cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparison of on-road emissions for hybrid and regular transit buses

Hybrid technology offers an attractive option for transit buses, since it has the potential to significantly reduce operating costs for transit agencies. The main impetus behind use of hybrid transit vehicles is fuel savings and reduced emissions. Laboratory tests have indicated that hybrid transit buses can have significantly lower emissions compared with conventional transit buses. However the number of studies is limited and laboratory tests may not represent actual driving conditions, since in-use vehicle operation differs from laboratory test cycles. This paper describes an on-road evaluation of in-use emission differences between hybrid-electric and conventional transit buses for the Ames, Iowa transit authority, CyRide. Emissions were collected on-road using a portable emissions monitoring system (PEMS) for three hybrid and two control buses. Emissions were collected for at least one operating bus day. Each bus was evaluated over the same route pattern, which utilizes the same driver. The number of passengers embarking or disembarking at each stop was collected by an on-board data collector so that passenger load could be included. Vehicle emissions are correlated to engine load demand, which is a function of factors such as vehicle load, speed, and acceleration. PEMS data are provided second by second and vehicle-specific power (VSP) was calculated for each row of data. Instantaneous data were stratified into the defined VSP bins and then average modal emission rates and standard errors were calculated for each bus for each pollutant. Pollutants were then compared by bus type. Carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and hydrocarbon emissions were higher for the regular buses across most VSP bins than for the hybrid buses. Nitrogen oxide emissions were unexpectedly higher for the hybrid buses than for the control buses.
Impact of race and gender on antithrombotic therapy

Large randomised trials support the use of a variety of antithrombotic drugs for treatment of atherothrombotic disease processes leading to cardiovascular disease. The heterogeneous case-mix of patients enrolled in these trials, however, hamper the attempt to generalise their findings to subgroups which are not sufficiently represented in the study population, such as women and ethnic minorities. Sex- and race-specific disparities in the clinical presentation, management, and outcomes of coronary artery disease may relate to underlying differences in thrombotic profiles and response to antithrombotic therapies. The present manuscript provides an overview of the currently available data on the epidemiology of coronary artery disease based on gender and race as well as the biological considerations for their differences in thrombosis and haemostasis and effects of antithrombotic therapy.
Mechanism of Instabilities of Exothermic Hypersonic Blunt-Body Flows

Exothermic hypersonic blunt body flow periodic instability mechanism, using ballistic range with schlieren photographic equipment
Arbitrage Opportunities for a Class of Gladyshev Processes

Geometric versions of a class of Gaussian processes are investigated as possible models for stock prices. Arbitrage opportunities are constructed for these processes showing that option pricing is not possible with these models.
Long range electrostatic effects in pepsin catalysis

Abstract Binding of polycationic substrates and inhibitors to pepsin is a stepwise process. Fast nonspecific association, governed by long range electrostatic forces, is followed by slow surface diffusion into the active site.
Rapid liquefaction of giant miscanthus feedstock in ethanol-water system for production of biofuels

Abstract Energy issues nowadays are one of the critical priorities for the United States. There is a strong desire and tremendous efforts employed towards replacing fossil fuels with sustainable alternative sources of energy. In this study, hydrothermal liquefaction with ethanol and water as co-solvents was applied on giant miscanthus (Miscanthus giganteus) perennial biomass feedstock. Four temperatures and six ethanol ratios were chosen for the study. The optimum combination of temperature and water/ethanol ratio was 280 °C and 50%, respectively. The effect of time, biomass to solvent ratio and catalyst type was studied as well. The best liquefaction results without applying catalysts (53% oil yield and 8% solid residue) were obtained after 15 min. When zinc chloride was used as catalyst, more than 52% of oil yield with 1% solid residue was obtained after 5 min. The crude bio-oil chemical composition was identified by using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS).
Collagen fibrillogenesis in a three-dimensional fibroblast cell culture system.

The purpose of this study was to follow collagen fibril formation in a newly developed three dimensional cell culture system. Human neonatal foreskin fibroblasts were grown on a nylon mesh in Dulbecco's Modified Eagles Medium (DMEM) supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum and antibiotics. Fibrillogenesis was initiated by the addition of 50 micrograms/ml ascorbate to confluent cultures. Sample meshes were processed for electron microscopy or immuno-electron microscopy. Fibrils ≈20–30 nm in diameter, with 67 nm periodicity, were first detected five days after the addition of ascorbate. As cultures progressed, cells organized into parallel layers between which collagen fibers continued to form and increase in diameter. By day 50, fiber diameter ranged from 30 to 80 nm and large bundles were seen. No collagen fibril formation occurred in control cultures to which no ascorbate was added. However, large amounts of microfibrils were observed. Antibodies against the aminopropeptide of type I procollagen were found to bind to fibrils with diameters less than 34 nm while antibodies against the aminopropeptide of type III collagen bound primarily to fibers which ranged from 35–54 nm in diameter. We believe that this system, which morphologically resembles a normal dermis, will werve as an excellent model for the study of collagen fibrillogenesis.
Production/consumption and the Chinese city/region: Cultural political economy and the feminist diamond ring

