cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
America's secret power : the CIA in a democratic society

In 1975, after The New York Times published a devastating critique of the CIA, three government panels--the Rockefeller, Church, and Pike Committees--were formed to examine these allegations in depth. What they uncovered--assassination plots, opened mail, drug experiments against unsuspecting subjects (two of whom died from side effects)--shocked the American people and moved Senator Frank Church to call the CIA "a rogue elephant rampaging out of control." Clearly, America needs a strong, effective intelligence effort, but just as clearly, this effort must operate within the bounds of an open, democratic society. Based on hundreds of interviews with CIA officials, national security experts, and legislators, as well as a thorough culling of the archival record, America's Secret Power offers an illuminating and up-to-date picture of the Central Intelligence Agency, stressing the difficult balance between the genuine needs of national security and the protection of individual liberties. Loch Johnson, who has studied the workings of the CIA at first hand as a legislative overseer, presents a comprehensive examination of the Agency and its relations with other American institutions, including Congress and the White House (he offers particularly astute analyses of the CIA's use of journalists and academics to gather intelligence) and he illuminates the CIA's three major missions--intelligence analysis, counterintelligence, and covert action--providing vivid descriptions of their purpose and their pathologies. For example, he offers a fascinating analysis of the "Seven Sins" of intelligence work, revealing how the best intelligence reports can be distorted or ignored (in the mid-1960s, the evidence against a quick American victory in Vietnam was dismissed); how covert actions can spin out of control despite extensive safeguards, as in the Iran-Contra scandal; and how the CIA has spied on American citizens in clear violation of its charter. Further, he provides a thorough review of legislative efforts to curb these abuses, suggesting several important ways to achieve the delicate balance between national security and democratic ideals. Vividly written and meticulously documented, America's Secret Power draws the strands of a vast amount of research into a balanced critique of our intelligence networks. It is a work that stands alone in its thoroughness and objectivity, a thoughtful and sobering portrait of the contemporary CIA.
Propagation through the ocean’s surface at shallow angles with a laser beam

Propagation through the ocean’s surface at shallow angles with a laser has been successfully demonstrated experimentally in the ocean. A 6-mJ multipulse laser at a depth of 1.5 m in water with an attenuation coefficient of approximately 3.3 m-1 was easily detected 600 m away on a sunlit day at an angle of 1° to the ocean’s surface. The measured efficiency was 3.6 × 10-2 (J/J)/sr (joules received per receiver steradian per joule transmitted). Statistical ray trace analysis and physical tank modeling produced equivalent efficiencies.
The effect of total parenteral nutrition on the survival of terminally ill ovarian cancer patients.

Abstract Objectives. Total parenteral nutrition (TPN) for terminal ovarian cancer patients remains controversial. In this study, we compared survival from time of terminal intestinal obstruction (TIO) diagnosis in patients who received TPN versus those who did not. Methods. A historical cohort of 55 patients with stage IIIC/IV epithelial ovarian cancer hospitalized for TIO between 1994 and 2002 was studied. All patients were previously treated with paclitaxel/platinum following cytoreductive surgery. Exposure was administration of TPN after TIO. The primary outcome was survival from TIO diagnosis to death. Number of chemotherapy cycles completed after TIO diagnosis, major complications of TPN, and demographics were measured. Survival analysis was performed using Kaplan–Meier methods. Results. The median survival from time of TIO diagnosis was 72 days (range 16–485) for patients receiving TPN and 41.0 days (range 4–133) for those not receiving TPN ( P = 0.05), but no difference in survival was observed when adjusting for chemotherapy. Overall survival [median 23 (range 6–67) vs. 35 months (range 8–67), P = 0.03] was shorter for the TPN group. Demographic data were similar in both groups. Patients receiving TPN after obstruction were more likely to undergo concurrent chemotherapy (64 vs. 26%, P = 0.004). One major TPN-related complication was found. Conclusions. Ovarian cancer patients with TIO receiving TPN had a median survival benefit of 4 weeks. This benefit decreased when patients were treated with concurrent chemotherapy. Issues of cost, quality of life, and human values need to be investigated to assess the full impact of TPN in this patient population.
Left Atrial Epicardial Adiposity and Atrial Fibrillation

Background— Atrial fibrillation (AF) has been linked to inflammatory factors and obesity. Epicardial fat is a source of several inflammatory mediators related to the development of coronary artery disease. We hypothesized that periatrial fat may have a similar role in the development of AF. Methods and Results— Left atrium (LA) epicardial fat pad thickness was measured in consecutive cardiac CT angiograms performed for coronary artery disease or AF. Patients were grouped by AF burden: no (n=73), paroxysmal (n=60), or persistent (n=36) AF. In a short-axis view at the mid LA, periatrial epicardial fat thickness was measured at the esophagus (LA-ESO), main pulmonary artery, and thoracic aorta; retrosternal fat was measured in axial view (right coronary ostium level). LA area was determined in the 4-chamber view. LA-ESO fat was thicker in patients with persistent AF versus paroxysmal AF ( P =0.011) or no AF ( P =0.003). LA area was larger in patients with persistent AF than paroxysmal AF ( P =0.004) or without AF ( P <0.001). LA-ESO was a significant predictor of AF burden even after adjusting for age, body mass index, and LA area (odds ratio, 5.30; 95% confidence interval, 1.39 to 20.24; P =0.015). A propensity score–adjusted multivariable logistic regression that included age, body mass index, LA area, and comorbidities was also performed and the relationship remained statistically significant ( P =0.008). Conclusions— Increased posterior LA fat thickness appears to be associated with AF burden independent of age, body mass index, or LA area. Further studies are necessary to examine cause and effect, and if inflammatory, paracrine mediators explain this association.
Does body mass index have an impact on the rate and location of positive surgical margins following robot assisted radical prostatectomy

