cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Role of Intergovernmental Agencies in the Prevention of Human Rights Risk in the Aftermath of the 1998–2000 Conflict

The Ethiopia-Eritrea border conflict of 1998–2000 confirmed the sad but true fact, recognised by the human rights law regime that permits derogations in times of emergencies including war, that one of the main casualties of any conflict is the human rights of the people caught up in it. As a consequence, intergovernmental institutions, including the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN), seek to promote the respect of human rights by managing and mitigating the real and potential human rights risks. Once the conflict officially came to an end in 2000 and it is expected that the full respect for all rights will be restored, the focus of human rights policy shifts from the battlefields to the regular activities of governments across the entire country. The unsettled ‘peace’ of the post-war transition, however, poses interesting challenges to the international organisations in their effort to guide and support the two governments’ transition from a militarised environment of the conflict to one based on the rule of law. This chapter analyses how effectively these agencies and mechanisms have navigated the complex process towards constitutional government. The evidence suggests contrasting outcomes with one country, Ethiopia, adjusting to the guidance from the international organisations whilst the other government in Eritrea struggling to do so. Whether the Joint Declaration of Peace and Friendship of 2018 between the two countries holds real promise to bridge the disparity in human rights risks between the two countries remains to be seen.
Private Weighted Sum Aggregation for Distributed Control Systems

Abstract Data aggregation in distributed networks is a critical element in Internet of Things applications ranging from smart grids and robot swarms to medical monitoring over multiple devices and data centers. This paper addresses the problem of private weighted sum aggregation, i.e., how to ensure that an untrusted aggregator is able to compute only the weighted sum of the users’ private local data, with proprietary weights. We propose a scheme that achieves the confidentiality of both the users’ local data and the weights, as long as there are at least two participants that do not collude with the rest. The solution involves two layers of encryption based on the Learning With Errors problem. We discuss how to achieve efficient multi-dimensional data aggregation by using plaintext packing in the homomorphic crypto-system used, such that the communication between the users and the aggregator is minimized.
A Circuit Attention Network-Based Actor-Critic Learning Approach to Robust Analog Transistor Sizing

Analog integrated circuit design is highly complex and its automation is a long-standing challenge. We present a reinforcement learning approach to automatic transistor sizing, a key step in determining analog circuit performance. A circuit attention network technique is developed to capture the impact of transistor sizing on circuit performance in an actor-critic learning framework. Our approach also includes a stochastic technique for addressing layout effect, another important factor affecting performance. Compared to Bayesian optimization (BO) and Graph Convolutional Network-based reinforcement learning (GCN-RL), two state-of-the-art methods, the proposed approach significantly improves robustness against layout uncertainty while achieving better post-layout performance. BO and GCN-RL can be enhanced with our stochastic technique to reach solution quality similar to ours, but still suffer from a much slower convergence rate. Moreover, the knowledge transfer in our approach is more effective than that in GCN-RL.
Iron deficiency and response to treatment with regard to sleep difficulties in Angelman Syndrome (P1.6-038)

Objective: To determine if Angelman Syndrome (AS) patients have a higher incidence of iron deficiency than normal controls, and if iron therapy improves their sleep difficulties. Background: UBE3A-associated ubiquitin ligase is altered in AS. UBE3A also associates with HERC2, a protein that regulates iron metabolism. Though about 60% of AS patients experience sleep difficulties, effective treatments are lacking. We investigated iron status in a cohort of AS patients using an open-label design. Design/Methods: The medical record system at Mayo Clinic–Rochester was queried for identifying AS patients who had established care in the AS Clinic between January 1st, 2013, and December 31st, 2017, with age under 18 years, and who had ferritin level and nocturnal polysomnography performed before receiving iron therapy. Ferritin levels were compared to age- and sex-matched healthy controls (3:1 ratio). Results: We identified 19 patients (9 female) meeting criteria (mean age 6.2±4.4 years). The parents of all 19 reported sleep initiation and maintenance difficulties. Fifteen patients had undergone polysomnography; nine had elevated periodic limb movement index. Mean ferritin level was 19.9±8.5 mcg/L, while the mean ferritin level of controls was 27.8±17.8 mcg/L (p-value 0.1317). Seventeen cases were provided iron therapy (oral 3–5 mg/kg/day or intravenous iron sucrose 5 mg/kg single dose). Twelve of the 19 cases had follow-up data after receiving iron therapy; all 12 reported improvements in sleep quality and daytime symptoms; one had gastrointestinal upset. Eight had serum ferritin levels rechecked after iron therapy; all increased (mean 24±5.1 mcg/L). One patient who repeated polysomnography after iron therapy had reduction in periodic limb movement index from 8.7 to 0. Conclusions: Sleep difficulties and iron deficiency as reflected in low ferritin levels are common in children with AS. Iron therapy (oral or intravenous) is well tolerated and provides modest improvements in sleep quality in children with AS. Disclosure: Dr. Ryan has nothing to disclose. Dr. Gavrilova has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kotagal has nothing to disclose.
Sequencing Graph and Resource Model

