cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Law and Economics: Its Glorious Past and Cloudy Future

The title I have given to this short comment is one that does not speak to any great optimism about the future of Law and Economics, and it is incumbent upon me, even in a short essay, to indicate the sources of my uneasiness. When I entered legal academia in 1968, Law and Economics was just getting started as a separate field. The magnitude of the intellectual revolution is hard to recount today because virtually everyone who works in common law subjects is familiar with the now routine exercise of showing why it is, or has to be, the case that this or that common law rule is, or is not, efficient. But the present familiarity should not be read back into the past. In my student days at Oxford between 1964 and 1966, I engaged in an exhaustive study of the common law of contract, property, and torts. I studied legal history and jurisprudence, and learned Roman and international law to boot, all with reference to contract, property, and torts. Yet I cannot recall a single instance in which common law rules were praised for their efficient properties or criticized for their lack thereof. For our normative work, we relied on some intuitive notion of fairness or justice, which seemed to produce on average better economic results than the self-conscious instrumentalism that guides so many judges today. For our descriptive work, we relied on stare decisis and close case readings. To be sure, English academics and judges were less innovative than their American counterparts. The United States had law and economics before "Law and Economics." In the 1950s, Aaron Director and Edward Levi introduced an integrated study into the area of monopoly regulation. But, in a sense, that connection was too obvious to deny: how could anyone understand the regulation of monopoly without having some idea of how monopolies were formed and how monopolists behaved. The early use of economics, moreover, was not thought in any obvious sense to be generalizable to other areas of legal endeavor, and certainly not to such areas as constitutional, family, or criminal law. Only
Associations of Residential Brownness and Greenness with Fasting Glucose in Young Healthy Adults Living in the Desert

Evolutionary psychology theories propose that contact with green, natural environments may benefit physical health, but little comparable evidence exists for brown, natural environments, such as the desert. In this study, we examined the association between "brownness" and "greenness" with fasting glucose among young residents of El Paso, Texas. We defined brownness as the surface not covered by vegetation or impervious land within Euclidian buffers around participants' homes. Fasting glucose along with demographic and behavioral data were obtained from the Nurse Engagement and Wellness Study (n = 517). We found that residential proximity to brownness was not associated with fasting glucose when modeled independently. In contrast, we found that residential greenness was associated with decreased levels of fasting glucose, despite the relatively low levels of greenness within the predominantly desert environment of El Paso. A difference between the top and bottom greenness exposure quartiles within a 250 m buffer was associated with a 3.5 mg/dL decrease in fasting glucose levels (95% confidence interval: -6.2, -0.8). Our results suggest that within the understudied context of the desert, green vegetation may be health promoting to a degree that is similar to other, non-desert locations in the world that have higher baselines levels of green.
A New Boosted Active-Capacitor With Negative- G m for Wide Tuning Range VCOs

A new boosted active-capacitor (BAC) architecture using LC -tuned active-impedance-conversion is presented. In the chosen frequency range, the proposed BAC acts as a tunable capacitance multiplier and negative-transconductance, but where the positive-transconductance is not multiplied. The BAC is used as a low-loss tunable capacitor bank element for designing a wide tuning range voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO). A current-reuse technique is used to lower power consumption and suppress potential parasitic oscillation modes. A zero-capacitance-variation biasing is proposed for a BAC-VCO robust against process, voltage, and temperature variations. The BAC designed in a 65 nm bulk CMOS process achieves a capacitance tuning ratio of 7.8 with a quality factor of higher than 20 across VCO’s tuning range. The BAC-VCO prototype has a tuning range of 8.3-14.3 GHz using less than 5 mW core power and achieves FoMT of up to −202.4 dBc/Hz.
Targeting T Follicular Helper Cells To Control Humoral Allogeneic Immunity.

Humoral allogeneic immunity driven by anti-HLA donor-specific antibodies (DSAs) and antibody-mediated mediated rejection (ABMR) significantly impede prolonged survival of organ allografts after transplantation. Although the importance of T follicular helper (TFH) cells in controlling antibody responses has been long established, their role in directing DSA generation leading to ABMR was only recently appreciated in the clinical setting of organ transplantation. In this review, we provide a comprehensive summary of the current knowledge on the biology of human TFH cells as well as their circulating (cTFH) counterparts and describe their pivotal role in driving humoral alloimmunity. In addition, we discuss the intrinsic effects of current induction therapies and maintenance immunosuppressive drugs as well as of biotherapies on TFH cells; and provide future directions and novel opportunities of biotherapeutic targeting of TFH cells that have the potential of bringing the prophylactic and curative treatments of ABMR towards personalized and precision medicine.
Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulations to Predict False Lumen Enlargement After Surgical Repair of Type-A Aortic Dissection.

