cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
From Patriarchy to Intersectionality: A Transnational Feminist Assessment of How Far We've Really Come

AbstractThis article examines the general shift in feminist scholarship from the use of the concept of patriarchy to the concept of intersectionality from a transnational feminist perspective. It first reviews some central critiques of patriarchy (the problems of unidimensionality, universality, and tautology) and then examines intersectional scholarship that emerged in response. Reviewing research applications of intersectionality since the year 2000, it argues that these applications constitute an incomplete shift from the concept of patriarchy. That is, it argues that unrecognized problems with the concept of patriarchy continue to haunt contemporary intersectional applications. Specifically, intersectional scholarship tends to suffer from the ongoing legacy of patriarchy’s reification of nation-state borders and its failure to interrogate the significance of cross-border processes for shaping gender relations and identities. Next, in contrast to such conceptualizations of patriarchy, this article exam...
The Peromyscus Guardia-Interparietalis Complex

Peromyscus interparietalis is considered to be specifically distinct from P. guardia , of which it was originally considered a subspecies. Each species includes three subspecifically distinct populations, each endemic to an island in the northern Gulf of California, Baja California, Mexico. Two subspecies of P. interparietalis and one of P. guardia are newly described here. The mice are widespread on the islands, apparently favoring no particular microhabitat. Reproduction takes place in early spring.
Testing for Nonresponse Bias Evaluation of Utility Energy Conservation Programs

This article discusses two recent evaluations of utility energy conservation programs in which testsfor nonresponse bias were possible. In these evaluations, data were obtained both from the sponsoring utilities (fuel consumption records, energy audit reports) and from households (mail and telephone surveys). Fortunately, data from one source was usually available for those households missing datafrom the other source. This permitted comparisons of respondents and nonrespondents on several dimensions—pre- and post- program energy consumption, energy audit results, and household demographic char acteristics.
Dual-frequency radar ratio of nonspherical atmospheric hydrometeors

[1] Dual-frequency cloud and precipitation radar systems are being actively developed and installed on different platforms. The use of two radar frequencies (with at least one frequency outside the Rayleigh type of scattering for hydrometeors of interest) allows independent estimates of hydrometeor effective size. With these estimates, radar-based retrievals of such important parameters as cloud mass content or precipitation rate can be potentially performed with better accuracy compared to single- frequency radar measurements. This study presents quantitative assessments of the effects of nonsphericity of ice cloud particles which influence the dual-frequency ratio used for characteristic size estimates.
Importance of sentence-level and phoneme-level envelope modulations during vowels in interrupted speech

Speech interrupted by noise has been used as a simplified case for listening to speech in the presence of a fluctuating masker. The present study investigated the importance of overall vowel amplitude and intrinsic vowel amplitude modulation to sentence intelligibility. Eight young normal-hearing listeners participated in the experiment. Sentences were processed according to three conditions that replaced vowel segments with noise matched to the long-term average speech spectrum. Vowels were replaced with (1) low-level noise that distorted the overall sentence envelope, (2) segment-level noise that restored the overall syllabic amplitude modulation of the sentence, and (3) segment-modulated noise that further restored faster temporal envelope modulations during the vowel. Results demonstrated incremental benefit with increasing resolution of the temporal envelope. An additional seven listeners participated in a separate experiment that replaced vowels with a vowel masker instead of noise. The vowel masker was modified to have a flattened fundamental frequency at the mean of the replaced segment. The vowel masker either had a standard temporal envelope or was modulated by the envelope of replaced vowel. The listeners with the vowel maskers performed more poorly than those with the noise maskers. No benefit of segment modulation was observed with the vowel masker.
Products of the reaction of hydroxyl radicals with trans-2-butene in the presence of oxygen and nitrogen dioxide

Abstract The reactions of hydroxy-substituted alkyl radicals, formed as secondary products in the reaction of ozone with trans-2-butene, have been identified in photoionization mass spectrometry studies, using acetaldehyde and nitrogen dioxide as free-radical scavengers. Products derived from 2-hydroxy-1-methylpropl in the absence of scavengers include 2,3-butanedione (diacetyl), 3-hydroxy-2-butanone (acetoin),and 2,3-butanediol. In the presence of added acetaldehyde or nitrogen dioxide, the formation of these products is suppressed. In addition, with added nitrogen dioxide, new products are formed which have been identified as a series of oxoalkyl and hydroxy-substituted-alkyl nitrates and peroxynitrates. These observations may have an important bearing on the chemistry of photochemical smog.
Calcium Homeostasis and Contraction of the Uterine Artery: Effect of Pregnancy and Chronic Hypoxia

