cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A [Relational] Theory of Procedure

Policymakers continue to grapple with the question of how to maximize the institutional legitimacy of legal dispute resolution procedures. Recently, prominent scholars have begun advocating for a value-based approach to legal regulation, which seeks to maximize voluntary compliance with the law because members of the public believe that legal institutions share their values, rather than out of fear of punishment for failing to comply with legal rules. Forty years ago, psychologist John Thibaut and law professor Laurens Walker published their influential article on institutional design, 'A Theory of Procedure,' in the California Law Review. Their comprehensive theory contained three arguments. First, the primary aims of legal dispute resolution are to establish factual truth and provide justice to disputants. Second, there are just two fundamental conflicts: “cognitive conflicts” that focus primarily on resolving the truth of a dispute, and “conflicts of interest” that focus primarily on the just allocation of resources between disputants. Third, there are two primary ways to resolve disputes: through an inquisitorial procedure, which prioritizes truth, or through an adversarial procedure, which prioritizes justice. Despite the influence of Thibaut and Walker’s claims, no one has directly tested whether the public perceives the legal system, legal conflicts, and legal procedures in the manner that Thibaut and Walker suggest, and no one has proffered a value-based model of institutional legitimacy based on a test of their theory. This Article fills that gap by proffering an updated model of institutional legitimacy informed by insights from experimental social psychology. This model’s central feature is relationality — a psychological concept that focuses on the interactive dynamics of societal group members — which manifests itself in the public’s attitudes toward the objectives of different legal conflicts, the priorities of different legal procedures, and the purposes of the law more generally. This Article reports the results from three original psychology experiments that demonstrate that the perceived legitimacy of legal dispute resolution is enhanced when the public perceives an alignment between the goals of a legal dispute and the perceived priorities of the procedure that resolves it. Specifically, decisions from legal tribunals governing disputes low in relationality are legitimized when they are adjudicated through inquisitorial means, and decisions from tribunals governing disputes high in relationality are legitimized when they are subject to adversarial resolution. Far-reaching implications for legal institutional design are discussed.
The association between depression and type of treatments received for chronic low back pain.

BACKGROUND Depression is associated with receipt of opioids in non-cancer pain. OBJECTIVES To determine whether the receipt of opioid therapy modifies the relationship of depression and use of multiple non-opioid pain treatments. METHODS Patients (n = 320) with chronic low back pain (CLBP) were recruited from family medicine clinics and completed questionnaires that measured use of home remedies, physical treatments requiring a provider and non-opioid medication treatments. A binary variable defined use (yes/no) of all three non-opioid treatment categories. Depression (yes/no) was measured with the PHQ-2. The use of opioids (yes/no) was determined by medical record abstraction. Unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression models, stratified on opioid use, estimated the association between depression and use of all three non-opioid treatments. RESULTS Participants were mostly female (71.3%), non-white (57.5%) and 69.4% were aged 18 to 59 years. In adjusted analyses stratified by opioid use, depression was not significantly associated with using three non-opioid treatments (OR = 2.20; 95% CI = 0.80-6.07) among non-opioid users; but among opioid users, depression was significantly associated with using three non-opioid treatments (OR = 3.21; 95% CI: 1.14-8.99). These odds ratios were not significantly different between opioid users and non-users (P = 0.609). CONCLUSION There is modest evidence to conclude that patients with CLBP and comorbid depression, compared with those without depression, were more likely to try both opioid and non-opioid pain treatments. Non-response to other pain treatments may partly explain why depression is associated with greater prescription opioid use.
Chapter 143 – Isoptera: (Termites)

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the Isoptera (termites). They are small and white to tan or sometimes black. They are sometimes called “white ants” and can be confused with true ants (Hymenoptera). However, a closer look reveals two easily observed, distinguishing features: termites have straight antennae and a broad waist between the thorax and the abdomen, whereas ants have elbowed antennae and a narrow waist. For reproductive forms, termites have four equally sized wings, whereas ants have two pairs of dissimilarly sized wings. Termite families traditionally were categorized as lower or higher. However, this categorization may change soon as newer classification systems are adopted. Lower termites (families Mastotermitidae, Kalotermitidae, Termopsidae, Hodotermitidae, Rhinotermitidae, and Serritermitidae) have symbiotic intestinal protozoa and bacteria. Higher termites (Termitidae) have intestinal bacteria only. Some termites are destructive feeders and consume homes, other wooden structures, and agricultural crops. In some regions of the world, tunneling by termites damages dams, which then results in flooding. For termite control, the extent of the infestation must be assessed. Visual searching and probing of wood are the dominant means of inspection. However, the efficacy of visual searches is questionable because structures have inaccessible areas.
k-Connectivity in Random Graphs induced by Pairwise Key Predistribution Schemes

