cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Need to Amplify Health Security? Fuse Academia and Practice

In December 2007, we traveled to Springfield, Illinois, to engage more than 150 physicians, state and local public health officials, university officials, judges, and attorneys in a scenario exercise to prepare for a future influenza pandemic The event was organized by the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) It was just one of the numerous workshops and stakeholder meetings on pandemic influenza that we would facilitate and/or participate in both domestically and internationally that year as part of the University of North Carolina Center for Public Health Preparedness (UNC CPHP) A primary mission of centers such as the UNC CPHP, which opened in 2003, was to link university faculty members and public health practitioners by bringing academic rigor to state and local health departments, adding qualified state and local public health professionals to the faculty, and influencing scholarly research and its translation to real-world action These partnerships provided students a window into health security, thereby inspiring them to devote their careers to threats such as COVID-19 through government service 1 The UNC CPHP was one of a network of 27 Centers for Public Health Preparedness that grew from the events after 9/11, when health emerged as a national security concern 2 Consequently, substantial federal investment in domestic health security transformed and modernized public health, especially after passage of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act in 2006 mandated research to improve federal, state, local, and tribal public health preparedness and response systems
Regulation and the Risk of Inaction

This chapter begins with two fundamental questions: How should risk be allocated in the face of significant uncertainty—and who should decide? Its focus on public actors reflects the significant role that legislatures, administrative agencies, and courts will play in answering these questions, whether through rules, investigations, verdicts, or other forms of public regulation. The eight strategies discussed in this chapter would in effect regulate that regulation. They seek to ensure that those who are injured can be compensated (by expanding public insurance and facilitating private insurance), that any prospective rules develop in tandem with the technologies to which they would apply (by privileging the concrete and delegating the safety case), that reasonable design choices receive sufficient legal support (by limiting the duration of risk and excluding the extreme), and that conventional driving is subject to as much scrutiny as automated driving (by rejecting the status quo and embracing enterprise liability).
Editors’ introduction to the special issue on the sociology of digital technology

An increasing number of sociologists today are examining the social production of digital technology. Although younger researchers may be digital natives and write from “within the algorithm,” and older sociologists may begin by trying to define terms and concepts that have become commonplace in the tech “space,” all share the goal of unpacking the “black box” of computer software by analyzing how, where, and by whom it is developed and asking who benefits most by its use. Some of the articles in this special issue of Theory and Society focus on questions of connectivity, privacy, and equity in light of classical sociology’s concern with the state, the self, knowledge, and power; others look critically at forms of inequality in the operations of specific platforms, algorithms, urban tech ecosystems, and coworking spaces.
Assessment of Economic Value of Assistive Technologies Through Quality-Adjusted Work-Life Years (QAWLY).

Assistive technologies (ATs) are commonly used to improve the quality of life of persons with disabilities. While their utility to a person is usually clear, their cost-effectiveness or economic value is often unclear. There are no tools for specifically assessing the cost-effectiveness of an AT. Such cost effectiveness analysis is often important in workplace contexts where an employer or other agencies are responsible for providing accommodations. In this paper a tool called Quality-Adjusted Work-Life Years (QAWLY) is introduced to measure how cost-effectiveness of AT can be assessed including considerations of extended work-life and improved quality/productivity at work. Case studies are presented that showcase how QAWLY can be used to provide economic data points to be used for decision making involving AT.
On Analysis of Fractional Order System Identification

This paper focuses on analyzing systems with long-range memory properties. Towards this goal, autoregressive fractionally integrated moving average (ARFIMA) model which is a well-known class of long-memory models, is employed as they capture long-range dependence (LRD) through its fractional differencing parameter as well as short-range dependence (SRD) through autoregressive (AR) model and moving average (MA) model parameters. The coefficients of the ARFIMA model are estimated based on both the exact likelhoood and its Whittle approximation. Using a numerical example, it is illustrated that ARFIMA model provides an excellent fit to data that exhibits long-range memory.
The Importance of Water Availability to Bats: Climate Warming and Increasing Global Aridity

Environmental change due to climate warming is accelerating in most of the world’s arid regions, pushing already xeric ecosystems towards drier conditions and expanding desert landscapes. These changes will alter community structures and species interactions globally. Because many arid regions, especially semi-arid zones, are relatively high in bat species richness, reactions of bat populations to increasing and intensifying droughts will affect food web dynamics and ecosystem services on nearly every continent. Although there is evidence that some species have preadaptations for surviving decreasing available water resources in arid regions, many species may succumb to the pace of climate warming and landscape xerification. As drought and aridity increase, many drinking sources will inevitably be lost, increasing competition for progressively limited resources, thereby affecting bats during the reproductive season when they are most vulnerable. Herein, we review how climate warming and increasing drought are currently altering bat population dynamics and model future viability of some species and populations. Documented declines in some bat populations, reductions in species richness, and changes in distributional ranges are already occurring in hardest hit areas and some models have been developed to predict future outcomes for bats living on the leading edge of climate disruption.
Flow dynamics of laser-induced breakdown at a fuel–oxidizer interface and its effect on ignition