This chapter presents the graph-based model of hardware behavior that is used as the underlying representation for the synthesis algorithms in Hebe. A hierarchical sequencing graph is used to model hardware behavior for synthesis. The hardware behavior is assumed to be synchronous and non-pipelined. As with other hardware models, both control-flow and data-flow dependencies are represented by the sequencing graph model. Its main distinction is that it uniformly supports concurrency, synchronization, and detailed timing constraints. Synthesis algorithms operating on this model can guarantee that the resulting design satisfies the imposed constraints, or indicate when no such solution exists. The use of this model decouples the synthesis algorithms from the HardwareC language. In particular, different hardware description languages can be supported by compiling them into this model. The Sequencing Intermediate Form is an ASCII representation of the sequencing graph which is used as an interchange format facilitating communication between different tools, i.e. the Vulcan partitioner [GM90] and Hebe both use the SIF format.
Revisiting Cardiac Anatomy : A Computed-Tomography-Based Atlas and Reference

List of Contributors. Preface. Chapter 1: Anatomy of the Heart for a Dissector (Farhood Saremi & Damian Sanchez-Quintana). Chapter 2: Anatomical and Pathophysiological Classification of Congenital Heart Disease (Carla Frescura, Emanuela Valsangiacomo Buchel, Siew Yen Ho & Gaetano Thiene). Chapter 3: CT in Pediatric Heart Disease (Hyun Woo Goo). Chapter 4: Mitral and Aortic Valves Anatomy for Surgeons and Interventionalists (Horia Muresian). Chapter 5: Clinical Applications of CT Imaging of the Aortic and Mitral Valves (Hatem Alkadhi, Lotus Desbiolles & Sebastian Leschka). Chapter 6: Computed Tomography for Percutaneous Aortic Valve Replacement (Hursh Naik, Niraj Doctor, Gregory P. Fontana & Raj R. Makkar). Chapter 7: Mitral Valve Disease Imaging (Javier G. Castillo, David H. Adams & Mario J. Garcia). Chapter 8: The Aortic Root (Fabiana Isabella Gambarin, Massimo Massetti, Roberto Dore, Eric Saloux, Valentina Favalli & Eloisa Arbustini). Chapter 9: CoronaryAnatomyforInterventionalists (Stephan Achenbach). Chapter 10: Coronary Anatomy for Surgeons (Farhood Saremi, Amir Abolhoda & Gustavo Abuin). Chapter 11: Anatomy for Electrophysiologic Interventions (Farhood Saremi & Damian Sanchez-Quintana). Chapter 12: Coronary Atherosclerosis: CT Imaging for the Preventive Cardiologist (Stephan Achenbach & Jagat Narula). Chapter 13: Nomograms for Coronary Computed Tomographic Angiography (Leslee J. Shaw, James K. Min & Daniel S. Berman). Appendix. Index.
Tuberculosis in Infants and Children

One million children develop tuberculosis disease each year, and 210,000 die from complications of tuberculosis. Childhood tuberculosis is very different from adult tuberculosis in epidemiology, clinical and radiographic presentation, and treatment. This review highlights the many unique features of childhood tuberculosis, with special emphasis on very young children and adolescents, who are most likely to develop disease after infection has occurred.
Torturing databases for fun and profit

Programmers use databases when they want a high level of reliability. Specifically, they want the sophisticated ACID (atomicity, consistency, isolation, and durability) protection modern databases provide. However, the ACID properties are far from trivial to provide, particularly when high performance must be achieved. This leads to complex and error-prone code--even at a low defect rate of one bug per thousand lines, the millions of lines of code in a commercial OLTP database can harbor thousands of bugs.Here we propose a method to expose and diagnose violations of the ACID properties. We focus on an ostensibly easy case: power faults. Our framework includes workloads to exercise the ACID guarantees, a record/replay subsystem to allow the controlled injection of simulated power faults, a ranking algorithm to prioritize where to fault based on our experience, and a multi-layer tracer to diagnose root causes. Using our framework, we study 8 widely-used databases, ranging from open-source key-value stores to high-end commercial OLTP servers. Surprisingly, all 8 databases exhibit erroneous behavior. For the open-source databases, we are able to diagnose the root causes using our tracer, and for the proprietary commercial databases we can reproducibly induce data loss.
Physical, Psychological and Social Adaptation of African American Nuns to Their Religious Communities as They Age: Implications for Aging in Place

ABSTRACT This study examined the association between health status, stress, depression, satisfaction with the relationship with the religious community, alienation from significant persons, racial/cultural identity and “aging in place,” as measured by length of time in the same religious community, for a purposive sample of 72 African American nuns. Aging in place was significantly associated with perceptions of better health status, less stress and depression and greater satisfaction with relationships with the religious community. However, the study also found that the longer the nuns lived in their respective communities, the less racially/culturally identified they became. These findings underscore the need for finding ways to keep nuns in their religious communities as they age and to provide avenues of racial/cultural expression for African American nuns.
Deletion analysis of the lambda tR1 termination region: Effect of sequences near the transcript release sites, and the minimum length of Rho-dependent transcripts

