cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Primary and secondary structure of a 360-nucleotide isolate of potato spindle tuber viroid

Full-length complementary DNAs (cDNA) of a mild (KF 5) and a severe (S-PSTVd) isolate of potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) were constructed. DNA sequencing of four KF 5 cDNA clones (M 3, M 4, M 5, and M 7) revealed that KF 5 is comprised of 360 nucleotides. By comparison, all three cDNA clones (S 2, S 9, and S 10) of S-PSTVd possess 359 nucleotides. Sequence microheterogeneity was observed among the KF 5 cDNA clones. Clone M 5 differs from mild PSTVd isolate KF 6 by a U-to-A transversion at position 303 followed by an A addition at the lower half of the “virulence-modulating” (VM) region. These changes modified the PSTVd consensus sequence of the VM region from 5′ UCUAUCU 3′ to 5′ UCAAAUCU 3′. Additionally, clones M 4 and M 7 have a G-to-A transition at position 65 of the pathogenic domain, and M 3 has a G-to-A transition at position 133 of the variable domain. The sequence of the three cDNA clones of S-PSTVd was identical to that of PSTVd isolate 440-1. An improved computer program was used to predict the secondary structure of the above two sequence variants as well as that of other PSTVd variants of which the structure has been reported previously. The data provides support for the hypothesis that increasing thermodynamic instability of the VM region is correlated with increasing virulence of the respective naturally occurring PSTVd isolate.
Sparing of an escape response following serial prefrontal decortication in the monkey.

Abstract Monkeys sustaining bilateral serial single-sector prefrontal decortications were less impaired postoperatively on a preoperatively learned escape response than animals sustaining simultaneous combined removals of two prefrontal sectors. The conditioned escape responses of the serially operated animals showed no significant change during any postoperative period, although levels of agitation increased as successive sectors were removed. The monkeys with combined two-sector removals immediately showed greatly increased agitation and significant impairments in the escape response.
A prospective randomized study of doxycycline as a prophylactic antibiotic in patients undergoing radical hysterectomy

A prospective randomized study was undertaken to evaluate doxycycline as a prophylactic antibiotic in patients undergoing radical abdominal hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy. Although 69 patients were initially randomized, 64 patients (34 study, 30 control) are the basis of this report: 5 patients were omitted because large pelvic lymph nodes positive for tumor were found at laparotomy and radical hysterectomy was abandoned. The two study groups were similar in both preoperative and operative risk factors. There was a statistically significant reduction in the 7- and 14- day febrile index in the doxycycline group. The rate of cuff and/or pelvic cellulitis was 2.3 times higher in the control group. Thus, single-dose doxycycline as a prophylactic antibiotic reduced both febrile morbidity and the rate of serious infections in the radical hysterectomy patient.
Problem-based learning and self-efficacy: How a capstone course prepares students for a profession

Problem-based learning (PBL) is apprenticeship for real-life problem solving, helping students acquire the knowledge and skills required in the workplace. Although the acquisition of knowledge and skills makes it possible for performance to occur, without self-efficacy the performance may not even be attempted. I examined how student self-efficacy, as it relates to being software development professionals, changed while involved in a PBL environment. Thirty-one undergraduate university computer science students completed a 16-week capstone course in software engineering during their final semester prior to graduation. Specific instructional strategies used in PBL—namely the use of authentic problems of practice, collaboration, and reflection—are presented as the catalyst for students' improved self-efficacy. Using a self-efficacy scale as pre-and postmeasures, and guided journal entries as process data, students were observed to increase their levels of self-efficacy.
Josephinite: A terrestrial alloy with radiogenic xenon-129 and the noble gas imprint of iron meteorites

Analyses of noble gases released by stepwise heating of Josephinite reveal two radiogenic components, radiogenic 129Xe≈ 1 × 10-12ccSTP/g and radiogenic 40Ar≈1×10-6ccSTP/g, and the following components of trapped noble gases: He with 3He/4He≈4×10-5, Ne with 20Ne/22Ne = 10.5, Ar with 40Ar/36Ar = 3×102, and Kr and Xe with isotopic compositions similar to those observed in iron meteorites. The excess of 40Ar and literature values of K in bulk Josephinite yield an apparent K-Ar age of ≈4.6×109 years.
Topical therapy of alopecia areata with squaric acid dibutylester

The efficacy of the topical allergen squaric acid dibutylester (SADBE) was investigated in the treatment of twenty-six patients with alopecia areata or alopecia totalis. The patients had their disease for a mean duration of 8.3 years (range, 3 months to 27 years). Sensitization was attempted with 2% SADBE in acetone. Five individuals could not be sensitized. The twenty-one sensitized patients were treated with topical applications of 0.001% to 1.0% SADBE in acetone adjusted to produce and maintain dermatitis for an average of 21 weeks. Eleven (52%) had excellent responses consisting of complete regrowth in six and cosmetically acceptable regrowth in five. The average treatment time for regrowth was 11 weeks (range, 5-20 weeks). Ten (48%) had no clinical response after an average of 19 weeks of therapy (range, 4-42 weeks). Topical SADBE is an effective therapy for some patients with long-standing alopecia areata.
Contemporary Comparison of Surgical and Interventional Arteriography Management of Blunt Renal Injury

