cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Exercise in Rodent Models of Chronic Pain

Physical activity is increasingly recommended for chronic pain. In this review, we briefly survey recent, high-quality meta-analyses on the effects of exercise in human chronic pain populations, followed by a critical discussion of the rodent literature. Most meta-analytical studies on the effects of exercise in human chronic pain populations describe moderate improvements in various types of chronic pain, despite substantial variability in the outcomes reported in the primary literature. The most consistent findings suggest that while greater adherence to exercise programs produces better outcomes, there is minimal support for the superiority of one type of exercise over another. The rodent literature similarly suggests that while regular exercise reduces hypersensitivity in rodent models of chronic pain, exercise benefits do not appear to relate to either the type of injury or any particular facet of the exercise paradigm. Potential factors underlying these results are discussed, including the putative involvement of stress-induced analgesic effects associated with certain types of exercise paradigms. Exercise research using rodent models of chronic pain would benefit from increased attention to the role of stress in exercise-induced analgesia, as well as the incorporation of more clinically relevant exercise paradigms.
Chinese College Students’gender Self-Esteem and Transprejudice

ABSTRACTMost studies of trans prejudice, or prejudice against transgender people, have been conducted in Western countries. The current study explored trans prejudice in a sample of 124 heterosexual college students from the People's Republic of China. We also examined the relationship between gender self-esteem—the importance of gender to one's self-identity—and trans prejudice. Results indicated that men reported more trans prejudice than women. Both women and men reported more violence toward, teasing of, and discomfort with trans women compared with trans men. Gender self-esteem was not a significant predictor of trans prejudice for men or women. These results suggest that some of the predictors of trans prejudice in Chinese people may be similar to predictors found in Western samples. However, differences may be due to cultural factors such as membership in a collectivistic versus an individualistic society.
Bioremediation of Metals in Acid Tailings by Mixed Microbial Mats

Mixed microbial mats were used to promote metal removal from mine drainage in Alabama and Colorado, USA. They are a microbial consortium which are highly tolerant of toxic metals and harsh environmental conditions. Under field conditions, these mats are generally modified by the voluntary invasion of local flora, especially filamentous green algae. For bioremediation work, these constructed mats take advantage of the role natural microbial mats play in filtering and transforming metals and metalloids. Constructed microbial mats are synthesized using silage with its associated bacterial flora and the blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) Oscillatoria.
Disconnectednesses: Two Examples

We define the T 1 property for objects in topological categories, and prove that in a topological category the full subcategory of T 1 objects is a disconnectedness. We then characterize the T 1 objects in the categories Funsp and BiTop. In addition, we investigate disconnectednesses and A-regular morphisms in these categories.
LEPTIN AND THE NEURAL CIRCUIT REGULATING BODY WEIGHT

Leptin, the hormone encoded by the ob gene, plays an important role in regulating the size of the adipose tissue mass. Injections of recombinant leptin reduce body weight and food intake of normal and obese (ob) mice in a dose dependent manner but have no effect on diabetic (db) mice, another recessive obesity gene. These data identify leptin as an important signaling molecule that acts to maintain constant stores of body fat. The complete insensitivity of db mice to leptin and the identical phenotype of ob and db mice suggested that the db locus encodes the leptin receptor. The db gene was found to be identical to a leptin receptor (Ob-R) that was functionally cloned from choroid plexus. However, because this receptor was normal in C57BL/Ks db/db mice, the possibility was raised that this db mutation affected an alternatively spliced form. The Ob-R gene was found to encode at least five different splice variants. One of the splice variants is expressed at a high level in the hypothalamus and at a lower level in other tissues. This transcript is mutant in C57BLlKs db/db mice. The mutant protein is missing the cytoplasmic region and is defective in signal transduction. Further studies have revealed that the STAT3 transcription factor is activated specifically in hypothalamus within 15 minutes of a single injection of leptin in ob and wild type mice but not in db mice. In vitro studies indicate that SHP-2, a phosphoprotein phosphatase, is also a component of the leptin signal transduction pathway.
Energy Production, Conversion, Transmission, and Distribution, Policy, Planning, and Mitigation Process – General Considerations: Infrastructure Vulnerability and Climate

Climate will increasingly affect all aspects of modern societies, global and national economies, energy, underlying infrastructures, as well as all political institutions. The collective effects will cause extensive vulnerabilities to societies, whether developed or developing. As such, the increased risks require realistic adaptation responses. In planning responses to the risks, civil and political authorities will have to primarily consider impacts on societal infrastructures.
Harnessing Albumin as a Carrier for Cancer Therapies

Serum albumin, a natural ligand carrier that is highly concentrated and long-circulating in the blood, has shown remarkable promise as a carrier for anti-cancer agents. Albumin is able to prolong the circulation half-life of otherwise rapidly cleared drugs and, importantly, promote their accumulation within tumors. The applications for using albumin as a cancer drug carrier are broad and include both traditional cancer chemotherapeutics and new classes of biologics. Strategies for leveraging albumin for drug delivery can be classified broadly into exogenous and in situ binding formulations that utilize covalent attachment, non-covalent association, or encapsulation in albumin-based nanoparticles. These methods have shown remarkable preclinical and clinical successes that are examined in this review.
Intersecting identities and positionality of U.S.-based transnational researchers in second language studies

Despite a growing number of Second Language (L2) researchers working in cross-cultural and cross-linguistic settings, issues related to these uniquely situated researcher identities have only scant...
APOL1-miR-193 Axis as a Bifunctional Regulator of the Glomerular Parietal Epithelium: Maintaining Parietal Cell Phenotype versus Promoting Podocyte Differentiation.