Abstract Motivated by experimental observations, we analyze the ignition dynamics following a laser-induced breakdown near a distinct fuel–oxidizer interface using detailed simulations of the flow following a model energy deposition. Cases simulated with a detailed H 2 - O 2 combustion model show the dependence of ignition time, and its success or failure, on the post-breakdown kernel geometry. For asymmetric kernels, ignition can occur by ejections of hot gas that propagate several times the kernel size. The extreme conditions induced near the laser focus lead to near-complete dissociation, allowing heat release by radical recombination to be a primary mechanism by which the ejected gas maintains ignition temperatures as it advects. For kernels close to ehe interface, a pronounced hydrodynamic interaction between the density gradient and expanding kernel results in ignition-suppressing flow that repels hot gas away so completely in some cases that ignition fails. Mechanisms for a wide range of parameters are studied with a four-species reduced combustion model, and we show that this ignition-adverse flow response, particularly salient in hydrogen–oxygen cases, is absent for heavier fuels. For disparate fuel and oxidizer molecular weights, the varied flow response due to the breakdown location is a primary determinant of outcome.
Freeway Deconstruction and Urban Regeneration in the United States

Author(s): Cervero, Robert | Abstract: A new relationship between elevated freeways and central-city neighborhoods seems to be forming. Despite worsening traffic congestion, a number of American cities have or are in the midst of demolishing elevated structures in favor of at-grade boulevards and arterials with far less traffic carrying capacities. Nowhere has this been more evident than in the city of San Francisco, thanks in part to the Loma Prieta Earthquake of 1989. The damage cause by Loma Prieta forced city officials to address whether to sink funds into building new facilities and seismically retrofitting existing ones, or replacing structures with slower moving at-grade facilities while at the same time opening up access to waterfronts, removing physical obstructions, and redeveloping economically stagnant neighborhoods. In San Francisco’s case, demolition of the elevated Embarcadero Freeway, along with assorted streetscape enhancements, the introduction of surface tramways, and urban re-designs, has radically transformed the city’s downtown waterfront, creating an open, nicely landscaped, pedestrian-friendly corridor. Just west of downtown San Francisco, several miles of the Central Freeway spur were also torn down, replaced by an attractively landscaped more “human scale” boulevard, improved transit, pedestrian and bikeway facilities and new public spaces. Several other spurs and ramps of the Central Freeway are also currently being taken down.
Preconception counseling: do patients learn about genetics from their obstetrician gynecologists?

Purpose The purpose of this observational survey study is to assess genetic knowledge in reproductive-aged women and to determine the role played by their obstetricians in their education.
The effect of pH on the cooperative behavior of aspartate transcarbamylase from Escherichia coli.

Saturation curves of activity versus concentration were determined for aspartate transcarbamylase from Escherichia coli (EC 2.1.3.2) for the substrate L-aspartate at saturating carbamyl phosphate (4.8 mM) in buffered solution at pH values from 6.0 to 12.0. Hill coefficients were obtained from the sigmoidal curves. At pH values from 7.8 to 9.1, where substrate inhibition causes difficulties in the Hill approximation, our kinetic scheme includes substrate inhibition and residual activity in the abortive enzyme-substrate complex. The plot of Hill coefficient versus pH has pKalpha values of 7.4 and 9.8 at the half-maximum positions of the curve which has a plateau from pH 8.1 to 9.1. These pKalpha values may be associated with functional groups involved in the allosteric transition which activates the enzyme. A plot of [S]0.5 versus pH shows a pKalpha of 8.5, which may belong to a residue either at or near the aspartate binding site. At 50 mM aspartate concentration the pH-rate profile shows maxima at pH values of 8.8 and 10.0 (cf. Weitzman, P.D.J., and Wilson, I.B.(1966)J. Biol. Chem. 2418 5481-5488, who used 100 mM aspartate). However, when the pH-dependent substrate inhibition is included, the calculated Vmax--H curve is bell-shaped like that of the isolated catalytic subunit.
Physics of the STAR Experiment at RHIC

