cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Increased production of reactive oxygen species contributes to motor neuron death in a compression mouse model of spinal cord injury

Study design: Experimental laboratory investigation of the role and pathways of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated motor neuron cell death in a mouse model of compression spinal cord injury. Objectives: To analyze ROS-mediated oxidative stress propagation and signal transduction leading to motor neuron apoptosis induced by compression spinal cord injury. Setting: University of Louisville Health Science Center. Methods: Adult C57BL/6J mice and transgenic mice overexpressing SOD1 were severely lesioned at the lumbar region by compression spinal cord injury approach. Fluorescent oxidation, oxidative response gene expression and oxidative stress damage markers were used to assay spinal cord injury-mediated ROS generation and oxidative stress propagation. Biochemical and immunohistochemical analyses were applied to define the ROS-mediated motor neuron apoptosis resulted from compression spinal cord injury. Results: ROS production was shown to be elevated in the lesioned spinal cord as detected by fluorescent oxidation assays. The early oxidative stress response markers, NF-kB transcriptional activation and c-Fos gene expression, were significantly increased after spinal cord injury. Lipid peroxidation and nucleic acid oxidation were also elevated in the lesioned spinal cord and motor neurons. Cytochrome c release, caspase-3 activation and apoptotic cell death were increased in the spinal cord motor neuron cells after spinal cord injury. On the other hand, transgenic mice overexpressing SOD1 showed lower levels of steady-state ROS production and reduction of motor neuron apoptosis compared to that of control mice after spinal cord injury. Conclusion: These data together provide direct evidence to demonstrate that the increased production of ROS is an early and likely causal event that contributes to the spinal cord motor neuron death following spinal cord injury. Thus, antioxidants/antioxidant enzyme intervention combined with other therapy may provide an effective approach to alleviate spinal cord injury
Time-Domain Measurements of Nanomagnet Dynamics Driven by Spin-Transfer Torques

We present time-resolved measurements of gigahertz-scale magnetic dynamics caused by torque from a spin-polarized current. By working in the time domain, we determined the motion of the magnetic moment throughout the process of spin-transfer-driven switching, and we measured turn-on times of steady-state precessional modes. Time-resolved studies of magnetic relaxation allow for the direct measurement of magnetic damping in a nanomagnet and prove that this damping can be controlled electrically using spin-polarized currents.
Polymer−Solid Interfaces: Influence of Sticker Groups on Structure and Strength†

A model polymer−solid interface, aluminum- (Al-) carboxylated polybutadiene (cPBD), was designed to investigate the influence of the sticker group (−COOH) on the fracture energy (GIC). A model poly...
Motor balance and coordination training enhances functional outcome in rat with transient middle cerebral artery occlusion

The goal of this study was to determine if relatively complex motor training on Rota-rod involving balance and coordination plays an essential role in improving motor function in ischemic rats, as compared with simple locomotor exercise on treadmill. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats with (n=40) or without (n=40) ischemia were trained under each of three conditions: (1) motor balance and coordination training on Rota-rod; (2) simple exercise on treadmill; and (3) non-trained controls. Motor function was evaluated by a series of tests (foot fault placing, parallel bar crossing, rope and ladder climbing) before and at 14 or 28 days after training procedures in both ischemic and normal animals. Infarct volume in ischemic animals was determined with Nissl staining. Compared with both treadmill exercised and non-trained animals, Rota-rod-trained animals with or without ischemia significantly (P<0.01) improved motor performance of all tasks except for foot fault placing after 14 days of training, with normal rats having better performance. Animals trained for up to 28 days on the treadmill did not show significantly improved function. With regard to foot fault placing task, performance on foot placing was improved in ischemic rats across the three measurements at 0, 14 and 28 days regardless of training condition, while the normal group reached their best performance at the beginning of measurement. No significant differences in infarct volume were found in rats trained either with Rota-rod (47+/-4%; mean+/-S.E.), treadmill (45+/-5%) or non-exercised control (45+/-3%). In addition, no obvious difference could be detected in the location of the damage which included the dorso-lateral portion of the neostriatum and the frontoparietal cortex, the main regions supplied by the middle cerebral artery. The data suggest that complex motor training rather than simple exercise effectively improves functional outcome.
Cellular and Developmental Biology of TRPM7 Channel-Kinase: Implicated Roles in Cancer

