cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Fallacy of Contract in Sexual Slavery: A Response to Ramseyer's

Over seven decades have passed since the end of the Second World War, but the trauma from the cruelest war in human history continues today, perpetuated by denial of responsibility for the war crimes committed and unjust attempts to rewrite history at the expense of dignity, life, and justice for the victims of the most serious human rights violations. The latest such attempt is a troubling recharacterization of the sexual slavery enforced by Japan during the Second World War as a legitimate contractual arrangement. A recent paper authored by J. Mark Ramseyer, entitled “Contracting for Sex in the Pacific War,” mischaracterizes forced sexual slavery as a contractual process by which the victims freely participated in prostitution in return for a substantial reward, denying the responsibility of the Japanese government and its military for the atrocious human rights violations committed. The argument of that paper is flawed and disregards a breath of evidence, including numerous testimonies of survivors, and the findings of scholars, NGOs, and intergovernmental organizations, including the United Nations Human Rights Commission, that the victims were coerced, deceived, or otherwise manipulated into sexual servitude with the direct or indirect involvement of the Japanese government or the military, as admitted by Japan in the 1993 Kono Statement. This article discusses the critical flaws in the arguments advanced by the paper, the traumatic impact of such arguments on survivors of these war crimes, and the broader implications of these (and other similar) justifications for sexual exploitation.
Young children’s understanding of ordinal and spatial labels

Abstract The goal of this study was to understand the development of ordinal and spatial language during the preschool years. One hundred twenty-nine 3- and 4-year-old children searched for stickers in labeled train cars hidden from view by three identical tunnels. Children were randomly assigned to label condition, comparing ordinal (first, second, third), spatial (front, middle, back), and color labels (red, green, yellow). As expected, search performance improved significantly with age. Importantly, search performance was significantly lower for ordinal labels than for color labels (the control condition), with spatial labels intermediate and not different from the other two conditions. Positive correlations were found between search performance and parent reports of child language. These findings provide important details about developmental improvements in ordinal and spatial language during the preschool years.
Hyaluronidases in Human Diseases

With the burgeoning interest in hyaluronic acid (HA) in recent years, hyaluronidases (HYALs) have come to light for their role in regulating catabolism of HA and its molecular weight (MW) distribution in various tissues. Of the six hyaluronidase-like gene sequences in the human genome, HYALs 1 and 2 are of particular significance because they are the primary hyaluronidases active in human somatic tissue. Perhaps more importantly, for the sake of this review, they cleave anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic high-molecular-weight HA into pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic oligosaccharides. With this, HYALs regulate HA degradation and thus the development and progression of various diseases. Given the dearth of literature focusing specifically on HYALs in the past decade, this review seeks to expound their role in human diseases of the skin, heart, kidneys, and more. The review will delve into the molecular mechanisms and pathways of HYALs and discuss current and potential future therapeutic benefits of HYALs as a clinical treatment.
Beliefs About Perioperative Opioid and Alcohol Use among Elective Surgical Patients Who Report Unhealthy Drinking: A Qualitative Study.

Author(s): Fernandez, Anne C; Lin, Lewei A; Bazzi, Angela R; Boissoneault, Jeff; Borsari, Brian; Blow, Frederic | Abstract: ObjectivesElective surgical patients with unhealthy alcohol use have unique pain management needs and addiction risk factors that are relevant to surgical preparation and recovery. This descriptive qualitative study sought to better understand patients' beliefs and behaviors related to opioid use, alcohol use, and pain management in the perioperative context.DesignWe conducted individual semi-structured interviews between July 2017 and March 2018.SettingA large Midwestern academic health system.SubjectsParticipants were elective surgical patients meeting unhealthy alcohol use criteria, recruited from the health system's preoperative anesthesia clinic.MethodSemistructured interview guides explored beliefs and behaviors relating to alcohol and opioid use, health status, and surgical care. Interview recordings were transcribed and coded for thematic analysis.ResultsAmong 20 elective surgical patients (25% female), we identified three key themes regarding alcohol use, opioid use, and their co-use before and after surgery. First, desires and intentions to use opioids for postoperative pain management varied widely, even before opioids were prescribed. Second, some participants described alcohol as a preferred pain management strategy. Third, participants held a range of beliefs about the risks and benefits of alcohol and opioid co-use.ConclusionsAppropriate assessment of beliefs and intentions regarding opioid and alcohol use could help identify patients most vulnerable to new opioid problems and unhealthy alcohol use in the context of perioperative surgical pain. These findings have important implications for perioperative pain management.
Virginie Despentes’ queer crime fiction:

Virginie Despentes has become one of France’s most commercially successful and celebrated novelists. However, while the French press has often labelled Despentes’ novels as crime fiction (‘polars’)...
A Divide-and-Conquer Method for Inverse Kinematics of Hyper-Redundant Manipulators

