cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Self-assembly of purified polyomavirus capsid protein VP1

The polyomavirus major capsid protein VP1, purified after expression of the recombinant gene in E. coli, was isolated as oligomers resembling the dissociated capsomeres derived from viral capsids. Image analysis of low-dose electron micrographs demonstrates that these VP1 oligomers are exclusively pentamers. The purified VP1 pentamers associated to form capsid-like assemblies and polymorphic aggregates at high ionic strength. The capsid-like assemblies were stabilized at low ionic strength by the addition of calcium. Self-assembly of the unmodified, recombinant DNA-generated VP1 implies that the posttranslational charge modifications of VP1 and the minor virion protein components, VP2 and VP3, are not essential for capsid formation. The nonequivalently related subunits of the penta- and hexavalent capsomeres therefore must spontaneously switch their bonding specificity during assembly.
Glutathione-linked detoxification pathway in normal and malignant human bladder tissue.

This study compares the levels of glutathione (GSH) and GSH-dependent detoxification enzymes, which have been implicated in anti-cancer drug resistance, in paired normal and malignant human bladder tissues, a tumor with high incidence of inherent drug resistance. Although the mean GSH transferase (GST) activity did not differ significantly in normal and neoplastic bladder tissues, this enzyme activity was relatively higher in tumor tissues of five out of ten patients as compared with corresponding normal tissues. Similarly, the mean GSH content and GSH reductase activity did not differ significantly between normal and neoplastic bladder tissues. On the other hand, the mean GSH peroxidase activity towards cumene hydroperoxide and catalase activity in bladder tumors was higher by about 1.5 and 1.4 times, respectively (P < 0.05), compared with those of normal tissues. GST isoenzymes corresponding to the three major classes (α, μ and π) were expressed in every normal bladder tissue examined in the present study. Overexpression of GST π was observed in 60% of the bladder tumors, whereas α and μ type GST proteins in tumor tissues were lower at frequencies of 62.5% and 37.5%, respectively, compared with the corresponding normal tissues. These results suggest that (a) elevated levels of GSH peroxidase, catalase and GST π in human bladder tumors may contribute, at least in part, to the intrinsic drug resistance of this neoplasm and (b) anti-oxidative enzymes GSH peroxidase and/or catalase may represent markers for this neoplasia, although a large number of tissue specimens must be analyzed to validate this hypothesis.
The Evolution of International Indigenous Rights in the Inter-American Human Rights System

Indigenous communities in the Western hemisphere are increasingly relying on international law and international fora for enforcement of their human rights. When there are no domestic laws that recognise indigenous rights, or such laws exist but there is no political will to enforce them, indigenous peoples in the Americas may turn to the Inter-American human rights system. Consequently, the InterAmerican Court of Human Rights and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights have developed a progressive case law in this area. In 2005 and 2006, the Inter-American Court decided seminal indigenous ancestral land rights cases and a political rights case. This article analyses these cases and the previous jurisprudence and decisions on indigenous rights in the Inter-American system.
Picturing change: Mohsen Makhmalbaf's Kandahar

Si l'Afghanistan est (a ete) un pays sans image(s), un pays represente dans les medias etrangers uniquement a travers le realisme aride des statistiques et des reportages de presse, qu'en est-il de la possibilite du film du cineaste afghan Mohsen Makhmalbaf - Kandahar - pour reveler un autre visage de l'Afghanistan ? Une representation qui, selon le projet du cineaste, devrait reveler visuellement l'injustice sociale et la souffrance du peuple afghan, dans l'espoir que cette revelation pourrait contribuer au changement social. Selon l'A., si l'on juge Kandahar d'apres la beaute de ses images, Makhmalbaf ouvre peut-etre vers d'autres horizons que celui aride du realisme, par contre si on l'apprehende dans son projet sociologique, son film, sans histoire, sans la force des voix qui vous hantent, n'atteint pas son objectif et risque rapidement d'etre mis de cote
Origin of Synchronized Low-Frequency Blood Oxygen Level–Dependent Fluctuations in the Primary Visual Cortex

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Low-frequency ( MATERIALS AND METHODS: 3T recordings of BOLD signal intensity in the primary visual cortex were obtained in response to visual stimuli presented at varying temporal frequencies to determine which stimulus frequencies were successfully transmitted to BOLD signal intensity. Additional BOLD time series recordings were performed in a resting state and during natural visual stimulation, and frequencies comprising BOLD fluctuations were measured. Magnetoencephalographic (MEG) time series recordings were obtained in a resting state to measure which components of MEG signal intensity best correlated in frequency distribution to observed BOLD fluctuations. RESULTS: Visually driven oscillations in BOLD signal intensity were observed up to 0.2 Hz, representing a mismatch between low-pass filter properties of neurovascular coupling and observed frequencies of spontaneous BOLD fluctuations, which are 0.2 Hz resulted in frequency-dependent increases in mean BOLD response. Amplitude modulation of high-frequency neural activity was measured in MEG time series data, which demonstrated 1/frequency distribution with the greatest power comprising frequencies CONCLUSION: Synchronized low-frequency BOLD fluctuations likely arise from a combination of vascular low-pass filtering and low-frequency amplitude modulation of neural activity.
Response of the Lower Respiratory Tract to Injury: Mechanisms of Repair of the Parenchymal Cells of the Alveolar Wall