We aim to use computational fluid dynamics to investigate the hemodynamic conditions that may predispose to false lumen enlargement in this patient population. Nine patients who received surgical repairs of their type-A aortic dissections between 2017–2018 were retrospectively identified. Multiple contrast-enhanced post-operative CT scans were used to construct 3D models of aortic geometries. Computational fluid dynamics simulations of the models were run on a high-performance computing cluster using SimVascular – an open-source simulation package. Physiological pulsatile flow conditions (4.9 L/min) were used at the aortic true lumen inlet, and physiological vascular resistances were applied at the distal vascular ends. Exploratory analyses showed no correlation between rate of false lumen growth and blood pressure, immediate post-op aortic diameter, or the number of fenestrations (p = 0.2). 1-year post-operative CT scans showed a median false lumen growth rate of 4.31 (3.66, 14.67) mm/year Median (Interquartile range) peak systolic, mid-diastolic, and late diastolic velocity magnitudes were 0.90 (1.40); 0.10 (0.16); and 0.06 (0.06) cm/s respectively. Spearman's ranked correlations between fenestration velocity and 1-year false lumen growth rates were found to be statistically significant: Velocity magnitude at peak systolic (p = 0.025; rho = 0.75), mid diastolic (p = 0.025; rho = 0.75) and late diastolic phases of the cardiac cycle (p = 0.006; rho = 0.85). We have shown that false lumen growth is strongly correlated to fenestration flow velocity, which has potential implications for post-operative surveillance and risk stratification.
Landownership as a socio-psychological phenomenon: Exploration of the owner-land relationship

Land fragmentation and conversion compromise the integrity of the privately-owned landscape nationwide. Landowners’ choices and actions play a critical role in these dynamics. To better understand ...
Detection of Methylphenidate in Equine Hair Using Liquid Chromatography-High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry.

Methylphenidate is a powerful central nervous system stimulant with a high potential for abuse in horse racing. The detection of methylphenidate use is of interest to horse racing authorities for both prior to and during competition. The use of hair as an alternative sampling matrix for equine anti-doping has increased as the number of detectable compounds has expanded. Our laboratory developed a liquid chromatography–high-resolution mass spectrometry method to detect the presence of methylphenidate in submitted samples. Briefly, hair was decontaminated, cut, and pulverized prior to liquid–liquid extraction in basic conditions before introduction to the LC-MS system. Instrumental analysis was conducted using a Thermo Q Exactive mass spectrometer using parallel reaction monitoring using a stepped collision energy to obtain sufficient product ions for qualitative identification. The method was validated and limits of quantitation, linearity, matrix effects, recovery, accuracy, and precision were determined. The method has been applied to confirm the presence of methylphenidate in official samples submitted by racing authorities.
Born a Culturally Responsive Educator: A Conversation With Dr. Cathy Kea:

Dr. Cathy Kea is a professor of special education in the Department of Educator Preparation at North Carolina A&T State University. Dr. Kea’s research interests focus on the intersection among gene...
Design, synthesis, and pharmacological evaluation of JDTic analogs to examine the significance of the 3- and 4-methyl substituents.

Abstract The design and discovery of JDTic as a potent and selective kappa opioid receptor antagonist used the N -substituted trans -3,4-dimethyl-4-(3-hydroxyphenyl)piperidine pharmacophore as the lead structure. In order to determine if the 3-methyl or 4-methyl groups were necessary in JDTic and JDTic analogs for antagonistic activity, compounds 4a – c , and 4d – f which have either the 3-methyl or both the 3- and 4-methyl groups removed, respectively, from JDTic and analogs were synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro opioid receptor antagonist activities using a [ 35 S]GTPγS binding assay. Other ADME properties were also assessed for selected compounds. These studies demonstrated that neither the 3-methyl or 3,4-dimethyl groups present in JDTic and analogs are required to produce potent and selective κ opioid receptor antagonists.
Conversion of Glutamate to Ornithine and Proline: Pyrroline-5-Carboxylate, a Possible Modulator of Arginine Requirements

The many enzyme reactions involved in the interconversion of glutamate, ornithine, proline and arginine are interrelated to one another by the metabolite pyrroline-5-carboxylate. This chemical is synthesized de novo from glutamate by the intestinal mucosa and to a lesser degree by the thymus. Pyrroline-5-carboxylate can be metabolized to ornithine (and arginine), proline and glutamate. Several futile cycles could exist because of the common utilization of pyrroline-5-carboxylate for these pathways. This does not appear to occur because of the tissue distribution of these enzymes, the various isozymes of the enzymes that may have different regulatory or kinetic properties and amino acid transport systems that differ from tissue to tissue.
IS Elements in Bacteriophage Lambda Gene cI Prevent Expression of Gene rex

Abstract IS5 inserted into gene cI of bacteriophage lambda greatly reduces the synthesis of Rex protein. Two other IS insertions in cI are even more polar, but two amber mutations near the 5′ end of cI allow normal expression of Rex.
Application of statistical physics methods and conceptsto the study of science & technology systems

