cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multi-omic strategies for transcriptome-wide prediction and association studies

Traditional predictive models for transcriptome-wide association studies (TWAS) consider only single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) local to genes of interest and perform parameter shrinkage with a regularization process. These approaches ignore the effect of distal-SNPs or possible effects underlying the SNP-gene association. Here, we outline multi-omic strategies for transcriptome imputation from germline genetics for testing gene-trait associations by prioritizing distal-SNPs to the gene of interest. In one extension, we identify mediating biomarkers (CpG sites, microRNAs, and transcription factors) highly associated with gene expression and train predictive models for these mediators using their local SNPs. Imputed values for mediators are then incorporated into the final model as fixed effects with local SNPs to the gene included as regularized effects. In the second extension, we assess distal-eSNPs (SNPs in eQTLs) for their mediation effect through mediators local to these distal-eSNPs. Highly mediated distal-eSNPs are then included in the eventual transcriptomic prediction model. We show considerable gains in percent variance explained of gene expression and TWAS power to detect gene-trait associations using simulation analysis and real data applications with TCGA breast cancer data and in ROS/MAP brain tissue data. This integrative approach to transcriptome-wide imputation and association studies aids in understanding the complex interactions underlying genetic regulation within a tissue and identifying important risk genes for various traits and disorders.
Nonlinear Mechanical Properties of Prestressed Branched Fibrous Networks.

Abstract Random fiber networks constitute the solid skeleton of many biological materials such as the cytoskeleton of cells and extracellular matrix of soft tissues. These random networks show unique mechanical properties such as nonlinear shear strain-stiffening and strain softening when subjected to preextension and precompression, respectively. In this study, we perform numerical simulations to characterize the influence of axial prestress on the nonlinear mechanical response of random network structures as a function of their micromechanical and geometrical properties. We build our numerical network models using the microstructure of disordered hexagonal lattices and quantify their nonlinear shear response as a function of uniaxial prestress strain. We consider three different material models for individual fibers and fully characterize their influence on the mechanical response of prestressed networks. Moreover, we investigate both the influence of geometric disorder keeping the network connectivity constant and the influence of the randomness in the stiffness of individual fibers keeping their mean stiffness constant. The effects of network connectivity and bending rigidity of fibers are also determined. Several important conclusions are made, including that the tensile and compressive prestress strains, respectively, increase and decrease the initial network shear stiffness but have no effect on the maximal shear modulus. We discuss the findings in terms of microstructural properties such as the local strain energy distribution.
Factors Influencing Human Mobility During The COVID-19 Pandemic in Selected Countries of Europe and North America

A novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was first reported in Wuhan, China in December 2109 and was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization on 11 March 2020. Identification of the critical factors that predict reduced mobility and human interaction is critical to developing successful transmission mitigation efforts globally. Governments and localities around the world have responded with wide-ranging policies related to containment and closure such as travel restrictions and stay-at-home-orders, as well as economic benefits, expanded testing, and public health education, among others. Anonymized GPS-enabled smartphone data is a novel tool to track human mobility and is becoming widely available. This study explores the relationships between containment and closure policies, disease trends, and human mobility patterns in 40 countries in Western, Eastern, Northern, and Southern Europe and North America. The principal component analysis was applied to reduce variable dimensions, followed by multivariate multiple regression. The model parameter estimations indicate that total cases, canceling activities (school, work, events), mask policies and the pandemic declaration all were significant predictors (p<.001) of change in workplace mobility from baseline.
Introduction to Off-Shell String Theory

In this chapter, we introduce a framework to describe off-shell amplitudes in string theory. We first start by motivating various concepts—in particular, local coordinates and factorization—by focusing on the 3- and 4-point amplitudes. We then prepare the stage for a general description of off-shell amplitudes. We focus again on the closed bosonic string only.
Write into Being: The Production of the Self and Circulation of Ritual Knowledge in Afro-Cuban Religious Libretas

The “libreta” or notebook in Spanish is the vernacular name for the writing convention and product that is central to Afro-Cuban religions, especially Lucumi or la Regla de Ocha. These texts speak ...
Pharmacokinetics, Disposition, and Biotransformation of [14C]Omecamtiv Mecarbil in Healthy Male Subjects after a Single Intravenous or Oral Dose.