The present study tested the hypothesis that chronic hypoxia alters pregnancy-mediated adaptation of Ca2+ homeostasis and contractility in the uterine artery. Uterine arteries were isolated from nonpregnant and near-term pregnant ewes of normoxic control or high-altitude (3820 m) hypoxic (oxygen pressure in the blood [PaO2], 60 mm Hg) treatment for 110 days. Contractions and intracellular-free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) were measured simultaneously in the same tissue. In normoxic animals, pregnancy increased norepinephrine (NE), but not 5-hydroxy-thymide (5-HT) or KCl, contractile sensitivity in the uterine artery. Chronic hypoxia significantly attenuated NE-induced contractions in the pregnant, but not nonpregnant, uterine arteries. Similarly, 5-HT-mediated contractions of nonpregnant arteries were not changed. In the pregnant uterine artery, chronic hypoxia significantly increased NE-mediated Ca2+ mobilization, but decreased the Ca2+ sensitivity. In addition, hypoxia increased the calcium ionophore A23187-induced relaxation in pregnant, but not nonpregnant, uterine arteries. However, the A23187-mediated reduction of [Ca2+]i was significantly impaired in hypoxic arteries. In contrast, hypoxia significantly increased the slope of the [Ca2+]i-tension relationship of A23187-induced reductions in [Ca2+]i and tension in the pregnant uterine artery. The results suggest that the contractility of nonpregnant uterine artery is insensitive to moderate chronic hypoxia, but the adaptation of sympathetic tone that normally occurs in the uterine artery during pregnancy is inhibited by chronic hypoxia. In addition, changes in Ca2+ sensitivity of myofilaments play a predominant role in the adaptation of uterine artery contractility to pregnancy and chronic hypoxia.
A data analysis algorithm for programmed field-flow fractionation.

An algorithm that employs numerical integration for analysis of field-flow fractionation (FFF) data is presented. The algorithm utilizes detector response, field strength, and channel flow rate data, monitored at discrete time intervals during sample elution to generate a distribution of sample components according to particle size or molecular weight. The field strength and channel flow rate may either be held constant or programmed as functions of time, and it is not necessary for these programs to follow specific mathematical functions. If experimental conditions are monitored during a run, the algorithm can account for any deviation from nominal set conditions. The algorithm also allows calculation of fractionating power for the actual conditions as monitored during the run. The method provides greatly increased flexibility in the application of the FFF family of techniques. It removes the limitations on experimental conditions incurred by adherence to analytically available solutions to FFF theory, a...
Simulation and knowledge based objects

Abstract A knowledge-based simulation model was developed by using a hypertext-like semi-object-oriented environment (SuperCard TM ). This environment enabled the building of a tightly coupled knowledge representation scheme and simulation algorithm. Our knowledge-based simulation model combines three different paradigms: production rules, an inference engine, and knowledge-based objects. The production rule paradigm is used as the basis for describing and coding the processes to be simulated. The knowledge-based objects are built as the active objects of the simulation. A knowledge-based object has a number of rules that support its behavior and an agenda that defines its goals. A knowledge-based object then proceeds in the simulation process (via the inference engine) until its goals are achieved. Since an inference engine with a knowledge base is built into the simulation process, such a system has the ability to reason about the behavior of the model. In addition, the knowledge-based simulation model has a friendly user interface. This enables changing the parameters of the simulation model without doing any programming. The inference engine in the knowledge-based simulation combines backward chaining, decision lattices, and links so as to produce an overall pattern of inference that is as efficient as possible.
Who Is Mobilized to Vote? A Re-Analysis of 11 Field Experiments

Many political observers view get-out-the-vote (GOTV) mobilization drives as a way to increase turnout among chronic nonvoters. However, such a strategy assumes that GOTV efforts are effective at increasing turnout in this population, and the extant research offers contradictory evidence regarding the empirical validity of this assumption. We propose a model where only those citizens whose propensity to vote is near the indifference threshold are mobilized to vote and the threshold is determined by the general interest in the election. Our three-parameter model reconciles prior inconsistent empirical results and argues that low-propensity voters can be effectively mobilized only in high-turnout elections. The model is tested on 11 randomized face-to-face voter mobilization field experiments in which we specifically analyze whether subjects' baseline propensity to vote conditions the effectiveness of door-to-door GOTV canvassing. The evidence is consistent with the model and suggests that face-to-face mobilization is better at stimulating turnout among low-propensity voters in prominent elections than it is in quiescent ones.
Development of CNC Milling System for NURBS Interpolation Based on IGES

To improve machining efficiency and accuracy for surface, a method of machining Non-Uniform Rational B-spline (NURBS) surface based on IGES was put forward. The algorithms for surface information processing machining path planning and real time locus interpolation involved in this method have been worked out from the research results. A prototype of the CNC milling system with “PC+PMAC motion controller” is designed by toolpath planning, coordinate transformation and acceleration-deceleration control, which using VC ++ and openGL in Windows NT + RTX system platform. The simulation experiment was conducted to test the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed method.
Flavor changing neutral currents and a Z