Abstract In order to determine how much of the natural sequence is required for function of the λtR1 rho-dependent terminator, and to determine the minimum length required, we made two deletion series of a tR1 derivative that contains mostly foreign DNA, encoding C-rich RNA, substituted for the natural upstream sequences of tR1. We find the minimum transcript length to be 85 to 90 nucleotides, although an additional 10 to 25 nucleotides provide more efficient termination. Sequences as close as ten nucleotides to the release sites could be replaced without destroying termination, although termination efficiency was reduced by substitution of these proximal regions with DNA encoding the cytidine rich RNA that is active at upstream sites. These results suggest that sequences proximal and distal to release sites have different functions and optimal structures for rho activation. We also show that two potential stem-loop structures in the tR1 region are not essential for terminator function, or for pausing at the release region. The results are consistent with the model that any pause site downstream of DNA encoding unstructured C-rich RNA is a potential rho-dependent terminator.
Inverting input scanner vibration errors

Images scanned in the presence of mechanical vibrations are subject to artifacts such as brightness fluctuation and geometric warping. The goal of this work is to develop an algorithm to invert these distortions and produce an output digital image consistent with a scanner operating under ideal uniform motion conditions. The image restoration algorithm described in this paper applies to typical office scanners that employ a moving linear sensor array (LSA) or moving optics. The velocity of the components is generally not constant in time. Dynamic errors are introduced by gears, timing belts, motors, and structural vibrations. In this work, we make use of the instantaneous LSA velocity to reconstruct an underlying piecewise constant or piecewise linear model of the image irradiance function. The control points for the underlying model are obtained by solving a system of equations derived to relate the observed area samples with the instantaneous LSA velocity and a spatially-varying sampling kernel. An efficient solution exists for the narrow band diagonal matrix that results. The control points computed with this method fully define the underlying irradiance function. That function is then suitable for resampling under ideal scanning conditions to produce a restored image.
Learning task-specific similarity

The right measure of similarity between examples is important in many areas of computer science. In particular it is a critical component in example-based learning methods. Similarity is commonly defined in terms of a conventional distance function, but such a definition does not necessarily capture the inherent meaning of similarity, which tends to depend on the underlying task. We develop an algorithmic approach to learning similarity from examples of what objects are deemed similar according to the task-specific notion of similarity at hand, as well as optional negative examples. Our learning algorithm constructs, in a greedy fashion, an encoding of the data. This encoding can be seen as an embedding into a space, where a weighted Hamming distance is correlated with the unknown similarity. This allows us to predict when two previously unseen examples are similar and, importantly, to efficiently search a very large database for examples similar to a query. This approach is tested on a set of standard machine learning benchmark problems. The model of similarity learned with our algorithm provides and improvement over standard example-based classification and regression. We also apply this framework to problems in computer vision: articulated pose estimation of humans from single images, articulated tracking in video, and matching image regions subject to generic visual similarity. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.)
Implicit representations and algorithms for the logic and stochastic analysis of discrete–state systems

As discrete–state systems are pervasive in our society, it is essential that we model and analyze them effectively, both prior to putting them in operation and during their useful life. The size of their state space, however, is a huge obstacle in practice. Often, the “easy” way to tackle this problem is to use some type of simulation, but this technique has obvious limitations. For performance analysis, simulation can at best offer only a statistical approximation, i.e., confidence intervals, while, for logic analysis, the situation is even worse, as it can only find errors, not prove correctness. Ultimately, these limitations stem from the same source: simulation only visits a fraction of the reachable states. Indeed, the fraction of the states that can actually be explored in a reasonable amount of time becomes exponentially smaller as the complexity of the system being modeled (measured in number of components, parts, etc.) increases.
Alcoholic foamy degeneration ― a pattern of acute alcoholic injury of the liver

Abstract A newly recognized clinical and morphologic pattern of acute alcoholic liver disease is described. Twenty-one patients, having the hepatic morphologic features of alcoholic foamy degeneration, were retrospectively analyzed. All patients had a significant history of chronic alcoholism. Jaundice and hepatomegaly were usually present. Hepatic encephalopathy, ascites, bleeding esophageal varices, or functional renal failure occurred in less than 10%. Usually this was the first episode of decompensation. Laboratory studies revealed a pattern of very transiently marked elevation of serum aminotransferase and more prolonged elevation of alkaline phosphatase activity and bilirubin levels. In the majority of cases, leukocytosis was absent, and serum cholesterol was elevated. The laboratory profile differed significantly from that of acute sclerosing hyaline necrosis. Serologic markers of acute viral hepatitis A and B were absent. Needle biopsy specimens of the liver revealed intact lobular architecture except for 1 case of cirrhosis. The perivenular hepatocytes revealed foamy fatty change characterized by striking cell swelling with massive accumulation of microvesicular fat, bile pigment deposition in the cytoplasm, and no displacement of the nucleus to the periphery of the cell. Megamitochondria were frequently identified. Multiple foci of hepatocyte dropout without significant parenchymal neutrophilic exudation and delicate intrasinusoidal collagen fibers were present in the perivenular area. Macrovesicular fatty change coexisted to a variable degree. The affected hepatocytes had extensive disorganization of the organelles by electron microscopy and decreased or absent functional activity by enzyme histochemical staining. These changes appear to be a purely degenerative process without inflammatory reaction. All patients in the present series showed a rapid recovery upon abstaining from alcohol.
The Photochemical Synthesis of α,α,α-bromodifluorotoluene and α,α,α-chlorodifluorotoluene