Random key predistribution schemes serve as a viable solution for facilitating secure communication in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). We analyze reliable connectivity of a heterogeneous WSN under the random pairwise key predistribution scheme of Chan et al. According to this scheme, each of the n sensor nodes is classified as type-1 (respectively, type-2) with probability μ (respectively, 1 − μ) where 0 n ) other node selected uniformly at random; each pair is then assigned a unique pairwise key so that they can securely communicate with each other. A main question in the design of secure and heterogeneous WSNs is how should the parameters n, μ, and K n be selected such that resulting network exhibits certain desirable properties with high probability. Of particular interest is the strength of connectivity often studied in terms of k-connectivity; i.e., with k = 1, 2, …, the property that the network remains connected despite the removal of any k − 1 nodes or links. In this paper, we answer this question by analyzing the inhomogeneous random K-out graph model naturally induced under the heterogeneous pairwise scheme. It was recently established that this graph is 1-connected asymptotically almost surely (a.a.s.) if and only if K n = ω(1). Here, we show that for k = 2, 3, …, we need to set ${K_n} = \frac{1}{{1 - \mu }}\left( {\log n + (k - 2)\log \log n + \omega (1)} \right)$ for the network to be k-connected a.a.s. The result is given in the form of a zero-one law indicating that the network is a.a.s. not k-connected when ${K_n} = \frac{1}{{1 - \mu }}\left( {\log n + (k - 2)\log \log n - \omega (1)} \right)$. We present simulation results to demonstrate the usefulness of the results in the finite node regime.
Unexpected Pathogenic RET p.V804M Variant Leads to the Clinical Diagnosis and Management of Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma

BACKGROUND RET p.V804M is a known activating oncogenic variant that confers an increased risk for medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). Based on age-specific penetrance, the American Thyroid Association (ATA) categorizes this variant as posing moderate risk. Therefore, ATA guidelines endorse prophylactic thyroidectomy for carriers in childhood (by age 5-10 years) or adulthood, or when the serum calcitonin level becomes elevated. The recommendation for thyroidectomy is increasingly controversial due to the recently reported low penetrance of the RET p.V804M variant in a large unbiased ascertainment cohort. CASE REPORT We describe the unexpected identification of this variant in a 62-year-old woman undergoing broad, multigene cancer panel testing for her personal and family history of breast cancer. There was no known family history of MTC. Biochemical screening prompted by the RET p.V804M result revealed a mildly elevated serum calcitonin. Pathology examination of her thyroidectomy specimen revealed multifocal medullary thyroid microcarcinoma; her sibling's prophylactic thyroidectomy after a RET p.V840M-positive result similarly revealed early-stage MTC. CONCLUSIONS This report demonstrates the value of genetic counseling, shared decision-making, cascade testing, and timely thyroidectomy in the management of a patient with an unexpected RET p.V804M result.
The Art of Theaster Gates: To “Conjure the Symbolic”

There’s a way in which artists might have the power to conjure the symbolic, to do the things in the world that other folks couldn’t imagine. –Theaster Gates 1 The agency of human labor is a recurr...
Impact of Country Financial Development on the Firm: International Evidence

The impact of financial development of a country on the earnings, capital spending, and stock returns of the firms of that country is the subject of this study. There are two different financial development indices which are utilized. The first is based on Love (2003), and the second is based on Khurana (2006). Using 40 different countries, the causality relationships and cumulative impacts of the lags of earnings and lags of capital spending on subsequent earnings, capital spending, and returns are examined for the financially developed countries and financially non-developed countries. Earnings and capital spending Granger-cause stock returns in financially developed countries. There is also evidence of efficiency in financially developed countries.
A Pilot Study to Quantify Breast Lymphedema for Patients Undergoing Breast Conserving Therapy (BCT) for Breast Cancer.

Purpose/Objective(s) Upper extremity lymphedema after axillary lymph node dissection and radiation for breast cancer has been well described and studied. As modern treatment techniques have reduced the incidence of arm lymphedema, breast lymphedema has emerged as a common result of BCT and is associated with poor wound healing, infection and impact on quality of life. Because there is no established tool for its evaluation and quantification, we explored the feasibility of using ultrasound to measure breast lymphedema objectively. We evaluated whether this measure correlated with clinical assessment, treatment factors, and patient-reported outcomes. Materials/Methods We enrolled 30 women with malignant breast cancer treated with breast conserving surgery, sentinel lymph node biopsy, and breast radiation. Another 10 women with benign disease who had not undergone BCT were sampled as controls. Ultrasound measurements of dermal thickness were performed on the treated breast and untreated breast at the 6:00 position. Post-treatment assessments included physical exam and quality of life DASH questionnaire. We quantified breast lymphedema as the dermal thickness of the affected breast minus the dermal thickness of the unaffected breast. Breast lymphedema was considered present if dermal thickness difference was above the highest-observed value in the benign patients. Results Mean age (± SD) was SD 59 ± 13 in the malignant group and 46.4 ± 17 in the benign group and groups were similar with regard to body mass index. Mean dermal thickness difference was higher in the malignant group compared with the benign group (1.03 mm and 0 mm, respectively). Seventy percent of patients in the malignant group met our definition of breast lymphedema (n = 21) and were more likely to report impact on quality of life pertaining to sexual activity (24% vs 11%), breast sensation (52% vs 16%), sleep quality (33% vs 21%) and confidence (24% vs 5%) than patients without breast lymphedema. Extent of axillary surgery was associated with a 1.29 mm increase in difference in dermal thickness for patients with > = 4 nodes removed (95% CI: -0.22, 2.80). The volume of breast tissue radiated was also positively associated, with every 100cc increase in breast volume radiated associated with a 0.17mm greater dermal thickness difference (95% CI: 0.04, 0.30mm). However, there was no association with percent of breast tissue receiving > 105% of prescribed dose (95% CI: -0.07, 0.01), hypofractionation vs. standard fractionation (95% CI: -1.2, 0.68) or total radiation dose (95% CI: -0.5, 1.2). Conclusion Breast lymphedema is an impactful sequela of breast cancer treatment but remains understudied with no standard measurement tools. Our pilot study demonstrates that ultrasound is a promising tool for the characterization of breast lymphedema and may improve our understanding of patient and modifiable treatment risk factors.
The Chemistry of Anionic Antimony Selenides

