cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ABO Identical and Washed Transfusions Are Candidate Strategies to Reduce Early Mortality in Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APL)

Abstract Background: Despite dramatically improved long term outcomes seen with all-trans retinoic acid therapy in APL, early mortality remains a substantial challenge. Recent data from a single center (Haematologica 2012; 97:133) and the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) registry (Blood 2011; 118: 1248) report 30 day mortality rates of 26% (n = 18 of 70) and 17% (n = 238 of 1400), respectively. Early deaths are predominately due to hemorrhage. Patients with APL invariably have abnormal laboratory hemostasis tests. The standard of practice is to prophylactically transfuse platelets, plasma and cryoprecipitate to mitigate abnormal platelet counts, PT/PTT and fibrinogen levels. Standard blood bank practice is to transfuse platelets, plasma and cryoprecipitate either without regard to ABO blood group (platelets, cryoprecipitate), or, in some centers, transfusing non-identical universal donor group AB plasma. Evidence from observational studies demonstrate that use of ABO non-identical blood components is associated with increased bleeding. Formation of immune complexes containing ABO antibody, soluble and cellular antigens causes derangement of in vitro measures of platelet function and whole blood clotting. We hypothesized that use of ABO identical blood components and saline washed transfusions (red cells and platelets) would be associated with reduced early mortality in APL by avoidance of transfusion induced hemostatic dysfunction. Methods: This is a single center cohort study of APL patients treated in an 800 bed university community and referral hospital. Novel approaches to transfusion support, based upon randomized trials, have included implementation of ABO identical platelet transfusions for all patients with acute leukemia in 1990, use of only ABO identical cryoprecipitate in 2005, and washed transfusions of red cells and platelets for all patients with acute leukemia Results: Of 41 patients we had 2 early (30 day) deaths (5%; a 71-81% reduction from expected). Early mortality at 100 days was 7% (n = 3). The 30 day mortality in the younger cohort Discussion: Patients treated with transfusion regimens including ABO identical blood components, with or without washing, experienced early mortality at 30 days that was strikingly better (reduced by 71% to 86%) than that reported in the recent literature (3.7% to 5% vs. 17% to 26%). If these observed reductions in early mortality are causal, the avoidance of ABO immune complex induced derangements in hemostasis are a plausible contributing mechanism. These promising results provide a rationale for randomized trials of relatively simple and inexpensive approaches to reducing early hemorrhagic mortality in APL: use of ABO identical transfusions and washing to remove supernatant plasma. Disclosures Blumberg: Biomet/Citra Labs: Consultancy, Honoraria.
Dynamic alterations of the mTOR-Raptor-4EBP1-eIF4E complex during myogenesis of C2C12 myoblasts

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 46, 2005 1505 Differentiation of skeletal muscle cells involves three major steps, namely, withdrawal of myoblasts from the cell cycle, subsequent expression of myotube-specific genes, and formation of multinucleated myotubes. Previous study has shown that proliferation is mediated by the Raf/MEK/ERK pathway, whereas differentiation is mediated by the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. However, exactly why mTOR signaling is essential in myogenic differentiation remains obscure though rapamycin, a very specific inhibitor of mTOR signaling, inhibits myogenic differentiation in C2C12 myoblasts. In cells mTOR is thought to exist in a large complex (> 1 megaDa) with several proteins including Raptor and GβL, and possibly other proteins. Previous studies reported that Raptor binds to mTOR though HEAT regions and binds to 4EBP1 through C terminal TOS motif of 4EBP1 to regulate the mTOR pathway. However, it is unknown whether mTOR complexes are regulated during myogenic differentiation. In this study we have analyzed complexes associated with eIF4E under conditions of growth (growth medium, GM) or differentiation (differentiation medium, DM). Under both conditions eIF4E binds to 7-methyl-GTP-sepharose-4B resin, and can be readily isolated. Using this ‘pull-down’ technique we have analyzed proteins bound to eIF4E under GM and DM conditions. Raptor and 4EBP1 were associated with eIF4E in both GM and DM. Rapamycin increased the association 4EBP1 as anticipated, but not raptor. Interestingly, when C2C12 cells were cultured in GM, 4EBP1 and Raptor were associated with eIF4E, but mTOR was rarely detected in the complex with antibody 26E3. When C2C12 cells were cultured in DM for 24 hrs, mTOR was strongly detected in the eIF4E complex.The results suggest a conformational change during early differentiation that yields tighter binding of mTOR to Raptor. Under nutrient restriction (low amino acids), raptor binds more tightly to mTOR and inhibits mTOR-dependent signaling (Kim et al. Cell 110:163, 2002). To determine whether the mTOR-Raptor complex induced under DM conditions also inhibited signaling, we examined the phosphorylation of two downstream targets of mTOR, p70S6K (Thr389) and 4EBP1 (Thr37). In contrast to the effect of amino acid deficiency, mTOR signaling is not inhibited in differentiating myoblasts. The results suggest that the affinity of mTOR-Raptor-4EBP1-eIF4E interactions increases during myogenic differentiation, and may be be essential for terminal differentiation. Based on these data, we propose that in C2C12 myoblasts there is a dynamic change in mTOR-Raptor-4EBP1-eIF4E complexes associated with cell cycle withdrawal. Other proteins may be involved in the regulation, such as g-actin, which was found associated with the complex in rapamycin-treated cells. The exact relation between the dynamics of these complexes and regulation of myogenesis is under further study. Supported by CA7776, CA96696 and ALSAC
Solving ill-posed nonlinear least squares with a subset updating method

