cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On the degree of polynomials that approximate symmetric Boolean functions (preliminary version)

In this paper, we provide matching (up to a constant factor) upper and lower bounds on the degree of polynomials that represent symmetric boolean functions with an error 1/3. Let Γ(f)=min{|2k–n+1|:fk ≠ fk+ 1 and 0 ≤ k ≤ n – 1} where fi is the value of f on inputs with exactly i 1's. We prove that the minimum degree over all the approximating polynomials of f is Θ((n(n-Γ(f))).5). We apply the techniques and tools from approximation theory to derive this result.
On the Martin potential

Abstract The interquark potential V ( r ) = A + Br α accounts for all spin-averaged levels and ratios of leptonic widths within each heavy-quark spectroscopy. We find, however, that ratios of leptonic widths between different spectroscopies are inconsistent with flavor-independence. Modification of the Martin potential by a Coulomb short-range part restores complete flavor-independence.
Cation exchange capacity and buffering capacity of neutral‐detergent fibres

Dietary fibre buffers the gastrointestinal tract via the inherent buffering capacity of the specific fibre matrix, the quantity of cell wall ingested and the stimulatory effect of cell wall on rumination and/or salivation. The strong bonding of Cu2+ ions for carboxy groups permits their use in estimating the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of both pectinaceous materials and pectin-free cell wall fractions. The CEC values observed emphasise the different cation exchange capacities of the various plant cell wall components. Cellulose has a relatively low exchange capacity while lignin and Maillard products have a much greater adsorption. Emphasis is placed on the difficulty in utilising gravimetric determinations to interpret physicochemical effects as well as the diversity of plant sources in terms of gastrointestinal buffering.
Electron-impact excitation and dissociation processes in H 2

The electron-impact excitation and dissociation cross sections for the C 1Πu, c 3Πu, B′ 1Σu+, and E(F) 1Σg+ states of H2 have been calculated within the distorted-wave approximation. The distorted waves are obtained as solutions of the static-exchange potential field of the ground electronic state. Both differential and integral inelastic cross sections are reported and compared with other calculated results and available experimental data.
Effects of plastic anisotropy and yield criteria on prediction of forming limit curves

Abstract The effects of yield criteria on predictions of the right-hand side of forming limit diagrams (FLDs) are investigated. Predictions of limit strains are determined from an initial imperfection model based on the early work of Marciniak and Kuczynski (1967). Particular attention is placed on the effect of normal plastic anisotropy on limit strains during biaxial sheet stretching. The anisotropic yield criteria investigated in this paper include Hill’s (1948) quadratic criterion, Hosford’s (1979) higher-order criterion, and case 4 of Hill’s (1979) non-quadratic criterion. Several important characteristics of the yield surface shape are discussed and a new parameter that quantifies some of these aspects is introduced. Similar to the work of Barlat (1987), this parameter is based on the relative position of plane strain on the yield surface and can be used to predict the various effects of yield criteria on limit strains. Results indicate that predictions of FLD are very sensitive to selection of yield criteria.
Neglecting the Crucial “Why?”

Reich discusses the Schon case and how it was handled by the journals that had been publishing his high-impact papers and by scientists in the affected fields.
Whither the NBA, whither America?

More than any other American sporting entity, the National Basketball Association (NBA) has successfully blurred the boundaries between the sport, media, and entertainment industries. From its chronically troubled past, the league has molded itself into a vibrant marketing and entertainment company at the core of the American sporting landscape, from where it has aggressively and successfully propelled itself into the global cultural economy. Today, the NBA is a fantastical market‐driven hybrid of sport and entertainment, owing more in terms of production values, content, and global aspirations, to The Wonderful World of Disney than it does to The Wide World of Sport.
The isomerization and metathesis of n-butenes IV. Reactions of cis-2-butene over a molybdena-alumina catalysts of varying extents of reduction

Abstract The metathesis and isomerization of n-butenes on a molybdena-alumina (8 wt% Mo) catalyst of different extents of reduction were investigated using the microcatalytic pulse technique. The maxima in concentration which appeared at trans-2-butene-d4 formed from the reaction of equimolar mixtures of cis-C4H8 and cis-C4D8 provided a measure of the extent of metathesis in the overall isomerization process. The conversion of cis- to trans-2-butene via metathesis was nearly independent of the extent of reduction for all reduced catalysts. Non-metathetic double bond isomerization, including cis to trans-interconversion, increased with reduction, but the 1-butene produced was efficiently converted to propene by cross metathesis with the cis-2-butene reactant, especially after the first pulse had been passed. Highest selectivity for a given metathesis reaction between two olefins is obtained for very slightly reduced catalysts.
Heuristics, justification, and defeasible reasoning

Heuristics can be regarded as justifying the actions and beliefs of problem-solving agents. I use an analysis of heuristics to argue that a symbiotic relationship exists between traditional epistemology and contemporary artificial intelligence. On one hand, the study of models of problem-solving agents usingquantitative heuristics, for example computer programs, can reveal insight into the understanding of human patterns of epistemic justification by evaluating these models' performance against human problem-solving. On the other hand,qualitative heuristics embody the justifying ability of defeasible rules, the understanding of which is provided by traditional epistemology.
Experiential Avoidance and Negative Emotional Experiences: The Moderating Role of Expectancies About Emotion Regulation Strategies

