cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A View to the Future

Any discussion of capitalism’s future rapidly evokes deeply rooted and often polarized views. Capitalism embodies what is right or what is wrong with the world. For some, a future of capitalism stands for liberty and happiness, for others repression and despair. Many are quick to predict specific changes in capitalism’s nature. Some envision a future of computers and robotics, home offices and telecommuting, multinational corporations and global market places. Why does this social conjuring hold such a fascination for so many? The answer is simple: for millions of people around the globe, consciously or unconsciously, capitalism is their life.
The first 24 h: targeting the window of opportunity for antibody-mediated protection against HIV-1 transmission.

Purpose of review I will review evidence that antibodies protect against HIV-1 transmission in a short window of opportunity, involving neutralization, Fc-mediated effector function, or both. Recent findings The last decade witnessed a dramatic progress in the understanding of antibody-mediated protection against HIV-1, including active and passive immunization studies in nonhuman primates; association between reduced infection risk and the specificities and function of antibodies in the RV144 clinical trial; identification of potent, broadly neutralizing antibodies; high-resolution structural studies of the HIV-1 envelope trimer; and an increasing appreciation that Fc-mediated effector function is critical to protection against transmission for neutralizing and nonneutralizing antibodies. Less information is known about how antibodies protect in situ, except that they must do in the first 24 h after exposure. New evidence suggests that antibodies protect in an acute innate immune environment involving the NXLRX1 inflammasome and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) that favors infection and rapid dissemination of CCR6RORγ Th17 cells. Summary These recent findings set the stage for understanding how antibodies can prevent the transmission of HIV-1. In this context, antibodies must prevent infection in an innate immune environment that strongly favors transmission. This information is key for the development of a vaccine against HIV-1.
Religiosity, race/ethnicity, and alcohol use behaviors in the United States.

Background Religiosity is a protective factor against many health problems, including alcohol use disorders (AUD). Studies suggest that religiosity has greater buffering effects on mental health problems among US Blacks and Hispanics than Whites. However, whether race/ethnic differences exist in the associations of religiosity, alcohol consumption and AUD is unclear. Method Using 2004–2005 NESARC data (analytic n = 21 965), we examined the relationship of public religiosity (i.e. frequency of service attendance, religious social group size), and intrinsic religiosity (i.e. importance of religious/spiritual beliefs) to frequency of alcohol use and DSM-IV AUD in non-Hispanic (NH) Blacks, Hispanics and NH Whites, and whether associations differed by self-identified race/ethnicity. Results Only public religiosity was related to AUD. Frequency of religious service attendance was inversely associated with AUD (NH Whites β: −0.103, p 0.05) or Hispanics (β: −0.002, p > 0.05). Conclusions US adults reporting greater public religiosity were at lower risk for AUD. Public religiosity may be particularly important among NH Blacks, while intrinsic religiosity may be particularly important among NH Whites, and among Hispanics who frequently attend religious services. Findings may be explained by variation in drinking-related norms observed among these groups generally, and in the context of specific religious institutions.
Distribution of transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) across an organic carbon gradient in the western North Atlantic Ocean

Abstract In this study, the abundance of transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) is examined across a surface water gradient of organic carbon from a phytoplankton bloom region in the western North Atlantic to oligotrophic waters in the Sargasso Sea, including a coastal region sampled near Cape Cod. TEP are macrogels that reach up to millimeters in size and abiotically assemble from dissolved acidic polysaccharides secreted by phytoplankton. Due to their great stickiness, TEP self aggregate and also form aggregates with non-TEP particulate organic carbon (POC). Aggregation enhances ballasting, thereby mutually facilitating export and subsequent sedimentation of both TEP and POC, increasing the efficiency of the biological pump. Here, four distinct regions with varying chlorophyll a concentrations, temperature, and salinity were sampled in the upper column, at the surface, and from the sea surface microlayer (SML). While TEP in seawater shows no correlation to chlorophyll a, nutrients, or total organic carbon (TOC) concentration, a strong correlation exists between TEP and TOC in the SML; and concentrations of both variables are inversely proportional to surface productivity as indicated by chlorophyll a concentrations. As open ocean regions show greater enrichments of TEP and TOC in the SML compared to the coastal region, we suggest that the role of the SML in organic carbon cycling is dependent on regional biogeochemistry and productivity. We hypothesize that a lower abundance of particles in oligotrophic regions compared to bloom regions limits TEP export by sinking, thus increasing the residence time of TEP in the upper water column and the SML.
Theories for Preparative SFC

Abstracts In this chapter an overview of the general theoretical framework behind the design and successful performance of preparative supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) is provided. In complementary chapters the theory of analytical SFC and practical aspects of preparative-scale operations are discussed. This chapter focuses on the theoretical information and understanding that can be employed for successful operation of preparative-scale SFC separations. The main factors that make a preparative system different from an analytical system, and an SFC different from LC are (1) the higher volume or concentration of feed, and (2) the mobile phase compressibility, respectively. This chapter will explain, in the light of available theories, how these two factors affect chromatographic design and separation.
Liquid chromatographic determination of methylxanthines and catechins in herbal preparations containing guaraná.

