cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vitamin K3 (menadione) redox cycling inhibits cytochrome P450-mediated metabolism and inhibits parathion intoxication.

Parathion, a widely used organophosphate insecticide, is considered a high priority chemical threat. Parathion toxicity is dependent on its metabolism by the cytochrome P450 system to paraoxon (diethyl 4-nitrophenyl phosphate), a cytotoxic metabolite. As an effective inhibitor of cholinesterases, paraoxon causes the accumulation of acetylcholine in synapses and overstimulation of nicotinic and muscarinic cholinergic receptors, leading to characteristic signs of organophosphate poisoning. Inhibition of parathion metabolism to paraoxon represents a potential approach to counter parathion toxicity. Herein, we demonstrate that menadione (methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone, vitamin K3) is a potent inhibitor of cytochrome P450-mediated metabolism of parathion. Menadione is active in redox cycling, a reaction mediated by NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase that preferentially uses electrons from NADPH at the expense of their supply to the P450s. Using human recombinant CYP 1A2, 2B6, 3A4 and human liver microsomes, menadione was found to inhibit the formation of paraoxon from parathion. Administration of menadione bisulfite (40 mg/kg, ip) to rats also reduced parathion-induced inhibition of brain cholinesterase activity, as well as parathion-induced tremors and the progression of other signs and symptoms of parathion poisoning. These data suggest that redox cycling compounds, such as menadione, have the potential to effectively mitigate the toxicity of organophosphorus pesticides including parathion which require cytochrome P450-mediated activation.
DETERMINING HOMINID HANDEDNESS IN LITHIC DEBITAGE: A REVIEW OF CURRENT METHODOLOGIES

AbstractHandedness is inextricably linked to brain lateralization and language in humans, and identifying handedness in the paleo-archaeological record is important for understanding hominid cognitive evolution. This study reports on experiments for identifying knapper handedness in lithic debitage using three previously established methods: , and . A blind study was conducted on lithic debitage (n = 631) from Acheulean handaxes (n = 10) created by right- and left-handed subjects. Blinded handedness predictions for flakes were compared to their true handedness in order to assess each method's reliability. In order to test replicability, multiple observers classified a sample of flakes and inter-observer agreement was assessed. None of the methods were better than chance in predictive accuracy, and there were significant issues with inter-observer agreement. This study suggests that identifying knapper handedness in lithic debitage is extremely difficult, but also that some existing methodological issues m...
A Knowledge-Based Bayesian Model for Analyzing a System after an Insider Attack

Many consider insider attacks to be more severe than outsider attacks due to the nature of such attacks that involve people who have knowledge of their own organization. In this work, we presented a new model to evaluate and analyze a system after the occurrence of an insider attack. By evaluating and analyzing the system after detecting such attack, we classified systems’ objects into a list of non affected objects and a list of affected objects. We also introduced a new graph called knowledge Bayesian attack graph (KBAG). KBAG represents possible candidate paths that malicious insiders may follow to achieve their goal of compromising critical objects. KBAG also enables us to calculate risk values for different objects using Bayesian inference techniques. These risk values will be considered as measurements for the likelihood of possible occurrence of other insider attacks that have not yet been detected by the underlying system.
Safety and immunogenicity profile of the concomitant administration of ZOSTAVAX and inactivated influenza vaccine in adults aged 50 and older.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of ZOSTAVAX administered concomitantly with inactivated influenza vaccine or sequentially in adults aged 50 and older. DESIGN: Randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled study. SETTING: Thirteen U.S. and seven European study sites. PARTICIPANTS: Three hundred eighty-two concomitantly, 380 sequentially vaccinated subjects. INTERVENTION: The concomitant vaccination group received influenza vaccine and ZOSTAVAX at separate injection sites on Day 1 and placebo at Week 4. The nonconcomitant vaccination group received influenza vaccine and placebo at separate injection sites on Day 1 and ZOSTAVAX at Week 4. MEASUREMENTS: Primary safety endpoints: vaccine-related serious adverse experiences (AEs) within 28 days postvaccination (PV); and diary card–prompted local and systemic AEs. Primary immunogenicity endpoints: geometric mean titer (GMT) and geometric mean fold rise (GMFR) from baseline of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) antibody (Ab) at 4 weeks PV according to glycoprotein enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (gpELISA) and GMT of influenza Ab for the three vaccine strains (2005–2006 influenza season) at 4 weeks PV according to hemagglutination inhibition assay. Secondary immunogenicity endpoint: influenza seroconversion rates (SCRs). RESULTS: No serious AEs related to ZOSTAVAX were observed during the study. VZV Ab GMTs 4 weeks PV for the concomitant and sequential groups were 554 and 597 gpELISA U/mL, respectively. The estimated VZV Ab GMT ratio was 0.9 (95% confidence interval (CI)=0.8–1.0), indicating noninferior (P<.001 for the null hypothesis of GMT ratio <0.67) responses. Estimated VZV Ab GMFR from baseline in the concomitant group was 2.1 (95% CI=2.0–2.3), indicating acceptable fold rise. Estimated GMT ratios (concomitant/sequential) for influenza strains A(H1N1), A(H3N2), and B were 0.9 (95% CI=0.8–1.1), 1.1 (95% CI=0.9–1.3), and 0.9 (95% CI=0.8–1.1), respectively, and SCRs were comparable across both groups, with more than 85% achieving titers of 1:40 or greater, meeting regulatory criteria. CONCLUSION: ZOSTAVAX and influenza vaccine given concomitantly are generally well tolerated in adults aged 50 and older. Ab responses were similar whether ZOSTAVAX and influenza vaccine were given concomitantly or sequentially.
Setting the Agenda: Responsible Party Government in the U.S. House of Representatives

