cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
EDUCATION AS IMMORTALITY: TOWARD THE REHABILITATION OF AN IDEAL

Long‐neglected as excessively theological or perniciously egoistic, immortality remains an important animating ideal for teaching and learning. Some of the earliest thinking in the Western tradition reflects this, most famously Socrates' description of philosophy as preparation for death. There are two main roots of this ancient ideal: first, the other‐regarding paideia of the sophists that seeks immortality in human affairs; and, second, a relatively disembodied Platonism that looks toward mindful communion with eternal ideas. These two conceptions are still powerfully with us today in a variety of pedagogical contexts, and we would do well both to recognize this and to grapple more forthrightly than we have with the ways in which the longing for immorality shapes educators' practices and their self‐understanding.
On a calculus for a generalized scalar operator

Abstract Let X be a Banach space; S and T bounded scalar-type operators in X . Define Δ on the space of bounded operators on X by ΔX = TX − XS if X is a bounded operator. We set up a calculus for Δ which allows us to consider f(Δ), for f a complex-valued bounded Borel measurable function on the spectrum of Δ, as an operator in the space of bounded operators whose domain is a subspace of operators which we call measure generating. This calculus is used to obtain some results on when the kernel of Δ is a complemented subspace of the space of bounded operators on X .
Sex Differences in Mutation Rate in Higher Primates Estimated from AMG Intron Sequences

To study sex differences in mutation rate in primates, we sequenced the third introns of the AMGX and AMGY genes from humans, orangutans, and squirrel monkeys and estimated that the male-to-female ratio of mutation rate is α= 5.14 with the 95% confidence interval (2.42, 16.6). Combining this data set and the data sets from ZFX/ZFY and SMCX/SMCY introns, we obtained an estimate of α= 5.06 with the 95% confidence interval reduced to (3.24, 8.79). The α value is significantly higher in higher primates than in rodents.
The Diagnosis and Management of Concussion in Children and Adolescents

Abstract Background Concussion is a complex brain injury that results in more than 100,000 emergency department visits for school-aged children each year in the United States. All 50 US states have passed concussion legislation designed to promote safety in youth sports. Most of these laws require medical clearance by a licensed health care provider before returning to sport, which may have contributed to an increase in pediatric subspecialty referrals, particularly referrals to the child neurologist. Methods We reviewed the literature on pediatric concussion. Results This review summarizes the current knowledge and recommendations for concussion diagnosis and management in children and adolescents, athletes and nonathletes. It highlights concussion epidemiology, pathophysiology, advances in neuroimaging, and potential health risks including second impact syndrome and chronic traumatic encephalopathy. It also underscores clinical areas where evidence is lacking. Conclusions The diagnosis and management of concussion requires specific considerations in children. Further concussion research must be done to minimize injury risk and to optimize medical care for this common problem.
Relativistic partial-wave analysis using the velocity basis of the Poincaré group

The velocity basis of the Poincar\'e group is used in the direct product space of two irreducible unitary representations of the Poincar\'e group. The velocity basis with total angular momentum j will be used for the definition of relativistic Gamow vectors.
Stone soup MIMO radar: Comparing sparse partially adaptive and MIMO GMTI radars

In this paper, we discuss the advantages and limitations of coherent multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) radars. This is a radar system in which the transmit and receive elements are in relative close proximity so that the target response is coherent between transmit and receive antenna pairings up to a known geometric effect. In particular, we compare the performance of MIMO radars that employ a pairing of sparse and filled arrays for receive and transmit with a system given the same geometry that employs a nonadaptive, coherent transmit array, which we denote a single-input multiple-output (SIMO) radar. We show that MIMO radar provides a noticeable improvement, particularly for ground moving target indicator (GMTI) radars. This improvement is for target detection and estimation performance for an ideal system. We also address the performance benefits of MIMO systems in the presence of radar calibration errors. In addition, we show that in addressing issues associated with a SIMO radar, a MIMO radar is constructed.
Comment on ?A comprehensive investigation of the pseudo-skin factor for partially completed vertical wells?

In their paper ?A comprehensive investigation of the pseudo-skin factor for partially completed vertical wells? (2012 J. Geophys. Eng. 9 642?54), Farokhi and Gerami presented two formulae to calculate the pseudo-skin factor for partially completed vertical wells in a finite and an infinite reservoir, respectively. However, the Stehfest algorithm as a Laplace inverter has to be employed to obtain the pseudo-skin factor.
A systematic review of the diagnosis and treatment of primary hyperparathyroidism from 1995 to 2003

