cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Association Between Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease, Stroke, and Extrahepatic Cancers.

Background & aims Although primarily a disease with liver-specific complications, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a systemic disease with extrahepatic complications. We aim to evaluate the association between NAFLD and cardiovascular disease (CVD), stroke and cerebrovascular disease, and extrahepatic cancers. Methods We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Systematic Review Database from January 1, 2000 to July 1, 2019 to identify p eer-reviewed English language literature using predefined keywords for NAFLD, CVD, stroke and cerebrovascular disease, and extrahepatic cancers among adults. Two reviewers independently selected studies for inclusion. Measures of association between NAFLD and CVD, stroke and cerebrovascular disease, and extrahepatic cancers were extracted. Quality assessed using Newcastle-Ottawa scale and Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE). Results Thirty studies were included evaluating CVD, 16 studies evaluating stroke or cerebrovascular disease, and 13 studies evaluating extrahepatic cancers. On pooled meta-analysis assessment, NAFLD was associated with increased risk of CVD (risk ratio [RR]: 1.78; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.52–2.08) and stroke or cerebrovascular disease (RR: 2.08, 95% CI: 1.72–2.51). Significant heterogeneity in assessing extrahepatic cancers prevented applying meta-analysis methods, but NAFLD seemed to be associated with increased risk of breast and colorectal cancers. Overall level of quality of studies were very low by GRADE. Conclusions NAFLD is associated with increased risks of CVD and stroke or cerebrovascular disease among adults. There appears to be increased risk of breast and colorectal cancers. Given low quality of evidence, it is premature to make any strong conclusions to modify CVD, stroke, or cancer screening policies in patients with NAFLD.
A Tethered Virtue: Kenneth W. Thompson and the Problem That Reinhold Niebuhr Could Not Solve

Although Kenneth W. Thompson admired Reinhold Niebuhr's political realism, he expressed reservations about Niebuhr's method of moral reasoning. More specifically, Thompson argued that Niebuhr’s hab...
Comparing focused attention meditation to meditation with mobile neurofeedback for persistent symptoms after mild-moderate traumatic brain injury: a pilot study

This study evaluated whether a meditation practice incorporating mobile neurofeedback (mNF) offers any advantage over a more traditional form of focused attention (FA) meditation in managing persis...
Consequences of Metabolic Interactions during Staphylococcus aureus Infection

Staphylococcus aureus is a metabolically flexible pathogen that causes infection in diverse settings. An array of virulence factors, including the secreted toxins, enables S. aureus to colonize different environmental niches and initiate infections by any of several discrete pathways. During these infections, both S. aureus and host cells compete with each other for nutrients and remodel their metabolism for survival. This metabolic interaction/crosstalk determines the outcome of the infection. The reprogramming of metabolic pathways in host immune cells not only generates adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to meet the cellular energy requirements during the infection process but also activates antimicrobial responses for eventual bacterial clearance, including cell death pathways. The selective pressure exerted by host immune cells leads to the emergence of bacterial mutants adapted for chronicity. These host-adapted mutants are often characterized by substantial changes in the expression of their own metabolic genes, or by mutations in genes involved in metabolism and biofilm formation. Host-adapted S. aureus can rewire or benefit from the metabolic activities of the immune cells via several mechanisms to cause persistent infection. In this review, we discuss how S. aureus activates host innate immune signaling, which results in an immune metabolic pressure that shapes S. aureus metabolic adaptation and determines the outcome of the infection.
Dynamic Oxygen Storage Capacity of Ceria-Zirconia and Mn0.5Fe2.5O4 Spinel: Experiments and Modeling

A combined experimental and modeling study of dynamic oxygen storage capacity (DOSC) of ceria-zirconia (CZO) and Al2O3-supported Mn0.5Fe2.5O4 (MFO) spinel using CO and H2 as reductants is conducted...
Intersectional discrimination from black women, white women, black men, or white men impacts young adult black women's affective states and risky health cognitions.

Black women experience pronounced inequalities in alcohol use and sexual risk outcomes. Racial discrimination is a known contributor to health inequalities. However, Black women face unique and int...
Severe frost but not shade could limit the future growing season of Erythronium americanum

Changes in climate are leading to modifications in the timing of seasonal events such as migrations and flowering. Erythronium americanum (trout lily) can break bud early in response to warming, bu...
DNA topoisomerases as anticancer drug targets.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the DNA topoisomerases as anticancer drug targets. Much progress has been made in recent years in understanding the mechanism of action of antitumor drugs that target topoisomerases. However, while it is now well established that these drugs interact with the cleavable complex, molecular details of the protein-DNA-drug interaction are only just starting to emerge. The large body of information available from the study of drug analogs has provided some detailed information on the structural requirements for drugs to interact successfully with the cleavable complex. Little is known about the actual cell killing mechanism. This question, which involves events beyond cleavable complex formation and its interaction with drugs, is becoming more and more important. Knowledge of the signals and events involved in cell killing, in particular the early signals induced by drug-mediated DNA damage, might eventually lead to the discovery and identification of new targets for antitumor drugs.
Watching the Nanograins Roll