Abstract The reaction of [HFe(CO)4]− with various binary antimony selenides was investigated. In the presence of Sb2Se3 the organometallic anion acts as a reducing agent leading to formation of [Sb4Se6]2- which has a crown shaped geometry with a transannular Sb-Sb bond. Reaction with Sb2Se5 leads to incorporation of iron carbonyl with formation of a dimer of formula [Fe2(CO)4(SbSe4)2]2-. The cluster contains two Fe(CO)2 fragments bridged by SbSe4 3- units. The main group anions are not tetrathiometallates, but rather a trivalent Sb bound to two selenides and a diselenide. Both compounds were structurally characterized as their [PPh4]+ salts. Crystal data for [PPh4]2[Sb4Se6], triclinic, P-1, a = 10.124(2)A, b = 14.670(2)A, c = 17.352(2)A, α = 96.42(2)˚, β = 95.78(2)˚, γ = 97.09(2)˚, V = 2524.2(7)A3, Z = 2, R = 0.0377, Rw = 0.0465; crystal data for [PPh4]2[Fe2(CO)4(SbSe4)2], monoclinic, P21/n, a = 15.552(5)A, b = 110.279(3)A, c = 18.159(6)A, β = 101.72(3)˚, V = 2819(1)A3, Z = 2, R = 0.0372, Rw = 0.0395.
Generating parallel random sequences via parameterizing EICGs for heterogeneous computing environments

Monte Carlo (MC) simulations are considered to be ideal for parallelization because a large Monte Carlo problem can often be easily broken up into many small, essentially independent, subproblems. Many Monte Carlo applications are suitable for grid computing environments. In such an environment, the number of substreams is not known in advance in the computing task. This is a challenge for generating random sequences by using the traditional splitting method, which is aimed at ways of partitioning the full period of a single sequence into parallel substreams. Explicit inversive congruential generator(EICG)[1] with prime modulus has some very compelling properties for parallel Monte Carlo simulations. EICG is an excellent pseudorandom number generator for parallalizing via parameterizing. This paper describes an implementation of parallel random number sequences by varying a set of different parameters instead of splitting a single random sequence. Comparisons with linear and nonlinear generators in the library: SPRNG[2] are presented.
Primary structure of the monomer of the 12S subunit of transcarboxylase as deduced from DNA and characterization of the product expressed in Escherichia coli.

Transcarboxylase from Propionibacterium shermanii is a complex biotin-containing enzyme composed of 30 polypeptides of three different types: a hexameric central 12S subunit to which 6 outer 5S subunits are attached through 12 1.3S biotinyl subunits. The enzyme catalyzes a two-step reaction in which methylmalonyl coenzyme A and pyruvate serve as substrates to form propionyl coenzyme A (propionyl-CoA) and oxalacetate, the 12S subunit specifically catalyzing one of the two reactions. We report here the cloning, sequencing, and expression of the 12S subunit. The gene was identified by matching amino acid sequences derived from isolated authentic 12S peptides with the deduced sequence of an open reading frame present in a cloned P. shermanii genomic fragment known to contain the gene encoding the 1.3S biotinyl subunit. The cloned 12S gene encodes a protein of 604 amino acids and of M(r) 65,545. The deduced sequence shows regions of extensive homology with the beta subunit of mammalian propionyl-CoA carboxylase as well as regions of homology with acetyl-CoA carboxylase from several species. Two genomic fragments were subcloned into pUC19 in an orientation such that the 12S open reading frame could be expressed from the lac promoter of the vector. Crude extracts prepared from these cells contained an immunoreactive band on Western blots (immunoblots) which comigrated with authentic 12S. The Escherichia coli-expressed 12S was purified to apparent homogeneity by a three-step procedure and compared with authentic 12S from P. shermanii. Their quaternary structures were identical by electron microscopy, and the E. coli 12S preparation was fully active in the reactions catalyzed by this subunit. We conclude that we have cloned, sequenced, and expressed the 12S subunit which exists in a hexameric active form in E.coli.
Chemical Changes in Food during Processing—An Overview