Objective To systematically review the current preoperative diagnostic modalities, surgical treatments, and glandular pathologies associated with primary hyperparathyroidism. Study design A systematic literature review. Results Of the 20,225 cases of primary hyperparathyroidism reported, solitary adenomas (SA), multiple gland hyperplasia disease (MGHD), double adenomas (DA), and parathyroid carcinomas (CAR) occurred in 88.90%, 5.74%, 4.14%, and 0.74% of cases respectively. Tc99m-sestamibi and ultrasound were 88.44% and 78.55% sensitive, respectively, for SA, 44.46% and 34.86% for MGHD, and 29.95% and 16.20% for DA, respectively. Postoperative normocalcemia was achieved in 96.66%, 95.25%, and 97.69% of patients offered minimally invasive radio-guided parathyroidectomy (MIRP), unilateral, and bilateral neck exploration (BNE). Intraoperative PTH assays (IOPTH) were helpful in approximately 60% of bilateral neck exploration conversion (BNEC) surgeries. Conclusion The overall prevalence of multiple gland disease (MGD and DA) was lower than often suggested by conventional wisdom. Furthermore, preoperative imaging was less accurate than it is often perceived for accurately imaging MGD. MIRP and UNE were more successful in achieving normocalcemia than is typically quoted. IOPTH was a helpful but not “fool-proof” adjunct in parathyroid exploration surgery. Significance These results support a greater role for the treatment of primary hyperparathyroidism using less invasive approaches. EMB rating: B-3.
Field‐aligned electron density irregularities near 500 km: Equator to polar cap topside sounder observations

In addition to spread F, evidence for field-aligned electron density irregularities is commonly observed on Alouette 2 topside sounder ionograms recorded near perigee (500 km). This evidence is provided by distinctive signal returns from sounder-generated Z mode waves. At low latitudes these waves become guided in wave ducts caused by field-aligned electron density irregularities and give rise to strong long-duration echoes. At high latitudes, extending well into the polar cap, these Z mode waves (and stimulated electrostatic waves at the plasma frequency) produce a series of vertical bars on the ionogram display as the satellite traverses discrete field-aligned density structures. The radio frequency (RF) noise environment to be expected in the 400 to 500 km altitude region from low to high latitudes was examined by analyzing perigee Alouette 2 topside sounder data. All observed noise bands were scaled on nearly 200 topside sounder ionograms recorded near perigee at low, mid, and high latitude telemetry stations. The minimum and maximum frequencies of each noise band were entered into a data base or computer analysis. The signals of primary interest in the perigee study were found to be sounder-generated.
On derivative estimation of single-server queues via structural infinitesimal perturbation analysis

In Dai and Ho (1994) we developed a method, referred to asstructural infinitesimal perturbation analysis (SIPA), to address the need for derivative estimation with respect to a special type of parameter. However, it was not clear how much computational effort is required to implement this method. Derivative estimation via SIPA can be complicated in implementation. Such computational problems, also arise in several other derivative estimation methods. In this paper we take SIPA as a typical method and apply it to a special class of DEDS-several variations of single-server queues, focusing on the issue of implementation. We demonstrate that SIPA can be efficiently implemented. In some cases, it can be as simple as theinfinitesimal perturbation analysis (IPA), method which is considered to be the most efficient method available so far. The main approach we take is to combine SIPA with finite perturbation analysis and cut-and-paste techniques. Explicit formulae are given to various problems, some being impossible to solve using the traditional IPA method. Numerical examples are employed to illustrate the results.
Implications of Constant‐Energy Pacing

Some cardiac pacemakers main tain constanl energy per stimulus by automatically increasing the stimulus duration as battery depletion causes the stimulus amplitude to decline. This feature does not guarantee an invariant capture safety margin, however, because the stimulus energy at threshold increases for stimulus durations exceeding the geometric mean of the voltage and current chronaxie times. A method is described for identifying the impulse duration at which the initial capture safety margin begins to be lost with constant-energy pacing.
Intermediate filament heterogeneity in normal and hypercholesterolemic rabbit vascular smooth muscle cells

We have examined the intermediate filament (IF) protein content of vascular smooth muscle (SM) cells from several arteries and veins in rabbits and quantitated the changes which occur in SM cell expression of these proteins in response to cholesterol feeding. Cells from control rabbit arteries expressed 30% of their IF protein as desmin, while veins expressed 50% as desmin. During development of diet-induced atherosclerosis, morphological changes in arterial SM cells in the intima correlate with changes in IF expression. There is a significant increase in total IF protein content, vimentin increased differentially in thoracic aorta and desmin in pulmonary artery. In abdominal aorta both increase equally. Cholesterol feeding also resulted in changes in the expression of subspecies of desmin, vimentin, and actin in the thoracic arch. Although cholesterol feeding did not produce obvious morphological changes in the veins examined, venous SM IF protein expression was also altered. In the vena cava of cholesterol-fed rabbits there was an increase in vimentin expression without the parallel increase in desmin that occurred in the arterial system. These studies show that cholesterol feeding of rabbits induces measurable changes in the amounts of IF proteins in both arterial atherosclerotic lesions and venous SM cells.
Subribosomal particles of Hela cells.

