cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Counting Stranger Homicides A Case Study of Statistical Prestidigitation

Although the Uniform Crime Reports consistently reports stranger homicides as less than 20%, television and the print media frequently report that stranger homicides account for 50% or more of all homicides. This article examines how such claims are generated, including the role of the Uniform Crime Reports itself. Based on adjustment procedures and careful coding of police records, the best estimate is that stranger homicides are between 18% and 25% of all homicides. Use of the wide variety of available missing-data estimation techniques is encouraged in future research.
Acid and Base Stress and Transcriptomic Responses in Bacillus subtilis

Acid and base environmental stress responses were investigated in Bacillus subtilis. B. subtilis AG174 cultures in buffered potassium-modified Luria broth were switched from pH 8.5 to pH 6.0 and recovered growth rapidly, whereas cultures switched from pH 6.0 to pH 8.5 showed a long lag time. Log-phase cultures at pH 6.0 survived 60 to 100% at pH 4.5, whereas cells grown at pH 7.0 survived <15%. Cells grown at pH 9.0 survived 40 to 100% at pH 10, whereas cells grown at pH 7.0 survived <5%. Thus, growth in a moderate acid or base induced adaptation to a more extreme acid or base, respectively. Expression indices from Affymetrix chip hybridization were obtained for 4,095 protein-encoding open reading frames of B. subtilis grown at external pH 6, pH 7, and pH 9. Growth at pH 6 upregulated acetoin production (alsDS), dehydrogenases (adhA, ald, fdhD, and gabD), and decarboxylases (psd and speA). Acid upregulated malate metabolism (maeN), metal export (czcDO and cadA), oxidative stress (catalase katA; OYE family namA), and the SigX extracytoplasmic stress regulon. Growth at pH 9 upregulated arginine catabolism (roc), which generates organic acids, glutamate synthase (gltAB), polyamine acetylation and transport (blt), the K+/H+ antiporter (yhaTU), and cytochrome oxidoreductases (cyd, ctaACE, and qcrC). The SigH, SigL, and SigW regulons were upregulated at high pH. Overall, greater genetic adaptation was seen at pH 9 than at pH 6, which may explain the lag time required for growth shift to high pH. Low external pH favored dehydrogenases and decarboxylases that may consume acids and generate basic amines, whereas high external pH favored catabolism-generating acids.
Asymptomatic chronic partial obstruction of a normal ureter following dextranomer/hyaluronic acid copolymer (Deflux ) injection for grade I vesicoureteral reflux

Abstract Endoscopic management of vesicoureteral reflux with dextranomer/hyaluronic copolymer (Deflux ® , Oceana Therapeutics, Inc., Edison, NJ, USA) has gained widespread acceptance with increasing success rates and minimal morbidity. Formation of a pseudocapsule and calcification are known histologic changes at the injection site. Postoperative ureteral obstruction has been reported in cases of severe voiding dysfunction, neurogenic bladder and abnormal ureteral anatomy. We present a case of chronic asymptomatic obstruction in a normal ureter following injection of 0.7 ml Deflux.
Young children's emotionality, regulation and social functioning and their responses when they are targets of a peer's anger

We examined the relations of young children's (N = 70) anger-related responses (i.e., behavioral scripts when they are targets of a peer's anger, perceptions of a peer's anger intensity, and involvement in real-life anger conflict incidents) to children's emotionality, regulation, and social functioning. Children aged 4 to 6 used puppets to act out their responses to hypothetical situations in which they inadvertently provoked a peer who then became angry at them. Boys viewed by teachers as emotionally intense, unregulated, nonconstructive copers, aggressive, and socially inappropriate tended to enact unfriendly responses when they were targets of a peer's anger. In addition, boys and girls viewed as aggressive (by teachers and mothers, respectively) and girls whose teachers viewed them as unregulated enacted assertive puppet responses. Children's enacted responses did not vary as a function of sex or level of the peer's anger. Girls' perceptions of relatively high levels of peers' anger were related to mothers' reports of aggressiveness and low self-regulation. Finally, peer reports of children's involvement in anger conflicts were associated with children's high emotional intensity, nonconstructive coping, low regulation, and socially inappropriate behavior, and boys' aggressiveness and low popularity.
Rethinking energy in parkinsonian motor symptoms: a potential role for neural metabolic deficits.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is characterized as a chronic and progressive neurodegenerative disorder that results in a variety of debilitating symptoms, including bradykinesia, resting tremor, rigidity, and postural instability. Research spanning several decades has emphasized basal ganglia dysfunction, predominantly resulting from dopaminergic cell loss, as the primarily cause of the aforementioned parkinsonian features. But, why those particular features manifest themselves remains an enigma. The goal of this paper is to develop a theoretical framework that parkinsonian motor features are behavioral consequence of a long-term adaptation to their inability (inflexibility or lack of capacity) to meet energetic demands, due to neural metabolic deficits arising from mitochondrial dysfunction associated with PD. Here, we discuss neurophysiological changes that are generally associated with PD, such as selective degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta, in conjunction with metabolic and mitochondrial dysfunction. We then characterize the cardinal motor symptoms of PD, bradykinesia, resting tremor, rigidity and gait disturbance, reviewing literature to demonstrate how these motor patterns are actually energy efficient from a metabolic perspective. We will also develop three testable hypotheses: (1) neural metabolic deficits precede the increased rate of neurodegeneration and onset of behavioral symptoms in PD, (2) motor behavior of persons with PD are more sensitive to changes in metabolic/bioenergetic state, and (3) improvement of metabolic function could lead to better motor performance in persons with PD. These hypotheses are designed to introduce a novel viewpoint that can elucidate the connections between metabolic, neural and motor function in PD.
Characterization and recombination mapping of an antigenic and host range mutation of canine parvovirus