Abstract Many parametric approximation problems can be cast as nonlinear least squares. And in many practical considerations, the problems are ill-posed. Unlike classical nonlinear least squares including trust region methods, the algorithm developed in this paper aims at not only achieving high approximation accuracy but also low model complexity as well as low computational complexity. The algorithm minimizes a generalized objective function with a special trust region constraint, and in the meantime utilizes Jacobian rank deficiency to remove redundant parameters in the approximation models. Some convergence properties of the algorithm are qualitatively evaluated and the effectiveness of the algorithm and its variants are demonstrated using two neural network approximation examples. Comparisons are made with the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm.
CAUSA AND CONSIDERATION IN THE LAW OF CONTRACTS

and metaphysical notion calling for subtle distinctions, and creating confusion instead of serving a useful purpose. Speaking of the modem Dutch law, Van der Linden says :,.6 "Besides the invalidity of contracts on the ground of absence of free consent, they are also null and void whenever they have no cause ( oorzaak) at all, or a false cause or a cause which offends against justice, good faith or good morals." It is expressed in the same manner in Article 1371 of the Dutch Civil Code.n The following statements will serve to show what is meant by causa in the Roman Dutch law: "There must be a rea.Son for a contract," says Morice, "a rational motive for it, whether that motive is benevolence, friendship, or other , proper feeling, or, on the other hand, of a commercial or business nature. In other words, the agreement must be a deliberate, serious act, not one that is irrational or motiveless." Maasdorp79 expresses it in the following words : "All that is meant by a reasonable cause (redelyke oorzaak) in our law is that an agreement, in order to afford a right of action, shall have 14 Ibid., no. 1039. '"See Baudrie-Lacantinerie & Barde, op. cit., nos. 321-327 and the authors there cited. See also 2 Colin & Capitant, Cours elementaire de droit civil fran~ais, 313. Of the French monographs on causa (see ante, note 9) those by Artur, Conril, Ernst, Seferiades and Timbal take this view. Those of Brissaud and P. Colin take the contrary view. 16 Van der Linden, Institutes, Bk. I, ch. 14, sec. 2. 11 Art. 1371, which reads as follows: "Bene overeenkomst zonder oorzaak, of ttit eene valsche of ongeoorloofde oorzaak, am~gegaan, is krachteloos." 78 Morice, English and Roma1~ Dutch Law (2d ed.) 79. See also Dalloz, op. cit., art. II3I, nos. 23, 38-39, 41,-44-46. 19 Maasdorp, The Institutes of Cape Law, Bk. III: The Law of Obligations. Part I: Contracts, 36.
Trial-to-trial variability in talkers’ fundamental frequencies restrains spectral context effects in vowel categorization

Perception of a given sound is influenced by spectral properties of surrounding sounds. For example, listeners perceive /ɪ/ (low F1) more often when following sentences filtered to emphasize high-F1 frequencies, and perceive /ɛ/ (high F1) more often following sentences filtered to emphasize low-F1 frequencies. These biases in vowel categorization are known as spectral contrast effects (SCEs). When preceding sentences were spoken by acoustically similar talkers (low variability in mean f0), SCEs biased vowel categorization, but sentences spoken by acoustically different talkers (high variability in mean f0) biased vowel categorization significantly less (Assgari et al., 2016 ASA). However, it was unclear whether these effects varied due to local (trial-to-trial) or global (across entire block) variability in mean f0. Here, the same sentences were arranged to increase/decrease monotonically in mean f0 across trials (low local variability) or vary substantially from trial-to-trial (high local variability) wi...
Early-Time Pulse-Echo Thermal Wave Imaging

We describe the early time behavior of reflected thermal wave pulses from planar subsurface scatterers, and describe methods for making depth images, independently of the lateral size of the scatterer.
Human–Bird Interactions

The human–bird relationship is diverse and varies between cultures and within the same cultures over time. Humans have exploited various avian species for millennia, using them for many different purposes including their flesh and eggs as food, skins and feathers as clothing, egg shells and feathers (including whole taxidermied birds) as decorative items, feathers as quill pens or as fletching for arrows and darts. Their bones have been made into musical instruments, fishhooks and other artefacts, and their guano, feathers, and bones have been used as fertiliser. Birds have been targeted for subsistence and sport hunting. In addition, birds have served as pets, fictive family members, or tools in the hunt for other birds, fish and small mammals.
Communication complexity of solving a polynomial equation