Abstract Well defined ring-shaped and rectangular particles are described as intracellular components of post-ribosomal cytosol of HeLa cells. Their morphology might be identical with particles recently isolated from plasma cell tumors and independently from the culture medium of malignant cells. The HeLa particles exist throughout post-ribosomal extracts from 30-10S; however, the highest concentration and best resolution exists at approx. 14–17S. Ultrastructure by electron microscopy indicates aggregation of the particles at higher sedimentation values. The possible relationship of high molecular weight forms of protein synthesis translational enzymes with both the intra- and extracellular particles has been explored.
Strain differences in heat-induced neural tube defects in mice.

Neural tube defects are common congenital anomalies affecting approximately 0.1% of liveborn infants. It is widely accepted that these disorders are of a multifactorial origin, having both a genetic and an environmental component to their development. In a study designed to elucidate the genetic factors involved in a mouse model of hyperthermia-induced neural tube defects, it is apparent that a hierarchy of susceptibility exists among various inbred mouse strains. Female SWV mice were extremely sensitive to a 10-minute hyperthermic treatment on day 8.5 of gestation, with 44.3% of their offspring having exencephaly. The other strains used in these studies (LM/Bc, SWR/J, C57BL/6J, and DBA/2J) all had less than 14% affected offspring. In experimental situations where the environment is held constant and the only difference between the strains in their genotype, it is assumed that the difference in response to a teratogen is genetically mediated. To test the hypothesis that several genes are involved, reciprocal crosses were made between strains of high, moderate, and low sensitivity. When this was done, the high sensitivity of the SWV strain was lost in the F1 hybrid, implying not only that multiple genes are involved, but that it is the embryo's genotype and not the maternal genotype that is the major factor in determining susceptibility to heat-induced neural tube defects.
Mercury impairment of mouse thymocyte survival in vitro: involvement of cellular thiols.

Heavy metals are well known to be able to induce immunotoxicity, but comparative metal studies related to apoptosis have not been conducted. In the present study, the effects of arsenic, cadmium, gold, lead, manganese, and mercury on thymocytes from BALB/c mice were analyzed. Thymic cells were cultured for 3–24 h in vitro in the absence or presence of metal, and markers of apoptosis or cell death, including annexin V binding, DNA loss/oligonucleosomal fragmentation, 7-amino-actinomycin D uptake (loss of impermeance), changes of the mitochondrial membrane potential (JC-1 fluorescence), and Western analysis of cellular thiols, were assayed. Mercury (Hg) was the only metal shown to be consistently toxic with the dose and times utilized. Cadmium (Cd) was the only other metal tested that also produced some significant level of DNA loss; however, the induction of apoptosis by Cd was not as consistent as that observed with Hg. When Hg was added with 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME), Hg produced greater toxicity. Endogen...
Ocean chemistry of the fossil fuel CO2 signal : The haline signal of business as usual

The increasing fossil fuel CO2 signal in surface ocean waters, superimposed upon the natural background, has now reached the level of about 2mg kg−1, and thus, if we were to conceive of this as a separate signal, it has become a new component of the salinity of sea water in its own right. By the year 2100, under the IPCC “Business as Usual” scenario, the fossil fuel signal will exceed in mass the contributions of fluoride, boron, or strontium ions to the salinity of the surface ocean waters, and will reduce the pre-industrial carbonate iron concentration by about 55%. However the net effect of this massive chemical transfer to the ocean has not been to cause a haline contraction, but to increase the volume of the ocean by about 330 × 109 m³ today. The water flux from fossil combustion, of about 10.5 × 109 m³ yr−1, adds to this volume change.
Regional differences in accumulation of tritium-labeled norepinephrine, 5-hydroxytryptamine and gamma-aminobutyric acid in brain slices of spider and rhesus monkey.

Summary We have examined the uptake of [ 3 H]norepinephrine, [ 3 H]5-hydroxytryptamine, and γ-amino[ 3 H]butyric acid into 11 different regions of the brains of the spider and rhesus monkey. γ-Amino[ 3 H]butyric acid was concentrated to a similar extent by all areas of monkey brain; failing to correlate with the endogenous concentration of the compound. [ 3 H]Norepinephrine showed a regional localization similar to the endogenous catecholamine distribution, but with some differences. [ 3 H]5-Hydroxytryptamine was concentrated by areas rich in endogenous 5-hydroxytryptamine as well as by areas rich in endogenous catecholamines. Although [ 3 H]norepinephrine and [ 3 H]5-hydroxytryptamine showed similar regional accumulations, there were some significant differences which suggest a specific uptake of [ 3 H]5-hydroxytryptamine by serotoninergic neurons and of [ 3 H]norepinephrine by norepinephrine or dopaminecontaining nerve endings. The regional pattern of uptake of the 3 compounds studied was similar in the brains of rhesus and spider monkeys.
Hydrogenic and screened self-energies for d states

