cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Reform of the UN and Cosmopolitan Democracy: A Critical Review:

With the end of the Cold War has come a new generation of proposals aiming to reform the existing international organizations and even to create some new ones. This article critically assesses these proposals, subdividing them into: (i) projects to institute a UN Second Assembly with members elected by 'world citizens' rather than nominated by national governments; (ii) prospective reforms of the International Court of Justice to extend its functions beyond the role of arbitration between states; and (iii) proposals to restrict the use of the veto power of the permanent members of the Security Council. These proposals are an attempt to upgrade international democracy and are here considered in the light of the systems of states theory. On the one hand, these proposals intend to go beyond the current confederal structure of the UN in aiming at direct participation of the peoples in world affairs. On the other hand, they reject the idea of developing a federal state on a world scale. They suggest a third and largely unexplored model of international organization which - to borrow a term employed by Immanuel Kant - is here named cosmopolitan democracy.
Determinants of Mammography Intentions Among Prior Screenees and Nonscreenees1

This study examined whether the factors influencing a woman's intention to get a mammogram differ between women who have had mammograms in the past (prior screenees) and those who have not (nonscreenees). Responses to a survey were used to predict mammography intentions separately for two groups of women: those with no previous mammograms and those with one. Among the prior nonscreenees, the variables we examined accounted for nearly half the variance in intentions; among the prior screenees, only one-sixth of the variance was accounted for. This suggests that interventions that succeed in increasing mammography utilization among prior nonscreenees may not necessarily be successful among prior screenees.
Usefulness of Electrocardiographic QT Interval to Predict Left Ventricular Diastolic Dysfunction

Whether a normal electrocardiogram excludes left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction (DD) and whether electrocardiographic parameters are associated with DD is unknown. We therefore sought to investigate the relation between electrocardiographic parameters and DD. We first evaluated 75 consecutive patients referred for echocardiography for clinical suspicion of heart failure (phase 1). Electrocardiography and comprehensive echocardiography were performed on all patients and were analyzed separately in a blinded fashion. Receiver operating characteristic curves and multivariate regression analyses were used to determine which electrocardiographic parameters were most closely associated with DD. Next, we prospectively validated our results in 100 consecutive, unselected patients undergoing echocardiography (phase 2). In phase 1 of our study, the mean age was 59 ± 14 years, 41% were women, 31% had coronary disease, 53% had hypertension, and 25% had diabetes. The mean ejection fraction was 54 ± 15%, and 64% had DD. Of all the electrocardiographic parameters, the QTc interval was most closely associated with DD. QTc was inversely associated with E′ velocity (r = −0.54, p
Auditory apparent motion under binaural and monaural listening conditions

This investigation examined the ability of listeners to perceive apparent motion under binaural and monaural listening conditions. Fifty-millisecond broadband noise sources were presented through two speakers separated in space by either 10 degrees, 40 degrees, or 160 degrees, centered about the subject's midline. On each trial, the sources were temporally separated by 1 of 12 interstimulus onset intervals (ISOIs). Six listeners were asked to place their experience of these sounds into one of five categories (single sound, simultaneous sounds, continuous motion, broken motion, or successive sounds), and to indicate either the proper temporal sequence of presentation or the direction of motion, depending on whether or not motion was perceived. Each listener was tested at all spatial separations under binaural and monaural listening conditions. Motion was perceived in the binaural listening condition at all spatial separations tested for ISOIs between 20 and 130 msec. In the monaural listening condition, motion was reliably heard by all subjects at 10 degrees and 40 degrees for the same range of ISOIs. At 160 degrees, only 3 of the 6 subjects consistently reported motion. However, when motion was perceived in the monaural condition, the direction of motion could not be determined.
Multi-party, multi-role comprehensive listening behavior

Realizing effective listening behavior in virtual humans has become a key area of research, especially as research has sought to realize more complex social scenarios involving multiple participants and bystanders. A human listener’s nonverbal behavior is conditioned by a variety of factors, from current speaker’s behavior to the listener’s role and desire to participate in the conversation and unfolding comprehension of the speaker. Similarly, we seek to create virtual humans able to provide feedback based on their participatory goals and their unfolding understanding of, and reaction to, the relevance of what the speaker is saying as the speaker speaks. Based on a survey of existing psychological literature as well as recent technological advances in recognition and partial understanding of natural language, we describe a model of how to integrate these factors into a virtual human that behaves consistently with these goals. We then discuss how the model is implemented into a virtual human architecture and present an evaluation of behaviors used in the model.
Production and properties of Staphylococcus aureus (strain Newman D2C) with uniform clumping factor activity.

