cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Examining the Role of Race, NIMBY, and Local Politics in FEMA Trailer Park Placement*

Objective. In this article, we use the placement of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) trailer parks as a vehicle for examining how siting agents and approving agents factor race, NIMBY obstacles, and local politics into the overall approval process for projects that are viewed as undesirable. Methods. Using data on where FEMA trailer parks were proposed and approved in South Louisiana after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, we test a range of hypotheses about the determinants of temporary housing siting. Results. Our results reveal the need to view the consideration of potential locations and the procedure of gaining approval as two distinct stages of a process. The findings suggest FEMA placed a great deal of emphasis on displaced residents' needs, but neglected to factor in the constituent pressures and the electoral calendar that local politicians would encounter when approving the site. In addition, the racial composition of a neighborhood had a substantial effect on both the consideration and approval stages. Conclusions. Beyond need, politics and race can shape the governmental allocation of disaster relief solutions.
Economics: A Moral Science Because Persons Matter More Than Things

Conventional economics typically defines the science in terms of such concepts as production, distribution, consumption, resources, goods, services, wealth, prices and efficiency. These terms focus attention primarily on things, making it easier to argue that since those things are quantifiable economics is a positive, higher‐order science.
Dietary phosphorus requirement of juvenile sunshine bass, Morone chrysops ♀ × M. saxatilis ♂

Abstract A feeding trial was conducted in which juvenile sunshine bass (initial weight 2.71 ± 0.10 g, mean ± s.d.) were fed semipurified diets containing graded levels of KH 2 PO 4 to provide 0.34 to 1.04% available phosphorus for a period of 9 weeks in a freshwater culture system. As the experiment progressed, fish fed the basal diet exhibited frequent episodes of tetany. Weight gain and mineral composition of bone and scale tissues were significantly ( P ≤0.05) affected by dietary available phosphorus. Non-linear regression analysis of weight gain and feed efficiency data indicated minimum available phosphorus requirements of 0.41 and 0.46% of dry diet, respectively. Similar analyses of bone calcium, bone phosphorus, and scale phosphorus indicated that a minimum of 0.54% available phosphorus was needed for maximum tissue mineralization. Therefore, based on these data, the available phosphorus requirement of juvenile sunshine bass was determined to be approximately 0.5% of dry diet.
Plants Get Hyp to O-Glycosylation

The two most abundant natural organic polymers on Earth are cellulose and chitin, characterized by long chains of carbohydrates that bear a specific type of sugar linkage called O-glycosylation. This type of linkage also occurs between polysaccharides (glycans) and proteins and glycans and lipids, yielding glycoconjugates that are well known to function in cell recognition processes ( 1 ). On page 1401 in this issue, Velasquez et al. ( 2 ) explore a specific type of O-glycosylation for plant cell wall structural proteins and connect this modification to root hair growth.
Discriminative stimulus properties of ICSS in rats: Effects of ethanol and RO 15‐4513

Rats were implanted with stimulating electrodes aimed at the medial forebrain bundle–lateral hypothalamus and trained in a discrete trial procedure to make a differential response (right or left lever press) in the presence or absence of brain stimulation. When animals reached 95% accuracy in this discrimination, testing with vehicle, ethanol (0.1, 0.3, 0.56, 1.0, g/kg), and ethanol plus RO 15-4513 (1.0 mg/kg) began. During test sessions intermediate stimulus currents were programmed and the data comprised the number of trials completed on the stimulation-appropriate lever as a function of intermediate currents. The stimulus current at which 50% of the trials were completed was defined as the detection threshold. Ethanol, at 1.0 g/kg, increased the detection threshold but also increased the time to complete the session and decreased the total number of lever presses. RO 15-4513 reversed the increase in the detection threshold and reduced the increase in time to complete the session and reduced the decreases in lever presses. However, RO 15-4513 alone, like ethanol, increased the time to complete the session and decreased the total number of lever presses. Thus, while RO 15-4513 reverses some of the behavioral effects of ethanol, it also has its own behavioral effects, even at low doses.
Midkine, a middle manager of β2 integrins.

In this issue of Blood , Weckbach et al demonstrate that midkine (MK), a described regulator of inflammation, supports neutrophil recruitment by promoting the high-affinity conformation of the β2 integrin lymphocyte function-associated antigen 1 (LFA-1), a step required for neutrophil arrest on the
Comment on Tata and Schultz

(1989). Comment on Tata and Schultz. Annals of the Association of American Geographers: Vol. 79, No. 4, pp. 612-613.
Autoregulatory system of corticosteroid metabolism in the liver

