cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evolution of mammalian CD1: marsupial CD1 is not orthologous to the eutherian isoforms and is a pseudogene in the opossum Monodelphis domestica

Summary CD1 is a member of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I family of proteins that present lipid antigens to T cells and natural killer (NK) T cells; it is found in both eutherian mammals and birds. In eutherians, duplication of the CD1 gene has resulted in multiple isoforms. A marsupial CD1 homologue was identified in a set of expressed sequence tags from the thymus of the bandicoot Isoodon macrourus. Southern blot and genomic sequence analyses revealed that CD1 is a single copy gene in both I. macrourus and a distantly related marsupial, the opossum Monodelphis domestica, which is currently the only marsupial species for which a whole genome sequence is available. We found that the opossum CD1 is located in a genomic region with a high degree of conserved synteny to the chromosomal regions containing human and mouse CD1. A phylogenetic analysis of mammalian CD1 revealed that marsupial CD1 is not orthologous to the eutherian CD1 isoforms, consistent with the latter having emerged by duplication after the separation of marsupials and eutherians 170–180 million years ago. The I. macrourus CD1 gene is actively transcribed and appears to encode a functional protein. In contrast, transcription of the M. domestica CD1 was not detected in any tissue and the predicted CD1 gene sequence contains a number of deletions that appear to render the locus a pseudogene.
Modifying Quiet Room Design Enhances Calming of Children and Adolescents

ABSTRACT Objective To determine whether altering design of a quiet room (QR) produced more rapid calming of agitated or aggressive hospitalized children. Method One of five similar QRs was modified by painting the white walls tea rose, carpeting the vinyl floor, and painting a picturesque mural on one wall. The effects of these modifications were assessed in 19 patients (mean age=9.6 years), using a within-subjects, repeated-measures design. Overt Aggression ratings were made at the time of placement, and at 5-minute intervals thereafter, until the child was dismissed. Children were blind to the fact that a study was being conducted; raters and staff were not. Results Total aggression ratings were 45% lower in the modified QR than in the standard QR ( p p Conclusions This preliminary report suggests that it may be possible to modify QRs to facilitate calming of aggressive, agitated children and provides preliminary support for redesign of QRs.
Spread of seizure discharges in epilepsy: anatomical and electrophysiological considerations.

Abstract In an attempt to trace the spread of spontaneous electrical seizure activity within the brain of epileptics, the opportunity has been taken to follow the occurrence and temporal development of these outbursts in patients with epilepsy who have had indwelling electrodes placed for purposes of diagnosis, lateralization and later therapeutic surgery. A computer program has been used to detect the essential frequency or frequencies in each unprovoked burst of abnormal wavetrains and to follow their passage from the initiating driving zone to the other parts of the brain that are reached by this spread. The path followed by spontaneous seizure activity in spreading to other structures is a feature peculiar to each individual and can be established for that patient by this method. The possibility offered for a type of therapeutic surgery more restricted than temporal lobectomy is mentioned.
Recognition and classification of cardiac murmurs using ANN and segmentation

A diagnostic system based on Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) is implemented as a detector and classifier of heart murmurs. Segmentation and alignment algorithms serve as important pre-processing steps before heart sounds are applied to the ANN structure. The system enables users to create a classifier that can be trained to detect virtually any desired target set of heart sounds. The output of the system is the classification of the sound as either normal or a type of heart murmur. The ultimate goal of this research is to develop a tool that can be used to help physicians in the auscultation of patients and thereby reduce the number of unnecessary echocardiograms— those that are ordered for healthy patients. Testing has been conducted using both simulated and recorded patient heart sounds. Results are described for a system designed to classify heart sounds as normal, aortic stenosis, or aortic regurgitation. The system is able to classify with up to 85 ± 7.4% accuracy and 95 ± 6.8% sensitivity the tested heart sounds. Results are also described for a system designed to classify heart sounds using the consensus result of two sub-systems: (1) normal or aortic stenosis and (2) normal or aortic regurgitation. The consensus system is able to classify the same set of sounds with up to 96.8 ± 2.2% accuracy and 95.9 ± 5.2% sensitivity.
Content of free fatty acids, lipolytic bacteria and somatic cells in relation to milking technology

The contents of free fatty acids (FFA) and counts of total bacteria, psychrotrophic lipolytic bacteria (PLiBC) and somatic cells were determined in 150 samples of cow’s bulk raw milk on 20 farms with three different milking technologies in South Bohemia during 2008–10. FFA were determined using an extraction-titration method. Within the compared technologies, the highest mean values of FFA (3.88 mmol 100 g–1 ; P<0.001) and PLiBC (696 CFU ml –1 ) were observed on farms with pipeline milking in stalls. The lowest mean FFA level (1.54 mmol 100 g –1 ) was determined on farms with an automatic milking system. Medium values were
Indeterminacy and variability in meta-ethics

