cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Should Centralized Exchange Regulations Apply to Cryptocurrency Protocols

Current debate surrounding the regulation of emerging decentralized exchanges takes for granted that policy regulating traditional centralized exchanges is the correct jumping off point. In reality, centralized exchanges are not the right analog at all. Cryptocurrency protocols are in fact much more akin to message boards or internet media platforms than they are to stock exchanges. This fundamental misunderstanding of blockchain technology and decentralized exchanges impacts our ability to properly regulate these emerging markets efficiently to achieve the goals of financial regulators.
Insecticidal effectiveness of Mammea americana (Guttiferae) extracts on larvae of Diabrotica virgifera virgifera (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) and Trichoplusia ni (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Seed and leaf extracts ofMammea americana (mamey apple) have a historical use as a biopesticide with the active components previously characterized. We reexamined the utility of this natural bioinsecticide in light of existing sources of material as a by-product of the fruit processing industry. Our results addDiabrotica virgifera virgifera andTrichoplusia ni to the list of insects which are susceptible to the insecticidal ingredients ofM. americana and confirms earlier reports of activity againstBlatella germanica, Periplaneta americana, andPlutella xylostella. We report LD5Os for crude hexane extracts ofM. americana leaves and seeds againstT. ni. These materials represent renewable sources of bioinsecticides for agriculture, and should regenerate interest in coumarin-type compounds for novel pesticidal action.
Preschool Teachers’ Implementation of Vocabulary Strategies During Shared Reading: a Comparative Study

ABSTRACTResearch Findings: Shared reading is reported to be the single best instructional practice for emergent literacy skills. Vocabulary instruction practices implemented during shared reading by both Head Start (HS) teachers and teachers from more affluent private school settings were compared to determine whether there were differences between the 2 groups of teachers in their implementation of research-based practices. HS teachers implemented vocabulary instruction practices during shared reading more often, and chose different words to instruct, than private school teachers. Whereas 78% of HS teachers provided some vocabulary instruction during shared reading, only 59% of private school teachers did so. Among those teachers who provided vocabulary instruction during shared reading, HS teachers used significantly more contextualization strategies for word instruction than private school teachers. These findings suggest that preschool teachers who work with children from high-needs backgrounds use vo...
Cancer Immunotherapy: Challenges and Opportunities

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the approaches to cancer immunotherapy, how they are affected by—the immunosuppression imposed on the cancer patient by the growing tumor, and by the standard therapies such as radiation and chemotherapy. The successes and failures of both passive and active immunotherapy are discussed with emphasis on the monoclonal antibody therapy and the cancer vaccines. Tumors employ many immunosuppressive mechanisms to subvert a protective immune response, like causing the T cell malfunction, the APC deficiencies, and the induction of regulatory T cells. Immunosuppression by tumors is mediated by soluble factors such as cytokines, chemokines, and, in some cases, by enzymes. The type of immunosuppression that exists in a patient or is known to be characteristic of a particular tumor type—dictates the choice of the most appropriate immunotherapy. To be successful, the chosen immunotherapy must contain an agent designed to interfere with one or more mechanisms of the tumor-induced immunosuppression. This may range from the use of costimulatory antibodies to rescue the tumor-specific T cells from tolerance, to the use of depleting antibodies to eliminate the regulatory T cells.
Regulators as Market-Makers: Accountable Care Organizations and Competition Policy

Of the many elements animating structural change under health reform, Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) have drawn the greatest attention. The ACO strategy entails regulatory interventions that at once aim to reshape the health care delivery system, improve outcomes, promote adoption of evidence based medicine and supportive technology, and create a platform for controlling costs under payment system reform. Ambitious aims to be sure. Implementation, however, has proved a wrenching process. This article looks at the intersection of markets and regulation under the Affordable Care Act. Specifically, it analyzes regulatory interventions under the MSSP designed to foster commercial market competition. Assessing prospects for success, it advances several interrelated arguments. First, in fulfilling the regulatory task of implementing the MSSP, regulators needed to be vigilant to protect against the potential that ACOs may have adverse effects on private markets. It finds that because the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) was overly preoccupied with Medicare program issues and hyper-sensitive to criticism from powerful hospitals, the agency missed an important opportunity in its implementing regulations to prevent exacerbation of provider market power. Because existing legal regimes, especially antitrust law, are severely constrained in their ability to deal with extant provider market power, regulation of ACOs requires a cross-platform regulatory approach that addresses market issues.
Assembly of in Vitro-Synthesized Large Subunits into Ribulose Bisphosphate Carboxylase/Oxygenase Is Sensitive to CI-, Requires ATP, and Does Not Proceed When Large Subunits Are Synthesized at Temperatures [greater than or equal to]32[deg]C

