cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Preferred Drug Resistance Strategies of Urban American Indian Youth of the Southwest

This study explored the drug resistance strategies that urban American Indian adolescents consider the best and worst ways to respond to offers of alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana. Focus group data were collected from 11 female and 9 male American Indian adolescents attending urban middle schools in the southwest. The youth were presented with hypothetical substance offer scenarios and alternative ways of responding, based on real-life narratives of similar youth. They were asked to choose a preferred strategy, one that would work every time, and a rejected strategy, one they would never use. Using eco-developmental theory, patterns in the preferred and rejected strategies were analyzed to identify culturally specific and socially competent ways of resisting substance offers. The youth preferred strategies that included passive, non-verbal strategies like pretending to use the substance, as well as assertive strategies like destroying the substance. The strategies they rejected were mostly socially non-competent ones like accepting the substance or responding angrily. Patterns of preferred and rejected strategies varied depending on whether the offer came from a family member or non-relative. These patterns have suggestive implications for designing more effective prevention programs for the growing yet underserved urban American Indian youth population.
Nonlinear compansive noise reduction in joint transform correlators

Compansive diffraction nonlinearities reduce the noise and improve the performance of joint transform correlators. The compression and expansion of the photorefractive two-beam coupling parallel optical device is similar to that of the limiting square-law serial electronic re- ceiver. Computer simulations of this device indicate superior perfor- mance over a wide range of noise levels. © 1998 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. (S0091-3286(98)01901-1)
Experimental investigation of friction in entrapped elastohydrodynamic contacts

Abstract Start-up friction is a performance-limiting aspect of hydraulic motor operation. This study was conducted to gain a better understanding of the roles played by contact pressure, speed, and oil type to start-up friction behavior for contacts containing trapped pockets of highly pressurized oil, also known as elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) entrapments. An apparatus was built to measure the start up friction response for ball-on-plane sliding contact with simultaneous observation of the contact region by optical interferometry. Baseline trials for all cases were conducted in the absence of any entrapment and then repeated after forming an entrapment. An impact, activated by solenoids, was used to create a small separation whereby oil would fill the gap and then become trapped as the load rapidly brought the surfaces back into contact. In all cases, entrapment substantially decreased the start-up friction. Additionally, the short-lived entrapments provide the greatest reduction in start-up friction. Therefore, the method of entrapment that may be implemented with least delay before the initiation of sliding has the greatest potential.
Religiosity, suicide and homicide: a cross-national examination.

Belief in life after death and in God as measured by opinion polls in 13 nations were negatively associated with suicide rates and positively associated with homicide rates.
Finding the closest point to the origin in the convex hull of a discrete set of points

Abstract This paper presents a specialized algorithm for finding a point in the convex hull of a given finite collection of discrete points that is closest to the origin. Such problems find applications in nondifferentiable optimization, statistics, approximation theory, and linear programming. The algorithm presented is easy to implement, has minimal storage requirements, and effectively controls the size and complexity of the subproblems solved. We prove convergence of the algorithm, and show how to solve the subproblems in closed-form. A computational comparison with a popular competing method exhibits an increased advantage for the proposed algorithm with an increase in problem size, except for highly ill-conditioned problems.
An immunocytochemical screening of human-mouse cell hybrid colonies expressing a specific human gene.

An immunocytochemical method has been devised which allows the screening of a large number of human × mouse cell hybrid colonies for the retention of a specific human chromosomal gene and the presence of its translation product. The glycolytic enzyme phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI; d-glucose-6-phosphate ketol-isomerase; EC 5.3.1.9) was chosen as a marker which is known to be controlled by the gene on human chromosome 19. The technique involves three steps: (i) immobilization of growing cell colonies in agar gel containing antibody that specifically reacts with human-type PGI; (ii) lysis of the embedded cells with Triton X-100 to release enzyme antigens and precipitate as an immune complex; and (iii) visualization of the antibody-fixed enzymes by histochemical activity staining. Human PGI activity released from a colony consisting of as few as eight cells generated an adequate signal. Variation of intensity was noticed and attributed to gene dosage in individual cells. The percentage of human PGI-positive colonies in each of nine independent hybrid lines estimated by this method generally paralleled the frequency of retention of human chromosome 19 determined by conventional karyotyping. The technique can be applied to many other markers and be used as “a half-selection” system in combination with the “replica plating” method.
Titanomaghemites: Conditions for oxidation, influence of rhombohedral phases, and temperature of inversion