Abstract The syntheses of α, α, α-chlorodifiuorotoluene and α, α, α-bromodifluorotoluene from α, α-difluorotoluene and N-chlorosuccinimide and N-bromosuccinimide, respectively, were achieved photochemically using sunlight and/or sunlamp irradiation. These methods gave high product yields and very little by-product formation.
Individual Hen and Breed Difference in Egg Weight Losses During Incubation

Abstract IT IS well known that the characteristics of the shell affect the incubation and storage quality of the egg. Any improvement in egg shell quality is, therefore, an economic gain to the poultry industry. Although several investigations have been made to determine the effect of nutrition and other environmental factors on the shell, very little has been done to really understand the shell characteristics of eggs laid by the individual hen or whether or not egg shell quality can be improved by breeding. Almquist and Holst (1931) made a study of egg shell porosity by allowing an alcoholic dye solution to penetrate into the egg. Their results showed a definite relationship between porosity and weight loss during storage. They reported that egg shell porosity appeared to be nearly uniform for the eggs of a particular hen, but showed differences for different individuals. Axelsson (1932) reported the results of loss in . . .
Modulation of ion channels underlying excitation-secretion coupling in identified lactotrophs and gonadotrophs.

The role of ion channel activity in the response of rat pituitary lactotrophs and gonadotrophs to dopamine (DA) and GnRH, respectively, was investigated. Single lactotrophs and gonadotrophs were unambiguously identified with the reverse hemolytic plaque assay, and recordings of membrane potential and current were obtained using whole-cell and single-channel patch-clamp techniques. In lactotrophs, DA inhibited spontaneous electrical activity by activating a K + conductance that hyperpolarized the cells. A 50 pS K + channel underlies this response and was activated following agonist binding to a D, type receptor via a "direct" interaction with a pertussis toxin-sensitive G-protein. In gonadotrophs, GnRH triggers rhythmic hyperpolarizations due also to a K + conductance increase. The K + channel underlying the GnRH response is an apamin-sensitive, Ca 2 +-activated channel. Although both agonists produce hyperpolarizations in their respective target cells via K + channel activation, differences in intracellular calcium responses probably discriminate the stimulatory (GnRH) and inhibitory (DA) actions on hormone secretion. Each K + channel type plays a different role in modulating the intracellular Ca 2+ levels to yield these actions.
Longitudinal spin diffusion and nonlinear spin dynamics in a dilute 3He-4He solution.

We have used pulsed NMR to investigate longitudinal spin diffusion and nonlinear spin dynamics in a dilute (350 ppm) spin-polarized (\ensuremath{\sim}60%) solution of $^{3}\mathrm{He}$ in $^{4}\mathrm{He}$ at temperatures between 4 and 400 mK. Our results for the spin diffusion are in good agreement with recent theoretical calculations. In addition, we have observed new, extremely long-lived modes in this system that appear to be driven by a nonlinear instability.
Predicting for postoperative incontinence following sling incision

Our objective was to assess preoperative risk factors for developing recurrent stress urinary incontinence (SUI) following transvaginal sling incision (TVSI) for bladder outlet obstruction (BOO). We identified 101 women who underwent TVSI and/or removal of a midurethral sling. Thirty-nine underwent TVSI for clinical and videourodynamic demonstrable BOO. Eighteen of 39 women demonstrated preoperative clinical SUI and urodynamic BOO. A comparative analysis was performed specifically looking at several clinical factors and the risk of the occurrence of postoperative SUI. Mean age, number of prior surgeries, parity, and pre- and postoperative PVRs did not predict for postoperative SUI. Nine of 18 (50%) of women with SUI and BOO preoperatively vs. only 2/21 (10%) of women with BOO alone developed postoperative SUI. This difference in the incidence of postoperative SUI was statistically significant (p < 0.01). In patients with BOO, the presence of preoperative clinical SUI is a predictor for postoperative SUI following TVSI.
Sex, Lies, and War: How Soft News Brings Foreign Policy to the Inattentive Public

This study argues that, due to selective political coverage by the entertainment-oriented, soft news media, many otherwise politically inattentive individuals are exposed to information about high-profile political issues, most prominently foreign policy crises, as an incidental by-product of seeking entertainment. I conduct a series of statistical investigations examining the relationship between individual media consumption and attentiveness to several recent high-profile foreign policy crisis issues. For purposes of comparison, I also investigate several non-foreign crisis issues, some of which possess characteristics appealing to soft news programs and others of which lack such characteristics. I find that information about foreign crises, and other issues possessing similar characteristics, presented in a soft news context, has indeed attracted the attention of politically uninvolved Americans. The net effect is a reduced disparity in attentiveness to select high-profile political issues across different segments of the public.
The use of social science in public interest litigation: A role for community psychologists