The transient receptor potential melastatin-subfamily member 7 (TRPM7) is a ubiquitously expressed cation-permeable ion channel with intrinsic kinase activity that plays important roles in various physiological functions. Biochemical and electrophysiological studies, in combination with molecular analyses of TRPM7, have generated insights into its functions as a cellular sensor and transducer of physicochemical stimuli. Accumulating evidence indicates that TRPM7 channel-kinase is essential for cellular processes, such as proliferation, survival, differentiation, growth, and migration. Experimental studies in model organisms, such as zebrafish, mouse, and frog, have begun to elucidate the pleiotropic roles of TRPM7 during embryonic development from gastrulation to organogenesis. Aberrant expression and/or activity of the TRPM7 channel-kinase have been implicated in human diseases including a variety of cancer. Studying the functional roles of TRPM7 and the underlying mechanisms in normal cells and developmental processes is expected to help understand how TRPM7 channel-kinase contributes to pathogenesis, such as malignant neoplasia. On the other hand, studies of TRPM7 in diseases, particularly cancer, will help shed new light in the normal functions of TRPM7 under physiological conditions. In this article, we will provide an updated review of the structural features and biological functions of TRPM7, present a summary of current knowledge of its roles in development and cancer, and discuss the potential of TRPM7 as a clinical biomarker and therapeutic target in malignant diseases.
Monitoring systems outdated and protectionist

None of Jeffrey Sachs and colleagues' cited monitoring systems (Nature 466, 558-560; 2010) meets the innovation requirements for the comprehensive monitoring of agro-ecological zones worldwide. Information technologies now offer an array of approaches and tools for rapid collation, organization and dissemination of interactive data, but most monitoring systems are outdated and protectionist. They are often developed and maintained in isolation, which severely reduces the utility of the data and information gathered. New platforms and different ways of collecting information will be required to build a global system.
Generalizing parametric timing analysis

In the design of real-time and embedded systems, it is important to establish a bound on the worst-case execution time (WCET) of programs to assure via schedulability analysis that deadlines are not missed. Static WCET analysis is performed by a timing analysis tool. This paper describes novel improvements to such a tool, allowing parametric timing analysis to be performed. Parametric timing analyzers receive an upper bound on the number of loop iterations in terms of an expression which is used to create a parametric formula. This parametric formula is later evaluated to determine the WCET based on input values only known at runtime. Effecting a transformation from a numeric to a parametric timing analyzer requires two innovations: 1) a summation solver capable of summation non-constant expressions and 2) a polynomial data structure which can replace integers as the basis for all calculations. Both additions permit other methods of analysis (e.g. caching, pipeline, constraint) to occur simultaneously. Combining these techniques allows our tool to statically bound the WCET for a larger class of benchmarks.
Cellular Eukaryotic Initiation Factor 5A Content as a Mediator of Polyamine Effects on Growth and Apoptosis

The polyamines are essential for eukaryotic cell growth. One of the most critical effects of polyamines on cell growth is the availability of spermidine for the post-translational modification of eIF-5A. Because hypusine-containing eIF-5A is necessary for cell proliferation, depletion of cellular polyamines suppresses growth by depleting cellular modified eIF-5A content. Excess putrescine accumulations in DH23A/b cells induces apoptosis and suppresses the formation of hypusine-containing eIF-5A. Treatment of DH23A/b cells with diaminoheptane also suppresses modified eIF-5A formation and induces apoptosis. These data suggest that suppression of modified eIF-5A formation may play a role in putrescine-induced apoptosis as well.
Development of an Integrated Mobile Application for Evaluating Voiding Dysfunction: A Proof of Concept Study

Abstract Introduction Bladder voiding diaries are an important part of evaluating and managing lower urinary tract symptoms but are subject to poor data quality and diary completion rates. Mobile health technology is increasingly prevalent and can help overcome the problems of traditional paper and electronic diaries. Methods We identified proof of concept design principles based on a literature review and needs assessment. An electronic application was developed to improve self-assessment and symptom management for patients with voiding dysfunction. We analyzed application distribution and use patterns for 12 consecutive months. Results We designed an electronic application with complete mobile device integration containing a voiding diary, incontinence tracker and AUA Symptom Score questionnaire. Users could enter and modify details about the volume and frequency of voiding events, including leakage and pad use. Data could be electronically shared with providers. Integrating the application on the Apple® iOS and Android™ mobile operating systems eliminated the need for patients to carry or learn to use a separate device. During the 12-month study period 1,868 unique visitors from 18 countries downloaded the mobile application and made a total of 13,145 subsequent visits. Conclusions This application for evaluating voiding dysfunction leverages mobile technology to overcome the limits of paper and standalone electronic formats. Domestic and international users downloaded the application and consistently logged return visits. Using mobile health in urology practices may help patients and providers better manage lower urinary tract symptoms and achieve improved control.
Electricity networks of the future

In May 2005 the European Commission Research Directorate-General defined an initial scope for the creation of a 'technology platform for the electricity networks of the future'. This was namely to increase the efficiency, safety and reliability of European electricity transmission and distribution systems and to remove obstacles to the large-scale integration of distributed and renewable energy sources, in line with the proposed priority for "smart energy networks" in the Research Directorate-General's Framework Program 7 (FP7). In January 2006, the platform's vision paper was published. This paper presents an overview of the initial issues raised.
Efficiency and Equity in School Funding: A Case Study for Kansas

