cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Differentiating between Modified Gravity and Dark Energy

The nature of the fuel that drives today’s cosmic acceleration is an open and tantalizing mystery. We entertain the suggestion that the acceleration is not the manifestation of yet another new ingredient in the cosmic gas tank, but rather a signal of our first real lack of understanding of gravitational physics. By requiring that the underlying gravity theory respects Birkhoff’s law, we derive the modified gravitational force-law necessary to generate any given cosmology, without reference to the fundamental theory, revealing modifications of gravity at scales typically much smaller than today’s horizon. We discuss how through these modifications, the growth of density perturbations, the late-time integrated Sachs–Wolfe effect, and even solar-system measurements may be sensitive to whether today’s cosmic acceleration is generated by dark energy or modified gravitational dynamics, and are subject to imminent observational discrimination. We argue how these conclusions can be more generic, and probably not dependent on the validity of Birkhoff’s law. E-mail: lue@bifur.cwru.edu E-mail: rs123@nyu.edu E-mail: starkman@balin.cwru.edu
Doubling Hepatitis C Virus Screening in Primary Care Using Advanced Electronic Health Record Tools-A Non-Randomized Controlled Trial.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major public health burden, affecting over 4 million people. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the US Preventive Services Task Force guidelines recommend screening everyone born between 1945 and 1965, but screening rates remain low. To determine whether bulk ordering and electronic messaging to patients improves guideline-based HCV screening rates. A non-randomized controlled trial of 1024 adults from November 2016 to March 2017. Patients due for HCV screening with at least one primary care office visit in one of three primary care clinics and enrolled in the healthcare system’s tethered personal health record (tPHR). Control patients received normal care for HCV screening, consisting of passive HCV reminders to providers during face-to-face visits and passive HCV screening notification through the patient’s tPHR. Intervention patients received normal care and also had HCV antibody tests ordered for them and customized messages sent through their tPHR inviting them to go directly to the lab for HCV screening over a 12-week period. Percentage/number of patients receiving HCV antibody tests during the intervention period. Percentage/number of intervention group patients receiving HCV screening with other blood work. In the intervention group, 33% (168 of 514) completed HCV testing, compared with 19% (97 of 510) of controls (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.2–2.1). Bulk lab ordering appeared to have a large impact while bulk messaging appeared to have a less significant role. Leveraging population analytics and bulk ordering in an electronic health record with bulk messaging to a tPHR directly engages patients in blood screening tests and can significantly improve completion. This methodology has a broad range of applications including many recommended screening or disease-specific testing. This bulk ordering and direct-to-patient messaging approach improves patient screening while decreasing provider/staff work. MetroHealth IRB16-00776 (ClinicalTrials.gov)
Spectrum of relaxation times of polarization in thin film ferroelectrics near the phase transition point

The temperature dependences of the spectrum of polarization relaxation times above the temperature of the second-order phase transition of order-disorder type with relaxation Debye mode in a thin f...
The Role of Stress and Genital Immunity in Sexual Trauma and HIV Susceptibility Among Adolescent Girls and Adult Women (The THRIVE Study): Protocol for a Longitudinal Case-Control Study

Background: The relationship between sexual violence and HIV risk has been extensively documented through social and behavioral research; however, the underlying biological mechanisms are poorly understood. Objective: The purpose of the THRIVE (Trauma and HIV Risk: Investigating Stress and the Immune Disruption of the Vaginal Environment) Study is to examine the impact of sexual trauma due to sexual violence on HIV susceptibility through dysregulation of soluble inflammatory and anti-inflammatory and anti-HIV biomarkers in the female genital tract and dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis among adolescent girls and adult women. Methods: The THRIVE Study is a longitudinal case-control study conducted in San Diego, CA, among a racially diverse sample. Cases are adolescent girls (aged 14-19 years) or adult women (aged 20-45 years) who have experienced forced vaginal penetration by a phallus perpetrated by a man within the past 15 days. Controls are adolescent girls or adult women who have engaged in consensual vaginal sex with a man within the past 15 days. At baseline and 1- and 3-month follow-up study visits, participants undergo a urine-based pregnancy test; venipuncture blood draw for HIV, C-reactive protein, adrenocorticotropic hormone, and progesterone testing; a 45-min interviewer-administered computer survey; and cervicovaginal lavage to measure proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory and anti-HIV soluble immune biomarkers. After each study visit, participants self-collect saliva specimens (upon waking, 30 min after waking, and 45 min after waking) at home for 3 consecutive days, which are later assayed for cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate. Participants receive compensation at each study visit and for the return of saliva specimens, and a list of local medical and support services. Study procedures use trauma-informed care methods, given the sensitive nature of the study and enrollment of women in the acute phase after sexual trauma. All research staff and investigators adhere to ethical principles and guidelines in the conduct of research activities. Data will be analyzed for descriptive and inferential analyses. Results: The recruitment of participants is ongoing. The publication of the first results is expected by late 2021. Conclusions: The THRIVE Study will provide foundational knowledge on how sexual trauma due to sexual violence increases susceptibility to HIV acquisition via alterations in cervicovaginal immune regulation and the psychobiology of the stress responses. These findings will inform future research on mechanistic models of in vitro and in vivo injury and cervicovaginal wound healing processes, which may lead to the development of nonvaccine biomedical HIV prevention products for girls and women.
Resilience and diabetes self-management among African-American men receiving primary care at an urban safety-net hospital: a cross-sectional survey