This article argues (to the legal community and especially to community oriented psychologists) that, despite some philosophical and methodological differences between law and the social sciences, research in community psychology is an especially appropriate medium for deriving much of the expert testimony that is central to public interest social change litigation. Judicial attitudes toward the use of social scientific knowledge throughout this century are discussed, with the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision viewed as the turning point, not only for civil rights litigation but also for the judicial recognition of social research. While the courtroom use of social science theories and testimony has generally expanded, community psychologists have yet to play as major a role as their method and field of inquiry warrant. It is concluded that community psychologists and those involved in public interest litigation need to pay closer and more systematic attention to one another's work.
On circular micropolar plates

This paper analyses the symmetrical bending of laterally loaded circular micropolar plates. The linear theory of micropolar plates has been used to investigate the effect of microstructure of the medium on bending of circular micropolar plates. It is found that the results of the new plate theory are dependent on Poisson's ratio and two new parameters which are related to the material constants of the micropolar plate theory.
Abdominovaginal electropotential differences in the menstrual cycle

A revised technique using a simplified electrode and a recording millipotentiometer that does not draw current from its external circuit for pinpointing electropotential changes of the ovary to determine ovulation is presented along with some clinical applications and observations. The recording instrument was a vacuum tube recording millipotentiometer of high resistance that measures changes in potential differences between a glass electrode inserted in the vagina and a similar reference electrode in the anterior abdominal wall. Instrument is grounded to patients leg. Potential changes are transferred from the liquid electrode through calomel half cells to reach the recording instrument. The following generalizations have been made based on vaginal recordings of nearly 3000 tests. 1) A marked difference in recordings of electrovaginal potential was found between normal premenopausal and postmenopausal women. 2) After menstruation normal women showed successive daily changes in initial electropotential differences and the type of curve recorded 3) Voltages for premenopausal women are maintained in the negative range. 4) Readings were reproducible from patient to patient and from day of 1 cycle to corresponding day of the next. 5) No cyclic variations were found in postmenopausal women and voltages may appear in the negative or positive range. The following characteristics of curves in different stages of the menstrual cycle were noted: 1) postmenstruation--no potential difference (flat curve) with voltages in negative range from minus 20-minus 8 mV; variations in baseline levels noted; 2) preovulatory--curve rises sharply just before ovulation from minus 20-plus 20 or 30 mV; 3) ovulation--curve remains flat and recordings remain in positive range (12-22 mV) for 1-2 days (this is thought to be ovulation); 4) postovulatory--same curve as preovulatory with curve rising sharply from negative to positive readings; 5) premenstrual--relatively flat curve with readings in the range of minus 4-minus 10. Possible clinical applications of this method include breast cancer detection ovarian cyst detection determination of ovulation and fertility control.
Feasibility of Helical Tomotherapy in Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for Centrally Located Early Stage Non‒Small-Cell Lung Cancer or Lung Metastases

Purpose To investigate the ability of helical tomotherapy (HT) to spare critical organs immediately adjacent to the tumor target in stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for centrally located lung lesions. Methods and Materials HT SBRT plans for 10 patients with centrally located lesions or lesions immediately adjacent to a critical structure were generated. A total of 70 Gy in 10 fractions was prescribed to the planning target volume (PTV) to satisfy a target volume coverage of ≥95% PTV receiving 70 Gy and an established set of dose constraints for the organs at risk (OARs). Quality assurance (QA) of the HT plans was performed with both ion chamber and film measurements. Results The PTV coverage criteria was met with 95% of the PTV receiving 70.68 ± 0.33 Gy for all cases even though the OARs immediately adjacent to the PTV ranged from 0.38 to 0.85 cm away. The mean lung dose (MLD), and V 20 were 7.15 ± 1.44 Gy, and 11.93 ± 3.24 % for the total lung, respectively. The dose parameters of MLD, V 5 , V 10 , and V 20 for the contralateral lung were significantly lower than those for the ipsilateral lung ( p Conclusion HT allows the sparing of critical structures immediately adjacent to the tumor target, thus making SBRT for these centrally located lesions feasible.
The Purcell-Dicke effect in the emission from a coated small sphere of resonant atoms placed inside a matrix cavity

I investigate a system where both the Purcell effect and Dicke’s superradiance are present. I compute the frequency eigenmode for an ensemble of identical two-level atoms enclosed in a coated nanosphere that is embedded in a matrix. I show that, in a number of configurations, the rate of superradiant emission from the atomic system can be increased many folds from that of a similar cloud of atoms in free space.
Epidermal growth factor receptor induced apoptosis: potentiation by inhibition of Ras signaling