Without exception, the major methods currently used to commercially preserve foods, namely, heating, cooling (chilling, freezing), reduction of water activity (concentration, dehydration), and fermentation, were originally developed with little knowledge of the chemical consequences. However, since their commercialization, science has caught up with practice not only for these well-established processes but also for more recent processing techniques (e. g., alkali processing of soy proteins). As a consequence, a considerable body of information has accumulated concerning the chemical consequences of food processing on the sensory properties, nutritive value, and wholesomeness of foods. It is indisputable that processing can and does result in extensive chemical changes in food, with the kind and degree of these changes depending upon the food, the specific process, and the associated handling and storage procedures employed.
Ball thrombi in the heart

Abstract Three ball thrombi have been encountered in 156 consecutive autopsy cases in which rheumatic heart disease was the principal or an important contributory cause of death. Rheumatic mitral stenosis with auricular fibrillation was present in all three cases. The ball thrombi occurred in the left atrium. It cannot be determined whether the ball thrombi were the cause of attacks of syncope which two of these patients suffered. The third patient died suddenly. At autopsy a smooth ovoid shaped thrombus was found wedged into the stenosed mitral orifice.
Observation of deficit in NuMI neutrino-induced rock and non-fiducial muons in MINOS Far Detector and measurement of neutrino oscillation parameters

The MINOS (Main Injector Neutrino Oscillation Search) experiment has observed muon neutrino disappearance consistent with the oscillation hypothesis tested by Super-Kamiokande and K2K. The survival probability for {nu}{sub {mu}} is given approximately by 1 - sin{sup 2}2{theta}{sub 23}sin{sup 2}(1.27{Delta}m{sup 2}{sub 32}L/E), where{theta}{sub 23} and {Delta}m{sup 2}{sub 32} are the mixing angle and difference in mass squared in eV{sup 2}/c{sup 4} between the mass eigenstates {nu}{sub 3} and {nu}{sub 2}, L is the distance traveled in km, and E is the neutrino energy in GeV. In the Near Detector at Fermilab, a measurement of the energy spectrum of the NuMI neutrino beam is made 1 km from the beam target. The neutrinos travel to the Far Detector in the Soudan Underground Laboratory, where another measurement of the energy spectrum is made 735 km from the target. MINOS measures |{Delta}m{sub 32}{sup 2}| and sin{sup 2}2{theta}{sub 23} by comparing the ND and FD neutrino energy spectra. In this dissertation, a n alternate method is presented that utilizes rock muons, a class of events that occur when a {nu}{sub {mu}} interaction takes place in the rock surrounding the FD. Many muons that result from these interactions penetrate the rock and reach the detector. Muon events from {nu}{sub {mu}} interactions in the non-fiducial volume of the FD are also used in this analysis. The distribution of reconstructed muon momentum and direction relative to the beam is predicted by Monte Carlo simulation, normalized by the measured {nu}{sub {mu}} energy spectrum at the ND. In the first year of NuMI running (an exposure of 1.27x10{sup 20} protons on target) 117 selected events are observed below 3.0 GeV/c, where 150.2{+-}16.1 events are expected. When a fit is performed to events below 10.0 GeV/c, the null (no disappearance) hypothesis is ruled out at significance level {alpha} = 4.2 x 10{sup -3}. The data are consistent with the oscillation hypothesis given parameter values |{Delta}m{sup 2}{sub 32}| = 2.32 {+-}{sup 1.06}{sub 0.75} x 10{sup -3} eV{sup 2}/c{sup 4} (stat+sys) and sin{sup 2}2{theta}{sub 23} > 0.48 (68% CL) which is in agreement with the published MINOS result |{Delta}m{sup 2}{sub 32}| = 2.74 {+-}{sup 0.44}{sub 0.26} x 10{sup -3} eV{sup 2}/c{sup 4} (stat+sys) and sin{sup 2}2{theta}{sub 23} > 0.87 (68% CL).
Alternative interaction between spinor and Yang-Mills fields

We introduce a new interaction between the classical spinor-isospinor field and the Yang-Mills field. This interaction is derived from a Lagrangian density that is invariant under Lorentz transformations in space-time and local unimodular transformations in isospace. We find a new conserved isovector current density via Noether’s theorem. The source of the isoscalar part of the Yang-Mills field is an isoscalar current density, which has to be conserved as a constraint; the corresponding charge is no longer positive definite, which makes this formalism suitable for use in the context of relativistic quantum mechanics.
Fluorescent microRNA biosensors: a comparison of signal generation to quenching

Many microRNA biosensor platforms use fluorescence signal generation or quenching; however, signal generation is often regarded as the superior method. An argument can be made that if the noise is the same for both methods, then there should be no difference between the two methods. Current literature details the analytical figures of merit (FOM) for transduction and recognition mechanisms that use either signal generation or quenching, but lacks a direct comparison using the same fluorescent reporter molecule. Here we provide such a direct comparison. The signal-on and signal-off fluorescence metrics were found to be comparable rather than competitive. We found fluorescence enhancement provides marginal improvements to sensitivity and limits of detection (LOD) over fluorescence quenching. In fact, both transduction mechanisms are capable of picomolar LOD. The role thermodynamics plays on the sensitivity and LOD are discussed. Both signal-on and signal-off gave statistically similar signal-to-noise ratios. Finally, the selectivity of the two recognition mechanisms for miRNA detection will be addressed. In the future, we will use this knowledge to advance highly sensitive and selective in situ microRNA sensors for cell and tissue imaging.
Developing flexible 3D printed antenna using conductive ABS materials