In higher plants, ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) consists of eight large “L” subunits, synthesized in chloroplasts, and eight small “S” subunits, synthesized as precursors in the cytosol. Assembly of these into holoenzyme occurs in the chloroplast stroma after import and processing of the S subunits. A chloroplast chaperonin interacts with the L subunits, which dissociate from the chaperonin before they assemble into holoenzyme. Our laboratory has reported L subunit assembly into Rubisco in chloroplast extracts after protein synthesis in leaves, intact chloroplasts, and most recently in membrane-free chloroplast extracts. We report here that the incorporation of in vitro-synthesized L subunits into holoenzyme depends on the conditions of L subunit synthesis. Rubisco assembly did not occur after L subunit synthesis at 160 mM KCI. When L subunit synthesis occurred at approximately 70 mM KCI, assembly depended on the temperature at which L subunit synthesis took place. These phenomena were the result of postsynthetic events taking place during incubation for protein synthesis. We separated these events from protein synthesis by lowering the temperature during protein synthesis. Lower temperatures supported the synthesis of full-length Rubisco L subunits. The assembly of these completed L subunits into Rubisco required intervening incubation with ATP, before addition of S subunits. ATP treatment mobilized L subunits from a complex with the chloroplast chaperonin 60 oligomer. Addition of 130 mM KCI at the beginning of the intervening incubation with ATP blocked the incorporation of L subunits into Rubisco. The inhibitory effect of high KCI was due to CI- and came after association of newly synthesized L subunits with chaperonin 60, but before S subunit addition. It is interesting that L subunits synthesized at [greater than or equal to]32[deg]C failed to assemble into Rubisco under any conditions. These results agree with previous results obtained in this laboratory using newly synthesized L subunits made in intact chloroplasts. They also show that assembly of in vitro-synthesized L subunits into Rubisco requires ATP, that CI- inhibits Rubisco assembly, and that synthesis temperature affects subsequent assembly competence of L subunits.
RSVM: Reduced Support Vector Machines

Abstract An algorithm is proposed which generates a nonlinear kernel-based separating surface that requires as little as 1% of a large dataset for its explicit evaluation. To generate this nonlinear surface, the entire dataset is used as a constraint in an optimization problem with very few variables corresponding to the 1% of the data kept. The remainder of the data can be thrown away after solving the optimization problem. This is achieved by making use of a rectangular m×m kernel K(A, Ā) that greatly reduces the size of the quadratic program to be solved and simplifies the characterization of the nonlinear separating surface. Here, the m rows of A represent the original m data points while the m rows of Ā represent a greatly reduced m data points. Computational results indicate that test set correctness for the reduced support vector machine (RSVM), with a nonlinear separating surface that depends on a small randomly selected portion of the dataset, is better than that of a conventional support vector machine (SVM) with a nonlinear surface that explicitly depends on the entire dataset, and much better than a conventional SVM using a small random sample of the data. Computational times, as well as memory usage, are much smaller for RSVM than that of a conventional SVM using the entire dataset.
Can a microbial fuel cell resist the oxidation of Tomato pomace

Abstract The Tomato industry in the United States generates ∼40 million metric tons of pomace waste on an annual basis. Here, we demonstrate the use of pomace as the feedstock for electricity production in a microbial fuel cell (MFC). The putative redox-active compounds and the particulate characteristic of the pomace influenced the temporal dynamics of polarization, impedance, and voltammetry response of pomace-MFCs (pMFC). While the open-circuit potential of pMFC was similar to its glucose-control, the polarization response of pMFC (125 W m −2 and 500 mA m −2 ) was inferior to its glucose-control (290 W m 2 and 1300 mA m −2 ), and this difference increased with increasing scales of current density and time. The pomace oxidation was associated with a redox-active mediator that undergoes a quasi-reversible reaction at higher potential (E p = 0 V vs Ag/Agcl); its charge transfer impedance appeared as a distinct time constant in the mid-frequency region during AC electrical impedance spectroscopy analysis.
Observations of bird numbers and species following a historic wildfire in Arizona ponderosa pine forests

ABSTRACT The Rodeo-Chediski Wildfire, the largest in Arizona's history, damaged or destroyed ecosystem resources or disrupted ecosystem functioning in a mostly mosaic pattern throughout the ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forests exposed to the bum. Impacts of the wildfire on the occurrence of birds and their diversities were studied on two watersheds in the area, one burned by a high severity (stand-replacing) fire, while the other was burned by a low severity (stand-modifying) fire. This paper reports on the results of a five-year (2002–2007) evaluation of this wildfire on the bird species and numbers observed on these two watersheds to provide a record of the impacts of the historic fire on avifauna communities.
Echocardiographic detection of regional myocardial infarction: an experimental study.

Posterior wall velocities have been advanced as a useful technic for the assessment of left ventricular function. To evaluate the echocardiographic effects of regional myocardial infarction on posterior wall motion (PWM), measurements were obtained in 22 open-chest dogs. Coronary artery ligation produced infarction of the apex in 11 dogs (group I) and the posterior wall in 11 dogs (group II). Echoes were thus received from noninfarcted myocardium in group I and from infarcted myocardium in group II. Postinfarct recordings in group I showed no significant changes in posterior wall velocities or excursion. In contrast, group II showed striking changes in the contour of PWM with a large initial posterior displacement (aneurysmal bulging) during isometric contraction, followed by a slow anterior movement during ventricular ejection and then a rapid anterior recoil motion during isometric relaxation. Mean posterior wall velocity fell from 31 ± se 3 mm/sec preinfarct to 13 ± 4 postinfarct (P < 0.01); from 33 ± ...
Synergism of triiodothyronine and corticosterone on muscle protein breakdown