The "consumer revolution" in the People's Republic of China emerged after 1992 when the state deepened growth-oriented reform and justified individual consumption as a pillar of economic development. This examination of cultural-economic practices in urban China makes an argument for conceptualizing consumption in relation to production through a modified cultural political economy. It identifies a regional regime in the zone between Shanghai and Hong Kong, with the latter as China's main center of trade in precious metals and gemstones, and citizen-consumer subject formation with "Chinese characteristics." The argument builds on Chinese feminist theory to explain contrasts between PRC state ideology on women's roles in the household and contemporary alternatives in the marketplace. Empirical analysis focuses on the large market for fine jewelry, its disassociation from heteronormative gifting, and its connection with leisure/tourism sites. Conclusions affirm the importance of a cultural political economy...
The Death-Mother in Psycho: Hitchcock, Femininity, and Queer Desire

Alfred Hitchcock’s film Psycho (1960) is a significant work on many levels—to Hitchcock’s career, to film history, to the horror genre. I propose that a crucial aspect of Psycho’s design, one that relates to Hitchcock films as a whole, is its thematization of a concept that I call the “death-mother.” A distinction between Mrs. Bates/“Mother,” on the one hand, and the death-mother, on the other hand, impels this discussion. The death-mother—which relates to the varieties of femininity on display but exceeds their specific aspects and implications—is an effect produced by the film text and can only be understood through an analysis of the work as a whole. Exceeding the specifications of the Mrs. Bates character, the death-mother maps onto tropes and preoccupations in Hitchcock’s oeuvre but, more importantly, indicates the aesthetic implications, for the male artist most commonly, of the dread of femininity. I develop the concept of the death-mother from the writings of Freud, Nietzsche, and Andre Green and ...
Cosyntropin as a Diagnostic Agent in the Screening of Patients for Adrenocortical Insufficiency

Adrenocortical insufficiency occurs when there is inadequate release of cortisol from the adrenal cortex. Disturbances of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis are common following trauma, surgical stress, and critical illness. While this is often a protective mechanism, these responses may become “uncoupled” or maladaptive resulting in an exacerbation of organ failure and higher mortality rates. In these clinical settings, the patient presents with a persistent systemic inflammation state, a hyperdynamic cardiovascular response, and vasopressor dependent shock. As such, the occurrence of adrenal insufficiency in the setting of critical illness is most appropriately termed critical illness-related corticosteroid insufficiency. In these settings, recent data suggests that these patients may benefit from a short course of low-dose steroid replacement therapy. Cosyntropin, a synthetic derivative of adrenocorticotropic hormone, is being used with increased frequency in the evaluation and diagnosis of adrenocortical insufficiency in this patient population. A random cortisol level is checked before a 250-μg injection of cosyntropin and then 30–60 minutes later. The cortisol levels and response to cosyntropin may be interpreted to identify an insufficient adrenal response. Of note, the setting of critical illness can greatly affect the cosyntropin test sensitivity on identifying adrenal insufficiency. Changes in the stress response during critical illness combined with the resuscitation and management of these patients greatly disturbs serum protein levels, especially those of albumin and transcortin. Common intensive care unit (ICU) diagnoses such as sepsis and malnutrition can increase baseline levels and blunt the cortisol response to cosyntropin stimulation, respectively. As well, numerous pharmacological agents routinely used in the ICU have been shown to interfere with cortisol levels and cosyntropin responsiveness. While steroids have a place in the ICU, specific dosing and length of administration remain inconsistent
Cross sections as a function of angle and complex phase shifts for the scattering of protons from 12C

Abstract Absolute differential cross sections as a function of angle for the elastic scattering of protons by 12 C, and for the reactions which occur, were measured at incident proton energies E p = 2.39, 2.97, 3.97, 4.99, 5.66, 6.18, 6.65, 6.77, 8.07, 8.39, 8.96, 9.39, 9.81 and 11.60 MeV. Complex phase shifts were obtained to represent the elastic scattering cross sections, the total inelastic cross sections and certain polarization data. The phase-shift values at the above discrete energies were used to estimate a continuous energy dependence for the phase shifts in the range 5.0 ≦ E p ≦ 9.5 MeV, omitting the rapid energy variation due to narrow levels. The estimates were varied slightly to obtain a good fit (except over the narrow levels) to the previously reported cross sections as a continuous function of energy. Finally the narrow levels were included in a calculation of the differential elastic scattering cross section, the total reaction cross section and the polarization at θ lab = 50°, all as a continuous function of energy. The calculation adequately reproduced the experimental data through most of the energy range. Only one of the states close to E p = 9.14 MeV was included in the calculations, so that the results differed significantly from the experimental values above E p = 8.5 MeV.
A moral principles framework for human resource management ethics

