cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optimal model of anti-dumping duty rate under Cournot competition between similar products

At first, according to the relevant economic theories, the author points out the disadvantages of the formula of dumping margin on which the antidumping (AD) duty rate depends, which is used by WTO and our domestic government. Then the author concludes the optimal model of working out antidumping duty rate under Cournot competition between different products. At last, the author analyses the factors impacting antidumping duty rate, meanwhile provides our government some suggestions on determining antidumping duty rate and gives the domestic firms some advices during investigation cases.
Glass in space

Abstract NASA's materials space processing program includes experiments on glass exploiting the unique microgravity environment. Among the topics are: containerless melting of new optical glasses, microballoons for thermonuclear fusion, fining, surface tension, diffusion and homogeneous nucleation.
Isolated celiac artery dissection

Objective Spontaneous celiac artery dissection is rare, and its natural history is not well studied. The objective of this study was to review our experience with the evaluation and management of this condition. Methods During the last 8 years, 19 patients (14 men, five women) presented with the diagnosis of spontaneous celiac artery dissection. Each patient's clinical course was retrospectively reviewed, and patients were contacted for assessment of current symptoms. Results All patients had computed tomography scans documenting a celiac artery dissection without concomitant aortic dissection. Ages ranged from 39 to 76 years. Seven patients presented with abdominal pain, and 12 were diagnosed incidentally. All patients were initially treated with observation because none had threatened end organs. Patients presenting with aspirin or clopidogrel therapy were continued on these medications, but no patients were prescribed any medications due to their dissection. Three patients continued to have abdominal pain and eventually underwent celiac artery stenting. Pain improved after the intervention in all three. One patient with aneurysmal degeneration of the celiac artery underwent surgical repair. No other patients required intervention. Eighteen patients had follow-up within a year of data collection in the clinic or over the phone. The average time from the initial diagnosis to follow-up for the entire cohort was 46 months. None had abdominal or back pain related to the celiac dissection, had lost weight, or had to change their eating habits. Conclusions Celiac artery dissection can be safely managed initially with observation. If abdominal pain is persistent, endovascular stenting may stabilize or improve the pain, and surgical reconstruction can be done for aneurysmal degeneration or occlusion, both unusual events. Long-term anticoagulation does not appear necessary in these patients.
Phase retrieval in sparse aperture systems with phase diversity: a trade space study

Sparse-aperture (SA) telescopes are a technology of interest in the field of remote sensing. Significant optical resolution can be achieved by an array of sub-apertures, mitigating size and weight limitations of full aperture space-deployed sensors. Much of the analysis to date has been done with the assumption that an extended scene is spectrally flat and each pixel has the same spectrum (gray-world assumption). Previous work has found the gray-world assumption is not valid when imaging a spectrally diverse scene and/or when the optical configuration is heavily aberrated. Broadband phase diversity (BPD) is an image-based method to detect the aberrations of a system. It also assumes a gray-world. Digital simulations that quantify the limitations of BPD with respect to spectral diversity of the extended scene, the RMS of the optical path difference (OPD), noise of the system, and band width of the sensor are presented.
Achieving a low-carbon society

Climate change is perhaps the central challenge that faces humanity. If the concept of green growth is to be anything more than a mere rebranding of the concept of sustainability, then it must elucidate the relationship between economic activity and pollution and provide a more detailed economic account of it. The articles in this Special Issue focus on ways in which GHG emissions may be reduced while satisfying the increasing demand for energy: from global, technological or economic solutions, to sub-national, financial or regulatory ones. Although the wide disparity in income between the least and most wealthy makes it difficult to reach a consensus on the best way to achieve a low-carbon society, the scale and potential effects of climate change make it imperative that one is reached.
Are You Listening to Me?: Communication and Boundaries between Students and Their Parents.

Eric W. Rosenberger shares his approach to helping college students establish clear boundaries with their parents so they can enjoy mutually satisfying communication.
Multistage object recognition using dynamical-link graph matching

A four-stage object recognition system using (1) Morlet wavelets, (2) vector quantization, (3) hierarchical feature building, and (4) graph matching with dynamical link architecture is presented. The main concept is that of hierarchically building robust features and topologically associating them with stored feature sets (graphs). The system, being comprised of spatially- local processing stages, is invariant to translation and robust with respect to distortion, partial occlusion, and rotation. Preliminary results from each processing stage are presented. A fusion system, derived from the presented paradigm, is proposed.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Performance of the Latest Generation Powerline Networking for Green Building Applications