This commentary highlights the article by Kumar et al that reports an essential role of APOL1 in maintaining podocyte phenotype.
The effect of autostereoscopic holograms on anatomical knowledge: a randomised trial.

CONTEXT Three-dimensional (3-D) visualisation in anatomical education has been shown to be broadly beneficial for students. However, there is limited research on the relative efficacy of 3-D modalities. This study compares knowledge performance, mental effort and instructional efficiency between autostereoscopic 3-D visualisation (holograms), monoscopic 3-D visualisation (3-DPDFs) and a control (2-D printed images). METHODS A cardiac anatomy model was used to generate holograms, 3-DPDFs and 2-D printed images. Nursing student participants (n = 179) were randomised into three groups: holograms (n = 60), 3-DPDFs (n = 60) and printed images (n = 59). Participants completed a pre-test followed by a self-study period using the anatomical visualisation. Afterwards, participants completed the NASA-Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) cognitive load instrument and a knowledge post-test. RESULTS Post-test results showed participants studying with holograms (median = 80.0, interquartile range [IQR] = 66.7-86.7) performed significantly better regarding cardiac anatomy knowledge than participants using 3-DPDF (median = 66.7, IQR = 53.3-80.0, p = 0.008) or printed images (median = 66.7, IQR = 53.3-80.0, p = 0.007). Mental effort scores, on a scale from 1 to 20, showed hologram (mean = 4.9, standard deviation [SD] = 3.56) and 3-DPDF participants (mean = 4.9, SD = 3.79) reported significantly lower cognitive load than printed images (mean = 7.5, SD = 4.9, p < 0.005). Instructional efficiency (E) of holograms (E = 0.35) was significantly higher than printed images (E = -0.36, p < 0.001), although not significantly higher than 3-DPDF (E = 0.03, p = 0.097). CONCLUSIONS Participants using holograms demonstrated significant knowledge improvement over printed images and monoscopic 3-DPDF models, suggesting additional depth cues from holographic visualisation provide benefit in understanding spatial anatomy. Mental effort scores and instructional efficiency of holograms indicate holograms are a cognitively efficient instructional medium. These findings highlight the need for further study of novel 3-D technologies and learning performance.
Covered Calls on the S&P 500: Resolution of an Anomaly

Although most financial market anomalies have been studied in securities markets, the options market has shown evidence of its own anomaly in the performance of covered calls on the S&P 500. This finding is puzzling in that this index is clearly a zero-alpha investment with very high volume options. Though the skewness of covered calls complicates the evaluation of these strategies, previous studies have often paid little attention to skewness or attempted to control for it with various methods. We reexamine this issue by analyzing the performance of covered calls on the SPDR ETF over the period 2005-2015. Using traditional methods of analysis, we find evidence of positive abnormal returns as reported in previous studies, but superior performance manifests even when the options are correctly priced. We derive two new methods of analysis that provide better control for skewness. We also detect a holding period anomaly, whereby the specification commonly used for monthly holding periods masks the skewness. Our results show no support for the alleged superior performance of covered calls on the S&P 500.
Jewish Communal Affairs: April 1, 2013 to March 31, 2014

The major emerging issues for the American Jewish community in 2013–2014 were, first, the growing polarization over Israel, and second, how to address the demographic trends revealed by the 2013 Pew Research Center’s A Portrait of Jewish Americans. A growing number of Jews, especially young adults, were unhappy with the policies of the Israeli government. This discontent fueled the growth of J Street, which presented itself as a pro-Israel organization dedicated to peace with the Palestinians and an alternative to AIPAC, the principal pro-Israel lobby, which they saw as too wedded to the Netanyahu government. The Pew study found a significant growth in the percentage of Jews professing “no religion” and a parallel decline in Jewish identification, posing serious challenges for Jewish communal organizations, religious movements, educational institutions, and philanthropic endeavors.
Norman A. Mooradian. Ethics for Records and Information Management . Chicago: ALA Neal-Schuman, 2018. 191p. Paper, $75.00 (ISBN: 9780838916391). LC: 2018010397.