Abstract This paper argues that the analysis of ethical issues in human resource management is legitimate and important. It argues that the theory of ethical relativism should be rejected and that it is meaningful to search for universal moral principles. It then presents a comprehensive framework for making judgments about human resource management ethics that consists of five complementary moral principles that have been developed and studied by philosophers: utilitarian ethics, rights ethics (using Kant's categorical imperative), distributive justice ethics, care ethics, and virtue ethics. It illustrates the application of the moral framework by analyzing the ethics of deceiving employees about the hazardous nature of chemicals in the workplace, the ethics of discrimination in employment, and the ethics of sexual harassment.
Individual aggression, national attachment, and the search for peace: psychological perspectives

The primary question addressed is the role of affect related factors, particularly values, as possible mediators of individual differences in attitudes towards nuclear armament-disarmament issues. One such factor is value placed on children, those individuals who have greater affection for children or who are more supportive of devoting national resources toward meeting children's needs being more supportive of nuclear disarmament and a nuclear test moratorium. This relationship was found in a well-educated group of adults with a special interest in foreign affairs as well as in college student populations. A significant and strong relationship between the value placed on war as an instrument of foreign policy and a pronuclear armament stance was also found in each of these two samples. Measures of individual aggression, however, were minimally and inconsistently related to the attitude towards nuclear armament-disarmament and the attitude towards war measures. The possible role of patriotic and nationalistic values was also explored. Patriotism or love of and pride in one's country was shown to be functionally distinct from nationalism or the view that one's country is superior to and should be more powerful than other nations. Patriotism but not nationalism was found to be positively correlated with early paternal sattachment while nationalism but not patriotism, was found to be significantly related to pronuclear armament views. The findings from this series of studies indicate that the analysis of individual differences in nuclear armament-disarmament policy attitudes has heuristic usefulness and may be useful for social policy in this area.
Exposure to Long Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Triggers Rapid Multimerization of Synucleins

Abstract Detergent-stable multimers of α-synuclein have been found specifically in the brains of patients with Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. Here we show that recombinant α-synuclein forms multimers in vitro upon exposure to vesicles containing certain polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) acyl groups, including arachidonoyl and docosahexaenoyl. This process occurs at physiological concentrations and much faster than in aqueous solution. PUFA-induced aggregation involves physical association with the vesicle surface via the large apolipoprotein-like lipid-binding domain that constitutes the majority of the protein. β- and γ-synucleins, as well as the Parkinson's disease-associated α-synuclein variants A30P and A53T, show similar tendencies to multimerize in the presence of PUFAs. Multimerization does not require the presence of any tyrosine residues in the sequence. The membrane-based interaction of the synucleins with specific long chain polyunsaturated phospholipids may be relevant to the protein family's physiological functions and may also contribute to the aggregation of α-synuclein observed in neurodegenerative disease.
Ultraviolet stabilizing monomers and polymers. I. Synthesis and polymerization of phenyl 5-methacryloxymethylsalicylate†

With a view to permanently incorporating ultraviolet stabilizing moieties into polymer systems, monomers containing the phenyl salicylate structure have been prepared and polymerized. Phenyl 5-acryloxymethylsalicylate and phenyl 5-methacryloxymethyl-salicylate were prepared by the chloromethylation of phenyl salicylate and subsequent reaction with sodium acrylate or methacrylate. Homopolymers and copolymers of the methacryloxymethyl monomer were prepared and studied. The ultraviolet spectra of the chloromethyl derivative, the monomers, and the homopolymers were essentially similar to that of the starting material, phenyl salicylate. Copolymers of the ultraviolet-absorbing monomers (2%) with vinyl acetate, vinylidene chloride, and vinyl chloride were prepared. The ultraviolet stability of these copolymers was then compared to that of an unstabilized control series and a series containing phenyl salicylate. While there were some differences in the behavior of the copolymerized absorber it was at least as effective as phenyl salicylate in stabilizing the polymers.
Intramedullary holocord lipoma in an athlete: case report.

Objective and importance Holocord intradural lipoma extending from the cervical to the lumbar spine is an exceedingly rare condition. An extensive review of the literature revealed that only eight other cases have been reported, and none occurred during the contemporary magnetic resonance imaging era. Clinical presentation A case of holocord intradural lipoma that was partially resected with the aid of carbon dioxide laser and intraoperative ultrasound is reported. Technique The intimate relationship of the lipoma to the nerve roots and the absence of a distinct plane between tumor and spinal cord precluded a complete resection of this tumor. At 7 months postoperatively, the patient's dysesthetic pain had resolved almost completely. Proprioception in the lower extremities had improved significantly to the point that the patient was able to walk without a cane and his preoperative Romberg's sign had disappeared. Conclusion Extensive intradural intramedullary spinal lipomas can present in adulthood with symptoms of myelopathy as well as nonradicular pain. We encourage early surgical debulking of the tumor to prevent further progression of symptoms and to offer the possibility of neurological improvement.
Ionic composition of microdialysis perfusing solution alters the pharmacological responsiveness and basal outflow of striatal dopamine.