Hyper-redundant manipulators have a large number of redundant degrees of freedom. They have been recognized as a means to improve manipulator performance in complex and unstructured environments. However, the high degree of redundancy also causes difficulty in inverse kinematics calculations. Motivated by the cascading of workspace densities, this paper develops a “divide-and-conquer” method for inverse kinematics using the workspace density generated by a partial differential equation. This method does not involve a high dimensional Jacobian matrix and offers high accuracy. Its computational complexity is only O(log 2 P) for a manipulator with P modules. Numerical simulations are performed to demonstrate this method.
Analysis: Computer Network

Network analysis is a challenging area of digital forensics, which can provide substantive data to assist in the investigation of network-based events. There are several key challenge areas, and a variety of tools and techniques that can be utilized to perform such analysis. Such analysis includes analysis of malicious binary files in addition to analysis of network traffic. Keywords: network traffic; network analysis; binary analysis; TCP/IP; compromised systems; BOT; IRC; HTTP; static analysis; run-time analysis; reverse engineering
A New Method of Apportionment of Representatives

The only provisions of the United States Constitution which bear on the present problem of apportionment are the following: "Repre? sentatives shall be apportioned among the several states according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each state, excluding Indians not taxed." "The enumeration shall be made within . . . every . . . term of ten years." "The number of representatives shall not exceed one for every 30,000, but each state shall have at least one representative." Since fractional representation appears to be out of the question, the problem is how to distribute any given total number (N) of repre? sentatives among the several states in proportion to their populations "as nearly as may be." In other words, considering first the case of two states, the problem is how to approximate most closely to the condition expressed by the proportion A : B :: a : b,
Mathematical Model and Numerical Simulation of the Electrode Hydraulic Servo Control System of a Vacuum Electric-Arc Furnace

The hydraulic servo control system is widely used in electrode control of electric-arc furnace. But the mathematical model and the dynamic performance of such a system are not researched in detail. In this papers by analyzing the dynamic performance of the electrode hydraulic servo control system, a mathematical model of 7th order for this system is established and its ramp-step response is calculated by numerical simulation.
Effects of refractive error on detection acuity and resolution acuity in peripheral vision.

Purpose To evaluate the effect of refractive error on detection acuity and resolution acuity in peripheral vision. Methods Detection acuity, defined as the highest spatial frequency for which luminance gratings can be discriminated from a uniform field, and resolution acuity, defined as the highest spatial frequency for which spatial patterns are perceived veridically, was determined for vertical and horizontal gratings located at 20 degrees, 30 degrees, and 40 degrees of eccentricity. Resolution was also measured for tumbling-E discrimination at these locations. Refractive state of the eye for test targets was manipulated by introducing an ophthalmic trial lens into the line of sight for the stimulus while holding accommodative state fixed. Results Detection acuity in the periphery varied significantly with the amount of optical defocus, whereas acuity for grating resolution or letter discrimination was unaffected by defocus over a large range (up to 6 D). These results are consistent with the working hypothesis that detection acuity in the periphery is limited by contrast insufficiency under normal viewing conditions, but resolution is limited by ambiguity because of neural undersampling. Conclusions The large depth of focus for resolution acuity measured for peripheral vision indicates that spatial resolution is likely to remain sampling-limited even when peripheral refractive errors are not fully corrected, thus relaxing the methodologic requirements for obtaining noninvasive estimates of neural sampling density of the living eye in a clinical setting.
Similar results for face mask versus mouthpiece during incremental exercise to exhaustion

ABSTRACTInvestigations in the 1990s evaluated the influence of breathing assemblies on respiratory variables at rest and during exercise; however, research on new models of breathing assemblies is lacking. This study compared metabolic gas analysis data from a mouthpiece with a noseclip (MOUTH) and a face mask (MASK). Volunteers (7 males, 7 females; 25.1 ± 2.7 years) completed two maximal treadmill tests within 1 week, one MOUTH and one MASK, in random order. The difference in maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) between MOUTH (52.7 ± 11.3 ml · kg−1 · min−1) and MASK (52.2 ± 11.7 ml · kg−1 · min−1) was not significant (P = 0.53). Likewise, the mean MOUTH–MASK differences in minute ventilation (VE), fraction of expired oxygen (FEO2) and carbon dioxide (FECO2), respiration rate (RR), tidal volume (Vt), heart rate (HR), and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) at maximal and submaximal intensities were not significant (P > 0.05). Furthermore, there was no systematic bias in the error scores (r = −0.13, P = 0.66...
NF-κB Controls Cell Fate Specification, Survival, and Molecular Differentiation of Immunoregulatory Natural T Lymphocytes