Omecamtiv mecarbil (OM) is a novel cardiac myosin activator that is currently in clinical development for the treatment of heart failure. The absorption and disposition of [14C]OM (60 µCi) were studied after a single intravenous infusion (35 mg over 1 hour) or oral solution dose (35 mg) in 14 healthy male subjects. Mean recovery of the administered [14C]OM dose was 85.1% and 86.5% over 336 hours for the intravenous and oral routes, respectively. After intravenous dosing, 47.8% and 37.3% of the dose was recovered in urine and feces, respectively; after oral dosing, 48.6% and 38.0% was recovered in urine and feces, respectively. Unchanged OM accounted for a minor percentage of radioactivity in urine (mean 7.7% of dose) and feces (mean 4.1% of dose) across all subjects. The major metabolites recovered in urine and feces were M3 (decarbamoylation product) and sequential metabolite M4 (lactam of M3), which accounted for means of 26.5% and 11.6% of the administered dose, respectively. The CYP4 family of enzymes was primarily responsible for the formation of M3 based on in vitro studies. Other metabolic pathways accounted for 14.9% of the administered dose. In pooled plasma, OM, M3, and M4 accounted for 83.8%, 6.0%, and 3.3% of the total [14C]OM-related materials. No other plasma metabolites constituted more than 3% of the administered dose. The bioavailability for OM solution was 93.5% after rapid and extensive absorption. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT This study characterized the absorption and disposition of OM, a novel small molecule being developed for the treatment of heart failure. OM was primarily cleared through metabolism by the CYP4 family through oxidative cleavage of a terminal carbamate moiety that resembles hydrolysis.
Is your smoke detector working properly?: robust fault tolerance approaches for smoke detectors

Billions of smoke detectors are in use worldwide to provide early warning of fires. Despite this, they frequently fail to operate in an ongoing fire, risking death and property damage. A significant fraction of faults result from drift, or reduced sensitivity, and other faults in smoke detectors' phototransistors (PTs). Existing approaches attempt to detect drift from the PT output in normal conditions (without smoke). However, we find that drifted PTs mimic the output of working PTs in normal conditions, but diverge in the presence of smoke, making this approach ineffective. This paper presents two novel approaches to systematically detect faults and measure and compensate for drift in smoke detectors' PTs. Our first approach, called FallTime, measures a PT "fingerprint," a unique electrical characteristic with distinct behavior for working, drifted, and faulty components. FallTime can be added to many existing smoke detector models in software alone, with no/minimal hardware modifications. Our second approach, DriftTestButton, is a mechanical test button that simulates the behavior of smoke when pressed. It offers a robust, straightforward approach to detect faults, and can measure and compensate for drift across the entire smoke detector system. We empirically evaluate both approaches and present extensive experimental results from actual smoke detectors deployed in a commercial building, along with custom-built smoke detectors. By conducting tests with live smoke, we show that both FallTime and DriftTestButton perform more effectively than existing fault tolerance techniques and stand to substantially reduce the risk that a smoke detector fails to alarm in the presence of smoke.
Genome Sequence Resource of Bacillus sp. RRD69, a Beneficial Bacterial Endophyte Isolated from Switchgrass Plants

We report here the genome sequence of Bacillus sp. RRD69, a plant-growth-promoting bacterial endophyte isolated from switchgrass plants grown on a reclaimed coal-mining site in Kentucky. RRD69 is p...
A Regional, Honey Bee-Centered Approach Is Needed to Incentivize Grower Adoption of Bee-Friendly Practices in the Almond Industry

Managed and wild bee populations contribute over $15 billion in pollination services to US agriculture, yet both are declining or becoming increasingly vulnerable to parasites and disease. The loss of healthy and diverse forage is a key driver in bee declines, so incentivizing land managers to adopt diversified bee-friendly management practices such as forage plantings and reduced pesticide use can directly increase food security, pollinator health, and farmer adaptive capacity. To better understand what might incentivize growers to adopt bee-friendly practices, we conducted a survey of California almond growers, whose orchards are entirely dependent on bee pollination and draw nearly 88% of US bee colonies each February to pollinate almond bloom. We asked 329 respondents across all major almond growing regions of CA about their adoption rate and incentives for planting cover crops, pollinator habitat, and practicing the recommended and legally required bee-friendly best management practices, as well as their interest in bee-friendly certification programs. Using a model selection framework, we evaluated which geographic, social, operational and pollination-service related factors were predictive of bee-friendly practice adoption. We found that no single factor that was a statistically significant predictor of adoption across all models, suggesting there is no silver bullet determining bee-friendly practice adoption. However, we discovered that region and concerns about future pollination services consistently emerged as important factors related to all the practices we investigated, except the adoption of legally required BMPs. These findings suggest that a regionally flexible pollinator conservation strategy focused on supporting honey bee colonies might have the highest likelihood of grower participation and adoption.
The Demagogue (Written by Murray N. Rothbard)

For many years now, demagogues have been in great disfavor. They are not sober, they are not respectable, they are not “gentlemen.” And yet there is a great and growing need for their services. What, exactly, have been the charges leveled against the demagogues? They are roughly three in number.
An updated comparison between WHO grade 2 gemistocytic and diffuse astrocytoma survival and treatment patterns.