In the mid-20th century, descriptive meta-ethics addressed a number of central questions, such as whether there is a necessary connection between moral judgment and motivation, whether moral reasons are absolute or relative, and whether moral judgments express attitudes or describe states of affairs. I maintain that much of this work in mid-20th century meta-ethics proceeded on an assumption that there is good reason to question. The assumption was that our ordinary discourse is uniform and determinate enough to vindicate one side or the other of these meta-ethical debates. I suggest that ordinary moral discourse may be much less uniform and determinate than 20th century meta-ethics assumed.
Activation of α-protein kinase C leads to association with detergent-insoluble components of GH4C1 cells

TRH and phorbol dibutyrate (PDBu) stimulate PRL secretion and synthesis from GH4C1 rat pituitary cells through activation of protein kinase C (PKC). TRH responses are mediated by increases in cellular levels of two PKC activators, Ca2+ and diacylglycerol (DAG), whereas PDBu acts as a DAG analog. We conducted experiments to compare the effects of Ca2+ and PDBu/DAG on α-PKC redistribution and to determine to what components of the particulate fraction activated α-PKC associates. Subcellular fractionation experiments demonstrated that TRH and PDBu both caused chelator-stable association of α-PKC with the particulate fraction. In contrast, Ca2+-mediated association with the particulate fraction was not chelator stable. Immunocytofluorescence experiments also demonstrated that TRH, PDBu, and increased cytosolic Ca2+ (due to ionomycin or K+ depolarization) caused redistribution. The effect of TRH was rapid and transient, similar to TRH stimulation of phospholipase C. The translocated α-PKC in the particulate fr...
Assessment of corrosion-resistant coatings for a depleted uranium-0.75 titanium alloy

Abstract A number of different coatings (aluminum, zinc, magnesium, Al-Zn, Al-Mg, nickel, titanium, TiN and aluminum on TiN) were applied by the arc plasma physical vapor deposition technique to a depleted uranium (DU) alloy for corrosion protection assessment. The as-deposited specimens were examined by scanning electron microscopy for surface morphology and tested for adhesion. Electrochemical polarization tests and immersion tests were conducted in aerated 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution. The results of the electrochemical polarization scans and observations after long-term exposure tests indicated that the two alloys Al-Zn and Al-Mg appear to be the best sacrificial coating materials for improving the corrosion resistance of DU-0.75Ti.
Non-symmetric extension of a small flaw into a plane crack at a constant rate under polynomial-form loadings

Abstract The superposition-related problems which arise from the non-symmetric extension at a constant rate of a plane crack from a small flaw by the removal of normal and shear tractions along the crack plane is treated. It is assumed that these tractions are, or can be approximated by, polynomials in the spatial and time variables in the crack plane. Because any more general polynomial can be obtained by proper combination, attention is focused on polynomials homogeneous of degree n ⩾ 0 which have n + 1 terms with arbitrary constant coefficients. Expressions for the stresses and displacements are readily obtained as single integrals of analytic functions and observations concerning the dynamic intensity factors at the crack edges are made. Certain previously obtained results follow as special cases of the present work.
Genetic divergence of insular populations of deer mice.

Electrophoretic variants at 28 genetic loci were analyzed in subspecies of Peromyscus maniculatus endemic to the Channel Islands off the California coast. The genetic variability within insular populations was calculated. These deer mice have relatively high levels of polymorphism for insular populations. The mean heterozygosity per individual varies in the populations, being much higher on one of the islands than the others. Nei's measure of genetic distance between groups compared on the basis of electrophoretic variants was used. His estimate of time of divergence of these groups, based on genetic distance, is applicable particularly to closely related groups. The length of time each island population has been isolated from the others was calculated and found to be consistent with the periods of isolation estimated on the basis of geological data.
Use of inferior vena caval filters and survival in patients with malignancy.

BACKGROUND Inferior vena cava (IVC) filters have proven to be a viable alternative to anticoagulation therapy for the prevention of life-threatening pulmonary emboli (PE) for patients who have contraindications to anticoagulation therapy. The clinical benefit of placing IVC filters in patients with advanced-stage cancer is controversial. The current study reported the authors' experience with IVC filters in patients with cancer. METHODS Between January 2000 and May 2003, IVC filters were placed in 308 patients with venous thromboembolic (VTE) disease. Of these patients, 267 had solid tumors and 41 had liquid tumors. Outcome was reviewed retrospectively with regards to patient survival as well as procedural and filter-related complications. Patients with solid and liquid tumors were used to generate Kaplan–Meier estimates for survival and the probability of surviving 30, 90, and 365 days was also calculated. The prognostic effect of age, primary malignancy, gender, extent of disease, indication, admission to the intensive care unit, and IVC thrombus on overall survival was also evaluated using univariate and multivariate Cox models for patients with solid tumors. RESULTS The median survival periods for patients with solid and liquid tumors were 145 days and 207 days, respectively. The probability of survival at 30, 90, and 365 days was 0.81, 0.60, and 0.35, respectively, for patients with solid tumors and 0.85, 0.67, and 0.48, respectively, for patients with liquid tumors. There was no statistically significant difference in survival based on primary malignancy for solid tumors (P = 0.628) or between solid and liquid tumors (P = 0.16). For patients with solid tumors, a statistically significant difference in survival was found by extent of disease (P = 0.002). Patients with solid tumors classified as local disease (n = 15), locally advanced disease (n = 95), and widely metastatic or disseminated disease (n = 153) had a probability of survival at 30 days of 0.93, 0.87, and 0.76, respectively. Compared with patients with local disease, patients with metastatic or disseminated disease were 3.7 times more likely to die (P = 0.013). Patients with a history of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and hemorrhage were 2 times more likely to die than patients with DVT and no history of hemorrhage (P = 0.0057). Documented complications occurred in 22 of 308 (7.1%) patients and included PE (n = 4), new caval thrombosis (n = 14), retroperitoneal hemorrhage (n = 2), and maldeployed filters (n = 2). CONCLUSIONS IVC filters were shown to be safe and highly effective in preventing PE-related deaths in patients with cancer with VTE disease. Patients with a history of DVT and bleeding or metastatic/disseminated stage of disease had the lowest survival after IVC filter placement. Cancer 2004. © 2004 American Cancer Society.
Protein kinase C activation generates superoxide and contributes to impairment of cerebrovasodilation induced by G protein activation after brain injury

