cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Anticonvulsant Properties of Selected Pyrrolo[2,3-d]Pyrimidine-2,4-diones and Intermediates

A series of pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine-2,4-diones and intermediates was tested for anticonvulsant activity in mice. Eleven of the 15 compounds possessed anticonvulsant activity against pentylenetetrazol-induced convulsions. One compound afforded more anticonvulsant protection against pentylenetetrazol than did trimethadione (67 and 50%, respectively). A suspension of this compound was found to be as effective as a solution in producing anticonvulsant activity. The results suggest that the nitrile analogs were more potent compared to the carbamyl analog due to higher lipid solubility.
Modified templates for directing the topology of wires: preparation of wires with structured tips

Techniques are presented for modifying pore topologies in alumina templates. A multistep process is used to alter the shape of the pore by introducing oxidized metal components along a section of the pore wall. The modified templates can then be used to fabricate wires with directed shapes. Wires with structured tips, grown electrochemically, illustrate the utility of this approach.
Estimation of a crater volume formed by impact of a projectile on a metallic target

The crater volume has been an important factor in ballistics and has many influences such as material strength, initial projectile velocity, angle of incidence, and nose shape. The goal of this research is to predict the resulting crater volume of a long rod penetration based on the initial projectile velocity and mass. Mooney’s (Bull Seism Soc Am 64(2):473, 1974) displacement equations were used to calculate the elastic crater volume for a given impulse force, P, varying as a delta function in time on the surface of an isotropic, semi-infinite solid. This estimated elastic volume, Velastic is linearly related to the experimental ballistic volume, Vexperimental by an “energy dissipation factor”, k. Velastic = kVexperimental. The energy dissipation factor “lumps” together elastic and plastic deformation mechanisms. Terminal ballistic data for a steel long-rod projectile into “semiinfinite” steel or aluminum target will be compared to the crater volume calculated through the use of k.
Automatic collision avoidance for manually tele-operated unmanned aerial vehicles

In this paper we present an approach that aids the human operator of unmanned aerial vehicles by automatically performing collision avoidance with obstacles in the environment so that the operator can focus on the global direction of motion of the vehicle. As opposed to systems that override operator control as a last resort in order to avoid collisions (such as those found in modern automobiles), our approach is designed such that the operator can rely on the automatic collision avoidance, enabling intuitive and safe operator control of vehicles that may otherwise be difficult to control. Our approach continually extrapolates the future flight path of the vehicle given the current operator control input. If an imminent collision is predicted our algorithm will override the operator’s control input with the nearest control input that will actually let the vehicle avoid collisions with obstacles. This ensures safe flight while simultaneously maintaining the intent of the human operator as closely as possible. We successfully implemented our approach on a physical quadrotor system in a laboratory environment. In all experiments the human operator failed to crash the vehicle into floors, walls, ceilings, or obstacles, even when deliberately attempting to do so.
Mechanisms of parathion resistance in the greenbug, Schizaphis graminum (Rondani)

Abstract Results of studies to determine the mechanism of parathion resistance in greenbugs, Schizaphis graminum (Rondani), indicate that the resistance is due to the combined effects of metabolic detoxification and target site insensitivity. Resistance to parathion is partially suppressible by the hydrolytic enzyme inhibitor DEF, suggesting involvement of hydrolytic enzymes and is in agreement with increased general esterase activity previously observed in the resistant aphids. The large increase in resistance observed in insects pretreated with the mixed function oxidase inhibitor, piperonyl butoxide, may indicate that metabolic factors associated with the resistance are more active toward the phosphorothioate molecule, although increased metabolism of paraoxon may have also resulted in higher resistance levels. In vivo metabolism experiments confirm the involvement of metabolic detoxification in the resistance based on decreased rates of parathion recovery and paraoxon formation in the resistant strain. Resistance was also associated with a 2.5-fold decrease in sensitivity of acetylcholinesterase to paraoxon inhibition and, therefore, target site insensitivity and metabolic detoxification interact to confer overall resistance levels.
Origins and evolution of the Lancaster Course in ophthalmology.

Abstract The Lancaster Course was created in 1945 to meet a need for training in the basic sciences of ophthalmology. At that time the course was designed particularly for young physicians who were discharged from the Armed Services at the end of World War II. For nearly five decades, the course has been given each summer at Colby College in Waterville, Maine, with the participation of some of the most illustrious figures in ophthalmology. It has undergone numerous changes in faculty and student body, having become less directed toward the experienced physician and more toward the beginning resident. What has not changed is the informal environment combined with intensive study, which allows students to learn basic sciences and to interact with outstanding leaders in ophthalmology.
On nonlinear dynamics of a dipolar exciton BEC in two-layer graphene