Abstract The adaptative capacity of the liver to metabolize biologically active corticosteroids associated with fluctuations in their levels in blood was studied in man, treated with ACTH, cortisone, and cortisol. Changes in the rate of metabolism of corticosteroids were inferred from the determinations of excretion of non-metabolized unconjugated and metabolized conjugated corticosteroids. A marked increase in the excretion of conjugated metabolites of 17-hydroxycorticosteroids was observed after the administration of ACTH and cortisone, subcutaneous or oral. The intravenous infusion of cortisol resulted in an increase in the renal creatinine clearance associated with an increased urinary excretion of corticosteroids. Despite the increase in the excretion of metabolites of cortisol in the urine, the blood levels of cortisol metabolites were also markedly increased following the infusion of cortisol, suggesting an increase in the capacity of the liver to metabolize corticosteroids following an increase in their blood levels. The present study, therefore, suggests that the liver possesses an autoregulatory mechanism for the control of the concentration of corticosteroids in blood, changing the rate of metabolism of hormones secondary to fluctuation in their blood levels.
Down-regulation of L-type Ca2+ Channel Transcript Levels by 1,25-Dihyroxyvitamin D3 OSTEOBLASTIC CELLS EXPRESS L-TYPE α1C Ca2+ CHANNEL ISOFORMS

Osteoblast Ca2+ channels play a fundamental role in controlling intracellular and systemic Ca2+ homeostasis. A reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction strategy was used to determine the molecular identity of voltage-sensitive calcium channels present in ROS 17/2.8 osteosarcoma cells. The amino acid sequences encoded by the two resultant PCR products matched the α1C-a and the α1C-d isoforms. The ability of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25(OH)2D3) and structural analogs to modulate expression of voltage-sensitive calcium channel mRNA transcripts was then investigated. ROS 17/2.8 cells were cultured for 48 h in the presence of either 1,25(OH)2D3, 1,24-dihydroxy-22-ene-24-cyclopropyl D3 (analog BT) or 25-hydroxy-16-ene-23-yne-D3 (analog AT), and the levels of mRNA encoding α1C were quantitated using a competitive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assay. We found that 1,25(OH)2D3 and analog BT reduced steady state levels of α1C mRNA. Conversely, the Ca2+-mobilizing analog AT did not alter steady state levels of voltage-sensitive calcium channel mRNA. Since analog BT, but not analog AT, binds and transcriptionally activates the nuclear receptor for 1,25(OH)2D3, these findings suggest that the down-regulation of voltage-sensitive calcium channel mRNA levels may involve the nuclear receptor.
A test of the information-centre hypothesis in two colonies of common terns, Sterna hirundo

Abstract Three predictions of the Information-Centre Hypothesis (ICH) of colonial nesting were tested using observations from two common tern colonies in upstate New York. As predicted by this hypothesis, terns departed from the colonies on foraging trips in temporal synchrony, and birds that left together headed preferentially toward similar feeding areas. By one measure of foraging success, unsuccessful foragers were more likely to follow others from the colony. Terns that brought back a fish from one trip were more likely to be followed on subsequent trips. Birds arriving at feeding areas in groups had a higher probability of finding food than solitary birds. The use of feeding areas varied both between and within days. Results are discussed with regard to between-colony differences in departure synchrony, mechanisms of information transfer at the colony, and problems in defining and predicting the behaviour of unsuccessful foragers.
Synthetic and natural muscovites

Abstract The syntheses of randomly stacked one-layer monoclinic (IMd), one-layer monoclinic (1M), and twolayer monoclinic (2M) muscovite, have been accomplished. The upper stability limit of muscovite is represented by a curve passing through the points 625°C, 5000 p.s.i. water pressure; 665°C, 15,000 p.s.i.; and 715°C, 30,000 p.s.i. Immediately above this curve sanidine + corundum + vapour are the stable phases. The stability ranges of the muscovite polymorphs named could not be fixed accurately because of the sluggish nature of the transformations; however, the transformation of 1Md → 1M → 2M was effected. It is believed that this sequence obtains in the progressive metamorphism of a sediment. The first transformation is probably dependent on factors affecting reaction rate. The second transformation may be related to a univariant curve of equilibrium (i.e., an isograd). The growth of a three-layer trigonal muscovite (3T) was suspected in only one run with 2M muscovite, and its synthesis is, therefore, not substantiated. Study of natural moscovites and muscovite-like materials indicates that the hitherto unrecognized 1Md and 1M muscovites are common. Their relation to materials called illite, high-silica sericite, hydromuscovite as well as other dioctahedral minerals, is described. The complete destruction of the muscovite structure by grinding is demonstrated by selected area electron diffraction studies. The alleged resynthesis of muscovite by further grinding is shown to be suspect. A comparison of the maximum upper stability curve of muscovite with the minimum melting curve of the “granite” system suggests that muscovite may form in granitic magmas above approximately 1500 atmospheres water pressure, and in the solid state below that pressure in granitic rocks when the water pressure equals the total pressure. These relations may account for the apparent two generations of muscovite in some granites. A limitation on the amount of muscovite in igneous granites is believed to be imposed by the character of the liquidus surfaces. The upper stability curve of muscovite marks the maximum possible conditions of the second sillimanite or orthoclase isograd in metamorphic rocks. The nature of the processes of weathering, abrasion, and diagenesis of muscovite in sediments is outlined.
Measurement of cardiac output by transesophageal Doppler ultrasonography in anesthetized dogs: comparison with thermodilution.