Abstract The concerted effect of triiodothyronine (T 3 ) and corticosterone on muscle protein synthesis and breakdown was studied. Thyroidectomized young male rats were treated with T 3 (1.5 μg/100 g body weight per day), corticosterone (10 mg/100 g body weight per day) and both T 3 and corticosteronee for 4 days. On the 3rd day of the experiment urine was collected to measure N τ -methylhistidine excretion as an index of muscle protein breakdown. On the last day of the experiment, the rates of protein synthesis in skeletal muscles were measured by the large-dose [ 3 H]phenylalanine method. N τ -Methylhistidine excretion was slightly increased by T 3 treatment and it was increased about 3-times by corticosterone treatment. When both T 3 and corticosterone were administered, it was increased about 6-fold. The rate of muscle protein breakdown calculated from the difference between the rate of protein synthesis and the growth rate was consistent with these findings. The rate of muscle protein synthesis was increased by T 3 , and it was decreased by corticosterone. The rate was the same as that of the thyroidectomized control group when the animals were given T 3 and corticosterone, showing that T 3 restrained the inhbiting effect of corticosterone on muscle protein synthesis. The results indicate that a physiological level of T 3 enhances the catabolic action of pharmacological doses of glucocorticoids on muscle protein breakdown.
Self-Organizing Self-Clustering Network: A Strategy for Unsupervised Pattern Classification with Its Application to Fault Diagnosis

In this work, we propose a method for unsupervised pattern classification called self-organizing self-clustering network. This method incorporates the concept of fuzzy clustering into the learning strategy of the self-organizing map. The number of nodes in the network is determined incrementally during the training. The advantage of the proposed strategy over other existing clustering techniques is its ability to determine network size and the number of clusters in data sets automatically. Since the methodology is based on learning, it is computationally less expensive, and the result is not affected by the initial guess. A data set with Gaussian distribution is used to illustrate this method, and results are compared with fuzzy C-mean clustering. Furthermore, the proposed strategy is applied for the fault detection and diagnosis of a twin-continuous tank reactor virtual plant. The result shows that this strategy can be used as a process-monitoring tool in an industrial environment.
Polymeric Self-Assembled Monolayers. 4. Chemical, Electrochemical, and Thermal Stability of ω-Functionalized, Self-Assembled Diacetylenic and Polydiacetylenic Monolayers

Here we contrast the stability of monomeric and photopolymerized self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) containing a diacetylene group (HS(CH2)10C⋮CC⋮C(CH2)10COOH) with SAMs prepared from simple n-alkanethiols. The polymerized SAMs are extremely durable compared to either the n-alkanethiol SAMs or the unpolymerized diacetylenic SAMs. For example, they are stable to repeated electrochemical cycling to extreme potentials, thermal excursions to 200 °C, and exposure to hot base (1:1 mixture of ethanol and 1.0 M aqueous KOH at 100 °C). All of these conditions completely strip n-alkanethiol SAMs from Au substrates. These high-performance materials are suitable for applications in lubrication, adhesion, corrosion passivation, and chemical sensing.
Ceramide generation by the reaper protein is not blocked by the caspase inhibitor, p35

The Reaper (Rpr) gene encodes a 65-amino acid protein that induces apoptosis in Drosophila by an unknown mechanism. A previous study reported that Rpr expression induced generation of the lipid second messenger ceramide and through use of the peptide caspase inhibitorN-benzyloxycarbonyl-VAD-fluoromethylketone(zVAD.fmk) ordered ceramide generation downstream of caspases in SL2 cells (Pronk, G. J., Ramer, K., Amiri, P., and Williams, L. T. (1996)Science 271, 808–810). The present study re-evaluates these events in SL2 cells transfected with cDNA for Rpr, with or without the baculovirus caspase inhibitor p35, under the control of the metallothionein promoter. Following copper addition, Rpr protein was detected at 1.5 h and maximal at 2.5 h. Ceramide generation and caspase activation occurred nearly simultaneously, each detectable at 2–2.5 h and maximal at 6 h. Ceramide levels increased from a base line of 5 pmol/nmol lipid phosphorus to a maximum of 10 pmol/nmol lipid phosphorus. Identical increases in ceramide were detected using the enzymatic 1,2-diacylglycerol kinase assay or the non-enzymatico-phthalaldehyde derivatization high pressure liquid chromatography assay. In contrast, diacylglycerol levels were not increased by Rpr expression. Apoptosis, first detected at 4 h, was maximal at 16 h. Co-expression of p35 did not affect Rpr-induced ceramide generation, whereas caspase activation and apoptosis were abolished. In contrast, zVAD.fmk inhibited ceramide generation and apoptosis. These data show that Rpr-induced ceramide generation is upstream or independent of p35-inhibitable caspases and demonstrate differences in the actions of peptide and p35 caspase inhibitors.
Stress-intensity factors for a wide range of semi-elliptical surface cracks in finite-thickness plates