Abstract Previous studies have observed that activation of protein kinase C (PKC) contributes to generation of superoxide anion (O − 2 ) after fluid percussion brain injury (FPI). This study was designed to characterize the effects of FPI on the vascular activity of two activators of a pertussis toxin sensitive G protein, mastoparan and mastoparan-7, and the role of PKC dependent O − 2 generation in such effects in newborn pigs equipped with a closed cranial window. Mastoparan (10 −8 , 10 −6 M) elicited pial artery dilation that was blunted by FPI and partially restored by the PKC inhibitor chelerythrine (10 −7 M) or the O − 2 free radical scavengers polyethylene glycol superoxide dismutase and catalase (SODCAT) (9±1 and 16±1, sham control; 3±1 and 5±1, FPI; and 7±1 and 11±1%, FPI SODCAT pretreated). Similar results were observed for mastoparan-7 but the inactive analogue mastoparan-17 had no effect on pial artery diameter. Exposure of the cerebral cortex to a xanthine oxidase O − 2 generating system blunted mastoparan induced pial artery dilation similar to FPI (10±1 and 17±1 vs. 2±1 and 3±1%). Pertussis toxin (1 μg/ml) exposure blocked mastoparan and mastoparan-7 vasodilation. These data show that pertussis toxin sensitive G protein activation elicits cerebrovasodilation that is blunted following FPI in a PKC dependent manner. These data also show that O − 2 generation similarly blunts G protein mediated cerebrovasodilation. These data suggest that PKC dependent O − 2 generation contributes to impaired G protein mediated cerebrovasodilation after FPI.
Nuts and bolts: acquisitions and cataloging at Kenyon

This article briefly describes the acquisitions workflow at a small, liberal arts college library as one possible method to utilize a book vendor’s online system. The discussion focuses on the logistics of the workflow and the interaction between the system and the library’s ILS. Outsourcing of cataloging and physical processing are also discussed.
Menin induces apoptosis in murine embryonic fibroblasts.

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type I (MEN1) is a hereditary tumor syndrome characterized by multiple endocrine and occasionally non-endocrine tumors. The tumor suppressor gene Men1, which is frequently mutated in MEN1 patients, encodes the nuclear protein menin. Although many tumor suppressor genes are involved in the regulation of apoptosis, it is unclear whether menin facilitates apoptosis. Here we show that ectopic overexpression of menin via adenoviruses induces apoptosis in murine embryonic fibroblasts. The induction of apoptosis depends on Bax and Bak, two proapoptotic proteins. Moreover, loss of menin expression compromises apoptosis induced by UV irradiation and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), whereas complementation of menin-null cells with menin restores sensitivity to UV- and TNF-α-induced apoptosis. Interestingly, loss of menin reduces the expression of procaspase 8, a critical protease that is essential for apoptosis induced by death-related receptors, whereas complementation of the menin-null cells up-regulates the expression of procaspase 8. Furthermore, complementation of menin-null cells with menin increases the activation of caspase 8 in response to TNF-α treatment. These results suggest a proapoptotic function for menin that may be important in suppressing the development of MEN1.
Late Pleistocene—Holocene geology of the central Virgin Island Platform

Abstract Geophysical and sedimentological data collected on the central Virgin Islands insular shelf provide a unique opportunity to investigate carbonate shelf processes in an active tectonic environment. Although complicated by fluctuating sea level during the Quaternary, the sedimentological regimes have been controlled by the tectonic fragmentation of the region. South of St. John, a northeast-southwest intrusive ridge controlled the development of the shallow geology. Profiles across this region, seaward of the ridge, indicate the existence of a buried wave-cut platform. Resting on this eroded surface, at the shelf break, is a reef having a topographic relief of 55 m. This reef, which formed a protective barrier preserving a sequence of lagoonal deposits, has been radiometrically determined to have died ∼7000 yrs B.P., coinciding with the death of similar reefs in Florida and on the Island of St. Croix. South of St. Thomas, the strata are horizontal and are bisected by east-west midshelf faults. Truncation of the shelf edge strata, northern drainage, and unconformities on the northern shelf indicate that this block was tilted to the north during the late Pleistocene. This limited reef development to a narrow zone on the southern shelf edge. Geochemical, biological and sedimentological data indicate that the early to mid-Holocene was a time of vigorous shelf sedimentation. This accumulation peaked and abruptly stopped ∼1200 yrs B.P., due to continued subsidence. Since this time, most sediment accumulation has been limited to the immediate area around the islands.
On the propagation of a charged particle beam in a random medium. I: Gaussian statistics