Thermodilution (TD) is the standard method for cardiac output (CO) monitoring in human medicine. Although called the ‘gold standard’, TD is related to numerous complications and data misinterpretations. Recently, a noninvasive, continuous, ultrasound-based technique for CO measurement has been developed (Hemosonic 100, Arrow Intl). This study compared transesophageal Doppler ultrasonography (TED) for measuring CO with TD in anesthetized dogs. In this study, ten dogs were used to simultaneously measure CO by TED and TD. All dogs were pre-medicated with acepromazine at 0.1 mg kg−1 IM, induced with thiopental at 10 mg kg−1 IV, and maintained on isoflurane at end-tidal concentrations of 1.3%. Baseline and four different levels of CO were used for comparison. Low CO levels were induced by caudal vena cava occlusion. High CO levels were induced by the constant IV infusion of dopamine, dobutamine, or norepinephrine. Each level of CO allowed one comparison between TED and TD. Forty-nine paired comparisons of CO were determined ranging from 0.73 to 10.9 L minute−1. Simple linear regression was used to determine the correlation between the two techniques. Correlation coefficient (r2) was 0.53. Bland and Altman statistical method was used for assessing agreement between the two methods. The difference between the TD and TED when all data were included was 0.82 (bias) ± 1.63 L minute−1 (mean ± SD). At low CO levels (baseline and caudal vena cava occlusion), the correlation coefficient was 0.77, bias was 0.35 ± 0.64 L minute−1. At high CO levels (dopamine, dobutamine, or norepinephrine), the correlation coefficient was 0.39. It was concluded that TED was not a reliable monitoring method in determining CO when positive inotropes were used. TED might have importance in situations of low CO values; however, further investigation is warranted.
Effect of L-aromatic amino acid decarboxylase inhibition on metabolism of dihydroxyphenylalanine by isolated perfused rat liver.

Abstract The isolated perfused rat liver was used to study the effect of an inhibitor of l -aromatic amino acid decarboxylase, N-( d,l -seryl)-N′-(2,3,4-trihydroxybenzyl)-hydra-zine (RO 4-4602), on hepatic metabolism of l -3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine ( l -dopa). When inhibitor was added to the perfusate before addition of l -dopa-3-14C, the amount of radioactivity in the liver was less. Rapid uptake of l -dopa by erythrocytes in the perfusate removed 28 per cent of it from plasma in control perfusions, and this was unaffected by RO 4-4602. However, radioactivity in erythrocytes decreased to 7 per cent of the dose during control perfusions but only to 19 per cent when RO 4-4602 had been added. In all perfusions, about half of the 14C disappeared from plasma in 5 min. In control perfusions, there was a continued decrease in 14C in plasma during the first hour, to 35 per cent of the dose, but when RO 4-4602 had been added the decrease after the first 5 min was negligible. Between 5 and 120 min after injection, the half-life of l -dopa in plasma was 27 min in control perfusions and 57 min if RO 4-4602 had been added. However, between 120 and 300 min after dopa injection, when comparatively small amounts of it were present in plasma, the disappearance was more rapid in the presence of RO 4-4602. Excreted bile contained 44 per cent of the dose in control perfusions but only 8 per cent if RO 4-4602 had been added to the perfusate. When RO 4-4602 was added, the formation of conjugates of acidic and neutral metabolites of dopamine was decreased, especially the glucuronides of N-acetyldopamine and N-acetyl-3-O-ethyldopamine, the major metabolites in bile. However, there was an almost compensatory increase in the formation of 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylalanine by direct O-methylation of l -dopa. The effect of RO 4-4602 did not appear to be prolonged because it was less obvious when the inhibitor was added 30–60 min before the l -dopa.
WE-G-217A-09: Phase Imaging Measurement of Static Magnetic Field Homogeneity

Purpose: The ACR MRI accreditation program requires measurement of the magnetic field homogeneity (MFH) in the annual QA. Full implementation of vendor methods can be very time consuming and incorporates techniques not available to clinical physicists. Conversely, many of the less involved techniques proposed tend to be less inaccurate and/or precise. Here, we propose a robust approach to MFH analysis using a simple phase mapping acquisition which is a time efficient compromise. Methods: The root mean square (r.m.s.) for MFH measurement is commonly used over multiple slices (∼24). In regions with high SNR, the MR signal can be reasonably assumed Gaussian distributed. Therefore, the standard deviation of phase values in ROI is equivalent to the r.m.s. of those. The standard deviations of phases in x, y and z are assumed uncorrelated. Thus, only axial, sagittal and coronal planes need to be acquired to approximate the MFH as opposed to a full 3D acquisition. To investigate this concept, phase images were acquired on four 1.5T clinical scanners and one 3.0 clinical scanner (MAGNETOM Espree, Siemens Medical Systems, Signa Excite HD 1.5T, and 3.0T GE Healthcare Technologies). The manufacturer phantoms were scanned using two echo times (delta_TE=TE2−TE1<5ms) using a simple 2D gradient echo acquisition to produce phase images. After acquiring phase difference images in three orthogonal planes, the standard deviation was calculated in three circular ROIs (Diameter=10, 20 and 30cm) in each plane, respectively, to estimate the MFH for the effective DSV. Results: The MFH values in five scanners using this method were within vendor specifications for the DSV. Additionally, the measured MFH values compared favorably with vendor planned maintenance records with <0.1 ppm discrepancy. Conclusions: This proposed method may be a reliable and practical for regular MFH measurement in QA programs and providing an independent check of the vendor measurement.
Wideband Gaussian Source Processing Using a Linear Nested Array