Abstract The nonlinear dynamics of a Bose–Einstein condensate (BEC) of dipolar excitons in two-layer graphene is studied. It is demonstrated that a steady turbulent state is formed in this system. A comparison between the dynamics of the exciton BEC in two-layer graphene and those in GaAs/AlGaAs coupled quantum wells shows that turbulence is a general effect in a BEC.
CIVIC COMMUNITY IN THE HINTERLAND: TOWARD A THEORY OF RURAL SOCIAL STRUCTURE AND VIOLENCE*

Drawing on the civic community literature, this article explicates a theoretical model to explain variation in rates of violence across rural communities. It is hypothesized that rural communities with a stable population base that is locally invested, a vibrant participatory civic culture with a well-developed noneconomic institutional base, and a robust economically independent middle class will have lower rates of violent crime. Results from the analysis of data for more than 1,000 rural counties reveal that the 11 variables used to operationalize the theory are empirically distinguishable from indicators of resource disadvantage and form three well-defined indices: a residential stability/local investment factor, a local capitalism/independent middle class factor, and a civic engagement factor. Negative binomial regression models confirm that violent crime rates are generally much lower in communities that score high on these dimensions. Implications of these findings for future macrolevel criminological research are discussed.
CALCIUM OVERLOAD, "INJURY" CURRENT, AND EARLY ISCHAEMIC CARDIAC ARRHYTHMIAS—A DIRECT CONNECTION

Intracellular calcium ions induce a depolarising inward current by reacting with specific sites on the inner surface of cardiac muscle cell membranes. Since intracellular calcium overload invariably occurs with myocardial ischaemia, it may be that the early electrophysiological manifestations of ischaemia, including cellular depolarisation, diastolic current flow, and early ischaemic arrhythmias, are directly mediated by calcium. A simple explanation for the effects of many drugs upon the electrical behaviour of ischaemic myocardium is proposed.
The formation of retrograde planetary orbits by close stellar encounters

We consider the growing number of observations of the RossiterMcLaughlin eﬀect in transiting planets, which seem to suggest that ~30% of transiting planets are in highly inclined or retrograde orbits. We consider the dense cluster environment in which stars are born and investigate whether perturbations from passing stars can drive planetary systems into retrograde conﬁgurations. We ﬁnd that ﬂy-bys can result in signiﬁcantly more inclination excitation than might naively be expected from impulse approximations, leading to several percent of stellar systems possessing planets in retrograde orbits.
Infiltration, Runoff, and Export of Dissolved Organic Carbon from Furrow-Irrigated Forage Fields under Cover Crop and No-Till Management in the Arid Climate of California

Development of best management practices (BMPs) such as conservation tillage and winter cover crop to mitigate runoff and reduce dissolved chemicals in irrigation runoff is an important objective for controlling surface water pollution attributable to agricultural activities. In this study, the effect of standard tillage (ST), STwith winter cover cropping (STCC), and no-till (NT) management practices on infiltration, runoff, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) export from furrow-irrigated fields of 244-m length was investigated for summer 2007 and 2008 irrigations. The practices were implemented for 2 years. The average surface residue cover was 11, 44, and 32% for ST, STCC, and NT, respectively, for 2007 and 11, 59, and 61%, respectively, in the following year of the study. Two irrigations in each year were considered for the analysis. The runoff samples were collected from each tillage treatment using ISCO autosamplers at regular time intervals. The infiltration and runoff were estimated using a volume balance model (VBM) by considering a 0.2-m irrigation requirement. Converting from ST to STCC increased the infiltration by 14 and 43% and reduced the runoff by 48 and 43% in 2007 and 2008 irrigations, respectively; whereas, converting ST to NT enhanced the infiltration by 4% in both years and decreased the runoff by 19 and 23% in 2007 and 2008 irrigations, respectively. The authors observed only slightly higher DOC concentrations in STCC, but there was a 24% increase for NT in 2007 irrigations, and both compared to with ST ranged from 3.98 to 5:46 mg=L. The DOC concentration was not significantly different among the treatments in 2008 irrigations (3.48 to 4: 6m g=L). Combining the runoff and DOC concentration effects, the DOC export for STCC was decreased by 55% in both years; whereas, it was decreased by 4 and 27% for NT in 2007 and 2008 irrigations, respectively, compared with ST. Although STCC and NT have higher concentrations, the reduction in export in these treatments is attributable to lower runoff. These results suggest that DOC export can be controlled with STCC practice. No-till showed the same trend, although these results must be confirmed after extended implementation of this practice. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)IR.1943-4774.0000385. © 2012 American Society of Civil Engineers.
Inferring the equivalence of functional programs that mutate data

Abstract In this paper we study the constrained equivalence of programs with effects. In particular, we present a formal system for deriving such equivalences. The formal system we present defines a single-conclusion consequence relation between finite sets of constraints and assertions. Although the formal system is computationally adequate, even for expressions containing recursively defined functions, it is inadequate for proving properties of recursively defined functions. We show how to enrich the formal system by addition of induction principles. To illustrate the use of the formal system, we give three nontrivial examples of constrained equivalence assertions of well-known list-processing programs. We also establish several metatheoretic properties of constrained equivalence and the formal system, including soundness, completeness, and a comparison of the equivalence relations on various fragments.
Selection for new amino acids at position 211 of the tryptophan synthetase α chain of Escherichia coli