Although the lower respiratory tract is frequently exposed to injurious agents, the lung does possess some ability to effect repair and thus restore the damaged alveolar wall to normal; however, in some circumstances, normal repair is not possible. The result is often a markedly deranged alveolus, with improper proportions of epithelial cells (eg, relatively more cuboidal type-2-like cells), a loss of endothelial cells or migration of endothelial cells into improper locations, and a proliferation of interstitial fibroblasts with an accompanying deposition of a collagenous extracellular matrix (ie, fibrosis). Although the development of "fibrosis" is frequently thought to be a form of attempted "repair" of an injured alveolar wall, this concept is not clearly established; it is possible that the expansion of fibroblastic numbers in the alveolar wall is part of the disease process itself, resulting from alveolar macrophagic activation, rather than an attempt by the macrophage to "repair" an injured alveolar wall. Thus, it is not known if the development of fibrosis represents "healing" and thus is beneficial (as a localized scar "heals" a localized incision in the skin) or whether it represents part of the disease process itself. The distinction is important, as it is unclear whether therapy should be directed against the development of fibrosis per se. If fibroblastic expansion and deposition of the connective tissue products of these fibroblasts are a useful form of repair, prevention of this process may cause future loss of pulmonary function. Alternatively, if "fibrosis" compromises pulmonary function (particularly decreased compliance), prevention of fibrosis might be beneficial. It is apparent, therefore, that what is needed is an understanding of the processes that lead to alveolar parenchymal cellular repair and how such processes might be manipulated for the benefit of the patient.
Analysis of cellular senescence through detection and assessment of RNAs and proteins important to gene expression: transfer RNAs and autoimmune antigens.

Gene expression is altered in Werner’s syndrome (Salk, 1982). Investigation of how, when, and where these alterations occur requires fundamental understanding of the regulation of genes in normal states--during development and aging--and in diseased organisms. Unfortunately, much of this information is lacking; therefore, only specific aspects of gene expression in Werner’s syndrome can be compared to the normal counterpart with any real understanding. However, newly designed tools in biochemistry and immunology have opened areas of investigation previously unaccessible.
Automatic construction of assembly partial-order graphs

A system is presented which automatically constructs an assembly partial-order graph from an object-oriented model describing parts and their connections. The construction is based on the principle of assembly by disassembly and on assembly heuristics representing criteria for preferred subassemblies. The system first identifies disassemblable parts and subassemblies by reasoning geometric and physical constraints as well as resource requirements, and then assigns preference to the identified disassembly options based on assembly heuristics. The recursive application of this process to the selected disassemblies results in a hierarchical partial-order graph (HPOG). The HPOG not only specifies the required precedence in part assembly but also provides parallelism for implementing multiple-robot distributed and cooperative assembly. The software is organized under the cooperative-problem-solving paradigm. >
Glypican-3 expression in gastrointestinal and pancreatic epithelial neoplasms

Glypican-3 (GPC3) is a plasma membrane-bound proteoglycan that can be overexpressed in certain malignancies but has been particularly linked to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). GPC3 is currently used as an immunohistochemical marker for HCC, but its expression in epithelial neoplasms of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and pancreas, a common source of liver metastasis, has not been studied in detail. In this study, we examined GPC3 immunoreactivity in 98 neoplasms of the GI tract including 30 adenocarcinomas (ADCA), 29 squamous cell carcinomas (esophageal and anal), and 39 neuroendocrine carcinomas, and 60 neoplasms of the pancreas including 22 ADCA, 26 pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms, and 12 pancreatic acinar cell carcinomas. Two control groups of 32 HCCs and 16 intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas were also stained with GPC3. Although most (7/12, 58.5%) acinar cell carcinomas were GPC3 positive, pancreatic ADCA and neuroendocrine neoplasms were GPC3 negative. In addition, 27.5%, (8/29) of squamous cell carcinomas, 20% (6/30) of ADCA, and 2.5% (1/39) of neuroendocrine carcinomas of the GI tract were immunoreactive for GPC3. HCC was positive for GPC3 in 75% (24/32) of cases but cholangiocarcinoma was negative. While significant correlation between GPC3 positivity and poor differentiation was observed in HCC only, GPC3 expression did not correlate with tumor size. In conclusion, 14% of GI tract and pancreatic carcinomas/neoplasms (particularly pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma) can express GPC3 by immunohistochemistry. As these tumors commonly metastasize to the liver, this offers a potential pitfall in differentiating between HCC and metastatic carcinoma when evaluating tumors involving the liver.
Mold release agents. I. Fatty acids and selected fluorinated compounds as releasants for polyurethane from cold rolled steel