This study measures cost inefficiency of Kansas public school districts and applied both mathematical programming and stochastic frontier approach. The empirical study uses two-stage data envelopment analysis model and the cost inefficiency effects model proposed by Battese and Coelli (Empirical Economics 24:325–332, 1995) and applied to a panel data. The results found mean inefficiencies from these two models are very close. The results indicate that Kansas school districts, on average, exhibit cost inefficiency in their operations, however, there is a tendency for inefficiencies to decline over time. The study does not find any strong evidence for lower efficiency due to lower expenditure per-pupil. Instead, we found inconclusive evidences where lower efficiency for certain school districts could be assigned to unfavorable environmental cost conditions.
Combining speed and accuracy to assess error-free cognitive processes

Both the speed and accuracy of responding are important measures of performance. A well-known interpretive difficulty is that participants may differ in their strategy, trading speed for accuracy, with no change in underlying competence. Another difficulty arises when participants respond slowly and inaccurately (rather than quickly but inaccurately), e.g., due to a lapse of attention. We introduce an approach that combines response time and accuracy information and addresses both situations. The modeling framework assumes two latent competing processes. The first, the error-free process, always produces correct responses. The second, the guessing process, results in all observed errors and some of the correct responses (but does so via non-specific processes, e.g., guessing in compliance with instructions to respond on each trial). Inferential summaries of the speed of the error-free process provide a principled assessment of cognitive performance reducing the influences of both fast and slow guesses. Likelihood analysis is discussed for the basic model and extensions. The approach is applied to a data set on response times in a working memory test.
Coexistent manifestations of the Andersen-Tawil and Brugada syndromes

The Andersen-Tawil syndrome (ATS) is a rare inherited disorder characterized by periodic paralysis, ventricular arrhythmias, skeletal developmental abnormalities, and in most cases, prolongation of the QT interval (or more correctly, the QU interval). The Brugada syndrome (BS) similarly is an inherited disorder manifested by the unique electrocardiographic (ECG) abnormality of ST-segment elevation in leads V1 and V2, ventricular arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death. This report details an unusual patient with manifestations of both syndromes, who was treated by the implantation of a defibrillator (implanted cardioverter/defibrillator).
Brønsted-type relationship for surface active sites on solid acid catalysts: 1-butene isomerization on TiO2SiO2, ZrO2SiO2, and Al2O3SiO2 mixed oxide catalysts

Abstract Acidic properties (acid sites' strength and concentration) of three series of mixed oxide catalysts (titania-silica, zirconia-silica and alumina-silica) were analyzed by proton affinity distributions. Catalytic properties under mild dehydration conditions (1-butene isomerization at 423 K) of these materials were also evaluated. A Bronsted-type correlation was found between first-order apparent isomerization rate constants and acid strengths of certain components of the pK spectra of the catalysts. This was explained in terms of proton transfer processes that take place at both wet and dry interfaces, i.e. at the surface hydroxyl layer. The results were discussed in terms of Fourier transform infrared data which indicate the presence of large surface hydroxyl populations on all catalysts under the reaction conditions.
Stable crack growth during actuation in shape memory alloys

A finite element analysis of crack growth is carried out in an in nite center-cracked shape memory alloy plate subjected to thermal variations under plane strain mode I constant applied loading. Crack is assumed to propagate when the energy release rate reaches a material specific critical value. The virtual crack growth technique is employed to calculate the energy release rate, which was shown to increase an order of magnitude at constant applied loading as a result of phase transformation induced by thermal variations. 1 A fracture toughening is observed associated with the energy dissipated by the transformed material in the wake of the growing crack and its sensitivity over key thermomechanical parameters is presented.
Dissociation of frog olfactory epithelium.

Abstract We report a method for producing cell suspensions from frog olfactory epithelium. The tissue is incubated for 45 min at room temperature in a solution which causes dissociation of the epithelium. The solution is an isotonic saline buffered to maintain a pH of 10.3 and a free Ca 2+ ion concentration of 10 −6 M. The method uses no degradative enzymes, except for a brief DNase treatment. The resulting cell suspension contains single olfactory receptor neurons, sustentacular cells, glandular cells, and respiratory epithelial cells. The cells are viable as judged by vital staining, ciliary motility, and synthesis of RNA. Some types of cells lose their normal columnar shapes and become rounded in the suspension.
T-cell trafficking in asthma: lipid mediators grease the way

Recruitment of T cells to the airways is crucial in the pathogenesis of asthma, and it is thought to be mediated mainly by peptide chemokines. By contrast, lipid mediators such as leukotrienes and prostaglandins have classically been thought to contribute to asthma pathogenesis by other mechanisms. However, as we discuss here, the recent molecular identification of leukotriene and prostaglandin receptors, as well as the generation of mice that are genetically deficient in them, has revealed that two of these lipids - leukotriene B(4) and prostaglandin D(2) - also direct T-cell migration and seem to cooperate with chemokines in a non-redundant, sequential manner to recruit T cells to the airways in asthma.
Strain in the braincase and its sutures during function