Abstract In order to obtain amino acid (and codon) substitutions not previously observed at position 211 of the tryptophan synthetase α chain, missense revertants of a trpA(UAG211) amber mutant were selected. The selection procedure employed did not discriminate against auxotrophic derivatives; consequently, both auxotrophs and prototrophs were obtained. The prototrophs were of two types, fast-growing and slow-growing. The fast-growing prototrophs contain Ser at position 211 of the α chain while slow-growing ones contain Leu at this position. The auxotrophs have five other amino acids at position 211, Lys, Gln, Glu, Tyr and Trp. The introduction of five new amino acids at position 211 in this study brings to 15 the number of amino acids observed at position 211, and to 27 the number of corresponding codons (including also the amber codon UAG).
Parallel algorithms and architectures for discrete relaxation technique

Three parallel implementations based on three alternate sequential approaches are presented. The first design is a systolic array based on the known sequential method. An execution time of O(n/sup 2/m/sup 2/) is achieved with nm processing elements (PEs), with each PE composed of simple logic elements. The second design employs broadcast bus feature to speed up the execution of an alternate sequential method. Linear speedup is achieved by using nm processing elements. The sequential method has an execution time of O(n/sup 2/m/sup 2/) and the proposed parallel design runs in O(nm) time. The third design is a modified approach which is well suited for implementation on general-purpose machines. These designs achieve superior performance compared with the existing designs in terms of their simplicity, execution time, and domain of applications. Using the proposed designs, an efficient parallel implementation of stereo matching based on linear segments as primitives is derived. >
“Effective” Plasma Renin Activity: A Derived Measure for Assessing Residual Plasma Renin Activity in Patients Taking Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors or Angiotensin Receptor Blockers

To the Editor: The plasma renin activity (PRA) test quantifies the circulating activity of the renin-angiotensin system by measuring the rate at which renin forms angiotensin I (Ang I) in plasma. The PRA test overestimates the true activity of the circulating renin-angiotensin system in patients taking angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) because these drugs block the system at sites distal to the enzymatic release of Ang I by plasma renin.1,2 When patients are taking these drugs, a simple calculation can be used to determine …
Evidence for the proteolytic processing of dentin matrix protein 1: Identification and characterization of processed fragments and cleavage sites

Full-length cDNA coding for dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1) has been cloned and sequenced, but the corresponding complete protein has not been isolated. In searching for naturally occurring DMP1, we recently discovered that the extracellular matrix of bone contains fragments originating from DMP1. Shortened forms of DMP1, termed 37K and 57K fragments, were treated with alkaline phosphatase and then digested with trypsin. The resultant peptides were purified by a two-dimensional method: size exclusion followed by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography. Purified peptides were sequenced by Edman degradation and mass spectrometry, and the sequences compared with the DMP1 sequence predicted from cDNA. Extensive sequencing of tryptic peptides revealed that the 37K fragments originated from the NH2-terminal region, and the 57K fragments were from the COOH-terminal part of DMP1. Phosphate analysis indicated that the 37K fragments contained 12 phosphates, and the 57K fragments had 41. From 37K fragments, two peptides lacked a COOH-terminal lysine or arginine; instead they ended at Phe173 and Ser180 and were thus COOH termini of 37K fragments. Two peptides were from the NH2 termini of 57K fragments, starting at Asp218 and Asp222. These findings indicated that DMP1 is proteolytically cleaved at four bonds, Phe173–Asp174, Ser180–Asp181, Ser217–Asp218, and Gln221–Asp222, forming eight fragments. The uniformity of cleavages at the NH2-terminal peptide bonds of aspartyl residues suggests that a single proteinase is involved. Based on its reported specificity, we hypothesize that these scissions are catalyzed by PHEX protein. We envision that the proteolytic processing of DMP1 plays a crucial role during osteogenesis and dentinogenesis.
ULTRAVIOLET AND GAMMA‐RAY INDUCED REPRODUCTIVE DEATH AND PHOTOREACTIVATION IN A XENOPUS TISSUE CULTURE CELL LINE*

— A clone having a plating efficiency of about 60–70 per cent has been isolated from the A8 Xenopus laevis tissue culture cell line. We have used it to test for photoreactivation of ultraviolet induced loss of colony-forming ability. Photoreactivation produces a dramatic increase in survival. Time and temperature dependence experiments suggest that this is a true enzymatic process. Photoreactivation affects mainly the extrapolation number of the survival curves, rather than their slope. The cells lack a adein-sensitive dark repair mechanism and photoreactivation is caffein-independent. Parallel gamma-ray experiments showed no photoreactivation, and cells were remarkably resistant to gamma-ray killing, In marked contrast to their ultraviolet sensitivity.
An Interpretation of the Mars Spectrum Taken by the Connes

