cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Plastic deformation around fatigue cracks

Abstract The formation of a plastic deformation zone with fatigue crack propagation was observed and analyzed with surface roughness and etch-pit techniques on a macro scale. Both techniques were calibrated with respect to plastic strain in order to characterize the strain distribution within the plastic zone. Side surfaces and interior longitudinal and transverse cross-sections were evaluated. The crack growth kinetics were correlated with the evolutional characteristics of the plastic zone.
In Situ Time-Resolved FRET Reveals Effects of Sarcomere Length on Cardiac Thin-Filament Activation

During cardiac thin-filament activation, the N-domain of cardiac troponin C (N-cTnC) binds to Ca2+ and interacts with the actomyosin inhibitory troponin I (cTnI). The interaction between N-cTnC and cTnI stabilizes the Ca2+-induced opening of N-cTnC and is presumed to also destabilize cTnI–actin interactions that work together with steric effects of tropomyosin to inhibit force generation. Recently, our in situ steady-state FRET measurements based on N-cTnC opening suggested that at long sarcomere length, strongly bound cross-bridges indirectly stabilize this Ca2+-sensitizing N-cTnC–cTnI interaction through structural effects on tropomyosin and cTnI. However, the method previously used was unable to determine whether N-cTnC opening depends on sarcomere length. In this study, we used time-resolved FRET to monitor the effects of cross-bridge state and sarcomere length on the Ca2+-dependent conformational behavior of N-cTnC in skinned cardiac muscle fibers. FRET donor (AEDANS) and acceptor (DDPM)-labeled double-cysteine mutant cTnC(T13C/N51C)AEDANS-DDPM was incorporated into skinned muscle fibers to monitor N-cTnC opening. To study the structural effects of sarcomere length on N-cTnC, we monitored N-cTnC opening at relaxing and saturating levels of Ca2+ and 1.80 and 2.2-μm sarcomere length. Mg2+-ADP and orthovanadate were used to examine the structural effects of noncycling strong-binding and weak-binding cross-bridges, respectively. We found that the stabilizing effect of strongly bound cross-bridges on N-cTnC opening (which we interpret as transmitted through related changes in cTnI and tropomyosin) become diminished by decreases in sarcomere length. Additionally, orthovanadate blunted the effect of sarcomere length on N-cTnC conformational behavior such that weak-binding cross-bridges had no effect on N-cTnC opening at any tested [Ca2+] or sarcomere length. Based on our findings, we conclude that the observed sarcomere length-dependent positive feedback regulation is a key determinant in the length-dependent Ca2+ sensitivity of myofilament activation and consequently the mechanism underlying the Frank-Starling law of the heart.
Carbon sequestration partnerships

The U.S. Department of Energy named seven regional partnerships on 16 August to study the best methods for the non-biological sequestration of carbon in different parts of the country. DOE will provide about $11.1 million to these partnerships over the next 2 years, with participating organizations expected to contribute an additional $7 million.
A computer model for stress-volume relationships of porous rocks with various saturations

A Computer Model for Stress-Volume Relationships of Porous Rocks with Various Saturations A model has been developed that predicts the hydrostatic and one-dimensional strain, stress-volume relationship for porous rocks with various fluid contents. The model uses spherical and penny-shaped pores and includes distributions in both size and separations of these pores. Some of the pores are interconnected to allow the passage of fluid as the porosity changes. The model is calibrated to the dry hydrostatic pressure-volume relationship and is then used to predict the stress-volume relationships for saturated or partially saturated rocks. The model predictions are compared to the experimental results for Mt. Helen tuff.
A Ternary Algebra Arising from Association Schemes on Triples

A ternary algebra formed by three-dimensional arrays with entries from an arbitrary field is investigated. The three-dimensional adjacency arrays of a combinatorial structure called an "association scheme on triples" (AST), developed by the authors earlier, form such an algebra, a generalization of the "Bose-Mesner algebra" of the classical association schemes. We define the notion of identity pair and inverse pair and develop methods for finding inverse pairs. For the ternary sub-algebras generated by the adjacency matrices of the nontrivial relations of ASTs constructed from the the groups PSL(2, q), AGL(1, q), and also by 2-designs, it is shown that there is an abundance of inverse pairs.
Wet, Dry, and Hybrid Heat Rejection System Impacts on the Economic Performance of a Thermoelectric Power Plant Subjected to Varying Degrees of Water Constraint