Abstract A mutant of canine parvovirus (CPV) was derived after culture of a highly passaged isolate of CPV in the NLFK feline cell line. The virus (CPV-102/10) differed from the parental strain in its antigenic type when tested with a panel of neutralizing monoclonal antibodies, and in its relative ability to replicate in a dog cell line or in dogs. The mutant formed little replicative form DNA in the canine cells. Five single recombinants and two double recombinants between CPV-102/10 and a wild type CPV were constructed by digesting purified viral replicative form DNA with restriction enzymes, ligating the separated ends from the different strains, and examining the viruses isolated after transfecting the DNA into cell cultures. Analysis of the recombinant viruses showed that the mutation(s) determining both the antigenic and host range differences mapped between 64 and 73 map units in the genome, within the capsid protein gene. Sequencing the DNA from that region revealed differences of two adjacent amino acids, both resulting in nonconservative differences in the predicted amino acid sequences of the viruses. These results show that the ability of CPV to infect dogs or their cultured cells is determined, at least in part, by the conformation of the surface of the virus capsid.
A FILTERABLE YEAST-LIKE MICROORGANISM (SCHIZOSACCHAROMYCES FILTRANS, N. SP.).

A microorganism cultivated in the course of experiments with the virus of hog cholera shows the following points of interest. It is pleomorphic in extreme degree. Among the forms are coccoid and bacillary bodies at the lower limits of visibility. The culture can be completely regenerated after filtration through some Berkefeld N filters although these retain Bacillus abortus (Bang). The culture is carried forward by multiplication of forms of easy visibility (1.5µ). Associated with these at times are still larger forms bearing a striking general resemblance to those yeasts which develop abortive mycelia. Motile bacillary forms appear to arise as buds or branches from round or ovoid cocci. While cognizance is taken of possible alternatives the microorganism is provisionally classified with the yeasts and recognizing its filterability is named Schizosaccharomyces filtrans . The culture is not pathogenic for swine.
707-6 Amiodarone Decreases Ability of Baseline Ventricular Arrhythmia Severity to Predict Mortality

The Congestive Heart Failure Survival Trial of Antiarrhythmic Therapy (CHF-STAT) entered 633 high risk patients (pts) with ejection fraction (EF) ≤ 40%, PVCs/hr ≥ 10 on 24 hour Holter recording and on active vasodilator therapy. Pts were randomized to amiodarone or placebo. Despite marked ventricular arrhythmia suppression, overall mortality was the same for amiodarone and placebo treated pts. An analysis to identify groups at risk based on frequency or severity of ventricular arrhythmia at baseline for both placebo and amiodarone is as follows: Placebo Amiodarone M1 p M1 p PVCs l 30/hr 4% 14% g 30/hr 19% l0.002 19% NS (0.47) PVCs l median * 11% 16% g median 21% l0.0003 19% NS (0.54) High EF, Low PVC * 11% 13% High PVC 13% NS 14% NS (0.48) Low EF, Low PVC * 14% 17%) High PVC 28% l0.05 23%) NS (0.48) VT ≤ 3 events/24hr 13% 16% ≥ 4 21% l0.003 20% NS (0.43) M1 = first year mortality * High, Low = g, l, median, EF (26%) & PVCs/hr (128) While increased arrhythmia severity predicted increased mortality on placebo, it did not in patients subsequently assigned to amiodarone treatment. Amiodarone appears to counter the effect of increased arrhythmia severity on mortality.
Effects of stimulated growth hormone secretion on age-related changes in plasma cholesterol and hepatic low density lipoprotein messenger RNA concentrations

Growth hormone (GH) secretion declines during aging. Since GH alters plasma cholesterol (PC) concentrations, it was of interest to determine how GH secretagogues affect age-related hypercholesterolemia. Fischer 344 rats (3 and 14 months old) were co-administered (s.c.) GH releasing hormone (3 micrograms/kg; GHRH) and GH releasing hexapeptide (100 micrograms/kg; GHRP) for 120 consecutive days. Aging was associated with a progressive increase in PC, which was reduced in rats administered GHRH and GHRP compared to those administered vehicle, i.e. changes in PC during the study were 26.5 +/- 1.2 mg/dl vs. 40.1 +/- 0.9 mg/dl (P < 0.05) in the younger rats and 17.6 +/- 2.3 mg/dl vs. 31.6 +/- 5.3 mg/dl (P < 0.05) in the older rats, respectively. The lower concentrations of PC in GH secretagogue-treated older rats were associated with higher mean concentrations of hepatic LDL receptor mRNA (1.27 +/- 0.4 vs. 0.4 +/- 0.1; P < 0.05) but not cholesterol 7-alpha hydroxylase mRNA. Although GH secretagogue treatment was also associated with lower plasma cholesterol in the younger rats, it was not accompanied by quantitative changes in mean group concentrations of hepatic LDL receptor mRNA. Instead, daily administration of GHRH and GHRP in the younger rats correlated with a significant reciprocal relationship (P < 0.05) between PC and hepatic LDL receptor mRNA for individual group members. The results of this study suggest that reduced GH secretion during aging contributes, at least in part, to a progressive increase in plasma cholesterol that can be partially prevented with GH secretagogues. Furthermore, the effects on PC may result from GH-mediated, qualitative and quantitative changes in hepatic LDL receptor mRNA that increase receptor-mediated cholesterol clearance.
Povidone‐iodine as a periodontal pocket disinfectant