Scholars of the U.S. House disagree over the importance of political parties in organizing the legislative process. On the one hand, non-partisan theories stress how congressional organization serves members' non-partisan goals. On the other hand, partisan theories argue that the House is organized to serve the collective interests of the majority party. This book advances our partisan theory and presents a series of empirical tests of that theory's predictions (pitted against others). It considers why procedural cartels form, arguing that agenda power is naturally subject to cartelization in busy legislatures. It argues that the majority party has cartelized agenda power in the U.S. House since the adoption of Reed's rules in 1890. The evidence demonstrates that the majority party seizes agenda control at nearly every stage of the legislative process in order to prevent bills that the party dislikes from reaching the floor.
Discourse and Dissonance: Reflecting on the Republican Revolution

This paper investigates the religious dimension of Republican legislators’ participation in one-minute speeches during the 104th Congress (1995-1996). Many have characterized the House Republican Conference that emerged after the 1994 elections as a highly cohesive majority party. Even in the context of a highly unified Conference, however, legislators represent their own varied personal agendas, and in part these are informed by religion. We topically coded a subset of floor speeches to measure the extent to which variation is observed in the issues addressed by Members of Congress. With an analysis of 787 speeches, the findings demonstrate that on key issues, such as health policy, macroeconomics, and family issues, speech participation varies systematically on the basis of member religion.
Issues Related to Prediction of Residual Stresses in Titanium Alloy Matrix Composites

Recently, a detailed study of residual stresses on the as-processed SCS-6/Ti-24Al-11Nb [0] 8 composite, and SCS-6/Beta-21S composites in unidirectional [0] 4 , cross-ply [0/90] s , and quasi-isotropic [0/′ 45/90] s layups has been completed. In this study, residual stresses have been measured using X-ray diffraction (sin 2 ψ) technique. We have shown that the use of conventional unit cell models consisting of a quarter fiber surrounded by the matrix material to predict residual stresses for verification of experimental results is inadequate. Such models have predicted successfully the stresses at the fiber-matrix interface. However, experimental work to measure residual stresses have always been on surfaces far away from the interface region. In this paper, the approach taken in extending the conventional unit cell model to the concept of multifiber models to predict average stresses are presented. In this process, several modeling issues have been identified. These issues are ( I) use of conventional unit models for prediction of average surface residual stresses, (2) effect of orientation of the sub-surface plies on the residual stresses in the surface ply, (3) residual stresses in the interior plies, and (4) constituent material properties.
Effect of match length on ranking accuracy of round robin tournaments: a computer simulation study.

Abstract Computer simulation techniques were used to study the accuracy with which true rankings of table tennis players could be estimated from round robin tournaments based on matches of different length. Tournaments based on best-of-three-games, 21-points-to-win, and 11-points-to-win matches were studied. The simulation design also allowed study of the effect of both the number of players and the homogeneity of their ability on the efficacy of the three types of tournaments. Accuracy of the rankings produced by different types of tournaments was ascertained by computing Spearman's Rho rank correlations between the known, true ranking (known from the statistical model on which the simulated model was based) and empirical rankings in repeated tournaments. Results demonstrated that for groups of players of mixed ability, tournaments based on matches of shortened length were highly effective in estimating the true ranking, Spearman's Rho coefficients being generally well above .90. Tournaments based on lon...
Performing The Refrain of Art’s Prosthetic Pedagogy

Included in this special issue of Qualitative Inquiry are 10 scholars’ writings whom I invited to position their research and creative work adjacent to The Prosthetic Pedagogy of Art to explore and experiment their betweenness, their multiple lines of flight, and their accidental encounters for potential unforeseen and unknown alliances as they are read and understood through each other. While the word prosthesis typically invokes artificial devices and augmentations, my use of the metaphor constitutes playing with and playing off reductive cultural constructs to conceptualize prosthesis as an irreducible metaphor of embodied learning that resists intellectual closure and challenges representationalism.
Giving up on convergence and autonomy: Why the theories of psychology and neuroscience are codependent as well as irreconcilable