The reduction of water consumption and use is emerging as a top priority for all types of thermoelectric power plants. In the United States, thermoelectric power production accounts for approximately 41% of freshwater withdrawals [1] and 3% of overall fresh water consumption. [2] On the basis of responses to a 2011 Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Request for Information [3], the feasibility study [4,5,6,7] of a Thermosyphon Cooler Hybrid System (TCHS) [8], proposed by Johnson Controls, was funded under EPRI’s Technology Innovation (TI) Water-Conservation Program. The objective of this project was to further develop the TCHS design concept for larger scale power plant applications and then perform a thorough technical and economic feasibility evaluation of the TSC Hybrid System and compare it to a variety of other competitive heat rejection systems.The Thermosyphon Cooler Hybrid System reduces power plant cooling tower evaporative water loss by pre-cooling the condenser loop water through a dry cooling process employing an energy efficient, naturally recirculating refrigerant loop. This paper details the results of a detailed feasibility study that was conducted to compare the cost and performance of the TCHS to a number of other potential wet, dry, and hybrid thermoelectric power plant heat rejection systems operating under varying degrees of water constraint. Installed system cost estimates were developed for the base all wet cooling tower systems, TCHS’s of varying sizes, air-cooled condenser (ACC) hybrid systems of varying sizes, and all dry ACC systems.Optimized all wet cooling tower and all dry ACC system configurations were developed for five different climatic locations. A comprehensive power plant simulation program that evaluated the fuel and water requirements of the power plants equipped with the different heat rejection systems across the weather conditions associated with all 8,760 hours of a typical meteorological year was developed and then an extensive array of simulations were run each location. The summary data were organized in a separate interactive dynamic system comparison summary program to allow users to gain further insight into the relationships between the various heat rejection systems and the sensitivity of the results to changes in key input assumptions.This paper details the data presented in the interactive dynamic system comparison summary program. This program displays the key metrics of the Annual Net Cost of Power Production, the Annual Net Power Plant Profit, the Annual Operating Profit, and the Internal Rate of Return as a function of the Percent Annual Water Savings Required for the various heat rejection systems at each of the five studied climatic locations studied. Key results and conclusions are presented.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
The theoretical implications of multivariate analysis in the behavioral sciences

We can start with a specific methodological impass: the method used by a field anthropologist and the method used by a sociologist versed in and proud of high-power statistics. The former looks for qualitative configuration of a case study, while the latter looks for quantitative generalization of sample cases. The same impass exists between psychiatrists and psychologists. Of course, historians abhor the barbarous term “case study,” let alone statistical generalizations. However, in the deceivingly simple propositional function, X = f(y, z…), both the qualitative configuration and quantitative generalization are taken care of. Anthropologists, psychiatrists, and historians must strive for generalizations. Those arrived at by sociologists and psychologists must be applicable to individual cases. Thus the formula, arrived at through multivariate analysis, can be used to formulate individual cases such that X1 = f(y, z…), X2 = f(y2, Z2…)…Xn = f(yn, zn…) with subscripts 1, 2,…n representing coefficients of the variables appropriate to individual cases. To generalize is not to explain away individuals. Rather, in sciences, individuals can be formulated in terms of the determinable variables of the general formula. Since the conventional wisdom suspects sciences usually on the grounds of concern for the uniqueness of individual persons, things, or events, the possible scientific formulation of individuals is stressed to offer consolation and relieve anxiety.
Teleconnections and the siege of time

The recent surge of interest in climate has resurrected correlation coefficients as tools for identifying ‘significant’ atmospheric teleconnections. Unfortunately, large coefficients may diminish and even change sign with time, suggesting absence of real physical relationships. Some statistical evidence supports the view that higher than normal sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific ‘cause’ less than normal rainfall in the Indian summer monsoon. However, a study of individual Augusts uncovers major exceptions and at the same time fails to confirm that Indian summer rainfall influences central and eastern Pacific rainfall or that the Southern Oscillation Index can be consistently related to conditions in either region. Around 1963-1964 the apparent relationship between the Southern Oscillation Index and Indian rainfall reversed. At about the same time other global climatic relationships changed, raising the possibility of identifying and describing a major global climatic singularity separating two distinct statistical populations.
The role of silver nanoparticles on silver modified titanosilicate ETS-10 in visible light photocatalysis

Abstract Nanoparticles of noble metals, such as silver and gold, have been investigated as one way to hinder the recombination of electrons and holes produced by irradiated semiconductors. However, the exact role silver plays in hindering electron–hole recombination is unclear. In order to assess the role of ionic silver, Ag+, and metallic silver, Ag0, on the potential photocatalytic activity of a titanosilicate ETS-10 semiconductor (i.e., a means to extend light absorption into the visible range, a means to form a Schottky barrier to hinder electron–hole recombination, as a catalyst for the production of oxygen radicals, as a means to capture electron through species reduction, etc.) the photosensitization of methylene blue (MB) was investigated under visible light irradiation. Visible light irradiation was chosen so as to decouple the effects silver nanoparticles play in this photosensitized reaction from the complexities of electron–hole pair dynamics that may be inherent to ETS-10. Ag+ and Ag0 were investigated in both their free-floating forms and utilizing ETS-10 as a substrate. All forms of silver were produced by AgNO3 dissociation. Ion exchange of as-synthesized ETS-10 from AgNO3 solutions was utilized to prepare Ag+-modified ETS-10 (Ag+–ETS-10), and H2 reduction of Ag+–ETS-10 was used to prepare Ag0 nanoparticle-modified ETS-10 (Ag0–ETS-10). In all preparations, the morphology and crystal structure of ETS-10 remained unchanged. Ag+–ETS-10 samples showed a progressive absorption edge red shift in the UV region with increasing sample Ag+ content. Unlike as-synthesized ETS-10 and Ag+–ETS-10 samples, Ag0–ETS-10 samples showed absorbance in the visible region. The absorption bands at ∼350 nm and ∼460 nm observed for Ag0–ETS-10 were attributed to the surface plasmon resonance of Ag0 nanoparticles on the surface of ETS-10 crystals. In contrast to as-synthesized ETS-10, which was essentially inactive in this illumination range, all Ag+–ETS-10 and Ag0–ETS-10 samples showed apparent enhanced activity for the degradation of MB under visible light (420–630 nm) irradiation. These results suggest that silver nanoparticles provide a “portal” for oxygen (i.e., oxygen radicals) to interact with MB radicals by providing a medium for interfacial charge transfer of an electron to oxygen adsorbed on the silver, with ETS-10 providing a reservoir for MB molecules and their radicals, and a path for injected electrons to reduce Ag+.
Increased CBF velocity during word fluency in Huntington's disease patients.