Herbal preparations derived from the dried seeds of guarana (Paullinia cupana) have become a popular nutritional supplement used for stimulatory purposes. Once considered a drug substance in the United States, guarana currently is classified as a food additive and dietary supplement. The pharmacological activity of guarana-containing products is primarily due to methylxanthine alkaloids. For guarana preparations, methylxanthine levels and, more significantly, the presence of several polyphenol compounds (i.e., catechins) provide phytochemical markers of authenticity. Methylxanthines and polyphenols are extracted from sample matrix with a heated phosphate buffer-methanol solution, the cooled extract is filtered, and the extract is injected into the liquid chromatographic (LC) system. A Nova-Pak C18 column eluted with phosphate buffer-methanol mobile phase (pH = 3.50) and monitored at 272 nm gave satisfactory resolution for the methylxanthines theobromine, theophylline, caffeine and the polyphenols (+)-catechin and (-)-epicatechin. Twenty-four products including dried seeds, dried paste, seed powders, tablets, and capsule formulations were assayed and conclusions were drawn about their authenticity. The LC system responded linearly to methylxanthines over the 100-fold range in concentration from 0.043 to 4.30 micrograms/mL for theobromine and caffeine and from 0.041 to 4.10 micrograms/mL for theophylline. Precision data for the 3 methylxanthines obtained from 10 different products (n = 5) gave relative standard deviation (RSD) values of 1.18-15.52% within a concentration range of 0.01-52.28 mg/g. Recoveries of methylxanthines from fortified products varied from 87.5 to 120.0%. The response for catechins was linear over a 200-fold range in concentration of 0.05-10.0 micrograms/mL. Precision data from 5 products (n = 5) gave RSD values of 1.08-5.54% within a concentration range of 0.34-32.65 mg/g. Recoveries from these products ranged from 87.7 to 109.7%. Results and chromatographic profiles for 14 commercial products in solid dosage form indicate that a number of these products may not contain authentic guarana as an active ingredient or contain less than the declared quantity of guarana. The proposed procedure also was applied to 2 carbonated soft drinks and a sample of mate.
Further Evaluation of Probabilistic Convective Precipitation Forecasts Using the QPF–PoP Neighborhood Relationship

AbstractA neighborhood postprocessing approach that relates quantitative precipitation forecasts (QPF) to probability of precipitation (PoP) forecasts applied to a single model run was found by Schaffer et al. to be as good as traditional ensemble-based approaches using 10 members in 30-h forecasts of convective precipitation. The present study evaluates if PoP forecasts derived from additional variations of the approach can improve PoP forecasts further compared with previous methods. Ensemble forecasts from the Center for Analysis and Prediction of Storms (CAPS) are used for neighborhood tests comparing a single model run and a traditional ensemble. In the first test, PoP forecasts for different combinations of training and testing datasets using a single model member with 4-km grid spacing are compared against those obtained with a 10-member traditional ensemble. Overall, forecasts for the neighborhood approach with just one member are only slightly less accurate to those using a more traditional neigh...
Extracting Depression Symptoms from Social Networks and Web Blogs via Text Mining

Accurate depression diagnosis is a very complex long-term research problem. The current conversation oriented depression diagnosis between a medical doctor and a person is not accurate due to the limited number of known symptoms. To discover more depression symptoms, our research work focuses on extracting entity related to depression from social media such as social networks and web blogs. There are two major advantages of applying text mining tools to new depression symptoms extraction. Firstly, people share their feelings and knowledge on social medias. Secondly, social media produce big volume of data that can be used for research purpose. In our research, we collect data from social media initially, pre-process and analyze the data, finally extract depression symptoms.
Comment on Webb

This is a paper of great merit, quite apart from its relevance to the aims of the present book. Webb meticulously, fairly, and imaginatively analyzes Kant’s arguments concerning geometrical knowledge. He brings to bear on this project a large body of information concerning the Kantian texts, the geometrical writings of Kant’s predecessors and contemporaries, and the great harvest of results on the foundations of geometry in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Webb deploys this information not only for critically assessing Kant’s theses, but also for exploring possible defenses of them which lie beyond the technical resources which were available to Kant.
Ruthenium Olefin Metathesis Catalysts Featuring a Labile Carbodicarbene Ligand

Ruthenium benzylidene complexes containing a carbodicarbene (CDC) ligand are reported. Mechanistic studies indicate that the CDC ligand can dissociate under relatively mild conditions to afford active olefin metathesis catalysts. These catalysts were found to be effective at ring-closing metathesis (RCM) and ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) reactions.
Descriptive texture analyses of broiler breast fillets with the wooden breast condition stored at 4°C and -20°C.

Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the wooden breast (WB) condition on the texture of cooked broiler breast fillets (Pectoralis major) after fresh and frozen storage. Texture characteristics of normal (NORM) and severe WB fillets were studied by both sensory descriptive analyses and Warner-Bratzler shear force. Broiler breast fillets were collected over 3 separate trial days from a commercial deboning line at 3 h postmortem, classified according to the wooden breast condition, and then stored at either 4°C or –20°C prior to cooking and texture evaluation. Fillets were cooked to an endpoint temperature of 76°C and then evaluated by an 8-member trained sensory panel for springiness, cohesiveness, hardness, juiciness, cohesiveness of mass, bolus size, wetness of mass, fibrous texture, rate of breakdown, and chewiness. The fillets with the WB condition showed higher cook loss than those with NORM condition regardless of storage temperature. The mean value of shear force of WB fillets was lower than NORM fillets when cooked after 4°C storage. Sensory evaluation showed that WB fillets were higher in springiness and cohesiveness than NORM fillets and that the sensory attributes springiness, hardness and fibrousness were perceived differently between ventral and dorsal sections of cooked WB fillets. This work indicates that human perception of cooked WB meat has texture irregularities. The cooked breast meat with the WB condition is perceived with more springiness and cohesiveness than that with no WB condition.
Working with Logarithms

Many data sets in exploration geochemistry contain variables that are distributed lognormally, meaning that the logarithms of the observations rather than the observations themselves follow a normal distribution more or less closely. Indeed, for many data sets all of the geochemical variables may be distributed lognormally.
Pets and Human Diversity: Toward Culturally Competent, Culturally Humble Psychotherapy

Abstract Despite decades of research, scholarship, and popular interest in Americans' bonds with their pets, relatively little is known about how cultural diversity affects pet-keeping practices or how mental health professionals can best respond to pet-related issues in psychotherapy with a diversity of clients. This chapter synthesizes existing literature on human diversity and human-animal interaction, giving special attention to race, ethnicity, and religion. It offers suggestions for culturally competent, culturally humble practice with regard to human-animal interaction designed to help practitioners provide accurate empathy and nonjudgmental understanding to those whose interactions with animals differ from one's own. It concludes with two complex case examples adapted from practice, which provide readers with an opportunity to reflect on their own beliefs with regard to pet keeping and develop constructive clinical responses.
Verdict Pending: Understanding Leadership Role Identity for North Carolina Judges and Lawyers:

This article examines precursors to leadership practice, specifically through the lens of role identity. The assumption explored is that people are unlikely to engage in the hard work of leadership...
2,2′‐Di­bromo‐3,3′,4,4′,5,5′,6,6′‐octa­methyl‐1,1′‐bi­phenyl

The title compound, C29H24Br2, has crystallographic twofold rotation symmetry. The Br atom in the 2 position is disordered with the methyl group in the 6 position. The bi­phenyl bridge bond distance and the torsion angle between the rings are in good agreement with similar previously reported structures.
A comparison of the absorption and metabolism of the major quercetin in brassica, quercetin-3-O-sophoroside, to that of quercetin aglycone, in rats

Although flavonoid sophorosides are common glycosides in brassica vegetables, red raspberries and other food plants, there is a lack of studies of absorption and metabolism of any sophoroside. The aim of this study was to characterize the absorption, phase II metabolism and microbial catabolism of quercetin-3-O-sophoroside, compared to that of quercetin aglycone. Quercetin-3-O-sophoroside was purified from Apocynum venetum and characterized by MS2, 1H and 13C NMR. Using an in situ rat gut model, we found intact, methylated, sulfated and both methylated and sulfated quercetin sophoroside in the plasma following jejunal introduction of the sophoroside; we found derivatives of benzoic acid, phenylacetic acid, and phenyl propionic acid in the cecal contents following cecal introduction. This novel finding, that quercetin sophoroside was absorbed intact, without deglycosylation, points to a possible role for the terminal sugar and/or the type of linkage among glycosidic moieties in the mechanism of absorption of flavonoid glycosides.
The role of macrophages in obesity-associated islet inflammation and β-cell abnormalities

Chronic, unresolved tissue inflammation is a well-described feature of obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and other insulin-resistant states. In this context, adipose tissue and liver inflammation have been particularly well studied; however, abundant evidence demonstrates that inflammatory processes are also activated in pancreatic islets from obese animals and humans with obesity and/or T2DM. In this Review, we focus on the characteristics of immune cell-mediated inflammation in islets and the consequences of this with respect to β-cell function. In contrast to type 1 diabetes mellitus, the dominant immune cell type causing inflammation in obese and T2DM islets is the macrophage. The increased macrophage accumulation in T2DM islets primarily arises through local proliferation of resident macrophages, which then provide signals (such as platelet-derived growth factor) that drive β-cell hyperplasia (a classic feature of obesity). In addition, islet macrophages also impair the insulin secretory capacity of β-cells. Through these mechanisms, islet-resident macrophages underlie the inflammatory response in obesity and mechanistically participate in the β-cell hyperplasia and dysfunction that characterizes this insulin-resistant state. These findings point to the possibility of therapeutics that target islet inflammation to elicit beneficial effects on β-cell function and glycaemia.
Non-HPV-Related Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma in a Young Patient Cohort.

