cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Early Modern Digital Scholarship and DEEP: Database of Early English Playbooks

This paper discusses recent trends in digital resources for early modern literary studies, as well as the implications of these resources for research and scholarship. In addition to comparing the use by scholars of print reference works and online databases, the essay analyzes the recent shift from ‘first-generation’ digital resources, such as the English Short Title Catalogue (ESTC) and Early English Books Online (EEBO), to newer ‘second-generation’ resources like DEEP: Database of Early English Playbooks. Rather than strive for comprehensive coverage of early modern print culture, as ESTC and EEBO do, these ‘second-generation’ sites typically aim for in-depth coverage of a particular kind of text or document. DEEP, for example, is a searchable database of all extant plays printed in England to 1660, while the English Broadside Ballad Archive focuses on sixteenth- and seventeenth-century ballads. This shift in emphasis – from comprehensiveness to specialized subject matter – has resulted in, and been driven by, changes in thinking about the fundamental architecture of the databases, their searchability, and their analytical and editorial principles, all of which have significant ramifications for the type of research they enable.
FINITELY BASED, FINITE SETS OF WORDS

For W a finite set of words, we consider the Rees quotient of a free monoid with respect to the ideal consisting of all words that are not subwords of W. This resulting monoid is denoted by S(W). It is shown that for every finite set of words W, there are sets of words U⊃W and V⊃W such that the identities satisfied by S(V) are finitely based and those of S(U) are not finitely based [regardless of the situation for S(W)]. The first examples of finitely based (not finitely based) aperiodic finite semigroups whose direct product is not finitely based (finitely based) are presented and it is shown that every monoid of the form S(W) with fewer than 9 elements is finitely based and that there is precisely one not finitely based 9 element example.
An analysis of judicial corruption and its causes: An objective governing-based approach

Abstract The economic analysis of corrupt practices has already generated significant theoretical contributions to the literature. But the empirical literature has failed to capture or objectively test the main causes of systemic corruption within the court systems. For example, recent survey-based studies of corrupt practices based on just subjective perceptions of governance factors provide a good example of these limitations. For public policy design purposes, a scientific approach to the study of public sector corruption must be empirically verifiable through objective and subjective indicators if we are to develop reliable anticorruption prescriptions. This Article presents empirical results that fill in the lacunae left by the previous studies. The Article proposes the use of six objective explanatory variables to capture the effects on corrupt practices. This dependent variable is measured in terms of the compatible subjective probabilities of corrupt practices captured through the use of surveys of lawyers, judges, and litigants. The paper later proposes an empirical model that incorporates substantive-procedural, market-related, and organizational explanatory variables tested within the judicial sectors of Argentina, Ecuador, and Venezuela.
STATE TRADING IN TANGANYIKA1

The purpose of this paper is to point out some of the effects of, as well as some of the political reasons for, government intervention into trade in Tanganyika. In so doing, we shall point out: (1) the nature of private trading operations in this country, (2) the political and economic role of co-operatives, and (3) some of the effects of government intervention on the rate of economic growth.
Role of metastasectomy in the management of thyroid carcinoma: the NIH experience.

Background and Objectives We studied the impact of metatasectomy on disease outcome in 29 advanced nonmedullary thyroid carcinoma (ThyrCa) patients who were operated on between 1969 and 2001 at NIH to further define its role in the management of this malignancy. Methods Data were extracted by retrospective chart review. A Kaplan-Meyer survival curve was constructed, and comparative stratification for various parameters was performed. Results During 47 surgeries, the following lesions were resected from mid-mediastinum/hila, 17; lung parenchyma, 12; skeleton, 14; kidneys, 2; and brain, 2. All patients received multiple radioiodine (RAI) treatments. External-beam radiotherapy, chemotherapy and other palliative measures were used in selected patients. Six patients (21%) died within 74.7 ± 54.7 months after the first distant metastasectomy. The outcome of the remaining patients was as follows: complete remission, 3; partial remission, 10; and 10: progressive disease, 10, with a follow-up of 175 patient-years. Metastasectomy led to a decrease of 38% in thyroglobulin levels in 23 patients. Cumulative survival rates were 78.5 ± 8.4% at 5 years and 50.2 ± 12.5% at 10 years (mean ±SEM) after initial distant metastasectomy. Conclusions Our data show that extensive targeted metastasectomy in the setting of a tertiary center can be beneficial to patients with disseminated ThyrCa with persistent or recurrent distant disease, when used in conjunction with nonsurgical treatment modalities. J. Surg. Oncol. 2003;82:10–18. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Mobile code enabled Web services