Abstract A model is presented for the transport of energetic charged particles in a medium whose density is a continuous random function of position. Using the straight-ahead continuous slowing down approximation and assuming Gaussian statistics for the density fluctuations, exact solutions for the ensemble-averaged flux and dose are obtained. It is demonstrated that the ensemble-averaged flux satisfies an exact closed equation of the Fokker-Planck type in energy. The effect of fluctuations is to introduce straggling in space and energy, resulting in the dose profile extending well beyond the ion range for a corresponding deterministic medium. Very reasonable results are obtained for a fluctuation amplitude on the order of the mean density, in spite of the negative densities admitted by the Gaussian process. However, for very large fluctuations, the Gaussian model leads to a considerable overestimate of the dose near the surface.
Sinusoidal galvanic vestibular stimulation (sGVS) induces a vasovagal response in the rat

Blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) were studied in isoflurane-anesthetized Long-Evans rats during sinusoidal galvanic vestibular stimulation (sGVS) and sinusoidal oscillation in pitch to characterize vestibular influences on autonomic control of BP and HR. sGVS was delivered binaurally via Ag/AgCl needle electrodes inserted over the mastoids at stimulus frequencies 0.008–0.4 Hz. Two processes affecting BP and HR were induced by sGVS: 1) a transient drop in BP (≈15–20 mmHg) and HR (≈3 beat*s−1), followed by a slow recovery over 1–6 min; and 2) inhibitory modulations in BP (≈4.5 mmHg/g) and HR (≈0.15 beats*s−1/g) twice in each stimulus cycle. The BP and HR modulations were approximately in-phase with each other and were best evoked by low stimulus frequencies. A wavelet analysis indicated significant energies in BP and HR at scales related to twice and four times the stimulus frequency bands. BP and HR were also modulated by oscillation in pitch at frequencies 0.025–0.5 Hz. Sensitivities at 0.025 Hz were ≈4.5 mmHg/g (BP) and ≈0.17 beat*s−1/g (HR) for pitches of 20–90°. The tilt-induced BP and HR modulations were out-of-phase, but the frequencies at which responses were elicited by tilt and sGVS were the same. The results show that the sGVS-induced responses, which likely originate in the otolith organs, can exert a powerful inhibitory effect on both BP and HR at low frequencies. These responses have a striking resemblance to human vasovagal responses. Thus, sGVS-activated rats can potentially serve as a useful experimental model of the vasovagal response in humans.
Synthesis of steroids in postimplantation mouse embryos cultured in vitro

Abstract Steroid and total lipid synthesis have been assessed in postimplantation stage mouse embryos cultured in vitro from the blastocyst to early somite stage. A large increase in acetate incorporation into these compounds is observed during this period. Cholesterol (60–70%), lanosterol (1–15%), and a fraction containing pregnenolone (0–5%) are the major components of the embryo-associated steroid fraction. When embryos are labeled with [3H]pregnenolone, 3H-labeled progesterone, pregnanedione, and a compound identified as acylpregnenolone are produced and secreted into the medium. Production of progesterone and pregnanedione, but not acylpregnenolone, is severely inhibited by the drug cyanoketone (1 μM). Another drug, SU-10603 (10 μM), severely inhibits pregnanedione production, with only a partial repression of progesterone synthesis, and no effect on acylpregnenolone synthesis. Neither drug affects embryonic development. When embryonic tissues were carefully separated and analyzed for their ability to metabolize [3H]pregnenolone it was observed that all tissues (embryo/yolk sac, yolk sac, and trophoblast) can produce progesterone and acylpregnenolone from pregnenolone. Only embryo/yolk sac and yolk sac, but not trophoblast tissue, can produce pregnanedione. The significance of these observations in relation to metabolic communication between the embryo and its mother is discussed.
Population-level survival trends for uterine cancer

Objectives: Both primary therapy and adjuvant therapy for uterine cancer have evolved. Although survival estimates from randomized trials have shown improved survival, it remains unclear whether treatment changes have translated into improved survival in the broader population. Population-level survival analyses are complicated by improved longevity as a whole in women. We examined relative survival, a measure that compares survival in women with cancer to the general population, to determine the excess mortality associated with uterine cancer over the last 25 years. Methods: Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, women with uterine cancer diagnosed from 1983 to 2009 were identified. Survival was analyzed after adjustment for age, race, stage, year of diagnosis, and time since diagnosis. Relative survival was estimated by comparing observed survival after diagnosis of cancer to expected survival obtained from the general United States population matched on calendar year, age, and race. Results: A total of 121,948 women were identified. For stages I–III uterine cancer, we found a temporal reduction in excess mortality. Among women with stage I uterine cancer, the excess HR for women diagnosed in 2009 was 0.53 (95% CI, 0.44–0.64) compared to those diagnosed in 1983, 0.63 (95% CI, 0.55–0.72) compared to those diagnosed in 1990, and 0.80 (95% CI, 0.75–0.86) compared to those diagnosed in 2000. Similarly, for women with stage III tumors, the excess HR for women in 2009 was 0.50 (95% CI, 0.44–0.59) compared to 1983, 0.61 (95% CI, 0.54–0.68) compared to 1990, and 0.79 (95% CI, 0.75–0.83) compared to 2000. Similar trends were noted for women with stage II tumors. Conclusions: Relative survival has improved for stages I–III uterine cancer. Advances in surgical treatment and the delivery of adjuvant therapy may have resulted in improved population-level survival in the United States.
The Social Control of Drinking‐Driving: An Ethnographic Study of Bar Settings