The primary motivation for studying relativistic heavy ion collisions is to gain an understanding of the equation of state of nuclear, hadronic and partonic matter, commonly referred to as nuclear matter. This endeavor is of cross-disciplinary interest to nuclear physics, astrophysics, cosmology and particle physics. Displayed in Fig. 1 is a schematic phase diagram of nuclear matter. The behavior of nuclear matter as a function of temperature and density (or pressure), shown in Fig. 1, is governed by its equation of state. Conventional nuclear physics is concerned primarily with the lower left portion of the diagram at low temperatures and near normal nuclear matter density. Here normal nuclei exist and at low excitation a liquid-gas phase transition is expected to occur. This is the focus of experimental studies using low energy heavy ions. At somewhat higher excitation, nucleons are excited into baryonic resonance states, along with accompanying particle production and hadronic resonance formation. In heavy ion collisions, such excitation is expected to create hadronic resonance matter. This region is presently accessible in heavy ion studies at the AGS accelerator facility at Brookhaven National Laboratory and at the SPS accelerator facility at CERN. As seen in the diagram, there is a possibility that some part of these collisions traverse the transition region into the quark-gluon plasma regime. Formation of a quark-gluon plasma, a deconfined state of quarks and gluons,1 is the major focus of relativistic heavy ion experiments at higher energies. For this purpose the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC)2 and associated experiments are presently under construction at Brookhaven for operation in 1999, and operation with heavy ions is also being planned for the LHC in 2005. As seen in the phase diagram, the anticipated temperature and density trajectories at RHIC (and for LHC heavy ions) lie close to that of the early universe, while those at the AGS and SPS occur at higher baryon densities.
Spatial acquisition in the presence of satellite vibrations for free-space optical communication link

This paper analyzes the impact of satellite vibration on acquisition time and acquisition probability for a charge coupled device based acquisition scheme. An approximation is derived for mean time to acquisition. Numerical examples of acquisition time and acquisition probability as a function of the signal-to-noise ratio are presented. The required beacon power onboard the spacecraft is also evaluated based on expected space to space link characteristics.
One Owner, One Voice? Testing a Central Premise of Newspaper-Broadcast Cross-Ownership Policy

Empirical questions about the relationship between ownership structure and media content are central to the debate about media ownership policy in the United States. At the core of the debate is the concern that an individual or company owning multiple media outlets will slant news and opinion in an attempt to distort public opinion and or influence public policy. The premise is that a single owner represents a single voice, regardless of how many media outlets the owner operates. This article, which features a study of news and commentary about the 2004 presidential campaign from commonly owned newspapers, television stations and radio stations in three communities, tests the validity of the one owner, one voice premise in the context of newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership. The results of the study—one of the very few studies of newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership to incorporate radio content—suggest that there is no empirical basis for believing that cross-owned media do any less than other media to ser...
What’s Wrong with Empowerment

Although it has stimulated useful and important research and theory in community psychology, the concept of empowerment is problematic. This article criticizes two assumptions and values underlying the concept of empowerment: (a) individualism, leading potentially to unmitigated competition and conflict among those who are empowered; and (b) a preference for traditionally masculine concepts of mastery, power, and control over traditionally feminine concerns of communion and cooperation. The challenge to community psychology is to develop a vision that incorporates both empowerment and community, despite the paradoxical nature of these two phenomena.
Athero-protective actions of two oral antidiabetic drugs: Suppression of inflammation and oxidative stress

Diabetes mellitus increases the risk and accelerates the clinical course of atherosclerosis, and is responsible for majority of the deaths and disabilities in type 2 diabetic population. [1] Optimal strategies to prevent the onset or progression of atherosclerosis will improve the clinical outcome of this high-risk population. In the current study, the research team showed that two antidiabetic agents, namely Glimepiride and Repaglinide, prevent the progression of atherosclerosis in high fat diet fed rabbits, by exerting their anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidate effects.Read more....,
Structure elucidation and biological activity of the oversulfated chondroitin sulfate contaminant in Baxter heparin.

From late December 2007 to February 2008, the number of adverse responses to heparin infusions rose noticeably above baseline levels in North America, ultimately resulting in a widespread recall of all heparin vial products made by Baxter Healthcare. Using various analytical techniques and the de novo synthesis of a fully sulfated chondroitin sulfate (FSCS) derivative, the authors have confirmed the identity of the contaminant as an oversulfated chondroitin sulfate (OSCS) and have also defined the heterogeneity and concentration of this contaminant in various lots of heparin. Using both contaminated heparin products and the synthetically produced derivative, the authors have shown that the OSCS produces a dose-dependent hypotension in both pigs and rats and that the response in rats can be abrogated with bradyzide, a rodent-selective B 2 bradykinin receptor antagonist. The no observed effect level (NOEL) for this contaminant appears to be approximately 1 mg/kg, corresponding to a contamination level in finished lots of heparin of approximately 3%. Using human plasma, the OSCS derivative was shown to activate kallikrein. These data provide insight into the etiology of the adverse events, particularly refractory hypotension, observed in patients who were exposed to heparin contaminated with OSCS.
Body image changes associated with participation in an intensive lifestyle weight loss intervention.