: While using the technique of in vivo microdialysis, we have assessed the effect of the ionic composition of the perfusing solution on extracellular dopamine levels during resting conditions and following a pharmacological manipulation. Our results indicate that perfusion with solutions containing the ionic composition of commercially available Ringer's solution, which mimic the ionic composition of plasma as opposed to brain extracellular fluid, alters the turnover rate and basal release of dopamine. Moreover, perfusion with solutions containing higher calcium levels, i.e., 3.4 mM, than the amount we have determined to be present in the extracellular fluid of striatum (1.2 mM) alters the pharmacological responsiveness of the nigrostriatal dopamine system to synthesis inhibition.
Cervical brachytherapy utilizing ring applicator: Comparison of standard and conformal loading

Purpose: Afterloading high-dose-rate brachytherapy (HDR) treatment of cervical cancer with cross-sectional imaging and three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction offers opportunities for individualized conformal treatment planning rather than fixed point-A dosimetry. Methods and Materials: Between June 2003 and September 2004, 15 patients with FIGO Stage 1B-4A cervical carcinoma, median age 56 years, were treated with radical external-beam radiotherapy to pelvis, including paraortic nodes if positive on staging investigations. Fourteen patients received concurrent cisplatin chemotherapy. All patients received HDR brachytherapy administered by intrauterine tube and ring applicator. Clinical target volume (CTV) and organs at risk (OAR)—rectum, bladder, and small bowel—were outlined from postinsertion CT planning scans. Planning target volume (PTV) was derived by use of 2-mm to 3-mm 3D expansion. A standard plan was produced that delivered 6 Gy to point A, and a second plan delivered 6 Gy to PTV. Constraints were defined for the OAR: bladder, 6 Gy; rectum, 5 Gy; and small bowel, 5 Gy. Dosimetric comparison was performed by use of the Baltas conformal index (COIN). Results: Mean COIN values were 0.39 for conformal plans and 0.33 for standard plans ( p = 0.001); mean D95 values were 4.79 Gy and 4.50 Gy, respectively. Conclusion: The majority of patients achieved a plan closer to ideal for coverage of PTV, with minimization of radiation received by normal tissues for conformal loading measured by COIN compared with fixed point-A prescription that used the cervical ring applicator.
TDMA with a direct sequence spread spectrum (DS/SS) overlay provides a cost effective PCS multiple access system

Use of direct sequence spread spectrum (DS/SS), in conjunction with TDMA, provides a more cost effective PCS system with better performance in the typical multipath environments encountered, than either CDMA-only or TDMA-only design approaches. This paper describes Omnipoint Corporation's PCS system design approach which utilizes TDMA with a DS/SS overlay and its cost and performance advantages.
Factors Affecting Thermodynamic Stabilities of RNA 3 3 Internal Loops

Internal loops in RNA are important for folding and function. The 3 3 nucleotide internal loops are the smallest size symmetric loops with a potential noncanonical base pair (middle pair) flanked on both sides by a noncanonical base pair (loop-terminal pair). Thermodynamic and structural insights acquired for 3 3 loops should improve approximations for stabilities of 3 3 and larger internal loops. Most natural 3 3 internal loops are purine rich, which is also true of other internal loops. A series of oligoribonucleotides containing different 3 3 internal loops were studied by UV melting and imino proton NMR. Both loop-terminal and middle pairs contribute to the thermodynamic stabilities of 3 3 loops. Extra stabilization of -1.2 kcal/mol was found for a GA middle pair when flanked by at least one non-pyrimidine-pyrimidine loop-terminal pair. A penalty of 1 kcal/mol was found for loops with a single loop-terminal GA pair that ha saU3 ' to the G of the GA pair. A revised model for predicting stabilities of 3 3 loops is derived by multiple linear regression.
An artificial neural network printed circuit board diagnostic system based on infrared energy emissions

A diagnostic method based on the infrared emissions of an electronic system is presented. Steps required to acquire thermal information reduce it to a manageable size, and form diagnostic decisions are discussed. The shortfalls of conventional ATE which may be improved by this approach are identified. >
Native Americans and Augmentative and Alternative Communication Issues

Professional sensitivity to cultural issues during augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) design and implementation has gained increasing attention in the professional literature. This article describes four cultural domains in which core values characteristic of Native American tribes are discernable: spirituality, trustworthiness, family, and communicative variables. Implications of AAC for practitioners are noted in each of these domains, followed by a description of the results of an ethnographic study investigating the real experience of implementing AAC for two Native American students, their families, and their educational teams. Field observations; videotapes of use of voice output communication aids; and interviews with AAC users, their family members, and educational teams provide data for examination. These data support a grounded theory describing the experience of Native American AAC users who are still missing a key element related to Native American culture.
An entropy-based framework for dynamic clustering and coverage problems

In this paper, we consider the general class of coverage and clustering problems in a dynamic environment, and propose a computationally efficient framework to address them. We define the problem of achieving instantaneous coverage as a combinatorial optimization problem in a Maximum Entropy Principle framework. We then extend the framework to a dynamic environment, thereby allowing us to address the inherent trade-off between the resolution of the clusters and the computation cost, and provides flexibility to a variety of dynamic specifications. The proposed framework addresses both the coverage as well as tracking aspects of the problem. The determination of cluster centers and their associated velocity field is cast as a control design problem ensuring that the algorithm achieves progressively better coverage with time. Simulation results presented in the paper demonstrate that the proposed algorithm achieves target coverage costs five to seven times faster than related frame-by-frame methods, with the additional ability to identify natural clusters in the dataset.
Utilization of a multilayer polyacrylamide phantom for evaluation of hyperthermia applicators.