A systematic study of synthetic titanomaghemites yields the following results: (1) Oxidation of titanomagnetite is mainly a function of temperature. Atmosphere and titanium content have little or no effect. (2) Progressive oxidation of homogeneous titanomaghemites can take place in the presence of a rhombohedral phase. The amount of rhombohedral phase produced during oxidation increases with increasing oxidation temperature and (less conclusively) with decreasing titanium content. (3) The temperature of spinel inversion increases with degree of oxidation. For slightly oxidized samples, inversion occurs near 300°C; for samples with z > 0.8 the inversion temperature is above 450°C. This last result, although neither expected or understood, is supported by results of thermomagnetic studies on some oceanic basalts.
Overexpression of the Tumor Autocrine Motility Factor Receptor Gp78, a Ubiquitin Protein Ligase, Results in Increased Ubiquitinylation and Decreased Secretion of Apolipoprotein B100 in HepG2 Cells

Apolipoprotein B100 (apoB) is a large (520-kDa) complex secretory protein; its secretion is regulated posttranscriptionally by several degradation pathways. The best described of these degradative processes is co-translational ubiquitinylation and proteasomal degradation of nascent apoB, involving the 70- and 90-kDa heat shock proteins and the multiple components of the proteasomal pathway. Ubiquitinylation involves several proteins, including ligases called E3s, that coordinate the covalent binding of ubiquitin to target proteins. The recent discovery that tumor autocrine motility factor receptor, also known as gp78, is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated E3, raised the possibility that this E3 might be involved in the ER-associated degradation of nascent apoB. In a series of experiments in HepG2 cells, we demonstrated that overexpression of gp78 was sufficient for increased ubiquitinylation and proteasomal degradation of apoB, with reduced secretion of apoB-lipoproteins. This action of gp78 was specific: overexpression of the protein did not affect secretion of either albumin or apolipoprotein AI. Furthermore, overexpression of a cytosolic E3, Itch, had no effect on apoB secretion. Finally, using an in vitro translation system, we demonstrated that gp78 led to increased ubiquitinylation and proteasomal degradation of apoB48. Together, these results indicate that an ER-associated protein, gp78, is a bona fide E3 ligase in the apoB ER-associated degradation pathway.
Milk Lipoprotein Lipase Activity During Long-Term Administration of Recombinant Bovine Somatotropin

The effect of long-term administration of recombinant bovine somatotropin to dairy cows on milk lipoprotein lipase activity was investigated. Recombinant bovine somatotropin was administered daily to 32 cows (8/treatment). Treatments were 0 (control), 12.5, 25.0, and 50.0 mg/d or recombinant bovine somatotropin administered in once daily intramuscular injections. Treatments began at 28 to 35 d of lactation and continued until 294 d of lactation. Recombinant bovine somatotropin treatments had no significant effect on milk lipoprotein lipase activity; enzyme activity for each treatment was 97.87, 108.96, 99.96, and 92.43 units/ml of milk, respectively. A significant effect of the stage of lactation was unrelated to recombinant bovine somatotropin administration. Enzyme activity peaked at approximately 20 wk of the treatment or 25 wk postpartum. These results indicate that long-term administration of recombinant bovine somatotropin does not alter the processes that lead to lipoprotein lipase activity in milk.
Small-scale processes in straits

Small-scale studies in straits reveal much about their internal dynamics. Highlights of recent work are described to provide an overview of the rapid progress being made in understanding processes within straits and how they affect outside regions. Owing to the early state of work on small-scale processes within straits, the emphasis is on identifying and understanding the dominant processes and mechanisms leading to mixing and the mixing itself. Theoretical, numerical, and observational approaches are included, and some suggestions are made about future directions.
Hydrogen and carbon in solid solution in oxides and silicates

The dissolution of H2O and CO2 in structurally dense, nominally anhydrous and non-carbonate oxide matrices such as MgO and CaO is reviewed. H2O and CO2 are treated as gaseous oxide components which enter into solid solution with the refractory oxide hosts. They form anion complexes associated with cation vacancy sites. Evidence is presented that OH− pairs which derive from the dissolution of H2O are subject to a charge transfer (CT) conversion into peroxy moieties and molecular hydrogen, O 2 2− ... H2. Because the O 2 2− moiety is small (O−-O− distance ≈ 1.5 A) high pressure probably favors the CT conversion. Mass spectroscopic studies show that molecular H2 may be lost from the solid which retains excess oxygen in the form of O 2 2− , leading to the release of atomic O. The dissociation of O 2 2− moieties into a vacancy-bound O− state and an unbound O− state can be followed by measuring the internal redox reactions involving transition metal impurities, the transient paramagnetism of the O− and their effect on the d.c. conductivity. Evidence is presented that CO2 molecules dissolve dissociatively in the structurally dense oxide matrix, as if they were first to dissociate into CO+O and then to form separate solute moieties CO 2 2− and O 2 2− , both associated with cation vacancy sites. In the CO 2 2− moiety (C-O− distance 1.2–1.3 A, OCO angle ≈ 130°) the C atom probably sits off center. The transition of the C atom into interstitial sites is accompanied by dissociation of the CO 2 2− moiety into CO− and O−. This transition can be followed by infrared spectroscopy, using OH− as local probes. Further support derives from magnetic susceptibility, thermal expansion, low frequency dielectric loss and low temperature deformation measurements. The recently observed emission of O and Mg atoms besides a variety of molecules such as CO, CO2, CH4, HCN and other hydrocarbons during impact fracture of MgO single crystals is presented and discussed in the light of the other experimental data.
Hydrogen-stimulated CO2 fixation and coordinate induction of hydrogenase and ribulosebiphosphate carboxylase in a H2-uptake positive strain of Rhizobium japonicum