In a computer network where a set of processors wish to perform some computational task, communication can sometimes become a bottleneck, especially when communication resources are scarce. This is particularly so, in the area of parallel and VLSI computation where communication issues have been studied extensively. In such contexts, it is desirable to design algorithms that require as little information exchange as possible. Problems of minimizing the amount of exchanged information also arise in the context of decentralized signal processing, where each local processor collects some partial data to be processed collectively. In this paper, we study the communication complexity (i.e., the minimum possible amount of information exchange) of some particular computational tasks. Generally speaking, communication complexity depends both on the topology of a computer network and on the nature of the computational task under consideration. In this paper, we ignore the topological issues, by assuming that there are only two processors, say P1 and P2.
La tradición del derecho continental europeo y el constitucionalismo en el México del siglo XX: el legado de Emilio Rabasa

This article argues that it is neccessary to look to Mexico's "civil-law tradition", derived from Rome and continental Europe, in order to understand the problem of constitutionalism and judicial review in the country's public law. Two keys elements of that tradition are a depreciation of judges and a resistance to judge-made law, and the theoretical corollary that law emanates from the Legislator. The political and judicial thought of Emilio Rabasa provides an intriguing insight into these issues. Rabasa advocated a powerful supreme court on the North American pattern and yet resisted the "legislacion de los jueces" that he oberved in practice while in exile in the United States from 1913 to 1920. The article argues further that despite Rabasa's ambivalence toward the Northe American legal model, the ssence of his juridical thought was critically historical and comparative, a characteristic which declined in post-revolutionary Mexico, resulting in a divergence between law and history.
Electrokinetic Generation of High Pressures using Porous Microstructures

The ability to generate high pressures using electrokinetic pumping of liquid through porous media is reported. Pressures in excess of 8000 psi have been achieved using silica capillaries packed with micron-size silica beads. A model is presented which captures absolute pressures, flowrates and power conversion efficiencies as well as the experimentally observed dependencies on pore size, applied electric field and electrical properties of the fluid. This previously unrecognized phenomena offers the possibility of creating a new class on micro- and meso-scale fluid devices where electroosmotic flow in a fine porous media is used as a pump to impart net useful hydraulic power to the fluid.
Electronic Transitions Responsible for C60+ Diffuse Interstellar Bands.

Diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) are puzzling absorption features believed to contain critical information about molecular evolution in space. Despite the fact that C60+ recently became the first confirmed carrier of several DIBs, the nature of the corresponding transitions is not understood. Using electronic structure methods, we show that the two strong C60+ DIBs cannot be explained by electronic transitions to the two different excited 2E1g states or the two spin–orbit components of the lowest 2E1g state, as suggested before. We argue that the strong DIBs at 9632 and 9577 A correspond to the cold excitations from the non-Franck–Condon region of the ground electronic state to the two components of the lowest 2E1g state split by Jahn–Teller distortion. The weak DIBs at 9428 and 9365 A are assigned to the first vibronic transitions involving the low-energy vibrational modes and components of the lowest 2E1g electronic state.
A quantitative study of body dysmorphic disorder: Latent structure and correlates

Abstract Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a body image disturbance of perceived ugliness that is underdiagnosed and often untreated. Although the nature of BDD is assumed to be synonymous with its conceptualization as a discrete DSM category, recent research suggests the possibility of a more complex latent structure. To clarify BDD’s latent structure, data from a large (N = 1,385), unselected sample was analyzed using an integrated, quantitative approach. From multiple measures of BDD, three symptom indicators were extracted that had the following appearance-related content: (1) perception—negative self-evaluation, (2) avoidance—fear of negative social evaluation, and (3) behavior—activities to modify flaws. Factor mixture modeling of the three indicators supported a hybrid categorical-dimensional latent structure with three distinct classes that had varying levels of the three extracted BDD symptoms. The three classes (subgroups of individuals) were a large non-symptomatic class (i.e., Non-BDD) and two smaller classes (i.e., Elevated Avoidance BDD, Elevated BDD). Analyses of conceptually overlapping personality and symptom measures showed social anxiety symptoms were highest in the Elevated Avoidance class and lowest in the Non-BDD class. Depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms were higher in the two BDD symptomatic classes than in the Non-BDD class, whereas negative affect was highest in the Elevated Avoidance class and lowest in the Non-BDD class. These findings suggest that modifications to current conceptualizations BDD could lead to improvements in BDD identification.
The Influence Parent Socialization and School Environment has on African-American Adolescent Males’ Mathematics Self-Efficacy and Engineering Career Trajectory