The effect of saturated aliphatic fatty acids and a number of fluorinated polar organic compounds on the release of polyurethane foam from cold rolled steel has been investigated. Little release was observed with aliphatic acids of less than 10 carbons or with the organic compounds. Release behavior increased with aliphatic chain length from C12 to C18. Stearic acid release increased only marginally above 0.034 μ g/cm2. Infrared studies of demolded eluted surfaces indicated that stcaric acid at levels of up to 178 μ g/cm2 was apparently removed from the surface by foam.
Extracellular matrix alters PDGF regulation of fibroblast integrins

Extracellular matrix (ECM) and growth factors are potent regulators of cell phenotype. These biological mediators of cellular responses are potentially interactive and as such could drive cells through progressive phenotypes to create new tissue as in morphogenesis and wound repair. In fact, ECM composition changes during tissue formation accompanied by alterations in cell growth and migration. How alterations in the ECM regulate cell activities is poorly defined. To address this question in wound repair, we cultured normal human dermal skin fibroblasts in relaxed collagen gels, fibronectin-rich cultures or stressed fibrin gels, and stressed collagen gels to model normal dermis, early wound provisional matrix, and late granulation tissue, respectively. Integrin subunits, alpha 2, alpha 3, and alpha 5, that define receptor specificity for collagen and provisional matrix, respectively, were measured at mRNA steady-state level before and after stimulation with platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB), a potent mitogen and chemoattractant for fibroblasts. Fibronectin-rich cultures and fibrin gels supported PDGF-BB induction of alpha 3 and alpha 5 mRNA. In contrast, both stressed and relaxed collagen attenuated these responses while promoting maximal alpha 2 mRNA expression. Posttranscriptional regulation was an important mechanism in this differential response. Together PDGF-BB and collagen gels promoted alpha 2, but not alpha 3 and alpha 5, mRNA stability. Conversely, when fibroblasts were in fibronectin-rich cultures, PDGF-BB promoted alpha 3 and alpha 5, but not alpha 2, mRNA stability. We suggest that ECM alterations during wound healing or any new tissue formation cause cells to respond differently to repeated growth factor stimuli. An ordered progression of cell phenotypes results, ultimately consummating tissue repair or morphogenesis.
Efficacy of Sulfonylureas with Insulin in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

BACKGROUND:In subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus, glycemic control deteroriates while patients use sulfonylurea drugs during the course of the disease. Adjunctive therapy with insulin at this stage requires a lesser daily insulin dose in comparison with insulin monotherapy while restoring desirable glycemic control. However, data regarding direct comparison between various sulfonylureas in this regard are lacking.OBJECTIVE:To examine comparative efficacies of adjunctive therapy with insulin in subjects with type 2 diabetes manifesting lapse of glycemic control while receiving various individual sulfonylurea drugs.METHODS:Four groups of 10 subjects, each presenting with glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1C) >8.0% while using either tolazamide, glyburide, glipizide Gastrointestinal Therapeutic System (GITS), or glimepiride, were recruited. Two from each group were randomized to receive placebo; the others continued the same drug. Pre-supper subcutaneous 70 NPH/30 regular insulin was initiated at 10 units and ...
Hamiltonian lifts and optimal trajectories

The Pontryagin maximum principle says that, if gamma is a boundary trajectory of a control system Sigma , then gamma is a projection of a particular kind of trajectory-a Hamiltonian-minimizing trajectory-of another kind of system, the Hamiltonian lift of Sigma . This point of view is useful to prove regularity theorems for optimal trajectories. The author illustrates this by describing some of these theorems, and proving one of them in detail. >
GENDER AND ADOLESCENT RELATIONSHIP VIOLENCE: A CONTEXTUAL EXAMINATION*

A growing body of research examines the problem of adolescent dating violence. In these studies, fairly high rates of female-to-male violence have been documented, leading to considerable debate about the role of gender in dating and other partner violence. Drawing from a broader qualitative study of violence in the lives of African-American youths from a distressed urban community, we weigh in on this debate by providing a contextual examination of the nature, circumstances, and meanings of adolescent dating violence. Our research shows that the meanings and consequences of girls ‘violence are strikingly different than those of boys’, and that both are grounded in gender inequalities. We conclude by discussing the significance of these findings for both feminist and general research on dating violence.
EFFECT OF VACUUM AND MIXING TIME ON THE EXTRACTABILITY AND FUNCTIONALITY OF PRE AND POSTRIGOR BEEF

This experiment was designed to determine the effects of vacuum mixing and rigor state on protein extraction and functionality of beef. Beef muscles excised either pre- or postrigor from cow chucks, were ground. The pre- or postrigor ground mince with Weber-Edsall solution was mixed using 3 different mixing times in a Keebler mixer. Either vacuum or no vacuum was utilized during mixing. Following mixing, a procedure to precipitate crude myosin (CM) from each treatment was performed. Results indicate that significantly greater amounts of CM were obtained due to vacuum treatment (P < 0.05) and with increased time of mixing (P < 0.01). Comparing pre- and postrigor vacuum mixed meat, the former produced greater CM yields over time (P < 0.01). Protein functionality of CM fractions was evaluated using binding ability and least concentration gel tests. Mixing time caused a linear decrease in binding ability (P < 0.05) and an increase in the amount of protein to form a gel, irrespective of vacuum. Delineation of the functionality differences was attempted using or-helical content, thermal melting curves, and SDS-PAGE. Implication of effects of vacuum mixing duration in relation to processed meats is discussed.
Microbiological profile and antimicrobial susceptibility in surgical site infections following hollow viscus injury.