The primary aim of this study was to test for changes in body image in men and women enrolled in the Look AHEAD trial. Look AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes) is a multi-center, randomized controlled trial designed to test whether intentional weight loss reduces cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in overweight individuals with type 2 diabetes. Participants included 157 adults at one site (Pennington Biomedical Research Center) of the Look AHEAD study. At baseline, the mean body mass index (BMI) of the female participants was 36.4, and the mean BMI for males was 33.5. Following baseline assessment, participants were randomly assigned to the Intensive Lifestyle intervention (ILI, n = 81) or Diabetes Support and Education (DSE, n = 76). The Body Morph Assessment version 2.0 (BMA 2.0) was used to assess estimates of perceived current body size, ideal body size, acceptable body size, and body image dissatisfaction at baseline and one year. Over the 1 year, participants in the ILI group had significantly greater reductions in weight (10.1% for men and 8.9% for women) than those in the DSE group (+ 0.8% for men and −0.2%, for women). Perceived current body size was reduced significantly more in both men and women in the ILI group, relative to DSE. There were also significantly greater reductions in body image dissatisfaction in the ILI group, relative to the DSE group for men and women. The results of this study indicate that body image dissatisfaction improved following participation in an intensive behavioral weight loss program.
Effect of weather damage on the chemical composition of soybeans

Soybean samples containing a large proportion of damaged seed were separated into sound and damaged portions and these portions were then analyzed chemically.
Precise Proton-Polarization Standards Determined with a Lamb-Shift Ion Source Incorporating a Nuclear Spin Filter

The polarization of an 8-12-MeV proton beam produced by a Lamb-shift ion source has been determined with 0.4% absolute accuracy by an atomic-beam technique. The procedure, which involves selection of a single hyperfine state of fast $\mathrm{H}(2s)$ atoms, is ideally suited to routine monitoring of beam polarization. Absolute $p\ensuremath{-}^{4}\mathrm{He}$ elastic-scattering analyzing powers measured with the calibrated beam are reported, and existing double-scattering data are compared with these results.
Comparison of gully erosion estimates using airborne and ground-based LiDAR on Santa Cruz Island, California

Abstract Gully erosion removes comparatively large volumes of soil from small areas. It is often difficult to quantify the loss of soil because the footprint of individual gullies is too small to be captured by most generally available digital elevation models (DEMs), such as the USGS National Elevation Dataset. Airborne LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) has the potential to provide the required data density, but an even newer class of ground-based sensors may provide better local resolution at lower cost. In this study, we compared digital elevation models produced by airborne and ground-based LiDAR systems with ground-based geomorphic and geodetic survey data to determine their utility in quantifying volumetric soil loss due to gully erosion in a heavily degraded watershed (7.55 × 10 − 2 km 2 ), on southwestern Santa Cruz Island in southern California. Volumetric estimates of the eroded sediment were produced by comparing the LiDAR-derived DEMs of the gully system to a modeled pre-erosion surface. Average point densities were significantly higher for the ground-based LiDAR system and provided more detailed information; however, its limited scanning footprint and side-looking orientation presented serious challenges in collecting continuous data from deeply incised gullies, making the airborne system preferable for this type of investigation and likely for most applications where heavy topographic shadowing is prevalent.
Composite materials with giant anisotropy and negative index of refraction

We demonstrate that a nanostructured plasmonic composite material can show negative index of refraction at infrared and optical frequencies. In contrast to conventional negative refraction materials, our design does not require periodicity and thus is highly tolerant to fabrication defects. Moreover, since the proposed material is intrinsically non-magnetic (μ ≡ 1), its performance is not limited to proximity of a resonance so that the resulting structure has relatively low loss. We develop the analytical description of the relevant electromagnetic phenomena and justify our analytic results via numerical solutions of Maxwell equations.
Radioactivity in earth induced by high energy electrons

Abstract The total quantity and spatial distribution of γ emitting radionuclides induced in earth irradiated by 1 GeV electrons is estimated. These measurements suggest that environmental pollution of ground water system will be insignificant from earth beam-dumps at high energy electron linear accelerators.
Opioid antagonist modulation of rat heart development

Endogenous opioids are known to regulate morphogenesis in both neural and non-neural systems. This study examined whether endogenous opioids influence cardiac development. Naltrexone, a potent opioid antagonist that blocks the interaction of opioid peptides and opioid receptors, was administered acutely (50 mg/kg) to 1-day old rats. The numbers of myocardial and epicardial cells in the ventricles and atria that synthesized DNA, as determined by [3H]-thymidine incorporation and autoradiography, were markedly increased from control levels. Labeling indices were significantly elevated for at least 12 hr following a single injection of naltrexone. Examination of 10-day old rats exposed to naltrexone from birth revealed higher labeling indices, as well as increases in body and heart weights and in areal measurements of the entire heart and the ventricles. The effects of naltrexone were not mediated through the sympathetic nervous system or thyroid hormone. These results lead one to suggest that an opioid peptide is tonically acting as a negative regulatory factor in the formation of the heart. Alterations in the endogenous opioid system in early life may contribute to cardiac dysmorphogenesis. Moreover, these data indicate that opioid antagonists could act as an important therapeutic influence with regard to cardiac malformations.
Diesel odor studies in a laboratory spray burner