Abstract Objective Obesity has been shown to be associated with more aggressive prostate cancer. We sought to determine whether body mass index (BMI) has an impact on the rate and location of positive surgical margins (PSM) in robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RLRP). Methods Records of patients undergoing RLRP between the years 2003 and 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. We collected data regarding clinicopathologic data (i.e., age, BMI, PSA levels, Gleason score, pathologic stage, surgical margins status, and location). BMI was categorized as 30 Kg/m 2 . The rates of overall apical, peripheral, and prostate base (PB) PSM were compared across BMI groups. Results Overall, 577 records were analyzed. Median age, PSA levels, and BMI were 60.1, 5.3, and 28.2, respectively. Percentage of Gleason score 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 in the entire series was 0.2, 2.1, 40.7, 53, 2.3, and 1.7, respectively. Four hundred eighty-four (81.8%) cases were pathologically organ-confined. The overall incidence of PSM was 23.1% ( n = 133) of those 10.2% apical, 3.6% PB and 14.2% peripheral. There were no statistically significant differences found in the rate of PSM by location between BMI groups; however, in the obese group there was a tendency toward slightly higher involvement of the PB with tumor in all stages and greater involvement of all anatomic areas in the T3 pathologic stage. Conclusions Although obesity has been associated with more aggressive prostate cancer, BMI does not appear to have statistically significant influence on the rate and location of PSM in RLRP. Larger studies are required to confirm these findings.
Expectations of Modernity: Myths and Meanings of Urban Life on the Zambian Copperbelt

Expectations of Modernity: Myths and Meanings of Urban Life on the Zambian Copperbelt. James Ferguson. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1999. 326 pp.
City Councilmen and the Group Struggle: A Typology of Role Orientations

T HE ACTIVITIES OF AMERICAN interest groups have only recently become a subject for systematic inquiry-in contrast to the spate of earlier descriptive case studies. As a result, there has been remarkably little cumulative knowledge about the components of group influence on policy outcomes.' This hiatus is unfortunate in light of the claims which have been made about the role that interest groups play in a democracy. It has been argued that associational activity is at least as important as the vote, in providing a vehicle for civic participation. It is assumed, furthermore, that the whole process of claims-presentation and the way in which claims are processed by policy-makers carries implications for the legitimacy of public decisions.2 A specification of the conditions for group "success" thus seems crucial for understanding or evaluating the
Analysis of a large cluster of SLC22 transporter genes, including novel USTs, reveals species-specific amplification of subsets of family members

When the organic anion transporter Oat1 was first identified as NKT (Lopez-Nieto CE, You G, Bush KT, Barros EJ, Beier DR, Nigam SK. J Biol Chem 272: 6471–6478, 1997), it was argued that it, togethe...
SEGMENTING THE U.S.A. NON-TRAVEL MARKET

Tourism marketers focus on understanding the many different segments that comprise their visitors. Understanding these segments’ motivations for travel is important in order to motivate repeat visitation and to attract likeminded consumers to visit. But how about those who do not travel? This surprisingly large percentage of the population is a lost opportunity for the industry. The research that follows, based upon a very significant USAbased sample of non-travelers, suggests that non-travelers can be effectively segmented and targeted. Understanding these segments will better allow vacation marketers to craft their product and their message, hopefully bringing more travelers to the mix.
Performance of Surplus Production Models with Time‐Varying Parameters for Assessing Multispecies Assemblages

Abstract Single-species surplus production models are often used to assess multispecies assemblages in data-poor situations where catch and effort data are insufficient to perform individual species assessments. We examined the performance of single-species surplus production models applied to aggregated multispecies assemblages and explored the incorporation of time-varying parameters to improve model estimates. We simulated the dynamics of three species with different intrinsic growth rates and survey catchabilities over 50 years in the presence of fishing and a single fishery-independent survey. Schaefer surplus production models with and without time-varying growth rate and catchability were fitted to simulated data. We then compared the ability of each model to accurately estimate multispecies maximum sustainable yield and terminal year biomass and to accurately reflect overall trends in individual component stocks. All models produced biased estimates, but the accuracy of multispecies assemblage max...
Borrelia burgdorferi genotype predicts the capacity for hematogenous dissemination during early Lyme disease.