We consider a non-universal Z′ that affects primarily the third generation fermions as an example of new physics associated with the top-quark. We first discuss constraints on the mass and coupling strength of such a Z′. We then turn our attention to the flavor changing neutral currents (FCNC) present in the model. We discuss the experimental constraints and their implications. We propose an ansatz to understand the smallness of the FCNC in terms of the CKM matrix.
A reevaluation of the Pallett Creek earthquake chronology based on new AMS radiocarbon dates, San Andreas fault, California

[1] The Pallett Creek paleoseismic record occupies a keystone position in most attempts to develop rupture histories for the southern San Andreas fault. Previous estimates of earthquake ages at Pallett Creek were determined by decay counting radiocarbon methods. That method requires large samples which can lead to unaccounted sources of uncertainty in radiocarbon ages because of the heterogeneous composition of organic layers. In contrast, accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dates may be obtained from small samples that have known carbon sources and also allow for a more complete sampling of the section. We present 65 new AMS radiocarbon dates that span nine ground-rupturing earthquakes at Pallett Creek. Overall, the AMS dates are similar to and reveal no dramatic bias in the conventional dates. For many layers, however, individual charcoal samples were younger than the conventional dates, leading to earthquake ages that are overall slightly younger than previously reported. New earthquake ages are determined by Bayesian refinement of the layer ages based on stratigraphic ordering and sedimentological constraints. The new chronology is more regular than previously published records in large part due to new samples constraining the age of event R. The closed interval from event C to 1857 has a mean recurrence of 135 years (σ = 83.2 years) and a quasiperiodic coefficient of variation (COV) of 0.61. We show that the new dates and resultant earthquake chronology have a stronger effect on COV than the specific membership of this long series and dating precision improvements from sedimentation rates.
Urinary angiotensinogen as a novel early biomarker of intrarenal renin-angiotensin system activation in experimental type 1 diabetes.

Urinary excretion of albumin (UAlb) is used clinically as a marker of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Although DN was thought to be a unidirectional process, recent studies demonstrated that a large proportion of patients diagnosed with DN reverted to normoalbuminuria. Moreover, despite the normoalbuminuria, one-third of them exhibited reduced renal function even during the microalbuminuric stage. This study was performed to investigate whether urinary angiotensinogen (UAGT) level may serve as a useful marker of the early stage of experimental type 1 diabetes (T1DM). T1DM was induced by a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin. Control mice were injected with citrate buffer. Two days after streptozotocin injection, half of the mice received continuous insulin treatment. Our data showed that UAlb excretion was increased 6 days after streptozotocin injection compared to controls, whereas UAGT excretion was increased at an earlier time point. These increases were reversed by insulin treatment. The UAGT to UAlb ratio was increased in diabetic mice compared to control mice. Furthermore, the increased AGT expression in the kidneys was observed in diabetic mice. These data suggest that UAGT might be useful as a novel early biomarker of activation of the renin–angiotensin system in experimental type 1 diabetes.
A1 adenosine receptors inhibit multiple voltage-gated Ca2+ channel subtypes in acutely isolated rat basolateral amygdala neurons

The anticonvulsant properties of 2-chloroadenosine (CADO) in the basolateral amygdala rely on the activation of adenosine-specific heptahelical receptors. We have utilized whole-cell voltage-clamp electrophysiology to examine the modulatory effects of CADO and other adenosine receptor agonists on voltage-gated calcium channels in dissociated basolateral amygdala neurons. CADO, adenosine, and the A1 subtype-selective agonists N6-(L-2-Phenylisopropyl)adenosine (R-PIA) and 2-chloro-N6-cyclopentyladenosine (CCPA) reversibly modulated whole cell Ba2+ currents in a concentration-dependent fashion. CADO inhibition of barium currents was also sensitive to the A1 antagonist 1,3-dipropyl-8-cyclopentylxanthine (DPCPX). The A2A-selective agonist 4-[2-[[6-Amino-9-(N-ethyl-β-D-ribofuranuronamidosyl)-9H-purin-2-yl]amino]ethyl]benzenepropanoic acid (CGS21680) was without effect. CADO inhibition was predominantly voltage-dependent and sensitive to the sulphydryl-modifying reagent N-ethylmaleimide, implicating a membrane-delimited, Gi/o-coupled signal transduction pathway in the channel regulation. Using Ca2+ channel subtype-selective antagonists, CADO inhibition appeared to target multiple channel subtypes, with the inhibition of ω-conotoxin GVIA-sensitive calcium channels being more prominent. Our results indicate that the anti-convulsant effects CADO in the basolateral amygdala may be mediated, in part, by the A1 receptor-dependent inhibition of voltage gated calcium channels. British Journal of Pharmacology (2001) 132, 879–888; doi:10.1038/sj.bjp.0703884
Mechanism for Multiplicity of Steady States with Distinct Cell Concentration in Continuous Culture of Mammalian Cells