Green building applications need to efficiently communicate fine-grained power consumption patterns of a wide variety of consumer-grade appliances for an effective adaptation and percolation of demand response models down to the consumer level appliances. A key inhibitor to the widespread adoption of such demand response policies at the consumer grade appliances level for intelligent building energy management, is the inability of smart plugs/sensors to efficiently communicate and control the power consumption. However since they already connected with the power grid, a natural question arises, whether the power consumption telemetry can be communicated over existing mains wiring. The use of existing wiring produces a simple and cost-effective attractive solution, and avoids many issues observed with wireless mesh networks, such as islands and bottlenecks and helps vacate the increasing congested spectrum. In this paper we explore the feasibility and efficacy of Powerline Communications (PLC) as a backbone of wireless communications in a home environment, both for high-bandwidth and low-bandwidth intensive applications. In this demo we show several state-of-the-art PLC modems' behavior using end-to-end measurements and their performance, throughput and noise characteristics.
Theoretical analysis and range of validity of TSA formulation for application to UXO discrimination

Operating in the magnetoquasistatic regime (a few hertz to perhaps a few 100 kHz), electromagnetic induction (EMI) sensing has recently emerged as one of the most promising avenues for discrimination of subsurface metallic objects, e.g., unexploded ordnance. The technique of thin-skin approximation (TSA) was devised to deal with numerical problems caused by the rapid decay of fields beneath the scatterer's surface. The rather nonintuitively broad applicability and specific error patterns of the TSA formulation are explained here by theoretical analysis based on analytical solutions and approximate Monte Carlo simulation. In the limiting case of infinitesimal skin depth (EMI perfect reflection), the scatterer aspect ratio (AR) is inferred without regard to metal type. Alternatively, the AR of some homogeneous magnetic objects is inferred from the pattern of transverse to axial response ratio over the entire EMI ultrawideband. Use of the method in inversions for electromagnetic parameters reveals fundamental nonuniqueness problems and shows their basis, which is not dependent on the method of forward solution.
AMPA receptor desensitization predicts the selective vulnerability of cerebellar Purkinje cells to excitotoxicity

Cerebellar Purkinje cells are selectively vulnerable to ischemia, although the reasons for this are unknown. In cultured embryonic rat cerebellar neurons, the steady state responses to the desensitizing agonist AMPA relative to responses to the nondesensitizing agonist kainate were greater in Purkinje cells compared to other cells, as measured by whole cell voltage clamp studies. Fluorimetric [Ca2+]i imaging experiments similarly found greater responses to AMPA relative to kainate in Purkinje cells than in other cerebellar neurons. In toxicity experiments measuring cell survival 24 hr following agonist exposure, AMPA and glutamate produced Ca(2+)-dependent toxicity which was selective for the Purkinje cell fraction of the neurons, whereas kainate produced nonselective toxicity, and NMDA selectively spared the mature Purkinje cells. Cyclothiazide, which inhibits AMPA receptor desensitization, enhanced steady state current responses to AMPA and increased the toxicity of AMPA. We conclude that the vulnerability of cerebellar neurons in culture to glutamate agonist-induced toxicity parallels the magnitude of the steady state currents produced, and that Purkinje cells may be selectively vulnerable because they express AMPA receptors which undergo less complete desensitization.
Guided echoes in the magnetosphere: Observations by Radio Plasma Imager on IMAGE

[1] Long-range, discrete, radio echo traces observed in the magnetosphere by the Radio Plasma Imager (RPI) on IMAGE have been interpreted as signals guided along geomagnetic field lines. During IMAGE traversals of the plasmapause and near-equatorial plasmasphere, multiple echo traces, attributed to signals reflected successively between conjugate hemispheres, are often observed. Single traces seen far beyond the plasmapause at high latitudes are attributed to guided echoes from the local hemisphere in the polar region. Here the field lines are either (1) open, (2) closed but too long to be observed within the instrument listening time or (3) closed but not able to maintain the signal-guiding conditions across the equator to the conjugate hemisphere. In this letter we present examples of guided echoes producing both the single and multiple reflection traces observed by RPI at altitudes of a few Earth radii and discuss possible guiding mechanisms.
Inverse optimal adaptive control of a nonlinear Euler-Lagrange system, part I: Full state feedback

A sufficient condition to solve an optimal control problem is to solve the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) equation. However, finding a value function that satisfies the HJB equation for a nonlinear system is challenging. Inverse optimal control is an alternative method to solve the nonlinear optimal control problem by circumventing the need to solve the HJB equation. Inverse optimal adaptive control techniques have been developed that can handle structured (i.e., linear in the parameters (LP)) uncertainty for a particular class of nonlinear systems that do not include Euler-Lagrange systems with an uncertain time-varying inertia matrix. In this paper, an inverse optimal adaptive controller is developed to asymptotically minimize a meaningful performance index while the generalized coordinates of a nonlinear Euler-Lagrange system asymptotically track a desired time-varying trajectory despite LP uncertainty. A Lyapunov analysis is provided to examine the stability of the developed optimal controller, and preliminary simulation results illustrate the performance of the controller.
Cutting Edge: Delay and Reversal of T Cell Tolerance by Intratumoral Injection of Antigen-Loaded Dendritic Cells in an Autochthonous Tumor Model