Surface cracks are among the more common flaws in aircraft and pressure vessel components. Several calculations of stress-intensity factors for semi-elliptical surface cracks subjected to tension have appeared in the literature. However, some of these solutions are in disagreement by 50-100%. In this paper, stress-intensity factors for shallow and deep semi-elliptical surface cracks in plates subjected to tension are presented. To verify the accuracy of the three-dimensional finite-element models employed, convergence was studied by varying the number of degrees of freedom in the models from 1500 to 6900. The 6900 degrees of freedom used here were more than twice the number used in previously reported solutions. Also, the stress-intensity variations in the boundary-layer region at the intersection of the crack with the free surface were investigated.
Localized deferoxamine injection augments vascularity and improves bony union in pathologic fracture healing after radiotherapy

Abstract Background Medically based efforts and alternative treatment strategies to prevent or remediate the corrosive effects of radiotherapy on pathologic fracture healing have failed to produce clear and convincing evidence of success. Establishing an effective pharmacologic option to prevent or treat the development of non-unions in this setting could have immense therapeutic potential. Experimental studies have shown that deferoxamine (DFO), an iron-chelating agent, bolsters vascularity and subsequently enhances normal fracture healing when injected locally into a fracture callus in long bone animal models. Since radiotherapy is known to impede angiogenesis, we hypothesized that the pharmacologic addition of DFO would serve to mitigate the effects of radiotherapy on new vessel formation in vitro and in vivo. Materials and Methods In vitro investigation of angiogenesis was conducted utilizing HUVEC cells in Matrigel. Endothelial tubule formation assays were divided into four groups: Control, Radiated, Radiated + Low-Dose DFO and Radiated + High-Dose DFO. Tubule formation was quantified microscopically and video recorded for the four groups simultaneously during the experiment. In vivo, three groups of Sprague–Dawley rats underwent external fixator placement and fracture osteotomy of the left mandible. Two groups received pre-operative fractionated radiotherapy, and one of these groups was treated with DFO after fracture repair. After 40 days, the animals were perfused and imaged with micro-CT to calculate vascular radiomorphometrics. Results In vitro, endothelial tubule formation assays demonstrated that DFO mitigated the deleterious effects of radiation on angiogenesis. Further, high-dose DFO cultures appeared to organize within 2 h of incubation and achieved a robust network that was visibly superior to all other experimental groups in an accelerated fashion. In vivo, animals subjected to a human equivalent dose of radiotherapy (HEDR) and left mandibular fracture demonstrated quantifiably diminished μCT metrics of vascular density, as well as a 75% incidence of associated non-unions. The addition of DFO in this setting markedly improved vascularity as demonstrated with 3D angiographic modeling. In addition, we observed an increased incidence of bony unions in the DFO treated group when compared to radiated fractures without treatment (67% vs. 25% respectively). Conclusion Our data suggest that selectively targeting angiogenesis with localized DFO injections is sufficient to remediate the associated severe vascular diminution resulting from a HEDR. Perhaps the most consequential and clinically relevant finding was the ability to reduce the incidence of non-unions in a model where fracture healing was not routinely observed.
Small-dimensional linear programming and convex hulls made easy

We present two randomized algorithms. One solves linear programs involvingm constraints ind variables in expected timeO(m). The other constructs convex hulls ofn points in ?d,d>3, in expected timeO(n[d/2]). In both boundsd is considered to be a constant. In the linear programming algorithm the dependence of the time bound ond is of the formd!. The main virtue of our results lies in the utter simplicity of the algorithms as well as their analyses.
Car unlikely to significantly modulate acetaminophen hepatotoxicity in most humans

We have identified the xenobiotic receptor CAR (constitutive androstane receptor) as a key regulator of acetaminophen metabolism and hepatotoxicity. Known CAR activators as well as high doses of acetaminophen induced expression of three acetaminophen-metabolizing enzymes in wild-type but not in CAR null mice, and the CAR null mice were resistant to acetaminophen toxicity. Inhibition of CAR activity by administration of the inverse agonist ligand androstanol 1 hour after acetaminophen treatment blocked hepatotoxicity in wild-type but not CAR null mice. These results suggest an innovative therapeutic approach for treating the adverse effects of acetaminophen and potentially other hepatotoxic agents.
Fabrication of Large-Area Three-Dimensional Microstructures on Flexible Substrates by Microtransfer Printing Methods

This paper presents two robust microtransfer printing methods, namely, multiple transfer printing and peeling microprinting methods, to fabricate three-dimensional (3-D) and high-aspect-ratio microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) structures over large areas on flexible polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates. These techniques enable conformal wrapping of 3-D microstructures, initially fabricated in two-dimensional (2-D) layouts with standard fabrication technology onto a wide range of surfaces with complex and curvilinear shapes. The processes exploit the differential adhesive tendencies of the microstructures formed between a donor and a transfer substrate to accomplish an efficient release and transfer process. Experimental and theoretical studies show that the MEMS structures with a wide variety of pattern densities can be conformally transferred to bendable device substrates while keeping the structural integrity and density intact. Quantitative stress analysis on the micromechanics of such a curvilinear system suggests that the stress induced by wrapping the complete structure onto a cylinder is mostly in the flexible PDMS substrate, while the MEMS structures experience little stress.
Foraging by generalist grasshoppers: two different strategies