Objectives and background: Povidone-iodine [polyvinylpyrrolidone-iodine complex (PVP-iodine)] might constitute a valuable adjunct to current periodontal therapy because of its broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, low potential for developing resistance and adverse reactions, wide availability, ease of use, and low financial cost. This investigation employed a randomized, split-mouth study design to determine the microbiological and clinical effects of 10% PVP-iodine subgingival irrigation in periodontitis lesions showing radiographic evidence of subgingival calculus. Methods: Sixteen adults having at least one periodontal pocket of 6 mm or more in each quadrant of the dentition and harboring one or more periodontopathic bacteria participated in the study. In each subject, a study site in each quadrant was randomly chosen to receive either subgingival irrigation with 10% PVP-iodine together with scaling and root planing, scaling and root planing alone, subgingival irrigation with 10% PVP-iodine, or subgingival irrigation with sterile saline. Prior to therapy and at 5 weeks post-treatment, microbiological culture was carried out without knowledge of the clinical status or the type of treatment rendered. A blinded clinical examiner determined presence of dental plaque, probing pocket depth, and gingival bleeding on probing. Microbiological and clinical data were analyzed using a repeated measures analysis of variance and Kruskal–Wallis rank test with the Tukey and Mann–Whitney post hoc tests. Results: At 5 weeks post-treatment, subgingival irrigation with PVP-iodine together with scaling and root planing caused a 95% or greater reduction in total pathogen counts in 44% of pockets having ≥ 6 mm depth whereas scaling and root planing alone, povidone-iodine irrigation alone and water irrigation alone caused 95% reduction of total pathogens only in 6–13% of similar study sites (P = 0.02). Reduction in mean pocket depth was 1.8 mm for the PVP-iodine/scaling and root planing group, 1.6 mm for the scaling and root planing group, and 0.9 mm for the PVP-iodine and the saline monotherapy groups, with statistical significance reached for the scaling and root planing group vs. the PVP-iodine group (P = 0.04) and for the scaling and root planing group vs. the saline group (P = 0.02). Reduction in visible dental plaque, which ranged from 38% to 62%, showed no significant differences among treatment groups. Conclusions: The addition of subgingival PVP-iodine irrigation to conventional mechanical therapy may be a cost-effective means of reducing total counts of periodontal pathogens and helping control periodontal disease. However, subgingival irrigation with PVP-iodine without concomitant mechanical debridement might not improve microbiological and clinical variables in comparison with saline irrigation, at least not in sites with radiographic evidence of subgingival calculus.
Toxicity of aldicarb and fonofos to the early-life-stage of the fathead minnow.

Flow-through early-life-stage (ELS) toxicity tests were conducted with the pesticides aldicarb (Temik®) and fonofos (Dyfonate®) to determine their effect on the survival and growth of fathead minnows. Concentrations of 78μg/L of aldicarb and 16μg/L of fonofos did not affect survival and growth. However, 156μg/L of aldicarb and 33μg/L of fonofos were lethal to larval-juvenile exposed for 30 days post-hatch. The maximum acceptable toxicant concentration (MATC) of aldicarb and fonofos for the fathead minnow is estimated to be between 78–156μg/L and 16–33μg/L, respectively. The corresponding chronic values (geometric mean of MATC values) would be 110μg/L and 23μg/L. Acute toxicity tests gave 96-hr LC50 values of 1370μg aldicarb/L and 1090μg fonofos/L. The acute-chronic ratio (96-hr LC50/chronic value) is 12 for aldicarb and 47 for fonofos.
Erythromycin stearate as prokinetic agent in postvagotomy gastroparesis.

We describe a patient with severe postvagotomy gastroparesis who failed standard medical therapy but had an excellent clinical and radiological response to 250 mg of erythromycin administered 30 min before each meal. Improvement was further documented by a marked improvement in this patient's 99m Tc-sulfur colloid radionuclide gastric emptying scan
Isolation of junction devices in GaAs using proton bombardment

Abstract Proton bombardment has been used to convert both p- and n-type GaAs into high resistivity material. It will be shown that this technique is useful for isolating junction devices and fabricating arrays. The average carrier concentration in the bombarded layer is less than 1011/cm3, and the layer thickness is about one micron for every 100 keV of proton energy. These layers are apparently unaffected by a 16 hr anneal at 300°, and only slightly affected at 400°. Using this technique, we have isolated islands of n-type GaAs on a semi-insulating substrate, separated p-n junctions on an n-type substrate, and suppressed edge breakdown in Au-GaAs Schottky barrier diodes.
Simulation of Present-Day and Future Permafrost and Seasonally Frozen Ground Conditions in CCSM4