A muscle-simulating material made of polyacrylamide gel (PAG) for testing various kinds of hyperthermia applicators was investigated. The permittivity and conductivity dispersion of PAG, as well as an internal wavelength and penetration depth, were in good agreement with those of actual muscle at frequencies between 500 MHz and 3 GHz. A single formula for PAG covering three ISM bands, most commonly used for hyperthermia, 433, 915 and 2450 MHz, is presented. The physical properties of the PAG phantom allow any desired form or shape to be moulded, including shapes conforming to the actual geometry of an interstitial or intracavitary applicator. Utilization of a multilayer phantom makes possible the generation of experimental three-dimensional specific absorption rate (SAR) distributions composed from several two-dimensional SAR images at different depths or radial distances from the applicator. Spatial resolution of 1 mm can be achieved. The two-dimensional SAR distributions at different depth values for co...
Examining Body Mass Index in an Urban Core Population From Health Screening to Physician Visit

Background. Childhood obesity is commonly encountered in the primary care office and disproportionately affects those from low income or minority backgrounds. Objective. To determine how accurately primary care clinicians in an urban setting identified patients with body mass indices (BMIs) at or above the 95th percentile for age and to determine which obesity treatment strategies are used. Materials and Methods. The study population consisted of school-aged, inner-city children with a BMI at or above the 95th percentile for age whose charts were made available for data collection by retrospective chart review. Results. A total of 158 patient medical charts were reviewed. Of these, 90 (57%) patients failed to be identified by the provider as having an elevated BMI. Obesity treatment was initiated in only 68 (43%) of these patients. Conclusions. Providers are not effectively recognizing childhood obesity and are not consistently implementing effective obesity treatment strategies.
The Costs of Treating COPD in the United States

Study objectives: COPD affects millions of people in the United States. The purpose of this study was to describe the medical resource use and costs incurred by persons with COPD in the United States in 1987. Design: Data for this study were derived from the 1987 National Medical Expenditure Survey. A societal perspective was adopted for this analysis. Patients or participants: All persons > 40 years old with resource use or expenditures for chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or nonspecific chronic airway obstruction were included in this study. Results: Mean per-person direct medical expenditures among persons with COPD were $6,469 (1987 US dollars), about 25% of which was COPD related. Approximately 68% of direct medical expenditures in persons with COPD were for inpatient hospitalization. Conclusions: COPD causes a large societal burden of illness that is expected to increase. This study provides a valuable foundation and historical measure against which to compare other estimates. (CHEST 2001; 119:344 ‐352)
CTLA-4–B7 Interaction Is Sufficient to Costimulate T Cell Clonal Expansion

T cell costimulation, particularly by the B7 family members B7-1 and B7-2, plays a critical role in regulating T cell–mediated immunity. Two molecules on T cells, CD28 and CTLA-4, are known to bind to B7. It has been suggested that CD28–B7 interaction promotes T cell response, whereas B7–CTLA-4 interaction downregulates T cell clonal expansion. However, the proposed responses of individual receptors to B7 have not been verified directly. Here, we report that B7-1 promotes clonal expansion of CD28-deficient T cells, and that the CD28-independent costimulatory activity is mediated by CTLA-4, as it is completely blocked by intact and Fab of anti–CTLA-4 mAb. In addition, a mutant B7-1 molecule, B7W88 >A, which has lost binding to CD28 but retained significant CTLA-4 binding activity, promotes T cell clonal expansion. Furthermore, while presence of CD28 enhances T cell response to B7-1, such response is also completely blocked by anti–CTLA-4 mAb. Taken together, our results demonstrate that B7–CTLA-4 interaction promotes T cell clonal expansion, and that optimal T cell response to B7 is achieved when both CD28 and CTLA-4 interact with B7. These results establish an important function of CTLA-4 in promoting T cell activation, and suggest an alternative interpretation of the function of CTLA-4 in T cell activation.
Effect of Germ-Free Environment on Ca47 Metabolism