Lines of the 2–0 and 3–0 bands of carbon monoxide and (many) bands of carbon dioxide appear prominently in the Connes’ Mars spectrum [1]. Five carbon dioxide bands were measured to construct a curve of growth for CO2 lines formed in the Martian atmosphere [2]. A similar curve of growth was constructed for the 2–0 band of carbon monoxide. From these curves, we have computed the rotational temperature of the atmosphere, the surface pressure, and the abundance of CO and CO2. The surface pressure is found to be approximately equal to the CO2 partial pressure, i.e. p s ~ 5 mb. The CO concentration by volume was found to be slightly less than one part per thousand.
If Financial Market Competition is Intense, Why are Financial Firm Profits so High? Reflections on the Current 'Golden Age' of Finance

Abstract In 1997 former Federal Reserve Board Chairman, Paul Volker, observed that the commercial banking industry was under more intense competitive pressure than at any time in living memory, 'yet at the same time the industry never has been so profitable'. I refer to the seemingly strange coexistence of intense competition and historically high profit rates in commercial banking as Volcker's Paradox. In this paper I extend the evaluation of this 'paradox' to all important and profitable financial markets and discuss three developments that together help resolve it. First, the demand for financial products and services has expanded very rapidly in this period. Second, while competition has indeed increased in many areas of financial services, it has not increased everywhere. Rising concentration in many financial markets has made it possible for key firms to exercise pricing power, while a spectacular increase in non-market, over-the-counter sales of complex financial products has allowed giant banks to...
Exceptional Rule Learning in a Longitudinal Case Study of Williams Syndrome: Acquisition of Past Tense

Conflicting reports of language ability in Williams syndrome (WS) are confusing and may hinder accurate clinical decisions with respect to therapeutic services and educational placements for children with WS.This longitudinal case study examined the acquisition of regular and irregular past tense verbs in a child with WS. The development of regular and irregular verbs was monitored using an elicited production task, supplemented with informal language samples and a grammaticality judgment task. The authors found an unusual profile of regular and irregular past tense use that both approximated and diverged from normal expectations at various stages. The unusual pattern of past tense acquisition is presented in its relation to other language problems known with regard to WS. Clinical implications for assessment and intervention are discussed.
Estimation of the relative avidity of 19S IgM rheumatoid factor secreted by rheumatoid synovial cells for human IgG subclasses.

19S IgM rheumatoid factors (RF) may play an important role in sustaining inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). As yet, no unique antigenic specificity for RF in RA has been identified. Because the synovium is central to the pathogenic changes in RA, RF produced therein might be pathogenically more important than serum RF. Therefore, we examined the reactivity and relative avidity of 19S IgM-RF in serum and rheumatoid synovial cells (RSC) from 20 patients with seropositive RA. Reactivities were determined by competitive inhibition of serum RF hemolytic activity and RSC RF-plaque-forming cells (PFC) by added soluble antigen, i.e., monomeric human IgG subclasses. Estimation of relative avidities of RSC RF for human IgG subclasses was done by calculation of fractional RF expression in the RSC RF-PFC assay following inhibition by IgG subclasses. RSC RF had greatest reactivity with IgG3 and IgG1, some reactivity with IgG2, and the least reactivity with IgG4. Serum RF reacted most with IgG1 and IgG2, reacted some with IgG4, but reacted poorly with IgG3. The antigenic determinants with which RSC RF reacted were common to many IgG3 molecules. The highest relative avidity of RSC RF was for IgG3. These observations indicate a selective deficiency of serum RF compared with RSC RF and suggest an important pathogenic role for these qualitatively different RSC RF molecules for in situ RF immune complex-mediated inflammation in RA synovial tissue.
Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics of Chlorpyrifos and 3,5,6-Trichloro-2-pyridinol in Rat Saliva After Chlorpyrifos Administration

Sensors have been developed for noninvasive biomonitoring of the organophosphate pesticide chlorpyrifos (CPF), and previous studies have suggested consistent partitioning of 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCPy), a metabolite of CPF, into saliva after exposure to TCPy. The objective of this study was to quantitatively evaluate in vivo pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of CPF and TCPy in saliva after CPF administration. Rats were coadministered CPF (0.5–5 mg/kg) and pilocarpine (~13 mg/kg) iv. Saliva and blood were collected, and levels of CPF, TCPy, and cholinesterase (ChE) activity were quantified. Experimental results suggest that CPF is rapidly metabolized after iv administration. Formation of TCPy from administered CPF at the low dose (0.5 mg/kg) was slower than from higher CPF doses, potentially due to differences in plasma protein binding to CPF. CPF was measured in saliva only at the first time point sampled (0–15 min), indicating low partitioning and rapid metabolism. After formation, TCPy pharmacokinetics were very similar in blood and saliva. Saliva/blood TCPy concentration ratios were not affected by TCPy concentration in blood, saliva flow rate, or salivary pH and were consistent with previous studies. ChE activity in plasma demonstrated a dose-dependent decrease, and ChE activity in saliva was extremely variable and demonstrated no dose relationship. A physiologically based pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic model for CPF was modified and predicted the data reasonably well. It is envisioned that a combination of biomonitoring compounds like TCPy in saliva coupled with computational modeling will form an approach to measure pesticide exposure to susceptible human populations such as agricultural workers.
The Liquidity Trap and U.S. Interest Rates in the 1930s

