cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Timing and targeting of state repression in authoritarian elections

Autocrats face a fundamental tension: how to make elections appear credible (maintaining legitimacy) without losing control over outcomes (losing power). In this context, we claim that incumbents choose the timing and targets of state repression strategically. We expect that before elections, regimes will moderate their use of violence against ordinary citizens, while simultaneously directing state-sponsored repression towards opposition elites. Ordinary citizens are likely to experience greater repression after the election. We test these expectations using unique events-based repression data, conducting cross-national analysis of all presidential elections in authoritarian regimes from 1990 to 2008 to understand the timing and targeting of repression around elections under authoritarian regimes. In keeping with our expectations, we find that in the months prior and during the election, opposition leaders experience greater rates of repression than voters. We suspect that incumbents find it more effective to repress electoral challengers, since these pose a direct threat to their victory. Conversely, incumbents resist repressing voters whose support they need at the polls to win and to legitimize the election itself.
Determination of the structure of methylene cyclobutane confirming a non-planar ethene and the structure of the argon-methylene cyclobutane van der Waals complex

Abstract Rotational spectra of the parent and four 13C isotopomers of methylene cyclobutane in the ground and first vibrational states of the ring-puckering vibration, and the parent and four 13C isotopomers of the argon methylene cyclobutane van der Waals complex in the ground vibrational state have been measured and assigned in the frequency range of 5–26 GHz. Ten c-type transitions between the ground inversion levels of methylene cyclobutane were observed for the first time by pulsed jet Fourier transform microwave spectroscopy. This improves the accuracy of the measured inversion frequency, ν01 = 33615.53(4) MHz. The substitution structure of each carbon in methylene cyclobutane was determined from the rotational constants of the normal and singly-13C substituted isotopomers in natural abundance. This structure experimentally confirms the non-planarity of the ethene group with respect to the plane defined by the cross ring carbons and the double bonded ring carbon in methylene cyclobutane. The double bond is tilted 6° toward an axial position in the puckered ground inversion states. This leads to a dramatic increase in the reduced mass of the inversion vibration. The rotational constants for the parent isotopomer of argon methylene cyclobutane, Ar–C5H8, are A = 3484.0659(3) MHz, B = 1308.0491(2) MHz, and C = 1127.9166(1) MHz. The position of the argon has been determined to be endo to the puckered ring, 3.624(1) A above the ring center of mass, 0.110(7) A forward toward the ethene group and 0.508(3) A to the side of the ring. Large amplitude cross ring motion by the argon causes the cross ring 13C isotopomers to be equivalent and in 2% natural abundance.
Processing forward-looking data for anomaly detection: single-look, multi-look, and spatial classification

Many effective buried threat detection systems rely on close proximity and near vertical deployment over subsurface objects before reasonable performance can be obtained. A forward-looking sensor configuration, where an object can be detected from much greater distances, allows for safer detection of buried explosive threats, and increased rates of advance. Forward-looking configurations also provide an additional advantage of yielding multiple perspectives and looks at each subsurface area, and data from these multiple pose angles can be potentially exploited for improved detection. This work investigates several aspects of detection algorithms that can be applied to forward-looking imagery. Previous forward-looking detection algorithms have employed several anomaly detection algorithms, such as the RX algorithm. In this work the performance of the RX algorithm is compared to a scale-space approach based on Laplcaian of Gaussian filtering. This work also investigates methods to combine the detection output from successive frames to aid detection performance. This is done by exploiting the spatial colocation of detection alarms after they are mapped from image coordinates into world coordinates. The performance of the resulting algorithms are measured on data from a forward-looking vehicle mounted optical sensor system collected over several lanes at a western U.S. test facility. Results indicate that exploiting the spatial colocation of detections made in successive frames can yield improved performance.
U.S. and Russia sign agreements to cooperate in Antarctica and Beringia

U.S. secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton and Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for Cooperation in Antarctica and issued a Joint Statement on Pursuing a Transboundary Area of Shared Beringian Heritage, which is related to a segment of the Bering Strait, at an 8 September ceremony in Vladivostok, Russia. The Antarctica MOU strengthens cooperation and improves coordination of bilateral policies, science, logistics, search and rescue, training, and public outreach in Antarctica. “We are formally deepening our scientific cooperation in Antarctica, a continent with vast opportunities for research,” Clinton said. “Scientists from both our countries will work together to explore Antarctica's terrain, study the effects of climate change, and cooperate on a range of issues to better understand and protect our shared environment.” She added that U.S. and Russian officials and scientists will work together to enforce the 1959 Antarctic Treaty, including inspecting foreign facilities and looking for violations of the treaty and environmental commitments.
Dramatic inhibition of osteoclast sealing ring formation and bone resorption in vitro by a WASP-peptide containing pTyr294 amino acid