The skull is distinguished from other parts of the skeleton by its composite construction. The sutures between bony elements provide for interstitial growth of the cranium, but at the same time they alter the transmission of stress and strain through the skull. Strain gages were bonded to the frontal and parietal bones of miniature pigs and across the interfrontal, interparietal and coronal sutures. Strains were recorded 1) during natural mastication in conjunction with electromyographic activity from the jaw muscles and 2) during stimulation of various cranial muscles in anesthetized animals. Vault sutures exhibited vastly higher strains than did the adjoining bones. Further, bone strain primarily reflected torsion of the braincase set up by asymmetrical muscle contraction; the tensile axis alternated between +45 degrees and -45 degrees depending on which diagonal masseter/temporalis pair was most active. However, suture strains were not related to overall torsion but instead were responses to local muscle actions. Only the coronal suture showed significant strain (tension) during jaw opening; this was caused by the contraction of neck muscles. All sutures showed strain during jaw closing, but polarity depended on the pattern of muscle usage. For example, masseter contraction tensed the coronal suture and the anterior part of the interfrontal suture, whereas the temporalis caused compression in these locations. Peak tensile strains were larger than peak compressive strains. Histology suggested that the skull is bent at the sutures, with the ectocranial surface tensed and the endocranial surface predominantly compressed. Collectively, these results indicate that skulls with patent sutures should be analyzed as complexes of independent parts rather than solid structures.
Influence of 3D-CRT pelvic irradiation on outcome in prostate cancer treated with external beam radiotherapy.

Abstract Purpose: The role of pelvic irradiation (PRT) in the treatment of prostate cancer remains unclear. We reviewed our institution's experience with three-dimensional conformal external beam radiotherapy (3D-CRT) during the prostate-specific antigen era to determine the influence of PRT on the risk of biochemical recurrence in patients who have a predicted risk of lymph node involvement. Methods and Materials: Between March 1985 and January 2001, 1832 patients with clinically localized prostate cancer were treated with definitive 3D-CRT. All treatments involved CT planning to ensure coverage of the intended targets. Treatment consisted of prostate-only treatment, prostate and seminal vesicle treatment, or PRT of lymph nodes at risk followed by a boost. To create relatively homogenous analysis groups, each patient's percentage of risk of lymph node (%rLN) involvement was assigned by matching the patient's T stage, Gleason score, and initial prostate-specific antigen level to the appropriate value as described in the updated Partin tables. Three categories of %rLN involvement were defined: low, 0–5%; intermediate, >5–15%; and high, >15%. Biochemical recurrence was defined as the first occurrence of either the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology consensus definition of prostate-specific antigen failure or the initiation of salvage hormonal therapy for any reason. Results: The risk status (%rLN) could be determined for 709 low-risk, 263 intermediate-risk, and 309 high-risk patients. The actuarial freedom from biochemical recurrence (bNED) and the log-rank test for the similarity of the control and treatment survival functions are reported for each risk group. Multivariate analysis demonstrated a statistically significant benefit for the entire population treated with PRT, with a relative risk reduction of 0.72 (95% confidence interval 0.54–0.97). Although the multivariate analysis could not determine the patient population that would most benefit from PRT, the beneficial effect appeared to be most pronounced within the intermediate-risk group. Univariate analysis revealed that the intermediate-risk patients treated with PRT had an improved 2-year bNED rate, 90.1% vs. 80.6% ( p = 0.02), and both low-risk and high-risk patients treated with PRT had statistically similar 2-year bNED rates compared with those who did not receive it. Conclusion: Pelvic 3D-CRT appears to improve bNED in prostate cancer patients. Additional studies are needed to elucidate the %rLN population for which this treatment should be recommended.
Phonon structure of unusually high energy and strength in Nb-Nb oxide-Pb tunnel junctions

Abstract Tunneling measurements on Nb-Nb oxide-Pb junctions with barriers formed by rf oxidation reveal phonon modes contributing to the superconducting pair potential Δ ( E ) at E =115 meV . This structure is interpreted as resulting from vibrations of Nb-O octahedra in an interfacial layer of Nb 2 O 5 in which superconductivity is induced by proximity with Nb.
Exploration of a polygon decomposition technique based on the ordinary Voronoi diagram

Voronoi diagrams have been integral to the efforts aimed at reducing the difficulty of representing and modeling spatial phenomena. This article extends a polygon decomposition procedure based on ordinary Voronoi diagrams (OVDs) that can produce substitute representations for contiguous polygon objects in spatial analytic situations. It is based on a relatively unexplored conceptual linkage between polygon objects in a vector environment and their ordinary Voronoi-based counterparts. It facilitates the ability to represent typical polygon data with OVDs by exploiting the regularity inherent to the spatial configuration of the polygons in data structures. A discussion is provided for complexity issues and other theoretical concerns associated with using the decomposition procedure. A series of examples to explore the accuracy of the Voronoi-based representations is presented, including one using them in a geographic information system (GIS)-based spatial analysis of the bus transit coverage problem. Result...
High School Exit Examinations: When Do Learning Effects Generalize?