Background In 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) revised its guidelines to retain only gemistocytic astrocytoma (GemA) as a distinct variant of diffuse astrocytoma (DA). In the past, grade 2 GemAs have been linked with a worse prognosis than DA. However, it is unclear how consistently the tumor subtype has been diagnosed over time. We used more recent data to compare outcomes between grade 2 GemA and DA. Methods WHO grade 2 DA and GemA patients were extracted from the SEER database between 1973-2016. Kaplan-Meier curves estimated survival differences across different eras, with a focus on patients diagnosed between 2000-2016, and propensity score matching (PSM) was used to balance baseline characteristics between DA and GemA cohorts Results Of 2,467 grade 2 astrocytoma patients between 2000-2016, 132 (5.35%) were diagnosed with GemA, and 2,335 (94.65%) were diagnosed with DA. At baseline, marked demographic and treatment differences were noted between tumor subtypes, including age of diagnosis and female sex. GemA patients did not have worse survival compared to DA patients at baseline (p=0.349) or after PSM (p=0.497). Multivariate Cox models found that surgical extent of resection was associated with a survival benefit for DA patients, and both DA and GemA patients aged >65 years had dramatically inferior survival. Conclusions Our data suggest that the impact of GemA versus DA histopathology depends more upon the decade of queried data rather than patient-specific demographics. Using more recent longitudinal data, we found that grade 2 GemA and DA tumors did not have significant differences in survival. These data may prove useful for clinicians counseling patients diagnosed with grade 2 GemA.
Precise Quantization of the Anomalous Hall Effect near Zero Magnetic Field.

Thin films of magnetic topological insulators can exhibit a nearly ideal quantum Hall effect without requiring an applied magnetic field.
A Self-Determination Theory Perspective on Social, Institutional, Cultural, and Economic Supports for Autonomy and Their Importance for Well-Being

In this chapter the authors discuss modern conceptions of happiness, including hedonic and eudaimonic perspectives. They distinguish happiness as a symptom rather than sine qua non of well-being, and they relate the later to the human capability for autonomous self-regulation. Using a self-determination framework they define autonomy and detail its essential functional role in allowing individuals within any culture to satisfy basic psychological needs for competence and relatedness, and thus to attain psychological well-being and happiness. The chapter also highlights how capacities for autonomous self-regulation, although evolved and “natural” to all humans, are dependent on both proximal (e.g., familial, interpersonal) and distal (political, cultural, economic) supports, and as how need thwarting aspects of social environments can undermine autonomy and wellness.
The effects of increasing distance to food and deprivation level on food-hoarding behavior in Rattus norvegicus

Hooded rats, both deprived and not deprived of food, were allowed to hoard various sized food pellets from remote sites that varied in distance from a well-established home nest site. As the distance between the remote and home sites increased the deprived subjects hoarded larger sized food pellets. This trend was not as clear for nondeprived subjects. Increasing distance between the two sites was correlated with decreases in several measures of hoarding strength and with an increase in nonhoarding activities. At the greatest distance, less time was devoted to hoarding and less food was returned to the home site while exploratory and scent-marking activities increased in frequency. The data suggest that whereas food deprivation facilitates food hoarding, it is not a necessary condition for it. The implications of these data for optimal foraging strategies are discussed.
Model theory of modules over a serial ring

We use the Drozd-Warfield structure theorem for finitely presented modules over a serial ring to investigate the model theory of modules over a serial ring, in particular, to give a simple description of pp-formulas and to classify the pure-injective indecomposable modules. We also study the question of whether every pure-injective indecomposable module over a valuation ring is the hull of a uniserial module.
Masking of motion by broadband and filtered directional noise

Observers detected unidirectional motion of isotropic dotpatterns following exposure to (1) broadband noise containing all directions of motion, or (2) noise from which certain sets of direction had been filtered. The amount of maskingvaried withtheset of directions filtered from the noise, yielding broad directional tuning functions. The breadth of an observers’s tuning function corresponded to the precision with which the observer could recognize small differences in direction of motion.
Degree Aspirations of Two-Year College Students.

The nation's 1,100 public and private two-year colleges play a critical role in providing educational opportunities to a diverse population. Today, a large proportion of students begin their educat...
Synthesis, characterization, X-ray structure and DFT calculations of a bistridentate Co(III) complex based on the 2,6-bis(8′-quinolinyl)pyridine ligand

Abstract 2,6-Bis(8′-quinolinyl)pyridine (bqp) reacts with cobalt (II) acetate tetrahydrate in methanol with subsequent oxidation to give mer-[Co(bqp-κ3N,N′,N″)2](Br3)3. X-ray crystallographic data on mer-[Co(bqp-κ3N,N′,N″)2](Br3)3 show that the bqp ligands achieve a mutually meridional arrangement and adopt a twisted, near-octahedral arrangement relative to the cobalt center. UV–vis absorption and cyclic voltammetry data suggests that the complex is highly promising for applications in a DSSC. Electronic and structural characteristics are supported by DFT calculations.
Designing effective performance appraisal systems

Reports that effective performance appraisal systems help to create a motivated and committed workforce. To be effective they require the support of top management to show their commitment and to translate organizational goals and objectives into personalized employee specific objectives. Explains a framework for the implementation of performance appraisal and in particular the need for appropriate training for supervisors, raters and employees, a system for the frequent review of performance, accurate record keeping, a clearly defined measurement system, and a multiple rater group to perform the appraisal.
LONG ACTION OF SUXAMETHONIUM (SUCCINYLCHOLINE) CHLORIDE