Introduction The purpose of this study was to assess the microbiological profile, antimicrobial susceptibility, and adequacy of the empiric antibiotic therapy in surgical site infections (SSI) following traumatic hollow viscus injury (HVI).
Discrete Mathematics assessment using learning objectives based on Bloom's taxonomy

We have developed grading criteria using learning objectives inspired by Bloom's taxonomy for a two-course Discrete Mathematics sequence. For each topic in the courses we developed a hierarchy of learning objectives where the lower-level objectives correspond to the lower levels of Bloom's taxonomy and the higher-level learning objectives require deeper understanding as in the higher levels of Bloom's taxonomy. The grading system was designed to directly link a student's level of comprehension to his or her grade while maintaining the structure of a more traditional course. The grading system clarifies course expectations, helps students to see clearly where they need improvement, and assesses student's total achievement rather than their rate of achievement. Students are evaluated based on their progress with the learning objectives, primarily through quizzes and exams. Because traditional quizzes and exams are used, the assessment method can be implemented without affecting other instructional strategies. We discuss the benefits and challenges of this system along with modifications that help to address some of the challenges we experienced.
Shadows and soft shadows with participating media using splatting

This paper describes an efficient algorithm to model the light attenuation due to a participating media with low albedo. Here, we consider the light attenuation along a ray, as well as the light attenuation emanating from a surface. The light attenuation is modeled using a splatting volume renderer for both the viewer and the light source. During the rendering, a 2D shadow buffer accumulates the light attenuation. We first summarize the basic shadow algorithm using splatting. Then, an extension of the basic shadow algorithm for projective textured light sources is described. The main part of this paper is an analytic soft shadow algorithm based on convolution techniques. We describe and discuss the soft shadow algorithm, and generate soft shadows, including umbra and penumbra, for extended light sources.
A 44-GHz SiGe BiCMOS Phase-Shifting Sub-Harmonic Up-Converter for Phased-Array Transmitters

A compact 44-GHz phase-shifting direct up-conversion transmitter for phased-array transmitters, based on a doubled local oscillator (LO) phase-shifting approach, is fabricated in a 0.18-?m silicon germanium BiCMOS process. The upconverter includes a frequency doubler, an LO phase shifter, double balanced mixers, and an output driver. The upconverter has a conversion gain of 18 dB and continuous 360° phase shift with a baseband in-phase/quadrature bandwidth of 1 GHz. Its maximum RF output power is -1.7 dBm in a 50-? load with a total current consumption of 180 mA from a 4.4-V power supply. The active area is 940 × 700 ?m2.
Dynamic reconfiguration for shipboard power system using multi-agent system

Survivability and reliability are critical for the operation of shipboard power system both in normal and damage conditions. This paper presents a novel dynamic reconfiguration approach for shipboard power system by using multi-agent system. With the similar topology of the shipboard power system, the multi-agent system is generalized to constraint satisfaction problem (CSP). The environment- reactive rules-agents (ERA) approach, which is multi-agent oriented, is used to support the organization formation behavior in dynamic reconfiguration. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is illustrated by test results in a reduced shipboard power system.
HIV risk in a group of educated urban Black African women in South Africa: Private accounts of gendered power dynamics:

This study explores HIV risk in a small group of Black African women school teachers in South Africa. We used a two-part questionnaire with inductive thematic analysis to explore their private and personal sexual attitudes, as well as their perceptions of male attitudes about sexuality. Key themes are: a desire for power over personal choices, submission to male control in sexual relationships, HIV concern, and the high value these women place on sexual relationships. Although they understood the mechanisms for HIV transmission and enjoyed a degree of financial independence, some of their efforts to avoid HIV risk in sexual relationships, as well as their efforts to communicate about sexuality, were compromised by gendered power dynamics. The results from this study also highlight some gendered strategies they use to preserve their health and relationships. We conclude that an intersectional approach best addresses the problem of preventing HIV/AIDS within an inflexible post-colonial patriarchal structure.
Tourism and Development

A case study of tourism development in the Smoky Mountain gateway communities of Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and Cherokee, North Carolina, since 1970 was undertaken to evaluate the industry's second- and third-order economic impacts. From a first-order, aggregate perspective the impacts appear beneficial, but from the resident popu lations' perspective the effects are more questionable. While total income and job growth occur, they correspond with other nonimproving social welfare indicators. Thus, tourism, as a tool for development, has limitations and needs to be managed to serve as a more beneficial agent of change.
CT attenuation of unilocular pancreatic cystic lesions to differentiate pseudocysts from mucin-containing cysts.