This paper reviews international and domestic evidence on the effects of three types of high school exit exam systems: voluntary curriculum-based external exit exams, universal curriculum-based external exit exam systems and minimum competency tests that must be passed to receive a regular high school diploma. The nations and provinces that use Universal CBEEES (and typically teacher grades as well) to signal student achievement have significantly higher achievement levels and smaller differentials by family background than otherwise comparable jurisdictions that base high stakes decisions on voluntary college admissions tests and/ or teacher grades. The introduction of Universal CBEEES in New York and North Carolina during the 1990s was associated with large increases in math achievement on NAEP tests. Research on MCTs and high school accountability tests is less conclusive because these systems are new and have only been implemented in one country. Cross-section studies using a comprehensive set of controls for family background have not found that students in MCT states score higher on audit tests like the NAEP that carry no stakes for the test taker. The analysis reported in table 1 tells us that the five states that introduced MCTs during the 1990s had significantly larger improvements on NAEP tests than states that made no change in their student accountability regime. The gains, however, are smaller than for the states introducing Universal CBEEES. New York and North Carolina. The most positive finding about MCTs is that students in MCT states earn significantly more during the first eight years after graduation than comparable students in other states suggesting that MCTs improve employer perceptions of the quality of the recent graduates of local high schools.
Increased CSF volumes are associated with diminished subjective responses to cocaine infusion.

We evaluated the hypothesis that ventricular and cortical CSF volume increases are associated with reductions in the magnitude of euphoric effects produced by intravenous IV cocaine infusion in cocaine dependent (CD) individuals. Eleven CD patients participating in a cocaine-infusion study and eleven control subjects underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Two CSF regions of interest (lateral ventricles and frontal cortex CSF) and two comparison regions (third ventricle and posterior cortex CSF) were measured. Self-reported ratings of the intensity of euphoric response (“high”) were obtained from the CD subjects at 3, 10, and 30 minutes after IV administration of cocaine. A significant negative correlation was observed between the volume of the lateral ventricles and subjective ratings of the “high” experienced at 3 minutes, but not at 10 and 30 minutes after cocaine infusion. In contrast, a significant negative correlation between frontal cortex CSF volume and the intensity of euphoric response was observed at 30 minutes after IV cocaine. No significant associations were observed between the volumes of the two comparison regions and any subjective ratings of “high.” No significant volume differences were observed between the CD and control groups in any region. The results suggest larger lateral ventricular volumes are associated with a decrease in immediate euphoria while larger frontal cortex CSF volumes are associated with a decrease in the duration of the euphoria induced by cocaine infusion. The age-related brain volume reductions underlying the volume increase in these two CSF spaces may be the neurobiological basis of the age-related reduction in the rates of addiction.
Using metarules to organize and group discovered association rules

The high dimensionality of massive data results in the discovery of a large number of association rules. The huge number of rules makes it difficult to interpret and react to all of the rules, especially because many rules are redundant and contained in other rules. We discuss how the sparseness of the data affects the redundancy and containment between the rules and provide a new methodology for organizing and grouping the association rules with the same consequent. It consists of finding metarules, rules that express the associations between the discovered rules themselves. The information provided by the metarules is used to reorganize and group related rules. It is based only on data-determined relationships between the rules. We demonstrate the suggested approach on actual manufacturing data and show its effectiveness on several benchmark data sets.
Glucose biosensors: progress, current focus and future outlook

Glucose serves as the primary source of energy to cells in our physiological system, enabling them to perform important functions including: nerve cell conduction, muscle cell contraction, active transport and production of chemical substances. Lower blood glucose concentration can cause seizure, loss of consciousness and irreversible cell damage. While excessive blood glucose concentration has a detrimental effect (glucotoxicity) potentially causing blindness, renal failure, cardiac and peripheral vascular disease, and neuropathy. Thus, simultaneous detection of intracellular and extracellular glucose is critically important from the view point of diagnosis and to understand the relationship between intracellular glucose and the metabolic control systems within the cells. The focus of development of third generation of biosensors is driven by nanotechnology. In this regard, carbon dots are promising building blocks for biosensors because of their unique optical properties and biocompatibility. They can b...
Multigroup Correlated-k Distribution Method for Nonequilibrium Atomic Radiation

the shock layer were overcome by splitting the full spectrum into a number of nonoverlapping part spectra. Results for one-dimensional nonhomogeneous gas slabs are presented, comparing line-by-line benchmarks with the fullspectrum correlated-k model, showing very good accuracy with a maximum error of 2–3% for the stagnation-line flowfield of the Stardust vehicle and more severe nonhomogeneous two-cell problems.
Application of Thiol−Ene Chemistry to the Preparation of Carbosilane−Thioether Dendrimers

