cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Será hasta la Vuelta de Año: Bailes Chinos, Festividades y Religiosidad Popular en el Norte Chico

1 Centro de Estudios Avanzados, Universidad de Playa Ancha, Valparaiso, Chile. andres.donoso@upla.cl Sera hasta la vuelta de ano, libro escrito por los antropologos Rafael Contreras Mulhenbrock y Daniel Gonzalez Hernandez –con la colaboracion de Agustin Ruiz Zamora, Sergio Pena Alvarez, Danilo Petrovich Jorquera y Manuel Morales Requena–, es tanto una invitacion a explorar la riqueza de la religiosidad que desde hace siglos florece alrededor de la Virgen del Rosario de Andacollo, como una via privilegiada para acceder a la intimidad de los que han sido uno de sus cultores mas fieles, los chinos. En esta monumental obra, compuesta por veintidos capitulos, se puede disfrutar de un relato poblado de fotografias, ilustraciones, versos y documentos. Cuatro partes organizan el texto. En la primera se realiza una cuidada reconstruccion historica para esclarecer las multiples variables que explican el surgimiento de los bailes chinos de Andacollo, foco de atencion que mantendra el libro en sus casi novecientas paginas. En la segunda se describen algunos de los bailes mas representativos del area geografica conocida como el “norte chico” chileno. En la tercera la cartografia ritual se enriquece con la caracterizacion de una parte de las multiples fiestas en que estos bailes participan. Y en el ultimo apartado se repasan los principales hitos que fueron dando forma al complejo ritual estudiado. Para poder construir este libro los autores, durante los ultimos diez anos de ejercicio profesional, complementaron un acercamiento etnografico que incluyo incontables horas de terreno, observacion y entrevistas, con una aproximacion historica que se materializo en largas temporadas de trabajo de archivo y en una revision exhaustiva de las fuentes bibliograficas mas autorizadas en la materia. Entre los sellos que tuvo este particular abordaje metodologico el dialogo, comprendido como proceso comunicativo en el cual todas las personas involucradas pueden/deben aportar, uno de los mas sobresalientes. Aqui uno de los pasajes donde mejor se aprecia esta disposicion:
Leydig Cell Tumor and Metachronous Leydig Cellhyperplasia: A Case Associated With Gynecomastia and Elevated Urinary Estrogens

We report a case of unilateral Leydig cell tumor associated with gynecomastia and elevated urinary estrogens. Nine years after orchiectomy urinary estrogens became elevated and Leydig cell hyperplasia but no distinct tumor was identified in the remaining contralateral testicle.
ATM High Performance Distributed Computing Laboratory

The New York State Center for Advanced Technology in Computer Applications and Software Engineering (CASE) at Syracuse University has established an ATM High Performance Distributed Computing (HPDC) Laboratory within the center that provides ATM connections to several other units both on and off campus. This HPDC Laboratory has been established to provide a research testbed for multimedia and ATM related studies and provide a controlled environment where enabling technologies and applications can be developed and evaluated. In this paper, we describe the computing environment of HPDC Laboratory and overview some of the ongoing projects.
Spontaneous mutations in the flhD operon generate motility heterogeneity in Escherichia coli biofilm.

Heterogeneity and niche adaptation in bacterial biofilm involve changes to the genetic makeup of the bacteria and gene expression control. We hypothesized that i) spontaneous mutations in the flhD operon can either increase or decrease motility and that ii) the resulting motility heterogeneity in the biofilm might lead to a long-term increase in biofilm biomass. We allowed the highly motile E. coli K-12 strain MC1000 to form seven- and fourteen-day old biofilm, from which we recovered reduced motility isolates at a substantially greater frequency (5.4 %) than from a similar experiment with planktonic bacteria (0.1 %). Biofilms formed exclusively by MC1000 degraded after 2 weeks. In contrast, biofilms initiated with a 1:1 ratio of MC1000 and its isogenic flhD::kn mutant remained intact at 4 weeks and the two strains remained in equilibrium for at least two weeks. These data imply that an ‘optimal’ biofilm may contain a mixture of motile and non-motile bacteria. Twenty-eight of the non-motile MC1000 isolates contained an IS1 element in proximity to the translational start of FlhD or within the open reading frames for FlhD or FlhC. Two isolates had an IS2 and one isolate had an IS5 in the open reading frame for FlhD. An additional three isolates contained deletions that included the RNA polymerase binding site, five isolates contained point mutations and small deletions in the open reading frame for FlhC. The locations of all these mutations are consistent with the lack of motility and further downstream within the flhD operon than previously published IS elements that increased motility. We believe that the location of the mutation within the flhD operon determines whether the effect on motility is positive or negative. To test the second part of our hypothesis where motility heterogeneity in a biofilm may lead to a long-term increase in biofilm biomass, we quantified biofilm biomass by MC1000, MC1000 flhD::kn, and mixtures of the two strains at ratios of 1:1, 10:1, and 1:10. After 3 weeks, biofilm of the mixed cultures contained up to five times more biomass than biofilm of each of the individual strains. Mutations in the flhD operon can exert positive or negative effects on motility, depending on the site of the mutation. We believe that this is a mechanism to generate motility heterogeneity within E. coli biofilm, which may help to maintain biofilm biomass over extended periods of time.
Long-haul communications support for visualization of computational aeroscience simulations