During the last 30 years, information technology has exploded; with that comes a host of issues that constantly need to be addressed, including how to treat the various and numerous records that have been created as a result of said information explosion. Records and information management (RIM) professionals need to adapt and adjust to the responsibilities that these changes entail. Mooradian’s book, Ethics for Records and Information Management , is essentially a manual to help RIM professionals, including librarians and archivists, develop and implement ethical organizational policies by using a principles-based approach to ethics to help the reader through the process. The author points out that RIM professionals have specific ethical responsibilities and that they will need to be equipped to establish policies, training, and systems “that are meant to manage information in a way that is fair and legitimate” (xxv–xxvi). Mooradian addresses topics that everyone working in information professions should be aware of, such as the structure of ethics, including outlining principles, moral rules, judgments, and exceptions; ethical reasoning; the ethical core of records and information management; important ethical concerns such as copyright and intellectual property, whistleblowing, information leaks, disclosure, and privacy; and the relationship between RIM ethics and information governance.
Treating the Adult Sexual Assault Victim: Evidence-Based Assessment and Treatment

This chapter offers a summary of clinical responses to adult survivors of sexual violence. In this chapter, the efficacy of psychological and medical treatments for survivors, as well as current protocols and standards of care, is explored. The state of the evidence for acute care (i.e., immediate treatments provided to a survivor) and long-term care (i.e., psychological treatment that occurs over time) is reviewed. The availability and use of postexposure prophylaxis, deployed in emergency department settings for the prevention of sexual transmitted infection contraction, are also discussed. The chapter concludes by discussing limitations in care options, opportunities for research, and future directions in treatment for adult survivors of sexual trauma.
Hyperpigmentation Associated with the Use of Topical Cidofovir for Treatment of Trichodysplasia Spinulosa in an Immunosuppressed Adult: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Trichodysplasia spinulosa (TS) is a rare, opportunistic infectious skin disease caused by the polyoma virus. Clinically, TS is characterized by follicular papules, keratin spicules, and alopecia most classically in a midfacial distribution. Since its discovery in 2010, no standard of treatment has been established, though use of oral acitretin, valganciclovir, lefludomide, topical cidofovir, physical extraction, and modification of immunosuppressive medications have been reported in the literature. We describe the case of a 52-year old female with a painful midfacial eruption and alopecia of the bilateral eyebrows ultimately diagnosed with TS and treated with topical cidofovir 3%. Though the TS eruption resolved, treatment resulted in hyperpigmentation of the affected area. Hyperpigmentation associated with cidofovir use has been reported in cases of molluscum contagiosum, however, no such association has been described in the treatment of TS to our knowledge. Therefore, we report this case to highlight an underreported adverse effect of topical cidofovir in the setting of this rare disease.
Uncovering the Functional Role of Coherent Phonons during the Photoinduced Phase Transition in a Molecular Crystal.

The atomic motions that make up phonons and molecular vibrations in molecular crystals influence their photophysical and electronic properties, including polaron formation, carrier mobility, and ph...
Desalination of brackish groundwater to improve water quality and water supply

Abstract Brackish groundwater desalination has and will continue to play a critical role in improving water quality and water supply in many parts of the world. While numerous methods exist for desalination, membrane-based desalination technologies are used without exception in treating brackish groundwater. The two most widely adopted processes are reverse osmosis (RO) (pressure-driven desalination) and electrodialysis (ED) (electric potential-driven desalination). Selection of the appropriate technology is made based on feedwater and target product water composition for a particular application, as well as environmental and cost considerations. This chapter outlines the key components of a typical brackish groundwater desalination facility that uses RO or ED, including required pretreatment of source water and posttreatment of product water. Desalination plant energy consumption and economics are discussed. Brine disposal is highlighted as a critical cost driver for inland brackish groundwater desalination. Environmental friendly alternatives to current brine disposal methods and conventional energy sources are considered. Because geography is a key consideration in desalination decision-making, regional and national trends in desalination capacity, spending, technology, and source water type are also investigated. The national trends focus on the following desalination players: United States, Saudi Arabia, China, Australia, Spain, and India.
Analysis of Mixed-Integer Linear Programming Formulations for a Fuel-Constrained Multiple Vehicle Routing Problem

This paper addresses a fuel-constrained, multiple vehicle routing problem (FCMVRP) in the presence of multiple refueling stations. We are given a set of targets, a set of refueling stations, and a depot where m vehicles are stationed. The vehicles are allowed to refuel at any refueling station, and the objective of the problem is to determine a route for each vehicle starting and terminating at the depot, such that each target is visited by at least one vehicle, the vehicles never run out of fuel while traversing their routes, and the total travel cost of all the routes is a minimum. We present four new mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) formulations for the problem. These formulations are compared both analytically and empirically, and a branch-and-cut algorithm is developed to compute an optimal solution. Extensive computational results on a large class of test instances that corroborate the effectiveness of the algorithm are also presented.
Abstract PO-052: Combinatorial targeting of chromatin and metabolism for synergistic anti-cancer efficacy