The application of thiol−ene chemistry to the synthesis of new carbosilane−thioether dendrimers is presented in this work. The dendrimers are prepared in a divergent fashion starting with tetravinylsilane as a core, followed by a succession of alternating thiol−ene and Grignard reactions. Vinyl-terminated dendrimers up to the fifth generation were isolated in excellent yields (78−94%). Products were characterized by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, gel permeation chromatography, and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry.
Giving people what they want: An exploratory analysis of felony sentencing in 49 states

The author examines the effect that two measures of public opinion, conservatism/liberalism and crime salience, have on the length of felony sentences handed down by courts in 49 states. The role of resource measures such as prison and tax capacity are also examined. The conservatism/liberalism measure of public opinion has an impact on sentencing for most types of felonies, but the measure of salience of crime to the individual seems to only have a strong association with drug crimes. Prison and tax capacity do not seem to have any impact on sentence length.
A quantitative assay for low levels of IgM by solid-phase immunofluorescence.

Abstract A quantitative immunofluorescent assay capable of detecting between 15 and 1450 ng of IgM on a strictly linear standard curve has been developed. The assay system is unique in that in vitro biosynthesized polyclonal IgM in culture supernatants can be quantitated with a minimal quantity of supernatant. Interference created by lectins and bead-surface interactions have been analyzed. This easily operated assay has been validated and is reliable. A very important feature of the system is the considerable cost reduction in comparison with radiometric techniques.
Human Security in Communities in Costa Rica and the United States

This study has three aims: to create and validate a measure for the experience of human security, to begin exploring how the experience of security relates to the socioeconomic status of the community in which one resides and the emotional climate and culture of peace of one's nation, and to examine what personal factors influence the experience of security within different communities. To assess the security experienced by individuals, we developed a self-report questionnaire based on seven objective aspects of human security outlined by the United Nations: economic, food, health, environmental, personal, community, and political security. We compared middle and lower class communities in the United States and Costa Rica and examined the extent to which individuals depend upon themselves and others in these different communities. Our results show that it is possible to measure the experience of human security, that this experience depends more on national emotional climate than socioeconomic status, and that for community samples, a large part of human security depends on support from family and friends.
Excretion of δ-aminolevulinic acid in hereditary tyrosinemia

Abstract In two subjects with hereditary tyrosinemia attacks of severe pains in the abdomen and legs and pareses of peripheral type have been observed. The similarity of these attacks with the crises seen in acute intermittent porphyria prompted us to measure the excretion of δ-aminolevulinic acid, porphobilinogen and porphyrins in these patients and in 4 other patients with hereditary tyrosinemia. The urinary excretion of δ-aminolevulinic acid was from 10 to 250 mg per g of creatinine, i.e., up to a 100-fold increase above the normal range. The excretion of porphobilinogen and porphyrins fell within the normal ranges or was only slightly elevated.
Prime ministers and presidents: A survey of the differing rhetorical possibilities of high office

Traditional, structural, and cultural differences shape the public acts of presidents and prime ministers in clearly different ways. The rise of television and the decline of the American party structure has particularly altered the presidential workload to include more public appearances emphasizing conventional values and unifying themes. A British prime minister, in contrast, enjoys greater party discipline, and can more deftly explore the myriad possibilities of a “low profile.”
Geochemistry of silicified wood and associated sediments, Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona

Abstract The sediment mineral and trace-element contents of silicified wood and associated sediments from the Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona, indicate that silica mineralization occurs within the compositional range of most stream and groundwaters. The sandstones surrounding the silicified wood contain up to 15% authigenic montmorillonite which formed from volcanic ash, and shows evidence of coprecipitation with silica in exterior parts of the silicified wood. The distribution of variable-valence elements indicates that the wood was silicified in an anoxic environment such as the bottom muds of a swamp or stagnant pond. The total lanthanide concentrations of authigenic clay minerals suggest an intermediate to slightly acidic pH. There is no evidence of alkaline conditions or exceptionally high silica concentrations (> 140 mg/l) in solution.
The atrioventricular valves of the guinea-pig. II. An ultrastructural study†