H2-uptake positive strains (122 DES and SR) and H2-uptake negative strains SR2 and SR3 of Rhizobium japonicum were examined for ribulosebisphosphate (RuBP) carboxylase and H2-uptake activities during growth conditions which induced formation of the hydrogenase system. The rate of 14CO2 uptake by hydrogenase-derepressed cells was about 6-times greater in the presence than in the absence of H2. RuBP carboxylase activity was observed in free-living R. japonicum strains 122 DES or SR only when the cells were derepressed for their hydrogenase system. Hydrogenase and RuBP carboxylase activities were coordinately induced by H2 and both were repressed by added succinate. Hydrogenase-negative mutant strains SR2 and SR3 derived from R. japonicum SR showed no detecyable RuBP carboxylase activities under hydrogenase derepression conditions. No detectable RuBP carboxylase was observed in bacteroids formed by H2-uptake positive strains R. japonicum 122 DES or SR. Propionyl CoA carboxylase activity was consistently observed in extracts of cells from free-living cultures of R. japonicum but activity was not appreciably influenced by the addition of H2. Neither phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase nor phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity was detected in extracts of R. japonicum.
Relation between current and density profiles of interacting electronic systems in a magnetic field.

An exact formal relationship between the equilibrium orbital-current and density profiles of a nonuniform electronic system in the presence of a magnetic field is derived from current-density-functional theory. In the local-density approximation we obtain an explicit formula, including exchange and correlation effects, for the equilibrium current in terms of the gradient of density. This formula is shown to reduce to exact asymptotic results in the limit of very large magnetic fields or in the linear-response regime
Functional Analysis of Surfactant Protein B (SP-B) Promoter Sp1, Sp3, TTF-1, and HNF-3α TRANSCRIPTION FACTORS ARE NECESSARY FOR LUNG CELL-SPECIFIC ACTIVATION OF SP-B GENE TRANSCRIPTION

Surfactant protein B (SP-B) is essential for maintenance of biophysical properties and physiological function of pulmonary surfactant. SP-B mRNA expression is restricted to alveolar type II epithelial cells and bronchiolar epithelial cells (Clara cells) of adult lung. We previously (Margana, R. K., and Boggaram, V. (1996) Am. J. Physiol. 270, L601-L612) found that a minimal promoter region (-236 to +39) of rabbit SP-B gene is sufficient for high level expression of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase reporter gene in NCI-H441 cells, a cell line with characteristics of Clara cells. In the present study we used mutational analysis, electrophoretic mobility shift assays, and DNase I footprinting to identify cis-DNA regulatory elements and trans-acting protein factors required for lung cell-specific expression of SP-B gene. We found that in addition to thyroid transcription factor 1 (TTF-1) and hepatocyte nuclear factor 3a (HNF-3a) binding sites, two spatially separate DNA sequences that bind Sp1 and Sp3 factors are necessary for the maintenance of SP-B promoter activity. Mutation of any one of the transcription factor binding sites caused a significant reduction in SP-B promoter activity suggesting that Sp1, Sp3, and TTF-1 and HNF-3a interact cooperatively with SP-B promoter to activate gene transcription.
"The Struggle of Mankind Against its Deadliest Foe": Themes of Counter-subversion in Anti-Narcotic Campaigns, 1920-1940

During the 1920s and 1930s, newspaper and magazine accounts of narcotics problems, and the propaganda of various anti-narcotic organizations used certain stock ideas and images to construct an intensely fearful public rhetoric about drugs. Authors routinely described drugs, users, and sellers as "evil," described sinister conspiracies to undermine American society and values, credited drugs with immense power to corrupt users, and called for complete eradication of the problem. That rhetoric became the standard template for American public discourse about drugs, and is still in use. Very similar themes and images, however, were used in earlier crusades against Masons, Catholics, and Mormons. This suggests that anti-drug discourse is linked to a larger American rhetorical tradition, one that stems from Protestant-Republican ideology and cultural concerns--fears of being owned or controlled, fears of anarchy, fears of loss of dynamism, fears of falling away from past virtue and promise. In casting drugs and drug users as a "Great American Enemy" reformers not only addressed the existing social problems posed by drug use, but attempted, through a culturally resonant rhetorical form, to provide their audience with explanations and rallying points, and help them define or recover a sense of cultural identity and purpose.
Pretreatment blood pressure as a predictor of 21-year mortality