Abstract Purpose High-grade renal injuries have traditionally been treated operatively. Alternatively, embolotherapy is used to control hemorrhage, but there are few studies that validate this practice after renal injury. Embolotherapy may offer an effective and safe means to arrest hemorrhage after high-grade blunt renal injury. Materials and Methods Retrospective analysis was performed of high-grade renal injury (grade III or higher). Patients who were initially treated with arteriography were compared with those who underwent surgery. Statistical analysis was performed with Wilcoxon rank-sum and χ 2 tests. Results Sixty-nine patients were identified, 28 of whom had contrast agent extravasation on computed tomography (CT). Of these 69 patients, 17 underwent operation and 20 underwent arteriography. The surgical cohort had a higher injury severity score (39.6 vs 24.2; P P = .9). The arteriography cohort received significantly more contrast medium ( P P > .4 for each endpoint). There was a trend toward a longer stay in the intensive care unit in the surgical cohort and a higher likelihood of discharge to home in the arteriography group ( P = .08 for each endpoint). Conclusions Embolotherapy offers a safe means to diagnose and arrest hemorrhage after renal injury. The additional contrast agent needed for imaging does not increase the incidence of nephropathy irrespective of renal injury grade.
Collapsing bacterial cylinders

Under special conditions bacteria excrete an attractant and aggregate. The high density regions initially collapse into cylindrical structures, which subsequently destabilize and break up into spherical aggregates. This paper presents a theoretical description of the process, from the structure of the collapsing cylinder to the spacing of the final aggregates. We show that cylindrical collapse involves a delicate balance in which bacterial attraction and diffusion nearly cancel, leading to corrections to the collapse laws expected from dimensional analysis. The instability of a collapsing cylinder is composed of two distinct stages: Initially, slow modulations to the cylinder develop, which correspond to a variation of the collapse time along the cylinder axis. Ultimately, one point on the cylinder pinches off. At this final stage of the instability, a front propagates from the pinch into the remainder of the cylinder. The spacing of the resulting spherical aggregates is determined by the front propagation. The formation of a singularity—the divergence of a physical quantity in finite time—is central to diverse fields @1#, including nonlinear optics, gravitational collapse, and fluid mechanics. The structure of singularities has been worked out in many examples for which a physical quantity blows up at a spatial point @2‐4 #. Typically, singular dynamics are self-similar: the characteristic scale separation between the singular and regular parts of the solution leads to the slaving of the spatial structure to the time dependence via scaling laws. The situation can be more complicated when many singularities form collectively and simultaneously. In this paper, we analyze a simple example for which multiple singularities form in a short time. This work was motivated by a recent experiment in bacterial chemotaxis @5‐7#. The experimental observation is shown in Fig. 1. In the first panel a diffuse cloud of Escherichia coli ~E. Coli! covers the depth of a Petri dish filled with agar. Note that even though this experiment takes place in a Petri dish with a thin agar layer, it is not quasi-two-dimensional, as shown in Ref. @7#. The dynamics in the thin direction are crucial to the pattern formation. Other experiments on bacteria have examined the case where the bacteria do not penetrate the agar @8#; our arguments do not apply to such experiments that are confined to two dimensions. The environment is prepared so that the E. coli excrete an attractant; each bacterium attracts all the other bacteria, and a cloud can collapse. In the second panel, the diffuse cloud collapses as a cylindrical structure, with highest bacterial density on the cylinder axis. In the final panel, the cylinder breaks down into spherical aggregates. In this paper, we analyze the cylindrical collapse of bacteria and the stability of the collapsing cylinder. Chemotaxis in E. coli provides a good model system for studying singularity formation. The biochemical response of E. coli to a changing environment has been well character
Investigation of CrSi2 and MoSi2 as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries

Abstract We report on the suitability of the two metal silicides MoSi 2 and CrSi 2 as anode materials for Li-ion batteries. The two materials were synthesized by high energy ball milling of the corresponding metals and X-ray diffraction was used to follow the evolution/formation of the crystalline phases. The in-house prepared powders have shown better battery performance than commercial powders (as-received or ball-milled). We observed that 20 h were necessary for the formation of MoSi 2 whereas 100 h were needed for the formation of the CrSi 2 powder. The best battery performance was obtained with the synthesized CrSi 2 powder that has a theoretical capacity value of 469 mAh g −1 . This powder provided capacities of 340, 262, 167, 110, and 58 mAh g −1 at C/12, C/6, C/2, C, and 2C, respectively. Cycling at 60 °C showed higher capacity values, but with a faster fade of these values.
Crime rates and collective efficacy: The role of family friendly planning