Rather than being considered merely an illegal act, the drinking-driving phenomenon can be viewed as a form of social behavior, governed by a set of socially shared rules. This article reports a study which identifies these rules through observation of individuals participating in drinking-driving behavior in four different settings: a close-knit neighborhood bar, a neighborhood bar that draws on a larger population, a social club, and "a fairly fashionable watering hole." The study indicates that the particular social and economic environment of the drinking establishment influences drinking-driving behavior. The intimacy of the neighborhood bar allows the bartender to exert control over drinking and assist in finding alternatives to driving. As the practical possibilities for contact with the bartender are reduced, the ability for the drinking establishment to control drinking-driving is lessened. Moreover, the economic reality in all-bars--the need to sell drinks--takes precedence over controlling drinking-driving. Alternative countermeasures which take into account these social rules of drinking-driving are suggested as preferable policy developments.
Orthogonal subspace projection (OSP) revisited: a comprehensive study and analysis

The orthogonal subspace projection (OSP) approach has received considerable interest in hyperspectral data exploitation recently. It has been shown to be a versatile technique for a wide range of applications. Unfortunately, insights into its design rationale have not been investigated and have yet to be explored. This work conducts a comprehensive study and analysis on the OSP from several signal processing perspectives and further discusses in depth how to effectively operate the OSP using different levels of a priori target knowledge for target detection and classification. Additionally, it looks into various assumptions made in the OSP and analyzes filters with different forms, some of which turn out to be well-known and popular target detectors and classifiers. It also shows how the OSP is related to the well-known least-squares-based linear spectral mixture analysis and how the OSP takes advantage of Gaussian noise to arrive at the Gaussian maximum-likelihood detector/estimator and likelihood ratio test. Extensive experiments are also included in this paper to simulate various scenarios to illustrate the utility of the OSP operating under various assumptions and different degrees of target knowledge.
A Relation Between Fragility, Specific Heat, and Shear Modulus Temperature Dependence for Simple Supercooled Liquids

It is often said that the fragility and specific heat discontinuity at the glass transition are related characteristic features of glasses. We give a relation between these quantities for simple liquids, and also find that the temperature dependence of the shear modulus should be closely related to these quantities. According to the Interstitialcy Theory, the liquid state shear modulus G = Go, exp (-βc) = Go exp {-γ[(T/To)-l ]}, where Gois the shear modulus at a reference temperature To, which can be taken to be the glass temperature. In these relations, βis the diaelastic shear susceptibility, c is the interstitialcy concentration, T is the temperature, and dc/dT = γ/βTo. It has been proposed by Dyre, Olsen and Christensen that U in the viscosity η = ηo exp (U/kT) be given as the work done in shoving aside particles during a diffusion step, and therefore be proportional to the (liquid state) shear modulus. If so, then combining the above relations, the fragility F = [d log η/d (Tg/T]T=Tg becomes F=(1+γ) log [η (Tg)/ηo], where γ = - (Tg/G)(dG/dT). Then, since δCv, = UF(dc/dT), where UF is the interstitialcy formation energy, one obtains further with reasonable simplifying approximations δCv/Cv~γG(T)/Goo, where Goo is the zero temperature crystalline shear modulus. For a typical fragile glass γ ~ 2 (F ~ 50) with G(Tg)/Goo ~ 1/2, then δCv/Cv, ~ 1, ut close to zero for strong glasses, in fair agreement with available experimental results. The perspective given by the Interstititialcy Theory is then that the fragility is given phenomenologically by the temperature dependence of the shear modulus, or microscopically by the rate of increase of the equilibrium interstitialcy concentration with temperature.
Idempotent method for dynamic games and complexity reduction in min-max expansions

In recent years, idempotent methods (specifically, max-plus methods) have been developed for solution of nonlinear control problems. It was thought that idempotent linearity of the associated semigroup was required for application of these techniques. It is now known that application of the max-plus distributive property allows one to apply the max-plus curse-of-dimensionality-free approach to stochastic control problems. Here, we see that a similar, albeit more abstract, approach can be applied to deterministic game problems. The main difficulty is a curse-of-complexity growth in the computational cost. Attenuation of this effect requires finding reduced-complexity approximations to min-max sums of max-plus affine functions. We demonstrate that this problem can be reduced to a pruning problem.
Monetary Trends in the United States and the United Kingdom, 1878–1970: Selected Findings