Our objective was to evaluate pretreatment predictors of longevity, particularly blood pressure, in a large cohort of hypertensive men. During 1974 to 1976, 10,367 male hypertensive veterans (47% black) were identified at screening and subsequently characterized in 32 special Veterans Administration (VA) hypertension clinics. Their mean age was 52 years and mean blood pressure (BP) 154/100 mm Hg. During an average of 21 years of follow-up, 61% died. Risk ratios for all-cause mortality as functions of BP and other risk factors are presented for each variable alone; for each variable controlling for age, race, and BP; and for a multivariate model. We observed that when the entire cohort was divided into deciles by systolic blood pressure (SBP) and by diastolic blood pressure (DBP), the risk ratios for 21-year mortality increased from lowest to highest decile by 178% for SBP and 16% for DBP. When the deciles were computed separately by age group, increases from lowest to highest decile for those less than 40 years of age were 138% for SBP and 263% for DBP. For those over 60 years, the increases were 154% and -10%, respectively. Although blacks were younger and had more severe diastolic hypertension than whites, the risk ratios were similar within each race group. Risk patterns for mean arterial pressure and pulse pressure resembled those for SBP but had smaller gradients. Survival curves for BP groups suggested constant mortality rates during follow-up. Other significant observations included decreasing mortality with increasing body mass index and increased mortality in the Stroke Belt. We concluded that pretreatment SBP strongly predicted all-cause mortality during 21-year follow-up. For the young, both SBP and DBP were strong predictors; for the elderly, only SBP was predictive.
Use of parallel polarized radiation in determinations of optical constants and thickness of films

REFERENCES lem of a channel-gas flow with Neumann-type thermal 1. V. P. TYAGI, A general noncircular duct convective heat boundary conditions, Proc. Camb. Phil. Sot. 62, 555-573 transfer problem for liquids and gases, Int. J. Heat Mass (1966). Transfer 9, 1321-1340 (1966). 3. L. N. TAO, On some laminar forced convection problems, 2. V. P. TYAGI, General study of a heat transmission probJ. Heat Transfer a,467472 (1961).
Stem-cell therapy for cardiac disease

Heart failure is the leading cause of death worldwide, and current therapies only delay progression of the disease. Laboratory experiments and recent clinical trials suggest that cell-based therapies can improve cardiac function, and the implications of this for cardiac regeneration are causing great excitement. Bone-marrow-derived progenitor cells and other progenitor cells can differentiate into vascular cell types, restoring blood flow. More recently, resident cardiac stem cells have been shown to differentiate into multiple cell types present in the heart, including cardiac muscle cells, indicating that the heart is not terminally differentiated. These new findings have stimulated optimism that the progression of heart failure can be prevented or even reversed with cell-based therapy.
Cholesky residuals for assessing normal errors in a linear model with correlated outcomes

Despite the widespread popularity of linear models for correlated outcomes (e.g., linear mixed models and time series models), distribution diagnostic methodology remains relatively underdeveloped in this context. In this article we present an easy-to-implement approach that lends itself to graphical displays of model fit. Our approach involves multiplying the estimated marginal residual vector by the Cholesky decomposition of the inverse of the estimated marginal variance matrix. The resulting “rotated” residuals are used to construct an empirical cumulative distribution function and pointwise standard errors. The theoretical framework, including conditions and asymptotic properties, involves technical details that are motivated by Lange and Ryan, Pierce, and Randles. Our method appears to work well in a variety of circumstances, including models having independent units of sampling (clustered data) and models for which all observations are correlated (e.g., a single time series). Our methods can produce...
Consortial N2 fixation: a strategy for meeting nitrogen requirements of marine and terrestrial cyanobacterial mats

Abstract Four microbial mat-forming, non-axenic, strains of the non-heterocystous, filamentous, cyanobacterial genus Microcoleus were maintained in culture and examined for the ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen (N 2 ). Each was tested for nitrogenase activity using the acetylene reduction assay (ARA) and for the presence of the dinitrogenase reductase gene ( nifH ), an essential gene for N 2 fixation, using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The Microcoleus spp. cultures were incapable of growth without an exogenous nitrogen source and never exhibited nitrogenase activity. Attempts to amplify a 360-bp segment of the nifH gene using DNA purified from the cyanobacterial cultures did not produce any cyanobacteria-specific nifH sequences. However, several non-cyanobacterial homologous nifH sequences were obtained. Phylogenetic analysis showed these sequences to be most similar to sequences from heterotrophic bacteria isolated from a marine microbial mat in Tomales Bay (California, USA), and bulk DNA extracted from a cryptobiotic soil crust in Moab (Utah, USA). Microcoleus spp. dominated the biomass of both systems. Cyanobacteria-specific 16S rDNA sequences obtained from the cultured cyanobacterial strains demonstrate that the lack of cyanobacteria-specific nifH sequences was not due to inefficiency of extracting Microcoleus DNA. Hence, both the growth and genetic data indicate that, contrary to earlier reports, Microcoleus spp. appear incapable of fixing N 2 because they lack at least one of the requisite genes for this process. Furthermore, our study suggests epiphytic N 2 -fixing bacteria form a diazotrophic consortium with these Microcoleus spp. and are likely key sources of fixed N 2 generated within soil crusts and marine microbial mats.
The negative feedback effect of estradiol-17β on secretion of luteinizing hormone in beef cows