Abstract A longstanding debate in the criminal justice field is whether the effect of community disorder on crime can be reduced by collective efficacy. Our study explores how cities can build collective efficacy, by engaging in facilitative planning to address the needs of families and children, and assesses its impact on crime. Using data from a nationwide survey of city and regional planners, we look at the relationships between family friendly planning efforts and property and violent crime rates in negative binomial regression models. We develop four factors for collective efficacy: technical planning and design, child care and housing, youth/family participation and access, and impact fees. Of these, impact fees to fund youth and children’s services has a negative impact on both property and violent crime rates. These findings suggest government-led planning efforts that integrate private sector funding for community services through impact fees may have positive benefits not just for children and families but also for the city as a whole through reduced crime rates.
Walking and talking: dual-task effects on street crossing behavior in older adults

The ability to perform multiple tasks simultaneously has become increasingly important as technologies such as cell phones and portable music players have become more common. In the current study, we examined dual-task costs in older and younger adults using a simulated street crossing task constructed in an immersive virtual environment with an integrated treadmill so that participants could walk as they would in the real world. Participants were asked to cross simulated streets of varying difficulty while either undistracted, listening to music, or conversing on a cell phone. Older adults were more vulnerable to dual-task impairments than younger adults when the crossing task was difficult; dual-task costs were largely absent in the younger adult group. Performance costs in older adults were primarily reflected in timeout rates. When conversing on a cell phone, older adults were less likely to complete their crossing compared with when listening to music or undistracted. Analysis of time spent next to the street prior to each crossing, where participants were presumably analyzing traffic patterns and making decisions regarding when to cross, revealed that older adults took longer than younger adults to initiate their crossing, and that this difference was exacerbated during cell phone conversation, suggesting impairments in cognitive planning processes. Our data suggest that multitasking costs may be particularly dangerous for older adults even during everyday activities such as crossing the street.
The Subjective Experience of Social Class and Upward Mobility Among African American Men in Graduate School

We used Consensual Qualitative Research Methodology to analyze responses from 14 African American men (Mdn(Age) = 25 years-old) in graduate school at a predominantly-White university in the Midwestern region of the United Sates regarding how they acquired awareness of their social-class status; how social class was related to their sense of masculinity; how social class was related to race and skin tone; and the role that education and a romantic partner could play in upward mobility. School peers were the main source for their early awareness of social class. Many believed that discrimination maintains social class stratification that disadvantages racial minorities and that one's race will always trump any personal characteristics-including having light-complected skin and an advanced degree. Finally many overcame several obstacles during their educational career, and most believed that a romantic relationship with a woman from a privileged background could facilitate upward mobility. Psychological scientists and practitioners are encouraged to consider the role that social class plays when examining men's well-being.
The Birds of Alexander Wilson-Wilson's Snipe (Gallinago delicata)

Alexander Wilson lists no less than six species of snipe in American Ornithology. Was he splitting one species into a swarm? Not at all. He assigned the name snipe to a number of long-billed shorebirds, for example the Red-breasted Snipe and the Yellow-shanks Snipe. Wilson was actually rather conservative in his classification of the snipe which he considered conspecific with the European species and described under the name English Snipe. He recognized some important differences but did not consider these sufficient to warrant species status. Recall that species had not been objectively defined in 1812 when he wrote of snipe. George Ord considered the snipe described by Wilson to be specifically distinct from the Snipe of Europe. Lucien Bonaparte agreed and incorporated Ord’s comments in an expanded revision of American Ornithology published in 1825. They christened the new species Wilson’s Snipe. In 1945, the American Ornithologists’ Union Checklist Committee decided that Wilson’s Snipe was indeed conspecific with the European Snipe. Later, in 2002, the committee reconsidered the previous decision and elevated Wilson’s Snipe to species status based on morphological and behavioral differences originally described by Wilson. And that is the checkered taxonomic history of Wilson’s Snipe. By the way, do you recognize the other species of snipe described by Wilson and what of the Semipalmated Snipe?
Identifying high maintenance legacy software

Legacy software maintenance is a significant cost item for many engineering organizations. This study is a preliminary report on work to investigate maintenance data, usage, and source code for legacy software used by an engineering design company to support a variety of functions, including electromagnetic, thermal, mechanical loading, vibration, and aerodynamic analysis. The results verify the applicability to legacy engineering software of previous research that concluded that size and structural metrics alone are not good indicators of high maintenance costs. Unlike previous research, the study also evaluates the effect of program usage on maintenance cost. Over the three-year period of this study of 71 legacy engineering programs, 11 of the programs (15%) accounted for 80% of all maintenance and 67% of all program runs. The highest maintenance programs were not always the largest programs or the worst structured programs. 49 % of the programs accounted for only 1% of total maintenance but 42 % of the total lines of code (LOC) thus invalidating LOC as an indicator for maintenance cost. While additional work is needed to validate these findings across other organizations and other code sets, these preliminary results provide strong evidence that expected program usage can be a useful indicator of long-term maintenance cost.
Delivery of chemotherapeutic agents to the central nervous system