This paper discusses the long-haul data communications requirements needed to support visualization of Computational Aeroscience CAS simulations. A scientific computing model is presented, from which current communications requirements are derived. This model is then expanded to describe the CAS collaborative visualization environment, in which scientists from multiple NASA centers will collaborate on multidisciplinary, time-accurate simulations. An analysis of this model indicates that CAS data communications requirements will increase to 10-100 megabytes/sec by 1996.
The Effect of an Open-Ended Design Experience on Student Achievement in an Engineering Laboratory Course

This study explores the effect of incorporating an Open-Ended Design Experience (OEDE) into an undergraduate materials science laboratory taken by third-year mechanical engineering students. The focus of the OEDE was carbon fiber reinforced plastics and sandwich structures. The results indicate that the incorporation of OEDE’s in laboratory courses produces significant benefits in terms of student engagement, participation, and perception of competence. In addition, the OEDE was found to enhance students’ ability to apply related concepts as compared to non-OEDE lab activities. The authors conclude that the incorporation of OEDE’s can increase the effectiveness of engineering laboratory courses.
Preclinical Radiobiology and Predictive Assays

Physical measurements of absorbed particle radiation doses are currently inadequate to estimate biological outcome at the stopping ranges of particle beams from protons to heavier ions. Estimates of biological significance and clinical impact are essential additional elements to implement ion beam therapy (IBT). This chapter provides a brief review of the current status of preclinical molecular and cellular radiobiology and predictive assays with a focus on the current use of radiobiology to characterize radiation fields of ions, to implement treatment planning with scanned ion beams, and to predict successful clinical outcome.
Social Cognitive Theory and Clinical Psychology

A sociocognitive approach to clinical psychology is rooted in an agentic perspective. In this conceptual framework, people enlist a variety of capabilities to exercise control over their self-development, adaptation, and change. These include symbolizing, modeling, self-regulative and self-reflective capabilities. If put to faulty use, these capabilities breed distress and dysfunction. Social cognitive approaches rely on mastery experiences as the principal vehicle of change. Corrective and enabling mastery experiences are more effective than talk alone in altering faulty beliefs and dysfunctional styles of thinking and behaving. People's beliefs in their personal efficacy are the foundation of human agency and the common pathway through which different psychosocial influences exert their effects. Perceived efficacy plays a key role in causal structures because it affects behavior not only directly but also by its impact on other determinants such as goals and aspirations, outcome expectations, affective proclivities, and perception of sociostructural impediments and opportunities. Efforts to improve the human condition must be directed at treating the causalities of adverse social practices as well as altering the social practices producing the causalities. The models of social change derived from social cognitive theory draw heavily on knowledge of modeling, motivational, regulatory, and efficacy mechanisms operating at the collective level.
TRP Channels in Parasites

A wide range of single- and multi-cellular parasites infect humans and other animals, causing some of the most prevalent and debilitating diseases on the planet. There have been virtually no published studies on the TRP channels of this diverse group of organisms. However, since many parasite genomes have been sequenced, it is simple to demonstrate that they are present in all parasitic metazoans and that sequences related to the yeast trp are present in many protozoans, including all the kinetoplastids. We compared the TRP genes of three species of animal and plant parasitic nematode to those of C. elegans and found that the parasitic species all had fewer such genes. These differences may reflect the phylogenetic distance between the species studied, or may be due to loss of specific gene functions following the evolution of the parasitic lifestyle. Other helminth groups, the trematodes and cestodes, seem to possess many TRPC and TRPM genes, but lack TRPV and TRPN. Most ectoparasites are insects or arachnids. We compared the TRP genes of a plant parasitic aphid and an animal parasite louse and tick with those of Drosophila. Again, all the parasitic species seemed to have fewer types of TRP channel, though the difference was less marked than for the nematodes. The aphid lacks TRPP and TRPML channel genes, whereas the tick lacked those encoding TRPVs. Again, these differences may reflect adaptation to parasitism, and could enable TRP channels to be targeted in the development of novel antiparasitic drugs.
The Dead are Dead/Ancestors Never Die: Migrant Pentecostals and the Frictions Surrounding Funerary Customs and Ancestral Rituals in Northeastern Madagascar