Ontogenetic, homeostatic, and functional deficiencies within immunoregulatory natural T (iNKT) lymphocytes underlie various inflammatory immune disorders including autoimmunity. Signaling events that control cell fate specification and molecular differentiation of iNKT cells are only partly understood. Here we demonstrate that these processes within iNKT cells require classical NF-κB signaling. Inhibition of NF-κB signaling blocks iNKT cell ontogeny at an immature stage and reveals an apparent, novel precursor in which negative selection occurs. Most importantly, this block occurs due to a lack of survival signals, as Bcl-x L overexpression rescues iNKT cell ontogeny. Maturation of immature iNKT cell precursors induces Bcl-2 expression, which is defective in the absence of NF-κB signaling. Bcl-x L overexpression also rescues this maturation-induced Bcl-2 expression. Thus, antiapoptotic signals relayed by NF-κB critically control cell fate specification and molecular differentiation of iNKT cells and, hence, reveal a novel role for such signals within the immune system.
Mobile interaction design: Integrating individual and organizational perspectives

While mobile computing provides organizations with many information systems implementation alternatives, it is often difficult to predict the potential benefits, limitations, and problems with mobile applications. Given the inherent portability of mobile devices, many design and use issues can arise which do not exist with desktop systems. While many existing rules of thumb for design of stationary systems apply to mobile systems, many new ones emerge. Issues such as the security and privacy of information take on new dimensions, and potential conflicts can develop when a single mobile device serves both personal and business needs. This paper identifies potential issues and problems with the use of mobile information systems by examining both personal and organizational perspectives of mobile devices and applications. It provides a set of guidelines that can assist organizations in making decisions about the design and implementation of mobile technologies and applications in organizations.
Overseeing the Refugee Convention: Coordination with UNHCR and States

At the Ministerial Meeting of States Parties to the 1951 Refugee Convention and 1967 Refugee Protocol held in Geneva on Dec. 12-13, states agreed formally to pursue efforts to reinforce effective implementation of their refugee protection treaty obligations. To that end, the International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA), in collaboration with the University of Michigan's Program in Refugee and Asylum Law, convened a Global Consultation on International Protection in Geneva on Dec. 11. That meeting launched a process of careful review of options for the establishment of an independent supervisory mechanism for international refugee law based on a series of Working Papers. The introductory paper, "Taking Oversight of Refugee Law Seriously," by Prof. James Hathaway of the University of Michigan Law School, makes the case for genuinely independent supervision of the Refugee Convention. In particular, it argues that scholars and activists must not be intimidated by institutional insistence that oversight of the Refugee Convention be a function exclusively of the UNHCR. The High Commissioner's duty to supervise implementation of the Convention and the more general obligation of state parties to take collective responsibility to oversee implementation of their treaty obligations are, in fact, compatible - not mutually exclusive - responsibilities. The first four Working Papers in the series consider the usefulness in the context of the Refugee Convention of the most widely used mechanisms of treaty supervision which, as forcefully argued by Harvard's Professor Henry Steiner, are mutually reinforcing and interdependent processes. The final three papers speak to the process of overseeing the Refugee Convention. Working Paper No. 7 makes the case for differentiating the protection work of UNHCR from that of an independent supervisory body for the Refugee Convention, and explains why it is in the best interests of both UNHCR and of states to commit themselves to an arms-length mechanism to oversee the Refugee Convention.
Computing conformal structures of surfaces

According to Klein’s Erlangen program, different geometry branches study invariants of a space under different transformation groups. Topology and Euclidean geometry have been widely applied in computer graphics and vision. Between topological transformation group and Euclidean transformation group, there exists a conformal transformation group, which has not been well studied by computer scientists. We present a systematic way to compute the conformal invariants under this group, and to verify if two surfaces can be transformed to each other by conformal maps. The proposed conformal geometry method has many applications including global conformal surface parameterization, remeshing, geometric morphing in graphics, surface identification and classification in vision. ∗PhD in computer science. Division of Engineering and Applied Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. E-mail: gu@eecs.harvard.edu, †Fields medalist. Mathematics Department, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. E-mail: yau@math.harvard.edu 1
RFLP Analysis of Chromosomal Segregation in Progeny from an Interspecific Hexaploid Somatic Hybrid between Solanum Brevidens and Solanum Tuberosum

Segregation of restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) loci was monitored to determine the degree of homeologous pairing and recombination in a hexaploid somatic hybrid, A206, the result of protoplast fusion between Solanum tuberosum (PI 203900, a tetraploid cultivated potato) and Solanum brevidens (PI 218228), a diploid, sexually incompatible, distant relative harboring several traits for disease resistance. Somatic hybrid A206 was crossed to Katahdin, a tetraploid potato cultivar, to generate a segregating population of pentaploid progeny. Although the clones of the tetraploid S. tuberosum lines PI 203900 and Katahdin were highly polymorphic, the diploid S. brevidens clone was homozygous at all but two of the tested RFLP loci. Thus, homeologous recombination could be detected only when S. tuberosum and S. brevidens chromosomes paired and the S. brevidens homologs then segregated into separate gametes. A bias toward homologous pairing was observed for all 12 chromosomes. At least four and perhaps six chromosomes participated in homologous pairing only; each of 24 progeny contained all S. brevidens-derived RFLP markers for chromosomes 4, 8, 9 and 10. The remaining six chromosomes paired with their homolog(s) about twice as often as expected if hexaploid pairings were completely random. Where detectable with RFLPs, homeologous recombination (both single and double) occurred at a frequency of 1.31 per chromosome. Cytological observations of meiosis I in the somatic hybrid indicated that homeologous pairing had occurred. Enhanced recombinational activity was observed for chromosome 2. A specific small deletion from chromosome 4 was detected in A206 and 11 other somatic hybrids out of 14 screened.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Frequent false positive beta human chorionic gonadotropin tests in immunoglobulin A deficiency