Abstract The blood-brain barrier may prevent passage of effective chemotherapeutic agents to the brain in patients with infections, malignancies, or inborn errors of metabolism. Tetanus toxin might be modified and employed as a vehicle to deliver drugs or enzymes to the central nervous system.
Broadband and contributions to economic growth: Lessons from the US experience

The connection between broadband deployment and economic prosperity in the United States has garnered public attention due to stimulus plan funding authorized in February 2009 for broadband planning and deployment initiatives. The importance of innovation for a nation's economic well-being is fairly well understood. Through a literature survey, this article analyzes the connection between information and communications technologies and economic growth, as well as the connection between broadband and economic growth. There appears to be a positive economic impact from expanded broadband deployment and adoption. However, various research challenges including methodological problems and access to sufficiently granular data have prevented the authors from drawing more definitive conclusions from the US broadband experience. Another finding is the time lag for businesses to effectively exploit innovative broadband applications.
Cancer Vaccines: The Role of Tumor Burden in Tipping the Scale Toward Vaccine Efficacy

Cancer vaccines have significant theoretical therapeutic advantages over more standard methods of cancer treatment. If a robust cellular immune response could be elicited, then immunologic memory could be long lasting, eradicatingcancerattimesquitedistantfrominitialtherapy.Tcells potentiallycanmigratetotumorsites,leavethevasculature, and invade tissues eradicating deep-seated disease at any metastatic site. Furthermore, T cells are extremely specific in their attack, as opposed to the generalized toxicities seen with some chemotherapies. Finally, as long as there is antigen available for T-cell recognition, T cells have the potential to continue to respond until disease is eradicated. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology, investigators fromWalterReedArmyMedicalCenter(Washington,DC) and the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, TX) present data from a trial in which breast cancer patients were immunized with a vaccine targeting the HER-2/neu oncogenic protein to prevent disease relapse. 1
The metabolism of [14C]‐tMdiaziiroii in callus tissues of Phaseolus lunatus

The metabolism of [14C]-thidiazuron (N-phenyl-N'-l,2,3-tbiadiazol-5-ylurea), a compound with extremely high cytokinin activity, was examined in callus cultures of Phaseolus lunatus L. cv. Kingston. No appreciable metabolism of the compound was detected in short-term studies (up to 48 h). When tissues were grown on medium containing [14C]-thidiazuron for longer periods (12 to 33 days), several major metabolites were isolated. The array of radioactive metabolites was the same using [14C]-thidiazuron with the label in the phenyl ring, the urea bridge or the thiadiazol ring, indicating no degradation of the thidiazuron molecule. Enzyme digestion followed by HPLC and TLC analyses was used to identify major metabolites. α-Gtacosidase degraded two of the metabolites to thidiazuron and a third was converted to N-p-hydroxyphenyl-N2-l,2,3-thiadiazol-5-ylurea. Limited tests of the O-glycosyl derivatives for cytokinin activity indicated that they are much less active than the parent compound. Bioassays involving hydroxylated derivatives of thidiazuron indicated that the p-hydroxyphenyl derivative was 10000 limes less active than the parent compound, and the oetho- and mete-derivatives had 1000 and 100 times lower activity, respectively, than thidiazuron. These results suggest that thidiazuron itself is the active compound and that metabolism of thidiazuron in Phaseolus tissues only involves modification of the intact structure, yielding metabolites that are less cytokinin-active.
Inhaled mometasone furoate for the management of refractory oral corticosteroid-dependent asthma: a case report

We report a case study of a 55-year-old white male with severe persistent refractory corticosteroid-dependent asthma receiving inhaled combination therapy with fluticasone propionate 500 μg and salmeterol 50 μg twice-daily in addition to 6-week cycles of oral corticosteroid treatment for the previous 7 months. The patient was switched to high-dose mometasone furoate delivered via a dry powder inhaler (660 μg twice-daily) for 6 weeks.
Utilization of the Safe Surgical Dislocation Approach of the Hip to Retrieve a Bullet from the Femoral Head

Retained intra-articular missiles from low-velocity handguns can lead to mechanical arthritis, synovitis, and lead toxicity. Various surgical approaches have been described to extract such foreign bodies from the hip joint. We present the case of a 17-year-old male in which the surgical dislocation approach was utilized to retrieve a bullet from the femoral head with a good short-term outcome. This case represents a rare application of the surgical hip dislocation approach for an unusual trauma.
Development of nanocapsules through the adaptation of polymer microcapsule fabrication method