Lyme disease is a tickborne zoonosis that occurs globally in the Northern Hemisphere [1, 2]. In North America, Lyme disease appears to be caused exclusively by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, whereas in Europe other species of Borrelia predominate [3–6]. A variety of typing systems exist to distinguish genetically distinct strains of B. burgdorferi [3]. On the basis of restriction fragment–length polymorphism (RFLP) of the 16S–23S rRNA intergenic spacer, B. burgdorferi has been classified into 3 distinct genetic subgroups (herein called genotypes), arbitrarily called ribosomal spacer type (RST) 1, RST2, and RST3 [7, 8]. Greater separation into distinct genotypes is achievable on the basis of the sequence heterogeneity of the outer surface protein C gene (ospC) [9, 10]. Genetically distinct genotypes of B. burgdorferi appear to differ ecologically and epidemiologically [11–14], suggesting that genotype classification is relevant to understanding the basic biology of the spirochete. Differential pathogenicity of B. burgdorferi on the basis of genotype has been reported in several studies. For example, in an analysis of 104 borrelial strains recovered from the skin of patients with a diagnosis of erythema migrans in Westchester County, New York, it was found that patients with disseminated infection (i.e., positive blood culture and/or multiple erythema migrans skin lesions) were at least 5 times more likely to have been infected with RST1 strains of B. burgdorferi than with RST3 strains [15]. A subsequent study of patients from Connecticut and Rhode Island with erythema migrans similarly found that infections believed to have disseminated were 5 times more common among RST1-infected patients compared with those infected with RST3 strains of B. burgdorferi [16]. In a study from New York State, dissemination of B. burgdorferi to blood or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was exclusively associated with ospC genotypes A, B, I, or K [9]. Subsequent studies from other geographic areas, however, have suggested that hematogenous dissemination is not restricted to just these 4 ospC genotypes [16–18]. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the relationship between RST and ospC genotypes and to examine the association between specific genotypes and objective evidence of dissemination of the spirochete in patients, using the largest sample of clinical isolates of B. burgdorferi studied to date. In addition, the frequency distribution of RST and ospC genotypes in the skin or blood of patients with culture-confirmed erythema migrans was compared with that present in local tick populations.
Sodium Hypochlorite: Effect of Solution pH on Rice Seed Disinfestation and Its Direct Effect on Seedling Growth

Chun, S.-C., Schneider, R. W., and Cohn, M. A. 1997. Sodium hypochlorite: Effect of solution pH on rice seed disinfestation and its direct effect on seedling growth. Plant Dis. 81:821-824. Bacteria were completely eliminated from rice seeds following immersion in household bl each solutions (50% bleach and 2.6% NaOCl) adjusted to pH 7.0 in 0.5 M potassium phosphate, while fungi were eliminated at pH 5.0 and below. Mercuric chloride was used to disinfest nondormant rice seeds in order to test the direct effect of sodium hypochlorite on rice seedling growth apart from an indirect effect related to elimination of microbial contaminants. Seeds were immersed for 2 h in each solution or water in each of the following treatments: (i) sterile water followed by sterile water, (ii) HgCl 2 (1,000 µg/ml) followed by sterile water, ( iii) HgCl2 followed by KH2PO4 (0.3 M), (iv) HgCl2 followed by NaOCl, and (v) NaOCl followed by sterile water. Sodium hypochlorite solutions were prepared in 0.3 M potassium phosphate, which gave a final pH of 7.3. Seedling growth in treatments in which seeds were treated with HgCl 2 followed by NaOCl, and NaOCl followed by sterile water, was significantly greater than those treatments in which seeds were treated with sterile water followed by sterile water, HgCl 2 followed by sterile water, and HgCl 2 followed by KH2PO4. Sodium hypochlorite stimulated rice seedling growth directly, as opposed to an indirect effect related to elimination of microbial contaminants or alleviation of dormancy.
Discrete random sampling theory

This paper proposes a new perspective on the relationship between the sampling and aliasing. Unlike the uniform sampling case, where the aliases are simply periodic replicas of the original spectrum, random sampling theory shows that the randomization of sampling intervals shapes the aliases into a noise floor in the sampled spectrum. New insights into both the Fourier random sampling problem and Compressive Sensing theory can be obtained using the theoretical framework of random sampling. This paper extends the theory of continuous time random sampling to deal with random discrete intervals generated from a clock. A key result is established to relate the discrete probability distribution of the sampling intervals to the power spectrum of the aliasing noise. Based on the proposed theory, a generic discrete random sampling hardware architecture is also proposed for sampling and reconstructing a class of spectrally sparse signals at an average rate significantly below the Nyquist rate of the signal.
Quality-Aware Routing Metrics for Time-Varying Wireless Mesh Networks