Resilience is the ability to adapt to adverse life events. Studies that explore diabetes self-management interventions integrating resilience in African-Americans with diabetes include few African-...
An absorbance method for analysis of enzymatic degradation kinetics of poly(ethylene terephthalate) films

Increased interest in poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET)-degrading enzymes (PETases) have generated efforts to find mutants with improved catalytic activity and thermostability. Here, we present a simple and fast method to determine relative enzyme kinetics through bulk absorbance measurements of released products over time. A thermostable variant of PETase from Ideonella sakaiensis was engineered (R280A S121E D186H N233C S282C) with a denaturation temperature of 69.4 ± 0.3 °C. This was used to assess the method's ability to determine relative enzyme kinetics across variants and reveal structure-function relationships. Measurements at 24 and 72 h at 400 nM of enzyme suggest that the mutations improved catalytic rates 5- to 7-fold. On the contrary, kinetic analyses of the thermostable variant and wild-type reveal different reaction trajectories despite similar maximum catalytic rates, resulting in higher product accumulation from the thermostable variant over time. The results of the assay support the necessity for kinetic measurements to determine relationships between sequence and function for IsPETase and other PET hydrolases.
Striped Poly(diacetylene) Monolayers Control Adsorption of Polyelectrolytes and Proteins on 2D Materials and Elastomers

Promoting, structuring, or limiting adsorption of polyelectrolytes at interfaces is of importance in applications ranging from biomedical devices to nanoscale electronics. Routes for surface functionalization, particularly those capable of controlling the molecular conformation of adsorbates, are typically highly customized for the substrate and must therefore be redeveloped for each application. Here, we show that polymerized diacetylene striped phases with embedded 1 nm resolution functional patterns control polyelectrolyte adsorption on a crystalline inorganic surface (graphite) and can be easily transferred to elastomeric materials (here, poly(dimethylsiloxane), PDMS) to control adsorption on amorphous surfaces as well. We demonstrate that transferred functional poly(diacetylene) layers on PDMS can be designed to promote adsorption of polyelectrolytes or to limit protein adsorption, two common goals in controlling PDMS surface chemistry for biomedical applications.
An Examination of White-Collar Crime in Seychelles: How does Fiscal Fraud Impact the Physical Economy

The Seychelles is a beautiful island country in Africa, located in the Indian Ocean. Well known for its rich natural resources and beautiful landscapes, this country has been a private playground for the rich and famous. While it has the coastal paradise appeal, there is an undercurrent that continues to bubble to the surface that has the propensity for a disruptive attack on the country’s economic and financial outlook. There are many secret financial crimes that occur in small economies such as Seychelles: tax evasion, money laundering, and offshore banking. This fraudulent activity has unnerved economic systems worldwide. For the past several years, some governmental entities have been all too eager to engage in this deviant behavior for personal or financial gains and, in many cases, the consequences have been devasting. In the United States, these crimes may be referred to as white-collar crime but in international organizations, offshore secrecy is more prevalent. This paper will seek to examine the financial secrecy operations of Seychelles and answer the question of how fiscal irregularities that are shrouded in secrecy has a direct impact on the country’s economy.
Stereological analysis of microtubules in cells with special reference to their possible role in secretion.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the stereological analysis of microtubules in cells with special reference to their possible role in secretion. Reliable methodology exists for the assessment of total soluble tubulin in cells and tissues through the use of either colchicine binding or radioimmunotechniques. It is found that to ensure good quantitation of microtubules, tissue samples must be fixed optimally. The samples should be very small or the tissues should be perfused with fixative under controlled-pressure conditions that do not alter the size of the cells. To identify microtubules in micrographs, the magnification of the print has to be high enough to visualize even small longitudinal segments and cross sections, and yet low enough so that a reasonable number of microtubules can be measured per print. Stereological measurements provide certain advantages over biochemical methods. Most important is the fact that in complex tissues containing several different cell types it is not necessary to separate the cells physically before evaluating microtubule content. The presumed association between microtubules and another organelle of the secretory cell can be shown by the correlation coefficient.
Surgical treatment of macrodactyly

Macrodactyly, enlargement of one or multiple digits, was described in the literature nearly 200 years ago. This is an exceptionally uncommon diagnosis that has led to a paucity of descriptive literature on the treatment options. Because the literature is scarce, and the frequency with which hand surgeons encounter macrodactyly is even scarcer, treatment can be a formidable task often left exclusively to those trained in congenital hand deformity. This article presents our algorithm and surgical techniques for dealing with children with macrodactyly in such a way that should make a complex problem more easily approachable.
Factor tame: Does Britannia Still Rule the Waves?