A primary benefit of Web services is that they provide a uniform implementation-independent mechanism for accessing distributed services. Building and deploying such services do not benefit from the same advantages, however. Different Web services containers are implemented in different programming languages, with different constraints and requirements placed on the programmer. Moreover, client side programmers must use the Web service interface specified by the service developer. Therefore, the kinds of applications and uses for a Web service are unnecessarily restrictive, constrained by the granularity of access defined by the interface and by the characteristics of the service functions. This paper describes an approach that addresses both of these drawbacks by enabling Web service containers with the ability to accept new mobile code on the fly, and to run it within the containers, providing direct local access to the containers' other services. The code can be specified in a small simple language (a subset of C), and translated and passed to the container in a common XML-based intermediate language called X#. This approach effectively removes the dependence on any single implementation environment. Our prototype implementation for two different containers demonstrates the feasibility of the approach, which represents a first step toward write-once deploy-anywhere Web services.
Distribution-valued initial data for the complex ginzburg-landau equation

The generalized complex Ginzburg-Landau (CGL) equation with a nonlinearity of order 2{sigma} + 1 in d spatial dimensions has a unique local classical solution for distributional initial data in the Sobolev space H{sup q} provided that q > d/2 - 1/{sigma}. This result directly corresponds to a theorem for the nonlinear Schroedinger (NLS) equation which has been proved by Cazenave and Weissler in 1990. While the proof in the NLS case relies on Besov space techniques, it is shown here that for the CGL equation, the smoothing properties of the linear semigroup can be eased to obtain an almost optimal result by elementary means. 1 fig.
Plasma amino acid pattern in normal term breast-fed infants.

It seems reasonable that amino acid solutions used for parenteral nutrition should lead to a plasma amino acid pattern that resembles that of the normal, postprandial concentrations of amino acids in breast-fed infants. Previous studies of postprandial plasma amino acid concentrations have been inadequate for several reasons, such as consumption of infant formulas of different composition, inadequate intake of human milk, varying times of postprandial plasma sampling, a wide range of infants studied, and incomplete data sets lacking one or more nutritionally important amino acids? -4 Our study was designed to obtain complete plasma amino acid data for the breast-fed infant. It has been suggested that this normal plasma amino acid pattern represents the optimal pattern for supporting growth, and possibly for estimating repletion of the nutritionally compromised patients. METHODS Subjects were infants of multiparous women 15 to 28 years of age (mean 22.9 years), 20 Hispanic and one black, who met the following entry criteria: mothers of normal nutriture as assessed by using appropriate weight and height charts; term neonates appropriate for age, with normal weight/length ratio using the ponderal index of Miller and HassaneinS; both mothers and infants healthy; informed consent; infants exclusively breast-fed during the first month of life. This study was approved by the Research Committee of the Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center and the USC School of Medicine.
The Efficacy of Fast ForWord Language Intervention in School-Age Children With Language Impairment: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Purpose A randomized controlled trial was conducted to compare the language and auditory processing outcomes of children assigned to receive the Fast ForWord Language intervention (FFW-L) with the ...
Examination of the effect of the polymorphic CGG repeat in the FMR1 gene on cognitive performance.

A CGG repeat sequence located in the 5′ untranslated region of the FMR1 gene is polymorphic with respect to size and stability of the repeat during parent-offspring transmission. When expanded to over 200 repeats, the gene is hypermethylated and silenced, leading to fragile X syndrome (FXS). Recently, alleles with large unmethylated repeat tracts (premutations) have been associated with ovarian failure and a late-onset tremor/ataxia syndrome, symptoms unrelated to FXS. To further investigate the phenotype consequence of high repeat alleles, we have analyzed Wechsler adult intelligence scales-III (WAIS-III) measures on 66 males and 217 females with a wide range of repeat sizes. Among females only, we found that FMR1 repeat size and transcript level significantly explained approximately 4% of the variance in the Verbal IQ summary measure, suggesting that this polymorphism is one of many factors that influence variation in cognitive performance. Because of the well established association of increasing repeat size with decreasing age at menopause, we also investigated the reproductive stage and use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) as a covariate to model verbal intelligence quotient (VIQ). We found that it explained an additional 5% of the variance in VIQ, but did not interact with FMR1 repeat and transcript level.
TURN-TAKING, FINGERSPELLING, AND CONTACT IN SIGNED LANGUAGES

TURN-TAKING, FINGERSPELLING, AND CONTACT IN SIGNED LANGUAGES. Ceil Lucas (Ed.). Washington, DC: Gallaudet University Press, 2002. Pp. ix + 163. $55.00 cloth.The Sociolinguistics in Deaf Communities series published by Gallaudet University Press is, first and foremost, the leading collection of published work dealing explicitly with sociolinguistic issues in Deaf communities around the world. It is also more than this, however. Arguably, the series constitutes the foundation of one of the most exciting and promising areas of contemporary sociolinguistic research writ large. There can be little question that much of the very best work in sociolinguistics in the United States today is being done on issues related to sign language and the Deaf, and this series has provided us with a remarkable number of significant contributions to the general sociolinguistic literature. This volume edited by Ceil Lucas is the most recent publication in this series, and it carries on the impressive tradition of the earlier works in the series.
“Imagine us in the act of reading”: a resistant reading of Reading Lolita in Tehran