Altered cellular metabolic network and chromatin landscape represent two molecular hallmarks of cancer. Despite considerable interests, targeting metabolic or chromatin regulatory pathways as monotherapy was met with limited success in pre-clinical and clinical studies, in part due to the ability of cancer cells to rewire and adapt to the stress induced by therapeutic intervention. Therefore, there is a critical need to understand resistance programs and to identify strategies for more effective combinatorial therapies. We have previously uncovered that DNA and histone modifications are exquisitely sensitive to perturbations of the metabolic state. During tumor initiation, this metabolism-chromatin “crosstalk” is often hijacked by cancer cells to respond to fluctuations in signaling and nutrient abundance, but the role of such interplay in drug resistance has remained elusive. Here we demonstrated that cancer cells which developed resistance to inhibitor of glutamine catabolism (CB-839) displayed increased ratio of α-ketoglutarate to succinate that acts as a metabolic regulator of TET-family DNA hydroxylases and Jumonji-family histone demethylases. Accordingly, CB-839 resistant cancer cells showed global DNA hypomethylation and decreased levels of H3K9me3 and H3K27me3, which in turn resulted in increases in histone acetylation and a gene expression program that promoted metabolic adaptation to inhibition of glutaminolysis. Importantly, this altered chromatin landscape also represented a therapeutic vulnerability, as CB-839 resistant cells were selectively hyper-sensitive to small-molecule inhibitors of BET domain such as JQ1 and PLX51107. We are currently testing the possible synergistic effects of clinical stage glutaminase and BET inhibitors across various cancer types. Taken together, these results highlight the potential of exploring and therapeutically exploiting metabolic and chromatin interactions for developing rationally designed, precision combinatorial anti-cancer treatment strategies. Citation Format: Tahir N. Sheikh, Xiao Chen, Xinjing Xu, Parag P. Patwardhan, Gary K. Schwartz, Chao Lu. Combinatorial targeting of chromatin and metabolism for synergistic anti-cancer efficacy [abstract]. In: Abstracts: AACR Special Virtual Conference on Epigenetics and Metabolism; October 15-16, 2020; 2020 Oct 15-16. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(23 Suppl):Abstract nr PO-052.
Anthropologists in Medical Education in the United States: 1890s to the Present

For the past 130 years, anthropologists have worked in diverse roles in medical schools including teaching, curriculum development, community engagement, research, planning, and administration with the goal of training practitioners and changing health outcomes. However, the history of anthropology in medical education and the training of physicians has not been published in one place and are often unknown to anthropologists entering the field of medical education, as well as physicians and medical school administrators. While a comprehensive history of anthropologists in medical education is beyond the scope of a single chapter, we identify the phases, trends, and continuous themes of how anthropologists have engaged in the training of physicians, medical school curriculum, and management. We touch upon major time periods in this history, including 1892 through the 1960s which saw a shift from physical to cultural anthropology. Foundations of theoretical models and community studies were developed in the 1970s. The 1980s focused on clinical anthropology, leading to diverse contemporary roles and engagements. We situate the contributions of anthropologists in the larger context of the political, economic, and technological developments of health care systems. Understanding historical changes in medical education provides a foundation for the book chapters which offer contemporary examples.
Impact of early-onset sepsis guidelines on breastfeeding.

To evaluate the impact of changes to neonatal early-onset sepsis (EOS) guidelines on in-hospital breastfeeding. Asymptomatic neonates admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for sepsis evaluations over a 2-year period were identified. A retrospective chart review was conducted as part of a larger quality initiative on antibiotic stewardship. In Epoch 1, Epoch 2, and Epoch 3, there were 268 babies, 138 babies and 138 babies admitted to the NICU based on sepsis protocol, respectively. When comparing Epoch 1 to Epoch 3, there was a 14% increase in total breast milk consumption rates (p < 0.0001) and a 15% increase in exclusive breastfeeding at discharge (p < 0.002). By implementing new EOS protocols, we have decreased NICU length of stay. We suggest that the decrease in mother–infant separation time leads to an improvement in breastfeeding.
Bacterial DNA on the skin surface overrepresents the viable skin microbiome

The skin microbiome provides vital contributions to human health and was historically assumed to be a well-mixed community that coats the skin surface. However, its spatial organization and viability remain unclear. Here we apply culturing, imaging, and molecular approaches to both human and mouse skin samples, and find that the skin surface is colonized by far few viable bacteria than would be predicted by its levels of bacterial DNA. Instead, viable skin-associated bacteria are primarily present in hair follicles and other cutaneous invaginations. Furthermore, we establish that a relatively small number of bacterial families dominate each skin site and that traditional sequencing methods overestimate the skin microbiome9s richness and diversity. These findings address multiple outstanding questions in skin microbiome biology with significant implications for future efforts to study and manipulate it.
KOMB: Graph-Based Characterization of Genome Dynamics in Microbial Communities