There is a long-standing debate in the philosophy of mind and philosophy of science regarding how best to interpret the relationship between neuroscience and psychology. It has traditionally been argued that either the two domains will evolve and change over time until they converge on a single unified account of human behaviour, or else that they will continue to work in isolation given that they identify properties and states that exist autonomously from one another (due to the multiple-realizability of psychological states). In this paper, I argue that progress in psychology and neuroscience is contingent on the fact that both of these positions are false. Contra the convergence position, I argue that the theories of psychology and the theories of neuroscience are scientifically valuable as representational tools precisely because they cannot be integrated into a single account. However, contra the autonomy position, I propose that the theories of psychology and neuroscience are deeply dependent on one another for further refinement and improvement. In this respect, there is an irreconcilable codependence between psychology and neuroscience that is necessary for both domains to improve and progress. The two domains are forever linked while simultaneously being unable to integrate.
Immunohistochemical studies of the adult human ovary: possible contribution of immune and epithelial factors to folliculogenesis.

PROBLEM: Formation of primordial follicles in adult ovaries could be a cryptic process limited to relatively small areas of the ovarian cortex and occurring during a certain stage of the menstrual cycle. Such an event may require a specific milieu provided by factors involved in developmental processes, i.e., morphoregulatory molecules and macrophages. METHOD: Adult human ovaries were investigated by immunohistochemistry for surface epithelium and granulosa cell markers (cytokeratin 18 and MHC class I), immune system-related morphoregulatory molecules (Thy-1 glycoprotein and N-CAM), and macrophage phenotypes (CD14, CD68, and MHC class II). RESULTS: In some ovaries 300–500 μm areas of surface epithelium were overgrown by tunica albuginea, descended into the stroma, and apparently fragmented into individual small (20–40 μm) follicle-like cell nests. Differentiation of the surface epithelium was accompanied by macrophages and Thy-1 glycoprotein. Small segments of surface epithelium showed N-CAM and a lacked MHC class I expression. In such segments, clear spherical germ-like cells migrated into the deeper stroma, associated with the microvasculature, and eventually aggregated with follicle-like cell nests. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that surface epithelium may be involved in the formation of some primordial follicles in adult ovaries. This process, and further follicular fate, may require a precise interplay of immune system related morphoregulatory molecules and macrophages.
Granular cell lesions of the jaws and oral cavity: A clinicopathologic, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural study

A clinicopathological, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural study of 44 oral granular cell lesions was performed. A total of 35 mucosal granular cell tumors, 4 granular cell ameloblastomas, 1 lichen planus with granular cell change, and 3 congenital epulides of the newborn were studied. Pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia was found to occur in only a minority of these cases. Immunohistochemically, the majority of granular cell lesions were uniformly positive for S-100 protein and focally positive for vimentin in one half of the cases, suggestive of origin from a Schwann cell or a precursor mesenchymal cell. Congenital epulis of the newborn and central odontogenic granular cell tumor were negative for S-100 protein, epithelial membrane antigen (EMA), and prekeratin, suggesting a mesenchymal origin for these lesions.
STEREOSELECTIVE LINKAGES OF 2-DEOXYGLYCOSIDES WITH HINDERED ACCEPTORS

Abstract The use of 2-deoxyglycosyl phosphoramidites as glycosyl donors allows the construction of 2-deoxyglycosidic linkages in high yield and excellent α-stereoselectivity. © 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.
Pituitary function after removal of pituitary microadenomas in Cushing's disease.

Pituitary function has been studied sequentially after transsphenoidal removal of pituitary microadenomas in two men with Cushing's disease. Patient 1 gradually regained normal glucocorticoid levels with normal diurnal variation, metyrapone responsiveness, and low dose dexamethasone suppressibUity (17- hydroxycorticosteroid, 6.5–0.9 mg/24 h). GH levels rose from 1 to 35 ng/ml during insulin hypoglycemia and from 2.3 to 27 ng/ml during arginine infusion. PRL secretion rose normally in response to thorazine, and gonadotropin and TSH levels remained normal. Patient 2 regained significant metyrapone responsiveness by 9 months postoperatively (11-deoxycortisol rose to 11.7 μg/dl), had a normal spontaneous nocturnal rise in PRL secretion, and normal levels of testosterone and thyroid hormones. The return to normal of cortisol-ACTH dynamics and GH responsiveness in Patient 1 and the normal nocturnal surge in PRL secretion in Patient 2 imply that in these patients the etiology of Cushing's disease was not related...
Students’ motives for communicating with their instructors

The purpose of this study was to examine students’ motives for communicating with their instructors. Students were first asked why they communicate with their instructors. Based on their responses, a questionnaire was constructed that included these reasons and their interpersonal communication motives for communicating with their instructors. The results of a factor analysis identified five underlying reasons students communicate with their instructors: relational, functional, excuse, participation, and sycophancy. A canonical correlation analysis examined the relationship between these five reasons and participants’ trait interpersonal communication motives. Students who communicate with their instructors more often for all of the interpersonal communication motives tend to communicate more with their instructors to relate and participate, and to a lesser extent to offer excuses and for sycophantic reasons. The students who communicated for the interpersonal communication motive of control tended to com...
Purification of an activator of human erythrocyte membrane (Ca2++Mg2+)ATPase.