The tumor environment exerts a powerful suppressive influence on infiltrating tumor-reactive T cells. It induces tolerance of adoptively transferred effector T cells as they enter tumors and maintains the tolerance of persisting tumor-infiltrating T cells. In an autochthonous prostate cancer model, in which tumor-reactive CD8 T cells are trackable, we demonstrate that both depletion of endogenous dendritic cells (DCs) and intratumoral injection of Ag-loaded mature DCs delayed the tolerization of tumor-infiltrating effector CD8 T cells. Intratumoral injection of Ag-loaded DCs also reactivated tolerized CD8 T cells in the tumor tissue. The observed effects lasted as long as the injected DCs persisted. These findings are consistent with a critical role of DCs in modulating T cell reactivity in the tumor environment. They also suggest new potential strategies to extend the functionality of transferred effector T cells and to restore function to tolerized tumor-infiltrating T cells for cancer immunotherapy.
DIG-1, a novel giant protein, non-autonomously mediates maintenance of nervous system architecture.

Dedicated mechanisms exist to maintain the architecture of an animal's nervous system after development is completed. To date, three immunoglobulin superfamily members have been implicated in this process in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans : the secreted two-Ig domain protein ZIG-4, the FGF receptor EGL-15 and the L1-like SAX-7 protein. These proteins provide crucial information for neuronal structures, such as axons, that allows them to maintain the precise position they acquired during development. Yet, how widespread this mechanism is throughout the nervous system, and what other types of factors underlie such a maintenance mechanism, remains poorly understood. Here, we describe a new maintenance gene, dig-1 , that encodes a predicted giant secreted protein containing a large number of protein interaction domains. With 13,100 amino acids, the DIG-1 protein is the largest secreted protein identifiable in any genome database. dig-1 functions post-developmentally to maintain axons and cell bodies in place within axonal fascicles and ganglia. The failure to maintain axon and cell body position is accompanied by defects in basement membrane structure, as evidenced by electron microscopy analysis of dig-1 mutants. Expression pattern and mosaic analysis reveals that dig-1 is produced by muscles to maintain nervous system architecture, demonstrating that dig-1 functions non-autonomously to preserve the proper layout of neural structures. We propose that DIG-1 is a component of the basement membrane that mediates specific contacts between cellular surfaces and their environment through the interaction with a cell-type specific set of other maintenance factors.
ACCIDENTAL MARROW SAMPLING DURING CAUDAL ANAESTHESIA

SUMMARY Whilst instituting caudal analgesia, needles of 21 and 26 s.w.g. were inadvertently introduced into the sacral marrows of three adults and an infant. The circumstances and diagnosis of this minor misadventure are described, and its significance discussed.
Comparison of robust and least-squares regression in computer-generated probability plots

ML-estimators (maximum likelihood) offer a promising alternative to least squares (LS) methods and the best-guess of a researcher when fitting a line to failure-time data plotted on a computer-generated probability plot. In terms or model statistics, these robust regression algorithms performed better than LS in most data sets. The Andrews function and the Ramsay function always performed better than LS. The Huber function and the Hampel function usually performed better than LS except for those data sets where the residuals did not exceed the threshold criteria and all residuals were assigned a weight of 1.0. In those situations, these two ML-estimators provided results which were equivalent to LS. The ML-estimators were particularly effective in situations involving near-neighbors in the low region of the x-space (early contiguous failures). In terms of parameter estimation, there was no noticeable difference between LS and the ML-estimators.
Measurement and use of acoustic nonlinearity and sound speed to estimate composition of excised livers.

Abstract The acoustic nonlinearity parameter B A and sound speed c have been determined for excised normal and abnormal human livers at 20–37°C. These values are compared with analytic measurements of fat and water content of tissues. The results show that normal liver containing 71.0% water and 2.9% fat by weight has a B A value of 6.75 and sound speed of 1592 m/s at 37°C. Both these parameters increase at an average rate of 0.026°C and 1.5m/s/°C, respectively, as the temperature is raised from 20 to 37°C. Fatty liver (24% fat by weight) exhibits highest B A (9.12) and lowest c (1522 m/s) of all the livers studied. In contrast to normal livers sound speed in such a liver was found to decrease with temperature. Based on the acoustic and composition measurements, quantitative correlations of B A and c with fat-water composition have been developed. Inversion of these relationships provide a simple method to determine composition of a tissue sample from B A and c measurements.
Facial muscle reanimation using the trigeminal motor nerve: An experimental study in the rabbit

Surgical repair of facial nerve deficits may be marred by lack of muscle control and donor region paresis. Using New Zealand white rabbits, a study was undertaken to evaluate facial muscle reanimation with a donor source not previously used: the motor division of the trigeminal nerve. The results were compared with the severed facial nerve and hypoglossal-facial coaptation. An atrophy scale was calibrated for facial muscles of the rabbit. Clinical, electromyographic, and histomorphometric findings confirmed that the trigeminal nerve was a suitable donor source. The neurorrhaphy produced an exponential rate of repair.
Kinetics and Mechanism of Co Substitution by Phosphites of Co4(CO)12