This paper presents the feasibility of conductive acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) materials in the fabrication of flexible three-dimensional (3D) antennas using additive manufacturing method. To demonstrate this application a bowtie antenna with coplanar waveguide (CPW) feed structure has been designed and measured. The prototype of the antenna has been fabricated using Makerbot® dual 3D printer and flexible polylactic acid (PLA) and ABS filaments for dielectric and conductive parts of the antenna, respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first reported antenna fabricated with conductive ABS material. The dielectric properties of the PLA and ABS filaments have been measured using Agilent performance probe. The fabricated antenna possesses compact size, light-weight and mechanically flexible structure. In addition it achieves wide bandwidth of 24.18 % at the center frequency of 7.81 GHz.
The structure of authority in the firm

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to analyze the general properties of hierarchical authority structures in the firm and, in addition, to extend some of Beckmann's work on rank in organizations. Such things as the distinction between rank and ‘level’ are clarified, and the effect of the number of ranks, the span of control, and the wage ratio between successive ranks, on structures of authority, on the efficiency of those structures, on the operating cost of the firm, and on its profit, are studied.
The biosynthesis of phytosterols in Musa sapientum

Abstract Mevalonic acid-2- 14 C was administered to banana peel slices for time periods varying from 0·5 hr to 6 days. For each period the incorporation of label into squalene, triterpene esters, 4,4-dimethyl, 4α-methyl and 4-desmethyl sterols was determined. Such studies demonstrated the slow turnover of phytosterol precursors into the 4-desmethyl sterols. The order of labeling of triterpene intermediates was in accord with the proposed mode of phytosterol formation. Cycloartenol and 24-methylenecycloartanol were labeled at early incubation periods, the specific activity of the latter increasing with incubation time. After 2 hr, label began to appear in cycloeucalenol. The 4-desmethyl sterols were labeled after 8 hr, but only to an appreciable extent after 24 hr. For each incubation period incorporation of label into squalene and triterpene esters was also determined. The distribution of radioactivity between esterified cycloartenol, 24-methylenecycloartanol and cycloeucalenol differed from the distribution of radioactivity in the free triterpene pool. The significance of the latter results is at the moment obscure.
Inhibition of protein aggregation by vitamin E and selenium.

SummaryNonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were found to prevent heat-induced aggregation of bovine serum albumin (BSA), human gamma globulin (HGG), or rat gamma globulin (RGG) in vitro. Vitamin E and selenium, in the form of sodium selenite, also stabilized HGG or RGG. Neither vitamin E, sodium selenite, nor various combinations of these agents, when administered daily (ip) to polyarthritis rats, prevented the onset or development of the arthritis. Results are discussed briefly.
The Troubadours Through the Eyes of Nietzsche

AbstractClassical works on troubadour texts focus on Platonic and Aristotelian influences. In contrast, this article considers the relationship between troubadour texts and Nietzsche’s philosophy, suggesting that Nietzsche’s understanding of troubadour art underlines both the radical specificity of troubadour songs and their innovative epistemology. Engaging with three songs, “Be·m cuidei de chantar sofrir” by Bernart de Ventadorn, “Era·m platz” by Guiraut de Borneil, and Guilhem IX’s “Farai un vers de dreit nien,” the author reads the display of binary figures to define the main characteristics of a new epistemology far from Platonism and Aristotelianism. Nietzsche’s account of the concept of “gay science” helps us to understand the figure of contradiction fostered by troubadours. Methodologically, this critical reading complements a philological approach. Instead of looking for a feature of the text that might be related to an existing philosophy, thus going from medieval texts toward an earlier philoso...
On the spin-spin coupling between 13C and H separated by two bonds

The model of Jameson and Gutowsky which has been successful in explaining systematic trends in coupling between directly bonded nuclei is applied to coupling constants across two bonds, in particular the CCH coupling. Empirical correlations of signs and magnitudes of CCH coupling with changing bonding situations for both carbons are explained on the basis of the model and the calculated values of γ for CCH, the nature of the transfer of spin information via the electrons in the sigma bonds between the coupled nuclei (which in these calculations is expressed as a function of a collection of resonance integrals) is examined, and the applicability of the results obtained here to the XCH coupling constant is discussed. The model and the calculations are found to be successful in explaining the observed correlations in CCH couplings, and appear to hold promise of the possibility of an overall understanding of K XYZ down and across the periodic table.
Application of life table techniques to measurement of contraceptive effectiveness.

