceleration and acceleration, the decrease or increase in k, the rate of development of the trait; hypomorphosis and hypermorphosis, the decrease or increase in β, the age at termination of development of the trait; and postdisplacement and predisplacement, the increase or decrease in α, the age at initiation of development of the trait. A combination of these heterochronic processes can result in a heterochronic pattern in which ancestor and descendant have the same phenotype, a pattern called isomorphosis.
Structural damage identification via physics-guided machine learning: a methodology integrating pattern recognition with finite element model updating:

Structural health monitoring methods are broadly classified into two categories: data-driven methods via statistical pattern recognition and physics-based methods through finite elementmodel updati...
Extracting Power Signature from Low Dropout Voltage Regulator for IoT Security

Power analysis or power fingerprinting has been demonstrated as a potent tool to detect malicious operation or adversary attacks. However, current methods to extract power traces used in power fingerprinting typically require the use of bulky and power hungry bench equipment, which prevents integrating the power analysis method in miniature IoT devices. This work presents a novel method to extract the power signature of IoT devices. The proposed method takes advantage of the digital control signals of digital LDO circuits and generates the power signature with simple circuits. The proposed circuits can be integrated into digital LDO chips and hence is suitable for IoT applications.
Evaluation and modeling of water vapor sorption and transport in nanoporous shale

Abstract Understanding vapor transport of water in nanoporous shale is challenging due to the coexistence of multiple water phases within a multi-mineral aggregate with complex multiscale pore architecture. We explore this response through dynamic vapor sorption experiments and modeling on two shale samples with differing fractions of hydrophilic clays and contrasting pore architecture. Measured diffusion coefficients of water vapor in the two shales are of the order of magnitude of 10−12 - 10−10 m2/s, increasing with relative humidity (Rh) except at high Rh during adsorption process. The drop in diffusivity at high Rh during adsorption results from the impeding effect of capillary-occluding air bubbles and flattening of the pore-entry menisci. We propose a model for water vapor transport accommodating surface flow of adsorbed water and viscous flow of capillary water – with active mechanisms operational in different pore size populations. Actual pore size distributions (PSDs) are characterized by low pressure nitrogen adsorption. Predictions from the proposed transport model, utilizing these measured PSDs, are consistent with the measured diffusion behavior during desorption, also replicating water uptake behavior across the full spectrum of 0 0.6. Surface flow of the adsorbed phase contributes predominantly to the total flux over a wide range of Rh ( 0.98). In terms of pore size effects, macropores (> 50 nm) contribute little to the total water adsorption but comprise more than of the 68% total water flux. Conversely, micropores (
From natural law to political economy: J. H. G. von Justi on state, commerce and international order: by Ere Nokkala, Vienna, Lit Verlag, 2019, vi + 295 pp., €34.90 (paperback), ISBN 978-3-643-91035-6

Over the past fifteen years, Johann Heinrich Gottlob von Justi (1717–1771) has finally begun to acquire the international scholarly visibility he deserves. A canonical figure in the history of eigh...
Energy Dependence of the Spin Spin Correlation Parameter C(ll) = (L, L : O, O) in $p p$ Elastic Scattering Around $\theta$ (Center-of-mass) = 90-degrees

We have measured the spin-spin correlation parameter ${C}_{\mathrm{LL}}=(L, L;0, 0)$ in $p\ensuremath{-}p$ elastic scattering around ${\ensuremath{\theta}}_{\mathrm{c}.\mathrm{m}.}=90\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}$ from ${p}_{\mathrm{lab}}=1.0 \mathrm{to} 3.0$ GeV/c. We observe a rapid energy dependence in ${C}_{\mathrm{LL}}$ and describe our interpretation of the results.
The Potential for Eutrophication Mitigation from Aquaculture of the Native Oyster, Crassostrea virginica, in Chesapeake Bay: Quantitative Assessment of an Ecosystem Service