Thirty-two ovariectomized cows were used to determine the time course for the negative feedback effect of estradiol-17beta (E) on secretion of the luteinizing hormone (LH). The cows were injected with gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH; 40 mug) 2.5 or 5 h after pretreatment with E (1 mug/kg body weight) or with a vehicle for control (C). Pretreatment with E resulted in lower serum concentrations of LH at 2.5 h (0.27 vs 0.90 ng/ml; P 0.2). Time to half area (estimate of decay for the induced surge of LH) was longer for cows treated with E when compared to those treated with C (1.3 vs 0.9 h, P 0.4). These results suggest that E acts in the pituitary to cause the initial decrease in concentrations of LH. Pituitaries in animals pretreated with E regained the capacity to release as much LH at 5 h after treatment as those treated with C at a time when LH concentrations were still suppressed by E. Thus, the hypothalamus or an extra-hypothalamic area may be involved in maintaining the suppression of LH secretion after the initial effect on the pituitary has declined.
Comparison of skin sites for estimating serum total bilirubin in in-patients and out-patients: Chest is superior to brow

OBEJECTIVE: To compare transcutaneous bilirubin readings from the chest and forehead of inpatient and outpatient infants to investigate whether one site is more accurate for estimating serum bilirubin concentration.
Prevention of VTE in patients having major orthopedic surgery

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a serious risk after major orthopedic surgery (MOS) including total knee replacement, total hip replacement and hip fracture surgery. This risk can be reduced with several pharmacologic and mechanical prophylactic approaches, and the choice among them depends on their ability to reduce VTE with an acceptable increase in adverse events, especially major bleeding complications. Improvements in medical and surgical care have led to a progressive decrease in the risk of VTE after MOS with an estimated baseline risk with contemporary practice of approximately 4.3 % up to day 39 after surgery. Low-molecular-weight heparin is the most thoroughly studied thromboprophylactic agent following MOS and demonstrates good effectiveness with an acceptable rate of bleeding complications. Warfarin, rivaroxaban, dabigatran, and apixaban have all been studied in large trials in comparison with low-molecular-weight heparin and also show an acceptable benefit: risk ratio. Mechanical approaches including graduated compression stockings, intermittent pneumatic compression and venous foot pump also offer protection against VTE, but there is less evidence is available regarding their effectiveness and risks. Combination therapy consisting of an antithrombotic agent and mechanical device is probably more effective than either alone. The appropriate use of thromboprophylaxis after MOS results in reduced VTE with acceptable bleeding risks.
Exploring Choice as an Antecedent to Behavior: Incorporating Alternatives into the Technology Acceptance Process

In this paper, the authors conduct a study to explore the evaluation and choice between candidate software applications. Using business professionals, technology adoption is investigated by presenting participants with an alternative choice set using software applications relevant to the professional domain of the subjects. Results from this study, focusing on models of intentions, provide evidence to suggest the underlying process by which choice behaviors are determined and demonstrate the value of incorporating choice into models of technology adoption, particularly in situations where selection is made from a set of candidate technologies, such as in an organizational adoption decision. In addition, theoretically derived models of comparison processes are examined to develop further understanding into how individuals arrive at a specific choice behavior. A second study is conducted to further validate the obtained results. Implications for future research into the processes leading to adoption of information technologies are also presented.
An alternative approach for treatment of breast cancer

Since adjuvant chemotherapy and hormonal therapy generally extend disease free survival in breast cancer rather than provide a cure, we have examined the current breast cancer paradigm. Heterogeneity is a fundamental characteristic of breast cancer tissue and a well recognized aspect of the disease. There are variations in natural history, histopathology, biochemistry and endocrinology, and molecular biology of cancer tissues and cells within the tissues. A variety of data indicate that growth kinetics are also variable, not only from tumor to tumor, but also during the natural history of an individual's tumor. To better understand kinetic heterogeneity, a stochastic numeric computer model of the natural history of breast cancer has been developed. To be consistent with inter- and intratumor kinetic heterogeneity and with late relapse, the model predicts that tumors grow in an irregular fashion with alternating periods of growth and periods of dormancy rather than the generally accepted modified exponential, or Gompertzian fashion. The prediction of irregular growth has been compared to data relevant to growth characteristics of human breast cancer. Much data support the concept of irregular kinetics and temporary dormancy rather than steady, Gompertzian growth of human breast cancer. Thus, in addition to drug resistance, kinetic heterogeneity may help explain the limited impact that traditional chemotherapeutic treatment has had on mortality from breast cancer. Although the mechanisms underlying irregular growth need to be better understood, non-Gompertzian growth kinetics indicates that there may be alternative approaches for breast cancer treatment.
The Barbarians in Justinian's Armies