In the present set of studies we examined whether expectancies about emotion regulation strategies moderate the relationship between experiential avoidance (EA) and negative emotional experiences. In Study 1, college students (N = 334) completed self-report measures assessing EA, expectancies about emotion regulation strategies, and psychological symptoms (depression, anxiety, and stress). In Study 2, college students (N = 97) completed (a) self-report measures assessing pre-task state negative affect, EA, and expectancies about emotion regulation strategies; (b) either an emotionally neutral or emotionally negative task; and (c) a self-report measure of post-task state negative affect. Consistent with predictions, pessimistic expectancies about emotion regulation strategies (reflecting perceptions about having a lack of emotion regulation abilities) potentiated the relationship between EA and negative emotional reactions in both studies. In Study 2, this potentiating effect was observed in response to the emotionally negative, but not emotionally neutral, task. Conceptual and therapeutic implications are discussed.
Biochanin A Modulates Cell Viability, Invasion, and Growth Promoting Signaling Pathways in HER-2-Positive Breast Cancer Cells

Overexpression of HER-2 receptor is associated with poor prognosis and aggressive forms of breast cancer. Scientific literature indicates a preventive role of isoflavones in cancer. Since activation of HER-2 receptor initiates growth-promoting events in cancer cells, we studied the effect of biochanin A (an isoflavone) on associated signaling events like receptor activation, downstream signaling, and invasive pathways. HER-2-positive SK-BR-3 breast cancer cells, MCF-10A normal breast epithelial cells, and NIH-3T3 normal fibroblast cells were treated with biochanin A (2-100 muM) for 72 hours. Subsequently cell viability assay, western blotting and zymography were carried out. The data indicate that biochanin A inhibits cell viability, signaling pathways, and invasive enzyme expression and activity in SK-BR-3 cancer cells. Biochanin A did not inhibit MCF-10A and NIH-3T3 cell viability. Therefore, biochanin A could be a unique natural anticancer agent which can selectively target cancer cells and inhibit multiple signaling pathways in HER-2-positive breast cancer cells.
A Powerful False Positive: Nationalism, Science and Public Opinion in the ‘Oxygen Doping’ Allegations Against Japanese Swimmers at the 1932 Olympics

At the 1932 Olympic games the Japanese men's swim team upset their heavily favoured American hosts. Among the many explanations offered for the surprising result, some Americans charged that the Japanese team had ‘doped’ by inhaling supplemental oxygen before they raced. The Japanese admitted to the practice while they and their supporters noted that no rule existed barring such a practice. Nevertheless, allegations flew and attracted the scrutiny of scientists interested in the question of whether or not oxygen enhanced sporting performances. The great majority of commentators concluded that Japan had done nothing illegal or unethical, that Japanese oxygen usage had not given their swimmers any advantage, and that the charges were ultimately a jingoistic attack by certain US swim officials against their rising rival. Nevertheless, the stigma of ‘doping’ clung to the Japanese team for many decades afterward. Scientists referred to this case in their textbooks, the press regularly re-circulated the charges...
ISICS: A program for calculating K-, L- and M-shell cross sections from ECPSSR theory using a personal computer

Abstract A versatile and fast C-language program has been developed to exactly calculate ionization and x-ray production cross sections using the ECPSSR theory. All elements and any projectile can be selected for any range of energies and energy increments. Coulomb excitation form factors are numerically calculated in the program. Comparisons are presented between program calculations and those obtained by standard procedures from other sources. The program is available in compiled form and in source code for modification by the user. User options include selecting a relativistic calculation of the projectile ion velocity. Electron capture by the projectile is not incorporated into the program at this time.
Regulation of the NF-κB-Mediated Transcription of Inflammatory Genes

The NF-κB family of transcription factors plays a central role in the inducible expression of inflammatory genes during the immune response, and the proper regulation of these genes is a critical factor in the maintenance of immune homeostasis. The chromatin environment at stimulus-responsive NF-κB sites is a major determinant in transcription factor binding, and dynamic alteration of the chromatin state to facilitate transcription factor binding is a key regulatory mechanism. NF-κB is in turn able to influence the chromatin state through a variety of mechanisms, including the recruitment of chromatin modifying co-activator complexes such as p300, the competitive eviction of negative chromatin modifications, and the recruitment of components of the general transcriptional machinery. Frequently, the selective interaction with these co-activators is dependent on specific post-translational modification of NF-κB subunits. Finally, the mechanisms of inducible NF-κB activity in different immune cell types seem to be largely conserved. The diversity of cell-specific NF-κB-mediated transcriptional programs is established at the chromatin level during cell differentiation by lineage-defining transcription factors. These factors generate and maintain a cell-specific chromatin landscape that is accessible to NF-κB, thus restricting the inducible transcriptional response to a cell-appropriate output.
Fatigue crack propagation in aerospace aluminum alloys

This paper reviews fracture mechanics based, damage tolerant characterizations and predictions of fatigue crack growth in aerospace aluminum alloys. The results of laboratory experimentation and modeling are summarized in the areas of: (1) fatigue crack closure, (2) the wide range crack growth rate response of conventional aluminum alloys, (3) the fatigue behavior of advanced monolithic aluminum alloys and metal matrix composites, (4) the short crack problem, (5) environmental fatigue, and (6) variable amplitude loading. Remaining uncertainties and necessary research are identified. This work provides a foundation for the development of fatigue resistant alloys and composites, next generation life prediction codes for new structural designs and extreme environments, and to counter the problem of aging components.
Reduction of motor seizures in rats induced by the ethyl bicyclophosphate trimethylolpropane phosphate (TMPP).