THE POTENTIAL FOR EUTROPHICATION MITIGATION FROM NATIVE OYSTER AQUACULTURE IN CHESAPEAKE BAY, CRASSOSTREA VIRGINICA: QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENT OF AN ECOSYSTEM SERVICE By Colleen B. Higgins, Ph.D. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Integrative Life Sciences, at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2011. Major Director: Bonnie L. Brown, Professor, Department of Biology Native oysters have been promoted as a means to improve water quality in Chesapeake Bay. This project added important insights into the potential of oyster aquaculture to process and remove nutrients from Bay waters. Results clarified that nutrient removal of nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), and carbon (C) through harvest of cultivated oyster biomass can be quantified and modeled with high levels of statistical confidence. A simple, yet accurate, method is now available for estimating the amount of nutrients removed via harvesting aquacultured oysters. Based on model estimates, 10 harvest sized oysters (76 mm TL) remove 132 kg TN, 19 kg TP, and 3,823 kg TC. Previous work suggested that potentially substantial quantities of N may be removed through enhancement of the coupled nitrification-denitrification pathway in sediments as a result of oyster biodeposition. Using N and N2/Ar methods to measure N2 production in sediments, encompassing direct denitrification (DNF), coupled nitrification-
Overcoming Lochner in the Twenty-First Century: Taking Both Rights and Popular Sovereignty Seriously as We Seek to Secure Equal Citizenship and Promote the Public Good

Professor McAffee reviews substantive due process as the textual basis for modern fundamental rights constitutional decision-making. He contends that we should avoid both the undue literalism that rejects the idea of implied rights, as well as the attempt to substitute someone's preferred moral vision for the limits, and compromises, that are implicit in - and intended by - the Constitution's text. He argues, moreover, that we can largely harmonize the various goals of our constitutional system by taking rights seriously and by understanding that securing rights does not exhaust the Constitution's purposes.
Who Responded to Equifax? Self-Protection Strategies When Guardians Fail

Routine activity theory suggests that crime occurs when a motivated offender meets a suitable target and no capable guardian is present. In identity theft that occurs online, potential victims can ...
The role of stigma in U.S. primary care physicians' treatment of opioid use disorder.

Abstract Objectives To characterize primary care physicians’ (PCPs) attitudes and beliefs about people with opioid use disorder (OUD) and to understand the association between PCPs’ stigmatizing attitudes and their OUD treatment practices, beliefs about treatment effectiveness, and support for policies designed to improve access to OUD medications. Methods We conducted a national postal survey of U.S. PCPs from January to August 2019. Survey items measured respondents’ attitudes, beliefs, and current treatment practices. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression. Results Of the original 1000 PCPs in the survey sample, 668 were deemed eligible to participate in the study. The survey was completed by 361 PCPs for an adjusted response rate of 54 %. PCPs reported high levels of stigmatizing attitudes. Less than 30 % of PCPs reported that they were willing to have a person taking medication for OUD as a neighbor or marry into their family, even if that person was being treated with medication. Greater stigma was associated with an 11 percentage point lower likelihood that PCPs prescribed OUD medication and lower support for policies intended to increase access to OUD medication. Conclusions Addressing OUD stigma among PCPs is a public health priority in addressing the ongoing opioid crisis.
A Lower Level of Scrutiny? New Alternatives for an Effective Restraint on Competitive Activity

For decades, courts in Illinois and all over the country have struggled with the enforcement of contractual terms that forbid an employee from competing with a former employer. Courts must weigh an employer’s right to protect its interests against the employee’s ability to earn a livelihood. This analysis often leads to unpredictable results and makes it difficult for employers to predict whether particular contractual restrictions will be enforced by a reviewing court.1 Despite this uncertainty, there are measures that employers can take to make results more predictable. For example, several decisions have embraced the idea of “forfeiture-for-competition” clauses that condition an employee’s receipt of certain benefits on that employee’s promise not to compete with the former employer. If the employee competes, he or she will not be entitled to the benefit. Importantly, these forfeiturefor-competition clauses have been subjected to a lower level of scrutiny than traditional non-competition clauses. Additionally, recent decisions suggest that courts are more likely to enforce a restriction provision where the company alleviates the effect of the former employee’s “loss of livelihood” by paying the former employee during the non-compete period. These developments suggest that courts may be willing to enforce an arrangement that has developed in the United Kingdom, termed “garden
Investigations Into Drosophila Wing Development—Results from a Lindenmayer Model