Continuous culture for the production of biopharmaceutical proteins offers the possibility of steady state operations and thus more consistent product quality and increased productivity. Under some conditions, multiplicity of steady states has been observed in continuous cultures of mammalian cells, wherein with the same dilution rate and feed nutrient composition, steady states with very different cell and product concentrations may be reached. At those different steady states, cells may exhibit a high glycolysis flux with high lactate production and low cell concentration, or a low glycolysis flux with low lactate and high cell concentration. These different steady states, with different cell concentration, also have different productivity. Developing a mechanistic understanding of the occurrence of steady state multiplicity and devising a strategy to steer the culture toward the desired steady state is critical. We establish a multi-scale kinetic model that integrates a mechanistic intracellular metabolic model and cell growth model in a continuous bioreactor. We show that steady state multiplicity exists in a range of dilution rate in continuous culture as a result of the bistable behavior in glycolysis. The insights from the model were used to devise strategies to guide the culture to the desired steady state in the multiple steady state region. The model provides a guideline principle in the design of continuous culture processes of mammalian cells. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2015;112: 1437–1445. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Bi-iterative least square versus bi-iterative singular value decomposition for subspace tracking

We first revisit the problem of optimal low-rank matrix approximation, from which a bi-iterative least square (Bi-LS) method is formulated. We then show that the Bi-LS method is a natural platform for developing subspace tracking algorithms. Comparing to the well known bi-iterative singular value decomposition (Bi-SVD) method, we demonstrate that the Bi-LS method leads to much simpler (and yet equally accurate) linear complexity algorithms for subspace tracking. This gain of simplicity is a surprising result while, as we show, the reason behind it is also surprisingly simple.
Ecohydrologic controls on vegetation density and evapotranspiration partitioning across the climatic gradients of the central United States

Abstract. The soil-water balance and plant water use are investigated over a domain encompassing the central United States using the Statistical-Dynamical Ecohydrology Model (SDEM). The seasonality in the model and its use of the two-component Shuttleworth-Wallace canopy model allow for application of an ecological optimality hypothesis in which vegetation density, in the form of peak green leaf area index (LAI), is maximized, within upper and lower bounds, such that, in a typical season, soil moisture in the latter half of the growing season just reaches the point at which water stress is experienced. Via a comparison to large-scale estimates of grassland productivity, modeled-determined peak green LAI for these systems is seen to be at least as accurate as the unaltered satellite-based observations on which they are based. A related feature of the SDEM is its partitioning of evapotranspiration into transpiration, evaporation from canopy interception, and evaporation from the soil surface. That partitioning is significant for the soil-water balance because the dynamics of the three processes are very different. Surprising little dependence on climate and vegetation type is found for the percentage of total evapotranspiration that is soil evaporation, with most of the variation across the study region attributable to soil texture and the resultant differences in vegetation density. While empirical evidence suggests that soil evaporation in the forested regions of the most humid part of the study region is somewhat overestimated, model results are in excellent agreement with observations from croplands and grasslands. The implication of model results for water-limited vegetation is that the higher (lower) soil moisture content in wetter (drier) climates is more-or-less completely offset by the greater (lesser) amount of energy available at the soil surface. This contrasts with other modeling studies which show a strong dependence of evapotranspiration partitioning on climate.
Liberty, Economics, and Evidence*

Relationships in liberal theory between liberty and economic well-being are empirical propositions: (a) economic conditions can reach a level so low as to make the effective establishment of liberty impossible; (b) the marginal value of economic gain diminishes with respect to the value of liberty as economic conditions improve; and (c) the priority standing of liberty requires the development of social forms and conditions necessary for the establishment of liberty. Empirical data, however, do not support these assumptions. A more complex relationship between liberty and economic well-being is suggested, where (a) liberty is needed as a first condition to increase economic well-being, and (b) the very distinction between political values like liberty and economic values is jeopardized. A fusion of politics and economics may be required to account for these relationships, a point re-emphasizing the sensitivity of normative theory to empirical evidence.
Gain in functional ability during medical rehabilitation as related to rehabilitation process indices and neurologic measures.

Abstract Objective: To determine the incremental value of neurologic and rehabilitation process indices in predicting gain in functional abilities during rehabilitation after spinal cord injury (SCI) and to describe a model for program evaluation that provides unbiased comparisons of rehabilitation process and normative comparison of individual patient gains in functional ability. Study Design: Multiple regression including variables in a prespecified hierarchical fashion. Linear models are formulated to gauge the incremental value of neurologic measures and rehabilitation process indices when investigating the rehabilitation process and the outcome of medical rehabilitation. Results: All measures and indices vary in predictable and expected manners across individual centers and injury groups; moreover, each has demonstrated the capacity to provide unique information to the investigation of the rehabilitation process. The comprehensive set of variables accounts for 52.8% of the variance in self-care gain and 53.3% of the variance in mobility gain. The rehabilitation process indices together contribute 15% of the variance of self-care gain and over 18% of the explained variance in mobility gain. Conclusion: Forecasting gain in functional ability of patients in the domains of self-care and mobility may be enhanced when measures of neurologic impairment are supplemented with rehabilitation process indices. In addition, technical enhancements in measurement of rehabilitation process indices and gain in functional ability provide objective comparison of individual center differences and individual patient gains.
Wholly aromatic thermotropic liquid crystalline polyesters of 4,4′‐biphenol, substituted biphenols, and 1,1′‐binaphthyl‐4,4′‐diol with 3,4′‐benzophenone dicarboxylic acid