Observations of foraging activities were conducted on two species of generalist grasshoppers that are cryptic on foliage, Schistocerca nitens and S. shoshone, which have overlapping distributions in the southwestern region of the U.S.A. Patterns of activity, feed lengths, food choice and switching between host plants were examined by continuous recording of individuals for up to 8 h each in the field. Long feeding bouts and limited locomotion were the norm in both species. Individuals often remained with one plant for most of the day, but then typically fed on more than one tissue type during an observation period. Declining feeding-bout lengths on a single species or tissue were common, as were increased feeding-bout lengths on novel foods. The data from these foliage-cryptic species contrasted with data collected previously on other species that were ground-dwelling or aposematic, and demonstrated diVerent foraging strategies. Possible costs and benefits of the two contrasting foraging strategies are discussed. ? 1996 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour
Rumination and Prospective Changes in Depressive Symptoms

According to the response styles theory (Nolen-Hoeksema, 1991), rumination contributes to both the development and maintenance of depressive symptoms. In this study, we examined the vulnerability and maintenance hypotheses in a multi-wave prospective study of young adults with levels of negative events and depressive symptoms assessed every week for 7 weeks. We found no support for the vulnerability hypothesis. Specifically, levels of rumination (brooding or reflective rumination) did not moderate the link between weekly negative events and weekly changes in depressive symptoms. In contrast, we did find support for the maintenance hypothesis. Specifically, levels of brooding and reflective rumination were related to elevated depressive symptom levels across the follow-up. Consistent with previous research, the magnitude of the effect for brooding was stronger than that for reflective rumination.
High-Q photonic crystal cavities with embedded quantum dots

Defects in photonic crystals (PCs) can support localized light modes with extremely small mode volumes. Depending on the symmetry of the PC, and the means of fabrication of the PC, extremely high quality factors ( Q ) are also possible. The combination of high Q and small mode volume should allow us to observe strong coupling between the cavity and quantum dot (QD) emitters that are strategically embedded within the cavity. This, in turn, has important implications for a variety of optical phenomena, such as single-photon sources. We describe the fabrication of PCs formed within membranes (180 nm thick) of GaAs, of either triangular or square lattice symmetry. The structures incorporate InAs QDs, grown monolithically with the PC material by Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE). We have observed emission from the smallest volume cavities (i.e. single-hole defects) in both the triangular and square lattice structures. The cavities have lattice constants ranging from 0.25 - 0.40 μm, and Q factors as high as 8500. To improve the probability of coupling a single QD to a cavity mode, we have developed a lithographic positioning technique capable of aligning a cavity to a feature on the surface within 50 nm, adequate to overlap a QD with a cavity mode. We will report on the progress achieved thus far with these structures and the challenges remaining to achieve strong coupling with specific QDs.
Differences in IL-10 and IL-12 production patterns and differences in the effects of acute ethanol treatment on macrophages in vivo and in vitro

Several recent studies have documented that signaling can be fundamentally different in vivo and in vitro. However, studies of signaling and cytokine production by macrophages are often conducted in vitro, without confirmation in vivo. In addition, the direct effects of drugs and chemicals, including ethanol, on these processes are also often investigated in vitro. The purpose of the present study was to compare production of interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-10, and IL-12 by macrophages in response to two different ligands for toll-like receptors and the effects of acute ethanol exposure on these responses in vivo and in vitro. The macrophage-like cell line RAW 264.7 is also widely used in cytokine and signaling studies, so these cells were also evaluated in this study. The results indicate that IL-6 production and the effects of Ethanol on IL-6 were similar in vivo and in vitro. In contrast, IL-10 was produced to a much greater extent in vitro than in vivo, and IL-12 was often undetectable in vitro even though it was produced at greater concentrations than IL-10 in vivo. To determine the role of altered secretion of preformed IL-10 as compared to new synthesis, cells were treated in vitro with protein and mRNA synthesis inhibitors. The results suggest that preformed IL-10 is released in vivo, but almost all IL-10 secreted in vitro is newly synthesized. Ethanol suppressed IL-12 and enhanced or had no effect on IL-10 production in vivo, whereas it decreased IL-10 production in vitro. These effects were similar at different times and using different concentrations of toll-like receptor ligands. In general, RAW 264.7 cells responded similarly to peritoneal macrophages in vitro. This suggests that results for cytokine studies and probably signaling studies as well that are conducted in vitro should be interpreted with caution and confirmed in vivo, particularly if they involve IL-10 and IL-12.
Breaking Bonds? The Iraq War and the Loss of Republican Dominance in National Security

For decades, Americans have trusted the Republicans over the Democrats to handle national security issues, by a wide margin. Over the Bush presidency, that gap has disappeared. The authors explore the causes and consequences of this loss and suggest several new avenues for research on issue ownership. Findings indicate that Bush’s handling of the Iraq war has played a decisive role in diminishing the Republican Party’s reputational advantage on national security. This has had significant electoral repercussions both for the president and his copartisans in Congress.
The origin of electrical property deterioration with increasing Mg concentration in ZnMgO:Ga