Abstract An experiment was conducted to determine if large differences in calcium metabolism exist in chickens reared in a germ-free environment. Four plastic germ-free isolators (American Sterilizer Company) were used for this study. They were sterilized by spraying with 30% beta-propiolactone solution. The air filter (Fiber-glass 50) was sterilized with 1 ml. methyl bromide. The water, bottles, cages and other equipment were autoclaved and the feed sterilized with ethylene oxide. Eggs from broiler parent stock were obtained from a local hatchery after 18 days of incubation. They were washed in detergent and passed through 2% HgCl2 solution into the isolators. Twelve eggs were placed in each isolator. After hatching, the chicks were placed in either of two wire cages in each isolator and fed the practical type corn-soybean meal ration containing 1.19% calcium described in Trial 2, Table 1 by Edwards et al. (1963). Cultures were taken daily for 3 days…
Diplomacy and domestic politics: the logic of two-level games

Domestic politics and international relations are often inextricably entangled, but existing theories (particularly “state-centric” theories) do not adequately account for these linkages. When national leaders must win ratification (formal or informal) from their constituents for an international agreement, their negotiating behavior reflects the simultaneous imperatives of both a domestic political game and an international game. Using illustrations from Western economic summitry, the Panama Canal and Versailles Treaty negotiations, IMF stabilization programs, the European Community, and many other diplomatic contexts, this article offers a theory of ratification. It addresses the role of domestic preferences and coalitions, domestic political institutions and practices, the strategies and tactics of negotiators, uncertainty, the domestic reverberation of international pressures, and the interests of the chief negotiator. This theory of “two-level games” may also be applicable to many other political phenomena, such as dependency, legislative committees, and multiparty coalitions.
Teaching and Maintaining Behavior Management Skills in the Nursing Home

Purpose: To examine the efficacy of a comprehensive behavior management skills training program for improving certified nursing assistants’ (CNA) skill performance in the nursing home, to assess the effectiveness of a staff motivational system for maintaining newly acquired behavior management skills for a 6-month period, and to evaluate any resulting effects on resident agitation. Design and Methods: This study used a randomized clinical trial of 88 residents with behavior disturbances and 106 CNAs who cared for them in two urban nursing homes. After CNAs received 4 weeks of behavior management training, supervisory nursing staff implemented formal staff management (FSM), designed to maintain training effects over time. The supervisory staff used conventional staff management (CSM, usual supervisory routine) on control units. We completed behavioral observations and paper-and-pen assessments at baseline and repeated them during a 4-week post-intervention phase and at 3- and 6-month follow-ups. Results: During the immediate post-training phase, both the FSM and CSM groups improved five out of seven communication skills and the ability to delay physical assistance during care routines. Although CNAs showed a reduction in the use of ineffective behavior management strategies, they did not increase their use of effective behavioral strategies. Follow-up assessments suggested that the FSM system was more effective than CSM for maintaining and even improving communication skills over time. Resident agitation was reduced during care interactions and maintained at follow-up. Implications: The behavior management skills training program improved CNAs’ ability to interact with behaviorally disturbed nursing home residents and produced sustained reductions in agitation. The FSM system was more effective for maintaining communication skills 6 months after training.
Electric utility rate structures and distributed thermal energy storage: A cost-benefit analysis

Abstract We examine three alternative methods by which electric utilities might take advantage of distributed thermal energy storage to smooth out their load profiles. These three methods are: (1) time-specific rates, (2) time-invariant rates with subsidized storage, and (3) direct load controls with no subsidies to storage. The optimal form of each of these policies is determined and relations indicating the relative desirability of each are developed.
Antigen compartmentation and T helper cell tolerance induction.

The process of antigen recognition depends in part on the amount of peptide antigen available and the affinity of the T cell receptor for a particular peptide-major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecule complex. The availability of self antigen is limited by antigen processing, which is compartmentalized such that peptide antigens presented by MHC class I molecules originate in the cytoplasm, whereas peptide antigens presented by MHC class II molecules are acquired from the endocytic pathway. This segregation of the antigen-processing pathways may limit the diversity of antigens that influence the development and selection of, e.g., CD4-positive, MHC class II-specific T cells. Selection in this case might involve only a subset of self-encoded proteins, specifically those that are plasma membrane bound or secreted. To study these aspects of immune development, we engineered pigeon cytochrome for expression in transgenic mice in two forms: one in which it was expressed as a type II plasma membrane protein, and a second in which it was targeted to the mitochondria after cytoplasmic synthesis. Experiments with these mice clearly show that tolerance is induced in the thymus, irrespective of antigen compartmentation. Using radiation bone marrow chimeras, we further show that cytoplasmic/mitochondrial antigen gains access to the MHC class II pathway by direct presentation. As a result of studying the anatomy of the thymus, we show that the amount of antigen and the affinity of the TCR affect the location and time point of thymocytes under-going apoptosis.
Botulinum Neurotoxin: A Marvel of Protein Design

Botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT), the causative agent of botulism, is acknowledged to be the most poisonous protein known. BoNT proteases disable synaptic vesicle exocytosis by cleaving their cytosolic SNARE (soluble NSF attachment protein receptor) substrates. BoNT is a modular nanomachine: an N-terminal Zn(2+)-metalloprotease, which cleaves the SNAREs; a central helical protein-conducting channel, which chaperones the protease across endosomes; and a C-terminal receptor-binding module, consisting of two subdomains that determine target specificity by binding to a ganglioside and a protein receptor on the cell surface and triggering endocytosis. For BoNT, functional complexity emerges from its modular design and the tight interplay between its component modules--a partnership with consequences that surpass the simple sum of the individual component's action. BoNTs exploit this design at each step of the intoxication process, thereby achieving an exquisite toxicity. This review summarizes current knowledge on the structure of individual modules and presents mechanistic insights into how this protein machine evolved to this level of sophistication. Understanding the design principles underpinning the function of such a dynamic modular protein remains a challenging task.
Modeling the Scalar Mixing and Flavor Amplitudes

A brief discussion on the problems of light scalar meson spectroscopy is given. A mass mixing regime for pure scalar tetraquarks, pure scalar mesons, and a pure scalar glueball is presented, resulting in the realization of the experimentally observed masses in the scalar I = 0, I = 1, and I = 1/2 channels. The matrix elements are calculated according to SU(3) flavor symmetry, OZI rules for process diagrams, and best fit to experimental data. The glueball-meson mixing elements are taken to be imaginary in order to account for the reduction in mass of the mixed glueball. The mixing matrix elements are used to compute the unitary flavor amplitude matrices, which are presented and further used to calculate theoretical partial widths for the decays S → PiPj. New theoretical mass and error for f0 (600), as well as an approximate two-pseudoscalar total width, are given in summary, along with the predicted branching ratio Γ(fgg → ηη)/Γ(fgg → ππ) for the pure glueball state which may be present in E760 neutral data. The new states f0 (1200 – 1600), f0 (1790), and X(1810) are mentioned as well, and explained briefly according to the new mixing scheme.
Parallel tree-projection-based sequence mining algorithms

Discovery of sequential patterns is becoming increasingly useful and essential in many scientific and commercial domains. Enormous sizes of available datasets and possibly large number of mined patterns demand efficient, scalable, and parallel algorithms. Even though a number of algorithms have been developed to efficiently parallelize frequent pattern discovery algorithms that are based on the candidate-generation-and-counting framework, the problem of parallelizing the more efficient projection-based algorithms has received relatively little attention and existing parallel formulations have been targeted only toward shared-memory architectures. The irregular and unstructured nature of the task-graph generated by these algorithms and the fact that these tasks operate on overlapping sub-databases makes it challenging to efficiently parallelize these algorithms on scalable distributed-memory parallel computing architectures. In this paper we present and study a variety of distributed-memory parallel algorithms for a tree-projection-based frequent sequence discovery algorithm that are able to minimize the various overheads associated with load imbalance, database overlap, and interprocessor communication. Our experimental evaluation on a 32 processor IBM SP show that these algorithms are capable of achieving good speedups, substantially reducing the amount of the required work to find sequential patterns in large databases.
Inhibition of contraction of isolated lymphatic ducts by atrial natriuretic peptide

Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) potently relaxes blood vessels but its effect on lymphatic motility is unreported. We studied the effect of ANP, and the smooth muscle relaxing agent nitroprusside (NP), on isolated ovine mesenteric lymphatic ducts. Duct segments were mounted on a myograph, and noncumulative dose-response curves were obtained for the effect of ANP and NP on the rate and force of spontaneous (and norepinephrine-induced) duct contraction. Both ANP (threshold approximately 1 nM) and NP (threshold approximately 10 nM) in a dose-related fashion reduced the frequency and force of contraction of both spontaneously contracting and norepinephrine-stimulated duct segments. ANP may therefore affect interstitial fluid balance through its effect on lymphatic motility.
Soft-Tissue Sarcoma

Treatment approaches for primary soft tissue sarcomas (STS) have generally employed multimodal management with large radiotherapy fields in both the pre- and postoperative settings. However, with more modern focus on minimizing treatment-related toxicity and the potential for focal dose escalation, techniques such as brachytherapy and stereotactic radiotherapy may have a greater role. Moreover, stereotactic radiotherapy may be employed in management of lung oligometastases, a hallmark of advanced STS.
Rain and Representation: The Effect of Margin of Victory on Incumbent Legislative Behavior

We develop and assess an elite-information account of representation. Accordingly, politicians face uncertainty about voter opinion, and use previous vote-margins to gauge their future electoral prospects. Unexpected losses in prior support will elicit ideological moderation given new information about an electorate. To test this account, we use rain around Election Day as a natural experiment in congressional voting. In studying U.S. House races from 1956 to 2008, we find each additional inch of election rainfall exogenously dampens Democratic vote-margins by 1.3 to 2.9 percentage points, and shifts incumbents rightward in their roll call positions in subsequent Congresses. We find this responsiveness mainly in competitive districts with the greatest risk of defeat, and by Democrats rather than Republicans suggesting asymmetry in party representation. Overall, we show that idiosyncratic electoral effects can meaningfully impact legislative behavior, and highlight an information mechanism that may help explain representation.
A phase i study of Folate immune therapy (EC90 vaccine administered with GPI-0100 adjuvant followed by EC17) in patients with renal cell carcinoma