This Full Paper in the Research Category presents a study aimed at examining the moderating/mediating role of parental academic socialization messages and school resources on African-American males’ engineering career trajectory and self-efficacy beliefs. With men being overrepresented in engineering fields, the dramatically lower representation of African-American men (AFAM) looks especially conspicuous. The underrepresentation is a concern for diversity and socio-economic status of the AFAM community and the roots need to be understood. Classical theories explain how career choice is influenced by motivation and socialization, so examining how mathematics self-efficacy and socialization combine to inform career choice of AFAM male adolescents can help to understand their participation in the pipeline to engineering jobs. This study uses data from the nationally represented Educational Longitudinal Study analyzed using multi-level logistic and longitudinal models. Findings suggest that parents who expect school success, believe people can learn to be good at math, and check homework are related to increased odds that their child will be on an engineering career trajectory. Parents who more frequently helped with their child’s homework decreased their child’s odds of being on an engineering career trajectory. This study contributes to existing literature on increasing the engineering pipeline for underrepresented minorities.
Roles and mechanism of microRNAs in the regulation of skeletal muscle insulin resistance

Insulin resistance is a common pathophysiological mechanism of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Skeletal muscle is one of the major target organs of insulin-mediated glucose uptake, metabolism and utilization, and it is the earliest and most important site of insulin resistance. Studies have shown that the impairments of glucose uptake, insulin signaling pathway and mitochondrial biosynthesis are closely related to skeletal muscle insulin resistance. When insulin resistance develops in skeletal muscle, multiple microRNAs (miRNAs) are up-regulated (miR-106b, miR-23a, miR-761, miR-135a, Let-7 and miR-29a) or down-regulated (miR-133a, miR-149 and miR-1). They participate in the regulation of skeletal muscle glucose uptake, insulin signaling pathway and mitochondrial biogenesis, and thus play important roles in the occurrence and development of skeletal muscle insulin resistance. Therefore, these miRNAs may serve as potential targets for the treatment of skeletal muscle insulin resistance or diabetes.
Japanese Narratives of Decolonization and Repatriation from Manchuria

The horrific memories of World War II in Japan not only include the brutal experiences of the battle and home fronts, but also the harrowing flight from the collapsing empire. Defeat in 1945 meant forfeiture of colonies and occupied territories in Korea, Taiwan, China, Sakhalin (Karafuto), Kurile Islands, Pacific Islands, and Southeast Asia, including Vietnam and Indonesia. In total, 3.2 million Japanese civilians returned as repatriates from East and Southeast Asia, in addition to 3.7 million demobilized military personnel. This chapter explores the discourses of repatriation that emerged in post-imperial Japan from the 1950s through the 2010s. Representations of cultural trauma are central to these discourses, and overtime, the cultural trauma of stranded Japanese families in Manchuria emerged as a dominant symbol of defeat and failed colonization. The chapter will assess the significance of this narrative in the context of the broader geopolitics of East Asia and generational change in postwar Japan.
Technical and Economic Factors Affecting Losses in Sweet Cherry Production: A Case Study from Turkey

The aim of this study was to determine the factors affecting losses in sweet cherry production. The research was carried out in the Kemalpasa district of Izmir province, which is one of Turkey’s mo...
Childhood Overweight/Obesity and the Physical Activity Environment in Rhode Island.

Objective This study seeks to better understand the relationship between the physical activity environment and child overweight/obesity in Rhode Island. Methods Using geographic information systems (GIS), this study calculated distances from residences to physical activity resources to assess the relationship distance has with childhood overweight/obesity. Results Mean distances in high-risk towns ranged from 0.61 to 3.15 miles compared to physical activity resources in low-risk towns, where distances ranged from 1.25 to 7.43 miles. For each additional mile to reach the closest indoor facility, there is a 0.41 (95% CI: -0.78, -0.03) percentage point decrease in the child overweight/obesity rate. Conclusion: High-risk block groups and towns have higher rates of child overweight/obesity and show shorter distances to physical activity resources. This study demonstrates that simply having physical activity structures in place is not enough to reduce child overweight/obesity and further research should examine the quality and usage patterns of these resources.
Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry ion suppression/enhancement caused by column bleed for three mixed-mode reversed-phase/anion-exchange high-performance liquid chromatography columns.

RATIONALE Mixed-mode reversed-phase/anion exchange liquid chromatography is useful for separations of mixtures containing anions (e.g. ionized acids). However, when using this form of liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry detection, the bleed of amine-containing hydrolysis products from the columns may cause ion suppression or enhancement. METHODS Using electrospray ionization tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry detection, we determined the ion suppression or enhancement caused by column bleed for three mixed-mode reversed-phase/weak anion-exchange columns containing stationary phases that differ in chemical structure. Two of the stationary phases are based on silica particles, while the third uses ethylene-bridged hybrid organic/inorganic particles, which have improved hydrolytic stability. Mixtures of acidic and basic analytes were combined with the chromatography flow postcolumn, both with and without a column, and their mass spectrometry ion signal responses (peak areas) were determined. The ratio of signal response with and without a column is the matrix factor. Positive ion electrospray measurements were carried out using 0.1% formic acid (pH ~ 2.7) as a mobile phase additive, and 10mM ammonium formate (pH ~ 6.4) was used for negative ion electrospray detection. RESULTS The matrix factors under both positive and negative ionization modes were closest to 1 (0.74-1.16) for the hybrid particle-based columns, showing minimal ion suppression or enhancement. In contrast, the silica-based columns gave matrix factors ranging from 0.04 to 1.86, indicating high levels of ion suppression or enhancement. These results may be explained by the differences in the structures of the stationary phases, which affect the relative amounts of hydrolysis products that elute from the columns. CONCLUSIONS The low levels of mass spectrometry ion suppression or enhancement caused by column bleed from the hybrid particle-based columns should allow for accurate quantitative mass spectrometric detection combined with mixed-mode reversed-phase/weak anion-exchange chromatography.
Stale Prices, Fragility, and Detrimental Cash: Evidence from Private Real Estate Funds