Nanocrystalline metals with grain diameter less than 30 nanometers may exhibit a range of new and interesting deformation mechanisms. In his Perspective, Ma discusses the results reported in the same issue by Shan et al., who recorded motion of the nanograins during deformation of nickel samples using an in situ transmission electron microscopy technique. Unlike the normal plastic deformation governed by dislocation movement, significant grain rotation and grain boundary sliding were observed in the nanocrystalline nickel at room temperature. The Perspective gives a brief overview of the transition from dislocation-based to grain boundary-mediated plasticity in nanocrystalline grains.
A robust data assimilation approach in the absence of sensor statistical properties

A convex optimization based approach is presented to perform model-data assimilation of spatial temporal dynamical systems where sensor error characteristics are not available. The key idea of the proposed technique is that one should not make any assumption regarding the statistical properties of sensor data when they are not available. Recently developed quadrature scheme, Conjugate Unscented Transformation in conjunction with convex optimization tools is used to obtain an approximation of posterior density function. The proposed approach is validated by considering the problem of source parameter estimation for toxic material release in the atmosphere. The numerical experiments provides a basis for optimism for the robustness of the proposed methodology.
Wisconsin card sorting test deficits in chronic paranoid schizophrenia: Evidence for a relatively discrete subgroup?

Some, although not all, researchers have reported dramatically increased numbers of perseverative responses on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) in schizophrenic patients compared to normal comparison subjects. The current study was designed to further explore the nature of possible WCST deficits in a group of paranoid schizophrenic patients compared to normal and psychiatric comparison subjects. In the current study, schizophrenic patients had significantly greater numbers of perserverative responses on the WCST than the comparison groups. The sample of patients with schizophrenia appeared to be characterized by a non-Gaussian distribution of perseverative responses on the WCST. WCST-impaired and WCST-nonimpaired schizophrenic subgroups were compared on cognitive and symptom measures, and increased perseverative responding was associated with negative symptoms, slowed reaction time, and more hospitalizations. While additional research is necessary to further investigate hypotheses of frontal versus generalized brain dysfunction in schizophrenic patients, WCST impairment seems to be present in a clinically meaningful subgroup of paranoid schizophrenic patients.
Hybrid Monte Carlo — Recursive identification algorithms for blind detection over a Rayleigh fading channel

A joint detection and adaptive estimation scheme is presented for a Rayleigh fading channel. The channel is modeled as an autoregressive process and the communication system is modeled as a dynamic state space model. A new filtering method called hybrid Monte Carlo-recursive identification is used, which combines sampling based filters with classical recursive identification methods to estimate the transmitted symbol sequence and the channel fading.
Two to Tango, One in Limbo: A Comparative Analysis of Fathers' Rights in Infant Adoptions

Many American and English courts today permit infant adoptions without notifying or seeking the consent of biological fathers. However, children’s best interests would be better served by recognizing their father-child relationship, instead of institutionally denying it. Any legal approach that ignores the biological father devalues the importance of a child’s placement in the paternal family unit, the significance of the medical history on the father’s side, the emotional link between a father and his child, and the father’s legal right to his own child. This comparative law Article therefore argues, using the American and English legal systems as illustrative examples, that both the father and the child should have their father-child relationship protected, which must be properly severed and waived by informed consent before a child is placed for adoption.
Apply COMPUSEC principles to closed network systems

Discusses the application of the trusted computer system evaluation criteria (TCSEC) and the trusted network interpretation (TNI) to closed network systems (systems which are entirely contained within a single secure enclosure such as a tank, ship, or aircraft). The authors discuss various COMPUSEC (computer security) principles (focused in the B division, but not specific to a class) and their applicability to closed systems. They also make suggestions on how to use unique properties of the closed systems to reduce the impact of incorporating COMPUSEC principles into these systems. >
Uncovering Novel Roles of Tandem BRCA1 C-terminal (BRCT) Domains in DNA Repair, Genome Stability and Breast Cancer

Pax transactivation domain-interacting protein (PTIP) has an important role in preserving genomic stability and is essential for cell survival following DNA damage, although the precise mechanism is undefined. PTIP consists of three pairs of tandem BRCA1 C-terminal (tBRCT) domains required for assembly into multiple protein complexes. Mutations that disrupt BRCT domain binding correlate with increased cancer rates. To determine its precise role in DNA repair, we profiled the expression of PTIP in breast cancer cell lines. Surprisingly, we’ve discovered a novel truncated isoform of PTIP, containing the last four C-terminal BRCT domains, (PTIP-delta). RNAi gene depletion studies reveal a post-transcriptional origin of PTIP-delta. Kinetic profiling of PTIP synthesis indicates that a significant portion of PTIP is processed to PTIP-delta within hours of translation. Recombinant forms of this PTIP-delta retain the ability to form nuclear repair foci. Biophysical characterization uncovers new oligomerization in...
On privacy leakage through silence suppression