Abstract 1. Trimethylolpropane phosphate (TMPP) is a potent cage convulsant, reported to act through binding to the picrotoxinin and/or benzodiazepine receptor sites of the gamma-aminobutyric A (GABA A ) ionophore complex. 2. Adult male Fischer-344 rats were pretreated by intraperitoneal (ip) injection with either diazepam (DZP) [0.5–5.0 mg/kg], Phenobarbital (PB) [5–20 mg/kg], dizocilpine maleate (MK-801) [0.5–3.0 mg/kg], Tiagabine (TGB) [0.5–5.0 mg/kg], 6,7-dinitro-quinoxaline-2,3-dione (DNQX), [5–20 mg/kg], or scopolamine [SCP] (0.25–1.0 mg/kg) 30 min prior to ip injection with a convulsive dose of TMPP (0.6 mg/kg). 3. Rats were rated for occurrence of convulsive activity for 120 min post-injection. Time from TMPP injection to observation of subclinical seizures, generalized (tonic-clonic) seizures, and lethality was rated for each pretreatment group. 4. In general, DZP = PB > TGB in reduction of TMPP subclinical and/or clinical seizures. MK-801, at dose levels inducing near sedation, was also effective in modulation of TMPP-induced seizures. SCP or DNQX were generally ineffective in reducing or eliminating TMPP-induced seizures.
Checking 2 × M quantum separability via semidefinite programming

In this paper, we propose a sequence of tests which give a definitive test for checking 2xM separability. The test is definitive in the sense that each test corresponds to checking membership in a cone, and that the closure of the union of all these cones consists exactly of all 2xM separable states. Membership in each single cone may be checked via semidefinite programming, and is thus a tractable problem. This sequential test comes about by considering the dual problem, the characterization of all positive maps acting C{sup 2x2}{yields}C{sup MxM}. The latter in turn is solved by characterizing all positive quadratic matrix polynomials in a complex variable.
The trouble with normal: the struggle for meaningful access for middle school students with developmental disability labels

This critical, qualitative study considers issues of access to the academic and social experiences of middle school for five students with labels of intellectual disability and autism through a lens of ableism and enforced ‘normalcy’. Starting from the position that schools are sites where ableist norms of performance leave many marginalized, this study privileges the perspective of individuals whose inclusion in school is most tenuous. Challenging the notion that mere access to general education classrooms and instruction is enough, this study interrogates questions of efficiency and meaningful engagement within the context of middle school. This paper first illustrates the ways that ableism pervades middle school settings and then outlines a typology of particular ways of being and performing that are privileged and an illusion of normalcy maintained. Finally, this article explores the implications of ableism and enforced normalcy on the engagement and participation of students considered to have develo...
Economic Costs of Attrition in Clinical Trials

Conventional analyses of the cost-effectiveness of preventive regimens fail to account for the impact of attrition on reported costs. Using an economic model in which costs are allocated to fixed and variable components, and data from a recently completed clinical field trial, costs per participant are shown to vary with the rate of attrition. That this variation is usually obscured in reported studies results from methods conventionally used to measure the participants in calculating average costs. This paper proposes a method for resolving this dilemma by allocating costs among the number of beneficiaries in terms of resource utilization.
Simulations of localized thermo-mechanical behavior in a NiTi shape memory alloy

Abstract Previous experiments have shown that stress-induced martensitic transformation in certain polycrystalline NiTi shape memory alloys can lead to strain localization and propagation phenomena when loaded in uniaxial tension. The number of nucleation events and kinetics of transformation fronts were found to be sensitive to the nature of the ambient media and imposed loading rate due to the release/absorption of latent heat and the material's inherent temperature sensitivity of the transformation stress. A special plasticity-based constitutive model used within a 3-D finite element framework has previously been shown to capture the isothermal, purely mechanical front features seen in experiments of thin uniaxial NiTi strips. This paper extends the approach to include the thermo-mechanical coupling of the material with its environment. The simulations successfully capture the nucleation and evolution of fronts and the corresponding temperature fields seen during the experiments.
Chemical Characterization of Micronesian Ceramics Through Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis: A Preliminary Provenance Study