A patient with IgA deficiency had a series of positive serum pregnancy tests which led to medical and surgical procedures for suspected molar pregnancy. These tests were found to be falsely positive due to heterophile antibody. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of false positive βhCG assays in sera of IgA deficient patients. Sera from a panel of IgA deficient (IgA < 7 mg/dl) patients were tested for the presence of βHCG using three different assays, and also for IgG anti-goat and anti-mouse antibodies. Patients were seen at Mount Sinai Medical Center and included 54 patients (ages 1–80 years, 32 females, 22 males) with IgA deficiency. Thirty percent of 54 IgA deficient patient sera yielded positive pregnancy tests by one or more of the three βhCG assays, however, none of the patients were pregnant. In comparison to sera of normal controls, 39% of the patient sera contained significant amounts of anti-goat antibody and 18% contained significant amounts of anti-mouse antibody. While heterophile antibodies are common in IgA deficient serum, false positive assays for βhCG in IgA deficient serum have not been previously reported. The possibility of false positive test results should be considered prior to invasive procedures in IgA deficient patients.
Levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in amniotic fluid samples from smokers and nonsmokers

Previous studies from this laboratory have focused on the characterization of blood protein adducts formed in utero as a result of maternal smoking during pregnancy. These biological samples, obtai...
The new universal definition of myocardial infarction criteria improve electrocardiographic diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome

Abstract Introduction/Methods To assess whether revised electrocardiographic (ECG) criteria improve emergency department identification of patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) or unstable angina (UA) and predict outcome, we studied 120 patients with a nondiagnostic initial ECG by prior criteria. Electrocardiograms were read in a blinded fashion months apart with standard and then revised criteria, and analyzed by χ 2 and logistic regression analysis. Results In 12 subjects (10%), the initial ECG was now interpreted as diagnostic of ischemia. Eleven (92%) had an MI, 1 had UA (8%), and none had a noncardiac diagnosis. Ischemic ECG changes were strongly associated with MI or UA ( P = .003). At 1-year follow-up, ECG changes diagnostic of ischemia were associated with a trend toward higher mortality (25% vs 7%, P = .07), but after adjustment for clinical factors, ECG changes were not an independent predictor of 1-year mortality. Conclusions Revision of the ECG criteria for ischemia was associated with enhanced diagnostic performance and identified a subset of patients at higher risk.
Comparative analysis of vascular endothelial cell activation by TNF-α and LPS in humans and baboons

As an Old World nonhuman primate, baboons have been extensively used for research on dyslipidemia and atherogenesis. With increasing knowledge about the endothelium's role in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis, the value of the baboon model can be increased by developing it for research on the role of dysfunctional endothelium in atherogenesis. Toward that goal, we have established and validated methods of isolating and culturing baboon femoral artery endothelial cells (BFAECs) and compared baboon endothelial cellular characteristics with those of humans. Our results indicated that baboon and human endothelial cells share similar growth and culture behaviors. As was the case for human endothelial cells, BFAECs responded to tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha stimulation with increased expression of adhesion molecules (maximum increase for intracellular adhesion molecule (ICAM): 1.76 +/- 0.26-fold; vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM): 1.65 +/- 0.25-fold; E-selectin: 2.86 +/- 0.57-fold). However, BFAECs were hyporesponsive to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (range, 0.25-20 microg/mL) in adhesion molecule expression, whereas 1 microg/mL LPS induced 2.14- to 3.71-fold increases in human endothelial cells. The differential responses to LPS were not related to TLR-2 and toll-like receptor (TLR)-4 expression on the cell surface. And baboon microvascular endothelial cells had similar features as BFAECs. We observed constitutive expression of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 in both human and baboon endothelial cells, and these cytokines were further induced by TNF-alpha and LPS. We also demonstrated that the responses to TNF-alpha or LPS varied among baboons maintained under the same dietary and environmental conditions, suggesting that response may be controlled by genetic factors.
The Value of Beauty in Theory Pursuit: Kuhn, Duhem, and Decision Theory

Should judgments of beauty play a guiding role in theoretical science even if beauty is not a sign of truth? In this paper I argue that they should in certain cases. If we analyze the rationality of theoretical pursuit using decision theory, a theory’s beauty can influence the utilities of the various options confronting the researcher. After considering the views of Pierre Duhem and Thomas Kuhn on aesthetics in science, I suggest that because we value freedom of inquiry we rightly allow scientists some choice in how they value aesthetic properties of theories and thus some freedom to use beauty to guide their research program.
Smear velocity in elliptic orbits