The representation of permafrost and seasonally frozen ground and their projected twenty-first century trends is assessed in the Community Climate System Model, version 4 (CCSM4) and the Community Land Model version 4 (CLM4). The combined impact of advances in CLM and a better Arctic climate simulation, especially for air temperature, improve the permafrost simulation in CCSM4 compared to CCSM3. Present-day continuousplus discontinuous permafrost extent is comparable to that observed [12.5 3 10 6 versus (11.8‐14.6) 3 10 6 km 2 ],but active-layer thickness (ALT) is generallytoo thick and deep ground (.15 m) temperatures are too warm in CCSM4. Present-day seasonally frozen ground area is well simulated (47.5 3 10 6 versus 48.1 3 10 6 km 2 ). ALT and deep ground temperatures are much better simulated in offline CLM4 (i.e., forced with observed climate), which indicates that the remaining climate biases, particularly excessive high-latitude snowfall biases, degrade the CCSM4 permafrost simulation. Near-surface permafrost (NSP) and seasonally frozen ground (SFG) area are projected to decline substantially during the twenty-first century [representative concentration projections (RCPs); RCP8.5: NSP by 9.0 3 10 6 km 2 , 72%, SFG by 7.1 3 10 6 , 15%; RCP2.6: NSP by 4.1 3 10 6 , 33%, SFG by 2.1 3 10 6 , 4%]. The permafrost degradation rate is slower (2000‐50) than in CCSM3 by ;35% because of the improved soil physics. Under the low RCP2.6 emissions pathway, permafrost state stabilizes by 2100, suggesting that permafrost related feedbacks could be minimized if greenhouse emissions could be reduced. The trajectory of permafrost degradation is affected by CCSM4 climate biases. In simulations with this climate bias ameliorated, permafrost degradation in RCP8.5 is lower by ;29%. Further reductions of Arctic climate biases will increase the reliability of permafrost projections and feedback studies in earth system models.
Directed evolution of industrial enzymes.

Directed evolution has emerged in just a few years as one of the most effective approaches to adapting biocatalysts to the performance requirements of industrial and medical applications. Directed evolution mimics the processes of Darwinian evolution in a test tube, combining random mutagenesis and/or recombination with screening or selection for enzyme variants that have the desired properties1. A recent conference* that convened practitioners from industry and academia surveyed current efforts and highlighted the rapid progress the field has enjoyed. In addition to impressive demonstrations of enzyme engineering, there were a variety of challenging problems and approaches to laboratory evolution.
Comparison of coronary artery dynamics pre- and post-stenting

Stents have dramatically improved the treatment of coronary artery disease. Since the implantation of stents changes the geometry and dynamics of the coronary artery, it is reasonable to hypothesize that some of these changes may have an important effect on the development of atherosclerosis by modulating the mechanical environment. In this paper, we presented a method to compare the geometric dynamics of the coronary artery before and after stenting using biplane angiography. Two cases are reviewed and a number of parameters are proposed to describe the longitudinal change of the vessel before and after stenting. This analysis technique has the potential to identify some aspects of stent design and procedure that might improve the success rate with this therapeutic approach.
Increasing school quantity versus quality in kenya: impact on children from low-and high-income households

A common dilemma facing educational planners engaged in educational reform in developing countries is the allocation of sharply-reduced resources to the expansion of school facilities versus improvement of existing school facilities (say, by raising the teacher/pupil ratio). The empirical results presented in this paper for Kenya suggest that the two interventions have diametrically opposite effects on poor and nonpoor children. An expansion of school facilities increases the enrollment of children in the poorest expenditure quintiles but has no impact on the enrollment of children in the top quintiles. On the other hand, an improvement in the teacher-pupil ratio increases the enrollment rate of children in the top quintiles, and actually reduces the enrollment of children in the poor quintiles. These findings suggest that in situations where there is less than universal primary enrollment (UPE) and the government has set a time-bound goal of UPE, such as in Kenya, policies that serve to expand the number...
Cross-reactivity of polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies to polyphenoloxidase in higher plants

Abstract Polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies against broad bean polyphenoloxidase were used to examine the cross reactivity of the enzyme in higher plants after Western blotting. Both the polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies recognized similar enzyme forms in broad beans and mung beans, but only the polyclonal antibody identified polyphenoloxidase in pea and soybean extracts. The polyclonal antibodies were able to identify inactive and/or active enzyme forms of polyphenoloxidase in the various plant sources under partially denaturing SDS-PAGE. The polyclonal antibody was also used to identify several cross-reacting proteins in five other plant species after denaturing SDS-PAGE. Under denaturing SDS-PAGE, the number and types of polyphenoloxidase identified were surprisingly similar among the eight species and were localized to proteins with M r s of 60–63 000, 43–45 000, and 34–36 000.
Metabolic Detoxification: Mechanism of Insect Resistance to Plant Psoralens

Larvae of the black swallowtail butterfly, Papilio polyxenes Stoll, forage successfully on plants that contain high levels of photosensitizing psoralens. These insects rapidly detoxify psoralens, particularly in the midgut tissue prior to absorption, with the result that appreciable levels of unmetabolized phototoxin do not enter the body circulation where deleterious light-induced interactions with dermal or subdermal tissues would occur.
Two dnaB genes are associated with the origin of replication of pQBR55, an exogenously isolated plasmid from the rhizosphere of sugar beet