I will present a case study from northeastern Madagascar that explores how Pentecostal migrants negotiate competing views of death and the afterlife, and how this in turn influences their ties to rural homelands and family members. Drawing on 18-months of ethnographic research, I will argue that migrants who convert to Pentecostalism change in two ways. First, Pentecostal migrants often stop being buried in family tombs and attending or contributing financially towards ancestral rituals. While these two activities traditionally have bound migrants to rural places and peoples, in Pentecostal theology they have been recast as Satanic. When migrants abandon traditional beliefs and behaviors regarding death and the afterlife, this results in frictions with non-Pentecostal family members who view this as akin to abandoning one’s family. As a result migrants change in an additional way, becoming less likely to maintain other kinds of linkages with rural homelands and family members that have no religious sanctions, such as visiting family, remitting money, and hosting rural visitors. Pentecostalism, combined with other aspects of contemporary life in urban Madagascar such as entrenched poverty and the elusive lure of modernization, thus may be weakening the links between migrant and kin, city and village.
The Use of Public Assistance Benefits by Citizens and Non-Citizen Immigrants in the United States

Claims are sometimes made that immigrants use public benefits, such as Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families programs, more often than those who are born in the United States. This report provides analyses, using the most recent data from the Census Bureau, that counter these claims. In reality, low-income non-citizen immigrants, including adults and children, are generally less likely to receive public benefits than those who are native-born. Moreover, when non-citizen immigrants receive benefits, the value of benefits they receive is usually lower than the value of benefits received by those born in the United States. The combination of lower average utilization and smaller average benefits indicates that the overall cost of public benefits is substantially less for low-income non-citizen immigrants than for comparable native-born adults and children. The report also explains that the lower use of public benefits by non-citizen immigrants is not surprising, since federal rules restrict immigrants’ eligibility for these public benefit programs.
Mechanistic aspects of CO2 reduction catalysis with manganese-based molecular catalysts

Abstract One approach for the conversion of CO2 into fuels or fuel precursors is the proton-coupled reduction of CO2 to CO or formic acid, using transition metal complexes as catalysts in either electrocatalytic or photocatalytic processes. While a number of such molecular catalysts have been investigated over the years, many are based on expensive precious metals. However, a growing family of pre-catalysts based on the earth-abundant metal, manganese, originally with the generic formula, [Mn(α-diimine)(CO)3L]+/0, but now expanded to also include non-α-diimine ligands, has recently emerged as a promising, cheaper alternative to the heavily-investigated rhenium-based analogues. In this review, we discuss the current mechanistic understanding of Mn-based CO2 reduction pre-catalysts, from the point of view of both computational modeling and experimental techniques. We also highlight the methods used to accurately determine catalytic figures of merit, such as overpotential and turnover frequency. Finally, we have summarized the major findings in both electrocatalytic and photocatalytic CO2 reduction driven by Mn-based catalysts, including exciting new developments involving immobilization of the molecular catalysts on solid supports or electrodes, and also their use in photoelectrochemical CO2 reduction where solar energy is used to overcome the demanding electrochemical overpotential.
A MATLAB GUI for Examining Triggered Tremor: A Case Study in New Zealand

We introduce a user‐friendly MATLAB GUI (graphical user interface) software for searching for triggered tectonic tremor. This software includes the following features: (1) multiple panels, whose primary function screen shows seismograms filtered at various frequency bands, surface‐wave seismograms or spectrograms for comparison, and a station map; (2) a tag function with which users can classify each station by quality and/or group and whose results will show on the map; (3) the locations of tremor sources from which users can manually pick the arrival times of individual tremor bursts and quickly obtain preliminary locations; and (4) output visualization from which users can align triggered tremor as a move‐out plot or save snapshots to a PDF file. For demonstration, we apply this package to examine triggered tremor in New Zealand between 2004 and 2016. We analyze 5300 seismograms from 18 M_w ≥ 7.5 target earthquakes and find that 9 generate triggered tremors in six regions in the central and the northern Hikurangi subduction margin, the central strike‐slip Alpine fault, Kaikōura and Southland in the South Island, and Northland in the North Island. The minimum apparent tremor‐triggering stress observed at the surface stations in these regions varies from 5.0 to 16.6 kPa. This GUI‐based package can facilitate the process of analysis for identifying triggered seismic events from a sizeable seismic dataset.
Automotive LiDAR based on Geiger-mode sensors (Conference Presentation)

Avalanche photodiodes operated in Geiger mode provide single-photon detection with excellent timing accuracy on a scalable semiconductor device platform, and they have been shown to enable high-rate collection of 3D LiDAR imagery from airborne platforms at extremely long (>10 km) stand-off distances. More recently, we have applied Geiger-mode technology to shorter range LiDAR systems designed for high-performance, low-cost automotive applications. The combination of two factors-single-photon sensitivity and the greater eye-safety of lasers at wavelengths beyond 1400 nm-provides disruptive automotive LiDAR range and resolution that will be essential to future autonomous vehicle navigation.
Oligonucleotide Length Determines Intracellular Stability of DNA-Wrapped Carbon Nanotubes