Alterations were made to a microcapsule ultrasound contrast agent fabrication procedure, previously developed in our lab, to acquire a nanocapsule ultrasound contrast agent. The purpose of scaling down to nanocapsule fabrication is for their future use in targeted therapeutic imaging and drug delivery applications. Several experimental parameters, such as homogenization time, polymer concentration and amounts of encapsulating agents, were individually varied and their effects on capsule size were investigated. Hollow nanocapsules with acceptable size and echogenic properties were produced with this converted method.
Mapping work in the arts and humanities: A participatory panel discussion

This panel will present the research agendas of a group of researchers who are studying various aspects of information and information technology use in the arts and humanities. The goal will be to build a conceptual map of the work being done, and work that needs to be done, in these interesting and under-studied areas. The panel will include an opportunity for participation by interested audience members. The panel members invite audience members to come and contribute to the creation of the map, which will be meant to inform other Society members about current work in this area, as well as to incorporate directions for possible future research.
3D Alignment of Face in a Single Image

We present an approach for aligning a 3D deformable model to a single face image. The model consists of a set of sparse 3D points and the view-based patches associated with every point. Assuming a weak perspective projection model, our algorithm iteratively deforms the model and ad- justs the 3D pose to fit the image. As opposed to previous approaches, our algorithm starts the fitting without resort- ing to manual labeling of key facial points. And it makes no assumptions about global illumination or surface prop- erties, so it can be applied to a wide range of imaging con- ditions. Experiments demonstrate that our approach can effectively handle unseen faces with a variety of pose and illumination variations.
A 3–5GHz frequency tunable ultra wideband LNA for OFDM applications

In this paper, a frequency tunable differential input differential output Low Noise Amplifier (LNA), used for 3–5GHz OFDM applications, is proposed and analyzed. The LNA has a wideband input matching and a tunable output matching. The digital controlled capacitor arrays in the output matching networks allow the LNA to be switched smoothly in the frequency range of 3 to 5GHz with output return loss less than −15dB. The overall LNA is designed with TSMC 0.18 µm technology, and the simulation result shows that the input return loss is less than −12dB and the noise figure is less than 4.5dB in desired frequency range. At 3.3V power supply, the LNA achieves an 8–12dB transducer gain in the frequency range with the power consumption of only 20mW.
Fast and sensitive water quality assessment: A μL-scale microbial fuel cell-based biosensor integrated with an air-bubble trap and electrochemical sensing functionality

Abstract This work describes the development and operation of a microliter-sized microbial fuel cell-based biosensor for monitoring toxic substances in water. The biosensor features the integration of (i) a three-electrode configuration to provide electrochemical sensing functionality for improving sensitivity and reliability in water quality testing and (ii) an air-bubble trap to prevent all unwanted bubbles from entering the sensing surface for maximizing bacterial growth and their subsequent electron transfer. The miniaturization of the biosensor produced favorable conditions for (i) reducing measurement time with high probability of cell attachment/biofilm formation in the micro-sized chamber and (ii) enhancing the reaction sensitivity with large surface area-to-volume ratio and increased reaction kinetics. When formaldehyde was introduced as a toxic component, the rapid and sensitive current responses were obtained over a concentration range from 0.001% to 0.1% in the biosensor with 0.2 V (versus solid-state thin film Ag/AgCl reference electrode) applied on the anode.
Mitochondrial Encephalomyopathy Lactic Acidosis and Stroke-Like Episodes (MELAS): A Case Report and Critical Reappraisal of Treatment Options

Abstract Importance Stroke-like episodes signal progression and significant disability in the mitochondrial encephalomyopathy lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes syndrome. Arginine is widely used as a treatment for stroke-like episode, although there is little evidence for this intervention. We discuss the management of a patient with mitochondrial encephalomyopathy lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes who presented with a stroke-like episode. Observation During a seizure, which triggers the stroke-like episode, neurons are forced to utilize glycolysis as a source of adenosine triphosphate. Glycolytic by-products are damaging to the neuron. Breakdown of the blood-brain barrier leads to vasogenic edema. Conclusion Treatment of stroke-like episode should include anticonvulsants interictally to prevent seizures and dexamethasone ictally to help repair the blood-brain barrier.
Solution-state conformational ensemble of a hexameric porphyrin array characterized using molecular dynamics and X-ray scattering.

Solution-phase X-ray scattering measurements in combination with coordinate-based modeling have been used to characterize the conformational ensemble of a hexameric, diphenylethyne-linked porphyrin array in solution. Configurationally broadened X-ray scattering patterns measured at room temperature for dilute toluene solutions of the porphyrin array were compared to scattering patterns calculated from structural ensembles in constant pressure and temperature molecular dynamics simulations. Thermal fluctuations sampled at picosecond intervals within nanosecond time scale dynamic simulations show large-amplitude motions that include porphyrin ring “tipping” around the porphyrin linkage axes and extended hexameric porphyrin array “breathing” motions involving torsional distortions collectively distributed along porphyrin and diphenylethyne groups. Each type of group motion produced characteristic, angle-dependent dampening of scattering features that are needed to reproduce dampening features in the experime...
Effects of N-acetylprocainamide and procainamide on myocardial contractile force, heart rate, and blood pressure.