Plasmid pQBR55 (∼149 kb) represents one of five (Groups I–V) genetically distinct transfer proficient, mercury resistance plasmid groups that have been observed in the phytosphere pseudomonad community at a single geographic location in Oxford, UK. A 4.9-kb HindIII fragment was cloned from pQBR55 (a Group III plasmid) that facilitates autonomous replication of a narrow host range cloning vector, pKIL29, in the non-permissive host Pseudomonas putida UWC1. Sequencing revealed that the fragment contains a unique tandem array of dnaB genes (one partial and one complete), a homologue of the traA gene of plasmid RP4 and several potential open reading frames with little homology to any known sequences. The fragment also contains: a short region of direct and indirect repeats, two sequences that resemble the consensus Escherichia coli DnaA box motif, an A+T rich region and evidence of a GC-skew inversion. All features associated with origins of replication. Two specific oligonucleotide primer pairs, one targeted at the tandem dnaB genes and the other at the dnaB–traA arrangement were used for PCR analysis of other plasmids isolated from the same field site. PCR generated amplification products were only amplified from Group III plasmids (defined by RFLP typing) but not from plasmids belonging to Group I, II, IV or V. The nucleotide sequences of the amplified fragments were identical to those of pQBR55, even though the other Group III plasmids had distinct RFLP patterns. The results of a more general PCR screen, using primers to amplify a 389-bp fragment of all described pseudomonad dnaB genes, suggests that closely related dnaB sequences are only associated with Group III plasmids.
Structure evolution and dielectric behavior of polystyrene-capped barium titanate nanoparticles

Polystyrene-capped barium titanate (BaTiO3) nanoparticles with sizes of 11 nm and 27 nm were prepared using amphiphilic star-like diblock copolymer templates. The crystal structure evolution of these nanoparticles over a wide temperature range (10–428 K) was investigated by powder X-ray diffraction. The Rietveld refinement indicates that the abrupt structural transitions observed in micron-sized powders become broad as the particle size is reduced to a few tens of nanometers. The orthorhombic phase (Amm2) is observed in the range of 10–388 K, coexisting with the rhombohedral phase (R3c) at lower temperatures and with the tetragonal phase (P4mm) at higher temperatures. At room temperature (300 K), polystyrene-capped BaTiO3 nanoparticles, both 11 and 27 nm sizes, primarily adopt the tetragonal phase, transforming to the cubic phase (Pmm) at 398 K during heating. The phase evolution of the nanoparticles correlates well with their dielectric behavior. With the Landauer–Bruggeman effective approximation, the dielectric properties at room temperature of the BaTiO3 core were calculated and the results are in agreement with the size effect of BaTiO3 nanocrystals.
Statistics for studying quanta at synapses: resampling and confidence limits on histograms

This paper describes some statistical methods for working with data on quantal sizes. Since quantal sizes often do not fit to normal probability distribution functions, statistics based on the normal distribution are inappropriate. Resampling methods can be used to determine confidence limits and to test whether two sets of data differ by chance. Some hypotheses about the nature of quanta are based on apparent peaks and valleys in histograms. Confidence limits can be placed on the bins in the histogram by using the Kolomorogov-Smirnov statistic or by resampling. The confidence limits should assist in the evaluation of the significance of the valleys.
Realization and Physicalism

Melnyk provides a rigorous analysis of the notion of realization with the aim of defining Physicalism. It is argued here that contrary to Melnyk's Realization Physicalism, the idea that mental phenomena are realized by physical phenomena fails to capture the physicalist belief that the former obtain in virtue of the latter. The conclusion is not that Physicalism is false, but that its truth is best explained with some notion other than realization in Melnyk's sense. I also argue that the problems with Melnyk's brand of Realization Physicalism generalize to other potential attempts to express Physicalism in terms of realization. The burden of proof is on the Realization Physicalist to show that physicalist intuitions can be adequately captured with the notion of realization.
Role of viruses in the loss of tolerance to self-antigens and in autoimmune diseases

The breaking of tolerance to self-antigens, involving the activation of self-reactive lymphocytes, is a critical event leading to autoimmune disease. The precise mechanisms by which this occurs are unknown, but among other etiological factors, viruses have been implicated. Recent results with animal models of insulin-dependent diabetes provide insight into how viruses induce autoimmune disease.
Giorgio Agamben's “Cenobitic Communism” and the Limits of Posthumanism

Contemporary cultural theory has been overtaken with a posthumanist concern for the “biopolitical” or the definition and organization of “life.” Life, in the posthumanist turn, is re-defined as “postlife,” or as that which breaks with enlightenment and scientific attempts to contain life and actively resists categorization, conceptualization, and theorization. This essay is a critique of the “postlife” theories of the posthumanist turn, which have come to dominate both cultural theory and popular culture. Through a close reading of Giorgio Agamben's (2013) The Highest Poverty, alongside an analysis of the film Her (Jonze et al. 2013), I argue that what passes for a concern with the boundaries and treatment of life is, in actuality, a displacement of the fundamental cause of the heightening contradictions of global capitalism, namely, the exploitation of labor. By turning the contradictions of the social into the consequences of a political apparatus determined at the level of ideas, posthumanist theories ...
An improvement in the closely-spaced-frequencies method of deducing ionospheric electron content from Faraday rotation measurements

Abstract There is a certain amount of ambiguity in the closely-spaced-frequencies method of deducing ionospheric electron content. This ambiguity arises from a lack of knowledge of the difference in the absolute amounts of Faraday rotation undergone by the planes of polarization of the two transmissions involved. A method is outlined which, in most cases, eliminates this ambiguity. Its advantages over alternate methods are discussed.
Discrete potential waves in the photoreceptors of a gastropod mollusc, Hermissenda crassicornis.