Based on a recently proposed linear nested array, we consider the problem of source number detection and direction of arrival estimation for wideband Gaussian sources. This array provides O(N2) degrees of freedom with O(N) sensors, enabling us to estimate K sources with N <; K sensors. To employ the nested array for the wideband case, we propose effective strategies to apply nested-array processing to each frequency component, and combine all the spectral information of various frequencies to conduct the detection and estimation. In particular, for source detection, we propose a novel approach employing the idea of ensemble, used in machine learning and statistics. Numerical simulations demonstrate the advantages of our strategies.
Wind tunnel data fusion and immersive visualization: a case study

This case study describes the process of fusing the data from several wind tunnel experiments into a single coherent visualization. Each experiment was conducted independently and was designed to explore different flow features around airplane landing gear. In the past, it would have been very difficult to correlate results from the different experiments. However, with a single 3-D visualization representing the fusion of the three experiments, significant insight into the composite flowfield was observed that would have been extremely difficult to obtain by studying its component parts. The results are even more compelling when viewed in an immersive environment.
Receptors Coupled to Pertussis Toxin-sensitive G-proteins Traffic to Opposite Surfaces in Madin-Darby Canine Kidney Cells: A1 ADENOSINE RECEPTORS ACHIEVE APICAL AND α2A ADRENERGIC RECEPTORS ACHIEVE BASOLATERAL LOCALIZATION

The α2A adrenergic receptor (α2AAR) previously was shown to be directly delivered to and retained on the lateral subdomain of renal epithelial cells. The present studies demonstrate that, in contrast, wild-type and epitope-tagged canine A1 adenosine receptors (A1AdoR) are apically enriched (65-83%) in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCKII) and porcine renal epithelial (LLC-PKI) cells, based on surface biotinylation strategies detecting photoaffinity-labeled A1AdoR. Confocal microscopy corroborated the apical enrichment of the epitope-tagged A1AdoR. Metabolic labeling studies revealed that this steady-state polarization is achieved by direct delivery to both the apical (60-75%) and basolateral surface. Growth of A1AdoR-expressing cells as monolayers was achieved only following Transwell culture in the presence of A1AdoR antagonists, which decreased cell growth, suggesting that A1AdoR elicit MDCKII cell proliferation. The preferential apical but detectable basolateral localization of A1AdoR provides a molecular understanding of published reports that functional responses can be elicited following apical as well as basolateral delivery of adenosine agonists in varying renal preparations. These findings also suggest that receptor chimeras derived from the Gi/Go-protein-coupled α2AAR and A1AdoR will be informative in revealing structural features critical for basolateral versus apical targeting.
Mutational analysis of the enzymatic domain of Clostridium difficile toxin B reveals novel inhibitors of the wild-type toxin

Toxin B (TcdB), a major Clostridium difficile virulence factor, glucosylates and inactivates the small GTP-binding proteins Rho, Rac, and Cdc42. In the present study we provide evidence that enzymatically inactive fragments of the TcdB enzymatic domain are effective intracellular inhibitors of native TcdB. Site-directed and deletion mutants of the TcdB enzymatic region (residues 1 to 556), lacking receptor binding and cell entry domains, were analyzed for attenuation of glucosyltransferase and glucosylhydrolase activity. Five of six derivatives from TcdB(1-556) were found to be devoid of enzymatic activity. In order to facilitate cell entry, mutants were genetically fused to lfn, which encodes the protective antigen binding region of anthrax toxin lethal factor and mediates the cell entry of heterologous proteins. In line with reduced enzymatic activity, the mutants also lacked cytotoxicity. Remarkably, pretreatment or cotreatment of cells with four of the mutants provided protection against the cytotoxic effects of native TcdB. Furthermore, a CHO cell line expressing enzymatically active TcdB(1-556) was also protected by the mutant-derived inhibitors, suggesting that inhibition occurred at an intracellular location. Protection also was afforded by the inhibitor to cells treated with Clostridium sordellii lethal toxin (TcsL), which uses the same cosubstrate as TcdB but shares Rac only as a common substrate target. Finally, the inhibitor did not provide protection against Clostridium novyi alpha-toxin (Tcnalpha), which shares similar substrates with TcdB yet uses a different cosubstrate. This is the first report to demonstrate that the potential exists to inhibit toxins at their intracellular site of action by using inactive mutants.
The Prostitution of Lying in Wait