PRECISELY what peoples fought in the expeditionary armies under Justinian and won the victories associated with the names of the incredibly brilliant team of generals that served him: Belisarius, Germanus, Narses, Mundus, and the rest? A simple question, but to it neither the general surveys nor the more specialized monographs have provided an answer beyond challenge. Not many years ago Louis Brehier revived a point of view that Charles Diehl had popularized in his Justinien et la civilisation byzantine and Ernst Stein had adopted into the work of his youth on the origin of the themes. The armies of Justinian, according to Brehier and his forerunners, " ... ont ... un caractere international et toutes les races de barbares y sont representees." In 1912 Jean Maspero was the first to dissent with effect from a generally received doctrine when he suggested that the East Roman armies of the sixth century were by no means barbarian but national, native, or Roman in composition. Conclusions derived from those of Maspero may be found in Grosse's standard survey of late Roman military institutions and, not unexpectedly, in the current writings of those who reject, root and branch, Stein's explanation of the origin of the themes. Recent studies seeking to account for the survival of the imperial structure in the East have emphasized the "national" character of its armies, contrasting them with the "barbarized" hordes upon which desperate Roman emperors in the West had to depend in the late fourth and early fifth centuries. The armies of Belisarius and Narses were "predominantly Roman, mainly raised by voluntary enlistment from the sturdy mountaineers of the Balkans and Eastern Asia Minor"; so A. H. M. Jones. To summarize briefly the point at issue between the two schools: were the imperial armies of Justinian native-born in composition or were they formed from peoples who were not born subjects of the emperor and were, in that sense alone, "barbarians" ?1
Microstructure of melt-miscible, semicrystalline polymer blends

A combination of small-angle X-ray scattering and optical microscopy was used to investigate the influence of diluent mobility and polymer−polymer interactions on diluent segregation in a series of “model” melt-miscible poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) blends. The amorphous polymeric diluents were selected with regard to their glass transition temperatures relative to the crystallization temperature and the strength of their interactions with PEO. Segregation of the weakly interacting amorphous polymers was found to be largely dependent on their glass transition temperatures: the high-Tg diluent was found to reside exclusively in interlamellar regions whereas the low-Tg diluent was excluded at least partially into interfibrillar regions. The introduction of strong intermolecular interactions between the crystallizable and amorphous components resulted in significantly reduced crystal growth rates and promoted diluent segregation over greater length scales, regardless of diluent mobility at the crystallization ...
Preparation and characterization of 3H-labeled α-bungarotoxin

Abstract α-Bungarotoxin has been labeled with [ 3 H]pyridoxamine phosphate, by reaction with pyridoxal phosphate followed by reduction with sodium boro[ 3 H]hydride. Specific activities of up to 27 Ci/mmol have been obtained. Mono- and dilabeled toxins bind irreversibly to the acetylcholine receptor from Torpedo electroplax, despite a change in isoelectric point from 9.2 for native toxin to 6.2 for dilabeled toxin. The 3 H-labeled α-bungarotoxin is usable for over a year.
Ecology of invertebrate predators in a Coastal Plain stream

SUMMARY 1. The spatial and temporal abundance patterns, production and feeding habits of invertebrate predators were determined in a sand-bottomed, headwater stream in Virginia, U.S.A. 2. Annual mean density and biomass of predators in debris dams were 3897 individuals m−2 and 2.5 g dry mass m−2, respectively, but only 711 individuals m−2 and 0.2 gm−2 on the sediment. Predator production was 8.36 gm−2yr−1 in debris dams compared to 1.52 gm−2yr−1 on the sediment. Annual predator production, weighted by habitat availability, was 1.73gm−2yr−1. 3. The predominant taxa in terms of production were the chironomids Thienemannimyia spp, complex, Ablabesmyia parajanta, Zavrelimyia sp., and the odonate Cordulegaster maculata. Chironomidae and Odonata together comprised 77% of the production of the predator guild. 4. Based on gut content analysis and calculations of the trophic basis of production, estimated predator production was supported mostly by Chironomidae (38%), detritus (20%), unidentifiable insects (14%), and Ephemeroptera (11%). Total food ingestion by predators was 9.8 gm−2yr−1, 63% of which was detritus and 37% of which was animal material on an areal basis. The predator guild consumed an estimated 94% of primary invertebrate consumer production on the channel surface of the stream.
Exchange Rate Fluctuations and the Balance of Payments: Channels of Interaction in Developing and Developed Countries