In the twenty years since the U.K. joined the European Community we have become used to newspapers bemoaning the fact that the Community (through the Commission) was against our crisps, sausages, bathing water, noise levels and newspaper boys. All these actions we were told by the newspapers were attacks on our "sovereignty". Sovereignty in this sense is taken to mean the supremacy of Parliament. I That is that Parliament has the unfettered right to make or repeal any domestic law. Parliament has jurisdiction over the territory in its hands and presides over a system of laws and procedures which is free from outside interference. Even when the U.K. entered into international treaties and has enacted statutes to implement treaty provisions, these statutes are regarded as in no way different from ordinary Acts of Parliament. 2 Although the issues of sovereignty and the supremacy of Parliament have been recurring features since our accession to the E.C. in 1973, R. v. Secretary of State for Transport, ex parte Factortame3 brought them to the forefront of attention again. This article will attempt to trace the developments in these areas that culminated in the judgments in the Factortame case. If we say that sovereignty means the ability to legislate independently of any other state, if it means that our domestic laws will prevail over all other external laws, then the U.K. long ago gave up some of its sovereignty. Even before our membership of the E.C. we accepted limitations on our right to act or legislate in certain areas. One has only to think of the Hague and Geneva conventions , GATT, the United Nations, NATO and other international treaties.
Resolving School Problems with Structural Family Therapy.

Given the persistence of children's problems at school, and given the dramatic shifts in the stability of the American family, increased attention has focused on the family context of children's sc...
Predicting Geomagnetic Activity: The Dst Index

Geomagnetic activity is usually characterized by magnetic indices. Most indices have long records that allow statistical studies of the causes of activity and of related phenomena. Correlations between indices and possible drivers provide the basis for empirical prediction. Here we examine solar wind control of D st , an index that is thought to be linearly proportional to the total energy in the terrestrial ring current. We use linear prediction filtering, a technique in which an autoregressive (AR) filter maps past values of the index to the next value, and a moving average (MA) filter maps current and past values of the solar wind input to the next value of the index. These ARMA filters may be determined from historical records by least square optimization. Nonlinear systems can be approximated in a piecewise fashion by localizing the filter. We do this by using narrow bins of the solar wind electric field; VBs, Our model utilizes 37 years of hourly observations to estimate the coefficients representing the quiet time ring current, the solar wind dynamic pressure, the ring current decay rate, and the rate of ring current injection in a simple differential equation. We find that pressure and decay coefficients are fit by exponential functions of VBs, decreasing as VBs increases, but ring current injection is a linear function of VBs. Integration of our model using observations of the solar wind and analytic fits to the coefficients produces a time series that contains 76% of the variance in the original data. The prediction residuals have a Gaussian distribution with zero mean and rms error of 10.6 nT.
Disintermediation and reintermediation in the U.S. air travel distribution industry: a Delphi study

Observers of the Electronic Commerce (EC) landscape often comment on the prospects for disintermediation. Other observers note that the nature of EC will create new kinds of intermediaries, termed “cybermediaries”, who would occupy positions in Internet channels between producers and consumers. The word coined to describe this is “reintermediation”. In either case, traditional retailers would be threatened by new EC-enabled competition. This investigation was launched to predict the occurrence and impact of disintermediation and reintermediation in the US air travel distribution industry. A group of industry experts was assembled as a Delphi panel and asked to predict the effect that EC would have on the major channel players in each of five major market segments. The panel forecast that major disintermediation and reintermediation will occur and that there will be a sharp reduction in the number of traditional travel agents five and ten years in the future. The panel also identified a number of strategic threats and opportunities for the channel players.
Variation of strain energy release rate with plate thickness

An analytical model of a through-thickness crack in a statically stretched plate is presented in which the crack front stress state is permitted to vary in the direction of the plate thickness. The amplitude or intensity of this stress field can be made nearly constant over a major portion of the interior crack front which is in a state of plane strain. The average amount of work available for extending a small segment of the crack across the thickness is associated with an energy release rate quantity % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafiart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXafv3ySLgzGmvETj2BSbqef0uAJj3BZ9Mz0bYu% H52CGmvzYLMzaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqr1ngBPrgifHhDYfgasa% acOqpw0xe9v8qqaqFD0xXdHaVhbbf9v8qqaqFr0xc9pk0xbba9q8Wq% Ffea0-yr0RYxir-Jbba9q8aq0-yq-He9q8qqQ8frFve9Fve9Ff0dme% aabaqaciGacaGaamqadaabaeaafaaakeaaceWGhbGbaebaaaa!44B1!\[\bar G\] in a manner similar to the two-dimensional Griffith crack model. The theoretically calculated % MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafiart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXafv3ySLgzGmvETj2BSbqef0uAJj3BZ9Mz0bYu% H52CGmvzYLMzaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqr1ngBPrgifHhDYfgasa% acOqpw0xe9v8qqaqFD0xXdHaVhbbf9v8qqaqFr0xc9pk0xbba9q8Wq% Ffea0-yr0RYxir-Jbba9q8aq0-yq-He9q8qqQ8frFve9Fve9Ff0dme% aabaqaciGacaGaamqadaabaeaafaaakeaaceWGhbGbaebaaaa!44B1!\[\bar G\] is shown to increase with increasing plate thickness, indicating that available work for crack extension is higher in a thicker plate. This result is in agreement with the experimentally observed fracture data in the range of moderately thick plates where the fracture toughness is inversely proportional to the plate thickness. The proposed model is not expected to apply for thin plates where plastic yielding is of primary concern. This effect requires an extended discussion which will be treated in a separate communication.
A Design Space and Business Strategy Exploration Tool for Infrastructure-based Ventures in Developing Communities.