This paper considers the problem of selecting good paths in a wireless mesh network. It is well-known that picking the path with the smallest number of hops between two nodes often leads to poor performance, because such paths tend to use links that could have marginal quality. As a result, quality-aware routing metrics are desired for networks that are built solely from wireless radios. Previous work has developed metrics (such as ETX) that work well when wireless channel conditions are relatively static (DeCouto , 2003), but typical wireless channels experience variations at many time-scales. For example, channels may have low average packet loss ratios, but with high variability, implying that metrics that use the mean loss ratio will perform poorly. In this paper, we describe two new metrics, called modified expected number of transmissions (mETX) and effective number of transmissions (ENT) that work well under a wide variety of channel conditions. In addition to analyzing and evaluating the performance of these metrics, we provide a unified geometric interpretation for wireless quality-aware routing metrics. Empirical observations of a real-world wireless mesh network suggest that mETX and ENT could achieve a 50% reduction in the average packet loss rate compared with ETX
Adaptive error diffusion and its application in multiresolution rendering

Error diffusion is a procedure for generating high quality bilevel images from continuous-tone images so that both the continuous and halftone images appear similar when observed from a distance. It is well known that certain objectionable patterning artifacts can occur in error-diffused images. Here, we consider a method for adjusting the error-diffusion filter concurrently with the error-diffusion process so that an error criterion is minimized. The minimization is performed using the least mean squares (LMS) algorithm in adaptive signal processing. Using both raster and serpentine scanning, we show that such an algorithm produces better halftone image quality compared to traditional error diffusion with a fixed filter. Based on the adaptive error-diffusion algorithm, we propose a method for constructing a halftone image that can be rendered at multiple resolutions. Specifically, the method generates a halftone from a continuous tone image such that if the halftone is down-sampled, a binary image would result that is also a high quality rendition of the continuous-tone image at a reduced resolution. Such a halftone image is suitable for progressive transmission, and for cases where rendition at several resolutions is required. Cases for noninteger scaling factors are also considered.
Synthesis of Multipole Acoustic Logging Measurements Using the Generalized Reflection/Transmission Matrices Method

Summary To date, the Thomson-Haskell method is the only analytical method available to simulate multipole acoustic logging measurements in the presence of cylindrically layered media. A new algorithm is developed based on the generalized reflection and transmission matrices method. The adoption of normalized Hankel functions and normalizing factors makes the method numerical stable even for high-frequency problems. This new formulation is verified by comparing simulation results to those of the Thomson-Haskell method for a radially multilayered borehole caused by mud-filtrate invasion.
PHOTOPROTECTION REVISITED: Genetic and Molecular Approaches

The involvement of excited and highly reactive intermediates in oxygenic photosynthesis poses unique problems for algae and plants in terms of potential oxidative damage to the photosynthetic apparatus. Photoprotective processes prevent or minimize generation of oxidizing molecules, scavenge reactive oxygen species efficiently, and repair damage that inevitably occurs. This review summarizes several photoprotective mechanisms operating within chloroplasts of plants and green algae. The recent use of genetic and molecular biological approaches is providing new insights into photoprotection, especially with respect to thermal dissipation of excess absorbed light energy, alternative electron transport pathways, chloroplast antioxidant systems, and repair of photosystem II.
Developmental expression of elements of hepatic cholesterol metabolism in the rat

The expression of several key enzymes and receptors of rat hepatic cholesterol metabolism was studied during development. Among major findings were: acyl coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase, the cholesteryl ester hydrolases, cholesterol-7 alpha-hydroxylase and the alpha 2-macroglobulin receptor (LRP) were very low in fetal livers, but all were induced shortly before birth, suggesting that these elements are important for extrauterine life. Although the other elements continued to increase, by day 6 of postnatal life, cholesterol-7 alpha-hydroxylase had reached undetectable levels. It reappeared by day 12 of suckling, placing it in the group of late-appearing activities necessary for the fully mature hepatic phenotype. Changes in acyl coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase activity appeared due predominantly to changes in amount of active protein. The cholesteryl ester hydrolase (CEH) activities all showed different developmental patterns, suggesting that each was a unique activity. The bile salt-dependent CEH activity was much higher in the suckling period than in the adult where it was almost undetectable, suggesting that this CEH may have its major importance in the suckling period of development. Low density lipoprotein receptors exhibited a pattern very different from that of the alpha 2-macroglobulin receptors and did not show consistent correlation with any other elements. At some developmental time points, the relationships amongst the elements differed significantly from the adult pattern. These studies provide for the first time an integrated picture of developmental expression of key elements of hepatic cholesterol metabolism and set the stage for further studies on their modes of regulation.
Space Vector Modulation for Vienna-Type Rectifiers Based on the Equivalence between Two- and Three-Level Converters: A Carrier-Based Implementation

This paper presents the equivalence between two- and three-level converters for the Vienna rectifier, proposing a simple and fast space vector modulator built on this principle. The algorithm is further simplified by deriving its carrier-based equivalent implementation, which enables the midpoint voltage control by adjusting the ratio between redundant vectors, while also addressing the voltage-current polarity constraints of this non-regenerative three-level rectifier. The latter is achieved by employing a simple two-level overmodulation algorithm, which also extends the operating range of the Vienna rectifier if required. The proposed algorithm also complements previous carrier-based space vector modulators developed for the three- level neutral-point-clamped inverter, providing the midpoint balancing capability for these schemes. Experimental results obtained with a 2 kW 40 kHz 200 Vdc DSP/FPGA controlled Vienna rectifier prototype are presented for verification purposes.
Apolipoprotein E isoform-dependent dendritic recovery of hippocampal neurons following activation of innate immunity