Context There is extensive overlap among the imaging characteristics of pseudocyst, mucinous cystic neoplasm (MCN) and side branch intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) on CT images. Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of attenuation measurement in differentiating pseudocysts from MCN and IPMN of pancreas on CT images. Patients Seventy-five pathologically proven unilocular pancreatic cysts including 31 pseudocysts, 29 MCN and 15 IPMN imaged with multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) before resection were evaluated. Main outcome measures Attenuation values were measured by conventional region of interest (ROI) method. Design Attenuation values (in Hounsfield unit, HU) were compared between the cyst pathologies. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to obtain the best attenuation threshold between mucin-containing cysts and pseudocysts. Correlation between attenuation values and cyst size was assessed. Results Maximum transaxial diameters of pseudocysts (4.5 cm), MCNs (3.7 cm) and IPMNs (4.0 cm) were comparable (P=0.919). Mean attenuation was 18.9 HU, 13.0 HU and 11.4 HU for pseudocyst, MCNs and IPMNs, respectively. Attenuations were significantly higher in pseudocysts versus mucin-containing (MCN+IPMN) cysts (P=0.001) and comparable between MCNs and IPMNs (P=0.390). ROC curve showed 14.5 HU the best cut-off (accuracy: 73.5%) for differentiating pseudocysts from mucin-containing cysts (P<0.001). Pancreatic cyst attenuation measurement did not significantly correlate with cyst size (r=-0.03, P=0.772). Conclusion Attenuation measurement may help in differentiating pseudocysts from unilocular mucin-containing simple cysts of the pancreas on CT images. Image: Mean and 95%CI of the attenuation in pseudocyst, MCN and IPMN.
Targeting Sp1 transcription factor in prostate cancer therapy

Transcription factors are proteins that regulate gene expression by binding to specific DNA sequences within gene promoter regions. Specificity protein (Sp) family transcription factors play a critical role in various cellular processes and have been shown to be associated with tumorigenesis. The Sp family consists of several members that contain a highly conserved DNA-binding domain composed of three zinc fingers at the C-terminus and serine/threonine- and glutamine- rich transactivation domains at the N-terminal. Sp1 is elevated in several malignancies including prostate cancer and is associated with the prognosis of patients. Sp1, Sp3, and Sp4 regulate a variety of cancer associated genes that are involved in cell cycle, proliferation, cell differentiation, and apoptosis. Studies have shown that in prostate cancer, Sp1 regulates important genes like androgen receptor, TGF-β, c-Met, fatty acid synthase, matrix metalloprotein (MT1-MMP), PSA, and α-integrin. These results highlight the importance of Sp1 in prostate cancer and emphasize the potential therapeutic value of targeting Sp1. Several strategies, including the use of natural and synthetic compounds, have been used to inhibit Sp1 in prostate cancer. These include polyphenol quercetin, betulinic acid, acetyl-11-keto-beta-boswellic acid, tea phenols, isothiocyanates, thiazolidinediones, arsenic trioxide, and selenium. This review will describe the association of Sp1 in prostate cancer with a special emphasis on some of the agents tested to target Sp1 for the treatment of this malignancy.
An explicit simulation of tropical cyclones with a triply nested movable mesh primitive equation model: TCM3. Part I: Model description and control experiment

Results from an explicit simulation of tropical cyclones are presented in this study. The numerical model used in the study is the triply nested movable mesh primitive equation model newly developed by the author. It uses the hydrostatic primitive equations with explicit treatment of cloud microphysics. The integration domain is triply nested by a two-way nesting strategy with the two interior meshes being movable following the model tropical cyclone. The model physics are chosen based on the up-to-date developments, including an E-e closure scheme for subgrid-scale vertical turbulent mixing [with E being the turbulent kinetic energy (TKE), and e the TKE dissipation rate]; a modified Monin‐Obukhov scheme for the surface flux calculation, with an option to include the effect of sea spray evaporation; an explicit treatment of mixed-ice phase cloud microphysics; and dissipative heating, which has been found to be important in tropical cyclones. New developments include a new iteration scheme to solve the nonlinear balance equation in s coordinates in the nested-mesh grids, which is used for model initialization; an initialization scheme for both TKE and its dissipation rate fields based on a level-2 turbulence closure scheme deduced from the TKE and its dissipation rate equations; and a modified formula for the timescale that determines the rate at which cloud ice converts to snow via the Bergeron process. The success of the multiply nested movable mesh approach and the conservative property of the numerical model is first tested with an experiment in which the model was initialized with an axisymmetric cyclonic vortex embedded in a uniform easterly flow of 5 ms 21 on an f plane, but with no model physics. Results from a control experiment with the full model physics are then discussed in detail to demonstrate the capability of the model in simulating many aspects of the tropical cyclone, especially the inner core structure and both the inner and outer spiral rainbands in the cyclone circulation. The vortex Rossby waves in the simulated tropical cyclone core region are also identified and analyzed. Sensitivity of the model results to various model physics and major physical parameters will be given in a companion paper.
Patients with psychotic disorders in solid-organ transplant.