Silence suppression, an essential feature of speech communications over the Internet, saves bandwidth by disabling voice packet transmission when silence is detected. On the other hand, silence suppression enables an adversary to recover talk patterns from packet timing. In this paper, we investigate privacy leakage through the silence suppression feature. More specifically, we propose a new class of traffic analysis attacks to encrypted speech communication with the goal of detecting speakers of encrypted speech communications. We evaluate the proposed attacks by extensive experiments over different type of networks including commercialized anonymity networks and campus networks. The experiments show that the proposed traffic analysis attacks can detect speakers of encrypted speech communications with high detection rates.
New approaches to managing psychotic depression

Major depression with psychotic features, while fairly common, is frequently misdiagnosed. Symptoms seen in these patients are those of an overall severe depressive disorder with psychomotor impairment (retardation or agitation), guilt, suicidal preoccupation, and neuropsychological impairment. A number of biological characteristics and behavioral symptoms are specific to patients suffering from psychotic depression and differ significantly from those of nonpsychotic depression. Psychotic depression is seen in patients of all ages, and it has a high short-term morbidity and risk of suicide. Data support the use of antipsychotics in combination with antidepressants for major depression with psychotic features, but other treatments may have as great or greater efficacy for the disorder. This article focuses on recognizing the features of psychotic depression, the success of current treatment options, and new treatments under investigation.
Estimation of molecular weights of small proteins on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis

Electrophoretic analysis of 19 globular proteins has demonstrated that the empirical linear relationship between the retardation coefficient, KR, and molecular weight does not hold for small proteins. Instead, this relationship assumes a nonlinear character in the low molecular weight range (MW < 50,000 daltons). Both the nonlinear and the linear portions of this correlation are consistent with the theoretical model of Rodbard and Charmabach (2).
Effect of liquid storage and cryopreservation of boar spermatozoa on acrosomal integrity and the penetration of zona-free hamster ova in vitro.

The effect of liquid storage and cryopreservation of boar spermatozoa on sperm motility, acrosomal integrity, and the penetration of zona-free hamster (ZFH) ova was examined. The sperm penetration assay (SPA) provides valuable information on specific events of fertilization and is a potentially useful indicator of sperm fertility. Ejaculated semen from 4 boars was subjected to 3 treatments: fresh (FRE, no storage), liquid-stored (LIS, stored at 18 degrees C for 3 days), and frozen (FRO, frozen by pellet method and stored at -196 degrees C for 3 days). A highly motile sperm population was isolated by the swim-up procedure (1 hr). FRE and LIS were incubated an additional 3 hr at 39 degrees C in a Tris-buffered medium to elicit capacitation and the acrosome reaction. Sperm motility and acrosomal integrity were assessed before and after incubation. For the SPA, sperm and eggs were incubated at 39 degrees C for 3 hr in Hams F-10 medium. Each egg was assessed for sperm penetration, sperm binding, and stage of development. Percentages of sperm motility and sperm with a normal apical ridge (NAR) prior to incubation were 78 and 78 (FRE), 75 and 69 (LIS), and 28 and 50 (FRO). After incubation, percentages of motility, NAR, and acrosome-reacted sperm were 34, 10, and 73 (FRE); 43, 24, and 51 (LIS); and 18, 13, and 59 (FRO). A somewhat higher (P less than .05) percentage of ZFH ova was penetrated by FRE (45.8) than by LIS (42.0). Penetration of ZFH ova by FRO was markedly (P less than .05) reduced (30.2). Sperm penetration was not significantly correlated with motility or acrosomal integrity before or after incubation, regardless of treatment. These data suggest that the SPA can be used in conjunction with conventional measures of semen analysis in assessing the potential fertilizing capacity of boar sperm and that liquid storage is superior to frozen storage with respect to preserving sperm fertility.
Assessment of effects of position on communication board access by individuals with cerebral palsy

Individuals who are severely physically disabled by cerebral palsy are often placed in a variety of adaptive positioning devices for therapeutic and functional purposes. Observation and theory suggest that position can influence the ability of these individuals to access communication boards and other communication aids, but there is little empirical evidence to support such claims and there are few guidelines for assessment of positioning effects. This study demonstrates an objective method to assess the ability of individuals with cerebral palsy to access communication board locations, and it also begins to provide needed information about the differential effects of adaptive positioning devices on communication board access.
Leaf gas exchange and water status responses of a native and non-native grass to precipitation across contrasting soil surfaces in the Sonoran Desert.