Summary An activator of human erythrocyte membrane (Ca2++Mg2+)ATPase has been isolated in highly purified form from membrane free hemolysate through a combination of carboxymethyl Sephadex chromatography and preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. This protein was found to have a highly negative charge and migrated as a single fast moving band on analytical polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. It has a specific activity twelve hundred fold higher than that of the membrane free hemolysate.
Mechanism studies of coomassie blue and silver staining of proteins

A relatively high complexation affinity has been found for coomassie blue G-250 and the following amino acids: arginine; tyrosine; lysine; and histidine. A linear relationship was observed between log molar absorptivity and log molecular weight of 52 of 69 proteins, polypeptides, and di- and tripeptides that were allowed to react with coomassie blue G-250 in solution. The solution complexation results were used in a study of the detection of the following model proteins: bovine serum albumin, lysozyme, recombinant DNA derived human insulin, and calmodulin. Interactions between coomassie blue stained gels and silver detection reagents were determined and used as the basis for studies of enhanced sensitivity of detection of electrophoretically developed proteins. Sensitivity enhancements of up to eight-fold were observed when various sulfonic acid dye complexed proteins were detected with silver reagents versus the use of silver reagents alone. A site-directed nucleation of silver caused by the protein complexed sulfonic acid dyes is proposed as a mechanism for the observed enhancements.
Vacancy relaxations in b.c.c. crystals

Vacancy relaxations in bcc crystals using energy dependence on radial displacements from defect of nearest neighbor sets, discussing crystal size and shape
Surface-enhanced Raman trajectories on a nano-dumbbell: transition from field to charge transfer plasmons as the spheres fuse.

By taking advantage of the tensor nature of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), we track trajectories of the linker molecule and a CO molecule chemisorbed at the hot spot of a nano-dumbbell consisting of dibenzyldithio-linked silver nanospheres. The linear Stark shift of CO serves as an absolute gauge of the local field, while the polyatomic spectra characterize the vector components of the local field. We identify surface-enhanced Raman optical activity due to a transient asperity in the nanojunction in an otherwise uneventful SERS trajectory. During fusion of the spheres, we observe sequential evolution of the enhanced spectra from dipole-coupled Raman to quadrupole- and magnetic dipole-coupled Raman, followed by a transition from line spectra to band spectra, and the full reversal of the sequence. From the spectrum of CO, the sequence can be understood to track the evolution of the junction plasmon resonance from dipolar to quadrupolar to charge transfer as a function of intersphere separation, which evolves at a speed of ∼1 A/min. The crossover to the conduction limit is marked by the transition of line spectra to Stark-broadened and shifted band spectra. As the junction closes on CO, the local field reaches 1 V/A, limited to a current of 1 electron per vibrational cycle passing through the molecule, with associated Raman enhancement factor via the charge transfer plasmon resonance of 10(12). The local field identifies that a sharp protrusion is responsible for room-temperature chemisorption of CO on silver. The asymmetric phototunneling junction, Ag-CO-Ag, driven by the frequency-tunable charge transfer plasmon of the dumbbell antenna, combines the design elements of an ideal rectifying photocollector.
Coordinate depression of bradykinin receptor recycling and microtubule-dependent transport by taxol.

Abstract Significant cardiovascular side effects have limited the use of taxol as an anticancer drug. A link between decreased plasma membrane dynamics and taxol has been implied because taxol can inhibit intracellular vesicle movements. Reduced membrane recycling caused by taxol could inhibit agonist-evoked Ca2+ signaling within endothelial cells, resulting in endothelium-dependent vasodilation. Bradykinin and ATP are two agonists that evoke Ca2+ transients in endothelial cells. Since the bradykinin receptor-agonist complex is internalized and recycled whereas the ATP agonist-receptor complex is not, we expected that a taxol inhibition of recycling would decrease bradykinin but not ATP receptor activity. We found that taxol depresses (i) the frequency (to 41% of control) and velocity (to 55% of control) of microtubule-dependent vesicle transport and (ii) bradykinin-evoked cytosolic Ca2+ transients (to 76% of control) in bovine aortic endothelial cells. In studying bradykinin receptor desensitization, which reflects receptor recycling, we demonstrate that taxol inhibits bradykinin-evoked Ca2+ transients by 50%. Taxol did not significantly alter ATP-evoked Ca2+ transients in either single-exposure or desensitization experiments. We suggest that taxol's reduction of bradykinin-evoked Ca2+ transients is due to altered microtubule-dependent membrane recycling. This report describes taxol's ability to alter plasma membrane composition through effects on vesicle transport and membrane trafficking pathways. This finding provides a possible mechanism by which taxol can substantially alter cardiovascular function.
Loss-induced on'off switching in a channel add'drop filter

We introduce a mechanism that provides an on/off switching capability in channel add-drop filter structures. These filters consist of two waveguides, a bus and a drop, coupled through a frequency-selective element. The switching functionality is achieved by incorporating materials with variable absorbing characteristics into the coupling element. When the variable material displays minimum absorption, the frequency channel of interest is transferred completely from the bus waveguide to the drop waveguide. When the variable material displays maximum absorption, the frequency channel is not transferred and remains essentially undisturbed in the bus waveguide. We also discuss the practical feasibility of realizing this approach using either electrical or mechanical means.
Recognizing the Top 25 Peer Reviewers for the Journal of Virology .