Wiskott Aldrich Syndrome protein (WASP) has a unique regulatory role in sealing ring formation and bone resorption in osteoclasts. Here, using the TAT-transduction method, we show the possible role of WASP domain(s) in sealing ring formation and bone resorption. Transduction of TAT-fused full-length WASP peptide induced Arp2/3 complex formation, F-actin content, sealing ring formation and bone resorption. Transduction of WASP peptides containing basic, verpolin-central, pTyr294, and proline-rich regions inhibited the processes listed above at various levels. The ability to resorb bone by WASP peptides containing basic, verpolin-central, and proline-rich regions was reduced and the resorbed area matched the size of the sealing ring. However, osteoclasts transduced with WASP peptide containing pTyr294aa demonstrated the following: a) a considerable decrease in the interaction and phosphorylation of c-Src with endogenous WASP; b) total loss of sealing ring-like structures; c) formation of actin-rich patches at the peripheral edge that contains filopodia-like projections; d) reduced capacity for bone resorption in vitro. These findings suggest that modulation of phosphorylation state of pTyr294aa assists in integrating multiple signaling molecule and pathways that partake in the assembly of sealing ring.
Limits of detection of carbon-13 labelled drugs and their metabolites in human urine.

The precise isotopic analysis of carbon by means of differential comparison of CO2 samples is applied to neutral, acid c and basic extract fractions of human urine. It is shown that the standard deviation of the analytical procedure, including sample preparation steps, is about 1% or 0.001 atom % excess carbon-13, but depends some what on the fraction considered. Day to day variations (expressed as standard deviations) in the isotopic composition of the urine fractions are generally less than 2.8%, 1.4% and 3.9% for the neutral, acidica and basic fractions, respectively, although the effect of unusual dietary inputs can be recognized. The ingestion of 23 μg excess carbon-13 in the form of isotopically labelled aspirin is shown to perturb significantly the isotopic composition of the acidic urine fraction which, for a 24 hour collection period, had a mass of 570 mg C. Because only 0.01% of the fraction was consumed by isotopic analysis, further extensive analysis would be possible. It is concluded that carbon-13 tracer experiments generally should be arranged to provide at least 5 × 10−5 g excess 13C/g carbon in any fraction which is to be used for lable detection.
Secular Trends in the Lifetime Prevalence of Alcohol Dependence in the United States: A Re-Evaluation

Background: U.S. epidemiologic surveys have consistently found higher lifetime prevalence of alcohol dependence among younger subjects than among older groups. Because lifetime prevalence is cumulative, such patterns are suggestive of strong secular trends; i.e., more-recently born subjects have developed more disease in a shorter period of time than their elders. However, it remains unclear whether such patterns truly reflect secular trends or are confounded by age-dependent factors such as differential recall, differential mortality, and other effects. Methods: Using data from 2 large, national epidemiological surveys, a repeated cross-sectional analysis was conducted to compare lifetime prevalence of alcohol dependence across temporally adjacent birth cohorts surveyed at the same age, thus enabling estimates of cross-cohort differences while controlling for age-related factors. Results: In contrast with results from single cross-sectional analyses, there were few significant cross-cohort differences among groups of men compared at similar ages. On the other hand, women born between 1954 and 1963 were at 1.2-fold higher odds for lifetime drinking, and those who drank were at 1.5-fold higher odds for lifetime alcohol dependence, compared with the immediately preceding birth cohort (1944 to 1953). The 1944 to 1953 cohort was also at elevated odds for lifetime drinking compared with their predecessors (1934 to 1943). These results were largely due to changes among White and Hispanic women. Conclusions: These results suggest that there have been substantial secular increases in drinking and alcohol dependence among women, but not men. Analyses of single cross-sectional studies may tend to over-estimate secular trends by failing to account for age-dependent effects. Nonetheless, secular increases in drinking and alcohol dependence among women are evident after taking age-related factors into account. Language: en
Community Classification and Growth in Effective Property Tax Rates: A Case Study of Rate Divergence in 39 Rhode Island Towns

. A multiple regression analysis of cross-sectional data for 39 Rhode Island towns indicates that variation in the level of effective property tax rates among communities can be substantially explained. The determinants are a community's population density, median family income, real property per capita, and the ratio of commercial to total property tax, revenue. Population density serves as a criterion for judging the “cityness” (1) of a community, that is, its degree of urbanization. A positive relationship exists between population density and effective property tax rate. Communities with the highest population density tend to have the highest tax rates. This relationship is shown in each analyzed year. Covariance analysis applied to the regression coefficients for the various years reveals a significant change in the population density coefficient. This coefficient change indicates a divergence in effective property tax rates among city, suburban, and rural communities.
An Approach to Middleware Specialization for Cyber Physical Systems