This article argues that much discussion of Azar Nafisi’s memoir Reading Lolita in Tehran relies on the desire to essentialize the gendered experience of a citizen (in this case, a citizen of Iran). Nafisi cannot be expected to be the mouthpiece for an entire country and its women, though some scholars criticize her for creating a work that plays to western desires to orientalize Middle Eastern countries in order to rationalize military action. Looking at the most condemnatory criticism from the large body of work about this much-read – and much-maligned – work, this article suggests that scholars and educators need to read the memoir as one woman’s experience, rather than offering it to western readers as a handbook for understanding all things Iranian. The article then looks at the model of resistance advocated by the book – specifically the use of one’s imagination – as a tenable form of opposition for the women protagonists, ultimately arguing that Nafisi is successful at creating a text that offers e...
Expanding AirSTAR capability in an existing avionics design

▸ AirSTARis a UAS designed for flight dynamics and control research ▸ Allows control law injection in-line with internal research pilot commands ▸ Project development in a series of phases • Developed project UAV/RC experience • Developed LaRC policies and procedures ▸ Phase-III utilized a commercial-of-the-shelf (COTS) airframe ▸ Phase-IV flew a 5.5% dynamically scaled generic transport model (GTM) aircraft.
Mean square stability of a rotating shaft under combined harmonic and stochastic excitations

Abstract The dynamic stability of a rotating shaft under parametric excitation consisting of a combination of harmonic terms and stationary stochastic processes is considered. The intensities of both harmonic and stochastic excitations and correlation time of stochastic excitations are assumed to be small in order to obtain approximate analytical results. Explicit stability conditions are derived for the first and second moments of a two-degree-of-freedom rotating shaft. When the stochastic excitation is a white noise excitation, the first moment stability conditions reduce to that of the deterministic case. It is shown that addition of non-white noise excitation has a stabilizing effect on the parametric instability of harmonically excited rotating shafts. Finally, the stability conditions of a symmetric shaft along with their numerical results are presented.
Further family studies on the genetic control of beta 2-glycoprotein I concentration in human serum.

88 families with a total of 213 children were examined for β2-glycoprotein I serum concentrations. In 74 families parents and children had normal concentrations. In 9 families one of the parents and approximately half of the children had intermediate concentrations. These individuals are presumably heterozygous for a deficiency gene BgD. In these families β2-glycoprotein I concentration appears to be controlled by a pair of alleles which are transmitted as autosomal co-dominants. The results in 5 families did not conform to this genetic hypothesis, since children with an intermediate concentration of β2-glycoprotein I were found whose both parents had a normal concentration of this protein. Non-genetic factors may be responsible for phenotypic variations in the different genetic types.
Cortical visual impairment in children: identification, evaluation and diagnosis.

Purpose of reviewCortical visual impairment (CVI) is a major cause of visual loss in children worldwide. The definition of this condition is constantly evolving with respect to definition, identifying those at risk and technology for diagnosis. These advances can be used for early diagnosis, design
N-Methyl-D-aspartate Receptor Subunits Are Non-myosin Targets of Myosin Regulatory Light Chain

Excitatory synapses contain multiple members of the myosin superfamily of molecular motors for which functions have not been assigned. In this study we characterized the molecular determinants of myosin regulatory light chain (RLC) binding to two major subunits of the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NR). Myosin RLC bound to NR subunits in a manner that could be distinguished from the interaction of RLC with the neck region of non-muscle myosin II-B (NMII-B) heavy chain; NR-RLC interactions did not require the addition of magnesium, were maintained in the absence of the fourth EF-hand domain of the light chain, and were sensitive to RLC phosphorylation. Equilibrium fluorescence spectroscopy experiments indicate that the affinity of myosin RLC for NR1 is high (30 nm) in the context of the isolated light chain. Binding was not favored in the context of a recombinant NMII-B subfragment one, indicating that if the RLC is already bound to NMII-B it is unlikely to form a bridge between two binding partners. We report that sequence similarity in the "GXXXR" portion of the incomplete IQ2 motif found in NMII heavy chain isoforms likely contributes to recognition of NR2A as a non-myosin target of the RLC. Using site-directed mutagenesis to disrupt NR2A-RLC binding in intact cells, we find that RLC interactions facilitate trafficking of NR1/NR2A receptors to the cell membrane. We suggest that myosin RLC can adopt target-dependent conformations and that a role for this light chain in protein trafficking may be independent of the myosin II complex.
Analyses of the Microbial Diversity across the Human Microbiome