The performance of the Journal of Virology (JVI) during the past year (1 July 2012 to 30 June 2013) has been excellent. JVI had an Impact Factor of 5.076 for 2012, which puts the journal in sixth place among virology journals by Impact Factor. Even better, Journal of Virology was the no. 1 cited
Pediatric deaths reported after vaccination: the utility of information obtained from parents.

Abstract Background: The federally administered Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) is a passive reporting system that receives domestic and foreign reports of adverse events that occur following immunization. This investigation explored whether routinely interviewing parents for follow-up of VAERS pediatric deaths would provide additional information important to vaccine safety. Methods: The study was designed to follow up 100 consecutive pediatric deaths reported to VAERS by interviewing a parent and a healthcare provider (HCP) for each case. Several strategies contributed to successful follow-up. A standardized questionnaire was utilized to interview HCPs and parents. Overall and specific group frequencies (HCPs and parents) were calculated for each variable. McNemar’s statistical tests of exact inference were calculated to assess whether there were statistically significant differences between HCP and parent knowledge by case for various variables. Results: The median age of the cases was 4 months. Approximately half of the deaths were attributed to sudden infant death syndrome. In many instances, the information was equivalent in quality. For certain variables, such as knowledge of the child’s position when found in distress, more parents than HCPs indicated that they knew the answer. Conclusions: Conducting parental and HCP follow-up for pediatric deaths reported to VAERS was resource intensive. In some instances, parents were more likely than HCPs to provide information regarding some important variables about the nature of the death. None of the additional information obtained from parents, however, provided a signal or confirmation of a causal link between the vaccine and death.
Application of capillary ion electrophoresis and ion chromatography for the determination of O-acetate groups in bacterial polysaccharides

Many bacterial polysaccharides possess O-linked acetate groups as constituents of their repeating units which often can serve as immunological determinants. It is therefore important to develop analytical methods for process monitoring as well as product characterization when such O-acetylated polysaccharides are used as components of vaccines. This is the case in a polysaccharide conjugate vaccine under development for treatment of diseases caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae. An ion chromatographic (IC) method utilizing suppressed conductivity detection (SCD) was developed to quantitatively measure O-acetate groups in the capsular polysaccharides from S. pneumoniae types 18C and 9V following hydrolytic release of O-acetate from the polysaccharide backbones using 2 mM sodium hydroxide. IC was carried out using an OmniPac PAX-500 column and 0.98 mM NaOH in 2% methanol as the mobile phase. Capillary ion electrophoresis (CIE) with indirect photometric detection was evaluated as an alternative method. The CIE method utilized a 72 cm x 75 microns I.D. fused-silica capillary and an electrolyte composed of 5 mM potassium hydrogenphthalate, 0.5 mM tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide, and 2 mM sodium tetraborate, pH 5.88. A comparison of CIE and IC-SCD in terms of reproducibility, accuracy, linearity, and sensitivity will be presented.
Galectin-3 mediates post-ischemic tissue remodeling.

Abstract Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is a member of a class of carbohydrate-binding proteins and plays a role in a number of cellular functions such as cell proliferation, angiogenesis and differentiation. We observed an up-regulated expression of Gal-3 in the ischemic brain following transient middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats. Compared to the brain of sham-operated rats, the expression of Gal-3 was increased in the ischemic striatum at day 1 of reperfusion. The number of Gal-3+ cells in the ischemic brain was further increased at day 2 and day 3, and peaked at day 7 of reperfusion. The up-regulated expression of Gal-3 persisted from day 14 to 2 months after reperfusion. Double staining showed co-localization of Gal-3 with OX-42+ cells, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)+ and ED1+ cells, suggesting that activated microglia/infiltrating macrophages and activated astrocytes are the primary source of Gal-3 in the ischemic brain. In the in vitro setting, Gal-3 treatment dose-dependently stimulated the proliferation of endothelial cells and neural progenitors. Blockade of Gal-3 activity by infusing a neutralizing antibody against Gal-3 into the ischemic striatum decreased ischemia-induced angiogenesis and the proliferation of neural progenitors. These results suggest that Gal-3 expressed by activated microglia/infiltrating macrophages and astrocytes in the ischemic brain may play a role in post-ischemic tissue remodeling by enhancing angiogenesis and neurogenesis.
Confused meanings of life, genes and parents