Abstract 1. 1. This study examined the effects of word fluency and reading on cerebral blood flow in Huntington's disease (HD) patients. 2. 2. Changes in cerebral flow velocity in the anterior (ACA) and middle (MCA) cerebral arteries were measured with functional transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (fTCD) in 13 normal controls and 9 gene positive HD patients. To control for motor effects of word fluency, two “control” conditions, including silent word fluency and a reading test, were also administered to all subjects. 3. 3. Cerebral blood flow velocity was increased during the out loud word fluency test in the ACA, but not MCA, in the HD group compared to controls. This increase was due to motor components of the test, as during silent word fluency the HD group had a decrease in cerebral blood flow relative to controls. Significant correlations between blood flow in the ACA and word fluency test scores were found. Cerebral blood flow velocity during testing also was able to predict group assignment (i.e., control vs. mild HD vs. moderate HD). 4. 4. These findings add to a growing body of literature suggesting that CBF velocity in HD is abnormal during cognitive and motor tasks, Although previous work reported that CBF velocity in HD is decreased during hand use on a maze test, the current experiment finds that speech production increases cerebral blood flow velocity in HD patients. Collectively, these results point to a fundamental disturbance in the regulation of CBF in HD. Mechanisms that could account for these findings, including the potential involvement of nitric oxide, are discussed.
The Kauffman Polynomials of Generalized Hopf Links

Following the recent work by Chan [1] and Morton and Hadji [2] on the Homflypt polynomials of some generalized Hopf links, we investigate the polynomials of generalized Hopf links. By studying the Kauffman skein module of the solid torus S1 × D2, we establish a similar skein map on the Kauffman skein module of S1 × D2 which has distinct eigenvalues. Furthermore we are able to calculate the Kauffman polynomials of some specific generalized Hopf links.
World Blindness and the Medical Profession: Conflicting Medical Cultures and the Ethical Dilemmas of Helping

This is an account of a thwarted humanitarian effort and the strategic and ethical issues that is raised. Between 14 and 17 million people in the world are blind with cataract, a condition readily corrected by surgery. In 1989 a proposal was developed to attack this problem by supplying volunteer ophthalmologists to the world's leading private voluntary organizations that carry out programs in less developed countries. The proposal was rejected. This article describes the proposal and the issues on which it foundered: cost effectiveness, appropriate technology, changing ideologies of assistance, and conflict between the cultures of medicine and public health. The account illustrates the far-flung consequences of technological change in medicine, as well as the practical and ethical questions facing organizations that carry out overseas assistance programs.
Knowledge transfer via advice taking

We present a framework for knowledge transfer from one reinforcement learning task to a related task through advice-taking mechanisms. We discuss the importance of transfer in complex domains such as RoboCup soccer, and show how to use automatically generated advice to perform transfer.
Photopheresis in the Treatment of Refractory Bronchiolitis Obliterans Complicating Lung Transplantation

Photopheresis has been successfully used to treat heart allograft rejection and has had some initial success in the treatment of bronchiolitis obliterans (BO) following lung transplantation. This report describes five patients treated with photopheresis after the failure of augmented immunosuppression for BO. Four patients had a temporary stabilization of their airflow obstruction, and minimal side effects of the procedure were noted, although there were consequences from additional augmented immunosuppression (principally sepsis). Photopheresis may provide a safe modality for the treatment of BO that is unresponsive to standard and augmented immunosuppression.
Solubilization of Salicylic Acid by Polysorbate 80 as Determined by Solubility Titration

A solubility titration has been used to study the solubilization of salicylic acid in water by polysorbate 80 since a liquid phase separates from supersaturated solutions to give a distinct turbidity end point. The ratio of solubilizate to solubilizer necessary for complete water-miscibility was also determined. The method should be of general applicability in studying phenols solubilized by polyoxyethylene surface-active agents. The effect on the system of including a fixed weight fraction of certain additives in the polysorbate 80 was investigated. The additives included a series of monohydroxy alcohols of decreasing dielectric constants, a group of poly-hydroxy alcohols, polyethylene glycol 400, and Tween 20. Added monohydroxy alcohols increased or decreased the solubilizing power of polysorbate 80 in order of their polarity. Added polyhydroxy alcohols and polyethylene glycol 400 showed little effect. Added Tween 20 decreased the solubilizing power of polysorbate 80 in a linear fashion.
Endovascular treatment of infectious intracranial aneurysms