Technology ventures in developing communities often fail because of disconnects between the designer, the implementer and the end-user. There is a growing trend towards curricular and extra-curricular programs and student clubs that focus on appropriate technology-based projects to address the needs of marginalized communities at the Base of the Pyramid (BOP). Finding the optimum distribution of time, money and sweat equity to be shared by the communities and partnering organizations can be pivotal in achieving long-term, sustainable impact for the communities. The E-Spot model seeks to identify the appropriate stakeholders within a venture and define their individual roles and the form of equity they might offer towards fulfilling the overarching objectives of the venture, while meeting their own needs. This model is the basis for the E-Spot canvas, a design space and business strategy exploration tool. The canvas facilitates group-thinking amongst stakeholders to match project resource requirements with time, money sweat and other equities that can be expended by them to sustain their project socially, economically and environmentally.
Effect of Surface Fluxes versus Radiative Heating on Tropical Deep Convection

AbstractThe effects of turbulent surface fluxes and radiative heating on tropical deep convection are compared in a series of idealized cloud-system-resolving simulations with parameterized large-scale dynamics. Two methods of parameterizing the large-scale dynamics are used: the weak temperature gradient (WTG) approximation and the damped gravity wave (DGW) method. Both surface fluxes and radiative heating are specified, with radiative heating taken as constant in the vertical in the troposphere. All simulations are run to statistical equilibrium.In the precipitating equilibria, which result from sufficiently moist initial conditions, an increment in surface fluxes produces more precipitation than an equal increment of column-integrated radiative heating. This is straightforwardly understood in terms of the column-integrated moist static energy budget with constant normalized gross moist stability. Under both large-scale parameterizations, the gross moist stability does in fact remain close to constant o...
Race‐gender variations in the demographic characteristics of doctoral scientists

Most of the research literature has given little or no attention to the social backgrounds and traits of black scientists and female scientists. The present study, based on survey findings on a national sample of American scientists, helps to fill this gap. Female scientists are compared with their male colleagues, and black scientists with their white colleagues. Race is a better predictor than gender of certain demographic characteristics. However, a clearer picture of variations in social background and current family patterns is derived from an analysis which controls for both race and gender. This analysis includes data on social status of parents, marital status of scientist, number of siblings and number of offspring, religious identity, and region of origin. The implications of these survey findings for the future development of scientific talent are explored, including some implications for researchers, sociologists of science, and social planners.
Civil society and the consolidation of democracy in Kenya: an analysis of a Catholic parish's efforts in Kibera slum

This article tests the theory of advocates who celebrate the potential of civil society to promote and deepen democracy in Africa, by examining whether the human rights ministry of a Catholic parish in Kibera slum in Nairobi, Kenya was able to consolidate democracy through a civic education programme during 2002–5. It concludes, from an analysis of the social, economic and political environment in Kibera, that parishioners who participated in the programme demonstrated an observable improvement in their democratic values and behaviour at a localised level within their own parish groups. However, civic education did not stimulate most participants to increase their involvement in advocacy and lobbying efforts to hold government officials to account for their abuse of power in Kibera. Parishioners were inhibited from promoting their rights primarily due to fears of violent retaliation by local government officials and politically sponsored youth wingers. Other factors such as apathy, ethnic divisions, limited resources and restrictive church protocols further curtailed parishioners' actions.
Three‐dimensional imaging from 2½‐dimensional reflection measurements

The characterization of three-dimensional inhomogeneities from reflection measurements is typically done in a three-dimensional measurement geometry where sources and receivers are independently deployed over some measurement surface. While such a geometry is theoretically sound for characterizing three-dimensional inhomogeneities, it is resource-intensive since it either requires a two-dimensional array of receivers and associated data acquisition and storage instrumentation or, when limited data acquisition resources are available, it is extremely time comsuming. An alternative to full three-dimensional data acquistion is to employ the so called 2½-dimensional reflection geometry where sources and receivers are deployed over a line (a two-dimensional measurement geometry) and this line is sequentially move in a direction perpendicular to the measurement line. Here it is shown that the 2½-dimensional reflection measurement geometry is, with appropriate processing, rigorously valid for characterizing three-dimensional weak inhomogeneities.
Rayleigh and Raman Cross Sections for the Hydrogen Molecule

The TABLES list calculated values of Rayleigh and Raman light scattering cross sections for molecular hydrogen for wavelengths exceeding 1200 A.
Poster: mimicry attacks against wireless link signature