Milton Friedman and I have been engaged for some time in a study of the characteristic behavior of the quantity of money over long periods in relation to income, prices, and interest rates m the United States and the United Kingdom. In our study, our observations of levels are the average annual values of each variable during cyclical phases, starting with the expansion phase of 1878–1882 in the United States and 1879–1883 in the United Kingdom, and ending with the final phase that can be marked off for each country, respectively, 1969–1970 and 1968–1969. In all, we have forty-five observations of levels for the United States, and thirtythree for the United Kingdom. In addition to levels of observation, we also examine rates of change, which we express as the slopes of least-squares lines connecting three successive phase averages. For each country, the rate-of-change observations are two fewer than the number of level observations.
Self-entwinement of an active fixation pacemaker electrode.

We report a case in which an active fixation atrial lead tip became entwined on the proximal lead body during implantation. It was not possible to disengage the tip or to remove the resultant Jead loop atraumatically through the insertion site. Removal of the lead was accomplished using a Dotter intravascular snare inserted via a femoral vein, with subsequent successful implantation of a new lead. This unusual technique-related complication emphasizes the need for meticulous fluoroscopic visualization during lead manipulation.
Experiencing Schooling In Another Nation: Advancing Global Awareness Of Teacher Candidates

In this paper, the author argues for including international experiences—particularly the visiting of schools abroad—in teacher education programs in order to expand teacher candidates’ personal growth, expanded worldviews, and increased understanding of schooling in other countries. The paper begins by sharing a students’ reflection as an example of a transformative experience that can take place when one is immersed in the educational culture of another country. The remainder of the paper, then, showcases one innovative US school of education’s international experience where teacher candidates participated in extended visits in schools in another nation. Finally, the author asserts that it is imperative that teacher candidates be provided with opportunities and challenges to move beyond their own cultural experiences and be able to provide them with the dispositions, pedagogical skills and the determination to develop K-12 students’ global competence and awareness of global issues.
High-density lipoprotein cholesterol, size, particle number, and residual vascular risk after potent statin therapy.

Background—Chemically measured high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) may not be the best clinical measure of HDL. Little is known about alternative HDL measures such as HDL size or particle number (HDL-P) as determinants of residual risk after potent statin therapy. Methods and Results—In Justification for the Use of statins in Prevention: an Intervention Trial Evaluating Rosuvastatin (JUPITER), HDL size and HDL-P were measured by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and HDL-C and apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) were chemically assayed in 10 886 participants without cardiovascular disease (CVD) before and after random allocation to rosuvastatin 20 mg/d or placebo. Levels were examined with first CVD (n=234). HDL-P correlated better with apoA-I (Spearman r=0.69, P<0.0001) than with HDL-C (r=0.55, P<0.0001). Rosuvastatin lowered low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (49%) and raised HDL-C (6.1%), apoA-I (2.1%), HDL-P (3.8%), and HDL size (1.2%); all P<0.0001. Among placebo-allocated individuals, on-tre...
Efficient CRISPR-rAAV engineering of endogenous genes to study protein function by allele-specific RNAi

Gene knockout strategies, RNAi and rescue experiments are all employed to study mammalian gene function. However, the disadvantages of these approaches include: loss of function adaptation, reduced viability and gene overexpression that rarely matches endogenous levels. Here, we developed an endogenous gene knockdown/rescue strategy that combines RNAi selectivity with a highly efficient CRISPR directed recombinant Adeno-Associated Virus (rAAV) mediated gene targeting approach to introduce allele-specific mutations plus an allele-selective siRNA Sensitive (siSN) site that allows for studying gene mutations while maintaining endogenous expression and regulation of the gene of interest. CRISPR/Cas9 plus rAAV targeted gene-replacement and introduction of allele-specific RNAi sensitivity mutations in the CDK2 and CDK1 genes resulted in a >85% site-specific recombination of Neo-resistant clones versus ∼8% for rAAV alone. RNAi knockdown of wild type (WT) Cdk2 with siWT in heterozygotic knockin cells resulted in the mutant Cdk2 phenotype cell cycle arrest, whereas allele specific knockdown of mutant CDK2 with siSN resulted in a wild type phenotype. Together, these observations demonstrate the ability of CRISPR plus rAAV to efficiently recombine a genomic locus and tag it with a selective siRNA sequence that allows for allele-selective phenotypic assays of the gene of interest while it remains expressed and regulated under endogenous control mechanisms.
Experimental Activity Carried Out on the Lisimeter and the Physical Model of Slope - Results and Analysis