We apply methods and concepts of statistical physics to the study of science & technology(S&T) systems. Specifically, our research is motivated by two concepts of fundamentalimportance in modern statistical physics: scaling and universality. We try to identify robust,universal, characteristics of the evolution of S&T systems that can provide guidance to forecastingthe impact of changes in funding. We quantify the production of research in a novel fashioninspired by our previous study of the growth dynamics of business firms. We study the productionof research from the point of view both of inputs (R&D funding) and of outputs (publications andpatents) and find the existence of scaling laws describing the growth of these quantities.We also analyze R&D systems of different countries to test the "universality" of our results.We hypothesize that the proposed methods may be particularly useful for fields of S&T (or forlevels of aggregation) for which either not enough information is available, or for which evolutionis so fast that there is not enough time to collect enough data to make an informed decision.
Biochemical adaptation: unity in principles, diversity in solutions

The collection of papers in this special issue of The Journal of Experimental Biology (JEB) focuses largely on a theme that characterizes much of the research in the broad field of biochemical adaptation: unity in diversity. The ‘unity’ in question refers to the capacities of taxonomically
Shear viscosity of carbon black filled polypropylene at very low shear stresses

The shear viscosity of carbon black filled polypropylene with a range of different carbon blacks was investigated. This was accomplished using (a) a constant shear stress creep instrument, (b) a cone-plate rotational rheometer, (c) a capillary extrusion rheometer. It was found that stresses exist for these compounds below which there are only finite deformations and no steady flow. Much attention was given to measurements of creep at low stresses, especially in the neighborhood of yield values. The magnitudes of yield stresses obtained from such creep measurements are significantly lower than those obtained using standard extrapolation to zero shear rate of higher stress data from rotational instruments. The shear viscosity behavior near the yield value differs significantly depending upon the carbon black used. A high shear viscosity was observed (∼10 9 to 10 10 Pa.s) plateau in some compounds.
Dose-response characteristics of neonatal exposure to genistein on pituitary responsiveness to gonadotropin releasing hormone and volume of the sexually dimorphic nucleus of the preoptic area (SDN-POA) in postpubertal castrated female rats

Estrogen exposure during critical periods of development promotes androgenization of the brain, which is reflected in altered morphology, behavior, and cyclic hormone secretion in females. Previous work in our laboratory demonstrated that neonatal female rats injected with pharmaceutical or naturally occurring estrogens had decreased GnRH-induced LH secretion and increased volume of the SDN-POA as 42 day castrates. The current experiment defines the dose-response characteristics of neonatal exposure to the isoflavonoid phytoestrogen genistein (G) on pituitary sensitivity to GnRH and SDN-POA volume. Litters of rat pups received subcutaneous injections of either corn oil, 1, 10, 100, 200, 400, 500, or 1000 micrograms of G on days 1 to 10 of life. The litters were ovariectomized and weaned on day 21. On day 42 blood was drawn from right atrial catheters immediately prior to, 5, 10, 15, and 30 min following a single injection of 50 ng/kg of GnRH. Only the 10 micrograms dose of G was associated with increased pituitary response to GnRH, while progressive increases in exposure levels of G were associated with decreasing LH secretion. The SDN-POA volume was increased in only the 500 micrograms and 1000 micrograms exposure groups compared to controls. The results confirm that low doses of G have nonandrogenizing, pituitary-sensitizing effects, while higher doses of G mimic the more typical effects of estrogens. The use of both morphologic and physiologic end points more completely defines the reproductive consequences of environmental estrogen exposure during critical periods of CNS development.
Epidemiology meets evolutionary ecology

The rapid expansion and increasing mobility of human populations make understanding the evolution of parasite virulence a public health priority. The potential for the swift evolution of virulence in response to changes in host ecology has motivated the integration of evolutionary ecology with epidemiological theory, as part of the emerging field of evolutionary epidemiology. Virulence is the product of complex interactions among evolutionary, ecological and epidemiological processes. Recent models that incorporate ideas from both evolutionary ecology and epidemiology generate predictions that could not be made by either discipline alone. These models predict that the ecological or evolutionary changes affecting population dynamics of disease, such as spatial structuring, within-host dynamics, polymorphism in host resistance, host longevity and population size, impose selection on virulence. As disease incidence increases, it becomes particularly important to take into account the implications of infection by multiple parasite strains. Evolutionary epidemic models also identify the potential importance of immune evasion and optimal virulence for the selection of sex in parasites. Thus, merging epidemiology with evolutionary ecology has widespread potential to help us answer evolutionary questions and to guide public health policy.
Linking of bone morphogenetic protein-2 to resorbable fracture plates for enhancing bone healing.