Most current literature assumes that a central bank loses the ability to influence interest rates through variations in reserve supply as soon as overnight rates have been driven to zero. I argue that reserve supply can be directly related to longer-term rates when overnight rates are zero because banks' reserve demand is then defined by the role of cash as an asset free of interest-rate risk. I present evidence that reserve supply affected longerterm interest rates in the U.S. from 1934 through 1939, while overnight rates were at the zero floor, even when the changes in reserve supply reflected factors unlikely to have affected expectations of future overnight rates.
Revisiting floorplan representations

Floorplan representations are a fundamental issue in designing floorplan algorithms. In this paper, we first derive the exact number of configurations of mosaic floorplans and slicing floorplans. We then present two non-redundant representations: a twin binary tree structure for mosaic floorplans and a slicing ordered tree for slicing floorplans. Finally, the relations between the state-of-the-art floorplan representations are discussed and their efficiency is explored.
Characterization of laterally aligned carbon nanotubes formed by AC dielectrophoresis

We investigate the relationship between the parameters of the AC electric field and the properties of dielectrophoretically aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) between two triangular-shaped micro-electrodes. Specifically, the effects of electrode dimensions, magnitude and frequency of the applied potential, and fluid velocity due to electrothermal force on the resultant aligned CNT trace width are examined. Parameters of the electric field are computed numerically using Ansoftreg. Both transient and steady state results are studied. The transient results shows the CNT trace grows linearly initially. This is followed by an asymptotic widening of the trace before a constant steady-state trace width is reached. The steady-state trace width (1) increases with electrode tip angle, (2) increases with increasing potential, and (3) is not affected by the frequency of the applied potential. The results of the present study provide an important guideline for designing CNT based devices fabricated by dielectrophoresis.
Basic pharmacodynamic models for agents that alter production of natural cells.

Basic indirect pharmacodynamic models for agents which alter the generation of natural cells based on a life-span concept are introduced. It is assumed that cells (R) are produced at a constant rate (kin), survive for a specific duration TR, and then are lost. The rate of cell loss must equal the production rate but is delayed by TR, A therapeutic agent can stimulate or inhibit the production rate according to the Hill function: 1 ±H(C(t) ) where H(C(t)) contains capacity (Smax) and sensitivity (SC50) constants and C(t) is a pharmacokinetic function. Thus an operative model is dR/dt = kin • [1 ± H(C (t))J-ktn • [1 ± H(C(t-T R))]
27 AN IMPROVED LARGE ANIMAL MODEL FOR THE STUDY OF ADULT STEM CELLS

Murine models for the study of adult stem cell populations have broadened the understanding of previously uncharacterized stem cell niches. The development of murine reporter lines for the leucine-rich repeat-containing G-protein-coupled receptor-5 (Lgr5) has highlighted the importance of this gene as a stem cell marker in the stomach, intestine, hair follicle, liver, and kidney in mice. These models however have significant limitations in terms of translational applications because of anatomical and physiological differences between humans and mice. In order to overcome these limitations, we have sought to develop a porcine LGR5 reporter line. We report the generation of a porcine stem cell reporter line using the combination of transcription activator-like effector nucleases and somatic cell NT. Transcription activator-like effector nuclease-mediated homologous recombination was used to drive the integration of an internal ribosome entry site green fluorescent protein fusion into the 3′ untranslated region of the LGR5 locus in porcine fetal fibroblast cells. Multiple cell lines were developed and screened for the proper integration event. Upon confirmation of proper integration by genomic DNA sequencing, these lines were used as donors for somatic cell NT. Transfer of the somatic cell NT reconstructed embryos to a surrogate gilt resulted in 3 live births, and the establishment of a founder line of LGR5-green fluorescent protein reporter pigs. We have begun to characterise these lines, having observed fluorescent labelling of putative stem cell populations in the intestinal crypts and hair follicles from these animals. Many of these observations parallel the expression patterns observed in similar murine models. We have confirmed the fluorescent reporter signal by immunohistochemistry using an anti-green fluorescent protein antibody, and are working towards colocalization studies using anti-LGR5 antibodies and RNA in situ hybridization, as well as the characterisation of additional stem cell populations in the pig. The development of this line of transgenic pigs represents significant progress toward the study of adult stem cells, their progenitors, and the stem cell niche, using a large animal model with an anatomy, physiology, and ability to recapitulate human disease that overcomes the current limitations of rodent models. Funding was provided by NIH R21OD019738.
67 INHIBITION OF 5α-REDUCTASE DURING LATE GESTATION IN THE MARE