Abstract The otherwise very fast CO substitution of Co4(CO)12 by P(OMe)3 and P(OEt)3 in aprotic solvents, affording phosphite-monosubstituted products was retarded by the use of CHCI3 as solvent. This made it possible to investigate these reactions by conventional methods. Kinetic data were obtained by following changes in IR spectra during reaction. The rates show predominantly a ligand-dependent pathway, with the usual two-term rate law, rate = (k1 + k2 [P(OR)3])C4(CO)12. It is suggested that the rates are retarded in protonic solvents by decreasing the nucleophilicity of phosphites due to a hydrogen bonding interaction between the H atom of CHCI3 and the O atoms of the ligands.
Contributions of carbon and nitrogen from the Andes Mountains to the Amazon River: Evidence from an elevational gradient of soils, plants, and river material

We determined the carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) elemental and stable isotopic composition of riverine and terrestrial organic matter (OM), as well as the concentration of dissolved organic C (DOC), d 15 NO3 2 and d 18 O of river water along an altitudinal (4,043‐720 m above sea level [masl]) transect in the Andes of Peru. Plant d 13 C increased with increasing elevation, but unlike previous studies, foliar 13 C and %N were negatively correlated. Soil d 13 C values did not exhibit similar trends and were enriched by 1‐3‰ over plants. Isotopically, riverine fine particulate OM (FPOM, ,60 mm) resembled soils, and coarse particulate OM (CPOM, .60 mm) resembled leaves. Both FPOM and CPOM exhibited OM levels beyond those attributable to sorption. Percentage OC and N of soils and FPOM were positively correlated with altitude and highlight a trend of sequential downstream dilution of OM with inorganic material. FPOM began to resemble plant OM isotopically at lower altitudes, perhaps due to increased plant and surface soil inputs to lower rivers. The compositional similarity of particulate organic matter to terrestrial plants and soils indicates that the dominant processes affecting riverine OM are occurring on the landscape, not within the river. Dissolved OC (,0.2 mm) concentration, d 15 NO3 2 , and d 18 Oo f H 2O are variable in high-altitude tributaries but approach constant values downstream. Elemental and isotopic analyses of riverine OM suggest compositional differences between size fractions, similar to the lower Amazon; however, unlike previous studies, we have found significant within-stream changes with altitude in OM composition.
Genotator: a disease-agnostic tool for genetic annotation of disease.

Background: Disease-specific genetic information has been increasing at rapid rates as a consequence of recent improvements and massive cost reductions in sequencing technologies. Numerous systems designed to capture and organize this mounting sea of genetic data have emerged, but these resources differ dramatically in their disease coverage and genetic depth. With few exceptions, researchers must manually search a variety of sites to assemble a complete set of genetic evidence for a particular disease of interest, a process that is both timeconsuming and error-prone. Methods: We designed a real-time aggregation tool that provides both comprehensive coverage and reliable gene-to-disease rankings for any disease. Our tool, called Genotator, automatically integrates data from 11 externally accessible clinical genetics resources and uses these data in a straightforward formula to rank genes in order of disease relevance. We tested the accuracy of coverage of Genotator in three separate diseases for which there exist specialty curated databases, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Parkinson’s Disease, and Alzheimer Disease. Genotator is freely available at http://genotator.hms.harvard.edu. Results: Genotator demonstrated that most of the 11 selected databases contain unique information about the genetic composition of disease, with 2514 genes found in only one of the 11 databases. These findings confirm that the integration of these databases provides a more complete picture than would be possible from any one database alone. Genotator successfully identified at least 75% of the top ranked genes for all three of our use cases, including a 90% concordance with the top 40 ranked candidates for Alzheimer Disease. Conclusions: As a meta-query engine, Genotator provides high coverage of both historical genetic research as well as recent advances in the genetic understanding of specific diseases. As such, Genotator provides a real-time aggregation of ranked data that remains current with the pace of research in the disease fields. Genotator’s algorithm appropriately transforms query terms to match the input requirements of each targeted databases and accurately resolves named synonyms to ensure full coverage of the genetic results with official nomenclature. Genotator generates an excel-style output that is consistent across disease queries and readily importable to other applications.
Observations on interstitial cystitis.

Znterstitial cystitis is more common in young women than previously believed. Find- ings typical of the disease are a history of diurnal and nocturnal pollakiuria, pelvic discomfort increased with bladder distention, marked bladder tenderness on gentle palpation of the anterior lateral vaginal fornices, less than normal bladder capacity, and a negative urinalysis except for many epithelial cells. A review of the literature relating to Hunner's ulcer discloses that the disease occurs primarily in middle-aged women and is manifested on cys- toscopic examination by ulcers and stellate scars which bleed on vesical distention. l-3 Typically the patient is noted to complain of round-the- clock pollakiuria and pelvic pain or pressure which appears with bladder distention and is re- lieved on voiding. The physical examination is normal or non- diagnostic; occasionally there may be suprapubic tenderness. In most cases urinalysis is reported to show no infection but will reveal, on occasion, microscopic hematuria or minimal pyuria. During the past seven years we have had the opportunity of observing a group of young wom- en, varying from nineteen to twenty-three years of age, who had been treated for increased frequency of urination and bladder discomfort, and who had been diagnosed as having recurrent urinary infection, neurogenic bladder, urethral polyps, urethral stenosis, irritable bladder, psychoneurosis, and others. The patients were referred to our medical center because their symptoms persisted despite a variety of therapeutic regimens, and both they and their physicians desired further consultation.
Role for mRNA localization in translational activation but not spatial restriction of nanos RNA.