Abstract The most active CF+ Staphylococcus aureus (strain Newman D 2 C) cells were recovered during the exponential through the early resting phases of the growth cycle. Fermentation conditions are described for preparation of large quantities of those cells on BHI. Extractions with 70 per cent ethanol produced sterile particles with intact CF activity. Subsequent ethanol and acetone drying steps completed procedures for production of uniformly active, stable CF+ particles. Congo red stained the killed staphylococci without affecting CF activity, and the stained particles enhanced visualization of the agglutination end-points. Tris buffers (50 mM, pH 7.3) were excellent diluents for CF reagents, but only if freshly prepared or sterilized before storage.
Multidimensional signaling via wavelet packets

This work presents a generalized signaling strategy for orthogonally multiplexed communication. Wavelet packet modulation (WPM) employs the basis functions from an arbitrary pruning of a full dyadic tree structured filter bank as orthogonal pulse shapes for conventional QAM symbols. The multi-scale modulation (MSM) and M-band wavelet modulation (MWM) schemes which have been recently introduced are handled as special cases, with the added benefit of an entire library of potentially superior sets of basis functions. The figures of merit are derived and it is shown that the power spectral density is equivalent to that for QAM (in fact, QAM is another special case) and hence directly applicable in existing systems employing this standard modulation. Two key advantages of this method are increased flexibility in time-frequency partitioning and an efficient all-digital filter bank implementation, making the WPM scheme more robust to a larger set of interferences (both temporal and sinusoidal) and computationally attractive as well.
Abstract 1805: Integration of 17-(Dimethylaminoethylamino)-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-DMAG) in combinational immunotherapy targeting tumor antigen EphA2

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Introduction: EphA2 and HSP90 play important roles in tumor growth, survival and metastasis. An effective therapeutic approach would promote decreased expression of EphA2 on tumor cells, while increasing presentation of EphA2-derived peptides on tumor MHC class I complexes, thereby enhancing the recognition of tumors by anti-EphA2 CD8+ T effector cells. Aim: We are assessing the safety and effectiveness of the HSP90 inhibitor 17-DMAG in enhancing anti-tumor immunotherapy with EphA2-specific T cells in murine tumor models. Methods: We tested the effect of 17-DMAG on tumor cell expression of EphA2 and the MHC I antigen-processing machinery in vitro. Efficacy of 17-DMAG in an MCA205 sarcoma model was also evaluated in vivo. Results: 17-DMAG facilitated a dose-dependent reduction in EphA2 expression, but had no adverse effects on the antigen-processing machinery of the tumors. Similar effects were seen in an MCA205 sarcoma model in vivo, where reduction in EphA2 levels in tumors corresponded with increased recognition by EphA2-specific CD8+ T cells in vitro. 17-DMAG treatment also facilitated increased infiltration of CD4 and CD8 T cells in the tumor, compared to untreated cohorts. Conclusion: 17-DMAG treatment promotes immunologically-preferred alterations tumor cells in vitro as well as In vivo. Our preliminary in vivo studies suggest that decreased EphA2 levels in tumors is accompanied by increased presentation of EphA2 peptides in tumor MHC class I complexes. Further in vivo studies are warranted to assess the net anti-tumor impact of combinational immunotherapies integrating 17-DMAG. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1805. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-1805
NSAID Trials and the Choice of Comparators — Questions of Public Health Importance

Drs. Bruce Psaty and Noel Weiss write that the long tradition of leaving to the pharmaceutical industry the task of evaluating the efficacy and safety of its products has permitted manufacturers to make study-design choices that largely determine the shape of the answers eventually provided by the trials.
How Child-Resistant are Stroller Belt Buckles?

70 children, between the ages of 24 and 36 months, participated in the assessment of three different styles of stroller seat buckles representing difficulties for children to disconnect the buckle mechanism in the restraint system. None could prevent all the children from opening the restraint system. One was much easier for children to open than the other two styles. Stroller-restraint buckles provide false security to parents who use strollers, as there are no published standards regarding the use of children's stroller seat-belt buckles as a safety device.
A study of miscibility of blends of polybutadienes of varying microstructure

The miscibility of various amorphous polybutadienes with mixed microstructures of 1,4 addition units (cis, 1,4 and trans 1,4) and 1,2 addition units have been investigated. The studies here involved optical transparency, differential scanning calorimetry, and small angle light scattering. It was found that a 90 percent (cis) 1, 4 addition polybutadiene was immiscible with high (91 percent) 1,2 addition polybutadiene. Reduction of the 1,2 content to 71 percent induced an upper critical solution temperature (UCST) with the cis 1,4 polymer. Polybutadienes with 50 percent and 10 percent 1,2 contents were miscible above the crystalline melting temperature of the cis 1,4 polybutadiene. Immiscibility of the 91 percent 1,2 addition polymer was also found with a 10 percent 1,2 polybutadiene. The latter polymer also exhibits an UCST with the 71 percent 1,2 polymer. The results are used to interpret the characteristics of blends of polybutadienes of varying microstructure.
Bolstered error estimator with feature selection

Classification and error estimation are fundamental problems in genomic applications which are typically characterized by large numbers of variables and small numbers of samples. A previously proposed bolstered error estimator was found to work well in the small-sample settings with modest numbers of features not requiring feature selection. In this simulation study, we have improved the method for estimation of the bolstering kernels, which leads to an improved bolstered error estimator that has significantly reduced root mean square error compared to widely-accepted cross-validation error estimator, and performed well over a range of models and model complexities.
Lower limb paralysis: its effect on the recanalization of deep-vein thrombosis.