Analysis of human body microbial diversity is fundamental to understanding community structure, biology and ecology. The National Institutes of Health Human Microbiome Project (HMP) has provided an unprecedented opportunity to examine microbial diversity within and across body habitats and individuals through pyrosequencing-based profiling of 16 S rRNA gene sequences (16 S) from habits of the oral, skin, distal gut, and vaginal body regions from over 200 healthy individuals enabling the application of statistical techniques. In this study, two approaches were applied to elucidate the nature and extent of human microbiome diversity. First, bootstrap and parametric curve fitting techniques were evaluated to estimate the maximum number of unique taxa, Smax, and taxa discovery rate for habitats across individuals. Next, our results demonstrated that the variation of diversity within low abundant taxa across habitats and individuals was not sufficiently quantified with standard ecological diversity indices. This impact from low abundant taxa motivated us to introduce a novel rank-based diversity measure, the Tail statistic, (“τ”), based on the standard deviation of the rank abundance curve if made symmetric by reflection around the most abundant taxon. Due to τ’s greater sensitivity to low abundant taxa, its application to diversity estimation of taxonomic units using taxonomic dependent and independent methods revealed a greater range of values recovered between individuals versus body habitats, and different patterns of diversity within habitats. The greatest range of τ values within and across individuals was found in stool, which also exhibited the most undiscovered taxa. Oral and skin habitats revealed variable diversity patterns, while vaginal habitats were consistently the least diverse. Collectively, these results demonstrate the importance, and motivate the introduction, of several visualization and analysis methods tuned specifically for next-generation sequence data, further revealing that low abundant taxa serve as an important reservoir of genetic diversity in the human microbiome.
Direction-of-arrival estimation of nonstationary signals exploiting signal characteristics

This paper proposes a novel approach for the direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation of nonstationary signals. The proposed technique assumes signals characterized by instantaneous frequency (IF) laws and exploits IF estimates for improved DOA estimation. The focus is on achieving resolved and accurate DOA estimates for weak and closely spaced sources which demonstrate highly nonlinear and closely spaced time-varying IF signatures. The DOA estimation of a particular source is achieved by demodulation or stationarization of its signature and separating it from those of other sources. The source separation relies on the narrowband property of the demodulated signature and leads to improved signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The effectiveness of the proposed technique, in providing robust DOA estimation, is verified by simulation results.
A hybrid LC-Gel-MS method for proteomics research and its application to protease functional pathway mapping.

Abstract Two-dimensional (2D) gel electrophoresis is the most common protein separation method in proteomics research. It can provide high resolution and high sensitivity. However, 2D gel methods have several limitations, such as labor-intensive procedures, poor reproducibility, and limited dynamic range of detection. In fact, many investigators have returned to couple the one-dimensional (1D) SDS-PAGE with mass spectrometry for protein identification. The limitation of this approach is the increased protein complexity in each one-dimensional gel band. To overcome this problem and provide reproducible quantitative information, we describe here a 2D method for protein mixture separation using a combination of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and 1D SDS-PAGE. The study shows that the step-gradient fractionation method we have applied provides excellent reproducibility. In addition, high mass accuracy of LC–FTICR-MS can allow more confident protein identifications by high resolution and ultra-high mass measurement accuracy. This approach was applied to comparative proteomics since protein abundance level changes can be easily visualized with side-by-side vertical comparison in one gel. Furthermore, separation of multi-samples in the same gel significantly reduces run-to-run variation, as is shown with differential image gel electrophoresis (DIGE). Finally, this approach readily incorporates immunological methods to normalize relative abundances of multiple samples within a single gel. This paper presents the results of our developments and our initial application of this strategy for mapping protease function of beta amyloid cleaving enzyme (BACE) in biological systems.
Effect of bilateral 6-OHDA lesions of the substantia nigra on locomotor activity in the rat.

Previous parkinsonian rat models have utilized stereotactic 6-OHDA injections to completely lesion the dopaminergic mesostriatal system on one side. Recently, hemiparkinsonian rat models in which the mesolimbic system is left intact have been developed. The selective, partial lesion models better mimic the neuropathology of human parkinsonism in which there is usually an incomplete destruction of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) and a relative sparing of ventral tegmental area (VTA) cell groups. However, such hemiparkinsonian models which possess dopaminergic asymmetry cannot demonstrate bradykinesia, one of the main symptoms in human parkinsonism. Meanwhile, bilateral lesions of the ascending forebrain dopaminergic system have been reported to induce severe aphagia, adipsia and akinesia. We, therefore, undertook development of a bilateral partial SNpc lesion model which also spares the VTA on both sides. We have investigated spontaneous locomotor activities as well as amphetamine, apomorphine and levodopa induced activities during a subchronic period of up to 27 days after the bilateral lesion. Three activity parameters i.e. horizontal activity, vertical activity and distance analyzed. Spontaneous activity was significantly decreased in animals with extensive (> 80%) SNpc lesions on both sides. Animals with a > 95% lesion were severely aphagia and adipsia. Responses to amphetamine and apomorphine were variable. It is possible that in some cases the bilateral SNpc neurons were not equally damaged, which could cause the enhanced rotational behavior. Bradykinetic rats displayed on the average, a > 20% decline in horizontal activity, a > 40% decline in vertical activity and a > 30% decline in distance traveled after the lesion.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Selective requirement of H2B N-Terminal tail for p14ARF-induced chromatin silencing