Wholly aromatic, thermotropic homopolyesters, derived from 4,4′-biphenol, substituted biphenols, or 1,1′-binaphthyl-4,4′-diol and 3,4′-benzophenone dicarboxylic acid, and two copolyesters, each of which contained 30 mol % of 6-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid, were prepared by acidolysis polycondensation reactions and characterized for their liquid crystalline properties. The solubility behavior of these polymers has also been investigated. The two homopolymers of phenyl-substituted biphenols with 3,4′-benzophenone dicarboxylic acid were soluble in many common organic solvents. All of the homopolymers had lower Tm/Tf values than those with terephthalic acid, which was attributed to the incorporation of the asymmetric 3,4′-benzophenone dicarboxylate units in a head-to-head and head-to-tail fashion along the polyester chain. Two copolymers had lower Tm values than those of the respective homopolymers, as expected. They formed nematic phases which persisted up to 400°C, except those of phenyl-substituted biphenols with 3,4′-benzophenone dicarboxylic acid. Each of these two polymers also exhibited an accessible Ti transition, and had a broad range of LC phase. They had glass transition temperatures, Tg, in the range of 139-209°C and high thermal stabilities in the temperature range of 465-511°C. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Rates of convergence for renewal sequences in the null-recurrent case

Motivated by work of Garsia and Lamperti we consider null-recurrent renewal sequences with a regularly varying tail and seek information about their rate of convergence to zero. The main result shows that such sequences subject to a monotonicity condition obey a limit law whatever the value of the exponent α is, 0 < α < 1. This monotonicity property is seen to hold for a large class of renewal sequences, the so-called Kaluza sequences. This class includes moment sequences, and therefore includes the sequences generated by reversible Markov chains. Several subsidiary results are proved.
The Low-z Intergalactic Medium. III. H I and Metal Absorbers at z < 0.4

We conduct an ultraviolet (HST and FUSE) spectroscopic survey of H I (Lyman lines) and seven metal ions (O VI, N V, C IV, C III, Si IV, Si III, Fe III) in the low-redshift IGM at z < 0.4. We analyzed 650 Lyα absorbers over redshift path length Δ z = 5.27, detecting numerous absorbers: 83 O VI systems, 39 C III, 53 Si III, 24 C IV, 24 N V, and so on. In the low-z IGM, we have accounted for ~40% of the baryons: 30% in the photoionized Lyα forest and 10% in the (T = 105–106) WHIM traced by O VI. Statistical metallicities are consistent with the canonical value of 10% solar, with considerable scatter. Improved statistics for weak absorbers allows us to estimate ΩWHIM/Ωb = 0.073 ± 0.008 down to log NO VI = 13.4 and 0.086 ± 0.008 down to log NO VI = 13.0. The O VI absorber line frequency, d/dz = 40−8+14, down to 10 mA equivalent width suggests a 250-300 kpc extent of metals around dwarf galaxies. Many absorbers appear to contain multiphase gas, with both collisional ionization and photoionization determining the ionization state. N V absorption is well correlated with O VI, and both ions show similarly steep power-law indices d/dz ∝ N−β with βO VI ≈ βN V ≈ 2 while βH I. We conclude that O VI and N V are reliable tracers of the portion of the WHIM at T ≈ 105–106 K. C IV may be present in both collisional and photoionized phases; NC IV correlates poorly with both NH I and NO VI and βH I < βC IV < βO VI. The ions C III, Si III, and Si IV are well correlated with H I and show patterns typical of photoionization. Adjacent ion stages of the same element (C III/IV and Si III/IV) provide useful constraints on the photoionization parameter, log U ≈ − 1.5 ± 0.5.
Protease-activated receptor (PAR) 1 and PAR4 differentially regulate factor V expression from human platelets.