Fifty patients with lower limb deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) confirmed by venography were studied prospectively to determine the time required for recanalization. The patients were anticoagulated with heparin and warfarin for at least three months; impedance plethysmography, Doppler, and duplex scans were repeated at scheduled intervals. The 24 patients who were paralyzed took longer for recanalization than did the 26 nonparalyzed patients; this difference was statistically significant between the paraplegic-quadriplegic and nonparalyzed groups (54 vs 33 days; t = 2.12, p = .04). Patients with motor complete paraplegia or quadriplegia took longest for recanalization (57 days). Although most variables were not statistically significant on comparison, a somewhat longer recanalization time was seen in men and in those with DVTs located more proximally. Because of delay in recanalization, patients with lower limb paralysis may have persistent swelling due to venous insufficiency and may be at greater risk for development of the postphlebitic syndrome.
Manganese (III) meso-tetrakis N-ethylpyridinium-2-yl porphyrin acts as a pro-oxidant to inhibit electron transport chain proteins, modulate bioenergetics, and enhance the response to chemotherapy in lymphoma cells.

Abstract The manganese porphyrin, manganese (III) meso-tetrakis N-ethylpyridinium-2-yl porphyrin (MnTE-2-PyP5+), acts as a pro-oxidant in the presence of intracellular H2O2. Mitochondria are the most prominent source of intracellular ROS and important regulators of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway. Due to the increased oxidants near and within the mitochondria, we hypothesized that the mitochondria are a target of the pro-oxidative activity of MnTE-2-PyP5+ and that we could exploit this effect to enhance the chemotherapeutic response in lymphoma. In this study, we demonstrate that MnTE-2-PyP5+ modulates the mitochondrial redox environment and sensitizes lymphoma cells to antilymphoma chemotherapeutics. MnTE-2-PyP5+ increased dexamethasone-induced mitochondrial ROS and oxidation of the mitochondrial glutathione pool in lymphoma cells. The combination treatment induced glutathionylation of Complexes I, III, and IV in the electron transport chain, and decreased the activity of Complexes I and III, but not the activity of Complex IV. Treatment with the porphyrin and dexamethasone also decreased cellular ATP levels. Rho(0) malignant T-cells with impaired mitochondrial electron transport chain function were less sensitive to the combination treatment than wild-type cells. These findings suggest that mitochondria are important for the porphyrin’s ability to enhance cell death. MnTE-2-PyP5+ also augmented the effects of 2-deoxy- D- glucose (2DG), an antiglycolytic agent. In combination with 2DG, MnTE-2-PyP5+ increased protein glutathionylation, decreased ATP levels more than 2DG treatment alone, and enhanced 2DG-induced cell death in primary B-ALL cells. MnTE-2-PyP5+ did not enhance dexamethasone- or 2DG-induced cell death in normal cells. Our findings suggest that MnTE-2-PyP5+ has potential as an adjuvant for the treatment of hematologic malignancies.
Spatial price competition when stores are not certain to have what consumers want

Abstract This paper examines the Bertrand–Nash equilibrium prices charged by stores that are spaced evenly along an infinite roadway, assuming that each store has the product that any given consumer wants with probability w . A consumer either knows whether any particular store has the desired product, and the store's price for the product, or else is able to find out this information by making a costless phone call. The demand function facing any store is a linear function of all prices, with a negative coefficient on the store's own price, and positive coefficients on the prices of all other stores which decline geometrically as the stores become successively more distant. The Bertrand–Nash equilibrium price markup is inversely proportional to w . © 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.
The apex impulse in mitral stenosis: Graphic explanation of the palpable movements at the cardiac apex

Simultaneously recorded phonocardiograms and apexcardiograms of 39 patients with mitral stenosis (MS) were retrospectively analyzed. A notch on the upstroke of the apexcardiogram coincidental with the first heart sound (S1) occurred in 18 (47%) of the patients. The notch ratio or vertical distance from the onset of the apical impulse to the notch ratio or vertical distance from the onset of the apical impulse to the notch as a percentage of the total upstroke was measured and compared with the mean mitral diastolic gradient obtained at cardiac catheterization. Statistical analysis showed a significant relation (r = 0.61; p less than 0.01) between notch ratio and the mean mitral diastolic gradient. This study reaffirms that the complex palpable movements at the cardiac apex, consisting of a "tap" representing S1 occurring perceptibly after the onset of the apex impulse itself, are a useful diagnostic sign of MS. Furthermore, a graphic measurement of the extent of delay of S1 with respect to the onset of the apical thrust can provide a rough measure of the severity of the valvular obstruction.
Calibration of a Marine Boundary Layer Flow Measuring System