Infectious intracranial aneurysms (IIA) are rare but a considerable source of morbidity and mortality as a result of rupture. Most patients with these lesions have considerable medical comorbidities, making endovascular approaches a crucial modality in their treatment armamentarium. Contributing our own case, we performed a comprehensive review of the literature to illustrate overall results and outcomes for patients with IIA treated with endovascular approaches. Incorporating our own case, we found 65 patients harboring 72 IIA across 31 reports. Fifty-one were treated via parent artery occlusion (71 %), 17 via direct aneurysm embolization (24 %), two via stent-coiling (3 %), and two with stent monotherapy (3 %). Twenty-nine IIAs were treated with n‐butylcyanoacrylate (NBCA) (40 %), 25 with coils (35 %), seven with Onyx or ethylene vinyl alcohol (10 %), five with detachable balloons (7 %), four with stents (6 %), and one with autologous clot (1 %). One case of incomplete aneurysm occlusion and two cases of recanalization were reported. Six symptomatic periprocedural ischemic events were reported (9 %), with only three resulting in permanent sequelae (5 %). No infectious complications were reported. Incorporating the natural history of the disease, 28 patients were neurologically intact (43 %), while seven had died at the time of follow-up (11 %). Endovascular treatment of ruptured, symptomatic, or enlarging IIA is an excellent treatment modality with high occlusion rates and low procedure-related complication rates. Distal IIA are more often treated with parent artery occlusion, in our hands, preferentially with Onyx, while proximal lesions may be treated with direct stent-coiling or even flow-diverting stent monotherapy.
Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase Signaling Is Important for Smooth Muscle Cell Replication After Arterial Injury

The phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI(3)K) pathway is a key signaling pathway important for replication of mammalian cells. In this study, we examined the role of PI(3)K in smooth muscle cell (SMC) replication after balloon catheter injury of rat carotid arteries. Protein kinase B (PKB), a downstream target of PI(3)K, was phosphorylated at 30 and 60 minutes after injury and to a lesser degree after 6 hours and 1 and 2 days but not after 7 days. Wortmannin (10 mg per rat), a PI(3)K inhibitor, given to rats 60 and 5 minutes before and 11 hours after balloon injury, reduced the levels of phosphorylated PKB. SMC replication quantified between 24 to 48 hours was significantly reduced compared with control replication, as were the levels of cyclin D 1. Wortmannin was also administered to rats between days 7 and 8 and between days 7 and 9 after balloon catheter injury. A reduction in levels of phosphorylated PKB was detected, but no decrease in the replication of intimal SMCs was observed in either experiment. These data demonstrate that the PI(3)K signal transduction pathway plays an important role in medial but not intimal SMC replication. (Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2000;20:2373-2378.)
Reduction in Myocardial Infarct Size by Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor After Temporary Coronary Occlusion in a Canine Model

Background Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) has been shown to reduce infarct size in canine acute myocardial infarction; however, the mechanism of tissue salvage remains uncertain. We evaluated the effect of bFGF on infarct size in a model of acute infarction in which coronary occlusion was followed by prolonged reperfusion and sought to determine whether reperfusion attenuates the stimulus for myocardial neovascularization. Methods and Results Anesthetized dogs undergoing 4-hour balloon occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery were treated with intracoronary bFGF (n=8) or vehicle (n=6). Ten-microgram doses of bFGF were administered 10 minutes after occlusion and again immediately before reperfusion. Left ventriculograms were obtained before occlusion, after reperfusion, and preceding euthanasia on day 7. Infarct size, expressed as a percentage of the area at risk, was reduced in bFGF-treated dogs (13.7±2.1% versus 28±3.4%; P=.002). Changes in left ventricular ejection fraction, capi...
BEHAVIORAL PROCEDURES IN COMMUNITY SURVIVAL SKILLS TRAINING

Successful adjustment in a non-institutionalized environment requires the acquisition of a number of skills, known as community survival skills. This article reviews the strategies for selecting and prioritizing community survival skills and tactics for performing a behavioral task analysis of the identified skill. The behavioral procedures common to community survival skills training programs are described and representative research reviewed.
Variations on a Theme: Hox and Wnt Combinatorial Regulation During Animal Development

Shockingly few transcription factors and cell signaling pathways are utilized to pattern organs and to specify the fate of a seemingly endless variety of unique cell types during animal development. This dichotomy led to the hypothesis that each factor is used in multiple tissues and that a combinatorial code of factors determines cell fate or tissue identity in a unique fashion. Two recent papers describe temporal changes in the interplay between Hox transcription factors, which specify positional identity, and Wnt signaling, which provides spatial information and promotes asymmetric cell division. These changes guide cells through a series of discrete steps, leading to unique fates. Variations between these two studies highlight the diversifying potential of combinatorial regulation, in short, that the pathways through which these molecules interact can vary even between adjacent cells. Shared features include cross-regulatory interactions to redeploy patterning genes in a tissue-specific manner for organogenesis and coregulation of common downstream targets. Identification of additional combinatorial gene targets and elucidation of their underlying molecular mechanisms are important future tasks in developmental biology and the study of evolution.
Behavior Therapy and the Good Life