Abstract Transparent conductive Ga-doped Zn 1 − x Mg x O (ZnMgO:Ga) films were epitaxially grown via Pulsed Laser Deposition on sapphire by optimizing the substrate temperature and other parameters of deposition. Zn 0.68 Mg 0.31 Ga 0.01 O/sapphire films deposited at 400 °C have a Hall mobility (μ) of 9.2 ± 0.5 cm 2 V − 1 s − 1 and a free electron density (n) of 1.79 × 10 20 ± 0.06 × 10 20 cm − 3 , yielding an electrical conductivity (σ) = 262 ± 22 S/cm. Zn 0.90 Mg 0.09 Ga 0.01 O/sapphire films, deposited under the same growth conditions, have similar crystalline quality, but significantly better electrical properties (σ = 1450 ± 10 S/cm, μ = 24.5 ± 2.5 cm 2 V − 1 s − 1 , n = 3.81 × 10 20 ± 0.20 × 10 20 cm − 3 ). This comparison provides evidence of electrical property deterioration in doped ZnMgO bulk material with increasing Mg content, independent of crystalline quality. Electrical properties of ZnMgO:Ga are further deteriorated by the decrease of the crystalline quality. Polycrystalline Zn 0.90 Mg 0.09 Ga 0.01 O/a-SiO 2 samples deposited under identical conditions on amorphous silica substrates had both inferior crystal quality and inferior transport properties (μ = 2.5 ± 0.2 cm 2 V − 1 s − 1 , n = 2.04 × 10 20 ± 0.20 × 10 20 cm − 3 , σ = 80 ± 8 S/cm) compared to their epitaxial counterparts. Overall, the results of this study indicate that both bulk material properties and crystalline quality influence the electrical properties of single-phase ZnMgO:Ga thin films.
Recurrent spontaneous perforation of the esophagus

Boerhaave's syndrome is uncommon and its precise etiology is unclear. Information regarding the long-term outcome of patients surviving this injury is lacking. We present the case of a patient who suffered two spontaneous perforations of the esophagus that occurred 30 years apart.
Beyond Eco-Feedback: Adding Online Manual and Automated Controls to Promote Workplace Sustainability

Whereas eco-feedback has been widely studied in HCI and environmental psychology, online manual control and automated control have been rarely studied with a focus on their long-term quantitative impact and usability. To address this, an intervention was tested with eighty office workers for twenty-seven weeks. Through the long-term field test, it was found that the addition of online controls in the feedback intervention led to more energy savings than feedback only and worked better for light and phone usage than computer and monitor usage. The addition of automated control led to the greatest savings but was less effective for efficient users than inefficient ones.
THE IMPACT OF OIL PRICE VOLATILITY ON THE FUTURE OF THE U.S. ECONOMY

This paper examines the impact of a foreign oil price shock on domestic energy markets as well as the U.S. economy as a whole. The analytical approach employed in the analysis consisted of a dynamic CGE model composed of eight production sectors, eight consumption sectors, three household categories classified by income, foreign sector, and the government. The results show that oil price shocks will have, as expected, a significantly positive effect on crude oil production. We also find that such price shocks negatively affect the refinery sector as input costs rise there. A decline in per-well productivity has the effect of dampening the rise in crude oil extraction and causing a further decline in refinery output. Economy-wide, the impact of a new series of oil price shocks is quite limited with overall welfare falling, but nowhere near the levels experienced in the 1970s and early 1980s.
Political Talk Radio and Values: Finding Support for the Two-Value Political Ideology Model

This study found support for the Schwartz (1994) two-value political ideology model in relation to political talk radio (PTR) program choice. People who listened to liberal PTR hosts were found to be associated with “universalism.” People who listened to conservative PTR hosts were found to be associated with “security.” Additional values were also found to be associated with listening to liberal and conservative PTR hosts. In addition, discriminant analysis was used to develop a model which could predict PTR listening based on audience values. These findings add to the understanding of the uses and gratifications of listening to political talk radio.
Dissecting contributions to the thermostability of Pyrococcus furiosus rubredoxin: beta-sheet chimeras.

The contributions to thermostability of interactions within the β-sheet region of rubredoxins (Rds) were investigated by examining proteins in which β-strand sequences of Rds from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus (Pf) and the mesophilic bacterium Clostridium pasteurianum (Cp) were interchanged. The thermostabilities of the chimeric Rds were assessed by monitoring the decay of the visible absorbance at 490 nm and of the far-UV CD vs time at 92 °C. The chimeric Rds Pf15|Cp47|Pf (Pf Rd residues 2−15 and 48−54 and Cp Rd residues 16−47) and Cp15|Pf47|Cp were both found to be far less thermostable than wild-type Pf Rd, indicating that neither the β-sheet residues (2−7, 10−15, and 48−53) nor the “core residues” (16−47) of Pf Rd independently confer Pf Rd-like thermostability. However, the chimeric Rd Pf47|Cp exhibits thermostability close to that of wild-type Pf Rd, suggesting that Pf Rd-like thermostability is conferred by interactions of β-sheet strands 1 and 2 (residues 2−15) together with P...
Occupational Characteristics and Patterns as Risk Factors for Parkinson's Disease (P07.133)