This paper documents a new source of financial fragility and studies its interactions with common stabilization tools. Economists believe funds report stale Net Asset Values (NAVs) when they invest in illiquid assets. This staleness creates return predictability, NAV-timing risks, and fund fragility risks for open-end funds. However, because their assets are illiquid, managers limit fund flows to deter buying assets at a premium or selling them at a discount. Limiting flows has the secondary effect of protecting against the risks stale NAVs create. Interestingly, illiquidity in the underlying assets creates the opportunity for, and the friction against, exploiting buy-and-hold investors.
Elastomeric Harnesses Decrease Aerosol Particles Leak and Improve the Fit of Surgical Masks

ABSTRACT Importance The outbreak of Coronavirus diseases 2019 (COVID-19) disease has increased demand for N95 respirators, surgical masks, and other facial coverings to stop the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Research shows that N95 respirators perform the best at filtering viral droplets and aerosols, however these masks are much more difficult to manufacture and expensive to distribute on a large scale, which led to shortages during the pandemic. Surgical masks, on the other hand, were more widely available and have been previously used to mitigate the spread of tuberculosis and influenza. Objectives To evaluate the filter filtration efficiency (FFE) of three elastomeric harness designs in hospital and research settings in order to improve facemask seal. Design, setting and participants A multi-institutional collaboration between engineers and health professionals, conducted between November 2020 and March 2021, was set up to design an elastomeric harness to improve the face seal of a surgical mask. Three elastomeric harness designs were created with harness designs 1 and 2 tested in a research laboratory setting and harness design 2.1 tested in a hospital setting. The initial harness design 1 was laser cut for testing and design 2 was developed to improve the detected particle leakage around the nose bridge area by introducing more material in that region. Design 2.1 is developed for hospital settings with less material around the nose bridge to reduce vision disruption. The designs were tested on mannequins and human volunteers using IR imaging and standard fit testing equipment. Main Outcomes and Measures Our elastomeric harness can improve the seal of a surgical mask allowing it to pass the fit test used to evaluate N95 respirators. 24/39 participants achieved a passing score of 100 or more while wearing the second harness design. IR imaging determined that the nasal sidewalls region of the mask is most prone to leakage when using our first elastomeric harness. Conclusions and Relevance Overall, these results confirm that elastomeric harnesses combined with surgical masks improve their ability to filter aerosolized particles, which is especially important when in close proximity to individuals who are infectious or while performing aerosol-generating medical procedures.
Does Pisum Sativum Exhibit A Response to Neighbour and Pot Volume Manipulations? A Bayesian Hierarchical Meta-Analysis

Plant-plant competition is ubiquitous in nature. However, studying below ground competition has been plagued with methodological problems, and arguments about the appropriate controls. One experimental design that controls total nutrients and soil nutrient concentrations among plants grown alone or with neighbours achieves this by intentionally confounding pot volume (V) with neighbour addition. Here, we examined 18 unique experiments from 7 different studies for a total of 254 replicate alone-V/2 and with neighbour-V pairs of Pisum sativum (L.) plants in a Bayesian hierarchical meta-analysis. The posterior distributions show that it is unlikely that P. sativum root growth is influenced by either pot volume or neighbours. Pods are slightly more likely to increase in the neighbour-V treatment compared to the alone-V/2 treatment, though it is impossible to know if this is due to neighbour interactions or potting volume effects. Some researchers have dismissed experiments that seek to control soil nutrients when plants are grown alone or with neighbours, however, we believe this is still an active area of debate, and there is value in further study that seeks to understand how plants assess and respond to cues in their environment. More data and not more rhetoric is needed to resolve this problem. We suggest that further work should not use P. sativum anymore, and suggest some promising model plant candidates based on results in the literature.
Carbon Nanotubes, Graphene, and Carbon Dots as Electrochemical Biosensing Composites

Carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) have been extensively used as electrochemical sensing composites due to their interesting chemical, electronic, and mechanical properties giving rise to increased performance. Due to these materials’ unknown long-term ecological fate, care must be given to make their use tractable. In this review, the design and use of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene, and carbon dots (CDs) as electrochemical sensing electrocatalysts applied to the working electrode surface are surveyed for various biosensing applications. Graphene and CDs are readily biodegradable as compared to CNTs. Design elements for CNTs that carry over to graphene and CDs include Coulombic attraction of components and using O or N atoms that serve as tethering points for attaching electrocatalytically active nanoparticles (NPs) and/or other additives.
Double Standards? Aristotle's Critique of Plato's Republic and the Spartan Constitution