In his 1979 presidential address to the Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy, Barlow (1979) reviewed predictions made 10 years earlier by several prominent psychologists that behavior therapy would “run its course and wither away by the end of the decade.” Clearly, that did not happen. Indeed, during the past decade the domain of behavior therapy has undergone a diversification and expansion, the rapidity of which is unprecedented in the field of social-influence therapies. Commentators on the advancement of behavior therapy have observed the confusion such growth in direction and size can generate within the field, even with respect to a basic definition of what constitutes behavior and behavior therapy (e.g., Kazdin, 1979). By the middle 1970s, phenomena occuring inside the brain and conceptualized as cognitions were legitimized as cognitive behavior and considered amenable to cognitive behavior therapeutic influence (e.g., Mahoney, 1974), though such conceptual models were eschewed by most early behavior modifiers. Not only have the set of phenomena considered legitimate objects of behavioral scientific enquiry expanded, but we are no longer so sure of the basic principles by which current behavioral procedures work. Kazdin (1979) has noted the lack of correspondence between even the simplest and most basic behavior modification procedures and their alleged experimentally derived theoretical underpinnings. Yet, it has been just this implicit recognition that empirical, clinical pragmatics precede theoretical consistency, if not uniformity, that has allowed, indeed encouraged the growth and diversification of behavior therapy, foiling predictions of its demise through self-inflicted sterility.
Ideology, Democracy and the Limits of Equilibrium: A Schumpeterian Critique

Joseph Schumpeter's elite conception of democracy has inspired many political scientists to use the tools of equilibrium analysis to model democracy. But Schumpeter devoted much of his career as an economist to critiquing and transcending the limitations of equilibrium models. In particular, he became convinced that the equilibrium models of neoclassical economics could not adequately capture innovation as a dynamic force at the heart of capitalism. A new use of Schumpeter's critique shows that equilibrium models of democracy are similarly limited in their ability to capture the innovative creation and deployment of democratic ideologies as a source of political dynamism.
Diagnostic tree design with model-based reasoning

A reasoning procedure using quantitative models of connectivity and function has been developed to generate automatically multibranched diagnostic trees which can isolate faults within feedback loops and in the presence of multiple faults. The authors describe how the model-based reasoning system is used to generate automatically diagnostic trees that can have variable degrees of branching, from binary to ternary (nodes with high, OK, and low branches) to n-ary trees. With branching degrees at or above ternary, these trees are capable of fault isolating within loops and can in fact isolate multiple faults. The trees can utilize much of the information content in quantitative measurements to make efficient and accurate diagnoses not possible with the binary tree. Both efficiency and accuracy of diagnosis increase with the branching factor of the tree. Automated tree generation provides effective automated diagnostics to applications requiring low-cost hardware and fast response time. >
Resource Allocation for Wireless Multiuser OFDM Networks

Resource allocation issues are investigated in this paper for multiuser wireless transmissions based on orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM). Relying on convex and stochastic optimization tools, the novel approach to resource allocation includes: i) development of jointly optimal subcarrier, power, and rate allocation for weighted sum-average-rate maximization; ii) judicious formulation and derivation of the optimal resource allocation for maximizing the utility of average user rates; and iii) development of the stochastic resource allocation schemes, and rigorous proof of their convergence and optimality. Simulations are also provided to demonstrate the merits of the novel schemes.
Stress Management for Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse: A Holistic Inquiry:

Among the many sequelae of childhood sexual abuse is a maladaptive response to stress. Stress has been linked to a reduction in the immune system's ability to resist disease. The purpose of this exploratory mixed-method study is to examine the experience of stress management training for 35 adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Data gathered for analysis include pre- and postintervention saliva samples for sIgA, Ways of Coping Questionnaire, and a postintervention qualitative interview. Stress management strategies enhance immunity (increase in salivary immunoglobulin A, p < .05) and coping (less distancing, p < .001; less escape-avoidance, p < .001; more planful problem solving, p < .01; and more positive reappraisal, p < .001). Grounded theory analysis finds three themes emerging: hypervigilance , an outward-focused hyperawareness; somatic detachment, a lack of inward focus on self; and healing pathway, the process of healing from the abuse. Healing is possible.
Efficacy and clinical profile of a new oral contraceptive containing norgestimate. U.S. clinical trials.