Innate immune activation, including a role for cluster of differentiation 14/toll-like receptor 4 co-receptors (CD14/TLR-4) co-receptors, has been implicated in paracrine damage to neurons in several neurodegenerative diseases that also display stratification of risk or clinical outcome with the common alleles of the apolipoprotein E gene (APOE): APOE2, APOE3, and APOE4. Previously, we have shown that specific stimulation of CD14/TLR-4 with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) leads to greatest innate immune response by primary microglial cultures from targeted replacement (TR) APOE4 mice and greatest p38MAPK-dependent paracrine damage to neurons in mixed primary cultures and hippocampal slice cultures derived from TR APOE4 mice. In contrast, TR APOE2 astrocytes had the highest NF-kappaB activity and no neurotoxicity. Here we tested the hypothesis that direct activation of CD14/TLR-4 in vivo would yield different amounts of paracrine damage to hippocampal sector CA1 pyramidal neurons in TR APOE mice. We measured in vivo changes in dendrite length in hippocampal CA1 neurons using Golgi staining and determined hippocampal apoE levels by Western blot. Neurite outgrowth of cultured primary neurons in response to astrocyte conditioned medium was assessed by measuring neuron length and branch number. Our results showed that TR APOE4 mice had slightly but significantly shorter dendrites at 6 weeks of age. Following exposure to intracerebroventricular LPS, there was comparable loss of dendrite length at 24 hr among the three TR APOE mice. Recovery of dendrite length over the next 48 hr was greater in TR APOE2 than TR APOE3 mice, while TR APOE4 mice had failure of dendrite regeneration. Cell culture experiments indicated that the enhanced neurotrophic effect of TR APOE2 was LDL related protein-dependent. The data indicate that the environment within TR APOE2 mouse hippocampus was most supportive of dendrite regeneration while that within TR APOE4 hippocampus failed to support dendrite regeneration in this model of reversible paracrine damage to neurons from innate immune activation, and suggest an explanation for the stratification of clinical outcome with APOE seen in several degenerative diseases or brain that are associated with activated innate immune response.
Detection of Occult Lymph Node Metastases in Locally Advanced Node-Negative Prostate Cancer

Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence and clinical significance of occult metastases in the lymph nodes of patients with prostate cancer originally considered node negative by routine histologic evaluation. Methods Two hundred seventy four patients with pT3 prostate carcinoma treated by radical prostatectomy and bilateral lymph node dissection were included in this study. One hundred eighty patients were staged node negative (N0), while 94 patients were lymph node positive (N+), based on routine histologic evaluation. All lymph nodes from the 180 N0 patients were evaluated for occult metastases by immunohistochemistry using antibodies to cytokeratins and, if positive, prostate-specific antigen. Recurrence and overall survival were compared among patients with occult tumor cells (OLN+), with patients whose lymph nodes remained negative (OLN−), and with the 94 N+ patients. Results A total of 3,914 lymph nodes were evaluated from 180 N0 patients (average, 21.7 lymph nodes per patie...
Techniques and tools for estimating ionospheric effects in interferometric and polarimetric SAR data

The InSAR Scientific Computing Environment (ISCE) is a flexible, extensible software tool designed for the end-to-end processing and analysis of synthetic aperture radar data. ISCE inherits the core of the ROI_PAC interferometric tool, but contains improvements at all levels of the radar processing chain, including a modular and extensible architecture, new focusing approach, better geocoding of the data, handling of multi-polarization data, radiometric calibration, and estimation and correction of ionospheric effects. In this paper we describe the characteristics of ISCE with emphasis on the ionospheric modules. To detect ionospheric anomalies, ISCE implements the Faraday rotation method using quad-polarimetric images, and the split-spectrum technique using interferometric single-, dual- and quad-polarimetric images. The ability to generate co-registered time series of quad-polarimetric images makes ISCE also an ideal tool to be used for polarimetric-interferometric radar applications.
Energy‐efficient deployment strategies in structural health monitoring using wireless sensor networks

SUMMARY Structural health monitoring using wireless sensor networks has drawn considerable attention in recent years. The ease of deployment of tiny wireless devices that are coupled with sensors and actuators enhances the data collection process and makes prognostic and preventive maintenance of an infrastructure much easier. In this paper, the deployment problem is considered for finding node locations to reliably diagnose the health of a structure while consuming minimum energy during data collection. A simple shear structure is considered and modal analysis is performed. The example verifies the expectation that placing nodes further apart from each other reduces the mode shape errors but increases the energy consumption during data collection. A min–max, energy-balanced routing tree and an optimal grid separation formulation are proposed that minimize the energy consumption as well as provide fine grain measurements. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Chemical and biochemical crosslinking of membrane components.