In this time of significant and exciting new understandings in genetics, there has been a persistent, but largely unfulfilled expectation that the instructions for generating an organism are somehow directly encoded in its genetic program, and that full understanding of developmental mechanisms would accompany knowledge of the molecular mechanisms of gene control. We are now realizing that a simple, one-step explanation of development at this ultimate reductionist level is unlikely. As Brenner puts it (quoted in Lewin, 1984) “Ultimately the organism must be explicable in terms of its genes,… But the representation will not be explicit. We need to understand the grammar of development to make sense of it.” It is this grammar of spatial and dynamic organization of complex systems that Lindenmayer’s algorithms seek to model.
Casual Sex: Integrating Social, Behavioral, and Sexual Health Research

While sexuality scholars have long been interested in questions of the relational context of sexual activity, the last decade has witnessed an abundance of research on the topic of casual sex. This research has focused on the context of sexual activity between individuals not in a romantic relationship. Various forms of uncommitted or “casual” sexual activity have been identified, from hook-ups to friends with benefits, resulting in a new research agenda that speaks to the sexual lives of youth today. We attempt to reconcile the casual sex research in the social and behavioral sciences with that in public health, to develop a deeper and more holistic understanding of sexual health across relationship contexts.
PRODUCTION OF ENRICHED β-LACTOGLOBULIN AND α-LACTALBUMIN WHEY PROTEIN FRACTIONS

This is a process based on (1) 90% volume reduction of whey by ultrafiltration, (2) partial demineralization of the UF retentate by electrodialysis or diafiltration, (3) pH adjustment of the UF retentate before and after demoralization to pH 4.65, and (4) centrifugation of the retentate produced β-lactoglobulin-enriched fractions containing 33% of the original acid whey protein and 17% of the original sweet whey proteins. Lactose and ash impurities in the β-lactoglobulin-enriched fraction were reduced by 18% by resuspending the pellet in distilled water at pH 4.65 and recentrifuging. Diafiltration of the α-lactalbumin-enriched fraction with 2, 4 and 6 volumes of distilled water reduced the lactose and ash content of this fraction by 53%, 62% and 81%, respectively. Gel electrophoresis patterns of the two protein enriched fractions confirmed selective enrichment of β-lactoglobulin or α-lactalbumin in each fraction.
Maneb potentiates paraquat neurotoxicity by inducing key Bcl‐2 family members

An important feature of Parkinson's disease is the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the Substantia Nigra pars compacta. Paraquat (PQ) and MPTP cause the selective degeneration of these neurons in vivo, and combining PQ with maneb exacerbates that pathology. Elucidation of the cell death mechanisms involved is important to understand how multiple environmental toxins may contribute to sporadic Parkinson's disease. We recently reported that PQ induces neuronal apoptosis through Bak activation, in contrast to MPP(+), the toxic metabolite of MPTP, which relies on Bax and p53. Here we show that individually PQ and maneb activate Bak, but together they trigger Bax-dependent cell death. Focusing on mechanisms responsible for this synergy, we found that maneb+PQ increased the expression of three strong Bak inhibitors, Bfl-1, Bcl-xL and Mcl-1, and also induced Bax activators that included Bik and Bim. Those responses favor Bax-dependent MOMP and apoptosis. SiRNA knockdown of Bax and Bak confirmed that individually PQ and maneb induce Bak-dependent cell death, but together they block the Bak pathway and activate apoptosis through Bax.
Individual quality mediates trade‐offs between reproductive effort and immune function in tree swallows