Patterning of the anterior-posterior body axis during Drosophila development depends on the restriction of Nanos protein to the posterior of the early embryo. Synthesis of Nanos occurs only when maternally provided nanos RNA is localized to the posterior pole by a large, cis-acting signal in the nanos 3′ untranslated region (3′UTR); translation of unlocalized nanos RNA is repressed by a 90 nucleotide Translational Control Element (TCE), also in the 3′UTR. We now show quantitatively that the majority of nanos RNA in the embryo is not localized to the posterior pole but is distributed throughout the cytoplasm, indicating that translational repression is the primary mechanism for restricting production of Nanos protein to the posterior. Through an analysis of transgenes bearing multiple copies of nanos 3′UTR regulatory sequences, we provide evidence that localization of nanos RNA by components of the posteriorly localized germ plasm activates its translation by preventing interaction of nanos RNA with translational repressors. This mutually exclusive relationship between translational repression and RNA localization is mediated by a 180 nucleotide region of the nanos localization signal, containing the TCE. These studies suggest that the ability of RNA localization to direct wild-type body patterning also requires recognition of multiple, unique elements within the nanos localization signal by novel factors. Finally, we propose that differences in the efficiencies with which different RNAs are localized result from the use of temporally distinct localization pathways during oogenesis.
Direct and Indirect Effects of Parenting on the Academic Functioning of Young Homeless Children.

Research Findings: Effects of parenting quality on the academic functioning of young homeless children were examined using data from 58 children ages 4 to 7 and their parents during their stay at an emergency homeless shelter. Parenting quality, child executive function, child intellectual functioning, and risk status were assessed in the shelter, and teacher reports of academic functioning were obtained when the children began kindergarten or 1st grade. As hypothesized, parenting quality was associated with children's academic success, and this effect was mediated by executive function skills in the child. Parenting quality also had a moderating effect on risk, consistent with a protective role of high-quality parenting among children with higher risk levels. Concomitantly, children with higher risk and lower parenting quality appeared to be more vulnerable to academic problems. Practice or Policy: In homeless families, parenting may play an especially important role in academic success through multiple ...
Zolpidem use and motor vehicle collisions in older drivers

Abstract Objective Prescription sleep medication use is most prevalent among women and older adults. Morning drowsiness and impaired coordination are side effects of sleep medications that may affect driving safety. The association between current use of zolpidem-containing medications and motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) was evaluated among drivers of advanced age. Methods Participants were current drivers aged ≥70 years residing in north-central Alabama, spoke English, had a valid driver's license, and had driven within the past three months (n = 2000). Current zolpidem use was determined by pill bottle review. The participant's five-year MVC history was determined from Alabama Department of Public Safety accident reports. The five-year MVC and at-fault MVC rate ratios (RR) were estimated comparing zolpidem users with nonusers in the overall sample and a priori–defined age and sex subgroups. Results The unadjusted RR (95% confidence interval [CI]) of MVCs comparing zolpidem users with nonusers was attenuated after adjustment (1.46 [1.02–2.08] and 1.38 [0.97–1.98], respectively). Among women, the unadjusted and adjusted RRs (95% CI) were 1.65 (1.03–2.66) and 1.61 (1.00–2.60), respectively. The unadjusted and adjusted RRs (95% CI) among those aged 80 years or more were 2.24 (1.19–4.57) and 2.35 (1.20–4.61), respectively. There were no statistically significant associations among men or participants less than 80 years old. Similar patterns were present for at-fault MVCs. Conclusion Current zolpidem users, specifically women and individuals aged 80 years or more, had higher MVC rates than nonusers. Practitioners should consider behavioral treatment before initiating low doses of zolpidem and increasing it as needed to achieve restorative sleep in women and individuals aged 80 years or more to reduce the risk of zolpidem-associated MVCs.
Remarks During Symposium: Is There a Constitutional Right to Vote and Be Represented?: The Case of the District of Columbia

Remarks on rule fetishism, democracy, colonialism, racism, violence, and the right to vote. The speaker, a former Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, describes the District as a colony and analyzed its problems as symptoms of its colonial relationship to the rest of the nation.Symposium hosted by the American University Law review and the Program on Law and Government of the Washington College of Law.
M AJID F AKHRY , Al-Farabi, Founder of Islamic Neoplatonism: His Life, Works and Influence , Great Islamic Thinkers (Oxford: Oneworld, 2002). Pp. 176. $23.95