Two problems are associated with the analysis of use-effectiveness of contraception. First, couples belonging to a sample of contraceptors typically vary in their monthly chances of contraceptive failure. Second, one does not observe for many, and perhaps a majority of the couples, how long they can remain protected with the contraceptive, because either they are stopping contraception to plan a pregnancy or else observation of them is being interrrupted by lost contact, by discontinuation of contraception for other reasons, or by the end of the study. It is argued that because of these two problems—namely, sample heterogeneity and incomplete histories-the Pearl pregnancy rate, which has been traditionally used to measure contraceptive effectiveness, is inadequate.
Regulation of VEGF mRNA expression and protein secretion by TGF-β2 in human retinal pigment epithelial cells

VEGF secretion by the human retinal pigment epithelium (hRPE) plays an important role in retinal and choroidal neovascularization. In this study, transforming growth factor-beta2 (TGF-beta2)-induced vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene expression was investigated in hRPE cells. Treatment of hRPE cells with TGF-beta2 for 24 and 48h as compared to 8h resulted in markedly increased VEGF secretion by fivefold and nine-fold, respectively. Induced VEGF mRNA peaked within 3h of stimulation and remained above the basal at 36h. Stimulation of VEGF expression by TGF-beta2 was blocked by cycloheximide, suggesting that de novo protein synthesis is required. Induced VEGF production was strongly inhibited by anti-inflammatory agents, dexamethasone and cyclosporin A. Despite of the weak stimulation of VEGF expression by TNF-alpha or bFGF alone, co-administration of either of these two cytokines synergized the effect of TGF-beta2 on VEGF mRNA expression and protein production. Quantitative RT-PCR revealed that the synergy was predominantly at the level of VEGF transcription. Moreover, TGF-beta2-induced RPE VEGF secretion was significantly reduced by inhibitors of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase (MEK) (U0126), p38 (SB202190), c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK), Sp600125, protein tyrosine kinase (PTK) (Genistein), and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) (Ly294002). Induced VEGF expression was completely abrogated by inhibitors of protein kinase C (PKC) (Ro318220), nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) [caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE)], and reactive oxygen species (ROS) [N-acetyl-cysteine (Nac) and diphenyleneiodonium (DPI)]. These results suggest that MEK, p38, JNK, PI3K, and NF-kappaB as well as multiple essential signaling intermediates, including PKC, PTK and ROS, are involved in hRPE VEGF up regulation by TGF-beta2.
Vertical injectites of detachment carbonate ultracataclasite at White Mountain, Heart Mountain detachment, Wyoming

Carbonate ultracataclasite (CUC) is found as a veneer along the bedding plane portion of the Eocene Heart Mountain detachment (Wyoming, United States). At White Mountain, where the CUC is thickest, we report the discovery of six dikes, as much as 1 m wide, that were intruded vertically ∼120 m from the detachment into the overlying Madison and Bighorn Formations. The horizontal basal detachment and injectite material is texturally, petrographically, geochemically, and isotopically identical, containing sparse, sand- to pebble-sized andesitic clasts, various quartz-calcite melt spherules, and armored lapilli in a matrix (95%) of fine-grained calcite. The relationship of hanging wall displacement to fault gouge generation, and the presence of vertical, 120 m, fault gouge injectites, makes the Heart Mountain slide anomalous to all fault systems, especially as this fault system had only one episode of motion.
Preparation of highly sulfonated polystyrene model colloids

Previous attempts to prepare monodisperse styrene/sodium styrene sulfonate copolymer latexes by batch, seeded, and semicontinuous emulsion polymerization were unsuccessful at high concentrations of the functional comonomer. Broad, and sometimes bimodal, size distributions, and large amounts of water soluble homopolymer were obtained. After removal of free monomer, solute and adsorbed homopolymer and copolymer, the overall incorporation of the functional comonomer was found to be low. To overcome these problems, a two stage “shot-growth” or in situ seeding technique was developed. A first stage copolymerization was carried out with a low concentration of sodium styrene sulfonate: the purpose of the functional comonomer was to enhance the stability and regulate the size of the seed particles. When this reaction had reached high conversion (> 90%), a second stage monomer mixture was added. The ratio of styrene to sodium styrene sulfonate in this mixture determined the final surface charge density. The mechanism by which the NaSS is incorporated in the polymer particles is considered to be by solution copolymerization with solute styrene monomer to form surface active oligoradicals. These radicals adsorb on the particle surface, initiate polymerization and become inextricably bound, preventing their transfer back to the aqueous phase. By this means, it was possible to vary independently the particle size and surface charge density. High concentrations of functional comonomer could be polymerized without undue wastage (incorporations were only slightly less than 100%) or loss of monodispersity. In extreme cases, the area per functional group fell below the theoretical minimum, indicating considerable hydration of the surface layers.
Early twentieth-century mammal collecting in Africa: The Smithsonian-Roosevelt East African Expedition of 1909–1910

ABSTRACT This paper deals with the scientific contributions made by Colonel Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919) and the three mammalogists attached to the Smithsonian-Roosevelt East African Expedition of 1909–1910. These individuals included Lieutenant-Colonel (retired) Edgar Alexander Mearns (1856–1916), an old friend of Roosevelt's and a retired Army surgeon-naturalist; Edmund Heller (1875–1947), long-time field naturalist with previous experience in Africa, and J. Alden Loring (1871–1947), a veteran field collector in the United States. They joined Roosevelt and his son Kermit (1889–1943), in the senior Roosevelt's efforts to collect large game mammal specimens for the United States National Museum, Washington, DC. The group also observed and collected more than 160 species of carnivores, ungulates, rodents, insectivores, and bats. Departing New York shortly after Roosevelt's tenure as President of the United States ended in March 1909, the party debarked at Mombasa in April, and spent most of the next year...
Pad crater detection using acoustic waveform analysis