Contemporary computing infrastructure, such as networking stacks, OS and middleware, are made up of layers of software functionality that have evolved over decades to support the broadest range of applications.The feature-richness and the layers of functionality, however, tend to be excessive and a source of performance overhead for Cyber-physical Systems (CPS). Yet it is necessary to leverage the decades of proven patterns and principles in these infrastructures. This paper presents an approach to systematically specialize general-purpose middleware used to host CPS. Our approach is based on the principles of Feature-Oriented Software Development(FOSD), which requires deducing an algebraic structure of contemporary middleware based on a higher level of abstraction of features. The paper showcase how Origami matrices and generative programming can play a key role in realizing the specializations. The paper concludes by delving in to future open areas of middleware specialization research.
Functional Cloning and Characterization of Antibiotic Resistance Genes from the Chicken Gut Microbiome

Culture-independent sampling in conjunction with a functional cloning approach identified diverse antibiotic resistance genes for different classes of antibiotics in gut microbiomes from both conventionally raised and free-range chickens. Many of the genes are phylogenetically distant from known resistance genes. Two unique genes that conferred ampicillin and spectinomycin resistance were also functional in Campylobacter, a distant relative of the Escherichia coli host used to generate the genomic libraries.
A spectroscopic analysis of vitamin B12 derivatives.

Abstract 1. 1. Several vitamin B12 derivatives including descobalt B12 show unusual inversion of their CD signs upon rapid cooling to liquid N2 temperature, although the room temperature CD signs are conserved by a slower cooling to the same temperature. As a possible explanation for this puzzling observation, a micro-environmental birefringence around the chromophore imbedded in an organic glass is proposed. 2. 2. Absorption, fluorescence, phosphorescence, and polarization spectra of descobalt B12 can be correlated with those of porphyrin free bases, as these two molecular systems share many similarities in their electronic structire. 3. 3. Molecular orbital calculations of polarization directions further support the analogy between the spectroscopic characteristics of corrins and porphyrins, and are generally in good agreement with the fluorescence polarization data.
A derivation of the long-term degradation of a pulsed atomic frequency standard from a control-loop model

The phase of a frequency standard that uses periodic interrogation and control of a local oscillator (LO) is degraded by a long-term random-walk component induced by downconversion of LO noise into the loop passband. The Dick formula for the noise level of this degradation is derived from an explicit solution of an LO control-loop model.
Mitochondrial transfer between cells can rescue aerobic respiration

Current theory indicates that mitochondria were obtained 1.5 billion years ago from an ancient prokaryote. The mitochondria provided the capacity for aerobic respiration, the creation of the eukaryotic cell, and eventually complex multicellular organisms. Recent reports have found that mitochondria play essential roles in aging and determining lifespan. A variety of heritable and acquired diseases are linked to mitochondrial dysfunction. We report here that mitochondria are more dynamic than previously considered: mitochondria or mtDNA can move between cells. The active transfer from adult stem cells and somatic cells can rescue aerobic respiration in mammalian cells with nonfunctional mitochondria.
Evaluating Connectivity in the Brooding Brittle Star Astrotoma agassizii across the Drake Passage in the Southern Ocean

Studies examining population structure and genetic diversity of benthic marine invertebrates in the Southern Ocean have emerged in recent years. However, many taxonomic groups remain largely unstudied, echinoderms being one conspicuous example. The brittle star Astrotoma agassizii is distributed widely throughout Antarctica and southern South America. This species is a brooding echinoderm and therefore may have limited dispersal capacity. In order to determine the effect of hypothesized isolating barriers in the Southern Ocean, such as depth, geographic distance, and the polar front, 2 mitochondrial DNA markers were used to compare populations from the South American and Antarctic continental shelves. Astrotoma agassizii was shown to be genetically discontinuous across the polar front. In fact, populations previously assumed to be panmictic instead represent 3 separate lineages that lack morphological distinction. However, within lineages, genetic continuity was displayed across a large geographic range (>500 km). Therefore, despite lacking a pelagic larval stage, A. agassizii can disperse across substantial geographic distance within continental shelf regions. These results indicate that geographic distance alone may not be a barrier to dispersal, but rather the combined effects of distance, depth, and the polar front act to prevent gene flow between A. agassizii populations in the Southern Ocean.
The Child Vulnerability Scale: An Instrument to Measure Parental Perceptions of Child Vulnerability

Developed and validated an instrument for identifying children perceived as vulnerable. Mothers of 1,095 children, aged 4-8 years, completed interviews that included the original 12-item Child Vulnerability Scale. Eight items that correlated best with each of two major variables that contribute to vulnerability were retained in the revised scale and a cutoff score was identified for children perceived as vulnerable. The internal consistency of the revised scale was good. Using the revised scale, 10.1% of children were identified as perceived vulnerable. Children categorized as perceived vulnerable had a significant increase in behavior problems and acute medical visits. The revised Child Vulnerability Scale should be useful in providing a better understanding of the causes and effects of an important factor in child development.
Clinically relevant deoxycytidine levels are high enough to profoundly alter 9-beta-D-arabinofuranosylguanine cytotoxicity for human T-cell acute leukemia cells in vitro.