While considerable attention has been paid to calibrating individual velocity sensors and evaluating their wavenumber response, little work has been carried out to examine the flow characteristics around an array of sensors, including their mounting. Upstream blocking effects of measurement systems in the field have been demonstrated by Mollo-Christensen (1979) and laboratory tests of sensor platforms have been carried out by Teunissen (1978). Theoretical models for the flow field modification have been examined by Britter (1979) based on rapid distortion theory. In order to study blockage effects, sensor spacing and angle of attack sensitivity, a tripod instrumented with up to ten triplets of small ducted impellors was deployed in a simple controlled boundary layer. The steady uniform flow was confined in a 5.5m deep trapezoidal channel, 30 m wide at the surface and 17m wide at the bottom. Different spacings of the current meters in the vertical were used to study blockage effects and the consequences of varying angle of attack of the flow relative to the sensor platform were investigated by deliberately mis-aligning the frame. Time series analysis was used to indicate the length of record required to yield stable estimates of the mean and fluctuating quantities and the cross-channel variability of the velocity field was mapped. Subsequently other tripods were placed in the channel to allow comparison among the measurement systems.
Extrahepatic biliary obstruction caused by small-cell lung cancer.

Abstract Twelve patients with small-cell lung cancer seen during a 30-month period had jaundice at diagnosis. Five patients had a pancreatic metastasis resulting in extrahepatic biliary obstruction...
Insect disturbance stridulation: characterization of airborne and vibrational components of the sound.

Some insects stridulate when attacked by a predator. This behavior has been interpreted as a defensive response, the sound being a warning to predators of the insect's noxiousness. Since to humans many such disturbance sounds are audibly similar, it is possible that they may in fact be mutually mimetic. This idea was investigated through analysis of the temporal and spectral characteristics of the disturbance sounds of a variety of insects that stridulate by a file- and -scraper device. Properties of both the airborne sound and the underlying cuticular vibration (detected by a special vibration measuring instrument) were examined, and four characteristic features found: These common characteristics may lead predators to treat insects producing disturbance sounds similarly, although this possibility should be tested empirically. If acoustic mimicry exists, the communicatory interchange between predator and prey may be subtler than is commonly appreciated.
Dimer recognition and secretion by the ESX secretion system in Bacillus subtilis

Protein secretion typically involves translocation of unfolded polypeptides or transport of monomeric folded proteins. Here we provide, to our knowledge, the first experimental evidence for secretion of an intact multimeric complex requiring a signal formed by both members of the complex. Using systematic mutagenesis of a substrate involved in early secretory antigen 6 kDa (ESX) secretion in Bacillus subtilis, we demonstrate that export of the substrate requires two independent motifs. Using mixed dimers, we show that these motifs must form a composite secretion signal in which one motif is contributed by each subunit of the dimer. Finally, through targeted crosslinking we show that the dimer formed in the cell is likely secreted as a single unit. We discuss implications of this substrate recognition mechanism for the biogenesis and quality control of secretion substrates and describe its likely conservation across ESX systems.
Distinct in beliefs/united in concerns: Listening to strongly DAP and strongly traditional k‐primary teachers

Abstract Twelve early childhood teachers in kindergarten/primary grades who hold opposing philosophical beliefs about developmentally appropriate practices (DAP) were interviewed about their perceived barriers to effective practice. Specifically, they were asked to discuss work‐related “things that keep them from being the best teacher they can be.” All teachers selected scored as highly efficacious about education and themselves as teachers and had low occupational stress scores. Half strongly endorsed and engaged in behaviors closely aligned with DAP and half were highly traditional. Interesting differences in terms of the relative influence of preservice education and acceptance of inclusive practices were found across the two groups of teachers, but they united in concern for standardized testing as a barrier to effective practice. Listening to these teachers can and should inform those of us engaged in pre‐ and in‐service education and policy formation and point us in future directions for research i...
Art therapy as a modality for crisis intervention: Children express reactions to violence in their community

Ten days after the Symbionese Liberation Army's “shoot out” in Los Angeles in 1974, the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Department of Family Child Psychiatry, Thalians Community Mental Health Center, sent a crisis team of three psychotherapists to a school in the black community. The psychotherapists used an art therapy approach with a third grade classroom of 21 black children. The team's procedure helped the children ventilate their reactions to a frightening event which occurred in their neighborhood. This paper describes the art therapy techniques which were utilized, the children's vivid pictorial and verbal expressions accompanied by the psychological aspects of their responses.
The parallel assignment problem redefined

The parallel assignment problem is slightly redefined using a subtler cost function that tends to reduce the number of extra assignments required. It is shown that the new problem, like the classical, is NP-hard. The new problem is then solved for the restricted case of assignment from invertible functions of single variables. For this restricted case and optimum solution can be found in linear time for both the classical problem and the new problem. However, the number of extra assignments required for the classical problem is equal to the number of cycles in the dependency graph, while in the new problem it is equal to the number of isolated cycles in the dependency graph which may be less. >
Effects of oxygen concentration in Co/CoO exchange-coupled spin valves