Arid and semi-arid ecosystems of the southwestern US are undergoing changes in vegetation composition and are predicted to experience shifts in climate. To understand implications of these current and predicted changes, we conducted a precipitation manipulation experiment on the Santa Rita Experimental Range in southeastern Arizona. The objectives of our study were to determine how soil surface and seasonal timing of rainfall events mediate the dynamics of leaf-level photosynthesis and plant water status of a native and non-native grass species in response to precipitation pulse events. We followed a simulated precipitation event (pulse) that occurred prior to the onset of the North American monsoon (in June) and at the peak of the monsoon (in August) for 2002 and 2003. We measured responses of pre-dawn water potential, photosynthetic rate, and stomatal conductance of native (Heteropogon contortus) and non-native (Eragrostis lehmanniana) C4 bunchgrasses on sandy and clay-rich soil surfaces. Soil surface did not always amplify differences in plant response to a pulse event. A June pulse event lead to an increase in plant water status and photosynthesis. Whereas the August pulse did not lead to an increase in plant water status and photosynthesis, due to favorable soil moisture conditions facilitating high plant performance during this period. E. lehmanniana did not demonstrate heightened photosynthetic performance over the native species in response to pulses across both soil surfaces. Overall accumulated leaf-level CO2 response to a pulse event was dependent on antecedent soil moisture during the August pulse event, but not during the June pulse event. This work highlights the need to understand how desert species respond to pulse events across contrasting soil surfaces in water-limited systems that are predicted to experience changes in climate.
Effects of neonatal septal lesions on reproductive behavior of male and female rats

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of neonatally placed septal lesions (SL) in male, female, and androgenized female rats on reproductive behavior. Animals were castrated as adults and tested for both feminine and masculine sexual behavior. After treatment with estradiol benzoate (EB) alone (2 μg daily for 3 days), only the females with SL which had not been given testosterone propionate (TP) neonatally showed a facilitation of lordosis behavior. Following EB (2 μg for 3 days) plus 0.5 mg progesterone (P), both the lesioned and the sham-operated female groups showed an increase in the display of lordosis in either hormonal condition. All animals were given a pretest for masculine sexual behavior and tested on Days 4, 7, 11, and 15 of daily TP treatment (150 μg/day). There was no effect of the neonatally placed SL on masculine sexual behavior in female rats or in female rats androgenized with 30 μg TP. However, lesioned females treated neonatally with 1 mg TP showed a marginal enhancement of masculine sexual behavior. Male rats given SL neonatally showed a marked enhancement of masculine sexual behavior compared to that of controls. These results suggest that, depending on the neonatal hormone environment, SL selectively increase behavioral sensitivity to hormones. Although neonatally lesioned females show behavioral responses similar to females given SL as adults, male rats given SL neonatally are unique in that they show enhanced masculine sexual behavior whereas males lesioned as adults do not.
Peak demand scheduling in the Smart Grid

Smart grid technology has the opportunity to revolutionize our control over power consumption. Currently power-requesting jobs are scheduled in an on-demand fashion; power draw begins when the consumer requests power (turns on an appliance) and ends when the job is complete (appliance is turned off). Often such jobs may have some flexibility in their starting times (e.g. a dishwasher or electric vehicle charger). We consider the problem scheduling power jobs so as to minimize peak demand. We first consider a general version of the problem in which the job intervals can be staggered. While the problem is known to be NP-hard (we show it is even NP-hard to approximate), we provide an effective new heuristic algorithm. For several important special cases, we provide new constant-factor approximation algorithms that improve on previous results. Simulation results using real power job data show that our algorithms improve on existing methods.
Nonclinical factors associated with primary care physicians’ ordering patterns of magnetic resonance imaging/computed tomography for headache1☆

Abstract Rationale and objectives The purpose of ordering an imaging test for headache, which is one of the most common reasons for patient consultation with a primary care physician (PCP), include medical indications as well as patient anxiety and medico-legal concerns. The impact of nonclinical factors on PCPs’ ordering patterns of magnetic resonance imaging/computed tomography for patients presenting with a headache was examined. Materials and methods A retrospective record review of all patients treated for headache as their primary complaint by a PCP from a multispecialty group practice associated with an 180,000-member Health Maintenance Organization during calendar year 2000 was examined. The practice included 18 clinics. Logistic regression was used to estimate the association between physician ordering patterns of imaging tests and patient, physician, and clinic setting characteristics. Results Of the total study subjects (n = 4,372), a magnetic resonance imaging/computed tomography imaging test was ordered for 5.3%. At their first encounter, patient’s gender, site of care, and insurance status under the health care system’s Health Maintenance Organization had statistically significant associations with the likelihood of imaging test orders. Female physicians were less likely to order an imaging test (OR = 0.65; 95% confidence interval, 0.39–1.08). For subsequent encounters, however, site of care was the only nonclinical factor that had a consistent association with the likelihood of having a magnetic resonance imaging/computed tomography ordered. Conclusion These data show that a number of nonclinical factors may have been associated with having an imaging test ordered by a PCP when patients presented with a headache. These factors were more significant when the patient was being seen for the first time with this complaint.
Modulation of ERK and JNK activity by transient forebrain ischemia in rats

The mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase families of ERK and JNK participate in numerous intracellular signaling pathways and are abundantly expressed in the CNS. Activation of ERK and JNK during reperfusion of ischemic tissue is implicated in promoting cell death, insofar as inhibition of either pathway reduces neuronal cell death. However, ERK or JNK activation provides protection in other neuronal injury models. In this study, we monitored the concurrent modulation of ERK and JNK activity in the hippocampus, neocortex, and striatum during ischemia and immediately upon reperfusion in a rat model of transient global ischemia. All three regions incur a similar reduction in blood flow during occlusion but show different extents and temporal patterns of injury following reperfusion. ERK and JNK were active in the normal rat forebrain, and phosphorylation was reduced by ischemia. Upon reperfusion, ERK was rapidly activated in the hippocampus, neocortex, and striatum, whereas JNK phosphorylation increased in the hippocampus and striatum but not in the neocortex. The response of JNK vs. ERK more closely reflects the susceptibility of these regions. JNK1 was the predominant phosphorylated isoform. A minor pool of phosphorylated JNK3 increased above the control level after reperfusion in hippocampal but not in neocortical particulate fractions. In addition, a novel 32-35-kDa c-Jun kinase activity was detected in the hippocampus, neocortex, and striatum. The results show that ERK and JNK activities are rapidly, but not identically, modulated by ischemia and reperfusion and indicate that the MAP kinase pathways contribute to regulating the response to acute CNS injury.
Public Investment in LDC's with Recurrent Cost Constraint: The Kenyan Case

I. Introduction, 251. — II. The model, 252. — III. The specification of parameter values for the model in Kenya, 257. — IV. The productivity of public sector investment, 269. — V. Conclusion, 275.
Techniques: Plasmon-waveguide resonance (PWR) spectroscopy as a tool to study ligand–GPCR interactions

Plasmon-waveguide resonance (PWR) spectroscopy can be applied to integral membrane proteins incorporated into a supported lipid bilayer without the need for labeling. With high sensitivity and wide dynamic range, this technique can be used to characterize the kinetics and thermodynamics of conformational events associated with the binding of ligands to G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), and to directly examine the interactions of GPCRs with G proteins and other downstream effectors in signal transduction. This allows an easy distinction to be made between agonists, antagonists and inverse agonists, and provides a powerful new tool for studying membrane signaling and for drug development.
Prediction of the vapor–liquid distribution constants for volatile nonelectrolytes in water up to its critical temperature

Abstract The distribution of solutes between coexisting liquid and vapor phases of water can be expressed by the distribution constant, KD, defined as K D = lim x→0 y x , where y and x stand for the mole fraction concentrations of a solute in vapor and liquid phases, respectively. Research reported here is concerned with the prediction of this property, KD, for volatile nonelectrolytes, over the whole temperature range of existence of the vapor–liquid equilibrium for water, i.e. from 273 K to the critical temperature at 647.1 K. A simple empirical method is proposed to extrapolate the values of KD from 298 K to 500–550 K. Calculations at higher temperatures are based on the theoretical relation that establishes the proportionality between RTlnKD and the Krichevskii parameter, AKr, which is the single most important property of a solute at near-critical conditions, and can be evaluated using the method proposed here. The comparison of predicted and experimental values of KD and AKr for a few well-studied solutes reveals the satisfactory performance of the proposed method. It appears that the accuracy of predictions in the framework of this method is limited mainly by the accuracy of the values of the thermodynamic functions of hydration of solutes at 298 K, and that the best way to improve the quality of predictions of KD and AKr is to increase the inventory of accurate calorimetric enthalpy and heat capacity data for aqueous solutes at 298 K. We stress that the values of the Krichevskii parameter, such as those generated in this study, are of crucial importance for reliable predictions of the chemical potential and its derivatives (V2o, Cp2o) for aqueous solutes at near-critical and supercritical conditions. Values of KD and AKr are predicted for many inorganic volatile nonelectrolytes and some halogenated derivatives of methane and ethene. We show that both ln KD and AKr for aqueous organic solutes follow group additivity systematics, and we derive a set of corresponding group contribution values for several functional groups (material point, CH3, CH2, CH, C, C = C, HC = CH, C≡C, HCar, Car, Cfus, OH, O, S, SH, CO, COO, COH, COOH, CN, F, Cl, Br, NH2, NH, N, etc.).
Sexual desire and the dissipation of anger arousal through humor appreciation; Gender and content issues

Previous empirical investigations have shown that an individual's approach to sexual activity and fantasy is related to the level of sexual desire. The appreciation of humor with sexual or aggressive content can be influenced by a state of sexual or aggression arousal which can then be influenced by enjoying those forms of humor. This study examined the effects of presenting humor with either sexual, aggressive or neutral content to angered and non-angered males ( N = 180) and females ( N = 180) who were differentiated for their level of sexual desire. High sexual desire subjects showed greatest enjoyment of sexual humor, but males showed the highest levels of appreciating aggressive humor. The high sexual desire subjects were able to diminish their anger through appreciation of either sexual or aggressive humor content.
Unique allelic restriction fragments of the human Ha-ras locus in leukocyte and tumour DNAs of cancer patients