The effect of elliptic orbit motion on the blurring in an optical sensor was evaluated. The magnitude of the uncompensated relative velocity, the smear velocity, can influence the selection of an orbit for the mission as well as the signal processing requirements. A model of the orbital kinematics and the optical projection effects for a surveillance spacecraft was developed in order to determine the smear velocity. The center of the sensor's field of view (CFOV) is assumed to be directed to track a point of interest on the earth's surface in order to reduce the relative motion. Two different modes of tracking the point are considered: two-axis tracking and three-axis tracking. The lateral variation of the smear velocity across the field of view (FOV) was analyzed. This effect, in conjunction with the frame time, contributes to the smearing or blurring of the image. It must be assessed along with the clutter effects in an evaluation of the image degradation. The smear velocity may range from zero to over 300 meter/second in a typical orbit. The effect would be greater than the effect of drifting clouds in the background. The effect generally increases with increased displacement from the CFOV, and it changes significantly with the observation position along the elliptic orbit.
Myths We Teach, Realities We Ignore: Leadership Education in Business Schools:

Schools of business usually include the study of leadership as part of a survey of organizational behavior (OB) theory. This article examines how several of the most frequently used OB texts treat leadership. This article identifies some underlying myths being purveyed in those texts and the realities of the leadership dynamic that are being ignored.Major finding: leadership, as presented in the selected texts, is a collection of control theories that ignores essential aspects of the leadership concept. Furthermore, these texts imply that leadership is achieved by being promoted into a supervisory role.
An Analysis of the Southern California Perceptual Motor Tests.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the Southern California Perceptual Motor Tests (SCPMT) since (1) the validity of the tests has been questioned and (2) the tests are widely used in the development of Individualized Education Programs for children with special motoric needs. The subjects were 386 children characterized as having learning and/or perceptual problems; they were evaluated by occupational therapists in Ohio and Tennessee. A factor analysis was made based on the subjects' performances on the 42 individual items. The results indicated that the test items generally have good discriminative ability. However, the distribution of items of some of the individual tests across more than one factor suggests that, at least in children with learning disorders, the tests are sampling a wider number of constructs than was intended in their design.
Critical phenomena in randomly stirred fluids: Correlation functions, equation of motion, and crossover behavior.

A field-theoretic dynamic renormalization-group calculation is carried out to two-loop order for a model of a critical binary liquid undergoing (passive) random stirring. In addition to the mean-field and dynamic ${\ensuremath{\varphi}}^{4}$ fixed points, a new stable fixed point is found which has a nonanalytic, ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}^{1/2}$, \ensuremath{\epsilon} expansion, where \ensuremath{\epsilon}\ensuremath{\equiv}4-d. The dynamic and static critical exponents for this new fixed point are found to have O(${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}^{1/2}$) terms. For small stirring Reynolds number, the system will cross over from the dynamic ${\ensuremath{\varphi}}^{4}$ to the new ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}^{1/2}$ fixed point, and we have calculated the effective critical exponents, the static and dynamic correlation function, and the equation of motion, all in crossover form, to one-loop order. The exponent governing the lowering of the critical temperature with stirring Reynolds number is found to be 1.74, which is in agreement with recent experiments of Pine et al. [Phys. Rev. A 29, 308 (1984)].
Growth hormone release from chicken anterior pituitary cells in primary culture: TRH and hpGRF synergy, protein synthesis, and cyclic adenosine 3'5'-monophosphate.

Abstract Our earlier work showed that the effects of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) and human pancreatic growth hormone-releasing factor (hpGRF) on growth hormone (GH) release are synergistic (greater than additive) in a primary culture of chicken adenohypophyseal cells. The purpose of the present studies was to investigate the possible participation of protein synthesis and cyclic adenosine 3′5′-monophosphate (cAMP) in GH release. Following culture (48 hr), cells were incubated for 2 hr with test agents. Cycloheximide (an inhibitor of protein synthesis) had no effect on basal (absence of test agent) GH release or hpGRF-induced GH release. However, cycloheximide abolished the synergy between TRH and hpGRF. Although neither TRH nor hpGRF alone stimulated GH production (intracellular GH plus GH release) during a 2-hr incubation period, in combination these secretagogues increased total GH. These findings suggest that GH release from the chicken somatotroph under conditions of TRH and hpGRF synergy requires protein synthesis. In other studies, cells were exposed to agents inducing the formation of cAMP and either TRH or hpGRF. 8 Br-cAMP (10 −3 M ), forskolin (10 −6 M ), or isobutylmethylxanthine (IBMX; 10 −3 M ) alone stimulated GH release to values between 30 and 50% over the basal value. The combined effects of each of these agents and TRH on GH release were synergistic. Similarly, IBMX and hpGRF exerted synergistic effects on GH release. In contrast, no synergy was shown between hpGRF and either 8 Br-cAMP or forskolin; their combined actions were less than additive.
Beta-turns in proteins.