Abstract The properties of Co/CoOx exchange-coupled spin valves are explored at temperatures to 5 K. The spin valve structure is: 100 A CoOx/30 A Co/30 A Cu/10 A Co/50 A NiFe/50 A Ti. Our discovery is the considerable differences between the properties of the spin valves for which the CoOx layer is prepared in different O2 concentrations.
Determination of Allantoin in Drug Preparations by Quantitative High Performance TLC

Abstract A densitometric TLC method was developed for the quantification of allantoin in creams and suppositories used to treat vaginal infections. Allantoin was extracted with water at elevated temperature, diluted to a known volume, and separated by HP silica gel TLC. Allantoin was detected by spraying with p-dimethylamine-benzaldehyde reagent. The absorption of standards and samples was compared by in situ scanning. Recoveries of allantoin from authentic samples ranged from 96–102%, except for one sample that assayed high. The accuracy of the method was demonstrated by standard addition analysis of this sample.
Enzyme and hemoglobin retention in human erythrocyte stroma

Abstract Retention of aldolase (ketose-1-phosphate aldehyde-lyase, EC 4.1.2.7) and glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase ( d -glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate: NAD+ oxidoreductase (phosphorylating), EC 1.2.1.12) by human erythrocyte stroma has been shown to be dependent upon pH and osmotic strength. Limited changes in these parameters have no effect, however, upon the complete retention of acetylcholinesterase (acetylcholine acetyl-hydrolase, EC 3.1.1.7) by the stroma. Stroma which have been prepared almost completely free of hemoglobin, aldolase, and glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase can still interact with hemoglobin, suggesting that irreversible changes need not be involved in removal of protein from the stroma.
Specialty hospitals: Who do they help?

Although Specialty Hospitals (SHs) represent a very small fraction of the U.S health care market, the competition for patients has generated bitter controversy. Owners and investors argue that patients (consumers) deserve a choice of SHs, which contributes revenues for the local community and delivers more efficient, specialized care compared to general hospitals. General hospitals (mostly not-for-profit) contend that SHs tend to provide nonemergency care for the insured population with "profitable" illnesses. It is one of the issues that is proving divisive in the effort to align incentives for physicians and hospitals. A high profile, public debate involving the State legislatures and Congress is currently being waged that will determine how, where, at what price, and how much access to healthcare the public will receive in the future.
Chimpanzee tool use for honey and termite extraction in Central Africa.

Observations are presented primarily from two study sites located in the extreme southwestern tip of the Central African Republic. The use of flexible stalks and rigid sticks to extract termites from mounds and pounding, prying, and digging tools to penetrate melipone, honey bee, and ground-dwelling bee hives by Pan t. troglodytes are documented or inferred from circumstantial evidence. Functionally, termite extraction tools were similar to other locations in west and central Africa, but the plant species used were considerably different. Extraction of bees using large pieces of wood as pounding tools has not been recorded elsewhere in wild chimpanzees. No environmental factor that differs between the east and west of the range of P. t. troglodytes that would cause the difference in tool use was identified. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Dynamically identifying regenerative cycles in Simulation-based Optimization Algorithms for Markov chains

Simulation-based algorithms for maximizing the average reward of a parameterized Markov chain often rely upon the existence of a state which is recurrent for all choices of parameter values. The question of which recurrent state should serve to mark the end of a regenerative cycle is a very important practical consideration in applications. Even when all of the states of the process are recurrent, some states tend to be visited more often than others, and lengthy renewal cycles tend to result in high variance estimates of the gradient. To address this difficulty, we analyze a mechanism for adjusting this special state dynamically (i/sup */-adaptation) as applied to the "batch" simulation-based optimization algorithm of a previous paper. We show that the desirable convergence properties of the original "batch" algorithm are retained with i/sup */-adaptation, namely the almost sure convergence of the parameter vector to a critical point.
PA Residues in the 2009 H1N1 Pandemic Influenza Virus Enhance Avian Influenza Virus Polymerase Activity in Mammalian Cells