Previous studies have shown that certain tumor cell lines which naturally express high levels of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) undergo apoptosis when exposed to epidermal growth factor. Whether this phenomenon is a direct result of receptor overexpression or some other genetic alteration renders these cells sensitive to apoptosis is yet to be established. We show that experimentally increasing the level of EGFR expression predictably leads to apoptosis in a variety of cell types which requires an active tyrosine kinase but not EGFR autophosphorylation sites. Expression of a dominant negative Ras mutant in EGFR overexpressing cells results in a significant potentiation of EGFR induced apoptosis suggesting that Ras activation is a key survival signal generated by the EGFR. We propose that potentiation of EGFR induced apoptosis by dominant negative Ras results, at least in part, by a block of Akt activation.
Control of pyruvate kinase activity in the lens

Abstract Lens pyruvate kinase (PK) was found to be a variant of the M 2 PK isozyme. It was inhibited by ATP and a number of l -amino acids; Mg 2+ abolished the ATP effect, whereas l -serine counteracted the amino acid inhibition. Pre-incubation of lens PK with fructose-1,6-diphosphate promoted the enzyme affinity toward phosphoenolpyruvate. This property was preserved in human senile cataractous lenses. A decrease of PK specific activity was noted in the epithelium of some cataractous lenses, but the residual activity was at least 15 times that of phosphofructokinase. The activity of PK was apparently determined by the catalytic activity of phosphofructokinase, and also by the cellular concentrations of ATP and amino acids such as alanine.
Advanced commercial satellite systems technology for protected communications

Currently, commercially developed products provide many critical capabilities for the U.S. and allied militaries and governments, and increasingly the line between military-specific developed technology and commercial technology is blurred. For example, the vast majority of broadband satellite modems now used by the military come from commercially developed products. While many have features that were derived from government/military requests, they were nevertheless developed on a commercial basis. Furthermore, many of these modems are primarily used on commercial satellites as well, albeit in uncontested environments. Even secure anti-jam (AJ) communications that were once seen as exclusively in the domain of military technology have recently been shown to be feasible with commercial modem technology to varying degrees, ranging from secure/no AJ to secure/AJ (e.g., Joint IP Modem/EBEM/LinkWay to the Protected Transponded SATCOM Pilot [PTSP] prototypes developed by PM DCATS). Likewise, recent advances in commercial satellite technology, and in particular high capacity satellite (HCS) technology, can have direct application to the protected communications problem for contested environments. These satellites and the systems designed to use these high capacity satellites, such as ViaSat's ViaSat-1 and Eutelsat's KA-SAT satellites, utilize very wide bandwidths, high power/narrow spotbeams and are designed to operate in high carrier-to-interference (C/I) environments - characteristics that have direct applicability for operation in a contested communications environment. Through the design of ViaSat-1 and with development under the PTSP program ViaSat has acquired a unique perspective of both the satellite and modem (ground/user) segments of the AJ problem and believes the best solution involves joint design of the ground, user and space segments as an end-to-end system solution. This paper describes elements of this approach and the potential benefits of a single enterprise system design methodology.
A second human antiretroviral factor, APOBEC3F, is suppressed by the HIV‐1 and HIV‐2 Vif proteins

The HIV-1 Vif protein suppresses the inhibition of viral replication caused by the human antiretroviral factor APOBEC3G. As a result, HIV-1 mutants that do not express the Vif protein are replication incompetent in 'nonpermissive' cells, such as primary T cells and the T-cell line CEM, that express APOBEC3G. In contrast, Vif-defective HIV-1 replicates effectively in 'permissive' cell lines, such as a derivative of CEM termed CEM-SS, that do not express APOBEC3G. Here, we show that a second human protein, APOBEC3F, is also specifically packaged into HIV-1 virions and inhibits their infectivity. APOBEC3F binds the HIV-1 Vif protein specifically and Vif suppresses both the inhibition of virus infectivity caused by APOBEC3F and virion incorporation of APOBEC3F. Surprisingly, APOBEC3F and APOBEC3G are extensively coexpressed in nonpermissive human cells, including primary lymphocytes and the cell line CEM, where they form heterodimers. In contrast, both genes are quiescent in the permissive CEM derivative CEM-SS. Together, these data argue that HIV-1 Vif has evolved to suppress at least two distinct but related human antiretroviral DNA-editing enzymes.
Distribution of NMDA receptor binding in developing mouse spinal cord