The N-terminal tail of histone H2B is believed to be involved in gene silencing, but how it exerts its function remains elusive. Here, we report the biochemical characterization of p14ARF tumor suppressor as a transcriptional repressor that selectively recognizes the unacetylated H2B tails on nucleosomes. The p14ARF-H2B tail interaction is functional, as the antagonistic effect of p14ARF on chromatin transcription is lost upon deletion or acetylation of H2B tails. Gene expression profiling and chromatin immunoprecipitation studies emphasize the significance of H2B deacetylation and p14ARF recruitment in establishing a repressive environment over the cell cycle regulatory genes. Moreover, HDAC1-mediated H2B deacetylation, especially at K20, constitutes an essential step in tethering p14ARF near target promoters. Our results thus reveal a hitherto unknown role of p14ARF in the regulation of chromatin transcription, as well as molecular mechanisms governing the repressive action of p14ARF.
Lactate and succinate oxidoreductases in marine invertebrates

Nineteen species of littoral marine invertebrates, representing Porifera, Cnidaria, Ctenophora, Brachiopoda, Mollusca, and Arthropoda, were studied with respect to the ability of tissue extracts to catalyze the lactate and succinate dehydrogenase reactions in both directions. Pyruvate reductase (PR) activity varied tremendously with species, from 0.014 μmole/min/g of tissue in the etenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi to 145 μ-moles/min in leg muscle of the horseshoe crab Limulus polyphemus, a 10,000-fold range. Lactate dehydrogenase (LD) activity varied from 0.010 in the ctenophore to 2.91 in the squid Loligo pealei, a 300-fold range. The ratio PR/LD, indicating the probability of lactic acid production, was 1,968 in muscle of the flounder, the only vertebrate studied. It was very much lower in all invertebrates; in a brachiopod, Terebratulina septentrionalis, the ratio was only 0.68. Fumarate reductase (FR) and succinate dehydrogenase (SD) activities varied less widely. The extremes of the ratio FR/SD, indicating the probability of succinic acid production, were 0.24 in the clam Mercenaria mercenaria, and 7.6 in the oyster Crassostrea virginica. PR/LD appears related to the capacity for vigorous muscular activity, sustaining rapid movement of larger animals, and FR/SD appears related to tolerance of temporary anaerobiosis, such as found in sessile animals that close their valves tightly on exposure to air during low tide.
Distortion, interaction, and conceptual DFT perspectives of MO4-alkene (M = Os, Re, Tc, Mn) cycloadditions.

The reaction pathways (including the transition states) of ethylene addition to osmium tetroxide (OsO4, and amine ligated), rhenate (ReO4−), technetate (TcO4−), and permanganate (MnO4−) have been studied by qualitative and quantitative analyses. Distortion/interaction and absolutely localized energy decomposition analyses provide new insights into why the (3 + 2) pathway is highly preferred over the (2 + 2) pathway, the origin of rate enhancement from ligated base, and reactivity differences between OsO4, ReO4−, TcO4−, and MnO4−. The (2 + 2) transition state has a much larger barrier than the (3 + 2) transition state because (1) the Os−O bond is stretched significantly resulting in a larger distortion energy (ΔEd⧧) value and (2) the transition state interaction energy (ΔEi⧧) is destabilizing due to large exchange repulsions overwhelming stabilizing charge-transfer terms. Base ligation lowers osmium tetroxide and ethylene distortion energies due to the ground-state O−Os−O angle being predistorted from 110°...
Rational Sidewall Functionalization and Purification of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes by Solution-Phase Ozonolysis

A dispersion of raw HiPco single-walled carbon nanotubes in methanol has been subjected to ozonolysis at −78 °C, followed by treatment with various reagents, in independent runs, to generate a higher proportion of carboxylic acid/ester, ketone/aldhehyde, and alcohol groups, respectively, on the nanotube surface. This protocol has been found to purify nanotubes by removing amorphous carbon and metal impurities. More importantly, as had been theoretically predicted, the reaction sequence has been found to ozonize (and hence, oxygenate) the sidewalls of these nanotubes, thereby broadening the chemical processability and reactivity of these nanomaterials. The derivatized materials have been characterized by means of SEM and TEM, and spectroscopically, using Raman, UV−vis−near-IR, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies.
Myxoma Virus Lacking the Pyrin-Like Protein M013 Is Sensed in Human Myeloid Cells by both NLRP3 and Multiple Toll-Like Receptors, Which Independently Activate the Inflammasome and NF-κB Innate Response Pathways