The 2009 pandemic influenza virus (pH1N1) is a swine-origin reassortant containing human, avian, and swine influenza genes. We have previously shown that the polymerase complex of the pH1N1 strain A/California/04/2009 (Cal) is highly active in mammalian 293T cells, despite the avian origin of both its PA and PB2. In this study, we analyzed the polymerase residues that are responsible for high pH1N1 polymerase activity in the mammalian host. Characterization of polymerase complexes containing various combinations of Cal and avian influenza virus A/chicken/Nanchang/3-120/01 (H3N2) (Nan) by reporter gene assay indicates that Cal PA, but not PB2, is a major contributing factor to high Cal polymerase activity in 293T cells. In particular, Cal PA significantly activates the otherwise inactive Nan polymerase at 37 and 39°C but not at the lower temperature of 34°C. Further analysis using site-directed mutagenesis showed that the Cal PA residues 85I, 186S, and 336M contribute to enhanced activity of the Cal polymerase. Recombinant A/WSN/33 (H1N1) (WSN) viruses containing Nan NP and polymerase (PA, PB1, PB2) genes with individual mutations in PA at residues 85, 186, and 336 produced higher levels of viral protein than the virus containing wild-type (WT) Nan PA. Interestingly, compared to the WT, the virus containing the 85I mutation grew faster in human A549 cells and the 336M mutation most significantly enhanced pathogenicity in a mouse model, among the three PA mutations tested. Our results suggest that multiple mutations in PA, which were rarely present in previous influenza isolates, are involved in mammalian adaptation and pathogenicity of the 2009 pH1N1.
Experts and the public: a needed partnership for genetic policy

Scientists are wary of public participation in policy that influences the work of scientific discovery and technological application. In the area of genetic science this is particularly troublesome. The science and its applications are extremely complex. How the public can play a part in guiding the process is not clear. Yet genetic possibilities affect individuals and social groups intimately and the exercise of social responsibility for policies is imperative. A solution lies in effective partnership between scientific experts and the general public within the framework of representative democracy. Goals of education, information transfer, and community building point to methods for public participation. The community meeting approach used in the development of health care priorities in Oregon is highlighted. Obstacles to participation come from our weak sense of community, widespread political alienation, endemic cynicism, and problems of social voice.
Genetic control of BCG-induced granulomatous inflammation in mice

The genetics of BCG-induced pulmonary granulomatous inflammation (PGI) and splenomegaly was studied by breeding experiments and by the use of BXD recombinant inbred (Rl) and allotype-congenic mice. Breeding studies indicated that the genetic control was multifactorial; this observation was confirmed using BXD Rl mice. In addition, studies with BXD Rl mice suggested that genes linked to the Igh complex influence responsiveness. The influence of the lgh-linked genes was studied further using allotype-congenic mice; SJL mice (Ighb) developed significantly greater PGI than their congenic partner, SJA/9 (Igha). Data from BALB.lg, CB-20, and BAB-14 mice suggested that lgh-linked genes influencing PGI were a considerable distance from Igh-1. Igh-linked genes that influence BCG-induced splenomegaly were located on the centrometric side of the Igh-1 locus. This was shown by data in which splenomegaly in BALB.Igb and CB-20, but not BAB-14, mice was significantly augmented over BALBIc mice. Further studies are neces...
Amnesia Possibly Associated with Zolpidem Administration

Two patients experienced amnesia after taking zolpidem 5 and 10 mg. Neither patient could recall telephone conversations that took place within an hour of taking the drug. The first patient placed a call shortly after ingestion; the second took the dose, fell asleep, and was awakened by the call. Health care providers should be aware of the possibility that in some patients, sedative-hypnotic agents such as zolpidem may produce amnesia that begins a short time after ingestion and may persist into the sleep cycle. This may be particularly important in individuals who, after taking a hypnotic agent, may have to make significant decisions that they must be able to remember.
A Migration-Based Parallel Programming Model with Architectural Support Structures

This paper introduces a new parallel programming model motivated by: 1) the concept that computation should move to, and execute near, the global data which it accesses, 2) a set of extended memory semantics to provide fine-grained global synchronization, 3) architectural support for fast lightweight thread creation/destruction/migration, and 4) the need for a high performance language to provide the programmer with transparency to the generated code while protecting them from making low-level errors. Using pseudocode examples, we compare this new model to several other high performance languages: Chapel, Fortress, and UPC, in terms of 1) expressibility of parallel structures, 2) facility in synchronizing communication to avoid race conditions, and 3) ability to diagnose/resolve possible performance issues that result from the mapping of these structures to hardware and system software. The new model, combined with appropriate architectural support, provides equal potential for expressibility and safety while giving the programmer more direct insight into the code that ultimately executes.
When Crime Pays: Capital, Competence, and Criminal Success

Several theoretical traditions offer insights into individual success in conventional activities. We extend this work, suggesting that explanations of success also apply to crime: although prosperity in licit or illicit activities has several unique antecedents, success in either endeavor is influenced by common faactors. Most research on conventional success focuses on the effects of human and social capital, and criminal forms of these are important for illegal success. We argue that various aspects of conventional personal capital -- a heightened desire for wealth, a propensity for risk-taking, a willingness to cooperate and competence -- also play important roles in both legal and illegal prosperity. We demonstrate the importance of various types of capital, particularly the salience of personal capital, with data on drug-selling income.
Analysis of the stresses in the chip's coating