With the recent interest of protease-activated receptors (PAR) 1 and PAR4 as possible targets for the treatment of thrombotic disorders, we compared the efficacy of protease-activated receptor (PAR)1 and PAR4 in the generation of procoagulant phenotypes on platelet membranes. PAR4-activating peptide (AP)–stimulated platelets promoted thrombin generation in plasma up to 5 minutes earlier than PAR1-AP–stimulated platelets. PAR4-AP–mediated factor V (FV) association with the platelet surface was 1.6-fold greater than for PAR1-AP. Moreover, PAR4 stimulation resulted in a 3-fold greater release of microparticles, compared with PAR1 stimulation. More robust FV secretion and microparticle generation with PAR4-AP was attributable to stronger and more sustained phosphorylation of myosin light chain at serine 19 and threonine 18. Inhibition of Rho-kinase reduced PAR4-AP–mediated FV secretion and microparticle generation to PAR1-AP–mediated levels. Thrombin generation assays measuring prothrombinase complex activity demonstrated 1.5-fold higher peak thrombin levels on PAR4-AP–stimulated platelets, compared with PAR1-AP–stimulated platelets. Rho-kinase inhibition reduced PAR4-AP–mediated peak thrombin generation by 25% but had no significant effect on PAR1-AP–mediated thrombin generation. In conclusion, stimulation of PAR4 on platelets leads to faster and more robust thrombin generation, compared with PAR1 stimulation. The greater procoagulant potential is related to more efficient FV release from intracellular stores and microparticle production driven by stronger and more sustained myosin light chain phosphorylation. These data have implications about the role of PAR4 during hemostasis and are clinically relevant in light of recent efforts to develop PAR antagonists to treat thrombotic disorders.
Joint laxity and the risk of clubfoot.

BACKGROUND Clubfoot is a relatively common and potentially disabling birth defect. The etiology of clubfoot (talipes equinovarus [TEV]) is not known. Joint laxity, or hypermobility, is a suspected risk factor for congenital hip dislocation and clubfoot. METHODS We conducted a case-control study of TEV in five western Washington counties. A total of 239 cases of TEV were identified from hospital and outpatient sources from 1986 to 1994. Controls (n = 356) were identified by random-digit dialing (RDD). Parents were interviewed over the telephone, and medical records were abstracted. In-person measurements of four joint laxity indices in parents and the index child were obtained. RESULTS Moderately elevated adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were found for extension >90° of the entire little finger, and extension of all four fingers to a position parallel to the forearm (OR = 1.6; 95% CI = 0.9–2.9; and OR = 1.7; CI = 1.1–2.5; respectively). No elevation in the OR was found for the wrist and elbow laxity measures. No consistent pattern of association between joint laxity measures in parents and an elevated OR of clubfoot among their children was found. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study suggest a role for joint laxity in the etiology of TEV. Birth Defects Research (Part A), 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Retrospective evidence of a decline of fertility and child mortality in Bangladesh

A detailed analysis of survey data collected in 1961–1962 for a sample of 4200 families in central East Pakistan produced consistent and reasonable estimates of birth and death rates for the preceding decade. Extremely high levels of infant and child mortality declined noticeably in the period 1952–1961. Age-specific birth rates to married women also decreased in the decade for women over the age of 19, while a small increase was recorded for married women aged 15 to 19. During the 1950s total marital fertility declined about one-fifth. Birth rates remained high in 1960 according to these estimates, but there is reason to anticipate further reductions in birth rates, particularly among older women. To improve understanding of the determinants of fertility and to aid in the formulation of policy to cope with population trends, statistical analysis must increasingly consider information on families over time. Retrospective household survey data may provide the empirical base for this line of inquiry.
Muscle regeneration in amphibians and mammals: passing the torch.

Skeletal muscle in both amphibians and mammals possesses a high regenerative capacity. In amphibians, a muscle can regenerate in two distinct ways: as a tissue component of an entire regenerating limb (epimorphic regeneration) or as an isolated entity (tissue regeneration). In the absence of epimorphic regenerative ability, mammals can regenerate muscles only by the tissue mode. This review focuses principally on the regeneration of entire muscles and covers what is known and what remains to be elucidated about fundamental mechanisms underlying muscle regeneration at this level.
Competing for Transparency: Political Competition and Institutional Reform in Mexican States

Why do political actors undertake reforms that constrain their own discretion? We argue that uncertainty generated by political competition is a major driver of such reforms, and test this argument using subnational data on Mexican states’ adoption of state-level access to information (ATI) laws. Examining data from 31 Mexican states plus the Federal District, we find that more politically competitive states passed ATI laws more rapidly, even taking into account the party in power, levels of corruption, civil society, and other factors. The fine-grained nature of our data, reflecting the staggered timing of elections, inauguration dates, and dates of passage, allows us to distinguish between different theoretical mechanisms. We find the greatest evidence in favor of an insurance mechanism, by which incumbent parties who face uncertainty over future political control seek to ensure access to government information, and means of monitoring incumbents, in the future in case they lose power.
THE RELATION TO THE COURSE OF AVIAN MALARIA OF BIOTIN AND A FAT-SOLUBLE MATERIAL HAVING THE BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES OF BIOTIN