Plasma deoxycytidine levels can vary markedly during chemotherapy, from <0.05 muM to at least 10.3 mu M in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). This study demonstrates that clinically relevant deoxycytidine levels can dramatically protect human T-ALL cells against 9-beta-Darabinofuranosylguanine (araG), a promising drug in this leukemia. At 0.4, 1.2, 3.6, and 10.8 muM deoxycytidine, the dose of araG required to kill 50% of MOLT3 T-ALL cells increased 4.23 1.95- (mean SEM), 23.1 5.42-, 39.3 19.3-, and 67.0 11.5-fold compared to araG without deoxycytidine. Such deoxycytidine concentrations sharply reduced intracellular araG levels and blocked inhibition of DNA synthesis even in the presence of 160 and 640 mu M araG. These data offer the first evidence that clinically relevant deoxycytidine levels could profoundly modulate araG toxicity in T-ALL.
Ribonucleotide reductases in the twenty-first century

Ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs) catalyze the conversion of nucleotides to deoxynucleotides in all organisms and thus play a central role in nucleic acid metabolism (1–3). Recently, substantive progress has been made in elucidation of the structure (4, 5), function (6), and regulation (7) of reductases. In addition, recently obtained sequences of reductases from archaea and deeply rooted eubacteria (8–10) have allowed speculation on the role of these enzymes in evolution. As outlined below, as many questions have been raised as answered, guaranteeing that reductases will be of interest to investigate experimentally for some time to come.
An Isotope-Dilution Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Method for Trace Analysis of Xylene Metabolites in Tissues

A gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) method using isotope dilution was developed to measure trace levels of xylene metabolites in brain tissues. The primary metabolites of xylene are dimethylphenol (DMP), methylbenzyl alcohol (MBA), toluic acid (TA), and methylhippuric acid (MHA). The internal standard was a mixture of deuterated DMP-d3, TA-d7, and MHA-d7. DMP-d3 was commercially available and was used as the internal standard for both DMP and MBA. TA-d7 and MHA-d7 were biosynthesized by administering xylene-d10 to rats and collecting their urine. Based on the noise peaks in 10 blank samples, the on-column limits of quantitation (mean +10 SD of noise peaks) were approximately 305, 1220, 545, and 386 pg for DMP, MBA, TA, and MHA, respectively. Analyte detection and recovery tests from brain tissues of control rats were conducted by spiking the tissues with 32 nmol/g of each analyte, together with the deuterated metabolites. The tissues were homogenized, extracted with ethyl acetate, and derivatized by trimethylsilylation. One microliter of the sample was injected into the GC-MS. The recoveries of the analytes were 104 +/- 8%, 80 +/- 9%, 93 +/- 10%, and 92 +/- 11% (mean +/- SD, n = 7) for DMP, MBA, TA, and MHA, respectively. The tissue preparation efficiency, which was indicated by absolute recoveries of internal standards, was approximately 33% for DMP, MBA, and TA and approximately 80% for MHA. No metabolites were detected in untreated control tissues. This simple and sensitive method to simultaneously detect major xylene metabolites in brain tissues could also be used for the analysis of blood and urine samples from workers to monitor p-xylene exposure.
Passive source localization from spatially correlated angle-of-arrival data

Bias and variance equations are presented for two-dimensional location estimators of a nonmoving point source of radiation in an isotropic, stationary random medium. The estimators are calculated from spatially correlated angle-of-arrival data which are collected simultaneously at two sensor positions, and assumed to consist of true (unbiased) source angles plus zero-mean angular noise with equal variances at both sensors and negligible higher moments. Under these assumptions the square of the estimator bias is, in general, a quadratic function and the estimator variance a linear function of the spatial data correlation coefficient. However, for source ranges much larger than sensor separation, both the bias and the variance tend to increase linearly with decreasing correlation coefficient, whereas they tend to decrease with increasing sensor separation. The combined effect for a distant source in a stationary random medium, when evaluated for typical spatial wavefront autocorrelation functions, is a significant reduction in the estimator bias and variance dependence on sensor separation, as compared to the uncorrelated case. With minor modifications, the same results apply to the equivalent problem of using time-of-arrival data from three colinear sensor positions.
TLR3 agonists and proinflammatory antitumor activities.

Although tumor growth leads to inflammatory responses, the immune system develops tolerance to cancer. One way to break host tolerance to tumors is to activate key immune effector activities. Toward this end, various adjuvants are under investigation in an effort to harness the immune system to overcome tolerance to tumor-associated self-antigens. There is enthusiasm for the use of specific ligands for toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) that play a key role in the innate immune system. TLR3 agonists serve as immune adjuvants because they potently induce innate immune responses by activating dendritic cell (DC) maturation and inflammatory cytokine secretion. These activities facilitate the bridge between the innate and adaptive immune systems promoting the expansion of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) that destroy cancer cells. TLR3 agonists either alone or in combination with tumor antigens have shown success in terms of enhancing immune responses and eliciting antitumor activity in preclinical models. However, TLR...
Radiographic image sequence coding using two-stage adaptive vector quantization