Agents engage in a process of forecasting the exchange rate based on observations of macroeconomic fundamentals. Deviations in the realized exchange rate from agents’ forecasts determine fluctuations in components of the current and financial accounts of the balance of payments in a sample of developing and industrial countries. Absent measures to stimulate export growth in developing countries and given their high dependency on imports, the current account balance deteriorates with respect to currency depreciation. Across industrial countries, the reduction in the value of exports with respect to currency depreciation correlates with a reduction in the value of imports. The combined effect cancel out on the trade and current account balances in industrial countries. Similarly, currency appreciation increases the nominal value of exports and imports without a significant effect on the current account balance in industrial countries. The combined evidence highlights the benefits of a flexible exchange rate system, prevailing in many industrial countries, to ensure that a depreciating rate curbs import growth and increases financial flows. In contrast, currency appreciation increases imports and deteriorates the current account balance across developing countries. Moreover, the evidence indicates the adverse effect of an overvalued exchange rate and the expected deterioration in the balance of payments should developing countries be forced to abandon a peg abruptly.
Activating mutations and senescence secretome: new insights into HER2 activation, drug sensitivity and metastatic progression

HER2 amplification and overexpression is observed in approximately 20% of breast cancers and is strongly associated with poor prognosis and therapeutic responsiveness to HER2 targeted agents. A recent study by Bose and colleagues suggests that another subset of breast cancer patients without HER2 amplification but with activating HER2 mutation might also benefit from existing HER2-targeted agents and the authors functionally characterize these somatic mutations in experimental models. In a second study on HER2-driven breast cancer, Angelini and colleagues investigate how the constitutively active, truncated carboxy-terminal fragment of HER2, p95HER2, promotes metastatic progression through non-cellautonomous secretion of factors from senescent cells. These new findings advance our understanding of HER2 biology in the context of HER2 activation as well as offer new insights into our understanding of drug sensitivity and metastatic progression.
Adaptive Bus Voltage Positioning System for Two Stage Laptop Voltage Regulators

For the laptop voltage regulators, not only the heavy load efficiency, but also the light load efficiency is very important for thermal point and for the battery running time. So far, to increase the heavy load efficiency, the two stage structure is proposed and to increase the light load efficiency of this two stage voltage regulators, the adaptive bus voltage positioning (ABVP) control concept is proposed. In this paper, the ABVP control structure is proposed. For the proper design of this system, the small signal model is derived and the stability analysis is performed. And the simulation and experiment results verify this analysis.
Nuclear envelope breakdown and mitosis in sand dollar embryos is inhibited by microinjection of calcium buffers in a calcium-reversible fashion, and by antagonists of intracellular Ca2+ channels

Transient elevations in intracellular free Ca2+ are believed to signal the initiation of mitosis. This model predicts that mitosis might be arrested prior to nuclear envelope breakdown (NEB) or anaphase onset if intracellular Ca 2+ concentration is buffered or dampened. Microinjection of a discrete dose of Ca2 into the cell might then release the cell to resume mitotic cycling. Experimentally, one blastomere of two cell sand dollar (Echinaracnius parma) embryos was microinjected with Ca2+ buffers, Ca2+ solutions, or Ca2+ channel antagonists; the uninjected blastomere was the control. Cells were loaded with 10 pl doses of the Ca2+ buffer antipyrylazo III (ApIII) at specific times in the cell cycle to attempt a competitive inhibition of Ca2+-dependent steps in NEB and initiation of mitosis. Injection of 50 μM ApIII 6 min prior to NEB blocked NEB and further cell cycling. Injections of solutions between 0 and 30 μM ApIII were without observable effect. Control injections had no observable effect on the injected cell. Cells injected with 50 μM ApIII 2 min prior to the onset of anaphase in control cells were blocked in metaphase. Cells were sensitive to Ca2+ buffer injections 6 min prior to NEB (with a 40- to 45-sec duration), and 2 min prior to anaphase onset (with a 10- to 20-sec duration). Vital staining of these cells with H33342 demonstrated that they contained only one nucleus that had the same fluorescence intensity as seen prior to microinjection, and thus did not undergo DNA synthesis following the imposition of the Ca2+ buffer block to mitosis. Cells arrested in this fashion did not spontaneously resume mitotic cycling. This Ca2+ buffer-induced mitotic arrest was, however, experimentally reversible. Cells arrested with 50 μM ApIII 6 min prior to NEB could be returned to mitotic activity by injecting 300 μM CaCl2 5 min after the ApIII injection. The double injected cells resumed cycling, NEB, and mitosis after a delay of one cell cycle period, and remained one cell cycle out of phase with the sister (control) cell. Microinjection of antagonists of endomembrane Ca2+ channels inhibited NEB and anaphase onset in a concentration- and time-dependent fashion. The effective doses of compounds tested were 7 μg/ml ryanodine and 500 μg/ml TMB-8. These results indicate that a transient elevation of intracellular Ca2+ from endomembrane stores is required to initiate mitotic events, namely NEB and anaphase onset. These findings support the existence of a cell cycle clock, and further support the hypothesis that Ca2+ transients may be used to coordinate and synchronize the biochemical pathways required for NEB, anaphase onset, and mitosis.
Bertrand's chord, Buffon's needle, and the concept of randomness