An air aspirated burner facility has been modified and instrumented for studying diesel odor formation. Odor sampling and analysis techniques, based on the Diesel Odor Analysis System (DOAS), have been developed and refined. Burner stoichiometry, combustion aerodynamics, swirl, wall quenching and fuel composition were investigated for their effect on odor formation. Fuel composition had a negligible influence and swirl had only a small effect except at very high swirl levels. The most significant factor was overall burner stoichiometry. This pronounced stoichiometry effect appears to be the result of the aerodynamic turbulence and wall quenching at lean operating conditions. Fuel droplet diameter, while having no direct effect on odor production, probably has an indirect effect through its influence on both aerodynamics and quenching. The effect of stoichiometry was to increase odor from very low or undetectable levels at equivalence ratios near 0.5 to moderate to strong levels as burner operation becomes very lean and to very strong levels at rich operating conditions. Increasing aerodynamic turbulence caused odor levels to drop by increasing the size and intensity of the recirculation pattern, thereby allowing more complete combustion. Conversely, increased wall quenching removed energy from the reaction zone, resulting in incomplete combustion and higher odor levels. Very high swirl appeared to cause faster reaction rates and lower odor levels.
Distance from the Bench and Retention Voting Behavior: A Comparison of Trial Court and Appellate Court Retention Elections

This article examines an oft-repeated yet untested assumption about judicial retention elections: appellate court elections and trial court elections are so similar that a single explanation will suffice. Reported herein is a comparison of appellate and trial court retention elections in 10 states over the 1964-1988 time period. Comparisons of both the affirmative vote and roll-off begin with the basic aspects of each and then are expanded to include the relationships with judicial district characteristics, such as population. We conclude that while a single successful model of voting behavior in judicial retention elections would probably explain considerable variation in both trial and appellate court retention elections, there are differences between the levels which should be built into the model. In terms of differences, the clear and unquestioned difference between trial court and appellate court retention elections involves inter-judge differences. Appellate judges who are on the same retention bal...
Biologically active components inactivation and protein insolubilization during heat processing of soybeans

Inactivation of lipoxygenase, trypsin inhibitor, urease and retention of protein solubility during water blanching of dehulled soybeans at 90 o , 95 o and 100 o C were investigated. Lipoxygenase was the most heat labile, followed by urease and then trypsin inhibitor. Processing time based on «acceptable inactivation time » (AI) was proposed. AI value was longest for trypsin inhibitor, followed by urease and then lipoxygenase. The combined effect of heat on protein solubility and biologically active components inactivation was expressed as «PDI at acceptable inactivation time» (PDIAI). PDIAI value for the processing «limiting factor,» trypsin inhibitor inactivation, at the three temperatures were 36.7%, 42.5%, and 34.8%, respectively
Effects of the feedlot contaminant 17alpha-trenbolone on reproductive endocrinology of the fathead minnow.

Trenbolone acetate is a growth promoter widely used for beef production in the U.S. Two biologically active metabolites of the acetate, 17β- and 17α-trenbolone, are ligands of vertebrate androgen receptors and comparatively stable in the waste of treated animals. Both have been detected in surface water associated with beef feedlots, suggesting a potential risk to aquatic animals. In previous work we evaluated the effects of β-trenbolone on reproductive endocrinology of the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) in a 21-day test. The purpose of the present study was to conduct a similar set of experiments with α-trenbolone which, based on binding to mammalian androgen receptors, was expected to be less potent than β-trenbolone. Fecundity of the fish was significantly reduced by α-trenbolone with an EC50 (95% confidence interval) of 0.011 (0.007−0.016) μg/L. In females, α-trenbolone reduced plasma vitellogenin and steroid concentrations and also induced the production of dorsal nuptial tubercles, structures ...
Thalidomide for the treatment of histiocytic sarcoma after hematopoietic stem cell transplant

Histiocytic sarcoma (HS) is a rare neoplasm of uncertain etiology. Most recently, the diagnostic criteria for this entity have been revised with inclusion of diagnostic modalities such as immunohistochemical and cytogentic techniques. HS tends to have an aggressive clinical course and presents with systemic symptoms of fever, weight loss, adenopathy, hepatosplenomegly, rash, and pancytopenia. Thalidomide is a promising agent that may exert a therapeutic benefit in HS. We report a case of a 48-year-old female with HS who presented with fever, weight loss, fatigue, generalized anasarca, and pancytopenia. She underwent multi-agent chemotherapy followed by matched unrelated hematopoietic stem cell transplant. Her disease recurred and thalidomide therapy was started, with her overall disease burden significantly reduced as measured radiographically.
Federal financial guarantees and the occasional market pricing of default risk: Evidence from insured deposits