A two-stage adaptive vector quantization scheme for radiographic image sequence coding is introduced. Each frame in the sequence is first decomposed into a set of vectors, corresponding to nonoverlapping spatially contiguous block of pixels. A codebook is generated using a training set of vectors drawn from the sequence. Each vector is then encoded by the label representing the closest codeword of the codebook, and the label values in a frame label map memory at both ends of the communication channel. The changes occurring in the radiographic image sequences can be categorized into two types: those due to body motion and those due to the injected contrast dye material. In the second scheme proposed, encoding is performed in two stages. In the first stage, the labels of corresponding vectors from consecutive frames are compared and the frame label map memory is replenished (updated). This stage is sufficient to tack the changes caused by patient motions but not due to the injected contrast dye material. The resulting residual error vectors after the first stage coding are calculated for the latter changes and are further encoded by a second codebook, which is updated on a frame-to-frame basis. >
Authentic Language and Authentic Conversational Texts

ABSTRACT Although there is a trend to advocate the use of authentic texts in the foreign language classroom, a consensus regarding the criteria determining textual authenticity has not been reached. Instead, researchers often provide varying, sometimes conflicting definitions as to what comprise authentic materials. This paper draws on research in discourse analysis in an attempt to determine text authenticity through text type authenticity and provide implications for classroom materials. A text may be considered a spoken or written verbal unit, and a text type may be described as a specific type of spoken or written unit. Thus, for example, the text type “textbook conversation,” written by textbook authors for the purpose of teaching specific structures, can probably not be defined as the text type “authentic conversation,” in which native speakers engage in speaking for purposes other than to teach their language. In addition a ranking of types of conversational texts, from most to least authentic, provides a scale by which to judge the value of materials used in the classroom.
J-integral resistance curve testing and evaluation

In this paper a critical review is presented of the history and current state of the art of J-integral resistance curve testing and experimental evaluation methods in conjunction with a discussion of the development of the plane strain fracture toughness test standard ASTM E1820 developed by American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). Early research efforts on this topic are reviewed first. These include the J-integral concept, experimental estimates of the J-integral for stationary cracks, load line displacement (LLD) and crack mouth opening displacement (CMOD) based η factor equations, different formulations of J-integral incremental equations for growing cracks, crack growth corrected J-R curve determination, and experimental test methods. Recent developments in J-R curve testing and evaluation are then described, with emphasis on accurate J-integral incremental equations, a normalization method, a modified basic method, a CMOD direct method with use of incremental equations, relationships of plastic geometry factors, constraint-dependent J-R curve testing and correction approaches. An overview of the present fracture toughness test standard ASTM E1820-08a is then presented. The review shows that after more than 40 years of investigation and development, the J-integral resistance curve test methods in ASTM E1820 have become simpler, more cost-effective and more accurate.
Short X and gamma production with swept laser bunch

We described here the new way of production of /spl les/ 100 fs bursts of X and gamma radiation by Compton back-scattering of a laser bunch which have been swept along the electron trajectory. In the method described the time duration of the secondary radiation does not depend on electron bunch length and is shorter than duration of the primary laser bunch by factor 1/N/sub R/-the number of resolved spots of sweeping device (up to 1/ 1000). The method of the laser bunch sweeping is also helpful in obtaining short electron bunches from a photo cathode.
Laboratory quality control for a multicenter clinical trial: a report from the Growth Failure in Children with Renal Diseases Study.

During the training-and-orientation session held at the beginning of the GFRD Study, and repeated when new centers joined the study, the necessity of uniform sample collection was emphasized. To avoid trace mineral contamination, collectors used all-plastic syringes and containers to collect blood for measurement of serum creatinine, magnesium, zinc, aluminum, and osteocalcin concentrations. A 5 ml blood sample is drawn from a fasting patient into a Peel-A-Way regular blood sampler (Peel-A-Way Scientific, South E1 Monte, Calif.) or trace mineral-free Vacutainer tubes (Becton Dickinson Vacutainer Systems, Rutherford, N.J.). The blood is allowed to clot at room temperature, and the clot is reamed with a disposable polyethylene fine-tip pipet. The tube is then centrifuged at 3000 rpm for 10 minutes and 0.5 ml of the serum is pipetted into each of five vials for the measurement of creatinine, zinc, magnesium, aluminum, and osteocalcin concentrations. The vials are frozen at 2 0 ~ C and mailed in dry ice by overnight courier to the GFRD Study Core Laboratory.
Folklore and Literature in All the Languages of Siberia

Book reviewed in this article: Pamiatniki Fol'klora Narodov Sibiri i Dal'nego Vostoka (Folklore Monuments of the Peoples of Siberia and the Far East), Volumes 1–8. A. P. Derevianko, V. M. Gatsak, and A. B. Soktoev, eds.
Angiogenesis Assays: An Appraisal of Current Techniques