Abstract Questions concerning the moral status of embryos, the validity of new technologies for human reproduction, ownership of one's own genes, gene patenting, privacy and discrimination have all been raised and debated. Although debate is healthy, it is only useful if all participants understand the fundamental biological principles underlying human life, human genes and human parenthood. Many people believe that science can play no role in determining when human life begins. I argue that this false assumption is based on a failure to separate different contradictory meanings of the term ‘human life’. In actuality, science has provided great insight into when and how human life and human beings come into existence. I argue as well that, contrary to our intuitive feelings, there is no physical connection between any father and his son; shared genes represent shared information and nothing more. Nevertheless, the feeling of a physical connection between parent and child is very real and instinctive, no matter how false it may be. These new understandings have profound ramifications for the way we treat issues surrounding human reproduction, including both abortion and assisted reproductive technologies.
Mode I and mixed mode fracture of polysilicon for MEMS

An experimental study was carried out to investigate the local and effective fracture behaviour of polycrystalline silicon for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). The apparent mode I critical stress intensity factor was determined from MEMS-scale tension specimens containing atomically sharp edge pre-cracks, while local deformation fields were recorded near the crack tip, with high resolution by the in situ Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM)/Digital Image Correlation (DIC) method previously developed by this group. The effective mode I critical stress intensity factor varied in the range 0.843–1.225 MPa√m. This distribution of values was attributed to local (in grain) cleavage anisotropy and to enhanced grain boundary toughening. The same sources resulted in very different local and macroscopic (apparent) stress intensity factors, which, combined with the small grain size of polysilicon (0.3 μm,) were the reason for subcritical crack growth that was evidenced experimentally by AFM topographic and AFM/DIC displacement measurements. The effect of local in-grain anisotropy and granular inhomogeneity was stronger under mixed mode loading of edge cracks inclined at angles up to 55° with respect to the applied far-field load. The KI–KII locus was characterized by scatter in the KIc values but on average it followed the curves calculated by the maximum tensile stress and the maximum energy release rate criteria calculated assuming isotropy.
Interface trap and interface depletion in lattice-mismatched GaInAs/GaAs heterostructures

The effects of lattice mismatch on the deep traps and interface depletion have been studied for the Ga0.92In0.08As(p+)/GaAs(N) and Ga0.92In0.08As(n)/GaAs(SI) heterostructures grown by molecular beam epitaxy. We have used deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS) and admittance spectroscopy (AS) and observed two hole traps, one at an energy ranging from 0.1 to 0.4 eV and the other at 0.64 eV, and two electron traps at 0.49 and 0.83 eV in the GalnAs/GaAsp+-N junction sample. The hole trap appeared as a broad peak in the DLTS data and its energy distribution (0.1 ∼ 0.4 eV) was obtained by a simulation fitting of the peak. Concentration of this distributed hole trap increased as the in-plane mismatch increased, suggesting its relation to defects induced by lattice relaxation, whereas the other traps are from the bulk. The misfit dislocations are believed to be responsible for the interface trap. For the Ga0.92In0.08As(n)/GaAs(SI) samples, Hall effect measurements showed an increased interface depletion width of about 0.14 Μm for the 0.5 Μm thick layer and about 0.12 /gmm for the 0.25 Μm thick layer, while a corresponding GaAs/GaAs sample had only 0.088 Μm for the interface depletion width.
Papaverine blockade of an inward slow Ca2+ current in guinea pig heart

Abstract The membrane potentials of the ventricular fibers at the epicardial surface of isolated perfused guinea pig hearts were recorded with intracellular microelectrodes. Papaverine ( 15 mg 100 ml ) markedly depressed the rate of rise (to about 10V/s) within 10–15 min, prolonged the duration of the action potential, and abolished the contractions, i.e., the hearts became electromechanically uncoupled. The rate of rise or overshoot of this slowly-rising action potential was not affected by tetrodotoxin (TTX). Papaverine also abolished within 3 min the slowly-rising overshooting, plateau-like responses (with accompanying contractions) induced by isoproterenol (10−7 m ) in hearts perfused with 27 m m K+ (cells depolarized to −40 mV) to inactivate the fast Na+ channels. The effects of papaverine were readily reversible. The cyclic AMP levels of the ventricles were elevated nearly 3 fold by papaverine, and the ATP levels were not significantly depressed. Verapamil and metabolic inhibitors did not increase the cyclic AMP levels. These results suggest that papaverine has three major actions: (1) it blocks fast Na+ channels; (2) it directly blocks the inward slow Ca2+ current (like verapamil does), but leaves a TTX-insensitive slow cation current (presumably Na+) operational in 2.7 m m K+; and (3) it increases cyclic AMP levels, presumably by acting as a phosphodiesterase inhibitor.
The core signaling proteins of bacterial chemotaxis assemble to form an ultrastable complex.