Summary 1 Individual variation in the trade-off between self-maintenance and offspring quality was assessed in tree swallows, Tachycineta bicolor, by manipulating reproductive effort while simultaneously immunochallenging breeding females. 2 An experimental manipulation of parental effort was conducted by creating broods of, on average, three, five and eight nestlings. Breeding females were immunochallenged to mount a humoral immune response to sheep red blood cells (SRBC) and a cell-mediated response to phytohaemagglutinin (PHA). The consequences of adult decisions on offspring quality were assessed through immune responses to PHA, growth rates and residual body mass of nestlings. 3 Clutch initiation date, a strong measure of individual quality in tree swallows, was linked with immune responses, with earlier-nesting, presumably higher quality, females mounting stronger immune responses than did later-nesting birds. Increased reproductive effort led to decreased parental immune responses. There was a significant interaction between individual quality and reproductive effort treatment, with lower-quality individuals showing greater depression of humoral immune response to SRBC while raising enlarged broods, suggesting individual-level variation in trade-offs. 4 Breeding females raising enlarged broods tended to raise offspring of similar quality to control females, with only growth rate decreasing with increasing brood size, but not residual nestling body mass or nestling immunocompetence. This suggests that females are maintaining offspring quality at the cost of their own immune system maintenance.
Banks’ Private Information and the Supply of Equity Capital: Evidence from Share Issuance and Withdrawal

If banks reveal their private information it should influence investors’ willingness to supply equity capital. We examine this in the setting of IPO markets using a private-information proxy from credit standards. We find that an unfavorable private-information signal results in a decline (increase) in the number of IPOs (withdrawals), indicating a rational capital-supply-driven link between bank loan and IPO markets. This link is strongest where banks’ private information should be most valuable to outside investors and is robust to endogeneity and changes in capital demand. Our results suggest that the credit channel is important to a wellfunctioning IPO market.
Suicide and the Standard of Care: Optimal vs. Acceptable

The accepted standard of care in the treatment of suicidal patients is discussed from the perspectives of the law, malpractice insurance claims, the mental health professions, and the ideal. A review of decisions of professional liability in suits for wrongful death provides guidelines for what the court considers to be adequate care. Out of court settlements further connote accepted standards of reasonable care. Although attention to potential malpractice issues is necessary and appropriate, what appear to result are an acceptance of minimal standards and the practice of defensive care. It is argued that by demanding more optimal standards the consequent quality of care not only serves the patient best but provides the best legal protection as well.
NH3 adsorption around Nin (n ≤ 4) clusters

Abstract The attachment of NH3 to Nin clusters was studied both theoretically and experimentally. Experiments were conducted by generating the clusters in a flow tube reactor and reacting them with NH3 gas. The experimental mass spectra show that in Nin–(NH3)m, the dominant products for cations occur at 1:2, 1:3, 3:3, 4:4, 5:5 and 6:6. This paper also reports the results of theoretical ab initio density functional calculations, which were carried out to examine the nature of binding, stability and the effect of NH3 on the electronic and magnetic behavior of Nin clusters. It is shown that the binding energy (BE) of NH3 to Nin clusters changes non-monotonically with size and that the observed peaks in the mass spectrum of Nin–(NH3)m clusters can be understood from the theoretical energetics. Although the magnitude of the bond energies is greater for ammonia bound to Ni+ than to the neutral atom, based on the energetics, the trend leading to a truncation in the cluster distribution is expected to be the same in accord with the experimental findings. Theoretical attention was also directed to a study of the trends in the magnetic properties of the system. We show that the absorption leads to a gradual quenching of the Nin moments. In some cases, however, the moments can reappear at higher coverage. This reappearance of magnetism is shown to be a consequence of the variation of Ni–N distance with coverage of the adsorbent.
Service-Learning in Parenting Education: Insights from Students and Parent Participants

The field of family studies is particularly suited to service-learning, but one area that has not received much attention in this regard is that of parenting education. This article highlights a series of parenting education workshops that were incorporated into a parent-child relationships course, utilizing a developmental assets framework. Student reflections and parent evaluations are used to consider the extent to which the service-learning activity enabled students to apply course content to real-world experiences, view themselves as emerging professionals, and have a positive impact on the community. Implications for continuing or replicating similar service learning experiences are included.
Long Range Alpha-Particles Emitted in Connection with Fission. Preliminary Report

Alpha-particles are emitted in coincidence (i.e., within 5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\ensuremath{-}6}$ sec.) with fission by ${\mathrm{U}}^{235}$ and ${\mathrm{Pu}}^{239}$. The maximum range observed corresponds to an energy of 16 Mev. About one alpha per 250 fissions is emitted by ${\mathrm{U}1}^{235}$ and one alpha per 500 fissions by ${\mathrm{Pu}}^{239}$. The investigation is being continued.
Achieving safety and integrity in conducting research with intimate partner violence survivors.