A number of satisfactory methods exist for experimentally estimating the pro- or anti-angiogenic activity of growth factors and pharmaceuticals. We review here a selected group of widely used in vivo and in vitro assays for angiogenesis. The in vivo assays of angiogenesis include the chick chorioallantoic membrane, the zebrafish, tumor xenografts in the mouse and the Matrigel® plug. In vitro assays included here are aortic ring, sprouting and tube formation assays. No method can entirely satisfactorily reproduce human angiogenesis, and thus a risk exists of securely defining pro- or anti-angiogenesis in these models and of subsequent failure to establish clinical effectiveness. On the other hand, most of these assays are readily reproducible, respond to standard pro-angiogenesis factors such as growth factors and angiogenesis inhibitors, and have acceptable cost.
Explicit Solutions to Optimal Risk-Averse Trading of Defaultable Bonds Under Heterogeneous Beliefs

This paper studies the problem of pricing and trading of defaultable bonds among investors with heterogeneous risk preferences and beliefs. Based on the utility indifference pricing methodology, we first construct the risk-averse bid-ask spread, which naturally widens as risk aversion or trading volume increases. In addition, we analyze the defaultable bond buyer's optimal static trading position under different market settings, including (i) when the market pricing rule is linear, and (ii) when the counterparty - single or multiple sellers - may have different risk preferences and beliefs. In each of these cases, we provide an explicit formula for the optimal trading position and examine the combined effects of risk aversions and beliefs. In particular, we find that belief heterogeneity, rather than the difference in risk aversion, is crucial to trigger a trade.
The impact of leukocytosis on survival, leukemic transformation, and thrombosis in polycythemia vera

7029 Background: A leukocyte count of > 15 ×109/L has recently been associated with myocardial infarction in polycythemia vera (PV). In the current study, we examine the impact of such degree of le...
First-Year College Students With ADHD and/or LD: Differences in Engagement, Positive Core Self-Evaluation, School Preparation, and College Expectations

Students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and/or learning disabilities (LD) experience significant challenges in making the transition from high school to college. This study examined the ways first-year college students with ADHD, LD, ADHD+LD, and comparison peers differ in engagement, core self-evaluation, high school preparation behaviors, and goals/expectations. Participants were from the 2010 Cooperative Institutional Research Program Freshman Survey, including students with ADHD ( n = 5,511), LD ( n = 2,626), ADHD+LD ( n = 1,399), or neither disability ( n = 5,737). Controlling for SAT/ACT scores, family income, and parent education, students with ADHD, LD, or ADHD+LD differed from peers on self-ratings of academic and creative abilities and psychosocial functioning; school disengagement, substance use, and emotional difficulties during their last year of high school; reasons for attending college; and expectations for college activities. Several differences were found between disability groups. Implications for college support services and future research are discussed.
Real-Time Forecasting of Atmospheric Debris Transport

In this paper we describe an experiment in which a real-time trajectory forecast model was used to estimate the transport of debris associated with a large chemical explosion in the southwestern United States. The trajectory forecasts were used to vector sampling aircraft into a position favorable for intersecting the debris cloud. Full details of the experiment have been reported by Kahl et al. (1991).
Measurement of Diffusion Parameters with Noble Metal Electrodes

After closing of the electric circuit in the beginning of a PO2-measurement with a bare noble metal electrode, the primary current is high but decreases rapidly in form of a first steep, then gradually flattening curve and approaches a decisively lower value finally (fig. 1).
Analysis on HIV/AIDS epidemic data in Hebei Province during 1989 to 2009.

Objective To analyze HIV/AIDS epidemic characteristics,and predict its trend in Hebei Province so as to provide scientific basis for controlling the transmission of HIV/AIDS.Methods The epidemic situation of HIV/AIDS in Hebei Province during 1989 to 2009 was analyzed by using the epidemic report.Results By the end of 2009,1 635 infected cases of Hebei nationality,in which 1 032 cases were males and 603 cases were females,were found.The highest infected rate of HIV/AIDS cases were 36.57% in the 30～40 years of age group.The highest infected rate of occupation were famers which accounted for 54.74%.The major transmission means was by sex,which accounted for 41.04%,followed by blood transmission 36.82%.Conclusion The HIV/AIDS epidemic spreads rapidly in Hebei Province.More and more HIV/AIDS cases were by sexual transmission.Effective measures should be taken to control HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Mechanism of swelling activation of K-Cl cotransport in inside-out vesicles of LK sheep erythrocyte membranes