1. A patient is described who showed a delayed recovery from suxamethonium on two occasions. Her esterase levels and liver function were estimated. 2. The duration of action of suxamethonium is discussed and a test dose related to body weight is suggested. 3. In the management of prolonged apnœa the need is stressed for continued narcosis together with an artificial respiration which will ensure not only oxygenation but also proper elimination of carbon dioxide. 4. In order to avoid excessive narcosis which may simulate paralysis by a relaxant, it is suggested that the dose of thiopentone should be governed primarily by the weight of the patient. Five mg. per pound (0.45 kg.), used in conjunction with light premedication and nitrous oxide/oxygen anaesthesia, has been found satisfactory in most patients. In frail patients however the dose should be reduced to 2.5 mg. or even 1 mg. per pound (0.45 kg.). 5. It is believed that if care is taken to avoid excessive narcosis, to employ always a test dose of suxamethonium and to perform artificial respiration correctly, antidotes such as ‘Cholase’ would not be necessary.
Physics-based modeling of mechano-electric transduction of tube-shaped ionic polymer-metal composite

In this study, tube-shaped ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC) mechanoelectrical transducers have been examined through simulation and experimental investigation for use as multi-directional sensor devices. It should be noted that cation migration simulations provide keen insight into the differences in actuation and sensing phenomena in IPMC transducers. COMSOL Multiphysics 4.3b is used to achieve 3D time-based finite element simulations, including all relevant physics. A physics-based model is proposed to simulate mechanoelectrical transduction of 3D shaped IPMCs. Configuration of interest is a tube-shaped IPMC with multi-directional transducer capabilities. Also, the fabricated IPMCs have an outer diameter of 1 mm and a length of 20–25 mm. Multi-directional sensing results are presented. The cation rise in a very small (roughly 10 micrometers) sub-surface layer near the electrodes is several orders of magnitude larger in case of actuation than in case of sensing. Furthermore, the signal produced from sensing is of opposite charge direction as that provided as input for actuation to achieve the same displacement. However, cation rise is in the same direction, indicating anion concentration change as the primary effect in sensing. The proposed model is independent of general geometry and can be readily applied to IPMC sensors of other complex 3D shapes.
More powerful cointegration tests with non-normal errors

In this paper, we suggest new cointegration tests that can become more powerful in the presence of non-normal errors. Non-normal errors will not pose a problem in usual cointegration tests even when they are ignored. However, we show that they can become useful sources to improve the power of the tests when we use the “residual augmented least squares” (RALS) procedure to make use of nonlinear moment conditions driven by non-normal errors. The suggested testing procedure is easy to implement and it does not require any non-linear estimation techniques. We can exploit the information on the non-normal error distribution that is already available but ignored in the usual cointegration tests. Our simulation results show significant power gains over existing cointegration tests in the presence of non-normal errors.
Solder Joint Creep and Stress Relaxation Dependence on Construction and Environmental-Stress Parameters

This paper presents the results of studies that provide an overview of expected sensitivities to cycle rate, temperature, lead stiffness, and strain-cycle depth.
Enhanced infectivity of occluded virions of the gypsy moth nuclear polyhedrosis virus for cell cultures.

Abstract The occluded form of baculoviruses is much less infectious to cell cultures than the extracellular virus (ECV). In studies using alkaline solutions or insect gut fluids, from 3,600 to 54,000 occlusion bodies (OBs) were needed per infectious unit. Yet there are reasons for wanting to use OBs, namely, for monitoring the efficacy of polyhedra and to avoid problems associated with long-term passage of the ECV. In the present study, gypsy moth nuclear polyhedrosis virus OBs were dissolved in a sodium bicarbonate/sodium chloride solution and used to infect the gypsy moth fat body cell line (IPLB-LdFBc1). Using 27 mM Na 2 CO 3 and 54 mM NaCl, the optimum time of dissolution was 30 min and approximately 1200 OBs were necessary to obtain one infectious unit. In addition, treatment of the dissolved OBs with 90 μg/ml trypsin for 2 hr resulted in only 21 OBs being necessary to obtain one infectious unit, an improvement of over 50-fold. Also, comparison with other cell lines showed two embryonic cell lines (IPLB-LdEp and IPLB-LdEIta) to be more susceptible to dissolved OBs. However, the infectivity to these other cell lines was not improved by trypsinization of dissolved OBs. Infection of fat body cell cultures through multiple passages using dissolved and trypsinized OBs still resulted in a decline in OB productivity over time but to a lesser degree than that with ECV. The same studies showed no increase in few polyhedra (FP) mutants when the virus was passed 15 times using polyhedra-derived virus, compared with an approximately 20% increase in FP mutants when ECV was used.
Functional Specificity of Artificial Transcriptional Activators