Objectives:Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is rare in patients younger than 40 years. Many practitioners suspect HNSCC is a more aggressive disease in this age group, and perhaps incr...
Genomic, microbial and environmental standardization in animal experimentation limiting immunological discovery.

The use of inbred mice housed under standardized environmental conditions has been critical in identifying immuno-pathological mechanisms in different infectious and inflammatory diseases as well as revealing new therapeutic targets for clinical trials. Unfortunately, only a small percentage of preclinical intervention studies using well-defined mouse models of disease have progressed to clinically-effective treatments in patients. The reasons for this lack of bench-to-bedside transition are not completely understood; however, emerging data suggest that genetic diversity and housing environment may greatly influence muring immunity and inflammation. Accumulating evidence suggests that certain immune responses and/or disease phenotypes observed in inbred mice may be quite different than those observed in their outbred counterparts. These differences have been thought to contribute to differing immune responses to foreign and/or auto-antigens in mice vs. humans. There is also a growing literature demonstrating that mice housed under specific pathogen free conditions possess an immature immune system that remarkably affects their ability to respond to pathogens and/or inflammation when compared with mice exposed to a more diverse spectrum of microorganisms. Furthermore, recent studies demonstrate that mice develop chronic cold stress when housed at standard animal care facility temperatures (i.e. 22–24 °C). These temperatures have been shown alter immune responses to foreign and auto-antigens when compared with mice housed at their thermo-neutral body temperature of 30–32 °C. Exposure of genetically diverse mice to a spectrum of environmentally-relevant microorganisms at housing temperatures that approximate their thermo-neutral zone may improve the chances of identifying new and more potent therapeutics to treat infectious and inflammatory diseases.
Demonstration of nearly pinhole-free epitaxial aluminum thin films by sputter beam epitaxy

Superconducting resonators with high quality factors have been fabricated from aluminum films, suggesting potential applications in quantum computing. Improvement of thin film crystal quality and removal of void and pinhole defects will improve quality factor and functional yield. Epitaxial aluminum films with superb crystallinity, high surface smoothness, and interface sharpness were successfully grown on the c-plane of sapphire using sputter beam epitaxy. This study assesses the effects of varying substrate preparation conditions and growth and prebake temperatures on crystallinity and smoothness. X-ray diffraction and reflectivity measurements yield extensive Laue oscillations and Kiessig thickness fringes for films grown at 200 °C under 15 mTorr Ar, indicating excellent crystallinity and surface smoothness; moreover, an additional substrate preparation procedure which involves (1) a modified substrate cleaning procedure and (2) prebake at 700 °C in 20 mTorr O2 is shown by atomic force microscopy to yield nearly pinhole-free film growth while maintaining epitaxy and high crystal quality. The modified cleaning procedure is environmentally friendly and eliminates the acid etch steps common to conventional sapphire preparation, suggesting potential industrial application both on standard epitaxial and patterned surface sapphire substrates.
Insomnia during the COVID-19 pandemic: the role of depression and COVID-19-related risk factors.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in dramatic changes to sleep patterns and higher prevalence of insomnia, which threaten overall mental and physical health. We examined whether safety behaviors i...
Effect of Blood Flow on Hemoglobin and Myoglobin Oxygenation in Contracting Muscle Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy.

Insufficient O2 delivery to, and uptake by skeletal muscle can produce mobility limitations for patients with chronic diseases. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) can be used to noninvasively quantify the balance between skeletal muscle O2 delivery and utilization during contraction. However, it is not clear how the oxygenated or deoxygenated NIRS signal should be used to assess muscle O2 changes. This issue is related to the fact that the contributions of hemoglobin (Hb) and myoglobin (Mb) cannot be distinguished. This conundrum can be resolved by quantitative analysis of experimental data by computer simulations with a mechanistic, mathematical model. Model simulations distinguish dynamic responses of the oxygenated (HbO2, MbO2) and deoxygenated (HHb, HMb) contributions to the NIRS signal components (HbMbO2, HHbMb). Simulations of muscle O2 uptake and NIRS kinetics correspond closely to published experimental data (Hernandez et al., J Appl Physiol 108: 1169–1176, 2010). Simulated muscle O2 uptake and oxygenation kinetics with different blood flows indicate (1) faster O2 delivery is responsible for slower muscle oxygenation kinetics; (2) Hb and Mb contributions to the HbMbO2 are similar (40–60%); and (3) Hb and Mb contributions to the HHbMb are significantly different, 80% and 20%, respectively. The effect of slow blood flow kinetics on oxygenated Hb and Mb contributions is minimal. However, the effect on the imbalance between O2 delivery and utilization rates causes significant overshoots and undershoots of deoxygenated Hb and Mb contributions. Model analysis in combination with NIRS measurements and information on hemodynamic and microvascular distribution can help to determine the use of NIRS signal in evaluating the factors limiting exercise tolerance in health and disease states.
The Swiss cheese model for mitigating online misinformation

The World Health Organization declared the deluge of publicly available information about COVID-19 to be an “infodemic,” comprising both facts and misinformation. Researchers don’t know exactly the...
Evidence for strictly monocular processing in visual motion opponency and Glass pattern perception.