II. Biophysics of c ross l inking in membranes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 290 A. Loca t ion and or ien ta t ion of reagents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291 B. Cross l ink ing of ol igomeric vs. monomer ic m e m b r a n e prote ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292 C. Theory of l igandinduced cross l inking of receptors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
How Expert Are the Experts

Despite all the evidence that vast expertise doesn't produce better forecasts, businessmen and others continue to pay experts as if they were seers. That realization has led me to produce The Seer-Sucker Theory. It says: No matter how much evidence exists that seers do not exist, suckers will pay for seers. I forecast that no one is likely to refute this theory any time soon.
Paleopathological rigor and differential diagnosis: Case studies involving terminology, description, and diagnostic frameworks for scurvy in skeletal remains

Diverse pathological processes can produce overlapping or even indistinguishable patterns of abnormal bone formation or destruction, representing a fundamental challenge in the understanding of ancient diseases. This paper discusses increasing rigor in differential diagnosis through the paleopathological study of scurvy. First, paleopathology's use of descriptive terminology can strive to more thoroughly incorporate international standards of anatomical terminology. Second, improved observation and description of abnormal skeletal features can help distinguish between anemia or vitamin C deficiency. Third, use of a structured rubric can assist in establishing a more systematic, replicable, and precise decision-making process in differential diagnosis. These issues are illustrated in the study of two new cases of suspected scurvy from northern Peru. From this, it appears possible that ectocranial vascular impressions may further examined as a morphological marker of scurvy in the skeleton. Also, increased paleopathological attention to pellagra is long overdue, especially as it may produce generally comparable lesions to scurvy. This paper reflexively speaks to the process of paleopathological problem solving and the epistemology of our discipline-particularly regarding the ways in which we can continuously improve description and the construction of diagnostic arguments.
Annotate the Web: Four Ways to Mark Up Web Content

ABSTRACTWeb annotation has been a pipe dream almost since the birth of the Internet itself. Commenting in the margins of a text itself is so simple for paper and print, yet replicating the experience online remains elusive. In this article, I examine four tools for private or public web annotation. Hypothesis and Genius offer users a shareable way to annotate webpages line by line and start conversations in the margins. Pinboard and Evernote allow users to organize and save web documents and add private annotations.
'Polity' Human Development Indices

In this paper I develop a normative framework for the design of a measure of human development that contains the UNDP’s Human Development Index (HDI) as a special case. The methodology allows for the collection of information from the public about what tradeoffs between the core variables one ought to find acceptable in the determination of the index while remaining broadly in line with what the HDI wishes to measure: human development and capabilities, as conceptualized by Sen (1985).
Effect of spray-dried plasma and lipopolysaccharide exposure on weaned pigs: II. Effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis of weaned pigs.

A study was conducted with 20 weaned barrows (14 d, 4.98 +/- 0.21 kg) to determine the effect of feeding spray-dried plasma (SDP) after weaning on the pig's stress response to a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge. After weaning, pigs were fed a diet containing 0 or 7% SDP for 7 d. On d 6 after weaning, all pigs were nonsurgically fitted with a jugular catheter. On d 7 after weaning, the pigs were given i.p. injections of either saline or LPS (150 microg/kg BW) followed by serial blood collection every 15 min for a 3-h period. Following the 3-h blood collection, all pigs were killed and tissue was collected for mRNA analysis. Pig weight on d 7 after weaning was not affected by dietary treatment (P > 0.21). Pigs fed the diet with SDP had lower (P < 0.05) levels of hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) mRNA, pituitary gland CRH receptor mRNA, and adrenal gland adrenocorticotropin-releasing hormone (ACTH) receptor mRNA. Dietary treatment did not affect pituitary gland proopiomelanocortin (POMC) mRNA. No effect of LPS treatment was observed in any of the mRNA levels examined. For both serum ACTH and cortisol, there was a significant diet x LPS treatment interaction (P < 0.01) such that both the ACTH and cortisol responses to the LPS challenge were greater in the pigs fed the diet with SDP than in the pigs fed the diet without SDP. For pigs given the saline injection, diet did not affect basal serum cortisol concentration; however, basal serum ACTH concentration was lower in those pigs fed the diet with SDP (P < 0.0001). A diet x LPS treatment interaction (P < 0.024) was observed for adrenal gland mRNA expression for steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein such that the LPS-induced increase in StAR mRNA was greater in the pigs fed SDP than in pigs fed the diet without SDP. These results demonstrate that pigs fed a diet with SDP have an increased activation of the pituitary-adrenal axis following an LPS challenge compared to pigs fed a diet without SDP.
Diagnostic Imaging of Appendicitis With Supplementation by Transabdominal and Transvaginal Sonography

Acute appendicitis is a condition that can affect any member of the population. Without timely treatment there is a high likelihood of rupture leading to peritonitis, and early diagnosis is imperat...
Differences in Susceptibility to Reference Group Influence on Brand Decisions: Middle Aged and Elderly Group Participants