Non-covalent hybrids of single-stranded DNA and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) have demonstrated applications in biomedical imaging and sensing due to their enhanced biocompatibility and photostable, environmentally-responsive near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence. The fundamental properties of such DNA-SWCNTs have been studied to determine the correlative relationships between oligonucleotide sequence and length, SWCNT species, and the physical attributes of the resultant hybrids. However, intracellular environments introduce harsh conditions that can change the physical identities of the hybrid nanomaterials, thus altering their intrinsic optical properties. Here, through visible and NIR fluorescence imaging in addition to confocal Raman microscopy, we show that the oligonucleotide length determines the relative uptake, intracellular optical stability, and expulsion of DNA-SWCNTs in mammalian cells. While the absolute NIR fluorescence intensity of DNA-SWCNTs in murine macrophages increases with increasing oligonucleotide length (from 12 to 60 nucleotides), we found that shorter oligonucleotide DNA-SWCNTs undergo a greater magnitude of spectral shift and are more rapidly internalized and expelled from the cell after 24 hours. Furthermore, by labeling the DNA with a fluorophore that dequenches upon removal from the SWCNT surface, we found that shorter oligonucleotide strands are displaced from the SWCNT within the cell, altering the physical identity and changing the fate of the internalized nanomaterial. These findings provide fundamental understanding of the interactions between SWCNTs and live cells which can be applied towards development of robustly engineered carbon nanotube sensors while mitigating associated nanotoxicity.nnO_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=80 SRC="FIGDIR/small/642413v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1">nView larger version (36K):norg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@f3b7bborg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@a36d0borg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@14c082corg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@acac73_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG O_FLOATNOTOC GraphicC_FLOATNO C_FIG
Recent developments in fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW To highlight research, publications, and medical advancements in fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) over the past 18 months. RECENT FINDINGS Prevalence numbers have been updated, allowing for a more accurate account of the societal impact. Further work on diagnostic techniques and the underlying mechanisms will allow us to better understand the pathophysiology of FASD and could translate into treatments for the condition. Continued research on new treatments and interventions is needed to improve the affected individual's health care and quality of life. Measurable outcomes allow us to tangibly measure improvements for individuals and families affected by FASD. SUMMARY The current review highlights recent publications from January 2018 to August 2019 showing continued medical advancement in improving the care for children and families affected by FASD.
Recent advances in perinatal neuroprotection

Perinatal brain injury is a major cause of neurological disability in both premature and term infants. In this review, we summarize the evidence behind some established neuroprotective practices such as administration of antenatal steroids, intrapartum magnesium for preterm delivery, and therapeutic hypothermia. In addition, we examine emerging practices such as delayed cord clamping, postnatal magnesium administration, recombinant erythropoietin, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents and finally inform the reader about novel interventions, some of which are currently in trials, such as xenon, melatonin, topiramate, allopurinol, creatine, and autologous cord cell therapy.
How early hydrogen fuel cell vehicle adopters geographically evaluate a network of refueling stations in California

Abstract After a few years of initial sales, there is an opportunity to analyze how early hydrogen fuel cell vehicle (FCV) adopters evaluated the spatial arrangement of a network of stations prior to adoption. Since strategies differ on how best to arrange initial stations in a region to facilitate adoption, understanding how they did so informs future station planning methods. We distributed a web-based survey to 129 FCV adopters throughout California in 2019, asking them where they lived and traveled at the time of adoption, up to five stations they planned to use, and subjective reasons for listing those stations. We estimated shortest travel times to respondents' homes and other frequent locations, and deviations from frequently traveled routes. We compared differences in subjective and objective convenience for primary, secondary, and lower-ranked stations, and tabulated the different combinations of stations that satisfied adopters' various geographic criteria. Over 80% planned to rely on a portfolio of multiple stations subjectively convenient to key activity locations, and nearly 25% who provided subjective geographic criteria for listing stations did not include “near home” as their top reason for their primary or secondary station. Estimated travel times to stations subjectively considered “near” home, work, and other location types exhibit variability, but consistently decay beyond 90 min. Primary stations are subjectively and objectively more convenient to home and work than lower-ranked stations, and more associated with subjective convenience to home and objective convenience to work than secondary stations. Other destination types align with lower-ranked stations.
Low health numeracy is associated with higher disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosus

ObjectiveEvidence suggests low health literacy is prevalent in the United States and associated with worse clinical outcomes, yet few studies have investigated health literacy in systemic lupus ery...
Teaching the Online Marketing Research Course for MBA Students

Learning in an online environment shares many aspects with the learning required in marketing research projects conducted by research agencies with client firms. However, learning-management-system...
Variational-Autoencoder Regularized 3D MultiResUNet for the BraTS 2020 Brain Tumor Segmentation