Objective: To evaluate the role of personality as indicated by occupational choices and employment patterns in the risk for Parkinson9s disease (PD). Background PD has been associated with employment in certain fields. Most occupational studies focused on toxic exposures as potential causal explanations of these associations. However, PD also has been associated with personality characteristics including decreased risk-taking and novelty-seeking that may influence occupational choices and patterns. Design/Methods: In-person interviews were conducted to assess occupational histories and early-adult personality indicators among 89 PD patients and 99 controls recruited from academic medical clinics. Logistic regressions controlling for age, sex and education examined associations between occupational characteristics, personality and risk for PD. Results: PD cases had fewer jobs in their lifetime than controls (mean ± SD for cases = 4.38 ± 2.20; mean ± SD for controls = 5.00 ± 2.26; p=0.03). However, there was no association between the number of categories of employment or the duration of the primary job and PD. Among women, PD was positively associated with more complex work with people (OR=0.69 (95% CI 0.53-0.89)), representing a 95% increased risk for PD comparing women whose jobs required the greatest complexity of work with those requiring the least complexity with people. Female cases also did less complex work with things compared with controls (OR=1.45 (95% CI 1.11-1.88)), translating into a 13-fold increased risk for PD among women whose work involved the least complex work with things compared with the most. The number of jobs and number of job types was associated with taking more activity risks as a young adult. Conclusions: Cases with PD held fewer lifetime jobs compared with controls. Occupational complexity was associated with the risk for PD among women, but not men. Further consideration of the possible influence of personality on occupational choices is warranted. Disclosure: Dr. Borenstein has nothing to disclose. Dr. Sullivan has nothing to disclose. Dr. Wang has nothing to disclose. Dr. Zesiewicz has received personal compensation for activities with Teva Pharmaceuticals as a speaker. Dr. Zesiewicz has received research support from Bobby Allison Ataxia Research Center, National Ataxia Foundation, Astellas Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer, Friedreich9s Ataxia Research Alliance, Takeda, Biovail Corporation, Southern Illinois University, and Allon Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Brownlee has received personal compensation for activities with Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Eli Lilly & Company, and Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Dr. Mortimer has received personal compensation for activities with Davies, McFarland, and Carroll.
Pharmacological characterization of regulation of phosphoinositide metabolism by recombinant 5-HT2 receptors of the rat

Abstract Transfection of 5-HT 2 receptor cDNA in 293 cells induced the expression of a protein binding domain, exhibiting the classical 5-HT 2 receptor transduction mechanism. Both [ 3 H]DOB and [ 3 H]spiperone high affinity binding sites were present in membranes of sense but not of antisense, 5-HT 2 receptor cDNA transfected cells. Addition of 1μM 5-HT induced a time-dependent increase of phosphoinositide (PI) metabolism in sense but not in antisense, 5-HT 2 receptor cDNA transfected cells. Graded concentrations of 5-HT and of different serotonergic agonists showed different potencies (DOI > 5-HT > quipazine > DOM > alpha-methyl-5-HT > 8-OH-DPAT > 2-methyl-5-HT > CGS-12066B) in stimulating turnover of PI in cells transfected with cDNA encoding for 5-HT 2 receptors of the rat. The ability of different antagonists to inhibit 5-HT-stimulated turnover of PI bore a direct relationship with their potency to inhibit 5-HT 2 receptor binding in cells transfected with 5-HT 2 receptor cDNA (spiperone > ketanserin > ritanserin > mianserin > haloperidol). Preincubation of transfected 293 cells with pertussis toxin failed to modify either 5-HT- or DOI-induced activation of metabolism of PI. Pretreatment of transfected 293 cells with DOI (100 nM) for 2 hr or more, significantly reduced activation of turnover of PI elicited by graded doses of 5-HT. When the transfected 293 cells were exposed to DOI (100 nM) for 12 hr and the challenge was performed after a 2-hr wash-out period, the desensitization of the response to 5-HT was virtually abolished. In conclusion, the receptors expressed in 293 cells, after transfection with 5-HT 2 receptor cDNA, possessed biochemical and pharmacological properties, similar to those of the native receptors and they represent a useful model to investigate structural and functional characteristics of receptors and as a tool for discovery of drugs.
AN IMPROVED METHOD OF CELL ENUMERATION FOR FILAMENTOUS ALGAE AND BACTERIA1

SUMMARY A new simple method for estimating the number of individual cells per milliliter in suspensions of filamentous microorganisms is described. This 2-part procedure utilizes a standard microscopic counting chamber and is independent of filament length or individual cell size. A statistical analysis of the method is also presented.
N-Terminal Prohormone Brain Natriuretic Peptide as a Predictor of Cardiovascular Disease and Mortality in Blacks With Hypertensive Kidney Disease. The African American Study of Kidney Disease and Hypertension (AASK)

Background— Higher levels of N-terminal prohormone brain-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) predict cardiovascular disease (CVD) in several disease states, but few data are available in patients with chronic kidney disease or in blacks. Methods and Results— The African American Study of Kidney Disease and Hypertension trial enrolled hypertensive blacks with a glomerular filtration rate of 20 to 65 mL · min−1 · 1.73 m−2 and no other identified cause of kidney disease. NT-proBNP was measured with a sandwich chemiluminescence immunoassay (coefficient of variation 2.9%) in 994 African American Study of Kidney Disease and Hypertension participants. NT-proBNP was categorized as undetectable, low, moderate, or high. Proteinuria was defined as 24-hour urinary protein–creatinine ratio >0.22. A total of 134 first CVD events (CVD death or hospitalization for coronary artery disease, heart failure, or stroke) occurred over a median of 4.3 years. Participants with high NT-proBNP were much more likely to have a CVD e...
CONSEQUENCES OF NUCLEIC ACID CONFORMATION ON THE BINDING OF A TRINUCLEAR PLATINUM DRUG