The one-loop self-energy is evaluated for d{sub 3/2} and d{sub 5/2} states in hydrogenic ions, and good agreement found with previous calculations. Results are compared to what is known of the Z{alpha} expansion and higher-order binding corrections inferred for these states as well as for their fine structures. Screened Kohn-Sham potentials are then used to evaluate the one-loop self-energy corrections to n = 2 states of lithiumlike ions for Z = 10 - 100, n = 3 states of sodiumlike ions for Z = 20 - 100, and n = 4 states of copperlike ions for Z = 40 - 100. The importance of these screened calculations for the interpretation of recent high accuracy experiments is emphasized.
Quinidine and Dihydroquinidine Interactions in Human Plasma

The protein-binding characteristics of dihydroquinidine, a known impurity in drug grade quinidine, in human plasma and the effects of dihydroquinidine on quinidine interactions with these plasma constituents were studied by equilibrium dialysis. In the plasma concentration range of 1.75–23.0 mg/liter, dihydroquinidine binding was similar to the binding observed with quinidine. The data suggested the presence of a single class of binding sites for both compounds in the plasma drug concentration range and samples studied. The mean values for the association constant, K, and the total concentration of binding sites, nPt, for dihydroquinidine were 4.75 ± 0.67 × 104 M− 1 and 5.78 ± 0.17 × 10− 5 M, respectively. The corresponding values for quinidine were 4.78 ± 1.00 × 104 M− 1 and 5.65 ± 0.48 × 10− 5 M. In the presence of 5 and 10% (of total alkaloid content) dihydroquinidine, the plasma concentration of unbound quinidine did not change significantly. At a 20% level of dihydroquinidine, however, an increase in unbound quinidine was observed (p < 0.05). The elevations in free quinidine concentrations were directly related to the level of dihydroquinidine present. The results of this study indicate that the interactions between dihydroquinidine and quinidine for binding sites on human plasma proteins are competitive.
Childhood proactive and reactive aggression: Differential risk for substance use?

Abstract The link between child/adolescent aggression and substance use is an important area of study, as child aggression is a strong risk factor for substance use — a major public health concern for which few successful interventions are available. A better understanding of the link between aggression and substance use could help to refine and develop more effective and perhaps more targeted prevention and intervention strategies. One way to further understand the link between aggression and substance use may be to distinguish between proactive and reactive functions of aggression. Indeed, there is growing evidence to suggest that proactively aggressive behavior is more strongly linked to substance use, particularly problem drinking, than reactive aggression. However, further investigation is needed to fully understand these associations. This paper presents a thorough review of the available research, outlines gaps in the literature, and offers suggestions for future research.
Myeloma Bone Disease

Bone disease is a characteristic feature of myeloma and causes devastating side effects that impact patient quality of life and survival. New findings over the last several years have led to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms regulating bone disease including the understanding that myeloma bone disease results from hyperstimulation of osteoclastogenesis and inhibition of osteoblastogenesis. From these mechanistic findings, promising new therapies including bortezomib and denosumab have evolved and give hope for lessening the impact of osteolytic bone disease in myeloma. New therapies such as anti-DKK1 antibodies are on the horizon. Despite these advances, lingering questions remain that need to be addressed. Why in a small minority of patients do osteoblasts near tumor foci continue to survive and proliferate, whereas in most patients osteoblastogenesis is inhibited? Can combinations of bone preserving and bone forming therapies lead to repair of osteolytic lesions in myeloma? To what extent do myeloma tumor cells exhibit direct osteolytic effects separate from osteoclasts, and how can these effects be diminished? Tackling these and other remaining mechanistic questions will lead to even better therapeutic approaches to controlling myeloma bone disease.
The effect of redox potential, and its interaction with sodium chloride concentration, on the probability of growth of Clostridium botulinum type E from spore inocula

Abstract A most probable number (mpn) count has been used to assess the effect of redox potential and of redox potential combined with increasing concentrations of sodium chloride on the probability of growth of spores of C. botulinum type E strain Beluga. In the majority of cases the maximum count developed within five days. In medium at pH 6·8 – 7·0, containing 0·1% w/v NaCl, incubated at 20°C, the probability of growth of spores in five days was not significantly lower at an E h of approx +60 mV, adjusted by the introduction of air, than in strictly anaerobic conditions at E h −400 mV. Increasing the E h above +60 mV resulted in a decrease in the probability of growth of spores, and at a redox potential between approx +122 mV and +164 mV the probability of growth was decreased by a factor of over 10 5 compared with that at the lowest E h . The inclusion of 3·25% w/v and 4% w/v NaCl in medium at a redox potential of −400 mV decreased the probability of growth by factors of 10 2 and 10 4 respectively, while the combination of 3·25% w/v NaCl and an E h between +62 mV and +122 mV decreased the probability of growth by a factor of 10 6 .
A probabilistic algorithm for computing minimum weights of large error-correcting codes

An algorithm is developed that can be used to find, with a very low probability of error (10/sup -100/ or less in many cases), the minimum weights of codes far too large to be treated by any known exact algorithm. The probabilistic method is used to find minimum weights of all extended quadratic residue codes of length 440 or less. The probabilistic algorithm is presented for binary codes, but it can be generalized to codes over GF(q) with q>2. >
Output, Employment, Consumption, and Investment