Tumor segmentation is an important research topic in medical image segmentation. With the fast development of deep learning in computer vision, automated segmentation of brain tumors using deep neural networks becomes increasingly popular. U-Net is the most widely-used network in the applications of automated image segmentation. Many well-performed models are built based on U-Net. In this paper, we devise a model that combines the variational-autoencoder regularuzed 3D U-Net model [10] and the MultiResUNet model [7]. The model is trained on the 2020 Multimodal Brain Tumor Segmentation Challenge (BraTS) dataset and predicts on the validation set. Our result shows that the modified 3D MultiResUNet performs better than the previous 3D U-Net.
A General

Large-scale systems are everywhere, and deciding how to dispatch an arriving job to one of the many available servers is crucial to obtaining low response time. One common scalable dispatching paradigm is the "power of d," in which the dispatcher queries d servers at random and assigns the job to a server based only on the state of the queried servers. Such policies incur a much lower communication cost than querying all servers while sacrificing little in the way of performance. However, many "power of d" policies, such as Join-the-Shortest-Queued (JSQ-d) [4], share a notable weakness: they do not account for the fact that, in many modern systems, the servers? speeds are heterogeneous. Unfortunately, such heterogeneity-unaware dispatching policies can perform quite poorly in the presence of server heterogeneity [2].
Evaluating Children With Metopic Craniosynostosis: The Cephalic Width-Intercoronal Distance Ratio.

Objective: To identify an additional objective measure to aid in the evaluation of children with isolated metopic craniosynostosis. Design: This is a retrospective study comparing specific computed tomography scan measurements between surgical and nonsurgical cohorts of children with isolated metopic craniosynostosis. Children were included if they were diagnosed with isolated metopic craniosynostosis and ultimately underwent computed tomography scan imaging as part of their evaluation. The subjects were placed in the surgical or nonsurgical cohorts on the basis of the final treatment recommendation after they completed a full multidisciplinary, multimodality evaluation. Comparisons were made with a control group of unaffected patients from our institutional trauma registry. Setting: Tertiary academic institution. Patients, Participants: The subjects are patients who had been previously evaluated in our clinic for isolated metopic craniosynostosis and received a computed tomography scan as part of the...
Family Influences on Adolescent Females’ Sexual Health

Sexual behavior that puts adolescents, particularly female adolescents, at risk for adverse health outcomes is an overwhelming public health problem in the United States. Sexual risk behaviors, including early sexual initiation, unprotected intercourse, and sex with multiple partners, place female adolescents at risk for unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Approximately one million teenagers become pregnant each year (Alan Guttmacher Institute, 1993) and 3 million adolescents, about one of every eight teens or one in four sexually active teens, acquire an STD annually (Eng & Butler, 1997). About 20% of all new HIV infections occur in young people under age 25 (Office of National AIDS Policy, 1996).
Photon-deficient Mass on FDG-PET Scan in Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Case Report

F-18 Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography imaging (F-18 FDG PET) detects malignancies depending on the uptake profile of glycolysis of tumors; however, the role of FDG PET is limited in the evaluation of primary renal malignancy because of low FDG uptake by renal cell carcinoma and also because normal urinary excretion of FDG seen in the images. A patient with renal cell carcinoma whose FDG PET imaging study incidentally shows a photon-deficient mass in the upper pole of the right kidney is present here. The diagnosis is also validated by the histopathological findings of tumor necrosis, hemorrhage, and scars.
Decomposition Methods and Sampling Circuits in the Cartesian Lattice

Decomposition theorems are useful tools for bounding the convergence rates of Markov chains. The theorems relate the mixing rate of a Markov chain to smaller, derivative Markov chains, defined by a partition of the state space, and can be useful when standard, direct methods fail. Not only does this simplify the chain being analyzed, but it allows a hybrid approach whereby different techniques for bounding convergence rates can be used on different pieces. We demonstrate this approach by giving bounds on the mixing time of a chain on circuits of length 2n in Zd.
Infinite Horizon Problems

The systems under consideration in (discrete-time) sequential decision problems in operations research and the management sciences often do not have a predetermined time of extinction. Incorporating an arbitrary finite horizon can therefore introduce end-of-study distortions in early decisions. Such problems are therefore typically modeled over an unbounded horizon. A majority of the work in this area focuses on stationary models, which assume that the problem data do not change over time. There is also a considerable body of research on nonstationary problems. We briefly review some of the key concepts in nonstationary infinite horizon sequential decision making problems. Keywords: stationary infinite horizon; nonstationary infinite horizon; forecast horizon; policy monotonicity; closed-form formulas
Political Risk and Stock Returns: The Case of Hong Kong

Little work has been done to characterize the empirical effects of political events on financial markets. In this paper we attempt to measure the impact of political risk on asset prices, focusing on the Hong Kong equity market. Hong Kong serves as the ideal case study, for two reasons: the political situation is fluid, unpredictable, and characterized by the occurrence of definitive events, and the market movements are volatile, partially reflecting the political event risk. We focus on the 1989-1993 period, during which political issues such as the question of Hong Kong s democracy after 1997, China s most-favored-nation trade status, and China s human rights development and political reform movement have all contributed to Hong Kong s stock price movements. Modeling market volatility using a jump-diffusion process finds that the volatility of the benchmark Hang Seng Index is driven by a highly persistent component, punctuated by large jumps which are highly related to political events. These results suggest that the Hong Kong market is affected by both economic and political factors which impact future profitability and investor confidence.
Coregulation of type 12 M protein and streptococcal C5a peptidase genes in group A streptococci: evidence for a virulence regulon controlled by the virR locus.