The search for a highly selective progestin that exerts a potent and targeted progestational response with minimal or absent androgenic effect has paralleled investigation into the possible impact of these agents on cardiovascular disease in women.Such a progestin, norgestimate (NGM), in a dose of 250 μg, has been combined with ethinyl estradiol (EE) 35 μg in a new oral contraceptive (OC), Ortho-Cyclen or Cilest. Results of two long-term, multicentric clinical trials demonstrate that this formulation is comparable in efficacy to the norgestrel-containing OC Lo/Ovral. There were no statistically significant differences in pregnancy rate, and both OCs were well-tolerated in a large and diverse study population.In several areas, however, the inherently lower androgenicity of the norgestimate OC produced clinical changes compared with the norgestrel formulation. These changes were primarily evident in the more natural menstrual patterns with the norgestimate OC, its less severe impact on the endometrium, and,...
Adenovirus Detection by the cGAS/STING/TBK1 DNA Sensing Cascade

Adenovirus (Ad) infection triggers a cell-specific antiviral response following exposure of viral DNA to the intracellular compartment. A variety of DNA sensors (DAI, AIM2, DDx41, RNA polymerase [Pol] III, and IFI16 [p204]) have been identified in recent years; however, the DNA sensor involved in detection of adenovirus has not been established. Cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS), a DNA sensor that produces a cyclic guanine-adenine dinucleotide (cGAMP) inducer of STING, has been examined to determine its role in generating an antiadenoviral response. Short hairpin RNA (shRNA) lentiviral vectors targeting TBK1, STING, and cGAS were established in murine MS1 endothelial and RAW 264.7 macrophage cell lines. Knockdown of TBK1, STING, and cGAS results in a dramatic reduction in the activation of the primary antiviral response marker phosphorylated interferon (IFN) response factor 3 (IRF3) following exposure to adenovirus. Furthermore, activation of secondary type I IFN signaling targets ((ptyr)STAT1 and (ptyr)STAT2 [(ptyr)STAT1/2]) was also compromised. Consistent with compromised activation of primary and secondary response markers, transcriptional activation of IRF3-responsive genes (beta IFN [IFN-β], ISG15, ISG54) and secondary response transcripts were diminished in cells knocked down in cGAS, STING, or TBK1. These data establish cGAS as the dominant cytosolic DNA sensor responsible for detection of internalized adenovirus leading to induction of the type I interferon antiviral cascade.
THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN LOW BIRTH WEIGHT AND CAFFEINE CONSUMPTION DURING PREGNANCY

In a prospective study of 3,891 antenatal patients at Yale-New Haven Hospital between 1980 and 1982, 76.7% consumed caffeine from coffee, tea, colas, and drugs. A dose response of caffeine intake to increased risk for delivering low birth weight (less than 2,500 g) singleton newborns was observed. This relation was observed in deliveries after 36 weeks gestational age. When comparison was made with women who had no caffeine exposure, the relative risks of low birth weight after adjustment for confounding factors were 1.4 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.7-3.0) for 1-150 mg of caffeine daily; 2.3 (95% CI 1.1-5.2) for 151-300 mg; and 4.6 (95% CI 2.0-10.5) for over 300 mg. Decreases in mean birth weight were 6, 31, and 105 g, respectively. Gestational age did not appear to be related to caffeine consumption in the crude or adjusted analysis. Maternal caffeine intake seems to exert an effect on birth weight through growth retardation in term newborns.
Trends in the Economic Consequences of Marital and Cohabitation Dissolution in the United States

Mothers in the United States use a combination of employment, public transfers, and private safety nets to cushion the economic losses of romantic union dissolution, but changes in maternal labor force participation, government transfer programs, and private social networks may have altered the economic impact of union dissolution over time. Using nationally representative panels from the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) from 1984 to 2007, we show that the economic consequences of divorce have declined since the 1980s owing to the growth in married women’s earnings and their receipt of child support and income from personal networks. In contrast, the economic consequences of cohabitation dissolution were modest in the 1980s but have worsened over time. Cohabiting mothers’ income losses associated with union dissolution now closely resemble those of divorced mothers. These trends imply that changes in marital stability have not contributed to rising income instability among families with children, but trends in the extent and economic costs of cohabitation have likely contributed to rising income instability for less-advantaged children.
Resistance Studies with Daptomycin

We studied the in vitro emergence of resistance to daptomycin using three methods: spontaneous resistance incidence, serial passage in the presence of increasing drug concentrations, and chemical mutagenesis. No spontaneously resistant mutants were obtained for any organism tested ( 12.5 microg/ml) had significant growth defects but did not display phenotypes typical of S. aureus small colony variants. The voltage component (Delta psi) of the bacterial membrane potential was increased in three independent resistant isolates. In vivo data showed that some daptomycin-resistant mutants had lost significant virulence. For other mutants, the degree of in vitro resistance was greater than the change in in vivo susceptibility. These results suggest that infection with some daptomycin-resistant organisms may still be easily treatable.
An accessory abductor muscle of the fifth toe?: an unusual cause of a lump in the foot

Summary This case report demonstrates an unusual cause of a soft tissue lump in the foot, an accessory abductor muscle of the fifth toe. The report highlights the problems of non-operative diagnosis of unusual lumps by radiological modalities, reviews the anatomy of this rare muscle and associated foot musculature, and briefly comments on the management of accessory muscles.
Low-power optical regeneration using four-wave mixing in a silicon chip