Each atrioventricular valve of the guinea-pig consists of a core of connective tissue and muscle covered by endothelial cells. The muscle forms an annulus at the attached margin of the valve adjacent to the fibrous annulus. Some fibers from the lower part of the muscular annulus turn sharply toward the free margin of the valve and form a complex meshwork. These fibers resemble atrial muscle, but are noteworthy in that each contains myofibrils that are oriented in different directions. Some muscle fibers have features similar to those of conducting fibers, i.e., glycogen rich cytoplasm containing few myofibrils. Unmyelinated nerve fibers are numerous in both the mitral and tricuspid valves, but myelinated fibers were found only in the mitral valve. Typical adrenergic terminals were found adjacent to some cholinergic endings. Mitochondria-filled terminals (sensory?) and a third type of motor terminal were present also. Bundles of collagenous fibers extend from the chordae tendineae into the valve cusps where they fan out into small bundles. The other formed elements of the stroma are microfibrils and a flocculent material. There are a few elastic fibers beneath the endothelium. Interstitial cells, many of which possess solitary flagella are scattered throughout the matrix.
Long-tail behavior of process variation with application to domino keeper sizing

Designers use Monte Carlo simulations to evaluate the impact of variability on circuits, but such simulations require prohibitive amounts of computation to characterize rare events. In this paper, we propose a method by which the long tail behavior of circuits can be modeled with a reasonable number of simulations. This technique is then applied to the problem of domino keeper sizing to determine the sizing necessary to ensure a reliable circuit. We find that to ensure reliability for a commercial 45 nm process, the width of the keeper must be 0.17 times the effective width of the pull-down stack. Such a wide keeper results in a delay penalty of 9.9% compared to a circuit with no keeper.
On reference work and issues related to the management of knowledge: An analysis of the Farsi particle dige in turn-final position

Abstract This paper provides a conversation analytic description of the particle dige in turn-final position in Farsi conversation, and demonstrates its function as an epistemic marker. The analysis suggests that the turn-final particle dige occurs in turns that signal problems with the prior turn(s) that may have been motivated by matters related to managing epistemic dimensions. The analysis proposes two specific interactional contexts in which turn-final dige occurs: (a) in turns that are devoted to showing speaker's access to specific knowledge, and (b) in situations in which participants deal with misalignment in their respective presumed epistemic status. In addition, the paper illustrates (a) how issues related to indexing access to knowledge and knowledge primacy in conversation involve management of referential information, and (b) that in designing their turns, speakers select specific referential formulations in order to make reference to information and knowledge, and to signal their epistemic stance toward that knowledge.
Faces of change.

There are African voices that you don’t hear in sound bites, whose faces you don’t see in photos of disease and despair. These voices and faces are unheard and unseen in the popular press but speak with great strength and hope. They belong to African professionals who carry out the day-to-day work of science and medicine under difficult circumstances and with limited resources. The malaria researchers you will meet in the excerpts to follow represent a sample of some 40 individuals I interviewed as part of my work with the Multilateral Initiative on Malaria. I wanted participants to tell their own stories about the choices they have made to work in their countries, choices that, when taken together, affect the future health of Africa, where a child dies of malaria every 30 seconds. Figure 1 Isabella Quakyi Isabella Quakyi, PhD, has returned home to Accra, Ghana, to carry on her teaching and research after nearly a 20-year absence during which she was based in the United States. Wilfred Mbacham, PhD, left Yaounde, Cameroon, to complete his education and is now back, devoted to encouraging young people in science and working in public health. Andrew Githeko, PhD, describes how Internet connectivity has brought him into the world of international research and allowed him to work effectively in a remote, malarious area of Kenya.
The Risk Management Handbook for Health Professionals

The book is organized in an engaging and readable format, with the majority of chapters dedicated to medical specialties or distinct audiences (eg residents, nurses, chiropractors), with particular emphasis on procedures and practices of greatest risk in these specialties. For instance, in internal medicine you would find that the top five missed diagnoses (the most common type of malpractice claim) are: first, lung cancer; second, acute myocardial infarction; third, colorectal cancer; fourth, breast cancer; and fifth, pulmonary embolism. A potential problem with this format is that a clinician might only read relevant chapter relevant to him/her, and skip over the general chapters pertaining to legal and technical aspects of risk management from which every clinician could benefit.
High rates of recurrent biliary tract obstruction in children with sickle cell disease

BACKGROUND Individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD) have an increased risk of cholelithiasis from bilirubin stones. Symptomatic biliary tract disease (BTD) includes acute and chronic cholecystitis, obstruction of the common bile duct (CBD), cholangitis, and gallstone pancreatitis. Cholecystectomy is the main treatment strategy for symptomatic patients; however, the prevalence of recurrent BTD following cholecystectomy has not been systematically evaluated. We conducted a retrospective cohort study to describe the recurrence of BTD after cholecystectomy and characterize risk factors for recurrent disease.
Quadratic Program-Based Modularity Maximization for Fuzzy Community Detection in Social Networks