Group A streptococci express at least two surface-associated virulence factors, the antiphagocytic M protein and the antichemotactic streptococcal C5a peptidase (SCP). Preliminary evidence suggested that the biosynthesis of these two proteins is coordinately controlled and subject to simultaneous phase variation. To explore this possibility further, a series of phase-switching and phase-locked M- variants were assayed for SCP by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay inhibition and for SCP-specific mRNA by dot blot hybridization. All M- cultures produced diminished amounts of SCP antigen and specific mRNA, whereas revertants produced quantities equivalent to those of the wild-type M+ culture. A phase-locked strain that harbors a deletion in a region upstream of the M12 and SCP genes, termed the virR locus, failed to produce SCP antigen or SCP-specific transcripts. The SCP-specific transcript produced by M+ bacteria was shown by Northern (RNA) blot hybridization to be 4 kilobases in size, distinguishing it from the transcript which encodes M protein. These data demonstrate that phase switching of both SCP and M12 proteins is at the transcriptional level and that expression is under the control of the upstream virR locus. We propose that the genetic determinants of these proteins and of colony morphology comprise a virulence regulon. Images
Annotated Hyperresolution for Non-horn Regular Multiple-Valued Logics

This paper focuses on non-Horn formulas for the class of regular signed logics, also known as annotated logics. Resolution-based inference systems for these logics are not new, but most earlier work has concentrated on Horn formulas, to which the logic programming paradigm applies. Here a restriction of annotated resolution and reduction called annotated hyperresolution is introduced. The new rule is developed for arbitrary CNF formulas of regular signed logics and is shown to be complete.
The Economics of Provider Payment Reform: Are Accountable Care Organizations the Answer?

A remarkable consensus has developed that the fee-for-service (FFS) approach for paying medical providers must be replaced. This payment approach is said to increase the volume of services without improving care coordination. In response to these calls, Medicare and private payers are experimenting with payment systems that combine the basic element of FFS - a fee for each service - with arrangements that allow providers to share the savings if they hold total spending per patient below a targeted amount. Medicare's accountable care organizations (ACOs) embody the shared savings approach to payment reform. Private payers have introduced total cost of care contracting (TCOC) in several locations. This article questions the consensus that FFS must go. If the fees are too high, then someone needs to "bite the bullet" and reduce fees in key areas. Hoping to control overspending by investment in ACOs is wishful thinking. I describe the theory and practice of shared savings payment systems and summarize recent TCOC contracting initiatives in the private sector. Medicare's shared savings approach is likely to be less effective than private contracts. Cutting providers' fees would be more efficient. Finally, the new payment models in the Affordable Care Act will not ease the problem of high prices for private payers.
The Clinical Significance of Dark Cartilage Lesions Identified on MRI.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical significance of foci of low signal intensity in morphologically normal cartilage. MATERIALS AND METHODS. This retrospective study included 887 patients who underwent 898 knee MRI examinations performed within 6 months of arthroscopic knee surgery. A musculoskeletal radiologist reviewed all MRI examinations for the presence of foci of low signal in cartilage where there was no visible morphologic abnormality, referred to as “dark cartilage lesions.” The surgical reports of all patients were reviewed for the presence of cartilage degeneration at arthroscopy. Logistic regression was used to model the probability of dark cartilage lesions corresponding to cartilage degeneration at arthroscopy as a function of patient age. RESULTS. In the 5388 articular surfaces assessed on MRI, 142 dark cartilage lesions were identified. The proportion of dark cartilage lesions corresponding to cartilage degeneration at arthroscopy was 52.0% (13 of 25) in the ...
Evaluating digital piracy intentions on behaviors

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess how well digital piracy self‐report intentions predict actual digital piracy behaviors in service marketing research.Design/methodology/approach – Study 1 collects 321 surveys to investigate potential measurement issues related to digital piracy intention formation. Study 2 replicates Study 1 based on a separate sample of 267 respondents, and additionally links digital piracy intentions to directly observed digital piracy behaviors across a peer‐to‐peer network.Findings – The results first validate a strong predictive relationship between self‐report intentions and observed digital piracy behaviors (R2=0.36). Second, common method bias and measurement error do not appear to threaten the veracity of reported results. Third, a social psychological model of how digital piracy behaviors emerge is validated based upon the folk theory of the mind. Finally, a two‐dimensional conceptualization of frequency of past behaviors is identified based upon exploratory fact...
Calculation of static deformation following the Bolivia Earthquake by summation of Earth's normal modes