Wireless link signature is a physical layer authentication mechanism, which uses the multi-path effect between a transmitter and a receiver to provide authentication of wireless signals. We identify a new attack, called mimicry attack, against the wireless link signature scheme in [7]. It is assumed in the past that an attacker cannot "spoof" an arbitrary link signature and that the attacker will not have the same link signature at the receiver unless it is at exactly the same location as the legitimate transmitter. However, we show that an attacker can forge an arbitrary link signature as long as it knows the legitimate signal at the receiver's location, and the attacker does not have to be at exactly the same location as the legitimate transmitter in order to forge its link signature.
RNA−p53 Interactions in Vitro†

The tumor suppressor protein p53 is mutated in over half of human cancers. Despite 25 years of study, the complex regulation of this protein remains unclear. After serendipitously detecting RNA binding by p53 in the yeast three-hybrid system (Y3H), we are exploring the specificity and function of this interaction. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays show that full-length p53 binds equally to RNAs that are strongly distinguished in the Y3H. RNA binding blocks sequence-specific DNA binding by p53. The C-terminus of p53 is necessary and sufficient for strong RNA interaction in vitro. Mouse and human C-terminal p53 peptides have different affinities for RNA, and an acetylated human p53 C-terminal peptide does not bind RNA. Circular dichroism spectroscopy of p53 peptides shows that RNA binding does not induce a structural change in the p53 C-terminal peptide, and C-terminal peptides do not detectably affect the structure of RNA. These results demonstrate that p53 binds RNA with little sequence specificity, RNA binding has the potential to regulate DNA binding, and RNA-p53 interactions can be regulated by acetylation of the p53 C-terminus.
On the Stable Paretian Behavior of Stock-Market Prices

Abstract In this article we present some empirical evidence which indicates that attempts to represent the probability distribution of the rates of return on common stocks by a member of the stable Paretian family of distributions, with 1 < α < 2, may be misleading and in fact may not produce an adequate fit to observed rates of return. We offer an alternative probability model for describing rates of return based on the hypothesized phenomenon of a changing variance. We test the “goodness of fit” of our model vis-a-vis a stable Paretian model for several series of rates of return. Finally we propose an extension of the stability test of Fama and Roll [6].
Adenosine diphosphate and calcium stimulation of respiration in mitochondria from alloxan diabetic rats.

Liver mitochondria from normal and alloxan diabetic rats, isolated in 0.25 M sucrose, were assayed with an oxygen electrode for ADP/O and Ca+2/O ratios, respiratory ratio, and respiratory control index. Mitochondria were incubated with two substrates, succinate and β-hydroxybutyrate; two types of ionic media, Na+ medium (Na+ the major monovalent cation) and K+ medium (K+ the major monovalent cation); and two respiratory stimulants, ADP (352 μM) and Ca+2 (187 μM). Significant differences between respiratory rates and ADP/O ratios were dependent upon the substrate and ionic medium employed. The results confirm previous studies which showed no alteration in ADP/O ratio but decreased State 3 respiratory rates under similar conditions of K+ medium with ADP stimulation in the diabetic. Furthermore, the State 3 respiration was prolonged compared to normal. Ca+2 stimulation was the same in normal and diabetic mitochondria in K+ medium. Studies in Na+ media revealed more significant differences in RCI's, respiratory rates, and ADP/O ratios that were substrate dependent as well as ion dependent. The results from these various studies can be accounted for by an hypothesis linking mitochondrial K+ interaction with alterations in the diabetic mitochondria.
On the Least-Squares Fitting of Correlated Data:a Priorivsa PosterioriWeighting

$^{a}$ R. T. Birge, Phys. Rev. 40, 207-227 (1932). $^{b}$ W. E. Deming, ""Statistical Adjustment of Data,"" Dover, New York, 1964.
The Envelope Theorem and Comparative Statics of Nash Equilibria

Abstract The Envelope Theorem for Nash equilibria shows that the strategic reaction of the other players in the game is important for determining how parameter perturbations affect a given player's indirect objective function. The fundamental comparative statics matrix of Nash equilibria for theithplayer in anN-player static game includes the equilibrium response of the otherN−1players in the game to the parameter perturbation and is symmetric positive semidefinite subject to constraint. This result is fundamental in that it holds for all sufficiently smooth Nash equilibria and is independent of any curvature or stability assumptions imposed on the game.Journal of Economic LiteratureClassification Numbers: C72, C61.
On the least prime congruent to 1 modulo n

For any integer n > 1, there are infinitely many primes congruent to 1 .mod n/. In this note, the elementary argument of Thangadurai and Vatwani is modified to improve their upper estimate of the least such prime when n itself is a prime greater than or equal to 5.
Hyperbolic Plane Reflections and the Hall–Janko Group☆

Abstract We introduce the notion of a hyperbolic plane reflection in symplectic space over a finite field of characteristic 3 and show that the group 2 HJ , where HJ is the Hall–Janko simple group, is generated by a set of 315 hyperbolic plane reflections in symplectic 6-space.
The molecular structure of cis-FONO