Initial studies have shown that acoustic emission detection may prove an effective technique for pad crater monitoring. Implementation concerns include pad crater locating accuracy and the ability to discriminate between different types of events. This study found that the direction of wave propagation in the circuit board laminate has a significant effect on the event locating calculation due to orientation-dependent acoustic velocity, and that adjustment of the acoustic velocity based on the orientation between event location and transducers can improve locating accuracy to approximately 1 mm. In addition, the use of cumulative acoustic energy is demonstrated as a simple and effective metric for determining the onset of pad cratering. An alteration to the present test method is proposed that would improve the precision, decrease the throughput time, and decrease the cost of the test.
ABNORMAL HUMAN HEMOGLOBINS. IX. CHEMISTRY OF HEMOGLOBIN J-BALTIMORE.

A human abnormal hemoglobin with the electrophoretic mobility of hemoglobin J has been isolated and studied. The amino acid substitution in this abnormal hemoglobin has been investigated. It has been found that an aspartic acid residue substitutes in this hemoglobin J the glycine residue present in position 16 of the β peptide chain. There are reasons to believe that the hemoglobin J studied is different from other hemoglobin J's. Accordingly, the hemoglobin studied has been specifically designated hemoglobin JBaltimore.
Spontaneous isotropy breaking: a mechanism for cmb multipole alignments

We introduce a class of models in which statistical isotropy is broken spontaneously in the CMB by a nonlinear response to long-wavelength fluctuations in a mediating field. These fluctuations appear as a gradient locally and pick out a single preferred direction. The nonlinear response imprints this direction in a range of multipole moments. We consider two manifestations of isotropy breaking: additive contributions and multiplicative modulation of the intrinsic anisotropy. Since the Wilkinson microwave anisotropy probe (WMAP) exhibits an alignment of power deficits, an additive contribution is less likely to produce the observed alignments than the usual isotropic fluctuations, a fact which we illustrate with an explicit cosmological model of long-wavelength quintessence fluctuations. This problem applies to other models involving foregrounds or background anisotropy that seek to restore power to the CMB. Additive models that account directly for the observed power exacerbate the low power of the intrinsic fluctuations. Multiplicative models can overcome these difficulties. We construct a proof of principle model that significantly improves the likelihood and generates stronger alignments than WMAP in 30%--45% of realizations.
Defining a base of the pyramid strategy

Base (or bottom) of the pyramid (BoP) strategies are often erroneously understood as multinational corporations’ strategies for competing in emerging economies while trying to tap unserved customers in those markets. In response, this manuscript seeks to inform readers of the necessary inclusion of sustainability as a cornerstone of the BoP strategic approach and to point out the critical differences between international strategies in emerging markets and sustainability-focused base of the pyramid strategies. These two approaches are distinct in terms of goal, or anticipated outcomes and performance measurement, as well as implementation through various components of a company strategy, such as target market, business model, partnerships and alliances, products and services, cost structures, and access and distribution. Through a point-by-point discussion of these differences, this manuscript clarifies the characteristics that define a BoP strategic approach. Armed with this knowledge, corporations and executives can more aptly pursue BoP strategies.
Gaining entry to an uninflamed brain.

Little is known about how pathogenic T cells gain access to the uninflamed brain in multiple sclerosis and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. A new study reports that interleukin 17–producing T helper cells enter the uninflamed central nervous system through the choroid plexus by a CCR6-CCL20–dependent mechanism.
Idazoxan decreases estrogen-induced lordosis in female but not "hormone-independent" lordosis in male guinea pigs of an inbred strain.

Abstract This experiment examined whether the imidazoline idazoxan (which binds to alpha-noradrenergic receptors and to imidazoline-preferring sites) interferes with hormone-dependent or hormone-independent lordosis responses. Ovariectomized (ovx) Strain 2 female guinea pigs which were sexually receptive after receiving estradiol benzoate (EB; 3 μg/d for 3 days) were injected with either idazoxan (10 mg/kg) or with vehicle at 24 hr after the last EB injection. Idazoxan significantly decreased EB-facilitated lordosis responses in these females. Castrated Strain 2 males, which show lordosis behavior without gonadal hormone administration, were injected with the same dosage of idazoxan (10 mg/kg) or with vehicle. Idazoxan did not inhibit lordosis behavior in these males.
Cyprus: Federation Under International Safeguards

Constitutional engineering to overcome ethnoregional cleavages is being put to a severe test on Cyprus, where Greek and Turkish communities haltingly endeavor to salvage a divided state. Three years after independence in 1960, the attempt to govern through functional federalism ended in civil war. Intervention by Greece and Turkey in 1974 resulted in a de facto partitioning of the republic into two ethnically homogeneous areas. Under United Nations auspices, communal elites bargain for a consociational settlement, balancing national autonomy and individual rights. The solution requires international safeguards guaranteeing a new constitution and providing for "free cities" under a bicommunal administration. Failure of the international community to act will lead to a partitionist solution as manifested by a growing acceptance of Turkish Cypriot statehood.
Intervertebral disc changes with angulation, compression and reduced mobility simulating altered mechanical environment in scoliosis

Purpose The intervertebral discs become wedged and narrowed in scoliosis, and this may result from altered biomechanical environment. The effects of four permutations of disc compression, angulation and reduced mobility were studied to identify possible causes of progressive disc deformity in scoliosis. The purpose of this study was to document morphological and biomechanical changes in four different models of altered mechanical environment in intervertebral discs of growing rats and in a sham and control groups.
Strangeness -2 and -3 baryons in a constituent quark model.