Abstract Intracellular recording of dark adapted photoreceptors ofHermissenda crassicornis (Opisthobranchia, Gastropoda, Mollusca) revealed the occurrence of depolarizing waves even after blockade of synaptic transmission and postsynaptic potentials by application of low Ca2+ and high Mg2+ solution. Dim illumination increased the frequency of depolarizing waves. These observations show thatHermissenda photoreceptors have discrete waves which have been demonstrated mainly in arthropod photoreceptors. An histogram of intervals between successive discrete waves under continuous dim illumination was exponential, which is characteristic of a Poisson process. Frequency of discrete waves increased linearly depending on numbers of incident photons to the eye. Comparison of probabilities of eliciting a response to brief dim flashes of various intensities to theoretical Poisson sum curves, together with statistical analysis, indicate that the absorption of single photon is sufficient to evoke a discrete wave.
Regulation of dihydrofolate reductase gene expression in mouse fibroblasts during the transition from the resting to growing state.

The rate of accumulation of dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) was studied in resting, growing and serum stimulated mouse 3T6 fibroblasts by first exposing the cells briefly to 10−6 M methotrexate (MTX) to inactivate specifically and irreversibly the pre-existing enzyme, then determining the rate of recovery of reductase activity after removal of MTX. DHFR activity was quantitated by measuring the ability of a cell extract to reduce 3H-folic acid or to bind 3H-MTX. In all cases, recovery of enzyme activity was inhibited by cyclo-heximide, indicating that the recovery was due to de novo synthesis of reductase. We found that the rate of accumulation of DHFR was high in exponentially growing cells, as expected, but about 40-fold lower in resting (G0) 3T6 cells. When resting 3T6 cells were induced to re-enter the cell cycle following serum stimulation, we found that the rate of accumulation of DHFR increased sharply about ten hours after serum stimulation. DNA replication also began at this time. When resting cells were serum stimulated in the presence of inhibitors of DNA synthesis (hydroxyurea or cytosine arabinoside), the increase in DHFR synthesis was the same as in control stimulated cells. This indicates a lack of tight coupling between DNA synthesis and reductase gene expression. The increase in DHFR accumulation was inhibited by Actinomycin D (5 μg/ml) if the drug was added 7.5 hours after stimulation, but was not inhibited if the drug was added 15 hours after stimulation. This is consistent with the idea that DHFR gene expression is regulated at the level of transcription, and that reductase mRNA is transcribed only between 7.5 and 15 hours following stimulation.
Forward−Backward Semiclassical Dynamics without Prefactors

Using a forward−backward representation of all degrees of freedom in a system, we present a rigorous formulation of semiclassical correlation functions or expectation values where the contribution of the prefactor is compensated for by the semiclassical phase. This procedure eliminates the need for computing the semiclassical prefactor whose determination amounts to evaluating the full stability matrix, resulting in a scheme that scales linearly with the number of degrees of freedom. Numerical calculations show that, while some interference is lost, the scheme is capable of capturing most features important to the vibrational dynamics and spectroscopy of multidimensional systems.
A recursive construction of asymmetric 1-factorizations

W. D. Wallis has recently shown that forn ≥ 4, the complete graph on 2n points (denotedK 2n ) has two non-isomorphic 1-factorizations. In this paper we prove that forn ≥ 5,K 2n has a 1-factorization with no symmetry at all and that as n increases without bound, the number of pairwise non-isomorphic asymmetric 1-factorizations ofK 2n also increases without bound.
Evaluation of the certificate in emerging infectious disease research and the certificate in one health training programs, University of Florida

In developing countries, public health professionals and scientists need targeted training and practical skills to respond to global emerging infectious disease threats. The Certificate in Emerging Infectious Disease Research was developed in 2008 to aid such professionals to respond to complex emerging disease problems. The short-course was modified slightly in 2013 and renamed the Certificate in One Health. To evaluate the immediate impact of the short-course, an online survey of 176 past participants from both the courses was conducted. The survey tool assessed the program's process, impact, and outcome measures respectively via assessing the courses' perceived strengths and weaknesses, perceived skills gained, and the participants' current position, publication status, funding status, and educational attainment; 85 (48.3%) participants completed the survey. Reported program strengths included the curriculum, expertise of lecturers, and diversity of the training cohort. The principal reported weakness was the compressed academic schedule. The most frequently reported benefits included: epidemiological and biostatistical skills, followed by One-Health knowledge, and research skills. Twenty-eight percent of the survey respondents reported publishing one or more manuscripts since completing the course and 21% reported receiving research funding. The course appears to have had a positive, immediate impact on the students' self-perceived knowledge and capabilities.
Antiviral Activity of 3,5 Diiodo-4-Hydroxybenzenesulf onamide in Chick Embryo Lung Tissue Culture.