Misregulated transcription is linked to many human diseases, and thus artificial transcriptional activators are highly desirable as mechanistic tools and as replacements for their malfunctioning natural counterparts. We previously reported two artificial transcriptional activation domains obtained from synthetic peptide libraries screened for binding to the yeast transcription protein Med15(Gal11). Here we demonstrate that the transcriptional potency of the Med15 ligands is increased through straightforward structural alterations. These artificial activation domains upregulate transcription via specific Med15 binding interactions and do not function in mammalian cells, which lack Med15. This functional specificity stands in contrast to most natural or artificial activation domains that function across all eukaryotic cell types. The results indicate that the screening strategy holds excellent promise for identifying peptide and small molecule transcriptional activators that function by unique mechanisms with advantageous specificity properties.
A CALORIMETER FOR HIGH-ENERGY HEAVY IONS

Abstract A total absorption hadron calorimeter for use with high-energy heavy ions is described. The calorimeter's response to 2.1 GeV/nucleon ions from 2 H to 20 Ne is linear in mass (and thus in total kinetic energy). The rms resolution ranges from 54% for 2 H to 8.5% for 20 Ne.
Your space or mine?: community management and user participation in a chinese corporate blogging community

In this paper, we present a case study of MoCo Blogs, a publicly accessible, corporate blogging site, which is hosted by a large telecommunication company in China. We study the design and operation of the site from two aspects: (1) how community owners/administrators guide and coordinate blogger activities to meet the company's business goals; and (2) how participants respond to management guidance and act on their own incentives. Through the analysis of three data sources: 17-month activity logs with 1,046 bloggers and 10,291 blog entries, 4-month online participatory observation, and in-depth interviews, we present two key findings. First, we describe three key operational strategies employed by the site administrative team to encourage user contributions and manage content across the organizational boundaries. Second, we examine how these strategies directly influence user participation. Finally, we discuss the implications of our findings on an organization's roles in corporate social communities.
The Unaccusative Trap in Second Language Acquisition.

The distinction of two types of intransitive verbs—unergatives (with underlying subjects) and unaccusatives (with underlying objects)—may not exist at early stages of L2 acquisition, both being syntactically represented as unergatives. This idea, referred to here as the Unaccusative Trap Hypothesis, provides an elegant developmental account for a variety of seemingly unrelated syntactic phenomena in L2 English, Japanese, and Chinese. Target language input, structural constraints on natural language linking rules, and linguistic properties of a learner's L1s shape stages in the reorganization of the lexical and syntactic components of interlanguage grammars. Although nonnative grammars may initially override the structural constraints postulated as the Unaccusative Hypothesis (Burzio, 1986; Perlmutter, 1978) and the Uniformity of Theta Assignment Hypothesis (Baker, 1988), at later developmental stages some may still achieve conformity with the norms of natural languages.
Phosphatidylcholine-lysophosphatidylcholine cycle pathway enzymes in rabbit lung. I. Subcellular localization and properties.

Summary: The de novo cytidine-5‘-diphosphocholine (CDP-cholinc) pathway enzymes: cholinc kinase (CK); phosphorylclioline cytidyltransferase (CyT), and phosphorylcholine glyceride transferas (PCGT), and the phospliatidylcholine-lysophosphatidylcholine (PC-lysoPC) cycle pathway enzymes: lysophospholipase (LPL), Ivsophosphatidylcholine-lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase (LAT), and acyl-CoA lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase (acyl-CoA LAT) were studied in the rabbit lung subcellular fractions. The purity of the fractions was examined by the marker enzymes and electron microscopy. The lamellar bodies had the highest concentration of phospholipids (10.0 μmol/mg protein, 80% of which was phosphatidylcholinc (PC), about 10-fold higher than that of mitochondria (0.8) and microsomes (1.0) (50% of which was PC in both fractions). The lamellar bodies contained no enzymic activities of either the CDP-choline pathway or the PC-lysoPC cycle pathway. The enzymic activities of CK, CyT, LI'L, and LAT were found mainly in the soluble fraction (about 40% for CK and CyT, and 70% for LPL and LAT); PCGT and acyl-CoA LAT were microsomal enzymes. Some general properties of PC-lysoPC cycle enzymes were also studied. The activities of LPL, LAT, and acyl-CoA LAT were not stimulated by the divalent metal ion Ca2+. Their activities were inhibited by 103 M diisopropyl phosphorofluoridate (DFP). The role of the PC-lysoPC cycle pathway enzymes in remodeling the lung PC is discussed. Speculation: The mechanisms regulating PC levels and composition in the lung are unknown. A recent idea is that regulation might occur through remodeling of PC via the PC-lysoPC cycle pathway. Isolation and characterization of the enzymes of this pathway will probe the mecahanisms of remodeling of lung PC and control of this process.
Gomco circumcision: When is it safe?