Objective: To test whether bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-2 may be covalently linked to resorbable fracture repair plates using an ester-hydrolysis reaction and determining whether the linked compound can facilitate bone growth. Study Design: Laboratory in vitro experiments. Method: Resorbable fracture repair plates were partially hydrolyzed using varying concentrations of acid or base. This intermediate was then reacted with EDAC (1-ethyl-3[-3-dimethylamino propyl carbodiimide) to form an EDAC intermediate, which was then reacted with either horseradish peroxidase (HRP), interleukin (IL)-2, or BMP-2. Compound binding to the plate was confirmed by immunofluorescent staining. Confirmation of protein function was determined by the following assays: HRP's ability to cleave peroxide, IL-2's ability to stimulate lymphocytes, and BMP-2's ability to stimulate C3H10T1/2 cells to generate alkaline phosphatase. Results: Three compounds (HRP, IL-2, and BMP-2) were successfully linked to plates as confirmed by immunofluorescence staining or functional testing. Compounds demonstrated better covalent linking to plates under basic conditions. HRP, IL-2, and BMP-2 retained function after binding as measured by cleaved peroxide levels, lymphocytes proliferation, and alkaline phosphatase production. Conclusions: Covalent linking of compounds such as HRP, IL-2, and BMP-2 to resorbable plates is possible and represents a novel protein delivery technique. BMP-2 covalently linked to resorbable plates may be used to facilitate bone healing. Covalent linking of compounds to plates represents a novel method for delivering concentrated levels of growth factors to a specific site and potentially extending their half-life. Further investigation into this application for bone healing may lead to quicker healing.
Measurement by XUV laser radiography of hydrodynamic perturbations in laser-accelerated thin foil targets

A novel diagnostic application of XUV lasers has been developed for the study of the hydrodynamic imprinting of laser speckle pattern on directly driven laser fusion targets. A neon-like Yttrium laser operating at 15.5 nm is used to probe thin foils of Si irradiated with an SSD smoothed laser at 0.35 mm wavelength and 6 10{sup 12} Wcm{sup {minus}2} intensity, simulating the initial phase of irradiation a laser fusion capsule. Measurements of the perturbations in target opacity are made by XUV radiography through the foil. The magnitude and Fourier composition of the perturbations has been determined both before and after Rayleigh Taylor growth showing the mode spectra of both the initial imprint and the subsequent RT growth.
Ground Rules for Musing Journalists

Ah, the hoax. The journalism gremlin that rears its head time and time again. Even the savviest of journalists have fallen prey to it, and in the digital age when news just cannot wait, the hoax ha...
Marketing research, market orientation and customer relationship management: a framework and implications for service providers

Purpose – As service organizations continue to expand internationally, the need to be able to understand consumers in faraway places is increasing. Marketing research is a key mechanism through which service companies understand their current as well as potential customers. As service organizations contemplate the global marketplace, there is increasing demand for managers to understand customer behavior in multiple countries. This article aims to discuss the importance of market research information in developing a market orientation and its impact on international service organizations.Design/methodology/approach – Extant literature is reviewed and discussed pertaining to the interrelationships between market research, market orientation and customer relationship management (CRM)‐related issues. Conceptual models are presented to illustrate the interrelationships between these streams of research.Findings – Several anecdotal and case examples are used to illustrate the essential linkages between market ...
Pranceacanthus coccineus (Acanthaceae), a new genus and species from Amazonian brazil

The new genusPranceacanthus, apparently most closely related to the bitypic genusJuruasia, is described and illustrated. Its sole species,P. coccineus, has been collected on “terra firma” in lowland Amazonian Brazil in the states of Amazonas and Mato Grosso and in the territory of Rondonia.
A Big Bang model of human colorectal tumor growth

What happens in early, still undetectable human malignancies is unknown because direct observations are impractical. Here we present and validate a 'Big Bang' model, whereby tumors grow predominantly as a single expansion producing numerous intermixed subclones that are not subject to stringent selection and where both public (clonal) and most detectable private (subclonal) alterations arise early during growth. Genomic profiling of 349 individual glands from 15 colorectal tumors showed an absence of selective sweeps, uniformly high intratumoral heterogeneity (ITH) and subclone mixing in distant regions, as postulated by our model. We also verified the prediction that most detectable ITH originates from early private alterations and not from later clonal expansions, thus exposing the profile of the primordial tumor. Moreover, some tumors appear 'born to be bad', with subclone mixing indicative of early malignant potential. This new model provides a quantitative framework to interpret tumor growth dynamics and the origins of ITH, with important clinical implications.
Anxiogenic effect of subclinical bacterial infection in mice in the absence of overt immune activation

Challenge of animals with infectious microorganisms is well documented to affect a number of behavioral measures through activation of immune-neural mechanisms. In the present study, the ability of an infectious microorganism to directly alter behavioral responses in the absence of an overt immunologic response was examined. Eight-week-old CF-1 male mice were infected orally with the Gram-negative pathogen Campylobacter jejuni in order to establish a subclinical infection that did not result in immune activation. Microbiological examination of cecal contents revealed the presence of C. jejuni in all infected, but not control, animals 1 and 2 days post-oral challenge. Measurement of interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels and peripheral blood leukocyte populations did not reveal the activation of an overt immune response in 1 or 2 day infected animals as compared to controls. Infected mice demonstrated altered levels of anxiety-like behaviors on the elevated plus-maze as compared to controls on Day 2, but not Day 1, as reflected by a significant decrease in exploratory and an increase in nonexploratory behaviors. The anxiogenic effect of a subclinical infection in the absence of an overt immunologic response suggests that the direct activation of neural pathways by microorganisms may play a role in behavior.
Genetic Susceptibility to Prostate Cancer: Prostate-specific Antigen and its Interaction with the Androgen Receptor (United States)

Objective To determine whether directly observed prostate-specific antigen (PSA) promoter diploid haplotype, either alone or in conjunction with androgen receptor (AR) genotype, is associated with prostate cancer risk.
Intrinsically disordered proteins in cellular signalling and regulation.