Summary3,5 diiodo-4-hydroxybenzene-sulfonamide was found to inhibit the growth of the influenza virus in chick embryo lung tissue culture. The compound appeared to exert a selective direct effect upon the extracellular virus particle.
Cracks Emanating From a Fluid Filled Void Loaded in Compression: Application to the Bone-Implant Interface

Loosening of orthopedic implants is believed to be caused, in part, by fracture at the bone-cement interface. This loosening occurs even in regions where the interfacial load is primarily compressive. A model is developed whereby cracks can radiate from an elliptical fluid filled void. The incompressible fluid is allowed to penetrate into the cracks when the system is loaded compressively. The mode I stress intensity factor is calculated to test the feasibility of crack growth, and a numerical scheme which uses piecewise quadratic polynomials is used to solve the resulting singular integral equations. The results show the combinations of parameters for which cracks are likely to grow.
Dynamical Quality of Service (QoS) Support for DOCSIS HFC Networks

The Data Over Cable Service Interface Specifications (DOCSIS) of the Multimedia Cable Network System (MCNS) organization intends to support IP traffics over HFC (hybrid fiber/coax) networks with significantly higher data rates than analog modems and Integrated Service Digital Network (ISDN) links. The availability of high speed-access enables the delivery of high quality audio, video and interactive services. To support quality-of-service (QoS) for such applications, it is important for HFC networks to provide effective medium access and traffic scheduling mechanisms. In this work, we consider an HFC network that has a shared upstream channel for transmissions from stations assigned with different service priorities to the headend. We first present a multilevel priority collision resolution scheme with adaptive contention window adjustment. The proposed collision resolution scheme separates and resolves collisions for different classes of critically delay-sensitive and best effort traffics, thereby, achieving the capability for preemptive priorities. To enhance the performance of the proposed scheme, we adopt a novel methodology in which the headend dynamically selects the optimal backoff window size according to the estimate of the number of contending stations for each priority class. A traffic scheduling policy with multiple priority queues is also employed in the headend to schedule data transmissions. This scheduling strategy is used to satisfy bandwidth requirements for higher priority traffics. Simulations are conducted by using OPNET. We present a set of simulation scenarios to demonstrate the performance efficiency of the proposed scheme.
Absorption coefficient of alkali halides in the multiphonon regime: Effects of nonlinear dipole moments

The theory of the absorption coefficient for a model of alkali-halide crystals in the multiphonon regime developed earlier by the authors is extended to incorporate the effects of a nonlinear dipole moment. The resulting expression for the absorption coefficient is evaluated for the Morse interatomic potential function and several choices for the nonlinear dipole moment. We suggest that the relative sign of the contributions to the absorption coefficient from crystalline anharmonicity and the nonlinear variation of the electric-dipole moment with interatomic separation is such that these contributions interfere constructively in the alkali halides.
Time-dependent inhibition of platelet cyclo-oxygenase by indomethacin is slowly reversible

Abstract Indomethacin has been charterized in vitro as a time-dependent, irreversible inhibitor of cyclo-oxygenase, yet its effects on human platelets have been found to be reversible in vivo . To understand this apparent contradiction, we have investigated the kinetics of recovery of platelet thromboxane production after a single dose of indomethacin. The inhibition of platelet thromboxane production was greater than would be expected from the levels of indomethacin found in the plasma suggesting that the time-dependent inhibition occurs in vivo . Yet recovery of platelet thromboxane production was faster than expected for the irreversible inhibitor, with 50% of control values being regained within 24 hours after ingestion of the drug. When platelets were isolated and resuspended in homologous drug-free plasma, slow recovery of thromboxane production was seen to occur with 50% of control activity regained in 100 minutes. This recovery was much slower than that seen from a competitive inhibitor of cyclo-oxygenase, ibuprofen. Ibuprofen-treated platelets recovered nearly completely immediately on being resuspended in drug-free plasma. When microsomes were isolated from platelets, then treated with indomethacin, no time-dependent recovery of activity was seen. The recovery of cyclo-oxygenase after indomethacin inhibition appears to be limited to the unperturbed enzyme in this natural milieu.
Effects of being overweight on ventilatory dynamics of youth at rest and during exercise

Research on obese adults has shown that their ventilatory dynamics differ from normal weight adults; however, the ventilatory dynamics of obese and non-obese children have never been documented. Thus, the ventilatory responses of 73 overweight youth (BMI >85th percentile) were compared to 73 age, sex and height-matched normal weight youth (BMI <85th percentile), during 15 min of rest and steady-state exercise at 4, 5.6 and 8 kph. Overweight youth had higher oxygen uptakes (VO2 mL/min), ventilation (VE), tidal volume (V (T)), frequency (f (R)), physiological dead air space (V (D)) and V (D)/V (T) ratios than normal weight youth (P < 0.02); however, end-tidal CO(2) (P(ET)CO(2)), VE/VO2 and VE/VCO2 were similar. Inspiratory drive (V (T)/t (i)) was greater for overweight youth at rest and during exercise. The correlation between P(ET)CO(2) and inspiratory drive was significant for the overweight group at 5.6 and 8 kph (r = 0.23-0.44), but not significant for the normal weight youth (r = -0.04 to 0.10). The greater drive, respiratory frequency and physiologic dead air space of overweight youth suggest that their adiposity modifies ventilation dynamics during exercise. However, the modifications appear to meet the metabolic demands of exercise.
Not the next IRA: how health savings accounts shape public opinion.