Two old problems in probability theory involving the concept of randomness are considered. Data obtained with one of them—Bertrand's chord problem—demonstrate the equivocality of this term in the absence of a definition or explication of assumptions underlying its use. They also support two propositions about probabilistic thinking: (1) upon obtaining an answer to a question of probability, people tend to see it as the answer, overlooking tacit assumptions on which it may be based, and tend not to consider the possibility of other assumptions from which different answers would follow; (2) perceptual balance—moderate uniformity of density of distribution—is a determinant of the degree to which a two-dimensional pattern is perceived as random.
‘Pharmacy Deserts’ Are Prevalent In Chicago’s Predominantly Minority Communities, Raising Medication Access Concerns

Attempts to explain and address disparities in the use of prescription medications have focused almost exclusively on their affordability. However, the segregation of residential neighborhoods by race or ethnicity also may influence access to the pharmacies that, in turn, provide access to prescription medications within a community. We examined whether trends in the availability of pharmacies varied across communities in Chicago with different racial or ethnic compositions. We also examined the geographic accessibility of pharmacies to determine whether "pharmacy deserts," or low-access neighborhoods, were more common in segregated black and Hispanic communities than elsewhere. We found that throughout the period 2000-2012 the number of pharmacies was lower in segregated minority communities than in segregated white communities and integrated communities. In 2012 there were disproportionately more pharmacy deserts in segregated black communities, as well as in low-income communities and federally designated Medically Underserved Areas. Our findings suggest that public policies aimed at improving access to prescription medications may need to address factors beyond insurance coverage and medication affordability. Such policies could include financial incentives to locate pharmacies in pharmacy deserts or the incorporation of pharmacies into community health centers in Medically Underserved Areas.
The extended personality: indirect effects of behavioural syndromes on the behaviour of others in a group-living cichlid

Consistent individual variation in behaviour is widespread across taxa and behavioural categories. Because social behaviour is often a plastic response to the social environment, consistent variation in social behaviours such as aggression and cooperation may generate consistent variation in the behaviour of social partners and others in the group. In this study, we moved individual subordinate males between groups of a cooperatively breeding cichlid, Neolamprologus pulcher. We found that subordinate males varied consistently in their aggressive interactions with neighbouring fish. The effects of individual subordinate males extended beyond their direct interactions; agonistic interactions between dominant males and dominant females varied consistently with subordinate male identity. We suggest that variation in helping behaviour through territorial defence influences the net fitness effects of subordinate males on dominant males and, thus, the potential for conflict between dominant males and dominant females over subordinate male presence. The existence of indirect phenotypic effects of subordinate males on interactions not directly involving the subordinate male suggests that individual personalities extend into the social environment and may be an important selective influence on social behaviour and on variation among social groups.
Coda: a highly available file system for a distributed workstation environment

The design and implementation of Coda, a file system for a large-scale distributed computing environment composed of Unix workstations, is described. It provides resiliency to server and network failures through the use of two distinct but complementary mechanisms. One mechanism, server replication, stores copies of a file at multiple servers. The other mechanism, disconnected operation, is a mode of execution in which a caching site temporarily assumes the role of a replication site. The design of Coda optimizes for availability and performance and strives to provide the highest degree of consistency attainable in the light of these objectives. Measurements from a prototype show that the performance cost of providing high availability in Coda is reasonable. >
Motivated response styles: the role of cultural values, regulatory focus, and self-consciousness in socially desirable responding

Three studies investigated the relations between cultural values and socially desirable responding, the processes that underlie them, and factors that influence the strength of the relations. Results indicated that individualism was associated with self-deceptive enhancement but not impression management, whereas collectivism was associated with impression management but not self-deceptive enhancement. Regulatory focus was found to mediate these relations. A promotion focus mediated the relation between individualism and self-deceptive enhancement, whereas a prevention focus mediated the relation between collectivism and impression management. This mediation pattern held regardless of whether individualism and collectivism were determined at the group level (Study 1) or measured at the individual level (Studies 2-3), whether socially desirable responding was operationalized as a scale measure (Studies 1-3) or as reactions to behavioral scenarios (Study 2), and across different measures of regulatory focus. This general mediation pattern was found to be moderated by type of self-consciousness (Study 3): The promotion focus mediation was stronger for participants low (vs. high) in private self-consciousness, and the prevention focus mediation was stronger for participants high (vs. low) in public self-consciousness.