The molecular structure of cis-FONO has been determined with the CCSD(T) correlation method using an spdf quality basis set. In agreement with previous coupled-cluster calculations but in disagreement with density functional theory, cis-FONO is found to exhibit normal bond distances. The quadratic and cubic force fields of cis-FONO have also been determined in order to evaluate the effect of vibrational averaging on the molecular geometry. Vibrational averaging is found to increase bond distances, as expected, but it does not affect the qualitative nature of the bonding. The CCSD(T)/spdf harmonic frequencies of cis-FONO support our previous assertion that a band observed at 1200 /cm is a combination band (upsilon(sub 3) + upsilon(sub 4)), and not a fundamental.
Expression of CD134 and CXCR4 mRNA in term placentas from FIV-infected and control cats

Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) causes a natural infection of domestic cats that resembles HIV-1 in pathogenesis and disease progression. Feline AIDS is characterized by depression of the CD4+ T cell population and fatal opportunistic infections. Maternal-fetal transmission of FIV readily occurs under experimental conditions, resulting in infected viable kittens and resorbed or arrested fetal tissues. Although both FIV and HIV use the chemokine receptor CXCR4 as a co-receptor, FIV does not utilize CD4 as the primary receptor. Rather, CD134 (OX40), a T cell activation antigen and co-stimulatory molecule, is the primary receptor for FIV. We hypothesized that placental expression of CD134 and CXCR4 may render the placenta vulnerable to FIV infection, possibly facilitating efficient vertical transmission of FIV, and impact pregnancy outcome. The purpose of this project was to quantify the relative expression of CD134 and CXCR4 mRNA from term placentas of three groups of cats: uninfected queens producing viable offspring, experimentally-infected queens producing only viable offspring, and experimentally-infected queens producing viable offspring among mostly non-viable fetuses. Total RNA was extracted from term placental tissues from all groups of cats. Real-time one-step reverse transcriptase-PCR was used to measure gene expression. The FIV receptors CD134 and CXCR4 were expressed in all late term feline placental tissues. Placentas from FIV-infected queens producing litters of only viable offspring expressed more CD134 and CXCR4 mRNA than those from uninfected queens, suggesting that infection may cause upregulation of the receptors. On the other hand, placentas from FIV-infected cats with non-successful pregnancies expressed similar levels of CD134 mRNA and slightly less CXCR4 mRNA than those from uninfected queens. Thus, it appears that cells expressing these receptors may play a role in pregnancy maintenance.
Digit span, practice and dichotic listening performance in the mentally retarded

Abstract The role of digit span and practice on the dichotic listening performance (DLP) of mentally retarded children was assessed in two experiments. In Exp. I, the DLP of two groups of 10 Ss was compared in a 2 × 5 × 2 × 3 factorial design—Groups (high digit span, 6; low digit span, 4) × Series length (1, 2, 3, 4, 5 digits/ear) × Half span (1st, 2nd) × Practice (Day 1, 2, 3). Digit span had a significant effect on DLP while practice did not. Experiment II attempted to replicate some of the effects of Exp. I and evaluate the role of maturational level in DLP with digit span held constant. The DLP of two groups of 10 Ss with like mean digit spans (4.3 and 4.5) but different MAs (10-0 and 6-3) was compared using the factorial design of Exp. I. The results of Exp. I were replicated and no significant effect of MA was found.
The Use of Capillary Columns for the Detection of Barbiturates in Clinical Chemistry

Abstract A gas chromatographic (GC) method involving the use of a capillary column and methylattng agents for the qualitative analysis of ten barbiturates has been developed. The method includes the use of a hydrogen flame ionization detector (FID), a 15.24 m × 0.76 mm stainless steel capillary column coated with OV-17 stationary phase, and two methylating agents, trimethylanilinium hydroxide (TMAH) and methyl iodide (MI) in the presence of potassium carbonate as a condensing agent. The results obtained with this method were compared to a standard GC technique. Improved results from the use of MI and a mixed solvent system, acetone/methanol, rather than acetone alone, were observed. Applications of this technique to clinical samples have been made.
Externally tunable dynamic confinement effect in organosilica sol-gels.

The feasibility of using the pores of organosilica sol−gels for dynamic confinement of a luminescent molecule is demonstrated in this paper. The porous organosilica sol−gels act as reversible thermoresponsive materials which exhibit reduced pore volume at higher temperature and enlarged pores at lower temperature, which causes dynamic alterations in the nanoenvironment of encapsulated entities. A particularly remarkable feature of this system is that the temperature-dependent confinement effect provided by the gels is reversible and can be efficiently modulated by simply changing the temperature.
Some interesting structural chemistry of lithium