I. The problem: quantitative relationship between the primary demand for particular products and total output and employment, 290. — II. Technological relations assumed, 294. — The resulting equations, 296. — Computing employment, 297. — The concept of final demand, 298. — III. Computation from American data for 1939, 299. — IV. Applicability of these results to data for 1929, 304. — Explanation of discrepancies, 308. — V. Relationship between final purchases of particular commodities and total employment, 311. — Appendix, 313.
Gaugeability and conditional gaugeability

New Kato classes are introduced for general transient Borel right processes, for which gauge and conditional gauge theorems hold. These new classes are the genuine extensions of the Green-tight measures in the classical Brownian motion case. However, the main focus of this paper is on establishing various equivalent conditions and consequences of gaugeability and conditional gaugeability. We show that gaugeability, conditional gaugeability and the subcriticality for the associated Schrodinger operators are equivalent for transient Borel right processes with strong duals. Analytic characterizations of gaugeability and conditional gaugeability are given for general symmetric Markov processes. These analytic characterizations are very useful in determining whether a process perturbed by a potential is gaugeable or conditionally gaugeable in concrete cases. Connections with the positivity of the spectral radii of the associated Schrodinger operators are also established.
Multiple DNA extractions coupled with stable-isotope probing of anthracene-degrading bacteria in contaminated soil.

In many of the DNA-based stable-isotope probing (SIP) studies published to date in which soil communities were investigated, a single DNA extraction was performed on the soil sample, usually using a commercial DNA extraction kit, prior to recovering the 13C-labeled (heavy) DNA by density-gradient ultracentrifugation. Recent evidence suggests, however, that a single extraction of a soil sample may not lead to representative recovery of DNA from all of the organisms in the sample. To determine whether multiple DNA extractions would affect the DNA yield, the eubacterial 16S rRNA gene copy number, or the identification of anthracene-degrading bacteria, we performed seven successive DNA extractions on the same aliquot of contaminated soil either untreated or enriched with [U-13C]anthracene. Multiple extractions were necessary to maximize the DNA yield and 16S rRNA gene copy number from both untreated and anthracene-enriched soil samples. Sequences within the order Sphingomonadales, but unrelated to any previously described genus, dominated the 16S rRNA gene clone libraries derived from 13C-enriched DNA and were designated “anthracene group 1.” Sequences clustering with Variovorax spp., which were also highly represented, and sequences related to the genus Pigmentiphaga were newly associated with anthracene degradation. The bacterial groups collectively identified across all seven extracts were all recovered in the first extract, although quantitative PCR analysis of SIP-identified groups revealed quantitative differences in extraction patterns. These results suggest that performing multiple DNA extractions on soil samples improves the extractable DNA yield and the number of quantifiable eubacterial 16S rRNA gene copies but have little qualitative effect on the identification of the bacterial groups associated with the degradation of a given carbon source by SIP.
A fast surface integral equation solver for composite structures with metamaterial regions

This article presents a surface integral equation solver for efficient analysis of scattering from large-scale and complex piecewise homogeneous structures that may include not only traditional double-positive penetrable materials and perfect-electric conductors but also single/double-negative metamaterials and their junctions. Numerical results validate the accuracy and efficiency of the fast solver and demonstrate its versatility for solving general multi-region problems including metamaterial cloaking problems and homogenization problems.
Dimensions of self-concept of pregnant unwed teens.

ABSTRACT The study examined the self-esteem of pregnant teens enrolled in a program designed to maximize their chances of completing school. The Culture Free Self-Esteem Inventory (Battle, 1981) and the Coopersmith (1981) Self-Esteem Inventory were completed by the teens. The mean score of the group on the Culture Free Total Self Scale was below average in comparison to the norm.
The reversible reaction of Hg (II) and double-stranded polynucleotides. A step-function theory and its significance.

Abstract I have constructed a step-function binding theory for the reaction of Hg(II) and double-stranded polynucleotides. The theory specifies 2:1 base-Hg(II) complexes which bridge the double helix as the sites of the reaction when the ratio, r ≡ [Hg(II) added]/[base] ≦ 0.5. Several kinds of evidence indicate tthat Hg(II)-(thymidine)2 complexes are the most readily formed. Necessarily, the theory stipulaes perturbation of the Watson-Crick helix in reacting with Hg(II). The minimal perturbation is taken to be an axial chain shift by one base spacing. Combined with stoichiometric data on the complexing of Hg(II) and nucleosides, the chain-shift mechanism enables a quantitative evaluation of the average number of hydrogen ions released by a double-stranded polynucleotide in the interval r = 0 to r = 0.5. The theory largely explains the seeming anomaly in the mercurimetric pH-stat titration curve of highly ordered A–T polymer compared to natural DNAs. Since the chemical mechanism is the same for both A–T polymer and the natural DNAs, the reaction should prove useful in distinguishing between order and disorder in the base sequence of polynucleotides. I have also briefly discussed the application of the reaction to some aspects of the physical chemistry of polynucleotides and to the determination of their base composition and fractionation.
Long-range degree correlations in complex networks