The chemosensory pathway of bacterial chemotaxis forms a polar signaling cluster in which the fundamental signaling units, the ternary complexes, are arrayed in a highly cooperative, repeating lattice. The repeating ternary units are composed of transmembrane receptors, histidine-kinase CheA, and coupling protein CheW, but it is unknown how these three core proteins are interwoven in the assembled ultrasensitive lattice. Here, to further probe the nature of the lattice, we investigate its stability. The findings reveal that once the signaling cluster is assembled, CheA remains associated and active for days in vitro. All three core components are required for this ultrastable CheA binding and for receptor-controlled kinase activity. The stability is disrupted by low ionic strength or high pH, providing strong evidence that electrostatic repulsion between the highly acidic core components can lead to disassembly. We propose that ultrastability arises from the assembled lattice structure that establishes mu...
Factors affecting reproductive performance of dairy cows first inseminated after five weeks postpartum.

Various factors influencing reproduction of 307 Holstein cows were evaluated. Sources of variation of several measures were estrous certainty, time of day of detected estrus and insemination, method of thawing semen, ease of cervix penetration, presence of clear mucus at insemination, service number, service sire, inseminator, age of cow, maximum ambient temperature on the service date, and milk yield. Interval to first service of older cows was longer than of younger cows and shorter for cows with higher milk yield. Conception rate was higher for inseminations before noon than after noon and tended to be lower at inseminations when milk yield was at the extremes (low or high). Rate of conception was similar for cows whether inseminated at early or later postpartum intervals. More services were required by cows that were inseminated when milk yield was at the extremes (low or high). Fewer days open were associated with fewer total services and younger age at conception. Cows inseminated with semen thawed in hot (65°C, 7 to 10 s) or warm (35°C, 30 s) water conceived earlier postpartum than did those inseminated with semen thawed in the cow. Submitting cows for insemination after detection of standing estrus, mounting activity, or less certain symptoms of estrus had no adverse effect on fertility or days open.
Synthesis and Reactivity of Calix[4]arene-Based Copper Complexes1

The interaction of copper and oxygen with calix[4]arenes carrying one or two chelating moieties on the upper rim has been investigated. The chelating moieties include pyrazolylethyl and pyridylethyl functions attached to an amino nitrogen separated from the calixarene rim by one or two methylene groups. The products obtained by treatment of the pyrazole-based calixarenes with Cu(I) and Cu(II) are stable to oxidation (by O2) and reduction (by MeOH), respectively. Those produced by treatment of the pyridine-based calixarenes with Cu(I), however, are more reactive and undergo intramolecular oxidation at the benzylic carbon of the chelate-containing side chain. Putative pathways for the decomposition of the dicopper−dioxygen complexes are discussed.
The Amazonian Theater of Cruelty

This article deploys the “Theater of Cruelty,” articulated by the French surrealist Antonin Artaud, as a conceptual heuristic to explicate the empirical world of contemporary Amazonia, in particular the “South of Para,” a site of land war and forest destruction, which the Theater of Cruelty posits as a single dramatic event. We pursue this explication via direct physical immersion, in the form of a travelogue following State Road PA-150 from Maraba to Eldorado dos Carajas, the scene of a massacre of nineteen land reform activists, shot down by Brazilian military police in collusion with the landed elite in 1996. Along the way, we have occasion to encounter the land reform movements and the forces of repression, which we depict both descriptively and theoretically, using our field trip as a point of departure for philosophical elaboration. To this end, we activate Artaud's “Theater of Cruelty” to disclose the nature of violent conflict in the region. We suggest that theater, more generally, provides struct...
Spectral sensitivity differences between rhesus monkeys and humans: implications for neurophysiology.

Spectral sensitivity of humans and rhesus monkeys was compared using identical displays and similar procedures. Detection thresholds were measured for the following: 1) 15-Hz modulation of a blue a...
ANALYSIS OF GEOSYNTHETIC REINFORCED SOIL USING A SIMPLE TRANSFORM FUNCTION

Abstract The use of geosynthetic to reinforce soft-soils or peat in order to improve the load-settlement response is quite common. In such cases a layer of engineered fill, reinforced with a geosynthetic, is placed on the soft ground and the load is supported by the granular fill. In the present paper a procedure is outlined for the analysis of such a geothynthetic reinforced soil system. The granular fill is assumed to be rigid-strain hardening plastic and the soft soil is modeled by a Winkler type foundation. The grid is considered to be “rough” on its surfaces and be linearly elastic when subjected to tensile stresses. A simple transform function is used in the analysis. Through the analysis performed the influence of various factors such as the degree of overconsolidation (through compaction) of the fill, its dilatational properties, and the tangent modulus of the geogrid are investigated and discussed.
Effect of Anoxia on Cyclic Nucleotides and Inositol Phosphate Turnover in Cardiac Myocytes