Background—Psychotic disorders are considered a relative or absolute contraindication to organ transplant, but information about their impact on transplant is limited. Objective—To describe the clinical course of psychotic patients while they were on the waiting list and the outcomes of patients with psychotic disorders undergoing evaluation for organ transplant. Methods—Thirty-eight transplant candidates with a diagnosis of psychotic disorder were analyzed in this descriptive study. The following variables were collected before transplant: demographics, type of transplant, cause of organ failure, medical comorbid conditions, and psychiatric variables (diagnosis, hospitalizations, treatment, substance abuse, family history, suicide attempts). For transplant recipients, the following posttransplant variables were recorded: rejection, toxic effects of medication, nonadherence, psychotic episodes (number, time interval after transplant), and number of hospitalizations. Results—Of the 38 transplant candidates...
A cloud-based approach to big graphs

Data sizes in today’s Big Data age presents a profound scalability challenge to modeling networks as graphs. Historically, memory-based solutions were utilized to cope with high latency incurred by irregular data access common in many natural networks. But current data rates impose both economic and environmental challenges to continually expand the total aggregate system memory to “fit” the graph. Graph scalability has wide-reaching impact since network analysis has expanded beyond its traditional fields into many areas of research including neuroscience, genomics, bioinformatics, and social network analysis. We present a Cloud-based approach that scales with Big Data while being fault-tolerant, applying it on the largest problem size in the Graph500 benchmark to traverse a Petabyte graph consisting of over 4 trillion vertices and 70 trillion edges, a size nearly twenty times the physical memory capacity of our computing platform.
Supply Side Incentives

This chapter considers the relationship between nondiscrimination rules and supply-side incentives to invest in infrastructure. We encountered the issue throughout chapter 6. This chapter frames and evaluates the oft -made claim that government-imposed commons management will significantly impair incentives to invest in infrastructure. The impact of rules requiring nondiscriminatory sharing of infrastructural resources on the supply-side incentives to provide, maintain, and improve those resources is complex, context-specific, and not amenable to generalized, a priori conclusions. Yet policy debates are muddled with assertions about purported effects on incentives; such assertions typically are hyperbole.
Photoperiodic Effects on Performance and Other Traits of Meat Turkeys: A Review

Abstract Production of turkeys and consumption of turkey products has increased dramatically in the United States during the past decade. During this same period, phenomenal changes in growth rates and other performance traits of turkeys have been achieved due to research and adoption of new technology. Studies of the effects of lighting programs on performance levels, leg abnormalities, carcass composition, and behavior of commercial turkeys have indicated that photoperiod may play a significant role in traits of economic importance.
Modifying Risk Factors: Strategies That Work Diabetes Mellitus.

An estimated 29.1 million Americans are currently diagnosed with diabetes, and this number is expected to increase to 48.3 million Americans by 2050. Correspondingly, the present burden of diabetes among patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty is significant and rising. Diabetes as a chronic condition is a well-established risk factor for complication after total joint arthroplasty. A growing body of evidence also indicates that hyperglycemia in the perioperative period, and not the diagnosis of diabetes alone, is similarly associated with increased complication risk. As a result, a coordinated approach to preoperative screening and optimization, combined with judicious perioperative glycemic control, may present an opportunity to improve outcomes, reduce complications, and avoid complication-related costs for patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty.
“You Must Remember This”: Autobiography as Social Critique

Critics often lament a decline in historical literacy and worry about how little Americans know about the past. And yet, in the United States and throughout the world, historical memory has become both a cultural obsession and a powerful political weapon. The people of South Africa, to take just one example, have staked their hopes for reconciliation on the conviction that memories of atrocities must not be erased; the victims' testimony must be heard and acknowledged, and the perpetrators must admit what they have done. At the same time, in Rwanda, in the former Yugoslavia, in Ireland, and elsewhere around the globe, narratives of supposedly ancient grievances and hostilities can justify brutality, knitting people together in "imagined communities" that can exclude and kill, with no sense of guilt. 1
Nitrogen: Not a Dopant in Crystalline Si (C-Si), But an N-Type Dopant in A-Si:H, Why?

We have incorporated N-atoms into hydrogenated amorphous silicon in the Si-rich alloy regime to ~12 at.% N, and have observed a transition from n-type doping to alloying as the concentration of N-atoms is increased above about 5 at.%. By analogy with the local bonding arrangements of P-donors in n-doped a-Si:H, we attribute the doping to four-fold coordinated N-atoms with second neighbor H-atoms as in N+-Si-H linkages. The occurrence of these arrangements is supported by (i) IR studies which indicate a non-statistical association of N and H-atoms bonded to the same Si-atom, and (ii) a chemical bonding model in which the large effective electronegativies of four-fold coordinated N+ atoms and neutral O-atoms promote similar bonding properties with respect to their nearest-neighbor arrangements with Si and H atoms such as N+ (O) -Si-H linkages
Anxiety Symptoms in African American Youth: The Role of Puberty and Biological Sex