The X-ray atomic co-ordinates from 29 proteins of known sequence and structure were utilized to elucidate 459 β-turns in regions of chain reversals. Tetrapeptides whose αCiαC(i + 3) distances were below 7 A and not in a helical region were characterized as β-turns. In addition, β-turns were considered to have hydrogen bonding if their computed O(i)N(i + 3) distances were ≤3.5 A. The torsion angles of 26 proteins containing 421 β-turns were examined and classified into 11 bend types based on the (φ, ψ) dihedral angles of the i + 1 and i + 2 bend residues. The average frequency of β-turns is 32% as compared to the 38% helices and 20% β-sheets in the 29 proteins. The most frequently occurring bend residues are Asn, Cys, Asp in the first position, Pro, Ser, Lys in the second position, Asn, Asp, Gly in the third position, and Trp, Gly, Tyr in the fourth position. Residues with the highest β-turn potential in all four positions are Pro, Gly, Asn, Asp, and Ser with the most hydrophobic residues (i.e. Val, IIe, and Leu) showing the lowest bend potential. However, in the region just beyond the β-turns, hydrophobic residues occur with greater frequency than do hydrophilic residues. An environmental analysis of β-turn neighboring residues shows that reverse chain folding is stabilized by anti-parallel β-sheets as well as helix-helix and α-β interactions. The β-turn potential at the 12 positions adjacent to and including the bend were plotted for the 20 amino acids and showed dramatic positional preferences, which may be classified according to the nature of the side-chains. An examination of the 27 β-turns in elastase showed that 21 were found in identical positions as those in α-chymotrypsin. However, only 37 of the 84 bend residues were conserved, indicating that structural similarity may persist despite differences in sequence homology. A survey of residues occupying bend types I′, II′ and III′ showed that Gly appeared most frequently in the third position in bend types I′ and III′ as well as in the second position in bend types II′ and III′. Fourteen hydrogenbonded type II bends were found without a Gly at the third position, contrary to the energy calculations. Eight type VI bends with a cis Pro at the third position were also elucidated.
Peroxynitrite modulates the activation of p38 and extracellular regulated kinases in PC12 cells.

Abstract Although peroxynitrite appears to contribute to neuronal dysfunction in several neurodegenerative disorders, little is known about how peroxynitrite affects cellular signaling processes. This study investigated if peroxynitrite affects the mitogen-activated protein kinases, extracellular-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) and p38. Exposure of PC12 cells to 500 μM peroxynitrite activated ERK1/2 and p38 within 5 min and this was followed by gradual decreases in activation over the next 25 min. Activation of ERK1/2 by peroxynitrite was mediated by activation of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor in a calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase II- and src family tyrosine kinase-dependent manner, as it was blocked by the selective EGF receptor inhibitor AG1478, by KN62, an inhibitor of calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase II, and by PP1, a src family tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Activation of p38 by peroxynitrite was independent of the EGF receptor, required activation of calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase II and src family tyrosine kinases, and was modulated by nerve growth factor (NGF) in a time-dependent manner. Pretreatment with NGF (2 h) attenuated, whereas cotreatment with NGF potentiated, peroxynitrite-induced activation of p38. Thus, peroxynitrite activates ERK1/2 and p38, activation of EGF receptors, calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase II, and src family tyrosine kinases participate in these signaling responses to peroxynitrite, and peroxynitrite- and NGF-induced signaling activities converge on p38.
Flexible automatic motion blending with registration curves

Many motion editing algorithms, including transitioning and multitarget interpolation, can be represented as instances of a more general operation called motion blending. We introduce a novel data structure called a registration curve that expands the class of motions that can be successfully blended without manual input. Registration curves achieve this by automatically determining relationships involving the timing, local coordinate frame, and constraints of the input motions. We show how registration curves improve upon existing automatic blending methods and demonstrate their use in common blending operations.
Giant polypoid tumor expressing on the pyloric ring.

A 66-year-old Japanese man was referred to our hospital because of suspected duodenal cancer. Upper gastric endoscopy revealed a giant polypoid-type tumor that extended from the duodenum bulb to the pyloric ring. A computed tomography scan revealed a slightly enhanced lobular tumor protruding into the duodenum bulb. Positron emission tomography showed an accumulation of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose in the area extending from the antrum of the stomach to the duodenum bulb. Since an endoscopic ultrasound test suggested that the tumor might invade the muscular tunic, indications of endoscopic mucosal resection were not favored, and the tumor was curatively removed via distal gastrectomy. The histopathologic diagnosis was papillary adenocarcinoma, and the invasion depth was the mucosal layer without vascular invasion, which was different from the preoperative diagnosis. Our case suggests the difficulties in precise diagnosis of the invasion depth of the giant polypoid cancer.
Effects of microgravity on Hg1−xCdxTe/(100)CdTe epitaxy by CVT under transient growth conditions