Abstract Background/Purpose: The Gomco clamp is used most commonly for neonatal circumcisions in the United States with reported rates of complication as low as 0.2%. Often, however, circumcision is delayed beyond the neonatal period because of illness, parental concerns, or physician bias with patients presenting for elective circumcision in the first few years of life. In neonates and infants, the "bloodless" Gomco circumcision is cost effective, can be performed with minimal anesthesia and gives good cosmetic results. However, the optimal age at which to perform this procedure remains controversial. We reviewed the experience of one pediatric urologist with Gomco circumcision in neonates and infants to determine the optimal age at which this procedure should be performed. Methods: One hundred thirty patients underwent Gomco circumcision by 1 pediatric urologist between 1996 and 1998. Ninety-eight patients underwent Gomco circumcision as neonates or during early infancy at a mean age of 17 days (range, 4 to 30 days). Thirty-two patients underwent circumcision after early infancy at a mean age of 6.5 months (range, 90 days to 8.5 months). All patients younger than 1 month of age underwent circumcision while fully awake using a dorsal penile nerve block. Patients greater than 3 months of age were circumcised under general anesthesia. Gomco circumcision was performed using 1.1- to 2.1-cm bells. Patients were assessed with regard to outcome. Results: None of the 98 patients in the early infancy group had postcircumcision complications. Of the 32 patients in the older group, 12 (30%) had postoperative bleeding requiring suture repair or fulguration. The skin edges separated in 2 patients, 1 less than 1 month of age and 1 in the older group. Neither patient required further intervention, and both healed spontaneously. There was no correlation between size of clamp and development of complications. Conclusion: Although safe and effective for circumcision in the neonatal period and in early infancy, use of the Gomco clamp for circumcision beyond early infancy (3 months of age) has substantial morbidity, and alternative methods of circumcision should be sought. J Pediatr Surg 36:1047-1049. Copyright © 2001 by W.B. Saunders Company.
Preparation of the periplasmic binding proteins from Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli

Abstract A high-yield growth and modified osmotic shock procedure are described for the preparation of large quantities of the previously described binding proteins of Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium . The fractionation of several new proteins is also described including binding proteins for glutamine, galactose-glucose, and leucine from S. typhimurium and for ribose from E. coli . The procedure is also adaptable to the purification of periplasmic enzymes such as asparaginase and 5′-nucleotidase. The use of a batch CM-cellulose ion-exchange chromatography step followed by ammonium sulfate fractionation allows for quick concentration and a 2–3-fold purification of the binding activities found in crude shock fluid. Alternative concentration and fractionation procedures have been carried out and compared. Using these procedures, binding proteins for glutamine, ribose, histidine, galactose-glucose, cystine, and the branched-chain amino acids are resolved. The localization and identification of these proteins in column fractions has been facilitated by a rapid immunoassay and a new equilibrium dialysis apparatus.
Serotonin and the Mammalian Circadian System: II. Phase-Shifting Rat Behavioral Rhythms with Serotonergic Agonists

The suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) receive primary afferents from the median and dorsal raphe, but the role of these projections in circadian timekeeping is poorly understood. Studies of the SCN in vitro suggest that quipazine, a general serotonin (5-HT) receptor agonist, can produce circadian time-dependent phase advances and phase delays in circadian rhythms of neuronal activity. The present study addresses whether quipazine and the selective 5-HT1A receptor agonist 8-OH-DPAT are similarly effective in vivo. Drinking and wheel-running patterns of male Wistar rats individually housed in constant darkness were monitored before and after subcutaneous administration of quipazine (5-10 mg/kg) at either circadian time (CT) 6 or CT 18, with and without running wheels available. Dose-dependent phase advances (20-180 min) were produced at CT 6. Significant phase shifts were not observed at CT 18. CT 6 quipazine-treated animals also showed a sustained and significant shortening of rhythm period (tau) following treatment (-0.28 hr; p < 0.002). tau shortening was inconsistently observed in CT 18 quipazine-treated rats. Neither quipazine-induced phase shifts nor tau effects were dependent on wheel-running activity per se. 8-OH-DPAT delivered via intracerebral ventricular treatment into the third ventricle (5 microliters at 100 microM in saline) produced slightly smaller phase advances (20-90 min) at CT 6, but did not produce phase delays at CT 18 or changes in tau. These findings support in vitro evidence that 5-HT-ergic agonists can phase-shift the circadian pacemaker.
The needle-scratch technique.