In Politics II, Aristotle articulates and makes use of several criteria in his examination of existing and proposed constitutions thought to be best or well-governed. At first glance, the distinction between existing constitutions, such as those of Sparta, Crete, and Carthage, and proposed constitutions, such as those of Plato’s Republic, Laws, Phaleas of Chalcedon, and Hippodamus of Miletus, appears to be the difference between what is theoretically best (or even utopian) and what is practically best — a reification, as it were, of the double standard between theory and practice. But a careful examination of the arguments in Politics II shows that Aristotle critiques both existing and proposed constitutions on the basis of the same four criteria, namely (a) how well they compare with actual practices, (2) how they compare with the notion of the best regime, (3) whether their social and political institutions are consistent with their “hypotheses” or fundamental principles, and (4) whether their hypothesis are correct. A close examination of Aristotle’s critiques of Plato’s Republic and the Spartan constitution shows that he does not embrace a double standard of what is best in theory versus what is best in practice; rather, Aristotle uses the same criteria to evaluate both existing and proposed regimes, and his consideration of both serves as a repository for his own articulation of that regime which is best “according to one’s prayers” in Politics VII-VIII.
Policy Components of Arms Competition

This report suggests and justifies a simple approach to arms competitions, wherein arms competitions are viewed as disaggregated competition between pairs of weapons systems for executing mutually incompatible policy goals. This approach is derived from a decision theoretic model of armament choice, in which military decision makers make trade-offs between alternative strategies of weapons deployment to achieve national foreign policy objectives. Data representing a cross section of the U.S. and USSR military arsenals are employed in a quasi first-difference two-stage least squared analysis to provide evidence for the propositions of the model and this approach.
Continuum Theory: An Introduction

General Analysis Examples of Continua and Nested Intersections Inverse Limits of Continua Decompositions of Continua Limits of Sets The Boundary Bumping Theorems Existence of Non-Cut Points A General Mapping Theorem Special Continua and Maps General Theory of Peano Continua Graphs Dendrites Irreducible Continua Arc-Like Continua Special Types of Maps Index of Symbols
Neural control of the circulation during exercise: insights from the 1970–1971 Oxford studies

During exercise the magnitude of the cardiovascular response is closely matched to the intensity of the exercise. In achieving this appropriate matching, an important role is played by the autonomic nervous system. Two mechanisms have been postulated to regulate this response. In one mechanism the changes in autonomic nerve activity to the heart and blood vessels are caused by signals arising in a central area of the brain and in the other mechanism the changes are caused by signals arising in the contracting skeletal muscle. In 1970–71 two studies were performed in Oxford which furthered our understanding of these two mechanisms. In one of these studies it was shown in cats that a reflex arising in the contracting skeletal muscle reflexly increased blood pressure and heart rate and that the thinly myelinated (Group III or A Ō) and the unmyelinated (Group IV or C) afferent nerve fibers were responsible. In the second of these studies it was shown in humans that a central mechanism could also increase the blood pressure and heart rate during static contraction at a fixed force. Tendon vibration of a skeletal muscle induces an involuntary reflex contraction. Utilizing this effect the central command needed to produce the same tension development was reduced or increased. When the same force was achieved with less central command the cardiovascular response was reduced and with more central command was increased. This demonstrated that descending motor commands from higher brain centers have an effect on the cardiovascular response to exercise.
Nativity and race.

To the Editor: Lackland et al1 reported an association between Stroke Belt mortality and birthplace such that those born outside the Southeast had lower stroke rates than those born within this region and still lower rates when compared to those born in South Carolina, a finding more striking for blacks than for whites. Similar results have been reported for stroke mortality among blacks in New York City: the highest rates were for immigrants from the South.2 Lackland et al1 suggest that place of birth may be a useful area of investigation to illuminate the perplexing question of why stroke rates are so high in the southeastern United States. It is suggested here that examining black-white admixture rates in terms of geography may be one approach to understanding this question for the black population. Reed3 showed that the presence of white-derived genes among black populations in the United States is not geographically uniform, with the lowest …
CheA-receptor interaction sites in bacterial chemotaxis.

In bacterial chemotaxis, transmembrane chemoreceptors, the CheA histidine kinase, and the CheW coupling protein assemble into signaling complexes that allow bacteria to modulate their swimming behavior in response to environmental stimuli. Among the protein–protein interactions in the ternary complex, CheA–CheW and CheW–receptor interactions were studied previously, whereas CheA–receptor interaction has been less investigated. Here, we characterize the CheA–receptor interaction in Thermotoga maritima by NMR spectroscopy and validate the identified receptor binding site of CheA in Escherichia coli chemotaxis. We find that CheA interacts with a chemoreceptor in a manner similar to that of CheW, and the receptor binding site of CheA's regulatory domain is homologous to that of CheW. Collectively, the receptor binding sites in the CheA–CheW complex suggest that conformational changes in CheA are required for assembly of the CheA–CheW–receptor ternary complex and CheA activation.
Laser-Sustained Plasmas for Application to Rocket Propulsion.