Abstract Transient epitaxial growth experiments of Hg1−xCdxTe on ( 1 0 0 )CdTe substrates by chemical vapor transport (CVT), using HgI2 as a transport agent, were performed at normal and reduced gravity during the USML-2 flight. The carrier mobility at 77 K of the epitaxial layer grown in microgravity is about twice that of the ground specimen. This result is related to the improved compositional uniformity (IR mapping) and structural quality (X-ray rocking curves) of the space-grown epitaxial layer and islands relative to ground samples. These observations and the lower dislocation density of the growth interface in microgravity demonstrate the effects of residual convective flow on the transport and deposition processes on ground near the solid–vapor interface of this system in the transient growth regime.
“Can We Get There from Here?” Negotiating the Washouts, Cave-Ins, Dead Ends, and Other Hazards on the Road to Research on Africa

SUMMARY This introduction to Africana reference describes the populations of researchers, the kinds of questions they ask, and how librarians–both specialist and generalist–may respond. It explores issues in “known-item” searches, including name authority and access to material in collected works and series. Choices made by authors, publishers, indexers, librarians, and researchers themselves have an impact on topic searches. Terminology for African languages, ethnic groups, place names, and topics cause problems for novice researchers, but library policy decisions can also impede access. Errors of all kinds–minor or major–can block access to information. The speed of electronic desktop publishing seems to have encouraged reduced care with proofreading, indexing, and verification of quotations and citations. The need for accurate information about Africa is great, but the market for publications and electronic resources focused on Africa is relatively small. This low market share can result in less covera...
Effect of phlogopite mica on alkali-aggregate expansion in concrete

The tensile strength of concrete is increased by the addition of high aspect-ratio mica reinforcement. Phlogopite mica contains about 10% K2O; soluble K+ would contribute to the alkalinity of the pore solution in concrete enhancing its potential expansivity if it is made with alkali-expansive aggregate. Electron microprobe analysis confirms that the solubility of K+ from phlogopite in cement paste, about 0.09% is the same as in mixed calcium-sodium-hydroxide solutions. The addition of 1.5% by volume of phlogopite to concrete prisms made with alkali-carbonate expansive aggregates caused a small increase in the rate of expansion of prisms made with both high and low alkali cement. It is concluded that the addition of small quantities of phlogopite as a reinforcement in concrete is not a cause for concern, although caution should be exercised in adding larger volumes to concrete made with potentially alkali-expensive aggregate.
3D tomographic breast imaging in-vivo using a handheld optical imager

Hand-held optical imagers are currently developed toward clinical imaging of breast tissue. However, the hand-held optical devices developed to are not able to coregister the image to the tissue geometry for 3D tomography. We have developed a hand-held optical imager which has demonstrated automated coregistered imaging and 3D tomography in phantoms, and validated coregistered imaging in normal human subjects. Herein, automated coregistered imaging is performed in a normal human subject with a 0.45 cm3 spherical target filled with 1 μM indocyanine green (fluorescent contrast agent) placed superficially underneath the flap of the breast tissue. The coregistered image data is used in an approximate extended Kalman filter (AEKF) based reconstruction algorithm to recover the 3D location of the target within the breast tissue geometry. The results demonstrate the feasibility of performing 3D tomographic imaging and recovering a fluorescent target in breast tissue of a human subject for the first time using a hand-held based optical imager. The significance of this work is toward clinical imaging of breast tissue for cancer diagnostics and therapy monitoring.
The carotenoid pigments of a radiation-resistant Micrococcus species.

Abstract 1. 1. The carotenoids of a radiation-resistant Micrococcus species were isolated and characterized by a variety of procedures. These pigments have not been described previously. 2. 2. The four major pigments in stationary-phase cultures all have the same chromophore but differ in the number and type of substituents. The chromophore consists of a β-ionone ring with a conjugated keto group on one end of the carotenoid and a 1,2-alkoxy-3,4-dehydro-γ-ionone portion at the other end. The substituents include tertiary alkoxyls, enolic alkoxyls and secondary alcohol groups.
Advances in optically pumped He4 magnetometers : Resonance and nonresonance techniques

Samples of optically pumped 23S1 helium atoms are currently studied in our laboratory for use in advanced magnetometer applications. The results of recent investigations of the effect of pumping beam orientation with respect to the observed magnetic field are presented in this paper. The orientation dependence of the amplitude and frequency of the magnetic resonance signal observed by optical techniques has been measured. These results are used to predict the effect of orientation on scalar field change measurements. The experiments are theoretically interpreted by taking into account the contribution of the individual magnetic resonances and the perturbation of magnetic states by real and virtual transitions. The orientation dependence of the optical pumping process is used to construct a nonresonance magnetometer (no magnetic resonance) suitable for measuring vector interplanetary and laboratory fields in the range — 200 γ ≤ H ≤ 200 γ. Several new optical pumping components which have contribued to the advancement of helium magnetometers are discussed.
A novel high-dose chemotherapy protocol with autologous hematopoietic rescue in patients with metastatic breast cancer or recurrent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