Abstract This paper develops a two-date state preference model which demonstrates that investors' valuation of third-party guaranteed debt depends on the financial condition of the guarantor. As the solvency ratio of the guarantor declines, investors demand higher promised rates on the firm's debt securities and price the firm risk variables more sensitively. The empirical results are derived from sample data of FSLIC guaranteed obligations from the late 1980s. Evidence shows differences in the market's perception of FSLlC's insolvency between 1987 and 1988. The market response to a decline in the financial condition of the guarantor affected the value of insured CDs, raising CD rates in relation to the Treasury curve and firm risk pricing of insured deposits emerged.
Replicated Grid Resources

We have added support for replication of stateful resources in a Web services based grid platform. Replication allows resources to be highly available for both reading and writing. The contributions of this work are algorithms for update propagation, conflict detection, and conflict resolution for generic resources in a decentralized environment. In order to show that these generic algorithms can be applied to specific resource types, we present a Web services based distributed file system with automatic replication and automatic fail over. We show that this system can read and write files and directories, with no loss of data, during a server failure.
Effects of benzodiazepines during gestation and infancy on Y-maze performance of mice.

Summary Male mice which received benzodiazepine tranquilizers prenatally and during early infancy exhibited enhanced performance of a Y-maze task as adults. In general, benzodiazepine treated animals were more active and learned more rapidly than the corresponding controls. The drugs produced their greatest effect on learning measures when given prenatally, while changes in activity were greatest among those animals receiving drugs postnatally. The benzodiazepines appear to be unique in their capacity to enhance adult learning when administered at low doses during early development.
Dimeric DNA Aptamer Complexes for High-capacity-targeted Drug Delivery Using pH-sensitive Covalent Linkages.

Treatment with doxorubicin (Dox) results in serious systemic toxicities that limit effectiveness for cancer treatment and cause long-term health issues for cancer patients. We identified a new DNA aptamer to prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) using fixed sequences to promote Dox binding and developed dimeric aptamer complexes (DACs) for specific delivery of Dox to PSMA+ cancer cells. DACs are stable under physiological conditions and are internalized specifically into PSMA+ C4-2 cells with minimal uptake into PSMA-null PC3 cells. Cellular internalization of DAC was demonstrated by confocal microscopy and flow cytometry. Covalent modification of DAC with Dox (DAC-D) resulted in a complex with stoichiometry ~4:1. Dox was covalently bound in DAC-D using a reversible linker that promotes covalent attachment of Dox to genomic DNA following cell internalization. Dox was released from the DAC-D under physiological conditions with a half-life of 8 hours, sufficient for in vivo targeting. DAC-D was used to selectively deliver Dox to C4-2 cells with endosomal release and nuclear localization of Dox. DAC-D was selectively cytotoxic to C4-2 cells with similar cytotoxicity as the molar equivalent of free-Dox. In contrast, DAC-D displayed minimal cytotoxicity to PC3 cells, demonstrating the complex displays a high degree of selectivity for PSMA+ cells. DAC-D displays specificity and stability features that may be useful for improved delivery of Dox selectively to malignant tissue in vivo.
Cryogenically cooled sample holder for polymer sample analysis by radiofrequency glow discharge mass spectrometry

A cryogenically cooled sample holder has been constructed for use in the analysis of polymeric materials by radio frequency glow discharge mass spectrometry (rf-GDMS). Passage of liquid nitrogen through the body of a brass sample backing plate cools the sample down to temperatures of approximately −170°C. The cryo-cooled sample holder is readily adaptable to existing direct insertion probe assemblies commonly used in GDMS instrumentation. The benefits of low temperature cooling are illustrated in terms of the ability to analyze thermally sensitive polymers without evidence of degradation, greater temporal stability of the ion signal, and the reduction of proton transfer reactions to polymer fragment species (due to the presence of residual water vapor). Implementation of the cryo-cooled sample holder opens up many possibilities for the direct analysis of solid polymers by rf-GDMS.
Evans's and Cheevers's Quaker Missionary Travels

In her article "Evans's and Cheevers's Quaker Missionary Travels" Hui-chu Yu investigates Katharine Evans's and Sarah Cheevers's account of their experiences as Quaker missionaries in Malta between 1658-1662. For Evans and Cheevers traveling was a mission ordained by god and thus their journey is less a trip for the gratification of exploration than spiritual and physical trials. With a purpose to spread Quaker texts, Evans and Cheevers traveled to different lands such as Ireland and Malta. Although they perceived the hostility toward their belief, they still claimed to be god's handmaids with an aim to preach their religious belief. Their attempt to challenge the belief of a society — an act that involves the transformation of a people's mentality — inevitably caused cultural tension. Hui-chu Yu, "Evans's and Cheevers's Quaker Missionary Travels" page 2 of 8 CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture 14.5 (2012): Special issue New Work about the Journey and Its Portrayals. Ed. I-Chun Wang
A novel underwater weather station