In their paper, Burge et al. (see record 2014-23812-001) describe an innovative methodology for studying real-time antecedents to intimate partner violence (IPV), as well as the methods employed to ensure the safety of research participants. Over a 12-week timespan, 200 women in moderately violent relationships were asked to make daily phone calls, using a password-protected, interactive voice response system, to provide information about new violence and abuse, and the circumstances that surrounded it. The article details the many safety procedures employed. The authors report that only 2 women were withdrawn from the study for safety reasons. In addition, in post-participation interviews, many participants reported on the increased safety they experienced as a result of participating in the study. These results are discussed in the commentary as part of a growing trend that shows that studies that have well-designed safety procedures in place may actually constitute a kind of inadvertent but effective intervention for abuse survivors in healthcare settings. Implications of such procedures for continued research development in this area, as well as for designing and evaluating innovative health care-based IPV interventions are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved). Language: en
Marijuana use and testicular germ cell tumors

Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT) are relatively rare malignancies, accounting for less than 2% of male cancers; however, they are the most common malignant neoplasm occurring in young men, ages 15-44, in many countries including the United States (U.S.).1 Based on data from 2002-2006, TGCT incidence rates among young, white men in the U.S. were 6.3 per 100,000 men.2 In contrast, the incidence rates among black and Asian men range from 1-2 per 100,000.2 The highest incidence rates in the world occur in populations of northern European ancestry, regardless of their country of residence.3 In the U.S., the incidence of TGCT increased in white American men by 70.2% between 1975 and 2005.2 Similar increases in TGCT incidence have been observed among men of European heritage in Canada, many European countries, New Zealand and Australia.3-7 Such an increase in incidence over a relatively short time interval suggests the influence of environmental rather than genetic factors. TGCT is hypothesized to develop as a result of the neoplastic transformation of germ cells into testicular carcinoma in situ. It is believed that these neoplasms arise early in fetal life and progress to invasive cancer under the influence of adult gonadotropic and androgenic hormones.8;9 There are few established risk factors for TGCT beyond age, race, history of cryptorchidism, and family history of TGCT. Recently, marijuana use has been evaluated as a risk factor.10 Daling and colleagues reported increased risk of TGCT with current marijuana use, specifically among frequent (once per week or greater) and long-term users (10+ years).10 The exact mechanism of how heavy marijuana use might increase the risk of TGCT is unknown, however chronic marijuana exposure has multiple adverse effects on the endocrine and reproductive systems such as gynecomastia, impotence, reduced sperm counts, and suppressed testosterone.7;11-13 We explored the relationship of marijuana use and TGCT in an existing hospital-based case-control study conducted at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center (UTMDACC). Specifically, we evaluated whether TGCT risk increased with increasing frequency and duration of marijuana use. We also assessed whether risk estimates for marijuana use varied by TGCT histology.
Ultra-High-Temperature Short-Time Experimental Studies on Fluid Milk Products. Experimental Equipment

Summary Two heaters have been used to experimentally sterilize small quantities of fluid milk products. The Mallory tubular heater has a capacity of 200 gal/hr and a product flow-rate of 23 ft/sec, but it can be increased to 300 gal/hr. Sections of this heater can be used either as pre-heating, heating or holding tubes for a calculated time of 2.08sec. each, and they are accurate and efficient, due to the high ratio of length to diameter (2,296:1). The products can be homogenized either before or after sterilization, or both, and over a range, of temperatures and pressures. The DeLaval plate heater has a heating, a cooling, and two regenerating sections which make it possible to homogenize the product at different temperatures. The. plates can withstand pressures up to 60 lb/in 2 , are 0.043-in. thick with a corrugated profile, and have 1.51ft. 2 each of surface. The K factors (B.t.u/hr/ft 2 /° F.) for the heating, regenerating, and cooling sections are 700, 300, and 500, respectively. Vacuum- and pressure-steam can be used, depending on the desired temperatures. Two temperature controls are used, one with a vacuum pump in the condensate side of the heating system for about 220° F. and lower, and the other one, with a. steam trap, to maintain temperatures of about 300° F. An apparatus was constructed in which milk products can be put aseptically, in sterile glass bottles and in sterile metal cans, either in a normal atmosphere or in one of an inert gas. Detailed dimensions are given.
Resolution of the effects of sulfhydryl-blocking reagents on hormone- and DNA-binding activities of the chick oviduct progesterone receptor.