Social networks are often degree correlated between nearest neighbors, an effect termed homophily, wherein individuals connect to nearest neighbors of similar connectivity. Whether friendships or other associations are so correlated beyond the first-neighbors, and whether such correlations are an inherent property of the network or are dependent on other specifics of social interactions, remains unclear. Here we address these problems by examining long-range degree correlations in three undirected online social and three undirected nonsocial (airport, transcriptional-regulatory) networks. Degree correlations were measured using Pearson correlation scores and by calculating the average neighbor degrees for nodes separated by up to 5 sequential links. We found that the online social networks exhibited primarily weak anticorrelation at the first-neighbor level, and tended more strongly towards disassortativity as separation distances increased. In contrast, the nonsocial networks were disassortative among first-neighbors, but exhibited assortativity at longer separation distances. In addition, the average degrees of the separated neighbors approached the average network connectivity after approximately 3-4 steps. Finally, we observed that two algorithms designed to grow networks on a node-by-node basis failed to reproduce all the correlative features representative of the social networks studied here.
Biotech's defining moments

Confusion about terms related to biotechnology – genetic modification, GMOs, genetic engineering, transgenic, and all the rest – has been around for decades. This definitional dysfunction has created myriad opportunities for mischief and given rise to widespread over-regulation, diminished agricultural R&D, ill-advised conferences and risk assessment studies, flawed analyses (including a recent tome from the OECD), fear-mongering by NGOs, and a perplexed public. Greater precision in terminology would improve the lot of scientists, the quality of public policy and, eventually, human and environmental health.
Export promotion and import demand for US red meat in selected Pacific Rim countries

This study evaluates the effectiveness of US government nonprice promotion programs on US exports of red meat to four newly industrialized countries in the Pacific Rim: Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan. An estimated import demand equation is used for in-sample simulations to address the question of what would have happened if the current promotion expenditures had been reallocated among the four countries. In addition, rates of return to promotion investment are computed; a 50% increase in expenditures is estimated to increase returns by $47 on average. But South Korea is the only market in which meat promotion appears to be effective. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
FECUNDITY OF THE ACORN BARNACLE BALANUS PACIFICUS PILSBRY: A FUGITIVE SPECIES1

The distribution of Balanzcs pncific~ along the coasts of California and Baja California indicates that it probably is a fugitive species. This barnacle usually occurs on small ephemeral objects in the sand rather than in established many-species communities on rock. Jt occurred in only 11% of the 94 rocky areas but in 83% of the 53 sandy areas examined. It is well suited for such an existence; when compared to other barnacles, it shows a high fecundity and an early age of maturity. It also breeds continuously throughout the year and is
A2A Adenosine Receptor Activation Improves Survival in Mouse Models of Endotoxemia and Sepsis

Background. Sepsis is currently treated with antibiotics and various adjunctive therapies that are not very effective. Methods. Mouse survival (4–5 days) and peritoneal and blood bacteria counts were determined after challenge with intraperitoneal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or live Escherichia coli. Results. The A2A adenosine receptor (AR) agonist 4-{3-[6-amino-9-(5-ethylcarbamoyl-3, 4-dihydroxy-tetrahydro-furan-2-yl)-9H-purin-2-yl]-prop-2-ynyl}-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid methyl ester (ATL146e; 0.05–50 mg/kg) protected mice from challenge with LPS, and protection occurred when treatment was delayed up to 24 h after challenge. Deletion of the A 2A AR gene, Adora2a, inhibited protection by ATL146e. A putative A 3AR agonist, N 6 3-iodobenzyladenosine-5 � -N-methyluronamide (IB-MECA; 500 mg/kg but not 5 or 50 mg/kg) protected mice from challenge with LPS. The protective effects of both ATL146e and IB-MECA were counteracted by the A2A AR selective antagonist 4-(2-[7-amino-2-[2-furyl][1,2,4]triazolo[2,3-a][1,3,5]triazin-5-yl-amino]ethyl)-phenol. In the live E. coli model, treatment with ATL146e (50 mg/kg initiated 8 h after infection) increased survival in mice treated with ceftriaxone (5 days) from 40% to 100%. Treatment with ATL146e did not affect peritoneal numbers of live E. coli at the time of death or 120 h after infection but did increase numbers of peritoneal neutrophils and decreased the number of live E. coli in blood. Conclusions. AR agonists increase mouse survival in endotoxemia and sepsis via A2A AR–mediated mechanisms and reduce the number of live bacteria in blood. For the past 20 years, the incidence of sepsis (defined as a systemic inflammatory response to infection) [1] has been rising in the United States. There are ∼750,000 new cases of sepsis annually, with a crude mortality of ∼30% [2]. Gram-negative organisms account for 150% of these infections, and septic shock develops in half of the gram-negative infections. Mortality in the pa
Constructs, Concepts and the Worlds of Possibility: Connecting the Measurement, Manipulation, and Meaning of Variables