This is a fine, if somewhat simple, undergraduate introduction to the thought of Alfarabi—if you happen to be a student transported back to the late 1960s. There are a few entries in the bibliography dated after that, but these citations are mostly reprints of Alfarabi's published texts. Certainly, Fakhry's observations on Alfarabi's thought do not appear to have developed much beyond the scholarship of the late 1960s and early 1970s, and the reader justifiably might think that this is a publication of a rather old manuscript, dusted off and given a pleasant cover. Fakhry's efforts here remind one of the recent publication of Muhsin Mahdi's Alfarabi and the Foundation of Islamic Political Philosophy (Chicago, 2001) in that both are rather quaint products of an earlier time in the study of philosophy and science in Islam. It is difficult to say what has prompted this resurrection of mostly outdated scholarship, It may be a response on the part of publishers eager to get anything in print since the recent renewal of interest in things Islamic, though for all the wrong reasons.
Detection of cell-associated aminoterminal procollagen peptidase activity in cultured fibroblasts.

AbstractAminoterminal procollagen peptidase activity was assayed in cultures of human fibroblasts derived from fetal, neonatal, and adult skin. Tritium-labeled, acid-extracted pN collagen from chick calvarial bones was used as substrate. Peptidase activity was detected in both the culture medium and the cell homogenate of fetal and neonatal fibroblast strains. The cell layer and medium peptidase enzymes were inhibited by 20 mM EDTA and acidic pH. In contrast, procollagen peptidase activity was detected only in the culture medium of adult fibroblasts as previously reported (8). These results suggest that the aminoterminal procollagen peptidase enzyme in fetal and neonatal fibroblasts is either activated prior to secretion from the cell, or that the activated enzyme is bound to the cell surface for a limited time before its release into the culture medium.
Human metabolism of orally ingested glycyrrhetinic acid and monoammonium glycyrrhizinate.

SummaryOrally administered glycyrrhetinic acid and monoammonium glycyrrhizinate were poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract as indicated by blood, bile and urine levels of radioactivity. The bulk of fed materials are excreted directly in the feces, and, in the case of G.A., at least in part as unchanged compound. Small quantities of glycyrrhetinic acid have been isolated from urines of subjects fed each of above compounds. Many problems relating to stereoisomerism of G.A. remain to be clarified.
Space Life Support Risk and Reliability

The major spaceflight risks are launch, life support, special operations such as Extravehicular Activity (EVA), and reentry. Life support has had slightly greater risk of causing a crew fatality than either launch or reentry. The long duration of a Mars mission greatly increases the risks of life support and special operations. The life support risk for Mars could be very large. Ultra reliable life support is needed in deep space because providing resupply and spare parts or a quick crew return are not possible. Mars mission planning usually assumes that high reliability recycling life support systems will available when needed. Providing spare parts to repair systems can improve reliability but cannot eliminate common cause failures due to specification and design errors. Diverse redundant systems are needed to prevent common cause failures. The required Probability of Loss of Crew and the system reliability together determine how much system redundancy is needed.
Factors Affecting Students' Completion: A Study of an Online Master's Program

While there are many studies on student persistence in undergraduate programs offered in traditional classroom settings, there is a lack of empirical research investigating the factors affecting the completion of online advanced degree programs. In order to address such research need, this study collects student data from an online GIS Master's program and employs logistic regression to assess a set of predictors in predicting whether or not a student completed the program. Instead of demographic and entry-level characteristics, students' academic performance in the present program such as current GPA, credits taken, and stop-out years is found to have significant predictive power of students' completion of the online Master's program.
Functional Outcome Measures Correlated with Strength in Becker Muscular Dystrophy (P02.001)

Objective: To determine the relationship between quadriceps strength and performance on functional outcome measures in subjects with Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD). Background BMD is characterized by progressive muscle weakness. Upcoming treatment trials are designed to improve quadriceps muscle strength in these patients. However, the correlation of quadriceps strength to performance on functional outcomes has not been evaluated in BMD. Determination of the proper outcome measures is critical to the success of future interventions. Design/Methods: 24 subjects with BMD underwent strength testing of quadriceps and hamstrings muscles. Performance on the modified Timed Up & Go (mTUG), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), timed 4 stairs, curb steps, and 10 meter, 2 and 6 minute walk tests was recorded in one study session. Results: Performance on the BBS was most highly correlated with quadriceps strength in BMD (r=0.648, p=0.012), followed by stepping up on curbs (r=0.612, p=0.02), timed 4 stairs (r=-0.554, p=0.026), and mTUG (r=-0.431, p=0.045). Distance walked in 2 (r=0.385, p=0.063) and 6 (r=0.378, p=0.068) minutes was not significantly correlated with quadriceps strength in this population, nor was performance on the 10 meter walk test (r=-0.294, p=0.571). Conclusions: Functional performance relates to distribution of muscle weakness and is disease specific. Selection of appropriate outcome measures should be investigated based on targeted intervention and must be established prior to clinical trials. In patients with BMD, performance on the BBS, stair climbing with and without upper extremity support, and the mTUG are most highly correlated with quadriceps strength, the target of current follistatin gene therapy. It is also of note that BMD function and strength correlations differ from those in DMD and sIBM. Supported by: Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy and The Myositis Association. Disclosure: Dr. Alfano has nothing to disclose. Dr. Lowes has nothing to disclose. Dr. Viollet has nothing to disclose. Dr. Flanigan has received personal compensaiton for activities with AVI Therapeutics, Prosensa Therapeutics, and PTC, Inc. Dr. Flanigan has received research support from PTC Therapeutics. Dr. Mendell has received research support from AVI BioPharmaceuticals Inc.
Admissibility for a Class of Quasiregular Representations