This technical report illustrates the main results obtained from the experimental activity performed with both physical model of slope and lisimeter. The set of data is referred to the variation of physical variable as suction and water content in soil sample measured during the tests. In the tests carried out with the physical model rain induced flowslides are simulated. Here the artificial rain is almost uniform over the sample surface and characterized by a constant intensity. The seepage of rain water develops principally along the slope direction and the sample thickness, increasing water content and, as a consequence decreasing suction until to reach sample failure. In the case of the experimental activity performed with lisimeter the moisture of soil sample is regulated directly by weather conditions. Nevertheless the water flow can pass trough the sample only vertically as the lateral wall of the tank containing it are water proof. So a real one dimensional seepage process is investigated. The whole set of data allows to analyze the water store capability of pyroclastic soils starting from different conditions in terms of suction and/or soil water content. Moreover the data obtained with the physical model are also able to indicate how the seepage process determines the saturation of the sample before failure occurs. A first attempt to interpret the suction measurements has been also discussed. It consists of a numerical analysis carried out using the commercial software Surfer to make interpolation of suction data along a longitudinal sample sections where the tensiometers have been put in place. This allowed to estimate the trend of suction variation inside the sample as well as how it was saturated.
Naturalizing Anthropomorphism: Behavioral Prompts to Our Humanizing of Animals

ABSTRACTAnthropomorphism is the use of human characteristics to describe or explain nonhuman animals. In the present paper, we propose a model for a unified study of such anthropomorphizing. We bring together previously disparate accounts of why and how we anthropomorphize and suggest a means to analyze anthropomorphizing behavior itself. We introduce an analysis of bouts of dyadic play between humans and a heavily anthropomorphized animal, the domestic dog. Four distinct patterns of social interaction recur in successful dog–human play: directed responses by one player to the other, indications of intent, mutual behaviors, and contingent activity. These findings serve as a preliminary answer to the question, “What behaviors prompt anthropomorphisms?” An analysis of anthropomorphizing is potentially useful in establishing a scientific basis for this behavior, in explaining its endurance, in the design of “lifelike” robots, and in the analysis of human interaction. Finally, the relevance of this developing...
PI3King the L-Type Calcium Channel Activation Mechanism

In recent years, class I phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3Ks) have been implicated in an increasing number of signal transduction pathways linking virtually every class of extracellular stimulus to intracellular response.1–3 Class I PI3Ks are enzymes that selectively phosphorylate the 3′-OH position of the PtdIns(4,5)P2 inositol ring in vivo to generate PtdIns(3,4,5)P3, which then can be further metabolized by inositol lipid phosphatases to PtdIns(3,4)P2. PtdIns(3,4)P2 and PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 are nominally absent in resting cells, rise briskly in response to class I PI3K activation during cellular stimulation, and function in signal transduction and membrane trafficking largely as a result of their interaction with pleckstrin homology (PH) domains (≈100 amino acid 3-phosphoinositide binding modules) in a range of cellular proteins. Class I PI3Ks have been subclassified further according to their structure and mode of activation by cell surface receptors (Figure, panel A). Class IA PI3Ks are heterodimers composed of a catalytic subunit (the ubiquitous p110α, more tissue-restricted p110β, or p110δ which is confined to hematopoietic cells) tightly complexed to a regulatory adapter subunit (p85α, p85β, p55, or their splice variants). All catalytic subunits bind Ras, but the role of this interaction in PI3K signaling is uncertain. Regulatory subunits harbor a C-terminal p110-binding region flanked by two SH2 domains that dock the holoenzyme to the membrane through interactions with specific phosphotyrosyl-containing sequences within the C-terminus of receptor tyrosine kinases or other membrane-associated proteins. Larger p85 regulatory subunits also contain a series of N-terminal modular domains that specify other protein-protein interactions and dictate differences in holoenzyme targeting and regulation. Class IB PI3K is composed of the p110γ catalytic subunit (lacking the p85 subunit binding region) associated with a p101 regulatory protein. Class IB PI3Ks are specifically stimulated by Gβγ dimers liberated upon G protein–coupled receptor …
Microstructural evolution in irradiated uranium-bearing delta-phase oxides A6U1O12 (A = Y, Gd, Ho, Yb, and Lu)

Abstract Irradiation-induced microstructural evolution in uranium-bearing delta-phase oxides of A 6 U 1 O 12 (A = rare earth cations) were characterized using grazing incidence X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Polycrystalline Y 6 U 1 O 12 , Gd 6 U 1 O 12 , Ho 6 U 1 O 12 , Yb 6 U 1 O 12 , and Lu 6 U 1 O 12 samples were irradiated with 300 keV Kr ++ to a fluence of 2 × 10 20 ions/m 2 at cryogenic temperature (∼100 K). The crystal structure of these compounds was determined to be an ordered, fluorite derivative structure, known as the delta-phase, a rhombohedral symmetry belonging to space group R 3 ¯ . Experimental results indicate that all these compounds are resistant to amorphization to a displacement damage dose of ∼60 displacements per atom. In these experiments, we sometimes observed an irradiation-induced order-to-disorder phase transformation, from an ordered rhombohedral to a disordered fluorite structure.
Assessing the Impact of Community Violence on Children and Youths

Social workers often encounter young clients who have been exposed to violence in their communities. Although the devastating effects of community violence have been well documented, surprisingly little concern in social work practice has been focused on attending to young clients' experiences with community violence. This article explores the manifestations and consequences of community violence in the lives of children and youths and presents an assessment framework with which social workers may examine the impact of community violence in the lives of their young clients at risk.
Deciphering the gene expression profile of long-lived snell mice.