We demonstrate all-optical signal regeneration using four-wave mixing in a silicon nanowaveguide. Extinction ratio improvement, dispersive broadening compensation and timing-jitter reduction are demonstrated at low input signal powers.
The Struggle for Land: A Political Economy of the Pioneer Frontier in Brazil from 1930 to the Present Day

List of maps Preface Glossary of acronyms and abbreviations used in the text Glossary of words and phrases in Portuguese used in the text Part I. The Pioneer Frontier: 1. The pioneer frontier political violence and the peasantry 2. The process and stages of occupation of land on the frontier 3. Frontier expansion and the national economy Part II. Political Mediation: 4. The legal history of the land on the frontier and the question of dual authority 5. Law and lawlessness on the frontier and the problem of bureaucratic inertia 6. Private and public colonisation of the frontier and the pattern of bureaucratic entrepreneurship 7. The contemporary alliance of state and capital on the frontier and the contradictions within the State Part III. Accumulation and Authoritarianism: 8. Primitive accumulation and violence on the frontier 9. The frontier and the reproduction of authoritarian capitalism 10. The frontier and the formation of the Brazilian State Bibliography Index.
Stress tolerance and pathogenic potential of a mannitol mutant of Cryptococcus neoformans.

Cryptococcus neoformans produces large amounts of the acyclic hexitol mannitol in culture and infected animals, but the functional and pathogenic significance of mannitol production by this fungus is not known. We exposed C. neoformans H99 (Cn H99) to UV irradiation (1 × LD50) and screened survivors for mannitol production. A mutant, Cn MLP (Mannitol Low Producer), synthesized less mannitol from glucose (2.7 vs 8.2 nmol per 108 cells min-1 at 37 °) and contained less intracellular mannitol (1 vs 11 μmol per 106 cells at 37 °) than did Cn H99. Cn MLP and Cn H99 were similar with respect to carbon assimilation patterns, rates of glucose consumption, growth rates at 30 °, urease and phenoloxidase activities, morphology, capsule formation, mating type, electrophoretic karyotype, rapid amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) patterns and antifungal susceptibility. However, Cn MLP was more susceptible than was Cn H99 to growth inhibition and killing by heat and high NaCl concentrations. Also, the LD50 values in mice injected intravenously were 3.7 × 106 c.f.u. for Cn MLP compared to 6.9 × 102 c.f.u. for Cn H99. Moreover, 500 c.f.u. Cn H99 intravenously killed 12 of 12 mice by 60 d, whereas all mice given the same inoculum of Cn MLP survived. Classical genetic studies were undertaken to determine if these differences were due to a single mutation, but the basidiospores were nonviable. These results suggest that the abilities of C. neoformans to produce and accumulate mannitol may influence its tolerance to heat and osmotic stresses and its pathogenicity in mice.
Pseudo-streaming potentials in Necturus gallbladder epithelium. I: Paracellular origin of the transepithelial voltage changes

Apparent streaming potentials were elicited across Necturus gallbladder epithelium by addition or removal of sucrose from the apical bathing solution. In NaCl Ringer's solution, the transepithelial voltage (Vms) change (reference, basolateral solution) was positive with sucrose addition and negative with sucrose removal. Bilateral Cl- removal (cyclamate replacement) had no effect on the polarity or magnitude of the Vms change elicited by addition of 100 mM sucrose. In contrast, bilateral Na+ removal (tetramethylammonium [TMA+] replacement) inverted the Vms change (from 2.7 +/- 0.3 to -3.2 +/- 0.2 mV). Replacement of Na+ and Cl- with TMA+ and cyclamate, respectively, abolished the change in Vms. Measurements of cell membrane voltages and relative resistances during osmotic challenges indicate that changes in cell membrane parameters do not explain the transepithelial voltage changes. The initial changes in Vms were slower than expected from concomitant estimates of the time course of sucrose concentration (and hence osmolality) at the membrane surface. Paired recordings of the time courses of paracellular bi-ionic potentials (partial substitution of apical Na+ with tetrabutylammonium [TBA+]) revealed much faster time courses than those produced by sucrose addition, although the diffusion coefficients of sucrose and TBACl are similar. Hyperosmotic and hypoosmotic challenges yielded initial Vms changes at the same rate; thereafter, the voltage increased with hypoosmotic solution and decreased with hyperosmotic solution. These late voltage changes appear to result from changes in width of the lateral intercellular spaces. The early time courses of the Vms changes produced by osmotic challenge are inconsistent with the expectations for water-ion flux coupling in the junctions. We propose that they are pseudo-streaming potentials, i.e., junctional diffusion potentials caused by salt concentration changes in the lateral intercellular spaces secondary to osmotic water flow.
Morphogenesis of filamentous bacteriophage f1: Orientation of extrusion and production of polyphage