Abstract The development of exchange models from Pacific Islands' archaeological data is a major task facing Oceanic archaeologists. Chemical characterization of ceramics can assist provenance studies required for modelling past human interactions. This regional instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) conducted on ceramics collected from the Micronesian ceramic-producing islands of Belau, Chuuk, Guam, Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap allows us to form compositional groups and provenance ceramics from the coral islands of Fais, Satawal, and Ulithi. Different island contexts, which cause post-depositional chemical transformations in ceramic sherds, do not hinder the provenance assignments.
Transmission of Toxoplasmosis by Leukocyte (WBC) Transfusion

Disseminated toxoplamosis infections without an obvious source have been documented frequently in cancer patients. Two children with acute leukemia given WBC transfusions for granulocytopenia from a donor with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) developed toxoplasma gondii infection. The CML donor, with no history of toxoplasma infection had received no anti-leukemic therapy prior to leukapheresis and remained clinically well. The first child was given 0.35 × 1011 CML leukocytes. Three weeks later she developed skin rash, pneumonia, congestive heart failure, hepatitis, and seizures, accompanied by a rising toxoplasma dye titer to 1:8,000 (IgM = 1:160). She expired 3 months later with disseminated toxoplasmosis. The second child received 2.5×1011 leukocytes over a 7-day period four weeks prior to splenectomy for an E. coli splenic abscess. Concomitantly, her dye titer rose to 1:128 (IgM = 1:40). Toxoplasma gondii was isolated from the spleen and a single toxoplasma cyst was found on histologic examination. She died 1 month following surgery with toxoplasma cysts found in the lung and heart at necropsy. Retrospective examination of stored serum samples from the CML donor revealed that at the time of WBC donation she had a toxoplasma dye titer of 1:8,000 (IgM = 1:10, CF = 1:16). Leukocytes from the same donor were given to other leukemic patients. Both died within one week of transfusion without pathologic evidence of toxoplasma infection. Toxoplasma infection in two patients receiving leukocyte transfusions from a CML donor with serologic evidence of toxoplasmosis suggests the role of WBCs in the transmission of this dissease.
Cohesion in spoken and written dialogue: An investigation of cultural and textual constraints

Interactions of language, culture, minority group membership, and literacy instruction in schools have evidently spelled success for some children but not for others. The purpose of this study was to explore an area of intersection among language use, ethnolinguistic group membership, and literacy learning materials to provide additional insight into the higher rates of literacy problems in urban black and Appalachian cultures. Specifically, it investigated how the informal discourse modes, exemplified by mother-child dialogue in a child's home environment, compared and contrasted with more formal discourse modes, exemplified by dialogue among characters in basal reader stories and in children's storybooks. Cohesion was used as the primary form of analysis. Findings, based on a determination of tie types as well as identity and similarity chains, indicated that the dialogue of the mothers and children across the three ethnolinguistic groups was more similar than different, and in turn, was similar to the dialogue among characters in children's storybooks. None of these resembled the cohesion patterns found in the dialogue of the basal reader stories, which were found to be unique to that genre.
RELATION OF EXTRAOCULAR ELECTROMYOGRAMS TO HORIZONTAL EYE MOVEMENTS EVOKED UPON BRAIN-STEM STIMULATION IN CATS.

In an attempt to obtain information on certain aspects of cranial motor physiology, simultaneous recordings of electromyograms from horizontal rectus muscles and of eye movements have been made during responses to electrical stimulation of brainstem sites in cats prepared as encephales isoles. Horizontal eye movements evoked from the superior colliculus, from the tegmental areas of the midbrain, and from the medulla were accompanied by either no change or increased electrical activity of the agonist muscles (prime movers), and by a decrease (reciprocal inhibition) or increase (co-contraction or co-activation) of the antagonists. When similar eye movements, from the same initial to the same final position, were elicited by stimulation in different sites within these areas, gross differences in electromyographic patterns of agonist, antagonist, or both, were recorded from response to response. These results indicate that similar eye movements can be mediated in more than one way by the peripheral effectors when the movements are in response to different central stimuli. When one site in any of the three tested areas was stimulated at varied intensities, the electromyogram of the antagonist muscle revealed a consistent shift: stimulation at low voltage elicited reciprocal inhibition accompanying a relatively slow movement of the eye, whereas stimulation at higher voltage resulted in the appearance of co-contraction accompanying a faster movement. This relation between speed of ocular movement and appearance of reciprocal inhibition or co-contraction in the antagonist differs, for brain-stem-evoked eye movements, from that usually associated with human saccadic and slow movements.
Unions and US Labor Policy: Responding to the Low-wage Strategy:

Labor policy in the United States has not been a central part of the overall economic strategy. Human resource and labor policy has been more a passive social policy rather than an active economic policy designed to facilitate economic change. Recent economic problems such as declining real incomes of workers and increasing inequality have led to proposals for a more coherent labor policy and a shift from the low-wage strategy for global competitiveness to a high-skill, high-wage strategy. Unions support policies to upgrade skills of the workforce and are active in creating new education and training policies as well as new arrangements to enhance worker participation in the workplace.
Optimal control of reassembly with variable quality returns in a product remanufacturing system