A theoretical variable such as integrity, conscientiousness, or academic honesty may correspond to either a construct or a concept, but the standard idiom does not distinguish the two. One can describe the difference between constructs and concepts in terms of set theory. Constructs extend over actual cases, whereas concepts extend over both actual and possible cases. As such, theoretical claims made about, say, integrity as a construct differ from claims about integrity as a concept. The restriction of constructs to a specified population plays a central role in test validation and psychometric analyses aimed at distinguishing constructs from one another. The extension of concepts over possible populations plays a central role in the adoption of nonactual possibilities as goals in making efforts toward systemic change and also in the comparison of constructs across populations. The failure of the standard idiom, which conflates constructs with concepts, to provide a vocabulary that captures both populati...
The Limits of Cost-Benefit Analysis as a Guide to Priority-Setting in Rehabilitation.

Policy makers and program managers concerned with targeting resources to meet the rehabilitation needs of the nation cannot rely on the backlog of 18 cost-benefit studies to decide among alternative kinds and amounts of investment. Overly simplistic forecasting of the future earnings of rehabilitants, the insufficiencies of data concerning the benefits and costs of rehabilitation, and the extreme sensitivity of the cost-benefit model's results to its untested underlying assumptions argue against priority-setting based on intuitively appealing class-specific calculations that appear to show greater rates of return for investments in some kinds of disabled persons over others. Until substantial upgrading of the state of the art along certain recommended lines takes place, the political process looks like the only sensible and fair way to approach choice and the assertion ofpriorities.
Work-Family Conflict: The Effect of Job and Family Involvement

Abstract : A review of past research revealed inconsistent findings concerning the relationship between job involvement and work-family conflict. This study tested whether family involvement moderates the relationship between job involvement and work-family conflict. Two types of family involvement (spouse and parent) and two types of work-family conflict (job-spouse and job-parent) were assessed. Data were gathered via questionnaire from a sample of nonteaching professionals employed by a large public university in northeastern United States. As hypothesized, job involvement and job-spouse conflict were positively related for individuals high in spouse involvement and unrelated for individuals low in spouse involvement. Contrary to prediction, parental involvement did not moderate the relationship between job involvement and job-parent conflict. Instead, job involvement was positively related to job-parent conflict regardless of the level of parental involvement. Results are discussed in terms of standards for role performance and strength of role demands. Implications for future research are also discussed.
2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-Dioxin (TCDD) Stimulates Gonadotropin Secretion in the Immature Female Sprague-Dawley Rat Through a Pentobarbital- and Estradiol-Sensitive Mechanism but Does Not Alter Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH) Secretion by Immortalized GnRH Neurons In Vitro

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) induces aberrant release of gonadotropins, FSH, and LH and blocks ovulation during induced ovarian follicular development in rats by an unknown mechanism. In the current study, TCDD (0, 8, or 32 microg/kg orally) was administered to immature female Sprague-Dawley rats, and synchronous follicular development was induced 24 h later with equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG, 5 IU s.c.). Both doses of TCDD induced a significant premature increase in serum FSH and LH (P < 0.05) at 12 h post-eCG. This premature gonadotropin surge was facilitated by the administration of a long-acting estradiol (estradiol cypionate, 0.01, 0.1, and 0.5 mg/kg s.c.), whereas the progesterone and cortisol receptor antagonist RU486 (0, 1, and 10 mg/kg s.c.) potentiated the premature release of FSH and LH following TCDD as well. Pentobarbital (32 mg/kg i.p.) administered at 6 or 9 h, but not 0 h, post-eCG ablated the ability of TCDD to stimulate the release of FSH and LH in vivo. TCDD had no significant effect on GnRH accumulation in vitro from immortalized GnRH neuronal (GT1-7) cells and failed to alter the cell number. Transfection of these cells with a rat GnRH promoter-reporter construct revealed no significant acute effect of TCDD on GnRH promoter activity. Aryl hydrocarbon receptor mRNA was not detected in the GT1-7 cells by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. TCDD appears to stimulate premature gonadotropin release in the gonadotropin-primed immature rat by interacting with an estradiol- and pentobarbital-sensitive neural signal for GnRH release but not by acting upon the GnRH neuron directly.
Battery-Health Conscious Power Management in Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles via Electrochemical Modeling and Stochastic Control

This paper develops techniques to design plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) power management algorithms that optimally balance lithium-ion battery pack health and energy consumption cost. As such, this research is the first to utilize electrochemical battery models to optimize the power management in PHEVs. Daily trip length distributions are integrated into the problem using Markov chains with absorbing states. We capture battery aging by integrating two example degradation models: solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) film formation and the “Ah-processed” model. This enables us to optimally tradeoff energy cost versus battery-health. We analyze this tradeoff to explore how optimal control strategies and physical battery system properties are related. Specifically, we find that the slope and convexity properties of the health degradation model profoundly impact the optimal charge depletion strategy. For example, solutions that balance energy cost and SEI layer growth aggressively deplete battery charge at high states-of-charge (SoCs), then blend engine and battery power at lower SoCs.
Roughness receptivity in swept-wing boundary layers - computations