White blood cell DNA from cancer patients and DNA from tumours and tumour-derived cell lines frequently demonstrated allelic restriction fragments of the Harvey ras oncogene locus not found in the unaffected population. The presence of such unusual alleles may be linked to susceptibility to cancer.
Production of Z boson pairs via gluon fusion in the minimal supersymmetric model

We present the full one-loop calculation for $g\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{g}\mathrm{ZZ}$ in the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM) including nonresonant contributions from the squark loop diagrams and provide analytical expressions for the helicity amplitudes. The one-loop process $g\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{g}\mathrm{ZZ}$ via quark loops has been calculated in the standard model. In supersymmetric models, additional contributions arise from squark loops. In some regions of the MSSM parameter space, the top and bottom squark loops can make important contributions to the diagrams involving Higgs bosons. The heavy Higgs scalar $(H)$ might be detected at the CERN Large Hadron Collider via $g\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{g}\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{H}\mathrm{ZZ}$ for $\mathrm{tan}\ensuremath{\beta}\ensuremath{\lesssim}5.$
Factors affecting hemostatic plug formation in an extracorporeal model.

SUMMARY A model is described for the study of factors affecting hemostasis. It consists of a Teflon extension of the carotid artery of rats. Holes of precise diameter are then produced in the extension with a micromanipulator and the aid of a microscope. The bleeding time of these holes is then recorded. The principal advantage of this method is that it makes possible the production in the “blood vessel” of holes the diameters of which are known with a high degree of accuracy, under known conditions of intravascular pressure. With holes below 75 μ in diameter, prolongation of the coagulation time with heparin did not affect the bleeding time. With increasing hole diameters, or with increasing intravascular pressure, coagulation time did affect the bleeding time. Bleeding time could be predictably modified by increasing or decreasing blood pressure. There is a striking interrelationship of these factors in influencing the bleeding time. Intravenous pyridinolcarbamate (12 mg/kg) significantly prolonged the bleeding time for a 20-minute period. At a lower dose (8 mg/kg), which was ineffective in prolonging the bleeding time, pyridinolcarbamate partially inhibited the shortening of the bleeding time that follows the administration of epinephrine. Intravenous polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), 750 mg/kg, caused a sustained prolongation of the bleeding time, lasting more than three hours.
Effect of Dietary Calcium Levels on Production and Reversal of Experimental Osteoporosis in Cats.

SummaryExperiments on adult female cats have demonstrated, as measured by roentgenographic appearance, microradio-graphic data, and tetracycline labeling, the influence of dietary levels of calcium on the structure of bone. It is shown that a low-calcium diet will produce osteoporosis in the adult cat and that this can be reversed by a high-calcium diet.
Evidence that D1 processing is required for manganese binding and extrinsic protein assembly into photosystem II.

Photosystem II (PSII) is a large membrane protein complex that catalyzes oxidation of water to molecular oxygen. During its normal function, PSII is damaged and frequently turned over. The maturation of the D1 protein, a key component in PSII, is a critical step in PSII biogenesis. The precursor form of D1 (pD1) contains a C-terminal extension, which is removed by the protease CtpA to yield PSII complexes with oxygen evolution activity. To determine the temporal position of D1 processing in the PSII assembly pathway, PSII complexes containing only pD1 were isolated from a CtpA-deficient strain of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis 6803. Although membranes from the mutant cell had nearly 50% manganese, no manganese was detected in isolated ΔctpAHT3 PSII, indicating a severely decreased manganese affinity. However, chlorophyll fluorescence decay kinetics after a single saturating flash suggested that the donor YZ was accessible to exogenous Mn2+ ions. Furthermore, the extrinsic proteins PsbO, PsbU, and PsbV were not present in PSII isolated from this mutant. However, PsbO and PsbV were present in mutant membranes, but the amount of PsbV protein was consistently less in the mutant membranes compared with the control membranes. We conclude that D1 processing precedes manganese binding and assembly of the extrinsic proteins into PSII. Interestingly, the Psb27 protein was found to be more abundant in ΔctpAHT3 PSII than in HT3 PSII, suggesting a possible role of Psb27 as an assembly factor during PSII biogenesis.
Color balancing for change detection in multitemporal images