Abstract We consider the assembly system of modular products in the remanufacturing environment subject to used module returns with uncertainties in terms of timing, quantity and quality. n customer demand classes of remanufactured products are classified by l = 1,…,n levels of product quality. Returned modules arrive according to a compound Poisson process and each demand class follows an independent Poisson process. Returned modules can be stocked for reassembly upon demand requests, but incur a holding cost. We formulate the problem as a Markov decision process and show that the reassembly and inventory control policy is a state-dependent threshold type policy.
Stra13 is induced by genotoxic stress and regulates ionizing‐radiation‐induced apoptosis

In response to a number of genotoxic stimuli that induce DNA damage in cells, the tumour suppressor p53 is activated resulting in cell cycle arrest or apoptosis. In this study, we have identified stimulated with retinoic acid 13 (Stra13), a basic helix–loop–helix transcription factor, as a regulator of ionizing-radiation-induced apoptosis. We show that Stra13 is induced in response to several DNA-damaging agents in a p53-independent manner. Stra13−/− thymocytes show impaired apoptosis in response to ionizing radiation, and consistently, p53 levels and also expression of its key transcriptional targets Puma and Noxa are reduced in the mutant thymocytes. In vitro, Stra13 regulates p53 levels in a mouse double mutant 2 (Mdm2)-dependent manner by physically interacting with p53 and preventing Mdm2-mediated ubiquitination and nuclear export. Together, our studies provide evidence that Stra13 is involved in DNA-damage-induced apoptosis and indicate its role in tumorigenesis.
Magnetically assisted liquid–solid fluidization in normal and microgravity conditions: experiment and theory

Abstract The application of an external magnetic field on a fluidized bed of ferromagnetic particles is well known in a conventional two-phase, gas–solid or liquid–solid fluidization. The external magnetic field significantly changes the fluidized bed fluid-dynamic behavior and if creatively used may enhance the bed performance. In this paper, a theoretical fluid-dynamic model describing behavior of a Gradient Magnetically Assisted Fluidized Bed (G-MAFB) in a non-uniform magnetic field under varied gravitational field strengths is presented. Because of the differences in the magnetic field intensities at any location in the bed, the particle holdup, or inversely the bed voidage, changes to accommodate the equilibrium of forces (drag force, gravitational force, buoyancy force, and magnetic force) acting on the particles. In the voidage distribution modeling, we propose that the Discrete Particle Method (DPM) approach can be used as an investigative tool for Two-Continuum Phase modeling (TCP). Data acquired from both laboratory experiments under normal gravity and experiments conducted onboard NASA aircraft under microgravity conditions indicate good agreement with the proposed modeling equations for bed voidage distribution and bed height.
Inhibition of Browning and Decay of Fresh-cut Radishes by Natural Compounds and their Derivatives

Abstract Treatments with inhibitors of enzymatic activity or microbial growth to retard browning and decay of fresh-cut radish slices were evaluated. Slices were dipped in solutions of natural products and their derivatives, 4-hexylresorcinol, isoascorbic acid, N-acetylcysteine and potassium sorbate alone or in combination prior to storage in air for up to 14 days at 10 °C. Inhibition of browning and deterioration without affecting texture of slices was achieved during 14 days in cold storage. From the different solutions evaluated, the combination of 4-hexylresorcinol (0.001 g/L), potassium sorbate (0.05 g/L) and N-acetylcysteine (0.025 g/L) was most effective in preventing browning and deterioration of radish slices for up to 18 days at 10 °C.
Subordinating Myth: Latino/a Immigration, Crime, and Exclusion

Rhetoric about “crime-prone immigrants” has contributed to increased enforcement of the U.S.-Mexico border, the passage of punitive immigration laws, and state and local efforts to make life difficult for new arrivals. Yet scholarly research refutes the notion that immigrants commit more crime. How do we explain this glaring contradiction? By reviewing recent research on immigration, crime, and social control in the context of racial stratification, this article describes the criminalization of Latino/a immigrants in the U.S. as a subordinating myth; that is, a falsity used as part of a larger effort to misallocate material, political, and cultural resources. Four ways in which the criminalization of immigrants contributes to racial exclusion are discussed: the profiting from immigration detention; the political scapegoating of racialized immigrants; the degrading of racialized bodies in enforcement efforts; and the literal control of exploitable populations. The article concludes with a call to develop further our understanding of the relationship between immigration and crime from this critical perspective in order to subordinate the myth of immigrant criminality.
Enacting the Scholar— Practitioner Role An Exploration of Narratives

An essential part of Edgar Schein's legacy is his modeling of the role of scholar—practitioner. To better understand this legacy, the authors explored how being a scholar—practitioner is defined by...
MRI-measured regression of carotid atherosclerosis induced by statins with and without niacin in a randomised controlled trial: the NIA plaque study