The vertical ground displacement associated with the 9 June 1994 great Bolivia earthquake is calculated by summation of Earth's normal modes. Because of the great depth of the earthquake, the contributions to the surface displacement field from modes of low radial and angular orders predominate. Convergence is fast, and the truncated mode sum provides a good estimate of the total global displacement field. The vertical displacement is calculated to be on the order of 1 cm within a few hundred kill of the epicenter, and 1 mm at distances as great as 1500 km. Normal mode seismograms are calculated for a location near the epicenter, and the static offset is seen to occur primarily between the P and S phases, consistent with the effect of a near-field term. The predicted seismograms are in qualitative agreement with the recently reported observations of seismically recorded static displacements on the BANJO broadband array [Jiao et al., this issue]. The static offset calculated in this study is smaller than the observations and predictions reported by Jiao et al., probably owing to uncertainties in the observations and in their approximate calculations, which are based on dislocation theory in an elastic halfspace.
Determinants of household check writing: the impacts of the use of electronic banking services and alternative pricing of services

Abstract In recent years, there has been a simultaneous deregulation of interest ceilings on household deposits and a dramatic deployment of automatic teller machines (ATMs) by the banking industry. At one time, there was a belief that the U. S. would evolve into a “checkless society” because of the development of electronic funds transfer systems such as the ATM. That has clearly not happened. The purpose of this paper is to estimate the impacts of both the use of ATMs and the change in pricing due to deregulation on household check writing. The source of the data is a survey of households conducted by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. The results of the tests indicate that use of electronic banking services had no discernible impact on check writing while different methods of pricing checking account services did have a substantial impact on check writing.
Mesoscopic photovoltaic effect.

We have studied the response of mesoscopic conductors to microwave electric fields. This response is found to be nonlinear, with the generation of a dc voltage, ${\mathit{V}}_{\mathrm{dc}}$, whose magnitude is proportional to the microwave power. This ``photovoltaic'' effect is sensitive to temperature, magnetic field, and the precise location of the scattering centers within the sample. Our results are generally in good agreement with recent theoretical predictions. However, the temperature dependence of ${\mathit{V}}_{\mathrm{dc}}$ is somewhat weaker than expected, and in some samples the behavior of ${\mathit{V}}_{\mathrm{dc}}$ in response to changes in the polarity of the magnetic field is not understood.
The Antecedents of Community-Oriented Internet Use: Community Participation and Community Satisfaction

The linkage between the Internet and the offline community has been the subject of considerable research in the last decade. Scholars have been particularly interested in the effects of the Internet on offline community, and the relationship between Internet use and community participation. Based on the social shaping of technology and channel complementarity theories, this study proposes that community participation will be positively related to community-based Internet use. In addition, it posits that satisfaction with the community will emerge as a positive predictor of community-based Internet use. A regression analysis of data gathered by the Pew Center for the People and the Press demonstrates that community satisfaction and community participation explain variance in community-based Internet use beyond that explained by demographic variables.
Two Attempts to Condition Eyelid Responses in Human Infants.

Abstract The conditionability of the eyeblink response using a photocell method with human infants was explored. In one study, an experimental and control group each of 20 S s were studied, the latter group being administered the CS and UCS under a backward conditioning procedure. The results showed a modest conditioning effect at mean age of 40.3 days to tonal stimulation. However, the infants did not produce many CRs, and the CRs did not gradually increase. In a second experiment, differential eyelid conditioning to tonal stimulation was studied in nine babies with mean age of 31 days. The result revealed a differential conditioning effect, although this phenomenon was again unstable. The data indicate the feasibility of studying such conditioning in young infants. Further studies employing similar techniques, and especially involving more trials over a longer age-span, appear warranted.
ENZYME MECHANISM AND KINETICS

Based on recognized principles of catalysis in chemical engineering that have been applied to development and design of important industrial processes, this article shows how it is possible to devise a methodology for treating complex enzyme systems. The method is illustrated by examples from both fields. With the reaction catalyzed by the enzyme dihydrofolate reductase, a cancer tumor target, as an example, we demonstrate how information on the rates of component elementary steps can be used to identify those that are most significant in promoting the activity of a given enzyme strain. In this way a tool is available for improved enzyme design.
Near-Field Scanning Optical Microscopy of Photonic Crystal Nanocavities

Near-field scanning optical microscopy was used to observe high-resolution images of confined modes and photonic bands of planar photonic crystal (PPC) nanocavities fabricated in active InGaAsP material. We have observed the smallest optical cavity modes, which are intentionally produced by fractional edge dislocation high-Q cavity designs. The size of the detected mode was roughly four by three lattice spacings. We have also observed extended dielectric-band modes of the bulk PPC surrounding the nanocavity by geometrically altering the bands in emission range and eliminating localized modes out of the emission range.
Glutathione peroxidase and reductase activities in the aging mouse