Given a semidirect product where is nilpotent, connected, simply connected and normal in and where is a vector group for which is completely reducible and -split, let denote the quasiregular representation of in . An element is said to be admissible if the wavelet transform defines an isometry from into . In this paper we give an explicit construction of admissible vectors in the case where is not unimodular and the stabilizers in of its action on are almost everywhere trivial. In this situation we prove orthogonality relations and we construct an explicit decomposition of into -invariant, multiplicity-free subspaces each of which is the image of a wavelet transform . We also show that, with the assumption of (almost-everywhere) trivial stabilizers, non-unimodularity is necessary for the existence of admissible vectors.
New Approach to Amending Anti-tax Avoidance Legislation:Adding Accessory Taxpayers' Clauses

The narrow concept of taxpayers in China's current anti-tax avoidance legislation may lead to tax avoidance via the related parties and CFCs.Therefore,it is necessary to clarify the concept of "accessory taxpayer"in the total-fraction mode,which is transferred and established from the foreign concept of second taxpayers.Accessory tax obligation is a public guarantee of debts,deriving from the theory of tax credits and debts.Based on the equity theory of international governance,it is proposed that China should formulate the relevant types of accessory tax obligation and ascertain the varied accessory tax obligations based on the occurrence of tax-avoidance acts.Only when tax-avoidance acts occur should the parties concerned undertake the supplementary accessory obligations while the CFCs are bound to undertake the collateral obligations.
Analysis for the Virus Typing Result of 2011-2012 Cases of Hand-foot-mouth Disease in Apart of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps

Objective:To analyze the etiological and epidemiological characteristics of hand-food-mouth disease(HFMD),and to explore the risk factors in Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps from 2011 to 2012 in order to provide scientific basis for the prevention and treatment of HFMD.Method:Stool and throat swabs samples from patients diagnosed as HFMD were collected to detect pan-enterovirus,CoxA16 and EV71 by using Real-time PCR.Result:A total 123 samples were detected during 2011-2012.Among them,54.5% were CoxA16 and 28.5% were EV71.The peak incidence occurred during the period from May to July.Most of the cases were children under 5 years.The number of male cases was larger than that of the female.Conclusion:The main pathogens were CoxA16 and EV71.The incidence of HFMD in Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps has significant seasonal,sex and age-specific differences.The key population for the prevention and control of HFMD is the children under 5 years in scattered home and preschool.
A K-Medoids Evolutionary Algorithm Based on Decreasing-Probability Initial Mediods Selection

The initial population in current K- Medoids evolutionary clustering algorithm based on PSO is generated randomly,which may lead to the same cluster of initial mediods. To solve this problem,a new algorithm combining PSO and K- Medoids based on decreasing- probability initial mediods selection is proposed. After setting the selected probability of each sample according to its density,they are selected in turn by roulette wheel selection in order to locate them in higher density regions and different clusters,and the method can achieve the population diversity. The simulation results of both manual and UCI real datasets demonstrate that the proposed algorithm has a faster convergence speed and higher accuracy,and performs more stable.
Exploration on the road of poultry insurance in Guangdong province based on the background of “H7N9 avian influenza”

After poultry industry suffered from H7N9 avian influenza, it is important for promoting poultry normal productioning,safeguarding social stability to explore the road of chicken insurance, break the current predicament of the poultry industry in the doldrums, and renew local characteristics of the poultry industry in Guangdong. According to poultry industry development of Guangdong province, the impact of "H7N9 avian influenza" on poultry industry in Guangdong was analyzed, the necessity of the road of poultry insurance in Guangdong province was raised. Based on the present of poultry insurance status and existing problems in China, ideas and suggestions for exploring Guangdong poultry insurance were proposed.
On the Measurement and Causes of Technical Inefficiency in Local Public Services: With an Application to Public Education