Objective To evaluate the benefit of niacin in addition to statin therapy on plaque regression among older individuals with established atherosclerosis. Design Randomised, controlled, double-blind clinical trial. Setting University outpatient center. Patients 145 patients older than 65 years, half of them older than 75 years of age, with established atherosclerosis were enrolled. Interventions Participants received either extended release niacin (1500 mg daily) or placebo in addition to statin therapy to reach their National Cholesterol Education Program-defined low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol target. Main Outcome Measures The primary endpoint was reduction in the wall volume of the internal carotid artery (ICA) measured by MRI. Results After 18 months, high density lipoprotein cholesterol was higher with statins plus niacin compared with statins alone (1.6±0.4 vs 1.4±0.4 mmol/L p Conclusions Treatment with statin therapy to presently recommended LDL levels, with or without niacin, resulted in significant atherosclerosis reduction.
Evaluation of plating media for recovering Salmonella from thermally treated egg albumen

SUMMARY Salmonella spp. present in pasteurized egg albumen are often difficult to recover by direct plating because of thermal injury and the presence of innate iron binding and other antimicrobials in egg white. The literature has reported a multiplicity of selective and nonselective media used to recover heat-injured Salmonella, to measure the proportion of injured cells, or both. This study compared the proficiency of selective and nonselective plating media for supporting colony development or for assessing bacterial injury of heat-stressed Salmonella from egg albumen. A 6-strain composite of Salmonella was added to albumen (pH 9.0), heated at 53.3°C for 3.1 min, and plated on 26 nonselective and 22 selective media. Recovery of heat-injured salmonellae varied little (≤0.52 log cfu/mL) among the nonselective media tryptic soy agar, plate count agar, dextrose tryptone agar, or brain heart infusion agar, regardless of the manufacturer. Selective media that were optimal for recovery of salmonellae from albumen included 3 brilliant green agars, Levine eosin methylene blue agar, and bismuth sulfite agar, which recovered more cells (P ≤ 0.05) than selenite-cystine, tetrathionate, xylose-lysine-tergitol-4 , xylose lysine deoxycholate, or Rappaport-Vassiliadis agars. The results of this study may assist in choosing selective or nonselective media to maximize the recovery of Salmonella from thermally treated albumen.
Receptors for aggregated IgG on mouse lymphocytes: their presence on thymocytes, thymus-derived, and bone marrow-derived lymphocytes.

An autoradiographic binding assay employing 125I-labeled heat-aggregated mouse IgG2b myeloma protein (MOPC 141) was used to demonstrate receptors for IgG on 20–45% of Balb/c thymocytes and on 70–80% of splenocytes. Binding could also be shown with heat or BDB aggregates of another IgG2b (MOPC 195), with IgG1 and with human γ-globulin, but not with aggregated chicken γ-globulin, IgA, BSA, nor with aggregated Fab fragments of IgG2b. Optimum binding was obtained at 37°C. Detection of binding was dependent upon aggregate size with complexes of more than 100 IgG molecules being optimal, aggregates of 6–25 detecting splenocytes but not thymocytes, and aggregates of less than 6 binding to a negligible extent. Comparison of grain counts on various cell types showed mastocytoma cells (P815) and macrophages averaging 40–50 grains/cell/day, allogeneically activated thymocytes 20–30, splenocytes 2–3, L5178 lymphoma cells 1, and positive thymocytes 0.6 grains/cell/day. Double labeling experiments for surface Ig, θ-antigen, and agg IgG receptor on mouse spleen cells indicated that a relatively high density of receptor was present on about 80% of B cells, 30% of T cells, and 60% of SIg-, θ-, null cells.
Fun and Games in Berkeley: The Early Years (1956–2013)

Life at Berkeley for the past 57 years involved research on the thermodynamics, kinetics, and spectroscopic properties of RNA to better understand its structures, interactions, and functions. We (myself and all the graduate students and postdocs who shared in the fun) began with dinucleoside phosphates and slowly worked our way up to megadalton-sized RNA molecular motors. We used UV absorption, circular dichroism, circular intensity differential scattering, fluorescence, NMR, and single-molecule methods. We learned a lot and had fun doing it.
Deformable Motion Tracking of Cardiac Structures (DEMOTRACS) for Improved MR Imaging

The speed and quality of imaging cardiac structures (coronary arteries, cardiac valves etc) in MR can be improved by tracking and predicting their motion in MR images. The problem is challenging not only due to the complex motion of these structures that significantly changes the appearance of the region of interest, but also the ability to track at different spatial and temporal resolutions depending on the application. We have developed a multiple-template based tracking approach to track the cardiac structures in MR images. The algorithm has two novel features. First a bidirectional coordinate-descent algorithm is derived to improve accuracy and performance of tracking. Second we propose a method for choosing an optimal set of templates for tracking. The efficacy of the algorithm has been validated by tracking the coronary artery and cardiac valves reliably and accurately in thousands of high resolution cine and low-re solution real-time MR images.
Asynchronous Control with ATR for Large Robot Teams