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are key components of the cellular signalling machinery. Their flexible conformation enables them to interact with different partners and to participate in the assembly of signalling complexes and membrane-less organelles; this leads to different cellular outcomes. Post-translational modification of IDPs and alternative splicing add complexity to regulatory networks.
Rapid thermal annealing of YBa2Cu3O7-δ films prepared by OMCVD using a highly volatile fluorocarbon-based precusor

Abstract Single phase YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ films having zero resistance at 80–86 K have been reproducibly prepared by organometallic chemical vapor deposition followed by post annealing. The fluoride-substituted β-diketonate Ba(fod) 2 was used as a Ba precurcor for deposition. A systematic study of the microstructure and the electrical properties of the OMCVD-derived films as a function of annealing times is presented. The grain size, texture, and superconducting transition temperature were found to be significantly improved by rapid thermal annealing. Highly oriented films with c axes perpendicular to the substrate surface and with a well-connected dense grain structure were obtained. This work shows that highly volatile fluorocarbon-based precursor can be used in OMCVD of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7−δ films having desirable superconducting properties.
Industry trade and exchange-rate fluctuations: Evidence from the U.S. and Chile

Abstract In recent years, research on the effects of currency movements on trade has used disaggregated data and error-correction and cointegration models. The resulting short-run and long-run estimates can be used to isolate not only specific industry responses, but also dynamic effects such as the “J curve.” This study examines the United States' trade balance with Chile, both at the aggregate level and for 49 individual industries. Of the 40 cointegrated industries, only ten improve in the long run after a depreciation, and only nine exhibit the temporary deterioration and eventual improvement typical of a “J curve.” We find that most effects concentrated among certain manufactures, with agricultural products and raw materials responding less to currency movements than do other commodities.
Status and challenges of waveguide blue lasers

Frequency doubling of semiconductor diode lasers is a potentially attractive technique for generating blue light for optical data storage applications. Here we review the status of these devices and the challenges that must be overcome before they can become practical for storage applications.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase from beef brain: a trimer.

Abstract Hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl isolated from beef brain was reacted with cross-linking reagents in order to establish the number of subunits that constitute the native protein. The results obtained from experiments with dimethyl-suberimidate and gluteraldehyde in the absence and in the presence of substrates all indicate that the native structure is a trimer.
Photocurrent and photoluminescence spectroscopy of InAsxP1−x/InP strained quantum wells grown by chemical beam epitaxy

We report on optical investigations carried out on InAs x P 1-x /InP single and multi-quantum well structures with arsenic compositions of 0.35 < x < 0,54 and various well widths grown by chemical beam epitaxy. Sharp well-defined satellite peaks observed on X-ray diffraction patterns suggest good interface quality achieved by improving growth interruption sequences. In addition. the strained quantum wells exhibit intense and narrow luminescence peaks at low temperature. Doublet and multiplet luminescence lines are assigned to emission from well thicknesses fluctuating by one monolayer. The experimental well-resolved absorption peaks observed from photocurrent spectra are attributed to electron-heavy-hole and electron-light-hole fundamental excitonic transitions. Energies deduced from measurements are compared with calculations within the framework of the envelope-function formalism. The strain-induced coupling between the light hole and spin-orbit valence bands and the electron-effective mass modification along the quantification axis of the quantum well (QW) are considered. The strained band-offset ratio Qc is chosen as one adjustable parameter. An excellent agreement between measured and calculated light and heavy exciton splitting energy is achieved with a Q c value of 0.70 ± 0.02 and using structural parameters determined from X-ray diffraction analysis. In addition. Q C appears to be independent of the arsenic composition in the present range.
Abandonment, Authority, and Religious Continuity in Post-Classical Greece

Scholars have frequently invoked the abandonment of Early Christian basilicas in the sixth and seventh centuries as key evidence for the end of antiquity in Greece. The standard narrative treats the archaeological evidence for abandonment as the physical manifestation of decline recorded in textual sources. The neat equivalency between archaeology and text ignores the role that abandonment plays in the narrative strategies of the textual sources. By reexamining the tie between text and archaeology, we can read the life cycle of the Early Christian basilica in Greece more critically and consequently expand our understanding of this dynamic period in Greek history.
Community health and changing hazards in a voluntary agricultural resettlement