One of the most important elements of social network analysis is community detection, i.e., finding groups of similar people based on their traits. In this paper, we present the fuzzy modularity maximization (FMM) approach for community detection, which finds overlapping—that is, fuzzy—communities (where appropriate) by maximizing a generalized form of Newman's modularity. The first proposed FMM solution uses a tree-based structure to find a globally optimal solution, while the second proposed solution uses alternating optimization to efficiently search for a locally optimal solution. Both of these approaches are based on a proposed algorithm called one-step modularity maximization (OSMM), which computes the optimal cluster memberships for one person in the social network. We prove that OSMM can be formulated as a simplified quadratic knapsack optimization problem, which is $O(n)$ time complexity. We then propose a tree-based algorithm, called FMM/Find Best Leaf Node (FMM/FBLN), which represents sequences of OSMM steps in a tree-based structure. It is proved that FMM/FBLN finds globally optimal solutions for FMM; however, the time complexity of FMM/FBLN is $O(n^d)$ , $d\ge 2$ ; thus, it is impractical for most real-world networks. To combat this inefficiency, we propose five heuristic-based alternating optimization schemes, i.e., FMM/H1–H5, which are all shown to be $O(n^2)$ time complexity. We compare the results of the FMM/H solutions with those of state-of-the-art community detection algorithms, MULTICUT spectral FCM (MSFCM) and GALS, and with those of two fuzzy community detection algorithms called GA and vertex-similarity based gradient-descent method (VSGD) on ten real-world datasets. We conclude that one of the five heuristic algorithms (FMM/H2) is very competitive with GALS and much more effective than MSFCM, GA, and VSGD. Furthermore, all of the FMM/H schemes are at least two orders of magnitude faster than GALS in run time. Finally, FMM/H, unlike GALS (which only produces crisp partitions) and MSFCM (which always finds fuzzy partitions), is the only fuzzy community detection algorithm to date that can find the max-modularity partition, fuzzy or crisp.
Secretory component‐dependent binding of immunoglobuin A in the rat, monkey and human: A comparison of intestine and liver

The source and significance of immunoglobulin A in bile remains controversial. In the rat, and several other species, immunoglobulin A is transported through hepatocytes by a specific receptor, secretory component. In humans, immunohistochemical methods have indicated a distinct lack of receptors for immunoglobulin A on hepatocytes. Binding assays with 125I-immunoglobulin A and membranes from hepatocytes and intestinal cells of the rat display secretory component-dependent binding. Primate intestinal cells also show secretory component-specific binding of immunoglobulin A. Primate liver, on the other hand, does not show immunoglobulin A binding mediated by the polymeric immunoglobulin receptor.
Comparative studies of infiltrative and ulcerative cancer of the stomach.

1. In 600 patients with cancer of the stomach, 192 infiltrative and 184 ulcerative lesions were compared from a clinicopathological point of view.
Infantile Hypertrophic Pyloric Stenosis--Diagnosis From the Pyloric Muscle Index

Measurements of pyloric length, diameter and muscle thickness were made from ultrasound images of 39 babies, 21 of whom were subsequently found at operation to have infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis. From these measurements, the volume of pyloric muscle in cm3 was estimated for each case and divided by the body weight in kilograms. The resulting pyloric muscle index proved to be a much more reliable guide to the diagnosis of pyloric stenosis than any of the individual measurements or the volume estimation alone.
New throughput enhancing techniques for wireless ATM networks

In this paper we introduce new techniques to enhance the throughput of wireless ATM networks. These techniques deal with two aspects. The first aspect is reducing the number of bits in the ATM cell header to allow the use of a shorter class of the powerful BCH (Bose-Chaudhuri-Hocqenghem) code to correct the bit-errors within the cell header caused by the wireless channel. The second aspect is developing a new scheme for signal transmission that allows the receiver to expand the reduced header to its original format. Results show that the new reduction scheme achieves a 30% lower transmission time for the ATM cell header and increases the throughput and considerably lowers the transmission time of wireless ATM applications.
A generalized minmax bound for universal coding

The normalized maximum likelihood distribution as a code minimizes the mean code length distance to the ideal target, defined by the negative logarithm of the maximized likelihood of a parametric class of models, where the mean is taken with respect to the worst case model outside the parametric class. The same minmax bound is in essence the lower bound for all codes when the mean is taken with respect to almost all distributions that minimize the mean ideal target. These results strengthen the known bound when the mean is restricted to the parametric class.
Temperature aware energy management for real-time scheduling

Reducing energy consumption and temperature are important issues for current and future microprocessors. In this work, we present a best effort Temperature Aware Dynamic Voltage and frequency Scaling (TA-DVS) scheme for real-time task scheduling using run time slack management. We experimentally conclude that when the system utilization is within a certain limit, energy management alone can satisfy system temperature constraint. Our proposed scheme, TA-DVS, reduces temperature constraint violations for tasksets with unconstrained utilizations by 18.9% on the average, compared to existing approaches.