This study examined the effects of pubertal status, pubertal timing (actual and perceived), and youth biological sex on symptom dimensions of anxiety (i.e., social, separation, harm avoidance, physical) in African Americans (n = 252; ages 8-12). For girls, results indicated that pubertal status and timing (actual) exerted similar effects for some symptom dimensions of anxiety but not others. Early pubertal timing predicted high levels of physical symptoms, whereas beginning puberty (i.e., no menarche, but either breasts or pubic hair growth) and early pubertal timing predicted high levels of harm avoidance. For boys, only perceived pubertal timing predicted high levels of social, separation, harm avoidance, and physical symptoms. Pubertal effects (status and timing [actual]) on harm avoidance and physical symptoms were stronger for girls than for boys. These findings extend the literature on anxiety in African American youth and may help identify novel, high-risk subgroups of this population for targeted ...
Accessing the Venus Lower Atmosphere and Surface- from Venera and Pioneer Venus to VISE and VITaL

Access to the chemical constituents, and dynamics of the atmosphere and surface of Venus has long been a primary goal and challenge of robotic exploration.
Role of Riparian Areas in Atmospheric Pesticide Deposition and Its Potential Effect on Water Quality

Riparian buffers are known to mitigate hydrologic losses of nutrients and other contaminants as they exit agricultural fields. The vegetation of riparian buffers can also trap atmospheric contaminants, and these pollutants can subsequently be delivered via rain to the riparian buffer floor. These processes, however, are poorly understood especially for pesticide residues. Therefore, we conducted a four-year study examining stemflow and throughfall to a riparian buffer which was adjacent a cultured Zea mays field treated with atrazine and metolachlor. Stemflow is rain contacting the tree canopy traveling down smaller to larger branches and down the tree trunk, whereas throughfall is rain that may or may not contact leaves and branches and reaches the earth. Stemflow concentrations of the herbicides were larger than throughfall concentrations and accounted for 5-15% of the atrazine and 6-66% of the metolachlor depositional fluxes under the canopy. Larger depositional fluxes were measured when leaves were more fully emerged and temperatures and humidity were elevated. Rain collected outside the riparian buffer on the field side and on the back side revealed the trees trapped the herbicide residues. Herbicide loading to the riparian buffer stream was found to be linked to tree canopy deposition and subsequent washoff during rain events. These results indicate that in agricultural areas canopy washoff can be an important source of pesticides to surface waters.
Trimethylamine-N-Oxide, an Intestinal Microbial Metabolite Instigates NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation and Endothelial Dysfunction

Plasma trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), a product of intestinal microbial metabolism of dietary phosphatidylcholine has been recently associated with atherosclerosis and increased risk of cardiovascu...
A decision model for intergenerational life-cycle risk assessment of civil infrastructure exposed to hurricanes under climate change

Abstract Public awareness of civil infrastructure performance has increased considerably in recent years as a result of repeated natural disasters. Risks from natural hazards may increase dramatically in the future, given current patterns of urbanization and population growth in hazard-prone areas. Risk assessments for infrastructure with expected service periods of a century or more are highly uncertain, and there is compelling evidence that climatology will evolve over such intervals. Thus, current natural hazard and risk assessment models, which are based on a presumption of stationarity in hazard occurrence and intensity, may not be adequate to assess the potential risks from hazards occurring in the distant future. This paper addresses two significant intergenerational elements – the potential impact of non-stationarity in hazard due to climate change and intergenerational discounting practices – that are essential to provide an improved decision support framework that accommodates the needs and values of future generations. The framework so developed is tested through two benchmark problems involving buildings exposed to hurricanes.
Building Social Citizenship: Popular Movements in the Dominican Republic, 1992–2014

This chapter explores the role of middle-class-based movements in the process of democratization and the construction of citizenship in the Dominican Republic. It argues that the success and failure of popular movements in the Dominican Republic have been affected by global and local structures of power which have imposed limits on the state’s capacity to respond to demands to expand social citizenship rights. Globalization and the neoliberal reforms of the 1980s contributed to the decline of labor and grassroots movements of the 1990s and facilitated the relative success of middle-class-based movements in pushing the boundaries of social citizenship, foremost among these have been the environmental and the 4 % for Education movements.
Enhancement of Biotreatment Effluent Quality by Illuminated Titanium Dioxide and Membrane Pretreatment of the Kraft Extraction Waste Stream and by Increased Chlorine Dioxide Substitution

Changes in kraft bioeffluent quality were evaluated as a function of increased chlorine dioxide (ClO2) substitution, and ultrafiltration (UF) membrane and heterogeneous photocatalysis (HP) treatment of extraction (E-stage) wastewater prior to aerobic biological treatment. An increase from 10% to 50% ClO2 substitution in the bleaching of softwood produced a more readily biodegradable waste and an improved bioeffluent quality, especially with respect to toxicity and absorbable organic chloride (AOX). All UF-HP treatments of E-stage wastewater from 10% ClO2 substitution resulted in significant improvements in aerobic bioeffluent with regard to all measured parameters. The best physical/chemical product never corresponded to the best final bioeffluent, indicating some important modification of pollutant biodegradability during the membrane/photocatalysis process. Enhanced treatment of E-stage wastewater from 50% ClO2 substitution also resulted in significant improvements in aerobic bioeffluent with regard to total organic carbon (TOC), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and color, moderate improvement of toxicity, but no substantial reduction in AOX.
Surgical management of children with hemoglobinopathies.