A new form of underwater weather station has been designed for long term recording with great reliability and low power consumption.The novelty of the instrument lies in its use of a non-destructive,non-volatile magnetic memory. The original instrument was designed as a tide gauge capable of recording deep-sea tides on the ocean floor for at least a year's duration. Analog data from sensors is multiplexed to an A-D converter with no real limit to the number of sensors that could be so attached. The control program for the operation and cycling of the device is resident in a separate, non-volatile semiconductor memory.This control memory can be re-programmed on a specially designed programmer. Great flexibility of function can be achieved by using this programmable feature. A crystal controlled clock gives the time basis for operation and can be set on the front panel as days, hours, minutes and seconds and can be stored in the plated wire memory as a data record. A built-in teletype converter and D-A converter are included in the underwater device to facilitate communication.
RoboLIFT: simple GUI-based unit testing of student-written android applications (abstract only)

Many computer science educators have adopted test-driven development practices in their introductory computer science courses, as a way of encouraging incremental development and decreasing defects in student code. This practice is straightforward for basic data-driven objects, but making unit testing of GUI applications approachable for students poses a larger challenge. We have previously addressed this problem for Swing applications by developing LIFT, a library that allows students to easily write JUnit tests for Swing interfaces. Since then, we have transitioned away from Swing to Android as the development platform in CS2 to better motivate and excite our students about their assignments. To fully support this change, we had to ensure that our students could fully test the GUI portions of their solutions on that platform as well. The Android operating system has significant built-in support for GUI testing, but the standard API is too complex for students to use. In order to address this, we developed RoboLIFT, a framework that eases the task of writing concise and complete unit tests for Android applications. Furthermore, RoboLIFT also has support for automated grading on the Web-CAT automated assessment system, so even if instructors do not require their students to follow test-driven development practices, they can still enjoy the benefits of automated grading by writing correctness tests that use RoboLIFT to exercise the students' graphical user interfaces.
Ex. FRAF: An extensible language including graphical operations

Abstract This paper describes a high-level extensible language. The language allows the user to define new data types and new operations to suit his needs and to simplify subsequent programming. This work began as an effort to produce a “graphic language”, but soon led to the design of a general purpose extensible language in which graphical data types and operations could easily be embedded. A prime aim in the definition of the language was to provide powerful features at a level that is easily understood and yet straightforward to implement. Examples for computer graphics are given to illustrate the most important features of the language.
Wittgenstein as a Modernist Philosopher

Apres avoir presente la definition du modernisme de S. Cavell (« Must We Mean What We Say », 1976), l'A. s'interroge: Comment cette definition encourage-t-elle l'interpretation de Wittgenstein en tant que philosophe moderniste? Comment l'alignement de Wittgenstein et du modernisme eclaire-t-il sa politique inquietante?
The economic significance ofCannabis sativa in the Moroccan Rif

In his 1966 paper in Economic Botany, Mikuriya discussed the cultivation of Cannabis sativa or kif in the Rif Mountains of Morocco. The present paper will amplify his statements concerning kif, particularly within an economic context, based upon data gathered during a year and a half of anthropological field work in Northern Morocco.2 Grown in large quantities in the Rif and smoked by a fairly high proportion of native adult males, kif ranks, along with citrus fruits, lumber, cotton, and palmetto fiber, as one of the area's chief cash crops.3 Unlike the other crops, it is illegal, but for various reasons to be developed, it continues to flourish.
The economic burden of diabetes and the benefits of improved glycemic control: the potential role of a continuous glucose monitoring system.