During the latter half of pregnancy in the mare, circulating concentrations of progesterone (P4) are low and a major bioactive progestogen, 5α-dihydroprogesterone (DHP), is present in high concentrations. DHP is formed through the activity of 5α-reductase, which converts P4 to DHP. Further metabolites of DHP have been attributed to fetal and myometrial quiescence. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a 5α-reductase inhibitor (dutasteride) on P4 metabolism and onset of parturition. Pregnant mares (n = 5) were treated with dutasteride (0.01 mg kg–1; IM), and control mares (n = 4) received vehicle alone from 300 to 320 days of gestation or until foaling. Serum concentrations of P4 and DHP were determined with liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS-MS) daily for 9 days preceding parturition. Endocrine data were analysed with a random effects mixed model with time, treatment (TRT), and time × TRT interaction. Gestational data were analysed with a Wilcoxon test. Although there was a significant effect of time on P4 and DHP, there was no effect of TRT or time × TRT on these progestogens. For the ratio of DHP/P4, there were significant effects of time, TRT, and time × TRT interaction such that the ratio of DHP/P4 was greater in the control than dutasteride-treated mares. Birth weight and gestational length were not different (P > 0.2) between the dutasteride-treated and control mares, although placental weights were greater (P < 0.05) in dutasteride-treated mares. Because the ratio of DHP/P4 was suppressed in dutasteride-treated mares, it appears that dutasteride was active in late gestational mares. Although gestational length and neonatal weights were not different between groups, placentas from dutasteride-treated mares were heavier than those from control mares. The reason for the increase in placental weights was not determined.
"Tonalism": Name, Soul, Destiny and Identity Determined by the 260-Day Calendar in Mesoamerica

In various Mesoamerican cultures, i.e. civilisations of Middle America, a calendar name is part of the antroponym. Besides having conventional personal names, both human beings and deities carry day-names from the 260-day calendar. In addition, world ages or world periods, periods of the traditional 365-day calendar and the 52-year calendar as well as the cardinal directions of the quadripartite world were categorised by day-names of the 260-day calendar. Thus not only human and divine beings but also space and time received designations from this calendar. Moreover, this onomastic practice of giving personal names from day signs of the 260-day calendar - called "tonalism" (from Nahuatl) - is related to the Mesoamerican concepts of destiny and to what is known in history of religions as the "freesoul". Consequently, this anthropnymic tradition provides identity to human, divine beings and spatial-temporal phenomena.
Japanese Beetles: Phenethyl Esters as Attractants

Phenethyl esters of C1–C6 carboxylic acids, all combined 7:3 with eugenol, were tested in traps for attractancy to Popillia japonica Newman in Clermont, Georgia, and Gibbsboro, New Jersey. The most attractive lures, phenethyl propionate and phenethyl acetate, were about equally attractive; their homologues, phenethyl butyrate, phenethyl valerate, phenethyl formate, and phenethyl hexanoate, were significantly less attractive. Among esters of the branched carboxylic acids, phenethyl isobutyrate was significantly less attractive than phenethyl butyrate. Many C5 and C6 acids caught more beetles than their straight-chain analogues, but the best of these compounds captured only about 25% as many beetles as phenethyl acetate or propionate.
Human lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells. I. Depletion of monocytes from peripheral blood mononuclear cells by L-phenylalanine methyl ester: an optimization of LAK cell generation at high cell density.

Pretreatment of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) with 5 mMl-phenylalanine methyl ester (PheOMe) provides an efficient means to deplete monocytes. PheOMe does not affect the number of large granular lymphocytes after the pretreatment, but does inhibit natural killer cell cytotoxicity temporarily after the pretreatment. However, depletion of monocytes by PheOMe allows lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cell generation with recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) at high cell density (> 5 × 106 cells/ml). The time of the PheOMe pretreatment is 40–60 min, though some effect could be observed within 15 min, and the pretreatment could be performed at room temperature. Pretreatment density of PBMC with 5 mM PheOMe could be achieved at cell density up to 3 × 107 cells/ml. PheOMe-pretreated cells could be activated by rIL-2 in serumless media at high cell density. Pretreatment of PBMC with 5 mM PheOMe provides an efficient means to deplete monocytes, as compared to plastic and nylonwool adherence. LAK cell generation is similar in both methods of monocyte depletion; therefore, depletion of monocytes allows, LAK cell generation at high cell density. The PheOMe procedure provides an improved and convenient process for preparing LAK cells for adoptive immunotherapy.
The revelation to John: a case study in apocalyptic propaganda and the maintenance of sectarian identity