Previous results from this laboratory demonstrated that glutathione concentrations decrease in aging mouse tissues. In this investigation glutathione (GSH) peroxidase and glutathione (GSSG) reductase activities were measured in tissues of standardized aging mice. Methods were validated for the quantitative determination of both enzymes in liver, kidney and heart tissues. GSH peroxidase activities were 27-53% lower in liver, kidney and heart of very old (36 months) mice compared to mature (10 months) mice (P less than 0.01). The same aging decreases were found with either hydrogen peroxide or cumene hydroperoxide as substrate. In a similar way GSSG reductase activities in liver and kidney were 25-28% lower in the old versus mature mice (P less than 0.01), but heart levels were unchanged. Further the lower GSSG reductase levels were unaffected by FAD supplementation in vitro. The changes in specific activity for both enzymes were not due to changes in organ weights and total protein contents, which were constant from 10 to 36 months of age. These decreases in GSH peroxidase and GSSG reductase do not account for the lower GSH levels in aging. Of special importance, however, is that these decreases indicate that detoxification via glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase could be impaired in senescence.
Nonlinear effects in the extraction of laminar flame speeds from expanding spherical flames

Abstract Various factors affecting the determination of laminar flames speeds from outwardly propagating spherical flames in a constant-pressure combustion chamber were considered, with emphasis on the nonlinear variation of the stretched flame speed to the flame stretch rate, and the associated need to nonlinearly extrapolate the stretched flame speed to yield an accurate determination of the laminar flame speed and Markstein length. Experiments were conducted for lean and rich n-butane/air flames at 1 atm initial pressure, demonstrating the complex and nonlinear nature of the dynamics of flame evolution, and the strong influences of the ignition transient and chamber confinement during the initial and final periods of the flame propagation, respectively. These experimental data were analyzed using the nonlinear relation between the stretched flame speed and stretch rate, yielding laminar flame speeds that agree well with data determined from alternate flame configurations. It is further suggested that the fidelity in the extraction of the laminar flame speed from expanding spherical flames can be facilitated by using small ignition energy and a large combustion chamber.
Anatomy of locust ocellar interneurons: Constancy and variability

1. The anatomy of the ocellar interneurons in the brain of the locust,Scchstocerca vaga, was revealed by axonal iontophoresis of cobalt chloride. The normal bilaterally symmetric anatomy, as represented in 41 of 50 preparations, includes 17 large and identified ocellar interneurons (Fig. 1). Each ocellar nerve contains the axons of 7 large interneurons (Fig. 2), 4 of the interneurons having axons in two ocellar nerves. 2. The anatomy of each large interneuron is described (Fig. 5). Only one, with an axon in the median ocellar nerve, projects bilaterally; all others are confined to one side of the brain and have contralateral homologues. Two interneurons run between each lateral ocellus and the median ocellus. Their axons run through the brain without branching, except for the neurite, and they may be the “efferent” units previously described. Several pairs of interneurons are described with effectively identical gross morphology. 3. Individual variation of the same cell in different preparations is described (Fig. 6), showing constancy of general shape but with variation in fine branching patterns characteristic of most preparations. 4. Major asymmetric variations were found in 9 of 50 preparations, including cases in which axons of identified cells extended into lobes of the brain in which they normally were not found (Fig. 7), cases in which normally occuring cells sent extra axons into ocellar nerves in which they normally were not represented, and cases in which extra cells occured which were anatomical duplicates of normally occuring cells (Fig. 9).
Beneficial effects of S-adenosyl-L-methionine on blood-brain barrier breakdown and neuronal survival after transient cerebral ischemia in gerbils.

We have studied the beneficial effects of S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) tosylate on blood-brain barrier (BBB) breakdown and neuronal survival after transient cerebral ischemia in gerbils. BBB breakdown experiments were performed in pentobarbital anesthetized gerbils subjected to 10 min of bilateral carotid artery occlusion and 6 h of reperfusion. For BBB breakdown measurements, SAM (120 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered to gerbils just after occlusion and thereafter every hour up to 5 h. Fluorometric measurements quantified the blood-brain permeability tracer, Evans blue (EB). SAM treatment significantly reduced the BBB breakdown as indicated by reduced levels of EB fluorescence. Neuronal count experiments were conducted in gerbils subjected to transient ischemia and 7 days of reperfusion. For neuronal count experiments SAM (15-120 mg/kg) was administered at 6 and 12 h after reperfusion, and twice each day thereafter for 7 days. SAM dose dependently protected the hippocampal CA1 neurons assessed by histopathological methods. SAM has a beneficial effect on the outcome of ischemic injury by reducing the BBB breakdown and neuronal death.