We apply a quark model developed in earlier work to the spectrum of baryons with strangeness -2 and -3. The model describes a number of well-established baryons successfully, and application to cascade baryons allows the quantum numbers of some known states to be deduced. [JLAB-THY-07-728].
Hurricane forecast revisions and petroleum refiner equity returns

Abstract We test the return reaction of an index of petroleum refining firms to the official forecast revisions for major tropical storms in the refinery-dense region of the northwest Gulf of Mexico. First, we find that improvements in official hurricane forecasts over the last twenty years have had a direct effect on when asset prices react in anticipation of tropical storms. In the 1990s, traders react to forecasts at the 24-hour horizon. A decade later they react earlier — price movements in the 2000s react to forecast information at the 48-hour horizon. Second, we find that the effect of upward revisions in storm intensity is associated with increases in the returns to our index. These increases only accrue to large firms, perhaps due to these firms' ability to utilize geographic diversification and previously idle capacity to take advantage of storm-induced increases in refined petroleum prices.
The Effect of Pentoxifylline on Retinal Capillary Blood Flow Velocity and Whole Blood Viscosity

Ten normal, healthy, nonsmoking volunteers participated in a double-masked, placebo-controlled one-day trial of 2,000 mg of oral pentoxifylline to determine the short-term effects of orally administered pentoxifylline on retinal circulation and rheologic properties of whole blood. Retinal capillary blood velocity and leukocyte density, whole blood viscosity, and whole blood filterability were measured before and after therapy by the blue-field entoptic phenomenon computer simulation, rotational viscometry, and micropore filtration techniques, respectively. Treatment with pentoxifylline for one day resulted in a significant improvement in retinal capillary blood flow velocity (P = .02) and in viscosity (P
Anatomical likelihood estimation meta-analysis of grey and white matter anomalies in autism spectrum disorders

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are characterized by impairments in social communication and restrictive, repetitive behaviors. While behavioral symptoms are well-documented, investigations into the neurobiological underpinnings of ASD have not resulted in firm biomarkers. Variability in findings across structural neuroimaging studies has contributed to difficulty in reliably characterizing the brain morphology of individuals with ASD. These inconsistencies may also arise from the heterogeneity of ASD, and wider age-range of participants included in MRI studies and in previous meta-analyses. To address this, the current study used coordinate-based anatomical likelihood estimation (ALE) analysis of 21 voxel-based morphometry (VBM) studies examining high-functioning individuals with ASD, resulting in a meta-analysis of 1055 participants (506 ASD, and 549 typically developing individuals). Results consisted of grey, white, and global differences in cortical matter between the groups. Modeled anatomical maps consisting of concentration, thickness, and volume metrics of grey and white matter revealed clusters suggesting age-related decreases in grey and white matter in parietal and inferior temporal regions of the brain in ASD, and age-related increases in grey matter in frontal and anterior-temporal regions. White matter alterations included fiber tracts thought to play key roles in information processing and sensory integration. Many current theories of pathobiology ASD suggest that the brains of individuals with ASD may have less-functional long-range (anterior-to-posterior) connections. Our findings of decreased cortical matter in parietal–temporal and occipital regions, and thickening in frontal cortices in older adults with ASD may entail altered cortical anatomy, and neurodevelopmental adaptations.
Women Filmmakers in Early Hollywood

Women Filmmakers in Early Hollywood KAREN WARD MAHAR Baltimore, MD, The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2006 x+291 pp., illus., index, $45.00 (cloth), $25.00 (paper) Mahar announces in her Preface ...
Comparison of a high-density genetic linkage map to genome features in the model grass Brachypodium distachyon

The small annual grass Brachypodium distachyon (Brachypodium) is rapidly emerging as a powerful model system to study questions unique to the grasses. Many Brachypodium resources have been developed including a whole genome sequence, highly efficient transformation and a large germplasm collection. We developed a genetic linkage map of Brachypodium using single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers and an F2 mapping population of 476 individuals. SNPs were identified by targeted resequencing of single copy genomic sequences. Using the Illumina GoldenGate Genotyping platform we placed 558 markers into five linkage groups corresponding to the five chromosomes of Brachypodium. The unusually long total genetic map length, 1,598 centiMorgans (cM), indicates that the Brachypodium mapping population has a high recombination rate. By comparing the genetic map to genome features we found that the recombination rate was positively correlated with gene density and negatively correlated with repetitive regions and sites of ancestral chromosome fusions that retained centromeric repeat sequences. A comparison of adjacent genome regions with high versus low recombination rates revealed a positive correlation between interspecific synteny and recombination rate.