The myxoma virus (MYXV)-encoded pyrin domain-containing protein M013 coregulates inflammatory responses mediated by both the inflammasome and the NF-κB pathways. Infection of human THP-1 monocytic cells with a MYXV construct deleted for the M013 gene (vMyxM013-KO), but not the parental MYXV, activates both the inflammasome and NF-κB pathways and induces a spectrum of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, like interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), IL-6, and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1. Here, we report that vMyxM013-KO virus-mediated activation of inflammasomes and secretion of IL-1β are dependent on the adaptor protein ASC, caspase-1, and NLRP3 receptor. However, vMyxM013-KO virus-mediated activation of NF-κB signaling, which induces TNF secretion, was independent of ASC, caspase-1, and either the NLRP3 or AIM2 inflammasome receptors. We also report that early synthesis of pro-IL-1β in response to vMyxM013-KO infection is dependent upon the components of the inflammasome complex. Activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome and secretion of IL-1β was also dependent on the release of cathepsin B and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). By using small interfering RNA screening, we further demonstrated that, among the RIG-I-like receptors (RLRs) and Toll-like receptors (TLRs), only TLR2, TLR6, TLR7, and TLR9 contribute to the NF-κB-dependent secretion of TNF and the inflammasome-dependent secretion of IL-1β in response to vMyxM013-KO virus infection. Additionally, we demonstrate that early triggering of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway by vMyxM013-KO virus infection of THP-1 cells plays a critical common upstream role in the coordinate induction of both NF-κB and inflammasome pathways. We conclude that an additional cellular sensor(s)/receptor(s) in addition to the known RLRs/TLRs plays a role in the M013 knockout virus-induced activation of NF-κB pathway signaling, but the activation of inflammasomes entirely depends on sensing by the NLRP3 receptor in response to vMyxM013-KO infection of human myeloid cells.
Microstructural evolution and superplastic deformation behavior of fine grain 5083Al

The microstructural evolution during superplastic deformation of a fine grain Al-4.7 pct Mg alloy (5083Al) has been studied quantitatively. Starting from an average grain size of 7 µm, grain growth was monitored in this alloy both under static annealing and with concurrent superplastic deformation at a high test temperature of 550°C. Grain size was averaged from measurements taken in longitudinal, transverse, and thickness directions and was found to grow faster during concurrent superplastic deformation than for static annealing. A grain growth law based on an additive nature between time-based and strain-based growth behavior was used to quantify the dynamics of concurrent grain growth. The extent of void formation during deformation was quantified as the area fraction of voids on L-S planes. This void fraction, referred to as the cavity area percent, was recorded at several levels of strain for specimens deformed at two different strain rates. A constitutive equation incorporating this grain growth data into the stress-strain rate data, determined during the early part of deformation, was generated and utilized to model the superplastic tensile behavior. This model was used in an effort to predict the stress-strain curves in uniaxial tension under constant and variable strain rate conditions. Particular attention was paid to the effects of a rapid prestrain rate on the overall superplastic response and hardening characteristics of this alloy.
Empiric amiodarone versus "ineffective" drug therapy in patients with refractory ventricular tachyarrhythmias.

Because of its presumed unique efficacy, amiodarone (AM) is often used to treat patients whose sustained ventricular tachyarrhythmias (VT/VF) appear to be drug-refractory. To examine the efficacy of AM in such patients, we performed a retrospective analysis of 77 patients with drug-refractory VT/VF treated with either empiric AM or with drugs predicted during electrophysiological (EP) testing to be ineffective (ID). To qualify for the study, patients had to have spontaneous, symptomatic VT/VF, and persistently inducible VT during serial EP testing with drugs. All 77 patients were offered therapy with AM. Those who refused were treated with ID, whenever possible, an ID was selected which “improved” the EP study compared to baseline. Originally, 68 patients elected AM and nine elected ID. Because of drug intolerance or inefficacy, 10 patients crossed over during the course of the study; a total of 71 patients were followed on AM for 15.7 ± 11.0 months, and 16 on ID for 17.8 + 10.8 months (mean ± SD). During follow-up, the cumulative recurrence of VT/VF at 6, 12, and 24 months for AM versus ID was 16 ± 5% versus 44 + 12% (P < 0.002), 32 ± 6% versus 44 ± 12% (NS), and 41 ± 7% versus 44 ± 12% (NS) (± SE). The recurrence of VT was significantly lower in the AM group only for the first 6 months of therapy. Of the 10 cross-over patients, five had recurrent VT/VF; all five had recurrences on both AM and ID, but the duration of therapy at the time of recurrence was significantly longer on AM than on ID (8.0 ± 2.0 versus 2.0 ± 2.3 months, p < 0.05). In summary, although it appeared that AM delayed the onset of VT/VF, there was no reduction in the ultimate incidence of VT/VF with AM compared to ID, when AM was used without the guidance of programmed extrastimulation or Holter monitoring. If these results are confirmed in prospective studies, there would be little reason to rely on AM as the mainstay of therapy in patients with drug-refractory arrhythmias.
Thoracic endovascular aortic repair for acute complicated type B aortic dissection: superiority relative to conventional open surgical and medical therapy.