S-7 DIABETES MELLITUS is a serious metabolic disorder that places patients at increased risk of coronary and vascular disease, as well as debilitating conditions such as retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy (Table 1).1–3 The attainment of tight glucose control can reduce the occurrence of deleterious long-term complications associated with the progression of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus.4–9 This relationship has been most convincingly demonstrated with microvascular complications (i.e., retinopathy, neuropathy, and nephropathy). In the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT), intensive therapy reduced the risk of developing retinopathy by 76% in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus.4 The United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) showed a 25% risk reduction in microvascular endpoints with intensive therapy for type 2 diabetes,8 and every 1% decrease in HbA1C correlated with a 37% reduction in the risk of microvascular complications.10 Data are less definitive for macrovascular complications such as coronary heart disease and peripheral vascular disease, but current evidence suggests that hyperglycemia is associated with negative cardiovascular outcomes.10–12 In turn, improved control of blood glucose can reduce the costs associated with the treatment and long-term management of the common complications of diabetes. In the DCCT, the annual cost of therapy aimed at intensive control was $4,000–5,800 per patient—approximately threefold the cost of conventional therapy—but it was estimated that intensive treatment would begin to show savings within 5–7 years by decreasing the incidence of future complications.13 A retrospective study of a large HMO population determined that patients with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes (n 5 8,905) experienced higher incidence rates of various complications than ageand sex-matched controls without diabetes (n 5 36,520), which translated into excess costs (Fig. 1a,b).14 Similarly, a retrospective analysis of a large type 2 diabetes population (n 5 11,768) enrolled in an HMO found that per-person costs increased above baseline by 360% after a major cardiovascular event, by 195% for those with advanced renal disease, and by 771% for those with end-stage renal disease.15 In essence, long-term intensive treatment is cost-effective, a particularly important point given the size of the patient population and the clinical magnitude of the disease. Approximately 16 million Americans—or 5.9% of the U.S. population—have diabetes. However, 5.4 million are unaware that they have the disease.1 The economic impact of diabetes is staggering. For 1997, the direct and indirect costs of diabetes care were estimated to be $98 billion.16 The direct costs were $44 billion, including $27.5 billion for inpatient hospital care and $5.5 billion for nursing home care. The indirect costs were $54 billion, including $37.1 billion for disability and $16.9 billion attributed to mortality.
Estimation Using Contingent Valuation Data from a “Dichotomous Choice with Follow-Up” Questionnaire: A Comment

Abstract Cameron and Quiggin [J. Environ. Econom. Management27, 218–234 (1994)] provide evidence against the use of the standard interval data model and in favor of the more general bivariate probit model. An apparent miscalculation in the estimation process overstates the poor performance of the interval data model for the application reported by Cameron and Quiggin. When the miscalculation is corrected, the data reported by Cameron and Quiggin provide results consistent with Alberini's [J. Environ. Econom. Mangement29, 169–180 (1995)] finding that interval-data models provide robust estimates of mean willingness to pay from dichotomous choice with follow-up contingent valuation questions.
Effects of Rous Sarcoma Virus on the synthetic programs of chondroblasts and retinal melanoblasts.

Chondroblasts and retinal melanoblasts have been transformed with a temperature-sensitive Rous Sacroma Virus. At permissive temperature the transformed cells do not display their unique phenotypic properties. When such transformed cells are shifted to non-permissive temperature they do display their unique phenotypic properties.
Revisiting fortune at base of the pyramid (BoP)

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to broaden the conception of the base of the pyramid (BoP) from that of a low purchasing power community, to a globally disconnected community.Design/methodology/approach – The paper identifies two views related to fortune at the BoP using the conventional purchasing power approach: finding fortune at the BoP; and creating fortune at the BoP. As a next step, the paper offers a theoretical basis for two additional views using the broader conception: sharing fortune with the BoP using social responsibility theory; and enabling fortune at the BoP using critical social theory. The authors construct an integrated framework to aid practitioners in responding to a variety of context‐specific issues in BoP strategy.Findings – The conventional approach might result in undermining the dignity of BoP communities, and discrediting their unique knowledge systems and potential contributions. It is argued that a context‐sensitive approach can help address these issues to a great ex...
Innate Non-Specific Cell Substratum Adhesion

Adhesion of motile cells to solid surfaces is necessary to transmit forces required for propulsion. Unlike mammalian cells, Dictyostelium cells do not make integrin mediated focal adhesions. Nevertheless, they can move rapidly on both hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces. We have found that adhesion to such surfaces can be inhibited by addition of sugars or amino acids to the buffer. Treating whole cells with αlpha-mannosidase to cleave surface oligosaccharides also reduces adhesion. The results indicate that adhesion of these cells is mediated by van der Waals attraction of their surface glycoproteins to the underlying substratum. Since glycoproteins are prevalent components of the surface of most cells, innate adhesion may be a common cellular property that has been overlooked.
Are buried salt bridges important for protein stability and conformational specificity

The side chains of Arg 31, Glu 36 and Arg 40 in Arc repressor form a buried salt-bridge triad. The entire salt-bridge network can be replaced by hydrophobic residues in combinatorial randomization experiments resulting in active mutants that are significantly more stable than wild type. The crystal structure of one mutant reveals that the mutant side chains pack against each other in an otherwise wild-type fold. Thus, simple hydrophobic interactions provide more stabilizing energy than the buried salt bridge and confer comparable conformational specificity.
An empirical analysis of stein effects in regional forecasts

A Stein-like shrinking methodology is proposed for modifying sets of metropolitan area economic forecasts. The technique is applied to historical published quarterly forecasts of the twenty metropolitan statistical areas of Florida. Stein-like shrinking is found to yield modest improvement in accuracy as evaluated by three alternative criteria, but the gains diminish with length of forecast horizon.