Abstract An agricultural land scheme in Peninsular Malaysia is a voluntary resettlement undergoing rapid change in its medical geography. The biotic and social environments have-been greatly simplified. Specific hazards such as those posed by scrub typhus, malaria, vehicular accidents, and lonely alienation have been intensified whereas others of enteric infection and population stress have been reduced. Ecological exploitation by the higher-level national and international systems is a critical factor in the scheme's viability, but the downward flow of organizational information has promoted community coping. Stresses upon the selected population have been largely within its ability to cope and have promoted adaptability and hence health.
Adaptation of a Scale of Race-Related Stress for Use with Muslim Americans

This article describes the adaptation and preliminary validation of the Race-Related Stressor Scale (RRSS) for use with Muslim Americans. The RRSS was developed as a measure of race-related stress experienced by Asian American veterans of the Vietnam War. The adapted measure, the Perceived Religious Discrimination Scale (PRDS), measures stress related to the perception of religious discrimination on three dimensions: stress associated with the perception of societal anti-Muslim discrimination; stress associated with incidents of personal discrimination; and bicultural identification with the Muslim-civilian victims of the Iraqi and Afghan conflicts. The PRDS appears to be a psychometrically sound measure of perceived religious discrimination and demonstrates high internal consistency. A factor analysis replicated the three dimensions existent in the original measure.
Global source-receptor relationships for mercury deposition under present-day and 2050 emissions scenarios.

Global policies regulating anthropogenic mercury require an understanding of the relationship between emitted and deposited mercury on intercontinental scales. Here, we examine source–receptor relationships for present-day conditions and four 2050 IPCC scenarios encompassing a range of economic development and environmental regulation projections. We use the GEOS-Chem global model to track mercury from its point of emission through rapid cycling in surface ocean and land reservoirs to its accumulation in longer lived ocean and soil pools. Deposited mercury has a local component (emitted HgII, lifetime of 3.7 days against deposition) and a global component (emitted Hg0, lifetime of 6 months against deposition). Fast recycling of deposited mercury through photoreduction of HgII and re-emission of Hg0 from surface reservoirs (ice, land, surface ocean) increases the effective lifetime of anthropogenic mercury to 9 months against loss to legacy reservoirs (soil pools and the subsurface ocean). This lifetime is...
Python as a Federation Tool for GENESIS 3.0

The GENESIS simulation platform was one of the first broad-scale modeling systems in computational biology to encourage modelers to develop and share model features and components. Supported by a large developer community, it participated in innovative simulator technologies such as benchmarking, parallelization, and declarative model specification and was the first neural simulator to define bindings for the Python scripting language. An important feature of the latest version of GENESIS is that it decomposes into self-contained software components complying with the Computational Biology Initiative federated software architecture. This architecture allows separate scripting bindings to be defined for different necessary components of the simulator, e.g., the mathematical solvers and graphical user interface. Python is a scripting language that provides rich sets of freely available open source libraries. With clean dynamic object-oriented designs, they produce highly readable code and are widely employed in specialized areas of software component integration. We employ a simplified wrapper and interface generator to examine an application programming interface and make it available to a given scripting language. This allows independent software components to be ‘glued’ together and connected to external libraries and applications from user-defined Python or Perl scripts. We illustrate our approach with three examples of Python scripting. (1) Generate and run a simple single-compartment model neuron connected to a stand-alone mathematical solver. (2) Interface a mathematical solver with GENESIS 3.0 to explore a neuron morphology from either an interactive command-line or graphical user interface. (3) Apply scripting bindings to connect the GENESIS 3.0 simulator to external graphical libraries and an open source three dimensional content creation suite that supports visualization of models based on electron microscopy and their conversion to computational models. Employed in this way, the stand-alone software components of the GENESIS 3.0 simulator provide a framework for progressive federated software development in computational neuroscience.
The development of the isthmo-optic tract in the chick, with special reference to the occurrence and correction of developmental errors in the location and connections of isthmo-optic neurons.

The development of the centrifugal projection to the chick retina in the isthmo-optic tract (IOT) has been studied by the retrograde transport of the enzyme marker horseradish peroxidase (HRP) injected into the eye at various times during the incubation period. Some neurons in the isthmo-optic nucleus (ION — the cells of origin of the IOT) can first be labeled from the eye following injections on the tenth day of incubation; after injections on the twelfth day or later, about 95% of the neurons can be so labeled. It follows from this that the axons of virtually all the neurons in the ION (including the 60% which normally degenerate between the thirteenth and seventeenth days of incubation) reach the contralateral eye. Since in 12-day old embryos the IOT is between six and seven millimeters in length and HRP can be identified in the perikarya of ION neurons within three and one-half hours, the rate of retrograde transport in the system must be of the order of 48 mm/day. A similar time is required for HRP to appear in the perikarya of ION neurons in post-hatched chicks in which the length of the IOT is estimated to be about 14 mm. This suggests that at some time during the latter half of the incubation period there is a significant acceleration in the rate of retrograde transport, similar to that found for anterograde axonal transport in the chick and rabbit visual systems. In addition to labeling neurons in the contralateral ION, intraocular injections of HRP before the sixteenth day of incubation label a significant number of cells (up to 650) which lie outside the borders of the nucleus, and a small number (10–100) in the ipsilateral ION. About 90% of the ectopic neurons and all of the cells in the ION which send their axons aberrantly into the ipsilateral eye, degenerate some time after the fifteenth day of incubation, apparently because they either do not make appropriate connections within the retina or else fail to receive an appropriate input from the optic tectum. After early removal of one optic cup, the number of neurons in the ipsilateral ION that can be labeled by HRP injected into the surviving eye is greatly increased (involving as many as 50% of the cells in the nucleus). Despite the fact that the axons of these cells reach the retina (albeit of the “wrong” side) the cells do not survive beyond the seventeenth day of incubation. However, during the period in which their axons are in the retina they appear to interfere with synapse formation by the axons of the neurons in the contralateral (“correct”) ION; only about half the normal number of ION neurons survive under these circumstances. These findings suggest: (i) that certain types of errors may be common during neural development, (ii) that they are generally transitory, being recognized and eliminated at later stages in development, and (iii) that although transitory, some errors may have long lasting sequelae.
Nonreassuring fetal status during trial of labor after cesarean