This is the first phase I, open-label study to assess the safety, pharmacokinetics, and antitumor activity of a novel immunotherapeutic regimen known as Folate Immune (EC90 vaccine administered with GPI-0100 adjuvant followed by EC17, a folate-targeted hapten immunotherapy that targets folate receptor expressing cancer cells), which is designed to convert poorly immunogenic tumors to highly immunogenic tumors in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. Three to 6 patients were enrolled in each cohort. In the vaccination phase, patients were given once weekly vaccinations of 0.2 mg of EC90 plus 3.0 mg of GPI-0100 for 3-5 weeks. In the treatment phase, patients were treated with 0.031, 0.092, or 0.276 mg/kg of EC17, 5 d/wk, for weeks 3, 4, or 6. Forty-one patients were enrolled in the study of which 33 patients received ≥1 treatment of EC17. Two dose-limiting toxicities were observed including grade 4 anaphylaxis and grade 3 pancreatitis. During the vaccination phase, mild to moderate injection site reactions were the most frequently reported adverse events. During the treatment phase, transient hypersensitivity reactions were the most common adverse event. Partial response was noted in 4% (1/28) of patients, and stable disease was noted in 54% (15/28) of patients after cycle 1 and was maintained in the majority of patients entering the extension phase of the study. EC90 vaccine with GPI-0100 adjuvant followed by EC17 is safe and well tolerated. The recommended regimen for further studies is 4 weekly vaccinations with 0.2 mg of EC90 plus 3.0 mg GPI-0100 followed by treatment with 0.3 mg of EC17.
Sensitivity of mice to histamine during respiratory infection by Hemophilus pertussis.

SummaryMice inoculated intranasally with a culture of H. pertussis developed lung infections from which more than half of the mice survived. The average time of death ranged from 16 to 23 days. They developed a high degree of sensitivity to histamine comparable to that induced by pertussis vaccine, but it was slower in developing and it persisted much longer. A high percentage of the mice that died from histamine shock showed gross lung lesions and H. pertussis was recovered from the lungs of the majority. Most of the mice that survived this infection were resistant to an intracerebral inoculation of H. pertussis.
Changes in concentration of blood chemical elements of patients with coal-burning fluorosis

Objective:To explore the relationship between blood Zinc(Zn),Calcium(Ca),Copper(Cu),Magnesium(Mg) and Ferrum(Fe) levels and the incidence of coal-burning endemic fluorosis and to find effective anti-fluorine elements for the prevention and control of the disease.Methods:Stratified cluster random sampling method was used and 250 children and 90 adults were investigated in fluorosis area and non-fluorosis area for 1 ∶2 matched case-control study.Fasting venous blood samples were collected by venipuncture in vacuum tubes from all subjects and the concentrations of blood Zn,Ca,Cu,Mg and Fe levels were examined with atomic absorption spectrometer.Spot urine samples were collected from all subjects and the fluoride levels were detected by fluoride ion selective electrode.Results : Blood Zn levels of Wushan children were(78.82±11.40) μmol/L in external controls,higher than(73.39±8.99) μmol/L in internal controls and (69.01±6.98) μmol/L in case group. Similarly,blood Zn levels of Fengjie children were(78.82±11.40) μmol/L in external controls,higher than(77.66±12.03) μmol/L in internal controls and(72.76±10.87) μmol/L in case group. Blood Zn levels of Wushan adults were(101.21±11.91) μmol/L in external controls,higher than(97.92 ±11.51) μmol/L in internal controls and(91.13 ±10.29)μmol/L in case group,all P0.05. Blood Cu and Fe levels of children in Wushan and Fengjie were higher in external controls than in internal controls and case group,P0.01. Urine fluorine were higher in case group than in internal and external controls in Wushan children and adults and Fengjie children,P0.01. Concentrations of blood Zn,Ca and urine fluorine were(72.76±10.87) μmol/L,(1.82 ±0.19) mmol/L and(0.83 ±0.37) mg/L in Fengjie case group,higher than those of(69.01 ±6.98) μmol/L,(1.41 ±0.12)mmol/L and(0.65±0.33) mg/L in Wushan case group. Similarly,concentrations of blood Zn,Ca and urine fluorine were(77.66±12.03)μmol/L,(1.85±0.23) mmol/L and(0.53±0.23) mg/L in Fengjie internal controls,higher than those of(73.39±8.99) μmol/L,(1.45±0.21) mmol/L and(0.43±0.18) mg/L in Wushan internal controls,P0.05 of blood Zn and urine fluoride,P0.01 of blood Ca. Conclusions:Blood concentration of Zn,Ca,Cu,Fe are closely related with the process of coal-burning endemic fluorosis in the two counties except the main pathogenic element of fluorine. Patients with fluorosis have lower blood Zn levels and children have lower blood Cu and blood Fe in two counties. Concentrations of blood Zn and blood Ca are decreased with the increase of severity of endemic fluorosis.