Abstract When presented with locally paired dots moving in opposite directions, motion selective neurons in the middle temporal cortex (MT) reduce firing while neurons in V1 are unaffected. This physiological effect is known as motion opponency. The current study used psychophysics to investigate the neural circuit underlying motion opponency. We asked whether opposing motion signals could arrive from different eyes into the receptive field of a binocular neuron while still maintaining motion opponency. We took advantage of prior findings that orientation discrimination of the motion axis (along which paired dots oscillate) is harder when dots move counter-phase than in-phase, an effect associated with motion opponency. We found that such an effect disappeared when paired dots originated from different eyes. This suggests that motion opponency, at some point, involves strictly monocular processing. This does not mean that motion opponency is entirely monocular. Further, we found that the effect of a Glass pattern disappeared under similar viewing conditions, suggesting that Glass pattern perception also involves some strictly monocular processing.
SLX4IP promotes RAP1 SUMOylation by PIAS1 to coordinate telomere maintenance through NF-κB and Notch signaling

The maintenance of telomere length supports repetitive cell division and therefore plays a central role in cancer development and progression. Telomeres are extended by either the enzyme telomerase or the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) pathway. Here, we found that the telomere-associated protein SLX4IP dictates telomere proteome composition by recruiting and activating the E3 SUMO ligase PIAS1 to the SLX4 complex. PIAS1 SUMOylated the telomere-binding protein RAP1, which disrupted its interaction with the telomere-binding protein TRF2 and facilitated its nucleocytoplasmic shuttling. In the cytosol, RAP1 bound to IκB kinase (IKK), resulting in activation of the transcription factor NF-κB and its induction of Jagged-1 expression, which promoted Notch signaling and the institution of ALT. This axis could be targeted therapeutically in ALT-driven cancers and in tumor cells that develop resistance to antitelomerase therapies. Our results illuminate the mechanisms underlying SLX4IP-dependent telomere plasticity and demonstrate the role of telomere proteins in directly coordinating intracellular signaling and telomere maintenance dynamics.
Identification and Analysis of Factors Affecting the Future of Bridge Design, Construction, and Operation

AbstractVarious impacting factors, such as technology advancement, climate change, economic shifts, and evolving behaviors and preferences of travelers are occurring and evolving at an ever-increas...
Non-human Primate Macaca mulatta as an Animal Model for Testing Efficacy of Amixicile as a Targeted Anti-periodontitis Therapy

Periodontitis is an inflammatory condition triggered by selected oral microbiota, thus treatment strategies should be aimed at reducing the abundance of the pathogenic bacteria. An obstacle to pre-clinical testing of such strategies is availability of reliable animal models. Here, non-human primate (NHP), Macaca mulatta, was used to examine the effectiveness of a novel antimicrobial, amixicile, that inhibits pyruvate-ferredoxin oxidoreductase (PFOR) present in anaerobic bacteria. Animals were assessed for their periodontal health, including radiography, clinical attachment loss (CAL), presence of plaque (PI), bleeding on probing (BOP) and pocket depth (PD), and sampled for saliva, gingival crevicular fluid (GCF), and subgingival plaque to determine their baseline clinical status. Amixicile was then administered for two weeks (40mg/kg/day) and animals were monitored for periodontal health immediately after the antibiotic treatment, 1 month-, 3 months -, and 6 months post-treatment. Microbial species present in plaque and saliva were determined through 16S rDNA sequencing. Baseline assessment of the microbiome has shown significant proportion of bacteria belonging to the Streptococcus, Haemophilus, Porphyromonas, Gemella, and Fusobacterium genera. The abundance of Porphyromonas and Fusobacterium was reduced following treatment with amixicile while that of Escherichia, Haemophilus, and Gemella were elevated. CAL, PD and BOP were also significantly reduced following the treatment. In conclusion, the NHP model proves useful for pre-clinical studies of strategies targeting selected members of the oral microbiome. We show that amixicile reduces the levels of anaerobic bacteria under in vivo conditions, correlating with reduction in CAL, PD and BOP, thus validating its usefulness as an anti-microbial strategy.
Methods for assessment of DNase activity.