Abstract The lithium salt of α-carboline, Li carb, (for which the systematic name is 1H-pyrido[2,3-b]indole), has been prepared and crystallized from both tetrahydrofuran and toluene. In each case the molecule is tetranuclear, with a distorted tetrahedron of lithium atoms, and in each case, the ligands are arranged in a Li4(carb)4 assembly having S4 point symmetry. In the compound crystallized from tetrahydrofuran, each lithium atom is coordinated by three nitrogen atoms and an oxygen atom, whereas in the compound obtained from toluene each lithium atom is only three-coordinate. The structures are topologically the same, but differ in the spatial orientations of the carboline planes.
An investigation of the insoluble carbonaceous material in airborne particulates from vehicular traffic

Abstract Insoluble organic airborne particulate material generated by motor vehicles during high-way operation was characterized by pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, pyrolysis-mass spectrometry, thermogravimetric analysis, elemental analysis and radiocarbon analysis. Particulate material was collected with HiVol samplers using size sorting inside the Eisenhower tunnel on Interstate 70 near Loveland Pass, CO, U.S.A. The particulate material was exhaustively extracted using acetone, cyclohexane, dichloromethane and methanol. Total extracted material amounted to 27–47% of the sample weight over the size range of & 0.45–
EXPERIMENTS RELATED TO THE DETECTION OF A TONE MASKED BY ANOTHER TONE

Five experiments were completed in an effort to determine which cues allow the detection of a tone in the presence of another tone of a different frequency. Four cues associated with the added tone were examined (a) changes in overall level, (b) changes in envelope modulation (beats), (c) changes in pitch, and (d) changes in phase (frequency) modulation. Detection thresholds were measured using a two‐interval, forced choice paradigm, and for maskers of 400 and 3000 Hz. The data suggest that the presence of beats acts as a cue for detection when the signal and masker frequencies are within ten percent of one another. For larger frequency separations the data did not support any of the detection models examined [(a)–(d) above]. Based on limited direct observations and on the failure of the single‐channel models tested, it appears that the detection of a tone in the presence of another tone depends on the detection of changes in the pattern of intensity and/or the pattern of temporal synchrony across frequency.
Association of ventricular ectopy with nuclear scintigraphic perfusion defects during dipyridamole stress testing

Background and hypothesis: No information is available regarding the significance of ventricular ectopic activity induced during dipyridamole nuclear scintigraphic stress testing. This study tested the hypothesis that dipyridamole-induced ventricular ectopy predicts a thallium-201 or technetium-99m sestamibi perfusion defect. Methods: A group of 186 consecutive patients with premature ventricular contractions and/or couplets occurring during dipyridamole stress testing (ventricular tachycardia did not occur) was compared with a control group of 194 patients without ventricular ectopy during dipyridamole stress testing. Results: The results indicated that ventricular ectopy induced during dipyridamole infusion occurred more frequently in patients demonstrating either a fixed or reversible perfusion defect on scintigraphic imaging (p <0.01). The higher frequency of perfusion defects in this group of patients was attributable to a higher frequency of “fixed” compared with “reversible” defects (p<0.05). This finding is consistent with the additional observation that ventricular ectopy induced by dipyridamole was associated with the presence of Q waves on the resting ECG (p<0.05). The positive and negative predictive values of the presence of ventricular ectopy in predicting a fixed myocardial perfusion defect were 59 and 54%, respectively. Conclusions: Ventricular ectopy induced during dipyridamole infusion suggests the presence of a fixed myocardial perfusion defect.
Designing EHV Lines to a Given Outage Rate Simplified Techniques

A simplified method for determining the COF required for a given Switching Surge Performance Level is given. If the surge voltage varies along the line, the line is shown to be equivalent to a shorter line. This shorter line will have a number of towers proportional to the insulation strength standard deviation (?f/CFO) and inversely proportional to (1-?), where ? is the ratio of switch end to open end voltage. The method is illustrated with examples, including both normal and extreme value distributions of over-voltage. Comparison of the method with exact calculations show no significant differences.
Fluorescence imaging of vascular endothelial growth factor in mice tumors using targeted liposome ICG probe

Indocyanine Green encapsulating liposomes (Lip/ICG) and scVEGF-Lip/ICG liposomes, decorated with site-specifically lipidated engineered single-chain vascular endothelial growth factor (scVEGF) for targeting VEGF receptors were tested as potential tracers for fluorescent tomography. Two groups of experiments were conducted with tumor-bearing mice (n=4 to 6 per group) with tumors placed in a scattering medium at the imaging depths of 1.5 and 2.0 cm. Lip/ICG and scVEGF-Lip/ICG were injected intravenously in the amounts corresponding to 5 nmol of ICG/mouse. We detected kinetics of increase and decline in fluorescent signals in tumors for both imaging depths and for both targeted and untargeted Lip/ICG. Maximum fluorescent signals were approximately 2-fold higher at 1.5 cm vs. 2.0 cm imaging. A signal from untargeted Lip/ICG reached maximum at 15 min post-injection and then rapidly declined with t 1/2 ~15 min. In contrast, a signal from targeted scVEGF-Lip/ICG reached maximum at 30 min post-injection and then slow declined with t1/2 ~60-90 min. Preferential retention of scVEGF-Lip(ICG) vs. Lip(ICG) was confirmed by the analysis of fluorescence in cryosections of corresponding tumors, harvested at 400 min post-injection. Our results suggest that targeted scVEGF-Lip/ICG can provide for significantly better post-injection time window for detection of relatively deeply seated tumors.
Plasmodium berghei: Nucleic acid agglutinating antibodies in rats☆