SummaryThe effects of N-acetylprocainamide (NAPA) and procainamide (PA) on myocardial force of contraction were compared in open-chest, vagotomized, pentobarbital-anesthetized dogs, with the use of a Walton-Brodie strain gauge sutured to the right ventricle. NAPA increased myocardial force of contraction, particularly at the high dose level (40 mg/kg). PA, on the other hand, had a negative inotropic effect that was equally apparent at all doses (10-40 mg/kg). In addition, both NAPA and PA had a negative chronotropic effect and caused a reduction in mean arterial pressure. The mechanisms of the inotropic and hypotensive actions of NAPA require elucidation. Some of the implications of these findings for the clinical use of NAPA as an antiarrhythmic agent are discussed.
In the Nation's Image: The Gendered Limits of Social Citizenship in the Depression Era

The story of my childhood would have been quite different without the British welfare state. I grew up in postwar Britain in a refugee family that the Beveridge plan served well. I was housed in public housing; clothed with the help of a mother's allowance; and watched over by national health insurance, which detected nearsightedness before I could read, looked after my teeth, and provided vaccines on schedule. I had my first lessons in Latin, German, and French in the new grammar schools where, fed by school dinners and clothed in a uniform meant to obscure poverty and disguise class, I was prepared to prevail over both. The welfare state served the Britain of my memory nobly. Blissfully ignorant of the price it exacted of labor elsewhere, as well as of its injunctions to keep married women at home, I cannot have been alone in absorbing its munificence with my childhood lessons.2 I accepted the public largess as no more than my due. It appeared as an offering of thanks to a nation that had sacrificed everything to the war against Adolf Hitler and sustained pride in a country rapidly denuding itself of the spoils of colonialism. The nation I have constructed-my "nation of memory" -is neither racist nor imperialist, but a place where commitment to public cooperation provided an
Inorganic mercury (Hg2+) transport through lipid bilayer membranes

Diffusion of inorganic mercury (Hg2+) through planar lipid bilayer membranes was studied as a function of chloride concentration and pH. Membranes were made from egg lecithin plus cholesterol in tetradecane. Tracer (203Hg) flux and conductance measurements were used to estimate the permeabilities to ionic and nonionic forms of Hg. At pH 7.0 and [Cl−] ranging from 10–1000mm, only the dichloride complex of mercury (HgCl2) crosses the membrane at a significant rate. However, several other Hg complexes (HgOHCl, HgCl 3 − and HgCl 4 2− ) contribute to diffusion through the aqueous unstirred layer adjacent to the membrane. The relation between the total mercury flux (J Hg), Hg concentrations, and permeabilities is: 1/J Hg=1/P ul[Hg t ]+1/P m [HgCl2], where [Hg t ] is the total concentration of all forms of Hg,P ul is the unstirred layer permeability, andP m is the membrane permeability to HgCl2. By fitting this equation to the data we find thatP m =1.3×10−2 cm sec−1. At Cl− concentrations ranging from 1–100mm, diffusion of Hg t through the unstirred layer is rate limiting. At Cl− concentrations ranging from 500–1000mm, the membrane permeability to HgCl2 becomes rate limiting because HgCl2 comprises only about 1% of the total Hg. Under all conditions, chemical reactions among Hg2+, Cl− and/or OH− near the membrane surface play an important role in the transport process. Other important metals, e.g., Zn2+, Cd2+, Ag+ and CH3Hg+, form neutral chloride complexes under physiological conditions. Thus, it is likely that chloride can “facilitate” the diffusion of a variety of metals through lipid bilayer and biological membranes.
Identification of Annual Rings in an Arid-Land Woody Plant, Prosopis Glandulosa

My computer simulations have shown that the communitywide parameter Var is superior to the non-communitywide test statistics G and Min. Not only are G and Min less able to detect displacement in the vicinity of even spacing, they can also misidentify random or clumped communities as having displacement. Although Arita's criticism of my original methods is valid, my original conclusion still remains; the G test statistics, and I now also include Min, should not be used to analyze communities to test the competitive displacement hypothesis.
Escaping the Tyranny of Carbothermal Reduction: Fumed Silica from Sustainable, Green Sources without First Having to Make SiCl4.