Publisher Summary Deoxyribonucleases (DNases) occur in prokaryotes, in the nucleus, and in cytoplasmofeukaryotes. Eukaryotic nuclear DNases have been found in the nucleoplasm, in the nucleolus and are associated with chromatin and—in particular—with the nonhistone chromatin proteins. A number of different methods for assaying DNase activity are described in this chapter. Many of these assays detect specific types of DNases whereas others have more general applications. Both endonuclease and exonuclease activity can be determined using methods that measure liberation of acid-soluble material from the substrate. A sensitive DNase assay uses alkaline sucrose gradient centrifugation of DNA preincubated with the enzyme. Most of the studies cited in this chapter assayed DNases isolated from animal tissues or from rapidly growing microbial cultures. An assay permits detection of DNase activity at levels lower than those previously reported. In this method the priming activity of DNA for DNA polymerase is increased by mild treatment of DNA with pancreatic DNase.
Engineering a dirhodium artificial metalloenzyme for selective olefin cyclopropanation

Artificial metalloenzymes (ArMs) formed by incorporating synthetic metal catalysts into protein scaffolds have the potential to impart to chemical reactions selectivity that would be difficult to achieve using metal catalysts alone. In this work, we covalently link an alkyne-substituted dirhodium catalyst to a prolyl oligopeptidase containing a genetically encoded L-4-azidophenylalanine residue to create an ArM that catalyses olefin cyclopropanation. Scaffold mutagenesis is then used to improve the enantioselectivity of this reaction, and cyclopropanation of a range of styrenes and donor-acceptor carbene precursors were accepted. The ArM reduces the formation of byproducts, including those resulting from the reaction of dirhodium-carbene intermediates with water. This shows that an ArM can improve the substrate specificity of a catalyst and, for the first time, the water tolerance of a metal-catalysed reaction. Given the diversity of reactions catalysed by dirhodium complexes, we anticipate that dirhodium ArMs will provide many unique opportunities for selective catalysis.
Von Neumann: The Interaction of Mathematics and Computing

The title of this chapter is: Von Neumann, the interaction of mathematics and computing, but it is very hard to separate sharply mathematics from physics in this connection. I’d go further and stress the very great possibilities that the same set of ideas, the same set of technological developments, can have in other natural sciences — primarily biology, for example, and that soon. One could call this the “ music of the future,” and I think this aspect of the future is something that should not be neglected, even in a chapter devoted to the past.
Language Use and Persuasion: Multiple Roles for Linguistic Styles

Language is the most common medium for persuasion. Stylistic variations in how individuals communicate can influence a number of processes and outcomes in a persuasion setting. This article reviews previous research on a number of commonly studied language styles and their influence on persuasion and provides suggestions for future research. First, we provide a review of some of the commonly studied stylistic features and their relation to persuasion. We then use a common multi-process model of persuasion (i.e., the elaboration likelihood model; Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 1986, New York: Academic Press) to provide an overview of how linguistic styles can influence persuasion. In the final section, we discuss directions for future research on linguistic styles and persuasion.
Using International Law to Enhance Democracy

This article analyzes the domestic application of international human rights law from the standpoint of John Hart Ely's political process theory. The article contends that an Elysian theory favors direct application of international human rights treaties, rather than indirect application of international law as an aid to constitutional interpretation, because direct application keeps the channels of political participation open. Moreover, there are certain areas of substantive law, such as capital punishment, where the Supreme Court functions as the primary lawmaker in the United States. From an Elysian viewpoint, in areas of law like capital punishment, where Congress takes a back seat to judicial lawmaking, direct application of human rights treaties would be democracy enhancing, compared to the current system of constitutional lawmaking by the Supreme Court, because direct application of human rights treaties would increase opportunities for congressional participation in the lawmaking process. This article proposes legislation to channel capital punishment litigation away from constitutional adjudication, and to encourage direct application of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) by U.S. courts as a substitute for constitutional decision-making. The proposed legislation would authorize state and federal courts to apply article 6 of the ICCPR directly in cases where capital defendants actually do raise, or potentially could raise, treaty-based defenses to capital punishment. Additionally, the legislation would require courts to address the treaty-based defense first, and to avoid constitutional decisions in cases where defendants could obtain relief on the basis of the treaty. The proposed legislation would not transfer power from the states to the federal government because the federal courts already function as the primary lawmakers with respect to capital punishment. Thus, as a practical matter, the proposed legislation would transfer lawmaking power from the courts to Congress, thereby increasing opportunities for congressional participation in decisions about the domestic legal protection to be accorded to individual human rights. Although the proposed legislation focuses exclusively on capital punishment, the basic approach could be extended to other areas of substantive law as well. A similar approach could be used to enhance the democratic nature of the lawmaking process in any area of substantive law within the scope of the ICCPR where two criteria are satisfied: international law is more rights-protective than current domestic law; and the courts, rather than Congress, currently function as the primary lawmaking institution in the United States.
A Fast 2D Numerical Algorithm for Photolithography Applications

The equation formulation of the wave-guide model used in photolithography simulations is simplified so that the CPU usage is reduced significantly. The simulated resist profiles through focus are compared with SEM’s to validate the model. The wave-guide model (also called “modal analysis”)[l,2,3] was developed and employed in optical metrology, alignment and lithography simulations during the past decade. It solves for the two dimensional Maxwell’s equations so that the interaction between light and wafer objects can be handled rigorously. Its main drawback, especially in dealing with resist bleaching problems, is the massive CPU time required. Analytic solutions[3] for calculating the eigenmodes and eigenfunctions have been developed. However they are restricted to problems of abrupt dielectric function change, while the change of resist index during bleaching is smooth and continuous. In this work, the equation formulation is restructured so that the CPU usage is reduced by approximately an order of magnitude. The mathematics of equation formulation and typical CPU usages are shown. The similarities between the scattering simulation and circuit simulation are presented. Finally the simulated results are compared with the measured SEM’s.
Gender and Sexuality in Modern Chinese History: Preface: Does Sex Have a History?