Objective Concern for uterine rupture has led to the decline in vaginal births after cesarean. Nonreassuring fetal status (NRFS) may precede uterine rupture. The objective of this study was to estimate the risks of uterine rupture, uterine dehiscence, and adverse fetal outcomes associated with NRFS during trial of labor after cesarean (TOLAC). Study Design In a retrospective cohort study of the previously reported Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network prospective cohort cesarean registry, we compared women undergoing repeat cesarean for NRFS after TOLAC to those requiring repeat cesarean for other intrapartum indications. Exclusion criteria included women with a prior cesarean who underwent elective or indicated repeat cesarean or women with a multiple gestation. Primary outcomes included uterine rupture or dehiscence. Secondary outcomes included 5-minute Apgar score Results Of 17,740 women undergoing TOLAC, 4754 (26.8%) had a failed vaginal birth after cesarean. Of those, NRFS was the primary indication for cesarean in 1516 (31.9%). Women with NRFS as the primary indication for repeat cesarean were at increased risk of uterine rupture (adjusted odds ratio, 3.32; 95% confidence interval, 2.21–5.00), uterine dehiscence (adjusted odds ratio, 1.70; 95% confidence interval, 1.09–2.65), 5-minute Apgar score Conclusion Women attempting TOLAC who require repeat cesarean for NRFS are at increased risk of uterine rupture and uterine dehiscence.
Inhibition of Myogenesis by Depletion of the Glycogen-associated Regulatory Subunit of Protein Phosphatase-1 in Rat Skeletal Muscle Cells

In this study, we examined the role of the glycogen-associated regulatory subunit of protein phosphatase-1 (PP-1G) in L6 rat skeletal muscle cell myogenesis. The level of PP-1G was depleted by transfection with an inducible antisense-oriented PP-1G gene. Western blot analysis of the PP-1G-depleted cell line revealed a >90% depletion of PP-1G protein and a 45% reduction in cellular PP-1 activity and abolished the ability of L6 myoblasts to differentiate into multinucleated myotubes. PP-1G-depleted cells also exhibited a marked reduction in the expression of the differentiation marker myogenin as well as creatine kinase. After 7 days in culture, PP-1G-depleted cells sustained myoblast levels of inhibitor of differentiation-2, whereas control L6 cells had a severely lower inhibitor of differentiation-2 level and progressed into myotubes. Myoblasts were unable to exit the cell cycle, as measured by the impaired induction of p27 cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, a >2-fold increase in DNA synthesis, and elevated levels of phosphorylated retinoblastoma protein (pRb). Replacement of the PP-1 G gene restored PP-1G protein expression, PP-1 enzymatic activity, and the ability to differentiate into myotubes. We conclude that PP-1G plays a definite role in L6 myogenesis via its regulation of PP-1 catalytic activity.
Near-Infrared (0.8-2.5 Micron) Spectroscopy of Nova Sagittarius 1998 = V4633 Sagittarii

The 0.8–2.4 μm spectroscopy of the moderately fast Nova Sgr 1998 = V4633 Sgr, obtained approximately 525 and 850 days after peak brightness, revealed an expanding, hydrogen-deficient shell of medium excitation level that increased with time. The strongest lines were He I and He II and the coronal line of [Si VI] 1.9641 μm. Also prominent were the lines of H I, and coronal [Ca VIII] 2.3205 μm and [Si VII] 2.4807 μm. Other lines included the [S III] lines at 0.9069 and 0.9532 μm and the coronal lines of [Al IX] 2.0444 μm and [Ti VI] 1.7155 μm. Five lines that frequently appear in novae spectra remain unidentified: 0.8926, 1.1114, 1.1900, 1.5545, and 2.1000 ± 0.005 μm. All the observed lines were roughly 1800 km s-1 wide (FWHM), and no asymmetries or underlying plateaus were seen. The continuum was significantly shallower than a 1/λ4 blackbody emission (approximately stellar photosphere) and steepened with age.
Application of the Linearized MD Approach for Computing Equilibrium Solvation Free Energies of Charged and Dipolar Solutes in Polar Solvents