Fumed silica is produced in 1000 tons per year quantities by combusting SiCl4 in H2 /O2 flames. Given that both SiCl4 and combustion byproduct HCl are corrosive, toxic and polluting, this route to fumed silica requires extensive safeguards that may be obviated if an alternate route were found. Silica, including rice hull ash (RHA) can be directly depolymerized using hindered diols to generate distillable spirocyclic alkoxysilanes or Si(OEt)4 . We report here the use of liquid-feed flame spray pyrolysis (LF-FSP) to combust the aforementioned precursors to produce fumed silica very similar to SiCl4 -derived products. The resulting powders are amorphous, necked, <50 nm average particle sizes, with specific surface areas (SSAs) of 140-230 m(2) g(-1) . The LF-FSP approach does not require the containment constraints of the SiCl4 process and given that the RHA silica source is produced in million ton per year quantities worldwide, the reported approach represents a sustainable, green and potentially lower-cost alternative.
Evolution of cis-Regulatory Sequences in Drosophila

Cross-species comparison is an emerging paradigm for identifying cis-regulatory sequences and understanding their function and evolution. In this chapter, we review probabilistic models of evolution of transcription factor binding sites, which provide the theoretical basis for a number of new bioinformatics tools for comparative sequence analysis. We illustrate how important functional and evolutionary insights on binding site gain and loss can be acquired through sequence comparison. This includes the observation that binding site turnover follows a molecular clock and that its rate correlates with the strength of binding sites and the presence of other sites in the neighborhood. We also comment on emerging trends that go beyond individual binding sites to a more holistic study of regulatory evolution. We point out common technical challenges, such as reliable sequence alignment and binding site prediction, when doing comparative regulatory sequence analysis and note some potential solutions thereof.
Simple and Formal Models in Comparative Politics

In this essay, we review the current state of formal theory in comparative politics. Although formal theoretical work has had an important impact of the development of political science, we demonstrate that formal theory remains a relatively small part of the subdiscipline of comparative politics. We then discuss the role of simplification in theory building more generally, arguing that the simplification that formal theory requires is particularly useful when confronting the complexity of the social and political world. We recommend that comparativists explore ways that formal theorists can work together with statistical, historical, and ethnographic scholars as our subdiscipline matures.
Cellular and Molecular Mechanotransduction in Bone

Abstract This chapter reviews the state of knowledge with respect to skeletal mechanobiology. Forms of tissue-level mechanical stimulation are first described, including electromagnetic fields, strain, fluid flow, vibration, and damage. The resulting biophysical environment at the cellular and pericellular level is also considered. However, for a biological response to occur in response to loading, mechanical signals must induce cellular biochemical signaling. How bone and progenitor cells may sense their mechanical environment is addressed by describing potential candidates for molecular transduction of mechanical to biochemical signaling. Candidates include cytoskeletal proteins, integrins and adhesion-associated proteins, membrane channels, plasma membrane dynamics, mechanosomes, and primary cilia. Furthermore, mechanically activated intracellular signaling pathways involving calcium, G-proteins, and kinases, as well as cell–cell pathways involving gap junctions, nitric oxide, eicosanoids, stromal cell-derived factor-1, and nucleotides are discussed. Progress toward understanding mechanisms involved in bone mechanotransduction holds great potential in providing therapeutic targets to the disease of osteoporosis.
Effects of Antecedent Manipulations and Social Reinforcement to Increase Lateral Positioning in a Premature Infant with Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Recent research suggests supine positioning for sleeping infants is the safest position to prevent breathing related difficulties; however doing so can significantly increase obstruction in apneic infants resulting in decreased sleep quality. We implemented a multi-component treatment package compromised of antecedent interventions and parent-mediated social reinforcement to increase lateral positioning in a premature infant with obstructive sleep apnea. Results indicate that the intervention increased lateral positioning in the participant by over 80 % in the final phase of the study, indicating efficacy of the intervention. Limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Toward an optimal 1+N protection strategy

This paper introduces an implementation of the network coding-based generalized 1+N protection technique presented earlier by the author in [1] to protect against single link failures. Instead of using two protection circuits for a group of connections which are to be protected together as in [1], only one protection circuit is used, which takes the form of a tree. The protection circuit carries linear combinations of the data units originally transmitted on the working circuits, and these linear combinations can be used to recover lost data due to link failures. This recovery is carried out with the assistance of one node on the protection tree, which is chosen to reduce the recovery time. Moreover, unlike the scheme in [1] which protects unidirectional connections, this scheme is used to protect bidirectional connections. This protection technique requires exactly the same amount of protection resources used by 1:N protection, and can therefore be considered as a step towards achieving optimal 1+N protection. The paper also makes a number of other contributions. It introduces an integer linear program (ILP) formulation to evaluate the cost of protection using this technique, and compares it to the cost of 1+1 protection. The comparison shows that a significant saving in cost can be achieved, while still recovering from failures within a short time.
A family affair: how and why second-generation Filipino-Americans engage in transnational social and economic connections

ABSTRACTIn this article, I argue that second-generation migrants can engage in cross-border ties as a result of first-generation migrants mediating relationships between their children and those ab...
Seawater dielectric measurement by using a cavity technique: Exit-hole effect analysis

The resonant cavity technique is considered as one of the most accurate methods for determining dielectric constants of liquids. Using this technique, the sample is introduced into the cavity through a hole in a glass tube centered on the cavity's axis. The glass tube enters and leaves the cavity through a small hole in each end plate. These exit-holes have an effect on the electromagnetic fields inside the cavity and change its resonant frequency. The effect of these exit-holes has concerned investigators for years. In this paper, the exit-hole effect has been analyzed using waveguide theory. Higher order modes have been taken into account to increase the accuracy of the method. In addition, a special experimental setup has been designed to validate this theory.
White Spot on the Wrist.