Abstract The differential effects of sulfhydryl (SH)-blocking agents on hormone and DNA binding by the chick oviduct progesterone receptor were investigated. Previous studies have demonstrated inhibition of steroid-receptor interaction by SH-blocking agents and protection against inhibition by bound hormone. The present results indicate that the SH group required for steroid binding is within or near the hormone-binding site itself, and that a second SH group (or groups) is involved in the binding of receptor to DNA. Three findings relate to the site of action of SH-blocking agents on hormone binding. First, glycerol decreased the rate of hormone dissociation and the rate of hormone displacement by mercurial reagents by 75 to 90%. Second, mercurial reagents displaced [ 3 H]progesterone bound to the mero-receptor, a M r 23,000 proteolytic fragment containing the hormone-binding site, but not the site of interaction with DNA. Third, hormone displacement was still present after a 10,000-fold purification of the progesterone receptor. Mercurial reagents also inhibited binding of progesterone receptor to DNA, whereas the SH-alkylating agents N -ethylmaleimide and iodoacetamide had no effect. It is likely that distinct sulfhydryl groups are required for steroid receptor interaction with hormone and with DNA, since brief treatment with mercurial reagents blocked DNA binding, but caused only a slight displacement of bound hormone. The SH group required for hormone binding probably lies within or near the hormone-binding site, is sensitive to mercurials, alkylating agents, and 5,5′-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoate) (DTNB), and is protected by bound hormone. The SH group required for DNA binding, in contrast, is sensitive to mercurials but not to alkylating agents, is only partially sensitive to DTNB, and is not protected by bound hormone.
Laser-Assisted Mass Spectrometric Studies of Metal Binding Properties in Stichococcus bacillaris

Abstract Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) and laser microprobe mass spectrometry (LMMS) have been utilized in order to determine characteristics of metal adsorption by Stichococcus bacillaris . MALDI results combined with UV-Vis absorption spectrometry indicate that the interaction of the S. bacillaris with Cu 2+ salts causes the algae to release a polypeptide. It was also discovered that the amount of polypeptide released is dependent upon interaction time, algae concentration, and the presence of air during the reaction.
The frequency and epidemiology of hand and forearm fractures in the United States

The purpose of this study was to estimate the frequency and describe the epidemiology of hand and forearm fractures in the United States. We extracted cases with ICD-9-CM diagnostic codes of 813.0 to 817.1 from the 1998 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. In 1998 there were 1,465,874 estimated cases of hand/forearm fractures, accounting for 1.5% of all emergency department cases. Radius and/or ulna fractures comprised the largest proportion of fractures (44%). The most affected age group was 5 to 14 years of age (26%). Private insurance paid for 49% of the cases. Most of the fractures occurred at home (30%); the street/highway was the second most likely fracture location (14%). Accidental falls caused the majority (47%) of fractures. Large database analysis provides important information that can be used to target interventions toward vulnerable populations and to allocate adequate resources for treating upper extremity fractures.
Difference limen as a function of retinal eccentricity and background brightness.

The goal of this experiment was to obtain difference limens at several combinations of background brightness and retinal eccentricity. Background brightnesses were 0.0001, 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, 1, and 10 ft-L; retinal locations were the fovea and 2°, 6°, and 10° in the nasal portion. Monocular difference limens were determined using a 1° test stimulus superimposed at the center of a 27° background. The technique of threshold determination was the ascending series of the Method of Limits. The findings suggest that the curve describing log ΔB vs log background brightness becomes steeper as retinal eccentricity increases. At the three higher background brightnesses log ΔB increased as a function of eccentricity; at the three lower brightnesses log ΔB decreased with increasing eccentricity. In both cases the curves were negatively accelerated. It is suggested that the rising functions represent cone and the falling ones, rod thresholds. It appeared that the slopes of the curves relating ΔB to eccentricity were not as great at intermediate background brightnesses as they were at extreme values. This finding suggests a gradual rather than a sudden transition from rod to cone activity as brightness increases.
Design and modeling with schema grammars