The role of NMDA receptors m spinal sensonmotor processes has been studied m neonates and adults, while NMDA bmdmg has previously been described only m mature spmal cord In autoradtographs of mouse lumbar cord, NMDA-sensittve [‘HIglutamate bmdmg peaked transtently around postnatal days 610 Differentiation increased progresstvely from day 10 to adulthood Mature levels were htghest m substantta gelatmosa and moderate m dorsomedial dorsal horn The results are described m relation to functtonal and anatomtcal features of developmg spmal cord The N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor is of particular interest in developing nervous systems because of its involvement in developmental plasticity, neuronal differentiation and synaptogenesis [19, 221. In the spinal cord, NMDA receptors are involved in monosynaptic responses of ventral horn neurons, polysynaptic activity in sensorimotor pathways, primary afferent depolarization, and tonic activation of gamma-motoneurons [5]. Application of NMDA elicits locomotor-like patterns in neonatal rat [4, 181 and mouse 113,251 spinal cord preparations, suggesting an early functional role for NMDA receptors. Although glutaminergic systems have been studied in immature as well as adult mammalian spinal cord, the regional development of NMDA receptors has not been previously investigated. Mice were selected for the present study, in view of the interest in using neonatal mice to investigate spinal cord circuitry and the role of NMDA receptors m spinal cord function [7. 13, 251. Some of the results were previously described in an abstract [8]. Subjects were 44 Balb/C mice, 2-7 per age group: PO (the day of birth), P2, P4, P6, P8, PlO, P12, P14, P17, P20, P30 and adult (67 weeks). Lumbar spinal cord was removed under methoxyflurane anesthesia, embedded m O.C.T. (Miles) and frozen in -40°C isopentane. Cry
An empirical study of the relationship between production technology and maintenance management

Abstract In an increasingly competitive environment, manufacturing firms have continued to implement new technologies aimed at improving plant performance. These new technologies are often more complex to maintain. At the same time, equipment breakdowns can become more costly and disruptive. However, managers tend to give little consideration to how different production technologies may affect the maintenance function. This paper reports the results of a study of the relationship between the characteristics of production technology and maintenance practices. Based on the responses from a survey of plant managers and maintenance managers, the analysis shows a strong relationship between technical complexity and maintenance practices that increase the technical expertise of the maintenance workforce.
Familial Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease without periodic EEG activity

Four members of a kindred with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease are reported, in whom myoclonus did not develop and in whom serial electroencephalograms performed late in their illness failed to show periodic sharp wave complexes. Otherwise, the patients' disease duration, clinical features, and neuropathological findings were similar to those described in sporadic cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Our findings and those reported by others suggest that periodic electroencephalographic activity may be rare in familial forms of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, as it is in other slow transmissible encephalopathies.
Nobel Lecture: One hundred years of light quanta*

It can’t have escaped you, after so many recent reminders, that this year marks the one hundredth birthday of the light quantum. I thought I would tell you this morning a few things about its century long biography. Of course we have had light quanta on Earth for eons, in fact ever since the good Lord said “let there be quantum electrodynamics”—which is a modern translation, of course, from the biblical Aramaic. So in this talk I’ll try to tell you what quantum optics is about, but there will hardly be enough time to tell you of the many new directions in which it has led us. Several of those are directions that we would scarcely have anticipated as all of this work started. My own involvement in this subject began somewhere around the middle of the last century, but I would like to describe some of the background of the scene I entered at that point as a student. Let’s begin, for a moment, even before the quantum theory was set in motion by Planck. It is important to recall some of the remarkable things that were found in the 19th century, thanks principally to the work of Thomas Young and Augustin Fresnel. They established within the first 20 years of the 19th century that light is a wave phenomenon, and that these waves, of whatever sort they might be, interpen
Lahar in Glass Creek and Owens River during the Inyo eruption, Mono–Inyo Craters, California

Abstract Nested fluvial and lahar terraces are inset in a volcanic surface where Glass Creek has created an embayment in the Sierran range front, on the north rim of Long Valley caldera, California. The geomorphic and stratigraphic relationships among these terraces indicate that they record events at the time of the pre-1472 AD Inyo eruption. The volcanic surface records the deposition of the Inyo pyroclastic materials over pre-existing landforms. Somewhat younger terraces contain volcanic beds at depth, overlain by alluvium. The youngest, lowest terraces comprise lahar deposits overlying alluvium and the pyroclastic debris. Downstream from the embayment, in the canyon of Glass Creek, levees line the walls to a maximum height of 35 m above the present stream level. The canyon opens onto a lahar fan, the surface of which is covered with cobbles and pebbles of Inyo pumice. Further downstream, in the floodplain of the Owens River, an abandoned meander belt is filled with graded debris containing large amounts of Inyo pumice. At the distal end of the floodplain, 30 km from the embayment, coarse pumiceous debris occupies low mounds scattered in the abandoned meander belt. The deposits that comprise the mounds are massive-bedded muds and sandy muds. These features record the excavation of ∼1.9×105 m3 of material from the Glass Creek embayment, and perhaps an additional amount up- and downstream, which was transported in a non-cohesive lahar down the Glass Creek and Owens River drainage to a distance of at least 30 km from the source region. Lahars are a previously uncharacterized volcanic hazard in the Long Valley caldera region. It may be important to consider them in any future assessment of hazards in this restless system.
The use of limit theorems in paired and triple comparison model building

Abstract The psychological framework proposed by Thompson and Singh (1967) is extended to obtain a statistical interpretation of the stimulus-response phenomenon permitting ties when comparing two stimuli. Using this interpretation, the generalized Bradley-Terry model (Rao and Kupper, 1967) for paired comparisons and the 2. , 4. for triple comparisons are derived as the appropriate asymptotic models for experiments permitting tied observations.
Cloning and Expression of Murine SC1, a Gene Product Homologous to SPARC