Microelectronic packages have been widely used in the last decade, and their capabilities and performance have improved significantly; however, there is still a great deal of concern with the reliability of the packages. To protect the silicon chip from the moisture and ensure electrical performance of the packages, coating materials have been applied. During the coating procedure, the silicon chip and coating material are usually heated to a high temperature. After the coating is applied, the device is then cooled. The mechanical stresses are created in both the chip and the coating because of mismatch in the coefficients of thermal expansion. The coating may fail because mechanical stresses exceed the critical value, therefore, proper evaluation of the stress state becomes very important. Thus, the objective of this work was to utilize an experimental method of Digital Image Analysis Enhanced Moire Interferometry (DIAEMI) to investigate these stresses. This technique monitors the actual out-of-plane displacements of the chip due to the application of the coating and it can operate on small samples. The specimens were prepared from the 0.5 mm thick silicon wafer. The moire patterns of the specimens were recorded both before and after the application of the coating. The results from the obtained moire patterns show that the significant mechanical stresses were developed in the coating and that in the thicker coating, higher stresses are induced. >
Comparison of Uptake of Multiple Clinical Radiotracers into Brown Adipose Tissue Under Cold-Stimulated and Nonstimulated Conditions

Our objective was to determine whether multiple clinically useful radiotracers accumulate in brown adipose tissue (BAT) and to assess their uptake in rats kept at room temperature or exposed to a cold environment. Methods: The following radiotracers were injected intravenously into groups of 6 female Wistar rats: 201Tl-chloride (TlCl), 123I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG), 99mTc-sestamibi (MIBI), 18F- or 3H-FDG, 3H-l-methionine, and 3H-thymidine. BAT-stimulated animals were maintained at 4°C for 4 h before tracer injection, whereas control animals were kept at approximately 22.5°C. The animals were sacrificed at 20–60 min after tracer injection, and BAT, major organs, and blood were extracted, weighed, and measured for radioactivity. The localization of uncoupling protein-1, glucose transporter-1, and norepinephrine transporter was evaluated with immunohistochemical staining in both groups. Results: We determined the percentage injected dose (%ID) per gram of each radiotracer in interscapular BAT, normalized to blood %ID/g. In control animals, this uptake ratio (±SD) was 8.44 ± 3.39 for 201TlCl, 9.77 ± 6.06 for 123I-MIBG, 37.30 ± 14.42 for 99mTc-MIBI, 5.47 ± 4.44 for 18F- or 3H-FDG, 1.93 ± 0.87 for 3H-l-methionine, and 1.22 ± 0.74 for 3H-thymidine. Compared with uptake at room temperature, uptake after exposure to cold increased 26.4-fold (P
Analysis of Myelin and Neurofilament Content in a Sciatic Nerve Crush Injury Model

Experimental models exploring the ultrastructural changes that follow peripheral nerve injury are critical in our efforts to better understand the outcomes after such injuries and to advance our current clinical models of peripheral nerve injury. Furthermore, an understanding of the underlying architecture following injury lends insight into the mechanisms that may be at work when pharmacological interventions are introduced. The aim of the present work was to quantitatively measure and evaluate the damage to myelin and neurons following calibrated crush injuries at 3 and 5 days post-injury (DPI) in mouse sciatic nerves at and adjacent to the crush site. Using immunohistochemical methods, we measured myelin and neuron content by staining for myelin protein zero (P0) and neurofilament (NF). This histological analysis revealed severity dependent levels of damage to both myelin and neurofilament. Additionally, the data revealed distinct patterns of injury evolution for myelin and neurons between 3 and 5 DPI. Our data describes the state of two key components of the nerve – myelin and neurons – shortly after injury and also reveals their early patterns of injury evolution. This data will allow for further investigation into the structure of peripheral nerves following injury, and the possible sites of action for therapeutic adjuvants. Journal of Nature and Science, 1(8):e166, 2015
N-Acetylcysteine Does Not Influence the Activity of Endothelium-Derived Relaxing Factor In Vivo

Nitric oxide forms complexes with an array of biomolecular carriers that retain biological activity. This reactivity of nitric oxide in physiological systems has led to some dispute as to whether endothelium-derived relaxing factors nitric oxide or a closely related adduct thereof, such as a nitrosothiol. In vitro bioassays used to address this question are limited by the exclusion of biological thiols that are requisite for nitrosothiol formation. Thus, the purpose of this study was to obtain insight into the identity of endothelium-derived relaxing factor in vivo. We reasoned that if endothelium-derived relaxing factor in nitric oxide, infusion of physiological concentrations of thiol would potentiate its bioactivity by analogy with effects seen in vitro, whereas nitrosothiol would be resistant to such modulation. We used venous-occlusion plethysmography to study forearm blood flow in normal subjects. Methacholine (0.3 to 10 micrograms/min) and nitroglycerin (1 to 30 micrograms/min) were infused via the brachial artery to elicit endothelium-dependent and endothelium-independent vasodilation, respectively. Dose-response determinations were made for each drug before and after an intra-arterial infusion of the reduced thiol, N-acetylcysteine, at rates estimated to achieve a physiological concentration of 1 mmol/L. Methacholine increased forearm blood flow in a dose-dependent manner. Infusion of N-acetylcysteine did not change the sensitivity (ED50, 1.7 versus 1.7 micrograms/min, P = NS) or maximal response to methacholine. In contrast, thiol increased the sensitivity to nitroglycerin (ED50, 4.7 versus 2.8 micrograms/min, P < .01). Thus, conflicting with reports in vitro, thiol does not modulate endothelium-derived relaxing factor responses in vivo. These data indicate that sulfhydryl groups are not a limiting factor for endothelium-derived relaxing factor responses in forearm resistance vessels in normal humans and are in keeping with reports that nitrosothiol contributes to endothelium-derived relaxing factor bioactivity in plasma and vascular smooth muscle. Potentiation of the effects of nitroglycerin by N-acetylcysteine can be attributed to its enhanced biotransformation to an endothelium-derived relaxing factor equivalent, such as nitrosothiol. These observations support the notion of an equilibrium between nitric oxide and nitrosothiol in biological systems that may be influenced by redox state.
First Cesaro sums for high order finite elements near singularities