Objective This study compared outcomes between thoracic endovascular aortic repair and conventional open surgical and medical therapies for acute complicated type B aortic dissection. Methods From 2002 to 2010, a total of 170 patients with type B aortic dissections were retrospectively identified from the University of Pennsylvania aortic database. Of these 170 patients, 147 had acute type B aortic dissections (uncomplicated 70, complicated 77). For patients with acute complicated type B aortic dissections, management included thoracic endovascular aortic repair (group A) or conventional open surgical and medical therapies (group B). Results In the 77 patients with acute complicated type B aortic dissections, thoracic endovascular aortic repair (group A) was performed in 45 patients (59%). In group B, 20 patients (26%) underwent open surgical repair and 12 (15%) had their conditions managed with medical therapy. Thoracic endovascular aortic repair was associated with lower in-hospital or 30-day mortality (n = 2, 4%) than conventional therapy (open surgical repair n = 8, 40%, medical therapy, n = 4, 33%, P = .006). Patients in group A (thoracic endovascular aortic repair) continued to show significantly improved survival at 1, 3, and 5 years (group A: 82%, 79%, and 79% vs group B: 58%, 52%, and 44%, P = .008). Conclusions Thoracic endovascular aortic repair for acute complicated type B dissection is associated with superior early outcome and improved midterm survival relative to conventional therapy. Longer follow-up demonstrating survival benefit is needed before definitive conclusion can be made.
Relative biological effectiveness of proton beams in clinical therapy.

Abstract Purpose : In clinical proton beam radiation therapy, an RBE of 1.1 relative to megavoltage X-rays is currently being employed at most treatment centers. This RBE pertains to radiation in the spread out Bragg-peak (SOBP) for all tissue systems, all dose levels per fraction and all proton beam energies. As the number of centers and treatment sites for which proton beam therapy continues to increase and additional experimental data is accrued, a re-assessment of the justification for a generic RBE is warranted. In this paper we address: (1) the constancy of the RBE along the central axis from the plateau entrance to the distal SOBP (upstream of the distal edge); (2) RBE as a function of dose (or cell survival level); and (3) the target cell or tissue ( α / β ) dependency of the RBE. This analysis pertains to modulated proton beams of initial energies of approximately 70–200 MeV and SOBPs of approximately 2–10 cm, respectively. Results and conclusions : With exceptions, the available experimental data indicate that the RBE of SOBP protons increases with decreasing dose or dose per fraction and increasing depth in the SOBP, with the magnitude of both effects likely being dependent on the α / β ratios of the target cells or tissues. The use of a generic RBE of 1.1 for all tissues, especially those exhibiting low α / β values such as CNS, may be too low, especially at dose levels of ≤2 Gy/fraction. Systematic determination of the RBE values dependent upon the three interdependent variables identified in this manuscript (beam depth, dose size and target tissue) will provide an enhanced data base for detailed treatment planning and institutional trial comparisons, thereby maximizing the therapeutic benefit of proton beams.
The presynaptic component of the serotonergic system is required for clozapine's efficacy.

Clozapine, by virtue of its absence of extrapyramidal side effects and greater efficacy, revolutionized the treatment of schizophrenia, although the mechanisms underlying this exceptional activity remain controversial. Combining an unbiased cheminformatics and physical screening approach, we evaluated clozapine's activity at >2350 distinct molecular targets. Clozapine, and the closely related atypical antipsychotic drug olanzapine, interacted potently with a unique spectrum of molecular targets. This distinct pattern, which was not shared with the typical antipsychotic drug haloperidol, suggested that the serotonergic neuronal system was a key determinant of clozapine's actions. To test this hypothesis, we used pet1−/− mice, which are deficient in serotonergic presynaptic markers. We discovered that the antipsychotic-like properties of the atypical antipsychotic drugs clozapine and olanzapine were abolished in a pharmacological model that mimics NMDA-receptor hypofunction in pet1−/− mice, whereas haloperidol's efficacy was unaffected. These results show that clozapine's ability to normalize NMDA-receptor hypofunction, which is characteristic of schizophrenia, depends on an intact presynaptic serotonergic neuronal system.
Identity suffering in infertile men

The suffering caused by infertility in a man can have multiple aspects. It can display a narcissistic dimension, an objectal dimension (object-libido) turned toward others or/and an identity dimension. Two clinical case reports were used here to (i) illustrate all these aspects of infertility suffering, (ii) to evidence the difficulty for infertile men to speak about their infertility and (iii) underlie the importance for professional of medical assisted reproduction to be attentive to this suffering that many men keep silent. An empathetic attention to infertile men may give a way to express this suffering and thus allow the beginning of a psychoanalytic approach which is necessary in infertility and especially for infertile men who do not easily express their suffering.
European Alliance and Knowledge Networks1

Abstract This paper presents an exploratory exercise to characterize the nature of inter-organizational networks and the strategic positioning of companies in five industrial sectors: pharmaceuticals, plastics, computers, electronics and instruments. Two types of networks in each sector are analysed: knowledge networks based on patent citations and technology alliance networks based on strategic partnerships. Three sets of results with significant policy and strategy implications underline both the need for better understanding of the social/competitive context within which companies operate and the utility of social network analysis in achieving this goal. First, apparent differences in the networking behaviour in ‘simple technology’ sectors (pharmaceuticals) vis-a-vis networking behaviour in ‘complex technology’ sectors (computers, electronics and instruments) are indicated. Second, a difference between knowledge and alliance networks across all examined sectors is pointed out in terms of their effectiv...
A Nonlinear Formulation of a Class of Fuzzy Linguistic Control Algorithms