The susceptibility to three types of reference group influence on the brand choice behavior of 94 elderly and 88 middle aged group participants was investigated for six product categories. Data for this study were collected by self-administered questionnaires distributed at regular meetings of the organizations. Significant differences in susceptibility to reference group influence were obtained at the .05 level in 6 out of 18 relationships between the two age groups. The marketing implications of these findings are discussed.
The Euro, the Dollar and the Costs of Union: The USA & Eurozone

The single currency of the Eurozone is experiencing difficulties due to a number of factors. One is the lack of integration of its banking sector, lack of a mechanism for debt consolidation and popular disincentives to a lack of equal burdens of the costs of union. This paper compares the American experience after the integration of the states into the federal system, both in terms of currency problems and debt. While Greece, Italy and Portugal loom large on the Eurozone horizon of problems, Puerto Rico, Illinois and several southern states appear as crises on the American. Fiscal problems plague both systems, not so much as a consequence of imperfect union, but instead deliberate political incentives for promoting instability.
Transmural drainage approaches for pancreatic necrosis: Changing of the guard?

Acute pancreatitis represents one of the most common gastrointestinal illnesses requiring inpatient hospitalization. An estimated twenty percent of these patients eventually develop pancreatic necrosis. Necrosis management consists of surveillance imaging, where necrosectomy is indicated for symptomatic or infected walled off necrosis (WON). Over the past two decades, the standard of care to manage WON has switched from an open operative approach to an endoscopic, minimally-invasive, step-up method [1] [2]. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Cultured Human B Cell APCs Expanded Using Il-4 and CD40 Ligand Preferentially Promote a Type 2 T Cell Response to Alloimmune Stimulation.

Abstract In vitro stimulation of human peripheral blood B cells with recombinant IL-4 and CD40 ligand (CD40L) markedly increases their expression of MHC and costimulatory molecules, thus enhancing antigenic peptide presentation to T cells. Because these cells proliferate extensively in vitro (unlike monocytes or dendritic cells), they represent a promising and convenient reagent for the generation and maintenance of antigen-specific T cells for use in a variety of experimental or therapeutic settings. However, the impact of this type of B cell APC on cytokine production by responder T cells has hitherto not been examined. To address this issue, we stimulated normal human T cells with either allogeneic B cells (generated in vitro) or with MNCs obtained from the same donor. After 7 days, T cells were washed and re-challenged with the same APCs. The resulting alloreactive cytokine response was measured using quantitative ELISPOT methods and expressed as the frequencies of IFN-γ, IL-4, and IL-5 producing cells per thousand responder cells added. B cell- and MNC-primed cell lines both produced vigorous lymphokine responses, but B cell-stimulated T cells consistently produced more IL-5 spots (mean of 265 vs. 98/1000 responders, p
Ground-Penetrating Radar Water Content Mapping of Golf Course Green Sand Layers

ABSTRACT Information on the spatial distribution of water content across the sand layer component of a golf course green can be important to golf course superintendents for evaluating drainage effectiveness and scheduling irrigation. To estimate the bulk volumetric water content of the sand layer at point locations across the green, a technique was developed that combined (1) depth (or thickness) of the sand layer measured with a steel shaft tile probe, (2) radar signal two-way travel time from the base of the sand layer obtained using a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) system with 900 MHz antennas, and (3) an empirical equation relating porous media dielectric constant to water content. To test this technique, two GPR surveys were conducted on the Nursery Green at the Double Eagle Golf Club near Galena, Ohio, and two additional GPR surveys were carried out on the 9th Hole Green at the Delaware Golf Club near Delaware, Ohio. For comparison, time-domain reflectometry (TDR) water content values for the sand l...
Examining the risk and protective factors of gang involvement among Hispanic youth in Maryland

Research on the risk and protect factors of gang membership as they apply to Hispanic youth is limited and inconclusive. This study seeks to advance the literature on the risk and protective factors of gang involvement among a sample of Hispanic youth living in a Maryland county. This study used self-report data from 936 Hispanic youth about their interaction with gang members, their family, their education, immigration and acculturation status, and self-concept. Logistic regression was used to determine whether certain factors increased the likelihood of gang membership. Youth with greater levels of sadness and loneliness, those who have been approached by a gang to be recruited, and those who have siblings in gangs are significantly more likely to become gang members. In addition, the more risk factors a youth has, the higher their risk of gang membership. None of the protective factors analyzed had a significant influence on gang membership.
Sharps Disposal Containers: Selection, Evaluation, and Use:

Occupational transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been documented. The risk of infection with HIV following one needlestick e...
Transverse Rectus Abdominis Muscle (TRAM) Flap Breast Reconstruction

The transverse rectus abdominis muscle (TRAM) trap has recently fallen out of favor in lieu of the deep inferior epigastric artery perforator (DIEAP) flap as described in Chap. 153, because the DIEAP flap does not require transfer of any muscle tissue. However, the TRAM flap is still used in situation where there is no plastic microsurgical expertise available. This chapter describes indications, essential steps, variations, and complications of this procedure. It provides a detailed template operative note for the procedure.
Introduction to Signals