High order finite elements often exhibit an oscillatory behaviour near stress singularities which appears similar to the Gibbs phenomenon in the theory of Fourier series. It is known that under certain conditions the average of successive partial sums (the first Cesaro sum) of a Fourier series exhibiting the Gibbs phenomenon will converge monotonically to the function being approximated. An analogous device introduced for high order finite element approximations near a stress singularity successfully smooths the oscillations of the computed stress.
QTL analysis for resistance to foliar damage caused by Thrips tabaci and Frankliniella schultzei (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) feeding in cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.]

Three quantitative trait loci (QTL) for resistance to Thrips tabaci and Frankliniella schultzei were identified using a cowpea recombinant inbred population of 127 F2:8 lines. An amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) genetic linkage map and foliar feeding damage ratings were used to identify genomic regions contributing toward resistance to thrips damage. Based on Pearson correlation analysis, damage ratings were highly correlated (r ≥ 0.7463) across seven field experiments conducted in 2006, 2007, and 2008. Using the Kruskall–Wallis and Multiple-QTL model mapping packages of MapQTL 4.0 software, three QTL, Thr-1, Thr-2, and Thr-3, were identified on linkage groups 5 and 7 accounting for between 9.1 and 32.1% of the phenotypic variance. AFLP markers ACC-CAT7, ACG-CTC5, and AGG-CAT1 co-located with QTL peaks for Thr-1, Thr-2, and Thr-3, respectively. Results of this study will provide a resource for molecular marker development and the genetic characterization of foliar thrips resistance in cowpea.
Methodology for evaluating string matching algorithms on multiprocessor

The Internet is suffering caused by the lacking of security. One of the most promising ways to provide security is Intrusion Detection Systems (IDSs). The heart of almost every IDSs is a string matching algorithm, which is a very computational intensive task. Network Processors (NPs), a specialized multiprocessor, can provide flexibility and high performance for string matching. This paper evaluates several key string matching algorithms using a comprehensive simulation framework. Starting from a uniprocessor profiling, the framework constructs task graphs for string matching algorithms. Then task graphs are mapped onto NPs together with other network applications. The system throughput is determined by the analytical performance model. With this framework, we can evaluate the performance of different string matching algorithms on NPs. Our results show that shift table based algorithms (SFKSearch and Wu-Manber) and finite automaton based Aho-Corasick are complementary: SFKSearch and Wu-Manber do better job in NPs for good packet and larger pattern length due to better inter-task parallelism and shifting; Aho-Corasick does not depend on minimal pattern length and shows relative small processing cost variation between bad and good packets.
The Minority-Race Planner in the Quest for a Just City

This article reviews some basic concepts about planners' role in obtaining a just city, focusing in particular upon the possible role of racial minorities in the process of reaching such a city. We adopt Fainstein's two-part definition of what is 'valued' in a just city, and then discuss how planners who are racial minorities might be helpful for one part of that definition. Minority-race professionals may help bring tangible benefits to the workforce, but these benefits become difficult to cultivate if minority-race professionals experience difficulties in their work environment. Interviews with several US black planners provide illustrative examples concerning these points.
Historical Traces of Hundi, Sociocultural Understanding, and Criminal Abuses of Hawala:

This article presents a descriptive and exploratory analysis of informal money transfer systems like Hundi and Hawala starting with a historical account of Hundi, its decline, and re-emergence as a Hawala-like system in South Asia and the Middle East. Hawala is a consequence of a number of factors, such as poor banking infrastructure, global migration, economic crimes, and political corruption. It gained global notoriety after it was suspected that the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States were carried out with the money that was transferred from the Middle East through Hawala. The article highlights legal, illegal, and criminal abuses of Hawala. By understanding the larger sociocultural, economic, and historical framework, the model of Hawala can be applied to other forms of informal banking that could eventually help in regulating these systems without alienating immigrant and refugee populations. The article makes use of both primary and secondary data.