Stimulation by swelling of K-Cl cotransport was studied in inside-out vesicles (IOVs) made from membranes of LK sheep erythrocytes. The purpose was to understand this stimulation in terms of the three-state process proposed for regulation of the cotransporter (P.B. Dunham, J. Klimczak, and P.J. Logue. J. Gen. Physiol. 101: 733-765, 1993). The first step in this process, A --> B, is rate limiting and controlled by transphosphorylation reactions. The second step, B --> C, is fast; its control is unknown. Predictions were that maximum velocity (Jmax) of cotransport increases with A --> B and concentration at one-half Jmax (K1/2) of K+ as a substrate decreases with B --> C. We tested the hypothesis that most transporters in IOVs are in the B state and that swelling activates cotransport in vesicles by the B --> C conversion. In accordance with this hypothesis, swelling should activate K+ influx with no discernable delay. It did. K1/2 for K+ should decrease with swelling and Jmax should not change. K1/2 decreased 10-fold, and Jmax did not change. Inhibitors of transphosphorylation, reactions of A --> B, should not affect K+ flux into IOVs, and they did not. The results support the hypothesis: swelling activation of K+ flux into IOVs corresponds to B --> C. A mechanical change in the membrane causes a specific change in the cotransporter: an increase in apparent affinity for K+.
Constructing 3D interaction maps from 1D epigenomes

The human genome is tightly packaged into chromatin whose functional output depends on both one-dimensional (1D) local chromatin states and three-dimensional (3D) genome organization. Currently, chromatin modifications and 3D genome organization are measured by distinct assays. An emerging question is whether it is possible to deduce 3D interactions by integrative analysis of 1D epigenomic data and associate 3D contacts to functionality of the interacting loci. Here we present EpiTensor, an algorithm to identify 3D spatial associations within topologically associating domains (TADs) from 1D maps of histone modifications, chromatin accessibility and RNA-seq. We demonstrate that active promoter-promoter, promoter-enhancer and enhancer-enhancer associations identified by EpiTensor are highly concordant with those detected by Hi-C, ChIA-PET and eQTL analyses at 200 bp resolution. Moreover, EpiTensor has identified a set of interaction hotspots, characterized by higher chromatin and transcriptional activity as well as enriched TF and ncRNA binding across diverse cell types, which may be critical for stabilizing the local 3D interactions.
Shipwrecked; or, Masculinity Imperiled: Mercantile Representations of Failure and the Gendered Self in Eighteenth-Century Philadelphia

Toward the end of the eighteenth century, a young Philadelphia merchant confided to his uncle that a recent series of business reversals had "wholly unmanned" him. Another, writing in 1798 to a friend who was in debtors' prison pending a bankruptcy hearing, dubbed his friend's creditors "relentless harpies" and congratulated him for "driving" them "off."1 Philadelphia's eighteenth-century merchants punctuated the voluminous correspondence upon which much of their trade depended with narratives of business failures that used gender imagery in striking ways. The cumulative effect was a sustained meditation on the precariousness of manly identity and reputation, a precariousness linked not only to the competitiveness and volatility of markets but also to the difficulties of defining a reputable self within the world of patronage and connection that still structured market relations. This essay undertakes a close reading of those narratives of failure as a way of illuminating the history of male subjectivity and the formation of gender conventions in a specific market milieu. The essay focuses on the correspondence of Philadelphia's largest wholesale merchants -men who traded actively in the Caribbean and overseas to London and southern Europe. They were, for the most part, among the wealthiest of the Philadelphia merchants. Most amassed sufficient wealth to appear among the richest 15 percent of all wholesalers active in the last half of the eighteenth century,
Single-molecule analysis enables free solution hydrodynamic separation using yoctomole levels of DNA.

Single-molecule free solution hydrodynamic separation (SML-FSHS) cohesively integrates cylindrical illumination confocal spectroscopy with free solution hydrodynamic separation. This technique enables single-molecule analysis of size separated DNA with 100% mass detection efficiency, high sizing resolution and wide dynamic range, surpassing the performance of single molecule capillary electrophoresis. Furthermore, SML-FSHS required only a bare fused silica microcapillary and simple pressure control rather than complex high voltage power supplies, sieving matrices, and wall coatings. The wide dynamic range and high sizing resolution of SML-FSHS was demonstrated by separating both large DNA (23 vs 27 kbp) and small DNA (100 vs 200 bp) under identical conditions. Separations were successfully performed with near zero sample consumption using as little as 5 pL of sample and 240 yoctomoles (∼150 molecules) of DNA. Quantitative accuracy was predominantly limited by molecular shot noise. Furthermore, the ability...
Congenital hyperextension with anterior subluxation of the knee. Surgical treatment and long-term observations.