Abstract Characterizing metagenomic samples via kmer-based, database-dependent taxonomic classification methods has provided crucial insight into underlying host-associated microbiome dynamics. However, novel approaches are needed that are able to track microbial community dynamics within metagenomes to elucidate genome flux in response to perturbations and disease states. Here we describe KOMB, a novel approach for tracking homologous regions within microbiomes. KOMB utilizes K-core graph decomposition on metagenome assembly graphs to identify repetitive and homologous regions to varying degrees of resolution. K-core performs a hierarchical decomposition which partitions the graph into shells containing nodes having degree at least K, called K-shells, yielding O(V + E) complexity compared to exact betweenness centrality complexity of O(V E) found in prior related approaches. We show through rigorous validation on simulated, synthetic, and real metagenomic datasets that KOMB accurately recovers and profiles repetitive and homologous genomic regions across organisms in the sample. KOMB can also identify functionally-rich regions in Human Microbiome Project (HMP) datasets, and can be used to analyze longitudinal data and identify pivotal taxa in fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) samples. In summary, KOMB represents a novel approach to microbiome characterization that can efficiently identify sequences of interest in metagenomes.
Fallopian Tube Ligation or Salpingectomy as Means for Reducing Risk of Ovarian Cancer.

The estimated reduction in risk of ovarian cancer for any woman undergoing opportunistic removal of the Fallopian tubes is up to 50 percent, but whether removal is more beneficial than ligation has not been established.
Inhibitory effect of D-glucosamine and other sugars on the biosynthesis of protein, ribonucleic acid, and deoxyribonucleic acid in normal and neoplastic tissues.

Abstract The effect of exogenous glucosamine on the incorporation of lysine-14C, uridine-14C, and thymidine-14C into various normal and experimental tumor tissues was studied. Glucosamine at high concentrations markedly inhibited the incorporation of these precursors into protein, RNA, and DNA of Walker carcinosarcoma 256 of rats and of sarcoma 180 and C3H spontaneous mammary tumor of mice. Glucose or pyruvate did not reverse the inhibition by glucosamine. The effect of exogenous glucosamine in vitro on the incorporation of the labeled precursors into normal tissues was much less than that into neoplastic tissues. N-Acetylglucosamine and many other sugars tested showed little inhibition of protein, RNA, and DNA synthesis. The only inhibitory sugars, other than glucosamine, were D-mannosamine, D-galactosamine, and D-mannose.
SVD-based control of a beam figure

This paper addresses a beam figure control problem. A slender beam (thin round bar), simply supported at both ends, is deformed by a distributed dynamic load, which produces a distributed displacement (figure distortion). The load is norm-bounded, and a feedback control is required to maintain a desired shape or figure accuracy, i.e. a specified frequency-dependent norm bound, using only a finite number of control forces. To construct an efficient and realistic control a simple feedback configuration is needed with a finite and small number of sensors and actuators, limited only by the desired figure accuracy. Three main points are considered: a discrete-parameter finite-dimensional dynamic model, compatible with original continuous parameter infinite-dimensional I/O model; a control strategy, which enables the control of continuous shapes by means of discrete forces; optimization of actuator/sensor positions, to produce a minimal closed-loop displacement/load ratio.
Ultrasound Applications in Food Processing

Food scientists today are focused on the development of not only microbiologically safe products with a long storage life, but, at the same time, products that have fresh-like characteristics and a high quality in taste, flavor, and texture. This focus is based on the needs of the consumer, which is one of the main reasons for constant research in the so-called area of emerging technologies. Traditionally, thermal treatments have been used to produce safe food products. Pasteurization of juice, milk, beer, and wine is a common process in which the final product has a storage life of some weeks (generally under refrigeration). However, vitamins, taste, color, and other sensorial characteristics are decreased with this treatment. High temperature is responsible for these effects and can be observed in the loss of nutritional components and changes in flavor, taste, and texture, often creating the need for additives to improve the product.
Glycoprotein synthesis in cells infected with vaccinia virus. II. A glycoprotein component of the virion.

Abstract A glycoprotein component of the vaccinia virus envelope was characterized and compared with other glycoproteins made in uninfected and vaccinia virus-infected HeLa cells. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of dissociated virus revealed a single glucosamine labeled component of approximately 40,000 daltons, which migrated slightly behind one of the major envelope proteins. Following pronase digestion, this material was eluted from a Sephadex G-25 column just ahead of a tetrasaccharide standard. After acid hydrolysis the radioactively labeled material was identified as glucosamine. Incorporation of fucose, galactose, or mannose into the carbohydrate portion of the envelope glycoprotein could not be demonstrated. The virion glycoprotein was distinguished from other virus-induced glycoproteins on the basis of differences in electrophoretic mobility, in size of the oligosaccharide, and in carbohydrate composition. Synthesis of the virion glycopeptide could not be detected in uninfected cells, while glycopeptides isolated from purified virus grown in avian and in mammalian cell lines were indistinguishable.
Haciendo de Tripas el Corazón/Plucking Up Courage: Migration, Family Internal Conflict, and Gender in Veronica’s Story