A woman presented with an asymptomatic white patch on the right wrist that appeared two months earlier.
Examining the Carnegie Classification Methodology for Research Universities

University ranking is a popular yet controversial endeavor. Most rankings are based on both public data, such as student test scores and retention rates, and proprietary data, such as school reputa...
Human performance across decision making, selective attention, and working memory tasks: Experimental data and computer simulations.

Abstract This article describes the data analyzed in the paper “Individual differences in the Simon effect are underpinned by differences in the competitive dynamics in the basal ganglia: An experimental verification and a computational model” (Stocco et al., 2017) [1] . The data includes behavioral results from participants performing three cognitive tasks (Probabilistic Stimulus Selection (Frank et al., 2004) [2] , Simon task (Craft and Simon, 1970) [3] , and Automated Operation Span (Unsworth et al., 2005) [4] ), as well as simulationed traces generated by a computational neurocognitive model that accounts for individual variations in human performance across the tasks. The experimental data encompasses individual data files (in both preprocessed and native output format) as well as group-level summary files. The simulation data includes the entire model code, the results of a full-grid search of the model's parameter space, and the code used to partition the model space and parallelize the simulations. Finally, the repository includes the R scripts used to carry out the statistical analyses reported in the original paper.
Aristotle’s Account of Factional Conflict and the Rise of Donald Trump

Most professional political scientists and professional political commentators seem to have been very surprised by the rise of Donald Trump in American politics. Nevertheless, Trump’s rise is intelligible as an example of a recurring political phenomenon that Aristotle treats in Book 5 of the Politics: the factional conflict that often roils the politics of a city. According to Aristotle, factional conflict arises from disputes about equality and inequality. More concretely, human beings clash politically over their desire for gain and for honor, on the one hand, and their aversion to loss and dishonor, on the other. In addition, Aristotle identifies several beginning points of faction, such as ethnic differences and fears of diminished political power. Finally, Aristotle examines the different ways that faction arises in democracies and oligarchies. This chapter examines the Trump phenomena in light of these elements of Aristotle’s account of faction.
Logical MS/MS scans: a new set of operations for tandem mass spectrometry

A new set of operations for tandem mass spectrometry in a linear ion trap is described. Logical MS/MS operations categorize compounds in mixtures based on characteristic structural features as revealed by MS/MS behavior recorded in multiple fragmentation pathways. This approach is a conceptual extension of tandem mass spectrometry in which interrogation of the full data domain is performed by simultaneous implementation of precursor and neutral loss scans. This process can be thought of as moving through the 2D MS/MS data domain along multiple scan lines simultaneously, which allows experiments that explore the 2D data domain of MS/MS to be couched in terms of logical operations, AND, NAND (not and), OR (inclusive or), XOR (exclusive or), NOT, etc. Examples of particular logical conditions include all precursor ions that fragment to both of two selected product ions (logical AND), or all precursor ions that do not produce a specified fragment ion (logical NOT). These and other operational modes (TRUE/FALSE, XOR, OR, etc.) complement and extend the existing set of conventional MS/MS scans, namely product scans, precursor scans, and neutral loss scans. We describe the implementation of logical MS/MS scans on a commercial linear ion trap mass spectrometer using simple mixtures of amphetamines and fentanyl analogues and argue their utility for complex mixture analysis.
Brain Ceruloplasmin Expression After Experimental Intracerebral Hemorrhage and Protection Against Iron-Induced Brain Injury.

Ceruloplasmin (CP) is an essential ferroxidase that is involved in maintaining iron homeostasis by oxidizing toxic ferrous iron (Fe2+) to less-toxic ferric iron (Fe3+). CP has been well studied in many neurodegenerative diseases, but there has not been an in-depth investigation in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). This research investigated brain CP expression in rats after ICH and the effect of CP on Fe2+-induced brain injury. This study had two parts: first, rats had injection of autologous blood into the right basal ganglia and the time course of CP expression in the brain examined (protein and mRNA). Second, rats had an injection of either Fe2+ in saline, Fe2+ plus CP in saline, or saline alone into the right basal ganglia. All rats in the second part had T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging, and behavioral tests before the brains were harvested for immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. We found that CP was expressed on neurons and astrocytes in both cortex and basal ganglia after ICH. The time course showed that ICH induced CP expression increased from 4 h to 7 days, peaking at day 3. Whether the brain itself can produce CP was confirmed by RT-PCR. Exogenous CP reduced Fe2+-induced T2 lesions, blood-brain barrier disruption, brain cell death, and neurological deficits. These results suggest a role of CP in potentially reducing ICH-induced brain injury.