Abstract : Laser propulsion is the production of high specific impulse rocket thrust using a high-energy laser as a remote power source. Specific impulses in excess of 1000 sec are achievable because propellant temperatures are very high and low molecular weight gases can be used. This report highlights the research status of the fourth year of AFOSR sponsored work for converting the laser energy, and reports the results of ongoing experiments using laser-sustained plasma as the conversion mechanism. Major new findings from our spectroscopic techniques to diagnose the laser-sustained plasma are also reported. The results indicate that it is possible to absorb almost all of the laser energy in the plasma, but that more effective ways are required to assure that the thermal energy of the gases flowing around and through the plasma(s) can approach efficiencies exceeding 50 percent. Fundamental research in the area of extremely high temperature gas mixing by forced convection is called for. Techniques by which the gas can reabsorb the radiation energy from the laser-sustained plasma will have to be developed. Keywords: Beamed energy, Propulsion, Laser, Plasma, Formation.
Surface fluctuation spectroscopy by surface-light-scattering spectroscopy

In recent years surface-light-scattering spectroscopy has been transformed from a complex optical experiment requiring substantial effort to operate effectively to a simpler instrument for which an accurate theory of operation has been developed. The accuracy and precision are sufficiently enhanced that refinement of the theory of spectral band shapes is justified to include more subtle effects such as bending moduli and thin-film forces associated with the van der Waals and the Casimir effects. We show how to develop extensions of the theory of interfacial fluctuations through the mass and the momentum balances of interfacial transport. We also show that free-energy functionals can be used to express curvature effects crisply. The results are detailed formulas that can be used to fit experimental spectra.
Managerial versus cooperative decision making in Israel

The data of this comparative study in Israel of six managerially controlled enterprises and six cooperatively administered enterprises indicate the following: (1) Industrial enterprises of a modern technical sort can be operated under various modes of decision making. Factory production with powered equipment and division of labor can be efficiently performed without parallel use of managerial decision making. These findings contradict the mystique of technology-determined form in organization of production. (2) Cooperative decision making is a workable method of production decision making in the operation of industrial enterprise. (3) The equal or greater efficiency of operation found in the cooperative, as against the managerially controlled enterprises, is not anticipated from conventional knowledge in economics and industrial management. (4) This investigation does not establish the probability by which cooperative decision making in industrial production may be, systematically, more efficient than managerial control. It is demonstrated that cooperative decision making in modern industry can be as efficient or a more efficient mode of decision making than managerial control. This capability is linked to the pervasive motivational and operational effects of cooperation in decision making and in production, pressing toward stability in operations, and thereby toward optimal use of industrial facilities.
Computer Simulation of Protein−Protein Interactions

The use of computer simulations in investigations of protein−protein interactions is discussed. First, crystallographic analyses of known protein−protein complexes are summarized with particular emphasis being placed on the atomic nature of the interactions. Models available for describing macromolecular association energetics are then discussed, with special reference to the treatment of electrostatic and nonpolar interactions. The use of these models in combination with efficient search methods is discussed in the context of the so-called protein docking problem and in the description of weaker (i.e., noncrystallizable) protein−protein interactions. Finally, simulations of the dynamics of protein−protein association events are outlined. In all cases, differences are stressed between the atomically detailed view of protein−protein interactions and the view implicit in the use of simpler colloidal models.
The association of sepsis syndrome and organ dysfunction with mortality in emergency department patients with suspected infection.

Study objective The critical care community has used standard criteria for defining the sepsis syndromes and organ dysfunction for more than 15 years; however, these criteria are not well validated in the emergency department (ED) setting. The study objectives in our ED population of patients admitted to the hospital are to determine the prevalence of the sepsis syndromes, quantify inhospital mortality and 1-year survival associated with the sepsis syndromes, and assess the inhospital and 1-year survival associated with organ dysfunctions. Methods This was a prospective, observational, cohort study from February 1, 2000, to February 1, 2001 in an urban university hospital ED with 50,000 annual visits. There were 3,102 (96% of eligible) consecutive adult patients (aged 18 years or older) with suspected infection (as indicated by the clinical decision to obtain a blood culture) who were enrolled. Patients were screened for systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) (2 or more indicators of inflammatory response), sepsis (SIRS plus suspected infection), severe sepsis (sepsis plus organ dysfunction), septic shock (sepsis plus hypotension refractory to an initial fluid challenge), and number of organs with acute dysfunction. Main outcome measure was inhospital and 1-year mortality. Results Overall inhospital mortality was 4.1% and 1-year mortality was 22%. The inhospital mortality rates were suspected infection without SIRS 2.1%, sepsis 1.3%, severe sepsis 9.2%, and septic shock 28%. Compared to suspected infection without SIRS, adjusted risks of inhospital mortality were severe sepsis (odds ratio [OR] 4.0; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.6 to 6.3) and septic shock (OR 13.8; 95% CI 6.6 to 29). Severe sepsis (OR 2.2; 95% CI 1.8 to 2.6) and septic shock (OR 3.5; 95% CI 2.3 to 5.3) also predicted 1-year mortality. The presence of SIRS criteria alone had no prognostic value for either endpoint. Each additional organ dysfunction increased the adjusted 1-year mortality hazard by 82% (pulse rate: 1.82, 95% CI 1.7 to 2.0). Conclusion Immediate identification of acute organ dysfunction in ED patients with suspected infection may help select patients at increased short- and long-term mortality risk. SIRS criteria offered no additional prognostic value, whereas each additional organ dysfunction increased the 1-year mortality risk.
Tree-Based Concurrency Control inDistributed Groupware