This article considers how migrants conceptualize and negotiate the emotional conflicts that accompany decisions to migrate. Such conflicts are a regular feature of migrants’ experience, informing how they understand the act of and reasons for migrating. The article focuses on the life of one migrant: a woman I call “Veronica,” whom I met during research on migration between Uriangato, Guanajuato, Mexico and Chester County, Pennsylvania. I argue that the analysis of discourse offers a particularly illuminating window into how migrants conceptualize and negotiate emotional conflicts. I place this discussion in dialogue with the literature on family internal conflict and gender in migration.
The Rose of Aberlone

This is the story behind “The Case of the Barren Cow,” a landmark legal dispute seemingly between two nineteenth-century Michigan farmers over a barren cow. But as this article reveals, many commonly held beliefs about the case are mistaken. In fact, the parties were prosperous businessmen, there was little reason to think the cow was barren, and although the seller won his appeal the buyer ended up with the cow. Nevertheless, the case remains one of the great contributions to contract law and law-school lore.
Time-varying autoregressive tests for multiscale speech analysis.

In this paper we develop hypothesis tests for speech waveform nonstationarity based on time-varying autoregressive models, and demonstrate their efficacy in speech analysis tasks at both segmental and sub-segmental scales. Key to the successful synthesis of these ideas is our employment of a generalized likelihood ratio testing framework tailored to autoregressive coefficient evolutions suitable for speech. After evaluating our framework on speech-like synthetic signals, we present preliminary results for two distinct analysis tasks using speech waveform data. At the segmental level, we develop an adaptive short-time segmentation scheme and evaluate it on whispered speech recordings, while at the sub-segmental level, we address the problem of detecting the glottal flow closed phase. Results show that our hypothesis testing framework can reliably detect changes in the vocal tract parameters across multiple scales, thereby underscoring its broad applicability to speech analysis.
Anthropology and Egalitarianism: Ethnographic Encounters from Monticello to Guinea-Bissau

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Eric Gable Year: 2010 Pages: 248 Publisher: Indiana University Press ISBN: 978-0-253-22275-6 (soft cover). Prices: $24.95(soft cover).
Surveys for Galaxies at z > 2, and an Introduction to the HDF—South

After years observational progress exploring the evolution of galaxies from 0 2 is now becoming similarly accessible to wholesale investigation. I briefly review one survey of galaxies at 2 < z < 4.5, and then highlight plans for the southern counterpart to the Hubble Deep Field, which will be observed by HST in October 1998.
SocialFilter: Collaborative Spam Mitigation using Social Networks

Spam mitigation can be broadly classified into two main approaches: a) centralized security infrastructures that rely on a limited number of trusted monitors to detect and report malicious traffic; and b) highly distributed systems that leverage the experiences of multiple nodes within distinct trust domains. The first approach offers limited threat coverage and slow response times, and it is often proprietary. The second approach is not widely adopted, partly due to the lack of guarantees regarding the trustworthiness of nodes that comprise the system. Our proposal, SocialFilter, aims to achieve the trustworthiness of centralized security services and the wide coverage, responsiveness and inexpensiveness of large-scale collaborative spam mitigation. We propose a large-scale distributed system that enables clients with no email classification functionality to query the network on the behavior of a host. A SocialFilter node builds trust for its peers by auditing their behavioral reports and by leveraging the social network of SocialFilter administrators. The node combines the confidence its peers have in their own reports and the trust it places on its peers to derive the likelihood that a host is spamming. The simulation-based evaluation of our approach indicates its potential under a real-world deployment: during a simulated spam campaign, SocialFilternodes characterized 92% of spam bot connections with confidence greater than 50%, while yielding no false positives
Utilized social support and self-esteem mediate the relationship between perceived social support and suicide ideation. A test of a multiple mediator model.

Background: While perceived social support has received considerable research as a protective factor for suicide ideation, little attention has been given to the mechanisms that mediate its effects. Aims: We integrated two theoretical models, Joiner’s (2005) interpersonal theory of suicide and Leary’s (Leary, Tambor, Terdal, & Downs, 1995) sociometer theory of self-esteem to investigate two hypothesized mechanisms, utilization of social support and self-esteem. Specifically, we hypothesized that individuals must utilize the social support they perceive that would result in increased self-esteem, which in turn buffers them from suicide ideation. Method: Participants were 172 college students who completed measures of social support, self-esteem, and suicide ideation. Results: Tests of simple mediation indicate that utilization of social support and self-esteem may each individually help to mediate the perceived social support/suicide ideation relationship. Additionally, a test of multiple mediators using b...
The tortoise and the hare: the impact of employment instability on firm performance