The loss of 5′-nucleotides (especially ATP and GTP) from cardiac muscle cells is a distinguishing feature of myocardial ischemia. Isolated adult rat cardiac myocytes were used as a model system to determine whether GTP depletion could affect (1) the ability of the myocytes to synthesize cyclic GMP (cGMP), or (2) the ability of the myocytes to respond toα-adrenergic challenge. Myocytes were made anoxic for 30- or 60-min periods, then challenged with either 1 mmsodium nitroprusside (NaNP) for 1 min or 40μmnorepinephrine (NE) for 20 min. The cells were extracted and the extracts assayed for cyclic GMP (NaNP challenge) or phosphoinositides (NE challenge). When challenged with NaNP, anoxic myocytes made up to five-fold more cGMP than aerobic controls (1401±353 fmol cGMP/mg cell protein in anoxic cellsv121±23 fmol/mg in aerobic controls). Phosphoinositide turnover was reduced in anoxic cellsvaerobic controls. Stimulation of this pathway by NE was reduced two-fold after 30 min of anoxia, and abolished after 60 min of anoxia. Similar results were obtained with 30μmand 60μmphenylephrine. The authors concluded that nucleotide depletion under anoxic conditions has no effect on the production of cyclic GMP, but may interfere with the linkage of α-adrenergic receptors to phosphatidylinositol breakdown.
Efficient analysis of periodic structures using a wide-band formulation of the Helmholtz Green's function

The generalized admittance matrix which characterizes the aperture plane of an infinite phased array is computed in the space domain using a wideband formulation of the periodic structure potential Green's functions. Each potential Green's function is expressed as a simple polynomial in frequency plus a correction consisting of a highly accelerated modal series. The polynomial coefficients consist of infinite series of spatial contributions which exhibit even more rapid exponential or Gaussian convergence characteristics. By grouping together the spatial contributions to the admittance matrix which correspond to specific powers of frequency, this portion of the matrix can be expressed as a rational function of frequency, the coefficients of which are computed only once and stored for reuse at new analysis frequencies. The modal correction series must be computed at each new analysis frequency, but it can be efficiently evaluated in tabular form using the fast Fourier transform. A simple, low-order interpolation scheme is then used to evaluate it rapidly at arbitrary locations within the unit cell. >
Landscapes of death: GIS-based analyses of chullpas in the western Lake Titicaca basin

Abstract The western Lake Titicaca basin is marked by above-ground funerary towers, known as chullpas, located in a variety of geographical contexts and dating to the Late Intermediate Period, or LIP (AD 1100–1450), and Late Horizon (AD 1450–1532). Over the years, interpretations of these tombs have concentrated upon their roles as loci for ancestral veneration and their abilities to perpetuate memory, delineate social ties and territories, and demarcate access to resources. These views share the implicit or explicit assumption that these mortuary structures were intended to be highly visible. Yet this assumption has never been formally tested. By using GIS-based geospatial tools and statistical analysis, this paper investigates the extent to which chullpas surveyed in the western Lake Titicaca basin visually dominated the landscape. These tombs were not positioned in random locations; they exhibit a high degree of clustering and were built in highly visible areas that could be seen from sites of occupation and regions of economic importance such as Lake Umayo. This paper suggests that this landscape of death was deliberately constructed to have an enduring social impact.
Specific identification of lysed target cells in a heterogeneous population by a double-fluorescent label technique.

A double-fluorescent label method for the specific identification of target cells during cytotoxicity testing of a mixed cell population is described. When used for the detection of pancreatic islet cell surface antibodies, damaged cells are identified by the uptake of ethidium bromide (see as cells with orange nuclei when examined under rhodamine filters) and the various islet cell types are simultaneously identified by indirect immunofluorescent staining with the appropriate islet hormone antiserum and FITC-conjugated second antibody (seen as cells with green cytoplasma when examined under fluorescein filters). In this way, we have shown the insulin-containing beta cell to be the target of islet cell surface antibodies. This technique may be particularly useful in the study of autoimmune endocrine diseases where in vitro cytotoxicity testing would involve target cells intermixed with other cell types (e.g., adrenal gland, pituitary of gonadal tissue).
On leader selection for performance and controllability in multi-agent systems

In a leader-follower multi-agent system (MAS), a set of leader agents act as external control inputs and are used to influence the dynamics of the remaining follower agents. Current approaches to selecting leaders are based on either achieving controllability of the follower agents or optimizing performance criteria such as robustness to noise, but not both. In this paper, we present a framework for selecting leaders based on joint consideration of controllability and performance. We first show that for the case where the number of nodes that can act as leaders is sufficient to guarantee controllability, the leader selection problem can be posed within a matroid optimization framework. For the case where the number of nodes that can serve as leaders is fixed and may not be sufficient for controllability, we introduce a new metric, the graph controllability index (GCI), defined as the fraction of network nodes that are controllable using the leader set. We prove that the GCI is a submodular function of the set of leader agents, leading to a submodular relaxation to the problem of achieving controllability. Our results are demonstrated using simulation study and compared to other leader selection algorithms, including random, average degree and descending order of degree based leader selection.
The Soft-Line Solution to Pereboom's Four-Case Argument

Derk Pereboom's Four-Case Argument is among the most famous and resilient manipulation arguments against compatibilism. I contend that its resilience is not a function of the argument's soundness b...