Automatic color balancing approaches for different applications have been studied by different research communities in the past decade. However, in this paper we address color balancing for the purpose of change detection. Images of a scene taken at different times may have variations in lighting and structural content. For such multitemporal images, an ideal color correction approach should be effective at transferring the color palette of the source image to the target image for the unchanged areas while being able to transfer the global color characteristics for the changed area without creating visual artifacts. Towards this goal, we propose a new local color balancing approach that uses adaptive windowing. We evaluated the proposed method against other state-of-the-art ones using a database consisting of aerial image pairs. The test image pairs were taken at different times, under different lighting conditions, and with different scene geometries and camera positions. On this database, our proposed approach outperformed other state-of-the-art algorithms.
Phase Behavior and Ionic Conductivity of Concentrated Solutions of Polystyrene-Poly(ethylene oxide) Diblock Copolymers in an Ionic Liquid

Concentrated solutions of poly(styrene-b-ethylene oxide) (PS-PEO) diblock copolymers were prepared using the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide [EMI][TFSI] as the solvent. The self-assembled microstructures adopted by the copolymer solutions have been characterized using small-angle X-ray scattering. Lyotropic mesophase transitions were observed, with a progression from hexagonally packed cylinders of PEO, to lamellae, to hexagonally packed cylinders of PS upon increasing [EMI][TFSI] content. The change in lamellar domain spacing with ionic liquid concentration was found to be comparable to that reported for other block copolymers in strongly selective solvents. The ionic conductivity of the concentrated PS-PEO/[EMI][TFSI] solutions was measured via impedance spectroscopy, and ranged from 1 × 10−7 to 1 × 10−3 S/cm at temperatures from 25 − 100 °C. Additionally, the ionic conductivity of the solutions was found to increase with both ionic liquid concentration and mol...
An assessment of attitudes toward police education needs

Certainly the results of this study are not conclusive evidence that the majority of individuals in Michigan, or nationwide, recognize and support the need for higher education for police or its mandatory implementation. However, the results do illustrate support for improving the quality and effectiveness of the police through higher education. They also depict a strong consensus for implementing a two year higher education requirement for police as a possible means for expediting that improvement.
Hydrogen rearrangements of ionized propanoic acid and isomeric ions

Ionized propanoic acid and its enol isomer lose H˙ in both normal and metastable decompositions. These C3H6O2 ions lose their distinctness prior to undergoing metastable decomposition in the mass spectrometer. Deuterium labeling indicated that this results from the transfer of a β-hydrogen to oxygen in the propanoic acid ion followed by rapid exchange of hydrogen and deuteriums between the α- and β-carbons and slower exchange between the carbons and the oxygens. 3- and 5-Membered ring hydrogen rearrangements are preferred over 4-membered ring transfers. It is concluded that 1,2-hydrogen shifts following removal of hydrogen from alkyl chains may sometimes cause site-specific hydrogen rearrangements to appear non-site specific.
Household Income and Preschool Attendance in China

This article draws upon the literature showing the benefits of high-quality preschools on child well-being to explore the role of household income on preschool attendance for a cohort of 3- to 6-year-olds in China using data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey, 1991–2006. Analyses are conducted separately for rural (N = 1,791) and urban (N = 633) settings. Estimates from a probit model with rich controls suggest a positive association between household income per capita and preschool attendance in both settings. A household fixed-effects model, conducted only on the rural sample, finds results similar to, although smaller than, those from the probit estimates. Policy recommendations are discussed.
Optical phase modulator utilizing a transparent piezofilm for use with the extrinsic fiber interferometer

A piezoelectric polyvinylidene fluoride (PVF2) film with transparent indium tin oxide electrode metallization is placed directly in the path of a single mode fiber output to form an extrinsic optical interferometer. This device can be used concurrently with another extrinsic interferometer on a fiber directional coupler to generate a carrier phase modulation on which the signal phase shift is superimposed. Experimental results of the induced phase shifting coefficient are presented for two arrangements of the piezofilm differing in their boundary clamping conditions.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Comparison of efficacy of longest, average, and shortest axial length measurements with a solid-tip ultrasound probe in predicting intraocular lens power

The accuracy of intraocular lens power predictions was calculated for 93 eyes using the shortest, average, and longest of multiple solid-tip probe ultrasound axial length readings for each eye. Averaging the readings reduced the effect of corneal indentation. The single longest and average readings gave comparable results.
Reaction of t-C4H9 · with HI: possible negative activation energies

Abstract It has recently been reported that the reaction between t-butylradicals and HI (reaction 1) has a negative activation energy, in contrast to previous data showing a positive temperature dependence as expected for a simple metathesis reaction. These disagreeing data result in a 2.4 kcal mol −1 difference in the determined heat of formation for the t-butyl radical at 298 K. We describe a two channel RRKM calculation that models reaction 1 as a chemical activation step involving at t-Bu·IH collision complex, which rationalizes these recent results. Based on this model a negative kinetic isotope effect (i.e. k H / k D
Quine’s Empirical Assumptions