In this paper we present an analytic formulation of a general class of fuzzy linguistic control algorithms. This analytic formulation, which captures the essential nonlinearit(ies) of a given fuzzy control scheme, is based on using the characteristic functions of the rule set's constituent fuzzy subsets as interpolating functions to shape a nonlinear function that maps the process error, and its rate of change or cumulative sum, into the appropriate control action. We will further discuss the implications of the proposed approach and its usage in establishing conditions for stability of fuzzy control systems, and in explaining how fuzzy control algorithms function as they do.
Interaction between two polymer brushes in binary solvent mixture

The system of two polymer brushes in a near-critical binary mixture of good and poor solvents is studied within the framework of the Alexander-de Gennes model. When the brushes do not overlap, the problem is shown to be analogous to the system of two hard walls in a near critical binary mixture. As in the two-wall case, it is found that the disjoining pressure between the brushes is negative. This attractive interaction, which arises from the preferential attraction of the good solvent to the brushes, has a range comparable to the correlation length of the mixture. When the brushes do overlap, the interaction between the brushes is repulsive. This leads to a minimum in the disjoining pressure at contact
Comparative study of metal‐porphyrins, ‐porphyrazines, and ‐phthalocyanines

A theoretical comparative study of complexes of porphyrin (P), porphyrazine (Pz), and phthalocyanine (Pc) with metal (M) = Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn has been carried out using a DFT method. The calculations provide a clear elucidation of the ground states for the MP/Pz/Pc molecules and for a series of [MP/Pz/Pc](x-) and [MP/Pz/Pc](y+) ions (x = 1, 2, 3, 4; y = 1, 2). There are significant differences among MP, MPz, and MPc in the electronic structure and other calculated properties. For FeP/Pz and CoP/Pz, the first oxidation occurs at the central metal, while it is the macroring of FePc and CoPc that is the site of oxidation. The smaller coordination cavity results in a stronger ligand field in Pz than in P. However, the benzo annulation produces a surprisingly strong destabilizing effect on the metal-macrocycle bonding. The effects of Cl axial bonding upon the electronic structures of the iron(III) complexes of P, Pz, and Pc were examined, as was the bonding of pyridine (py) to NiP, NiPz, and NiPc. The porphinato core size plays a crucial role in controlling the spin state of Fe(III) in these complexes. FePc(Cl) is predicted to be a pure intermediate-spin system, whereas NiPz(py)(2) and NiPc(py)(2) are metastable in high-spin (S = 1) states. The NiPz/Pc-(py)(2) binding energy curve has only a shallow well that facilitates decomposition of the complex. The NiP-(py)(2) bond energy is small, but the relatively deep well in the binding energy curve ought to make this system stable to decomposition.
Ahorro de Gas Natural en la Cocción de Pastas

El agotamiento de recursos fosiles, de los cuales depende la sociedad moderna, ha llevado al hombre a la busqueda de formas de reducir el uso de energia, sin afectar, en lo posible, su calidad de vida. Este articulo propone un nuevo metodo para cocinar pastas que reduciria el consumo de gas natural domestico. El calculo del ahorro de energia se baso en el consumo de pastas en Argentina y en el flujo estandar de gas en hornallas de hornos domesticos en Argentina. Se determino que se podrian ahorrar 9,7 millones de Nm 3 de gas, que representa un 0,10 % del consumo de gas domestico. Si bien este ahorro no es significativo en Argentina, esta propuesta invita al replanteo de costumbres afincadas en la sociedad que podrian modificarse en pos del ahorro energetico, sin comprometer la calidad de vida.
Temporal Characterization of the Neural Correlates of Perceptual Decision Making in the Human Brain

Single and multi-unit recordings in primates have identified spatially localized neuronal activity correlating with an animal's behavioral performance. Due to the invasive nature of these experiments, it has been difficult to identify such correlates in humans. We report the first non-invasive neural measurements of perceptual decision making, via single-trial EEG analysis, that lead to neurometric functions predictive of psychophysical performance for a face versus car categorization task. We identified two major discriminating components. The earliest correlating with psychophysical performance was consistent with the well-known face-selective N170. The second component, which was a better match to the psychometric function, did not occur until at least 130 ms later. As evidence for faces versus cars decreased, onset of the later, but not the earlier, component systematically shifted forward in time. In addition, a choice probability analysis indicated strong correlation between the neural responses of the later component and our subjects' behavioral judgements. These findings demonstrate a temporal evolution of component activity indicative of an evidence accumulation process which begins after early visual perception and has a processing time that depends on the strength of the evidence.
Science and Society

The six previous speakers who have been privileged to give the Edwards Memorial Lecture have been distinguished in particular areas of either science or technology and have confined themselves to speaking on the subjects of their experience and expertise. This lecture will be distinctive, if less distinguished, since the subject is one on which there is no evidence of achievement or expertise by the lecturer and the subject does not fall within any formal academic discipline. The defence rests with the poet Walt Whitman who wrote “There is that indescribable freshness and unconsciousness about an ignorant person that humbles and mocks the power of the noblest expressive genius”.