In this phase II trial, we used a double dose-intensive chemotherapy and stem cell rescue protocol to treat breast cancer (BCA) patients or non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma patients (NHL). The first cycle consisted of high-dose melphalan followed by ABMT. The second cycle used a novel chemotherapy combination; thiotepa, etoposide, carboplatin and cyclophosphamide (TECC) followed by ABMT. We treated 12 patients in total, nine with BCA, three with NHL. All nine BCA patients were treated with the two cycle protocol. The three NHL patients were treated with the second cycle only. Bone marrow (BM, 1 patient), peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC, 10 patients) or both (1 patient) were reinfused 60–72 h after completion of each cycle of chemotherapy. Recovery was rapid; the ANC rose to greater than 500/μ l on day +11 (+8 to + 20) and the platelet count to greater than 20000/ μ l on day +12 (+6 to +20). The toxicities included the expected neutropenic fevers, severe mucositis, diarrhea, and a low incidence of mild renal insufficiency. No patients developed veno-occlusive disease, hemorrhagic cystitis or overt bleeding. With a mean follow-up of 37 months, 83.3% of the patients are alive. Six patients are in complete remission; one patient with BCA relapsed and expired; one patient with NHL is in CR now over 18 months after relapse and subsequent treatment with interferon; one patient is too early to evaluate. Progression-free survival overall is 75%, which is at least equivalent to many other recent studies using similar regimens. In addition, we have also found that delayed addition of G-CSF during the mobilization of PBSC was feasible and resulted in excellent CD34+ cell counts and engraftments, and reduced treatment costs. These results indicate that this chemotherapy is effective with good remission rates and high progression-free survival rates. It is also well tolerated with acceptable toxicities that are manageable. Long-term follow-up of a larger cohort of patients will be needed to ascertain the overall efficacy of this type of therapy.
The Significance of Socioeconomic and Ethnic Diversity for the Risk Communication Process

Risk communication is being characterized as one way of facilitating more effective, democratic and participatory risk management strategies. An emphasis on formal communication approaches as a means to improve decisions and decrease conflict will highlight the challenge of managing hazards within a culturally heterogeneous society. Communication and participatory strategies will be considered successful only if diverse communities can be engaged as partners in the policy process. Because responses to risks are embedded and evolve within broader social environments, achieving the promise of risk communication across a diverse society may not be possible absent an understanding of how sociocultural variables and past experiences shape the exchange of ideas or information in any particular situation. This paper considers the implications of ethnic and socioeconomic variability for the risk communication process, summarizing theoretical perspectives and empirical evidence on the link between sociocultural features and risk responses. Specifically, the factors that define the context of communication may influence: the initial framing of a risk issue, particularly, the adoption of an environmental justice vs. scientific/economic perspective; the perceived importance of various aspects of the decision problem; and prior beliefs about environmental hazards and agencies involved in risk management. Two examples of situations requiring communications about risk are presented and illustrate how these principles could operate in minority or lower-income communities. A significant challenge for health and regulatory officials will be to engage in an interactive process of information and opinion exchanges that is reasonable and effective within vastly different socioeconomic and cultural contexts.
Mouse Hepatitis Virus (MHV) Infection in Thymectomized C3H Mice

SummaryMHV(PRI) virus produced a non-fatal immunizing infection in adult C3H mice over a greater than 6.0 log10 unit range but a uniformly fatal infection in adult Princeton (PRI) mice. Neonatally thymectomized 4-6 week old C3H mice died by day 10 after inoculation with MHV(PRI). Intact and thymectomized C3H mice had comparable virus titers in their livers until day 7 postinfection after which time virus was undetectable in intact C3H mice but remained at high titers in thymectomized C3H mice. The liver pathology was similar in both groups until day 6 post infection after which time resolving lesions were seen in livers of intact C3H mice whereas thymectomized C3H mice developed fulminant fatal hepatitis. In in vitro tests, the macrophages of the thymectomized C3H mice did not support growth of MHV(PRI) virus to any greater extent than the macrophages of nonthymectomized C3H mice.Although infection with MHV(PRI) was fatal for both PRI and thymectomized C3H mice, the course of infection was much more rapid...
Effects of labetalol treatment on the physiological and subjective response to smoked cocaine.

Abstract Adrenergic receptors mediate some of the physiological and possibly behavioral effects of cocaine. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of treatment with a peripherally acting adrenergic blocking drug labetalol on the cardiovascular and subjective response to repeated deliveries of smoked cocaine. In this double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study, 12 cocaine users were treated with a single 100 or 200 mg dose of labetalol, or placebo in each of three experimental sessions. Starting 2 h after the medication treatment, subjects received three doses of 0.4 mg/kg smoked cocaine, 30 min apart. Labetalol treatment significantly attenuated the cocaine-induced increases in heart rate and systolic blood pressure. This effect of labetalol on the cardiovascular response did not decrease with repeated cocaine deliveries. The subjective response to smoked cocaine deliveries was not affected by labetalol treatment. These results suggest that labetalol effectively attenueates the systolic blood pressure and heart rate increases induced by repeated doses of smoked cocaine, but does not alter subjective effects.