In this paper, we discuss and investigate the advantages of an asynchronous display, called “image queue”, tested for an urban search and rescue foraging task. The image queue approach mines video data to present the operator with a relevant and comprehensive view of the environment by selecting a small number of images that together cover large portions of the area searched. This asynchronous approach allows operators to search through a large amount of data gathered by autonomous robot teams, and allows comprehensive and scalable displays to obtain a network-centric perspective for unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs). In the reported experiment automatic target recognition (ATR) was used to augment utilities based on visual coverage in selecting imagery for presentation to the operator. In the cued condition a box was drawn in the region in which a possible target was detected. In the no-cue condition no box was drawn although the target detection probability continued to play a role in the selection of imagery. We found that operators using the image queue displays missed fewer victims and relied on teleoperation less often than those using streaming video. Image queue users in the no-cue condition did better in avoiding false alarms and reported lower workload than those in the cued condition.
Waist circumference, blood pressure, and lipid components of the metabolic syndrome

Objectives To examine whether waist circumference (WC) predicts blood pressure (BP) and lipid components of the metabolic syndrome independent of body mass index (BMI) percentile in youths. Study design The study group comprised 70 African-American youths and 97 Caucasian youths. Outcome measures included BP, lipid profile, and abdominal adipose tissue (AT). Results Both BMI percentile and WC were significantly ( P P r = .50 and .59, respectively) and nighttime ( r = .49 and .62, respectively) systolic BP, and in Caucasians, TG, HDL, TG/HDL, and very-low-density lipoprotein after controlling for BMI percentile. After accounting for age, sex, and race, the addition of WC to BMI percentile increased the variance ( R 2 ) in systolic BP by 15% ( P P Conclusions The prediction of childhood obesity-related health risks is significantly improved by the inclusion of WC in addition to BMI percentile. This observation supports the notion that WC should be included in the evaluation of childhood obesity along with BMI percentile to identify those at increased health risks due to excess abdominal fat.
Linear precoding assisted blind channel estimation for OFDM systems

We propose a novel precoding approach for single transmit/receiver antenna orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) systems that enables blind channel estimation. A nonredundant nonunitary linear precoder is applied on each pair of blocks before they enter the OFDM system. The structure induced to the transmitted blocks allows for blind channel estimation at the receiver based on simple cross-correlation operations. At the same time, the multipath diversity of the system is increased. An optimal precoding scheme is pursued that, for quadrature phase-shift keying signals results in minimum channel error and asymptotically minimum bit error rate. Analytic performance evaluation of the proposed approach, and Cramer-Rao bound for the proposed channel estimate, are presented.
Aggregation of forecasts from multiple simulation models

When faced with output from multiple simulation models, a decision maker must aggregate the forecasts provided by each model. This problem is made harder when the models are based on similar assumptions or use overlapping input data. This situation is similar to the problem of expert judgment aggregation where experts provide a forecast distribution based on overlapping information, but only samples from the output distribution are obtained in the simulation case. We propose a Bayesian method for aggregating forecasts from multiple simulation models. We demonstrate the approach using a climate change example, an area often informed by multiple simulation models.
Ethylene and the regulation of plant development

Often considered an 'aging' hormone due to its role in accelerating such developmental processes as ripening, senescence, and abscission, the plant hormone ethylene also regulates many aspects of growth and development throughout the life cycle of the plant. Multiple mechanisms have been identified by which transcriptional output from the ethylene signaling pathway can be tailored to meet the needs of particular developmental pathways. Of special interest is the report by Lumba et al. in BMC Biology on how vegetative transitions are regulated through the effect of the transcription factor FUSCA3 on ethylene-controlled gene expression, providing an elegant example of how hormonal control can be integrated into a developmental pathway.
Surface wave excitation from open microstrip discontinuities

Radiation properties of open microstrip discontinuities are investigated using a full-wave integral equation technique. Formulas are presented to characterize power loss from open microstrip discontinuities. The technique utilizes microstrip current distributions obtained with the method of moments. The formulas allow the separation of total loss into the individual contributions of space wave and surface wave radiation and indicate the direction in which surface wave power is propagating within the substrate. Patterns depicting the power propagating in the substrate have been computed and verified experimentally. >
Augmented Urokinase Receptor Expression in Atheroma

Abstract Smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration into neointima are hallmarks of atherogenesis. However, mechanisms responsible have not yet been fully elucidated. One potential mediator of both smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration is activation of plasminogen by activators bound to receptors on cells within the vessel wall. To determine whether vascular smooth muscle cells within atheroma express the receptor for urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA-R), we characterized atheroma in cholesterol-fed New Zealand White rabbits and human subjects by immunostaining. Intense immunostaining of uPA-R was observed throughout the neointima in both rabbit and human atherosclerotic lesions with the use of a monoclonal antibody to uPA-R. uPA-R was not detectable in normal arterial tissues. uPA-R was localized to macrophages and neointimal smooth muscle cells identified by immunostaining in serial sections. Furthermore, uPA-R protein in extracts from atheroma was present in at least a ninefold greater quantity compared with extracts from normal vessels, as shown by Western blotting. Expression of uPA-R mRNA in migrating vascular smooth muscle cells did not increase significantly. Thus, altered posttranscriptional regulation may be contributing to the increased uPA-R. In vitro, antibodies to uPA-R delayed the migration of cultured vascular smooth muscle cells. Our results suggest that increased cell-surface uPA-R contributes to pericellular proteolysis and consequently increased neointimalization secondary to increased vascular smooth muscle cell migration in atheroma.
Change in carbon monoxide exposure among waterpipe bar patrons.