Perhaps the clearest and most explicit development of what appears to be a narrowly Humean theory of language acquisition in recent philosophy is that of Quine, in the introductory chapters to his Word and Object.1 If the Humean theory is roughly accurate, then a person’s knowledge of language should be representable as a network of linguistic forms — let us say, to first approximation, sentences — associated with one another and, in part, associated to certain stimulus conditions. This formulation Quine presents as, I take it, a factual assertion. Thus he states that our “theories” — whether “deliberate”, as chemistry, or “second nature”, as “the immemorial doctrine of ordinary enduring middle-sized objects” — can each be characterized as “a fabric of sentences variously associated to one another and to non-verbal stimuli by the mechanism of conditioned response” (p. 11). Hence the whole of our knowledge (our total “theory”, in this sense) can be characterized in these terms.
Use of the Death Penalty v. Outrage at Murder Some Additional Evidence and Considerations

In this paper we summarize and analyze Glaser and Zeigler's attempt to empirically examine three explanations of why murder rates have generally been highest in states where capital punishment has been used the most. Examination shows their analysis to suffer from serious meth odological shortcomings. Neither their data nor additional evidence pre sented here lends much support to their conclusion that (1) both frequent use of the death penalty and high murder rates are consequences of a low valuation of life and (2) homicide rates can be reduced by abolition of the death penalty.
Efficient Iterative Methods Applied to the Solution of Transonic Flows

We investigate the use of an inexact Newton's method to solve the potential equations in the transonic regime. As a test case, we solve the two-dimensional steady transonic small disturbance equation. Approximate factorization/ADI techniques have traditionally been employed for implicit solutions of this nonlinear equation. Instead, we apply Newton's method using an exact analytical determination of the Jacobian with preconditioned conjugate gradient-like iterative solvers for solution of the linear systems in each Newton iteration. Two iterative solvers are tested; a block s-step version of the classical Orthomin(k) algorithm called orthogonal s-step Orthomin (OSOmin) and the well-known GMRES method. The preconditioner is a vectorizable and parallelizable version of incomplete LU (ILU) factorization. Efficiency of the Newton?Iterative method on vector and parallel computer architectures is the main issue addressed. In vectorized tests on a single processor of the Cray C-90, the performance of Newton?OSOmin is superior to Newton?GMRES and a more traditional monotone AF/ADI method (MAF) for a variety of transonic Mach numbers and mesh sizes. Newton?GMRES is superior to MAF for some cases. The parallel performance of the Newton method is also found to be very good on multiple processors of the Cray C-90 and on the massively parallel thinking machine CM-5, where very fast execution rates (up to 9 Gflops) are found for large problems.
Combination treatment of PKD utilizing dual inhibition of EGF-receptor activity and ligand bioavailability.

Combination treatment of PKD utilizing dual inhibition of EGF-receptor activity and ligand bioavailability. Background We have previously demonstrated an essential role for increased epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) activity in mediating renal cyst formation and biliary ductal ectasia (BDE) in murine models of autosomal-recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD) such as the BPK mouse. The current study was designed to determine ( 1 ) if treatment with a second-generation inhibitor of EGFR tyrosine kinase activity, EKB-569, was effective in treatment of ARPKD; ( 2 ) if tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy used in combination with pharmacologic reduction of the availability of transforming growth factor-α (TGF-α), using WTACE2, could provide improved therapeutic efficacy and/or decrease potential toxicity; and ( 3 ) if effectiveness of treatment could be monitored noninvasively in murine ARPKD models by use of serial ultrasonography. Methods BPK litters were treated with EKB-569 by intraperitoneal injection from postnatal day 7 to postnatal day 21. EKB-569's effectiveness alone or in combination with WTACE2 was measured by reduction in kidney weight/body weight ratios, morphometric renal cystic index, and evaluation of renal function. Renal ultrasound was performed on normal and cystic animals, under different therapeutic regimens, utilizing a 15mHz linear array transducer, and ultrasound data were compared with histology and renal functional data. Results Treatment of BPK mice with EKB-569 alone resulted in a marked reduction of kidney weight/body weight ratios, dramatically reduced collecting tubule cystic index, as well as BDE, and improved renal function. The combined treatment with EKB-569 and WTACE2 permitted a 67% reduction in EKB-569 dosage necessary to achieve results equivalent to those produced with EKB-569 alone. Untreated cystic animals died of renal failure, on average, at postnatal day 24 with a collecting tubule cystic index of 4.8, significant BDE, and maximal urine osmolarity of 361mOsm. Cystic animals treated with EKB-569 and WTACE2 to postnatal day 21 were alive and well with normal renal function, a reduced collecting tubule cystic index of 1.7 ( P P Conclusion This study demonstrates that in murine ARPKD ( 1 ) EKB-569 is as effective as first-generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors in reducing cyst formation and preserving renal function; ( 2 ) combination therapy with EKB-569 and WTACE2 provides maximum efficacy in improving renal and biliary abnormalities, at lower doses, thereby minimizing potential toxicity; and ( 3 ) renal ultrasound provides a simple, reliable, noninvasive method of following natural history and effect of treatment regimens.