All of the parameters we monitor electronically in medicine are simply signals, which have been digitized and transformed into data that the end user is accustomed to seeing. In order to understand how raw data is transformed into something that is easily interpretable at the bedside, it is important to understand the basics of signals and signal analysis which has its roots in principles of basic physics.
The Rhetoric of Esotericism: The ‘Challenge’ to Deconstruction

The task of articulating ‘deconstruction’ has fallen, for the most part, to literary critics and theorists. Few philosophers have addressed the work of Derrida (understood synechdochely as ‘deconstruction’) with the notable exception of Richard Rorty.5 Seen as a philosopher of philosophy, however, as Rorty describes Derrida, helps very little in the understanding of precisely how and why Derrida ‘deconstructs’ that same tradition thereby reaching the level of its conditions of possibility. In short, the questions of writing, the text, the discourse of philosophy, and the nature of rhetoric as it relates to philosophic themes have not been sufficiently addressed.
Novel chimeric parapoxvirus CF189 as an oncolytic immunotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer.

Abstract Background Triple-negative breast cancer is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer with high recurrence rate and poor prognosis. Here we describe a novel, genetically engineered parapoxvirus that efficiently kills triple-negative breast cancer. Methods A novel chimeric parapoxvirus (CF189) was generated via homologous recombination and identified through high-throughput screening. Cytotoxicity was assayed in vitro in 4 triple-negative breast cancer cell lines. Viral replication was examined through standard plaque assay. Orthotopic triple-negative breast cancer xenografts were generated by MDA-MB-468 implantation into the 2nd and 4th mammary fat pads of athymic nude mice and treated with the virus. Results Chimeric parapoxvirus (CF189) demonstrated dose-dependent cytotoxicity at low multiplicity of infection, with > 80% cell death 6 days after treatment. Significant reductions in tumor size were observed 2 weeks after intratumoral injection at doses as low as 103 plaque-forming units (PFU) compared with control (P Conclusion Chimeric parapoxvirus (CF189) demonstrated efficient cytotoxicity in vitro and potent antitumor effect in vivo at doses as low as 103 PFU. These are data encouraging of clinical development for this highly potent agent against triple-negative breast cancer.
The Literary Scramble for Africa: Selection and the Practice of Hierarchies

In this chapter, I hope to show that Soyinka’s choice of publishing internationally of his own free will can be read dialectically alongside his strong opposition to those same publishing houses through the Hegelian aufhebung—a preservation that is also a supersession. The moment of his opposition represents the moment of supersession. Soyinka like other writers making the exact same choice recognized that they could not altogether exit the colonial or global system from the outset; their participation no doubt preserves something of the system, but it is precisely as a consequence of such participation within that system that they are able to supersede it.
Keyboard Emanations in Remote Voice Calls: Password Leakage and Noise(less) Masking Defenses

Keyboard acoustic side channel attacks to date have been mostly studied in the context of an adversary eavesdropping on keystrokes by placing a listening device near the intended victim creating a local eavesdropping scenario. However, being in close physical proximity of the victim significantly limits the applicability of the attack. In this paper, we study the keyboard acoustic side channel attacks in remote attack settings and propose countermeasures in such attack settings. Specifically, we introduce an offense-defense system that: (1) highlights the threat of a remote adversary eavesdropping on keystrokes while the victim is on a VoIP call, and (2) builds a way to mask the leakage through the use of system-generated sounds. On the offensive side, we show the feasibility of existing acoustic side channel attacks adapted to a remote eavesdropper setting against sensitive input such as random passwords, PINs etc. On the defensive side, we demonstrate a software-based approach towards masking the keystroke emanations as a defense mechanism against such attacks and evaluate its effectiveness. In particular, we study the use of white noise and fake keystrokes as masking sounds and show the latter to be an effective means to cloak such side channel attacks. Finally, we discuss a novel way of masking by virtually inserting the masking signal in remote voice calls without distracting the user.
Molecular insights into the interaction of Hsp90 with allosteric inhibitors targeting the C-terminal domain

Unique to targeting the C-terminal domain of Hsp90 (C-Hsp90) is the ability to uncouple the cytotoxic and cytoprotective outcomes of Hsp90 modulation. After the identification of novobiocin as a C-Hsp90 interacting ligand a diverse gamut of novologues emerged, from which KU-32 and KU-596 exhibited strong neuroprotective activity. However, further development of these ligands is hampered by the difficulty to obtain structural information on their complexes with Hsp90. Using saturation transfer difference (STD) NMR spectroscopy, we found that the primary binding epitopes of KU-32 and KU596 map at the ring systems of the ligands and specifically the coumarin and biphenyl structures, respectively. Based on both relative and absolute STD effects, we identified KU-596 sites that can be explored to design novel third-generation novologues. In addition, chemical shift perturbations obtained by methyl-TROSY reveal that novologues bind at the cryptic, C-Hsp90 ATP-binding pocket and produce global, long-range structural rearrangements to dimeric Hsp90.