The main objective of this study is to assess the influence of employment instability on firm performance in a sample of publicly traded firms. Competing theoretical arguments are considered with regard to likely outcomes associated with employment instability. A large sample of cross-sectional time-series data is then analysed using generalised estimating equations (GEE) regression techniques. Results indicate that employment instability is negatively associated with firm performance, although the relationship is also demonstrated to be quadratic (an inverse U-shaped relationship). This suggests that the main relationship varies depending upon the level of employment instability. Industry characteristics are also examined as moderators of this main effect. The results suggest a disordinal interaction effect for industry differentiation, where employment instability is negatively associated with firm performance for firms in highly differentiated industries and positively associated in less differentiated industries.
Cytokine profile of autologous platelet-derived eye drops in patients with ocular chronic graft-versus-host disease

Ocular chronic GVHD is efficaciously treated with autologous platelet-derived eye drops. We investigated the cytokine content of eye drops produced using a non-gelified lysate obtained from autologous platelet-rich plasma in six patients with ocular GVHD. In both the responding (n = 4) and the resistant (n = 2) patients, the eye drops were significantly enriched with various growth factors, in amounts proportional with the platelet counts. In contrast, chemokine ligand and interleukin levels were similar to those of plasma. The non-responding patients showed the highest levels of chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand (CXCL)10. These findings provide possible explanations for beneficial or detrimental effects of eye drops.
Validation and analysis of Earth Radiation Budget active-cavity radiometric data (1985-1999)

On 5 October 1984, the US' first woman in space, Dr. Sally Ride, inserted the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS) into a 57 degree inclined orbit using the shuttles remote manipulator arm. The orbital precession period of the satellite was 72 days. The nonscanner instrument aboard the ERBS has acquired earth-emitted and reflected radiant flux data since that time, having exceeded its designed lifetime of three years by a factor of five. During these 15 years, the ERBS nonscanner has become a de-facto standard to which much remotely sensed radiative flux data is compared. This paper compares the fifteen year history of the ERBS wide and medium field-of-view non-scanner detectors with the solar irradiance data acquired by the co-located ERBS solar monitor and with the National Climatic Data Center's earth- surface temperature dataset for the same period.
Behavioral control of mild hypertension with aerobic exercise: Two case studies

A behavioral program of aerobic exercise was implemented across laboratory and home settings in two mild hypertensive subjects in an effort to lower blood pressures. An ABAB withdrawal-reinstatement treatment design was employed in each case to isolate the effects of exercise on diastolic blood pressure. Results showed that in both subjects the onset and continuation of exercise in the laboratory and home settings were associated with clinically important reductions in blood pressure, independent of weight change. In addition, the cessation of exercise was systematically followed by a rapid increase in blood pressure to former, hypertensive levels. The results of the present single-subject analysis are discussed in terms of their importance as the first systematic look at the specific effects of exercise implementation and withdrawal on individual hypertensives.
Solvent extraction studies of some cobalt(ii) chelates.

Abstract Extraction of radiolabeled cobalt(II) from aqueous solution into one or more solvents using 25 reagents was studied. Both reagent concentration and pH variation were investigated. The relevant association and partition constants for several of the better reagent-solvent systems were determined. These systems were hexanoic acid in I-hexanol, octanoic acid in I-octanol, and thenoyltrifluoroacetone in benzene.
Remote Near-IR Reflectance Measurements with the Use of a Pair of Optical Fibers and a Fourier Transform Spectrometer

A commercial near-infrared (near-IR) Fourier transform (FT) spectrometer was modified to make remote reflectance measurements over a single optical fiber or pair of optical fibers. With the use of two low-hydroxyl fused-silica optical fibers and an InSb detector, the near-IR region from 0.92 to 2.15 μm was measurable. An InGaAs detector was used to obtain reflectance spectra over the region from 0.92 to 1.56 μm. With this detector, single-fiber reflectance and transmission measurements were possible and a variety of dual-fiber probe geometries could be easily employed. Dual-fiber geometries were used to enhance pathlength, to perform depth discrimination, and to make measurements without physical contact between the probe and the specimen. Potential applications and improvements are discussed.
Delta-I noise specification for a high-performance computing machine

The design rule formulation for the switching noise containment in a high-performance machine is presented in this paper. This design rule is expressed as an algebraic inequality and condenses the information on the generation and propagation of the switching noise in a multichip carrier to a form that is directly usable for the logic design of a computing machine. The statistics associated with the two quantities essential for the rule derivation, namely, noise generation and noise tolerance, are explained. The methodology necessary for the development of this rule is also described. The experimental procedure used for the verification of this methodology is highlighted.
Planar Bilayer Recordings of Ryanodine Receptor Channels

Abstract This paper describes the equipment and procedures that are necessary for the successful reconstitution of an ion channel into a planar bilayer. Included are techniques for the preparation of the protein, the formation of the lipid bilayer, the fusion of vesicles with the bilayer, and data acquisition and analysis. As an example, the reconstitution of the ryanodine receptor/Ca 2+ release channel using the planar bilayer technique of spreading from bulk lipid solutions is discussed.
Dechlorination of DDT by Aerobacter aerogenes