Graphical scene modeling is usually a time-consuming, tedious and expensive manual activity. This paper proposes an approach to partially automating the process through a paradigm for cooperative user-computer scene modeling that we call cooperative computer-aided design (CCAD). Formal grammars, referred to as schema grammars, are used to imbue the modeling system with an elementary 'understanding' of the kinds of scences to be created. The grammer interpreter constructs part or all of the scene after accepting from the user partially completed scence components and descriptions of scence properties that must be incorporated into the final scene. This approach to modeling harnesses the power of the computer to construct scene detail, thereby freeing the human user to focus on essential creative decisions. This paper describes the structure and interpretation of schema grammars, and provides techniques for controlling the combinatorial explosion that can result from the undirected interpretation of the grammars. CCAD is explored in the context of two experimental systems-FLATS, for architectural design, and LG, for modeling landscapes.
Uptake and metabolism of low density lipoproteins with elevated ceramide content by human microvascular endothelial cells: implications for the regulation of apoptosis.

Ceramide is a bioactive molecule involved in cellular responses to stress and inflammation. The major pathway for ceramide accumulation is via agonist-induced activation of cellular sphingomyelinases. It has also been shown that the ceramide level in circulating low density lipoprotein (LDL) increases during systemic inflammation, hence it is of importance to understand whether LDL-derived ceramide also contributes to the cellular ceramide homeostasis and affects cell functions. This article provides evidence of uptake of ceramide-enriched LDL by human microvascular endothelial cells in a receptor-mediated fashion. This uptake can be competed by native LDL, indicating that the LDL-binding receptor may be involved. Following uptake, part of the LDL-derived ceramide is converted to sphingosine, but more importantly, part of it accumulates inside the cells (approximately 1.44 nmol/mg of cell protein). This accumulation of ceramide correlates with an increased incidence of apoptosis. The addition of tumor necrosis factor-α further enhances the accumulation of LDL-derived ceramide and the rate of apoptosis. In contrast, inhibitors of receptor-mediated endocytosis block both, the accumulation of LDL-derived ceramide and the concurrent increase in apoptosis. We also show that LDL-delivered ceramide is a more efficient inducer of apoptosis as compared with ethanol-delivered ceramide, the same apoptotic effect being achieved by substantially smaller increases in intracellular ceramide. Taken together, the presented data indicate that increases in lipoprotein ceramide concentration may result in changes in the bioactive properties of circulating lipoproteins such as the enhanced ability to induce apoptosis in the microvascular endothelium.
Unhappy endings: a feminist reappraisal of the women's health movement from the vantage of pregnancy loss

This essay contrasts the rosy birth scenarios of the natural childbirth movement with reproductive disaster stories of members of pregnancy loss support groups and women from toxically assaulted communities in the US who have suffered pregnancy loss. I argue that both biomedical obstetrics and the women's health movement critique of it share a belief in the ability to control reproduction so that there will be a positive outcome. I show that this emphasis on happy endings (whether believed to be the result of medical intervention, or women's natural inborn powers to reproduce) exacerbates the experience of those whose pregnancies do not end happily. I show how the women's health movement's emphasis on the importance of women being in control of their own bodies is related to a broader "culture of meritocracy" which contributes to maternal blame (and self-blame) when pregnancies are not perfect.
Enhanced whistler-mode emissions: Signatures of interchange motion in the Io torus

During the Galileo inbound pass through the Io torus the plasma wave instrument detected intervals of enhanced whistler-mode emissions. Over two of these intervals in the inner torus (L < 6.5), for which energetic particle data is also available, the flux and pitch angle anisotropy of resonant electrons exhibited a simultaneous enhancement consistent with inward adiabatic transport from a source region in the outer torus. The enhanced electromagnetic emissions are interpreted as a modulation of cyclotron whistler-mode instability above the normal marginally stable state of the plasma. This suggests that the enhanced emissions are a sensitive indicator of rapid inward transport associated with interchange motions in the Io torus.
Urea cycle defect: a case with MR and CT findings resembling infarct.