The linearized MD technique is developed in order to treat systematically free energies of simple charged and dipolar solutes in water. The solvent electrostatic response field in the solute region is modeled by averaging instantaneous fields found in a MD computation for solvent configurations confined within a cavity that conforms to the real shape of the solute particle. At this stage, all electrostatic interactions are explicitly treated inside the cavity. The solvent in the external region (outside the cavity) is modeled in terms of a standard continuum theory. For nonspherical cavities, the present approach is more accurate than the field computation employed at the preceding MD stage, where spherically truncated Coulomb potentials are modified by the reaction field corrections. We considered two different linearization schemes based on a computation of either the average response field or of its fluctuations. Only the first algorithm proved to be successful. For a series of single-charged monatomic...
Differences and Similarities: Comparative Methods in Mastication

Comparison is the key to biological study and both similarities and differences aid in sharpening our understanding of structures and processes. The initial comparison represents an observational level; followed by decisions aboutpossible homology, analogy and homoplasy which represent levels that have less certainty. Analogous homoplasies are presumably the most useful conditions for characterizing functional constraints. Operational criteria are discussed, as are minimal technical standards for procedures permitting characterization of functions and roles in the masticatory system.
Near-infrared and optical emission-line structure of the Keyhole Nebula in NGC 3372

ABSTRA C T Narrow-band infrared and optical images of the Keyhole Nebula in NGC 3372 reveal which structures are caused by extinction, and show the underlying morphology of photoionized and shock-excited gas. Dark clouds conspire with ionized gas to create the apparent keyhole shape, which is prominent at blue wavelengths and less apparent in the infrared. The Pab/Ha line ratio shows the spatial distribution of foreground extinction. The wavelength dependence of this extinction indicates a reddening law with R < 4:8, different from the normal interstellar medium. This confirms previous estimates of reddening toward the Carina Nebula determined from stellar photometry, and reveals that the anomalous extinction is patchy and within the H II region. The morphology of the ionized gas is different from the extinction clouds; it shows an edge-on ionization front running NE to SW, with a limb-brightened indentation that forms the upper outline of the keyhole shape. A fast polar wind from h Carinae may have punctured the ionization front, since the indentation is directly along a projection of the polar axis of the star. This is supported by the morphology of shock-excited gas revealed by a high âS iia=Ha ratio. High-excitation gas emitting [O III] and He I has a smoother distribution. Molecular clumps in the region are also discussed.
Approximate calculation of cumulative probability from a moment-generating function

A numerical method is presented for calculating the cumulative distribution of a positive random variable from its moment-generating function. It involves an expansion of the rectangular function in Laguerre functions. As examples, the cumulative exponential and cumulative Poisson probability functions are approximated.
Mechanisms of make and break excitation revisited: paradoxical break excitation during diastolic stimulation.

10.1152/ajpheart.00544.2001. Onset and termination of electric stimulation may result in “make” and “break” excitation of the heart tissue. Wikswo et al. (30) explained both types of stimulations b...
Temporal and geomorphic variations of stream stability and morphology : Mahogany Creek, Nevada

: Detailed studies of long-term management impacts on rangeland streams are few because of the cost of obtaining detailed data replicated in time. This study uses government agency aquatic habitat, stream morphologic, and ocular stability data to assess land management impacts over four years on three stream reaches of an important rangeland watershed in northwestern Nevada. Aquatic habitat improved as riparian vegetation reestablished itself with decreased and better controlled livestock grazing. However, sediment from livestock disturbances and road crossings and very low stream flows limited the rate of change. Stream type limited the change of pool variables and width/depth ratio, which are linked to gradient and entrenchment. Coarse woody debris removal due to previous management limited pool recovery. Various critical-element ocular stability estimates represented changes with time and differences among reaches very well. Ocular stability variables tracked the quantitative habitat and morphologic variables well enough to recommend that ocular surveys be used to monitor changes with time between more intensive aquatic surveys.
Electrically conducting polymers from conjugated bis‐phthalonitrile monomers

Elelectrically conducting polymers have been synthesized from completely conjugated bisphthalonitrile monomers. The monomers melt and are thermally polymerized at 260–300°C in air and then are converted into conductive materials by further processing at elevated temperatures in an inert atmosphere. Because the monomers remain in a liquid stage for 1–2 h, depending on the cure conditions, moldings, castings, and pre-pregs can be fabricated using conventional processing techniques. The conductivity can be varied from that of an insulator to approximately 10+2(Ωh cm)−1. For example, after a 600°C treatment, the conductivity is approximately 1(Ω cm)−1. Since reactive dopants are not used, the material and conductivity are stable in ambient as well as more aggressive environments, allowing them to function at 300°C and above. The monomers are well characterized, but the structure of the cured and postcured polymers are not yet well defined because of their high stability and intractability in the cured state.