A number of cDNAs (SC1, QR1, and hevin) have been shown to be similar to SPARC (secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine), a matricellular protein that regulates cell adhesion, cell cycle, and matrix assembly and remodeling. These proteins are 61–65% identical in the final 200 residues of their C-termini; their N-terminal sequences are related but more divergent. All have an overall acidic pl, with a follistatin-like region that is rich in cysteine, and a Ca+2 binding consensus sequence at the C-terminus. Using degenerate primers representing the most highly conserved region in SPARC, SC1, and QR1, we identified a 300-bp SC1 clone in a primary polymerase chain reaction (PCR) screen of a mouse brain cDNA library. This cDNA was used to obtain a full-length clone, which hybridized to a 2.8-kb RNA abundant in brain. Mouse SC1 displays a similarity of 70% to mouse SPARC at the amino acid level. Northern blot and RNAse protection assays revealed a 2.8-kb mRNA expressed at moderate levels (relative to brain)...
Introduction: from a philosophical point of view.

The six articles of this section of the special issue explore philosophical questions of comparative biology, very broadly construed. Under this category, I place systematics, classification, and historical Darwinian evolutionary theory. Classic epistemic and metaphysical questions of comparative biology include: Are species natural kinds or individuals? What are the proper units of the biological hierarchy(ies) pertinent to evolution and classification? What is the fundamental relation between the Tree of Life and the Linnean Hierarchy? Why was Darwin’s (putative?) focus on variational rather than typological thinking so revolutionary? How does phylogenetic inference and reasoning work? Moreover, how should it work? How are parts of complex historical systems individuated? What would a historically sensitive notion of the biological function of structures, behaviors and characters look like? These questions have been investigated from a philosophical point of view at least since the seminal work of philosophers who started analytical philosophy of biology during the 1960s and 1970s, including David Hull, Michael Ruse, Elliot Sober, and William Wimsatt. Biologists such as Richard Lewontin, Ernst Mayr, and Stephen J. Gould have also contributed significantly to setting the question agenda on these matters. We find ourselves today at a dizzying time in biological research. Astounding data-driven progress is being made in a variety of broad biological fields including: (1) genomics, proteomics, and systems biology, (2) biodiversity and ecology, and (3) evolutionary developmental biology (‘‘evo-devo’’). This is not the place to substantiate the reality and depth of these research fields; I trust that that is clear and present to the reader. However, this is a place to argue that each of these growth fields relies heavily—if not explicitly, then certainly implicitly—on comparative biology. Briefly consider the following questions for each area: How do we investigate and discover the function of a particular gene or molecule? We perform a comparative analysis of that gene sequence or molecular structure across a range
Forced magnetohydrodynamic turbulence in a uniform external magnetic field

Two-dimensional dissipative MHD turbulence is randomly driven at small spatial scales and is studied by numerical simulation in the presence of a strong uniform external magnetic field. A behavior is observed which is apparently distinct from the inverse cascade which prevails in the absence of an external magnetic field. The magnetic spectrum becomes dominated by the three longest wavelength Alfven waves in the system allowed by the boundary conditions: those which, in a box size of edge 2 pi, have wave numbers (kx, ky) = (1, 1), and (1, -1), where the external magnetic field is in the x direction. At any given instant, one of these three modes dominates the vector potential spectrum, but they do not constitute a resonantly coupled triad. Rather, they are apparently coupled by the smaller-scale turbulence.
Parallel algorithms for low-level vision on the homogeneous multiprocessor

Abstract In this work, we present the parallel implementation of three low-level vision algorithms, namely smoothing, histogram generation and edge detection by using the Sobel operator on the Homogeneous Multiprocessor. These algorithms were run on the simulator specifically developed for the Homogeneous Multiprocessor and the simulation experiments were used to establish the performance of these algorithms on the proposed architecture.
European earwig, Forficula auricularia L. (Dermaptera: Forficulidae), as a predator of the redlegged earth mite, Halotydeus destructor (Tucker) (Acarina: Penthaleidae)

The European earwig, Forficula auricularia L., consumed the redlegged earth mite, Halotydeus destructor (Tucker), under laboratory conditions. Although female earwigs consumed more mites at the lowest density of 25 mites per petri dish, there was no difference between males and females at the two higher densities of 50 and 75 mites per dish. The addition of vermiculite to the dish to simulate habitat diversity had a negative impact on the consumption rate.
A theory for the flow of granular materials

Abstract A continuum theory for the flow of granular materials with incompressible granules is described. The theory is intended to describe the flow of granular materials at low stress levels where pneumatic effects of the contained gas phase are negligible. Motivation for the theory comes from the many experimental demonstrations of the relationship between the voidage, the applied stresses and the motion of the granular material. The presentation of the theory is descriptive and omits the analytical details that have been given elsewhere.