Murder by lying in wait is a particularly vile manner of murder. Each act is the culmination not only of planning and premeditation, but also of preying on an unsuspecting victim from a position of overwhelming advantage. However, has the definition of lying in wait, as a death qualifying circumstance in murder trials, been inappropriately broadened so that it has lost its distinctiveness as a legitimate narrowing mechanism for singling out those deserving of capital punishment? Does it now encompass scenarios not even contemplated at the time of its inclusion as a death qualifying event? This article discusses the requirement, set forth by the Supreme Court in Furman v. Georgia, that any death penalty law must narrow the class of individuals that deserve execution. It then presents the history of lying in wait as a death qualifying circumstance. First, it discusses the early American lying in wait murder case of Riley v. State, which set out the three lying-in-wait prerequisites: (1) waiting, (2) watching, and secrecy. Then, it offers an explanation of the classification of lying in wait as an aggravating circumstance, with its four elements: (1) concealment, (2) watching and waiting, (3) surprise lethal attack, and (4) connection between lying in wait and having an advantage over the victim. This is followed by an analysis of the lying in wait aggravating circumstance in the California Penal Code, and how it has been used in California death penalty cases. This is followed by a comparison of the use of lying in wait as an aggravating circumstance in other states, including Indiana and Colorado. The article concludes with the argument that the use of lying in wait as an aggravating circumstance must be reexamined, rewritten, and reapplied to faithfully adhere to the fundamental fabric of our death penalty jurisprudence.
Map-Reduce for Machine Learning on Multicore

We are at the beginning of the multicore era. Computers will have increasingly many cores (processors), but there is still no good programming framework for these architectures, and thus no simple and unified way for machine learning to take advantage of the potential speed up. In this paper, we develop a broadly applicable parallel programming method, one that is easily applied to many different learning algorithms. Our work is in distinct contrast to the tradition in machine learning of designing (often ingenious) ways to speed up a single algorithm at a time. Specifically, we show that algorithms that fit the Statistical Query model [15] can be written in a certain "summation form," which allows them to be easily parallelized on multicore computers. We adapt Google's map-reduce [7] paradigm to demonstrate this parallel speed up technique on a variety of learning algorithms including locally weighted linear regression (LWLR), k-means, logistic regression (LR), naive Bayes (NB), SVM, ICA, PCA, gaussian discriminant analysis (GDA), EM, and backpropagation (NN). Our experimental results show basically linear speedup with an increasing number of processors.
Microphone position and gain calibration for a large-aperture microphone array

Large-aperture microphone arrays have the potential for providing quality speech acquisition from multiple talkers over a large focal area for such applications as teleconferencing and speech-recognition input. The cost of computing is rapidly approaching the point at which these arrays will be practical in many common environments. However, an important issue is the calibration of an array. We discuss procedures to accurately determine both the coordinates in three-dimensions for the position of each microphone and the individual gains of each microphone/microphone channel. For the positions, we found that calibration by direct measurement, using a surveyor's transit, is simply too error prone, time consuming, and difficult for large arrays and is too inaccurate for small arrays. We have also seen that without the careful matching of inexpensive electret microphones, the channel sensitivities vary by as much as 6 dB and performance can be enhanced by suitable compensation. This paper describes new apparatus and techniques for automatic calibration using acoustic signals. Experimental results using both small and large-aperture microphone array systems show the acoustically-determined positions to be more consistent than the ones measured directly. Gain measurements are somewhat more difficult but gains can be found within 1-2 dB with reasonable care.
Mechanisms of genetic exchange within the chromosomal inversions of Drosophila pseudoobscura.

We have used the inversion system of Drosophila pseudoobscura to investigate how genetic flux occurs among the gene arrangements. The patterns of nucleotide polymorphism at seven loci were used to infer gene conversion events between pairs of different gene arrangements. We estimate that the average gene conversion tract length is 205 bp and that the average conversion rate is 3.4 × 10−6, which is 2 orders of magnitude greater than the mutation rate. We did not detect gene conversion events between all combinations of gene arrangements even though there was sufficient nucleotide variation for detection and sufficient opportunity for exchanges to occur. Genetic flux across the inverted chromosome resulted in higher levels of differentiation within 0.1 Mb of inversion breakpoints, but a slightly lower level of differentiation in central inverted regions. No gene conversion events were detected within 17 kb of an inversion breakpoint suggesting that the formation of double-strand breaks is reduced near rearrangement breakpoints in heterozygotes. At least one case where selection rather than proximity to an inversion breakpoint is responsible for reduction in polymorphism was identified.
ON THE NORMAL BUNDLE TO AN EMBEDDING

often of interest in differential geometry or topology to know that one can embed a particular manifold in Euclidean space with a particular normal bundle. Our object here is to analyze this problem and introduce some techniques which, in favorable cases, allow one to obtain information about the normal bundle to a smooth embedding. First we note two fairly elementary “general position” theorems. We call a vector bundle q over M
Protective effect against repeat adverse reactions to iodinated contrast medium: Premedication vs. changing the contrast medium