Biotin deficiency produced by a synthetic biotin-deficient diet was as effective in decreasing the resistance of chickens to infection with Plasmodium lophurae as biotin deficiency produced by a diet high in egg white. In moderately biotin-deficient ducks Plasmodium cathemerium at first multiplied more slowly than in adequately fed controls. The parasitemia in the deficient animals later overtook that in the controls and attained higher peak parasite numbers. The multiplication of P. cathemerium was notably inhibited in ducks inoculated when they were approaching death from biotin deficiency. The total and differential leucocyte count of biotin-deficient chickens did not differ significantly from that of adequately fed controls. During infection of chickens with P. lophurae and ducks with either P. lophurae or P. cathemerium significant changes occur in the concentration in the plasma of free biotin and of a material which on hydrolysis yields a fat-soluble substance (FSF) having the biological activities of biotin but differing chemically from it. In ducks which survived infections with P. cathemerium or P. lophurae the biotin concentration rose very early in the course of the infection, before there was any anemia. It fell slightly, rose to a peak at about the time of the peak parasite number, and then returned to normal. The concentration of bound FSF, which was determined in terms of its biotin activity, increased at first, then decreased, then rose and continued at a high level throughout the period of decline in parasitemia. In most of the animals which died of either infection the free biotin, instead of returning to normal, rose to very high values Just before death, while the bound FSF, instead of remaining at a high value, fell to very low values, reaching zero in several animals. Greater resistance seemed to be associated with a greater excess of bound FSF over free biotin. In animals about to die the free biotin exceeded the bound FSF. The biotin content of the liver of ducks and chickens fed an adequate diet and killed just after having undergone an infection with either P. lophurae or P. cathemerium was much less than that of control uninfected animals. When P. lophurae was cultured in vitro in suspensions of duck erythrocytes a very wide range in biotin concentration in the culture fluid did not affect its rate of multiplication. Plasma protein fractions relatively rich in FSF at a concentration of 0.75 per cent inhibited multiplication, while comparable concentrations of plasma fractions poor in FSF did not. The results obtained fit the assumption that the substance in plasma which yields FSF is directly concerned in resistance to avian malaria.
Quality in health care and globalization of health services: accreditation and regulatory oversight of medical tourism companies

Patients are crossing national borders in search of affordable and timely health care. Many medical tourism companies are now involved in organizing cross-border health services. Despite the rapid expansion of the medical tourism industry, few standards exist to ensure that these businesses organize high-quality, competent international health care. Addressing the regulatory vacuum, 10 standards are proposed as a framework for regulating the medical tourism industry. Medical tourism companies should have to undergo accreditation review. Care should be arranged only at accredited international health-care facilities. Standards should be established to ensure that clients of medical tourism companies make informed choices. Continuity of care needs to become an integral feature of cross-border care. Restrictions should be placed on the use of waiver of liability forms by medical tourism companies. Medical tourism companies must ensure that they conform to relevant legislation governing privacy and confidentiality of patient information. Restrictions must be placed on the types of health services marketed by medical tourism companies. Representatives of medical tourism agencies should have to undergo training and certification. Medical travel insurance and medical complications insurance should be included in the health-care plans of patients traveling for care. To protect clients from financial losses, medical tourism companies should be mandated to contribute to compensation funds. Establishing high standards for the operation of medical tourism companies should reduce risks facing patients when they travel abroad for health care.
Visualization of flagellar interactions on bacterial carpets

Methods for the in-depth study of the physics of microscale actuation of microfluidics environments by flagellated bacteria 'teamsters' have been developed. These methods, which include single and multi-colour fluorescent labelling and electron microscopy allow for the analysis of the effect that individual flagellar filaments have on bacterially driven microstructures, and allow for the investigation of the interaction and coordination of flagellar filaments of neighbouring bacteria on densely packed monolayers of bacteria, 'bacterial carpets'. We show that the flagella of bacteria that are immobilized on a surface often interact with each other, and that the flagella of these bacteria do not often form multi-flagella bundles that are aligned with the cell body.
Community viral load as a measure for assessment of HIV treatment as prevention

Community viral load, defined as an aggregation of individual viral loads of people infected with HIV in a specific community, has been proposed as a useful measure to monitor HIV treatment uptake and quantify its effect on transmission. The first reports of community viral load were published in 2009, and the measure was subsequently incorporated into the US National HIV/AIDS Strategy. Although intuitively an appealing strategy, measurement of community viral load has several theoretical limitations and biases that need further assessment, which can be grouped into four categories: issues of selection and measurement, the importance of HIV prevalence in determining the potential for ongoing HIV transmission, interpretation of community viral load and its effect on ongoing HIV transmission in a community, and the ecological fallacy (ie, ecological bias). These issues need careful assessment as community viral load is being considered as a public health measurement to assess the effect of HIV care on prevention.
Use of Flow Cytometric Analysis to Examine the Uptake of Apoptotic Bodies by Healthy Hepatocytes.