In a recent publication, gene expression profiling experiments for the long-lived Snell dwarf mouse were reported. In this Perspective, the author argues that although the authors have developed a ...
Transplantation of human peripheral blood stem cells into fetal rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta).

BACKGROUND Methods for assessing engraftment efficiency have been explored in a primate xenogeneic model of in utero hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. METHODS Human peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) were obtained by leukapheresis from a human male donor after 4 days of administration of recombinant human granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (5 microg/kg/ day). PBSC were enriched for the CD34+ population with and without T-cell depletion. The resulting mononuclear cells consisted of two cell populations, one that was stem cell enriched (0.83% CD3+ cells, 95% CD34+; group 1) and one that was stem cell enriched and T-cell depleted (<0.03% CD3+ cells, 98% CD34+; group 2). Four fetal monkeys (two per group) received either two or four i.p. injections (approximately 5x10(6) cells/injection) via ultrasound guidance every other day over a 7-day period (gestational days 50, 52, 54, and 56). One fetus in each group also received i.p. recombinant human stem cell factor (25 microg/kg) and recombinant human granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (10 microg/kg) posttransplant every 10 days from gestational day 60-150. RESULTS Four healthy newborns were delivered at term, and specimens were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction for the human Y chromosome (birth, monthly to 6 months; blood, marrow, progenitor assays). Polymerase chain reaction results were positive for all four newborns in all specimens assessed, and flow cytometric analysis for human CD45 in marrow showed engraftment ranging from 0.1-1.7%. There was no evidence of graft-versus-host disease in any of the animals. CONCLUSION These studies show that (1) multilineage engraftment of human PBSC can be achieved in the fetal rhesus recipient, (2) the rhesus fetus appears to tolerate relatively high numbers of human CD3+ cells, and (3) healthy chimeric rhesus infants can be delivered at term after multiple in utero procedures.
The Art of Being Indirect: Talking about Politics in Brazil

The mid-'70s in Brazil and in many other Latin American countries were marked by the emergence of many urban social movements. As soon as freedom of political organization and expression began to be assured, many associations disconnected from political parties appeared and started pressing state agencies for public services, improvements in the urban infrastructure, and the acknowledgment of civil rights. Both social scientists and politicians have considered this process extremely important in countries used to authoritarian political relationships even under civilian rule. Thus, many have described the social movements as generating a "new way of doing politics," one more democratic in its procedures and more popular in its basis; and one that would inaugurate a new way of relating to state apparatuses and political institutions, especially political parties. In this article I analyze a debate among five leaders of one type of popular association that became important in the 1970s in Brazil, and which both observers and members considered to represent a "new way of doing politics." This type of association is called Sociedades de Amigos de Bairro (SAB), literally Neighborhood-Friends Associations, based in the poor working-class areas of Brazil's big cities. I do not focus my analysis on the content of the opinions expressed during the debate. Nor do I analyze the participants' conceptions of politics, their roles as working-class leaders, or their methods of organizing political participation-subjects about which they express considerable disagreement.' Rather, I focus on how their opinions and disagreements were voiced; that is, on the discourse strategies they employed to express opinions and disagreements, and to deal with conflicts. As a starting point for the analysis, I use Gumperz's (1982) understanding of a communicative event in which interpretation will be negotiated and interactions established. In the case of the debate I study, the analysis of discourse strategies suggests how the possibility of expressing political opinions and disagreements in a political discussion, in an interclass context, was negotiated among the participants. As a consequence, the analysis reveals how political and interclass relationships are shaped in Brazilian society. It indicates not only the complexities and difficulties involved in attempts to change political practices, but also the limitations that people face in the construction of a "new way of doing politics" in
Constructing an Overarching Framework for Learning--Connecting the Dots.

This chapter highlights a variety of ways researchers use learning theories with respect to different stakeholder groups. The chapter brings together common themes across these areas and proposes ways to use these ideas for future research on learning.
Comparison of life cycle impact assessment tools in the case of biofuels

Numerous Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) tools exist, each with different methodologies. These tools often provide different results, thus making it difficult for the LCA practitioner to determine which results yield the best or most likely estimate of impact. It is important, therefore, to understand the differences between LCIA tools to enable the clear and transparent portrayal of the impacts of a life cycle inventory. Differences among LCIA tools are compared by applying three impact assessment tools: IMPACT 2002+, TRACI, and CML to the life cycle inventory data for corn-soybean agricultural systems utilized to produce biofuels in the US. The agricultural system has grown in importance in the US as the primary source of feedstock materials for biobased production. The sources of differences between characterization factors and thus the impact assessment results are not readily apparent to the average user of these tools. For example, chemical contribution to the effects on human health and photochemical oxidation, in particular, vary considerably among the tools compared due to fundamentally different methodologies for impact estimation. Other impacts especially relevant to US agriculture are also discussed, including eutrophication and ecotoxicity. Suggestions for improvements to the impact assessment models are made, such as drawing a distinction between urban and non-urban emissions as well as inclusion of heavy metal speciation. Understanding why impact assessment tools provide different results can help agricultural and biobased LCA practitioners to choose the appropriate tool for their inventory.