Conversations about sex are always part of a larger current of conversations and arguments. Desire's objects, expressions, control, suppression, transgression, relative importance, and the venues in which all of these are expressed, are not “natural” occurrences, but social ones. Like everything else of interest to the historian, they change over time. Gail Hershatter (1996:78) Does sex have a history? Almost any teenager coping with a parent who still lives in the dark ages will assure you that it does. But the history of sex is surprisingly difficult to study. Why? Lack of evidence. Most people keep their sex lives to themselves. What people write down, publish, and circulate may be sexual fantasy or invention, with plotlines designed to sell copy. This evidence can tell us a lot about what people like to read or watch or imagine, but little about what they actually do. Ironically, the most reliable evidence for a history of sex is the mass of material (by government officials, religious leaders, parents, doctors, and so on) telling people what not to do. We can be certain that some people were doing some of that.
Differential overexpression of three mdr gene family members in multidrug-resistant J774.2 mouse cells. Evidence that distinct P-glycoprotein precursors are encoded by unique mdr genes.

Abstract A hallmark of the multidrug-resistant phenotype is the overproduction of a family of 130-180-kDa integral membrane phosphoglycoproteins collectively called P-glycoprotein. Gene-specific hybridization probes were derived from three classes of mouse P-glycoprotein cDNAs. These probes revealed the differential amplification and/or transcriptional activation of three distinct but closely related mdr genes (mdr1a, mdr1b, and mdr2) in independently selected multidrug-resistant J774.2 mouse cell lines. Overexpression of mdr1a and mdr1b was found to correlate, in general, with the differential overproduction of either a 120- or 125-kDa P-glycoprotein precursor, respectively. This same correlation was observed in a single cell line during the course of stepwise selection for resistance to vinblastine in which a switch in gene expression from mdr1b to mdr1a resulted in a switch from the 125- to 120-kDa P-glycoprotein precursor. These findings suggest that differential overexpression of distinct mdr genes which encode unique P-glycoprotein isoforms is a possible mechanism for generating diversity in the multidrug-resistant phenotype.
Identification of a New Enterotoxin as Enterotoxin C

Bergdoll, Merlin S. (University of Chicago, Chicago, Ill.), Concordia R. Borja, and Remedios M. Avena. Identification of a new enterotoxin as enterotoxin C. J. Bacteriol. 90: 1481–1485. 1965.—Identification of a new enterotoxin was accomplished by purification of the enterotoxins produced by staphylococcal strains 137 and 361 and by the preparation of specific antitoxin to the enterotoxin. Toxicity of the preparations was determined in rhesus monkeys, and specificity of the enterotoxin-antitoxin reaction was determined in gel-diffusion plates. The enterotoxin has been designated enterotoxin C, and staphylococcal strain 137 (ATCC 19095) was selected as the prototype strain. Images
Kinetics of liquid/liquid capillary rise: I. Experimental observations

Abstract The classical capillary rise experiment is performed for the first time with liquid/liquid systems. The lower (advancing) liquids are glycerol-water solutions of various compositions, while the upper (displaced) liquids are pure hydrocarbons ranging from light to polymeric; viscosity ratios span 0.4 to 232 for 13 different liquid pairs. Capillaries are glass, of radius 0.10 and 0.05 cm, and are pretreated in three different ways to produce surfaces that are dry, prewet, or prewet-dried. The meniscus position, h, is tracked by cathetometer and movie film, from the moment of tube entry until motion stops at h∞. Results are shown for representative systems, in terms of kinetic rise curves, h(t). These are nearly independent of the upper nonwetting fluid viscosity but sensitive to the lower wetting fluid viscosity. Rise is much faster in prewet tubes than in dry and prewet-dried tubes. Photos of menisci show asymmetric “sidling” motions in many cases, and even well-behaved prewet systems display nonconstant meniscus shapes. Data are analyzed in terms of both the dynamic contact angle and a new concept of excess force.
Re-Theorizing Intimate Partner Violence through Post-Structural Feminism, Queer Theory, and the Sociology of Gender

In this article, we apply three theoretical frameworks, poststructural feminism, queer, and sociology of gender to the issue of intimate partner violence (IPV) in order to better account for heterosexual female perpetration and same-sex IPV. Although the traditional feminist paradigm—that assumes men use violence as an extension of patriarchy against their female victims—has been useful in explaining some instances of IPV, it does not adequately frame instances of heterosexual female perpetration and IPV in same-sex relationships. Therefore, in this article we seek to add to existing literature by re-theorizing IPV using poststructural feminism, queer, and sociology of gender perspectives, and their attendant understanding of power as dynamic, fluid, and relational and gender as both interactional and structural, in order to open up new ways of framing IPV and encourage new lines of empirical research resulting in better policy proscriptions and treatment interventions.
Sustainability and Requirements: A Manifesto