Scholars suspect that public policies affect public opinion, but the empiri- cal evidence is mixed, and contemporary theories advance offsetting predictions. This study examines two allegedly similar private investment account programs that differ in politically relevant ways. Statistical analyses show that owners of Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) experience policy feedback effects, but in opposite directions. More specifically, matched comparisons of respondents in a national survey indicate that IRA participants are more likely to favor Social Security privatization than individuals without IRAs. In contrast, HSA participants are less likely to prefer consumer-driven health coverage in which indi- viduals are empowered to make choices. Overall, the findings suggest that policies alter public opinion preferences but that the effects depend on programmatic design and performance.
Screening, Surveillance, and Primary Prevention for Colorectal Cancer: A Review of the Recent Literature

C c o i M olorectal cancer (CRC) remains a major clinical and public health challenge, with 148,810 new cases and 9,960 deaths expected in the United States in 2008.1 The eld of CRC research is dynamic and expanding in several irections, encompassing areas of clinical and outcomes esearch, epidemiology, public health, and molecular scinces. In this review, we summarize important developents in CRC screening and surveillance over the past everal years and discuss the present state of the art of his field.
Asymptotic data rates of receive-diversity systems with MMSE estimation and interferers at correlated locations

An asymptotic technique is presented to characterize the bits/symbol achievable on a representative wireless link in a spatially distributed network with active interferers at correlated positions, N receive diversity branches, and linear Minimum-Mean-Square-Error (MMSE) receivers. The models analyzed include analogs to Matern type I and type II networks. It is found that for our network models, with large N, the correlation between interferer positions does not significantly influence the bits/symbol resulting in simple approximations for the data rates achievable in such networks with moderately large numbers of diversity branches.
Machinable Glass-Ceramics Based on Tetrasilicic Mica

Tetrasilicic-mica glass-ceramics are formed from glasses in the simple quaternary system K2O-MgF2-MgO-SiO2. The mica phase crystallizes as small (400-A) spherical grains at #625°C and recrystallizes into larger booklets at 940°C. The mica platelets grow by a dissolution and reprecipitation mechanism, thereby increasing the aspect ratio during growth. Two regions of strength dependence on grain size are found. When the mica platelets are very small, the strength increases as the 1/5 power of the mica-plate diameter. Above a critical plate diameter, the strength decreases, being inversely proportional to the first power of the mica-plate diameter. In the second region, the strength appears to be controlled by the interfacial shear stresses developed as a result of the thermal expansion mismatch between the mica platelets and the residual glass.
Molecular cloning and sequencing of a novel cDNA encoding for a protein involved in human sperm function.

Abstract A cDNA encoding for an antigen, designated as NZ-3, was cloned and sequenced from human testis. The 1481-bp NZ-3 cDNA yielded an open reading frame (ORF) of 231 amino acids (aa) with the first ATG, Met start codon at nucleotide (nt) 104 and the stop codon TGA at nt 797. Extensive computer search indicated it to be a novel cDNA/protein. The ORF of NZ-3 cDNA was subcloned into pGEX-1λT vector and expressed in glutathione S-transferase gene fusion system. The expressed recombinant protein had a molecular size of ∼25 kDa, and the rabbit antibodies (Ab) against the recombinant antigen recognized a specific protein band of 63 ± 3 kDa in the human testis extract. The NZ-3 antigen was located on the acrosomal and tail regions of human sperm cell and the NZ-3 Ab significantly (P
Global Change and the Earth System

The Earth system in recent years has come to mean the complex interactions of the atmosphere, biosphere, lithosphere and hydrosphere, through an intricate network of feedback loops. This system has operated over geologic time, driven principally by processes with long timescales. Over the lifetime of the solar system, the Sun has slowly become more radiant, and the geography of continents and oceans basins has evolved via plate tectonics. This geography has placed a first-order constraint on the circulation of ocean waters, and thus has strongly influenced regional and global climate. At shorter timescales, the Earth system has been influenced by Milankovitch orbital factors and occasional exogenous events such as bolide impacts.
Neural basis and recovery of spatial attention deficits in spatial neglect

The syndrome of spatial neglect is typically associated with focal injury to the temporoparietal or ventral frontal cortex. This syndrome shows spontaneous partial recovery, but the neural basis of both spatial neglect and its recovery is largely unknown. We show that spatial attention deficits in neglect (rightward bias and reorienting) after right frontal damage correlate with abnormal activation of structurally intact dorsal and ventral parietal regions that mediate related attentional operations in the normal brain. Furthermore, recovery of these attention deficits correlates with the restoration and rebalancing of activity within these regions. These results support a model of recovery based on the re-weighting of activity within a distributed neuronal architecture, and they show that behavioral deficits depend not only on structural changes at the locus of injury, but also on physiological changes in distant but functionally related brain areas.