INTRODUCTION Waterpipe (also known as hookah) smoking is increasing around the world, including the United States, where waterpipe bars have sprung up rapidly around college campuses. Users are exposed to several toxicants, including carbon monoxide (CO). We evaluated change in exhaled CO and estimated carboxyhemoglobin levels among waterpipe bar patrons in Tampa, FL. METHODS Exhaled breath samples were obtained immediately before entering and after leaving 6 waterpipe bars in Tampa, FL to measure CO boost and factors affecting CO change. Demographics, cigarette use status, and characteristics of waterpipe use during the bar visit also were assessed. RESULTS Among the sample of 166 participants, mean CO increased from 6.5 parts per million (ppm) to 58.2 ppm (a 795% relative boost; p < .001). CO change was higher for patrons who were dual (waterpipe plus cigarette) smokers compared with waterpipe-only smokers, and significant factors of CO change were frequency of waterpipe use, number of charcoals, number of tobacco bowls, and time spent in the bar (all p values < .05). CONCLUSION U.S. waterpipe bar patrons are exposed to considerable amounts of CO, which could put them at risk of acute illness and chronic heart and lung diseases. Environmental and policy controls are needed to curb this increasingly popular tobacco use method in the United States.
Fencing Fiduciary Duties

This comment on the work of Professor Tamar Frankel builds on her encyclopedic discussion of the various types of duties that have been classified as "fiduciary." I argue for a more precise definition and more limited application of fiduciary duties which recognizes that their usefulness depends on their being limited and separated from other duties that apply in other settings. The fiduciary duty is appropriately construed as one of unselfishness, as distinguished from lesser duties of care, good faith and fair dealing, and to refrain from misappropriation. The fiduciary duty of unselfishness is appropriate only for a limited class of agency relationships in which the principal delegates open-ended power to the agent, and not for those who may exercise lesser power over the property of others, including co-investors, advisors, professionals, and those in confidential relationships. More broadly applying fiduciary duties could unnecessarily constrain parties from self-protection in contractual relationships, impose excessive litigation costs, provide an unsuitable basis for contracting, and impede developing fiduciary norms of behavior. This analysis of fiduciary duties helps address current issues, including those regarding the duties of brokers, dealers, and investment and mutual fund advisors. In short, fencing fiduciary duties protects both fiduciary and non-fiduciary relationships and enables parties to contract for the precise level of protection that is appropriate to the services they are purchasing.
COURTSHIP ETHOLOGY OF CAROLA'S PAROTIA (PAROTIA CAROLAE)

Abstract Detailed descriptions of behavior patterns are a major objective of ethology, because they serve as the basis for identifying the elements that constitute the behavioral component of the phenotype. In regard to avian courtship displays, the lack of detailed studies has limited the scope of modern ethological investigations. Recent advances in video technology have greatly improved the ability to analyze complex avian behaviors. I examined the ethology of courtship and mating in Carola's Parotia (Parotia carolae) using a modern approach intended to facilitate incorporation into existing bioinformatics databases. The questions addressed are as follows. (1) What are the courtship and mating behaviors of wild Carola's Parotias? (2) How are these behaviors structured? And (3) what are the units that constitute complex patterns of behavior? I used digital video to thoroughly characterize two wild populations of Carola's Parotias in Papua New Guinea. The results present a detailed picture of the species...
Measurement and Interpretation of Cytoplasmic [Ca2+] Signals From Calcium-Indicator Dyes

Ca2+-indicator dyes are widely used in biology yet difficult to characterize inside cells. Studies in skeletal muscle fibers provide important information about indicator behavior and about Ca2+ si...
Total blood, erythrocyte and plasma volumes in muscular dystrophic mice.

SummaryPlasma volume (dye method) and hematocrit value were measured in normal and muscular dystrophic mice, and from these data total blood and erythrocyte volumes were calculated. These 2 groups of mice possessed almost identical total blood, erythrocyte and plasma volumes per 100 g of body weight, but the muscular dystrophic mice were 33% lighter than their littermate controls.
An Unusual Source for Apophysomyces elegans and a Method for Stimulating Sporulation of Saksenaea vasiformis

(1982). An Unusual Source for Apophysomyces Elegans and a Method for Stimulating Sporulation of Saksenaea Vasiformis. Mycologia: Vol. 74, No. 1, pp. 144-145.
The effects of the family bereavement program to reduce suicide ideation and/or attempts of parentally bereaved children six and fifteen years later

Findings concerning the long-term effects of the Family Bereavement Program (FBP) to reduce suicide ideation and/or attempts of parentally bereaved children and adolescents are presented. Parental death is a significant risk factor for suicide among offspring (Guldin et al., 2015). This study is a long-term follow-up of 244 children and adolescents who had participated in a randomized trial of the FBP, examining the intervention effects on suicide ideation and/or attempts as assessed through multiple sources. Results indicate a significant effect of the FBP to reduce suicide ideation and/or attempts at the 6- and 15-year follow-up evaluation. The findings support the potential benefits of further research on "upstream" suicide prevention.