"The Karlskrona Manifesto on Sustainability Design" is a call for discussion and action on the challenge of sustainability and its relation to software engineering. The manifesto aims to create common ground and develop a reference point for the global community of research and practice in software and sustainability. The Web extra at http://youtu.be/PXhFgswJPco is an audio podcast in which author Birgit Penzenstadler provides an audio recording of this column.
Accelerated Recovery From Severe Preeclampsia: Uterine Curettage Versus Nifedipine

OBJECTIVE We investigated the ability of uterine curettage and nifedipine to accelerate postpartum recovery from severe preeclampsia. METHODS Forty-five parturients with severe preeclampsia were randomly assigned to one of three groups following delivery. Patients in group 1 were managed with intravenous magnesium sulfate (2 g/hour) and observed in the obstetric recovery room until blood pressure had stabilized (systolic blood pressure less than 150 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure less than 100 mmHg) and adequate diuresis was noted. Group 2 was treated in a similar manner but with the addition of oral nifedipine, 10 mg every 4 hours postpartum for 48 hours. Group 3 underwent an ultrasound-directed curettage immediately following delivery in the delivery/operating room and was then treated as in group 1. All three groups were assessed postpartum for mean arterial pressure (MAP) and urine output (UO) every 2 hours, hematocrit and platelet count every 6 hours, and lactic dehydrogenase/aspartate aminotransferase every 12 hours for 48 hours postpartum. RESULTS Fifteen women were assigned to each of the three treatment groups. The MAP decreased significantly (P < .0001) in all three groups during the first 48 hours postpartum. Treatment interaction indicated specific differences among the groups. Standard therapy (group 1) was significantly inferior to nifedipine (group 2) and curettage (group 3) in regard to MAP decrease (P = .0017) and UO increase (P = .0137). No statistical differences existed between nifedipine and curettage. The rise in the platelet count following delivery was significantly different among the three groups (P = .033), with a much more rapid recovery in the curettage group (12-18 hours) than in the other groups (P = .0106). CONCLUSIONS Nifedipine and uterine curettage both appear to accelerate recovery from severe preeclampsia, as measured by MAP and UO. Uterine curettage appears the most effective in rapidly resolving the thrombocytopenia associated with severe preeclampsia.
Leisure travel and real existing socialism: new research on tourism in the Soviet Union and communist Eastern Europe

This essay reviews recent research on tourism in the Soviet Union and communist Eastern Europe, situating it within a larger body of scholarship that explores leisure travel's impact on identity formation, patterns of consumption, and the perceived legitimacy of the state. Surveying several works published between 2006 and 2014, it describes how communist regimes transformed leisure travel into a politically loaded practice that promised several benefits: the restoration of the physical and mental strength of the proletariat, the promotion of a relatively safe form of consumption, and the creation of ideal socialist citizens. Many of these works suggest that tourism was not only compatible with communism, it was one of its most marketable promises. However, new research also confirms that the actual experience of tourism in the Soviet Union, East Germany, and Yugoslavia left much to be desired, as state-sponsored rates, accommodations, and itineraries failed to meet popular expectations and demands. Still...
Factor Analysis, Confirmatory

In factor analysis, a common-factor analysis model involves representing each observed variable as a weighted sum of m common-factor scores and one unique-factor score. The collection of these equations for all p variables is called a factor pattern. Sometimes, an investigator may have a hypothesized factor pattern or there may exist a factor matrix from a previous study. An investigator might wish to estimate and test the fit of the data to the hypothesized factor pattern or to the model obtained from a previous study. Performing an analysis to find out how the estimated factor matrix from the data matches the hypothesized factor matrix is called confirmatory factor analysis. Software packages available for this analysis are highlighted. Keywords: factor analysis; factor pattern; factor matrix; confirmatory factor analysis
Entrapment of the medial meniscus in a fracture of the tibial eminence

Summary Fracture of the intercondylar eminence of the tibia is unusual in adults. Long-term morbidity is uncommon. This is a case in which the anterior horn of the medial meniscus became entrapped in the fracture site after non-operative treatment of a completely displaced fracture, causing persistent medial knee pain. Arthroscopic release of the entrapped meniscus provided excellent relief of symptoms.
Cosmology and celestial mechanics

The similarities between cosmology and celestial mechanics are discussed from the scientific and historical points of view and the scientific aims of these two fields are compared. Newton's and Poincare's contributions to celestial mechanics, dynamics, and cosmology are presented. The recently established instability of triple stellar configurations is discussed to relate results of this classical, nonintegrable problem of celestial mechanics to cosmology and to offer an example for “order out of chaos.” It is shown that the presently emphasized reasons for limited predictability in dynamical systems are closely related to some of the existing basic difficulties in cosmology.