Local governments (including school districts) face increasing fiscal stress due to rising costs and little growth in intergovernmental aid and property tax revenues. In this tight fiscal environment, the measurement of and identification of causes for technical inefficiency in the provision of local public services becomes all the more important. Although there is a growing body of literature on the estimation of technical efficiency using linear programming methods, the production models underlying these estimates often are not consistent with the process of local public service provision. In particular, previous studies have not properly controlled for socioeconomic variables that affect service outcomes but are beyond the control of local government officials. Further, the public choice literature theoretically modeling inefficient behavior by bureaucrats devotes scant attention to empirical analysis of the underlying causes of technical inefficiency in the public sector. The major objective of this article is to present a modified linear-programming method for estimating technical efficiency that distinguishes discretionary inputs and socioeconomic variables affecting public production. This method is applied to examining the level and possible causes of technical inefficiency in the provision of public education in New York State.
Effects of Torrefaction Temperature on Pyrolysis Vapor Products of Woody and Herbaceous Feedstocks

A variety of hardwood, softwood, and herbaceous feedstocks (oak, southern yellow pine mix, loblolly pine, pinyon–juniper mix, and switchgrass) were each torrefied at 200, 250, and 300 °C. Each of the feedstocks was pyrolyzed and the resulting vapors were analyzed with a molecular beam mass spectrometer (py-MBMS). Compositional analysis was used to measure the total lignin content of three of the feedstocks (southern yellow pine, softwood; oak, hardwood; and switchgrass, herbaceous) before and after torrefaction at 300 °C, and large differences in the fraction of lignin lost during torrefaction were found between feedstocks, with oak having the largest decrease in lignin during torrefaction and switchgrass having the least. It is hypothesized that these differences in the thermal degradation are due to, in part, the different ratios of S, G, and H lignins in the feedstocks. Additionally, the torrefaction of kraft lignin was studied using thermogravimetric analysis coupled with Fourier transform infrared sp...
The primacy of social support

In his target article, Wood links together distinct fields and disparate studies of religion to create a synthetic model of religion and well-being. I see much merit in Wood’s formulation, and I su...
HCM Associated Cardiac Troponin I Mutations Alter Cardiac Troponin Function, Contractile Properties and Modulation by PKA Mediated Phosphorylation

We recently reported on the altered structure-function relationship for two HCM-associated cardiac troponin I (cTnI) mutations, R146G and R21C (located in the inhibitory-peptide and cardiac-specific N-terminus of cTnI, respectively), and how this resulted in the cardiac dysfunction. Both mutations significantly increased Ca2+ binding affinity to cTn (KCa) and the affinity of cTnC for cTnI (KC-I). In isolated myofibrils, both mutations increased Ca2+ sensitivity of tension (pCa50) while maximal tension (TMAX) was maintained. PKA phosphorylation of cTnI resulted in decreased pCa50 for cTnIWT exchanged myofibrils, but not for either mutation. PKA phosphorylation accelerated the early, slow-phase relaxation for cTnIWT myofibrils, especially at Ca2+-levels that the heart operates in-vivo. Importantly, this effect was blunted for cTnIR146G and cTnIR21C exchanged myofibrils, as was PKA-mediated reduction in KC-I. Molecular-dynamics simulations of cardiac troponin (cTn) suggested both mutations inhibit formation of intra-subunit contacts between the N-terminus and the inhibitory-peptide of cTnI that is normally seen with WT-cTn upon PKA phosphorylation, suggesting this may be the mechanism of disrupting modulation of contractile properties for these mutants. In ongoing studies, we are examining two additional HCM-associated mutations, cTnIP83S or cTnIA158V, located in the I-T arm and switch-peptide of cTnI, respectively. Both mutations also significantly increased KCa and KC-I, and blunt the PKA effects on KC-I, similar to cTnIR146G and cTnIR21C. Preliminary kinetics/mechanics results indicated that TMAX was also maintained for cTnIP83S and cTnIA158V exchanged myofibrils, but pCa50 was significantly increased only for cTnIA158V myofibrils. Additionally, preliminary measurements suggest these mutants also blunt the ability of PKA phosphorylation to decrease pCa50 and accelerate the early, slow-phase relaxation. We are currently performing molecular-dynamics simulations of cTn to understand the structural basis of these effects for both mutations.
Body Image: Peer Influences

Peer relationships represent an important sociocultural context for the development of body image. This article supports the proposition that peer influences play a significant role in the development of body image. The evidence is derived from research on similarity and socialization processes within friendships, the influence of peer reputational groups, especially popular crowds, the importance of perceived peer acceptance, and the desire for romantic partners. The conceptual and methodological limitations of the extant research are discussed.
Pru¨fer Conditions in Rings with Zero-Divisors

In his article: “Untersuchungen uber die Teilbarkeitseigenschaften in Korpern” J. Reine Angew. Math. 168, 1 36, 1932 [21], Heinz Prufer introduced a new class of integral domains, namely those domains R in which all finitely generated ideals are invertible. He also proved that to verify this condition, it suffices to check that it holds for all two-generated ideals of R. This was the modest beginning of the notion of a Prufer domain, a notion which made, and continues to make, a significant impact on research in non-Noetherian commutative ring theory. Heinz Prufer (1896 1934) in his short life, had no opportunity to see the rings named in his honor by Krull ([17], 1936). It is not an exaggeration to say that today there is no conference on a non Noetherian ring theory topic where the notion of a Prufer domain does not make an appearance.