. An easy, convenient method of marking the borders of a cutaneous tumor before excision is presented. It enables the physician to see the preoperative clinical borders of a tumor without worry of erasing the inked borders with cleansing solution.
Gender and age differences in blood utilization and length of stay in radical cystectomy: a population-based study

Objective Radical cystectomy is a major surgical procedure associated with significant blood loss and lengthy hospital stays. This surgical procedure is more challenging in women than men due to anatomical-based differences. We evaluated resource utilization and complication rates of patients undergoing radical cystectomy or exenteration using the Texas Hospital In-Patient Discharge Data Collection.
Chemical mechanical polishing of nickel for applications in MEMS devices

Abstract Chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) has found extensive application in the fabrication of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS). Nickel and nickel based alloys are known to possess favorable properties that make them promising candidates to realize movable structures for MEMS applications. The development of CMP slurry chemistry for Ni that provides good CMP performance is the key in enabling CMP technology for nickel based MEMS device fabrication. In this study, CMP of nickel was performed using H2O2 as oxidizer and alumina particles as abrasives. Electrochemical techniques were used to investigate the dissolution/passivation behavior of high-purity Ni under static and dynamic conditions at pH 4 with varying H2O2 concentration. The affected surface layers of the statically etched Ni-disc were investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The Ni removal rate reached a maximum at 1% H2O2 concentration and decreased with a further increase in H2O2 concentration. The electrochemical results indicate that the surface chemistry and electrochemical characteristic of Ni play an important role in controlling the polishing behavior.
Responses of africanized honey bees hymenoptera apidae to pollination management stress

Fifteen Africanized (AHB)and 15 European (EHB) honey bee, Apis mellifera L., colonies were moved to six different crop sites during a 2-mo test in Venezuela. Several problems with AHB suggested that these bees may be difficult to use commercially for pollination. Debilitating reductions of adult populations occurred more frequently among AHB colonies ( n = 12) than among EHB colonies ( n = 5). In 6 of 11 tests of defensive response, targets were stung more by AHB colonies than by EHB colonies; no differences were found in the five other stinging comparisons. Also during defense tests, AHB colonies typically had more bees that contributed to nest defense by buzzing intruders. Inspections of AHB colonies were more difficult because bees often ran off combs and festooned. Weight gain (nectar and honey storage) was greater by EHB colonies than by AHB colonies at two of the six sites; gains were similar at the other four sites. Frequencies of queen losses were similar among the two groups of bees. Swarming was never initiated during the test.
Implications of Antenatal Ultrasound Screening in the Incidence of Major Genitourinary Malformations

Over the past 3 decades, infant mortality has decreased nearly 50%. Although neonatal intensive care deserves much of the credit, the recent increase in prenatal ultrasonography use, from 33% of pregnancies in 1980 to 78% in 1987, has improved early detection. The authors wished to evaluate the impact on major genitourinary malformations. Data obtained from the Malformations Surveillance Program at Brigham and Women's Hospital between 1974 and 1994, tracked 163,431 pregnancies and termination rates of fetuses with spina bifida, bladder exstrophy, prune belly syndrome, and posterior urethral valves. Hospital data showed 65% of fetuses with spina bifida, 46% with posterior urethral valves, 31% with prune belly syndrome, and 25% with exstrophy, were terminated electively. Clearly, surveillance programs and improved accuracy of antenatal ultrasound has allowed early diagnosis of major genitourinary malformations. Many factors influence decision making in these affected fetuses, including the financial and emotional impact of these major anomalies over a lifetime. Future societal decisions, and the reduction in these anomalies may influence our training programs, manpower needs, medical facility requirements, and the character of our practices. These findings may have significant implications in the field of pediatric urology.
Lysophosphatidic Acid (LPA) Is a Novel Extracellular Regulator of Cortical Neuroblast Morphology

During cerebral cortical neurogenesis, neuroblasts in the ventricular zone (VZ) undergo a shape change termed "interkinetic nuclear migration" whereby cells alternate between fusiform and rounded morphologies. We previously identified lp(A1), the first receptor gene for a signaling phospholipid called lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and showed its enriched expression in the VZ. Here we report that LPA induces changes in neuroblast morphology from fusiform to round in primary culture, accompanied by nuclear movements, and formation of f-actin retraction fibers. These changes are mediated by the activation of the small GTPase, Rho. In explant cultures, where the cerebral cortical architecture remains intact, LPA not only induces cellular and nuclear rounding in the VZ, but also produces an accumulation of rounded nuclei at the ventricular surface. Consistent with a biological role for these responses, utilization of a sensitive and specific bioassay indicates that postmitotic neurons can produce extracellular LPA. These results implicate LPA as a novel factor in cortical neurogenesis and further implicate LPA as an extracellular signal from postmitotic neurons to proliferating neuroblasts.
Concrete images of the sugar content in sugar-sweetened beverages reduces attraction to and selection of these beverages

In the present research, we offer a novel method for informing consumers about the sugar content in sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). With a series of experiments, we present evidence that this method curbs preference for SSBs and leads to more negative attitudes toward SSBs. We propose that people view SSBs more negatively and show less preference for SSBs when they are able to concretely visualize the quantity of sugar in SSBs. For example, we suggest that people might have more negative views toward the idea of consuming 28 sugar cubes (concrete information), compared to consuming “70g” of sugar (abstract information). Indeed, we found that, without any intervention, people struggle to convert sugar grams into a concrete, physical sugar representation (Experiment 1). But, when people are provided ways to convert abstract sugar-nutrition information into a concrete representation, they find SSBs less attractive (Experiment 2) and are less likely to select SSBs in favor of sugar-free beverage options (Experiments 3 and 4). These findings offer direct applications to the design of public-health messages and nutrition-education interventions. Such applications might benefit society in its battle with the obesity epidemic.
Towards reinforcement learning representation transfer