The spectrum of liver disease after alcohol abuse is similar to many other types of liver diseases in that damage to the hepatocyte, or parenchymal cell, is the cardinal event in the pathogenesis of injury. Damage to the liver, however, involves not only the hepatocyte but also the nonparenchymal cells: the Kupffer, endothelial, and stellate cells which release inflammatory and fibrogenic factors (such as cytokines and chemokines) that lead to altered liver pathology. We have studied extensively the effects of ethanol administration on protein trafficking in the liver, focusing most of our work on the hepatocyte and the process of endocytosis by these cells, using the endocytic pathway of the asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGP-R) as a model [1-8]. Currently in our laboratory we are examining the effect of ethanol administration on the process of apoptosis (programmed cell death) to determine a role for altered endocytosis in this process. Apoptosis is recognized not only as one of the initiating events in toxic liver injury, but is also increasingly recognized as a key mechanism in tissue inflammation and fibrosis [9,10]. Of interest to us is work showing that healthy hepatocytes can bind and internalize apoptotic bodies [11,12], and that the hepatocellular ASGP-R is involved in this clearance. We have utilized an in vitro system to characterize uptake of apoptotic bodies in isolated hepatocytes and define a role for the ASGP-R in this uptake. Our goal is to determine if there is an impaired ability to take up bodies in hepatocytes from ethanol-fed animals compared with control hepatocytes. An ethanol-induced impairment in the ability to remove apoptotic cells in the liver parenchyma could lead to an accumulation of bodies thereby disturbing the hepatic architecture and contributing to the initiation of fibrosis, specifically by activation of the non-parenchymal cell population. The work described in this present study was performed to characterize the in vitro system using flow cytometry to examine uptake of apoptotic bodies by healthy hepatocytes. Our long-term goal is to determine whether inadequate removal of apoptotic cells, presumably via altered receptor-mediated endocytosis (RME), plays a role in the course of pathogenesis of alcoholic liver injury.
Paying for Positive Group Esteem: How Inequity Frames Affect Whites' Responses to Redistributive Policies

This article finds that, when faced with racial inequity framed as White advantage, Whites’ desire to think well of their racial group increases their support for policies perceived to harm Whites. Across 4 studies, the article provides evidence that (a) relative to minority disadvantage, White advantage increases Whites’ support for policies perceived to reduce their group’s economic opportunities, but does not increase support for policies perceived to increase minority opportunities; and (b) the effect of White advantage on Whites’ esteem for their ingroup drives the effect of inequity frame on support for policies perceived to reduce Whites’ opportunities.
Regulation of Tau Phosphorylation in Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a heterogeneous dementing disorder of the elderly that is characterized by progressive cognitive impairments and the accumulation of abundant amyloid or senile plaques (SPs) and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) as well as the massive loss of neurons in the AD brain. Indeed, a secure diagnosis of AD in patients with a chronic progressive dementia requires evidence of numerous SPs and NFTs in the postmortem brain. Although the deposition of fibrillar amyloid or A beta-peptides in extracellular plaques and the accumulation of tau-rich intraneuronal NFTs are not restricted exclusively to AD, there is a close correlation between the burden of tau-rich neurofibrillary lesions in selected telencephalic regions of the brain and the dementia in AD. Since the formation of neurofibrillary lesions from hyperphosphorylated tau proteins may compromise the function and viability of neurons in the AD brain, this review summarizes recent insights into mechanisms that regulate the phosphorylation state of tau in AD.
Geodesic graph cut for interactive image segmentation

Interactive segmentation is useful for selecting objects of interest in images and continues to be a topic of much study. Methods that grow regions from foreground/background seeds, such as the recent geodesic segmentation approach, avoid the boundary-length bias of graph-cut methods but have their own bias towards minimizing paths to the seeds, resulting in increased sensitivity to seed placement. The lack of edge modeling in geodesic or similar approaches limits their ability to precisely localize object boundaries, something at which graph-cut methods generally excel. This paper presents a method for combining geodesic-distance information with edge information in a graphcut optimization framework, leveraging the complementary strengths of each. Rather than a fixed combination we use the distinctiveness of the foreground/background color models to predict the effectiveness of the geodesic distance term and adjust the weighting accordingly. We also introduce a spatially varying weighting that decreases the potential for shortcutting in object interiors while transferring greater control to the edge term for better localization near object boundaries. Results show our method is less prone to shortcutting than typical graph cut methods while being less sensitive to seed placement and better at edge localization than geodesic methods. This leads to increased segmentation accuracy and reduced effort on the part of the user.
Factors associated with smoking abstinence among smokers and recent-quitters with lung and head and neck cancer

Introduction Smoking cessation among cancer patients is critical for improving outcomes. Understanding factors associated with smoking abstinence after the diagnosis of cancer can provide direction to develop and test interventions to enhance cessation rates. The purpose of this study was to identify determinants of smoking outcomes among cancer patients.