Careful preparation for anesthesia and operation is essential for patients with sickle hemoglobinopathy to reduce the hazard of inducing sickle crisis as a result of microvascular plugging by the sickle erythrocytes. Modern transfusion therapy administered over several weeks prior to the operation not only corrects the chronic anemia, but suppresses erythropoiesis of cells containing Hb S from the patient's bone marrow, leaving a majority of cells containing hemoglobin A, and providing a “safety net” in case a sickle-inducing insult does occur.
Initial Steps in Training the Public about Bleeding Control: Surgeon Participation and Evaluation

Background With increasing active shooter and intentional mass casualty events, as well as everyday injuries resulting in severe bleeding, there have been calls for the public to learn bleeding control techniques. The aims of this project were to offer bleeding control training to surgeons attending the Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons (ACS), to determine if the trained surgeons believe that teaching bleeding control to the public should be a priority of the ACS, and to assess the surgeon trainees' perceptions regarding the appropriateness of the course for a public audience. Study Design This was an educational program with a post-course evaluation to determine if the bleeding control course is appropriate for a public audience. Results Three hundred forty-one surgeons were trained. All were trained and successfully performed a return demonstration. Regarding perceptions of the participating surgeons that teaching bleeding control to the public should be a priority of the ACS, 93.79% of the 322 surgeons responding indicated agreement with this proposition. Regarding whether or not the training was at an appropriate level of difficulty for the public, 93.13% of the 320 respondents to this item agreed that it was appropriate. Conclusions The surgeons who were trained were very much in favor of making training the public a priority of the ACS. With additional training of surgeons and other health care professionals as trainers, and the engagement of the public, the goal of having a citizenry prepared to stop bleeding can be achieved.
Traditional Practices, New Possibilities: Transforming Dominant Images of Early Childhood Teachers:

In the early childhood literature good early childhood teaching is often reduced to the dominant stereotype of the sensitive, nurturing, and child-centred developmentally appropriate educator. Crit...
State Growth Management and Urban Sprawl Reduction: Lessons from Florida

AbstractSeveral U.S. states have used state growth management regulations for many years to try to reduce urban sprawl. Although these regulations can theoretically reduce sprawl, there is very lit...
Free Speech Tensions: Responding to Bias on College and University Campuses

Despite the increasing development of bias response teams on college and university campuses, little scholarship has examined these teams and, in particular, team leaders’ approaches to understandi...
Τhe Revolt of Kaunos and the Assassination of Zopyros

The revolt from Athens probably occurred in 429/8, and internal divisions at Kaunos led to a surrender attempt which was foiled by the killing of Athens’ proxy Zopyros.
Dermal and Subcutaneous Growths

This chapter deals with nodular and cystic “lumps” in the skin ( Table 7.1 ). With the exception of lipomas, the lesions are located in the dermis, often with no alteration in the overlying epidermis. For many patients, common lesions, such as epidermal inclusion cysts, small angiomas, dermatofibromas, and lipomas, are not troubling and are not brought to the attention of a physician. However, these lesions are often found during routine physical examinations, and it is important to be able to distinguish them from malignant dermal growths. The usual question asked by patients who present with a “lump” in the skin is: “Is it cancer?” This concern is appropriate and must always be addressed.
Aquatic Invertebrate Endocrine Disruption

In recent years, a new field of scientific inquiry, commonly referred to as endocrine disruption, has emerged against the backdrop of numerous reports on disrupted endocrine functions in various groups of vertebrates. Invertebrates, constituting the vast majority of known animal species, have received considerable research attention to the possibility that environmental chemicals can also disrupt endocrine processes underlying growth, development, and reproduction. Additionally, the effects of environmental pollution on behavior, especially those mediated by exocrine or pheromone signaling, in invertebrates have also attracted some attention from scientists. In aquatic invertebrates, most recent reports express concerns over the effects of organic pollutants on endocrine or endocrine-like functions in cnidarians, rotifers, molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms, while information on behavioral disruption is only available for molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. The material presented in this article provides an overview of the current status of research on endocrine and behavioral disruption in these aquatic invertebrates.
TARSKI AND THE METALINGUISTIC LIAR

I offer an interpretation of a familiar, but poorly understood portion of Tarski’s work on truth – bringing to light a number of unnoticed aspects of Tarski’s work. A serious misreading of this part of Tarski to be found in Scott Soames’ Understanding Truth is treated in detail. Soames’reading vies with the textual evidence, and would make Tarski’s position inconsistent in an unsubtle way. I show that Soames does not finally have a coherent interpretation of Tarski. This is unfortunate, since Soames ultimately arrogates to himself a key position that he has denied to Tarski and which is rightfully Tarski’s own.