1. Fifteen congenitally hyperextended and anteriorly subluxated knees of eleven patients have been described. All deformities were resistant to conservative treatment and required open reduction. 2. Every patient had associated congenital abnormalities of the hip, seven patients had club-foot deformities, one had calcaneovalgus deformities of the feet at birth, and seven were considered to have arthrogryposis multiplex congenita. 3. Fibrous replacement of the quadriceps was encountered in all of the knees operated on. The lateral portion of the quadriceps was characteristically affected and the medial portion was relatively spared. 4. Lateral placement of the patella and its extensor mechanism was found in over half of the cases. 5. Quadriceps lengthening, anterior capsulotomy, and mobilization of the collateral ligaments were required to effect reduction. The amount of available normal-appearing muscle varied; that which was present was aligned to exert a direct axial pull on the patella in the line of the femur. 6. Twelve knees were followed for from two to twenty-five years (mean, twelve years) after surgery. 7. Seven knees were considered to have good or excellent functional results, three were graded fair, and two poor (one requiring arthrodesis). No patient had any residual hyperextension deformity, and more active extension was obtained than was anticipated from the limited amount of normal muscle observed at operation. 8. The lasting results found in this study suggest that if a congenitally hyperextended knee with subluxation fails to respond to conservative treatment, early open reduction is indicated.
Variation in care in concurrent chemotherapy administration during radiation for locally advanced cervical cancer.

Abstract Background To evaluate the usage of concurrent chemo-radiotherapy (C-CRT) for the treatment of locally advanced cervical cancer. Methods Patients with locally invasive cervical carcinoma diagnosed between January 1, 2004 and December 31, 2012 from the National Cancer Database (NCDB) were included. Outcomes for patients undergoing radiation therapy only, ‘RT alone' group were compared to those receiving chemotherapy concurrent with radiation ‘C-CRT group'. Trends in utilization of C-CRT and factors associated with the deviation from standard of care were explored. Lastly, the effect of hospital volume on utilization of C-CRT was investigated. Results A total of 18,164 patients undergoing definitive radiation therapy were available for analysis. Utilization of C-CRT increased from 72.4% in 2004 to 84.3% in 2012 (p-trend Conclusion Rates of C-CRT administration varied significantly across hospitals in the United States. Hospitals with a high case volume had higher rates and more consistent patterns of C-CRT administration. Furthermore, we identified independent factors, all of which represent noteworthy health disparities, associated with lower rates of C-CRT administration.
Effects of fentanyl on isobaric ropivacaine in subarachnoid anaesthesia for lower abdominal and lower extremity surgeries

Background: The addition of fentanyl to ropivacaine has shown to improve the quality of analgesia without compromising its benefits such as early mobilization and early voiding. This study evaluated the effects of adding fentanyl 25 mcg to isobaric ropivacaine 0.75% for spinal anaesthesia with regards to the onset of sensory block, maximum sensory level reached and the time to achieve it, time to two dermatome segment regression, onset of motor block, time for maximum motor blockade, duration of motor block, hemodynamic parameters and incidence of side effects. Methods: Hundred patients, male and female, ASA I or ASA II, aged 18 to 65 years scheduled for elective lower abdominal and lower extremity surgeries were randomized into two groups. Group R (control group) received 0.75% isobaric ropivacaine 22.5 mg (3 ml) and Group RF (study group) received 0.75% isobaric ropivacaine 22.5 mg (3 ml) and 25 mcg of fentanyl (0.5 ml). Intra operatively, sensory blockade was assessed by pin-prick method and motor parameters were assessed by modified Bromage scale at different time intervals. Haemodynamic parameters were monitored and side effects were also recorded Results: Both groups were comparable with respect to age, height, weight and duration of surgery. There was no significant difference in hemodynamics, onset of sensory and motor block, peak level of block, recovery from motor block, return of micturition and incidence of side effects with the addition of fentanyl to ropivacaine. There was a significant prolongation of the duration of sensory block (250.8±20.7 VS 362.1±15.1* min) and postoperative analgesia (320.56+15.32 VS462.41±38.42 *min) in Group RF (P < 0.001). Conclusions: It was concluded that the addition of 25 mcg fentanyl to 22.5mg of 0.75% isobaric ropivacaine for spinal anaesthesia significantly increases the duration of sensory block and decreases the rescue of analgesia with better hemodynamic stability, early recovery and mobilization.
Charge Trap Transistor (CTT): An Embedded Fully Logic-Compatible Multiple-Time Programmable Non-Volatile Memory Element for High- $k$ -Metal-Gate CMOS Technologies

The availability of on-chip non-volatile memory for advanced high- $k$ -metal-gate CMOS technology nodes has been limited due to integration and scaling challenges as well as operational voltage incompatibilities, while its need continues to grow rapidly in modern high-performance systems. By exploiting intrinsic device self-heating enhanced charge trapping in as fabricated high- $k$ -metal-gate logic devices, we introduce a unique multiple-time programmable embedded non-volatile memory element, called the ‘charge trap transistor’ (CTT), for high- $k$ -metal-gate CMOS technologies. Functionality and feasibility of using CTT memory devices have been demonstrated on 22 nm planar and 14 nm FinFET technology platforms, including fully functional product prototype memory arrays. These transistor memory devices offer high density ( $\sim 0.144\mu\mathrm{m}^{2}$ /bit for 22 nm and $\sim 0.082\mu\mathrm{m}^{2}$ /bit for 14 nm technology), logic voltage compatible and low peak power operation (~4mW), and excellent retention for a fully integrated and scalable embedded non-volatile memory without added process complexity or masks.