The purpose of this study was to assess the protective effect of premedication and changing contrast media (CM) against repeat adverse reactions (ARs) to iodinated CM. Between January 2006 and September 2014, 771 cases with previous ARs to CM were administered CM. The same CM that had caused ARs previously was administered to 491 cases (220 without premedication [defined as the control group], and 271 with premedication [the premedication alone group]). A different CM from the previous CM was given to 280 cases (58 without premedication [the changing CM alone group], and 222 with premedication [the premedication and changing CM group]). The control group had 61 repeat ARs (27.7%). The premedication alone group had 47 ARs (17.3%, p<0.01). The changing CM alone group had 3 ARs (5.2%, p<0.001). Three ARs (7.9%) were observed in 38 cases changing from one to another low-osmolar nonionic CM. Twenty cases with previous ARs to the high-osmolar CM and to the low-osmolar ionic CM showed no ARs. The premedication and changing CM group had 6 ARs (2.7%, p<0.001). Premedication prior to contrast for patients with previous ARs may be protective, however, changing CM was more effective. • In patients with previous adverse reactions, changing contrast media is recommended. • Premedication is unnecessary against previous reactions to high-osmolar or ionic CM. • Changing from one to another low-osmolar non-ionic CM may be effective.
The Legal and Managerial Challenge of Obesity as a Disability Evidence From the Federal Courts

The Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibit discrimination against applicants and employees with disabilities. Following the elements of a prima facie claim of discrimination, this legal brief explores the conditions under which obesity has been deemed a disability. Although obesity is not generally considered a disabling impairment, plaintiffs have successfully brought obesity-related claims based on a rarely implicated definition of disability. The so-called regarded as definition protects those who are not substantially limited by any condition but are subjected to discrimination based on the perception that they are limited by a physical or mental impairment. Although employers have faired well in such obesity-related discrimination claims, a review of federal case law suggests that public human-resource managers are advised to adopt a strategy that reduces the likelihood of obesity-related discrimination, as it is more desirable to avoid potentially litigious behavior than to emerge victorious in court.
Immunological relatedness of the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase and the Na+,K+-ATPase

The effect of anti-ATPase antibodies with epitopes near Asp-351 (PR-8), Lys-515 (PR-11) and the ATP binding domain (D12) of the Ca(2+)-ATPase of sarcoplasmic reticulum (EC 3.6.1.38) was analyzed. The PR-8 and D12 antibodies reacted freely with the Ca(2+)-ATPase in the native membrane, indicating that their epitopes are exposed on the cytoplasmic surface. Both PR-8 and D12 interfered with the crystallization of the Ca(2+)-ATPase, suggesting that their binding sites are at interfaces between ATPase molecules. PR-11 had no effect on ATPase-ATPase interactions or on the ATPase activity of sarcoplasmic reticulum. The epitope of PR-11 is suggested to be the VIDRC sequence at residues 520-525, while that of D12 at residues 670-720 of the Ca(2+)-ATPase. The use of predictive algorithms of antigenicity for identification of potential antigenic determinants in the Ca(2+)-ATPase is analyzed.
Physical Activity and Obesity

There is an increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity in the United States and other developed countries. This can have significant public health implications because of the association of excess body weight with increased risk of chronic diseases. It has been suggested that the increasing prevalence of excess body weight (overweight and obesity) and related diseases also has a significant impact on health care costs. Physical activity can significantly affect weight control and can also have an independent effect on associated chronic disease risk factors. However, physical activity participation is less than optimal. Thus, it is important for health care professionals to understand the role of physical activity in weight loss, the prevention of weight gain, and the prevention of weight regain, and to understand how to provide accurate and meaningful information to their patients.
Nursing and Anthropology

facilitate identification and communication with members having common or special areas of interest, i.e., subcultural or ethnic health cultures, application of anthropological concepts PEOPLE in a nursing curriculum, etc. Questionnaires will be mailed to members during July-August 1976. News about moves, new appointments, positions or titles, (2) CONAA will sponsor an informal group discussion or other career milestones of medical anthropologists is of session, the contents of which will be based upon the results of great interest to M.A.N. readers. Please keep the Newsletter the survey, at the annual meeting of the American Anthroinformed .-Eds. pological Association in Washington, D.C., November 17-21, Arthur M. Kleinman will be Associate Professor and Head, 1976. A request for accommodations has been submitted and Division of Social and Cross-Cultural Psychiatry, Department pending a positive response from AAA, specific information of Psychiatry, University of Washington School of Medicine, about the format of the discussions will be mailed to members. Seattle, Washington 98195. (3) A symposium entitled "The Anthropology of Health Elizabeth L. Byerly, as of September 16, 1976, will be and Illness" is planned for the 76th Annual Meeting of the Associate Professor at the Intercollegiate Center for Nursing American Anthropological Association to be held in Houston, Education, South 10 Cedar Street, Spokane, Washington Texas, November 29-December 4, 1977. CONAA members 99204. who wish to present a paper for the 1977 meeting should contact Ralphella Sohie., College of Nursing, University of
Modeling and simulation of a nonlinear system under networks