A 21/2 year old girl was admitted to the hospital because of recurrent vomitting, impaired consciousness, and hyperammonemia. MR and CT findings resembled an infarct, but she was found to have a defect in the urea cycle, partial ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency.
Supply chain interactions due to store-brand introductions: The impact of retail competition

Abstract Store-brand products are of increasing importance in retailing, often causing channel conflict as they compete with national brands. Focusing on the interactions that arise in single-manufacturer single-retailer settings, previous research suggests that one main driver of store-brand profitability to the retailer is that it leads to a reduction of the national-brand wholesale price. Under retail competition, the Robinson Patman Act then introduces an interesting trade-off: A retailer that introduces a store brand incurs the associated costs and risks, while sharing this benefit with its competition. We show that the resulting interactions can cause retailers to play “chicken”, either of them preferring a store-brand introduction by the competitor. Such interactions do not arise in channels with a single retailer, as has been the object of most previous research, and we show that some of the key insights derived from single-retailer models fail to hold when retailers compete. We conduct a numeric study, and our findings suggest that retailers are more likely to randomize their store-brand introduction strategies when customers have strong store preferences, and when the retailers’ store-brand products are similar to the national-brand product in terms of customer valuations and production cost.
Neodymium isotopic variations in North Pacific modern silicate sediment and the insignificance of detrital REE contributions to seawater

The neodymium isotopic composition of the silicate fraction of Holocene pelagic sediments from the North Pacific define two provinces: a central North Pacific province characterized by unradiogenic and remarkably homogeneous end (--10.2 +_ 0.5) and a narrow circum-Pacific marginal province characterized by more radiogenic and variable end (--4.2 + 3.8). The silicate fraction in the central North Pacific is exclusively eolian; based on prevailing wind patterns, meteorological data, and neodymium isotopic data, the only significant sediment source is Chinese loess. Leaching experiments on Chinese loess confirm that leachable Nd is isotopically indistinguishable from bulk and residual silicate Nd. Silicates in the circum-North Pacific marginal province comprise eolian loess, volcanic ash, and hemipelagic sediments derived from volcanic arcs. A compilation of Pacific seawater and Mn nodule ENd data shows no clear spatial variation except for a general decrease from surface to deep waters from -3 to -4 and slightly lower ENd in bottom waters along the western North Pacific due to the incursion of Antarctic Bottom Water. The relative homogeneity of bottom water ENd, which contrasts sharply with the distinctive variation in sediment ENd, plus the large difference between the average end of bottom waters and the central North Pacific eolian silicates (-4 vs. -10), suggests that any contribution of REE to seawater from eolian materials is insignificant. Furthermore, leaching of REE from eolian particles as they sink though the water column must be insignificant because Nd in shallow waters is more radiogenic than Nd in deeper waters. That there is no contrast in the Nd isotopic composition of bottom waters that overlie the central and marginal sediment provinces suggests that the ash and hemipelagic sediments derived from Pacific rim volcanic arcs also contribute minimal REE to seawater. The elimination of eolian, ash, and hemipelagic sediments leaves only near-shore riverine particulates as a possibly significant particulate source of REE to seawater.
Enhancing the Modularity of the Modular Polyketide Synthases: Transacylation in Modular Polyketide Synthases Catalyzed by Malonyl-CoA:ACP Transacylase

Selective incorporation of extender units in modular polyketide synthases is primarily controlled by acyl transferase (AT) domains. The AT domains catalyze transacylation of the extender unit from acyl-CoA to the phosphopantetheine arm of an acyl carrier protein (ACP) domain in the same module. New methods that can modulate the extender unit specificity of individual modules with minimal structural or kinetic perturbations in the engineered module are desirable for the efficient biosynthesis of novel natural product analogues. We have demonstrated that transacylation of malonyl groups onto an AT-null form of a mutant modular polyketide synthase by malonyl-CoA:ACP transacylase is an effective strategy for the engineered biosynthesis of site specifically modified polyketides. Using this strategy, 6-deoxyerythronolide B synthase was engineered to exclusively produce 2-desmethyl-6-deoxyerythronolide B. The productivity of the modified system was comparable to that of the wild-type synthase in vitro and in vivo.