The crossflow instability responsible for transition over a swept wing has been found to be ultra-sensitive to micron-sized roughness at the leading edge. Transition-predictive tools are limited because of the lack of models connecting physical roughness characteristics with initial and boundary conditions needed by the computational codes. The Texas A&M Flight Research Lab (FRL) is currently conducting flight tests of a laminar flow 30° swept wing model (SWIFT – swept wing in flight tests) mounted vertically below the port wing hard-point of a Cessna O-2A Skymaster and operated at chord Reynolds numbers on the order of 7.5 million. Various roughness configurations are correlated with local skin-friction measurements downstream. As a companion to the flight experiments, the group has engaged in a computational study aimed at relating roughness features to the resulting initial amplitude of the instability. This will provide a critical connection between stability analysis design tools and transition locat...
Excess wing in the dielectric loss spectra of propylene glycol oligomers at elevated pressure

Dielectric loss spectra at both ambient and elevated pressure are presented for propylene glycol (PG), dipropylene glycol, and tripropylene glycol. While in previous literature the excess wing (EW) was observed only for PG, we show herein that under high pressure an EW (coexistent with a secondary \ensuremath{\beta} relaxation) is present for all these materials. Furthermore, at higher pressures the EW evolves into a well-separated peak. The pressure sensitivity of the EW is very different from that of the \ensuremath{\beta} relaxation, being close to that of the structural relaxation, whereas the \ensuremath{\beta} peak is virtually insensitive to pressure. These differences imply a very different degree of intermolecularity of the underlying motions. A similarly small sensitivity to pressure has been observed for the \ensuremath{\beta} relaxation in sorbitol. We have measured the spectrum of sorbitol at high pressure, and likewise it indicates the presence of a submerged EW. Finally, the behavior observed for the EW in the glycols is shown to be consistent with predictions of the coupling model, relating the most probably relaxation time for the secondary process to a noncooperative relaxation time. This suggests that the EW may be the precursor to the \ensuremath{\alpha} relaxation and therefore of fundamental importance to understanding the vitrification process in supercooled liquids and polymers.
Topoisomerase IIB and an Extracellular Nuclease Interact to Digest Sperm DNA in an Apoptotic-Like Manner

We previously demonstrated that mammalian spermatozoa contain a nuclease activity that cleaves DNA into loop-sized fragments. We show here that this activity is mediated by a nuclear matrix-associated topoisomerase IIB (TOP2B) interacting with an extracellular Mn2+/Ca2+-dependent nuclease. Together, these enzymes cleave all of the DNA into fragments of 50 kb, and this cleavage can be reversed by EDTA. If dithiothreitol is included, the nuclease digests the DNA, and if the protamines are removed the DNA is completely digested. A similar, TOP2B-mediated, chromatin fragmentation, which is reversible, followed by digestion of the DNA by an intracellular nuclease occurs in somatic cells during apoptosis. The extracellular location of the sperm nuclease made it possible to reconstitute the fragmentation activity in isolated spermatozoa, thus allowing us to identify two novel aspects of the mechanism. First, the fragmentation of all of the DNA to 50 kb by TOP2B required the addition of the extracellular nuclease or factor. Second, the subsequent, complete digestion of the DNA by the nuclease could be inhibited by etoposide, suggesting that the nuclease digestion requires TOP2B religation of the cleaved DNA. These data are the first demonstration of an active TOP2B in spermatozoa, suggesting this inert chromatin may be more active than previously thought. They also show that the unique chromatin structure of spermatozoa may provide an important model to study the regulated degradation of chromatin by TOP2B and associated nucleases.
The psychophysiology of disgust: Differentiating negative emotional contexts with facial EMG

The goals of this study were (a) to examine differing views on the relationship between self-report of emotion and physiological expression of emotion, (b) to differentiate between negative emotional contexts during imagery using facial electromyogram (EMG), and (c) to describe the facial muscle patterning and autonomic physiology of situations that involve expelling or avoiding disgusting sensory stimulation. Fifty subjects imagined situations eliciting disgust, anger, pleasure, and joy in 8-s trials using a tone-cued imagery procedure. Heart rate, skin conductance level, and facial EMG at the corrugator, zygomatic, and levator labii superioris/alesque muscle regions were recorded during imagery, and self-reports of emotion were collected after imagery trials. Self-reports of emotion produced results consistent with the affective categorization of the images. Activity at the levator labii region was higher during disgust than during anger imagery. Corrugator region increase characterized the negative as compared with the positive emotional contents, and activity at the zygomatic region was higher during joy imagery than during the other three emotions. Heart rate acceleration was greater during disgust, anger, and joy imagery than during pleasant imagery. Disgust imagery could be discriminated from anger imagery using facial EMG, and the expressive physiology of disgust was occasioned by the action set of active avoidance or rejection of sensory stimulation.