Dechlorination of DDT to DDD in higher animals requires the presence of molecular oxygen, but in microorganisms the presence of oxygen hinders dechlorination. In cell-free preparations of Aerobacter aerogenes, the use of selected metabolic inhibitors indicated that reduced Fe(II) cytochrome oxidase was responsible for DDT dechlorination. This finding may possibly explain. the persistence of DDT residues in soils and sediments.
Team Efficiencies Within a Model-Driven Design Process

(Smith & Koenig 1998) formulated a model-based design process describing a triad of people, process, and technology (PPT) within an aerospace culture.
Studies on the mechanism of tolerance to nicotine-induced elevations of urinary catecholamines

Abstract The mechanism of the return to normal of the elevated urinary catecholamines observed after the chronic administration of nicotine has been investigated. Three possible mechanisms leading to this phenomena were explored: (1) that continual nicotine exposure leads to an induction of enzyme activity resulting in an increased metabolism of the alkaloid, (2) that nicotine exposure results in some alterations in the storage or release of catecholamines, and (3) that some alteration in the inactivation of the amines occurred. The data indicate that after chronic nicotine (1 mg/kg, s.c., twice daily up through 14 days), (1) there was no increase in the metabolism of nicotine itself determined from measurements of nicotine oxidase activity, (2) there was no alteration in the endogenous tissue levels of catecholamines determined by fluorometric analysis, (3) there was no alteration in the tissue uptake of [ 3 H]norepinephrine, and, as previously reported, (4) no alteration in the turnover of norepinephrine determined by measuring the decline of [ 3 H]norepinephrine in the heart following i.v. administration. On the other hand, there was a significant increase in the monoamine oxidase activity of the heart and liver and an increase in the catechol- o -methyl transferase activity of the liver. It is concluded that tolerance to nicotine induced elevations of urinary catecholamines is due to increased metabolic enzyme activity resulting in faster metabolism of the catecholamines released from the adrenal medulla and adrenergic nerve terminals.
Physics, and transistors in computers

The spectacular success of the transistor in making a steady stream of increasingly powerful and affordable digital computers available through the 50 years since its invention is well known. Yet in spite of this remarkable record the same fifty years has witnessed a continuing series of proposals for replacing the transistor in computing systems with some other device. The tunnel diode and Josephson devices are notable examples. Some of these proposals have attracted many millions of pounds of industry and government support. Yet none has had any effect on computing technology. The problem of the many alternatives is that they do not use quantitative standard signals to represent digits; in other words, they are not truly digital.
Pediatric Disaster Preparedness in the Wake of Katrina: Lessons to be Learned

Hurricane Katrina exposed numerous gaps in disaster preparedness when it stuck the Gulf Coast on August 29, 2005. Lack of coordination, communication failures and delays in the recovery responses of local, State and Federal disaster authorities resulted in increased morbidity and mortality for both children and adults. This paper focuses on some of the longstanding pediatric disaster preparedness issues that were exposed in the recent experience with Hurricane Katrina, the important lessons to be learned, and offers a series of recommendations towards improving pediatric disaster readiness.
Transcription and translation in the autonomous parvovirus KRV

We describe here the isolation and partial characterization of at least five viral specific RNAs synthesized in the rat nephroma (RN) cell after infection with the parvovirus KRV. The RNAs have the approximate lengths of 4.7, 3.4, 3.0, 1.25, and 0.95 kilobases (kb) and are probably the functional messages. The 4.7-kb RNA would represent a transcript of 95 to 100% of the viral genome. The most abundant message, about 3.0 kb, represents over 50% of the viral genome and probably codes in the reticulocyte transcribing system for the most abundant viral protein (MW 68,000) which is the main viral capsid protein. This abundant RNA, on the basis of R loop data, has an origin of transcription about 0.38 to 0.42 map units from the 3' end of the single-stranded KRV genome.
Interaction of oligopeptides with heparin

Macromolecular drugs, such as heparin and insulin, are easily degraded by acids and enzymes in the GI tract and do not readily penetrate the lipophilic biomembranes, resulting in low bioavailability by the oral route.1–3 Currently, these drugs have to be administered by injections. Proteinoids,4–8 which can form microspheres with certain macromolecular drugs, such as heparin and insulin, have been studied as an oral drug delivery system.9–16 These spheres can protect drugs from acid and enzyme degradation in the GI tract.10–13,15 Recently, it was found that these proteinoids can facilitate drug transport through the biomembranes, possibly, in the form of a proteinoid-drug complex.9–12,17 This non-covalent complex would alter the conformation of hydrophilic drug molecules into a more hydrophobic form for lipophilic biomembrane absorption.9,17–18 However, these proteinoid materials are mixtures of oligopeptide dimers, trimers and tetramers with different structures and amino acid sequences.10–11 Based on the proteinoid results, several series of structurally defined oligopeptides with specific amino acid sequences were synthesized as potential oral drug delivery carriers in order to study the mechanism of this novel oral drug delivery system.18