Transfer learning problems are typically framed as leveraging knowledge learned on a source task to improve learning on a related, but different, target task. Current transfer methods are able to successfully transfer knowledge between agents in different reinforcement learning tasks, reducing the time needed to learn the target. However, the complimentary task of representation transfer, i.e. transferring knowledge between agents with different internal representations, has not been well explored. The goal in both types of transfer problems is the same: reduce the time needed to learn the target with transfer, relative to learning the target without transfer. This work introduces one such representation transfer algorithm which is implemented in a complex multiagent domain. Experiments demonstrate that transferring the learned knowledge between different representations is both possible and beneficial.
Galois for 21st-Century readers

T he recent bilingual publication of The Mathematical Writings of Evariste Galois by Peter M. Neumann [6] will make Galois’s own words available to a vast new audience of students of modern algebra. I have long advocated reading the original works of great mathematicians, but even with the advantage of Neumann’s extensively annotated transcription and translation it will be difficult for modern readers to connect Galois theory as they know it with Galois’s original presentation of it in his famous First Memoir (Premier Memoire), entitled “On the conditions for the solvability of equations by radicals”. The First Memoir was submitted to the Paris Academy of Sciences in January of 1831, only to be rejected. With the benefit of hindsight, it is easy to condemn this rejection as an epicmisjudgment. However, anyone who has studied the memoir will sympathize with the decision, especially in view of the fact that the referees recommended that the young author—Galois was just nineteen at the time—make his presentation clearer and more expansive. They could not have imagined that this would be their last chance to recognize the merit of the work of an unparalleled genius. In this paper, I have tried to explain the First Memoir to modern readers, going through it proposition by proposition. The most important proposition, and the one I most emphasize, is Proposition 2, the one about which Galois wrote in the margin, “There is something to be completed in this proof. I do not have the time” (the sections “Proposition 2” and “Proposed Revision of
Simulation and design of metal forming problems by the boundary element method: boundary conditions and sensitivity equations

Proper modeling of boundary conditions is of crucial importance in the simulation and design of metal forming processes. This paper discusses such modeling in the context of a rate formulation of the boundary element method. Both standard as well as sensitivity versions of the boundary conditions are discussed here.
Toward an agonistic understanding of law: Law and politics in Hannah Arendt's Eichmann in Jerusalem

Contemporary readers of Eichmann in Jerusalem often cast it as a juridical text, concerned with justice rather than politics. These juridical readings rightly focus attention on what Arendt calls the primary challenge of the case – judging Eichmann's unprecedented crimes against humanity in a rule-bound court – but they insufficiently attend to Arendt's resistance to a juridical response to this problem, especially as evidenced in her criticism of the Jerusalem Court's rule-following. Taking Arendt's resistance to the Court's approach as my guide, I argue that Eichmann in Jerusalem does not authorize a juridical approach to the unprecedented, but instead points toward the importance of an agonistic understanding of law – an understanding that foregrounds law's dependence on political contestation of legal strictures and constraints. Especially with the advent of unprecedented crimes against humanity, Arendt suggests that we must attend to law's dependence on the human capacities to resist legal compulsion and found new institutions – capacities which are unpredictable, but which also render new institutions like an international court possible.
Ontogenetic trends in aspartic acid racemization and amino acid composition within modern and fossil shells of the bivalve Arctica

Abstract Ontogenetic trends (umbo to growth edge of shell) in aspartic acid (Asp) racemization and amino acid composition and their evolution over time are examined in serial samples of annual growth bands from a time-series of three live-collected and two fossil (ca. 500 and 1000 y BP) shells of the long-lived bivalve Arctica islandica. The rate of Asp racemization is shown to be higher in the umbonal portion of the shells (laid down when the clams are young) but constant from a biological age of 10 to 20 y to more than 100 y. Corresponding changes are also seen in amino acid composition and concentration: with increasing biological age of the clam: total amino acid concentration increases substantially, the acidic amino acids Asp, glutamic acid, and alanine decrease in relative concentration (mole-percent) and more basic amino acids including tyrosine, phenylalanine, and lysine increase in relative concentration. These ontogenetic trends are generally retained in the fossil shells. These trends may reflect changing protein composition related to changes in growth rate. Clams grow considerably faster in their youth than when they are older, as indicated by changes in the annual growth increments. Production of more acidic proteins, which play a role in crystal growth, may be favored during the phase of faster growth, whereas more structural proteins, perhaps enhancing structural strength of the shell, may be favored during later growth. These ontogenetic differences in protein composition affect the observed rates of racemization of the protein pool. Some weak diagenetic trends in amino acid composition and abundance may be represented in the time series of shells. These results emphasize the importance of standardization of the location from which samples are taken from shells for dating by amino acid racemization analysis.