Sociologists of religion and biblical scholars often define the function of apocalpyses and apocalyptic eschatology as a means of comforting the oppressed, a form of otherworldly theodicy in Berger's terminology. Careful scrutiny of the circumstances surrounding the writing and transmission of the Revelation of John leads to another possibility - apocalyptic literature and ideology may serve as a call to action and to protest of the dominant societal institutions and values. In this study, I examine the tensions weighing on the Christian communities at the close of the first century C.E. and explore Revelation's interaction with these circumstances, particularly the imperial cult, as a summons to the churches to choose a path that will maintain the integrity of the subgroup's boundaries. Rather than comfort the disenfranchised, Revelation appears to have set the Christians on a course of action that would lead to ultimate disenfranchisement. Apocalpytic literature here displays itself as revolutionary in character and intention.
SVD-based universal DNN modeling for multiple scenarios.

Speech recognition scenarios (aka tasks) differ from each other in acoustic transducers, acoustic environments, and speaking style etc. Building one acoustic model per task is one common practice in industry. However, this limits training data sharing across scenarios thus may not give highest possible accuracy. Based on the deep neural network (DNN) technique, we propose to build a universal acoustic model for all scenarios by utilizing all the data together. Two advantages are obtained: 1) leveraging more data sources to improve the recognition accuracy, 2) reducing substantially service deployment and maintenance costs. We achieve this by extending the singular value decomposition (SVD) structure of DNNs. The data from all scenarios are used to first train a single SVD-DNN model. Then a series of scenario-dependent linear square matrices are added on top of each SVD layer and updated with only scenario-related data. At the recognition time, a flag indicates different scenarios and guides the recognizer to use the scenario-dependent matrices together with the scenario-independent matrices in the universal DNN for acoustic score evaluation. In our experiments on Microsoft Winphone/Skype/Xbox data sets, the universal DNN model is better than traditional trained isolated models, with up to 15.5% relative word error rate reduction.
Territorial Dispute Settlement Attempts as Domestic Diversion

Why do leaders of states involved in territorial disputes attempt settlement in some cases and at some times, but not in other cases or other times? The purpose of this study is to provide an explanation for the timing of settlement attempts by applying the theory of domestic diversion. Building from the idea in diversionary force theory that leaders pursue international events to divert attention from domestic problems, this study questions the assumption that such diversion can only be pursued through force, and instead suggests that leaders of states involved in territorial disputes in particular can use peaceful settlement attempts (negotiation, mediation, etc.) to divert attention from domestic problems. Since disputed territory is generally the most salient issue for states and their populaces, leaders of challenger states can divert attention away from domestic problems by attempting to (re)acquire disputed territory, while mobilizing support for the government. This study examines data of all territorial disputes from 1945-2007. The major findings show that less severe domestic political vulnerability does make settlement attempts more likely, while more severe political vulnerability makes settlement attempts less likely. Economic vulnerability does not have any influence on settlement attempts.
Datafying microbes: Malnutrition at the intersection of genomics and global health

In recent years, genome-sequencing technology has provided new ways of seeing the hundreds of trillions of bacteria in human bodies. Through ‘datafication’, new forms of value are emerging from microbial genomic information – implicating microbes as powerful agents of nutritional status. Scientists use metagenomic data to evaluate how food, environment and genes affect human gut microbiota, and how those microbes simultaneously affect human health. My research is based on 14 months of ethnographic fieldwork in a leading US microbiome laboratory and at its field collaborator in investigating infant malnutrition in Dhaka, Bangladesh. This article looks at the social and material conditions of the Bangladeshi women and children enrolled in the microbiome study, and how microbes are datafied in order to draw a causal relationship between microbial populations and undernutrition in human hosts. How is malnutrition lived for urban Bangladeshis, and how is malnutrition studied through metagenomics? What categories of undernutrition and bodily health emerge as big data becomes a tool for nutrition science? I followed practices in homes and communities in Dhaka, while also studying malnutrition in the lab, and how both are choreographed with data-producing microbiome technologies in the quest for translational health-care strategies to treat childhood maladies in developing countries.
Novel plasma biomarkers associated with liver disease severity in adults with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Despite the high prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), therapeutic options and noninvasive markers of disease activity and severity remain limited. We investigated the association between plasma biomarkers and liver histology in order to identify markers of disease activity and severity in patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD. Thirty-two plasma biomarkers chosen a priori as possible discriminators of NAFLD were measured in participants enrolled in the Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) Clinical Research Network. Dichotomized histologic outcomes were evaluated using centrally read biopsies. Biomarkers with statistically significant associations with NAFLD histology were evaluated in multivariable models adjusted for clinical factors. Of 648 participants (74.4% white, 61.7% female, mean age 47.7 years), 58.0% had definite NASH, 55.5% had mild/no fibrosis (stage 0-1), and 44.4% had significant fibrosis (stage 2-4). Increased activated plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 had a strong association with definite NASH compared to not NASH or borderline NASH in multivariable analysis (odds ratio = 1.20, 95% confidence interval 1.08-1.34, P < 0.001). Biomarkers associated with significant fibrosis (versus mild/no fibrosis) in multivariable analysis included higher levels of interleukin-8, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, resistin, soluble interleukin-1 receptor I, soluble interleukin-2 receptor alpha, and tumor necrosis factor alpha and lower levels of insulin-like growth factor 2. Conclusions: Specific plasma biomarkers are significantly associated with disease activity and severity of fibrosis in NAFLD and are potentially valuable tools for noninvasive stratification of patients with NAFLD and identification of targets for therapeutic intervention. (Hepatology 2017;65:65-77).
Balanced optimization of 1.31 /spl mu/m tunnel-junction VCSELs