Abstract The serum of rats infected with Plasmodium berghei was found to contain agglutinins for RNA and, at a lower titer, for DNA. Cross-absorption studies with RNA and trypsinized erythrocytes indicated that the anti-RNA agglutinin was not identical to the antitrypsinized erythrocyte agglutinin found in the same sera.
The zero hour of the neoliberal novel

This essay examines how contemporary neoliberal regimes of labour are formalized and historicized within the recent novel. Specifically, I elaborate on the status of the labouring body in neoliberal labour markets as decidedly linked to the evacuation of linear temporality, and claim that contemporary novels are similarly invested in exploring new forms of historical and temporal anachrony, and in linking these to matters of bodily cohesion and subject formation. The essay offers a detailed reading of how Nicola Barker’s 2007 novel Darkmans enacts and negotiates the tendencies of neoliberal labour markets at interlocking thematic and formal levels. In particular, I contend that while Barker’s and other neoliberal novels do demonstrate the decontained status of bodies and time in the neoliberal present, they also – and perhaps more fundamentally – historicize such conditions and thus trouble the collapse of historical and labouring temporality under neoliberal thought and policy.
Vitamin D deficiency in children with intestinal failure receiving home parenteral nutrition.

Background: Vitamin D plays important roles in both skeletal and nonskeletal health. Limited data suggest that patients with intestinal failure (IF) receiving home parenteral nutrition (PN) are at risk for vitamin D deficiency due to inadequate oral intake, poor absorption, and chronic illness. The purpose of this study was to document vitamin D status in pediatric patients with IF receiving home PN. Materials and Methods: We performed a 2-year retrospective review of children with IF followed at our center who had been on home PN for ≥6 months and had ≥1 serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD) level checked as part of routine clinical care. Patients were then categorized as deficient (<20 ng/mL), insufficient (20–29 ng/mL), or normal (≥30 ng/mL) based on their lowest vitamin D level. Demographic data and clinical characteristics were also assessed. Results: Eleven of 27 children (41%) had ≥1 insufficient 25-OHD level, including one child with vitamin D deficiency. Diagnosis of short bowel syndrome (compared w...
Some observations on microyielding in copper polycrystals

Abstract Dislocation arrangements developed in large grained polycrystalline copper after small deformations in compression or bending were studied by the etch-pit technique. The results indicated that the only role of grain boundaries in the preyield deformation of copper was to act as barriers to moving dislocations and not as sources of dislocations. Some special boundaries did however permit the passage of dislocations across them even in the microstrain region. It is suggested that the presence of such “transparent” boundaries is partly responsible for the lowering of the elastic limit of a polycrystal with increasing grain size. Multiple slip always occurred in the preyield region and significantly affected the motion of primary dislocations both during loading and unloading by forming attractive junctions. It was found that dislocations in a pileup never collapsed completely back to the source on stress-reversal.
Cathode Dark Space and Negative Glow of a Mercury Arc

Means were evolved to observe the cathode dark space of the mercury arc, the object being to measure the thickness and evaluate therefrom the voltage gradient at the cathode to distinguish between field and emission theories of electron liberation. A magnetic field transverse to the arc drives it in the opposite direction to the force involved. This wrong way motion made it possible to race the arc spot over smooth mercury while ions, electrons, and vapor were blown rearward. Photomicrographs showed a negative glow, its image in the mercury, and a space between; evidently twice the dark space. A one-ampere arc had a dark space of 0.001 cm; a hundred times too large for the field theory, and causing excessive space charge limitation of current unless compensating ionization occurs throughout said space. Phenomena in the negative glow must cause the needed ionization and also intensive electronic bombardment of the cathode. This is assumed to cause cumulative excitation of the liquid resulting in emission of electrons and light. A continuous spectrum originates---within the limits of measurement---at the liquid.
Fuzzy Similarity Measure between Heterogeneous Data

Evaluating the proximity measure between heterogeneous data is very important since many datasets are heterogeneous. The application of classical proximity measures must insure a consistent meaning of proximity, by providing a consistent result across any domain with any scale. This paper investigates the application of fuzzy Hamming distance as a implementation of a component-based procedure for proximity measure.
THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN URBAN SPRAWL AND OBESITY: IS IT A TWO‐WAY STREET?

We empirically examine the relationship between obesity and urban de- velopment patterns where individuals reside. Previous analyses treat urban form as exogenous to weight, and find higher body mass indices (BMI) among residents of areas with sprawl patterns of development. Using samples of recent movers, we find that the causality runs in both directions. Individuals who move to denser locations lose weight. As well, BMI is a determinant of the choice of a dense or sprawling location. In sum, while moving to a dense area results in weight loss, such locations are unlikely to be selected by individuals with high BMI.