BBR3464, a charged trinuclear platinum compound, is the first representative of a new class of anticancer drugs to enter phase I clinical trials. The structure of BBR3464 is characterized by two [trans-PtCl(NH(3))(2)] units linked by a tetraamine [trans-Pt(NH(3))(2)?H(2)N(CH(2))(6)NH(2)?(2)] unit. The +4 charge of BBR3464 and the separation of the platinating units indicate that the mode of DNA binding will be distinctly different from those of classical mononuclear drugs such as cisplatin, cis-[PtCl(2)(NH(3))(2)]. The reaction of BBR3464 with three different nucleic acid conformations was assessed by gel electrophoresis. Comparison of single-stranded DNA, RNA, and double-stranded DNA indicated that the reaction of BBR3464 with single-stranded DNA and RNA was faster than that with duplex DNA, and produced more drug-DNA and drug-RNA adducts. Electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry was used to further characterize the binding modes of BBR3464 with the DNA substrates. BBR3464 binding to different nucleic acid conformations raises the possibility that the adducts of single-stranded DNA and RNA may play a role in the different antitumor efficacies of this novel drug as compared with cisplatin.
Detection of reverse transcriptase activity in association with the non-A, non-B hepatitis agent(s).

Abstract Particle-associated reverse transcriptase activity was detected in four human serum specimens and in two plasma-derived products, all of which had been shown to transmit non-A, non-B hepatitis (NANBH) to other human beings and/or chimpanzees. Reverse transcriptase activity was also detected in all twelve sera from patients with acute or chronic NANBH. In contrast, reverse transcriptase activity was found in only 2 of 49 serum specimens from healthy plasma donors and laboratory workers. Sucrose density gradient fractions of two of the infectious human sera (peak reverse transcriptase activity at 1·14 g/ml) transmitted NANBH to chimpanzees. Biochemical and enzymatic data indicate that the NANBH agent(s) is a retrovirus or is retrovirus-like.
Active plasmonic components employing extreme light concentration

Plasmonics is an exploding new field of science and technology in which the flow of light can be molded at the nanoscale using metallic nanostructures. This newly found ability is rapidly impacting every facet of optics and photonics and is enabling a myriad of exciting new technologies.
Material flow analysis of lubricating oil use in California

Petroleum lubricating oils, used throughout the economy, are distinct among petroleum products in their capacity to be recovered and recycled at the end of their useful life. Used lubricating oil is regulated at the state and federal level because of concerns about environmental impacts arising from improper disposal, although rates of recovery are not known. We present a material flow analysis of lubricants through California's economy in the years 2007–2012. We introduce a novel technique for computing aggregate waste generation from a collection of hazardous waste manifest records, and apply it in order to determine a recovery rate for used oil and to estimate the quantity of oil managed informally in the state. The records also offer a detailed view of the fate of used oils after they are recovered. We find that around 62% of lubricants are recoverable at end of life, of which 70–80% is being recovered. This rate shows a slight downward trend. If the trend is accurate, measures should be taken to improve the performance of the used oil management system. Policy opportunities exist to reduce the quantity of oil managed informally through improving access to responsible used oil management methods. These include increasing the collection of used oil from industrial sources as well as “do it yourself” oil changes, expanding in-state reprocessing capacity, and promoting increased out-of-state reprocessing of used oil. Our methods introduce new possibilities to make use of direct observation in material flow analysis, potentially improving data availability and quality and increasing the relevance of material flow methods in policy applications.
Treatment of grey zone lymphomas

Summary The inability of distinguishing difficult cases of Hodgkin’s disease from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma has been a long-standing problem. Initially, the controversy centered on lymphocyte-depleted Hodgkin’s disease; now with improved diagnostic techniques, most controversy centers around the anaplastic large-cell lymphomas. These problematic cases may also represent a less frequent problem, although data on this point is difficult to obtain. The future controversy may well involve the separation of T-cell rich B-cell lymphoma and Hodgkin’s disease, nodular paragranuloma type. Fortunately, to date the clinical data does not support that there is a major difference in therapeutic results depending on whether these cases are treated as Hodgkin’s disease or non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Evaluation of Solution Phase Isoelectrofocusing as Part of Proteomics Strategies

Solution isoelectrofocusing has been evaluated for prefractionation of nuclear proteins from human cancer MCF-7 cells. Two separation devices were exercised using commercial polyacrylamide membranes, which carry embedded immobiline mixtures to establish pH boundaries between chambers. Protein recovery was quantified and 2-D gel electrophoresis was used to evaluate resolution. Solution isoelectrofocusing provides satisfactory separations and decreases the complexity of the protein mixture, however rates of recovery need to be improved.