A hybrid approach that combines the advantages of GaAs mirrors and InP active layers in InP/GaAs wafer bonded 1.31 /spl mu/m VCSELs is described. This novel device concept features intra-cavity ring contacts, five strain-compensated AlGaInAs quantum wells, and an AlInAs/InP tunnel junction in order to reduce absorption by p-doped layers. The tunnel junction is literally confined forming an aperture for current injection and wave guiding. A self-consistent VCSEL simulation software is employed in order to analyze and optimize the internal device physics.
The Politics of Inclusion and Exclusion in Postcolonial Japan: State, Shrine, and Honor for Ethnic Veterans, the Fallen, and their Bereaved

After the Asia-Pacific War, a resurgence of the idea of Japan as a mono-ethnic nation, abetted by mythologies of Japanese war victimhood, made a full discussion of Asian suffering in that conflict problematic, healing painful, and reconciliation difficult. Orr’s chapter examines contradictions in Japanese treatment of veteran and bereaved families of Korean and Taiwanese imperial servicemen in two areas: commemoration of war dead at Yasukuni Shrine, a practice closely associated with militarism, glorification of war, and State Shinto; and efforts for reinstatement of state pensions and compensation to ethnic Korean and Taiwanese/Chinese for service in the imperial Army and Navy. The end of the US Occupation in 1952 left non-Japanese veterans disqualified for military pensions because they were no longer members of the mono-ethicized Japanese political community. Yet, due to the separation of church and state, Yasukuni was removed from this political development and continued its claim on these same ethnic Taiwanese and Korean veterans’ spirits, enshrining thousands of their number who died in imperial military service. Efforts for postwar reconciliation in the civic realm, namely the movements for pensions or compensation on the one hand and release from Yasukuni enshrinement on the other, and the evolving inclusive and exclusive Japanese responses to such efforts bring into view multiple sensibilities regarding national community and transnational healing.
A formal description of middle ear pressure-regulation.

Abstract Introduction Middle ear (ME) pressure-regulation (MEPR) is a homeostatic mechanism that maintains the ME-environment pressure-gradient (MEEPG) within a range optimized for “normal” hearing. Objective Describe MEPR using equations applicable to passive, inter-compartmental gas-exchange and determine if the predictions of that description include the increasing ME pressure observed under certain conditions and interpreted by some as evidencing gas-production by the ME mucosa. Methods MEPR was modeled as the combined effect of passive gas-exchanges between the ME and: perilymph via the round window membrane, the ambient environment via the tympanic membrane, and the local blood via the ME mucosa and of gas flow between the ME and nasopharynx during Eustachian tube openings. The first 3 of these exchanges are described at the species level using the Fick's diffusion equation and the last as a bulk gas transfer governed by Poiseuille's equation. The model structure is a time-iteration of the equation: P ME g(t=(i+1)Δt) = ∑ s (P ME s(t=iΔt) +(1/(β ME s V ME )∑ P (Қ P s (P C s(t=(iΔt) -P ME s(t=(iΔt) )). There, P ME g(t=iΔt) and P ME s(t=iΔt) are the ME total and species-pressures at the indexed times, P C s(t=iΔt) is the species-pressure for each exchange-compartment, β ME s V ME is the product of the ME species-capacitance and volume, Қ P s is the pathway species-conductance, and ∑ S and ∑ P are operators for summing the expression over all species or exchange pathways. Results When calibrated to known values, the model predicts the empirically measured ME species-pressures and the observed time-trajectories for total ME pressure and the MEEPG under a wide variety of physiologic, pathologic and non-physiologic conditions. Conclusions Passive inter-compartmental gas exchange is sole and sufficient to describe MEPR.
From Awareness to Action: Teacher Attitude and Implementation of LGBT-Inclusive Curriculum in the English Language Arts Classroom:

This survey research describes English language arts teachers’ comfort levels in integrating literature with lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) themes or characters into their curricula ...