Abstract Crosslinking reagents were used to interrupt the process of filamentous phage morphogenesis and investigate the orientation in which nascent virions are extruded through the host cell membrane. Infected bacteria with emerging phage particles were crosslinked with glutaraldehyde. Immunoferritin-labeling studies on these emerging phage using anti-A protein IgG suggested that extrusion begins with the C protein end. To confirm this, phage extruding from infected bacteria were frozen using the reversible crosslinker dimethyl 3,3′-dithiobis-propionimidate and fragments of emerging phage were isolated by shearing. Protein analysis of these fragments showed them to be enriched in C protein relative to A protein, as predicted if phage extrusion begins with the C protein end. The production of multiple-length phage particles (polyphage) by nonpermissive bacterial hosts infected with amber mutant phage strains was also studied. Polyphage were produced upon infection with amber mutants in genes III, VI, VII, and IX which code for proteins found at the ends of the mature phage particle. No polyphage were produced by mutants in the other genes tested. Gene III amber mutants produce noninfective polyphage, but those produced by genes VII and IX are infective. Gene VI amber mutants appear to produce unstable, noninfective polyphage particles.
Endemism and local rarity in birds of neotropical montane rainforest

Species’ rarity is expressed and measured at a variety of spatial scales, and rarity at different scales could be correlated. Considerable empirical evidence has supported a positive correlation between spatial distribution and local numerical abundance of species, which could create a syndrome of rarity for species limited in geographic distribution and occurring at low densities even in their primary habitats. We used auditory-count data and range
Grazing Distribution: The Quest for the Silver Bullet

ince the beginning of the range management pro-fession, distribution of livestock on rangelands has been one of many challenges. Much of the informa-tion on different livestock distribution practices has come from anecdotal evidence and case studies. Whereas the early focus was on distributing livestock evenly across a pasture, the more recent focus has been to keep livestock out of riparian areas. We have examined the effectiveness of several different distribution practices. It has become appar-ent that the effectiveness depends upon the ranching system to which it will be applied as to whether it is both eco-logically and economically practical. For this reason, we have developed a model of an eastern Oregon ranching system to test the effect of each practice. We will discuss the model ranch and demonstrate how it is used to evaluate livestock distribution practices and show how the model can be applied to a region in terms of economic impacts and job creation.The grazing distribution practices examined included off-stream water developments with trace mineralized salt, herding, early weaning, altering the season of use, fencing, and strategic supplementation. Northeast Oregon is charac-terized by mixed conifer forests in the mountains and valleys that are mostly cropped. The mountains have numerous riparian areas associated with a mixture of dry and wet meadows (Figs. 1 and 2). Seasonal grazing is tradi tionally practiced on a combination of deeded and federal land.
Multi-Period Integer Portfolio Optimization Using a Quantum Annealer

For large portfolio managers, a sequence of single-period optimal positions is rarely multi-period optimal. In particular, transaction costs can prevent large portfolio managers from monetizing most of their forecasting power. The solution is to compute the trading trajectory that comes sufficiently close to the single-period optima while minimizing turnover costs.Computing a trading trajectory in general terms is a NP-Complete problem. This note illustrates how quantum computers can solve this problem in the most general terms.
A comparison of serial interfaces on energy critical systems

Inter Integrated Circuit (I2C) and Serial Peripheral Interface(SPI) are popular communication interfaces in embedded systems. In recent years, energy consumption has become increasingly important in such systems. This paper describes a theoretical model for the off-chip power consumption of these two popular standards. In addition, the models are validated through experiments on a popular microcontroller.
Association of Candidate Removals From the Kidney Transplant Waiting List and Center Performance Oversight

Approximately 59 000 kidney transplant candidates have been removed from the waiting list since 2000 for reasons other than transplantation, death, or transfers. Prior studies indicate that low-performance (LP) center evaluations by the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) are associated with reductions in transplant volume. There is limited information to determine whether performance oversight impacts waitlist management. We used national SRTR data to evaluate outcomes of 315 796 candidates on the kidney transplant waiting list (2007-2014). Compared to centers without LP, rates of waitlist removal (WLR) were higher at centers with LP evaluations (44.6/1000 follow-up years, 95% confidence interval [CI] 44.0, 45.1 versus 68.0/1000 follow-up years, 95% CI 66.6, 69.4), respectively, which was consistent after risk adjustment (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR] = 1.59, 95% CI 1.55, 1.63). Candidate mortality following waitlist removal was lower at LP centers (AHR = 0.90, 95% CI 0.87, 0.94). Analyses limited to LP centers indicated a significant increase in WLR (+28.6 removals/1000 follow-up years, p < 0.001), a decrease in transplant rates (-11.9/1000 follow-up years, p < 0.001) and a decrease in mortality after removal (-67.5 deaths/1000 follow-up years, p < 0.001) following LP evaluation. There is a significant association between LP evaluations and transplant center processes of care for waitlisted candidates. Further understanding is needed to determine the impact of performance oversight on transplant center quality of care and patient outcomes.
Evaluating Preparation Programs for Vocational Education Teachers

Vocational education has a long and vigorous history. The tradition of passing on knowledge from master to apprentice was described in the Babylonian Code of Hammurabi some 4,000 years ago and was later practiced by the Egyptians, Hebrews, Greeks, and Romans. In Europe, the apprenticeship system thrived from the Middle Ages to the onset of the industrial revolution and, “became the single most important method of education in the American colonies” (McClure, Chrisman, & Mock, 1985, p. 15).