A simulation framework based on modeling of a nonlinear system under a networked control system structure was proposed according to the nonlinear systems with uncertainties, complex structure, modeling difficulty and hard simulation study under networks. On the basis of Matlab/Simulink modularization modeling of two inverted pendulums coupled by a spring and TrueTime network block, the uncertainties of the plant system and network-induced delays were disposed by a decentralized robust controller synthetically. The simulation results show that the proposed framework not only reduces the complexity of nonlinear system modeling, but also provides the basis for the research of a nonlinear system having a networked control system structure.
Multispectral decomposition for the removal of out-of-band effects of visible/infrared imaging radiometer suite visible and near-infrared bands

The visible/infrared imaging radiometer suite (VIIRS) is now onboard the first satellite platform managed by the Joint Polar Satellite System of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA. It collects scientific data from an altitude of approximately 830 km in 22 narrow bands located in the 0.4-12.5 μm range. The seven visible and near-infrared (VisNIR) bands in the wavelength interval between 0.4-0.9 μm are known to suffer from the out-of-band (OOB) responses--a small amount of radiances far away from the center of a given band that can pass through the filter and reach detectors in the focal plane. A proper treatment of the OOB effects is necessary in order to obtain calibrated at-sensor radiance data [referred to as the Sensor Data Records (SDRs)] from measurements with these bands and subsequently to derive higher-level data products [referred to as the Environmental Data Records (EDRs)]. We have recently developed a new technique, called multispectral decomposition transform (MDT), which can be used to correct/remove the OOB effects of VIIRS VisNIR bands and to recover the true narrow band radiances from the measured radiances containing OOB effects. An MDT matrix is derived from the laboratory-measured filter transmittance functions. The recovery of the narrow band signals is performed through a matrix multiplication--the production between the MDT matrix and a multispectral vector. Hyperspectral imaging data measured from high altitude aircraft and satellite platforms, the complete VIIRS filter functions, and the truncated VIIRS filter functions to narrower spectral intervals, are used to simulate the VIIRS data with and without OOB effects. Our experimental results using the proposed MDT method have demonstrated that the average errors after decomposition are reduced by more than one order of magnitude.
Aging and Chronic Kidney Disease: The Impact on Physical Function and Cognition

Evidence has recently been building that the presence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an independent contributor to decline in physical and cognitive functions in older adults. CKD affects 45% of persons older than 70 years of age and can double the risk for physical impairment, cognitive dysfunction, and frailty. To increase awareness of this relatively new concept of CKD as a risk factor for accelerated aging, we review studies on the association of CKD with physical function, frailty, and cognitive function. We also present a summary of the proposed mechanisms for these associations.
Defining functional signatures of dysbiosis in periodontitis progression

Periodontitis is a common inflammatory disease that leads to tooth loss and has been linked to cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus. The periodontal microbiome is highly diverse, and metatranscriptomic studies have indicated that the genes that are expressed by the microbiota are more relevant than the microbial composition in the pathogenesis of periodontitis. A recent study of early metabolic activities in the dysbiotic microbiome reveals a functional signature that distinguishes periodontal sites that will become inflamed, supporting the idea that microbial communities as a whole drive disease progression.
The neuropeptide arginine vasotocin alters male call characteristics involved in social interactions in the grey treefrog, Hyla versicolor.

We investigated the effects of different doses (0, 2.5, 25 and 250 g) of the neuropeptide arginine vasotocin (AVT) on the calling characteristics of the grey treefrog in a chorus in its natural habitat. AVT changed some call characteristics known to influence social behaviour in grey treefrogs. It increased call duration and number of pulses in a call, but not dominant frequency, call rate or pulse effort. Saline injections and handling did not produce significant changes in any of the call characteristics. In addition, individual animals injected with AVT only rarely produced call characteristics that were outside of the range found in the preinjection measurements, suggesting that AVT does not cause abnormal calling behaviour. Other researchers have demonstrated that longer calls with more pulses are produced by males when chorus densities increase, and females display a strong preference for longer calls with more pulses. This suggests that the changes induced by AVT injections may have functional consequences in social interactions. We previously demonstrated that AVT-injected males (25 g AVT) displaced resident males from calling sites through changes in calling behaviour under natural field conditions. Our results indicate that changes in call duration and pulse number could contribute to the unmanipulated resident male’s behaviour towards the AVT-injected intruder, perhaps because the calls are more attractive to females or because the calls are perceived as more aggressive.  2000 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour
Hepatitis B virus integration, fragile sites, and hepatocarcinogenesis