We present a novel algorithm, called dARB, for solving the concurrency control problem in distributed collaborative applications. The main issue of concurrency control is resolving the conflicts resulting from simultaneous actions of multiple users. The algorithm reduces the need for manual conflict resolution by using a distributed arbitration scheme. The main advantages of our approach are the simplicity of use and good responsiveness, as there are no lock mechanisms. Our algorithm requires the applications to use a tree as the internal data structure. This makes it application independent and suitable for general collaborative applications. The tree requirement is reasonable since many new applications use XML (extensible Markup Language) for data representation and exchange, and parsing XML documents results in tree structures. Example applications of the algorithm, a group text editor and a collaborative 3D virtual environment called cWorld, are implemented and evaluated in the DISCIPLE collaboration framework. We also introduce awareness widgets that users avoid generating the conflicting events and help in manual conflict resolution.
Nanoindentation of shape memory polymer networks

Abstract This work examines the small-scale deformation and thermally induced recovery behavior of shape memory polymer networks as a function of crosslinking structure. Copolymer shape memory materials based on diethylene glycol dimethacrylate and polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate with a molecular weight of 550 crosslinkers and a tert-butyl acrylate linear chain monomer were synthesized with varying weight percentages of crosslinker from 0 to 100%. Dynamic mechanical analysis is used to acquire the bulk thermomechanical properties of the polymers, including the glass transition temperature and the elastic modulus over a wide temperature range. Instrumented nanoindentation is used to examine ambient temperature deformation of the polymer networks below their glass transition temperature. The glassy modulus of the networks measured using nanoindentation is relatively constant as a function of crosslinking density, and consistent with values extracted from monotonic tensile tests. The ambient temperature hardness of the networks increases with increasing crosslinking density, while the dissipated energy during indentation decreases with increasing crosslinking density. The changes in hardness correlated with the changes in glass transition but not changes in the rubbery modulus, both of which can scale with a change in crosslink density. Temperature induced shape recovery of the indentations is studied using atomic force microscopy. For impressions placed at ambient temperature, the indent shape recovery profile shifts to higher temperatures as crosslink density and glass transition temperature increase.
On-Line Transient Control of Capacitor Switching to Improve System Stability

Switching of series capacitors to improve system stability is of current interest. Investigations indicate that modern control theory might be applied to determine switching of a combination of series capacitors so that the system may be transferred from one state to another in minimum time and in a nonoscillatory manner. In these studies, a simplified voltage-reactance equivalent of the one-machine infinite bus system was used. The material presented in this paper shows that this simplified model does not predict the performance of a one-machine infinite bus system with the accuracy necessary to determine the capacitor switching times so as to achieve the control objectives. However, it is shown that computation accuracy may be improved by including system losses. It appears that in order to apply optimal control techniques it will be necessary to develop more accurate models of the power system components. Also, faster than real time iterative, on-line, computation techniques as simulatedc in this paper should be implemented and used to calculate the switching times. Until these obstacles are overcome, optimal control theory will have little impact upon the power industry.
Glycine-directed peptide amidation: presence in rat brain of two enzymes that convert p-Glu-His-Pro-Gly-OH into p-Glu-His-Pro-NH2 (thyrotropin-releasing hormone).

Abstract To study the possibility of glycine-directed amidation in rat brain, we synthesized the substrate p-Glu-His-Pro-Gly-OH. Adult and neonatal rat brain and adult rat pituitary were sonicated, frozen and thawed, and fractionated by gel permeation chromatography, and fractions from each tissue were assayed for enzymatic activity capable of converting this model substrate into thyrotropin-releasing hormone. We report the presence in rat brain and rat pituitary of two enzymes catalyzing conversion of p-Glu-His-Pro-Gly-OH into thyrotropin-releasing hormone. Based on the differing chemical and physical properties of these two enzymes and their differing affinities for a number of p-Glu-His-Pro-aa-OH analogs (in which aa = glycine, beta-alanine, gamma-butyric acid, and delta-aminovaleric acid), we conclude that there are two distinct enzymatic processes for the terminal amidation of peptides in brain and that COOH-terminal extensions other than glycine are capable of directing COOH-terminal amidation.