Chronic liver disease associated with long term hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection contributes importantly to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A salient feature of these chronic infections is the integration of subgenomic HBV DNA fragments into many different locations within the host DNA, suggesting that integration is random. Although this may promote genetic instability during liver regeneration which accompanies a bout of chronic liver disease, the actual role of integrated HBV DNA in hepatocarcinogenesis is uncertain. Importantly, most integration events retain the HBV open reading frame encoding the HBx antigen (HBxAg), which is the virus contribution to HCC. In addition, many integration events reported in the literature occur near or within fragile sites or other cancer associated regions of the human genome that are prone to instability in tumor development and progression. Genetic instability associated with integration potentially alters the expression of oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, and microRNAs (miRNAs) that may contribute importantly to tumorigenesis. If so, then selected integration events may alter pathways that are rate limiting in hepatocarcinogenesis, thereby providing targets with diagnostic/prognostic potential and for therapeutic intervention.
Late coronary sequels of Kawasaki Disease

A 37-year-old man presented with progressive angina. He had never smoked, and did not have diabetes mellitus, kidney disease or familial hypercholesterolaemia. An exercise test showed significant lateral and inferior ST-segment depression with chest pain. His past medical history was notable for a severe sepsis at the age of 13 years, with prolonged fever, jaundice and desquamation …
Moving Beyond Dichotomy: Comparing Composite Telecommunications Regulatory Governance Indices

Despite an apparent consensus about the importance of sound telecommunications regulatory governance, there is no agreement among researchers about how to measure it. While dichotomous coding of de jure independence has served as a proxy to measure whether an agency’s regulatory governance is transparent, non-arbitrary, and free from political influence, we view measuring multiple components of regulatory governance through an index as providing a more nuanced understanding of facilitating or inhibiting factors. This paper builds extensively upon prior research on telecommunications regulatory governance in order to compare the composite telecommunications regulatory governance indices (TRGI) available in the literature, and to construct more parsimonious indices. Using a methodology labeled “qualitative meta-synthesis” based on synthesizing previously published indices, we construct six different indices using combinations of 32 different variables, and different weights. Data from the OECD database are used to re-create the five original indices from the literature as well as our own six composites. These indices are correlated with each other, and with independent measures of regulatory governance such as the World Bank’s Government Effectiveness Index and the Rule of Law Index. The results suggest that a parsimonious index of as few as seven variables is capable of measuring the quality of telecommunications governance in a country, at the same time making the selection of variables and their weighting in the index more systematic than in previously available indices.
Monoclonal Antibodies to Avian Escherichia coli Iss

SUMMARY. Escherichia coli infections are a major problem for the poultry industry in the United States. Yet, the virulence mechanisms operative in avian E. coli are poorly understood. In the present studies, monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) have been generated that may facilitate study of the pathogenesis of avian colibacillosis. These MAbs are directed against the Iss protein because results from our laboratory have shown that the possession of iss DNA sequences is strongly correlated with the E. coli implicated in avian colibacillosis. As part of an overall effort to explore the role of iss/Iss in colibacillosis pathogenesis, Iss protein has been purified, MAbs to Iss have been generated, and the MAbs are being evaluated. B cells from mice immunized with an Iss fusion to glutathione-S-transferase produced antibodies specifically against Iss, and these cells were used to generate the MAbs. These anti-Iss MAbs, when used in western blotting assays, can be used to distinguish iss-positive and -negative E. coli isolates, suggesting that they may be useful as reagents in the detection and study of virulent avian E. coli.
Criminality as Seriality

Building on Iris Marion Youngâ€™s reading of gender as seriality, itself based on Sartreâ€™s analysis of serial collectives in the Critique of Dialectical Reason, this paper think through the possibilities and limits of such an approach when applied to a collective such as â€œfelonsâ€? in the contemporary United States. I argue that such an approach to the theorizing the â€œidentityâ€? of the â€œfelonâ€? is especially useful for revealing the degree to which persons convicted of criminal offenses are similarly situated not primarily through their own actions or ascriptive attributes, but through how those very actions and attributes are essentialised through punitive and exclusionary practices. Nevertheless, the limits of such an approach are apparent in the danger of downplaying how other actions and ascriptive attributes are frequently suppressed, disavowed, or ignored precisely through so-called color-blind and gender-blind approaches to questions of both criminal and social justice. Ultimately, the case of the felon as a serial collective helps us to understand the deeper necessity for rethinking the foundational tensions between punishment and membership in political communities, move beyond projects that seek to get punishment or citizenship â€œright,â€? and confront such tensions as tensions to be managed openly through a critical and self-reflective democratic practice.
The Non-Decline in U.S. Twin Birth Rates, 1964–1983

Detailed twin birth rates for the United States are unavailable since 1964. In 1983 the crude twinning rate for women of white race was higher than in 1964, but there had been great changes in maternal age and parity. Indirect standardization for maternal age and birth order provides estimated total twinning rates that can be compared over the entire period. The adjusted rates for whites show a nearly continuous increase except after a 2-year reporting hiatus, 1969-70, when rates dropped back 10%. In blacks the adjusted rate increased between 1966 and 1978, except for the 1968-71 shift. The distributions of rate increases by maternal age and by race argue against effects of medical ovulation stimulants, but a disproportionate increase of triplets argues for such effects. Study is needed of rates specific for maternal age and parity, rather than of total rates.